Colleagues remember Inspector Asrar as the officer whose humility left a lasting mark

Srinagar, Nov 20: In the corridors of the State Investigation Agency (SIA) and in every police station he served, Inspector Asrar Ahmad Shah carried an aura that stayed with people long after he walked away. Soft-spoken, unfailingly humble, and anchored in integrity, he represented the rare kind of officer whose strength was in his gentleness and whose duty was defined by quiet courage.

I first met him at the former Press Enclave office of the SIA, where he sat beside then DySP Adnan-ul-Haq and later DySP Mir Murtaza Hussain, now Superintendent of Police. Even in that brief encounter, one could sense his depth—calm, composed, and self-effacing. He spoke with the humility of a man committed to service, not spotlight.

He talked little about himself, but when he did, it was with simplicity—about his days as SHO Vilagam Handwara, about the everyday demands of policing, and about the responsibility he felt toward the people he served. Behind those modest words lay a career built on discipline, compassion and quiet resolve.

Inspector Shah belonged to a respected family in Drugmulla, Kupwara—an area that has produced officers of calibre, including retired IPS officer Syed Aashiq Hussain Bukhari. The soil of that place has long nurtured values of service and integrity, and Israr lived those values every day in uniform.

DySP Adnan-ul-Haq remembers him as “a fantastic officer with excellent skill,” the grief unmistakable in his voice. “I could not believe it… I could not sleep for the whole night when I heard about his demise,” he said, recalling their time together at SIA—two officers bound by professionalism, and above all, mutual respect.

Superintendent of Police Mir Murtaza echoed that emotion. “An honest, gentle and hardworking officer he was,” he said. “He had spoken to me only a day before this unfortunate incident.”

My own conversations with Inspector Asrar deepened over time. One lengthy discussion at the SIA headquarters inside the Zonal Police Headquarters remains etched in memory—an exchange filled with warmth, clarity and wisdom. After that, we often shared brief greetings, thoughts, and festival wishes. His sincerity was unmistakable, always.

But on that dark day at Nowgam Police Station, fate struck brutally. The accidental explosion that claimed nine lives also took away a man whose service was marked by quiet dedication and unspoken bravery.

In the aftermath, senior police leadership—Jammu and Kashmir DGP Nalin Prabhat, Special DG (Coordination) S.J.M. Gilani, and ADGP CID Nitish Kumar—visited Inspector Israr’s home in Drugmulla to offer condolences and stand with the grieving family. They spent time with his relatives, assuring them of full support from the police department during this devastating period. They also visited the families of others killed in the Nowgam accidental blast, extending the same solidarity and compassion.

An MBA graduate who joined the police in 2011, Inspector Asrar built a reputation that many strive for but few achieve—professional yet humane, resilient yet tender-hearted. He leaves behind his wife, three young children who will grow up hearing stories of their father’s courage, and elderly parents who saw in him both pride and strength.