Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, June 9: Three militants along with their 10 family members returned from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and surrendered before police in Kupwara district.
Police officials said that Mohammad Maqbool Shah, Ashiq Hussain Khawaja and Dilawar Beig had gone to PoK in early 1990s for arms training and returned via Nepal recently. They said Shah had come with his wife and three kids, while Khawaja was accompanied by his wife and five children. Beig who had gone across the Line of Control for arms training in 1993 also returned through Nepal and surrendered before Trehgam police station.
More than 100 youths, who had gone to PoK for arms training during the last two decades, have returned home following the announcement of rehabilitation policy for them by the State Government.

NEW DELHI, June 9: Businessman Abhishek Verma and his Romanian wife, arrested for allegedly receiving money from a Swiss arms firm for keeping it out of the Indian Government’s blacklist, were sent by a Delhi court to the CBI custody for seven days.
“Both the accused are remanded in the CBI custody till June 16,” Special CBI Judge Talwant Singh said.
Verma and his newly-wed Romanian wife, Ancia Neascu, were arrested yesterday by the CBI after registration of a fresh case by the agency against them.
In the new case, Verma has been accused of taking USD 530,000 from Rheinmetall Air Defence AG (RAD) for using his influence to stall the blacklisting proceedings initiated by the Government against it after the Ordnance Factory Board scam had surfaced.
The CBI produced the couple before the special CBI court and sought their custody for 12 days saying the investigation in the case is going on and they need to unearth the entire conspiracy.
Advocate Vijay Aggarwal, appearing for Vermas, opposed the CBI’s remand application saying the agency had searched their premises on June 7 and his clients were in the CBI’s office since yesterday morning.
The counsel said the freedom of his clients has been restrained by the CBI for the last two days and said even the case diary produced before the court is not in a proper manner as contemplated under the Criminal Procedure Code.
He argued that the agency, in its remand application, has said they need custody of both the accused as they are not giving passwords of some of their email-ids.
Aggarwal said, “The CBI’s other ground for seeking remand is that my clients might destroy the vital evidence. I want to say that I (my clients) did not know anything more.
“They want to have my remand for 12 days only to know the passwords of the email ids. The CBI should be more responsible in seeking remand.”
He also said the CBI had illegally seized the passport of Ancia Neascu and she wants to meet the Romanian ambassador here.
On this, the special judge told the counsel to move an application for the same at an appropriate stage.
Opposing the remand application for Neascu, Aggarwal argued that her arrest was illegal as she was taken into custody by a male officer, that too after sunset, that is, at 7.15 pm yesterday.
He said as per the provisions of the CrPC, a woman cannot be arrested after sunset and before sunrise and a female officer should take her into custody.
The case diary too was not paginated and numbered, said the counsel adding that the rights of an accused cannot be taken away due to administrative problem of the CBI.
Aggarwal also accused the CBI of inflicting “third degree torture” to Verma and his wife “to extract their confession and disclose something which they do not know”.
“Both my clients are ready to give statement that whatever they knew about this FIR, they have already told the police. Now nothing remains which require their custody,” he said.
During the arguments, the CBI’s prosecutor V K Sharma told the court that investigation in the case is going on and the case diary is in proper conditions.
The CBI, in its remand application, said they need custody of the accused to confront them with the emails and the documents seized during the investigation. (PTI)

T&D, Mughal road to get priority in PMRP

Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, June 9: The high level delegation of the State Government would seek maximum grant for social, health and tourism sectors from the Planning Commission of India in the annual plan meeting schedule at Yojana Bhawan in New Delhi on June 12.
The delegation, which would be leaving for New Delhi on Monday from Srinagar, a day ahead of the crucial meeting with Planning Commission member B K Chaturvedi, has got briefing from top brass of the Government and the civil administration. It would be asking for maximum grants in the annual plan for 2012-13, for all important sectors like social, health and tourism.
“All other sectors would also be projected appropriately. They too would get required focus for the current financial year, which has already begun on April 1. However, the Government has decided to seek handsome amount under three major sectors’’, official sources told the Excelsior.
The State would be asking for a whopping amount of Rs 2532 crore for Social Services, which included health, Social Welfare and related sectors in which the people were being provided services at subsidized rates or ‘no profit no loss’ basis.
As power sector remained a troublesome zone for the State, the Government would seek nearly Rs 450 crore for power sector under the annual plan and a special grant for it for two to three years to improve Transmission and Distribution (T&D) system.
The delegation would also be seeking an enhanced outlay for tourism sector as tourists to all three regions of the State were expected to touch an all time high this year.
Sources said the Government has been facing financial constraints in health sector in all three regions. Therefore, it has decided to ask for enhanced outlay under the annual plan for health sector, which formed part of Social Services, to improve health services all across the State.
Recently, GB Pant hospital in Srinagar had been in news for deaths of a number of children. Sources said most of the health institutions across the State were facing financial constraints leading to decline in health services. With expected improvement in health sector, the State was confident of improving condition of hospitals and provide better health care facilities to the people.
Similarly, power was another sector, in which the people had been facing a lot of problems, both in Jammu and Kashmir divisions. In the winter, entire Kashmir Valley had faced acute power crisis while in summer, Jammu has been facing prolonged power cuts.
“It was in this context that the State had asked for Rs 455 crore under power sector in annual plan’’, sources said. In addition, they added, the State would be asking for a special power reforms grant for at least three years for complete overhaul of power infrastructure.
The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has already assured a special power grant to the State worth Rs 100 crore this year for special areas of Kashmir and Jammu, which faced acute power crisis during winter and summer months.
The State had staked claim for Rs 7300 crore under annual plan for 2012-13 and Rs 700 crore under PMRP.
In PMRP also, the State would be asking for Rs 195 crore for improving Transmission and Distribution losses. It would also be asking for Rs 105 crore for further construction and development of Mughal road, linking twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch with the Kashmir Valley.
Worthwhile to mention here that the State has been sending an all time largest delegation of about 25 top bureaucrats including all Administrative Secretaries and Heads of Departments in Planning and Finance Departments to seek highest ever plan of Rs 7300 crore for 2012-13 and Rs 700 crore under PMRP besides staking claim for handsome amount under other Centrally Sponsored Schemes.
After June 12 meeting, which would last full days with Administrative Secretaries giving exhaustive presentation to PC member BK Chaturvedi, the State would have “resource level’’ meeting with the Commission in which it would explain its ways and means to fund the plan. It would be followed by the final meeting between Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Finance Minister Abdul Rahim Rather in which annual plan of the State would be clinched.
In June 12 meeting, the State delegation would be headed by Chief Secretary Madhav Lal.
Tuesday’s plan meeting is only second meeting of the State with the Planning Commission of India, the first being as far back as December 15, 2011, which was attended by Administrative Secretaries of Planning and Finance Department only.
Last year, the State had Rs 6600 crore worth annual and Rs 1200 crore under PMRP.

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 9: Six persons were killed and 58 others sustained injuries in three tragic road accidents in Reasi and Udhampur districts today. Seventeen injured persons were, later, referred to Udhampur and Jammu hospitals for specialized treatment.
Police spokesman said that five persons were killed and 20 others sustained injuries, 15 of them severely when a bus bearing registration number JK12-2193 rolled down at Panthal under the jurisdiction of Katra Police Station this evening.
The ill-fated vehicle was on its way from Udhampur to Katra when it met with accident due to the negligence of driver as well as poor condition of road.
On getting information about the road tragedy, a police party led by SHO Katra, Inspector Pardeep Gupta under the direct supervision of Additional SP Katra, Mohan Lal swung into action and reached the spot within shortest possible time.
All the injured occupants of the ill-fated vehicle were rushed to Katra Hospital where five of them were pronounced as brought dead. Later, nine injured passengers were referred to Government Medical College and Hospital, Jammu and six to Army’s Command Hospital at Udhampur for specialized treatment. Their condition was stated to be out of danger when reports last came in.
The deceased have been identified as Vijay Kumar, son of Tara Chand of Katra, Devi Dass, son of Sidhu Ram of Mandi, Himachal Pradesh, Yoginder Kumar, son of Mohan Lal of Doda, Varsha Devi, wife of D P Rajat of Udhampur and Vidhata Rajat, daughter of D P Rajat of Udhampur.
The injured have been identified as Mulkh Raj, son of Ram Saran of Katra, Richa Sharma, wife of Anoop Sharma of Udhampur, Priyanka, wife of Nitin of Udhampur, Julia Devi, wife of Pawan of Madhya Pradesh, Raghav, son of Manish of Udhampur, Komal Devi of Udhampur, Vidhan, son of D P Rajat of Udhampur, D P Rajat, son of Shiv Charan of Udhampur, Akriti, daughter of Nagildar of MP, Lalita, wife of Bansi Lal of Katra, Manju Sharma, wife of Nagender of UP, Raju, son of Sher Singh of Ramnagar, Kaku Ram, son of Bal Krishan of Katra, Kalyani, daughter of Santosh Kumar of Firozabad, Kanya Lal, son of Mool Chand of Jaipur, Hitesh Sharma, son of Anoop Sharma of Udhampur, Abbas, son of Pawan Singh of MP, Surinder Kumar, son of Satish Kumar of Doda, Sham Singh, son of Majji Ram of Panchari and Kailash, wife of Vijay Kumar of Udhampur.
In another accident, one person was killed and four others sustained injuries when an auto-rickshaw bearing registration number JK02AS-5160 turned turtle at Nomian under the jurisdiction of Katra Police Station.
The deceased has been identified as Madhu, daughter of Tara Chand of Sarore, Bari Brahamana.
Meanwhile, 34 persons were injured when a bus, they were traveling in, skidded off the road and fell into a gorge in Udhampur district.
The ill-fated bus bearing registration number JK02S-4781 was on its way from a remote village to Udhampur town when it met with accident at Kardi this evening.
According to the injured passengers, the driver failed to negotiate sharp curve resulting into vehicle turning turtle.
On getting information, a police party rushed to the spot and started rescue operation. All the injured persons were immediately rushed to District Hospital, Udhampur in police and other vehicles. Later, two of them were referred to Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Jammu for specialized treatment.
The injured have been identified as Ramesh Chander, son of Amar Nath of Serwala, Koldi, Bal Krishan, son of Jog Raj of Battal Ballia, Kuldeep Kumar, son of Lofi Ram of Koldi, Sham Lal, son of Dina Nath, Rajesh Kumar, son of Bansi Lal of Mukherjee Bazaar, Anil Dubey, son of Om Parkash of Koldi, Makhnu Devi, wife of Romesh Kumar of Udhampur, Chajju Ram, son of Tinu Ram of Chenani, Pushpa Devi, wife of Vijay Kumar of Kotli Balla, Jula Devi, wife of Suram Chand of Koldi, Subash Chander, son of Dhani Ram of Ramnagar, Jog Raj, son of Faqir Chand of Jib, Bishan Dass, son of Sarnu of Shakti Nagar Udhampur, Benti Devi, wife of Rattan Lal of Udhampur, Paras Ram, son of Anant Ram of Kaldi, Deepak, son of Raj Kumar of Jindrah, Anku, son of Raj Kumar of Jindrah, Nisha Devi, wife of Raj Kumar of Jindrah, Sham Lal, son of Dina Nath, Anju Devi, wife of Raj Kumar, Ashok Singh, son of Bishan Dass, Purshotam, son of Mast Ram, Vidya Devi, wife of Shanker Singh and driver of the vehicle JP Sharma.

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 9: Pradesh Youth Congress (PYC) president Shahnawaz Choudhary said today that full benefits of MG-NREGA scheme were not reaching to the people in Jammu and Kashmir. He said the State Government was required to take strict measures to ensure that the scheme was implemented in full and people in the rural areas were benefitted.
Addressing ‘Jan Chetna Yatra’ at Dak Bungalow Bhaderwah in Doda district, his first after being elected as the PYC (I) president, Choudhary said the Central Government has given some very good schemes for welfare of rural masses including MG-NREGA and Indira Awas Yojana (IAY) etc.
“The schemes should be implemented properly so that their benefits reached to maximum people in the rural areas’’, the first elected president of the PYC (I) said while addressing Youth Congress workers in Bhaderwah, the home town of Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Ghulam Nabi Azad.
Shahnawaz Choudhary, who was accompanied by some of the newly elected office bearers and leaders of the Youth Congress, described MG-NREGA and Indira Awas Yojana as some good schemes given by the UPA Government for welfare of the rural people, which, if implemented properly, would change the whole scenario in rural areas.
“The schemes have made some good progress in Jammu and Kashmir but still a lot more was required to be done on them to give benefits to maximum people’’, he said.
Shahnawaz said road connectivity all across the State especially in Doda belt remained a major problem as it was very low in hilly areas compared to the national average.
He called for empowerment of Panchayats to give more powers to the people in rural areas. He said the time has now come to empower the Panchayats and give them full powers at par with other States. He added that the Panchayats can do a lot for welfare of the rural masses.
Shahnawaz Choudhary, who started ‘Jan Chetna Yatra’ from tourist resort of Patnitop addressed public meetings at Batote, Assar, Drudu, Malnai and Bhalla before reaching Bhaderwah town. He interacted with the youths from all walks of life at various places and assured them full support in addressing their problems.
He said the main motive of his yatra was to aware general public about various schemes and policies of the Central Government including MG-NREGA, Rajiv Gandhi Vidhyut Yojana, Indira Awas Yojana, Maa Tuje Salaam and National Rural Health Mission.
In Bhaderwah, the local youth demanded construction of sports stadium. Shahnawaz assured them that he would take up their demand with the concerned authorities.
Shahnawaz was all praise for Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad for taking special care of the people of the State by announcing various welfare schemes. He said Mr Azad has announced strengthening of infrastructure on health front in the State, which would help a lot to the ailing community. He hoped that Mr Azad would help the State in various other Centrally Sponsored Schemes.

Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, June 9:The State High Court has issued notices to the Government in response to a petition filed by a senior doctor challenging the appointment of Dr Saleemur Rehman as the Director Health Services Kashmir.
The court while issuing notices to the Chief Secretary, Principal Secretary Health and Medical Education and Director Health Services Kashmir, Saleemur Rehman asked them to respond by June 29.
Petitioner, Dr Mohammad Ashraf, has prayed for quashing of Government order No. 409 HME of 2010 dated 05-08-2010 under which Dr Saleem was promoted as In-charge Deputy Director and Government order No. 231-HME of 2011 dated 31-03-2011 under which he was promoted as In-charge Director Health Services Kashmir.
Dr Ashraf has prayed before the court that he should be appointed as Director Health Services Kashmir as per the rules as he claims to have more qualification and expertise in the field than Dr Saleemur Rehman.
Dr Ashraf has worked as senior resident in SKIMS from July 1993 to August 1996, Assistant Surgeon in Hospital Administration in 1997, as B-grade specialist from 1997 to 2002, A-grade specialist from 2005 to 2011. He claims that Dr Saleem has worked as In-charge Assistant Director from 2003 to 2009, confirmed and worked as Assistant Director from 2009.
Dr Ashraf has done MBBS, Post Graduation in General Surgery in 1992 from SKIMS, Post Graduate Diploma in Hospital Management in 2003, post graduate diploma in Maternal and Child Health and KAS in 1999 while Dr Saleem has done MBBS and MPH. Dr Ashraf claims that Dr Saleem’s MPH is a one year certificate course.
The petitioner has challenged the eligibility of Dr Saleem for the post of Deputy Director. The petition says that as per recruitment rules of Jammu and Kashmir Health and Family Welfare 2006 notified vide SRO-260 dated August 14 2006 promotion to the post of Deputy Director can be made from class-III category A, B and C having a degree of MBBS and 5 years administrative experience.
Dr Saleemur Rehman as per the petition was not having the requisite experience as he had only one year and four months experience as Assistant Director at the time of his appointment as Deputy Director.
Dr Ashraf while challenging Dr Saleem’s appointment as Director Health Services Kashmir claims that Dr Saleem was In-charge Deputy Director when he was appointed as Director Health Services Kashmir.

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 9: State High Court has directed the Inspector General of Police to supervise the investigation into the kidnapping of a young girl so that the same was brought to its logical conclusion at the earliest.
The direction was passed in a petition filed by unfortunate father of a young girl seeking directions for expeditious investigation by Bahu-Fort Police. Advocate A M Malik appearing for the petitioner submitted, “the offence under Section 366/109 RPC (kidnapping) is very heinous and as the prosecutrix has not been recovered till date, bail could not have been granted to the kidnapper Tejinder Singh, son of Gurcharan Singh of Ward No 15 Mohalla Sheesh Mahal, Haveli-Poonch”.
“Police is not properly functioning and they have not effectively interrogated the alleged kidnapper”, the counsel for the petitioner said, adding “because of laxity of police, investigation is moving on a snails pace”.
After hearing both the sides, Justice Muzaffar Hussain Attar observed, “when a case for commission of non-bailable offence is registered, the investigating agency has statutory right on the basis of the material before it to arrest the suspect”.
The Court expressed displeasure that from January 2012 till date investigating agency has failed to bring the investigation to its logical conclusion. Accordingly, the Court directed IGP to supervise the investigation.

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 9: A Government Master has been arrested for cheating the youth on the pretext of providing jobs to them in Railways Department.
He has been identified as Yashpal Bhagat, a Master posted in Government Middle School, Raika, Bahu Fort. He hailed from village Prema Chak in RS Pura tehsil.
Reports said the Master had been charging Rs 5 lakh from the youths with the assurance that he would get them recruited in Railways against different posts.
He had also been issuing fake and forged letters to the youths.
He was arrested by a Crime Branch team headed by DySP Mohammad Ibrahim.

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 9: Principal Sessions Judge Samba, RS Jain awarded six years imprisonment and fine of Rs 7000 to two accused in a dowry death case.
According to the police case, in December 2005, one Om Parkash lodged a complaint with the Vijaypur Police that his daughter namely Trishla Devi, wife of Yash Paul died at her in-laws’ house under mysterious circumstances.
The complainant informed the police that Trishla Devi was being harassed by her husband Yash Paul, son of Ram Chand, mother-in-law Kanta Devi and sister-in-law Veena Devi for want of dowry ever since she entered into wed-lock with Yash Paul.
Accordingly, a case was registered in Police Station Vijaypur for offence under Sections 498-A/ 306 RPC and after completion of investigation, challan was presented in the court of law.
After hearing Public Prosecutor Sukh Dev Singh Sambyal whereas Advocate Rajeev Gupta for the accused persons, Principal Sessions Judge Samba, R S Jain convicted Yashpal and awarded him imprisonment of two years and fine of Rs 2000 under Section 498-A RPC. He was also awarded imprisonment for a period of four years and fine of Rs 5000 under Section 306 RPC.
Accused Beena Devi was sentenced to imprisonment for a period of two years and fine of Rs 2000 under Section 498-A RPC and imprisonment of four years and fine of Rs 5000 under Section 306 RPC.