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Case against Anara Gupta withdrawn Army Chief visits J&K News Analysis |
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| Two ultras killed in Sopore Baramula, February 4 Two militants were killed and a jawan was injured in a fierce encounter at Sopore in this district last night. Official sources said today that an encounter took place between militants hiding in a house and security forces during a search operation at village Warpora Sopore. 
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Case against Anara Gupta withdrawn Jammu, February 4 The case had taken a new turn last month when the forensic science laboratory in
Hyderabad in its report, said the picture of the female in the pornographic CD was not that of Anara Gupta. According to the Inspector General (Crime), Mr P.K. Gupta, on the basis of the report from the Hyderabad laboratory and police investigation it was established that Anara Gupta was not involved in the sex scandal and hence the case was withdrawn. The Division Bench of the High Court, comprising justice S.N. Jha and Justice S.K. Gupta, directed the Director General Police to submit a report to the court explaining the reasons for keeping Anara Gupta in illegal police custody from October 23 to November 3, 2004. Meanwhile, Anara Gupta’s family plans to move a petition seeking adequate compensation for Anara on account of mental torture and expenses incurred on contesting the case. The scandal had rocked the city in the third week of October, when the pornographic CD, was made public and a number of television channels telecast it. During investigations by the police and during hearing in the court it was a battle of wits between the police authorities and the lawyers of Anara Gupta. The High Court took serious notice of alleged illegal custody of Anara in a police lockup and this resulted in the suspension of three police officials, including the in charge of the women cell of the police. The High Court directed the police to interrogate Anara at her home and not in the police station because the preliminary investigations had been completed in the police lockup. Yet for another day the mood in the family of Anara was upbeat. Members of her family were happy when they received the report that the Hyderabad forensic science laboratory had given a clean chit to the former Miss Jammu. Anara’s brother, Kumar Sambhav, said here today “We knew from the very beginning that the figure in the pornographic CD was not that of Anara.” He said, “We await the day when the police officials responsible for causing mental agony to our family, especially to Anara, are punished.” |
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Army Chief visits J&K Jammu, February 4 He was accompanied by his wife, Ms Anupama Singh, who is also president of the Army Wives Welfare Association
(AWWA). The COAS and his wife were received by the GOC-in-C Northern Command, Lt-Gen Hari Prasad and Ms Lakshmi Hari Prasad, president
AWWA, Northern Command. The COAS was briefed on the current situation in the state. He also interacted with the Army Commander as well as other senior officers. The Army Chief who has served and operated in Jammu and Kashmir earlier, stated that people friendly approach in all operations by the Army in the state would continue. He once again reiterated that the Indian Army is a “people’s Army” and that the basic aim of counter terrorist operations is to get back misguided youth into the mainstream. While Ms Anupama Singh was briefed on AWWA activities in Northern Command by Ms Prasad. SRINAGAR: The Chief of the Army Staff, Gen
J.J. Singh, here on Friday claimed that there was an “appreciable reduction” in the infiltration of armed militants from across the borders in Jammu and Kashmir due to fencing, though it had not come down to the zero level. He reiterated his stand on presenting more humane face of the Army in Kashmir, adding that response against the militants would be purely professional without causing any harm to the common people. Talking to mediapersons on his arrival here on Friday on a two-day visit to this trouble torn state, Gen
J.J. Singh appealed to “those on the wrong path” to come forward. He added that there was a wave of war against terror in the whole world and the people in general wanted peace and progress. He was received by Lt-Gen Nirbhay Sharma, GOC of the 15 Corps of the Army here, who briefed him about the situation along the borders and within the valley. The Army Chief specified that the Army would be more humane, modern spirited, physically fit and battle ready with the aim of “winning hearts and minds” in areas like Kashmir and North-East. “We will get our misled youth back into the mainstream”, General Singh commented. When asked about the reports of misconduct by the troops like that in Siachen or the killing of five civilians in
Pathribal, Anantnag, five years ago, the Army Chief said such things could be reviewed and looked into. He said investigations into the Pathribal case were going on. Referring to the dismissal of Major Rehman Hussain in the alleged rape of a mother-daughter duo in Handwara, Kupwara district, General Singh said the verdict of the General Court Martial dismissing the accused would be confirmed by the higher authorities soon. He again appealed the family of the victim to accept the Army’s gesture of rehabilitation, and held that there could be some reasons for the denial of the Army’s goodwill gestures. He reiterated that Army’s humane face has to be there and exemplary punishment would be given to those found guilty. General Singh discredited the claim that the people of the Kashmir valley were sandwiched between two guns saying that the Army was accountable at all costs. He added that there was no accountability on the part of gun wielding youth indulging acts at the behest of their mentors across. His maiden visit, first after taking over as the Chief of Army Staff, assumes significance for his services rendered here. His last tenure had been as a Brigade Commander in north Kashmir. He expressed his deep desire for early return of peace in the state. He appreciated the efforts of the civil administration and their synergy with the Army in Kashmir in executing various development works. |
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News
Analysis Srinagar, February 4 Though the National Conference (NC) emerged a winner by bagging 41 of 68 wards, the margins of its victory over the ruling PDP-Congress alliance are not very significant except in few cases. In many uptown Srinagar wards like Harwan, the difference between votes polled by the NC and the ruling coalition is noticeably low, suggesting that the coalition partners’ could have won had they not indulged in “friendly contests” from almost every ward. In Harwan, NC polled just 110 votes more than the PDP. In the overall tally, the combined voting percentage of the PDP and the Congress is better than that of NC, which polled 38.13 per cent votes. The PDP and Congress, respectively, polled 31.69 and 14.21 per cent votes. While the NC managed 35,378 of the total 88,181 votes polled, the PDP and Congress bagged 27,378 and 13,362, respectively. This unnecessary division of votes between the ruling partners can’t but be treated as the single most dominant factor that caused their marginalisation in urban Srinagar, where NC was not expected to fare so well. “the PDP and Congress could not arrive at a strategy for seat sharing. They pitted candidates against one another. This proved suicidal as votes were divided,” reasoned a political analyst. It is further learnt that the PDP was unwilling to concede the number of seats which the Congress demanded in Srinagar MC. The analysis of poll results further shows that NC has predominantly gained in areas where separatists hold sway. In sectors like Khanyar, Hazratbal, Zadibal and Maisuma where Hurriyat leaders are in control, the NC has won comfortably. In fact, traditionally, the voters of these areas have been more comfortable with the NC than with the PDP, a new party. The J&K’s Finance and Planning Minister, Mr Muzaffar Baig, who is PDP’s most vocal spokesperson, also admitted, “We compete with the Hurriyat in political space. For separatists like Yaseen Malik of the JKLF, NC and Congress don’t pose as much of a challenge as we do. Also, if you closely study the trends of polling in areas where separatists hold ground, you will find the voters here have always preferred NC to other parties.” Mr Baig, however, admitted that the results of civic elections had been much below PDP’s expectations. The popular votes in Srinagar have, however, remained with the PDP. NC has mainly managed a presence in areas where poll percentages have been traditionally low. Hazratbal zone with Zadibal, Zoonimar and Bachpora is an interesting case in point where the voting percentage was just 14 this time. The NC has bagged both these seats with comfortable margins. In Zadibal it polled 1,278 votes against PDP’s 562. In Bachpora, it polled 883 votes compared to PDP’s 73. Both from Hazratbal and Batmaloo, traditionally low voting areas (in 2002 election Hazratbal recorded six per cent turnout; Batmaloo recorded four per cent) the NC has won this time. While in Hazratbal, NC polled 868 votes against PDPs 243; in Batmaloo it barely managed victory by polling 31 votes against PDPs 18. |
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Two ultras killed in Sopore
Baramula, February 4 Official sources said today that an encounter took place between militants hiding in a house and security forces during a search operation at village Warpora Sopore. They said two militants were killed and a security jawan and a women were injured. Two AK rifles and other arms and ammunition were recovered from the slain militants. Meanwhile, the security forces busted a militant hideout at Lasana area of Poonch district in Jammu division and recovered ammunition and explosives from it, defence sources said here today. The security forces, during search operation, found the cave hideout at Sindra Nullah, 4.5 km west of Lasana yesterday. The recovery from it included two kg of powerful explosives, 19 rounds of pika ammunition, 50 rounds of AK ammunition, one AK magazine, two matrix sheets and some assorted medicines.
— UNI, PTI |
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Jammu, February 4
