Jammu, October 6
The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) is concerned about the increase in HIV positive cases in the force and is taking steps to educate its men about the disease and providing all units with HIV testing kits.

“The increase in the number of HIV positive cases in the CRPF is a matter of concern which has been discussed at the higher level and we have supplied HIV testing kits to all units of the CRPF.” inspector-general of the CRPF Jammu, J.C. Dabas told The Tribune.

He added, “Testing for HIV has not been made compulsory for everyone in the CRPF and though being voluntary in nature more and more of our men are coming forward for the test.”

The CRPF is hopeful that soon the spread of the disease will be controlled and measures taken to stop it from spreading .

“If the virus is detected at an early stage, we can prevent it from spreading and treatment of the person can be started soon,” he said.

The CRPF is also concerned about the growing stress level and increased suicidal tendencies among CRPF personnel working in insurgency-hit areas.

“Stress level is higher amongst the troops deployed in insurgency-hit areas like, J&K and other Left wing extremism-hit areas, but a study done at the Centre level proved suicidal tendencies in jawans mostly arose due to family-related problems and no due to work ” said Dabas.

Medicalsuperintendent of composite hospital Jammu, the hospital providing referral medical facilities to all paramilitary forces in the state Dr S. K. Das said, “It has been proved stress is not the only reason. A majority of suicides occur after soldiers return from leave.”

The CRPF has taken various steps to de-stress the soldiers and officers. “We, in collaboration with the Art of Living, hold de-stressing classes and regular yoga classes are held to de-stress the jawans,” said Dr Das.

To de-stress the soldiers, regular counselling sessions by CRPF psychiatrists are being held and the CRPF has also liberalised procedures to send men on leave.

“If my men need to go on leave four times a year, we, after making sure the reason given is genuine, allow him to proceed on leave,” said Dabas.

To educate the officers of the force, the CRPF is holding medical officers’ conference of Jammu and Kashmir to discuss important health problems like stress management, hypertension, diabetes, heart attacks and HIV AIDS.

“The main aim of this conference is to control increase in HIV and AIDS cases among CRPF jawans,” said Dabas.

Srinagar, October 6
Senior PDP leader Qazi Mohammad Afzal, who has been relieved of the forest ministry charge, continues to hold the Cabinet portfolio of housing and urban development, an official spokesman clarified here yesterday.

This follows a government order on Wednesday saying “the charge of Housing and Urban Development has been assigned to minister of state for forest Aijaz Ahmad Khan in addition to his own portfolio.” It added that Khan would look after the government business related to housing and urban development.

The official spokesman here yesterday said, “The manner in which a section of the media reported assigning of Housing and Urban Development Department to Aijaz in addition to other charges held by him as minister of state has created an impression that the charge of Housing and Urban Development Department held by Qazi Mohammad Afzal as a Cabinet minister has been given to Aijaz, which is not correct.”

He said the factual position was that Afzal continued to hold the Cabinet portfolio of Housing and Urban Development Department. The spokesman said most of the departments of the state government had a minister of state in addition to the Cabinet minister. Since there was no minister of state for housing and urban development, this additional charge was entrusted to Khan, he added. 

Srinagar, October 6
It's a murder mystery in which the body of the victim has risen from the cold waters of Pakistan to haunt suspects, including an Army personnel and a woman, believed to be in the centre of this suspected love triangle. It has tied the police in knots.

When Mujaburr Rehman (31), a teacher in Army Goodwill School in Dras in Kargil district, went missing on August 13 last year, the police took it just another missing report despite pleadings of his family that there was more to it than met the eye.

His elder brother Tasneem Abbas says they told cops about Rehman's apprehensions to them that he could be harmed as the school principal, a JCO of the Army, often troubled him on some pretext or the other.

He says his brother, a mathematics and English teacher, was friendly with a woman colleague, which the principal did not like.

But the police, he alleges, took no effective measures except registering an abduction case later. "It involved a school-run by the Army and, more importantly, an Army official and his colleagues.

And it was apparently too much for the cops," he told The Tribune.

And when it all seemed a forgotten case in police files, a post in Pakistan, which is at a stone's throw from Dras, informed cops this side on September 23 this year they had recovered a body from the Dras river, which flows through
both countries.

The officials at Handerban post in Pakistan showed exigency as they suspected some foul play. And the family members of Rehman took no time in identifying the body due to the presence of some prominent marks even though as it was decomposed.

Kargil SSP Garib Dass said a case of murder was registered after the family recognised the body. Rehman might have been killed under some conspiracy, but they could not register a case of murder without finding the body, he added.

But victim's family, which hails from Dehra Dun in Uttarakhand, said it was not the police but providence which had helped them as the body surfaced after more
than a year.

The body had a rope tied around the chest and marks on wrists hinting the hands were also tied. His head also bore hit marks, the doctors said. In her statements to the police, the woman denied having anything to do with the case, and the principal, who had lodged the missing report, has also expressed ignorance .

Police sources said they had strong ground to interrogate the principal, since transferred out of the state, but will take some time to move against him. The police has also written to the Army authorities on the matter.

They also confirmed the family's apprehensions the most probable motive behind the murder was the woman's relations with two men, including the victim.

The cops said they were waiting for DNA report of the body before they press ahead against the accused. A wait that is getting longer for the family.

Rajouri, October 6
Two Army officers were injured when they stepped on a landmine near Line of Control (LoC) in Krishna Ghati of Mendhar sector in Poonch district.

Defence spokesperson Lt Col S.D.Goswami said Lt Col S.S.Danu and Major R.K.Chauhan who were on separate operations to forward posts in the Krishna Ghati area of Mendhar sector in Poonch district received injuries in legs when they stepped on mine on Friday. "Lt Colonel Danu was on a mission in the morning when he stepped on a mine. His right leg was blown off due to the blast. He has been shifted to the Command Hospital,Udhampur, where he is undergoing treatment", the spokesperson said. "The left leg of Major Chauhan was blown away after he stepped on a mine during a bona fide mission at a forward post in same sector. The officer is undergoing treatment in hospital at Rajouri". 

Rajouri, October 6
One student was killed and 22 others were injured, three of them seriously, when the bus carrying the students skidded off road and crashed into the fields in the Siot area of Nowshera here this afternoon.

Eyewitness said that 23 students of government higher secondary school Lamberi were on their way back from Vaishno Devi, when the driver of the bus (JK-11-2115) lost control of the vehicle while overtaking a vehicle.

The killed student was identified as Shakeel Ahmed of Dharamshal.

The critically injured students Shoket Bali, son of Yashpal, Vishal Soodan, son of Jagdish Raj, and Sunil Kumar, son of Ved Prakash of Dandeshwar, have been shifted to Government Medical College and Hospital, Jammu, whereas the other injured students have been admitted to Sunderbani sub-district hospital.

Meanwhile, the police has lodged an FIR in the matter and started search operation to arrest the driver and conductor of the bus who have absconded. 

Jammu, October 6
Various Sikh organisations in Jammu and Kashmir today under the banner of the Bhai Kanhaiya Jee Nishkam Seva Society appealed to Sikhs of the state to take part in Amrit Sanchar samagam (Sikh Baptism ceremony) on October 13.

At a press conference S.S. Wazir, former president, J&K Gurdwara Parbandhak Board, said, “The Jathedars (head priests) of all five Takhts (seats) had decided to come to Jammu for the purpose.” “The jathedars sahibans appreciated the overwhelming response of the Sikhs last time when they came for the same purpose.”

According to Wazir, last time the samagam was held on June 10 this year when more than 30,000 persons took part in the Amrit Sanchar.

“We could administer amrit to only 15,000 people. Now it will be held on October 13.”