J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

Police adopts three children
orphaned by snow tragedy
Srinagar, March 1
The Jammu and Kashmir police today adopted three children, a boy and two girls, orphaned due to the snow tragedy in the Waltengoo area of Anantnag district, while the security forces and various non-government organisations continue to extend their relief and rescue operations.

Rescue teams not fully equipped
Waltengoo Naar (Qazigund), March 1
Though the government has launched rescue and relief operations in this area hit by the “snow tsunami”, lack of equipment with agencies led to delay in recovering dozens of others, still missing or buried, even after about 10 days of the tragedy.

Search for 3 missing Finnish
tourists launched
Srinagar, March 1
The Army and the Jammu and Kashmir police have launched a joint operation to trace three Finnish tourists missing since February 26 from the snow-capped areas of Gulmarg, official sources said today.

2 jawans, militant killed in gunbattle
Srinagar, March 1
Two security men and a militant were killed and four others, including a Congress activist, injured as militants engaged the security forces in fierce gunbattles and set ablaze a house in Jammu and Kashmir since last night, official sources said today.

Race for Mayor’s post hots up
Jammu, March 1
All 71 elected councillors of the Jammu Municipal Corporation were administered the oath today, but the issue of selection of the first-ever Mayor has got complicated with the independents staking their claim over the post.

Course on cyber crime launched
Jammu, March 1
With cyber crime crossing international boundaries and the Indian police lacking training and skills in investigating such cases, the Indian Society of Criminology has launched a course to equip the police and private investigators with techniques and knowledge in this regard.

Police adopts three children orphaned by snow tragedy
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, March 1
The Jammu and Kashmir police today adopted three children, a boy and two girls, orphaned due to the snow tragedy in the Waltengoo area of Anantnag district, while the security forces and various non-government organisations continue to extend their relief and rescue operations.

A decision to adopt three orphaned children was announced by the ADG, Mr Kuldeep Khuda, who visited the relief camps at YK Pora and snow-affected villages in Waltengoo area today. The police has already contributed Rs 1 crore to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund for the snow-affected people of South Kashmir.

All the expenses on the accommodation and education of the three adopted children would be borne by the police, officials confirmed. The children are 16-year-old boy, Showkat Ahmad of Nageenpora Naar, Sakeena (22) and Noor Jehan (9) of Waltengoo Naar.

The CRPF, soon after the snow tragedy hit various parts of the valley, swung into action to help the local population in and around the camping sites. Free medical services were provided to the needy persons and in some cases civilians were evacuated in CRPF vehicles to nearby hospitals, a spokesman said. Snow from lanes and bylanes was also cleared, he added.

According to the DIG, CRPF, Mr Sat Saroop Singh, so far 70 villagers have been evacuated to safer places. “The CRPF is concentrating on restoration of the communication network in the far-flung areas and medical assistance to the sick personnel which will continue till the situation improves”, he added.

The DIG said: “Our jawans carried ration for the people in the Verinag area of Anantnag district on foot and distributed it free of cost.” He said that a medical team of four specialised doctors from Delhi was rushed to provide medicare to the needy that was still continuing. So far over 3,000 civilians had been provided with free medical care.

The Inspector-General of BSF, Mr J.B. Negi, who visited the affected areas of Kokernag today to take stock of the relief operations, said that 300 troops deployed in the area had cleared 38 km of roads in the area of snow. He said that snow clearance on these roads in Kulgam, Larnu, Nilu, Parivan, Noham, DH Pora and Battipora facilitated vehicular movement for carrying relief items. The BSF had so far distributed 180 kg of atta, 140 kg of rice, 340 food packets, while about 1,500 people were provided with medical aid.

AirTel, the only private mobile services in the state, has provided five mobile handsets with free talk time of 45 days to the needy in the snow-affected areas of Anantnag district.

MH United for the Needy, based in Anantnag, has distributed blankets and utensils worth Rs 70,000 among the affected families at their relief camps yesterday.

Rescue teams not fully equipped
Tribune News Service

Waltengoo Naar (Qazigund), March 1
Though the government has launched rescue and relief operations in this area hit by the “snow tsunami”, lack of equipment with agencies led to delay in recovering dozens of others, still missing or buried, even after about 10 days of the tragedy. The snow at the fag-end of the winter, killed many living on the slopes along Naar (brook) under foothills of a steep high mountain, across Shaitani nullah on the Srinagar-Jammu highway.

One company of the ITBP, was pressed into service for rescue operations in the nearby Pachgam area today. This is one of the four companies of the ITBP, who were airlifted from Delhi on Saturday for rescue operations in the snow-affected areas of the valley. This will be assist the police and IRP battalions.

“We are not fully equipped to search those still under the snow,” said Bashir Ahmad, Inspector, heading the company of the 3rd Battalion of IRP (India Reserve Police).

The two companies had been on the job for the past three days, which had been able to recover several bodies and valuables buried under the debris of houses and Kothars under snow. The IRP jawans were equipped only with rods and spades, “insufficient to undertake such a task”, said official. Sniffer dogs and other equipment were required to undertake rescue operations. So far 148 dead bodies have been recovered from here and two adjacent villages, Nageenpora Naar and Pachgam, while the number of missing is yet to be ascertained.

Search for 3 missing Finnish tourists launched

Srinagar, March 1
The Army and the Jammu and Kashmir police have launched a joint operation to trace three Finnish tourists missing since February 26 from the snow-capped areas of Gulmarg, official sources said today.

The sources said the three tourists — Micco, Temu and Stev — had gone for trekking to Sunshine Peak in Gulmarg on February 26. “Since then the three, who were in Gulmarg from February 13, did not contact the hotel,” they added.

Due to a heavy snowfall there were apprehension of avalanches in the area, they added. “The tourists are professional trekkers and had enough food and fuel for about 10 days,” the sources said. The tourists went for trekking without a local guide the sources stated. — UNI

2 jawans, militant killed in gunbattle

Srinagar, March 1
Two security men and a militant were killed and four others, including a Congress activist, injured as militants engaged the security forces in fierce gunbattles and set ablaze a house in Jammu and Kashmir since last night, official sources said today.

Acting on a specific information, troops of Rashtriya Rifles raided Matribugh village, near Shopian, 75 km from here, in Pulwama district yesterday, but came under fire from militants hiding in some houses, the sources said.

They said three jawans were injured in the gunbattle which continued intermittently throughout the night. After a brief lull this morning, the troops advanced again towards the targeted houses to carry out searches but were fired upon by militants and in the ensuing encounter two jawans were killed, the sources said. The area was under cordon and further details of the operation were awaited. Hizbul Mujahideen claimed that its militants were engaged in the encounter.

Claiming heavy casualties on the security forces, the spokesman of the outfit told local news agencies that two Army officers were taken hostage by the militants during the encounter and were later killed.

The spokesman further claimed that the service weapons of the deceased were taken away by the militants.

In another encounter, a police spokesman said the security forces shot dead a Lashker-e-Toiba militant at Dhernia village in the Marwah area of Doda district. An AK assault rifle, two magazines, 23 cartridges and two hand grenades were seized from the slain militant.

A Congress activist, Bashir Ahmad Bhat, was shot at by militants when he was returning to his Mohalla Mir Sahib residence in old Baramula town in north Kashmir after offering prayers at a local mosque last night, the spokesman said. He said Bhat suffered a bullet injury and was rushed to bone and joint hospital here. His condition was stated to be stable. — PTI

Race for Mayor’s post hots up
S.P. Sharma
Tribune News Service

Jammu, March 1
All 71 elected councillors of the Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) were administered the oath today, but the issue of selection of the first-ever Mayor has got complicated with the independents staking their claim over the post.

With a hung JMC, the independents have become crucial for the Congress and the BJP.

Mrs Rani Beloria of the Congress, who is the wife of Chief Secretary S.S. Beloria, and an independent, Mr Bansi Lal, are the front runners for the post of Mayor. However, the scales are tilted in favour of the Congress that is a partner in the coalition government.

The Deputy Chief Minister, Mr Mangat Ram Sharma, the PCC chief, Peerzada Sayeed, and several senior Congress leaders held a meeting with the councillors of the party and independents here on Sunday to bring in a consensus on the issue. However, nothing positive appears to have come and the PCC chief has now rushed to Delhi.

Under the law, the mayor has to be elected within one month the deadline of which expires on March 7.

Mr Raman Bhalla, a minister, was playing his own cards and recently took some independents to Delhi where he arranged their meeting with Ms Sonia Gandhi. It is learnt that he was pleading the case of an independent for the post. But Mr Peerzada and Mr Sharma were reportedly backing Mrs Beloria.

In the House of 71, the Congress secured 27 seats, whereas the BJP got 25. Two councillors of the PDP were supporting the Congress and with the support of 8 independents, it was in a position to control the JMC. On the other side, the National Conference, with seven councillors, has so far not openly come in support of the BJP.

However, the BJP was also trying to woo the independents and the local Mahajan Sabha, over which the BJP has considerable influence, recently organised a function here to honour the councillors belonging to the community.

This was for the first time that the elections for the JMC have been held. The BJP had always controlled the council and this is for the first time that the Congress has come in a position to control the civic body and it is not in a mood to let the opportunity go out of its hands.

Meanwhile, speaking at the oath-taking ceremony of the councillors here today, the Chief Minister, Mufti Sayeed, said the state government would extend every help to the councillors to discharge their duties.

He said besides sizeable allocations from the normal budget, the government would allocate 10 per cent of sales tax and toll tax to the civic bodies.

The Deputy Chief Minister was also present on the occasion.

Course on cyber crime launched
Sanjay Sharma
Tribune News Service

Jammu, March 1
With cyber crime crossing international boundaries and the Indian police lacking training and skills in investigating such cases, the Indian Society of Criminology (ISC) has launched a course to equip the police and private investigators with techniques and knowledge in this regard.

Syllabus of the course was released at 28th National Criminology Conference held by the ISC at Jammu.

The conference concluded its three-day deliberations on February 18. The course was unveiled by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Chairman, Dr Justice A.S. Anand.

The secretary of the society Mr R. Thilakraj, told The Tribune when cyber crime cases were handed over for investigation, the police officers concerned and even other experts had failed to cooperate.

Mr Thilakraj said that this happens because there were no proper courses available in the country for training police and other investigators in dealing with cyber crime.

He said the course provide extensive knowledge about information security and cyber forensics. Mr Thilakraj said the course fee has been fixed at a very reasonable amount of Rs 10,000 against an available course which costs a person Rs 37,000. The course has been designed in collaboration with Valiant SANSBOUND, a leader in the field in Asia.

The course has been named Penetration Tester and is the first national level vendor neutral certification with elevation to the expert level.

The course has been endorsed by the Centre for Information Security Education and Research, United Kingdom.

Mr Thilakraj said that the course would prepare certified penetration testers with information security ethics.

To maintain a standard, the certification has been delinked from the training process. The certification will be done by the ISC.

This course uses the skills and tools of a hacker, but with a positive mandate.

The certified penetration testing labs have been set up in Mumbai and Chennai where the students of this course will carry out penetration of a network and evolve techniques of securing information systems.