India

Three army jawans were killed and two others injured in an encounter with militants in Jammu-Kashmir’s Kulgam district on Sunday. Four militants have been neutralised in the encounter after security forces, in a joint operation with police, conducted searches in Frisal.

Director General of Police S P Vaid told PTI that security forces have achieved a “major success” by gunning
down the four militants. “However, it is unfortunate that two soldiers were martyred and son of the house owner got caught in the cross-fire and succumbed to injuries,” he said.

The forces launched a cordon and search operation in Frisal area of Kulgam district around 4.30 am following information about presence of a large number of militants in the area, a police official told PTI. He said as the security forces were closing in on the position of the militants, the ultras opened firing resulting in injuries to five soldiers.

Asked about the encounter, Minister of state Jitendra Singh told reporters in Delhi that terrorism on Indian soil is being sponsored by Islamabad. “There has been a series of evidences and it is now no longer a secret that the entire terrorism on Indian soil, particularly in Jammu and Kashmir, is being promoted, perpetuated and sponsored by Islamabad,” he said.

The minister lauded the forces for working under difficult circumstances. “They (forces) are operating under most difficult circumstances and have beyond doubt proven themselves as one of the best forces in the world,” he said.

Out of the four militants, three have been identified as Mudasir Ahmed Tantray, Farooq Ahmed Dar and Azhar Ahmed Clashes between protesters and law enforcing agencies broke out soon after the encounter ended, the police official said, adding further details were awaited.

Earlier on February 4, the security forces shot dead two top Kashmiri militants while they were trying to enter politically sensitive Sopore town in Jammu and Kashmir’s north-western Baramulla district. Two police officials were injured in initial response from the duo during the encounter.

A night after a "report" from the governor to the Centre on not being inclined to invite AIADMK general secretary VK Sasikala to form the government surfaced (which was duly denied by the Raj Bhavan), a State cabinet minister and two MPs crossed over to join the rebels headed by caretaker Chief Minister O Panneerselvam on Saturday.

Minutes later, Sasikala sent a letter to Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao seeking an audience, ostensibly to parade the MLAs who are supporting her. She then came out of Veda Nilayam in Poes Garden to address the cadre, though the message was for the governor: "The party has been staying patient so far in the interests of democracy. But we can remain so only up to an extent; after that, we will do what is required."

Meanwhile, a deputy superintendent of the State police visited the resort near Mahabalipuram where the AIADMK MLAs pledging allegiance to Sasikala have been accommodated, following allegations that they were being detained. The matter had reached the Madras High Court and it had sought a report from the police.

Even as all eyes were on the MLAs, the day started with the information that two MPs were to join the rebel rank - PR Sundaram and Ashok Kumar. The duo reached the rebel HQ, the chief minister's official residence on Greenways Road, where they launched a scathing attack on Sasikala and family. Sundaram claimed all MPs - there are 50 in all from both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha - except M Thambi Durai would join Panneerselvam.

But more surprising was the switch over by Education Minister K Pandiarajan, an entrepreneur-turned-party hopper who, only yesterday, had painted Panneerselvam as a betrayer, coward and an opportunist. That clearly weren't the lines this morning when Pandiarajan was at Panneerselvam's house this morning. "People want OPS," he said. Interestingly, he had complained of being trolled when being bombarded by phone calls, supposedly from his voters, asking him to be with Panneerselvam.

These desertions from unexpected quarters jolted the Sasikala camp to seek an urgent audience to prove majority, followed by a clear and direct warning that patience is running thin. What seems to have stung is the report that Governor Rao purportedly sent to the Centre.

The report cites the verdict in the disproportionate assets case against Sasikala which the Supreme Court is expected to deliver soon. This understandably made many in the Sasikala camp nervous about their own political career.

The Raj Bhavan in Chennai denied sending any report to the Union Home Ministry or the President, but the matter did not die with that. That the news about the report was broken by the media in Hyderabad, which incidentally is the governor's home base, is not viewed as a coincidence by many among Sasikala camp.

Buoyed by the developments, rebel leader Chief Minister O Panneerselvam is receiving more support from within his party. Following the IT wing, a section of the AIADMK advocates' wing too switched sides this morning.

Former Rajya Sabha MP PH Manoj Pandian is leading this faction of 100 advocates.

Welcoming them, Panneerselvam launched a signature campaign they initiated, to turn Veda Nilayam in Poes Garden into a memorial for late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa.

The day is still young, and there is a lot more to come. Stay tuned.

Terming demonetisation as the "century's biggest scam", senior Congress leader Anand Sharma today asked the Centre to issue a white paper on it, saying if his party came to power, it will order a Supreme Court-monitored inquiry into the move.
    
According to the third quarter projections, the growth rate has dropped by one per cent due to demonetisation and there is a downturn in both investment and industrial production, he said at a press conference here.
    
Though the step was taken to fight corruption, black money, the scourge of counterfeit currency and funding of terror activities, it had failed to achieve these goals, he said.
    
"All cash is not black money. Black money is in the bullion market, real estate and in foreign exchange. By withdrawing 85 percent currency in circulation, Rs 15 lakh crore cash has been turned into trash in one go, but after note ban, 58 percent cash returned to the banks defeating the very objective of the move," he alleged.
    
The former Union minister, who was here to campaign for Congress for the February 15 Uttarakhand Assembly polls, said the Centre was talking about going cashless at a time when the whole country has to do without basic facilities like toilets.
    
Sharma said Congress had not boycotted Parliament but the Prime Minister over the latter's "raincoat" barb at his predecessor Manmohan Singh.
    
He also accused Narendra Modi of insulting people of Uttarakhand by making a light-hearted reference to the recent earthquake in the state during a speech in Parliament.

Interceptor missile off the Odisha coast was successfully tested on Friday from Abdul Kalam Island  (Wheeler Island) of ITR at about 7.45 AM by achieving  a significant milestone in the direction of developing a two-layered Ballistic Missile Defence system.

The interceptor mission is termed as "PDV mission is for engaging the targets in the exo-atmosphere region at an altitude above 50km of earth's atmosphere", said a Defence Research DevelopmentOrganisation (DRDO) official.

"Both, the PDV interceptor and the two stage target missile, were successfully engaged," he said.

The main reason and main target behind this mission was developed for mimicking a hostile Ballistic Missile approaching from more than 2000 km away was launched from a ship anchored in the Bay of Bengal. In an automated operation, radar based detection and tracking system detected and tracked the enemy's ballistic missile.

The computer network with the help of data received from radars predicted the trajectory of the incoming Ballistic Missile.

PDV that was kept fully ready, took-off once the computer system gave the necessary command for lift-off. The Interceptor guided by high accuracy Inertial Navigation System(INS) supported by a Redundant Micro Navigation System moved towards the estimated point of the interception.

Once the missile crossed the atmosphere, the Heat Shiel dejected and the IR Seeker dome opened to look at the Target location as designated by the Mission Computer. With the help of Inertial Guidance and IR Seeker the missile moved for interception. All events were monitored inreal-time by the Telemetry/Range Stations, at various other locations.

AIADMK supremo VK Sasikla today sacked presidium chairman and party’s second-in-command E Madusudanan from the party's primary membership, a day after he joined caretaker Chief Minister O Pannnerselvam's camp.

At the same time, she appointed former minister KA Senkottaiyan as presidium chairman of the party, PTI reported.

In a statement issued here, Sasikala said that Madhusudanan violated the party's principles and brought disrepute to it and so was being ousted from the party post and the AIADMK's primary membership.

She also urged party members not to have any truck with Madhusudanan.

The dismissal came a day after Madhusudanan joined hands with Panneerselvam, who has revolted against Sasikala by saying that he quit as Chief Minister under pressure.

The development also comes close on the heels of Madhusudanan’s petition to the Election Commission urging not to recognise Sasikala as general secretary of Tamil Nadu’s ruling party.

Madhusudanan argued that Sasikala was not a party member for a continuous five years and hence she was not qualified to be the General Secretary.

“As per the party by-law, a person can become general secretary of AIADMK only if he/she is a member for a continuous period of five years,” Madhusudanan said.

Earlier this week, Sasikala had sacked O Pannerselvam from the party’s treasurer post for indulging in anti-party activities. He had, however, refused to accept the decision and even wrote to banks to seek his consent before allowing anyone to access the AIADMK’s funds.

In December, after then Chief Minister Jayalalithaa’s demise, Sasikala was elected the general secretary at a general council meeting of the AIADMK.

The CBI has initiated a probe into an alleged cheating case wherein the Army was being made to pay rent for land situated in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir.

As per the FIR registered by the agency, the criminal conspiracy was allegedly hatched in 2000 by the then Sub-Divisional Defence Estate Officer, Patwari, Nowshera along with several private persons.

"It has been learnt that as per 'Jamabandhi' register for the year 1969-70 of the land in question, Khasra no...it is under the occupation of Maqbooza Pakistan but rents are being paid by Defence Estate to the alleged owner," CBI alleged.

It has surfaced that then Sub-Divisional Defence Estate Officer R S Chanderwanshi, Patwari, Nowshera Darshan Kumar along with several private persons including one Rajesh Kumar, allegedly showed the Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) land as "on rent to Army."

The board comprising an Army officer, estate officer and other officials kept disbursing rental worth Rs 4.99 lakh for the land measuring over 122 karnals because of forged documents submitted to them, the FIR said, adding that a loss of Rs 6 lakh has been caused to the exchequer in the case.

"It has been further learnt that the Army acquired the land on rent from civilians.

A board comprising Army officer, defence estate and revenue department approved the rent after physically verifying the land, but in this matter the Board of Officers, in criminal conspiracy with each other wrongly verified that the land was acquired by the Army, whereas the same is situated in PoK," the FIR alleged.

CBI claimed that the board proceedings were convened in 2000, wherein Chanderwanshi and Darshan Kumar were declared to be under the occupation of defence forces, and the rental compensation to the tune of Rs 4.99 lakh was disbursed to Rajesh Kumar.

A moderate intensity earthquake measuring 5.8 on Richter Scale struck mountainous region of Uttarakhand late on Monday and tremors were felt in Delhi and other parts of northern India. Tremors that lasted for nearly 30 seconds were felt in Chandigarh, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and parts of Uttar Pradesh also. According to National Seismological Bureau, the epicentre of the earthquake measuring 5.8 magnitude on the Richter Scale was in Rudraprayag of Uttarakhand.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, an earthquake with preliminary magnitude of 5.6 struck Uttarakhand late on Monday. There were no immediate reports of any loss of life or damage to property.

Nestled in the Himalayan belt, Uttarakhand is known for high seismic activities. “The depth of the quake was 33 km and it occurred at 10.33 PM,” J L Gautam, Operations head at the National Seismological Bureau, a unit of Ministry of Earth Sciences, was quoted as saying by PTI.

In the aftermath of earthquake, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to officials to take stock of situation. Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has asked for detailed report on earthquake, while National Disaster Response Force has been put on high alert. According to reports, two NDRF teams have been rushed to Rudraprayag, the epicentre of the earthquake.

Panic-stricken residents ran out of their houses. In many colonies of Dehradun, men, women and children were seen hanging outside their homes in anticipation of aftershocks.

Reflecting on the news, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat said that he spoke to district magistrates and sought a report. “I have spoken to District Magistrate and getting information from various sources through out the state. There is no loss of life but there may be some cracks developed in the houses in far-flung areas. We are still in the process of collecting the information,” he was quoted as saying by PTI.

Earlier in the day, a 5.7-magnitude earthquake also hit central Colombia, shaking large cities including the capital Bogota, officials said, indicating there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage.

In what clearly reflects badly on the top CRPF leadership, led by outgoing Director General K Durga Prasad, over five dozen trained commandos of the elite anti-Naxal Force Combat Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) have deserted the paramilitary en masse earlier this month. This is the first mass desertion of highly trained commandos from the world’s biggest paramilitary that is designated the lead counter-insurgency and anti-terrorist Force.

To be precise, 59 CoBRA commandos deserted the force while they were en route to Gaya (Bihar) for deployment with 205 CoBRA Battalion on February 2. The CRPF on Sunday (February 5) concluded that they have deserted and the message has been circulated to all the formations of the paramilitary in the country.

“Following 59 Constables of Counter Guerilla team of this battalion who were coming back from RTC (Recruit Training Centre), Srinagar after completion of their basic training under command No. 095000498 HC/GD Vijay Singh became deserter from the train,” reads the communication circulated to all the CRPF formations through the internal communication network of CRPF dated February 5.

“According to HC/GD (Head Constable/General Duty or Operational Duty) Vijay Singh, he along with these Constables were boarded Train No. 13152 Jammu Siyaldah Express from Jammu Railway Station for Gaya Junction on 02/02/2017 at about 1855 hrs. On the way of Gaya, these Constables deserted from the train without the permission of competent authority,” the internal communication further said.

Sources said the deserters badly hit head constable Vijay Singh, who was escorting them to Gaya before fleeing. The deserters also left behind their trunks. According to inputs with the CRPF, the commandos fled from Mughalsarai (Uttar Pradesh) Railway Station.

While the Basic Training Course entails nine months of training at the RTC, these commandos were trained for six months as they had earlier served in the field.

An official from RTC, Srinagar confirmed the development but sought to downplay the incident saying it was more of an emotional issue as they wished to visit their native place since they were stranded in Srinagar for about a week due snowfall after their training was complete. The official also hoped that they will return in the next few days even as the deserters remain untraceable.

“It is all happening due to lack of regimentation in the CRPF. Media never talks about the command problems being faced by officers and their welfare…Media is concerned with the shortage of officers in Army only as they are ignorant about Central paramilitary forces,” another official said on condition of anonymity.

CRPF DG K Durga Prasad did not respond to messages from the Express.

Later during the day, the CRPF issued a statement confirming the development saying, “These personnel have committed a misconduct for which they will be dealt departmentally.” “Some of the media are carrying a news item about missing/desertion of 59 CRPF personnel of 205 CoBRA enroute on move from Jammu to their Unit in Gaya (Bihar). These personnel were returning to their Unit after completion of their 6 months training at Recruitment Training Centre, Srinagar and had their return reservations from Jammu to Gaya on 5  February, 2017 in Shealdah Express. Due to inclement weather and road blockade these personnel were sent to Jammu on 1 Feb, 2017 and decided to board an early train on 2nd February. Since they were early as per their scheduled  programme, they decided on their own to avail Saturday and Sunday to visit their home without prior permission from competent authority.”

Documents with the Express clearly suggest these personnel have been branded deserters. Through the circular, the Force has asked all formations to send them to 205 CoBRA Battalion/Bihar Sector if they are found at their location with a proper escort.

Dispelling the rumours surrounding Jayalalithaa’s death, specialists who were treating her at Apollo Hospitals in Chennai said that the former Tamil Nadu chief minister died due to multiple organ failure. Dr Richard Beale, who last examined her, on Monday said she had high diabetes that led to respiratory failure and dysfunction of her organs.

“At the beginning, when she was unwell, she was not able to interact. Later on the situation improved and she was aware and able to interact more,” Dr Beale said, adding that it is not normal practice to photograph a patient and publish private details, it is an intrusion into her privacy.

A clutch of petitions were earlier filed in the Supreme Court seeking a probe into the death of Jayalalithaa, contending that the circumstances leading to her demise were surrounded by mystery. The petitioners claimed that doubts have been raised over the circumstances of AIADMK leader’s death and her medical reports needed to be examined by experts.

The pleas said the secrecy maintained with regard to her treatment and death is “very suspicious” and raised serious questions among all sections. It sought a direction to the government to “investigate the allegations raised by the relatives, opposition party, eminent person on mysterious death of Jayalalithaa” who died on the night of December 5.

The petitioners also sought court’s direction to authorities concerned to disclose the health report and details of the treatment given to Jayalalthaa. It said during her hospitalization, several decisions were taken by the government which may have serious consequences on governance, public at large and on exchequer.

The petitioners also sought direction to the Centre, Tamil Nadu government and Apollo Hospitals to disclose the health report and treatment details and submit it to the apex court in sealed cover.

The plea also sought direction to protect the properties of Jayalalithaa across the country till the apex court decides the petition and delivers judgment in the disproportionate assets case against her.