Srinagar, July 20
Curfew restrictions in the Valley are posing inconvenience to people during the holy month of Ramadan. People are especially feeling the pinch of shortage of essential commodities.

As a majority of shops, including those selling grocery items and medicines, and other commercial establishments remained shut for the second consecutive day today, people who are fasting faced the brunt of it all.

They lamented that as the state government had abruptly announced the curfew on Thursday night, they could not stock essential supplies at their homes.

Although in the early mornings hours, uptown Srinagar residents queued up outside shops to purchase food, medicines etc for some time, in downtown Srinagar, no such relaxation was offered.

The curfew will continue for the third day as well, which has invited peoples’ ire against the administration.

“This government is only good at imposing curfews. After the whole winter season passed in curfews in the Valley, there is no respite from such restrictions even in the summer. No sensitivity has been shown by the authorities, considering Ramadan is going on. They should at least ease the restrictions,” said Shafi Muhammad, a resident of Haba Kadal, downtown Srinagar.

People said they have been unable to buy dates and milk, which are commonly used in the Valley for breaking fasts. At some places, due to incidents of stone throwing and protests, people were even scared to go to mosques for praying.

“The Friday congregational prayer was not allowed at Jamia Masjid. Post that, many stray stone throwing incidents are happening, especially after prayers. We are staying indoors and praying in our homes instead,” said Imran Nazir, a resident of the Eidgah locality. Meanwhile, the authorities allowed mediapersons and employees working in essential service departments to reach their offices after looking at their identity cards.

“We were allowed to go to some places but stopped at others while we were trying to reach a hospital. In the hospital, patients were suffering due to lack of transport facilities. We hope the restrictions are put to end soon,” said Dr Adil of the SMHS Hospital.

Youth protest against the killing of four civilians in BSF firing, in Anantnag

“The situation in Bandipore district remained under control on Saturday,” said a police officer.

Complete shutdown in central Kashmir on Day 2

The three districts of central Kashmir, Srinagar, Budgam and Ganderbal, remained completely shut for the second consecutive day today in view of the death of four civilians in BSF firing in Ramban district.

The authorities had imposed restrictions on the movement of civilians in all the three districts.

The restrictions were severe in Ganderbal district, where locals had clashed with the police and paramilitary personnel on Friday.

A resident said there was a "stricter curfew” and the police barricades had been moved closer to the residential area. “Even milkmen are not allowed,” a resident of Ganderbal district said.

In Srinagar, residents clashed with the police and paramilitary personnel in several localities of the old city after the morning prayers ended.

Protests were also reported from Bemina and Tengpora.

The police had to fire tear-smoke canisters to disperse the protesting residents of Humhama in Budgam district on a road which leads to the region’s only civilian airport.

The protests at Humhama continued till late in the evening.

More than 30 injured in south Kashmir since Friday

Anantnag: More than 30 persons have been injured since Friday evening in clashes between protesters and the forces across the four districts of the south Kashmir region.

About 20 persons were injured in the Qazigund area of Kulgam district on Friday evening.

As many as 13 persons were injured when the police fired at protesters, who were trying to march towards Qazigund Chowk. Two of the injured received bullet injuries while 11 others were wounded by rubber bullets.

As the news of the firing spread, people from the adjoining villages rushed towards Qazigund Chowk and attempted to torch a CRPF camp, which was, however, foiled.

“The police and the CRPF again used force to disperse the protesters and injured six more people,” a source said.

Five persons were injured today in the Qaimoh area of Kulgam district after the police used force to quell the protests in the area.

Protesters raising pro-freedom slogans were marching from the Khudweni area to Qaimoh Chowk when the police trained their guns at them, injuring at least five protesters. The injured have been hospitalised.

Protests were also reported from the main town, Kulgam, on Friday night and throughout the day today.

There were protests at the Tahab Chowk, Rajpora Chowk and Muran Chowk areas in Pulwama district.

“Protesters clashed with the police and the CRPF deployed in full force throughout the town,” an eyewitness said. “The police used tear smoke shells and pellet guns to disperse the protesters inflicting minor injuries to at least two people,” he added.

There were also clashes between the security forces and protesters in Shopian town and its adjoining areas today.

Youth pelted stones at the Deputy Commissioner’s Office and the Shopian police station. The police lobbed tear-canisters to disperse the protesters.

A youth was beaten up by CRPF troopers and was later taken to the District Hospital, Shopian, for the treatment.

In Anantnag district, strict restrictions were in place throughout the main towns. However, the youth clashed with the police and the CRPF at some places.

Clashes were reported from Dooru, Bijbehara, Khannabal and other areas of the district. There were incidents of stone throwing in Anantnag. — OC

Srinagar, July 20
A person was killed and three others were injured in different road accidents across the Kashmir valley since Friday evening.

The police said a Tavera bearing the registration number JK01P/0720 turned turtle at Alustop, Kulgam, in the jurisdiction of the Mir Bazar Qazigund police post. The accident resulted in the on-the-spot death of Afsar Ali, a resident of West Bengal, and injuries to two other persons.

"The injured have been shifted to a hospital for treatment.

A case has been registered in this regard," a police spokesman said.

In another accident, a Wagon-R bearing the registration number JK01N/7667 skidded off the road near Family Welfare Institute, Dobiwan in Baramulla in the jurisdiction of the Kunzer police station, resulting in injuries to Mudasir Ahmad Mir of Hurd Shoura.

The injured has been shifted to a hospital. A case has been registered.

Handwara, July 20
Relatives of the minor rape victim, who was allegedly raped and murdered in her native Langate village in 2007, today held a protest to demand death penalty for the four accused undergoing detention for the past over six years. The protesters, led by activists of the Justice Tabinda Gani Forum which is spearheading the victim’s case for justice since July 2007, raised slogans "we want justice". They also held a prayer meeting for the victim.

“For the past six years, justice continues to elude us. All the 84 witnesses have recorded their statements before the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate, Kupwara, but the sentence is yet to be pronounced,” said Abdul Gani Shah, victim’s father.

“For the past six years, the trial is going at a snail’s pace. Despite clinching evidence against the accused, they have not been hanged or sentenced to life,” he said.

On July 20, 2007, the victim, a class VIII student of Uqab Public School, Langate, was found murdered in an orchard in Langate.

Medical reports had confirmed that the abductors had raped her before slitting her throat. The murder of the minor had evoked massive protests in the Valley for weeks forcing the then Ghulam Nabi Azad-led coalition government to order a speedy trial in the case.

Masood Ahmad, brother of the victim said, “The government had then announced setting up of a fast-track court for speedy trial and delivery of justice in the case but justice continues to elude us."

On June 5 this year, Chandigarh-based Forensic Sciences Laboratory (FSL) had confirmed the involvement of all the four accused in the rape and murder case. Sources said a senior DNA expert of the FSL, Dr Sanjeeve, revealed in the Sessions Court, Kupwara, that the blood samples collected from the clothes of the deceased during the postmortem matched the DNA of all the four accused against whom the trial is on.

The accused, including Azhar Mir of Langeth, Sadiq Mir, Suresh Mochi of Rajasthan and Jahangir Bihari of West Bengal, are undergoing detention since July 2007.

Srinagar, July 20
Taking a strong note of flouting of norms and the tendering process while executing projects worth millions of rupees, the Jammu and Kashmir High Court has issued notices to the Managing Director of J&K Projects Construction Corporation (JKPCC) and the state Chief Secretary.

The Court has also directed the authorities concerned, including the MD of JKPCC, to ensure that the allotment of works is done on a competitive basis after following a fair, reasonable and transparent tendering process.

J&K Projects Construction Corporation is one of the of the largest government-owned public sector construction companies in the state.

It has a board of directors with the Chief Minister as its chairman and the state Roads & Buildings Minister as its vice-chairman.

These directions were issued by a single bench of the High Court this week and made available today in a petition filed by one Ghulam Mohammad Khan through senior high court lawyer BA Bashir.

Khan in his writ petition before the court had challenged the modus operandi of the J&K Projects Construction Corporation, one of the largest government-owned construction agency in the state.

In the petition, Khan has submitted that the JKPCC is executing works worth millions of rupees in violation of the guidelines. It has been submitted that works are executed through a dubious method and are done through “piece workers” without involving any tendering process or without issuing any formal allotment orders.

“The respondents are playing pranks with the constitutional process by getting works executed through piece workers. The works of the value of Rs 1 lakh to Rs 2 lakh are being allotted to these so called piece workers and the value is increasing manifold during the execution of the works,” it has been submitted in the petition.

“Such a method devised by the respondents (JKPCC authorities) is giving a huge scope for looting the money of public exchequer,” the petition stated.

The petition stated that J&K Assembly Complex, the under-construction lawyers chambers in the High Court, shopping complex and the under-construction Crime Branch and Power Development Department complex were some of the projects which were being executed by resorting to this dubious process.

The High Court in its orders passed this week observed that the respondent authorities, while allotting the works for the execution are “duty-bound in law” to adopt the process which is fair and transparent.

“One of the most accepted methods is to follow the tendering process. A strong prima facie case is made out,” the High Court observed in its orders while issuing a notice to the respondents, including MD and vice-chairman of the JKPCC and other official respondents.

The High Court also directed the respondent authorities to ensure that the allotment of works is done on a competitive basis after following a fair and transparent procedure.

“It is further provided that the works be allotted, preferably, by resorting to the tendering process,” the High Court directed while putting the matter for consideration in the week commencing from July 29.

Handwara, July 20
Nursing and paramedical staff of Public Health Centre (PHC), Wadipora, in Handwara tehsil, yesterday protested against Farooq Ahmad Bhat, of Goriakhar, Handwara, for his alleged misbehaviour with the staff on duty.

They demanded stern action against Bhat. They said his son had received a minor injury in head for which he was treated. But Bhat misbehaved and abused nurse Masooda Akther, when she asked for Rs 5 as OPD charges.

“He got furious and abused me when I asked for Rs 5 to be paid as OPD ticket charges. I tried to explain to him that the amount was mandatory but he did not listen anything and used abusive language against me,” said Akther, a nurse at PHC.

“Earlier, he visited the PHC around 2 am and got his son treated,” she added.

Following the incident, employees at sub-centres in Handwara, including

Tarakpora, Bakiakar and Badrikal, also protested against Bhat. They demanded action against the accused for misbehaving with the staff members.

Dr Idrees Ahmad, Block Medical Officer (BMO), Zachaldara, said he had filed a complaint at Handwara police station against the accused. “I hope he will be dealt with sternly for his misconduct with the staff on duty,” he added.

Abdul Ahad Kashmiri, sarpanch, Wadipora, condemned the use of abusive language by Bhat but demanded that the doctors should remain present in the PHC during night hours as well. “He should not have misbehaved with the staff, who ensured timely treatment to his son. The PHC witnesses a huge rush of patients and to ensure good patient care, doctors should remain present round the clock,” he said.

“The doctors have been sent on Amaranth Yatra duty by the government. In spite of the shortage, the paramedical staff is working hard to ensure good patient care,” Dr Idrees said.

Srinagar, July 20
The provincial president of National Conference (NC) Nasir Aslam Wani and the Chief Minister’s political advisor Tanvir Sadiq visited SKIMS hospital today to enquire about the health of Dr S Jalal, who was injured when militants attacked policemen earlier this week.

They also enquired about the injured civilians and police personnel, a statement issued by the party said.

According to the statement, the two were instructed by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to visit the critically-injured doctor and other civilians and policemen.

Dr S Jalal was injured on Thursday when militants attacked the two policemen who were escorting him.

Wani and Sadiq met the eminent doctor’s wife and son who were present at the hospital and wished for his speedy recovery. “They said that Chief Minister Omar Abdullah is personally concerned and conveyed his sympathy and prays for his early recovery,” the statement added.

The duo termed the attack as an “act of cowardice” and unfortunate.

Later, they also visited the policemen who were injured in clashes since yesterday and prayed for their early recovery. The leaders also met the families of the injured persons and sympathised with them, the statement said.

Wani and Sadiq were accompanied by Farooq Shah, Deputy Commissioner, Srinagar, Ashiq Bukhari, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Srinagar and G N Qasba, Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) Commissioner.