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6 Sikhs killed in Srinagar 
Tribune News Service and agencies

SRINAGAR, Feb 3 — At least six Sikhs were killed and eight others, including a woman, injured when unidentified armed youths fired indiscriminately on a group of the minority community here today.

Chief minister Farooq Abdullah said in New Delhi that five Sikhs were killed and eight injured.

Heavily armed youths sprayed bullets on the group at Mahjoornagar in uptown Srinagar around 6.30 pm, official sources said here.

The injured were admitted to the bones and joints hospital, Barzullah, Soura medical institute and SMHS hospital, where one person succumbed to his injuries.

The killing has caused tension in the area and police has rushed to the spot, the sources said. An agency report said indefinite curfew had been imposed on Srinagar.

Meanwhile, four persons, including two militants, were killed and six, one of them a police officer, injured as the BSF repulsed a militant attack on their camp in the Kashmir valley. Five militants were shot in Jammu Division.

A powerful improvised explosive device (IED) planted by militants near Sangrama bridge in Sopore town of Baramula district in north Kashmir exploded today without causing any casualty. Mohammad Shaban Bhat, alias Shoga, and Mohammad Sadiq were killed in an encounter with the Army at Watrana-Lawaypora in Bandipora area of Baramula district late last night.

Militants shot dead Bashir Ahmad Bhat at Mala Tarigam in Baramula district late last night. The police found the body of Abdul Majid Bhat from his village at Jabanmatipora in Anantnag district of south Kashmir today.

Militants fired several rockets and followed it by firing on a BSF camp at Kuta Mode near Pattan on the Srinagar-Baramula road around midnight last night.

Militants exploded a grenade at the Soura bus stand at the outskirts of Srinagar last evening, injuring six persons, including an ASI.

Life remained affected for the third consecutive day here today in protest against the killing of an autorickshaw driver allegedly at the hands of the police on Thursday.

A “wheel-jam” stire called by the Autorickshaw Drivers Association affected life in most parts of the city and other major towns of the valley.

For the past three days, stone-pelting and protest demonstrations by agitated residents at Jehangir Chowk, Saraibala, Lal Chowk, Budshah Chowk, Maisuma and other uptown localities has affected day-to-day life. Shops and business establishments in the area have remained closed. The residents have been demanding a probe into the killing.

The separatist All-Party Hurriyat Conference (APHC) has expressed concern at the custodial killing of Bilal Ahmad Khan of Saraibala locality here, whose body was recovered from Bemina area on Thursday morning. The driver, according to the residents, had been killed by the police after a wordy duel following a dispute on the rate charged.

An APHC spokesman claimed that the ceasefire was a hoax. A “reign of terror” had been unleashed on the people.

JAMMU: Five militants, including two belonging to the Lashkar-e-Toiba, were killed in separate incidents in Rajouri, Poonch and Udhampur districts of Jammu Division as the security forces foiled an infiltration bid in Nowshera Sector.

Troops challenged a group of militants who tried to sneak into Indian side via Nowshera last night. In the ensuing gunbattle, a militant was shot dead while others escaped towards Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK), leaving behind a large quantity of arms and ammunition.

In another encounter, two militants of the Hizbul Mujahideen were killed in Kandi area of Udhampur district today.

Two AK-56 rifles with 11 magazines, a pistol and a hand grenade were recovered from the site.

Reports from Poonch said two LeT militants were gunned down in Pathanapir area of Mendhar tehsil yesterday.

In another incident, two civilians were injured when an old mortar shell exploded in a shop in Udhampur town. The youths were trying to extract copper from the scrap in the shop when the explosion took place.

A CRPF jawan was injured in an encounter with militants in Dachan area.

P. V. Narasimha Rao’s son held, remanded

HYDERABAD, Feb 3 (PTI) — P.V. Ranga Rao, son of former Prime Minister P. V. Narasimha Rao and ex-minister of Andhra Pradesh, was today arrested in connection with a cheating case on a complaint by Tamil superstar Rajnikanth, the police said.

Rao and his personal assistant, (PA), who was also arrested in the case, were produced before a metropolitan magistrate and remanded in judicial custody for 15 days.

Joint Commissioner of Police S.V. Ramanamurthy told PTI here that the police registered cases against Rao following a specific complaint of duping and cheating filed by Rajnikanth.

He said Rao had last year taken Rs 2.06 crore from Rajnikanth, by promising to make a mythological film “Sri Raghavendra Swamy Mahatyam”.

When nothing materialised, Rajnikanth demanded repayment of the money.

Rao’s (PA) Gopalakrishna Reddy then issued cheques to Rajnikanth on November 30 and January 11, which bounced.

However, when contacted Ranga Rao pleaded innocence and said he was hopeful that justice would triumph.