Nitish Kumar posted as Director SIA

Srinagar, Mar 17: The J&K government posted senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officer, Nitish Kumar as Director State Investigation Agency (SIA).

According to the order issued by the J&K Home Department, the officers would continue in the present position with an additional charge of Director SIA.

Until now the posting was held by Director General of Police (DGP), Rashmi Ranjan Swain in addition to his duties.

Kumar would be the second senior IPS officer of erstwhile J&K cadre to hold the charge of the prestigious post.

During the tenure of Swain as Director of SIA, the agency investigated several high-profile cases including the arrest of persons involved in the killing of Mirwaiz Moulvi Muhammad Farooq.

The SIA completed its two years of existence since its constitution on November 1, 2021.

The agency is primarily tasked to investigate and prosecute terror-related cases in J&K and is designated as the nodal agency for coordinating with central agencies like NIA, NCB, ED, CBI, and IT.

The SIA considers itself a dedicated ally and integral part of the country’s anti-terror law enforcement establishment and has successfully led its substantial assistance in various important cases like the killing of Mirwaiz Moulvi Muhammad Farooq to India’s national investigating agencies like the National Investigation Agency (NIA), Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), and the Enforcement Directorate (ED), which has reinforced the efforts of all agencies in India’s fight against terrorism.

In the last two years, SIA established itself as a premier agency of J&K for the investigation and prosecution of terror-related cases and accomplished its several defined objectives within its mandate.

During this period, the agency registered several cases and took over about 20 additional cases from other police stations of J&K for further investigation.

The agency has successfully investigated a wide range of cases of espionage, terror financing, narco-terrorism, terror acts, and minority killings.

Notably, the agency unearthed the modus operandi and larger criminal conspiracy of adversaries involved in financing terrorism through proceeds of narcotics and the use of crypto-currencies.

In March last year, after his return from the NIA, Kumar, who was IG Investigations at the NIA Headquarters in New Delhi, was posted as IG CID in place of Mahendra Nath Tiwari.

Kumar, one of the decorated officers of the J&K Police, has served in Kashmir in various capacities and has vast experience, particularly in dealing with terrorism.

He has served as SP Handwara, SSP Pulwama, SSP Anantnag, and DIG South and North Kashmir besides stints in NIA and other central agencies.