KERAN
The death of Raja Liaqat Ali Khan has reopened a largely forgotten chapter of Kashmir’s conflict, the displacement of Muslim families from border villages during the early 1990s militancy. A naib tehsildar in Ganderbal, Liaqat, died of a cardiac arrest in Srinagar, but his funeral in Keran unfolded as a deeply symbolic moment of separation and memory. His coffin was placed along the banks of the Kishanganga river, which also marks the Line of Control, as relatives from across the LoC gathered on the opposite bank, unable to cross but visible in grief. The scenes echoed a past when hundreds of families from Keran, Tangdhar and adjoining areas migrated across amid fears of violence and state excesses. Estimates suggest over 40,000 people moved to the other side.
Liaqat’s own family was split in that exodus; his father and siblings migrated, while he returned after initially crossing over. He was raised by relatives and later joined government service. Cross-LoC meetings enabled by earlier confidence-building measures had briefly reconnected such families, but these ended in 2019.
Today, villages like Keran remain dotted with divided households, where even mourning is shared across borders, close enough to see, yet impossible to touch and interact, underscoring the enduring human cost of a protracted conflict.
The Jammu and Kashmir Government has approved an 18% increase in fares for various categories of commercial passenger vehicles.
MEGHALIYA
A distress call to Meghalaya’s CM Connect helpline triggered a swift interstate rescue of a minor allegedly exploited in Jammu and Kashmir. The complaint, received on April 24 via the 1971 helpline, reported the child was forced to work in a restaurant, denied wages and subjected to abuse, with signs of severe distress. The Chief Minister’s Secretariat under Conrad K Sangma coordinated with Jammu and Kashmir authorities, leading to a rapid joint operation by labour officials and the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit. The child was rescued within hours and shifted to a shelter home. An FIR has been registered, an inquiry initiated, and wages ordered to be cleared.
GANDERBAL
The Rural Development Department, Kashmir, has begun constructing a 25,000-litre community biogas plant in Pathribal Gund, Ganderbal, under the Swachh Bharat Mission Gramin. Estimated at Rs 35 lakh, it is part of a plan to set up one such unit in each district and is likely to be the first operational facility in the Valley. The plant will use cattle dung for anaerobic digestion to produce biogas for about 10 households and organic manure. Equipped with thermostatic controls and IoT sensors, it aims to ensure efficiency in cold climates. Officials say it will reduce reliance on LPG and firewood while promoting structured waste management and sustainable agriculture.
KASHMIR
Wild boars are once again at the centre of a growing rural crisis in Kashmir, with fresh reports of widespread damage emerging from Chadoora and Sonawari. Over the past week, farmers in Wathoora, Rupora and Asham say their paddy nurseries have been repeatedly destroyed in nocturnal raids, forcing many to re-sow seeds multiple times at the start of the crucial sowing season.
Raising an alarm, Raja Muzaffar Bhat has urged Forest and Wildlife Minister Javed Ahmad Rana and Chief Wildlife Warden Sarvesh Rai to convene an urgent meeting, calling for intervention at the highest level. The issue has also echoed in the Assembly, where the government outlined measures around Dachigam, including fencing reinforcement, surveillance and deterrence efforts. Officials maintain there have been no human injuries so far.
An invasive species introduced during the Dogra rule in the mid-19th century, wild boars had largely disappeared by the 1980s but have resurged since 2018. Their rapid breeding, coupled with changing climatic conditions and easy access to crops, has accelerated their spread from forest fringes into villages, and increasingly, urban edges, leaving farmers facing mounting losses and uncertainty.
SOPORE
An officer tasked with inquiring into the recent harassment case has missed the 15-day reporting deadline, even as administrative action and detentions continue to unfold in Sopore. Authorities have attached the services of the teacher at the centre of the case, booked six under the Public Safety Act, detained 20 others and later released.
The administration clarified that six individuals booked under the Public Safety Act were not students but “identified miscreants” whose role in the unrest was established through video footage and other verifiable inputs. According to officials, the accused were seen instigating crowds, pelting stones, forcing entry into a school campus and damaging property, while attempting to spread the disturbance to adjoining market areas.
Those detained under PSA include young men aged between 21 and 23, engaged in occupations such as driving, carpentry and vending. Officials said their actions reflected a coordinated attempt to exploit a peaceful student protest, adding that preventive detention was carried out to maintain public order
KATHMANDU
Nepal Airlines issued an apology after a social media post showed an inaccurate route map depicting Jammu and Kashmir as part of Pakistan, triggering backlash. The airline deleted the post, acknowledged “significant cartographic inaccuracies,” and said it did not reflect Nepal’s official stance. It added that an internal review was underway and expressed regret for any offence caused.
SRINAGAR
Cyber Police Kashmir has registered an FIR against Iltija Mufti and others over alleged dissemination of separatist-related content on social media. The case (FIR No 11) was filed at the Srinagar cyber police station under multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including Section 152, which pertains to acts threatening the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India, along with Sections 196 and 353.
The action follows the circulation of an old video of late Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani shared by Mufti on X, where she referenced his remarks on the importance of Urdu. Officials said the content, amplified online by multiple users, allegedly promoted separatist ideology and contained misleading material capable of inciting unlawful activity. Police sources said unidentified individuals who shared the video have also been included in the FIR, as authorities examine the scale and intent of dissemination.
Responding to the development, Mufti said she “fully” owns responsibility for the post and urged police not to summon others for questioning, offering to cooperate with the investigations. The move comes amid a broader zero-tolerance approach to separatist content, even as Mufti has been leading protests over recent changes to Urdu’s status in recruitment rules.
LADAKH
A rare spiritual exposition in Ladakh has drawn thousands to Leh, where the sacred Piprahwa relics of the Buddha, ancient remains and associated artefacts linked to Gautama Buddha, are being displayed in India for the first time outside their original repository. Discovered at Piprahwa in present-day Uttar Pradesh near the Nepal border, the relics are regarded among the most revered in the Buddhist world and have previously been exhibited internationally, attracting global devotion.
The relics arrived in Leh earlier this week aboard a special Indian Air Force aircraft and were received with ceremonial honours by Lyt Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena, followed by a slow-moving public procession to Jivetsal, where they will remain for veneration until May 10 before moving to Zanskar and later the Leh Dharma Centre.
The exposition, formally inaugurated during Buddha Purnima with Union Home Minister Amit Shah in attendance, comes amid parallel political developments. Talks between Ladakh leaders and the Centre on governance issues continue, even as the recent creation of five new districts has sparked both support and concern over representation and regional balance.
JAMMU KASHMIR
The Jammu and Kashmir administration has launched an aggressive, multi-pronged crackdown on narcotics under Lt Governor Manoj Sinha’s 100-day Nasha Mukt campaign, framing it as a decisive push to dismantle drug networks and their financial backbone.
In a major escalation, authorities in Anantnag and Shopian demolished properties worth crores linked to alleged drug traffickers. Along NH-44 in Sangam, multiple roadside establishments built on encroached state land were razed, with owners facing cases under the NDPS Act. Similar action in Shopian’s Wachi targeted shops belonging to accused individuals in active narcotics cases.
Officials said over 60 persons linked to drug trafficking have been arrested in April across Jammu and Kashmir, while properties suspected to be acquired through illicit proceeds are being seized or demolished to deter the trade.
In a parallel strategy, police have introduced “rogue galleries” in districts like Kulgam, publicly displaying photographs and case details of 184 alleged peddlers across police stations to enlist community vigilance.
Authorities describe the campaign as a “war against narcotics,” combining enforcement, asset disruption and public participation, with continued raids, inspections of medical outlets and strict legal action planned in the coming weeks.
PATTAN
The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Jammu and Kashmir Police has registered a case after a man was allegedly duped in a fake overseas job scheme and trafficked to Cambodia. The complainant said an unauthorised consultancy in Pattan promised him a lucrative job as a computer operator abroad, prompting him to transfer a substantial sum and incur travel expenses.
On reaching Cambodia, he was reportedly received by unknown people and forced to engage in fraudulent online activities. Upon refusing, he realised he had been deceived. Police said preliminary investigations indicate offences under Section 318(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, and a formal case has been registered.
In a separate case, the Crime Branch has chargesheeted Farhat Abbas Malik of Doda for a similar fraud during the Covid period, where victims were lured with overseas job promises.
JAMMU
The Jammu and Kashmir Government has blacklisted Reliance General Insurance Company Limited for two years, barring it from all bidding and procurement processes over alleged lapses in a 2018 Group Mediclaim Scheme for employees and pensioners. The scheme, executed through a tripartite agreement with Trinity Reinsurance Brokers Limited, involved over Rs 61.43 crore in premiums for 3.5 lakh employees and Rs 66.95 lakh for 1,506 pensioners. It was terminated within months, effective December 31, 2018, following widespread complaints.
Investigations by the Anti-Corruption Bureau found claims worth rs 17.25 crore were settled, while Rs 44.85 crore remained unutilised, with recovery recommended. Authorities cited multiple failures, including non-issuance of insurance cards, lack of hospital networks, and absence of IT systems and support services.
The case has also been probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate, which flagged alleged fund diversion. The order takes effect after 15 days, allowing legal recourse.
