Jammu, April 17
Demanding arrest of PDP patron Mufti Mohammed Sayeed for his statements, the Bharatiya Janata Party, the Shiv Sena and the Shiv Sena Hindustan held protest demonstrations at separate places here today.

Sayeed yesterday reiterated his dual currency proposal and endorsed purported Working Group recommendation of free passage to militants. He had also hinted to take up his proposal with the Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh on his Jammu visit on April 25.

Shiv Sena activists staged a protest demonstration at Rani Park and burnt an effigy of the PDP patron and Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh.

Addressing the activists, Shiv Sena general secretary Ashok Gupta said, patriotic people could not remain mute spectator to such anti-national utterances. He also lashed out at the Prime Minister for his lenient view towards Mufti and his daughter Mehbooba Mufti.

“Sayeed, who once was home minister of the country, now doesn’t see any difference between PoK and PAK,” he said reminding the former chief minister about 24 seats still kept reserved in the state legislative Assembly for the PoK. He demanded that Mufti be arrested and put behind bars for his anti-national statements.

Gupta also expressed doubts over the intentions of Prime Minister, who, he said, has not reacted to Mufti’s uncalled for utterances.

Similarly Shiv Sena Hindustan activists led by President Dimpy Kohli took out a protest rally in the city that culminated at Indira Chowk here.

After party activists torched Mufti’s effigy, Kohli demanded his immediate arrest under Public Safety Act describing him as a threat to the country.

“Provocative statements like terming PoK as Azad Kashmir, suggesting dual currency in the state and endorsing free passage to militants in the state from training camps across LoC besides demanding compensation to the kith and kin of slain militants clearly shows that his dancing to the tunes of Pakistan,” he said.

Kohli demanded that President’s rule should be immediately clamped in the state. The youth wing of BJP also burnt effigy of the former Chief Minister at the Purani Mandi chowk.

Jammu, April 17
A driver of earth mover and an employee of the Waqf Board were injured in stone pelting by a strong mob, which raised objections to the construction work by the board officials on a piece of land at Camp Gole Gujral here today.

Trouble erupted when officials of the Waqf Board pressed into service an earth mover to level a piece of land, which they claimed belonged to the board.

A strong mob of people from the locality resisted the move and tried to stop the construction work giving logic that the land had been lying vacant since long.

Soon heated arguments begun and the residents took an ugly turn and a strong mob resorted to stone pelting forcing the officials to flee from the spot.

In the process driver of the earthmover Kuldeep Singh, a native of Mukerian in Punjab, presently putting up at Sainik Colony and an employee of the Waqf Board identified as Rizwan of Gujjar Nagar sustained injuries.

Getting information about the incident SSP Jammu Parminder Singh rushed to the spot and pacified the residents. Sensing gravity of the situation the Waqf Board officials later suspended the construction work.

In another demolition drive, officials of the Housing Board demolished compound wall of Power Development Department’s office at Shastri Nagar here.

Officials claimed that the land housing PDD office belonged to the Housing Board, for which the latter had served three notices in the past two years.

However, the PDD executive engineer at the office claimed that Housing Board officials demolished the wall without serving any notice.

Taking strong exception to the incident, minister of state for power Babu Singh, who reached the spot, asked the Housing Board officials raise the demolished wall again.

Srinagar, April 17
Leh observed a complete shutdown today to register its solidarity with the Tibetan cause which coincided with its show of protest with the Olympic torch run in New Delhi.

Religious and political leaders in a public address have also asked the Indian government to consider its policy towards China.

Sources said normal life had come to a standstill and markets were closed on the call given by the Ladakh Buddhist Association (LBA), the most important Buddhist outfit in the region.

Chairman and chief executive of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Chering Dorjay, said all political parties, which had a stake in Leh, supported the shutdown call.

“Tibetans and us have similar ancestry and we have had centuries and trade and personal ties. Our dialects are almost same,” he said.

A big public meeting was also held where religious and political leaders demanded world states and international bodies to ensure the welfare of Tibetans.

“Lamas in two monasteries of Lhasa have been shut in from outside world by the Chinese authorities. We demand that outside agencies should be allowed to go there and inquire into the matter," Lama Aanchuk, an important Buddhist leader from LBA, said.

Dorjay said India should be more assertive towards China, which had been acting as a “big brother” towards them.

“Tibet was the buffer state between India and China. After claiming sovereignty over Tibet, China has been making similar claims over parts of India. We should be more aggressive in our support to Tibet and not fear China. We are also a big country,” Dorjay said.

Srinagar, April 17
PDP president Mehbooba Mufti has sought time-bound implementation of the recommendations finalised by Working Groups on Kashmir and hoped that the process would be set into motion during Prime Minister’s forthcoming visit to Jammu and Kashmir.

She was addressing a public meeting at Beerwah in Budgam district today, a day after National Conference president Omar Abdullah had his rally at the nearby Budgam town yesterday.

Both the MPs heading two mainstream regional parties have geared up their pre-election activities in the valley during the past one week, following their return from Islamabad to attend the Pugwash meet discussing Kashmir. Omar addressed another public meeting in Harwan area on the outskirts of Srinagar today.

“Implementation of the recommendations of the Working Groups would not only add substance to the peace and reconciliation process, but would positively impact the situation across-the-board,” Mehbooba Mufti said.

She further said the initiatives like revocation of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), rehabilitation of the victims of violence, irrespective of their affiliation, safe passage to the youth and political activists who were eager to return back from across the border and live peaceful lives, rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandits and others measures would mark a new beginning towards addressing the internal dimensions of the Kashmir issue.

She held that fast-changing situation in the state offered a momentous opportunity to consolidate the reconciliation and resolution process through substantive political and economic measures. Mufti hoped that in tune with his imaginative policy on Kashmir, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh would during his visit put in place a tangible mechanism for implementation of political and economic conciliatory measures to realise the true potential of the confidence building process.

She urged the country’s leadership to act with political courage to free Jammu and Kashmir from the shackles of the security syndrome by responding through resolute political and economic measures to the deepest urge of its people for dignified peace, stability, progress and prosperity.

Mufti also lamented over the frequent proclamations being made by some ministers in the coalition government regarding the fast-track recruitments and said instead of leaving it to the established recruiting agencies every minister went around dishing out contradictory numbers to complicate the confusion.

“Curiously, now the National Conference has also joined the chorus by promising one job to each family”, she said and added that instead of politicising this highly sensitive issue, the recruitment process should be left to the recruiting agencies.

Kulali (Surankote), April 17
Caught between the devil and the deep sea, women in this remote area of Kulali do not want to hand over the job of their personal security to the government.

While the state government is yet to react to the Supreme Court direction on self-defence groups, apprehending that militants may kill them, members of the village defence committees (VDCs) have almost decided to continue protecting each other.

Women comprising one of the oldest VDCs here - who took up guns to protect their families and fellow villagers - say that they would continue to fight the militants.

“If we let the government take over the task of fighting terrorism, it may not be able to protect each and every person,” is the common sentiment.

About a dozen in number, these women took up arms to challenge the terrorists and protect their village in March 2003, giving birth to state's first women's VDC.

They are today on the top of the hit list of the militants for posing a challenge to their dictates.

“We have decided to live by the gun till militancy is wiped out,” is how they react to the any questions about the VDC.

This village forms an important area of famous Hill Kaka area where the Army few years back carried an Operation Sarp Vinash to liberate this area completely controlled by the militants after killing more than 150 militants.

Questioning the anti-militant cum self-defence movement started by the various governments across the country, the Supreme Court recently in its observation in the petition filed by Nandini Sundar, Ramachandra Guha and E.A.S. Sarma challenging the setting up of Salwa Judum (self-defence groups) by the government in Chattisgarh, has called for an independent assessment of the situation arising out of it.

Village elders say that the Supreme Court has observed that constitution of such defence committees is abetting crime when used to perpetuate terror on innocent people.

“But in the case of Kashmir, the apex court will understand the need to continue such VDC,” members of the VDC say while adding that their names may not be quoted for fear of being pointed out by the militants.

Though the villagers in the area have repeatedly demanded that the police and the paramilitary forces should be deployed in adequate numbers to tackle the militants, the villagers trust the VDC till alternate arrangements are made.

“We can tell you with pride that after wielding guns against the militants, we have been successful in thwarting most of the militant attacks. In the past we have successfully countered their (militant’s) attacks about half a dozen times and never cared for our lives,” says Muneera Begum, member of the village defence committee here whose house was burnt by militants.

“If the state government disbands our VDC, I can tell you with surety that militants will kill us.”

A senior police officer said this women's VDC has played key role in fighting militants in the area and thwarted all their attacks.

People of the area are hopeful that the apex court will not pressurise the Jammu and Kashmir Government into taking away people's right to self-defence.

Jammu, April 17
Using the Jammu and Kashmir Right to Information Act, the BJP has demanded information from Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad about the well-knit racket of people looting public money, fomenting anti-India troubles and sustaining militancy in the state.

It may be mentioned that Azad during the Bharat Nirman Public Information Campaign at Ganderbal on February 10, warned people to be aware of certain politicians, government officials and mediapersons working in unison, looting state ex-chequer besides, defeating government initiatives of restoring peace in the state.

“Not only are their shops running because of violence but they have also looted the state exchequer,” Azad had categorically remarked.

BJP state president Ashok Khajuria, while moving an application under the J&K RTI Act to the Chief Minister has sought to know names of the black sheep.

However, he expressed surprise over Azad’s decision of not disclosing the names of mischievous elements in the administration, political establishment and in the fourth estate.

“The BJP would have appreciated your stand had you as head of the government and the one who knows everything about everyone, made the names of such elements public. By not disclosing their names, your government has sent a signal that it is weak and incapable of taking on such elements,” read a portion of Khajuria’s letter.

The BJP leader hoped that information would reach him before the seat of power shifted to Srinagar.

Jammu, April 17
To remind coalition government of its promise over 200 ousted class IV employees of the Excise and Commercial Taxes Department along with their families today took out a protest rally here.

Shouting anti-government slogans 209 ousted employees asked the government to reabsorb them immediately so as to save their families from starvation. These employees had been on strike for the past 15 months.

Talking to the media, president of the J&K State Government Employees Federation Pardeep Sharma said despite assurances by Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and Finance Minister Tariq Hamid Karra on the floor of legislative assembly in February last year the ousted employees had not been reabsorbed.

President of the ousted employees Adil Rashid Khan regretted that after rendering services for nine to 12 years the poor employees were ousted on February 10 last year.

Khan said though the PDP and the Congress described the demand of ousted employees as genuine but had done nothing to take them back.

Earlier, the rally after passing through city roads culminated outside the Congress office as strong posse of police force didn’t allow it to proceed further towards official residence of Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad.

Udhampur, April 17
Sleuths of the State Vigilance Organisation (SVO) this afternoon caught red-handed an accountant of the Rural Development Department (RDD) while accepting bribe of Rs 10,000 from a contractor of the department for getting his blocked payment released.

The arrested officer has been identified as Mohinder Singh, a head assistant who was also holding the additional charge of account in the office of the Assistant Development Commissioner, Udhampur.

A team of the SVO conducted the raid in the office of the Assistant Development Commissioner and recovered Rs 10,000 from the possession of the accountant which he had accepted from the contractor.

Srinagar, April 17
Intermittent rainfall which lashed the valley, finally seems to have come to an end, with the sun shining bright this morning.

The Met department said there was little chance of further rainfall and dry conditions were likely to prevail in the coming days.

Today, the maximum temperature in Srinagar rose to 18.5 degree C against yesterday’s 12.0 degree C, the minimum temperature last night fell to 3.6 degree celsius against 6.2 degree celsius.

A Met official said it was due to the clear sky that the night temperature had fallen. “As the sun is out, the atmosphere has begun absorbing heat and now the night temperature will also increase,” he said.

However, people in Kashmir, especially at higher altitudes, will continue to shiver in the night.

After a long time, the minimum temperature in Pahalgam hit sub-zero temperature and the mercury fell to minus 1.2 degree C. But it is unlikely to last for many days.

Summer tourism is likely to get a boost with days turning bright again. Many tourists kept indoors due to the rainfall.

Besides, old favourites like Shalimar and Nishat and the tulip garden, have attracted a large number of tourists and locals.

The police chargesheeted 11 persons, including five cops and five armymen, for his murder. The accused cops, including the then Ganderbal SSP H.S. Parihar, were arrested.

Srinagar, April 17
State secretary of the CPM and MLA, M.Y. Tarigami, has expressed concern over the rise in the prices of essential commodities by as much as 15 to 20 per cent since last year.

Addressing a public meeting at Aglar in Pulwama district of south Kashmir yesterday, Tarigami said a majority of working people did not have a fixed income.

He said such an increase in the prices of essential commodities constituted a regressive redistribution of income from the poor to the rich.

He said the rise in the prices of food and fuel had a reverse impact on the livelihood of the working class.

“The price rise being experienced today is a direct outcome of the anti-people policies of the government,” he alleged.

He said these included wilful neglect of the agriculture sector, weakening of public procurement and virtual destruction of the public distribution system (PDS).

Tarigami said the PDS had been deliberately weakened by replacing the universal PDS by a targeted PDS and then by gradually weakening the system of public procurement.

Tarigami said the methodology of poverty estimation was followed by the government and the process of identification of families below the poverty line (BPL) were deeply flawed.

The use of such flawed official poverty estimates to determine food allocations for the targeted PDS was to deny the poor their share in national resources, he added.

The CPM leader urged upon the government to strengthen the PDS by universalising it, restoring the cut in foodgrain allocations to the states under PDS, strengthening the provisions of the Essential Commodities Act to empower state governments to deal with hoarding and black marketing, cut custom and excise duties on oil and reduce retail prices of petrol and diesel.

Jammu, April 17
The Jammu and Kashmir High Court dismissed criminal revision filed by Jeet Ram Chowdhary against the judgment of 2nd Additional Sessions Judge, Jammu, dated December 11, 2001, whereby, all the three accused stand acquitted in a dowry case.

The deceased had died an unnatural death within seven years of marriage and according to the complainant, the deceased was being harassed continuously by her husband and other relatives. The accused abetted her to commit suicide, added the complainant.

Advocate B.L. Kalgotra launched said the trial court was not legally entitled to critically appreciate and weigh the evidence of the prosecution under Section 273 of the CrPC as the accused could be acquitted only if there was no evidence available on record, whereas, in the present case, there was sufficient evidence with the prosecution.

Advocate Surinder Singh, appearing for the accused, submitted that Section 273 of the CrPC has been enacted to save the time of court and also to save the accused from unnecessary harassment of facing any trial further. The trial court if has not given good reasons for not placing reliance on prosecution evidence on record, no prejudice is caused to the prosecution.

The trial judge, in any case, cannot record an order of conviction against the accused and, therefore, giving a detailed judgment of acquittal, at least, may not be termed as illegal one. It is at the most a procedural irregularity causing no miscarriage of justice.

Justice Virender Singh of the high court while dismissing criminal revision observed, “I do not feel hesitant in observing that the trial court has committed an irregularity of the evidence.”

No doubt, in concluding para of judgment, it is said that it appears to be a case of no evidence which is the requirement of law for recording an order of acquittal under Section 273 of the CrPC, but if one reads the entire judgment, the trial court, no doubt, considered the question of reliability of evidence by discussing almost all the witnesses including the investigating officer.

The court further held, “The trial court has gone to the extent of even observing that the prosecution story is nothing but an after thought. This approach, at this stage, was unwarranted.”