PAHALGAM
The Jammu and Kashmir Police arrested Mohammad Yousuf Katari, 26, from Kulgam in connection with the Pahalgam massacre of April 22, which killed 26 people. A teacher by profession, Katari allegedly acted as an Over Ground Worker (OGW) supporting militants linked to Pakistan-based proscribed Lashkar-e-Taiba. He is believed to have provided logistical assistance to the attackers, who were later killed during Operation Mahadev, launched on May 22 in Dachigam near Srinagar.
Centre clears Rs 1925 crore for Ladakh’s intra-state power transmission projects under PMDP-2015.
DELHI
Naqsh (The Imprint) curated by conservationist and art historian Hakim Sameer Hamdani, opened at the India International Centre, New Delhi, showcasing Kashmir’s centuries-old architectural epigraphy. Drawing on a year-long project (2023–24) supported by London’s Barakat Trust, the exhibition presents photographs, drawings, and translations of inscriptions from over 600 surveyed sites, highlighting 41 significant examples spanning mosques, shrines, bridges, temples, khanqahs, and gardens from the 14th to 19th centuries. The display traces Persianate, Arabic, Sanskrit, and Hindi inscriptions, illustrating Kashmir’s syncretic cultural landscape. Notable highlights include the 1621 CE Jamia Masjid inscription crediting a calligrapher and a Hindu sculptor, the 1597 CE Kathi Darwaza epigraph documenting payments to 200 masons, the 1676 CE Naidyar Kadal bridge text, and an 1820 CE Pokhribal Devi Temple stone marking Sikh-era Hindu revival. Scripts such as Kufic, Thuluth, Nastaliq, Diwani, and Rehan reflect the exchange of artistic and spiritual traditions, while epigraphs in Sufi shrines convey Quranic verses, Hadith, and devotional poetry. Hamdani emphasises that these inscriptions, akin to modern billboards, served as public texts of devotional, commemorative, and communal significance. The exhibition, running until September 28, underscores both preservation and rediscovery of Kashmir’s vanishing epigraphic heritage, offering insights into the region’s craftsmanship, history, and syncretic ethos.
Nana Patekar’s NGO, with the Indian Army, distributes Rs 42 lakh rehabilitation aid to 117 families hit by cross-border shelling in Rajouri and Poonch after Operation Sindoor.
DELHI
The Election Commission of India announced that elections for Jammu and Kashmir’s four vacant Rajya Sabha seats will be held on October 24, over four years after they fell vacant in February 2021. The delay occurred as Jammu and Kashmir was under President’s Rule, lacking a Legislative Assembly to provide the required electorate. Following the formation of the Assembly in November 2024, the EC scheduled the biennial elections.
DELHI
The Delhi High Court on Wednesday refused to entertain a PIL seeking the removal of graves of Kashmiri separatists Maqbool Bhat and Afzal Guru from Tihar Jail, stating that the matter falls under government jurisdiction and involves law and order considerations. The Division Bench of Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela emphasised that PILs cannot be based solely on media reports or perceptions; empirical evidence of glorification is required. The petition, filed by Vishwa Vedic Sanatan Sangh, claimed the graves had become sites of radical pilgrimage, undermining national security and secular principles, and sought their relocation. The court noted that the Delhi Prisons Rules allow transfer of bodies with due respect but do not mandate removal from prison premises.
JAMMU
The Crime Branch has formed a six-member SIT, led by a DySP-ranked officer, to investigate the August 21 Sainik Colony shooting in Jammu, in which Mehjabeen Akil Sheikh from Mumbai was killed and two other women were injured. Three police officers, Inspector Deepak Pathania and PSIs Wasim Bhatti and Rohit Sharma, were suspended for allegedly attempting to pass off the incident as a road accident and tampering with records. The SIT has collected evidence from the physiotherapy centre where the shooting occurred, including bullet shells, bloodstains, and photographs, and from hospitals where the victims were treated. Fatima Akil, Mehjabeen’s sister, has been questioned, and a “fourth woman” suspected of helping tamper with the crime scene has been summoned. Initial investigations reveal eight rounds were fired by an unidentified gunman. Suspicious actions of the suspended officers remain under scrutiny. SSP Jammu has reassigned the suspended officers to RPHQ and appointed two in-charges for local police posts, while the SIT proceeds to trace and apprehend the accused still at large.
MUMBAI
Notorious Jammu and Kashmir gangster Royal Singh, wanted in multiple murder, extortion, and narcotics cases, was arrested in Worli, Mumbai, on Tuesday. He had been absconding since an Arms Act case and is linked to high-profile murders, including that of Rajesh Dogra and the son of former MLC Amandeep Singh.
MANTALI
The Mantalai Yoga and Wellness Complex in Jammu, completed nearly two years ago under the Prime Minister’s Development Package and Swadesh Darshan Scheme, remains non-operational due to delays in finalising the Request for Proposal (RFP) for outsourcing. Despite massive investment, the sprawling 450-kanal facility, with a Yoga Centre, Ayurveda spa, meditation enclave, eco-log huts, heliport, amphitheatre, herbal gardens, and modern utilities, stands idle, monitored only by security staff. Local tourism operators warn that each season lost affects job creation and business growth, turning the complex into a symbol of administrative inertia. Completed by NBCC through Patel Engineering in 2023 and taken over by Patnitop Development Authority, Mantalai was designed to position Jammu as a global wellness and spiritual tourism hub, but prolonged bureaucratic delays continue to stall its potential.
SAMBA
Selection grade constable Pawan Singh of Jammu and Kashmir Police has been arrested for the killing of Gujjar youth Parvez Ahmed, 21, during a police operation in Sure Chak on July 24. Previously suspended along with a Head Constable, Singh faces charges under Section 105 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for culpable homicide not amounting to murder. The incident had triggered public outrage, prompting a Special Investigation Team and a parallel magisterial inquiry. Sources suggest Parvez was linked to drug peddlers, though this is unconfirmed officially.
PARIS
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah will not attend the IFTM Top Resa 2025 tourism fair in Paris amid controversy over the proposed visit. The uproar followed a leaked GAD order listing him, his advisor, and the Director of Tourism in the delegation, sparking criticism as fruit growers face massive losses due to the Srinagar–Jammu National Highway closure. Omar clarified that he neither applied for a visa nor booked travel and dismissed claims that public backlash influenced his decision. He termed the Paris trip a routine tourism promotion, not a luxury visit, while questioning the selective leak of the order. It remains unclear who will represent J&K at the event.
HYDERABAD
Hyderabad-based Kashmiri journalist Khurshid Wani’s eldest daughter tragically died in a hit-and-run accident in Hayat Nagar, Hyderabad, while on her way to college. An unknown vehicle struck her and fled the scene; despite being rushed to the hospital, she succumbed to her injuries. The young psychology student was flown home in Devar (Tral). She is survived by her parents and a sister, a twelfth-grade student.
JAMMU
The long-pending issue of Gair Mumkin Khad in Jammu and Kashmir remains unresolved despite repeated directives since January 2022, prompting Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to constitute a Ministerial panel to examine the matter and report within three months. Initially, the Administrative Council Decision established District, Divisional, and UT-level committees to delineate and demarcate lands wrongly recorded as water bodies, with fixed timelines ranging from three to twelve months. Divisional and UT committees were tasked with supervision and monitoring. However, over two years, minimal progress was made, with committees largely ignoring privately owned lands and failing to escalate issues timely. In July 2024, the Administrative Council revised the policy, decentralising authority to Deputy Commissioners and Divisional Commissioners, introducing scientific methods such as Digital Elevation Models, Digital Terrain Models, and hydrological modelling. Yet, bureaucratic inertia persisted, leaving affected landowners frustrated. Responding to mounting complaints, the Chief Minister has now appointed a ministerial panel comprising Deputy CM Surinder Kumar Choudhary and Ministers Javed Ahmad Dar and Javed Ahmed Rana, supported by the Jal Shakti Department, to ensure timely resolution.
SRINAGAR
Ghulam Jeelani Pandit, former Jammu and Kashmir DGP, passed away on September 21. Born on February 22, 1933, in Srinagar, Pandit joined the state police early, rising through the ranks to become DGP on May 21, 1987, as only the second Kashmiri Muslim to hold the post ever. His tenure saw low-key insurgency, including the 1988 Rubaiyya Sayeed kidnapping and bomb threats, but ended with his removal on December 20, 1989, after which the Valley erupted into mass unrest following events like the Gaw Kadal massacre. Pandit’s leadership was marked by integrity, operational acumen, and navigating law enforcement amid political upheaval. Replaced by hardliner J.N. Saxena, he retired quietly, avoiding controversies. Colleagues and leaders mourned his passing, highlighting his dedication, humility, and exemplary service. He is survived by his wife, son, and two daughters.
ANANTNAG
Owais Khan, 25, from Anantnag, has ingeniously built an apple gondola from scrap, easing apple transport in steep orchards. Despite schooling only up to sixth grade, he self-taught mechanics via online tutorials, designing a cable system that reduces labour costs by Rs 15,000 daily and enhances safety. Investing Rs 1 crore of family funds, he assembled discarded vehicle parts into a functional prototype, now employed by five workers. Local farmers hail his invention for improving efficiency and creating jobs. Owais seeks government or private support to expand the project and benefit more orchard communities.
