J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

Hunt on for killers of two Sikh youths
Jammu, March 16
Security forces have launched search for those militants who had killed two Sikh youths, Mohan Singh and Lakhbir Singh, in the upper reaches of Poonch. The police said that two Sikhs had been beheaded and their mutiliated bodies recovered by the troops today at village Lashana in Poonch. 

Geelani arrested, strike near total
Srinagar, March 16
Senior executive member of the Hurriyat Conference and firebrand Jamaat-e-Islami leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani and 10 other Hurriyat leaders were taken into preventive custody as the general strike called to protest against the alleged burning of Holy Quran was marked by clashes at several places in Jammu and Kashmir today.

Students bid to storm varsity, 10 hurt
Jammu, March 16
At least 10 college students, including three women, were hurt when the police resorted to lathi charge and fired several tear gas shells to prevent the student demonstrators from storming Jammu University today.

Hunt on for killers of two Sikh youths
Tribune News Service

Jammu, March 16
Security forces have launched search for those militants who had killed two Sikh youths, Mohan Singh and Lakhbir Singh, in the upper reaches of Poonch.

The police said that two Sikhs had been beheaded and their mutiliated bodies recovered by the troops today at village Lashana in Poonch.

According to the police, Mohan Singh and Lakhbir Singh had left Jammu for Poonch on March 8 by bus to visit their ancestral houses in the village. After getting down from the bus they had to walk a few km to their village. They were abducted by the militants and were beheaded in the forest belt and their bodies were thrown on the roadside.

When parents of the deceased did not hear anything from Mohan Singh they informed the police. Some villagers had spotted the bodies but were too scared to lift the bodies.

Mohan Singh and Lakhbir had migrated from Poonch several months ago and were staying in Jammu out of fear.

Meanwhile, troops recovered a huge quantity of ammunition and explosives in Achhad in Poonch district, an official spokesman said today.

Troops yesterday received specific information about the presence of the cache in a dense jungle in the general area of Achhad. They launched a search and recovered eight camouflaged rucksacks containing 4,570 rounds of AK ammunition, 24 special HD-284 gelatin sticks, and 100 plastic explosive sticks of 250 grams each.

Srinagar: Five members of two families, including a National Conference activist, were injured in separate militant attacks in Kashmir valley last night, a police spokesman said today.

NC activist Ghulam Hassan Malla and his son received bullet injuries when a Hizbul Mujahideen militant opened indiscriminate fire inside their house at Zainapora in Pulwama district, he said.

The militant, identified as Ghulam Hassan Sheikh, was overpowered by the inmates of the house and neighbours and was handed over to police, the spokesman said.

He said militants barged into the house of one Muzamil Lohar at Dardpora-Lalpora in frontier Kupwara district late last night and fired indiscriminately on the inmates injuring Muzamil, his wife and his son Ghulam Haider.

Lohar’s son Wali Lohar, a former militant had surrendered before the Special Operations Group (SOG) of local police.

Wali is presently working with the SOG to combat militancy in the area.

The spokesman said a special police officer, Zahoor Ahmad Hajam, was missing from his house at Hakimullah in Badgam district.

Zahoor was posted at district police lines in Srinagar and had gone on leave to his home on March 9. UNI

Geelani arrested, strike near total

Srinagar, March 16
Senior executive member of the Hurriyat Conference and firebrand Jamaat-e-Islami leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani and 10 other Hurriyat leaders were taken into preventive custody as the general strike called to protest against the alleged burning of Holy Quran was marked by clashes at several places in Jammu and Kashmir today.

Mr Geelani, who was placed under house arrest last evening and asked to stay indoors, was taken into custody with seven other Hurriyat leaders when he broke the police cordon around his Hyderpora house in Srinagar and tried to lead a demonstration at the main chowk, the sources said. The police resorted to bursting of teargas shells and lathi charge to disperse the demonstrators, including women and children. Mr Geelani and others are lodged in Shergarhi police station. PTI

Students bid to storm varsity, 10 hurt
Tribune News Service

Jammu, March 16
At least 10 college students, including three women, were hurt when the police resorted to lathi charge and fired several tear gas shells to prevent the student demonstrators from storming Jammu University today.

These students were demanding that their examination syllabi be reduced. They had been boycotting the classes for the past two months in protest against the admission of 67 students of a private college in the government medical colleges and against prolonged power cuts. The government recently cancelled the admission of these 67 students.

The college students refused to attend the classes unless they were allowed to exercise “open choice” while sitting for the examination being conducted by Jammu University. The state authorities had a meeting with the university authorities but the latter refused to reduce the syllabus. It was suggested to the student community that additional classes would be held to help them in completing the syllabi but they have refused.

During the past two days, students, including women from the two colleges, have been staging demonstrations and blocking the transport services. The police intervened yesterday and today to restore order.

Meanwhile, employees of public sector undertaking again staged a demonstration near the Civil Secretariat where the leaders decided to intensity their agitation in protest against the government’s refusal to release Fifth Pay Commission arrears and instalments of cost of living allowances.

The took out a procession and accused the state authorities of adopting discriminatory policy. The police raised a barrier 200 metres away from the secretariat to prevent the agitators from entering the civil secretariat.