SRINAGAR, Aug 20: Anti Corruption Bureau received a written complaint alleging therein that Ward Officer, Srinagar Municipal Corporation(SMC), Hawal, Srinagar is demanding ₹50,000/- as bribe for allowing construction in favour of the complainant. The complainant requested to the ward officer and pleaded for justice, who however remained adamant on his demand of bribe. He had asked the complainant to pay a bribe of ₹20,000 as first installment. However, before paying the bribe amount to the accused person, the complainant approached Anti Corruption Bureau for taking legal action against the accused public servant under law.
On receipt of the complaint a Case FIR No. 33/2022 U/S 7 PC Act 1988 was registered with this Bureau and investigation taken up.
During the course of investigation a trap team constituted. The team laid a successful trap and caught the accused public servant Mohd Maqbool Bhat S/o Ali Mohd Bhat R/o HMT Srinagar, Ward Officer, Hawal SMC Srinagar red handed while demanding and accepting the bribe amount of ₹20,000 from the complainant as first instalment of ₹50,000. He was arrested on the spot by the ACB team. The bribe money was also recovered from his possession in presence of independent witnesses. Subsequently, searches were carried out at different locations associated with the accused.
Further investigation into the case is going on.
Ward officer caught red-handed accepting bribe in Srinagar: ACB
Pahalgam Bus Accident: Amit Shah Meets Injured ITBP Personnel In AIIMS Trauma Centre
New Delhi, August 20: Union Home Minister Amit Shah visited AIIMS Trauma Center here on Saturday and enquired about the health condition of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) personnel injured in the tragic road accident that occurred in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam on August 16.
Shah reached the hospital around 1 pm and personally checked about health conditions of three critically injured ITBP personnel who were on Friday admitted to the Jai Prakash Narayan Apex Trauma Centre, AIIMS, New Delhi after being shifted from Srinagar through special Air Ambulances.
The three ITBP personnel, being treated at AIIMS Trauma Centre, are identified as Constables Balwant Singh, Tsewang Dorje, and Bablu Kumar.
The health condition of Balwant is reportedly critical and he is still under observation in the ICU, while the other two personnel are being recovered.
The Home Minister was briefed by the doctors about the health condition of the jawans and medical procedures to be followed.
The senior officials of the ITBP also briefed the Home Minister about the health condition of the injured and he wished a speedy recovery of the injured personnel.
The tragic bus accident happened near Pahalgam on August 16 when the ITBP personnel were returning from Chandanwari after successfully performing the security duties in Amarnath Yatra- 2022. The ITBP personnel were travelling in a police bus which met with the accident near Chandanwari in Pahalgam area of south Kashmir’s Anantnag district.
Seven ITBP personnel were killed and 32 others injured after the incident. The injured personnel were evacuated to Srinagar on the same day for treatment.
Remaining 29 injured are still being treated at 92 Base Hospital in Srinagar. (Agencies)
Dowry death crime against society, shall be dealt with iron hand: SC
Offence of dowry death is a crime against society and a strong message must be sent that a person who commits such an offence shall be dealt with an iron hand, the Supreme Court has said.
A bench of Justices M R Shah and B V Nagarathna said the legislative intent of incorporating Section 304 B (dowry death) of the Indian Penal Code was to curb the menace of dowry death with a firm hand.
In dealing with cases under Section 304 B, such legislative intent has to be kept in mind. The offence under Section 304 B the offence of dowry death is an offence against society. Such offences have a serious impact on society.
Keeping in mind the aforesaid aspects, imposition of sentence for the offence of dowry death is required to be considered. A strong message must go in the society that a person who commits such an offence of dowry death and/or the offences under the Dowry Prohibition Act shall be dealt with an iron hand, the bench said.
The observations came while hearing an appeal filed by mother in law and father-in-law of a woman, who died within a year of marriage, challenging an order of the Jharkhand high court against their conviction.
The top court said the demand for dowry has been established and proved by the prosecution.
The deceased died within a period of one year of her marriage. The accused came out with a false case/theory that the deceased died because of Diarrhoea, which has not been established and proved by the defence, the bench said.
Delhi man arrested for routing hawala money to terrorists in Kashmir
A man accused of routing money for terror activities through hawala channels has been arrested in a joint operation by Delhi Police and Jammu and Kashmir police.
According to HGS Dhaliwal, Special Commissioner of Police of the Delhi Police Special Cell, the man routed money to militant organizations Lashkar-e-Taiba and Al-Badr.
According to police, this money sent through hawala channels was used for terror activities in Kashmir.
The accused, Mohammed Yasin, had been living in Delhi’s Turkman Gate area and has a garment business. Police said he had sent about 10 lakh rupees to a terrorist operative in Kashmir, identified as Abdul Hamid Mir, last week.
Jammu and Kashmir police registered a case in this connection and arrested Mir. Following his questioning, Yasin was tracked down and arrested. Cash worth 7 lakh rupees and a mobile phone were recovered from him, police said.
According to police, Yasin worked as a hawala money channel. He would get funding from his contacts abroad and then route these funds to terrorist organizations operating in Jammu and Kashmir, reads the report.
During questioning, he said hawala cash is being routed from South Africa to Gujarat’s Surat and Mumbai, according to police. Police said Yasin was a key link in this hawala syndicate.
Rajiv’s single term as PM will be remembered for far-reaching achievements: Cong on his birth anniv
NEW DELHI, Aug 20: The Congress on Saturday paid rich tributes to former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi on his birth anniversary, saying his single term as PM will be remembered for far-reaching achievements, including deepening the foundations of IT revolution that has transformed India.
Former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi and party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra visited their father’s memorial, Veer Bhumi, and paid homage on his 78th birth anniversary in the morning.
“Papa, you are always with me, in my heart. I will always try to fulfil the dream that you saw for the country,” Rahul Gandhi said in a tweet in Hindi.
He also shared a video and picture montage on Rajiv Gandhi.
In a statement, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said his single term as prime minister will be remembered for numerous landmarks and far-reaching achievements of which six stand out for his personal drive, commitment and leadership.
First, he deepened the foundations of the IT revolution that has transformed India, Ramesh said.
Rajiv Gandhi ushered the country into the computer, telecom and software development era, he said.
“He launched technology missions for addressing societal challenges that have, for example, made India a world-leader in vaccine production and made the country polio-free,” Ramesh said.
“Second, he led the way personally in ensuring that Panchayats and Nagarpalikas were accorded Constitutional status with one-third reservation for women and emerged as effective institutions of self-government,” he said.
The fact that there are now 14 lakh women elected to such institutions is a tribute to his determination, Ramesh added.
He also pointed out that Rajiv Gandhi crafted accords that brought peace and development back to troubled regions of the country like Assam, Punjab, Mizoram and Darjeeling.
“Fourth, he ensured that 18-year olds have the right to vote, opened a new future to youth by establishing the network of Navodaya Vidyalayas in all districts and had Swami Vivekananda’s birthday declared as National Youth Day,” he said.
The fifth major contribution of the former prime minister, Ramesh said, was that he launched ‘Project Clean Ganga’ and the national wasteland development programme, and was responsible for a comprehensive law to protect the environment.
“Simultaneously, the process of liberalization was initiated which paved the way for the 1991 economic reforms that were anchored in the Congress manifesto that bore his imprint,” he said.
“Sixth, he took significant initiatives to resolve our long-standing issues with China & Pakistan and submitted to the UN an action plan for universal and complete nuclear disarmament,” Ramesh said.
The Indian National Congress salutes this brave son of India and rededicates itself to the ideals he stood for, the principles he upheld, the values he cherished and the causes he championed, he said.
The Congress, on its official Twitter handle, fondly remembered the former prime minister and hailed him as the “architect of 21st century India”.
“It was through his farsighted vision that ushered in the IT & telecom revolution in India. Today, we celebrate his legacy,” the party said in a tweet.
Several Congress leaders, including Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and party’s general secretary, organization, K C Venugopal also paid tributes to Rajiv Gandhi on his birth anniversary.
India’s youngest prime minister, Gandhi held office during 1984-89. He was assassinated by a LTTE suicide bomber in 1991. (AGENCIES)
25-yr-old girl drowns in Ganderbal
Srinagar, Aug 20: A 25-year-old girl died due to drowning in a power canal at Gutlibagh in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district late Friday evening.
The body of the girl identified as Shagufta was retrieved from power canal by SDRF team late last night after hectic efforts, news agency KNO reported.
A pall of gloom descended over the village due to the incident.
No Change In Special Provisions For Kashmiri Migrants For Their Enrolment In Electoral Rolls: J&K Govt
JAMMU, Aug 20: Amid a row over the inclusion of non-local voters in Jammu and Kashmir electoral rolls, the administration on Saturday clarified that no change has been made in the special provisions for Kashmiri migrants for their enrolment in the electoral rolls of their original native constituencies.
An order issued by the Directorate of Information and Public Relations (DIPR) said that Kashmiri migrants will continue to be given option of voting at their place of enrolment or through postal ballot or through specially-setup polling stations at Jammu, Udhampur, Delhi, etc.
It further clarified that there is no change in rules regarding buying of property and jobs in the government of Union territory of J&K and have no link to representation of voters or otherwise.
The order stated that summary revision of electoral rolls are undertaken by Election Commission from time to time according to laid down process. “This is to enable young persons who become eligible to register themselves as voters. Besides, it also allows a person who has changed his ordinary place of residence to enrol at new location by getting himself deleted at the old location,” it read.
It further said that the number of electors as published in special summary revision of J&K in 2011 was 66,00,921 and it has now increased to 76,02,397. “This increase is mainly due to the new voters, who attained the age of 18 years.”
The administration refuted media reports which claimed that more than 25 lakh additions will be there in the electoral rolls once the process of electoral roll revision starts.
“This is a misrepresentation of facts, which is being spread by the vested interests. This revision of electoral rolls will cover existing residents of the UT of J&K and increase in numbers will be of the voters who have attained the age of 18 years as on 1.10.2022 or earlier,” it stressed.
SIA Raids Several Regions Of J&K’s Poonch In Connection With Terror Funding Case
JAMMU, Aug 20: The State Investigation Agency (SIA) on Saturday carried out multiple raids including at an Islamic seminary in Poonch district in connection with the recovery of Rs 10 lakh cash from a local resident two days ago.
Sources said that a team of SIA team raided Jamia Zia Uloom Madrasah Poonch on Saturday morning. Later, the team also raided the houses of the administrators of the Jamia.
The raid is said to have been carried out in connection with recovery of Rs 10 lakh worth cash from one Abdul Hamid, a resident of Poonch at bus stand Jammu on Thursday.
Police suspect the case to be that of terror financing. (Agencies)
14 feared dead in flash flood, landslide in HP’s Mandi
Shimla, Aug 20: One person was killed and 13 others were feared dead in a landslide and a flash flood triggered by heavy rains in Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi district, officials said on Saturday.
Three people were also killed after their house collapsed following a landslide triggered by rains in the state’s Chamba district on Saturday morning, officials said.
In Mandi, the body of a girl was recovered about half a km away from her house in Baghi Nullah on Mandi-Katola-Prashar road on Friday night, while five members of her family were washed away, state disaster management department officials said.
Several families left their houses located between Baghi to Old Katola areas after cloud burst and took shelter at safe places, the department added.
Besides, eight members of another family are also feared buried under the debris of their house following a landslide at Kashan village in Gohar development block, the department added.
However, the bodies have not been retrieved yet, it said.
Several roads in Mandi district have also been blocked after flash floods and multiple landslides.
Several vehicles were damaged and a number of villagers were stuck in their houses as water entered their houses and shops at Balh, Sadar, Thunag, Mandi and Lamathach after a flash flood. (AGENCIES)
Youth Congress to highlight Rajiv Gandhi’s works on his birth anniversary
Indian Youth Congress (IYC) will organise a programme on the occasion of ‘Sadbhavna Diwas’, the 78th birth anniversary of late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, at the Talkatora Stadium in the national capital on Saturday.
IYC President Srinivas B.V. said, “Rajiv Gandhi was the architect of modern India, who worked towards making a strong and self-reliant India. The country is still reaping the benefits of his vision. It was his foresight that has put India in the ranks of strong, modern nations.”
The Congress’ youth wing, which will highlight the works of the late Prime Minister at the event, called him the “architect of Digital India” and the “father of information technology and telecommunication revolution”.
The Youth Congress will also highlight the works done by the former Prime Minister in the field of science and technology and his efforts towards bringing about a computer revolution in the country.
“Rajiv Gandhi had strengthened the Panchayati Raj system in the country. He believed that if the panchayat system is not strong, democracy cannot reach the ground level,” Srinivas said.
The Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas were set up with the idea that children living in the villages should get world-class education, he said.
At present, more than 1.8 lakh students are studying in 551 Navodaya Vidyalayas opened in the country.