US forces capture Saddam in Tikrit

BAGHDAD, Dec 14: American forces captured a bearded Saddam Hussein as he hid in the cellar of a farmhouse near his hometown of Tikrit, ending one of the most intensive manhunts in history. The arrest, eight months after the fall of Baghdad, was carried out without a shot fired and was a huge victory for US forces.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we got him," US administrator L Paul Bremer told a news conference. "The tyrant is a prisoner."

Bremer said that Saddam was captured Saturday at 8:30 pm (2300 Ist) in a cellar in the town of Adwar, 16 kilometres from Tikrit.

In the capital, radio stations played celebratory music, residents fired small arms in the air in celebration and others drove through the streets, shouting, "they got Saddam! they got Saddam!"

At the news conference announcing his capture, US forces aired a video showing a bearded Saddam being examined by a doctor holding his mouth open with a tongue depressor, apparently to get a dna sample.

Then a video was shown of Saddam after he was shaved.

"The captive has been talkative and is being cooperative," said Lt Gen Richardo Sanchez.

Saddam was being held at an undisclosed location, and US authorities have not yet determined whether to hand him over to the Iraqis for trial. Iraqi officials want him to stand trial before a war crimes tribunal created last week.

Ahmad Chalabi, a member of Iraq’s Governing Council, said Saddam would be put on trial.

"Saddam will stand a public trial so that the Iraqi people will know his crimes," said Chalabi, a member of Iraq’s Governing Council. He spoke on Al-Iraqiya, a Pentagon-funded TV station.

Two other Iraqis were also arrested in the raid and two AK-47 assault rifles, a pistol and US $750,000 in $100 bills were seized, Sanchez said.

Sanchez described Saddam’s demeanor during the arrest, saying he seemed "a tired man. Also I think a man resigned."

Forces from the 4th Infantry Division along with special forces captured Saddam, the US military said. There were no shots fired or injuries in the raid, called "Operation Red Dawn," said Lt Gen. Richardo Sanchez.

Trapped in the cellar, Saddam was in a six-to-eight-foot-deep "spider hole" that had been camouflaged with bricks and dirt. The soldiers saw the hole, investigated and found him inside, Sanchez said.

The video showed an air vent and fan inside the hole to allow Saddam to remain hidden for an extended period.

In Baghdad, shop owners closed their doors, worried that all the shooting would make the streets unsafe.

Earlier in the day, rumors of the capture sent people streaming into the streets of Kirkuk, a northern Iraqi city, firing guns in the air in celebration.

"We are celebrating like it’s a wedding," said Kirkuk resident Mustapha Sheriff.

The capture of the man who ran Iraq with an iron-fist for 35 years quickly won praise from stalwart US allies in the war, as well as leaders who had opposed the invasion.

"This is very good news for the people of Iraq. It removes the shadow that has been hanging over them for too long of the nightmare of a return to the Saddam regime," British Prime Minister Tony Blair said.

"It also gives an opportunity for Saddam to be tried in Iraqi courts for his crimes against the Iraqi people," he said in a statement. "And it gives us an opportunity to take a step forward in Iraq."

French President Jacques Chirac, who drew US ire for his opposition to the US-led war, "is rejoicing in the arrest of Saddam Hussein," his spokeswoman Catherine Colonna said.

"It is a major event," Colonna said.

German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, another opponent, sent a message to US President George W Bush, saying "it is with great joy that I learned of the capture of Saddam Hussein, I congratulate you on this successful action," the Berlin Government said.

The head of Iraq’s US-installed interim Governing Council, Abdul Aziz Al-Hakim, said that Saddam’s arrest would boost attempts to restore democracy to Iraq.

"Without a doubt attacks will diminish. This is a big blow to terrorists in Iraq. It is a great day for humanity and the Iraqi people," said Hakim, who is leading a delegation visiting Spain, France, Germany and Italy later this week.

After invading Iraq on March 20 and setting up their headquarters in Saddam’s sprawling Republican palace compound in Baghdad, US troops launched a massive manhunt for the fugitive leader, placing a $25 million bounty on his head and sending thousands of soldiers to search for him.

Saddam was one of the most-wanted fugitives in the world, along with Osama bin Laden, the leader of the Al-Qaeda terrorist network who hasn’t been caught despite a manhunt since November 2001, when the Taliban regime was overthrown in Afghanistan.

Saddam proved elusive during the war, when at least two dramatic military strikes came up empty in their efforts to assassinate him. Since then, he has appeared in both video and audio tapes. US officials named him no. 1 on their list of 55 most-wanted Iraqis, the lead card in a special deck of most-wanted cards.

Saddam’s sons Qusai and Odai - each with a US$15 million bounty on their heads - were killed on July 22 in a four-hour gunbattle with US troops in a hideout in the northern city of Mosul. The bounties were paid out to the man who owned the house where they were killed, residents said.

Adnan Pachachi, member of Iraq’s US-appointed Governing Council, said Saddam’s capture will bring stability to Iraq.

"The state of fear, intelligence and oppression is gone forever," Pachachi said. "The Iraqi people are very happy and we look forward to a future of national reconciliation between Iraqis in order to build the new and free Iraq, an Iraq of equality." (AP)

Snowfall at several places
*Traffic restored on highway

Excelsior Special Correspondent

JAMMU, Dec 14: Traffic on Jammu-Srinagar National Highway which disrupted last mid-night, was restored at 10.30 am today. However, the heavy rains lashed Jammu region late this evening.

Inspector General of Traffic Police Ram Lubhaya told the EXCELSIOR this evening that due to land slide at Digdol last night the normal traffic was disrupted till this morning at around 10 am when the Beacon authorities with the assistance of Traffic Police personnel re-opened the NH1A for normal traffic by removing the landslides.

However, the normal life in some parts of the State was affected due to heavy rains and cold wave which gripped the State.

IG Traffic said that due to land slides at Digdol traffic on Jammu-Srinagar National Highway was disrupted last mid-night but the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) with the active assistance of Traffic Police remained busy in clearance of the road by this morning and got the NH1A through to normal traffic.

He said that due to landslide, the vehicles were stopped at Nagrota in Jammu district and at TCP Udhampur to prevent inconvenience to the passengers of all sorts of the vehicles. He added that except Digdol, there was no landslide at any part of the National Highway and the vehicular traffic was normal.

Earlier in the morning, before the restoration of traffic, no vehicle was allowed to leave to proceed either towards Srinagar or Jammu due to land-slide at some places. "First of all only stranded vehicles were allowed to proceed towards their respective destinations followed by vehicles carrying essential commodities", the IG Traffic said.

Mr Lubhaya, who also called on stranded passengers, called a meeting of senior Traffic Police officers and directed them to remain in touch with the Beacon authorities and assist them whenever they require their services to get the road cleared for the nornal traffic.

According to official spokesman, Banihal, Nathatop and Patnitop witnessed about six inches fresh snow-fall and large number of tourists thronged Patnitop after snowfall.

Meanwhile, reports from Srinagar said that the world famous skiing resort of Gulmarg has experienced about one feet of fresh snowfall since last evening.

An official of the Gandola cable car project told from Gulmarg that tourists from other parts of the country had also started arriving in the Valley. "This is for the first time since the Gandola car was made operational, we have seen tourist from other states in such a large numbers," he said.

He said work on the second phase of the project has been stopped following heavy snowfall. Work on the project will be taken up again in March when the snow starts melting, he said.

However, he said, the Gandola car will remain operational for tourists throughout the winter months despite heavy snowfall.

A report from Baramulla said that vehicular traffic to Sahna Pass, Machil, Keran and Karnah had been disrupted following heavy snowfall since Saturday.

Take up Wullar, Baglihar with Pak: Mufti to PM

Excelsior Special Correspondent

New Delhi, Dec 14: Chief Minister Mohammad Sayeed has urged Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to take up with his Pakstani counterpart during forthcoming SAARC summit some important and far-reaching Jammu and Kashmir specific confidence building measures to further normalise the situation.

Talking informally with New Delhi based J&K media persons here this morning, Mufti Sayeed, who was camping in the union capital for the last two days, gave detailed account of his meetings with the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister, L.K. Advani.

‘Given the tremendous public enthusiasm and the enormous relief lakhs of people living on both sides of the border are experiencing, effort should be made to make the cease-fire permanent’.

Mufti Sayeed said ‘you can not imagine the flavour of peace, which is seen among the people in hundreds of border villages, probably for the first time in the last five decades. Why don’t we strive to make this happy atmosphere permanent’, he said and expressed optimism that it shall be a lasting affair.

The Chief Minister has also asked the Prime Minister to allow Pakistanis visiting India to travel to J&K. ‘Unko dekhnay do pardey key peechhay kaya hai’( let them see what is behind the veil). He said we have nothing to hide but there is a greater need to clear misconceptions of people across the border. ‘They will see the flowering of democracy, secular traditions, high traditions of Islam and our Kashmiriyat, which is still alive despite bad patch of past one decade’.

The Prime Minister was requested to take up with Pakistan the issue of execution of Jammu and Kashmir’s prestigious Baglihar hydel project and held up Wullar Barrage (Tulbal Navigational Lock) and their misconception on these projects.

He said ‘we are not storing water at Baglihar hydro electric project on Chenab and the barrage is needed to regulate water when there is less discharge in the river. This will also benefit Pakistan’. Similar is the situation of Wullar Barrage. He said India and Pakistan during Narasimaha Rao’s time had almost reached agreement on Wullar Barrage and Siachen but due to unfortunate Babri Masjid episode and then insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir, had put these understandings on the back burner. Now, these issues need to be reopened and broad agreement already reached, are formalised, he opined.

When asked whether Pakistan would allow execution of Baglihar especially after their ultimatum to take it to international arbitration, Mufti Sayeed said that in the changed atmosphere between India and Pakistan, these small differences of opinion could be resolved. ‘Today we have thaw in the situation and the people of both countries want breakthrough even on major issues, these smaller matters may not remain on stand-on position. After all, these projects are very vital for the people of Jammu and Kashmir’, he said.

The Chief Minister said that he has also apprised Vajpayee and Advani about the unprecedented excitement and enthusiasm seen on both sides of border especially in Keran area where the people hurled sweets and messages of greetings across Kishenganga river tied with stones after cease-fire. He had urged them to explore possibility of early commencement of Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus service as people’s desire to meet their divided families without any further delay. He said a similar bus service should start from Suchetgarh to Sialkote. ‘Why the people of Jammu and Kashmir had to take a longer route via Wagah to meet their relations and friends across the border’, he argued.

Mufti Sayeed also urged the Prime Minister to extend his dream super highway project upto Uri. At present, the project that would connect south and north takes off from Kerala and culminates at Srinagar. This should end at Uri. The State Government have already sent a proposal of Rs. 570 crore for the purpose. This would also be a good confidence measure.

On the specific question of terrorism figuring in SAARC summit, the Chief Minister said that continuing terrorism and bloodshed in Jammu and Kashmir would be the focus of India’s concern at the meet.

Asked whether Sayed Ali Shah Geelani would also be involved in the dialogue being initiated by the Centre to address internal dimension, Mufti Sayeed said that the dialogue process would go step by step. ‘It would not be exclusive for some one but inclusive of everyone’, he said, explaining that obviously, the first would be those who are receptive and offer positive response to the idea of dialogue. ‘It does not mean that anyone would be excluded’.

The Chief Minister said that during his 40-minute meeting, he has discussed some new projects for the State for which he has sought additionality of Rs. 100 crore in the current year’s plan. The Prime Minister was very positive in his response to his demand, he said, adding that with this the current year’s plan outlay would increase to Rs. 2600 crore.

On Jammu and Kashmir Assembly resolution hailing peace initiative of Prime Minister, the Chief Minister said that I conveyed to him the desire of the House to send all party goodwill delegation to Pakistan and PoK to further cement the bond of friendship between two countries. He said, interaction of this group with people across the border would have its own impact on bilateral ties.

Dual citizenship for PIOs soon: PM

NEW DELHI, Dec 14: Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee today assured the Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) that dual citizenship for them would soon become a reality.

Addressing Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) and PIOs after laying the foundation stone for ‘Pravasi Bhavan’ at ‘International Sahyog Parishad’ here, Mr Vajpayee said the L M Singhvi committee set by his Government had made recommendations for PIOs relating to culture, education, health, science and technology, community media, dual citizenship and ways to improve relations with them, besides security for the NRIs.

"Certain recommendations such as dual citizenship would soon become a reality," he said adding that the Government was looking into the other recommedations as well.

"There is still a lot to be done for the PIOs.... Whatever is possible we will do it.... This is just a beginning, not a fullstop," Mr Vajpayee said.

Recalling the contributions made by PIOs such as Gujarati businessmen in African countries, doctors, engineers and computer experts in America, Tamil workers in Singapore and Malaysia and Sikh farmers in Canada, the Prime Minister invited them to contribute to make India a developed nation.

He said the PIOs and the NRIs can play an important role in giving the correct picture of India to the right people at a time when the world view was changing in favour of India.

"Today the ‘Made in India’ brand is making waves across the globe. There is a big demand for ‘Bharat Brand’ in markets and in human resources. We have to fulfill the demand," he said.

Commending the Parishad for uniting the PIOs, the Prime Minister said the Pravasi Bhavan, when completed, would fill up the gap existing for so many years.

"The Parishad has acted like a bridge between the PIOs spread across the world." he said.

The bhavan is expected to be completed in a year at a cost of Rs one crore on a land given by the Government.

The process of collecting money is moving at a fast pace with a single PIO contributing Rs ten lakh towards the Bhavan.

Among those present on the occasion were Mohan Lal Mittal of Ispat industries, London, Parishad general secretary Baleshwar Agarwal and chairman Lakhan Lal Malhotra. (UNI)

11 posts advertised for 1500 diploma holders in Valley
Lal Singh may turn red over Govt's crude joke with paramedics

From Ahmed Ali Fayyaz

SRINAGAR, Dec 14: State Health & Medical Education Minister Chowdhary Lal Singh’s efforts of improving the health and medicare services at hospitals in Jammu & Kashmir have received a major setback as the "Screening Committee" has cleared just 1 to 10% of the paramedical vacancies for regular recruitment.

In the PDP-led coalition government’s first advertisement regarding the appointment of paramedical staff, J&K Services Selection Board (SSB) has invited applications for just 11 vacancies in Kashmir division and 163 in Jammu division. While as all but 32 vacancies of Male Multipurpose Health Workers (MMPHWs) in Jammu division are for reserved categories, not a single vacancy in Kashmir division has been notified for candidates of Open Merit (OM) category. Thus, out of 174 notified vacancies, the candidates of open merit category can apply for a total of 32 posts.

Over 90% major hospitals, District Hospitals, Sub District Hospitals, Public Health Centres and Dispensaries have been suffering on account of the shortage of paramedical staff in Jammu & Kashmir. According to the latest official figures, about 3,000 paramedical diploma holders are unemployed inspite of the fact that over 2,000 posts have been lying vacant for the last three years. Informed sources insist that all the trained Dental Assistants (DAs), Laboratory Assistants (LAs), X-Ray Assistants (XAs), Opthalmic Assistants (OAs) and Medical Assistants (MAs) could be recruited in one go in case the politicians and the bureaucrats had a will. According to these sources, presently the surplus candidates were only for the vacancies of Dawasaz, ANM, Nurses of different grades, MMPHWs, FMPHWs and Sanitary Inspectors.

The coalition Government, headed by Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, has completely frozen the process of recruitment in the most vital Health sector under the smokescreen of the state Government’s MOU with the Centre. This inspite of the fact that the provision of making very important appointments against the posts falling vacant from time to time had been explicitly incorporated in the MOU.

In order to show that the process had not been frozen, the Government has constituted a "Screening Committee", and made it mandatory for all departments to route the vacancies to the SSB through it alone. It is headed by the Chief Secretary. Financial Commissioners incharge Finance and Planning, besides Principal Secretary General Administration Department (GAD), are its members. The Heads of Departments (HODs) are bound to send all vacancies, through the respective administrative departments, to the Screening Committee for a mandatory clearance. SSB has notified vacancies just twice in the last one year. On December 10th, it has invited applications for 255 posts vacant in different departments.

Sources disclosed to the EXCELSIOR that on Lal Singh’s instructions, the Directors of Health Services in Kashmir and Jammu had referred about 1,000 paramedical vacancies, besides creation of 200 posts of drivers, to the Screening Committee earlier this year. With relevant and irrelevant references to the MOU, the bureaucracy has cold shouldered the proposal and proposed two-track recruitment. While as some 300 non-plan paramedical vacancies have been earmarked for "contractual appointment", with the instructions that the concerned Deputy Commissioners must enjoy maximum possible leisure to float and complete the process, just 300 posts are being notified by SSB for regular recruitment in the next two years.

The eyewash of the recent 20 contractual appointments in seven districts— and now SSB’s mockery of notifying 11 posts in Kashmir and 163 in Jammu— is clearly the beginning of a hoodwinking process. Paradoxically, the scheming is the brainchild of a political party which had sometimes promised 200,000 jobs and sometimes one job to every family in Jammu & Kashmir. Obviously, the worst sufferer is the Health Department which has around 4,000 vacancies of the medical and paramedical staff. Over 200 vehicles and fresh ambulances of the department have been decaying for want of drivers since May this year.

Mufti Government’s "Screening Committee" and the SSB have been shameless enough to advertise one post of Dental Assistant (Scheduled Tribe), one post of Sanitary Inspector (ST), two posts of Laboratory Assistants (1 for residents of actual line of control and another ST) and five posts of Ophthalmic Assistants (2 for RBA, one each for ST, ALC and HC) in Kashmir valley. Not a single candidate of OM category— howsoever high the merit or the red mark of age bar— is qualified to submit his or her application.

Jammu division is a bit better placed as 32 posts of MMPHWs have been notified for the candidates of OM category. Rest 131 vacancies are for reserved categories. In Jammu division, SSB has sought applications for 4 posts of DAs, 12 posts of LAs, one post of Sanitary Inspector. 4 posts of OAs, 6 posts of XAs, 15 posts of MAs, one post of ANM, 9 posts of Nurses of different grades, 6 posts of pharmacists, 5 posts of Dawasaz, 37 posts of FMPHWs and 63 posts of MMPHWs. In addition to 11 posts of paramedics, applications have been invited for four posts of drivers (two each in Kupwara and Baramulla districts) in Kashmir division. Not a single candidate can apply from Open Merit category.

The Screening Committee and, consequently, the SSB have turned a blind eye to the extremely poor manpower in the most important Health sector. However, the government labelled as "media sarkar" by the Opposition, has made it a point to urgently advertise two posts of cine cameramen, in the pay scale of Rs 5,700-10,100, for the "heavily burdened" state Information Department.

The Government’s act of sleeping over the process of regular appointments and taking refuge in the substitute of "contractual appointments" has already snowballed into a storm. It has been observed with disdain that the PDP-led coalition government has conveniently extended the NC government’s policy of "keeping 50% vacancies under a lid, referring 50% vacancies to SSB and PSC and ultimately advertising just 25% of the vacancies". Hundreds of MBBS and BDS incumbents, besides over 2,000 trained paramedics have failed to get a government job due to this cruel phenomenon. Quite a number of them have already crossed the age bar of 37 years.

"Contractual appointments against professional vacancies are an unprecedented nonsense. Trained medicos and paramedics are being questioned by DCs and CPOs who have no knowledge of the subject. Besides, the system of Rehbar-e-Taleem appointments is never desireable in Health", observed a spokesman of Doctors Association of Kashmir (DAK).

While as both, the NC as well as the PDP governments, have failed to make the regular appointments in paramedical sector, six private institutions and colleges have been granted permission to make admissions for paramedical training in different disciplines. Allegations are galore that owners of these private institutions, which lack necessary infrastructure and teaching strength, have greased the palms of influential politicians and bureaucrats. They are now abundantly adding to the thick army of unemployed paramedics. Anything between Rs 40,000 and Rs 70,000 is openly charged for each admission in these institutions.

As people at Lal Singh’s residence said that the Minister was on a 3-day-tour of his constituency in Kathua district, Director Health Services, Kashmir, Dr Muzaffar Ahmed admitted that most of the hospitals were suffering on account of infrastructure and necessary manpower. He claimed that he had referred all the existing paramedical vacancies to the Screening Committee but refused to make comment as to why only 11 vacancies had been notified for Kashmir division.

Student, militant among 5 killed

Excelsior Special Correspondent

SRINAGAR, Dec 14: Even as BSF fired upon a militant and captured him alive in a dramatic encounter on the National Highway Bypass in Bemina area today, two civilians got killed in the same incident. Meanwhile, militants have shot dead a student in Shopian and a labourer has been left critically injured in Pampore area of south Kashmir.

Troops of BSF 193 Bn intercepted a militant near SKIMS Medical College on the National Highway Bypass at Bemina in Srinagar outskirts at 1030 hours today. As he was challenged to halt, he dropped his motorcycle and tried to escape while firing a couple of pistol shots on the BSF personnel. The naka party retaliated immediately. Even as the militant got critically wounded and he was captured alive, two civilians got killed. They were identified as Ghulam Nabi Pakhtoon (an auto driver of the nearby Boatmen’s Colony) and Sartaj Ahmed Handroo, who was running a chemist’s shop near the hospital-cum-medical college.

Resident’s alleged that BSF gunned down the two civilians without reason and projected it as yet another incident of crossfiring. According to them, the escaping militant had fired just two pistol shots and he was easily captured by the paramilitaries. They complained that nobody was allowed to approach or rescue the critically injured auto- driver, Ghulam Nabi Pakhtoon, till he breathed his last 20 minutes after the shootout. They insisted that both the civilians would have survived had they been rushed to hospital in time. Both of them were declared as "brought dead" when they reached the hospital 40 minutes after the shootout.

Angry residents put up a protest demonstration and shouted slogans against the State Government and security forces. They blocked vehicular traffic on the Bypass for two hours. Later, some Police officials visited the spot and assured the residents that Police would proceed according to law in the matter.

As regards the identification of the captured militant, EXCELSIOR learned that he was a Pakistani, namely Abdur Rehman, who had functioned as Al-Badar’s "district commander" in Kupwara in 2001. Later, he had joined Jaish-e-Mohammad. A fake identity card in the name of Javed Ahmed Mir S/o Jabbar Mir R/o Aham Sharif, Bandipora, was recovered from his pocket. With critical injuries, he was rushed to Soura and admitted at SKIMS. Doctors described his condition as precarious and said that he was unlikely to survive. BSF claimed to have recovered one pistol and six hand grenades from his possession.

Enquiries revealed that the brand new motorcycle, used by the militant, had been recently acquired from Hanief Motors. It was without a numberplate.

Reports from south Kashmir said that the bullet-riddled dead body of Afaq Ahmed Mir S/o Abdur Rasheed Mir R/o Chitragam, Shopian, was recovered today from village Hillow in Zainapora area. As already reported, the class 10th student had been kidnapped by militants from his home on December 11th. Residents as well as officials believe that he has been killed for allegedly working as an informer of security forces. Official, however, insisted that he had never passed on any information to Police or security forces.

Late this evening, one Meraj-ud-din Ganai S/o late Sonaulla Ganai R/o Drangbal, Pampore, was found injured at a place near Kranchoo in Khrew area. Police rushed to the spot, rescued him and admitted him at SKIMS, Soura. He stated to Police that unidentified militants had fired upon him when he had gone to Kranchoo to recover money from some persons. He was working as a labourer and was also driving a three-wheeler.

Poonch encounter toll 5
*Pak militant killed in Banihal

Excelsior Special Correspondent

JAMMU, Dec 14: Army and police today gunned down one more militant at Nangali Top in Poonch taking the toll to five while another ultra was killed in Banihal tehsil in Ramban police district.

Official sources said the Army and police personnel maintained a cordon around Nangali Top forests last night. In the morning, they gunned down one more militant in the forests.

Yesterday, the troops of Poonch Brigade had killed four militants in the forests. With today’s killing, the death toll of the militants killed during last two days has gone upto five.

Of five slain militants, three were Afghanis while two others were stated to be Pakistanis. Their identity hasn’t been established so far. In the operation that lasted two full days, the security personnel didn’t suffer any casualties.

One AK rifle, two hand grenades, 120 AK rounds, one holy book and some documents were recovered from the militant, who was killed today, the sources said.

As reported, the security personnel had to brave a hostile weather in Nangali forests in eliminating five hardcore foreign mercenaries. Due to heavy rains in the area and snow in the mountains, three to four militants managed to escape deep into the forests and remained untraced.

In another encounter, Army and police today gunned down a foreign mercenary of Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) outfit at village Shabanbas in Banihal area under the jurisdiction of Ramban police district. He has been identified as Abu Aksa, a Pakistani.

Recoveries made from the slain militants included one AK rifle with one magazine, one hand grenade, 10 AK rounds and one diary.

Meanwhile, a group of militants opened firing on a picket of the Indian Reserve Police (IRP) at Ind in Gool area last night. Firing was replied by the police personnel.

After about half an hour exchange of firing, the militants managed to escape. No loss of life was reported on either side in the cross firing, the sources said.

Army today recovered one AK rifle, four magazines and two hand grenades during a search operation in Thanna Mandi in Rajouri district. A hideout was also destroyed in the area. However, no arrests were made, they added.

Administrator among6 arrested in MD paper leak

Excelsior Special Correspondent

JAMMU, Dec 14: The Vigilance Organization has arrested six persons including its kingpin in the MD/MS question paper lack scam while it is hunting for more persons suspected to this racket which has large scale ramification.

A spokesman of the Vigilance Organization said that the arrested person included Dr Gulzar Ahmad, Administrator Ramzan Hospital, Gogji Bagh, Srinagar, Hamid Ullah Dar, Lecturer of Chemistry in Higher Secondary School, Jawahar Nagar, Srinagar, Romesh Kumar working in a printing press in New Delhi from where the question papers were officially got printed by the Competent Authority and Sanjay Kumar of Ludhiana, who brought the question papers to Jammu and given these to Dar in presence of one Advocate who is being traced out.

Two accused Shahnaz Mir S/o a retired police inspector Mohd Sulaiman of Bemina and Khursheed Ahmad Wani of Kargil working in Ramzan Hospital Gogji Bagh, Sringar were arrested earlier.

It came to light on December 6 when reliable information came to the Vigilance team that one doctor Gulzar Ahmad, Administrator Ramzan Hospital, Gogji Bagh, Srinagar who himself was a candidate for the PG course and another doctor related to Shahnaz Mir has seen a copy of question paper and were agreed to make available of these on the consultation of Rs.3 to 4 lakhs by Mir. Dr. Gulzar has agreed that he had collected Rs.10-15 lakhs from doctors and given it to Shahnaz besides, a demand draft of Rs.3.5 lakhs. The Vigilance Department has already recovered Rs.14.84 lakhs from the house on old airport road taken on rent by Hamid Ullah Dar besides a number of blank answer sheets of Board examination, pass books, investments etc. in the name of Dar.

The Vigilance Organization party also recovered photostat copies of two leaked question papers from a bath room of the house of Shahnaz.

Interrogation led to arrest of one Sanjay Sharma of Ludhiana and Romesh Kumar of New Delhi. It has been found that it is Romesh Kumar who was the origin of leak scam.

Advani felicitates Dev Anand

MUMBAI, Dec 14: Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani today honoured three living legends Dev Anand, Ratan Tata and N R Narayana Murthy at a function organised here by K T Shahani Memorial.

While Dev Anand was felicitated with the K T Shahani Memorial Lifetime Achievement Award, Tata Group chief Ratan Tata and Infosys chief N R Narayana Murthy were presented the K T Shahani Memorial Award for Ethical Excellence.

On the occasion, the Deputy Prime Minister at the Jai Hind College auditorium near Church Gate in South Mumbai here also interacted with members of the Sindhi community.

The guest of honour at the function was legal luminary and former Union Minister Ram Jethmalani.

Speaking at a private gathering, Mr Advani described the awardees as "gems" in their respective fields and also recalled his association with them.

About Dev Anand, he said that he knew him since the 70s when he (Advani) was the Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting.

This was Dev Anand’s first public appearence since he had been named for the "Dada Saheb Phalke" award. (UNI)

India rejects Pak objections to fencing along LoC

NEW DELHI, Dec 14: India tonight dismissed as unacceptable Pakistan’s objections to fencing along the Line of Control on the ground that it was "violative of UN resolutions.

"We don’t accept this thesis. We will be sharing our views with them," External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha told reporters after a two-and-half-hour meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) presided by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

Sinha’s remarks came in response to a question about Pakistan’s objections to India’s putting up fences along the LoC.

The CCS meeting, the External Affairs Minister said, assessed the ground situation in Jammu and Kashmir in the light of the ceasefire with Pakistan which went into force from November 25.

The meeting, which was attended by Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani, Defence Minister George Fernandes and Planning Commission Deputy Chairman K C Pant, heard a first-hand account of the situation in Jammu and Kashmir from Army Chief Gen N C Vij who had visited the State twice in recent weeks, especially in view of Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s forthcoming visit to Islamabad to attend the SAARC summit next month. (PTI)

Boy killed, 6 hurt in Kargil blast

SRINAGAR, Dec 14: A boy was killed and six members of his family injured when an explosive device went off in their house in Kargil district, police said today.

The boy, Mohammad Iqbal, brought an explosive device to his home last evening, they said.

While he was fiddling with it, the device went off killing the boy on-the-spot and injuring six others of the family, police said.

The injured have been admitted to hospital, they added.

This is first explosion in Kargil district in the last five years, official sources said.

Ruling out involvement of any militant outifits in the incident, they said some unexploded shell fired by Pakistan Army from across the border was collected by the boy.

A case has been registered and investigation was on, they added. (PTI)

CBI traces bank account in Jogi case

NEW DELHI, Dec 14: CBI has found the bank account from which the money was allegedly given to the BJP legislator Virender Pandey besides examining some other witnesses in the cash-for-MLA scam in which former Chattisgarh Chief Minister Ajit Jogi and two others have been booked.

CBI sources said the bank account had been traced from where the money had been withdrawan but refused to divulge further details.

The sources said that a 25-member CBI team headed by a Joint Director had also visited the place where Jogi had allegedly handed over the cash to Pandey.

After taking over the documents and other things from the state’s Anti-Corruption Bureau, the CBI was now examining the evidences before deciding on calling Jogi and other two for questioning in the case.

CBI had earlier this week filed an FIR under Prevention of Corruption Act against Jogi, his son Amit and defected Congress MP P R Khunte.

A team from Central Forensic and Scientific Laboratory had also arrived in Raipur and would be conducting the voice spectrography test of all those mentioned in the audio tape.

The agency had so far questioned Pandey in connection with the scam. (PTI)

Narrow escape for Musharraf in blast

ISLAMABAD, Dec 14: Pakistan’s military President Pervez Musharraf narrowly escaped a "terrorist" attack today after a bomb tore up a section of road in the northern city of Rawalpindi a minute after his convoy passed, officials said.

"The President’s motorcade passed a minute before the blast," a military spokesman, Major General Shaukat Sultan, said. "He is safe and sound."

"It is a terrorist act," Sultan said. "Whether it was an assassination attempt or not cannot be said until after the investigations."

Musharraf incensed militant groups by abandoning Pakistan’s support for neighbouring Afghanistan’s ousted Taliban rulers and backing the US-led "war on terrorism" after the September 11 attacks on the United States in 2001.

Musharraf had just returned from the southern city of Karachi, and the blast occurred 2 km from Islamabad international airport, near the outskirts of neighbouring Rawalpindi.

A Karachi court convicted three Islamic militants in October for a failed attempt to assassinate Musharraf last year, handing down 10-year jail terms to each of them.

The militants belonged to the Al-Almi faction of Harkat-ul Mujahideen, a group also accused of masterminding a suicide attack last year outside the US Consulate in Karachi in which 12 Pakistanis died.

Last month, Musharraf announced the banning of six militant groups following us complaints that they had re-emerged under new names after being outlawed a year ago.

Eyewitnesses said the blast occurred at a bridge in the city where Pakistan’s military is headquartered.

"As the President’s motorcade passed, a huge explosion blew up the bridge," said Sheharyar Khan whose car was caught in roadblock after the blast. Police had cordoned off the area. (AGENCIES)
 
 
 
 

 

 

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