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Nov62025 by News DeskNo Comments

Ganderbal girl, abducted by father of two, rescued from Himachal, kidnapper arrested

REGIONAL

Shah Basit Police in Ganderbal have successfully rescued a girl who had been abducted and taken to Himachal Pradesh, arresting the man accused of kidnapping her. Acting on a specific input and following directions from SSP Ganderbal, Khalil Ahmad Poswal, a special police team from Police Post Shadipora tracked down and apprehended the accused in Himachal Pradesh. The accused has been identified as Firdous Rustum Khan, son of Rustum Ali Khan, a resident of Shatigam, Handwara. According to police, Khan—who is already married and has two children—had allegedly been using social media and other online platforms to lure women. The girl was recovered safely from his custody and handed over to her family after the completion of medico-legal formalities. A case under FIR No. 185/...

Nov62025 by News DeskNo Comments

Dream11 turns nightmare! Poonch police seize SUV bought from scam money

INDIA

In a major action against proceeds of crime derived from online fraud, Police Station Surankote has attached property worth approximately ₹8.5 lakh under Section 107 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS). In a statement issued here to news agency Kashmir News Corner --- KNC, During the investigation of Case FIR No. 71/2025 U/S 319(2)/318(4)/336(3)/340(2)/3(5) BNS & 66(C)/66(D) IT Act, it was revealed that one Maruti Suzuki Brezza car (Registration No. JK02CQ-2851) had been purchased by the accused Sajid Khan R/O Drogain, Tehsil Surankote, from proceeds of crime generated through fraudulent activities involving cheating and impersonation using the Telegram application and Dream11 platform. Acting on the directions of the competent authority and in accordance with legal ...

Nov62025 by News DeskNo Comments

KAS officer files ₹7 crore defamation suit against journalist

REGIONAL

A Jammu and Kashmir Administrative Service (KAS) officer, Zakir Hussain Wani, has instituted a ₹7 crore recovery suit against journalist Tousif Kraipak, accusing him of circulating defamatory material on social media and other public platforms. In his plea, Wani has alleged that Kraipak’s statements were baseless, malicious, and aimed at damaging his professional reputation as a public servant. The officer claims that the content in question caused him deep mental distress, ridicule, and loss of public confidence. The suit seeks ₹7 crore in compensation, permanent removal of the alleged defamatory material, and a court injunction restraining further such remarks. Journalist Tousif Kraipak, through his counsel Advocate M. A. Dar, appeared before the court and obtained a copy of the...

Nov62025 by News DeskNo Comments

Heritage courses including shawl weaving, papier-mâché to be taught in Kashmir colleges

CULTURE

Firdous Qadri Jammu Kashmir Government has approved the “Chief Minister’s Scheme for Introduction of Heritage Courses” under the Skill Development Department, a major initiative aimed at preserving the Valley’s dying traditional crafts and creating employment opportunities for youth. According to officials, seven traditional craft courses will be revived across 25 training units in government ITIs and Polytechnics, with a total intake capacity of 500 students. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s office said the scheme seeks to blend traditional knowledge with modern training, ensuring that age-old crafts such as wood carving, papier-mâché, shawl weaving, embroidery, and copperware continue to thrive as viable professions. Under the scheme, trainees will receive monthly stipends, whi...

Nov62025 by News DeskNo Comments

Farmers in Kakapora left with unharvested paddy as floods ruin crops

REGIONAL

Scores of farmers in the Kakapora belt of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district are yet to harvest their paddy crop this season, not because they don’t want to, but because the entire yield was destroyed in the September floods and is now lying rotten in water-logged fields. Farmers said that almost two months have passed since the floods, yet large portions of agricultural land in Kakapora are still submerged. "We haven’t even been able to step into our fields. The paddy has turned black and rotten. There is no point in cutting it now as it is totally useless,” Abdul Rashid, a farmer from Kakapora. The farmers were hoping that the government would announce a realistic compensation package to help them recover from the heavy losses. However, many alleged that the relief being given is ...

Nov52025 by News DeskNo Comments

MMU urges withdrawal of order making Vande Mataram observance mandatory in schools

REGIONAL

The Mutahida Majlis-e-Ulema (MMU), an amalgam of all Muslim religious organisations in Jammu Kashmir headed by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, has expressed serious concern over a recent directive issued by the Jammu Kashmir Government’s Department of Culture, instructing schools across the region to commemorate the 150th year of Vande Mataram through organised musical and cultural programmes ensuring participation of all students and staff. In a statement, the MMU said that singing or reciting Vande Mataram is un-Islamic, as it contains expressions of devotion that contradict the fundamental Islamic belief in the Oneness of Allah (Tawheed). The body noted that Islam does not permit any act involving worship or reverence directed toward anyone or anything other than the Creator. While empha...

Nov52025 by News DeskNo Comments

Amid snowfall, BSF rescues stranded civilians in Gurez

REGIONAL

Border Security Force (BSF) personnel stationed at Post Razdan in Gurez sector rescued seven civilians who were stranded amid heavy snowfall on the Razdan Pass. Officials said that upon receiving information about civilians trapped due to sudden snowfall, the Company Commander immediately dispatched a rescue team despite severe weather conditions and poor visibility. The BSF team reached the stranded civilians and ensured their safe evacuation to the post. The rescued individuals were provided with food, warm shelter, and medical assistance. “Despite harsh conditions and heavy snow accumulation, our personnel acted swiftly to save lives,” a BSF official said, adding that the timely response prevented a possible tragedy in the high-altitude area. [KNT]

Nov52025 by News DeskNo Comments

U.P. Imam booked for ‘creating noise’ on mosque loudspeaker: Police

INDIA

Police in Shamli district have registered a case against mosque imam Maulana Rafique Khan for allegedly exceeding permissible decibel limits with a loudspeaker, following repeated complaints from residents of the Hindu-majority village of Ghumthal. Sub-Inspector Sonu Chaudhary, on routine patrol, detected the violation and filed a complaint after earlier warnings went unheeded. “A team had advised the imam to comply with noise regulations. Since the violation persisted, legal action was initiated,” said Station House Officer Manoj Verma. Khan was taken into custody, and additional security was deployed in the village as a precaution. He faces charges under Sections 223 (disobedience to public servant’s order) and 293 (continuing nuisance after injunction) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. ...

Nov52025 by News DeskNo Comments

Parents struggle as private schools push high-cost textbooks in Kashmir

EDUCATION

Rayees Shah For many families across Kashmir, the start of the new school year is no longer a moment of excitement, it has become a season of financial strain. Parents say private schools are forcing them to buy expensive textbooks from designated vendors, with complete sets costing up to Rs 7,000, leaving households scrambling to meet the demand. The practice, critics say, has been in place for years but remains largely unchecked. Schools reportedly mandate purchases from specific shops, eliminating any possibility of comparison shopping and giving them near-total control over the prices. “This is not just about paying more for books... it’s about a system that keeps parents trapped every year,” said Fahim Ahmad, a parent from Anantnag. “The curriculum changes annually, so books ...

Nov52025 by News DeskNo Comments

Plantation drive: Lakhs spent, photos taken, but sapling missing in Baltal nurseries

REGIONAL

A major irregularity has come to light in the Forest Department’s Baltal range, where nurseries worth lakhs of rupees established under the NPV scheme have reportedly failed to yield any visible plantation, raising serious questions over execution and monitoring. Locals from the area said that three nurseries were set up by the department in Compartment No. 63A of Baltal to promote environmental protection, but no trees or saplings are visible on the ground. They alleged that the saplings planted have dried up, resulting in a complete waste of government funds. At Rangah Mode near Baltal, not a single plant could be spotted in the nursery area, according to witnesses. Meanwhile, the Forest Department is constructing an Alpine Eco Park at Baltal at a cost of Rs 65 lakh to attract tour...