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Fencing pillar damaged in IED blast
42 fire incidents reported
Diwali fireworks light up Jammu skyline
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Mystery shrouds teenaged girl’s death
Brazilian coach asked to leave country
HC rekindles woman’s hope for justice
‘Kashmiris harassed for their identity’
School staff, management lock horns over bylaws
Internet facility for tourists soon
Boy mauled to death by leopard
HuJI commander killed
6 killed in road mishaps
Two killed in accident
Students end fast
Doctors’ strike continues
UT status for Ladakh sought
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Fencing pillar damaged in IED blast
Jammu, October 18 Inspector-General of BSF AK Sarolia told the media that an IED exploded near an under-construction border fencing in Paharpur along the Hiranagar sub-sector of the Kathua district. Though the BSF has been investigating the matter to ascertain the fact as to who had planted the IED inside the Indian Territory, there were no reports of any loss of life or injury to anybody in the blast. As per sources, the IED could have been planted to damage the border fencing, so as to facilitate the cross-border infiltration by the terrorists from the Pakistani side. As per reports, 60 to 70 heavily armed terrorists were waiting across the border near the Jammu region to cross to the Indian side, the attempts of the infiltration from across the border also increases during winter due to closure of various infiltration routes along the LoC due to heavy snowfall. To facilitate the cross-border infiltration, the Pakistani side had resorted to ceasefire violation a fortnight back, when the Pakistani rangers fired on the four BSF outposts at Mangral on the border in the RS pura sector. The BSF had then foiled an infiltration bid, as it had shot dead two infiltrators along the border, though there was heavy exchange of small arms/fire. Today’s incident is being believed to be third such incident in less than one month that could be considered as the ceasefire violation. “On the intervening night of 17th and 18th October, the ambush party of the BSF heard a loud sound of blast towards the border ahead of the fencing, however, no movement was noticed,” said Dy commandant of the BSF Jammu. Adding, “The area between fencing and border is full of Sarkanda duye and the presence of Shap Nala, which flows from India to Pakistan in the area. During the spot verification carried out after the first light, it was found that a supporting pillar of a culvert on the border track was damaged,” the Dy commandant said. He said it seems that the miscreants came from the Pakistan territory taking cover of the Sarkanda and planted an IED near the pillar that was subsequently blasted with the remote control or timer. “The miscreants returned back to Pakistan, taking cover of the Sarakanda and undulating ground,” the Dy Commandant said. |
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42 fire incidents reported
Trikuta Nagar, Pratagarh (Digiana) and New Plot were the main areas in the city where major fire incidents took place. This Diwali, there was an unprecedented rise in the fire incidents; as many as 13 fire incidents were registered by the department in 2003, 14 in 2004, 21 in 2005, 35 in 2007 and 24 in 2008, with an exception of five fire incidents in 2006. While commenting on this phenomenon, Mohammad Ashraf Aram, Deputy Director, Fire and Emergency Service, Jammu region, held the state administration responsible for this rising trend. Besides, he also held the common people responsible for ignoring the safety norms while celebrating the festival. “I am astonished to see that the local administration had given permission to these sellers to sell crackers on the national highway and that too in violation of the safety instructions issued by our department,” he said. “Despite instructions given by our department that crackers sellers should install shops made of tin and should maintain proper fire gaps, the sellers in different areas, particularly in the Paloura area, were seen selling crackers under cotton tents which catch fire easily,” he added. Lack of co-ordination was also held responsible for the rising trend of fire incidents in the province. “At the parade ground, police personal were not deployed in full strength to check the violation of extending shops beyond limits by the shopkeepers,” said Akram. Blaming the Public Health Engineering Department for providing insufficient water supply to their department, the Deputy Director said majority of the water filling stations, from where fire tenders get water, were either defunct or had less water due to which the department faced difficulty in fire fighting. |
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Diwali fireworks light up Jammu skyline
Jammu, October 18 People decorated their houses and business establishments with assorted lights and different type of candles and earthen lamps during the evening. Temples and Gurdwaras across the city were also decorated and special prayers were performed to observe the festival. After the prayers, people bursted firecrackers. “Every year, we observe this day as it marks the return of Lord Rama along with his wife and younger brother to Ayodhya, after 14 years of exile and since then the tradition is going on,” said Prem Chand, a priest at a local temple. In the morning, people were seen shopping in various markets across the city. “Purchasing items of steel and gold is considered to be auspicious on the occasion,” said Poonam Arora, a housewife. One of the main essence of the celebration of the festival was that the member of different communities joined together to celebrate the festival, members of the Muslim and Sikh communities could be seen wishing their Hindu counterparts, exchanging gifts and greetings on the occasion. Meanwhile, the entire city wore a festival look as the people celebrated the festival, despite the threat from synthetic Khoya, the sweetshops across the city witnessed unprecedented rush of people, who had come to purchase sweets. |
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Mystery shrouds teenaged girl’s death
Jammu, October 18 Official sources said, the young girl, whose father died long back and whose mother, a psychiatric patient, was undergoing treatment in Punjab, was found dead in the verandah of the college this morning. The SMS College of Education, where the girl lived with her ailing grandmother is being owned by her paternal uncle. The sources said, the girl had celebrated Diwali with her cousin and the next morning her dead body was found in the verandah. According to the sources, the victim had sustained head injuries and had bled excessively, adding that the cousin of the victim was picked up for questioning. Meantime, the victim’s family approached the police that in turn appeared before Deputy Commissioner, Jammu, MK Dwivedi with a request to get constituted a board of doctors for a comprehensive autopsy, so as to know the reasons behind her death. “Though, to the police it appeared that the girl had an accidental fall from the roof, but since they did not want to take any chances and to rule out the possibilities of any foul play, I immediately conceded their request and issued a letter to the Principal of the Government Medical College (GMC) to constitute a board of doctors,” Dwivedi told The Tribune. “Since the girl was young the police wants to know whether the victim was physically abused, he added. The body has been kept in the GMC morgue, he added. However, when the Jammu DC has issued orders of constituting a board and when the Gangyal police has initiated proceedings under Section 174 of the CrPC, concerned SHO Sunil Jasrotia ruled out the possibilities of any foul play and described it as a case of suicide. |
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Employment policy to be unveiled on Dec 5
Jammu, October 18 In a closed-door meeting with provincial office-bearers, party MLAs, MLCs and district presidents of Jammu here today, the National Conference (NC) president said the coalition government would announce a concrete policy to solve the problem of constantly spiralling unemployment. After listening to the problems of party leaders that included damage to kharif crop due to drought and hailstorm, slow pace of development and rising unemployment, Farooq insisted upon participants to work cohesively so as to strengthen the coalition government. He also assured to visit every district headquarters from the next month under mass-contact programme to strengthen the party. On unemployment, Farooq said the government would come out with a concrete policy on December 5 so as to deal with the problem. He asked the participants to strengthen the party and reach out to the masses, sources said. The NC, it may be stated here, would be launching a membership drive from the next month and the long overdue panchayat election might be held either at the fag end of the current year or early next year. The state continues to lose central funds meant for rural development as it has not held panchayat elections since 2002. Responding to media queries on spate of terror attacks in Pakistan, he said, “As one sows, so shall one reaps.” Regarding Amandeep murder case vis-à-vis two party legislators (MLA Rachhpal Singh and MLC Ajay Sadhotra), who recently met suspended SSP in the Kot Bhalwal prison, he said explanation had already been sought from them. On inordinate delay in arresting the absconders, he said he would look into the reasons and take up the issue with the police. Meanwhile, party’s Jammu province president RL Gupta, who has been asked to conduct a probe, said the report would be submitted to Farooq in a couple of days. However, both legislators were conspicuously absent from today’s meeting. |
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Brazilian coach asked to leave country
Srinagar, October 18 Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has assured the coach, whose work in promoting soccer in the valley and imparting modern skills to the players and is recognised by the officials and the players alike, of his intervention to get the decision reversed. Troia has been living in Srinagar with his wife and three daughters since 2007, when he arrived here and started a football academy, the International Sports Academy Trust, and the MHA had extended their visas several times on the positive recommendation of the state government. However, their requests for another extension were turned down this time and they have been asked to leave the country by October 31. The mood in his academy is grim and players believe that they may not see Troia again. He started the academy in 2007 and divided it into three divisions for training players, whose numbers reached upto around 1,000. Three of his players have been selected for clubs in Spain and Brazil. “He is a coach and he has done more for us than anybody else. He is credited for bringing European and Latin techniques to Srinagar and making the game rather popular among the youngsters. He must be given permission to stay,” said players, who looked and sounded as angry as distraught at the prospect of their sporting lives without Troia. Many said his departure could spell the end of an academy, which he ran like a personal mission. It is only ironical that one of his players, Basharat, was denied a passport by the state government because his father was a militant. It was only after Omar Abdullah’s intervention that the state police cleared his name for getting passport. The CM's word may do the trick again and fulfil Troia and his boys hope. He had met Abdullah after receiving the marching order from the Central government and his assurance has rekindled his and his players’ optimism.
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HC rekindles woman’s hope for justice
Jammu, October 18 Shahmida filed a petition before the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Poonch, claiming maintenance from Parveez Ahmed, stating that the respondent enticed and induced her on the promise of contracting marriage; however, he abused her physically, resulting into birth of Safina Bi on April 28, 2003. Immediately after the birth of the girl, the respondent married some other girl. However, the Magistrate dismissed the petition after appreciating evidence led by the parties. The revision petition filed against the said order also suffered dismissal by Sessions Judge, Poonch, on November 29, 2008. The petitioner filed another petition in the High Court seeking quashment of orders passed by the lower courts. Justice MH Attar, while quashing both orders and remanding the case, observed that the Magistrate while rejecting the maintenance petition had not only committed grave illegality but failed to administer justice and directed the respondent to pay interim maintenance of Rs 1,500 per month to Safina Bi every month during the trial. The High Court while allowing the petition held that “The Magistrate, while rejecting case of petitioner, observed that Shahmida Bi has not given details of place where the sexual intercourse took place. This approach of Magistrate, in such type of cases, cannot be approved. A woman knowing of carrying a stigma throughout her life and of loosing opportunity of getting married and settling in life, would not normally tell a lie. Evidence of corroboration of having sexual intercourse in presence of some person is quite impossible. Seeking corroboration in such circumstances would be asking for moon. The High Court, being court of record, has inherent powers to do justice wherever injustice stares at its face. It is for this purpose that Section 561(A) of the CrPC has been enacted by the legislature” The High Court deprecated the method and manner in which the subordinate judges conducted the proceedings thereby abusing the process of the court. |
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‘Kashmiris harassed for their identity’
Srinagar, October 18 Only last year, CBI nailed the special cell of New Delhi for fabricating evidence to brand two Kashmiris Irshad Ali and Mohammad Moarif Qamar, as members of proscribed terrorist outfit, Al Badr. The Delhi police, as per CBI, planted explosives on them and they have already spent two years behind bars, before CBI unearthed the truth. And then their poverty came in the way as Irshad’s family was unable to raise the amount required for his release. The fact that some of them living in the Indian cities might have links with the terror outfits, often means that the whole community is at the receiving end of the general highhandedness of the country’s police and their trouble increases manifold every time there is a threat or real terror attack, they said. Though poor traders and casual workers, who have no contacts to vouch for their integrity in such times, are often the most victimised lot, having connections may not be a guarantee against the police harassment. Malik Sajad, a cartoonist working with a leading English daily of the valley, was detained by the police in Delhi in September last year. A series of blasts had terrified the capital and owner of the cyber café, where he was present at that time called up the police as he suspected him simply because he was a Kashmiri, Sajad said. Though he was in Delhi in connection with an international festival and had many creditable people to vouch for him, he said he was abused and harassed by the police before his hosts came to his rescue. Firdous Alam, a shawl trader, said he and many other Kashmiris were detained for verification for two days in Chandigarh as the police were warned of some terror attack. “I am not sure if it was 2004 or 2005. It was cold and we were rounded up from Sector 26. I believe our only fault was that we were poor and, of course, Kashmiri,” he said. |
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School staff, management lock horns over bylaws
Srinagar, October 18 “After 26 years, the school authorities have all of a sudden decided to alter rules. In December last year, the school authorities tried to introduce new bylaws that we never accepted or signed,” says SMA Kamili, president, BHSSA. He said a few days back a female staffer approached the office for Central Provident (CP) Fund as she had to proceed for Hajj. “She was denied any such assistance. We protested and late in the evening a meeting was convened at the school office that was attended by the Deputy Commissioner, the Assistant Labour Commissioner, the Director School Education and managing body of the school. It was mutually decided that an agreement would be framed after a few days but that was never honoured.” The president said they later approached the Divisional Commissioner as well. He added the bylaws came into force from November 1, 1983, which entitled all employees to same pay scale and dearness allowances as admissible to employees in the Education Department of the state. He said, “We demanded implementation of the recommendations of the Sixth Pay Commission. In turn, we are threatened, abused and harassed.” “We don’t need any fresh agreement. We will resign en-masse if bylaws are changed. After putting in 10-30 years of service, where shall we go? We’ve families to support,” said the members. |
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Internet facility for tourists soon
Jammu, October 18 “Dal Lake, Gulmargh, Leh and Pahalgam - the paradises for the tourists - will be among seven tourist zones to have state-of-the-art WiFi connectivity for the foreign and domestic tourists soon,” an officer of the Information Technology Department said. Speeding up the process, Chief Executive Officer of the J&K e-governance Agency (JAKEGA) Talat Parvez has invited tenders from contractors for setting up of 11 WiFi zones in the state, he said. The WiFi (wireless fidelity) connectivity will be provided at various tourists places so that the visitors can book tickets for their flight or hotels through the Internet while taking a boat ride in the lake or sitting under a pine tree in Gulmargh, a JAKEGA official said. The seven tourist spots to be covered under the proposed WiFi zones include the Dal Lake, SKICC, Royal Springs Golf Course (Srinagar), Skii Resort (Gulmargh), Baramulla valley of glaciers-Sonamargh (Badgam), Pahalgam health resort (Anantnag) and Leh town. Access to the Internet services would ease of communication problems faced by travellers seeking details about tourist places and business destinations in the state, the official said, adding that the WiFi zones would be created through public-private- partnership. The government would also setup WiFi zones at two civil secretariats - one in Srinagar, the summer capital and the other in Jammu, the winter capital of the state. While over 50,000 foreign tourists visit Leh every year, nearly 2 lakh visitors come to other parts of Kashmir valley. Lakhs of pilgrims also visit shrines of Vaishnodevi and Amarnath in Reasi district and South Kashmir annually.
— PTI |
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Ladakh gets season’s first snowfall
Leh, October 18 An inch at the low-lying areas and one ft of snow at the upper reaches of the district was recorded. Due to snowfall, Khardong la pass remained closed for traffic in the morning. The pass is the only gateway to the Siachen Glacier, where the defence personnel are posted. Scheduled flights connecting Leh and Delhi were delayed for five hours. Temperature plummeted to minus and floated between 0.5 to minus two degree Celsius even in the day time. |
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Boy mauled to death by leopard
Srinagar, October 18 Eight-year-old Imtiyaz Ahmad Sheikh was playing outside his house at Frislan village, 100 km from here, when the wild beast appeared from the nearby forest and attacked him, the sources said. They said the cries of the boy attracted the attention of his family members and the neighbours but the leopard fled back into the forest while dragging the boy along. Later, the body of the boy was recovered by the joint search party of the police and locals and handed over to his family for last rites, the sources said. There seems to be an increase in attacks by wild animals. Over two dozen people, including minors, have fallen victim to wild animals, particularly leopards and black bears, in the state this year. — PTI |
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HuJI commander killed
Udhampur, October 18 Although the police claimed to have eliminated the militant along with other security forces after getting information about his presence in Sigdhi area, sources said ultras rival militant group Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) have shared information with the police about the movement of Mohammed
Amin. It was only after that information security forces launched a joint operation on Diwali night and successfully eliminated the self-styled commander. One Chinese pistol, four Chinese grenade and other ammunitions were recovered from the possession of slain militant. Sources disclosed that differences between HM and HuJI have been cropped up after Mohammed Amin had started extortion and kidnapping in the Chatroo area. As Amin had been making huge money through extortion, HM group also wanted their share. The slain militant was involved in the incident of setting ablaze a bulldozer of a contractor and abduction of its driver Satpal on October 9 at Sigdi village in Chatroo area. The terrorist had set free the driver later, reportedly after taking some ransom. On June 14, 2007, Mohammed Amin had snatched weapons from the PSOs of the former MLA Qazi Jallalud Din and later the same weapons were recovered from the possession of two HuJI militants who were gunned by cops in Bhatta area. |
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6 killed in road mishaps
Jammu, October 18 A tipper, which was going from Gool to Sangaldan area in Ramban district, skidded off the road and fell into the 200-feet gorge at
Dharamkund. All the bodies have been recovered. Two more persons died in other road accidents, the police said. A police handout said a minibus hit a woman
Rama, a resident of Tarore in Kathua district. The victim was rushed to Government Medical College where she succumbed to her injuries. In another mishap, an unidentified vehicle hit a man, resulting into his death. |
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Two killed in accident
Srinagar, October 18 The deceased have been identified as Ghulam Mohiuddin, driver of the SUV and woman passenger Afreen, the sources said, adding the injured were shifted to hospital where condition of three of them was stated to be critical. The truck driver was arrested and a case was registered against him, they said. |
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Students end fast
Jammu, October 18 According to a statement issued here today, Prof Pathania exhorted upon the youth and students to use seminars, workshops and conferences to highlight their grievances. Sham Lal Gupta, Principal, Government Gandhi Memorial Science College, and Prof Hemla Aggarwal, Principal, SPMR Commerce College, said the path shown by those great sons of the soil should be taken ahead in the right perspective. They said the students should contribute towards development of better environment in the society. |
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Doctors’ strike continues
Jammu, October 18 As junior doctors remained away from their duties due to indefinite strike called by the Doctors Joint Action Committee (DJAC), the medicare facilities in GMC hospital and associated hospitals in several districts and sub-districts throughout the state remained paralysed, health officials said. The emergency services remained open and were being run by senior doctors, they said. The doctors held demonstration within the GMC complex and several leaders addressed them. The DJAC spokesman, Dr Neeraj Sharma, said over 4,000 doctors are participating in the strike. Commenting on the dismissal notice issued to 27 junior doctors for remaining absent for their duties, he said, “Over 300 doctors have already resigned enmass on October 12.” The DJAC would continue their strike until the government met their demands, he said.
— PTI |
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UT status for Ladakh sought
Leh, October 18 Chidambaram during his visit to the state had said the Union government is working on the solution of Kashmir, which would be acceptable to the people in the state. In a press statement, LUTF general-secretary T Wangdus stated that people of Ladakh have been demanding “UT status for Ladakh” ever since the India’s Independence and would not accept any other plan of ceding with the Kashmir valley. |
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Engineers rue govt apathy on pay scales
Jammu, October 18 They said government employees with lesser qualification as compared to them were getting higher pay scale than junior engineers in the state. “The pay scales for those working as electricians and carpenters, for whom the basic qualification is a one-year ITI diploma, is Rs 5,000-8,000, while the pay scale for a junior foreman is Rs 5700-10100. These qualifications are much lower than that required or for being appointed as a JE, but still they are getting higher pay grade than JEs,” they said in a statement. |
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Jammu, October 18