Srinagar: National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah on Saturday met his son and former chief minister Omar Abdullah in a sub-jail in the summer capital, Srinagar, following his release on Friday from detention after seven months under Public Safety Act (PSA).

Dr Abdullah, a former chief minister and MP from Srinagar, drove from his residence to nearby Hari Nivas in Srinagar, where Omar Abdullah remained under custody under PSA since August 5, when the Centre abrogated Article 370 and bifurcated the state into two Union Territories.

Official sources said that Mr Abdullah had sought permission from the J&K administration to meet his son. ‘The father-son duo stayed together for about an hour,’ they said.

After his release from detention, Dr Abdullah on Friday visited his father Sheikh Abdullah’s grave and offered players.

The NC MP from Srinagar, who was accompanied by his wife Moile and other family members, offered players at the grave of his father situated on the bank of Dal Lake in Hazratbal.

Dr Abdullah could not visit the grave of his father on his death anniversary on December 5, 2019 as he was detained under Public Safety Act (PSA).

Jammu and Kashmir administration on Friday revoked detention of Dr Abdullah after over seven months. The revocation of detention of the former chief minister comes just two days after Public Safety Act (PSA), which was slapped on him in September last year, was extended for another three months on March 11.

‘In exercise of powers conferred under Section 19(1) of the Jammu and Kashmir Public Safety Act, 1978, the government hereby revokes the detention order bearing No DMS/PSA/120/2019 issued by District Magistrate, Srinagar,’ a statement issued by the J&K administration said.

Dr Abdullah and two other former chief ministers — Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti — besides dozens of other former ministers and legislators were detained on August 5, when the Centre abrogated Article 370.

Jammu: A 25-member delegation of the newly-floated political outfit, Jammu and Kashmir ‘Apni Party,’ on Saturday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who assured them of ‘restoration of statehood’ status to the recently-created Union territory and also told them that the decisions taken in the future, will be in the interest of both the regions.

The erstwhile state bifurcated into two Union Territories on August 5, 2019, after the abrogation of Article 370. J&K became a UT on October 31, 2019.

Leading the delegation, party president Syed Altaf Bukhari said, ‘We had more than an hour-long meeting with the Prime Minister and he has assured that there will be no change in the demography, while laws to secure job and land rights of the people in Jammu and Kashmir will also come into force soon.’

Talking to UNI on phone, Mr Bukhari said the delegation members raised the domicile certificate issue vis-à-vis of demographic change and delimitation exercise.

‘We expressed that people of Jammu and also of Kashmir want statehood, on which the Prime Minister assured that it would be considered after the delimitation exercise was over,’ he said, adding that the process would be fair and transparent.

According to Mr Bukhari, selective application of laws like Indian Tribal and Forest Act, which is in the interest of people, was also discussed and the Prime Minister assured that it will soon be applied.

The Prime Minister has also assured the delegation that the citizens rights, including that of the domicile, would be protected, he added.

‘Concerns like UPSC, age relaxation and return of Kashmiri Pandits were also taken up during the meeting,’ he said and added that the delegation has expressed that Jammu and Kashmir has no separate agenda and they are facing similar problems.

‘The Prime Minister told us that we have a chance to meet the aspirations of both the regions as a ‘state’ party and assured that whatever decisions will be taken, will be in the interest of people and entire Jammu and Kashmir.’

On conducting of Assembly elections, Mr Bukhari said, ‘We have expressed our desire to hold elections in the newly carved out UT ‘as soon as possible’ and Mr Modi has said that the exercise will begin, once the delimitation process is over.

‘The response of the Prime Minister was overwhelming and he interacted with every delegate and listened to their demands,’ he said.

Meanwhile, one of the members in the delegation said, ‘The Prime Minister spoke about the scrapping of Article 370 and said the decision was taken in the interest of people and was aimed at opening ways for development and prosperity in the region.’

Mr Bukhari led ‘Apni Party’ was officially launched at Srinagar on March 8.

Jammu: The Central Bureau of Investigation and the Anti-Corruption Bureau of Jammu on Saturday produced challan against three people, including the son of a former Finance Minister of Jammu and Kashmir and top officials of J&K Bank for misappropriation of crores of rupees from the bank, within 10 days after registration of FIR.
According to a Spokesperson, the case related to the alleged misappropriation of crores of rupees from the term loans, sanctioned by Jammu and Kashmir Bank, for an ambitious township project of Hilal Rather, son of J&K Ex-Finance Minister Abdul Rahim Rather, in connivance with Arun Kumar, Cluster Head J&K Bank Ltd Sambha and Iqbal Singh, then Branch Head University Branch.
Investigation revealed that the project Paradise Avenue, a Partnership Concern of Hilal Rather, Dr Rizwan Raheem Dar of Sanant Nagar Srinagar, Ghulam Mohd Bhatt of Baramulla Kashmir, Daljeet Wadhera and Deepshikha Jamwal of Jammu, was sanctioned a term loan of Rs 74.27 crore in the first phase in 2012.
The loan was given in relaxation to the credit policy of the bank, which restricts loan to a partnership firm at Rs 40 crore and was approved by the Board of Directors of the J&K Bank to Hilal, despite the fact that he had already entered into an OTS with the State Financial Corporation in the past.
“The remaining loan amount were granted by the Board, despite the fact that the repayments of the first loan taken was not complete,” said the spokesperson, adding that Hilal, who also owns Simula Group of Companies, was being questioned for the last few months by the Bureau, in connection with the siphoning off crores of rupees from the loan amount sanctioned by the New University Campus Branch of J&K Bank for the construction of Flats under the name of Paradise Avenue, situated at Narwal Bala in Jammu.
He had been evading details of property raised and others transaction related to siphoning of funds meant for construction.
“It has also been revealed that the funds diverted have been used to purchase huge properties in abroad, holidaying abroad with family and friends and also for other entertainment activities. All the loan amounts availed by Hilal Ahmed Rather to tune of Rs 177 crore have become NPA,” he said.