Jammu, January 30
A local court has framed charges against four police personnel for the custodial death of a youth in Jammu city in 1997.

Additional Sessions Judge A.K. Koul yesterday framed charges against four police officials, ASI Gulzar Ahmed and constables Roshan Dutta, Harbans Lal and Pishori Lal, for their involvement in the custodial death case.

The court observed that prima facie material was suffice to frame the charges against the accused. At this stage a meticulous or roving inquiry cannot be conducted nor can the evidence on record be appreciated, it said.

In the detail order framing the charges against police officials, Mr Koul held the court had a limited exercise to conduct. The only thing to be ascertained was whether there was a ground for presuming that the youth committed the crime attributed to him or not.

There is no dispute to the extent that Rakesh Kumar was arrested on June 10, 1997, a case of theft was registered against him and he was shifted to Sainik Colony police post for sustained interrogation, the court said.

During interrogation he complained of chest pain and was moved to the District Hospital, Gandhi Nagar, where he died. The post-mortem report revealed that the deceased had multiple injuries almost all over his body.

The injuries were undoubtedly sustained while he was in police custody as various tests conducted on him showed that his vital parameters were functioning normally, the court observed. — PTI

Srinagar, January 30
Investigations into the missing of Abdul Rahman Paddar, a resident of south Kashmir, allegedly killed in fake encounter in Ganderbal area near here last month are on. DIG Police, Central Kashmir range, Farooq Ahmad has been overseeing the investigations.

The exhumation of the body for DNA test is expected on Friday, after forensic experts from the National Forensic Laboratory, Chandigarh arrive here on Thursday. As a precaution, grave of the person whose body is to be exhumed is being guarded by the police, sources here said.

It is alleged, Abdul Rahman Paddar, who came to Srinagar on December 8 last year, was killed in a fake encounter near Ganderbal the following day and identified as a foreign militant, buried at Batapora, Sumbal in north Kashmir.

Two police officers, including SSP, Ganderbal and Dy SP, (Operations), Ganderbal, have already been attached to the office of the Inspector-General of Police, Kashmir Range. Two others including an ASI and a constable have also been arrested in connection with the missing of Abdul Rahman Paddar.

Sources here said four more policemen of the SOG (Special Operations Group) and two other counter-insurgents have also been taken in custody. The SOG personnel arrested today, included head constables Mohammad Ashraf and Krishan Chand, and Constables, Shmeem Ahmad and Surinder Singh. The two counter-insurgents arrested were identified as Shabir Ahmad Bhat and Abdul Rashid Wagay. Wagay was found in the possession of the mobile telephone of the missing person.

Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad told the Assembly yesterday the government had taken action against police functionaries to facilitate fair investigation and give message to law-enforcing agencies that the government meant what it stated. He was replying to questions on missing, Abdul Rahman Paddar and others.

Mr Azad stated on December 14, 2006, a report was lodged at Batmaloo police station, Srinagar about missing of Abdul Rehman Paddar, of Larnoo, Anantnag, who according to the report was missing from December 8, 2006 from Srinagar. Upon this, a missing report was entered in the police station and investigation taken up, he said. The Chief Minister stated during the course of examination of family members of the missing person and other witnesses, it was revealed Abdul Rahman Paddar was in possession of a mobile telephone. This telephone was being used by one Abdul Rashid Wagay of Hajan Sonawari in Baramula district, to whom it had been given by ASI Farooq Ahmad Gudoo at present posted in SOG Ganderbal.

As the missing report was filed on January 23 in Batamaloo police station, here, ASI, Farooq Ahmed Gudoo and constable Farooq Ahmad Paddar of Larnoo Kokernag, currently posted in Srinagar district police lines, were arrested for their involvement in the case. To facilitate free investigation of the case, SSP Ganderbal, Hans Raj Parihar and Dy SP (Ops) Gandarbal, Bahadur Ram have been attached in the office of IGP, Kashmir Zone. The case has been entrusted to Mr. Farooq Ahmad, DIG Central Kashmir Range, Srinagar for investigation.

To a question from opposition members, the Chief Minister also gave details about the killing of youth Mohammad Yaqoob Mir of Srinagar. He said Abdul Aziz Mir, father of Mohammad Yaqoob of Abi Nowpora, Dalgate lodged a report in Maisuma police station on January 22. Stating therein on January 21, his son had proceeded to Budshah bridge Lal Chowk, Srinagar, where he was working as labourer and had not returned and continued to be missing. Inquiries established that the missing person was called by some unidentified person on January 21 while he was at working and thereafter was not seen. His body had been handed over to the police station by an Army unit, 52 RR, on which a case was registered in Maisuma police station, “and investigation of the case set in motion”.

The Chief Minister stated that other missing reports being probed include that of Nazir Ahmed Deka of Daksum Kokernag and Ghulam Nabi Wani from Larnoo, Kokernag at the Kothibagh police station, Srinagar, since February-March last year. Both these missing persons were working in Srinagar when they went missing, as the Srinagar missing since March 2, 2006. Missing report stands entered at Kothibagh police station, Srinagar.

Srinagar, January 30
A series of blasts left two persons, including a soldier, wounded, while the security forces averted a major tragedy and seized warlike stores in Jammu and Kashmir overnight, official sources said.

They said militants triggered a powerful improvised explosive device (IED) at Hayeena village crossing, targeting a security force patrol in Pulwama district. One soldier was injured in the blast, they said. Later, the security forces conducted search operations in the area. However, no one was arrested.

Umar Shafeeq Rather, a Class IX student was injured when an explosive device he was fiddling with exploded at Chakroo in Pulwama district. He was admitted to the Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences at Soura.

A security force patrol party averted a major tragedy when it detected and defused a live grenade at Bijbehara in Anantnag district today.

The security forces unearthed a hideout and seized a large cache of arms and ammunition, including two mortar bombs (60 mm), one AK rifle, one magazine, 10 cartridges, one PIKA rifle, one RPG, one self-loading rifle, one IED, one UBGL and one wireless set at Kokernag. However, no one was arrested.

The security forces busted another hideout at Marats in Rajouri district of Jammu region last night. — UNI

Jammu, January 30
In order to improve its performance on the recovery of power tariff arrears, the state government has issued a circular to the department heads and treasuries that the monthly salary for the month of Febuary, 2007, be not released in favour of those employees who do not produce no-objection certificates from the Power Development Department (PDD) certifying that the said employee had cleared the power arrears.

This exercise had been introduced last year also but there was no desired response from the employees. The result of mounting power arrears in the private and the public sectors had forced the government to go in for strict measures.

According to a government document, the state was able to realise about Rs 407 crore out of the target of Rs 600 crore.

The document has revealed that the power tariff arrears from the consumers and the government departments had shown an upward curve during the past two years. In 2004-05 the total power tariff arrears were to the tune of Rs 48 crore against over Rs 68 crore till the end of December, 2006.

It has revealed that the power tariff arrears with the government departments had gone up to Rs 1,138 crore till the end of December, 2006. Out of this the 11 wings of the PDD in the Jammu region had not cleared thes arrears to the tune of Rs 32 crore.

A senior PDD official said here today that since "we had not received any allocation for paying power tariff the arrears were bound to mount."

The arrears with private consumers were to the tune of Rs 381.23 crore against Rs 756.73 crore with the government departments till the end of December, 2006.

Srinagar, January 30
About 40 Shia mourners were arrested near here today when they violated a ban imposed on the Muharram processions by the authorities in the city since 1990.

Official sources said scores of Shia mourners assembled at the Regal Chowk despite the ban and tried to move towards the Maulana Azad road in a procession.

A large number of police personnel deployed in the area since early morning swung into action and stopped them. However, when they refused to disperse, the police resorted to baton charge. Later, about 20 mourners were arrested.

The mourners again reassembled at the Maulana Azad road near the Congress Headquarters. When they tried to move towards Abi Guzar, more than 20 mourners were arrested.

The police had also sealed entire Abi Guzar and the main road from the Regal Chowk to Bisco School was closed since early morning to prevent mourners from reaching the Abi Guzar mosque.

The Shia mourners used to take out Muharram procession from Abi Guzar to Zadibal Imambara after marching through the old city before 1990.

The state government had banned the Muharram processions in the city since 1990, following the eruption of militancy. — UNI

Jammu, January 30
The Jammu and Kashmir Government has decided to introduce CNG-powered public transport system due to ever increasing air pollution. The Chief Minister, Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad, will shortly meet the Defence Minister, Mr A.R. Antulay, to get a nod from his ministry for laying a CNG pipeline between Noida and Jammu.

The High Court had recently directed the state government to open CNG filling stations so that the air pollution could be checked.

A recent study conducted by the pollution control board indicated that the air pollution in the city was far beyond the permissible limits. The state government might first introduce CNG in the Jammu city. A large number of factories have come up in and around the town and were becoming a major source of air pollution. Yet, the board has failed to implement the rules and regulations to keep a check on air pollution.

Mr Hakim Yaseen, Transport Minister, said the Chief Secretary, Mr C.Phunsog, had been authorized by the government to take up the issue of constructing CNG stations with the help of the Petroleum Ministry. He said Mr Azad had already held two rounds of meetings in this regard.

The High Court had recently ordered the state government to put a ban on plying of commercial vehicles that were registered 25 years ago. However, due to the transporters’ agitation the move has been put in abeyance.

Jammu, January 30
The Jammu and Kashmir Government has suspended four employees of the Forest Department on the charge of smuggling timber in their official vehicle in the Ganderbal belt of Srinagar district.

The accused employees, who were caught by the Forest Protection Force with the help of public, were identified as forester Aijaz Nagoo, forest guards Ghulam Ahmed Batkoo and Ismail Khatana, and helper G.N. Najar, Forest and Housing Minister Qazi Mohmmad Afzal said here. He said the suspension orders were part of the state government’s ongoing drive against smuggling of timber and other forestry crimes. “We are getting tremendous help of the public at large in checking forestry crimes across the state”, he said.

The drive against the smuggling of timber has been strengthened in the last three months and the Forest Department has been successful in busting gangs involved in the smuggling of timber. — TNS