REGIONAL

In a major success against militancy and law & order front in Srinagar district, a top police official informed that only one active resident militant is left from Srinagar district, plus law & order situations and bandhs/strikes have almost faded away. A top police official told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that just one resident militant is left from Srinagar distt namely Momin Gulzar, a resident of Eidgah area. It was also conveyed that not letting the youth join militant ranks is among the top priority of J&K police. Further, the militancy incidents in Srinagar distt have been reduced considerably and the district is fast becoming one of the most peaceful districts of the Valley. The officials said that in this year from 1st January 2022 till date, o...

Police on Thursday said that it has seized 21 bikes, booked five persons for doing dangerous stunts in Kishtwar district of Jammu division. In a handout to GNS, the police said that in a bid to curb stunt biking menace and save thẻ precious life, Kishtwar Police arrested 21 stunt bikers and seized the bikes, who were performing dangerous stunts, scaring other road-users. According to police spokesman, the arrested bikers were seen riding their bikes with just the back wheel on the grounds and performing other dangerous stunts, scaring other road users. Acting swiftly and stringently police teams of Police station Kishtwar constituted headed by Insp Abid Bukhari SHO PS Kishtwar did strenuous efforts and after timely intervention finally nabbed 21 stunt bikers and seized their bikes...

A special court in Jammu Kashmir granted bail to Kashmiri Journalist Fahad Shah in two cases on Thursday. Advocate Umair Ronga wrote: “Special court designated under NIA today granted bail to chief editor of @tkwmag @pzfahad in FIR No 70/2020 P/S Safakadal and FIR No 19/2022 P/S Pulwama.” https://twitter.com/umairronga/status/1600803998465814533?t=v-id5yVEKUk0_PdGRF5sBw&s=19 The Kashmiri journalist was arrested on February 4 with police claiming that he allegedly glorified terrorism, spread fake news and incited the people of Jammu Kashmir. On 26 February, he was granted bail by an NIA court in Srinagar. However, he was immediately re-arrested by the Shopian police in a case registered against the reporting in January 2021. On 5 March, he was granted bail in the case– bu...

The Supreme Court has dismissed a curative petition seeking reconsideration of its 2017 order dismissing a plea which had sought investigation into the alleged mass murder of Kashmiri Pandits in the valley in 1989-1990. A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud rejected the plea and said no case is made out. "We have gone through the Curative Petition and the connected documents. In our opinion, no case is made out within the parameters indicated in the decision of this Court in Rupa Ashok Hurra vs Ashok Hurra. The Curative Petition is dismissed," the bench also comprising Justices S K Kaul and S A Nazeer said. The curative petition, filed by an organisation of Kashmiri Pandits, 'Roots in Kashmir', had said the apex court was not justified in dismissing the writ pet...

Kashmiri journalist Khalid Gul who was arrested from his hometown in Anantnag has been granted bail by a local court in Anantnag. Khalid Gul, a senior Greater Kashmir reporter was arrested by Jammu Kashmir Police on Monday evening in an old case from the year 2017 under sections 153, 501, and 505 of the IPC, they said. According to officials Khalid was released from custody after he was granted bail by the Anantnag court on Wednesday. Pertinently, Jammu Kashmir Police had raided Khalid's house along with the residences of several journalists in connection with the online threats to scribes, the officials said. Khalid was associated with the local daily Greater Kashmir for many years.

After a brief exchange of fire, militants have managed to give slip to security forces in Wathoo area of South Kashmir’s Shopian district where an encounter broke out last night, officials said here on Thursday. An official told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that encounter broke out last evening after a joint team of Police, Army and CRPF launched search operation in the area. He said as the joint team of forces intensified searches towards suspected spot, the hiding militants fired upon the party, which was retaliated to, triggering an encounter. “After initial exchange of fire, no contact was established with the militants,” he said. He said cordon layers were tightened after initial exchange of fire, however, no militants were found during subsequent searches a...

Danishwar Hameed Despite a ban on putting advertisements over Chinar trees by the Jammu Kashmir administration, several advertisements and signboards have come up in the south Kashmir's Kulgam district. Eyewitnesses told The Kashmiriyat that many advertisements from coaching centres and other private establishments have come up on the main road in Bogund to the Kulgam town in the south Kashmir district. Pertinently, Jammu Kashmir administration has banned the installing of advertisements, signboards and other allied materials on chinars. However, in a violation of the ban, on the way from Bogund, there is hardly a Chinar tree where one does not find an advertisement board, either of a coaching centre or a private clinic. As per an order issued by the Department of Industries an...

An 18-year-old boy from Kulgam has emerged as an independent weatherman, predicting accurate weather forecast in Jammu Kashmir. Adil Mir from Ashmuji area of Kulgam who is pursuing Bachelor of science (B.Sc) degree at a Srinagar college aspires to become an independent weatherman. Speaking to news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), that he said that since 2018, he started using social media and started forecasting on basis of different weather models. “I was student of class 10th when I met Director MeT Sonam Lotus which ignited a passion of becoming weatherman and he suggested me that how to read different weather models and forecast,” he said. “My family has been very supportive and I have kept all equipment including laptop, phone and other things so as to forecast the weat...

Police in Central Kashmir’s Budgam district arrested 3 drug peddlers and recovered contraband substances from their possession. A police spokesperson said that on Tuesday late night Police station Budgam received specific information that a trio boarding a vehicle (JK01S-5579) were selling contrabands among the youths of Mirgund, Karipora and other adjacent areas of the district. A police party intercepted the vehicle at Karipora near DC Office Budgam and during the search, the police party recovered 4.75 Grams of Heroin-like substance, 3 Mobile Phones, and Rs 1010 in their possession. The arrested ‘drug peddlers’ have been identified as Jehangir Ahmad Magloo alias Jan Kandail and Arif Magloo, both residents of Putli Bagh and Zahoor Ahmad Dar alias Tota of Nasrullapora. Police ...

Scores of landowners whose land is being acquired for Ring road at Mirgund area of Pattan in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district staged a protest demanding the release of payments for their land. ALSO READ: Over 1 Lakh trees worth Rs 13.76 crore axed for Srinagar ring road Eyewitness accounts said that on Wednesday, the protesting landowners assembled at Mirgund Pattan and threatened to shift to their lands along with their families and disallow any move to acquire the land if the government tries to "acquire the land without giving them compensation." They alleged that they did not receive money for their lands and said that the promises made by the authorities were "mere eyewash". The DO Mirgund, Athar Parvaiz arrived at the spot and pacified the protesters after assurances. Th...