SAMBA: J&K’s Samba district police have detained a hardcore thief who is the son of a police ASI involved in 20 cases. Mohd Irshad alias ‘Shadu’ of Teli Basti in Bari Brahmana of the district has been detained under Public Safety Act (PSA) in pursuance of a detention order issued by district magistrate Abhishek Sharma, police said on Sunday. “Shadu was involved in 20 theft/burglary cases in Bari Brahmana, Vijaypur, Ramgarh, Samba, Purmandal, Bahu Fort, Nagrota, Channi Himmat, Gangyal and Katra,” police said in a statement. “He was a habitual hardcore thief and his activities were prejudicial to maintenance of public order and peace. He had been functioning as self-styled commander of thieves and several thieves were operating at his instance,” the statement added.