News Analysis India

Tag: Jammu and Kashmir

  • Enforcement Directorate files chargesheet in Jammu and Kashmir terror funding case

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday said it has filed a chargesheet against a Jammu & Kashmir-resident in a money laundering case linked to a terror-funding case of 2006.

    It said in a statement that the prosecution complaint (chargesheet) has been filed against Aijaz Hussain Khwaja, a resident of Baramulla district of the Union Territory, under various sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

    According to the central probe agency, Khawaja was apprehended by the Special Cell of Delhi Police in 2006 with a bag containing 2.05 kg RDX and Rs 49 lakh in cash.

    “He was sentenced for seven years under sections of the Explosive Substances Act along with Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. The seized amount was also confiscated by the trial court,” it said.

    The ED said its probe found that the “accused was involved in illegal activities related to terror funding in Jammu and Kashmir.”

    “Out of such illegal activities, he had generated proceeds of crime in lakhs. During that period, he was in touch with Muktiar Ahmed Bhatt alias Ahmed (a Pakistan-based LeT operative in league with Pakistan ISI) to undertake financial dealings for various separatist and terrorist activities,” it said.

    It had earlier attached a residential flat at Jangpura in New Delhi and bank balance in the account held by Khawaja’s wife.

  • J&K administration allots 496 kanals of land to TTD on 40-year lease for temple, allied infra

    Express News Service
    SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir administration has allotted over 496 kanals of land on lease for 40 years to the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) for building a temple and allied infrastructure.

    An official spokesman said the Administrative Council (AC), which is headed by Lt Governor Manoj Sinha, met and approved the proposal to allot 496 kanals and 17 marlas of land to the TTD for building a temple and its allied infrastructure, pilgrim amenities complex, vedapatasala, spiritual/meditation centre, office, residential quarters and parking.

    The land, he said, would be allotted to the TTD on lease basis for a period of 40 years.

    TTD, which is headquartered at Tirupati, is an independent trust which manages temples including the Tirumala Venkateswara temple in Andhra Pradesh.

    The official spokesman said TTD, a board established by the government under the TTD Act, 1932 is a charitable organization of international repute with a proven track record of activities in the spiritual, cultural, social, and educational sphere.

    “Its arrival in J&K will tap the tourism potential particularly pilgrims in Jammu, the city of temples, besides enhancing economic activities,” he said.

    According to the spokesman, once developed, the TTD infrastructure will be an attraction for pilgrims and tourists in addition to the Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine and Amarnath Shrine.

    “It will enable tourists to come and stay longer in Jammu city. The future development on the campus will also contribute to economic growth of the region,” he added.

  • Two LeT militant associates arrested in Jammu and Kashmir

    By PTI
    SRINAGAR: Security forces arrested two militant associates of the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) and recovered incriminating materials from their possession in Budgam district of Jammu and Kashmir, police said on Wednesday.

    Acting on specific inputs, security forces arrested the LeT militant associates in a joint operation at Laloo Sheshgari Hyderpora, a police spokesman said.

    He identified them as Aquib Ahmad Wani, a resident of Laloo Sheshgari Hyderpora, and Aadil Manzoor Mir, a resident of Nadirgund Humhama.

    During preliminary investigation, it was revealed that both of them were providing shelter, logistics and other material support to active LeT militants in the Hyderpora and Humhama areas of Budgam district in central Kashmir, he said.

    They were also found to have been in touch with Pakistan-based terror commanders through various social media platforms, the spokesman added.

    Incriminating materials of LeT have been recovered from their possession, the spokesman said, adding a case has been registered and further investigation initiated.

  • Two terror associates affiliated with Lashkar-e-Taiba held in J-K’s Budgam

    By ANI
    BUDGAM: Two terror associates affiliated with the proscribed terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) have been arrested in Budgam, Jammu and Kashmir Police said on Wednesday.

    The Budgam police along with 53 Rashtriya Rifles (RR), and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) conducted the operation to nab the accused who were involved in providing shelter, logistics and other support to the terrorists in Hyderpora and Humhama areas of Budgam.

    The arrested terror associates have been identified as Aquib Ahmad Wani and Aadil Manzoor have been arrested under relevant sections of law.

    “They have been in touch with PaK terror commanders through various social media platforms. Incriminating material of proscribed outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba been recovered from their possession,” the police stated in a release. 

  • Jammu and Kashmir: Death toll in Lawaypora attack rises to three with death of injured CRPF personnel

    By PTI
    SRINAGAR: A CRPF constable who suffered injuries in militant firing died at a hospital here on Monday, taking the death toll in the attack in Lawaypora on the outskirts of Srinagar last week to three, officials said.

    Constable Jagannath Ray succumbed to injuries at the SKIMS Hospital in Soura after battling for life for four days, a police official said.

    He said Constable Ray was among the four CRPF personnel injured in the militant attack on Thursday.

    Two personnel — a sub-inspector and a constable — had died within hours of the attack.

    Police have arrested two overground workers involved in providing logistical support to the militants who carried out the attack.

  • Mehbooba Mufti denied passport, authorities say she is ‘threat to national security’

    By Express News Service
    SRINAGAR: The authorities have refused to provide a passport to former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti.

    “Passport Office refused to issue my passport based on CID’s report citing it as ‘detrimental to the security of India’,” tweeted Mehbooba.

    She also released the letter written to her by the Passport Officer informing her that grant of passport facility to her has been refused after an adverse report of Jammu and Kashmir police’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

    The CID, as per the report, had returned her application with a note — “Note Recommended” to the Passport Office.

    READ| Mehbooba Mufti seeks people’s support for struggle for restoration of J-K’s statehood, special status

    Mehbooba had applied for a fresh passport in December last year after her passport had expired on May 31, 2020.

    Passport Office refused to issue my passport based on CID’s report citing it as ‘detrimental to the security of India. This is the level of normalcy achieved in Kashmir since Aug 2019 that an ex Chief Minister holding a passport is a threat to the sovereignty of a mighty nation. pic.twitter.com/3Z2CfDgmJy
    — Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) March 29, 2021

    “This is the level of normalcy achieved in Kashmir since Aug 2019  that an ex-Chief Minister holding a passport is a threat to the sovereignty of a mighty nation,” Mehbooba tweeted.

    Mehbooba, who is critical of the abrogation of Article 370 and demands its restoration, was released from 14 months of detention in October 2020. She was among the mainstream leaders arrested on August 5, 2019, when the Centre scrapped Article 370 and bifurcated the J&K state into two Union Territories — Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

    She was also among the dozen mainstream leaders booked under the stringent Public Safety Act (PSA) after her detention.

  • Hizbul Mujahideen militant among two killed in Jammu and Kashmir encounter

    By PTI
    SRINAGAR: A Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) militant, who had infiltrated from Pakistan last week, was among the two ultras killed in an encounter with security forces in Jammu and Kashmir’s Shopian district on March 27, police said on Sunday.

    Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kashmir, Vijay Kumar said the encounter in Shopian’s Wangam area began on Saturday evening and got over with the killing of two militants belonging to HM and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).

    “Two deadly terrorists have been killed in the operation. One of them, Inatullah Sheikh, a resident of Shopian, was active since 2018 and had gone to Pakistan that year for arms training. He returned last week only. He was with HM,” the IGP said here.

    The other militant, Adil Malik, a resident of Anantnag, belonged to LeT, he said.

    “One AK-47 rifle, one M4 rifle and a pistol have been recovered from the encounter site,” he said, adding that so far this year, security forces have recovered two M4 rifles from militants.

    The IGP said it was more likely that Sheikh had brought the M4 rifle with him from Pakistan.

    A police spokesperson said Malik, according to police records, was active since September 2020.

    He said Sheikh and Malik were involved in several terror cases, including attacks on security forces and civilian atrocities.

    After the presence of the militants was ascertained during the search operation, they were given an opportunity to surrender, the spokesperson said.

    However, they opened indiscriminate fire on the search party that retaliated, leading to the encounter, he said.

    The spokesperson said three Army jawans sustained bullet injuries during the initial exchange of fire and were evacuated to the hospital.

    One of the jawans, Havildar Pinku Kumar, succumbed to his injuries.

    The IGP Kashmir and all ranks of Kashmir Zone Police paid rich tributes to Kumar, he said.

    “We stand by his family at this critical juncture,” he said.

  • Two civilians injured in grenade attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Anantnag

    By PTI
    SRINAGAR: Two civilians were injured after militants hurled a grenade at a CRPF party in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday, police said.

    The incident took place at Sangam in Bijbehara area of the south Kashmir district, a police official said.

    The grenade exploded on the roadside, causing minor injuries to the two civilians, he said.

    Security forces have launched a hunt to nab the militants, the official said.

  • 4,204 prisoners released on bail, 41 on parole after COVID outbreak in J&K: DGP, prisons

    A total of 542 inmates across various jails were infected with the coronavirus, but all of them recovered, except two elderly prisoners who succumbed due to co-morbidities.

  • CAG calls for system revamp to ensure proper response to audit observations in J&K

    By PTI
    JAMMU: Stating that its audit has pointed out several deficiencies in the implementation of various programmes and internal-control measures in selected departments in Jammu and Kashmir, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India has asked the Union Territory administration to look into the matter and revamp the system to ensure a proper response to the audit observations in a time-bound manner.

    In its report on the social, general, economic (non-public sector undertakings) sectors for the year ending March 31, 2019, the CAG said the pendency of a large number of paragraphs indicates a lack of adequate response from the government departments to the audit.

    The report, recently submitted in Parliament, said in the last few years, the audit has pointed out several significant deficiencies in the implementation of various programmes or activities as well as on the quality of internal-control measures in certain departments, which have a negative impact on the success of the programmes and the functioning of the departments.

    “The government may look into this matter and revamp the system to ensure a proper response to the audit observations from the departments in a time-bound manner,” it said.

    During 2018-19, the CAG said a compliance audit of 727 drawing and disbursing officers and 74 units of 25 autonomous bodies was conducted by the office of the Principal Accountant General (Audit), Jammu and Kashmir.

    “The focus was on auditing specific programmes/schemes in order to offer suitable recommendations to the executive for taking corrective action and improving service delivery to the citizens.

    “Twenty-three paragraphs were sent to the Principal Secretaries/Secretaries of the respective departments. Replies in respect of nine paragraphs included in this report were not received (September 2020),” it said.

    The report said the handbook of instructions for a speedy settlement of audit observations or inspection reports (IRs) issued by the government (finance department) provides for a prompt response by the executive to the IRs issued by the Principal Accountant General (Audit) to ensure remedial or rectification action in compliance with the prescribed rules and procedures.

    The heads of offices and the next higher authorities are required to comply with the observations contained in the IRs, rectify the defects and report their compliance to the Principal Accountant General (Audit), it said, adding that based on the results of the test audit, 49,523 audit observations contained in 11,531 IRs were outstanding as on March 31, 2019.

    “The pendency of a large number of paragraphs indicates a lack of adequate response of the government departments to the audit,” the CAG observed.

    Further, only two Audit Committee meetings were held during 2018-19, in which 28 audit paragraphs were settled, which account for 0. 06 per cent of the pending objections as of March 2019, the report said, urging the respective departments to constitute audit committees and monitor the progress of the settlement of paragraphs.

    To ensure accountability of the executive to issues dealt with in various audit reports, the government (finance department) issued instructions in June 1997 to the administrative departments to furnish suo-motu action-taken notes (ATNs) to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) or the Committee on Public Undertakings (COPU) on all the audit paragraphs featuring in the audit reports, irrespective of whether those are taken up for discussion by these panels or not.

    “These ATNs are to be submitted to these committees, duly vetted by the Principal Accountant General (Audit) within a period of three months from the date of presentation of audit reports in the state legislature.

    It was, however, noticed that out of the 495 audit paragraphs featuring in the civil chapters of the audit reports from 2000-01 to 2015-16, the suo-motu ATNs in respect of 146 audit paragraphs had not been received up to September 30, 2020,” it said.

    The report said the ATNs, duly vetted by the Principal Accountant General (Audit) on the observations or recommendations made by the PAC or the COPU in respect of the audit paragraphs discussed by them are to be furnished to these committees within six months from the date of such observations or recommendations.

    “Out of 495 audit paragraphs featuring in the civil chapters of audit reports for the years from 2000-01 to 2015-16, only 245 audit paragraphs have been discussed by the PAC up to March 31, 2020. Recommendations in respect of 223 audit paragraphs have been made by the PAC. However, ATNs on the recommendations of the committees are pending from the government of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh in respect of 165 paragraphs,” it said.