News Analysis India

Tag: Jammu and Kashmir

  • Militant killed in encounter in Bandipora forests of JK

    By PTI

    SRI NAGAR: A militant was killed in a gunbattle with security forces in Bandipora district while another encounter was underway in the Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday, police said.

    The gunbattle had broken out between the militants and security forces in Salinder forests of Bandipora earlier in the day, a police spokesperson had said.

    Later, in a tweet, the Kashmir Zone police said, “One terrorist killed, one AK rifle and three magazines recovered. The killed terrorist was a part of a newly infiltrated terror group. Search for other two terrorists in progress.”

    The spokesperson said the operation was going on till the last reports arrived.

    Another encounter was underway at Marhama in the Bijbehara area of the Anantnag district. There was no report of any casualty in this operation in the south Kashmir district so far.

  • CBI searches 8 locations in J-K, Mumbai in J&K Bank building purchase irregularities case

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The CBI on Tuesday conducted searches at the premises of former J&K Bank chairman Haseeb Drabu and some other former top officials in connection with the purchase of the bank’s office building in Mumbai in 2010, and claimed to have recovered “incriminating documents”.

    The searches were conducted at eight locations in Mumbai, Srinagar and Jammu after the agency registered an FIR in the purchase of the Akruti Gold Building for around Rs 180 crore by the bank for its integrated office in Mumbai on November 11 last year, officials said.

    The FIR was registered following a reference from the Jammu and Kashmir government, they said.

    The premises of then bank directors M I Shahdad and Vikrant Kuthiala, and former executive director A K Mehta were also searched on Tuesday, the officials said. This is the second search in this connection. The four were also members of the estate committee of the bank, they said.

    “The Central Bureau of Investigation is today conducting searches at eight locations including at Jammu, Srinagar and Mumbai at the premises of then members of Estate Committee of the Board of Directors including then chairman of J&K Bank, then directors, then executive director. Incriminating documents, articles and electronic evidences, several bank account details and bank locker keys have been recovered during searches,” CBI spokesperson RC Joshi said.

    The CBI has alleged that the bank had entered into a deal for its branch office at the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) with Akruti Gold at a much higher rate than offered by other shortlisted builders causing a loss of over Rs 100 crore to the bank.

    The case was earlier probed by the Anti-corruption Branch of the Jammu and Kashmir Police, which had registered an FIR following a preliminary inquiry.

    The inquiry report, now part of the FIR, had said an advertisement was issued by the J&K Bank on November 6, 2008, inviting offers for outright sale of integrated office premises at Bandra Kurla, Mumbai, requiring 20,000 sqft space.

    Twenty-five builders had responded to the advertisement which were opened by the committee formed for the purpose and out of the offers received, eight properties Ashapura Builders (Hallmark Business Plaza), Topaz Akruti, Crescenzo (BKC), Platin BKC, Naman Centre, Golden Homeland agencies (Wockhardt), Windsor and KRC Towers were shortlisted.

    Of these eight, the rates offered by Ashapura Builders were the lowest at Rs 25,000 per sqft, Ashapura Builders on July 28, 2009, made an offer for its building’s third floor of 30,000 sqft built up area at Rs 22,500 per sqft chargeable area.

    “The application was processed and submitted to then chairman to take a decision but no decision was taken regarding finalisation of contract with Ashapura Builders’ owners. A committee was constituted with approval of the chairman to take a view with regard to the offer received. The committee so constituted has done nothing in respect of offers received,” the FIR had alleged.

    The bank on the instructions of its corporate headquarters published another advertisement on January 14, 2010, seeking office space 25,000-30,000 sqft and residential flats in or around Andheri (15 single BHK 600-800 sqft and 10 double BHK 1000-1200 sqft) it said.

    The offer was responded to by 23 builders. “Ashapura Builders again quoted the lowest rate Rs 25,000 per sqft It has been found that no heed once again was paid to the lowest rate,” the FIR alleged.

    It has been found that in the board of directors meeting held on february 25, 2010, the director estate committee briefed board members about site inspections of the shortlisted properties conducted by the estate committee, it alleged.

    “The members were informed that amongst the short listed properties, Akruti Goki BKC meets requirements of the bank. He further informed the members that total chargeable area of the entire building was around 42,000 sqft at Rs 26,000 per sqft which roughly works out to Rs 109 crore for the entire building and Rs 73 crore for the proposed six floors,” the FIR alleged.

    It said the board members allegedly gave approval to the proposal and decided that the bank should enter into negotiations with the builders for purchasing the entire building.

    “Negotiations were held with Akruti Gold BKC and finally the rate was finalised at Rs 26,000 per sqft for nine floors having total chargeable area of 63,776 sqft. A letter of intent was signed with the builder and a token money of Rs 25 crore was paid to developer Vishal Techno Commerce Limited,” it alleged.

    The FIR said there was sufficient space available with J&K Bank for functioning of its branch at Bandra Kurla, Zonal Office and Treasury and as such there was no requirement of purchasing any additional accommodation.

    “The Zonal Office Mumbai, Branch Bandra Kurla and Treasury were already functioning in the bank’s own buildings. The advertisements issued were for 20,000 sqft and 20,000-30,000 sqft respectively in response to which, the rates offered by Ashapura Builders were Rs 25,000 and Rs 22,000 a sqft,” it alleged.

    The CBI alleged that as part of a “criminal conspiracy hatched among the officers/officials of J&K Bank and the owners of Akruti Gold BKC”, officers of J&K Bank approved purchase of 65,065 sqft at Rs 26,000 per sqft on highly exorbitant consideration of Rs 180.57 crore “in blatant disregard to the tendering process with consequent loss to the bank exchequer.” Their actions allegedly caused a tentative loss of more than Rs 100 crore to the bank exchequer, it said.

  • J-K: Civilian killed, soldier injured as militants open fire to break security forces’ cordon

    By PTI

    SRINAGAR: A civilian was killed and two others, including a soldier, were injured, in an encounter between militants and security forces in Shopian district of Jammu and Kashmir, police said on Tuesday.

    In another south Kashmir district of Anantnag, a gunfight was underway between militants and security forces.

    Giving details, a police spokesman said a cordon and search operation was launched on Monday evening by security forces in the Pandoshan area of Shopian following information about the presence of terrorists there. As the search party was establishing the cordon around the area, the hiding terrorists started indiscriminate firing on it, he said.

    The spokesman said the security forces exercised maximum restraint to save and evacuate the civilians present in the area.

    “However, during the evacuation process, the hiding terrorists targeted the civilians as well as the security forces in a bid to escape. Although the civilians were evacuated to a safer place, due to heavy firing by terrorists, one soldier Lance Naik Sanjib Das and two civilians namely Shahid Gani Dar and Suhaib Ahmad received gunshot injuries,” he said.

    The injured persons were immediately airlifted to Army’s 92 Base Hospital in Srinagar. However, the civilian, Shahid Gani Dar, succumbed to injuries, the spokesman said.

    Taking advantage of the darkness and the civilian presence, the terrorists managed to escape from the site of the encounter but efforts are on to locate them, he said.

    It has been observed in some encounters recently in Shopian, Kulgam and Anantnag districts that Pakistani terrorists start firing on civilians and security forces to escape from the cordon, Inspector General of Police, Kashmir, Vijay Kumar said.

    “In some such encounters, terrorists managed to escape from cordon but we have lost precious lives of civilians and security forces. We are trying to bring some change in our tactical SOPs,” he said.

    A fresh gunfight broke out at Kreeri in the Dooru area of Anantnag district, the spokesman said. He said the exchange of firing was going on and there were no reports of any casualty so far.

  • Two civilians injured in encounter in J&K’s Shopian

    By PTI

    SRINAGAR: Two civilians were injured during an encounter between security forces and militants in Shopian district of Jammu and Kashmir on Monday, police said.

    “During initial cordon & search operation, #terrorists fired upon civilians and tried to escape, in which two #civilians got #injured. Both the injured shifted to hospital. One of them is critical. Cordon strengthened, details shall follow,” Kasgmir Zone Police tweeted.

    The security forces had launched a cordon and search operation in Pandoshan area in Shopian following information about the presence of militants there.

    The search operation turned into an encounter after the militants opened firing on the security forces, who retaliated.

  • Pakistani terrorist among two ultras killed in encounter in J&K’s Kulgam

    By PTI

    SRINAGAR: A Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist from Pakistan was among two ultras killed in an encounter with security forces in Kulgam district of Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday, police said.

    Acting on a specific information regarding the presence of terrorists in the Cheyan Devsar area of Kulgam in south Kashmir, security forces launched a cordon-and-search operation there, a police spokesman said.

    As the security forces personnel approached the suspected spot, the hiding terrorists fired indiscriminately upon them. The security personnel effectively retaliated leading to a gunfight, he said.

    “In the ensuing encounter, two terrorists of the proscribed terror outfit LeT, including Pakistani terrorist commander Haider, was killed and their bodies were retrieved from the site. The other killed terrorist has been identified as Shahbaz Shah of Kulgam,” the spokesman said.

    Inspector General of Police (IGP) of Kashmir Vijay Kumar called the operation a big success and congratulated the joint team for eliminating the wanted Pakistani terrorist, Haider.

    Incriminating materials and arms and ammunition, including an AK-56 rifle with four magazines, a pistol with a magazine and one UBGL, were recovered from the site of the encounter, the spokesman said.

    According to police records, Haider was a categorised terrorist who was active for more than two years in north Kashmir and had recently shifted his base to south Kashmir, he said.

    “The killed terrorist was part of groups involved in several terror crimes, civilian atrocities and various killings, including recent killings of police personnel Mohammad Sultan and Fayaz Ahmad in November last year at Gulshan Chowk Bandipora.

    “He was also involved in an attack on a naka party near Nishat Park Bandipora in February this year in which SPO Zubair Ahmad attained martyrdom while four other security personnel were injured,” he said.

    Shah was a “hybrid terrorist” and was involved in the killing of Satish Kumar Singh, a civilian belonging to minority community, on April 13 in Kakran of Kulgam. “After this attack, the said terrorist was categorised,” the spokesman said.

  • Terrorist killed as Army foils infiltration bid in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri

    By PTI

    JAMMU: A terrorist was killed on Saturday as the Army foiled an infiltration bid along the Line of Control (LoC) in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir, a defence spokesman said.

    An alert Army patrol noticed the movement of the terrorist attempting to cross the border in the Lam sector of Naushera and challenged him, the spokesman said.

    The terrorist opened fire and was killed in the ensuing gunfight, the spokesman said, adding the body has been retrieved.

    Officials said reinforcements were rushed to the site of the encounter and a counter-infiltration operation was underway.

  • Two militant associates held in Jammu and Kashmir’s Budgam

    By PTI

    SRINAGAR: Security forces arrested two militant associates of Ansar Gazwat-ul-Hind (AGuH) in Jammu and Kashmir’s Budgam district on Friday, police said.

    “Budgam Police along with Army and CRPF arrested two terrorist associates of proscribed terror outfit AGuH in Huroo area of Budgam, in central Kashmir,” a police spokesman said.

    He identified those arrested as Amir Manzoor Budoo, resident of Dangerpora Razwan, and Shahid Rasool Ganaie, resident of Puttermulla Safapora in Ganderbal.

    Incriminating materials including a hand grenade and 25 AK-47 rounds were recovered from their possession, the spokesman said.

    A case has been registered and further investigation has been taken up, he said.

  • J&K: NC, People’s Conference indulge in blame game over delimitation panel report

    By PTI

    SRINAGAR: The National Conference on Thursday said it was studying the impact of the Delimitation Commission report on individual assembly segments in Jammu and Kashmir but claimed the BJP and its proxies will be punished by the voters whenever elections are held in the union territory.

    However, the People’s Conference led by Sajad Gani Lone, which is seen as an ally of the BJP, accused the National Conference of providing sanctity to the delimitation exercise after its MPs participated in the deliberations of the commission.

    Redrawing the electoral map of Jammu and Kashmir, a three-member Delimitation Commission on Thursday earmarked 47 assembly seats for Kashmir division and 43 for Jammu in its final order submitted just a day before its two-year tenure was to end.

    A gazette notification was issued after the panel, headed by retired Supreme Court judge Ranjana Prakash Desai, signed the final order giving Jammu six additional seats and one more to Kashmir.

    “We have seen the final recommendations of the Delimitation Commission. We are studying the implications of these recommendations for individual assembly constituencies. No amount of gerrymandering will change the ground reality which is that whenever elections are held the voter will punish the BJP & its proxies for what they have done to J&K over the last 4 years,” the National Conference tweeted.

    However, the People’s Conference said the delimitation report is a repeat of the past and accused the NC of providing sanctity to the delimitation exercise.

    “Same traditional entities are calling the shots behind the scenes. Kashmir has been discriminated against as in the past. No change. Only degree of disempowerment is greater,” the party said in a statement posted on Twitter.

    Over the last six decades, Kashmir’s share of assembly seats in the J-K assembly increased from 43 to 47, while Jammu’s share rose from 30 to 43. Who is responsible for systematic disempowerment of Kashmiris from 1947, it asked.

    “Those who aided and abetted in the journey from Jammu’s 30 to 37 are the ones who aided and abetted from 37 to 43. Wish Kashmiri parties had stayed away and not diluted the stigma associated with a people-less process. Hope Kashmiris will remember the parties who associated themselves with delimitation process which was in essential a tool for disempowerment will always be in wonderment. How could a party which associated itself with the delimitation process be so audacious. They actually had the nerve of submitting one memorandum in Kashmir and a separate memorandum in Jammu. Ironically the memorandums were contradictory,” the People’s Conference said “The Jammu one seemed to have been copy-pasted from the Hindutva brigade,” it added.

    The party said it will go for an RTI and seek the video recordings of the meetings.

    “How those who started beating their chests outside the meeting halls were bending their back backwards to appease and please the members of the delimitation commission. Financial scams indulged in – during the last few decades cannot be squared off by covertly facilitating disempowerment of the Kashmiris. How stupid we were. We couldn’t see through the game plan. The raids. The EDs. It was all a game. A trade-off. They again bartered away the Kashmiris. The barterers are the same. When will this change,” it said.

    The party said it does not claim that the outcome of the exercise would have been any different if there was no participation of the National Conference. “But the process would not enjoy the sanctity that they enjoy now.”

  • ‘Tremendous improvement’ in security situation in J&K post-August 2019, says top Army commander

    By PTI

    UDHAMPUR: Asserting that the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir has seen a “tremendous improvement and stabilisation” since August 2019, a top Army commander said the union territory is regaining its past glory and peace through sacrifices of the security forces and people.

    He said security forces have eliminated 180 terrorists in 2021 and arrested 495 overground workers (OGWs), thereby giving a telling blow to the terror network in Jammu and Kashmir.

    “As a result of extraordinary synergy, security forces and other organisations of the government, the situation in the hinterland of Jammu and Kashmir has seen a tremendous improvement and stabilisation since August 2019. There has been a considerable improvement in all the parameters of terrorism and violence,” General Officer Commanding in Chief (GoC-In-C), Northern Command, Lieutenant General Upendra Dwivedi said in an interview to PTI here.

    Giving further details about the ground situation in J and K, Lt Gen Dwivedi said the (terror) recruitment has declined by 31 percent — from 192 in 2020 it has come down to 148 in 2021.

    “Terrorist-initiated incidents have gone down by 14 percent — from 137 in 2020 to 119 in 2021. The agitational dynamics has also declined,” he said.

    As a result of synchronised intelligence network and support from the people, security forces have eliminated 180 terrorists in 2021, of which 18 were foreign elements, the Army commander said.

    These slain terrorists belonged to Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM), Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), Al-Badr and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind (AGH) outfits, he said.

    “In the four months of 2022, 66 terrorists have been eliminated, including 17 foreign elements,” Lt Gen Dwivedi said, adding efforts towards dismantling of the OGW network and exposing their machinations has resulted in the arrest of 495 OGWs in 2021 and 87 OGWs in the first four months of 2022.

    “A telling blow has been dealt to the terror network in J-K,” he said.

    The Army commander maintained that all “these successes” are reflections of higher standards of professionalism and jointness in all the domains and dimensions of counter-terrorist operations.

    “I see J-K regaining its past glory and sustaining the hard-earned peace through sacrifices of the security forces and awam (people),” he said.

    Lt Gen Dwivedi said the narrative in the Kashmir region has changed since August 2019.

    “And in this change, the civil administration, the security forces and the leaders in the society have all joined hands together. The intensity of operations will continue to be high till all of the residual 168 plus terrorists surrender or they are eliminated,” he said.

    The Centre had ended the special status of the Jammu and Kashmir state on August 5, 2019 and downgraded it to a union territory.

    The Army commander said that the overall situation is progressively improving due to the proactive Rashtriya Rifles-gridded deployment leading to a positive and conducive environment for accelerating the developing initiatives of the government.

    “Dividends of peace have started reaching the people and they are further getting motivated to preserve and sustain the peace,” he said.

  • Cross-border tunnel used by JeM suicide bombers detected in Jammu and Kashmir’s Samba

    By PTI

    JAMMU: An underground tunnel, believed to have been used by two suicide bombers of Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror group to sneak into India, was detected along the International Border (IB) in Samba district of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said.

    The detection of the cross-border tunnel comes nearly a fortnight after security forces gunned down both the suicide bombers in a gunfight shortly after they attacked a CISF bus killing an Assistant Sub-inspector in Sunjwan area of Jammu on April 22.

    This was the first such structure unearthed by the BSF beneath the International Border in the past 16 months, taking the overall number to 11 in the past decade.

    Last year, the force had detected two tunnels in Hiranagar sector of Kathua district in January.

    “Today, alert troops of @bsf_jammu detected a #tunnel along Samba International Border area, thwarting the nefarious designs of #Pakistan,” tweeted BSF Jammu – the official handle of BSF Jammu frontier tonight.

    Earlier, Deputy Inspector General of BSF (Jammu) S P S Sandhu said a small opening, believed to be a suspected tunnel, was found in a general area near fencing in Samba.

    “Due to darkness further search could not be carried out. Detailed search will be carried out early in the morning at first light,” Sandhu, who is the public relations officer of the force, said, sharing a few pictures of the suspected tunnel.

    However, BSF sources said the tunnel was detected by the troops during the ongoing anti-tunnelling drive in the border outpost area of Chak Faquira around 5.30 pm.

    “A newly dug tunnel at a distance of 150 metres from the IB and 50 metres from the border fence was detected opposite Pakistani post Chaman Khurd (Fiaz) which is 900 metres from the Indian side,” an official said, asking not to be named.

    He said the opening of the tunnel is about 300 metres from the border outpost Chak Faquira and 700 metres from the last Indian village.

    BSF has launched a massive drive to detect any tunnel all along the International Border (IB) following the April 22 encounter in Sunjwan area of Jammu when two heavily-armed JeM terrorists, wearing suicide vests, were eliminated in an encounter after they attacked a bus carrying Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel.

    The subsequent investigation led to the arrest of three conspirators including a truck driver and his helper who transported the Pashtu-speaking terrorists from Sapwal border in Samba district to Jammu in the middle of the night the previous day.

    The officials said the suicide bombers are believed to have sneaked from Pakistan, using the tunnel as the border fence was found intact during the stepped up anti-infiltration operations.

    BSF is manning about 192 km of IB and Line of Control (LoC) alongside the Army and is keeping a tight vigil to scuttle any attempt of infiltration of terrorists, smuggling of weapons and narcotics and drone activity from across the border.