REGIONAL

A section of bund along Dal Lake on Boulevard Road collapsed a couple of days ago, prompting authorities to launch immediate reconstruction work to prevent further damage. An official told the news agency Kashmir News Trust that the repair work is underway and efforts are being made to restore the embankment without delay. The collapse has raised concerns among locals and frequent visitors to the area, given the importance of Boulevard Road as a prime stretch along the iconic Dal Lake. Locals attributed the collapse to erosion caused by rats that have reportedly burrowed into the bund, weakening its foundation. They warned that several other portions of the bund along the lake’s footpath are vulnerable and may give way at any time if preventive measures are not taken. Shikarawalas...

The High Court of Jammu Kashmir and Ladakh has set aside the Public Safety Act (PSA) detention of a man from Anantnag, observing that he had been held under “mistaken identity.” Justice Moksha Khajuria Kazmi, while delivering the judgment, quashed the detention order issued by the District Magistrate Anantnag on April 20 last year against Imtiyaz Ahmad Ganie, a resident of Chee, Anantnag. Ganie had challenged the detention, stating that he was arrested by Anantnag police on April 15 last year without any cause and subsequently shifted to Kot Bhalwal Jail, Jammu, on April 20, 2024, where he remained under preventive detention for over 17 months. The court found no basis in the authorities’ records or affidavits to justify the claim of “mistaken identity.” It noted that Ganie had been det...

Authorities have launched an investigation after three mobile phones were found during a search at the high-security district jail in Rajouri, raising fresh concerns over prison security in Jammu Kashmir. Officials said the operation was conducted by multiple teams under the supervision of the jail administration following specific intelligence inputs. The recovered devices, which had no SIM cards, have been sent to a forensic lab for detailed examination. A case has been registered, and investigators are examining how the phones entered the facility despite a three-tier security system. “The jail is digitally secured with jammers, and no mobile network is supposed to be available inside or near the compound. The discovery of these phones suggests the jammers may have been bypassed,” a s...

Police in South Kashmir’s Shopian district have detained two men under the Public Safety Act (PSA), describing them as chronic offenders with a long criminal record and a persistent threat to public peace. The accused have been identified as Altaf Mushtaq Ganie, son of Mushtaq Ahmad Ganie of Meemander, and Showkat Ahmad Wani, son of Ghulam Nabi Wani of Astan Mohalla, Arhama. A police official told the news agency Kashmir News Trust that both were taken into custody after detention orders were obtained from the District Magistrate Shopian and have since been lodged in District Jail Udhampur. Police said the duo has been active since 2016, with at least 12 FIRs registered against them at Police Station Shopian. Altaf Mushtaq is named in seven cases ranging from theft and burglary...

For the fourth consecutive day, strict restrictions remained in place in Doda district as authorities, anticipating protests after Friday congregational prayers, intensified security measures and ordered the closure of educational institutions. A curfew was strictly enforced with police using vans and public address systems to warn people to stay indoors. Officials said that several protest-prone localities were sealed, while internet services remained suspended across the district. In Mehraj Malik’s native village, even mobile calling facilities were blocked. Sources said more than 80 people, including several women, have so far been detained in connection with protests triggered by the detention of Aam Aadmi Party MLA Mehraj Malik under the Public Safety Act. “All schools in Do...

Meer Irfan  A farmer in South Kashmir’s Shopian district has reported the theft of almost 100 crates of apples from his orchard in Reban Zainapora. The grower, Manzoor Ahmad Hajam, said he discovered the theft early in the morning when he found a large portion of his harvested produce missing. “The apples had been packed and kept ready for sale. Losing this quantity overnight has left me in deep distress, especially when growers are already battling falling prices,” he said. Police have been informed about the incident and assured the farmer that an investigation is underway. The theft has unsettled many orchard owners in the area, who are calling for stronger security arrangements to protect fruit harvests during the season.

Ganderbal district admin has formed a dedicated team of revenue officials to carry out demarcation of state land in Sonamarg that was transferred years ago to the local Tourism Development Authority under the Roshni scheme. The Deputy Commissioner’s order places Sub-Divisional Magistrate Kangan at the head of the team, which also includes Tehsildar Gund Manzoor Ahmad, Naib Tehsildar Sheerpathri Mohammad Yousuf Lone, Girdawar Sonamarg Mohammad Hussain Teli, Girdawar Wakura Mohammad Shafi Lone, Patwari Pandach Arshid Ahmad Sheikh, and Office Patwari Kangan Shahbaz Ahmad Malik. As per the directions, the team will identify and demarcate the parcels of land in accordance with Government Order No. Rev(S) 256 of 2007, issued on 25 July 2007, before handing them over to the Sonamarg Development...

The High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh has quashed the preventive detention of a Kishtwar resident who had been booked under the Public Safety Act (PSA) last year for criticizing hydropower projects in the Chenab Valley, a move that once again brings attention to the use of security laws against local activists in the region. Justice M.A. Chowdhary, while allowing a habeas corpus petition, ordered the immediate release of Muhammad Jaffer Sheikh, son of Ghulam Muhammad Sheikh of Nattas, a resident of Dool, Kishtwar. Sheikh had been detained under Order No. 6th/DM/K/PSA of 2024 dated November 7, 2024, issued by the District Magistrate, Kishtwar. Sheikh’s counsels, Advocates S.S. Ahmed and Rahul Raina, argued that the detention was unjustified since he had not been informed of the p...

In the quiet slopes of Tanger in Ramban district of Jammu Kashmir, people wake up each morning unsure if the earth beneath their homes will still hold. Nearly four kilometers of land have started to sink, leaving around two dozen houses scarred with cracks. Some families have already been told their homes are unsafe; others continue to live inside walls that groan and shift. “It feels like the mountain is breathing beneath us,” said Ghulam Qadir, a resident. “Every day the cracks get wider. We don’t know if we will make it through the night.” Officials have moved in with survey teams and promises. The administration insists the situation is being monitored, but locals want more than assurances. They are asking for relocation and rehabilitation before disaster strikes. “We cannot wait...

Bandipora MLA Nizamuddin Bhat on Thursday said that the Commissioner, Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) has personally apologized to him following the controversy over his alleged humiliation at the civic body’s office. Speaking to the news agency, Kashmir News Trust, Bhat revealed that after the incident came into the public domain, he received multiple calls from the Chief Minister’s office, during which he was informed that the Commissioner SMC was apologetic and the episode was a case of miscommunication. “The Commissioner himself called me and expressed regret. He explained that it was merely a miscommunication. He even asked me what was the purpose of my visit and whether I needed anything. I told him that I had no work,” Bhat said. The MLA further clarified that both the...