NIGER
The abduction of Ranjeet Singh, a resident of Ramban, by terrorists in Niger has triggered appeals for urgent intervention from both his family and Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. Singh, employed as a Senior Safety Officer with Transrail Lighting Limited, went missing on July 15 following a terror attack in the Dosso region that killed two Indians. His wife, Sheela Devi, has pleaded with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar for help, as the family remains in distress with no updates. Ramban officials have assured that efforts are underway to secure his safe release.
Over 3.72 lakh cases are pending in Jammu and Kashmir’s courts, with 3.27 lakh in district courts and over 45,000 in the High Court, NJDG data shows.
BANDIPORA
Chanting anti-national slogans alone amounts to unlawful activity under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), even without violence, the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh has ruled. It overturned a 2021 trial court decision that had discharged two Bandipora residents, Ameer Hamza Shah and Rayees Ahmad Mir, accused of calling for Jammu and Kashmir’s secession. The court said such sloganeering is punishable under Section 13 of UAPA. The verdict lowers the legal threshold for what constitutes unlawful activity and is expected to set a precedent. The accused, arrested in 2015, are now to face prosecution under the Act.
Jammu and Kashmir has registered 1124 cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and witnessed 1,104 drug seizures in the year 2022
MUMBAI
Sarzameen follows Vijay Menon (Prithviraj Sukumaran), a decorated army officer navigating duty and fatherhood in the volatile terrain of Kashmir. He wants his timid, stammering son Harman (Ibrahim Ali Khan) to grow into a fearless man, echoing the harsh upbringing he once endured. Meanwhile, Mehr (Kajol), the emotional anchor, tries to prevent this generational trauma from repeating, shielding her son while urging her husband to soften. When Harman is kidnapped by outlaws, the film spirals into a tense conflict between national duty and familial love. Upon his return, the mystery deepens, is he still the same child or now a pawn of war? Drawing parallels with Mission Kashmir, the film explores identity, loyalty, and the scars of conflict. Despite strong performances, especially by Kajol, the predictable screenplay and recycled tropes dilute its emotional weight. What begins as a promising father-son drama collapses into familiar clichés, leaving behind a film heavy in message but light in impact.
The Government Higher Secondary School Izmarg in Gurez, Bandipora, has just one lecturer in place out of 11 sanctioned posts, with 10 lying vacant.
BILLAWAR
In a first for Jammu and Kashmir, the Agriculture Department has launched a tea plantation drive in the hilly Billawar region of Kathua, planting over 20,000 saplings sourced from Himachal Pradesh’s Palampur. Inaugurated with support from local MLA Satish Sharma, the initiative aims to introduce tea as a viable cash crop suited to the region’s climate and soil. Officials see this as a step towards diversifying agriculture and boosting rural livelihoods under the green campaign Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam 2.0, calling it a tribute to both environmental sustainability and community-driven development.
DELHI
The Awami Itihaad Party has moved the Delhi High Court against what it calls “exorbitant and arbitrary” travel and security costs, over Rs 1.45 lakh per day, imposed on jailed Baramulla MP Engineer Rashid to attend the Monsoon Session of Parliament. The court’s parole condition has made Rashid’s 12-day participation financially unviable, with estimated costs exceeding Rs 17 lakh. The party argues this sets a dangerous precedent, effectively silencing Baramulla’s voice in Parliament and deepening the democratic deficit. AIP highlights the inconsistency, noting no such costs were levied during Rashid’s earlier participation, and calls for constitutional protection from such financial barriers.
LOLAB
In a deeply moving story from Devar-Lolab in north Kashmir, a mother’s love has given her son a second chance at life. Tassaduq Hussain Khan, 23, who had been battling kidney failure for years, was born with only one kidney, which began deteriorating at the age of 19. With no suitable donor and limited financial means, his condition grew desperate, until his mother, Zaitoon Begum, without hesitation, offered her own kidney. The transplant was successfully conducted at SKIMS Soura, where both mother and son are now recovering. For the Khan family, this act was not just a medical miracle but a moment of immense emotional relief after years of fear and helplessness.
Social media across Kashmir erupted with admiration, calling Zaitoon the Brave Mother of Kashmir. Neighbours and strangers alike have poured in blessings, hailing her sacrifice as a symbol of pure maternal devotion. “She gave him life twice,” one user wrote. Indeed, Zaitoon’s courage, in the face of hardship and uncertainty, has touched hearts across the Valley. Her act is not just about saving a life—it is a reminder of the silent heroism that lives in ordinary homes, where love finds its deepest expression through sacrifice.
SRINAGAR
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah took serious note of machine-made carpets being falsely sold as Kashmiri hand-knotted carpets, directing strict action against such fraudulent practices to protect the state’s artisan community and preserve Kashmir’s cultural identity. Several artisan and export bodies urged a ban on machine-made carpets in handicraft-registered showrooms and highlighted the misuse of GI tags. In a major crackdown, the Directorate of Handicrafts blacklisted The Kashmir Art Bazaar in Tangmarg for selling a machine-made carpet worth Rs 2.55 lakh to a tourist, falsely claiming it was GI-certified. The seller had used a fake QR code mimicking certification from the Indian Institute of Carpet Technology (IICT). Legal action has been initiated, and a formal complaint filed.
LADAKH
In two landmark discoveries advancing Jammu and Kashmir’s biodiversity research, rare and elusive species have been documented in remote northern regions. In Ladakh’s Suru Valley, the Long-billed Bush Warbler, unseen in India since 1979, was rediscovered at 3,200 metres near Sankoo village by a dedicated birding team led by Lt Gen Bhupesh K Goyal. Tracked by its distinct call and visually confirmed, the sighting is hailed as a major milestone in Himalayan ornithology and highlights the Indian Armed Forces’ growing role in environmental stewardship.
In a separate breakthrough, a team from Mizoram University, led by Professor H T Lalremsanga, discovered two new species of Cyrtodactylus (bent-toed geckos) during herpetological expeditions in Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh. Named Cyrtodactylus himachalensis and Cyrtodactylus shivalikensis, the geckos were identified through detailed DNA and morphological studies and formally recognised in Zootaxa. Both species are nocturnal and inhabit secluded forests, making them particularly difficult to find.
SRINAGAR
An assault on a third-year postgraduate doctor at Srinagar’s SMHS Hospital sparked widespread protests by resident doctors, crippling emergency and outpatient services. The incident occurred after a critically ill patient died, prompting the attendant to return and slap the on-duty doctor, Dr Shahnawaz, in the emergency ward, a moment captured on CCTV and widely circulated on social media. In reaction, the Resident Doctors Association (RDA) called for a complete shutdown, condemning the act as an attack on the dignity of the entire medical fraternity. Doctors staged a sit-in, locked emergency doors, and held placards reading “No Safety, No Work” and “Stop Violence Against Doctors.” They demanded the accused’s arrest under non-bailable charges, improved hospital security, and strict enforcement of a one-attendant policy. The protest received backing from medical bodies, including the United Doctors Front and RDA GMC Jammu, who also demanded a Doctor Protection Law in Jammu and Kashmir. Though authorities claimed patient care was unaffected, reports indicate service disruption throughout the day. Following the arrest of the assailant and a public apology, services resumed, but doctors emphasised their protest was against administrative failure to ensure their safety, not against the public.
BANDIPORA
After more than three decades, lotus blooms have returned to Wular Lake in North Kashmir, marking a major ecological revival. Once lost to the 1992 floods, the aquatic crop re-emerged following large-scale dredging by the Wular Conservation and Management Authority (WUCMA), which removed 7.9 million cubic metres of silt. Lotus roots, long buried beneath sediment, have now sprouted across 2–3 sq km. The revival is restoring livelihoods, especially for fishermen and nadru harvesters. WUCMA plans further restoration and sustainable harvesting measures, while pollution and silt remain challenges. The lotus comeback is being hailed as a powerful symbol of nature’s resilience.
KUPWARA
In a landmark ruling, the Supreme Court has ordered a CBI investigation into the brutal custodial torture of Jammu and Kashmir Police constable Khursheed Ahmad Chohan. Accused of attempted suicide under FIR No 32 of 2023, Chohan alleged he was illegally detained and tortured at the Joint Interrogation Centre in Kupwara in February 2023. Medical records revealed horrific injuries, including complete amputation of his testicles, electric shock marks, and multiple fractures. Rejecting the police claim that Chohan self-inflicted these wounds, the Court called the version “utterly implausible” and condemned the institutional malice behind framing a torture victim as an accused. The Court quashed the FIR, slammed the Jammu and Kashmir High Court’s refusal to intervene, and ordered the arrest of all implicated officers within a month. It also directed Rs 50 lakh interim compensation to Chohan, recoverable from those found guilty. The CBI will probe both the torture and systemic failures at the interrogation centre. Justice Mehta concluded that only an independent inquiry could restore faith in justice and prevent such dehumanising acts from being buried under institutional bias.
KASHMIR
A wave of tragedy has gripped Daharmunah village in Budgam district after a 14-year-old boy, Farhan Shabir Mir, succumbed to severe injuries sustained from electrocution. Farhan was critically injured earlier and rushed to SKIMS Soura, where he battled for life in intensive care for over 48 hours before passing away early Tuesday morning. His death follows a similar incident just days earlier, when another youth, Zahid Ahmad Paul, also died of electrocution while attempting to repair an electrical fault in the same locality. The series of fatal accidents has raised serious concerns over electrical safety and infrastructure in the area. In a separate incident in Shopian, a 55-year-old KPDCL daily wager, Mohammad Yaqoob, died after being electrocuted during repair work in Dangaam village. Police have taken cognisance of all three incidents, and investigations are underway. Locals have demanded urgent safety reforms.
