REGIONAL

  From 2019 to 2024, a total of 13,186 arrests were made in Jammu and Kashmir under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, while only four convictions were recorded during the same period. According to the data provided by the Ministry of State (MoS) for Finance, Pankaj Chaudhary, in response to a question in the Lok Sabha, arrests in Ladakh were minimal, with only 11 cases reported between 2021 and 2022, and no convictions since 2019. “The arrests in J&K saw a steady increase in the first five years, with 1,700 arrests in 2019, 1,769 in 2020, 2,217 in 2021, 2,755 in 2022, and 3,072 in 2023. However, the number of arrests dropped to 1,673 in 2024 (till date). As for convictions, J&K reported a total of 4 convictions during the same period. There wa...

A team of Jammu Kashmir Police led by its SHO, while conducting a routine patrolling and checking duty near SKPA Udhampur, intercepted a suspicious individual on the evening of February 4, 2025. The suspect, identified as Michael Jackson, a Special Police Officer (SPO) posted at the District Police Lines (DPL) Udhampur, attempted to flee upon noticing the police presence but was swiftly apprehended by the officers. Upon frisking, the police recovered 5.95 grams of a substance resembling heroin from Jackson's possession. The substance was seized, and Jackson was arrested at the scene. A case (FIR No. 41/2025) has been registered under sections 8, 21, and 22 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act at Police Station Udhampur. The investigation is ongoing, and ...

Senior BJP leader and Jammu & Kashmir spokesperson Altaf Thakur launched a strong rebuttal against National Conference MP Aga Syed Ruhullah’s recent comments, where Ruhullah claimed that the abrogation of Article 370 had “choked Jammu & Kashmir’s economy” and increased threats to Muslims across India. Thakur dismissed Ruhullah’s statements, asserting, “Not a single new grave was dug due to violence after the abrogation of special status.” He emphasized that since the revocation of Article 370 in August 2019, the region has seen a significant reduction in violence and militancy, leading to a period of peace and stability. “Today, peace prevails throughout Jammu and Kashmir. The fear and unrest that plagued the region for decades have been replaced by hope, stability, and secur...

The number of cancer patients in Jammu Kashmir is steadily increasing, with an estimated 12,000 to 13,000 new cases being reported every year. While this rise is concerning, medical professionals note a positive trend—more patients are now seeking treatment at the first stage of the disease. Government data available with the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) reveals that in 2019, 12,396 new cancer patients were registered across Jammu and Kashmir. This number has seen a gradual increase over the years: 12,726 cases in 2020, 13,060 in 2021, 13,395 in 2022, and over 13,000 cases in both 2023 and 2024. Among these, approximately 20 percent of patients are now arriving for treatment at the initial stage, improving their chances of effective treatment. In 2024, major hospital...

Sleuths of Counter Intelligence Kashmir (CIK) on Tuesday detained five suspects involved in transporting and smuggling sim cards to militants lodged in different jails. In a statement to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), a police spokesman said, “Today on 04.02.2025 in connection with the investigation of case FIR No. 06/2023 u/s 153-A, 505, 121 & 120-B IPC r/w 13 & 39 UA (P) Act of Police Station CI-K, five individuals were detained for interrogation/questioning for their involvement in a criminal conspiracy hatched with anti-national elements aiming at procuring /transportation/ smuggling of SIM cards inside the Central Jail premises for its use bythe jail inmates which include those involved in terrorism and Narco-terrorism." “Pertinently, P/S CIK had earlier ca...

The National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Sunday questioned the central government’s claims that terrorism has been eradicated in Jammu and Kashmir and said if militancy has ended, incidents like the Kulgam terror attack should not happen. Abdullah also criticised those claiming victory in the Delhi elections, emphasising that the decision lies with the country’s people, not with him or his colleague Sakina Itoo. Referring to the terror attack in Kulgam on Monday that left an ex-serviceman dead and two women including his wife injured, the former J-K chief minister questioned the government’s assertion of having eradicated militancy. “Ask those who claim that militancy has ended. If incidents like this happen, ask them where their claim has gone. Everyday, they make sta...

In a massive crackdown following the recent terror attack in Kulgam, Jammu Kashmir Police have detained over 500 Over Ground Workers (OGWs), suspects, terror associates, and individuals with past involvement in terror activities during overnight raids across the Kashmir valley, Srinagar based news agency KDC reported. The detentions come in the wake of Monday’s attack in the Behibagh area of Kulgam, where militants fired at three civilians from point-blank range, critically injuring them. Among the victims, Manzoor Ahmad Wagay, a former Territorial Army soldier, succumbed to his injuries while undergoing treatment at a hospital. His wife, Aaina Akhtar (32), and a minor girl, Sania Hameed (13), sustained leg injuries and are reported to be in stable condition. A senior police offic...

Danishwar Hameed A Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) man posted in the Kulgam district of south Kashmir died of cardiac arrest. An official told The Kashmiriyat that on Tuesday morning, a CRPF personal posted with the E/37th of the CRPF at Nillow complained of chest pain, after which he was referred to the nearby hospital. Identified as Vishnoo, a resident of Gujarat, the CRPF man was declared brought dead upon arrival at the hospital. Meanwhile police have taken cognizance of the incident.

After weeks of fear and uncertainty following 17 mysterious deaths, including 13 children from three related families, the remote village of Badhaal in Jammu Kashmir is slowly returning to normalcy. The tragic deaths, which occurred between December 7, 2024, and January 19, 2025, had shaken the tight-knit community, prompting authorities to impose strict quarantine measures Over 300 villagers remain quarantined at a hospital in Rajouri, 55 kilometers from Badhaal, where strict surveillance, including CCTV monitoring of food preparation, has been implemented. The Assistant District Development Commissioner (Kotranaka) confirmed that no new cases have emerged in the last three weeks, and all previously ill patients have recovered and been discharged. Despite the apparent containm...