LEH: HDFC bank inaugurated its branch in Leh, the happening tourist place at an altitude of 10500 ft. The bank, that was inaugurated by the Finance Minister, Abdul Rahim Rather, plans to have 50 branches in J&K by the end of 2011. The branch has given HDFC a claim that it is the first major Indian private bank that has made an effort to reach Leh, a distant arid desert that is usually at the fag end of priorities. At a place that is flush with disposable income coming from tourism, HDFC entry will intensify the competition. Till date it was SBI and J&K Bank that managed finances of Leh.
KOKERNAG: Iman Sufan, son of Congress education minister, Peerzada Sayeed started off a battle with his neighbours and resorted to indiscriminate use of power. Eventually it created a situation that police was forced to arrest him. Accompanied by the police guards and some friends, Sufan invaded his neighbours in Hakura village, broke houses and damaged their shops. Locals alleged the attackers apparently drugged. A panch who tried to intervene was also attacked with rifle butts. Though police initially sided with Sufan gang, they were forced to arrest him later as the situation deteriorated. Reports suggest that a camera used by somebody to cover the entire attack was also taken away by the police.
DELHI: Criminals in Delhi kidnapped a 45-year old Kashmiri women and gang-raped her. Police have registered an FIR but they are yet to trace the criminals. The lady had seen off her daughter going to Pune at Delhi airport and had taken an auto to reach her cousin’s home in Malviya Nagar on July 29. The cab she was travelling in developed snag near Dhula Kuan road when two persons with a car appeared and offered a lift. She accepted and was taken to a Khirki Extension flat (JH-37) where another person was waiting.All the three persons raped her . Instead of letting her go, they took her in the same car and left her on a deserted road. The lady returned to the flat and rang up the police that is investigating the case. The lady who is a travel agent in Srinagar was staying with her cousin, Delhi tabloid, Mid Day reported.
RAJOURI: Almost all the students of National Public School had assembled for prayers at 8.30 am. It was a windy morning and as the winds picked up speed, it led a huge tree to collapse on them. Nearly 18 students were injured. Nahima, one of the students with multiple fractures in her head was shifted to GMC Jammu. Most of the students are still admitted in the hospital. Police have registered a case.
NOWSHEHRA: It consumed tons of newsprint but no newspaper was granted an access to witness Katrina Kaif delighting the soldiers in Rajouri. The 27-year damsel landed in Jammu on August 1 and was driven to Rajouri in a huge convoy to record NDTV’s special programme ‘Jai Jawan’. During her day-long shooting with the soldiers, she shook a leg with them near the LoC, at Jangarh. She had lunch with them and later officers briefed her about the C I operations. Besides, she took part in firing, rope climbing, river crossing exercise at the training drill. Civilians who wanted to have glimpse of her, were not allowed.
NEW ZELAND: French fashion house Agatha has followed up its popular Nostalgic Romantic collection with the new ‘Kashmir Girl’ fashion jewellery collection. It is a blend of rough and luxury materials usually used by the Gujjar women. It includes many things like dangly necklaces of etched, coloured beads, metal work bracelets, cabochon rings in exotic colours. AGATHA Paris, NZ’s Mitchell Grant, says the jewellery suits the New Zealand women to express themselves in their own unique way – little accents to their outfit, or big bright statement pieces.
CROSSED: Parveen Akhtar, 23, from Poonch crossed over to PaK after having an argument with her husband and mother-in law. Her relatives are supposed to be residing on other side of the LoC.
REVEALED: A love triangle is supposedly behind the killing of Sukhbir Singh, a junior college student. The revelation was made by the key accused Jaspreet Singh. The other accused is still absconding.
SEEKING: Civil society group led by Shakeel Qalander is seeking information from the central government and NHPC regarding all the power projects constructed or under construction in J&K. The group is campaigning for return of power projects to the state.
VISITED: During his two day Kashmir visit, the Indian Army Chief, General V K Singh met Omar Abdullah and Lt General Syed Atta Husnain and reviewed the security situation. They also discussed the recently happenings in the valley.
DESIGNATED: Child Development Officers (CDPOs) of the Social Welfare Department are being assigned protection of domestic violence victims. This step is taken in view of the newly enforced J&K protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act.
ALLEGED: A housewife Kanchan Devi, a mother of four accused a recently elected Sarpanch of a rape attempt. An FIR under 339, 323 RPC has been lodged his name.
BOYCOTTED: Congress lawmakers from Ramban, Kishtwar and Doda boycotted the NC organized district development meetings. They accused NC of discriminating with their area’s in public funding.
STOLEN: A 22 year old Bakerwal boy stole an AK 47 from the LeT militant outfit when he was kidnapped by them. Jammu newspapers said he was offered a rank in their outfit also but he denied.
DEPOSITED: NHPC has deposited Rs 101.09 cr with the state government as the water usage charges at its two hydel projects in J&K- Rs 80.55 crore for Salal and Rs 20.52 crore for Dul Hasti for last quarter of the financial year.
APPOINTED: Government appointed Justice Y P Nargotra and Justice Hakim Imtiaz Hussain as the two judges of the State Accountability Commission. The commission was defunct for last three years since its last judge completed his tenure. Nargotra will be the chairman of the SAC.
WELCOMED: UN Secretary General, Ban Ki Moon welcomed the recent “constructive” talks between the Indo-Pak foreign ministers. Moon has encouraged two countries to resolve their outstanding issues also.
ORDERED: A city court has ordered a probe into alleged custodial death of Umer Qayoom Bhat, 17, from Soura during the 2010 summer unrest. SSP or any other official not below the rank of Dy SP is directed to take up the charge of the enquiry.
HARASSED: Kashmiri truck drivers were allegedly harassed by the District Transport Officers (DTO’s) in different parts of Punjab. They are being asked to pay money and on refusal are allegedly beaten.
ARRESTED: Kaiser Ahmed, a Pakistani teenager was arrested in Poonch by Indian Army while crossing the border. He was later handed over to JKP.
CONFIRMED: A Kashmiri, Ghulam Mohammed Malik’s death sentence was confirmed by a special court in Mumbai for drug trafficking. He was found guilty of the same crime for the second time.
FRAMED: State government has framed rules and regulations to engage 43,000 unemployed youths on casual basis in different departments. The youth will be engaged for maintenance, running the new and old schemes and improving delivery of public services.
QUASHED: High court quashed detention of eleven persons under PSA. These also include Zahoor Ahmed Bhat, brother of JKLF founder Maqbool Bhat.
OBSERVED: Kulgam observed complete shut down on Wednesday to mark the death anniversary of two youth Rameez Rashid Bhat and Ashiq Hussain Bhat who were killed in 2010 summer unrest.
NOMINATED: S S Bloeria, former Chief Secretary, is reportedly the first VC of Jammu’s Central University. An announcement is shortly being made.
STOLEN: A group of burglars stole art items worth lakhs of rupees from Taj Art Emporium on Srinagar-Gulmarg road. Carpet, Pashmina and saffron is among the stolen things.
PLANNED: Air India planned to start a 45 seater aircraft service to Kargil. The area usually remains cut off during winters due to heavy snowfall.
CUT OFF: After two bridges were washed away by floods, Saraj area of Ramban having 25 panchayats and a population of over 3000 peoplehas been cut off from the rest of the world from more than a year now. They presently are using a rope way.
VANISHED: Massive pilgrim influx and soaring mercury resulted in melting of Shivling ahead of yatra’s formal conclusion.
