REGIONAL

Jammu Kashmir High Court has determined that a returning officer has the authority to reject the acceptance of a nomination form if it lacks a certificate issued by the Election Commission of India (ECI), particularly for individuals dismissed from service. The decision came in response to a plea filed by Abdul Bari Naik, who sought acceptance of his candidature for the upcoming Parliamentary election and permission to contest as an independent candidate from the Anantnag-Rajouri Parliamentary seat. However, Justice Sindhu Sharma dismissed Naik's plea, noting that he did not meet the requirements outlined in the Representation of People Act, 1951. "Naik, who was dismissed from service under Article 311(2) of the Constitution of India, failed to provide the necessary certificate from ...

The Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha Monday visited Gandbal area of Srinagar, where six people drowned to death last week after a boat capsized in the river Jhelum. An official told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that LG Sinha visited the families of deceased persons and also met the families whose kin are still missing. He said that Sinha also visited the spot where the rescue operation is still going on—(KNO)

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has launched raids at multiple locations across Srinagar as part of an ongoing probe into a terror funding case. According to sources, the raids are being conducted at nine different locations within the Srinagar district at present. An official told news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), that the NIA teams, supported by the Jammu and Kashmir Police and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs), are actively engaged in the searches. The locations being targeted include the residences and other areas suspected to be linked to individuals involved in the case under investigation. The searches are being carried out under the purview of case RC 5/2022 registered with the NIA—(KNO)

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...