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Spectrum allocation: CBI files chargesheet against
Bharti Airtel, Vodafone

NEW DELHI: The CBI on Friday filed a chargesheet in connection with alleged irregularities in spectrum allocation during the NDA regime involving three telecom companies, including Bharti Airtel and Vodafone India, while pegging the loss at Rs 846 crore.

The CBI in its chargesheet filed before Special CBI Judge O P Saini named as accused Bharti Airtel Ltd, Vodafone India Ltd and Hutchison Max and Sterling Cellular, retired IAS and former Telecom Secretary Shyamal Ghosh for alleged irregularities in grant of additional spectrum.

J R Gupta, former Deputy Director-General (VAS) cell of DoT and former Director of BSNL, who was named in the FIR as one of the accused, has been made as one of the 73 witnesses in the case, the CBI told the court.

The agency said no action has been taken against former Telecom Minister Pramod Mahajan and no charges have been found against the promoters of Airtel and Vodafone.

The court has fixed January 14 for the consideration of the chargesheet.

The agency alleged in the chargesheet that the DoT had increased the base spectrum for telecom companies from 4.4 MHz to 6.2 MHz during Mahajan's tenure and also allocated extra spectrum on subscriber-based criteria.

It alleged that Mahajan had allotted addition spectrum to these companies in a hurried manner and in contravention with the then telecom policy.

The accused have been chargesheeted under section 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC and various provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act relating to misconduct by public servant by accepting illegal gratification by abusing his official position.

"Investigation has revealed that Shyamal Ghosh, then chairman of Telecom Commission and Secretary DoT, in conspiracy with late Pramod Mahajan, then telecom minister and the accused beneficiary companies i.e Hutchison Max and Sterling Cellular and Bharti Airtel Ltd through their representatives, abused his official position as public person and showed undue favour which caused loss of Rs 846.44 crores to the government exchequer and corresponding undue gain to the aforesaid telecom companies," it said.

The agency said this included incidental gains to other telecom companies by charging additional one per cent of AGR instead of charging the required additional two per cent of AGR for allocation of additional spectrum from 6.2 MHz upto 10 MHz.". — PTI

Delhi gang-rape: Protesters reach Rashtrapati Bhavan

NEW DELHI: A large number of women activists and students today marched towards the Rashtrapati Bhavan to protest against the gang-rape of a young girl in a moving bus and demand stringent action against rapists.

The protesters under the aegis of AIDWA, YWCA and JNUSU among others started their march from Rajpath and as they reached Vijay Chowk, they went past the barricades erected at the entrance of Raisina Hills and moved towards Rashtrapati Bhavan and South and North Blocks.

The police stopped the protesters near Rashtrapati Bhavan. Carrying placards and shouting slogans, the protesters demanded stringent punishment for rapists.

Two days ago, in a similar protest, around 200 people had gathered near North Block. They dispersed only after Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde agreed to meet a delegation of JNUSU students.

A girl identified as Swati managed to go near the Rashtrapati Bhavan but was escorted back later.

"They say we need permission to enter there. Why do we need permission? When we are attacked and harassed, nobody needs any permission. We are here to raise our voices and for that we need permission," she said.

The protesters at the Raisina Hills later marched towards the India Gate.

A group of people also staged protest outside Safdarjung Hospital and blocked traffic for sometime.

The protesters demanded speedy justice for the victim.

Meanwhile, the Delhi Police detained the fifth accused in connection with the heinous incident in a late night raid on Thursday. The police detained the fifth accused, named Raju, in Badaun, Uttar Pradesh.

"The fifth accused has been arrested in the rape case. His age is being verified before giving details. If minor, we have to hold back his particulars as per law," Delhi Police commissioner Neeraj Kumar said on Twitter.

With this, five persons have been arrested in the Sunday night incident which sparked widespread outrage across the country.

Sources said the fifth accused was arrested from Badaun in Uttar Pradesh even as there were reports that the sixth accused has been picked from Bareilly. However, police is yet to confirm it.

Yesterday, one of the four accused in the case was "identified" by the victim's friend during a Test Identification Parade (TIP) at Tihar Jail here.

The 23-year-old victim's male friend, an engineer in a software company, identified Mukesh during TIP, a senior police official said.

Out of the four accused, only Mukesh had agreed to TIP when he was produced before a court here. Other accused - Ram Singh, Pawan and Vinay - had refused to undergo TIP.

According to the official, the positive identification of Mukesh by the friend, who was also beaten up by thegang before the men allegedly raped the girl, is a shot in the arm of the prosecution as it would help them nail the other culprits.

Police have invoked the stringent charges of attempt to murder and destruction of evidence against the accused.

Investigators had earlier pressed charges against them under sections 365 (kidnapping or abducting), 376 (2)(g) (gang rape), 377 (unnatural offences), 394 (hurting in committing robbery) and 34 (common intention) of IPC. — PTI

Parliamentary Standing Committee to meet on Dec 27

HYDERABAD: Taking serious note of the gruesome gang-rape of a para-medic in a moving bus at Delhi, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs has convened a meeting on December 27 to discuss the issue.

The meeting would deliberate on issues concerning the incidents of rape, the changes, if any, to be made to the statute and the suggestions for the government, Committee’s Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu told reporters on Friday.

The Police Commissioner of Delhi and the Union Home Secretary would also attend the meeting, he said.

The Standing committee comprises 30 members representing various political parties.

“All members, cutting across party lines, expressed concern when this issue was discussed in Parliament. There are four important issues. There is a need to sensitise police system to take expeditious action on these issues. Political will and administrative preparedness is necessary,” he said.

The panel would also discuss the changes to be made to the laws and the suggestions that can be made to the government, Mr. Naidu said.

“Some changes need to be made in the laws as well. Fast track courts should be set up and Evidence Act can be changed. There is a suggestion that in-camera trial should be conducted in such cases. Also, there is an opinion that death sentence should be awarded to the convicts. We will take the views of officials and give our recommendations to the government,” he said. — PTI

Charges to be framed against Kalmadi

New Delhi: A Delhi court on Friday pronounced its order on framing of charges against former Commonwealth Games Organising Committee (OC) Chairman Suresh Kalmadi and 10 others in a games-related graft case.

Kalmadi along with CWG OC Secretary General Lalit Bhanot has been charged for criminal conspiracy under section 120(B), cheating (section 420), forgery (section 468 & 471) of the Indian Penal Code and the Prevention of Corruption Act.
Special CBI Judge Talwant Singh had on November 21 slated for today the pronouncement of order on charges in the case also involving former as an accused in the case.

Besides Kalmadi and Bhanot, nine others have been charge-sheeted by the CBI for allegedly "illegally" awarding a contract to install Timing, Scoring and Results system for the 2010 CWG to Swiss Timing at an inflated rates causing a loss of over Rs 90 crore to the public exchequer.

Modi to be sworn in as CM on Dec 26

AHMEDABAD: Narendra Modi, who posted a resounding victory in the assembly elections, will be sworn in as Gujarat Chief Minister for the fourth time on December 26.

Modi became Chief Minister for the first time on October 1, 2001, and subsequently, in 2002 and 2007.

Modi drove to Raj Bhavan in Gandhinagar on Friday morning and submitted his resignation and that of his Council of Ministers to Governor Kamla Beniwal following constitution of the new House.

“As per the constitutional obligation, after the announcement of the results of the state Assembly elections, the Council of Ministers and Chief Minister as its head have tendered their resignations to the state Governor,” Gujarat BJP spokesman Vijay Rupani said.

The outgoing Assembly was dissolved on Thursday by the Governor after the results of new Assembly were declared.

The BJP has won 115 seats in the 182-member House, 23 more than what is required for a simple majority.

“On December 25, a meeting of the newly-elected MLAs will be held to formally elect Narendra Modi as the leader of BJP legislature party,” said Rupani.

Senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley is likely to present as an observer, he said, adding Modi would be administered the oath of office and secrecy on December 26.

The swearing-in ceremony is likely to take place at Sardar Patel Stadium in Ahmedabad. — PTI

Hotel brawl case: Chargesheet filed against Saif 

Mumbai: Ten months after Saif Ali Khan allegedly assaulted a South-Africa based businessman Iqbal Mir Sharma and his father-in-law at a luxury hotel in Colaba, the Mumbai Police has filed a chargesheet against the Bollywood actor and his two associates in the case.

"Colaba police station filed the charge sheet against Saif in a metropolitan magistrate court on Thursday," Zonal DCP Ravindra Shishwe told PTI today.

Saif and his two friends — Shakeel Ladak and Bilal Amrohi — have been charge sheeted under section 325 (assault) of IPC. The police have also added the statement of 29 persons in the charge sheet, sources said.

Digvijay Singh gets bail in defamation case

New Delhi: Senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh was today granted bail by a Delhi court in connection with a criminal defamation case filed against him by BJP President Nitin Gadkari.

Singh appeared before Metropolitan Magistrate Sudesh Kumar in pursuance to the summons issued against him by the court on November 17 and the judge granted bail to him on a personal bond of Rs 50,000 and a surety of the like amount.
Outside the court, Singh told reporters that he will now prove all his charges against Gadkari.

"Now I can say everything in front of the court the way Gadkari has worked as a businessman and how he has links with various other businessmen, which all companies of his were fake and how he earned profits," he said.

The court after finding "prima facie" evidence against Singh had directed him to appear before it to face trial for the offence punishable under section 499 (defamation) and 500 (punishment for defamation) of the IPC.

The defamation case was filed by Gadkari against the Congress general secretary who had allegedly accused him of having business links with his party MP Ajay Sancheti.