REGIONAL

The Kashmir Power Distribution Corporation Limited (KPDCL) has announced that the scheduled power shutdown at the Wanpoh Grid Station (190 MVA, 132/33 KV), which was planned for September 27, 2025, between 10:00 AM and 4:00 PM, has been cancelled in view of VVIP movement. As a result, receiving stations that were expected to be affected, including Ashajipora, Janglatmandi, Brakpora, Malaknag, Dialgam, Mirbazar, Quimoh, Redwani, Harnag, Naibasti, Sarnal, Anchidora, Akura, Vessu, Qazigund, Chowgam, Kund, and Railway, will continue to function normally. KPDCL said a fresh date for the shutdown will be notified separately.

Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha, on Friday announced the reopening of 12 tourist destinations across the region. The decision follows a comprehensive security review and discussions in the UHQ meeting. These sites had been temporarily closed after the Pahalgam terror attack on tourists on April 22, which prompted heightened security measures. Seven of the destinations are located in the Kashmir Division, while five fall under the Jammu Division. Among the notable sites reopening in Kashmir are Aru Valley, the Rafting Point in Yanner, Akkad Park, Padshahi Park in Bijbehara, Dara Shikoh Garden in Anantnag, Kaman Post, and Eco-Park Khadniyar in Baramulla. In Jammu, Dagan Top in Ramban, Dhaggar in Kathua, Chinkah in Reasi, Shiv Cave in Salal, and Padri in Doda will welcome visitors agai...

Rayees Shah A wave of grief swept through Shilvat area of Sonawari in Bandipora after unknown persons allegedly set fire to heaps of harvested paddy during the intervening night. The incident, which occurred around  11 PM, left dozens of farmers shattered when they woke up for Fajr prayers to find their crops torched. Villagers told The Kashmiriyat the farmers had spent months nurturing their paddy fields and had only recently gathered the harvest into large piles for winnowing. The fire destroyed most of it within minutes. The harvested paddy had been collected from nearly 18 kanals of land, representing the backbone of several families’ survival. Five families were affected in total, including those of Bashir Ahmad Dar, Nisar Ahmad Dar, Ghulam Hassan Dar, and two others. ...

High Court of Jammu Kashmir and Ladakh has directed the Director General of Police (DGP) to take action against former Srinagar SSP Imtiyaz Hussain for remarks made in a dossier that, according to the court, demeaned the judiciary. Justice Moksha Khajuria Kazmi, while hearing a plea challenging the preventive detention of Riyaz Ahmed Channa, observed that Hussain’s language in the dossier was “not only objectionable but highly lamentable.” “The disrespectful language made use of by the officer in the dossier… is contemptuous to say the least. This type of practice cannot be allowed to be nurtured lest that may destabilize the entire democratic setup,” Justice Kazmi said in the order passed on September 22. The dossier, prepared to justify Channa’s detention under the Illicit Traff...

Environmental activist and founder of SECMOL (Students’ Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh), Sonam Wangchuk, was arrested by Leh police in connection with the violence that erupted in Leh on September 24. A day earlier, the central government had revoked the FCRA (Foreign Contribution Regulation Act) license of his NGO, restricting its ability to receive foreign funding. The unrest in Ladakh turned violent, leaving at least four people dead and more than 90 injured. Protesters set fire to BJP offices and police vehicles, escalating tensions in the region. The protests, led by Wangchuk in coordination with the Leh Apex Body and the Kargil Democratic Alliance, were demanding full statehood for Ladakh and inclusion of the region under the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constit...

Two persons were injured in a road accident on Friday morning at Baghat Chowk area of Central Kashmir's Srinagar district. An official told news agency Kashmir News Corner — KNC, One speedy Thar collided with SSB bus resulting in injuries to two persons travelling in the Thar. Both the injured were given immediate medical attention, while police have taken cognizance of the incident. (KNC)

Suhail Dar The Anantnag court on Wednesday rejected the bail application of three individuals accused of the "wild garlic fraud case" and orchestrating a large-scale financial fraud, a decision that has been welcomed by locals and seen as a boost to ongoing police investigations. Officials at the District Court confirmed to The Kashmiriyat that the bail plea of Tasaduq Hussain Dar alias Haji Tasaduq of Sadoora, Mohammad Iqbal Wani alias Iqbal Bumdori of Bumdoora Kokernag, and Mujeeb Ahmad Koka of Shankerpora Dooru was dismissed in connection with FIR No. 126/2025 registered at Police Station Anantnag. The trio had been arrested earlier for allegedly running a sophisticated fraud racket involving bogus ventures in real estate, fruit trade, and wild garlic (Jangli Lahsun) business. ...

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday announced that the Jammu Kashmir government will provide five marlas of land to every family that lost their homes and property in the recent landslides and flash floods. The move, he said, is aimed at enabling affected households to rebuild their dwellings. The announcement was made during his visit to Duggain, Billawar, where many residents were severely hit by the floods. Earlier, Abdullah conducted an aerial survey of flood-affected areas in the district, accompanied by Bani MLA Dr. Rameshwar Singh. Calling 2025 a year of “immense devastation” for the Union Territory, the Chief Minister directed the administration to speed up relief and rehabilitation work. Torrential rains have already damaged over 350 bridges, nearly 2,000 km of roads, thous...

Jammu Kashmir police have arrested a man from Beerwah on charges of sexually assaulting three minors, two boys and a girl. The arrest came after a parent lodged a complaint at Police Station Beerwah. According to police, the accused allegedly sodomized two boys and raped the girl. FIR No. 134/2025 has been registered under stringent provisions, including Sections 5 and 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, and Sections 351(2) and 65(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). “The accused is in custody. His age is being verified and evidence is being collected. Strict legal action will follow once facts are fully established,” a police officer told. The incident has sparked outrage in Beerwah, with locals demanding exemplary punishment for the accused. ...

Authorities on Thursday placed Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq under strict house arrest in Srinagar, barricading the lanes leading to his residence with barbed wire. The restrictions came hours before a scheduled meeting of the Mutahida Majlis-e-Ulema (MMU) at his home. The meeting, expected to be attended by heads of prominent religious organizations, was convened to discuss issues arising from the Supreme Court’s interim judgment on the Waqf Act, as well as concerns over the supply and consumption of rotten meat and other allied products in the Kashmir Valley. Confirming the restrictions, Mirwaiz posted on X, "Again placed under strict House Arrest today with barbed wires barricading the lanes leading to my home! A meeting of Mutahida Majlis-e-Ulema (MMU) … was to be held at my re...