AWARDED: Showkat Nanda, a young photojournalist from north Kashmir’s Baramulla town won the prestigious National Press Photo Award 2011 organized by the Media Foundation of India.Showkat’s picture of three Kashmiri sisters widowed in the ongoing conflict in Kashmir was selected as ‘photo of the year” by the three-member jury which included award-winning photojournalists Pablo Brtholomew, Arko Dutta and the Associated Press Chief Photographer for South Asia, Kevin Frayer. Apart from the top title, Nanda also won first and third prize in General News category. The jury selected 97prize-winning images in six categories.
CHALLENGED: The government has challenged a lower court’s order in Sessions Court regarding formation of Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the circumstances leading to the death of 13-year-old Wamiq Farooq,.
COMPLETED: The Government has informed the Court that the formalities for extradition of Major Avtar Singh, the prime accused in the kidnapping and killing of prominent human rights activist Jaleel Andrabi, had been ‘completed.’ The accused army Major was arrested on February 21 in California in a domestic violence case and later released on bail, is wanted in five murders including Jaleel’s case here.
ARRESTED: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested Garrison Engineer (GE) Lieutenant Colonel PK Shrivastava red handed while accepting a bribe of Rs 40,000 from a contractor for releasing his dues.
SUGGESTED: A day after Prime Minister’s visit, J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah asked his party to manage the passage of a resolution for setting up a Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) to unravel the realities behind disappearances, mysterious killings and the mass exodus of the Kashmiri Pandits. The TFC will have to be set up by the central government comprising individuals who will in no way be associated with J&K.
LEADERING: J&K has the highest proportion of active subscribers at 81.26% followed by Assam with more than 81% and Maharashtra at 77.58%. In contrast, the financial capital Mumbai has the lowest proportion of active mobile users with nearly 60%.
INJURED: Three children were injured at Margi Devar in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district when an explosive material they were playing with outside their house went off. The three are siblings aged between seven to fifteen were admitted to SMHS Hospital Srinagar. This is the second such incident in less than a month in Kashmir.
REVEALED: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today created a flutter in the Legislative Assembly when one of its MLA waved a Compact Disc (CD) and displayed currency notes worth Rs 20,000 saying the Assistant Regional Transport Officer Doda-Kishtwar, alleging that the official took bribes to pass unfit vehicles leading to accidents in which 703 lives have been lost. The government has ordered a departmental inquiry.
VISITED: International cricketer turned coach Jhonty Rhodes visited Kashmir for a week-long visit to the resort in north Kashmir to test his snow boarding skills and enjoy winter sports. Last year Rhodes’ former team-mate and the present coach of Indian cricket team, Gary Kristen, had also visited Gulmarg.
REVEALED: At least 38,000 women are suffering from diabetes in Kashmir due to lack of proper handling during pregnancy. Director SK Institute of Medical Sciences Soura, Abdul Hamid Zargar said that Sheehan’s syndrome (pregnancy complication) is common among Kashmiri women.
BAGGED: A girl from Shopian, Khalida, has bagged the lead role in the Yash Raj Film’s first television soap ‘Kismat’. She will portray the character of a beautiful, young, intelligent, perceptive and caring woman. The economics graduate never planned for a stint in television when she landed a good post in the J&K Bank. Her job brought her to Mumbai.
SURRENDERED: A man along with his wife and three children, surrendered before security forces after he crossed over to this side in mountainous Doda district. Mohammad Iqbal Shinali, son of Bashir Ahmed Shinali, resident of Doda, had crossed over to Pakistan administered Kashmir on November 18,1990, allegedly for arms training.
