SOPs’ draft circulated to States
NEW DELHI, Apr 30:
Faced with frequent incidents of abduction, the Centre today said if the controversial National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) comes into existence, it would help in the long run to deal with hostage situations in a better way.
Home Minister P Chidambaram said he was not sure whether NCTC would come up or not and if it comes up, then the proposed anti-terror body should be allowed to build capacity and lay out its own standard operating procedures (SOPs) and gain experience.
“Yes, I think in the medium to long term, an NCTC would help us deal with such a situation in a better way,” he said at a press conference here.
He was responding to a question on whether the NCTC would help the Government to deal with hostage situations like the abduction of Sukma District Collector Alex Paul Menon and the two recent hostage situations in Odisha.
Chief Ministers like Odisha’s Naveen Patnaik, Tamil Nadu’s J Jayalalitha, Gujarat’s Narendra Modi, Bihar’s Nitish Kumar and UPA ally and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and others have been opposing the creation of NCTC alleging that the powers to be vested on NCTC would hurt the federal structure of the country and curb states’ powers.
The Centre has convened a meeting of Chief Ministers on May 5 to exclusively discuss the issue of NCTC.
The Home Minister said the draft of the two SOPs for operating the NCTC were circulated to the states would allay many apprehensions of the Chief Ministers who have expressed their concerns.
“I think if the Chief Ministers will read (the SOPs), I believe they will read, much of the doubts will be dissolved and at the (May 5) meeting if they have any suggestion on the SOPs, we are willing to listen those suggestions, incorporate as many as possible,” Chidambaram said.
The Home Minister said the Central Government would make it clear that fighting terrorism was a shared responsibility of both Central as well as the State Governments.
Asked whether the Centre was considering to frame a hostage policy to deal with Maoists, Chidambaram said the Government must think about this when it was not facing an actual hostage situation.
“I think the Home Secretary has sounded out to his counterparts in the states that we should have a hostage policy but that can be taken up only when the current hostage situation (in Chhattisgarh) is resolved,” he said.
The Home Minister said he was in regular touch with Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh while Union Home Secretary R K Singh was in touch with State Chief Secretary and the DGP and the Central Government was fully abreast of the developments.
“I am happy to know that the Collector is safe and the medicines have reached him. We are dealing with them and we have offered them help,” he said.
Chidambaram dismissed the suggestion that it was not coordinating with the State Governments like it does whenever there is a terrorist attack.
“The situation is handled by the State Governments. At the first opportunity, we have told the State Government that we are willing to offer any assistance that they may require. We are available for consultation. It is for the State Government to handle the situation. And if they ask for assistance we are ready to help,” he said.
“If there is an ongoing terrorist attack, the Central Government appears to be more active as it sends forces like it did when Mumbai happened (26/11). In a hostage situation we are active behind the scene. But we can be active otherwise only when State wants any specific help. I don’t think the two are comparable,” Chidambaram said.
Asked whether anti-Naxal operations in Chhattisgarh have slowed down, Chidambaram said, “At least in Odisha and Chhattisgarh anti-naxal operations have slowed down or put on hold pending the resolution of the hostage situation. When there is a hostage situation certainly some things slow down,” he said.
The Home Minister said whenever the central intelligence agencies gather any specific information, they always share it with the concerned State Government or officer concerned about threat but “we are not generally sensitising District Collectors. But we tell the District Collectors, district level officers of the Naxal affected districts to be careful”.
Asked about the proposed amendment in the Border Security Force (BSF) Act, the Home Minister said he had written to the Chief Ministers who did not respond earlier when he asked for comments on the proposal.
“Some Chief Ministers have began to respond. I have explained to them that the Bill does not touch Section 139, which confers powers. That Section is intact, not a word is added to that Section. All that is being done is since the Act restricts the deployment of BSF in border areas and since now we are obliged to deploy in interior districts, we added border areas and some other areas.
“That is the only change the Bill seeks to make. So, we have explained to them in a detailed letter and I expect that the Chief Ministers will respond to that letter. Once the letters come, we will again take up the Bill in the Rajya Sabha,” he said.
During the first part of the Budget Session, the BSF (Amendment) Bill was deferred in the Rajya Sabha after the Opposition and outside supporters of UPA – SP and BSP – flagged some ‘federal issues’ and insisted that the bill be brought after the Chief Ministers’ meeting on internal security.
Asked whether the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) would be withdrawn from some areas in J&K, Chidambaram said consultation process for that was on.
“It was placed before Unified Command in J&K. The Unified Command appointed two committees to look into the matter. They looked into the matter. They have given their reports to the Unified Command.
“The Chief minister of J&K has discussed it with Central Government leaders. It is an ongoing process. I hope that the process will lead us to take a decision,” he said.
On announcement by a US Government official that the American Government has not announced any bounty on LeT founder Hafiz Saeed, Chidambaram said, “US Government has not said it, one official of the US Government has said it. I go by the statement released by the US Government which did offer a sum of 10 million USD to anyone giving information about Hafiz Saeed”.
Asked whether there was a security lapse when Congress chief Sonia Gandhi attended a public function in Karnataka on Saturday, the Home Minister said one person in a large gathering pulling out a black flag and waving it did not amount to a serious security lapse.
“At best it is a minor lapse on part of the policemen or police women who were frisking the members who gathered there. Security breach is something, which threatens the security of the protected person. So I do not think that was a security lapse,” he said.
On talks with the ULFA, the Home Minister said dialogue was making progress and it was not slow.
“It is making progress, not slow. But there is an anti-talk faction. So, those who are participating in the talks are taking great precautions,” he said.
Chidambaram termed the ongoing talks with Naga insurgency groups NSCN (IM) as “very satisfactory”. (PTI)

Excessive use of police force on civilians in Rajouri

Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Apr 30: Government has formally ordered an enquiry into allegations of brute police action on the civilians during tense situation in Rajouri district early last month and assigned the task to Additional Commissioner, Jammu, R K Bhagat with the directions to submit report within a period of 15 days.
The enquiry has been ordered by Law Department vide SRO No.156 to look into the unfortunate incident, which occurred at Rajouri on March 15, 2012 resulting in police action and injuries and damages to the properties of the civilians in the town.
The Additional Commi-ssioner, Jammu, R K Bhagat, who has been appointed as Enquiry Officer, has been asked to enquire into the circumstances leading to police action on March 15 which resulted into injuries and damage to the property of the civilians in Rajouri town. He has also been asked to enquire into the adequacy or otherwise of the force used on the civilians.
“The Enquiry Officer will also fix responsibility wherever excessive force, if any, has been used or where due care has not been taken to avoid such incidents”, official sources said, adding “Mr Bhagat will also suggest measures required to be taken to avert the recurrence of such incidents in future in the Rajouri town”.
They disclosed that Mr Bhagat has set in motion the process to conduct enquiry into the unfortunate incidents and is going to camp at Rajouri on May 3 and 4 from 10 am to 5 pm to get statements of the persons, who have any sort of information regarding the incidents.
“Anybody having any information about the incident or intends to get statements recorded can appear before the Enquiry Officer on these two days”, sources said, adding “the Government has also issued directions to the police as well as civil administration in Rajouri district to furnish whatever details relating to the incidents the Enquiry Officer seeks from them”.
When contacted, Mr Bhagat said, “initially I have decided to camp for two days but if the situation demands I will extend the stay beyond May 4”, adding “I will try to complete the enquiry within the prescribed time-limit but if the need arrises I will make request to the Government for some more time”.
Responding to a question, he said, “this will be an independent probe and will have nothing to do with the investigations already conducted by civil or police administration into the unfortunate incidents”.
An independent enquiry into the alleged use of brute force by police was one of the demands of minorities, which were conceded by the Group of Ministers on March 17.
It was only after the Group of Ministers comprising Minister for Industries, Surjit Singh Slathia, Health Minister, Sham Lal Sharma, Advisors to Chief Minister, Mubarak Gul and Devender Singh Rana and Minister of State for Power, Shabir Khan entered into an agreement with the representatives of minority community that complete normalcy was restored in the town after 10 days long tension.
As per the allegations, the IRP personnel had attacked the houses of minority community, caused injuries to the occupants and damaged their property.

Territorial jurisdiction fixed, 286 polling stns notified
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Apr 30: The Election Commission of India (ECI) today approved the proposal for holding election to four seats of MLCs reserved for Panchayats after 38 years and would be issuing a notification any time this month. The elections would be held either by the end of May or the start of June.
Official sources told the Excelsior that the ECI has sent the approved proposal to Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), B R Sharma, who was also Home Secretary of the State. The proposal had to be revised as the ECI had sought clarifications from the CEO office of J&K on delimitation of the constituencies for holding the elections.
The CEO office of J&K sent a revised proposal to the ECI, which was finally approved today.
“With the approval of proposal, decks have been cleared for holding elections to four seats of MLCs, which were vacant in the Upper House since 1974”, sources said, adding that the election would take strength of Legislative Council to 34 leaving only two vacancies of Urban Local Bodies (ULBs). The Council has a total strength of 36 but presently there were six vacancies.
As per the revised proposal approved by the ECI, Jammu and Kashmir provinces have been earmarked as territorial jurisdiction of two seats each. This means that Sarpanches and Panches of Jammu and Kashmir provinces would elect two MLCs each. The Panchayat members of Ladakh region would vote in Kashmir province.
“Every Sarpanch and Panch would be eligible to cast two votes each within their province i.e. Jammu and Kashmir. Two candidates securing highest number of votes would be elected MLCs from each province”, sources said.
A total of 286 polling stations would be set up for the election in 143 blocks of the State i.e. each block would have two polling stations each. The polling stations would be located in a single building with separate Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). Every Sarpanch and Panch would cast his vote twice in separate EVMs-one each for two candidates.
The elections would be held under the Representation of People’s Act (RPA). Therefore, any person eligible for contesting the election of MLA can join the fray for the post of four MLCs. The Sarpanches and Panches, who would form electoral college for the election, could also contest the election.
The elections would be held on party basis. The Independent candidates can also join the fray in addition to political parties. The four seats would be referred as MLC (J-1) and MLC (J-II) and MLC (K-1) and MLC (K-II) with the word J referring to Jammu province and the word K referring to Kashmir province including Leh and Kargil districts.
In Jammu province 1966 Sarpanches and 13,760 Panches would elect two MLCs while in Kashmir province 2164 Sarpanches and 15,959 Panches would elect an equal number of MLCs.
Divisional Commissioner, Jammu province and Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir province would be appointed as the Returning Officer for both the seats falling in Jammu and Kashmir provinces respectively. Each District Election Officer will be appointed as Assistant Returning Officers for the polling stations/CD blocks falling with the territorial limits of his district. However, in case a CD block falls in more than one district, the District Election Officer having administrative control of more than 50 per cent of Panchayat Halqas falling within that CD block will function as Assistant Returning Officer for that CD block.
There will be two polling stations i.e. one for each MLA constituency for all Panchayat Halqas within that CD block. The polling stations will be set up at the CD block headquarters. As there were 143 CD blocks, 286 polling stations will be set up for the election. All Sarpanches and Panches of one particular block will be required to cast their vote at block headquarters. The maximum number of electorates for one polling station will be 611 at Keller in Kulgam.
The proposal approved by the ECI said: “since territorial constituencies of MLCs, who are to be elected by the members of Panchayats (Sub Section 5 of Section 50 of the State Constitution) can’t be delimited. Therefore, all Sarpanches/Panches of Jammu province and Kashmir province will constitute the electoral college for the two seats earmarked for Jammu province and Kashmir province respectively.”
“Two separate notifications would be issued for the purpose of filling up the four seats. Each notification would cover election to two seats i.e. one seat each from Jammu province and Kashmir province respectively. Separate EVMs will be used. A separate marked copy of the electoral will be prepared for each election. Each elected Sarpanch/Panch would take part in both the elections and cast his/her votes twice”.
The provisions of Sub-Section (4) of Section 21 of the Representation of People’s Act, 1957, dealing with the preparation of electoral rolls for the Council constituencies would apply in the election.
“The electorates shall consist of members of Panchayat and such other bodies, if any, within the limits of constituency as the Governor may by order specify under sub-section (5) of Section 50 of the Constitution. Every member of the Panchayat and of such local body, if any, within a Panchayat’s constituency as referred to in clause (a) shall be entitled to be registered in the electoral roll for that constituency. The Electoral Registration Officer for each Panchayat’s constituency shall maintain in his office in the prescribed manner and form the electoral roll for that constituency corrected up to date”, the sources said.
There are a total of 36 seats in the Upper House. However, present strength of the House was 30 as six seats, four reserved for Panchayats and two for ULBs were vacant.
It was in 1974 that four seats reserved for Panchayats in the Upper House were filled after the elections. After that the seats remained vacant as complete elections to Panchayats were not held. It was in September 2011 that election process for Panchayats was completed after being set into motion in April last year.
Strength of the House prior to 2005 remained confined to 30 as four seats reserved for Panchayats and two for Municipalities (Urban Local Bodies) couldn’t be filled in the absence of elections to both Urban and Rural Local Bodies.
However, two seats of Urban Local bodies were filled in October 2005 as ULB elections were held in January 2005 after a gap of 26 years. PDP’s Nizam-ud-Din Bhat was elected from a seat reserved for Kashmir from the ULBs while Deputy Chairman of Legislative Council and senior Congress leader, Arvinder Singh Micky was elected from Jammu region.
Both these seats have also fallen vacant as Mr Bhat quit membership of the Upper House in 2009 after his election to the Legislative Assembly while Micky’s term expired on September 15.
Elections to the Municipal Corporations and Committees were not held despite being due in January-February 2010.
With the filling up of four seats in the Upper House from the quota of Panchayats shortly, the number of seats in the Upper House would rise to 34 as two seats of ULBs only would remain vacant.

NEW DELHI, Apr 30:
A local court conducting the proceedings in the 2008 cash-for-vote scam case today pulled up Delhi Police for the delay in supplying the transcript of the CD of the sting to the accused persons.
Special judge Sangita Dhingra Sehgal questioned the police for delay in handing over the copy of the transcript to the accused and directed them to supply it by May 8.
The police, however, today supplied a copy of the CD to the accused present in the court.
Meanwhile, former BJP MP and co-accused Faggan Singh Kulaste accused police of flouting the directions of the Supreme Court to trace the source of money used to allegedly bribe some parliamentarians ahead of the 2008 confidence vote in Lok Sabha.
The apex court had last year directed the agency to trace the source of money while refusing to monitor the probe.
“It is unfortunate that Delhi Police has chosen to stop further investigation to find complete trail of money or the real beneficiaries and have failed in their public duty in spite of clear directions of the Supreme Court,” Kulaste’s counsel Anil Soni said in an application moved before the court.
He also alleged that the police “has chosen not to probe or reveal the call details of S P Gupta, Aman Arora and Lovely Singh although co-accused Sohail Hindustani has categorically stated that they were instrumental in introducing/ conversing with senior leaders of the Congress (especially Ahmed Patel) to make a deal to pay BJP ‘venerable’ MPs to vote in favour of the UPA”.
Kulaste also demanded the voice identification of Congress leader Ahmed Patel to trace the source of money, saying, “co-accused Ashok Argal has categorically stated that co-accused Amar Singh had made them talk to Patel on July 22, 2008 before the delivery of Rs 1 crore, over phone.”
Pointing at the man in the yellow shirt as seen in the controversial CD, he said it could be seen that he had actively used his mobile phone to contact Amar Singh from Argal’s house but the police has not tried to trace him.
“If he is not traceable, it can be inferred he is murdered so that trial of money could not be established and the source of money remains a secret forever,” he alleged.
He also said that the “news channel involved in the incident ought to have been inquired into for not airing the video recording immediately”.
The other aspect, he said has deliberately not been investigated by the police is that according to the second charge sheet 19 MPs from various political parties cross-voted in favour of the UPA.
“In such circumstances, it could safely be presumed that trail of money of this case could lead to larger conspiracy of rampant corruption adopted by UPA Government to save itself in the same manner,” he said.
The police has to file its reply on the application on May 10.
On July 22, 2008 some BJP MPs had waved wads of currency notes on the floor of Lok Sabha during the trust vote faced by the UPA-I Government, claiming they were given the money to vote in favour of the Manmohan Singh Government.
Samajwadi Party’s former general secretary Amar Singh, BJP leader L K Advani’s former aide Sudheendra Kulkarni, BJP MP Argal, two ex-party MPs Kulaste and Mahabir Singh Bhagora along with Amar Singh’s former aide Sanjeev Saxena and alleged BJP activist Suhail Hindustani are accused in the case. (PTI)

Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Apr 30: Clearing Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah and his aides—Minister of State for Home, Nasir Aslam Wani and Political Advisor, Devender Singh Rana, of all the charges in the much publicized death of National Conference worker Syed Mohammad Yousaf alias Haji Yousaf, a magisterial probe into the incident has found that he (Yousaf) died due to cardiovascular arrest and not because of any assault by personnel in the Chief Minister’s office or by Police.
“After examining 57 witnesses and making physical examination of hospital, Crime Branch, as well as the Chief Minister’s camp office in Srinagar, I have come to the conclusion that Yousuf died due to cardiovascular arrest without any external/physical assault, force, injury or mischief upon his body or due to negligence of any authority,” Additional District Magistrate Mohammad Akbar Ganaie said in his 41-page report.
“The deceased on the morning of September 30, 2011, was even walking as he was seen by witnesses and going to the bathroom as well which shows that he was normal”, the report said, adding “the allegations leveled in the media about the deceased are not based on facts, as whatever they have stated is only out of imagination or some motivation”.
It is pertinent to mention here that media had carried stories mentioning that personnel in the Chief Minister’s camp office could have assaulted Haji Yousaf that could have led to the death of the National Conference worker. In order to bring facts before the public, the State Government had ordered a magisterial inquiry under Section 176 CrPC and Ganaie was appointed Inquiry Officer.
“The cause of Haji Yousaf’s death on September 30, 2011, at about 9:45 am in police hospital, Srinagar is a natural death due to heart attack and not an act of any other person from Chief Minister’s camp office or Crime Branch Headquarters or from Police Hospital,” Ganaie further said, adding his findings are supported by the post-mortem report and other medical reports besides oral and documentary evidences available with him.
“These conclude positively to the fact that the deceased died due to myocardial infarction (heart attack),” he said, adding “any kind of misbehaviour or torture is a distant dream as during the stay at Chief Minister’s camp office, the deceased was not alone for a single minute and during that time Omar was having various engagements with different persons from a BBC crew to heads of civil society”.
The report further said, “they would have found some foul (play) as the meeting hall (where the CM met Yousuf) is a small one and has adjoining waiting room where other persons wait for their turn to meet the Chief Minister”, adding “it is relevant that the CM was with the deceased for just 10 minutes in the presence of Muhammad Yousuf Bhat and Abdul Salam Reshi as well as Minister of State for Home, Nasir Aslam Wani in a hall when there were security personnel and private persons around whose statements were recorded, but none of them has deposed about any overt or physical assault on the body of the deceased during the time he was with Omar Abdullah”.
Describing the sequence of events based on the examination of the witnesses and evidence on record, the report said, “Yousuf, Reshi and Bhat met the Chief Minister, who asked about the transactions of money between the deceased and the other two National Conference workers”, adding “to this, Yousuf had confessed to the CM that he had received the amount from Bhat but had not been able to pay him back till date”.
“This had come perhaps as a surprise to the Chief Minister and accordingly he directed Yousuf to pay back the amount within shortest time possible or otherwise the Chief Minister will send this case to Crime Branch,” the report further said, adding “on this, Yousaf informed the Chief Minister that it was not possible for him to arrange the huge money at short notice and he needed more time”.
“At this point, the Chief Minister directed the MoS Home to have the matter verified by the Crime Branch, who in turn called on IGP Crime to inquire into the matter and take action as per law. Accordingly, IGP Crime took away not only Yousuf with him but the other two also to Crime Branch headquarters,” the report maintained.
It said the various medical tests conducted on Yousuf during his stay at the Police Hospital were normal and his stomach pain had also been treated by the doctors. “He had no complaint when he was examined (by doctors) at 8.30 pm, 12.00 pm, 2 am or 8.30 am. Cardiac arrests are common in the society and it happens instantaneously before required medical treatment can be provided…As has happened in the present case”, the report added.
Besides Chief Minister and his aides, the magisterial probe has also exonerated the police hospital authorities and Crime Branch official of any Medical negligence while Yousaf was in custody. “It can be safely said that there was no medical negligence”, the report said.

MUMBAI, Apr 30:
Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan and 13 others have been slapped with a money laundering case by the Enforcement Directorate(ED) for their alleged involvement in the Adarsh housing scam.
“An ECIR (Enforcement Case Information Report) has been registered under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) on March 5 against 14 persons. The 14 persons are the same who have been named as accused by CBI in their FIR,” senior counsel R V Desai appearing for ED told the Bombay High Court today.
A division bench of Justices S A Bobade and Mridula Bhatkar were hearing a bunch of petitions filed by social activists Pravin Wategaonkar and Simpreet Singh seeking ED to register case and for High Court to supervise the investigations of CBI and ED.
“The accused persons got clearances to construct Adarsh illegally and obtained flats at a very low price compared to market value. The accused projected tainted property as untainted. Prima facie it constitutes offence under section 3 of PMLA,” the ECIR states.
The High Court took the ED to task for the way it has dealt with the case.
“In December last year the court had asked ED to make a statement on applicability on provisions of PMLA. But even today the agency is not able to make a conclusive statement on PMLA,” Justice Bobade said.
“You (ED) say investigation has been initiated with registration of ECIR. So you must be having some material before you at this stage. On the basis of that material you should be able to make statement on when you will register an FIR in the case and when you will arrest the accused persons,” the bench said.
Desai told the court that the agency needs to find out if the accused persons had procured flats in the Adarsh society through funds which were proceeds of crime.
“We are awaiting CBI to complete its investigation and submit its charge sheet. ED will then take a decision on registration of FIR and arrest of accused,” Desai said.
CBI informed the court that it would complete its probe by June 15 and file its charge sheet thereafter. The court has adjourned the matter till June 18.
The ED had earlier issued summons to the members of the Society directing them to furnish information regarding purchase of flats in the 31-storey housing society in south Mumbai and mode of payment.
Those arrested include Society’s secretary R C Thakur, retired brigadier M M Wanchoo, former Congress MLC Kanhaiyalal Gidwani and Pradeep Vyas, former Mumbai Collector.
The CBI, which registered a case in January last year against 14 people, has so far arrested nine persons including IAS officers Jairaj Phatak and Ramanand Tiwari, retired Major Generals A R Kumar and T K Kaul and P V Deshmukh, a former Deputy Secretary in the Urban department.
The remaining five accused are Chavan, former Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister Subhash Lala, retired Col T K Sinha, retired Brigadier P K Rampal and retired Deputy GOC R C Sharma.
Meanwhile, Army Chief Gen V K Singh today said the land in south Mumbai on which the scam-tainted Adarsh Cooperative Housing Society stands belonged to the Army.
He also said the judicial commission, which has drawn a contrary conclusion, was not “a court”. “Commission ko koi manyata nahi hai (The commission has no standing)…That had been appointed by the State, for its own information. So, we need not take its finding seriously,” he said.
“Orders to demolish the structure (building) have already been given…Now the onus is on you (media) to ensure that the building is demolished,” Gen Singh said during an interaction with the reporters after a book release function here.
“The judicial commission has also said that it was not giving a judgment, it was merely a fact-finding report. Whatever documents we had given had not been considered seriously…,” Singh said, in reply to a question.
The Adarsh controversy had erupted with newspaper reports, which alleged that the land belonging to the Defence Ministry had been given away by the State for the Society where top bureaucrats and politicians had got themselves flats.
But on April 18, the two-member judicial commission appointed by the State Government to probe the Adarsh scam said in an interim report that the land belonged to Maharashtra Government and was not reserved for Kargil war martyrs’ kin, as claimed by Army officials.
The Commission, headed by former High Court Judge J A Patil, said MoD had failed to prove its ownership.
Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan is one of the 14 accused in the case, being probed by the CBI. (PTI)

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 30: Mount-ainous areas of Doda and Kishtwar districts of Jammu region today experienced unseasonal snowfall triggering further cold wave conditions.
There was snowfall in areas of Kansar, Malani, Katyara, Puneja, Nalthi, Bamlakhi, Thannala, Nagni Mata, Subar, Dhar, Mathala, Sharakhi and Bheja in Bhaderwah belt of mountainous Doda and Kishtwar districts early this morning, officials said.
Mountain-locked Bhaderwah, popularly known as “Chhota Kashmir”, also experienced unseasonal snowfall in the town early this morning, the officials said.
Due to the unseasonal snowfall, horticulture, sericulture and agriculture sectors have been hit as it is the flowering season of fruit-bearing trees and other agricultural and sericultural produce, they said.
The cold wave conditions are also sweeping in the plains of Jammu, Kathua, Udhampur, Samba and other areas as daily evening rains have become a constant weather feature during the past one week. (PTI)

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 30: A team of four doctors attending upon Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy and National Conference president Dr Farooq Abdullah in the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi today ruled out any heart problem to him saying he was suffering only from lung infection.
The doctors framed their opinion after examining reports of the investigations conducted upon Dr Abdullah including ECHO and Fluid tests on second day of his admission. They described condition of Dr Abdullah as “fine and comfortable”.
The doctors said the lung infection appeared to have been developed during eights days of pneumonic and chest infection to Dr Farooq for which he had remained admitted in the AIIMS earlier.
“Farooq is stable and fine. He had normal meals and comfortable sleep. He is under investigation for further treatment. However, reports of his all tests were alright”, the doctors said.
Dr Abdullah was admitted in Cardio-Neuro Centre of the AIIMS yesterday with Pleural Effusion of Lungs and mild pericardial effusion.

LONDON, Apr 30:
Britain today asked Pakistan to take action against militant groups in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and sought an end to “all external support” for violence in Jammu and Kashmir.
In its annual report on the issue of human rights, titled ‘Human Rights and Democracy’, the Foreign Office said levels of reported violence in Jammu and Kashmir had been declining since 2008, but noted that Indian authorities reported continued infiltration across the Line of Control.
The report, released by Foreign Secretary William Hague, said: “We called for an end to all external support for violence in Kashmir. We continue to urge the Government of Pakistan to take action against the presence and activities of militant groups in Pakistan-administered Kashmir”.
“Levels of reported militant violence in Indian-administered Kashmir have been declining since 2008, but Indian authorities report continued infiltration across the Line of Control,” it added.
Officials in the British High Commissions in New Delhi and Islamabad regularly discussed the situation with the Indian and Pakistani Governments, “and with our contacts in Indian and Pakistan-administered Kashmir”.
“We continue to encourage India and Pakistan to seek a lasting resolution that takes into account the wishes of the Kashmiri people”, the report said.
During 2011, the report said that the British High Commission funded an innovative information and communications technology project with the aim of improving coordination and communication between those agencies dealing with the prevention, rescue and rehabilitation of women and children who are victims of trafficking.
“The project has been directly responsible for the rescue of a number of trafficking victims, and the new system is being used by various Indian authorities and civil society,” the report added. (PTI)

NEW DELHI, Apr 30:
The Supreme Court will pronounce on Tuesday its verdict on whether Army personnel allegedly involved in the killing of 7 persons in an alleged staged shootout at Pathribal in J&K 12 years ago could be prosecuted without prior sanction from the Government.
A bench of justices B S Chauhan and Swatanter Kumar will pronounce the verdict at 10.30 am which was reserved by it on April 23.
While concluding their arguments, Additional Solicitor General Harin Raval and senior counsel Ashok Bhan, appearing for CBI, had reiterated that Army personnel in the alleged fake encounter have no immunity from prosecution.
CBI earlier had told the special bench of justices B S Chauhan and Swatanter Kumar that it was a case of “cold-blooded murder and the accused officials deserve to be meted out exemplary punishment.”
CBI had contended no prior sanction was required for prosecuting the Army officials and the need to ensure “public confidence in the rule of law and dispensation of justice” warranted their prosecution.
“Our investigations have revealed it was a fake encounter and cold-blooded murders. If public confidence in the rule of law and dispensation of justices is to be sustained, the accused officers deserve to be meted out exemplary punishment,” Bhan had told the bench.
Bhan’s submission was contrary to the stand taken by Additional Solicitor General P P Malhotra, who, appearing for the Army officers, said prior sanction was mandatory for prosecuting the officials who otherwise are innocent.
The Defence Ministry and CBI have differed on the immunity enjoyed by the Army under the controversial AFSPA (Armed Forces Special Powers Act) and other regular laws in encounter killings.
CBI had maintained the expression used in Section 6 of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, which gives immunity to Army personnel for encounters killings, is not available to the accused officers in the present case.
Additional Solicitor General P P Malhotra, on behalf of the Centre, had denied the allegations of fake encounter and argued they enjoyed protection in discharge of their official functions.
CBI had earlier moved an application for vacating the stay granted by the apex court on the trial relating to the killings of 7 persons by the Army allegedly in retaliation to the killing of 36 civilians by militants at Chattisingpora in 2000.
According to CBI, though the right to immunity under 197 CrPC was available to the officers, in the present case it has not been sought by the accused but by senior Defence Ministry officers, which was contrary to the law. (PTI)