Srinagar, May 21: In continuation of the sustained anti-drug enforcement drive under the 100-Day Nasha Mukt Jammu Kashmir Abhiyaan, J&K Police achieved a major success by apprehending 06 drug peddlers in separate actions in Baramulla, Anantnag & Kulgam and recovered Huge Quantity of contraband substances from their possession.

In Baramulla, a patrolling party of Police Station Boniyar, while conducting routine patrolling in Trikanjan area, apprehended one suspicious person. During his search, a charas-like substance wrapped in polythene was recovered from his possession. He has been identified as Sabbir Mumtaz son of Mumtaz Ahmad Khan resident of Trikanjan. Accordingly, a case under FIR No. 16/2026 U/S 8/20 NDPS Act has been registered at Police Station Boniyar. Investigation into the matter has been taken up.

In Anantnag, Police Station Srigufwara arrested a most wanted drug peddler during naka checking at Shakras. The accused has been identified as Nasir Ahmad Dohbi S/o Gh. Qadir Dohbi R/o Sallar. During checking, the police party intercepted the accused and recovered approximately 05 kilograms of charas powder-like substance from his possession. In this connection, Case FIR No. 52/2026 under relevant sections of law has been registered at Police Station Srigufwara and investigation has been taken up.

In another action, Police Station Achabal during naka checking near Petrol Pump Achabal apprehended one Irshad Ahmad Bhat S/o Ghulam Hassan Bhat R/o Magray Pora. Upon search, heroin-like substance was recovered from the right pocket of his trouser. In this regard, Case FIR No. 41/2026 U/S 8/21 NDPS Act has been registered at Police Station Achabal and investigation is underway.

In Kulgam, a police party of Police Station Qazigund during routine naka checking at Chowgam Bridge intercepted suspicious person carrying a nylon bag and coming from Chowgam towards Churat. Acting swiftly, the police party tactfully apprehended the suspect on the spot. The accused was identified as Bilal Ahmad Hajam S/o Abdul Salam Hajam R/o Larkipora, Dooru. During search of the nylon bag carried by the accused, police recovered approximately 4 Kg 520 grams of Charas powder from his possession.

In another operation, a party of Police Station Qazigund was conducting naka checking at Chowgam Bridge near old check post when one suspicious person was intercepted during checking. Upon questioning, he identified himself as Sameer Ahmad Sheikh S/O Farooq Ahmad Sheikh R/O Bangedar, Anantnag. During personal search, police recovered a concealed light green polythene bag from his possession containing 157.7 grams of Charas-like substance in the shape of four sticks wrapped in corn husk.

In another operation, a police party during patrolling at link road Sopat near Sarnard noticed one suspicious person carrying a nylon bag and moving towards Sopat main road. On noticing the police party, the individual attempted to flee from the spot but was tactfully apprehended by the patrolling party. The accused has been identified as Nazir Ahmad Rather S/O Mohd Abdullah Rather R/O Sopat Tangpora. During search of the nylon bag, police recovered approximately 2 Kg 600 grams of Poppy straw-like substance from his possession.

All the accused persons have been arrested and accordingly, cases under relevant sections of law have been registered at respective police stations and further investigation have been initiated.

J&K Police reiterate its zero-tolerance policy towards drug menace. Stringent action against peddlers and smugglers will continue to safeguard the youth and society. General public is requested to cooperate with police and share information regarding drug peddling in their areas.

Srinagar, May 21: Continuing its sustained efforts to eradicate drug menace under the ongoing Nasha Mukt Jammu & Kashmir Abhiyaan, J&K Police carried out multiple preventive and enforcement measures across the district Pulwama.

Police Station Rajpora destroyed poppy straw plants found illegally cultivated alongside vegetable crops in the Drabgam area. The person concerned was identified and bound down under relevant legal provisions to prevent further involvement in such activities.

Meanwhile, Police Station Kakapora conducted extensive checking of medical shops at Kakapora Chowk to ensure compliance with prescribed norms regarding sale and distribution of medicines. In addition, a Narco-CASO was conducted in Kakapora during which houses of several suspected drug peddlers and narcotics dealers were checked as part of intensified surveillance and crackdown against drug-related activities.

Police reiterates its commitment towards making the district drug-free and urges the general public, particularly youth and community members, to cooperate with police in the fight against narcotics by sharing credible information related to drug peddling or substance abuse.

Srinagar, May 21:  Jammu and Kashmir Police along with security forces have arrested a terrorist associate in Mohammadpora, area of Kulgam and recovered explosive substance and incriminating material from his possession.

Kulgam Police in a joint operation with Army (34 RR) and CRPF (18 Bn) at village Mohammadpora, Kulgam intercepted one suspicious person. During his personal search, officers present were able to recover 02 Hand Grenades and Incriminating posters from his possession.

The said person identified as Aadil Hussain Lone son of Mohd Sadiq Lone resident of Mohammadpora, Kulgam was arrested on spot.  Regarding the incident a case vide FIR No. 88/2026 under relevant sections of law has been registered at Police Station Kulgam and further investigation is going on as more arrests and recoveries are expected.

J&K Police reiterates its zero-tolerance policy against terrorism and remains steadfast in its mission to neutralize terror networks.

New Delhi, May 21: India’s largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki India on Thursday announced a price hike of up to Rs 30,000 with effect from June 2026.

In its stock exchange filing, the domestic carmaker said that the company has decided to increase the prices of its models across its portfolio.

“In view of the sustained increase in input costs, the company has decided to increase the prices of its models across its portfolio by up to Rs 30,000 with effect from June 2026,” it said in its regulatory filing.

In an official statement, the company attributed the decision to sustained increases in raw material and operational costs impacting the automotive industry.

“For the past few months, the Company has been making continuous efforts to mitigate the cost impact to the extent possible through cost reduction measures,” the carmaker added.

Maruti Suzuki India said it had undertaken several cost-reduction initiatives over the past few months to absorb part of the cost burden, but the adverse cost environment has made a partial pass-through unavoidable.

The company added that it has attempted to minimise the impact on customers as much as possible.

“However, with inflationary pressures now at elevated levels and the adverse cost environment persisting, the company has to pass on a portion of the increased costs to the market, while continuing to ensure that the impact on customers is kept to the minimum extent possible,” it added in its filing.

“The exact quantum of change will vary from model to model,” it added.

The latest announcement comes at a time when several automobile manufacturers in India have revised prices upward in response to higher commodity prices, logistics expenses and inflationary pressures across supply chains.

Earlier, Mahindra and Mahindra announced a price increase across its SUV and commercial vehicle portfolio effective April 6.

The company said prices would rise by up to 2.5 per cent, with an average increase of around 1.6 per cent across models, citing rising input and operational costs.

New Delhi, May 21: Hamza Burhan, one of the key planners behind the Pulwama attack, was killed by unknown gunmen in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The incident took place at Muzaffarabad in PoK, and Burhan is said to have been shot multiple times.

He was attacked and killed by unknown assailants and is said to have died instantly due to multiple gunshots.

While designating him as a terrorist in 2022, the Indian government had said, “Arjumand Gulzar Dar alias Hamza Burhan alias Doctor, aged 23 years, is a resident of Kharbatpora, Ratnipora, Pulwama, and one of the associate members of Al Badr, a terrorist outfit designated under the UAPA.”

Hamza, also known as Doctor, was born in the Ratnipora area of Pulwama in Jammu and Kashmir. He had left for Pakistan in 2017, stating that he was pursuing his higher studies. He, however, joined the terror outfit Al Badr and in quick time rose to the rank of commander.

Following his indoctrination into the Al Badr, he returned to Kashmir. He was involved in radicalising the youth and also indoctrinating them into terror groups. His work remained largely focused on South Kashmir.

During his stay in Kashmir, he managed to expand his network from Pulwama to Shopian. His death deals a major blow to the terror networks in Pakistan. He was a key player for the Pakistan-based terror groups, which carry out operations in Jammu and Kashmir.

The Pulwama terror attack is one of the deadliest incidents in India. On February 14, 2019, a convoy carrying Indian security personnel on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway was targeted in the Lethapora area of Pulwama. A suicide bomber rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into the bus within the convoy, killing 40 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel.

The attack was carried out by the Jaish-e-Mohammed, and the bomber was identified as Adil Ahmad Dar. Following this strike, the Indian Air Force retaliated by striking a Jaish-e-Mohammed training base in Balakot.

Hamza’s killing adds to the long list of terrorists being eliminated by unknown gunmen in Pakistan. In May this year, Lashkar-e-Taiba operative Farman Ali was shot dead at Muridke. In April, unknown gunmen shot dead Sheikh Yousuf Afridi, a Lashkar-e-Taiba commander in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. In the same month, the co-founder of the Lashkar-e-Taiba, Amir Hamza, was shot at by unknown gunmen in Lahore. He, however, survived the shooting.

In January, Pakistani Army Lieutenant Colonel Imran Dayal, a handler for the Pahalgam terror attack, was gunned down in Dera Ismail Khan. Jaish-e-Mohammed operative Mushtaq alias Ghazi Baba was shot dead by unidentified assailants near Peshawar in October 2025.

Last year in May, Lashkar-e-Taiba commander Razaullah Nizamani alias Abu Saifullah Khalid was shot in Matli, Sindh province. Pakistan has not released official statements on these shootings, and investigations, too, remain inconclusive.

Such incidents have been on the rise in the past two years. The targeting of top commanders and leaders has left outfits such as the Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed struggling to regroup.

Since Operation Sindoor, both these terror groups, which were hit the hardest, have struggled to revive and also reset operations in Jammu and Kashmir. The Indian agencies had noted that such killings have demoralised these groups, and this has led to reduced recruitments.

New Delhi, May 21: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday paid tributes to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on his death anniversary.

In a post on X, the Prime Minister said, “Tributes to former Prime Minister Shri Rajiv Gandhi Ji on his death anniversary.”

Rajiv Gandhi, who served as India’s Prime Minister from 1984 to 1989, was assassinated on May 21, 1991, in Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu.

Srinagar, May 21:  A houseboat partially sank after water entered the structure along the River Jhelum on Bund area in Srinagar on Thursday, prompting a rescue operation by the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and River Police.

Officials said the incident resulted in waterlogging inside the houseboat and caused partial sinking, triggering concern in the area.

Soon after receiving information, teams of SDRF and River Police rushed to the spot and launched rescue and evacuation measures.

Rescue personnel entered the affected houseboat and shifted belongings to safer locations amid rising water inside the structure.

The operation focused on preventing further damage and securing movable property belonging to the houseboat owner.

Officials said rescue teams successfully evacuated household belongings and ensured that the situation remained under control. [KNT]

Uri, May 21: Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary on Thursday visited Kaman Post in Uri sector and praised the Indian Army for its role and service in the remote border area.

During the visit, Choudhary interacted with Army personnel and reviewed conditions in the frontier zone along the Line of Control (LoC).

He appreciated the work being carried out by security forces in challenging terrain and difficult operational conditions.

The visit also brought renewed attention to the issue of cross-LoC connectivity and confidence-building measures between India and Pakistan.

Speaking during the visit, the Deputy Chief Minister said restoration of cross-LoC trade and bus services required cooperation from both countries.

He said such measures could not move forward through unilateral decisions and depended upon mutual understanding and coordinated engagement between New Delhi and Islamabad.

Cross-LoC trade and travel routes, once regarded as important confidence-building initiatives linking divided families and facilitating limited economic exchange, have remained suspended for several years.

The Uri-Muzaffarabad bus service and associated trade mechanisms had historically carried political and humanitarian significance for border communities and separated families.

Choudhary’s remarks come amid periodic political discussions surrounding people-to-people engagement and revival of communication channels across the LoC. [KNT]