N A T I O N

Not averse to House debate on Food Security Bill: Cong
New Delhi, June 7
The Congress today sought to dispel the notion that the party wanted to enact the Food Security Bill through the ordinance route instead of a debate and blamed the Opposition for stalling the proceedings in both Houses as the reason for the delay.

PANIPAT-JALANDHAR HIGHWAY
No need to change contractor: SC
New Delhi, June 7
The Supreme Court today indicated its willingness to allow construction of the 291-km Panipat-Jalandhar highway to be completed by the existing contractor instead of handing it over to the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) as directed by the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

‘Empowered’ woman hits caste barrier in Karnataka
Bangalore, June 7
An “empowered” tribal woman had a taste of her real social status on the day of her marriage when a Brahmin priest left the venue without solemnising the wedding after he learnt that the bride and bridegroom belonged to a caste that figures right at the bottom of the Hindu caste heirarchy.

LoC killings
31 truce violations, 42 infiltration attempts so far
New Delhi, June 7
Some three weeks ago, amid the victory of Nawaz Sharif in Pakistan and subsequent “peace signals” originating from the neighbouring country, Indian security agencies made a tersely-worded assessment, warning of heightened activity by Pakistan-based terrorist groups along the Line of Control (LoC).

Army officer held for wife’s murder
Guwahati, June 7
A Major of the Indian Army, now posted in Karbi Anglong hill district of Assam on deputation to the Assam Rifles, has been arrested and remanded in police custody for five days after he has been suspected to have murdered his wife whose body bearing injury marks was found abandoned at Khanapara at the outskirt of Guwahti city last week.

YSR chief Jagan’s custody extended
Hyderabad, June 7
Former Andhra Pradesh Home Minister P Sabitha Indra Reddy, YSR Congress chief Y S Jaganmohan Reddy and others today appeared before a special CBI court here in connection with the case relating to alleged quid-pro-quo investments in Kadapa MP Jagan's companies.

Lasers to help dispose of bombs soon

Chandigarh, June 7 A laser beam may soon replace men clad in heavy, cumbersome bomb suits to dispose of unexploded ordnance or improvised explosive devices (IEDs). The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has developed a vehicle-mounted system that uses a high-energy laser to neutralise bombs. The Laser Ordnance Disposal System developed by the DRDO during trials at the Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory range, near Chandigarh. A Tribune photograph

Raja Bhaiyya not charged in DSP murder case
Lucknow, June 7
The CBI today filed its second chargesheet in the Kunda triple murder case, naming Babloo Yadav, son of slain gram pradhan Nanhe Yadav, as the main accused in the murder of DSP Zia ul Haq.

Four killed in Mumbai bank fire
Mumbai, June 7
Four persons were killed and 13 others injured when a fire broke out in the office of IndusInd Bank in suburban Mumbai, fire officials said. The blaze erupted due to a short-circuit at the office of IndusInd Bank Ltd in MIDC, Andheri, at around midnight in which four of its employees died of suffocation and 13 others were injured, they said.

Sudipta wants to repay ‘genuine customers’ by selling assets
Kolkata, June 7
Saradha Group chairman Sudipta Sen, the main accused in the multi-crore chit fund scam, today claimed he wanted to hand over all his assets to the court to repay 'genuine customers'.

Delayed pension, gratuity
NHRC seeks explanation from postal dept
New Delhi, June 7
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has indicted the Department of Post in a case of a postal service official, whose retirement benefits remain stuck for over two years and sought a response within a month.

Batla House
IM man claims there was no encounter
New Delhi, June 7
An alleged Indian Mujahideen (IM) operative, an accused in the 2008 Delhi serial blasts, today appeared as defence witness in Batla House encounter trial where he denied that any gunbattle had taken place between occupants of the flat and the police.

MiG-21 crashes in Rajasthan

Not averse to House debate on Food Security Bill: Cong
Says Opposition to blame for delay; Pawar prefers discussion route
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, June 7
The Congress today sought to dispel the notion that the party wanted to enact the Food Security Bill through the ordinance route instead of a debate and blamed the Opposition for stalling the proceedings in both Houses as the reason for the delay.

Responding to questions following the statement by Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar favouring the passage of the Bill through discussion in Parliament, Congress spokesperson Renuka Chowdhary maintained there were no differences either within the Congress or with its ally, the Nationalist Congress Party.

Emphasising that the Congress wanted the social welfare measure to be discussed and debated in Parliament before it was passed, Renuka said: “But they (Opposition) had stalled the proceedings. There are no differences with the NCP....”

During the Budget session that ended last month, Congress president Sonia Gandhi had made a personal effort to push the Bill and party parliamentary managers even got a debate initiated amid turbulence in the Lok Sabha. It was stopped after the Opposition protested against the conditions in which the discussion got under way.

On his part, Pawar said in Mumbai they were not opposed to the Bill but the issue was how the proposed legislation should be passed - through an ordinance or a debate in Parliament.

“I am not opposed to the Bill. I am in favour of approving the food Bill through discussion in Parliament, which is the highest forum,” Pawar said.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath was having talks with those concerned on the way the Bill, which seeks to provide legal rights to 67 per cent of the population over a uniform quantity of 5 kg food grain at a fixed price of Rs 1-3 per kg through ration shops, should be brought before Parliament.

Meanwhile, the CPM said the government was to blame for not fulfilling its own promise to the country and the people for promising to implement the food Bill in the first 100 days it came to office in 2009.

PANIPAT-JALANDHAR HIGHWAY
No need to change contractor: SC
R Sedhuraman
Legal Correspondent

New Delhi, June 7
The Supreme Court today indicated its willingness to allow construction of the 291-km Panipat-Jalandhar highway to be completed by the existing contractor instead of handing it over to the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) as directed by the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

A Bench comprising Justices Gyan Sudha Misra and Madan B Lokur observed that changing the contractor might prove to be a case of falling from the frying pan into the fire and result in further delay in completion of the project.

The Bench made the observation after senior counsel Abhishek Singhvi, appearing for the existing contractor, Soma Isolux NH One Tollway, contended that his client had completed 71 per cent of the work and spent 77 per cent of the estimated cost of over Rs 4,500 crore.

Work is yet to be completed on a 65-km stretch, with land not having been made available for 20 km. In effect, the work was pending only on 45 km of the stretch, he said.

Under the contract with the NHAI, the company would have to recover its investment by levying toll on the highway for 15 years. It was not fair to remove the company when the project was nearing completion, he said.

Acting on a PIL, the HC had ordered removal of the company as it had failed to complete the project within the time schedule it had given to the court.

Singhvi, however, said his client had set a deadline for itself on two conditions. One, NHAI would facilitate availability of construction material. Second, the toll plazas at Ambala and Karnal would be shifted to other locations to ensure that the vehicles plying on the highway were not able to bypass the plazas and evade toll. But the NHAI did not allow shifting of the plazas, nor did it make construction material available, forcing the company to bring it from far-off places like Uttar Pradesh and Jammu, thereby incurring higher expenditure.

The company said financial institutions were funding the project after linking the toll revenue to the repayment schedule and as such, allowing evasion of toll would amount to gagging the project. The HC had ignored the two conditions while passing its verdict, Singhvi said. The company has approached the SC, challenging the HC judgment.

The NHAI said it could finish the pending work on the project within six months. “If you are so efficient, why did you award the contract to this company in the first place?” the Bench asked. It then asked the present contractor as to how much time it would take for completing the project without insisting on the two conditions. Singhvi said his client would need one year if the two conditions were met and would require 15-16 months if it were to arrange for the construction material on its own.

concern over delay

• A Bench comprising Justices Gyan Sudha Misra and Madan B Lokur observed that changing the contractor might prove to be a case of falling from the frying pan into the fire and result in further delay in completion of the project
• The Bench made the observation after senior counsel Abhishek Singhvi, appearing for the existing contractor, Soma Isolux NH One Tollway, contended that his client had completed 71 per cent of the work and spent 77 per cent of the estimated cost of over Rs 4,500 crore

‘Empowered’ woman hits caste barrier in Karnataka
Priest refuses to solemnise her wedding
Shubhadeep Choudhury/TNS

Bangalore, June 7
An “empowered” tribal woman had a taste of her real social status on the day of her marriage when a Brahmin priest left the venue without solemnising the wedding after he learnt that the bride and bridegroom belonged to a caste that figures right at the bottom of the Hindu caste heirarchy.

The police at Gangolli near Kundapur in Udupi district of Karnataka has arrested the priest acting on a complaint registered by the bride’s brother.

However, not only the priest, even those who came to clean at the wedding reception walked out from the hall for the same reason.

The marriage of Gangolli gram panchayat president Sakamma was slated to be held at the marriage hall on June 5. A sum of Rs 42,000 was paid to the hall owner as rent and for the expenses, including making arrangement for a priest and women labourers for cleaning the hall.

On the day of the wedding, the priest as well as the cleaners arrived at the venue first. Soon, the families arrived in vehicles, and as per their community tradition, came in procession with music bands and ‘chende’ (small drums). As soon as the wedding party arrived, the priest and the cleaners realised that it was a Koraga wedding and turned fidgety.

The Koragas are perceived by the Hindu upper castes as a lowly tribe of labourers and basket makers, some of whom are employed also as scavengers. In not so distant past, Koraga people were subjected to a practice known as “Ajalu” when they were fed food mixed with human hair, nail and other inedible substances and made to run like buffalos before a buffalo race (“Kambala”). “Ajalu” was prohibited by the Karnataka government in 2000 by a legislation.

The priest, in a bid to escape from the venue, said he had another programme to attend and fled from the scene. The bride Sakamma’s brother Ishwar and other family members urged the priest not to leave without conducting the rituals. The priest then bared his mind and said if he conducted a wedding of Koraga community, he would no longer be called by members of the Hindu upper castes at their family functions.

Ishwar and other members of the bride’s family finally had to call the Gangolli police and arranged for a priest who finally conducted the marriage rituals.

However, the problems did not end there. The cleaners consisting of five women also left during lunch time for the same reason as the priest. People from the Koraga community were then hired to do the cleaning work.

Owner of the marriage hall, who had taken advance payment, have also been booked by the Gangolli police on charges of discriminating against individuals on the basis of caste and insulting the community.

LoC killings
31 truce violations, 42 infiltration attempts so far
Ajay Banerjee/TNS

New Delhi, June 7
Some three weeks ago, amid the victory of Nawaz Sharif in Pakistan and subsequent “peace signals” originating from the neighbouring country, Indian security agencies made a tersely-worded assessment, warning of heightened activity by Pakistan-based terrorist groups along the Line of Control (LoC). The agencies, which include the Indian Army, were specific in their assessment: “The Pakistan Army is unlikely to yield space to the polity on the issue of Kashmir.” This was conveyed to all forces and to Indian policy makers.

Today, the 2003 ceasefire between India and Pakistan to maintain peace along the LoC that divides the state of Jammu and Kashmir was violated yet again and an Indian soldier killed in the result. The Indian Army immediately retaliated and a gunbattle ensued for over five hours with firing from either side of the LoC. In January, when Pakistan allegedly beheaded two India soldiers, the Indian Army had warned Pakistan saying, “We reserve the right to retaliate at the place and time of our choosing.”

So far, this year, there have been 31 ceasefire violations along the LoC and 19 securitymen from the Army and the Central Reserve Police Force have been killed in action in Kashmir. Of these, three have been killed at the LoC is action by the Pakistan Army. Last year, till this time only one security personnel had been killed.

Indian agencies have assessed that there will be heightened militant activity in Kashmir and infiltrations across the LoC will stretch resources during summer. “It is too early to make an assessment as to why Pakistan fired across the LoC today. However, it only reiterates the fact that peace signals notwithstanding, it will be a ‘hot summer’ in Kashmir this year,” a senior Army officer said in Delhi.

The Indian estimate is that there is a concentration of militants in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) north of the Pir Panjal range. Also, there will be attempts to target the 50-day Amarnath yatra commencing June 29. The yatra passes through Anantnag en route to Pahalgam and the Amarnath shrine. Inputs indicate increased activity at militant launch pads in PoK with specific increase in infiltration in Gurez, Keran, Macchal, Tanghdhar, Rampur and Uri.

Militant activity generally slows down in the period from January 1 till the last week of May. This year infiltration attempts were made even during winter months. Since the beginning of this year, there have been 42 attempts by militants to enter India from PoK. In 2012, only 31 attempts were seen in the same period, which is winter and spring in Kashmir, and only 17 attempts in 2011.

Militant activity up in PoK

• There is a concentration of militants in PoK north of the Pir Panjal range, as per Indian estimates
• Attempts may be made to target the 50-day Amarnath Yatra commencing June 29. The yatra passes through Anantnag en route Pahalgam and the shrine
• Inputs indicate increased activity at militant launch pads in PoK with increase in infiltration in Gurez, Keran, Macchal, Tanghdhar, Rampur and Uri

Army officer held for wife’s murder
Bijay Sankar Bora/TNS

Guwahati, June 7
A Major of the Indian Army, now posted in Karbi Anglong hill district of Assam on deputation to the Assam Rifles, has been arrested and remanded in police custody for five days after he has been suspected to have murdered his wife whose body bearing injury marks was found abandoned at Khanapara at the outskirt of Guwahti city last week.

Major Gaurav Singh (35) had allegedly murdered his wife Priya Singh and threw her body into a gorge at Khanapara on the outskirts of the Assam capital. Though the body was recovered on May 30, it could be identified as that of Priya only three days later after city police had alerted all police stations in the State.

“Though he has yet to admit to have committed the crime, we have strong suspicion that it was the Major who had killed his wife. The duo, married for less than two years, is understood to have had a very strained relation and used to quarrel for the past several months. Priya is also said to have filed a case against her husband,” Guwahati City SSP Anand Prakash Tiwari said.

The police grew suspicious as the Major had been giving contradicting statements during interrogation regarding his movements in the past one week. His locations as per his mobile phone records have not matched with what he has told the police.

Major Gaurav Singh who was commissioned in 2006 to the 18 Bihar Regiment, hails from rural background in Balrampur district in Uttar Pradesh, while his wife Priya (30) was daughter of a retired Colonel who hails from Gonda district in Uttar Pradesh. Priya was an MBA.

Major Singh, during interrogation told the police that he and his wife travelled 275 km from Diphu to Guwahati on a two-wheeler and even drove up another 100 km to Shillong on May 29.

YSR chief Jagan’s custody extended

Hyderabad, June 7
Former Andhra Pradesh Home Minister P Sabitha Indra Reddy, YSR Congress chief Y S Jaganmohan Reddy and others today appeared before a special CBI court here in connection with the case relating to alleged quid-pro-quo investments in Kadapa MP Jagan's companies.

The court extended the judicial custody of Jagan and his financial adviser V Vijay Sai Reddy till June 21 and posted the case to the same date while directing all the accused to again appear before it.

After the fifth charge sheet was filed by the CBI on April 8 about the role of Dalmia Cements and other firms in the case of alleged quid-pro-quo deals against Jaganmohan and others, the principal special court for CBI cases here on May 14 issued summons to all the 13 accused, including the then Home Minister Sabitha, Jagan, other individuals and firms, seeking their appearance before it today. Accordingly, Sabitha Reddy and others accused personally appeared before the court.

The court had taken cognisance of charges under the provisions of the IPC and the Prevention of Corruption Act against Sabitha Reddy, who was named as the fourth accused in the fifth charge sheet against Jagan and others.

The special CBI court judge U Durgaprasad directed the accused, including Sabitha, Jagan and others, to furnish a personal bond of Rs 25,000 and two sureties of like amount to enable their appearance before the court in future, which they submitted through their counsels. — PTI

Lasers to help dispose of bombs soon
Vijay Mohan/TNS

Chandigarh, June 7
A laser beam may soon replace men clad in heavy, cumbersome bomb suits to dispose of unexploded ordnance or improvised explosive devices (IEDs). The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has developed a vehicle-mounted system that uses a high-energy laser to neutralise bombs.

Called the Laser Ordnance Disposal System (LORDS), it is designed for disposal of explosive devices such as bombs, rockets, artillery shells mines and IEDs from safe standoff distances by focusing laser energy on the munitions casing, thereby heating it until the explosive filler ignites and starts to burn. The combustion of explosive charge leads to low-level detonation or deflagration of the explosive device.

Developed by DRDO’s Delhi-based Laser Science and Technology Centre, LORDS is presently undergoing evaluation trials. During a demonstration at the Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory range, near here, it neutralised an M-36 hand grenade from a distance of 150 metres in 15 seconds.

Scientists working on the project say LORDS is primarily meant to dispose of ordnance that is in an “armed, fuzed or active state” or which has failed to explode after being fired, where it can be extremely dangerous for humans to approach or handle it manually.

Depending upon the situation and place, the system can be used to neutralise the explosive device on the site or the explosive device can be lifted by a robot and transported to a safer place where LORDS does the rest of the work, a scientist says.

The entire system, including the power generator, is integrated on a jeep-type vehicle with the laser, range designator and a high-speed camera mounted on the roof. It can be operated from the driver’s cabin or remotely from a distance through a cable connected portable control panel.

The advantage of using laser to dispose munitions is its ability to be used continuously for long stretches of time, ultra precision, assured and fast disposal, safe stand-off range of up to 250 metres and reduced collateral damage. It also has a short preparation time of just five minutes. Some components of LORDS such as the camera and certain motors are imported.

how it works

Raja Bhaiyya not charged in DSP murder case
Shahira Naim/TNS

Lucknow, June 7
The CBI today filed its second chargesheet in the Kunda triple murder case, naming Babloo Yadav, son of slain gram pradhan Nanhe Yadav, as the main accused in the murder of DSP Zia ul Haq.

The 12 accused listed in today’s chargesheet also include two brothers of the gram pradhan along with nine others, mostly neighbours and people known to the influential Balipur Yadav family. The CBI chargesheet filed before the special court of Justice Mirza Zeenat does not name former minister Raghuraj Pratap Singh alias Raja Bhaiyya in the murder of Kunda DSP Zia ul Haq.

According to CBI sources, the agency is still probing into the alleged role of Raja Bhaiyya. It has sought permission to put him through a lie detection test in the case, which would come up for hearing on June 11. If need be, the CBI may file a supplementary chargesheet against him.

In her FIR, Haq’s widow had named Raja Bhaiyya as the main conspirator.

Four killed in Mumbai bank fire

Mumbai, June 7
Four persons were killed and 13 others injured when a fire broke out in the office of IndusInd Bank in suburban Mumbai, fire officials said. The blaze erupted due to a short-circuit at the office of IndusInd Bank Ltd in MIDC, Andheri, at around midnight in which four of its employees died of suffocation and 13 others were injured, they said.

"Four employees of the bank died due to suffocation as they could not exit through the access door in the office," a fire official said.

Since the ventilation area was also closed on the seventh floor, the smoke could not pass out, worsening the situation, sources said. — PTI

Sudipta wants to repay ‘genuine customers’ by selling assets

Kolkata, June 7
Saradha Group chairman Sudipta Sen, the main accused in the multi-crore chit fund scam, today claimed he wanted to hand over all his assets to the court to repay 'genuine customers'.

Sen, who is in custody on the charge of allegedly duping lakhs of investors in ponzi schemes, was represented by his counsel in the Calcutta High Court hearing PILs seeking a CBI investigation into the charges against him.

The counsel submitted before a division bench comprising Justice Asim Banerjee and Justice M K Chaudhuri, that Sen wanted his movable and immovable assets to be taken over by the court.

Sen, who has opposed a CBI investigation into the charges against him, prayed that the court evaluate and sell off his assets to repay 'genuine customers'. He also prayed for an order that all cases initiated against him in several places be heard by a single court. — PTI

Delayed pension, gratuity
NHRC seeks explanation from postal dept
Ananya Panda/TNS

New Delhi, June 7
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has indicted the Department of Post in a case of a postal service official, whose retirement benefits remain stuck for over two years and sought a response within a month.

Directing the department to clear all payments of arrears of pension and dues of the employee with interest within four weeks, the apex human rights body observed that there has been inordinate delay on the part of the Department of Post in finalising the pension of the complainant who moved his petition on August 25, 2012, even as there appeared to be no justification in not doing so.

Failing in which, the NHRC would be compelled to issue conditional summons to the concerned officers involved in the matter, including the Director, Postal Accounts and Finance, Delhi, and Assistant Director (PC), Office of the Chief Post Master General, Delhi, under Section 13 of the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993, noted an NHRC official.

Batla House
IM man claims there was no encounter

New Delhi, June 7
An alleged Indian Mujahideen (IM) operative, an accused in the 2008 Delhi serial blasts, today appeared as defence witness in Batla House encounter trial where he denied that any gunbattle had taken place between occupants of the flat and the police.

“We were caught at gunpoint,” deposed Moh Saif as he appeared through video conferencing from Ahmedabad's Sabarmati jail. — PTI