Detained Kashmiri leaders allowed to visit home, some may be released soon
Srinagar: Some of the Kashmiri political leaders who have been under detention since August 5 may be released soon, with the Union Territory administration already easing restrictions on their movement, officials said on Sunday.
As many as four leaders belonging to various political parties were allowed to visit their houses for few hours on Saturday after they requested for it, they said.
Some of the political leaders who are detained in their houses may be allowed to move out of the valley on health grounds, the officials said.
There was a possibility of some of the detainees being released from the MLA hostel but a final plan will be worked out by the Union Territory administration with the Centre, they added.
The leaders had been under detention since August 5 when the Centre announced abrogation of provisions of Article 370 and splitting the state into two union territories of Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir.
The union territories came into existence on October 31.
Among those detained are three former chief ministers -- Farooq Abdulalh, Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti. While senior Abdullah was slapped with the stringent Public Safety Act on September 17, Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti have been detained at different locations in the city.
Thirty-four political detainees were shifted to MLA hostel from Centaur hotel on November 18 as Srinagar reeled under harsh winter conditions and the hotel lacked proper heating arrangements, the officials said.
The winter chill took a toll on the health of the detenues -- National Conference, PDP and People's Conference leaders and prominent social activists -- and the security personnel guarding them.
Mehbooba Mufti was earlier shifted to a government accommodation in the city from a tourist hut located at the foothills of Zaberwan range.
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Thane court sentences man to life imprisonment for bludgeoning wife to death
Thane (PTI): A court in Maharashtra's Thane district sentenced a man to life imprisonment for the brutal murder of his wife, whom he attacked 22 times with a hammer in front of his children, based on the testimony of his 13-year-old daughter.
Principal district and sessions judge S B Agrawal found the accused, Vijay Mishra alias Samir Shaikh, guilty under sections 302 (murder) and 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
The court sentenced him to life imprisonment and a three-year term to be served concurrently. It also imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh for the murder charge and an additional Rs 10,000 for injuring his minor daughter and mother-in-law, who had tried to intervene during the fatal attack.
Additional public prosecutor Rashmi Kshirsagar informed that 11 prosecution witnesses, including the accused's daughter, were examined during the trial.
According to the prosecution, the victim, Zarin Israr Ansari, had been living with her mother, along with her daughter and a six-year-old son, for two years following prolonged domestic violence and disputes.
The accused, who had converted to Islam to marry Zarin 14 years prior, harboured deep resentment over her living separately and suspected her character.
On the afternoon of September 28, 2023, the accused stormed into his mother-in-law's residence in Mumbra with a hammer concealed in a bag, cornered his wife on the mezzanine floor, dragged her down, locked the main door, and repeatedly bludgeoned her.
The court defended the testimony of the victim's 13-year-old daughter, who was an eyewitness and had sustained injuries herself, noting that minor inconsistencies do not degrade the core truth of an innocent child's account:
"...they are not of any significant consequence since it is not expected from such a witness of 10 years of age to have a total photographic memory to be reproduced before the court. But as far as the incident is concerned, evidence of this witness is totally free from any reasonable doubt."
The prosecution had also stated that the accused had locked his family inside and threatened a neighbour by brandishing a "bomb-like thing" and declaring he would blow up the building if anyone intervened.
The victim's brother eventually broke down the latched door, disarmed the accused, and pinned him down until the police arrived.
The post-mortem report revealed that the victim had suffered 22 brutal injuries and had died due to severe head wounds.
