NEW DELHI: The Defence Ministry today scrapped a scam-tainted tender worth over Rs 6,000 crore to procure 197 light utility helicopters for the Army and the Air Force to replace the vintage fleet of Cheetah and Chetak choppers used to move troops and equipment to high altitude locations like Siachen.

In a meeting of the Defence Acquisition Council headed by Defence Minister Arun Jaitley, the government also cleared proposals worth over Rs 17,500 crore, including the mid-life upgrade of the aging fleet of submarines for Rs 4,800 crore and procurement of 118 Arjun Mk II tanks for Rs 6,600 crore.

The DAC decided to retract from the tender for procuring 197 helicopters and it has been decided that the Indian industry would be given the opportunity to produce around 400 such choppers for the requirements of the armed forces, Defence Ministry sources said here.

In line with NDA government's plan to develop the indigenous industry, the government decision is expected to generate business worth over Rs 4,00,000 crore for the local industry in the defence sector, they said.

This is the second time in seven years that the tender has been scrapped in which European Eurocopter and Russian Kamov were competing and it had been on hold for the past over two years due to an ongoing CBI probe and other allegations of wrongdoings in the trial process.

The CBI probe was ordered into the deal in view of allegations in the AgustaWestland chopper scam that a Brigadier had asked for a bribe of Rs 30 crore from the Anglo-Italian firm for helping it in the light chopper deal.

AgustaWestland was eliminated in the first round of the deal and only Eurocopter and Kamov were left in the race.

The tender was cancelled in 2007 in the last stage against the backdrop of allegations of wrongdoings.

The DAC also cleared a proposal for buying 40 Arjun tank chassis-based catapult artillery systems for Rs 820 crore, and gave its nod for setting up dedicated mobile communication systems for Army troops deployed along the China border under Tezpur-based 4 Corps, Dimapur-based 3 Corps and Leh-based 14 Corps.

The meeting also gave a go ahead to the Navy to open the bids of the tender for procuring 16 multi-role helicopters in a deal in which American Sikorsky and European NH Industries, which includes AgustaWestland, are in contention.

The decision to give the go ahead for opening the bids of the two competitors in the race was taken after the Defence Ministry issued guidelines for dealing with cases involving Italian Finmeccannica defence group and its subsidiary companies.

The meeting also deferred its decision on the Rs 15,000-crore Army proposal for procuring the Israeli 'Spike' anti-tank guided missiles against the backdrop of American offer to jointly produce the Javelin missiles for the same purpose.

The Defence Ministry's apex body for procurement cases also cleared proposal for offsets deviations in the Rs 1,50,000-crore deal for buying 15 Chinook and 22 Apache attack helicopters from the US.

The ministry further cleared a Rs 1,700-crore proposal for anti-submarine warfare suite for Navy's warships built under Project 7 A and Project-15B warships indigenously. — PTI

Sexual harassment case: SC stays probe against Madhya Pradesh HC judge

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court today stayed the proceedings of a judicial panel set up to probe sexual harassment allegations levelled by a former woman Additional District and Sessions Judge (ADSJ) against a Madhya Pradesh High Court judge after she raised apprehension over getting justice from it.

Issuing notice to the High Court judge, a Bench headed by Justice J.S. Khehar also sought responses from the Secretary General of the Supreme Court and Registrar General of the High Court on her plea to scrap the existing panel and constitute a fresh committtee including two Chief Justices from other High Courts.

"In the meantime, proceedings in furtherance of the order dated August 8, 2014 (of MP Chief Justice) shall remain stayed," the Bench said in its order after a brief hearing.

The former Gwalior judge, who had resigned alleging sexual harassment by the HC judge, had moved the apex court raising questions over the judicial panel to look into her complaint.

In her plea, she has said that her resignation is a "constructive termination" and she be reinstated with all consequential benefits.

She said the HC order of August 8 constituting a judicial panel should be quashed as she felt it will not do justice to her.

"The Chief Justice of India in his administrative capacity constitute a committee comprising two Chief Justices from outside the High Court of Madhya Pradesh and another High Court judge and also an external non-judicial member to enquire into her complaint," the petition said.

She had earlier also raised objections to the inclusion of a MP High Court judge in the committee set up to go into her complaint.

She had said the judge, who had harassed her sexually, was still discharging judicial and administrative functions over the staff who were working with her and have witnessed her victimisation.

The Gwalior judge had also objected to the summons being sent to her husband and daughter to be present at the enquiry. — PTI

NEW DELHI: Union Minority Affairs Minister Najma Hepatullah on Friday clarified that she used the word 'Hindi' for all citizens and not 'Hindu' that a media report quoted her as saying.

Her comments came on the day a media report quoted her saying that "there is nothing wrong with the term Hindu being applied equally for all citizens as a label of national identity".

"We are Indians, that's our nationality. I used the word Hindi. It's an Arabic word. They call all Indians Hindi. I didn't say Hindu. I used the word Hindi," Hepatullah told reporters at her residence.

She reiterated that she had said earlier also that people who go to Arabic countries from India are known as Hindi.

"If they go to Iran they are known as Hindustani. That is our nationality and identity ... the word is 'Hindi'," she said. — IANS

NEW DELHI: In a reprieve to top industrialist Kumar Mangalam Birla and others, who were named as accused in its FIR in one of the coal blocks allocation scam cases, CBI has filed a closure report in a special court here.

CBI has told the court it will file some documents related to the case before it after which Special CBI Judge Bharat Parashar fixed the closure report for consideration on September 1. The closure report was filed in the court yesterday.

The FIR against Birla and former Coal Secretary P.C. Parakh was registered in October last year by CBI which had alleged that Parakh had reversed his decision to reject coal block allocation to Hindalco within months "without any valid basis or change in circumstances" and shown "undue favours".

The FIR related to allocation of Talabira II and III coal blocks in 2005 and CBI had booked Birla, Parakh and other officials of Hindalco under various IPC sections, including criminal conspiracy and criminal misconduct on the part of government officials.

During the investigation, CBI, however, had found that there was no "quid pro quo" on the part of Parakh and there was no wrongdoing in allocation of coal blocks to Hindalco.

In its FIR, the agency had alleged that during the 25th Screening Committee meeting, chaired by Parakh, applications of Hindalco and Indal Industries were rejected for mining in Talabira II and III "citing valid reasons".

On the recommendations of the Screening Committee, the coal blocks were allocated to Mahanadi Coalfields and Neyveli Lignite Corporation, both public sector undertakings.

These recommendations were placed before the "Competent Authority" which agreed with Parakh, who later issued letters of allocation to the PSUs on June 16 and July 15 of 2005.

Within days, a "personal meeting" took place between Parakh and Birla in which the industrialist requested for the allocation of Talabira II coal block, CBI had said.

"Pursuant to these letters and personal meeting between Parakh and Birla, Parakh, by abusing his official position as a public servant recommended the allocation of Talabira II along with Talabira III coal block to Hindalco Industries Ltd, along with other two companies without any valid basis or change in circumstances and with the sole intention to show undue favours to Hindalco Industries Limited," the agency had alleged in its FIR.

CBI had alleged that Parakh recommended formation of a joint venture between Mahanadi Coalfields, Neyveli Lignite and Hindalco with equity share holding of 70 per cent, 15 per cent and 15 per cent respectively.

The FIR had alleged that inclusion of Hindalco reduced the share of Neyveli Lignite in the coal field.

"Due to this arrangement, the proposed power project of the NLC could not take off as planned," it had alleged.

Defending his decision, Parakh had said, "There is absolutely nothing wrong with the decision. It was a very fair and correct decision that we took. I don't know why CBI thought that there is a conspiracy." — PTI

NEW DELHI: India has taken up with Kuwait the matter of arrest of nearly two dozens of its nationals there after an incident of a brawl with people of a different country and has asked the Indians to abide by the local law.

The Indian embassy officials have also visited the hospital, where about 15 Indians were admitted after the incident, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin said, adding no Indian was in critical state.

Noting that there is a 7,50,000-strong community of Indians in Kuwait, which was well-respected, the spokesperson said the incident relates to a very small segment of that community.

There was a brawl with some other nationals that led to situation where some of the Indians got arrested and the ministry has immediately taken action and written to Kuwait Foreign Ministry, the spokesperson said.

However, he added that it was imperative for Indians to abide by the local laws and regulations.

He said the mission called the management of the company and tried to ensure that normal food provisions are there for all Indians in the camp. The mission officials have also spoken to the employee and asked them to allay concerns of their Indian workers. — PTI

BAGHDAD: The jihadist Islamic State group has posted video of the execution of a captured Kurdish fighter, in a warning to Iraqi Kurdish leaders to end military cooperation with Washington, a monitoring group said.

The United States has carried out a wave of air strikes against the jihadists in northern Iraq, helping Kurdish forces to claw back ground lost to the militants earlier this month.

The video, titled "A message in blood to the leaders of the American-Kurdish alliance", opens with 15 men in orange jumpsuits standing around the IS flag.

Three of the men ask Kurdish regional president Massud Barzani "and the Kurdish government to end their relationship with the US ... military intervention in northern Iraq," the SITE Intelligence Group monitoring service said.

"Any mistake or recklessness from you will lead to the (loss) of our life," SITE quoted one of the men as saying.

The video then cuts to three masked men dressed in black standing in front of a mosque with another man wearing an orange jumpsuit kneeling in front of them. They then behead him.

The video follows another released by IS showing the beheading of American journalist James Foley and threatening another kidnapped reporter Steven Sotloff with the same fate if US air strikes are not halted.

It also comes hot on the heels of video of scores of bodies that IS boasted were those of Syrian soldiers they had captured and executed following their seizure of a northern key airbase last weekend.

The jihadists control a vast swathe of territory straddling Iraq and Syria, where their abuses have sparked an international outcry. — AFP

WASHINGTON: Two US lawmakers, including the lone Indian-American Congressman, have joined Sikh community groups in protesting the world basketball body FIBA's delay in reviewing the discriminatory policy against Sikh basketball players who wear turbans.

"Every day FIBA delays is another day that Sikhs can't play," Democrat House members Ami Bera and Joe Crowley, formerly chair of the India Caucus, said in a statement on Thursday after the International Basketball Federation's (FIBA) announcement that its governing board would delay a review of its headgear policy.

"Allowing Sikhs to play while wearing their turban is a no-brainer, and we're disappointed that FIBA has delayed their review of a policy that can only be described as outdated, discriminatory, and totally inconsistent with the ideals of team sports," they said urging the board "to stop delaying and let Sikhs play."

The FIBA decision comes ahead of the Saturday start of FIBA Basketball World Cup hosted by Spain amid an outcry over an incident involving two Sikh players who were told by referees that they must remove their turbans if they were to play in FIBA's Asia Cup.

The players, who have always played in turbans, were told that they were in violation of one of FIBA's official rules, which states, "Players shall not wear equipment (objects) that may cause injury to other players."

However, other sports leagues, such as Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), allow athletes wearing turbans to participate.

Last week, Crowley and Bera joined several members of Congress in wring a letter to FIBA president urging the board to update its policies to stop requiring Sikhs to remove their turbans during basketball games.

"It is disappointing that FIBA has decided to let bureaucracy stand in the way of progress and religious freedom," two community organisations, Sikh American Legal Defence and Education Fund (SALDEF) and the Sikh Coalition said.

"While FIBA presents itself as a representative of global sport this weekend, Sikh players will still be forced to choose between playing a game they love and following their religious beliefs," they said.

The incident involving the two Sikh players has also sparked a social media campaign using the hashtag #LetSikhsPlay. The two organisations said they will continue to promote the hashtag on Facebook and Twitter.

Expressing shock at "FIBA's arrogance and insensitivity" the Sikh Coalition also encouraged "turbaned Sikhs and their friends throughout the world to participate in our #CallFoulonFIBA video campaign." — IANS

Pak political drama nears end after army chief intervenes

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's powerful army chief has stepped in to mediate between the embattled government and the protesters seeking resignation of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, bringing the military back into the centre stage and signaling a possible end to the high-political drama.

Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) chief Tahirul Qadri, camping here for more than two weeks, met with army chief Gen Raheel Sharif in Rawalpindi overnight after the PML-N government asked him to play his "role" in ending the political crisis.

Khan wants the PML-N government's ouster over alleged rigging in last year's poll which his party lost, while Qadri wants to bring a revolution in the country.

According to well-placed sources, Interior Minister Nisar Ali Khan was also present during these meetings.

"It was agreed that army negotiators will have backdoor interactions with both sides today and prepare ground for an agreement between the two sides," sources said.

The government representatives will also meet the protest leaders and they will approve or sign the agreement mediated by the army.

After meeting Gen Sharif, Khan told his weary protesters that the army has become "neutral umpire" in the crisis.

He still demanded resignation of the Prime Minister. "If he resigns we will celebrate it on Friday evening," he said.

Qadri also addressed his listless crowd of followers and said he had presented his revolutionary agenda to the army chief in the meeting.

Sources said the deal brokered by the army will address Khan's concerns about rigging and Qadri's basic demand of inclusion of clauses of anti-terror laws in the case already registered against Prime Minister Sharif, his brother and Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and others in Lahore.

Sharif is expected to survive in the political battle but he will become weak and unable to challenge army's grip on foreign and security policy of the country.

The army, which has so far been passive in the confrontation between the government and protesters, has a history of capturing power from democratically elected governments.

Sharif himself was removed from office during a previous stint as prime minister in a military coup by the then army chief Gen Pervez Musharraf in 1999.

When politician differed in 1977 over the outcome of polls, then army chief Gen Zia-ul Haq imposed martial law. — PTI

NEW DELHI: The Justice Mukul Mudgal Committee, which was directed by the Supreme Court to conduct a probe against ICC President N. Srinivasan and 12 prominent players in the IPL betting and spot-fixing scandal, on Friday filed its report in a sealed cover before the apex court.

A Bench headed by Justice T.S. Thakur took the report on record after a senior advocate mentioned the matter and fixed it for hearing on September 1.

The court had in May rejected the proposal of BCCI to conduct the probe through its own panel and had given the task of investigation to the Justice Mudgal panel.

The Mudgal committee had earlier conducted the probe into the scandal and had submitted in a sealed envelope its report in which names of Srinivasan and 12 cricketers were mentioned.

“We are of the considered opinion that the allegations against the 13 persons, including N Srinivasan mentioned in the report submitted in the sealed cover, should be investigated into by the Justice Mudgal Committee and the team of investigators, because if a new probe committee is entrusted to inquire into the allegations, there is likelihood of the allegations being leaked to the public and such leakage will damage the reputation of the 13 persons beyond repair,” the Bench had said.

Besides Justice Mudgal, the panel has Additional Solicitor General L. Nageshwar Rao and advocate Nilay Dutta as members.

The panel was asked by the apex court to complete the probe and file the report in a sealed envelope by the end of August.

A group of investigators headed by senior IPS officer B.B. Mishra has assisted the Mudgal Committee which was given the power to probe, search and seize relevant documents and record evidence.

The court had on April 29 reserved its order on forming a probe panel to investigate allegations against Srinivasan and 12 cricketers after BCCI and Srinivasan had opposed further investigation by the Mudgal Committee and pleaded for setting up a fresh panel.

The court had said the Mudgal panel would also be assisted by the Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai police and it will not reveal anything regarding the investigation to others and the media and will maintain absolute confidentiality.

It had then said Sunil Gavaskar and Shivlal Yadav, who were appointed as interim presidents of BCCI after Srinivasan stepped aside from the post, will continue to do their job till further orders.

Later, on successful completion of IPL tournament, the Bench discharged Gavaskar of his responsibility as the interim president of BCCI.

BCCI had constituted a three-member panel comprising former Calcutta High Court Chief Justice J.N. Patel, ex-CBI director R.K. Raghavan and former all-rounder Ravi Shastri.

The court, however, had asked the Mudgal panel to conduct the probe. — PTI