Sopore, March 21 : Class work will remain suspended in all schools and colleges of Sopore sub division on Friday in view of warpora encounter.

Official sources said the decision has been taken as a “precautionary measure” to avoid law and order situation in the town.

Additional Deputy Commissioner Sopore Ashiq Hussain Lily in a statement issued said that In view of prevailing situation and as a precautionary measures class work in all the educational institutions private or Government shall remain suspended tomorrow on 22nd of March 2019.

Pertainally, A police officer was among two cops injured on Thursday in an ongoing gunfight between government forces and militants in north Kashmir’s Sopore village.

Qayoom Khan

Srinagar, March 21 : The family of Rizwan Ahmad Pandit, a teacher who “died in police custody” two days after arrest from his residence at 11:30 p.m. on March 17, on Thursday, rebutted police’s “theory” of “escape from custody” and demanded a judicial probe.       

“A team of police headed by a DSP picked him and when we visited them in the morning (on Monday) we were told that Rizwan has been arrested by NIA. The torture marks on his body speak that he has been subjected to severe torture so as to extract a confession from him,” Rizwan’s father, Asadullah Pandit, said. “He was innocent. What could he reveal when there was nothing,” he told GNS, adding, “There were severe torture marks on his body and if the body is to be exhumed to see the torture marks, we are ready for it also. We want justice and there should be a judicial probe.”

Rizwan Asad Pandit, a principal at a private school, was picked up by the police late March 17 during a raid at his family home and he died in police custody which was also admitted by the cops in the official statement.

“Iron was used on his body. His left eye was completely bruised. He had stitches on the head,” Rizwan’s brother, Mubashir, told reporters.

“This is damn impossible for him to escape from the custody. How a person who has been brutally tortured can escape?” he asked.

“The claim in this regard is insane. I don’t think those who have done this are humans.”

He said that Rizwan’s postmortem was carried without the family’s consent. “They did it apparently to fabricate it. The DSP Awantipora took my brother from the home during 11:30 on Sunday and he along with team is responsible for it.”

Meanwhile, people in Awantipora staged a protest demonstration against the ‘custodial killing’ of the school principal.

The protesters included members of the Sikh community and they demanded ‘justice’  for Rizwan.

The protesters assembled outside the Rizwan’s ancestral house in Awantipora and carried a march, seeking justice for Rizwan.

Meanwhile, Kashmir traders’ body here staged a protest and demanded justice for Rizwan. They carried placards that reads custodial killing is unacceptable. (GNS)  

Qayoom Khan

Srinagar, Mar 21 : Two youths from Central Kashmir’s Budgam district were today booked under PSA and shifted to Jammu jail.

Official sources told GNS that Murtaza Hussain son of Ghulam Hassan Laway and Hilal Ahmad Laway son of Abdul Ahad Laway, both residents of Hardu Dalwan village were arrested on 25-01-2019.

Murtaza was booked under PSA vide order number DMB/13/PSA/2019 and Hilal vice number DMP/12/PSA/2019. Both were shifted to Kot Bhalwal jail, Jammu today morning, an official said.

The duo were involved in creating law and order problems and were also involved in many stone hurling incidents and as such they were booked under PSA and shifted to Jammu jail. (GNS)

Srinagar, Mar 21 : The BJP on Thursday released its first list of 184 candidates.

In Jammu and Kashmir, sitting MP and minister Dr Jitendra Singh will contest from Udhampur and another sitting MP Jugal Kishore from Jammu. 
From Kashmir division, M M War will contest from Baramulla, Khalid Jehangir from Srinagar and Sofi Yousuf from Anantnag.

Earlier in the day, senior BJP leader Kavinder Gupta had told that BJP would announce its candidates for the upcoming polls today in the evening. (KNS) 

Suhail Khan

Srinagar, Mar 21: Gunfight broke out in Hajin area of north Kashmir’s Bandipora district on Thursday.

Reports reaching GNS said a joint team of Army’s 13RR, CRPF and SOG launched a cordon at Mir Mohalla of Hajin.

A police officer said the operation was launched following credible inputs about the presence of some militants in the area.

As the joint team of forces approached the suspected house, the hiding militants fired upon government forces, triggering an encounter.

SSP Bandipora Rahu Malik told GNS that forces had cordoned the suspected house earlier but the operation was delayed due to evacuation of civilians near the encounter site.

A police officer said members of local Auqaf committee and a magistrate were brought to the encounter site to persuade the hiding militants to release the civilian “taken hostage by them”.

According to police sources, a girl who was taken hostage was evacuated by the joint team of forces while a minor boy is still in the house. His fate is not known so far, the official said.

As per sources, two militants are believed to be trapped in the house. (GNS)

A police officer Thursday claimed that slain journalist ‘Shujaat Bukhari had confided with him about some media guys spreading canards against and creating conducive atmosphere against him and creating a conducive atmosphere for his murder.’

SSP Security of Jammu and Kashmir police Imtiyaz Hussain Thursday in a series of tweets targeted some media men after an apparent argument with a Journalist. The journalist too tweeted claiming that he was threatened by two police officers.

Police officer Imtiyaz Hussain tweeted: “Shujat had confided with me how some media guys had been spreading canards against him and creating a conducive atmosphere for his murder. We being a liberal democracy and such elements take full advantage of our liberal laws,knowing it very well that law can’t touch them.” He tweeted.

He also claimed that people claiming to be journalists were building an environment to get him killed, “There are some well known people hyperactive on Facebook and Twitter who are building an environment to get me killed. These people claiming to be journalists aren’t apparently working with any media house.” He wrote.

Hussain said that he was among very few police officers active on social who was ‘forthright’ “Having been never afraid of death and it would be honour to get sacrificed in the line of duty but the perception being created against me is slanderous. I am one among very few police officers active on social media and being forthright and calling a spade a spade.”

Adding that his forthrightness had become; intolerable to these journalists’ , and that they wanted to silence the officer on social media,”This is becoming intolerable to them and their bosses across have employed them to target me. They want to silence me on social media.They are the same people who have built a case for Shujat Bukhari’s killing.’ He tweeted.(CNS)