Category: Union Territory

  • COVID-19 third wave peak likely in October: NIDM report

    SRINAGAR, AUG 23: The National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM), under the Ministry of Home Affairs, has warned of a third COVID-19 wave peak in October in its recent report to the Prime Minister’s Office.

    The NIDM’s report quoted the Reuters’ opinion survey of 40 experts that forecasted that the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic is likely to hit India between July 15 and October 13, 2021.

    On whether the Delta-Plus Variant will be the driver of the third wave, NIDM said the Delta-Plus variant formed due to the mutation in the B.1.617.2 (Delta variant) that drove the fatal second surge in India. This new variant of concern is a sub-lineage of the Delta variant that has acquired a spike protein mutation ‘K417N’ which is also found in the Beta variant (first detected in South Africa).

    “Though there is not enough evidence as of now to designate the Delta Plus variant as more dangerous than Delta, according to NCDC, as of August 2, 2021, this variant has been detected in 70 cases across 16 states from the 58,240 samples that have been sequenced so far in India,” it said.

    Emphasising the effect of the potential COVID third wave on children, the report said the Indian Academy of Paediatrics found that there is no biological evidence that the current and the new Delta Plus variant will affect children more than adults.

    The report further said that Lancet COVID-19 Commission India Task Force concluded that there is no current evidence that an anticipated the third wave will target children specifically.

    “A serological survey (March 15-June 10, 2021 from over 45,000 samples across 4 states) by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) suggests that the hypothesis of a future wave specifically targeting children (two years and above) is unfounded. The study noted a serological prevalence of 55.7 per cent in ages 2-17 years and 63.5 per cent among adults which clearly determines that there was a statistical difference in prevalence between adults and children,” the report mentioned.

  • TRF chief, deputy killed in Sgr encounter

    10 SoG men in civvies encircled hideout, challenged militants; Slain identified as Abbas Sheikh, Saqib Manzoor; Big Success for police: IPG Kashmir Vijay Kumar; Slain duo were involved in attacks, killing politicians in Sgr; 4 more militants, 50 OGWs active in city

    Srinagar, Aug 23: Jammu and Kashmir police Monday claimed to have killed a TRF/Lashkar-e-Toiba chief and his deputy in a brief shoot-out in Aloochibagh area of Srinagar.

    A police official told news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that acting on a specific lead, a special police team zeroed in on a location at Alochibagh area and challenged the militants. “The hiding militants opened fire triggering an encounter. In the ensuing gunfight, two militants of TRF/Lashkar-e-Toiba were killed,” he said.

    Talking to news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kashmir Vijay Kumar said acting on a tip-off, ten policemen from the Special Operations Group (SoG) in civvies cordoned a specific location in Aloochibagh area. “They asked the militants to surrender, who instead opened fire. In the brief encounter, two militants were killed,” the IGP said.

    The Kashmir police chief said that slain militants have been identified as Abbas Sheikh, who was TRF/Lashkar-e-Toiba chief for Kashmir and his deputy Saqib Manzoor of Barzulla, Srinagar was active since September 2020.

    “Saqib was the man behind recruiting youth into militancy fold in Srinagar. Abbas Sheikh, a resident of Pulwama was a dreaded militant who joined militancy in 2005. He was arrested twice but he got recycled into militancy and was TRF chief at present,” the IGP said, adding that the killing of Abbas Sheikh and Saqib is a big success for police. “Today’s operation was specifically conducted by the police,” the IGP said.

    He said that there are four more active militants in Srinagar and around 50 to 60 OGWs are operating as well. “We will try to catch alive all the active militants and arrest the OGWs,” Kumar said. He said the operation was conducted in a smooth manner and there was no “collateral damage.” Asked how they received information about the TRF chief and his deputy, the IGP said: “They were tracking the movement of this group for the past few days and today they were cornered.”

    The IGP said that the slain militants were involved in recruiting youth, lobbing grenades and killing political workers and policemen in Srinagar city. “The killing of Abbas Sheikh and Saqib Manzoor is a big success,” Kumar said—(KNO)

  • Two militants killed in Brief shootout in Srinagar

    Srinagar, August 23:Two militants were killed in a brief shootout in Central Kashmir’s Srinagar district on Monday.

    Inspector General of Police Kashmir Vijay Kumar told GNS that two unidentified militants were killed in a brief exchange of firing in Srinagar.

    As per the sources top two commanders have been killed in the encounter, who were among the most wanted list released by the police recently.

    More details will follow.(GNS)

  • BSF troops open fire after noticing suspected drone movement along IB in Jammu

    Jammu, Aug 23: The Border Security Force personnel on Monday morning resorted to heavy firing with Light Machine Gun after a suspected drone movement was noticed along the International Border in Arnia sector.

    In a statement, issued to news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), BSF said that today morning, at about 05:30 AM, a blinking red and yellow light in the sky was observed by forward troops in Arnia sector near along the IB.

    “Our troops immediately fired 25 LMG rounds on the flying object due to which it gained some height and went towards Pakistan side,” the statement reads.

    The statement reads that the area was now being searched with the help of police—(KNO)

  • Tehreek-e-Hurriyat removes sign board from its office in Hyderpora

    Srinagar, Aug 22: The sign board of Tehreek-e-Hurriyat at its head office at Syed Ali Geelani’s office-cum-residence in Hyderpora area of Srinagar, has been removed on Sunday evening.

    Eyewitnesses told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that the official sign board has been removed from the TeH’s office this evening by Geelani’s domestic workers.

    However, it was not immediately known as to why the board has been removed—(KNO)

  • Both factions of Hurriyat Conference likely to be banned under UAPA

    Srinagar, Aug 22: A ban under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act may be imposed on both factions of the secessionist conglomerate Hurriyat Conference which has been spearheading the separatist movement in Jammu and Kashmir for over two decades, officials said.

    They said a recent probe into the granting of MBBS seats to Kashmiri students by institutions in Pakistan indicates that the money collected from aspirants by some organisations which were part of the Hurriyat Conference conglomerate was being used for funding terror organisations in the union territory.

    The officials said both the factions of the Hurriyat are likely to be banned under Section 3(1) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, or the UAPA, under which “if the Central Government is of opinion that any association is, or has become, an unlawful association, it may, by notification in the Official Gazette, declare such association to be unlawful.”

    They said the proposal was mooted in accordance with the Centre”s policy of zero tolerance against terrorism.

    The Hurriyat Conference came into existence in 1993 with 26 groups, including some pro-Pakistan and banned outfits such as the Jamaat-e-Islami, JKLF and the Dukhtaran-e-Millat. It also included the People”s Conference and the Awami Action Committee headed by Mirwaiz Umer Farooq.

    The separatist conglomerate broke into two factions in 2005 with the moderate group being led by the Mirwaiz and the hard-line headed by Syed Ali Shah Geelani.

    So far, the Centre has banned the Jamaat-e-Islami and the JKLF under the UAPA. The ban was imposed in 2019.

    The officials said a probe into funding of terror groups indicated alleged involvement of secessionist and separatist leaders, including the members and cadres of the Hurriyat Conference who have been acting in connivance with active militants of proscribed militant organisations Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM), Dukhtaran-e-Millat (DeM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).

    The cadres raised funds in the country and from abroad through various illegal channels, including hawala, for funding separatist and terrorist activities in Jammu and Kashmir, they said.

    The funds collected were used for causing disruption in the Kashmir Valley by way of pelting stones on security forces, systematically burning schools, damaging public property and waging war against India as part of a criminal conspiracy, they claimed.

    Supporting the case for banning the two factions of the Hurriyat Conference under the UAPA, the officials cited several cases related to terror funding, including the one being probed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in which several of the conglomerate”s cadres were arrested and jailed.

    Many of the second-rung cadres of both the factions are in jail since 2017, they said.

    Among those in jail are Altaf Ahmed Shah, the son-in-law of Geelani; businessman Zahoor Ahmed Watali; Geelani”s close aide Ayaz Akbar, who is also the spokesperson of the hardline separatist organisation Tehreek-e-Hurriyat; Peer Saifullah; Shahid-ul-Islam, spokesperson of the moderate Hurriyat Conference; Mehrajuddin Kalwal; Nayeem Khan; and Farooq Ahmed Dar alias ”Bitta Karate”.

    Later, JKLF chief Yaseen Malik, DeM head Asiya Andrabi and pro-Pakistan separatist Masarat Alam were also named in a supplementary charge sheet in a case of terror financing.

    Another case which is likely to be cited for banning the two Hurriyat Conference factions is the one against PDP youth leader Waheed-ur-Rahman Parra, who is alleged to have paid Rs 5 crore to the son-in-law of Geelani for keeping Kashmir in turmoil after the death of Hizbul Mujahideen terror commander Burhan Wani in 2016, the officials said.

    The NIA has alleged that after the death of Wani, who was killed in an encounter with the Army in July 2016, Parra got in touch with Altaf Ahmad Shah, alias Altaf Fantoosh, and asked him to ensure that the Valley was kept on the boil with widespread unrest and stone pelting.

    Also, the Counter Intelligence (Kashmir), a branch of CID department of Jammu and Kashmir Police, registered a case in July last year following information that several unscrupulous persons, including some Hurriyat leaders, were hand in glove with some educational consultancies and are selling Pakistan-based MBBS seats and admission in other professional courses in various colleges and universities.

    At least four persons, including Mohammad Akbar Bhat alias Zaffar Bhat, self-styled chairman of Salvation Movement which is part of moderate Hurriyat Conference, were arrested in this case.

    It is alleged that the constituents of Hurriyat Conference were “selling” MBBS seats in Pakistan to Kashmiri students and using the money collected, at least partly, to support and fund terrorism.

    During the probe, it had surfaced that individual Hurriyat leaders had their quota of seats which were sold to people desiring to obtain MBBS and other professional degrees in one way or the other, the officials said.

    The officials said evidence showed that the money was “put into channels that ended up in supporting programmes and projects pertaining to terrorism and separatism like payment for organising stone pelting.”

    Citing investigation, the officials said that average cost of an MBBS seat in Pakistan was anything between Rs 10 lakh and Rs 12 lakh. In some cases, the fee was brought down on the intervention of Hurriyat leaders. Depending upon the political heft of the Hurriyat leader who intervened, concessions were extended to aspiring students, the officials said.—(PTI)

  • Shrine Board Gets 25 Kanals Land On 40 Years Lease At Panthachowk

    To Pay Rs 10 Per Kanal Per Annum, DC Sgr To Sign Agreement

    Srinagar, Aug 21: Jammu and Kashmir government on Saturday accorded sanction to the grant of 25 Kanals of land at Panthachowk to Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB) for construction of Office and Yatri Niwas on “lease basis” for a period of 40 years from the date of taking over the possession.

    As per an order by the Revenue department, Board has been granted land on payment of nominal ground rent of Rs. 10/- per kanal per annum without charge of any premium subject to the condition that the land shall be used only for the purpose for which it is granted.

    “The allotment/lease shall be governed under the J&K Land Grants Act 1960 and the rules made thereunder,” reads an order, a copy of which lies with GNS, adding, “The Deputy Commissioner, Srinagar shall sign the lease agreement on behalf of the Government.”

    Earlier this month, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha said the new facility would be built at Pantha Chowk Srinagar in a period of 18 months. The Yatri Niwas once completed would accommodate more than 3000 pilgrims.

    Sinha, who is also the Chairman of Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board, had said that the prestigious project is aimed at ensuring comfortable stay of Shri Amarnathji Yatris at Srinagar who come from all over the world for the holy annual pilgrimage.

    “It will also act as an Information Centre for the guidance of pilgrims, besides many similar works would be completed for smooth conduct of the yatra,” he had added.

    The government of J&K, he said, is initiating various services, along with the infrastructural development to provide a memorable experience to millions of devotees of Shri Amarnathji.

    “We are planning to construct Yatri Niwas in various parts of the UT, besides a permanent office and a bigger Yatri Niwas will soon come up at Jammu to facilitate a large number of visiting devotees. Another Yatri Niwas with the capacity to accommodate 3200 yatris is coming up at Chanderkote, District Ramban, he had said.

    “With modern facilities and conducive environment being created, the day is not far when the Yatris visiting Shri Amarnathji shrine would cross the 10 lakh mark which will also make a greater impact on the economy of J&K,” Sinha had added. (GNS)

  • J&K to hold week-long festival under ‘Azadi Ka Amrut Mahotsav’

    The Union Home Secretary, Ajay Kumar Bhalla, today chaired a high-level meeting to review the celebrations under Azadi Ka Amrut Mahotsav to celebrate 75 years of India’s Independence across the Union territories.

    The Chief Secretary, J&K, Dr. Arun Kumar Mehta, along with Chief Secretaries of other Union territories participated in the meeting. Administrative Secretaries of departments of Home, General Administration, Culture and Youth Services & Sports were also present in the meeting.

    The Chief Secretary, J&K, Dr. Arun Kumar Mehta informed about the unprecedented Independence Day celebrations in Jammu and Kashmir this year which saw participation on approximately 10 lakh youth from 28,000 institutions. He also spoke about unfurling of 100 feet flag at Hari Parbat, overseeing the Srinagar city.

    Dr. Mehta informed that to showcase region-specific accomplishments since 1947 and to promote purposeful engagement of the youth in J&K, a week-long festival will be organized under Azadi Ka Amrut Mahotsav. During this festival, the magic of Jammu and Kashmir will be recreated through houseboat and water sports festivals in Dal, Wular, Manasbal, Surinsar, and Mansar lakes as well as in Ranjit Sagar Dam.

    Additionally, events to revive the rich cultural traditions and heritage of the Union territory will also be organized. To mark the celebrations of 75 years of Independence, 75 Sufi and Heritage sites will be developed, besides naming 75 roads, and 75 schools after the local unsung heroes.

    Overall, J&K will be organizing a campaign of 75 activities with 75 events each for the next 365 days. A 3-month tourism festival in both Jammu and Kashmir will also be organized to promote tourism activities in the Union territory. Through various events, opportunities will be created for the participation of 17.5 lakh people, thus making the celebrations ‘Jan Utsav, Jan ke Dwara’.

    The Union Home Secretary while appreciating the celebrations underway in Jammu & Kashmir asked for proper documentation of activities and their consolidation on the ‘MyGov’ portal.

  • JeM commander among three militants killed in Tral woods

    Wakeel Shah was among top 10 wanted militants of J&K, He had killed BJP leader Rakesh Pandita, says IGP Kashmir; Slain trio were active since long, will track militants hiding in forests: GoC Victor Force; 5 militants killed in Awantipora PD in last two days

    Srinagar, Aug 21: A wanted Jaish-e-Muhammad commander and his two associates were killed in an encounter at Nagbaeran forest area of Tral hamlet in South Kashmir’s Pulwama district, police said Saturday.

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    A police official told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that a joint teams of Police, Army’s 42 RR and CRPF launched a Cordon and Search Operation (CASO) on a specific information about the presence of militants in Khrew, Pampore area.

    The official said that as the joint teams of forces approached towards the suspected house, the hiding militants opened fire, which was retaliated, after which heavy exchange of gunfire took place.

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    In the ensuing gunfight three militants were killed which includes Wakeel Shah a resident of Tral, who was part of recently issued top ten militants list of J&K while as identification of other two is being ascertained.

    He said that Wakeel was involved in killing of Chairman MC Tral Rakesh Pandita and many others.

    In a statement to KNO, a police spokesman said that on a specific input generated by Awantipora Police regarding presence of a group of JeM militants in the upper reaches of forest area of Nagaberan Dhoka area of Tral, a joint cordon and search operation was launched by Police and Army (42RR) in the said area.

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    “During the search operation, the hiding militants fired on the joint search party, which was retaliated leading to an encounter. In the ensuing encounter, three militants of JeM were killed and their bodies were retrieved from the site of encounter. One of the killed militants has been identified as Wakeel Ahmad Shah son of Muzaffar Ahmad Shah resident of Bagandar Tral. However, the identification of other two killed militants is being ascertained,” he said.

    As per police records, the killed Wakeel Shah was a categorized militant and figured among the list of most wanted militants operating in the valley, the police said.

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    Addressing a press conference at South Kashmir based Victor Force headquarters, the Inspector General of Police Kashmir range Vijay Kumar said that Wakeel Shah of Jaish-e-Muhammad was involved in the killing of BJP leader Rakesh Pandita and an SPO. “The identity of two other slain is being ascertained,” he said, adding that Wakil was one of the most wanted militants of JeM in “police hit list”.

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    Speaking on the occasion, General officer Commanding of South Kashmir based Victor Force said that yesterday (Friday), an information was received by the 42 RR after which the army along with police launched a search operation in Tarsar-Marsar area of Tral in Pulwama district. “Today morning, a contact was established and three militants were killed in a close battle,” he said. “The trio were active for a long time in South Kashmir.” He said that two Ak-47 rifles, one SLR, magazines and a UBGL were recovered from the slain militants. “Militants who are taking refuge in woods will be tracked down and killed,” he said—(KNO)

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  • Unknown persons beat Kashmiri driver, cleaner in HP for ‘Islam Zindabaad’ written on vehicle

    Srinagar, Aug 21: A Kashmiri truck driver and conductor were allegedly beaten by unknown people in Damtal area of Himachal Pradesh for having “Islam Zindabaad” written on their vehicle.

    Fayaz Ahmad, owner of the vehicle, said that his driver namely Rayees Ahmad and conductor Salman Dar, both residents of Watrad village in Khansahib hamlet of Budgam district were allegedly beaten by unknown persons on Friday evening.

    Fayaz said that while they were unloading at the cardboard factory in Hamtal, unknown persons came and started beating them ruthlessly and despite 60 persons present at the factory, “nobody intervened”.

    He said that the goons were continuously questioning them about the “Islam Zindabaad” written on their vehicle.

    “Despite contacting the authorities of the factory, nobody came to their rescue,” Fayaz said.

    “What is wrong in writing Islam Zindabaad on vehicle as hundreds of non- local drivers visit Kashmir on daily and had written different things in praise of their religion but nobody questions them here,” he said.

    The victims demanded that the matter must be investigated and also the CCTV footage must be checked to book the culprits.

    “If we have committed any mistake we are ready to face any punishment. But if we are not guilty then the involved person must be dealt strictly as per the law,” they said—(KNO)