SRINAGAR: Three shops were damaged in a fire incident in Lal Chowk area of Srinagar on Thursday morning, officials said.

An official told the news agency Kashmir News Observer that fire broke out from one of the shops on the ground floor of a 5-storey commercial building today morning.

He said that in the incident these shops were damaged, while fire was later put off by the Fire and Emergency department.

"The cause of fire is being ascertained, while no loss of life has been reported in the incident,” he said.

SRINAGAR: Unidentified burglars looted two shops in the Fish Market area in north Kashmir's Baramulla during the night hours on Thursday and decamped with cash and valuable items.

Reports reaching News Agency Kashmir Scroll said that shopkeepers at Baramulla said that the burglars have stolen cash and other valuable items worth hundreds of thousands of rupees from the two looted shops including one stationary shop and other kiryana shop. They expressed concern over the recent string of burglaries in the town and have called for a thorough investigation and the arrest of those responsible.

A police officer told News Agency that a case in this regard has been registered and further investigation has been initiated.

The office said that police is verifying the incident in all angles.(KS)

SRINAGAR: Two residential houses of three brothers in north Kashmir's Handwara village were gutted in a fire mishap on Monday, officials said.

An official told Srinagar-based news gathering agency Kashmir Scroll (KS) that a massive fire broke out in Patwari Qalamabad Mawer area in the residential house in which three families were living, including Farooq, Shabir, and Altaf sons of Haider Khan.

In the mishap, the house was completely gutted, and a team of the fire service department, police, and locals put the fire under control and saved other nearby houses.

Meanwhile, police took cognizance of this fire mishap. (KS)

SRINAGAR: Five shops were damaged in a fire incident in Mahore area of Reasi district on Friday, official and local sources said.

They told GNS that fire broke out in the main market of Mahore at around 7:30 a.m. and before it was brought under control by police, locals and Army’s 58 RR, the blaze damaged five shops, three of them substantially.

Goods worth lakhs of rupees are said to have been damaged in the fire but there was no official estimate available when this report was filed.

The reason for the fire is believed to be a short circuit but a police official told GNS that investigations have been started to confirm it.

Meanwhile, locals staged a protest against non- availability of fire station in the whole subdivision Mahore and urged authorities to set up at least one to prevent loss of property and life due to fire incidents in future. (GNS)

SRINAGAR: The State Investigation Agency (SIA) of Jammu and Kashmir police sealed approximately 20 shops today in the Kupwara district of north Kashmir.

Acting on the orders of the district magistrate, the SIA took action to seal the shops, which were identified as part of a shopping complex owned by the Jama'at-e-Islami and designated as an unlawful association. According to an official statement to the news agency, Kashmir Scroll that the district magistrate of Kupwara ordered the SIA to seal the 20 shops. Simultaneously, the SIA team installed a board declaring the property, a shopping complex, as belonging to Jama'at-e-Islami, which has been designated as an Unlawful Association.

The property is located in the village of Kupwara and consists of twenty shops situated on land falling under survey numbers 29902666/270 and 3551|2979263. This action has been taken under Section 8 of the UA (P) Act in Case FR No. 172019. (KS)

SRINAGAR: The National Investigation Agency on Wednesday attached property of an allegedly accused person in Lethpora Fidayeen Attack case.

An official told news agency Kashmir Dot Com that that the property has been attached belongs to one Fayaz Ahmad Magray son of Late Jalalud Din Magray of Tehsil Awantipora who is one of the accused in Lethpora Fidayeen Attack case in which a group of three (03) heavily armed terrorists belonging to Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) attacked on CRPF Group Centre at Lethpura, J&K in the intervening night of 30/31st December, 2017. In this attack, five (05) CRPF personnel were killed and three (03) others got injured.

Magray, is said to be an accused in the NIA case number RC-10/2018/NIA/DLI.

The 6 shops that were built on 5.5 Marlas land under survey no 2664 Min at Lethpora has been attached by a team of NIA officials under the provisions of Unlawful Activities prevention act 1967 vide order dated 24-04-2023 of NIA court Jammu.

The official said that the accused Fayaz Ahmad Magray was an active associate of slain terrorist Noor Mohd. Tantray and played an active role in planning and execution of this attack.

“After the attack, in the month of January 2018, the role of Mudasir Ahmad khan who was an OGW of JeM at that time came into the knowledge of Police and a raid was conducted at his house. Fayaz Ahmad Magray immediately facilitated Mudasir Ahmed khan to join the JeM militant ranks as an active terrorist by arranging weapon through JeM commander Mufti Waqas. He also escorted him and helped him to cross the police check posts while escaping, he added”. (KDC)  

SRINAGAR: On the directions of Deputy Commissioner (DC) Srinagar, Mohammad Aijaz Asad, a team of the Drug Control Department today undertook a special drive to inspect the Pharma Dealers and Chemists Shops in various parts of the Srinagar City to ensure that pharmaceutical preparations are being sold in consonance with the prescriptions being generated by Registered Medical Practitioners.

The inspection teams of Drug Controller headed by Deputy Drugs Controller Nighat Jabeen inspected various markets in the Karan Nagar, Kak Sarai, Nawakadal, Khanyar, Rainawari, Magarmal Bagh and other City Markets to ascertain the implementation of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act.

During this checking, as many as 35 Chemist Stores were inspected in Srinagar and checking teams observed that some of the chemist/drug establishments were found violating the provisions of the Act and operations of 8 Medical Establishments were disallowed for contravening various provisions of Drugs and Cosmetics Act 1940 and Rules.

 Meanwhile, the Deputy Commissioner Srinagar Aijaz Asad has asked the inspection teams to continue the surprise checking of the pharmaceutical/ medical stores running in the District to ensure strict adherence to the guidelines laid down under the Drugs & Cosmetics Act. He also asked all Pharma/Chemist establishments operating in Srinagar to adhere to the laid down norms strictly and warned the defaulters to desist from any unethical trade practices, failing which strict action as warranted under the Act shall be taken against them. Aijaz further said, periodical inspections will continue. (GNS)

SRINAGAR: At least four shops were gutted in a fire mishap in Shanoo of Handwara area in north Kashmir's Kupwara district on Wednesday night. 

Reports reaching GNS said that a fire broke out in Shanoo Langate on late Wednesday night, razing four shops down to ashes. Among those shops included a bread making shop belonging to one Abdul Rashid, a Kiryana shop belonging to Khazir Mohammad Dar, a saloon belonging to Abdul Rashid Hajam and a CSC belonging to Shams ud Din. 

The locals alleged that despite timely intimation to Fire and Emergency Services Department, it took them much time to arrive at the site, while the fire had already caused considerable damage to the four shops. 

"Had the F&ES Department reached here on time, the damage to these many shops could have been well averted", said a local adding "It then were the joint efforts by the men of Police Chowki Langate, Army's 30 RR alongside F&ES services department and the locals that the fire was brought under control."

Confirming it, an official told GNS that the F&ES Services Department could not reach the site as there falls a damaged bridge on the way connecting the area with the nearest Fire Service station. 

"There was luckily no human injury in the incident", the official said adding the cause of fire is being ascertained. (GNS)