Srinagar, Dec 18 :Srinagar experienced the coldest night of the season so far on Friday even as the entire Jammu and Kashmir region is in the grip of freezing cold, the Met department said on Saturday.

There is no respite from the chilly condition and the Meteorological Department has predicted a further drop in the temperatures in the coming days.

“Cold wave set in at many places in both the hilly areas and plains of J&K including Jammu region. Expect further fall in temperature during next few days in whole J&K,” Srinagar MeT officials said.

The drop in night temperatures varied from place to place overnight.

While Srinagar city experienced a bitterly cold night and registered a minimum temperature of minus 6 degrees Celsius, the ski resort of Gulmarg in north Kashmir was the coldest place in Kashmir with mercury dropping to a low of minus 8.5 degrees Celsius.

Another tourist destination, Pahalgam in south Kashmir, recorded temperatures of -8.3 °C.

The minimum temperature recorded in south Kashmir’s hilly Shopian was at minus 8.2°C.

The minimum temperature in southern gateway town of Qazigund in south Kashmir was recorded at -6 .0 °C, while the frontier Kupwara town in north Kashmir recorded a low of -6.1°C.

Not only Kashmir region, Jammu is also witnessing very cold nights.

Jammu recorded 2.3 degrees Celsius night temperature – the lowest December temperature in 23 years, an independent weather forecaster Faizan Arif said.

While, the record for the lowest temperature is 0.9 degrees Celsius recorded on December 28, 1998, sub-zero temperatures were witnessed in Samba and Udhampur. Samba recorded a minimum temperature of minus 0.4 degrees Celsius while it was minus 1.2 degrees Celsius in Udhampur

In the Ladakh region, which is known for its adverse winters, the temperatures have dropped to extreme levels overnight.

Leh town of Ladakh recorded a low of -15.3°C overnight, the MeT officials said.

The minimum temperature in Drass, which is the second coldest inhabited place, recorded temperatures at -20.3°C, the official said.

The MeT department has predicted widespread moderate to heavy snowfall at some places most likely during December 23-25.

Srinagar, Dec 16: Two unidentified militants were killed in an overnight encounter in South Kashmir’s Kulgam district, police said here on Thursday.

The gunfight erupted at Redwani Bala late on Wednesday when a joint team of security forces launched a cordon and search operation (CASO) in the area after receiving an input about the presence of militants in the area.

“The CASO turned into a gunfight when hiding militants opened fire on the security forces. In the ensuing gunfight two unidentified terrorists have been killed” police said.

The search operation is still underway in the area.

On Wednesday, a Hizbul-Mujahideen militant commander was killed in a gunfight in neighboring Pulwama district

Srinagar, Dec 16 : Except for the ski resort of Gulmarg, night temperature improved in most parts of the Kashmir valley while Ladakh continued to shiver under intense cold with temperatures further plummeting all across the Union Territory on Thursday, the MET office said.

Entire Ladakh region experienced the seasons lowest temperature with, Drass, the worlds second coldest place after Siberia recorded temperatures at minus 19.2 degree Celsius on Thursday against minus 15.2 degree Celsius a day ago. Kargil recorded temperatures of minus 12.5 against the minus 10.1 degree Celsius on Wednesday and Leh recorded temperatures at minus 15.0 against minus 12.1 the previous day.

The ski resort of Gulmarg was the coolest place in the Kashmir valley where the minimum temperature dipped to minus 10.0 degree Celsius on Thursday against the minus 4.6 degree recorded on Wednesday. However, bright sun appeared during the day much to the delight of the tourists staying there, the reports reaching here said.

Srinagar which experienced the coldest night of the season on Wednesday with temperatures plunging to minus 3.9 degree Celsius on Thursday recorded temperatures at minus 2.1 degree an improvement of almost 2 degrees.

Pahalgam in south Kashmir recorded a dip of a few notches in the night temperature at minus 6.9 degree Celsius against the minus 6.4 degree Celsius on Wednesday. Qazigund recorded temperature’s at minus 3.0 degree Celsius against minus 4.2 degree a day ago and Kokernag at minus 3.0 degree Celsius against minus 3.9 degree recorded on Wednesday.

The frontier Kashmir district of Kupwara also experienced a further dip in temperature which was recorded at minus 4.5 degree Celsius against minus 3.8 degree Celsius recorded the previous day, the MET office said

Srinagar, Dec 14: Crime Branch Kashmir (CBK) on Tuesday filed a chargesheet in the court of the city judge Srinagar against an accused for duping huge amounts of money from a complainant.

A CBK spokesman said, the chargesheet was produced before the court of city judge Srinagar against the accused Syed Afaq Miraj of Nowshara for duping the complainant Hakim Nadeem of Baghwan Pora Lal Bazar Srinagar of Rs 25,15,000.

He said, CBK received a written complaint from Hakim Nadeem Abass against one Syed Afaq Miraj sole proprietor of M/S SAISHA Enterprise who happened to be friend of thecomplainant stating that he had acquired a piece of land measuring 4 kanals at the Industrial Estate (SIDCO) Khanmoh Srinagar on lease for construction of a SSI unit under name and style M/S Saisha Enterprise.

It is further alleged that the accused had some financial constraints and his plan was to sell the said unit and persuade the complainant to purchase the unit in question.

Being unemployed the complainant purchased the same and subsequently entered into an agreement (receipt cum Declaration) and paid an amount of Rs 25,15000. But the alleged accused failed to provide him the partnership nor did he returned the money.

An enquiry was initiated by the Crime Branch Kashmir and the alleged accused was found to be involved in the commission of crime Subsequently case FIR No. 07/2016 U/S 420 was registered in Police Station Crime Branch Kashmir against the accused.

During the course of investigation, statements of the persons familiar with the facts and circumstances of the case were recorded as per the procedure and case was concluded as ‘Proved” under section 420, against the accused Syed Afaq Miraj and chargesheet of the same was filed before the court of law on Tuesday.