Militants had 8 SIM cards
Al-Badr teenage module busted, 8 arrested

From Ahmed Ali Fayyaz

SRINAGAR, Dec 14: Claiming to have solved a shootout and saved a number of civilians from being killed, Police in Budgam district have arrested eight teenagers who had allegedly taken contract killings from the militant outfit, Al-Badr Mujahideen, at the rate of Rs 30,000 each. Investigating how a private telecommunication company had provided a set of eight SIM cards to the militant organisation, Police have launched manhunt for a top Pakistani commander, Bilal Afghani alias Chhotta Bilal, in Beerwah-Narbal belt of Central Kashmir.

Highly placed official sources revealed to the EXCELSIOR that Police Station Magam arrested eight teenagers, some of them school and college students, for their alleged involvement in the attempted murder of 28-year-old Maimoona of Chak Kawoosa village on December 10th. Sources said that during sustained interrogation of the detainees, Police learned that the militants of Al-Badr outfit, who had allegedly given four contract killings to the teenagers, had procured a set of eight SIM cards from a private cellular operator. Even as authorities insist that a slain militant's nephew was playing the key role in the young Al-Badr module, residents maintained that he was a student of B.A. 1st year, who was pursuing his studies and examination inspite of having a deadly tumor.

SSP Budgam, Syed Ashiq Hussain Bukhari, confirmed the arrest of eight youngsters and claimed that Police had busted a module of the militant outfit Al-Badr which had carried out a murderous assault on Maimoona and taken at least four killings on contract against the stipulated remuneration of Rs 30,000 each. He claimed that the slain terror Mohammad Yusuf Sheikh's nephew, Bilal Ahmed Bhat, had played key role in forming this module of youngsters. He said that working hard on the murderous assault on Maimoona, a special investigation team was constituted to solve the shootout. The team, headed by SHO Magam, Inspector Abdul Majeed, conducted a series of raids and arrested as many as eight youngsters involved in the killing.

Those arrested and booked in FIR No: 332 of 2006 under section 307 RPC, have been identified as Bilal Ahmed Bhat S/o late Abdur Rasheed Bhat R/o Narbal Crossing, presently Rathsun, (Beerwah), Mohammad Arif Dar S/o Ghulam Mohammad Dar, Rauf Ahmed Dar S/o Mohammad Maqbool Dar, both residents of Chak Kawoosa, Manzoor Ahmed Wani S/o Abdul Karim Wani, Mohammad Aurangzeb Dar S/o Abdur Rehman Dar, Dawood Ahmed Wani S/o Habibullah Wani and Waseem Ahmed Rather S/o Ghulam Mohammad Rather, all residents of Aarth, Beerwah. He said that Police had also arrested a Narbal-based PCO operator, Gulzar Ahmed Dar S/o Ghulam Nabi Dar, who had provided eight SIM cards to the Al-Badr militants.

All the members of the Al-Badr module, according to Police, are in the age group of 15-19 years who had neither gone underground nor figured as wanted militants in the records of Police or security forces until this week.

Quoting an interrogation report of the detainees, SHO Magam Abdul Majeed revealed that Beerwah area's most wanted militant of the year and a "District Commander" of Al-Badr, Bilal Afghani alias Chhota Bilal, had established contact with the undergraduate student, Bilal Ahmed Bhat of Narbal, at his hideout in Rathsun village. Bilal Ahmed Bhat, he said, had been living at his maternal uncle's residence at Rathsun, near Beerwah. His younger maternal uncle, Mohammad Yusuf Sheikh, was Central Kashmir's most wanted and most dreaded militant for five years before he was eliminated as a senior functionary of Hizbul Mujahideen by J&K Police in an operation in Srinagar last year.

SHO Magam said that in a meeting with Chhotta Bilal in the middle of November, Bilal Ahmed Bhat, Mohammad Arif Dar and Rauf Ahmed Dar of Kawoosa were given the contract of killing four civilians, namely Maimoona, whose husband Farooq Ahmed Wani had already been killed by militants, Constable Naza D/o Abdur Rahim Wani, Abdul Majeed Wani S/o Sonaullah Wani and Fayaz Hardware alias Raja, all residents of Chak Kawoosa, a village close to Srinagar-Gulmarg Road in Magam-Narbal belt. The deal was settled at Rs 30,000 each killing.

On December 10th, Rauf Ahmed Dar called his friend Manzoor Ahmed Wani of Aarth over cellphone and indicated to him the plan of eliminating Maimoona. The duo did further outsourcing by engaging Aurangzeb Dar, Dawood Ahmed Wani and Waseem Ahmed Rather as the sharpshooters. A pistol procured from Chhotta Bilal was handed to Aurangzeb who laid an ambush and opened fire on his first target, Maimoona, when she was returning to her home in the evening. Hit in her abdomen, Maimoona fell in a pool of blood even as Aurangzeb's gun failed to work after firing just two rounds. She was evacuated, rushed to Srinagar and admitted to a hospital where she is still under treatment.

SHO Magam said that the team headed by him mobilised all its resources and got all the seven operatives of the teenage module arrested. He said that Aurangzeb's pistol and 15 rounds of ammunition were also seized by Police. He said that Police and security forces had subsequently launched a manhunt for Chhotta Bilal who, according to the disclosures of the detainees, had ordered the killings and settled the contract with them. He said that over the same revelations, Police also arrested a Narbal-based PCO operator, namely Gulzar Ahmed Dar S/o Ghulam Nabi Dar, who admitted to have procured a set of 10 SIM cards from one of Airtel's Baramulla-based sub-dealers through a runner, Sajjad, and disclosed further that 8 of the SIM cards were provided to the Pakistani militant, Chhotta Bilal, through Bilal Ahmed Bhat.

SHO said that Police were investigating how the private telecommunication company had provided 8 SIM cards in one go to the militant organisation in violation of all rules, procedure and law. He said it was being investigated whether Airtel had detected the fraud in their mandatory subscriber verification and refused to activate the SIM cards or the same had been activated and were functional with the militant network.

On the other hand, residents of Beerwah area claimed that Bilal Ahmed Bhat was "an innocent student with no militant connections". They said that he was a B.A 1st year student of Government Degree College, Beerwah, who was pursuing his studies despite having developed a deadly tumor. They complained that the student, who had been living at his maternal uncle's house at Rathsun, had been forcibly lifted in the midst of his annual examination and one full year of his studies had been wasted by Police by putting him in detention.

A shopkeeper of Rathsun, who insisted on the condition of anonymity, said that the detained student's maternal uncle, Bashir Ahmed Sheikh, had been called by Police to Srinagar and got eliminated by troops of RR 24 Bn in Ganderbal area few years ago. He was a civilian killed in a fake encounter. Later, his dead body was claimed to have been recovered from Wurpach, Ganderbal. He said that counter-insurgents, working with Army, shot dead the militant Yusuf Sheikh's brother-in-law, Abdur Rashed Bhat, near Narbal though he too was a civilian. Later, Yusuf Sheikh gunned down over a dozen civilians and counter-insurgents believed to be involved in getting his brother and brother-in-law eliminated.

Sheikh even beheaded a counter-insurgent, Farooq Ahmed Dar, allegedly responsible for firing on his brother-in-law and later dropped his head at General Bus Stand Batmaloo. Militant Yusuf Sheikh was finally captured and killed by Police in Srinagar last year. The shopkeeper said that over 20 people had died so far in the infamous rivalry between Yusuf Sheikh and Farooq Dar, both now dead. He said that Sheikh's house was destroyed and that of his brother set on fire.

JDA too loses 9400 kanal prime land worth crores
*BoD to take decision on encroachments

By Sanjeev Pargal

JAMMU, Dec 14: Not only Revenue, Forest and Agriculture Departments have lost thousands of kanals of their land to the encroachers, Jammu Development Authority (JDA) has also lost its 9400 kanals prime land worth several crores, which has been grabbed illegally.

Like other Departments which have decided to regularise the encroached land on directions of the Government, JDA is also expected to ask the encroachers to pay for the land or vacate it. However, a final decision in this regard will be taken by JDA’s Board of Directors.

Official sources told the Excelsior that JDA had a total of 88,713 kanals of land in its possession. It was given 46,932 kanals of land in 1973 when the Development Authority was set up while rest of the land was transferred to its from Revenue and Nazool Departments from time to time through different Government orders.

Out of a total of 88,713 kanals land with JDA, the Authority has lost over 9400 kanals land to the encroachers in different localities, sources said.

While 4027 kanal of land had been encroached upon by the land grabbers before it was transferred to JDA by the Government, 5400 kanals of land was encroached from JDA.

While exact value of encroached land hasn’t been worked out by the Development Authority, according to sources, it could run into hundreds of crores of rupees since majority of encroached land was in prime localities.

JDA Vice Chairman Ashok Parmar, when contacted, said they were yet to receive a communication from the Government that whether JDA land was part of the State land or not. "We are in touch with the concerned authorities to take a decision on encroached land", he added.

JDA’s Director Land Management, Dr Abdul Rashid said: "we will leave it to JDA’s Board of Directors, which will meet in next few days, to decide whether to regularise the land as part of the Government plan or get it vacated".

In posh Trikuta Nagar alone, JDA’s land between Rs 20 crore to Rs 30 crore has been encroached upon, as per a latest survey conducted by the Authority, Dr Rashid said. He confirmed that as per latest figures, JDA’s 9400 kanals of land has been encroached upon.

According to sources, JDA survey revealed that at a number of places, the encroachers had managed to get even Revenue documentation of encroached land. "This has been done using documents of some other ‘khasra’ numbers", they revealed.

While awaiting a decision on encroachments, JDA has asked its field staff including the Revenue officers attached to it to prepare lists of encroached land so that they could be served notices of regularisation or vacation as soon as a decision is taken by the Board of Directors.

Sources said encroachment of land was not the only problem faced by JDA but their rent due to shopkeepers has also risen to nearly Rs 4 crores.

JDA have a total of 2500 shops and 256 halls. A net rent of Rs 2.5 crores was due on many shopkeepers and hall owners. As rent in some cases was pending for last 15 to 16 years, the amount including penal interest will cross the figure of Rs 4 crore, they said.

A drive has been launched to recover the arrears, they added.

Shift in positions of India, Pak on Kashmir: Omar

NEW DELHI, Dec 14: Batting strongly for autonomy in Jammu and Kashmir, National Conference chief Omar Abdullah today said there had been a marked shift in recent days in the stated positions of India and Pakistan on the Kashmir issue.

"Kashmir acceded to India and it never merged with it," Abdullah said dismissing the perception that autonomy would lead to secession of the State.

Speaking at a conference here on "Autonomy vs Self Rule in Kashmir", he expressed surprise at External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee’s remarks that there would be some adjustments in Arunachal Pradesh’s boundary with China, terming it "a huge departure" from the Government’s earlier stand.

"The statement by the Minister has taken me by surprise ...There is a huge departure from the Government’s earlier position," Abdullah said, referring to Jammu and Kashmir which is also affected by India’s boundary dispute with China.

Mukherjee told the Lok Sabha yesterday that there would be "some adjustments" of Arunachal Pradesh’s boundary with China.

Abdullah conceded human rights abuses were committed when the National Conference-led Government was in power in the State and said the current Government must implement its "healing touch" policy effectively.

"What we did, we paid the price for that. Our human rights record was not good. And as a result, we faced the drubbing in the last elections," he said.

Abdullah, however, conceded there are "serious divides" within Jammu and Kashmir on the autonomy formula, saying that an unanimous opinion on the issue "is not an easy task".

He said the dialogue within Jammu and Kashmir must match the external talks to find a solution to the problem. "The centre must take all political groups in the Kashmir valley into full confidence," he said.

Exuding hope that the current scenario will lead to a lasting solution to the Kashmir issue, senior lawyer and Kashmir Committee Chairman Ram Jethmalani said the Centre must grab the opportunity while President Pervez Musharraf is in power in Pakistan.

"Paradoxically, Musharraf is the best bet for the Kashmir solution. We must try our best to settle the dispute now," he remarked. (PTI)

LS passes controversial Reservation Bill

NEW DELHI, Dec 14 : The controversial bill for reservations for backward classes in elite government-aided educational institutions like IITs and IIMs was passed by the Lok Sabha today with the Government promising a similar law to cover un-aided institutions.

The Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Admission) Bill, 2006, which provides for 27 per cent reservation to OBCs, was passed by a voice vote after amendments moved by the Opposition BJP for including minority institutions in its purview were rejected.

The Bill had evoked stiff opposition from students of professional colleges belonging to upper castes in cities like Delhi, who said the introduction of quotas in elite institutions would affect merit.

The Legislation was vetted by a Parliamentary Standing Committee which suggested preference being given to the poor among the OBCs over the creamy layer.

But, the Union Cabinet rejected the Committee’s recommendation and brought forward the original Bill that was passed today.

Replying to a day-long debate on the Bill, HRD Minister Arjun Singh dismissed Opposition fears that excluding minority institutions would affect admission of SC, ST and OBC students in such institutions which have been enrolling them for several years.

He said the Government was preparing a new Bill for unaided institutions and "very soon it will come to the House".

The debate saw the members generally hailing the measure with some describing it as "revolutionary". There were also demands for reservation in private sector and the judiciary.

The Bill has not excluded ‘creamy layer’ despite the Parliamentary Standing Committee for HRD favouring that this segment should be covered only after giving priority to non-creamy among the backwards.

There had been division within the UPA with several Dravidian parties opposing exclusion of creamy layer, a demand made by the Left parties.

The Government has already announced that the quota regime would be made operational from the academic year 2007. The Bill was introduced in Lok Sabha by Singh on August 25 this year.

The Bill provides for a mandatory increase of seats in Central Educational Institutions which would be attained over a maximum period of three years beginning with 2007 academic session.

The Bill, applicable to Central universities, IITS and IIMS and certain other institutions established, maintained or aided by the Central Government, defines OBCs as the class or classes of citizens who are socially and educationally backward and are so determined by the Central Government.(PTI)

37 war widows yet to get LPG dealership

NEW DELHI, Dec 14: Twenty-eight retail outlet dealerships and nine LPG distributorships allotted to widows and dependents of defence personnel killed during Operation Vijay at Kargil are pending for commissioning due to various reasons, te Lok Sabha was information the non-availability of suitable land at the location selected by the allottees and non-issuance of necessary clearance from various statutory authorities, are some of the reasons, Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dinsha Patel said today.

In a written answer to a question whether irregularities in allotment of petrol pumps and LPG agencies to dependents of Kargil martyrs had come to the notice of the Government, Mr Patel denied having received any such complaints. He said all the eligible beneficiaries under Kargil scheme had been allotted retail outlets or LPG agencies through issuance of Letter of Intent by public sector oil marketing companies.

However, as on November 30, this year, 28 retail outlet dealerships and nine LPG distributorships allotted to such dependents were pending commissioning, he said.

Since the matter was beyond the control of his Ministry it was not possible to give a time-frame for commissioning of these pending cases, he added.(UNI)

China occupying 38,000 sq kms in J&K

NEW DELHI, Dec 14: China continued to be in "illegal" occupation of approximately 38,000 square kms in Jammu and Kashmir, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee informed the Rajya Sabha today.

In a written reply, he said in addition, under the so-called Sino-Pakistan Boundary Agreement of 1963, Pakistan illegally ceded 5,180 square kms of Indian territory in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir to China.

Besides, the External Affairs Minister said China illegally claims approximately 90,000 square kms of territory in the Eastern sector. In the Middle sector, China claims about 2,000 square kms.

To another question, Mukherjee said Pakistan has not agreed to India’s proposal on opening Munabao-Khokhrapar rail sector for trade. On an average about 10-12 freight trains run between the two countries in a month through existing Attari-Wagah rail link.

Minister of State for External Affairs E Ahamed said India is contemplating on issuing multi-entry visa for five years for foreign tourists and traders.

Accordingly, he said, the Government has already decided to grant such a visa to nationals of 18 countries, namely France, Germany, Luxumbourg, the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Finland, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico and Vietnam.

Ahamed said tourists on this visa can stay in India for 90 days on each visit and added that necessary instructions to this effect were being issued to all Indian Missions/Posts abroad.

He said multiple-entry visas up to five years are already being issued to traders and businessmen who can furnish documentary evidence of conducting business or to explore possibilities of setting up business ventue in India.

This visa is issued with the stipulation that the stay in India during each visit shall not exceed 180 days, he said. (PTI)

SAARC Food Bank soon

ISLAMABAD, Dec 14: Expressing hope that the proposed SAARC Regional Food Bank would be set up soon, Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar today said it could act as an "instrument" in providing food security to the entire region and fostering inter-country partnership.

Addressing the first SAARC Agricultural Ministers’ meeting here, Pawar termed the plan by the countries of the grouping to set up a food bank as the "most important item" on the agenda of the meet. He said the concept papers have been discussed and hoped that it would be set up soon.

"The bank is expected to act as an instrument for food security reserve during normal times and surely the emergencies. It will also foster inter-country partnership and regional cooperation," he said.

Pawar said "path-breaking initiatives" taken in the region, like the Gramin Bank movement of Bangladesh, need to be "streamlined in regional cooperation".

In this context, he also offered to share India’s expertise in the field of agriculture with other SAARC nations. This could be in the areas in which important achievements have been made by India, such as the revitalised extension system, marketing reforms, application of frontier technology, horticulture and agro-processing, he added.

Pawar said there was need for operationalising of the SAARC Development Fund, for which India has committed to provide 100 million dollars. "The fund could be utilized for undertaking a number of collaborative projects in agricultural sector," the Minister said.

Pawar said the SAARC Agricultural Information Centre, set up in 1988, was doing a "good job".

Taking into consideration the fact that all the nations in the region face similar challenges, the Minister suggested close collaboration among research institutes and sharing of know-how in different sectors of agriculture.

Calling upon the SAARC nations to develop a perspective vision to address emerging needs and challenges, he said the productivity of the agro-sector was not commensurate with the growth of population in the region.

"There are huge gaps between potentials established in the laboratories and the actual yields" which necessitated the need for extensive research. Serious attention needs to be given to high-income and employment generating sectors of horticulture, livestock and fisheries to ensure food security for the rapidly growing population, the minister said.

Agricultural Ministers of all the seven countries of the grouping attended the meeting. (PTI)

HC directs pensionary benefits to slain cop's widow

Excelsior Correspondent

Jammu, Dec 14: Justice YP Nargotra of the State K High Court Jammu wing, in a writ petition filed by the widow of a head constable Ghulam Nabi who was kidnapped by the militants and later killed and whose pensionary benefit were withheld by the Department, has directed the respondents to release the amount of death cum retirement gratuity along with arrears of pension within a period of two months.

This judgment was passed in a writ petition filed by Sayeda Begum widow of Late Ghulam Nabi who was working as Naib Court in the Office of Public Prosecutor Bhadarwah where he was posted in the year 1991 and was kidnapped by the militants on May 25, 1993 and later killed. The remains of his body were found in the forest on August 26, 1994.

On account of death of deceased, the family pension was sanctioned in favour of the widow.

Out of the arrears of family pension besides the death cum retirement gratuity was detected and an amount of Rs 50187/- was denied. She filed this petition seeking directions for releasing the amount in her favour.

Justice Nargotra while allowing the petition, observed that from the facts disclosed in the pleadings of the parties, it is manifest that recovery from the family pension and death cum retirement gratuity has been ordered against the petitioner firstly by the Accountant General and secondly by the Police Deptt on independent considerations. As regards the recovery ordered by the Accountant General, admittedly it is on account of excess pay drawn for the period May 25, 1993 up to ending May 1994, during which the deceased remained absent from duty after having been kidnapped by the militants, by taking his date of death to be May 25, 1993. Had his date of death not been May 25, 1993, but August 26, 1994, on which date his dead-body was traced in the forest, then there would not be any question of excess pay drawn in view of the provisions made in the rule.

Justice Nargotra said that Court is in agreement with Senior Advocate JS Kotwal appearing for the petitioner that in the circumstances of the case, the date of death should be presumed to be the date on which the dead-body of deceased was recovered, as it is only on the recovery of dead-body of the deceased that he was declared to be dead there being no clear evidence available to show on which date he was actually killed by the militants.

As regards the recovery of Rs 59,692 directed to be made from the gratuity and family pension at the behest of the Police Deptt, the contention of BS Salathia AAG is that as this amount was found to be missing on physical verification of the Malkhana, it was inferred that the same stood misappropriated by the deceased while he was alive. The Police Dept was justified in ordering the recovery of Govt money against the petitioner.

He was pointedly asked to show any rule which enable the respondents to hold enquiry against a dead person for fixing his liability for having misappropriated the money entrusted to him during his life-time, but he has not been able to show any such rule.

"Recovery of an amount alleged to be outstanding against an employee can be ordered under law only after his liability is fixed by an enquiry held after giving him an opportunity of being heard. Since the deceased was not alive, no administrative enquiry for fixing his liability for the missing amount from the Malkhana was possible and therefore, for paying the same could not be legally fixed against him, unless the liability of deceased is legally fixed, there cannot be a question of affecting the recovery from the next of his kin on account of his alleged misappropriation.

"With these observations the Court allowed petition and directed respondents to release the amount with arrears of pension which may be due in favour of petitioner within a period of two months. The respondents shall, however, be entitled to detect the amount of pension paid or payable to the petitioner for the period commencing May 25, 1993 to ending May 1994.

All KPs to get jobs: Patil

NEW DELHI, Dec 14: BJP and other opposition members today staged a walkout in the Lok Sabha to protest against the inadequate steps taken by the Government to deal with the situation arising from atrocities against Kashmiri Pandits in Jammu and Kashmir.

Raising the issue through a call attention, BJP Deputy Leader in the House Prof Vijay Kumar Malhotra said the Government had provided employment to only about 500 Kashmiri Pandits while 400,000 to 500,000 such people had migrated out of the State.

In his response, Home Minister Shivraj Patil said the Government would provide job to all Kashmiri Pandits who were in need, both within Jammu and Kashmir and elsewhere in the country.

The Minister said temporary accommodation would be given to all such Pandits before facilitating them to move into their own houses which they had left at the time of migrating out of the State.

Such temporary accommodation was smaller at present and this "mistake" was being rectified, he said.

All places of worship, be it temple, church or mosque, were being provided adequate security, while their maintenance were left to the local people, Mr Patil said.

He denied that confiscated properties were not being returned to their owners.

The security situation in the State had improved on account of the sincere efforts of the security forces, Government efforts and people’s yearning for peace and normalcy.

"It is true that some people still continue to suffer. Attempts are made by all concerned to help the people to live a more secured and peaceful life," the Minister added.(UNI)

LeT ultra escaped from Janipura: Police

SRINAGAR, Dec 14: A Lashker-e-Toiba militant, involved in several dreaded attacks, including one on a Congress rally here in May this year and carrying a reward of Rs five lakh on his head, has escaped from jail, police informed the Jammu and Kashmir High Court today.

The High Court had asked the State police early this week to submit case diaries and other documents regarding Rafiq Ahmad Sheikh alias Mudasir Gujri after his mother filed a petition seeking court’s intervention into disappearance of her son from the Kot Bhalwal jail here.

In reply to the petition, the state police submitted that the LeT militant escaped from custody on October 13 in Janipur area of Jammu region where he was taken for effecting recoveries of arms and ammunition, counsel for the petitioner Jaleel Andrabi said.

Police informed the Court that a constable, Ashok Kumar, has been suspended in connection with the case.

Gujri was arrested along with four of his associates on July 22. He was invloved in several attacks including ones on tourists at Dalgate, Kothibagh, Ram Munshibagh and on a Congress rally on May 21 this year.

The militant was booked under Public Safety Act and sent to judicial custody at Kot Bhalwal jail where he was last seen on October 28. (PTI)

HC seeks report on Bhat's grave

SRINAGAR, Dec 14: The State High Court today directed authorities of Delhi’s Tihar jail to submit a status report on the condition of the grave of JKLF founder Mohammad Maqbool Bhat who was hanged there in February 1984.

Justice Mansoor Ahmad Mir directed Superintendent of Tihar Jail and the Medical Officer of the jail to submit within six weeks the report on the grave inside the jail compound.

The directions came on a petition filed by Kashmir High Court Bar Association seeking directions to the Centre to hand over the Bhat’s mortal remains to his relatives or their representatives for a proper burial as there were reports that his grave had been dismantled and earmarked for some construction.

It has been wrongly mentioned that the grave of Maqbool Bhat has been dismantled ... In fact, the grave is intact and no construction has been raised over it, the counsel for the centre said in his reply to the bar petition yesterday.

The counsel also submitted that Bhat was given a proper Islamic burial and the spot selected for his grave was according to the Punjab jail manual.

The counsel had pleaded that the petition may be dismissed with costs as there is no merit in it.

JKLF and other other separatist organisations have been demanding that Bhat’s body be exhumed and handed over to them for burial at the martyrs’ graveyard at Eidgah here.

There is an apprehension that handing over Bhat’s remains will be turned into an occasion for mass demonstration leading to large scale law and order problem, the Centre’s counsel said. (PTI)

Bill on child marriage approved

NEW DELHI, Dec 14: In a new measure to eradicate social evils, the Rajya Sabha today passed a bill to make child marriages null and avoid.

The prevention of child marriage bill, 2004, also provides for appointment of Child Marriage Prevention Officers by the State Government.

In case of such marriages being declared null and void, the legislation provides that the husband or if he is minor at the time of child marriage, his guardian would pay maintenance to the minor girl till her remarriage .

Replying to the debate on the bill, Minister for Women and Child Development Renuka Chaudhary said every child marriage, whether solemnised before or after the commencement of this act, would be voidable at the option of the contracting party.

Members stressed the need for effective implementation of the legislation as the first law enacted in 1927 had failed to check such practices.

Najma Heptulla (BJP) suggested registration of every marriage while Sharad Joshi (SBP) called for effective implementation of the legislation.

Anusuiya Uikey (BJP) said poverty was the main factor behind the menace of child marriages.

Supporting the bill, Obaidullah Azmi (Cong) and Sreegopal Vyas (BJP) suggested mass awareness campaigns to curb such practices.

The Minister said in the last 20 years one crore girls have been killed and expressed concern over 65 per cent of girls getting married before the age of 18 in States like Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.

Terming child marriage as an obscenity, she said the purpose of the bill was to prohibit such marriages.

Members vent their ire at the age-old practice and demanded stern laws to deal with social evils.

Almost all women members participated with zeal in the debate.

Cine star Hema Malini (BJP), Jaya Bhaduri (SP), Najma Heptulla (BJP), Brinda Karat (CPM), Prabha Thakur (Cong) and others said the legislation to prevent child marriage should act as a beacon to bring in more widespread reforms to end exploitation of women in society.

Kalraj Mishra (BJP), Viplove Thakur (Cong) and Virendra Bhatia (SP) were of the view that the existing laws were not effective and said child marriages continued to be performed in rural areas because of poverty.

They rued that women were being treated as commodity.

While Thakur raised the issue of female foeticide, Bhatia highlighted instances of dowry deaths.

Karat suggested that the issue of child marriage should be linked to democratic and civil rights and demanded allocation of funds to rehabilitate victims of child marriage. (PTI)