J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

Disclose names of persons involved
in sex scandal: BJP
Jammu, May 7
With the BJP asking the Jammu and Kashmir Government to disclose the names of the ministers, politicians and senior officers involved in the Srinagar sex scandal, voices of protest over the incident have started being raised here. The BJP has extended its support to the agitation in Srinagar.

Editorial: Punish the guilty

Top Hizb commander killed
Srinagar, May 7
The Army claimed a major achievement and dealt a severe blow to the pro-Pakistan Hizbul Mujahideen by killing the outfit’s top commander, believed to have masterminded several car bomb explosions, in South Kashmir today.

A Kashmiri woman relative cries beside the body of Mushtaq Bhat, a rebel commander, during his funeral in Tral, 45 km south of Srinagar, on Sunday. — Reuters photo

Hike ex gratia for terrorist victims: NC
Jammu, May 7
The National Conference today demanded that the state government should increase ex gratia for the victims of terrorism-related incidents to Rs 2 lakh from Rs 1 lakh.

Centre undecided on advanced weapons for VDCs
Jammu, May 7
On the suggestion of the state authorities, the Government of India has kept in abeyance the issue of equipping members of the village defence committees with sophisticated weapons.

Govt officers, staff booked for fraud
Jammu, May 7
The crime branch of the police yesterday registered a case against various
Rajouri-based officials of the Consumer Affairs Department for allegedly embezzling food grains worth over Rs 1 crore that were meant for below the poverty line families.

Disclose names of persons involved
in sex scandal: BJP
Tribune News Service

Jammu, May 7
With the BJP asking the Jammu and Kashmir Government to disclose the names of the ministers, politicians and senior officers involved in the Srinagar sex scandal, voices of protest over the incident have started being raised here. The BJP has extended its support to the agitation in Srinagar.

Janata Dal activists held a procession and burnt the effigy of the government. The Shiv Sena is also gearing up to launch a protest.

The state BJP president, Dr Nirmal Singh, today demanded that the government should first disclose the names of those involved in the sex scandal and then order a judicial inquiry by a sitting judge of the Supreme Court into the whole affair.

He demanded that the recent sex scandal of Jammu that had been hushed up by the police should also be handed over to the inquiry commission.

Dr Nirmal Singh criticised the state government for becoming a mute spectator to the violent protests in Srinagar and not disclosing the names of those involved.

The BJP was entirely in accord with those in Kashmir who had taken to the streets and held massive demonstrations against those involved in the heinous crime and those in the government who were shielding them, he said.

He said the resignation of Justice R.P. Sethi, Chairman, Accountability Commission, had vindicated the BJP's stand that the Congress-led coalition government was never committed to eradicating corruption at the political and bureaucratic levels.

The BJP was of the considered view that ministers, bureaucrats and other corrupt elements would never allow the commission to function and take action against those involved in corruption.

Dr Nirmal Singh alleged that the way the Chief Minister, Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad, sided with corrupt elements within and outside the government to clip the wings of the commission was a clear indication that the slogan of providing a corruption-free administration was hollow.

Top Hizb commander killed

Srinagar, May 7
The Army claimed a major achievement and dealt a severe blow to the pro-Pakistan Hizbul Mujahideen by killing the outfit’s top commander, believed to have masterminded several car bomb explosions, in South Kashmir today.

A defence spokesman said the troops killed the Hizb district commander for Anantnag, Mushtaq Ahmed Bhat, alias Gowhar, a resident of Kavil, Shikargarh in Tral, in an ambush in the Nooripora area of Pulwama district early today.

One AK-56 rifle along with magazines and ammunition was seized from the slain militant commander, he added.

He said Gowhar, a hardcore and most-wanted militant of South Kashmir, had been active since 1993.

He had undergone extensive training in arms and making of improvised explosive devices in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), the spokesman added.

He said Gowhar had been the mastermind of all the car bomb blasts in the Kashmir valley since 2004 which resulted in a large number of casualties to both the security forces and the civilians.

“He has been involved in the killing of civilians in the Tral and Anantnag areas to ensure the writ of Hizbul Mujahideen. Beheading of a Gujjar couple in northern part of Tral in 2004 was his handiwork,’’ the spokesman claimed.

He said 35-year-old Gowhar, with radio set code Aijaz, was the overall coordinator of the outfit.

Gowhar was appointed the Hizb district commander after Shabir Bhadoori was killed by the Army in 2005, he added.

The spokesman said troops, on specific information, laid a multiple ambush at Noorpora in Tral early today.

When asked to surrender, the militants opened fire. The fire was effectively returned and in the fierce gunfight, Gowhar was killed. — UNI

Hike ex gratia for terrorist victims: NC
Tribune News Service

Jammu, May 7
The National Conference (NC) today demanded that the state government should increase ex gratia for the victims of terrorism-related incidents to Rs 2 lakh from Rs 1 lakh. It also demanded that six months free ration should be provided to next of kin of the 32 massacred Hindus in Kulhand and Basantgarh villages.

These demands were made by the NC zonal president, Mr Ajay Sadhotra, after receiving the report of two teams that visited the villages where the massacre occurred.

He said a sense of insecurity was prevailing in affected areas and steps should be taken to restore confidence among the people.

Centre undecided on advanced weapons for VDCs
M.L. Kak

Jammu, May 7
On the suggestion of the state authorities, the Government of India has kept in abeyance the issue of equipping members of the village defence committees (VDCs) with sophisticated weapons. Instead, the Centre will sanction funds for providing some incentives to the VDC members.

The matter was discussed between the senior state functionaries and Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil during his recent visit to Jammu.

Informed sources said here yesterday that the state authorities explained to Mr Patil that equipping the VDC members with sophisticated rifles was a double-edged weapon because some of the members of the committees had misused even the .303 guns for extorting money or for settling personal scores.

The state government has fears that with latest weapons in their hands, the VDC members could create bigger problems when a majority of these members in Doda district belonged to one community.

In the past, the VDC members used to be given five bullets and replenish the stock with bullets after the first quota was consumed in countering militancy. Now the government has decided to provide 50 bullets at a time to each VDC member.

The government has decided to adopt wait and watch policy as far as providing sophisticated weapons to the VDC members was concerned. However, the Central Government has assured the state authorities that monthly emoluments would be sanctioned in favour of each VDC, and there are at present 9,000 VDCs in Doda district and another 6,000-8,000 in Poonch, Rajouri, Kathua and Udhampur districts.

Hitherto a majority of the VDC members rendered voluntary services and many among them lost interest when they found that for their valuable services, they would not receive any financial assistance.

After VDCs were headed by special police officers they would get pittance as share from Rs1500, which each SPO would receive per month.

During the security review undertaken by the state and central teams soon after the recent massacres of 32 Hindus in Kulhand village in Doda and Basantgarh area in Udhampur, the government was told by the experts that strengthening the VDCs was the most suitable way of fighting militants in remote and hilly villages. It was on this suggestion that a 30-member VDC has been constituted in Kulhand village. The government also has plans of engaging VDC members as field sources for various intelligence agencies.

Govt officers, staff booked for fraud
Tribune News Service

Jammu, May 7
The crime branch of the police yesterday registered a case against various Rajouri-based officials of the Consumer Affairs Department for allegedly embezzling food grains worth over Rs 1 crore that were meant for below the poverty line families.

These officers and their subordinate staff allegedly did not make entry of the supplies of food grains they received from the Food Corporation of India and other stores.

The irregularities came to notice during an audit of the stock of food grains in the district.

The Secretary, Consumer Affairs Department, had asked the crime branch to proceed in the matter.

Involvement of certain senior officers of the department in the scandal is being investigated.