Another Army soldier killed by Pakistani sniper along LoC in J&K
Jammu, Nov 11 : An Army soldier was killed Sunday by a Pakistani sniper along the Line of Control in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said, the third fatal casualty due to sniping from across the border in three days.
The soldier, manning a forward post in Kalal area of Noushera sector, was shot by a Pakistani sniper, resulting in his death, they said.
Naik Gosavi Keshav Somgir (29), belonged to village Sri Rampur of Nashik district of Maharashtra, a defence spokesman said. Somgir is survived by wife Yashoda Gosavi.
"Pakistan Army resorted to an unprovoked ceasefire violation in Noushera sector on the Line of Control at about 1445 hours resulting in critical injuries to Somgir due to fire from across the border and succumbed to gunshot wound injuries," the spokesman said in a statement.
He said Somgir had served in the Army for 10 years and his death would not "go in vain".
"The nation will always remain indebted to him for the supreme sacrifice and devotion to duty," he said.
He said Indian Army retaliated strongly and effectively on Pakistan Army posts. On Saturday, a soldier was killed after he was hit by a sniper in Sunderbani sector of Rajouri district.
Rifleman Varun Kattal, 21, a resident of Mawa-Rajpura area of Samba district of Jammu and Kashmir, was shot dead by a Pakistani sniper in Sunderbani sector of Rajouri district, triggering an exchange of fire between the two sides which also left two BSF personnel injured.
An Army portar lost his life in a similar attack in Akhnoor sector a day earlier.
On October 21, three soldiers of Jammu and Kashmir light infantry regiment and two heavily-armed infiltrators, believed to be members of the Border Action Team (BAT) of the Pakistani army, and terrorists, were killed in Sunderbani sector.
On November 6, a soldier was injured when he was hit by a sniper from across the border at Kalal in Noushera sector of Rajouri, while a BSF jawan was injured in a separate incident of firing by Pakistan along the LoC in the Manjakote area of the Rajouri-Poonch sector Friday.
The number of ceasefire violations this year by Pakistan has been the highest in the past eight years.
The first seven months of this year saw 52 deaths and 232 people getting injured in 1,435 ceasefire violations in the state, according to an RTI reply by the Home Ministry.
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Over 2,800 farmers died by suicide in Karnataka since 2023-24 FY: Minister
Bengaluru (PTI): A total of 2,809 farmers have died by suicide in Karnataka since the 2023-24 fiscal year, with the state ranking second in the country for such suicides, Minister N Cheluvarayaswamy has informed the state legislative assembly.
In a written reply to a question from BJP MLA Arvind Bellad during the ongoing winter session in Belagavi, the state agricultural minister said that 1,254 farmer suicides were reported in 2023-24 fiscal, 1,178 in 2024-25, and 377 cases were recorded in 2025-26 (as of now).
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According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), Karnataka ranks second nationally in farmer suicides. However, Cheluvarayaswamy noted a decrease in suicides compared to the previous three years.
Data provided by the minister revealed that Haveri reported the highest number of suicides, with 297 cases, followed by Belagavi at 259, Kalaburagi (234), Dharwad (195), and Mysuru (190).
In terms of compensation, the state government disbursed Rs 54 crore to 1,081 eligible farmer families in 2023-24, Rs 44.8 crore to 896 families in 2024-25, and Rs 9.65 crore to 193 families in 2025-26 (until November). There are 112 cases still under review.
The government attributed the delay in compensation payments to technical issues, assuring that once resolved, payments will be made promptly.
Of the 1,254 suicides reported in 2023-24, 164 cases were rejected, and 1,090 families were deemed eligible for compensation.
In the 2024-25 fiscal year, 156 cases were rejected, with 1,022 families eligible. For the current fiscal year (2025-26), 46 cases out of 377 suicides were rejected, and 310 families have been deemed eligible for compensation.
BJP State President B Y Vijayendra criticised the Congress-led state government, accusing it of "divine negligence" over the issue of farmer suicides.
"There is no excuse for the negligence of this corrupt Congress government, which has failed to address the plight of farmers. In the last 2.5 years, Karnataka has become second in farmer suicides," he said on 'X'.
It is "shocking" that 2,809 farmers have taken their lives under their rule, he added.
