Shutdown, undeclared curfew, clashes mark driver’s funeral

Incessant rain spoils anti-coalition demonstrations; PDP under pressure to review alliance with BJP
 
Ahmed Ali Fayyaz
_______

SRINAGAR, Oct 19: With near-total shutdown in Kashmir valley on different political and non-political groups’ and alliances’ call and the authorities enforcing curfew without formal declaration in parts of the summer capital, funeral rites of a young truck driver were held in the backdrop of anti-coalition demonstrations and clashes at Botengo village in Anantnag district of South Kashmir. Victim of a petrol bomb attack at Udhampur, on Srinagar-Jammu highway, on October 9^th, Zahid Rasool Bhat died at New Delhi’s Safdarjung Hospital on Sunday.

Senior government functionaries, including Ministers, bureaucrats and Police officers looked relieved to a great extent as the incessant rains for the whole day did not let potential demonstrators gather and create a major trouble for the authorities. Law and order machinery enforced curfew without a formal declaration in downtown Srinagar and sealed all the roads leading to Zahid’s village, Botengo, in close vicinity of Anantnag district headquarters. Thousands of people did, nevertheless, participate in the funeral procession. Zahid was laid to rest amid anti-India, anti-coalition and pro-Azadi slogans.

Officials maintained that around 1,500 people attended Zahid’s funeral. However, independent reports from South Kashmir put the number of the participants over 3,000. “Rain has spoiled our program. Otherwise, it would have been a gathering of 50,000 people here”, said one Ghulam Mohammad Bhat, a resident of Botengo. He alleged that Police and security forces too held the area under siege and did not allow any outside movement towards Botengo.

At Botengo and around a dozen places in the capital city, demonstrators clashed with Police and CRPF. They shouted slogans against the PDP-BJP coalition, called the ruling coalition as a collaborator of RSS, Shiv Sena and other bigot groups and stressed PDP sever alliance with the BJP. Sources insist that pressure was mounting on PDP and Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed to break his party’s power partnership with BJP. Significantly, PDP as well as Chief Minister sympathised with the bereaved family and the government granted ex-gratia relief of Rs 5 lakh and a regular job for one of the eligible family members.

Reports said that the call for shutdown had a considerable impact all over the Valley as no passenger services operated and few shops and business establishments were open. Many of the government offices and educational institutions did not open for business and transport was off the road at most of the places. Only skeletal traffic services operated on the tense Srinagar-Jammu national highway.

Authorities suspended even the usual train services on Banihal-Srinagar-Baramulla track.

Senior BJP leader and Minister of Human Resources Development Smriti Irani was supposed to be Chief Guest at Islamic University of Science and Technology at Awantipora. She did not travel to Kashmir as the University’s annual convocation was deferred indefinitely due to inclement weather, shutdown over the trucker’s death and a student group’s letter to Vice Chancellor which made it clear that receiving degrees from a BJP leader and a Sangh Parivar supporter was in no way acceptable to the students.

Reporting of stone pelting and clashes with Police and CRPF also came in from some places in northern Kashmir.

At Narbal, a group of demonstrators attacked the PDP’s Gulmarg MLA Mohammad Abbas Wani’s Bolero when he was on way to his home from Srinagar. Side windscreens of the targeted vehicle cracked though the MLA, escorted by his PSOs, proceeded towards his destination of Tangmarg. Mr Wani said it was a minor attack and his vehicle did not suffer much damage.

SSP Budgam Fayaz Ahmad Lone told STATE TIMES that the MLA drove from Srinagar to Tangmarg without informing Police about his travel plan. “Still our SDPO and Police party were present at Narbal. Some boys tossed a couple of stones and a side windshield of the vehicle cracked. He reached his home safely”, SSP Budgam said.

END

Kashmir turns tense over driver's death in Udhampur attack

Govt to enforce undeclared curfew in downtown Srinagar; separatists, traders, transporters call for shutdown


Ahmed Ali Fayyaz
______

SRINAGAR, Oct 18: Entire Kashmir valley turned tense over the 24-year-old truck driver Zahid Rasool Bhat’s death in Safdarjung Hospital of New Delhi on Sunday, nine days after he alongwith two others sustained serious burn injuries in a petrol bomb attack allegedly by activists and followers of some Hindu right wing groups on the highway in Udhampur.

Immediately after the news of Zahid's death spread through social media, followed by television, authorities swung into action and put in place an exhaustive contingency plan to deal with a possible turbulence. Parts of Anantnag and Kulgam districts observed shutdown without any group's call. Transport on Srinagar-Jammu highway thinned down to a trickle and clashes between the unruly youth groups and Police occurred at around a dozen places.

Zahid's body in a coffin reached by State government’s aircraft from New Delhi at 5.40 pm. Five members of the bereaved family and its relatives carried Zahid’s body to Srinagar and thereafter by ambulance to his village of Botengo in Kulgam area of South Kashmir.

At Srinagar Airport, the coffin was received by PDP President Mehbooba Mufti, Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu, Law Minister Basharat Bukhari and CM's aide Waheed-ur-Reman Parra. National Conference leaders Sakeena Itoo, Nasir Aslam Wani and Bashir Ahmad Veeri were also present at the arrival.

Family sources told STATE TIMES that Zahid's funeral rites would be performed at 9.00 a.m. on Monday.

With condemnations pouring in from all possible quarters, almost all the separatist organisations and alliances, including both factions of Hurriyat Conference and JKLF, besides transporters and traders bodies called for total shutdown on Monday. Individual leaders and organisations came down with tons of flak on the ruling BJP's ideological arm RSS and PDP-BJP coalition.

The PDP-BJP alliance was at the receiving end of fire from almost all the separatist and mainstream opposition parties, civil society groups and thousands of netizens on social media who alleged that the two ruling parties had promoted hatred, mistrust and total divide between the people of the two regions first in 2008 and now in 2015. They invariably alleged that “goons and zealots enjoying BJP's patronage”, which was in power courtesy PDP, had been given a long rope to target and victimise the followers of one particular region and religion.

NC President and former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah held
BJP and its allies “directly responsible” for Zahid's death in allegedly the BJP-RSS  attack of October 9^th . He said on Twitter: "The Hon PM passed the buck on to @yadavakhilesh & the UP Govt for #Dadri. Who will he blame for #Zahid's death now???”

“And to think that all the state Govt could do was to throw 10,000 rupees at #Zahid & wash it's hands off the whole thing #BeefMurder". Omar added:  “Another needless death in the name of #BeefBan for which the BJP & its affiliates including allies are directly responsible".

The government was particularly targeted for its "exhibitionism" after the State Information Department circulated a photograph showing Ms Mufti and Mr Drabu getting themselves clicked with Zahid's coffin.

Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed came out immediately with his reaction. “I have no words to condemn the dastardly act which consumed the life of a poor and innocent young boy for no fault of his,” he said.

Expressing solidarity with the family members of the deceased, the Chief Minister said under no circumstances shall those guilty of this barbaric crime be allowed to go unpunished.

He said though the loss of life of Zahid in the tragic incident cannot be compensated, he had directed the official machinery to extend all possible help to the bereaved family in its hour of grief.

END

Karra drops second bombshell, says PDP got RSS to Valley

AhmedAli Fayyaz
_________

SRINAGAR, Oct 17: Days after urging his party patron and Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed to break the alliance with BJP over the beef issue, senior PDP leader and Lok Sabha member from Srinagar Tariq Hameed Karra on Saturday asserted that the coalition had proved to be harmful not only for PDP but also for the whole State.

In an interview to a local newsmagazine, Karra called the PDP-led coalition a failure and claimed that it had failed to deliver on the promises it made to the people.

“If we do an honest appraisal of this government’s performance in the last seven months, nothing seems to be happening on the ground on political, economic and developmental fronts. There seems to be more of rhetorical symbolism in this Government’s functioning than any tangible deliverance on ground,” Karra is reported to have said. According to him, BJP took the PDP for a ride and the right wing RSS made inroads in Kashmir valley with the facilitation of the PDP.

Karra, who functioned as Minister of Finance and Forest in Mufti Mohammad Sayeed’s and Ghulam Nabi Azad's PDP-Congress government, said that an "inherent bias" against the Kashmiris in the Indian bureaucracy was a reason behind the Centre's denial of a financial package to the flood victims of the Valley.

“If New Delhi can reach out to the people affected by natural calamities in Uttarakhand and Nepal with hefty relief and rehabilitation package, what is preventing it from doing so in Kashmir? It seems to be only because of an inherent bias at various levels in New Delhi's establishment,” Karra reportedly said.

Member of the PDP-BJP coalition coordination committee, Karra  has not attended a single meeting of the panel as he says he was not part of the arrangement either before the formation of the alliance or thereafter. His sister-in-law Asiya Naqash is currently PDP's MLA from Hazratbal and Minister of State for Health in Mufti's government.

END

IG Crime orders PV in Budgam land conversion

DGP directs SSP to come down heavily on land mafia

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz

----------------

SRINAGAR, Oct 16: Crime Headquarters of Jammu and Kashmir Police has taken cognizance of an exposè in STATE TIMES and ordered a time-bound Preliminary Verification of the reports of a large scale conversion of agricultural lands in violation of Agrarian Reforms Act and a chain of orders of a Division Bench of J&K High Court.

Vide his letter No: CHQ/Clt/15/K-972-15/23141-42, dated 15-10-2015, with a copy for information to Director General of Police, Inspector General of Police Crime, Munir Khan, has directed SSP Crime Kashmir to take notice, constitute a team of officers, hold a PV into the report of agricultural land conversion through illegal means at Ompora Budgam and submit his report of findings within 10 days.

"You are advised to constitute a team of officers and ascertain the factual position by initiating a PV into the matter and furnish a factual report within ten days positively. PV bearing No: PV (K) 129 of 2015 is allotted to the instant source report", IGP Crime has written to SSP Crime Branch Kashmir.

In its issue of October 15, STATE TIMES had exposed how scores of tippers had been employed by a land mafia for illegal and unauthorised conversion of agricultural lands by way of earth filling during previous night. While there are standing orders from a Division Bench of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court against conversion of agricultural lands, section 13 of Agrarian Reforms Act makes it clear that none other than Revenue Minister is competent authority for granting land use change under rules in Jammu and Kashmir.

In a related development on Friday, DGP K Rajendra Kumar directed SSP Budgam "to come down heavily on violators".

COMPLAINANT ATTACKED

Interestingly, minutes before DGP's direction, members of the land mafia allegedly chased and forced collision of their vehicle against the Duster of a complainant, namely Mohammad Shafi Qureshi, outside Tehsildar's office and 50 yards from Police Station of Budgam. Eyewitnesses said that Qureshi's vehicle, JK04C- 3435, suffered damage and he was beaten up. He rushed to Police Station where 5th FIR was registered against the group of the assailants.

"It was an attempt to murder. SHO has registered FIR and initiated action. The assaulter, Bashir Ahmad, was arrested", Qureshi said. Another member of the gang has been already arrested by Police after FIR against fresh violation was registered on Tehsildar's written order on Thursday. Sources said that the violation has taken place even after three undertakings and sureties in three different FIRs from the same land brokers at the same spot.

Police and Revenue officials claim to be "completely professional and impartial" but many of the residents allege that some of them had shut their eyes to such violations at Ompora and other places on periphery of Budgam district headquarters out of incompetency while as others were "hand in glove" with Police and Revenue officers. "When there's is public outcry or acute pressure for other reasons, these people are booked and detained. But everybody knows that they get VIP treatment in custody until they get bail. No challan has been filed against them despite the Police having proven cases against them", said a complainant.

END

[Published in today's STATE TIMES]

Burqa-clad man captured in dramatic shootout in Pulwama 

Two civilians injured; knife, grenade seized from vehicle 

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz 

--------------- 

SRINAGAR, Oct 16: Police on Friday claimed to have seized alive a burqa-clad militant operative, alongwith a large size knife and a hand grenade, even as two to three militants managed to escape and two civilians sustained injuries in the shootout at district headquarters of Pulwama in southern Kashmir.

Residents and passengers of different destination gave conflicting versions as some of them maintained that the two civilians got injured in the Police firing and others claimed that they were hit in the firing from suspected militants. That the town of violent reactions remained calm after the firing, was an indication that the men who fired and escaped were militants.

Senior Superintendent of Police Pulwama Tejinder Singh told STATE TIMES that Special Operations Group of Pulwama District Police launched an operation to track the militants when it received information that three to four of them were in suspicious movement from Arihal to Pulwama. 

"Our men got suspicious about one particular Tata-Sumo in General Bus Stand and began questioning some passengers on board. They asked the passengers to come down for checking. A burqa-clad women with a male commuter responded to the command without reluctance. The SOG men got suspicious about another burqa-clad commuter on the front seat. They asked the passenger to come out and found him a male. Suddenly, one of the two or three militants from behind another Sumo opened fire from one AK-47 rifle. Our men ducked and took a shield but two middle-aged passengers sustained gunshot wounds. Police failed to retaliate for fear of civilian casualties and all the militants escaped", SSP said.

Singh said that the burqa-clad male was captured alive with a long size knife. A grenade fell from his hand or pocket which was also seized. He later identified himself as Tariq Ahmad Sheikh of Drachhu, a village bordering Pulwama and Shopian districts. With a "superficial gunshot injury", he was rushed to a Srinagar hospital for treatment. 

"Doctors described him as stable but we decided to interrogate him only next morning, after his complete recovery. He is currently under treatment in Srinagar. Other two civilians were treated at District Hospital of Pulwama. One was hit in his foot and another in her arm. They were identified as Riyaz Ahmad Khan and Rahti of Arihal village", SSP said.

DIG South Kashmir Nitish Kumar said that Police had launched an investigation. He said that the escapees were believed to be the local cadres of Hizbul Mujahideen. "It seems that on induction of one or two fresh recruits, militants had planned to attack a Policeman or CRPF cop to snatch away his gun. Things will become clear by tomorrow", DIG said.

Yet another Police official revealed that the Tata Sumo driver narrated the whole story during interrogation. He revealed that three militants and a fresh recruit had boarded the Pulwama-bound Sumo at Arihal. They disembarked at Pulwama. The driver got suspicious and after a while he was sure that the burqa-clad passenger on the front seat was a male after he paid cash of Rs 60 as fair. After 15 to 20 minutes, all the four suspected militants came back towards the same vehicle. Three of them behind another vehicle attempted to kill the SOG men when they were asking the burqa-clad passenger on the front seat to come out.

"After his sustained questioning tomorrow we may be able to say whether the detained person was a regular militant or just an overground worker. We have registered an FIR", DIG said. 

END

[Published in today's STATE TIMES ]

Budgam land mafia prevents Tehsildar from lifting illegal earth filling

Even after 3 FIRs and 3 sureties, brokers fill up agricultural lands at Ompora

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz 

--------------

SRINAGAR, Oct 15: Even as senior Revenue and Police authorities took notice of the exposè in STATE TIMES and directed the Police and civil administration to initiate action against the people involved in conversion of agricultural lands through illegal means, members of the Budgam land mafia stopped Tehsildar from removing the massive earth dumps from the site in Ompora on Thursday.

Sources said a team of police and civil officials, which included Dy SP, SHO and Tehsildar of Budgam, reached the spot for implementing orders of their higher ups.Tehsildar Suhail Ahmad ordered cutting of the illegally laid roads through a swathe of agricultural lands. He also directed removal of the huge quantities of earth dumped illegally by scores of tippers during the night intervening Tuesday and Wednesday in violation of Agrarian Reforms Act and a slew of orders of a Division Bench of Jammu and Kashmir High Court.

Even as the officials erased two illegal approach links under supervision of Tehsildar, one known member of the land brokers network, identified as Bashir Ahmad, physically stopped the Police and Revenue officials from removing the earth filling. He physically got driver of the JCB down and threatened that the officials would have to face "dire consequences" if they removed the earth dumps from the site.

Eyewitnesses said that Police chose to remain a mute spectator and Tehsildar found himself completely helpless. One member of the group, namely Bashir Ahmad Paul, had been arrested by Police on Wednesday after FIR was filed on written orders of Tehsildar of Budgam. All others of the group are still absconding.

"This is all just an eyewash. Those very people who allowed them illegal earth excavation and transportation for unauthorised filling are now filing FIRs and showing as if they are implementing the High Court orders. They have already filed 3 FIRs against same people for same violation earlier this year, sought sureties from the detainees and helped them to secure bail and resume their illegal activity. What's the purpose of this drama? They are all hand-in-glove with one another", said one Ali Mohammad Bhat, a resident of Ompora.

SSP Budgam Fayaz Ahmad Lone has already dispelled the impression of the Police being "hand in glove" with the land brokers. According to him, it is primarily the responsibility of the Revenue Department to stop such violations of land use and implement the High Court orders against conversion of agricultural land for residential, commercial or industrial purposes. "When we receive a complaint, we book these people under FIR and get them arrested. They get bail and indulge in the same activity. Execution of surety and other undertakings is the job of Revenue officials", he said the other day.

Residents told STATE TIMES that none of the families of the land owners, namely Ghulam Mohammad Bhat, Ali Mohammad Bhat and Mushtaq Ahmad Wani, came forward to stop the officials' action. In fact, Mushtaq Wani has filed a complaint to the authorities against the illegal earth filling and land use change. "Only one land broker was seen stopping the Revenue officials in presence of Police from removing the earth dumps", said an eyewitness. He alleged that Tehsildar, SHO and Dy SP surrendered and went back without removing the illegally dumped earth from the spot.

"None of the officials questioned if the front land owners had no objection to lifting back of the earth dumps, how could the brokers who have no locus standi, stop officers from discharging their duty", Ghulam Rasool Wani of Ompora said. "It's clear that once this matter gets cool, these brokers will use the same earth dumps for levelling during a night and sell the plots. This way they raise the colonies on paddy lands and change the land use without permission of the Revenue Minister who is the only competent authority by law to grant such permission".

Only one member of the land grabbers network has been detained by Police while as others were seen attempting to get him released on bail.

END

[Published in today's STATE TIMES ] 

Conversion of agri land continues in Budgam in violation of law, High Court order

Fleet of tippers by night fills up agricultural land near Budgam Railway Station 

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz

-----------------

SRINAGAR, Oct 14: With brazen violation of the Agrarian Reforms Act and a host of orders from a Division Bench of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court, conversion of agricultural land for residential and commercial purposes is going on under the nose of the District administration in Budgam. A fleet of over 30 tippers was used by a land mafia during last night to fill up agricultural land of over 50 Kanals which is being developed for an unauthorised residential colony at Ompora village near Budgam Railway Station.

After STATE TIMES published pictures on social media on Wednesday, Tehsildar of Budgam got an FIR registered by Police Station Budgam and one of the accused persons arrested even as the residents allege nexus between a local land mafia, Police and the Revenue authorities.

"It is a huge nexus. Simple paddy land at this site costs Rs 17-20 lakh a Kanal. After the earth filling, same land is sold at Rs 45-50 lakh per Kanal. While as the expenditure on earth filling is around Rs 3 lakh, around Rs 2 lakh per Kanal is paid as bribe to Police and Revenue officials. Thus conversion means benefit of around Rs 30 lakh each Kanal. That's why everybody in the government shuts his eyes and risks even contempt of the High Court orders", one Manzoor Ahmad Wani on behalf of the residents explained to STATE TIMES.

Another resident Ghulam Rasool made a sensational revelation. "Police and Revenue officials have already registered three FIRs in January, April and May for this violation so as to prove that they are working and are not part and parcel of this scandal. The accused get enlarged on bail and resume their illegal job within days. Not a single case has been challaned. The complaints sent to Chief Secretary, Divisional Commissioner and DGP are gathering dust as nobody has spine to touch the Naib Tehsildar who has been continuously posted in Budgam for over 25 years and become a billionaire".

"NT has been suspended three times but it takes him just weeks to get himself reinstated and posted back to Humhama or Budgam. Whole government knows that he has got hundreds of Kanals of Kahcharai land grabbed by land mafia near Industrial Estate of Ompora where another unauthorised colony is being developed. Huge amounts of this illgotten money go to different influential people and government officers", another resident revealed. All the residents interviewed by this newspaper, however, described Tehsildar Suhail Ahmad as an honest and hard working officer.

Divisional Commissioner of Kashmir Dr Asgar Samoon did not respond to phone calls from this newspaper.

After the pictures of the fresh earth filling appeared in social media, Tehsildar of Budgam Suhail Ahmad visited the spot. On his return, he said: "Yes, that's right. I myself observed fresh violation and massive earth filling on this site. I immediately sent a written direction to SHO Budgam to file a fresh FIR. He has now filed case FIR no: 287/2015 under sections 188, 427 and 447 and got one of the accused, Bashir Ahmad Paul, arrested".

On Wednesday evening, SSP Budgam Fayaz Ahmad Lone told STATE TIMES that stopping conversion of agricultural land into residential and commercial purposes was primarily the responsibility of the Revenue Department. He said Police had a limited role in preventing these violations. As regards the Ompora violation, SSP Budgam maintained that Police filed FIR and got the kingpin arrested immediately after learning about it. He confirmed that dozens of tippers had been employed during last night for illegal earth filling on agricultural land in Ompora.

Both SSP and Tehsildar said that the land owners failed to produce necessary permission of land use change if any issued by the competent authority (Minister of Revenue). Subsequently, officials attached to Personal Section of the Revenue Minister Javed Mustafa Mir maintained that the Minister or his predecessors had not granted any permission of land use change at Ompora Budgam.

According to section 13 of Jammu and Kashmir Agrarian Reforms Act, nobody other than Minister of Revenue is competent authority to grant land use change.

Interestingly, conversion of agricultural land in Budgam has been going on also in blatant violation of a host of orders of the DB of Jammu and Kashmir High Court in the PIL filed by an NGO, Human Watch International. Judges Muzaffar Hussain Attaar, Janak Raj Kotwal, Mohammad Yaqoob Mir besides Mansoor Ahmad Mir, have issued different orders to DCs to ensure that no agricultural land was converted anywhere in the State.

In March this year, DB comprising Mr Justice Attaar and Mr Justice Kotwal slapped notices of contempt of court on Deputy Commissioners of Anantnag, Pulwama, Srinagar, Ganderbal, Bandipora, Kupwara, and Shopian. The direction followed as the Deputy Commissioners failed to file the compliance and the status report as directed by the court on previous date of hearing.

In December last year, the court had directed all the Deputy Commissioners to comply with November 25, 2014 order, warning them of contempt proceedings over failure.

On November 25, the court had directed all Deputy Commissioners to “faithfully” follow statutory provisions and its directions on conversion of agriculture land and file fresh status report. The court had already passed directions for implementing the Land Revenue Act, Agrarian Reforms Act, J&K Alienation of Orchards Act 1975 and other applicable Acts.

The Acts, as observed by the court, empower the Revenue authorities to stop the conversion of the land for other uses such as construction of houses, etc., and take action against the violators. Same DB termed the compliance report filed by the Deputy Commissioner Baramulla as mere “eye wash” and warned contempt proceedings against him over the failure to comply with its orders.

Subsequently, DCs filed fresh compliance reports.

Under the law, the land on which violation of Agrarian Reforms Act has taken place, shall vest in the State.

END