Blog

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir reported ten more deaths attributed to covid-19 on Sunday, taking the fatality count to 246 in J&K.

Officials told GNS that among the victims, three each were from Srinagar and Baramulla besides one each from Shopian, Pulwama, Rajouri and Jammu.

Regarding Srinagar ones, they said, one was 80-year-old woman from Rainawari area who died at CD hospital where she was referred from SMHS hospital on July 18 as a case of ‘severe COVID 19 with underlying COPD, hypertension, hypothyroidism.”

“The patient had sudden cardiac arrest,” they said. The other victims in the capital include a 60- year-old from HMT and a 55-year-old woman from Shaheedgunj, they said.

As regards Shopian, they said, the victim was a 59-year-old man from Wangan area who was referred from SMHS hospital to CD Hospital on July 15. “The man was suffering from pneumonia. The patient had underlying hypertension and type 2 diabetes. The man was declared dead on July 19/ at 10:00 a.m.,” they added.

Regarding Jammu, they said, the victim was a 48-year-old woman of Karan Bagh Gadi Garh who died less an hour after she was admitted as a case of “bilateral Community Acquired Pneumonia” at GMC Jammu.

“She had travel history to Poonch 10 days back as stated by her relatives,” they said, adding, “She dies at 5.50.a.m. 50 minutes of her admission.”

Her body, they said, was shifted to mortuary while sample was collected for covid testing.
“The test report returned positive,” they added.

The Pulwama one, they said, was 75-year-old woman from Tumulahal area while Baramulla fatalities include a 70-year-old man from Bunglow Bagh and his age-mate from Checkra village who died at CD hospital.

Earlier, an 84-year-old man from Baramulla and other a 50-year-old woman from Rajouri district died at SKIMS Soura and GMC Jammu respectively.

Regarding the octogenarian, they said, he was admitted to SKIMS Soura on July 16 as a case of “bilateral CAP (community acquired pneumonia) in ward 3A.” “The patient expired at 11:15 p.m.,” a senior doctor at SKIMS said.

As regards the quinquagenarian woman from Rajouri, a senior doctor at GMC Jammu said she was admitted to the hospital on July 16. “She passed away at 2 a.m.,” the doctor added.
With these deaths, 226 people in Kashmir and 20 in Jammu have died so far due to the covid-19.

Srinagar district with 62 deaths has the highest fatalities followed by Baramulla (51), Kulgam (24), 18 each in Shopian, Anantnag and Budgam, Kupwara (13), Pulwama (13), Jammu(12), Bandipora (5), Ganderbal (4), two each in Rajouri and Doda and one each in Poonch, Udhampur, and Kathua. (GNS)

Rahul Gandhi’s latest attack came a day after Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said progress has been made in talks with China for a solution to the border standoff in Ladakh but he cannot guarantee to what extent it would be resolved.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi fired another salvo at the Centre on Saturday over its handling of the face-off with China in Ladakh.

In a tweet, he said India will pay a huge price because of the government’s “cowardly actions”.

“China has taken our land and GOI is behaving like Chamberlain. This will further embolden China. India is going to pay a huge price because of GOI’s cowardly actions,” he said in his tweet.

The former Congress president tagged Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s speech in Lukung near the Pangong Tso lake in eastern Ladakh on Friday during which he said progress has been made in talks with China for a solution to the border standoff but he cannot guarantee to what extent it would be resolved.

Singh went on to say that no power in the world could grab even an inch of Indian territory.

On July 3, in a thinly-veiled reference to China’s attempt to intrude into Ladakh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the “age of expansionism is over” and applauded the troops posted in the Galwan Valley for showing “fire and fury” to the enemies.

Rahul Gandhi has been targeting the government ever since the clash of June 15 that left 20 Indian soldiers and an unspecified number of Chinese troopers dead in Galwan valley.

Gandhi and the Congress party have also asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi several times to specify where the clash had occurred and if the Chinese did not intrude into Indian territory then where did the Indian soldiers die?

The Congress has also accused the government of being economical with the truth about the ground situation in Ladakh.

With inputs from Hindustan Times

Srinagar: The family of Tabinda Ghani who was raped and murdered in Kupwara by four men demand death sentence to them on the analogy of Nirbhaya case .

On this day in 2007, the thirteen year old Tabida Ghani was raped and murdered by four men after abducting her when she on way to home from school. They were identified as Mohd Sadiq Mir alias Saeda Choor, Azhar Ahmad Mir alias Billa, both residents of Langate, Mocha Jahangir Ansari of West Bengal and Suresh Kumar of Rajasthan.

A case FIR no. 152/2007 U/S 302, 376 and 34 RPC was registered and after investigation, police filed charge sheet against the accused.

According to the Kupwara District court judgement given on 24 April 2015, the convicts were sentenced to death for offences under section 302/34 RPC.

“Each of the convict was sentenced to rigorous imprisonment of seven years for offence punishable under section 363/34 RPC. The convicts were also sentenced to rigorous imprisonment for 10 years for the offence punishable under sections 376(G)/34 RPC. They were also sentenced to simple imprisonment of one month for offence punishable under section 341/ 34 of RPC. The sentences shall run concurrently, ” judgement reads.

However the culprits approached the High Court where the single bench upheld the judgement of the district court. Now the case is now pending with the double bench of the High Court.

The family of the Tabinda questioned why there is a delay of thirteen years in execution of deaths sentence in favour of culprits when it went there was speedy justice in case of Nirbhaya.

“The case should be taken up on priority and is our appeal to Chief Justice speed up the trial of the case so that justice is done with the Tabinda .(KNS)

India and China have been in talks to reach consensus on easing tensions between the two armies in the Finger Area near Pangong Tso and Depsang plains, as well as pulling back weapons and equipment from “friction points” in other sectors in Ladakh.

Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said the Chinese are still inside Indian territory and that China isn’t ready to return to the pre-May 2020 position. (ANI)

The Congress used Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s recent statement that he cannot guarantee to what extent the border standoff with China in Ladakh would be resolved, to launch another attack on the government.

“What does this statement of the country’s Defense Minister mean that there is no guarantee of a solution through talks with China? Has the Modi government accepted the Chinese occupation that they cannot solve it?” Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala asked at a briefing.

Rajnath Singh had made the comment in Lukung near Pangong Tso lake on Friday while addressing troops.

Surjewala also said the Chinese are still inside Indian territory and that China isn’t ready to return to the pre-May 2020 position.

“China isn’t permitting Indian Armed Forces to patrol from patrolling point 10 to patrolling point 13. Third, China has occupied Indian territory up to 8 km between finger 4 to finger 8 and has 3,000 soldiers in our territory.

“China isn’t ready to restore the status quo ante and to return to the pre-May 2020 position. China has converted Ngari Gunsa civil airstrip on our border into military airstrip causing threat to our territorial integrity and placed over 20,000 Chinese soldiers on our border,” Surjewala said.

India and China have been in talks to reach consensus on easing tensions between the two armies in the Finger Area near Pangong Tso and Depsang plains, as well as pulling back weapons and equipment from “friction points” in other sectors.

On Saturday, former Congress president Rahul Gandhi had attacked the government over its handling of the standoff in Ladakh saying India will pay a huge price because of the government’s “cowardly actions”

With inputs from The Hindustan Times

PTI

Jammu: Three suspected drug peddlers were arrested along with 30 grams of heroin in their possession here, police said on Sunday.

Mohammad Amin, Rohit Kala alias Bini’ and Mohammad Mushtaq, all residents of Miran Sahib, were intercepted when they were travelling in a car at Rohi Morh near Gadi Garh in the outskirts of Jammu on Saturday evening, a police official said.

He said 30 grams of heroin was recovered from their possession after searching the vehicle.

They were booked under provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and further investigation is under progress, the official said.

PTI

Banihal: A 45-year-old shepherd was mauled to death by a wild bear in the upper reaches of Jammu and Kashmir’s Ramban district, police said on Sunday.

Abdul Rashid Bakerwal, a resident of Dhiyan Garh village of neighbouring Reasi district, was attacked and killed by the bear at Mangit Top on Saturday night, a police official said.

He said Bakerwal along with dozens of other nomadic families was camping in the high-altitude pastures for grazing of his cattle.

His body was handed over to the family after completion of legal formalities, the official said.

PTI

Jammu: Pakistan Army resorted to unprovoked firing and shelling on forward areas along the Line of Control (LoC) in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir Sunday evening, a defence spokesman said.

Indian Army retaliated befittingly and the cross-border shelling between the two sides in Sunderbani sector was continuing when the last reporters were received, he said.

“At about 7.15 pm, Pakistan initiated the unprovoked ceasefire violation by firing with small arms and intense shelling with mortars in Sunderbani sector (Rajouri),” the spokesman said.

However, he said there was no immediate report of any casualty on the Indian side.

The latest ceasefire violation comes close on the heels of the killing of three civilians — a couple and their son — in Pakistani shelling along the LoC in Poonch district Friday night.

Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party (JKAP) led by its president Syed Altaf Bukhari during a meeting with Lt Governor demanded the restoration of statehood for the J&K and domicile rights over land and jobs for its people.

The demand for statehood was the first demand in the memorandum.

According to the party statement, the delagation highlighted socio-political and economic issues faced by the people of J&K.

The party spokesperson said a detailed discussions was held on various issues confronting the people, especially after the implementation of the J&K Reorganization Act, 2019.

The meeting was held in an amicable atmosphere and the Lt Governor gave a patient hearing to the delegation and assured all possible support from the government to redress the issues confronting people of Jammu and Kashmir, the spokesman said.

A memorandum highlighting some of the important political and socio-economic issues faced by the people of J&K was submitted to the Lt Governor, he said.

“The party leaders demanded restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, saying an early announcement in this regard would further solidify the idea of pluralism and respectful coexistence in the region,” spokesperson said.

“We take this opportunity to remind the government of India through your good office about its promise on restoration of statehood including establishment of a Legislative Council and in providing thereto reservation of seats for socially and economically backward classes, art culture, languages, literature and sports,’ read the memorandum.

The spokesman said the party also demanded domicile rights over land and jobs for the people of J&K. ‘While our party has been vehemently demanding domicile rights on land and jobs for the people of Jammu and Kashmir, the recent domicile order issued by the union government vis-Ã -vis the rights of residents of J&K on jobs reflects a casual approach. ‘Being a government-issued order and not a law made by Parliament, the new gazette notification regarding domicile rule for J-K residents is not immune to any judicial review,’ the spokesman said. ‘Our demand is that those residents of J-K who have already a valid Permanent Resident Certificate should not be asked for domicile certificates both for possession of land and immovable property or for applying to any government jobs,’ he said.
The party leaders also demanded security for political activists, the release of detainees, withdrawal of cases against the youth, ensuring J&K Bank’s autonomy, support for industry and the manufacturing sector, revival of tourism and restoration of high-speed 4G internet in the UT.

The delegation was assured that a few of the demands mentioned in the memorandum which are exclusively within the jurisdiction of the union government would be forwarded to the concerned quarters with specific recommendations from the J&K government, the spokesman said.

It is pertinent to mention that Apni party leadership has been vocal regarding the restoration of statehood to J&K. They raised this issue with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah also in Delhi.
Meanwhile BJP General Secretary Ram Madhav was also quoted in media saying that BJP party favours the statehood for J&K. (KNS)

Srinagar: People residing in villages of Dunnadi area in south Kashmir’s Shopian district are overjoyed after receiving electricity for the first time.

Various villages of Dunnadi in the far-flung area of Shopian in Keller Tehsil were without electricity even after over 70-years of India’s Independence.
However, for the first time, electricity made its way into the Dunnadi area. “We had never seen electricity in our life. We feel good that this remote area finally received the electricity,” Mohammad Aslam, a local told news agency Kashmir Indepth News Service (KINS).

Another resident Mohammad Awan, an elderly person said these villages were without electricity since he was born. “We are happy now. Our homes have been lit up,” he said.
Earlier they used to eat under candle light. Some of the children used to study with the help of oil lamps and candles.

AEE PDD Shopian Farooq Ahmad said the remote area of Keller Shopian has been electrified under a centrally sponsored scheme Sahbhagya.
“We have installed five transformers and later commissioned them within seven days and power supply was given to these villages,” he told KINS.
Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana – ‘Saubhagya’ a new scheme was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 25, 2017. Under Saubhagya free electricity connections to all households (both APL and poor families) in rural areas and poor families in urban areas will be provided.(KINS)

Srinagar: A 23-year-old army soldier was killed when his service rifle accidentally went off in Gulmarg area of north Kashmir’s Baramulla district on Sunday.

Official sources told GNS that the soldier of 19 Grenadiers was posted at Dewar Gali post along the Line of Control in Gulmarg.

A police official confirmed the incident to GNS and identified the slain as Akshay Kumar of Haryana.(GNS)