Category: Union Territory

  • CET Paper leak scam BOPEE cancels admissions of 12 students

    Srinagar: Following a strong reproof from the High Court over its ‘snail pace’, the Board of Professional Entrance Examination (BOPEE) has cancelled admissions of 12 students who according to Crime Branch purchased Common Entrance Test (CET) question papers in 2012.

    The BOPEE files its status report before the High Court here on Monday in which it said that 12 students who had fraudulently secured admissions in government medical college here have been cancelled after completing the prerequisite legal formalities.

    Sources told KNS, that in its status report, the BOPEE ha maintained silence about the list of nine students that it received from the government for cancellation of admissions two days ago.

    Pertinently, six students out of 12 are in central jail and three in juvenile home. The three students including two girls are yet to be arrested. Besides, Mushtaq Pir, former BOPEE chairman some brokers are already facing trial in a subordinate court here.

    Unearthing of the CET—2012 paper leak scam had evoked huge uproar in the state with students of Government Medical College (GMC) Srinagar staged protest demonstration inside the college campus against the BOPEE. (KNS)

  • Teachers accused of faking certificates get clean chit from Kanpur University

    Srinagar: The Kanpur University has given clean chit to the two teachers, who were facing a probe by the crime branch of police for gaining promotions as lecturers by submitting fake certificates to the department.
    Official sources told GNS the two teachers Mohammad Yasin Mir of Lone Hari Kupwara and Ghulam Mohammad Bhat of Taratpora, working as lecturers at the Government Boys Higher Secondary School Panzen Budgam and Government Boys Higher Secondary School, Vilgam Kupwara have been given clean chit and their certificates have been authenticated by the Kanpur University.

    “As per university records, Ghulam Mohammad Bhat has passed M A Mathematics Examination through this University bearing Roll No 10006 during year 1989 as regular candidate. The certificate bearing no. 005110 and 12710 are genuine and issued by this university,” Registrar Chhatrapati Shahu Ji Mahraj (CSJM) University, Kanpur, writes in response to the a communication (vide no DSEK/OSD/IMFW/F-6513/14040 dated 03/12/2013) by the Director School Education
    Earlier, the University had denied of having issued marks sheet or degree to Bhat.
    In response to the communication sent on July 12, 2011, by under secretary to the government, school education department, Registrar, CSJM University had said “As per University records, the result of Ghulam Mohammad Bhat is detained for the migration certificate issued by Meerat University as well as the marks sheet of M A Previous and permission of this University for appearing of MA Final Exam of this University,”
    Pertinently, the crime branch of police was probing the case of the two teachers after they received a communication from the SVO that the duo had submitted fake certificates to gain promotions.
    “It is reported that large number of teachers working in education department has managed to get fake post graduation certificates during militancy and on basis of which they have been promoted as lecturer,” AIG, State Vigilance Organization, Jammu and Kashmir, had written in a communication (vide letter no SVO/EDU-G-24/11-1315-16) to Inspector General of Police (IGP) Jammu on February, 2, 2011.
    The communication had identified Mohammad Yasin Mir and Ghulam Mohammad Bhat as the beneficiaries, who got promoted by producing fake certificates
    “I’m directed to request you to kindly look into the matter and take necessary action,” the letter adds.
    A month letter, the Crime Branch forwards the SVO complaint to the commissioner, higher education (vide no CHQ/Clt/K-139-11/2557-58, dated March, 17, 2011).
    “In this connection, I am directed to request that the matter may kindly be got enquired into for appropriate and share the outcome of the same with this Hqrs,” the letter by IGP, Crime Branch, reads.
    Meanwhile, Bhat told GNS Monday that some elements were trying to malign his image by lodging fake complaints and unleashing propaganda against him. He said that he has been an upright educationist and has served the department with dedication. “Truth has triumphed over falsehood,” he added. (GNS)

  • Aam Aadmi Party set to open office in Srinagar on March 15

    The party will try to bring Arvind Kejriwal for the formal inauguration of the office but his presence at the inauguration has not been confirmed yet. In his absence, Prashant Bhushan will inaugurate the Srinagar office.


    SRINAGAR: The mercurial former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is set to enter Jammu and Kashmir with the party launching its office in summer capital Srinagar on March 15.
    Well-placed sources told Authint Mail that the party will formally inaugurate its office in Srinagar on March 15, a date that was unanimously agreed upon after hectic deliberations between the senior party members in New Delhi.  “The office will be opened on March 15 but it’s not yet known who will inaugurate the office in Srinagar,” a source said.
    The party will try to bring Arvind Kejriwal for the formal inauguration of the office but his presence at the inauguration has not been confirmed yet. “In case Mr Kejriwal doesn’t make it to Srinagar due to his engagements in Delhi, then the senior party leader and Supreme Court lawyer Prashant Bhushan will launch the party in Jammu and Kashmir,” the source said.
    As an individual, Mr Bhushan enjoys good rapport in Kashmir because of his controversial statements over AFSPA, seeking right to self-determination for people of J&K and demanding an end to human rights violations. “It’s sure that he will be in Kashmir for the formal inauguration,” the source said.
    Recently, Mr Bhushan stirred a hornet’s nest after he called for a referendum in the Valley to decide whether or not the Army should be deployed to deal with internal threats in Kashmir. “People should be asked whether they want that the Army to handle the internal security of Kashmir. Any decision which does not have the backing of the people is undemocratic. If people feel that the Army is violating human rights and they say they don’t want the Army to be deployed for their security, then the Army should be withdrawn from the hinterland,” he had said.
    Bhushan had triggered a controversy in September 2011 too when he called for a plebiscite in Kashmir at a press conference in Varanasi and said that Kashmir should be allowed to break away from India if Kashmiris did not want to stay as part of India.
    According to the party insiders, AAP recently conducted interviews of different people belonging to Kashmir in order to give them a green signal for joining the party. “A good number of lawyers, RTI activists, volunteers and a few businessmen are camping in Delhi these days to get a ticket from the party. After conducting their interviews, the party will announce the names of their members in Kashmir besides naming the Kashmir conveyor of AAP,” the source revealed.
    It is reliably learnt that many candidates from Kashmir are using their influence to get the party ticket but the party has decided to choose a layman from Kashmir who won’t be much known to the people so as not to send a wrong signal to the people who have been fed up with dynastic politics and corrupt regimes in Kashmir. “The contenders were personally interviewed by Prashant Bhushan,” the source said.
    About the political discourse that AAP will pursue in Kashmir, the source disclosed that AAP’s Kashmir policy will surprise many people as the party will be dealing with what he termed as ‘real issues’.
    “It’s definite that the party won’t touch the decades old rhetoric on Kashmir. Nothing about autonomy or self-rule or for that matter pre-1953 position will be discussed by the party in Kashmir. But our politics will revolve around real issues,” the source said, “see you have to consider that among all the states in India, J&K tops corruption list and apart from corruption agenda, AAP’s Kashmir chapter will vociferously advocate getting the power projects back from the NHPC, campaigning about removal of AFSPA from Kashmir, and providing a peaceful platform to raise voice against any kind of rights violations in Kashmir.”
    “It’s about delivering things on ground. The party is desperate to raise the issues of human rights violations, AFSPA and getting the power projects back to Kashmir,” the source added.
    The party insiders reveal that the selected candidates will target all four major parties of Jammu and Kashmir which includes National Conference, Congress, Bhartiya Janta Party and Peoples Democratic Party on their failure in resolving the problems in Kashmir.
    If not on each and every seat, the party will be fielding candidates against top but ‘tainted politicians’ including chief minister Omar Abdullah. “The candidates will be fielded against all the known political bigwigs of Kashmir,” the source said.
    Recently, Mr Kejriwal had called Omar Abdullah a ‘dynasty politician’ and said that AAP will sweep the forthcoming polls in the state. “Omar Abdullah is a dynasty politician. Our party will soon open offices in Jammu and Kashmir and will register a glorious triumph in the forthcoming polls,” Kejriwal had said at a Delhi Literature Festival.
    Replying to the Kejriwal’s assertions, Omar had challenged Kejriwal, stating that his party will face defeat if it contests elections in the state. “If Kejriwal’s party fields candidates from the state for the general elections, they would lose their security deposits,” Omar had said mockingly.

  • Wadoo’s kick saves Indian football from disgrace, brings laurels to Kashmir

    SRINAGAR: Kashmir’s known football player, Mehrajuddin Wadoo, Saturday evening helped Mohammedan Sporting Club to lift the prestigious IFA Shield trophy after a gap of 43 years in front of a capacity crowd at the historic Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata.

    Known for his defensive techniques, Wadoo stepped in and grabbed a dramatic equalizer for his side before the half time against the Bangladeshi side – Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club. Then, in a tie-breaker, he again proved his mettle by converting his penalty shot into the goal and helping his team to lift the title by 4- 3.

    Mehraj was also adjudged as the best player of tournament for his overall performance. Ishfaq Ahmad, another football sensation from Kashmir, also joined him in the finals. Both gave out their best for Kolkata side in the title clash and assured that more than 65000 – strong fans have their best evening of their life for jubilation.

    Barring the fans, no one could watch Wadoo receiving the Man of The Match award because the channel had instantly shifted to its regular fare, a Bengali blockbuster that had love, sex and violence.

    “Most mainstream news channels dropped the news, for them a battered Indian cricket team mattered more than a soccer win. Very few knew India’s pride was saved by a defender who comes from a strife-torn state where guns and blood make more news than anything else. But it was more special for Wadoo, who, being a defender, doesn’t get the chance to score goals for his side. It was after 43 years that Mohammedan Sporting has lifted this prestigious title. They had last won it 1971,” Shantanu Guha Ray wrote in tadpoles.in.

    Wadoo dedicated his trophy to his 11 months old son Muhammad Ahmad.

  • Five ‘most dreadful’ militants figure on police posters in Pulwama

    SRINAGAR: Army and Police have jointly sped their efforts to nab the ‘most dreaded militants’ allegedly operating in South Kashmir and for this purpose government forces have pasted scores of posters at different places in South Kashmir’s Pulwama district, portraying the active militants of Lashkar, Jaish, and Hizb as dacoits and murderers asking people to inform police about their whereabouts.

    The posters read: “Anyone who help police in tracing these thieves and dacoits would be given a government job and cash reward.” These posters appeared in different parts of Pulwama town including Chakoora and Litter.

    The five ‘dreaded militants’ whose names have been mentioned in the posters include Showkat Ahmed Tak, Irshad Ahmed Ganaie, Bilal Molvi, Sajad Bhat and a foreigner Qasim Bhai.

    Director General of Police Ashok Prasad told a local news gathering agency that few militants including Qasim Bhai are involved in different militancy related activities and police is on job to track and crack them down. “Once we neutralize Qasim, we believe that militancy would almost come to an end in South Kashmir,” Prasad said.

    A police official said that Qasim Bhai and others are active in South Kashmir: “Once we neutralize them especially Qasim, the violence graph will come down considerably.”

    “Qasim Bhai is the master mind of several attacks that militants carried out on security forces. Hyderpora deadly attack was his brain child and on his instructions, militants attack a Road Opening Party of CRPF near Pohru chowk in Nowgam killing two jawans including an Assistant Sub-Inspector,” he said.

    It has been confirmed that one militant Irshad Ganaie whose name figures in the posters participated in Hyderpora attack in which 9 Army men were killed while 13 were injured.

    “The posters that we have pasted on walls, poles and at other places have started showing positive signs and we are hopeful that people would cooperate in getting these militants arrested,” a police official, said adding that at least this strategy will restrict the movement of militants.

  • 175.64 acres of land under army’s unauthorized occupation at Gulmarag: Govt

    Srinagar: The state government has constituted a high level committee to work out modalities for transfer of 175.64 acres of land which is under an unauthorized occupation of army at Gulmarag.
    According to KNS correspondent, in a written response to a query asked by Naeem Akhtar, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) MLC the minister incharge home has said that the land at Gulmarag will be exchanged for Toto ground Batmaloo.
    “There is no proposal for allotment of more land to defense ministry in Affarwat area for construction of concrete defense road from Gulmarag to Affarwat peak. However, a high level committee has been constituted vide government order number 136-GAD of 2014 dated 3-2-2014 inter allia to work out the modalities for transfer of 175.64 acres of land which is under the unauthorized occupation of army at Gulmarag in lieu of the land to be exchanged for Tattoo ground Batmaloo,” reads the government response to Akhter’s question.
    The PDP MLC had asked the government about the area of land allotted to army at Gulmarag to which the government has said that in pursuant to administrative council decision number 139 dated 22-11-1991, 130 acres of land has been transferred to army at Gulmarag by tourism department vide government order number 107-TSH of 1991 dated 11-12-1991 subject to certain terms and conditions.
    Akhtar had also asked about the area actually under the use of army at Gulmarag and Botapathri areas to which the government has said that 305.64 acres of land is under the occupation of army in Gulmarag and Botapathri areas out of which 130 acres are authorized and 175.64 acres are under unauthorized occupation.
    However, the government has said there is no proposal to allot more land to defense ministry or for the purpose of construction of a concrete road from Gulmarag to Affarwat area. (KNS)
  • Two black sheep in police department arrested for robbery

    SRINAGAR: Two black sheep in Police Department were apprehended by Kothbagh police for robbing two outside State employees of Rs 37,000.

    As reported earlier that two employees from a telecom company, Ram Prasad and Sourab Gupta residing in New Delhi and Rajhastan were abducted and robbed by two men in uniform on gun point near Regal Chowk Srinagar on Friday.

    Soon after receiving the complaint, police had swung into action and the registration number of white Santro car (JK02AF-1396) that was used for crime was distributed among cops.

    A police official said that Kotibagh police personnel in plain clothes spotted the said Santro car near Polo view and the person who was driving it was apprehended.

    “The apprehended person identified as Altaf Ahmed Khan son of Bashir Ahmed resident of Uri (Belt number 809), attached with 11th Battalion of Armed Police confessed his crime and on his submission police arrested his associate Mushtaq Ahmed Khan son of Muhammad Yousuf resident of Uri,” a police official told CNS adding that Mushtaq at present is attached with Security Wing Kashmir.

    Police also recovered the weapon used by the culprits for abduction and loot. “We also recovered the money that was looted by these accused from the duo near Regal Chowk,” the police said.

    Reports said that police raided their government accommodation at Dalgate and not only recovered the looted money but also dozens bottles of liquor. Police is trying to ascertain whether culprits are involved in other such incidents or not.

    “Police is for the protection of people and service to people is its motto. But some black sheeps sometimes try to bring disrepute to our institution,” a police official said that case vide FIR number 14/2014 under section 392 has been registered against the culprits.

  • Killers Of Innocent Kashmiris Cannot Evade Punishment And Will Have To Face Justice: Yasin Malik

    JKLF Will Soon Issue a Comprehensive Protest Program Against This Indian Oppressive Behavior
    Yasin Malik While Reacting to Media Reports About Indian Defense Minister Being Against Reopening Pathribal Case.

    Srinagar: The killers of innocent Kashmiris cannot evade punishment and will have to face justice. Kashmiri don’t care what Mr. Antony or anybody else thinks. We will not let our protest rest till the killers of Pathribal are brought to justice. This was stated by the chairman JKLF Mohammad Yasin Malik who has left for Jammu to attend a court case there, while reacting to the media reports in which it is said that Indian defense Minister Mr A K Antony is against reopening the case against 5 Indian army officers who have been charged of killing 6 innocent Kashmiris in cold blood at Pathribal in year 2000.

    Yasin Malik while deliberating on the issue said that the Indian army’s decision of giving clean chit to its killer officers of Pathribal massacre and now reports of defense minister being against reopening the case is all part of Indian oppressive attitude towards the people of Jammu Kashmir.
    Yasin Malik said that after army’s clean chit to killers of Pathribal, pro- India politicians and rulers of Jammu Kashmir started their stage theater of portraying of being against the army decision. These politicians did same in the case of Shaheed Mohammad Afzal Guru, 2008 and 2010 innocent killings and other massacres. This all is done under a well planned program to diffuse the tension and after the situation gets normal we always hear statements like that of Mr. Antony etc.
    Yasin Malik said that clean chit by Indian army to its killer officers who murdered innocent Kashmiri’s at Pathribal in year 2000 is like justifying the genocide of Kashmiri’s. Killing civilians in the name of foreign militants and then giving killers clean chit is an ugly stain on the Indian democracy and has clearly revealed the fact that Kashmir is governed by army and police. Yasin Malik said that kashmiris will not watch this oppression silently .the killers of innocent Kashmiris cannot evade punishment and will have to face justice. He said that Kashmiri don’t care what Mr. Antony or anybody else thinks. We will not let our protest rest till the killers of Pathribal are brought to justice.
     Yasin Malik said that JKLF will deliberate upon this issue threadbare and soon issue a Comprehensive Protest program against this Indian oppressive behavior.
    Yasin Malik said that after the massacre of Pathribal on 26th march 2000 in which Indian army killed 7 innocents after abducting them from their houses and dubbed then as foreign militants even the prime Indian investigation agency CBI told Supreme Court of India that “our investigations have revealed it was a fake encounter and cold blooded murders”. Yasin said now after 14 years we are being told that army has found no evidence of their involvement in the massacre and that army has closed this case and now Indian defense minister is in no mood to order a reopening of the case. Yasin said that this denial and shielding killers and murderers is not new as Indian army and rulers before this also shielded the killers and criminals involved in Gaw Kadal, Sopore,Handwara, Bijbihara, Kawdara, Tengpora ,Zakura, Bandipora, Poonch, Baderwah massacres and Kunan Poshpora like crimes.
    Yasin Malik said that this attitude of Indian rulers and politicians is a clear evidence of the fact that Jammu Kashmir is governed by Indian army, forces and agencies under the garb of fake democracy. That is why these forces kill Kashmiris at will without the fear of any punishment or enquiries.
    Meanwhile Yasin Malik has expressed his heartfelt condolence on the sad demise of father of barrister sultan Mehmood (ex- prime minister of Azad Kashmir) and another JKLF well wisher Ishityaq Ahmad Ganai.Yasin sahib expressed condolences to Barrister Sultan on telephone. A delegation led by Noor Mohammad Kalwal visited Batamaloo and participated in funeral payers of Ishtiyaq Ahmad Ganai who died in a road accident on Sunday. JKLF has also expressed heartfelt condolences to other people whose kith and kin died in a recent accident on Jammu road. 
    Delegation Led by Noor Sahib also visited Sopore (Zaloora) and met with the family of Shaheed Mohammad Shafi sheikh who embraced martyrdom recently. On the occasion Noor sahib while paying rich tributes to Shaheed M.shafi (Sopore),shaheed Arshid and Shaheed Abid who got  martyrdom  at Shupian said that the sacred mission of these martyrs will surely succeed.
  • Violence declined during our government: Omar Abdullah

    Jammu: Chief minister (CM) Omar Abdullah on Monday said violence across the state has declined by 71 per cent since the present coalition government came to power in 2009.

    During a discussion on the motion of thanks on governor’s address to the legislature, the CM referred to a number of milestones achieved during the last five years, including the public service guarantee, the constitution of the state vigilance commission, the right to information commission and the proposal to form new administrative units.

    Abdullah said the decision to incorporate essential features of the 73rd Constitutional Amendment in the state Panchayati Raj Act will empower the elected village representatives and benefit the people in general.

    He made his statement in the legislative council, the upper house of the state’s bicameral legislature presently in session here to wind up the discussion on the governor’s address.

    In the legislative assembly, opposition parties, including the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the National Panthers Party (NPP), walked out of the house, protesting the alleged acute shortage of rations and other essential supplies in different areas of the state.

    The opposition legislators, however, later joined the session of the assembly to participate in the day’s proceedings.

    The PDP legislators, led by party leader Mehbooba Mufti, again walked out of the assembly to protest alleged detentions of youths in different parts of the Kashmir Valley recently.

  • Kolahoi Glacier; disappearing into horizon

    Ovais Gora/Umar Hayat

    SRINAGAR: Snow clad mountain peaks of Pahalgam, where land dissolves into sky is the home of numerous glaciers. These thick snow blankets had covered these summits for centuries. The largest one among these is Kolahoi Glacier. Every year large amount of nature admiring people ascends the mountain Kolahoi to have the glimpse of its glaciers—and to get experience, which fixates them for lifetime.

    And for the hamlets of Pahagam, Mount Kolahoi means a place on which sun shines first. The beauty of pristine Kolahoi is nestling deep in the memories of the Gujjars who spent their childhood in the vicinity of these ‘Frozen Factories of Water’.

    For an elderly man, Bashir Ahmad—who belongs to Gujjar community, memories of his childhood tramping the snow field are still verdant. “Since our childhood, we have been enthralled by the beauty of the glacier,” he says. “Though we resided down at bottom of the Mt. Kolahai, but we used to tread up to its summit in our early days.” Bashir says, splendors of the mountain peaks are hard to overlook, “but due to some unknown reason, hallow patches have developed on the face Kolahai glacier.”

    The Kolahoi glacier not only quenches the aesthetic thirst—rather its meltdown trickles down water through the verdant mountains in the forms of numerous rivulets. The flow keeps the life on toes—by catering to irrigation and portable water to the vast area.

    Small streamlets carrying the glacier water of Mount Kolahoi merges at the base of lush and verdant Lidder Valley—and contributes mammoth portion to West Lidder. The West Lidder after traversing 24km merges with East Liddar at Pahalgam, and gives rise to famous River Lidder—the jugular vein for the Agriculture and drinking purpose. Lidder, which is flowing at tremendous speed for some years, heralds the swansong of Kolahoi glacier.

    “Liddar River is the basic fabric of our existence,” said Abdul Yaseen, a farmer from Mattan, Islamabad. “Our livelihood is solely dependent on the water coming from Liddar. Whether it is for irrigational or drinking purpose, we are squarely dependent upon it.”

    Of late, the Mount Kolahoi is getting stripped from its frozen white blanket—as haste melting has set in it. Experts warn that the bond is at its last leg and this separation is posing a serious threat to the flora and fauna of its catchment area.

    The inhabitants of its catchment are speculating the increasing gush of River Lidder—as its generosity, and envisage a boom in agriculture sector.

    But the story is all together different! The melting glacier is giving sleepless nights to the geologists who claim that Kolahoi glacier is at the verge of its extinction.

    “In the past 30 years, the Kolahoi glacier which used to be a little more than 11 sq km has shrunk to 2.63 sq km,” notes the study titled as ‘Climate change, Glacier retreat and livelihood’. This study was conducted by Shakil Ramsoo, Assistant Professor, and Department of Geology Kashmir University.

    “Kolahoi glacier is shrinking 0.08 square kilometers a year, which is an alarming speed,” says Shakeel Ramsoo, who has extensively worked on the glaciers of Kashmir. “The global warming is the main cause for the depletion of this glacier.”

    Fast melting rate of Kolahai Glaciers is alarming to the people who are directly or indirectly dependant on the Liddar River. While considering the pace of melting, it is not hard to envisage the posterity will be deprived of the major source of water for irrigation and other purposes.

    After snow melts in May or June, the water sources exhaust in the valley. Since Kolahoi is the only permanent source of water, it plays a sheet anchor role.

    Now the growing concern remains in case it disappears, there will be a considerable influence on the hydrological system of the valley. Though the signs are not visible on the ground, there are numerous streamlets up in the Mount Kolahoi which narrates its tale that they were once messengers of meltdown water.