SP Vaid removed as Jammu & Kashmir police chief

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir police chief S P Vaid was unceremoniously removed late Thursday and shunted as the Transport Commissioner. Director General of Prison Dilbagh Singh was directed to look after the force until a new appointment was made.

The official order to this effect was issued late Thursday by Principal Secretary, Home, R K Goyal.

Vaid, a 1986-batch IPS officer, was appointed as the Director General of Police in December 2016. He is due to retire in October 2019.

Singh, who has been made the in-charge Director General of Police, is a 1987-batch officer. He was made the head of the prison department in March after the infamous escape of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist Naved Jhatt while the latter was on a routine health check-up at a city hospital in February.

Singh, during his tenure as Director General of Prisons, streamlined many things, including the removal of hardened terrorists from Kashmir jails.

He will have a regular appointment only after his name is cleared by the UPSC.

Arun Chaudhury is likely to be appointed the Director General of Prisons and S J M Gilani the Additional Director General of the Jammu and Kashmir Armed Police.

Read more: Latest India news