Doctor declares son dead
In strife-torn Kashmir, where encounters, stone pelting, pellet and firing are routine events, a doctor in Pulwama district faced a situation which numbed many. On June 29, an encounter broke out at Thumna village. After the start of gunfight, locals — especially the young — clashed with security personnel to help militants escape. Security personnel fired tear gas shells, pellets and bullets to disperse stone-pelters. Over a dozen injured protestors were taken to the district hospital, where Dr Abdul Gani Poswal and his team attended them. Dr Poswal’s son Faizan Ahmad, a Class 10 student, was among the injured. All efforts to revive Faizan failed and the doctor declared his son dead.
All-women bank branches soon
In a big stride towards female empowerment, Jammu and Kashmir Bank chairman Parvez Ahmed said all-women branches would come up in Srinagar and Jammu soon. These branches would be managed entirely by women staff. Although women head many branches and women employees work in banking sector, it would be the first time such facilities would come up in J&K. The Bank is hopeful that these branches will be successful. It also decided to create a specialised startup vertical, which would serve as a one-point access to facilitate and encourage entrepreneurs to start MSME units and other businesses.
Man gets 18-month jail for cheque bounce
A court handed 18 months jail to a man in a cheque bounce case in Kashmir. Chief Judicial Magistrate Pulwama convicted the man to 18 months imprisonment under the Negotiable Instrument Act after hearing a plea of the complainant who alleged that the accused gave him six cheques and out of which five bounced. The man had purchased tin sheet worth I2.85 lakh from the complainant. However, five cheques bounced and were returned by banks due to insufficient funds. The court directed the accused to pay the cheque amount of over I1.9 lakh to the complainant. Besides, the man was ordered to pay I60,000 compensation for harassment and for bearing legal expenses of the complainant.
Flood scare grips people in Srinagar
In view of flood-like situation in Srinagar, fear gripped the city residents. People living along the embankments of river Jehlum and in low lying areas shifted their belongings to upper stories of their houses and moved their vehicles to safe areas. Throughout Friday night when it rained heavily, the people in low-lying areas of Lasjan, Padshahi Bagh, Rajbagh, Mehjoor Nagar, Abi Guzar and other areas did not sleep. They kept a close eye on the water-level of the Jehlum. The people kept sand bags ready to prevent breaches at river embankment. Locals slammed the government for not doing proper dredging of Jehlum and other water bodies and not clearing flood channels during the last three years.