FARIDABAD
The Jammu and Kashmir Police have arrested Kashmiri Pandit activist Rakesh Handoo, alias Bunty, from Faridabad (Haryana) in connection with the circulation of threatening messages targeting Kashmiri Pandit employees recruited under the Prime Minister’s Rehabilitation Package (PMRP) and other migrant workers in the Valley. Baramulla Police arrested Handoo on October 17 in connection with FIR No. 151/2026. The case reportedly invokes provisions of the Information Technology Act relating to cyberterrorism and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
Police allege that Handoo circulated and amplified digital threat letters purportedly issued by a “militant outfit”, which named minority employees and migrant workers and allegedly disclosed their personal information. The case followed a complaint by Rohit Raina, a PM Package employee posted in Baramulla. Inspector General of Police Sujit Kumar said investigators had gathered substantial clues regarding Handoo’s alleged involvement.
Ironically, Handoo had himself been campaigning for the security of PM Package employees, demanding an investigation into the alleged leakage of their personal details, a security audit and safe accommodation. In September, he had publicly warned of threats against employees and urged authorities to identify those responsible. He had reportedly sought questioning through video conferencing, citing security concerns over travelling to Kashmir.
Northern Railway has proposed a 50 per cent rebate on return freight charges to make rail transport cheaper for Kashmir’s apple and horticulture traders.
SRINAGAR
The Jammu and Kashmir High Court has struck down the water usage charges imposed on hydropower projects. It held that the levy is a tax on the generation of electricity and the erstwhile State Legislature lacked the power to impose it.
A Division Bench restrained the government from taxing electricity generation “under the garb of water usage charges or any other tax”. The bench found no service flowing to hydropower projects in return for the charges. The money goes to a separate fund for building and buying power projects and for network investment. The court held that the charges were “nothing but a tax” and that their name was misleading. The tariff also weighed with the court. It is fixed by head height, which reflects energy potential and not the volume of water used. Generation of electricity, not use of water, is therefore the incidence of the tax.
Power to tax generation lay with Parliament under the Union List as it stood in 2010. No State entry allowed it. The court rejected the plea that the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, saved the law. It called the argument “an attempt in desperation”. A law void at birth, the bench said, cannot be validated later.
The 2010 Act was struck down to the extent it levies these charges on hydropower projects. Charges on other water users remain within the State’s competence.
The EPFO’s Jammu regional office has settled over 80,000 claims worth Rs 267.53 crore in the current financial year.
BARAMULLA
National Conference president Dr Farooq Abdullah’s remarks portraying Pakistan as a protector of the people of Jammu and Kashmir have triggered a political storm, drawing sharp criticism from the BJP, former chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad. Addressing party workers on October 24, Abdullah said Pakistan’s repeated raising of the Kashmir issue at international forums was protecting the people of Jammu and Kashmir from New Delhi’s alleged designs. “Our neighbour is protecting us. Otherwise, their intentions were not right,” he said, alleging that the Centre was reluctant to act because of international pressure.
The BJP termed the remarks “seditious and anti-national”, demanded registration of a case and sought a public apology. Azad described Abdullah’s assessment as “completely incorrect”. Abdullah’s remarks came amid his renewed demand for restoration of Article 370 and statehood. He also accused the Centre of weakening Jammu and Kashmir’s constitutional rights and secular fabric. The Congress, an ally of the National Conference, distanced itself from the statement.
SRINAGAR
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah flagged off the third Kashmir International Marathon from Srinagar’s Polo View on October 25, with 2,136 participants registered for the full and half marathon. The 42.195-km race began at 6:30 am, followed by the 21-km event at 7:45 am, along Dal Lake and Nishat Garden. Kenya’s Emmanuel Sikuku Ndiwa won the men’s full marathon in 2:15:25, while Sheila Jepkosgei Chesang claimed the women’s title in 2:38:21. The event carried a prize purse of Rs 3.17 crore. Lt Governor Manoj Sinha distributed 68 medals. Traffic congestion caused by the event delayed the JKSET examination by two hours.
JAMMU KASHMIR
The Supreme Court Collegium has recommended nine advocates for appointment as judges of the Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court, including Tabasum Zafar, whose appointment would make her the first Kashmiri woman lawyer to become a judge of the High Court. The other eight are Vishal Sharma, Vikram Kumar Sharma, Namgyal Wangchuk, Pawan Kumar Kundal, Tahir Majid Shamsi, Amit Gupta, Pranav Kohli and Anupam Raina.
The recommendations follow a proposal by the High Court Collegium in April, which had forwarded 11 names, including ten advocates. One of them, senior advocate Jahangir Iqbal Ganai, a former J&K Advocate General, was not included in the latest clearance. The High Court, whose sanctioned strength was increased to 25 in November 2024, currently has 14 working judges against 11 vacancies.
Meanwhile, in Anantnag, DM Bilal Mohiuddin declared the District Bar Association Anantnag elections “null and void, ab initio and non-est in the eyes of law.”
PULWAMA
Yasir Arafat Wani of Dadoora village has won gold in the junior category at a national-level powerlifting championship held in Haryana, finishing first among nearly 90 participants. Wani attributed his success to hard work and consistent training, saying the achievement had motivated him to aim higher and bring further laurels to Jammu and Kashmir. He highlighted the challenges faced by Kashmiri athletes, including inadequate infrastructure, limited training facilities and financial constraints.
LADAKH
Ladakh’s declaration as India’s first fully organic Union Territory has coincided with its declaration as a dry tourist spot. Lt Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena declared Ladakh 100 per cent organic on October 25, following a July order banning the procurement, sale, distribution and use of chemical and synthetic fertilisers. Officials expect the move to improve the market value of local produce, including apricots, sea buckthorn, buckwheat and barley. A few days later, he agreed to close the only liquor shop in Leh. The decision came after a long protest by women from Buddhist, Muslim and Christian communities. They were on a protest at Leh’s NDS Memorial Park, demanding closure of newly opened liquor outlets. Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk supported the move, accusing the administration of promoting alcohol consumption. The Leh Apex Body also raised concerns over multiple bar licences at a stakeholders’ meeting attended by around 500 people on October 25, alleging inadequate consultation with local communities.
JAMMU KASHMIR
The appointment of Sajjan Singh Yadav as Jammu and Kashmir’s Chief Secretary marks the first time a core AGMUT cadre officer will head the administration since the erstwhile state cadre was merged with the Union Territory cadre in 2021. A 1995-batch IAS officer, Yadav will take charge on November 1, succeeding Atal Dulloo, who retires on October 31. A 1995-batch AGMUT cadre IAS officer, Yadav has nearly three decades of administrative experience across the Centre and Delhi. He holds an MBA from Delhi University, a public policy degree from the University of Minnesota and a doctorate in public health from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. He served as Joint Secretary and Additional Secretary in the Finance Ministry’s Department of Expenditure before becoming Delhi Jal Board’s Additional Chief Secretary and CEO in June 2026. He has also authored books on civil services and India’s vaccine development. Some of the officers serving in Jammu and Kashmir, senior to him, have already been transferred out.
DAL LAKE
The Jammu and Kashmir High Court’s October 14 order suspending all fuel-powered motorboats, including motorised shikaras and jet skis on Dal Lake. It has left operators worried about their livelihoods. The order followed a petition challenging the lack of transparency and clear criteria in granting motorboat licences, now handled by the Regional Transport Office. Operators are awaiting the next hearing, hoping the court will consider both environmental concerns and their economic interests. They have suggested exploring solar-powered and electric boats but urged the government to assess their affordability. They also argued that pollution in Dal Lake stems from multiple sources and requires a broader response.
POONCH
The Jammu and Kashmir High Court has sought an update from the district administration on efforts to bring back a Rajouri youth deported to Pakistan following the April 2025 Pahalgam massacre. On March 25, the court had directed the MHA to take steps to retrieve Aasim Sajjad, also known as Fardin Sajjad, so he could pursue his pending application for extension of his long-term visa and Indian citizenship. Born in Pakistan in October 2006 to an Indian father and Pakistani mother, Aasim moved to Rajouri in 2007 and completed his schooling there. His mother died in 2013. He was deported on April 29, 2025, after his visa expired, according to the Centre. His father has since been fighting for his return.
MUMBAI
Kashmiri singer Qazi Touqeer’s entry into the Bigg Boss house has revived memories of his national breakthrough after winning the television reality show Fame Gurukul in 2005 alongside Ruprekha Banerjee. His appearance on one of India’s most-watched television platforms has also renewed discussion about opportunities for Kashmiri youth in entertainment and creative industries. Unlike in the past, when his family and well-wishers would publicly appeal to vote for his success in a singing contest, people are now routinely very supportive of his success. His act of showcasing a Kashmir apple has added to his popularity in the apple-growing periphery.
KERELA
After being grown at innumerable places across the country, a Kerala entrepreneur has joined the race by cultivating saffron indoors using AI-powered technology after drawing inspiration from Kashmir’s saffron fields in Pampore. James Kappani, a Thrissur resident who spent 20 years working in Saudi Arabia, started the venture after visiting Kashmir in 2022. Two years after his Kashmir visit, he established a 150-square-foot controlled-environment farm on his rooftop, using automated systems to regulate temperature, humidity and lighting. His first harvest yielded around 400 grams, which he sells under his brand at Rs 650 per gram. He sourced 150 kg of saffron corms from Pampore for the cultivation.
Kappani now trains aspiring entrepreneurs and helps establish automated saffron farms, estimating that a 250-square-foot unit would cost around Rs 15 lakh and produce nearly one kg annually. He also makes baby oil, soap and saffron-infused honey from by-products. His business has signed an MoU for sales in Russia.
