SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Police on Sunday arrested a militant associate and recovered an Improvised Explosive Device(IED) from his disclosure in Pulwama district, officials said.
In a tweet, Kashmir Zone Police said that the arrested person was a resident of Arigam.
“Pulwama Police averted a major tragedy by apprehending a terror associate Ishfaq Ahmed Wani R/O Arigam Pulwama and recovering an IED (approx 5-6Kgs) on his disclosure. Case registered and investigation started,” it said.
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#Militant #Associate #Arrested #IED #Major #Tragedy #Averted #Police( With inputs from : kashmirlife.net )
Drug abuse is already an epidemic. Earlier the drug abusers used to die silent death by overdose. Now, the resource-deficit addicts have started turning against their own relations, reports Raashid Andrabi
With the hospitals getting an unprecedented number of addicts, some with overdose, a new pandemic is in progress in Kashmir. KL Illustraition: Malik Kaisar
That the instant and unexplained deaths of young men could be the outcome of a drug overdose is the old story. The new story is more tragic. Desperate to have drugs and the means to manage the costs can push the addicts to kill their own family members, even the closest relations.
Kashmir has actually landed into a state of fear and disbelief, as a series of heinous crimes rocked the Vale. In a spate of horrific incidents, family members turned on each other. The tragedy is that a son was held responsible for killing his mother.
Data that the government has put in the public domain suggest nearly 10 lakh people in Jammu and Kashmir are victims of drug abuse. Cannabis addiction affects at least 1.44 lakh drug abusers, while opioid addiction is prevalent among 5.34 lakh men and 8,000 women, and sedative addiction among 1.6 lakh men and 8,000 women. Experts believe that these figures could be much lower than the actual numbers, as many drug users are hesitant to seek medical care or open up about their addiction due to fear of social ostracism.
Despite efforts to combat the epidemic, the problem seems to be getting worse. In 2022, a report by the National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre of AIIMS estimated the total number of drug abusers in Jammu and Kashmir at over 6 lakh, placing the erstwhile State fifth in the country among all States and Union Territories. Another study, conducted in December 2022, ranked Kashmir second among the States and Union Territories in the country for drug abuse, ahead of Punjab.
The impact of drug addiction is evident across the region, with reports of violence, crime, and broken families. The recent spate of homicides has only served to highlight the devastating consequences of this epidemic. Families are torn apart, and communities are left in fear and disbelief, as the people of Kashmir struggle to come to terms with the reality of the situation.
Ashmuqam Murders
The air was thick with tension as the news of the heinous crime spread like wildfire through the narrow alleys of Anantnag. Javaid Ahmad Rather, a successful baker, had committed an unforgivable act of violence against his own family and neighbours.
Ashmuqam: The shrine area.
On a chilly Friday morning in December 2022, the small town of Ashmuqam was abuzz with rumours of an incident involving one of its residents. Rather, a man known for his excessive drinking and drug use had apparently lost his sanity under the influence of a faith healer. The news quickly spread like wildfire, and people started to speculate about what could have possibly driven him to such madness.
Some claimed that the faith healer had given him powerful drugs, while others believed that he had cast a spell on him.
Rather’s father vehemently denied these accusations, insisting that his son was not a drug addict or a drunkard. He spoke of Rather’s success as a businessman, with three traditional bakery shops in Pahalgam that were managed by ten people. However, there was no denying the horror of what had occurred.
Rather’s father had just returned from Pahalgam, where he had gone to bring his son back home. Rather’s father claimed that the faith healer had asked them to sacrifice a sheep, but he did not know what had made his son lose control.
It started with Rather hitting his father on the head, sending him reeling to the ground. Rather then took his mother, Hafiza Begum, on the pretext of visiting a shrine. But instead of seeking blessings, he attacked her with a cane, causing her to die on the spot. The blood-curdling screams of Rather’s mother echoed through the quiet streets, alerting the neighbours who rushed to help.
But the horror had only just begun. Rather, now completely out of control, began targeting everyone in the area. Mohammad Amin Shah and Ghulam Nabi Khadim, two of Rather’s neighbours, were caught in his path of destruction and were brutally killed.
As the town’s gossip mill went into overdrive, the local police were called in to investigate the incident. They managed to apprehend Rather, but not before he had injured six other people. Shockingly, it was later revealed that Rather had been detained by the police just a day before the incident when he was seen roaming naked in the market carrying a bottle of liquor.
A Mother’s Murder
Anantnag’s Kehribal village was plunged into darkness when a shocking incident came to light. In what can only be described as a heinous crime, a 45-year-old woman named Razia Akther was brutally murdered by her own son and his accomplice, all for the sake of money. The victim Razia was hit on the head with a stone by her own son, Aaqib, and his accomplice Adil. The duo had allegedly hatched a conspiracy to steal money from Razia, but it ended up in a brutal murder.
The initial incident was thought to be an accidental fall from a concrete slab, but police investigations revealed that it was indeed a murder.
On October 21, details revealed police recovered the body of Razia and rushed her to GMC Anantnag for treatment, but the doctors declared her brought dead. The prolonged matrimonial dispute and various allegations and counter-allegations in societal circles made the police suspect foul play. They initiated proceedings under section 174 CRPC and took the body into possession for medico-legal formalities.
In a quick follow-up to the murder, it was Aqib, the son, holding the microphone and telling on camera the details of how his grandparents actually killed his mother. With emotional outbursts, he had successfully managed to hoodwink society.
As the cops started investigating the case, the cat was out of the bag. Police found Aqib and Adil responsible for the murder. They had hatched a criminal conspiracy to snatch money from the deceased. As she refused to yield, Aqib smashed his mother and punched her. Later, they tried to portray the murder as an accidental death and even created a fake crime scene.
Both accused fled away from the spot along with the snatched money. They even got the victim admitted to the hospital with the assistance of other family members. However, during further investigation, a disclosure memo was prepared, and the weapon of offence was recovered. An FIR has been registered under relevant sections of IPC.
The Sopore Shocker
The Sopore town was jolted by a horrific incident on a chilly March morning.
On March 30, Showkat Ahmad Ganai, a 32-year-old resident of Dangerpora village in Sopore, reportedly strangled his 70-year-old mother, Aisha Begum. A son, consumed by the dark grip of drug addiction, committed the ultimate betrayal by snuffing out the life of his own mother. The community is reeling from the shock of yet another senseless murder, which has left many questioning the corrosive impact of drugs on society and the lengths to which addiction can drive a person to commit the most heinous of crimes.
Sopore: An aerial view. It is the bridge that connects the two parts of Sopore. Image: Junaid Bhat
Speaking to the media, Showkat’s devastated sister said the family had always tried to steer Showkat away from his wrongdoings and get him on the right track. They had even scolded him when he was heading in the wrong direction, but in recent times, he had turned his life around, working hard and earning a good livelihood.
Showkat’s sister is still in disbelief about what could have happened to him and that he would resort to killing his own mother. She said that her brother had been very humble towards everyone around him, and everything seemed to be going fine until this incident occurred.
The killer’s sister is also grappling with the shock and cannot come to terms with what has happened. She expressed her wish that the police should catch Showkat and bring him to face justice. She went on to say that she wants to see him hanged in front of her, as that is the only justice that she can think of.
Larger Impact
With drug abuse as rampant as an epidemic, according to the police, a lot of crimes could be attributed to the addicts, who are always cash-starved. With some of them turning towards their family members, there is a possibility that they can kill others too.
While the authorities have been taking action against the suppliers – mostly the retailers, and making arrests on a daily basis, there is a requirement for snapping the supply chain. Officials have been consistently saying that the supplies are sourced from across the Line of Control (LoC) and various gangs including members of the security grid, have been arrested. However, the drug bazaar is still making a lot of money and on a daily basis; hundreds of families are getting devastated. Can Kashmir’s efficient security grid trace and squeeze the tracks that keep the drug supplies on?
(Photographs used in this report are representational and not linked, directly or indirectly, to the incidents mentioned in the report.)
Remains of the ill-fated army truck that went up in flames after suspected militants attacked it in Bhata Dhurian area in Mendhar (Poonch) on April 20, 2023. Six soldiers were killed and one survived injured.
Jammu and Kashmir Police have detained six persons after questioning nearly 200 people in Poonch following April 22, attack on an army vehicle in which five soldiers were killed. The operation involving various security agencies in the Bhata Durian belt is still in progress. The agencies investigating the attack have narrowed their focus on two militant handlers based in Pakistan, Rafiq Nai and Habibullah Malik, who are believed to have played a key role in the attack. Both men were designated as militants by the Indian government last year, and their involvement in the recent attack underscores the ongoing threat posed by militants operating from across the border in Pakistan.
Asserting that the attack was carried out with active local support, Dilbagh Singh, the Police Chief said a native, Nasir Ahmad has provided shelter and logistics to attackers. The massive crackdown has triggered outrage after Mukhtar Hussain Shah, a resident of Nar (Mendhar) consumed poison and died by suicide over alleged harassment and torture. Before committing suicide, he had recorded a video.
Singh said the attackers were supplied arms through drones. Three persons formally arrested include Gursi residents- Nissar Ahmad, Farid Ahmad, and Mushtaq. The Poonch Rajouri region is emerging as a challenge. Only six army men were killed in militancy violence in Kashmir since October 2021 as against 21 in Poonch and Rajouri districts during the same period.
School Education Department has directed private schools operating from Government land to admit 25 per cent of their students from weaker sections of society.
KUPWARA
A Kashmiri Imam, who led taraveh prayers during Ramzan 2023, was gifted an Umarh package by the village in north Kashmir.
For Muslims within and outside Kashmir, Ramzan, the Muslim month of fasting, is the era for protracted prayers, charity, and self-introspection. Most of the mosques ensure they have a Hafiz-e-Quran who will lead them in Taraweh prayers and once the month concludes these Imam’s are honoured. Residents of Mareed Mohalla in Kupwara thought out-of-box. Instead of paying him in cash or gifting him worldly valuables, they recognised Maulana Bilal Ahmad Nadvi’s contribution by sending him on Umrah. This was a surprise to the Imam, too. This first-of-its-kind gesture has the potential of becoming the new fashion statement of the faithful, naysayers say.
The government is providing land free of charge in favour of BSNL for saturation of 4G mobile services in all the 303 uncovered villages across Jammu and Kashmir.
HANDWARA
Police arrested a couple in Handwara on April 25, 2023, for running a prostitution racket. Photo:JKP
In yet another shocking event, the Jammu and Kashmir Police uncovered a prostitution ring in the Reshipora, Kupwara. Police said they conducted a raid on a house leading to the arrest of Shabir Ahmad War, his wife and three more people. This is the fourth such scandal in the last few weeks that has come to light in Jammu and Kashmir, with similar operations having been uncovered in Srinagar outskirts including Bagh-e-Mehtab and Nowgam area, and another in Jammu Jewel Chowk. It is immediately not known what pushes individuals to prostitution.
11 Gujaratis were arrested for taking Gandola for a ride with a fake ticket. Earlier a Mumbai tourist group went to jail for the same offence.
MUMBAI
Bollywood flick, Pathaan poster showing the lead actors including Shahrukh Khan, John Ibrahim and Deepika Padukone
Bollywood’s heartthrob Shahrukh Khan has set Kashmir abuzz with excitement as he returned after 11 years to shoot for his upcoming film Dunki. Directed by Raj Kumar Hirani and co-starring Tapsee Pannu, the movie scenes were filmed in the stunning locales of Sonamarg and Pulwama. He also did some shopping in Srinagar but at the S airport, he was mobbed by fans.
Khan’s arrival for a few days has boosted the morale of the administration that recorded 300 film shootings in 2022. LT Governor Manoj Sinha said the region is experiencing a resurgence of the Bollywood era of the 1980s when many films were shot in the area due to its breathtaking beauty. For Shahrukh Khan, his return to Kashmir is a nostalgic one, having shot Jab Tak Hai Jaan in the region back in 2012. Bollywood has always been in love with Kashmir. The only difference from the 1980s is that the government was not incentivising the Bollywood shooting as it is being done big time in 2020.
Lt Governor Manoj Sinha laid the foundation stone of Kashmir Medical College and Super-Speciality Hospital being developed by Milli Trust, Delhi, a 100-bed Rs 525-crore project that will have 150 MBBS seats and provide jobs for 2,000 people.
SAMBA
A government employee was arrested for allegedly raping a woman under the guise of being a tantrik. The accused lured the woman to his house on the pretext of healing her skin disease through “magical powers” and then raped her. The police have identified the accused as Subash Chander of Rarian Ramgarh village and a case has been registered against him. The accused is currently behind bars.
Rekha Sharma, chairperson, National Commission for Women (NCW), has revealed that in 2022, women trafficking in Jammu and Kashmir have increased by about 15.26 per cent but it is “just the tip of an iceberg”
BHADERWAH
A group photograph showing the scholars, farmers and representatives of industry in CSIR-IIIM interaction in Pulwama. The photograph was taken in the lavender farm on June 13, 2022
The Chenab Valley’s mini-Kashmir is purple these days as farmers have switched from traditional crops to lucrative lavender cultivation. Over the past decade, lavender cultivation has expanded from 10 kanals of land to about 4000 kanals, with around 2500 farmers now engaged in it. A single lavender plant bears flowers for 15 years and needs little maintenance, and its oil is used in a variety of products, including soaps, cosmetics, perfumes, and medicines.
Bharat Bhushan, one of the first farmers to switch to lavender farming in the region, found that he earned four times more profit from lavender than from traditional maize farming, and he gradually converted his entire 10 kanals of farmland to a lavender farm. After Bhushan’s video conference with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2016, the Aroma Mission was launched in Jammu and Kashmir, providing free lavender plants to farmers. The program has been a great success, with 500-600 farmers switching to lavender farming and 1000 kanals of land being brought under its cultivation. Modi acknowledged the region’s effort in his Mann Ki Baat.
KPDCL has 700 positions vacant
DUBAI
Safina Nabi
Kashmir journalist Safina Nabi has won the second prize in the Outstanding Contribution to Peace category of the Fetisov Journalism Award for her article titled “How Kashmir’s half-widows are denied their basic property rights.” The article sheds light on the plight of countless women in Kashmir who have been cut out of inheritances and left to fend for themselves after their husbands disappeared and could never be traced. Women whose husbands have disappeared but not yet been declared dead are referred to as “half-widows” by in Kashmir.
Last week, more than 1200 flats were inaugurated for migrant Kashmiri Pandit migrants under the Prime Minister’s package.
KOKERNAG
A government-run school in Kokernag has performed abysmally as only one of its 25 students in the eighth class passed the examination. The Middle School Khokarpora Adhal Vailoo is now the focus of an investigation. It caters to the requirements of the weaker sections but failed in imparting education.
Of 9700 water bodies in Jammu and Kashmir, more than 76 per are ‘in use’. Almost 48.6 per cent of water bodies are privately owned leaving only the remaining 51.4 percent to public ownership.
SOIBUG
NIA official on a piece of land that was attached by it in a terror funding case.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) attached two houses of sons of banned Hizb-ul-Mujahideen’s chief Syed Salahuddin. Shahid Yusuf lives in Soibug and Syed Ahmad Shakeel in Rambagh Srinagar. NIA spokesperson said they “had been receiving funds from abroad from the associates of their father and overground workers of the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen.” Their properties were attached under Section 33(1) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, the NIA said. In August 2018, the NIA arrested Shakeel, who was working as a lab technician at SKIMS Soura. In August 2022, the administration sacked Salahuddin’s third son Syed Abdul Mueed, Manager, IT, Jammu Kashmir Entrepreneur Development Institute.
Srinagar Tulip Garden which attracted 375 thousand tourists was open for 33 days, unlike 21 days in 2022.
JAMMU
LG Manoj Sinha inaugurated 576 residential accommodations for PM Package Employees on Wednesday, April 26, 2023.
Days after Padma Bushan awardee, Muzaffar Hussain Baig said the assembly election can take place after the general election across India, LG Manoj Sinha said his administration wants Panchayat elections in Jammu and Kashmir to be held on time. He maintained that three-tier Panchayati Raj System is working very well under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Panchayats will be completing their five-year term in November-December this year and elections to them will have to be conducted in October-November. Polls to Panchayats were held in November-December 2018 after nearly four decades in Jammu and Kashmir during President’s Rule after Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) withdrew support to Mehbooba Mufti-led PDP Government in the erstwhile State.
SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Police on Monday said to have arrested a group of youths alleged of harassing and attacking a family travelling in a car near Srinagar’s Parimpora road.
Taking to microblogging site Twitter, District Police Srinagar wrote, “Police took cognisance of a video wherein a group of youths on bikes are seen harassing and attacking a family on road. Midnight raids were conducted by teams led by SDPO West & SHO Parimpora.”
“All nine accused are arrested & four Bikes seized. FIR registered in Parimpora PS,” it added.
SRINAGAR: Kiran Bhai Patel, a resident of Gujarat, who falsely claimed to hold a high position in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) and had meetings with influential individuals in Jammu and Kashmir, has been formally arrested by the Jammu and Kashmir Police on March 3.
The arrest followed a day after the police registered a case of cheating and forgery at police station Nishat against the conman.
Patel had been posing as an additional director (strategy and campaign) in the PMO and was caught during his third visit to Kashmir, where he was staying at a luxurious Srinagar five-star hotel. He received a Z-plus security cover, an armoured SUV, and luxurious lodging, which raised suspicions when he arrived in Srinagar for the second time in two weeks without any prior VIP movement information available to security agencies.
The FIR, registered by Srinagar Police at Nishat Police Station, revealed that Patel had been using criminal means and forgery to carry out his activities within the jurisdiction of the police station and other parts of Kashmir. He had allegedly been involved in cheating gullible individuals and pursuing a well-conceived scheme to gain monetary and material benefits.
Patel had been booked under Sections 419, 420, 467, 468, and 471 of the IPC at Nishat police station, and the police are currently conducting a thorough investigation. Pradipsinh Vaghela, the ruling BJP’s Gujarat General Secretary, is among 5000 people who follow Patel’s verified Twitter account.
His social media posts and pictures suggest that he had been leading a lavish lifestyle, staying at luxurious hotels and traveling in bulletproof cars.
In photos shared on various social media platforms, Patel can be seen at picturesque sites in Jammu and Kashmir, often in the company of armed personnel. One picture depicts him standing in front of Srinagar’s iconic clock tower, Lal Chowk.
In his maiden February visit, Patel visited health resorts. He interacted with officials at Doodpathri and discussed way and means of improved tourist footfalls from Gujarat. He was at Shankaracharya Tempe on February 22, Doodhpathri on February 27, Gulmarg on February 26, Ahrabal on February 23, according to the photographs and videos he posted on Twitter.
Patel’s Twitter bio states that he holds a doctorate from Commonwealth University, Virginia, an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management in Tiruchirappalli, a Master of Technology in computer science, and a Bachelor of Engineering in computer engineering. The police attempted to detain him at the airport, but he had already left in his bulletproof car for the hotel.
This incident has raised serious concerns about the security protocols in place and the ease with which an individual can impersonate a high-ranking government official and gain access to sensitive information and influential individuals. After being taken for a ride, now the authorities say they will conduct a thorough investigation into the matter and take appropriate action to prevent such incidents from happening in the future.
So far, the investigation has reportedly revealed that Patel had been operating a well-conceived scheme to defraud unsuspecting individuals and companies, promising them government contracts and other benefits in exchange for monetary and material gain. He had reportedly created fake letters and documents, which he used to dupe his victims.
The police have also discovered that Patel had been in touch with several influential individuals, including politicians, businessmen, and bureaucrats, during his visits to Jammu and Kashmir. He had even managed to secure appointments with some of them, claiming to be representing the Prime Minister’s Office.
According to sources, Patel’s activities had come to the attention of the security agencies after he arrived in Jammu and Kashmir for the second time in two weeks without any prior VIP movement information available to them. The police attempted to detain him at the airport, but he had already left in his bulletproof car for the hotel.
The police seized several electronic devices, including laptops and mobile phones, during the search of Patel’s hotel room. They are currently analysing the data to gather more information about his activities and the individuals he had been in touch with.
Report said two cops may face action for extending the hospitality without verifying the details. A media report said they had got information from some IAS officer.
SRINAGAR: The gruesome murder of a 30-year-old woman in Soibug, Budgam, has left Kashmir in shock and terror. The young lady was supposed to be a bride later this year but the police could not locate her body in a single piece. They assembled it from different places as the killer mason had chopped her body into various pieces.
Thousands of people came out in protest after a local young lady’s body was located by police in piecemeal at different places. She was kidnapped on March 7, and the body pieces were recovered on March 12, morning. The accused, a tile mason, has been arrested. Protesters were seeking him to be hanged.
The incident happened on March 7, when the victim, went for computer coaching in Soibug but never returned home. After graduation, she was picking computing skills from a local computer coaching centre to become employable. She was the eldest of three siblings.
“She was supposed to return home by 3 pm but she did not,” one of her relatives said. “The family waited till late in the evening after failing to locate her at the institute, which by then, was closed.”
Her brother, Tanveer Ahmad Khan, reported her missing to the Police Post Soibug on March 8, as they failed to locate her, and an investigation was initiated.
According to the victim’s family, she was engaged by choice and was not in any kind of relationship.
“We did all the basic investigations from all angles and then we started looking at suspects,” SSP Budgam Tahir Geelani told reporters. After interrogating several suspects, the police arrested a tile mason, identified as Shabir Ahmad Wani, son of Abdul Aziz Wani, a resident of Mohanpora Ompora. The 45-year-old married man had worked as a tile mason in the victim’s house and was given free space to work as the family treated him like a brother. A master mason, residents said he had been working in the area for a long time and was reputed to be a good tile mason.
For all these days, Shabir proved a hard nut. “Finally last (Saturday) night, he admitted to the killing,” Gilani said. The police stated that during interrogation, Shabir Ahmad Wani confessed to kidnapping and murdering the victim. He chopped off her head, sliced her body into pieces, and dumped them at different spots in Budgam to hide his crime. On his disclosures, police recovered one part of her body from the railway bridge and another from Sebdan. “The investigations are still at initial stage and we have secured the crime scene,” Gilani said. The police remained tight-lipped over the motive of the murder indicating the investigations are still in progress.
Gilani said the mason had buried her skull in his courtyard. The arms and legs were located in a water tank not far away from his home. The rest of the body was buried near the railway bridge at Sedna, the officer said. “He had used a knife to chop off her body,” the officer said.
Interestingly, Shabir is a married and settled man with two kids. It was not immediately known if he had sought her hand in marriage earlier. The family said she was getting married in August to a person of her choice.
The news of this heinous crime spread like wildfire, and protests erupted in various places, including Budgam. The locals and family members are urging the LG Governor administration and SSP Budgam to hang the culprit as a lesson for those who dare to commit such crimes.
This brutal incident has shocked and traumatized the entire community, and people are wondering who will be the next victim. SSP Budgam, Syed Tahir Geelani, stated that further investigation into the case is ongoing.
Details regarding the murder reveal that the victim’s family became suspicious of Shabir Ahmad Wani’s involvement in the crime as he had gone missing after the victim’s disappearance. They informed the police, who subsequently began their investigation.
During the investigation, the police found evidence that led them to suspect Shabir Ahmad Wani’s involvement in the murder. They detained him for interrogation, during which he confessed to the crime.
The police have since arrested Shabir and charged him with murder. They have also recovered all of the victim’s body parts from different locations in Budgam.
The incident has raised concerns about the safety of women in the region, with many calling for stricter laws and harsher punishments for those who commit such heinous crimes. The local authorities have assured the community that they will take all necessary steps to ensure the safety and security of the residents.
Police have handed over the body parts to the family for burial. However, the elders ensured that close family members could not access the mutilated body. For most of the day, the debate amid massive protests was about how to manage the burial of the sliced body. People were crying over the gory state of mind of the killer. Her family was inconsolable.
SRINAGAR: In the shocking case of kidnapping, raping and murder of a minor girl in Ikhrajpora, the court has convicted Zahoor Ahmad Sheikh and the quantum of punishment is to be awarded on March 14.
Justice
“It is established that the accused at the time of occurrence was major, a grown-up aged more than 20 years. He has committed the heinous and barbarous crime of rape and murder of a girl aged about 7 to 10 years who was not so much healthy,” the Second Additional Judge Srinagar, Renu Gupta observed in her 100-page verdict. “She was kidnapped in a planned manner by the accused who was her distant relative and were residing in the same house by offering her toffees some of which were found lying at the place of occurrence because she was innocent and could not understand the design of the accused. She became a helpless victim of a diabolic person whom the child could trust to be her own family member. The medical evidence shows the cruel manner of causing injuries on the body of the child at the time of committing rape which was followed by murder in a brutal manner by crush injury to her head causing multiple fractures to skull bones by striking the bricks on her head and also tried to burn her body.”
The shocking case was reported on August 23, 2007, when the father of the Ikhrajpora girl reported to police that his daughter is missing. Her body was recovered a day later from a deserted migrant house in the same locality.
As the police started investigations, they got enough evidence to hold Zahoor responsible for the crime. He was formally arrested on August 30, 2007. Forensic examination has established that the hair recovered from the deceased minor’s trousers matched with those of the accused, who, however pleaded not guilty.
The witness have told the court that the accused was a drunkard and a drug addict. He was putting with his victim’s family – he was their distant cousin – and victim’s elder sister was very uncomfortable over his presence in her family.
SRINAGAR: An army court has recommended a life sentence for Captain Bhupendra Singh for his involvement in the killing of three civilians in a staged encounter in Amshipura, Shopian, in July 2020. The court-martial proceedings, which found that Captain Singh exceeded his powers under the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA), were completed in less than a year.
LG JK Manoj Sinha paying his condolences to the families of three Rajouri labourers on October 8, 2020. The trio was killed in a fake encounter in Shopian on July 18, 2020.
A Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed by the Jammu and Kashmir Police charged three people, including Captain Singh, for “staging a fake encounter”. Reports suggest that higher army authorities will need to confirm the sentence.
The three youths, who came from the Rajouri district of Jammu, were killed in a remote hilly village in Shopian district on July 18, 2020, and were falsely labelled as “militants”. Social media raised concerns about the killings, leading to the army forming a Court of Inquiry that found evidence that the troops had exceeded their powers under AFSPA.
The JKP’s SIT charge sheet alleges that Captain Singh provided false information to his superiors and the police about the staged encounter. The three accused allegedly destroyed evidence and spread false information as part of a criminal conspiracy aimed at receiving cash rewards, the SIT that was investigating the case in a parallel investigation had stated. However, the army denied that Captain Singh staged the encounter for a cash reward, claiming no such system exists for any acts in combat situations or otherwise in the line of duty.
Court martial proceedings in #Amshipora#Shopian case end with order of life imprisonment for Captain Bhupendra Singh for misusing #AFSPA & killing 3 innocent youths in a cold-blooded murder as “terrorists” in a fake encounter. Appreciate this punishment but support the families. https://t.co/mdPaoJF4AM
During the court martial proceedings, Mohammed Yusuf, Abrar Ahmed’s father, was called upon to provide a missing report about his son. Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha visited the families in Rajouri and conveyed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s message that the government would support them. Through a DNA test, the three youths’ identities were confirmed, and their bodies were returned to their families and buried in their native village in Rajouri.
The Shopian Sqay Association players have won medals in two championships, 14 gold and four silver medals at South Asian Sqay Championship and Tri-National International Championship. The 7th South Asian Sqay Championship and tri-nation international 2023 was held in Kathmandu, Nepal. The players include Khatija Tul Kubra, Shahzadi Lariba, Tawqeer Ashraf, Shahzaib Shakeel, Junaid Shafi and Faizan Ayoub Khan have won gold medals under different categories and Faizan Gulzar and Durdana Yousuf won the silver medal in the championship. In the Tri-National international championship 2023, Tahneet Mushtaq, Anish Zahoor, Zaid Bin Hassan, Mohd Huzaif, Shafeeq Ah Malik, Owais Mushtaq, Danish Aijaz and Haamid Rashid won gold while Umer Masood and Khansa Bashir have won silver medals.
Our Little Squay Champion Abid Aijaz from Ganderbal after returning from 7th South Asian Squay champinship Katmandu Nepal with a silver medal. pic.twitter.com/7sc8rzkWBo
The Jammu and Kashmir government enhanced the wages of daily engaged Daily Rated Workers, including Casual Labourers from Rs 300 per day to Rs 311 with effect from October 2022.
LADAKH
Retired Brigadier Dr BD Sharma took over as Ladakh LG on February 19, 2023. This photograph was taken after clicked after he was administered the oath of office by Chief Justice Jammu and High Court Mr Justice N Kotiswar Singh.
Brigadier (Dr) B D Mishra (Retired) has taken oath as the new Lieutenant Governor of the Union Territory of Ladakh. He became the second LG of the Himalayan region by replacing R K Mathur, who held the office since 2019 when Ladakh became the union territory. The 83-year-old Mishra is a former brigadier of the Indian Army and the former Commander of the Counter Hijack Force of the National Security Guard (NSG), popularly known as the Black Cat Commandos. His appointment came on the heels of a stalemate in Ladakh where the Kargil Democratic Alliance and Leh Apex Body have been asking for statehood to the region along with a legislature, schedule-VI safeguards, and an additional parliament seat.
The government has started the Innovative Extension Approaches for Revitalising Agriculture in Jammu and Kashmir with Rs 463 crore earmarked for creating 2000 Kissan Khidmat Ghars, which will serve as a One Stop Centre for extending farmer-oriented services
RAMBAN
Landslides damage 5 houses in J&K’s Ramban
At least 13 houses and a road stretch of 200 meters was damaged in an incident of ‘land erosion’ at Duksar Dal areas of Gool in Ramban district. The affected families were shifted the safer places. The land sliding had been witnessed in the area for three consecutive days. DC Ramban said a requisition has been sent for expert advice from geologists to ascertain the reasons. Meanwhile, in the Rezan area of the Ganderbal district, soil erosion led to damage to several houses. In the Noorabad area of south Kashmir’s Kulgam district, a landslide damaged five shops belonging to Fayaz Ahmad Hajam and Abdul Majeed Hajam. A house also suffered minor damage.
As per official figures, Kupwara’s Hagnikoot and Nichahama have 9 Lakh metric tonne Lignite deposits while Awoora and Zirhama have 8 lakh metric tonne high-quality Marble deposits
SRINAGAR
Racing for career, Kashmir young girls at a JK Police recruitment rally at Humhama Srinagar in June 2021. Photo: JKP
The government cancelled the results of two Border Battalions of Jammu and Kashmir Police after “observing” some discrepancies. The examination for 1300 Constable posts in JK Police Border Battalion was conducted in October last year and the results were declared in January 2023. An official notification issued by Additional Director General of Police Coordination PHQ Danesh Rana stated that after the declaration of the final result issued on January 25, 2023 in respect of candidates of UT of Jammu and Kashmir who have participated in the recruitment process for the post of Constable in two Border Battalions of Jammu and Kashmir Police conducted in terms of the above-referenced advertisement notifications, some discrepancies in the said result were observed.
QAZIGUND
Thousands of fish at a spring in the Babapora (Qazigund) died after the water body developed a low concentration of oxygen. In a never-before incident, the dead fish were flushed towards the mouth of the spring. Spring is the natural exit point at which groundwater emerges out of the aquifer and flows onto the top of the Earth’s crust to become surface water. It is a component of the hydrosphere as well as a part of the water cycle.
As per officials, a spring located at Babapora with good discharge for the past many years was selected as a source for this water supply scheme for villages – Babaporateng, Mandhole and Chandian Pajan. They said there was a reduction in the discharge of the spring in such a way that almost all the fish (in quintals) which were initially inside the spring under the hillock came out towards the mouth of the spring, which has never happened before. This created panic for us as well as the local people, they said.
SRINAGAR
Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry elected its new leadership on February 22, 2023.
Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industries (KCC&I) elected its new executive committee with 21 candidates in the fray emerging victorious. The KCC&I later elected its office bearers and the Executive Committee with Javid Ahmad Bhat (Tenga) elected as President, and Ashaq Hussain Shangloo and Fayaz Ahmad Punjabi being elected as Sr. Vice President and Jr. Vice President respectively. Faiz Ahmad Bakshi has been elected as Secretary General while Dr Umar Nazir Tibetbaqal is the new Jt. Secretary-General and Zubair Mahajan has been appointed as Treasurer. Akib Chaya bagged the highest number of votes with 453 voting in his favour followed by Umar Nazir Tibatbaqal with 444 votes.
PATTAN
In a strange incident, a government school teacher posted in the Pattan area of Baramulla district assaulted his colleague and bit his ear. The incident took place on February 21 after the two teachers entered into a verbal brawl over some discussion on managing charge of school assignments. As the teachers exchanged heated arguments, one of the teachers attacked his colleague and bite his ear. Following the incident, the J&K Police in Pattan arrested a teacher for assaulting his colleague and registered an FIR in the case as well. An official said the teacher who was attacked has got around 6 stitches in his ear. Meanwhile, the district education authorities in Baramulla have ordered an inquiry into the matter and are mulling taking departmental action against the teacher.
SRINAGAR
Jairam Ramesh
Former colleagues, Jairam Ramesh and Ghulam Nabi Azad are at loggerheads once again, as Azad has slapped the Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh with a defamation notice for reportedly calling him a “slave”, “Mir Jafar” and a “vote- cutter”. In the notice, which has been sent through Azad’s legal counsel Naresh Kumar Gupta, the DAP chief seeks compensation of Rs 2 crore from the Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh for causing damage to his “unblemished reputation”. It is pertinent to mention that earlier in January, the senior Congress leader took a jibe at Ghulam Nabi Azad’s DAP by calling it the “Disappearing Azad Party” after the exit of the leaders from the newly formed DAP. Earlier during Bharat Jodo Yatra’s J&K leg, Ramesh had called DAP chief “Mir Jafar” and alleged that he had been propped up by the BJP to cut the Congress’ votes in J&K.
RAMBAN
social media
A teacher has been suspended for allegedly criticising policies of the government on social media platforms in the Ramban district. According to an order, Joginder Singh, teacher GPS Chanderkote was suspended for criticising policies of the government on social media platforms. The teacher, as per the order, has been attached to the office of chief education officer Ramban and an inquiry committee has also been constituted, which will be headed by additional district development commissioner Ramban to probe the matter.
KARNATAKA
Union Home Minister Amit Shah addressed various groups after inaugurating various development projects in Srinagar on Monday, October 25, 2021. KL Image by Bilal Bahadur
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday said that by reading- down Article 370, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made the “merger” of Jammu Kashmir forever with India. Speaking at an election rally in Sandur, Karnataka Shah praised the government’s move and highlighted the significant improvement in the situation in Jammu and Kashmir since the abrogation. Shah refuted Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s claims of a bloodbath in the region, stating that the abrogation has led to the lowest figures of terrorism-related incidents. The Home Minister also added that the move has led to a lot of positive changes in the region. The abrogation of Article 370, which had caused harm to the country, was a significant move made by the BJP-led government in 2019, Shah said. Despite opposition from various political parties, the government’s decision has permanently ensured Jammu and Kashmir’s integration into India. The improved situation in the region has been well-received and is a cause for celebration for the entire country, he added.
PULWAMA
Robbers brandishing toy guns loot the Sopore family
In a bizarre incident in South Kashmir’s Pulwama district, five villagers were allegedly looted by extortionists holding a “toy gun’. The incident was reported from Trichal village barely 3 kilometres away from the Pulwama district headquarters. As per reports, five villagers who were intending to enter the mosque to offer Fajr prayers were stopped by three extortionists who were probably carrying toy pistols. The victims have been identified as Tawseef Ahmed Bhat son of Ali Muhammad Bhat, Muzafar Ahmed Dar son of Ghulam Hasan Dar, Javaid Ahmed Mohand son of Ghulam Hasan Mohand, Haji Ali Muhammad Dar and Muhammad Shaban Bhat son of Ali Muhammad Bhat.
KOKERNAG
Saddam Nab Azad, with his right hand, raised, son of Ghulam Nabi Azad has joined the Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP). He was seen at the party’s youth convention at Nigheen Club on February 26, 2023.
Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, who is also the chairperson of the Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP), has announced that if his party wins the upcoming assembly elections, he will bring back the Roshni Act in the Union Territory. The Act, which provides ownership rights to occupants, was initially passed in 2001 by the National Conference government but was repealed in 2018 by the then-governor Satya Pal Malik. Addressing a rally at Larnoo Kokernag, Azad expressed his concern over the economic crises in Jammu and Kashmir and said that his aim is to build the region as a welfare state, where the economy grows to the extent that people are willing to pay taxes themselves. He emphasized that the poor are being crushed by rising electricity bills, water charges, and property taxes.
SRINAGAR
High Court of Jammu and Kashmir
The High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh directed the authorities to proceed with the termination of an 18-20-week pregnancy of an alleged minor rape victim after having a fresh examination of the victim and after the father of the minor gives “extra high-risk consent.” The victim’s father had approached the court seeking termination of the pregnancy of the minor. In the rape case, an FIR was registered at a police station in north Kashmir on February 14.
On October 21, details revealed police recovered the body of Razia and rushed her to GMC Anantnag for treatment, but the doctors declared her brought dead. The prolonged matrimonial dispute and various allegations and counter-allegations in societal circles made the police suspect foul play. They initiated proceedings under section 174 CRPC and took the body into possession for medico-legal formalities.
