Dera Chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim sentenced to 10 years jail for rape, breaks down in court

Rape convict Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was on Monday sentenced to 10 years in jail by a special CBI court. The Dera chief apparently sobbed in the courtroom as he begged to be treated leniently and asked to be forgiven, reported Times Now. During the arguments before the sentencing, the prosecution said no leniency should be shown and demanded the maximum sentence for Gurmeet Ram Rahim. The defence argued that the Dera chief is a social worker who has worked for the welfare of people, so…

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Abrogation of Article 35A is part of RSS plot, Karra tears into PDP-BJP alliance

Senior Congress leader Tariq Hameed Karra Sunday said Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is acting as a collaborator and facilitator for the Sangh Parivar’s agenda of changing the demographic profile of the state. “Extension of certain central laws to the state and the lopsided and irresponsible attitude of state government towards Article 35-A has vindicated my assertion that PDP has bartered the honour, dignity, distinct identity and self-esteem for a few loaves of power,” Karra said while addressing media personnel at his Shivpora residence. Terming the PDP-BJP alliance as ‘unholy’ and…

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Swine Flu now a deadlier, year-round disease: Doctors Association Kashmir

Deadly swine flu is no more a seasonal illness and mutation of the virus has made it active in summer season for the first time, causing unusual spike in cases across India, Doctors Association Kashmir warned on Sunday. Asking the healthcare authorities in Kashmir valley to ‘prepare for contingencies’, the Association said, “It is for the first time that the virus has become active in sweltering heat unlike earlier years when swine flu used to strike mainly in winter months.” Media reports say India recorded over 1,000 deaths due to…

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Police trainees from Kashmir accuse officer of harassment, ‘He calls us stone pelters, gets annoyed if we offer prayers’

A batch of about 1000 Kashmiri recruits who are undergoing training at the Police Training School (PTS) Kathua in Jammu region on Sunday alleged that they are being harassed by a police officer who is in charge of the training course. A group of trainees told Kashmir Post on the condition of anonymity that they are being thrashed, abused, threatened and called names. “For the past nine months we have been through hell. All the 978 recruits are undergoing basic training and all of us belong to Kashmir,” the trainees…

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West Pak refugees fighting for identity since 1947

Humiliation being faced by Manohar Kumar, a West Pakistani refugee youth, during a recruitment rally on the outskirts of Jammu, has authenticated Union Minister of State (MoS) for Home Hansraj Gangaram Ahir’s observation that woes of these “helpless” people are mounting with every passing day. The Union minister, while reviewing the progress of various packages announced by the Centre for all categories of refugees and displaced persons on Thursday, had expressed his anguish over the delay by the state government in issuing “identity certificates” to West Pakistani refugees. “My son…

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19 Hour Pulwama gunfight ends after consuming 4 CRPF Men, 4 Policemen and 3 Militants

The 19-hour-long gunfight that broke out after ‘fidayeen’ militants stormed the Pulwama police lines here ended at about 11.30 pm after government forces killed the third militant, officials said, even as a spontaneous shutdown was observed in most parts of the district on Sunday to mourn the militant killings. Four CRPF personnel, four policemen and three non-local militants of Jaish-e-Muhammad died in the gunfight while at least eight forces personnel were injured, according to officials. Two of the slain police personnel Rafiq Ahmad Hajam and Muhammad Yousuf Hajam, residents of…

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Review detects ambiguity in land use structure in Srinagar Master Plan

The land use structure envisaged in the Srinagar draft Master Plan (2015-35) is incomplete as the proposal to put more than 64 percent of developed land under residential use is a “serious policy imperfection flaw”, states an expert review. These observations have been made in a technical and analytical review of the Draft Master Plan submitted to Srinagar Development Authority by Hamid Ahmad Wani, professional Urban planner and former chief town planner,Jammu Development Authority. According to the review, a metro city with a land use pattern having more than 64…

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Pakistan violates ceasefire in Poonch sector four civilians injured

Four civilians were injured on Sunday in unprovoked firing and shelling by Pakistan troops on the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir`s Poonch district, officials said. Defence sources said here that Pakistani troops army resorted to unprovoked firing and shelling at two places on the LoC in Poonch, using small arms, automatics and mortars to target Indian positions at Karni and Degwar. “Pakistan ceasefire violation started at 6 p.m. Our troops have effectively and strongly retaliated,” a source said. Police said four civilians including a woman were injured…

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Tracing the life of a ‘Half Widow’: Muslim director, Kashmiri pandit writer join hands for a film

Half widow is a term used extensively in Kashmir for women whose husbands have disappeared mostly in custody of security forces in the past 28 years of conflict. An upcoming film traces the story of one such woman. Kashmir has often attracted filmmakers for the beauty and conflict that the valley brings but an upcoming film will now showcase a Kashmiri perspective. Based on the lives of Kashmir’s ‘half widows’, the movie is generating a lot of buzz for something every native has yearned for – an insider’s view. Interestingly,…

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Hold extra classes to complete syllabus: Edu Dept to schools

The Education Department has instructed all Valley schools to hold extra classes and complete the syllabus on time so as to compensate for the academic losses faced by the students in the past six months. Acknowledging that much of the students’ time had been lost due to the unfavourable circumstances in the Valley since July last year, the department has instructed the schools to devote maximum time to academics. “There is an immense need to dedicate more time to the academics in the educational institutions,” read a circular from the…

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