JAMMU: A major terror plot has been thwarted ahead of April 17 Lok Sabha polls here as a militant hideout in Puneja-Bhaderwah forests of Doda district was busted, a defence official said today.

On specific inputs from Army's Rashtriya Rifles battalion based at Bhadarwah as well as Jammu and Kashmir Police, a major terror hideout was busted last evening and six weapons and eight kg of RDX were recovered from there, the defence spokesman said.

After about 48 hrs of intense search in the dense Rantsaka Forest on the higher reaches of Bhadarwah belt of Doda district, the well-organised and stocked hideout in Bhadani Nala was busted but no militant has been arrested so far, he said.

A huge cache of war-like stores comprising of arms, ammunition, communication equipment, logistic support items, literature related to terrorists and Pakistan currency notes were found concealed.

An AK–47 rifle with two magazines, one .303 rifle, two Chinese pistols with magazines, one 12 bore single barrel gun, one country made pistol, one Chinese sniper sight, seven hand grenades, one Grenades of UBGL, explosives including eight kgs of RDX, two electric detonators were recovered.

Besides, six high frequency hand held radio sets, cooking utensils and large quantity of ammunition of sniper rifle, Pikka and UMG were also recovered, the spokesman said.

He said the hideout is likely to have been prepared by local terrorists who operated in the region some time back.

"The same could now have been planned to be used to revive the terrorisms and launch attacks against the security forces in the region," the spokesman said.

Although no arrests have been made so far, the joint security forces parties continue to comb the entire area for further cues.

A senior Police officer, however, said the cache of terror material particularly the weaponry appeared to be an old dump of the militants.

Bhaderwah-Doda belt is part of the Udhampur Lok Sabha constituency, which is going to polls on April 17. Union Minister Gulam Nabi Azad is contesting as Congress candidate among 13 candidates from the Udhampur LS seat. - PTI

NEW DELHI: Questioning the timing of a 'sting' operation on the Babri Masjid demolition, the BJP today alleged that it was "sponsored", accusing Congress of using "pawns" to vitiate the atmosphere before elections and asked the Election Commission to stop its publication and telecast.

Writing to the Election Commission shortly before Cobrapost was to hold a press conference here, BJP sought a bar on its contents being made public.

BJP spokesperson Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said reports had appeared in papers today about a sting operation related to the sensitive Babri masjid-Ram Janambhoomi dispute.

Through this "sponsored sting operation", there is an attempt to inject poison in the peaceful and amicable election atmosphere in the country, he said.

"We had in the morning spoken to Election Commission and also written a letter that an NGO named Cobrapost in the name of a sting operation is planning to show a sponsored sting on the sensitive Ram Janambhoomi-Babri masjid issue....Its telecast and publication should be immediately barred," he added.

He said the party had asked the EC to take action "against whoever is behind such a mischievous conspiracy." Accusing the Congress of propagating communalism, Naqvi said that the party has lost the battle on ground and was now trying to use pawns to spoil the atmosphere ahead of election.

When asked to comment about the content of the sting operation, Naqvi said its timing raises questions.

"The timing is more important than content and raises questions as the election is at its peak and the atmosphere is friendly and peaceful. The election is being contested on the issue of Congress' misgovernance. The people have rejected the secular versus communal plank on which Congress contests and real issues are being raised. Naturally those who contested on non-issues are upset," he said. PTI 

WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama has nominated Indian-American Sunil Sabharwal to a key administration post as US Alternate Executive Director at IMF.

Sabharwal has been nominated as the US Alternate Executive Director, International Monetary Fund, the White House said as it announced Obama's new nominations to key administration posts.

"I am grateful these accomplished men and women have agreed to join this Administration and I'm confident they will serve ably in these important roles. I look forward to working with them in the coming months and years," Obama said in a statement.

An independent investor in the payments sector since 2006, Sabharwal was the Chairman of the Board of Ogone, a European ecommerce payment services company, from 2011 to 2013.

He advised Warburg Pincus on its acquisition of easycash, a German network services company, subsequently becoming a Board Advisor from 2006 to 2009.

From 2003 to 2006, Sabharwal was Senior Vice President of Strategic Investments at First Data Corporation/Western Union.

From 1997 to 2003, he held several positions at GE Capital, including Managing Director.

From 1992 to 1996 he worked at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, most recently as Principal Banker.

Sabharwal received a B.S. from The Ohio State University and an M.S. from the London Business School.- PTI 

NEW DELHI: Narendra Modi is "abusing" his power as Gujarat Chief Minister to monopolise advertisement space in Vadodara, Congress today complained to Election Commission, a day after its candidate Madhusudan Mistry tore down posters of BJP's PM candidate and was arrested.

Accusing the local authorities of bias in allocation of kiosks for election advertisements, the party said that it was "major obstruction in the conduct of fair poll" and asked the poll panel to ensure a level playing field.

"In utter disregard to the mandate of the EC, the local authorities, under the dictate of the Chief Minister Gujarat, and BJP government have usurped and taken over 1000 kiosks, specially earmarked for election advertisements," K C Mittal, Secretary, AICC legal department said.

This, he said, was contrary to the instructions of the Commission which wants the municipal authority and the district election officer to ensure that all political parties and candidates get equal opportunity to have access to such advertisement space for election related advertisements during the election period.

The memorandum said Congress candidate Madhusudhan Mistry and Vadodara Congress president Narendra Ravat had requested the DM and Collector to allot half of the kiosks in terms of clause 42 of EC's instructions.

"Rather than implementing these instructions to grant equal opportunity for canvassing to the Congress candidate, he directed them to approach the municipal commissioner and finally the matter was referred to the district CEO, but until yesterday, no response was received.

"Surprisingly, the district CEO, in order to delay the matter sought for guidance from the State Election Commissioner," said the complaint.

"The authorities were acting in a total bias manner and obviously under the dictate of the state government as instead of providing 50 per cent space in prime locations or alternative kiosks, the Congress party was told to put up posters on kiosks at remote locations, which is an abuse of the governmental authority in power," the memorandum read.

Congress said the conduct of the authorities was causing "major obstruction in the conduct of fair poll and since Narendra Modi himself is a candidate, he is losing no opportunity to deprive the Congress candidate to carry out his election campaign and publicity as per the instructions of the ECI." Congress urged the Commission to ensure equal opportunity for election campaign.

69-year-old Mistry yesterday climbed a ladder, carrying his own poster in hand, trying to paste it on the one of Modi hanging on an electric pole on a road divider.

The Congress general secretary and his 33 supporters were arrested and later released by a magistrate on personal bonds of Rs 5000 each.

Police had said charges of rioting, damaging public property and unlawful assembly were pressed against 20 men including Mistry, while the rest were charged with unlawful assembly.- PTI

KOLKATA: The Calcutta High Court today took suo motu cognisance of the suicide by a rape victim in Malda district after she was humiliated by a kangaroo court, which allegedly questioned her character.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice Arun Mishra and Justice Joymalyo Bagchi took suo motu cognisance of the matter and sought a report from the district administration.

The court took the decision after counsels Bikash Bhattacharya and Uday Shankar Chatterjee moved the division bench and brought the matter to its notice by producing newspaper clippings.

The 30-year old woman, a mother of three children, was allegedly raped on the night of April one by 21-year old Nabin Mondal, who barged into her home in the absence of her husband.

When the husband protested the next morning, a kangaroo court at Basanatola village under Manikchak police station called the woman and the accused and asked him to apologise to her by touching her feet.

Furious at the attempt to trivialise a grave offence, the couple refused to accept the apology, following which the members of the kangaroo court allegedly called her names and questioned her character.

Unable to bear the humiliation, the woman set herself on fire on Wednesday morning and died at a hospital the same day.

The mother and the uncle of Nabin have been detained by police. - PTI 

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court today dismissed a PIL seeking to restrain politicians and political parties from indulging in post-poll alliance, saying such issues cannot be decided by it.

"Can we direct political parties not to join one group or other? This is not a matter to be agitated before the court.

Haw can we restrain parties from joining one group or other," a bench headed by Chief Justice P Sathasivam said.

The court was hearing a PIL filed by one Rajender Dutt Vasudev, who contended that it a wining candidate agrees to support an alliance without the approval of the electorate, it amounted to cheating of voters.

The bench, however, was not satisfied and dismissed the plea. - PTI