NEW DELHI, Oct 18: Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) founder Yasin Malik, who is lodged in Tihar Prisons, is likely to appear before a Special TADA Court in-person for the cross-examination of persecution witnesses in two cases – the killing of four Indian Air Force (IAF) officers and the abduction of Rubaiyya Sayeed.
The IAF officials’ case will be listed before the Jammu special court on October 19, and the Rubaiyya Sayeed case on October 20.
Additional advocate general Monika Kohli, who is the public prosecutor in the two high-profile cases, said, “After Malik sought physical appearance before the Special TADA Court, it issued production warrants to Tihar Prison authorities directing them to produce him in court in connection to the two cases in Jammu.”
“Whether he is produced before court is yet to be seen. So far, we do not have any intimation from the prison authorities in Tihar. The court will start hearing cases from 10 am or 10.30 am,” added Kohli.
On September 21, a special TADA Court had issued production warrants to ensure physical presence of Malik before the court on October 19 and 20 to cross-examine prosecution witnesses and Rubaiyya Sayeed.
56-year-old Sayeed, who had been kidnapped in December 1989 to secure the release of five militants, had identified Malik and three others in the abduction case. However, on August 23, a special TADA Court had issued bailable warrants against Sayeed after she had failed to appear before court in-person. (Agencies)
Yasin Malik Likely To Appear In-Person Before Special TADA Court In Jammu
IED Case | SIU Conducts Searches at Multiple Locations In J&K”s Pulwama
SRINAGAR, Oct 18: Special Investigation Unit of J&K on Tuesday morning conducted raids at multiple locations regarding IED case in South Kashmir’s Pulwama district.
A senior Police officer told that SIU ( Which is Investigation Agency of Police on District Level) is conducting raids in Jandwal, Armulla, Nilloraand Bandzoo villages of Pulwama regarding recovery of 30 KG IED in August.
The officer further stated that already few people have been arrested earlier in connection with this case.
It’s pertinent to mention that An IED weighing approx. 25 to 30 Kgs was recovered near Tahab Crossing on Circular road in Pulwama by Police and Security Forces in August. (Agencies)
PM Modi to address 90th Interpol General Assembly today
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the 90th Interpol General Assembly today. The Interpol General Assembly was last held in 1997. PM Modi will address at around 1:45 pm in Pragati Maidan, New Delhi.
According to the Prime Minister’s Office, the 90th General Assembly of Interpol will be held from October 18 to 21.
The meeting will be attended by delegations from 195 Interpol member countries comprising Ministers, Police Chiefs of countries, Heads of National Central Bureaus and Senior police officers. The General Assembly is Interpol’s supreme governing body and meets annually to take key decisions related to its functioning.
Union Home Minister, Interpol President Ahmed Naser Al Raisi and Secretary General Jurgen Stock, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Director will also be present on the occasion.
“The Interpol General Assembly meeting is taking place in India after a gap of about 25 years – it was last held in 1997. India’s proposal to host the Interpol General Assembly in 2022 at New Delhi coinciding with celebrations for the 75th year of India’s independence was accepted by the General Assembly with an overwhelming majority,” the PMO said in a statement.
Targeting gangs-terror nexus: NIA raids multiple places in northern India
New Delhi, October 18: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on early Tuesday carried out searches at multiple locations in various states across northern India in an ongoing case against gangs and their nexus with terror groups, sources said.
The raids were conducted in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) to dismantle and disrupt the emerging nexus between terrorists, gangsters, drug smugglers and traffickers based in India and abroad.
Separate teams of NIA in coordination with state police forces conducted these raids simultaneously at certain locations of the gangsters based on some specific inputs, a source privy to the development said.
On September 12, the NIA had conducted similar searches at 50 locations in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Delhi and NCR region.
The NIA crackdown followed the launch of investigations against this nexus by the anti-terror agency after the re-registration of two cases, earlier registered by Delhi Police, on August 26 this year. A few of the most desperate gang leaders and their associates based in India and abroad, who are spearheading and carrying out such terror and criminal activities were identified and booked.
“The recent sensational crimes and extortion calls by criminal syndicates and gangsters to businessmen, professionals including doctors etc., had created a widespread scare among the people,” the NIA had said earlier.
“These gangs were using cyber-space to publicise these crimes to create terror among the public at large.”
The NIA investigations also revealed that such criminal acts were not isolated local incidents but there was a deep-rooted conspiracy amongst terrorists, gangsters and drug smuggling cartels and networks, who were operating from both within and outside the country.
“Many gang leaders and members had fled from India and were now operating from foreign countries, including Pakistan, Canada, Malaysia and Australia,” said the NIA when it first time carried out a mega raid against such gangs.
Ongoing probes by the NIA in cases being investigated by the Agency, such as the killing of Shaurya Chakra Awardee Comrade Balwinder Singh in Punjab also revealed that most of these conspiracies were being hatched from inside Jails of different States and were being executed by organized network of operatives based in abroad, the NIA has said
“Preliminary Investigations have revealed that these gangs were carrying out targeted killings, including those of prominent people, to terrorise the general public to extort money for running and promoting their criminal syndicates and activities. These gangs were also raising funds to carry out such criminal activities through smuggling of drugs and weapons.”
In raids conducted last month to dismantle these transnational terror and crime networks, the NIA had conducted searches at 50 locations in Fazilka, Fairdkot, Mukhtsar Sahab, Moga, Taran Taaran, Amritsar, Ludhiana, Chandigarh, Mohali Districts of Punjab, East Gurugram, Bhiwani, Yamuna Nagar, Sonepat and Jhajjar districts of Haryana, Hanumangarh and Ganganagar districts of Rajasthan and Dwarka, Outer North, North West, North East and Shahdara Districts of Delhi/ NCR.
The NIA then searched the premises of Goldy Brar (Canada), Lawrence Bishnoi, Jaggu Bhagwanpuria, Varinder Pratap alias Kala Rana, Kala Jathedi, Vikram Brar, Gaurav Patyal alias Lucky Patyal (who was earlier arrested in Armenia), Neeraj Bawana, Koushal Chaudhary, Tillu Tajpuria, Amit Dagar, Deepak Kumar alias Tinu, Sandeep alias Bandar, Umesh alias Kala, Irfan alias Cheenu Pahalwan, Ashim alias Hashim Baba, Sachin Bhanja and their associates.
During the searches then, the NIA seized six Pistols, one revolver, one shotgun along with ammunition. Besides, drugs, cash, incriminating documents, digital devices, details of benami property and threat letters were also seized by the NIA in the operation conducted last month. (Agencies)
Two labourers from UP killed in grenade attack in Jammu and Kashmir, LeT ‘hybrid terrorist’ arrested
SRINAGAR, Oct 18: Two migrant labourers were killed after terrorists hurled a grenade at them in Shopian district of Jammu and Kashmir in the early hours of Tuesday, police said. A local “hybrid terrorist” of proscribed outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) was arrested for the attack during a search and cordon operation, they said.
“Hybrid terrorists” are unlisted radicalised people who carry out terror strikes and slip back into their routine lives often without leaving any trace.
Terrorists hurled a grenade in Shopian’s Harmen area, injuring two labourers, Monish Kumar and Ram Sagar, both residents of Uttar Pradesh’s Kannauj. They were shifted to the hospital, where they succumbed to their injuries, Kashmir Zone Police said in a tweet.
The area was cordoned off and a hunt was launched to nab the attackers, it said.
During the operation, a hybrid terrorist of LeT, who lobbed the grenade, was arrested, said Additional Director General of Police, Kashmir, Vijay Kumar in a Twitter post.
The arrested terrorist was identified as Imran Bashir Ganie from Harmen, he said.
Further investigation and raids are underway, the ADGP said. (Agencies)
India records 1,542 new cases in 24 hours, lowest in over six months: Govt
New Delhi, Oct 18: India saw a single-day rise of 1,542 coronavirus infections, the lowest in 182 days, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Tuesday.
The case tally climbed to 4,46,32,430, while the active cases have declined to 26,449, it said. There has been a decrease of 385 cases in the active COVID-19 caseload in 24 hours.
The death toll increased to 5,28,913 with eight fresh fatalities, which include five deaths reconciled by Kerala. The three new fatalities were reported from Gujarat, Odisha and West Bengal, the data updated at 8 am stated.
The active cases comprise 0.06 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate has increased to 98.76 per cent, the health ministry said. The daily positivity rate was recorded at 0.68 per cent while the weekly positivity rate was 1.02 per cent, according to the health ministry.
The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 4,40,77,068, while the case fatality rate was 1.19 per cent.
According to the ministry, 219.37 crore doses of vaccines against Covid have been administered in the country under the nationwide COVID-19 vaccination drive.
India’s COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7, 2020, 30 lakh on August 23, 40 lakh on September 5 and 50 lakh on September 16.
It went past 60 lakh on September 28, 70 lakh on October 11, crossed 80 lakh on October 29, 90 lakh on November 20 and surpassed the one-crore mark on December 19.
India crossed the grim milestone of two crore on May 4, three crore on June 23 last year and four crore on January 25 this year. (Agencies)
Protest outside Hurriyat office in Srinagar against killing of Kashmiri Pandit
Srinagar, Oct 17: A group of people, including social activists, staged a protest outside the Hurriyat Conference office here on Monday against the killing of Kashmiri Pandit farmer Puran Krishan Bhat by terrorists last week, officials said.
The protesters assembled outside the office of the Mirwaiz Umar Farooq-led Hurriyat at Rajbagh here and held a protest. They held the Hurriyat responsible for the bloodshed in Kashmir Valley.
The protesters daubed “India” on the main gate of the Hurriyat’s central building and brought down the signboard of the separatist amalgam, the officials said.
The gate was locked.
The protesters included social activists, municipal corporators and Kashmiri Pandits, the officials added.
One of the protestors said the Hurriyat office will be closed down soon and an orphanage will be run from the building.
Another protestor, a Kashmiri Pandit, said the people of Kashmir have realised that they want peace and not bloodshed.
Bhat was gunned down by terrorists on Saturday outside his ancestral house in the Chowdhary Gund area of south Kashmir’ Shopian district, where he had gone to look after his orchards. Bhat was cremated in Jammu on Sunday.
Candlelight marches were held on Sunday evening across the valley against the killing. (Agencies)
J&K Opposition parties to hold protests on issue of inclusion of non-local voters in electoral rolls
JAMMU, Oct 16: A committee formed by opposition parties against the inclusion of non-locals in the electoral rolls in Jammu and Kashmir on Monday decided to hold protests to mobilise public support on the issue.
The panel, which included all the five constituents of the Peoples Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) and several other political parties like the Congress and the Dogra Swabhiman Sangathan Party (DSSP) met her for the first time since it was constituted on October 8.
“After discussions, we have decided to go to the people and inform them about the dangers posed by the inclusion of non-locals as voters in J&K.
”Our protests on the roads will be peaceful and in accordance with our constitutional rights,” senior National Conference leader and MP Hasnain Masoodi told reporters after the meeting at the residence of PAGD chairperson and former chief minister Farooq Abdullah here.
Flanked by members of the committee including former minister Lal Singh of DSSP, Awami National Conference president Muzaffar Ahmad Shah, and former MP Sheikh Abdul Rehman, Masoodi said the final decision to start the public outreach programme will be taken after consultation with senior leaders.
“We will put forth the panel’s view before the senior leadership and they will take a final call on the timing of the start of the campaign,” he said, adding “this will be done very soon.” One of the leaders attending the meeting said all members of the panel were present except former minister and DSS president Gulchain Singh Charak due to a ”death in his family”.
However, three more representatives of different religious and social groups attended the meeting after they were included in the panel, he said.
Masoodi said all the participants are against giving voting rights to non-locals as “it will be tantamount to the disenfranchisement of the local voters”.
Responding to a question about the mode of the public outreach programme, he said “We will be on the roads as per our rights given by the Constitution… . We will get the people together as we are all united on this issue.” The National Conference leader criticised the now-revoked order of the Deputy Commissioner of Jammu authorising tehsildars (revenue officials) to issue certificates of residence to those residing in the winter capital for more than one year to facilitate their entry in the ongoing special summary revision of electoral rolls.
“The order of the DC Jammu has reportedly been withdrawn but where is its replacement? The senior leaders are of the view that the government is deliberately keeping the people uninformed while carrying out the exercise,” he said.
He alleged deliberate attempts are being made to divide the people of the two regions – Kashmir and Jammu – and simultaneously both are the ”targets of disempowerment”.
Masoodi cautioned the government against any move to include non-locals in the voter list and said “only the state subjects (of J&K. have the right to vote in the assembly elections in accordance with our own J&K representation of Peoples Act 1957.” “The case related to the abrogation of Article 370 is before the Supreme Court which has yet to decide on the issue.
”The government instead of making any changes should conduct the elections in accordance with the 1957 Act till the final decision of the apex court,” he said.
PAGD, an amalgam of five political parties – National Conference, PDP, CPI(M), CPM and Awami National Conference – is campaigning for the restoration of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir within the Indian Constitution.
Hardening its stand on the issue of inclusion of non-locals as voters in Jammu and Kashmir despite clarification by the administration, PAGD had held two meetings – the first in Srinagar on August 22 and the second in Jammu on September 10.
The issue surfaced when the then chief electoral officer Hirdesh Kumar in August said Jammu and Kashmir is likely to get around 25 lakh additional voters, including outsiders, after the special summary revision of electoral rolls being held for the first time after the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019.
Following an outcry, the Union Territory administration later clarified that “this revision of electoral rolls will cover existing residents of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and the increase in numbers will be of the voters who have attained the age of 18 years as of October 1, 2022, or earlier”. (Agencies)
Dr Jitendra inaugurates ‘Great Khali’ Academy, lauds spirit of philanthropy
KARNAL (Haryana), October 17 : Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Ministry of Science and Technology; Minister of State (Independent Charge) Ministry of Earth Science; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances,Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh today inaugurated the Wellness Centre set up by WWE fame “The Great Khali” alias Dalip Singh Rana near here.
The Centre has been named as “The Great Khali” Academy.
Spread over 10 acres of prime land, the campus has, among other things, a Fitness Centre, gymnasium, sports complex, wrestling enclave and restaurant, which will mainly cater to the youth.
The restaurant has been named as “The Great Khali” Dhaba and is a part of the overall comprehensive complex.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr Jitendra Singh said, Khali’s wellness centre is a tribute to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s flagship schemes of “Fit India” and “Khelo India” initiatives. Fit India Mission encourages people to become part of Fit India Movement by inculcating at least 30-60 minutes of physical activity every day.
Lauding the spirit of philanthropy and The Great Khali’s decision to set up the Centre, Dr Jitendra Singh said, it is praiseworthy that he has chosen to give back to the society what he had received.
The Minister said, Khali had earned international glory for India through his wrestling profession and was one of the highest paid performers in the world, but in spite of all this, he has chosen to come back to India and spend the money and resources earned by him for the benefit of the next generation.
Khali’s gesture, said Dr Jitendra Singh, should also inspire and motivate others to spend in philanthropy and in investment which would contribute to the task of nation building.
Dr Jitendra Singh said, Great Khali brought glory to India after he made his professional wrestling debut in 2000. Before embarking on his professional wrestling career, he was an Assistant Sub-Inspector of Punjab Police.
Dr Jitendra Singh lauded the efforts and initiatives of Khali and praised him for the noble cause of opening the wellness centre. The Minister said, the philanthropy of the great wrestler will inspire others also to take up such pro-people measures.
The Great Khali informed the Minister that there is a lot of enthusiasm among youth for physical activity and he has decided to provide them a platform for it.
Mamata bats for Saurav Ganguly, request PM to consider for ICC candidature
Chief Minister of West Bengal Mamata Banerjee on Monday argued in favour of former Indian cricket team captain and former BCCI president Sourav Ganguly and requested Prime Minister Modi to look into his case as ICC contestant. Saurav Ganguly was removed from BCCI recently.
Speaking to the reporters at Kolkata Airport, CM Banerjee said, “Sourav is our Gourav (pride). He is being deprived. I request Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take care of it and do the needful so that he can contest ICC elections”.
“Once Jagmohan Dalmia from India represented ICC. Sourav is competent enough and he deserves to represent ICC. Only two to three persons in India are entitled to contest and Sourav is one of them,” Ms Banerjee said, adding,
“ So it is my humble request to Prime Minister to take care of it so that he can contest ICC elections.”
She also said : “ Sourav was the BCCI president. Court ordered for three years term for both Sourav and Amit Shah’s son. Sourav has been removed unfairly but not Amit’s son. Why ? What is the reason behind it . What is Sourav’s fault. Everybody wants to know. Don’t do anything politically, vindictively. Sourav is not a political man. He is the pride of our country. So on behalf of Bengal, as he is a Bengali Dada, our country and cricket lovers of the world I request India government to take the decision in the interest of sports for the country.”