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First day of Ramzan
9 trapped in flash floods rescued
Need to expedite relief, rescue operations: PDP |
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Three militants shot dead in Bandipora
Rajouri Ambush
BSF jawan held for repeatedly raping minor daughter
Army vehicle washed away, 2 jawans rescued
Intrusion bid foiled, militant killed
Jawan dies in hut collapse
Autonomy demand synonymous with independence: VHP
Newly appointed IYC national secy gets warm
‘Anti-India slogans bid to vitiate peace’
Women plant saplings
BJYM vows to hoist Tricolour at Lal Chowk
MC drive against milk adulteration
Four of family killed
in accident
Soldier electrocuted near border
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First day of Ramzan
Srinagar, August 12 “The situation is peaceful throughout the Valley and curfew has been lifted from all parts,” IG, Kashmir Range, Farooq Ahmad said. Schools,colleges and other educational institutions had asked the staff and students to attend the post-afternoon session. People in large numbers started venturing out and shops and other business establishments opened much before the beginning of the relaxation. Traffic also plied normally. Markets in different parts of the Valley were crowded with purchases being made to observe the holy month of Ramzan. “We have come to purchase dates which are an important part of the Islamic culture. These are consumed to break the day-long fast in the evening,” said Tariq Ahmed, a local resident, and added he also bought fresh vegetables, milk and mutton. “ It was on August 8 when we purchased items of daily need.It is now after four days that the markets have opened again,”he said. Meanwhile, as per the protest calendar issued by the separatists, there will be no strike on August 14 whereas August 15 would be observed as a ‘black day’. On August 10, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had sought to calm tensions in the Valley by urging Kashmiris “to give peace a chance”. He held out the possibility of greater autonomy and vowed to address rampant unemployment.
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9 trapped in flash floods rescued
Jammu, August 12 Despite a warning from the civil administration to stay away from rivers and rivulets during the monsoon, those who were trapped in the flash floods today were loading sand and stones in a tractor-trolley. Three persons were trapped in the Belicharana area and six others were stuck near Bhagwati Nagar. They were trapped in the morning and were rescued in the afternoon. A senior police officer said all arrangements had been made to tackle any untoward incident and the Air Force had also been alerted. “No casualty took place and all trapped persons were rescued in the afternoon,” he said. The officer said when the water level receded the trapped people were rescued and the tractor-trolley was taken out safely. In another incident, the boundary wall of the district police lines, Udhampur, collapsed due to rain and the water entered the area. Though water was drained out when the rain stopped, it caused a huge loss to the Police Department. Meanwhile, the Cambel Danga area of Udhampur was indudated with rainwater. Enraged area residents met the Deputy Commissioner and told him about the poor drainage system. The vehicular movement on the Udhampur-Dhar road was suspended for more than four hours, as a heavy rain blocked it. As a result a large number of commuters were stranded. However, the traffic was restored later. Due to continuous rain during the last 24 hours, the water level of the Chenab has increased and it is flowing above the danger mark in Akhnoor and nearby areas. The rain also led to blocking of the Reasi-Katra road for four hours, the Reasi-Shivkhori road for six hours and the Reasi-Mahore road since last midnight.
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Need to expedite relief, rescue operations: PDP
Srinagar, August 12 The party also demanded that the rescue operations to locate missing persons should be accelerated as a large number of people were still untraced. A team of the PDP comprising Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Assembly Sartaz Madani, Nizam-ud Din Bhat and Peerzada Mansoor Hussain is on a visit to different areas of Ladakh to assess the losses due to the flash floods. The team visited the worst-affected areas and Leh town and other affected habitations. It interacted with a cross-section of people. To inquire about the hardships being faced by the people, the team interacted with the leaders of the Ladakh Buddhist Association as well as with representatives of Muslim organisations. The team also met with the representatives of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC). Madani appreciated volunteer services being rendered by local people as well as a large number of foreigners but regretted that the state government was not visible in any area. “Wherever we visited people complained about the failure of the government to provide them with timely relief at the time of calamity,” Madani said. He cautioned the government that the situation was alarming in view of the ensuing winter season and the authorities should not adopt a causal approach in dealing with the situation. “Ironically, the government is not aware of the full extent of the damage but a media hype has been created about the rescue operations just to hoodwink the people,” he said. Madani asked the state government not to take this human tragedy casually. He demanded that the government should rather press all its agencies into service to provide relief to the affected families. The PDP leader demanded that all affected persons should be given compensation and there should be complete transparency. Madani said the PDP team visited the Army hospital to inquire about the condition of those who were injured in the natural calamity. “There is need to provide advanced medical treatment to the injured and teams of specialist doctors should be rushed to Ladakh,” he demanded.
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Three militants shot dead in Bandipora
Srinagar, August 12 Srinagar-based spokesman of the Army Lt-Col JS Brar said, “In an operation in the dense Bandipora forests, our troops killed three terrorists today and seized three AK rifles, 15 magazines and 480 rounds of ammunition, besides other war-like stores. The identity of the slain terrorists is yet to be ascertained.” He said the encounter started when the Army troops on a search operation to flush out the militants hiding in the forests were fired at. The three militants were killed in the gunfight, Brar said. The Army also busted a militant hideout and foiled their plan to disrupt the Independence Day celebrations in the Valley. “In another breakthrough, a joint operation of 29 Rashtriya Rifles and the police seized a cache of arms from Sangrama in Sopore. The seizure included three AK rifles, five pistols with silencers, one rocket-propelled grenade launcher, two under barrel grenade launchers, 19 IEDs, 30 kg of explosives, 11 grenades, two radio sets, besides a large quantity of war-like stores,” Brar said. Jammu:After gunning down a self-styled area commander of the Lashkar-e-Tayyaba (LeT) in the Keshwan area of Kishtwar district last evening, the security forces today continued their search operation to hunt down his associate who was injured in the gunfight. The killed militant was identified as Shabir Ahmed Bhat, son of Ghulam Ali Bhat of Dar Mohalla in Sarawan. “The slain ultra, Shabir Ahmed Bhat, aka Abu Samara of the LeT, had been operating on the Bharat-Keshwan axis for the past one-and- a- half year”, Kishtwar district SSP Hasib Mughal told The Tribune. He along with his associates had been extorting money from contractors, besides trying to revive the LeT by luring youth to join militancy, he said. Various works under the PMGSY were being executed by contractors in Kishtwar and Doda districts and he used to extort money from them, said the officer. Though he joined the Lashkar almost two years ago, he had been a strong overground worker of the outfit since long, said Mughal. Eversince Abu Samara joined the outfit, he had been given charge of Kishtwar district. Regarding the injured associate of the killed militant, the officer said the security forces continued their search operations today.He refused to divulge the identity of the militant.Sources, however, identified him as Abu Hurera, a native of Doda.
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Rajouri Ambush
Jammu, August 12 A woman passenger was killed and 16 others, including two soldiers, were injured when a bus was caught in a crossfire that ensued when militants attacked an Army convoy near the Begu Nullah in Thannamandi tehsil yesterday. However, the police has withdrawn its personnel from the search operation. “Around 4 pm, we called off the search operation, while another civilian, Ghulam Nabi, son of Akbar Ali of Manyal Gali, Thannamandi, succumbed to his injuries in a garrison hospital at Rajouri,” SSP, Rajouri district, RK Jalla told The Tribune. Meanwhile, security forces comprising troops of Army and CRPF continued scanning Begu Nullah and adjoining areas near Azmatabad today to track fleeing ultras, suspected to be three to four in number.
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BSF jawan held for repeatedly raping minor daughter
Jammu, August 12 Sources said the victim was married to Babu Ram of Naunahal in Nowshara.After sometime, her husband became suspicious about her physical relations with someone. On being threatened with divorce, the victim disclosed that she had been repeatedly raped by her father for the last about seven years, sources added. They further said subsequently the two approached the police and filed a The police has registered a case against, the father of the girl, Bhola Ram, on charges of rape under Section 376 of the RPC at Nowshara police station. In her complaint, the girl alleged that when she was studying in Class VII, her father who is posted in the BSF outside the state, raped her when she was alone in the house and threatened her not to disclose it to anybody. The girl further complained that her father used to rape her whenever he came home on leave. The police said a board of doctors had conducted the medical examination of the victim and the report was awaited. Mohd Shaukat Chaudhary, SHO, Nowshara police station, said: “The investigations are on and the accused is doing his duty. After performing the legal duties, he will be arrested”.
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Army vehicle washed away, 2 jawans rescued
Jammu, August 12 Reports said a water dozer of the Army had gone to the Sagalad nullah where it was washed away in the flash floods. Havildar Pintoo Majumdar and Lance Naik Sunil, who were trapped in the floods, were rescued after hectic efforts. Lance Naik Sunil lost his identity card, Rs 1,000 and the documents of the vehicle in the incident that occurred around 3 pm. Rivers and rivulets across the state are in spate due to torrential rain in the upper reaches.
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Intrusion bid foiled, militant killed
Jammu, August 12 “A group of militants tried to intrude into Rajouri from the Peer Badesar area today but it was noticed and challenged by the alert troops,” said Brigadier General Staff of 16 Corps, Brig Satish Dua. In the exchange of fire, one militant was gunned down while four others fled back to the PoK, he added. However, the identity of the slain ultra had not been ascertained so far. An AK-47 rifle and six magazines were seized from the site of the encounter. The incident occurred around 3 pm. Sources in the Army said the militants on the other side of the border were desperate to intrude into the state and create disturbances during the Independence Day celebrations and the Buddha Amarnath yatra. Meanwhile, a soldier died when the thatched roof of a hut caved in during heavy rain in the Balnoi Sagara area in the Mendhar sector late last night. Reports said Havildar Daleep Saikia of Animal Transport 698 Bn was on duty when the hut caved in around 9.30 pm.
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Jawan dies in hut collapse
Jammu, August 12 The PP has pointed out that while the last paragraph of the report names 13 people who ‘died during the agitation’, two of them , namely Sunil Singh and Yougal Kishore, were not killed in police firing at Samba but were murdered due to rivalry among gangsters and that Shri Parihar is conducting the double murder trial in the court. The reporter has clarified that the names were mentioned in the press release issued by the Sangharsh Samiti and that they were included in the report in good faith.
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Autonomy demand synonymous with independence: VHP
Jammu, August 12 The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP)- another constituent of Sangh Parivar, too, has threatened to launch a nationwide mass movement, if any attempt were made to alter the state’s relation with the country. VHP national media incharge Surinder Jain, who was in Jammu, dubbed the demand of greater autonomy synonymous with ‘Azadi (independence)’ and they would not allow any one to disintegrate the country. The VHP head did not mince words in attacking the BJP for not opposing when the issue of the autonomy was raised in the all-party meeting convened by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday to discuss the situation in Kashmir. “It does not matter whether they (BJP leaders) countered those who raised demand of autonomy in the meeting or maintained a silence. The fact is they were party to the decisions taken in that meeting,” Jain said and made it clear State’s accession with the Union of India was irrevocable. He warned the Centre against playing with fire on this issue, as the country would not accept any move to separate Jammu and Kashmir from rest of the nation. RSS leaders, on the other hands, while addressing a press conference, said, “Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India and its fate cannot be decided by a handful of stone throwers who have been encouraged by the appeasement policy of both state and Centre governments”. RSS leader Brig (retd) Suchet Singh said the state’s relations with the country would be decided by the entire nation, not just by the people of Srinagar city. “Before giving statements on autonomy, the Centre should keep in mind that the state comprises the Jammu and Ladakh region also, where the people want total integration with the country,” he said and “The time has come to scrap the special and temporary provision of the Article 370 of the Constitution. Even the separate flag of the state, which has served the purpose of strengthening the voice of separatism must also be done with”. He warned the Centre that people would not accept the proposal of greater autonomy, and in case the government proceeded towards this direction, the people of Jammu and Ladakh would come on roads.
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Newly appointed IYC national secy gets warm
Jammu, August 12 PYC activists, led by president Shoaib Lone and senior vice-president RS Pathania, and NSUI activists led by state president Rashid Choudhary, received Shahnawaz at the railway station. Shahnawaz addressed a gathering of students at the main gate of Jammu University after which students and youth accompanied him to the PCC headquarters in the form of rally that passed through Bahu Plaza, Gandhi Nagar, Asia Hotel, Jewel Bazar, Gumat, and Residency Road before culminating at PCC Bhawan, Shahidi Chowk. Shanawaz, expressed happiness on his inclusion in the national body of IYC and thanked Rahul Gandhi and national president IYC Rajiv Satav, for giving due representation to the youth of state. Shoaib Lone, who presided over the function, described the appointment of Shawanaz as a reward by Rahul Gandhi for his dedication to the organisation.
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‘Anti-India slogans bid to vitiate peace’
Jammu, August 12 According to a JMS handout, the morcha members termed the incident as an attempt to vitiate the peaceful atmosphere and sow seeds of communal hatred among the nationalist and peace loving people of the Jammu region. “Such demonstrations clearly show that there are certain forces that are hell-bent upon disrupting the communal harmony and peaceful atmosphere in the Jammu region,” the morcha members said. They added that “it is surprising that all youths involved in such acts are from the Kashmir valley and some of them are studying to become doctors and lawyers by availing of the subsidised educational facilities being provided by the Indian government, against which they raised the slogans”. The JSM observed that this sort of a behaviour was nothing but provocation to the nationalistic people of Jammu. This happened due to the failure of the state and Central governments to act tough against such elements in the state. Prof Virender Gupta, Capt Anil Gour, Digvijay Singh, Chandra Uday Sharma, Virender Magotra, Divender Singh Jamwal, Balvinder Singh and Surjeet Singh attended the meeting.
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Women plant saplings
Jammu, August 12 The drive would be carried out for a month in different educational institutions. The plantation drive was launched today by chief guest Ashok Gupta, IGP, alongwith Veena Handa, head external affairs and spokesperson for WWAO and chairperson of Handa College of Education. About 100 saplings were planted by the WWAO members and by the staff and the students of the college. Speaking on the occasion, Sneh Bali, convener, WWAO, exhorted upon the women folk to plant at least one sapling on the pious festival of Raksha Bandhan and on the birthdays of their near and dear ones. While appreciating the move, Ashok Gupta said others should also follow the footprints of “Matri Shakti”. He highlighted the need for planting more trees to save the earth from global warming.
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BJYM vows to hoist Tricolour at Lal Chowk
Jammu, August 12 BJYM state president Munish Sharma told this to the media today, while adding that over 100 BJYM activists will leave from Jammu carrying the water of Tawi river on August 14 for the historical Lal Chowk. On reaching Lal Chowk on August 15, the activists will clean the area by the river water before hoisting the Tricolour. Sharma said during the last 20 years of militancy, about 20,000 security personnel sacrificed their lives while performing their duties. “It is due to the supreme sacrifice of the security forces that the people in the state, particularly of Kashmir Valley, are living with dignity and honour,” he said, adding, “Instead of recognising their supreme sacrifices, the government under the appeasement policy has been demoralising them by considering demands like dilution of the AFSPA and constituting Commission of Inquiry against security forces”.
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MC drive against milk adulteration
Jammu, August 12 Beside this, the team also lifted 18 stray animals from Panjthirthi, CPO Chowk, Ambphalla, Manda, New Plot, Paloura, Akhnoor Road, Jewel, Talab Tillo, Railway Road, Channi, Trikuta Nagar, Digana, Gangyal, Satwari, Nai Basti and Gandhi Nagar. The stray animals were impounded in the Municipal Cattle Pound. An amount of Rs 1,750 was realized from the owners of stray animals as compounding fee, besides Rs 3,700 as action fee. |
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Four of family killed
in accident
Jammu, August 12 Mubassir Latiffi, SP, Ramban, said:”All the four persons travelling in the car lost their lives when it fell into the river. A rescue operation has been launched and their family members have been informed”. Though the identity of the deceased had not been established yet, the SP said all belonged to Pampore in Srinagar. Meanwhile, A scooterist was killed in a road mishap, after a speedy Tata Sumo vehicle hit him from behind on the Jammu-Pathankot National Highway at Bari Brahmana in Samba district this morning, the police said. The deceased was taken to the hospital and after conducting the post mortem, the body was handed over to the family. The police seized the Sumo and a case has been registered against the absconding unidentified driver at Bari Brahmana police station. |
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Students protest de-recognition
Jammu, August 12 Despite the assurance by Minister for Medical Education RS Chib, nearly 50 students took to streets and urged the government to intervene into the matter in the interest of their career. The students protested on the college premises in Ambphalla and then demonstrated at Rehari Chungi Chowk disrupting traffic for some time. “The college administration is maintaining silence over the issue. We are worried about our career prospects,” they said Sources said an inspection committee of DCI had in June pointed out crunch in faculty and infrastructure. The committee had directed the college to meet the guidelines that the latter failed within the prescribed time. Faculty members of the college, however, refused to comment on the issue.
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Soldier electrocuted near border
Jammu, August 12 “Sepoy Sham Kumar of Bihar Regiment was checking Army’s telephone lines when he sustained an electric shock at Surey Chak village in Arnia,” a police officer from Arnia police station said. The soldier died while being shifted to hospital, he said, adding that the body was handed over to the Army after autopsy. |
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On the first day of the holy month of Ramzan, there was relative calm in the Kashmir valley with the curfew being lifted from all regions and separatists giving a half-day relaxation in the strike.
Nine persons were trapped in flash floods in the Tawi triggered by rain in the upper reaches of the region today.
