2030 stranded passengers, 900 troops airlifted
4 die due to cold, 132 shifted to safer places
* NH re-opens for one way traffic

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Feb 10: Four villagers died of severe cold conditions while 132 persons were shifted to the safer zones due to avalanche threat in Kathua and Doda districts. This apart, police rescued 10 persons including four labourers, who were trapped in the snow at different places.

The Indian Air Force (IAF) continued Operation Humsafar on the second day today and airlifted 2030 stranded passengers and 900 Army and para-military personnel in several sorties of IL-76 and AN-32 as despite one-way reopening of the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway the movement of vehicles continued to be very slow because of the slippery conditions.

Official reports said that a villager identified as Ishfaq Hussain, resident of Karma Gatha area of Bodan in Mahore tehsil of Reasi district, slipped to death in snow clad nallah. He had reportedly gone to collect some fodder for his cattle to the nearby forests.

In another incident, one Deewan Chand, son of Kushi Ram of village Majote Korda in Doda district was buried alive under snow. He was returning to his home when snow slide hit him. His body was, later, recovered by the police.

The reports said that a 70-year-old villager, namely Sakhi Mohd, son of Siraj Din, resident of Morha Chakri in Taryath died of severe cold. He was said to be mentally ill and sleeping outside a shop at the village last night. He was found dead in the morning.

Similarly, one Nazir Ahmed, son of Fazal Din, resident of village Niyali in Thanamandi also died due to severe cold.

Meanwhile, 15 families of Dhandal hamlet comprising 80 souls were shifted to safer places by a police party of Kastigarh Police Station in Doda keeping in view the avalanche threat.

Similarly, six members of a family trapped in snow at Sog Daggar, eight family members of Khayal Chand, 12 each of Perma Nand and Paras Ram, 9 of Chet Ram, six family members each of Mehar Singh and Jai Singh were shifted from show bound Sog Daggar village in Bani area due to avalanche threat and shifted to safer places.

Police also rescued four workers, who got trapped in snow while carrying out road construction work in Malhar area. They have been identified as Swaran Singh, son of Nanak Singh of Magloor, Roshan Lal, son of Nagar Mal of Hiranagar, Swaran Singh, son of Kuldeep Singh of Rampur and Bhupinder Nath, son of Ram Rattan of Kathua, the reports said, adding four family members of Hassan Din were also rescued from a damaged house in the same area.

Meanwhile, R&B Minister Jugal Kishore accompanied by DIG Doda, Chief Engineer R&B and DC Doda today flew-in to Atholi, Gandoh, Thathri and Thanola in Doda district and reviewed situation. Mr Kishore said the entire administration has been pressed into service to clear snow and provide relief to the affected people.

In Poonch district, police party from Loran Police Station rescued nine year old girl—Gulshan Bano, daughter of Mohd Sharief of Bela Bai while a villager Farooq Ahmed was rescued by locals when he was trapped under an avalanche in Behroot area of Rajouri district.

Meanwhile, Indian Air Force (IAF) continued Operation Humsafar on the second day today and airlifted a total of 2030 stranded passenger and 900 security forces personnel.

Defence spokesman said that from Jammu Airport 900 security forces personnel were airlifted to Srinagar while 1100 civilians were shifted from summer capital of the State to Jammu. Similarly, 553 stranded passengers were airlifted from Udhampur air base to Srinagar and 377 from Srinagar to Udhampur.

None of the civilian was airlifted from Jammu Airport to Srinagar as the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway was reopened for one way movement of the vehicles today and Srinagar bound passengers were given preference, the spokesman further said.

However, the movement of the vehicles on the highway was very slow because of slippery conditions. "We first cleared all the Srinagar-bound stranded passenger vehicles and then allowed fresh vehicles from Jammu but the vehicles were plying at snail’s pace because of slip all along the highway", SSP Traffic, National Highway, Danish Rana said.

He disclosed that there was virtual traffic chaos between Patnitop and Batote and passengers faced lots of hardships. "The BRO personnel are trying their level best to remove more snow from the highway so that it could be made traffic worthy both ways", he added.

Azad briefed about stock taking visit
Central team conducts extensive survey
of snow affected areas

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Feb 10: Three-member Central team today made an extensive aerial survey of the snow affected areas in the State to assess the situation arising out of the disaster and later met the Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad.

The team comprising K Skandan, Joint Secretary (Kashmir), Ministry of Home Affairs, O Ravi, Joint Secretary (Disaster Management), Ministry of Home Affairs and S Sarkar, Joint Director, Ministry of Finance first conducted the aerial survey of the Kashmir region followed by severely hit districts of the Jammu division.

In Kashmir valley, the team members had aerial survey of Verinag, Kapran, Kulgam, Khansahib and Gulmarg while in Jammu division they assessed the post-unprecedented snowfall situation in Mahore, Gool, Gulabgarh, Mahu-Mangat, Seojdhar, Dessa, Bhadarwah and Banihal. They also had meeting with the divisional administration both at Srinagar and Jammu.

The team members, later, briefed the Chief Minister about their visit which they described as hectic and revealing. They appreciated the good work done by the State administration especially in clearing roads of snow and taking preventive measures to save human lives.

The Chief Minister told the team that most of the areas being still cut off it would take a week’s time for the Government to ascertain complete details of losses to life and property.

Earlier, interacting with the media-persons at Technical Airport, here soon after concluding visit to snow affected areas, Mr Ravi termed the situation as ‘grave’ and said that both the regions have been severely affected by the massive snowfall.

"Handling of situation without the assistance of Central Government is beyond the control of the State Government", he said. He also lauded the Army and para-military personnel for their better coordination with the State Government in reaching out to various cut-off areas.

"We will submit a preliminary report to the Central Government on the situation and the assistance which the State Government requires to cope with the post-disaster situation", Mr Ravi said.

The meeting of the Central team with the Chief Minister was also attended by Director General of Police, Kuldeep Khoda, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, Anil Goswami, Inspector General of Police, CID, K Rajendra and Divisional Commissioner, Jammu, Sudhanshu Pandey.

Harkat commdr killed in Sopore
Div Commdr's killing major setback for Hizb

Excelsior Special Correspondent

SRINAGAR, Feb 10: While Police today confirmed that Hizbul Mujahideen's top wanted militant and "Divisional Commander" for south Kashmir, Hanief Khan, was among the two militants killed in a gunbattle in Noorpora village of Tral last evening, one of Harkat-ul-Mujahideen's ace commanders has died today in an encounter with Police and security forces in Sopore area of north Kashmir.

Informed sources told EXCELSIOR that Sopore Police and troops of Rashtriya Rifles 22 Bn swooped on the house of one Nazir Ahmed Waza S/o Sonaullah Waza at Mohalla Wazpora in Hardu Shiva village of Sopore area on a specific information. According to the tip off, a top wanted Pakistani commander of Harkat-ul-Mujahideen, Mohammad Fareed Achakzai alias Usman of Mansera, NWFP, was present at his hideout at Waza's home. During the cordon-and-search operation, when Police and troops zeroed in on the target house, the holed up militant came out of his hideout and took a vantage position in the attic. He was gunned down in a brief encounter when he exposed himself dangerously on the rooftop.

SP Sopore, Imtiyaz Hussain Mir, said that Police and security forces planned today's operation after having successfully arrested Usman's local associates recently. He said that Usman and his detained associates were involved in a number of murder cases, including the recent killing of a seminary student, Shehzad Ahmed Palla of Dooru and Firdaus Ahmed Rishi of Mundji, Sopore. He claimed today's operation as a major success for Police and security as Achakzai, according to Police records, was directly involved in the two Sopore killings that had, of late, created panic in Dooru area. It was on four civilian killings, including those of Palla and Rishi, that senior separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani, a resident of same area, had for the first time in 20 years issued a condemnation statement in which he had implicitly held militants, rather than security forces, responsible.

Meanwhile, Police today confirmed that Hizbul Mujahideen's top wanted militant and "Divisional Commander" for south Kashmir, Farooq Ahmad Dar alias Hanief Khan S/o Mohammad Akbar Dar R/o Noorpora, Tral, was among the two militants killed in a fierce gunbattle by Police and CRPF in Noorpora last evening. His accomplice has been identified as Javed Ahmad Malik alias Mussaub-ul-Islam S/o Abdul Gani Malik R/o Trenz (Zainapora) Shopian. One AK-56 rifle, one rifle and four damaged mobile phones have been recovered from the site of encounter. As already reported in today's edition of this newspaper, these two militants of Hizbul Mujahideen had got killed an an encounter with Police in Noopora, Tral, last evening.

DIG south Kashmir, Hemant Kumar Lohia, today said that Hanief Khan was holding the top position of Hizbul Mujahideen's "Divisional Commander" in south Kashmir and he was simultaneously operating as the organisation's "Financial Chief" in entire Jammu and Kashmir.

According to officials, Hanief Khan was involved in about 20 killings since 1990. He was also allegedly involved in the car blast near a school in Sonawar area of Srinagar in 2006 and setting on fire an Auqaf Building at Dadsar, Tral, in 1998, killing of retired Captain Gareeb Singh S/o Khadak Singh R/o Naner, Tral, in 2002, conducting an attack on a BSF party in Kamla Gengal Tral and also firing on Army convoy at Chursoo in which three Army personnel had got injured in July 2006. Officials added that Hanief Khan was also involved in the killing of Farooq Ahmad Dar R/o Panzoo, Tral, on 31.11.06. Khan was also the mastermind of unsuccessful blast planned for 26th of January 2008 at Anantnag. He was also a member of his organisation's Majlis-e-Shoora and was authorised to clear the entry of any militant of his organization from Pakistan into Kashmir valley.

Officials claimed that Hanief Khan's killing was a major setback for Hizbul Mujahideen which had already suffered a series of reverses in Kashmir since last year. They said that Khan's death had created a significant vacuum in Hizbul Mujahideen's leadership in the State.

Reports from Tral said that a number of people today participated in Khan's funeral and shouted pro-Azadi slogans.

Meanwhile, Hizbul Mujahideen "Supreme Commander' Syed Salah-ud-din has described Hanief Khan as one of the most capable and prominent commanders of the organisation. According to a statement from the Hizb Chief spokesman, Ehsan Illahi, Syed Salah-ud-din presided over a meeting in which top functionaries of the organisation paid rich tributes to Hanief Khan and Mussaib-ul-Islam and described them as valiant warriors. Speaking on the occasion, Hizb Chief said that Hanief Khan had a large number of achievements to his credit in the last 15 years of Kashmir's armed struggle. Hizb Chief has immediately appointed Gazi Rafi-ud-din as the organisation's new "Divisional Commander" for south Kashmir.

In a separate statement, Hizb's Kashmir spokesman, Junaid-ul-Islam, also paid tributes to Hanief Khan and his associate and claimed that they too had killed or injured a number of troopers before they died in action. He said that Hanief Khan had left his education in 1990 for taking guerrilla training in Afghanistan. He had been appointed Hizb's "Divisional Commander" for south Kashmir after Suhail Faisal had got killed in an encounter in October 2006.

In yet another statement, spokesman of Lashkar-e-Toiba, Dr Abdullah Gaznavi, also paid rich tributes to Hanief Khan and described him as a great asset not only for Hizbul Mujahideen but also for the entire "freedom struggle" in Jammu and Kashmir. He also asked the Kashmiris to observe February 11th and refresh their pledge to the "freedom struggle" on this day. He described Maqbool Bhat as the pioneer of Kashmir's armed struggle and asked the Kashmiri youth "to do something practical" rather than observing Maqbool Bhat's day as a traditional ritual.

Natwar, Patel among 60 RS members to retire

NEW DELHI, Feb 10: Suspended Congress leader K Natwar Singh and BJP’s rebel leader from Gujarat Keshubhai Patel are expected to swim in the same boat during the biennial elections to the Rajya Sabha in April.

The two leaders are among the 60 retiring members which include Union Ministers Murli Deora, Prithviraj Chavan, Prem Chand Gupta, T Subbirami Reddy, G K Vasan and Suresh Pachouri as also senior Congress leader Motilal Vora.

Natwar Singh, a former External Affairs Minister, has now virtually become a persona non grata for the Congress after the Iraqi food-for-oil scam and has already been suspended from the party and disqualification proceedings initiated.

Patel’s fate appears no different after rubbing Chief Minister Narendra Modi as also the BJP leadership the wrong way during the Assembly polls despite efforts by the party to mollify him.

Now a second term for Patel depends on the magnanimity and the future strategy of Modi who is by all means a long distance runner in politics and has given hints of ‘let bygones be bygones’ after his spectacular victory.

The Election Commission’s announcement on the polls is expected this week.

The elections from Karnataka are likely to delayed as the Assembly has been dissolved and it is unclear when they would be held. The retiring members from the State are Union Minister M V Rajashekaran, former minister Janardhan Poojary, Prema Cariappa (all Congress) and Kingfisher boss Vijay Mallya.

Incidentally, Mallya’s name is doing the rounds for re-nomination as a candidate of Sharad Pawar-led NCP from neighbouring Maharashtra.

The largest number of seven members are retiring from Maharashtra followed by six each from Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, five each from West Bengal and Bihar, four each from Orissa and Gujarat, three from Madhya Pradesh, Assam and Rajasthan and two each from Jharkhand, Haryana, Chhatisgarh.

The members retiring include former Maharashtra Governor P C Alexander and industrialist Rajkumar Dhoot. Union Ministers Deora and Chavan are likely to be re-nominated by the Congress.

From West Bengal, Forward Bloc leader Debabrata Biswas and Dinesh Trivedi of Trinamool Congress are among the retiring members.

Obaidullah Khan Azmi, retiring Congress member from Madhya Pradesh, is already in trouble as he has campaigned for the Samajwadi Party in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls.

Film star-turned-politician Shatrughan Sinha is among the members retiring from Bihar.

Of the six seats falling vacant in Tamil Nadu, four are from AIADMK and one each from DMK and Congress. (PTI)

Samreena recommended for PSA detention
LeT plotting young girls for grenade attacks

By Sanjeev Pargal

JAMMU, Feb 10: Militants of Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) have been wooing young girls to act as militants especially for planting grenades and mobile telephone bombs to kill targeted persons.

This revelation has been made by an active female worker of the LeT outfit, who was recently arrested from Doda town for her close links with LeT divisional commander Shabir Itoo alias Yasir, one of the few most wanted militant in Doda district.

Twenty three year old Samreena, a resident of Doda town, has been recommended for detention under Public Safety Act (PSA) for her "deep involvement" in militancy, official sources said. Samreena was undergoing Dental Assistant training in Doda.

She was arrested in last week of January by Doda police following a specific information that she was working actively for the LeT outfit.

Sources said, during her sustained interrogation, Samreena has disclosed that the militants operating in Doda district especially the LeT cadre was now planning to use females to plant grenades and mobile bombs outside the houses of their targets to kill them as the young girls are less doubted and rarely frisked by security agencies.

Shabir Itoo had delivered a consignment of grenades to Samreena through a courier and asked her to throw a couple of grenades on the house of Tariq Bhagwan, a surrendered militant to eliminate him. However, Samreena refused on the ground that she didn’t know how to remove pins of the grenades.

Samreena, who was closely associated initially with LeT commander Abu Zubair before he was arrested by police and then with Shabir Itoo, said she knew at least half a dozen hide-outs of Itoo which he used to change frequently to avoid getting detected by security forces.

She said the LeT militants were in touch with at least half a dozen girls whom they planned to use for planting explosive devices or lob grenades in the houses of their targets.

Itoo, Samreena confessed in her interrogation, had been proposing her. Samreena had not outrightly rejected the proposal due to threat of the militants. She had been given a costly mobile telephone with a SIM card by Itoo with which she was in constant touch with the militant commander.

The mobile telephone and the SIM card have been seized by police. Data extracted from the SIM card has given police the mobile telephone numbers of some LeT militants as well as their contacts which were being used by the cops to apprehend or eliminate the militants.

Sources said in view of Samreena’s close links with the Lashkar militants, authorities have recommended that she should be detained under the PSA for two years. Presently, she was in police custody.

Though earlier also, several women had been arrested by police for their militant connections especially in Poonch district for transporting weapons, marrying Pakistani ultras and smuggling hawala money, this is for the first time that Samreena had been tasked to lob grenades on the house of a surrendered militant.

Some other girls, according to Samreena’s statement, were being prepared by the LeT outfit to throw or plant grenades and mobile bombs. The girls are rarely frisked or doubted by security forces and police and this made their mobility easier in vulnerable areas, sources said, adding this advantage was being exploited by the LeT to strike on their targets.

3 sportsmen of Pak army held on IB at Suchetgarh

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Feb 10: Security forces today took into custody three sportsmen of Pakistan army’s 19 Punjab unit, headquartered at Sialkot, when they inadvertently strayed into Indian side from border post at Suchetgarh in RS Pura sector.

Official sources said the Pakistan armymen were taken into custody as soon as they crossed over to this side of the international boundary by mistake at about 6 pm.

All three were unarmed.

They have been identified as Nasir Ahmed, Amzad Farooq and Syed Zia-ul-Shah, aged between 24 and 26.

Security personnel whisked away the Pakistan armymen to their Muralian camp where they were subjected to questioning.

It has been observed during questioning of the trio that they had crossed over to this side inadvertently and there was no mischief. However, their questioning continued till late tonight and they hadn’t been handed over to police for registration of case of illegal border crossing, which indicated that security forces might repatriated the armymen during a flag meeting tomorrow.

Except for combined recovery of Rs 17,000 from three armymen, no other documents were found in their possession, sources said.

AEE, doc suspended; 2 booked

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Feb 10: An Assistant Executive Engineer (AEE) and a doctor were today placed under suspension while an FIR was lodged against a Tehsil Supply Officer (TSO) and Junior Agriculture Assistant (JAA) for remaining absconding from their duties during snow disaster.

An official spokesman said that Deputy Commissioner Budgam Farooq Ahmed Renzu has placed AEE of PWD under suspension and ordered his attachment with the Executive Engineer PWD for absconding from his duties during heavy snowfall.

He had reportedly left the station without the permission from the district administration and remained continuously away from the Valley during the last several days.

The Deputy Commissioner also suspended Dr Tafiq Ahmed, who too remained absent from duty.

Meanwhile, Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) Ramban Ajit Kumar Sahu, who is also Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of District Disaster Management Committee has lodged FIR against a Tehsil Supply Officer Saifudin and Junior Agriculture Assistant Sanjay Moza, who instead of manning shelter sheds during snow disaster, left the station without informing seniors.

"The Chairman (Deputy Commissioner) and CEO are empowered under the Disaster Management Act to take action against any official, who unauthorisedly remain absent from the duty during the disasters", Mr Sahu disclosed.

Police official held taking graft

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Feb 10: The State Vigilance Organisation (SVO) today arrested a police official red handed while accepting a gratification of Rs 1000 from a civilian.

Official sources said ASI Manzoor Ahmed, posted in Rainawari police station in Srinagar district, was arrested by a trap team of the SVO soon after he accepted Rs 1000 from a civilian for helping him in a case.

The corruption amount was recovered from the ASI. He was immediately taken into custody in the presence of independent witnesses and shifted to Vigilance police station where a corruption case has been registered against him.

The SVO has informed police authorities about the corrupt practices of the police official.