News Analysis India

Tag: J&K militancy

  • Govt constitutes SIA for speedy, effective investigation of militancy cases in Jammu & Kashmir

    Express News Service

    SRINAGAR:  After last week’s visit to J&K by Home Minister Amit Shah to review the security situation, the Lt Governor has ordered the constitution of a specialized agency  — State Investigation Agency (SIA) for speedy and effective investigation and prosecution of militancy-related cases in Jammu and Kashmir.

    “Sanction is hereby accorded to the constitution of a specialized agency to be called the State Investigation Agency (SIA) for investigation and prosecution of the militancy related offences. The SIA shall be the Nodal Agency for coordinating with the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and other Central Agencies and shall take such other measures as may be necessary speedy and effective investigation and prosecution of terrorism-related cases,” reads an order issued by Special Secretary to J&K Govt Khalid Majeed.

    The SIA shall comprise a Director and number of officers and employees as are deputed by the government from time to time.

    “The CID, CIK and CID, CIJ, already notified as police stations vide notification bearing SRO-230 of 1977 dated 19.05.1977, shall also be the police stations for the purposes of registering and investigation of cases,” reads the order.

    The government has ordered that all the officers In-charge of Police Stations shall mandatorily intimate the SIA immediately upon registration of militancy-related cases and also about such cases where any militancy linkage surfaces during the investigation; and wherever, upon intimation u/s 6 of the National Investigation Act, 2008, the investigation is not taken up by the NIA, DGP J&K shall having regard to the gravity of the offence, progress of investigation and other relevant factors, determine in consultation with the SIA whether the case is fit to be investigated by SIA & transfer the investigation of the such case at any point of time during its investigation.

    However,  in case of difference of opinion, the DGP shall take a decision, while recording the reasons in writing in such cases, where the investigation is not transferred to the SIA, the PHQ shall ensure that SIA is kept informed about the progress of the investigation at regular intervals, preferably on fortnightly basis; where SIA is of the opinion that an offence committed is fit to be investigated by it, the SIA shall register an FIR, suo motu, while keeping the DGP, J&K informed.

    “The SIA shall also be the agency for investigation and trial of offences in cases which are transferred to the State Government in terms of section 7 of the National Investigation Act, 2008,” further reads the order.

    The head of CID wing shall be the ex-officio Director of the SIA. A special incentive 25% of the basic pay shall be paid to the employees who are posted in the SIA.

  • 10 days after militants gunned down Srinagar chemist, kin reopens pharmacy

    By Express News Service

    SRINAGAR: Ten days after Makhan Lal Bindroo was shot dead in his shop at uptown Srinagar, the well-known pharmacy near Iqbal Park re-opened under strict vigil on Friday.

    The chemist shop had been closed after Bindroo, 68, the owner of the Bindroo chemist, was shot dead by militants on October 5. Much to the relief of locals and kin of patients, the pharmacy was reopened with security arrangements in place.

    ALSO READ | Militants involved in Srinagar cop’s killing gunned down in joined operation

    Paramilitary and police personnel were deployed in the area, and they were maintaining strict vigil on the movement of the people. No vehicles were being allowed to stop in front of the shop. Bindroo had encouraged his son Dr Siddharth Bindroo, who was working outside, to return to the Kashmir Valley and serve the people.  Sources close to his son Siddharth said he would now be running the pharmacy to continue with the mission of his late father to serve the people. 

    “Life must go on,” said Kashmiri Pandit Sangarsh Samiti president Sanjay Tickoo, reacting to the reopening of Bindroo chemist shop. It is a positive development, he added. 

  • NIA arrests 4 terror associates in multiple raids in Jammu and Kashmir

    By PTI

    SRINAGAR: NIA has arrested four terror associates during searches at 16 locations in Jammu and Kashmir following registration of a case to unearth a conspiracy hatched by various terror groups to carry out attacks in the Union Territory and other major cities, including New Delhi, an official said on Wednesday.

    The National Investigation Agency (NIA) had registered the case on October 10 and initiated an investigation.

    Four accused people — Waseem Ahmad Sofi, Tariq Ahmad Dar, Bilal Ahmad Mir alias “Bilal Fafu” and Tariq Ahmad Bafanda, all residents of Srinagar — were arrested during the searches carried out in Srinagar, Pulwama and Shopian districts on Tuesday, a spokesperson of the NIA said.

    The NIA said a preliminary investigation has revealed that the arrested accused people are terror associates or Over Ground Workers (OGWs) of various proscribed terrorist organisations and have been providing logistical and material support to terrorists and facilitating them in their nefarious designs.

    “During the searches conducted yesterday (Tuesday), several electronic devices, incriminating Jehadi (holy war) documents and records of suspicious financial transactions were seized,” the spokesperson said.

    The NIA said the case pertains to information received regarding hatching of conspiracy both physically and in cyberspace for undertaking violent terrorist acts in Jammu and Kashmir and other major cities, including New Delhi, by cadres of proscribed terrorist organisations Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM), Al Badr and similar other outfits and their affiliates such as The Resistance Front (TRF) and People Against Fascist Forces (PAFF).

    “The terror associates/Over Ground Workers of these organisations are conspiring with their handlers and commanders based in a neighbouring country and also indulging in radicalisation of local youth for the purpose of recruiting and training them in handling of arms, ammunition and explosives,” the spokesperson said.

    The spokesperson said these terrorists and cadres have affected several terrorist acts, including killing of numerous innocent civilians and security personnel, and unleashing a reign of terror in the Kashmir valley, thereby challenging the writ of the state.

    The NIA said further investigation in the case continues.

  • Omar Abdullah says govt should give sense of security to people cutting across religions in J&K

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Voicing concern over the recent killing of civilians, former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday said “everyone is feeling unsafe”, and asked the administration to give the people a sense of security cutting across religions.

    Pointing out that terror attacks in the Union Territory this year had claimed the lives of 28 civilians cutting across religious lines, Abdullah, who is the vice-president of the National Conference (NC), at the same time hoped there will not be a fresh exodus of Kashmiri Pandits and Sikhs, both of whom had been targeted in the recent days.

    “All of us should try our level best to ensure that we do not see a fresh exodus of minorities from Kashmir”, he said, adding that no one community feels safer than the other.

    “Whatever can be done to stem this and to restore the sense of security to these communities must be done. Obviously, the lion’s share of this work has to be done by the administration but as the majority community, we also carry some of that responsibility. We must fulfil that responsibility”, he told PTI in an interview here.

    Castigating the administration for trying to “score propaganda and public relations victories rather than focus on the ground realities”, Abdullah asked the authorities to “take a long hard look at why we have reached where we have”.

    Abdullah, however, refrained from terming the recent attacks as an intelligence failure, saying: “…I think it’s the failure to act on intelligence. That is a failure you cannot just blame the police for because the counter-militancy operations are conducted by police, paramilitary and military. It is the collective failure of our counter-insurgency grid.”

    He reasoned that for the last few months there has been chatter about targeted attacks against minorities, particularly against Kashmiri Pandits.

    “So obviously, if somebody like me who has no association or anything like that with the government and is not privy to any intelligence reports, if I could hear this, then I am sure the intelligence agencies also picked it up and if they have picked it up, they would have passed it on to the people who matter,” he said.

    Expressing concern about locals joining various terror groups, he said this is an issue that the government and political parties should be concerned about.

    “I am not privy to statistics, I don’t know the numbers but from my own colleagues, I do understand that this trend continues and it is not a trend limited to a particular area, we hear these reports from south, central and north Kashmir,” he said.

    “It is something that should concern us and again it is for the government to create the necessary conditions that these youngsters do not get attracted to the idea of picking up a gun,” he added.

    Abdullah, however, cautioned against detaining people across the valley and said, “We need to be very careful not to get into knee-jerk reactions. Reactions for the sake of reacting, just because we have to show something, we do this.”

    “I am sure that I don’t doubt that perhaps these 400 plus people have some sort of dossier with the government, for whatever reason — whether they were involved in stone-pelting, linked to proscribed organisations. The fact is, are they directly connected to this attack or is there any linkage between them and this attack? 

    “If there is, by all means proceed and file charges and let the courts decide about the guilt but this sort of random and wanton sort of arrest, it doesn’t help the situation and in fact anything it makes the situation worse,” Abdullah said while replying to a question about the recent crackdown by police in Kashmir and detaining over 400 people.

    He said the government needs to be very careful and should not be seen to be carrying out activities with a view to take revenge. Instead, it should be seen as an organisation or as an “entity that delivers justice by all means”, he said.

    Abdullah, who was the chief minister of the erstwhile state for six years between 2009-14, had been able to clear central and north Kashmir of terrorists and their supporters.

    Asked whether he was disheartened that the place has been infested by terrorists again, he said: “Disheartened will perhaps be a strong term, disappointed and concerned yes – because we know militants are moving around in areas that have been free of militancy.

    “Srinagar city was completely cleared of militancy. Same is true for Ganderbal and Budgam districts.

    It is disappointing but again the government needs to take a long hard look at why these areas have been occupied again and then see what corrective measures the government needs to take.

    The corrective measures that are not at the cost of everybody, they know they have to be very careful how they go about their activities,” he said.

    Abdullah asserted that the situation in Afghanistan would have no impact on the security situation in Kashmir other than the distinct possibility “that it may act as a morale booster for terror groups operating in the Union Territory”.

  • J&K militants attempting to recreate early 1990 situation, scare minorities: Experts

    Express News Service

    SRINAGAR: Security experts are sensing a shift in the pattern of militant violence in Jammu and Kashmir as four non-Muslim civilians have been gunned down in the Valley in the last five days. They feel the militants are aiming to create fear among minority communities and recreate the situation of early 1990s in Kashmir. 

    “Yes, there is a pattern in the violence. It is to create panic and gain relevance on the part of militant organisations functioning under the ISI’s umbrella,” Lt Gen (Retd) Syed Ata Hasnain told TNIE. 

    He said the militants outfits could be aiming to recreate the situation of the early 1990s, whereby political Islam could be brought to bear through the purging of minorities. “It may have succeeded then to an extent but we are far stronger today to not fall prey to the designs of our adversaries,” said Lt Gen Hasnain, who had also served as GoC of Army’s Srinagar-based 15 Corps.  

    Retired J&K police chief S P Vaid said militants kept on changing their plans. “First they were targeting BJP leaders and now they are targeting minority community members. They want to spread fear and terror,” he said. Vaid said there was a clear change in the pattern of violence as militants wanted to prevent their own casualties by avoiding direct confrontation with security personnel and targeting soft targets. The former police chief said killings would continue till the militant group involved in such killings was neutralised. 

    Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kashmir Vijay Kumar said due to the killing of large number of militants, their handlers across got frustrated and changed their strategy.  “In all such cases, militants have been using pistols. These acts are committed by newly recruited militants or those who are about to join militant rank.”

  • Schools in Jammu & Kashmir to be renamed after security men killed in militant violence

    By Express News Service

    SRINAGAR: The administration has decided to name schools in Jammu and Kashmir after the police, CRPF and army men killed in militancy-related violence in the Union Territory in the last three decades.

    Divisional Commissioner Jammu Dr Raghav Langer in an order has directed Deputy Commissioners of all 10 districts of Jammu region — Jammu, Kathua, Doda, Poonch, Ramban, Samba, Kishtwar, Rajouri, Udhampur and Reasi  — to identify schools for being named after the security personnel killed in militancy violence in J&K in over three decades of militants.

    The Divisional Commissioner directed all 10 DCs to identify government schools in villages, municipal wards of their districts that can be named after the slain security men.

    “A committee may be constituted at district level to prepare such details after due verification,” reads the circular.

    “SSP/ADC/DPO or AC Panchayat/Representative of the Army/etc can be included in the committee to finalise the list at district level,” further reads the circular.

    The DCs were directed to submit the list of such schools that can be renamed before August 5, 2021 to the Divisional Commissioners’ office for further action in the matter.

    The directions from Divisional Commissioner Jammu has come after J&K government directed that tri-colour be hoisted on all government buildings and offices including schools across the UT on Independence Day.

    Reacting to government order on naming of schools after security men killed in line of duty, PDP leader Mohit Bhan tweeted, “Another government order to divide, politicise armed forces & civilians in the name of nationalism”.

    ”8000 political workers in J&K have given the supreme sacrifice of their lives to keep the democracy alive since 1947 – 2021 where’s their honour ?,” he tweeted.

  • Statehood to Jammu and Kashmir would be granted after normalcy is restored: Rajya Sabha told

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Jammu and Kashmir would be granted statehood at an “appropriate” time after normalcy is restored there, the government told Parliament on Wednesday.

    Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai stated this in a written reply to Rajya Sabha.

    He was replying to a question on whether the government had any proposal to “reinstate” the statehood of Jammu and Kashmir and whether some efforts have been made to end the year-long ban on different means of communication.

    “Statehood to Jammu and Kashmir would be granted at an appropriate time after normalcy is restored in Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.

    “In view of the constitutional changes and bifurcation of the erstwhile state of the Jammu and Kashmir into Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir and Union territory of Ladakh, in national interest and also in the interest of security of J&K, temporary restrictions on various communication channels like internet and mobile services were resorted to in Jammu and Kashmir,” the minister stated.

    Subsequently, the matter “was reviewed from time to time and restrictions imposed were gradually eased out in a phased manner and 4G internet data services were restored in the entire Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir from February 5, he said.

    The Centre had revoked the special status of the erstwhile state that was provided to it under Article 370 and bifurcated it into union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh in 2019.

  • BJP alleges members of a political party were present during Sopore militant attack

    By PTI
    SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir unit of the BJP alleged on Saturday that seven members of a political party wearing helmets were present at the site of a recent militant attack in Sopore, and demanded an investigation into it.

    A BJP spokesman asked whether the party members knew about the attack beforehand.

    “Seven members of a particular political party were wearing cricket helmets when two of our municipal councillors were killed in a militant attack in Sopore in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district recently.

    …Is this political terrorism? Did these seven members already know that there would be a militant attack?” BJP spokesman Altaf Thakur said, without naming the party.

    Two municipal councillors and a policeman were killed in the militant attack in Sopore on March 29.

    Thakur demanded a thorough investigation into the incident.

    “Why were they wearing helmets? Police must investigate it thoroughly,” he said.