Srinagar, April 9
A trial court here has sentenced a youth to 10-year rigorous imprisonment for hitting a shopkeeper in downtown Srinagar in 2011 while he was enforcing a shutdown call along with a group of people.

Rayees Manzoor Bhat of Rajouri Kadal was found guilty of ‘culpable homicide not amounting to murder’ by a trial court here in Srinagar and sentenced him to 10 years rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 25,000.

Rayees had hit Tariq Ahmad Bhat, a shopkeeper, with a cricket bat on December 3, 2011 in an attempt to force the shopkeepers in the area to close their shops and observe a shutdown. After being hit, Tariq was injured seriously and he succumbed to injuries a few days later in a hospital on December 14, 2011.

Rayees was arrested by the police on December 9, 2011, and subsequently booked under FIR No. 84/2011 under Section 307, 148, 149, 336 of the RPC. Subsequently, Section 302 RPC (Ranbir Penal Code) was added to the case after Tariq’s death a few days later.

“Holding him guilty of culpable homicide not amounting to murder in the death of Tariq, the court of first Additional Sessions Judge Srinagar SL Bhat sentenced Rayees to 10 years imprisonment” a prosecution official said.

Apart from imprisonment, the court also imposed a fine of Rs 25,000 on the youth, adding that he shall go an additional three months rigorous imprisonment in case he fails to deposit the fine.

The court said the period of imprisonment already undergone by the accused from December 9, 2011, when he was arrested, shall be set off against the period of imprisonment awarded to him.

As stated by the police in the chargesheet, Rayees along with a group of people was forcing shutdown in the Nowhatta and adjoining areas in downtown Srinagar on December 3, 2011. Incidentally, on that day no separatist group had called for the shutdown and the youth were acting on their own. 

Srinagar, April 9
The J&K Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) held a day-long convention here today and urged the party workers to gear up for next year’s Assembly elections.

The convention, held at the party headquarters, was chaired by JKPCC senior vice-president and MLC Mohammad Muzaffar Parrey.

Speaking on the occasion, Parrey said: “We have full confidence under the leadership of Prof Saifuddin Soz that the Congress will emerge a strong force in the coming assembly and parliamentary elections.”

He urged the district and block presidents present at the convention to work hard in their respective constituencies so that the Congress could form the next state government on its own.

JKPCC vice-president Bashir Ahmad Magrey urged the Congress leaders and workers to make the party “stronger than ever”. “Time has come for our leaders to take a bigger role,” he added.

He welcomed the re-appointment of Prof Soz as JKPCC president. “We should strengthen the hands of Prof Soz as Sonia Gandhi has respected the sentiments of the people by appointing him as JKPCC chief with the hope that the Congress will become a leading force in the elections,” he said.

Several other Congress leaders, including Mohammad Anwar Bhat and Yasir Amin Pandit, also spoke on the occasion.

Srinagar, April 9
Keeping up its campaign against detention laws in Kashmir, the Amnesty International today criticised Chief Minister Omar Abdullah for being “non-serious” in repealing the Public Safety Act (PSA).

The message was posted by Amnesty International on micro-blogging site Twitter and later tweeted to J-K Chief Minister on his Twitter account today.

“Amnesty has criticised Chief Minister Omar Abdullah for being non-serious in repealing PSA”, Amnesty India posted a message on its Twitter account today. Then, in a second message addressed directly to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Amnesty said that he (CM) can demonstrate his seriousness over the issue by passing an executive order for repealing the Public Safety Act, the law which has often been criticised for its “misuse” by the successive governments against its political opponents.

“Omar is not serious in repealing the PSA. As CM, he can simply issue an executive order if he is serious to repeal it,” Amnesty India said in its tweet addressed to J&K CM on his Twitter account @abdullah_omar.

On April 1, human rights watchdog Amnesty International had launched a campaign asking Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to show “zero tolerance” towards human rights violations in the state and bring an end to alleged police abuses and repeated administrative detentions under the Public Safety Act (PSA) and other preventive laws.

As part of the campaign, titled “Omar Abdullah: Pick up your pen to stop police abuse”, the rights body has also launched a global petition on the social networking sites, including Facebook, telling the Chief Minister to take a stand of “zero tolerance” for human rights violations in the Kashmir valley.

The campaign will close on June 1, 2013. By that time, the Amnesty aims to have the Chief Minister issue an “administrative order”, directing detaining authorities not to repeatedly detain individuals under multiple, consecutive PSA detention orders, and ensuring that PSA detention records maintained by the state Ministry of Home Affairs are made accessible to the people.

Anantnag, April 9
At least 18 persons, including five tourists from West Bengal, were injured in different road accidents in Anantnag and Kulgam districts of south Kashmir.

Reports said a passenger vehicle bearing registration number JK03-4750 turned turtle near Matrgam village of Kulgam district after the driver of the vehicle lost control and the bus skidded off the road.

Eleven persons were injured in the mishap. “The injured were taken to the district hospital in Kulgam where their condition was stated to be stable,” the reports said.

The people of Matergam village alleged that despite getting information the authorities didn’t come for help and the injured were ferried to the hospital in private vehicles.

The injured have been identified as 50-year-old Nazir Ahmad Ahanger, son of Abdul Ahad of Kanjikul, 30-year-old Ajaz Ahmad Hila, son of Abdul Aziz of Chabdrigam, 24-year-old Shabnum Rashid, daughter of Abdul Rashid of Kulgam, 60-year-old Bashir Ahmad Shah, son of Abdul Gani of Shopian, 60-year- old Abdul Rahim, son of Abdul Rehman of Wattoo, 40-year-old Ijaz Ahmad Pader, son of Wali Muhammad of Marhama, 45-year-old Hanifa Akhtar, wife of Bilal Ahmad Naikoo of Kulgam, 22-year-old Asiya Jan, daughter of Abdul Rehman of Manzgam, 30-year-old Kouser Jan, wife of Firdous Ahmad Bhat of Kanipora, 25-year-old Nabeela Jan, daughter of Manzoor Ahmad Dar of Nasnoor and 60-year-old Ghulam Muhamad Ganai, son of Khizar Muhamad of Tengjan.

In another mishap, a Tavera vehicle, bearing registration number JK03C-3392 carrying some tourists, turned turtle at Chandanwari. The vehicle was ferrying the tourists from Pahalgam to Chandanwari.

Five tourists from the Howrah area of West Bengal were injured in the mishap. They were rushed to a Pahalgam hospital.

“Four of the tourists were discharged after first aid but a woman, 44-year-old Anita Nag, had to be referred to Bone and Joints Hospital in Srinagar for specialised treatment,” reports said.

The others injured have been identified as Tampa Mandal, Rimpadee, Ashok Kumar Das, Rita Sil, all residents of Howrah, Kolkata.

In another accident, a Maruti van bearing registration number JK 18-3616 turned turtle on its way from Seer Hamdan to Anantnag near Hutmurah village of Mattan, injuring two sisters.

Srinagar, April 9
Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand has urged the teaching fraternity to come up to the expectations of the people by utilising their experience, skills and qualification for the welfare of society.

He stated this while responding to the demands put forth by various deputations of teachers, lecturers and other representatives who called upon the Deputy Chief Minister at Winter Secretariat here.

He assured the teachers that those who perform well would be awarded while stern action would be taken against the poor performers.

He directed for constituting a committee that would examine the teachers on the basis of their performance during the past three years.

To streamline the education policy for restructuring the quality education and better results, a spokesperson quoted, “The Deputy Chief Minister has said the government has set up a panel of educationists to give suggestions for framing an education policy for the state and directions have already been given to constitute a committee for recommendations in this regard.”

Responding to the demands put forth by the deputations regarding the transfer of lecturers, teachers and Rehbar-e-Taleem teachers, the Deputy Chief Minister said their demands would be looked into on priority.

“He also said the period of service rendered by the teachers in remote and far-flung areas shall be curtailed by one year,” said the spokespersons.

Mohammad Shafi Rather, Director, School Education, Kashmir, was present on the occasion.

Srinagar, April 9
Two residential houses gutted in a fire that broke out in the Chatabal locality of the city here in which three people received burn injuries.

The fire broke out in two houses at Chatabal, a police spokesperson said, adding the fire was caused by gas leakage.

Six families living in the two houses were affected by the fire. Three people, identified as Ali Mohammad Bhat, Mehrajdin Bhat and Mohammad Aslam Turray, received burn injuries in the incident, the spokesperson said. All the three have been shifted to a hospital.

In another similar incident, a fire broke out in a single storey shed of Tajinder Pal Janda at Trigam in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district.

However, no loss of life or injury was reported in the incident.

Anantnag, April 9
People in different areas of the south Kashmir region yesterday came out on streets and kept vital road links blocked for hours against the failure of the authorities to ensure regular power supply in these areas.

Reports said people came out in large numbers in Kulgam, Shopian and Pulwama districts of the south Kashmir region and held protests against the Power Development Department (PDD) for erratic power supply.

Most of the protesting people alleged that they did not get any power supply at all, while others said the power supply was pesky and that too not more than two to three hours a day.

In Kulgam district, thousands of vehicles remained stranded on the important Wanpoh-Kulgam road for at least eight hours after people blocked the road.

The road, reports said, was blocked by people at several places, including Khodweni, Kanipora and the Srondu areas along the road.

“People blocked the road at 9 am and the blockade continued till 5 in the evening,” said the reports.

Sources said that despite the district administration’s efforts, the people were unfazed and kept the keep the road blocked.

“Even school buses were not allowed to move for at least two hours in the morning,” said a school-bus driver. “I reached my school in Kulgam town from the Srondu area at about 12 in the noon and that also after repeated requests.”

Protests were staged in Shopian district in a number of villages, including Shirmal, Nagbal, Urpara, Imam Sahab, Trenz, Killora, Habdipora, Bashqushan and Malikgund.

According to report, traffic remained halted for at least three hours in these areas and it was after the intervention of the district administration that the people let the traffic ply normally.

The people in these areas were not only protesting against the frequent power cuts, but they also alleged that they were being charged arbitrarily by the PDD.

“We had held protests a fortnight ago also. However, the authorities assured us that the power supply will be restored soon and we called off the protests. But nothing has been done so far. The power supply has only worsened,” alleged Shopian residents.

Meanwhile, similar protests were held in many parts of Pulwama district, including the Awantipora and Tral areas.

The people alleged that they did not get any power supply even after being charged heftily by the PDD.

Srinagar, April 9
The J&K High Court yesterday posted a petition challenging the arrest and subsequent shifting of senior Hurriyat leader and chairperson of the Democratic Freedom Party (DFP) Shabbir Shah to the Kotebalwal Jail for further consideration on April 10.

In the petition filed through his counsel Mir Shafaqat Hussain, the arrest of Shabbir Shah, under Section 107 CrPC, has been challenged and his lodgement at the Kotebalwal Jail in Jammu has been termed illegal by the law. As the matter came up before a single Bench of the high court, counsel Shafaqat prayed that the court should summon the record pertaining to the arrest of Shah under Section 107 and his shifting from Srinagar Central Jail to Kotebalwal.

Meanwhile, the state government also filed its objections into the matter yesterday, seeking dismissal of the petition on several grounds.

After hearing both the sides, the HC posted the matter for further consideration on April 10. The police had arrested Shabbir Shah on February 9 and lodged him in Srinagar Central Jail to ward off protests in the wake of Afzal Guru’s hanging in Tihar Jail. Shah, who is also a senior executive member of the Hurriyat Conference led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, was later shifted to the Kotbalwal jail in Jammu from Srinagar Central Jail on March 16.

Kulgam, April 9
Blaming the mainstream politicians for jeopardising the lives of Panchayat members, state secretary of the CPM Muhammad Yousuf Tarigami today asked patron of the National Conference (NC) Farooq Abdullah to join Kashmiri people and hold the Government of India (GOI) accountable for their misdeeds in Kashmir.

Reacting to a recent statement by Farooq Abdullah, asking people of the state to leave all issues, including the hanging of Afzal Guru, behind and move ahead, Tarigami said it was the GOI that rubbed salt on the wounds of Kashmiris.

“Over 110 youth were mercilessly killed in 2010. We did not forget the killings but we compromised. Farooq Abdullah should join us and demand answers from the Centre instead of asking the people to forget everything,” Tarigami said.

He was talking to mediapersons on the sidelines of a public rally in Arigutnoo village of Kulgam district.

The NC patron had said the people of Kashmir would do no justice to anybody, including the family of Muhammad Afzal Guru, by raking up ‘controversial’ issues time and again.

Terming the recent killings of Panchayat members as unfortunate, Tarigami said the institution of Panchayat should not have been politicised by different parties of the state.

He said the booking of minor children under draconian laws, even after the Juvenile Justice Act (JJA) was passed in the State Legislative Assembly, was heart breaking.

“The JJA is a very good law but its proper implementation needs to be supervised and ensured,” said Tarigami.

“Even though there are some honest officials in the police department, unfortunately some of them have started making money out of arresting innocent youth on flimsy charges,” he said.

Kupwara, April 9
The police yesterday arrested Mushtaq Ahmad Bhat (36), wanted by the CBI in the 2001-Kamraz Rural Bank robbery case. On March 1, the CBI had announced a cash reward of Rs 50,000 for information on the accused.

Police sources said Mushtaq Ahmad, alias Mushtaq Monda, a resident of Lalpora village in Lolab Kupwara, had been absconding since 2001. “Following specific information about his presence in Punzgam village, a police team arrested him today. We have learnt that he was hiding in different villages of Kupwara for the past two weeks,” a police official said.

The police today handed over the accused to a CBI team, which took him to an undisclosed destination, said the source. Mushtaq was working in Kamraz Rural Bank and posted in the bank’s Sopore branch but ever since his involvement in the bank robbery case came to the fore, he has been absconding.

Mushtaq, along with a few others, had allegedly looted cash worth lakhs of rupees from the bank in 2001. “With his arrest, the CBI has resolved more than a decade-old bank robbery case. He was one of the main accused involved in the bank robbery. With his arrest, all the accused wanted in the case have been nabbed,” said the official. The CBI’s announcement about a cash reward led to his arrest. The police and CBI teams had raided many places in the past but to no avail, police official said.