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Protesters clash with police, 27 hurt
Several hurt in grenade blasts
Govt shuts eyes on migrant exodus
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Migrants reject admn proposals
Wild animal scare in Rajouri, Poonch
2 tourists die in glacier
2 SPOs held for rape
Army foils infiltration bid
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Protesters clash with police, 27 hurt
Srinagar, August 3 Eyewitnesses said the protesters pelted the police with stones and vandalised vehicles. Several police personnel were injured. Pitch battles between the demonstrators and the police continued for about three hours, leading to a shutdown in the area. Shops and business establishments in several uptown localities were closed in response to a bandh call given by the Peoples Political Party, headed by Hilal Ahmad War. The call was given in protest against the rape and murder of a minor girl in the Handwara area of north Kashmir, in which four persons, including two locals and as many migrant labourers, were allegedly involved. Meanwhile,protest demonstrations against the alleged molestation of a woman in the Haigam area along the Srinagar-Baramulla highway continued for the second consecutive day today resulting in injuries to at least 24 persons, including 10 police personnel. The demonstrators blocked traffic on the vital Srinagar-Baramulla road urging the authorities to take measures for an end to harassment and molestation attempts at the hands of security personnel. The civil officers present on the occasion assured that investigations into the incident would be made. However, at least 24 persons, including 10 police personnel, were injured in the clashes between the agitating villagers and the police trying to quell the demonstrators and restore traffic on the highway. The Defence spokesman, Lt Col A. K. Mathur here said there was no truth in the allegations of molestation of the woman at Trumbgund in Haigam area, adding that no person from the Army had even spoken to the woman.
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Several hurt in grenade blasts
Udhampur, August 3 Militants targeted a police party moving from Banihal town around 5 pm. However, the grenade, lobbed by them, missed the target and exploded on the road side. A senior police officer said at least 18 persons were injured in the explosion, which also smashed windowpanes of some passing by vehicles. Meanwhile, some unidentified persons exploded a grenade near Jamai Masjid of Banihal where large number of people were present. Thirteen injured persons were shifted to Srinagar Hospital while the remaining victims were taken to Banihal Hospital. Some suspects have been apprehended. |
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Govt shuts eyes on migrant exodus
Srinagar, August 3 Mohammad Asif (17), who worked in a hotel in Kupwara district, was among those who stayed put even as many of his acquaintances had left in the past few days. Today, he, too, decided enough was enough. “My employer and some locals were sympathetic to me. Then I decided against moving. But, I found circumstances no longer convivial and there were always some who said we could be targeted”, he told The Tribune as he and some others from his home state of West Bengal waited here for a bus to Jammu. Travel operators said migrants, numbering in thousands, have left the valley since hardliner Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Gilani asked locals to “see outsiders off in a dignified manner”. Militant organisation Hizbul Mujahiddin seconded his opinion and went a step further warning them with dire consequences if they not left the valley. Though Gilani later softened his stand, saying that he wanted only criminals among outsiders to leave, the atmosphere of fear refused to subside. Locals are against outsiders leaving the valley as they have been a source of cheap and skilled labour for years, as for senior bureaucrats in the secretariat. “The past few days have only strengthened those who practice the politics of narrow-mindedness and a blow to democratic machinery in the state”, a senior officer said. However, a significant number of migrants in cities like Srinagar have decided against moving with locals’ supporting them. Migrant labourers have often been at the receiving end of extremists’ fire as they have faced allegations of bringing in “bad” practices like drinking and gambling. The rape and murder of a minor girl in Langate 10 days ago only worsened the matters for them when two of the four accused were outsiders.
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Migrants reject admn proposals
Udhampur, August 3 The migrants of
Tawara, who had started their march towards Jammu on Thursday, announced to stage a dharna in the Union Capital. Earlier in the morning, the divisional commissioner reached the village, where migrants were halting, and announced to accept their demands. The divisional commissioner announced to give them cash and other relief on a par with border migrants. But, the agitators rejected the proposals. Leader of the migrant action committee Balwan Singh alleged that the authorities concerned had been trying to befool them. |
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Wild animal scare in
Rajouri, Poonch
Rajouri, August 3 There have been around six attacks on people by wild animals in these districts in the past fortnight. More than 12 persons (mostly children) have been seriously injured in the attacks whereas a girl child was killed by a leopard. The wildlife staff in the districts comprise 20 personnel, 18 from the social forestry department and two from the wild life department. On July 27, a leopard killed a four-year-old girl at Ghambir Muglan village and fed on her body in front of hapless members of her family. “My daughter Razia Kouser was playing outside when a wild animal, most probably a leopard, attacked her. It fed on her body in front of our eyes. We could only manage to recover some of her bones from the adjoining fields”, said Muhammad Zubair, father of the victim. “The wildlife department has no presence here. Our children are falling easy prey to the wild animals.” During the past fortnight, wild animals have attacked people in Bhattian, Planger in Thanamandi tehsils and in some villages of the Budhal area.Four children at Bhattian village and two in Plangerh village of the Thanamandi area were attacked by leopard. Earlier, a woman was injured by a bear in Peeri village of the Budhal area last month. A bear killed a resident in Sawajian village last week. “There have been innumerable instances of bear attacks in the Loran Mandi area here over the past few years, killing dozens of people”, said Muhammad Akram Khan, a retired forest officer, from Poonch. Regional wildlife warden, Jammu province, Naseer Ahmed Kitchloo admitted that there was a shortage of wildlife staff in Rajouri and Poonch. However, senior officers of the police and forest department, said their departments didn’t have much technical knowhow about dealing with the cases.
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2 tourists die in glacier
Srinagar, August 3 Those dead belonged to Jammu and have been identified as Himesh Arora, son of Ashok Arora, resident of Talab Tillo, Jammu, and Tarun Kapoor, son of Narinder Kapoor, resident of Channi, Jammu. Those rescued included Nitish Goel, son of Gauri Shanker, resident of New Delhi, Nawal Kishore, son of Nitish Kumar Gupta, resident of New Delhi, and Neha Sarin, wife of Rahul Sarin, resident of Goni Khan, Srinagar. The rescue operation is on and the police is trying to find if there are any more causalities or survivors. |
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2 SPOs held for rape
Udhampur, August 3 The incident occurred near Gool Hospital where the victim had reportedly gone to inquire after her relative. Although police officials are tight-lipped over the incident, the SPOs, Bansi Lal and Bhim Singh, have been arrested for committing the heinous crime.
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Army foils infiltration bid
Rajouri, August 3 A defence spokesman said troops of 24 Rajput, 39 Mountain Division, foiled a major infiltration attempt in Poonch sector. In the crossfire two militants were killed. “Two AK rifles, six hand-grenades, one UBGL launcher, five grenades, were seized”, he said.
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