Srinagar, Dec 23 : The National Investigation Agency on Friday morning raided several locations in the Kashmir Valley in a case related to militancy funding.
An official told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that the NIA raids were underway at 13 locations across Kashmir.
He the the raids were being conducted in case related to militancy funding—(KNO)
*More details are awaited*
Srinagar: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) appointed Dr Umair Mir from the Indian Revenue Service (IRS) as its new head for Jammu and Kashmir.
He would now be holding charge of ED’s Joint Director of J&K.
The ED has its two offices – zonal office at Srinagar and sub-zonal office at Jammu.
Mir was initially appointed as ED’s Deputy Director of Jammu zone in May 2019 and now he has been promoted to the rank of Joint Director.
Besides J&K, he would also head Chandigarh union territory and Himachal Pradesh state and thus will be head-in-charge of one state and 2 union territories of north India.
He would be supervising some important and sensitive cases in J&K.
Mir is an IRS officer of 2010 batch and has served in the premier intelligence and investigations agency Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) in Mumbai for three years.
He has also served in the Special Branch of Mumbai Customs, Service Tax and Central Excise.
Mir is a medical graduate from Mumbai University.
Anantnag, Dec 23 : Two people were killed while several others were injured after being attacked by a mentally challenged person in Aishmuqam area of Anantnag district on Friday morning.
An official told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that a mentally challenged man Javed Hassan Rather attacked several persons including his parents in Aishmuqam area today morning.
He said in the incident two persons identified as Mohammad Amin Shah and Ghulam Nadi Khadim were killed, while several others were injured including his parents.
The official said he first attacked his family members in which his parents were injured and later came out and attacked several people outside.
He said the injured have been rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment—(KNO)
Srinagar, Dec 22 : Jammu and Kashmir Police in Baramulla Thursday claimed to have arrested a drug peddler and recovered psychotropic substances from his possession.
“A Police party of Police Post Wagoora during patrolling at Mirangund Kreeri intercepted a vehicle (alto car) bearing registration number JK05G-0401 driven by Jatinder Singh son of Rajinder Singh resident of Mirangund Kreeri. During the search, officers recovered psychotropic substance including 1000 tablets of Spasmoproxyvon plus, 480 tablets of Alprazolam and 10 bottles of Daslin CD from his possession. He has been arrested and the vehicle used in the commission of crime has also been seized,” a police spokesman said in a statement issued to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO).
Subsequently, police said that a case under relevant sections of law has been registered at Police Station Kreeri and investigation has been initiated.
Meanwhile, police urged people to come forward with any information regarding drug peddling in their neighbourhood. “Persons found indulging in drug peddling will be dealt with as per law. Our consistent actions against drug peddlers should reassure the community members that we are making efforts to keep our society free from the scourge of drug menace,” police said—(KNO)
Kupwara, Dec 22: Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Kupwara Yougal Manhas Thursday said that a youth Abdul Rashid Dar of Kunan Poshpora was picked up for questioning in connection with a militancy case and he managed to give a slip to forces while on way to a hideout.
Talking to reporters as per news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), the SSP Kupwara said that the youth Abdul Rashid Dar son of Muhammed Sidique Dar of Kunan Poshpora, was picked up for questioning related to a militancy case.
“On his revelation about the hideout, he gave a slip to the forces. We are investigating in which circumstances he managed to flee. We are in touch with his family also,” he said.
Notably, Dar’s family had protested in Srinagar’s press enclave on Wednesday, alleging that their kin had ‘disappeared’ after he was taken in custody by the army.
The family members requested Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha-led administration and the police—(KNO)
Waris Fayaz
Sopore, Dec 22 : Unscheduled power cuts in Sopore and its adjacent areas in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district are giving a tough time to the residents who are up in arms against the administration.
The people said their lives and businesses have been severely affected due to pesky power cuts which have made their life “hell”.
“There is nothing true to the claims of the administration which has assured of a better power supply this winter,” Furqan Kanna, a local of Krankshivan Colony, told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO).
Locals said it is “very unfortunate that despite this bone-chilling cold, the Power Development Department (PDD) has completely failed to provide a timely electricity supply”.
The affected areas include Krankshivan Colony, Jamia Qadeem, Neherpora, Noorbagh, Batapora and Chinkipora.
“These frequent power cuts have become a daily affair. To demand 24×7 electricity is a dream; we just demand regular and scheduled power supply,” said a youth Javid Ahmad of the Jamia Qadeem area.
“Every year, the PDD comes up with an excuse of less generation and more demand. Despite power tariff being raised so many times in the past few years, the department has nothing to offer to its consumers,” he added.
The residents of other areas mentioned above have similar complaints. The locals of some of these areas said they have been facing regular power cuts for the last more than a week despite being metered.
“Despite the department minting huge amounts through electricity bills, we are witnessing just 7 to 8 hours of power supply,” they said.
“In today’s era, there should be an uninterrupted power supply given the cold weather conditions. Now, if the power department wants to curtail, there should be a proper schedule and it should be minimum so that people don’t suffer,” a local from Batapora said.
The local administration had assured of a better power supply with fewer power cuts this winter in the Sopore sub-division.
XEN PDD Sopore, Javeed Ahmed did not respond to repeated calls made by this reporter—(KNO)
Srinagar, Dec 22 : Amid the surge in Covid-19 cases worldwide, no surge has been reported in Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory as of now.
Officials while talking to news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) said that the surge in Covid-19 cases in different countries has become a cause of concern but as of now situation as of now in J&K is better as no surge has been reported here yet.
Director SKIMS Dr Parvaiz Koul on Thursday said that panic is not the answer but caution is the key.
“Covid in news again> Avoid catching COVID. Masks, social distancing, hand washing, etc all help. Masks help you avoid other respiratory pathogens too that often circulate in winter months. Avoid COVID hospitalizations and severe complications.. Vaccinations help,” Dr Koul tweeted.
Leading Pulmonologist Dr Naveed Nazir Shah said that there is no harm in taking precautions as “we are already facing influx of pneumonia cases.”
He said that in last three years, all respiratory infections were at low ebb as people were following Covid appropriate behaviour.
“No scare just caution. Better to be safe than sorry. No harm in taking precautions’ We are already facing influx of pneumonia cases. All May not be covid. By following appropriate behaviour can prevent them too… Last 3 years all respiratory infections were at low ebb due to CAB”, Dr Naveed tweeted.
Union Health minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Thursday said in Lok Sabha that, “we are keeping an eye on the global Covid situation & are taking steps accordingly and states are advised to increase genome-sequencing to timely identify the new variant of Covid-19.”
“In the wake of festive & new year season, states are advised to make sure people wear masks, use sanitisers and maintain social distance along with increasing awareness for precautionary doses,” he said.
He said that RT-PCR sampling has been already started at international airports and all efforts are being taken so as to tackle the pandemic—(KNO)
Waris Fayaz
Sopore, Dec 22 : As the body of Sopore teenager continues to remain untraced for 11th straight day, with rescue teams another expert from Ganderbal with his extraordinary skills has started to try his luck.
An official told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), that the search operation to trace the body of a teenage girl, who jumped in the river Jhelum in Sopore town, entered 11th day on Thursday.
The expert swimmer from Kangan area of Ganderbal, Bashir Ahmed Mir (39) travelled 40 kilometres to reach Sopore to join the rescue and search operation team.
Mir, who possesses extraordinary swimming skills to rescue people from drowning and retrieving missing bodies from the rivers and streams is also a political activist affiliated with the People’s Democratic party (PDP) for the years.
“I’m doing this social work in the name of Allah,” Mir told KNO and claimed that he has saved almost 100 of the people who drowned.
Mir said the Jhelum has been polluted to the larger extent. “I used my techniques but the current temperature due to the Chill e Kalan makes it more hectic to go deeper”, he said.
Meanwhile, local fishermen communities who were part of the rescue and search operations have decided to call off the operation. While as, an official from the SDRF said, they will continue the operation till any orders from the higher ups.
Earlier, an expert of Pulwama – Abdul Salaam, a 64-year-old man from Kakapora area, who claims to have saved 18 lives and have fished out at least 40 bodies from the various water bodies across the Kashmir Valley joined the operation, but Salaam’s expertise didn’t pave anything, citing the flow of Jhelum near the spot—(KNO)
Sumbal, Dec 22 : A 35-year old man killed in a road accident in Sumbal area of North Kashmir’s Bandipora district on Thursday.
An official told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that a speedy truck hit the man near Sumo stand Sumbal, resulting in serious injuries to him.
He said the injured was rushed to CHC Sumbal, where doctors declared him dead on arrival.
He identified him as Aijaz Ahmad Khan, a driver by profession, of Markundal Hajin and said the body was handed over to family after completing all legal formalities.
Meanwhile, a case under relevant sections of laws has been registered by the concerned police station and investigation has been taken up—KNO)
Srinagar, Dec 22: Mercury continued its free fall in Kashmir division with most places recording this season’s lowest minimum temperature on Thursday, the second day of ‘Chillai-Kalan’, the 40-day severe period of winter.
A meteorological department official here told GNS that Srinagar recorded a low of minus 5.5°C against 4.2°C on the previous night. Besides being the coldest lowest temperature this season, the mercury was 3.5°C below normal during this time of the year, the official said.
Qazigund recorded a low of minus 4.4°C against minus 4.2°C on the previous night. The temperature was 2.4°C below normal for the gateway town of Kashmir, he said.
Pahalgam, he said, recorded a low of minus 6.8°C against minus 6.2°C on the previous night. Apart from being below normal by 1.8°C, it was also the coldest night this season in the famous tourist resort in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district.
Kokernag also hit the season’s coldest temperature, recording a low of minus 3.3°C against minus 2.4°C on the previous night, he said. It was 1.2°C below normal for the place, he said.
Gulmarg recorded a low of minus 5.2°C against minus 4.6°C on the previous night, the official said. It was 0.6°C above normal for the world famous skiing resort in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, the official said.
In Kupwara town, the mercury settled at minus 5.1°C against minus 4.4°C on the previous night, the official said. While being 2.5°C below normal, it was also the coldest temperature recorded so far in the north Kashmir area, he said.
Jammu recorded a low of 7.5°C against 6.3°C on the previous night. It was 0.7°C below normal for J&K’s winter capital, he said. Banihal recorded a low of minus 1.2°C against last night’s 2.0°C (overall below normal by 2.1°C), Batote 1.1°C (2.1°C below normal), Katra 5.6°C (1.3°C below normal) and Bhadarwah minus 0.9°C (0.4°C below normal).
In Ladakh, Leh and Kargil recorded a low of minus 12.0°C and 12.8 °C respectively, the official said.
While Chillai-Kalan is in its infancy, it does not mean an end to the winter. It is followed by a 20-day-long period called ‘Chillai-Khurd’ that occurs between January 30 and February 19 and a 10-day-long period ‘Chillai-Bachha’ (baby cold) which is from February 20 to March 1.
“Mainly dry weather till December 25. From 26-30th generally cloudy sky with intermittent light to moderate snow is expected at scattered places of Kashmir, higher reaches of Jammu and light rain in plains of Jammu (60℅chance),” the MeT official said, “Snowfall and below freezing temperature may lead to temporary disruption of surface transportation on places like Mughal road, Zojila, Karna, Sadna top etc during 26-27th, although there’s no forecast of any Major snow spell.” (GNS)
