Thursday, December 23, 1999
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Warrant against
absconding judge |
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 A college student sports a yuppy haircut to welcome the new millennium. — PTI
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No tie-up with RJD: JMM MPs to the rescue of Punjab taxi
men MP’s behaviour stalls LS
proceedings US doc moves HC against NCDRC Violence at swearing-in |
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Warrant against absconding judge MUMBAI, Dec 22 (PTI) — In an unprecedented order, non-bailable arrest warrants were issued today against suspended Sessions Judge J.W. Singh, who is reportedly absconding, in an extortion case in which underworld don Chhota Shakeel and one of his associates are also accused. Designated Judge A.N. Bhangale, presiding over the special court set up under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), also issued similar warrants against Chhota Shakeel and his associate Pydhonie. The police had filed an FIR on November 1, alleging that in exchange for judicial favours, Mr Singh urged the Karachi-based don on the telephone through a conduit to recover Rs 40 lakh due to his family as chit fund amount from one Sardar Singh Abrol alias Dara. The suspended judge had
challenged the police decision to book him under MCOCA by
filing a petition in the Mumbai High Court which was
rejected on December 17 on the ground that it was devoid
of substance. |
Basu averts possible split CALCUTTA, Dec 22 — Mr Jyoti Basu’s mediation to pacify the aggrieved group led by Mr Subhas Chakraborty, state Transport Minister and Mr Saifuddin Chowdhury, a former MP and a young Delhi-based party leader has yielded fruitful results and avoided a possible split in the party’s West Bengal unit. Never before in the past, the infighting in the CPM, had surfaced so prominently. The 87-year-old party supremo Mr Basu who now wants to retire from active politics because of ill health, is perturbed over the infighting and indiscipline among the party workers. He has reasons to believe that there is something wrong some where and unless that is rectified immediately, the split in the party is imminent. Mr Saiffudin Chowdhury, former MP who represents the aggrieved group met Mr Basu on Monday and complained how a section of the dedicated party workers were being harassed and penalised by the leadership for no fault of thieves. Mr Samir Patutunda, secretary of the party’s South 24-Parganas district was also with Mr Chowdhury at the meeting. The state Transport Minister, Mr Subhash Chakraborty, who had been censured by the state leadership, was not present at the meeting. Mr Chakraborty, however, met the party General Secretary, Mr Harkishen Singh Surjeet and expressed his dissatisfaction against the party functionaries in West Bengal. Mr Basu today met Mr Buddhadev Bhattacharyya, the Deputy Chief Minister and advised him to take the initiative to bring the two groups together and resolve the matter. He also spoke to Mr Anil Biswas, party’s state unit secretary and Mr Biman Basu, the central committee member. Mr Biswas, however, said they had no quarrel with anyone. What we want is to bring discipline in the party and weed out corrupt and unwanted elements and for that matter, there can be no compromise with anything. He, however, did not make any charges against anybody openly. Mr Chowdhury, who came down to Calcutta on Sunday from Delhi, not only met Mr Basu but exchanged views with various other veteran leaders like Mr Prasanta Sur, a former Calcutta mayor and minister, Mr Shyamal Chakraborty, former minister, Mr Chittabrata Majumdar, CITU General Secretary, Mr Niren Ghosh, former MP and trade union leader and Mr Lakshmi De, former party Chief Whip in the state assembly. Mr Chowdhury met the
deputy Chief Minister after his meeting with Mr Basu and
held talks about organisational matters. |
Parliament passes Copyright Act NEW DELHI, Dec 22 (PTI) — The Parliament today passed a Bill for amending the Copyright Act, 1957, seeking to extend the term of protection of performers’ rights from 25 to 50 years with the Lok Sabha approving it by a voice vote. The Copyright (Amendment) Bill, 1999, already passed by the Rajya Sabha, seeks to provide for powers to government to extend the provision of the Act to broadcasts and performances made in other countries provided those countries give similar protection to broadcasts and performances made in India. Replying to a discussion
on the Bill, the HRD Minister, Mr Murli Manohar Joshi,
dismissed the charge of Left party members that the
legislation would be against the national interests. |
Decision on AJT soon : George NEW DELHI, Dec 22 — The Defence Minister, Mr George Fernandes, today told the Lok Sabha that a decision will be taken ‘very soon’ to acquire advanced jet trainer (AJT) for Indian Air Force. Mr Fernandes, intervening during zero hour, said a committee set up to decide on the AJT had shortlisted two aircraft and the Indian Air Force was evaluating them as to which of them would be a better option. The Defence Minister’s intervention came after Mr Rajesh Pilot of the Congress raised the issue. Mr Pilot wanted to know the status of the AJT and expressed concern over the number of rising accidents and loss of trained pilots. He also wanted to know about flying allowance and the status of the K Subramanyan Committee, set up to inquire into the Kargil episode. The Defence Minister said that both the aircraft shortlisted by the committee were on par as far as capabilities were concerned but the Air Force was evaluating other aspects as well. Responding to other issues, Mr Fernandes said, the government had taken steps to rectify the anomalies in the recommendations of the Fifth Pay Commission. He said a committee was set up under the Defence Secretary whose report was vetted by a group which included the three service chiefs and then sent to the Union Cabinet. The Defence Minister said that the government had till date not received any report of the committee set up to inquire into the Kargil episode. Referring to the member’s concern over the rate of accidents, especially MIGs and indigenisation of spare parts, the Defence Minister assured there was no shortage of pilots and as of date, the Air Force held 95.9 per cent of sanctioned strength. He said the strength of combat squadron was cent per cent. While replying to a
question with the Rajya Sabha, Mr Fernandes today
asserted that Pakistan would have to put an end to
cross-border terrorism before New Delhi resumed any
dialogue with Islamabad, and said recent attacks against
security forces in Kashmir were ‘desperate
attempts’ by a country which was ‘badly
beaten’ in the Kargil conflict. |
No tie-up with RJD: JMM RANCHI, Dec 22 (UNI) —Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (Mandal faction) General Secretary Prabhakar Tirkey today ruled out any chance of his party aligning with the Rashtriya Janata Dal in the coming assembly poll. The party, he said, would maintain equi-distance from the "anti-Jharkhand" RJD and the "communal" B.J.P. However, it might go with the Congress and the Left and democratic parties, if they proved their honesty on Jharkhand. The RJD and the BJP were the two sides of the same coin as the former had openly opposed the state’s creation, while the latter was conspiring to stall the statehood fanning contradiction within its own coalition, he said. Mr Tirkey, said he personally felt those fighting for statehood must not contest the assembly elections for a united Bihar. "I am not going to contest the assembly poll". Reacting to Mr Shibu Soren’s reported statement calling upon people for a movement for the creation of Jharkhand, Mr Tirkey said; "Why should people believe Mr Soren when during his 18-year parliamentary career he never raised the demands of this region." Even today Mr Soren, a member of Parliament, had failed to mount pressure on the Centre in the Rajya Sabha for the clearance of the Bihar State Reorganisation Bill in the current session. Mr Soren should first relinquish his membership of the Rajya Sabha and call upon his supporters to resign from the state legislature, he said. He urged President K.R.
Narayanan to give a minimum timeframe to the Bihar
Legislature for returning the Bill after ratification and
also to direct the Centre for convening a special session
of Parliament for its early passage. |
MPs to the rescue of Punjab
taxi men NEW DELHI, Dec 22 — Thirty MPs belonging to various political parties today urged the Union Home Minister to intervene to stop the alleged ‘’forcible and illegal collection’’ by Delhi Police and Transport authority personnel from taxi drivers of Punjab at Indira Gandhi International Airport. In a letter to the Union Home Minister, Mr L.K. Advani, signed jointly by the MPs cutting across party lines, they said taxi owners from Punjab who run their vehicles from Punjab to IGI airport had made a representation that Delhi traffic police and traffic authorities of Delhi were extorting money from them despite their having the required papers. The MPs said most of the taxi owners were unemployed educated youth and plied taxis by getting loans through self-employment schemes. "They have to repay loans along with the interest on the one hand and pay bribes to these two agencies on the other’’. They said that in addition these taxi drivers/owners were treated badly with personnel of these two agencies "roughing them up and hurling abuses". The MPs said that they had asked former Union Minister Balwant Singh Ramoowalia to verify the facts and he had gone to airport to listen to the taxi men. "We apprehend that the situation can worsen and lead to confrontation any time’’ they said requesting the Home Minister to intervene and take steps to stop this. The signatories included
former Union Home Minister, Mr Indrajit Gupta (CPI), Mr
Rajesh Pilot (Congress), Mr K.R. Malkani (BJP), Mr
Gurudas Gupta, Mr Mohammed Salim (CPM) and Mr Kuldip
Nayyar among others. |
MP’s behaviour stalls LS
proceedings NEW DELHI, Dec 22 — The Lok Sabha was witness to an ugly incident today when a member of the Samajwadi Party, Mr Devendra Singh Yadav menacingly approached towards Treasury benches, forcing an abrupt adjournment of the House. Mr Devendra Singh Yadav’s move came amid a verbal duel between the Agriculture Minister, Mr Nitish Kumar, and an SP leader, Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav, on the rules of the House. Ruling party members immediately formed a barricade in the front row to prevent the Etah MP from reaching Mr Nitish Kumar, who was seated in the second row. The Speaker, Mr G.M.C.Balayogi, who adjourned the House immediately amid the turmoil, on resumption of proceedings deprecated in "strongest terms" the behaviour of the SP member. The trouble arose during the fag end of the question hour when an Opposition member wanted to know whether the Centre had given any grant for rehabilitation of flood-affected victims in Jaunpur district of Uttar Pradesh. Before Mr Nitish Kumar could give his reply, the Speaker moved over to the next question. At this stage, Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav rose to plead that that the Minister reply to the question. Mr Nitish Kumar was heard questioning Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav’s interruption when the Speaker had already called for the next question. Mr Kumar remarked that Mr Yadav had been a Chief Minister and a Central Minister and he should be aware of House regulations. With the din continuing,
the Speaker abruptly adjourned the House till 1p.m. |
US doc moves HC against NCDRC NEW DELHI, Dec 22 (PTI) — A US-based Indian doctor, who has claimed Rs 77 crore in damages for the death of his wife allegedly due to wrong treatment in a Calcutta nursing home, today moved the Delhi High Court against the National Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission (NCDRC), accusing it of not taking any action to hear his compensation plea. Besides the nursing home, Dr Kunal Saha had named more than 12 doctors and its directors as respondents. Justice K Ramamoorthy fixed hearing on January 21 to decide whether the petition seeking direction to the NCDRC for deciding the case ex-parte, was maintainable or not. Dr Saha, presently
engaged in the study of AIDS and HIV in the USA, in his
petition filed through counsel Avik Dutta has sought
direction to NCDRC to proceed ex-parte in the matter for
its "failure" to get any response from the
nursing home and doctors in Calcutta. |
Violence at swearing-in CALCUTTA, Dec 22 (UNI) — Mr Justice A K Mathur was today sworn in as the Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court amid agitation and bedlam. The swearing-in ceremony was marred by demonstration by hundreds of lawyers on the corridor of the first floor in front of court room-I where Acting Governor B Pande administered the oath of secrecy to the new Chief Justice. The door’s glass panels were smashed when some lawyers dashed against it demanding entry inside the court room during the ceremony. Prompt action by the policemen brought the situation under control. The 56-year-old Mr
Justice Mathur was enrolled as a lawyer on October 20,
1967. His legal career began as a counsel for the
Rajasthan Government. |
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| Head Constable hurt in
clash NAGERCOIL: A Head Constable was injured when a mob laid siege to the police station here and clashed with the police in protest against the alleged release of an accused from custody on Tuesday. Police sources said the trouble broke out when the mob staged a dharna in front of the police station, alleging that the police had released Varghese (44), an accused in a temple theft case, whom it had handed over to the police on Monday. — UNI 5 students die in mishap Actor’s
effigy burnt Millennium cake Brightest moon |
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