Kashmir Despatch News

Sopore, May 27 : A residential house was damaged in a fire incident in north Kashmir’s Sopore township during the night, reports said.

Residential house of Javeed Ahmed Kanna son of Ghulam Mohammad Kanna of Kralteng Sopore was gutted completely in a fire mishap during the night, reports said.

Reports added that the timely action of locals and fire brigade officials managed to douse the flames and saved other residential houses.

However, no loss of life of injury was reported in the mishap, while the cause of the fire was not known immediately.

Meanwhile police took cognizance of this fire mishap.

The J&K High Court on Monday ordered government to stop release of pay in favour of the Chief Engineer, I&FC Department Kashmir, till further orders.

The directions by a bench of Justice Ali Mohammad Magrey while hearing a contempt petition regarding non-compliance of the court’s judgment regarding service petition.

The orders were passed by the court while Ashok Kumar Sharma, Chief Engineer, Irrigation and Flood Control Department, Kashmir, Srinagar, present in person.

The court said that judgment passed by it in writ court on 24.12.2014 in SWP 109/2008, which has achieved finality after disposal of the appeal by Division Bench of this court on 5 May 2015. The petitioner seeks implementation in the instant contempt petition with further prayer that respondents be punished for the contempt of the court.

“The judgment of the Single Bench dated 24.12.2014 was passed about four and a half years back and its implementation is sought in the present contempt petition, CPSW 875/2015, which too is pending for the last four years,” the court observed.

The court said that perusal of the proceedings reveal that the notice in the contempt petition was issued on 28.12.2015, thereafter the state counsel appeared for the respondents on 16.4.2016 and sought two weeks’ time to file statement of facts/compliance.

“On 7.5.2016, when the statement of facts was considered, perused thereof revealed that respondents evaded to implement the order while waiting for the decision of the Letters Bench in the appeal,” the court said. Therefore, the counsel for the respondents was given time to submit compliance before framing rule against the respondents.

“During these four years, as and when this contempt was taken up, the approach of the state counsel was to delay the implementation citing pendency of time-barred appeal along with condonation of delay application bearing number 1108/2015 and thereafter a Review petition filed by the respondents,” the court observed.

After perusal of the Review Petition, the court observed that on 6.8.2018 that the respondents sought time to report compliance.

“Without going into the details of the orders passed from time to time it shall be relevant to take note of the order dated 11.3.2019 when the counsel appearing for the respondents sought time to either report orders of the Supreme Court in SLP claimed to have been filed by the State against the decision of this court or to submit the compliance,” the court said, adding. “The court while noticing delay in implementation of the orders had granted further time to either submit the orders of the Supreme Court in their SLP having bearing on the decision of the contempt or to submit the compliance. More than two months have passed since, yet no response is filed.”

On Monday when the matter was taken up, the officer present in person as also his counsel submitted that the matter is under active consideration of the government—Commissioner Secretary, I&FC Department, Civil Secretariat, Srinagar.

“Since there is no compliance filed by the respondents, it is directed that the release of pay shall be stopped in favour of the Chief Engineer, I&FC Department, Kashmir, Srinagar till further orders,” the court said and also ordered Commissioner Secretary I&FC Department to report compliance by Monday failing which same orders will be followed in his case. The court ordered listing of the case on 3 June 2019.

Srinagar, May 27 : Army has arrested a 42-year-old man from Orissa with Nepali currency in Uri area of north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, officials said on Monday.

They said around 1530 hours, a person namely Durjdhan Maharaja son of late Kanu Maharaja of Kaliganow Kuligam village of district Ganjam (Orissa) was caught at PVCP-ll by sanitary of local army unit.

He was handed over to Police station Uri for further necessary action. “Army recovered 126 Nepal currency coins and one thousand Nepal currency note from his possession,” they added. (GNS)

Srinagar, May 21 : The Enforcement Wing of Lakes and Waterways Development Authority (LAWDA) in continuation of its demolition drive demolished illegal structures in several areas of Srinagar.

The demolition drive, according to a statement issued, was carried out in the jurisdiction of Saidakadal Rainawari, Journal Bagh Badamwari, Saidabagh Saidakadal and Tsuntikul Babademb areas.

During anti-encroachment drive, many illegal structures and tin sheds were demolished.

Most of the encroachers were already rehabilitated by LAWDA but taking undue advantage of strikes they had encroached upon the lake area and were adamant to leave, the statement said. 

There was serous resistance and some people created hurdles in this regard. However enforcement wing of LDA along with rehabilitation wing and police component from police station Kothi Bagh removed them in spite of resistance, it said.

People are requested to refrain from raising illegal constructions and encroaching on the Dal Lake, LAWDA said adding that strict action shall be taken against those found indulging in such activities. 

Srinagar, May 27 : A 16-year-old boy was killed while another teenager sustained injuries after a mortar shell went off at Chuntiwari area of Gurez in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district on Monday.

Official sources told GNS said that the boys were playing in an open field at Chuntiwari area of Bagtore when suddenly they found a mortar shell in the area and started fiddling with it. In the meantime, the shell exploded resulting in injuries to both of them.

The injured boys were identified as Amjid Ahmad Mapnoo (16) son of Mohd Sultan and Istiyaq Ahmad Lone (15) son of Mohammad Ismail Lone of Nayel village.

The duo was immediately shifted to nearby hospital where Amjid was declared brought dead by the doctors while as Istiyaq was referred to Srinagar hospital for advanced treatment.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Bandipora Rahul Malik, when contacted by GNS, said that the two minor boys came in contact with some explosive substance that got exploded resulting in the death of Amjid and injuries to another.

Asked about the nature of the explosive, the SSP said that it may be an unused mortar shell or something like that. “Probability of it being mortar shell is more”.

Furthermore, things will be clear during investigations which have been initiated by police, SSP said, adding that a case under relevant sections of law has also been registered.

Sources, meanwhile confirmed that it was an 81 mm mortar shell.  (GNS)