Srinagar, November 9
Even as investigation into the alleged suicide of a Baramulla schoolboy was ordered to be reopened six months ago, so far, no statement of the witnesses has been recorded despite the passage of a lot of time.

In the wake of the slow and tardy pace of investigation, the family of the deceased 
is now contemplating approaching the High Court with a plea for probe by a Special Investigation Team (SIT).

Panveer Singh, a Sikh student of Baramulla Public School, had died on September 3, a week after he allegedly attempted suicide by jumping off the second floor of his school building following alleged harassment at the hands of the school authorities.

The family had alleged that the police had remained silent when it came to initiating action against the school authorities, adding that it (police) had failed to record the boy's dying declaration at the hospital for at least four days.

Though the police had registered an FIR into the boy's death under Section 325 (blunt injury) and 306 (abetment to suicide), the family had been insisting on adding Section 302 (murder).

Besides, the family blamed the school authorities for negligence, alleging that even after having jumped off the school building, the boy kept lying on the school premises for half an hour and the school authorities failed to provide him with medical help.

The police, in its latest status report before the Chief Judicial Magistrate Baramulla, has disclosed that the investigation in the case has been reopened after it was closed as untraced and a final Ikhtitami submitted in the court of law.

"Investigation in the case has been reopened and entrusted to the undersigned in pursuance of the order dated May 8, 2013," Deputy Superintendent of Police, headquarters Baramulla, has submitted in his latest status report before the CJM Baramulla.

Stating that the case file was perused, the IO (DSP) has admitted that the then SHO Baramulla Javed Ahmad, who previously investigated the matter, had not recorded the boy's statement during the time he was admitted in the hospital.

"The boy had sustained injuries on August 25, 2012 and was admitted in District Hospital Baramulla, but his statement was not recorded by the IO. Recording of the statement would have ordinarily and automatically resulted in culmination of investigation in the case on merit on the very first day," the DSP headquarters stated in his status report before the CJM, adding that the case is presently under investigation and statements of some witnesses are being examined.

"In the case, the statements of the complainant and his spouse are required to be recorded under Section 164-A of CrPC. Besides, statements of some of the boy's classmates are required to be recorded for concluding the investigation on merit," he further submitted.

Questioning the delay in recording of the statements, the boy's family is now planning to approach the High Court with a plea for probe by an SIT. "More than six months have elapsed since the case was reopened. However, the police is yet to record the statements," said advocate Karnail Singh Wazir, who is representing the family in the matter.

Stating that they are not satisfied with the investigation so far, Wazir added that the family is planning to approach the High Court.

"So far, no arrests have been made in the matter. We seek a probe by the SIT," he said.

Srinagar, November 9
Night temperatures across Kashmir Valley plummeted with the minimum temperature in most parts settling below the freezing point, even as Leh continues to be the coldest in the state.

Leh registered a temperature of minus 5.2 degree Celsius, a Meteorological Department official said today. The previous night’s minimum in the frontier town in Ladakh region, also known as the cold desert, was minus 4.2 degree Celsius.

The official said the nearby Kargil town registered a drop of over four degrees in the minimum temperature, which settled at minus 4.0 degree Celsius.

The ski-resort of Gulmarg, which received fresh snowfall on the previous night, registered a temperature of minus 3.8 degree Celsius, he added.

The night temperatures in south Kashmir’s Pahalgam settled at minus 3.6 degree Celsius, four notches below from previous night’s 0.2 degree Celsius. The tourist resort had received season’s first snowfall on Thursday night.

The night temperatures in Srinagar, the summer capital of the state, dropped two degree, from the previous nights 4.3 degree Celsius, to settle at 2.4 degree Celsius, the official said.

The minimum temperatures in other parts of the Valley also dropped with the mercury registering a low of minus 0.5 degree Celsius in Qazigund and minus 0.4 degree Celsius in Kupwara.

The night temperature in Kokernag also dropped, but the minimum temperature settled above the freezing point at 0.4 degree Celsius.

The MeT Department has predicted light rainfall or thundershowers at isolated places in the state. —PTI 

Srinagar, November 9
Accusing the Omar Abdullah government of deliberately putting the brakes on careers of students, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Saturday said the Common Entrance Test (CET) goof-up earlier in the mathematics paper for class XII students which has spelt torture for them is enough to indicate the intentions of the rulers who are "hellbent on destroying our future generations".

Demanding immediate re-examination of students who were provided out-of-syllabus question paper in the Mathematics paper, the party's chief spokesperson Naeem Akhtar said happening of such things time and again is an unhealthy trend with dangerous consequences.

"It shows the height of insensitivity and callousness of the authorities, who, instead of learning from their past mistakes, are resorting to it again. Needless to say, 10+2 is an important stage in students’ academic career; after that, they (students) go on to choose different career options. Providing out-of-syllabus question and knotty question paper is akin to stopping their future advancement,” said Akhtar.

The J&K government on Friday had ordered a probe into allegations by Class 12 students that the recently held Mathematics paper was tough.

“Though there is need for investigation in the matter by some independent agency, foremost importance should be given to raising confidence of the students in the system, which can only be done by meeting their demands,” the PDP spokesman said, adding that “by refusing to conduct fresh examination in the paper, the authorities are resorting to arrogance.”

“The grave mistake has disturbed innocent students both mentally as well as academically,” said Akhtar.

Srinagar, November 9
With the move in Civil Secretariat to the winter capital, Jammu, state government employees are planning a fresh agitation in Jammu, consultations for which will be held between the Srinagar and Jammu chapters of Employees Joint Action Committee (EJAC).

The bid for protest rally from Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution (CAPD) Department to the Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir office, was foiled today by the police from near Kothi Bagh and Shaheed Gunj police stations.

Around 50 employees including EJAC president Abdul Qayum Wani were later detained in Kothi Bagh police station. There was resentment with regard to the recent punitive action taken against employees of Agriculture and Education departments by their respective heads of department for remaining absent on October 4 and 5.

“Nearly 200 employees from these departments were either suspended or punitive action was taken against them since they joined the EJAC protests on October 4 and 5. This government does not even give the public department employees their rights to protest and express concern. We are already working in close coordination with the Jammu wing of EJAC and a state-wide agitation will follow,” Farooq Ahmad Trali, a senior EJAC member, told The Tribune.

He added that on the directives of State Chief Secretary and General Administration Department, the two departments took the extreme step of punishing their employees.

Trali said since the state government seems to be in no compromising position over the issue, the demands of the employees remain the same.

The employees' demands include release of arrears recommended by the Sixth Pay Commission, enhancement of retirement age from 58 to 60 years, removal of pay anomalies and regularisation of daily wagers and casual workers working in various government departments. The other demands are inclusion of five years of contractual service of Rehbar-e-Taleem (ReT) teachers in the service book and regularisation of education volunteers after seven years of service.

Anantnag, November 9
An unidentified male body was recovered by the police on Friday evening from Anchidora area of Anantnag town here in South Kashmir’s Anantnag district, police reports said.

According to police reports, some locals intimated the police about a body lying in Lazibal neighbourhood of Anchidora.

“A team was sent to the spot and the body was recovered,” said a senior police officer from the area.

He said the deceased is yet to be identified; initial investigations have put the age of the slain person at about 60 years.

“Photographs of the body have been circulated along with our phone numbers to get the body identified,” said the police officer.

Meanwhile, the officer said the body had been kept at the District Hospital Anantnag for identification and other medical formalities.

“We have registered a case and an investigation has been initiated,” said the police officer.

The police has come up with the request that anybody with any information regarding the case should contact the Police Control Room (PCR), Anantnag.

Srinagar, November 9
A teenager boy died and another was injured in two separate road accident across the valley, police today said.

Ashiq Hussain Mir (14), a resident of Zagoo village, fell off from a tractor yesterday late evening and died on the spot in central Kashmir’s Budgam district, a police spokesman said.

In another accident, a tanker collided with a tipper at Guriwan village near south Kashmir’s Bijbehara town, resulting in injuries to the tipper driver, said the spokesman.

The injured was admitted to hospital for treatment.

Srinagar, November 9
The National Service Scheme (NSS), University of Kashmir, in association with Jamia Millia Islamia University, Delhi, today organised a cycle rally to create awareness about women safety.

A group of 42 cyclists, including 15-member support staff, will pass through the states of Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Haryana before ending up at the Jamia Millia Islamia University on November 25, the organisers said.

The rally was flagged off by Registrar, Kashmir University, Zaffer Reshi and Inspector General Police, Kashmir, AG Mir from the Gandhi Bhawan in Kashmir University at 10 am today.

The theme of the rally is ‘Building India Safe for Women’.

The cyclists will cover a distance of around 1100 km during the trip, organisers said.

The IGP on the occasion said our society was founded on the basis of secular ideals and it should be everyone’s aim to forward this most cherished value.

“The rally will provide an opportunity to our students to understand the flora and fauna of the different regions of India,” Reishi said.

He added that the rally will expose the cyclists to various challenges that will help them in developing the skills to overcome difficult situations in life and will help in shaping their character and personality.

Earlier, another rally themed --- Save Dal --- was flagged off by the Registrar, University of Kashmir, from varsity’s Sheikh Hamza Guest House.

As many as 40 students participated in it.

The cyclists took the foreshore road to reach the historical Shalimar Garden before finishing off on the KU campus.

During the rally, the participants highlighted the need of keeping the Dal Lake surroundings clean and pollution-free and raised awareness among people living in catchments to avoid littering around the water body.

“Dal is our asset and it is our moral responsibility to protect this heritage from encroachments and unwanted human-interference, which can spell doom for its flora and fauna. The lake is our identity and we have to safeguard our identity,” said Prof Reishi.

Program Coordinator, NSS, KU, Prof Farooq Khan who was monitoring the rally said such initiatives are very crucial in creating awareness among people about pressing issues and problems and at the same time inculcate values of selfless service among the young students.

“These young students and volunteers of the NSS are very effective in mobilising public opinion and their participation inspires others to come forward and join this novel initiative,” Prof Khan said.

Srinagar, November 9
The constituent members of the hardline faction of the separatist Hurriyat Conference held a meeting here today.

The meeting was chaired by Syed Ali Shah Geelani and attended by the representatives of the Jammu Kashmir Employees Movement, the Democratic Political Movement, the Mass Movement, the Muslim Khawateen Markaz, the Muslim League, the Peoples Freedom League, the Peoples League, the Tehreek-e-Wahdat-e-Islami and the Muslim Conference.

Various issues, including Geelani’s recent public meetings, a forthcoming seminar and future strategy of separatist amalgam were discussed at the meeting, a spokesperson said.

“All the participants observed and unanimously reaffirmed the stance that Hurriyat Conference in principle is not against the dialogue processes between India and Pakistan. However, until the issue is resolved in accordance with the wishes of the people of Kashmir, the dialogue process is futile and in no case will deliver any fruitful result nor any change is expected,” the spokesperson said.