ASI among 2 cops gunned down by militants in Anantnag

Within 24 hours of killing 3 BSF men at Bijbehara, motorcycle borne gunmen struck on a Police party in Anantnag

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz
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SRINAGAR, June 4: Making their intentions of disrupting Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti's Assembly election of June 22, as also a flourishing tourist season and the forthcoming Amarnath pilgrimage, clearer, unidentified militants carried out second consecutive daredevil strike in 24 hours at district headquarters of Anantnag, killing two Police officials including an Assistant Sub Inspector of Police (ASI) on Saturday.

Residents, claiming to be eyewitnesses, told STATE TIMES that three unidentified persons on a Pulsor-type motorcycle slowed down in front of a small Police party at the exit of General Bus Stand on Khannabal-Pahalgam (KP) Road at Anantnag at 11.15 a.m. Two of them swiftly took out AK-47 rifles from their bags and fired on the unarmed ASI Bashir Ahmad Ahangar and his PSO, Constable Riyaz Ahmad, who had an AK-47 in hand, in point blank range. Both the Police personnel got critically injured. They were rushed to District Hospital Anantnag where doctors declared them dead.

Official sources said that Police managed to obtain a photograph clicked with a cellphone by a resident that helped the authorities identify two of the three assassins.

"According to preliminary identification, one of the assassins is Junaid of Khudwani and another is believed to be a Pakistani militant of Lashkar-e-Tayyiba. However, the process of identification and verification is still inconclusive", said a senior Police official. He said that the militants escaped on their motorcycle through an alley taking off for Chhee village and subsequently passed through Angmattipora village towards Bijbehara-Srigufwara belt.

Officials maintained that the Police party headed by ASI Bashir was clearing a traffic jam at the exit point of the dustrict bus-yard when the militants appeared and shot them like sitting ducks. The militants attempted to take away Constable Riyaz Ahmad's AK-47 rifle but escaped when another constable from a distance fired in the air.

As the killing of the two local Police officials generated palpable resentment in their localities and large number of the residents attended their funeral prayers at Loktipora Ashmuqam and Uttarsu Shangus, none of the militant organisations claimed responsibility of the attack till late on Saturday night.

Residents, as well the officials, said that the broad daylight shootout, which came in 24 hours of an audacious ambush on BSF at Bijbehara, spread a wave of terror in Anantnag district where polling for by-election of Anantnag proper Assembly segment is scheduled to be held on June 22. Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti is seeking mandate as the ruling PDP candidate from the segment that has fallen vacant due to the former Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed's death on January 7 this year. Saturday was the last day of withdrawal of nomination for the nine candidates who have filed their papers. As the independent MLA from Langate (Kupwara) Engineer Rashid withdrew his papers, eight candidates, including Mehbooba, are now in the fray.

Congress has repeated its candidate Hilal Ahmad Shah, who secured over 10,000 votes in 2014 but lost to PDP's Chief Ministerial candidate Mufti Mohammad Sayeed by a margin of around 6,000 votes. National Conference too has repeated its 2014 candidate Iftikhar Hussain Misgar who had polled around 3,000 votes in previous Assembly election. Efforts are reportedly underway between NC and Congress to project Shah as the opposition's consensus candidate.

No electioneering has been witnessed so far in the key constituency from which Mehbooba's victory is a do-or-die matter for the PDP-BJP coalition. Representing Lok Sabha constituency of Anantnag in the Parliament since May 2014, Ms Mufti has taken over as Chief Minister on April 4, around two months after her father's death. She is bound to be elected within six months as a member of Legislative Assembly or Legislative Council. Technically and legally, she is entitled to election as MLC even after losing in the current by-election on Assembly seat of Anantnag. However, her defeat can leave her bereft of the moral ground of continuation as Chief Minister and President of the ruling party. That is why Ms Mufti's victoryvhas a high stake and is extremely important for the PDP-BJP coalition.

Fear of the gun among electorate can drastically reduce turnout and have a negative bearing on the prospects of Ms Mufti's victory even as she has contested two Parliamentary and three Assembly elections from South Kashmir in the last 20 years and won them all. None of her seven rivals in the contest is any match to her high political profile.

Even as none of the politicians was seen around, Director General of Police K Rajendra Kumar rushed to Anantnag to participate in the wreath-laying ceremony of the slain Police personnel. He was also joined by General Officer Commanding Victor Force, IGs and DIGs of Kashmir Police and CRPF besides a number of Army's and CRPF's battalion commanders and all district SPs of South Kashmir. After the ceremony, DGP also chaired a high level security review meeting with Police, paramilitary and Army officers.

END

[Published in today's STATE TIMES]

Sex scandal surfaces in Kashmir as victim rescued, 3 men held in Qazigund, woman in Kangan


19-year-old Drass girl reveals how she was made to serve 2-5 men at a woman’s brothel in Kangan daily for 3 years


Ahmed Ali Fayyaz
________


SRINAGAR, May 18: Exactly 10 years after a major sex scam jolted the State, and the whole country, a 19-year-old girl from Drass has revealed to Police and two judges in South Kashmir how a Kashmiri woman, who adopted her as daughter, supplied her to a vast clientele and forced her to serve two to five men daily at a brothel set up in Kangan area of Ganderbal district. While Police have rescued the victim and arrested three men, including a Congress activist, for committing on her rape at a guesthouse in Qazigund, the owner and the operator of the brothel has been detained in Kangan.


Following the raid on the guesthouse at the highway township of Qazigund, on May 6, Qazigund Police Station has registered case FIR No: 401/2016 under sections 376 RPC, 363 RPC and 342 RPC against the three accused---Shabir Ahmad Dar, Sheikh Sarwar and Imtiyaz Khan, residents of Srinagar. According to Police, the girl’s medical examination has confirmed that the three accused have committed on her rape at the guesthouse.


SP Kulgam Mohammad Irshad confirmed that three men from Srinagar had been arrested after Police learned that they were involved in sexual exploitation of a girl who claims to be only 17-year-old but appears to be 19-year-old. “We are verifying her date of birth. Even if she is 19, it is clear that she has been allegedly used as a sex worker when she was a minor. She has claimed in her statement to Police that she had been sexually exploited at a brother in Kangan and elsewhere in the last three years”, SSP Kulgam said.


Sheikh Sarwar’s son, Sheikh Azaan, however contested the claim of SP Kulgam. He told STATE TIMES that only one person, Shabir Ahmad Dar, had been found involved in this matter while as Sheikh Sarwar and Imtiyaz Khan had only given a lift to the main accused and the girl in former’s Alto car. He claimed that Sarwar and Imtiyaz were driving to Jammu when Shabir and the girl asked for a lift.


“When SHO Nisar Ahmad held my father and Imtiyaz Khan in confinement for some days and finally demanded money, my grandmother, Mehmooda Kausar, met him at his office. She handed over to him Rs 50,000 on behalf of my father and Rs 50,000 on behalf of Imtiyaz Khan. Shabir Dar’s bother Zahoor Ahmad Dar too gave Rs 50,000 to SHO at the same time in presence of his cook. The SHO assured that all the three would be released next day. But now we have heard that even after taking money, SHO has added other offences to the FIR”, Sheikh Azaan complained.


SP Kulgam insisted that the accused had already tried this allegation “to discredit the SHO and to add motives to it”. “No SHO will be a fool to the extent of demanding and taking bribes in a proven case of rape in which bail is not imminently possible. Still, we will look into it”, SP Kulgam said.


Since Chief Judicial Magistrate of Qazigund was not present on that day, Police produced the girl before CJM Kulgam who recorded her statement under section 164 CrPC.


However, in an interesting development when a middle-aged woman from Kangan appeared to claim the girl’s custody, the victim filed a petition next day before CJM Qazigund and got her statement recorded afresh under section 164 CrPC. At this point of time, she alleged that the same lady had adopted her as daughter, kept her at her home at Naran Nag, Wangat, in Kangan area, even arranged her “marriage” with a boy from Kupwara but finally served her to her clients at a brothel. She claimed that the woman had setup the brothel at her home where initially her own daughter used to serve the customers but subsequently she also used the adopted daughter for the same.


Sources said that on CJM’s direction, the woman from Kangan was taken into custody and handed over to the Police in Kangan in Ganderbal district while as the victim was given into the custody of her father in Kargil with the direction that his second wife should not harass or misbehave with the teenager.


Police Station Kangan has registered a case of brothel running against the Kangan woman and she has been detained. “We are investigating the matter. If her daughter and any men as customers or facilitators surface in the matter, we will question them and take them into custody as per law”, SP Ganderbal Imtiyaz Ismail Parray told STATE TIMES. He said that all aspects of the alleged offence under Prevention of Immoral Trafficking Act would be considered during the investigation.


The girl, who claims to be the victim, is understood to have disclosed in her statement that while living in Drass her father entered into second marriage and the family shifted to Kargil. Her stepmother did not treat her well. She left for Kashmir and for about a year worked as a domestic help at a doctor’s home in Bemina, Srinagar. One day her father appeared and he took her back to Kargil. But after some time, she returned to Kashmir. At Dalgate, she boarded an auto rickshaw and asked the driver to drop her in Bemina. Instead, he carried her all the way to Naran Nag, Kangan, and handed her over to a woman. She adopted her as daughter but subsequently forced her to serve male
customers at her brothel.


Earlier this month, she again reached Dalgate for trimming her hair at a beauty parlour. One Shabir footed the bill and assured her that he would marry her. However, he carried her to Qazigund and raped her in partnership with two others at a guesthouse.


END


[Published in today’s STATE TIMES]

Police-businessmen-criminals nexus

DGP rejects probe by ASP, directs IGP to hold enquiry within 10 days

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz

______

JAMMU, May 17: In an uncommon development, Director General of Jammu and Kashmir Police, K Rajendra Kumar, has rejected SSP Jammu’s order and directed Inspector General of Police, Jammu, Danesh Rana, to personally hold an enquiry into the conduct of the suspended head of Police Post Narwal Sub Inspector Mehmood Khan and find how the chain of supervision---SHO, SDPO, SP and SSP---has failed to discharge its duty in the matter exposed by STATE TIMES in its edition on May 14.

On May 14 and May 17, STATE TIMES reported how Sub Inspector Mehmood Khan and his businessman friend Haseeb Tramboo attempted to strike a deal against money for issuing ‘clean chit’ to an NDPS accused Rajbeer Singh to facilitate his release on bail. The newspaper published full transcript of the 19-minute long telephonic conversation Khan and Tramboo held from the businessman’s office in Jammu with Rajbeer’s NRI relatives based in Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America, on March 7, 2016.

On Monday, IGP told this newspaper that he had taken cognizance of the audio clip and ordered an enquiry by Additional SP/Sub Divisional Police Officer Narwal (Chandan Kohli) while ordering suspension and replacement of Mehmood Khan.

The civil society circles, however, pooh-poohed the order of enquiry issued by SSP Jammu, asking how an officer who had himself failed to discharge his supervisory duty could be expected to hold a credible investigation. “This is the sham of an enquiry. How can an officer, who was holding office just next door to the accused and is himself responsible for failure of supervision, can hold an enquiry in this case. It appears to be just an eyewash to protect the accused and his patrons in the higher ranks of Police”, senior accountability activist and advocate Sheikh Shakeel Ahmad observed.

Today itself, when STATE TIMES published full transcript of the telephonic conversation, DGP took a strong notice of the enquiry being assigned to a junior officer and directed IGP to personally hold the enquiry and submit his report within 1o days. He further directed that the accused should be immediately placed under suspension and a Departmental Enquiry should be separately held into his conduct and completed within one month.

“This is a very sordid state of affairs where the misdeeds of a Police officer have been highlighted by media but the same remained unnoticed from the supervisory officers of District Jammu. This speaks volumes about the efficiency of supervision being exercised by SHO, SDPO, Zonal SP and District SP over the day-to-day working of I/C PP (incharge Police Post) Narwal”, DGP wrote to IGP Jammu.

“The conduct of the IC PP is further deplorable as the drive against the drug peddling was one of the ten Commandments issued by PHQ for J&K Police for the year 2016 and the undersigned had repeatedly emphasised on the issue which includes the briefing to the SHOs of District Jammu in which IGP Jammu Zone, District SP and all Zonal SPs and SDPOs were also present in a meeting held on 7^th May at PHQ Conference Hall Jammu. During this meeting the Ten Commandments were again circulated and specific directions were given for displaying the same in each Police Station and Police Posts. Despite that the incharge Police Post Narwal, under the very nose of SDPO Narwal, has indulged in this misdemeanour for pecuniary benefits leaving aside the directives of the Police Hqrs”, DGP wrote in the communication marked as “MOST URGENT”.

END

[Published in STATE TIMES of May 18, 2016]

STATE TIME Exclusive

Listen how a Police officer from Jammu strikes deal for NDPS detainee’s bail with NRI family in USA

Highly connected Kashmir businessman acts as middleman; tells family how SHO would give ‘clean chit’ to the accused against payment

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz/ Vivek Sharma

JAMMU, May 15: This may not have happened for the first time. This may not be for the last time either. But it does arguably for the first time expose in media how a Police officer in Jammu roped in a Kashmir businessman to strike a deal with an NRI family of Baramulla, settled in Cleveland, Ohio, in the United States of America, for the release of their son who has been earlier this year framed in an offence under Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS).

 Rajbeer Singh (24), alongwith his Baramulla neighbourer Sameer Ahmad Mir, is languishing behind the bars in Jammu’s District Jail of Amphalla as his relatives did not pay the Police an amount of “Rs 5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh” for his release which allegedly was fixed as the price of issuing a “clean chit”. SHO’s “favourable report” offered to the family would have facilitated Rajbeer’s release on bail and subsequently his reunion with his brother and parents in USA.

Rajbeer and Sameer, alongwith “friend” Joginder of Jammu, were seized with Rajbeer’s car on return from New Delhi to Jammu at Kunjwani Chowk late on March 5, 2016. Joginder was immediately released along with the AC equipment he was carrying in the Rajbeer’s Wagon R, raising suspicions of his secretly working for Police. Rajbeer and Sameer were held in confinement at Police Post Narwal and their “arrest” was not officially disclosed for 48 hours.

Finally, when Rajbeer’s relatives did not pick up the offer of “clean chit” against cash payment to the Police and they began putting pressure from different quarters---an unknown journalist, a BJP leader and IGP’s classmate at school---late on March 7, 2016, SHO Bahu Fort filed case FIR No: 51/2016 under different sections of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act against Rajbeer and Sameer. The Police report did not make any mention of Joginder.

Incharge Police Post Narwal, Sub Inspector Mehmood Khan, who claimed to have arrested Rajbeer and Sameer with 65 bottles of “banned syrup” and 6500 “intoxicating capsules”, contacted businessman friend Haseeb Tramboo for striking a deal for Rajbeer’s release with his relatives.  Even after registration of FIR, Tramboo and Khan, at former’s office in Narwal area, continued their efforts to extort money from the NRI family.

Following is the transcript of the 19 minute long telephonic conversation between Haseeb Tramboo and Mehmood Khan (in Jammu) and Rajbeer’s brother Harjot Singh and his brother-in-law Summerpreet Singh Bali of Baramulla (in Cleveland, USA). This conversation, that took place late on March 7, 2016, puts halo on a Police-businessman-criminal nexus that seldom surfaces on newspapers and television channels in Jammu and Kashmir.

Haseeb Tramboo: Helo

Harjot Singh: Helo

HT: Haseeb speaking here

HS: Yes, Haseeb

HT: Here’s the officer of concerned Police Station. Talk to him

Mehmood Khan: Helo

HS: Helo

MK: Helo

HS: Helo

MK: Yes

HS: I am Harjot here. Rajbeer’s brother

MK: Yes, it’s OK. Please

HS: OK

MK: What’s Rajbeer to you?

HS: Rajbeer is my brother

MK: OK. Look, whatever had to happen, has happened in it. It was too much highlighted by your relatives here. And they delayed things too much. Now that registration (of FIR) has happened, it’s the matter of bail. You concentrate on the bail. Rest whatever help will be possible at out level, we’ll do

HS: Who are you Sir? I mean, are you from Narwal Police Station?

MK: Yes, yes…

HS: What’s your good name?

MK: (Silence). Don’t you know Haseeb Sahab?

HS: Yes, Haseeb is in our family relation

MK: I am in his family relation and he is in your family relation

HS: Yes, no problem. Please tell me what’s the way out in it. What can we do?

MK: Look, there was a way out but it was too much delayed by your relatives here (in Jammu). It would have been smoothly sorted out on day one. But they highlighted it too much. They are still doing it. Sometimes they rush to this man, sometimes they rush to that man. It’s creating a little problem for him (Rajbeer). I had told them in the very beginning that that the more you highlight it the more it will create a problem for you. You just talk to them how we have to deal with it. Whatever is possible at our level, we’ll do. I have explained all to Haseeb Sahab

HS: Look Sir, we are ready to do anything. If money has to be paid, we’ll do that

MK: No, there’s no issue of money etc. in it. We will see about the money later. Let there be help first [nahi iss mein paise waise ka issue nahi. Paisa tou baad ki baath hai. Pehle help tou hojaye]

HS: Because, I don’t want his life to spoil. It has become a very serious issue for all of us. His mother is in the hospital

MK: OK, you talk to Haseeb Sahab, rest there’s no issue. We’ll do whatever help is possible. Talk to Haseeb Sahab [phone handed over to Haseeb]

HT: Helo

HS: Yes Haseeb

HT: Look, I just brought him (Mehmood Khan) out of the Police Station to settle what has to be done and what has not to be done. But the problem is that they (Rajbeer’s relatives in Jammu) go to this man and they go to that man. Sometimes they go to SP South. The more they highlight it, the more it will become difficult. Please make them understand if they want help or not they shouldn’t highlight it. What’s the fun in going to the Press. Have we got to take cudgels with the Police? After all, it’s our man who has landed in the trouble

HS: You tell us what has to be the settlement. (Rajbeer’s) Pictures have come on WhatsApp

HT: You see for yourselves. It’s a simple matter, clear enough that giving a report is in his (Mehmood Khan’s) hand. In short cut, this man (Mehmood Khan) is saying that if I have to give the report in your favour, tell me accordingly. Rest I have told you what he will do. He will prepare a favourable report. We (Police) will not contest the bail. Absolutely, we will not oppose the bail

HS: It’s OK. You know Summer (Harjot’s brother-in-law in Cleveland Summerpreet Singh Bali of Baramulla and Haseeb’s classfellow at school)?

HT: Which Summer?

HS: Summer Bali, whose father you had spoken to. He is here. Talk to him (Harjot passes on phone to Summerpreet)

Summerpreet Singh: Haseeb Bhai Salam

HT: How are you Sir?

SS: Did you get me? I am Summerpreet speaking.

HT: Yes absolutely. How are you?

SS: Look Haseeb Bhai, they are my relatives. You know Pawan is married to me.

HT: Look, I got SHO (Mehmood Khan) out of Police Station two or three times. He was waiting and did not file FIR till 4.00 pm today. I had requested them not to delay the matter. Then there was a crime meeting between the officers and they decided to officially book him. Now (the matter of issuing a favourable) report is in SHO’s hand. SHO is ready to report in the finding that there’s no involvement of Rajbeer in it. But for that favour, we need to provide for him… I have made clear to SHO that we will do his job. He’s still ready for it. But your Mamaji here did a blunder. He went to a journalist who called the SHO and enquired about it. On the other side, SHO received a call from some BJP leader. When all this exposure happens, SHO becomes cautious. Then things proceed as per law. Finally, this matter is against us. I tried my best to make Mamaji understand. I told him this is the matter of give-and-take. Settle it with the SHO and end it here. [iss ke saath lain dain karo aur mamla khattam karo]

SS: We have gone mad with it. You know he is not bad. He does crazy things in friendship. His (Rajbeer’s) interview in America is now very close. Everybody in our family is traumatised, his father, sister…We are ready to do everything. We are ready to spend money. Just this boy should come out. Please ask the IO (Investigating Officer/SHO) what we have to do. This boy should come out……Haseeb Bhai… you can do it

HT: That’s what I am telling you. His trouble will be over when we will manage to get him out on bail.  You must make Mamaji understand. We will manage a favourable report from the SHO and file the bail petition. I told them my family firm’s counsel is the top criminal lawyer here. I told them I will bargain with the lawyer. In their presence, I spoke to him on phone in Delhi. I told him that we have to bail out a person. I told him we will manage a favourable report from Police. He said give me the details of the case. I explained to Mama ji and Vinay jo lain dain karna hai woh karo aur mamla khatam karo. They said we will come back in an hour but didn’t return. They didn’t even call.

SS: Is the bail possible in Police custody?

HT: No, not in Police custody. We will have to get the bail only from the court. It’s NDPS (Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substance Act) case. In such matters, bail application is moved in a court which simultaneously calls a report from the Police. When Police will report that we have investigated and prima facie found that he (Rajbeer) has no involvement and only the other person, or persons, are involved. This is his statement. Hence we don’t have any issue. This person is bailed out. When such a favourable report goes to the court, the judge is left with no option but to grant the bail.

SS: I will speak to Mamaji. They too want that he should come out.

HT: Exactly. But they are overtrying. I talked to SHO and did everything to make Rajbeer’s involvement zero…. He (SHO) is very much ready to give the positive report and clean chit. He is the SHO. He is the IO. Court has to go by his report.

SS: OK, tell me what have we to do. What’s its status? What can happen right now?

HT: Just the SHO has to give a positive report in Rajbeer’s favour. He is ready to give it tomorrow. Tomorrow. Thereafter, you or me have to arrange a lawyer. I told you I have talked to a top criminal lawyer. I stand guarantee that 99% he will get the bail.

SS: Do you mean we will get the report and thereafter file the bail application?

HT: No we will first file the bail application in the court. Court will officially seek the report from Police. That report will be already prepared in our favour. Half of the work, we will keep ready in the background. As soon as the court will seek report, Police will send it immediately by hand and on the basis of that report this case will be put up in the court. There will be short hearing of 5 to 10 minutes, not a long argument and the judge does accept or deny the bail.

SS: OK. Tell us how to proceed further.

HT: I just want Mama ji to meet and settle the matter with this man (Mehmood Khan). Tell him to meet him and bargain the matter with him. When he (SHO) will get his share out of the whole matter, he will be more than happy to help. What’s his problem?

SS: We are desperately looking for someone to help us. Somehow he (Rajbeer) should come out of India and rest with peace even at home in India.

HT: He will walk out. I will personally drop him at Delhi airport. After he is out on bail, I will ensure that he is out of the state.

SS: OK, let him be at his home in Jammu

HT: Yes, why shouldn’t he when he is relieved and bailed out of the matter. He will sit in peace.

SS: Should I send then Mama ji to bargain and settle the matter?

HT: Yes, send Mama ji for bargaining. Problem is that this SHO is getting offended with their behaviour. Even today at 4.00 pm, I had called the SHO and Mama ji and Vinay to my office because it becomes difficult to strike a deal inside Police Station. I thought they will talk face to face and strike the deal. I thought once the SHO is in our hand, our job is done. But they (Mama ji and Vinay) didn’t cooperate.

SS: Did the SHO come to your office?

HT: Yes he did. I arranged their meeting at my office.

SS: OK, its all clear now. I will speak to Mama ji and send him.

HT: You speak to Mama ji. Tell him don’t go here and there. Just concentrate on the main person. Please make him understand that nobody will intervene and help in such matter until he gets a share out of it. Nobody here will help without interest. Everybody will have a motive and try to make some benefit out of it.

SS: OK, I will send Mama ji early in the morning tomorrow.

HT: I say just do it today and don’t leave it for tomorrow. Had they done it yesterday, FIR would not have been registered today. He would have closed this chapter.

HS: I will just speak to Mama ji and tell him to act accordingly.

SS: We will stay in touch. I will call you back in 15 or 20 minutes.

HT: Sure, sure. Don’t worry. Absolutely not.

END

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STATE TIMES IMPACT

SI Mehmood Khan placed under suspension, IGP orders enquiry

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz

JAMMU, May 16: Consequent upon the exposure of a deal he attempted to strike for the release of an NDPS detainee Rajbeer Singh, as exclusively published by STATE TIMES in its edition on May 14, incharge of Narwal Police Post (under Bahu Fort Police Station) Sub Inspector Mehmood Khan has been placed under suspension and removed from his posting.

According to order issued by SSP Jammu on May 15, incharge Police Post Gujjar Nagar, Sub Inspector Waseem Meraj, has been appointed as the new head of PP Narwal. He has taken over immediately. SSP, under instruction of IGP Jammu Danish Rana, has ordered an enquiry into Mehmood Khan’s working which would be conducted by Additional SP Chandan Kohli (IPS).

IGP Jammu Mr Danish Rana told STATE TIMES that he took cognizance of an audio clip that was provided to him earlier this month. “When I listened to this audio in a couple of days and it appeared to me that prima facie something serious has occurred, I ordered an inquiry. Yesterday, we placed Sub Inspector Mehmood Khan under suspension and replaced him with another Sub Inspector. We have taken cognizance and will take further action on the basis of the enquiry report”, IGP said.

END

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Published in today’s STATE TIMES

STATE TIMES EXCLUSIVE

How Kashmiri youth was framed in drug case to extort money from NRI family

J&K Police officer bargained ‘clean chit’ with NRI family in USA with the help of a businessman friend; filed FIR hastily when IGP intervened

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz/ Vivek Sharma

_________

JAMMU, May 13: On March 7 this year, Jammu Police claimed to have arrested “two drug peddlers”, namely Rajbeer Singh and Sameer Ahmad Mir, residents of Baramulla at a naka on Jammu-Delhi national highway. It claimed to have recovered from their Wagon R, JK02AL-2298, 6500 intoxicating capsules and 65 bottles of banned syrup. It said that the naka was laid on “specific information” and FIR No: 51/2016 under sections 8, 21 and 22 of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act was registered against the two detainees at Bahu Fort Police Station. “During questioning, the drug peddlers revealed that consignment was brought from outside the State for sale among the youth in Jammu district”.

Weeks later, STATE TIMES learned that three, not two, persons were travelling in the vehicle when it was intercepted during a routine checking, not on any specific information, on March 5^th  at 11.30 pm, not on March 7^th at 10.50 pm, at Kunjwani Chowk, not at Bala Chowk Kunjwani, as shown in the Police records. While investigating further, it became clear that head of Narwal Police Post, Sub Inspector Mehmood Khan, held the duo in wrongful confinement without disclosing their “arrest” for two days and with the help of a Kashmiri businessman friend, Haseeb Tramboo, the Police officer bargained Rajbeer Singh’s “clean chit” with his NRI family based in Cleveland, United States of America.

The FIR was filed hastily, around 48 hours later, on March 7^th, when the NRI family in Cleveland contacted an immigrant from Jammu, Ms Bindu, who called her school days class-fellow, Mr Danish Rana---currently Inspector General of Police Jammu--- and sought his help in release of Rajbeer Singh. In minutes of IGP’s call to SSP Jammu, SI Mehmood Khan sensed that the matter had been taken up with the higher authorities.  He did not lose a second to file the FIR.

Even as the recording of Mr Khan’s and Mr Tramboo’s call, which is available with STATE TIMES, was provided to senior Police officials earlier this month, no enquiry or any other action has been initiated against the Police officer and his businessman friend, bringing into question J&K Police’s system of taking cognizance and making the delinquent officials accountable.

During the course of investigation, Rajbeer’s relatives revealed that his brother Harjot Singh was settled in Cleveland along with parents and brother-in-law Summerpreet Singh. They are running a business in stores. Rajbeer, who lived at his house in Baramulla during summer and his house in Nanak Nagar during winter, was also planning to move to USA after completing a course in computer sciences.

In Jammu, Rajbeer developed friendship with one Joginder and invested Rs 1.50 lakh in his ice cream business. On March 3rd, Rajbeer left for New Delhi in his Wagon R, alongwith Joginder and another Baramulla-based youth Sameer. Rajbeer’s vehicle met with an accident at Patiala where he left back his Wagon R and travelled to Delhi by a taxi to catch up with a woman friend. Joginder followed him after repairing the vehicle and joined him at a hotel in Pahargunj area. On March 4^th, Rajbeer and Joginder purchased some cooling equipment for latter’s ice factory. On March 5^th, on their return, they were stopped by a Police party at Kunjwani Chowk, falling in jurisdiction of Gangyal Police Station.

While Rajbeer and Sameer were held at Narwal Police Post, Joginder was let off without questioning, leading to suspicions about his working for Police secretly. He moved out with three compressors, one AC plate besides a bag of Haldi and a packet of milk. Khan established contact with a number of Rajbeer’s relatives through businessman friend Haseeb Tramboo who reportedly operates business from Narwal. Rajbeer’s relatives revealed that money was straightaway demanded with the assurance that the boy would be left off the frame and let off.

“Since the demand ranged between Rs 5.00 lakh and Rs 10.00 lakh, we requested them to talk directly to Rajbeer’s brother and other family members in USA”, said one of his relatives in Jammu.

Sometime on March 7^th, a telephonic conversation for 19 minutes and 20 seconds happened between the phones of Tramboo (in Jammu) and Harjot (in Cleveland). Tramboo facilitated SHO’s direct conversation with Rajbeer’s brother Harjot and Harjot’s brother-in-law Summerpreet Singh. Sub Inspector Khan told Harjot that his relatives in Jammu had “unnecessarily highlighted and delayed too much” and documentation of the case had happened. He clarified to Harjot that he could not help if his relatives continued to “highlight” it to senior officers and media.

“We are ready to do anything for Rajbeer’s release as he is supposed to reach USA shortly. We can pay money”, Harjot said. “No, there’s no issue of money. Money we will see later. For now, you should concentrate on bail”, SHO retorted. Both, Khan and Tramboo, explained to Harjot and Summerpreet that Police would make “a favourable report” that would facilitate Rajbeer’s release on bail. Tramboo assured the family that he would use the services of his family firm and engage the best criminal lawyers but made it clear that it all could be done only after the matter would be settled with the Police officer.

Tramboo further assured fellow residents of Baramulla and classmates, Harjot and Summerpreet, that he would drop Rajbeer at International Airport in New Delhi where he would board a US-bound flight.

However, before the exchange of money would be fixed and executed, Rajbeer’s family in USA sought help from one Ms. Bindu with the expectation that her intervention through IGP Jammu would ensure the detainee’s release in a legal manner. It proved counter-productive as Bahu Fort Police immediately booked Rajbeer and Sameer in the FIR under NDPS. On March 31, 2016, case was challaned in court of First Additional District Judge Jammu. Rajbeer and Sameer are in District Jail Amphalla in Jammu.

END

[Published in Saturday’s STATE TIMES]

BCAS orders inquiry into Indigo Airline’s security breach at Srinagar airport

Chief Security Officer of AAI caught travelling on junior’s boarding card

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz

________

SRINAGAR, May 11: Even as efforts are underway to hush up the matter of a major security breach of Indigo Airlines at Srinagar Airport, Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) has ordered an inquiry to learn how Chief Security Officer of Airports Authority of India (AAI) travelled from Srinagar to New Delhi on a subordinate official’s boarding card.

Different security and intelligence agencies on monitoring and surveillance at the country’s most sensitive airport have reported to their respective headquarters that on April 1^st, 2016, AAI’s CSO Tilak Raj Guglani boarded Indigo Airline flight 6E 436, minutes before its departure at 1400 hours and travelled to New Delhi on the boarding pass of his junior official Vimal Kumar. It has been pointed out that this kind of travelling is not only criminal in nature but also a serious security breach.

Highly placed authoritative sources revealed to STATE TIMES that BCAS has ordered an inquiry by Amritsar-based Deputy Commissioner Ashitosh Vasist. Mr Vasist travelled to Srinagar and had a series of interactions with different officials of various agencies, besides the Indigo Airlines staff. However, he is understood not to have submitted his report to BCAS in the last seven weeks.

Some officials privy to the development insisted that efforts were afoot to hush up the matter even as four employees of Indigo Airlines had been briefly removed from duty and placed under suspension. Sources identified the officials suspended as Assistant Manager Mohammad Nadeem, Farhat, Syed Asif and Mudassar who were reportedly on duty beside the aircraft and had stamped Tilak Raj’s boarding card, drawn in the name of Vimal Kumar, even after noticing that it did not have the signatures of the anti-hijacking officials on duty.

“It’s an extremely serious lapse that can warrant cancellation of the private airline’s license to operate at this sensitive airport. Anti-hijacking staff (a component of Security Wing of Jammu and Kashmir Police) got suspicious of the unusual conversation between Tilak Raj and Indigo staff at the boarding point. When it became clear to them that AAI’s CSO had boarded the aircraft on a different official’s boarding card, they tried to stop it but the plane had started movement for departure at the tarmac. The AHJ staff immediately brought it to the notice of SSP Anti-hijacking Manzoor Ahmad Dalal, who, in turn, alerted his senior officials.

Indigo Airline’s Station Manager at Srinagar Airport Aasiya Bashir picked up the telephone from this newspaper. When she was asked about the incident, she dropped the phone. She did not respond to phone calls when STATE TIMES repeatedly tried to contact her for a comment. Assistant Manager Mohammad Nadeem picked up the call but insisted that no such incident had taken place at Srinagar Airport.

“I think you have received totally wrong information. There’s no AAI official by the name of Tilak Raj posted at this airport” Mohammad Nadeem maintained. He claimed that neither he nor anyone else of his staff had been placed under suspension.

SSP Anti-hijacking Manzoor Ahmad Dalal, however, confirmed to STATE TIMES that Chief Security Officer of AAI Mr Tilak Raj had been found travelling from Srinagar to New Delhi on April 1^st on an Indigo Airlines flight on the boarding card of his junior official Vimal Kumar. “Our surveillance staff noticed his movement and brought it to our notice. Indigo has perhaps initiated some action against its staff but I have learned that BCAS has ordered an inquiry and DC Mr Vasist is conducting it. He may be having the details”, Mr Dalal asserted. “A sword is definitely dangling on the head of Indigo Airlines for this security breach”, he added.

According to Mr Dalal, it was quite usual for AAI’s CSO and other AAI officers to move in the operational area while wearing their I-cards. However, it was for the first time that someone of them, who are ironically posted to pre-empt such breaches and violations, boarded the aircraft at the eleventh hour while making misuse of his official position and a private airlines staff failed to turn him back. Another official said that it was only the CSO who issues security passes to all concerned. “Yes, it’s a security guidelines breach. They should not have allowed him to board the aircraft that was ready for take-off”, another official said.

END

[Published in today’s STATE TIMES]

CONGRATULATIONS  AND BEST WISHES TO ZAFFAR

Unusually, Aijaz Hussain broke the bad news. "Sir he has been shot into head and just rushed to Soura. There's no chance of his survival", Aijaz said. It took us just 10 seconds to charge my Maruti-800 outside Daily Excelsior bureau office. Traffic rush was just half of today's. In the next 17 minutes, we were at his bed in the Emergency ward of SKIMS. Contrary to our wild apprehensions, we found him in full senses. Blood was still gushing out of his wound between his eyes and nostrils. As usual Barkha had reached there before everyone else. She looked traumatised and, for the first time, was not doing interviews, bytes and PTC. For a second, I began pressing myself to believe that he would survive even as, to my knowledge, nobody hit this way, had. We returned only after doctors assured us that the chances of his survival were bright as, they pointed out, his critical tissues and organs had escaped MIRACULOUSLY. Yes, it was a miracle, providential escape, indeed. Post-recovery, however, I felt he fall into a depression, thinking every time that he had been the target and would be hit fatally next time. I just beseeched him to frequently visit my office. He did. It took me around a month to make him believe that he had been shot for mistaken identity. He had done nothing of the sort we did every day. Perhaps a year or two later, we saw him join Barkha's NDTV and doing wonderful stories---initially from Jammu and later from Srinagar. He was a sub editor at daily KASHMIR IMAGES when two youngmen wielding pistols barged into his office, at Lambert Lane in Srinagar, and asked where's Zaffar Iqbal. "I'm Zaffar. How can I help you", he had replied, only to be answered with a bullet in point blank range. That was on May 29, 2002.

Many many congratulations to very dear colleague and a member of my news group KASHMIR FIRSTPOST, Sheikh Zaffar Iqbal, on occasion of his NIKAH today. Wish the couple all the blessings of Almighty and an everlasting partnership.

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz