Month: March 2023

Police on Tuesday said that it arrested mother- son duo for selling contraband substance at their residential house in central Kashmir’s Budgam district. In a handout to GNS, the police said that continuing its efforts to eradicate the menace of drugs from the society, Budgam Police arrested mother- son duo and recovered contraband substance from their house. The police spokesman further stated that Police Post Mochwa received an information that contraband substance has been concealed/stored by one namely Mohammad Yaqoob Khan S/o Sirajudin and his mother in the residential house of Siraj ud Din Khan son of Ghulam Mohammad Khan resident of Gopalpora Chadoora. Accordingly, police team from police post Mochwa led by Insp. Mudasir Shafi along with executive magistrate Ist class B. K Por...

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs on Tuesday said that 23 individuals have been designated as militants under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) so far since 2022. Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai in a reply in the Lok Sabha, as per the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) said that 23 individuals have been designated as terrorists under UAPA 1967 and their names have been added in the Fourth Schedule of the Act. Among the 23 designated militants, 3 are from Jash-e-Mohammad outfit, 5 from Lashkar-e-Tobia and 6 from Hizbul-Mujahideen outfit. Lashkar-e-Tobia militants include Hafiz Talha Seed, Sheikh Sajad alias Sajad Gull, Habibullah Malik, Mohammad Amin Khubaib and Arbaz Ahmad Mir. Those associated with JeM include Mohiuddin Aurangzeb Alamgir, Ashiq Hus...

A newborn child was found dead in the Kenihama area of Srinagar district's Nowgam area. Locals told The Kashmiriyat that on Tuesday afternoon locals spotted the dead body of an abandoned newborn boy near the railway track in Gundbal Kenihama, after which they called the local Police. Police rushed to the spot and took the body of the newborn in their possession and later shifted the dead body to a nearby hospital  for the completion of medico-legal formalities. "It looked liked someone had abandoned the baby after his birth near the railway track," they said.

Meer Irfan One person died, and three others were injured in a road accident in the Bijbehara area of south Kashmir's Anantnag district. Eyewitnesses told The Kashmiriyat that on Tuesday afternoon a sedan car crashed into a truck in the Arwani area of Bijbehara in south Kashmir area resulting into injuries to four persons. The injured were rushed to the hospital, however, one of them succumbed to injuries. The deceased woman was identified as Karuna sardar wife of Dayal Sardar of Kolkata in West Bengal, official said. Three others who were critically wounded in the accident have been hospitalized where they are undergoing treatment, they said. The injured have been identified as Rakesh son of Ratan Lal of Udhampur, Nandita Vedi and Bahnolal Chjerveti-- all residents of Ko...

Before the general elections going to be held in 2024, CRPF will be the force responsible for counter-insurgency operations in Kashmir Valley. Reports said that the Ministry of Home Affairs has virtually given a nod to the proposal of replacing the army in Kashmir. Reports added that Central Reserve Police Force will be inducted in a few districts of both Kashmir and Jammu regions before being given complete responsibility to deal with militancy. Sources said that CRPF is working towards reducing the age profile of its troops in the valley by rotating younger troops from other battalions as also inducting newly recruited soldiers into the region, however, the leadership role will be assigned to senior officers. Reports said that MHA is keen to project normalcy in Kashmir before...

Wular Conservation and Management Authority (WUCMA) employee Showkat Ahmad first reported and captured the duck species on camera at the iconic Wular lake on January 22, 2023, which were later identified as long-tailed ducks (globally vulnerable) and were five in number. These ducks were spotted in Kashmir after 84 years, and the last time they were sighted in Hokersar was in 1939 by F Ludlow. After Showkat Ahmad spotted the ducks, the news spread like fire among local birders and ornithologists . Only after three days, another rare duck species called smew was spotted and captured on camera. This time, a single female smew was first spotted by Bilal Nasir Zargar (Director, Wildlife Conservation Fund, YPJK), Umer Nazir, Sheikh Harris, Irfan Ul Shamas, and Showkat Ahmad, followed by A...

A three-member team from the Press Council of India (PCI) has arrived in the summer capital of Srinagar. According to sources cited by the news agency KDC, three members of the Press Council of India (PCI) arrived in the region on Monday evening. Dr. Khaidem Athouba Meitei from Imphal, Prasanna Kumar Mohanty from Bhubaneswar, and Jai Shankar Gupta from Delhi arrived in the region. Sources indicate that the team is expected to meet with high-ranking officials during their visit, including a scheduled meeting with the Lieutenant Governor of the region, Manoj Sinha, at Raj Bhawan on Tuesday. Pertinent to mention, The PCI is a statutory body in India that governs the conduct of the print media. It was established in 1966 and is responsible for maintaining and improving the standard...

The National Investigation Agency on Tuesday said it arrested a Kashmir-based journalist Irfan Mehraj in a case related to NGO militancy funding case. ​ In a statement, issued to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), a spokesperson said following comprehensive investigations into the NGO militancy funding case registered in October 2020, NIA arrested Irfan Mehraj from Srinagar yesterday. The statement reads Irfan Mehraj was a close associate of Khurram Parvez and was working with his organization, Jammu and Kashmir Coalition of Civil Societies (JKCCS). “Investigation revealed that JKCCS was funding militant activities in the valley and had also been in propagation of secessionist agenda in the Valley under the garb of protection of human rights,” it reads. It added involv...

The Jammu Kashmir administration has taken up the restoration work of the 700-year-old Mangleshwar Bhairav Temple, which was severely damaged by floods in 2014, located in the heart of Srinagar city, officials said here. The work was started in June 2022 and is expected to be completed next month, they said, adding that the estimated cost of the project is Rs 1.62 core. "The temple is around 700 years old. Everyone knows about its significance. It developed some cracks in the floods of September 2014. So, last year, we took it up under a scheme for revival, restoration, preservation and maintenance of architecture and heritage," Deputy Commissioner, Srinagar, Muhammad Aijaz Asad told PTI. Asad said the temple management committee was consulted on preserving the structure's origina...