SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir government has ordered screening of special police officers (SPOs) engaged by the police for counter-terrorism in the last six years, following intelligence reports about their links with terror groups.

There are around 32,000 SPOs employed by J&K Police on a meager remuneration of Rs 6,000 a month. But reports suggest around 200 to 300 SPOs and some regular police constables, working as moles for various terror outfits, a top intelligence officer said.

The recent killings of soldier Aurangzeb and constable Javid Ahmad Dar , who was personal security officer of former SSP Shopian Shalendra Mishra, seem to be an outcome of the sabotage from within the police force, top intelligence sources said.

Two constables, including one posted with the Special Security Group (SSG) guarding former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti , were beaten up in Shopian in 2017 after their movements were reportedly communicated to the Over Ground Workers (OGWs) of terror groups in their hometown by the men from within the police force.

This has prompted the administration under governor's rule to issue orders of screening of the SPOs immediately. In due course of time, the process of screening would be extended to regular policemen as well, sources said.

In the last few years, J&K Police has attempted to identify moles, suspected of leaking vital operational information to terror outfits. Police arrested one of the constables of its security wing, Abdul Rashid Shigan of Lachhmanpora in Batmaloo, Srinagar, after finding out that he was the kingpin of Harkat-ul- Mujahideen terror group that had carried terrorist strikes in Srinagar from 2011 to 2012.

Shigan was posted as PSO with the then SSP Bandipore, Bashir Ahmad Khan, and would skip his duty occasionally to execute terror activities, a top police officer said. Constable Shigan had been operating under codenames of Maulvi and Omar Mukhtar and was reportedly involved in 13 terror cases including attacks on three National Conference (NC) politicians. During the attack on the then minister of law and rural development, Ali Mohammad Sagar, one constable was killed in 2011.

His outfit, Harkat, had also gunned down retired Dy SP Abdul Hamid Bhat of Firdausabad, Batamaloo, ASI Sukhpal Singh at Safa Kadal and Inspector of Police Telecommunication Wing, Bashir Ahmad at Bemina in Srinagar. He is now undergoing trial and has been lodged in Srinagar Central jail since 2012, sources said.

The government last week dismissed the services of four cops, which includes sub-inspector Anand Dutta, head constable Tilak Raj, SPO Surinder Kumar and SPO Deepak Khajuria accused in the rape and murder of a minor nomad girl in Rasana, Kathua district of Jammu. Action against them was prompted due to their involvement in the crime.

