Category: Community

Innocent civilians face brunt as clueless vigilante groups take streets to capture culprits

Editor

A pack of stray dogs barked ferociously at cars zipping past the highway. I stopped momentarily before slowly moving ahead, struggling with the thought of whether or not I should be entering the pitch dark and narrow alley which leads to my rented house in an uptown locality of Srinagar. I wanted to be sure no one was lurking in the darkness with a knife or an axe waiting to pounce on a braid chopper or, worse still, confuse me for one. Across the length and breadth of Kashmir, a…

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Braid-Chopping can vitiate peace in Valley: Chief Women Panel

Editor

Expressing serious concern over the rising incidents of braid-chopping, the J&K State Commission for Women has asked the police to seek cooperation of people, apprehending that the chaos could vitiate peace in the Valley. Chairperson of the commission Nayeema Ahmad Mehjoor, who held a discussion with the civil society, media and the police today, said the police need to step in for restoring the shaken faith and confidence of the people. “The government through the Health Department should also clear the air about the chemical spray and its adverse effects…

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Vigilantes on the Loose to solve Braid-Chopping Mystery

Editor

On Sunday night, rumour spread in the sleepy Charari Sharief town of central Kashmir that two ‘braid choppers’ had ‘almost’ gained entry into a house but for the vigilant house-owner who was roused in the nick of time, prompting the alleged perpetrators to flee. Criminals were on the run in the locality, so they were to be taught a lesson. In no time, a large crowd gathered to comb the area for the intruders. But the ‘search operation’ was anti-climactic. “They have probably run away,” one of the men quipped…

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Two cops held for supplying ammunition to Hizb

Editor

Two overground workers of militant outfit also arrested Two Jammu and Kashmir constables were arrested today for allegedly supplying ammunition to the Hizbul Mujahideen, busting a “nexus” between the militant group and the police, a top official said. Constables Shabir Ahmad Malik and Nazir Ahmed Najar had allegedly supplied nearly 40 rounds of ammunition for the AK series of rifles to overground workers of the Hizbul Mujahideen militant group in south and central Kashmir, the police said. They were arrested along with two others allegedly affiliated with the group. Director…

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‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ poster features Asiya Andrabi, Govt embarrassed

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A picture of jailed separatist and a pro-Pakistan leader Asiya Andrabi has appeared along with Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and some other personalities in a poster on ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ campaign. A picture of jailed separatist and a pro-Pakistan leader Asiya Andrabi has appeared along with Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and some other personalities in a poster on ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ campaign. The development has come as a major embarrassment for the state government. The poster, aimed at highlighting the women achievers…

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Denied ‘Character Certificate’ for govt job, Kashmiri man becomes most wanted militant

Editor

In a Valley where an extremist leader’s grandson and a terror chief’s sons were given employment by state, father of two little daughters wasn’t as lucky. It was spring of 2016 in the north Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. After five months in Udhampur jail, Bilal Ahmed Mohanad was a “free man”. The state High Court had just quashed his imprisonment under the Public Safety Act, despite him being sentenced to at least two years in jail. Police had charged him with being an “overground worker” for militants, but…

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Fresh braid-chopping incidents leave People, Police guessing

Editor

Fresh braid-chopping incidents were reported in Srinagar, Ganderbal, Bandipora, Sopore and Budgam districts on Tuesday. A group of residents from Karfali Mohalla in Downtown Srinagar said that during the wee hours, a woman alleged that two unknown persons barged into her house and hit her head with a brick and later cut her braid. “The woman also alleged that the attackers snatched a gold chain and Rs 7,000 from her,” the residents said. The victim was taken to a hospital but discharged later. The incident triggered massive protests in the…

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High Court seeks report on FIRs filed against rising Braid-chopping incidents

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Asks police to disclose within two days incidents reported Taking cognisance of a public interest litigation alleging harassment of women due to the mysterious braid-chopping incidents, the J&K High Court has sought a status report from the police, explaining the total number of FIRs registered into the braid-cutting incidents and also the number of such reports received across the state. These directions were issued today by a division bench of the High Court headed by Chief Justice Badar Durrez Ahmad in response to a PIL by lawyer Hilal Ahmad Lone,…

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Spy cams to tackle braid-chopping fears

Editor

Due to the fear of braid-chopping incidents, Valley residents have started installing spy cameras around their homes. More than 50 braid-chopping cases have been reported so far with the latest incidents coming from Srinagar city. The police have failed to reach any conclusion about the incidents. If the government fails to take any action, these can create a large-scale fair psychosis in Kashmir. — Rifat Mohidin A paltry reward! The police recently announced Rs 6,00,000 reward for persons giving information/assistance in nabbing of suspects in braid-cutting incidents. The police also…

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Clerics of Majlis-e-Shura issue fatwa banning women from travelling alone

Editor

A day after the Darul Uloom Deoband in Uttar Pradesh issued a bizarre fatwa banning women from plucking, trimming and shaping their eyebrows and cutting hair, clerics of Majlis-e-Shura, a religious conglomerate in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar district, on Monday issued a diktat barring women from going out alone in public. According to Times Now, the religious conglomerate issued a list of diktats imposing restrictions on women in the state. According to the diktat, women can’t go to markets and public events alone, they must not interact with men on…

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