Sunday, February 7, 1999
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Jang to host talks with Indian MPs NEW DELHI, Feb 6 — In a significant development, more than 24 parliamentarians, including those from the BJP and the Shiv Sena are proceeding to Islamabad next week to take part in a two-day first-ever non-official Indo-Pakistan dialogue. Keep executive bait off Bench:
Sorabjee |
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Salman case: lab confirms poaching JAIPUR, Feb 6 — The Police Forensic Laboratory has confirmed that the black bucks and chinkaras whose bodies were recovered from Mathania, Bhawad and Kankani in October last were victim of hunters and not killed by dogs.
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Saraswati Samman for
Shankha Ghosh Pacemaker
bank for poor General
Chhibber, Sunil Dutt felicitated Cong
decries ULFA ‘ban’ on oil |
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Salman case: lab confirms
poaching JAIPUR, Feb 6 — The Police Forensic Laboratory has confirmed that the black bucks and chinkaras whose bodies were recovered from Mathania, Bhawad and Kankani in October last were victim of hunters and not killed by dogs. It may be recalled that film star Salman Khan was arrested in Jodhpur in October last on the charge of poaching of black bucks and chinkaras. He had to spend several days in forest and police lock-ups and jail. The other film stars arrested along with Salman on the charge of abetting the crime were Saif Ali, Neelam Kothari, Tabu, Sonali Bendre and Satish Shah. These stars were later released on bail. After getting this report confirming the poaching of the antelopes, the prosecution will now put up challans against the film stars in the court. The case had got a dramatic turn when a state vet had certified that the bodies of the black bucks and chinkara alleged to have been killed by Salman and his companions showed no signs of poaching. Instead, the vet had said that these protected animals were killed by dogs as they were unable to run to safety. The vet had also certified that while running one of the animals broke its leg. A quick re-examination was ordered and the board of vets belied the earlier post-mortem report and asserted that the animals died on account of bullet shots. Subsequently, a more comprehensive test was ordered to get to the truth. The vet who had ‘manipulated’ the report in a bid to save Salman was subsequently suspended from service. The case was then referred to the state Police Forensic Laboratory. A team of scientists from the laboratory went to Mathania and Kankani villages and traced the spots where the animals had actually been killed. The team lifted samples of blood which had dried with the passage of time. The laboratory examination confirmed that the blood on samples recovered from Mathania was that of a chinkara and the one recovered from Kankani was that of a black buck. The forensic laboratory also got the samples cross-checked from a forensic laboratory in Calcutta. The Calcutta laboratory has confirmed that the marks in the Gypsy found on the spot of killing were similar to the one seized by the Forest Department from the film stars during investigation. Though the alleged poachers had cleaned the Gypsy by washing, the investigation team still found blood-stained spots in it. The forensic laboratory is now engaged in examining various weapons recovered from the film stars. Experts say that the 0.22 rifle seized from Salman Khan is capable of killing the antelopes. Three criminal cases have
been registered against these film stars in connection
with poaching. The first case was registered by the
Forest Department on October 1 for killing two chinkaras
at Kankani. Another case of killing black bucks was
registered by the police at Mathania. The third one was
registered at Luni police station under the Arms Act. |
Jang to host talks with Indian
MPs NEW DELHI, Feb 6 — In a significant development, more than 24 parliamentarians, including those from the BJP and the Shiv Sena are proceeding to Islamabad next week to take part in a two-day first-ever non-official Indo-Pakistan dialogue. The dialogue, being hosted by The News — a leading Pakistani English newspaper of the largest Jang Group of Newspapers — will discuss issues of peace, security and cooperation between the two countries. The Jang Group is bearing all expenditures for the two-day meeting. The dialogue will commence on February 14. The elected representatives from India and Pakistan will make a serious effort to evolve a deeper understanding on major issues confronting the two sovereign countries. The invitation letter, written by the Editor Current Affairs of The News, Mr Imtiaz Alam, said : “Now, after the Pokhran-II and the Chaghi tests and before entering the 21st century, the leading parliamentarians, representing different parties in both houses of parliaments of the two neighbours, will engage in a constructive and informed discourse.” From the BJP, a former Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Mrs Sushma Swaraj, a former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister, Mr Shanta Kumar, Chandigarh Lok Sabha MP, Mr Satya Pal Jain, the party Treasurer, Mr Vedprakash Goyal, the party Vice-President, Mr K.L. Sharma, Rajya Sabha MPs Arun Shourie, Mr T.N. Chaturvedi, Mr K.R. Malkani and Dr Mahesh Chandra Sharma are going to take part in the dialogue. A Shiv Sena MP, Mr Adhik Shirodkar, is also in the Indian delegation. Trinamool Congress MPs — Mr Ajit Panja and Mrs Krishna Bose — and the BSP MP, Mr Arif Mohammad Khan are also proceeding to Islamabad. An independent Rajya Sabha MP from Punjab, Mr Barjinder Singh Hamdard and an AIADMK Rajya Sabha MP, Mr R.K. Kumar, are also in the Indian delegation. The Congress would be represented by Dr Balram Jakhar, Mr Madhavsinh Solanki, Mr Kamal Nath, Mr Mukul Wasnik, Mrs Meira Kumar, Mr Kapil Sibal, Mr Murli Deora, Mr K.M. Khan and Miss Mabel Rebello. The AICC Secretary, Mr Mani Shankar Aiyar would be an observer at the meeting. Leading journalists — Mr Digant Oza and Mr Sushant Sareen — would act as coordinators at the dialogue. The Speaker of the
National Assembly of Pakistan, Mr Illahi Buksh Soomro,
the Deputy Chairman of the Senate, Mr Mir Humayn Khan
Marri, the Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Mr Yasin
Watto along with several other ministers of the Nawaz
Sharif government will be taking part in the dialogue. |
Helmet rule goes for Delhi women NEW DELHI, Feb 6 — The Delhi Government today exempted women pillion riders from the mandatory wearing of helmet in the Capital. Addressing a press conference, Delhi Chief Minister, Sheila Dikshit said “the government has withdrawn the order respecting the sentiments of the people.” However, she advised the citizens to wear helmet for safety reasons. The government’s announcement would, however, exempt only women pillion riders and the male pillion riders would not come under its purview, she clarified. Ms Dikshit stated that the state government had taken the decision after seeking the opinion of the legal department and experts. Clarifying that the announcement was not a violation of the model code of conduct, as by-elections for two Assembly segments are scheduled to be held on February 22, she said “we have made this announcement after taking legal opinion.” Former Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Madan Lal Khurana, a few days before resigning, had stated that the central government had recommended to the Delhi Government to exempt women pillion riders from the mandatory wearing of helmets. The Akali Dal (Badal) Delhi unit president, Mr Avtar Singh Hit, said if wearing headgear other than a turban is forbidden in a religion, a law that makes it compulsory for men or women of that community to use helmets while riding two-wheelers is an encroachment on their right to practise what their faith dictates. But the police and transport policy experts stressed on the safety aspect. Senior traffic police official pointed out to last year’s accident data to show that death figures were much higher in cases in which pillion riders were not wearing helmets. “Undoubtedly, a good helmet if worn properly is a life-saver,” he said. Following a Delhi High Court directive, the Delhi Traffic Police from November 1, 1997, started enforcing the rule which makes it compulsory for pillion riders to wear helmets. The government was soon
flooded with representations from Sikh organisations,
including the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee,
urging the government to exempt Sikh women from the ban
as wearing any kind of headgear was prohibited by their
religion. |
Saraswati Samman for Shankha Ghosh NEW DELHI, Feb 6 (UNI) — Mr Shankha Ghosh’s collection of poems "Gandharba Kabitaguccha’’ in Bengali has been selected for the 1998 Saraswati Samman. Mr Ghosh will receive Rs 5 lakh and a citation as part of the award, considered the highest recognition in the field of Indian literature, a release by the K.K. Birla Foundation said yesterday. The award, given every year to an outstanding literary work in any language in 10 years preceding the Samman year, is decided by a selection committee comprising outstanding scholars and writers headed by former Chief Justice of India, Mr Justice Ranganath Mishra. "A critic of outstanding merit and profound integrity, Mr Ghosh is one of the most formidable scholars of his time...The development of his poetry has reached its pinnacle in the 36 poems collected in the book "Gandharba Kabitaguccha,’’ the profile of the poet circulated by the foundation said. The winners of the earlier
awards include Dr Harivansh Rai Bachchan, Dr Harbhajan
Singh and Mr Manubhai Pancholi. |
Keep executive bait off Bench: Sorabjee KOLHAPUR, Feb 6 (PTI) — Attorney General Soli J. Sorabjee today proposed that Supreme Court and high court judges should not be given post-retirement appointments by the government to ensure their insulation from any kind of executive pressure or influence. Despite various safeguards in the Constitution to maintain independence of judiciary, “executive influences operate in a variety of subtle ways. For example, the prospect of appointment after retirement to some statutory body or council or commission, and sometimes the prospect of gubernatorial office,” Sorabjee said in his convocation address at Shivaji University here. “It is my view that Supreme Court and high court judges after retirement should not be given any assignment nor appointed to any body or tribunal subordinate to the high court or the Supreme Court,” he said. The Attorney General said it was an unseemly sight to witness legal challenges to the orders of former Supreme Court judges in the high court or in the Supreme Court. “The proper course is to give full pension to judges on retirement and avail their services in national interest, for example heading a commission of inquiry in a matter of vital national importance, as and when the occasion arises,” Sorabjee said. The Attorney General supported the idea of increasing the retirement age of judges in the Supreme Court and high courts. “The present retirement age of the high court and Supreme Court judges needs to be increased so that the experience and abilities of the serving judges may be utilised rather than lose them at the early age of 62 and 65,” he said adding that in most countries the usual retirement age for judges was 70 years. Sorabjee also laid stress on easy accessibility of justice terming it as “a basic human right” and said “without easy and expeditious access to justice, enjoyment of other human rights become meaningless.” In this context, he said lawyers foremost responsibility in a free democracy was to avail of every opportunity to inform and educate people about the principles underlying our institutions and the working of the government, and thereby enable them to think and judge themselves and not be fuddled by popular slogans of the day. Regretting a “pathetic fall” in the professional competence of lawyers, he said, “if the vast majority of our people are denied justice for no fault of theirs except that they are too poor to pay for it, Courts of law become objects of cynical derison and lawyers become mere money-spinners.” He said members of Bar must devote a part of their services free of charges for the benefit of the poor and the oppressed. Defending public interest litigations (PIL) and accompanying judicial activism, Sorabjee said the judiciary had to step in as “the alarming loss of control by Parliament on the executive is a stark reality.” He said, “in cases where the executive refuses to carry out the legislative will or ignores or thwarts it, it is surely legitimate for the courts to step in and ensure compliance with the legislative mandate. “When the court is apprised of and is satisfied about gross violations of basic human rights it cannot fold its hands in despair and look the other way,” he added. Referring to pendency of
huge number of cases in the courts, Sorabjee said
“apart from hardship caused to individual litigants,
inordinate delays in disposal of cases have led to the
emergence of a parallel extra legal system of
administration of justice dominated by mafia
groups.” |
Pacemaker bank for poor CALCUTTA, Feb 6 (PTI) — India’s first subsidised pacemaker bank has been set up here by a health care NGO to bring the life-saving gadget within the reach of poor heart patients. The bank, set up by the Legal Aid Services West Bengal (LASWEB), will provide used pacemakers donated or surrendered by original recipient to patients “who wish to live on but cannot afford the exorbitant cost of the pacemaker.” The medical team at LAWSEB has already conducted a few successful transplants after testing, sterilising and re-programming second-hand pacemakers. “It cuts the cost of implantation by 80 per cent,” LAWSEB Joint Secretary Anjan Chakraborty told a press conference here last evening. As against a fresh pacemaker implant which costs about Rs 1 lakh, the recycled one ranges between Rs 15,000 to Rs 20,000, he said. The re-implantation operation is done by a team of doctor-volunteers without any professional fees. Dealers of pacemakers test and programme the pacemakers free of cost, Mr Chakraborty said. “Besides, some hospitals have agreed to provide operation theatres and other facilities free of cost for this socially committed venture,” he said. Mr Chakraborty said the
only unavoidable cost which the recipients have to bear
is the cost of new lead wires and medicines. |
General Chhibber, Sunil Dutt felicitated NEW DELHI, Feb 6 (UNI) — The Punjab Governor, General BKN Chhibber (retd), the Madhya Pradesh Governor, Bhai Mahabir and cine star-turned-politician Sunil Dutt were felicitated today for their achievements and contribution to society. The Mohyal community, which felicitated them at a function at the beginning of the two-day 49th all-India Mohyal conference, especially praised them for contribution in their respective fields of activities. General Chhibber, Bhai Mahabir and Mr Dutt also belong to the Mohyal community. Former Governor S.K. Chhibber was also honoured at the function. The conference paid tributes to members of the community who lost their lives while serving the country. Addressing the conference, the Madhya Pradesh Governor said: “The influence of Western culture on our society has witnessed an upsurge during the recent past and the trend was required to be contained if we want to keep basic structure of society intact.” He said there was a need to take lessons from the deteriorating morals and ethics of Western society where the bond between human beings was fast depleting. “The incidences of violence and sexual harassment were growing in that society and if we want that our society should be safe from such ill-effects, we will have to take corrective measures from today,” Bhai Mahabir said and called upon the people to follow the philosophies of Swami Vivekanand. Mr Sunil Dutt recalled the
contribution of the Mohyal community in building the
country saying that his was one community which made the
maximum possible sacrifice for the country. |
Cong decries ULFA ‘ban’ on oil GUWAHATI, Feb 6 (PTI) — The Congress yesterday criticised the ‘ban’ imposed by the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) on crude outflow and fresh drilling for oil in the state. The Congress state unit president Mr Tarun Gogoi, said: ‘We do not approve such bans and we want more and more explorations so that crude oil can be supplied even to the new refinery (Numaligarh).’ Asked by newsmen if his party was in favour of deployment of Army at oil wells and exploration sites, Mr Gogoi said, ‘That is for the state government to decide, it is not our job to say who should protect such areas’. The Congress chief also denied his party’s links with the ULFA as alleged by the ruling AGP. “To divert peoples’ attention from its failures, the AGP was indulging in false and malicious propaganda against the Congress,’ Mr Gogoi said. The APCC would meet the Prime Minister and Union Home Minister shortly to demand a high level inquiry by a Supreme Court judge into the alleged nexus between extremists and political parties in the state, he said. The former Union Minister
said his party workers would court arrest on February 16
demanding early panchayat poll and would also file a
public interest litigation in the Guwahati High Court on
the issue. |
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| Jaya’s help for 5
infants TIRUCHIRAPALLI: A 32-year-old woman gave birth to quintuplets, including a female child, in a private nursing home here on Friday. Shanti, wife of N. Murugan, from Musiri, has appealed to voluntary organisations for help in rearing the children, as she has already got one daughter. The nursing home authorities told reporters that the babies were healthy. In Chennai, AIADMK chief Jayalalitha on Saturday issued an order to donate Rs 1 lakh from a trust to the parents of the quintuplets. M. Paranjothi, the AIADMK Tiruchi Urban District Secretary, will be handing over the sum today itself to the parents. — (PTI) Escape from fire Civil servant
cycles for peace Gold biscuits
seized Partial response
to bandh Jamia honours
educationist Ali Akbar Khan
honoured |
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