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Court martial begins in Pathribal case
High-powered BJP panel ready with report on J-K
NC worker’s custodial death case adjourned till Nov 6
Governor for sustained campaign against counterfeiting
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Kashmir issue a political problem, not economic, says Omar
20mn illegal cigarettes sold in J&K every month
Protests against anti-Islam film in Kashmir
Pre-arrest bail of accused rejected in land grab case
Infiltration bid foiled in Poonch
Pak ex-envoy: Restrictions on cross-LoC trade must go
Panthers Party slams govt for making ‘frivolous’ poll claims
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Court martial begins in Pathribal case
Srinagar, September 13 The authorities have summoned the families of five civilians, who were killed in the fake encounter in 2000, for attending the case as witnesses at Nagrota on September 20. While disposing of an Army appeal against the CBI in the Pathribal fake encounter case, the Supreme Court had on May 1 given the Army an option to choose between a court martial or a civil trial of accused Army men in the case. Beginning the GCM proceedings, the Army has now sent summons to five victims’ families. In the summons by the General Officer Commanding (GOC), 16 Corps, Lt Gen AS Nandal, the families have been asked to attend the case as witnesses at Nagrota on September 20. “The hearing of the case will be held at the headquarters of 16 Corps (Nagrota) on September 20 against the accused persons in the fake encounter case. I hereby summon and require you to attend as witness at Nagrota on September 20 and bring with you relevant documents or material, if any, and attend the case from day-to-day until you shall be discharged,” said Lt Gen Nandal, in the summons issued to the families of the five victims. Case History Five civilians were abducted in May 2000 from their houses, days after 36 Sikhs were killed by unknown gunmen dressed up in Army fatigues in Chattisinghpora area of south Kashmir. Following the killings, the Army had claimed to have gunned down five Lashkar-e-Toiba militants in an encounter at Pathribal in south Kashmir. The Army had said the slain militants were responsible for the killing of Sikhs as Chattisinghpora. Relatives, who had seen their men being abducted, however, grew suspicious of the Army’s claims and later identified the bodies of “militants” as their abducted men. As protests erupted in the Valley, the then Chief Minister, Farooq Abdullah, handed over the case to the CBI in 2002. A case was registered in February 2003 and the CBI filed a charge sheet before the court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM), Srinagar, in 2006 against five Army personnel, who were identified as then Brigadier Ajay Saxena, Brijendra Pratap Singh, Sourabh Sharma, Amit Saxena and Idress Khan, all belonging to 7 Rashtriya Rifles of the Army. They were charged by the CBI for abduction, murder, criminal conspiracy and destruction of evidence into the killing of five innocent civilians at Pathribal. However, the Army chose to file appeals in the case before various courts, including the High Court and the Supreme Court. The Army moved an application before the CJM’s court, wherein it chose the option of court martial proceedings. The CJM on June 26 handed over a challan and other relevant records of the case to the Army. |
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High-powered BJP panel ready with report on J-K
Jammu, September 13 The panel, which held interactions with 173 delegations from all sections of society of Jammu and Kashmir, came to the conclusion that the majority of the population in the state wanted to live with India and there was a need to address grievances of nationalist forces rather than appease secessionists. Sources said the BJP panel, after its 13-month-long exercise, has prepared a detailed report of more than 175 pages which would be forwarded to party president Nitin Gadkari very soon and later submitted to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The panel, headed by former national president of the BJP Rajnath Singh, comprised party leaders Ravi Shankar Prasad, Shahnawaz Hussain, JP Nadda, Maya Singh and S K Jain. The panel began the exercise on April 11, 2011, and completed the process in May this year. State coordinator of the study panel Chander Mohan Sharma would be going to Delhi tomorrow with the report, which would be discussed among members of the panel before being handing over to Gadkari. Although BJP leaders refused to disclose what was mentioned in the report, the sources said the panel had observed that there was nothing like the Kashmir problem but the real issue which needed to be addressed was “the problems within the state of Jammu and Kashmir”. The panel also suggested that external aspects of the “Kashmir problem” could be solved only by implementing the resolution of Parliament which was passed on February 22, 1994, to liberate part of Kashmir from the illegal occupation of Pakistan. The party also supported union territory (UT) status for the Ladakh region and maintained that the Shiite-dominated Kargil area of Ladakh was bearing the brunt of the discriminatory policies of the successive state governments. The sources said the BJP panel had also suggested some effective measures to heal the wounds of the people of Kashmir who have suffered a lot due to militancy and bloodshed in the state. The party observed that the majority of the population in the Kashmir valley wanted to live with India but successive governments always discouraged nationalist forces of the Valley. To counter the exercise of three interlocutors appointed by the Union Government, the BJP had constituted the “Kashmir Study Group”, which had visited almost all regions and sub-regions of the state. This panel had met with as many as 173 delegations from all sections of society. 13-month-long exercise Panel observations |
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NC worker’s custodial death case adjourned till Nov 6
Srinagar, September 13 Yousuf died in police custody on September 30, 2011, after Chief Minister Omar Abdullah handed him over to the crime branch of the police on September 29, 2011. Justice Bedi today completed the two-day hearing of witnesses, who were produced by the counsel representing Syed Yousuf’s family, in Srinagar. While Yousuf’s son Talib Hussain and daughter Syed Wajahat were questioned yesterday, his brother-in-law Syed Mohammad Hussain and another relative Mohammad Bhat were questioned today. “Syed Mohammad Hussain deposed before the commission that Yousuf had very close relations with Farooq Abdullah (NC president) and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. He also termed Yousuf’s death as a murder, saying if it was a natural death, the authorities would have informed the family members at the earliest,” said Mushtaq A Dar, the counsel representing Yousuf’s family. Dar said witness Ali Mohammad also said it was a murder. “Ali Mohammad, in his deposition, said the affidavits submitted by the CM and his political aides in the case were false,” he added. After the completion of the hearing today, Justice Bedi adjourned the hearing for November 6 for final arguments by both the sides, including the counsels representing Chief Minister and his aides. |
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Governor for sustained campaign against counterfeiting
Srinagar, September 13 This was said in a seminar on “Curbing Counterfeiting and Smuggling - An Imperative for Indian Economy” which was organised by the FICCI-CASCADE and the Kashmir Chambers of Commerce in Srinagar. The Governor said the “huge unlawful funds”, which came from smuggling, ‘hawala’ transactions and black money deals, were being utilised by organised crime groups and mafia networks to foster illegal trade in arms and drugs and to fund terrorist activities. “Jammu and Kashmir is facing the problem of terrorist networks being funded through the circulation of fake Indian currency,” he said. Stating that over 12 million tourists and pilgrims make “significant purchases” during their visits to the state, he said: “Even if a small percentage of the visitors is cheated or sold spurious goods, reputation of the state is damaged.” The Governor urged the producers, manufacturers, traders, shopkeepers and other stakeholders to play an active role in dealing with counterfeiting and smuggling. Minister for Science and Technology and Information Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi said fake products not only caused a loss to the state exchequer but to the consumers as well. He said the trade industry, media fraternity, law enforcing agencies and the society should join hands to deal with the issue.— TNS |
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Kashmir issue a political problem, not economic, says Omar
Anantnag, September 13 He said even the militants who were ready to shun their guns and come forward to express their concerns would be included in the ambit of talks. “If they are ready to shun the path of violence they sure will be talked to,” said Omar. “I thank the Government of India for the economic packages we receive. However, there is a need to address the Kashmir issue on both external and internal levels through a sustained dialogue process,’ Omar said. The CM said that he whole-heartedly accepted the mistakes his party had made in the south Kashmir region. “We have made mistakes in the past and that’s why we scored very poorly here in south Kashmir. However, we are going to leave no stone unturned to rectify the mistakes and I am sure people will support us,” he said. Reacting to the statement of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) patron Mufti Muhammad Sayeed that the PDP was going to form the next government, Omar said people have understood the double talk of the PDP. “I challenge them on this count here. I know people are going to judge us by our performance and we have been pretty fair during our regime,” Omar said. Calling the PDP-led coalition government a card of failure, Omar said the only thing the PDP had been doing was misleading people. “The human rights violations have come down considerably during our regime, which makes it easy to compare the seriousness of the two governments,” the CM said. Omar said his party had even got a chance to topple their government when their MLAs had lost faith in Mufti Muhammad Sayeed but they were saved by the then BJP-led Central government. |
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20mn illegal cigarettes sold in J&K every month
Srinagar, September 13 Data presented during a seminar, “Curbing counterfeiting and smuggling: An imperative for Indian economy”, organised by the FICCI CASCADE and Kashmir Chamber of Commerce here today revealed that over 20 million “tax-evaded” cigarettes were sold in the state every month. “J&K has emerged as a hotbed of illegal cigarettes in India. The state is among the largest markets for illegal cigarettes in the country. Over 20 million tax-evaded cigarettes are sold in the state every month which is around 10 per cent of the total cigarette market in J&K. As a result, the state government suffers an annual revenue loss of about Rs 20 crore,” the data revealed. Adviser, FICCI, Deep Chand said high taxation on cigarettes was the main reason for the large and growing market of tax evaded and illegal cigarettes. Quoting a recent study conducted by the Business Action to Stop Counterfeiting and Piracy (BASCAP), Chand said the global value of counterfeit and pirated goods was currently estimated at $600-650 billion and it was likely to double (reach $1300 billion) by 2015. He said China was the largest supplier (70 per cent) of counterfeit goods. The seminar also highlighted the effects of counterfeiting on the Valley's handicraft industry. Governor N N Vohra was the chief guest at the seminar. |
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Protests against anti-Islam film in Kashmir
Srinagar, September 13 He said this in the wake of attacks on US embassies in some Muslim countries during protests against a film “Innocence of Muslims” that reportedly contained blasphemous content against the Prophet Muhammad. The Grand Mufti also urged the people to stage peaceful protests against the film. “Anything against the Prophet will not be tolerated by the Muslims. We strongly protest this,” he said. Chairman of the hardline faction of the Hurriyat Conference Syed Ali Shah Geelani also called for peaceful protests against the film after the Friday prayers tomorrow. He urged religious heads to raise their voices against the “condemnable” act during Friday sermons. Geelani alleged that Muslims were being deliberately harmed and targeted as part of a “planned conspiracy”. A socio-religious group, Jamiat Ahli Hadith, staged a protest against the film and raised anti-US slogans at the Barbarshah area of the city. Jamiat Ahli Hadith chief Ghulam Rasool Malik addressed a press conference here where he condemned the video that had appeared on the Internet. He said indulging in blasphemous activities against Islam was “against the humanity”. When asked to comment on the recent killing of the US Ambassador in Libya during a protest against the controversial film, Malik said it was the “reaction” of the angry people. He said punishing a person for somebody else’s misdeeds was not permissible in Islam. Claiming that attempts were being made to create a sectarian divide in the Valley, Malik said the group would announce a detailed strategy in this regard after holding consultations with other religious
organisations. NC appeals for calm The ruling National Conference on Thursday asked people of the state not to heed to any rumours regarding an ‘anti-Islam’ video that had appeared on the internet. Even as some religious groups and separatist parties called for protests against the film, the NC appealed to people to maintain calm. The NC spokesman appreciated the immediate steps taken by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to prevent the release and access of the “insulting film” on Youtube. — TNS |
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Pre-arrest bail of accused rejected in land grab case
Jammu, September 13 While rejecting the pre-arrest bail, the Kathua Principal Sessions Judge observed, “Land grabbing is a new master crime. Any organised group can indulge in this most sophisticated and undetected art of the crime of land grabbing. In this case the accused is alleged of fabricating a false document with the intention of depriving an innocent person of her 2 kanals of land. This appears to be a case of land grabbing by using weapons of cunning silence. Just because the petitioner or the accused is a woman, the court will not give her the right to claim a pre-arrest bail, when the magnitude of the alleged crime is alarming.” “Therefore, the custodial interrogation of the accused is warranted in the case as the investigating officer has been specific in stating that the investigation into the case is in progress.” The accused, Indra Devi, Daljeet Singh, Surjeet Singh, advocate HN Gupta, Sat Pal and Khajur Singh, hatched a criminal conspiracy to fabricate a false document with the intention of causing injury to the complainant, Soma Devi. In furtherance of the conspiracy, Indra Devi presented a Special Power of Attorney executed in favour of Surjeet Singh for registration before the then Sub-Registrar, Hira Nagar, in respect of the land bearing survey no 422/1, measuring 2 kanals at Muthi Hardo village in Raj Bagh tehsil, Hira Nagar, by falsely impersonating the actual executants. |
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Infiltration bid foiled in Poonch
Poonch, September 13 Sources said the Army noticed a movement of four to five terrorists near the Raja Rani post of the Pakistan army near the fence at about 10:30 pm yesterday. When the Army opened fire on them, the Pakistan army retaliated to give cover to the infiltrators on the Kalsan post. The firing, which forced the militants to step back, continued till 11:15 pm. — OC
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Pak ex-envoy: Restrictions on cross-LoC trade must go
Srinagar, September 13 Kamal was speaking to faculty members and students at Islamic University of Science and Technology (IUST), Anantnag, on Tuesday. He underlined the need for people-to-people contact between India and Pakistan by building cross-border economic, cultural and educational ties between the two countries. He said, “We need to revisit what is already in the pipeline and all restrictions on the cross-LoC trade should be removed.” Kamal emphasised the need to make Kashmir a bridge connecting people of India and Pakistan rather than it being a bone of contention. For everlasting peace and stabilisation in the region, Kamal said Kashmir should become a bridge rather than a point of conflict. “People have the right to achieve peace and progress,” he said. He further said people-to-people contact was fundamental for overcoming the prevailing trust deficit between India and Pakistan. |
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Panthers Party slams govt for making ‘frivolous’ poll claims
Jammu, September 13 Singh said the recent statements by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah regarding early elections had evoked cynicism as neither was the delimitation of wards undertaken nor the summary revision of electoral rolls conducted. Lambasting the state government for its persistent policy of delay and deny in holding the local bodies elections, Singh said the elections, which were due in early 2010, have been delayed by two and a half years. — TNS |
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Srinagar, September 13
