People protest, block highway
Army jawans go berserk; beat up SHO, shopkeepers

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Mar 10: Displaying a ‘perfect example’ of Unified Command, a group of armymen led by a Captain attacked Bari Barahamana police station officials this afternoon and handed over a severe thrashing to them including Station House Officer (SHO) Mohd Rafiq and a number of civilians in the town. The SHO had to be hospitalised while several shopkeepers sustained fractures in army attack.

Shopkeepers downed their shutters and accompanied by local people held a massive demonstration in Bari Barahamana town demanding stern action against army jawans including a drunk Captain. They also disrupted vehicular movement on Jammu-Pathankote national highway for more than three hours to protest army thrashing of cops and civilians.

The army personnel went berserk after police tried to arrest one of their Captain when his motor-cycle hit a car at Bari Barahamana causing injuries to car driver, a handout issued by Police Control Room (PCR) said.

It said a Captain, whose identity couldn’t be ascertained immediately but who belonged to 20 JAK Rifles having transit camp at Bari Barahamana, got down from his motor-cycle and started beating the car driver despite the fact that accident had occurred due to negligence of army Captain, the handout said, adding the Captain was allegedly intoxicant at the time of mishap.

Local people and shop-keepers took serious exception to the beating up of an injured car driver by an allegedly drunk army official. Agitated people caught hold of Captain and started beating him. In the meantime, a police party from Bari Barahamana police station led by SHO Mohd Rafiq rushed to the spot and tried to arrest the Captain in a bid to save him from mob fury.

In the melee, Captain’s body-guard rushed to his transit camp of 20 JAK Rifles at Bari Barahamana and returned with 25 to 30 jawans. They started beating-up police cops and local shopkeepers. A number of jawans also caught hold of the SHO and snatched his service revolver. He was also roughed up and assaulted by the soldiers.

One of the jawans also tried to open firing on SHO and other cops but was restricted by the mob. As local people and shopkeepers gathered on the spot, the jawans fled away alongwith the Captain. They also took away service weapon of SHO with them. Local people and shopkeepers strongly resented the army behaviour and downed their shutters. People marched to the national highway and blocked traffic shouting slogans against army. They burnt tyres on the road to voice their protest. An army Gypsy and a bus were also gheroed by the mob.

SDPO Bari Brahmana Dushyant Sharma rushed to the spot and shifted the SHO to hospital.

Meanwhile, SSP Jammu R R Swain and Deputy Commissioner R K Goel also reached the spot and held talks with army officials and local people. People were demanding immediate action against Captain and other jawans responsible for creating trouble in the town.

An Army Brigadier and a Colonel also reached the spot and pacified agitated shopkeepers and people.

The police officers assured people that a First Information Report (FIR) has been lodged against Captain and other army soldiers under FIR No. 24 of 2001 for beating-up police men and shopkeepers and law will take its own course. The matter has also been taken up with higher army authorities and a request made to them for taking disciplinary action against the Captain.

Following intervention by senior officers, the people lifted their protest. Traffic was restored on the highway after more than three hours.

The injured SHO was later admitted to a local hospital. He was discharged late in the evening after first-aid. He had suffered serious bruises all over his body.

Three shopkeepers including a Chemist Sanjeev Kumar Gupta had also sustained serious injuries in army attack. A Chemist shop owner sustained a fracture on his leg and was hospitalised.

The jawans also took away a car No. DL3J 2972, which was hit by Captain’s motorcycle and SHO’s revolver with them.

HB Liaison Officer robbed
Dacoits strike in Channi Himmat

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Mar 10: Armed dacoits struck at Channi Himmat early today and looted over 10 tolas of gold from the house of a Liaison Officer of Housing Board. The day-light dacoity created panic among the inhabitants of locality.

Police said three armed dacoits, riding on an unnumbered scooter, knocked the house of Ram Pal in Sector No. 3 of Channi Himmat at about 0730 hours today. One of the dacoit knocked at main gate of the house and asked for Ram Pal when his wife came out to open the door.

As the woman went inside, all three dacoits barged into the house. One of them displayed a revolver and another a ‘kirch’ and asked couple to handover their all cash and gold to them. Fortunately, police said, the couple had only Rs 250 in their house which they handed over to armed miscreants.

Dacoits threw the meager cash and turned towards golden ornaments of Ram Pal’s wife. They looted four bangles, two big size bangles (karhas) and other ornaments, which the woman had kept on her bed side in the night.

One of the professional dacoit, according to police, broke open almirah locker in the room with an iron device and removed some ornaments. All of them later escaped from the house without causing any injury to any of the house inmates.

Family members informed the police. Senior police officers including officiating SP South Bachan Singh Chowdhary and SDPO East Sanjay Sharma rushed to the spot for investigations. A neighbour told visiting police officials that he saw three dacoits escaping on a scooter but couldn’t find its number.

One of the dacoit was bearded while other was a handsome and fair complexioned tall boy. Police parties have launched massive searches to apprehend the dacoits but a breakthrough couldn’t be achieved immediately.

Police have registered a case in the dacoity and started further investigations.

The day-light dacoity created panic among the people of Channi Himmat, who had earlier also witnessed a series of thefts. Local people also met the visiting police officials including SP South and SDPO East and apprised them of the situation.

People voiced concern over lack of a telephone connection at Channi Himmat police station. This results in unnecessary delay in informing police about the incidents, they said. Police officers assured agitated people that a telephone connection will be installed in police station very shortly.

Residents charged Housing Board with insensitiveness behind such incidents, which had been occurring frequently.

SUNDAY SPECIAL
ISI for Al Badr’s increased role in J&K

From B L Kak

NEW DELHI, Mar 10: The ‘proxy’ war, unleashed in Jammu and Kashmir by Pakistan, is poised for a change, with the reported plan of the ISI to expand and strengthen the Al Badr terrorist outfit for a stepped-up offensive against India in the State.

If a set of intelligence inputs received from across the border were to be believed, the Al Badr will have an important role to play in Kashmir in the coming weeks. These inputs, in fact, have warned the Government of India to be prepared for an increase in violence in parts of Jammu and Kashmir.

A document available with the Government has explained that whenever a terrorist group-it is the Hizbul Mujahideen in Kashmir-suffers a setback at the hands of the State or a group splits from a terrorist’ conglomeration and seeks a separate dialogue with the State, others in the group or conglomeration step up violence to keep up the morale of their members, to project their movement as unaffected by the setback and to derail the dialogue.

The history of terrorism has numerous instances of such murderous reflexes after a serious setback. The opinion is sharply divided on the continuance of the Prime Minister’s peace initiative in Kashmir-it is better known as the ‘unilateral’ cease-fire. Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee is, undoubtedly, a bit worried over the repeated attacks by the jihadis over soft targets and security personnel in J&K.

Also, the Prime Minister is fully aware of the strong reservations of some of his Ministerial colleagues, of a section of the political class, and of a number of security personnel vis-à-vis the efficacy or utility of his cease-fire experiment. Significantly, however, he does not want to withdraw it, as a set of ‘Kashmir specialists’, who also include his Defence Minister, Mr George Fernandes, and the Chief of the Army Staff, Gen S Padmanabhan, are said to have told him that the authorities require to maintain their cool in the face of "horror" in certain parts of the State.

In fact, Mr Vajpayee continues to support the idea for dialogue with the individuals and groups that abjure violence and for persuading other indigenous Kashmiri organisations to join the bandwagon of peace and prosperity.

That Pakistan’s ISI has, at the same time, planned to derail the peace process in J&K has become evident with the flow of messages from across the border in recent days about the involvement of large number of Al Badr fighters in the task of assisting "other freedom-fighters" in Kashmir. Obviously, these messages were transmitted to certain jihadi leaders on this side of the border after the ISI had ensured a substantial increase in the number and strength of recruits in the organisation, Al Badr.

This organisation has both written and unwritten history behind it. The Al Badr, the militant wing of the pre-1971 East Pakistan branch of the Jamaat-e-Islami, let itself used by the Pakistan Army for the elimination of over 10,000 intellectuals of East Pakistan, many of them Hindus, who were backing the Bangladesh movement.

Before the fall of Dhaka in December 1971, the Jamaat-e-Islami, with the help of the Pakistani Army, shifted the Al Badr members, responsible for the holocaust, most of them Pakhtuns, to Peshawar, after which the Al Badr, under strong criticism from Western human rights organisations, disappeared from the scene. It was revived by the Jamaat under the instructions of Gen Zia-ul-Haq in the 1980s and used in Afghanistan.

According to latest intelligence inputs, the Al Badr terrorists-their exact number is not known-have managed to mix up with other non-Kashmiri terrorists in certain areas of Jammu and Kashmir, particularly in Baramulla, Kupwara, Ganderbal, Shopian, Pulwama and Kokernag sectors of the Valley and in Rajouri and Doda districts of Jammu region. And intelligence inputs reveal that the induction of additional men of the Al Badr into Kashmir is part of the ISI’s strategy to ensure the continuance of hegemony of foreign militants over the locals in the State.

This strategy is also the product of the "desire" of some leaders of the Hizbul Mujahideen to break off from the grip of Pakistani mercenary outfits and make overtures to the Government of India.

Yet another strategy of the ISI is equally alarming: Pakistan’s Jamaat-e-Islami is being encouraged to support the objective to fight, through jihad, for the creation of two more independent homelands for the Muslims of North and South India. This objective is not unknown to the Jamaat-e-Islami of Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) led by Mr Abdul Rashid Turabi and the Jamaat-e-Islami of Jammu and Kashmir.

Significantly, instead of supporting the idea favouring the creation of two more independent homelands for the Muslims of North and South India, the Jamaat-e-Islami of PoK and Jamaat of J&K want to confine themselves to the affairs of Indian-controlled State of J&K.

The Lashkar-e-Toiba and the Harkat-ul-Mujahideen have, through clear hints, let it be known that the "liberation" of Kashmir would only be the first step towards the "liberation of the Muslims in North and South India" in order to create two independent homelands for the Muslims of India.

Advani stoutly opposes grant of self-determination right

From B L Kak

NEW DELHI, Mar 10: The Union Minister for Home Affairs, Mr LK Advani, has categorically ruled out grant of the right of self-determination to the people of Kashmir.

Charging Pakistan with continuing to incite and mislead people of Kashmir, the Home Minister reaffirmed the Government’s resolve to protect "historical, constitutional and legal relationship" of Jammu and Kashmir with the rest of the Indian Union.

"The State of Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India. Kashmir’s accession to the Union of India is final and irrevocable. Hence, demand for grant of the self-determination right to the citizens of India in the State is preposterous", Mr Advani said when asked to comment on Pakistan Foreign Office Spokesman’s latest statement that the genesis of the Kashmir dispute "lies in the denial" by India the self-determination right to the Kashmiri people.

The Home Minister justified his statement in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday that India sees no mediatory role for the All-Party Hurriyat Conference (APHC) in any future dialogue between India and Pakistan.

Mr Advani regretted that Pakistan, instead of demonstrating sincere intentions in support of the economic progress and well-being of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, continued to play anti-Kashmiri role by sponsoring, aiding, abetting, training and arming militants and terrorists.

Mr Advani asserted that if Pakistan-aided ultras continued to afflict injury on any Indian citizen in the State of Jammu and Kashmir or elsewhere or commit any act of violence or terrorism, then the security forces "have clear instructions to act decisively" and to defeat such intentions.

The Government of India has taken serious note of the "provocative" utterances of Pakistan’s Interior Minister, Lt Gen Moinuddin Haider: "Our Government is not against jihad in Kashmir; we understand that jihad Kashmir would continue till we find a just settlement to the issue".

Nor was it all. Pakistan’s Interior Minister went further when he subsequently said: "We respect jihadi organisations and we have never called on these organisations to give up jihad in Kashmir". His comments clearly indicate that the military Government in Pakistan has neither the will nor the inclination to rein in Pakistan-based groups indulging in terrorist violence in Kashmir and elsewhere in India.

Mr Advani’s office has received a write-up from Mr G Parathasarathy, a former Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan, which has lamented that "undue importance" being given to the Hurriyat Conference leadership "only diverts attention away from our claims to the whole of Jammu and Kashmir, and also disregards the growing discontent against Pakistani Punjabi domination amongst the people of Gilgit and Baltistan, especially in the aftermath of the Kargil intrusion".

Mr Parathasarathy’s write-up has urged New Delhi to initiate consultations with a wide cross-section of people in Jammu and Kashmir "so that public pressure is mounted on those supporting militant activities to desist from doing so". And Mr Parthasarathy has opined that it would be naive to expect that Pakistan’s ISI will not attempt to frustrate such efforts.

Mr Parathasarathy cannot be faulted for his statement that there are already indications to suggest that those advocating renunciation of violence in J&K are facing increasing threats to their personal safety and security. At the same time, terrorist violence unleashed by jihadi groups continues unabated.

Mr Parathasarathy has strongly recommended: "There should be no compromise in dealing with such activities, clinically and demonstratively". Referring to New Delhi’s peace initiative in J&K, Mr Parathasarathy has argued that the nation "expects that in carrying forward this initiative, personal predilections and inter-Ministerial rivalries are set aside and measures taken in a coordinated and harmonious manner".

Cong having clandestine deal with ULFA for polls: Modi

BANGALORE, Mar 10: BJP general secretary Narendra Modi today charged the Congress with having struck a clandestine deal with ULFA for the Assembly polls in Assam, where, he said, his party would go it alone.

Speaking to reporters here, Modi also accused the ruling AGP of having entered into a similar secret understanding with SULFA (Surrendered ULFA) and said BJP’s main plank would be to fray from ULFA and SULFA.

Modi alleged that under the deal, Congress had agreed to provide 60 per cent of the seats to ULFA activists who would contest under the Congress banner and symbol. Likewise, AGP had conceded 55 per cent of the seats to SULFA under a similar arrangement, he claimed.

He said BJP would hold its two-day national executive meeting in Kolkata from March 30, to review the pre-poll scene, ahead of the Assembly elections in five states.

Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and Union Home Minister L K Advani and other senior leaders would attend the meet, which would also review the post-budget economic scene, Modi said.

The BJP leader said the party’s poll strategy had been chalked out at a meeting in Delhi on March six and seven.

Modi claimed that in West Bengal, the front led by Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Bannerji was set to create a "new political history" by winning the elections, ending more than two decade old communist rule.

Modi said BJP had reached an understanding with DMK in Tamil Nadu, while in Kerala the party was hopeful of making its "sizeable presence" felt in the Assembly.

Replying to a query, he denied any rift or dissidence in the party’s Karnataka unit, asserting that its affairs were going on smoothly.

He dismissed reports that some BJP MLAs led by expelled party leader B B Shivappa were likely to join the Congress and also ruled out any change in the State leadership in the wake of reported dissatisfaction with it among some leaders. (PTI)

7 Cong activists hacked to death

HYDERABAD, Mar 10: In a gruesome faction violence, seven Congress activists were hacked to death, allegedly by ruling TDP supporters, at Atmakurubodu village in Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh today, police said.

The attack by lorry-borne rivals came when a group of ten Congress activists were proceeding in a jeep to a police station in Durgi village as they were on conditional bail in a murder case.

The victims were chased and hacked to death even as some of them desperately tried to escape running across the farm fields, police said here.

The lorry, carrying TDP supporters, rammed into the jeep at Atmakurubodu, about 120 kms from Guntur town, and before the occupants could gather their wits, the assailants, armed with axes and sickles, jumped out of their vehicle and attacked them.

The leader of the Congress group J Sambi Reddy (42) and his son Kosireddy (20) died on the spot while three others K Narayan Reddy, P Pedanagireddy and K Nagi Reddy, who ran for life into the nearby fields, were chased and done to death, police said.

Another two persons N Balavenkat Reddy and P Venkat Reddy succumbed to injuries in a hospital in Macherla.

The condition of three others, undergoing treatment, was serious, police said adding that a long-standing faction feud, within a family at Veldurthi village in the district, was the motive behind the attack.

An earlier report had said that the Congressmen were killed when the TDP activists rammed their lorry into their jeep.

According to Guntur District Superintendent Poornachandra Rao, the attack appeared to be a retaliation to the killing of a TDP leader Hanim Reddy at Macherla town last year.

Meanwhile, the State Congress president M Satyanarayana Rao condemned the killing of his party workers and demanded immediate arrest of the culprits.

‘This is not the first time that such heinous crime is committed by TDP workers’, Rao said in a statement here.

He demanded the State Government immediately put an end to ‘unabated criminal activities of TDP men’. (PTI)

ST sleuths recover jewellery valuing Rs 87,65,162

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Mar 10: A consignment of gold and diamond jewellery valuing Rs 87,65,162 (eighty seven lakhs, sixty five thousand, one hundred and sixty two) which was illegally been brought into the State from the sale of contravention of the provisions of the J&K General Sales Tax Act, 1962 was seized here by the authorities of the Sales Tax Department.

The team of Sales Tax sleuths which was instrumental in seizing the said consignment was headed by Dy. Sales Tax Commissioner (Adm) Jammu, Mr R K Koul and comprised of Excise and Taxation Officer, Mr V K Dogra, Inspectors, Mr Kewal Krishan and Mr P K Chib, ASI, Mr Amrik Singh and Guard Balbir Singh.

Jewellers M/s Enchante Ltd, Gurgaon, Haryana who were carrying the said goods were booked under Section 15-A (4) and 15-A (9) of the J&K GST Act, 1962.

The Commissioner Sales Tax lauded the Sales Tax officials for their commitment to duty and vigilant approach because of which a huge loss to the State exchequer worth several lakhs of rupees has been prevented.

India warns divisive forces

PORT LOUIS, Mar 10: India today warned against forces which sow the seeds of discord in the name of religion as Mauritius shared New Delhi’s concern over the growing menace of international terrorism and fundamentalism.

President K R Narayanan, who began his four-day goodwill visit, discussed with his Mauritian counterpart Cassam Uteem regional and international issues and threat to world peace due to growing menace of terrorism.

"Both sides expressed their commitment to rid the world of scourge of terrorism and fundamentalism," Secretary in the External Affairs Ministry K V Rajan told reporters.

He said the two leaders also expressed their satisfaction over the level of bilateral relations and underlined both the countries’ commitment to the ideals of secularism.

After his ceremonial welcome, Narayanan, who is heading a high-level delegation to attend Mauritius’ National Day on Monday, talked about age-old relations between the two countries.

Speaking at a banquet hosted in his honour by Uteem, Narayanan said "we must be ever vigilant against forces that divide in the name of religion, language or culture."

Stating that the two countries have cooperated closely in the international arena on the basis of common commitment to shared values and principles, he said "this interaction reflects an identity of views on important global issues of mutual concern."

"It is imperative that, for a better tomorrow, interaction among nations be based on co-existence not conflict, cooperation not confrontation, concord not coercion," the President said. (PTI)

NCP-BJP tie up ruled out

PUNE, Mar 10: Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar today dismissed speculation that he was planning to join hands with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Mr Pawar was responding to questions at a programme organised as part of the International Women’s Day celebrations.

Mr Pawar pointed out that rumours of his joining hands with the BJP had started after he was made vice chairman of the disaster management committee.

He said the Prime Minister had convened an all-party meeting during which he had narrated his experience of the Latur earthquake of 1993. Over half the members attending the meeting, after listening to his experiences, had suggested he be made in-charge of the disaster management committee.

"There was nothing to read between the lines", Mr Pawar explained.

Later speaking to reporters, Mr Pawar said the recent changes effected in the State Cabinet had enhanced the stability of the Democratic Front Government.

"The decision to replace the five ministers was taken after careful consideration and with a view to enhance the stability of the Government", Mr Pawar said.

"As a result of the replacement, the Government’s detractors would find it difficult to engineer a split in the Congress-NCP led Democratic Front Government in the State", Mr Pawar said. (UNI)

Two IEDs recovered by college students

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Mar 10: Two powerful Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) were recovered by two degree college students from village Mokhay in RS Pura tehsil and handed over to police.

Reports said Kishore Sharma, a Part II student of GGM Science College and Parveen Sharma, a Part-I student of MAM College, both residents of Mokhay noticed two IEDs in the village and recovered them. Students, least caring for their lives, took the explosive devices to RS Pura police station and handed them over to police.

Both the IEDs weighed five kgs each.

Local people have demanded that both the youths should be suitably rewarded.

Top car lifter Topi flees from lock-up

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Mar 10: A notorious criminal and a most wanted car lifter of Northern India escaped from custody of Bakshi Nagar police station last mid-night and hadn’t been re-arrested till late tonight when the reports last came in.

He has been identified as Vijay Kumar alias Rinku alias Topi alias King, a resident of Punjab’s Hoshiarpur district.

Though top police officials maintained a silence over the escape of detenue, reliable sources said a general alert has been sounded across the State to apprehend the absconder.

They said Topi had been brought here after obtaining ‘production warrant’ from a local Hoshiarpur court, where he was arrested and lodged in a jail. Topi was wanted to Bakshi Nagar police in connection with some car thefts.

He was lodged in Bakshi Nagar police station last week after being shifted here. Sources said he was being interrogated in the premises of police station last mid-night by police officials when he managed to give a dodge to cops and fled away around 0030 hours.

Cops detected Topi’s absence within few minutes of his escape and launched a hunt to re-arrest him. A general alert was immediately sounded in the entire State. All police stations, posts and nakas were put on high alert to arrest Topi but till late tonight, he remained at large.

Senior police officers visited the police station today for investigations. An inquiry has reportedly been ordered into the escape of Topi and action was expected to be taken against the guilty officers.

Sources said Hoshiarpur police in Punjab had arrested Topi after several years efforts as he was a prime car lifter of Northern India. He was also instrumental in a series of car thefts across Jammu province.

A case in the escape has been registered

5 arrested, weapons seized
Criminals attack army post, injure jawan

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Mar 10: Five notorious criminals, armed with weapons, attacked a post of JAK Rifles Special Task Force (STF) at village Doura in Nud area on Mansar road last night and caused serious injuries to a Naik. All five accused were later arrested by police.

According to official reports, five criminals riding on a TATA Sumo vehicle attacked the post of army last night with sharp-edged weapons. A Sentry on duty identified as Naik Tara Chand was seriously injured in the attack.

All five accused fled from the spot. However, other army personnel got a report and chased the criminals. In the meantime, a Samba police station party led by SHO S S Samyal also rushed to Nud after getting a report of the attack.

Police party intercepted Sumo vehicle on Mansar road and chased it. All five criminals were arrested after about an hour long chase. They have been identified as Sunny Samyal son of Omkar Singh, Rajinder Singh alias Shibu son of Amrik Singh, both residents of Thalora Mandi. Jai Krishan son of Pitamber Dev of Ward No. 3, Samba, Yograj Singh alias Raja son of Kulbeer Singh of Kaili Mandi, who was driving TATA Sumo and Amit Slathia son of Achldev Singh of Vijaypur.

The injured army jawans has been admitted in the Medical College hospital.

Two ‘khokhris’ and two ‘dahs’ (all sharp-edged weapons) were recovered from the possession of accused.

Police said the criminals have been lodged in Samba police station lock-up where a case of attempt to murder has been registered against them.

Police said the reason behind criminals’ attack on army post was being ascertained. Further investigations in the case were on. Police have also sought the help of army in investigations.

| home | state | national | business| editorial | advertisement | sports |
| international | weather | mailbag | suggestions | search | subscribe | send mail |