Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 31: Fourteen passengers were injured, when the tempo traveler they were traveling in skidded off the road and turned turtle at Shiva in district Doda.
The ill-fated vehicle was on its way to Doda from Shiva, when the driver lost control over the steering and the vehicle turned turtle near Shiva, causing injuries to 14 passengers. The accident took place due to negligent driving by the driver.
On getting information, police and locals rushed to the spot and shifted the injured to District Hospital Doda, where their condition was stated to be stable.
The injured have been identified as Rukaya Begum, wife of Riaz Ahmed, Sharief Begum, wife of Kher Din, Ruhi Jaan, wife of Mohammad Ashraf, Ashiq Hussain, son of Sher Din, Khateja, daughter of Riaz Ahmed Wani and Riaz Ahmed, son of Katoob Din, all residents of Shiva, Mohammad Farooq, son of Mohammad Sikander of Bohrlu Bhaderwah, Farooq Ahmed, son of Nazir Ahmed, Syeda Begum, wife of Farooq Ahmed and Umar Farooq, son of Nazir Ahmed, trio residents of Sarsi Trown and Parveena Beig, wife of Farooq Ahmed of Pranoo.
A case under relevant Sections has been registered at concerned police station and investigation started.
Tempo traveler turns turtle, 14 passengers injured
Procession taken out against sacrilegious act
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 31: Dogra Front and Shiv Sena today took out a procession in protest of the sacrilegious act held in Basholi tehsil of Kathua district and demanded the Government to hold an NIA enquiry into the matter.
Addressing the activists of Dogra Front and Shiv Sena, Gupta appealed both the communities to maintain peace and not to get swayed by provocative propaganda of mischievous elements, whose objective is to create communal tension in the State ahead of Assembly elections.
He also appealed the police authorities to apprehend the culprits involved in sacrilegious act and take stern action against them.
Alleging that the smuggling menace has reached an alarming situation, Gupta said that this is the only reason that despite ban in State the slaughtering of cows is at peak.
“It has become the routine of miscreants to play with the sentiments of Hindus, now and then. If such type of incidence continued, Shiv Sena and Dogra Front would take no time to punish the miscreants of its own”, he added.
He also appealed the administration to cancel the permits of trucks, which are repeatedly caught in smuggling of bovines.
NMC urges Union Govt to include Jammu city in 100 smart cities
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 31: National Mazdoor Conference (NMC) has urged the Central Government to include Jammu city in the proposed 100 smart cities, which was announced by it recently.
Addressing a well attended rally of NMC workers at Jhiri in Marh block of Jammu district, NMC president, Subhash Shastri pointed out that including Jammu city in the list of 100 smart cities of the country would ensure more flow of funds to upgrade modernized civic amenities in the City of Temples.
Shastri said he has already sent three memorandums in support of this demand to Prime Minister, Finance Minister and Minister of State (PMO) recently.
He said the Union Government should concede the aspirations of more than 16 lakh people residing in Jammu city at the earliest by including the city in the proposed list of 100 smart cities. Since the cost of living has increased in Jammu City early inclusion of the city in 100 smart cities would benefit the salaried class with enhanced HRA and CCA.
He also demanded early release of 7% DA due from July in favour of both Central and State Government employees as well as pensioners.
Bear injures woman
Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, July 31: A bear attacked and injured Zaveera Begum, 50 wife of Mohammad Hussain Khan resident of Kukapora, Bandipora at village Kukapora.
She was shifted to District Hospital Bandipora for treatment.
I will write my own book: Sonia after row over Natwar Singh’s comments
NEW DELHI, July 31:
With former External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh creating a row with his comments about Sonia Gandhi, the Congress President today said that she will come out with her own book, which will reveal the “truth”.
“I will write my own book and then you will come to know everything…The only way truth will come out is if I write…I am serious about it and I will be writing,” she told reporters in Parliament House.
Gandhi was reacting to a question about the row triggered by the autobiography of Natwar Singh, which, he says, has given details about the reasons for her refusal to take up the Prime Minister’s post in 2004.
Insisting that she was not hurt, Gandhi said that she had seen worse things like her husband Rajiv Gandhi being assassinated and her mother-in law Indira Gandhi riddled with bullets.
“I am far from getting hurt from these things. These things do not affect me,” she said.
Singh had claimed that it was not Sonia’s “inner voice” that prevented her from taking up the Prime Minister’s post, as she had stated at that time but the opposition from her son Rahul Gandhi who was afraid she would be killed like his father and grand mother if she accepted the post.
Singh (83), an estranged Gandhi family friend, had quit the Congress in 2008 after he had to resign from the UPA-I Government in 2005 in the wake of the Iraqi food-for-oil scam.
The book titled “One Life is Not Enough: An Autobiography” is due to be released soon.
Singh also endorsed the claim of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s media adviser Sanjaya Baru that important government files were taken to Sonia by Pulok Chatterjee, who was in PMO, saying any question of protest over this did not arise as she was the “foremost” leader.
Congress had yesterday slammed Singh over the remarks alleging that they were aimed at shoring up the sales of his new book and wer politically motivated. (PTI)
Illicit liquor recovered
Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, July 31: Kulgam police recovered large quantity of illicit liquor including alcohol bottles and pouches at Toll Post Qazigund in South Kashmir’s Kulgam district.
Police said that on Wednesday evenings, they intercepted a suspicious person Bilal Chopan son of Ghulam Nabi of Devalgam who had entered in a Dhabha near Tool post Qazigund. During his search large quantity of illicit liquor including alcohol bottles, 14 Tins and 18 pouches were recovered from his possession.
A case FIR no. 198/014 was registered against him and investigation has been started.
Pvt security guard shot at
Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, July 31: A retired Border Security Force soldier and a private security guard at a Government hospital was injured critically when militants shot him at point blank range at Kaksari area in Srinagar this afternoon.
Police said that militants opened fire from point blank range upon the former BSF personnel near Government Dental College Srinagar when he was purchasing medicine.
The former soldier received two bullets in his neck and has been identified as Nazir Ahmad Shah of Maidan Poran Lolab Kupwara. He was immediately admitted in the SMHS Hospital for treatment where his condition is said to be critical.
Nazir retired from BSF early this year and had joined a private security firm as an officer. He was posted as In-charge Officer of the security at SMHS hospital.
Soon after the attack, police and CRPF cordoned off the area and launched massive hunt to nab the attackers.
Chief Justice bereaved
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 31: Kaushalya Devi, mother of Chief Justice of Jammu and Kashmir High Court, passed away this morning after a brief illness.
Kaushalya Devi, 85, was under treatment in the Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), Soura, Srinagar during the past 10 days and she breathed her last this morning.
Her body was taken to her native place Sangrur in Punjab and last rites would be performed tomorrow morning.
She is survived by six sons including Chief Justice of J&K High Court, Justice M M Kumar and two daughters.
Meanwhile, Governor N N Vohra and Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah mourned the demise of Justice Kumar’s mother.
Governor spoke to Justice Kumar to convey condolences to him and all members of his family and prayed for the departed soul resting in eternal peace.
Chief Minister visited Justice Kumar’s residence and expressed his sympathy and prayed for the peace to the departed soul.
Jammu and Kashmir High Court Bar Association, Jammu, in a meeting held under the chairmanship of its president M K Bhardwah, also condoled the demise of Chief Justice’s mother and prayed to the Almighty God to bestow peace on the departed soul and give courage and strength to the bereaved family to bear this irreparable loss.
IGP Railways reviews security arrangements
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 31: In view of forthcoming Independence Day, Inspector General of Police (IGP), Railways, Mohammad Sulaiman Salaria reviewed the security arrangements at Samba, Hiranagar and Ghagwal Railway Stations today.
IGP was accompanied by SSP Railways Shiv Kumar Sharma and SDPO Vijaypur Surinder Sharma.
During the meeting the participants reiterated that in view of the constant flow of intelligence inputs from sister agencies from time to time there is need to remain extra vigilant and alert in their respective jurisdictions.
Necessary directions were given to the officers to develop close and cordial relations amongst various agencies involved in the security of the Railway track, Railway Stations and railway property.
1 dies, 6 injured in road accidents
Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, July 31: One person died while six others were injured in different road accidents across the Valley.
A police spokesperson said that a Xylo vehicle JK01P-3509 hit and injured a pedestrian Irfan Ahmad Sheikh son of Ghulam Hassan of Chougam near Army camp in South Kashmir’s Shopian district.
The injured was shifted to District Hospital Shopian for treatment where he succumbed to his injuries. The body was handed over to his legal heirs for last rites.
Meanwhile, a vehicle JK01R-8913 hit and injured a pedestrian Hanan Qayoom Shah son of Abdul Qayoom of Abi Guzar near Abi Guzar Bund, Srinagar. He was shifted to SMHS Srinagar for treatment. Police has registered a case in this regard.
In another accident, two motor cycles bearing registration numbers JK03A-0296 and JK05-8077 collided at Kani Bathi Kenoosu, Bandipora, resulting in injuries to three persons. All the injured were shifted to SKIMS Soura, Srinagar for treatment.
In another road accident, a van bearing registration number JK01B-0223 collided with a motorcycle bearing registration number JK13A- 5457 at Nagbal, Pakherpora, resulting in injuries to the motorcyclist Irfan Ahmad Dar son of Nazir Ahmad Dar of Drabgam, Pulwama. The injured was shifted to Bone and Joints hospital Srinagar for treatment. Police has registered a case in this regard.
A vehicle JK09-3693 hit and injured a pedestrian Abdul Aziz Khan son of Akbar Khan resident of Awoora at Maqam Awoora, Trehgam in Kupwara district. He was shifted to District Hospital Kupwara for treatment.