Tata cries over Taj in Mumbai, supplies SIM cards to LeT in Kashmir
In violation of national security guidelines, Telcos provide services to militants
Ahmed Ali Fayyaz
SRINAGAR, Jun 4: Even after suffering huge loss in the 26/11 terror strikes in Mumbai, which caused massive damage to Hotel Taj, India’s top business group, Tata, has been found involved in providing SIM cards of mobile phones to top commanders of Lashkar-e-Toiba in Kashmir. A number of Tata Indicom SIM cards are among scores seized by Jammu & Kashmir Police. SIM cards seized by Police have been issued in brazen violation of national security guidelines besides fresh guidelines issued to the service providers by the union Ministry of Home Affairs and Department of Telecommunication (DOT) of the union Ministry of Telecommunication.
Authoritative sources revealed to Early Times that even after receiving fresh guidelines for strict adherence with regards to identification of the subscribers in the wake of imposition---and later revocation---of ban on the wireless services in Jammu & Kashmir, at least five private service providers have issued “hundreds of SIM cards” to the cadres, commanders and overground activists of militant outfits in Kashmir valley. Those involved in brazen violation of guidelines and the criminal activity, that could lead to cancellation of licenses by Government of India, include Tata Indicom---a subsidiary of Tata group, otherwise famous for its meticulously drafted code of ethics.
According to case FIR NO: 13/2010 under section 13 of Unlawful Activities Act, 120-B RPC and 212 RPC, dated 6-4-2010, registered with Police Station Sogam in Kupwara district, Police have arrested three “OGWs”, namely Owes Ahmed Wani alias Rangrez S/o Ghulam Mohammad Wani R/o Litter Shister Pulwama, presently living at Chatpora Pulwama, Owais Ahmed Bhat S/o Bashir Ahmed Bhat R/o Court Road, Pulwama and Munir Ahmed Magray S/o Ghulam Mohammad Magray R/o Drusoo, Pulwama, in Sogam area of Lolab valley, and seized from them a consignment of 18 SIM cards. All of the seized SIM cards have been found to have been issued fraudulently and 16 of them even activated.
Tata Indicom’s CDMA (prepaid) under series: A0000011628BB3(800B IF25) has been activated on mobile phone number 9205106400. Mobile phone numbers of the SIM cards issued under series: A000001162505A(80587110 and A00000116241BF(80587110) are being searched by Police. Other private service providers, who have issued SIM cards to Pakistani militants of Lashkar-e-Toiba, in Kashmir valley in the last two months include Aircel, Bharti Airtel, Reliance Communications and Idea Cellular.
Sources said that more than 500 of such SIM cards are believed to have been issued fraudulently by the officials holding senior and junior positions in the private telecommunication companies in Kashmir valley after the Government of India withdrew ban on operation of prepaid voice and non-voice services in J&K on January 21, 2010. Under a serious threat perception to the national security, Government of India had imposed blanket ban on the operation of all pre-paid wireless services in J&K on November 1, 2009. It was later revoked under tremendous public pressure as 38 Lakh subscribers were affected for the fault of service providers themselves. However, MHA and DOT of the union Ministry of Telecommunication had issued fresh guidelines, seeking strict adherence from the licensees so as to prevent misuse of the services by anti-national and subversive elements.
Reached over telephone for his comments, SP Kupwara, Mohammad Yusuf Mir, confirmed that the consignment of 18 SIM cards was being supplied to dreaded Pakistani commanders of Lashkar-e-Toiba, including the top wanted Abdullah Yoni, who carries a reward of Rs 20 Lakh on her head for his involvement in a large number of killings, blasts and other terrorist acts. Yoni is said to be hiding and operating from Lolab area of Kupwara. SP Kupwara said that the SIM cards were being forwarded to Yoni through his trusted Pakistani lieutenant, Furqan. He said that all three of the “LeT OGWs” of Pulwama were intercepted and arrested on a specific information and entire consignment of 18 SIM cards was seized. According to him, investigation was underway but the detainees had been released on bail by a judicial magistrate in Kupwara.
SP Kupwara said that according to the Police sources, whose information led to the seizure in Sogam, supplying SIM cards to militants, mostly Pakistani commanders of Lashkar-e-Toiba, was a “well organized and well-knit network, involving even senior functionaries of Tata Indicom and other private companies operating in Kashmir circle”. He said that officials of these companies had been conveniently ignoring communications from Police, asking them to provide forms in original and other particulars of the allottee subscribers. “We have been asking them to provide us the hard copies as mandatory for them under law but they have been telling us that the records had been sent by e-mail. Even the e-mail carries very scant details”, he said and asserted that even the senior officials of the cellphone companies, found involved in the high category criminal activity, could be arrested and subjected to prosecution in near future.
According to SP Kupwara, Owais Ahmed Wani of Pulwama, revealed during sustained interrogation that another consignment of 30 SIM cards had been provided to the LeT militants through him.
Heads of Telecom Enforcement Resource & Monitoring (TERM) of Tata Indicom and Idea Cellular as well as their J&K COOs, who are now directly under scanner, did not respond to phone calls.
END
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Solar missiles aimed at Sector Hqs seized in Kupwara
Militants acquire capability to shoot down flying helicopters in Kashmir
Ahmed Ali Fayyaz
SRINAGAR, Jun 2: In a remarkable achievement, Police today claimed to have seized two solar missiles which had been planted by militants and aimed at Army’s Sector-8 headquarters and Rashtriya Rifles 41 Bn headquarters in Kupwara district. According to officials, militants have for the first time acquired the capability of shooting down helicopters in Kashmir valley.
Superintendent of Police, Kupwara, Mohammad Yusuf Mir, told Early Times that Police conducted a raid on the basis of a specific information at Gujjarpatti in Shumriyal forest cover in Lolab valley of Kupwara district and seized two solar battery operated missiles that had been planted by militants on fallen Deodar trees. While one of the missiles was found aimed at Army’s Sector-8 headquarters, another had been set in the direction of headquarters of RR 41 Bn, both situated at Khumriyal. He said that according to the tip off, both these missiles had been acquired and planted by well-trained militants of Lashkar-e-Tayyiba with the obvious intention of causing damage to the key military installations in the border district of Kupwara.
“Due to our good luck, both the missiles were detected before these would ignite with solar batteries and cause any damage. Militants seem to have successfully planted the missiles but the nature was on our side as neither of the two went off due to cloudy weather and rains in the area”, SP Kupwara said. He said that Police and security forces had launched a search to find whether any more of such missiles were there in the militants’ arsenal.
SP Kupwara claimed that such type of firearms had been seized for the first time in 21 years of armed insurgency in Jammu & Kashmir and these had the potential of even shooting down flying helicopters if aimed with precision. He said that the missiles, each 4-ft long and weighing 4 to 5 Kg, were high caliber firearms and as easy to carry as an AK-47 rifle. He said that these missiles could be fired on target from a distance of 3 to 4 Kms. However, no such missile had been ever fired successfully or unsuccessfully in the state, particularly in Kashmir valley since the outbreak of armed insurgency in 1989.
END
Militants acquire capability to shoot down flying helicopters in Kashmir
Ahmed Ali Fayyaz
SRINAGAR, Jun 2: In a remarkable achievement, Police today claimed to have seized two solar missiles which had been planted by militants and aimed at Army’s Sector-8 headquarters and Rashtriya Rifles 41 Bn headquarters in Kupwara district. According to officials, militants have for the first time acquired the capability of shooting down helicopters in Kashmir valley.
Superintendent of Police, Kupwara, Mohammad Yusuf Mir, told Early Times that Police conducted a raid on the basis of a specific information at Gujjarpatti in Shumriyal forest cover in Lolab valley of Kupwara district and seized two solar battery operated missiles that had been planted by militants on fallen Deodar trees. While one of the missiles was found aimed at Army’s Sector-8 headquarters, another had been set in the direction of headquarters of RR 41 Bn, both situated at Khumriyal. He said that according to the tip off, both these missiles had been acquired and planted by well-trained militants of Lashkar-e-Tayyiba with the obvious intention of causing damage to the key military installations in the border district of Kupwara.
“Due to our good luck, both the missiles were detected before these would ignite with solar batteries and cause any damage. Militants seem to have successfully planted the missiles but the nature was on our side as neither of the two went off due to cloudy weather and rains in the area”, SP Kupwara said. He said that Police and security forces had launched a search to find whether any more of such missiles were there in the militants’ arsenal.
SP Kupwara claimed that such type of firearms had been seized for the first time in 21 years of armed insurgency in Jammu & Kashmir and these had the potential of even shooting down flying helicopters if aimed with precision. He said that the missiles, each 4-ft long and weighing 4 to 5 Kg, were high caliber firearms and as easy to carry as an AK-47 rifle. He said that these missiles could be fired on target from a distance of 3 to 4 Kms. However, no such missile had been ever fired successfully or unsuccessfully in the state, particularly in Kashmir valley since the outbreak of armed insurgency in 1989.
END
Mehbooba faces hostile crowds in Rafiabad
Javed Dar distributes relief cheques among bereaved families
Ahmed Ali Fayyaz
SRINAGAR, May 30: While MLA Rafiabad and Minister of State for R&B, Javed Ahmed Dar, today distributed cheques of relief from the state government among the families of the three youth killed by Army in a fake encounter, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) President, Mehbooba Mufti, was forced to return to Srinagar by hostile crowds when she was on a visit in Nadihal village today.
Officials, not inclined to be identified, said that the PDP President, Mehbooba Mufti, and former Minister, Mohammad Dilawar Mir, were confronted by a hostile crowd and subjected to hooting amid pro-Azadi and pro-Geelani slogans when they were visiting the bereaved families at Nadihal. They said that the PDP cavalcade was forced to return to Srinagar when a number of youth resorted to stone pelting, causing damage to at least three vehicles.
DIG North Kashmir, Abdul Qayoom Manhas, and SP Sopore, Altaf Khan, did not respond to phone calls when efforts were repeatedly made to get a formal official version of the incident.
Reached over telephone for her comments, Ms Mufti told Early Times that “some people planted by the government and MLA Rafiabad” tried to create a scene when she had visited two families and was footing the distance to the third family. According to her, a group of people began shouting pro-Azadi and anti-Army slogans on sighting her going to the third family. “My colleague Dilawar Mir Sahab advised me to cut it short and return as he apprehended some trouble. He said that we had successfully called on the two families and there was no point in attracting trouble by insisting to visit the third family. Thereupon, we boarded our vehicles and returned”, Mehbooba said.
PDP chief asserted that none of the vehicles in her cavalcade was attacked or hit in the stone pelting. “It’s well possible when you jump into the fire some angry or planted people can throw the stones. It happens with us and all other political parties at several places. But, today there was no such attack. None of our vehicles was damaged. Nobody was injured. It’s possible that well after our returning from Nadihal, there was a clash between the group of demonstrators and Police”, she added. She asserted that entire government machinery was busy in circulating through e-mails and SMS an event that had never happened.
However, some mediapersons present in Nadihal village insisted that a hostile crowd forced Ms Mufti and Dilawar Mir to retreat with anti-PDP slogans followed by heavy stone pelting when she was going to address a gathering at the bus stand. They said that the demonstrators shouted pro-Azadi, pro-Geelani and anti-Army slogans.
Some of the residents also confirmed the ‘mild attack’ on the PDP cavalcade and explained that the two families Ms Mufti visited were followers of PDP leader and former Minister Dilawar Mir while as the third one was supporter of the NC MLA and MoS R&B Javed Dar.
Earlier in the morning, National Conference’s Rafiabad MLA and MoS of R&B and Health, Javed Mir Dar, called on the bereaved families. He was accompanied by DC Baramulla, Bashir Ahmed Bhat, SSP Baramulla, Shakil Beg, and other district officials.
Expressing his sympathies with bereaved families the Minister assured them that the persons involved in the heinous crime of killing three innocent civilians in a fake encounter under the label of militants would be booked under law and punished. Besides, the Government would provide every possible support to the bereaved families.
END
Javed Dar distributes relief cheques among bereaved families
Ahmed Ali Fayyaz
SRINAGAR, May 30: While MLA Rafiabad and Minister of State for R&B, Javed Ahmed Dar, today distributed cheques of relief from the state government among the families of the three youth killed by Army in a fake encounter, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) President, Mehbooba Mufti, was forced to return to Srinagar by hostile crowds when she was on a visit in Nadihal village today.
Officials, not inclined to be identified, said that the PDP President, Mehbooba Mufti, and former Minister, Mohammad Dilawar Mir, were confronted by a hostile crowd and subjected to hooting amid pro-Azadi and pro-Geelani slogans when they were visiting the bereaved families at Nadihal. They said that the PDP cavalcade was forced to return to Srinagar when a number of youth resorted to stone pelting, causing damage to at least three vehicles.
DIG North Kashmir, Abdul Qayoom Manhas, and SP Sopore, Altaf Khan, did not respond to phone calls when efforts were repeatedly made to get a formal official version of the incident.
Reached over telephone for her comments, Ms Mufti told Early Times that “some people planted by the government and MLA Rafiabad” tried to create a scene when she had visited two families and was footing the distance to the third family. According to her, a group of people began shouting pro-Azadi and anti-Army slogans on sighting her going to the third family. “My colleague Dilawar Mir Sahab advised me to cut it short and return as he apprehended some trouble. He said that we had successfully called on the two families and there was no point in attracting trouble by insisting to visit the third family. Thereupon, we boarded our vehicles and returned”, Mehbooba said.
PDP chief asserted that none of the vehicles in her cavalcade was attacked or hit in the stone pelting. “It’s well possible when you jump into the fire some angry or planted people can throw the stones. It happens with us and all other political parties at several places. But, today there was no such attack. None of our vehicles was damaged. Nobody was injured. It’s possible that well after our returning from Nadihal, there was a clash between the group of demonstrators and Police”, she added. She asserted that entire government machinery was busy in circulating through e-mails and SMS an event that had never happened.
However, some mediapersons present in Nadihal village insisted that a hostile crowd forced Ms Mufti and Dilawar Mir to retreat with anti-PDP slogans followed by heavy stone pelting when she was going to address a gathering at the bus stand. They said that the demonstrators shouted pro-Azadi, pro-Geelani and anti-Army slogans.
Some of the residents also confirmed the ‘mild attack’ on the PDP cavalcade and explained that the two families Ms Mufti visited were followers of PDP leader and former Minister Dilawar Mir while as the third one was supporter of the NC MLA and MoS R&B Javed Dar.
Earlier in the morning, National Conference’s Rafiabad MLA and MoS of R&B and Health, Javed Mir Dar, called on the bereaved families. He was accompanied by DC Baramulla, Bashir Ahmed Bhat, SSP Baramulla, Shakil Beg, and other district officials.
Expressing his sympathies with bereaved families the Minister assured them that the persons involved in the heinous crime of killing three innocent civilians in a fake encounter under the label of militants would be booked under law and punished. Besides, the Government would provide every possible support to the bereaved families.
END
Saturday, May 29, 2010
CM insisting on arrest of Col Pathania, Maj Bhupinder Singh
2 ‘militants’ killed in Tangdhar may also surface as civilians
Ahmed Ali Fayyaz
SRINAGAR, May 29: Even as Chief Minister Omar Abdullah is understood to be seeking the arrest of senior officials of 4-Rajput involved in the gruesome killing of three civilians in a fake encounter in Kupwara district, two ‘militants’ killed by troops of 11-Jat in Tangdhar last week are also likely to surface as innocent civilians. Meanwhile, burial of the three civilians of Rafiabad area, who had been killed in the Machhil fake encounter on April 30th, today took place amid pro-Azadi demonstrations and clashes in which over a dozen people sustained injuries.
Highly placed authoritative sources told Early Times that in apprehension of a fresh turbulence by the opposition Peoples Democratic Party and the Valley’s separatist camp, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah was putting his foot down to ensure the arrest of senior 4-Rajput officials involved in the Machhil fake encounter in which three innocent civilians had been killed and labeled as “infiltrating militants” on April 30th this year. Officials, whose arrest by J&K Police is being sought at the level of union Defence Ministry, include the main accused Maj Bhupinder Singh and Commanding Officer, Col DK Pathania, who have moved out last week and settled with their battalion in Meerath.
According to these sources, Chief Minister is understood to have discussed the Machhil fake encounter briefly with the UPA Chairperson in a one-on-one meeting with her in Jammu today. He is likely to persuade the arrest of the delinquent officials, on the pattern of a BSF Commandant’s arrest in the infamous Zahid Farooq killing, with the Defence Minister AK Anthony in the Union capital on Monday. In a statement, Anthony has today itself indicated that nobody would be spared if found guilty.
Meanwhile, well-placed official sources in north Kashmir, said that the two “unidentified militants” killed in “encounter” by troops of 11-Jat on a spot close to LoC in Tangdhar, in Kupwara district, on May 25th, were also likely to surface as innocent civilians. Their features, much like those killed in the fake encounter in Machhil, are said to be “not of infiltrators”. Kupwara Police have immediately acquired photographs of the two dead bodies and these were being scanned carefully with the help of counter-insurgency experts. Authorities are said to be considering the suggestion of publishing these photographers in local newspapers which, according to them, might help in the identification.
Reports from north Kashmir said that dead bodies of the three Rafiabad civilians, exhumed at Kalaroos on Friday, were buried at the local graveyard in Nadihal village amid massive anti-India and pro-Azadi demonstrations. While independent reports said that more than 7,000 people participated in a funeral rally and the burial, officials put the number of participants at around 4,000 to 5,000. Sources said that the demonstrators made repeated attempts to carry the dead bodies in a procession to the district headquarters of Baramulla but Police foiled their plans of staging a big show. Sources said that over a dozen civilians and Police personnel sustained injuries in these intermittent clashes.
DC Baramulla, Bashir Ahmed Bhat, and SP Sopore, Altaf Khan, were personally monitoring the situation in Nadihal area.
Sources said that late last night hundreds of outraged residents of Nadihal swooped on the residential house of the counter-insurgent, Bashir Ahmed Lone, involved in the killing of three civilians, and demolished it brick-by-brick before setting the structure and debris on fire. It perished fully. While Bashir Lone has been already arrested by Police and his SPO brother, Qayoom, was taken into preventive custody and questioning today, all other family members have escaped to unknown places.
END
2 ‘militants’ killed in Tangdhar may also surface as civilians
Ahmed Ali Fayyaz
SRINAGAR, May 29: Even as Chief Minister Omar Abdullah is understood to be seeking the arrest of senior officials of 4-Rajput involved in the gruesome killing of three civilians in a fake encounter in Kupwara district, two ‘militants’ killed by troops of 11-Jat in Tangdhar last week are also likely to surface as innocent civilians. Meanwhile, burial of the three civilians of Rafiabad area, who had been killed in the Machhil fake encounter on April 30th, today took place amid pro-Azadi demonstrations and clashes in which over a dozen people sustained injuries.
Highly placed authoritative sources told Early Times that in apprehension of a fresh turbulence by the opposition Peoples Democratic Party and the Valley’s separatist camp, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah was putting his foot down to ensure the arrest of senior 4-Rajput officials involved in the Machhil fake encounter in which three innocent civilians had been killed and labeled as “infiltrating militants” on April 30th this year. Officials, whose arrest by J&K Police is being sought at the level of union Defence Ministry, include the main accused Maj Bhupinder Singh and Commanding Officer, Col DK Pathania, who have moved out last week and settled with their battalion in Meerath.
According to these sources, Chief Minister is understood to have discussed the Machhil fake encounter briefly with the UPA Chairperson in a one-on-one meeting with her in Jammu today. He is likely to persuade the arrest of the delinquent officials, on the pattern of a BSF Commandant’s arrest in the infamous Zahid Farooq killing, with the Defence Minister AK Anthony in the Union capital on Monday. In a statement, Anthony has today itself indicated that nobody would be spared if found guilty.
Meanwhile, well-placed official sources in north Kashmir, said that the two “unidentified militants” killed in “encounter” by troops of 11-Jat on a spot close to LoC in Tangdhar, in Kupwara district, on May 25th, were also likely to surface as innocent civilians. Their features, much like those killed in the fake encounter in Machhil, are said to be “not of infiltrators”. Kupwara Police have immediately acquired photographs of the two dead bodies and these were being scanned carefully with the help of counter-insurgency experts. Authorities are said to be considering the suggestion of publishing these photographers in local newspapers which, according to them, might help in the identification.
Reports from north Kashmir said that dead bodies of the three Rafiabad civilians, exhumed at Kalaroos on Friday, were buried at the local graveyard in Nadihal village amid massive anti-India and pro-Azadi demonstrations. While independent reports said that more than 7,000 people participated in a funeral rally and the burial, officials put the number of participants at around 4,000 to 5,000. Sources said that the demonstrators made repeated attempts to carry the dead bodies in a procession to the district headquarters of Baramulla but Police foiled their plans of staging a big show. Sources said that over a dozen civilians and Police personnel sustained injuries in these intermittent clashes.
DC Baramulla, Bashir Ahmed Bhat, and SP Sopore, Altaf Khan, were personally monitoring the situation in Nadihal area.
Sources said that late last night hundreds of outraged residents of Nadihal swooped on the residential house of the counter-insurgent, Bashir Ahmed Lone, involved in the killing of three civilians, and demolished it brick-by-brick before setting the structure and debris on fire. It perished fully. While Bashir Lone has been already arrested by Police and his SPO brother, Qayoom, was taken into preventive custody and questioning today, all other family members have escaped to unknown places.
END
Friday, May 28, 2010
All 3 buried ‘militants’ identified as innocent civilians
“One shot into each youth’s head in point blank range” established as cause of death
Exhumation, post-mortem conducted
under heavy rains at Kalaroos
Ahmed Ali Fayyaz
SRINAGAR, May 28: All the three persons, killed and labeled by Army as “unidentified militants” on April 29th evening and subsequently buried by residents of Kalaroos village in a local graveyard, today turned out to be innocent civilians when respective family members identified them during a day-long procedure of exhumation and autopsy under heavy rains in Kupwara district. Even as the dead bodies were carried all the way to Rafiabad area of Baramulla district for a fresh funeral peacefully, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has not only ordered a magisterial inquiry but also made it clear to senior Defence authorities that the troops involved in the gruesome fake encounter---including a Major---would have to be arrested and handed over to Police for a proper investigation.
Informed sources in north Kashmir told Early Times that family members and relatives of three missing youth of Nadihal, Rafiabad (Baramulla district), today submitted a formal application to District Magistrate of Kupwara, Showkat Ahmed Mir, with the submission that permission be granted to exhumation of three dead bodies that had been buried as “unidentified militants” in the community graveyard at Kalaroos village of Kupwara in the first week of May. Residents of Kalaroos had conducted the funeral after they received the three dead bodies from Police Division Kalaroos with an Army report according to which these “unidentified militants” had died in an encounter with troops of 4-Rajput at Doshat Post, Tanakpur, across Sonapindi Galli on the LoC, in Machhil sector during the night intervening April 29 and 30.
Police Division Kalaroos had arranged the funeral after case FIR No: 76 of 2010 was registered by Kupwara Police on the report submitted by the troops of 4-Rajput headed by Maj Bhupinder Singh. Even as the case for cash reward of Rs 6 Lakhs for killing the three “unidentified militants” was processed at the level of Commanding Officer, D K Pathania, Maj Bhupinder and his unit shifted their base to Meerath last weekend.
On the proper permission from DM of Kupwara, Police and civil administration conducted the exhumation under heavy rains at Kalaroos graveyard. SP Kupwara, Mohammad Yousuf Mir, Tehsildar Kupwara, Pir Abdul Rasheed, SHOs of Police Stations of Kupwara and Panzla (Rafiabad), village headman of Nadihal, Ghulam Rasool Ahangar, Chowkidar Bashir Ahmed Ganai and PDP’s MLA of Lolab, Abdul Haq Khan supervised the exhumation process. Family members of the three missing youth---Riyaz Ahmed Lone S/o Mohammad Yousuf Lone (20), Mohammad Shafi Lone S/o Abdul Rasheed Lone (22), both unmarried, and Shehzad Ahmed Khan S/o Ghulam Mohammad Khan, married (27)--- were present on the occasion alongwith nearly 100 fellow villagers.
Sources present on spot said that Mohammad Yousuf Lone and Abdul Rasheed Lone identified their sons, namely Riyaz Ahmed Lone and Mohammad Shafi Lone, while as one Showkat Ahmed Khan identified the third exhumed body as that of his missing brother, Shehzad Ahmed Khan, amid emotional scenes.
These three civilians had gone missing from their respective homes on April 29th. After they did not reach back for over a week, family members filed a missing report at Police Station Panzla on May 10th which was ultimately converted into case Fir No: 23 of 2010 under sections 364 RPC (kidnapping). Family members and residents sought permission for exhumation and identification of the three unidentified dead bodies after the photograph of one “unidentified militant”, shown to them by SP Sopore, Altaf Khan, matched with the physical features of a missing youth.
Sources said that after proper identification, the dead bodies were carried to Public Health Centre, Kalaroos, where a team of doctors collected necessary bone and flesh material and conducted the post mortem for over two hours. Block Medical Officer of Sogam, Dr Farooq Qureshi, Dr Firdaus, Dr Nazir and Dr Javed conducted the autopsy procedure. Sources involved in the operation revealed to Early Times that all the three youth were found to have been hit with one shot each into head in point blank range that was prima facie established as the cause of death. “There’s no evidence of the youth having died in an encounter. They seem to have been killed in cold blood, with just one gunshot in everybody’s head”, said a source. Doctors said on record that they would be submitting a detailed post mortem report to the authorities only after completing all formalities in a couple of days.
In the evening, dead bodies were carried to Police Station Panzla. Officials said that these would be handed over to respective families at Nadihal for a fresh funeral late tonight or in the forenoon tomorrow. Reports from Baramulla said that after concluding Friday prayers, residents of Watirgam, Ladoora, Nadihal and adjoining villagers put up a protest demonstration while shouting pro-Azadi and anti-India slogans. They, however, dispersed within an hour as rains intensified and SP Sopore pacified the angry crowds with an assurance that nobody, involved in the gruesome killings, would be spared. He told the gathering that Chief Minister was personally monitoring the situation and he was continuously in touch with senior Defence authorities and Government of India, including Defence Minister and Prime Minister.
Demonstrators demanded that the troopers involved, including Major (Bhupinder Singh), be arrested by Police on the pattern of a BSF Commanding Officer’s arrest in the Zahid Farooq killing case in Brain area of Nishat earlier this year.
Late in the evening, when the dead bodies reached in Nadihal village in an ambulance, hundreds of residents, joined by a large number of PDP workers from about a dozen villages, put up an anti-Government demonstration. Men in the crowd even attacked the ambulance and shattered its windscreens. Sources said that SP Sopore, Altaf Khan, who was himself traveling in the ambulance, had a narrow escape as he managed to hide himself under a seat.
Sharing details of the 16-day-long investigation with Early Times, Police sources revealed that respective family members of the three youth knew it well that a local youth of counter-insurgent background, namely Bashir Ahmed Lone S/o Ghulam Nabi Lone R/o Nadihal, had taken the trio to Kalaroos, Kupwara, on April 27th and dropped them back at their village after paying them an amount of Rs 2,000. He had taken them for working as porters with Army. In company of another counter-insurgent, namely Abdul Hamid Bhat S/o Abdul Gaffar Bhat R/o Kawanar, Sheri (Baramulla) and a Rifleman of Territorial Army 161 Bn, namely Abbas Hussain Shah S/o Qallandar Shah R/o Basgaran, Uri, Bashir Ahmed Lone had again taken the trio via Baramulla in a Tata Sumo to Kalaroos on April 29th. No missing report or FIR of kidnapping was filed for over a week.
After the missing report was filed, Police observed that Bashir Lone was involved in the kidnapping. He was arrested and interrogated. With the help of the Call Detail Record (CDR) of Bashir Lone, Police discovered the presence of the missing youth, as well as Lone and his two associates, in Kalaroos area on April 29th. During sustained questioning, Lone spilled the beans and revealed how his associates, Abdul Hamid and Abbas Shah, had carried the three Nadihal youth to Kalaroos. It was observed that Maj Bhupinder Singh got all the three killed in a fake encounter at the hands of his 4-Rajput troops, labeled them all “infiltrating militants killed in an encounter” and finally got them buried after registration of an FIR at Kalaroos.
According to these sources, Bashir Lone revealed that Maj Bhupinder Singh had paid him and two of his associates Rs 1,50,000 (@ Rs 50,000 each person) for arranging trapping of the three youth whose death as “unidentified militants” in turn would fetch the troops cash reward of Rs 600,000 (@Rs 200,000 each).
SP Sopore, Altaf Khan, said that all the three persons, including the soldier of Territorial Army, have been properly arrested and interrogated by Police and the missing report has been accordingly converted into case FIR NO: 23 of 2010 under section 364 RPC. He said that in the wake of the identification of the dead bodies today, it was being converted into a plain murder case under section 302 RPC and related provisions of law.
END
“One shot into each youth’s head in point blank range” established as cause of death
Exhumation, post-mortem conducted
under heavy rains at Kalaroos
Ahmed Ali Fayyaz
SRINAGAR, May 28: All the three persons, killed and labeled by Army as “unidentified militants” on April 29th evening and subsequently buried by residents of Kalaroos village in a local graveyard, today turned out to be innocent civilians when respective family members identified them during a day-long procedure of exhumation and autopsy under heavy rains in Kupwara district. Even as the dead bodies were carried all the way to Rafiabad area of Baramulla district for a fresh funeral peacefully, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has not only ordered a magisterial inquiry but also made it clear to senior Defence authorities that the troops involved in the gruesome fake encounter---including a Major---would have to be arrested and handed over to Police for a proper investigation.
Informed sources in north Kashmir told Early Times that family members and relatives of three missing youth of Nadihal, Rafiabad (Baramulla district), today submitted a formal application to District Magistrate of Kupwara, Showkat Ahmed Mir, with the submission that permission be granted to exhumation of three dead bodies that had been buried as “unidentified militants” in the community graveyard at Kalaroos village of Kupwara in the first week of May. Residents of Kalaroos had conducted the funeral after they received the three dead bodies from Police Division Kalaroos with an Army report according to which these “unidentified militants” had died in an encounter with troops of 4-Rajput at Doshat Post, Tanakpur, across Sonapindi Galli on the LoC, in Machhil sector during the night intervening April 29 and 30.
Police Division Kalaroos had arranged the funeral after case FIR No: 76 of 2010 was registered by Kupwara Police on the report submitted by the troops of 4-Rajput headed by Maj Bhupinder Singh. Even as the case for cash reward of Rs 6 Lakhs for killing the three “unidentified militants” was processed at the level of Commanding Officer, D K Pathania, Maj Bhupinder and his unit shifted their base to Meerath last weekend.
On the proper permission from DM of Kupwara, Police and civil administration conducted the exhumation under heavy rains at Kalaroos graveyard. SP Kupwara, Mohammad Yousuf Mir, Tehsildar Kupwara, Pir Abdul Rasheed, SHOs of Police Stations of Kupwara and Panzla (Rafiabad), village headman of Nadihal, Ghulam Rasool Ahangar, Chowkidar Bashir Ahmed Ganai and PDP’s MLA of Lolab, Abdul Haq Khan supervised the exhumation process. Family members of the three missing youth---Riyaz Ahmed Lone S/o Mohammad Yousuf Lone (20), Mohammad Shafi Lone S/o Abdul Rasheed Lone (22), both unmarried, and Shehzad Ahmed Khan S/o Ghulam Mohammad Khan, married (27)--- were present on the occasion alongwith nearly 100 fellow villagers.
Sources present on spot said that Mohammad Yousuf Lone and Abdul Rasheed Lone identified their sons, namely Riyaz Ahmed Lone and Mohammad Shafi Lone, while as one Showkat Ahmed Khan identified the third exhumed body as that of his missing brother, Shehzad Ahmed Khan, amid emotional scenes.
These three civilians had gone missing from their respective homes on April 29th. After they did not reach back for over a week, family members filed a missing report at Police Station Panzla on May 10th which was ultimately converted into case Fir No: 23 of 2010 under sections 364 RPC (kidnapping). Family members and residents sought permission for exhumation and identification of the three unidentified dead bodies after the photograph of one “unidentified militant”, shown to them by SP Sopore, Altaf Khan, matched with the physical features of a missing youth.
Sources said that after proper identification, the dead bodies were carried to Public Health Centre, Kalaroos, where a team of doctors collected necessary bone and flesh material and conducted the post mortem for over two hours. Block Medical Officer of Sogam, Dr Farooq Qureshi, Dr Firdaus, Dr Nazir and Dr Javed conducted the autopsy procedure. Sources involved in the operation revealed to Early Times that all the three youth were found to have been hit with one shot each into head in point blank range that was prima facie established as the cause of death. “There’s no evidence of the youth having died in an encounter. They seem to have been killed in cold blood, with just one gunshot in everybody’s head”, said a source. Doctors said on record that they would be submitting a detailed post mortem report to the authorities only after completing all formalities in a couple of days.
In the evening, dead bodies were carried to Police Station Panzla. Officials said that these would be handed over to respective families at Nadihal for a fresh funeral late tonight or in the forenoon tomorrow. Reports from Baramulla said that after concluding Friday prayers, residents of Watirgam, Ladoora, Nadihal and adjoining villagers put up a protest demonstration while shouting pro-Azadi and anti-India slogans. They, however, dispersed within an hour as rains intensified and SP Sopore pacified the angry crowds with an assurance that nobody, involved in the gruesome killings, would be spared. He told the gathering that Chief Minister was personally monitoring the situation and he was continuously in touch with senior Defence authorities and Government of India, including Defence Minister and Prime Minister.
Demonstrators demanded that the troopers involved, including Major (Bhupinder Singh), be arrested by Police on the pattern of a BSF Commanding Officer’s arrest in the Zahid Farooq killing case in Brain area of Nishat earlier this year.
Late in the evening, when the dead bodies reached in Nadihal village in an ambulance, hundreds of residents, joined by a large number of PDP workers from about a dozen villages, put up an anti-Government demonstration. Men in the crowd even attacked the ambulance and shattered its windscreens. Sources said that SP Sopore, Altaf Khan, who was himself traveling in the ambulance, had a narrow escape as he managed to hide himself under a seat.
Sharing details of the 16-day-long investigation with Early Times, Police sources revealed that respective family members of the three youth knew it well that a local youth of counter-insurgent background, namely Bashir Ahmed Lone S/o Ghulam Nabi Lone R/o Nadihal, had taken the trio to Kalaroos, Kupwara, on April 27th and dropped them back at their village after paying them an amount of Rs 2,000. He had taken them for working as porters with Army. In company of another counter-insurgent, namely Abdul Hamid Bhat S/o Abdul Gaffar Bhat R/o Kawanar, Sheri (Baramulla) and a Rifleman of Territorial Army 161 Bn, namely Abbas Hussain Shah S/o Qallandar Shah R/o Basgaran, Uri, Bashir Ahmed Lone had again taken the trio via Baramulla in a Tata Sumo to Kalaroos on April 29th. No missing report or FIR of kidnapping was filed for over a week.
After the missing report was filed, Police observed that Bashir Lone was involved in the kidnapping. He was arrested and interrogated. With the help of the Call Detail Record (CDR) of Bashir Lone, Police discovered the presence of the missing youth, as well as Lone and his two associates, in Kalaroos area on April 29th. During sustained questioning, Lone spilled the beans and revealed how his associates, Abdul Hamid and Abbas Shah, had carried the three Nadihal youth to Kalaroos. It was observed that Maj Bhupinder Singh got all the three killed in a fake encounter at the hands of his 4-Rajput troops, labeled them all “infiltrating militants killed in an encounter” and finally got them buried after registration of an FIR at Kalaroos.
According to these sources, Bashir Lone revealed that Maj Bhupinder Singh had paid him and two of his associates Rs 1,50,000 (@ Rs 50,000 each person) for arranging trapping of the three youth whose death as “unidentified militants” in turn would fetch the troops cash reward of Rs 600,000 (@Rs 200,000 each).
SP Sopore, Altaf Khan, said that all the three persons, including the soldier of Territorial Army, have been properly arrested and interrogated by Police and the missing report has been accordingly converted into case FIR NO: 23 of 2010 under section 364 RPC. He said that in the wake of the identification of the dead bodies today, it was being converted into a plain murder case under section 302 RPC and related provisions of law.
END
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Cold blooded murder of 3 civilians for Rs 6 Lakh
Machhil fake encounter snowballing into a storm for Omar Abdullah Govt
Ahmed Ali Fayyaz
SRINAGAR, May 27: Government agencies have found that a 4-Rajput unit of regular Army has committed cold-blooded murder of three civilians of Baramulla district near Sonapindi in Machhil sector of Kupwara district for claiming reward money of Rs 6 Lakhs during the night intervening April 29th and 30th this year. Much like the infamous fake encounters of yesteryears, these gruesome killings have been put in the account of an “encounter” and all the three slain civilians have been labeled as “infiltrating militants” before their burial at a graveyard at Kalaroos in Kupwara district.
According to highly placed authoritative sources, a gruesome replay of Pathribal and Ganderbal fake encounters has occurred at Sonapindi, close to LoC in Machhil sector, where a unit of 4-Rajput has gunned down three civilians of Rafiabad area of Baramulla district, labeled them all as “infiltrating militants” and claimed to have recovered from them five AK-47 rifles during the night intervening April 29th and 30th. Army has claimed to have killed the three “unidentified militants” in a fierce encounter at Tanakpur Post, near Sonapindi, on the LoC.
Army had later handed over three dead bodies to Police Post Kalaroos. These were further handed over to the residents who buried the bodies in the local graveyard but only after Police took their photographs. Sources revealed to Early Times today that all the three youth have been found to be the residents of Rafiabad area of Baramulla district. Residents have identified one of them with the photographs available with DIG North Kashmir and SP Sopore. According to these sources, Police Station Panzla, Rafiabad, has tracked the movement of one of the three missing civilians with the help of his mobile phone signals which have shown him present in Kalaroos area of Kupwara district on April 27th and 28th.
According to these sources, Army had requested Police Post Kalaroos to record it as a “joint operation” but the men on duty got suspicious over recovery of five AK-47 rifles from just three “unidentified militants” and recorded it as an operation exclusively conducted by Army. It has been observed that the three civilians have been led to Sonapindi area for working as “porters” for the Army and killed only for claiming cash reward of Rs 6 Lakhs. Government has been paying cash reward of Rs 2 Lakh for killing of each militant to Police or armed forces involved in the operation.
Sources said that Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has taken “extremely serious notice” of what could be the first major fake encounter during his 17-month-old coalition government and has all the potential of snowballing into a catastrophe---more so on the eve of the visits of the UPA Chairperson, Sonia Gandhi, and Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh. Chief Minister, according to sources, has immediately taken a meeting with Director General of J&K Police, Kuldeep Khoda, and directed him to collect all details and submit a detailed report within a day. Sources said that Chief Minister, who also happens to be the Chairman of Unified Headquarters, was likely to complain the matter to the top central authorities, including Mrs Gandhi, Prime Minister and the union Defence Minister.
While there was no response to phone calls from the office of Army’s spokesman at headquarters 15 Corps, incharge Superintendent of Police, Kupwara, Mohammad Yousuf Mir, insisted that he had not received any complaint in this matter till date. He said that Police had completed all formalities, including taking pictures of the dead bodies, before conducting the burial at Kalaroos with the help of residents. He, however, confirmed that in the afternoon today he had posted armed guard of 9 Police personnel on the graveyard in which the bodies had been buried in April. Asked why, he said it was “a precautionary measure”.
Police sources in Baramulla said that three youth of Rafiabad area, namely Riyaz Ahmed Lone S/o Mohammad Yousuf Lone, Shehzad Ahmed Khan S/o Ghulam Mohammad Khan and Mohammad Shafi Lone S/o Abdul Rashid Lone, were missing since April 27th and a missing report had been filed by their family members with Police Station Panzla. They said that an investigation was underway during which Police learned from some sources that a local counter-insurgent, namely Bashir Ahmed, had taken these youth to Kupwara in a Tata Sumo. They said Police were investigating whether same youth had been killed in a “fake encounter” after the signals of one of their mobile phones indicated the location of Kalaroos.
Residents of the Rafiabad village today put up a demonstration and blocked vehicular traffic for several hours with the demand that the dead bodies buried at Kalaroos be exhumed and the photographs be provided to them for identification. Authorities pacified the crowds with the assurance that the matter would be investigated. Reports available from Baramulla said that relatives of the missing youth would be submitting a formal application to District Magistrate of Baramulla on Friday to seek orders for exhumation of the dead bodies buried at Kalaroos.
While the most infamous of the fake encounters, including killing of five civilians of Anantnag district at Pathribal Panchalthan in the aftermath of the massacre of 35 Sikhs at Chittisingpura on March 20 in 2000, had happened in Dr Farooq Abdullah’s National Conference regime in 1996-2002 and also previously during Governor’s and President’s rule, four more civilians of Anantnag district and a resident of Banihal had been killed by SOG Ganderbal in a series of fake encounters during Ghulam Nabi Azad-led coalition government in 2006.
CBI has completed the investigation into the Pathribal fake encounter and filed challan against senior officials of Rashtriya Rifles 07 Bn, including a Brigadier. Police have completed the investigation into the Ganderbal fake encounters. A number of SOG Ganderbal personnel, including then SP Ganderbal, Hans Raj Parihar, have been continuously in jail since 2006. However, investigation has been inconclusive in the matter of Army having killed five porters of Jammu---all of them Hindus---in another fake encounter in Kalaroos area of Kupwara district in 2002.
END
Machhil fake encounter snowballing into a storm for Omar Abdullah Govt
Ahmed Ali Fayyaz
SRINAGAR, May 27: Government agencies have found that a 4-Rajput unit of regular Army has committed cold-blooded murder of three civilians of Baramulla district near Sonapindi in Machhil sector of Kupwara district for claiming reward money of Rs 6 Lakhs during the night intervening April 29th and 30th this year. Much like the infamous fake encounters of yesteryears, these gruesome killings have been put in the account of an “encounter” and all the three slain civilians have been labeled as “infiltrating militants” before their burial at a graveyard at Kalaroos in Kupwara district.
According to highly placed authoritative sources, a gruesome replay of Pathribal and Ganderbal fake encounters has occurred at Sonapindi, close to LoC in Machhil sector, where a unit of 4-Rajput has gunned down three civilians of Rafiabad area of Baramulla district, labeled them all as “infiltrating militants” and claimed to have recovered from them five AK-47 rifles during the night intervening April 29th and 30th. Army has claimed to have killed the three “unidentified militants” in a fierce encounter at Tanakpur Post, near Sonapindi, on the LoC.
Army had later handed over three dead bodies to Police Post Kalaroos. These were further handed over to the residents who buried the bodies in the local graveyard but only after Police took their photographs. Sources revealed to Early Times today that all the three youth have been found to be the residents of Rafiabad area of Baramulla district. Residents have identified one of them with the photographs available with DIG North Kashmir and SP Sopore. According to these sources, Police Station Panzla, Rafiabad, has tracked the movement of one of the three missing civilians with the help of his mobile phone signals which have shown him present in Kalaroos area of Kupwara district on April 27th and 28th.
According to these sources, Army had requested Police Post Kalaroos to record it as a “joint operation” but the men on duty got suspicious over recovery of five AK-47 rifles from just three “unidentified militants” and recorded it as an operation exclusively conducted by Army. It has been observed that the three civilians have been led to Sonapindi area for working as “porters” for the Army and killed only for claiming cash reward of Rs 6 Lakhs. Government has been paying cash reward of Rs 2 Lakh for killing of each militant to Police or armed forces involved in the operation.
Sources said that Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has taken “extremely serious notice” of what could be the first major fake encounter during his 17-month-old coalition government and has all the potential of snowballing into a catastrophe---more so on the eve of the visits of the UPA Chairperson, Sonia Gandhi, and Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh. Chief Minister, according to sources, has immediately taken a meeting with Director General of J&K Police, Kuldeep Khoda, and directed him to collect all details and submit a detailed report within a day. Sources said that Chief Minister, who also happens to be the Chairman of Unified Headquarters, was likely to complain the matter to the top central authorities, including Mrs Gandhi, Prime Minister and the union Defence Minister.
While there was no response to phone calls from the office of Army’s spokesman at headquarters 15 Corps, incharge Superintendent of Police, Kupwara, Mohammad Yousuf Mir, insisted that he had not received any complaint in this matter till date. He said that Police had completed all formalities, including taking pictures of the dead bodies, before conducting the burial at Kalaroos with the help of residents. He, however, confirmed that in the afternoon today he had posted armed guard of 9 Police personnel on the graveyard in which the bodies had been buried in April. Asked why, he said it was “a precautionary measure”.
Police sources in Baramulla said that three youth of Rafiabad area, namely Riyaz Ahmed Lone S/o Mohammad Yousuf Lone, Shehzad Ahmed Khan S/o Ghulam Mohammad Khan and Mohammad Shafi Lone S/o Abdul Rashid Lone, were missing since April 27th and a missing report had been filed by their family members with Police Station Panzla. They said that an investigation was underway during which Police learned from some sources that a local counter-insurgent, namely Bashir Ahmed, had taken these youth to Kupwara in a Tata Sumo. They said Police were investigating whether same youth had been killed in a “fake encounter” after the signals of one of their mobile phones indicated the location of Kalaroos.
Residents of the Rafiabad village today put up a demonstration and blocked vehicular traffic for several hours with the demand that the dead bodies buried at Kalaroos be exhumed and the photographs be provided to them for identification. Authorities pacified the crowds with the assurance that the matter would be investigated. Reports available from Baramulla said that relatives of the missing youth would be submitting a formal application to District Magistrate of Baramulla on Friday to seek orders for exhumation of the dead bodies buried at Kalaroos.
While the most infamous of the fake encounters, including killing of five civilians of Anantnag district at Pathribal Panchalthan in the aftermath of the massacre of 35 Sikhs at Chittisingpura on March 20 in 2000, had happened in Dr Farooq Abdullah’s National Conference regime in 1996-2002 and also previously during Governor’s and President’s rule, four more civilians of Anantnag district and a resident of Banihal had been killed by SOG Ganderbal in a series of fake encounters during Ghulam Nabi Azad-led coalition government in 2006.
CBI has completed the investigation into the Pathribal fake encounter and filed challan against senior officials of Rashtriya Rifles 07 Bn, including a Brigadier. Police have completed the investigation into the Ganderbal fake encounters. A number of SOG Ganderbal personnel, including then SP Ganderbal, Hans Raj Parihar, have been continuously in jail since 2006. However, investigation has been inconclusive in the matter of Army having killed five porters of Jammu---all of them Hindus---in another fake encounter in Kalaroos area of Kupwara district in 2002.
END
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Omar may drop 5 Ministers in Cabinet reshuffle in June
Govt’s anti-corruption talk has no credibility without action against Ministers, senior officials
Ahmed Ali Fayyaz
SRINAGAR, May 25: Getting disturbing reports from different corners with regard to indulgence of nearly a dozen of his Ministerial colleagues in corruption, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah is likely to shed his complex of the ‘coalition constraints’ and reconstitute his Council of Ministers next month. Sources in top echelons of the state government are expecting Chief Minister to send a “tough and terse message” by way of dropping five of the “most corrupt” Ministers and removing some of the “most indispensable officials” in a major reshuffle of Police and Civil Administration. Chief Minister is said to have begun the exercise of reviewing the performance of his ministers around completion of their first year in office.
Ten of the Ministers, who have reportedly surfaced negatively on the Chief Minister’s radar, include six Cabinet Ministers of the Congress party besides one Cabinet Minister and two Ministers of State of National Conference (NC). According to the serious inputs reportedly available with Chief Minister, over half-a-dozen of the Ministers had acquired substantial fortunes in less than a year of their assuming office. In a demonstration of high level of confidence, some of these Ministers have either built or acquired through other means palatial houses worth Crores of Rupees in posh localities of Humhama, Friends Enclave, Hyderpora, Baghat Barzullah and Rajbagh in Srinagar besides Gandhi Nagar, Chhanni Himat and Sidhra in Jammu.
According to the reports available, some of the mainstream politicians have not only raised immovable commercial properties but also discovered new methods to acquire assets while escaping notice of common people, Income Tax sleuths and anti-corruption watchdogs. In recent past, one of the Cabinet Ministers belonging to Congress party has been found to have paid Rs 3 Crore in cash to his in-laws who purchased a palatial house in the fashionable Rajbagh area and later got it transferred to his own name in the form of a “gift deed”. Another Cabinet Minister from NC has also been found to have purchased a multi-Crore property in the same locality in the name of his son.
If reports from the Union capital are also to be believed, quite a few of the Jammun & Kashmir Ministers have also acquired flats, valued in the range of Rs 1.00 Crore to Rs 2.00 Crore, in some prestigious colonies in New Delhi. A number of such assets are said to be benami---registered in the names of certain politicians’ relatives and friends. Non-existence of State Accountability Commission (SAC), that had been created ostensibly to make the corrupt politicians accountable, has made things easier for a few Ministers and their partners.
Interestingly, none of these mainstream politicians has made any mention of these clandestinely acquired properties either in their annual property statements or their IT returns. At least two of the Cabinet Ministers are said to be owners or partners of multi-crore hotels in Srinagar, Jammu and New Delhi.
Corruption among the mainstream politicians has touched new heights in the last 16 months of the coalition government. A female politician has been found to have purchased a huge house at a stone’s throw from CBI office in Jammu besides over 200 Kanals of land for developing a private housing colony in Zainakote area in Srinagar outskirts.
A senior leader of Congress party has been found to be the owner of six houses in Srinagar and Jammu, besides houses and flats in New Delhi. After raising properties worth Rs 40 Crore in Humhama area, near Srinagar Airport, this particular politician, has recently purchased 83 Kanals of orchard land at Heewudar village in Budgam district at the rate of Rs 2.75 Lakh per Kanal. He had earlier bought 60 Kanals of almond orchard land on Budgam Karewa at the rate of Rs 65,000 per Kanal. Reports said that the politician and his family were now trying to sell same land to the state government at the rate of Rs 17 Lakh per Kanal.
Blowing the whistle prominently include a senior leader and MLC of Congress party, Abdul Gani Vakil, who has publicly urged Chief Minister to force all of the mainstream politicians---particularly Ministers and legislators---to reveal the source of their income, overtly disproportionate to their known sources of income.
Well-placed sources said that Chief Minister’s biggest hurdle was the fact that he could not touch the Ministers belonging to Congress party. They said that the menace of corruption in high offices, according to credible reports, had assumed menacing proportions to the extent that Chief Minister was now likely to take the Congress President Sonia Gandhi into confidence and seek fresh list of her nominees to be inducted from the coalition partner. Change of portfolio is said to be possible in case of certain Ministers who were performing well but still indulging in corruption. As regards NC, sources said that Chief Minister could take the party patron, Dr Farooq Abdullah, on board before going for a Cabinet reshuffle next month.
Search has already begun in NC for replacement of the ailing Sheikh Nazir Ahmed as General Secretary. Name of a Srinagar-based Minister is mentioned as the first probable.
END
Govt’s anti-corruption talk has no credibility without action against Ministers, senior officials
Ahmed Ali Fayyaz
SRINAGAR, May 25: Getting disturbing reports from different corners with regard to indulgence of nearly a dozen of his Ministerial colleagues in corruption, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah is likely to shed his complex of the ‘coalition constraints’ and reconstitute his Council of Ministers next month. Sources in top echelons of the state government are expecting Chief Minister to send a “tough and terse message” by way of dropping five of the “most corrupt” Ministers and removing some of the “most indispensable officials” in a major reshuffle of Police and Civil Administration. Chief Minister is said to have begun the exercise of reviewing the performance of his ministers around completion of their first year in office.
Ten of the Ministers, who have reportedly surfaced negatively on the Chief Minister’s radar, include six Cabinet Ministers of the Congress party besides one Cabinet Minister and two Ministers of State of National Conference (NC). According to the serious inputs reportedly available with Chief Minister, over half-a-dozen of the Ministers had acquired substantial fortunes in less than a year of their assuming office. In a demonstration of high level of confidence, some of these Ministers have either built or acquired through other means palatial houses worth Crores of Rupees in posh localities of Humhama, Friends Enclave, Hyderpora, Baghat Barzullah and Rajbagh in Srinagar besides Gandhi Nagar, Chhanni Himat and Sidhra in Jammu.
According to the reports available, some of the mainstream politicians have not only raised immovable commercial properties but also discovered new methods to acquire assets while escaping notice of common people, Income Tax sleuths and anti-corruption watchdogs. In recent past, one of the Cabinet Ministers belonging to Congress party has been found to have paid Rs 3 Crore in cash to his in-laws who purchased a palatial house in the fashionable Rajbagh area and later got it transferred to his own name in the form of a “gift deed”. Another Cabinet Minister from NC has also been found to have purchased a multi-Crore property in the same locality in the name of his son.
If reports from the Union capital are also to be believed, quite a few of the Jammun & Kashmir Ministers have also acquired flats, valued in the range of Rs 1.00 Crore to Rs 2.00 Crore, in some prestigious colonies in New Delhi. A number of such assets are said to be benami---registered in the names of certain politicians’ relatives and friends. Non-existence of State Accountability Commission (SAC), that had been created ostensibly to make the corrupt politicians accountable, has made things easier for a few Ministers and their partners.
Interestingly, none of these mainstream politicians has made any mention of these clandestinely acquired properties either in their annual property statements or their IT returns. At least two of the Cabinet Ministers are said to be owners or partners of multi-crore hotels in Srinagar, Jammu and New Delhi.
Corruption among the mainstream politicians has touched new heights in the last 16 months of the coalition government. A female politician has been found to have purchased a huge house at a stone’s throw from CBI office in Jammu besides over 200 Kanals of land for developing a private housing colony in Zainakote area in Srinagar outskirts.
A senior leader of Congress party has been found to be the owner of six houses in Srinagar and Jammu, besides houses and flats in New Delhi. After raising properties worth Rs 40 Crore in Humhama area, near Srinagar Airport, this particular politician, has recently purchased 83 Kanals of orchard land at Heewudar village in Budgam district at the rate of Rs 2.75 Lakh per Kanal. He had earlier bought 60 Kanals of almond orchard land on Budgam Karewa at the rate of Rs 65,000 per Kanal. Reports said that the politician and his family were now trying to sell same land to the state government at the rate of Rs 17 Lakh per Kanal.
Blowing the whistle prominently include a senior leader and MLC of Congress party, Abdul Gani Vakil, who has publicly urged Chief Minister to force all of the mainstream politicians---particularly Ministers and legislators---to reveal the source of their income, overtly disproportionate to their known sources of income.
Well-placed sources said that Chief Minister’s biggest hurdle was the fact that he could not touch the Ministers belonging to Congress party. They said that the menace of corruption in high offices, according to credible reports, had assumed menacing proportions to the extent that Chief Minister was now likely to take the Congress President Sonia Gandhi into confidence and seek fresh list of her nominees to be inducted from the coalition partner. Change of portfolio is said to be possible in case of certain Ministers who were performing well but still indulging in corruption. As regards NC, sources said that Chief Minister could take the party patron, Dr Farooq Abdullah, on board before going for a Cabinet reshuffle next month.
Search has already begun in NC for replacement of the ailing Sheikh Nazir Ahmed as General Secretary. Name of a Srinagar-based Minister is mentioned as the first probable.
END
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