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If Mirwaiz is not under house arrest then why he is not allowed to move out of his house.

Srinagar: All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) said that the statement made in the Indian parliament by the Government that no one is under house arrest is strange and surprising.

APHC said that it’s chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq has been under house detention since 5 th August 2019. On that day police vehicles were parked on both the gates of his house compound and since the he is not allowed to move out. APHC said that if the Mirwaiz is not under house arrest then why he is not allowed to move out of his house.

Being the Mirwaiz, he has not even been allowed to go to Jama masjid Srinagar since August last year , from whose pulpit he delivers the traditional Friday sermons (Waz o Tableeg) and leads the Friday prayers.

APHC said that Mirwaiz should then be allowed to move out and all restrictions on his movement and communication should then be immediately withdrawn. APHC also said that all political prisoners in jails in J&K and outside should also be released.

APHC spokesman said that while the culprits of the recent Shopian fake encounter have still not been brought to book, as reported in media another cold blooded murder of a 24 year old youth in custody Irfan Ahmed Dar from Sopore, who was arrested on the night of 14 th and taken into police custody, is extremely sad and disturbing. APHC said these extra judicial killings by the authorities that keep taking place in the valley at regular intervals to sustain the atmosphere of fear among people are condemnable to say the least.

APHC appealed to all rights bodies to take cognizance of these brazen human rights violations and bring the culprits to book.

APHC said the beating and assault on local journalists while discharging their professional duties in Kakpora south Kashmir by the authorities is highly condemnable. APHC express solidarity with the Media fraternity.(KNT)

“Reopening schools while Covid is still circulating widely could accelerate virus transmission in the community,”

Srinagar: With schools in Kashmir valley preparing for students to return to classrooms next week, Doctors Association Kashmir (DAK) on Thursday said reopening schools at a time when Covid-19 cases are surging could worsen the crisis.

“Reopening schools while Covid is still circulating widely could accelerate virus transmission in the community,” said DAK President and influenza expert Dr Nisar ul Hassan.

“With cases rising thick and fast, opening schools could further deteriorate the situation, the effect of which could be worse than what has happened,” he said

DAK President said studies have shown that children are as likely to be infected with Covid-19 as adults.

A report from the United States has revealed that about 97,000 children were infected within two weeks of school reopening.

In Israel, a second wave of infection has been directly linked to opening of schools.

He said while most children who get Covid develop mild illness, several hundreds have died of respiratory failure or an inflammatory syndrome.

“A recent German study suggested that children may be as infectious as adults and can spread the virus as easily as adults,” Dr Nisar said.

“Children can get infected at school and spread the virus to parents and grandparents at home who are more likely to develop severe disease. Children can also transmit the virus to teachers and other staff at school.”

He said flu is just around the corner and most children are unvaccinated which puts them at risk of severe Covid-19 disease.
Dr Nisar said children tend not to follow social distancing and are not particular about personal hygiene.

“The existing infrastructure of most schools can be fertile grounds for virus transmission,” he added.

“We understand the impact of prolonged closure of schools on children, but we are not in a favorable situation to open schools.

Sooner or later, education can somehow be compensated, but what you can’t overcome is death from the virus.

As per the criteria for reopening of schools there should be minimum 14 days of declining cases before even considering reopening,” said Dr Nisar.

Clashes erupted between protesters and security forces near the encounter site at Batamaloo area of Srinagar

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PTI

New Delhi: The Income Tax Department has conducted raids on a prominent hotelier and a jeweller based in Jammu and Kashmir on charges of alleged tax evasion, the CBDT said on Thursday.

In the first case, searches were launched on Wednesday against the hotelier who owns a chain of hotels at popular tourist spots of the Union Territory like Srinagar, Gulmarg, Sonamarg and Pahalgam and he also has a hotel under-construction in Leh.

“Various incriminating documents and materials evidencing unexplained investments in immovable properties, construction of hotels and residences aggregating to Rs 25 crore in the last six financial years have been seized during the search, though he has not paid any tax since assessment year 2014-15.

“Almost all these investments are in cash and outside the known sources of income,” the CBDT said in a statement without identifying the entity.

The Central Board of Direct Taxes frames policy for the I-T Department.

“During the course of the search operation, receipt of unsecured loans to the tune of Rs 25 crore in the past two years from persons of no means has been found,” it said.

“All these loans are prima facie not genuine, as the same have been advanced by persons with doubtful creditworthiness,” it added.

The action also revealed, it said, that the assessee’s children are studying in the US on whom expenditure of about Rs 25 lakh per annum is being incurred.

The expenditure on account of education in the US prima facie appears to be unexplained/undisclosed,it said.

“The assessee is also running a B Ed college as a trust along with his mother. The trust in not registered and no return is being filed though it has substantial taxable income.

“The assessee has also admitted to having incurred an expenditure of Rs 40 lakh on the renovation of his residence,” it said.

A bank locker, found during the searches, has been put under restraint, it said.

Meanwhile, the second case pertains to a prominent jeweller in Srinagar.

“During the search, it was found that he had not maintained books of accounts of the jewellery business even though the turnover is of the range of Rs 2 crore-Rs 10 crore in the earlier years.”

“The search has revealed that an undeclared bank account was maintained by the assessee with deposits running into crores of rupees, which has not been offered to tax,” the CBDT said.

The assessee also sold immovable property of Rs 1.90 crore in Srinagar in financial year 2015-16, capital gains tax on which has not been paid, it said.

Documents were found, during the raids, that revealed receipt of Rs 16 lakh in cash as ‘pagri’ by the assessee in FY 2019-20 at the time of leasing of one of the shops.

“This transaction is in violation of provisions of Section 269SS of the I-T Act. This fact of receiving cash of Rs 16 lakh has been admitted by the assessee as well as the lessee. The payment of Pagri of Rs 16 lakh is also out of undisclosed income of the lessee,” the CBDT claimed.

The search also revealed that sale of a flat in Delhi was made by the wife of the assessee in 2019-20 FY for Rs 33 lakh.

“During the search, it was seen that no capital gain has been paid on the above sale. Further, out of the sale consideration of Rs 33 lakh, Rs 13 lakh has been received in cash in violation of provisions of Section 269SS of the I-T Act,” it said.

The source of investment of buyer also seems prima-facie undisclosed, which is being investigated, the statement said.

The search also revealed that the daughter of the assessee was studying abroad and the expenditure on account of the same prima facie appears unexplained/undisclosed, it said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Kashmiri Today staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

PTI

New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate has made Kashmiri Hurriyat leader Shabir Shah’s wife Bilquis Shah an accused in a 2005 case of money laundering for alleged terror financing against him and alleged hawala dealer Mohammad Aslam Wani.

The probe agency named her as an accused in its supplementary charge sheet filed in the case on Wednesday.

Additional Sessions Judge Dharmender Rana will take up the matter for on November 10.

In its charge sheet filed by ED’s special public prosecutors N K Matta and Rajeev Awasthi, the agency said that there were sufficient evidence against Bilquis.

The charge sheet has been filed under sections 3 and 4 Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

The ED had earlier filed charge sheet against Shabir Shah and Aslam Wani.

It alleged that Wani was asked by Shah to work for him (on a commission basis) in collecting hawala money from Delhi and deliver to him at Srinagar.

The case dates back to August 2005 in which Delhi Police’s Special Cell had earlier arrested Wani.

Wani had then claimed that he had given Rs 2.25 crore to Shah, following which the ED had registered a criminal case under PMLA against the two in 2007.

PTI

Jammu: The Pakistan Army opened heavy fire and shelled mortars targeting forward areas along the LoC in two sectors of Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district, officials said.

The Indian Army effectively retaliated, a defence spokesman said.

“At about 0645 hours, the Pakistan Army initiated unprovoked ceasefire violation by firing with small arms and intense shelling with mortars along LoC in Balakote and Mendhar sectors”, the spokesman said.

Pakistani troops have violated the ceasefire 24 times this month.

An Army personnel was killed and two others, including an officer, were injured on Tuesday as Pakistani troops violated ceasefire by using heavy fire and mortar shells along the Line of Control in Sunderbani sector of Rajouri district, officials said.

On September 2, a JCO was killed in ceasefire violation by the Pakistan Army along the LoC in Keri sector of Rajouri.

Firing stops, Search operation on in the area, say officials

Srinagar: Three unidentifed militants and a woman were killed in an encounter between government forces and militants in Batamallo area of Srinagar.

A senior police official said three militants were killed in Battamallo encounter. “The firing has stopped and searches are under way in the area,” he told news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO)

Official sources said that a woman aged 45-years, was also killed in the gunfight after she was caught in the cross fire while as a CRPF deputy commandant sustained injuries.

They identified the slain woman as Kousar Jan of Batamallo stating that she was taken to SMHS hospital where doctors declared her brought dead.

They further added that the injured deputy CRPF commandant was shifted to 92 base hospital while as identification of militants is being ascertained.

Earlier, an official said that on specific inputs about the presence of militants, a joint team of Police and CRPF launched a cordon and search operation in Batamloo during last night.

As the joint team of forces approached towards the suspected spot, the hiding militants fired upon them, triggering an encounter—(KNO)

A CRPF spokesman the police and the Quick Action Team (QAT) of the CRPF are on the job.

One militant and a woman have been killed in an ongoing encounter between militants and security forces in Srinagar’s Batamaloo area on Thursday morning. One CRPF officer was also injured.

A file photo of security personnel carrying out searches in the Batamaloo area of Srinagar. | Photo Credit: NISSAR AHMAD

An official said Kounsar Riyaz, 45, of Batamalo was hit by bullets during the exchange of fire. The gunfight between the militants and the security forces started around 2:30 a.m. in Srinagar congested locality of Batamaloo.

“The injured woman was shifted to the Police hospital, where doctors declared her brought dead,” an official said.

One unidentified militant was also killed in the search operation, launched after specific inputs about the presence of militants in the capital.

A Deputy commandant of CRPF also sustained bullet wounds in the operation. “The injured officer was admitted to the Army’s 92 Base hospital,” an official said.

A CRPF spokesman the police and the Quick Action Team (QAT) of the CRPF are on the job.

With inputs from The Hindu

No one under such detention in Union Territory, Centre tells Lok Sabha

The Centre told the Lok Sabha on Tuesday that 223 people are under detention in Jammu and Kashmir and no one is under house arrest.

Union Minister of State for Home G. Kishan Reddy said the government of Jammu and Kashmir has reported that in view of the constitutional changes effected by Parliament regarding the erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir in August, 2019, various measures were taken to maintain public order which included preventive detention of certain persons. “As on 11.09.2020, 223 persons are under detention. No person is under house arrest in the UT of Jammu and Kashmir,” Mr. Reddy told the Lok Sabha in a written reply.

Sajad Lone, president, Peoples Conference tweeted, “What a sad state of affairs. Y do they have to do this?” File | Photo Credit: Nissar Ahmad

Responding to the claims, People’s Democratic Party (PDP) leader Waheed ur Rehman Para said the Centre was lying and he continues to be under house arrest.

“It is unfortunate that after a year of detention they are telling us you were never detained. I still continue to remain under house arrest and the irony of the situation is that now the onus is on me to prove that I am not under house arrest. Peddling lies in the temple of democracy has shamed the entire country. From a cop deployed at my house to the MoS in Parliament all are lying. Who do we complain to?” Mr. Para told The Hindu. He said 11 political workers of the PDP were also under house arrest.

Former J&K Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti continues to be detained under the Public Safety Act.

Sajad Lone, president, Peoples Conference tweeted, “What a sad state of affairs. Y do they have to do this. If someone is under house arrest. Just say it. Either the state administration is lying to the Union govt or it is the Union govt’s own initiative. We live here. We r telling u. People r under house arrest.”

Congress leader Salman Anees Soz, son of former Union Minister Saifuddin ,Soz said the “government lies to Parliament blatantly”.

Mr. Reddy also said the number of terrorist incidents has reduced significantly after the bifurcation of the erstwhile state on August 5 last year.

From June 29, 2018 to August 4, 2019 (402 days), there were 455 terror incidents and from August 5, 2019 to September 9 (402 days), 211 such incidents took place in the newly created Union Territory.

With inputs from The Hindu