Day: November 16, 2018

Lawyer Deepika Rajawat dropped by Kathua rape and murder victim’s family

Editor

The family of the eight-year-old Kathua rape and murder victim has decided to drop their lawyer Deepika Rajawat as she has “barely been available at the court hearings”, the victim’s father has said. Those close to the family said he has moved an application in the Pathankot court in Punjab, where the case was earlier shifted. It said that Rajawat shall not represent them and the power of attorney was being withdrawn. The father told reporters on Wednesday here that so far the case has been heard 100 times by…

Read More

Nine phase panchayat elections from tomorrow, Little buzz across Valley, poll activity minimal

Editor

Against the backdrop of boycott call by separatists, terror threats and major logistical challenges in snowbound areas, J&K is set to go for the nine-phase panchayat poll from Saturday amid tight security arrangements. The panchayat elections are being held in J&K after a gap of seven years. The last elections were conducted in 2011 and the panchayats had completed their five-year term in 2016. “As many as 47 blocks — 26 in the Kashmir division and 21 in the Jammu division — mainly in snowbound parts of the state will…

Read More

Blow for BJP as Ladakh MP Thupstan Chhewang quits party, Parliament

Editor

In a major setback to the BJP in the Ladakh region ahead of the parliamentary elections scheduled for next year, the party’s lone Lok Sabha member and its tallest leader Thupstan Chhewang on Thursday resigned from both the primary membership of the saffron party and as Member of Parliament. The BJP, however, claimed that he had resigned from active politics because he wanted to join spiritualism. In his resignation letter, widely circulated on the social media, addressed to state BJP president Ravinder Raina, Chhewang said he was resigning from the…

Read More

Huge Gas, Oil reserves in state: Study by Italian firm

Editor

A comprehensive scientific paper has revealed a strong possibility of finding gas and petroleum in Jammu and Kashmir and has sought access to oil companies and researchers to carry out an exploration in the state. A decade-long study commissioned by Ente Nazionale Idrocarburi (National Hydrocarbons Authority), an Italian oil giant, was completed recently to expand the understanding of hydrocarbon occurrences in the northwestern Himalayas of India and Pakistan. The published study, ‘Petroleum systems and hydrocarbon potential of the North-West Himalayas of India and Pakistan’, involved collaboration of researchers from India,…

Read More

National Conference must explain its U-turn on Article 35A: Dr Jitendra Singh

Editor

Union Minister, Dr Jitendra Singh, on Thursday questioned the stand of National Conference with regard to participation in the Assembly elections. “National Conference (NC) owes an explanation to the people of Jammu & Kashmir for its U-turn on 35A. This party boycotted the recently held urban local body elections with the pledge that it will not participate in an election till the issue of 35A was settled, but now is demanding dissolution of State Assembly and is ready to contest the elections in a bid to seek ministerial berths, regardless…

Read More