Briefing

KATRA

Of the seven people killed in Katra chopper crash, there was a couple married for five days. IFS man Arjun Singh Chib married Vandana on November 18 and while flying to Mata Vaishno Devi, their chopper crashed killing the couple and Mahesh, Arjun’s cousin. Even though lot of politicians lined up for their last rites, the crisis remains. Invoking faith to frustrate disciplining air traffic, the Board and the rightwing prevented shifting the Sanjichat helipad. Instead of 80 sorties a day, the chopper services are flying up to 200. Recommendations made in wake of a similar accident on July 9, 2009, are being flouted. Four passengers were killed besides a pedestrian on ground as a crew member survived injured in 2009 accident.

POONCH

Cell phone is doing wonders. The latest was from a police station where a fat cop was seen literally sitting in the lap of his female subordinate. After the photo leaked to the media, police acted quite fast and placed the services of the cop under suspension. Soon after came another photograph from Kupwara in which cops were helping students in copying during examinations. Within hours, they were suspended. Cell phone is pushing government to do what it ordinarily should have done on its own.

BIJBEHARA

Recently, when mob hoisted Pakistani flag on the ancestral residence of Chief Minister, they were mourning the death of three militants slain in an encounter. They specifically talked about Adil Sheikh, a ‘militant’ neutralized within eight months after picking up the gun. Sheikh, a labourer, had contributed Rs 15000 to restore the flood-impacted mosque of his locality. But when he was alive he could never pray there. Finally, posthumously the residents kept his corpse in the mosque for some time.

ANTARCTICA

New revelations suggest that Muhammad Yunus Shah (Khan Sahab), as a member of India’s Bharti Research Station, has spent significant time researching on Antarctica. He actually headed 32-member Indian Scientific Expedition in 2013. With Masters in Geology and Geophysics, Shah is a scientist at Polar Studies Division, Geological Survey of India (GSI). Based on his research, Shah would be working on a study that would take a decade to complete.

DODA

Logical cadres might desert him but Engineer Rashid knows the art of staying in news. From packaging mutton as beef and making it big to finally entering Chenab Valley and speaking to impressive crowds, this two-time lawmaker is emerging newsier than considered earlier. The Muslim dominated Chenab region was wrested by Hindu right as ‘secular’ parties fought each other. Now the populations are desperate to see somebody they could ally with. If elections are held right now, Engineer can offer a Himalayan fight against PDP, Congress or NC because the ground situation is intriguingly different on Chenab banks.

ISLAMABAD

Three days of intense fog conditions did not just prevented nearly 65 flights from landing in Srinagar and keeping Chief Minister and many of his colleagues ‘trapped’ in Srinagar. Bijbehara residents caught hold of a mighty Himalayan Griffon Vulture struggling to fly in wake of thick fog. Its captors held the bird aloft like a trophy while posing for a photo op. The scavenger bird can grow up to 12 kgs with wingspan extending 3 meters.  Later, it was handed over to the wildlife authorities who assessed its health before releasing it away.

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