The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

	Anti-Sajjan protest to continue: DSGMC chief Tribune News Service New Delhi, May 3 Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee president Manjit Singh (GK) said the protest against the acquittal of Sajjan Kumar in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots case would continue for another 29 years. “We have fought the case against the suspects in 1984 riots for the past 29 years. Now we will protest against Sajjan’s acquittal till the same number of years”, Manjit said. Talking to The Tribune, Manjit said: “We have protested outside Karkardooma district court just after the verdict on April 30. Next day we had a major protest in West Delhi area of Tilak Nagar and Subhash Nagar, yesterday we organised a protest near residence of Sonia Gandhi and today at Bhogal Chowk near ashram on Ring Road.” The SAD (Badal) will raise this issue in the ensuing Assembly elections saying that government had saved these people who were suspects in two different cases of 1984 riots. The Sikhs have taken the Sajjan’s acquittal seriously. About 12 lakh Sikhs reside in Delhi. Of them eight lakh are voters. He said that Sikhs have no say in their own country. Thousands of community members were “massacred” during the riots but not a single accused had been punished so far. “If still Sikh voters in Delhi vote for the Congress, I will say God bless them.” The SAD (Badal) has alliance with the BJP in Punjab as well as in Delhi. In the DSGMC elections, we have won 38 seats out of 46 and that shows that majority of Sikh voters are in favour of the SAD-BJP alliance. In West Delhi, Sikh voters will affect the Assembly election result in eight constituencies that is from Punjabi Bagh to Tilak Nagar and Janakpuri, he said. Demand for SIT probe New Delhi, May 3 As angered families of 1984 anti-Sikh riots case continue to protest against the acquittal of Congress leader Sajjan Kumar, one of the affected, Nirpreet Kaur, who lost her father in the carnage, began an indefinite fast at Jantar Mantar on Friday. While she demanded that the chargesheet related to FIR 67/87 should be filed immediately in the court and action be taken against ACP Rajiv Ranjan for suppressing the case then, she also wants the case be probed independently by a special investigation team (SIT) and an appeal be filed in a higher court against the acquittal of Kumar and that the case be heard and decided in three months time. “In 1984, more than 10,000 Sikhs including my father were murdered in cold blood. Since then, we have been running from pillar to post for justice. We had expected to get justice, but the verdict given by the court had shaken our faith in the system. When the incident happened, the Gandhi family and the Congress was in power and even now it is,” she said. TNS
	Woman tops civil services exam for third year in row Kerala varsity passouts bag top two spots New Delhi, May 3 For the third consecutive year, a woman has topped the prestigious Civil Services Examination 2012. Haritha V Kumar, a probationer of Indian Revenue Service (Customs and Central Excise) 2011 batch, has made it to the top slot of the coveted exam, according to the results declared today by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). The top position in General, Scheduled Tribe (ST) and Scheduled Caste (SC) have also been secured by women candidates. Kumar, who is undergoing training at National Academy of Customs Excise and Narcotics (NACEN), holds a BTech (Electronics and Communication) degree from Kerala University. This was her fourth attempt. V Sriram and Stuti Charan have bagged second and third positions respectively in the examination. Sriram, who has done his MBBS from Kerala University, has achieved the distinction in his second attempt. Charan has done Bachelor of Science from Jodhpur University and a postgraduate diploma in personnel and marketing management from the Indian Institute of Planning and Management (IIPM), Delhi. It was her third attempt. Shena Aggarwal, an MBBS from the premier All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), had bagged the top slot in the civil services examination 2011, while Chennai-based law graduate S Divyadharshini topped the list in the 2010 exams. As many as 998 candidates -- 753 male and 245 female -- have been selected for appointments to various central services such as Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS) and Indian Police Service (IPS) among others, according to a release by the Department of Personnel and Training. Of these 998 successful candidates, 457 are in General (including 23 physically challenged) category, 295 Other Backward Classes (including nine Physically challenged), 169 Scheduled Castes (including two physically challenged) and 77 Scheduled Tribes. There were 1,091 advertised vacancies -- 550 General, 295 Other Backward Classes, 169 Scheduled Castes and 77 Scheduled Tribes-- for Civil Service Examination 2012. The result also showcases the pan-India distribution of successful candidates of this examination. "Among the top 25 candidates, there are candidates claiming domicile from as many as 12 states or Union territories i.e. Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chandigarh, Delhi, Haryana, Jammu & Kashmir, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh," it said. The family background of top 25 candidates shows diverse representation from all walks of life with their parents being farmer, teacher, businessman, government servant, doctor, advocate, professor and civil servant. The Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination, 2012 was conducted on May 20, 2012. — PTI Future bureaucrats Among the top 25 candidates, six have made it to the merit list in their first attempt; nine in second attempt; eight in third; and one each in their fourth & sixth attempts Four have already been recommended to services other than IAS on the basis of Civil Services Examinations of previous years Of the top 25 candidates, 12 appeared from Delhi; four from Thiruvanathapuram, two each from Chennai and Hyderabad; and one each from Jammu, Mumbai, Jaipur, Chandigarh and Allahabad centres
	cockpit Mess AI suspends pilot, two air hostesses Mumbai, May 3 An Air India pilot and two air hostesses were suspended after an airline probe found that the cabin crew overstayed in the cockpit on a Delhi-bound flight from Bangkok on April 12. The action came amidst reports that while the pilot took a nap in the business class, the air hostesses were left to operate the aircraft over 20 minutes, endangering the safety of 166 passengers on board. The pilot had reportedly put the plane on auto-pilot mode and allowed the cabin crew to be in the cockpit. Airline regulator DGCA has initiated a probe to ascertain whether the pilot had left the cockpit as suggested by the reports. Air India admitted that the air hostesses had overstayed in the cockpit but denied that the pilot had allowed them to operate the aircraft. "Based on a report that two cabin crew members were in the cockpit for a prolonged period on the said flight, the two cabin crew were called for an inquiry. As the enquiry confirmed the overstay of the cabin crew in the cockpit, administrative action was taken against them and the pilot. They have been suspended pending the final enquiry of the incident," the national carrier said in a statement here. — PTI
	Reinstate SSC women officers or face music, SC warns govt R Sedhuraman Legal Correspondent New Delhi, May 3 Taking a serious view of the Defence Ministry’s reluctance to implement an order for reinstatement of women officers of the Army, Air Force and the Navy, the Supreme Court today said the government could ignore the SC directive only at “your own peril.” A Bench comprising Justices RM Lodha and Kurian Joseph said the government’s inaction over the court’s February 20, 2013 order was not acceptable and warned that “consequences will follow.” The Bench made the remark while hearing the pleas of about 50 short service commissioned (SSC) women officers who were forced to quit following denial of permanent commission (PC) to them. The women officers have approached the SC seeking reinstatement and PC under the March 12, 2010 judgment of the Delhi High Court. In its February 2013 order, the SC Bench had directed the government to reinstate the women officers subject to the condition that grant of PC to them would depend on the outcome of the appeal filed by the Centre challenging the HC verdict. The Bench had also ruled that they would not be entitled to salary or seniority for the period between their release/quitting and reinstatement. The SSC women officers, who had been released prior to the HC verdict, have approached the SC, pleading for grant of the relief enjoyed by those under the HC judgment. The SSC women officers of the Air Force have also challenged a move to subject them to the 2011 human resource policy (HRP), which has raised the bar for being eligible to get PC from a qualitative rating of 6.5 to 7 in the annual confidential reports (ACRs). This is a ploy to stall their reinstatement and grant of PC, they say. On being pointed out that the Air Force had earlier told the SC that the women officers would come under the 2007 HRP, the government counsel said it was due to a typing error. The Bench, however, was not convinced. “Your misconceived assumptions will not do,” it said. The tussle A Supreme Court Bench said the government’s inaction over the court’s February 20, 2013 order was not acceptable and warned that “consequences will follow” The Bench was hearing the pleas of about 50 short service commissioned women officers who were forced to quit following denial of permanent commission to them In its order, the SC had directed the government to reinstate the women officers subject to the condition that grant of permanent commission to them would depend on the outcome of the appeal filed by the Centre challenging the HC verdict The Bench had also ruled that they would not be entitled to salary or seniority for the period between their release/quitting and reinstatement
	Battle for Bellary Miners continue to havea heavy presence Shubhadeep Choudhury/TNS Bellary, May 3 Mining baron Janardhana Reddy may be in prison following his arrest by the CBI and his younger brother Somashekhara Reddy may not be contesting, but mine owners continue to have a heavy presence in the electoral battle in the district. When asked if the absence of Somashekhara from the fray had given him an advantage, Rajya Sabha member and Congress candidate from Bellary city constituency Anil Lad (39) said, “Definitely.” The denim clad Lad, whose election affidavit showed him as worth over Rs 120 crore, said he was a third-generation mine owner and therefore, in a different league than upstarts like Janardhana or Sriramulu, who were first-generation miners. Lad was meeting supporters at his temporary residence in Bellary city today. Lad, whose term in the upper house will expire next year, was defeated by Somashekhara by a small margin in the 2008 Assembly elections. On his name figuring alongside the three Reddy brothers (Karunakara, Janardhana and Somashekhara) and Sriramulu in the report on illegal mining in Karnataka prepared under the aegis of former Lokayukta Santosh Hegde, Lad claimed that he had been absolved of all the charges by the court and was given the ticket by the Congress after a careful scrutiny. Abdul Wahab (Vijayanagar constituency in Hospet), E Thukaram (Sandur) and Asundi Vannarappa (Bellary Rural) are other mining men fielded by the Congress. Another mining baron, Anand Singh, has been fielded as a candidate in Vijayanagar by the ruling BJP which managed to retain him in its flock after he had almost quit the party. Importantly, the Supreme Court recently cancelled 49 mining leases, including those of Lad, Wahab and Anand for having maximum illegalities. B Sriramulu is contesting from Bellary rural. He had won on a BJP ticket in the last polls but resigned from the Assembly after he was denied a berth in the Sadananda Gowda Cabinet. He won the election again with a thumping majority as a candidate of the BSR Congress floated by Gowda. The BJP had won eight out of the nine seats from Bellary district in 2008, while the Congress had won one. Four of the elected candidates were mine owners. Campaigning ends for K’taka poll Campaigning for the May-5 Karnataka Assembly elections ended at 5 pm on Friday. Polling will take place in 223 segments, with the one in Piriyapatna put off to May 28 following candidate’s death. The EC and police have made elaborate arrangements for smooth conduct of elections
	Don’t throw us out of PDS, fair price shop owners to SC R Sedhuraman Legal Correspondent New Delhi, May 3 Fair price shop (FPS) owners selling foodgrains under the public distribution system (PDS) today pleaded with the Supreme Court that the move to replace them, numbering about 500,000, would endanger their livelihood. Arguing for some of them before a Bench comprising Justices TS Thakur and FMI Kalifulla, senior advocate K Radhakrishnan said the private FPS could not be blamed for all the corruption in the PDS and diversion of foodgrains to the black market. If some of the FPS owners were found to be corrupt measures should be taken to deal with them instead of dispensing with the present PDS which had been in place for 50 years. If democracy failed to deliver the desired result, no body talked of replacing it with any of the discarded systems of governance. The same way, all those running private FPS should not be collectively held responsible for the malpractices being adopted by some of them, he pleaded. However, the Bench said it was clear from their own documents filed in the court that each FPS owner was earning a mere Rs 700 a month from running the shops. In that case, why were they keen on running the FPS unless their interest was to make money through illegal means, the Bench asked. Radhakrishnan also expressed the apprehension that some of his clients might commit suicide if they were left with no livelihood option. But the Bench maintained that the PDS corruption was perhaps responsible for a number of starvation deaths reported from several places in the country. Nevertheless, the Bench asked them to file an affidavit showing their margin of profit and the monthly income from running FPS to enable the court to take a decision on their plea for letting them untouched. The Bench was hearing arguments on a PIL filed by the People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) seeking steps to eliminate rampant corruption in the PDS. At the last hearing on February 8, the Bench had asked the Centre to convince the states to replace the individuals running FPS with cooperatives and self-help groups as part of efforts to root out the corruption. Livelihood at stake Fair price shop owners say the move to replace them, numbering about 5 lakh, will endanger their livelihood Arguing for some of them before an SC Bench, senior lawyer K Radhakrishnan contends private FPS cannot be blamed for all the corruption in the PDS and diversion of foodgrains to the black market
	Prez asks filmmakers to portray positive values Gives away national film awards; releases stamps of 50 icons of Indian cinema Ashok Tuteja/TNS New Delhi, May 3 Giving away the 60th national film awards, President Pranab Mukherjee today observed that recent incidents of crime against women and children have shaken the conscience of the nation. He emphasised that cinema must be used to portray positive societal values for building a tolerant and harmonious India. “We must find ways to reverse the erosion of our values, I would like to stress upon the crucial role the cinema can play in resetting the moral compass of the nation,” he said while speaking at the award function. The highlight of the function was the release of postal stamps of 50 iconic personalities of Indian cinema, including Ashok Kumar, Bhalji Pendharkar, Durge Khote, Dev Anand, Yash Chopra, Smita Patil, Rajesh Khanna, Shammi Kapoor, Suraiya, Geeta Dutt, Sohrab Modi, Tapan Sinha, CV Sridhar and Bhanumathi. The award for the best feature film was conferred on Paan Singh Tomar (Hindi). In the non-feature film category, the award for the Best Film was given to Shepherds of Paradise (Gojri & Urdu) produced and directed by Raja Shabir Khan. In the category of best writing on cinema section, book Silent Cinema in India - A Pictorial Journey (English) written by BD Garga and published by Harper Collins Publisher India bagged the top honour, whereas PS Radhakrishnan was conferred the award for the best film critic. In the feature film category, 38 films from 14 languages were selected for the awards. Chittagong (Hindi) and 101 Chodiyangal (Malayalam) shared the Indira Gandhi Award for the best debut film of a director. The award for the best popular film for providing wholesome entertainment was shared by Vicky Donor (Hindi) and Ustad Hotel (Malayalam). The award for the best director was given to Shivaji Lotan Patil for Dhag (Marathi). The award for the best actor was jointly shared between Irrfaan Khan playing the title role in Paan Singh Tomar and Vikram Gokhale for the film Anumati (Marathi). The award for the best actress was conferred on Usha Jadhav for her performance in Dhag (Marathi). The award for the best supporting actor was conferred on Anu Kapur for Vicky Donor. The award for the best supporting actress was shared by Dolly Ahluwalia for Vicky Donor and Kalpana for ThanichallaNjan (Malyalam). The best child artist award was shared by Virendra Pratap for Dekh Indian Circus (Hindi) and Minon for 101 Chodiyangal (Malayalam). The award for the best male playback singer has been conferred on Shankar Mahadevan for the song “Bolo na” from Chittagong. The award for the best female playback singer has been conferred on Aarti Ankalikar-Tikekar for the song “Palakein naa moon don” from Samhita (Marathi). The award for the best Screen play writer (original) has been conferred on Sujoy Ghosh for Kahaani. The award for best screen play writer (adapted) has been conferred on Bhavesh Mandalia and Umesh Shukla for Oh My God. The award for the best dialogue has been conferred on Anjali Menon for the film Ustad Hotel (Malayalam).
	Maternal, infant health Uttrakhand on top among high focus states, UP worst Aditi Tandon/TNS New Delhi, May 3 Uttrakhand has emerged on top of the table in the just-compiled Registrar General of India's annual data on vital health indicators while Uttar Pradesh is struggling to make improvements. The Annual Health Survey 2011-2012 which tracks health gains in nine Empowered Action Group States (high focus states) which house 50 per cent of India's population reveals that many districts of Uttarakhand and Jharkhand have achieved the Millennium Development Goals related to infant health. The survey funded by the Ministry of Health tracks 284 districts in Bihar, Jharkhand, UP, Uttarakhand, MP, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Rajasthan and Assam to furnish district-level data for evidence-based planning in these areas considering they account for 70 pc of the entire infant mortality burden of India. Uttarakhand has shown the best results on infant mortality, neonatal mortality, under-five mortality, maternal mortality and crude birth rate while UP and Odisha are the worst. Unique community-based interventions in Uttarakhand have allowed the state to boast of three districts with the lowest IMR (infant deaths per 1,000 live births) of 20 each-Almora, Pithoragarh and Rudraprayag. Shraswati in UP has the highest IMR of 100, much higher than the national average of 45. Seven districts-Purbi Singhbhum, Dhanbad and Bokaro (Jharkhand) and Chamoli, Rudraprayag, Pithoragarh and Almora in (Uttarakhand) have reached the MDG-4 national target of 28 IMR. On Neonatal mortality (within 28 days of birth), Rudraprayag and Pithoragarh in Uttarakhand are the best with the lowest, 12 deaths per 1,000 live births as against the highest of 72 in Bolangir (Odisha). Pithoragarh in Uttarakhand has also reported the lowest under-five mortality at 23 while Kandhamal (Odisha) with 142 deaths is the worst here. Twelve districts-Pithoragarh, Almora, Rudraprayag, Chamoli, Nainital, Bagheswar and Champawat (Uttarakhand) and Purbhi Singhbum, Hazaribagh, Dhanbad, Bokaro and Koderma (Jharkhand) have achieved the MDG national-level target of 42 on under-five mortality. Uttarakhand also has the lowest maternal mortality. While Garhwal headquarter in Uttarakhand has only 155 MMR (deaths per 1 lakh live births), Faizabad Mandal in UP has the highest at 437. India's average is around 200. At the state level, Assam has the highest MMR of 347 and Uttarakhand has the lowest at 162. Strangely, Uttarakhand has not done well on sex ratio with the state reporting only 866 girls aged 0 to 6 years as against 1000 boys, the lowest in the target group. Chhattisgarh has the highest sex ratio at birth at 951.
	Special to the tribune Rise of the fourth force in UK’s political landscape Shyam Bhatia in London The UK is experiencing what could be the start of a political earthquake after a new and fourth political force in the shape of the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) flexed its muscles at the polling booths. In one parliamentary byelection, South Shields, and a series of local county council elections, the UKIP took support away from all the major parties, averaging more than 20 per cent of the vote. This amounts to a remarkable showing for a party that was until recently relatively unknown, only to be dubbed by Prime Minister David Cameron as full of “clowns and fruitcakes.” Contrary to what the ruling Conservatives have tried to claim, the UKIP is not a cover for the racists of the British National Party (BNP) and has both Blacks and NRI Asians among some of its most enthusiastic supporters. The party’s often-expressed desire to withdraw the UK from Europe (saving £53 million a day), bring in a system of controlled, points system of immigration so that Bulgarians, Romanians and others from Eastern Europe do not have automatic right to settle in the UK and take advantage of its unemployment and other benefits allowances and abolish university tuition fees has struck a chord among ordinary voters. Most of all, the UKIP is seen as standing against the sort of cronyism and obsession with money that is associated with the major parties. The political rivalry of the two Milliband brothers, David and Ed, who both competed for the leadership of the Labour Party, was seen by many as an unhealthy single family domination of national politics, usually associated with the likes of the Banadaranaikes/Rajapaksas of Sri Lanka, the Marcos’ of the Philippines, the Bhuttos of Pakistan and the Gandhi/Nehrus in India. Former Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair has not launched any members of his family into politics, although that cannot be ruled out in the future, but voters have been astonished by how much money (said to be £30 million) he has accumulated since leaving office. Like Labour, the Conservatives also have their share of cosy family relationships at the top of the political tree. They include London Mayor Boris Johnson and his brother Jo who has just been appointed as a Cabinet-rank adviser to the Prime Minister. Their presence at the top ranks of the party has been supplemented by the support of scores who may not be related by blood but share the same values acquired from attending similar, upper-class schools and universities. Shortly after emerging from zero and capturing 16 seats in the county of Lincolnshire, where it is now the second largest party ahead of Labour and the Liberal Democrats, UKIP’s leader Nigel Farage declared, “This wave of protest certainly isn’t short term - it is long lasting.” He told Sky News, “At the end of today, we are going to have a fair tally. This will send a shock wave, I think, through the establishment. “It's been a remarkable result for us. Numerically, we're the third (party) because the Lib Dems are trailing behind. “We have always done well in European elections...but people haven't seen us as being relevant to local elections or in some ways, general elections. “So for us, to be scoring 26 per cent of the vote on average is very significant indeed,” Nigel Farage said. Some Conservative leaders have privately admitted that the UKIP’s extraordinary showing in the local elections amounts to a ‘kick in the pants’ for the Conservatives and others.
	India-Pak panel lays down guidelines for prisoners Ashok Tuteja/TNS New Delhi, May 3 Expressing serious concern over the recent violent attacks on two Indian prisoners (Chamel Singh and Sarabjit Singh) at the Kot Lakhpat Jail in Lahore, the India-Pakistan committee on prisoners has asked the two countries to provide consular access to each other’s prisoners at least four times a year-in the first weeks of February, May, August and November. Members of the panel, who visited Pakistani jails in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi from April 26-May one, also wanted that consular access be provided immediately to all those prisoners who have so far been denied this facility and the process of nationality confirmation should also start immediately. The committee, consisting of retired judges of the two countries, found that there were 459 fishermen and ten civilian prisoners in the three jails in Pakistan who had not been provided consular access. It recommended that these fishermen and prisoners be provided consular access by May 17 and noted that the Pakistani side had accepted its proposal. The committee members said they had visited the Jinnah Hospital in Lahore where Sarabjit Singh was undergoing treatment after the attack on him in the Kot Lakhpat Jail and enquired about his health. Prior to this, another Indian prisoner Chamel Singh was also attacked in the same jail. The committee recommended that the jail authorities should ensure adequate security for all Indian prisoners to avoid all such incidents in future. It also asked the relevant Pakistani authorities to share with it at the earliest the report of the inquiry into the assault on Sarabjit. The committee regretted that the mortal remains of Chamel Singh were repatriated to India after a lapse of nearly two months after his death on January 15. The copy of the post mortem report has still not been shared with the Indian side. It recommended that the post mortem report be immediately made available to the Indian authorities. The committee was of the view that prisoners involved in minor offences like violation of the Foreigners’ Act, visa violation and inadvertent border crossing deserved compassion from both sides. It also wanted that respective courts must be asked to conduct expeditious trial of all ‘under-trial’ prisoners. Respective High Commissions should create a panel of good repute lawyers/firms to pursue the cases of their prisoners in local courts to locate, identify and defend such prisoners at all stages of their cases. It also wanted that a mechanism be developed for giving compassionate and humanitarian consideration to women, juvenile, mentally challenged, old aged and all those prisoners suffering from serious illness or permanent physical disability. What it says The India-Pakistan committee on prisoners has asked the two countries to provide consular access to each other's prisoners at least four times a year-in the first weeks of February, May, August and November The committee recommended that the jail authorities should ensure adequate security for all Indian prisoners to avoid all such incidents in future The committee was of the view that prisoners involved in minor offences like violation of the Foreigners' Act, visa violation and inadvertent border crossing deserved compassion from both sides
	Three-fold rise in ceasefire violations along LoC Vijay Mohan/TNS Chandigarh, May 3 There has been a consistent increase in the number of ceasefire violations along the Line of Control (LoC) with Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir. Data compiled by the Ministry of Defence reveals that there has been more than a three-fold increase in the number of such incidents over the past five years. The number of ceasefire violations has gone up from 28 in 2009 to 93 in 2012. The figures for 2010 and 2011 are 44 and 51, respectively. Till April this year, the number of violations reported is 24. The rise in ceasefire violations on the LoC comes in the backdrop of an uneasy truce along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China and frequent incursions and assertive posturing by the Chinese troops. The latest incident, which has serious ramifications, is that of Chinese troops transgressing and setting up a tent camp 19 km inside the Indian Territory in Ladakh. As far as the LoC is concerned, the most volatile sectors have been Krishna Ghati and Rampur in the general area of Poonch, which have witnessed 92 and 42 violations, respectively, since 2009. These sectors were also in the news earlier this year after an Indian soldier was beheaded and another killed and his body mutilated by Pakistani troops. Tension between the two countries had escalated following the incident, with the government and the service chiefs taking a tough stand on the issue. There was another incident of beheading of an Indian soldier in 2011. Of the 18 sectors that the LoC is divided into, only four, Partapur, Dras, Gurez and Sunderbani, remained free. There were varying incidents of violations reported from other sectors. Kargil sector saw one violation in the past five years, while Rampur sector witnessed 30 violations in a single year. The number of violations was even higher in Poonch. The ceasefire agreement between India and Pakistan came into effect in 2003, following which both sides were to refrain from unprovoked firing at each other’s posts. Prior to the ceasefire, there was regular cross-border firing and even exchange of artillery barrages, which resulted in numerous civilian and military casualties on either side. Even after the ceasefire was imposed, there were reports of violations by Pakistan. Truce, only in the name A ceasefire agreement came into effect between India and Pakistan in 2003 There has been more than a three-fold increase in the number of ceasefire violations over the past five years Of the 18 sectors that the LoC is divided into, only four, Partapur, Dras, Gurez and Sunderbani, remained free Experts believe most of the ceasefire violations aimed at helping terrorists to infiltrate into J&K
	Head injuries caused by blunt weapon: Autopsy Manmeet Singh Gill/TNS Amritsar, May 3 The panel of five doctors that conducted the second post-mortem examination on Sarabjit Singh’s body at the Civil Hospital, Patti, today said the base of the scull, five ribs and the jaw bone were found broken. The panel from Government Medical College said the victim suffered massive head injury caused by a heavy and blunt weapon. Dr Gurmanjit Rai, head of forensic medicine, said: “Sarabjit was hit with a heavy and blunt weapon on the left ear. The strike smashed his ear and fractured the base of the scull from left to right ear.” The jaw bone was also smashed but the vault of the scull (the top and back of head) was intact. “The attack was carried out with intent to kill and possibly involved three to four persons,” said Dr Rai. The doctors also found a few unstitched wounds on the back of the head. The panel observed that the injuries were caused six to seven days ago, which is consistent with the timing that Pakistan had reported. The first post-mortem was conducted at Jinnah Hospital in Lahore. During the second post-mortem at Patti, organs such as stomach, gall bladder, kidneys and heart were not found inside the body. “We presume these were removed as part of the standard procedure of autopsy and sent for chemical examination,” said Dr HS Sohal, another member on the panel. The doctors withheld the exact cause of death as chemical examination and histopathology reports were awaited.