J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

Hindu militant, 46 others lay down arms
Nagrota, November 9
For the first time in 15 years of militancy, a Hindu, Manoj Kumar Manhas, was among the 47 terrorists of various Pakistan-backed outfits who surrendered before the army here today. Reports of some Hindu boys having joined the terrorist ranks had been received, but this is for the first time that one of them has got motivated to surrender his arms.

Intelligence agencies behind attack on Altaf: Geelani
Srinagar, November 9
Chairman of the Hurriyat Conference (HC) Syed Ali Shah Geelani today alleged that intelligence agencies were behind the attack on his son-in-law Altaf Ahmad Shah alias Fantoosh at Bachpora last evening.

Syed Ali Shah Geelani along with Nayeem Khan, Chairman of the Jammu Kashmir National Front at a press conference in Srinagar on Tuesday. — Tribune photo by Amin Dar

Miss Jammu gets conditional bail
Jammu, November 9
The Chief Judicial Magistrate, Mr Sanjeev Gupta, today bailed out Ms Anara Gupta, a former Miss Jammu, who has been in the news for the past few days following seizure of Porno CDs in which she is accused of having played the female role.

Hindu militant, 46 others lay down arms
S.P. Sharma
Tribune News Service

Nagrota, November 9
For the first time in 15 years of militancy, a Hindu, Manoj Kumar Manhas, was among the 47 terrorists of various Pakistan-backed outfits who surrendered before the army here today. Reports of some Hindu boys having joined the terrorist ranks had been received, but this is for the first time that one of them has got motivated to surrender his arms.

This is the biggest single surrender following the announcement of a rehabilitation policy for the militants by the state government. The terrorists laid down their arms before the GOC of the 16 Corps, Lt Gen Ashok Kapur and the DGP, Mr Gopal Sharma.

The terrorists, who were in their 20s, belonged to the Lashkar-e-Toiba, Hizbul Mujahideen and Harkat-ul-Mujahideen that have been active in the state. Thirteen of the terrorists were hardcore and mostly operating in Doda district.

Manoj Kumar (20) said he was kidnapped by another Hindu militant, Baldev Singh, in May while he was going to school at Basti village, near Bhaderwah. He fled from the custody of the militants in July but was again picked up. He claimed that he was forced into terrorism, as the terrorists believed that his father was an informer.

He was afraid of returning home after being released by the army as he feared that the terrorists would eliminate him. He said he would prefer to remain in the custody of the security forces.

Hassam Din was beaming with joy as he met his son, Parvez, who had joined the militants six years ago.

Nazir Ahmed Bhatt, of Thathri village in Doda was kidnapped by the terrorists of the Al-Jehad group in November, 1993, and given arms training at ISI-run camps at Muzaffarabad and Peshwar. He was assigned a clerical job in the office of the terrorist outfit at Kotli in the PoK.

Lt Gen Kapur said these terrorists were being motivated for the past year to lay down their arms and draw benefit from the rehabilitation policy.

Most of them had got disillusioned following the killing of their leaders by the security forces.

The security forces were expecting more militants to surrender. Resentment and disenchantment has been building among the terrorists because of lack of support and funding from across the border. They were also annoyed due to ill-treatment being meted out to the local women by foreign mercenaries.

As many as 210 terrorists have surrendered since 2000 in the Jammu region.

Intelligence agencies behind attack on Altaf: Geelani

Srinagar, November 9
Chairman of the Hurriyat Conference (HC) Syed Ali Shah Geelani today alleged that intelligence agencies were behind the attack on his son-in-law Altaf Ahmad Shah alias Fantoosh at Bachpora last evening.

Talking to reporters here today, the hardline leader said the intelligence agencies wanted to eliminate all separatist leaders in the Kashmir valley to suppress the ‘’freedom movement’’.

He claimed that personnel from the Territorial Army were behind the killing of Hurriyat leaders.

Mr Geelani said Mr Shah, who was also in charge of the HC legal cell, was shot by the gunmen on his shoulder and hand and survived the attack.

‘’We will not be cowed down by such attacks and will continue our march towards the goal,’’ he said, ruling out that any separatist was behind the attack.

About the Handwara rape incident, he condemned the incident and said the authorities were using rape as a weapon to suppress the movement.

Mr Fantoosh was shot at by unidentified gunmen at Bachpora when he was on way to mosque from his house last evening. — UNI

Cong leader shot in J&K

Srinagar, November 9
A local Congress leader and his bodyguard were shot by militants in Budgam district, official sources said here today. Jalaluddin Sheikh’s house in Wagroo-Chattergul, 40 km from here, was attacked by the militants last night around 10 p.m., killing him and the bodyguard, they said.

The militants also snatched weapons of the policemen posted at the house before escaping.

Sheikh had unsuccessfully contested the 2002 Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir.

Meanwhile, the militants attacked the house of Congress worker Abdul Rashid at Sopore in Baramula district last night. Rashid escaped unhurt but three persons were injured in the firing.

A woman was killed and three were wounded in a powerful IED blast at Langate Handwara road today, an official spokesman said.

The militants detonated an IED at Khhru village on the Langate-Handwara road at about 3.45 p.m. injuring four persons.

The injured were rushed to hospital, where Taja succumbed to her wounds.

JAMMU: Three persons, including two Pakistani nationals, have been apprehended and a huge amount of RDX seized in separate incidents from the Samba, Bhaderwah and Budhal areas of this division during the past 24 hours, sources said here on Tuesday.

Two Pakistani nationals, identified as 20-year-old Abdul Sattar and 62-year-old Alah Datta, were apprehended by the BSF near the border outpost of Mazra in the Samba sector on Monday.

They were believed to have crossed inadvertently from across the international border.

In another incident, Rashtriya Rifle troops apprehended an over ground worker, Mohammad Sharief Bhat, in Bhaderwah town of Doda district.

After preliminary questioning, he was handed over to the police at Bhaderwah by the security forces for further investigations.

The security forces also busted a hideout in the Bagla area of Budhal tehsil in Rajouri district and seized 3 kg of RDX, some medicines and rations. — PTI, UNI

Miss Jammu gets conditional bail
Tribune News Service

Jammu, November 9
The Chief Judicial Magistrate, Mr Sanjeev Gupta, today bailed out Ms Anara Gupta, a former Miss Jammu, who has been in the news for the past few days following seizure of Porno CDs in which she is accused of having played the female role.

While granting conditional bail to her, the CJM ordered that she would not talk to the media without prior permission of the court.

The CJM also ordered her to cooperate with the police in the investigation of the case and not leave the city until further orders.

Ms Anara Gupta was formally arrested by the police on November 4 and lodged in the women cell for interrogation.

A local cable operator, Narinder Kohli, has also been arrested as he was accused of having made the CD with porno scenes of the girl in a hotel in Himachal Pradesh.

It is learnt that during interrogation, the girl had told the police that the cable operator took her to Shimla, Manali, Mumbai and some other places in Himachal Pradesh.

Certain lawyers raised objections in the court that the media had indulged in hyping the issue and the matter had virtually become a trial of the girl by media.