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Shopian Case
Amandeep Murder
2 arrested ultras may have brought along kids
Without salary for 5 months, SRTC staff left to starve
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Drive to reverify BPL lists
Empowerment of women through cocoon production
Nazir elected KCCI chief
Unani medical college to come up in Kashmir
Kashmiri writers’ conference begins at Kishtwar
Two brothers rape minor
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Shopian Case
Srinagar, September 30 This direction came in the aftermath of some media reports about the investigations into the case by the CBI, which had exhumed the bodies of the two women - Neelofar and Asiya - in Shopian on Monday, four months after their mysterious death. A division Bench of the High Court comprising Chief Justice, Justice Barin Ghosh and Justice Mohamad Yaqoob, put the case for next hearing on October 13, while directing the government to file the case diary. It asked the CBI not to reveal the investigating part of the case to the media and desist from
sharing these details in the future. The CBI counsel told the court that it had not shared any details with the media and assured that it would be desisting from such a practice in the future as well. Meanwhile, the High Court Bar Association disassociated itself from the case today. The Bar Association had filed a PIL in the case on June 4, 2009. It told the court that the constitution of the CBI team had been done in violation of the court orders. The investigators had pre-judged the case and propagated that there was no evidence of rape on Asiya, one of the victims, as the media reports suggested. The Bar had lost faith in the investigations and there was nothing going on in accordance with the Court orders, Mian Abdul Qayoom of the Bar asserted. The exhumation and taking of samples from the bodies of two women was also done in violation of the orders, he said adding that the same was required to be done under the directions of the Principal, Government Medical College, Srinagar. The Bar held that the postmortem on the two bodies on Monday had been done in the absence of a gynaecologist. The bodies of Neelofar (22), wife of Shakeel Ahmad Ahangar and his sister, Asiya, were recovered from a stream on May 30, a day after they had gone missing. Their death led to widespread demonstrations amid different statements from the government, which had ordered the investigation by a Judicial Commission and later constituted a SIT of the state police to conduct investigations. The case was taken
over by the CBI on September 16.
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Conduct of docs who did autopsy to be probed
Srinagar, September 30 “We have ordered a departmental inquiry into the conduct of the two teams of doctors which performed the autopsy on Aasiya (17) and Neelofar (22),” Health Minister Sham Lal Sharma said. He added severe action would be initiated against them if found guilty. A team of doctors from the Shopian district hospital conducted the first autopsy on May 30 that was followed by another autopsy by a team of doctors from Pulwama district on the request of locals. — PTI
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Amandeep Murder
Jammu, September 30 Bukhari had allegedly received Rs 3.50 lakh to replace the weapon of offence — a countrymade pistol. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by DIG Jammu-Kathua range Farooq Khan today produced the ballistic expert before the Forest Magistrate and moved an application before the court seeking extension of police remand. He was produced in the court by Inspector KD Bhagat. After considering the application, Forest Magistrate granted six-day police remand with a direction to the SIT that after completion of remand period, Bukhari should be produced in the court. On September 25, DIG Farooq Khan had claimed that Bukhari had received Rs 3.50 lakh for replacing the weapon and he had confessed to his role in the conspiracy. Meanwhile, a police team headed by an inspector left for McLeodganj in
neighbouring Himachal Pradesh to verify property of suspended SSP Manohar Singh today. A police team has already been camping in the hill town while two other teams have been sent to New Delhi and Chandigarh, respectively, where the officer had allegedly purchased huge assets disproportionate to his known source of income. Sources said Manohar Singh had also purchased a hotel in McLeodganj. In a new turn of events, suspended SP South, Mumtaz Ahmed, who deposed before the Court of Excise Magistrate, Jammu, yesterday recording his statement under section 164-A CrPC, had
accused Manohar Singh of hatching the entire conspiracy. He even stated that Manohar Singh changed the original weapon of offence with a rusted gun (a countrymade pistol) at Gandhi Nagar police station. Sources said that Mumtaz claimed that he had been kept in the dark about the entire conspiracy by the suspended SSP. |
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2 arrested ultras may have brought along kids
Jammu, September 30 The Special Operations Group and the CRPF had nabbed the two men soon after they alighted from the Gorakhpur Express. They were later identified as Abdul Jabbar Khan of Budgam and Shamim Ahmed Sheikh of Baramulla in the Kashmir valley. Jabbar had brought along his children, a seven-year-old son and a three-year old daughter. “Jabbar had married a Pakistani girl who recently died, leaving behind two kids. He perhaps returned to Kashmir to join his family in Budgam so that his children could be looked after properly,” said sources close to the police. Being minors the children would be restored to the family, they added. Several young men in the state who had crossed over to Pakistani occupied Kashmir for weapons training in the name of ‘jihad’, want to come back and join the national mainstream. Some among them who went across even married Pakistani girls and now have families. Jammu IGP Ashok Kumar Gupta told The Tribune since both militants had undergone arms training in a camp in Pakistan, they would be subjected to detailed interrogation. Asked about the minor children, he said he could not rule out the possibility of that they had been used by the militants to escape undue suspicion. A SOG officer said after legal formalities were completed the duo would be taken into judicial remand and subsequently questioned at the joint interrogation center. “We’ll also find out if they had visited their native places in Kashmir after 1991 when they had crossed over to Pakistan for arms training. Both militants had married local girls there and have to be thoroughly interrogated to know about their plans”, he added. According to the sources, Jabbar and Shamim flew by Pakistan International Airlines from Islamabad to Kathmandu and then entered Indian territory from Uttar Pradesh. They then boarded the Gorakhpur express and arrived in Jammu yesterday evening. After being frisked security agencies found they were carrying US $2,700, a Pakistani national identity card, four PIA boarding cards and four cellphones including a Pakistani SIM card. |
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Without salary for 5 months, SRTC staff left to starve
Jammu, September 30 For 57-year-old Sham Lal, a fitter with the SRTC, who has rendered 30 years of service in the department, lost his wife a few years ago due to a heart ailment as he did not have enough money for her
specialised treatment and the department failed to pay him his dues in time. “I was shocked to know that deductions on account of GP fund and CP fund from my salary for the past 10 years were not deposited anywhere. I came to know about this when I wanted money for my wife’s treatment,” a dejected Sham Lal told The Tribune. He said after the death of his wife he had to look after his three daughters and a son, as he was the sole bread winner of the family. “I have not received salary for the past five months and my family is on the verge of starvation,” Sham said. “During the first two months, I borrowed money to pay the school fee of my children. But now the school authorities have given a notice and if the fee is not paid my children will be expelled,” he added. Similar is the condition of 55-year-old Khajan Singh, who has been working as a peon with the department for the past 28 years and is also the sole bread winner of his family of seven. “One of my daughters has left studies and is now taking tuitions to feed the entire family,” said Khajan Singh. He said these were the worst days of his life as the entire family had to eat their chappatis with salt and green chilly. “We are going through the worst phase. I have not received salary for the past five months. Though we have been protesting for the past 36 days, there is no body to help us,” said Khajan Singh. Speaking to The Tribune, Ashok Mehra, president of the SRTC Employees Union, said, “Similar is the condition of almost all 4,316 SRTC employees who have not been paid salaries for the past
five months.” |
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Need to strengthen ties with Nepal stressed
Jammu, September 30 Thapliyal discussed the changing nature of the socio-political milieu, emergence of Maoists and its aftereffects in Nepal as well India; Nepal playing an important role in Indo-China relations and many more. “From 1769 onwards, Nepal has maintained that it is a sovereign and independent state and India looked at Nepal from its strategic and security point of view. India’s foreign policy with Nepal that hinged on the two-pillar approach -- constitutional monarchy and multiple democracy -- has now moved to a stable government of people’s choice,” she said. Nepal becomes important for India for playing a buffer zone between both India and China, and also for its increasing proximity with China. Particularly, in today’s times, when India’s relation with China is under a scanner, Nepal fetches more attention. “Now as King Gyanendra and the Maoists did not get support from India, they shifted towards China. China too reciprocated to gain access to Tibet by extending its railway line to the Kosi river and expanding its base in Nepal by opening a China Study Centre,” she said. She also discussed India’s twin approach -- constitutional monarchy and multiple democracy in Nepal, converting to any government of people’s choice in the country. She opined that India should develop joint ventures to further friendly relations with Nepal at the time when the present Prime Minister, Madhav Kumar, had a pro-India stand. The status quo of open borders and the recruitments in the Gurkha Regiment of the Army would continue to strengthen it. |
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Drive to reverify BPL lists
Udhampur, September 30 To accelerate the re-verification work, rectify variation and determination of exact BPL population in the district, Arun Kumar Sharma, Additional District Development Commissioner, convened a meeting of the officers of the departments concerned. The District Statistical and Evaluation Officer, the tehsildar, Udhampur, Chenani, Ramnagar and Majalata, the Block Development Officer, Udhapur, and tehsil supply officers attended the meeting. The ADC stressed upon the nodal officers and members to evolve a joint strategy and mechanism in conducting a fresh survey of re-verification of BPL lists strictly as per the guidelines issued by the General Administrative Department (GAD). He also called upon the nodal officers concerned to cross check the lists so that deserving beneficiaries were benefitted. To create awareness among BPL beneficiaries, he called upon the tehsildars to hold public meetings in select villages for the identification of the poorest to be included in the list, besides deleting the names of those whose income had risen to the APL category. |
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Dark films on car windowpanes removed
Jammu, September 30 The security wing of the police and the Traffic Department had launched a drive in the city to remove the dark films from the windowpanes of private vehicles that were used in violation of traffic laws. “It is a good move. We appreciate this that the authorities concerned have shown seriousness and is taking measures to stop the illegal activity in and around the city,” said Vivek Singh, a resident of Indra Nagar colony He said there was no reason for the car owners to have tinted glasses. The authorities concerned should continue with the drive and it should not be a symbolic gesture. Talking to The Tribune, Parminder Singh, SSP Traffic, Jammu, said, “The films are being removed by the security wing of the police force.” His department recovered fine from the defaulters for violating law, he added. “There is a set norms for number plates and letters inscribed on it, if somebody violates norms we challan him for the first two times impound the vehicle the next time,” the SSP said. |
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Empowerment of women through cocoon production
Udhampur, September 30 Due to the non-availability of a proper agricultural infrastructure, poor farmers of this belt hesitate to go for cash crops. Hence this belt has been seen as an area of stagnation and backwardness. The introduction of cocoon production by the Sericulture Department has changed the lives of people, especially of women, in this belt. “On an average, cocoon rearers earn a profit between Rs 10,000 and Rs 12,000 per season,” Sheikh Amanullah, Deputy Director, Sericulture, told The Tribune. He said some farmers had even earned Rs 30,000 in a month from cocoon rearing in this belt. Giving the example of Shakuntla Devi, he said this woman had set an example for others to follow as she had improved her economic conditions through cocoon production. The Sericulture Department had been encouraging women to take to cocoon production to enhance their income. During this season, seeds were distributed to 561 rearers, 20 per cent of them women, of the backward. “We have fixed a target to involve more than 1,500 farmers in cocoon rearing in the spring season,” Sheikh said, adding this would comprise more than 30 per cent women. Though farmers from all sections of society have come forward to start cocoon rearing, a large number of women from weaker section especially from Scheduled Caste (SC) community have adopted this profession. To encourage the poor people to adopt this farming, the Sericulture Department is also provided all assistance to the people. “With out investing even single penny poor farmers have been earning handsome income by cocoon production,” Sheikh said. The department has registered a record of 6.5 tonnes of cocoon production during autumn season. The autumn cocoon rearing was conducted by 561 farmers and they earned a handsome amount within a short span of just 20 to 25 days. |
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Nazir elected KCCI chief
Srinagar, September 30 The elections were held during 74th and 75th annual general meetings of the chamber, which were held simultaneously on September 30. Besides Dar, other members of executive body of chamber were also elected and most of them were elected unopposed. While Abdul Hamid Punjabi was elected as senior vice-president of KCCI, Nazir Ahmad Wani, Nasir Hamid Khan, Dr Mukhtar Ahmad Wani and Mushtaq Ahmad Wani were elected as junior vice-president, secretary general, joint secretary general and treasurer, respectively. The new president said he would like to take the chamber to new heights for which he sought cooperation of his fellow members. “I would like to carry forward the good work of the former president. I assure that I would try my level best to meet the expectations of people,” said Nazir Ahmad. Meanwhile, responding to a question, the outgoing president said they had sought permission for construction of the chamber building at Rajbagh. |
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Unani medical college to come up in Kashmir
Srinagar, September 30 “A state-of-the-art Unani medical college will be set up in Kashmir,” Azad said after inaugurating “Arogya”, a four-day national exhibition-cum-sale of herbal medicines here. “There is an urgent need to focus on promotion of traditional modes of treatment like Ayurveda, Unani, Sidha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH) as 60 per cent
of the population in India uses Ayurvedic medicines,” he said. Azad, who along with Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand visited all stalls set up by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), ISM, AYUSH and Handicrafts, said health conscious people prefer alternative medicines free from side effects. He said considering the great demand and acceptability of herbal medicines, the Centre had launched a national mission for medicinal plants on which a whopping Rs 630 crore was to be spent during the 11th Five Year Plan. Deliberating on the blueprint to promote alternative medical treatment and provide these facilities to people on their doorsteps, the Centre had decided to provide AYUSH doctors at village, block, tehsil and district levels along with the allopathic health institutions all over the state, he said.
— PTI |
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Kashmiri writers’ conference begins at Kishtwar
Udhampur, September 30 This is for the first time that all
towering scholars of Kashmiri language and literature assembled here to deliberate on the present scenario of the Kashmiri language and draw up a new map and explore various means for its promotion and development. The inaugural session was presided our by local MLA Sajjad Ahmad Kichloo, while noted Kashmiri writer Syed Rasool Pompur was the special guest at the inaugural function. Deputy Commissioner, Kishtwar, GR Bhagal and secretary of the academy Zaffar Iqbal Manhas were also present. Zaffar Iqbal Manhas said though Kishtwar had been the ancient hub of Kashmiri and some towering scholars of the Kashmir language included Rasool Kamgaar Kishtwari, Ishrat Kashmiri and Nishat Kishtwari. He spoke about the message of peace, amity, harmony and peaceful coexistence given by the writers of Kishtwar. He announced that a sub office of the academy would be opened at Kishtwar shortly. Four prominent writers of the Kashmiri language -- Wali Mohammad Aseer, Moham Lal Aash, Abdul Rashid Fida Rajourvi and Manshoor Banihali -- were honoured on the occasion. Sajjad Ahmad Kichloo congratulated the academy for organising such meaningful and purposeful cultural functions at Kishtwar. |
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Bodies of slain CRPF jawans sent home
Srinagar, September 30 Head constable Des Raj and constables Pratab and Ramesh were killed when unidentified militants shot them from a point blank range while they were on duty at the crowded Sopore bus stand, 55 km from here, in north Kashmir last evening. Pakistan-based militant outfit
Al-Badr claimed the responsibility for the incident. “The deceased were given full military honours before their bodies were flown to their respective towns,” CRPF spokesman P Tripathy said after the wreath laying ceremony.
— PTI |
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Jammu, September 30 The girl, who had gone to a pond to fetch water, was forcibly taken away by Mohammad Tariq and Yasbir Hussain in Tandal village in Ramnagar tehsil of the district, sources said, adding she was later raped by the duo. The incident came to light when the girl reported the matter to her family. — PTI
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