Ahmed Ali Fayyaz EARLY TIMES REPORT SRINAGAR, Sept 7: Killing of four civilians in Police and CRPF firing at Palhalan yesterday led to a fresh wave of turbulence in Kashmir valley today as violent mobs clashed with armed forces at several places and attacked a number of Police Stations, CRPF bunkers and Government offices, amid total shutdown and undeclared curfew. Notwithstanding the holiest day of the Islamic calendar---Shab-e-Qadr-people at hundreds of places all over the Valley staged protest demonstrations. While shouting anti-India, pro-Islam and pro-Azadi slogans, demonstrators registered their protest against the killing of four civilians in the shootout at Palhalan, Pattan, on Monday. Hundreds and thousands of the Kashmiris participated in the nightlong special prayers at the local mosques and shrines but scores on the streets staged political demonstrations and even clashed

Early Times report Jammu, Sept 7: Many KAS officers in J&K who have attained seniority and yet facing grim chances of getting IAS cadre, are in for a big bonanza. Following SC directive on increasing the age bar for induction into IAS cadre from 54 to 55 years, the state government has sent revised proposal to Department of Personnel, Government of India for fresh consideration of the select list of officers eligible for the promotion under new guidelines. Though the state government had earlier sent the select list of nearly five officers in the year 2008, this no more stands relevant in the wake of SC directive that instead of 54 years age bar, the officers having 55 years of age with requisite seniority can also seek promotion and induction into IAS cadre now onwards. However, the induction of the number again depends upon the available vacancies as also the approval from Union Publ

Early Times report Jammu, Sept 7: Contrary to common belief, the on-going bloody agitation may be withdrawn after Eid. Track II players have done their job yet again and government , it is believed, has accepted four of the five demands put forth by Syed Ali Geelani. Soon after Geelani came out with his five demands , a team from New Delhi led by veteran human rights defender Admiral Ram Dass arrived in Srinagar. They held a protest demonstration to express solidarity with the sufferers. One of the members, Swami even went to the extent of ridiculing the Prime Minister's statement wherein he had stated that Jammu Kashmir was an integral part of India. " There was no need for such a statement at this crucial time. He should have refrained from issuing such a statement." Swami also praised the former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee for his Kashmir initiative. Interestingly most of t

Early Times Report SRINAGAR, Sep 7: After receiving ‘reports’ that hours before tendering his resignation, former Chairman of J&K Bank, Haseeb Drabu, had conducted a secret midnight operation at the Corporate Headquarters, Police intelligence is burning midnight oil to find what a group of eight officials had done in their 5-hour-long exercise. Well-placed authoritative sources told early Times that CID of J&K Police and officials of Security Wing had been put on the job from “top government functionaries’ to investigate what Drabu and seven of his trusted colleagues had been doing at Corporate Headquarters of J&K Bank near the Tourist Reception Centre in the capital city during the night intervening Aug 26/27. According to “confidential reports” available with the government, eight officials of the bank reached the Corporate Headquarters at 0030 hours in two vehicles and returned onl

SYED JUNAID HASHMI EARLY TIMES REPORT JAMMU, Sept 7: Despite indulging in major media blitzkrieg, Police cop turned academician Masud Choudhary whose extension period expired in September 2009 is on his way out and a new Vice-Chancellor is likely to take over reigns of the university within the next few weeks. Sources in the state government said that committee constituted to recommend panel for the appointment of vice-chancellor of Baba Ghulam Shah University (BGSBU) has completed the work. They added that committee has recommended names of Prof. Ayaz Rasool Nazki, Prof. Nisar Ganai and Prof. Irshad Hamal for being appointed Vice-Chancellor of BGSBU. Sources further said that Chief Minister is likely to assent to one of these three names in the days ahead. They added that the appointment of new vice-chancellor is likely to open a Pandora box and if the government sources are to be

SUMIT SHARMA EARLY TIMES REPORT Jammu, Sept 7: In swift developments related to Elementary Teachers Training (ETT) impersonation racket busted at MIER College, impersonator Bua Singh son of Atman Singh and beneficiary Sat Pal Singh son of Mela Singh, residents of village Reond Kala, Punjab who were arrested on Tuesday were sent under 5 days police remand for questioning by Executive Magistrate today. As per police source during verifying and questioning various inputs, Bus Stand police team is all set to seize records of JK Board of School Education’s ETT examination wing. Sources further said that police team will quiz incharge EET examination wing Vidya Rattan besides seizing record of SP ETT College for checking, as the beneficiary Sat Pal Singh was student of the college. Sources revealed that during questioning it was admitted by both the culprits that deal of Rs 20,000 were de

CHAMAN KOUL Early Times Report Jammu, Sept 7: It sounds incredible but is true. It is story reflecting whimsical and discriminatory attitude of the state Information Department towards local newspapers. Despite having been approved by Directorate of Audio Visual Publicity (DAVP), Government of India, Department of Information and Broadcasting two years ago, Daily Dehat Sandesh news paper is a victim of neglect and apathy by State Information Department. The paper was launched in the year 2004 with weekly publication with RS Gill as its editor. After about four years in the beginning of 2008 the news paper is being brought out as a daily. During the tenure of weekly publication, the paper was not approved by the Information Department. When Management of the paper sought to know the reason of neglect through Right to Information Act, (RTI), the move resulted in approval for weekly

RUSTAM EARLY TIMES REPORT JAMMU, Sept 7: Thus the situation is critical. There are cogent reasons to believe that if the people Jammu remain dormant and devoid of political activity any more, they would be submerged under the rising tide Kashmiri sub-nationalism, which is based on primitive, intolerant and fundamentally cruel ideology. And if at all it happens, and it will surely happen in case they remain dormant and not nip the evil on time, they themselves will be squarely responsible for what would be done to them by the fanatics in Kashmir. Hence, it is imperative for them to rise above party politics and prepare themselves for a full-scale campaign directed both against Kashmiri separatists and New Delhi, which can do anything to pamper the Kashmiri fanatics. Similarly, it is imperative for the political leaders of Jammu to forget all differences and form one platform in order t

Early Times report Jammu, Sept 7: The other day the rabidly anti-India and out-and-out pro-Pakistan Radical Islamist Syed Ali Shah Geelani dismissed out-of-the-hand the demand for the division of the state. He said no power on earth could divide the State of Jammu and Kashmir. He belongs to that category of Kashmiri leaders who opposed the March 1846 Treaty of Amritsar, signed between Raja Gulab Singh of Jammu and the British Government, and demanded independence for Kashmir from what they called the oppressive and alien Jammu rule, and changed their stance in October 1947, when Jawaharlal Nehru conspired against Jammu and transferred political power from Jammu to Kashmir using unfair and undemocratic means. It bears recalling that it was in March 1846 that the State of Jammu and Kashmir came into being. The Raja of Jammu purchased Kashmir paying rupees 75 lakh to the British Governmen

EARLY TIMES REPORT RAJOURI, Sep 7: A body of 8th class student was found in suspicious circumstances in a forest near his residence at Chowkian under the jurisdiction of Darhal police station on Monday late evening. Police have registered a case under section 174 Cr PC and waiting for the postmortem report for further investigations. Police said that Mohd Akhlaq son of Muneer Hussain, a student of high school Chowkian went to near by forest at Sarotha at 5 pm to bring back the cows left in the forest for grazing. When the boy did not turn up till 7 pm the family members got suspicious and went to the forest in search of the boy. The body of the Akhlaq was found lying in a pool of blood in the bushes with multiple head injuries. Family members informed the police. A police party from Darhal police station took possession of the body and brought it to the sub district hospital at

EARLY TIMES REPORT JAMMU, Sep 7: Two persons were today apprehended by police at Nankeychak in Samba along with over 2.5 kg charas, while an equal quantity of the contraband was recovered at their instance from a hotel in Jewel area here. The accused were identified as Shahnawaz Zargar, son of Asadullah Zargar of Wokey in Kulgam, Kashmir, and Hardev Singh alias Ranju, son of Kulwant Singh of Mandi Kotli, Samba. SSP, Samba, JL Sharma said the accused, who were on their way from Jammu to Samba, got down from a bus on seeing a police naka at Nankeychak. Cops, manning the naka, got suspicious of them when they walked in the opposite direction in a haste, he added. They were then chased and captured by the cops. The SSP said while Zargar was found in possession of 2 kg charas, Ranju had 600 gms of it with him. During questioning, Zargar told police that he had come here from Kulg

EARLY TIMES REPORT JAMMU, Sep 7: A rusted mortar shell was today recovered from a residential plot at Smailpur in Bari Brahmana area of Samba. The shell was first seen by some labourers during construction activity on the land, police sources said. After locals informed them, army troops rushed to the spot and defused the shell, the sources added.

Sandeep Bhat Early Times Report Jammu, Sept 7: Despite reports of desertions in its ranks and threats of social boycott, J&K police has emerged as a big draw for young job hunters in employment-starved Kashmir. Ignoring calls by hardliners to shun the Khaki force, nearly 60,000 men applied for less than 3,000 jobs in J&K police about 200 applicants for one constable’s post. The applications piled up over the last few months, about the time when the situation in the valley appeared to be spinning out of control with the cops particularly being at the receiving end of public wrath. The department has received 58,975 applications, against 2,785 vacancies across the valley. “The response from (the worst-hit) Srinagar and Budgam districts was even more heartening,” he said. “we’ve received 2,860 applications, against 529 posts in Srinagar district, while 8053 against 283 in Budgam,” he sa