The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Monday, February 4, 2002, Chandigarh, India

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2 militants holed up in mosque
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, February 3
The Army and police have laid a siege around a mosque where two militants have been holed up at Tarzoo, near Sopore, in Baramula district this afternoon.

According to Deputy Inspector-General (DIG), Police, Baramula, Mr M.A. Shah, the two militants were holed up inside the mosque at Ambarpora, Tarzoo, this afternoon when the security forces were conducting searches in the village. It was around 1 p.m. when the security forces cordoned off the area for conducting search operations on the basis of a specific information. The two militants in their attempt to save themselves from the security forces entered the mosque, reports reaching here said.

Several appeals to the holed-up militants to surrender had been made by the police and the security forces, but the holed-up militants had not responded so far, the DIG police said. There were also reports of firing of a couple of gunshots by the militants.

The security forces had not retaliated to firing by the militants. Instead frequent appeals were being made to them to surrender, the DIG said. Till the last reports came in, the siege was still on and there were no reports of any exchange of fire between the militants and the security forces.

The identity of the militants and their group was yet to be ascertained.

CRPF guard shoots man
Trespassing on EVM store alleged
Varinder Singh
Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, February 3
A local resident accompanying the editor of a vernacular news paper published from here was shot dead late tonight on the Ladowali Road premises of Punjab Technical University (PTU) by a party of the CRPF deployed there for the protection of the electronic voting machines (EVMs).

The incident created panic among residents of the city, particularly, those living in the Ladowali Road and Railway Station areas. Election observers also rushed to the scene immediately after the incident.

The CRPF personnel alleged that two persons, one of whom was later identified as Mr Yogesh Suri, the editor of “Jan Sangathan”, forcibly entered the PTU complex on their scooter in an inebriated condition despite being objected to by a CRPF sentry. On being challenged by the sentry, one of them allegedly fired upon the sentry, who returned the fire, resulting in the killing of the person. Later, the deceased was identified as Puppi, a resident of the Central Town locality.

The revolver from which the shots were fired belonged to a security guard of Mr Suri, but was being carried by the latter. This was stated by Mr Pawan Uppal, SP.

The police maintained that a quarrel between the two had probably instigated Pappi to resort to shooting. But the telltale signs at the site differed and made it more mysterious as it seemed that the weapon had been forced into the twisted hands of Pappi.

The police authorites maintained that Mr Suri and Pappi had probably picked up a fight in a drunken state at a place away from the part of the premises being used for the storage of EVMs.

The police authorities later detained Mr Suri. Mr Uppal said a case under Sections 307 and 452 of the IPC and 27/54/59 of the Arms Act had been registered against him.

Meanwhile, judging the seriousness of the incident, election observers reached the spot and directed the police officials to find out how the weapon had been given by the security guard to Mr Suri.