FLASHBACK 2020 | Bandipora hogs headlines for militancy, COVID19, narcotics

Amid COVID19 pandemic, the security situation across north Kashmir’s Bandipora district remained comparatively peaceful except one major incident that sent shock waves among the entire security grid when militants killed BJP leader Sheikh Waseem Bari, his father and brother.

Police said the investigation in the case was still on while six murder cases had also been registered in the district in 2020.

   

SSP Bandipora Rahul Malik said, “In 2020, we arrested two militants and over 40 OGWs while 17 persons were slapped with UAPA. Fifteen youth were prevented from taking the extreme path.”

The situation otherwise remained relatively peaceful with no gunfights taking place in the district including Hajin, which otherwise has remained a militancy hotbed from the past few years.

Also, no major public protests took place in the district during year 2020.

With COVID19 dominating the large part of the year, Bandipora also made headlines as Hajin villages emerged early hotspots and the contagion claimed a 40-year-old doctor.

Police acted tough on those not following SOPs and charge-sheeted 3698 violators for not wearing masks and maintaining social distance at public places, realising a fine of Rs 3,72,680 from them.

Acting tough against drug peddlers, Police filed 23 cases against 37 drug peddlers, seizing contraband drugs containing 744 bottles of codeine phosphate, 2156 Spasmoproxyvon Plus tablets, 85 kg Charas powder, 1.8 kg Charas, 10 kg poppy straw, 930 gm brown sugar and 17 kg Bhang leaves.

“All the old peddlers associated with the trade were tracked, identified and arrested,” SSP Malik said. “Prominent drug peddlers are lodged in jails while poppy cultivation in Hajin and Sumbal areas has been destroyed with the help of Excise and Revenue department and action taken against the cultivators.”

Police said, during the year 2020, 64 cases of rape, kidnapping of women, molestation, cruelty by husbands were against 65 persons and 8 cases were registered against 32 gamblers and an amount of Rs 90,040 was recovered from them.

Furthermore, 6036 L-Tem Challans have been produced against the persons violating traffic rules in the district for the year 2020 while after easing in COVID19 lockdown, the police have organized several sports events, talent hunts and competitions at various places in the District some of them mentioned here is Youth Sports Festival, Run for Unity, ChoonaHaiAsmaan et al.

In 2020, two Army men were killed while as 5 forces personnel and five civilians were injured in the firing along the Line of Control (LoC).

Much to the relief of the locals, two mega projects including a 50 MW power grid station were commissioned while the district hospital was shifted from a cramped structure to a new building after over a decade. A maternity hospital after getting completed was turned as a designated COVID19 hospital as coronavirus cases kept surging in the district.

The district reported 4643 positive cases till December 31 while 4530 among them have recovered. A total of 60 deaths were reported due to COVID19 while 53 cases are active and 41 are in home isolation.

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