THE KASHMIRIYAT

The crime branch of J&K Police said on Sunday that it has unearthed a major scam in stamp paper usage in which two advocates and three stamp vendors are involved. A crime branch statement said that the economic offences wing of the crime branch in Jammu carried out searches at five places in R.S. Pura, Greater Kailash and Bidhnah areas of Jammu district. “FIR number 89/23 under sections 420, 465, 468, 471, 409 and 130-B of the IPC has been registered against the involved persons. “Many documents, computers, laptops, etc., have been seized during the raids after a written complaint was lodged in which the complainant stated that huge losses had been inflicted to the revenue department through a scam involving stamp papers used in judicial documents. “The complainant alleged ...

Authorities are carrying a drone survey for the construction of railway lines in Kashmir, officials said on Saturday. A top railway official told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that a team from Survey Company, Northern Railway is conducting a drone survey for the construction of a double-track Banihal-Baramulla railway line and a new railway line from Baramulla to Uri in Kashmir. He said the survey is being carried out to collect data on the alignment of the proposed railway lines, the terrain, and the obstacles that may need to be overcome during construction. “The Banihal-Baramulla railway line is a 135-kilometre single-track line that is currently operational. The doubling of this line will allow for more frequent and efficient train services between Banihal and Ba...

Scores of customers of the J&K Bank’s Hyderbeigh Pattan branch on Saturday held a protest against the J&K Bank Corporate Headquarters for “shielding” an employee who has allegedly misappropriated money from the branch to the tune of around one crore rupees. The customers told the news agency CNS that the J&K Bank Corporate Headquarters has failed to bring the report initiated into the erring employee, who has diverted the money close to one crore rupees from the Hyderbeigh Pattan’s branch of J&K Bank to his wife’s account. They alleged that the employee, who has now been suspended, had snooped into their bank accounts and siphoned off money to the account of his spouse. “Embezzling huge amounts of money and looting the hard-earned deposits of customers cannot go unpun...

Days after Kapil Sibal picked up the issue, the Jammu Kashmir School Education Department revoked the suspension of Zahoor Ahmad Bhat, a lecturer of political science. Bhat's suspension came after he had appeared in the Supreme Court to argue against the Abrogation of Article 370. On August 28, 2023, Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud directed the AG to look into Zahoor Ahmad Bhat's suspension. Bhat, an Indian polity teacher in J&K, had appeared before the Supreme Court in the Article 370 pleas as one of the petitioners. He was later suspended from his post. Details rushing in

In the ongoing fight against drug trafficking in Bandipora district, Police have arrested 72 peddlers and registered 58 cases while assets worth INR 7,970,712 were seized this year. Details available with news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) showed that in 58 cases, police have arrested 72 individuals with eight booked under the PIT NDPS Act. Of 58 cases, 49 have been formally charged, while the remaining nine are currently under investigation. According to police, property valued at a total of INR 7,970,712 has been attached, comprising immovable property in the form of land worth INR 4,400,000, movable property valued at INR 135,000, and INR 2,220,712 seized from bank accounts. The police reported the seizure of 70 kilograms of cannabis and its derivatives, 43 kilograms of...

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested two persons for harbouring the militants, who had killed five innocent civilians in Dhangri village of district Rajouri of Jammu and Kashmir in January this year. The duo, Nisar Ahmed @Haji Nisar and Mushtaq Hussain, were formally arrested by the NIA on Thursday in the case (RC-01/2023/NIA/JMU), a spokesman said in a statement issued to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO). They were produced before NIA Special Court, Jammu on Friday and were sent to 12 days NIA custody, the statement said. Incidentally, both the accused were currently lodged in Central Jail, Kot Bhalwal, Jammu in another case, registered at Police Station Gursai, Mendhar, District Poonch, it added. On 1st January, 2023, five persons were killed and ot...

Two days after the article on Kashmiri journalists, the Jammu Kashmir Police has said that the State Investigation Agency will initiate legal proceedings against the British Broadcasting Corporation. (BBC). The BBC earlier released a report titled 'Any story could be your last' which spoke of the "intimidation" journalists in Kashmir face, however, the Police have issued a statement denying the claims made in the report. In its statement, Police said, J-K Police strongly objects to an article published by the BBC on 1 September 2023, “Any story could be your last - India’s crackdown on Kashmir Press” by Yogita Limaye. The article unfairly castigates the efforts of J&K Police in maintaining law and order and security in J&K as biased against journalists. Police maintains th...

Anjuman Auqaf Jama Masjid Srinagar has condemned the authorities for the continued house detention of its president Mirwaiz-e-Kashmir Dr Moulvi Muhammad Umar Farooq for more than four years. In a statement, the Anjuman said that today is the 210th consecutive Friday when Kashmir's top religious leader Mirwaiz-e-Kashmir was not allowed to perform the important religious duty of offering Friday prayer or deliver the Friday sermon. Due to his continued house arrest, the centuries-old pulpit of the Jama Masjid, has fallen silent which otherwise would reverberate with Qaal Allah Wa Qaala Rasool (SAW), causing great pain and heartbreak among those who visit the central mosque on Fridays and all Muslims of J&K, Anjuman said. Meanwhile, Mirwaiz the Anjuman said, has sent a legal notic...

A daily wager lineman sustained grave injuries after receiving an electric shock in south Kashmir Kulgam district's Chatabal area on Friday morning. As per locals, the lineman had ascended the pole and was doing his work when he received an electric shock and fell on the ground, resulting in grave injuries to him. He was immediately shifted to a nearby hospital, where he is currently being treated and critical condition and shifted to SKIMS. The injured has been identified as Mohammad Amin Itoo, who has two sons, a daughter, and a wife, who has been bed-ridden for two years due to a tumor, the locals said.

Rupesh Masson, who is the regional director of UCMAS for Jammu Kashmir and Leh claimed that  he has bought land at “Luna Earths Moon, Tract 55-Parcel 10772 known as Lacus Felicitatis (Lake of Happiness).” “I purchased the land from The Lunar Registry in New York City and it was certified on August 25,” said Masson, as per Hindustan Times. He said that he feels that a plot on the moon is either a token of hope in the future or a cost-effective psychological escape hatch for the person confronting climate change. Rupesh also claimed that around 675 celebrities and three former presidents of the United States had extra-terrestrial land holdings.