It is never too late to order COI: Hon'ble High Court's Decision

Justice delayed is still justice

New Delhi 

22.4.2011

In a landmark decision on Monday the Hon’ble Delhi High Court has directed Border Security Force to convene a Court Of Inquiry in a decade old case of an injury sustained by an officer of BSF. Setting aside BSF counsel’s contention that the concerned officer is now medically fit and that some of the witnesses have since retired, the double bench of Hon’ble Mr. Justice Pradeep Nandrajog and Hon’ble Mr. Justice Suresh Kait directed the respondents to convene a Court of Inquiry with respect to the alleged incident dated 28.09.1999.

The petitioner Raj Kumar Basatta, Second-in-Command in BSF, had claimed to have suffered an injury during Anti-insurgency Operation on 28.09.1999. The petitioner claimed that as a result of the fall he received an injury in the mandible. The petitioner claimed to have suffered an injury in the knee as well. As per the petitioner his jaw got fractured.

However, assessing the injury as a minor injury his commanding officer Sh A. Asthana, did not report the matter to his Hqrs and did not order the mandatory Court Of Inquiry to find out facts of the injury. As a result the officer did not get timely treatment and other benefits applicable in injuries sustained during action against armed militants. To make the matters worse Raj Kumar Basatta, with excellent professional credentials of being a Commando instructor and having stood first in Shooting Competition, was charge-sheeted for being absent from duty for treatment of his injury and was Court Martialled in 2001. Arguing for the officer Ms Rekha Palli, Advocate pleaded that in the absence of a fact finding inquiry the nature of the injury and urgency of treatment could not be considered by his commanding officer and GSFC. She further pleaded that though there is permanent deformity in the jaw still its status of having been sustained during an operation is not officially established and this might harm the interests of the officer in future.

The Hon’ble Court has directed that the order convening Court of Inquiry would be issued by the competent authority within a period of 8 weeks from the date of judgement.

This judgement shall rekindle the ray of hope for many brave soldiers of the motherland who suffer despite their sacrifices just because of callous and inefficient officials and babus who fail to perform their duties and then use the system to cover-up for their follies. 

Justice is still justice even if eleven years too late.

http://delhihighcourt.nic.in/

Bangladesh, India resolve border issue

From Dw World

Bangladesh has 51 enclaves, or 7,000 acres in India

Bangladesh and India are due to resolve a long-standing border issue and swap 162 land enclosures. There is hope this will ease tensions on the India-Bangladesh border and end the suffering of over 140,000 local people.

 

India has 111 enclaves or nearly 17,000 acres of land inside Bangladesh. Bangladesh, on the other hand has 51 enclaves or 7,000 acres in India. This is a legacy of Partition in 1947. In 1974, Bangladesh ratified the Mujib-Indira Land Boundary Agreement to resolve the problems but India never did.

BSF Patrol

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GETTY IMAGES3 DAYS AGO

Indian Border Security Force (BSF) soldiers patrol along theIndia-Bangladesh border at Fulbari on the outskirts of Siliguri on April 17, 2011. The borders of Bangladeh and Nepalare sealed for the security reasons due to the assembly polling. The state assembly election of West Bengal will take place in six phases starting from April 18. The counting of votes will take place on May 13, 2011.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/photo/06Fm5yzc8G1JD?q=BSF

All-girl institute shines in foeticide hub Tarn Taran

From The TribunePerneet Singh
Tribune News Service

Khadoor Sahib, April 19
While Tarn Taran has emerged as the district with the worst sex ratio in Punjab, the girls at Shri Guru Angad Dev Institute of Careers and Courses, being run by Baba Sewa Singh Khadoor Sahibwale in this holy town (of the district), have outshone boys to the extent that now only they get admission here. And doors for boys at the institute lie shut.
Talking to The Tribune, Brigadier Tarlok Singh Aulakh (retd), institute in charge, said, “In all, 162 candidates from our institute have made it to the Army and paramilitary outfits like BSF, CRPF and CISF, besides the police, over the last couple of years. Of these, 135 are girls and only 27 boys…. A large number of boys from rural areas have fallen prey to drug addiction and those who have not are undisciplined. On the contrary, girls are disciplined, focused and hardworking. Initially, we admitted boys in our institute when it started in 2009, but with passage of time we stopped taking them, as they were not producing desired result.”
According to him, the basic foundation is weak among rural girls, too, but boys are worse. “The boys are not amenable to discipline, which is very important to make it to outfits like BSF, CRPF or police.”
Aulakh said the girls were so focused that at present too 40 were undergoing training even though currently there were no vacancies in military, paramilitary or police force. “Normally, we start our training programme when there are openings in these organizations.”
And about boys, he said they, too, must get attention. But, as theirs was voluntary organisation, they had limited capabilities and would need more funds to train them in a way that they fulfilled the requirement for the job, he said. Regarding the training programme, he said they start with physical training in the morning, followed by theory classes.
Harpreet Kaur, a student who made it to the BSF, said, “The institute provided me a platform to achieve my ambition. More such institutes should be opened, as it will help curb female foeticide.”
Meanwhile, the institute is all set to move into Nishan-e-Sikhi, an educational complex which was inaugurated here yesterday.Infamous for sex ratio
Tarn Taran district’s sex ratio, as per the Census, is a dismal 819:1,000 in the age group of 0 to 6 years, which is the worst in entire Punjab. However, it was even worse in 2001 Census at 784:1,000.
Successful candidates
* BSF 61 girls
* BSF, Army & SSB 27 boys
* CISF & CRPF 2 girls
* Chandigarh Police 27 girls
* Delhi Police 5 girls
* Punjab Police 40 girls
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2011/20110420/main4.htm

Transcript of PM's Onboard Press Conference Enroute Astana to New Delhi

From

Press Information Bureau
Government of India
Prime Minister's Office

16-April-2011

Prime Minister's opening statement:- Ladies and Gentlemen I have had two very fruitful meetings. One was the BRICS meeting in Sanya in China. You have seen the Sanya Declaration and Plan of Action and NSA has also briefed you from day to day. Yesterday I came to Kazakhstan, I had meeting with the President and followed the meeting with the Prime Minister and other ministers. We have discussed wide ranging political, economic, regional and international issues and there is almost complete unanimity in our desire to work together and give added meaning and thrust to our strategic partnership. The visit of mine was the first visit to Kazakhstan, and was in response to the 2009 initiative when we had invited President Nazarbayev as Chief Guest of our Republic Day. We had on that occasion agreed to upgrade our strategic partnership and my visit today was in pursuance issues and there is almost complete unanimity in our desire to work together and give added meaning and thrust to our strategic partnership. The visit of mine was the first visit to Kazakhstan, and was in response to the 2009 initiative when we had invited President Nazarbayev as Chief Guest of our Republic Day. We had on that occasion agreed to upgrade our strategic partnership and my visit today was in pursuance of that objective of giving added weight and depth to our strategic partnership.

Question - 1: Was the stapled visa issue taken up in your meeting with President Hu Jintao

Ans: Well, we discussed… It was a very cordial meeting. We discussed bilateral economic issues, the trade imbalances. We also discussed other relevant issues relating to international situation, possibility of cooperation between the two countries in international foras of G20, in WTO and in the Security Council. With regard to defence exchanges, my expectation is that they would be continued and also there was a proposal from the Chinese side, when Premier Wen Jiabao came to India to look at a new mechanism to maintain peace and tranquillity on the border. Work is in progress. I hope some concrete results will be visible in the near future.

Q - 2: After the BRICS Summit, is our goal of getting a permanent seat in the Security Council near?

Ans: Well, I think there is a growing support that the Security Council and other international organisations must reflect realities of the contemporary age, rather than being embedded in an era which is dead and gone. But I would not say that we are there, as such, it is a work in progress, there is growing support for India’s permanent membership of the Security Council.

Q-3 : Excess volatility to commodity prices, especially in the energy and food sectors, a grave threat has been posed to the ongoing global economy. How the BRICS would control and what would be India’s role?

Ans: Well, the BRICS by themselves cannot control. This has to be a collective international effort. We have all agreed that the Group of 20 is the appropriate international forum to discuss global economic issues and I am confident that when President Sarkozy convenes the meeting of the G20 later in the year, issues like fluctuations and volatility of food prices and oil prices would figure high on the agenda.

Q - 4: Regarding the comprehensive nuclear cooperation agreement with Kazakhstan, is India planning to sell nuclear reactors to Kazakhstan?

Ans: Well I think it takes two to strike a deal, we have I think a capability to produce small nuclear reactors choosing natural uranium and there has been discussion on that but no concrete decision has been taken.

Q - 5: In the last few months, you have come under lot of attack from civil society, how much has the last few months disturbed you personally?

Ans: Well I am not disturbed but I have always believed when winter comes, can spring be far behind!

Q - 6: On West Bengal elections, and reasons for Left being on a losing wicket?

Ans: Well, I am not the best judge on what went wrong with the Left. It is for the people to decide and I would not like to speculate all that.

Q-7: Post Fukushima, why are we still so convinced about going ahead with nuclear power?

Ans: Well I think we are too close to the Japanese disaster and in the background of what has happened, there is a certain amount of nervousness about extensive use of nuclear energy even for peaceful purposes. But I am convinced that when all is said and done, when cool headed discussions take place about the future of energy, what are problems with coal, what are the problems with other hydrocarbons, in terms of their impact on climate change. I think there would be a reconsideration of the role of nuclear energy as one of the essential options which all countries must keep in order to deal with the problems like climate change and energy security.

Q- 8: In one of your statements at the BRICS, you said about the shift of power to the common people, was it in the context of the ongoing international situation or the domestic context?

Ans: Well, I think there is both, a domestic…I think we have to take note of the fact that people’s power is some thing which we have to reckon with, which is also happening internationally in the Middle East, in North Africa. I would not like to pronounce authoritatively that I have the answer on what went wrong in West Asia.

Q -9: Market access for Indian pharma products & IT in China, Dr. Reddy’s US FDA approved drugs are facing problems in entering China. Has this been taken up with the Chinese?

Ans: Well I did raise the question of the trade imbalance. We import goods and services which give rise to the severe trade imbalances. President Hu Jintao recognised that it is the problem. I also specifically mentioned two areas, one pharmaceutical industry and the other IT. These happen to the sectors where we feel, Chinese could do, and I can not say he said precisely this with regard to these two areas, but he did say that he did recognise that China has also the responsibility to tackle the problem of trade imbalances.

Q- 10: There is a great deal of interest in your initiatives with regard to Pakistan. What are the five things that you would like to achieve in your relationship with Pakistan?

Ans: I think five is too much, well, if I can succeed in normalising relations between India and Pakistan, as they should prevail between two normal states, I will consider my job well done.

Q - 11: On the likelihood of a cabinet reshuffle soon?

Ans: Well there is still some time to go…

Q-12: Two questions, one on the possibility of induction of Indonesia in the BRICS and second on your opinion of Anna Hazare?

Ans: Well, as far as increase in membership of BRICS is concerned, this was not the subject matter which came up for discussion in the BRICS meetings.

As far as Anna Hazare ji is concerned, I respect him as an important leader, who had done lot of good work in rural development and that’s why the whole country respects him.

****

SH

http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=71685

Bangladesh may act against ex-chief advisor, army chief

From webindia123

April 19, 2011

Bangladesh's parliament has said it would move against a former World Bank economist who ruled Bangladesh for two years, and the army chief who backed him during 2007-08.

Fakhruddin Ahmed, the chief advisor who performed the prime ministerial functions in a caretaker government, and retired General Moeen U. Ahmed have refused to appear before a parliamentary committee.

The committee Monday said it would move against them for "contempt of parliament".

The parliamentary committee requires them to appear before it and testify to their role in violence in Dhaka University campus in August 2007. They wrote back to say they played no direct role.

300 sued for Khagrachhari violence

From Star Online Report
April 19, 2011
Three separate cases were filed Monday night in connection with Sunday's violence in Khagrachhari that left three people dead.

Manjurul Afsar, officer-in-charge of Guimara Police Station, filed two cases -- one for killing and another for arson attack and looting – with the police station against 250 unnamed people, reports our Khagrachhari correspondent.

A group of affected indigenous people filed the other case with Manikchhari Police Station against 16 identified and 30-40 unidentified people in connection with vandalism and arson attack.

Zahir Ahmed, assistant superintendent of police (Ramgarh circle) confirmed filing of the cases to The Daily Star.

The Section 144 clapped soon after the incident in both Ramgarh and Manikchhari upazilas is still in force.

At least three people were killed, 20 injured and 30 houses were burnt on Sunday over a land dispute between indigenous people and Bangalee settlers at Shankhola Para of Ramgarh upazila.
http://www.allvoices.com/s/event-8827191/aHR0cDovL3d3dy50aGVkYWlseXN0YXIubmV0L2xhdGVzdC91cGRhdGVzLnBocD9waWQ9NDA=

Border village on the brink of hopelessness

From The Times Of India
Subhro Niyogi & Ashis Poddar, TNN

Apr 18, 2011
HUDA DIGAMBAPUR (NADIA): At first sight, Huda Digambapur with its graffiti walls, green paddy fields, party flags and festoons is like any other village under siege of elections. Men sit on the porch, smoking bidi and discussing politics. Children run after livestock while women go about their household chores. This is the story of the western edge.

Right across on the eastern end is a picture of contrast. Dry patches with dead bamboo and banana trees break the barren landscape. Deserted houses border a dry canal. Men idle under a huge banyan tree but conversation is absent as is poll graffiti. Children run around here, too, but there`s no livestock to play with. A woman with scars cooks a sparse meal in a barren courtyard.

Assam repoll: 75 per cent polling

From The Hindu
Guwahati, April 18, 2011
PTI

An estimated 75 per cent of voting was recorded during re-polling in six centres of three Assam assembly constituencies today.

Election officials said voting was held in a peaceful manner between 7 am and 3 pm.

The Election Commission had ordered re-polling in these centres in Rangiya, Bhawanipur and Udalguri following disturbances during the second phase of the hustings on April 11.
At Rangiya, 83.43 per cent voters cast their votes today. Polling was suspended in the constituency following clashes between the voters and BSF men leading to injury of 22 people during police baton charge.

Two BSF jawans injured in blast

From The Hindu
Monday, Apr 18, 2011
Poonch: Two Border Security Force (BSF) jawans were injured when an improvised explosive device went off near the Line of Control in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday night, officials said on Sunday.
The powerful blast, triggered by militants, took place when the personnel were patrolling the Line of Control in the Sonagali area. The injured, Manoj Kumar and S.M. Patel, have been admitted to hospital, the officials said. — PTI
http://www.hindu.com/2011/04/18/stories/2011041859620100.htm

BSF jawan committs suicide

From the Times Of India
April 18, 2011
A BSF jawan committed suicide today by hanging himself near the swimming pool of S N Medical College in Jodhpur. Jawan Pijas Dutta (32) of 34th batallion of BSF was the trainer at the swimming pool, which is managed by BSF.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/speednewsshow/8018290.cms

BSF wins Hawks Hockey Final Cup

From The Tribune

Tribune News Service

Ropar, April 17
BSF Jalandhar today won the Silver Jubilee Dashmesh Hawks All-India Hockey Festival final match by beating Punjab Police Jalandhar 5-4.
Punjab Police took an early lead in the 15th minute through Hardeep Singh to go 1-0 up. The BSF forward line made repeated attacks to score an equaliser, but Punjab Police’s defence stood their ground. The score at half-time read 1-0 in favour of Punjab Police, Jalandhar.
In the second half BSF continued to press and succeeded in getting an equaliser through Ranjit Singh in the 40th minute who capitalised on a defensive lapse by their opponents and scored to bring the match back to life.
Punjab Police again scored through a penalty corner, converted by Harmik Singh in 67th minute to lead 2-1. In the last minute of the match, BSF’s hero Ranjit Singh scored a field goal to equalise and make it 2-2. Both teams were locked after normal time and the match looked heading for a tie-breaker.
The organising committee decided that in view of the weather 7.5 minutes would be given to each side, with the golden goal rule in place, but still the deadlock remained. Then the tiebreaker rule was applied and BSF won the match 5-4.
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2011/20110418/sports.htm#8

Murder accused BSF soldier held

From Hindustan TimesNew Delhi, April 17, 2011
The north Delhi police have arrested a 29-year-old BSF personal for allegedly murdering a colleague a year back. He was having an affair with his colleague's wife and had been evading arrest for over a year. Police said Dinesh Kumar, who from Bhiwani in Haryana, was apprehended from Civil Lines on Friday. He had been staying in Rohini.

"Kumar and victim Bhawani Singh, both wrestlers, were serving in the BSF. Singh's family accompanied him at his posting in Silchar in Assam in 2009. Kumar got intimate with Singh's wife and the relation between the two men was strained due to this," said SS Yadav, Additional Commissioner of Police (North).

"In May 2010, Dinesh Kumar and his associates went to Taskola at the behest of Singh's wife Meena Kanwar. They killed Singh using his licensed rifle," the ACP added.

The wife of the deceased and other co-accused were later arrested for criminal conspiracy but Kumar managed to flee. He was staying in Rohini before getting arrested by the police.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/Murder-accused-BSF-soldier-held/Article1-686240.aspx

Sexual favours demanded by BSF for border crossings

From indianmilitarynews

18042011

She doesn’t look more than 25, yet her eyes are sunken and body is frail. Asma Bibi, who hails from Rajshahi district of Bangladesh, illegally crossed into India nine years back to smuggle saris — but got stuck in sex trade.

Most of the 300 sex workers in the Kalabagan red light area of Duliyan district in West Bengal have similar tales to tell.

“My mother was actually from Domkol (West Bengal), but she got married to my father in Bangladesh. When I was still young, father left us,” Asma said. “My mother was detected with blood cancer. Helpless, I got into smuggling of saris from India to Bangladesh,” she said.

BSF soldiers allegedly seek “sexual favours” from women such as Asma for letting them cross over. This cycle of regularly giving sexual favours for “free”, when sex workers charge money for the same, makes a number of women turn to sex trade.

Joint survey resumes to settle disputes

From The Assam Tribune
R Dutta Choudhury
 GUWAHATI, April 16 – Security presence along the Assam-Bangladesh border will be augmented after the elections in West Bengal to improve border management, while, the joint survey of the disputed areas along the international border by surveyors of both the countries resumed recently to settle the disputes permanently.
Highly-placed sources in the Border Security Force (BSF) told The Assam Tribune that the decision to increase the strength of the BSF along the international border has already been taken, but the process of deployment of additional forces would take some time as troops have been engaged in assisting the civil administration in maintaining law and order in the elections.
Sources said that at present, three battalions of the BSF have been deployed in Dhubri sector of the international border, which has 134 kilometres of international border including 49.5 kilometres of riverine border. As the riverine border is always considered most vulnerable as installation of any physical barrier is not possible in the area, the new battalion would be used mainly for augmenting security along the riverine border. Sources revealed that as the troops of the BSF are now on election duty in West Bengal, the new battalion would be deployed as soon as the elections in that state are over.
BSF sources said that border management in the Tura sector covering South and West Garo Hills improved considerably after deployment of one additional battalion last year. The area has 206 kilometres of international border with Bangladesh and at present five battalions of the border guarding force have been deployed to guard the international border in the area. Sources revealed that the Shillong sector of the international border covering West and East Khasi Hills and Jayantiya Hills has 237 kilometres of international border and four battalions of BSF are deployed in the area.
Meanwhile, the joint survey of the adverse possession areas, which was suspended in January this year because of non-cooperation by the Bangladesh Rifles personnel in some parts, resumed on April 5 and if the process can be completed without any major hitch this time, there is possibility of permanent solution to the problem.
Though the primary responsibility of the BSF is to guard the international border, troops of the force are often engaged in law-and-order duties and in the recently concluded polls in the state, 110 companies of the BSF were deployed. Forces were brought from Jammu and Kashmir and some forces were also withdrawn from the border to be engaged in election duties.
After the elections in Assam, the additional BSF personnel brought in to Assam have been sent to West Bengal for election duties.
http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/detailsnew.asp?id=apr1711/at08

From BD Press:Thousands throng to meet relatives across border

From thedailystar.net Sunday, April 17, 2011

Pahela Baishakh gives them the 'once a year' chance

Bangla speaking people from different areas of Bangladesh and India throng Betna border in Haripur upazila of Thakurgaon district to avail the 'once a year' opportunity to meet their dear and near ones across the border on Friday as the BGB and Indian BSF give the opportunity unofficially on Pahela Baishakh, the first day of Bangla New Year (as per Bangla calendar of India). Photo: STARQuamrul Islam Rubaiyat, Thakurgaon

Pahela Baishakh, the first day of Bangla New Year (as per Bangla calendar of India) on Friday, presented a different scene on Betna border in Haripur upazila of Thakurgaon district as thousands of Bangla speaking people from two sides of the border got a unique opportunity to meet their relatives for some time.

Standing on both sides of the barbed wire fence on the border, people from different districts of Bangladesh and India exchanged greetings and talked heartily with their near and dear ones. They were seen exchanging various things like biscuits, chanachur, pens, clothes and towels.

Seeing near and dear ones after a long time, many of them could not check their tears.

Thousands throng to meet relatives across border

Pahela Baishakh gives them the 'once a year' chance

Bangla speaking people from different areas of Bangladesh and India throng Betna border in Haripur upazila of Thakurgaon district to avail the 'once a year' opportunity to meet their dear and near ones across the border on Friday as the BGB and Indian BSF give the opportunity unofficially on Pahela Baishakh, the first day of Bangla New Year (as per Bangla calendar of India). Photo: STARQuamrul Islam Rubaiyat, Thakurgaon

Pahela Baishakh, the first day of Bangla New Year (as per Bangla calendar of India) on Friday, presented a different scene on Betna border in Haripur upazila of Thakurgaon district as thousands of Bangla speaking people from two sides of the border got a unique opportunity to meet their relatives for some time.

Standing on both sides of the barbed wire fence on the border, people from different districts of Bangladesh and India exchanged greetings and talked heartily with their near and dear ones. They were seen exchanging various things like biscuits, chanachur, pens, clothes and towels.

Seeing near and dear ones after a long time, many of them could not check their tears.

A large number of people in both countries, especially those who cannot afford the expenditure to visit their relatives across the border through legal procedure, eagerly wait for this special day when local public representatives from two sides make the arrangement with the help of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and Indian Border Security Force (BSF).

Altafur Rahman, 50, of Chowrangi village under Haripur upazila in Thakurgaon, came here to meet with his brother-in-law Sirazul Islam, who lives in Paharpur of Uttar Dinajpur district in India. It is six years that they met last.

Bikash Roy, 35, of Shiliguri in India came here to meet his father while Ananta Bala, 32, of Farabari village came to meet her brother and sisters.

BSF opened the door of the barbed wire fence around 1:30pm for an hour to facilitate people to come to the border.

"Every year on this day people from both sides come here to meet with their relatives. We make the arrangement through discussion with the BSF," said a BGB official.

"As residents of the same country, many people living in different areas were related in various ways for long. But the 1947 partition and creation of India and the then Pakistan made it hard for people to meet their friends and relatives living on the other side of the border. We make the unofficial arrangement for their meeting with the help of BGB and BSF officials," said Nazrul Islam, chairman of Haripur union parishad.

Similar reunion of Bangla speaking people from India and Bangladesh 

On India-Bangladesh border, sex and smuggling are intertwined

From Sify.Com

2011-04-17
Murshidabad (West Bengal), April 17 (IANS) She doesn't look more than 25, yet her eyes are sunken and body is frail. Asma Bibi, who hails from Rajshahi district of Bangladesh, illegally crossed into India nine years ago to smuggle saris - but got sucked into the dark world of sex trade.

Most of the 300 sex workers in the Kalabagan red light area of Duliyan district in West Bengal have similar tales in which smuggling and sex are intertwined. Around 13 of them are from Bangladesh.

'My mother was actually from Domkol (West Bengal), but she got married to my father in Bangladesh and that's where I was born. When I was still young, father left us,' Asma told IANS, sitting at an NGO-run night shelter on the river bank.

Border Battle: BSF in a tizzy over cattle smuggling to Bangladesh

From The Tribune

Bijay Sankar Bora

Tribune News Service

Dhubri (Assam), April 16
The Border Security Force personnel guarding the 134-km-long India-Bangladesh border in Dhubri district of western Assam face tough time in checking rampant smuggling of cattle from Indian side to Bangladesh by smugglers, who get help from local immigrant population living in numerous river isles in the area.
Clashes between the BSF jawans and cattle smugglers have been on the rise in recent times and the border guards often have to resort to gunfire to stop the cattle smugglers from transporting the cattle to Bangladesh or to disperse the village mobs, which often come out in defence of the cattle smugglers. The cattle are being brought from faraway places in Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Bihar, as smugglers pay very high price.

2 jawans critically injured in mine blast in Poonch

From New Kerala
Jammu, Apr 16: An army jawan among two persons were injured when a land mine exploded in forward area along Line of Control (LoC) in bordering Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir, official sources here said.

"An army jawan and a BSF trooper got critically injured when a device exploded at around 1930 hrs in Sona Wali Gali near Sangreela Post in Mankote Sector, when the jawans on patrol duty inadvertently stepped over the mine," official sources here told UNI.

"The jawans identified as Sepoy Manoj Kumar of 5 Maratha Li and Sepoy S M Patil of 79 BSF were seriously wounded and they were immediately shifted to Poonch hospital," they added.

--UNI

http://www.newkerala.com/news/world/fullnews-191139.html