MHA orders withdrawal of 72 Central Armed Police Forces companies from Jammu and Kashmir

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Tuesday decided to withdraw 72 companies of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) from the newly formed union territory of Jammu and Kashmir with immediate effect. The CAPFs include 24 companies of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), and 12 companies each of the Border Security Force (BSF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB).

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Tuesday ordered the withdrawal of 72 companies of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) from the newly formed union territory of Jammu and Kashmir with immediate effect. The CAPFs include 24 companies of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), and 12 companies each of the Border Security Force (BSF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB).

The move comes hours after a high-level meeting was held at the Union Home Ministry to review security in the union territory. The meeting, which started around 1 pm, was held to review the security status in Jammu and Kashmir and to prepare a roadmap to keep the region peaceful.

National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval, Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla, Special Advisor K Vijay Kumar, Army Chief General Bipin Rawat, IB Chief Arvind Kumar, J&K Director General of Police Dilbag Singh, CRPF Director General RR Bhatnagar and BSF Director General VK Johri were among those who attended the meeting.

The additional troops were deployed after the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019.