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Continuing
arms smuggling in J&K From B L Kak NEW DELHI, Oct 8: NEW DELHI, Oct 8: A highly disturbing figure over 40 lakh illegal weapons exist in the troubled State of Jammu and Kashmir. This figure is the product of survey conducted by men of three field intelligence units in the Kashmir valley and Jammu region. Equally disturbing is the evidence obtained by intelligence sleuths with regard to the availability of unauthorised weapons in the sensitive sectors of Kargil and Leh in Ladakh. The number of these weapons according to one assessment is more than 30,000. A top Government source told Excelsior "there are now just too many guns in unauthorised hands to allow any semblance of order to get restored. Estimates in this regard vary. But there is no denying that the number of unauthorised weapons in J&K is extremely high, definitely higher than that those available in Assam and Nagaland." The source divulged that the issue was once again discussed at a high level meeting convened by the Minister for Home Affairs, Mr L K Advani the other day. How to prevent the passage of weapons into unauthorised hands in the country, particularly J&K was high on Mr Advani’s agenda when he held consultations with top security and intelligence officials. The immediate task it was argued by the Home Minister was to drastically reduce the number of unauthorised weapons. And a suggestion found forceful expression at the meeting. Only by making price of bearing an unauthorised weapon extremely high can the authorities see some reduction. Mr L K Advani according to the source, would take up the matter with the J&K Chief Minsiter, Dr Farooq Abdullah once again in the next few days, before making available "strong"teams of police and other security agencies for launching a drive to recover the unauthorised weapons. The Government of India has been informed that a number of "pro India" politicians who also include some ministerial colleagues of Dr Farooq, possess weapons for "self defence". Significantly, however, all these weapons are not licenced. International law is clear that a non uniformed combatant carrying or possessing a weapon must be treated as a "saboteur"and liable to face the extreme penalty. In Malaya and the Philippines where armed insurgencies were defeated in the early 1950s, one of the key measures was to make the unauthorised possession of weapons an offence to be tried by a military court and punishable by death. Preventive detection and seizure of property and collective fines were also integral to the success of these two campaigns. A top Indian defence official had two important points to make in the course of discussion on the insurgency and presence of unauthorised weapons in Jammu and Kashmir. One the process of recovering unauthorised weapons requires to be handled differently by the laws enforcing personnel. And this is possible only when the Government decides to exercise its powers confer extraordinary powers to the security forces and the administration in J&K. Second a strict watch is required on the developments that take place after the seizure or surrender of arms anywhere in Jammu and Kashmir. The message which the Indian defence official sought to convey was in support of measures to ensure that the seized arms as well as the weapons surrendered by militants did not surreptitiously go back to different categories of militants after huge sums of money changed hands. Clandestine smuggling of arms into various parts of Jammu and Kashmir continues even after the stepped up vigilance by police and other security agencies. According to one estimate , more than 50 crore changed hands in recent years as weapons found their way into unauthorised hands in the troubled State. Pakistan which knows that it cannot inflict a battlefield defeat to India, seems to be once again making great gains in the other theater where the 50 year Kashmir war is also being fought. The results of this are increasingly visible now. One is that they have been largely successful in their attempts to define this as a war for self determination and human rights. India has been forced to define it as externally aided and abetted terrorism and a war that pits a modern democracy against primitive religious fanaticism. Like in Pakistan in Kashmir also India is seen as Hindu homeland and Indian rule means Hindu occupation. |
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Introduction of local languages in ensuing season: Farooq Excelsior Correspondent SRINAGAR, Oct 8: Chief Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah today said Kashmiri, Dogri and Bodhi would be introduced at primary level from ensuing academic sessions in the State and suggested setting up of three academies on literature, music and drama, instead of existing one, on the national pattern. Speaking at the concluding session of 2-Day All India Kashmiri writers, intellectuals and journalists conference, organised by the Kashmir Lal Ded Foundation, here this evening, the Chief Minister asked the education ministry to take expeditious steps in implementing the local languages in academic curricula. He said red-tapism should not be allowed to come in the way of its implementation. Dr Abdullah elaborately dwelt on the problems that crept in the implementation of the demand and said various reasons including three-language formula were advanced at certain levels. He said the primer on Kashmiri language is now ready and there should be no difficulty in introducing the local languages in schools. The CM announced formation of Writers Guild with Mr Shafi Shaida as its Convenor and said the outline of the new organisation would be drawn soon to give fillip to literary activities. He said writers are the cream of any society and unfortunately they did not enjoy the same status as their counterparts do in the western world. "We are the inheritors of rich culture and ethos", he said, in his half an hour speech in chaste Kashmiri, and regretted that much has not been done to flourish the languages of the state. The Chief Minister sought opinion of various shades of art and culture in carving out three different academies on the pattern of Sahitya Akedmi and Sangeet-Natak Academy. The intellectuals have to ponder whether the step would be progressive or retrograde, he opined. Responding to the suggestion about strengthening the film production unit of the State Information Department, the Chief Minister said this will be looked into and ways and means found to make it effective. For this purpose, he convened a meeting here tomorrow. He was overwhelmed to see some eminent Kashmiri Pandit intellectuals in the conference held here and appealed to them "Don’t wait for Government efforts alone for your return, take initiative yourself to come home". He said some vested interests were hampering the process of their return and expressed concern over mushroom growth of middlemen in both the communities busy in getting Pandit properties disposed off clandestinely despite ban by his Government. "We never wanted them to snap their roots in Kashmir and that is why a ban was imposed on the sale", he added. The Chief Minister honoured distinguished Kashmiri intellectuals who have made mark in various fields. They included Fazil Kashmiri, Pran Kishore, Sofi Ghulam Mohammed, Ghulam Nabi Khayal, Makhan Lal Mehaw, Shyam Koul, Prof Ghulam Mohammed Shad, Arjan Dev Majboor, Ateeqa Bano, Dr Mehfooz Jan and Prana Shungloo. Moti Lal Saqi and Nishat Ansari were honoured posthumously. Later, the Chief Minister threw open the session for question-answer inviting intellectuals to air their views on various issues. He replied each query in detail and said the suggestions putforth would be examined at appropriate level for earnest action. Mr Bashir Ahmed Malik ‘Athar’ gave a resume of the activities of the foundation and said that it stood for promotion of Kashmiri language and literature. Mr Mushtaq Ahmed Tantrey, conducted the proceedings of the conference. Earlier, a Kashmiri mushiara was held in which prominent poets participated. |
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Lone hints at resumption of talks on Kashmir SRINAGAR, Oct 8: Senior Hurriyat leader Abdul Gani Lone today said that talks to solve the Kashmir issue could be resumed in the near future. Referring to scuttled talks between the Centre and Hizbul Mujahideen, he said it was not an ordinary development that right wing BJP agreed to talk to a militant outfit. This development proved beyond doubt that meaningful dialogue could be resumed in future to solve the Kashmir issue once for all, Lone said. However, he did not spell out who all could participate in talks. Addressing the first-ever political convention of his party ( J and K People’s Conference) in more than ten years, Lone made it clear that his party’s goal was a political, honourable and just solution to the Kashmir issue. Lone said as a result of numerous sacrifices made by the people of Jammu and Kashmir for the last 53 years, each and every country in the world today was pressing India and Pakistan to give up their respective claims on Kashmir and resume talks to solve the issue. Irrespective of their conflicting claims, historically Kashmir was neither a part of Pakistan nor India, he said. Lone said every dispute has two claimants but in the case of Jammu and Kashmir there are three parties to the issue. There is no scope for finding a lasting solution to the issue if one party is left out. Criticising both India and Pakistan, Lone said the two countries consider Jammu and Kashmir as a boundary dispute between them and do not care for the aspirations of the people of Kashmir who made sacrifices for independence. "The height of the unfortunate irony is that both the countries do not even consider Kashmiris as a party to the issue," he said. Criticising India for not agreeing to involve Pakistan in the talks to resolve Kashmir issue, Lone said it was India which made Pakistan a party to the issue by taking the Kashmir issue to the United Nations. Pakistan’s involvement in the talks to resolve Kashmir issue is all the more necessary as one third of the territory of Jammu and Kashmir is under its occupation, Lone said. Lone clarified that Hurriyat had no role in sabotaging the talks between the Centre and Hizbul Mujahideen as claimed by New Delhi. In fact, he said, Hurriyat had no role in the unilateral ceasefire announced by Hizbul Mujahideen either. (PTI) |
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Arms haul in Surankote Excelsior Correspondent RAJOURI, Oct 8: Four militants and an army jawan were killed in two fierce gun-battles at Barour and Jandrola villages of Poonch district today while police and Romeo Force effected recovery of a huge quantity of arms and explosives from a hideout at Behram Gala in Surankote tehsil. While three militants including an ‘area commander’ of Lashkar-e-Toiba outfit was killed at Barour, one militant and an army jawan were killed at Jandrola near the Line of Control (LoC) in Mandi sector. Giving details of the encounters, DIG Rajouri-Poonch Range Ram Lubaya said troops of Poonch Brigade cordoned off village Barour at 0600 hours this morning immediately after getting a tip off that a group of four to five militants were seen moving in the village. An encounter between the two sides started when troops spotted the militants moving along a nullah, challenged them and asked them to surrender. However, the militants jumped into the nullah, took positions and started heavy firing on approaching army columns, who retaliated effectively. In the exchange of firing, troops initially gunned down two militants while three others managed to escape through the nullah. But, army personnel chased and liquidated one more militant after an hour long gun-fight while two others disappeared in the forest area. There was no casualty on army side in Barour gun-battle from where troops recovered three AK-47 rifles, their eight magazines, 67 rounds, three radio sets, seven hand grenades, Rs 2 lakh fake Indian currency and some other ammunition and explosives. An operation continued to eliminate the two militants, who managed to escape during the encounter. Bodies of all three slain militants have been recovered from the scene of encounter but not identified so far. All of them were activists of Lashkar-e-Toiba outfit, which was evident from a set of documents recovered from their possession. One of them was believed to be an ‘area commander’ of the outfit for Poonch. Another encounter took place between army and militants at village Jandrola near the LoC in Mandi sector of Poonch district. The encounter followed when troops carried out searches in Jandrola after receiving an information that a group of militants has managed to cross the LoC from Pakistan after arms training. In the ensuing exchange of firing, troops killed one militant while others escaped under the cover of a forest area. An army jawan also lost his life while fighting bravely with the militants. Troops were hunting the other militants, who had cross over to this side of the LoC last evening. They were believed to be atleast five in number. Slain militant was a Pakistani. One Ak-47 rifle with magazines and ammunition was recovered from him. Meanwhile, troops of 6 Sector Rashtriya Rifles (RR), part of Romeo Force and Surankote police launched an operation at Behram Gala in Surankote tehsil of Poonch district this evening and smashed a hideout of the militants, located in a dense forest area. From the hideout, army and police jawans recovered seven RPG launchers, one Pika gun, one AK-56 rifle and one Chinese pistol. Security forces conducted searches in the area but couldn’t make any arrest as militants had managed to escape well before the raid. |
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Tihar not prepared to receive Rao, Buta Singh NEW DELHI, Oct 8: Former Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao and his cabinet colleague Buta Singh are to be sentenced in the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha MPs bribery case later this week even as Tihar jail officials say they have not made any special arrangements to lodge them. "We are not prepared to receive them," a senior official of the high security central prison told UNI today. The jail authorities had no orders from the Home Ministry or any other department about making special provisions to put up Rao in view of the maximum security enjoyed by him under the ‘Z-Plus’ category, the official, who did not want to be identified, said. Rao and Singh face imprisonment for a minimum period of six months on the charges of corruption and criminal conspiracy, for which they were convicted in the case on September 29. The maximum period of sentence could be seven years. If the two are sentenced to more than three years, they have to be arrested immediately under law. If the sentence is for less than three years, they can be let off on bail and allowed to appeal against the verdict of the trial court of Additional Sessions Judge Ajit Bharihoke. The jail official said the prison management had prepared a special ward in Jail No. 1 for Rao three years ago when he was expected to be arrested in any of the three cases — JMM bribery, St. Kitts Forgery, Lakhubhai Cheating — he had been prosecuted in. The special ward had an attached bath and toilet. The official, however, did not know whether that arrangement was still in place. He said the jail authorities had at that time refused to allow the Special Protection Group (SPG) to continue to provide security to Rao in case he was arrested. Though there was no intimation to jail officials, Additional Director-General of Police (Prisons) Ajay Agarwal is expected to hold a meeting before October 11 when the trial court will announce the quantum of sentence, official sources said. Judge Bharihoke reserved judgment on the quantum of sentence on Friday last when he held Rao and Singh guilty of bribing four JMM MPs to help Rao’s Congress Government survive a no-trust vote on July 29, 1993. Rao is the first former PM to be convicted in a criminal case, based on a complaint to the CBI by Rashtriya Mukti Morcha president Ravinder Kumar. Kumar had accused Rao, V C Shukla, R K Dhawan, Satish Sharma, Ajit Singh, Bhajan Lal and industrialist Lalit Suri of a criminal conspiracy. He named JMM MPs Suraj Mandal, Shibu Soren, Simon Marandi and Shailendra Mahato as recipients of the bribe. Mahato later endorsed that he and the three other JMM MPs were paid Rs 50 lakh to vote against the no-trust motion. Judge Bharihoke acquitted, for lack of evidence, former Union Ministers Satish Sharma and Ajit Singh, former Haryana CM Bhajan Lal, former Karnakata CM Veerappa Moily, former Karnataka Ministers H M Revanna and Ramalinga Reddy, Karnataka-based liquor barons D K Adikesavulu and M Thimmegowda and former Rajya Sabha MP V Rajeshwar Rao. (UNI) |
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Arrested alongwith
mother, uncle Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Oct 8: In a rare case of its kind, a young girl with the help of her mother and maternal uncle murdered her lover at her house in village Govindpura under the jurisdiction of Vijaypur police station. However, the girl as well as her mother and uncle have landed in police custody as their conspiracy was unearthed by police. Police sources said one Sarwan Kumar son of Jeet Ram, a resident of Pathankote and running a shop at Vijaypur, had a love affair with Sushma Kumari of Govindpura. However, Sushma’s affair with Sarwan was not liked by girl’s mother Anarkali. Anarkali hatched a conspiracy to kill Sarwan Kumar with the help of her brother Kamal Kumar alias Bitto, a resident of Samba. Under the conspiracy, Sushma Kumari wrote a letter to Sarwan Kumar inviting him to her house at 2200 hours on October 2 saying no one will be present in the house at the given time. On the fateful night, Sarwan Kumar reached the house. The family had switched off all lights in the house. Sushma took Sarwan Kumar to a room where her mother and maternal uncle were already waiting for him. All three pounced upon Sarwan Kumar and inflicted multiple injuries on him with a sharp-edged weapon killing him on the spot. The trio later removed the dead body of Sarwan Kumar to a field at Govindpura and threw it. The dead body was recovered by police from Govindpura fields the next day. Since it was a blind murder at that time, a Vijaypur police station party led by SHO Inspector Kamaljit Singh under the supervision of SP Border M K Sinha started hectic investigations to solve the case. Blood stains at the field, where Sarwan’s body was found, took police to the house of Sushma Kumari. Some reliable sources also told police that Sarwan Kumar had an affair with Sushma Kumari. A police party interrogated Sushma Kumari and her mother Anarkali, who broke down after a day’s questioning and confessed the murder. They also revealed the identity of main accused Kamal Kumar alias Bitto. All three have been arrested by police and a case of murder and conspiracy to murder was registered against them at Vijaypur police station. After identification, dead body of Sarwan Kumar was handed over to his family members in Pathankote. |
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HUJI leader Abu Bakra gunned down in Doda Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Oct 8: Troops of Delta Force gunned down one top militant of Harkat-ul-Jehad Islami (HUJI) identified as Abu Bakra at Kushah village and smashed a militants’ hideout in general area of Chhatru in two separate incidents across Doda district today. Abu Bakra, a hardcore Pakistani militant and highly trained in handling sophisticated weapons and explosives, was wanted to army and police in a series of subversive activities including killings, extortions and attacks on security forces. Official sources said the elite troops of Delta Force launched a search operation in Kushah area at 0630 hours today after getting an information from people that Abu Bakra had sneaked into the village and was extorting money from local people. Bakra also beat-up a number of people alongwith his body-guards when they refused to handover their hard-earned meager money to him. Troops immediately swung into action after getting the information. On seeing the army jawans laying a cordon around the village, Abu Bakra and his two body-guards opened firing. Troops fired back and in swift action shot dead Abu Bakra without suffering any casualty on their side. Bakra’s two body-guards slipped from the village taking cover of civilian population. One assault rifle and some ammunition was recovered from the possession of slain militant. Another operation was carried out by Rashtriya Rifles personnel in general area of Chhatru at 0915 hours today. During the operation, a hideout of the militants was busted. One AK rifle with ammunition and a huge quantity of ration was recovered from the hideout, the sources said. |
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A large number of devotees and disciples from all walks of life and far & near places thronged the Chaitanya Ashram at Tirath Nagar, Talab Tilloo, Jammu on Sunday, Oct. 8th the concluding day of the week long well organised and impressive spiritual celebrations. 40 days Anushtan Fast of His Holiness Swami Visudha Chaitanya Brahmchari Ji Maharaj commenced on 28th of August as usual also broke up on the eve of this auspicious day. The special prayers with Puja, Bhajan Kirtan continued with devotional spirit in a disciplined manner for all these Navratra Days. In addition to it, meditation sessions and satsang were held systematically and regularly in an extra-ordinary and exemplary manner for the betterment of mankind. All the devotees participated in the "Hawam cum Puja" ceremony with great devotion specially performed in an atmosphere of spiritual spirit on this holy day for everlasting peace and prosperity of the whole universe. Swami Ji Maharaj was even kind enough to grace all and sundry with blessings by their turn after they had their prashad in the Ashram premises. In this context, a grand bhandara was well organised and served nicely to one and all. This sacred day was also marked by the holy immersion of Mata Durga with great fervour and gaiety. Some of the elementary teachings of Swami Ji were highlighted and emphasised on the occasion i.e. reciting and repetition of Mantra enables one to attain heights in the field of spirituality and helps raising one’s inner level of divinity. Mantra serves as a magnetic power to attract spiritual elevation and vibrations. Do not indulge in criticism of others, count your own faults and rectify them. See the divine in one and all chanting the name of God is the sure means of cultivating the universal love. Love radiates love, wherever it goes. No prejudice, no dualities it shows. Love is sublime, sweet, pure and joy, more joy is its return. Be sure no force can even stand against love. It brings along deep peace and calm. For the ailing heart, it is a soothing balm. Love inspires good, it motivates, it purifies the beings it liberates. Love is always the first and last word of Swami Ji. The more there is progress in the practice, the more will one develop fortitude, heroism, gravity, fearlessness, forgiveness, compassion, contentment, equainmity and similar other virtues like tranquility, self control, austerity, chastity, renunciation, service of others. One should try to rise higher and higher. One will ultimately reach through divine grace the highest limit of growth which is the same as attainment of the supreme abode. When one reaches that state there remains no duty for him left undone. One who acts without thought has to repent subsequently for his action. He spoils his own future and becomes a laughing stock of the world. Becoming the laughing stock of others, one feels restless in mind and loses taste for food, drink, honour, joy and pleasures of the world. One cannot avoid the effect of action however much one may try to do so. |
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Accounts of players,
bookies NEW DELHI, Oct 8: The Income Tax department has detected some "unusual" deposits and withdrawals in the bank accounts of cricket players, bookies and administrators even as it is compiling the "appraisal report" on raids conducted so far. Highly-placed IT sources said several top cricketers and bookies were confronted with these "unusual" deposits and withdrawals from their bank accounts and for want of suitable explanation deemed some deposits as their undisclosed income. The sources said many cricketers and bookies were being questioned over the withdrawals and deposits in their bank accounts. Without specifying the amount, the sources said in certain cases deposits ran into lakhs and the IT sleuths were probing the end-use of the money. Meanwhile, the sources said Income Tax authorities would complete the "status report" on the raids carried out at the official and residential premises of leading cricketers, administrators and bookies in July last, by next month. IT sources said the report was being compiled after recording statements from all those raided during the nation-wide swoop on July 20. The IT sources said the firms and other business establishments owned by these cricketers and administrators were being scrutinised separately as there was an apprehension that some of the accounts could have been used for converting black money into white. Besides this, all statements of the credit cards possessed by the players and administrators were being scrutinsed by the IT officials. They said the cricket players and administrators generally used these credit cards to pay their bills abroad. The sources said the players, bookies and administrators would submit their reply to the IT department after the status report and the taxmen would prepare the final assessment report and ask them to pay tax at the rate of 60 per cent of their undisclosed income. However, if any of the players or administrators still did not disclose all the income, a penalty of 100 to 300 per cent could be levied besides recommending their cases for prosecution, the sources said. In the nation-wide swoop on July 20, IT officials raided premises of cricketers including Kapil Dev, Ajay Jadeja, Ajay Sharma, Nikhil Chopra and Manoj Prabhakar (all in Delhi), Mohammed Azharuddin (in Hyderabad and Mumbai) and Navjot Singh Siddhu (in Patiala), former International Cricket Council chief Jagmohan Dalmiya (in Calcutta), Worldtel chairman Mark Mascarenhas (in Bangalore) and BCCI treasurer Kishore Rungta (in Jaipur), besides some bookies. Taxmen have so far summoned cricketing icon Kapil Dev, star batsman Ajay Jadeja, Ajay Sharma, Nikhil Chopra, Mukesh Gupta and Rattan Mehta for questioning. (PTI) |
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Excelsior Correspondent SRINAGAR, Oct 8: Rejection of the Jammu and Kashmir autonomy resolution by the Centre and its subsequent offer of short-lived ceasefire by Hizbul Mujahideen are some of the issues that are likely to be raised in the State Assembly which meets for a brief autumn session here from tomorrow. The autonomy issue is expected to figure during the six-day session again and is likely to stir a debate. Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah has said that autonomy within the parameters of the Constitution was to restore dignity and honour as envisioned by the forefathers at the time of accession of Kashmir with India. However, Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), headed by former Union Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, which has two members in the Assembly accused the ruling National Conference (NC) of trying to sabotage the talks between the Centre and people of Kashmir by raising the bogey of greater autonomy to the State. Talking to PTI, PDP leaders said the NC used the issue of autonomy as a "ploy" to come to power in 1996 and is now using the same device to perpetuate its rule by trying to mislead and confuse the people of the State and blackmail the BJP-led NDA Government at the Centre. |
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Excelsior Correspondent Jammu, Oct 8: The Assam Chief Minister, Mr Praful Kumar Mahanta called on the Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah at his residence here this morning. Minister for Tourism, Mr S S Slathia and the Divisional Commissioner, Jammu, Mr Anil Goswami were also present on the occasion. |
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Excelsior Correspondent BANIHAL, Oct 8: Militants fired on Banihal police station and two police posts last night but failed to cause any casualty or damage, reports said. Militants resorted to heavy firing on Banihal police station from atop a hill last mid-night. Police personnel from the station returned the firing. Militants escaped after 30-minutes firing. No casualty was reported on either side. Reports said militants also attacked Chanphar police post in Banihal and Kehri police post in Thathri area of Doda district. At both the places, police parties repulsed the militants’ attacks. |
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Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Oct 8: RS Pura police today seized a diesel tanker and arrested two persons in connection with adulteration. The tanker No. 630 JKF, which was on way to Khanabal in Srinagar from Jammu, had been diverted to RS Pura where the diesel was being off-loaded. A police party of RS Pura police station led by SHO S S Samyal under the supervision of DySP RS Pura Pritam Singh Jamwal seized the tanker and arrested two accused. A case has been registered against the accused. |
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Excelsior Correspondent KATHUA, Oct 8: Police have registered a case under Sections 279 and 337 RPC against a local Advocate Sat Pal Sharma for helping an accused, whose bail was rejected by CJM Kathua, to escape from the Court. Police said a kidnapping accused Tasleem Arif of Billawar was denied bail by the Judge. As police was looking for Arif, who was present in the Court, to arrest him the Advocate took him into jeep and whisked him away. The Advocate also tried to over-ran two cops, who had signalled the car to stop to get custody of Tasleem. Police said a warrant has been served on the lawyer but he remained untraced. |
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Militants open fire at security camp Excelsior Correspondent SRINAGAR, Oct 8: Militants opened fire at a security camp and hurled grenades on a picket at Hadipora-Pattan and Arampora-Sopore in Baramulla district last evening. However, no loss of life or damage to property was reported. The defence spokesman said that militants barged into a house in Badgam district and killed a civilian and injured a woman. The spokesman said police arrested one militant, from Badgam district, yesterday. Two rifles and some ammunition were recovered from the captured ultra. |
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Pak military ruler cautioned against India-Russia tie-up From B L Kak NEW DELHI, Oct 8: Gen Parvez Musharraf’s think tank has warned Islamabad that the "new pattern"of Indo-Russian ties can throw up serious repercussions for Pakistan at a time when the United States, too seems to be quite responsive to "all kinds of noise" from India vis-a-vis- Pakistan. Diplomatic sources have revealed that Gen Musharraf on Friday spent more than three hours with his aides discussing the expected fall out from the Russian President, Mr Vladimir Putin’s crucial visit to India. According to these sources the warning from the think tank of the Pak military ruler came at a time when a number of Pakistani newspapers emphasised that with Russo-American-Indian interests converging in Afghanistan, New Delhi would be assigned the role of the local geudarmerie especially in the Afghan context. This, Gen Musharraf was informed can have profound implications for Pakistan whose relations with Moscow have just started to pick up. The Russian President, clearly sought Islamabad’s serious steps to make whole of Pakistan distance itself from the Muslim extremists in Afghanistan particularly the Taliban. Mr Putin also dropped clear hints about Moscow’s strong reservations on the question of promoting a working relationship with Islamabad at a time when Russia too was in the possession of evidence with regard to Pakistan’s hand behind the cross border terrorism in the region. No wonder, Mr Putin made a vigorous insistence on an "unconditional respect for the Line of Control (LoC)" in Jammu and Kashmir—a phraseology that has come to denote a special diplomatic onus on Pakistan on account of 1999 Kargil conflict. And much against the wishes and expectations of the average Pakistani, the Russian President also offered an endorsement of India’s position on Kashmir by calling for a decisive end in "foreign interference " in Jammu and Kashmir. What is reported to have a section of Islamic fundamentalists on either side of the Pak-Afghan border is India’s expressed support for the steps taken by Russia to protect its territorial integrity and the Constitutional order in the rebellious Chechan Republic. Gen Musharraf’s think tank has according to latest reports from across the border called for "extra caution and extra efforts" by the powers that be in the Islamabad at a time when the Russian rulers have given hints about the shape of events to come in Pakistan ‘s immediate neighborhood, Afghanistan. Moscow has backed New Delhi ‘s position on the resumption of the dialogue with Islamabad. In fact Mr Putin appreciated Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee’s stand that the dialogue can be resumed only when the neighboring country stops cross border terrorism and respects the Line of Control. The Russian President while commenting on Afghan situation has condemned the Taliban’s destablising role,in Central Asia. And Chechanya is certainly a crucial issue for Moscow. Mr Putin keeps gambling that Russian force will prevail, repeatedly announcing that the war is almost won. But the Chechan fighters keep sneaking back to attack. Those who know the area have no doubt that Moscow is in for a long guerrilla war if there is no political settlement. Foreign Minister of France has just showed a little optimism saying "we‘re in a transitional period". That is probably more a wish than an assessment Chechanya is likely to be one of those irritants that will not go away, according to one school of thought. |
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