L A T E S T      N E W S

Sixth accused in Delhi gang rape to be tried as juvenile 

NEW DELHI: A juvenile court ruled on Monday that an accused in the fatal gang rape of a young woman in New Delhi last month was a juvenile at the time of the attack.

A lawyer present in the court said a magistrate announced the decision after going over documents presented to the court by officials of the suspect’s elementary school that indicated that he was under 18 years of age at the time of the December 16 attack.

The lawyer could not be named because he was not authorised to brief media. The lawyer said that his school documents showed him to be about six months short of his 18th birthday at the time of the attack.

The accused could face three years in a reform facility if he is convicted as a juvenile.

Meanwhile, a fast-track court was separately hearing arguments on Monday in the trial of five men charged with attacking the woman and a male friend on a bus as it was driven through the streets of India’s capital. The woman was raped and assaulted with a metal bar and she eventually died of her injuries. — AP

No intention to topple BJP govt: Yeddyurappa

Bangalore: Days after 13 of his loyalist MLAs in the ruling BJP announced their resignations pushing the government into a crisis, Karnataka Janata Paksha (KJP) supremo B.S. Yeddyurappa on Monday said he has no intention to topple the Shettar Government in Karnataka and indicated that he is not averse to the presentation of budget by it on February 8.

“Our aim is not to topple the Government,” Yeddyurappa, who quit the BJP nearly two months ago, told reporters in Bagalaore.

He said that if he had indeed wanted the collapse of the government, he would have done it on December 9 itself by getting the BJP MLAs (who shared the stage with him at the formal launch of his party) to resign then itself.

Referring to the 13 BJP MLAs who wanted to resign, he said they are joining the KJP to strengthen it as the elections are fast approaching. “The intention of these MLAs is not to topple the government.”

On the charge that he is pulling out MLAs from the BJP to prevent Shettar from presenting the budget, Yeddyurappa said: “Had I wanted to oppose the budget presentation, I would have got 20 MLAs to resign at one go. We don’t have such intention.”

Yeddyurappa had said in the past that he does not want to take the blame if the Government were to fall, indicating that the KJP should not be seen to be behind the exit of the Government headed by Mr. Shettar, a leader of the prominent Lingayat community from north Karnataka.

But, at the same time, the former Chief Minister had several times attacked Mr. Shettar, saying that he is “shameless” as he continues to be in office despite the Government being reduced to a “minority.”

The 13 MLAs’ attempt to submit their resignations to the Speaker on January 23 failed as he was not in station, following which they handed over copies of their resignation letters to Governor H R Bhardwaj. — PTI

Telangana protests continue in Andhra

New Delhi/Hyderabad: The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) has threatened to intensify its stir for a separate state a day after Centre said that it needs more time to take a decision on granting statehood to Telangana.

The Centre deferring a decision on Telangana statehood and skipping its own January 28 deadline has evoked sharp reactions from the pro-Telanaga groups, who are up in the arms, terming the moves a big betrayal.

Accusing the Congress of once again betraying the people, the TRS has now decided to launch an agitation targeting Congress ministers, MPs and state legislators in the region.

TRS leader K Tarakarama Rao demanded resignation of all Congress MPs and ministers to pressurize the Centre to concede their demand.

Leaders of Telangana Joint Action Committee, which launched two-day protest here on Sunday, BJP, CPI and the Telangana leaders of TDP condemned the statements of Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde and Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad.

Shinde, who had said after all-party meeting on December 28 that the government will decide on the issue within a month, stated in Delhi on Sunday evening that they need more time.

Mumbai thrash Saurashtra to clinch Ranji title

MUMBAI: A dominant Mumbai lifted their 40th Ranji Trophy title after skipper Ajit Agarkar and Dhawal Kulkarni combined to wreck Saurshtra for an innings and 125-run victory in the five-day final that ended inside three days at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Monday.

Saurashtra, trailing the home team by 207 runs in the first innings, were shot out for a pathetic 82 in less than three hours and 36.3 overs, 41 minutes after tea.

Mumbai, thus, clinched their 40th national title in 44 appearances in the summit contest and their first after two blank seasons.

Agarkar snapped up four wickets for 15 runs while his younger teammate Kulkarni grabbed 5/32 to complete splendid match figures of nine for 56.

The home team pace duo finished off the lop-sided contest with their fiery first spells to help Mumbai regain the crown after a gap of two seasons by sharing six wickets equally.

The other wicket-taker for Mumbai was Abhishek Nayar (1 for 3).

Mumbai also earned the right to take on the Rest of India in the Irani Cup tie which is to be held at the same venue here from February 6-10. The home team also won Rs. 2 crore as the prize money while Saurashtra got Rs 1 crore.

The visiting team’s batsmen showed a distinct lack of application and surrendered on a wicket that provided good pace, bounce and prodigious movement to the swing bowlers even on day three.

They capitulated for the second time in the match after having been bowled out for 148 in 75.3 overs in the first innings on day one to which Mumbai replied with 355.

The highest score in a dismal batting display for Saurashtra was 22 off 35 balls by Dharmendra Jadeja.

Saurya Sanandiya (16) was the only other player to reach double figures after staying for more than an hour at the crease like another lower-order batsman Jaydev Unadkat (9 in 69 minutes).

Among the top seven batsmen dismissed, none reached double figures and three of them -- openers Sitanshu Kotak, Sagar Jogiyani and first innings top scorer Arpit Vasavada -- failed to score.

Rahul Dave (5), skipper Jaydev Shah (6), Sheldon Jackson (9) and Kamlesh Makwana (7) were the other top-order batsmen to depart with single digit scores.

Agarkar took three for 15 in a fiery first spell of eight overs and Kulkarni claimed as many for same number of runs in his opening spell of nine overs. Makwana was sent back by Nayar at 34.

Kulkarni came back to grab the wicket of Sanandiya to leave Saurashtra on the brink of defeat at 53 for 8. The innings was prolonged by Unadkat and Jadeja, who put on 29 runs, before Agarkar returned for his second spell to snap the ninth wicket partnership.

Fittingly, Kulkarni came back for his third spell and ended the match by having Jadeja caught behind by Tare who grabbed his fourth victim of the innings to equal the championship season record of 41 by Uday Kaul of Punjab.

The tourists were tottering at 20 for 6 after the initial burst by Agarkar and Kulkarni and then managed to get past Saurashtra’s lowest-ever score of 25 all out, also against Mumbai at the nearby Brabourne Stadium 60 years ago.

Mumbai, who made 355 in their first innings building on the solid knock of 132 by opener Wasim Jaffer, thus regained the title after their previous successful title run in the 2009-10 season when they defeated Karnataka at Mysore in the final.

This was the seventh time that Agarkar had figured in a successful title match, this time as captain, after having been part of a triumphant squad as a player on the six occasions he had turned out in a final for Mumbai.

This morning, Saurashtra did well to grab the remaining four Mumbai first innings wickets while conceding 68 runs with Kamlesh Makwana claiming the last two wickets to fall in successive overs.

Overnight batsman Kulkarni was the first Mumbai player to be dismissed without adding a run when he edged Sidharth Trivedi to first slip fielder Sitanshu Kotak after the team score advanced by one run to 288.

Kulkarni had added 51 runs for the seventh wicket with Hiken Shah, who made 55 that came off 141 balls including seven fours.

Shah and Chavan, who hit six fours in his 51-ball knock, took the score beyond 300 with a stand of 41 runs for the eighth wicket.

Makwana took two wickets in his first two overs by dismissing Chavan and no. 10 Shardul Thakur to end the innings 23 minutes before lunch.

But Saurashtra made a poor beginning losing veteran Kotak to the third ball he faced from Agarkar, by feathering a leg-side catch to wicket keeper Aditya Tare who then pouched Jogiyani to leave the visitors at a sorry 5 for 2.

Dave poked at a short, rising ball from Kulkarni to the slip cordon while Vasavada was trapped leg before by Agarkar to make Saurashtra 11 for 4 which became 11 for 5 and 20 for 6 in quick succession when Kulkarni bowled rival captain Shah and Jackson.

The writing was on the wall for Saurashtra who prolonged the losing battle through Sanandiya before Mumbai broke through and then stormed home triumphant. — PTI