 |
|
Anara Gupta to sue police, media
Counter-terrorist operations ‘not’ to be diluted
Coercion behind high voter turnout: Yasin Malik
Fresh snow lures tourists to Patnitop
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
JKLF calls for bandh on Feb 11
Hizbul militant killed
BSF officer booked
|
|
Anara Gupta to sue police, media
Jammu, February 5 "My client Anara Gupta will file defamation cases against the police and a section of the media for defaming and falsely implicating her in the much-publicised porno VCD case," her lawyer Rahul Pant said here. "The amount to be claimed for defamation would be decided later," he said. After the report from the forensic
laboratory in Hyderabad had made it clear that the pictures of the woman in the VCD were not that of Anara, the crime branch of the state police yesterday asked the Jammu and Kashmir High Court to permit it to close the case. Mr Pant said they were awaiting the formal closure of the case before they could file the defamation case. "At present all cases, including illegal confinement, permission to go to the NHRC and porno VCD cases are sub-judice and the court has demanded status of Anara's illegal confinement from October 24 to November 4 last year from state DGP, Gopal Sharma till February 17," he said. Besides the police and a section of the print media, all the details of "defamatory" content given by the TV news channels would be collected and they would also be sued, Mr Pant said.
— PTI |
|
Counter-terrorist operations ‘not’ to be diluted
Jammu, February 5 The Army Chief said the operations against the terrorists would be reinforced in J&K and the North-East. He re-emphasised that the Army would function with a humane face and J&K was his priority number one. He said the Northern Command of the Army deserved to be complimented for carrying out the counter-terrorist operations in a professional manner that had resulted in bringing the situation to a fair degree of normalcy and infiltration has dropped. The General told mediapersons that on the issue of de-induction of troops from J&K: “We will wait and watch how the situation unfolds. We will see whether withdrawal of troops can be continued after the winters or not.” When pointed out that the people of Kashmir were sandwiched between the guns of the Army and the militants, he said: “It should be realised that the gun of the security forces is for protection of the innocent people.” He said a new corps of the Army was being created for areas south of the Chenab with a view to making the operational area of the 16 Corps manageable. The Army Chief brushed aside the recent violation of ceasefire by Pakistan as a minor incident. The two countries, he said, were taking several confidence-building measures and top military officers on both sides were interacting on various issues to keep the situation normal. He said the friendly attitude of the Army towards the civilians has helped in the gaining goodwill of the people. Earlier during the day, the Army Chief called on Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed. |
|
Coercion behind high voter turnout: Yasin Malik
Jammu, February 5 Asked what was the reason for about 60 per cent polling in Kupwara and Baramula and Srinagar civic elections. He told this correspondent that a split in the Hurriyat Conference was one of the major reasons. At the same time, the APHC leader said: “Elections are not going to resolve the Kashmir issue.” He said during the past 50 years India and Pakistan had fought three wars and a number of elections to the state Assembly and to the Lok Sabha were held in Jammu and Kashmir, but these had failed to settle the basic Kashmir issue. However, Molvi Abbas Ansari, a former APHC Chairman, said Chief Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed and other mainstream political leaders were “adept” in motivating voters to cast their vote. He said these leaders had “brought several hundred voters to the polling booths after they were paid handsome sums of money.” Reports said when Syed Ali Shah Geelani, who heads a rival faction of the Hurriyat conference, came to know that a majority of voters had cast their vote in the civic elections in Kupwara and Baramula, he stated: “The main purpose of the call for boycott of polling was to convey to the voters and to the world that the elections to the civic bodies and the Srinagar Municipal Corporation were not going to be a vote for India: The poll, he said, was for developing civic amenities in the areas. Chief of the JKLF, Mr Mohammed Yasin Malik, and the President of the Democratic Freedom Party, Mr Shabir Ahmed Shah, who were in the forefront of the poll boycott campaign, blamed the security forces for coercing voters into casting their vote. Other separatists were happy that the voting percentage in the Srinagar corporation poll was poor. But they had nothing to say when reminded that even if the Srinagar corporation witnessed 20 per cent polling, it was much higher than the polling registered during the Assembly and the Lok Sabha elections since 1989, when not more than two to five per cent voters cast their vote. Prof Bhat fumbled for words when asked whether he admitted that the separatists’ writ did not run in the Jammu region. He said: “Yes, for demographic complexion and other reasons our call for poll boycott had no response, in Jammu. Asked whether in that case the APHC represented people belonging to only a particular region, the APHC leader said: “We represent the sentiments of a majority of people.” |
|
Fresh snow lures tourists to Patnitop
Jammu, February 5 A number of sportsmen have also reached Patnitop for skiing. Amit Rekhi, a sport lover, said people from different areas of the country were enjoying the winter carnival. Ashok Kumar, a bank employee from Mumbai, said he had come to Jammu to offer prayers at the Vaishno Devi shrine but gave in to the attraction of snow clad Patnitop.” He said several hundred pilgrims had come to Patnitop after offering prayers at Vaishno Devi shrine during the past three days. Mr K.K. Gupta, Chief Executive Officer Patnitop Development Authority, said heavy snow in the area would prolong the winter tourist traffic to the resort. He said hotels and guest houses in the resort had registered full occupancy for the past five days. As the rush of tourists to Patnitop continues to swell transporters, whose taxis ply on Jammu-Katra route, have started package tours for the pilgrims. The pilgrims are taken, after offering prayers at Vaishno Devi shrine, from Katra to Patnitop even for one-day trips. The state government has already taken in hand the development of Patnitop under a master plan so that the resort could be projected as a major tourist attraction not only in the winter but also in the summer months. |
|
JKLF calls for bandh on Feb 11
Srinagar, February 5 Announcing this here today, Mr Malik said it would be observed as “eve’s day” to express solidarity with women allegedly molested by security personnel in Kashmir. “Peaceful protest demonstrations” would also be organised in Britain, the USA, Canada, Pakistan and Muzaffarabad in occupied Kashmir, the JKLF chief said. Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party chief Shabir Ahmad Shah has, meanwhile, suggested that February 11 be declared “martyrs day”. The JKLF has chosen 10-year-old Shabnam Rashid of Baderpayeen area in Handwara and 60-year-old Hakeem Jan of Saller-Pahalgam for this year’s Maqbool Bhat award, which carries Rs 50,000 in cash and a citation, Malik added.
— PTI |
|
Hizbul militant killed
Srinagar, February 5 Militants hurled a hand grenade at a security force bunker at Zainakadal in down town city this afternoon. However, it missed the intended target and exploded on the roadside injuring six persons. He said a Hizbul Mujahideen militant Humza Danyab was killed in an encounter with security forces at Nakkar Mohlla Mughlan in Rajouri district last night. The encounter ensued after a search party was attacked by the militant. One AK rifle and other arms and ammunition were recovered from the slain militant. Militants opened fire at Kali Kupri forest in Rajouri district last evening in which a person, identified as Koshal Kumar died on the spot. Two others, however, escaped unhurt in the firing. They had gone there to collect fire-wood, the spokesman said. Militants shot at and critically wounded Sheikh Mohammad Amin at Babapora in the city last evening. Mr Amin had recently contested the local body polls unsuccessfully as an independent candidate. Militants also shot at and wounded Abdul Hamiad Dar at Kakapora in South Kashmir district of Pulwama last evening. JAMMU:
An overground worker of Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) was arrested by security forces at Jagaal near Mendhar in Poonch district on Friday night. A Defence Ministry spokesman identified the arrested LeT sympathiser as Imitiaz, alias Pissu, of Saranda Mohalla, Jugaal. During his interrogation, Imtiaz told troops that he was a close associate of LeT area commander Dilawar Ikramah and had been working for him for sometime.
— UNI |
|
BSF officer booked
Srinagar, February 5 The case was registered against BSF Joint Assistant Director Anil Kumar for rash driving, assault on a government servant and causing injury. The officer of 16 battalion at Banpora camp lost his temper and allegedly beat up Sub-Inspector Ghulam Mohammad Bhat and constable (driver) Ali Mohammad Dar when they objected to his rash driving, the police said. Thereafter, he snatched the keys of the police vehicle and took it away with the help of his subalterns. The police vehicle, an SUV, was later recovered and an FIR lodged. The BSF in Srinagar claimed the issue has been amicably sorted out but the police maintained investigations were on.
— PTI |
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Mailbag | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
