J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

Srinagar, February 29 At least 20 persons, including five policemen, were injured in clashes between tazia (mourning) processionists and the police in different areas of the city today even as more than 100 activists of various organisations were taken into preventive custody for violating ban on Muharram processions, official sources said. Policemen detain a Shia Muslim mourner during a tazia procession in Srinagar on Sunday. — Reuters photo

Withdraw Disturbed Areas Act, says rights panel
Jammu, February 29
The J&K State Human Rights Commission has asked the state government to withdraw the Special Power (Armed) Forces Act and the Disturbed Areas Act to make the “trigger-happy” men accountable for their acts of omission and commission.

Woman among 8 hurt in grenade blasts
Srinagar, February 29
At least eight persons, including a woman and four children, were injured in two separate grenade explosions in the Kashmir valley today.

Cops, tazia processionists clash, 20 hurt

Srinagar, February 29
At least 20 persons, including five policemen, were injured in clashes between tazia (mourning) processionists and the police in different areas of the city today even as more than 100 activists of various organisations were taken into preventive custody for violating ban on Muharram processions, official sources said.

Several persons, including JKLF vice-chairman Javid Ahmad Mir, its chief spokesman Tahir Ahmed Mir and Nissar Ahmed Rather of Anjuman-e-Sharie Shian (ASS), were injured in a scuffle with the police after the cops tried to disperse a joint procession by the two organisations, the sources said.

The processionists were heading towards Exchange Road when the police intercepted them and tried to persuade them to disperse, the sources said adding, as the activists tried to break the police cordon, cops used lathis and lobbed tear gas shells to disperse them.

Policemen picked up as many as 50 activists of the two organisations, including Mir and Rather, and lodged them in Kothibagh police station.

Minutes after this, a 500-strong group of activists of Hurriyat Chairman Maulana Mohammad Abbas Ansari’s Ithad-ul-Muslimeen, led by Ansari’s two sons — Maulana Masroor Abbas Ansari and Nasser Abbas — began a march towards Dalgate.

The police also swung into action, using bamboo sticks and tear gas shells to disperse them, the sources said and added that the processionists exchanged blows with policemen in which five policemen and some processionists were injured.

The police took into custody as many as 50 of the processionists, including Masroor Abbas.

Earlier, a small group of people led by Awami Action Committee leader Mohammad Yaqoob Vakil were taken into custody when they tried to take out a procession at Maulana Azad Road, the sources said.

Vakil and some of his supporters were also detained at Kothibagh police station.

In the morning, the activists of breakaway Hurriyat Conference led by Syed Ali Shah Geelani, took out a procession at Budshah Chowk but were taken into preventive custody by the police.

The police today also decided to put Maulana Mohammad Abbas Ansari under house arrest as he was planning to take out a tazia procession but the leader managed to give them a slip.

Senior police officials of the city descended on Ansari’s Nawakadal residence to inform him about the house arrest but the Hurriyat Chairman had left early morning to attend a religious function, a spokesman of the leader said.

The state government has banned this year’s Muharram processions in view of security risks. — PTI

Withdraw Disturbed Areas Act, says rights panel
Tribune News Service

Jammu, February 29
The J&K State Human Rights Commission has asked the state government to withdraw the Special Power (Armed) Forces Act and the Disturbed Areas Act to make the “trigger-happy” men accountable for their acts of omission and commission.

The Commission said that the government was required to impress upon its executing agencies to observe the human rights and implement its recommendations without any delay.

This has been observed in the report of the Commission for 2002-2003 that was tabled in the Assembly today by the Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs.

The Commission said that the government was making it function “without limbs” as its investigating agency was without an IGP. Besides, the staff for the management of the investigation wing had also not been made available by the government.

The report pointed out that during 2001-2002, it was observed that the annual report of the Commission should be accompanied with the required action taken report. In the absence of the action taken report, it became impossible for the Commission to implement the recommendations.

The report pointed out that the Commission had got 482 complaints, including 12 custodial deaths and 73 disappearance of people.

The Commission has recommended that the government should constitute a juvenile justice board and set up protective homes where the juvenile offenders can be lodged.

Woman among 8 hurt in grenade blasts
TNS and Agencies

Srinagar, February 29
At least eight persons, including a woman and four children, were injured in two separate grenade explosions in the Kashmir valley today.

A woman and three others were injured when militants fired a grenade towards a picket of the security forces at Reiteng, Rainawari here today. The grenade missed the intended target and hit a residential house, causing injuries to four inmates and damage to the house.

Four children were injured when a stray grenade, they were fiddling with, exploded in Kupwara district today. Those injured have been hospitalised.

Militants fired four rifle grenades in quick succession towards a CRPF camp in the area around 11.05 am. While three of the grenades exploded in the air, one hit a house belonging to Pir Mohammad Maqbool and Pir Ali Mohammad at Khanyar, injuring three inmates, Deputy Inspector General of Police, Mohammad Amin Shah said.

No militant outfit has claimed responsibility for the act so far, he said. This was the first attack on a security force camp in the city after militants made an abortive bid on the life of Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed at Beerwah on Friday during a public meeting.

Retain Jammu Range IG: govt
Tribune News Service

Jammu, February 29
The Jammu and Kashmir Government has asked the Election Commission to relax its order and allow the Inspector-General of Police, Jammu Range, Mr P.L. Gupta, to continue to function on the post even during the coming Lok Sabha elections.

It is learnt that the government has requested the Commission that Mr Gupta, who belonged to Kathua district, should be retained on the post. Mr Gupta is heading the Jammu-Kathua range.