B Srinivas brings with him an experience of intelligence gathering
In a bid to revamp intelligence network in the terrorism-hit state, the Jammu and Kashmir Police Tuesday appointed B Srinivas as the new intelligence chief, replacing Abdul Gani Mir who has been sent to police headquarters.
An order issued Tuesday by the state Home Department made the announcement of Mr Srinivas' appointment as the new Additional Director General of CID.
The state police had come under criticism for having failed in gathering intelligence.
It is a homecoming for Mr Srinivas as he had successfully served as inspector general (CID) for nearly five years, a period during which many terror modules were busted.
However, after the PDP-led alliance government came to power, he was replaced by Mir, a 1994 batch officer.
During various meetings held at the Centre, it was brought out that local intelligence had taken a hit especially after poster boy of Hizbul Mujahideen Burhan Wani was killed in an encounter, officials said.
The state administration, under the governor's rule, had requested the Centre to relieve him at the earliest, they said.
He was posted as the inspector general in the Shashastra Seema Bal, a paramilitary force looking after Indo-Nepal and Indo-Bhutan borders. Finally, he was relieved late last month and asked to report to the state cadre at the earliest.
He will have the daunting task of establishing local intelligence in the Kashmir valley which will help the police in carrying out more operations against the terror groups operating there.
A 1990 batch officer, the Mr 54-year-old Srinivas brings with him an experience of intelligence gathering.
During his past 28 years, he has held many sensitive assignments as police chief in various districts of the Valley.
He was inspector general (operations) before he was moved as inspector general police of Kashmir range and later as intelligence head during the Omar Abdullah regime.
A doctorate in industrial relation, Mr Srinivas has earlier served in the Intelligence Bureau's counter terrorism team.
A recipient of Police Medal for Gallantry and President's Police Medal for Distinguished Services, Mr Srinivas has worked in Multi Agency Centre of the Intelligence Bureau.
Mir has been asked to join police headquarters in the rank of additional director general of police.