Category: Union Territory

‘Accounts involved in making forged documents, spreading wrong info through fake order, impersonating as J&K officers’

Srinagar, April 3(KINS): Jammu and Kashmir Police’s cyber cell on Friday said that it has traced and identified dozens of fake account handles who were involved in series of “online crimes” including impersonating, forgery.

It also said that strict action that includes three year jail term under Indian Penal Code (IPC) was in offing for those involved in the cyber-crimes.

The cyber cell’s statement comes close on the heels of government spokesman Rohit Kansal’s tweet on Friday morning that a similar account to that of his official twitter handle was formed on social media by some people and they were spreading fake messages.

Kansal had urged people to stop fakes at this crucial stage of pandemic outbreak that has already claimed two lives in Kashmir and targeted nearly hundred people so far in J&K.
“Identifying fake social media accounts and handles wasn’t a cake walk. It is a difficult task and takes some time. We have already identified dozens of fake social media account handlers. Some of them have been called by us while many are not cooperating fully in the wake of Covid-19.” J&KP’s Cyber Cell in-charge Tahir Ashraf told Kashmir Indepth News Service (KINS) over phone.

He said that they have identified three types of people involved in social crimes that includes impersonation—a person impersonating as a J&K government official and spreading wrong information to cheat others. “There are two strict acts—IPC 416 and 419 which includes punishment of three years imprisonment for the person involved,” the in-charge Cyber Cell said.

He said that second category of people involved in online crime is those who put across fake information through fake orders as seen recently.

A few days back, orders suggesting restoration of 4-G service with the signatures similar to J&K Home Secretary Shaleen Kabra were making rounds on social media. Later it was found that the order was fake. A series of fake orders have hit the social media amid the massive ongoing challenge of Covid-19 pandemic.

“For this (spreading fake information), section 505 IPC applies which also includes three year imprisonment,” he said, adding that there is a third category that is involved in forgery where in forged documents are made and circulated on social media. “Here, we take action under section 468 of IPC which also includes three year imprisonment,” he informed KINS.

He said that seven FIRs have already been lodged against the people involved in various online crimes. “Those involved in spreading false information in times of Covid-19 have been traced and we will act against them soon,” the cyber cell in-charge added. (KINS)

Srinagar, April 3 (KINS): Momin Ahmad, a 14-year-old boy from Lalbazaar is fond of cricket. For last over two weeks, he has not moved out of his home in view spread of coronavirus. Sitting idle whole day inside four walls has caused him distress and anxiety.

“We don’t have yard, where my children could at least move few steps. The lives of people are paralyzed. He is not able to study online due to slow internet speed,” his father, Ghulam Mohammad told this Kashmir Indepth News(KINS) Reporter.

The ubiquitous outbreak of COVID-19 across the continents has pushed billions of people to the confinement of their houses. While this harsh and probably only preventive measure known as of now, to contain the spread of COVID-19, can have severe repercussions in the form of stress and anxiety among people across the world, Kashmir depicts an altogether distinct and dangerous rundown.
With already a huge chunk of Kashmir’s population struggling with various mental health issues because of decades of turmoil which got exacerbated since August 5, 2019, this virus has come as a strong blow to the mental health of Kashmiris especially children.

“My son gets easily irritated over small things. The lockdown is not new to us and the schools are closed since August 5 but at least my son used to go out in vicinity to play with his friends. Now, due to the fear of coronavirus we don’t allow him to step out of the house. This makes him more aggressive,” Mohammad Sharif, a resident of Batamaloo told KINS.

Adding to the woes is the non-availability of 4G internet that has led many students to depression as they are not able to get the study material provided by the institutions or to avail the facility of online classes.

The educational institutions being closed for about eight months with small respite of few days in the months of February and March has triggered immense anxiety among children exasperating violent behavioral disorders in them.

A doctor at Srinagar’s SMHS Hospital said the ongoing crisis have taken a toll on the mental health in Kashmir. “During such situation, people face depressions and also develop post traumatic mental disorder,” the doctor said, wishing not to be quoted by name.

“There will be post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) of the ongoing crisis but its intensity will be known when doctors examine such patients as people are not able to visit hospitals these days,” he added.

PTSD is a condition that develops after an individual goes through a terrifying ordeal that involves physical harm or the threat of a physical harm. Symptoms may include disturbing thoughts, feelings, or dreams related to the events, mental or physical distress to trauma-related cues, attempts to avoid trauma-related cues, alterations in how a person thinks and feels, and increased arousal. (KINS)

Srinagar, April 3: At Chest Disease Hospital, doctors are putting all their efforts to treat Covid-19 patients. The doctors in the hospital have cured a patient who was infected with Coronavirus disease.

Jammu, April 02: Five more COVID-19 cases were detected in Jammu and Kashmir on Friday taking the total tally to 75.

The five cases comprise 4 in Kashmir and 1 in Jammu, an official spokesperson said as per wire service—Kashmir News Observer (KNO.

He said that 70 cases were active in Jammu and Kashmir at present.The total tally of positive cases in J&K UT has reached 75—(KNO)

Tral, April 3: A girl, who is a boutique owner in Tral area of South Kashmir’s Pulwama district, has manufactured free uniforms for the doctors in recognition of their great contribution in fight against the Covid-19 disease. Saima Reshi, a 26-year-old girl from the Batagund area of Tral, who runs the boutique ‘Fashion Shades,’ told KNT that “to give protection to doctors, she along with her sister Aafu Reshi (Co-owner) and other members have manufactured many uniforms after taking suggestions and guidance form ADC Tral.

Only the lower level jobs will be reserved for locals and the higher level jobs will be open for all, the party unit says

Nistula Hebbar

The notification of domicile rules for the newly created Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir has the Jammu unit of the BJP worried and upset, as it not only loosens the criteria of who can claim domicile but only keeps lower level jobs reserved for locals with higher level jobs open for all.

The local unit flagged these concerns with the party’s national leadership and also with Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

“According to what we gathered from the notification, only Group D jobs will be reserved for locals, while others are open for all. We have been told that the provincial services board will take care of some levels of hiring keeping locals in mind, but that is just oral assurance, the notification itself does not reassure us,” said a senior leader in Jammu BJP.

The notification, which came out on Wednesday in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, defines rules for claiming domicile and access to reserved government jobs for the people of the Union Territory. The reservation for domiciles will not apply to Group A and Group B posts and only to level 4 posts or posts that carry a payscale not more than level 4. “This means that all the higher level jobs are out of the purview of reservation for domiciles, also the 15-year threshold for claiming domicile means that anyone who comes in to work in J&K and stays on for 15 years, their children, if they stay here, will be considered for domicile,” said a source. No cut off date for calculating this 15- year period has, as yet, been notified.

“We are facing a popular backlash from our people on this issue and it will harm us as and when polls take place,” said a local leader who did not want to come on record.

Fears are valid: Ram Madhav

Speaking to The Hindu, BJP general secretary Ram Madhav, who has been handling Jammu and Kashmir for the party for a long time, said that there were issues that the Jammu unit of the party had flagged, and that “their fears are valid.”

He also confirmed that Mr. Shah had been also been apprised of the concerns of the people of Jammu and he had assured that he would look into it.

“There are some issues with regard to the domicile notification that have been flagged, especially with regards to reserving jobs for locals, and to an extent these fears are valid,” said Mr. Madhav.

The Ministry of Home Affairs’ reply to a parliamentary panel on February 18 stated that there were over 84,000 vacancies in J&K, of which 22,078 vacancies pertained to Class IV jobs, 54375 to non-gazetted and 7552 vacancies in gazetted posts.

Srinagar: US President Donald Trump has tested negative for the novel coronavirus for a second time and is “healthy” and not displaying any symptoms for the deadly disease, the White House physician has said.

Sean Conley, Trump’s physician, did not provide any context for the second test. The doctor, however, said the president had been tested by a new rapid-point-of-care test that delivered results in 15 minutes.

“The President tested negative for COVID-19,” Conley, said on Thursday in a memorandum to the White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham.

“This morning, the President was tested again for COVID-19, utilising a new, rapid-point-of-care test capability. He is healthy and without symptoms. Sample collection took just one minute and results were reported back in 15 minutes,” Conley said.

President Trump flashed a copy of his physician’s memorandum to his press secretary during his daily White House news conference.

“I did take a test. It just came out, this is from the White House physician,” Trump said at the briefing while holding up the memo.

“You may have it, just came out. I just took it this morning. And I took it, it took me literally a minute to take it and it took me – I guess it was 14 or 15 minutes (for results). I went to work, I didn’t wait for it, but it said it took 14 minutes or something with a conclusion and it said the President tested negative for COVID-19,” he was quoted as saying by the US media.

Trump added that he had taken the test “really out of curiosity to see how quickly it worked, how fast it worked.”

“It’s a lot easier. I’ve done them both and the second one is much more pleasant,” he said of his second test.

The president previously tested negative for the virus in mid-March after coming into contact with two persons who had tested positive.

Trump’s second test comes as more than a million coronavirus cases have been confirmed worldwide and States across the US continue to hand down strict measures to slow down the spread of the COVID-19.

America wrestles with the coronavirus pandemic that the White House has warned could kill up to two lakh people during the next fortnight.

A total of 1,002,159 COVID-19 cases have been reported across more than 175 countries and territories with51,485 deaths reported so far, according to Johns Hopkins University data.

The US has reported 236,339 COVID-19 cases, the highest in the world, and over 5,000 people have died due to the disease.

President Trump told reporters on Tuesday that the US was headed for a “very tough two weeks”, advising people to be prepared for the “hard days” ahead.

Deborah Bix, a member of White House Task Force on coronavirus, based on a model from actual data from the ground, said the death toll in the US could be between 100,000 to 200,000, with the strict implementation of the existing mitigation measures including social distancing till April 30.