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Saturday,
July 26, 2003, Chandigarh, India  
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India seeks clarifications on Hawks Need to have DNA database Punjab CM pleads cane growers’ case BJP begins talks on civil code with
allies RSS men in MPs’ team for
Pakistan Vij visits Tanda Army camp |
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Woman burnt in tandoor was
Naina : DNA tests Sex with false promises is rape, says court Assess damage due to Taj corridor project, says SC Opposition
seeks fair probe into Pandya’s murder ‘Nirmala’ still a Class XII text Clash in House over civil code Notice to Haryana on Dalal’s
plea
MP agenda for minorities Prem Bhatia award for Praveen Swami Four kidnapped in Bihar
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India seeks clarifications on Hawks New Delhi, July 25 According to sources in the Ministry of Defence (MoD), the queries were sent to the British Government and the BAe Systems earlier in the month to ensure there was a complete transparency in the purchase process. It was also ensured that as and when a decision is taken on the purchase of the AJTs, there are no allegations of kickbacks to follow. The queries were apparently sent at the initiative of Defence Minister George Fernandes. Following the bribery allegations, Mr Fernandes had announced the calling off of the entire purchase process and that fresh evaluations would be undertaken before a final decision was taken. The ministry has sought to specifically know whether any attempts were made by the BAe Systems to provide illegal gratifications to any officials of the ministry or the Air Force at anytime during the evaluation or even after that. Any revelations to such attempts would put the entire evaluation process under a cloud. This query has become more important due to earlier allegations brought out during the Tehelka’s Operation West End where the then Samata Party treasurer, Mr R.K. Jain, had allegedly claimed that an agent for the BAe Systems had made corrupt approaches. Mr Jain had reportedly refused the offer from the company because he claimed that he had been signed up by Hawk’s Russian rivals. There have been allegations of bribery against BAe officials in a Czech arms deal and also in Qatar and South Africa. The ministry has apparently further sought to know from the British Government the reasons for the UK Treasury blocking the supply of the aircraft to the RAF. There is apparently a thinking now in the ministry that if the British Government was not looking at the Hawks favourably why should India consider these. Earlier reports have said that a confidential advice from UK Chancellor of Exchequer Gordon Brown’s Department had concluded that the BAe Systems bid had failed to meet the UK’s value-for-money criteria. Incidentally, one of the reasons for India not signing the contract for the purchase of Hawks in the past has been price being demanded by the company. The company critically wants to supply the Hawks for the RAF as that would put a stamp of credibility on its product. Any drop in orders, either from the RAF or from the IAF could mean redundancy notices for more than 450 workers at the company’s facility at
Brough. The ministry is expected to put the answers from the Britain in front of the Cabinet Committee on Security. The BAe Hawk and the Czech manufactured and the US-backed L-159B are the two aircraft which have been shortlisted by the IAF after thorough evaluation. |
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Need to have DNA database New Delhi, July 25 The communication follows a detailed study by Interpol which found that many member countries are ignoring this vital aspect of international policing. “In India we do not have a national database. Nor do we share data with Interpol on a regular basis,” according to a source. The recent example being that a ministerial sub-committee had recommended “severe punishment” for three police officers and two doctors who had been found guilty of “fudging” DNA samples of five innocent civilians killed by security forces on the plea that they were militants involved in a massacre in Jammu and Kashmir. In this case, several attempts were made to allegedly tamper with the DNA tests in laboratories in Kolkata and Hyderabad. Experts here say that the police does do not follow a proper system in the killing of terrorists. There is no practice of the bodies of terrorists being sent to the laboratories for DNA or recording their fingerprints. Nor are the photographs published. Weapons and explosives seized from the terrorists are not sent to the laboratories for forensic examination. In 9/11 attack in New York, the government immediately published the photographs of the suspected terrorists and several thousands of clues flooded the US investigating agencies about the slain terrorists from across the world. Even when terrorists attacked Parliament House and American Center in Kolkata, the photographs of suspected terrorists were never published. |
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Punjab CM pleads cane growers’ case New Delhi, July 25 He came to the aid of sugarcane farmers by stating that the Centre was acting in a partisan manner by not including Punjab in the list of states to be party to the Rs 600-crore one-time financial aid. The international prices were low and the Centre had no other option, he said while interacting with mediapersons here. Capt Amarinder Singh said farmers needed to diversify and go in for contract farming. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved the MSP for common and grade A varieties of paddy at Rs 550 per quintal and Rs 580 per quintal, respectively, last night. Though there would be Rs 20 a quintal hike in the MSP, clubbing of last year’s MSP with the special drought relief would mean that the MSP would be the same as last year. The government accepted the recommendation of the Commission on Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) on MSP for paddy. The CACP had recommended clubbing last year’s MSP for paddy at Rs 530 and Rs 560 per quintal for two grades with the one-time special drought relief of Rs 20 per quintal. For the 2002-03 season, the CACP had suggested a freeze in the MSP at Rs 530 and Rs 560 per quintal for common and grade ‘A’ paddy, respectively. On the woes of sugarcane farmers, the Chief Minister said, “I have written to the Prime Minister that it is an unfair policy to keep out Punjab from the one-time financial assistance worked out to ease the problems faced by sugarcane farmers.” |
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BJP begins talks on civil code with
allies New Delhi, July 25 While party sources said some of the allies wanted more time to study the matter before forming an opinion, they also insisted that there were no differences among allies over the issue. The BJP leaders tried to blame the opposition parties, particularly the Congress and the Left, by saying that some organisations were criticising the Supreme Court on the issue and had even gone to the extent of stating that the apex court had no jurisdiction on such matters. Meanwhile, the Shiv Sena has decided to move a motion in the Lok Sabha in favour of implementation of the uniform civil code in the country. The BJP Parliamentary Party spokesman, Mr Vijay Kumar Malhotra, said there were several Muslim countries where the common code was in force. There should be no apprehensions over the issue among the parties, he said, adding that if all parties arrived at a consensus on the matter, the government would bring in a legislation in this session itself. Meanwhile, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has said that the recommendation by the Supreme Court for a uniform civil code, instead of helping the cause of “national integration”, would have the reverse effect, particularly in the context of the “offensive” communal politics being practised by the Hindutva platform and the related insecurity among the minorities, especially the Muslims. A CPM politburo statement said many of the personal laws of different communities, including those of the majority community, discriminated against women and not in consonance with the rights accorded to Indian citizens by the Constitution. |
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RSS men in MPs’ team for
Pakistan New Delhi, July 25 The delegation is likely to have as members senior RSS leader M. G. Vaidya, its joint General Secretary Sunil Soni, BJP MPs Anadi Charan Sahu, S. S. Ahluwalia, Vijendra Pal Singh and Balbir Punj and Congress MP Margaret Alva, sources connected with organising the trip said. The exercise being organised under the auspices of the South Asia Free Media Association was expected to be attended by 50 participants from Pakistan. The dialogue was expected to witness a free-wheeling discussion of ideas and was likely to come up with an “alternative formula” on resolution of the Kashmir problem, the sources said. The dialogue is part of an ongoing exercise of informal meetings at the people-to-people level representing all sections of the community and such discussions have been held in Dhaka and Kathmandu prior to SAARC summits. Earlier in the day, the RSS said it would consider any invitation to participate in a peace dialogue in Islamabad early next month. “We have not received any invitation so far though we have been told that the organisers were interested in our
participation. We will think over it, we are not against it,” RSS spokesman Ram Madhav said. BJP spokesman Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said “a delegation of this kind at this time would be the right step”. |
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Vij visits Tanda Army camp New Delhi, July 25 General Vij, after visiting the Tanda Army camp, the scene of recent attack by militants in which eight Army personnel, including a Brigadier, were killed, held talks with officers in Udhampur. He also visited the areas where Army has been deployed for the security of Amarnath pilgrims. —
PTI |
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Woman burnt in
tandoor was Naina : DNA tests New Delhi, July 25 Citing DNA finger printing tests done by experts, Special Public Prosecutor A P Ahluwalia told Additional Sessions Judge G P Thareja that DNA samples taken from the body parts recovered from a tandoor were genetically similar to the samples taken from the body of Sahni’s father Harbhajan Singh and mother Jaswant Kaur. Referring to the findings of Hyderabad-based Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology head Lalji Singh and Chief of DNA finger printing at Centre for Finger Printing and Diagnostics Dr G V Rao, the counsel said since the other children of Harbhajan and Jaswant were alive, the sample was identified as that of Naina. However, the court was not satisfied with this explanation given by Mr Ahluwalia and asked him to convince it on Monday as to how the experts came to such an inference. —
PTI |
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Sex with false promises is rape, says court Kolkata, July 25 (IANS) A two-judge Bench, comprising Justices Nure Alam Chowdhury and Arunabha Barua, made the observation while hearing the case of Kalipada Garui, accused of tricking a physically challenged woman into living with him saying he would marry her. Denying Garui bail Wednesday, the court agreed with the prosecutor’s argument that the case should be treated as rape because the question of “voluntary consent” between the man and the woman was in dispute. Garui has been accused of taking advantage of the woman’s helplessness, living with her and taking her for holidays. The woman said she agreed
because he had promised to marry her. But Garui got married to somebody else, prompting the woman to go to court. His lawyer, Sivadas Banerjee, said an adult unmarried man and woman could live together if they both consented to the arrangement. Prosecutor Asines Goswami said an adult man and woman could live together but it should be treated as rape if she later complained that she had been lured into the arrangement because the man had promised marriage. Or if she said that she had lived under duress. “Garui did not love the woman but only acted as if he was in love so that he could gratify his sexual desires,” Goswami said. The two-judge Bench agreed, but has yet to give a ruling. This was Garui’s second bail plea. |
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Assess damage due to Taj corridor project, says SC New Delhi, July 25 A Bench comprising Mr Justice M.B. Shah and Mr Jusitce A.R. Lakshmanan directed the Central Technical Committee, earlier appointed by the Union Government, to assess the damage in the area and also the loss caused to the construction material by the flooded Yamuna. Under the Taj Haritage Corridor project, 75 acres were to be reclaimed from the Yamuna bed to create a 5-km corridor behind Taj Mahal up to Atra Fort with shopping plazas, an amusement park and restaurants on the way. Besides, Taj Mahal, the other monuments threatened by the project are; Eatmad-Ud-Daula’s tomb, Chinni-ka-Rauja, Aram Bagh and Agra Fort. The direction for assessing the damage was issued by the court on a plea made by advocate Krishan Mahajan, who was earlier appointed as head of a committee by the court to monitor the implementation of its various directives issued since 1996 regarding protection of the ecology and environment around the Taj, one of the seven most important world heritage structures. Mr Mahajan said the construction site needed to be inspected by experts to see whether any damage had been done to the area, especially when the river was overflowing due to the heavy rain in the current monsoon. He said the rubble of the construction material was obstructing the flow of the river, which could cause damage to the entire river bed. Union Government counsel A.D.N. Rao told the court that Tourism and Culture Minister Jagmohan had already appointed a Central Technical Committee to assess the damage caused by the project in the area. The court-appointed Mah-ajan Committee, earlier in its report had said that reclaiming the land from the Yamuna bed for the corridor project would narrow the path of the river, which might result in flash-flood and loosen the soil. This would pose a major threat to Taj Mahal and other important monuments. While ordering a CBI inquiry on July 16 into the entire episode, which has turned into a major political controversy allegedly involving UP Chief Minister Mayawati, the Bench had taken strog exception to the state government giving a green light to the project, for which it had already released Rs 17 crore. |
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Opposition
seeks fair probe into Pandya’s murder New Delhi, July 25 Amidst protests from BJP members, particularly from Gujarat, the Opposition termed Pandya’s killing as a “political murder” and said a fair probe could not be conducted under the Chief Ministership of Mr Narendra Modi. Congress member S. Jaipal Reddy said Pandya’s father had publicly stated that Mr Modi was “involved” in the murder. |
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‘Nirmala’ still a Class XII text New Delhi, July 25 However, the novel “Jyon Mehandi Ko Rang” by Mridula Sinha had also been recommended for the same examination. This was stated by Minister of State for Human Resource Development Dr Vallabhbhai Kathiria in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha. She quoted the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and the Committee of Course in Hindi in this regard. She was asked whether the CBSE had decided to remove the novel. The decision to replace and prescribe new textual materials was made by this committee, she added. Load of school bag on children: The minister informed the House that the government would ensure lighter school bags and less strenuous study load on children. More importance would now be given to skills and processes rather than theoretical details up to secondary level. Quoting recommendations of the National Curriculum Framework for School Education, the minister said the integration of art, work and health education into art of healthy and productive living at the primary level and the integration of history, geography, civics and economics into social sciences from class VI to X would result in lighter school bags and less study load, she added. Mistakes in the history book for Class XII: The minister admitted that some “inaccuracies” and errors had crept into the history book for Class XII, titled “Modern India” authored by Satish Mittal, a retired Professor of history, Kurukshetra University, Haryana. However, these were mainly editorial errors, including some mistakes in dates and names, which had inadvertently crept in. In tune with NCERT’s policy to constantly review its textbooks and remove any deficiencies in them, any error in the book in question, would be rectified when the reprint version of the book was published. Establishment of institutes for quality teachings: The government was examining a proposal put forward by the UGC to establish four centres for studies in integrated sciences for promoting quality teaching and research in basic sciences in collaboration with other scientific agencies in the Tenth Plan, the minister added. —UNI |
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Clash in House over civil code New Delhi, July 25 Speaker Manohar Joshi said the demand for a detailed discussion on the matter could be brought under the consideration of the Business Advisory Committee. Mr Suresh Jadhav (Shiv Sena) termed the observation of the Supreme Court as “historic” and said for the country to remain united it was imperative that the apex court’s suggestion be implemented. Mr Rasa Singh Rawat (BJP) said the government should consider the Supreme Court’s suggestion. Irked by these comments, Mr G.M. Banatwala of the Muslim League called for the scrapping of Article 44 of the Constitution. “The Article is an insult on the Constitution”, he said. |
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Notice to Haryana on Dalal’s
plea New Delhi, July 25 A Bench, headed by Mr Justice K.G. Balakrishnan, while issuing notices, directed the state government and the Vigilance Department to submit their replies to the SLP by Mr Dalal, against whom an FIR was registered on May 2, 2000. The Vigilance Department had alleged that Mr Dalal, while holding the charge of Forest Minister in the Bansi Lal government, had caused a loss of Rs 1 crore to the state exchequer and monetary gain for himself by showing the purchase price of bio-fertiliser bought from Panipat firm Bharat Bio-Fertiliser as Rs 50 per kg, while it was available in the market at Rs 17 per kg. It was also alleged that Bharat Bio-Fertiliser was a bogus firm. However, Mr Dalal in his SLP claimed that the firm was genuine and approved by the Union Government. The SLP claimed that the fertiliser was purchased from the firm when present Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala was holding the forest portfolio during his earlier tenure and during the tenure of two other ministers — Mr Jagdish Yadav and Mr Rambhaj. The high court, while allowing anticipatory bail plea of Mr Dalal, had directed that his plea for regular bail would be considered by the trial court after taking into account the material before it with regard to the investigation in the case. The high court had also said if Mr Dalal was found threatening or pressurising witnesses, it would be open for the trial court to cancel his bail. |
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Brides exchanged to beat visa blues Jodhpur, July 25 The police arrested a Pakistani woman in Jaisalmer district on Wednesday for illegally entering into India by violating immigration laws, SP (CID) Prashakha Mathur said here yesterday. Badhu Khan of Jaisalmer district devised an ingenious plan to get his son Gale Khan married in Pakistan and couple of years later, tie his daughter’s nuptial knot in a village across the border to get his daughter-in-law to India, the SP said. Khan visited Pakistan in 1998 on a valid visa and married off his son to one Sumari of Gotaki village across the border only to return leaving her behind, he said. Khan visited Pakistan again in 2000, this time with his daughter Babari, who was married to Sumari’s brother Rahim, he said. Khan then brought his daughter-in-law Sumari to India on his daughter’s passport, who stayed back in Pakistan with her in-laws. Gale Khan, with his Pakistani bride, kept changing residence for nearly three years to evade detection, but the police finally caught up with them in Kehar Fakir ki Dhani, near Amarapura in Jaisalmer district, and arrested Sumari for violating the Passport Act. —
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agenda for minorities Bhopal, July 25 Children of families living below the poverty line from these communities will not be required to pay tuition or other fees while studying in Class IX or XII in schools of excellence. Technical and vocational middle schools, ITIs and polytechnics will be set up in predominantly minority areas. Madarsas will be modernised and subjects like science, mathematics and computer will be introduced there. |
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Prem Bhatia award for Praveen Swami New Delhi, July 25 The award comprises a citation and a cash component of Rs 1 lakh. Mr Swami’s name was selected by a jury headed by Mr S. Nihal Singh. Other members of the jury were Mr Ajit Bhattacharjea, Mr Harish Khare, Mr Madhavan Kutty, Mr Inder Malhotra and Mr S.K. Singh. The presentation of the award at a function here on August 11 will coincide with the Prem Bhatia Memorial Lecture, to be delivered by Mr Lakshman Kadirgamar, former Minister of Foreign Affairs and now Senior Adviser to the Sri Lankan President on foreign affairs. Mr Kadirgamar is slated to speak on the topic “World Affairs after Iraq.” |
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Four kidnapped in Bihar Sasaram, July 25 Barely a day after the kidnapping of the nephew of a state minister, coal merchant Dhananjay Kumar and bank manager R B Sharma were kidnapped from Rohtas district triggering public protest. A Sheikhpura report said armed men raided the house of a jeweller Subodh Mahato at Barbigha market and looted assets worth over Rs 1.5 lakh while taking away his 12-year-old son Nitish Kumar. In another incident, eight-year-old Rahul Kumar, son of a businessman Hira Sao, was kidnapped at Chewag market in Sheikhpura late last night. Angry locals jammed the GT Road at Dehri for several hours. Shopkeepers downed their shutters in Chewag market in protest against the abduction today. —
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CHARGES FRAMED
AGAINST VAIKO LIFE TERM FOR 9 IN MURDER CASE 4 HELD IN VARSITY MURDER CASE ISI AGENT DIES AT HOSPITAL |
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