The Kashmir Pulse

SRINAGAR — The Election Commission of India on Saturday rescheduled the date of counting for Jammu and Kashmir polls following a change in the date of polling for Haryana to October 5.

According to an order, a copy of which lies with news agency KNO, the poll body rescheduled the date of counting from October 4 to October 8.

The decision has been taken after several representations were received by the poll body to reschedule the election in Haryana, which was due to be held on October 1.

Now, Assembly election in Haryana will be held on October 5 and the counting of votes for Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana will now take place on October 8, the poll body said.

JAMMU — The Jammu and Kashmir Police on Tuesday claimed to have solved a five-year-old murder case of a temple priest with the arrest of the main accused from Haryana.

Baba Pragat Nath (65), a resident of Uttar Pradesh, was found dead with injuries to his head inside the temple in Toph Sherkhania on the intervening night of November 15 and 16, 2019.

Following the murder, a case was registered at Bakshi Nagar police station and an extensive investigation was launched, which pointed to the involvement of two notorious criminals — Tarlok Singh of Uttar Pradesh and Ashish Kumar alias Hansai Nath of southwest Delhi, a police official said.

He said both the accused fled after the murder. It was later learnt that Singh had died.

However, the police continued to make efforts to arrest Kumar, the official said and added he was finally apprehended from Haryana’s Jind district by a special team from Bakshi Nagar police station.

The official said investigations revealed that Singh and Kumar operated as part of a gang involved in multiple criminal activities, including theft, cheating and murder, across states such as Uttar Pradesh and Haryana.

Following Kumar’s arrest, all necessary legal formalities were completed and the charge sheet in the case was filed, he said.

SRINAGAR — The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday conducted searches at around 36 locations in an ongoing investigation of a case related to the Sub Inspector Recruitment Scam of J&K. “Incriminating documents and digital evidence have so far been recovered during searches,” CBI said, according to the news agency GNS.

The searches were conducted at Jammu, Srinagar in J&K; Karnal; Mahendergarh; Rewari in Haryana; Gandhidham in Gujarat; Delhi; Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh and Bangalore in Karnataka at the premises of former Chairman, JKSSB; then Controller of Examination of JKSSB; “Gang” members domiciled in Haryana; certain teachers; some serving/retired officials of J&K Police including a DSP and CRPF.

The CBI had registered the case on August 3 this year on the request of the J&K Government against 33 accused including then Medical Officer, BSF Frontier headquarters, Paloura; then Member, JKSSB; then Under Secretary, then Section Officer (both of JKSSB); Ex-Official of CRPF; ASI of J&K Police; owner of a coaching centre, Akhnoor; private company based at Bengaluru; private persons and unknown others on the allegations of irregularities in written examination for the posts of Sub-Inspectors in the J&K Police conducted by J&K Services Selection Board (JKSSB) on March 27.

The results were declared on June 4. Amid allegations regarding malpractices in the examination, the J&K government constituted an Inquiry Committee to look into the same. It was alleged that the accused entered a conspiracy amongst officials of JKSSB, Bengaluru-based private company, beneficiary candidates and others, and caused gross irregularities in the conduct of written examination for the posts of Sub-Inspectors.

It was further alleged that there was an abnormally high percentage of selected candidates from Jammu, Rajouri and Samba districts. Violation of rules by JKSSB was allegedly found in assigning the task of setting the question paper to Bengaluru-based private company.

Earlier on August 5, the CBI had carried out searches in the premises of the accused at 30 locations including Jammu, Srinagar and Bengaluru.

“Investigation has revealed the alleged payment of Rs 20 to 30 lakh (approx) by willing candidates and their families to the accused for accessing the question paper before the commencement of the examination,” the CBI said, adding, “In this regard, involvement of a gang domiciled in Haryana, certain teachers of J&K, some serving/retired personnel of CRPF, J&K Police and JKSSB has allegedly come to light.”