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Arms chopping case: notices to MP Government
Supreme Court
WMD Bill cleared
6 TDP workers, ASI killed
Railway official suspended for checking MPs
Centre’s reply on J&K evacuees’ property sought
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Supreme Court
PIL on Saptharishi episode withdrawn
Shoot on sight orders for TN byelections
Scientist Chidambaram invited to USA
Charges framed against Shibu Soren
Suspended Haryana DPE’s plea rejected
30 MPs to attend SAP meeting in Pakistan
Property worth crores gutted
Non-iodised salt to be banned
Nana Patekar booked
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Arms chopping case: notices to MP Government
New Delhi, May 13 While the Supreme Court Bench, comprising Mr Justice Y.K. Sabharwal, Mr Justice S.B. Sinha and Mr Justice P.P. Naolekar, issued the direction on an application by NGO, Forum for Fact Finding Documentation and Advocacy (FFFDA), whose PIL on the issue of child marriage is pending before the apex court, NHRC Chairman Mr Justice A.S. Anand took suo motu notice of the matter. Senior advocate Colin Gonsalves while moving an application on behalf of the FFFDA, seeking strict action against culprit and award of compensation of Rs 10 lakh to the Anganwadi worker, Shakuntala, also sought a direction to the MP Government to order a judicial probe by a high court judge into the matter. Gonsalves reminded the court that it had earlier issued directions to all district magistrates and superintendents of police to take immediate steps to prevent child marriages. The court directed the MP Chief Secretary to submit a report on the matter and the follow up action taken to nab the
culprits, saying that “it was a very serious thing”. NHRC Chairman said, “It is indeed shocking that she was attacked in such a way and we have taken suo motu notice of it in view of media report.” The Commission also reminded that it had issued certain directions to the Union Government for making changes in the Child Marriage (Prevention) Act. Meanwhile, the Principal Secretary (Home), Mr Bhagirath Prasad, the Principal Secretary (Woman and Child Development), Mr R.N. Bairwa, and the Additional Director-General of Police, Mr Nandan Dube, jointly appeared before mediapersons today. When questioned by reporters they hesitantly admitted that prima facie the attack appeared to relate to the child marriages but only an inquiry would give the facts. The National Commission for Women chairperson, Ms Girija Vyas, met Shakuntala today at the Indore hospital to inquire about the circumstances under which she was attacked. The state government, meanwhile, has announced an assistance of Rs 1 lakh from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund to Ms Verma. Besides, the government would bear all expenses of her treatment. |
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Supreme
Court
New Delhi, May 13 “We deprecate this practice of a party obtaining an order of consent and/or not objecting to an order and then making contrary submission before another forum,” a Bench of Mr Justice
S.N. Variava, Mr Justice A.R. Lakshmanan and Mr Justice S.H. Kapadia said in the order, which was made available to media today. The Bench said if Lalu Prasad had felt aggrieved, the proper course for him was to “immediately come back to this court and get the order clarified”. The apex court reminded that his counsel Ram Jethmalani had given consent for setting up of the Bench comprising the two judges named by the apex court but then a question was raised before Patna High Court’s Acting Chief Justice about the powers of the apex court to order setting up of the Bench. “Undoubtedly the prerogative to constitute a Bench is with the Acting Chief Justice and the order in no way expressed any lack of confidence in him nor takes away his prerogative to constitute the Bench,” the apex court said adding “this court had only requested the Acting Chief Justice to constitute a Bench”. “We, however, wish to clarify that the constitution of a Bench is an administrative function to be performed by the high court Chief Justice…the parties are not to be heard about it. The parties have no say in such matters at this stage,” the apex court Bench said. It directed the high court’s Acting Chief Justice to hear Lalu Prasad and Rabri Devi’s petitions on day-to-day basis, which had been pending for the past more than four years. It was after this plea, that the apex court had issued orders for setting up of the high court Bench of Justice Altab Ahmed and Justice Chandermouli Prasad. Sensing that some other objection might be raised in the matter, the court put it on record that “all parties concerned expressly consent to these directions and state that they shall proceed with those cases. In other words, no party will ask for or be granted any adjournment,” by the high court to ensure speedy disposal of Lalu’s petition. Lalu had objection over Justice Chandermouli Prasad being a judge of the Special Bench and had subsequently moved an application in the apex court pleading to hearing him in “confidence” about the constitution of the Bench. |
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WMD Bill cleared
New Delhi, May 13 The Bill provides for an integrated and overarching legislation on prohibiting unlawful activities in relation to WMD and their delivery systems and related materials, equipment and technologies. The Bill was passed by the Lok Sabha yesterday. Referring to the substantive improvement made by India in its relations with China and Pakistan, Mr Natwar Singh said India was ready to adopt confidence-building measures with China in the nuclear field. About Pakistan, he however, said India had made an offer of “no-first use” of nuclear weapons but Islamabad has not responded so far. Meanwhile, an MEA spokesperson clarified that the passage of this Bill does not indicate any change in New Delhi’s nuclear policy. |
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6 TDP workers, ASI killed
Hyderabad, May 13 The byelection for Penukonda, notorious for its violent faction politics, was necessitated following the murder of TDP legislator Paritala Ravi, in January last. His wife, Suneetha, today filed nomination as a TDP candidate. “A large contingent of TDP activists following the TDP candidate tried to enter the RDO office and when the police tried to stop, the mob pounced on the cops on duty. When an ASI was seriously injured in the attack, the police had to open fire. Three persons were killed in the firing. Some others died in the stampede,” DGP Swaranjit Sen said. The byelection, to be held on June 2, has become a sensitive issue for the government, as the TDP had accused the Congress of aiding the killers of Ravi, who was a force to reckon with in the Rayalaseema region. The Congress, in a bid to retrieve the lost ground, refused to allot the party ticket to Ms Bhanumati, wife of M. Suri, the prime accused in the Ravi case. The ruling Congress asked the TDP to follow in its footsteps and give the ticket to a person with “no factional background” so that the bloody faction politics could be brought to an end in the region. The TDP, however, said the Congress, after eliminating its leader, was trying to project a clean image and went ahead with its decision to nominate Suneetha. Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, who blamed the TDP for the violence, asked the Home Minister K. Jana Reddy and the DGP to rush to Penukonda. He has also ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incident. TDP president N. Chandrababu Naidu blamed the police for the bloodshed. The party also lodged a complaint with the Election Commission against the government. |
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Railway official suspended for checking MPs
Allahabad, May 13 Additional Divisional Railway Manager, Allahabad, A. K. Singh, who had checked the MPs travelling in the Rajdhani Express, was suspended today on the charges of carrying out an inspection at a late hour and also allowing mediapersons to enter the compartment, North Central Railway spokesman R. P. Shrivastava said here. Mr A. K. Singh had been transferred to Varanasi after the incident. Mr Shrivastava claimed that the working at the station and other offices which were disrupted at around 1 pm resumed following an assurance by General Manager I. P. S. Anand that their grievances would be conveyed to the authorities concerned. Mr A. K. Singh had tried to evict some supporters of a group of MPs from Bihar, who included Union Minister Shakeel Ahmed of the Congress and RJD’s Raghunath Jha, Devendra Yadav and Magnilal Mandal, when they were found travelling without tickets. Mr Devendra Yadav had allegedly told the ADRM that he could not check the bona fide of the passengers at a late hour of the night and threatened to have him suspended. Acting on a complaint by the MPs, Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav suspended Mr A. K. Singh.
— PTI |
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Centre’s reply on J&K evacuees’ property sought
New Delhi, May 13 In view of such a categorical statement made by Jammu and Kashmir Advocate-General Altaf H. Naik, a Bench of Chief Justice R.C.
Lahoti, Mr Justice N. Santosh Hegde and Mr Justice G.P. Mathur said no interim direction was warranted to be issued to the state government at this stage. It, however, sought a reply from the Centre, asking it to make its stand clear on the issue whether any such proposal was ever mooted by the state government and posted the matter for hearing after the summer vacation. A petition has been filed in the apex court by the Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party, alleging that some POK tourist riding on the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus had filed applications with the state authorities, seeking restoration of the properties left back by them in the state when they had shifted to the Pakistan-occupied territory in 1947. But the Advocate-General said no application had been received either by the Custodian or the Custodian General of the evacuees’ property for restoration of the same. “There is no intention of the Jammu and Kashmir Government to evict those from the evacuees’ properties who are occupying them,” Mr Naik said. |
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Supreme Court
New Delhi, May 13 A bench comprising Mr Justice Arijit Pasayat and Mr Justice
H.K. Sema extended the term on an application by Supreme Court Registrar-General
B.M. Gupta, who heads the committee. The court, thereafter, posted the hearing to July 18. Notice on blind children
Notices were issued on Friday on a petition seeking constitution of a board of experts to examine the possibility of restoring eyesight of blind children in the country. A bench comprising Mr Justice
Y.K. Sabharwal, Mr Justice S.B. Sinha and Mr Justice P.P. Naolekar sought responses on the petition, alleging that there were several children whose sight could be restored but they were being treated as blind. The petitioner, Dr Harsh Bhalla, has pointed out that the examination of about 120 children in blind schools in Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh did show that 32 of them had a fair possibility of restoration of eyesight. PIL on National Anthem dismissed
The Supeme Court on Friday dismissed a petition seeking deletion of word “Sindh” from the National Anthem for reasons that it is a territory of Pakistan, saying that there was no scope for any change in it. Disapproved filing of public interest litigation on such sensitive issues, a Bench of Chief Justice, Mr R.C.
Lahoti, Mr Justice D.M. Dharamadhikair and Mr Justice G.P. Mathur, imposed a cost of Rs 10,000 on Sanjiv Bhatnagar, who had filed the petition. Order to CBI on IAS officer
The Supreme Court on Friday directed the CBI not to arrest suspended Haryana-cadre IAS officer Sanjeev Kumar, who had exposed the teachers’ recruitment scam in the state, without seeking permission from its director. A Bench comprising Chief Justice R.C.
Lahoti, Mr Justice N. Santosh Hegde and Mr Justice G.P. Mathur further said that the interrogation of the suspended officer should be carried out only with the permission of a competent court. |
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PIL on Saptharishi episode withdrawn
New Delhi, May 13 A Bench headed by Ms Justice Geeta Mittal made it clear to the petitioner that he would have to disclose the source of information and the letter of IAS officer
L.V. Saptharishi in a sworn affidavit, if he wanted that his petition should be heard. Sensing the implications of furnishing such an affidavit, the petitioner’s counsel sought to withdraw the petition, saying that he did not want to press the prayer in the PIL. However, the court gave liberty to the petitioner to file an amended petition by deleting the demand for quashing the appointment of Mr Tandon. Apart from challenging his appointment, the petitioner had sought a probe into the allegations levelled by Mr Saptharishi against Mr Tandon and his colleague N Gopalaswamy that Chhappra election, from where the Railway Minister had contested, were countermanded under pressure. |
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Shoot on sight orders for TN byelections
Chennai, May 13 Elections will be held in Kancheepuram and Gummidipoondi constituencies tomorrow. Shoot on sight orders have been issued against trouble-makers during polling but Tamil Nadu Chief Electoral Officer Naresh Gupta said it would be used as a last resort. He returned from New Delhi this morning after holding discussions with EC officials. The EC’s special observer, Mr K.J. Rao, toured the two constituencies today. Mr Gupta said he also attended the CEOs meeting in New Delhi yesterday. He said the entire poll process at all booths would be videographed, which is being done for the first time in Tamil Nadu. Regarding the (DMK) complaint that 20,000 bogus voters have been included in the Gummidipoondi voters’ list, he said the Election Commission had issued both electoral and supplementary rolls. |
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Scientist Chidambaram invited to USA
New Delhi, May 13 The Foreign Secretary is leaving for the USA on May 15 for holding a number of crucial meetings with top officials and policy planners of the State and Defence Departments. Mr S.
Jaishanker, Joint Secretary (America) in the Ministry of External Affairs, left for Washington early today to prepare ground for Mr Saran’s visit. Three Union ministers, Mr Pranab Mukherjee (Defence), Mr Kapil Sibal (Science and Technology) and Anbumani Ramadoss (Health) — will be paying official visits to the USA between May-end to June, an American diplomat told The Tribune here today. These visits are aimed at forging closer ties between the two countries in the fields of defence, science and technology and health. External Affairs Minister K. Natwar Singh had visited the USA last month. All these visits are preparatory in nature and are aimed at laying the ground work for the upcoming visit of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to Washington in July. US President George Bush has already said Dr Manmohan Singh’s visit, which he was looking forward to, would be very important. The most important indicator of the radically transformed relationship between India and the USA is the official visit of Dr R. Chidambaram to Washington. The man who was rebuffed by Washington some years ago has now been invited by the Americans to thrash out broad contours of nuclear and scientific cooperation between India and the USA. Mr Shyam Saran will also be discussing with the Americans on these issues at policy levels while it will be left to Dr Chidambaram and his delegation members to thrash out technical details of cooperation. The Foreign Secretary is also going to have a meeting with Ms Paula Dobriansky, Under Secretary in the Global Affairs Department. During Mr Saran’s discussions with the Americans, the two sides are expected to push forward the
existing strategic dialogue between them, set up and operationalise the energy dialogue and revitalise the economic dialogue. The energy dialogue will be set up before June end, quite in time for the PM’s bilateral visit to the USA. The energy dialogue will comprise of Cabinet-level ministers from both sides. A CEOs’ forum is also going to be set up before June end. The forum will comprise top captains of industry of the two countries to give a fillip to bilateral trade. Mr Soran will address all these issues during his upcoming US visit. |
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Charges framed against Shibu Soren
Bokaro, May 13 Soren and his son Durga Soren were present in the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate Brahmadeo Gupta here when the charges were framed against them in the case yesterday. Shasuddin Ansari had filed the case against Shibu Soren, his son Durga Soren and two others, alleging that they beat him up and also threatened him. A case was registered in city police station. Shahsinath Jha, was political secretary of Shibu Soren.
— UNI |
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Suspended Haryana DPE’s plea rejected
New Delhi, May 13 Vacating the February 21 order in which a series of directions were issued by the court, including providing a blanket protection to Sanjiv Kumar against arrest by the CBI, a Bench of Chief Justice, Mr R.C. Lahoti, Mr Justice D.M. Dharmadhikari and Mr Justice G.P. Mathur said the investigation would continue to be as per its earlier orders. Prior to hearing his applications, the court had heard CBI Director U.S. Mishra in camera with records of the case after Sanjiv Kumar had accused agency’s SP heading the probe team of demanding Rs 55 lakh bribe from him. The agency had said the SP had been removed from the probe team and charges against him were looked into. The court, however, put a rider for the agency against the possible arrest of Sanjiv Kumar that he would not be taken into custody by the CBI unless such an action had a specific approval from its Director. The court made it clear that “there will be no harassment” of the officer if ever he was arrested, he be produced before a court immediately. As per the court’s earlier orders, the CBI was directed to probe the JBT scam and two cases of alleged corruption against Sanjiv Kumar, while all three departmental inquiries (DIs) initiated by the Haryana Government against him were transferred to the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC). The Haryana Government was directed to reframe charges in one of the three DIs as had been suggested by the CVC so that it could take the matter to a “logical conclusion”. |
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30 MPs to attend SAP meeting in Pakistan
New Delhi, May 13 Thirty MPs from India will attend the conference of parliamentarians from South Asia at Islamabad and nearby Muree hill station, K.K. Katyal, President of the India Chapter of the South Asian Free Media Association
(SAFMA) said today. The MPs have been drawn from all the mainstream political parties like the Congress, BJP, Left Front constituents, RJD,
JD(U), Samajwadi Party, National Conference, BSP, Lok Jan Shakti and Akali Dal, he said. Being organised by
SAFMA, the SAP will bring together on one forum, parliamentarians from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal. Katyal said the delegates were nominated by the central leadership of each party, implying their commitment to the plans to involve parliamentarians in matters of peace and cooperation in the region. He said apart from media-related issues, SAFMA had been addressing concerns regarding peace, stability and cooperation in the region since its inception in 2000. Inter-state conflicts in South Asia was the theme of a regional conference held in New Delhi in October last year. Earlier, at Dhaka, another regional conference focused on regional cooperation — the Islamabad — Muree meeting represents the first tangible followup of SAFMA’s Dhaka Declaration.
— PTI, UNI |
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Property worth crores gutted
Dehra Dun, May 13 Losses to the tune of Rs 10 crore have been reported after preliminary estimation. Chief Minister N.D. Tiwari has announced a grant of Rs 50 lakh for those affected while District Magistrate Manisha Pawar has released Rs 25 lakh for immediate relief to the victims. |
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Non-iodised salt to be banned
New Delhi, May 13 The ban was enforced in the 1990s, but it was eased in 2000 to accommodate small-scale producers, despite criticism from medical and health experts. Minister of State for Human Resources Kanti Singh said yesterday that the decision to restore the ban was taken at a meeting of the National Nutrition Mission, held recently. Replying to a question on the incident in which a man severed the hands of a woman volunteer who was trying to prevent a child marriage in Madhya Pradesh, Ms Kanti Singh said National Commission for Women Chairperson Girija Vyas had gone there to investigate the case. |
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Nana Patekar booked
Pune, May 13 The businessman, Utkarsh
Morarma, in his complaint lodged in Mumbai yesterday, claimed that he had an argument with the actor over a minor accident that
occurred on the Ghatkopar-Mankhurd link road in north-east Mumbai last evening, the police said today.
— PTI |
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Rights Act: NHRC concerned
New Delhi, May 13 |
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