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Response to blasts’ evidence
will be a test ON BOARD PM’s SPECIAL FLIGHT, Oct 3: Pakistan was today put on notice by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that its response to the evidence India gives regarding its involvement in the Mumbai blasts would be a test of its sincerity in controlling terrorism. "Pakistan will have to walk the talk," Singh told journalists On Board Air India One, his special flight from Johannesburg to New Delhi. He was responding to questions about Mumbai Police claim of a Pakistani hand in the serial blasts and Pakistan’s reaction that it will not hand over any suspects to India. "Whatever has been discovered (by Mumbai police), we shall share that information with Pakistan and test them on how sincere they are in carrying forward the commitment I and President Musharraf have underlined in our joint statement (in Havana)," Singh asserted. There was condemnation of the Mumbai blasts in the joint statement and also an explicit mention that the two countries will work to control the menace of terrorism, he recalled. Pointing out that Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf and he had just set up the joint mechanism to deal with terrorism, the Prime Minister said it was through this mechanism that Pakistan’s response would be sought. Although the joint mechanism was yet to take off, Singh asked "how else can we ask Pakistan for information (about Mumbai blasts) except through a mechanism like this?" "We will test the waters," he said during an interaction with journalists which also covered Indo-US nuclear deal, the issue of reservation and special economic zone. On Indo-Pak peace process, Singh said it could not move forward unless and until both countries sincerely work to gain mastery over this menace after (of terrorism). Singh hopes to read Musharraf’s book ‘In The Line of Fire’ over the weekend. "I have not read the book. I have been too busy. I hope I will get some time over the weekend," he said The book, which hit the stands recently, has set off a controversy over a number of claims made by the Pakistani leader, particularly with respect to the failed Agra summit of 2001 and the Kargil conflict. The memoirs of the General have become a big hit in India. Acknowledging that "uncertainty" existed over the Indo-US nuclear deal, Singh said that India would have to watch what happens in the US Congress next month. Answering a question over the delay in the vote on the deal in the US Congress, Singh said he had always maintained that India wanted a deal within the July 2005 and March 2006 statements signed by him and President George W Bush. "But one has to reckon with the fact that we have no control over the legislative process in the US, (and) that uncertainty will always exist. There is nothing that I can do to get over the uncertainty," he said Singh said he would "shortly" go in for a Cabinet expansion. "There are vacancies in the Cabinet. There is External Affairs Minister’s vacancy, There is Labour Minister’s vacancy. I have to and will do so shortly," the Prime Minister said. (Agencies) |
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Centre helped rebuild quake hit areas: CM Excelsior Correspondent Srinagar, Oct 3: Expressing satisfaction over the rehabilitation and reconstruction of last year's October 8 quake that hit areas of the State, Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad has said that the liberal assistance by the Centre Government in this direction has made it possible to rebuild quake devastated areas with modern facilities. He announced Prime Minister’s Scheme for the adoption of orphans of the quake affected areas who have lost their parents in the calamity. He said under the schemes "Nownihaloon Ka Naya Savera", Prime Minister has granted Rs. 5 lakh each to the orphans who have lost both parents in the quake and Rs. 2.5 lakh each for the orphans loosing one parent. The amount would be deposited in the banks in the name of beneficiary orphan and the profit earned from the bank utilized for his education. The principal amount would be utilized by the orphan himself at maturity for his settlement, he said. Addressing public gathering at Kamalkote, Uri on Tuesday, the Chief Minister said that solidarity shown by the entire country with the people of the State at the time of need and the keen interest exhibited by UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh infused energy in the administration and rejuvenated will in the affected people to overcome the difficulty. He said, "today, we can reckon with the achievements registered for showing quick response to the needs of quake survives and launching a massive reconstruction programme". He said besides Centre and State Government’s voluntary organizations, NGOs, Rajiv Gandhi Foundation and many State Governments provided unprecedented help to the state in combating the quake aftermath situation. He expressed special thanks to Punjab and Haryana Chief Ministers for providing large quantity of food grains to the quake affected families. Chief Minister said that 818 next of kin of those who have lost their lives in quake would get relief of Rs. one lakh as announced by Prime Minister himself. He directed the divisional authorities to ensure that construction of houses is completed well before the onset of winter. He directed that the balance amount of relief should be paid to the beneficiaries within next 15 days. Mr Azad was received by a large number of people with cheers and slogan raising when he arrived at the venue of public meeting. During his speech people also raised the slogans of "Jeevay Azad, Jeevay Azad" with enthusiasm and affection. Chief Minister also distributed cheques to the affected families and passbooks to the orphans. Minister for CA&PD Taj Mohi-ud-Din who was accompanying Chief Minister, in his speech reminded the people of the Chief Minister’s extra-ordinary efforts for rebuilding the affected areas and providing necessary succour to the people. He also lauded the role of Mrs. Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh for visiting the areas, releasing liberal assistance and showing deep concern for the people of Jammu and Kashmir. |
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PoK has no budget to run buses
across LoC MUZAFFARABAD, Oct 3: Pakistan’s foreign office has asked authorities in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) to resume bus services to the Line of Control (LoC) from Muzaffarabad and Rawalakot but officials here have reportedly expressed inability to follow the directive citing financial and administrative constraints. Pakistan and India launched the first bus service between Muzaffarabad and Srinagar on April 7, 2005. The buses on either side carry passengers to terminals close to the LoC, from where the travellers cross the line on foot after completion of formalities. The buses bring passengers from across the LoC on their way back, the Dawn newspaper reported. The service was suspended after last year’s earthquake played havoc with road infrastructure in PoK. The Chakothi-Uri crossing point was reopened on November 9, 2005, but the passengers have to reach the makeshift bus terminal in Chakothi on their own. Passengers arriving from Kashmir or returning to PoK have to make their own arrangements for their travel from Chakothi. A bus service launched on June 20 between Rawalakot and Poonch also exists only on paper as the authorities have not been able to arrange a vehicle to shuttle between Rawalakot and Tetrinote, the last village on the Pakistan side of the LoC. On the inaugural day, a public transport vehicle was hired by local administration with a banner affixed on it, reading Rawalakot-Poonch bus service. Since then, the travellers have been making their own arrangements to reach Tetrinote. "We don’t have any vehicle to transport passengers from Rawalakot to the border village because we don’t have any financial head to purchase a bus," admitted Sardar Pervaiz Yaqub, an official designated for the Rawalakot-Poonch crossing point. He said that he had conveyed the problem to the foreign office in response to its directive that a bus should be purchased for the passengers. According to sources, initially the foreign office had promised to provide a bus for the Rawalakot-Poonch service but the commitment was not fulfilled. The sources said a prefabricated terminal had been built near the LoC for passengers of Rawalakot-Poonch service by the PoK Public Works Department through a Turkish firm at a cost of Rs 7.6 million. However, the terminal lacked infrastructure, mainly because of non-availability of funds. "On the days of crossings, furnitures are brought from other places for the passengers," the sources said. Mr Yaqub said there was no separate budget for the crossing point but the Government had been asked recently to provide funds for the purpose. (UNI) |
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Chandigarh court fixes Oct 9 for bail order CHANDIGARH, Oct 3: A court here today fixed October 9 for the pronouncement of order on the bail pleas of 13 accused in the Jammu and Kashmir sex racket case. After hearing a day-long arguments from the defence and prosecution, District and Sessions Judge B S Mehndiratta posted the case for October nine. Earlier, following defence’s objection to the presence of media, the judge asked them to leave the court room and refrain from reporting the arguments in the case. Of the total 14 accused in the case, one Iqbal Khandey, an IAS officer, is out on interim bail. During the course of proceedings, which lasted the complete day, the judge adjourned the case for a hour in the afternoon. The accused were allowed to meet their relatives in the court room during the adjournment. Heavy security arrangements were made by police outside the court room and the court premises. The accused were represented by a battery of lawyers who contended that the allegations against their clients were "vague" and the victim was "not a minor". "It is a case of consent of partners," the defence told reporters outside the court premises while claiming that no case of rape was made out. The prosecution, however, said the school leaving certificate of the girl was a pointer toward her being a minor. The CBI failed to conduct a common test of bones and teeth formation of the victim so that her exact date could be established, a defence lawyer claimed. "Even there is no municipal record of age of the girl," he added. "Even the parents of the girl are not sure of the age of her daughter. The school certificates of girl are not reliable," he said. The CBI had also failed to conduct an identification parade of the alleged accused before the victim, he said. The defence also moved an application in the court seeking copy of the chargesheet. The media made a request to the judge in the afternoon to allow them to cover the proceedings of the case as it was an open court. However, the judge said if the defence or the prosecution objected to it, he would be left with no other option but to ask media to move out of the court room. As the court proceedings commenced after the adjournment, the defence objected to media’s presence in the court room. The Supreme Court had on September four transferred the cases of 14 accused from Srinagar to Chandigarh for trial after they were chargesheeted by the CBI. The accused present in the court included Anil Sethi, former ministers and sitting MLAs Raman Mattoo and Ghulam Ahmed Mir, Shabir Ahmed Laway, Riyaz Ahmed Kawa, Mohammed Yusuf Mir, former BSF DIG K C Padhi and Sabina. (PTI) |
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Woman tested +ve, 3 others -ve Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Oct 3: Health Department today sounded an alert for dreaded Dengue in entire Jammu region after a woman, suffering from fever, was tested positive for the disease in Surankote tehsil of Poonch district while three other suspected cases were tested negative. Director Health Jammu, Dr Jasbir Singh confirmed that a 30 year old woman Shamshad Begum, a resident of Kalar Kattal in Surankote tehsil in Poonch district has been tested positive for Dengue. This was the first case of Dengue detected in Jammu region ever since the epidemic broke out in several States of the country few days back. The woman, Dr Singh said, has already been discharged from Government Medical College hospital, where she was admitted some days back as she was responding to the treatment. Presently, she was perfectly alright, he added. However, a blood sample taken from Shamshad Begum and sent to National Institute of Communicable Diseases, has tested positive for Dengue, Epidemiologist Dr Baljeet Pathania said. However, he added, three samples taken from three other patients of Akhri, Katra, Badyal, Hiranagar and Patyari, Bishnah have tested negative for Dengue. The samples were sent on suspicion that the patients could be suffering from Dengue. A team from Directorate of Health, Jammu, has been deputed to Kalar Kattal in Surankote from where the Dengue case has been reported. The team will try to find out the source of infection. Surankote is frequented by many security personnel of different States due to militancy. The team will spray anti-virus drug in all 50 houses of the village besides guiding the people on taking preventive measures to prevent spread of the disease. Dr Pathania said it was advisable for all educational institutions to immediately implement winter uniforms—full sleeve shirts and pants—for the students to prevent mosquito bites. A special spray of Byrethrum, Awate and Datex is being sprinkled in places of public gathering and hospitals in collaboration with Jammu Municipality, he said, adding the spray will also be done in the water bodies which give birth to such mosquitoes. Dr Pathania said the people shouldn’t allow water to collect in their houses and take anti-mosquito measures. The people still using water coolers should clean the water atleast once a week, he added. According to him, a team has also been sent to Hatli Morh, Kathua to take all anti-Dengue measures where three persons had died due to unknown reasons sometime back. |
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Former SHOs called to help in blind murders By Sanjeev Pargal JAMMU, Oct 3: In an important development, Jammu Police have requisitioned services of three former professional SHOs of Jammu district, presently posted in Intelligence agencies as DySPs and sounded all serving SHOs of Jammu district to look for clues in sensational killing of cement tycoon Rajinder Bushan Chopra alias Raju Chopra, his wife, daughter, servant and driver in his Trikuta Nagar residence more than a fortnight ago. All three former SHOs, who were personally called to his office by a senior police officer of Jammu, had earlier served as SHOs of Trikuta Nagar police station and were known for working out several blind murders and other criminal cases, official sources said. Though the case has been handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigations (CBI) by the State Cabinet, a team of the premier investigating agency is yet to reach here to take over the case. "Even when the CBI takes over the case, we will continue to look for clues and, if found, will share them with the CBI", the sources said. They added that three former SHOs of Trikuta Nagar police station Shamsher Singh Parihar, presently posted as DySP CID (Counter Intelligence), Sawtantar Arora, DySP CID (Special Branch) and Pritam Singh Jamwal, DySP (Special Branch, Jammu Police) were personally called to his office by a senior police officer and asked to assist Jammu Police in finding some clues in the sensational murder. These three officers were told that they were free to have access to the case record, the information gathered so far by a 21 member investigating team and clues available with Trikuta Nagar police station, where a murder case has been registered in connection with the killings. When approached for their comments, all three police officers admitted that they were called by the police authorities. "We have agreed to provide all possible support in working out the killings. Our services are always available to the Department in whatever form", they said. One of the three officers, pleading anonymity, described as ridiculous the reports emanating from some quarters that the murders were executed by "professional killers". "In my opinion, all five persons were killed by non-professional criminals", he said, pointing out that a professional killer always eliminate his target in one go—either with a pistol or with a sharp-edged weapon. "The professional killers know where to hit the person with a revolver or a sharp-edged weapon or even iron rods, which were reported to have been used in the killings. But, in this case, the killers had tied hands and feet of three male members and put clothes in mouth of all five victims before repeatedly striking at male members with iron rods all over their bodies to kill them, he observed. The female members were killed by strangulation and sniffing life out using a pillow. Besides, according to sources, police authorities have also directed all SHOs in Jammu district to look for possible clues in the murders and share them with any of the investigating officers. The SHOs have been directed to question criminals and anti-social elements in the area of their jurisdiction to establish identity of the killers and the conspirators. Authorities didn’t rule out taking support of police of other districts especially Kathua, Udhampur, Srinagar and Leh where Raju Chopra had been running his business. "Every option is open", the sources said. This is for the first time that police have sought assistance from former SHOs, who had been elevated to the rank of DySPs, in the killings. Police authorities, however, reasoned that there was nothing wrong in it. "All police officers are part of one Department. It becomes responsibility of every police officer to help each other especially when the case was purely blind and the killers had also walked away leaving no evidence behind", the sources pointed out. It may be recalled that Mr Parihar was posted as SHO Trikuta Nagar police station when a similar double blind murder had taken place in 2001. In that case parents of Dr Anil Gupta, Medical Superintendent, PGI Chandigarh were brutally murdered by the accused. The case was worked out by the SHO using scientific and circumstantial evidence within a week. While one of the killer was awarded capital punishment by the court, another was given life imprisonment. Two other police officers—Mr Arora and Mr Jamwal are also known for their professional approach and were instrumental in working out several blind murders as well as other sensational criminal cases. It may be mentioned here that all three DySPs in 21 members investigating team were probationers. The team was rendered headless when SP City (South) Sheikh Mehmood was attached by the Cabinet while SHO Trikuta Nagar Inspector Mohd Rafiq, the prime investigator, was suspended. It may be recalled that Chopra, his wife Madhu Chopra, daughter Saloni Chopra, a servant and a driver, were brutally murdered inside Chopra’s Trikuta Nagar residence by three unidentified killers on September 17 night. |
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Blow to CBI in sex racket as court releases accused SRINAGAR, Oct 3: In a major setback to the CBI, a local court today ordered the release of an accused in the much-publicised sex racket after the premier investigate agency failed to file charges or produce evidence against him. Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM), Srinagar Mohammad Yousuf Akhoon ordered the release of Syed Altaf Hussain Rizvi, a Government official, who was arrested by the CBI in connection with the sex scandal and had been lodged in the Central Jail here for the past two months. The CBI was to file a chargesheet against the four accused in the case today. However, the agency could file charges against the three accused — Aijaz Ahmed Bhat, Bilal Ahmed Shah and Absar Ahmed Bhat — only and failed in the case of Rizvi. The CBI later pleaded before the Court to release Rizvi as it could not file charges against him. The other three have been chargesheeted under section five of the Immoral Trafficking (Prevention) Act. With this, the CBI has so far chargesheeted 18 accused in the case. While 13 were shifted to a Chandigarh jail for trial in a local court there on the directions of the Supreme Court, senior IAS officer Mohammad Iqbal Khanday was released by a court here on interim bail on medical grounds. Meanwhile, the Jammu and Kashmir High Court, which is monitoring the investigations into the sex racket case, will tomorrow hear the arguments of the CBI after the agency submitted that it had completed the probe. The CBI also submitted the case diaries to a division bench, comprising Justice Hakim Imtiyaz Hussain and Justice Bashir Ahmed Kirmani. The agency informed the Bench that the probe into the sex scandal has been completed with the filing of chargesheet against some more people before the CJM, Srinagar. The CBI had so far arrested 18 people, including former Jammu and Kashmir Ministers and sitting Legislators Ghulam Ahmed Mir and Raman Mattoo, sacked State Additional Advocate General Anil Sethi, BSF DIG K C Padhi, Jammu and Kashmir Police DSP Mohammad Ashraf Mir, J&K Police Counter-Insurgency Kashmir (CIK) wing DSP Mohammad Yousuf Mir, Naaz hotel manager Riyaz Kawa and sex racket kingpin Sabeena. However, with Khanday on bail and Rizvi let off, only 16 accused are at present in the CBI custody. (UNI) |
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Afzal’s execution unlikely on Oct 20 NEW DELHI, Oct 3: The execution of Afzal Guru may not take place on October 20 as scheduled as his family filed a mercy petition with President A P J Abdul Kalam in the midst of the raging controversy over a reprieve for the Parliament terror attack convict. This follows the Home Ministry receiving a copy of the mercy plea from the Rashtrapati Bhawan for scrutiny of all the aspects before it gives its opinion to the President who has to decide whether to grant him clemency, sources said. The Delhi Government and the authorities in Tihar jail, where the execution is slated for October 20, have been informed about the receipt of the mercy petition, a procedure followed in almost in all cases to give adequate time for consideration of the petition, sources said. The sources declined to say how long the process of examining the petition would take. The development came on a day when Afzal’s wife and aged mother approached Kalam seeking commutation of the death sentence even as the families of the victims of the terror attack on December 13, 2001, also met the President to campaign against any relief to him.(PTI) |
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Don't pardon Afzal: Victims of Parliament attack tell Prez NEW DELHI, Oct 3: Families of the security personnel killed in the 2001 attack on Parliament today approached President A P J Abdul Kalam requesting him not to grant any pardon to Mohammed Afzal Guru, who has been sentenced to death by Supreme Court. The families, led by chairman of Anti-Terrorist Front M S Bitta, submitted a memorandum at the President’s office stating that any clemency shown to a dreaded terrorist like Afzal would encourage other anti-national elements. "A terrorist of his stature does not invite any pardon who exhibit no humanly concern while committing the heinous crime against humanity," the memorandum said. The families who submitted memorandum to Kalam included Jayawati, widow of Delhi Police Constable Bijender Singh, Bimla Devi, widow of Delhi Police Head Constable Om Prakash, Bacchu Singh, son of Delhi Police Head Constable Ghyansham Patel and Karamveer, son of Delhi Police Sub Inspector Rampal. "It is ironical to observe that even after years of being convicted for their ghastly and inhuman crimes, the terrorists have managed to escape gallows...Mostly due to the support raised by some political parties and social groups... Who influence the justice system flowing in right direction," the memorandum said. Afzal is getting a lot of support from various political parties who were trying hard to save him from gallows for vote bank politics, it said. The affected familes, while requesting not to show any mercy, expressed hope that the faith of those affected by terrorism in the judicial system would be maintained if hardcore terrorist like Afzal is shown no mercy. (PTI) |
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HC to hear CBI arguments today SRINAGAR, Oct 3: Jammu and Kashmir High Court, monitoring investigations into the sex racket case here, will hear arguments of the CBI tomorrow after the agency submitted that it has completed the probe. "We have submitted the case diaries to the court which has listed the case for arguments from tomorrow," Assistant Solicitor General of India and CBI counsel S A Naik said after today’s proceedings. Naik said the CBI informed the division bench of the High Court, comprising Justices Hakim Imtiyaz Hussain and B A Kirmani, that probe into the sex scandal has been completed with the filing of chargesheet against four more persons before the Chief Judicial Magistrate Srinagar on September 29. CBI has so far arrested 18 people including two former ministers, ex-Additional Advocate General of the State, an IAS officer, a DIG of BSF, two deputy superintendents of police and the alleged kingpin of the racket, Sabeena. The trial of 14 of the accused has already been shifted to Chandigarh by the Supreme Court. Kashmir High Court Bar Association, hardline faction of Hurriyat Conference led by Syed Ali Geelani and Dukhtaraan-e-Millat have already accused the CBI of shielding the big fish involved in the flesh trade case. In one of the case diaries submitted before the High Court by CBI, 70 people occupying influential positions in the State had been named by the victims of the racket. However, the names are only known to CBI and the division bench of the court as proceedings were held in-camera after a few hearings. (PTI) |
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Budgam Police kills 2 Hizb militants Excelsior Special Correspondent SRINAGAR, Oct 3: In the central Kashmir district of Budgam, Police and CRPF today claimed to have killed two top wanted militants, including a "District Commander" of Hizbul Mujahideen, who was allegedly responsible for over a dozen civilian killings. Meanwhile, suspected militants have attacked the house of a village headman in Tangmarg and damaged two of his cars. Authoritative sources told the EXCELSIOR that late last night, a contingent of SOG Budgam, comprising two units of Police and CRPF 89 Bn, launched a search operation at Borwah village, in Surasyar area of Charar-e-Sharief on the basis of a specific information. According to the tip off, two militants of Hizbul Mujahideen were hiding in the village. In the wee hours today, an encounter took place between the militants holed up at the house of one Ghulam Mohammad Lone S/o Abdul Khaliq Lone and Police-CRPF combine which lasted about two hours. Even as Inspector RD Sharma of CRPF and Constable Balwant Singh of SOG Budgam sustained injuries in the gunbattle, both the militants were killed. They were later identified as Mohammad Ashraf Ganai alias Bilal S/o Mohammad Jamal Ganai R/o Lalnagar, Chhanapora, and Naseer Ahmed Wani alias Zubair S/o Abdur Reman R/o Aripanthan, Beerwah. Police claimed that Mohammad Ashraf Ganai was a "District Commander" of Hizbul Mujahideen who was a top wanted militant. It claimed in a handout this evening that Ganai and his accomplice were responsible for many civilian killings, including those of a Kuzwaira resident Momin Andrabi, Farooq Ahmed Bhagat of Balpora Paulpora, Mushtaq Ahmed Dhobhi of Panzan, Bilal Ahmed Dar of Kaisarmullah and Javed Ahmed Tilwani of Awapora, Chadoura. Police handout claimed that Ganai was also responsible for a grenade blast at Chadoura Bridge in which two civilians had died and over two dozen civilians had sustained injuries. Ganai was also reportedly involved in causing an IED blast at Kralpora in Srinagar in which an army vehicle was hit and a number of soldiers had sustained injuries. It claimed that Naseer Ahmed Wani alias Zubair was also involved in a number of civilian killings, IED blasts and grenade attacks. The handout said that the operation was led by SSP Budgam, Syed Ashiq Hussain Bukhari. Meanwhile, reports from Tangmarg said that at 0030 hours last night, a group of armed men, suspected to be militants, appeared at Chandilora. They knocked heavily on the entrance of the village headman, Bashir Ahmed Ganai S/o Abdul Gani Ganai, and directed the inmates to open the door. However, Ganai and his family members did not respond to the knock. A little later, suspected militants fired a couple of rifle grenade on the premises but the same did not explode. The gunmen barged into the premises and set on fire two of Ganai's cars. Both the vehicles---a Maruti-800 and an Opel Astra--- suffered extensive damage. Thereafter the gunmen withdrew and vanished in the dark. Reports said that with interest in a chemists' shop, Ganai is a famous businessman. For some time earlier, he had also worked as a contractor in Tangmarg-Gulmarg area. Police seized two live rifle grenades Sources said that a group of gunmen lobbed a hand grenade on the house of one Mohammad Amin Rishi at Qamarwari in the capital city outskirts late last evening. It exploded but failed to cause any considerable damage. |
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Court to hear Pathribal case on Nov 3 SRINAGAR, Oct 3: Expressing annoyance over CBI counsel’s absence, a Sessions Court today deferred till November 3 the hearing on a revision petition filed by five Army officials accused of killing five civilians at Pathribal in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir in 2000. Additional Sessions Judge Gousia-un-Nisa Jeelani said the court cannot function on the whims and fancies of the CBI lawyer, who had not appeared ever since the case was assigned to this court. "I am annoyed with him," she added. The CBI filed a chargesheet on May 11 against Brig Ajay Saxena, Lt Col Brahendra Pratap Singh, Major Saurabh Sharma, Major Amit Saxena and JCO Idrees Khan for alleged March 2000 killing of civilians in fake encounter at Pathribal in the wake of Chittisinghpora massacre of 35 Sikhs. Defence counsel challenged the CBI move to file a chargesheet without obtaining prior sanction from the Centre for prosecuting the Army officials, as was provided in section seven of the Armed Forces Act. Srinagar Chief Judicial Magistrate M Y Akhoon rejected the defence plea on August 24 by saying that whether the CBI was under obligation to obtain Central sanction before launching or instituting prosecution against the accused was to be looked into during the course of trial or even at the stage of framing of charges or conclusion of trial. Akhoon said these questions were left to be decided before appropriate forum — either during Court Martial proceedings or in Sessions Court to which the case has to be committed in case the Court Martial exercise was not being opted. The accused Army officers challenged the CJM order in the Sessions Court by filing a revision petition. The CJM court has fixed October 21 for case hearing but it is unlikely any proceedings would be conducted on that day in view of today’s Sessions Court orders. The CBI said the Pathribal encounter on March 25, 2000 was fake and carried out as part of a conspiracy in individual capacity. On the other hand, the defence counsel claimed since the accused were operating in their area of jurisdiction, any action taken by them was in line of duty. (PTI) Militants attack CRPF picket; 2 policemen killed, 7 injured SRINAGAR, Oct 4: Militants today made an abortive bid to storm a building, where the mace of Lord Shiva is kept, by firing at a CRPF picket in the Lal Chowk area here, triggering a fierce gunbattle with security forces in which two policeman were killed and seven injured. Claiming responsibility for the attack, militant outfit Al-Mansoorian said three of its "suicide squad" members were involved in the attack on Dashnami Ahkhara building. The militants lobbed a grenade and fired indiscriminately while trying to storm the building, officials said. However, security forces retaliated forcing the ultras to retreat to the nearby New Standard Hotel where they are holed up as the operation was on to flush them out. Officials said Head Constable Shoukat Ahmad and Constable Randhir Singh of the Special Operations Group of local police was killed while constables Javid Iqbal and Sandeep Kumar were injured along with CRPF jawan R R Meena and four civilians. Two of the injured were later discharged after first aid. Security forces were making efforts to neutralise the ultras who were firing intermittently at them, officials said. Soon after the attack, area traders abandoned their shops and fled. However, a large number of people were still trapped near the gunbattle spot and efforts were on to rescue them, they said. (PTI) India to give names Mumbai blasts suspects to Pakistan NEW DELHI, Oct : India will shortly present to Pakistan the names of its nationals suspected to be involved in the deadly Mumbai blasts along with related evidence through the joint anti-terror mechanism recently agreed upon, highly placed sources said here today. As many as 11 Pakistani nationals were directly involved in the serial blasts on July 11 in which nearly 200 people died, according to the Mumbai police which said that the attacks were planned by ISI in Pakistan and carried out by Lashkar-e-Toiba with the help of the banned Islamic Students Movement of India (SIMI). Two of the Pakistanis involved are dead but the remaining are believed to have escaped to their country or could be hiding in India. LeT’s commander in Pakistan’s Bahawalput district, Azam Cheema is suspected to be the brain behind the conspiracy. Islamabad’s rejection of the Mumbai police claims and its refusal to handover any suspects to India is unacceptable to New Delhi which wants this case to be the first test for the joint mechanism. As Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said on his way back home from South Africa, the evidence of Pakistani involvement will be offered to Islamabad through the joint mechanism and it would be ascertained "how sincere they are in carrying forward the commitment I and President Musharraf have underlined" in the joint statement from Havana. The Prime Minister left no one in doubt that the evidence India gives to Pakistan would be a test of its sincerety in controlling terrorism. "Pakistan will have to walk the talk", he asserted. "Whatever has been discovered (by Mumbai police), we shall share that information with Pakistan", he told reporters, adding "we will test the water". There was condemnation of the Mumbai blasts in the joint statement and also an explicit mention that the two countries will work to control the menace of terrorism, he recalled. Pointing out that Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf and he had just set up the joint mechanism to deal with terrorism, the Prime Minister said it was through this mechanism that Pakistan’s response would be sought. Although the joint mechanism was yet to take off, Singh asked "how else can we ask Pakistan for information (about Mumbai blasts) except through a mechanism like this?" On Indo-Pak peace process, Singh said it could not move forward unless and until both countries sincerely work to gain mastery over this menace (of terrorism). (PTI) Union Home Ministry talks to
Delhi govt NEW DELHI: The Union Home Ministry has begun consultations with the Delhi Government over the petition seeking petition for Jaish-e-Mohammed militant Mohammed Afzal Guru who has been sentenced to death for the attack on Parliament. "The Home Ministry has received from Rashtrapati Bhavan a copy of the clemency petition filed by Afzal's family members to the office of President A P J Abdul Kalam yesterday," an official spokesman said here today. He said the petition would be taken up with the Delhi Government and its views would be sought. As per law, the concerned state government, in whose territory the crime has taken place, is consulted. In the meantime, the Tihar jail authorities were being informed that the hanging of Afzal, slated for October 20, would not take place until a decision on the mercy petition is taken. Though there was no time frame to take a decision on the mercy petition, sources in the ministry said the process is likely to be completed in two to three weeks. Tabassum, the wife of Afzal submitted a mercy petition to Kalam's office pleading clemency for her husband. The sources said Jammu and Kashmir Government, whose head Ghulam Nabi Azad has favoured clemency for Afzal, was unlikely to be consulted on the issue. Afzal's family members also met him in Tihar Jail last night and had later claimed that he was not willing to submit any clemency petition and the family members could do as their own initiative. (PTI) |
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