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Murder case of Pampore youth solved, two brothers arrested
ED books four traders for ‘channelising funds to LeT’
AFSPA withdrawal complex issue, says new BSF chief
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Automation of SRS Central Library begins
Toll on cigarettes, tea challenged in HC
Four-year-old hit by speeding motorcycle dies
1 killed, 6 hurt in road mishaps
Bank lights up homes of people
Forum hails education minister’s statement
Army dedicates culvert to villagers in Jammu
Lt Gen Nandal takes over as GOC of 16 Corps
26 injured as bus falls into gorge
Army to teach driving to 20 jobless youths
Court dismisses plea for CBI probe into payoff charges
Five hurt in Kupwara grenade attack
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Murder case of Pampore youth solved, two brothers arrested
Srinagar, November 1 However, the search for the third murderer is on. Giving details, SP, Awantipora, Mohammad Irshad and SP, East, Srinagar, Shiekh Zulfikar said a missing report of Kaleem Qadri was lodged by his father, Javaid Ahmad Qadri, on Friday last. Investigations into the case revealed that the deceased youth travelled towards Srinagar in his car on the evening of October 28 after dropping his father at Frestabal in Pampore. At about 10.30 pm on the same, the father of the missing youth informed the Pampore police station that he had received a phone call from the mobile number of his son and the caller had identified himself as kidnapper, belonging to the Lashkar-e-Toiba outfit. The kidnapper had threatened him not to inform the police. The kidnapper had demanded a ransom of Rs 1 crore from Javaid Qadri for the release of his son. During the investigation into the case, the finger of suspicion went towards Nazar Mohammad Dar from Nowgam, who was last seen with the missing youth in the car. During interrogation, he revealed that he was a close friend of Kaleem, but since past few weeks some strains had developed in their relationship. He alongwith his brother, Younis Ahmad Dar and his friend Javaid Ahmad Bhat planned to kidnap Kaleem so that they could demand a ransom from his father. The three youth later killed Kaleem and threw his body into the Jhelum near Lasjan late in the evening on October 28. However, the body of the youth was fished out from the river today. The police has launched a hunt to arrest Javaid Ahmad Bhat, another accused in the case.
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ED books four traders for ‘channelising funds to LeT’
New Delhi, November 1 Cracking down on financial terror, the ED, which had sent one of its senior officers to the Valley for reviewing hawala cases, decided to take up the investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), official sources said here. The Jammu and Kashmir police had busted a hawala racket in 2009 involving traders and businessmen in Punjab and Jammu, who had allegedly channelised funds to Lashkar terrorists in the Kashmir valley and used to get heavy percentage in return. This is the first case taken up by ED after the cross-LoC trade began in October 2008. The sources said terror groups were taking advantage of the absence of legal banking facilities for trade across the Line of Control which is based on barter system. The police had arrested Mushtaq Ahmad, a Budgam resident and businessman, when he was handing over Rs 10 lakh to an over-ground worker, identified as Abdullah, who was also arrested. According to the modus operandi, Jammu-based businessman Suraj Singh and a Kashmiri trader from Kulgam set up companies which would receive goods from across the LoC via the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road and Chakada Bagh in Poonch. These goods were sent to two Amritsar-based businessmen identified as Vipin Kumar and Sanjeev. The two Amritsar businessmen, who were also arrested along with Suraj Singh, would send the cash directly to Mushtaq, who would send it to Lashkar terrorists and in return got cuts to the tune of 35 to 40 per cent, the sources said.
The financing of terror groups has been high on the agenda of the government and a high-level meeting was chaired by Union Home Secretary R K Singh in the Kashmir valley recently to review the cases.
The Home Secretary had asked all stakeholders to choke the funding of terror and separatist groups in Jammu and Kashmir.
The Centre has constituted the Combating of Funding of Terrorist (CFT) cell within the Union Home Ministry. This is the first such cell and functions under the Ministry of Home Affairs but will be headed by an officer of the Indian Revenue Service (Income Tax), the sources said. The cell liaises with agencies like the Department of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Intelligence Bureau (IB), Income Tax Department, Enforcement Directorate, CBI and Directorate General of Customs and Central Excise Intelligence and scrutinises information collected from central police organisations and the Financial Intelligence Unit. The Terror Funding and Fake Currency (TFFC) cell in the National Investigation Agency has also been constituted to focus on investigating the flow of money to anti-national activities. — PTI
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AFSPA withdrawal complex issue, says new BSF chief
New Delhi, November 1 Talking to reporters after taking over as the new Director General (DG) of the BSF, senior IPS officer UK Bansal said an appropriate decision on the issue would be taken by the government in the larger interest of the country. The issue of the withdrawal of the AFSPA was “a very complex issue and it will obviously not yield a simplistic solution,” Bansal, who was Secretary (Internal Security) in the Ministry of Home Affairs prior to assuming charge as BSF DG, said. Bansal was an important part of the dialogue between the Home Secretaries of India and Pakistan that preceded the cricket diplomacy. Asked whether the force had sufficient immunity in the absence of the AFSPA, he said, “The AFSPA is to give a cover to the armed forces of the Union under some special circumstances. Since the BSF is also an armed force of the Union, it also got a cover under it”. “The BSF does not make policies. But the BSF is in the forefront of implementing (government) policies with regard to border guarding and management,” Bansal, a 1974 batch IPS officer of Uttar Pradesh cadre, said. To a question about infiltrations into Jammu and Kashmir, he said our numbers revealed attempts at infiltration had come down this year. “However, successful infiltrations are roughly at the same level as last year,” Bansal said. The outgoing DG, Raman Srivastava, had said yesterday that the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) was considering a proposal to entrust the border guarding duty along the Myanmar border to the BSF. At present, the 1,640 km border with Myanmar was being guarded by the Assam Rifles. The proposed move follows a proposal by the BSF to take over the role by raising 45 new battalions, one headquarters of Additional Director General, four frontier headquarters to be headed by IG level officials and 12 sector headquarters to be headed by DIG level officials. |
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Automation of SRS Central Library begins
Jammu, November 1 The workstation and the workshop were jointly inaugurated by the Director, Libraries and Research, Khalid Bashir Ahmad, and noted writer and scholar Nilambardev Sharma. Technical Director, National Informatics Centre (NIC), RK Matoria; Technical Director, NIC, Jammu and Kashmir, Salim Khan; Librarian, Dhanvantri Library, University of Jammu, Muhammad Shoiab; members of the state level Library Committee and the state level Advisory-cum-Purchase Committee. The automation and networking project is being executed through the NIC. In the pilot phase, which will cost Rs 1.17 crore, four major public libraries, including the SRS Central Library, Jammu, have been taken up. During the workshop, officials of the Department of Libraries and Research and the manpower hired by the project executing agency would be trained in the use of e-Granthalaya software before actually starting data entry as part of the project implementation, which would begin immediately after the workshop. Speaking on the occasion, Khalid said the launch of the project was a significant initiative of the government to switch over from manual to automated library services and make library information available online. He said in the first phase the SRS Central Library, the SPS Central Library, the Oriental Research Library and the City Central Library had been taken up for automation and networking. On the successful completion of the pilot phase, other libraries at the district and tehsil levels would be automated and made part of a single networking system. Khalid said the department was working on another important project to digitise its rich collection of rare books in various languages and make them available on Internet along with a huge treasure of about 6,000 digitised manuscripts. Khalid said in the next few years the library services in the state would be on a par with international standards. He made a special mention of books on competitive examinations made available this year for the student community interested in cracking the civil services examinations. He said as many as 100 titles on different subjects prescribed for these examinations had been supplied to central, district and tehsil libraries. Before
the end of the current financial year, the libraries at the block level would also be provided these books,
he said. |
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Toll on cigarettes, tea challenged in HC
Jammu, November 1 Justice JP Singh of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court, while issuing notices, observed, “In view of the stand taken by the counsel for the petitioner that the court cannot go into the question of examining the justifiability of fixing different rates for different goods, the court prima-facie is of the view that it is not a correct legal position as it can examine different toll rates for different goods. The court is inclined to stay the imposition of toll on cigarettes but keeping in view the fact that the petitioner has challenged a notification pertaining to the revenue of the state and that the state may not suffer because of the stand of the counsel, it stops short of issuing an absolute stay on the imposition of the notification.” Justice JP Singh said, “In the circumstances, before concluding the hearing on the petition, it is considered appropriate to have the response of the state to the petitioner’s plea.” The High Court directed the Commissioner/Secretary, Finance, to file a detailed affidavit indicating how could the state justify different toll rates for different goods and produce records and material in support thereof. It adjourned the hearing on the petition for two weeks and observed, “To secure the interest of both parties, it is provided that the state shall not charge toll on cigarettes imported by the petitioner into the state until the next date of hearing. This, however, shall be subject to the petitioner’s depositing 75 per cent of the toll on cigarettes it brings into the state with the state (respondents), which, in turn, shall deposit it with this court. The deposit shall initially be for a period of six weeks.” The High Court directed the petitioner company to furnish a bank guarantee to the respondents in respect of the remaining 25 per cent of the toll payable on the cigarette imported by it in terms of SRO 119. |
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New recruitment policy anti-youth: Panthers Party
Jammu, November 1 In a statement issued here today, Jalmeria said the policy was meant to exploit the youth who had already suffered due to militancy. He regretted that instead of presenting itself as a “model employer” the state government through its new recruitment policy had proved itself to be an “exploiter of the youth”. Jalmeria said the new recruitment policy was against the spirit and goal of establishing a socialist state as enshrined in the preamble of the Constitution. “The present coalition government has proved itself to be an anti-worker, anti-youth and anti-farmer regime,” he said. “While the government has adopted the half pay policy for non-gazetted employees, it does not want any austerity measures for ministers, chairmen of boards, legislatures and commissioners/secretaries,” he added. |
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Four-year-old hit by speeding motorcycle dies
Jammu, November 1 Relatives of Nikhil and residents of Shankar colony today staged a protest in front of Gangyal police station here. They were demanding the immediate arrest of the accused motorcyclist. The protesters were pacified by police officers after they assured them that appropriate action would be taken against the accused biker. Nikhil was purchasing crackers alongwith his father in a busy market of Shankar colony on Diwali, when a speeding motorcycle hit him. The child was undergoing treatment at Maharaja Agar Singh Hospital, Punjabi Baag, Delhi. The accused motorcyclist was earlier granted bail by the court. However, the police said: “Earlier the case was registered under Section 279 of the RPC for rash and negligent driving. After the death of the child, the motorcyclist will be booked and arrested under Section 304 A (unintentional murder).” |
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1 killed, 6 hurt in road mishaps
Udhampur, November 1 Officials said one person, who had not been identified, was killed on the spot when a Jammu-bound cab he was travelling in rolled down into a gorge. The accident took place at Hingni Ramsu in Banihal tehsil of Ramban district. The five other occupants of the ill-fated vehicle were seriously injured. All the injured were rushed to the Sub-District Hospital, Banihal. In another incident, the driver of a Jammu-bound Qualis cab sustained serious injuries when the vehicle collided with a truck at Sherbibi in Banihal tehsil. The injured was admitted to the Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences at Soura in
Srinagar.
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Bank lights up homes of people
Srinagar, November 1 The beneficiaries from Wailoo and Damhal Hanjipora villages, which have been adopted by the bank, were provided with the solar home light equipments under the initiative launched by the bank in collaboration with the TATA-BP Solar lights. Chairman of the bank AK Razdan said there was a huge demand-supply gap in the power sector in Jammu and Kashmir. “Particularly in the winter, the people in the rural and semi-urban areas crave for the electricity. As a matter of social obligation, the bank has taken this initiative,” he said. Razdan said solar home light was easy to install with low maintenance costs. “Purchasing the solar lights is not just an investment in energy-efficient lights for the home, but also an investment in the environment,” he added.
— PTI |
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Forum hails education minister’s statement
Jammu, November 1 The central executive of the forum, who met under the chairmanship of its president HD Qureshi, expressed its gratitude to the minister for his sincere efforts to streamline the functioning of the department with its re-organisation and regularisation of all the in-charge principals and lecturers through the state Cabinet, as one time exception. — TNS |
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Army dedicates culvert to villagers in Jammu
Jammu, November 1 The project was undertaken by the Miran Sahib Brigade of the Tiger Division under Operation Sadbhavana. Bera is a border village in the remote RS Pura
subdivision. The culvert between Bera and Katmarian, was inaugurated by Commanding Officer of the Kharian
Battalion. A large number of people, including the local prominent citizens were present on the occasion. The culvert will facilitate the movement of agricultural vehicles and cattle of the local residents between Bera and
Katmarian. In the absence of the culvert, the villagers had to cross the Bikraman drain through a local arrangement, which caused great difficulties to them, especially during the rainy seasons, posing threat to the lives of the cattle and hardships to the people. The construction of the culvert over the Bikraman drain has eliminated the problems of the local
populace. Speaking on the occasion, the villagers appreciated the efforts of the Army and termed it as a goodwill gesture, which would motivate the people of the remote border areas to join the Army. |
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BJP kick-starts Jan Jagran Yatra today
Jammu, November 1 Addressing party workers on the eve of the launch of the yatra, state president of the BJP Shamsher Singh Manhas said it had been planned before the arrival of Advani’s nationwide Jan Chetna Yatra in the state. He said Advani had started the yatra against corruption, black money and the price rise. “Jammu and Kashmir has already achieved the distinction of being the second most corrupt state. The NC-Congress coalition under Omar Abdullah has failed to redress any issue, including corruption, unemployment, discrimination, timely delimitation, protecting the interests of women, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, OBCs, farmers, unemployed youth and refugees,” he said. Manhas regretted that instead of mitigating the sufferings of the people the government had been devoting its energy to such issues which only provoked the people of Kashmir. “Omar raised one after another controversial issues with a clear motive to divert the attention of the masses from the real issues,” he said. The BJP president said he along with other senior leaders, including Nirmal Singh, Ashok Khajuria and Jugal Kishore Sharma, would reach out to the people in different constituencies to make them aware about the misdeeds of the Omar government. |
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Lt Gen Nandal takes over as GOC of 16 Corps
Jammu, November 1 Decorated with Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM) and Sena Medal, Lt Gen Nandal took over as the new GOC of the White Knight Corps at a ceremony held at the Nagrota-based Headquarters of the Corps, 15 km from here, a defence official said. Outgoing GOC Lt Gen JP Nehra thanked the civil administration for the excellent synergy with the armed forces. He also highlighted the important role played by the people in ensuring that terrorists were kept at bay by the security forces. Lt Gen Nandal, who earned the distinction of being the 25th GOC of the White Knight Corps, is a second generation Army officer. He has an operational experience of serving in both Jammu and Kashmir and the Northeast. Among his earlier stints in Jammu and Kashmir are important assignments of Commander 1 Sector RR in 2004-05 and GOC of the Victor Force from March 2009 to July 2010. Lt Gen Nandal has had the first hand experience of tackling the agitational environment in the Valley. He has widely travelled around the world while he held the coveted appointment of the Director Military Affairs in the Disarmament and International Security Affairs Division of the Ministry of External Affairs. Before assuming the command of the White Knight Corps, Lt Gen Nandal was the Additional Director General in the COAS Secretariat at New Delhi. |
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26 injured as bus falls into gorge
Udhampur, November 1 Officials said 12 seriously injured persons were referred to Government Medical College, Jammu, while the rest were taken to community health centre, Katra. The injured persons included nine woman
passengers. Quoting eyewitnesses, the officials said the bus was overloaded and overturned when its driver failed to negotiate a sharp turn. The fact that the driver of the bus escaped from the spot showed that it was a case of negligent driving. A case has been registered against him.
— TNS
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Army to teach driving to 20 jobless youths
Jammu, November 1 The training in driving is being imparted by the Royal Institute of Driving and Maintenance under the aegis of the Army. The participants will also be given exposure to the rich culture of India through movies and presentations. The aim of the training is to enable the youth for self-employment. The Royal Institute of Driving and Maintenance, Jammu, will also help candidates get driving licences and soft loans from banks . The Kalakote tehsildar and SHO were among those who attended the inaugural ceremony. They lauded the efforts of the Rashtriya Rifles unit at Kalakote in enabling and empowering the local youth through training programmes.
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NC Worker’s death Case
Srinagar, November 1 There is no occasion, at this point, to make any direction to the CBI or state investigating agencies to probe the allegations, special anti-corruption court judge Mohammad Yousuf Akhoon said in his order. While dismissing the application, the judge quoted several Supreme Court judgments which bar subordinate courts except the high courts to make a direction to the CBI to probe any allegation. Syed Talib, son of Syed Mohammad Yousuf, had filed a petition before the court of special anti-corruption judge, demanding registration of a murder case and a CBI inquiry into the matter. “The applicant who is the son of the deceased wants a direction from the court for registration of a case in due course of law by the CBI or any other state agency,” counsel for the applicant Mushtaq Ahmad Dar had pleaded. During arguments in the court last week, the counsel had also pleaded that the investigation could be carried out by the Vigilance authorities in case the court was not in favour of a CBI probe. The counsel pleaded that since names of top politicians, including National Conference president Farooq Abdullah, had figured in the allegations of political payoffs made by a witness, Abdul Salam Reshi, the case should be investigated by an independent agency. Farooq has denied the charges. After the custodial death which sparked a political row in the state, Reshi had alleged that Yousuf had taken money from him and from another NC worker Mohammad Yousuf Bhat for getting them berths in the state Legislative Council. —
PTI
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Five hurt in Kupwara grenade attack
Srinagar, November 1 Unidentified militants hurled a grenade at a picket manned by Rashtriya Rifles personnel near the main bus stand in Kupwara district town around 1.45 pm, official sources said. The grenade fell short of the intended target and exploded outside the picket, resulting in injuries to five pedestrians, they said. The militants fled the scene taking advantage of the panic in the crowded bus stand following the blast, the sources said. A hunt has been launched to nab the militants. Grenade defused The police today defused a grenade in Kupwara district, while a man was injured in a “mysterious” explosion in Anantnag district. A Bomb Disposal Squad defused the hand grenade, which was found near a poultry farm in Trehgam village of Kupwara district. A man was injured in an explosion in Zalangam village of Anantnag district, they said. The police added that the incident took place during a marriage function. — TNS |
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