REGIONAL

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has opposed the bail plea of separatist leader Nayeem Ahmad Khan in a case related to alleged terror funding under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) before the Delhi High Court, Live Law reported. Khan has been in judicial custody since August 14, 2017, and has been accused by the NIA of “creating unrest” in the Kashmir valley. He was arrested on July 24, 2017, and charges for various offences under the Indian Penal Code, including sedition and UAPA, were framed against him by a special NIA court on March 16 last year. The NIA has submitted that evidence collected in the case clearly establishes a prima facie case against Khan and that he was involved in terrorist and funding activities. Certain letters were found during search and ...

The meteorological department here on Sunday forecast “erratic” weather in Jammu and Kashmir May 7. “A brief spell of rain may occur in the evening at some places today, although chances are less,” a MeT official here told GNS. On May 1, he said, mainly clear weather is expected while a brief spell of rain/thunderstorm may occur at a few places towards late afternoon or evening(60% chance) . From May 2- 3, he said widespread light to moderate rain (light snow over higher reaches)//thunderstorm with hailstorm and gusty winds at few places during the period. Overall weather is very likely to remain erratic between May 2 to 7 Regarding temperature, he said, Srinagar recorded a low of 10.5°C against 7.4°C on the previous night and it was 1.2°C above normal for the summer capital...

ADGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar on Saturday held a high-level meeting at South Kashmir’s Anantnag district on NHW security special focus on the emerging threat of VBIEDs and other modes of potential militant attack. In a handout, the police said that the army’s GOC Victor Force Maj Genl Prashant Srivastava, IG CRPF Kashmir Ops Sector M S Bhatia, IG BSF Ashok Yadav, Joint Director IB, Army’s sector commanders in South Kashmir, DIGs of police, CRPF, SSB, ITBP & CID and SSsP of Anantnag, Pulwama, Kulgam and Awantipora attended the meeting. According to police spokesman, during the meeting, potential threats from militants on NHW were discussed in detail and more counter measures were decided. SOP of convey movement were also discussed and accordingly upgraded. All field officers given thei...

An irrigation canal passing through Darbagh (Shopian district) and ZahidBagh (Pulwama district) has been turned into the dumping site and authorities are unmoved. Locals told news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), that in 2014 floods a siphon bridge through which the water was reaching to agricultural fields got damaged and since then canal is without water. In May 2020, a pipeline was laid through to divert water of the canal to river Ranbiara, however, pipes were so narrow that just few drops of water were passed through these pipes and it worked for just a few days. The stagnant water and water of bathrooms thrown into by some locals is creating a lot of problems for passersby and there is no intervention from concerned authorities, said Gulzar Ahmad, a local resident. He ...

Authorities in the Regional Transport office here on Friday asked all the registered dealers, officers, officials of the Motor Vehicle Department and insurance agencies not to make any sale, purchase or register any vehicle involving a minor. A circular, issued by the Office of the Regional Transport Officer (RTO), Kashmir, a copy of which lies with the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), reads that it has observed that motor vehicle dealers have sold and registered motor vehicles in the name of minors, which amounts to a violation of Section 10 of the Indian Contract Act, 1872. In the circular, it is underlined that under the Indian Contract Act, 1872, any sale agreement executed with a minor is deemed void abinitio, adding that a registered motor vehicle along with its registe...

The National Commission for Women (NCW) chairperson Rekha Sharma on Thursday said human trafficking increased by 15.56 percent in Jammu Kashmir last year as compared to the 2021-22 financial year but it is “just the tip of an iceberg”. “In the last few years, we have seen in Kashmir also that women are getting targeted. The NCRB data shows that it has increased 15.56 per cent last year compared to 2021-22. And this is just the tip of the iceberg because the data does not give the true picture,” Sharma told PTI, ahead of the anti-human trafficking workshop organised by the NCW. Sharma said the purpose of holding the workshop in Kashmir was to make people aware of the menace of human trafficking. “We must now work to save our daughters and our children. This is the main purpose of ...

A 42-year-old man died after a tree he was cutting fell on him in Pinglish village of Tral in south Kashmir's Pulwama district on Thursday. An official told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that the man identified as Ab Salam Yaoo (42) of Sheerabad Tral was injured when a tree fell on him. He said he was subsequently rushed to a nearby health facility, where he was declared dead on arrival—(KNO)

Wetlands comprising over 400 kanals have been encroached by land grabbers in Kashmir Valley. Despite sending scores of eviction notices, and registering police cases, the Wetlands Division of Wildlife Department Kashmir has miserably failed to retrieve the encroached land. The official data as per the news agency Kashmir News Trust presents a dismal picture with regard to the conservation of wetlands in Kashmir Valley. There are 8 wetlands under the administrative control of Wetlands Central Division Srinagar. They are Hokersar, Hygam, Shalbugh, Mirgund, Chatlum, Fashkoori, Kranchoo and Manibugh. Some of the famous wetlands across Kashmir Valley are Hokersar (Srinagar/Budgam), Hygam (Baramulla), Shallbugh (Ganderbal/Srinagar), Mirgund (Baramulla- Budgam), Manibugh, Kranchoo, Chat...

Amid decrease in precipitation and forecast for scattered to fairly widespread light rain and thunderstorm in next 24 hours, the minimum temperature recorded a drop in Jammu and Kashmir below normal on Friday. A meteorological department official here told GNS that “mainly dry weather to isolated very light rain and thunderstorm” was expected during two subsequent days. While there was improvement in rainfall activity, in the last 24 hours till 0830 hours this morning, Srinagar received 0.7mm of rain, Qazigund 14.6mm, Pahalgam 9.0mm, Kokernag 3.2mm, Gulmarg 8.6mm, Jammu 7.4mm, Banihal 5.0mm, Batote 6.2mm, Bhaderwah 8.4mm, Katra 13.0mm, and Kathua 1.6mm. Regarding temperature, the MeT official said that Srinagar recorded a low of 6.2°C against 7.9°C on the previous night and it was...