APPEALED: Cops who were suspended earlier for destroying evidences in Shopian rapes and murders and then arrested by SIT under High Court orders have approached the apex court. They want a stay on high court order directing their arrest and collection of blood samples for preparing the DNA profile. Petition was filed by SP Javed Iqbal Mattoo and his erstwhile deputy Rohit Baskotra before a bench headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan. In Srinagar high court, Matoo’s wife filed a bail application seeking release of her husband taking the plea that allegations against him are bailable. She moved the application on her own saying she lacks a counsel.
OVERFLOWS: Chenab, J&K’s main water resources is water abundant these days because of the increased glacial meting. But it is not being harvested because one of the three units of state’s Baglihar has stopped working. Even the upstream NHPC owned Dul Hasti has stopped using the water for a few days because it wants to de-silt the dam. This is expected to add to level rise in the entire stretch of river between Batote and Kishtwar. Flash floods are not ruled out.
RECONSTITUTED: NC has reconstituted its central working committee. It will now have 28 members on board and four permanent special invitees. Apparently it is the highest decision making group in the party. Headed by Dr Abdullah, the CWC members include Sheikh Nazir, Omar Abdullah, Abdul Rahim Rather, Sakina Itoo, Ali M Sagar, Chowdhary Ramzan, Ali M Naik, Perzada Ghulam A Shah, Main Altaf Ahmad, Mubarak Gul, Aga Roohullah,, Sardar Dharam Veer, M Yousuf Taing, Ali M Dar, Vijay Bakaya, Sheikh Ghulam Rasool, Mir Saifullah, Qamar Ali Akhoon, Choudhary M Shafi, Surjit Singh Salathia, Sardar Harbans Singh, Syed Mushtaq Bukhari, Rachpal Singh, Khalid Najeeb Suharwardy, Ram Paul, Javid Rana, Rattan Lal Gupta, Sajjad Ahmad Kitchloo and Bimla Luthra. Permanent special invitees include Aga Syed Bakir, Dr Chaman Lal, Abdul Gani Malik and Vijay Laxmi Dutta besides 18 special invitees.
KILLED: A family in Akhnoor allegedly strangulated their 22-year-old daughter to death for marrying a Dalit boy. The Brahmin girl is identified as Seema Sharma and the boy Tarsem Lal. After the news of marriage broke to the family, the family gave her younger sister in marriage to the boy whom family wanted to marry her. But the same night Seema was strangulated to death. Police said her father had poisoned her but she did not die forcing him to strangulate her to death. Seema’s husband Tarsem was hospitalised after he attempted suicide.
OPENED: After over 15 years, the armed forces have unblocked the 13 kilometre Chak-Puran road in Kupwara for any civilian movement. It was not being allowed for even the movement of the patients but last week the iron gates and bunkers were found missing. The road connects over 15 villages, including Zagsundri, Naribal, Behak, Harwet Wajhama, Ashapora and Wularhama. The opening came after local legislator engineer Sheikh Rashid, staged a 20-hour sit-in outside the Handwara police station.
OVERHAULED: Government shifted ADG (CID) Dr Ashok Bhan to head prisons department, made Farooq Ahmad head of the police in Kashmir and replaced city police chief Afadul Mujtaba by another equally competent officer Javed Reyaz Beadar. SSP traffic Syed Kifayat Hyder was sent to head south Kashmir Pulwama.
APPOINTED: Mubarak Gul is another advisor of Chief Minister. Unlike D S Rana, he will have a cabinet rank. His appointment came in wake of severe demoralization over cabinet expansion in which the party old guard did not get a good deal.
