I want BSP MLA to be hanged, says Banda rape victim

Banda: Released from prison after a little over a month, the minor backward community girl allegedly raped by a BSP MLA and later framed in a fake theft case today said she wanted her tormentor to be hanged and accused the police of beating her while the legislator's brother watched.

"I want that he should be hanged," the 17-year-old said, a day after she walked free from Banda district jail, about 220 km from Lucknow, where the rape accused Purshottam Naresh Dwiwedi, 48, was also lodged. She alleged that the policemen assaulted her in the presence of the MLA's brother. "The policemen there beat me up. His (MLA's) brother Raja was sitting right there in front."

The teenager was released following a direction from Chief Minister Mayawati, who faced severe embarrassment over the incident involving her party MLA and the Allahabad High Court ordered that the girl be "released forthwith from jail unconditionally" and "adequate security" be provided to the alleged victim and her family.

Mayawati ordered the Dalit girl's release on the basis of a probe by CBI-CID which found the allegations levelled against her to be untrue and said action will be taken against policemen involved in harassing the minor who was charged with theft apparently as part of a "conspiracy" after she was allegedly raped by Dwiwedi.

The girl said she was living in fear. "I am very afraid. I want that I should be given a safe place to live," she said.

Sub-inspector Jabbar Ahmad was suspended for manhandling the girl during her detention in the police station.

The girl alleged that Ahmed refuse to take her statement. "He only took the version of the MLA," she said.

The victim said she was confident that she would get justice now.

The release order was issued two days ahead of the hearing on bail application of the girl in a Banda court.

The girl was arrested on December 12 on charges of committing theft at the MLA's residence! .
She later alleged she was raped twice by the MLA on December 10 and 11 and stuck to her allegations in a statement made before a local court on January 10 after which it ordered police to take immediate legal action.

"The Chief Minister has ordered the release of the girl currently lodged in Banda Jail on the basis of a report submitted by the CB-CID," an official spokesman said in Lucknow. He said there was a provision under which the Chief Minister can order release of an undertrial if it has been settled that the case was "fake".

Detailed probe will continue, the spokesman said.

The Allahabad High Court ordered that the girl shall be "entrusted to the care of her parents".

The order was passed by a specially-constituted Division Bench comprising Justice Imtiyaz Murtaza and Justice SC Agarwal, which took suo motu cognizance of a newspaper report wherein it was stated that the teenaged girl might have to spend "a few more days" in jail despite having been given a clean chit by the CB-CID.

Mayawati said that the state government would ensure hearing of case in a fast track court.

The High Court took serious note of the fact that the MLA, suspended from the Bahujan Samaj Party, was lodged in the same jail as the victim.

It also expressed concern over the report quoting the MLA that "revenge will be exacted from parties that got me framed in the case".

"In view of this, it is directed that the SP Banda shall provide adequate security to the victim and the family members.


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Citibank to compensate duped investors

MUMBAI: Citibank is likely to dip into its global insurance policy to compensate customers defrauded by its wealth manager, Shivraj Puri. The bank on Saturday said that it is working towards a 'fair compensation ' for those who lost money in the fraudulent scheme marketed by Puri.

Citi's payment will, however, be limited to the principal amount investors put in. The amount invested in Puri's scheme is expected to be in the region of Rs 300 crore. In return, the bank would be seeking an assurance from the victims that they will transfer all their rights of recovery to the bank and a promise to assist the bank.

In addition to following the money trail, the bank would also pursue a claim with its insurers. The American bank is understood to have a cover that is globally managed, which, among other things, covers losses due to fraud by employees. According to insurers, claims of this nature are covered by a professional indemnity policy, which is sold as an add-on cover with the bankers' bond.

The Bankers Blanket Bond (BBB) is a comprehensive policy used by banks to transfer operational risk. "Most banks in India have purchased the cover but with very low limits in contrast to other Asian markets where the limits are higher and coverage broader. Many foreign banks have taken reinsurancedriven comprehensive policies in line with their global programs ," said Sanjay Kedia, CEO and country manager, Marsh India, an international insurance broking firm.

In a statement issued here on Saturday, Citi said, "We have since been in contact with our impacted customers and are committed to safeguarding our customers' legitimate interests. During this interim period, we have been reconciling amounts involved with impacted customers and are now commencing the process of working towards a fair compensation for them."

Sources said that although initial indications were that Puri made wrong bets on index futures and lost all money, they have reasons to believe that he! has mad e bets on both sides of the market and there is a possibility of recovery.

According to an official with a broking house, claims of this nature have been paid internationally by insurance companies to banks under the professional indemnity policy. For instance, there has been a case where a bank was paid $7.5m under the professional indemnity policy for losses suffered by a client who alleged negligence by the bank's asset management division. In another case, the insurance company had paid out $8m for a bank that faced a claim for providing bad advice to a private banking client.

In its statement, Citi said that the process of working out compensation would happen over a period of time. "We would like to thank our customers for their patience and co-operation . We will also continue to support the investigating authorities fully until this matter is resolved and brought to its logical conclusion," it said.

Petrol price hike a cruel blow: CPI-M

Email Story Write to the editor Print Story New Delhi, Jan 15: The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) today termed the decision to increase the price of petrol as a "cruel blow" and said the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government was riding roughshod over the interests of the people.In a statement, the party politburo said the decision to hike prices was a cruel blow and makes mockery of all the assurances given by the government to reduce price rise."The decision to increase the price of petrol by Rs.2.52 per litre shows how the UPA government is riding roughshod over the interests of the people. Just a few weeks ago the price of petrol was hiked by Rs.2.96 per litre. By this hike, the price has gone up by over Rs.5.50 per litre," the statement said.It said that the party will launch protests against the "callous hike"."This cruel blow makes a mockery of all the assurances of the government to take steps to curb price rise. The people of this country will not take such burdens on them quietly," the statement said.Sources said that state oil companies will raise price of petrol between Rs.2.50-2.54 per litre from today midnight. (IANS)

TN police arrest Junior Veerappan

COIMBATORE: Veerappan is long dead, but sandalwood trees in western Tamil Nadu continue to be under threat from smugglers. One such smuggler, A Selvam, who earned the dubious epithet of 'Junior Veerappan', was arrested on Friday for wantonly felling trees. Selvam (34) has been active since September 2004, when he first cut down sandalwood trees on the Forest College campus.

The city police on patrol duty spotted Selvan on Bharathi Park fourth cross street near the Forest College campus. During questioning, Selvan revealed that he had cut down trees on the Forest college campus and was trying to smuggle them out.

A native of Solaiyur in Palakkad district, Selvam had cut down three well-grown sandalwood trees, weighing about 20kg. The sprawling 164-acre campus is dotted with at least 100 sandalwood trees and saplings.

''We have arrested Selvam and are on the look-out for his associates,'' city police commissioner C Sylendra Babu told reporters.

In February 2008, Selvan and his three associates had grabbed a 9mm pistol and a mobile phone of a cop and escaped with sandalwood logs from a park. Two days later, the police found Selvan, but he managed to escape during interrogation. Four special teams were sent after him and he was nabbed on March 6, 2008. He was detained under the NSA and lodged in Coimbatore central prison.

I'm like an antique piece in Indian politics: Pranab Mukherjee

Kolkata: Setting aside his serious self, Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee today likened himself to an "antique" among the country's politicians, saying he was sticking to the political wicket for the last five decades.

"I am one of the oldest politicians alive, almost an antique in the political arena and who has been sticking to the wicket for the last five decades occasionally expressing a desire to retire, but still somehow sticking to the wicket," the 75-year-old Congress veteran said.

Mukherjee was participating in a panel discussion at the Indian Statistical Institute on 'Expectations from the Future Leaders'.

BJP leader Arun Shourie, who was among the panelists, showered praise on Mukherjee, saying, "He is one of the best prime ministers we are yet to have."

Shourie described him as a man of trust and keystone of Indian governance.

Mukherjee said young Indians of today have demonstrated tremendous confidence in themselves in addressing serious issues like inflation and uncertainty of revival of the world economy.

"Young Indians are not carrying any baggage and are not afraid of facing the challenges," he told the students.

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Politics is not my cup of tea: Kalam

BHUBANESWAR: Former President A P J Abdul Kalam on Saturday said he was not cut out for politics as he was basically a teacher.

"Politics is not my cup of tea", Kalam told a school student when he had asked him why he quit politics when the country was facing a host of problems.

"I was basically a teacher..I was teaching and I was a professor," Kalam told the student of the Sai International School here.

During his interaction with the students, Kalam told the MBA students to try to become leaders instead of coming out from the institute as managers.

Earlier, Kalam told a function at the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan here that since knowledge is the source of power for a nation in a globalised world, India needs to be knowledge driven.

"Besides, it is necessary for India to raise the annual growth rate to ten per cent for the next ten years from the present level of about eight per cent in order to become economically strong and advanced," he said.

However, only economic progress will not be able to bring development without good citizens, he said, adding, people of the country must be endowed with virtues, courage, knowledge and righteousness.

Ind-SA: Double blow jolts India

Banda rape: Cop suspended for alleged misbehaviour with victim

Lucknow: Moving swiftly on the Banda rape case, the Uttar Pradesh government has suspended a cop for allegedly misbehaving with the victim while she was in jail.

Sub-inspector Jabbar posted in Banda has been temporarily removed from duty for allegedly misbehaving with the teenaged girl while she was in custody on charges of theft.

Mayawati had earlier in the day ordered for the release of the Banda teen allegedly raped by BSP MLA Purushottam Narain Dwivedi. The girl is believed to have been implicated on theft charges and is in jail. The Chief Minister has also asked Uttar Pradesh Home Secretary to provide security to girl.

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Kerala CM orders judicial probe into Sabarimala stampede

KERALA CHIEF Minister V S Achuthanandan on Saturday announced a judicial probe into the stampede that claimed around 104 lives and left over 60 others injured near Vandipaeriyar on Friday night. Most of the victims, who died in the stampede, were from Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. They were returning home through the forest route after the ''Makarajyoti darshan'', considered a celestial phenomenon, at the hill shrine of Lord Ayyappa.The Chief Minister, who flew down by a helicopter to Kumali where the bodies of the victims were brought, also announced Rs five lakh as compensation to the family of each of the victims."The government would try to get the services of a sitting high court judge for conducting the probe," said Achuthanandan.He also discussed with his cabinet colleagues, who were already on the spot, about the requirements for transporting the bodies to their homes, as most of the dead were from the neighbouring states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.Those injured seriously would be given Rs. Rs 50,000 and Rs. 25,000 will be given to those with minor injuries. The Kerala Government has also announced a three-day mourning in the state.President Pratibha Devisingh Patil and Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh have condoled the death of Sabarimala pilgrims.Dr. Singh sanctioned a relief of Rs one lakh each to the next of kin of those killed in the stampede and Rs 50,000 to those injured from the Prime Minister''s relief fund.Defence Minister A K Antony has also offered Kerala Government all help from defence forces for rescue operations. The Southern Naval Command dispatched an emergency medical team to the accident site at Sabarimala.

Hunt on for Corbett's wounded tigress

Jim Corbett Tiger Reserve: At the Jim Corbett Tiger Reserve, a hunt is on for a wounded tigress that has killed four women since November. What's worse, the maneater was shot on Tuesday but couldn't be tracked down since then.

''A search is on for the man-eating tigress... we have built special machans and cages to trap it... we are trying to get the situation under control,'' said Rajesh Gopal, member, National Tiger Conservation Authority who is at the site to take stock of the situation.

The inability of the Forest Department to nab the tigress has incensed the villagers making the wildlife in this area vulnerable to man-animal conflict.

The adult tigress in question had proved to be a menace for all villagers from Dhikuli area adjoining the park. The four women who died were also from the same village and had entered the forest to collect fodder.

Even though it can, over a period of time, recover from a single-bullet injury on its own, the fact that it remains untraceable is worrisome for not just the villagers but also the authorities. And now, that the tigress is injured and in pain, it can only prove more dangerous.

''We need some time to identify the tigress... we don't want to make any mistakes,'' said Shrikant Chandola, the Chief Wildlife Warden of Uttarakhand.

Despite mobilising dog squads, searches on elephants and placing various kinds of baits, the tigress has not been spotted. Yet, wildlife authorities do not want to push harder because camera traps show presence of four tigers in the area and they don't want to hurt the wrong one.


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Delhi: Civic councilors' development funds hiked Rs.50 lakh

Email Story Write to the editor Print Story New Delhi, Jan 15: The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) on Friday released an additional Rs.50 lakh for each of its councilors in response to their demand for more money to develop their constituencies."The civic body has released Rs.50 lakh each under the annual fund and this will take the total amount for each councilor to Rs.1 crore. So a total of Rs.136 crore has been released," an MCD official said.The chairmen of several ward committees had said on Wednesday that the allocation for councilors' funds should be increased and they should get a fixed salary.The demand had been raised at a special standing committee meeting of the MCD where the chairmen of ward committees presented their budget proposals."Developmental works are suffering due to lack of finances. Hence, the councilors' fund should be increased to Rs.2.5 crore," they had demanded. (IANS)

Avoid frequent strike calls in J&K: Hizb chief

SRINAGAR: Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin has said frequent strikes and shutdowns diluted the summer agitation in Kashmir. The HM chief, who's based in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), was now preparing a new plan to create trouble in J&K.

Talking to a local news agency on telephone, Salahuddin said the 'summer movement' was based on wrong strategy and emotions. "I gave good advice to my friends but they did not listen to me. They now regret it. No nation can remain dependent on constant strikes. So we have to sit and carve out a result-oriented programme," he said.

As a first step, he asked the separatist leaders to join hands and put forth a common agenda before the people of Kashmir.

"The separatist leaders should unite on the basis of 1993 constitution of Hurriyat Conference," Hizb chief said.

Sabarimala stampede: 100 devotees feared killed, 90 injured

Idukki, Kerala: 100 people are feared killed and more than 90 people have been injured in a stampede at the Sabarimala shrine in Kerala's Idukki district. The incident took place seven kilometres away from the shrine. 55 bodies have been recovered so far. (First pictures)

Sabarimala's Special Commissioner, Rajendra Nayar told NDTV that 100 people are feared killed. He that the stampede occurred after a accident which cause panic amongst the devotees. (Watch)

Reports suggest that the accident and the consequent stampede occurred in a hilly area, beyond the Sabarimala police protection area. The terrain has made rescue and relief operations difficult.

"A jeep went out of control and went and hit the devotees who were there. People have been killed because of the crash and also because of the stampede. Most of the casualties happened because of the stampede according to preliminary reports." Kerala's Education Minister M A Baby told NDTV.

"Idukki is a hilly area. So naturally this is a distant place. The accident took place at about 8:15 pm. The Chief Minister, Home Minister, other administrative heads have contacted the district administration. We are totally focused on providing the best treatment, rescuing the injured, recovering the dead bodies. Most of those killed are from other states. Among those who have been killed, most of them are from Tamil Nadu," he added. (Watch)

Defence Minister AK Antony has assured all possible help from the army in rescue operations. The Director General of the Kerala Police, and other top officials have rushed to the area.

The devotees were returning after Makaravilakku ritual in Sabarimala.

Thousands of devotees had turned up for worship at the hill shrine during the 'makara samkrama pooja' on Friday evening, marking the finale of two-month pilgrimage to the famous Lord Ayyappa temple.

They were returning after 'makara jyoti', held as a divine light by the devote! es, whic h flickered across the eastern horizon above the Ponnambalamedu after the pooja.

The pooja was conducted with the idol of the deity adorned with the holy jewels "Thiruvabharanam", brought to the sanctum sanctorum in a ceremonial procession moments before the 'aarti'.

(With PTI inputs)


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Why do rich Indians fall behind in philanthropic activities?

the afghan waltz

After Ritu Birla had finished her second BA in history from Cambridge she knew she wanted to go on to do a Ph.D, but after a break. So she took a job with the Ford Foundation for a few years, working on community development issues. And it was there that she first heard the complaint about philanthropy in India: why did it barely exist?

Why, so the question went, didn't most rich Indians act like their Western counterparts in generously giving to charities, creating public institutions or supporting the arts? Was there an essential selfishness about the Indian character, no sense of obligations, or a lack of identification with those less fortunate?

There's a sanctimonious air to such questions that Indians would find acutely annoying, and yet it also seemed true, especially as more Indians became really rich, that few were inclined to follow a Bill Gates or Warren Buffett in giving away large chunks of their wealth in entirely altruistic ways.

But something about this argument did not seem right to Birla. From her own Marwari background she knew of many cases of substantial charitable bequests: "to dharamshalas, pathshalas, gaushalas... all those shalas!" she says. She started researching this and it lead to the subject matter of her Ph.D. thesis and a recently published book entitled Stages of Capital: Law, Culture and Market Governance in Late Colonial India. Recently in Mumbai she delivered a lecture on the subject, the fifth in the excellent series of annual lectures on Indian business history organised by the Godrej and Tata archives.

Birla's research, conducted using sources like colonial debates on traditional Indian institutions, mercantile law cases and the account books of Marwari traders, threw up many examples of charitable donations by Indian merchants.

In a study of Jain merchants in Jaipur, for example, she found explicit categories of donation: "anukampa-dan, a gift given out of compassion; ucit-dan, a gift given out of duty; kirti-dan, a gift given to earn fame; abhay-dan, a gift of fearlessness; supatra-dan, a gift of religion." This established the existence of charitable donations, but also, in the way that each kind was clearly linked to intentions, suggested a fundamentally different way of thinking about it from the West.

In the West the tradition had been of entirely altruistic donations, to an abstract entity called the 'public'. Anything that comes with possible material benefits for the giver is seen as compromised. But this reflected a long dissociation from religion and community which was certainly not the case in India in the late 19th century (and possibly not even now).

Most Indian businessmen existed in a context of religious and community links, and saw it as quite natural to benefit them. Indian charitable donation came from a sense of dharma, a term which comes with a sense of linkages between giver and recipient that do not end with the giving.

Delhi: Land reclaimed after mosque demolition, DDA tells court

Email Story Write to the editor Print Story New Delhi, Jan 14: The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) today told the Delhi High Court that it had complied with its orders for demolishing a mosque built illegally on public land in Jangpura in south Delhi and had reclaimed 350 sq metres of its land.The DDA also pleaded with the court to drop its contempt proceedings against it for the delay in carrying out its orders."In compliance with the directions of this court, a demolition programme was fixed on Jan 12 in consultation with police department and illegal/unauthorised structure that is a mosque called 'Noor Masjid', its boundary wall and a newly constructed tin shed were removed and about 350 square metres DDA land has been reclaimed," the DDA told a bench headed by Justice G.S. Sistani.Facing a contempt threat from the high court, the DDA, after several failed attempts, succeeded in demolishing the mosque built 35 years ago. The DDA also told the court that it had begun fencing the land and constructing a boundary wall and had put up a sign board saying that the land belongs to it.Seeking dropping of the contempt proceedings, which were initiated by the High Court for non-compliance of its earlier order, the agency also tendered "an unqualified apology" for its failure to reclaim the land earlier."It has the greatest respect for the court ...the respondent (DDA) submits that its has not violated the judgement/order of this court," the DDA said in its affidavit.It also submitted its compliance report to the high court's order for reclaiming encroached public land, annexing it with photographs taken after the demolition of the mosque at Jangpura .The court had in 2006 iss! ued cont empt notice to the DDA on a petition of Jangpura Residents' Welfare Association (RWA), represented by advocate R.K. Saini, alleging that its direction to demolish the illegal structure had not been complied with.Meanwhile, the court, on an assurance by the authorities, disposed of the petition of RWA in 2008. "The matter was then referred to Delhi government's religious committee which gave its approval for demolishing the structure in Oct 2009, and the case was then forwarded to Delhi Lt Governor Tejendra Khanna, who gave his nod soon after," said Saini, the lawyer for the RWA.In 2010, DDA tried demolishing the mosque six times, but was unable to do so due to lack of adequate police protection.Frustrated with the lack of action, the RWA again moved the court in October 2010. The high court then issued a contempt notice against Khanna, DDA vice-chairman and the commissioner (Land and Management) and asked them to submit a compliance report within four weeks.Taking the DDA's affidavit against the contempt petition on record, Justice Sistani fixed the matter for further hearing on March 1, 2011.Meanwhile, during the day, Delhi Wakf Board (DWB) approached a larger bench of the Delhi High court seeking modification of its earlier order to the DDA to demolish the mosque allegedly built on encroached land."How can we set aside the order by entertaining your writ petition. If we allow you (DWB) to argue and something else is found then we will impose a heavy cost of Rs.one lakh on you because you are a statutory body," Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Sanjiv Khanna said.Taking serious note of the petition, the bench said that the right forum was the Wakf Tribunal and not the court."How can the order of a division bench be set aside by another and moreover, the writ petition was not filed under the Constitution of India," the court remarked, while allowing the petitioner to withdraw the plea."The petition is permitted to be withdrawn," it said.A DWB official told the media that the board will file a fresh petition ! before t he court again next week. (IANS)

Cops, jawans joined stone-pelters in J&K

Srinagar: Shocking details have emerged on how some policemen and jawans, were part of the stone-pelting mobs, that Kashmir's security forces repeatedly clashed with, during the civil strife between June and September last year.

NDTV has access to documents that show at least four policemen and one Army jawan were involved in the incidents.

"Some of them have been circumstantial because if they have been stuck in a locality and forced out of their homes. Those things are not exactly indicative or symptomatic of police behavior," said SM Sahai, Inspector General of Police, Kashmir.

The official line may be that it was an act of aberration, but three policemen have already been arrested, one has been charged, and one more is being probed to see if he funded a group of stone-pelters.

Many Special Police Officers on contract, deserted the force when the agitation was at its peak. Three policemen at Police Training Centre in Baramulla quit their jobs. Some of them possibly felt a sense of alignment with the agitation, but most succumbed to the rising anger of the people against the police.

"In June-July, when the situation worsened, the police faced a huge pressure. So, I granted the force a Hardship Allowance," said Omar Abdullah, Chief Minister of Jammu & Kashmir.

The police say the bigger challenge before it is the extent of the involvement of government employees.

"We are more concerned about government employees who have been actively involved in organising stone-pelting and funding it," said SM Sahai.

Eighty government employees have been arrested, and cases have been registered against 181. Many of them are teachers. Ten serious offenders have been jailed for two years, without the benefit of trial.

The four-month long civil strife was a tightrope walk for local policemen. Now the expose, that some men in uniform were involved in stone-pelting has embarrassed the force that ! claimed all this while that the summer's unrest was fuelled by militants.


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Ind-SA: Injury-hit India ready to fight back

BJP MPs to complain against Governor Bhardwaj

BLAMINGKARNATAKAGovernor H R Bhardwaj for the chaos in the state Assembly, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP D B Chandre Gowda has said party MPs from the state would soon petition President Pratibha Patil seeking his recall."Raj Bhavan here has become centre of political activity and the Governor, who is expected to be neutral, has indulged in party politics," Gowda told reporters here."We would soon lead the delegation to lodge the complaint against Bhardwaj and demanding his recall," he addedHe further said the people of Karnataka have voted in favour of BJP and the opposition as well as the Governor should respect the mandate of people."We are not happy with the present governor and other part of it is that the people of Karnataka have voted in favour of the ruling party, the BJP by giving 47.5 percent of total votes polled in the last and very recent elections held in zilla parishad and taluk panchayat, that itself is the mandate and that people''s mandate is to be respected by the opposition as well as the Governor," said Gowda. The state assembly session has been continuously called off since Monday after the opposition started shouting for not being allowed to discuss corruption charges against Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa.On Thursday, the opposition members walked out protesting an assembly panel report that has recommended suspension of 15 opposition legislators for their ''unruly behaviour'' in the house in October last year when Yeddyurappa sought a trust vote.The panel, set up by speaker K.G. Bopaiah, wants eight of these legislators suspended for one year and seven for six months. They are also to be denied entry to the legislature and many facilities enjoyed by a legislator.Earlier, as soon as the house met, the Congress and the JD-S members tried to stall the proceedings insisting on their adjournment motion to discuss land scam char! ges agai nst Yeddyurappa and alleged illegal mining by mining magnates and ministers, the Reddy brothers.

CWG scam: Delhi High court grants bail to Darbari

New Delhi: The Delhi High court on Friday granted bail to TS Darbari, a former CWG Organising Committee official. Darbari, a close aide of OC chief Suresh Kalmadi, was arrested on November 15 for his alleged role in the Queen's Baton Relay scam.

Sources say the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had failed to file a chargesheet against Darbari in court.

During his interrogation by the CBI, Darbari had alleged that he was being persecuted to protect the big fish.

The CBI had arrested Darbari along with another Kalmadi aide Sanjay Mahendroo in connection with two cases related to contracts awarded to London-based AM Films and AM Car and Van Hire Limited at exorbitant rates.

Both Darbari and Mahendroo were initially suspended in the wake of reports of the CWG scam and later sacked.

Darbari and Mahendroo were also questioned by the Enforcement Directorate.


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Kashmir gets new anti-riot force

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir witnessed a spate of stone-pelting incidents last summer. Angry protesters even braved the Taser guns and mirchi grenades used by the security forces to control them. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and his leadership was criticised for his mishandling of those protests in which 112 people died.

So, the state government decided to take some concrete steps and as a result, J&K Police will have its first anti-riot battalion.

A mock drill was carried out at a police training camp at Baramulla. And among those watching the drill was Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.

"Perhaps this is the only force in the country when they are equipped with guns they are facing stones and when they are given a lathi and shields they are facing bullets. We have trained them for both situations," Omar said.

The new force has been trained to ensure minimum use of force. And it is equipped with non-lethal weapons to tackle stone-pelting mobs.

But the real test for the force will be there for everyone to see when it faces the fury of a violent mob on the streets of Srinagar.

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Omar again asks BJP to abandon Kashmir yatra

Email Story Write to the editor Print Story Srinagar, Jan 13: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today again asked the Bharatiya Janata Party to halt its Kashmir yatra intended to culminate in hoisting the national flag at Lal Chowk, the historic city centre here, on Republic Day on Jan 26.Addressing a public meeting in the Zainakadal area in the old city, he said that after hoisting the national flag in Lal Chowk in 1992, the party has again embarked on hoisting the tri-colour at the same place after 19 years."This has exposed their intentions of creating trouble in the Valley," the chief minister said adding "the situation in Kashmir has improved after serious endeavours".Abdullah had earlier also warned the BJP against unfurling of the Indian tricolor at Lal Chowk in Srinagar, saying that "BJP alone would be responsible for the consequences".Meanwhile, senior separatist leader and pro-independence Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chairman Yasin Malik called for a march to Lal Chowk on Jan 26.Malik said the moderate Hurriyat Conference led by Mirwaiz Moulvi Umar Farooq has supported the march which he said will be the "non-violent, democratic reply to the BJP".BJP president Nitin Gadkari Wednesday launched the Rashtriya Ekta Yatra from Kolkata that would conclude in Lal Chowk on Republic Day.Abdullah said that separatist leaders of the Hurriyat Conference were now speaking openly about the killers of two of the prominent leaders, Mirwaiz Moulvi Mohammad Farooq and Abdul Gani Lone."Time has now come to stop all kind of bloodshed in Kashmir and proactive role should be played to solve the Kashmir issue through dialogue process.""Whether it is the Gee! lani-led Hurriyat or the Mirwaiz-led Hurriyat group they should read the writing on the wall and realize that dialogue is the only solution to all the issues," he said.He urged the Hurriyat leaders to meet the Kashmir interlocutors, saying that "they have good intention and full mandate of the centre to have a dialogue with all groups and submit their recommendations".The chief minister said whatever recommendations will be submitted by these interlocutors, the central government will consider them positively. (IANS)

New Defence Production Policy focuses on indigenisation!

New Delhi: India on Thursday unveiled a newDefence Production Policy (DPrP) which aims to achieve over 50per cent indigenisation in the next decade and provides amajor role to the private sector in defence manufacturing.

"More than 50 per cent," Defence Minister A K Antony saidwhen asked about the government's aim in terms of percentagein indigenising defence manufacturing through the new policy.He was speaking after releasing the policy document here.

Aiming to achieve self-reliance in design, developmentand production of defence equipment, weapon systems andplatforms, the Government came out with its first DPrP.

"Self reliance is a long dream but we are still farbehind... We need to strengthen our security apparatus in viewof the prevailing security scenario, which is highly volatileand causes anxiety," he said.

He said dependence on foreign imports for nationalsecurity was "unacceptable" and through the new policy, thegovernment hoped to build a strong defence industrial base inthe country to change the situation.

The Minister said the policy, which will come in withimmediate effect, would create conducive conditions for theprivate industries to play an active role to achieve theobjective and also aims to provide them a level-playing fieldin the sector.

Antony said from now on, preference will be given toindigenous design, development and manufacture of defenceequipment coming from both public and private sectors.

"Wherever the required arms, ammunition and equipment arepossible to be made by the Indian industry within the timelines required by the Services, the procurement will be madefrom the indigenous sources," he said.

The Minister said in cases where the Indian industry isnot in a position to make and deliver the equipments in therequisite time frame, pro! curement from foreign sources wouldbe resorted to as per the DPrP.

Based on the approved Long Term Integrated PerspectivePlan (LTIPP), equipment, weapon systems and platforms requiredten years and further down the line will by and large bedeveloped within the country, Antony said.

However, the new policy allows sub-systems that are noteconomically viable or practical to be made within thecountry, to be imported and calls for ensuring that they areavailable at all times.

To assess the self reliance achieved through the year,the Defence Minister will hold an annual review of theprogress made.

Under the DPrP, a separate fund will be created toprovide necessary resources to public and private sector aswell as academic and scientific institutions to supportresearch and development of defence products.

"Our endeavour will be to build a robust indigenousdefence industrial base by proactively encouraging largerinvolvement of the Indian private sector in design,development and manufacturing of defence equipment," he added.

To match the global standards in the defence sector interms of price and time lines, the policy also allows theformation of consortia, joint venture and public privatepartnerships within the government approved framework.

It also seeks the involvement of academia, research anddevelopment institutions, technical and scientificorganisations of repute for achieving the objective.

The DPrP has been prepared after consultations withvarious stakeholders such as the three Services, IntegratedDefence Staff, DRDO and various chambers of commerce.

Reacting to the new policy, Confederation of IndianIndustries (CII) said, "We appreciate the policy acknowledgingthat private sector would have to play a larger role indefence production. We anticipate that an implementation roadmap with benchmarks would be announced sooner."

The other major chamber FICCI said policy-making DefenceMinistr! y offici als should be removed from the boards ofDefence PSUs and they "should be corporatised and publiclylisted to increase their public accountability and bring themon par with private sector producers."

PTI

Mukherjee confident about controlling inflation

UNION FINANCE Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Thursday expressed confidence about bringing down inflation.Talking to reporters here, Mukherjee said: "We have analysed the situation. We have indicated what further steps we are going to take. We have also indicated that there should not be any unnecessary panic.""The government will announce more steps to contain inflation later in the day," he added. Following Tuesday's high-level meeting called by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on price rise, Mukherjee met Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia , Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar and Cabinet Secretary K M Chandrasekhar .The meeting deliberated on the measures to contain price rise, especially of the essential kitchen items like onion and other vegetables, reduction of duties on milk power, banning exports of wheat products.There are expectations that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) too will announce some measures to curb inflation at its monetary and credit policy review meeting by month-end.The government has been under attack for not being able to bring down prices, especially of food items.The food inflation, fuelled by rising prices of vegetables, fruits, meat and egg has crossed 18 per cent on December 25.

Highlights of measures announced to control prices

Email Story Write to the editor Print Story New Delhi, Jan 13: The government today announced a slew of measures to control prices of essential commodities. Following are the highlights:-- State-run National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation (NAFED) and apex federation of consumer cooperatives, NCCF, to sell onions at Rs.35 per kg-- Stringent action against hoarders and black marketers. Cartelisation by large traders to be dealt with strictly dealt-- Import and export of all essential commodities to be reviewed on a regular basis-- State units to intensify purchases of essential commodities, particularly edible oils and pulses, for distribution through their retail network-- Existing schemes for subsidised distribution of edible oils and pulses to be continued-- Exports of edible oils and pulses, as well as non-basmati rice to remain banned-- Committee of Secretaries under the Cabinet Secretary to review the prices situation with individual states-- An inter-ministerial Group set up under the Chief Economic Adviser, Ministry of Finance to review the overall inflation situation-- State Governments to be urged to consider waiving mandi tax, octroi and other local levies to bring down prices further-- A scheme to support the state governments in the setting up of farmers' mandis and mobile bazaars and to improve the functioning of civil supplies corporations and cooperatives-- Awareness campaigns to make people aware of cheaper alternatives to pulses like yellow peas with a view to influence consumption pattern in favour of such alternatives-- Involve Residents' Welfare Associations and self-help groups in distribution of essential commodities to address local s! hortages and ensure that supplies reach the households with least intermediation cost-- Investments to be encouraged in supply chains including provisions for cold storages-- Storage capacities to be increased to stock last years bumper Kharif crop. (IANS)

Yes, I beat them. So what? Asks Jharkhand MLA

Bokaro: In a series of photographs, a man who is a big deal in this part of Jharkhand, thrashes one young man after another with sticks.

Jagannath Mahto has been elected twice as the MLA from Dumri in Jharkhand. He believes he has the right to enforce discipline in any manner that he sees fit.

Smiling, he tells a TV camera that the men he is seen beating have been accused of eve-teasing.

"We receive all kinds of complaints. We deliver a public punishment, and address the complaint then and there. One needs to use the stick in some cases,'' Mahto says, taking considerable pleasure in showing off his kangaroo court.

The irony is that Mahto's election affidavit says he is charged with murder, kidnapping and violation of the arms act.

It is not entirely untrue that there are those who do support the MLA's methods, as they believe that its better for them to get justice this way rather than approach the police. The MLA holds these courts regularly.

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Government may announce measures to bring down prices

Email Story Write to the editor Print Story New Delhi, Jan 13: The government may announce some measures that could bring down food inflation further, official sources indicated today, a day after Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee met Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar and other senior government officials to finalise action on the issue. Wednesday's discussions were a follow-up to the meeting chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The finance minister held closed-door discussions with Pawar, Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia and other senior officials.Among the measures that could be suggested today are withdrawal of some decisions related to food items like export of 500,000 tonnes of sugar and hiking prices of wheat and rice sold through the public distribution system to families above the poverty line.According to latest figures released by the commerce and industry ministry, India's food inflation dipped to 16.91 percent for the week ended Jan 1, compared to 18.32 percent in the previous week.After five straight weeks of rise in food inflation rate, based on wholesale prices, the fall in the index was because of some tempering in prices of onions, from the peak of Rs.70 per kg.Prices of other essential commodities like pulses and food grains too came down, according to data made available by the commerce and industry ministry. (IANS)

Jammu: Pakistani troops violate ceasefire, Indian soldier injured

Email Story Write to the editor Print Story Jammu, Jan 13: An Indian Army soldier has been injured in another ceasefire violation by Pakistani troops who opened fire in Shahpur area along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch sector, defence sources said today. Pakistani troops opened fire in violation of the ceasefire on the borders around 10 p.m. on Wednesday, army sources told the media. One Indian soldier was injured. Indian troops retaliated. The exchange of firing continued till 6 a.m today. The sources said it was a clear case of ceasefire violation by the Pakistani Army. The ceasefire had come into effect in November 2003.The guns have fallen silent but the troops are maintaining vigil, the sources said.The LoC divides Jammu and Kashmir between India and Pakistan. (IANS)

IIMs raise the cutoff bar, entry becomes tougher

BANGALORE: Getting into IIMs is never easy. When the Indian Institutes of Management announced the cut-off percentiles for the admission process on Wednesday, a few of the IIMs had raised their cut-offs.

Like IIM Ranchi, which had the highest cut-off of 99.65 percentile among all IIMs last year, has further raised it to 99.66 for the 2011-13 batch. At IIM-Calcutta, Ranchi's mentoring institute, the cut-off is 99.59. IIM Ahmedabad announced that 540 students whose overall percentile is 99 and of each section were 94 would be called for the personal interview. IIM Lucknow, which is one of the CAT 2010 organising institutes, has increased the weightage to CAT scores.

What was 30% for the CAT scores has gone up to 37.5% for the next batch. The fees, too, have been raised from Rs 8 lakh to 12 lakh. IIM Kozhikode has also decided to give 50% weightage to CAT score, 15% to GD and social skills, personal interview 25% and writing task 10%.

Interestingly, many IIMs are set to take in more women and non-engineering students to increase the diversity in the institute. IIM-L has decided to give 2.5 more points for these candidates. The directors of newer IIMs will meet next week to decide on holding joint PIs and GDs.

The scores for the Common Admission Test (CAT) 2010 were released on Wednesday. There are eight candidates who scored 100 percentile and 19 with 99.99 percentile. Of the latter group, two are women one from Kerala and the other from Andhra Pradesh. And all of them are engineers.

While many students found it difficult to access results online, the IIMs said that the website did not crash. "The highlight of the day was that the website did not crash despite around two lakh students checking the result on the web. The fact that it was slow was something that was impossible to help," said Himanshu Rai, convener, CAT. However, the rumours that the CAT results had leaked in the first week of January turned out to be true.

North East conflict resolution in 10 days

Guwahati: Considering 'conflict resolution' is amongst the most profitable and fashionable round table topic, the recent Garo-Rabha conflict in India's North East can challenge the fashionable resolution theories.

Zoom in on the right arm of a map of India's North East and the districts of Goalpara in Assam and East Garo Hills in Meghalaya are prominently marked. On either side of this political divide the two communities Garos and the Rabhas have been living for centuries. Most people have no recollection of any violence between them. A village headman Subhas Rabha, however, told us that in 1976 there was an incident and friction between the two communities. (Read: 103 people arrested in Northeast ethnic clashes)

For someone who has not visited the North East, the quick introduction to this cauldron maybe through the stories of assertion of ethnic identities through violence and demand for autonomy and even statehood in some cases. At the last count, I think, there were 238 ethnic groups. We are not even taking the sub-groups into account.

A little background sometimes helps. The Garos are one of the three principal tribes of Meghalaya. Garo Hills is not by any standards a developed area despite one of the longest serving Member of Parliament voted from those hills. Garos have also dominated politics in Meghalaya and the state's first Chief Minister was a Garo and its present Chief Minister is from Garo Hills as well. So the tribe should have benefitted from political patronage if not from basic welfare policies. They have received neither.

Rabhas are a tribe who have been hardly represented. Most development markers don't even apply to them.

Sometime in mid-nineties the Garos and Rabhas had together demanded for a tribal council but in recent years the Rabhas started asserting their own 'Rabha Hasong' or in other words a political framework which will bring them inside the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution. This has ! isolated them from other tribes inhabiting that area as well as the non-tribals - a demand that every ethnic groups aspires in this part of the country. Autonomy not only grants political power but brings in a good cheer. In this case its development fund which they spend on their own and that is what motivates the people. But it spawns corruption as well. North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council of Assam is India's oldest Autonomous Council and is running on a ventilator or sorts after allegations of massive corruption. The NIA and CBI is now investigating into how development fund have been diverted by a terrorist-politician nexus.

These ethnic groups are generally backed (in this demand) by underground militant groups and overground surrendered militants belonging to the respective tribe.

Garos have at least one armed group on ceasefire, ANVC, and a newly formed GNLA. The Rabhas have an ineffective Rabha Viper Army which is more like a band of petty dacoits. One of ULFA's commanders, Dristi Rajkhowa, is a Rabha and has a certain amount of influence over these groups. Besides militants, the student unions of respective tribes and communities in these parts play a very strong political role. I am giving this background because the demand for autonomy and the differences within that demand may have been an underlying cause for the recent violence. Four hundred sixteen Garo villages fall in the area where the Rabhas have been demanding autonomy, so it makes political sense for Garos to clear those villages so that the Rabhas claim over that area can be challenged. Conflict resolution experts will of course have their own analyses but let me tell you what I saw on the ground.

The year 2011 for Assam had a strange beginning. In the first light of this new year the Chairman of a banned armed outfit responsible for the death of thousands of innocent people was let off by the government. He was garlanded, his supporters shouted slogans and he walked out to his freedom without once regretting the murd! ers he o rdered.

A day later, news from the Assam-Meghalaya border arrived sometime in the evening. All night a few enthusiastic Army officers with their men patrolled the district as news of arson started trickling in. People were fleeing their homes but the civil administration was asleep. It was midnight you see. The Army was caught in a bit of a situation. They don't have the mandate to get drawn into an ethnic conflict. They are here strictly for counter insurgency operations. But here was a young officer in his post and hundreds of petrified villagers were seeking help. Despite a hate-Army campaign in the region, the fatigue instills more confidence than the khaki. The Army, to my knowledge, did everything that a human being is expected to do at that point. They provided food and some blankets and tried to manage the situation without getting involved.

I believed that it was a localised violence and will die down. So I slept over it like the civil administration. On January 5, when I visited the place, villages were aflame. I could hardly believe what I witnessed. I turned around and it was either smoke billowing out from a forest cover where a village may have been set on fire, or a house where the entire season's harvest was carefully stored and now all will be gone. Pages from school text books were flyash and a traumatised puppy I found was caught in the raging flames. A pregnant pig lay in a pool of blood. The rioters wouldn't spare the livestock either. I saw people wielding farm implements as weapons and insanely running towards fleeing unarmed neighbours. They were ready to take on anyone and everyone. But conspicuously the police and civil administration was missing in action. I have no idea why. (Read: Meghalaya announces compensation)

The Garos were setting Rabha houses on fire. The genesis of this clash may be the demand for autonomy but the immediate trigger was a bandh call by the Rabhas during Christmas and some Rabha groups beating up a pastor and pelting stones at revel! lers. An uncalled for provocation. The retaliation was swift and violent. But not without instigation and an organized attack followed. Later, a Garo Students Union functionary was apprehended by the Army so there was evidence of their involvement. The Rabhas too started hitting back.

It was like a believe-it-or-not passive state government. The two chief ministers of Assam and Meghalaya were in New Delhi and both claimed to be in sync but on the ground neither was visible. Meghalaya was a shade better but in Assam it was almost a case of state sponsored riots. By January 7, Assam admitted that 29,000 people have been displaced and are in relief camps. The authorities said that 340 houses were gutted in fire, and seven people died in the fighting. A few more were killed later.

In the final count, 50,000 people were displaced from their homes across the divide and at least a thousand homes lost. What I saw angered me because this violence was a result of provocation but the scale and intensity was almost engineered by apathy and inefficiency of elected governments.

Conflict resolution experts will argue with examples and templates and contend that anecdotal references do not help in understanding the reason for conflict. But this is no ordinary conflict. Without having to go to the details, the broad canvas was about two communities without a history of violence suddenly killing each other and an administration watching from the wings. I haven't even related the pathetic condition of most of the relief camps where even baby food was not available. Sanitation was poor. Medicines were provided but food was inadequate. And strangely, even the local politician was not to be seen. Something definitely was amiss. A bunch of Armymen, powered by individual willing to help, were all out trying to diffuse the situation without any clarity of what their role was in it.

Resolution came about on the evening on January 10. I have witnessed ethnic conflict and internally displaced people across the ! North Ea stern map from the Brus in Mizoram to Hmars in N C Hills, the Bodo Adivasi clash, the Karbi Dimasa clash but never have I woken up to such a simple resolution. The administration was shaken up and things were picking up. New Delhi sent its emissary to crack the whip. Paramilitary forces finally arrived. It took them 10 days and mind you the place we are talking about is two hours from Guwahati which has loads of paramilitary forces engaged in VIP duty. Army vehicles started ferrying the people back to their villages. Ten days of frenzy and the young Army officer who served food to fleeing villagers on the first night of horror was now narrating the most amazing scenes of tearful embrace between the Garos and Rabhas finding their way back to their homes. They have started rebuilding their lives. Fifty thousand is a lot of people and may take a while but the beginnings are already an example by which conflict resolution theorists may want to rethink on their templates. (Read: Central forces reach Assam, Meghalaya)



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Mamata pitches for mediclaim for sex workers

Email Story Write to the editor Print Story Kolkata, Jan 12: Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee today asked her party-run Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) board to bring sex workers and their children under a mediclaim policy."Sex workers have taken up their profession out of necessity to make a living. There are many who hate them. But this is not fair. Often these women do not get access to medical treatment. So they need medical insurance," Banerjee said at a KMC programme in the city's southern outskirts."I request city Mayor Sovan Chatterjee to try to bring them under a mediclaim policy. It could be of Rs.25,000-30,00O so that they get the basic medical treatment," she added.Banerjee, who is also the railway minister, appealed to the civic body to also bring the children of sex workers under the ambit of the mediclaim. "I would also request the mayor to see if a home can be run for the benefit of these children". (IANS)

Kosi floods: WB grants $ 220 mn loan to Bihar

Patna: The World Bank on Wednesday granted a loan of $220 million for the rehabilitation of those hit by the 2008 Kosi floods in Bihar.

The money will be used for building 1 lakh houses, 90 bridges and 290 kilometers of road apart from setting up disaster management cells.

Over three million people were affected by the Kosi floods which hit Bihar in 2008. The World Bank is giving Bihar a total loan of $ 1 billion including that for the Kosi rehabilitation over the next five years.

World Bank Chairman Robert B Zoellick arrived in Patna on Tuesday evening on a two-day visit along with the Union Minister for Environment Jairam Ramesh.

Five north Bihar districts - Saharsa, Madhepura, Supaul, Purnia and Araria - were ravaged by the turbulent Kosi during that time.

Lalgarh: Naxals burn houses of CPI(M) workers

Kolkata: Five days after seven persons were shot dead at Netai village in Lalgarh by suspected CPI(M) armed cadre, the Maoists on Wednesday retaliated by burning the houses of CPI(M) workers and supporters.

A Maoist squad entered Chandpal village under Sankrail police station and set on fire six houses, a senior district police officer said.

"So far there is no report of casualty and the joint forces have rushed to the spot," he said.

Local people said the Maoists, shouting slogans against the Netai village massacre, set fire to the abandoned house of a CPI(M) supporter Vivekananda Mondal.

The fire then spread to nearby houses and at least another five went up in flames.

The Maoists, whose writ had run earlier in Lalgarh, but had been driven out by the CPI(M), also left behind posters decrying the Netai massacre.

Delhi road rage: Jet Airways pilot gets bail

New Delhi: Jet Airways pilot Vikas Aggarwal, who allegedly crushed a hotel manager under his car on Tuesday in New Delhi's Khan Market, has been granted bail. However, the post-mortem of the hotel manager, Rakesh Jolly, is yet to be done even as his family is waiting for the body to perform the last rites.

"Since morning we are waiting here. Just some time back a policeman informed us that post-mortem will not happen today," said Jolly's uncle Manu David.

David also alleged that there was some political pressure on police.

New Delhi: Jet Airways pilot Vikas Aggarwal, who allegedly crushed a hotel manager under his car on Tuesday in New Delhi's Khan Market, has been granted bail. However, the post-mortem of the hotel manager, Rakesh Jolly, is yet to be done even as his family is waiting for the body to perform the last rites.

"Since morning we are waiting here. Just some time back a policeman informed us that post-mortem will not happen today," said Jolly's uncle Manu David.

David also alleged that there was some political pressure on police.

"It really shocks us to see that he got bail so fast. The post-mortem has also been delayed. I think somewhere there is political pressure. We are planning to move court to seek justice," he said.

However, a police official said it appeared that the accident was not intentional.

"The pilot was trying to enter the market while he was being thrashed allegedly by Jolly. Jolly fell down. There was little space between the car and footpath where Jolly was standing. His injuries were on the right side of his body. He apparently died due to the fall," the official said.

Aggarwal's car had allegedly run over Jolly after a scuffle between the two. Eyewitnesses and police say that the incident happened when Aggarwal rammed his car into Jolly's.

Jolly allegedly came out and started punching Aggarwal who was still in his car.

Aggarwal tried to escape by driving away when Jolly, who was still clinging to the door, is said to have fallen and came under the wheels of the car.

Aggarwal has been charged with causing death by negligence.

Citi fraud: Puri's remand extended till Jan 14

Gurgaon: A local court on Wednesday extended police remand of Shivraj Puri, the main accused in the alleged Rs 400 crore Citibank fraud, by 2 more days till January 14 as police is yet to recover iPad considered to be vital evidence.

The Chief Judicial Magistrate DN Bhardwaj remanded Puri in police custody for two more days after public prosecutor said that police needed more time to gather evidence and verification of data gathered by chartered accountants.

Puri, who was a Relationship Manager at Citibank's Gurgaon branch, was arrested by the police last month after the Rs 400-crore scam was detected. He was remanded in police custody for seven days, which was extended by 6 days on January 6.

Police, sources said, are keen to get hold of Puri's iPad which could provide vital clues about the details of money transactions and contacts of Puri.

He is accused of luring high networth individuals to invest in bogus schemes on the promise of unusually high returns and diverted their money to stock markets.

According to Citibank lawyer Harish Malhotra, Puri has also admitted that his father Raghuraj Puri was an accomplice and he invested about Rs 50 crore in Norman Martin in which his father is a director.

Meanwhile, anticipatory bail plea of Raghuraj Puri would come up for hearing on Thursday.

Most of the funds were invested by Puri into Nifty options - a derivative product with the NSE benchmark index Nifty as underlying security, where the investor has no obligation to take the delivery and needs to pay only margin

money.

In this derivative, investors bet on upward or downward move of Nifty and returns depend on accuracy of such bets.

Victims of the Citibank fraud include Hero Group promoters (Rs 250 crore) and Helion Advisors Managing Director Sanjeev Aggarwal (Rs 33 crore).

2G lapses probe committee tenure extended

New Delhi, Jan 12: The Department of Telecommunications (DOT) today said it had extended till Jan 31 the tenure of the committee set up to look into the procedures adopted by it during the years 2001 to 2009 for allocating second generation (2G) airwaves to telecom companies.The one-man committee, of retired Supreme Court justice Shivraj V. Patil, is expected to identify instances of lack of transparency in the issuance of spectrum and telecom access service licences and whether there was a violation of the policy enunciated by the DOT itself.The probe committee will also suggest remedial measures in that regard.

A. Raja was forced to resign as communications minister last year after the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) indicted him in the spectrum allocation scam, which it said could have caused losses between Rs.58,000 crore ($12.8 billion) and Rs.1.76 lakh crore ($40 billion) to the exchequer.Raja is alleged to have sold spectrum licences at prices much lower than the market rate. (IANS)

No fresh violence in Assam-Meghalaya border

SHILLONG: No fresh incident was reported today from the ethnic violence-hit Assam-Meghalaya border areas, with the administrations relaxing curfew on both sides.

In the Resubelpara sub-division in Meghalaya's East Garo Hills district, curfew was relaxed for three hours from 12 noon, official sources said.

In Assam's Goalpara, only night curfew from 6 pm to 6 am will be imposed from today in four police station areas of Dudhnoi, Krishnai, Rangajuli and Dhupdhara, district deputy commissioner P K Goswami said.

Thirty-nine relief camps for about 35,000 displaced population of both Rabha and Garo community are still functioning.

"One relief camp for about 1,600 Garo community people has been closed today as the people wanted to return to their villages," Goswami said.

Over 170 arsonists have been apprehended in Goalpara so far, the officer said.

Some 19,000 people are sheltered in relief camps in Meghalaya and officials said displaced people were coming from Assam side to join them.

At least nine persons have been killed in the ethnic flare up that lasted for ten days since January 1.

Rahul Gandhis coalition remark on inflation upsets key ally

New Delhi: Rahul Gandhi's statement that the compulsions of a coalition government make it tough to check inflation has upset Sharad Pawar's party, which is a key member of the UPA. "Statements by the leading party should reflect humility not arrogance," said the NCP's General Secretary, DP Tripathi.

At a meeting with students in Lucknow on Tuesday, Gandhi was asked why the government is not able to control inflation as effectively his grandmother, Indira Gandhi. (Read: Rahul asked why Indira controlled prices better)

The Congress General Secretary responded, "It was a single party government then (during Indira Gandhi's prime ministership) ...while today it is a coalition and so has some compulsions."

As Agriculture Minister, Sharad Pawar has been facing the heat for spiraling food prices, with the rates for onions and other vegetables hitting record highs.

Striking back, Tripathi said that the NCP is saddened by Gandhi's remarks.


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Peeved at raids, Delhi onion traders continue strike

Email Story Write to the editor Print Story New Delhi, Jan 12: Wholesale onion traders in Delhi are peeved at being held responsible for the rising price of the commodity and have gone on indefinite strike, saying raids by the authorities to counter hoarding are only adding insult to injury.Raids were carried out across Delhi, including the wholesale vegetable market at Azadpur Mandi and its suburbs, on Monday by the Income Tax department as part of a nationwide crackdown against hoarding of onions in a bid to curb its shooting prices."We are on strike since yesterday afternoon because we believe the government is defaming us by terming us as hoarders and cheaters. On top of it, they are raiding us. This is like adding insult to injury," Rajan Sharma, general secretary of the Chamber of Azadpur Fruit and Vegetable Traders, told media."First, the government did not procure enough onions and kept exporting them until the situation got out of control. The government is defaming us and even our neighbours have started taunting and blaming us for the price rise. This is hurting our self-respect," added Sharma.The traders opined that raids should be conducted only if there is proof of any wrongdoing and accused the government of diverting attention from the main issue by only holding traders responsible."We are not stopping them from raiding anybody, it is their right to do so. But there has to be logic behind such actions. Raid us if we are evading income tax or are guilty of any other offence," said Sharma.According to him, around 10 to 15 traders were raided Monday, but no one was found to be holding any stock which proved their innocence. Moreover, around 950 officials fro! m the ag riculture department are at the 'mandi' at any given point of time to keep a tab on hoarding."So, even after government enforcement if we are able to hoard onions, then all those officials should be suspended and the licenses of the whole 'mandi' should be cancelled We will continue to strike till the government stops blaming us," said an infuriated Sharma.Onion prices shot up across the country after crops in Nashik in Maharashtra were spoilt due to untimely heavy rains. The authorities are now trying to nail any possible hoarding which may further aggravate prices.The IT department last week conducted similar search operations in Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and few other states.The wholesale price of onion is ruling at around Rs.40-47 per kg while the retail price is around Rs.60 per kg in the national capital. (IANS)

Chiefs of armed forces to appear before PAC today

New Delhi: In perhaps the first instance of its kind, chiefs of the Army and the Air Force will appear before the Parliament's Public Accounts Committee (PAC) to explain alleged discrepancies in ration procurement and distribution.

The chiefs of the three services - the Army, the Air Force and the Navy - have been summoned for questioning on the observations by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) on alleged irregularities in canteens of the armed forces.

On Monday, Army Chief VK Singh and Air Chief PV Naik said they would appear before the PAC headed by senior BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi. "We have no problem in appearing before the PAC. We are following the directives of the Defence Ministry," Singh had said.

The Navy would, however, be represented by Vice Chief D K Deewan, as chief Nirmal Verma is in Indonesia on a "pre-scheduled" four-day visit which began on Sunday.

The CAG had said in a 2009 report that the Canteen Stores Department's procurement and distribution of dry rations was faulty.

Highlighting the irregularities in the Canteen Stores Department, the CAG had said, "The existing procedure for provisioning of dry rations failed to assess the requirement realistically. The failure was mainly due to systemic deficiencies due to which different quantities were worked out at different echelons applying different parameters...."

The report had said that the risk of existence of "cartels" affecting the quantity and quality of rations is too serious to be ignored.

PTI adds that the armed forces have decided to stick to their stand that their Unit Run Canteens (URC) are beyond the purview of the PAC.

"We still maintain that URC is beyond their purview. That is the basic issue on which I presume the hearing or questioning will take place. We have given our replies to them and let us see how it goes," Naik told reporters on Monday.

"We all must remember one thing that we all are sub! ject to Parliament. That is the system of our governance. Nobody is exempt," Naik added.

The Defence Ministry, which received the communication, advised the service chiefs to appear before the PAC apparently to underline the committee's immense significance at a time when the government is seeking to project it as a body as important as the Joint Parliamentary Committee following Opposition's demand for JPC into 2G spectrum issue.

Usually the Defence Secretary attends meetings of the Parliamentary Committees along with Vice Chiefs of the services. (With PTI Inputs)



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Lalgarh police officer gets show cause notice

Email Story Write to the editor Print Story Kolkata, Jan 12: Ashok Basu, the officer in-charge of the Lalgarh police station in West Bengal, on Tuesday was given a show cause notice for negligence in the wake of the Jan 7 killing of seven villagers near the Maoist stronghold."He has been asked to explain in writing the allegations levelled against the police that it went to the spot hours after the incident though the police station was 3.5 km from the spot," West Midnapore District Superintendent of Police Manoj Verma, who issued the show cause notice, told the media.The show cause notice came a day after a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by the Calcutta High Court Bar Association, which alleged that despite repeated phone calls since 9.30 a.m., personnel from the Lalgarh police station reached the spot after 12.30 p.m.The Calcutta High Court division bench also directed the state government to send an officer of a deputy inspector general (DIG) rank to Lalgarh police station to collect the case diary and produce it before the court immediately.A senior police officer said Verma has asked the officer in-charge to explain in writing why departmental action should not be taken against him for the delay and also asked him to be present before the Deputy Inspector General (Midnapore Range) Anil Kumar to explain his stand.Seven people were killed and at least 20 injured in firing allegedly triggered by assailants sheltered in an armed cadre's camp of the state's ruling Communist Party of India-Marxist. (IANS)

Reshuffle in Union Council of Ministers after Jan 14?!

the Union Council of Ministers could take place anytimeafter January 14 amid indications that the exercise was stillbeing given final touches.

The talk in Congress circles is that while the partywants the reshuffle in the government to be a major exercise,Prime Minister Manmohan Singh appears to be in favour of itbeing a limited affair.

Talks have it that Kapil Sibal could retain his newcharge of Telecom where he was brought in over a month backfollowing the resignation of A Raja in the wake of the 2GSpectrum scam.

Sibal is holding charge of HRD Ministry as also Scienceand Technology. The latter was given to him after PrithvirajChavan was made Maharashtra Chief Minister. Party generalsecretary Janardan Dwivedi's name is doing the rounds for theHRD ministry.

The DMK appears to be making a pitch for an additionalministerial berth in wake of Raja's exit but Congress circlesare doubtful whether it would be conceded to, given the factthat the ally would not be able to mount much pressure in viewof the scam.

The names of Union Ministers Ambika Soni, VilasraoDeshmukh and Gurudas Kamat are doing the rounds for partywork.

The buzz is that Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh, whois a Minister of State (Independent charge) could be elevatedto Cabinet rank.

The occasion could also be used to fill the slot vacatedby the Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor,who quit last year in wake of the IPL Kochi ownershipcontroversy.

The names of Planning Commission Deputy Chairman MontekSingh Ahluwalia and UIDIA chief Nandan Nilekani are also doingthe rounds for inclusion in the government.

Congress sources, however, say that since there werehardly any vacancy in the Rajya Sabha, it would be a difficulttask to bring in no! n-MPs as ministers.

A reshuffle of the AICC secretariat as alsoreconstitution of the Congress Working Committee is pendingfor long and party chief Sonia Gandhi is expected to use theopportunity for inductions in the party.

PTI

Jagan stages show of strength in Delhi; Congress on backfoot

New Delhi: Jagan Mohan Reddy, who staged a rally in Delhi on Tuesday, where he was on a hunger strike, was detained by the Delhi Police and later released in the evening. Soon after, he ended his fast.

Jagan's fast was officially to protest against what he describes as the "injustice" delivered to Andhra's farmers by a recent verdict on the waters of the River Krishna. But the not-so-secret agenda was to taunt the Congress on its own turf by highlighting that Jagan is now a credible political opponent. (Read: Jagan takes direct aim at Congress in Delhi)

YSR's son was accompanied by 24 Congress leaders from Andhra Pradesh - 20 MLAs, two members of legislative councils, and two MPs.

Tuesday's public show of support by Congress leaders, Jagan says, is a precursor to a more formal bond. "I am a gentleman," he said. "And I'm doing the Congress a favour by not asking my people to resign. If I wanted to, I could've done that a long time back. The government would've fallen. But my people are very clear that in 2014, they will contest not on a Congress ticket but on my party's ticket." (Watch)

The Congress party reacted by stating that their government is not under any threat. "Let me put any fears to rest. Congress government in Andhra was never, is not and will never be under any threat," party spokesperson Manish Tewari said. That did not help save face, especially as its flock voiced opinions far more freely than the party presumably prefers. Jai Sudha, a Congress MLA from Secundarabad, said, "YSR was my mentor. I've always been his follower and so it goes without saying that I will follow Jagan. I respect the Congress and Sonia ji but I will always follow Jagan." She added, "If the party initiates disciplinary action, we're prepared."

To add to the show of defiance in Delhi, Congress MPs from Telangana in Hyderabad demanded that the bill for the formation of Telangana be introduced in Parliament in the Budget Session.!

"We know that if we resign, party will not give Telangana. We want to be in the party and pressurise our party. We want to bring the Bill in Parliament," said Congress MP Rajgopal Reddy.

The big question now is: Just how will the Congress counter the Jagan challenge in Andhra? Also, will it take any action against its legislators who have openly defied the party high command? For now the party is putting up a brave front.

Jagan quit the Congress last month after a 14-month long rebellion that began when his father, YSR Reddy, died in a helicopter crash, and this party did not pick Jagan to replace him.

He has announced that he is setting up his own party, named after his father, who was legendary in Andhra Pradesh for his popularity among voters.

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Aarushi's father says email account's been hacked

New Delhi: The father of murdered teenager Aarushi Talwar has claimed that his e-mail account which he used for communicating with the CBI has been hacked and fears that the information in it could be "misused".

The Hotmail account of Rajesh Talwar was allegedly hacked a week before the CBI submitted its closure report in the Aarushi Talwar murder case on December 29.

"I was surprised when on the morning of December 23 some of my friends called me up asking me if I needed any help. Mails were sent from my account to my friends telling them that I was in some foreign land and needed help. It was then that I found that my e-mail account was hacked," Talwar said.

He said, "I check my e-mail account on almost daily basis as this is the only account that has been used by us to communicate with the CBI on matters related to Aarushi's murder. I fear it can be misused."

Fourteen-year-old Aarushi, the only daughter of doctor-couple Rajesh and Nupur Talwar, was found dead in her apartment in Jal Vayu Vihar, Noida on May 16, 2008.

The police had named Hemraj, their domestic help as the main suspect until the dead body of the accused was also discovered in the same house the next day.

"Everything that they (CBI) wanted to know from us about Aarushi which could be of help in the investigation was communicated to us through email and if we had any queries they would send replies to this account," he said.

The CBI took over investigation into the double murder on June 1, 2008.

However, it has not been able to make any headway in the case and last month filed a closure report in a Ghaziabad court saying it could not get sufficient evidence to nail anyone.

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Samjhauta Express blast: NIA announces cash reward for information on accused

New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has announced cash rewards for those who help locate three accused in connection with the Samjhauta Express bomb blast.

The NIA is investigating the case relating to the bomb blast in Samjhauta Express in February 2007, which resulted in the death of 68 people.

Rewards have been announced for locating Sandeep Dange, Ramchandra Kalsangra and Ashok who are involved in the case.

A cash reward of Rs. 10 lakh each has been announced for any person providing information leading to the arrest of Sandeep Dange and Ramchandra Kalsangra. Whereas a reward of Rs. 2 lakh has been announced for any person providing information leading to the arrest of Ashok.

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Aseemanand helps cops piece puzzle together

NEW DELHI: Disclosure of Hindu extremists' role in the Samjhauta Express blast is not just limited to the confession of Swami Aseemanand. The National Investigation Agency (NIA), which has been probing the case since July last year, has collected evidence, right from where the bombers stayed in Ambala to who purchased the suitcases used to carry explosives on board the train, which point to their clear roles.

Sources in the agency, which is currently interrogating the Swami, said sleuths had also got details of shelters used by the key operational men Sunil Joshi, Sandeep Dange and Ramchandra Kalsangra after carrying out the blasts on Samjhauta Express at Diwana near Panipat in Haryana.

"Aseemanand is being taken to different places to get more details about these shelters. It was found during the probe that a number of businessmen in Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Rajasthan had given the trio shelter after the Samjhauta blast," an official said.


Though the agency has been desperately looking for Dange and Kalsangra to unravel the mystery, their search has become a lot more crucial with Aseemanand's lawyer claiming that the accused had made his confession under duress.

Lt-Col Srikant Purohit, who has been in jail for his role in the 2008 Malegaon blast, also spoke about Joshi and his group and told his interrogators that the Hindu extremist team had full support of over 3,000 members of Abhinav Bharat.

"Most of these members are businessmen spread in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. Their roles in providing shelter to Dange and Kalsangra are being thoroughly verified while the agency is desperately looking for the duo," said a source.
Though the confessional statement of Aseemanand which was recorded by metropolitan magistrate Deepak Dabas here on December 18 last year did not elaborate on the places visited by the bombers after the blast, it dropped enough hints as to how the entire operation was planne! d and ex ecuted.

The official said, "Had Haryana Police, which probed the incident for over three years, pressed its leads further, they would have certainly reached the Hindu extremists much earlier."

Aseemanand, who unlike what his lawyer claimed clearly stated before the magistrate that he was "making the confession voluntarily and without any fear, force, coercion or inducement", said the responsibility to carry out the attack on Samjhauta Express was given to Sunil Joshi (who was reportedly killed by his own men in December 2007) who told him that Dange would arrange for some chemicals to carry out the blast.

"Joshi told me that there must be three groups for carrying out the bomb blast. While one group would look for finance and other logistics, the second group would arrange for materials to make bomb and the third group would plant the bomb," said the Swami in his confession.

He also said that Joshi told him about his involvement in the Samjhauta attack with the help of others including two Muslim boys.

Bizarre RTI query: What is IQ level of Gandhi?!

New Delhi: What is the Intelligent Quotient of Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi?

This bizarre question came up by way of a RTI query before the Central Information Commission which promptly dismissed his plea with an observation that seeking such kind of details is surely "stretching the limits" of the Right to Information Act a "bit too far."

The applicant, a resident of Ahmedabad, had sought information about Mahatma Gandhi, some of the former Presidents of India and other Ministers asking for their correct date and time of birth, their blood group and above all their IQ.

But, the Central Public Information Officer had informed him that the desired information was not available with the President's Secretariat leading the applicant to go in for an appeal.

While dismissing his appeal before him, Central Information Commissioner Satyananda?Mishra noted that "seeking the information about the IQ of the Ministers or the former Presidents is surely stretching the limits of the Right to Information Act, a bit to far."

PTI