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  • Third COVID wave in India may peak in early Feb: IIT-Kanpur study

    However, the researchers noted that the exact peak number of cases cannot be estimated accurately with the study as it did not consider the vaccination data of the population.covid
    People throng Sadar Bazaar flouting COVID-19 protocols, in New Delhi.

    New Delhi, Dec 24: The third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in India may peak by February 3, 2022, claims a modelling study by researchers at Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur.
    However, the forecast is based on the assumption that India will follow the trends of rise in cases seen in many countries globally driven by the Omicron variant of coronavirus.
    The yet-to-be peer-reviewed study, posted on the preprint repository MedRxiv on December 21, used a statistical tool named the Gaussian Mixture model to forecast the third wave.
    In their study, the researchers used data from countries such as the US, UK, Germany, and Russia that are already facing the third COVID-19 wave.

    They modelled the daily data of cases in these countries to predict the impact and timeline for the third wave in India.
    The study also used the data from the first and second waves in India, considering the number of cases with respect to time.
    The model forecasts India’s third wave of COVID-19 to peak in the beginning of February 2022.
    “The cases start rising around 15 December 2021 and the peak of the third wave will occur on Thursday, 3 February 2022, they wrote in the research paper.
    The authors of the study noted that the conclusions are based on the assumptions that a third wave of COVID-19 may hit the country, and will follow the trends happening around the world.
    However, the researchers noted that the exact peak number of cases cannot be estimated accurately with the study as it did not consider the vaccination data of the population.
    The research team comprised of Sabara Parshad Rajeshbhai, Subhra Sankar Dhar, and Shalabh, all from the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at IIT Kanpur.
    The authors noted that the vaccination campaign by the union government is a good initiative but it will take some time to reach “100 per cent efficacy”.
    “In many countries like the US, UK, Germany, Russia, the majority of the people have been vaccinated but still they are currently facing the third wave,” the authors explained.
    “So, India and other countries have to build up the defences and be prepared for another wave so that it is not as devastating as the earlier ones,” they added.
    According to the National COVID-19 Supermodel Committee, the third wave of COVID-19 is expected to peak in early next year but would be milder than the second wave.
    The members of the committee said last week that daily caseload in India is expected to increase once Omicron starts displacing Delta as the dominant variant.
    India on Friday recorded 122 cases of the Omicron variant of coronavirus in a span of 24 hours, the highest so far, pushing its tally in the country to 358.
    Overall, the country reported 6,650 fresh COVID-19 cases, increasing the country’s caseload to 3,47,72,626, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said.

  • Wheels of justice collapsed, says Mehbooba after 1 convict in Kathua rape and murder case gets bail

    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

  • Militant killed in Bijbehara encounter: Police

    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)

  • Shaheen was nervous’: Shahid Afridi reveals how he helped his would-be son-in-law to tackle Indian batters in T20 World Cup match

    Two months after Shaheen Afridi ripped  through Indian batting line  up,  his would be father-in-law Shahid Afridi has revealed that he helped the pacer to overcome nervousness  before the crucial match in T20 World Cup.

    The young pacer dismissed dangerous Rohit Sharma in the first over. He later took the wickets of KL Rahul and Virat Kohli.

    However, former Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi has revealed that Shaheen was nervous before the match.

    “Before the first game against India, Shaheen video-called me and told me that I’m feeling a bit of pressure. We talked for about 11-12 minutes, I told him that god gave you the opportunity to go out and perform, you strike those wickets and become a hero. By god’s grace, he did exactly that,”  Afridi told a private TV channel.

    Shaheen bowled magnificently well throughout the tournament and played a key role in Pakistan’s semi-final run.

  • Doctors Body Kashmir Says Booster shots crucial to protect people from Omicron

    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.

  • Rs. 177 crore seized from house of Kanpur perfume trader

    In one of the biggest hauls, a team of Directorate General of GST Intelligence (DGGI), Ahmedabad, recovered Rs 177 crore of “unaccounted cash” from the residence of businessman Piyush Jain in Kanpur during a two-day raid on Thursday and Friday. More hidden money is likely to tumble out as some of his properties in Kannauj are still being searched.

    The search teams combed 11 premises of Jain and two of his partners — one is a pan masala manufacturer and the other is a transporter. The premises included factory outlets, offices, cold storages and petrol pumps in Kanpur, Mumbai and Gujarat. The raids started simultaneously at 11am.

    Officials said tax evasion of more than Rs 3 crore through shell companies was discovered. “Jain took loans in the name of shell companies and has huge foreign transactions,” a source said, adding, “Documents are being scrutinised. SBI officials are helping count the seized money.”

    Jain, who is originally from Chhipatti in Kannauj, is known primarily as a perfume merchant. He has around 40 companies, including two in West Asia, and owns a house, head office and a showroom in Mumbai.

    Explaining the modus operandi, sources in the department said multiple invoices, all below Rs 50,000 for a truckload, were generated in the name of fake firms to avoid paying GST. They added that 200 fake invoices were found and more than Rs 1 crore was seized from the transporter.

  • 5 militants killed in last 48 hours in South Kashmir

    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)

  • India-Pak T20 match: Agra Police seek UP govt sanction to prosecute 3 Kashmiri students for sedition

    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)

  • Read Here : Does Cold Weather Affect Your Heart

    By: Dr Farooq Ahmad Ganie
    Assistant Professor Department of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery SKIMS SOURA.

    Cold  weather is one of  the most common risk factor you encounter in the winter which can impact your health  specifically your heart in many ways. Heart attacks are more common in winter There are several theories why heart attacks increase in winter.The main risk factor is biological: The cold causes blood vessels to contract, which can raise blood pressure, increasing the risk of heart attack and stroke. Angina, or chest pain due to coronary heart disease, can also worsen in winter when coronary arteries constrict in the cold. Furthermore, your heart has to work extra hard to maintain a healthy body temperature, and winter wind can make this even more difficult because it causes the body to lose heat more quickly. If your body temperature drops  below 95 F (35 C ) hypothermia can damage the heart muscle,Lifestyle changes, particularly physical activity, can impact your risk as well., temperature, physical activity and emotional stress can contribute to an increased risk for heart attack during the winter. However, you can take extra precautions by following a few strategic tips Dress for the weather,Wear layers and especially wear hats, gloves and heavy socks. Give yourself breaks to warm up if you’re spending time outside in the cold.Wash your hands frequently. Respiratory infections can increase the risk of heart attack. Get help. If you have new symptoms of a heart condition, don’t delay getting help,

  • Villagers capture 10 bears in a week in South Kashmir’s Verinag

    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)