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Experts for new law on terrorism
Security causes flight delays
11 SIMI activists held
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Cong slams Mulayam for defending SIMI
National old-age pension raised to Rs 200
Woman can’t be prosecuted for rape, only abetment: SC
Cop sentenced to 15 years’ RI for rape
Police teams from 3 states
in Bangalore
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Experts for new law on terrorism
New Delhi, July 13 If the prevailing alarming situation is allowed to drift, the country can find itself torn asunder with more terrorist strikes and communal frenzy, warn security experts. They maintain that a comprehensive policy on terrorism, as evidenced in the USA and the UK, has become imperative to deal effectively with terrorism, coupled with evolving a law which provides direly needed teeth to the law and order machinery. In cases of terrorist violence, convictions are difficult to come by and the process of law lingers excruciatingly long, allowing the alleged perpetrators to go scot-free because witnesses are hard to come by. The need for a special law to tackle terrorism assumes urgency as India is being viewed as a soft state. As the conviction rate under the existing laws is pathetically low, terrorist elements find this country a fertile ground in perpetrating violent acts. Former Governor Ved Marwah, who has also been the Commissioner of the Delhi police, has regretted that petty politics has blocked a consensus in framing a special law for dealing with terrorism. He has stressed that the prevailing prevarication and drift has to take a back seat. There have to be clear-cut directions on tackling terrorism rather than being reactionary after a
dastardly act has taken place, as has been the case all along. He has expressed concern that cross-border terrorism and insurgency has now spread far to the heart of the country. Naxalite violence has now spread to 15 states, including Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orissa, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. Former BSF chief Prakash Singh has said the law and order machinery is lacking direction in tackling terrorism. The equipment with the law and order machinery also needs to be upgraded expeditiously to tackle both extremism and terrorism. In some countries, the secretary of state has the requisite powers to order detaining foreigners indulging in terrorist acts on the basis of evidence available. In the context of framing a direly needed law to deal with terrorism, he has felt that there is a need for another detention centre, in addition to the one in Rajasthan. Former CBI Director Joginder Singh has maintained that there are no soft options in dealing with terrorism. He has said everybody knows who is aiding and abetting terrorism and we need a clear-cut policy and stringent laws. He has added that we do not have to look beyond our borders to blunt terrorism, which can be tackled within.
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Security causes flight delays
New Delhi, July 13 After Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel reviewed the security measures at the airport yesterday and said security of the people was the top priority and all measures would be taken to ensure that there was no laxity, security officials at the airport were in full control. The measures which were put in place included putting in place explosive detection equipment and strict access. Airports had been on high alert since the night of July 11 and quick reaction teams of paramilitary forces had been deployed at major airports, with the strength of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel on duty also having been raised. The new security measures led to major delays in Air Sahara, Jet Airways, Spicejet and Air Deccan flights. As per new regulations, there was special emphasis on baggage check and identification of travellers. Further compounding the confusion was the malfunctioning of an X-ray machine for three hours at domestic terminal 1-B, used by private airlines. Reports suggested that about 20 flights of the private operators were delayed by between 30 minutes and three hours. Civil Aviation Ministry officials said at least 10 flights were delayed as officials conducted a secondary check on passengers at the ladder point and the baggage check. This led to subsequent delays in arrivals and departures, said Civil Aviation Secretary Ajay Prasad while briefing mediapersons after reviewing the situation with officials of the CISF and the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security. “We had some intelligence inputs that suggested that some airports could be targeted”, he said.
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11 SIMI activists held
New Delhi/Agartala, July 13 On interrogation, the detained SIMI activists said they came to Tripura to spread Islamic religion. They further revealed that they had stayed in the capital city for some days for the same purpose. Meanwhile, the West Bengal Government today ordering a crackdown on the group and the authorities in Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat saying they are keeping an eye on its members. Uttar Pradesh’s ruling Samajwadi Party, however, gave a clean chit to SIMI, with state PWD Minister Shivpal Singh Yadav, telling reporters in Lucknow that it was “not a terrorist organisation”. West Bengal’s Home Secretary Prasad Ranjan Roy said in Kolkata that SIMI, banned in 2001, had no overground office but it could be “playing a part” wherever Islamic militants were active. “The state government has ordered a crackdown on it,” he said. In Hyderabad, Additional Commissioner of Police Rajiv Trivedi said Andhra Pradesh police were monitoring the activities of suspected LeT and SIMI activists in the state. The Gujarat Police too are keeping a close watch on the activities of SIMI and
madarasas, especially in Surat and Bharuch districts. “We are closely monitoring the movements of SIMI activists in Surat,” the city’s Police Commissioner Sudhir Sinha said.
— PTI/UNI
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Cong slams Mulayam for defending SIMI
Lucknow, July 13 Earlier today, the SP leadership came in strong defence of the organisation saying it was not a terrorist outfit. But in a quick reaction, the Congress termed Mr Yadav’s statement and that of his brother Shivpal Singh Yadav’s against national interests. “There may be some with dubious distinction in the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), but it is wrong to dub the whole organisation as terrorist,” SP general secretary Shivpal Singh Yadav told reporters here.
— UNI
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National old-age pension raised to Rs 200
New Delhi, July 13 The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Information and Broadcasting Minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi told reporters here. The increase will be effective from April 1, 2006, he said. A sum of Rs 1,430 crore for this purpose has been provided in the Union Budget 2006-07 as additional allocation, Mr Dasmunsi said, adding, “The proposed increase will extend much needed financial support to old and destitute persons to manage their livelihood”. Meanwhile, the Cabinet extended by a year the tenure of the Administrative Reforms Commission (ARC), tasked to prepare a blueprint for revamping the public administration systems in the country. The six-member second Administrative Reforms Commission, headed by former Karnataka Chief Minister Veerappa Moily, was constituted on August 31 last year and was asked to submit its report within a year. The commission is tasked to suggest measures to achieve a pro-active, responsive, accountable, sustainable and efficient administration for the country at all levels of the government. Among other things, the commission was asked to go into areas like organisational structure of the Central Government, ethics in governance, refurbishing of personnel administration, strengthening of financial management systems, crisis management and public order. The commission has presented its first report to the Prime Minister on “Right to Information — Master Key to Good Governance” on June 9 this year.
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Woman can’t be prosecuted for rape,
New Delhi, July 13 “A woman cannot be said to have an intention to commit rape. She cannot be prosecuted for alleged commitment of the offence, punishable under Section 376(2)(g)”, a Bench comprising Mr Justice Arijit Pasayat and Mr Justice S.H. Kapadia ruled. The court said at the most, if a woman was charged with helping a man in committing rape, she could be prosecuted for abetting the crime. Elaborating the application of Section 376(2)(g), the court said, “When a woman is raped by one or more in a group of persons acting in furtherance of their common intention, each such person shall be deemed to have committed the gang-rape. That cannot make a woman guilty of committing rape, which is conceptually inconceivable.” It said the explanation given in the section only indicated that when one person or more acted in furtherance of their common intention to commit the crime, each person would be deemed to have committed the gang-rape, whether all of them did the actual act or not. A bare reading of Section 376 in its totality made it clear that the rape of a woman, as defined in it, could be committed only by a man, the court ruled. The judgement came on an appeal by Ms Priya Patel from Madhya Pradesh, who had been convicted by the trial court under Section 376(2)(g) along with her husband Pratap Bhanu Patel for the rape of a schoolgirl by him at their house in Sagar some years ago.
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Cop sentenced to 15 years’ RI for rape
Mumbai, July 13 Pawar was convicted for raping a 15-year-old ragpicker outside Sahar police station near the airport on September 17 last year. He was caught assaulting the girl in an open space near the police station where he was posted.
— PTI
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Police teams from 3 states
in Bangalore
Bangalore, July 13 Corps of Detectives (CoD) sources said today that teams belonging to the intelligence, the CoD and the CID from the three states had joined hands with the local police to look out for the accused. The sources said the teams had fanned out to various parts of the city and were keeping a strict vigil at railway stations, bus stands and the airport.
— UNI
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Temple purified after bar girls dance
Jaipur, July 13
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5 killed in explosion
Gwalior, July 13
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