Latest news with #Manhas
The Print
9 hours ago
- The Print
VDG member thrashed by cops in Doda; Constable suspended, DySP under inquiry
The next day, he was summoned to the police outpost in Premnagar and beaten up badly, especially by selection grade constable Mohammad Zia. The VDG member, Balbeer Singh, had fired two rounds in the air after detecting suspicious movement in his village Pernote in Premnagar area of the district, a day before Independence Day. Jammu, Aug 18 (PTI) A Village Defence Group member was roughed up by police at an outpost in Jammu and Kashmir's Doda district, prompting authorities to suspend a constable and order an inquiry into the conduct of a deputy superintendent of police on Monday. Doda Senior Superintendent of Police Sandeep Mehta took note of the alleged misconduct and ordered immediate action. 'Zia has been placed under suspension with immediate effect and attached to District Police Lines, pending further proceedings,' a police spokesperson said. He said a departmental inquiry has been ordered, and a senior officer has been appointed as the inquiry officer to investigate the incident comprehensively. 'The inquiry report is to be submitted within a fortnight,' the spokesperson added. In addition, the conduct of the then Thathri Station House Officer, DySP Afeer Jaleel, will also be thoroughly examined, he said. 'The inquiry officer has been directed to assess his role and submit specific findings for further necessary action,' the spokesperson added. Meanwhile, VDG member Balbeer Singh Manhas said he had fired two rounds in the air following suspicious movement near his village after a voice warning a day before Independence Day. 'We were told to be alert about any suspicious movement as Independence Day was near. There was also a threat perception. I was only performing my duty,' he said while leaving the hospital. Manhas was admitted to Government Medical College Hospital in Doda after being badly bruised. Expressing anger over such incident, Manhas said, 'What is the point of becoming a VDG member when you are not allowed to do anything to protect your village during suspicious circumstances?' PTI AB RUK RUK This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
Indian Express
5 days ago
- Sport
- Indian Express
Why a cricket tournament dating back to 1909 is still the preferred event for state teams to prepare for Ranji Trophy
Mithun Manhas, a former Delhi captain and veteran of 137 first-class matches now in charge of the core group running Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association, says his decision to send the state team to the Buchi Babu Invitational Tournament was a no-brainer. 'Ahead of the Ranji Trophy, where else will the players get adequate preparation? he asks. Former India all-rounder Laxmi Ratan Shukla, now the Bengal coach, believes the tournament helps players get in optimum condition when the premier first-class competition begins. 'By the time the Ranji Trophy starts, I want my players to be up and running. And for me, a tournament like Buchi Babu is exactly what we wanted as a team,' he says. While the Ranji Trophy is still a couple of months away, the Buchi Babu Invitational Tournament beginning on Monday is, in many ways, the ideal starter most state units seek. With the Duleep Trophy beginning towards the end of August and running till September 11, teams will lose their key players to the zonal tournament. And the Buchi Babu event is seen as an ideal way to get into the red-ball groove after the off-season break. 'Psychologically, you need to get ready for red-ball (cricket) or you will be found wanting,' Manhas tells The Indian Express. Having made the quarterfinals of the Ranji Trophy last season and missing out on a last-four spot by a one-run margin, Manhas has seen what participation in the Buchi Babu Tournament had done to J&K's players last season. With the climate back home not conducive to cricket in the lead-up to the domestic season, playing on red-soil pitches had given the players the exposure needed. It is this experience that helped them beat Mumbai outright in their own den in the Ranji league stages last season. 'We have been getting enough practice but you need to give the players match-time. You can't take anything for granted when it comes to red-ball cricket. At Buchi Babu, we will face quality teams and play in totally different conditions. which is what Ranji Trophy is all about. If we have to build on from where we left last season, our preparation has to be good,' Manhas says. He reckons there are not enough such red-ball tournaments for players to prepare for the domestic season. 'I'm thankful to the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) for helping us grow. They have found ways to accommodate us and now, we at Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA) are exploring the possibility of having a similar tournament in the next two or three years. When we get used to conditions in Chennai, even TNCA would prefer giving their players an opportunity to play on green-tops and seaming pitches,' Manhas says. In 2017, when the TNCA removed the Buchi Babu Invitational Tournament from its calendar to accommodate the Tamil Nadu Premier League, it seemed the end of the road for one of the oldest tournaments in India, dating back to 1909. For five years, including two during Covid, there was no sign of the tournament coming back to life. But fast forward to 2025, and the tournament is again an event every state unit wants a piece of. 'We can't hold a parallel Ranji Trophy,' TNCA secretary RI Palani said while announcing the launch of the tournament which will see 16 teams in fray. Having re-started the tournament with 12 teams in 2023 after Covid brought red-ball cricket to a standstill for two successive seasons, in 2024 it had similar playing conditions to the Ranji Trophy. This season, owing to requests from various state units, TNCA has had to accommodate 16 sides. 'Last year, when we had 12 teams, we still had many others showing interest to participate. It was tough to say no to them because we were hosting the tournament in districts (Coimbatore, Salem, Dindigul and Tirunelveli) and didn't have grounds to accommodate everyone. This year too, we have had so many requests that to accommodate one more team, we dropped the idea of fielding a third team from TNCA. With 16 teams in fray, we had to choose Chennai as the host venue even though the MA Chidambaram Stadium is unavailable,' Palani said at the launch event. The reason as many as 14 teams from all over India want to feature in the tournament is obvious. While monetarily the event doesn't offer huge sums to take home (Rs 3 lakh to the winners and Rs 2 lakh for the runners-up), it offers something priceless – good preparation and adequate red-ball game time. With the BCCI bringing forward the Ranji Trophy, the common concern among most state teams is that they haven't had enough preparatory events. In the past, apart from Buchi Babu, there were also the Moin-ud-Dowlah Gold Cup in Hyderabad, and the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) Invitational Tournament. While the KSCA continues to host the event, it has become a much smaller tournament. In the north, there is the JP Atray tournament held in Chandigarh and Mohali, but it's a 50-over tournament. With the Duleep Trophy set to follow Buchi Babu and the Ranji Trophy beginning soon after, this event is the last for teams to play as a group and test combinations. Bengal, which had been a regular participant in the past, had declined the invite last season, instead choosing to have a preparatory camp. One of the consistent teams in the last few seasons, they missed out on the knockouts and with Kolkata witnessing heavy rain in recent months, Bengal players needed game time. 'We have been training mostly indoors and on cement pitches with tennis and plastic balls. But that is definitely not enough. It is just one part of preparation. Playing Ranji Trophy will test you in different ways and if we are not prepared, we will find it challenging on the field. We want to expose our players to the pitches in Chennai and get some much-needed practice,' Shukla says. Himachal Pradesh, who have made huge strides in white-ball cricket, were also amongst the teams that expressed their interest to play the Buchi Babu Tournament this year. With the state witnessing heavy rain, they haven't been able to train together adequately. For coach Anul Pal Das, the reason is simple. 'Let's keep aside match preparation and combinations that we want to try before the Ranji Trophy. I want my players to get acclimated to the humid climate. When Ranji happens, we will play in a totally different climate to what we are experiencing here. Playing on red soil means spinners will also be in play and our batsmen will also be tested,' Das says. ********** The tournament was held for the first time in 1909-10, a year after Buchi Babu Naidu – called the father of Madras cricket – passed away, is one of the oldest in the country. Initially featuring local teams, from the 1960s, several Indian stars have participated. Legend has it that when Sunil Gavaskar came after his maiden tour to the West Indies, he was mobbed at one of the venues. Being an invitational event, teams need not pay any participating fee. According to those in the know, teams spend around Rs 25 lakh for accommodation, air travel and local transportation. The TNCA spends about Rs 2 crore for conducting the tournament. Teams in the 2025 edition: 16 TNCA President's XI, Himachal, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Indian Railways, Jammu & Kashmir, Odisha, Baroda, TNCA XI, Mumbai, Haryana, Bengal, Hyderabad, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand.
Time of India
05-07-2025
- Time of India
SIA files chargesheet against Hizbul chief, 10 others in narco terror case in Jammu
JAMMU: The J&K State Investigation Agency (SIA) has filed a chargesheet against 11 accused, including Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM) chief Mohammad Yusuf Shah alias Syed Salahudeen and another Pakistan-based terrorist, in a cross-border narco-terror case registered in Jammu. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now SSP Jugal Manhas of SIA, Jammu wing, said the FIR was registered in 2022, and pertained to a terror financing network involving Pakistan-based outfits operating in J&K. In-depth investigations revealed that a well-organised network of terrorist associates and couriers raised funds for HM by facilitating narcotics smuggling and sale, the SSP said. This network had emerged as a major channel for terror financing in the region, Manhas said, adding: 'Several of these individuals involved have amassed significant wealth through drug proceeds, despite having negligible legitimate sources of income. ' Apart from Salahudeen, the other accused named in the chargesheet are Basharat Ahmad Bhat of Budgam, now based in Rawalpindi, Pakistan; Khalid Hussain, Harpreet Singh, Mohd Shokit, Javid Ahmed Rather, Manzoor Ahmad, Chain Singh, Sahil Kumar, Asif Rehman Reshi and Sandeepak Singh. The SSP said narcotics were smuggled from Pakistan into J&K, and the proceeds from the sale of these drugs were deposited in the account of one of the accused on the instructions of Basharat Ahmad Bhat. The SIA officer said some of the accused were responsible for distributing narcotics among local youths, while some had reportedly employed other accused for selling narcotics to their clientele. The investigation pointed to a larger conspiracy by HM to destabilise peace in J&K by facilitating terrorist activities, Manhas said. Further investigation is on to identify and apprehend other individuals who might be involved in the network, the officer added.
