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Five militants, five civilians killed in Kashmir (Roundup)
Srinagar, May 6 (IANS) Security forces on Sunday killed five militants, including an assistant professor of Kashmir University who had joined their ranks, leading to major street protests that claimed another five civilian lives, officials said.
Director General of Police S.P. Vaid said the five militants died after being trapped in a house in Badigam village in Shopian district.
“Well done boys – Army/CRPF/J&K Police,” the officer tweeted.
Para commandos of the army were also deployed to help fight the holed-up militants during Sunday’s gunfight.
The security forces including Rashtriya Rifles, Special Operations Group (SOG) of the Jammu and Kashmir Police and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) surrounded Badigam following an alert about the presence of militants.
A soldier and a policeman were also injured in the gunfight that erupted.
The slain militants were identified as Saddam Paddar, a Hizbul Mujahideen commander, Tawseef Sheikh, Molvi Bilal, Adil Ahmad and Muhammad Rafi Bhat, the professor who according to police had joined militant ranks.
Paddar was a close associate of Burhan Wani, who was killed in July 2016 in Kokernag in Anantnag district.
Bhat, who belonged to Chunduna village in Ganderbal district, was reported missing on Friday. This led to angry protests at the Kashmir University campus on Saturday as students asked the authorities to locate him.
Once the security forces relized that he too was holed up with the militants, police took his mother, wife and brother to Badigam village to persuade him to surrender.
As the security forces took on the militants, a large number of civilians poured out of their homes to attack the security personnel with stones.
This led to more police action, leading to the death of five civilians. One of them was Adil Ahmad, who succumbed to injuries at the Kulgam district hospital.
Three other civilians, Sajad Ahmad of Anantnag district, Zubair Ahmad of Pulwama and Yasir Ahmad of Shopian, also succumbed to their injuries. Earlier, Asif Ahmad of Rohmou village of Pulwama died in a Srinagar hospital due to injuries suffered in the clashes.
Over a dozen civilians were injured in the clashes between the protesters and the security forces. A mob torched two fire tenders during the protests.
Authorities later handed over the professor’s body to his family for burial in Chunduna village in Ganderbal district.
After the professor’s death, former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah tweeted: “Sadly this is also an answer to those who claim jobs and development are the solution to the violence and alienation in Kashmir.
“This is another tragic development in a steady stream of tragedies in Kashmir.”.
Mobile Internet services in south Kashmir and in Ganderbal district have been suspended to prevent the spread of rumours.
One civilian with critical injuries has been shifted to Srinagar for treatment.
Later on Sunday, separatist leaders called a protest march and a sit-in outside the Civil Secretariat here on Monday to denounce the killings of civilians and militants in the Kashmir Valley.
The Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL), a separatist conglomerate headed by Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umer Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik, announced the protests.
“Words fail to express the pain of the tragedy unfolding in Shopian as the count of the brutally killed by Indian forces keeps rising,” Mirwaiz Umer Farooq tweeted.
He urged everyone to move towards the Civil Secretariat and stage a peaceful ‘dharna’ “till the daily carnage is not stopped”.
The Civil Secretariat houses the offices of the Chief Minister, her cabinet colleagues and senior bureaucrats.
–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.
Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.
During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.
On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”
Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.
Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.
Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”
On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”
The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.