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Karnataka poll: Shettar BJP’s man for CM
Party suspends two MPs for siding with Yeddy
SC upholds life sentence of four in ’84 riots case
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CISF forces armed with hi-tech weaponry
Manage water judiciously: Prez
10 prisoners escape from police van; four UP cops suspended
Trying to dodge police, driver injures two in Mumbai
Three priests immolate themselves
First indigenously upgraded AN-32 to roll out this month
Cong denies Rajiv Gandhi’s role in aircraft deal
Pune bus driver gets death
for mowing down nine
With tips from HP, Sikkim farmers bring about a quiet change
GUJARAT FAKE ENCOUNTERS
Drug trafficking: HC upholds conviction of two Pak sisters
Jagan case: CBI names Andhra Home Minister
Arunachal to get its own HC
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Karnataka poll: Shettar BJP’s man for CM
New Delhi, April 8 Rajnath, while addressing a rally in Bangalore through video conferencing, also announced that BJP leaders LK Advani and Narendra Modi would be the party’s star campaigners in the state. He, however, downplayed the issue of corruption that has plagued the party-led government in the state. Rajnath admitted that his party faced an “adverse” situation after removing BS Yeddyurappa as Chief Minister over allegations of corruption but said his party would not spare anyone indulging in corruption. “We had to face an adverse situation in Karnataka.... It would have been good if there was no allegation against BS Yeddyurappa. We wish we had one Chief Minister for five years,” Rajnath said. “Anyone indulging in corruption will not remain in his chair in the BJP,” he said. Rajnath listed interest-free loans to farmers, devolution of power by empowering panchayats, rural drinking water schemes, infrastructure development and introduction of bus service in Bangalore, besides laying the foundation of metro rail in Bangalore as achievements of the BJP government in Karnataka. “In five years, the government’s performance was satisfactory. I am confident that the BJP will get a clear majority in Karnataka,” he added. On a possible tie-up with Yeddyurappa’s party, Rajnath said “there was no question of it”. The BJP president rejected suggestions that support for his party had weakened in the state following Yeddyurappa’s exit. “The BJP is not a party run by individuals. It is run by team spirit,” he said. He said Shettar did not get enough time to work for the welfare of the people of the state but performed well in the limited time he had. The BJP chief claimed Karnataka was among the “best performing” states under the BJP regime, including Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. — PTI
Rajnath’s plane develops snag
BJP chief Rajnath Singh and senior leaders Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley could not make it to the Bangalore rally organised to kick off the party’s election campaign in Karnataka after their plane developed a snag and had to return to Delhi soon after takeoff. Rajnath later addressed the rally from Delhi through video conferencing
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Party suspends two MPs for siding with Yeddy
Bangalore, April 8 A BJP spokesperson said BY Raghavendra, son of BS Yeddyurappa, and Shivakumar Udasi, son of Yeddyurappa loyalist and former minister CM Udasi, had been suspended for “anti-party activities”. Five of the 18 BJP MPs from the state have so far associated themselves with other parties. While Shimoga MP Raghavendra, Haveri MP Udasi and Tumkur MP GS Basavaraju have associated themselves with the KJP, Raichur MP Sanna Pakirappa and Bellary MP J Shanta have publicly identified themselves with
the BSR Congress of B Sriramulu.
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SC upholds life sentence of four in ’84 riots case
New Delhi, April 8 The trial court had acquitted them on October 31, 1990 for want of evidence, but the Delhi High Court sentenced them to life on August 27, 2008 by setting aside the trial court verdict. Today, an apex court Bench comprising Justices P Sathasivam and MY Eqbal upheld the HC verdict. The four convicts had been chargesheeted on a complaint by Harjit Kaur whose husband and father-in-law had been burnt alive by them. The HC had ruled that delays in filing the complaint and statements by witnesses should not be cited as reasons for their acquittal in such cases. “It is not an ordinary routine case of murder, loot and burning. It is a case where the members of one particular community were singled out and were murdered and their properties were burnt and looted. Such lawlessness deserved to be sternly dealt with…and the sentence has to be deterrent so as to send a message for future,” the HC had ruled. The SC Bench read out only the operative portion of its verdict today and the details were not available till late in the evening.
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CISF forces armed with hi-tech weaponry
New Delhi, April 8 By using such weapons, the CISF aims at minimising collateral damage. The force is already using the two weapons in Naxal-affected areas and for VVIP security. The Glock is a semi-automatic pistol produced by an Austrian weapons-company by the same name. The MP5 is a sub-machine gun developed by German arms manufacturing company Heckler & Koch and used by security forces all over the world. The two weapons are also used by India’s elite counter-terror and anti-hijacking force — the National Security Guard. The Indian Navy’s Marine Commandos (MARCOS) is also using these weapons. A month ago, the CISF procured a new set of MP5 rifles and Glock pistols to replace older weapons — 9mm carbine and 9mm pistol. Sources say the carbine is not very reliable with a number of innocent lives having been lost in accidental fire in the past. “The carbine also has the problem of jamming. The MP5s don’t have any such a problem. They look smarter as well. Although, the 9mm pistol is a fine weapon, the Glocks are far more accurate,” says a source. The MP5s and Glocks can be easily cleaned, unlike the carbines and the 9mm pistols that require particular cleaning oil. The new weapons are also lighter. The Glock has a “safe action” mechanism consisting of three-way safety feature to prevent accidental fire. “The MP5s and Glock pistols will increase our operational efficiency. Since these are high-precision weapons, we will use these in crowded areas,” the source adds. The CISF came up in 1969 as a specially trained force for providing security to public sector undertakings. The force is currently deployed at 307 undertakings, including nuclear facilities, airports, seaports, power plants and private installations. The CISF uses advanced weapons at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi and the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport in Mumbai. Both airports have been categorised as “hyper-sensitive”. The new guns will also be used at 59 other airports being guarded by the force. Delhi metro stations are also high-priority facilities for the CISF. The Quick Reaction Teams (QRTs) of the CISF located near the airports will be provided with these weapons. The QRTs are the first responders to any contingency such as counter-terror and anti-hijacking operations.
Lethal Firepower
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Manage water judiciously: Prez
New Delhi, April 8 “Efficient water management: Challenges and opportunities” is the theme of the five-day event. The President underlined the need to find ways to improve management of water resources in the face of increasing occurrence of droughts and floods. The available water must be managed judiciously to meet the twin burden of population growth and economic development, the President said. Water management should get the top priority, he added. The controversial document was adopted in December last at the sixth meeting of the National Water Resources Council chaired by PM Manmohan Singh with an assurance to warring states that their constitutional rights over water management would be upheld and differences on issues sorted out with subsequent modifications. Many states, including Punjab, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, had rejected the provision of an overarching framework on water laws and the setting up of a water regulatory authority. Water Resources Minister Harish Rawat had assured them that the proposed National Water Framework Law and the law on river basin management would be drafted only after extensive consultations with states to ensure that their powers were not curtailed in any manner. Punjab, for instance, had insisted that any revision in the policy should be based on existing constitutional provisions and universally accepted riparian principles. The state had also expressed reservations over the establishment of a water tariff system, fixation of criteria for water charges, statutory empowerment of water users associations, pricing of electricity and establishment of a water regulatory authority, as envisaged under the draft. Considering that the policy is just a set of guidelines which the states are under no obligation to follow, questions were also raised over its relevance and the haste with which it had been pushed without building consensus. Lauding the policy, the minister today said the policy advocated integrated water resources management approach.
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10 prisoners escape from police van; four UP cops suspended
Lucknow, April 8 The prisoners were being taken from the high-security Naini Central Jail to the district courts for hearing when they escaped this afternoon. Additional Director General (Law and Order) Arun Kumar said initial probe pointed towards laxity on the part of the policemen. A sub-inspector and eight constables were assigned the duty to escort the prisoners to the court but four of them failed to report for work today. The policemen were seated in the front cabin of the van along with the driver and failed to lock the rear door of the van properly. The police said the prisoners staged a fight inside the van prompting the driver to stop the vehicle. As soon as the policemen got off to check on the prisoners, the latter opened the rear door and fled. The evidence points towards connivance of the police with the undertrials, said a senior officer. A police has started a combing operation in the area to search for the escaped prisoners, who were all locals and were in jail for petty crimes. Upset at the rising crime graph and the police inadequacy to address the issue, Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav today summoned Principal Secretary (Home) RM Srivastava and issued a warning.
Police laxity evident
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Trying to dodge police, driver injures two in Mumbai
Mumbai, April 8 The police said Anil Raut, 28, a dealer in computer equipment was driving his BMW car in the company of a woman friend when he was asked to stop at a check point at Gamdevi
in South Mumbai at 1.45 am today. However, instead of halting, Raut tried to flee and in the process rammed his vehicle into a patrol van parked nearby. The names of the two constables injured in the incident have been given as Shyamsundar Nikam and Madhukar Shingade. Both of them were taken
to hospital and discharged later in the day, the police said. Raut fled after the collision, but was chased by police beat marshals on motorbikes for several kilometres. He was nabbed while trying to flee after alighting from his car at Breach Candy. According to the police, Raut came to South
Mumbai from Juhu apparently to drop his companion before driving further onwards to his home
in Pune.
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Three priests immolate themselves
Bangalore, April 8 “They call it ‘jibanta samadhi’ (live burial),” said Bidar DSP VM Jyothi, indicating that Ganeshwara Swami’s death could also be a voluntary one. A senior pontiff of the math, Maruti Swami, has gone missing, he added. The three had prepared a huge pyre some distance from the math premises where they immolated themselves. In their suicide note, which bore their names and signatures of Jagannatha and Veera Reddy, the priests stated that they were shattered by their guru’s death, which had prompted them to take the extreme step. A post-mortem examination was conducted on the charred bodies, which were later buried on the math premises.
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First indigenously upgraded AN-32 to roll out this month
Besides an increased lifespan, the upgraded aircraft incorporate several new features and modifications to enhance operational capabilities and crew comfort. The project is being executed by No.1 Base Repair Depot (BRD), Kanpur. The aircraft will be upgraded locally at the rate of six aircraft a year, Air Marshal Jagdish Chandra, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Maintenance Command, told The Tribune during his visit here. Inducted in the 1980s, the IAF has about 110 AN-32 tactical transporters which form the backbone of its airlift capabilities and perform vital communication and air drop roles. A mid-life upgrade project for this fleet was initiated in 2009, with a $400 million contract being signed with Ukraine, under which some aircraft were to be modified by the original equipment manufacturer in that country and the remaining being upgraded by NO.1 BRD under transfer of technology. The first batch of six upgraded AN-32s received from Ukraine was inducted in 2011. Under the upgrade project, the technical life of the aircraft is being increased from 25 to 40 years enabling them to remain in service till 2025 and even beyond. Other significant additions include a tactical collision avoidance system on all aircraft, advanced avionics and display systems resulting in a “semi-glass cockpit”, satellite navigation aids, a new oxygen supply system and better radio transmission systems. More significantly, some success has been achieved at reducing the noise and vibration levels. In select areas noise levels has been reduced by 15 decibels. The AN-32 was specially designed to meet Indian requirements if a “hot and high performance”, which led to more powerful engines with larger propellers being used to cater for operations at high altitudes or at high temperatures. This has led to higher cabin noise and airframe vibrations. Better crew seats have also been incorporated to improve comfort and reduce fatigue.
Local boost
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Cong denies Rajiv Gandhi’s role in aircraft deal
Going into damage-control mode following the publication of these reports today morning, AICC general secretary and party media chief Janardan Dwivedi declared, “There are no grounds for WikiLeaks story. The allegations made are totally baseless and unfounded.” Bristling at these charges, the Congress leader lambasted the media houses for publishing these reports while questioning the authenticity of the Wikileaks cables. “It is sad that a section of credible media is raising questions about the Gandhi family.” Dwivedi pointed out that the credibility of Wikileaks is questionable. “We don’t give importance to allegations and the cables,” he added. The report published in a national daily quoted cables relating to the “Henry Kissinger era” claiming that Rajiv could have been an arms agent for Swedish Company Saab-Scania which was trying to sell its Viggen aircraft to India. This was the time during the seventies when Rajiv was a pilot and long before he entered politics. The cables are quoted as stating that Rajiv was the “main Indian negotiator” for a massive aircraft deal for which his “family” connections were seen as valuable. Indira Gandhi was the Prime Minister at that time. However, it is also said that there was no independent confirmation or denial of these revelations about Rajiv negotiating with the Indian government on behalf of the Swedish firm. The deal never went through. Launching an offensive, the BJP demanded that the Congress must come clean on this issue. “The Wikileaks revelations are serious. They are connected to the first family of the Congress. All defence deals have some relation with the family. They should come clean on this and all the documents should be made public,” BJP leader Prakash Javadekar said. The party has reason to worry about the reports as they have placed the first family of the Congress in the direct firing line of the opposition. The allegations have surfaced at a time when the Congress is already battling a series of corruption scandals and is being panned for the government’s inability to rein in inflation. The family was under a scanner recently following reports about Congress President’s son-in-law Robert Vadra’s land deals. The dust had barely settled on that story when the fresh revelations came in, giving the opposition further ammunition to hit out the Nehru-Gandhi family. The latest report has also dredged up memories about the the controversy involving Rajiv over the sale of Bofors gun by another Swedish company which led to the defeat of the Congress in the 1989 elections.
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Pune bus driver gets death
for mowing down nine
Mumbai, April 8 Santosh Mane took out a bus on February 3, 2012 and in a fit of rage ploughed it into cars, two-wheelers and passers-by on Pune's busy streets. He was arrested after the bus came to a halt after leaving a trail of destruction. Sentencing Mane to death, Additional Sessions Judge VK Shevale said the crime committed by him amounted to the “rarest of the rare” cases and deserved the death penalty. The judge rejected the defence plea that Sources from Pune said the court rejected the plea by Mane's defence counsel on the grounds that he drove the vehicle on purpose to kill and maim people. The court held that Mane had committed the crime on purpose or he would have rammed the bus into a building or some solid structure. “The accused has committed the murder of nine persons by moving the bus dangerously with the intention and knowledge that the act was so imminently dangerous that it will cause death or bodily harm,” the judge reportedly observed. According to police Mane wreaked havoc on Pune's streets for nearly 45 minutes before some members of the public and policemen boarded the vehicle at risk to their lives and stopped it. Following the incident MSRTC sacked Mane.
Trail of destruction
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With tips from HP, Sikkim farmers bring about a quiet change
Gangtok, April 8 A team of 20 women farmers from Sikkim visited various places in Himachal Pradesh in January, where they interacted with local farmers and studied their methods of mountain agriculture. Techniques of growing cauliflower, mushrooms, peas and potatoes which are commonly used in Himachal Pradesh are being adapted by these farmers in Sikkim. Locals in Sikkim say that Himachal Pradesh is more advanced in agricultural and horticultural techniques and a lot of research has been carried out in the north-western state, which could benefit them. Located in the Himalayas, both Sikkim and Himachal Pradesh, though over 1,600 km apart, have some common terrain, environmental and climatic features. Introduction of better varieties of seeds and saplings, appropriate use of fertilisers and pesticides and disease control were some of the things the womenfolk picked from their counterparts in Himachal. Allymaya Rai, sarpanch of Assam Lingzey village, about 30 km away from Gangtok, said after adapting techniques learnt from Himachal, their crop yield has improved. They are now planning to experiment with mushroom cultivation, another first for that region. As farmers go about bringing a quite change in agricultural practices in Sikkim, going organic is the new mantra in the state. Under this mission, the state banned the sale of chemical fertilisers and pesticides. The mission was launched in 2003, under which the state government introduced organic farming and promoted large-scale use of bio-fertilisers and provided certified organic manure to farmers as an alternative to chemical fertilisers, Chandra Bhadur Karki, state minister for rural management and development, said. In 2012, the state government launched the Sikkim Organic Mission as a nodal agency to implement and monitor the programme in a time-bound manner. A state-level apex committee, headed by the chief minister with other ministers as members, was constituted under the mission in 2010 ensure effective implementation of the programme. Sikkim produces some 80,000 million tonnes of agricultural products. This includes 45,890 million tonnes of ginger, 3,510 million tonnes of large cardamom, 2,790 million tonnes of turmeric, 4,100 million tonnes of buckwheat, 3,210 million tonnes of pulses and 20,110 million tonnes of oranges. Of late, the production of cardamom, Sikkim’s major cash crop, has fallen, which is being cited as a matter of concern.
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CBI can’t force Amit Shah to stand two trials: SC
R Sedhuraman Legal Correspondent
New Delhi, April 8 The CBI had resorted to two FIRs and two chargesheets against Shah, one for the killing of Sohrabuddin and his wife Kauserbi on November 29, 2005, and another for the murder of Tulsiram on December 28, 2006. Shah, who had spent three months in jail following the registration of the first FIR, had contended that the CBI had preferred a separate chargesheet against him in order to keep him in jail for a further period. According to the CBI, the Gujarat and Rajasthan police had killed Tulsiram as he was a key witness to the killings of Sohrabuddin and his wife in a fake encounter near Ahmedabad. In a 60-page verdict, a Bench comprising Justices P Sathasivam and BS Chauhan held that the two alleged fake encounters were part of one conspiracy and not separate conspiracies as maintained by the CBI. In fact, the CBI itself had accepted in the court earlier that the two encounters were part of a single conspiracy, but subsequently took a U-turn, the Bench pointed out. The apex court said the second chargesheet against Shah would be treated as a supplementary chargesheet filed in the Sohrabuddin fake encounter case. The SC has already shifted the trial in the Sohrabuddin case from Ahmedabad to Mumbai. “We are of the view that filing of the second FIR and fresh chargesheet is violative of the fundamental rights (of Shah) under Articles 14 (right to equality before law), 20 (no person shall be prosecuted and punished more than once for the same offence) and 21 (right to life and personal liberty) of the Constitution since the same relate to alleged offence in respect of which an FIR had already been filed and the court has taken cognizance,” the SC said. The CBI has also chargesheeted several senior police officials of Gujarat and Rajasthan in the encounter case. Sohrabuddin and Tulsiram were known for extorting protection money from marble traders in the two states. The agency booked Shah in the case on the basis of his telephone call records.
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Drug trafficking: HC upholds conviction of two Pak sisters
Chandigarh, April 8 The judgment was upheld after a Division Bench ruled that Punjabi spoken in this part of the country and in Pakistani Punjab was substantially the same; and there was no force in the arguments by their counsel that the contents of notice issued to them at the time of search were beyond their contemplation due to the language barrier. In their appeal placed before the Bench of Justice Hemant Gupta and Justice Ritu Bahri, Fatima Bibi and Mumtaz had earlier challenged the judgment of conviction and order of sentence under the provisions of Narcotic Drugs & Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985. Pronounced on December 8, 2009, Amritsar Special Court had also directed the appellants to pay Rs 1 lakh fine. The prosecution case was that on May 8, 2006, the appellants arrived at Attari railway station in India on Samjhauta Express. After immigration clearance, they appeared to be nervous and uncomfortable as they reported for customs clearance. Their personal search was carried out after their conduct raised suspicion in the mind of Inspector (Customs) Satish Chander. Taking up the matter, the Bench ruled: “It is impossible to imagine that the appellants were not aware of the contents of the contraband as the same was concealed by one of the appellants in her under-garment and by another in the black colour hair band worn on hair with black ribbon as well as in the cavity of sandals worn by both of them. Such ignorance of contraband, thus, cannot be feigned”.
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Jagan case: CBI names Andhra Home Minister
Hyderabad, April 8 In its fifth charge sheet filed this evening in the illegal assets case, the CBI has named the Home Minister, the Managing Director of Dalmia Cements Puneet Dalmia and other officials as the accused. The specific case pertained to the allotment of lands to the cement companies in violation of the rules. After examining 46 witnesses, the investigating agency submitted a 62-page charge sheet, naming 13 accused in the case. They include Vijaysai Reddy, a close aide and accountant of Jagan, the jailed IAS officer Srilakshmi, former Mines Director VD Rajagopal and other officials of Raghuram Cements, Ishwar Cements and Dalmia Cements. — TNS
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Arunachal to get its own HC
Itanagar, April 8 In response to Chief Minister Nabam Tuki's demand for a separate high court for the state in the Joint Conference of the chief ministers and chief justices of High Court at New Delhi yesterday, Altamas
Kabir, Chief Justice of India and Union Law Minister Ashwini Kumar have agreed to the demand. — TNS
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Dharmapuri
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Chandigarh, April 8
New Delhi, April 8
