Pak militant, 2 locals killed Bukhari: Police
BREAKTHROUGH All attackers identified, vital clues found from CCTV footage
SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir police have achieved a breakthrough in the murder of Shujaat Bukhari by identifying three militants, including a Pakistani national, who gunned down the senior journalist outside his newspaper’s office in Srinagar earlier this month.
“The case has been solved and all the attackers identified,” said a police officer.
Top police officers were not ready to disclose more details about the case, terming it “sensitive,” and asked journalists to wait for an official statement.
News agency Press Trust of India quoted police officials in Srinagar as saying that the three suspects included escaped Lashker-e-Taiba terrorist Naveed Jatt, a Pakistani national.
The J&K police have got some concrete clues on the killing of Bukhari and expects to crack the case soon, even by the end of June, Hindustan Times reported on Monday, citing senior police officers who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The officers, who are directly involved in investigations, added that Bukhari was gunned down by terrorists on instructions from across the border, most probably for trying to promote peace in the Valley.
Bukhari, 50, the editor-inchief of Rising Kashmir newspa- per, was attacked by three gunmen on a motorcycle while he was entering his car on June 14. Two of his security guards were also killed as the gunmen sprayed bullets on them.
A special investigation team headed by deputy inspector general (DIG), Srinagar, of Jammu and Kashmir police VK Birdi identified the three men on the basis of closed circuit television (CCTV) camera recordings. People familiar with the development said a Pakistan-based anonymous blogger who targeted Bukhari and other journalists has also been identified.
J&K police has arrested two persons in this case, but ruled out their involvement in the murder.
During interrogation, police found that they had no links with the attackers; one of the arrested men stole the pistol of a special police officer (SPO) killed in the attack.
The weapon was also recovered by the police.
JAMMU: The two-month-long annual Amarnath Yatra, for which 1.96 lakh pilgrims from different parts of the country have got themselves registered this year, begins on Thursday amid unprecedented security.
The first batch of pilgrims, headed for the cave shrine of Lord Shiva, was escorted in a convoy from the Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas in Jammu for the Kashmir Valley amid three-tier security on Wednesday.
The pilgrimage is being conducted under unprecedented security as it comes days after governor’s rule was imposed in the state following the collapse of the PDP-BJP government over differences on the unilateral ceasefire besides a surge in mob attacks in the valley and the volatile situation in south Kashmir through which the yatra passes.
The Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB), headed by governor NN Vohra, which manages the yatra, has this year decided to restrict at 7,500, from each route, the daily number of pilgrims to be allowed to proceed towards the shrine each day. This does not include pilgrims who use the helicopter services from the two base camps to the shrine.
Three lakh pilgrims are expected to undertake the yatra that concludes on August 26, coinciding with the Shravan Purnima festival.
LOCATION AND LOGISTICS
Situated at 3,888m (12,756 feet) above sea level, the cave shrine in south Himalayas houses an ice stalagmite structure that waxes and wanes with the phases of the moon. Devotees believe the ice stalagmite symbolises mythical powers of Lord Shiva.
Legend has it that Lord Shiva narrated the ‘amar katha or ode to immorality’ to Goddess Parvati in the shrine, which was discovered by a Muslim shepherd in the 15th century. A naturally formed ‘ice lingam’ in the cave is the object of reverence.
Pilgrims taking the 36-km Pahalgam route take four days to reach the shrine with stopovers at Chandanwari, Sheshnag and Panchtarni, while those using the 14-km uphill Baltal route return to the base camp the same day after offering prayers at the shrine. The shrine via Pahalgam is 428 km from Jammu, while it is 416 km from Baltal. Jammu is 292 km from Srinagar.
3-TIER GRID OF 40,000 SECURITY PERSONNEL
Nearly 40,000 security personnel from the army, paramilitary forces, state police and the National Disaster Response Force have been deployed on yatra duty.
Their prime task is to sanitise and secure the 400-km highway, starting from Lakhanpur, the gateway on the J&K-Punjab border, to the shrine. Equally daunting is the task of protecting dozens of makeshift ‘langar’ (community kitchens) and night camps for pilgrims along the yatra route.
The army has been tasked with road opening drills and domination of upper reaches around shrine, while 238 companies of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) have been deployed along the route. J&K Police have set up extra road checkpoints.
Motorcycle squads of commandos will assist the army, paramilitary and police personnel. The CRPF motorcycle squad will accompany the convoy daily throughout the yatra period. Besides security, it will be an ambulance in case of a medical emergency. The personnel will provide first aid.
Besides protective gear, a camera is fixed on the helmet of the bike rider, which is connected via wi-fi and it will record the convoy movement. The camera is linked to the CRPF headquarters.
Electronic and human surveillance through intelligence sleuths in plainclothes have been included for the first time.
HI-TECH SURVEILLANCE
All buses and mini-buses carrying pilgrims will be equipped with radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags for better coordination. The RFID device uses radio waves to read and capture information stored on a tag attached to an object. It will be installed on vehicles when an individual or tour operator registers to travel to Kashmir for the yatra.
Drones have been pressed into service to keep a close watch on the routes and at the base camp
CCTV cameras installed to keep a constant vigil on all key locations.
Bulletproof bunkers, dog squads and quick reaction teams on yatra route and satellite positioned to track entire route.
A round-the-clock helpline number 1364 installed to help yatris.
HEALTH CHECK
Registration of pilgrims is open at the counters set up in Jammu. They became functional on Tuesday though 437 designated branches of Punjab National Bank, Jammu and Kashmir Bank and Yes Bank in 32 states and UTs initiated advance registration on March 1. Separate yatra permits are issued for Baltal and Pahalgam routes.
Any person above 75 years or below 13 years is not allowed to perform the pilgrimage. A fitness certificate from designated health centres is needed to get registered.
The directorate of health services, Kashmir, have set up a three-level mode health services, which include 10 emergency aid centres (EAC), 30 medical aid centres (MAC) and five base camp hospitals.
“The facilities follow Supreme Court guidelines of having a health facility at every 2 km of the route,” says Dr Saleem-ur-Rehmaan, director, health services.
Hi-tech equipment for the yatris include hyperbaric chambers, defibrillators, oxygen concentrators, automated chest compression systems, multi-parameter cardiac monitors and pulse oxymeters.
307 medical personnel, including 81 doctors, will attend to the medical needs of the pilgrims.
MOTORCYCLE SQUADS OF COMMANDOS WILL ASSIST THE ARMY, PARAMILITARY AND POLICE PERSONNEL. THE CRPF MOTORCYCLE SQUAD WILL ACCOMPANY THE CONVOY DAILY THROUGHOUT THE YATRA PERIOD