JKHCBA tells SC it did not support lawyers’ protest in Kathua case

20/04/2018
NEW DELHI, Apr 19: The Jammu High Court Bar Association today told the Supreme Court that it did not support lawyers’ protest in connection with the Kathua gangrape and murder case. The Bar Council of India told a bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra that they have constituted a team, headed by a former high court judge, which will visit Kathua to assess the situation relating to lawyers protest. Meanwhile, the Kathua District Bar Association told the bench, comprising Justices A M Khanw...

BCI TEAM ARRIVES IN JAMMU, MEETS LAWYERS IN KATHUA

20/04/2018
JAMMU, Apr 19: A five-member team of the Bar Council of India arrived here today and met lawyers in Kathua, who had held protests in connection with the rape and killing of an eight-year-old girl. The team, headed by former chief justice Tarun Agarwal, also visited Rasana and met the agitating people of the area, who are demanding a CBI probe into the incident. The Supreme Court had directed a team of the BCI to visit Jammu and submit its report over the conduct of lawyers from high court ba...

President, First Lady pay obeisance at Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine

20/04/2018
JAMMU, Apr 19: President Ram Nath Kovind and First Lady Savita Kovind on Thursday paid obeisance at Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine before ending their two-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir, praying for progress and prosperity of the people of the country, an official statement said. The President and his wife were also accompanied by Governor N.N. Vohra and Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Kumar Singh. "During his brief visit the President went around the Shrine complex, viewed the facilities and met ...

Director SKICC attached

20/04/2018
JAMMU, Apr 19: Minister for Tourism Tassaduq Hussain Mufti today ordered attachment of Director Sher-e-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC) Yasmeen Khan along with engineering staff. The Minister issued the orders in connection with the allegations against the officer(s) for violation of rules and norms amounting to abuse of official position, breach of trust, thereby inflicting a huge loss to the state exchequer. Earlier, the Minister also directed for constituting two committees...

Kathua rape-murder matter sub judice, Govt to act accordingly: Dy CM

20/04/2018
JAMMU, Apr 19: Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh said on Thursday that as the Kathua rape and murder case is sub judice, the government will act on its directions. To the unversed, the gruesome Kathua rape and murder case took place in January, when an eight-year-old girl was allegedly abducted, drugged, raped, tortured and bludgeoned to death in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua district. After being missing for a week, her body was found on January 17. “Now, the case is with the court and the...

Swachhta Day celebrations organized at Samba

20/04/2018
SAMBA, Apr 19: District administration Samba organized a slew of activities to mark the Swachhta Day celebrations under the Gram Swaraj Abhiyan across the district. The sensitization drive was kick started at village Diani by initiating works of toilets of left out households for declaring panchayat Open Defecation Free by Member Legislative Assembly, Samba Dr. D.K. Manyal and District Development Commissioner S. Rajinder Singh Tara alongwith ACD Aijaz Qaiser and officers from RDD departme...

23 health officials suspended

20/04/2018
JAMMU, Apr 19: Giving a loud message against the slackness and absenteeism in the health department, Minister for Health & Medical Education, Bali Bhagat, today ordered suspension of 23 officials (including 04 doctors and 19 para-medics) in ChowkiChowra block of Jammu, and Sunderbani, block of Rajouri districts during his whirlwind and surprise visits to various health institutions. During inspection of Emergency Hospital ChowkiChowra, the Minister found three doctors, including BMO and 17 par...

Army busts terrorist hideout

20/04/2018
JAMMU, Apr 19: Acting on specific intelligence inputs, Army at Doda alongwith JKP deployed in Gei, Dessa launched a search operation in Majmi area of Dessa in morning hours of 19 April 2018. The joint parties cordoned off the area and carried out meticulous search during which they succeeded in locating a natural hideout of terrorists in a cave containing a huge cache of war like store including weapons and ammunition. During the search operation one AK 47, one AK 56, five Magazine of AK 47/...

Transfer of Inspectors, Sub Inspectors

20/04/2018
JAMMU, Apr 19: In the interest of administration, the following Inspectors of & Police are hereby transferred from and to the places as shown against each below with immediate effect. Shabir Ahmad 4138/NGO from Vigilance to K/Zone, Mohd Amin 4510/NGO from Vigilance to K/Zone, Showkat Abdullah 4474/NGO from Vigilance to K/Zone, Imtiyaz Ahmad 7180/NGO from Vigilance to K/Zone, Mushtaq Ahmad 4431/NGO from Vigilance to J/Zone, Gurnam Singh 7257/NGO from Vigilance to J/Zone, Barkat Hussain 4741/NGO...

Bhim Singh raises serious objection on failure of Bar Council to extend its jurisdiction to J&K

20/04/2018
JAMMU, Apr 19: Prof. Bhim Singh, Sr. Advocate, Executive Chairman of State Legal Aid Committee, J&K today criticized the Bar Council of India for its deliberate failure to implement the direction/order of the Supreme Court of India dated 06.02.2017 directing the Bar Council of India to hold election to elect the Bar Council in J&K which has not been constituted ever since Bar Council of India was introduced in the system. The Supreme Court of India in its order dated February 6, 2017 delivered ...

Modi holds bilateral talks with several world leaders on CHOGM sidelines

20/04/2018
LONDON, Apr 19: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today had a series of bilateral meetings including discussions with Seychelles President Danny Faure and his Mauritius counterpart Pravind Kumar Jugnauth on the sidelines of the multilateral Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) here. "Friend in an extended neighbourhood! PM @narendramodi and President of Seychelles, Danny Faure met on the sidelines of #CHOGM18 and discussed cooperation in areas of trade and investment and other bilateral...

LOYA DEATH: SC says attempts to scandalise judiciary, dismisses pleas

20/04/2018
NEW DELHI, Apr 19: The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed pleas seeking an independent probe into the death of special CBI judge B H Loya, ruling that the judge died of natural causes and the petitions were a serious attempt to scandalise and obstruct the course of justice The apex court also held that all litigations concerning circumstances of death of judge Loya is concluded with this judgement The top court dubbed the PILs into the death of judge Loya who was hearing the high-profile Soh...

Colleges, Schools shut in Kashmir as students’ protest continues

20/04/2018
SRINAGAR, Apr 19: Authorities today shut down several colleges and higher secondary schools in Kashmir to thwart student protests demanding justice for the eight-year-old victim of Kathua rape and murder case. Colleges and higher secondary schools were closed for class work in Srinagar, Pulwama, Shopian and Ganderbal districts while several such institutions were closed in other six districts of the valley, officials said. They said the decision to suspend academic work in the educational ins...

Every 15 minutes, a child is subjected to sexual offence in India: CRY

20/04/2018
NEW DELHI, Apr 19: A sexual offence is committed against a child in India every 15 minutes and there has been an increase of more than 500 per cent over the past 10 years in crime against minors, an analysis by child rights NGO CRY has found. The analysis, which was released today, also reveals that more than 50 per cent of crimes against children have been recorded in just five states-- Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi and West Bengal. "There has been a significant increase ...

North India likely to experience rains due to western disturbance: IMD

20/04/2018
NEW DELHI, Apr 19: An approaching western disturbance is expected to bring rainfall to northern Indian states such as Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, with thunderstorms likely in some isolated areas over the next two days, the Met department said today. "The maximum temperatures are very likely to be near/below normal over most parts of the country except parts of east India. Hence, no major heat wave spell is expected over any part of country during the next one week," th...

CRIMES AGAINST CHILDREN, A DEEP CONCERN: PREZ

19/04/2018
KATRA, Apr 18: President Ram Nath Kovind today condemned the rape-and-murder of an eight-year-old girl in Kathua in Jammu and Kashmir case as "heinous" and "shameful", and said it was the first responsibility of any society to ensure security of children. Addressing the 6th Convocation of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University in Kakriyal in Reasi district, the president said there was a need to introspect on "what kind of a society we are developing into". He said crimes against children wer...

RASSANA MURDER AND RAPE CASE: Petition filed by Advocate in HC, seeking meeting with accused

19/04/2018
JAMMU, Apr 18: Mr A K Sawhney Advocate who has been engaged alongwith his chamber collegues in the much publicised Rassana Murder and Rape case has filed a writ petition in the State High Court through Advocate Aseem Kumar Sawhney seeking directions to the SP Jail Hiranagar to permit the lawyers of the accused to meet their client Tilak Raj and to have a legal interview with him. They sought directions that the meeting may be conducted in a dignified manner and provide chairs to the lawyer...

Mehbooba asks Universities to act as nurseries of good citizens, not mere examining bodies

19/04/2018
KATRA, Apr 18: Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti today asked universities to act as nurseries of good citizens and not mere examining bodies distributing degrees. Addressing the 6th Convocation of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi (SMVD) University here today, the Chief Minister said universities have to work on a two-pronged strategy of diffusing scientific, technical and professional knowledge on the one hand and inculcate value system in youth as an integral part of education on the other. She asked ...

Resume dialogue for peace: Farooq tells India, Pakistan

19/04/2018
AMRITSAR, Apr 18: National Conference President Dr Farooq Abdullah on Wednesday said, dialogue is the only way forward to herald peace in Indo-Pak region and urged the two nations to break the ice and initiate meaningful engagement to sort out the issues. "National Conference has been consistently and strongly vouching for Indo-Pak talks and this has now even been endorsed by the Chiefs of Army of the two countries as well, which is a welcome development", Dr Farooq Abdullah said in an inf...

Indo-Israel ties have reached new heights in last few years: Envoy

19/04/2018
NEW DELHI, April 18: The Indo-Israel relationship has reached new heights in the last few years and the reciprocal visit of prime ministers of both the countries has been a contributing factor, the country's envoy today said. Ambassador of Israel to India, Daniel Carmon said this during an event here to mark Israel's 70th Independence Day. Union Minister R K Singh was the chief guest on the occasion and ambassadors of several countries, senior diplomats and other dignitaries also attended the...

India, UK vow decisive action against terror groups

19/04/2018
LONDON, Apr 18: Asserting that terrorism cannot be associated with any religion, India and the UK today vowed to strengthen cooperation in taking decisive action against globally-proscribed terror groups such as Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad and Lashkar-e-Taiba. The strong pledge to combat terror was made during talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his British counterpart Theresa May on multiple aspects of the India-UK relations. A 10 Downing Street statement said that the Syr...

‘Rape is rape’, don’t politicise: PM

19/04/2018
LONDON, Apr 18: Amid a nationwide outrage over the Kathua and Unnao rape cases, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said "rape is rape" and should not be politicised. The prime minister, during the 'Bharat Ki Baat, Sabke Saath' programme at the iconic Central Hall Westminster here, said, "We always ask our daughters about what they are doing, where they are going. We must ask our sons too." The person who is committing these crimes is also someone's son, he said. "I have never indulged in co...

Jammu-Srinagar highway closed, Mughal Road opened for one-way traffic

19/04/2018
JAMMU, Apr 18: Traffic on Jammu-Srinagar national highway was suspended today after being blocked by boulders which came rolling down from a hillock overlooking the arterial road, while Mughal road was opened for one-way traffic after remaining closed for two days due to snowfall in high altitude areas, officials said. The nearly 270-km Jammu-Srinagar national highway, the only all-weather road linking Kashmir with the rest of the country, was blocked by heavy boulders near Peera in Ramban dis...

Notary licenses of 2 advocates suspended

19/04/2018
JAMMU, Apr 18: Government today ordered that the certificates of practice as Notary issued in favour of Advocate Surjeet Singh and Advocate Ghulam Qadir Rather, for territorial jurisdiction of Municipal limits of Jammu city and for territorial jurisdiction of District Court Budgam respectively are put under suspension with immediate effect. However, in a communique issued by Department of Law, Justice and Parliamentary affairs all concerned are informed that the interview for the appointment o...

Governor briefs President

19/04/2018
JAMMU, Apr 18: Governor N. N. Vohra, briefed the President, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, who arrived in Jammu today, regarding all important issues relating to the State. Among other matters, Governor briefed the President about the external security situation; the obtaining and emerging internal security environment; status of various important socio-economic development schemes and programmes; issues relating to the functioning of the administrative apparatus; growing incidence of corruption; impac...

Media houses apologise for revealing Kathua victim’s identity

19/04/2018
NEW DELHI, Apr 18: Media houses, issued notices for revealing the identity of the eight-year-old Kathua rape victim, today apologised before the Delhi High Court and were directed to pay Rs 10 lakh each to the Jammu and Kashmir Victim Compensation Fund. Advocates representing media houses told the court that the mistake of revealing the identity of the victim was due to their ignorance of the law and a misconception that they could name her as she was dead. A bench of Acting Chief Justice Git...

Mobile internet services restored in Jammu

19/04/2018
JAMMU, Apr 18: Mobile internet services were today restored here after remaining suspended for more than 24 hours following protests over a sacrilegious act, police said. The services were suspended yesterday as a precautionary measure to prevent spread of rumours following protests over recovery of the carcass of an animal in the Sarore area, 15 kilometres from here, along the Jammu-Pathankote highway. The decision to restore the mobile internet services at around 1.30 pm was taken as the si...

HC directs inquiry against PO & IO, action against Judicial Officer

19/04/2018
JAMMU, Apr 18: In a petition seeking quashment of bail order of Mst. Masooma Bibi in minor kindapping case, Justice MK Hanjura of J&K High Court Jammu Wing while quashing the order of bail passed by the 1st Class Judicial Magistrate RS Pura, with the direction to SSP Jammu to take custody of the accused. Justice MK Hanjura also directed Registry to place this order before the Chief Justice for initiating appropriate action as deemed fit against the Judicial Magistrate concerned so that the fa...

Shah seeks apology from Rahul over ‘Cong-coined’ term ‘saffron terror’

19/04/2018
BENGALURU, Apr 18: BJP president Amit Shah today accused the Congress of having defamed the country in the name of “saffron terror and Hindu terror” and demanded apology from party chief Rahul Gandhi following acquittal of five right-wing activists in the 2007 Mecca Masjid blast case. “He said the Congress had committed the ‘sin’ of “linking the great Hindu culture with terrorism. “The great Hindu culture taught the world about culture, peace and civilisation for lakhs of years, and the Congr...

In a first, BJP ministers asked to quit

18/04/2018
JAMMU, Apr 17: Days after its two lawmakers had to quit, BJP ministers in the Mehbooba Mufti government have been asked to send their resignations to the party to prep for a reshuffle that has been on the cards for some time. Sources said the ministers had been told to send across their resignations at meetings held last week by BJP strategist Ram Madhav when he was in Jammu to meet lawmakers after the party's two ministers had to exit the Mehbooba Mufti government. "There is no threat t...

Calves’ carcasses sparks protests; highway blocked, Mobile Internet suspended

18/04/2018
JAMMU, Apr 17: Authorities grappled with protesters and suspended mobile internet in parts of Jammu region after children playing cricket found the carcasses of two calves in a drain on Tuesday morning. Hundreds gathered in Sarore town, which lies 20 km south of Jammu, to block the Jammu-Pathankot national highway, demanding arrests as they displayed the carcasses on the road. Police lobbed teargas shells and caned protesters to clear the highway by 3.30 pm. “Normalcy has returned to the ...

LSA grants compensation to legal heirs of Kathua rape victim

18/04/2018
JAMMU, Apr 17: Patron-in-Chief J&K State Legal Services Authority, Justice Ramalingam Sudhakar, who is also the Executive Chairman J&K State Legal Services Authority, approved a compensation of Rs 2 lakh to be granted to the Legal heirs of victim in Kathua rape case titled State of J&K V/S Deepak Khajuria and others under FIR No: 10/2018 P/S Hiranagar under section 363/343/376-D/302/201 r/w 120-b RPC as financial assistance in terms of Victim Compensation Scheme 2013 as recommended by Cha...

Lal Singh takes out rally for CBI probe in Kathua rape; calls for Mehbooba’s resignation

18/04/2018
SAMBA, Apr 17: BJP leader Lal Singh, who had resigned from the state cabinet over the Kathua rape and murder case, today led a rally in support of CBI probe into the incident and called for the resignation of J&K CM Mehbooba Mufti for her "failure" to address the issue. Singh and industries minister Chander Prakash Ganga had resigned on April 13 over their participation in an earlier rally in support of the accused in the gang rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Kathua district. ...

No objection to handing over Kathua rape and murder case to CBI: Jitendra

18/04/2018
JAMMU, Apr 17: The Centre has no objection to the handing over of the Kathua rape and murder case to the CBI, provided the state government comes out with a reference, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said today. As far as we are concerned, we don't have any problem or objection to hand over the case to the CBI. If the state government comes out with a reference, we will hand over the case to the agency today itself," Singh told reporters on the sidelines of a function here. He added that th...

Guv bats for daily trial of Kathua case

18/04/2018
JAMMU, Apr 17: In a meeting with Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti today, Jammu and Kashmir Governor N N Vohra today voiced support for day-to-day trial of the Kathua rape-and-murder case, an official spokesperson said. Vohra also discussed with Mufti issues relating to the long-pending elections to the urban local bodies and panchayats, the spokesperson said. The governor stressed the importance of ensuring that the prosecution of the Kathua rape-and-murder case proceed on a day-to-day basis and...

Fire at Mubarak Mandi Heritage Complex

18/04/2018
JAMMU, Apr 17: A fire broke out at the Mubarak Mandi Heritage Complex in the heart of the Old Walled City here today, a senior official said. The fire in one of the buildings along the Tawi river was noticed around 10 am and extinguished promptly, Director of Fire and Emergency Services Rajinder Kumar Hak said. He said that though the blaze was controlled within one hour, a team of fire fighters were deployed at the spot as a precautionary measure to ensure there was no more damage to the aff...

India, Sweden to deepen collaboration through strategic innovation partnership

18/04/2018
STOCKHOLM, Apr 17: India and Sweden today agreed to strengthen defence and security cooperation and also unveiled a strategic innovation partnership and a joint action plan for a "win-win" outcome during talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Swedish counterpart Stefan Lofven. Modi, who arrived in the Swedish capital yesterday for the first bilateral visit by an Indian premier to the Nordic nation in 30 years, noted that defence and security cooperation remained a "key pillar" in t...

22 FIRs registered, Rs 4.24 lakh collected from traffic violators in Rajouri

18/04/2018
JAMMU, Apr 17: As part of efforts to check violation of traffic rules, the Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri police has registered 22 FIRs and fined 3000 vehicles in the first three months of this year, a senior police officer said today. Fines to the tune of Rs 4.24 lakh were collected during this period, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Rajouri, Yougal Manhas said. Drive is going on in the district to prevent road accidents by taking action against violators of rules as violation becomes th...

Refrain from identifying children involved in sexual offences: PCI to media

18/04/2018
NEW DELHI, Apr 17: The Press Council of India (PCI) has asked media to refrain from disclosing the identity of children involved in criminal offences and those harassed in sexual offences. The move comes after the Delhi High Court on Friday issued notices to several media houses for disclosing the identity of an eight-year-old girl who was gangraped and killed in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua district. The girl from the nomadic Bakerwal Muslim community had disappeared from near her home in the ...

Prez to pay maiden visit today

18/04/2018
JAMMU, Apr 17: President Ram Nath Kovind will embark on his maiden two-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir tomorrow, during which he will grace the sixth convocation of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University in Katra, officials said. Jammu and Kashmir will be hosting a civic reception in honour of the President later in the evening, officials said, adding this would be followed by a dinner to be hosted by Governor N N Vohra. The President will visit Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine on April 19 before returning...

Law ministry readies ordinance on SC/ST Act

18/04/2018
NEW DELHI, Apr 17: The law ministry is preparing a draft ordinance to overturn a Supreme Court verdict placing safeguards on arrest of those accused of committing atrocities on SCs and STs, sources in the government today said. The draft is being prepared in case the government decides to bring one to overturn the Supreme Court order. The sources said no decision has been taken so far to bring the ordinance before the union cabinet and much would depend on the way the hearing on a review peti...

Two teenagers killed in accident

18/04/2018
BHADARWAH, Apr 17: Two teenagers were killed when their bike collided with a mini bus on the Baote-Kishtwar National Highway in Doda district this morning. According to police, the accident took place on a sharp curve near Premnagar at 1015 hours. The two were rushed to the Trauma Hospital at Thathri where doctors declared them brought dead. “According to preliminary reports from the spot, it seems that due to heavy rain and slippery condition of the road, the young biker could not control t...

Global growth is expected be 3.9 per cent in 2018 and 2019: IMF

18/04/2018
WASHINGTON, Apr 17: The IMF today projected a global growth of 3.9 per cent in the next two years due to strong momentum, favourable market sentiment among other factors but warned that any trade disputes threaten to undermine confidence and derail global growth prematurely. The partial recovery in commodity prices should allow conditions in commodity exporters to gradually improve, the IMF said in its latest World Economic Outlook report. "Global growth is expected to tick up to 3.9 per cent...

Court directs copy of Challan be provided to counsel for accused, others by tomorrow

17/04/2018
JAMMU, Apr 16: In a much publicized Kathua 8 years minor rape & Murder case, Chairman District Legal Service Authority Kathua Sanjeev Gupta today awarded 2 lacs compensation to Victims' family under sub-section (2) of Section 545-A of CrPC under the provisions of Jammu & Kashmir Victim Compensation Scheme, 2013. While awarding compensation Chairman District Legal Service Authority Kathua Sanjeev Gupta observed that compensation to the tune of Rs. 2.00 (rupees two lac) is awarded in favour ...

SC issues notice to JK Govt; Issues directions to provide protection to victim’s family

17/04/2018
NEW DELHI, Apr. 16: The Supreme Court on Monday issued a notice to the Jammu and Kashmir State Government and sought a reply on the plea filed by the father of the eight-year-old Kathua victim, who was allegedly drugged, tortured, and gang-raped in a village temple for a week in January this year. The Apex Court also directed the state government to provide police protection to victim's family members and the counsel representing them. Meanwhile, senior apex court lawyer, Indira Jaising, who ...

JKHCBA resumes work

17/04/2018
JAMMU, Apr 16: A Meeting of General House was held today under the Presidentship of B.S. Slathia, President of the J&K High Court Bar Association, Jammu to chalk out the future course of action. Mr.Slathia, while addressing the members present in the General House meeting highlighted the achievements of the present agitation. He criticized the role of the National Media particularly the Republic Channel in portraying the agitation in favour of the accused in the Rassana rape & murder case...

DDC Samba assesses implementation of Gram Sarah Abhiyan

17/04/2018
SAMBA, Apr 16: District Development Commissioner, S Rajinder Singh Tara alongwith a team of NITI Aayog from Delhi, today visited various villages in Samba to assess the preparedness and impact of Gram Swaraj Abhiyan in the identified 13 villages of the district. Pertinent to mention that 13 villages of district shall be covered under the Gram Swaraj Abhiyan aimed at promoting social harmony, spread awareness about pro-poor initiatives of government, reach out to poor households to enro...

Army porter killed in Pak firing

17/04/2018
SRINAGAR, Apr 16: An Army porter was today killed in firing by Pakistani troops along the Line of Control (LoC) in Uri sector. Khursheed Ahmad (37), working as porter with the Army, was killed in firing by Pakistani troops near Chaukas in Uri this morning, an Army official said. The deceased received bullet injury in neck and splinters in both legs and died on the spot, he added. Ahmad hailed from the Nawa Runda area of Baramulla in north Kashmir.

Civilian, cop injured in firing by militants

17/04/2018
SRINAGAR, Apr 16: A civilian and a policeman were injured in the Shopian district today when militants opened fire on a police party, officials said. "Today afternoon terrorists opened fire in Shopian which resulted in injuries to one civilian identified as Rafiq Lone and a policeman identified as Bilal Ahmad," a police spokesman said. The injured were evacuated to hospital for treatment, he said. The spokesman said a case was registered and investigations taken up. "Preliminary investiga...

Army man missing since Apr 15 joins terror group Hizbul Mujahideen

17/04/2018
NEW DELHI, Apr 16: An Army man has reportedly joined terror group- Hizbul Mujahideen (HM). Citing Jammu and Kashmir police officials, news agency PTI reported that the army man, a junior ranking jawan, was missing since the beginning of April. The jawan- named Idrees Mir was posted in the Army's Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry (JAKLI). Mir reportedly joined Hizbul Mujahideen on Sunday. According to reports, Mir had gone missing from Shopian earlier this month. While the Army had declared him...

Pathankot on alert after local claims sighting suspected terrorists

17/04/2018
CHANDIGARH, Apr 16: Security forces today put the city of Pathankot in Punjab on high alert after a local claimed to have given lift to two suspected terrorists. The local claimed that he gave lift to two men last night. The duo got down at a place nearby Kathua region in neighbouring Jammu and Kashmir, the police said. "We are on alert and the matter is being investigated. A local told us that he gave lift to two youths. The local felt that the duo could be terror suspects as they were appa...

Fast track cases of rapes of minors: Rahul to PM

17/04/2018
NEW DELHI, Apr 16: Amid public outrage over Kathua and Unnao rape cases, Congress President Rahul Gandhi today asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to fast track cases of rapes of minors and punish the guilty if he was serious about providing justice to the country’s daughters. Gandhi pointed out that there were as many as 19,675 cases of rapes of minor children in 2016, terming them as “shameful”. “There were 19,675 rapes of minor children reported in 2016. This is shameful. PM should fast tra...

Judge acquits Mecca blast accused, quits hours later

17/04/2018
HYDERABAD, Apr 16: A special anti-terror court today acquitted Hindutva preacher Swami Aseemanand and four others in the Mecca Masjid blast case, holding that the prosecution failed to prove "even a single allegation" against them. Barely hours after pronouncing the judgement, in a dramatic development, K Ravinder Reddy, the special judge for NIA cases, tendered his resignation, citing "personal" reasons. Reddy said his resignation had nothing to do with today's judgement, according to a seni...

India’s inclusion in NSG will boost global export control system: Germany

17/04/2018
NEW DELHI, Apr 16: Strongly pitching for India’s inclusion in the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), Germany today said the global export control system will benefit a lot from New Delhi’s participation in all its four regimes. Out of the four export control regimes that work to keep proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) in check, India is a member of the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), the Wassenaar Arrangement and the Australia Group. India’s membership to the 48-member N...

Gov accepts resignations of Lal, Ganga

17/04/2018
JAMMU, Apr 16: Governor N N Vohra today accepted the resignations of the two BJP ministers, who had participated in a rally in support of the people arrested in connection with the rape-and-murder of an eight-year-old girl in Kathua district. A Raj Bhavan communication said the governor, on the advice of Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, accepted the resignations of Forest Minister Lal Singh and Industries Minister Chander Prakash Ganga. Mehbooba, who received the resignations of the two ministe...

Mughal Road closed after snowfall

17/04/2018
JAMMU, Apr 16: The Mughal Road, connecting the twin districts of Poonch and Rajouri in Jammu region with South Kashmir's Shopian district, was closed for vehicular traffic today after snowfall in the high altitude areas including Pir Ki Gali, a traffic police official said. The Mughal Road was opened for one-way traffic on March 31 after remaining closed for over four months during the winter but inclement weather last week again forced its brief closure and saw a rescue operation jointly carr...

PM leaves for five-day visit to Sweden, UK, Germany

17/04/2018
NEW DELHI, Apr 16: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today left for a five-day visit to Sweden, Germany and the UK, where he will attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM). "PM @narendramodi embarks on a tri-nation visit to Sweden, United Kingdom & Germany from 17-20 April. A visit with a rich bilateral & multilateral content in the form of meetings with other leaders & participation at two multilateral meetings (India-Nordic & Commonwealth Summits)," MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kuma...

India ranks 10th on new Commonwealth innovation index

17/04/2018
LONDON, Apr 16: India was today ranked 10th on a new Commonwealth Innovation Index, topped by the UK, Singapore and Canada. The index was launched as part of a new Commonwealth Innovation Hub on the sidelines of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) here. It has been created in partnership with the United Nations World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) and its annual Global Innovation Index (GII). It is aimed at providing a tool that allows member states, organisatio...

HC seeks NIA reply on bail plea of Salahuddins son in terror funding case

17/04/2018
NEW DELHI, Apr 16: The Delhi High Court today sought response of the NIA on a plea by Syed Shahid Yousuf, son of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen founder and internationally-wanted terrorist Syed Salahuddin, seeking bail in a terror funding case. A bench of justices S Muralidhar and I S Mehta issued notice to the National Investigation Agency on the plea challenging a trial court order denying bail to Yousuf. 42-year-old Yousuf was posted as agricultural assistant in Budgam of central Kashmir when he was a...

KATHUA RAPE-AND-MURDER CASE: Mehbooba accepts resignations Lal, Ganga

16/04/2018
SRINAGAR, Apr 15: Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti today accepted the resignations of two controversial BJP ministers, who had participated in a rally in support of the people arrested in connection with the rape and murder of an eight-year-old Muslim girl in Kathua, officials said. The resignations of Lal Singh and Chander Prakash Ganga were received from BJP state chief Sat Sharma this morning which were immediately accepted and forwarded to Governor N N Vohra for completing the procedural ...

Alleged conspirator’s family wants CBI probe

16/04/2018
KATHUA, Apr 15: The family members of Sanji Ram, the alleged conspirator of the Kathua rape and murder case, have said that he should be hanged publicly but only if a CBI probe into the case finds him guilty. The family members also criticised the national media for portraying their agitation for a CBI probe into the case as "pro-rapists" and "pro-culprits", and said the scribes were "delivering judgments without investigation". Huddled together under a tree in a nondescript hamlet in their v...

Trial begins today

16/04/2018
JAMMU, Apr 15: The trial in the gruesome Kathua rape and murder case begins tomorrow against eight accused who allegedly held an eight-year-old girl in captivity in a small village temple in Kathua district for a week in January this year during which she was kept sedated and sexually assaulted before being bludgeoned to death. The accused include a juvenile against whom a separate charge sheet was filed. The chief judicial magistrate of Kathua will be committing one of the charge sheets,...

Never raised questions on JKP’s probe: Mir

16/04/2018
JAMMU, Apr 15: Jammu and Kashmir Congress chief Ghulam Ahmad Mir today claimed it was after his demand that the accused in the Kathua rape case were arrested and said he had never raised questions on the state police's probe in the matter. Mir's remarks came after the BJP this morning played a video purportedly showing him calling the police probe into the rape and killing of an eight-year-old girl in Kathua as motivated and defending the public protests against it. "This is an old video. The...

BCI asks Jammu, Kathua Bar bodies to call off strike

16/04/2018
NEW DELHI, Apr 15: The Bar Council of India (BCI) today asked the Jammu and Kathua bar associations to call off their strike and decided to send a five-member team headed by a former high court chief justice to investigate the alleged incident of misconduct on part of the lawyers there in connection with the Kathua rape-murder case. BCI chairman and senior advocate Manan Kumar Mishra told reporters that if any lawyer is found guilty, then the council will go to the extend of cancelling the leg...

Farooq wants Bill to award death penalty for raping minors

16/04/2018
SRINAGAR, Apr 15: Opposition National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah today demanded a special session of Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly to bring in a bill to award capital punishment to those who rape minors. Abduallah's comment comes in the backdrop of a nationwide condemnation of the rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua. "Capital punishment must be brought in for such cases," Abdullah told reporters here. "She (Kathua rape victim) i...

Case has been politicized by political parties for serving their own political ends: Jammu Women Lawyers

16/04/2018
JAMMU, Apr 15: A press confernce was held by Jammu Female Lawyers said that Rassana rape and murder case has been politicized by the political parties both PDP & BJP for serving their own political ends and no-one is interested in rendering justice to the victim. The Women Lawyers unanimously felt that the Electronic Media at the National level has wrongly projected the on-going agitation only in support of the alleged accused in Rassana rape & murder case, which infact was one of the iss...

Looking forward to boost ties with Sweden, UK: PM ahead of 2-nation tour

16/04/2018
NEW DELHI, Apr 15: Ahead of his visit to Sweden and the United Kingdom, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said he was looking forward to deepening bilateral engagement with both the countries in a number of areas including trade, investment and clean energy. The Prime Minister begins his five-day visit to Sweden and the UK tomorrow. He will have a brief stopover in Berlin on April 20 on his way back home. In the first leg of his visit, Modi will travel to Sweden's capital Stockholm where he ...

Wonder why probe agencies make so many prosecution witnesses: SC

16/04/2018
NEW DELHI, Apr 15: The Supreme Court has wondered as to why investigating agencies “always believe in quantity” and make hundreds of prosecution witnesses to prove their charges before the court of law. The apex court, which was dealing with a case related to the 2008 Gujarat serial blasts, noticed that the prosecution has named over 1,500 witnesses in the matter. “Why you (prosecuting agencies) always believe in quantity? In every case, there are 100-200 prosecution witnesses. Yesterday, the...

6-day Army commanders conference begins today; focus to be China & Pak

16/04/2018
NEW DELHI, Apr 15: Top Army commanders will review the regional security architecture and deliberate on key challenges facing the nation, particularly along the borders with China and Pakistan, at a six-day-long conference beginning here tomorrow. Army officials said the conference, to be chaired by Army chief Gen Bipin Rawat, will also deliberate on "specific issues" relating to various frontline formations and explore ways to speed up infrastructure development along the border with China. ...

Address outstanding issues with India through peaceful means: UN official tells Pak

16/04/2018
UNITED NATIONS, Apr 15: A top UN official has asked Pakistan to address the outstanding issues with India through peaceful means, reiterating Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ concern over heightening tensions along the Line of Control. UN Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs Miroslav Jenca made the remarks after concluding his visit to Pakistan on April 13. He held meetings with Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua and Special Secretary Tasnim Aslam in the Ministry of Foreign Affa...

India says will not take sides in US-China trade spat

16/04/2018
BEIJING, Apr 15: India today said it would not take sides in the ongoing trade spat between the US and China as it concluded the key Strategic Economic Dialogue with Beijing during which differences persisted over China's controversial Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Remarks by NITI Aayog vice-chairman Rajiv Kumar came as he held the fifth Strategic Economic Dialogue (SED) dialogue with his Chinese counterpart He Lifeng, the chairman of China's top planning body the National Development and Re...

Man injured in clashes sucumbs to injuries

16/04/2018
SRINAGAR, Apr 15: A person who was injured during clashes between protestors and security forces in central Kashmir's Ganderbal district earlier this month, succumbed at a hospital here today, police said. Mohammad Amir Lone, a resident of Chattergul area of Kangan, who was injured during the clashes in Kangan on April 3, succumbed at SKIMS Hospital Soura this morning, a police official said. He said Lone and another youth - Irfan Ahmad - were brought to SKIMS Hospital in an injured condition...

Togadia targets Modi after quitting VHP

16/04/2018
AHMEDABAD, Apr 15: A day after quitting the Vishwa Hindu Parishad in wake of his nominee losing an organisational poll, firebrand leader Pravin Togadia today launched a vicious attack against the Modi government at the Centre. Togadia, who has decided to undertake an indefinite fast from Tuesday, said his "disenchantment" with Prime Minister Narendra Modi began right after the 2002 post-Godhra riots. "I am not in the VHP anymore.... I will continue to work for the welfare of Hindus. From Tues...

Resignations of BJP ministers to save Mufti govt: Karra

16/04/2018
JAMMU, Apr 15: Former MP Tariq Hameed Karra today played down resignations of two BJP ministers in Jammu and Kashmir, saying it was aimed at saving Mehbooba Mufti-led government in the state. Forest minister Choudhary Lal Singh and Industries minister Chander Prakash Ganga, who courted controversy by attending a rally supporting the accused in the Kathua rape and murder case, submitted their resignation to the party on April 13. Mufti today accepted their resignations. "Both the PDP and BJP ...

Mehbooba asks New Delhi to wake up to Kashmir cauldron

15/04/2018
Jammu, Apr 14: Two controversial BJP ministers, who participated in a rally in support of the people arrested for the rape-cum-murder of an eight-year-old Muslim girl in Kathua, today exited from the PDP-BJP alliance government in Jammu and Kashmir, ending a simmering political crisis in the state. A much-relieved Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for defusing the situation and said the unfortunate incident had brought the people of the state and the rest of th...

BJP sends resignations of its 2 ministers to Mehbooba

15/04/2018
Jammu, Apr 14: A possible political crisis in Jammu and Kashmir was averted today with the BJP, one of the ruling alliance partners, deciding to hand over to the chief minister the resignations of its two ministers whose presence at a rally in support of the accused arrested in connection with rape-and-murder of an eight-year-old girl in Kathua triggered a row. BJP general secretary Ram Madhav flew to Jammu this morning and held consultations with senior party leaders as well as MLAs and MLCs ...

Wish to see culprits hanged: Victim’s family

15/04/2018
Udhampur, Apr 13: As the Bakerwals make their way to the upper reaches of Jammu and Kashmir with their belongings, she trudges along burdened by the weight of her eight-year-old daughter's death. "She was so beautiful and intelligent. I wanted her to be a doctor when she grew up," the biological mother of the girl reminisces. The grief-stricken mother wishes for death penalty for the guilty. "My only wish is the culprits should be hanged for the heinous crime, so that no other family has to g...

Pakistan violates ceasefire in Rajouri

15/04/2018
JAMMU, Apr 14: Pakistani troops today violated the ceasefire by resorting to unprovoked and indiscriminate firing along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district, prompting retaliation from this side, officials said. A defence spokesperson said there was no report of any casualty in the skirmishes, which continued for several hours. Pakistani troops started the unprovoked and indiscriminate firing from across the border in Nowshera sector around 8.30 am, the spokesperso...

J&KHCBA takes out candle light procession for Rassana victim

15/04/2018
JAMMU, Apr 14: The J&K High Court Bar Association, Jammu, under the leadership of Mr. BS. Slathia, President of the Association today took out a Candle March procession which started from District Court Complex, Janipur Jammu & culminated at Ambphala Chowk Jammu. All the participants prayed to the Almighty that the departed soul may rest in peace. The precisionists observed two minutes silence in the memory of the departed soul. In the meanwhile the President of the Association has appealed to...

J&K Govt told to withdraw ‘tribal directive’: Madhav

15/04/2018
Jammu, Apr 14: The Jammu and Kashmir government has been told to withdraw its directive on encroachments by nomads in forest land, senior BJP leader Ram Madhav said today. The issue has been raked by the Bar Association of Jammu and Kashmir High Court as threat to the demography of Jammu. Earlier this year, the state government had directed the police and district administrations to not provide "police protection" for anti-encroachment drives being carried out by government departments against...

BJP leaders reiterate demand for CBI probe into Kathua rape-and-murder case

15/04/2018
Jammu, Apr 14: BJP leaders Chander Prakash Ganga and Lal Singh, who have submitted their resignations as minister, today reiterated the demand for a CBI inquiry into the rape-and-murder of an eight-year-old girl in Kathua in Jammu and Kashmir. Ganga and Singh submitted their resignations to the BJP's state president yesterday to save the image of the prime minister and the party following a controversy over their presence in a rally in support of the accused. To safeguard the interest of Jamm...

PDP thanks countrymen for supporting JK over Kathua rape case

15/04/2018
Srinagar, Apr 14: Ruling PDP today thanked the countrymen for standing with Jammu and Kashmir over the rape and murder case of an eight-year-old girl from Bakerwal community in Kathua district. After a legislature party meeting here, senior PDP leader and Public Works Minister Naeem Akhtar told reporters that the party hopes for the same kind of support from the country on other issues in the state. "We thank people of entire country including the intelligentsia and civil society for standing...

Modi reaches out to Dalits, invokes Ambedkar at Bastar event

15/04/2018
Jangala (Bijapur), Apr 14: Prime Minister Narendra Modi said today Dalit icon B R Ambedkar gave us a constitution that protects the rights of the weaker sections of society as he urged people not to join Naxals in a bid to secure their rights. He said the awakening among the poor and backward sections about their rights, their hopes and aspirations was due to Ambedkar, whose 127th birth anniversary was celebrated today. He attributed his own success to the chief framer of the Constitution. Ad...

Kokje elected VHP international president, Togadia quits

15/04/2018
Gurgaon, Apr 14: Former Himachal Pradesh Governor V S Kokje was today elected the VHP's international president, ending decades-long reins of firebrand leader Pravin Togadia whose nominee and incumbent Raghava Reddy faced a huge drubbing in the first election in 52 years. Togadia, who has been with the VHP for over three decades and served as its international working president since December 2011, announced quitting the outfit in a press conference after his nominee to the post of interna...

Smriti Irani slams Cong for ‘lack of development’ in Amethi

15/04/2018
AMETHI, Apr 14: Targeting the Congress for the "lack of development" in Amethi, Union minister Smriti Irani today said works which the Gandhi family ignored for five decades have been done in the four years of Modi government. Speaking about the imminent visit of Congress president Rahul Gandhi to the constituency, Irani said she had fulfilled her promise to Amethi's people that they'd see more of the Gandhi scion due to her. "I had told the country, especially the people, in 2014, that Rahul...

Gram Swaraj Abhiyan celebrations begin at Samba

15/04/2018
SAMBA, Apr 14: Launching the nationwide celebrations of gram Swaraj Abhiyan in samba district administration samba organised a district level programme on Social Justice day to mark the birth anniversary of Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar. Multifarious activities under Beti Bachao Beti Padhao programme we’re launched by the District Development Commi ssioner Rajinder Singh Tara in a mega awareness camp held at Vijaypur Social Justice day is a part of series of programme to be held under Gram Swaraj Abhiya...