Shiv Kumar

Tribune News Service

Mumbai, April 29

The Bombay High Court today ordered the demolition of the controversial Adarsh Co-operative Housing Society building at Colaba in Central Mumbai on the grounds that it violated the provisions of the Coastal Regulation Zone Act. The court, however, granted a stay on its order for 12 weeks to allow lawyers representing members of the Adarsh Society to challenge it in the Supreme Court.A Bench comprising Justices RV More and RG Ketkar also asked the Ministry of Defence to act against its officials for not taking action on irregularities during the construction of the building. It asked all parties, including the Ministry of Defence and the state government, to restore the plot on which the Adarsh building stood.  The Ministry of Environment and Forests had on January 16, 2011, ordered that  the building be demolished in three months. However, members of the society moved the Bombay High Court.The Adarsh Co-operative Housing Society was originally planned as a six-storey building to house women who lost their men in the Kargil war. But in a few years, the building grew in height as politicians, bureaucrats and Army officers jostled for flats. The scam came to light in November 2010. The then Chief Minister Ashok Chavan had to resign after it was revealed that he had obtained multiple flats in the names of his relatives.

Mumbai housing society

• Adarsh Housing Society, with a 31-storey building in Colaba, Mumbai, was meant forKargil war widows and defence personnel
• But over the years, politicians, bureaucrats and military officers allegedly conspired to bend the rules to derive benefits
• The Army had been in “de facto” possession of the 6,490-sq m prime land for over 60 years before the Adarsh highrise came up there in 2003

The discharge of the nine accused Muslims in the 2006 Malegaon blasts case leaves a blot on the functioning of India’s premier investigative agencies. A failure to hold top bosses accountable encourages them to misuse anti-terror laws. Framing innocents in crimes they have not committed has become almost an everyday occurrence in this country. When Maharashtra’s ATS (anti-terror squad) picked up nine Muslims after the Malegaon blasts that left 37 people dead, few eyebrows were raised. When the CBI took over the investigation and filed a charge-sheet, their guilt stood almost established in the national conscience. Post 9/11, members of certain communities, including Muslims, have unfortunately been stereotyped as terrorists. It came as a huge surprise when the third agency to probe the case, NIA (National Investigation Agency formed after 26/11), stumbled upon a confession by Swami Aseemanand, picked up for the 2007 Mecca Masjid blast, saying that a right-wing group was involved in the Malegaon blasts. For the first time four right-wing terrorists were arrested and the term “saffron terror” gained currency thereafter. The innocent Muslim accused got bail finally but not before spending five years in jail. After the change of government at the Centre in 2014 an allegation of bias has frequently been thrown at the NIA and not just by human rights activists. The NIA has filed a charge-sheet against the four right-wing suspects in the Malegaon case but done little else. It has so far found no evidence against them. What lends credence to the charge is the fact that about 40 witnesses have turned hostile in the 2007 Ajmer Dargah and Samjhauta Express blast cases.The discharge of the accused in the Malegaon case and possible acquittals in other right-wing terror cases will dent the NIA’s image. Its credibility is at stake. Already its Pathankot handling has raised questions. If terror cases are pursued on communal lines, as an impression to this effect is gaining ground, it would jeopardise India’s fight against terror and its right to ask Pakistan to proceed against its own Masood Azhars and Hafiz Saeeds. There cannot be “good terrorists” and “bad terrorists”.

Sample store first of its kind has been opened in the complex of Golden Loin Canteen complex at Ambala cantt by Maj Gen Vinod Kumar GOC PH &HP(I)  area Ambala on 12 Apr 2016.

After getting successful  response from the ESM and public , Sanjha Morcha is going ahead with similar stores to be opened in Various Cantonments for resettlement of ESM at early stage with full support of Sanjha Morcha team head by

Col Sandeep Bhanot,President  Harayana unit of Sanjha Morcha.

ESM can open it alone if financially sound or 4-8 ESM can club together for joint venture.

The employs will be ESM themselves or their Children, widows or their children , At no cost any civilian will be employed in the store. All items of the store will be replenished by Sanjha Morcha team centrally and the  selling rates will be less than MRP. No canteen brand supply item will be sold from the store but can have different brands/manufacturers.

All technical,workers,stores, will be provided by Sanjha Morcha

—Tribune file photo

Srinagar, April 19

One person was arrested in connection with an alleged molestation case of a girl in Handwara, an incident that triggered a cycle of violence for past one week in North Kashmir.

Hilal Ahmed Bandey, one of the two accused identified, was arrested from Handwara by the Jammu and Kashmir Police last night, official sources said, adding he is being questioned.

Bandey was among the two persons named by the girl in her statement before Chief Judicial Magistrate. He is accused of manhandling the girl on April 12 while she was stepping out of a public restroom in Handwara town.

The girl had also denied the allegation by local people that an armyman had tried to molest her.

In her statement before the Judicial Magistrate, “she said that on April 12 after school hours, while proceeding to her home with her friend, she entered in a public lavatory near main chowk in Handwara for answering the call of nature. As soon as she came out of lavatory she was confronted, assaulted and dragged by two boys and her bag was snatched.”

“One of the boys was in school uniform. The production of the girl along with her father before the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Handwara was to comply with the order of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court,” police had said.

The sources said that a manhunt had been launched to arrest the other accused named by the girl in her statement to unravel the entire conspiracy. Initial investigation indicates that the girl was spurning offers for a relationship from one of the two boys.

However, the entire case will be solved once the second accused is also arrested, the sources said.

Immediately, after the locals dragged the girl from the public restroom, angry mob started pelting stones and ransacked the Army bunker in Handwara town.

Incidentally, the locals had been demanding withdrawal of the bunker for quite sometime, but the Army had put its foot down, saying it was strategically important for the troops.

Now the state government is likely to hand over the bunker to civil administration for development.

Meanwhile, curfew-like restrictions continued in Handwara and its adjoining areas.

Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has appealed to the people to help restore peace and promised severe punishment to those involved in the violence in Handwara and Kupwara that left five people dead. —PTI

While we have a lot of respect for our soldiers, we will still talk about the fact that in Kashmir women are raped by security personnel,” Kanhaiya had said.

—Tribune file photo

Jammu, April 19

Pakistani troops on Tuesday resorted to ceasefire violation along the International Border (IB) in Samba district of Jammu and Kashmir.

The truce violation came hours before Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Katra.

Pakistani troops fired four-five rounds on a forward post in Samba sector early this morning, a senior BSF officer said.

BSF troops, guarding the borderline, retaliated, he said, adding there was no loss of life or injury to anyone.

BSF troops also picked up suspicious movement near a forward area in Samba sector and resorted to firing thereby forcing the person to flee, he said.

The Prime Minister has arrived at Mata Vaishno Devi University complex where he is scheduled to inaugurate a super speciality hospital, a sports stadium and take part in the convocation after which he is going to address a public meeting today. —PTI