PM favours open, continuous dialogue on Kashmir
*Vajpayee arrives to red carpet welcome in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD, Jan 3: Arriving here in the midst of a thaw in Indo-Pak ties, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee today favoured a continuous and open dialogue on Kashmir and other issues but said the movement forward would take time.

In comments that will undoubtedly go down well with the Pakistani establishment, the Indian leader described President Pervez Musharraf as Pakistan’s "biggest leader" and as someone he could talk to. The general should come forward in improving bilateral ties, he said.

It became apparent tonight that Vajpayee, who was warmly received on his arrival for the three-day SAARC summit opening tomorrow, would "interact" with Musharraf and his Pakistani counterpart Zafarullah Khan Jamali in the "SAARC context."

Vajpayee is bound to run into Jamali at the SAARC meeting and interaction with Musharraf could take place at the banquet the Pakistani President is hosting for the leaders of seven SAARC countries.

The visiting heads of state and Government here for the SAARC summit will together call on Musharraf before his banquet tomorrow. Vajpayee will also attend the dinner by Jamali on Monday night when the summit will go into the retreat.

The Indian line is clear—Prime Minister is here for the SAARC, he will "interact" with the hosts, i.e Musharraf and Jamali, in that context but there will be no talks on bilateral issues.

Vajpayee indicated as much by stating before emplaning at Delhi that there would be bilateral meetings with other SAARC leaders "besides interaction with our hosts" and ruling out any bilateral talks with the Pakistani leaders.

The Pakistanis, on their part, extended a red-carpet welcome to the Indian leader when he landed at the Chaklala Air Force base near here amidst very high security.

Jamali led the welcoming party and the two leaders held hands, waving to photographers on a cold but sunny afternoon.

Shortly after Vajpayee arrived here, after a gap of 26 years, the state-run Pakistan Television (PTV) telecast a 15-minute interview with him recorded this morning in New Delhi in which he underlined his commitment to continue his peace efforts in the interests of the two countries.

"We need time. We need to talk continuously. We claim Jammu and Kashmir is part and parcel of India and that is true. But we are ready for an open discussion. On this issue there has not been a sustained dailogue. Both countries keep repeating their stated positions whereas the world wants us to go forward. But that will take time," Vajpayee said.

Observing that he had met Musharraf at Lahore when there was another regime in power in Pakistan, he said "we have been continuously talking to each other, knowing each other".

"He (Musharraf) is the biggest leader of Pakistan. We want that in improving bilateral relations, he will come forward and take part. I am hopeful that the attempt will be successful," he said.

The Prime Minister said if Musharraf considers him (Vajpayee) as a "man of peace", the Pakistani leader was not wrong.

"I have been working for peace all along and will continue to do so in future", he said.

Observing that he had come to Pakistan for the first time over 25 years back as Foreign Minister, Vajpayee said since then "much water has passed in the rivers".

Asked when flexibility was being shown by both sides, what was the missing link in normalisation of Indo-Pak ties, he said "it is natural that time is needed to move forward. Continuous talks should be held. We never shied away from talking about Jammu and Kashmir problem. Our stand which is the right one is that J and K is a part of India but we are ready to have open talks on it". Noting that substantive talks have not been held on the Kashmir issue, Vajpayee said both Pakistan and India have been reiterating their positions.

But the world is saying that the two countries should move together and resolve their differences. "It will take time," he said.

To a question that his visit to China had led to India making "sweeping change" in its stand on Tibet and whether such a possibility existed on this trip to Pakistan, the Prime Minister said "we also want this. How far this is realised, we have to see".

Vajpayee said it was in the interest of both countries to live as friends. This was also in the interest of the region and the world, he said.

To a question on the Gujarat violence, the Prime Minister said whatever happened there was not right. "Muslims were killed. Hindus were burnt alive. It was unfortunate. It did not become an election issue."

He was specifically asked whether BJP would resort to Pak-bashing in the run-up to next year’s Lok Sabha elections. The Pakistani questioner contended that this was done ahead of the Gujarat Assembly elections.

The Prime Minister reminded the questioner that Assembly elections had been recently held in India to five states and there were no speeches regarding Pakistan’s relations with India.

"No one gave provocative speeches. We will not make this an election issue," he said adding the issue would be who wants friendship with Pakistan.

"Friendship should be one which stands on a firm footing and one which holds the ground where principles are concerned. I am hopeful that when talks start, all issues will surface and things will become clear slowly. Then the level of propaganda will go down and reality will come to the fore," Vajpayee said.

Disagreeing with the suggestion that his Government was pursuing friendship with Pakistan as part of its strategy to deal with communalism, Vajpayee said "Pakistan is a neighbour. There is no need for a strategy for friendship.We have to live together. Either we do so fighting or live in the spirit of brotherhood. I think people are gradually understanding this."

Brushing aside the contention that India has become a "junior partner" of the us like Israel, he said "with the US, we have friendship and partnership but it is on an equal footing.

"What we don’t like about US policies, we openly oppose them. We tell them that we don’t like this. So, there is no question of being a junior partner. I don’t think that anyone says India has become a junior partner. Earlier, it was said that Pakistan has become a junior partner," Vajpayee said.

The Prime Minister’s arrival was telecast live by Pakistan Television which ran a profile of the Indian leader including his educational background, his political career and his important role in advancing interests of South Asian region.

At the end of the laudatory remarks, the official channel also hoped that there will be a breakthrough in Indo-Pak ties and that this opportunity should not be lost. This is Vajpayee’s second visit to Islamabad, the first having been in 1978 when he was the external affairs minister in the Morarji Desai Government.

Vajpayee has come to Pakistan thrice now including the last one by bus to Lahore in February, 1999. He is also the second Indian Prime Minster to visit Islamabad after Rajiv Gandhi attended the SAARC summit when Benazir Bhutto was Pakistani Prime Minister.

As Prime Minister’s special aircraft taxied to a halt, Pakistan’s chief of protocol came on board, welcomed Vajpayee and told the Indian leader that Jamali was waiting to receive him warmly, an Indian diplomat said.

After the airport ceremonies, Shaukat Aziz accompanied Vajpayee who drove to Seren Hotel amidst tight security.

Although a Pakistan Army helicopter was waiting to fly Vajpayee from the airport to the city, the Indian leader was advised to go by road. All along the hour-long drive, two military helicopters hovered over the convoy.

Shortly after arriving at the hotel, Vajpayee was briefed by Sinha, Mishra, Foreign Secretary Shashank and Menon. (Agencies)

Hindu family's guard personnel arrested, suspended
Cops surrender 4 SLRs to militants

Excelsior Special Correspondent

BUDGAM, Jan 3: In the umpteenth incident of its kind in Jammu & Kashmir, J&K Police personnel, "guarding" a family of the minority Hindu community, have surrendered their automatic weapons to militants in Chadoura area of Budgam district. Five of the six Police guards have been immediately arrested, put behind bars and placed under suspension.

Informed sources told the EXCELSIOR that a group of four to five militants in Army uniform appeared at a two-storeyed building at Sogam, Chadoura, late last night. Without facing any resistance, they reached straightaway in two rooms of the building housing J&K Police guard personnel. While as Constable Mohammad Ashraf (199/Budgam) was on leave and SPO Riyaz Ahmed (70/SPO) was absent, others of the unit were asked by the militants to surrender all of their weapons. The guard personnel handed over four loaded SLRs to the militants.

On finding the Police personnel submissive, militants did not harm them. They were also ‘magnanimous’ enough to leave the "protected" Hindu family unharmed. Well after the militants disappeared leisurely, head of the guard unit, Head Constable Munir Ahmed (613/Bud) fired several shots from his carbine, which he had concealed alongwith a wireless set.

DIG Central Kashmir, Mohammad Amin Shah, and SP Budgam, R K Jalla, visited the spot today after they learned that, once again, militants had disarmed the J&K Police guards. The entire unit was placed under suspension. While as a Police team set out to find the whereabouts of the absentee SPO, Riyaz Ahmed, all others of the unit were arrested and detained for questioning. Sources said that case FIR No: 4 of 2004 dated 3-01-2004 was registered against the militants who snatched away the weapons. Chadoura Police Station also registered case FIR No: 5 of 2004 dated 3-01-2004 against the guard personnel for delinquency, carelessness and cowardice.

Enquiries by EXCELSIOR revealed that the authorities had positioned 1:5 armed guard of District Police Budgam at Sogam for the "protection" of a Punjabi Hindu family, comprising seven members—4 men, 2 women and one child. This state subject family, headed by a retired Police Inspector, Bikram Singh, has not migrated to Jammu or other places in the wake of separatist militancy in 1989-90. Residents looked relieved over the fact that the militants had harmed neither the Police party nor the minority family.

Today’s incident happended inspite of the fact that authorities have put all the Police units, deployed for the protection of the minority community, on the "maximum alert". There were apprehensions among the official circles that militants could go for a "major mischief" around the timing of the Saarc summit currently in progress at Islamabad, Pakistan.

SP Budgam, R K Jalla, said that stringent action would be initiated against the delinquent Police guard after the preliminary inquiry was conducted and completed in the next two days. Services of the guilty cops, he said, would be terminated after necessary inquiry. He said that, at the same time, everybody in the District Police showing gallantry and excellence in professionalism while combating criminals and infusing a sense of security among the society, would be rewarded suitably. He said that the deployment of the static guard units all over the district was being reviewed.

In the past, militants had snatched away the weapons of Police guards at the Dreygam shrine of Sheikh-ul-Aalam Sheikh Noor-ud-din Noorani, Narbal bridge and a few other places in Budgam district. It has also been observed, of late, that Police guards protecting the houses of some religious leaders and political activists have begun the extra-curricular activity of capturing wood-poachers and extorting from them huge amounts of a money during night in Budgam and Beerwah localities.

Pak accepts Kashmir is bilateral issue

ISLAMABAD, Jan 3: In a significant departure from its stand, Pakistani today acknowledged that Jammu and Kashmir was a bilateral issue and expressed its readiness to enter into dialogue with India at "anytime and any place" even to address New Delhi’s concerns on terrorism.

"As far as Pakistan is concerned, it is ready for a dialogue anytime and at any place. We need to move forward for a composite dialogue," Pakistan Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri told a press conference at the end of the two-day SAARC Council of Ministers meeting.

The Minister’s statement on Kashmir as a bilateral issue came when serious efforts were being made for resumption of dialogue between the two countries.

In an obvious reference to New Delhi’s concerns on Pakistan’s support to cross-border terrorism, he said the Indian Government has certain concerns. "These concerns can also be addressed mutually." he said a dialogue would be meaningless if there were pre-conditions for it.

The Minister said Jammu and Kashmir was a bilateral issue between India and Pakistan. It is India-Pakistan problem, he remarked. It was the main reason that the issue was not raised at the SAARC meetings here.

Referring to the additional protocol on terrorism, he said there was an urgent need to update the SAARC convention on suppression of terrorism. The protocol should not be seen from the prism of Indo-Pakistan relations.

Mr Kasuri said the additional protocol contains measures for combating financing for terrorism in pursuance of the UN Security Council Resolution 1373. The finalisation of the protocol is a clear manifestation of the desire of all SAARC countries to combat terrorism in all forms and manifestations.

He said the Council of Ministers approved social charter, which will be signed by SAARC leaders. The charter will herald a new era in the area of social cooperation among SAARC member-states.

It draws up broad ranging targets for poverty alleviation, population stabilisation, empowerment of women, human resources development and promotion of human rights. (UNI)

Lt Triveni Singh given emotional send off
NR top brass reviews situation, toll 7

Excelsior Special Correspondent

JAMMU, Jan 3: Top brass of Northern Railways Ferozepur division including the security officers reviewed the security at Jammu Railway Station this afternoon along with the officers of the Railways and Railways Police in the aftermath of last evening’s fidayeen attack at the station.

Meanwhile, death toll in the attack today went upto seven with another injured police jawan succumbing to his injuries in the Medical College hospital. Yesterday, four security personnel including two BSF jawans, one Army officer and a police constable besides the two fidayeens were killed and 15 others were injured.

Raj Kumar, a constable of the operations group of Jammu Police, who was seriously injured in the fidayeen attack yesterday, died in the hospital at 2.45 am today. His body was handed over to the police officials after post-mortem this morning.

Train traffic to and fro Jammu Railway Station, which remained suspended for over six hours last night and was restored at 12.30 am, returned to normal today. All trains started arriving and departing on time from this morning, Railways sources said.

Meanwhile, Railways Protection Force (RPF) Inspector General, Mr Awasthi, Divisional Traffic Manager, Ferozepur division and Rattan Chand, Incharge Security, Ferozepur division and other top officials arrived here this morning to review the situation arising out of the fidayeen attack.

They reviewed the situation with local officials of Northern Railways including the Divisional Traffic Manager, Jammu, IGP Crime and Railways Abdul Rashid Khan, DIG Crime and Railways M A Bhat and SSP Crime and Railways H L Fotedar.

According to reliable sources, the issue of raising wall around uncovered area of Jammu Railway Station especially on the back side figured prominently during over two and a half hour long meeting held at the Railway Station.

The Railways Police, Jammu stressed that Jammu railway station was thronged by 30,000 to 35,000 passengers every day. "Since an attack on the railway station can have wider ramifications, it was a must it was protected with a wall from the open area on back side on the pattern of New Delhi Railway Station.

"Exit and entry points to the Railway Station must be definite", they said.

The Railways Police officers also called for fencing of Bari Barahamana railway station, which was also vulnerable in view of Army officers departure and arrival from that station.

It was also decided in the meeting to strictly implement the checking of platform tickets.

The visiting Railways officials assured local police officers that a survey would be carried out within a week around Jammu and Bari Barahamana railway stations and requisite steps would be taken shortly, the sources said.

Meanwhile, tributes were paid to the security officials, who sacrificed their lives in the fidayeen attack, today. Lt. Triveni Singh of 5 JAK Li and a resident of Abrol Nagar, Pathankote was given an emotional send off in a wreath laying ceremony organised here this morning.

Wreaths were laid on the body on behalf of Army chief, GOC-in-C Northern Command by Lt Gen Ashok Kapur, GOC 16 Corps and Maj Gen Rajinder Singh, GOC 26 Infantry Division and other senior Army officials.

It may be recalled that Lt. Triveni Singh had eliminated one of the fidayeens in a hand to hand fight before sacrificing his life. Senior officers of the BSF also paid tributes to two BSF jawans, who were also killed in the attack.

Two police constables Raj Kumar, Personal Security Officer (PSO) of SHO Railways H S Gill and Raj Kumar, constable, operations group were also paid tributes by the senior police officers before their bodies were sent to their houses.

Sehrai appointed Geelani's successor in Jamaat

Excelsior Special Correspondent

SRINAGAR, Jan 3: Having severed all ties with the Maulvi Abbas Ansari faction of the Hurriyat Conference, Jamaat-e-Islami has appointed its second-in-command, Mohammad Ashraf Sehrai, as the new chief of the organisation’s Political Affairs section.

The Jamaat spokesman, advocate Zahid Ali, today said in a Press release that his party’s Naib Amir (vice chairman) Mohammad Ashraf Sehrai had been appointed as chief of the Political Affairs section with immediate effect. Though the spokesman did not specify when the organisation had taken this decision, it is believed that the highest decision making body (Markazi Majlis—e-Shoora) of Jamaat-e-Islami has favoured Sehrai for the key position in its four-day-long conclave here earlier this week. It was at the end of these deliberations that Jamaat-e-Islami had announced its decision of total separation from the Hurriyat’s Abbas Ansari faction. It has, however, reserved its decision of supporting Geelani’s breakaway faction of the Hurriyat "for the time being".

Sehrai’s appointment as Syed Ali Shah Geelani’s successor in the organisation is significant as none other than Geelani has operated as Jamaat’s Head of Political Affairs in Jammu & Kashmir in the last 14 years of militancy. By virtue of holding that portfolio, Geelani worked as Jamaat’s representative in the "All Party Hurriyat Conference" for 10 years. He also functioned as chairman of the undivided Hurriyat for two terms of two years each.

The most towering pro-Pakistan politician in the contemporary history of Jammu & Kashmir, 76-year-old Syed Ali Shah Geelani has, of late, been struggling to emerge as the undisputed representative of the hardline sections in Kashmir. Unlike senior Jamaat thinktank Sehrai, Mr Geelani is known for his hardline approach in politics. He has been an avowed advocate of Kashmir’s accession to Pakistan, though openly his solution to the Kashmir problem is holding tripartite talks (between India, Pakistan and the "real representatives" of Kashmiri people) or conducting a referendum in accordance with the UN resolutions of 1948 and 1949.

Jamaat’s stakes are high in today’s turbulent Kashmir as this religio-political organisation has been the political patron of the state’s most formidable militant outfit, Hizbul Mujahideen. Due to this association, Jamaat has lost hundreds of its activists and key organisers at the hands of Police, security forces and local counter-insurgents. Obviously under pressure from several quarters, Jamaat had recalled Geelani from the undivided Hurriyat and appointed Sheikh Ali Mohammad as its representative in the 7-member executive council on May 24, 2003.

After his release from jail, Geelani had taken strong exception to the Hurriyat constituent Peoples Conference’s controversial act of fielding its member, Ghulam Mohi-ud-din Sofi, as a "proxy candidate" in last year’s Assembly elections from Handwara. While defeating the National Conference stalwart, Chowdhary Mohammad Ramzan, Sofi became MLA from Handwara and was later inducted as Minister of Forest and Environment in Mufti Mohammad Sayeed’s Cabinet. Geelani has been lamenting since last year that Sofi was the representative of Sajjad Gani Lone’s Peoples Conference in Mufti’s government. Sajjad and his party have denied the same repeatedly and continued to be part of the Hurriyat faction, now led by Abbas Ansari.

Like the other Hurriyat constituents of JKLF and Peoples League, Jamaat-e-Islami has separated itself from the Ansari-led Hurriyat but has yet to take a decision whether or not to support Geelani’s faction. Thus, according to the situation till date, once an amalgamation of J&K’s 24 religious, political and social organisations—besides trade unions and High Court Bar Association—Hurriyat Conference stands split in three groups.

Pak restricts activities of Kashmir groups

ISLAMABAD, Jan 3: The Pakistani authorities have put restrictions on the activities of the Kashmiri groups here in view of the 12th SAARC summit, beginning tomorrow.

Leaders of the Pakistan-based All Party Hurriyat Conference (APHC) and other Kashmiri groups have been asked to lie low during the summit period.

Media reports claimed that the security agencies have closed down their offices here. However, the Kashmiri leaders have contradicted these reports.

Sardar Attique Ahmed Khan of the All Jammu and Kashmir Muslim conference said, "no one has asked to close down the offices during the summit". His party was functional in the capital and Rawalpindi, reports ‘The Nation’.

He said foreign dignitaries attending the summit were their respected guests and added that no Kashmiri could think of indulging in any activities that could leave negative impact on the regional summit.

Meanwhile, APHC convenor Farooq Rehmani termed as baseless reports about the closure of the separatist groups office here. "The APHC office is open and functioning normally."

Interior Ministry Spokesman Rauf Chaudhry also confirmed that no office of any Kashmiri organisation has so far been asked to stop functioning ahead of the SAARC summit.

He also stated that there was no plan under consideration in this regard. (UNI)

Azad reviews HP Govt performance

SHIMLA, Jan 3: All India Congress Committee (AICC) senior member Ghulam Nabi Azad today lauded the performance of the Himachal Pradesh Government saying a number of promises made in the election manifesto have been fulfilled.

Mr Azad, who is in charge of HP affairs, reviewed the performance of the Congress Government under Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh in his capacity as member of the Election Manifesto Review Committee of this hill state. Besides holding a meeting with the Chief Minister and HP Congress president Vidya Stokes, he met a number of ministers here today to review the performance of each ministry.

Later, addressing a media conference, he claimed that the HP Government had done an extremely good job in the shortest span of time.

Besides Mr Azad and the Chief Minister, the other members of this Committee are Mrs Stokes and senior congress leader and former Orissa Chief Minister J B Patnaik, who, however, could not attend the review committee meeting.

The AICC has formed such review committees for all the Congress-ruled states to review their performances after every six months. However, due to the Assembly polls in four states held in December last year, the performance of the HP Government had to be postponed till today.

Mr Azad said the performance of the State Government was impressive and a number of promises made in the election manifesto had been fulfiled. While some projects mentioned had been implemented the others are in the pipeline, he said claiming that as per the aicc policy all promises in the election manifesto are normally implemented in the first three years of the Government coming to power.

Mr Azad said corruption was a major plank on which the Congress fought the polls in this State and stringent steps had been taken by the government to eradicate this menace ever since the Government assumed power in March last year.

He said during his review meeting he was told that an investment of Rs 25,00 crore had been pumped into the State to help improve the economic condition of the State and generate opportunity.

Mr Azad said so far 24,000 pending pension cases had been cleared of which 14,000 would receive their pensions this month and the rest in April.

He said there had been a vast improvement in the health services sector. About 7000 posts of doctors, nurses and para-medical staff had been lying vacant when the Congress assumed power but a number of these posts had been filled. (UNI)

Egyptian jet crashes, 148 killed

SHARM EL-SHEIK (EGYPT), Jan 3: A charter airliner carrying 148 people- mostly French tourists- crashed into the Red Sea shortly after takeoff today from this Egyptian Resort, and a French diplomat in Cairo said everyone aboard was killed.

The Egyptian military sent helicopters and small patrol boats into the area where the Boeing 737 jet went down a little before 5 a.m. (0830 IST), but the emergency teams found only bodies and body parts amid floating debris including suitcases.

French Deputy Transportation Minister Dominique Bussereau told reporters today at Charles De Gaulle Airport outside Paris that the pilot detected problems shortly after takeoff and tried to turn back, and he could not imagine there had been any survivors. A French embassy spokeswoman in Cairo later said all had been killed.

She spoke to the Associated Press only on condition of anonymity.

The crash occurred amid a week of heightened concerns about terrorist threats from the air that have led to increased security and canceled flights around the world.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher said the crash "is not related to any terrorist act" and the Civil Aviation Ministry called it an "accident" apparently caused by a mechanical problem. "Up until now, the cause is a technical one," Minister of Civil Aviation Ahmed Shafeeq told state-run Egyptian television. "There was a malfunction that made it difficult for the crew to ... Save the plane."

Shafeeq said some of the plane wreckage had been found as well as some bodies. A marine official in a nearby port said at least 50 body parts had been found.

A French Foreign Ministry spokesman said that 133 of the people aboard were French tourists. A French embassy official in Cairo said he had seen a list of people aboard that showed one Moroccan tourist and 13 crew members were also aboard. (agencies)

Charges of disappearances motivated
Police finds atleast 43 ‘disappeared’ at their homes

Excelsior Special Correspondent

Jammu, Jan 3: At least 43 of the alleged 116 disappeared persons of Kashmir valley have been found at their homes during police investigations into the charges ordered by the Government.

The Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons had released a list of 116 persons that it claimed to have disappeared from the custody during the tenure of the present Government. It, however, included only 77 names out of the previous list of 84 such persons circulated by this association.

Dismissing the charge as propaganda, a police spokesman today released findings of its investigations into this serious charge of disappearances. Except for 26 names, 13 of which are still under investigation, everyone else has been accounted for.

The spokesman said that 22 persons figured in the list of the so-called disappeared persons have joined militant ranks as per the investigations. Six others have died. Two others have been found in the custody and cases stand registered against them.

The police did not find 16 persons of the list as there were no persons with such particulars in the villages as mentioned in the list and in some cases even the village itself did not exist.

Only in 13 cases police have registered cases in various police stations and efforts are on to trace them. However, the police suspect that some of them might have been abducted by terrorists.

Telgi’s nephew arrested under MCOCA

MUMBAI, Jan 4: The Special Investigating Team, probing the fake stamp paper scam, today arrested Tabrez Telgi, nephew of prime accused Abdul Karim Telgi and a key operative of the multi-crore racket, under a stringent law of Maharashtra.

Tabrez, a proclaimed offender, was picked up from his residence in Mumbai and grilled in Pune before placing him under arrest under Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), SIT sources said.

He would be produced before a special court in Pune tomorrow for remand.

SIT described Tabrez as the second most important accused after Abdul Karim Telgi and alleged that he was Telgi’s main operative in the racket.

Tabrez’s arrest comes close on the heels of the arrest of his manager Vijay Desai. Both of them had prepared blueprints of Telgi’s marketing strategy to sell counterfeit stamps and stamp papers in Maharashtra and Gujarat, SIT sources said.

The blueprint of Ahmedabad market, allegedly prepared by Tabrez and Desai, was recovered by sit from the personal computer and dairies of Abdul Karim Telgi during a raid on his house in South Mumbai last year.

SIT sources said Tabrez possessed knowledge of Telgi’s links with politicians, including arrested Andhra Pradesh MLA C P Krishna Yadav and Dhule MLA Anil Gote.

Telgi had appointed Tabrez as the commander-in-chief of his syndicate and had given him a free hand to plan the strategy to circulate counterfeit stamps and stamp papers in the market, the sources said.

Tabrez then appointed a battery of salesmen to book bulk orders from industrial houses and financial institutions by offering huge discounts for purchase of counterfeit stamps.

Along with Vijay Desai, Tabrez was instrumental in shaping the marketing strategy of Telgi’s syndicate. He had surveyed the financial markets of Mumbai and Ahmedabad to formulate the syndicate’s strategy to pump in the market fake stamps including revenue stamps, judicial stamps, stamp papers and postal stamps, SIT sources said.

After his arrest, Desai spilled the beans and disclosed the alleged involvement of Tabrez, the sources said. (PTI)

ITBP jawan killed in Valley

Excelsior Special Correspondent

SRINAGAR, Jan 3: An Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) jawan was killed and a civilian injured when militants carried out two grenade attacks on security forces in Kashmir valley, where police busted a militant hideout since last night, a police spokesman said today.

Constable Davinder Kumar of ITBP, injured in a grenade attack by militants at Kakpora village of Pulwama district seven days back, succumbed to his injuries in a hospital in Pulwama today, the spokesman said.

He said militants hurled a grenade on a security camp at Batpora village of Shopian in Pulwama this morning, but the device missed its target and exploded on the road causing injuries to a civilian, who was hospitalized, he said.

In another grenade attack, he said militants tossed a grenade towards a BSF camp at Nouhama village of Anantnag district today. However, the grenade fell short of the target and exploded near the main entrance to the camp causing no harm.

Police assisted by security forces busted a militant hideout at Jalsheeri in Baramulla district and recovered 16 grenades, two rockets, a binocular, three ak magazines, 70 rounds and 40 PIK rounds from it, he said.

 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 

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