New Delhi, May 6
The Supreme Court today found prima facie ground for initiating suo motu contempt proceedings against Sahara Group Chief Subrata Roy for allegedly interfering with the probe in the 2G Spectrum case, warning that anybody crossing the “lakshman rekha” will become a “state guest”.

The apex court said there was a prima facie case against Roy and two journalists -- Upendra Rai and Subodh Jain -- of Sahara India News Network and directed them to respond to the notices within six weeks.

The Bench took serious note of the fact that after summons were issued to the CMD of the Sahara Group under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act from February 2 onwards, “crude methods” were adopted to terrorise, intimidate and blackmail Enforcement Directorate's Assistant Director Rajeshwar Singh, who is the investigating officer in the 2G case.

Singh, who filed the petition in his personal capacity, said that Jain sent him 25 questions relating to him and his families assets, contacts and others and threatened to start a campaign against him by publishing and broadcasting a series of stories.

“Having gone through the records, we are prima facie of the view that an attempt has been made to interfere with the investigation conducted by Rajeshwar Singh in what has been described as 2G spectrum scam case and related matters. Therefore, we take suo motu cognizance and issue notices to them,” a Bench of Justices GS Singhvi and AK Ganguly said.

The Bench also banned Sahara India News Network and its sister concerns from publishing and broadcasting any story or programme relating to Rajeshwar Singh. “No story should be published. If it happens somebody will become government guest. This should not happen. This is unacceptable. They should know what the ‘lakshman rekha’ is,” the Bench said.

The Bench was anguished that after summons were issued asking Roy to appear before the ED with documents relating to some transactions including to Chennai-based S-Tel, which has come under the CBI’s scanner on the issue of national security, Rai and Jain became active in interfering with the course of investigation. — PTI

Guwahati, May 6
The Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh today described former Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Dorjee Khandu, who died in a chopper crash on Saturday last, as a visionary.

Dr Singh, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Home Minister P Chidambaram flew into Itanagar this morning to pay last respect to the departed chief minister whose body was lying in state at his official residence.

“Mr. Dorjee Khandu was a visionary. He had a vision for all-round development of the state and worked tirelessly. Unfortunately, he couldn’t realise that owing to his untimely death. We and the people of Arunachal Pradesh will now work to realise the unfinished task and his vision,” Singh said after paying his last respects to the departed soul.

“The death of Mr. Khandu is a great loss for Arunachal Pradesh and the country. May his soul rest in peace,” he added.

Dr Singh, Sonia Gandhi and Chidambaram briefly spoke to Khandu’s wife Rinchin Drema, his eldest son Pema Khandu, elder brother Goleng Khandu and nephew Jambey Tashi, an MLA, and expressed condolences before leaving for New Delhi.

Later, the body was flown to Khandu’s home district Tawang where last rites will be performed as per Buddhist rituals. Lok Sabha MP from Arunachal Pradesh, Takam Sanjay, said the last rites would be performed on May 11 next. A state funeral will be accorded to the late chief minister.

Meanwhile, Jarbom Gamlin, who was sworn in as the new chief minister of the frontier hill state last night, said his priorities would be on improving infrastructure, education, communication and health sectors.

“Mr. Khandu took a series of development initiatives. Unfortunately, he could not fulfill them because of his untimely death. We will now continue with his development process,” Gamlin told media.

Regarding the state of affairs along the India-China border in the frontier state Gamlin said there were some spots along India-China border where the villagers of both the countries happened to cross over but there had been no incursion.

“Whatever information we get about the border, we pass that on to the Central government since state government can’t take any decision. It is the bounden duty of the Central government to look into any issues pertaining to the border,” Gamlin said.

New Delhi, May 6
The death of a second Congress chief minister in an air crash within a short span of two years has rattled the Union Cabinet which expressed serious concern over the status of air safety measures at its meeting yesterday.

A special meeting of the Union Cabinet, called on Thursday to condole the death of Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu, is learnt to have witnessed an extended discussion on this issue with ministers seeking proper guidelines on the use of aircraft by political leaders, particularly while flying in inhospitable terrain.

The matter was flagged by Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy Farooq Abdullah who wondered why Khandu was travelling in a single-engine helicopter as it is well acknowledged that it is risky to travel in such choppers.

Union Urban Development Minister Kamal Nath, however, pointed out that even a twin-engine chopper would not have been of much help if a pilot runs into rough weather conditions, which is what appears to have happened in Arunachal Pradesh. Kamal Nath said he was speaking from personal experience as he has also trained as a pilot.

Union Minister for Civil Aviation Vyalar Ravi suggested that an enquiry be ordered into the latest incident and guidelines be issued on the use of private and state-owned aircraft by political leaders and other VIPs. There was overall consensus among the worried Cabinet ministers that air safety measures should be reviewed.

Union Home Minister P.Chidamabram gave a detailed briefing to his Cabinet colleagues about the air crash which killed Khandu, the four-day rescue operations, the terrain and the prevailing weather conditions in Arunachal Prdesh which contributed to this tragedy. He also disclosed that an enquiry had been ordered after an air crash had claimed the life of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy in 2009. YSR, as the senior leader was called, had died when the Bell 430 in which he was travelling crashed in a dense forest of Andhra Pradesh. Subsequently, guidelines issued to political leaders on air travel had laid down that twin engine aircraft or helicopter should be used.

The concerns expressed by Cabinet members are understandable as Khandu’s death served to put the spotlight on the risks involved in of air travel, especially for political leaders who use private aircraft and helicopterts during elections or while travelling to far-flung areas of the North East.

There is a long list of political leaders who have perished in air crashes. Besides Khandu and YSR, others who were killed in similar circumstances include Madhavrao Scindia, G.M.C. Balayogi, O.P. Jindal and Surendra Singh.

New Delhi, May 6
A day after the Supreme Court demanded dignity for sex workers and commitment from states to offer them alternative sources of livelihood, the newly-established Anti Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU) in the National Capital rescued a minor from the clutches of a man about to sell her off for Rs 1.5 lakh.

Personnel of the Home Ministry-funded Anti Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU) from Delhi swooped down on 25-year-old Ismail Ahmad past midnight in the Shakarpur area where he was awaiting his return for a deal that involved the sale of a 16-year-old minor from Assam’s Kamrup district.

A married man with four children, Ahmad had succeeded in luring the girl all the way from Assam to Delhi on the promise of betrothing her. On the way, he halted at Kanpur on May 1 to rape the girl. She was confirmed to have been raped and has been sent to the Child Welfare Committee home in Tihar Jail.

When The Tribune spoke with the girl today, she was in utter disbelief: “He said he loved me and wanted to marry me. I left my parents for his sake. I want to go back.” The child’s parents, poor agricultural labourers back in Assam, have been informed and are on their way to get the girl.

The matter brings to light the unholy nexus between placement agency owners across the Capital and human traffickers, who park their victims at these agencies before selling them off to prospective customers who use them, as they will.

Meanwhile, Rishi Kant of Shakti Vahini, the civil society member who joined the police last night in the rescue operation, told The Tribune, “The telling part is that neither the trafficker nor the victim is from Delhi. He got her to the Capital as he was aware of the market. Men, especially those from Haryana, come hunting for young girls to these placement agencies, which readily oblige. We rescue over 50 minors every month.”

Also in the dock this time is Babita from the placement agency at Shakarpur where a decoy customer laid a trap to nab the trafficker of a 16-year-old girl.

Chandigarh, May 6
Even as the Army’s promotion process for top officers remains virtually grounded, at least three major-generals have moved the Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT), challenging certain provisions introduced recently in the policy for promotion from the rank of major-general to lieutenant-general. Those who have moved the AFT are Maj-Gen SKH Johnson, Maj-Gen VS Gowder and Maj-Gen DS Chodhary. 

In their petitions, they have raised similar contentions over the “quantification” system. They are claiming that despite having a good career profile, they were not selected for promotion to the rank of lieutenant-general due to certain inherent flaws in the policy and the procedures for calculating marks to be awarded by the selection boards.

The Army Headquarters (AHQ) issued guidelines on December 31, 2008, for the conduct of selection boards and introduced the system of “quantifications” that allowed selection boards to award 92 marks to the officers’ confidential reports (CRs) with effect from January 1, 2009.

On April 15, 2009, the AHQ clarified the sub-distribution of these marks, under which 22 marks were for staff/instructional/other reports. It was evident from the policy letters that the reckonable basis for promotion to the rank of lieutenant-general was the CRs earned while holding the ranks of brigadier and major-general.

Among the issues raised by the petitioners is the contention that officers are invariably considered for the rank of lieutenant-general after having a very short stint in the rank of major-general and thus the excess weightage (up to 72 per cent) for a single report in the rank of major-general and the selection on such a basis is against the principles of natural justice and also against the spirit of the policy of quantification of marks of CRs.

Moreover, the provision for 22 per cent marks for staff/instructional/other reports in the reckonable profile does not further lay down any bifurcation for the reports earned in the ranks of brigadier and major-general.

Chandigarh, May 6
Former Director of Central Bureau of Investigation and Chairman of Global Punjabi has a four-point formula for convicting expeditiously those facing corruption charges. Talking to a select group of newsmen on the sidelines of the luanch of the Chandigarh chapter of Global Punjabi here this evening, he said that the present laws need slight modification to ensure that those facing corruption charges were not able to benefit from loopholes in the present law to their benefit by extending their trials for indefinite periods.

He said that the idea of settng up of 71 special courts for trial of corruption cases may not be enough to convict those charged under Prevention of Corruption Act.

“If the one who is offering the bribe is taken out of the purview of the Prevention of Corruption Act, sting operations, including those by media are legalised, witnesses are given adequate protection and confessions made before the investigating agencies are made admissible, trial in corruption cases can be taken to legal conclusions expeditiously,” he said.

Many of cases registered and investigated during my tenure as the head of the premier anti-corruption agency could not reach the legitimate conclusion because of certain loopholes in the law, he added.

Corruption was so rampant in public life that existing laws needed to be tightened a bit to convict those who are known to abuse the system to their own benefit, he added.

Meanwhile, Amarjit Singh Dahiya was installed as the Presidsent of the Chandigarh chapter of Global Punjabi. The Punjab Governor, Shivraj Patil, who presided over the launch function, appreciated the role greater undivided Punjab had played in nurturing a concept of universal brotherhood, peace and communal harmony.

Former Chanriman of National Minorities Commission and ex-MP Tarlochan Singh said that it was not correct to identify Punjabiat with Punjab. The recent Census had shown that in seven States, including Jammu & Kashmir, Uttarkhand and Haryana, Punjabi was the second largest spoken language.

New Delhi, May 6
Headache disorders, including migraine and tension-induced headaches, are among the most prevalent disorders faced by the people today. Released on Wednesday, the WHO’s Atlas of Headache Disorders and Resources in the World-2011 reveals that approximately half to three-fourths of adults aged 18 to 65 years have had a headache in the past one year, except Africa where estimated prevalence of headache is much lower (at 22 per cent).

The highest headache prevalence in the past one year is for the adults of the East Mediterranean (78.8 per cent). In Southeast Asia, the region that includes India where 63.9 per cent adults aged 18 to 65 years had had headache in the past one year. The percentage prevalence for Europe is 56.1 and that for the US 46.5.

The Atlas, which presents data from 101 countries, covering 86 per cent of the world’s population, shows that migraine alone is the reason behind 1.3 per cent deaths due to disability globally. Migraine was reported in over 10 per cent adults in the 18-65 age group, except in Africa and east Mediterranean, where the prevalence is lower. So far as migraine prevalence goes, Europe tops the list with 14.9 per cent of its adults experiencing the disorder, followed by 10.9 per cent adults in Southeast Asia and 10.6 per cent adults in the US.

The findings also reveal that headache on 15 or more days every month affects 1.7 to 4 per cent of the world’s adult population, much of this may be by way of medication overuse for headache, but data in this area are clearly lacking, with the Atlas recommending all six WHO regions to evolve health policy frameworks to tackle headache disorders. 

New Delhi, May 6
The Delhi High Court yesterday issued a notice to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) on a PIL seeking reappear option for students who have already taken the All-India Entrance Examination (AIEEE) on May 1. The CBSE has announced a separate test on May 11 for those candidates who could not appear for the test last Sunday after delays caused due to the paper leak.

Taking note of the PIL, Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court Deepak Mishra issued notice to the CBSE for May 18 whereas the rescheduled exam is to be held on May 11. The PIL in question was filed by the mother of an AIEEE candidate, Manisha Tyagi, who approached the court seeking the reappear option on the ground that she was forced to take the test on May 1 in adverse conditions.

Petitioner Schalka Tyagi, while referring to the advertisements on the rescheduled exam, said the CBSE’s move to reschedule the test only for those who were not able to appear on May 1 was “arbitrary, illegal and unjust”. She submitted that she was not informed about the rescheduling of the examination and was compelled to give the same under adverse conditions, which was violative of her rights. The plea was for permission to appear in the rescheduled exam on May 11.

The Tribune had a day before reported how some parents were seeking a reappear option though some others wanted the AIEEE cancelled altogether and a fresh one conducted to rule out fears on account of different difficulty levels of the two papers. CBSE Chairman Vineet Joshi, however, said the rescheduled examination would happen as planned on May 11 and it would be open only to those candidates who could not take the test on May 1 due to delays caused by the paper leak. 

Lucknow, May 6
Twenty eight months after Public Works Department (PWD) engineer Manoj Kumar Gupta was murdered in Auraiya, a special trial court today awarded life term to the 10 accused. Those sentenced include BSP MLA Shekhar Tiwari and three policemen. BSP is in power in the state. Special court judge Virendra Kumar pronounced the judgment

Tiwari’s wife Vibha was awarded two-and-a-half year imprisonment for destruction of evidence. She was granted interim bail for 15 days on the condition that she will move the Allahabad High Court to seek regular bail. Gupta was picked up from his official residence, beaten with sticks, given electric shocks and was dumped at the Dibiyapur police station in a serious condition.

Tiwari, also a PWD contractor, had been threatening Gupta over stoppage of payments following irregularities in construction. Reportedly, Gupta had also refused to give money for Chief Minister Mayawati’s birthday celebrations.

Prosecution counsel IB Singh said that five of the accused Manoj Awasthi, Vinay Tiwari, Rambabu alias Putti, Yogendra Dohre alias Bhatia and MLA Shekhar Tiwari were found directly involved in the murder. They entered Gupta’s house on the night of December 23 and killed him after brutally torturing him.

Drivers Devendra Rajput and Santosh Tiwari along with two gunners Gajraj Singh and Pal Singh - assisted in the killing by keeping vigil outside the house. The court found the Station House Officer (SHO) of Dibiyapur police station Hoshiyar Singh guilty of supporting the crime of these people.

Earlier, the case was transferred to a special court in Lucknow following a request by the victim’s family, which had alleged that Tiwari was trying to use his influence on the Auraiya court. Kiran Bala Gupta, Gupta’s mother, said the verdict had vindicated her family’s honour.

“However, considering the manner in which my honest, responsible and upright son was killed it would have been better if the accused had been given death sentence,” she told reporters.

Kolkata, May 6
On the eve of the remaining 5th and 6th phases of polling in 52 constituencies in West Bengal, the EC hired Army helicopters and paratroopers for making an aerial surveillance in the Maoist-infested Lalghar, Jangalmahal and other disturbed places in Purulia, Bankura and east Midnapore.

On the 5th phase, the polling will be held in 38 sensitive constituencies in the west Midnapore, Purulia, Bankura and Asansol, Kulti and Barabani areas in Burdwan tomorrow, while on May 10, the polling will take place in other 14 constituencies, including Lalghar, Jangalmahal and Jhargram, where the paramilitary forces had already taken over the police administration in the areas.

State CEO Sunil Kumar Gupta said they did not want to take any risk in holding elections in the Maoist-dominated areas and other disturbed localities and as such the EC after consulting with the Home Ministry decided to take extra-precautionary measures, including deployment of the Army helicopters for making the aerial surveillance during the remaining two phases of the polling in the areas bordering Jharkhand.

He said so far, three helicopters had been engaged for surveillance and if necessary more such helicopters would be deployed. He said the Army was also asked to remain standby for meeting any emergency needs.

The CEO said both the ruling Left Front and the opposition parties were demanding special security arrangements during the polling in these districts. He hoped like the previous four phases of elections in the 242 seats, the polling in the remaining 52 constituencies would also be free, fair and peaceful.

Addressing a press conference at the Alimuddin Street party office today, Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhttacharjee alleged that the Maoists and other branded criminals were taking active part in the electioneering in favour of the TMC and the Congress candidates against the Left Front in the Lalghar, Jangalmahal, Jhargram in west Midnapore and other disturbed areas in Bankura and Purulia.

But the EC officials and the paramilitary forces on duty there were remaining silent observers. He said they had already lodged formal complaints to CEC SY Kureshi in this regards. He expressed doubt if any free and fair elections would be held in these areas.

On the other hand, Mamata Banerjee, while addressing an election meeting at Jhargram today, made a counter-allegation stating that the CPM had already taken over the control of Lalghar and Jangalmahal and other areas with the help of the police and the paramilitary forces. She requested Kureshi and Home Minister Chidambaram to personally look into the matter so that a free, fair and peaceful election could be held in these places.

With the public meeting at Jhargram today, the TMC leader concluded her three-month-long election campaign against the CPM. She said now she was quite confident that after the elections the prolonged misrule of the CPM would come to an end. Instead the Congress-TMC Government would be formed for the peace, progress and prosperity of the state.

New Delhi, May 6
A CBI team is likely to leave for Denmark next week to help expedite the process of extradition of Purulia arms drop case prime accused Kim Davy to India and face trial. The two-member team, comprising a CBI officer and a lawyer, will go to Denmark on May 14 or May 16 with all the available evidence to assist the local authorities corroborate allegations against Davy in the Danish court.

“The team is going to Denmark to assist the local authorities with the facts and evidence collected against Davy ,” a CBI official said. — PTI

BRIEFLY

Notice to Hazare withdrawn
PUNE: The office of Charity Commissioner, Pune, has tendered an apology to social activist Anna Hazare withdrawing the 'showcause' notice served on him for not submitting the audit report of 'Hind Swaraj Trust' headed by him between 2005 and 2007. — PTI