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Saturday,
November 30, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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Lashkar
hideout busted 41
encounters in 4 months Mufti has
no right to be in power: VHP |
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APHC
decries killing in temple Major
police shake-up soon SC directs
J & K to grant relief to migrants J&K
panchayat poll soon: minister
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Lashkar hideout busted Srinagar, November 29 Deputy Inspector-General of BSF J.P. Sinha told reporters here today that troops of the 31 battalion, acting on specific information, cordoned off Chhatrahama, about 12 km from here, last evening. He said during the search, a hideout of the LeT was busted and communications equipment and other arms and ammunition were seized. A Swiss made mobile satellite telephone with charger, 15 kg of explosive, two pistols, 2 magazines, 102 rounds, two grenades, 50 electric detonators, 15 main charges and 30 timing devices were seized. Mr Sinha said the satellite phone was being used to receive and transmit messages to Pakistan and Pakistan occupied Kashmir. The LeT were getting instructions from their mentors from across the border through this telephone, he said. However, he said, no arrests had been made as the militants had left the hideout before the troops reached there. It took troops some time to climb the height and as a result the militants managed to escape, he added. Meanwhile, a security force camp was attacked with rockets followed by firing at Lolab in Kupwara district of north Kashmir in the wee hours today. Official sources said militants fired rockets and grenades followed by heavy firing on a security force camp at Lolab, about 100 km from here, around 01.30 a.m. They said the rockets and grenades fell and exploded at a distance without causing any damage. The security forces also returned the fire and the exchange continued for some time. However, there were no reports of any casualties. The militants later managed to escape in the woods. JAMMU: A major tragedy was averted following the timely detection of a powerful improvised explosive device (IED) planted on a bridge in the Kishtwar area of Doda district in Jammu and Kashmir, official sources said here on Friday. They said the 30-kg IED, containing RDX and other explosives, was detected by the patrolling party of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) at the bridge over Nosh Nullah on the Kishtwar-Padder road around noon yesterday. Following this, traffic on the road was blocked for about three hours until the IED was defused by the bomb disposal squad, the sources said. The IED was planted by militants apparently to destroy the bridge which served as a vital link to Dulhasti power project, the sources added. Meanwhile, a youth was critically injured in a landmine explosion at a village of Rajouri district in Jammu and Kashmir, official sources said here today. They said Amjad was on his way to Rajdhani, village when he stepped over the landmine planted by suspected militants on the foot-track on the outskirts of the village around 9.30 a.m. He was critically wounded and admitted to a hospital.
PTI |
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41 encounters in 4 months Srinagar, November 29 Giving this information, Mr R.S. Bhullar, DIG, BSF, said here this evening that of over 1,800 militants operating in Kashmir, more than 700 were from Pakistan, while 1,100 others were locals. Mr Bhullar was talking to mediapersons at an Iftar party hosted by the Border Security Force (BSF) that was attended by Dr Harshvardhan Raju, officiating IG, BSF headquarters, Srinagar, here this evening. Mr Bhullar said due to the cold climate conditions during November, the infiltration had come down. He pointed out that security forces maintained their pressure on the militants, both along the border and within the valley. The party in connection with the 38th raising day of the BSF, that falls on December 1, was told that the force eliminated, 2,361 militants from 1990 to November 2002, and 9,350 others were apprehended while 905 surrendered during this period. A large haul of 8,057 arms of various types, 691,843 rounds of assorted ammunition, 695 wireless sets, 6,638.9 kg of explosives and 908 prepared IEDs were seized during the period. Dr Raju said besides playing a key role in containing militancy in Kashmir, the BSF also undertook a large number of civic action programmes for the welfare of civic population, mostly in the far-flung and remote areas. He said over 30,000 persons were treated at 28 such medical camps this year. At least 141 militants and 33 BSF men had been killed in various encounters between January and November this year, while 168 militants had surrendered. A total of 262 weapons, including 158 AK rifles, 62 pistols, 38 UNGL, 99 wireless sets and a huge quantity of all types of ammunition, explosives and incriminating documents, were seized. A total of 55 suicide attacks by various militant outfits had taken place in the valley between July 1999 and November 2002, in which 161 security forces personnel and 90 militants had been killed. |
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Mufti has no right to be in power: VHP Jammu, November 29 Mr Singhal visited Raghunath Temple here and saw the damage caused due to attack on Sunday last. He also addressed temple priests. Mr Singhal also visited the medical college hospital where attack victims were being treated. He told reporters that as terrorism was a proxy war by Pakistan and not a law and order problem. The Army should be permitted to tackle terrorists from across the border. He said that the government should not hesitate in amending the Constitution if needed for bringing in the Army to solve the problem. He said that the BJP led government at the Centre had disappointed people first by creating hysteria war deploying Army on the borders with Pakistan and then suddenly withdrawing it after one year. The camps training terrorists in Pakistan should be destroyed. He said that the people had high expectations from the coalition government of Mufti Sayeed, but what was being done by the new set-up was indiscriminate release of hardcore
terrorists, arrested with difficulty. The soft approach of the Mufti government had led to increase in terrorist-attacks, he said. He said the common minimum programme of the PDP-Congress coalition government was an eyewash for the Hindus — a minority in the state. Mr Singhal justified the demand for the separation of Jammu from Kashmir and said this was the only solution to terrorism there He said that concern for the human rights of terrorists was unjustified because they had isolated themselves from humanity. He accused the USA of double standards towards terrorism and said that she was only taking care of her interests. The USA was friendly to Pakistan exporting terrorism to India. Mr Singhal rejected the demand of providing arms to the priests of Raghunath temple and said that it was the duty of the police to protect the temple and not that of the “pujaris”. PTI adds: Mr Singhal attacked the government for its “failure to protect people from terrorists and said the PDP-led coalition government had “right to be in power.” “The government has no right to be in power, if it cannot protect life and property of people in J and K, the working president of the VHP, told reporters after puja-archana at Raghunath Temple complex. |
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APHC decries killing in temple Srinagar, November 29 The amalgam concerned over the tension between India and Pakistan, urged the neighbours to resume dialogue. For this the amalgam leaders wanted to be allowed to visit Pakistan for talks with government officials and leaders of different separatist organisations for a peaceful resolution of the issue. The congregation condemned attacks on religious gatherings, saying, “We respect the worship places of all religions.”
UNI |
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Major police shake-up soon Jammu, November 29 According to official sources, Mr M.K. Mohanty and Mr Rajan Bakshi, who are senior to Mr Gopal Sharma, would also get the rank of DCP. The coalition government has accepted the long-pending demand of senior police officers for filling nine posts of Inspector-General of Police, which were vacant for the past couple of years. Nine DIGs, including Mr S.S. Bijral and Mr Ram Lubiya, will be promoted to the rank of IGP. The sources said the government being committed to give a new face to the top hierarchy in the police had considered Mr Gopal Sharma for the post of DGP as he was non-controversial and known for professional integrity and honesty. In case he gets the favour then there would be seven DGPs. There are already four — A.K. Suri, Mr S.S. Ali, Mr A.C. Chaturvedi and Mr Rajinder Tikoo — holding the rank of DG of Police. Mr Suri is likely to be placed second in command in the CRPF till May next year. Dr Ashok Bhan and Chaudhry Masood, holding the rank of IG, are to be promoted as Additional DGP. Nine SSPs will be promoted to the rank of DIG and there is a proposal to reshuffle district heads of the police and the Deputy Commissioner, including range DIGs, in nine of the 14 districts in the state. The state government has decided not to fiddle with the duties and responsibilities of the Special Operations Group (SOG) of the police. It had earned a bad name while carrying out anti-insurgency operations despite the fact that its men were instrumental in breaking the backbone of militants. All ranks of the police have been told in clear terms that their anti-insurgency operations should be transparent so that people could judge their performance and feel that the very face of the police had undergone a sea change. Another decision taken by the government was to go slow with the release of militants. Indications are that a screening committee will be set up with officers of integrity as its members, who would examine the cases of detained persons. |
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SC directs J & K to grant relief to migrants New Delhi, November 29 This order was passed by a Division Bench of Justice Ruma Pal and Justice B. N. Srikrishna after hearing a petition moved by the Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party. It had sought relief for the migrants who were forced to migrate from
Doda, Mahore, Gool, Prankote (Udhampur) in 1998-99 in the wake of terrorist attacks on the minorities. Two commissions were sent by the Government to study the condition in the refugee camps on the direction of the Supreme Court.
UNI |
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J&K panchayat poll soon: minister Jammu, November 29 Addressing a high-level meeting here, Mr Syed stressed on expeditious devolution of powers to panchayats in the state. He said a team from Jammu and Kashmir would visit West Bengal and some other states to study the working of panchayats there. Chief Electoral Officer Pramod Jain and Director, Rural Development, Mehboob Iqbal were among those who attended the meeting.
UNI |
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Jammu, November 29
