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Wife comes to Kohli’s rescue in court Justice Narula cremated Obituary |
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No question of apology: V.P. Singh NCM hails Villepin as French PM
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Wife comes to Kohli’s rescue in court
New Delhi, June 2 “My depositions dated November 2, 2004, in the UK was not authored by me and I was simply asked to affix my signature even without knowing its contents by using sheer force and coercion,” Ms Shailender Kaur, who claimed she was kept hostage and was allowed to come to India owing to international pressure, said in an affidavit filed before the Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, Mr Ravinder Dudeja. Ms Shailender Kaur, who was present in the court, denied all portion of her statement where she gave an impression that her husband was found nervous after he came back home on the night of March 14, 2003, (the day of murder) or was upset or even worried over any happening. “He neither revealed any such happening nor said he was in trouble. He was in a very balanced state of mind and never showed symptoms of anxiety,” she said in the affidavit. Kohli, who had been naming Ms Shailender Kaur as a “crucial defence witness”, had earlier accused the probe officials of keeping her at an “unknown place” and moved the United Nations Human Rights Commission and the European Court on Human Rights urging assistance to know her whereabouts. “It is necessary to mention that I was kept in an atmosphere of absolute fright and fear to narrate all that the police told me to state,” she said. Giving a copy of the affidavit to the prosecution, the court sought their reply on June 4. Meanwhile, the magistrate heard the arguments of both the sides on a petition moved by counsel of the accused to summon 20 prosecution witnesses who have already been examined in the UK and judicial records sent to the court here. Claiming he never got an opportunity to cross-examine them, Kohli’s counsel C.S. Bakhshi contended that as per the Extradition Act, 1962, “no evidence by a witness is admissible until they are cross-examined by counsel of the accused.” Kohli had escaped from England on March 16, 2003, two days after 17-year-old Foster’s body was found. He was brought here from Chandigarh where he was lodged after his arrest on July 15, 2004, from Kalimpong.
— PTI |
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Justice Narula cremated New Delhi, June 2 The cremation was attended by several leaders, members of judicial fraternity, representatives of the Akali Dal and the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee, relatives, friends and several of his admirers. Among the VIPs present at the funeral were National Minorities Commission Chairman Tarlochan Singh, former Union Minister S.S. Dhindsa, former Supreme Court Judge Kuldip Singh, BJP MP Vijay Kumar Malhotra, Punjab and Haryana High Court Judge Amar Dutt and Delhi High Court Judges Mukul Mudgal, Manmohan Sarin, C.K. Mahajan, Vikramjit Sen, R.C. Chopra and Sanjay Kishan Kaul. The DSGMC was represented, among others, by its secretary-general Ravinder Singh and the SAD by Mr Manjit Singh. Meanwhile, the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, today condoled the death of Justice Narula. In his condolence message, the Prime Minister said: “The country has lost an eminent legal luminary who occupied important positions in our judicial system and was acclaimed for his understanding of the science of jurisprudence. His numerous judicial pronouncements contributed to the enrichment of the field of law. I have had the fortune of knowing him closely. I greatly valued his wisdom and sagacity. A powerful advocate of human rights, Justice Narula remained in the forefront of the effort to safeguard the constitutional guarantee of liberty and freedom. His role as a member of the Foundation for Freedom of Information strengthened the movement for right to information. The void caused by the death of Justice Narula will be difficult to fill.” |
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Justice R. S. Narula — to me, simply Nanaji Reema Anand
He was gifted to me viz-a-viz my marriage to his maternal grandson. It is difficult to encompass his personality in mere words. He was a phenomenon who had to be experienced. I had the good fortune of experiencing his greatness for 15 years. He saw me labouring over my bylines, in various national newspapers and realised that what appeared as a favourite pastime to others, was a raging fire underneath. Keeping himself in the background, he silently motivated me to push on, fight on. I hated the Capital culture, but he made me carve a niche for myself in the city. I would tag along wherever he wanted me to go, provided it was interesting. So every outing was a feast —meeting His Holiness Dalai Lama, Khushwant Singh, Rajmohan Gandhi, Patwant Singh, H.K. Dua and so many more. He opened the channels which would appease my hunger and help me evolve as a better person. When I discussed with him the project on Bhagat Puran Singh, he told me:” Do it now before it is too late!” He was sharpness personified. True to his prediction, Bhagatji passed away within a month after the shoot. While doing Rehras — The Even Song with Khushwant Singh, he was my encyclopaedia, my Shabad Kosh for Gurbaani. I would bombard him with questions and he would patiently interpret and answer. I had the chance to work with two of the best brains on Sikhism and Gurbani. Operation Bluestar and the 1984 anti-Sikh riots left a deep impact on him and my generation. He asked me to be careful when I was shooting for Lest It Be Repeated in 1993, but I had his blessings and fortunate enough to record his judicial expertise on Human Rights and General Amnesty for Punjab militants. It was a subject close to his heart. Despite becoming frail with age, he reached for another shoot at Amravati, for the subject of the documentary,. Bhagwant Singh Dalawari was close to his heart His brain, his intellect, his righteousness and his spirituality were invaluable for me. The relationship progressed gradually. He was a friend with whom I could discuss my personal life! He was my encyclopaedia to Gurmat and Gurbani ! He was my Satsangi! He was a library on Panjabiat! He was my sounding board on any present and future projects I was deliberating about! Over the last five years I saw him trying hard to negate his self, and I would joke about it. Every time we entered into serious discussion, he would remark, “I am ready to leave now”. And I would simply smile and reply:” Long way to go Justice Sahib !” He would laugh with his eyes twinkling and stroke his beard. During the last one year, I saw him progressing on that path which every Gurmukh dreams of, with rapid leaps and bounds, and I knew the end was coming. A long sitting, the last one, just before I left for Chandigarh to screen ‘Lest It Be Repeated’, convinced me that he had finally transcended that stage of spirituality, where the call had to come, the Gobind Milan was anticipated. So like everytime before I travel, I said, “Mere aan tak Qaim rehna” (stay put till I come back). He stayed put till I came back, but two days later he was hospitalised and we didn’t talk again. Before leaving I said, “why don’t I do your biography?” He laughed and said, “who is going to read it, what have I accomptished; But may be an obituary ?” He was always wanting that, all the time. Ready to depart ! I just watched him go. I watched my motivation and my gardner go! I watched my friend and my strength go!1 watched my spiritual mentor go! A deep void and I am too numb to assess the loss. Children are going to miss your chocolates Nanaji!
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No question of apology: V.P. Singh New Delhi, June 2 He also sought a JPC probe into the CBI’s “lapse” in failing to furnish certified copies of evidence to the court. Addressing a press conference here a day after the Congress demanded an apology from all those who had launched an “unsubstantiated and baseless” campaign against late Rajiv Gandhi, Mr V.P. Singh said “there is no question of tendering apology as I have never taken the name of Rajiv Gandhi. I have not made any personal charge against him. Even my government did not name him in the FIR.” Meanwhile, BJP today took a dig at the Congress for its demand for apology from all those who had levelled allegations against former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in the Bofors case saying that most of them were with the present government and wondered whether they would heed to the demand. Ridiculing Congress’ demand for apology from all those who had levelled allegations against former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in the Bofors case, the CPM today demanded that the CBI revive the case through appropriate legal process. “It is surprising that after such a long investigation, such infirmities and elementary errors existed in preparing the case,” the party politburo said in a statement. |
New Delhi, June 2 NCM chief Tarlochan Singh has written a letter to Mr Villepin congratulating him on his elevation. The NCM has also recalled Mr Villepin’s promise, made as French Foreign Minister, to a Sikh delegation during his India visit in February last year over the turban issue.
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As I sit in the Neuro-I.C.U lobby of Apollo, I know it is time to-pick up the pen and write a farewell for a legend, whom the world knows as Justice R.S. Narula. To me simply Nanaji.