Jammu, May 11
After a high-intensity IED blast in a car, in which a senior Army officer had a 
narrow escape, while a milk vendor was killed and 10 others injured, near Birwan Bridge, in Udhampur on May 2, the police today claimed to have cracked the case.

Addressing mediapersons here this evening, Dilbagh Singh, IGP, Jammu zone, said working on clues, the police arrested an agriculture extension officer (AEO), identified as Abdul Mujeed of Behrote in Thannamandi tehsil of Rajouri district.

“A special investigation team was constituted and during the course of investigation, the car used in the blast was traced, which led to the identity of its owner, both past and present, as well as the nexus behind it,” the IGP said.

Subsequently, special teams were deputed to Delhi and other adjoining places. The teams deputed to Delhi collected all records pertaining to the vehicle used in the blast as well as photographs of its owner and the driver, who yielded the present ownership of the vehicle as well as his particulars, he added.

The owner of the vehicle was identified as junior agriculture assistant Abdul Mujeed, officiating as AEO at Thannamandi, he said.

The IGP said Mujeed was apprehended by the SIT and subjected to interrogation, who revealed the identity of the main culprit as Ghulam Sarwar, alias Firdous, a resident of Behrote in Thannamandi. He is absconding.

During further interrogation Mujeed disclosed that he was an overground worker of the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) while Ghulam Sarwar was a PoK national.

Under an overt plan to foment trouble in the Jammu region, he (Mujeed) was given the task to settle Sarwar in Jammu and also act as his guardian, said the IGP.

However, Sarwar with the help of Mujeed had managed to get a rented accommodation at Gujjar Nagar, Bhatindi, Sidhra and Nagrota on a fake identity, he said, adding that Sarwar even married a local girl and gained the faith of the local populace. Mujeed also managed to acquire state subject, ration card, driving license and an identity card for Sarwar.

The IGP said on the directions of LeT commanders, Mujeed had purchased a Tata Sumo bearing registration number(JK08A/3878) for Sarwar with the J&K route permit.

Sarwar had also managed to purchase a truck bearing registration number (JK02AE/4112). On the directions of the Pakistan’s ISI and the LeT commanders, Mujeed along with Sarwar and their associates conspired to purchase an old Maruti car from Delhi.

Subsequently, they planted the IED in that car, which was parked near the Birwan Bridge, and triggered the blast with a remote control, he said.

Remote control and other material used for triggering the blast had been recovered, the IGP added.

“Though Sarwar is absconding, we will nab him soon,” he added.

Srinagar, May 11
Security forces on Wednesday busted a militant hideout and recovered a huge cache of explosives in a forest in Pulwama district of south Kashmir.Acting on a tip off, police, assisted by Rashtriya Rifles, launched a massive search operation in the forest area of Laribal, 45 kms from here, and busted a hideout of Hizbul Mujahideen militant outfit, a police spokesman said.

The spokesman further said the search of the hideout led to the recovery of three kilograms of explosive powder, two Chinese hand grenades, a detonator and twenty meters of electric wire besides a letter pad of militant group Hizbul Mujahideen, a rubber stamp, a stamp pad, two mobile SIM cards, five adhesive tubes, a map, two blankets and a 'pheran' (traditional loose gown).

Jammu, May 11
During the peak militancy period, school education took a massive hit in Jammu & Kashmir. The damage was not just on the infrastructure front but also in terms of human resources. School buildings were bombed, students were threatened and then there was this perennial shortage of teachers, especially in the militancy-prone districts. But now the state government is trying hard to change all this.

Under a major revamp plan, the government has upgraded 251 middle schools to high schools in teh past two years. “Most of the upgraded schools are located in the far-flung areas, where the means of transportation arevery less.

To secure the future of the students living in these areas, the government has been working hard. We want the students to continue their studies,” said a senior official of the Education Department.

He added, “The aim is to build schools in each and every village, so that the literacy rate could be improved”.

Giving details, he added that during 2009-10, 69 middle schools were upgraded to high schools, under the Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan.

Similarly, 182 middle schools were upgraded to the level of high schools during 2010-11.

The official said in addition to these schools, 611 high schools and 373 higher secondary schools were also regularised by the Planning and Development Department.

Even recently, Education Minister Peerzada Mohammad Sayeed had said the government was very keen to open more schools in the remote areas of both the regions-Jammu and Kashmir.

“Chief Minister Omar Abdullah is having a keen interest to open more and more schools in villages so that the children can get proper education. The living standard of people in villages is yet to be uplifted. It can only be through education,” he added. 

Srinagar, May 11
The opposition PDP has deplored the government’s proposal of demolishing two historic bridges, the Zero Bridge and the Zainakadal bridge over the river Jhelum for facilitating the connectivity in the capital city.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on the first day after the Darbar Move offices reopened here on Monday laid the foundation of Rs 12.15 crore Zero Bridge near Raj Bagh, to be completed by June 2013. The old bridge has been closed to traffic for the past about 15 years while a new bridge in its vicinity, known as the Abdullah bridge had come up to connect the two sides. The Chief Minister also announced that he had approved Rs 8.92 crore bridge that would be coming up at Zainakadal in the old city. Another bridge over the river Jhelum to cost Rs 16.21 crore has been proposed at Malroo on the city outskirts.

According to the chief spokesperson of the PDP, Naeem Akhtar, the party ‘has expressed deep anguish at the wanton destruction of all the symbols of Kashmir’s glorious heritage by the NC led government’ especially in Srinagar. In his statement he said the government was deliberately tampering with the distinct character of built heritage in the capital city, which was a repository of the most ancient living civilisation in the region.

Akhtar said after fiddling with even the highly revered symbols of religious heritage like various shrines, the shock of demolition of historically important bridges by the state government came just on the first day of its functioning in Srinagar. The marring of Srinagar’s architecture and culture, as has been the history of the ruling NC was announced by none other than Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.

Regretting that Srinagar was fast losing its historical value with its monumental icons being demolished or tampered, on one pretext or the other by the present government, Naeem maintained that the unique character of wooden bridge architecture could be a great tourist attraction, but was apparently beyond the comprehension of a blind government. 

Udhampur, May 11
Minister of State for Defence MM Pallam Raju visited the headquarters of the Northern Command here today. The GOC-in-C Northern Command, Lt-Gen KT Parnaik, formally received him.As per an official release, the minister had an interaction with the Army commander and was briefed on the prevailing security scenario in the state, infrastructure development projects and various initiatives undertaken by the Army in the state.

The minister expressed satisfaction over the preparedness of the Army. He also inquired about the comfort and welfare of the troops and acknowledged the exemplary work being done by all ranks towards tackling terrorism and ensuring normalcy in Jammu and Kashmir.

Later, a tea party was organised in his honour at the Bikram Park in Udhampur, where the minister met the troops of the Udhampur garrison. He complimented all ranks for their outstanding devotion to duty and unwavering commitment under difficult circumstances. He extended his greetings and best wishes to all the personnel of the Northern Command and their families. The minister left for Delhi in the afternoon.

Srinagar, May 11
Five Indian Reserve Police (IRP) battalions, trained in use of non-lethal equipment, would be deployed in field to maintain law and order in Jammu and Kashmir.

They will use more humane and people-friendly policing techniques, said Director General of Police Kuldeep Khoda.

The DGP was chairing a meeting of senior officers at the Police Control Room here on Tuesday. The high-level meeting was convened to review the law and order situation in the Kashmir Zone. The meeting discussed various issues related to deployment of manpower and maintaining law and order. The DGP claimed that the law and order situation in the state was satisfactory. However, the state police would tackle any emergent situation firmly. “Our priority is to ensure peace and security of the people of the state and nobody will be allowed to disrupt the peaceful atmosphere for their interests,” Khoda said, adding that the state police would tackle any emergent situation.

He said for the first time five IRP battalions would be inducted in the Valley and the personnel would have light body gears for protection.

The equipment would protect them from any kind of mob fury while maintaining the law and order, the DGP added.

Khoda asked the officers present in the meeting to ensure minimum use of force while dealing with any law and order situation to avoid loss of human lives. He said the police department has procured non-lethal equipment specially designed by the Defence and Research Development Organisation. The equipment would help cops disperse mobs without causing any loss of life, he added.

The DGP also told the officers to earn public confidence by adopting ‘people-friendly’ approach. “The people approach the police with great expectations Cops should always give a patient hearing to the genuine grievances of the public,” said Khoda.

Srinagar, May 11
Minister for Finance Abdul Rahim Rather re-affirmed the government’s resolve to promote cross-LoC trade as a sustainable business activity, besides a positive confidence-building measure (CBM) between India and Pakistan.

Speaking at a joint meeting of senior functionaries of the Finance Department and representatives of the Salamabad Chakoti Trade Union here yesterday, the minister said the state government was keen to improve the cross LoC trade, for which all required measures were being taken. He assured that the interests of the cross LoC traders would be safeguarded.

He referred to the government initiatives being taken for establishing bank transaction facilities for the conduct of the cross LoC trade through banking transactions.

The RBI has framed a comprehensive scheme, which is under consideration of the Governments of India and Pakistan. Once the scheme gets the nod, the banking facilities will be put in place as per the urges and aspirations of traders.

Traders from the other side of the LoC were also keen to have the cross LoC trade through bank transaction, Rather said. He said the facility would take over the place of the existing barter system, which had various inherent problems concerning the traders’ community.

The minister hoped that respecting the aspirations and expectations of the traders of the PoK, Pakistan would also take all facilitating steps for promoting the bilateral trade.

New Delhi, May 11
The BJP deferred yesterday a meeting of the disciplinary committee of the party to mull action against its seven J&K MLAs, who were suspended and served show-cause notices for cross-voting for the National Conference candidate in Legislative Council elections on April 13.

“The disciplinary committee meet has been deferred to May 20,” BJP spokesman Prakash Javadekar said, He gave no further details.

The defiant MLAs, led by former BJP legislature party leader Chaman Lal Gupta has obtained a stay order against any action by the high command.

Since April 13, when seven of the 11 party MLAs led by Gupta “cross-voted” for the National Conference candidate in the Legislative Council polls, the tale has taken several twists and turns. First the defiant MLAs, smitten by a sense of guilt and offered to resign en bloc with all 11 sending in their resignation letters (made out to the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Speaker) to BJP president Nitin Gadkari hoping a general reprieve. But OP Kohli, also in charge of J&K, gave a scathing report against them and recommended strict action.