J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

Two ultras shot; SHO hurt
SRINAGAR, April 11 — Two militants, including a self-styled divisional commander of the outlawed Hizbul Mujahideen, were killed while the security forces captured three militants and recovered a large quantity of arms and ammunition in the Kashmir valley during the past 24 hours.

Register cases, CJM’s order on killings
SRINAGAR, April 11 — The Chief Judicial Magistrate of Anantnag has directed the police to register cases under Sections 120-B and 302 CrPC in connection with the disappearance and subsequent killing of five persons, allegedly in fake encounter, by the security forces at Pathribal on March 24 night.

Normalcy returns to Anantnag
ANANTNAG, April 11 — Normalcy has returned here and in adjoining areas of Achchbal and Shangus for about one week after curfew restrictions after the killing of eight protesters at Brakpora on the outskirts of this town. But residents have been troubled over hoax cries and stone pelting.

Cong MLA backs Panun demand
JAMMU, April 11 — Ladakh Buddhist leader and Congress MLA Chering Dorjay while supporting the Panun Kashmir demand of a separate homeland for the Kashmiri displaced people said the division of the state into four parts was an ideal solution for removing regional imbalances.

3 killed, 54 hurt in bus mishap
KATHUA, April 11 — Three persons were killed and 54 were injured, when an overcrowded bus (JK 02G-1871) rolled down from the Biani Bridge on the Plassi-Kathua road this morning.

Two ultras shot; SHO hurt

SRINAGAR, April 11 (UNI, PTI) — Two militants, including a self-styled divisional commander of the outlawed Hizbul Mujahideen, were killed while the security forces captured three militants and recovered a large quantity of arms and ammunition in the Kashmir valley during the past 24 hours.

An official spokesman said militants hurled a grenade and opened fire on a police party near Babadamb Khanyar in downtown last evening, causing injuries to station house officer (SHO) M.R. Gunj.

The police retaliated and killed a militant who was later identified as Naseer-ullah-Malik, self-styled divisional commander of the Hizbul Mujahideen. A pistol, a wireless set and a grenade were recovered from the site. However, residents of the area alleged that he was arrested and later killed in custody.

The security forces raided a militant hideout at Manigah in the frontier district of Kupwara and recovered three clamore mines, three remote-controlled devices, five grenades, two boosters, a missile head, five detonators and 5 kg of RDX last night.

The security forces captured a self-styled batallion commander at Noorbagh last night. A rifle and a magazine were recovered from a hideout on his disclosure.

Official sources said the body of a Hizbul Mujahideen militant, Gulzar Ahmad, was recovered at Ganderbal last evening while one person identified as Javid Ahmad, who was shot at and injured by militants at Sopore, succumbed to his injuries this morning.

The Border Security Force conducted house-to-house searches at Karimabad since early this morning to nab militants responsible for the attack on a BSF party last night in which one jawan was injured. Two suspected militants were arrested during the operation.

People at Ahgam took to the streets in protest against "excesses" by security forces.

Pakistani troops opened fire at forward Indian positions in north Kashmir, seriously wounding two persons, including a woman, and damaging four houses.

Pakistani troops fired artillery and mortar shells from across the border yesterday in the Tangdhar and Karnah sectors of Kupwara district and the cross-border shelling continued throughout the night, Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of Kupwara and Baramula, Dilbagh Singh said.

He said the shelling was unprovoked and indiscriminate and was targeted on civilian areas. Two persons identified as Qalander Khan and Saida Begum were seriously wounded and four houses damaged in the Tangdhar sector.

The injured were rushed to the Army Hospital where their condition was stated to be serious.

The first barrage of shells hit Tangdhar and Karnah when there was heavy movement of civilians in the two border towns around 1200 hours yesterday, official reports said adding the Indian troops fired in retaliation.

Register cases, CJM’s order on killings

SRINAGAR, April 11 (UNI) — The Chief Judicial Magistrate of Anantnag has directed the police to register cases under Sections 120-B and 302 CrPC in connection with the disappearance and subsequent killing of five persons, allegedly in fake encounter, by the security forces at Pathribal on March 24 night.

Official sources told UNI that the order was given by the CJM after an inquiry officer appointed by him to probe the allegation against the security forces submitted his report to him today.

He directed the Anantnag police station to register cases in connection with the disappearance and subsequent death of Zahoor Ahmad and Bashir Ahmad while Achabal police station has been asked to register similar cases in connection with the others.

Sources said the CJM has also directed Deputy Inspector-General of police, Anantnag, to constitute a team of police officials to be headed by not less than Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) to investigate cases.

He has also directed him that the team should submit its report to him by May 1.

Villagers of Pathribal and Anantnag alleged that the Army and special operations group of the Jammu and Kashmir police arrested and burnt to death five innocent villagers and later labelled them as foreign militants responsible for the massacre of 35 Sikhs on March 20 night at Barakpora.

The Army had claimed that they killed five foreign militants in an encounter at Pathribal on March 24 night, who were responsible for the massacre of Sikhs.

Villagers who observed hartal demanded that bodies of all five persons be exhumed for identification. However, it was only when SOG’s firing on a procession which left eight persons dead and nine others injured on April 3 and curfew was imposed in the town that Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah ordered that all the bodies be exhumed in the presence of the relatives of the missing persons.

Normalcy returns to Anantnag
Tribune News Service

ANANTNAG, April 11 — Normalcy has returned here and in adjoining areas of Achchbal and Shangus for about one week after curfew restrictions after the killing of eight protesters at Brakpora on the outskirts of this town. But residents have been troubled over hoax cries and stone pelting.

"It starts around 9 p.m. every day and continues for several hours, said a resident of the town. Male residents claim that whoever ventures out in the evenings after such incidents, was being picked up". Several residents pointed out that a number of panes of houses had been broken in stone pelting by unidentified persons during night. The police and civil administration officers, however, denied reports of any such incidents during the past couple of days.

These incidents have, however, created scare among residents, who have witnessed violence in the area over the past three weeks. Over 50 persons were killed in the area, including at least 36 Sikhs at Chatti Singhpora on March 20. This was followed by the killing of five militants in an encounter with the security forces at Pathribal on March 24.

In a related development, the DSP (Headquarters), Mr Sheikh Abdul Rehman, today submitted his preliminary verification report to the Chief Judicial Magistrate. This directive was made by the Chief Judicial Magistrate on March 29 on a petition by people of the Braiangan area to look into the "disappearance" of five persons after the Singhpora carnage.

The state government has already given compensation to the next of kin of those killed in police firing at Brakpora. The Chief Minister has also given Rs 1 lakh each from his Welfare Fund to the next of kin of the victims. The government have also provided government jobs to 32 persons, families of Chatti Singhpora carnage victims.

Almost all villages inhabited by the minority community, particularly the Sikhs, in south Kashmir district of Anantnag have been provided with a security picket, the Deputy Commissioner, Anantnag, Mr G.A. Peer said. He said various Sikh leaders of the area were trying to prevent any kind of migration.

Mr M.Y. Tarigami, CPM MLA, representing Kulgam constituency of Anantnag district in the State Legislative Assembly expressed concern over the series of killings in the district. "The government must take measures whereby shattered confidence is rebuilt and security of common citizens is ensured".

Cong MLA backs Panun demand
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, April 11 — Ladakh Buddhist leader and Congress MLA Chering Dorjay while supporting the Panun Kashmir demand of a separate homeland for the Kashmiri displaced people said the division of the state into four parts was an ideal solution for removing regional imbalances.

Releasing a book "Kashmir, Wail of a Valley", written by Prof M.L. Koul, at a function here today, Mr Dorjay said Pak-sponsored proxy war had caused communal divide in the state and it was time for the Centre to think of a solution which could keep all communities safe. He added that it would be possible if the state was divided into 4 parts, Jammu, Ladakh, Kashmir valley and homeland for Hindus in the valley.

Earlier, there was the demand for the trifurcation of the state giving statehood to the three principal regions but with the rise in Islamic fundamentalism and terrorism neither the Hindus nor the Sikhs nor the Buddhists felt safe in one state and hence four states should be carved out.

Speaking on the occasion, a senior leader of Panun Kashmir, Dr Chowdhary, said it was unfortunate that the Centre was ready to talk to the aggressors but not to the victims. He said there was a conspicuous shift in BJP policy since it assumed power and it was because of this shift that it had kept its doors open for separatists, including the Hurriyat Conference leaders.

3 killed, 54 hurt in bus mishap
From Our Correspondent

KATHUA, April 11 — Three persons were killed and 54 were injured, when an overcrowded bus (JK 02G-1871) rolled down from the Biani Bridge on the Plassi-Kathua road this morning. The bus was coming from Plassi and going to Kathua town. It was being chased by the Basohli route bus and in the process, the driver of the bus lost control of the vehicle and it rolled down the bridge in to a more than 20-feet-deep nullah. Three persons were killed on the spot. They include Vasudev (48), and Dhannu Ram (70).

The SDPO, Basohli, Mr Nasir Ahmed, and the SHO Basohli, Mr R.K. Bakshi reached the spot along with the medical teams and shifted the injured to various hospitals and dispensaries.