Srinagar, Nov 9 (KNS): Senior IPS Officer V.K Birdi Thursday formally assumed charge as Inspector General of Police for Kashmir Police Zone.

Birdi, has been posted as IGP after the transfer of ADGP Kashmir Zone Vijay Kumar to ADGP (Law and Order), Jammu & Kashmir.

Notably, Vijay Kumar, a 1997-batch Indian Police Service officer, on Wednesday took over as the Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order). Erstwhile Kumar served as IGP Kashmir Zone for nearly four years.

Having a vast experience in anti-insurgency operations, Kumar had earlier served as Sub-Divisional Police Officer of Ganderbal, Superintendent of Police (SP), Special Operations Group Pulwama, SP Awantipora, SP Kulgam, SP Kupwara and Deputy Inspector General of Police (South Kashmir).

On central deputation, he has served in the CRPF as DIG-Delhi Range, IG-CoBRA, IG-Operations and IG-Chhattisgarh sector.

The works done under his command include a new funeral and burial arrangement for slain terrorists, incident-free conduct of the first ever District Development Council (DDC) election in November-December 2020 and effective COVID-19 lockdown management, the officials said.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel

The handling of the situation post the death of hardline separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani in September 2021, zero-killing of civilians by law enforcement agencies during law and order situations, minimum collateral damage during encounters and dramatic reduction in recruitment of youth into terrorism – from 210 in 2018 to 10 in 2023 – are some other highlights of his tenure as the Inspector General of Police, they said.

He is also credited with successful conduct of the third G20 Tourism Working Group Meeting in May, Amarnath Yatra in 2022 and 2023, and allowing Muharram procession in Srinagar city after 34 years besides facilitating an incident-free ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ of the Congress in January, the officials said. (KNS)