Pak continues ceasefire violations along LoC in Jammu
Jammu: The Pakistan army Wednesday targeted dozens of forward posts and villages with artillery guns along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri and Poonch districts, officials said.
The intense shelling and firing from across the border continued throughout the night in Sunderbani sector of Rajouri district, while it started in Krishna Ghati sector of Poonch in the early hours of Wednesday, they said.
Officials said the Indian Army retaliated strongly and effectively, and the exchange of heavy fire caused panic among the border residents.
However, there was no report of any casualty on the Indian side, they said.
Pakistan had resorted to cross-border firing at Nowshera and Sunderbani in Rajouri and Krishna Ghati in Poonch on Tuesday as well.
While the cross-border skirmishes lasted for over three hours in Nowshera sector which left a soldier injured, the firing in Krishna Ghati took place from 6 pm to 8:15 pm.
Firing in Sunderbani sector started at 8:30 pm Tuesday and ended around 4:30 am on Wednesday, the officials said.
Minutes later, they said the guns once again roared in Krishna Ghati sector and firing was underway between the two sides when last reports were received.
There has been a spurt in ceasefire violations by Pakistan after India's preemptive air strike on a Jaish-e-Mohammad terror camp in Balakot on February 26 following the February 14 suicide bombing in Pulwama in which 40 CRPF personnel were killed.
Four civilians, including three members of a family, were killed and several others injured in over 60 incidents of ceasefire violations by Pakistan along the LoC in Rajouri and Poonch last week.
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NIA court to complete framing of charges against 2010 hand-chopping case accused on May 15
Kochi (PTI): A special court here will complete proceedings for framing charges against the prime accused in the 2010 hand-chopping case involving professor T J Joseph, in which PFI activists were accused of attacking him at Muvattupuzha.
Ernakulam Special Court for NIA cases judge P K Mohandas, on April 30, heard the arguments of counsel for accused Savad and Shafeer C and decided to proceed with framing charges against the duo.
A group chopped off Thodupuzha Newman College professor Joseph's right hand in July 2010, accusing him of religious blasphemy in a question paper he had prepared.
The case, later taken over by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), resulted in the conviction of 19 accused.
The first accused, Savad, who allegedly chopped off Joseph’s palm, was arrested in Berram in Mattannur, Kannur, in January 2024, where he had allegedly been hiding under the pseudonym Shajahan.
The NIA also arrested Shafeer, who allegedly arranged shelter and provided logistical support to Savad at Chakkad and Mattannur in Kannur since 2020.
On April 30, the court heard the counsel for the accused and the NIA prosecutor on framing charges against the duo.
"On going through the documents and evidence in the case and on hearing the counsel for the accused and the prosecutor, I am of the opinion that there are grounds for presuming that the first accused has committed offences punishable under provisions of the IPC, the Explosive Substances Act and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, and that the second accused has committed offences punishable under the IPC and the UAPA, and there are materials for framing charges under these provisions against the accused," the court said.
The court directed that Savad be produced and Shafeer, who is on bail, appear before it on May 15 for recording their pleas as part of the charge-framing process.
After framing the charges, the court will schedule the trial in the case.
