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Wednesday,
August 13, 2003, Chandigarh, India  
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Shabir
Shah, 25 others detained
DNA test
to identify skeletons of plane Three
militants, cop killed BJP
leaders demand action against Gupta Amarnath
yatra concludes |
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Special
Assembly session to discuss VAT ITBP cop
held on molestation charge
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Shabir Shah, 25 others detained
Srinagar, August 12 Mr Shah, president of Democratic Freedom Party, was taken into preventive custody, along with the relatives of the youths, who have been missing in the Pattan area since June 22, the sources said. The youths’ kin were raising anti-government, anti-Sayeed and “down with healing touch” slogans when they were taken to police station at Kothibagh here, they said. The parents of Mohammad Ashraf Bhat and Showkat Ahmad Pal had threatened to commit self-immolation in front of the Chief Minister’s residence if the state government failed to give their whereabouts by Monday evening. They have alleged that Bhat and Pal had disappeared after being taken into custody by the security forces.
— PTI |
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DNA test to identify skeletons of plane crash victims Jammu, August 12 A senior Army officer told this correspondent that the bodies which must have been reduced to skeletons on the 20,000 feet high glacier 35 years ago could be identified by DNA tests, but that will not be an easy task. Of the 102 soldiers and crew members killed in the crash in 1968, only the skeleton of sepoy Beli Ram of Jammu has been identified as the trekkers who made chance discovery of the crash site found his service book in the overcoat in which the skeleton lay wrapped on the glacier. The trekkers spotted human bones and personal belongings of the soldiers scattered on the glacier. The Army officer said that the clothing of the bodies which would be extricated by the rescue teams from the snow might help in identifying them. However, the authorities were not rating high chances of coming across bodies which might be intact by having got frozen in snow. Relatives of two Army personnel killed in the crash have so far come forward here seeking their remains. While the skeleton of sepoy Beli Ram was lying on the surface of the glacier, relatives of 2nd Lieutinant Banarsi Lal, have said that he was also in the ill-fated flight which was returning from Leh to Chandigarh when the aircraft went missing on February 7, 1968. |
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Three militants, cop killed
Srinagar, August 12 A militant was killed and a civilian injured in an encounter which took place when troops of the Rashtriya Rifles intercepted a private matador at Narpara village in Anantnag district of south Kashmir this morning, the sources said. The encounter left one of the three militants, identified as Najmul Islam, dead and driver of the vehicle Khurshid Ahmad seriously injured, they said, adding two militants escaped. Two militants, one of whom was identified as Aijaz Ahmad, were killed in an encounter during search operations at Badijalan village in the Kulgam area of Anantnag district, the sources said. An AK assault rifle, three magazines, 45 rounds, three rockets and a handgrenade were seized from them, they said. A civilian was injured when he was caught in a cross-fire between militants and the security forces at Harpora in Anantnag district last night, the sources said. The sources said militants fired upon a security patrol at Arampora village in Baramulla district but none was hurt in the ensuing shootout. In another incident, two militants raided a police post at Wandavalgam bridge in Anantnag around 4.30 am today and looted two .303 rifles from the cops, the sources said. Five policemen were deployed at the picket, set up for the protection of the bridge, but only three of them were present at the time of attack, they added. Meanwhile, two Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were injured when militants lobbed a grenade on their picket at Pulwama town post office in south Kashmir this afternoon, official sources said. Militants lobbed the grenade on the post office from a nearby lane which landed near the CRPF picket causing injuries to two jawans guarding the installation, the sources said, their condition was stated to be serious. The CRPF and local police immediately cordoned off the entire area and a hunt had been launched to nab the militants involved in the attack, the sources said. JAMMU: A police constable was killed in an encounter with militants in Udhampur district while the security forces recovered some ammunition from a militant hideout in Rajouri district since last evening, official sources said today. Militants fired at a police post in the Gool area of Udhampur district forcing the police personnel to retaliate, they said, adding selection grade constable Rameshwar Singh was seriously injured in the incident. The constable, who was later airlifted to Jammu for specialised treatment, succumbed to his injuries enroute, the sources said. Border Security Force (BSF) troops have been rushed to the area to assist the police in tracking down militants, they said. In another incident, militants last night opened fire on a police party at Manthla in the Bhaderwah area. The police also retaliated and the encounter was still continuing when reports last came in, they added.
— PTI |
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BJP leaders demand action against Gupta Jammu, August 12 In the communication it has been mentioned that Mr Shiv Charan Gupta had established units of the samiti in all districts. On June 23 the party high command had announced that Mr Gupta and his colleagues would organise public functions and programmes under the banner of the BJP and not the Samiti. In fact, three former MLAs Mr Shiv Dev Singh, Mr Ram Nath Manhas and Mr Baldev Singh have conveyed to Dr Nirmal Singh, president of the state unit of the BJP, and the party high command that Mr Gupta had announced their names as samiti convenors without consulting them. They have clarified that they continued to be the workers of the BJP and action should be initiated against Mr Gupta for “anti-party activities.” Three months ago Mr Gupta was summoned by the BJP high command in Delhi where he was reprimanded for having floated the samiti. He had agreed to wind up the samiti and work under the BJP banner. |
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Amarnath
yatra concludes Srinagar, August 12 An official spokesman said here that this year, 1,53,762 pilgrims from different parts of the country performed the pilgrimage, which has been the second highest number of pilgrims in the history of yatra. The highest number so far was estimated at 173334 in 2000. Jammu and Kashmir Governor, Lt Gen (retd) S.K. Sinha, who is also Chairman of the Amarnath Shrine Board, complimented all civil departments and security agencies associated with the yatra for providing security and facilities to the pilgrims. This was the first yatra since 1998 that passed off without militancy related incident. At least 31 persons, including 21
yatris, eight locals and two police personnel were killed when suspected militants attacked the base camp at Pahalgam on August 1, 2000. At least 13 others including seven Amarnath pilgrims, four porters and two policemen were killed in militants’ attack at Sheshnag camp en route the cave in 2001. Nine others were killed when suspected militants attacked the base camp at
Nunwan, Pahalgam last year. UNI adds:
About 175,000 pilgrims from all over the country performed worship and had the glimpse of the natural six-foot ice “lingam” inside the cave. This year too, a majority of 120,000 pilgrims used the traditional Pahalgam route instead of Baltal,
officials said. The pilgrimage was peaceful with no report of any untoward incident, but 20 persons died of natural causes in the month-long holy tour. For the first time after 13 years, special stalls were set up in the city at different places selling Rakhis. At some stalls, Muslim girls were seen purchasing Rakhis for their brothers. Kashmiri Pandit women, besides personnel of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) Women Wing, who had come from different parts of the Valley, were also seen purchasing Rakhis. Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed also extended warm greetings and best wishes to the people on the occasion. |
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Special
Assembly session to discuss VAT Jammu, August 12 VAT will replace the present tax system in the state, which was among several other states to stay away from implementing VAT from April this year, official sources said here today, adding that a special session would be called in mid-September to discuss the Bill. The VAT Bill was tabled by the state’s Finance Minister, Muzaffar Hussain Beigh, in the Legislative Assembly in the previous session, they said, adding that the special session would pass the Bill after deliberating on the pros and cons and feedbacks from the business community.
— PTI |
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ITBP cop held on molestation charge Srinagar, August 12 The woman was allegedly caught by Sub-Inspector Kuldeep Kumar with malicious intentions when she was working in the fields in village in Bijbehara, home constituency of Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, the reports said. However, she raised a hue and cry attracting the attention of fellow villagers who rushed to the scene, the reports said adding the people then assembled on the highway and blocked traffic demanding action against the accused.
— PTI |
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