L A T E S T      N E W S

Failure of governance root cause of crime
against women: Verma panel 

NEW DELHI: The Justice J S Verma Committee, set up to recommend measures to improve laws dealing with sexual offences, has received around 80,000 suggestions and wrapped up its work within 29 days.

Justice Verma, the head of the three-member panel, was approached by the Central government for the task on December 23. The other members of the panel are former Himachal Pradesh Chief Justice Leila Seth and former Solicitor General Gopal Subramaniam.

He said the failure of governance was the root cause of crime against women. He also said it was “equally shocking” that there was total apathy of everyone who had a duty to perform.

“We have submitted the report in 29 days. When I offered to do the work within 30 days, I did not realise the magnitude of the work,” Justice Verma told a press conference after submitting his voluminous report to the Home Ministry.

He said the report may be known after him but it is the outcome of suggestions from people within India and outside the country.

“We received 80,000 suggestions,” he said adding all of them were read and considered before finalising the report.

On how he decided on a time frame for finalising the report, Justice Verma said when a senior Cabinet Minister approached him on behalf of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, he asked him when is the next session of Parliament.

“The Minister told me that the (Budget) session will start on February 21. There were two months. So I decided lets do it in 30 days. If we are able to do it in half the time available, then the government with its might and resources should also act fast,” he said.

He complimented the youth for the mature response.

“Youth has taught us what we, the older generation, were not aware of. I was struck by the peaceful manner in which the protests were carried out...the youth rose to the occasion,” he said.

Highlights of the Verma Committee report

Imminnent need to review AFSPA in conflict areas.

Sexual offences by armed forces and uniformed men in conflict areas should be brought under ordinary criminal law.

Recommends appointment of Special Commissioners with adequate powers to redress complaints of sexual violence against women in conflict areas.

Ambiguity over the control of the Delhi Police should be cleared.

Delhi gang-rape case shows the failures of traffic regulations, maintenance of law and order and dealing of sexual assault cases.

Every district magistrate should prepare census of missing children.

Police action on peaceful protestors scarred Indian democracy. — PTI

CBI raid at dental colleges, houses of Dental Council members

NEW DELHI: CBI on Wednesday carried out searches at six private dental colleges and premises of at least three Dental Council of India members in an alleged bribery case related to grant of approval to colleges for running various courses.

CBI sources said the searches were conducted after the questioning of DCI member Dr Gunaseelan Rajan, who was arrested by the agency on January 18 from Chennai.

They said the searches were spread at various locations across Chennai, Namakkal, Jabalpur, Hyderabad, Bangalore and Mangalore.

The sources said premises of three Dental Council of India members were also searched in the operation.

The agency had arrested two members of Dental Council of India - Dr Gunaseelan Rajan and Dr S Murugesan - for allegedly receiving bribe for arranging clearances from the council for allowing post-graduate courses at a private dental college.

The agency claimed to have recovered Rs 75 lakh cash from Dr Rajan after his arrest.

CBI sources said during his questioning a big racket allegedly involving several dental surgeons came to light which resulted in Wednesday’s search operation. — PTI

Rajnath Singh is new BJP president

NEW DELHI: Rajnath Singh was unanimously elected president of BJP on Wednesday, capping last minute dramatic turn of events which saw Nitin Gadkari being forced out of the race for the second term.

The 61-year-old senior party leader from Uttar Pradesh takes the baton back from Nitin Gadkari whom he handed over the post in 2009.

Singh, who emerged as the consensus candidate on Tuesday night after Gadkari dramatically opted out of the race for a second term, was the only candidate to file the nominations and was declared elected unopposed.

Gadkari was among the first ones to wish the new party president soon after the announcement by election officer Thawar Chand Gehlot in the presence of top party leaders including L K Advani, Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitley and Venkaiah Naidu.

Gadkari, whose candidature was being pushed strongly by RSS, suddenly quit the race in the midst of allegations of impropriety by his company Purti Group.

After taking over, Rajnath Singh said, "I accept this not as a post, but as a responsibility" and said he would take the battle to a decisive end by bringing BJP to power.

He said he was taking over in not very conducive conditions in the wake of allegations levelled against the outgoing chief Nitin Gadkari.

Singh said though the party wanted Gadkari to continue as party president for a second term, but he took a moral high by deciding not to contest for a second term till his name was cleared of all charges.

The new chief exuded confidence of steering the party in the forthcoming Assembly elections in various states later this year and expressed the hope to see formation of an NDA regime led by BJP in the next general elections.

"I firmly believe that the NDA will form the government in 2014," said Singh, adding that only BJP can tackle the country's problems and people expected it to rid the country of its troubles.

Congratulating Gadkari for frustrating the party's political opponents, BJP veteran L K Advani said, "Rajnath Singh's biggest responsibility will be to ensure that there is no compromise with any immoral act in BJP."

He said Singh has power to bring people together and hoped the party will resolve to win lost ground in Uttar Pradesh, from where he hails.

Advani said Singh has focussed on agricultural issues and farmers and exuded confidence that he will take the party forward on these principles.

He also said that the party was considered an urban party, but the results have proved otherwise. "For years we have never got success in urban areas as we have won in rural areas," he said, citing the example of Madhya Pradesh which has seen the highest growth in agriculture sector.

Rajnath Singh earlier condemned home minister Sushilkumar Shinde's Hindu terror remarks, which he termed as "irresponsible" and said it indicated the party in power was not serious about its fight against terrorism.

The new BJP chief charged Congress with trying to divide the nation on communal lines and said it did only vote-bank politics.

Noting that the circumstances in which he took over to lead the party were not "conducive", he said BJP will stand behind Gadkari in his fight to clear his name of all charges.

The new BJP chief said the country was going through troubled times and blamed the Congress for it, as it had ruled the nation for a maximum period, even as he charged the ruling party with being responsible for corruption and terrorism.

He said only the BJP can tackle the country's problems and rid the nation of its troubles and people were looking up to it for this.

In his address, Gadkari said people believe that if any party can change the future of the country, it is the BJP and hoped Rajnath Singh will take everyone together and his leadership can lead us to victory in 2014.

On his second term, he said, there has been a political conspiracy to malign him on issues he was not connected with.  — PTI

Headley to be sentenced tomorrow 

Chicago: More than four years after the horrific Mumbai attacks claimed 166 lives, Pakistani-American LeT terrorist David Headley, one of the main conspirators, is set to be sentenced in a Chicago court on Thursday with the US government seeking a jail term of 30-35 years for him.

“The government submits that a sentence of 30 to 35 years’ imprisonment strikes a fair and just balance between the aggravating and mitigating factors applicable to Headley.”

“While there is no question that his criminal conduct was deplorable, his decision to cooperate, and the uniquely significant value that cooperation has provided to the government’s efforts to combat terrorism, support the government’s recommendation,” Attorney Gary S Shapiro said in a 20-page position-paper.

The demand for 30-35 years’ imprisonment for 52-year-old Headley is far less than what the US government had sought for Tahawwur Hussain Rana, who was held guilty by a federal grand jury for providing material support to Lashkar-e-Taiba and planning a terror attack against Jyllands-Posten, a Danish newspaper in Copenhagen.

Last week, the court sentenced Rana, also 52, to 14 years in jail followed by five years of supervised release.

“Headley played an essential role in the planning of a horrific terrorist attack,” the US government said, adding that his advance surveillance in India contributed to the deaths of innocent men, women and children.

“Undeterred by the shocking images of death and destruction that came out of Mumbai in November 2008, Headley travelled to Denmark less than two months later to advance a plan to commit another terrorist attack,” the US attorney said.

“Headley not only worked at the direction of Lashkar-e-Taiba for years, but also with members of al-Qaeda. There is little question that life imprisonment would be an appropriate punishment for Headley’s incredibly serious crimes but for the significant value provided by his immediate and extensive cooperation,” the US attorney said.

The information that Headley provided following his arrest and in subsequent proffer sessions was of substantial value to the US and its allies, India in particular, in their efforts to combat international terrorism, according to the US government.

As such, the US attorney said, the government will move the court to sentence Headley at a point below the life imprisonment.

“The government submits that imposing a sentence of 30 to 35 years’ imprisonment strikes a fair and just balance between the despicable nature of his crimes and the significant value of his cooperation,” Shapiro said.

The US attorney also informed the court that Headley had told his childhood friend Tahawwur Rana after the 2008 Mumbai attacks that he was “even” with India now.

The court was told that one of the motives of attacking the iconic Taj Hotel was to target Indian defence officials and scientists who held meetings there.

Headley, a US citizen of Pakistani-origin, had testified that he was pleased by the attacks, the attorney said.

“Headley told his friend Rana that, as a result of the Mumbai attacks, ‘we were even with the Indians now. And even if Pakistan wasn’t even, I was even for my school.’”

Headley claimed that, when he was a child, his school in Pakistan was bombed by the Indians, so he felt that the Mumbai attacks exacted revenge for that bombing.

“Rana responded, ‘they (the Indians) deserved it,’” said Shapiro.

“Based upon Lashkar’s overall goals with respect to the government of India, the manner in which the attacks were carried out, the targets chosen for attack, and Headley’s feelings about the attacks, there can be no doubt that Lashkar’s attack on Mumbai was calculated to influence, affect and retaliate against the Indian government.”

Headley testified that Lashkar sent militants across the border into India to engage in violent attacks, the US attorney said.

He further testified in detail about the Lashkar weapons and military training courses he attended, which included training in weapons such as AK-47 guns, pistols, grenades and explosives.

Shapiro said form 2006 to 2008, Lashkar sent Headley to India to complete surveillance of various targets, many of which were ultimately attacked in November 2008.

One of the key targets that Lashkar instructed Headley to do surveillance on multiple occasions was the Taj Mahal Hotel in Mumbai.

“One of the reasons that Lashkar targeted the Taj Hotel for attack was the fact that the hotel contained a conference centre where conferences of Indian defence contractors and scientists held meetings. Headley was even instructed to obtain a schedule of conferences at the Taj Hotel,” the US attorney told the court.

In addition to the Taj Hotel, Headley performed surveillance of the Oberoi Hotel, Chabad House, Leopold Cafe and Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus.

“Headley testified that (Pakistani) Major Iqbal explained to him that the Chabad House was on the list of targets for the Mumbai attacks because Major Iqbal believed that it was a front for the Mossad, which is the Israeli national intelligence agency,” the US attorney said.

In addition, Headley surveyed potential targets for Lashkar while in India, many of which were government buildings. “For example, Headley surveilled the Indian Naval Air Station, Maharashtra state police headquarters, Shiv Sena headquarters, and a temple run by Shiv Sena,” the attorney said.

“Indeed, we know from Headley’s testimony that one of the reasons Lashkar targeted the Taj Hotel was to kill Indian defence contractors — individuals perceived to assist in the Indian military’s efforts in (fighting militancy in) Kashmir,” Shapiro said.

“That multiple locations throughout the city were targeted for attack also reflected Lashkar’s goal to influence the government. Furthermore, the attack of the Chabad House was arguably intended to influence and affect the government of Israel, as well as India, since it was targeted because of the perception that it was a front for the Israeli intelligence agency.

“The controllers, in fact, communicated directly with Israeli government officials about the hostages taken at the Chabad House, trying to secure the release of one of the Lashkar attackers,” he said.

Lashkar designed the attacks to maximise the number of deaths and confusion throughout the city, the attorney said. — PTI

Missing Indian in Britain found dead

London: Indian student Souvik Pal who went missing on New Year's Eve has been found dead after the British police recovered his body from a canal.

18-year-old Pal was found dead by specialist officers in Bridgewater Canal, near Manchester United's Old Trafford football ground, at 2pm yesterday.

Pal, an international student who had enrolled for product design course at Manchester Metropolitan University, disappeared on a night out at the Warehouse Project in Trafford, Greater Manchester.

He was last seen at the event at about 11pm and was reported missing by a flatmate the following morning. Police which had pursued tracing Pal offered condolences to the family and extended their support.

"Our thoughts and condolences are with Souvik's family at this devastating time and our officers are doing all they can to support them," said Detective Chief Inspector Colin Larkin.

"We do not believe there are any suspicious circumstances surrounding Souvik's death and a file will be submitted to the coroner in due course." Pal's father Santanu had travelled from his home in Bangalore to help with the search.