Jammu, January 12
The police arrested two militants, who had surrendered earlier, and two natives of West Bengal from the Janipur area here late last night and seized fake currency notes worth Rs 1.5 lakh, 10 letterheads of the Hizbul Mujahideen and some other incriminating documents from their possession.

The police said the accused had come from Delhi by train, but due to the partial closure of the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway yesterday, they stayed in the Janipur area. “Acting on intelligence inputs, we raided a house in Janipur and nabbed all of them,” said Jai Paul Sharma, SHO, Janipur police station. He said the accused had come to deliver the fake currency worth Rs 1.5 lakh to the district commander of the Hizbul Mujahideen in Srinagar, which they had taken from Saleem Khan in Delhi. “During interrogation, the accused revealed that the money was to be used to lure Kashmir youths to join the Hizbul Mujahideen,” added Jai Paul.

During interrogation, the accused revealed that the money was to be used to lure Kashmir youths to join the Hizbul Mujahideen — Jai Paul Sharma, SHO, Janipur police station

Those arrested were identified as Shahid Mubarak, Shoqat Ahmed, both former militants and residents of Kulgam in the Kashmir valley, and Shaqil Mubarak Bhat and Shabir, both residents of Kali Chowk in West Bengal.

On the other hand, sources said though the police claimed to have arrested the four persons with fake currency and letterheads of the Hizbul Mujahideen, two of them reportedly went to Janipur police station last night following a verbal duel over the fake money.

They added that the two persons, who went to the police station, were in an inebriated condition and told the police that their other two associates had run away with Rs 1.5 lakh, which they were to divide equally. Acting on the information, the police launched a hunt to nab the other two and during the course of investigation found that the two of the four persons involved in the case were militants, who had surrendered earlier, and the money was fake, which was to be sent to Srinagar for terrorist activities.

However, a senior police officer said the police acted on a tip-off and arrested the four persons from Janipur. The money seized from their possession was in the denomination of Rs 1,000 and Rs 500. The officer added that the money was found to be fake. The police said it was investigating the matter. A case has been registered at Janipur police station.

Srinagar, January 12
The first three positions in the Class X examinations, the results of which were declared here yesterday, have gone to girls from Srinagar and Baramulla schools, while a boy has secured the fourth position. Sana Fayaz of Presentation Convent, Srinagar, got the first position securing 99 per cent marks (495 out of 500), while the second position was shared by three students, Sana Shafiq of Woodlands House, Srinagar, Parul Khishoo of Presentation Convent and Nisheet Zeba of Mallinson Girls School, Srinagar. The third position went to Rimsha Jan of Public School, Baramulla.

The examinations were conducted by the State Board of School Education (BOSE) and 56,358 candidates from the Kashmir valley had appeared.This is for the first time that the BOSE adopted the grading system of marking in the exams. The pass percentage in the Class X examinations is 65.98 per cent. Out of 56,358 candidates, who appeared in the Class X examinations held in October last year, 33,093 were declared successful, while 4,092 others passed barring in one subject and they could get admission to the next class on the condition of clearing the backlog. A total of 19,173 candidates failed in the exams, according to the result gazette issued here today.

Though most of the schools in Srinagar and other urban centres suffered a lot due to the unrest in the past five months, the functioning of the schools in the rural areas had been near normal during the period.

In view of the loss of study time leading to the incomplete coverage of the syllabi, the government had decided to give multiple choice question papers to the students appearing in the Class X and XII examinations. The students appearing in the two examinations had to take papers for only 50 per cent of their syllabi as part of the relaxation given by the government in the wake of the turmoil.

Jammu, January 12
Stressing the need for creating requisite infrastructure for the cross-LoC trade, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) patron and former Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed demanded that free movement of people and commodities should be allowed across the LoC.

Addressing a function at Jammu here today, Mufti said the opening of the cross- LoC trade was the most significant and historic Confidence-Building Measure (CBM) that needed to be further facilitated for the peace and prosperity in
the region.

The PDP patron regretted that the present government headed by the National Conference not only failed to facilitate this trade but also reversed the whole process. “What to talk of exploring fresh trade avenues between two divided sides of Jammu and Kashmir, the present government has even hampered the cross-LoC trade through unnecessary restrictions,” Mufti said, adding that the trade and travel across the LoC had become possible only due to the efforts of the previous PDP-Congress regime in the state.

“Through its conviction and vision, the previous PDP-Congress regime had convinced both India and Pakistan to announce CBMs for restoring peace in the region. The decision to open the LoC for travel and trade was one of the biggest and historic CBMs which has brought unprecedented relief to the people of the state,” he added.

Mufti said opening of the LoC for free movement of people and goods had become a stepping-stone towards forging a new economic alliance in the region.

Advocating dismantling of the barriers for a hassle-free cross- LoC trade, he said the restrictions imposed on the free movement of people and commodities had deprived the region of the vast potential of economic activities that could had transformed the lives of the people.

Emphasising on creating requisite infrastructure for further facilitating the trade, Mufti stressed the need for a credible banking back-up and proper communication system for trans-LoC trade to harness its potential.

He also demanded that travel across the LoC should not be confined only to divided families.

Jammu, January 12
The New Young Blood Organisation, an NGO, celebrated Lohri with the inmates of Vridh Ashram at Ambphalla here today. The office-bearers of the NGO led by its president Ashok Verma and SS Shingari distributed fruits, sweets and peanuts among the inmates.

“We have been celebrating festivals with the inmates of the ashram for the past 11 years. It brings smile on their faces and gives us a sense of satisfaction,” said Verma, who urged people to spare time and come forward to help these old and infirm people at the Vridh Ashram.

Away from their near and dear ones, the inmates of the ashram appreciated the NGO’s gesture.

“They reminded me of my children and grandchildren with whom I used to celebrate every festival,” said a septuagenarian, who refused to divulge his identity.

“I still remember how my grandchildren used to make a bonfire to be lit in the evening and how the entire family used to come home early from their work to celebrate Lohri,” he added.

Another octogenarian, who missed his family, said, “Philanthropists like them made us feel cared and respected”.

“I had no grudges against my only son, who works in the corporate sector outside the state, and lives with his family there. Since, I decided not to leave my native city, he had no option but to leave me here,” the octogenarian added. He said every individual had to face this stage of life and hence, he, too, had no regrets.

“Though we celebrate festivals here at the Vridh Ashram, they (festivals) certainly remind us of our families and we do turn nostalgic. At the same time harsh realities of life cannot be ignored,” he said.

Over the years, the Vridh Ashram has been looking after old people with limited resources.

Srinagar, January 12
A large of youth came to take part in a police recruitment drive held in the Khanyar area of Srinagar here today, reflecting a different scene in an area which witnessed stone throwing and clashes last year.

While several police recruitment drives were held in other districts in the recent months, this was the first such drive here. “This is for the first time that recruitment to the police has been done in the area”, a police spokesman said.

Director-General of Police Kuldep Khoda, who arrived here from Jammu in the afternoon also visited the venue to personally supervise the drive. He was accompanied by the Inspector- General of Police (Kashmir Range), S.M Sahai, and other senior police officers.

Meanwhile, the PDP today expressed surprise over the holding of a police recruitment rally without any “prior notice” and alleged that the NC was favouring its candidates. “It is surprising that the recruitment drive has been started without any prior notice, information or advertisement and it seems it is meant only for those recommended by the ruling party,” the PDP said in a statement here. Expressing disapproval of the manner in which the recruitment drive in Srinagar city had been launched, it said, “This is another brazen instance of the insincere conduct of the state government.” The party said most of the people in the downtown city were taken by surprise on learning that a recruitment drive had been launched in Khanyar.

“Numerous candidates could not appear,” the PDP said, adding that there were thousands of eligible men in Srinagar city who were academically and physically qualified to compete for the constable’s post. Khanyar falls in the Assembly constituency represented by state Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ali Mohammad Sagar.

Udhampur, January 12
The Chinar Corps celebrated its 95th Raising Day with Chief of Staff Maj-Gen SK Khajuria paying floral tribute at the BB Cantonment War Memorial on behalf of the GOC, Chinar Corps, Lt-Gen SA Hasnain, here today.

In his message to the troops on the occasion, Hasnain greeted the rank and file of the Corps while paying tributes to the martyrs. He exhorted everyone to maintain the highest level of operational readiness.

The GOC said this year would be the year of peace in the Valley, where the Army would stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the common man.

Raised on January 12, 1916 at Port Said, Egypt, the Chinar Corps has seen active operations, including World War I, II and the Kargil Conflict in 1999, winning accolades and laurels for the country. However, the history of the Corps is inextricably linked with the post 1947 history of Jammu and Kashmir.

A release issued here said besides guarding the borders, the Chinar Corps had always been at the forefront in fight against the ongoing proxy war in the Kashmir valley. Notwithstanding the operational commitments, the troops of the Chinar Corps, in consultation with the state administration and the masses, had undertaken development projects in the Valley through its Sadhbhavana schemes, it added.

Jammu, January 12
Minister of Revenue, Relief and Rehabilitation Raman Bhalla today asked families belonging to the below poverty line (BPL) category and living in urban areas to take the benefits of the Basic Services to Urban Poor (BSUP) scheme, which has been especially formulated for their uplift.

Bhalla was speaking at the open darbar conducted to distribute cheques among the urban poor for the construction of pucca houses at different localities of the Gandhi Nagar Assembly segment.

He asked the beneficiaries to use the disbursed money judiciously for the construction of pucca houses. He said the government had approved Rs 3.12 lakh each for the urban poor. The government was fully aware of the problems of BPL families and was making all-out efforts to improve their socio-economic conditions by providing all basic amenities, besides financial assistance, he added.

Bhalla said for the construction of domestic toilets, the Rural Development Department had provided Rs 2,200 each to poor people and loans on minimum interest rates through J&K Bank.

Jammu, January 12
The Northern Command will hold an investiture ceremony at Akhnoor to felicitate its heroes on the occasion of 62nd Army Day on January 15. Army Day is celebrated on January 15 every year to commemorate the assumption of the post of the first Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army by Lieutenant-General (later Field Marshall) KM Cariappa.

The occasion is also marked by presenting gallantry and distinguished service awards to deserving soldiers.

Lt-Gen KT Parnaik, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Northern Command, will present the coveted awards to 62 serving Army personnel for displaying gallantry and distinguished service in performance of their duty.

The Army Commander will also present the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Northern Command’s unit appreciation award to the units of the Northern Command that have excelled in their duties.

A number of other events are planned to celebrate the occasion, including dog show, horse show, sky diving, hot air ballooning and band display at Akhnoor stadium tomorrow.

Udhampur, January 12
The security forces busted a hideout of militants and seized a cache of arms and ammunition in Reasi district today.

On a tip-off, the Rashtriya Rifles and the police launched a search operation in the Smoath Bhudal forest belt in Reasi and Rajouri districts. Though no militant was nabbed, the hideout was busted and 11kg of explosive material, three IEDs, 79 AK rounds, six UBGL grenade, five hand grenades, five RPG rounds and a heavy amount of Pakistan-made medicines, besides eatables were seized.

The security forces had on January 7 busted another hideout in the Chatru-Budan area of the district and seized 10 kg of IED, one AK 56, two magazines, 153 rounds, five detonators and a huge quantity of eatables. — TNS

Jammu, January 12
A man in his mid-forties was killed after a speedy minibus hit the motorcycle he was riding near the Jiwan Nagar in the Digiana area here today.

The police said Balbir Singh, a resident of Digiana, was going to Gangyal on his motorcycle when a minibus plying on the Gangyal-Janipur route hit him, injuring him critically. He was taken to the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), where he was declared brought dead, it added.

The Satwrai police has registered a case and launched a hunt to nab the driver of the minibus who fled after the incident. The minibus was impounded.

Meanwhile, the body was sent to the mortuary of the GMCH for a post-mortem.