Category: Union Territory

Baramulla: An Army man allegedly committed suicide by shooting himself dead with his service rifle in Boniyar area of north Kashmir’s Baramulla district on Monday evening.

Officials told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO that an Army man identified as S. Srinivas of Telangana shot himself while he was on duty at 226 Field Unit in Boniyar area of Baramulla.

Soon after the incident, his colleagues rushed to the spot and found him lying in a pool of blood, they said.

A police officer also confirmed the incident to KNO and said that a case has been registered in this regard while further investigation has been taken up—(KNO)

S: Amid surge in the coronavirus cases, people in Kashmir are not following COVID-19 guidelines.

Hundreds of people could be seen on the streets or on Boulevard along the banks of Dal Lake without wearing masks or maintaining social distance.

This is despite authorities having announced that wearing masks was mandatory in all public places.

However, rarely anyone could be seen wearing masks. “Looks hundreds of vendors are selling barbecues and fried fish on the banks of Dal Lake. Neither these sellers nor customers are wearing masks. I do wear a mask to protect myself but it won’t make any difference as less than 10 percent of people are wearing masks,” Imran Ahmad, a resident of Nishat told news agency Kashmir Indepth News Service (KINS).

He said the government should take strict measures to ensure people wear masks. “If wearing a mask has been made mandatory they are why law enforcing agencies are not implementing these guidelines. Why don’t they fine those who are not following COVID guidelines,” he asked.

A spokesperson of the Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), in a statement on Monday, said that due to the onset of summer, there was a visible reduction in the wearing of masks in public places and also negligence in maintaining safe social distances.

“People had started thronging public parks and picnic spots which was a matter of grave concern and alarm. The situation gets worse on weekends and holidays,” the spokesperson said.

He said it was important to underline the importance of strictly following the COVID protocols as in many cases youth who themselves possess strong immune systems tend to infect other vulnerable sections of the society with weaker immune systems like the elderly or those with medical conditions.

The Chamber appealed to the members of the business community to renew the focus on strict adherence to regular sanitization and maintaining safe distances in their business establishments and markets.

“The Government had relaxed the guidelines to accommodate the genuine concerns of the business community but the responsibility of keeping the markets safe is to be equally shared by the respective business community as well,” he said.

KCC&I added that it needed to be noted that ignoring the threat of COVID could prove disastrous for the whole society.

“In addition, measures like keeping a safe distance of 2 metres, frequent washing of hands, proper wearing of N95 Masks, avoiding touching of eyes, nose and mouth, avoiding touching unsafe surfaces had proven to greatly reduce the chances of getting infected. Please take them seriously as mistakes can be dangerous and inflict heavy costs for the whole community,” it said.

Divisional Commissioner Kashmir P K Pole said it was mandatory to wear masks. “People should not come out of their homes without wearing masks. They should properly cover their mouth and nose. If people don’t wear masks, they will infect others. We are also raising awareness to ensure people wear masks,” Divisional Commissioner Kashmir told KINS. (KINS)

Uttar Pradesh: A coronavirus patient admitted in a government hospital here fled after giving a slip to the hospital staff, police said on Monday.

The patient, a resident of Revti area of Ballia, was admitted at the L 1 COVID hospital in Basantpur on July 2.

A COVID-19 patient fled from L 1 COVID hospital in Basantpur on Sunday, Virendra Yadav, SHO, Sukhpura said.

He said efforts are on to trace the patient.

Srinagar: A paramilitary BSF trooper died of covid-19 here on Monday, taking the fatality count due to the deadly virus in Jammu and Kashmir to 137.

The trooper from 33 Battalion died at BSF Sector Headquarters in Panthachowk , official sources said.

Previously, three persons including a 55-year-old woman from Uri in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district died here.

Professor Farooq Jan, Medical Superintendent SKIMS Soura, told GNS the woman from Boniyar Uri passed away at 8 a.m. today.

“She was case of Rheumatic Heart Disease Associated with Congestive Cardiac Failure and Respiratory Tract Infection,” Professor Jan said. The quinquagenarian, he said, was in “IDB on high flow oxygen and was very sick.”

Earlier in the day two patients—56-year-old from Budgam and 90-year-old from Baramulla district, died here.

Regarding the 56-year-old man from Budgam district, Professor Jan said that he was suffering “HTN, CKD and bilateral Community acquired pneumonia.”

“The patient was also on dialysis as well. He expired today early morning at 4 am,” he said.

As regards the nonagenarian, a resident of Tangmarg area of Baramulla, Medical Superintendent CD hospital, Dr. Saleem Tak, said that he was admitted on June 26 and died at 2:00 a.m. today.

“He was suffering from hypertension, cardiac ailments and bilateral pneumonia,” he told GNS.

With the deaths, 137 people have succumbed to the virus in J&K— 123 from the Valley and 14 from Jammu division.

Srinagar district with 33 deaths has the highest fatalities followed by Baramulla (25), Kulgam (16), Shopian (13), Anantnag (11), Budgam (10), Jammu(8), Kupwara (7), Pulwama (four), Bandipora (three), Doda (2) while one death each has been reported from Ganderbal, Poonch, Udhampur, Rajouri and Kathua. (GNS)

Kulgam: A young girl in South Kashmir’s Kulgam district has alleged that she was raped by three government teachers.

Sources told news agency KNT that a young girl (name withheld) daughter of Muhammad Ayoub of Kulgam approached police station with a written complaint in which she alleged that three government teachers yesterday evening took her to orchards and raped her.

The girl has identified the accused teachers as Hilal Ahmed Dar S/o: Abdul Rahid of Chachmulla village, Nazir Ahmed Shah S/o: Mohiuddin Shah and Amir Farooq Wani both from Gandwani village.

Sources told KNT that all the accused are posted at Government Middle School

Shortly after receiving the complaint police registered an FIR vide number 109/2020 under section 366, 376 and arrested one of the accused. A police official said that one of the accused Hilal Dar has been arrested while efforts are on to nab the remaining two.

Meanwhile, locals staged a strong protest demanding stringent punishment to the culprits. They demand arrest of those two accused who are still at large. (KNT)

PTI

New Delhi: In the first sign of de-escalation of tension in eastern Ladakh, the Chinese Army has removed tents and started to withdraw its troops from Galwan Valley as decided during high-level talks between the two militaries, government sources said on Monday

Galwan Valley was the site of a violent hand-to-hand clash between the two militaries on June 15 that left 20 Indian soldiers dead

China’s People’s Liberation Army was seen removing tents and structures at patrolling point 14, the sources said, adding rearward movement of vehicles of Chinese troops was seen in the general area of Galwan and Gogra Hot Springs

They said disengagement of Chinese troops in the area has begun as per decisions arrived at during the Corps Commander-level talks

The sources said there was clear sign of withdrawal of structures and troops from the patrolling point 14 in Galwan Valley and that they are likely to move back more than a kilometre in the area

The sources said it would not be possible to know immediately how much distance the Chinese troops are going back and that there will be clarity only after a proper verification process is conducted

The clashes in Galwan Valley took place after Indian troops strongly opposed the erection of a surveillance post by the Chinese side near patrolling point 14

It is not immediately known whether the de-escalation initiative has also been started in the Pangong Tso area where the Chinese side has significantly enhanced its presence, particularly in areas between Finger 4 and Finger 8

On June 30, the Indian and Chinese armies held the third round of Lt General-level talks during which both sides agreed on an “expeditious, phased and step wise” de-escalation as a “priority” to end the standoff

The first round of the Lt General talks were held on June 6 during which both sides finalised an agreement to disengage gradually from all the standoff points beginning with Galwan Valley

However, the situation deteriorated following the Galwan Valley clashes as the two sides significantly bolstered their deployments in most areas along the LAC

On Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a surprise visit to Ladakh during which he said the era of expansionism is over and that the history is proof that “expansionists” have either lost or perished, in comments which were seen as a clear message to China that India is not going to backoff and would deal with the situation with a firm hand

The Indian and Chinese armies are locked in a bitter standoff in multiple locations in eastern Ladakh for the last seven weeks

The tension escalated manifold after killing of 20 Indian soldiers in Galwan Valley. The Chinese side also suffered casualties but it is yet to give out the details

Both sides have held several rounds of diplomatic and military talks in the last few weeks to ease tension

Following the Galwan Valley clashes, the Army has sent thousands of additional troops to forward locations along the border besides moving in heavy weapons

PTI

Hyderabad: A 50-year-old man has been accused of raping two minor girls in Nizamabad district by luring them with chocolates, police said on Sunday.

Based on a complaint, the police said the accused took the girls, aged 7 and 8, to a secluded place at Yedapally four days ago and allegedly raped them.

The man is absconding, the police said adding that a case under sections of the IPC and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act has been registered.

Srinagar: Gusty winds coupled with rains on Sunday evening caused massive damage to orchards, residential houses and uprooted trees in various parts of the Kashmir valley.

Reports reaching the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) said that dozens of residential houses, electric transmission lines got damaged while trees were uprooted due to strong winds in several areas of north Kashmir.

They said that rooftops of about a dozen residential houses were damaged due strong winds in many parts of north Kashmir including Sopore, Pattan, Bandipora and Sumbal.

An official told KNO that power supply also got affected in these areas as strong winds damaged transmission lines and uprooted electric poles at several places. He, however, said that no loss of life has been reported so far from these areas.

The official said that traffic movement on Sopore-Bandipora road was also halted after many trees fell on the road due to strong winds. “Efforts are being made by authorities to restore the traffic movement on the road,” he said.

Meanwhile, reports said that strong winds also wreaked havoc in other parts of Kashmir valley including Srinagar, Budgam, Shopian, and Pulwama district.

Officials said that strong winds caused massive damage to orchards, trees and residential houses in these parts as well and power supply has also been snapped in Srinagar.

Reports reaching KNO said the windstorm caused massive damage to public property in many areas.

Officials said that several residential houses and vehicles got damaged due to strong winds in Kathidarwaza area of Rainawari and Nigeen Dargah area of Srinagar.

They said they were assessing the damage caused by strong winds in several parts of Kashmir including Srinagar district—(KNO)

Srinagar: Kashmir Valley reported six more deaths due to covid-19, taking the death toll due to the virus in Jammu and Kashmir to 133.

Sources said that the victims include three residents of Srinagar, two from Bandipora and one from Anantnag.

Three among them including a 60-year-old woman from Shadipora area of Bandipora and two men— a 54-year-old male from Baramulla and a 70-year-old from Anantnag— died at SKIMS Soura.

“The woman died at 9:15 a.m. due to cardiopulmonary arrest with azotemia with sepsis,” Medical Superintendent SKIMS Soura, Professor Farooq Jan, told GNS.

“The patient was known case of hypertension, diabetes, CKD , ESRD. She was admitted with pneumonia with encephalopathy,” he added.
Regarding the 54-year-old man, Professor Jan said he was a case of “CLD with bilateral CAP with shock.” “He was in Ward 2A on Ventilator and was declared Covid Positive yesterday night,” he said, adding, “He expired at around 7.30 p.m. today.”

With regard to septuagenarian from Anantnag district, Professor Jan said that he was admitted in ward 2A on July 3 with bilateral pneumonia with Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). “His sample for covid19 was collected on same day and came out positive on July 4,” he said, adding, “The patient was on NIV support and his attendants had given negative consent for intubation. The patient expired at 10 p.m. on July 4.” The body was kept in mortuary overnight, he said.

Earlier, a 40-year-old man from Baramulla died at CD hospital, one of the exclusive facilities for the management of the covid-19 patients in Valley.

Medical Superintendent CD Hospital, Dr Salim Tak, told GNS that the patient, a resident of Sangrama Sopore area of the northern Kashmir district, was suffering from bilateral pneumonia. “He was shifted from SMHS hospital to CD hospital on June 27,” he added. The two other deaths, one each from Srinagar and Bandipora took place at SMHS hospital, the sources said.

Regarding Bandipora case, sources said that he was a 54-year-old male from Gundjehangir and was admitted to the hospital on April 6 and died with underlying ailments such as “hypertension and diabetes” today. Regarding Srinagar patients, details were awaited while this report was filed.

With the deaths, 133 people have succumbed to the virus in J&K— 119 from the Valley and 14 from Jammu division.

Srinagar district with 32 deaths has the highest fatalities followed by Baramulla (23), Kulgam (16), Shopian (13), Anantnag (11), Budgam (9), Jammu(8), Kupwara (7), Pulwama (four), Bandipora (three), Doda (2) while one death each has been reported from Ganderbal, Poonch, Udhampur, Rajouri and Kathua. (GNS)

Srinagar: Rafiya Bano (name changed), a resident of West Bengal’s Murshidabad was 18 when an agent told her parents she would be married with a young Kashmiri and in a well-off family. But once brought to Kashmir, she was forced to marry a Srinagar man who was 45-years-old.

“I married this man three years ago. I was new to this place and totally a stranger. Whatever I was told, I accepted. I came to know that the person whom I am married did not find local bride as he has some mental illness,” she told news agency Kashmir Indepth News Service (KINS).

This is not an isolated case. There are dozens of non-local brides who have been married to old people or persons with disabilities in Kashmir.
Rukhsana Jan, a resident of Bihar married to an old man two years before in south Anantnag.
A friend of Rukhsana’s uncle approached her family and showed them a picture of a young and handsome Kashmiri boy as their daughter’s prospective groom.

“I was told this person is a businessman and will keep me happy. When I arrived in Kashmir I was shocked. They told me that I have to marry a man who seemed then 40, and has a big lump on his back which has made him unattractive to local girls,” she said, who is now 21.

The brides are pushed into these marriages because of poverty, trafficked in a sense by the agents in many cases because they are lured by false promises.

An agent, who wished not to be named, said most of the non-local girls who are being brought to Kashmir are from impoverished Muslim families of states like West Bengal, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.

“We get these girls with the consent of their families who are struggling to get two times meals,” he said.

The United Nations defines Trafficking in Persons as the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation.

The purpose of the human trafficking as per National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) is forced labour, sexual exploitation for prostitution, domestic servitude, organ trade, and forced marriage.

As per the NCRB figures, 2465 human trafficking cases were reported in India during 2018 involving 5788 victims.

However, only one case as per these figures has been registered in Jammu and Kashmir.

A senior official of J&K police give varied reasons why human trafficking cases are not getting reported.

“In Kashmir forced marriages take place because the practise has social acceptance. Nobody is complaining about these marriages as family of a girl is getting handsome money and they are being brought to Kashmir with their concurrence,” the official said.

“You will find non-local brides in every area in Kashmir but nobody will speak on their behalf,” the official added. (KINS)