Jammu, November 11
The family of Priyadarshini Mattoo here has decided to file a review petition in the Supreme Court.

After the CBI decided not to file an appeal against the Supreme Court’s verdict in the Priyadarshini Mattoo murder case, her family decided to file the review petition on its own, seeking harsher punishment for the accused. It had blamed the CBI for allegedly working under pressure.

On October 6 this year, the apex court commuted the death sentence to life term of Santosh Singh, son of an IPS officer, who had been found guilty of raping and killing 25-year-old Priyadarshini, a third-year law student, in January 1996.

Rajeshwari Mattoo, mother of Priyadarshini, said, “We are not only going to file a review petition in the Supreme Court but also demand the setting up of an independent commission of legal experts to revisit the case.”

She added, “We are surprised why the Union Home Ministry is silent over this issue. It should take the initiative to set up an independent commission to look into the matter and take the views of legal experts.”

Chaman Lal Mattoo, father of Priyadarshini, said, “We will fight for justice. We want to expose the CBI and its connivance with the accused.” He praised the efforts of the media in supporting their cause. “We battled in a court of law for nearly 15 years, but at the end of the day what we got was betrayal by the CBI. What else could we say,” he added.

Jammu, November 11
The Governor, N. N. Vohra, today said the talented youth of Jammu and Kashmir, if given the required opportunities, had a high potential of competing successfully with the best in the country.

He was addressing the annual function of the Islamia Faridiya Educational and Research Institute at Kishtwar.

Asserting that in the 21st century, knowledge was recognised as the key driving force for securing rapid growth and development, the Governor said the education sector needed high attention for ensuring that the state youth received quality education to meet the challenges.

Referring to the situation which obtained in the Kashmir valley during the past few months, he observed that, among other serious consequences, it caused an irreparable loss to the career advancement of students at all levels. He stressed that whatever be the issues within “our democratic framework, the children’s education must not be disturbed or disrupted under any circumstances”.

He appreciated the management of the Institute for setting up a higher secondary school and a college of education to provide high-quality education to the students in the far-flung areas of Kishtwar.

He appreciated the physical display, skit and other cultural items presented by the students and announced a reward of Rs 10,000 to be distributed among all those who participated in the programme. He also announced another Rs 90,000 for the library of the Institute.

He invited the Principal to arrange visits of meritorious students, along with their teachers, to Raj Bhavan, Jammu, every year.

Referring to the cultivation of good quality saffron in the Kishtwar area, he underscored the need for raising its production to benefit the growers as well as to boost the economy of this district.

He also stressed that all development and welfare schemes being implemented in the far-flung areas of this remote district must be completed in a time-bound manner to ensure speedy progress.

The Governor also asked the Deputy Commissioner to take strict measures to ensure against the road accidents which regularly took a heavy toll.

The Governor was honoured on the occasion by performing “dastarbandi by the Vice- Chancellor, Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University, Rajouri, Prof I. A. Hamal.The Governor was also presented the Guard-of-Honour by the students on arrival.

Jammu, November 11
They are facing trials for serious offences like rape, murder and militancy-related activities and are well above 16 years of age, but they still continue to live in the Juvenile Observation Home in violation of the Juvenile Act.

Though The Tribune had highlighted the issue in its columns on July 14, 2009, two of the four inmates, who had crossed the age of 16 and were facing trial for rape, murder and militancy-related activities, continued to live with juveniles at the juvenile home in RS Pura, near here.

Under the Juvenile Act, observation homes are meant for inmates up to 16 years of age. “There are two inmates, who are above 16 years and are facing trial for rape, murder and militancy-related activities,” said a senior officer of the Social Welfare Department.

“Though the court concerned did tell us about the sections and the charges levelled against them, at the same time it asked us not to interpret the law. Hence, we had no option but to keep them at the observation home”, he added.

Even the Superintendent of the observation home had refused to receive the two inmates — Fayaz Ahmed Bhat and Mohammed Imran — because they were above the age of 16 when they were sent there, said the officer. By their physical appearance and documents, their age appeared to be between 23 and 25, he added.

On numerous occasions, the officer concerned had written letters to the Director, Social Welfare, who, in turn approached the Secretary, Social Welfare, to shift the two inmates, but to no avail.

“After the Juvenile Welfare Board was constituted, we took up the matter with it and even the Jammu Deputy Commissioner was apprised about the matter,” the officer said. “In my opinion and in fact, the legal experts also say that if an undertrial crosses the age of 16, he should not be kept in a juvenile observation home,” he added.

The officer said the government knew about the stay of Fayaz and Imran in violation of the Juvenile Act.

Sources at the observation home disclosed that the two in the recent times had intimidated and harassed other inmates, forcing the home authorities to keep them in separate rooms.

Fayaz, a resident of Wakoora in Ganderbal, was brought to the observation home in March last year from the Srinagar Central Jail, while Imran, a resident of Tandi village in Khaniyar district, had been staying there for the past four-and-a-half years.

Srinagar, November 11
Life was disrupted across the Kashmir valley today in response to a bandh call given by the Geelani faction of the Hurriyat Conference, while curfew restrictions were imposed on the Palhalan and Delina areas of Baramulla district as a precautionary measure.

All shops and business establishments were closed in major markets while these were open in several other areas and in major towns of the Valley. Government offices, educational institutions, banks and government and private institutions functioned in certain areas. Private vehicles were plying in areas of Srinagar, other major towns and on inter-district routes.

The curfew was imposed on Palhalan and Delina villages along the Srinagar-Baramulla highway as a precautionary measure, the police here said.

Most of the people have been defying the restrictions recently for different reasons. Some are of the view that they are fed up with the continued strikes, which have resulted in heavy losses to the business community and workers. Many other feel that the comparatively lukewarm response to the recent strike calls has been is the result of the arrangements for the forthcoming Eid festival and the ongoing examinations.

The hardline Hurriyat Conference chairman, Syed Ali Geelani, as per the fresh protest calendar for November 9 -20, had also called for a bandh on Saturday and Monday. However, in view of the Eid-ul-Azha celebrations and Urs of Mir Syed Ali Hamdani, popularly known as Shah-e-Hamdan, the call was later withdrawn. He further gave a strike call for November 20 which had earlier been declared as a normal working day. 

Srinagar, November 11
Prof Navnita Chadha Behra, a member of the Special Task Force (STF), which was set up to look into development needs of the Ladakh region and make recommendations, visited Kargil district today. Ms Behra,who was accompanied by Aamir Ali, OSD, Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, is scheduled to hold meetings with members of the Ladakh Hill Development Council, Kargil, at Drass, Kargil and Leh.

People of Kargil have been demanding the construction of a tunnel at Zojila as the area remains cut off through surface transport for six months due to the closure of the Pass during the winter. A tunnel of 3.1 km length at Z-Morh between Gagangeer and Sonamarg and another of 12 km length at Zojila is required to provide all-weather road connectivity. Tenders have been issued by the BRO for engaging consultants for preparing feasibility reports and detailed project reports. The other demands are the construction of a road from Kargil to Zanskar, financial assistance for the Ice Hockey Ring at Kargil, the extension of an air strip to Kargil and the construction of the Jasgun-Faroona tunnel for diversion of the Drass river.

The Centre had set up an STF each for the Jammu and Ladakh regions.The terms of reference of the task force for Ladakh are to identify special development needs of the region and suggest measures in this regard.It also has to examine the allocation to the region in terms of the infrastructure needs and make recommendations in three months, an official spokesman said.

Dr Narendra Jadhav, Member, Planning Commission, is the Chairperson of the STF for Ladakh.The other members are Joint Secretary, (Planning), Ministry of Finance, Dr Asgar Hassan Samoon, Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, Prof Akhtar Majeed, the Director, Centre for Federal Studies, the Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences, Hamdard University, New Delhi, and Dr Navnita Chadha Behra, Prof , Department of Political Science, University of Delhi. 

Jammu, November 11
The action of the Commandant 80 Bn BSF, Ramtirath, Amritsar, in ordering the dismissal of Tilak Raj from service vide order dated March 22, 2003, got a boost when Justice Sunil Hali of the J&K High Court of Jammu Judicature dismissed the writ petition of the delinquent official.

An appeal preferred against the said order too was dismissed by the Headquarters, Punjab Frontier, BSF, Jalandhar Cantt (Punjab) vide a communication of November 4, 2003.

The respondents challenged the jurisdiction of the court to entertain the writ petition contending that no cause of action had accrued to the petitioner at Jammu and all that had been done was the communication of the dismissal order at Jammu.

The High Court, while dismissing the writ petition, observed that “Be that as it may, the decision of the Commandant 80 Bn BSF, Ramtirath, Amritsar, in exercise of the power vested in him under Section 11 of the Act, having taken beyond the jurisdiction of this court, may not provide any cause of action to the petitioner to file the petition in this court merely because the decision of the Commandant had been conveyed to the petitioner in the state of Jammu and Kashmir.

The communication of the decision of the Commandant to the petitioner within the jurisdiction of this court is not a material fact which would entitle the petitioner to a judgement in his favour.

All those things that are required to be proved by the petitioner to get a judgement in his favour having happened beyond the territorial jurisdiction of this court, the additional factor of the communication of the dismissal order, cannot be said to have provided the cause of action or part thereof to the petitioner within the territorial jurisdiction of the court.”

Jammu, November 11
Taking strong note of the repeated remarks of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on the accession of the state to India, the BJP today suggested the Chief Minister to read through the Constitution of the state thoroughly before giving such “irresponsible” statements.

In a statement issued here today, BJP spokesperson Nirmal Kamal said, “It is very unfortunate that our state has a Chief Minister who is arrogant enough to not understand the ground realities of the state from both historical and constitutional points of view”.

She said the repeated utterances of the Chief Minister on the issue and his “arrogance” to refuse to retract from his statement spoke volumes about his ignorance on the subject.

Taking a cue from the statement of Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) chief Saifuddin Soz, who had advised Omar to read the autobiography of his grandfather, the BJP spokesperson said the Chief Minister must take out some time to go through the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir before giving such “childish” statements.

She demanded that Omar Abdullah should take back his statement or apologise for his repeated utterances otherwise the people of the state would pressurise him to step down.

She reminded Omar Abdullah of his speech in Parliament in 2008 in which he had stated not to give even a single inch of land for Amarnath pilgrims.

“The people of the state had to face the brunt of the irresponsible statement of Omar Abdullah in Parliament”, she observed and added that now as a Chief Minister, he was repeating the same blunder.

“Shockingly, the communal utterance of the same Omar Abdullah became his qualification to become the Chief Minister of the state. The UPA government, without understanding serious consequences, gave him more breathing space to remain in power,” she said, adding, “Before more damage is done, the Central Government should take cognisance of the matter with a serious and sincere approach”.

Jammu, November 11
Minister for Higher Education Abdul Gani Malik has stressed the need to respect the ideals of great leaders and educationists for steering the younger generation on the path of progress, prosperity and harmonious living.

The minister made this statement while speaking at a function held in the Government Women College, Gandhi Nagar, to mark the National Education Day, coinciding with the birth anniversary of the 1st Education Minister of Independent India, Moulana Abdul Kalam Azad.

Throwing light on his contributions, the minister said Moulana Abul Kalam Azad worked hard to spread education in every nook and corner of the country, especially in rural areas, to uplift the downtrodden.

Besides, numerous reformative measures were introduced in the education sector during his tenure, adding new dimensions of vital importance to it.

Malik said the Moulana launched a crusade against illiteracy and superstition, thus, paving the way for building a strong edifice of the modern education system. He said his relentless efforts, coupled with a broader vision, helped the country to promote planned socio-economic development leading to faster economic growth soon after achieving Independence.

The minister also highlighted the coalition government’s initiatives taken to enhance the education standards in the state and said education was the only potent tool to liberate the society from the web of ignorance and other social evils.

He appealed to the parents, especially those living in rural and far-off pockets, to send their wards to educational institutions to ensure a bright tomorrow for them.

The Director of Colleges, Sham Lal Gupta, too, spoke on the occasion and said teachings of great leaders were of utmost significance to add to social, economic and political empowerment of the country.

The college also organised skits, slogan-writing competition and other events on the occasion. The minister distributed prizes among the toppers.

Jammu, November 11
To celebrate the birth anniversary of the first Union Education Minister, Moulana Abdul Kalam Azad, the Department of School Education organised various functions here today.

The day started with a rally comprising hundreds of students drawn from different schools of the Jammu region. The rally, which started from Government Girls High School, Gandhi Nagar, was flagged off by Commissioner/Secretary, Education Department, Naseema Lanker and Director, School Education, Zahida Khan. It passed through the streets and bazaars of Gandhi Nagar. The students were holding placards highlighting the importance of the day.

Meanwhile, an impressive function was held at Government Boys Higher Secondary School, Gandhi Nagar, on the occasion.

Minister for Revenue and Rehabilitation Raman Bhalla was the chief guest of the function while Naseema Lanker was the guest of honour. The Director, School Education, presided over the function.

The highlights of the function were a quiz competition on the life of Moulana Azad and skits presented by the students on the importance of education. Speaking on the occasion, Bhalla appreciated the efforts of the students. Naseema in her address said the government had started various schemes to eradicate illiteracy from the state.

Zahida said education was key to success. Among the six teams, the team of Government Boys Higher Secondary School, Bahu Fort, won the quiz contest. The other teams were Government Ranbir Higher Secondary School; Government Girls Higher Secondary School (GGHSC), Nawabadh; GGHSC, Shastri Nagar; and GGHSS, Mubarak Mandi.

Jammu, November 11
Panun Kashmir chairman Ashwani Kumar Chrungoo today expressed satisfaction with the declarations made, particularly regarding terrorism and Pakistan, in the joint statement issued after the summit meet of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and US President Barack Obama in New Delhi recently.

According to a statement issued here, in a meeting of its Political Affairs Committee held under the chairmanship of ML Raina, Chrungoo said the joint statement gave continuity to the position already taken in the November 2009 and July 2010 joint statements of the two countries in which it was said that ‘the terror camps operating on the soil of Pakistan shall be eliminated’.

“The statement that ‘safe havens for terrorists and infrastructure for terrorism and violent extremism are not acceptable and must be defeated’ must be followed by action since these ‘safe havens’ have actually become terror factories aimed at destroying Indian interests, at both eastern and western frontiers of Pakistan,” he said.

He added India had been the worst hit of these ‘terror factories’ being run in Pakistan under state patronage for the last three decades.

Speaking on the occasion, Raina appreciated the concern expressed by Obama regarding the protection and promotion of human rights in countries around India.

“Similarly, the human rights of the displaced community of Kashmir need protection. The displaced minority Hindu community of Kashmir has been the worst hit of the human rights violations here over the past two decades,” he said.

He added there was an important need to dispel the perception of confining terror crimes to the 26/11 incident only.

The Panun Kashmir demanded that the international community should take cognisance of reports, assessments, analysis and orders of various national and international human rights bodies regarding the grave human rights violations of Hindus in the state.

Virender Raina, national spokesperson of the Panun Kashmir, said the world must be told that Pakistan had to be made accountable for the terror crimes, human rights violations, drugs and weapons trade, fundamentalist ideology and mushroom terror camps on its soil.

Jammu, November 11
A 24-year-old Army jawan of 8 Jak-Li and a 10-year-old girl, both relatives, were killed in a road mishap after their motorcycle collided head-on with a bus at Bal Shama village in the Dharamsal area of Rajouri district this afternoon.

The police said 11 passengers of the bus also sustained severe injuries, as the bus overturned when the driver tried to save the motorcyclist. It added that the bus was going to Jammu from Rajouri while the motorcycle was going to Rajouri.

The police said the deceased, Army jawan Surinder Kumar, a resident of Sunderbani, who was on leave, and Seema Devi, a resident of Bal Bakhtar, were declared dead on the spot. Kamleshwar, SHO, Dharamsal police station said, “The duo were on their way to attend a function when the accident occurred.”

The bodies were sent to the Government Hospital, Rajouri, for post-mortem, he added. — TNS