Jammu, November 30
The state government today superseded the management of Jammu and Kashmir Co-operative Housing Society Ltd, Jammu, on the basis of an inquiry report that revealed financial irregularities in the corporation and was considering the initiation of legal proceedings against it.

The inquiry committee included junior auditor Ravinder Suri, deputy registrar RC Sharma and joint registrar VK Shrma. The committee was constituted by the registrar of the housing society, MA Dar, on October 20 this year to verify the findings of an earlier probe that was started in August 24.

“The government has superseded the management of the corporation and the Deputy Commissioner, Jammu, has been given the additional charge of its chairmanship,” Minister of State for Co-operatives Manohar Lal told the Tribune.

However, members of the management termed the action “politically motivated” and said it was a step towards curbing the co-operative movement in the state.

Chairman of the housing society Yashveer Jasrotia said: “The government’s move has been influenced by the land mafia as it had received a setback in the real estate business due to the strengthening of the co-operative movement.”

“The government is bent upon curbing the people’s movement, as over the past few months, it has superseded managerial bodies of co-operative schools and the bank also,” he said and added, “I would talk to the Chief Minister before challenging the government’s decision in this regard.”

The probe report stated that none of the projects in which two and three-bedroom sets or plots had to be distributed proved to be successful due to the messy affairs of the management.

The proposed plots and houses were to be distributed to registered people of the societies belonging to lower income groups on an instalment basis.

“The present management of the Jammu and Kashmir Co-operatives Housing Society Ltd, Jammu, has caused a Rs 125-crore loss to the state exchequer due to its irregularities,” the report stated.

It divulged that out of 39 housing societies affiliated to the corporation, only seven societies approached for annual statutory audit, while the rest remained dormant citing support of the apex institution.

“The management of the corporation has no locus standi. Apparently, the corporation has failed on all fronts. The structure of the apex institution has collapsed due to administrative failure,” the report added.

The report indicted Yashveer Jasrotia, who is also the chairman of the Goodwill Co-operative House Building Society Ltd (CHBS), Kathua. Being a chairman of another housing society while holding the same post in the corporation is against the norms.

Also, the Goodwill Society operated its bank accounts from Jammu, which is beyond its operational area.

The report also accused the managing director of the corporation, Brij Bhushan Sharma, of overlooking the rules and recommended the taking away of his financial powers.

The seven-member executive board of the corporation has already completed its three-year term and the process of election for the next term is on.

Jammu, November 30
Ten students of Government Maulana Azad Memorial College were selected by IBM here today. The students were recruited for Business Process Outsourcing/Outputs (BPOs) and they would initially work as Executive Operations (EOs).

The college organised a placement programme today in which these 10 students of BA and B.Sc final year were selected. The students were provided selection letters by the company.

Dr Rajshri Dhar, Professor, Mathematics Department of the college, and a representative from IBM conducted the programme.

While talking to The Tribune, Rahshri said this placement programme was first of its kind in the college. “The programme was conducted for the benefit of the college students,” she added.

Rajshri said the 10 students, who were selected out of 100 students, would work as EOs in IBM company after graduation.

“After completing their graduation, these students will approach the company, which will appoint them instantly. Their first posting will be at Gurgaon,” said Rajshri.

While sharing their happiness with The Tribune, Arvind, a student, said, “IBM selected me today. I was not expecting that I would get such a big opportunity in life.”

Expressing gratitude to the Principal of the college, Touqir Reyaz, another student, said, “I am fortunate enough to get this opportunity. Now, I can do much better in future. Such placement programmes help students make better careers.”

Sharing similar views, Prabjot Singh, a college student, said, “We (final year students) are lucky as we got this opportunity. The college organised such a placement programme for the first time and we got selected out of 100 students who participated in it.”

Amjid Hussain, another student, said, “Such programmes provide a lot of exposure to the students. We have learnt many new things and it makes us feel that we are progressing.”

The Principal of the College, Prof Ajeet Angral, said, “I always try to help students and it was a step in this direction. We will organise more such programmes for the benefit of other students of the college as well.”

Jammu, November 30
The Jammu and Kashmir Finance Commission, headed by Mehmood-ur-Rehman, presented its report to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah here today.

The report would be tabled in the legislature in the ensuing budget session.

The commission comprised Chairman Mehmood-ur-Rehman and members Nisar Ali, Sonam Dawa and Swami Raj Sharma, while Yedullah served as Secretary and GR Malik and AK Suri as consultants.

On the occasion of the presentation of the report, Minister for Finance Abdul Rahim Rather, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister BB Vyas and Commissioner-Secretary, Finance, Sudhanshu Pandey were present.

The Chairman apprised the Chief Minister that all aspects relevant to the terms and references of the commission had been adequately addressed while formulating the report, particularly to enable the state government further widen and deepen the development process across the state, particularly in the far-flung and remote areas.

Srinagar, November 30
The Director-General of Police, Kuldeep Khoda, said today that the three militants,who were killed in an encounter at Qamarwari here yesterday, were local militants and were part of a module of the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM).

Addressing mediapersons here,he also rebutted a claim of senior National Conference leader and MP from Baramulla, Shariefuddin Shariq, that those killed were students. One of the militants was a relative of the MP, who had described the killing as a “cold-blooded murder”.

Giving the details, the DGP said the militants were part of a JeM module headed by Waseem Raja Guru of the Sopore area and were using a rented accommodation of one of the slain militants, Arshid Bashir, as a hideout. The module was also involved in the killing of two CRPF men on November 10 at Pattan.

Guru,who had gone for training across the border in 1991 and returned in 1994, was working as a battalion commander of the outfit in Sopore. He was booked under the PSA in 2007 and released in 2008. However, he had been active since then and was categorised as an ‘A’ category militant in 2009.

Zahoor Ahmad Hajam (30) was a local militant, affiliated with the Al-Badar outfit and had code names of Tanveer and Imran. He was arrested in 2004 by the 15 Rashtriya Rifles at Hospital Road, Bandipora. A pistol with a magazine and seven rounds were recovered from his possession. On the basis of information provided by him, another militant, Hilal Ahmad Shah,belonging to the area, was apprehended and seven hand grenades were recovered from his possession. Residents of Bandipore, however, alleged that Hajam was innocent and pursuing his studies.

Another slain militant, Arshad Bashir from Alsafa Colony, Sopore, had passed the Class XII examination in 2010 and had got admission to Degree College, Bemina. He had close links with militant outfits and his house was raided in 2009 by the police and the Army following reports about the presence of JeM militants there. He had developed links with Guru in 2008-2009.

He said investigations into the killing of the three militants were still on and there were linkages with stone throwers.

Khoda said. “We are moving in a positive direction and will be able to get to it.”

He said the motorcycle, which the militants rode yesterday, was registered.

The police had earlier claimed that a number of motorcycles without registrations were plying in the city which were used by stone throwers to avoid identification. It had also claimed that militants too indulged in stone throwing and there were links between them, separatist organisations and militants. 

Srinagar, November 30
Demonstrations and stone throwing incidents were reported from Qamarwari here today following the killing of three militants in the area yesterday.

An incident of stone throwing was reported from the Bemina crossing this after noon. The police, however, exercised maximum restraint to avoid any mishap. Later, the miscreants were chased away and the situation was brought under control. No one was hurt in the incident, a police spokesman said.

Another incident was reported from the Qamarwari area this evening, where some miscreants threw stones on the police and security forces. This attempt, too, was foiled by timely intervention of the police. 

Srinagar, November 30
Expressing concern about the alleged killing of innocent people in Kashmir, PDP President Mehbooba Mufti said here today the ruling National Conference had once again brought back the black era of terror of the period of 1996-2002 to the state.

Addressing a one-day convention of district committees of Pulwama and Shopian here today, Mehbooba Mufti reminded the people that during its tenure, the PDP- led government had established peace and tranquility in the state and restored dignity and honour of the people. “On the one hand, development activities were stepped up while on the other hand,a conducive atmosphere was created for initiating the peace process in the state”, she said.

The PDP chief, according to a spokesman, said POTA was revoked and the Special Task Force disbanded to restore confidence of the people.

“The PDP had pioneered the process of peace and reconciliation which yielded encouraging results”, she said, and reminded that it was due to the efforts of the then PDP government that borders were opened and human right violations were checked. She regretted that the National Conference-led government had spoiled the atmosphere created by the PDP-led government.

Mehbooba alleged that after completing the first circle of terror in which 111 people were killed this year, “now this regime has started another round of killings in the name of militancy”. 

Srinagar, November 30
Minister for Finance and Ladakh Affairs AR Rather in the presence of Minister for CAPD and Transport Qamar Ali Akhoon inaugurated a sub-treasury at Tai-Suru and a business unit of Jammu and Kashmir Bank, besides an ATM at Baroo in Kargil district today.

Speaking on the occasion, Rather asked the officers of accounts and treasuries to dedicate themselves to the service of people to meet their development aspirations. He said the treasuries were the face of good governance, the efficiency of which had a direct bearing on the welfare of people as well as the financial complexion of the state.

Responding to the demands put forth by people, Rather said the construction of 106 km Panikhar-Pahalgam road would be taken up soon after the ongoing survey was completed. He said the construction of the Zojilla tunnel was being explored vigorously to provide round-the-year road connectivity to the people of the Ladakh region.

Akhoon said the Centre had agreed to providing funds for the upgrading of the Kargil Airport. He said the authority for the priority of air tickets to Kargil should be with the Ministry of Ladakh Affairs.

Jammu, November 30
Two activists of the Jammu Joint Students’ Federation (JJSF) were detained by the police for disrupting a seminar organised by the Government Gandhi Memorial Science College here today. Both were later released in the evening.

They were state JJSF vice-president Mohammd Arif and college vice-president Jyoti Choudhary.

The college had organised a seminar on Sher-e-Kashmir Employment Policy. Minister for Information Technology Aga Syed Ruhulla Mehdi was the chief guest on the occasion.

However, the JJSF activists alleged that the seminar had being organised in the college by the National Conference.

When the chief guest briefed the students about the employment policy, the JJSF activists raised slogans against him and the government.

They alleged that the government was playing with the sentiments of the people of Jammu. Some other students soon joined them and boycotted the seminar under the leadership of Mohammad Arif, Jyoti Choudhary, JJSF city president Rahul Ghai and Yogesh Talwar.

Later, they gheraoed the minister and the Principal of the college, MS Balloria, to show their resentment.

However, the Principal said the seminar was conducted peacefully despite some obstruction caused by a few students. He said the seminar was conducted to make the students aware about the employment policy.

Jammu, November 30
A five-year-old girl was allegedly abducted and raped at Badyal Chak village in Akhnoor tehsil here last night. The daughter of a migrant couple, the girl was abducted last night when the family had gone to attend a marriage in the vicinity.

The police said at that time, a 20-year-old youth of the area abducted the girl from the marriage party when she was playing with other children of the area and took her to a forest and raped her. After committing the crime, the youth again left the girl in the marriage party, it added.

The incident came to light this morning when the mother of the victim was preparing her for the school and found bloodstains on her trousers. She found her daughter bleeding, the police said.

It added that the mother asked the girl what happened to her and the girl disclosed that Ashwani Kumar of their locality committed the crime.

The mother of the victim further alleged that the accused had threatened her daughter not to disclose anything to anyone, the police said. The parents of the girl lodged a complaint against the accused at Akhnoor police station today. Acting on the complaint, a police party nabbed the accused when he was trying to run away.

Naresh Sharma, SHO, Akhnoor police station said, “A case under Section 376 of the RPC has been registered in this regard and the accused, Ashwani, has confessed to his crime.” He further said the accused and the victim were known to each other, as they reside in the same area. Sharma said the accused was a vagabond and worked at a welding shop.

Meanwhile, the police took the girl to a government hospital for her medical examination. “It appears that the girl has been raped, but we are awaiting her medical report,” said Sharma.

It is to mention here that the victim’s parents live in a small quarter and work as labourers.

Jammu, November 30
A woman got severely injured when a Maruti car she was driving rolled down near Nandani village on Jammu-Srinagar National Highway today.

Naseem, a resident of Roop Nagar, was on her way to attend a marriage in Batote when she lost control over the vehicle and it rolled down, the police said.

It said the car was badly damaged and the injured was rushed to the Government Medical College and Hospital here, where her condition was said to be critical.

Mushtaq, her husband, said his wife’s condition was critical and the reason behind the mishap would only be ascertained when she gave her statement. Meanwhile, the Jhajjar Kotli police has started investigations into this incident.

Meanwhile, a Tata Sumo vehicle killed an eight-year-old girl at Bal Shama village in Sunder Bani tehsil of Rajouri district yesterday, the police said.

The mishap took place around 9:45 am when the driver of the Tata Sumo going from Jammu to Poonch lost control over it and crushed the girl , the police added.

It said the deceased identified as Rozia Beghum, a student of Class II and resident of Bal Shama, was going to the school when the accident took place.

The driver of the vehicle, Sajid Ali, a resident of Surankote in Poonch, tried to run away leaving the damaged vehicle, but was chased away and caught by people. He was handed over to the police.

Jammu, November 30
The Kathua police yesterday rearrested the president of the Kashmir Bar Association, Mian Abdul Qayoom, three days after the J&K High Court released him from the Kot Bhalwal jail following the quashing of his detention order.

A senior police officer said Qayoom was arrested on the charge of instigating people to wage a war against the country and was kept in the Hiranagar jail in Kathua district.

He was produced before a court, which sent him to 10 days of judicial custody in the Kot Bhalwal jail, the officer added.

Earlier, he was released on November 27 after the High Court quashed his almost five-month detention under the Public Safety Act.

Jammu, November 30
The Samba police arrested six gamblers and seized Rs 1,160 from their possession at Ghagwal in Samba district this afternoon.

It said those arrested were Saroop, Jaspal, Paglu Ram, Ganesh, Kartik and Bhagirath, all residents of Bilaspur in Chhattisgarh, and were at present residing at Ghagwal.

A case has been registered at Samba police station.