The Jammu and Kashmir government on Thursday transferred Director General of Police Shesh Paul Vaid and posted him as the state transport commissioner. The government said Director General of Prisons Dilbagh Singh will take over from Vaid until a regular appointment is made.
Jammu and Kashmir has been under governor’s rule since June 20. Former Bihar Governor Satya Pal Malik replaced NN Vohra on August 23.
Vaid, a 1986 batch Indian Police Service officer, was appointed Jammu and Kashmir Police chief in December 2016. He is due to retire in October 2019.
“I am thankful to God for the opportunity to serve my people and my country,” Vaid said on Twitter. “I am grateful to the Jammu and Kashmir Police, security agencies and people of Jammu and Kashmir for their support and faith in me. My best wishes to the new director general of police.”
Vaid’s transfer comes days after close relatives of at least 10 police personnel were abducted by militants. They were later released, police said on September 1. The abductions were allegedly in retaliation to the police detaining family members of three Hizbul Mujahideen militants.
Singh, a 1987 batch officer, was made head of the prisons department in February after Lashkar-e-Taiba militant Naveed Jatt escaped from police custody while being taken for a routine medical check-up at a hospital in Srinagar.
Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said there was no hurry to replace Vaid. “He should have been changed only when a permanent arrangement had been worked out,” Abdullah said on Twitter. “Jammu and Kashmir Police has enough problems without having to deal with confusion of leadership.”
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