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‘Dialogue depends on practical
action by Islamabad’ NEW DELHI, July 21: Unimpressed by President Pervez Musharraf’s conditional offer to fight terror jointly, India today asked Pakistan to deport Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin and international terrorist Dawood Ibrahim saying sustenance of the dialogue process depends on practical action by Islamabad. It also asked Islamabad to ban Jamat-ul-Dawa, political organisation of Lashkar-e-Toiba terrorist outfit, and arrest its leaders immediately. India is "disappointed" at Islamabad’s "continuing denial of the presence of and failure to take action against Jehadi groups threatening and operating against India from Pakistan and PoK," External Affairs Ministry spokesman Navtej Sarna told reporters here. He was reacting to Musharraf’s comments in a televised address last night that his country will cooperate in probe into Mumbai blasts if India provided evidence about Pakistan’s link. "If they (Pakistan) really want to convince the people of India that they are willing to work together with India against terrorism then they have to take some action immediately and they can," Sarna said. "For example, the self-styled chief of the Hizbul Mujahideen Syed Salahuddin, who is freely roaming in Pakistan and PoK and has appeared on the same stage as many ministers of the federal Government of Pakistan, should be arrested and handed over to India," he said. Referring to Jamaat-ul-Dawa outfit, Sarna said Pakistan, instead of saying the organisation is being kept under close watch, should ban it and arrest its leaders. Jamaat-ul-Dawa portrays itself as a social organisation although it is headed by Hafiz Mohammad Sayeed, chief of Lashkar-e-Toiba terrorist outfit. "Besides, Dawood Ibrahim, who has been listed by the UN Security Council’s 1267 committee as an individual associated with Al Qaeda, should be arrested and deported to India," the spokesman said in a strong reaction to Musharraf’s comments. Sarna said if Pakistan takes action to implement the "directives" of UN Security Council, "then it will give credibility to its claim that it is willing to fight terror." The MEA spokesman said Musharraf’s claim that ‘provide us evidence and we will cooperate’ in Mumbai blasts probe gives India "no cause for satisfaction because in the past when we have provided evidence, there has been no practical action on Pakistan’s part." Most recently, on May 31, at the Home Secretary-level talks, India provided "quite substantial evidence" to Pakistan about the presence of terrorist groups and fugitives on its territory, he said. "Nevertheless, in view of President Musharraf’s assurance, we will continue to provide Pakistani authorities all available evidence and we will wait practical action on their part," he said. During the Home Secretary-level talks, the Indian side provided comprehensive reports of evidence of terrorist networks’ involvement in violent attacks in India. India gave a list of 35 people which included Dawood Ibrahim, Hafez Sayed, Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Masood Azhar as well as Syed Salahuddin, seeking their deportation. Pakistan has been denying about Dawood’s presence on its soil although India has provided his exact location there. The Indian list also included the hijackers of the Kandahar flight. India identified the hijackers as Mohammad Ibrahim Athar Alvi, Zahoor Ibrahim Mistri, Shahid Akhtar Sayed, Shakir Mohammad and Azhar Yusuf. Sarna said India was "disappointed" at Pakistan’s "continuing denial" of the presence of and failure to take action against "Jehadi groups threatening and operating against India from Pakistan and PoK." With regard to the Mumbai blasts case, he said Government was looking into it as also "all implications it has in political and security terms. We are taking considered action step by step." On the dialogue process, the MEA spokesman emphasised that India remained committed to it. "But this (dialogue process) can be sustained and yield results only if Pakistan acts against terrorist groups operating from territory under its control, in accordance with its solemn commitments," he said. (PTI) |
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LeT militants held in Srinagar By Sanjeev Pargal JAMMU, July 21: Kashmir Police have worked out three simultaneous grenade blasts at General Bus Stand, Jammu on June 12 morning with the arrest of two top Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) militants from Baramulla. Mudasir alias Raju, a LeT hitman from Pakistan whose name had recently surfaced in serial blasts targetting tourists in Srinagar, has also turned out to be the mastermind of Jammu blasts along with Nazir Ahmed Gojri ‘Sopori’, another top LeT militant. Earlier, police had arrested two militants from Bus Stand, Rajouri on June 15 and it was stated that they were involved in Bus Stand blasts. However, police had immediately retrieved the statement and said top LeT militant Yasin Illahi alias Tipu, who was arrested on the disclosures of militants held from Rajouri, was part of a network plotting a fidayeen attack on Bhatindi residence of former Chief Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah. Official sources told the Excelsior that two militants involved in Bus Stand blasts were identified during questioning of half a dozen militants arrested recently by Srinagar police in connection with grenade attacks on tourists. They were Wasim Ahmed and Mohd Yunus, residents of Srinagar. "Both the militants have been arrested and they have confessed their involvement in three grenade blasts at Bus Stand", the sources said. However, the militants wouldn’t be handed over to Jammu Police immediately as they were also involved in similar blasts in the Valley in which investigations were on, they added. Wasim and Yunus had travelled in a TATA Sumo from Srinagar to Jammu and stayed in Hotel International from June 10 on fictitious names. On June 11 night, they were delivered three grenades near Jogi Gate cremation ground by Mudasir alias Raju and Nazir Ahmed Gojri ‘Sopori’. While Raju and Sopori returned, Wasim and Yunus took the grenades along with them to the hotel and lobbed them one by one near Banihal group Bus Stand around 7 am on June 12 killing one civilian and causing injuries to about 30 others. All four militants returned to Srinagar separately in TATA Sumo vehicles the same day, the sources said. While Raju was a Pakistani and carried a reward of Rs 5 lakh on his head, Nazir Ahmed Gojri hailed from Sopore. They were yet to be arrested. Recently, some news channels had flashed stories that Raju, the mastermind of serial grenade attacks on tourists in Srinagar, has been arrested. Police had later denied the reports of Raju’s arrest and announced a reward on his head. Sources said Wasim and Yunus have also made some important disclosures about Lashkar plot to step-up subversive activities in Jammu City and outskirts by carrying out fidayeen and grenade attacks. They added that information is being passed on by Kashmir Police to their Jammu counterparts shortly. After the arrest of Tipu and two militants from Rajouri Bus Stand, Jammu Police had arrested five more militants including two police constables who were involved in transporting arms and explosive devices from Mendhar to Jammu. CID have also sought custody of two Army personnel, hailing from Gursai, Mendhar, whose involvement had surfaced in the militancy in Tipu gang of LeT. |
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MUMBAI, July 21: Making a breakthrough in the Mumbai train blasts case, police have arrested three persons, including two from Bihar, for their alleged involvement in the July 11 terror strikes and seized 1.5 kg of gun powder from one of them. Those arrested by Maharashtra Anti-Terrorists Squad (ATS) were identified as Kamal Ahmed Mohd. Vakil Ansari, 32, and Khalid Aziz Raunaq Aziz Sheikh, 24, both residents of Bihar, and Mumtaz Ahmed Maqbul Ahmed Choudury, 38, a resident of Turbhe in Navi Mumbai, police said. Kamal and Khalid, who were arrested from Basopatti village in Bihar's Madhubani district, were flown to Mumbai today and along with Mumtaz were produced before a local court here which remanded the trio to ten day's police custody till July 30. All the three have been charged under various sections of IPC, including murder, attempt to murder, causing hurt by dangerous weapons, various sections of Explosive Substance Act, Indian Explosives Act and Indian Railways Act. ATS officials told Magistrate A V Shete that they had searched the house of Ansari and seized 1.5 kg of black coloured gunpowder from his premises. The officials also told the court that they had seized mobile phones from the accused. These are the first arrests in the case, and ATS officials were hopeful of making a headway in the probe, sources said. Home Minister R R Patil told the Assembly that three persons have been arrested and the blasts probe was progressing at a "rapid pace." Initial reports indicated that the trio had provided logistic support to the perpetrators of the blasts but ATS sources said their role in the serial blasts would be known after their interrogation. A total of 185 people were killed and over 700 injured in seven blasts in first class compartments of local trains at Matunga, Mahim, Khar, Santa Cruz, Jogeshwari, Borivali and Bhayander in the metropolis on July 11. ATS officials told the court that Ansari was not able to give a satisfactory answer on why he possesed the gunpowder. They also said Kamal and Khalid were arrested at 2 pm yesterday and flown to Mumbai. Preliminary investigations have revealed their complicity in the serial blasts and asked the court to remand them to police custody for custodial interrogation. The court observed that charges levelled against the accused were of serious nature and their custodial interrogation was necessary. (PTI) |
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Anti-Israel, anti-US demonstrations Excelsior Special Correspondent SRINAGAR, July 21: With two more militants getting killed in yet another gunbattle in Kulgam today, a top wanted militant of Lashkar-e-Toiba, Irshad Ahmed Bhat, has been found dead among the four militants killed in the overnight encounter at Sursunoo, in south Kashmir. Official sources told the EXCELSIOR that troops of Rashtriya Rifles 01 Bn and SOG Kulgam swooped on a militant hideout at Wanpora Redwani, in Anantnag-Kulgam belt of south Kashmir, on a specific information today. During the operation, an encounter took place between the holed up militants and security forces in which two militants got killed. They were identified as Bashir Ahmed Bhat S/o Mohammad Akbar Bhat R/o Redwani and Javed Ahmed Dar S/o Mohammad Ismael Dar R/o Kujar. Sources said that both of the slain militants belonged to Hizbul Mujahideen. Inquiries revealed that Bashir Ahmed Bhat was a student with a Madrasa in Gujarat until January this year when he fled to Kashmir following killing of two militants in an encounter with Police and subsequent raids on the residences of suspect students. He joined Hizbul Mujahideen as a militant and gained proximity to the ace commander Khalid. Khalid got killed in an encounter with Police and security forces on June 12th. Meanwhile, Lashkar's top wanted militant Irshad Ahmed Bhat S/o Mohammad Yaqoob Bhat R/o Hattipora has been found dead in a group of four militants of the guerrilla organisation at Sursunoo in Kulgam area today. According to Police , Irshad Ahmed Bhat S/o Mohammad Yaqoob Bhat R/o Hattipora was allegedly responsible for the massacre of nine Nepalese labourers in Kulgam area on June 12th. His accomplices killed in the same encounter have been identified as Saleem Ahmed Nengroo S/o Manzoor Ahmed Nengroo R/o Hardu Hanga. Irshad Ahmed Bhat was among three underground militants who had been identified as a planner of the Kulgam massacre. As already reported in this newspaper, four militants of Lashkar-e-Toiba had got killed in a fierce gunbattle between militants and security forces at Sursunoo last evening. An identity card in the name of Moeen Ansari S/o Mohammad Tayuub R/o Pratap Ganj Bihar was recovered from a slain militant. Police insisted that it was fake. A chance encounter took place between a group of militants and security forces at Katrusoo in Kulgam. However, all the militants managed to escape. Meanwhile, anti-Israel and anti-US demonstrations took place at several places in this capital city today as the people of Kashmir observed shutdown in protest against Israel's military strikes on Lebanon. Groups of people shouted anti-American and anti-Israel slogans after the Friday afternoon prayers. |
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Khanday to Kochak at jail: Ask
Mr Baig From Ahmed Ali Fayyaz SRINAGAR, July 21: With the stalemate continuing over non-availability of legal counsels to 16 'sex scam' accused, State Legal Services Authority (SLSA) today offered the services of an advocate to the senior IAS officer Iqbal Khanday. The high-profile detainee, who has been in judicial custody at Srinagar Central Jail for several weeks now, dismissed the offer as a joke and complained that the accused were being continuously subjected to 'public humiliation and untold injustice'. Commissioner-Secretary to Government, Department of Law, Akhtar Kochak, met Khanday at Srinagar Central Jail in his capacity as Secretary SLSA, and asked him to provide the names of a couple of the legal counsels of his trust and choice. He explained to the 'sex scam' accused that SLSA would make all necessary arrangements to arrange the lawyer for him in compliance with a direction issued by Mr Justice Mansoor Ahmed Mir of J&K High Court on July 18. Sources revealed to the EXCELSIOR that one-hour-long meeting between the two senior bureaucrats at the jail premises yielded nothing substantial as Mr Khanday complained loudly justice was being denied to him and others arrested by the CBI in 'sex scam'. He said that he had little hope of justice if the trial was conducted in Srinagar. Sources said that Mr Khanday dismissed Mr Kochak's offer as a joke and much more than SLSA he lashed out at the State Government. Even as Mr Kochak made it clear that he had not called on him as Commissioner-Secretary of Department of Law, Khanday vomited his ire on the Deputy Chief Minister and Minister of Law, Muzaffar Hussain Baig. "If you people are not making a joke with me, let me be free to nominate the counsel of my choice. I would like to engage Riyaz Jan but will the Bar Association allow him to appear in my defence? I would name an advocate from Supreme Court of India. Who'll pay for him?" Khanday shouted haplessly. "Please ask Mr Baig, if he is sincere to me, to resign and fight my case. Will he do that?" Khanday argued that Mr Baig's Government was by law competent to intervene and shift the trial of 'sex scam' case from Srinagar to some other place under section 178 of CrPC but nobody in the Government had a feeling of the agony of the detained officials. Even after he cooled down and Kochak took his leave, Khanday, according to sources, did not provide any name. Reached over telephone, Mr Kochak maintained that the matter of arranging a legal counsel for Iqbal Khanday was still under the consideration of SLSA. He confirmed his meeting with Khanday and said that he had visited him as Secretary of SLSA which is headed by Justice Nisar Ahmed Kakroo of J&K High Court. He sought to make it clear that the State Government had no direction in this matter from the High Court and the SLSA at this stage was not concerned with any of the 'sex scam' accused other than Mr Khanday in compliance with the court order. High Court Bar Association (HCBA), on whose petition a Division Bench of J&K High Court has been monitoring the CBI investigation of 'sex scam' since first week of May this year, has issued a diktat that none of its members would take up the defence of anybody booked or arrested in this particular matter. One of its members, namely Maulvi Aijaz, had still taken up the defence of a detained DySP (Mohammad Ashraf Mir) but he was gheraoed and booed by some women activists and unidentified youth at the lower court premises last month and forced to abandon the case. He has finally been expelled from HCBA for alleged anti-Bar remarks and activity. Consequently, none of the 17 detainees, with the singular exception of the former Minister Ghulam Ahmed Mir, has been able to get the services of a legal counsel. Sunil Sethi, brother and counsel of the former additional Advocate General of J&K State Anil Sethi, has also complained that he had been "threatened and harassed" by two armed youth outside the lower court premises when he had appeared in CJM's court for his sibling last month. Though his complaint was contradicted by HCBA, Bar Association in Jammu proceeded on an indefinite strike which is running in its fourth week now. It has been demanding transfer of the 'sex scam' case from Srinagar. It also filed a transfer petition with the Jammu wing of High Court which has been finally passed on to Chief Justice by Mr Justice Y P Nargotra. Currently a DB comprising Mr Justice Hakeem Imtiyaz Hussain and Mr Justice Bashir Ahmed Kirmani has been hearing the HCBA's PIL and monitoring the CBI investigation. Mr Justice Mansoor Ahmed Mir is separately holding a hearing on Iqbal Khanday's bail application. Principal District & Sessions Judge of Srinagar, Mr Mohammad Yaqoob Mir, has just begun the formal trial on CBI's interim challan which can be assigned to any Sessions Judge. He will be hearing the bail applications of several accused---including DIG of BSF K C Padhi, former Additional Advocate General Anil Sethi, Dy SP of J&K Police Mohammad Ashtraf Mir and "kigpin" Sabeena---incamera tomorrow. CJM Srinagar, Mr Mohammad Yusuf Akhoon, will continue to try Anil Sethi, Ashraf Mir and two more for contempt of court. The accused, who had created a ruckus in CJM's courtroom earlier this month, have been summoned and directed to appear in person on August 2. Meanwhile, CJM Srinagar today heard the bail applications of three of the accused---former Minister Raman Mattoo, Dy SP of J&K Police Mohammad Yusuf Mir and owner of Hotel Naz Riyaz Ahmed Kawa. CBI was asked to file objections, if any, and the hearing was deferred to July 25 as none of three was represented by any defence lawyer. |
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Excelsior Correspondent RAJOURI, July 21: Three Special Police Officers (SPOs) raped two girls in a house on the outskirts of the town today. While one of them has been arrested, two others were absconding. All three have been dis-engaged from the services. SSP Rajouri Farooq Khan said one of the SPO Imtiyaz Ahmed son of Ghulam Ahmed R/o Behrot, presently posted in DPL Rajouri was arrested immediately after a complaint of gang rape by three SPOs was lodged by two girls of Manjakote. Two other SPOs identified as Shabir Ahmed and Raj Kumar were absconding. A search has been launched to apprehend them. Trio were dis-engaged as SPOs this evening, Mr Khan said and added that a case against them has been registered under Section 376 RPC at Rajouri police station. The girls were restored to their families after medical examination. |
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IT Department begins door-to-door
survey By Mohinder Verma JAMMU, July 21: Beware prospective tax payers! The count-down begins as 10 days are left to voluntarily comply with the legal obligation of filing returns by declaring exact income as Income Tax Department has geared up to resort to ‘direct action’. This season, there is no scope for appeals. The market surveys conducted by the Income Tax Department’s field staff so far revealed that several thousand potential tax payers have not developed habit of filing returns so far and keep on hiding their incomes. All the areas having potential tax payers have been identified by the Department and door-to-door surveys are being conducted there in phased manner to pave the way for penal action against the evadors of the tax. It is pertinent to mention here that July 31 is the last date for filing returns for those, who are not required to audit their accounts but have to disclose the exact income and file returns. Disclosing this to the EXCELSIOR, Income Tax Commissioner J&K Virendra Singh said that during the past one month the department sleuths surveyed about 2247 establishments in towns of Kathua, Samba, Vijaypur, Bari Brahmana, Akhnoor, Udhampur, Katra, Reasi, Sunderbani and R S Pura and detected 545 new assesses, who had not voluntarily complied with their legal obligation of disclosing exact income and subsequently filling returns. Out of 545 new assesses, 323 have been served notices by the Department so far, he said and added that this trend is a clear indication of evasion of tax even by the small traders, who are inviting trouble for themselves by not adhering to Department’s warning. Asking potential tax payers not to be of the impression that they would be able to hide their income anymore, Mr Singh said "the best way to prevent face off with IT sleuths is to file returns by disclosing exact income by July 31, 2006". IT Commissioner said: The information gathered by our sleuths reveals that there can be addition of approximately 15,000 assesses across the State this year and all are on the watch list of the Department. Their premises will be surveyed by the Department for which teams have been constituted. Some of the areas which are being targeted immediately include Kaluchak to Narwal By-Pass, Sidhra, Nagrota, Raipur Satwari to Govindpur Chatha, Nanak Nagar to Shivaji Chowk, Talab Tillo, Patta Bohri, Bari Brahamana and walled Jammu city. To a question, he said that even using black money in purchasing land and other property would not help the evadors of tax anymore as new law of the Jammu and Kashmir says that tax will be calculated on the prices of land fixed by the Government itself. He referred to a case taken up last year wherein concealment of Rs 35.4 lakh was detected after valuation by the concerned cell of the Department. "This is also an indication about the level of evasion of tax and Valuation Cell of IT Department has been geared up to take up such cases on large scale", he added. Replying to another query, the IT Commissioner said that large scale tax evadors are also being targeted by the Department as quantum of evasion is much more at their level. He said that Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Associated Chamber of Commerce and their affiliated trade bodies have assured to extend all help in detecting evasion of tax. |
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Pak returns two boys, 4 ultras held Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, July 21: Four militants including a Special Police Officer (SPO) were arrested by Army and police in Doda and Poonch districts today while Pakistan Army today restored two youths to Indian Army officers after a flag meeting at Chakan-Da-Bagh in Poonch sector, who had crossed over to Line of Control (LoC) on July 10. On a tip off given by police, troops of 26 Rashtriya Rifles arrested two militants of Harkat-ul-Mujahideen from village Mano in Gandoh area of Doda district this morning. They have been identified as Farooq Ahmed, 18, son of Ghulam Nabi and Kaman Ali son of Bashir Ahmed, residents of Sawara, Gandoh. The militants were arrested following information that both the militants were actively working for Harkat-ul-Mujahideen for last couple of years. They had been supplying weapons to the militants in their hide-outs and providing information about locations of security forces and police. They have been handed over to Gandoh police station for questioning to ascertain hide-out of Harkat militants in Doda district especially in Gandoh area. A Special Police Officer (SPO) Irshad Ahmed has been arrested by police for his suspected links with Hizbul Mujahideen in Chilli area of Gandoh. Though Irshad Ahmed claimed that he was kidnapped by the militants and his AK-47 rifle snatched, police have detained him doubting his claim. Police suspected that the SPO might have handed over his AK-47 to the militants "voluntarily". Irshad Ahmed is being subjected to questioning. Another suspected militant Khadim Hussain was arrested by police from village Luthung in Poonch district. He has also been sent for interrogate. Meanwhile, Army officers of India and Pakistan held a flag meeting at Chakan-Da-Bagh in Poonch district this morning in which Pakistan Army handed over two Indian boys to Army officers. The boys had inadvertently crossed over to other side of the LoC on July 10 while grazing cattle in forward village of Gagrian in Mandi sector. The boys, who were handed over to Army officers at 10 am after 11 days custody, have been identified as Shahjahan, 15, son of Ghulam Rasool and Mohd Shafiq, 15, son of Habibullah, both residents of Gagrian, Mandi. After completion of legal formalities, the boys were handed over to their family members. Chakan-Da-Bagh is among five LoC points which are opened every fortnight for crossing by the people of divided Jammu and Kashmir. |
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Six Pak ultras shifted from Kot Bhalwal jail Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, July 21: Police today shifted six top militants, including Pakistanis belonging to Lashkar-e-Toiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad, from a high security jail here to outside Jammu and Kashmir against the backdrop of violent clashes between the detenues. Put in a police bus amid tight security, the six Pakistani militant commanders of LeT, Harkat-ul-Jehadi Islahi, Harkat-ul-Ansar and JeM, who were commanding both Pakistani and Kashmiri terrorists, were moved from Kot Bhalwal Jail to prisons in Delhi, Varanasi, Agra and Sangroor (Punjab), official sources said. Mohammad Shezad of Gujranwala and Khursheed Moghal of Muzaffarabad (both in Pakistan and PoK) have been shifted to Tihar and Varanasi jails, they said. Pakistani militants of Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) and local Hizbul-Mujahideen (HM) militants had clashed many times in Kot Bhalwal Jail in the last one month. |
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NEW DELHI, July 21: Sounding an alert, National Security Adviser M K Narayanan has written to State Governments about intelligence inputs that Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Toiba cadres could have infiltrated the armed forces and two of them could have made their way into the Indian Air Force. But hours after this alert was made public, Indian Air Force today said it had carried out elaborate vetting process of its personnel and had not found any infiltration. "We have scanned the system and haven’t found any (infiltration)," IAF spokesman Wing Commander Mahesh Upasni said when asked whether any LeT cadre has infiltrated the IAF. "Such scans will be repeated," he said. Defence Ministry sources said the council alert had been received in September last year. Upasni said when it is related to intelligence inputs, IAF did not discuss this in public domain. Upasni said on receiving such intelligence inputs, the IAF has a machinery in place to act on it expeditiously. Specific to the issue of recruitment and enrolment to IAF, the spokesman said "we have a method to check the credentials to those wanting to join the forces through police and other intelligence agencies who carry out verification and vetting of all recruits." He said such a vetting was a continuous process wherein verification and special verification was done periodically. (PTI) |
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Ansari to chair CBM meet today Excelsior Correspondent SRINAGAR, July 21: The first meeting of the working group dealing with Confidence Building Measures (CBM) across segments of society in the State, is being held here tomorrow under the chairmanship of Mohammad Hamid Ansari, former Ambassador of India in United Nations, Iran and Saudi Arabia, Mr Ansari, who has also served as Vice Chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University, is presently chairman of National Minority Commission. Other members of the group are Ali Mohammad Sagar, MLA, Moulvi Iftikhar Hussain Ansari, Ex-Minister, Peerzada Mohammad Sayeed Minister, Chaman Lal Gupta Ex-Union MoS, O. N. Trisal Advocate, Hakeem Mohammad Yaseen Minister, Yashpal Kundal MLA, Tsering Dorjey Karkook Chairman LAHDC Leh, Asgar Hussain Karbalai LAHDC Kargil, Dr. Agni Shekhar of Panun Kashmir Movement, Taj Mohi-ud-Din Minister, Shabir Khan of Pahari Board, T. S. Wazir SGPC Jammu, R. S. Chib Ex-Minister, Ghulam Nabi Khayal, Journalist, Master Tassaduq Hussain Ex-MLC and Sheikh Abdul Rehman Ex-MP. The group will evolve measures to improve the condition of people affected by militancy, schemes to rehabilitate all orphans and widows affected by militancy, issues relating to the relaxation of conditions for persons who have foresworn militancy, an effective rehabilitation policy, including employment, for Kashmiri Pandit migrants and an approach considering issues relating to return of Kashmiri youth from areas controlled by Pakistan. It may be recalled that five working groups have been announced by the Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh on the concluding session of Srinagar-Roundtable concluding conference here on May 25, 2006. |
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Excelsior Correspondent UDHAMPUR, July 21: SSP Udhampur Prithvi Raj Manhas today ordered transfers and postings of nine police officers including SHOs and Incharge Police Posts. Inspector Jagdev Singh, SHO Ramnagar has been transferred and posted as SHO Udhampur police station against a vacancy. Inspector Anu Sharma, Reserve Inspector (RI) in District Police Lines (DPL), Udhampur, has been posted as SHO Chenani police station replacing Inspector Anil Raina. Inspector Raina has been shifted to DPL as RI. Sub Inspector Manoj has been transferred from Katra police station and posted as SHO Kud police station. SI Raghubir Singh has been transferred from Katra police station and posted as Incharge Tikri police post in place of SI Jaleel Ahmed Kitchloo. Mr Kitchloo has been shifted to Katra police station. SI Farooq Ahmed has been posted as Line Officer (LO) in DPL while SI Darshan Singh has been transferred from DPL to Katra police station. SI Ranbir Singh has been transferred from Udhampur police station to Ramnagar police station. The post of SHO Ramnagar has been kept vacant. |
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Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, July 21: Three students of Srinagar-based BEd College were killed and six others received severe injuries when a Tata Sumo, they were travelling in, plunged into gorge at Nachlana on Jammu-Srinagar National Highway this afternoon. The ill-fated vehicle bearing registration number JK01E-4395 was on its way from Jammu to Srinagar when at Nachlana driver lost control of the speeding vehicle while negotiating a curve resulting into vehicle plunging into gorge. According to the injured, the vehicle was being driven very rashly and before landing at the bottom of the 50 feet deep gorge, the vehicle collided with several rocks killing two students and driver on the spot. Soon the receipt of information about the accident, a police party from Banihal Police Station rushed to the spot and started rescue operation with the help of Army personnel. All the occupants of the ill-fated vehicle were brought out of the gorge and rushed to Emergency Hospital Banihal where three of them were pronounced as brought dead. The condition of injured was stated to be critical when reports last came in. The deceased have been identified as Bashir Ahmed (driver) of Iqbal Colony, Sonawar Srinagar, Lekh Ram Meena and Chet Ram, both the residents of Rajasthan. The injured are Shiv Kumar Gupta, Mahesh Kumar, Deepak Meena, Sanjay Pawar, Nirmal Mehta and Joginder Nandwal, all the residents of Rajasthan. |
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Leopard kills woman in Nowshera Excelsior Correspondent RAJOURI, July 21: A man-eater leopard who has unleashed a reign of terror in Nowshera area of Rajouri district, killed a middle-aged woman and escaped after leaving behind her semi-eaten body today. The victim has been identified as Bimla Devi, wife of Pritam Dass of village Tarala under Nowshera police jurisdiction. Her body was recovered today from Kalal forest area near the Line of Control after intensive search by villagers with the support of heavily armed police party. A Police spokesman said that woman had gone to forest area for grazing goats and sheep and went missing last evening. The family members started her search late in the evening but she could not be traced. This morning, a search operation was launched and two goats were found killed in the process. They spotted the foot- prints of the leopard and on their basis, they managed to trace the skeleton turned body of Bimla Devi. It was removed and handed over to the family after performing legal formalities by police. This wild beast has killed three persons so far including a school going boy besides about a dozen of cattle of adjoining villages. It has also injured atleast half a dozen persons in last two months. The people are terrorised and have urged upon the State Wildlife Department authorities to eliminate this ‘man-eater’ leopard. LeT militant wanted in several attacks held: DGP SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Police today claimed breakthrough in investigations into several terror strikes in the Valley, including the series of grenade attacks on tourists, with the arrest of one of the most wanted Lashkar-e-Toiba militants, Muddasir Gojri. Director General of Police Gopal Sharma told reporters here that Gojri alias Raju, who carried a bounty of Rs five lakh, had been arrested few days ago. He said Gojri was a local resident and not a Pakistani, as was believed earlier. The DGP said with his arrest, police have been able to solve around 25 cases, included the attack on Congress rally on May 21 and a series of grenade attacks on tourists in the city over the past few months. The attack on the Congress rally at Sher-e-Kashmir Park her had killed seven persons, including two militants, and injured 22. There have been at least six attacks on visitors to Kashmir since the beginning of the tourist season this year, the latest on July 11 when nine persons were killed and 32 injured in a series of grenade attacks, on the day of the serial train blasts in Mumbai.(PTI) |
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