Category: Union Territory

Srinagar, Dec 26: Jammu and Kashmir reported 124 fresh covid-19 cases while two persons died due to the virus in the last 24 hours, officials said on Sunday.

31 of the fresh cases were reported from Jammu Division and 93 from Kashmir, taking the overall tally to 340722.

One death each was reported from Jammu division and Kashmir Valley due to the virus during the last 24 hours, they said. So far 4523 persons—2197 in Jammu and 2326 in Kashmir—have died due to the virus, they said.

Giving district wise details of the fresh cases, the officials told GNS that Srinagar reported 42 cases, Baramulla 11, Budgam 12, Pulwama 1, Kupwara 10, Anantnag 1, Bandipora 3, Ganderbal 11, Kulgam 2, Shopian 0, Jammu 17, Udhampur 2, Rajouri 3, Doda 3, Kathua 0, Samba 0, Kishtwar 0, Poonch 2, Ramban 4 and Reasi 0.

A number of these cases were confirmed at CD hospital’s diagnostic labouratory and include male (64) from Pulwama, male (45) (NA) from Sgr, female (60) (NA) from Kupwara, female (60) (NA) from Bandipora, female (40) (NA) from Trehgam Kupwara, male (39) (NA) from Awoora Kupwara, female (80) (NA) from Laam, male (73) (NA) from Sgr and male (52) (NA) from Dara Nishat.

Moreover, 127 Covid-19 patients recovered during the time, 24 from Jammu Division and 103 from Kashmir, they said.

So far 334849 patients have recovered, leaving active case tally at 1350—355 in Jammu and 995 in Kashmir.

They said there was no new confirmed case of mucormycosis (black fungus) reported today. So far 50 black fungus cases have been confirmed in J&K, the officials said.

They also informed that 62486 doses of covid-19 vaccine were administered during the time in J&K. (GNS)

Two minor boys die after they fell into a storage tank in Dardpora Kralpora in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district on Sunday.

As reported two boys namely Amir Mohuiddin Khawaja son of Ghulam Mohuiddin Khawaja and Faheem Iqbal Khawaja son of Mohammad Iqbal Khawaja – residents of Maidan Pati Dardpora Kralpora (B), had fallen into a storage tank after they apparently went to fetch a cricket ball from the water source.

A rescue operation was subsequently launched by locals, later assisted by police and army to retrieve the bodies. After few hours of hectic efforts amid prevailing inclement weather conditions, the bodies were retrieved in succession.

A police official confirming the retrieval of bodies told GNS that bodies were being handed over to the families for last rites.

A pall of gloom has descended over the area on the tragic death of the teenage duo.

New Delhi, Dec 26: National Conference president Farooq Abdullah, who is the chairperson of the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD), has hinted his party will fight the next assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir together with the constituents of the new coalition to defeat “communal forces”.

Talking about the situation in Kashmir, Abdullah claimed it is worse than the 90s — when militancy erupted in Jammu and Kashmir — because the youth feel they have no place in modern India and have lost faith in the government in Delhi.

“…and I am sure when the elections come, we’ll sit down together again to defeat the divisive and communal forces,” Abdullah, who has been a Union minister and three-time chief minister of the erstwhile state, told PTI here recently.

The PAGD is a five-party alliance comprising the National Conference (NC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), CPI(M), Awami National Conference and the Peoples Movement. It seeks the restoration of the special status of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir which was revoked by the Centre in August 2019.

“What is created is a combination of all parties to fight for the rights and identity of our people – the Dogras, the Kashmiris and others. We recently had a meeting and we all condemned what the delimitation commission has done (based on its preliminary report which recommended six seats for Jammu and one in Kashmir besides reserving nine seats for Scheduled Tribes and seven for Scheduled Castes),” Abdullah said.

Outrightly rejecting the recommendations, he also asked how the government would deal with groups like Kashmiri Pandits and Sikhs who are also demanding political reservation.

“How will people from all sections be there? Who does not take these things into consideration? That is why we had an Upper House where the people who could not come into assembly were brought so that their voices could be heard,” the NC leader said.

Today, every Muslim, whether he belongs to Kashmir or the rest of India, has to “continuously prove” that he is a nationalist despite his community having shed blood for the country, said Abdullah, who was picked by former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to be a member of his team to represent India at the United Nations.

“I think the tragedy is that every Muslim, whether he belongs to Kashmir or the rest of India, has to continuously prove that he is a nationalist, that he is an Indian. Why? Why can’t it be done for the others? Why can’t they ask the Hindus, ‘Are you Indians?’ Why only Muslims who have given blood for this nation and are continuously giving blood for this nation, defending this nation at every place,” he asked.

Abdullah said the problem is that people have lost faith. The young feel that they have no place in modern India which has been communalised to the maximum. “They find they have no jobs, we have no industry, the promise of 50,000 jobs, what happened to them,” he asked.

“In JK Bank, they got people from Haryana and Punjab. What about our people from J-K, where will they go? Highly educated population, they see this, they see the arrests made on small flimsy grounds, and they are put under such draconian laws, no one is there to listen, and corruption along with inflation rising sky-high,” Abdullah said.

On the way ahead, the NC leader said, “We can only come out of this if the present government realises that India is a secular nation, follows the Preamble to the Constitution which says everyone is equal, and stops this division of communities … India is more important, and we have to unite communities rather than dividing them if you want to go forward and shine above the rest of the world.” The former chief minister was also highly critical of the J-K administration’s decision to stop the ‘Darbar Move’, an age-old practice under which the civil secretariat – the seat of the government – used to shift its base every six months between the twin capitals of Srinagar and Jammu.

On his recent tour of Jammu region, considered a strong base of the BJP, he said this idea that everything is BJP is “wrong” and it is just a media hype.

“As I said before, people see the sufferings they are going through and the promises that they have made. They realised it is not Lord Ram who is in danger and so the Muslims also realised that Allah is not in danger as well.

“Indeed, it is the people who are in danger. They are suffering and they are living hand-to-mouth in some places,” he said.

Reiterating his demand for early assembly elections to restore a popular government in Jammu and Kashmir, Abdullah said in a democratic setup, people can go and question the MLA as the legislator is always available near them.

“And how dare he not respond! He knows in five years he will disappear if he fails the public,” he added.–(PTI)

Srinagar, Dec 26: The minimum temperature settled below freezing point in Kashmir Valley and Ladakh on Sunday.

A meteorological department official here told GNS that Srinagar, the summer capital of J&K recorded a low of minus 1.8°C against last night’s 1.7°C.

Kashmir is presently under the grip of 40-day long harshest period of winter, known locally as ‘Chillai Kalan, which started from December 21. It is followed by a 20-day long ‘Chillai Khurd’ and a 10-day-long ‘Chilla Bachha’.

The mercury settled at minus 7.5°C against minus 6.5°C on the previous night at the world famous resort of Gulmarg in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, the official said. It was minus 1.7°C below normal for the famous resort.

Qazigund, the gateway town of Kashmir, had a low of minus 1.2°C against 2.2°C on the previous night, he said.

Pahalgam, the famous resort in south Kashmir, recorded a low of minus 3.8°C against minus 5.1°C on previous night.

Kokernag, also in south Kashmir, recorded a low of minus 0.3°C against 1.0°C on previous night, the official said.

Kupwara town in north Kashmir recorded a minimum of minus 1.5°C against minus 0.8°C on the previous night, the official said.

Jammu, the J&K’s winter capital, saw a low of 8.8°C which is minus 0.6°C below normal for the place during this time of the year, he said.

Ladakh’s Leh had a low of minus 10.4°C against last night’s minus 10.4°C while automatic Kargil station recorded minimum of minus 9.2°C. Drass in Kargil, the second coldest place in the world after Siberia, recorded a low of minus 9.2°C, the official said.

“Weather is most likely to remain partly to generally cloudy with chances of light Snow at isolated places of Kashmir,” he said, adding, “light to moderate snowfall is expected at scattered to fairly widespread places during 26 (night) to 28th(morning).”

He however said that there is no forecast of any “heavy snowfall/rain” anywhere in J&K and Ladakh till ending Deccember. (GNS)

Jammu: The wheels of justice have “completely collapsed”, said PDP president and former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday after one of the convicts in the 2018 Kathua rape case was granted bail by a court in Punjab.
On December 21, the Punjab and Haryana High Court suspended the remaining sentence and jail term of dismissed police sub-inspector Anand Dutta and ordered that he be released upon furnishing surety bonds.
“Perturbed that the policeman convicted for destroying evidence in Kathua rape case was granted bail and his jail term suspended. When a child raped and bludgeoned to death is deprived of justice, it becomes obvious that the wheels of justice have completely collapsed,” Mufti tweeted.
The eight-year-old girl was raped and murdered in the Kathua district in January 2018 and the verdict in the case was pronounced on June 10, 2019, by a court in Pathankot, Punjab, where the case was shifted on the directions of the Supreme Court.
The court convicted six people, including the main accused Sanji Ram, dismissed Special Police Officers Deepak Khajuria and Parvesh Kumar who were sentenced to life imprisonment. Three dismissed policemen Anand Dutta, Tilak Raj, and Surender Verma were sentenced to five years in jail for hampering material evidence.
Dutta has already undergone more than half of the sentence awarded to him, while the sentence of co-accused Tilak Raj was also suspended on December 16 by the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
—PTI

Slain was involved in killing of ASI in Bijbehara: IGP

Bijbehara, Dec 26: A militant has been killed in a gunfight between government forces and militants in K Kalan area of Bijbehara in South Kashmir’s Anantnag district, officials said on Saturday.

A senior police officer told the news agency— Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that a militant has been killed who has been identified as Faheem Ahmad Bhat (19) son of Gul Mohammad Bhat of Kandipora Bijbehara.

Meanwhile, Inspector General of Police Kashmir Zone Vijay Kumar told KNO that Faheem who recently joined ISJK was given multiple surrender offers but he turned it down.

He said that Faheem was involved in killing of ASI Mohammad Ashraf from Awantipora area posted in Police Station Bijbehara, who was shot dead near SDH Bijbehara on December 22, 2021.

Earlier, an official said that a joint team of Police, Army and CRPF launched a Cordon and Search Operation (CASO) on specific information about the presence of militants in the area.

He said that as the joint team of forces approached towards the suspected spot, the hiding militants fired upon them, which was retaliated, triggering a gunfight.

Pertinently, four militants were killed in two separate encounters on Saturday including two in Chowgam area of Shopian and two in Hardimir area of Tral—(KNO)

Srinagar, Dec 25: Doctors Association Kashmir (DAK) on Saturday said booster shots of Covid-19 vaccine are crucial to protect people from the highly transmissible Omicron variant of coronavirus. 

“Booster doses offer a significant increase in protection against Omicron,” said DAK President and Influenza expert Dr Nisar ul Hassan.

Quoting a lab study from Oxford University, Dr Hassan said the levels of antibodies against Omicron after a booster dose of AstraZeneca vaccine were significantly higher compared to titers after a second dose.

“Neutralizing levels of antibodies against Omicron after a booster were similar to those against the Delta variant after two doses.” he said.

“The findings of the study hold significant implications for Jammu and Kashmir, where more than 90 percent doses are of Covishield, which is the local version of AstraZeneca vaccine,” he added.

The DAK President said similar studies from Pfizer and Moderna have also shown that their booster shots effectively neutralized the new variant.

“The results of lab studies support the use of booster dose to limit the spread of Omicron variant,” he said.

Dr Nisar said while two doses of Covid-19 vaccine may still offer protection against severe disease, lab results suggest that two shots of the vaccine are not effective in preventing omicron infection

“Early real-world data produced by the UK Health Security Agency confirmed that two doses show significantly reduced antibody levels against Omicron,” he said.

“The agency suggested that vaccine effectiveness against Omicron more than 25 weeks after second vaccine dose was negligible for AstraZeneca and only about 35 percent with Pfizer,” said Dr Nisar.

“But after a booster, effectiveness was around 75 percent,” he added

General Secretary DAK Dr Arshad Ali said being fully vaccinated is not enough against the new variant.

“It is essential that every eligible adult receives a booster as soon as possible to keep the variant at bay,” he said.

Spokesperson DAK Dr Riyaz Ahmad Dagga said booster shot is the third or the additional dose of Covid-19 vaccine given to ensure the protection is maintained against the new variants.

“The booster dose can be the same as your original vaccine or it can be from a different vaccine,” he said.

“CDC and FDA have approved booster shots for all adults to be given at least six months after the second dose of Covid-19 vaccine.

While many countries including US and UK have started administering booster shots, India is yet to take a call,” he added.

Srinagar, December 25: Two militants were killed in a brief encounter with security forces in Hardumir area of Tral South Kashmir’s Pulwama on Saturday, an official said.

Official sources told GNS that two militants were killed in brief exchange of firing at Tral . However identity of the militants is yet to be ascertained.

Earlier a joint team of Police and army launched a cordon and search operation in the area in hours. As the joint team of Police approached towards suspected spot, the hiding militants fired upon the forces triggering off an encounter.

Pertinetly 05 militants have been killed in last 48 hours in three different encounters in South Kashmir.(GNS)

LUCKNOW: Agra Police has written to the Uttar Pradesh government seeking permission for prosecution sanction against the three Kashmiri students who were arrested for sedition and other charges after the Pakistan cricket team’s victory over India at the T20 World Cup match in October.

The accused, meanwhile, have sought a transfer of their case from Agra to Mathura.

The three students — Arsheed Yusuf, Inayat Altaf Sheikh and Showkat Ahmed Ganai — were arrested for allegedly sharing anti-India messages on WhatsApp after Pakistan’s victory in the match, police had said. They are currently lodged at the Agra district jail.

Police applied for sanction after they collected “evidence” against them, according to Pravindra Kumar Singh, the investigating officer for the case and station house officer of the Jagdishpura police station. The cases against the three were registered in Jagdishpura, Agra.

Prosecution sanction has been sought under sections 124-A (sedition), 153-A (promoting enmity between different groups) and 505 (1)(B) (with intent to cause, or which is likely to cause, fear or alarm to the public, or to any section of the public) of the Indian Penal Code, said Singh.

The First Information Report (FIR) against the three also includes Section 66-F of the Information Technology Act (cyber militancy).

Sections 124-A, 153-A and 505 (1)(B) need to be approved by the state government before the charges are accepted in a court of law.

“We have sought sanction in those three IPC sections and waiting for government’s approval before filing charge sheet,” the SHO said on Friday.

Sources said Agra Police have sent all details of the case to the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government to verify and decide on prosecution approval.

In October, the three Kashmiris — studying at an Agra engineering college under the Prime Minister’s Special Scholarship Scheme for J&K students — were arrested for allegedly sending WhatsApp messages “against the country” after the match.

They were arrested amid protests outside their college over their purported messages. Soon after, the college too rusticated the three students. The families of the three then appealed the UP government to drop the cases against them and “forgive them for their mistake”.

The three students were heckled by some unidentified people when they were first produced before a local court in Agra in October.

Advocates in Agra also refused to represent the accused, prompting their families to approach Mathura-based lawyer Madhuvan Dutt.

Dutt said on Friday he has filed a petition to seek a transfer of the cases against the three from Agra to Mathura, apart from their bail plea pending before the Allahabad High Court.

“Petition seeking direction for transfer of trial from Agra to Mathura is pending in High Court. The bail application of all three Kashmiri students are also pending in high court,” said Dutt.–(Agencies)

Anantnag, Dec 25: Locals from Verinag hamlets of South Kashmir’s Anantnag district captured at least 10 wild bears in a week. Six bears were captured alone in Kokagund village.

Locals said wild animals are damaging vegetation and pose risk to live stock.

“We are without a Rang Office. There is a dire need to establish a Range Office here in Verinag so that movement of wild animals could be curbed,” said a local Nisar Ahmed.

Another local Fayaz Ahmed said that wild animals roam freely in different villages of Verinag.
“Locals especially children and females are reluctant to come out from the houses. A common villager is unable to visit his orchard alone,” he added.

They said Verinag villages being close to the forest area need proper fencing. “This fencing will stop wild animals from entering into the villages,” the locals said and appealed administration to look into the matter.

“The villagers awake whole night and so for 10 bears have been captured by locals without any government assistance,” the villages said.

When contacted, an official from Wild Life Department admitted that there is a need to set up a Range Office in Verinag. He said wild life department teams are active and they are always at their (villagers) beck and call. (KNT)