Jammu, November 6
At least 12 places, including five subdivisions, in Jammu and Kashmir continue to pose a serious problem not only to civilians, but the security forces as well.

According to senior police functionaries, areas in Mendhar and Surankot (in Poonch district), Darhal and Budhal Rajouri Sector), Shopian, Kulgam, Tral, Kokernag, Pahalgam, (in south Kashmir) and the upper reaches of Budgam district are infested by large groups of militants, a majority of them foreign mercenaries owing allegiance to either the Lashkar-i-Toiba or Jaish-e-Mohammad.

The police said of late, activists of the Hizbul Mujahideen have posed bigger problem to the security forces after the outfit leaders agreed to work in tandem with Lashkar-i-Toiba.

A senior police officer said Mendhar in Poonch Sector had been selected by agencies across the border for pushing into the Indian territory groups of militants, equipped with sophisticated weapons.

He said during the past one week, more than 18 militants had sneaked into the Poonch sector from across Mendhar. So far one infiltrator had been killed by an Army patrol party.

Field reports said the guntotting rebels were moving freely in villages located in the higher regions of Mendhar, Poonch, Budhal and Darhal.

These reports said during the past one year a large number of militants had carved out bases in Pulwama and Anantnag districts in south Kashmir.

According to these reports, infiltrators who had entered into the Indian territory from across Kupwara, Uri, Poonch and Rajouri sectors had managed to establish bases in Tral, Kulgam, Shopian, Pahalgam and Kokernag.

At present the areas of Shopian, Kulgam and Tral are infested by large groups of militants.

The police authorities feel upset over the speedy concentration of militant groups in South Kashmir which had been sanitised by 2002.

A senior police officer said a plan was being finalised under which security agencies, including the Army and the paramilitary forces, would carry out multi-dimensional operations for dislodging the rebel groups from their bases in South Kashmir.

He said it was the result of this plan that 11 activists of the Hizbul Mujahideen, involved in the bomb attack on National Conference leaders in Anantnag town, had been arrested.

The security agencies were preparing a plan to flush out militants from their hideouts in Budhal, Darhal, Mendhar and Surankot.

At present, the top brass in the Army and the police were assessing the situation in three hilly areas of Udhampur and Doda districts following reports that rebel groups had started to carve out bases in Mahore, Gandhov and Nawapachi areas.

The Union Home Ministry was preparing guidelines for the security agencies so that specific operations were launched against the rebel groups. 

Jammu, November 6
The porn CD racket here has taken a new turn with the arrested former Miss Jammu revealing the names of certain influential persons and officials of Doordarshan who had been her clients.

At least three other pornographic CDs, featuring some local girls are also in circulation here.

It was an uphill task for the police to track those involved in production of these CDs that have been shot in hotels of Himachal Pradesh. The porno CD of the local beauty queen was reportedly shot at a hotel in Dharamsala.

The police is, however, tight-lipped about the statement given by the girl in which she is reported to have named certain influential persons of the state. The cable operator is being accused of having lured her into the call girl racket. He surrendered to the police this afternoon.

Meanwhile, the former “Miss Jammu" said in the women police station here that there was threat to her life. She was being threatened that her family would be eliminated if she opened her mouth, she claimed.

She suggested that beauty competitions should be completely banned as these had become platforms for influential persons to lured girls into the call-girl racket.

Meanwhile, further inquiries have revealed that the girl was 16 years old and a minor when she was selected as “Miss Jammu” and become involved in the porn CD racket.

A couple of months ago the local police had busted call-girl racket going on in various local cyber cafes.

In yet another alleged sex scandal at Srinagar, the High Court on Friday last issued notices to some top civil and police officers seeking the state’s objection to a public interest litigation in the matter.

The police is reported to have gathered evidence regarding the alleged involvement of certain politicians, bureaucrats and influential businessmen in flesh trade.