L A T E S T      N E W S

Lokayukta orders probe into complaint against Yeddyurappa

BANGALORE: The Lokayukta court on Friday ordered a comprehensive probe by Lokayukta police into a complaint against former Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa and his son relating to alleged denotification of land in Bhadravathi.

Lokayukta Court Judge N.K. Sudhindra Rao directed the fourth Deputy Superintendent of Police, Lokayukta Bangalore Urban, Nahad to conduct a “comprehensive enquiry” into the complaint filed by an advocate and adjourned the case to August 31 for Lokayukta police to submit their report.

Earlier, Deputy SP Nahad submitted the certified copies of the documents by the respective authorities as claimed by the complainant.

Besides Yeddyurappa and his MP son B.Y. Raghavendra, five others have been named in the complaint.

The five others are ‘benamidars’ of Yeddyurappa who allegedly executed the sale deeds in favour of Dhavalagiri Properties, a company owned by his sons.

The complainant, Vinod B, alleged that Yeddyurappa abusing his official power had denotified 69 acres at Bhadravathi in 2010. He also alleged that the former Chief Minister used the benamidars to get the lands transferred in the name of Dhavalagiri Properties, two months after denotifying them.

Vinod alleged that more than 250 acres of forest land located at Reserve Forest in Bhadravathi was denotified between 2010-2011 and that Yeddyurappa had amassed disproportionate assets. —PTI

UP minister grants officials ‘licence to steal’

Etah/Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh PWD Minister Shivpal Singh Yadav, uncle of UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, told officials that they can steal a little of public money if they work hard but they should not behave like dacoits. 

As BJP and others lashed out at him, Shivpal, who appeared to have given ‘official sanction’ to officials in the state to indulge in little bit of corruption, went into damage control mode, claiming the media had quoted him out of context. 

Chairing a meeting of district programme committee yesterday in Etah, Shivpal, the PWD Minister, said, “Maine to usi din PWD walo se khule aam keh diya tha agar mehnat karoge to thodi bahut chori kar sakte ho, dakaiti nahi daloge (I have already told PWD people openly that if you work hard, you can steal a little, but don’t behave like dacoits”. 

“Agar mehnat karoge, jee lagaoge, agar inhe meetha paani de doge to chori kar sakte ho (If you work hard, if you give them water then you can steal),” he had stated. 

At a hurriedly convened press conference in Lucknow on Friday, Shivpal, a senior Cabinet minister in Akhilesh Yadav government, was hard pressed to explain his remarks. 

He said it was a closed door meeting with PWD officials in which the media had “sneaked in” and “quoted him out of context”. 

“What has been reported in the press is out of context. I had stated that the erstwhile government had indulged in large-scale corruption, cheating and stealing which, I said, should be stopped hundred percent,” the minister said, adding that the SP government had come to power vowing to end corruption. 

When reporters persisted with the questions on his controversial remarks, Shivpal said, “I have taken back those words. So, why are you raking it up. I have always cooperated with the press. I don’t know why the media is targeting me”. — PTI

Yuvraj makes comeback for World T20, Harbhajan recalled 

NEW DELHI: Yuvraj Singh was on Friday included in the Indian cricket team for the World Twenty 20 Championship in Sri Lanka as well as the two T20s against New Zealand in September, within months of his recovery from a rare germ cell cancer.

In another interesting pick, senior off-spinner Harbhajan Singh has also been recalled to the team after a gap of one year along with veteran seamer Lakshmipathy Balaji, who makes a comeback after three years.

Yuvraj's selection was on the cards after he was declared fit by the physio and trainer at the National Cricket Academy where he had been camping for the past one month.

"Yuvraj has been declared fit, so he makes a comeback. And all of us know, if he gets going, he can singlehandedly win matches," chairman of selectors Krishnamachari Srikkanth told reporters after the meeting.

The two T20 Internationals against New Zealand, slated for the first week of September, will be a test for Yuvraj who underwent chemotherapy in the US earlier this year.

Ever since his diagnosis, the left-hander has remained out of action since the second Test match against West Indies played from November 14-17 in Kolkata.

The selection committee took around three and half hours to decide on the two squads -- the bone of contention being the selection of Yuvraj and Harbhajan.

According to sources, Yuvraj's selection wasn't exactly unanimous as couple of selection committee members were apprehensive about picking him for the T20 World Cup starting September 18 as he has not played a single competitive match for the past nine months.

However, his class and experience in the shortest format was the logic behind his selection apart from the popular sentiment to bring him back which definitely played a part.

Harbhajan's selection was simply based on his past record as India's spin department is pretty thin on experience. Harbhajan last played for India against England at Trent Bridge last July-August before he flew back with an injury and has not been considered for selection since then.

The surprise inclusion has to be Piyush Chawla, who has done precious little in the domestic season gone by but dearth of quality leg-break bowlers was the reason behind the Uttar Pradesh player getting the nod ahead of the likes of Rahul Sharma and Amit Mishra.

The inclusion of Balaji is based on his impressive performance for Kolkata Knight Riders in the last two editions of the Indian Premier League. The 30-year-old's ability to bowl effective slower deliveries at the death has led to his selection over Umesh Yadav.

The only tearaway pacer in the squad is Ashok Dinda while the other two seamers will be the experienced duo of Zaheer Khan and Irfan Pathan.

The squad consists of eight players -- Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Gautam Gambhir, Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh, Irfan Pathan, Rohit Sharma, Piyush Chawla and Harbhajan Singh -- who were a part of India's historic T20 triumph in South Aftica five years back.

Squad for T20 World Cup and T20s against New Zealand: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain), Gautam Gambhir, Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Manoj Tiwary, Rohit Sharma, Irfan Pathan, Ravichandran Ashwin, Zaheer Khan, Lakshmipathy Balaji, Piyush Chawla, Harbhajan Singh, Ashok Dinda. — PTI

Look-out notice against Gopal Kanda

New Delhi: A look-out notice has been issued by the Delhi police against former Haryana minister Gopal Kanda, accused of abetting the suicide of his former employee and is absconding. A senior police official said all airports have also been alerted to ensure that Kanda does not fly out of the country.

Kanda has not appeared before police despite a notice issued to him to join investigations in the case of suicide of Geetika Sharma, who had accused the former minister of harassing her. Police have intensified searches to arrest him. Six police teams were looking for him in connection with the case.

Kanda has been charged with abetment to suicide and criminal intimidation of - his former employee, an air hostess named Geetika Sharma, who hung herself at her home over the weekend. In a note found in her bedroom, she blamed him and a senior executive named Anuradha Chadha, who works for him.

Kanda must join Geetika suicide probe: Hooda

CHANDIGARH: Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda today said former minister Gopal Kanda should join the probe into airhostess Geetika Sharma suicide case and described as "unfair" his not helping the police investigation.

The case has been registered by the Delhi police. "Law will take its own course," Hooda told reporters here.

He described as "unfair" anybody not joining investigations of the police.

The Chief Minister said Kanda was no longer a minister in his government, so he was not concerned with what he was doing.

"I am not concerned what he is doing," he said when quizzed on Kanda not joining the investigation by Delhi Police.

When asked whether Haryana Police was sheltering Kanda, he said he had no idea and added that there was no threat to his government due to the Kanda episode. — PTI

Watchman held for murdering Mumbai lawyer

Mumbai: The Mumbai police have arrested the security guard of the apartment building where Pallavi Purkayastha, the 25-year-old lawyer who killed on Thursday, lived. According to reports, the guard has reportedly confessed to killing Pallavi Purkayastha. The guard reportedly told the police that he killed her simply because she had behaved in a rude manner with him a few days back. A young advocate daughter of an IAS couple was on Thursday found murdered at her rented flat in Mumbai.

Pallavi Purkayastha (25), whose IAS parents stay in Delhi, was found in a pool of blood at her rented flat in 'Himalayan Heights' building at Wadala in Central Mumbai by her live-in partner Avik Sengupta (26), also a lawyer.

"Pallavi's body had multiple stab injuries. The scene of crime indicated she struggled to save herself. When Avik returned home he found that the door was slightly opened, he went inside and found the blood-soaked body of Pallavi with the throat slit, following which he informed the police.

Ramdev asks PM to act on black money issue

NEW DELHI: As his fast entered the second day, yoga guru Ramdev on Friday asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to demonstrate “political honesty and political will” in bringing back black money stashed away in foreign shores which can be spent on empowering the people.

He also claimed that terrorism and Naxalism in the country can be tackled if the government controls the flow of black money and the rising inflation.

“The government has the list of people who have stashed away black money in foreign shores. We don’t want the names of those people, but at least disclose the amount at least. What is the harm in it? Why is the government reluctant?” he asked.

He said India can become the ‘super power’ in the world and the army can become more powerful than those in China and the US if the black money is brought back and spent on people and national security.

“We need a honest Prime Minister. I want the current Prime Minister to demonstrate his political honesty and political will on the issue of blackmoney,” he said addressing the gathering at his three-day fast venue at Ramlila Ground in New Delhi.

He also said that the government has to spell out its agenda on black money, corruption and Lokpal by Saturday.

“Many people say I have no agenda. The agenda is to save the country. The people of the country will ask the government and all parties to spell out their agenda,” he said.

If the black money is brought to India, then the country can boast of world-class hospitals, educational institutions and other facilities, he said.

“Terrorism and Naxalism are the two challenges. The root cause of this is black money. The menace can be tackled if the issue is solved,” he said.

“People are talking about the equation I and Anna Hazare share”, Ramdev said, adding, “Every day people say there has been a fight between me and Annaji. I don’t know from where people get such stories.”

He said, “People don’t like us because we don’t have anything to lose.”

He said, in their speeches both the Prime Minister and the President say corruption is the biggest enemy. “If they know why don’t they take steps to curb corruption?” he questioned.

Ramdev said people allege that he was in favour of the “sarkari” Lokpal. “I am not in favour of sarkari Lokpal. I am in favour of a consensus Lokpal. I want consensus on Lokpal,” he said and demanded a strong Lokpal. — PTI