J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

Ultra’s ‘Hindu’ identity shocks police
JAMMU, Aug 10 — A 24-year-old Hindu man’s confession that he was an extremist and wanted to surrender has shocked the state police.
Bharat Malhotra, a resident of Nai Basti, an outlying locality of Jammu, took the police by surprise recently when he surrendered with packets of explosives and other lethal material.

Plot to disrupt I-Day function unearthed
JAMMU, Aug 10 — A major plot for disrupting Independence Day celebrations in Jammu and adjoining areas has been unearthed.

Heavy shelling by Pak troops
BARAMULA (UNI): At least seven houses were reduced to a rubble and five partially damaged in artillery and mortar shelling by Pakistani troops in Karnah sector early this morning.

Balloon with ‘azadi’ slogans found
JAMMU, Aug 10 (PTI) — A balloon with liberation slogans marked on it was found at the border village of Mahanpur in Kathua district in Jammu division last evening, official sources said here today.

Ultra’s ‘Hindu’ identity shocks police

JAMMU, Aug 10 — A 24-year-old Hindu man’s confession that he was an extremist and wanted to surrender has shocked the state police.

Bharat Malhotra, a resident of Nai Basti, an outlying locality of Jammu, took the police by surprise recently when he surrendered with packets of explosives and other lethal material. The police when contacted said it had never expected Hindus to be part of an anti-India extremist campaign in Jammu and Kashmir.

Malhotra had revealed during his interrogation that he had crossed over to Pakistan in 1997 and spent almost two and a half years receiving training as a militant. That training was put to use in Afghanistan, he told the police.

Malhotra said he was lured by monetary considerations as he felt that wielding a gun and making money was a lucrative option for the likes of him, whose destiny is governed by poverty and deprivation.

His assignments, the police disclosed were to strike at the crowded places with explosives and through shootouts. His Hindu identity may have spared him of suspicion for sometime, the police said.

The police said that Malhotra was also given the task of recruiting other Hindus who like him were looking for money. Malhotra said some of the friends he contacted for this purpose, were impressed by his lavish lifestyle. This exercise came to an end when his “inner conscience told him to stop and surrender”, he told his interrogators, adding that the police should try to find out how many more Hindu boys were involved in extremist activities.

Malhotra said his decision to surrender was motivated by two factors. “It was a belated realisation that it was futile to fight for Pakistan against my own country and community” and secondly he was apprehensive about being found and killed.

“We are incensed by the whole thing. It is a shock and we are trying to gauge the extent of the ISI penetration among Hindu youth”, a senior police official said.

Indian intelligence agencies have reported that Pakistan is trying hard to recruit Hindus for extremist groups to serve as couriers and guides. But that they were actually becoming extremists was not an anticipated phenomenon. — IANS

Plot to disrupt I-Day function unearthed
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, Aug 10 — A major plot for disrupting Independence Day celebrations in Jammu and adjoining areas has been unearthed.

The Inspector-General of Police, Mr R.V. Raju, told the media here today that on specific information, the police arrested Muna, a local resident with five codenames. During the interrogation Muna confessed that he was being supplied with explosives and other weapons to disrupt Independence Day celebrations.

Mr Raju said two high-grade explosives, including a remote controlled IED, were recovered from Muna.

He said security arrangements had been further tightened in Jammu and its adjoining areas. The number of police check posts has been increased.

Meanwhile, the Director-General of Police, Mr Gurbachan Jagat, had toured all 12 districts in Jammu and Kashmir to review the security arrangements.

Reports reveal the rebels are preparing to celebrate Pakistan’s Independence Day on August 14 by organising parades. On August 15 they plan to hoist black flags at public places.

Heavy shelling by Pak troops

BARAMULA (UNI): At least seven houses were reduced to a rubble and five partially damaged in artillery and mortar shelling by Pakistani troops in Karnah sector early this morning.

Official sources said Pakistani troops resorted to unprovoked shelling from across the border, targeting civilian areas and security installations.

A dozen houses were hit by shells in Umar Rahi village near the Line of Control. However, no one was hurt as the villagers had fled to safer places.

Indian troops retaliated and hit some Pakistani installations.

This was the first instance of unprovoked shelling by Pakistani troops after the Hizbul Mujahideen called off its ceasefire in Kashmir.

More than 150 persons, including security personnel, lost their lives and scores were injured due to Pakistani shelling in the Northern Sector during the past two years.

Balloon with ‘azadi’ slogans found

JAMMU, Aug 10 (PTI) — A balloon with liberation slogans marked on it was found at the border village of Mahanpur in Kathua district in Jammu division last evening, official sources said here today.

The sources said the balloon had slogans like “azadi mubarak and jeshani azadi mubarak” written on it. Besides, it carried the name of a shopkeeper along with his telephone number of Faisalabad in Pakistan.

It was detected by a villager in his field in the border village yesterday,

Earlier, on a few occasions remote pilotted vehicles (RPVs) were seen coming from across the border in Jammu division and Border Security Force troops had to open fire through anti-aircraft guns to destroy them, the sources said.