Precious Kashmir News
Srinagar, June 30: Doctors Association Kashmir (DAK) on Tuesday said the novel coronavirus is killing more men than women in Kashmir valley.

“More men are dying from Covid-19 than women,” DAK President and influenza expert Dr Nisar ul Hassan said in a statement issued to news agency Kashmir Indpeth News Service (KINS).

“Nearly 72 percent of those who died from Covid infection in the valley were men while women accounted for 28 percent of deaths,” he said

Dr Nisar said based on our analysis from the data of all 88 deaths in Kashmir Valley as of June 30, 63 (71.60 percent) were men and 25 (28.40 percent) were women.

“70 percent of men who died from the novel virus were above 60 years of age and the average age was 62,” he said.

Dr Nisar said 86 percent of male deaths had preexisting medical conditions with high blood pressure in 18 (28.57 percent) followed by diabetes in 10 (15. 87 percent), chronic lung disease in 8 (12.69 percent), cardiovascular disease in 6 (9.52 percent), cancer in 4 (6.34 percent) and chronic kidney disease in 4 (6.34 percent). Two had brain hemorrhage, one had chronic liver disease and one had hematological condition.

“9 (14.28 percent) had no underlying health issues and they were apparently healthy,” he added.

Dr Nisar said our data is in line with the global trend.

“A similar gender gap in mortality has emerged from countries like Italy, Spain, China, South Korea, France and Germany,” he said.

“The pattern of greater male death rate was also seen in other two coronavirus outbreaks caused by MERS and SARS,” he added.

Dr Nisar said the gender disparity in death could be biological or behavioral.

“Women have more robust immune system than men and are able to fend off infection. The female sex hormone appears to play a role in immunity, as does X chromosome which contains immune-related genes. Women carry 2 X chromosomes, men only one,” he said.

Dr Nisar said men smoke at higher rates than women that damages the lung defense and increases the risk of severe infection.

“Males are more likely to have medical conditions that can make Covid-19 infection more fatal in them,” he added.

“Being male is as much a risk factor for Covid as being old. People need to be aware that there is this pattern,” said Dr Nisar.

60 CRPF Men, 7 from Army School, 11 Cops Among Fresh Cases; 137 more patients recovered   

Nadeem Nadu

Srinagar, June 30: 60 paramilitary personnel and several policemen were among 260 new covid-19 infections reported in  Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday. The cases which also include seven from Army good will school and 22 travelers take the overall tally of the cases in J&K to 7497.

Among the cases, 32 were confirmed from Jammu Division and 228 from Kashmir Division.

Giving district wise breakup of the cases, officials said that 64 were reported from Kulgam, Srinagar 46, Baramulla 44, Shopian and Budgam 19 each, Anantnag 17, Pulwama 14, Jammu 12, Udhampur 7, Ramban and Kathua 5 each, Bandipora 3, Rajouri 2 besides one each in Kupwara, Ganderbal and Samba.  

Dr. G H Yatoo, Nodal Officer Coronavirus Control Measures at SKIMS Soura told GNS that out of the 2278 samples were processed at the viral diagnostic laboratory and 145 returned positive for the virus. 

 Professor Farooq Jan, Medical Superintendent SKIMS Soura, told GNS that 60 of them were from CRPF Battalions, 19 from Shopian, 18 from Anantnag, 17 from Srinagar, 13 from Pulwama, seven from Baramulla, four from Kulgam, two each from Ganderbal, Budgam and Bandipora besides one from Kupwara

The Anantnag cases include seven from Army Good Will School Khanbal besides that of residents from Gassipora,Bijbhera,Siligam, Hassanpora, Dethu and main Anantnag.

The CRPF cases are from29 battalion Patha Chowk, 44 bn HMT Srinagar, 18 Bn Kulgam while Pulwama cases include 11 from police station Rajpora besides residents from Lajoora and Dadsara. The Shopian cases are from main Shopian, Nadigam, Devpora, Shamipora, Meemandar, Kiloora, Khujpora, DK Pora and Khujpora while Baramulla cases include one from Pattan while sample Ganderbal one is a originally a resident of Shangus. The cases from SKIMS are from Budgam, Kawoosa Budgam, Peernagh, Wassun Pattan, Saraibala, Nagbal, Tangmarg, Kaksarai, Old Town Bara,ulla, Boniyar, HMT Srinagar, Kralpora, Haihama Kupwara while cases pertaining to airport include residents Natipora, Hazratbal, Bandipora and Pattan.    

Dr Riyaz Untoo, Principal SKIMS Bemina, told GNS that out of 501 samples processed at the hospital’s lab, 36 tested positive for COVID-19— 20 from Srinagar  and 16 from Budgam.

The Srinagar cases include male (37) from Achabal, male (44) from Jawhar Nagar, male (35) from Batmaloo, female (60) from KathiDarwaza Rainawari, male (19) from KathiDarwaza Rainawari

male (66) from Fakir Gujri, male (18) from Khayam, male (22) from Khayam, male (31) and female (54) from Soura, two males (38, 65) and female (16) from Zoonimar, female (31) from Lalbazar, male (45) from NC Batamalo, male (38) from Natipora, male (35) and female (25) from Budshah Nagar, female (28) from Lasjan and male (26) from Qamarwari.

The Budgam cases include males (10, 22, 27, 28, 43, 45, 50) and females (33, 46) from Chadoora, female (40) from Chairapora, male (32) from Kawoosa Magam, female (22) from Aarth, female (23) from Shamsabad, male (27) from Dariyagam besides male (30) and female (25) from Samsan.  48 cases were confirmed at CD hospital lab and included two men from 92 base hospital Badamibagh. Meanwhile, 137 COVID-19 patients have recovered and discharged from various hospitals including 22 from Jammu Division and 115 from the Valley. So far 4722 patients—1158 from Jammu and 3564 from Valley— have recovered while 101 others died in J&K. (GNS)

Srinagar, June 30: Two militants were killed in yet another gunfight, 15th in June this year in south Kashmir.

“On a specific input regarding presence of militants in Waghama area of Anantnag, a joint cordon and search operation was launched by police, army’s 3RR and CRPF in the area,” a police spokesperson said.

During the search operation as the presence of militants got ascertained they were given opportunity to surrender, he said.

“However they fired indiscriminately upon the joint search party, which was retaliated leading to an encounter,” he said, adding, “In the ensuing encounter, two militants were killed and their bodies were retrieved from the site of encounter.” IGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar said that both the killed militants along with their associate ‘Zahid’ were involved in killing of one policeman last year and killings of two CRPF personnel and one minor boy recently.

While the slain duo was not officially identified sources told GNS that were Yawar Ahmad Bhat of Hatigam Kanelwan Bijbehara  and Arshid Ahmad Sheikh from Marhama Bijbehara.

The bodies of the killed militants were sent to Handwara for their last rites after conducting medico-legal formalities including collection of their DNA.

“IGP Kashmir appreciates JKP and SFs for exercising utmost restraint, thereby ensured a clean operation with no collateral damage,” the spokesperson said. (GNS)

Jahangir Lolabi

Srinagar, June 30: Army on Tuesday claimed to have averted an “infiltration bid” along Line of Control in frontier north Kashmir’s Kupwara district.

A defence official told GNS said that “In the intervening Tuesday night, suspicious movement of around eight persons was observed in two groups in Parkian Gali Sector along Line of Control.”

The movement of the “infiltrators” was challenged by the troops manning the area, the official said adding “However owing to the darkness they managed to ran away.”

We have tightened vigil over the area to thwart any fresh attempt, the official added.

Precious Kashmir News
Srinagar, June 30: Police on Tuesday filed a charge sheet before the TADA Court against three militants for a grenade attack in which seven civilians and two paramilitary CRPF men were injured in February this year.

Police said on February 2, militants had hurled a grenade upon a CRPF party deployed near Sumo Stand Pratap Park Srinagar, resulting in injuries to seven civilians and two CRPF personnel of 171 Bn.  Accordingly, case FIR No. 10/2020 under relevant sections of law was registered in Police Station Kothibagh and investigation was initiated.

“During the course of vigorous investigation, officers with the help of advanced technical tools identified the three militants involved in the incident,” a police spokesperson said in a statement.

Subsequently all the three militants were apprehended along with other evidence on February 6. “All the three militants were found affiliated with JeM”.

During the course of investigation, he said, it was learnt that they were tasked to carry out more grenade attacks at different places in Srinagar particularly in Lal Chowk area, to disturb  the peace and public order by inducing “terror among the general public besides posing threat to the integrity and sovereignty of the Nation.”

Accordingly during the course of investigation, all the “required evidence” was collected in a professional manner against the trio and the charge sheet has been presented before the Court of Additional District and Session Judge TADA/POTA for Judicial determination, he added.

New Delhi, Jun 30: Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday said that it has attached assets worth Rs 7.32 lakh under Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) of Aijaz Hussain Khawaja in Jammu and Kashmir terror funding case.

The attached assets consist of a portion of a residential flat at Jangpura in New Delhi and balances in the bank account held by the accused’s wife.

Khawaja, a Baramulla resident, was apprehended in 2006 with one bag containing 2.05 Kg RDX explosive, Rs 49 lakhs in cash by Delhi Police Special Cell and he was convicted with seven years of imprisonment under section 5(b) of Explosive Substances Act along with Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act wherein and the cash of Rs 49 lakhs were also confiscated by the trial Court.

Investigation under PMLA revealed that accused was operating as a Hawala operator for financing various militancy related illegal activities in Jammu and Kashmir.

“Out of such illegal hawala operation, he had generated proceeds of crime to the tune of Rs 8.50 lakhs during that period and he was also in touch with Muktiar Ahmed Bhatt alias Ahmed ,a Pakistan based Lashakr e-Taiba (LeT) operative in league with Pakistan ISI) to undertake hawala transactions or dealings for various separatists and militant activities”, the ED said.

New Delhi, Jun 30: In a pro-poor announcement, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his address to the nation on Tuesday, extended the free foodgrain scheme to 80 crore poor families to avail the five kg free foodgrains till November-end.

In a televised address to the nation, Modi said the Government will keep providing free foodgrains to the poor section of the society, due to the increased need during the festivals.

He said the Government will incur an additional expenditure of Rs 90,000 crore to provide five kg rice or wheat and one kg gram every month to the poor, pointing out that the free distribution of foodgrains to 80 crore people in India could feed 2.5 times the US population, 12 times the UK population and, twice the European Union’s population.

In his sixth address to the nation since the outbreak of COVID-19, the Prime Minister said under the PM Garib Kalyan Yojana, the Centre announced a package of Rs 1.75 lakh crore.

In the past three months, Rs 31,000 crore was deposited in bank accounts of 20 crore poor families. Also, Rs 18,000 crore was deposited in bank accounts of more than nine crore farmers, he added.

‘Simultaneously, Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan was quickly launched to provide employment of labourers in rural areas. The Government is spending Rs 50,000 crore on this scheme,’ PM Modi added.

He also urged the citizens not to let their guard down as restrictions were being lifted across the country. He said nobody is above the law and rules must be followed by everyone, in order to beat the virus.

‘A timely lockdown and other decisions helped saved lakhs of lives in the country,’ he added.

Courts awards life imprisonment to CRPF man for killing 3 colleagues

Kulgam, June 30: After 9 years, a local court here in South Kashmir’s Kulgam district awarded life imprisonment to a CRPF man for killing his 3 colleagues and injuring one.

In 2011, three Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) constables were killed and one critically injured in the fratricidal shootout inside a barrack of the 18 Battalion in Kulgam town. All four were working as drivers in the Force.

Police had lodged an FIR vide number 271/11 under section 302,307 and arrested six CRPF personnel for the incident that occurred after altercation broke out between the victim and the assailant.

The Court of Principal Sessions Judge Muhammad Ashraf Malik Kulgam according to news agency KNT gave its verdict after 9 long years and awarded life imprisonment to the accused constable, Sanjay Kumar who is the resident of Gomadi village of Uttar Pradesh.

The accused was in police custody all these years and he will spend the quantum of punishment in the jail.

Those who had become prey to the bullets of the convicted CRPF Constable were Suman Pillay, P Sibbu and Javaid Husain. The injured constable, SD Murthy, however, recovered after sustaining bullet injuries. (KNT)

18522 fresh cases reported in 24 hours; death toll mounts to 16893

New Delhi, June 30: India’s contagion tally has reached 5,66,840, after a spike of 18,522 fresh infections in the past 24 hours, Union Health Ministry said on Tuesday.

Fatalities due to the pandemic have increased to 16,893 across the nation after 418 more people succumbed to the virus spread since Monday.

However, there is an improvement witnessed on the recoveries front, and now the count of patients cured and discharged has reached 3,34,822, which is now 1,19,697 more, as compared to the active cases at present.

The active cases in the country are 2,15,125, the government data said.

Meanwhile, 8,60,8654 samples have beem tested for Covid till Monday, according to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

“Private school owners should stop behaving like whipping boys. Rather than approaching the helmsmen they should discuss their problems with the parents and take them on board. They are not going to win any sympathizers by cribbing about their losses. They should bear in mind that they are not the only ones who have faced losses. Everyone in Kashmir is sailing in the same boat.”

Precious Kashmir News
Srinagar, June 30: Private Schools’ Association of Jammu and Kashmir (PSAJK) has termed the misusing of fee waiver scheme offered by PSAJK as extremely unfortunate as all parents have altogether stopped depositing any kind of fee resulting in a situation where hundreds of schools are in danger of closure.

The Association said that PSAJK had offered to help the society in the shape of fee waiver scheme for extremely affected class of the society but some people are using the opportunity to completely boycott paying of fee to schools. “There was no government order regarding any kind of fee waiver. In fact we were allowed to collect fee. In a good faith to help the society we decided to offer some kind of reprieve to people. But the irony is that few lobbies have hijacked the entire scheme,” said a spokesman of PSAJK. “Some vested interests and greedy people have completely twisted the facts. They are telling people that 100 % fee is waived to 100 % students. In that case our education sector in is danger of collapse.”

The Association said that rich people are infringing on the rights of deserving families. “The situation is such that government employees and other class of people who had sufficient income during the lockdown are blatantly refusing to pay any kind of fee. In some cases poor parents paid fee without complaint and rich parents refused to pay even a penny,” said the spokesman. “Just a day after fee waiver scheme was announced, the entire fee collection by Schools have dived from 50-60% to absolute zero. Nobody is paying fee. Plus parents are not even ready for verification which is mandatory for anybody to be declared as a deserving candidate. They have taken everything for granted.”

The Association termed the situation alarming which could have bleak consequences for the future. “In some cases our schools have been attacked by aggressive parents who refuse to give any kind of fee or give logic towards their behaviour,” said the spokesperson.

The Association blamed the situation on certain parents and groups who mislead the people and were unable to explain the real situation to them. “Some people twisted the facts and took undue benefit of our noble gesture. At a time when government doesn’t help even affected person we had come forward,” said the spokesperson.

The Association said that on one hand people are ready to pay one year fee in advance to big schools and missionary schools, but on the other hand they simply refuse to pay fee to local schools who run on limited budget.

The Association in executive committee meeting today decided to halt the entire fee waiver scheme in the larger interests of saving the fragile private education sector. “The executive council meeting was attended by all the members who decided unanimously to halt the entire fee waiver scheme. Parents have been asked to deposit the fee as per routine as already directed by the High Court,” said the spokesperson.

The Association said that at a time when schools are doing all out efforts to help students with community schooling, offline assignments, online classes and other initiatives, the reciprocal cooperation from parents has not been encouraging. “Our motto has been that there needs to be balance between helping deserving families and sustaining the income of 65000 families of employees associated with private schools. If schools have zero income then entire society will suffer and education sector will collapse,” said the spokesperson.