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WikiLeaks: Walkout in LS; RS adjourned thrice
Don’t be rubber stamps of probe officers: HC to courts
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Fake pilot scam
Warship shortfall
Wedding of the season!
Pro-green Jairam leaves Andhra red-faced
Karunanidhi invites Vaiko to join DMK front
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WikiLeaks: Walkout in LS; RS adjourned thrice New Delhi, March 22 The BJP also gave notices for Breach of Privilege against the Prime Minister, alleging that he had misled Parliament by denying bribery during the 2008 Confidence Motion to save the UPA-I government. The Rajya Sabha witnessed three adjournments and the Lok Sabha one because of the pandemonium created after the Opposition pressed for urgent debate on PM’s statement in which he has denied purchase of any MP during the trust vote. Keen to corner the government over 'cash-for-votes' scam in the light of Wikileaks expose, the Opposition had given notice for short duration debate on the issue which was agreed to. In the Lok Sabha, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Leader of the Opposition Sushma Swaraj had a face-off over the timing of the discussion.While Swaraj wanted immediate discussion, Pranab argued that it could take place after the passage of the Finance Bill. "We agreed to short duration debate after the Finance Bill is passed. We have no problem to discussion under Rule 192 (which does not entail voting). But please allow the Finance Bill to be passed first," Mukherjee said addressing the Opposition. "The Finance Bill has its own sanctity," Pranab said, appealing for cooperation from the Opposition. Swaraj said the Opposition also wants passage of the Finance Bill but it should be taken up only after two-and-a-half hour debate on PM's statement. Swaraj said if the debate is allowed on the PM's statement, "We are ready to sit here till 12 am in night (to pass the Finance Bill)." Countering Swaraj, Pranab said a precedent like this should not be created. “We should stick to the schedule," he said. P C Chacko, who was in the Chair, also ruled that the Finance Bill should be taken up first and Mukherjee started moving the Bill. Unhappy over this, Swaraj led a walkout, asking the government to pass the Finance Bill without the main Opposition if it was so adamant. — PTI
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Don’t be rubber stamps of probe officers: HC to courts
Chandigarh, March 22 The high court has also made it clear: “No citizen should be asked to face trial for an offence which is not at all made out.” Deprecating the casual approach adopted by the police and the trial court in an abetment to suicide case, Justice Alok Singh also asserted: “Investigating officer, as well as, criminal courts must bear in mind that registration of criminal case and asking the citizen to face criminal trial causes mental trauma, agony and loss of reputation. “Personal liberty is always at stake in criminal cases…. Before framing charge, the court must look into the material collected by the investigating officer to find out whether there is sufficient material to frame charge against the accused. If the entire material accepted in toto would not lead to conviction, discharge must follow”. Referring to a bunch of petitions by Neelam Sharma and other petitioners against Punjab, Justice Alok Singh asserted the accused had assailed order dated December 9, 2009, whereby charges were framed against them and co-accused Ramesh Chander. Virtually passing strictures, Justice Alok Singh asserted: “Present is the glaring example to show how criminal system can be abused and to illustrate how some of our courts are acting merely as post office”. Justice Alok Singh observed: “It is said complainant Dalip Singh Setia on December 17, 2004, was sitting on the railway line and on asking, he disclosed to the gateman that he is sitting to commit suicide because accused-persons are not refunding loan taken from him and are selling the joint land under his possession and cultivation. “It is nowhere stated accused have ever instigated him to commit suicide….However, the police preferred to file challan and trial court proceeded to frame charges in mechanical manner against the accused to face trial for offences punishable under Sections 306/511 and 506 of the IPC. “In the opinion of his court, neither investigating officer, nor Additional Sessions Judge, cared to look into the ingredients of Sections 107 and 306 of the IPC. Casual approach was adopted by the investigating officer, as well as, by the court, which cannot be appreciated. Allowing the petition, Justice Alok Singh asserted: I am fully satisfied not only the police filed a wrong chargesheet, the trial court also failed to appreciate even if entire story of the prosecution is accepted, it would not lead to the conviction. The impugned order, as well as charges, is hereby quashed. Accused are discharged. State shall be at liberty to recover the amount from the investigating officer after holding inquiry against him.”
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Fake pilot scam
Jaipur/New Delhi, March 22 Eight pilots of different airlines were under the close watch of Rajasthan's Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), a day after it arrested the two SpiceJet pilots, Captain Anuj Kumar and First Officer Amit Mundra,while one pilot is under the scanner of Delhi Police. A SpiceJet release said the airline had terminated the services of Kumar and Mundra with immediate effect. They were produced before a Jaipur court which sent them to judicial custody. Kumar and Mundra have been accused of misrepresenting their flying hours in order to obtain their license from the civil aviation regulator DGCA, the release said. Both the pilots said they have done no wrong and that they passed out from a government-run flying school. As more and more pilots came under watch since the fake pilots scam was unearthed early this month, investigators stepped up efforts to nab one absconding pilot. Four pilots, including Kumar and Mundra of SpiceJet, have so far been arrested while a woman pilot has "joined investigations". Parwinder Kaur Gulati of Indigo and J K Verma of Air India were arrested in New Delhi. "After arresting two pilots yesterday, we are now focussing on eight more pilots who are suspected to have obtained their licence on the basis of forged certificates," said Additional Director General of Police (ACB) Ajit Singh in Jaipur.
— PTI
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Warship shortfall
New Delhi, March 22 In its report tabled in Parliament today, the CAG slammed the Defence Ministry saying that by 2012, the fleet of warships would be much lower than what was planned. The ministry has been passing on funds in the name of “advances” to state-owned shipbuilding yards while the projects were running years behind schedule with huge cost overruns. The CAG studied the working of shipyards between 2005 and 2010 and looked only at the facilities that produce Kolkata-class destroyers, Shivalik-class frigates and the anti-submarine warfare corvettes. The CAG said by 2012, the Navy would have only 61, 44 and 20 per cent of the desired number of frigates, destroyers and corvettes, respectively, in its fleet. Defence Minister AK Antony had, in January this year, introduced a new shipbuilding policy allowing private participation. Navy Chief Admiral Nirmal Verma has also gone on record advocating faster shipbuilding. The CAG today said, “Till date, only one frigate (out of those sanctioned under project 17 in January 1998) has been commissioned as against the expected nine ships by August 2010.”
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Wedding of the season!
New Delhi, March 22 The bride belongs to Kashmir’s well-known Nedous family, which is also related to the Abdullahs. The couple, it is learnt, were studying together. Given Patel’s understated persona and the Congress president’s repeated emphasis on austerity, the celebrations are understandably slated to be low-key. However, this has not stopped the Capital’s rich and powerful from making discreet enquiries about a possible invite for the March 27 reception. Their anxiety is understandable as Patel is arguably the most powerful leader in the Congress, next only to the party president. Realising that the wedding could become the talking point in Delhi, Patel has exercised extreme caution and the reception invitation lists his daughter and son-in-law as hosts. It is learnt, the groom will wear a ‘sherwani’, created by Tarun Tahiliani, while thr bride’s ‘lehanga’ has been designed by Rohit Bal. The ‘nikaah’ on Friday will be preceded by a ‘mehndi’ ceremony and a special Kashmiri night, which is being hosted by the bride’s family.
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Pro-green Jairam leaves Andhra red-faced
Hyderabad, March 22 The minister’s recent remarks on the ambitious Polavaram irrigation project, involving construction of South India’s biggest dam, have evoked angry reaction from the ruling Congress leaders. At a time when the state government is expecting the Rs 17,000-crore project across Godavari river to be declared as a national project, Ramesh made it clear that it would not be accepted unless resettlement and rehabilitation works were taken up.
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Karunanidhi invites Vaiko to join DMK front
Chennai, March 22 In a letter in party organ "Murasoli", Karunanidhi referred to the decision of Vaiko to leave the AIADMK front and boycott the elections and said the pro-LTTE leader's support would ensure a thumping victory for the DMK. Describing Vaiko as a "striped tiger" and "courageous Indrajit" (son of Ravana, who is hailed as a hero by the Dravidian movement), Karunanidhi said all younger brothers of DMK founder CN Annadurai should join hands and troop back to face the "Aryan attack against Dravidians". — TNS
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Probe into Sonawane’s assets AP House disrupted over land scam CBI’s plea for Anderson’s extradition IAF-Army conference Chavan says he wasn’t aware of negative report on Thomas
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