Month: August 2024

A Delhi court has requested a response from the National Investigation Agency (NIA) regarding an application for regular bail filed by imprisoned Kashmiri parliamentarian Sheikh Abdul Rashid, also known as Engineer Rashid. Rashid, who has been in custody since 2019 in connection with a 2017 Jammu and Kashmir terror funding case, is currently held in Tihar Jail. Additional Sessions Judge Chander Jit Singh issued the notice on Tuesday, directing the NIA to respond by August 28. Rashid, who won the Baramulla seat from former chief minister Omar Abdullah in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, had previously been granted custody parole to take his oath of office on July 5. The NIA's case against Rashid involves allegations related to funding terrorist groups and separatists, with his name...

Two Muslim men were assaulted by Hindutva activists over allegations of transporting banned meat after their vehicle overturned in the Crossing Republic area of Ghaziabad. According to reports, the incident occurred on NH-9 near ABES College, where the vehicle, loaded with meat, lost control and scattered its contents on the road. Upon learning of the accident, activists from a Hindu organization, including Bajrang Dal members, arrived at the scene and accused the driver, Ashraf, and his helper, Aamir, both from Delhi, of carrying meat from banned animals. The activists tied up the two men and began beating them, with passersby also joining in the assault. Despite their pleas for mercy, the violence continued, and a video of the incident quickly spread on social media. The a...

Amid the massive political party-hopping in Kashmir, the Altaf-Bukari led Apni Party is likely to receive another jolt in the valley. Prominent Apni Party leader Abdul Rahim Rather is expected to resign from the party in the next few days. This development was confirmed to The Kashmiriyat by a close aide of Rather, who previously served as MLA for Kokernag in Anantnag. Rather, a key figure from the Kokernag area of south Kashmir’s Anantnag district, was instrumental in supporting and organizing public meetings for Bukhari in the southern region. He was among fourteen of the twenty-eight MLAs who defected from the People’s Democratic Party in June 2018, following its loss of power when the BJP exited the coalition government. Other defectors who joined Apni Party included Raj...

Police in Kupwara, working with Kalaroos Police Post, conducted a joint checkpoint and intercepted a vehicle carrying a significant amount of illicit alcohol. Two individuals were arrested in connection with the incident, Police said. The checkpoint was set up at Madmadow Kalaroos, where officers stopped the vehicle with registration number JK09B-6808 for inspection. The vehicle, driven by Mohd Abass Khan, and accompanied by his wife, Mahfooza Begum, was found to contain 166 bottles of wine and 12 bottles of beer. Both individuals were arrested, and the vehicle was seized. A case has been filed under FIR number 184/24, in accordance with section 50 of the Excise Act at Police Station Kupwara.

Suhail Dar Jammu Kashmir National Conference (NC) is likely to field it's strongest candidates for south Kashmir's Anantnag district. According to sources who spoke to The Kashmiriyat, the party has finalised the first list of candidates for the upcoming Jammu Kashmir assembly elections, set to be conducted in three phases starting September 18. The counting of votes is scheduled for October 04, 2024. The party’s lineup includes prominent figures such as Advocate Riyaz Ahmed Khan for Anantnag East (earlier Shangus), Peer Mohammad Hussain for Anantnag Main (Anantnag Tehsil) and Abdul Majeed Larmi (earlier Home Shalibugh) for Anantnag West. In Bijbehara and Srigufwara (earlier Dochnipora), Dr. Bashir Ahmad Veeri will represent the party, while Altaf Kaloo will contest from Pah...

In Jammu Kashmir, one of the most debated political topics today is the visit of Rahul Gandhi to the region. Congress president Malikarjun Kharge will land in Srinagar on Wednesday evening and will immediately begin a series of meetings. Sources within the Congress Party told The Kashmiriyat that the duo will land in Srinagar today evening. "At Srinagar airport, the party leaders from Jammu Kashmir will welcome the duo and then a series of meetings will commence," they said. "They will arrive in Srinagar around 5 p.m. today. Tomorrow, they will meet district delegates at the Radisson Hotel, Rajbagh in Srinagar at 10:30 a.m., where a press conference will also be addressed and then fly to Jammu by 2 p.m," sources said. The duo will return to Delhi tomorrow evening. The party ...

The Indian government has deployed close to 300 paramilitary companies in the Kashmir Valley to ensure security during the upcoming assembly elections, according to officials. These forces, which include personnel from the Central Reserve Police Force, Border Security Force, Sahastra Seema Bal, and Indo-Tibetan Border Police, have been stationed across various districts including Srinagar, Handwara, Ganderbal, Budgam, Kupwara, Baramulla, Bandipora, Anantnag, Shopian, Pulwama, Awantipora, and Kulgam. Srinagar has received the highest deployment with 55 companies. The notification for the first of the three-phase elections was issued on Tuesday, with voting scheduled for September 18, September 25, and October 1.

Security forces on Tuesday busted an underground terrorist hideout in the Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said. The well-build hideout was unearthed during a cordon and search operation by a joint party of police, Army and CRPF at Sagrawat forest in the Darhal area of the border district, the officials said. They said a large quantity of daily use items including cooking gas, blankets and utensils were recovered from the hideout. However, no one was arrested during the operation as the terrorists using the hideout managed to escape before the start of the search operation, the officials said. They said security forces also busted a cave-type hideout in the Balotha area of Basantgarh in Udhampur district during an ongoing anti-terrorist operation. Some food i...