Month: May 2016

Police officer arrested on rape charges in Akhnoor

Editor

Policewoman taken into custody for abetting the crime A sub-inspector (SI) has been arrested on the charge of raping a woman at a police station in the Akhnoor subdivision for two successive nights six months ago. A policewoman was taken into custody for allegedly abetting the crime. The arrested cop was identified as SI Mohammad Iqbal Chagatta, who was SHO of the Khour police station in Akhnoor subdivision of Jammu district. Iqbal, who was attached to the District Police Lines, Jammu, was accused of raping the woman at the police…

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India making every attempt to dilute J&K’s special status: Mirwaiz

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Condemning the ‘onslaught’ on Kashmir’s specific regional, cultural and religious identity by India, Hurriyat Conference (M) Chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq Wednesday said the interference in the educational and administrative institutions was an attempt to dilute the special status of the state and deny the people of the state control over these institutions. Addressing a public gathering at Shanglipora Noorbagh, the Mirwaiz said placing curbs on the peaceful activities of the separatist leadership is a part of the government policy to ‘strangulate the voice of the leadership and crush’ the people…

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All Weather Leh road ? Keep waiting

Editor

Govt yet to invite bids after Zojila tunnel contract was scrapped on March 3 With the Centre ordering fresh bidding for Rs 10,050 crore Zojila tunnel in Jammu and Kashmir, the eagerly awaited project, that will provide all-weather road connectivity to Ladakh, will take more time. The decision to bid afresh for the prestigious project was taken in March by Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari following allegations by Congress leader Digvijay Singh in January. Digvijay had alleged that Gadkari violated the Central Vigilance Commission guidelines while…

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Liquor sale goes up in JK despite a ban by militant groups

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Liquor consumption has gone up in Jammu and Kashmir as 10.16 lakh more bottles were sold in the state in 2015 than the previous year. As many as 556.67 lakh bottles of liquor, including IMFL, Desi Whiskey, beer and ready to drink were sold in 2015 as compared to 546.51 lakh bottles in 2014 thereby registering an increase of 10.16 lakh bottles, liquor consumption data released by the state Excise Department has revealed. Similarly, 520.75 lakh bottles of all types of liquor were sold in 2013-14 as compared to 500.37…

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Handwara Girl’s parents say no to police protection

Editor

The parents of Handwara minor girl, who is at the centre of the controversy involving an alleged molestation bid by an Army man, in their undertaking before the J&K High Court have said that the family do not require any police protection or protective custody and wish to move freely and reside at any place of their choice. In the affidavit, which was today submitted to the High Court, the girl’s father has alleged that they were under wrongful custody of the Handwara police since April 2012. The HC had…

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No plan to lift AFSPA from state: Govt

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NC MLA takes part in signature drive against Act The government has no plans to revoke the Armed Forces Special Powers Act in Jammu and Kashmir and northeastern states, the Rajya Sabha was informed today. “No, sir,” Minister of State for Home Affairs Haribhai Parathibhai Chaudhary said in reply to a written question on whether the government had plans to revoke AFSPA in Jammu and Kashmir and northeastern states. Chaudhary said the government had not received any information from its sources about conducive atmosphere prevailing in the states for lifting…

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Civil Service qualifiers from valley relish taste of success

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Deeba Farhat from Bijbehara town of south Kashmir was not content with the 553rd rank she secured last year prompting her not to join the civil services and prepare again. Improving on her performance, she is ranked 281st this time around. “I am not satisfied with my rank and I intend to appear in the exam again,” Deeba had told us in 2015. Deeba is a working Kashmir Administrative Services (KAS) officer in the state Rural Development Department. Though she is not entirely satisfied with her ranking but she says she…

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I have special connect with Valley, learnt swimming at Dal Lake: Tom

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Veteran Bollywood actor Tom Alter turned nostalgic when he came to shoot in the Valley after 32 years. He had last shot in Kashmir in 1984 for Raj Kapoor’s “Ram Teri Ganga Maili”. “I have been coming to Kashmir for the past 60 years. I have a special connection with the Valley, I even learnt swimming in the Dal Lake. I come with a message of love and I leave with a message of love,” Alter told reporters here today after completing his shoot for “Sargoshiyan” at Gulmarg in north…

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Construction work goes on in Pahalgam

Editor

Even as the locals continue to struggle to get permission for minor repairs of their houses, the rich and influential continue with major renovations of their commercial structures in this South Kashmir tourist resort. The authorities, however, have been maintaining that only those structures are been given permission, which have prior court orders. Officials, on the other hand contest their claims revealing that most of the structures that are getting renovated had come up in violation of building permission norms set by Building and Operation Control Authority (BOCA). “One of…

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Mehbooa asks forces to adopt humane approach, avoid civilian casualties

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Chairs United HQ meeting I Says any incident of civilian killing reverses all gains Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has urged the security agencies to conduct operations keeping in view the safety of the people so that an environment of peace and tranquillity is maintained to enable the government to implement its agenda of good governance and development. Mehbooba, chairing her first meeting of the Unified Headquarters here today, took stock of the security-related matters and peace on borders in the state. Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh was also present. The…

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