Udhampur, April 1
In a broad day light incident, two police constables were shot dead at busy Dhar Road in Udhampur town this afternoon.

Although the police authorities have maintained a guarded silence over these cold-blooded murders, it is widely alleged that two constables were shot dead by a land mafia with the help of another policeman.

The killer allegedly involved in the killing of his two companions, was reportedly operating as an agent of the land mafia active in Udhampur and adjoining localities.

Sources, while quoting doctors, who conducted postmortem of the deceased, disclosed 9 mm revolver was used in firing, which established involvement of a policeman in the incident as this weapon is issued only to the cops.

“It is too early to say anything about involvement of a policeman in the gruesome killing of two constables. We are looking into all angles to get a lead in this sensational incident,” additional superintendent of police (ASP), Udhampur, Anil Mangotra told The Tribune.

The ASP, however, said the car used by killer bearing registration number 8786-JK02A, has been recovered this evening by the police.

At about 12.30 this afternoon, killers, traveling in a black Santro, resorted to indiscriminate firing on a blue Maruti car, bearing registration number 8752-JK14-A, coming from the opposite direction in front of Hari Travels near Krishana Palace at Dhar Road.

After firing discriminately with revolver, the accused fled away from the scene leaving inmates of the car in pool of blood.

Tension flared up in the town after the firing at ever-busy road. Some youth rushed to the spot to rescue inmates in the car. Constable Arun Kumar, resident of Shiv Nagar Udhampur, who was driving the car, died on the spot while as another constable Deepak Kumar of Jammu, succumbed on his injuries on his way to the hospital. Arun Kumar was deployed in District Police Lines (DPL) Udhampur while as Deepak Kumar was deployed at Bhawan of Mata Vaishno Devi and both were close friends.

According to eye witnessing, the accused had parked their black Santro in front of the Krishna Palace and were waiting for the two constables to pass through that area.

As soon as the car arrived near his vehicle, the accused fired at the inmates from a distance of just one metre. Both the deceased received bullets on their chests.

Later this evening, the police recovered the black Santro used by the accused in the incident near Udhampur.

Locals alleged that constable involved in the killing of his two companions was a blue-eyed boy of some senior police officer. Although he is appointed at Jammu, most of time he was found at Udhampur. The accused is also operating as agent of land mafia in Udhampur and he has purchased huge land in the town.

Srinagar, April 1
The security forces killed two commanders of Hizbul Mujahideen and arrested nine militants, including 3 over ground workers (OGWs) in Anantnag and Kupwara 
districts today.

The police killed two top commanders of Hizbul Mujahideen a day after they managed to arrest a key commander of the outfit.

The police claimed that the killing of divisional commander Aslam Khan alias Zia-ur-rehman and district commander Javaid Ahmad Lone alias Nazar in Anantnag district was a “major success.” Divisional commanders are among the top few commanders responsible for running outfit's operations, the police added.

Anantnag SSP Nitish Kumar said both militants were trapped in Bijbehara area after police along with the Army and CRPF laid siege to them today and an encounter started after they fired at them.

The death of two ultras would be another blow to outfit, which had recently triggered off a blast in Jahangir Chowk here to revitalise its cadres and make its presence felt. The police had yesterday nabbed Rais Kachroo, who was an accomplished IED expert of HM, and recovered huge cache to arms and ammunitions at his behest.

Kachroo hailed from Pulwama, which is adjacent to Anantnag, and with the death of two today, official sources said HM would find it hard to run its network in south Kashmir, its once stronghold.

Meanwhile, the security forces have arrested six militants of the Hizbul Mujahideen and Al-Badr outfits and three Over Ground Workers (OGWs) in Anantnag and Kupwara districts of Jammu and Kashmir, official sources here today.

The police busted a militant module by arresting one Al-Badr and two Hizb militants in Anantnag district. Three OGWs affiliated to the Hizb network were also arrested after their whereabouts were revealed by the ultras during interrogation, the sources said.

The arrested include dreaded militants named Peer Mohammad Ashraf of the Al-Badr outfit, Gowhar Hussain Gani and Saleem Yousuf Gani alias Fasil of Hizbul Mujahideen, they said.

Three OGWs, identified as Ajaz Ahmad Pall, Hayatullah Bhat and Mohammad Amin Bhat, were arrested following interrogation of the arrested militants, the sources said, adding, the trio were closely associated with the militant module.

One AK 47, three magazines and 59 AK rounds were recovered from their possession.

Three unidentified militants were arrested by security forces in Chogal area of Handwara town in Kupwara district, the sources said. While the militants are being questioned, police have suspicion that they belong to the Hizbul Mujahideen outfit.

Jammu, April 1
Social welfare minister Abdul Gani Vakil has said the selection process for over 13,000 Anganwari workers and helpers to make 6,711 centres operational would be completed within a month and an advertisement in this regard would be issued shortly.

Addressing a public meeting at Hiranagar in Kathua today, the minister asked officers to gear up for time-bound completion of the recruitment process.

He said 7,000 more Anganwari centres envisaging employment for 13,000 unemployed women under phase-III would also be made functional by June-July this year, to augment supplementary nutrition facilities for children in the state.

He said nutrition purchase and distribution system had been decentralised at the district-level and village chowkidars and numbardars had been empowered to identify and verify beneficiaries.

He said a block medical officer had been made the final authority to assess disability of handicapped persons for issuance of medical certificates. Earlier, the chief medical officer issued these certificates.

“All these decisions will take effect from April 1, 2008”, he said. He said transparent working of the Social Welfare Department would set a trend in providing responsible administration to inspire others. 

Jammu, April 1
Members of the Amarnath Shrine Board are scheduled to meet in Jammu on April 3 to discuss measures to ensure a comfortable journey to pilgrims during the ensuing annual Amarnath yatra. The meeting will be presided over by Governor S.K. Sinha, who heads the board.

Sources said the board members would finalise the plan for developing the infrastructure needed on the 45-km-long mountain track from Pahalgam to the holy cave. Under the plan, the board will set up tented colonies and install prefabricated structures for the convenience of pilgrims.

He said another issue on the agenda was regarding the demands of those NGOs who had decided to set up langars for pilgrims. While some philanthrophists ran free langars, others charged nominal rates for the food items they served, he added.

He added that the board would identify the places where these langars would be set up not only between Pahalgam and the cave, but on the national highway from Kathua to Qazigund.

Sinha said the board would also decide whether Rs 25,000 should be charged from NGOs in advance or not.

The governor added that the board would discuss issues related to the two-month schedule or extension and reduction of the period.

He added that the board may not consider the demand for fixing the yatra schedule in consultation with Mahant Deependra Giri, custodian of the holy mace, on the plea that he was not a member of the board.

Jammu, April 1
Industries and commerce minister Nawang Rigzin Jora has sought personal intervention of Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh in withdrawing a notification issued by the Union finance ministry so as to save the state’s industrial sector from ruins.

In a letter to the Prime Minister, Jora said restoring the central package of incentives granted to the state in its original form was a must.

The package was given to our state by the Centre, keeping in view the fact that it had lagged behind in industrial development, and needed structured intervention to accelerate its industrial development and to boost investors’ confidence, he said. He added, “It was primarily designed to attract private investment into the state with an ultimate objective of creating new jobs for unemployed youth and also to give a fillip to its economy”.

He added “As expected, we got an investment worth Rs 3,000 crore since the announcement of the package, which has created around 35,000 jobs in our state. Presently, projects worth Rs 923 crore with a job potential of 8,373 are under implementation and investment proposals worth Rs 1,266 crore with a job potential of 28,500 are in the pipeline.”

“Most of this investment has come in sectors like pharmaceuticals, paints and chemicals, agro-chemicals, menthol, non-ferrous metals, packaging and food processing etc. The major attraction for big investors to come and invest in our state is the excise exemption and income tax exemption granted by the finance ministry, Government of India, under the package”, he said.

“This has caused great resentment and panic among investors in the state and has shattered their confidence in the central package of incentives. If these withdrawn incentives are not restored immediately, further investment into the state would cease thereby jeopardising industrial development,” he added. 

Jammu, April 1
The Jammu and Kashmir High Court today set aside orders of Additional Sessions Judge, Jammu, in a rape case, in which one Balkar Singh was convicted and sentenced to seven years imprisonment and fine of Rs 10, 000 under Section 376 of the RPC and to one year’s imprisonment and fine of Rs 1,000 under Section 448 RPC.

The counsel for Balkar Singh pleaded that trial court erred in accepting statement of complainant, which was full of contradictions. Non-production of investigating officer is one of weaknesses in prosecution case.

The state counsel, on other hand submitted that statement of complainant was worthy of credence and did not require any further corroboration in view of her statement that Balkar Singh had trespassed into her room and forcibly committed sexual intercourse with her.

Non-production of the investigating officer would not weaken prosecution case in any manner, whatsoever, still less affecting veracity of statement of complainant.

The HC while setting aside conviction and sentence passed by Ist. Add. Sessions Judge, Jammu, observed, “In view of major contradictions and significant unexplained omissions appearing in statement of complainant in her earlier version reflected in FIR and statement made under Section 161 CrPC, the statement of complainant would not warrant its acceptance as such unless it had been corroborated by at least her parents-in-law who could have thrown light on complaint of complainant having been raped by Balkar Singh, who had been seen running from her house 
by them.”

The HC further held that prosecution story that Balkar Singh had committed sexual intercourse for half to 3/4th of an hour and despite complainant’s resistance, no injury had been received either by complainant or by Balkar Singh during course of sexual intercourse is too hard to be believed.

“Considering case as projected, in its totality, I, am therefore, of view that prosecution has failed to lead convincing evidence to prove forcible entry of Balkar Singh into complainant’s house and his committing sexual intercourse with her against her consent and will,” Justice J.P. Singh of the high court said.

The prosecution case, as emerged from the FIR registered on complainant’s report is that on January 5, 2000 at about 13.45 hrs, complainant’s husband was out in connection with his private employment and she was busy with her household work when at about 6 pm, Balkar Singh entered her room without permission, forcibly laid her on cot, broke off her trouser’s knot and committed sexual intercourse against her consent.

Noise raised by her could not be heard by anyone because of other houses being situated at distance from her house. The complainant tried to catch hold of Balkar Singh but could succeed only in getting hold of his shawl, which he was carrying. Because her husband was not at home, so she could not lodge report on day of occurrence.

Relying upon the statement of complainant and finding it to have been supported by report of scientific officer, Biology and Serology, FSL, Jammu, the trial court found Balkar Singh guilty and convicted him under Section 376/448 of the RPC.

Jammu, April 1
Members of the Kashmiri Sikh Displaced Forum, Jammu, has threatened to launch an agitation if their genuine demands are not met.

A delegation of the forum today met relief commissioner, Jammu, and presented him with a memorandum of their demands, in which they had asked the commissioner to redress the grievances of the displaced community.

“We warned the authorities of dire consequences if our just demands were not met within a stipulated time,” said Harmohinder Singh, general secretary of the forum.

He said, “if we again get ignored we will resort to agitation along with other displaced compatriots and like-minded people.”

The displaced Sikhs have said that they have also suffered in a similar fashion as Kashmiri Pandits suffered due to the eruption of militancy in the valley, but not a single displaced Sikh family has been allotted the newly constructed government quarters.

“Majority of the displaced Sikh families live in rented accommodation but not a single family has been allotted the newly constructed quarters by the government,” he said.

The forum has also demanded scholarship for the students of the displaced community, besides jobs for the educated unemployed Sikh youth.

“We also want relaxation in laws for issuing permanent resident certificates to the Sikh community members because different yardsticks were being applied in this regard,” Harmohinder Singh said.

Uri, April 1
Their classrooms were razed in the 2005 earthquake, which rocked the Kashmir valley. Two-and-a-half years after the calamity, students are still facing problems as they are being forced to study in the open, owing to lack of infrastructure.

From primary to higher secondary, students either attend their classes outdoors or are compelled to share rooms with students of other classes. In certain areas, students take their lessons on the premises shared by the police and fire personnel. Residents of the town said the future of their children was “uncertain.”

They said non-government organisations (NGOs) and the state government had failed to keep up to their promises. However, a state government spokesperson claimed that a reconstruction programme was underway and many school buildings had been reconstructed in the earthquake-ravaged areas of Uri in Baramulla district and Tandghar in Kupwara district. Almost all school buildings, including 217 primary, 43 middle, 12 high and three higher secondary schools in the area were razed in the quake, while hundreds lost their lives.

The government had released a total of Rs 15.47 crore for the reconstruction of 81 school buildings in the affected areas, the spokesperson said.

However, residents blame the government for the delay in reconstruction.

While some students take lessons under trees, students of class three AND four study elsewhere in the town.The boys' middle school which was functioning inside a community hall since 2005, was recently shifted to another hall behind the sub-divisional magistrate's office, which falls short in accommodating all students.

“The space provided is not enough for 160 boys and girls of the middle school,” headmaster Mohammad Yousuf said. Similarly, girls' higher secondary school is functioning on the premises where 11 other offices, including the local police station and fire services are located.”Around 300 girls study in this school and we have no laboratory, no library and playground,” Rabia, a 12th class student said. — PTI

Srinagar, April 1
The moderate faction of the separatist Hurriyat Conference is in the process of setting up of district-level offices across the state, which started with the return of Shabir Ahmad Shah into its fold, about three months back.

It would constitute its district-level offices in all three regions of the state - Kashmir, Jammu and Ladakh - the task having been assigned to senior separatist leader Shabir Ahmad Shah.

Issues related to the constitution of district-level offices across the state were discussed at an executive committee of the Hurriyat Conference at its party headquarters today. Chairman, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, and other executive committee members, including Abdul Ghani Bhat, Moulvi Abbas Ansari, Bilal Ghani Lone, Fazal-ul-Haq Qureshi, Sheikh Abdul Aziz and Shabir Shah attended the meeting.

“Apart from political issues, the meeting discussed the setting up of district committees and to strengthen these for developing mass contact”, a spokesman of the Hurriyat Conference said. The executive committee would also deliberate on related issues for the next two days, the spokesman added.

However, he did not give any details about the discussion on political issues, which included the two-day Pugwash meet on Kashmir issue that concluded in Islamabad on Sunday.

The meet was attended by leaders of the two mainstream political parties - Mehbooba Mufti of the PDP and Omar Abdullah of the opposition National Conference.

The Hurriyat Conference and other separatist leaders, including chief of his faction of the Peoples’ Conference, Sajad Ghani Lone, did not attend the Pugwash meet. Some of the separatist leaders expressed concern over the statements of the mainstream parties during the Pugwash meet. 

Jammu, April 1
Severe discontent is simmering among various ranks of the police, especially in the IPS cadre in Jammu and Kashmir over the raw deal given to them in the report of the Sixth Pay Commission.

Couple of senior police officers said today, “Even our director general will be getting lower monthly salary as compared to those who equal ranks in the BSF, CRPF, ITBP and other forces when senior police functionaries spend most of the time in the field under difficult circumstances.”

They said in terms of monthly emoluments, officers of the DIGs rank have been downgraded as they would be getting Rs 15,223 against Rs 16,400 they are receiving at present.

Number of other IPS officers stated that a state like Jammu and Kashmir should have received a special package in the Sixth Pay Commission as far as the emoluments of police force were concerned.

They said for the last over 18 years, the police had been rendering sacrifices while containing militancy. They said while the Sixth Pay Commission has recommended field allowance and other incentives for soldiers serving in the BSF, CRPF and the Army, no such incentive has been suggested for the police, right from constables to the gazetted officers.

They wanted Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad to take up the case of discrimination with the Central government so that when the Sixth Pay Commission report comes up for discussion in the Union Cabinet these imbalances were removed.

Senior officers in the IPS cadre said, “It is insulting that the Sixth Pay Commission has recommended better deal for the IAS officers who spend most of the time in cosy or airconditioned rooms in the civil secretariat while the IPS officers who sweat in the field have been given a raw deal.”

They said apart from militancy-related problem the director general of police and officers in other ranks down to the DIGs have to manage a force of one lakh strength in Jammu and Kashmir and hence those ranks should get the same emoluments as their counterparts in the central forces.

One officer of the rank of DIG said for the last several years there had been hardly any gap in the salary scale of IAS and IPS officers in Jammu and Kashmir and if the Centre accepted the recommendations of the Sixth Pay Commission in toto IPS officers would receive lower pay packet than the IAS officers.

It is not only the DGP but also four other officers holding the rank of Director General in the state will experience the pangs of downgrading.