New Delhi, July 22
The Supreme Court today rejected YSR Congress chief Jagan Mohan Reddy’s petition challenging the CBI inquiry ordered by the Andhra Pradesh High Court into his wealth running into hundreds of crores.

While senior counsel Mukul Rohatgi contended that Jagan’s reputation had been tarnished by the HC order, the apex court Bench comprising Justices Dalveer Bhandari and Deepak Verma said Rohatgi’s client would be “washed off all charges and stand exonerated” if nothing came out against the former Congress leader in the inquiry. The Bench also clarified that the HC had only ordered a preliminary enquiry (PE), but Rohatgi said the man on the street did not understand the difference between a regular probe and PE. The counsel contended that the HC had acted on two letters, written by a Congress MLA P Shankar Rao who had since become textile minister in AP, after converting them into PILs.

The July 12 HC order would set a bad precedent in law as there were several apex court verdicts stipulating that such inquiries could be ordered only on genuine PILs and that too only if the court was satisfied that there was a prima facie case against the accused, Rohatgi argued.

New Delhi, July 22
The Supreme Court today grilled the Planning Commission and the government on the yardsticks for identifying people living below the poverty line (BPL), observing that the methods were beyond its comprehension.

A Bench comprising Justices Dalveer Bhandari and Deepak Verma pointed out that according to one norm, any person earning more than Rs 11 a day in the rural areas and Rs 17 in cities would not come under the BPL category and would rather be treated as above poverty line (APL).

Under another yardstick, the government treated all those eating food containing less than 2,400 calories of energy as the BPL category, the court noted.

Given the galloping inflation and the consequent erosion in the purchasing power of people, how could anyone buy food containing 2,400 calories for Rs 11 or Rs 17, the Bench wanted to know.

“It is for you to explain it properly,” the Bench told Additional Solicitor-General Mohan Parasaran and the Planning Commission counsel and suggested the commission to file a fresh affidavit making the clarification.

At an earlier hearing, the court had questioned the logic of keeping the BPL norm at Rs 11-17. But the commission filed an affidavit sticking to the norm, prompting the Bench to point out the inconsistencies between the monetary and calorie norms.

The government stand on helping pregnant mothers also came under the scanner during the arguments on the functioning of the public distribution system. Under the present policy, women are entitled to pregnancy assistance if they are of marriageable age and are expecting only their first or second child.

Senior counsel Colin Gonsalves, appearing for the PIL petitioner (PUCL), wanted to know as to how the government could deny the unborn children of their right to nutrition. The government was also discriminating children born at home against those born in hospitals in the matter of cash assistance, he said. The arguments would continue on August 18.

New Delhi, July 22
With his name figuring in the 2008 'cash-for-vote' scam, Rajya Sabha MP Amar Singh was today questioned for over three hours by the Delhi Police, which is set to expand the ambit of its probe into the case by quizzing Samajwadi Party leader Reoti Raman Singh.

Amar Singh came to the Crime Branch's inter-state cell in Chanakyapuri at 10.45 am in his Mercedes car. He was grilled by police officials but denied any involvement in the scam that rocked the country this day three years ago.

He was confronted with two arrested accused — Sanjeev Saxena, considered close to him, and Suhail Hindustani, alleged to be a go-between the bribe-givers and bribe-takers, who had named him in the scam. Police officials did not rule out the possibility of Singh being questioned again.

Amar Singh, who is accused of sending bribe money to win over three BJP MPs during the 2008 Confidence Motion, did not speak to waiting mediapersons.

The police has summoned Reoti Raman tomorrow. He is alleged to have been contacted by Hindustani at midnight July 21-22, 2008 for striking a deal to buy BJP MPs.

The police is also planning to question BJP MP Ashok Argal, who allegedly was sought to be bribed, besides BJP leader LK Advani's former aide Sudheendra Kulkarni, who is alleged to have organised a sting operation to expose alleged bribery effort. Argal could be questioned on Monday. — PTI

New Delhi, July 22
The debate in India over the arrest of Kashmiri separatist Ghulam Nabi Fai in Virginia, for using money to influence the US policy on Kashmir may overshadow the upcoming talks between the foreign ministers of India and Pakistan next week.

The South Block today declined to comment on Pakistan’s protest against Fai’s arrest, but did say “the facts speak for themselves”.

However, senior officials said it was quite obvious that Fai was playing a key role in spreading “canard” against India on the Kashmir issue.

The officials replied in the negative when asked if the issue could figure during the talks between External Affairs Minister SM Krishna and his Pakistani counterpart Hina Rabbani Khar on July 27.

Pakistan protested against Fai’s detention while appreciating his “contribution” for the “cause of Kashmir”. Islamabad went to the extent of making a demarche to the US Embassy in Islamabad to register its protest.

Fai has been charged by the FBI with funnelling at least $4 million from Pakistan’s spy agency ISI for benefiting political leaders with the aim of influencing the US policy on Kashmir.

Analysts say Fai’s arrest is likely to worsen already strained relations between Washington and Islamabad. The killing of Osama Bin Laden in Abbottabad by the US forces in May had angered many in Pakistan and left US officials questioning whether Pakistani intelligence had known about the Al-Qaida leader’s whereabouts.

Fai seemed to be friends with the high and mighty of US politics. Several high-profile academics, human rights activists and journalists were also among his guests as the director of the Washington-based Kashmiri American Council.

Kochi, July 22
Income tax (IT) officials today raided two of India’s biggest film stars, Mammooty and Mohanlal, across four southern cities. Both the Kerala-based actors have been asked to appear before tax officials in person here.

The raids began early at 6.30 am, with 80 officials simultaneously verifying records at their homes in Kochi and numerous offices in Chennai, Bangalore and Thiruvananthapuram.

IT sleuths cited a huge gap in IT returns and the income that the superstars have in a year. Both have the same chartered accountant who has his head office in Thiruvananthapuram. The initial statements from both the actors have been taken.

Mammooty is expected to appear before IT officials in the evening as he was in Chennai when the raids began, while Mohanlal may not arrive today as he is shooting in the coastal town of Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu. IT officials reached Rameswaram and took a statement from Mohanlal.— IANS

New Delhi, July 22
Though the BJP appeared most reluctant to sack Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yedyurappa and his ministers mentioned in the Lokayukta report on illegal mining, the party is expected to sit tomorrow to deliberate and strategise its response to Santhosh Hegde’s report ahead of its submission.

BJP president Nitin Gadkari, who will return to the Capital after a 10-day jaunt in England, has reportedly asked Yedyurappa, who is currently in Mauritius on a family holiday, to join him tomorrow morning.

BJP sources said Yedyurappa is expected to fly directly from Mauritius either late tonight or early tomorrow morning.

Most senior party leaders are already in town and have been told to stay back for consultations, BJP sources said. However, so far there is no clarity about holding a core committee meeting to discuss the Hegde report, expected to indict Yedyurappa and his ministers. The BJP’s reluctance to act against Yedyurappa was evident from party spokesman Rajiv Pratap Rudy’s reaction today. He said, “I believe that SM Krishna’s name is also mentioned in the report. Will the Congress sack Krishna?”

“The Congress is deliberately spreading canard that the BJP is reluctant to respond to the report. Hegde has said he is still dictating some portions and to say that the BJP is not going to respond to the report is highly speculative,” he added.

Meanwhile, Congress spokesman Abhishek Singhvi reiterated the demand for sacking Yedyurappa even as he denied Krishna being named in the Hegde report.

New Delhi, July 22
Two days after the government and the Medical Council of India (MCI) decided to go ahead with the proposed common medical entrance test from next year, the MCI readied the core syllabus for the test and put it out on its website for consultation for the stakeholders.

In a press statement today, the MCI said in pursuance of the Supreme Court orders, it planned to conduct common entrance test for admission to medical courses in various institutions across the country from next year onwards.

The National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test for undergraduates (NEET-UG) for admission to the MBBS is scheduled to be held in May 2012. In this connection, a common core syllabus has been prepared and is available for feedback on the website of the MCI (www.mciindia.org). Relevant stakeholders of the examination have been asked to forward their feedback to neet-ug@mciindia.org by August 11 after which the syllabus will be finalised. The modalities for NEET-PG, common entrance test, for medical postgraduate (MD/MS) admissions across the country, are being worked out. 

New Delhi, July 22
The Supreme Court today rejected the government’s plea for an additional 10 weeks’ time to re-assess the academic standards of 44 deemed universities which were sought to be derecognised for offering poor quality education.

A Bench comprising Justices Dalveer Bhandari and Deepak Verma asked Additional Solicitor General Indira Jaisingh to file the fresh assessment report by the middle of next month when the case would come up for next hearing.

The court, however, allowed one of the assessment panel members, SK Ray, to continue despite the fact that he retired as Additional Secretary last month. The three-member committee headed by HRD’s Special Secretary Ashok Thakur was set up on February 9 this year to review afresh the status of the 44 institutions.

The government submitted an affidavit to the court today, stating that only 14 of the 44 institutions had been heard so far. Since admissions for the current academic year (2011-12) had already begun, no harm would be caused to anybody if further time was allowed for completing the re-evaluation process, it contended.

Hyderabad, July 22
A sense of fatigue and resignation has gripped the people of the Telangana region as they suffered yet another day of shutdown. The public was put to severe hardship as normal life in Hyderabad and nine districts of the Telangana region was paralysed following the day-long bandh.

The educational institutions, banks, shops and other business establishments downed their shutters while buses were off the roads.

Guwahati, July 22
Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today raised concern over insurgent outfits from the northeast, including the anti-talks faction of ULFA setting up base in neighbouring Myanmar.

He said the leader of the anti-talks faction of ULFA, Paresh Barua, was reportedly now based in the Myanmar-China border area. “Not only ULFA but also many militant outfits from the northeast are holed up in Myanmar and there is no doubt about it. The Government of India may have taken up the matter of the presence of northeast militants with the Myanmar Government,” Gogoi said.

After being hounded out of Bangladesh, Paresh Barua has set up a base in northern Myanmar close to the China border with support from the Naga rebel group NSCN-K. The ULFA leader’s family is still in Bangladesh.

Gogoi said the anti-talks faction of ULFA, whose cadre strength had depleted after a majority of leaders and members of the outfit had sided with the pro-talks faction led by chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa, had started hiring members of the Manipur-based outlawed People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to carry out violence and other criminal activities like extortion in Assam.

“We have inputs from the Intelligence about ULFA (anti-talks) striking operation coordination with other militant groups from the region like the PLA of Manipur and the Naga rebels, and have alerted all concerned about it,” Gogoi said.