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Jawan
killed, 2 hurt in blast Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Mar 26: Militants gunned down two persons including a surrendered militant and wounded another during an attack on a house at village Tandara in Dachchan area, about 20 kms from Kishtwar in Doda district late last night. An NSG jawan was killed and two others were injured in an IED blast at village Tarana in Banihal. The deceased have been identified as Mohd Ramzan son of Mohd Shaban Khandey, a resident of Tandara and Javed Iqbal son of Mohd Sharif, a surrendered militant and a resident of Beerwar, Kishtwar. The injured is Gulzar Ahmed son of Mohd Ramzan. Official sources said a group of four militants attacked the house of Mohd Ramzan at 2130 hours last night and started indiscriminate firing on the house inmates. They also lobbed two grenades on the house. After about 10 minutes operation, the militants fled away from the village. There was no presence of security forces or Village Defence Committees (VDCs) in the area. Sources said Mohd Ramzan and Javed Iqbal were killed on the spot in militants’ firing while Mohd Ramzan’s son Gulzar Ahmed was seriously injured. Javed Iqbal, a surrendered militant was a relative of Mohd Ramzan and had come to his house only yesterday to meet him. An activist of Hizbul Mujahideen outfit earlier, Javed Iqbal had laid down arms before the security forces sometime back and was living in his house in Beerwar, Kishtwar. Sources said Javed Iqbal might have been the target of militants in which Mohd Ramzan was also killed and his son injured. Sometime after the militants’ attack, the neighbourers of Mohd Ramzan informed at a nearby security forces picket. The security personnel and police jawans rushed to the spot immediately after getting a report and sealed the area. However, the militants involved in the killing had managed to escape towards higher reaches of Dachchan area. The injured Gulzar Ahmed has been admitted in the sub district hospital of Kishtwar where his condition was stated to be critical. Bodies of the deceased were handed over to their family members after post-mortem. Bodies were buried in the village today. Sources said police and security forces have launched a search operation in the Dachchan area to track down the militants responsible for the attack but no arrest has been made so far. Some local suspects were being questioned by the police to ascertain the identity of militants. Police suspected the hand of Javed Iqbal’s old associates in Hizbul Mujahideen outfit behind the killing of Javed Iqbal and Mohd Ramzan. Further investigations were, however, on. Local police officers from Kishtwar were also camping in the village where patrolling has been intensified to restore confidence among the villagers. Meanwhile, an NSG jawan was killed and two others were injured when they walked over an IED planted by the militants at village Tarana in Banihal tehsil of Doda district this evening. The jawans were on way to launch a search operation for militants in the area. The injured jawans have been hospitalised. Body of the deceased jawan has been shifted to an Army camp for further transportation to his native State. Troops have launched fresh search operation in the area to eliminate the militants responsible for planting IED. |
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Plot
to trigger blasts foiled Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Mar 26: Delhi Police have arrested a dreaded Kashmiri militant and district commander of Tehreek-ul-Mujahideen outfit for Srinagar during a raid conducted at his hideout in East Nizamuddin area late last night. RDX and other explosives were recovered from his possession. He had reached the Union capital from Srinagar with a plot to disturb Ramnavmi celebrations by causing explosions in the crowded areas. With his arrest, Delhi Police have averted a major tragedy. The arrested militant has been identified as Javed Ahmed Munshi alias Nazir Ahmed Bhatt alias Bill Papa, a Pakistan-trained militant. Two kgs RDX, 10 detonators, a driving license issued in the name of Nasir Ahmed Bhatt from Muzafar-rabad (Pakistan occupied Kashmir) and an identity card issued by PoK Government have been recovered from his possession. The arrest of hardcore militant was made by a Delhi Police team headed by Inspector Tej Singh Verma of Special Cell, Delhi Police under the supervision of Mr L N Rao, ACP Special Cell. The arrest was made on a specific information received and developed by Mr L N Rao that some Kashmiri militants have sneaked into the Union capital for disturbances during Ram Navmi festival. Mr Rao told EXCELSIOR on telephone here that Javed Ahmed Munshi had come to New Delhi alongwith explosive material with specific plans of causing explosions at crowded places. During interrogation, Munshi disclosed that he was motivated by Abdullah Siraj, chief of Operation Balakote in 1990 to work for him. He went for arms training in Afghanistan. He got 35 days training in arms and explosives at Khost training centre, Afghanistan and then returned to Muzafarrabad in Pakistan. Munshi told Delhi Police that he tried to cross over the border into India in November 1991 but couldn’t succeed. However, with the help of his supporters of Hizbullah outfit, he managed to cross over into India in 1992. He brought one AK-47 rifle and two hand grenades with him and handed over the same to Javed Bukhari, chief of Hizbullah group in Valley. After entering Kashmir valley, Munshi alias Bill Papa started actively participating in the militant activities for Tehreek-ul-Mujahideen outfit. Munshi revealed that during 1992-93, he came in contact with Sajjad Mir, district commander of Tehreek-ul-Mujahideen (TUM), whom he had already met in Pakistan earlier. Sajjad Mir subsequently made him group commander of TUM for Chhanpura area of Srinagar. In 1994, on the instruction of TUM, he again crossed over to Pakistan and stayed in Islamabad alongwith TUM activists. In November 1994, he returned to Kashmir via Baramulla and brought with him a consignment of arms and ammunition. He took part in several militancy operations including a powerful blast at Pantha Chowk, Srinagar in 1995 in which three Army officials were killed and many others were wounded. After this action, he left for Pakistan via Dhaka by air and again reached Karachi. In 1996, Javed reached Kathma-ndu and started sending exposed militants to Pakistan. He was also directed by the TUM chief to purchase a shop in Kathmandu to shelter the militants and start a base for terrorist activities from there. However, he couldn’t do so due to financial constraints. Munshi went to Dhaka again in October 1997 and brought back 16 walkie-talkie sets and 20 remote control devices sent by Pak ISI officials. He handed over all these items to Sajjad and Billal, activists of TUM who left for Valley to distribute these to militants. As per directions of Abdullah Qazali, he want back to Pakistan in 1997 and stayed there till January, 1998. Again, he returned to Kath-mandu via Dhaka to meet his relatives who had come there from Srinagar to see him. After staying for 25 days in Kathmandu, he returned to Pakistan in March, 1998. In early March this year, he again came to Kathmandu from Pakistan via Dhaka with RDX and detonators. They were brought Delhi by him,. This consignment was to be given by him to one of his contact man who was to meet him in East Nizamuddin, New Delhi who was to be identified by him by a code name ‘Amir’. Both had to trigger explosions at crowded places in Delhi during Ram Navmi celebrations. A case against him, has been registered at police station East Nizamuddin under Explosive Substance Act and further investigations were on. Delhi Police have informed J&K authorities about the arrest. |
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Rousing reception to Shia
leader Excelsior Special Correspondent SRINAGAR, Mar 26: The high-profile Housing Minister and the prominant Shia clergyman Maulvi Iftikhar Hussain Ansari today held a section of the State bureaucracy responsible for "the campaign to malign Dr Farooq Abdullah's close associates" and claimed that he owed nothing to the Government on account of the Sales Tax arrears of his business concerns. Maulvi Iftikhar returned to home after staying for over a month in the United States of America (USA) and undergoing a cardiac surgery at a Miami hospital. A large number of his Shia followers, drawn from several localities in Srinagar, Budgam and Baramulla districts, accorded a warm welcome to Ansari at Srinagar Airport wherefrom he was taken to his Qamarwari residence. Full of enthusiasm, men and women in chartered buses and a fleet of light motor vehicles chanted slogans in praise of Ansari right from the airport to Qamarwari. They garlanded him, kissed his hands and even jostled against one another to touch his feet. A crowd of females were seen dancing and singing typical Kashmiri 'wanwun' to welcome their religious and political leader. At his home, Ansari addressed a thick gathering and acknowledged the affection and compliments of his supporters in Shia community. He, however, avoided any political reference and disappointed certain Press corps who had even speculated his resignation from the National Conference Government in the wake of the controversy that has arisen in the State Assembly on account of Ansari's alleged default in paying the sales tax of his business establishment 'Ansari Motors.' Not only the Opposition MLAs of BJP and Congress (I) but also several National Conference legislators have assailed Ansari in his absence in the legislature and stressed on the Government that a sum of Rs 14.50 crore should be recovered from the alleged defaulter minister without any consideration or political expediency. Till date, Ansari had maintained a guarded silence and refused to clarify his position vis-a-vis the serious allegations. Immediately after addressing a gathering at his residence, Ansari spoke to the press and claimed that he or his business concern owed nothing to the Government on account of Sales Tax arrears. He regretted that a section of the State bureaucracy was out to malign the person of Dr Farooq Abdullah's friends and close associates and the same was the nucleas of all "unfounded allegations" against him. He claimed that even as almost everybody in the Valley had usurped the Sales Tax from 1990 to 1997, he had paid every penny and obtained the necessary certificate of clearance from the concerned department in 1997. Ansari asserted that there was also the factor of "miscalculation" as he had accordingly moved the court and prayed for the real assessment of his Sales Tax dues. He demanded that the Finance Minister Mohammad Shafi should appoint an honest officer for assessment and the investigation of his Sales Tax dues. "If it is proved that we owe to the Government Rs 1.00 lakh, we'll pay Rs 1.10 lakh", he asserted. When a reporter commented that by Ansari's assertions the Finance Ministry was in disarray, he quipped "Yes, I agree. The entire system has gone awry". The Chief Minister's alter ego Maulvi Ansari held New Delhi responsible for the State's Financial crisis and claimed that successive Governor's regimes in Jammu & Kashmir had done nothing to generate resources for eight long years. "They (the Centre) wanted us to do everything the day we assumed power in 1996", he asserted. Ansari said that while in USA he had met a number of the "well-wishers" of India and Pakistan who had all expressed their concern vis-a-vis the destruction in Kashmir and desired to carve out a peaceful solution of the turbulent crisis. He added that everybody he met was in favour of talks and friendly negotiations and none of them was the advocate of gun. He offered honour and development to militants and asked them to shun violence and enter into a dialogue with the Government. He said that America too was in favour of a peaceful settlement but added that she was not in a position to impose her will everywhere. He, however, wished both — militants as well as security forces — silenced their guns for some time and allowed a congenial atmosphere to develop for holding the negotiations. Local support on lane
in J&K NEW DELHI, Mar 26: Army Chief Gen V P Malik today said the armed forces were fully geared to prevent any infiltration bid by militants from Pakistan into Jammu and Kashmir. Our jawans are determined enough to thwart any desperate attempt by militants to enter the state, Gen Malik told reporters here, adding that local support to the ultras is on the wane and it is getting difficult for them to find shelter. The Chief of Army Staff was here to meet a group of 68 school children and teachers from Doda and Kishtwar district, who are on an educational tour named ‘Mountains to sea’ organised by the ‘Delta Force’ of the Army. The situation in Kashmir is far better than what it used to be. Militants are on the run now and the day is not far when the menace of terrorism will be stamped out from the state, Gen Malik said. He said militants are desperately trying to revive the dying militancy. The recent instances of selected killings are acts of frustration, he added. Referring to infiltration, Gen Malik said the Army at the border was maintaining a strict vigil and was continuously frustrating Pakistan’s attempt to push militants into the Valley. The army in the state has done a wonderful job in containing infiltration though it is not an easy job to accomplish, Gen Malik said, adding today militants are down and people are happy that their sufferings have come to an end which has been possible only due to relentless work done by the Army. Many locals were coming forward and helping Army in nabbing the foreign mercenaries, he said. We should, however, never forget the supreme sacrifices made by jawans and officers who made the peace possible. Sounding a note of caution, he said we should continue to maintain pressure on militants because any lapse might lead to another fiasco. Gen Malik also complimented the state police for its co-operation to Army in dealing with militants. Referring to Doda district, he said the situation had improved a lot there but still more efforts were required. Now Army, besides fighting insurgency is helping the civil administration in organising medical camps, education trips for students and also in making the public aware of the menace of militancy, Gen Malik said. About the educational tours organised by the Army, Malik said we want to show these children that they are part of a huge country which has diverse cultures. We want to restore smile on their faces which has been snatched by the ugly hands of militancy, he added. (PTI) |
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Major blaze in Sriangar
uptown Excelsior Correspondent SRINAGAR, Mar 26: Militants have gunned down a middle-aged civilian alongwith his daughter and a son at Lilam village in Kupwara district last evening. Meanwhile, in a late evening blaze, an offical complex housing the Directorate of Industries & Commerce gutted near Pratap Park in civil lines area here. Informed sources in Kupwara told EXCELSIOR that at 2030 hours last evening, a three-member group of armed militants emerged from a forest cover and intruded into the hutment of a 48-year old civilian, namely Ghulam Hassan Lone, at Lilam village near Handwara. They called the house-owner and his two sons, besides his widowed daughter, to a particular room and asked Lone's wife to fetch some water. Before she returned, they fired indiscrimiantely on the four family members. Ghulam Hassan Lone, his elder son Irshad Ahmed Lone and a daughter, namely Dilshada, got killed while as Lone's son Javed Ahmed sustained critical injuries. Militants escaped and disappeared back into the nearby woods. The incident sent shock-waves in a vast area though none of the Police or civil officials had visited the spot till late this evening. A critically-injured Javed Ahmad Lone was rushed to the capital city and admitted to SMHS hospital. Doctors performed surgeries but said that there was little hope of his surviving. Sources said that a couple of years ago, Dilshada, though married to a young man of the nearby Harduna village, developed affairs with a local militant commander Aslam Gujru. Meanwhile, an Army helper Ghulam Nabi Mir alias Nab Langoo of Amdarpora took her forcibly and settled her at his home as his second wife. Both Aslam as well as Mir got killed in the last two years and Dilshada stayed at her in-law's home with the sense of some Army protection. 20 days back, she had returned to her father's home and was staying there eversince. Militants wiped out the family as they came to know that was present at her father's house quite insecure. Reports available from south Kashmir said that militants fired upon a police party at Wachi in Pulwama district and also on an Army convoy at Nasu near Qazigund this evening. At both the places, fire was returned. However militants managed to escape and there was no damage from either side. Early this morning, militants intruded into the house of a shawl-merchant Mohd Shafi Shalla at Jogi Lankar Rainawari and looted cash worth Rs 77000/- on point. industries complex gutted At 2025 hours this evening, the office complex housing the Directorate of Industries, District Social Welfare Office and Khadi & Village Industries Board gutted in a major blaze. The upper storey and the roof of the 3-storeyed building, near Pratap Park, were destroyed completely. Minor damage was caused to over a dozen shops in the ground floor and almost the entire merchandise was saved. Ten fire tenders of Fire Services Department, BSF and Army fought the fire and doused the flames in about three hours. Eye-witnesses said that the fire began from the Estates corner and engulfed the entire building upto the Press Enclave corner in just a few seconds which indicated that kerosene oil had been sprinkled by the persons who lit the flames. Fire fighters controlled the flames and saved the adjoining residential quarters and newspaper offices besides the adjacent office complexes and the fashionable Residency Road markets. |
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40 nominated as
permanent invitees Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Mar 26: The 51 member Provincial Committee of National Conference, Jammu province was constituted by its president , Mr Harbans Singh here today,giving representation to only three women from the entire province. The names of forty permanent invitees were also announced by the Provincial president Mr Singh While Mr Rattan Lal Gupta will be the vice president , Sheikh Bashir Ahmad has been nominated as Provincial secretary. Mr Brij Mohan Sharma and Mr Jugal Mahajan have been nominated as joint secretary and treasurer respectively, a Party press note issued here said. Messrs Darshan Lal Jain, Shakti Ram Sharma, Ajit Kumar Sharma, Ch Mohd Shaffi, Aijaz Ahmad Khan, Munsi Quadratullah ,Sajjad Ahmad Kitchloo, Qazi Mohd Syed and Vipan Paul Sharma have been nominated as District presidents of Jammu Urban, Jammu Rural, Kathua, Udhampur, Gulabgarh-Reasi, Doda, Kishtwar, Poonch and Rajopuri zones respectively. Mr P N Raju and Maulvi Abdul Rashid, former MLA will be the representatives from Ramban and Banihal, the release said. Mr R S Chib, Mr Janak Raj Gupta and Mrs Depinder Kour will represent Jammu (Gandhinagar). Messrs Rachpal Singh, Mirza Abdul Rashid, Ghulam Qadir Wani, Rafiq Hussain Khan and Taj Hussain have been nominated to represent Kalakote, Darhal, Doda , Mendhar and Surankote respectively, the release said. Messrs Isher Singh, Dhian Chand, K K Bakshi and Kartar Singh Rishi have been nominated members from Kathua.Mr Gurdeep Singh Sasan, Mr Balbir Singh Manhas and Mrs Iqbal Kaur will represent Jammu East, Jammu West and Jammu- Gandhinagar Constituencies, the release said. Messrs Noor Hussain, Rattan Singh and Mohinder Singh have been given representation from Bari Barahamana, Nowshera and Samba. Mrs Wazira Begum, Mr Kuldeep Raj Dubey , Haji Ghulam Mohammed Sheikh and Ch Mohd Shaffi have been nominated from Latti-Dudu Basantgarh, Reasi, Kishtwar and Rajouri respectively. From Rehari Jammu, Bhagat Ganga Dutta has been nominated. Similarly Darshan Sharma and Bharti Sharma will represent Basholi and Hiranagar. From Bhaderwah and Kotranka Khan Mohammed and Thakur Puran Singh were nominated . The Udhampur zone will be represented by Messrs Kehar Singh, Bharat Bhushan and Bhushan Khajuria, the release further said.. Mr Mohinder Pyasa and Mr N S Talwar will be representing Poonch while as Mr Javed Rana has been elected member from Mendhar, it was declared. From Chandak, Billawar and Bhalesa area, Messrs Mohammed Sadiq Khan, Suram Singh and Abdul Aziz Butt have been nominated, the release further said. Forty permanent invitees were also announced. They include Capt Murti Gupta, chairman Ex-Servicemen Cell,Messrs Chander Dhar, vice chairman Minority Cell,Ram Paul, chairman SC/BC Cell, S Peter, chairman Handloom Development Corporation, T S Tony, Incharge Youth National Conference, Nand Lal, Vice Chairman, SC/BC Cell, S A Salaria, incharge Legal Cell, Sunil Verma, president Khatri Welfare Association and Provincial president of State Central Labour Union. The other permanent invitees include Messrs B A Kitchloo, Ajay Sadhotra, S S Slathia, Govind Ram Sharma, Ajat Shatru Singh, Ghulam Hyder Malik, M S Tariq, N A Khan, Farooq Ahmad Mir, Abdul Wahid Shan, Jalal Din, Najeeb Suherwardhy, Jagjivan Lal, Satpal Lakotra, Ch Mohd Hussain, M A Bukhari, G M Jan, Abdul, Gani Malik— all MLAs besides Messrs Bodh Raj Bali , H S Bali, Firdous Ahmad, Ch Hussain, Birchand Mahasha, S M Gill, A A Khajwa, G S Jamwal and Sadiq Malik— all MLCs. Mrs Zubeda Salaria, Mrs Bimla Luthra (both nominated MLAs), Mr Rahim Dad Khan and Mr Mohd Din Bandey were also nominated as permanent invitees. |
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CBI nabs Railways Booking Supervisor Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Mar 26: The Central Bureau of Investigations (CBI) today arrested Chief Booking Supervisor of Railways, Jammu red-handed while accepting a graft of Rs 1000 from an employee of the Railways for relieving him on his transfer. Ashok Mehta, the Chief Booking Supervisor was demanding gratification of Rs 5,000 from the complainant employee for relieving him on his transfer to home town. The employee informed the CBI which laid a trap. Mehta was arrested by the CBI sleuths in the presence of witnesses as soon as he accepted gratification of Rs 1000. Official sources said he was lodged in the CBI police station where he was being interrogated. The amount, which he had received as gratification, has been recovered from his possession. Immediately after Mehta’s arrest, police also raided his house at Nanak Nagar and recovered Rs 40,000 in cash and savings certificates of NSC and IDBI bonds worth several lakhs and some other important documents. He had constructed a palatial bungalow and possessed certain assets which were disproportionate to his known sources of income. Sources said the CBI had also received several other complaints against the Chief Booking Supervisor for indulging in corrupt practices in the booking of railway tickets. These complaints were also investigated by the CBI sleuths and found correct. A case against the Railways officer has been registered at CBI police station for further investigations. His interrogation was on to ascertain more clues about his corrupt practices. The raiding CBI team was supervised by SSP CBI Mr R K Sharma and comprised Mr J P Singh, DySP and Inspectors Mr Vinay Kumar and Mr Vijay Sadhu. |
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FIR lodged against
PHE officers Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Mar 26: The Vigilance Organisation has established grave irregularities in the water supply schemes in Akhnoor division of Public Health Engineering (PHE) Department and lodged a formal First Information Report (FIR) against about a dozen senior officers and private persons. Reliable sources said it took more than 15 days to sleuths of Vigilance Organisation including senior officers to investigate irregularities in the implementation of water supply schemes in Akhnoor division. Though the sources declined to name the officers at this stage, they said their identity will be made public shortly. The Organisation, prepared a detailed FIR in the case today. Sources said the bunglings have been committed in the execution of various schemes, works and restoration/maintenance of water supply in Akhnoor division during the period ranging between 1996 to 1998. Large scale bunglings have also been committed in the utilisation of temporary advances running into crores of rupees during the said period. In some cases huge payments had been drawn against fraudulently prepared muster sheets, hand-receipts and vouchers etc and necessary records like cash books have not been maintained by the concerned officers with ulterior motives and malafide intentions to defraud the state exchequer with personal gains for themselves and others. Sources said the preliminary inquiries have also revealed that diversion of funds on large scale in gross violation of prescribed codel procedure has been resorted to in the execution of un-approved items of work with ulterior motives and malafide intentions and for undue personal gains at the cost of state exchequer. It may be recalled that Vigilance Organisation had conducted a raid in the PHE Akhnoor office and seized entire record pertaining to water supply schemes for last three-four years. The record was scrutinised during the period in which the bunglings were confirmed. There had been complaints that several water supply schemes remained only on papers in Akhnoor division. The benefit of the schemes didn’t reach the local people and a number of villages remained without water facility. |
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7 DySPs promoted as SPs, adjusted Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Mar 26: Seven Deputy Superintendents of Police have been promoted to the rank of SPs, according to a Government order issued here today. The promotees are: Mr Sheikh Mahmood (w.e.f 10.09.1998), Mohammad Aslam Khan, Sharief Ahmad Qadri, Abdul Hamid Bhat, Manzoor A Dainposh, Yudhvir Anand and Avtar Singh, with immediate effect. Consequently, the following transfers and postings have also been ordered: Mr Showkat Watali has been posted as SP Vigilance vice Mr Syed Ahmad and Mr A A Khan, SSP Vigilance, Jammu shall continue in the Vigilance Organisation, Mr Syed Ahmed, SP Vigilance Organisation has been transferred and posted as SP Vigilance, Kashmir vice Mr M Y Khan who will report to the Police Headquarters for his further adjustment. Mr S R Dutta, will continue at his present place of postng as Dy Commandant 13th Bn JKAP and Mr D S Chib temporarily adjusted by DGP as Additional SP Katra has been formally posted as Additional SP, Katra. Sheikh Mehmood (promotee SP) has been posted as Staff Officer to DIG, Jammu against available post while Mr Nazir Ahmed Khan (promotee SP) has been posted as Dy Commandant IRP 6th Bn against an available post, Sharief Ahmad (promotee SP) has been posted as Dy Commandant IRP 6th Bn against available vacancy, while Mr Abdul Hamid (promotee SP) has been posted as Dy Commandant IRP 2nd Bn against available post. Mr Manzoor Ahmad Dainposh (promotee SP) has been posted as AIG (T&I) PHQ, Mr Yudhvir Anand (promotee SP) has been posted as Dy Commandant, IRP 5th Bn against available post, and Mr Avtar Singh (promotee SP) has been posted as Dy Commandant, IRP 5th Bn against available post. |
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Addl DG BSF visits Jammu Frontier Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Mar 26: Mr Ajai Raj Sharma, IPS, after taking over as Addl Director General, BSF in January made his maiden visit to Jammu Frontier. On March 24, Addl DG visited the establishments of BSF Frontier HQr at Paloura which includes BSF Hospital and Senior Secondary School. He also planted a sapling in the school premises. During his visit he was accompanied by Mr U C Chhabra, IG BSF Jammu under whose leadership and guidance the Frontier is performing exceptionally well in operations as well as administration. On March 25, Addl DG visited the International Border and took keen interest in visiting all sensitive BOPs on International Border by showing his inquisitiveness to go into the minutest detail of sophisticated electronic devices installed for effective vigilance. While interacting with the troops, he appreciated the efforts of the officers and men for guarding the IB day and night without caring for their personal comforts. He was highly delighted to see the high morale of the troops performing relentless duties on the countrys most active border. On March 26, he made a visit to the forward defended localities on LOC and interacted with the troops. He also made visit to Kandi and Gul areas of Rajouri and Udhampur respectively to assess the present scenario of insurgency prone area and rewarded the troops who have taken part in the recent encounter where renowned Group Comdr Mohd Zaffar Iqbal Wani was killed in Dalwa. During his visit to Gul, he also interacted with Rajesh Kumar, SP (Ops) and Mr Choudhary SHQ Gul. While giving pat to the troops, he emphasised on the values of Human Rights and asked the border men to honour the same and there should not be any violation of human rights. IAF plane crashes, Pilot bails out PATIALA, Mar 26: An Indian Air Force fighter plane crashed in Sangrur district today. The Pilot of the fighter plane, which was on a routine flight from Halwara in Ludhiana, bailed out, Air Force officials said here. The plane caught fire in air and was completely destroyed after it crashed in the fields adjoining Tolewal village. Senior IAF officers have reached the site. (PTI) |
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