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Army seeks review of HC verdict in Machil case
We’re not apologetic about censuring ex-interlocutors: BJP
State sees rise in Schizophrenia cases
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Very few Pandits returning to Kashmir: Minority panel chief
Sacrilege of holy book leaves Poonch incensed
PDP turns to Azad for completion of various projects in Doda
200 Pandit employees in Kupwara face accommodation problem
Case registered in Handwara desecration incident
Minor kidnapped, raped
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Army seeks review of HC verdict in Machil case
Srinagar, September 6 The review petition filed by the Army through standing counsel for Union of India Karnail Singh Wazir has also sought directions from the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Sopore, for handing over the custody of Territorial Army rifleman Abbas Hussain Shah, who is at present in judicial custody. “It is prayed that the order passed by the high court dated July 4, 2012, be reviewed to the extent that the CO of 161 Territorial Army rifleman Abbas Hussain Shah be allowed to exercise the option under Section 125 of the Army Act, read 549 CrPC, for seeking his custody,” the Army submitted in its review petition filed before the high court today. The CJM, Sopore, should be directed to hand over the custody of Abbas, the petition added. Besides, the Army has filed a separate application for condonation of delay for filing the review petition as the Army was supposed to seek the review of the high court judgment within the 30-day limit, which has already expired. The high court in its July judgment had directed that accused No. 1 to 3 (two civilians and TA rifleman Abbas) should be dealt with by the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Sopore, under law. For accused No. 4 to 11 (eight Army personnel), it had directed for bifurcating the charge sheet and handing over the accused to the Commanding Officer concerned for their trial before a General Court Martial (GCM). Subsequently, the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM), Sopore, in July while allowing the concerned CO to attend the court martial of the accused, however, had refused to hand over rifleman Abbas to the Army court for his joint trial under the court martial. This had prompted the Army to go for a revision before the Baramulla Sessions Court. However, the Baramulla Court also dismissed the Army plea to hand over Abbas on August 11. The eight accused Army personnel charge-sheeted in the case include Col DK Pathania, Commanding Officer of the 4 Rajput Rifles; Major Moriya (Adjutant), Major Upendra Singh, Subedar Satbir Singh, Havildar Bir Singh, Sepoy Chadraban, Sepoy Nagendra Singh and Sepoy Narinder Singh. The other three accused named in the charge sheet and facing trail in the Baramulla Sessions Court are Bashir Ahmad Lone, Abdul Hamid Bhat, both civilians, and TA rifleman Abbas Hussain Shah. The 2010 ‘fake’ encounter case
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We’re not apologetic about censuring ex-interlocutors: BJP
Jammu, September 6 The party has also decided not bail out the activists if any legal action is taken against those who were involved in Sunday’s protest in front of the venue where the former interlocutors were holding a closed-door workshop with some “selective intellectuals”. BJP sources said the party had decided to adopt an aggressive posture on this issue by taking it up among the people of the Jammu region so as to rake up their sentiments. Although no action has been taken by the police against the involved activists, the party has asked its cadre to brace themselves for going behind the bars. “We are not apologetic about the incident which took place on Sunday,” senior BJP leader Ravinder Raina, who was leading the protesting BJYM activists that day, told the Tribune. “It is very unfortunate that the police authorities, due to pressure from political higher ups, have registered an FIR against us despite the fact that the former interlocutors are openly preaching secessionism,” he alleged, adding that links had been established between the former interlocutors and ISI agent Fai. Raina said the party had decided not to apply for bail in casethe police takes any action against the activists. “We demanded that we should also be allowed to participate in the round-table conference but the former interlocutors were adamant to allow only their like-minded people in the meeting,” Raina claimed. The BJP alleged that the former interlocutors had invited some “irrelevant” persons only to give a message to the Union Home Ministry that they had got the feedback from the civil society of Jammu. |
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State sees rise in Schizophrenia cases
Jammu, September 6 “At the 75-bed hospital, more than 70 per cent patients are schizophrenic. Not only this, a majority of patients, who come
for admission or follow up treatment, are schizophrenic,” said Dr JR
Thappa, Head of the Department of Psychiatry. It has been observed that a majority of these patients either suffered from manic depressive psychosis or schizophrenia, said Dr Thappa. He said the disorder is initiated by biological factors which include imbalances in chemicals in the brain like Dopamine, 5HT, Gaba, Norepinephrine, Epinephrine and Serotonin. Other aspects like socio-economic status, stress, environment and family atmosphere can also trigger the psychiatric disorder, he said. “Four admissions daily, including two cases of schizophrenic patients, amply convey that mental disorders are constantly on a rise,” he added. The lone government hospital in the capital city on an average witnesses 150 patients at the
Out Patients Department every day. Schizophrenia makes a patient dependent on the family for life. But with anti-psychotic drugs, the patient can be stabilised, he said. Some schizophrenic patients recover fully, some respond comparatively well to anti-psychotic medicines and others have to rely upon drugs for the rest of their lives, he added. The militancy-plagued state, where stress has taken a heavy toll on
the mental health of people, is sans any rehabilitation centre. CASES IN JAMMU HOSPITAL
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Very few Pandits returning to Kashmir: Minority panel chief
New Delhi, September 6 “It is sad that Kashmiri Pandits are returning to the Valley in very small, virtually insignificant numbers. I recently attended a convention held to reward successful wards of Kashmiri Hindu migrants. When I asked the awardees why didn’t they return to Kashmir, they said they had no real desire left to go back. That’s very sad, a poor reflection on the state of affairs,” Wajahat Habibullah told The Tribune today. Advocating a strong law in the country for the protection and rehabilitation of internally displaced persons, Habibullah said Jammu and Kashmir had for long been sitting on the law to create a state minority commission and re-categorise minorities as per the state population. Nationally (as per the National Commission for Minorities Act), there are five minorities --- Muslims, Sikhs, Parsis, Buddhists and Christians --- but the states can recategorise the minorities depending on the numbers. For instance, in J&K Muslims would be a majority and Hindus a minority. “We have repeatedly impressed upon the state to set up the commission. The last we heard from them was that its draft law was ready. But that’s not enough. The Assembly must pass it,” said Habibullah. Habibullah, also the former Chief Information Commissioner, said it was time India enacted a law for the protection of internally displaced persons. “We need a law to deal with internally displaced persons, defining their rights and entitlements. Such a law should clarify that the government would be responsible for these persons till the time they are fully rehabilitated. Otherwise, we will keep having migrations of the order of Kashmir, Kandhamal, and Assam,” he said. On Kashmir, the NCM chief mentioned that very few Kashmiri Pandits were returning to the Valley, that too silently. “There is no requirement for them to return with pomp and show considering that there are still elements back there that can threaten and attack them. We hope more than the state, the locals will offer protection to those who are returning,” Habibullah said. The NCM has a list of 3,700 Kashmir Pandit families in the Valley. It is yet to compile the data of families that have returned. But sources say less than 10 per cent of the families have gone back in 21 years since they migrated due to militancy. |
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Religious heads to chalk out strategy to check suicides, drug abuse
Srinagar, September 6 Senior separatist leader and chairman of the moderate faction of Hurriyat Mirwaiz had organised a meeting of prominent religious heads and scholars at his ancestral house, Mirwaiz Manzil, at the Rajouri Kadal area in Srinagar today. Over fifty religious heads, including representatives from the Jamaat-e-Islami and Jamiat Alhadees and the chief cleric of Kashmir, Mufti Bashir-ud-Din, attended the meeting and shared their views on the issues. “During the convention, it was felt that there was an urgent need to address issues such as drug-addiction and increasing suicide cases in Kashmir. It was decided that the religious leaders, irrespective of their individual ideology, would forge a common strategy to check these evils,” said a spokesman for the Mirwaiz. The religious leaders, he said, also stressed upon the need to maintain sectarian harmony in the Valley. During the meeting, the participants resolved to hold a seminar to devise concrete measures to alleviate the discussed problems. The seminar is scheduled for September 22. Though the religious heads of Kashmir have just woken up to these problems, the general public had been concerned about these issues and erosion of social values among the young generation for a long time. |
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Sacrilege of holy book leaves Poonch incensed
Poonch, September 6 Sources said when the trio started burning the pages, the passers-by intervened, following which both the parties entered into an argument. In the meantime, when some more passers-by got to know about the incident, they joined the argument. Soon, the mob stated assaulting the trio with fists and kicks. The news spread in the town like fire and shopkeepers downed their shutters. Amidst the panic, people rushed to schools to pick their wards. Poonch SHO Sanjeev Singh Salathia, along with his team, rushed to the spot and rescued the trio. On hearing about the incident, the Mufti of Jamia Masjid, Poonch, Moulana Farooq, along with some other people also reached the spot. The mob started raising slogans against the alleged desecration of the holy book and staged a protest at the Betar bridge. Sources said the police tried to pacify the protesters, who had been demanding the arrest of the trio under the PSA. Only after the police assured the protesters that legal action would be taken against the accused, the mob dispersed peacefully, said sources. The Poonch SP confirmed the vandalism and said a case was registered and the trio had been arrested. The arrested persons have been identified as Mohammad Iqbal, Mohammad Idrees and Khalil Ahmed. There were protests against the desecration of the holy book in Mendhar and Surankote too. |
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SRK’s surprise rendezvous with fans in Srinagar
Srinagar, September 6 Although the interaction was supposed to be only with the media fraternity, some socialites and their families successfully breached the rules and disrupted the conference. However, SRK was in no mood to complain as for him, Kashmir is a place where “love is always in the air”. Looking dapper in a black Armani suit and aviators, the actor took to crowd management when his fans took over the reins of the press conference. The Bollywood superstar, who had been evading his fans in Kashmir due to a busy shooting schedule, displayed his acting skills to calm down his fans who got into a frenzy on seeing their favourite actor in person. When the security team and the organisers failed to restore calm among the curious fans, SRK swayed everyone with Shatrughan Sinha’s famous dialogue, “Khamosh.” Seemingly mesmerised by the beauty of Kashmir, Shah Rukh said, “What do I say about Kashmir? You take a camera and Kashmir looks beautiful from every angle. I have fulfilled my father’s wish by coming here and I want my kids to see this place as well. I have never been this happy in 30 years.” Earlier, the actor apologised to the reporters for turning up late and immediately lightened up the mood with his dialogues from his blockbuster movies such as Darr and
Devdas. |
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PDP turns to Azad for completion of various projects in Doda
Jammu, September 6 The PDP deliberately chose Doda town as a venue to urge Azad to play some role in removing backwardness of the Chenab valley region, which according to the party, was the victim of wrong policies of the successive governments led by the National Conference. Doda is the native place of Ghulam Nabi Azad and various development projects which were started during his regime are yet to be completed. Azad has expressed concern over the delay in completion of various projects, which were started during his regime, for the erstwhile Doda district comprising Ramban, Doda and Kishtwar districts. “Ghulam Nabi Azad has to play an assertive role in getting the projects completed,” said Muzaffar Hussain Beig, senior PDP leader, while addressing a public meeting at Doda. Beig said Azad had laid the foundation of many schemes for the development of the backward region when he was the Chief Minister of the state. He said these schemes had been left midway after the formation of the present government headed by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. PDP patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed in his address assured the people that he would remove the backwardness of the belt. He said a comprehensive action plan for the Chenab valley region would be formulated for the socio-economic growth of people of the area. “Exploitation of its water and forest resources has led to destruction of environment, destabilisation of geological features and disruption in the peaceful lives of ordinary citizens,” said Mufti. “Not even a feeble effort was made to share the benefits of Chenab valley resources with its residents to enhance their access to medical and educational facilities or create more job opportunities for them. Rulers only bartered the forest wealth and water resources for their personal power,” he said. While demanding free electricity for the people of the erstwhile Doda district, he said residents of the Chenab valley had the first right over the water flowing from their area. “It is ironic that other parts of the country are benefited by the electricity generated from this region, but the people of this belt are neither getting power nor basic amenities,” he observed, adding, “As the real owner of the water flowing from their areas, the residents of the erstwhile Doda district have the right to get free electricity from the projects operating in their areas.” |
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200 Pandit employees in Kupwara face accommodation problem
Kupwara, September 6 The structures have a life span of five years and have been raised during the past three years. “Three women are forced to stay in a room in Yatri Niwas, Handwara. We feel choked and families staying here cannot have privacy due to insufficient space,” said Neetu Kumari, a teacher at Govt Higher Secondary School, Handwara. Neetu said many of them were sharing a bathroom and a kitchen. The families have to pay Rs 3,000 each per month. Many families are forced to stay in rented accommodations in remote areas of Handwara
and Kupwara. “We have to cover long distances to reach our places of posting. Often we have to hire vehicles to reach our offices in
time. We are forced to pay extra charges in the absence of accommodation,” said Monna Bhat, a government employee. The Kashmiri Pandits said they were deprived of accommodation facilities in their own homeland. The families ridiculed the claims of the government of spending crores of rupees on accommodation and other facilities for the Kashmiri Pandits. “What is the point in raising structures worth crores of rupees at Nutnoosa, Kupwara, when we are
facing severe accommodation crunch?” asked Satish Kumar. “I had to shift my accommodation three times in the last two months as my family was not feeling comfortable,” said Satish Kumar, adding that they were suffering in their own homeland. The prefabricated huts at Nutnoosa are also devoid of proper sanitation facilities. The road leading to these huts is in a dilapidated condition. Some of the Kashmiri Pandits came back to the Valley two years ago as they were offered jobs in various government departments. The state government has claimed to have spent at least Rs 80 crore on accommodation facilities to the Kashmiri Pandits working in various departments in the Valley. The prefabricated structures for the Kashmiri Pandits were raised at Vasu in Anantnag, Haal in Shopian, Khanpora in Baramulla, Shiekhpora in Mattan and Nutnoosa in
Kupwara. |
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Class X student abducted by youth
Rajouri, September 6 The In charge of the police post, Chingus, had allegedly threatened the girl to change her statement in favour of the boy in the court. The victim is the daughter of the sarpanch of Androla village. The accused has been identified as Israr Majid. Israr had allegedly taken the victim to Mumbai. The girl said, “In charge of the police post, Chingus, threatened me that he would kill my parents, if I go against the boy in the court,” she said. “I was under the police pressure, which forced me to go in favour of the boy in the court.” “I spent five days in Nari Nikaten, where I received several threats,” she said. She said the boy was well known to her, as he was the friend of her elder brother. “On July 3, Israr came along with his father and an unknown person in his new car. He asked me for a glass of water. He convinced me to have a ride in his new car. Later, he threatened me with a knife,” the girl said. “I wasn’t aware of Israr’s motives. He took me to Jammu and then to Mumbai,” she said. “I was confined to a room for 17 days at Israr’s maternal uncle’s home in Mumbai. He raped me over the period and had planned to sell me off.” Station House Officer (SHO), Rajouri, Varinder Gupta said, “The police has traced her to Mumbai and lodged an FIR against the accused and arrested him. But he was conditionally bailed out by the court.” “A medical report by a board of doctors clarified that she was not raped,” said the SHO. The case is in the court now. |
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Dr Nazki is ICCR Regional Director
Srinagar, September 6 He is on the advisory board of a number of prestigious institutions of the state and the country, including the Adbi Markaz Kamraz, an umbrella organisation of NGOs working in the field of literature and art. Nazki has mainly focused his attention on locating, identifying, restoring, studying and reporting of manuscripts written in the past in Kashmir. He has been able to collect thousands of pages in various stages of deterioration from households in the Valley. |
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Case registered in Handwara desecration incident
Handwara, September 6 “Sacrilege of the mosque is simply intolerable. The culprits should be held and their faces unveiled before people,” said Kralgund sarpanch Bashir Ahmad. Handwara SP Mohammad Aslam said, “We have registered a case and started the investigation. Hopefully, the miscreants would be arrested soon.”
— OC |
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Minor kidnapped, raped
Rajouri, September 6 The incident came to light when the girl reached home after three days. She narrated the whole story to her mother. An FIR was lodged against Saddam and a manhunt was launched to trace him. The SHO, Rajouri, Varinder Gupta, said, “We have registered a case of kidnapping and rape.” The accused has not yet been traced, but we are hopeful of tracing him soon. |
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