Abdulian, June 21
Just ahead of Home Minister P Chidambaram’s visit to Islamabad, Pakistan Rangers again violated the ceasefire and resorted to unprovoked firing on a forward Indian outpost near the international border in the Abdulian area of the RS Pura sector, 30 km from Jammu, today.

However, the BSF that guards the 229-km border attributed the skirmish to a misadventure by some “subversive” elements on the other side of the border.

“Around 4 am some persons on the other side of the border opened fire on our post forcing the BSF to retaliate. The intermittent firing continued for some time,” BSF’s Jammu Frontier IG AK Surollia told The Tribune.

“We have lodged a strong protest with our counterparts at a flag meeting and the matter has been sorted out,” Surollia added.

He also rubbished the reports that an ambush party of the BSF remained caught in the Pakistan firing for more than 12 hours.

None was caught in the firing and no one was injured. But a cow of a farmer, Lakhvinder Singh, was killed in the firing, he added.

At the flag meeting the Pakistan Rangers, however, claimed that a woman on their side was killed in the retaliatory fire but failed to produce any substantial evidence.

Source said the trouble erupted around 4.05 am today when there was unprovoked firing from the Pakistan side at pillar number 853. The BSF jawans took positions immediately and retaliated, they added.

The BSF jawans from a forward post in Abdulian also retaliated but soon the Pakistan Rangers opened fire from at least three of their posts ie., Surgpur, Kunjpur and Banot Tekri, said the sources. After firing from AK-47 rifles, they used LMGs and HMGs and the intermittent firing continued till 1.15 pm, they said adding that the initial round, which began at 4.15 am, lasted till 6.15 am and then started again after nearly one hour and continued till 1.15 pm.

Around 1.15 pm the Pakistan Rangers fired upon a Casper vehicle, a mobile patrolling vehicle, inviting retaliation from us, the sources said.

Unconfirmed reports said an IED explosion also took place along the border. Panic has gripped Abdulian village and other hamlets close to the border, a local told this correspondent.

Jammu, June 21
The Jammu and Kashmir police late last evening transferred an SP and a DSP who were investigating the Shalin murder case.

After the killing of 10-year-old Shalin, the public had been demanding harsh punishment for the person who had put pressure on the police to release the main accused before even getting the body. They had also lodged a number of protests in this regard and had gheraoed Gandhi Nagar police station.

The DGP, J&K, Kuldeep Khoda yesterday transferred SP (South) Abdul Razak Khan and posted him SO to the IGP, Traffic, J&K. Rajeshwer Singh, SP (City), Udhampur, has been given the charge of SP (South), Jammu.

The SDPO, Gandhi Nagar, Kulwant Singh Jasrotia, has also been transferred and posted DSP, JKAP XIII Battalion. ML Kaith, DSP, (Headquarters), Jammu, is transferred and posted SDPO, Gandhi Nagar. These officers had already faced the anger of public, protesting on the roads on the same day when the body of the boy was found from the Beli Charana area. After these transfers, the residents of the Nai Basti area who had been protesting on a regular basis said besides transferring these cops, the police should find out the person who had put pressure on it to release the accused immediately after the kidnapping.

Earlier, Ajit Singh, acting SHO of Gandhi Nagar police station, had been transferred to Akhnoor. However, Naresh Gupta, father of Shalin, said: “We have lost our son and we demand nothing from the police or administration now.”

Srinagar, June 21
Defence Minister AK Antony arrived in Ladakh on a two-day visit today.

Lt-Gen SK Singh,GOC,14 Corps, will apprise him about the state of operational & logistic preparedness, training activities and development works being undertaken by the Army in the remote regions of Ladakh, a defence spokesman here said.

Antony is likely to visit the strategically important Advanced Landing Ground (ALG) at Nyoma, located at an altitude of 13,600 feet in Eastern Ladakh. The construction and activation of this ALG is a tribute to the operational commitment and professional capability of the troops of the Army and the Air Force. The first successful trial landing of an aircraft at the Nyoma ALG was carried out in September last year.

The minister would also visit the Siachen Glacier and pay homage to martyrs at the Siachen War Memorial. He would also interact with troops deployed at the world’s highest battlefield.

Jammu, June 21
A Jammu police team, at present in Guna in Madhya Pradesh to get custody of Sangram Singh, the main accused in the Chopra murder case, might have to return empty-handed as the Madhya Pradesh Police has reportedly refused to hand over the accused, sources said.

The Madhya Pradesh police wants to interrogate Sangram Singh for his involvement in some cases registered against him in that state. The sources further said the Jammu police team comprising a DSP, an ASI and other officials had left for Guna on June 15 after obtaining production warrants from a local court.

After reaching Guna, the team produced the warrants before the Madhya Pradesh police and sought the custody of Sangram, but was told to wait. The Madhya Pradesh police wanted to interrogate the accused , said a senior police officer.

Following this development, Puneet and Rohit Chopra, two surviving sons of Rajendar Chopra, alias Raju, will have to wait a little longer to know the truth behind the gruesome murders of their father, mother, a college-going sister, a domestic help and a driver on the intervening night of September 16-17, 2006, when Rajendar , his wife, Madhu Chopra, their daughter Saloni Chopra, a servant and a driver were bludgeoned to death by some assailants at their house in Trikuta Nagar here.

Meanwhile, the Madhya Pradesh police has arrested Kiran Pardhi, brother of Sangram Singh, from Guna yesterday. With Kiran’s arrest, all four Pardhi brothers and 10 accused involved in the murders have been arrested. Earlier, two brothers of Sangram, Mahesh Singh and Rusy, Vicky, Nanju, Bhawani Singh, Narain, Lalit and Sikandar were arrested and kept in the Kot Bhalwal prison here.

Farooq Khan, DIG (Jammu-Kathua Range), said: “The Madhya Pradesh police told our team that it wants to interrogate Sangram first. But our team is still in Madhya Pradesh.” He added they were also trying to get the production warrants of Kiran from court.

Sunder Bani, June 21
Though 10 days have passed, the police has not booked those who had brought an unmarried girl to the residence of a nurse here for an unauthorised abortion. The girl died immediately after the termination of her eight-month pregnancy.

According to sources, a man, who had visited the nurse along with the victim and two other women on June 10, was reportedly the father of the unborn baby. The accused nurse, Tripta Kumari, used to operate from her home in the vicinity of the sub-district hospital, Sunder Bani.

Following revelations made by Tripta, a foetus was recovered from a pit on the hospital premises three days later.

No administrative or legal action was initiated against the hospital employee who carried the foetus from Tripta’s house and disposed it of. The nurse has, however, been sent to judicial remand.

Alleging police laxity, sources said the accused man, a resident of Ransoo village in Reasi district, is still at large. “Just by arresting the nurse, the police can not wash its hands off the responsibility. Those who induced the girl for abortion should also be booked.”

They further indicated that the case was just a tip of the iceberg. “If a thorough investigation is made, more foetuses would be retrieved from the pits in and around the hospital,” they claimed, adding: “The matter would have gone unreported had the victim survived the abortion. When her condition deteriorated and she was shifted to the hospital, the matter became public.”

The crime came to light when the condition of Ashu Devi (22) of Mougla village in Kalakote area deteriorated after the induced abortion and she was shifted to the hospital.

She reportedly died due to excessive bleeding and for want of medical treatment as doctors feared legal consequences in view of the sensitivity of the case.

They further disclosed that the accused nurse had been performing sex-selective abortions besides terminating unwanted pregnancies since long but the police never initiated action against her.

Sources said the accused father is a married man with three children. He reportedly allured the girl promising for arranging her marriage.

“The identity of the father can not be established as the girl has died. That is why we have not arrested anyone in this connection,” Deepak Jasrotia, SHO Sunder Bani, said.

Srinagar, June 21
The 75th All-India Conference of Presiding Officers of Legislative Bodies in India concluded here this afternoon.

The next conference would be held in Rajasthan next year.

After two-day deliberations, the conference which was presided over by Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar passed a resolution with regard to the implementation of the committee system by all the legislatures in India. It re-emphasised the need and significance of the committee system for securing accountability of the Executive to the Legislatures through in-depth scrutiny of the budget, monitoring and review of performance of the ministries and departments of the government; making government spending and working more transparent; and a detailed scrutiny of legislative proposals and examination of policy initiatives of the government.It resolved to have an effective committee system.

The conference also sought urgent measures for removal of inadequacies, wherever prevailing, in the existing committee system. It resolved that based on the experience of parliamentary committees, as far as possible, all legislatures in India may adopt a uniform committee system.It was also decided to constitute a Committee of Presiding Officers to look into the problem of disruption of Question Hour, which may also suggest an effective solution.

The Deputy Chairman, Rajya Sabha, K. Rehman Khan would be the Chairman of the Committee. The other members would be the Speaker, Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly, N. Kiran Kumar Reddy, the Speaker, Arunachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly, Wanglin Lowangdong, the Speaker, Chhattisgarh Vidhan Sabha, Dharam Lal Kaushik, the Speaker, Gujarat Legislative Assembly, Ashok Chandulal Bhatt, the Speaker J&K Assembly, Mohammad Akbar Lone, the Speaker, Rajasthan Vidhan Sabha, Deependra Singh Shekhawat, and the Speaker, Uttar Pradesh Assembly, Sukhdeo Rajbhar.

Jammu, June 21
A few days before the Mughal Road Rally starts, an Assistant Executive Engineer (AEE) of the Public Works Department was killed when a landslide hit his official Bolero vehicle at Peer Ki Gali in Poonch district this morning.

Sources said AEE Mohammad Younus Mughal, along with a Deputy manager (Mughal Road Project) of Hindustan Construction Corporation (HCC), was on his way to inspect the Mughal Road when a landslide hit his official vehicle killing him and critically injuring driver Mukhtar Ahmed. The critically injured driver has been referred to the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Jammu.

However, HCC Deputy Manager Ishwar Singh Arya had a narrow escape. The mishap occurred around 11 am today, sources said.

The body of the AEE, who belonged to Gorsai village in Mendhar tehsil of Poonch, was buried this evening.

SHO, Surankote police station, Paramveer Singh said, “A rescue party was rushed to the area but by then the AEE had died.” He added that the injured driver and the project manager, who was in a state of shock, were rushed to the hospital.

Jammu, June 21
The Crime Branch sleuths today exposed a mass-copying scam allegedly going on in the KC Minerva Higher Secondary School, Ramgarh in Samba district and arrested some impersonators, sources said.

The sources said most of the students appearing in the exams were the government employees and aspirants of promotion. It was a well-organised nexus operating between the students and school officials, which made Rajasthan Vidya Peeth as a centre to conduct the exams.

A police officer said they had seized a number of fake roll numbers, answer sheets, question papers and had taken many students into the custody. Investigations were on in this matter. He also claimed that the answer sheets of the exams conducted earlier were also seized from the spot, as they were lying untied and kept open in a room.

However, no senior police officer was ready to divulge any details about the incident.

Jammu, June 21
With erratic power and water supplies already giving a tough time to people here and other dry land districts of the region, the heatwave may not abate till monsoon hits the state.

“Today we recorded a maximum temperature of 44.2°C at our Chatha observatory, 5.5 notches above normal,” said Dr MK Khushu, Chief Scientist, Agro-Meteorology Division of Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology. The temperature would hover between 44°C and 46°C during this month till monsoon arrives or a Western Disturbance develops over Jammu and Kashmir, he added.

He said there were remote chances of a Western Disturbance developing over the state in June. “Though we are expecting a normal monsoon this year it may get delayed by four to six days,” said Dr Khushu. Normally, monsoon hits the state on June 30, he added. Jammu had yesterday recorded season’s highest temperature at 45.8°C. The maximum ever temperature in Jammu was recorded at our observatory on May 26, 1984 when mercury touched 47.4° C. Meanwhile, sweltering heatwave, erratic water and electricity supplies in Jammu and other dry land districts have been compounding the problems of people here.

“Scarce water and erratic electricity have made our lives miserable,” said a housewife in Upper Lakshmi Nagar. A local leader, Sunil Dimple, expressed regret over nonchalant attitude of the government towards the people of Jammu. Being a capital city the population has increased manifold in the last 20 years but the government has not deemed it fit to go for long-term planning.

The proposal to lift water from the Chenab in Akhnoor to meet the requirement of people here still lies in the cold storage and no real exercise on war footing has been initiated as yet, he said.

Kathua, June 21
Four major rivers and 230 seasonal nullahs have been identified that may cause floods in different parts of the district during the coming rainy season.

The rivers, which flow in the district and are prone to breaches in their embankments with the slightest rise in their water level, are Ujh, Ravi, Naj and Bhini. Besides, flash floods in seasonal nullahs have also in the past taken a heavy toll of life and property in Billawar, Basholi and Bani areas of the district.

These rivers and nullahs were identified during a review meeting regarding the implementation of anti-flood measures to be taken in the coming rainy season.

Additional District Development Commissioner MS Sheikh, who chaired the meeting, directed tehsildars to constitute flood protection coordination committees in every tehsil. These committees would further function as crisis management groups, he said.

It was also decided to set up control rooms at vulnerable places to monitor the status and possibilities of floods, besides setting up a new observatory post near Kathua khad. Such posts are already in operation at Panjtirthi, Billawar, Jakhole, Ujh barrage, Rajbagh, Mukundpur, Korepunoo, Keerian Gandayal and Beril island.

Besides, the Army has been sounded to be in readiness and help the district administration in the event of any emergency. The Army was also requested to put some machinery at the disposal of the Flood Control Division, Kathua.

The meeting identified places like Pancharat Gharas, degree colleges and higher secondary schools where people could be accommodated in the event of their evacuation from flood-affected areas.

The Health Department was directed to make a provision for establishing medical camps with arrangements of antidotes to snakebites, as poisonous reptiles find their way to human habitations during the rainy season.

Srinagar, June 21
At least nine persons, including five employees of BSNL, were injured in four successive attacks by militants amid a complete shutdown in Sopore town of Baramulla district this morning. Another civilian was shot dead by unidentified militants at Arampora on the outskirts of the town last evening.

Five employees of BSNL and a cart-puller were injured when suspected militants hurled a grenade towards the BSNL office near the office of Superintendent of Police, Sopore, around 11 am. Those injured were hospitalised, the police said.Two police constables were injured when suspected militants fired indiscriminately upon a police party at the Main Chowk, Sopore, around 10.30 am. They have been shifted to the SKIMS hospital here.

An SPO, Mushtaq Ahmad, was injured when militants fired upon a search party at Bagat Mohalla in the town. Unidentified militants shot dead Fayaz Ahmad Ganai, a scooter mechanic, at Arampora in the town last evening.