REGIONAL

In a disturbing turn of events, a woman, alongside her lover, stands accused of orchestrating the death of her 33-year-old husband, portraying the gruesome act as a road accident. Both suspects have been apprehended and placed into custody following the heinous crime. The victim met a brutal end in the Seora area, falling under the jurisdiction of P Pounichak, Jammu, on the evening of April 6th, 2024. On April 7th, 2024, around 03:00 hours, information reached P Pounichak through PCR Jammu that Naresh Chander had died in a road accident near Revenue Complex, Gole Gujral, and his body was at Gandhi Nagar Govt. Hospital, Jammu, where his wife was admitted with injuries. An Investigating Officer was deputed to Gandhi Nagar hospital, who took custody of the body, recorded statements, ...

Amidst escalating reports of leopard sightings in urban areas of Kashmir, the experts from wildlife department here have shed light on the multifaceted blend of factors contributing to these encounters, revealing that around 90% of such reports are deemed false upon investigation. Parvez Ahmad, Wildlife Warden of the central division Kashmir, speaking to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), highlighted that while social media platforms are flooded with purported leopard sightings, a significant majority—90%—are found to be baseless upon scrutiny. "It may not be correct to say that there is a spike in the presence of leopards in urban areas," Ahmad stated. ''Of the reports we receive, 90% turn out to be fake, and we take up the matter with the police against those involved ...

The security forces have arrested a school headmaster along with a pistol for working as over ground worker in Hari Budha area of Poonch district on Sunday. According to a statement, issued to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that in a joint operation, launched by the Army and Police in Hari Budha, a registered over ground worker Qamaruddin who is the headmaster in school was caught with a foreign-made pistol and grenades in his house. The statement reads that the consignment recovered is suspected to be used to disturb the ongoing election in the Poonch area. "The search is still in progress. Two Chinese grenades and one Pakistan made pistol were recovered from the OGW," it said—(KNO)

The All India Kashmiri Hindu Forum (AIKHF) announced its merger with the Congress at the party headquarters on Saturday, marking a significant development. Jammu Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee president Vikar Rasool Wani extended a warm welcome to AIKHF chairman Rattan Lal Bhan and other members joining the party. Established in 1998, AIKHF's decision to unite with the Congress is seen as a substantial endorsement for the party, as highlighted by Wani during his interaction with reporters. Expressing dissatisfaction with the BJP-led central government's track record, Wani criticized their handling of Kashmiri Pandits' concerns over the past decade. He accused the BJP of exploiting the community's aspirations for political gain without delivering substantial results. Wani ur...

National Conference (NC) vice president Omar Abdullah expressed disappointment on Saturday over his party's electoral contest in the Anantnag-Rajouri parliamentary constituency against the People's Democratic Party. Omar Abdullah, while addressing reporters in Ladakh after an election meeting supporting the NC candidate from Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi, alluded to PDP president Mehbooba Mufti's candidacy from the south Kashmir seat. The NC has nominated its senior Gujjar leader Mian Altaf as their candidate. Abdullah remarked, "The contest in south Kashmir is not against the BJP. Regrettably, it's against a former ally who, driven by ambition, departed from us. Our contention, particularly in south Kashmir, isn't with the BJP or its affiliates." The rif...

The Jammu Kashmir police claimed to have busted a militant hideout and recovered arms and ammunition in Reasi district on Saturday. In a statement issued to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), a spokesperson said that acting on the reliable information regarding presence of a hideout in Dalas Barneli, an operation was launched to sanitise the area. The statement reads that during the search and cordon operation police team recovered huge quantity of arms and ammunition in Dalas Barneli area of Arnas. It reads that 2 detonators, 12 cartridge of assault rifle, a pull through, a hand held tape recorder IED enabled, a calculator IED enabled, a battery and few connecting wires were recovered.   SSP Reasi Mohita Sharma, as per the statement, said that search operatio...

As the last date for filing of nomination papers for Anantnag-Rajouri parliamentary constituency ended Friday, 25 candidates have filed their nomination papers with Mehbooba Mufti from Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Mian Altaf from National Conference (NC) prominent among them. As per the details available with the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), 25 candidates have filed their nomination papers while the scrutiny of papers will be done on Saturday. Returning Officer of the constituency and Deputy Commissioner (DC) Anantnag, Syed Fakhrudin Hamid in a press conference said that the last date of withdrawal of the forms is April 22 following which meetings regarding different issues including symbols will be conducted. He said that all the arrangements for the smooth cond...

The body of man, who was missing since March 28, was recovered from river Jhelum in Sopore area of Baramulla district on Saturday morning, officials said. An official told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that the man was missing from his home in Mapanpora area. He said that his body was seen floating in Jhelum, following which locals informed the police. "The body was later recovered by a police team and was shifted a nearby hospital for medico-legal formalities," he said. He has been identified as Mohammad Maqbool Mir (70) of Mapanpora Sopore—(KNO)

Jammu Kashmir Police on Friday said it arrested seven drug peddlers in Anantnag and recovered contraband & psychotropic substances from their possession. In Anantnag, Police said, seven drug peddlers were arrested in separate actions. Police team of PP Sangam apprehended two persons namely Feroz Ahmad Rather and Aijaz Ahmad Mantoo, both residents of Waghama Bijbehara and recovered about 09 Kgs of Poppy Straw from their possession, a police spokesman said in a statement. Similarly, Police party from PS Kokernag recovered about 16.450 kgs of Cannabis powder from the possession of Suhail Ahmad Dar, resident of Nagam Kokernag and Reyaz Ahmad Mir, resident of Watnard Kokernag, police said. As per the Police statement, a police party of Police Station Utersoo arrested one person ...

In a bid to keep young teenagers away from drugs, a Kashmir based Non-governmental organization has announced an award of a bicycle for the teenagers below age of 15, who offer five times prayers. Khair e Aam trust based in south Kashmir announced that any teenager below the age of 15 will be awarded a bicycle if they offer Namaz for five times for a period of fourty (40) days. Speaking to The Kashmiriyat, Rameez Ahmed Hydari, a member of the trust said that the competition has been launched for four mosques as of now. "We will expand the competition, but for now the competition has been announced for Jamia Masjid Sopore, Majid Sharif Elahibagh Srinagar, Jamia Masjid Anantnag, Jamia Masjid Anantnag, Jamia Masjid Kulgam, Masjid e Bafandan and Masjid e Sharif Qazi Mohalla in Anantnag,"...