The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

	Traders’ bandh hits life in Valley Ehsan Fazili/TNS Srinagar, August 9 Life was adversely affected across the Kashmir valley today in response to a bandh call by the Kashmir Economic Alliance (KEA), a conglomeration of various traders’ organisations, in support of its demand for the revocation of the recent hike in VAT and other taxes. All the shops and business establishments were closed and public and private buses were off the road. The attendance in government offices and banks was thin while many schools were also closed. Private vehicles and auto-rickshaws were plying normally in several areas. The KEA gave the bandh call yesterday after the police thwarted its plan to march from the Press Enclave here to the Civil Secretariat to draw the attention of the authorities “towards some burning issues”, Mohammad Yasin Khan, president of the KEA, said. Meanwhile, CPM state secretary MY Tarigami today condemned the police action on the KEA members, who staged a peaceful protest march yesterday against the tax hike. In a statement, Tarigami said peaceful demonstrations against government actions was a constitutional right of all the citizens, which should be safeguarded and respected by the government. The use of force to quell peaceful demonstrations was condemnable, he added. “The government must do introspection and refrain from using force as the only means to tackle the issues,” he said, adding that such actions dented its own legitimacy. The CPM leader called upon the government to reconsider its decision to hike VAT and other taxes and involve the KEA members in fruitful talks to sort out the issue. Local traders and transporters have been demanding the revocation of additional tax on property, new VAT return forms, and a ban on the movement of non-state buses carrying tourists in the Valley. The KEA comprises various traders’ organisations, including the Kashmir Traders and Manufacturers Federation, the Kashmir Hotel and Restaurant Association, the Kashmir Flour Mills Association, the Western Bus Service, the Kashmir Minibus Transport Federation, the Taxi Operators Association, the Kashmir Food Processing Association, the Kashmir Motor Drivers Association and the Kashmir Auto Federation.
	Suspended MLA files defamation case against three BJP leaders Dinesh Manhotra Tribune News Service Jammu, August 9 Two days after four of the seven suspended legislators held a press conference, a BJP MLA today filed a criminal complaint for defamation against three senior party leaders for tarnishing his image in the public by suspending him from the party on a charge of cross-voting in the Legislative Council elections. The MLA from Bani, Master Lal Chand, filed the complaint before the Judicial Magistrate, First Class, Bani, against BJP national general secretary JP Nadda and two other leaders, OP Kohli and RP Singh. All the three leaders were members of a committee set up to enquire into the April 13 cross-voting episode. On the committee’s recommendation,the seven party MLAs, including Master Lal Chand, were suspended from the party on a charge of cross-voting. One of the MLAs, Chaman Lal Gupta, was later expelled from the party. Advocate Munish Sharma, who filed the complaint on the behalf of Master Lal Chand, told The Tribune over the phone from Bani that after going through it, the Judicial Magistrate, First Class, directed all the three BJP leaders to appear in court in person on September 13. Sharma said the complaint was filed under Section 500 (read with Section 34) of the RPC. Master Lal Chand told The Tribune over the phone that he was forced to file the complaint because the party had taken a biased action against the MLAs. “The action against us was taken to defame us before the public, especially in our respective constituencies,” he said,adding his image had been tarnished in the eyes of Bani residents. “The party has defamed us by suspending us on the charge that we indulged in cross-voting for a monetary consideration,” Master Lal Chand said. “Since the polling in the Legislative Council elections was held through a secret ballot, it was not possible to identify those who voted against the party candidates,” he said. Anil Gupta, son of Chaman Lal Gupta, has also filed a defamation suit against state party president Shamsher Singh Manhas and general secretary Sat Pal.
	Evolve national consensus to curb corruption, says Governor Tribune News Service Srinagar, August 9 Governor NN Vohra has stressed the need for effective enforcement of laws and the maintenance of the law and order by ensuring answerability of the authorities concerned at all levels. He said there was also a need for evolving a national consensus to curb corruption and ensure honest management of affairs to deal effectively with all issues of governance. The Governor was addressing a seminar-cum-award function for artistes organised by the Priyadarshini Mattoo Memorial Foundation in collaboration with Radio Kashmir, Srinagar, here last evening. The theme of the seminar was “Is criminal justice system of India under collapse? Are women of India safe? Did Priyadarshini get justice?” Referring to the criminal justice system, the Governor observed that nothing was beyond repair and there was an urgent need to reform the system through firm political will. He also spoke about the need for optimally addressing the issue of pendency of over 40 million cases before courts all over the country and strengthening the police in terms of numbers, training, infrastructure and resources to effectively maintain the law and order. That, in turn, would contribute towards curbing crime. Stressing that there must not be any political interference in the functioning of the police, he also pointed to the urgent need for enacting new police Acts in all the states. Referring to the role played by the civil society and the media in highlighting the Priyadarshini Mattoo case, the Governor said the criminal justice system would need to be delivered in the normal course without agitations about the failure of the system.The tragedy of Priyadarshini and the pain and agony that her family had gone through was far too deep for tears.He expressed his heartfelt sympathy with her parents and other members of the Mattoo family. The Governor also gave away cash awards and shawls to three outstanding artistes of the Kashmir valley. In his valedictory address, Justice Bilal Nazki , a former Chief Justice, said the state had a peculiar advantage, adding that law could be changed to serve as a model for the entire country. He suggested a separate force for investigation and prosecution of cases. In his keynote address, Justice B. A. Kirmani, a former Judge of the state High Court, while giving figures of criminal cases, stressed for improving the judge-population and police-population ratio.
	Magisterial probe ordered into Poonch fake encounter Ravi Krishnan Khajuria Tribune News Service Jammu, August 9 The Poonch administration has ordered a magisterial enquiry into the fake encounter in the district and appointed Assistant Commissioner, Revenue, Tilak Raj Sharma as the enquiry officer. The report will be submitted to the Poonch Deputy Commissioner, AK Sahu, in three days. The security forces, particularly the Army had claimed that they had shot dead a dreaded Lashkar-e-Toiba commander, Abu Usman alias, Abu Adnan in a 12-hour-long encounter on the night of August 6. However, the “dreaded militant” later turned out to be a mentally challenged youth from Rajouri, who was killed by an SPO, Noor Hussain, and a Territorial Army jawan, Abdul Majeed. While the Army has initiated an internal enquiry, the police has arrested and booked the accused security personnel under Section 302 of the RPC. Talking to The Tribune, Poonch Deputy Commissioner AK Sahu said: “The magisterial probe was ordered yesterday. The report will be submitted to me in the next three days and thereafter,it will be submitted to the state government,” Sahu said, and added the identity of the slain youth had not been established so far. SSP, Poonch, Ashkoor Wani, said the police was working hard to ascertain the identity of the killed youth. “The police is trying to locate his family in Rajouri,”he added. Following the instructions of the Deputy Commissioner, a second autopsy on the slain youth’s body was conducted yesterday.
	Bridges on Lakhanpur-Jammu highway in bad shape Archit Watts Tribune News Service Lakhanpur/Jammu, August 9 Though the four-laning of the National Highway 1-A from Lakhanpur to Jammu is almost complete, bridges over the highway are in bad shape. On crossing the Ravi bridge to enter Lakhanpur,one finds a potholed road.All other bridges on the Lakhanpur-Jammu stretch of the national highway are in a poor condition with damaged railings,leading to accidents. Though the government is aware about the increasing number of accidents on this stretch and a large number of tourists and pilgrims to Mata Vaishno Devi and the Amarnath cave shrine visit the state, neither the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) nor the state Public Works Department (Roads and Buildings) have taken steps to improve the situation. “The authorities concerned have failed in their duty.The bridges require immediate repair. The railings on most of them are damaged, thus making this stretch of the national highway accident-prone,” said Rajiv Sharma, a resident of Kathua. He added that, “The situation has become miserable for those who travel at night. Accidents are taking place frequently.” However, MK Jain, in-charge of the NHAI (J&K), said, “The four-laning of this stretch will be completed in two-three months and once alternative bridges are ready, repair work on the old bridges will be started.” Admitting that some bridges were in bad shape, DL Sharma, Chief Engineer, PWD (R&B), said, “A few bridges on this stretch of the national highway belong to the PWD and there is a need to start repair work on them. We have apprised the minister about the situation. We are hopeful of starting the work shortly.”
	Arrangements for Independence Day reviewed Tribune News Service Srinagar, August 9 Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, Asgar Samoon reviewed arrangements for the Independence Day celebrations at a high-level meeting here yesterday. Samoon impressed upon all the officials concerned to work in close coordination to make the function a success. He asked the UEED, Roads and Buildings and the Power Development Department authorities to ensure that all the arrangements were in place. He asked the Srinagar Municipal Corporation to ensure sanitation in and around the Bakshi Stadium, where the main function would be held, and directed the Health Department to keep two well-equipped ambulances ready on the premises of the stadium. He said the PHE Department should make water tankers available. Meanwhile, IGP, Kashmir Range, SM Sahai also chaired a meeting at the Police Control Room, Kashmir, here yesterday to review the security arrangements for Independence Day. Senior police and security officials attended the meeting. Sahai asked all the agencies to work in coordination to ensure the smooth conduct of the function. Those who attended the meeting included the IGP, Armed-IRP, Kashmir, Rauf-ul-Hassan; the DIG, Central Kashmir Range, AG Mir; the DIG, North Kashmir Range, Munir Ahmad Khan; the DIG, South Kashmir Range, Shafkat Watali; the DIG, Security, PR Manhas; the DIG (South), CRPF, PK Singh; the DIG (North), CRPF, Sham Chand; the Additional Commissioner, Kashmir, AM Wani; the Deputy Commissioner, Srinagar, Mehraj Ahmad Kakroo; Col Sanjay P Vishwarao of the 15 Corps; the SSP (CID), Kashmir, Showket Malik; the SSP (Security), Kashmir, Rafiq-ul-Hassan; the SSP (District), Srinagar, Syed Ashiq Bukhari; the SSP (Police Telecom) Kashmir, Naseer Ahmad; the SP (CID), Kashmir, Shiekh Junaid;the SP (Traffic), Kashmir, Maqsood-u-Zaman; and the SP (APCR), Srinagar, Showket Iqbal.
	Cong leaders vow to follow path of secularism Jammu, August 9 On the occasion of the anniversary of the Quit India Movement, the District Congress Committee (DCC), Jammu, held a function under the leadership of Om Chopra here today. The function was attended by all the senior party leaders of the district. The speakers at the function recalled the freedom struggle and the role of the Quit India Movement of 1942 launched by Mahatma Gandhi in achieving freedom. The Congress leaders took a pledge to follow the path of secularism and defeat the forces, which were trying to weaken the nation and the state. They asked the people to work unitedly for the unity and integrity of the state. They cautioned the people, especially the youth, against the designs of anti-national and communal forces. The leaders said the Congress had played a significant role in the state and would continue to strive for an equitable development of the state and its unity and integrity. Those who spoke on the occasion included Dharm Pal Sharma, Hari Singh, Yash Pal Khajuria, Gurmukh Singh, Ravinder Sharma, Mula Ram, Shiv Kumar Sharma, Manmohan Singh, KL Gupta, SS Shingari and others. — TNS
	Congress, PDP welcome Bloeria’s appointment as Central varsity V-C Tribune News Service Jammu, August 9 Various political groups have hailed the appointment of SS Bloeria as the first Vice-Chancellor of the Central University of Jammu. While the pro-Jammu groups termed it as a victory of the people of Jammu, other parties hailed the decision in a different way. The Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC), while welcoming the appointment,said the rich experience of Bloeria in different capacities would benefit the Central University. In a joint statement issued here today, the PCC party leaders thanked the Central government for the appointment of the first Vice-Chancellor to make the university functional. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) also hailed the appointment.PDP leaders, at a meeting, said Bloeria had a vast administrative experience. They recalled that it was during the regime of Mufti Mohammad Sayeed that Bloeria was made the state Chief Secretary. The Jammu State Morcha (JSM), at a meeting held under the chairmanship of its president, Virender Gupta, also welcomed the appointment of Bloeria as the first Vice-Chancellor of the university and expressed confidence that the institution would develop and progress at a rapid pace under his administrative experience and academic acumen.
	18 more arrested for stone throwing in Srinagar Srinagar, August 9 Eighteen more persons have been arrested in connection with stone throwing incidents in the old city area of Srinagar, the police said today. “The arrests will continue until all protesters involved in stone throwing and the organisers of the protests are arrested,” DIG, Central Kashmir Range, Abdul Gani Mir said. He said 18 protesters were arrested last night from different parts of Srinagar while six protesters were arrested in similar raids in the old city area on Sunday night. The protests erupted near the Jamia Masjid here last Friday as youths agitated against the custodial death of a man in Sopore town of north Kashmir. Srinagar’s old city has remained comparatively calm since October last year, before the latest spurt of protests. “We will continue the arrests till the last stone thrower is arrested,” SP, North City, Showket Shah said. Residents claimed that a large number of youth from the old city areas had left their homes and were putting up with their relatives elsewhere. Meanwhile, the Jammu and Kashmir High Court today quashed the detention of five persons arrested last year on the charges of stone throwing. Justice Mansoor Ahmad Mir quashed the detention of Mohammad Ashraf War, Mushtaq Ahmad Dar, Parvaiz Ahmad Bhat, Abdul Ahad Chopan and Ghulam Mohiuddin Mir under the Public Safety Act (PSA) and ordered their release, if they were not involved in any other case. Justice Mir passed the order after hearing the arguments of their counsel. Hailing from different districts of the Valley, the five persons were arrested by the police last year and booked under the PSA for throwing stones at the security forces. — PTI
	Govt making jawans scapegoat: Mehbooba Tribune News Service Srinagar, August 9 The PDP today accused the Omar Abdullah government of making junior-level security personnel scapegoat in the Sopore custodial death and Surankote fake encounter cases and sought an in-depth probe into these two incidents. Addressing mediapersons at her Gupkar residence, PDP president Mehbooba Mufti raised questions about the arrest of two constables in the custodial death of Nazim Rashid in Sopore town and that of a special police officer (SPO) and an Army soldier in the fake encounter killing of Ashok Kumar in the Surankote area. “I am not ready to believe that it was only the SPO and the Territorial Army jawan who carried out the killing of the mentally challenged youth in Surankote,” Mufti told reporters here. She also questioned the Army’s role in the case, as it had claimed to have killed a Pakistan militant and shown the recovery of arms and ammunition from his possession. “Where did the arms and ammunition come from? Are these things now available with SPOs?” she asked. Similarly, the PDP leader raised doubts about the government’s intentions in the investigation in the Sopore custodial death case. “Was the Sopore operation carried out by two constables? Are now constables carrying out the interrogation of the suspects?” she asked. Mehbooba said the government was trying to create a surface calm and give an impression of normalcy in the state. Judicial decisions were violated, public opinion muzzled and governance and development enjoying a holiday, she added. Meanwhile, Minister of State for Home and Tourism Nasir Aslam Wani has sharply reacted to Mehbooba’s tirade against the government and said the PDP leadership was unnerved by the peaceful summer and in its frustration was trying to score brownie political points by raking up controversies on human tragedies. Wani said the Sopore and Surankote incidents were sad incidents and highly condemnable. He said the government had spared no effort to identify the culprits, expose them and book them under relevant laws. The minister said all this had been done in the most transparent and professional manner and the men in uniform had been given a strong message that the government was not ready to tolerate any incident of human right violation. The minister, however, said the incidents of human right violations had to be prevented and the government was taking all the preventive steps in this regard. He urged Mehbooba to refrain from giving sermons on human rights because the track record of the PDP-led government from 2002 to 2005 in this regard was dismal.
	Cabinet panel discusses recommendations Tribune News Service Srinagar, August 9 The Cabinet subcommittee on constitutional, legal and political ramifications of the recommendations of the Working Group on Centre-state relations held its third meeting here yesterday. The meeting held under the chairmanship of Minister for Finance and Ladakh Affairs Abdul Rahim Rather had threadbare discussions on the subject and would meet again in the first week of September, an official spokesman here said. The subcommittee had earlier also discussed the recommendations at its meetings held on January 28 and June 1 this year.This is the 5th working group constituted by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to address various dimensions of the Centre-state relations.
	Mishap victims get Rs 7,28,000 as compensation Tribune News Service Doda, August 9 Accident victims were given Rs 7,28,000 as compensation today under the Motor Accident Claim Tribunal (MACT) during a Lok Adalat Week organised By the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) at Udhampur. The Lok Adalat took up 18 cases of accident victims out of which eight were settled on the spot and the compensation was awarded, said an official release issued today. The week-long adalat started yesterday and was presided over by the Principal District and Sessions Judge, Brij Mohan Gupta, who is the chairman of the DLSA. Two Benches were constituted for settling cases referred by different courts of Udhampur.