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From Ahmed Ali Fayyaz SRINAGAR, Oct 4: Four J&K Police personnel and at least one civilian got killed when militants launched a suicide attack near a paramilitary encampment in the business hub of Budshah Chowk in the heart of this capital city today. At least 30 persons, including over a dozen from Police and CRPF, have sustained injuries even as over 200 people have been successfully evacuated and two to three militants are holed up at a nearby hotel building. Meanwhile, security forces have eliminated two of the top ranking militants of Lashkar-e-Toiba and troops have left two members of a family dead and two more wounded in a late night shootout in Anantnag district of south Kashmir. Four-and-a-half months after the deadly strike at Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad's Congress party rally at Sher-e-Kashmir Park, militants today launched a suicide attack on CRPF 131 Bn guarding Akhara Building in the business hub of Budshah Chowk. Eyewitnesses said that two or three militants lobbed a hand grenade and opened indiscriminate gunfire towards the CRPF bunkers before storming into the 4-storeyed Hotel New Standard. Officials said that two Police personnel got killed and eight more sustained injuries in the initial attack. Besides, three CRPF soldiers also sustained injured. They were all discharged from hospital by this evening. The grenade blast, followed by exchange of gunfire, spread panic in the entire Civil Lines as the authorities were quick to seal off all incoming and outgoing routes including the all-important road to Civil Secretariat. Consequently, all the senior Government functionaries, including Chief Minister and his Cabinet colleagues, had to take a detour through Lal Mandi or Jawahar Nagar. DIG Central Kashmir, Farooq Ahmed, told the EXCELSIOR late tonight that two of the SOG Srinagar personnel---head constable Showkat Ahmed and constable Rajpal Singh alias Jimmy---got killed and eight more personnel sustained injuries when Police launched a quick operation to evacuate over 200 civilians trapped in different hotels and business establishments. He said that ASI Nazir Ahmed of Maisuma Police Station as also a constable of the same Police Station were "missing" since this afternoon. Both were engaged in evacuating the trapped civilians. Other sources, believed to be better informed, confirmed the death of both the Policemen. They said that a hotel employee, Fayaz Ahmed, also died in the shootout at New Standard. This was also confirmed by Manager Abdur Rasheed Bhat, who was injured in the firing. He was responding to treatment at SMHS Hospital. DIG Farooq said that Police managed to evacuate over 200 civilians, including three students from Himachal Pradesh who had got trapped in a New Standard hotel room on the third floor. He said that Police entered the multi-storeyed buildings from the top and managed to evacuate "almost all those trapped in different buildings". He said that two to three militants were present in the New Standard restaurant on the first floor but Police decided not to storm it till tomorrow as it feared "some civilians" trapped in the same room. He said that militants lit a fire to burn down the hotel but fire brigade managed to douse the flames with its high-rise ladders. Spokesman of Al-Mansoorian militant outfit, Aamir, told the EXCELSIOR over telephone that three of his organisation's militants carried out the attack on Akhara Building and later occupied the nearby Standard Hotel. He claimed that five personnel, including ASI Nazir Ahmed, got killed and eight more sustained injuries in the gunbattle. He claimed that all the three fidayeen were "very much alive and fighting" till late this evening. Senior Police and CRPF officials are supervising the operation. Sources said that the hotel building, under tight siege from all sides, was likely to be stormed in the morning on Thursday. They said that more fatal casualties were likely as there was no chance of the militants' escaping from the hotel. Encounter specialists insisted that in all 10 to 12 people could die and the number of injured could rise to as high as 35 when the final assault would be launched most likely tomorrow. LeT terror killed Meanwhile, official sources in south Kashmir told the EXCELSIOR that troops of Rashtriya Rifles 03 Bn swooped on a tenement at Gradwan Naar hamlet in Aeshmuqam area of Anantnag district on the basis of a specific information late last night. According to the tip off, Lashkar-e-Toiba's most wanted commander in Jammu & Kashmir, Abu Ma'az, and "Divisional Commander" Abu Qasim, were hiding in the Gujjar locality. Once the militants found themselves trapped, they opened fire in an attempt to escape. However, trooped pinned them down from all directions and finally killed them both in a fierce gunbattle. Sources said that prominently active in the Valley for the last eight years, Abu Ma'az of Pakistan, who was always known as Cheema and Muzammil, had risen to the rank of "Chief Commander of Operations" in Lashkar-e-Toiba. According to official records, it was Abu Ma'az who had masterminded and carried out the massacre of 24 Kashmiri Pandits at Nadimarg village in Shopian-Kulgam belt of south Kashmir on March 22/23 in 2003. Sources said that Abu Ma'az had been involved in scores of attacks on security forces, Police and mainstream political activists, mostly in the south Kashmir districts of Anantnag and Pulwama. He was also believed to be responsible for dozens of other civilian killings. No confirmation or denial of the death of Abu Ma'az in the Aeshmuqam gunbattle was available immediately from Lashkar-e-Toiba which had not issued any statement over the encounter or in reaction to the official version till late tonight. Even as Army was celebrating the rare achievement of the death of Lashkar's "Chief Commander of Operations" and a "Divisional Commander", troops of Rashtriya Rifles 36 Bn neutralised the jubilation when they left two innocent civilians---both from one family---killed and two more wounded in a late night shootout in Ahlan Gadol area of Kokernag in Anantnag district. Independent sources said that troops opened fire when five members of one Hashim Naikoo's family were returning to home with a burning lantern after working with harvesting of maize crop in the nearby fields. Hashim Naikoo's son Ashraf Naikoo and daughter Misra got killed. His son-in-law Kabir Naikoo and daughter-in-law Lateefa sustained gunshot wounds. Hashim Naikoo, a Congress party activist, had a narrow escape as he was not hit in the firing. Police and security forces later evacuated the injured and rushed them to hospital for treatment. Reports said that inspite of having sustained critical injuries, one of the injured was stable at SKIMS and another at Bone & Joint Hospital in Srinagar this evening. Residents of several villages gathered, formed a procession and carried the dead bodies to Kokernag in order to register their protest and demand relief for the bereaved family besides an assurance that troops would no more be allowed to strike with impunity on the civilians in their locality. They shouted slogans against Army and held the troops responsible for "killing the civilians for fun". Deputy Commissioner Anantnag, G A Pir, told the EXCELSIOR that he rushed to Kokernag and pacified the demonstrators with certain assurances after which they returned and buried the dead bodies. He said that on the people's complaint, he ordered a magisterial inquiry into the whole episode which would be conducted by Additional DC Jaipal Singh. In addition to that, Police lodged an FIR against the troops allegedly responsible for opening fire. Mr Pir said that the State Government as well as the Army took this incident very seriously. He said that the cheques of ex-gratia relief would be delivered on the bereaved family by MLA Kokernag and Minister of Education Peerzada Mohammad Sayeed within 24 hours. DC Anantnag said that everybody from Divisional Commissioner Bashrat Ahmed Dhar to Corps Commander S S Dhillon issued positive and quick instructions to all ranks that maximum possible relief and assurance be held out to the bereaved family as well as the hurt population. He said that on instructions from Corps Commander as well as GOC Victor Force, Commander of Sector 2 pacified the Kokernag people with an assurance of fair inquiry and a commitment that no such incident would occur in his district in future. Defence spokesman at headquarters 15 Corps, Lt Col Mathur, described the Kokernag shootout as an "unfortunate incident" and said that the troops in an ambush had mistaken the members of a family as militants. "As they were spotted and challenged to halt, they ran away. Troops in confusion took them for militants and opened fire", PRO Defence said. He said that Army would complete its inquiry soon and accordingly take the follow up action. Commander of a battalion has recently been removed from service over an identical nocturnal shootout in which a young girl and her uncle had got killed in Kandi area of Kupwara district. |
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Menon meets Duggal NEW DELHI, Oct 4: Foreign Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon met Home Secretary V K Duggal here today when the two officials are understood to have discussed the claims made by Mumbai Police that ISI was directly involved in planning the July 11 serial train blasts in the commercial hub. While the Home Ministry officially maintained it was a courtsey call by Menon after assuming the office of Foreign Secretary on October one, sources said the two officials discussed the cracking of the 7/11 train blasts case by Mumbai Police. The two are understood to have discussed finalising how to go about putting in place the anti-terror mechanism agreed to by India and Pakistan after the meeting between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and President Pervez Musharraf in Havana last month. The 30-minute meeting between Duggal and Menon is also seen as the beginning of the process of finalising India’s stand at the Indo-Pak Foreign Secretary level meeting likely to take place next month in the national capital. Ahead of Duggal’s meeting with Menon, Mumbai Police Commissioner A N Roy and chief of Anti-Terrorist Squad of the metropolis K P Raghuvanshi met the Union Home Secretary and briefed him about the investigations so far into the July 11 blasts. Neither Menon nor Roy spoke to the media after their separate meetings with the Home Secretary. Returning from his visit to South Africa, the Prime Minister had said Pakistan’s response to the evidence India gives regarding its involvement in the Mumbai blasts would be a test of its sincerity in controlling terrorism. India will shortly present to Pakistan the names of its nationals suspected to be involved in the Mumbai blasts along with related evidence through the joint anti-terror mechanism recently agreed upon, highly placed sources said here. As many as 11 Pakistani nationals were directly involved in the July 11 serial blasts which left nearly 200 people dead, 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 Bahawalpur 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. (UNI) |
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Rs 422-cr disbursed among quake affected families: CM Excelsior Correspondent POONCH, Oct 4: The Government has provided a cash assistance of Rs 422 crore to last year’s October 8 killer earthquake victims that rattled the State of Jammu and Kashmir, causing extensive damage to life and property in Uri and Kupwara sectors of Kashmir region and Poonch area of Jammu province. In addition to the disbursement of this huge cash assistance, the earthquake affected people have been provided with other kinds of relief under special package. This was stated by Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, on his visit to Poonch, where he visited and inspected the newly constructed houses, interacted with individual families there and addressed a public gathering. Mr Azad said that on an average each earthquake affected individual family received Rupees 1.35 lakh, which is the highest compensation given so far in such natural calamities in the entire country. The Chief Minister said that with the disbursement of last and final installment of Rupees 60,000 to the earthquake affected families, the target of completing all structures damaged due to the killer quake, shall be achieved within a definite time-frame. Mr. Azad was accompanied by Member Parliament Madan Lal Sharma, MLA G. M. Jan, Congress leader Yashpaul Sharma and prominent citizens. Mr. Azad said that when he assumed the office of Chief Minister of the State, rehabilitation, disbursement of relief and protecting the lives of earthquake affected people was his first priority. He complimented UPA Chairperson Mrs. Sonia Gandhi who also immediately after hearing the news of the earthquake, reached Poonch and other affected areas of the State and directed for every possible help to the sufferers. The Chief Minister said that earthquake caused havoc not only on this side of LoC but across as well, but it was with the full cooperation of the Central Government that unprecedented steps were taken in providing full relief to the people in the shape of medicines, food grains, tents, clothing, blankets, utensils and cash assistance. However, the biggest challenge for his Government was to protect the lives of the earthquake survivors who had to face severe winter. He said the scheme of constructing temporary shelter sheds which was implemented within one month of his assuming the Chief Ministership, helped to this extent that not a single individual died in any affected area. The steps were appreciated by all distinguished world bodies and international media, who observed contrary situation on other side of LoC. The Chief Minister said that Jammu and Kashmir is the first State in the country which got such a huge relief and cash assistance from the Central Government in the aftermath of earthquake. He expressed his thanks to Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and Chief Ministers of various States for their extraordinary help. Mr. Azad said that in the first stage Government provided Rs. 40000 to the earthquake affected people followed by another Rs. 30000 and a special incentive of Rs. 5000 for those who completed their temporary shelter sheds within a definite timeframe last year. The Chief Minister announced that disbursement of the final installment of Rs. 60000 in one go is being made with clear instructions that the remaining houses should be completed by end of November. He said that he has been informed that 90 percent of houses have been completed and the remaining 10 percent will be completed by November. Mr. Azad said that after completion of the houses, massive work for reconstruction of all developmental infrastructure including hospitals, roads, lanes, drains and other civic amenities will be taken up. Member Parliament Madan Lal Sharma while addressing the gathering said that since Mr. Azad has taken over as Chief Minister of the State such revolutionary steps were taken by him which no other politician could dare to do. MLA G. M. Jan also spoke on the occasion. |
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Irregularities in
Lecturers' appointment By Nishikant Khajuria JAMMU, Oct 4: Taking cognizance of the complaints against alleged irregularities in appointment of Lecturers in Government Degree Colleges on consolidated basis, the State Vigilance Organisation has initiated inquiry into the selection process. According to official sources, Vigilance Organisation has seized the record related to appointment of the contractual lecturers and asked the authorities of GGM Science College that was the Nodal Agency for selection of candidates, to submit the remaining relevant documents concerning the selection process before the investigating agency. Once all the record is seized, the same shall be scrutinized to verify the complaints and taking further action into the matter, sources said and added that during the preliminary investigations, the allegations of nepotism and favouritism by making irregularities have been established. It may be mentioned here that around 550 Contractual Lecturers have so far been appointed in the different Government Degree Colleges in the Jammu region for the academic session 2006-07. As per the complaints, set norms were ignored and pick and choose was adopted by the Nodal Agency in the appointment of Lecturers on the Consolidated Lecturers. In several cases, the merit was ignored and inter-district appointment were made despite availability of the eligible candidates within the district, sources explained and also listed some instances when candidate of one stream was selected against the requirement of a lecturer of other stream. It may be mentioned here that the selection of candidates for their appointment as the College Lecturer on consolidated basis is made by a four-member selection committee which comprises three Professors and one Assistant. The committee is headed by the Nodal Officer Prof R L Sharma, who is also Principal of GGM Science College. The list of selected candidates is finally approved by Director Colleges Dr N D Wani after which appointment orders are issued. The complaints of alleged irregularities in the appointments, were received by the State Vigilance Commissioner Dr Ashok Bhan who directed SSP Vigilance (Jammu), Vijay Singh Samyal, to look into the matter and get the case investigated through an officer of the rank of DySP. |
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Oppn cries foul, says
it's privilege of House By Sanjeev Pargal JAMMU, Oct 4: The Government has shelved the plan of holding a month long Assembly session in Srinagar, summer capital of the State. An announcement for calling a month long Legislature session in Srinagar in September or October was made by none else than two prominent Ministers of the State Government in the Assembly itself during a brief five days session in first week of August, which was also addressed by President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam. Confirming that a proposal to summon a month long session of the Legislature in Srinagar has been shelved, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Hameed Qarra told the Excelsior that this was done to avoid inconvenience to all those concerned with holding the session in the month of Ramzan. "I spoke to Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad (on holding the session). He too was of the view that there should be no inconvenience to anyone during Ramzan", he said, adding "keeping this in view the session has been deferred". Asked when the session would be called, he asserted that since the Civil Secretariat will be closed in the summer capital in next 20 days, the chances are that it would be held in Jammu. Mr Qarra, who had only last month taken over as the Law Minister, was non-committal on whether a session would be held before the budget session in Jammu. "The Chief Minister will call a meeting of coalition partners and Opposition to take a decision", he said. While cutting short budget session in March this year in Jammu, the Government had promised a month long session of the Legislature in Srinagar. When Opposition members protested holding of just a five days session in Srinagar in first week of August, top functionaries of the Government had made an announcement on floor of the House that the brief session was called only for President’s address and a month long session will follow. Speaker Tara Chand said he was bed-ridden for last 8 to 10 days and was still in New Delhi for treatment. "I have not received any information from the Government on holding the session", he added. Taking strong exception to the Government’s decision to "avoid Assembly", Leader of Opposition and NC MLA Abdul Rahim Rather pointed out that this was for the first time in history of the Legislature that a huge business was pending before the House and there were many issues to be discussed but the Government, despite making a categoric commitment in the Assembly, was not calling the session. Sixty bills, about 600 questions and several other Legislative business was pending before the Assembly, he said, adding the bills were in different stages of introduction, consideration, passing and pending before Select Committee. According to him, 10 questions each were called from nearly 74 members (other members of the House were Ministers in July) for the session. During five days session, only 100 or 150 questions were taken up while the rest were pending. "Besides being privilege of the House, the Government’s failure to hold one month Assembly session in Srinagar despite making a commitment on floor of the House indicated the Government ‘non-serious approach’ and ‘no regard for the Assembly", Mr Rather observed. He said during last three to four years he has observed that the coalition Government didn’t want to face the House, which was ‘unfortunate’ as this was the only forum to highlight problems of the people and make the Government answerable and accountable. Veteran CPM leader Mohd Yusuf Tarigami said: "keeping in view the Parliamentary practice, a fullfledged Legislature session should have been called in Srinagar, for which a commitment was also made by the Government at floor of the House". He regretted that the commitment hasn’t been fulfilled due to reasons best known to the Government and added that "this shouldn’t have happened". "The Government has eroded sanctity of the Assembly by not calling the session even after making a statement in the House. This has set a wrong precedent", he asserted. |
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21 militants surrender in Valley Excelsior Correspondent SRINAGAR, Oct 4: In a major success for Army, 21 militants of different outfits, hailing mostly from Baramulla and Kupwara districts, today surrendered before 19 Infantry Division within a day of their infiltration from Line of Control (LoC) in Uri sector. Defence sources said the militants laid down arms before GOC 19 Division Maj Gen Halgali and Brig D S Hooda besides other senior Army officers on LoC in Baramulla sector this morning. The militants had fled from their training camps in Pakistan after being meted out miserable treatment and crossed over to Indian side on intervening night of October 2 and 3 in two different batches, the sources said. Immediately after their infiltration, they raised their hands and offered themselves for surrender, they said, adding the Army personnel took all 21 militants into custody. The formal surrender ceremony was held in Baramulla sector this morning where the militants also inter-acted with the media personnel. They handed over 21 modern weapons and ammunition to the Army personnel at the time of surrender. The Defence sources described surrender by 21 militants in one go as a big achievement of Army. The surrendered militants belonged to Hizb-e-Islami, Al Barq and Jaish-e-Mohammed outfits. According to Defence sources, the militants belonged to different villages of Baramulla and Kupwara districts and were undergoing arms training in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) and Pakistani camps for last two to five years. They told media persons that they were shabbily treated in training camps by Pakistan army, their Intelligence sleuths and foreign militants. They were treated as second class citizens and sometimes were even made to work as labourers, they said, adding once they all met secretly and decided to cross over to Indian side and surrender to Army. "We got any opportunity on intervening night of October 2 and 3 and fled away from our camps. In two batches, we crossed LoC with hands up and offered ourselves for surrender", they said. They claimed that many more Kashmiri boys in PoK camps were fed up with ill-treatment being meted out to them by Pakistan authorities and were waiting for an opportunity to cross over to Kashmir. Army, however, declined to disclose identity of the surrendered militants to ensure their safety. Their faces were covered when they surrendered and talked to the media. |
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Self rule most viable solution: Mehbooba By Dinesh Manhotra JAMMU, Oct 4: Notwithstanding opposition of its coalition partners, the People's Democratic Party (PDP) today launched aggressive campaign to create public opinion on much publicized self-rule proposal. After three day visit of the party patron and former Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammed Sayeed last week, today PDP president Mehbooba Mufti started awareness campaign in this region to convince Jammuites and to remove, what party called, mis-conception about its most viable proposal. In her first rally of her five day tour to Jammu region, Mehbooba Mufti hinted that her party was not going to dilute its stand on self-rule but made it clear that PDP's proposal will not be imposed on the people. Seeking to allay apprehension on self-rule proposal, Ms Mufti assured the people that this proposal was not going to weaken integration and unity of the State. "Some people have created misconception that self-rule proposal is anti-national’’, she said, assuring the people that this proposal was with in the constitution of India and was no threat to the sovereignty of the nation. She cautioned the people against nefarious designs of some forces which have launched a vicious campaign against PDP. Launching a scathing attack on BJP for raising hue and cry over self-rule and opposition to Prime Minister’s peace initiatives with Pakistani President General Pervez Musharraf, she reminded that party that during the tenure of NDA, Congress had supported each and every step taken by the then Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee for improving relation with neighbour. Earlier, a piquant situation emerged during the public meeting when a woman asked the PDP leaders to check increase in the prices of essential commodities. When Minister of Finance, Planning, Law and Parliamentary Affairs, Tariq Hamid Qarra was addressing the meeting, audio system developed some technical snag. A woman Pushpa Devi, who had come all the way from border village Jinder Maliaion, seized the opportunity and drew attention of the PDP leadership towards price rise. Large number of women, who were present in the meeting echoed the similar views. PDP leaders had hard time to pacify the womanfolk. Gauging mood of the people, Mr Qarra pointed out that due to his effort, VAT has been removed from some essential commodities like cereals. He assured the gathering that prices will be reduced very soon. Mr Qarra also threw light on the importance of self-rule and challenged to have an open debate on this issue. Minister of State for Education, Manjit Singh, Rajya Sabha MP Trilok Singh Bajwa, MLC Ved Mahajan, MLA Shanti Devi, Ashok Sharma, Ramesh Mottan, Dhaman Bhasin and Baldev Singh Slathia, also addressed the meeting. Later in the meeting, some women who had came from Upper Kanhal and Jindher Maliaion villages, alleged that some local leaders of the party promised to provide them some relief. "We came here with a hope that some relief will be given to us’’, said Sansaro Devi. Similar views were expressed by Sumitra Devi. However, PDP leadership was not aware that some women were called to get relief. Party leadership has decided to investigate the matter. |
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Home Ministry talks to Delhi Govt on clemency for Afzal NEW DELHI, Oct 4: The Union Home Ministry has begun consultations with the Delhi Government over the petition seeking clemency 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. 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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HC reserves judgement in sex scam SRINAGAR, Oct 4: The High Court today reserved its judgement on whether CBI should continue its probe in the sex racket case. CBI has submitted a list of more than two dozen individuals, as desired by the High Court, against whom chargesheet was not filed because of non-availability of evidence. Assistant Solicitor General of India and CBI counsel S A Naik told a division bench comprising Justice Hakim Imtiyaz Hussain and B A Kirmani that investigations in the case had been completed with the filing of chargesheet against three more persons before Chief Judicial Magistrate on September 29. The 4000-odd case diaries pertaining to the racket had been taken by the High Court for studying and giving its observations on the CBI probe into the case. The CBI has arrested 18 persons, including two former State ministers, an ex-Additional Advocate General of J&K, an IAS officer, a BSF DIG, two Deputy Superintendents of Police and racket’s alleged kingpin Sabeena. However, one of the accused was let off by court yesterday as CBI did not press charges against him. Trial of 14 other accused has already been shifted to a Chandigarh court by the Supreme Court. The racket came to light in March-April this year after the arrest of a minor girl pushed into the flesh trade. As the details of the racket started unravelling, the Kashmir valley witnessed angry protests forcing State Government to hand over the probe to the CBI. Kashmir High Court Bar Association, hard-line faction of Hurriyat Conference led by Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Dukhtaran-e-Millat have accused the CBI of shielding the big fish involved in the case. However, the names are known only to the CBI and the HC division bench as proceedings were held in-camera after a few hearings. Unearthing of the sex scandal, involving a minor girl, in early April led to massive protests across the Valley. Separatist organisations demanded names of all politicians, police officers and bureaucrats involved in the case be made public. The High Court had ordered the CBI to investigate 12 more flesh trade cases registered in different police stations across Kashmir, but the investigating agency has so far not made any statement on the progress in these cases. (PTI) |
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President to meet Afzal’s family NEW DELHI, Oct 4: President A P J Abdul Kalam will meet tomorrow members of the family of Mohammed Afzal Guru, facing execution in the Parliament terror attack case. Afzal’s wife, Tabbassum, his mother Ayesha Begum and his seven-year-old son Ghalib will be meeting the President along with lawyers Nandita Haksar and N D Panchauli for a hearing tomorrow afternoon. The issue of clemency also figured on the sidelines of the UPA-Left cordination committee meeting as Left parties raised the issue with the Home Minister enquiring whether the capital punishment could be converted into a lifer. "We have not formally raised it. I am not talking about clemency... Supreme court has given its verdict and we stand by it. We only enquired whether the death sentence could be converted into a life sentence," CPI general secretary told reporters after the meeting. (Agencies) |
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64 Doda villagers reach Chamba CHAMBA, Oct 4: Sixty four people from Sawara village in Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir crossed over to Himachal Pradesh last night following threat to their lives from militants, Tissa SDM R K Sahu today said. "The people reached Nodhal Dhar of Chamba district of the state last night after three-days of journey from their village," he said here. Mr Sahu said 30 children, 14 women and twenty men who had entered Himachal Pradesh have been brought to Tarela from Nodhal Dhar and were temporarily sheltered in makeshift tents last night. Alternate arrangements were being made to house them in permanent houses besides providing them adequate security, since they were a traumatized lot, he said. Mr Sahu said the Indian Reserve Battalion (IRB) officials intercepted these people on entering the border of the state and verified their antecedents before bringing them to Tarela in the district. Later, talking to mediapersons, the villagers alleged that were virtually held captive in their own houses by the militants who neither allowed them or their children to venture out. They said more people were likely to cross over to Himachal from Jammu and Kashmir in the near future since several were still hiding in the forests, while some others were travelling to Jammu town following a threat to their lives from the militants.(UNI) |
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Militant hurt in grenade blast Excelsior Correspondent RAJOURI, Oct 4: A militant was injured when a grenade, he had to throw tomorrow at a public place here, likely at the Bus Stand, exploded in his hands at Sharma Hotel at Bus Stand in the town here tonight. The militant sustained splinter injuries of grenade in his hands and chest when the grenade exploded in a room of Sharma Hotel, where he was staying. He has been identified as Muzaffar Amin son of Mohd Hussain, a resident of Shahadara Sharief, Pangai in Thanna Mandi area of this district. Police said he was staying in the hotel on fictitious name of Aniece Iqbal. Muzaffar Amin along with his father was putting up at Kheora, near here for past few days. A day before he had gone to his house at Pangai where he was reported to have been given a grenade by the militants to throw it at a public place. He was staying in the hotel near Bus Stand and it appeared that his target was Bus Stand. However, police was trying to ascertain his exact target. The militant has been shifted to District Hospital here in an injured condition and was responding to the treatment. He has been kept under custody in the hospital. Police said he will be questioned only when he is declared fit for the statement 2 holed up fidayeen, 7 jawans among 10 killed in encounter SRINAGAR, : Seven security personnel and two fidayeen were among ten people killed and 17 others, including four civilians, wounded in the 24-hour-long gunbattle which ensued after militants made an abortive bid to storm the Dashnami Akhara, housing the holy Mace of Lord Shiva in Srinagar yesterday. Director General of Jammu and Kashmir police Gopal Sharma told reporters at the spot that operation was over and the area has been declared safe after proper search. "Both the militants have been killed by the security forces," he said. "We lost five police personnel and two Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel, Mr Sharma said, adding one civilian also died in the shootout. The police chief said there were some unexploded explosive left in the building, which had been defused. "The attack was borne out of the frustration of militants who failed to carry out any big attack in the past," the DGP said, ruling out being a fidayeen attack on any target. They just opened fire and entered a hotel, he said. About the casualities suffered by the security forces, he said the security forces exercised great restraint to avoid any damage to property. "Our security forces sacrificed their lives to save the civilians", he said, adding there was no damage to property. A senior CRPF officer, who was also present said militants killed a security force jawan who was in the hotel building guarding the streets. Employees of a State Bank of India branch in Dashnami Akhara building here can't believe they are still alive. They had lost all hopes when 'fidayeen' (members of a suicide squad) tried to storm the complex, housing the holy mace of Lord Shiva, yesterday morning. Death stared at their faces for ''endlessly long'' hours. Fayaz Ahmed, a bank employee, recalled the memories of those bone-chilling moments. A slight mention of the incident still sends shivers down his spine. It was life as usual for him and his colleagues till 1055 hrs yesterday when the fidayeen struck. ''The bank was full of customers and we were busy as usual dealing with them. Suddenly, we heard the sound of a powerful blast followed by heavy gunfire...And then there were screams all around. Our panic buttons had been pressed,'' he added. A visibly-shaken Ahmed said even a bullet fired seemed a blast for them. ''Every time a bullet was fired, we thought it was a blast. The sound was deafening,'' he added. Being Ramzan, Ahmed said he and his Muslim colleagues were fasting. ''We felt so thirsty. At one point of time, many of us thought of breaking the fast mid-way, but the determination and the will helped us to overcome that thirst and we managed to sustain without water for several hours.'' Ahmed said there seemed to be no end to their ordeal as the gun-battle continued to rage on. ''We thought this will go on for days. Suddenly, we saw a ray of hope as there was a lull in the firing and we decided to come out. We went from the back gate which to our ill-luck was closed. So, our priority was to get it opened first. Somehow, we managed and finally came out in the evening.'' He said all the employees and customers thanked God and their stars to be alive after a close brush with death. Similarly, Parvez Ahmed Ganai, a salesman, was attending to a customer at a footwear showroom in the busy Lal Chowk area when he suddenly heard the sound of a blast followed by heavy gunfire and for a few seconds he thought a bullet was going to hit him. A security force official said the operation was almost over as there was no firing from inside the hotel after both the holed up militants were killed by the security forces. He said for security reasons, security forces were conducting searches in the area. It was almost certain that there were only two militants inside the hotel, he said. He said CRPF lost one jawan while two personnel of the Special Operation Group (SOG) and one jawan of Jammu and Kashmir Police had lost their lives in the gunbattle. Seventeen others, including four civilians, were injured. Majority injured were discharged from the hospitals, he said. Person present on the spot, saw a militant coming out from the hotel and running towards the Budshah Chowk. However, alert sharp shooters killed him before he could escape. Deputy Inspector General (DIG) CRPF who was heading the operation told that another militant also killed by the security forces. ''Yes, we have eliminated two militants,'' he said. However, he said, the area would be handed over to civilian authorities after making sure that there was no explosive left in the hotel building. Security forces had earlier suspended the operation against the holed militants because of darkness in the area to avoid further causalties. Two police personnel have so far died and six other including four civilians were wounded in the shootout since yesterday. However, unconfirmed reports said that five security personnel have died and eight others were wounded in the shootout. Sharp shooters had been deployed in all the nearby buildings around the hotel Standard where militants were holed up, attacking security forces since yesterday. (AGENCIES) Afzal Guru’s family meets Kalam, prays for clemency NEW DELHI, : The family of Mohammed Afzal Guru, facing execution for his role in the 2001 attack on Parliament, today met President A P J Abdul Kalam and sought clemency for him. "The President assured us that he will go through our petition seeking clemency for Afzal," Guru’s wife Tabassum told reporters after the 20-minute meeting with Kalam. Tabassum, accompanied by her seven-year-old son Ghalib, mother Ayesha Begum and lawyers Nandita Haksar and N D Panchauli, expressed hope that justice would be done and her husband would be pardoned. "This country claims to be a big democracy but Kashmiris do not get justice," she said but cut short her statement when a battery of media personnel sought clarifications on her remarks. Asked why Guru had not filed a mercy petition himself, she said, "He lost all hope in the system when he did not receive justice either in the sessions court, the High Court or the Supreme Court. "We informed the President that it was one-sided justice and the trial was not fair," she claimed. Haksar, also a social activist, said the President had asked Ghalib about his future plans, to which he responded by saying that he wanted to become a doctor and this would be possible only if his father remained alive. Ghalib showed no hesitation in making his irritation public about the constant media glare when Haksar tried to push him towards the mikes. Guru’s mother spoke to reporters in the Kashmiri language, saying she wanted her son back. The family was forced to make a quick retreat by Haksar and Panchauli when reporters began to ask questions about the status of Jammu and Kashmir. The family had earlier submitted a clemency petition to the President which was forwarded to the Home Ministry for its comments. The Ministry has already taken up the issue with the Delhi Government, which is examining the mercy petition. Until the petition is disposed of, Guru will not be hanged. A court here had set October 20 as the date for his execution. The issue has provoked varying reactions from political parties, with some opposing the execution and others supporting it. The Left parties raised the issue on the sidelines of a Coordination Committee meeting with the UPA to seek clemency and conversion of Guru’s death sentence into life imprisonment. Political parties in Jammu and Kashmir led by the ruling Congress and PDP have favoured clemency for Guru. (PTI) |
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