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Shopian probe hits another roadblock
2,384 lodged in state jails: Govt
State has huge renewable energy potential: Farooq
Vohra stresses on quality education
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Fake Currency Sikh activists block highway
Kashmir Issue Govt nod to 18 polytechnic colleges
Two visually challenged students go on fast JDA employee in
Vigilance net B’desh national arrested Three Malaysians among 9 killed in
mishaps Hizb militant shot dead in Reasi Assault on SHO Land occupation by Army sparks PDP-BJP barbs
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Shopian probe hits another roadblock
Srinagar, August 25 The hair was recovered by the Special Investigating Team, constituted by the Jammu and Kashmir High Court, from a police vehicle, from which cries of women were heard on May 29, as claimed by two witnesses before a magistrate. The SIT was directed by the High Court to send the hair for DNA analysis and find out whether it matched with the victims or the four police officials, including the then Superintendent of Police Javed Mattoo, arrested in connection with the case. The Central Forensic Science Laboratory stated that the DNA of hair neither matched with the two women — Aaseya (17) and Nilofar (22) — allegedly raped and murdered in Shopian or with any of the police officials accused in the case, official sources said today. Earlier, this month, the probe came to a standstill when it came to light that key forensic evidence comprising the slides of the vaginal swabs did not match with the victims. The Special Investigating Team headed by Farooq Ahmed, at present Inspector General of Police (Kashmir), had sent these to CFSL for making a DNA profile of the tissue cells present in slides. The CFSL made attempts to compare the vaginal swabs with that of the viscera and blood samples of the two victims but it did not match, sources said, prompting the CFSL officials to conclude that the slides said to be prepared from vaginal swab of the victims were actually drawn from some other women. The bodies of Neelofar and her sister-in-law, Asiya, were recovered from a stream on May 30 after they went missing from Shopian the previous evening, sparking massive protests by locals who suspected the hand of security personnel in the alleged rape and murder. — PTI
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2,384 lodged in state jails: Govt
Srinagar, August 25 The separatist Hurriyat Conference, however, contested the government claim saying the government’s disclosures about the number of prisoners was totally false and aimed at hiding facts about the actual number. A spokesman for the APHC here said 6,200 Kashmiris were languishing in the state jails, interrogation centres and police stations, while 195 Kashmiris were in Delhi’s Tehar Jail. He claimed that an unspecified number of persons were languishing in different jails in Punjab, Haryana ,Uttar Pardesh, Rajasthan, Bihar, Mumbai, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu. The spokesman alleged that facts were not being revealed regarding the number of those killed due to torture, disappeared and imprisoned Kashmiris. The Hurriyat Conference suspected ill intention of the government regarding prisoners and was concerned over the safety of the prisoners, he said. According to official records, the prisoners facing trial in cases registered in the state were normally lodged in prisons within the state. Some foreign nationals detained under the Public Safety Act (PSA) were lodged in jails, the official records revealed here. They added that following the Supreme Court orders many of the cases against the foreign nationals were transferred to courts outside the state for a speedy trial. Though the convicts having completed the term of punishment were being released, there were 15 locals as on August 17 last, whose detention orders under the PSA had been quashed by the High Court. Moreover, there were 108 foreign nationals detained in different jails within and outside the state, the records said.
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State has huge renewable energy potential: Farooq
Srinagar, August 25 During the hour-long meeting, Farooq discussed with the Governor the scope for optimal exploitation of the vast potential of non-conventional energy sources, including solar energy, wind energy, geo-thermal energy and mini and micro-hydel projects, in the state. It was felt that timely initiatives would provide enormous relief to the state in meeting its energy requirements, especially in the far-flung and remote areas, and also give a fillip to economic development. The ministry team suggested the installation of solar energy panels for lighting and water heating in the Raj Bhawans, both at Srinagar and Jammu, on the pattern of the Rashtrapati Bhawan in New Delhi, and offered to help in preparing a time-bound plan. The Governor referred to the enormous potential of using solar energy for lighting and water heating in Katra town and en route from Banganga to Mata Vaishno Devi shrine. Farooq promptly offered to send a team to Katra and the shrine to draw up a feasibility report. The Governor stressed the need to publicise successful models of appropriate uses of solar and other modes of non-conventional energy sources, which could be emulated by the hotel industry and the public at large. Farooq assured the Governor that his ministry would provide all possible help in preparing the conservation and solar use plans. Earlier, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah underscored the need for closer cooperation between the Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (N&RE) and the state government departments for bringing about a revolution in harnessing the rich potential of hydel, solar and wind energy. “This will change the power scene in our rural areas, especially in remote and far-flung villages, within the shortest period of time,” he said and announced the release of Rs 3.5 crore as a matching grant for the projects launched by the Ministry of N&RE in the state. CM meets Vohra Srinagar, August 25 Chief Minister Omar Abdullah called on Governor NN Vohra here this afternoon. The two discussed various important issues, including the overall situation in the state, during their meeting lasting 90 minutes. An official spokesman said the Chief Minister also briefed the Governor about the pace of progress on various development and welfare schemes launched in the state. |
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Vohra stresses on quality education
Srinagar, August 25 Addressing the faculty and students of the south campus of Kashmir University at Fatehgarh in Anantnag district last evening, he emphasised the need for an improvement in the quality of education to enable youth compete successfully for opportunities. Vohra stressed that the quality of teaching should match the highest standards. He advocated formulation of a vision document for the growth of this campus. During their interaction with the Governor, students and teachers sought a library, placement cell, auditorium and functional hostel facilities. —
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Fake Currency Udhampur, August 25 Sources told the Tribune that Aga Ram, 70, withdrew Rs 50,000 from the main branch of J&K Bank, Kishtwar, this morning. As he went to the SBI branch in Kishtwar to make an FDR, he was shell-shocked when he was informed by the SBI officials that 20 notes of Rs 500 denomination were counterfeit. Aga Ram told the SBI officials that he had withdrawn the money from J&K Bank and straightway went to J&K Bank. SBI officials seized the fake currency and informed the police. A police party rushed to the J&K Bank branch and picked up cashier Ghulam Hassan Rishi. The manager of the bank was also summoned to the police station with all records. During initial questioning, the cashier told the police that he collected Rs 20 lakh from the main treasury this morning. After the arrest of two Territorial Army (TA) jawans with fake currency notes in Rajouri, this is the second incident in the past 24 hours when a government employee had been arrested with counterfeit currency. Hasim Mugal, SP, Kishtwar, told The Tribune that the cashier of the Kishtwar branch of Jammu and Kashmir Bank had been arrested and the police was going through the bank records. “It is too early to say whether bank officials or Treasury staff are involved in the fake currency racket,” the SP said. He said the police was looking into the bank records. The manager of the bank was also called by the police and after receiving all records from him, he was allowed to go home at 6 pm. Policemen also conducted a search in the bank’s branch and checked the currency in the bank with the help of some experts. Some more officials of the bank are likely to be questioned by the police.
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Sikh activists block highway Jammu, August 25 They also blocked the Jammu-Pathankot National Highway for several hours and burnt tyres on the road demanding action against the erring MVD officials. “The Motor Vehicle Department officials deliberately harassed Sikh pilgrims, who were on their way to attend a religious function in Batote. Their vehicles were stopped for being overloaded and the officials openly demanded bribes,” said Harjeet Singh, president of the Nirbhow Nirvair. He said the MVD officials stopped only the vehicles carrying pilgrims. “It is surprising that while overloaded vehicles were ignored, vehicles carrying pilgrims were stopped and pilgrims harassed,” he said. The Sikh organisations alleged that the department had established a check-post in the area to extort money from drivers and did not even spare pilgrims. They raised slogans against the department and demanded action against the erring officials.
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Kashmir Issue Srinagar, August 25 Responding to the recent statement of External Affairs Minister SM Krishna, the Mufti said here today that reservations in addressing the issue of Jammu and Kashmir with Pakistan and people of the state could once again lead to alienation and consequent problems. He said it was particularly disturbing that even after the Prime Minister’s accord with his Pakistani counterpart at Sharm-el-Sheikh to de-link terror from composite dialogue, New Delhi had returned to pre-summit conditions. The Mufti said with the inability of the Centre to initiate action on the internal dimension of the resolution process, the latest stand of our foreign office came as a grim reminder for the people of the state struggling to recover from decades of disturbance, uncertainty and violence. “The government must understand that what may be a diplomatic manoeuvring for the mandarins of foreign office is a matter of life and death for people of Jammu and Kashmir, who have been victims of hostility between two countries,” he stressed.
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Govt nod to 18 polytechnic colleges Srinagar, August 25 This was stated by Minister for Higher Education Abdul Gani Malik in the Legislative Assembly today. He said there was no proposal to open new degree colleges in the state, except the colleges sanctioned by the Ministry of Human Resource Development for backward areas, for which the locations are yet to be identified. He said the construction work of Degree College, Mendhar, which was held up on account of judicial intervention, had been started. He said there was no assurance to establish a degree college or a polytechnic and ITI at the Nagrota constituency, adding a good number of colleges are available in and around Jammu city which were at a reasonable distance from Nagrota, as such the interests of students seeking admission are fully protected. The Minister assured that a detailed survey would be conducted in far-flung and backward areas where new colleges were required and preference would be given to the areas where no college of ITI exists. He said the government was focusing on providing access to higher education to the students.
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Two visually challenged students go on fast Jammu, August 25 This has pushed him to observe hunger strike till his certain proposals aimed at welfare of visually challenged students were adopted by Jammu University. The first year student of the Buddhist Department, University of Jammu, Suraj Singh has been struggling for the establishment of e-learning educational centre with all essential equipments for around 15 visually challenged students of the university. On the second day of his hunger strike today, Suraj claimed that he would observe fast unto death till the university authorities assures him in written about the time period for the establishment of the centre. Talking to the Tribune, Suraj said: “They are providing us one computer system without Internet facility, which will not cater our needs. We are demanding for a camera, which can transform the text into a voice so that we can grasp the knowledge easily. Without this camera, the system is as black for us as the other things are.” Mohinder Kumar Badyal, another visually disabled research scholar, of the Hindi Department has also joined the fast unto death with Suraj. While asking a question from the authorities concerned, Badyal said: “If the university authorities can built an auditorium by spending Rs 30 crore, then can’t they build an e-learning centre with all essential facilities for the students like us”. Warning to the officials concerned, Suraj said: “If they do not accept my demands immediately, then I will lodge a case of violation of fundamental right against them in the court.” However, rejecting all allegations levelled against them, chief librarian Naresh Padha and assistant director, IT support system, Guneet Sudhan said the e-learning centre had already been constituted along with three computer systems by the university. Padha said: “Despite the fact that Suraj has not given me demands in written but we have already constituted the centre and the centre will be made functioned within 15 days.”
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JDA employee in Vigilance net Jammu, August 25 The Vigilance Organisation said a complaint was lodged here by a resident of Resham Ghar Colony, Ramesh Kumar Sharma, a supervisor of Punjab Security. Sharma alleged that JDA head draftsman Madan Lal had been demanding Rs 500 as a bribe for processing the dues of 10 security guards of Punjab
Security hired by the authority. Accordingly, a trap was laid and Madan Lal was caught red handed while accepting the bribe. A case has been registered against the
accused.
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B’desh national arrested Jammu, August 25 The BSF spokesman said: “During a patrolling in the sector some movement was observed, so BSF jawans fired some rounds in the air. A search operation was launched during which one Bangladesh national, identified as Zakir Hussain, was arrested.” Hussain told the police that he was part of a group of six Bangladeshi national who had come to the border area to crossover to Pakistan and they were brought by a guide named Ali from Bangladesh. The BSF and the Jammu police is now searching for the five others who had infiltrated into the Indian side. In the past too, many attempts had been made by the Bangladesh nationals to crossover to the Pakistani side after they infiltrate into India.
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Three Malaysians among 9 killed in mishaps Udhampur/Srinagar, August 25 According to the police, four persons were killed on the spot when a car and an oil tanker collided head-on with an oil tanker at Mandh, 20 km from Udhampur, on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway. The deceased have been identified as Hadayat Ullah Lone, Mumtaz Begum, Ruksana, all residents of Batote, and Mushtaq Ahmed of Doda. In another incident, two persons were killed when a tourist vehicle in which they were travelling in skidded off the road and fell into a gorge in the Thathri area of Doda. The deceased have been identified as Nazir Ahmed of Palotran village and Gandoh and Shah Din of Bigran, Gandoh, Doda. Meanwhile, three Malaysian tourists died today when the vehicle in which they were travelling in fell in the Indus, near Alchi, in Leh district. According to the police, the vehicle did not carry any registration number. The driver, Tsering Stobdan, reportedly lost his control over the vehicle, which skidded into the river. All passengers on board were Malaysian citizens. The deceased have been identified as Angee Lee, Lee Ah Yem and Tang Guat Gnoh. Lin Bee Wong and the driver of the vehicle are seriously injured, while another woman, Cheong Swe Chun, is missing..
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Hizb militant shot dead in Reasi Udhampur, August 25 Police sources said a search operation was launched in the Mahore area early this morning on information about the movement of militants in this belt. As security personnel reached the suspected hideout of militants they resorted to indiscriminate firing with automatic assault rifles and also hurled grenades at them. The body of the militant has not yet been recovered. This is the fourth major operation in Mahore in the past fortnight. Earlier, the security forces killed eight militants in three operations on August 10, 14 and 17 in the same area. Srinagar: Two Hizbul Mujahideen militants, Mushtaq Ahmad Lone, alias Irfan, of Baramulla and Showkat Ahmad Sheikh, alias Hairis, of Baramulla, were arrested by the Budgam police with the assistance of 35 RR at Tangpora bypass, the police said on Tuesday. Two pistols, two magazines, 12 rounds and two grenades were seized from the terrorists.
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Assault on SHO Poonch, August 25 Sources said the police lodged an FIR against nine personnel of 17 Rajput Regiment, including two Majors — Major Sudhir and Major Navi — for alleged ‘criminal assault’ on Kuldeep Khajuria, SHO, Poonch, in the Malti area after the latter had gone there to arrest Nizam Din, an Army source. They added that as soon as the SHO reached the area, one of the soldiers deployed at the gate told him that the Commanding Officer (CO) wished to meet him. “As the SHO entered the waiting room, the CO along with Major Sudhir and other soldiers allegedly caught hold of him and thrashed him,” the police sources said. “As the personal security staff of the SHO heard his cries, they rushed inside and rescued him,” they added. The police has reportedly informed the Army authorities.
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Land occupation by Army sparks PDP-BJP barbs Srinagar, August 25 Moulvi Iftikhar Ansari touched upon the emotive issue of occupation of thousands of kanals of lands by the Army in the valley. The murmurs from the BJP camp, supported by Independent MLA Ashwani Sharma, soon turned into howls of protests as Ansari recounted the Pak-sponsored tribal invasion of the valley in 1947 necessitating intervention by the Army and said how the Army has come to occupy fertile land and undermining authority of the civil government since then. Speaker Akbar Lone’s intervention brought the order but not before MLAs of the BJP and the PDP exchanged jibes as BJP members ratcheted up their nationalistic noises inviting angry comments from PDP members and Independent MLA Sheikh Abdul Rashid, a former separatist. “We are a part of India not slaves and we won’t allow anybody to loot resources of Kashmir,” an angry Ansari retorted. He said the Army had built its facilities over pastures and water bodies used by masses to graze their cattle and breed fish, but it had been insensitive to their pleas of vacating those pieces of land.
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Jammu, August 25
