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Jawan mutilation: India summons Pak High Commissioner
NEW DELHI: India on Wednesday summoned the Pakistan High Commissioner in New Delhi to protest the “highly provocative” attack on its territory in Jammu and Kashmir by Pakistani troops, describing as “extremely distressing” and “inhuman” the mutilation of the bodies of its two soldiers.
As the government closely monitored the situation after the attack, Pakistan High Commissioner Salman Bashir was summoned to the Foreign office here.
Defence Minister A.K. Antony said the Indian government will convey to Pakistan its protest against the attack on Tuesday in the Mendhar sector in Poonch district.
“Pakistan Army’s action is highly provocative. The way they treated the dead bodies of Indian soldiers is inhuman. We will convey our protest to Pakistan government and our DGMO will talk to his counterpart. We are closely following the situation,”
Antony told reporters.
External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid said the way the bodies of the two Indian soldiers were treated was “extremely extremely distressing” and “ghastly” and that this will be taken up seriously with Pakistan.
“It is an extremely sensitive matter. It is a matter of great concern. We will do whatever we can do,” he said, adding
“we will take up the matter seriously with Pakistan government.”
Khurshid warned that the Pakistani action could be “counter-productive” in efforts by the two neighbouring countries to improve bilateral relations.
Pakistani regular soldiers crossed into Indian territory in Poonch sector and ambushed an Indian patrol killing two soldiers, one of whom was decapitated.
Army’s Additional Director-General (Public Information) Major General S. L. Narasimhan yesterday confirmed that one of the two bodies was mutilated.
Other sources said the heads of both the Indian soldiers — Lance Naiks Hemraj and Sudhakar Singh — have been chopped off and one was taken away by Pakistani intruders.
The attack took place along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district when Pakistanis came about 100 metres into Indian territory and assaulted the patrol party.
Besides killing two, they also injured two other soldiers and took away their weapons and other belongings. — PTI
BJP condemns killing of Indian soldiers
NEW DELHI: Condemning the brutal killing of two Indian soldiers by the Pakistan Army, BJP on Wednesday said it was a “warning” to India and asked the Government to place all facts before the international community so that Islamabad can be “named and shamed” before the world at large.
BJP leader Arun Jaitley also asked the government to “clearly define the dos and don’ts” in relations with the neighbouring nation.
He said the brutal nature of the killing of two Indian soldiers by Pakistanis shows the “real design behind this attack.”
“As far as this unprovoked attack is concerned, it is now incumbent on the Government of India, since Pakistan still continues to give denial, to collect the entire evidence including the identity of those Pakistani Army officials and the groups guarding particular area who are responsible for this assault, place all these facts before the international community so that Pakistan can be named and shamed before the world at large for this brutal attack,”
Jaitley said.
“This attack is also warning to India. A warning that in dealing with Pakistan is now extremely important that Government of India clearly define the red lines. It has to be very firm, very cautious and very clear in how to deal with Pakistan,” he told reporters here.
The government “must clearly define the dos and don’ts particularly the red lines,” he said.
In a “provocative” attack on Tuesday, Pakistani regular soldiers crossed into Indian Territory in Poonch sector of Jammu and Kashmir and ambushed an Indian patrol killing two soldiers, one of whom was decapitated. — PTI
Delhi gang rape: Court upholds ban on reporting by media, decision on in-camera hearing
NEW DELHI: A Delhi court on Wednesday upheld a magisterial court order for in-camera proceedings in the case of December 16 gang rape of 23-year-old girl and restraining media from reporting it.
District and Sessions Judge R K Gauba said there was nothing "illegal" or "improper" in the January 7 order of the magistrate.
"The Metropolitan Magistrate was not only within her rights, rather duty-bound to apply the provisions of section 327 (2) (conducting in camera proceedings in cases of rape and related offences) of the CrPC to the proceedings of the case," the judge said.
"The fact that a large crowd had entered her court room leaving no space for even the undertrial prisoners to be brought in only added to the circumstances leading to passing of the order," the judge said.
On January 7, a magistrate had restrained the media from reporting and publishing the proceedings of the case in the court noting that the courtroom was jam-packed with members of the bar and general public who were unconnected with the case and not prepared to leave it due to which the accused could not be produced before her.
The sessions court said as per section 327(2) CrPC, it is mandatory for the presiding officer to hold the proceedings in camera in cases of rape and related offences.
Noting that the arguments of the petitioner advocates that the case is still at the stage of committal and not trial, the judge observed, "Eventually the trial court would also be required to regulate proceedings in terms of section 327 of the CrPC."
During the arguments, Public Prosecutor Rajiv Mohan opposed the plea saying the relief sought in the petition is against the provisions of the CrPC and hence it is liable to be dismissed with cost.
The magistrate's order was challenged by advocates D K Mishra and Poonam Kaushik, seeking setting aside of the decision for in camera hearing and had alleged that the court room was crowded because of the presence of large number of policemen.
In their application moved on behalf of "the concerned lawyers and the citizens of the country," the advocates had said, "Passing the order, the metropolitan magistrate has cast a number of apprehensions and allegations on lawyers and mediapersons assembled there, being the representatives of nation who have been hurt. "The whole nation is interested in knowing the proceedings of the case. In camera trial cannot be done at the stage of pre-trial. It could have been done after case is committed to sessions court."
The police had earlier filed an application for in camera proceedings in the case before the magistrate under section 327 (2) and (3) of the CrPC. Delhi police had also issued an advisory on January 5, saying the proceedings in the case cannot be reported as the court has already taken cognisance of the charge sheet.
The magisterial court on January 5 had taken cognisance of the chargesheet against the five adult accused under sections 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder), 376 (2)(g) (gangrape), 377 (unnatural offences), 395 (dacoity), 396 (murder in dacoity), 201 (destruction of evidence), 394 (hurting in dacoity), 120-B (conspiracy), 34(common intention) and 412 (dishonestly receiving stolen property) of the IPC. The case of the sixth accused - a minor - is being heard by a Juvenile Justice Board.
The victim, a paramedical student, was brutally raped and assaulted in a moving bus here on the night of December 16 and died of her injuries on December 29 in multi-speciality Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore. — PTI
Hate speech case: Owaisi sent to 14-day judicial custody
HYDERABAD: Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen MLA Akbaruddin Owaisi, facing multiple cases for his alleged " hate speech", was today remanded
in 14-day judicial custody by a magistrate in Nirmal town of Adilabad district.
Akbaruddin was reportedly questioned and produced before the magistrate at 5:30am, after which he was sent to judicial custody.
The Magistrate also asked the police to produce the MLA before the court later today at 10:30 am.
Owaisi has been taken to the Nirmal town police station, and his petition is expected to be listed at the Andhra Pradesh high court today.
Owaisi was arrested yesterday, a day after he returned from London and was admitted to a hospital for a medical check up, before being taken into custody.
Following the arrest of the MIM leader, the state government has imposed a prohibitory orders in the town to maintain law and order.
Additional security forces have been deployed in Hyderabad and Adilabad as a precautionary measure.
Owaisi, the floor leader of his party in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly, is facing a case against him in Adilabad for alleged provocative speeches regarding the disputed Bhagyalakshmi shrine in the Charminar area.
Complaints have been filed against him in regard to the same speeches in various police stations in Hyderabad and other parts of the state. — PTI
Jharkhand Governor recommends President's rule
NEW DELHI: Jharkhand Governor Syed Ahmed is understood to have recommended President's rule in the state by keeping the Assembly under suspended animation. The recommendation was made in his report to the Centre on the political situation in the wake of the resignation of chief minister Arjun Munda
who also sought dissolution of the Assembly after JMM withdrew support to his Government, sources said.
"I have received the preliminary report from the Jharkhand Governor. I will go through it. Wait for sometime for any decision," Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde told reporters without giving details.
Munda had resigned yesterday and his cabinet recommended dissolution of the Assembly.
The present political crisis erupted when BJP's ruling coalition partner JMM, in a letter to the Governor, formally withdrew its support to the 28-month-old government pushing it into a minority.
In the 82-member state assembly, BJP and JMM have 18 members each. The Munda government had the support of six members of All Jharkhand Students' Union, two of JD (U), two independents and one nominated member who has voting right in a trial of strength.
Opposition Congress has a total of 13 members, Jharkhand Vikas Morcha(P)11 and RJD 5 in the assembly. CPI-ML(L), Marxist Coordination Party, Jharkhand Party (Ekka), Jharkhand Janadhikar Manch and Jai Bharat Samta Party have one member each besides an independent. — PTI
Moderate earthquake
hits north-east
GUWAHATI: An earthquake of moderate intensity on Wednesday rocked the entire north-eastern region, but there was no report of any injury to people or damage to property.
The quake, measuring 5.9 on the Richter scale, hit the region at around 7.12 AM with its epicentre being 89 km underneath the earth’s crust along the
Indo-Myanmar border, officials at the Regional Seismological Centre here said.
The quake lasted a few seconds and rocked all major towns in the region, they said.
H. Lallenmawia, Joint Director of Mizoram Geology and Mineral Resources department said the epicentre was in Phek district of
Nagaland.
Dr. Lallenmawia said the technical information about the quake was received from the seismological centre of the North East Institute of Science and Technology, Jorhat in Assam.
The tremor was felt in Itanagar, Guwahati, Agartala, Kohima and Imphal.
An Imphal report said the quake lasted in Manipur for almost a minute.
There was no injury to people or damage to property anywhere in the region, but fear stricken people ran out of their houses for safety, police said. — PTI
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