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Sunday,
September 16, 2001, Chandigarh, India  
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Pak closes
arms training camps temporarily
Snake
charmer dupes people of cash, gold |
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| DISTRICT DIARY Where garbage heaps are aplenty Udhampur Despite repeated demands made by various political and religious parties/organisations, no registration counter for Amarnath pilgrims was established this year by the Tourism Department at Udhampur. As a result there was no rush of Amarnath yatris. Last year a counter was established at Udhampur for the purpose as a result of which there was heavy rush of pilgrims in Udhampur town. 
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Pak closes arms training camps temporarily Jammu, September 15 According to senior government functionaries, these instructions were issued following fears that these training camps might be destroyed during the possible US strikes in retaliation to the terrorist attacks on key targets in the USA on Tuesday. There are about 10 arms training camps set up in areas close to the border, including Kotli, Rawalakot and the Neelam valley across Kupwara. Another instruction given to the activists of Lashkar-e-Toiba and Jash-e-Mohammad is that they should return to Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK). Official reports said the 25 militants who were killed in the Kupwara sector during the past two days were trying to cross over to PoK. The three militants killed by the security forces in the Mandi area of Poonch yesterday were also trying to cross over to Pakistan. Militants, operating in Jammu and Kashmir, have been directed not to remain in contact on phone or wireless sets with the Pakistani agencies. They have been asked to snap all communication links till October 5. It is not yet known why the period till October 5 has been chosen for snapping communication links among the militants and Pakistani agencies. However, official sources said this instruction, along with the call to foreign mercenaries to cross over to PoK, was part of Pakistan’s plan to erase all proof of its involvement in the ongoing proxy war in Jammu and Kashmir. As far as winding up the arms training camps was concerned, the Pakistani authorities did not want these camps to be destroyed in the US or Indian retaliatory strike. Once the militants mingled with the local people, any strike by India or the US Government would prove counter productive as such strikes might result in the killing of civilians. The sources said as a result of threats emanating from Washington, a large number of militants had been feeling “demoralised.” The sources said long-range guns, including Bofors, were being deployed in the Kupwara, Tangmarg, Poonch and Rajouri sectors to meet any threat from Pakistan. Earlier, the defence authorities had been waiting for instructions from Delhi regarding
transhipment of war machinery to the border to face any threat from across the LoC. However, Islamabad’s procrastination in accepting the US demands and the Taliban’s threat to hit back had warranted extraordinary defence
preparedness. In addition to this, columns of additional troops had been deployed on strategic points on this side of the LoC. The government functionaries received reports from across the border indicating that Pakistani authorities were engaged in giving a final shape to its military build-up on the border. So far troops and labourers had been seen digging up trenches not only on the other side of the LoC but in border villages also. Reports said that Pakistan Government had directed youths to desist from staging anti-US demonstrations. Islamabad has conveyed to these fundamentalist groups, particularly those in Karachi, to avoid displaying anti-US sentiments which could cause further embarrassment to Pakistan and endanger its security and integrity. These demonstrators had also been told that such display of anger against the US Government could be cited as another instance of Pakistan’s involvement in encouraging terrorism. |
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8 ultras
killed; Army foils infiltration bids Srinagar, September 15 Security forces averted major tragedies by detecting two IEDs planted by militants in the state while militants ran away with three rifles they snatched from police guards and engaged securitymen deployed for the protection of minority community in an armed clash during the period, he said. A security personnel was killed on the spot and an officer was injured when the vehicle they were travelling in ran over an IED planted by militants at Gauri Kund in Udhampur district of Jammu. Security forces detected another IED planted by militants which was later defused, the spokesman said. Three CRPF personnel were critically injured when militants hurled a grenade into a passing security vehicle outside a women’s college on the Maulana Azad Road in the city today. Within minutes, militants again hurled a grenade on a BSF vehicle on the Residency road injuring two BSF personnel, the spokesman said. The pro-Pakistan radical Jamiat-ul-Mujahideen outfit claimed responsibility for the grenade attack on the CRPF vehicle and said all three CRPF personnel were killed. Three sneaking militants were shot dead by Army troops at Shirim Tari near the Line of Control in the frontier district of Kupwara yesterday evening, the spokesman said. One more infiltrator was killed by the security forces at the border outpost in Abdullian sector in R.S. Pura in Jammu, while another was killed in an encounter with Army troops at Dushmarg in Kupwara yesterday, he said. He said three militants were killed in an encounter with a joint team of security forces and the local police in the border district of Poonch yesterday. A woman was injured in the exchange of fire and a residential house was partially damaged in the operation. He said the body of Mohammad Bashir of Jugal village who had been kidnapped by militants was recovered from Salwa village in Poonch last night. The police also recovered the body of Mohammad Akram from Gursai in Rajori today, the spokesman said. Two civilians were injured as militants resorted to indiscriminate firing at Narbal in Kashmir and Rajouri in Srinagar yesterday, the spokesman said. He said security forces averted a major tragedy when they detected an IED planted by militants at Amirabad Pulwama district. A bomb disposal squad defused the IED without causing any damage. The police also recovered a bomb near Begana-Kishtwar village. The device was defused before it could cause any harm, the spokesman said.
PTI |
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Snake charmer dupes people of cash, gold Jammu, September 15 According to Mr Chuni Lal Raina, one of the victims, the snake charmer claimed that he knew special remedies for deadly diseases. One of the relatives of Mr Raina was suffering from a serious disease. Initially the snake charmer posed himself as a saint who was not interested in money. He began a special “puja”, which he said would continue for some days and at the end of the “puja” the signs of improvement in the condition of the patient will start appearing. One day in the midst of the “puja” he asked them to put all jewellery in some utensils which were being used for the puja and also put aside all the cash. During the “puja” he would ask everyone to close their eyes and meditate. Mr Raina said, during this meditation he replaced the utensils containing the gold jewellery and cash which had been bundled into a handkerchief. It was only the next day, when he failed to turn up at the scheduled hour that members of the family got suspicious. They began searching the utensils. To their utter horror and shock they found one snake each in all utensils. And in the handkerchief, in which they had rolled the money, only some paper was found. Mr Raina said, the snake charmer was a regular visitor to the area. He managed to win the confidence of people and ultimately duped them. Meanwhile, the police has launched a massive manhunt to arrest him and his accomplices. Besides Mr Raina, others who have been duped by the snake charmer include, Mr Moti Lal Pandita, Mr Shiben Lal Raina and Mr Ram Pyara Bhagat. |
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DISTRICT DIARY Udhampur ****** No development has been done in Udhampur town by the Town Area Committee or the district administration in the past one year. Lanes in most of the newly constructed mohallas have not been constructed due to which these remain full of mud during the rainy season. There are no drains as a result of which sullage spills over, making difficult the movement of the people residing in these mohallas. Lanes that were constructed about a decade ago also need immediate repairs. Heaps of filth and garbage pile up along the main roads as there are no arrangements for daily lifting of refuse. Moreover, the Town Area Committee has not earmarked any areas for throwing garbage and people throw refuse
wherever they feel like, creating insanitary conditions. The condition of roads as well as lanes is very bad. There are a lot of potholes in roads and lanes. ***** The panchayat elections in Udhampur district were conducted after more than two decades in March. But no delegation of powers has been made to panchayats by the government so far. No funds have been provided for development in the respective panchayat areas. |
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