The Kashmir Pulse

BUDGAM — A government employee, who was the father of five daughters, died of electrocution in Magam town of central Kashmir’s Budgam district, officials said.

Farooq Ahmed Wani (36) working as Lineman in Power Development Department fell from an electric pole after receiving an electric shock when he was repairing the HT line in Magam town, locals told the news agency KNT.

Wani was taken to Sub-District Hospital Magam for treatment where doctors referred him to JVC Hospital Bemina Srinagar. He succumbed to his injuries shortly after he arrived at the hospital.

Wani, as per doctors, had sustained serious injuries due to electric shock and fall.

Police Station Magam registered a case in this regard. The victim was a native of Hazarpora Aripanthan village of sub-division Beerwah.

The death of PDD employees due to electrocution is a common occurrence in Kashmir Valley.

Last month, a 52-year-old PDD employee Bashir Ahmed Khan died after receiving an electric shock while repairing a power cable in Kunzar area of northern Kashmir’s Baramulla district.

The family of the victim had demanded a probe into his death, saying that no mechanism was followed while the employee was repairing the power cable. They had alleged the victim was not even provided the safety tools.

Two days after this incident, a PDD inspector Imtiyaz Ahmed died due to an electric shock in Parimpora area of Srinagar when he was carrying out some repair work.

In January this year, a casual labour of the Power Development Department, Muhammad Jammal Reshi of Gund Chobutara Kralgund in Handwara, died of electrocution while repairing a transmission line in the Rafiabad area of Baramulla district.

SRINAGAR — The body of a woman was found in the fields of Budgam district, sparking an investigation into the circumstances surrounding her death.

According to a police officer speaking to a local news agency, authorities were alerted on February 14, 2024, following a call to the Police Station Magam reporting the discovery of a suspicious dead body in an open field.

The deceased has been identified as Kulsum Rehman, daughter of Abdul Rehman Lone, a resident of Drung Tangmarg.

A suicide note allegedly implicating a local youth in her decision to end her life due to an alleged affair and subsequent denial of marriage was recovered during a personal search of the deceased.

"Preliminary findings suggest a case of poisoning-related suicide abetted by the youth," the police officer stated, noting that the youth in question has been arrested in connection with the case.

A case FIR number 18/2024 under Section 306 of IPC has been registered at Police Station Magam, with further investigation underway to ascertain the full extent of the circumstances leading to the tragic incident.

SRINAGAR — Two separate incidents have rocked the Kashmir region, with a man succumbing to suffocation from a gas heater in Kulgam's Pahloo area and a woman found dead in Magam, Budgam district.

In Kulgam, Karamat Hussain Choudary, hailing from Nowshera Rajouri, was found deceased in his accommodation in Pahloo. According to officials, it is believed that Choudary's death was caused by suffocation resulting from a malfunctioning gas heater in his room.

A police team has been dispatched to the scene to ascertain the facts surrounding the tragedy.

Meanwhile, in Budgam's Magam area, locals made a grim discovery of a deceased woman. Upon receiving the report, local authorities were alerted, and a police team promptly arrived at the scene to recover the body.

The identity of the woman has not yet been disclosed, and police have initiated an investigation into the circumstances surrounding her untimely demise.

SRINAGAR — Jammu and Kashmir Government has suspended an Executive Officer for allegedly insulting the national flag in Magam area of central Kashmir’s Budgam district, sources said on Saturday.

As per the news agency KDC, Syed Aijaz Manzoor, Executive Officer of Municipal Committee Magam has been suspended by the Sub-Divisional Magistrate Beerwah and an inquiry has been initiated against the officer.

An official also said that Tehsildar Magam has been nominated as the enquiry officer in the matter, who shall furnish a detailed report within three days along with particulars of all other officials/non-officials involved in the incident.

SRINAGAR — Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha on Saturday said that maximum youth will get jobs in the coming days as the government will roll out a job policy soon.

Talking to reporters on the sidelines of a function at Magam in central Kashmir's Budgam district, LG said that in the coming days, the government will roll out a job policy and maximum number of youth will get jobs.

He added that qualified youth must give up the mindset of waiting for government jobs. Citing the example of an M.Tech youth, LG said the youth was waiting for a government job for the past four years despite being well-qualified.

He further said that security forces are working under a policy to ensure peace and no innocent will be touched, but the guilty will be taken to task as per the law.

He said that some people aren't happy to see peace prevailing in Kashmir and government won’t allow them to succeed. "We are not going to spare the accused and guilty. Innocents won’t be touched," the LG said.

He said a series of steps are underway to make peace in Kashmir a permanent feature. "There are some hurdles that are being taken care of," the LG said, adding for development, peace has to be a permanent feature.

"Security forces are working on multiple fronts to ensure peace prevails in the Valley and bloodshed comes to an end," he said.