Nitika Dhoundiyal, wife of Major V S Dhoundiyal, along with other family members in Dehradun on Monday. (Express Photo by Virender Singh Negi)

Wife of Major Vibhuti Shankar Dhoundiyal, who was killed in an encounter in Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Monday, is set to join the Indian Army as an officer.

Nitika Dhoundiyal has already cleared the Service Selection Board (SSB) examination — a test to recruit candidates into the Armed forces as officers. She has also made it through the medical examination and is waiting for the merit waiting list. “I am hopeful that I will get through it too and will join the Army thereafter,” she said in a video shared by a journalist on Twitter. As a tribute to her husband, 28-year-old Nitika will wear the stars from her husband’s uniform on her first day of service.

Read | Pulwama encounter: Dehradun remembers Major Dhoundiyal; Simple, no arrogance, very respectful

Standing in front of his coffin on a rainy Monday night, a teary-eyed Nitika had said, “You lied to me that you loved me. In fact, you loved the nation way more. I’m quite jealous and I can’t help it.” She said she was honoured to have him as her husband. “Till my last breath I’ll always love you, Vibhu. It’s hurting that you are leaving but I know you’ll always be around… I request everyone not to sympathise, rather be very strong. Let’s salute this man,” she said as she paid last respects to her husband.

The body was taken to Haridwar where the last rites were performed with full military honours. BJP MLAs Madan Kaushik, Ganesh Joshi, Khajan Dass, Arvind Pandey, Congress MLA Manoj Rawat, and Congress leader and former Uttarakhand chief minister Harish Rawat were among those who paid their last respects to the Major. All party leaders condemned Dhoundiyal’s killing.

Nikita Kaul Dhoundiyal, the widow of Major Vibhuti Dhoundial, has cleared her Short Service Commission (SSC) exam and interview, and is now waiting for the merit list.

File photo of Major Vibhuti Dhoundial with Nikita.

The NCC has joined hands with a local NGO to assist in the upliftment and welfare of underprivileged persons in the tricity. Under the programme, cadets of No.1 Chandigarh Naval Unit motivated kids living in colonies to be better citizens and follow the code of unity and discipline. They helped the NGO to organise a sports day for under the privileged children. — TNS

Tribune News Service

Jammu, February 19

The Dogra Regiment of the Army is taking part in a joint military exercise with the 1st Rifles of the UK army at the Salisbury Plain Training area in the United Kingdom.

The fifth edition of AJEYA WARRIOR, an Indo-UK joint military exercise at the Salisbury Plain Training area in the UK, started on Thursday.

The opening ceremony started with the national anthem of both countries and was attended by Brigadier VMB Krishnan, Brigadier Gavin Thompson, Brigadier Tom Bewick, Commander, 7 Infantry Brigade and Colonel Amit Saini.

A series of activities pertaining to the counter-terror operations were held after the opening ceremony. Joint practices were carried out on combat conditioning, familiarisation with weapons and equipment of the UK army. The military exercise will end on February 26.

Our Correspondent

Jammu, February 19

‘Daring Dragons’, a helicopter unit of the Indian Air Force stationed at Udhampur, saved a woman’s life by airlifting her for timely treatment in Jammu on Tuesday.

Wg-Cdr Shivam Manchanda and Sq-Ldr MK Singh of the helicopter unit airlifted the woman in a critical condition with biliary malfunction from mountainous Kishtwar district in low light conditions.

Due to low light conditions, the Air Force officers landed at Jammu wearing night vision goggles where the IAF Station was ready to attend to the woman. Daring Dragons executed the mission professionally, keeping up the highest traditions of the IAF. Immediately after the evacuation, the woman was shifted to a hospital in Jammu for treatment.

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Our Correspondent

KULLU, FEBRUARY 19

The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) launched the snow-clearing operation on the 479-km Manali-Leh national highway at Darcha in Lahaul district today.

Border Road Task Force (BRTF) Commander, Colonel Uma Shankar, said the operation from Darcha to Baralacha was started today after the puja was performed by Brig MS Baghi, Chief Engineer, Project Deepak.

The BRO Commander said the operation from Gulaba to Rohtang Pass would be launched tomorrow and the snow-clearance work from Sissu to Rohtang would be commenced within a week.

The pass experiences heavy snowfall during the winter and the Lahaul valley remains cut off for about six months. The snow-clearance operation is launched by the BRO in March every year but this year, it is being done from February.

The Commander said dozens of dozers, snow cutters and excavators had been pressed into service to make the road motorable. The BRO had added new machines to their snow-cutting fleet.

As the snow-clearance operations will begin early, tourists will be able to go to the Rohtang Pass earlier this year. The BRO is expecting to throw open the Rohtang by April. The residents of Lahaul and Spiti will also be able to come to Kullu.

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Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, February 20

Punjab Chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh announced in the Vidhan Sabha on Thursday that only a state agency would inquire into the Bargari and Behbal Kalan sacrilege cases.

The CM made this announcement on the floor of the House while claiming that the Supreme Court earlier on Thursday upheld the Punjab government’s withdrawal of the inquires in the said cases from the CBI.

Amarinder said, “Now the cases will be investigated only by Punjab. The modalities will be announced later.”

Punjab had through a resolution passed in the Vidhan Sabha last year withdrawn a notification giving the inquiry of sacrilege cases to the CBI.

The Congress government had contended that the CBI was sitting over the inquiry. However, the CBI later filed a closure report in a special CBI court at Mohali regarding the cases.

The CBI had said that Punjab could not withdraw the inquiry once given to the central agency. The Punjab government had opposed the closure report.

Congress leaders have been alleging that the previous SAD-BJP government had done an eye-wash inquiry into the incidents. The incidents were reported from June to December 2015.

Shiv Kumar

Tribune News Service

Mumbai, February 20

A Mumbai court earlier this month ruled an election card of voter identification card was sufficient proof of citizenship.

Abbas Shaikh (45) and his wife Rabiya Khatoon Shaikh (40) were recently arrested by the city police on suspicion of being Bangladeshi nationals. They were charged with violating Passport (Entry into India) Rules, 1950 and Foreigners Act, 1946.

According to the police, the couple was arrested from the Reay Road neighbourhood after an informer provided information to the authorities that they were Bangladeshi nationals residing “illegally” in India.

Two police officials submitted before Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate A H Khashikar that one Rabibul from the suburbs of Mankhurd, who was arrested on suspicion of being a Bangladeshi, named the couple as fellow migrants. While Rabibul subsequently escaped from police custody, the Shaikhs were picked up from their shanty at Reay Road, the policemen told the court.

The couple, however, denied that they were Bangladeshi nationals living illegally in India. They produced several documents as evidence. While Abbas Shaikh produced his Aadhaar card, PAN card, election card, bank passbook, health card and ration card as proof of his Indian nationality, his wife produced her Aadhaar card, PAN card and election card.

The magistrate held that an election card or voter ID was sufficient proof of citizenship. “…..while applying for the election card or voting card a person has to file declaration with the authority in view of Form 6 of Peoples Representation Act to the authority that he is citizen of India and if the declaration is found false, he is liable for punishment. To my mind such a declaration is sufficient to prove the citizenship unless contrary is proved by the prosecution…,” the magistrate ruled.

The court added that Aadhaar card, PAN card, driving licence or ration card were not sufficient to prove citizenship of any person as these were not meant for the purpose of citizenship. However, documents like birth certificate, domicile certificate, bonafide certificate, passport, etc., in addition to the election card or voter identification card could be relied upon to establish the origin of any person.

While acquitting Abbas Shaikh and his wife Rabiya, the court ruled that the prosecution could not prove that the couple had produced fake documents to claim Indian citizenship.