Jammu and Kashmir: Woman SPO announces resignation; video goes viral

A video of a woman special police officer (SPO) of Jammu and Kashmir announcing her resignation from the force has gone viral on social media.

The video comes days after three SPOs were abducted and shot dead by Hizbul Mujahideen and Lashkar-e-Taiba militants in Shopian district. Shortly after the killings, at least six SPOs announced their resignations on social media.

Last week, a video message purportedly by Hizbul Mujahideen had warned all local policemen, especially SPOs, to resign.

"I am Rafeeqa Akhtar from Bongam Kulgam. I have been working as an SPO for the last 15 years, but today I am leaving the job according to my will," the woman SPO said in the video.

This is the first time a woman police official has announced her resignation in a video message.

On September 21, the Ministry of Home Affairs dubbed the reports about SPOs resigning as "untrue" and "motivated".

"These reports are based on false propaganda by mischievous elements," Home Minister Rajnath Singh had said in a tweet.