Srinagar, Dec 21: Three top Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leaders, who form the core group of party chief Mehbooba Mufti, were detained in Kashmir, just a day ahead of the results of the maiden District Development Council (DDC) polls.
An official said two south Kashmir-based leaders were detained in the morning and shifted to a police station in Anantnag’s Bijbehara town. “One leader was arrested when was heading for Srinagar from Anantnag,” a police official said.
The arrested leaders are Sartaj Madani, uncle of Mufti and also ex-deputy speaker of the assembly, and Peer Mansoor Hussain, a former legislator.
In a separate raid, a police party arrested former minister Naeem Akhtar around 9:45 p.m. “The police came knocking on our door. My father was detained at the unearthly hour. There was no order or government instruction shown to us. We don’t know the ground of detention or the duration. I cannot relive through the horror of last year but will stand by him always,” Akhtar’s daughter Shehryar Khanum said.

The police have neither confirmed nor denied these detentions. The police have spelt no reasons or details of the case in which the arrests were made.
However, sources said the central investigating agencies have been investigating funding and transactions made during the regime of Mehbooba Mufti as a chief minister.
Meanwhile, Mehbooba Mufti termed the arrests as “total lawlessness”. “Mr. Madni and Mr. Hussain have been arbitrarily detained today on the eve of DDC election results. Every senior police officer here is clueless as it is ‘upar say order’. No rule of law in J&K anymore. It is out and out Gunda Raj,” Mehbooba tweeted.
She alleged that the J&K administration is on an arrest spree and “Mr. Akhtar has been abducted by the J&K police”. “It looks like the BJP is planning to manipulate the DDC results tomorrow and don’t want any resistance. Democracy is being murdered in J&K,” she tweeted.

Jahangeer Ganaie
Pahalgam, Dec 21: Tourists enjoying the fresh snowfall in picturesque Pahalgam Monday appealed to outsiders to visit Kashmir and not pay heed to media reports which are showcasing the Valley in a bad light.
Nand Kishore, a tourist from Jaipur said, that he is in Kashmir from the last 10 days and didn’t witness anything what they usually hear on national media at home.
“I haven’t seen such lovely and respecting people anywhere. I feel pleased here, and this is my second visit to Kashmir,” Kishore said. “I request people who are planning to visit Kashmir must come here without any fear.”
Another tourist from Mumbai, Rajendra said that Kashmir is really a paradise on earth and he was delighted after visiting Pahalgam and Gulmarg.
“The way people of Kashmir is treating us, we haven’t seen such hospitality anywhere in the world,” he said.
Meanwhile hoteliers and residents of Pahalgam said that the government must bring Pahalgam also on winter tourism map.
President of Hoteliers Association Pahalgam, Mushtaq Ahmad said that like in Gulmarg government must develop infrastructure in Pahalgam also to promote winter tourism.
“Generally tourists visit here only in summer and very few people visit in winter due to lack of infrastructure for winter tourism, Mushtaq said.
Mushtaq said that Baisaran hills can become the best spot for skiing provide it is connected through a ropeway.
“People herein winter generally sit idle as very little tourists visit Pahalgam. The government must provide infrastructure so that locals here can earn livelihood in winter too,” he said—(KNO)

Countries suspend air traffic with UK
Sputnik
Moscow, Dec 21: The World Health Organization (WHO) advises countries to independently assess the risk of spillover of the new strain of coronavirus and make decisions on whether to suspend air traffic, WHO representative to Russia, Melita Vujnovic said on Monday.
Last week, the UK government announced that the mutated coronavirus strain that can transmit up to 70-percent faster has been actively spreading in London and surrounding areas. Dozens of countries have already suspended air traffic with the United Kingdom.
“At this point, the World Health Organization has not recommended any time frames or anything else [regarding border closures or air traffic suspension]. The WHO has recommended [countries] to analyze the risk of importing the infection and proceeding from this make individual, national decisions,” Vujnovic told Rossiya 24 broadcaster.
The same contagious mutation of the virus has also been detected in several other European countries, Australia and South Africa.
Meanwhile, countries in the European Union and beyond began suspending travel with the United Kingdom on Sunday due to risks associated with the discovery of a new coronavirus strain there.
Italy, where the mutated strain has already been detected in a returnee from the United Kingdom, has suspended all arrivals from UK airports and banned entry of persons with travel history in the UK over the past two weeks.
Estonia will suspend air traffic with the United Kingdom by the year-end, as announced by Prime Minister Juri Ratas.
Cyprus introduced new quarantine measures, coming into force on Monday, requiring passengers arriving from the UK to self-isolate for 14 days or 10 days if they test negative for COVID-19.
Spain said that it was going to strengthen passenger monitoring at airports and ports in what concerns coronavirus test results. Currently, all people arriving in Spain from countries with high COVID-19 infection rates must present negative coronavirus test results, obtained no earlier than 72 hours prior to arrival.
Sweden is expected to announce an official ban on UK arrivals on Monday, Swedish broadcaster SVT reported, citing Home Affairs Minister Mikael Damberg.

Srinagar, Dec 21: Asserting that the policies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi have won the hearts of Kashmiri people, BJP national spokesperson Syed Shahnawaz Hussain on Monday said his party will win many seats in the valley in recently concluded District Development Council (DDC) elections.
Hussain said the national flag and the flag of BJP is flying high across Kashmir valley, where counting of votes for DDC polls will be held on Tuesday.
“The results of few hours away…. But, I must congratulate the people of Kashmir valley for participating in the elections in large numbers. The democracy has already won in the valley,” Hussain told reporters during a press conference here on Monday.
He said people have sent strong message to anti-national elements, who had some other intentions. “They (anti-national elements) are frustrated now by seeing brisk polling during elections. Despite pressures from various quarters, people came out in huge numbers and elected their representatives,” he said.
Hitting out at Peoples Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD), Hussain alleged that the ‘Gupkar Gang along with their agents spread negative propaganda and tried to mislead people by showing them unrealistic dreams., but that didn’t last long’.
He said BJP will outnumber Congress in terms of voter share and number of seats in the valley. “The lotus flower has grown in many parts of Kashmir. We have fielded 80 candidates and are supporting two independent candidates. So we are hopeful that we will secure many seats in the valley”.
Hussain also appreciated Election Commission, Jammu and Kashmir Police and other security agencies for helping in conducting peaceful elections in the Union Territory. “They play crucial role during the elections. The security grid was active across the valley which resulted in foiling of attempts by anti-national elements to disrupt peace”.

‘Over 300 sticks, bats, logs seized from vehicles, many arrested’
Precious Kashmir News
Poonch, Dec 21: Police Monday said a major attempt aimed at disrupting the counting exercise scheduled at Poonch as over 300 wooden logs, sticks and cricket bats, and other material was seized from dozens of vehicles that were about to enter into the Poonch town.
Officials said vehicles, mostly private cars, were entering Poonch town from different parts of district especially Mendhar sub division area. A police official said that after order of 144 CrPC restrictions by District Magisterate Poonch, after it started a major exercise to ensure tight security arrangements in the district especially in Poonch town where counting of votes for all fourteen DDC constituencies of Poonch district will be held on Tuesday.
“During surprise mobile nakas at different entry points of Poonch town, vehicles entering the town were put to searches which especially include vehicles coming from Mendhar side,” said a police official. He said that dozens of vehicles, especially cars, were found loaded with wooden logs, sticks, baseball bats, cricket bats and other attacking material after which these vehicles have been seized.
Senior Superintendent of Police Poonch, Ramesh K Angral said that some elements were planning to create major law and order problem during counting but strict security arrangements and alertness has foiled these designs.
“We have seized over 300 such sticks and other material meant for triggering violence and attacks and have arrested many accused and highest state of alertness is being ensured in the area,” said SSP. (KNO)

Cyber Police receives over 300 complaints about misuse of social media in 2020
Ishtiyaq Ahmad
Srinagar Dec 21: There has been an increase in cyber crime with Cyber Police Kashmir received over 300 complaints about misuse of social media in 2020.
An official of Cyber Police Station Kashmir said new and powerful cyber-attacks are striking the internet regularly in the valley.
He said a minor lapse in managing digital lives can open the door to cyber criminals. Cyber criminals can steal money or damage ones reputation.
“Online frauds and misuse of cyber space is on rampant in entire world and the users in Kashmir valley are not immune to these threats. Cyber Police Station Kashmir Zone, Srinagar has been receiving scores of complaints with regard to misuse of cyber space mostly online financial frauds. The online fraudsters and scammers keep on changing their modus operandi in order to dupe/cheat gullible public,” the official said.
Cyber crimes i.e. phishing, data theft, identity theft, online lottery, cyber attacks, job frauds, banking frauds, cyber-bullying, online blackmailing, morphing, revenge porn, cyber hacking, child pornography, cyber grooming, cyber-stalking, data diddling, software piracy, online radicalization are the common crimes. Some of the new trends in Kashmir of financial frauds that are used by cyber criminals includes OTP/ vishing fraud, online market place frauds, online gaming frauds, job/ loan offer frauds, online shopping frauds, app frauds etc. Cyber Police Kashmir is also receiving complaints with regard to misuse of social media which includes creation of fake social media accounts, picture/video morphing, deep fakes, obscenity, cyber bullying / stalking, online harassment, child pornography etc, the official said.
Cyber Police Kashmir was established in Nov 2019 and since then it is under the supervision of Tahir Ashraf, SSP, Incharge Cyber Police Station Kashmir Zone, Srinagar.
“This Police Station has received more than 400 financial fraud cases, 300 complaints with regard to misuse of social media in the year 2020 only and majority of the cases have been disposed off. Besides, 27 FIRs have been registered against the cyber criminals involved in various cyber crime cases and most of them have been arrested and have been produced before court of law for their judicial determination,” the official said.
“As many as 500 complaints with regard to missing of mobile/ theft cases were also received by this Police Station and around 340 of such missing mobile phones worth lakhs of rupees were recovered by using conventional/ technological methods and were subsequently handed over to the rightful owners. Cyber Police Kashmir remains on the forefront in helping the citizens from various technological challenges, being faced by the citizens in their day today life,” the official said.
The official said that constant effort and timely action by various teams of Cyber Crime Kashmir were successful in recovering/ refunding of a huge amount of approximately rupees Fifty one lakh (51,00,000) of gullible public who were trapped in various financial frauds.