Former Jammu and Kashmir DGP M. N. Sabharwal passes away

M. N. Sabharwal, the former Director General of Police (DGP) of Jammu and Kashmir, has passed away in Kanpur at the age of 86. A 1964-batch Indian Police Service officer, Sabharwal served as the seventh DGP of Jammu and Kashmir from 1993 to 1997, a period marked by significant militancy in the region.

During his tenure, Sabharwal is credited with establishing the Jammu and Kashmir Police's first dedicated counter-terrorism wing, the Special Task Force (STF), in 1994. This unit, which later evolved into the Special Operations Group (SOG), was a critical institutional shift toward developing specialized, intelligence-driven local capabilities to combat insurgency.

Following his service in Jammu and Kashmir, Sabharwal held several high-ranking national security positions, including Director General of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Special Director of the Intelligence Bureau (IB). He also served as Secretary (Security) to the Government of India. Tributes have been paid by current J&K Police DGP Nalin Prabhat and various former security officials.