News Analysis India

Tag: Jammu and Kashmir

  • Army grounds ALH Dhruv fleet following May 4 crash in J&K

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The Army has grounded the entire fleet of Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) Dhruv following the crash of one of the choppers in Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday, military sources said.

    An ALH Dhruv with three people on board crashed following a “hard landing” in Kishtwar in Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday. A technician was killed and two pilots were injured in the incident.

    As a precautionary measure, the ALH Dhruv fleet has been temporarily grounded, the sources said.

    The Navy and the Coast Guard had grounded their respective ALH Dhruv fleets in March following two similar incidents involving the platform.

    The sources said the ALH Dhruv choppers with the Navy and the Coast Guard are undergoing technical checks.

    The helicopters which have been cleared in the scrutiny process are flying now, said a source.

    The Indian Air Force operates around 70 ALH Dhruv.

    NEW DELHI: The Army has grounded the entire fleet of Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) Dhruv following the crash of one of the choppers in Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday, military sources said.

    An ALH Dhruv with three people on board crashed following a “hard landing” in Kishtwar in Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday. A technician was killed and two pilots were injured in the incident.

    As a precautionary measure, the ALH Dhruv fleet has been temporarily grounded, the sources said.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    The Navy and the Coast Guard had grounded their respective ALH Dhruv fleets in March following two similar incidents involving the platform.

    The sources said the ALH Dhruv choppers with the Navy and the Coast Guard are undergoing technical checks.

    The helicopters which have been cleared in the scrutiny process are flying now, said a source.

    The Indian Air Force operates around 70 ALH Dhruv.

  • Militant killed, another injured in J&K’s Rajouri encounter

    Express News Service

    SRI NAGAR: A militant was killed and another injured in an ongoing encounter with security forces on Saturday in the Kandi forest area of Rajouri in Jammu and Kashmir, a day after five soldiers were killed in an explosion during the anti-militancy operation in the forest area.

    Defence spokesman in Jammu Lt Col Devender Anand said the contact was established with the militants hiding in the Kandi forest area of Rajouri at midnight.

    “The militants fired on the security personnel, who retaliated. In the ensuing gunfight, a militant was killed and another injured,” he said.

    The security men recovered one AK 56 rifle, 4 magazines, 56 rounds,  1 x 9mm Pistol with magazine, three grenades and one ammunition pouch. 

    The identity of the slain militant and the outfit to which he owed allegiance is being ascertained.

    The cordon and search operation in the forest area is going on, he said.

    Army is being assisted by specially trained para-troopers, J&K police and paramilitary personnel during the search operation.

    Five soldiers identified as L/Nk Ruchin Singh Rawat R/o Kunigad, Uttrakhand; Paratrooper Siddhant Chettri R/o Pulbazar, West Bengal;  Naik Arvind Kumar R/o Marhoon, Himachal Pradesh; Havaldar Neelam Singh  R/o Akhnoor, J&K and paratrooper Pramod Negi R/o Shillai, HP were killed in a powerful explosion triggered by militants in the dense forest area during an encounter yesterday.

    Army has pressed drones, helicopters and sniffer dogs into service to track down the militants hiding in the forest area.

    Army has been conducting a relentless cordon and search operation in the forest area of Rajouri and Poonch to track down the militants involved in the April 20 ambush on an army truck in Tota Gali area of Bhata Dhurian in Poonch district in which five soldiers were killed.

    In the April 20 attack, militants had used steel coated bullets to pierce the Bullet Proof (BP) vests of the army men and planted an IED in the army vehicle.

    The militant outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad’s offshoot People’s Anti-Fascist Front (PAFF) had claimed responsibility for the April 20 attack.

    LeT militant killed in Baramulla encounter

    An encounter also broke out between militants and security forces during a search operation in Karahama Kunzer area of North Kashmir’s Baramulla district in the early hours today.

    A police official said a Lashkar militant identified as Abid Wani R/o Kulgam in south Kashmir was killed in the encounter.

    He said an AK 47 rifle was recovered from possession of the slain militant.

    The combing operation in the area was going on when reports last poured in.

    SRI NAGAR: A militant was killed and another injured in an ongoing encounter with security forces on Saturday in the Kandi forest area of Rajouri in Jammu and Kashmir, a day after five soldiers were killed in an explosion during the anti-militancy operation in the forest area.

    Defence spokesman in Jammu Lt Col Devender Anand said the contact was established with the militants hiding in the Kandi forest area of Rajouri at midnight.

    “The militants fired on the security personnel, who retaliated. In the ensuing gunfight, a militant was killed and another injured,” he said.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    The security men recovered one AK 56 rifle, 4 magazines, 56 rounds,  1 x 9mm Pistol with magazine, three grenades and one ammunition pouch. 

    The identity of the slain militant and the outfit to which he owed allegiance is being ascertained.

    The cordon and search operation in the forest area is going on, he said.

    Army is being assisted by specially trained para-troopers, J&K police and paramilitary personnel during the search operation.

    Five soldiers identified as L/Nk Ruchin Singh Rawat R/o Kunigad, Uttrakhand; Paratrooper Siddhant Chettri R/o Pulbazar, West Bengal;  Naik Arvind Kumar R/o Marhoon, Himachal Pradesh; Havaldar Neelam Singh  R/o Akhnoor, J&K and paratrooper Pramod Negi R/o Shillai, HP were killed in a powerful explosion triggered by militants in the dense forest area during an encounter yesterday.

    Army has pressed drones, helicopters and sniffer dogs into service to track down the militants hiding in the forest area.

    Army has been conducting a relentless cordon and search operation in the forest area of Rajouri and Poonch to track down the militants involved in the April 20 ambush on an army truck in Tota Gali area of Bhata Dhurian in Poonch district in which five soldiers were killed.

    In the April 20 attack, militants had used steel coated bullets to pierce the Bullet Proof (BP) vests of the army men and planted an IED in the army vehicle.

    The militant outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad’s offshoot People’s Anti-Fascist Front (PAFF) had claimed responsibility for the April 20 attack.

    LeT militant killed in Baramulla encounter

    An encounter also broke out between militants and security forces during a search operation in Karahama Kunzer area of North Kashmir’s Baramulla district in the early hours today.

    A police official said a Lashkar militant identified as Abid Wani R/o Kulgam in south Kashmir was killed in the encounter.

    He said an AK 47 rifle was recovered from possession of the slain militant.

    The combing operation in the area was going on when reports last poured in.

  • Farooq attacks Centre for not holding G20 meet in Jammu, settlement of locals

    By PTI

    JAMMU: National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah on Monday attacked the government, saying it is unfortunate that G20 meetings were scheduled in Ladakh and Kashmir but not in Jammu, and slammed BJP leaders for not raising the issue.

    He also opposed the settlement of non-locals in Jammu and claimed that the Dogra identity is under threat.

    “It is very unfortunate that G20 meeting can be held in Ladakh and Kashmir but not in Jammu. Is Jammu not important? It is sad that not a single BJP leader, even those who chanted ‘Jammu, Jammu, Jammu and Dogra, Dogra, Dogra’ raised the issue. They have taken Jammu for granted believing that it is in their pocket,” he told reporters on the sidelines of a NC function at its headquarters here.

    Asked about the public notice issued by the Jammu and Kashmir Housing Board seeking online applications from people, who have migrated to Jammu temporarily or permanently, for allotment of 336 flats under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) Mission here, he said.

    “It shows what we have been saying all the time that demographic change is being brought about. Jammu is going to lose its identity, the Dogra identity is going to disappear and that is what Maharaja (Hari Singh — the last Dogra ruler) fought against. It was not (NC founder) Sheikh Abdullah or our party that brought that (state subject) law in 1927 for job and land protection. He (Maharaja) wanted his culture and identity to remain intact, Abdullah said. He said if outsiders are settled here, where will the locals go.”

    “They want to vanish this (Dogra) identity and it is very surprising that not a single BJP leader speaks about it. The people from outside will settle here and take our land and jobs slowly,” the NC leader said.

    On the April 20 terrorist attack on an army truck in Poonch district that left five soldiers dead, Abdullah said contrary to the BJP’s claims, terrorism is still alive in Jammu and Kashmir. “Has terrorism been ever finished? They were claiming that terrorism is finished with the abrogation of Article 370 (in 2019). There is no Article 370 (now) but terrorism is still there,” the former chief minister said, adding that “terrorism had heightened in the region”.

    In 2019, the Centre had abrogated Article 370 that granted special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcated it into Union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

    He said the killing of the five soldiers is a “shame for us and we regret the loss”.

    Supporting casual and need-based workers seeking regularisation, the NC leader said “The world is celebrating labour day and they (the administration) should think about the plight of these workers and how they are running the affairs of their families in the present times of high inflation”.

    JAMMU: National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah on Monday attacked the government, saying it is unfortunate that G20 meetings were scheduled in Ladakh and Kashmir but not in Jammu, and slammed BJP leaders for not raising the issue.

    He also opposed the settlement of non-locals in Jammu and claimed that the Dogra identity is under threat.

    “It is very unfortunate that G20 meeting can be held in Ladakh and Kashmir but not in Jammu. Is Jammu not important? It is sad that not a single BJP leader, even those who chanted ‘Jammu, Jammu, Jammu and Dogra, Dogra, Dogra’ raised the issue. They have taken Jammu for granted believing that it is in their pocket,” he told reporters on the sidelines of a NC function at its headquarters here.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    Asked about the public notice issued by the Jammu and Kashmir Housing Board seeking online applications from people, who have migrated to Jammu temporarily or permanently, for allotment of 336 flats under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) Mission here, he said.

    “It shows what we have been saying all the time that demographic change is being brought about. Jammu is going to lose its identity, the Dogra identity is going to disappear and that is what Maharaja (Hari Singh — the last Dogra ruler) fought against. It was not (NC founder) Sheikh Abdullah or our party that brought that (state subject) law in 1927 for job and land protection. He (Maharaja) wanted his culture and identity to remain intact, Abdullah said. He said if outsiders are settled here, where will the locals go.”

    “They want to vanish this (Dogra) identity and it is very surprising that not a single BJP leader speaks about it. The people from outside will settle here and take our land and jobs slowly,” the NC leader said.

    On the April 20 terrorist attack on an army truck in Poonch district that left five soldiers dead, Abdullah said contrary to the BJP’s claims, terrorism is still alive in Jammu and Kashmir. “Has terrorism been ever finished? They were claiming that terrorism is finished with the abrogation of Article 370 (in 2019). There is no Article 370 (now) but terrorism is still there,” the former chief minister said, adding that “terrorism had heightened in the region”.

    In 2019, the Centre had abrogated Article 370 that granted special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcated it into Union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

    He said the killing of the five soldiers is a “shame for us and we regret the loss”.

    Supporting casual and need-based workers seeking regularisation, the NC leader said “The world is celebrating labour day and they (the administration) should think about the plight of these workers and how they are running the affairs of their families in the present times of high inflation”.

  • Theft at district court complex in Rajouri, ASI among 5 cops suspended 

    By PTI

    JAMMU: Some seized articles and case property were stolen from the district court complex in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri, prompting the authorities to suspend five police personnel including an officer, and detain some suspects.

    Officials said some thieves broke the locks of the ‘Malkhana’ of the district court complex in Rajouri last night and decamped with the items.

    They said an FIR has been registered in the case and investigation started.

    Police have analysed the crime scene with the assistance of a forensic team, and are also analysing technical evidence, they said, adding some suspects have been rounded-up for questioning.

    Rajouri Senior Superintendent of Police Amritpal Singh suspended ASI Tariq Mehmood, SgCt Mohd Shafiq, and Special Police Officers Ghulam Nabi, Mohd Munshi and Murtaza Khan for dereliction of duties.

    An inquiry has also been initiated, they added, adding a breakthrough is expected very soon.

    The inquiry will be conducted by Rajouri deputy superintendent of police.

    JAMMU: Some seized articles and case property were stolen from the district court complex in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri, prompting the authorities to suspend five police personnel including an officer, and detain some suspects.

    Officials said some thieves broke the locks of the ‘Malkhana’ of the district court complex in Rajouri last night and decamped with the items.

    They said an FIR has been registered in the case and investigation started.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    Police have analysed the crime scene with the assistance of a forensic team, and are also analysing technical evidence, they said, adding some suspects have been rounded-up for questioning.

    Rajouri Senior Superintendent of Police Amritpal Singh suspended ASI Tariq Mehmood, SgCt Mohd Shafiq, and Special Police Officers Ghulam Nabi, Mohd Munshi and Murtaza Khan for dereliction of duties.

    An inquiry has also been initiated, they added, adding a breakthrough is expected very soon.

    The inquiry will be conducted by Rajouri deputy superintendent of police.

  • Amritpal Singh’s aide Varinder booked under Arms Act in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar

    By PTI

    KISHTWAR: The Jammu and Kashmir Police on Thursday booked Varinder Singh, suspected to be the bodyguard of the fugitive radical preacher Amritpal Singh, under the Arms Act in connection with a gun licence issued to him in Kishtwar district, officials said.

    The district administration also cancelled Varinder Singh’s licence, and said it will probe how the former army jawan, who was sacked in 2015, procured the licence in 2014 and then kept getting it renewed in different districts of Jammu and Kashmir.

    Police said Varinder Singh, also known as Fauji, was part of a private security set up for radical preacher Amritpal Singh, who is on the run.

    A video recently showed Varinder Singh, the bodyguard of Waris Punjab De chief Amritpal Singh, opening fire in the air.

    After the clip appeared, the Punjab Police arrested him last week, slapped the National Security Act on him and lodged him in a jail in faraway Assam.

    ALSO READ | In new video, Amritpal says he’s fine, calls for Sarbat Khalsa on Baisakhi

    Kishtwar Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Khalil Poswal told PTI on Thursday that there was also a need to investigate how Varinder Singh got the licence.

    “Accordingly, we have lodged an FIR under number 52/2023 under section 3/25/30 Arms Act and provisions of IPC registered in police station Kishtwar,” he said.

    He further said that police has conveyed the details of the case to Punjab Police and sought documents from them.

    “We will seek the presence of that person. He (Varinder Singh) will be brought here to conduct an investigation and to find out how he reached here and how he got his license from here.”

    Giving further details, he said that the gun license was issued to him in 2014 from Kishtwar Deputy Magistrate (DM) office.

    He said the CID wing of the Punjab Police recently wrote to the DM Kishtwar that there was misuse of his gun license.

    “The matter was activated and Deputy Commissioner Kishtwar cancelled gun license,” the SSP said.

    Poswal said that police will have to ascertain under which circumstances the gun license was issued to him in the first place as his army unit was never posted here in Kishtwar.

    “He was a jawan of the 96 regiments and was terminated in 2015. After issuance, his gun licence was getting renewed. The licence has been validated till 2025 from Ramban, Reasi, Baramulla and Kathua. There is a need to investigate the case,” the SSP said.

    ALSO READ | Close to catching Amritpal, says Punjab govt as fugitive preacher spotted without turban

    As for verification by the Police before granting a gun license to him, he said that there was a letter from then commandant to DM.

    “On that certificate, the gun licence was issued. There was certification or verification by Police in Kishtwar in this case,” the SSP said.

    Amritpal Singh, meanwhile, remains elusive since the police crackdown against him and members of his pro-Khalistan ‘Waris Punjab De’ outfit began on March 18, about three weeks after he and his supporters stormed into the Ajnala police station near Amritsar to secure the release of an arrested man.

    The preacher escaped the police net in Jalandhar district on March 18, switching vehicles and changing appearances.

    He and his associates have been booked under several criminal cases related to spreading disharmony among classes, attempts to murder, attacks on police personnel and creating obstructions in the lawful discharge of duty by public servants.

    KISHTWAR: The Jammu and Kashmir Police on Thursday booked Varinder Singh, suspected to be the bodyguard of the fugitive radical preacher Amritpal Singh, under the Arms Act in connection with a gun licence issued to him in Kishtwar district, officials said.

    The district administration also cancelled Varinder Singh’s licence, and said it will probe how the former army jawan, who was sacked in 2015, procured the licence in 2014 and then kept getting it renewed in different districts of Jammu and Kashmir.

    Police said Varinder Singh, also known as Fauji, was part of a private security set up for radical preacher Amritpal Singh, who is on the run.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    A video recently showed Varinder Singh, the bodyguard of Waris Punjab De chief Amritpal Singh, opening fire in the air.

    After the clip appeared, the Punjab Police arrested him last week, slapped the National Security Act on him and lodged him in a jail in faraway Assam.

    ALSO READ | In new video, Amritpal says he’s fine, calls for Sarbat Khalsa on Baisakhi

    Kishtwar Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Khalil Poswal told PTI on Thursday that there was also a need to investigate how Varinder Singh got the licence.

    “Accordingly, we have lodged an FIR under number 52/2023 under section 3/25/30 Arms Act and provisions of IPC registered in police station Kishtwar,” he said.

    He further said that police has conveyed the details of the case to Punjab Police and sought documents from them.

    “We will seek the presence of that person. He (Varinder Singh) will be brought here to conduct an investigation and to find out how he reached here and how he got his license from here.”

    Giving further details, he said that the gun license was issued to him in 2014 from Kishtwar Deputy Magistrate (DM) office.

    He said the CID wing of the Punjab Police recently wrote to the DM Kishtwar that there was misuse of his gun license.

    “The matter was activated and Deputy Commissioner Kishtwar cancelled gun license,” the SSP said.

    Poswal said that police will have to ascertain under which circumstances the gun license was issued to him in the first place as his army unit was never posted here in Kishtwar.

    “He was a jawan of the 96 regiments and was terminated in 2015. After issuance, his gun licence was getting renewed. The licence has been validated till 2025 from Ramban, Reasi, Baramulla and Kathua. There is a need to investigate the case,” the SSP said.

    ALSO READ | Close to catching Amritpal, says Punjab govt as fugitive preacher spotted without turban

    As for verification by the Police before granting a gun license to him, he said that there was a letter from then commandant to DM.

    “On that certificate, the gun licence was issued. There was certification or verification by Police in Kishtwar in this case,” the SSP said.

    Amritpal Singh, meanwhile, remains elusive since the police crackdown against him and members of his pro-Khalistan ‘Waris Punjab De’ outfit began on March 18, about three weeks after he and his supporters stormed into the Ajnala police station near Amritsar to secure the release of an arrested man.

    The preacher escaped the police net in Jalandhar district on March 18, switching vehicles and changing appearances.

    He and his associates have been booked under several criminal cases related to spreading disharmony among classes, attempts to murder, attacks on police personnel and creating obstructions in the lawful discharge of duty by public servants.

  • Mahatma only a matriculate, had no law degree, claims Jammu and Kashmir L-G

    Express News Service

    SRINAGAR:  Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor Manoj Sinha has courted controversy by stating that the Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi did not possess any law degree and his only qualification was a high school diploma.

    “There is a misconception among educated people that Mahatma Gandhi had a law degree. Gandhi had no degree,” Lt Governor Sinha said while delivering a keynote address for Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Memorial Lecture at ITM Gwalior on Thursday.

    He said “Who will say Gandhi was not educated? I don’t think anyone can dare to say so. But do you know that he did not have a single University degree or qualification? There are many of us who think that Gandhi had a law degree. No, he didn’t. His only qualification was a high school diploma. He qualified to practice law but did not have a law degree. He had no degree. Just look how educated he was. He became the father of the nation,” he said.

    “Let me make it clear that don’t only indulge in formal connection with the degree and what you think is education. Only a degree is not education,” he asserted.

    SRINAGAR:  Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor Manoj Sinha has courted controversy by stating that the Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi did not possess any law degree and his only qualification was a high school diploma.

    “There is a misconception among educated people that Mahatma Gandhi had a law degree. Gandhi had no degree,” Lt Governor Sinha said while delivering a keynote address for Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Memorial Lecture at ITM Gwalior on Thursday.

    He said “Who will say Gandhi was not educated? I don’t think anyone can dare to say so. But do you know that he did not have a single University degree or qualification? There are many of us who think that Gandhi had a law degree. No, he didn’t. His only qualification was a high school diploma. He qualified to practice law but did not have a law degree. He had no degree. Just look how educated he was. He became the father of the nation,” he said.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    “Let me make it clear that don’t only indulge in formal connection with the degree and what you think is education. Only a degree is not education,” he asserted.

  • Mid-march snowfall in Jammu and Kashmir’s Doda leaves fruit growers worried

    By PTI

    BHADERWAH: Fresh snowfall on Monday in the upper reaches of Jammu and Kashmir’s Doda district has left farmers a worried lot due to fear of damage to fruit crops as the trees are currently in bloom.

    According to officials, snowfall ranging between two inches to one foot was recorded in different high-altitude areas, including Kota Top, Jatani, Kansar, Thanhala, Baach Dhar, Shankhoja, Chenera, Kaljugasar and Sivili.

    Amid the continuous snowfall, the district administration has issued an advisory asking people not to venture near avalanche-prone areas and has also suspended vehicular traffic on Bhaderwah-Basohli-Pathankot and Bhaderwah-Chamba interstate roads.

    Farmers, especially fruit growers, claimed that some areas received snowfall on March 20 after a long gap, catching them unprepared as they have already started working in their orchards after prolonged winters.

    “We have already started ploughing our maize fields and were expecting to have a good crop of apricot, almond, peach and walnut as these trees were in the bloom,” Saif Din Dhakkar, a farmer of village Kota Top, told PTI. He said the unseasonal snowfall and the sudden dip in temperature have done a lot of damage to the fruit-bearing trees.

    ALSO READ | Farmers stare at huge losses due to rain, hailstorm

    Additional Superintendent of Police, Bhaderwah, Kameshwar Puri said most of the higher reaches in Bhadarwah and Bhallesa are witnessing fresh snowfall since morning. “We have issued an advisory to the people residing in hilly slopes to avoid venturing outside especially near avalanche-prone areas till weather conditions improve,” he said.

    He said the traffic on the interstate highways was suspended as a precautionary measure after the snowfall rendered a 30-km stretch from Thanala to Khundi Maral on Bhaderwah-Chamba road and 25-KM stretch from Thantera to Chattar Galla pass on Bhaderwah-Basohli road slippery. “It is still snowing and no vehicles will be allowed to move beyond Thanalla on Bhaderwah-Chamba road and Thanthera on Bhadarwah-Basohli-Pathankot road,” Puri said.

    Students who had started going to school after extended winter vacations with some of them appearing in class 10 and 12 annual examinations next month are finding it difficult to cope with the winter-like conditions. “We have just started attending our classes after a long break. We fall in a hard zone and our exams are commencing from the first week of April but after the snowfall, we are not able to reach our school at this crucial juncture,” said Mohd Arif (16), a class 10 student of village Kharangal- Bhalessa.

    BHADERWAH: Fresh snowfall on Monday in the upper reaches of Jammu and Kashmir’s Doda district has left farmers a worried lot due to fear of damage to fruit crops as the trees are currently in bloom.

    According to officials, snowfall ranging between two inches to one foot was recorded in different high-altitude areas, including Kota Top, Jatani, Kansar, Thanhala, Baach Dhar, Shankhoja, Chenera, Kaljugasar and Sivili.

    Amid the continuous snowfall, the district administration has issued an advisory asking people not to venture near avalanche-prone areas and has also suspended vehicular traffic on Bhaderwah-Basohli-Pathankot and Bhaderwah-Chamba interstate roads.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    Farmers, especially fruit growers, claimed that some areas received snowfall on March 20 after a long gap, catching them unprepared as they have already started working in their orchards after prolonged winters.

    “We have already started ploughing our maize fields and were expecting to have a good crop of apricot, almond, peach and walnut as these trees were in the bloom,” Saif Din Dhakkar, a farmer of village Kota Top, told PTI. He said the unseasonal snowfall and the sudden dip in temperature have done a lot of damage to the fruit-bearing trees.

    ALSO READ | Farmers stare at huge losses due to rain, hailstorm

    Additional Superintendent of Police, Bhaderwah, Kameshwar Puri said most of the higher reaches in Bhadarwah and Bhallesa are witnessing fresh snowfall since morning. “We have issued an advisory to the people residing in hilly slopes to avoid venturing outside especially near avalanche-prone areas till weather conditions improve,” he said.

    He said the traffic on the interstate highways was suspended as a precautionary measure after the snowfall rendered a 30-km stretch from Thanala to Khundi Maral on Bhaderwah-Chamba road and 25-KM stretch from Thantera to Chattar Galla pass on Bhaderwah-Basohli road slippery. “It is still snowing and no vehicles will be allowed to move beyond Thanalla on Bhaderwah-Chamba road and Thanthera on Bhadarwah-Basohli-Pathankot road,” Puri said.

    Students who had started going to school after extended winter vacations with some of them appearing in class 10 and 12 annual examinations next month are finding it difficult to cope with the winter-like conditions. “We have just started attending our classes after a long break. We fall in a hard zone and our exams are commencing from the first week of April but after the snowfall, we are not able to reach our school at this crucial juncture,” said Mohd Arif (16), a class 10 student of village Kharangal- Bhalessa.

  • Jammu and Kashmir’s first international mall to provide 13,000 jobs 

    Express News Service

    SRINAGAR: Lt Governor Manoj Sinha on Sunday laid the foundation stone of the first international mall in Jammu and Kashmir, three and a half years after the abrogation of Article 370. The mall, expected to be the biggest mall in the union territory, will be built by the UAE-based Emaar group in Srinagar. 

    The mall, valued at Rs 250 crores, covering 10 lakh square feet of area, will come up at the Sempora area of Srinagar by the year 2026. With 500 shops to be set up in it, the mall is anticipated to provide jobs to over 13,000 youth. 

    The mega mall would include a mall, six multiplexes, a five-star hotel, and a multi-use commercial and residential complex. It is the first significant Foreign Direct Investment in militancy-hit Jammu and Kashmir.

    “Today is a historic day for Jammu and Kashmir, as the mega mall’s foundation is being laid. It is a proud moment for all of us,” said Lt Governor Manoj Sinha before laying the foundation stone of the mall.

    He said Emaar group will also invest in setting up IT Towers in Jammu and Srinagar. “The total investment by the group in Jammu and Kashmir is estimated to be Rs 500 Crores”. The Lt Governor said the J&K government is working to provide a better business ecosystem to the investors in the UT.

    ALSO READ | India bound by 1994 Parliament resolution to reclaim PoK: J&K Lt Governor Manoj Sinha

    “We have ensured a better environment for the investors. The new industrial scheme is providing investors with the best incentives. No state in the country is offering as many incentives as Jammu and Kashmir is offering its investors. Besides, the cost of electricity is also cheaper here,” he said. 

    Referring to the abrogation of Article 370 by the centre on 5 August 2019, Sinha said there have been a lot of development in the last three years. “Not only has the rule of law returned but we are receiving private investment as well,” he added.

    He said, in the last 22 months, 5000 national investors have expressed their desire to invest in Jammu and Kashmir. “Every day eight new investors are being registered. Last month 45 industries were operationalised.” Sinha further said after Telangana, Jammu and Kashmir is the second region in the country to have a women-owned industrial estate, set up in the Udhampur district exclusively for women entrepreneurs.

    “There are a lot of possibilities here. People should come and invest here,” added Sinha.

    SRINAGAR: Lt Governor Manoj Sinha on Sunday laid the foundation stone of the first international mall in Jammu and Kashmir, three and a half years after the abrogation of Article 370. The mall, expected to be the biggest mall in the union territory, will be built by the UAE-based Emaar group in Srinagar. 

    The mall, valued at Rs 250 crores, covering 10 lakh square feet of area, will come up at the Sempora area of Srinagar by the year 2026. With 500 shops to be set up in it, the mall is anticipated to provide jobs to over 13,000 youth. 

    The mega mall would include a mall, six multiplexes, a five-star hotel, and a multi-use commercial and residential complex. It is the first significant Foreign Direct Investment in militancy-hit Jammu and Kashmir.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    “Today is a historic day for Jammu and Kashmir, as the mega mall’s foundation is being laid. It is a proud moment for all of us,” said Lt Governor Manoj Sinha before laying the foundation stone of the mall.

    He said Emaar group will also invest in setting up IT Towers in Jammu and Srinagar. “The total investment by the group in Jammu and Kashmir is estimated to be Rs 500 Crores”. The Lt Governor said the J&K government is working to provide a better business ecosystem to the investors in the UT.

    ALSO READ | India bound by 1994 Parliament resolution to reclaim PoK: J&K Lt Governor Manoj Sinha

    “We have ensured a better environment for the investors. The new industrial scheme is providing investors with the best incentives. No state in the country is offering as many incentives as Jammu and Kashmir is offering its investors. Besides, the cost of electricity is also cheaper here,” he said. 

    Referring to the abrogation of Article 370 by the centre on 5 August 2019, Sinha said there have been a lot of development in the last three years. “Not only has the rule of law returned but we are receiving private investment as well,” he added.

    He said, in the last 22 months, 5000 national investors have expressed their desire to invest in Jammu and Kashmir. “Every day eight new investors are being registered. Last month 45 industries were operationalised.” Sinha further said after Telangana, Jammu and Kashmir is the second region in the country to have a women-owned industrial estate, set up in the Udhampur district exclusively for women entrepreneurs.

    “There are a lot of possibilities here. People should come and invest here,” added Sinha.

  • Congress demands response from PM Modi on Gujarat conman who posed as PMO official on visit to Kashmir

    Express News Service

    AHMEDABAD: The Gujarat Congress held a press conference in Ahmedabad on Friday, calling for strict action against conman Kiran Patel who visited Jammu and Kashmir in the guise of an official from the Prime Minister’s Office and moved with Z-plus security.

    Gujarat Congress spokesperson Manish Doshi said, “When information about Kiran Patel’s visit to the extremely sensitive region of Jammu and Kashmir as a PMO official came to light, it raised major concerns for everyone, especially on the nation’s security. The Prime Minister must respond to the citizens of the nation.”

    Patel pretended to be an Additional Director (Strategy and Campaign) in the Prime Minister’s Office and even had a PMO visiting card. He had been arrested by police in Srinagar on March 3. After the expiry of 15 days of police custody, he has now been sent to 15 days judicial custody.

    During questioning, the investigating agencies discovered that Patel was originally from Isanpur, Ahmedabad. He had brought a bungalow only a year before.

    His wife Malini Patel has claimed that he is innocent. Talking to local media in Ahmedabad, she said, “Kiran is presently in Srinagar but he has been framed. Never have we done anything wrong. And from Kashmir, we had a favorable response. Kiran went there to help Kashmir flourish, but he was framed there. All prior cases against us have been dismissed.”

    Kiran Patel, who is quite articulate, loved leading a glamorous life. He has posted images on social media of himself with BJP leaders including Union Home Minister Amit Shah. He also claimed affiliation with numerous foreign universities by posting letters from those institutions on social media.

    Patel is also the founder of an NGO in Ahmedabad, During the lockdown, he launched a campaign in which his volunteers distributed free medicine to people in need across Ahmedabad. He also created a WhatsApp group called ‘RP Helping Hands’ for this purpose in which he used to connect with people and update them on his work and where he went.

    This is not the first time that an FIR has been registered against Patel.

    “Two previous FIRs were lodged against him in Ahmedabad, in which there were problems with check returns and personal dues. Aside from this, there are no cases against him. He was given security by a political friend to travel to Kashmir,” Patel’s attorney Nisar Vaidya told local media.

    Patel is active on social networking sites like Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. His account is also verified on Twitter.

    AHMEDABAD: The Gujarat Congress held a press conference in Ahmedabad on Friday, calling for strict action against conman Kiran Patel who visited Jammu and Kashmir in the guise of an official from the Prime Minister’s Office and moved with Z-plus security.

    Gujarat Congress spokesperson Manish Doshi said, “When information about Kiran Patel’s visit to the extremely sensitive region of Jammu and Kashmir as a PMO official came to light, it raised major concerns for everyone, especially on the nation’s security. The Prime Minister must respond to the citizens of the nation.”

    Patel pretended to be an Additional Director (Strategy and Campaign) in the Prime Minister’s Office and even had a PMO visiting card. He had been arrested by police in Srinagar on March 3. After the expiry of 15 days of police custody, he has now been sent to 15 days judicial custody.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    During questioning, the investigating agencies discovered that Patel was originally from Isanpur, Ahmedabad. He had brought a bungalow only a year before.

    His wife Malini Patel has claimed that he is innocent. Talking to local media in Ahmedabad, she said, “Kiran is presently in Srinagar but he has been framed. Never have we done anything wrong. And from Kashmir, we had a favorable response. Kiran went there to help Kashmir flourish, but he was framed there. All prior cases against us have been dismissed.”

    Kiran Patel, who is quite articulate, loved leading a glamorous life. He has posted images on social media of himself with BJP leaders including Union Home Minister Amit Shah. He also claimed affiliation with numerous foreign universities by posting letters from those institutions on social media.

    Patel is also the founder of an NGO in Ahmedabad, During the lockdown, he launched a campaign in which his volunteers distributed free medicine to people in need across Ahmedabad. He also created a WhatsApp group called ‘RP Helping Hands’ for this purpose in which he used to connect with people and update them on his work and where he went.

    This is not the first time that an FIR has been registered against Patel.

    “Two previous FIRs were lodged against him in Ahmedabad, in which there were problems with check returns and personal dues. Aside from this, there are no cases against him. He was given security by a political friend to travel to Kashmir,” Patel’s attorney Nisar Vaidya told local media.

    Patel is active on social networking sites like Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. His account is also verified on Twitter.

  • Earthquake of 3.9 magnitude hits Jammu and Kashmir

    By ANI

    SRINAGAR: An earthquake of magnitude 3.9 on the Richter scale hit 38 Kk North of Jammu and Kashmir’s Srinagar district on Sunday.

    The National Center for Seismology (NCS) said an earthquake of magnitude 3.9 occurred in Jammu and Kashmir’s Srinagar, around 6.57 am on Sunday.

    “The depth of the earthquake was 10 km below the ground,” it said.

    “Earthquake of Magnitude:3.9, Occurred on 05-03-2023, 06:57:12 IST, Lat: 34.42 & Long: 74.88, Depth: 10 Km, Location: 38km N of Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India,” it tweeted.

    Earthquake of Magnitude:3.9, Occurred on 05-03-2023, 06:57:12 IST, Lat: 34.42 & Long: 74.88, Depth: 10 Km ,Location: 38km N of Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India for more information Download the BhooKamp App https://t.co/kpZw8lSGSd @Indiametdept @ndmaindia @moesgoi @Ravi_MoES pic.twitter.com/JhEYPRvRJx
    — National Center for Seismology (@NCS_Earthquake) March 5, 2023
    Earlier on February 28, an earthquake of magnitude 3.2 struck the Noney district of Manipur, the National Center for Seismology (NCS) said.

    The quake struck around 2.46 am, at a depth of 25 km.

    “Earthquake of Magnitude:3.2, Occurred on 28-02-2023, 02:46:39 IST, Lat: 24.67 & Long: 93.66, Depth: 25 Km, Location: Noney, Manipur, India,” the NCS said in a tweet. 

    SRINAGAR: An earthquake of magnitude 3.9 on the Richter scale hit 38 Kk North of Jammu and Kashmir’s Srinagar district on Sunday.

    The National Center for Seismology (NCS) said an earthquake of magnitude 3.9 occurred in Jammu and Kashmir’s Srinagar, around 6.57 am on Sunday.

    “The depth of the earthquake was 10 km below the ground,” it said.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    “Earthquake of Magnitude:3.9, Occurred on 05-03-2023, 06:57:12 IST, Lat: 34.42 & Long: 74.88, Depth: 10 Km, Location: 38km N of Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India,” it tweeted.

    Earthquake of Magnitude:3.9, Occurred on 05-03-2023, 06:57:12 IST, Lat: 34.42 & Long: 74.88, Depth: 10 Km ,Location: 38km N of Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India for more information Download the BhooKamp App https://t.co/kpZw8lSGSd @Indiametdept @ndmaindia @moesgoi @Ravi_MoES pic.twitter.com/JhEYPRvRJx
    — National Center for Seismology (@NCS_Earthquake) March 5, 2023
    Earlier on February 28, an earthquake of magnitude 3.2 struck the Noney district of Manipur, the National Center for Seismology (NCS) said.

    The quake struck around 2.46 am, at a depth of 25 km.

    “Earthquake of Magnitude:3.2, Occurred on 28-02-2023, 02:46:39 IST, Lat: 24.67 & Long: 93.66, Depth: 25 Km, Location: Noney, Manipur, India,” the NCS said in a tweet.