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Operation against holed up terrorists continues in J&K’s Kathua

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Jammu, March 24: The operation against holed up terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua district continued on Monday. However, there was no exchange of fire between the security forces and terrorists in the night.

DGP Nalin Prabhat accompanied by Bhim Sen Tuti, IGP (Jammu) reached the operation site on Sunday evening to supervise the operation against holed-up terrorists in Sanyal village of Hiranagar tehsil which is barely 4 Km away from the International Border (IB) with Pakistan.

“Not a single fire was exchanged between the holed-up terrorists and the security forces after 7 p.m. yesterday. The entire forested area, where 3 to 5 terrorists are believed to be hiding, has been surrounded,” officials said.

A 7-year-old girl was injured on Sunday during the firing exchanges between the security forces and the terrorists.

She was immediately shifted to the hospital. Doctors at the hospital said her condition was stable.

Reports reaching here said that a local woman, Anita Devi and her husband Ganesh Kumar had spotted the terrorists when they had gone into the forested area to collect firewood.

Based on this input, joint forces started a CASO (Cordon & Search Operation) in Sanyal village near the IB in the Hiranagar sector of Kathua district.

“As the joint forces, including the Army, the Special Operations Group (SOG) of the J&K Police and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), closed on hiding terrorists, they were fired at, triggering an encounter,” officials said.

The IB between India and Pakistan is situated in the district, and in the past also, terrorists have attempted to sneak into the Indian side over the border.

Recently in Kathua, three civilians — Darshan Singh, 40, Yogesh Singh, 32, and Varun Singh, 14, — went missing on March 5 while returning from a wedding in Marhoon village.

Their bodies were discovered on March 8 near a waterfall on the edge of an escarpment in a wooded area following an extensive search involving the Army, police, drones, and sniffer dogs.

“The brutal killing of three relatives by terrorists in the Bani area of Kathua is extremely sad as well as a matter of great concern,” Union Minister Jitendra Singh said in a post on X.

In the wake of the incident, Union Home Secretary, Govind Mohan came to Jammu on March 9 and chaired a high-level security meeting regarding the safe and peaceful Amarnath Yatra beginning on July 3 and the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) which will soon be inaugurated.

The Home Secretary laid emphasis on the security situation in the Jammu division while giving detailed directions on the overall security situation in J&K.

Initially confined to Poonch and Rajouri districts, terrorist activities have spread to other areas of Jammu, including those that were relatively free from such incidents until a few years ago like the Chenab Valley, which was declared militancy-free and Udhampur and Kathua.

In the past, highly trained terrorists have been ambushing vehicles and using grenades and armour-piercing bullets, as well as M4 assault rifles.

Sources said the use of sophisticated weapons by terrorists indicates a significant escalation in the threat level. Analysts say that over the last couple of years, the Pir Panjal region dividing Kashmir Valley from Jammu has witnessed a surge in militancy as anti-terror operations in Kashmir have pushed terrorists to the mountains where they hide and wait for the right moment to carry out attacks on security forces.

Crime

CISF seizes foreign currency worth Rs 1.13 crore at Kolkata airport

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Alert personnel of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) detected foreign currency worth approximately Rs 1.14 crore concealed in the hand baggage of two passengers bound for Bangkok at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport, Kolkata.

The detection took place around 10:20 a.m. on October 19 during routine security screening at the International Terminal Security Hold Area. A CISF screener noticed suspicious images in the X-ray scans of the hand baggage carried by the two passengers scheduled to travel to Bangkok on Bhutan Airlines flight B3700. The bags were subsequently referred for physical examination.

During the inspection, CISF personnel recovered USD 1,19,900, equivalent to approximately Rs 1,13,64,002, concealed inside false bottoms of the two bags. The foreign currency had been wrapped in newspaper in an apparent attempt to conceal it from security personnel.

Of the total amount recovered, USD 74,900 was found in the hand baggage of one passenger, while USD 45,000 was recovered from the other passenger’s bag.

Following the prescribed formalities, both passengers, along with the seized currency, were handed over to the Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) of Customs for further investigation and necessary legal action.

On October 20, the passenger from whose baggage USD 74,900 was recovered was taken by AIU/Customs officials to the District and Sessions Court for further legal proceedings following the investigation and seizure. The second passenger was released by Customs after the issuance of a detention receipt for the USD 45,000 recovered from the passenger’s baggage.

CISF in a release reiterated its commitment to maintaining aviation security through effective screening procedures, alert surveillance and professional conduct by its personnel. According to officials, the detection stresses the importance of coordinated action between airport security personnel and Customs authorities in addressing suspected financial and currency-related violations.

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Crime

Gujarat: Man held after 0.77 grams of mephedrone found in ‘porter’ delivery parcel

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A 27-year-old businessman was arrested by Naroda police after 0.77 grams of suspected mephedrone, valued at Rs 1,540, was found in a parcel being delivered through the Porter application near Nana Chiloda Circle in Ahmedabad, police said on Wednesday.

The case came to light after police received a control-room message about a suspicious parcel that had arrived for delivery through the application.

The substance was examined preliminarily by a Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) officer in the presence of panch witnesses and was found to be mephedrone, a synthetic drug.

Police seized the substance and initially registered an offence against three unidentified mobile phone holders under Sections 8(c), 22(a) and 29 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.

During the investigation, they traced and arrested the man suspected of ordering the consignment through the parcel.

The accused was identified as Priyang Sanghvi (27). He is a businessman who lives in Aram Park Flats in the Sabarmati area of the city. He is originally from Shirodi village in Rajasthan’s Sirohi district.

According to the police, the suspected method involved using a mobile phone number belonging to a witness to log in to the Porter application.

Drug consignments were allegedly packed separately in zipper bags and sent through the delivery service. An intermediary was allegedly used to distribute the drugs to different customers for sale.

The police said the arrest followed instructions from senior officers to curb the illegal sale and transportation of narcotic substances and detect offences related to them.

“The operation was conducted by Naroda police personnel under the supervision of Senior Police Inspector B M Katariya,” officials said.

The police seized 0.77 grams of mephedrone, valued at Rs 1,540. The investigation concerns the alleged use of a parcel delivery application to transport the substance and its subsequent distribution through an intermediary.

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Crime

Bihar: 75-year-old man stabbed to death; woman and her son injured

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A 75-year-old man was allegedly stabbed to death, while a woman and her 25-year-old son were injured in a violent clash between neighbours at Rohda Kala village under Barharia police station limits in Bihar’s Siwan district on Wednesday.

The deceased was identified as Rama Nandan Prasad, son of the late Garib Bhagat.

The injured were identified as Baby Devi, 44, and her son Kishan Kumar, 25.

The injured were taken to the Barharia Community Health Centre for treatment. While Kishan received primary medical care, Baby Devi was referred to Siwan Sadar Hospital due to her critical condition.

According to Kishan Kumar, his grandfather was sitting outside the house drinking tea while his mother was cooking, and he was asleep.

Hearing a commotion, he went outside and found his grandfather lying in a pool of blood.

He then heard his mother crying from inside the house and rushed in, where he allegedly saw neighbours attacking her with knives. When he tried to intervene, he was also injured in the attack.

Kishan claimed that he had no prior dispute with the neighbours and said the reason for the attack was unclear.

With the help of residents, two alleged assailants were apprehended and handed over to the police.

After receiving information, the Barharia police reached the village and launched an investigation.

A Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) team was also called to collect evidence from the scene.

The police have set up a camp in the village amid tension following the incident.

Barharia Station House Officer Chhotan Kumar said a patrolling officer was initially sent to the spot, after which he reached the village to investigate the incident.

He said an FIR has been registered against the named accused based on Kishan Kumar’s statement.

The two detained suspects are being questioned, while the motive behind the incident remains unclear.

Police said further action would be taken based on the investigation.

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