Saturday, March 27, 1999
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Centre summons Bihar Governor NEW DELHI, March 26 — Acting Governor of Bihar Justice B.M. Lal will meet Union Home Minister L. K. Advani here tomorrow to discuss the law and order problem in the state. SC upholds arrest warrant NEW DELHI, March 26 — The Supreme Court today upheld the arrest warrant issued against Italian businessman Ottavio Quattrocchi, alleged to have got more than $ seven million as kickback in the controversial Bofors gun deal, and strongly disapproved his approach towards the court. |
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Trinamool men attack house of
Basu’s son CALCUTTA, March 26 — West Bengal Chief Minister Jyoti Basu’s son, Chandan Basu escaped unhurt when a group of suspected Trinamool Congress activists attacked his residence at Salt Lake here today.
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Shoot order, curfew in
Darbhanga Kunjum
murder "was Rs 4 lakh deal"
Panel
seeks report on Steins’ killing Navy
keen on goodwill exercise with Pak Acute
unemployment in Punjab foreseen |
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Centre summons Bihar Governor NEW DELHI, March 26 — Acting Governor of Bihar Justice B.M. Lal will meet Union Home Minister L.K. Advani here tomorrow to discuss the law and order problem in the state. The Union Home Ministry had summoned the state's Chief Secretary and Director-General of Police today for taking stock of the situation in the wake of recent Jehanabad massacre. Meanwhile, the BJP Vice-President, Mr K.L. Sharma, who had led a delegation to Sunehari village of Jehanabad, briefed the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, and the Home Minister on the situation. Later talking to newspersons, Mr Sharma said he told them that if immediate steps were not taken to counter the situation in the state, then he apprehended a chain reaction of violence and counter-violence. The state government was totally incompetent to face the situation in the trouble-torn areas, he said, adding that no steps had been initiated by the state administration: neither had Central forces been deployed at Sunehari nor any compensation paid to the next of kin of the victims. Mr Sharma said of the 30 companies of central forces in the state, nine had been deployed in Jehanabad but none in Sunehari. The Home Minister informed Mr Sharma that the Centre was in constant touch with the state government and had directed it to take steps to ensure that there was no further outbreak of violence. The BJP leader alleged
that the Congress in Bihar is directionless and is faced
with an identity crisis. |
Order on Quattrocchi NEW DELHI, March 26 (PTI) — The Supreme Court today upheld the arrest warrant issued against Italian businessman Ottavio Quattrocchi, alleged to have got more than $ seven million as kickback in the controversial Bofors gun deal, and strongly disapproved his approach towards the court. "We firmly disapprove the manner in which petitioner Ottavio Quattrocchi has conducted himself," observed a Division Bench comprising Mr Justice G.T. Nanavati and Mr Justice S.P. Kurdukar when attorney- general Soli Sorabjee pointed out that the accused failed to honour his word before the apex court to appear before the trial court on March 15. Quattrocchi, in a statement from Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia on February 24, had refused to appear before the trial court saying his lawyer wrongly conveyed his willingness in this regard. The Bench, in a brief proceeding, dismissed Quattrocchi’s special leave petition on merit while upholding the arrest warrant issued against him in 1997 by the trial court for his alleged role in the Rs 1,437 crore Bofors gun deal signed in 1986 during the Prime Ministership of Mr Rajiv Gandhi. Mr Sorabjee did not press for initiation of contempt proceedings against the Italian businessman in view of the adverse remarks passed by the court against him. The court recalled its February 22 order allowing Quattrocchi to appear before the trial court on March 15 and asking him to make himself available to the CBI for two weeks for the purpose of interrogation. The court had directed the CBI not to arrest Quattrocchi during his visit to India and had allowed him to go back after completion of the interrogation. Mr Sorabjee, beginning the arguments, said "just because he is a foreigner, this is no way he can control the proceedings of the court through a remote control." Referring to his interview in a fortnightly magazine, the Attorney General said Quattrocchi had no business to comment on the merit of the case when his special leave petition was pending in the apex court and added "this must be viewed seriously as it affects the dignity of the court." Counsel for Quattrocchi, senior advocates Rajinder Singh and Dinesh Mathur, who had argued the case forcefully challenging the validity of the arrest warrant, today had no arguments or clarifications to give. The Bench, strongly
disapproving the approach of Quattrocchi, dismissed the
petition on merits and said there was no question of
modifying the order as it stood recalled. |
Jaya's plea on Judge rejected CHENNAI, March 26 (PTI) — A Special Judge trying AIADMK supremo Jayalalitha in a corruption case for alleged amassing of unexplained wealth today rejected her plea for transferring the case to some other court. Ms Jayalalitha had sought the transfer on the ground that a controversy had been created by some observations made by the Judge S. Sambandam about her on March 9 in a petition filed by a co-accused, J. Elavarasi. The former Chief Minister is being tried for allegedly amassing unaccounted wealth to the tune of Rs 66.65 crore, during her stewardship of the state between 1991 to 1996. Sasikala, her close associate, is also an accused in the case. On March 9, the Judge, while hearing a petition filed by Elavarasi for adjournment of the case, had declared that he was not one to be tempted by "inducements of money or office". The Judge did not elaborate, but was apparently referring to charges that he was biased in favour of the prosecution, found in a petition filed by Elavarasi, an associate of Jayalalitha, in a petition before the Madras High Court, seeking that the case be transferred to some other Judge. By his remarks, the Judge
had initiated a controversy and hence should remove
himself from the case, she contended. |
Shoot order, curfew in Darbhanga DARBHANGA, March 26 (PTI) — Curfew was today clamped and shoot-at-sight order issued in Darbhanga and Laheriasarai municipal areas of Bihar’s Darbhanga district following escalation in tension and police firing after a clash between the police and processionists left several people, including District Magistrate Ajay Kumar, injured on Ramnavami yesterday. The District Magistrate said the administration imposed the curfew in the twin municipal areas when trouble-makers indulged in heavy stone throwing at policemen, defying prohibitory orders. The curfew would be effective from 12 noon today to 6 a.m. tomorrow. 'We will think of relaxing the curfew after reviewing the situation', he said. One company of the Rapid Action Force (RAF) had already arrived from Patna to assist the local police in controlling the situation. Ten persons had so far been arrested after the clash. The trouble began when the police stopped a procession at Bhagat Singh chowk for carrying an objectionable tabloid depicting the Jehanabad massacre. The processionists, marching from Subhankarpur locality to Kilaghat here, then tried to set a police jeep on fire. Three persons were injured
when the police opened fire to disperse the mob. |
Trinamool men attack house of Basu’s son CALCUTTA, March 26 (PTI) — West Bengal Chief Minister Jyoti Basu’s son, Chandan Basu escaped unhurt when a group of suspected Trinamool Congress activists attacked his residence at Salt Lake here today. The police said the activists, at least 100 in number, came in two vehicles and threw stones at his residence breaking glasspanes and damaging furnitures and other items. They also damaged two cars of foreign-make parked outside. Mr Chandan Basu, an industrialist, and his wife who were inside the house were, however, not hurt. The activists, raised slogans pertaining to alleged corruption charges against him and demanded that these should be investigated. State Home (Police) Minister Buddhadev Bhattacharjee said 16 attackers had been arrested and a police picket posted outside his residence. Mr Chandan Basu later told reporters that "if being a son of the Chief Minister I have to face such a situation, it can be easily guessed what can happen to common people". Stating that he was not at all scared of such attacks, he said "I have been witnessing these things for long — since I was four years of age". Trinamool leader Mamata
Banerjee condemned the incident and said she was always
against attacks on individuals having opposite political
ideology. |
Kunjum murder "was Rs 4 lakh
deal" NEW DELHI, March 26 — Surinder Mishra, the alleged prime suspect in the murder case of Romesh Sharma's girlfriend, hired four killers and had reportedly struck a deal for Rs 4 lakh for eliminating Kunjam Budhiraj, sources in the Delhi Police said. The prime suspect, who is nephew of Romesh Sharma, was arrested from a guest house in Ahmedabad and was brought to the Capital a few days back. At present, he is in custody of the Delhi Police. Interrogation of the prime suspect led to the arrest of two girls — Sonu and Dolly — on charges of conspiracy in the murder case of Kunjum Budhiraj. The girls are alleged to be rivals of Kunjum. However, the girls denied their involvement in the murder of Kunjum. The police is still looking for four other suspects who have been identified as Hemraj alias Nani, Rajesh, Bobby and Prahlad. The suspects were earlier allegedly involved in petty crimes. They were allegedly promised by Surinder that they would be paid after the murder of Kunjum. The sources said that the police was investigating whether Romesh's part in the deal. The DCP of South Delhi, Mr
P.K. Srivastava, said that the interrogation of Surinder
would be done for two more days following which something
could come out. |
Bad news for pan masala
addicts NEW DELHI, March 26 (UNI) — There is bad news for all those who are addicted to pan masala and gutkas’. Taking cognisance of the danger of pan masala and gutka to human health, the Delhi High Court today issued show cause notices to the union ministries of Health and Family Welfare, Industry and Food Processing and the departments of Health and Industry of the Delhi Government on a PIL, seeking a blanket ban on their production and consumption. A Division Bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Devinder Gupta and Mr Justice K.S. Gupta directed the respondents to reply to the notices by May 5, the next date of hearing of the PIL filed by environmental and legal activist B.L. Wadehra. Notices were accepted on behalf of the union ministries. Dr Wadehra in his PIL urged the court to issue a directive to the respondents to ban production, transportation, distribution, storage, sale, advertisement and consumption of gutka and pan masala or its equivalents under a time-bound programme. The judges in their order noted the ill-effects of pan masala and gutka as indicated by the petitioner before issuing notices. The PIL said pan masala is
a deadly combination of tobacco, highly processed
arrecanut and synthetic ‘katha’, besides lead,
arsenic and magnesium carbonate. These substances cause
oral cancer as their use brings about changes in the
lining of the mouth and throat, weakening the layer of
cells, which give a protective covering and keep bacteria
away. |
Panel seeks report on Steins’ killing NEW DELHI, March 26 (PTI) — The Justice D.P. Wadhwa Commission probing the killing of an Australian missionary and his two sons in Orissa in January this year today asked the special investigating team, formed to probe the case, to submit its preliminary report by April 6, the day on which the commission will hold its first hearing in Orissa. The commission directed issuance of summons to eight individuals, who had submitted their affidavits to the commission, to appear before it from April 6 to 8 for examination at its hearing in Bhubaneswar. Taking note of some requests to extend the date for submission of affidavits, the commission allowed time till April 6 when the first hearing begins in Orissa. It directed central and Orissa governments to distribute pamphlets and issue advertisements on television and radio in the adjoining areas where the missionary was killed regarding extended date for submission of affidavits. The six-member investigating team led by Padman Singh of the rank of Inspector-General of Police, would leave for Orissa tomorrow. Australian missionary Graham Stewart Steins, engaged in anti-leprosy work in Orissa for over three decades, was burnt to death along with his two sons when miscreants set afire their vehicle in which they were sleeping at Manoharpur village in Keonjhar district on the night of January 22. The Wadhwa Commission, which directed the Centre and Orissa Government in its last hearing here on March 16 to inform it about the infrastructure being provided for holding the hearings in Delhi and Orissa, today expressed satisfaction over the compliance report submitted by them. It took note of the facilities made available at the Vigyan Bhavan in Delhi and at the information and publicity department of Orissa in Bhubaneswar. The commission, on the
request from counsel for the Centre and the Orissa
Government, allowed perusal of the reports submitted to
the commission by the National Human Rights Commission
(NHRC) and the National Commission for Minorities (NCM). |
Navy keen on goodwill exercise
with Pak NEW DELHI, March 26 — The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is considering a proposal mooted by the Indian Navy to have goodwill exchanges and exercises with Pakistan. Disclosing this to reporters today the Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Sushil Kumar said, “we have recommended to the Defence Ministry that we should have goodwill exchanges with Pakistan.” He added that the MOD was considering the proposal but no final decision had yet been taken. “If we can have buses travelling across the borders, why can’t we have our ships sent to Pakistan and their ships coming here,” he told reporters at an informal chat in his office here. The Navy has for the past few years been holding friendly exercises with several littoral and non-littoral countries, including those in south and southeast Asia and the gulf. Such exchanges, the Navy Chief said, helped bring down barriers. The last time India and Pakistan participated in a joint exercise was in 1961 during ‘joint exercise Trincomalee’ (JET) in which Navies of the United States, of America, Britain, Australia, Malaysia and New Zealand also participated. Announcing that construction of India’s first Air Defence Ship (ADS) would start soon, he said the Navy had launched a major expansion plan under which three ‘Delhi’ class, three Brahmaputra class and four Kora class warships were being built indigenously. “We already have
clearance from Defence and Finance Ministries ... the
ship will be built in the Cochin Shipyard,” he said,
adding it would take about eight to 10 years. |
Acute unemployment in Punjab
foreseen NEW DELHI, March 26 — Several states, including Punjab, could face acute unemployment problem during the post Ninth Plan period, the Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission, Mr K.C. Pant said here today. Delivering a lecture at a seminar "Strategies for Employment Generation: Futuristic Approach", organised by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), the All-India Organisation of Employers (AIOE) and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) here, Mr Pant said that states like Bihar, Rajasthan, UP, Kerala and Punjab could face acute problem of unemployment and to obviate this, the GDP should grow at more than 6.5 per cent as had been targeted during the Ninth Plan. There should also be larger regional focus for creating employment, he added. The Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission said that the construction industry should be given importance as major source of employment. He added that despite an expected reduction in the growth rate of population to 1.58 per cent per annum by the end of the Ninth Plan, the labour growth would reach peak- level of 2.50 per cent year. Underlining the need for
addressing the important issue of redundant labour,
Member, Planning Commission, Dr S.P. Gupta said that
these redundancies could not be easily detected and it
took considerable time to take corrective steps. |
PM's letter forged, CBI registers case NEW DELHI, March 26 (PTI) — The CBI has registered a case against a Department of Telecommunication (DoT) employee in Madhya Pradesh and some unknown persons for allegedly forging a letter purportedly written by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee. The FIR, charging the accused persons with cheating, forgery and criminal conspiracy, was registered late last month on a complaint filed by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) Director Archana Ranjan. One Gurdeep Singh, an assistant in the office of District Engineer, Chattarpur in Madhya Pradesh allegedly forged the letter forwarding an application dated September 6, 1998 for his transfer from Chattarpur to Sagar Division, the FIR said. The Prime Minister’s
purported letter dated October 16, 1998 was addressed to
Chief General Manager, Telecom, (MP) circle (Bhopal). |
Lata defends Ravi Shankar NEW DELHI, March 26 (UNI) — India’s melody queen Lata Mangeshkar, who has just received the Padma Vibhushan, says it is wrong to blame the audiences for the increasing violence and vulgarity in feature films. In an interview to Star News, she said, “It is unfair to blame the audience. It is we who are to blame. We have spoilt the public taste.” Mangeshkar said it was unfortunate that there had been allegations of lobbying for national awards, especially concerning Pandit Ravi Shankar, who had been given the Bharat Ratna. She felt the maestro was a great artist and had spread Indian classical music to the far corners of the world. “I personally revere him. I think it is wrong to say he lobbied for the award.” She said she especially
prized the Padma Vibhushan because “it is honour
bestowed by a free nation on a free citizen of
India”. |
Balayogi convenes Speakers’ meeting CHENNAI, March 26 (UNI) — Lok Sabha Speaker G.M.C. Balayogi will convene a conference of the Speakers of the state Assemblies in the first week of April to discuss issues arising out of yesterday’s Madras High Court’s order, releasing AIADMK MLA R. Thamaraikani on bail and staying the Tamil Nadu Assembly resolution sentencing him to 15 days imprisonment. This was stated by Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker P.T.R. Palanivel Rajan in the House today. “I spoke over the telephone to Mr Balayogi last night and he agreed to my suggestion to convene a meeting of the Speakers”, he added. Earlier, members cutting
across party lines, protested strongly against the high
court order. |
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| Rs 7.35 lakh looted NEW DELHI: Four unidentified persons who were in a Maruti car, shot at a businessman and robbed him of Rs 7.35 lakh Friday afternoon in Geeta Colony area of East Delhi. The victim, Gurjeet, received bullet injuries in his head and was admitted to hospital. His condition was stated to be serious, the police said. According to the police, the victim withdrew the amount from Vijaya Bank in Khureji. He was on his way to Kashmere Gate where he had a shop of motor parts. When he reached Geeta Colony, the assailants fired at him, snatched the bag in which he had kept the amount and drove away in their Maruti car, the police said. — FOC PWG
kills 3 cops Minister’s
brother shot at Guinea worm
disease Japanese films to
be screened Endangered sea
turtles |
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