REGIONAL

In a first for the Valley, cars have started arriving in Kashmir by train, with Maruti Suzuki dispatching a consignment of 116 vehicles directly from its Manesar plant in Haryana to Anantnag. The development marks the entry of Kashmir into India’s automobile freight network and is being described by officials as a “milestone in the region’s connectivity story.” Until now, vehicles bound for Kashmir had to be driven from Jammu over the treacherous Srinagar–Jammu National Highway, a process that not only delayed deliveries but also added hundreds of kilometres to brand-new cars, sometimes leaving them with dents or mechanical issues even before reaching buyers. With the commissioning of the Udhampur–Srinagar–Baramulla Railway Line (USBRL) and the completion of the Chenab Rail Bridge...

The Meteorological Department has issued a severe weather advisory for Jammu Kashmir, warning of widespread rainfall and snowfall from October 5 to 7 under the influence of an active western disturbance. The department has cautioned that the spell may bring significant disruption to transport, farming activities, and pose risks of natural hazards in vulnerable areas. According to the advisory issued by the Meteorological Centre Srinagar, moderate to heavy snowfall is expected over higher reaches including Anantnag-Pahalgam, Kulgam, Sinthan Pass, Shopian, Pir Ki Gali, Sonamarg-Zojila, Bandipora-Razdan Pass, Gulmarg and Kupwara-Sadhna Pass. Middle reaches are likely to witness light snowfall, while plains across Kashmir are expected to receive moderate to heavy rain. Jammu division ...

A man was left critically injured after being allegedly attacked with a knife by his wife in Old Town Baramulla. According to officials, the injured has been identified as Rayees, a resident of Mohalla Mir Sahib, Old Town. The incident took place after a heated argument between the couple reportedly turned violent, leading the woman to assault him with a sharp-edged weapon. Rayees sustained grievous injuries and was rushed to GMC Baramulla, where he is currently undergoing treatment. Police have taken cognisance of the matter and initiated further investigation.

An accident in Budgam district on Thursday claimed the life of a 68-year-old man after he suffered a fall from an under-construction mosque in the Shippra Magam area of central Kashmir. The deceased has been identified as Muhammad Yousuf Sofi, aged 68, a local of the area. to initial accounts, Sofi was engaged at the construction site of a mosque in Shippra Magam when he suddenly slipped and fell from a height. The incident sparked panic among locals who immediately rushed to help. He was shifted in critical condition to SMHS Hospital Srinagar for urgent treatment. However, despite doctors’ efforts, he succumbed to his injuries shortly after admission. Police officials confirmed the incident, stating that a case has been registered and necessary medico-legal formalities comp...

Leh Apex Body (LAB) has outrightly rejected the magisterial inquiry ordered by the Union Territory administration of Ladakh into the September 24 law and order situation that claimed four lives during police action. The influential body reiterated its demand for a high-level judicial inquiry, insisting that only such a probe can establish accountability for the deaths of civilians in Leh. Speaking to the news agency Kashmir News Trust, LAB co-chairman Chering Dorjey categorically dismissed the inquiry led by the Sub-Divisional Magistrate of Nubra. “We have maintained from day one that there should be a judicial inquiry into the killings of Ladakhi people. We want to know who ordered the firing on civilians without any warning. We don’t accept the magisterial inquiry and we reject ...

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued a notice to the Jammu Kashmir admin and other respondents over a plea challenging the construction of a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) battalion camp on 1,324 kanals (67 hectares) of land at Brain Nishat in Srinagar. The area falls within an ecologically sensitive conservation reserve and is adjacent to Dachigam National Park. The case was heard on Thursday by a bench comprising Justice Prakash Shrivastava, Chairperson, and Dr. A. Senthil Vel, Expert Member. “In this Original Application (OA), the applicant has objected to the setting up of the proposed Battalion Camping Site for the 61st, 79th, 117th, and 132nd Battalions of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) at 1,324 Kanals of land at Brain, Tehsil Khanyar, District Srinagar,” the ...

Ladakhi students have strongly accused sections of the national media of deliberately misrepresenting the September 24 protests in Leh as anti-national and allegedly backed by foreign agencies, calling the coverage “completely false and deeply hurtful” to the Ladakhi community. Seven student associations from across the country wrote to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), demanding a judicial inquiry into the violence that claimed four lives and left dozens injured. A student leader from Ladakh said the media “lied to please certain political interests and chase votes, creating a narrative that has no grounding in Ladakh or anywhere in the erstwhile state of Jammu Kashmir.” He added that such reporting misled the Indian public and harmed the reputation of Ladakhis, who remain “patriotic...

Jammu Kashmir Police on Wednesday attached the head office of the proscribed organisation Tehreek-e-Hurriyat (TeH), headed by late Mohammed Ashraf Sehrai, at Rehmatabad, Hyderpora in Srinagar, as part of a wider crackdown on separatist institutions in Jammu Kashmir. The attachment was carried out under Section 25 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 (UAPA), following due sanction from the competent authority. Officials said the three-storey structure, built on one kanal and one marla of land under Khasra number 946 and Khata number 306, had been serving as the central office of Tehreek-e-Hurriyat, which was banned by the Government of India for its alleged involvement in separatist politics and facilitation of militancy in the Valley. Police confirmed the action was linked ...

Sopore Police on Wednesday carried out search operations at the residences of two Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI)-linked individuals in Zaloora area of north Kashmir’s Sopore, as part of its ongoing crackdown against separatist and militant networks. The searches, as per police were conducted after obtaining proper search warrants under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) from a competent court. Officials confirmed that the houses of Muhammad Maqbool Bhat, son of Abdul Rahim Bhat, and Tanveer Ahmad Dar, son of Abdul Jabbar Dar, both residents of Zaloora Sopore, were thoroughly searched in the presence of local Magistrates and independent witnesses. Police said the process was carried out with strict legal compliance and transparency. According to sources, the searches led to the...

Police Station Bakshi Nagar has registered an FIR against former Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) Mayor Chander Mohan Gupta, along with nine others, in connection with alleged theft of 13 cows and 24 calves and the misappropriation of nearly ₹97 lakh belonging to the Hare Krishna Gaushala located near Eden Garden, Shakti Nagar. The FIR (No. 0125/2025) was filed under sections 316, 318 (3), and 325 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (2023). It was registered on the directions of Judicial Magistrate First Class (Munsiff) Jammu, Rekha Sharma, following a complaint lodged by Rohit Bali, General Secretary of the Hare Krishna Gaushala Charitable Trust. The accused named in the case include Narender Verma alias Nitai Dass, Manju Verma, Vijay Kumar, Sanjay Kumar, Deepak Singh Rana, Varinder Dog...