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| Monday, July 24, 2000, Chandigarh, India   
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Sanjay ‘was
not forced’ to make statement Jurists
want moratorium on death
sentence MEA,
MHA asked to deport foreigners
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RSS
missive to PM on Christian propaganda Doors
open for Samata, JD (U) merger: Nitish Doubts
raised over Railways’ electrification SC
order in disproportionate assets
case Tandoor
case: 2 docs to be examined Monsoon
active in Rajasthan
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Sanjay ‘was not forced’ to make statement MUMBAI, July 23 (PTI) — A senior police officer has denied before a designated TADA court that film star Sanjay Dutt was forced to make a statement during sustained interrogation in the serial blasts case seven years ago. Deposing before designated judge Pramod Kode senior inspector Suresh Walishetty also refuted the allegation that the actor had refused to make such a statement after he was compelled to do so. He told defence counsel Rajendra Singh during the cross-examination that Sanjay was interrogated in a closed room in the office of the Police Commissionerate in South Mumbai on April 19, 1993, because passersby often peeped inside. Asked who were the passersby in the Police Commissionerate, the witness replied they were reporters, canteen boys and visitors who peeped in to have a look at the actor. To a question, he replied the door of the room — where Sanjay was being interrogated — was closed to keep him away from the prying eyes of the public and thereby avoid disturbance during the probe. The witness also denied that other accused were being tortured in front of Sanjay. To another question, the police officer denied that constables gathering in the room — where Sanjay Dutt was interrogated — were carrying "bol patta" or belts with the letter inscribed "Bol." However, Inspector Walishetty admitted that in the first information report (FIR), he had not mentioned about his visit to co-accused Yusuf Nalwalla’s house along with Sanjay on April 19, 1993. This fact was omitted because it was not told to him by Assistant Police Inspector (API) R.R. Joshi. "It is true that I had dictated the complaint but this was done after the details were narrated to me by API Joshi. I had gathered that while narrating the details, API Joshi had missed two facts", he told Sanjay’s counsel. The witness agreed to the defence lawyer’s suggestion that both the facts were important and pertinent to the case because they were the origin of other events which occurred on the same day. The Inspector also agreed that he had
dictated the first information report to the typist but this was done
as per the say of API Joshi. |
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Jurists want moratorium on death sentence NEW DELHI, July 23 (UNI) — Eminent jurists and human rights campaigners today called for a ‘death sentence on death sentence’ and urged the central and state governments to amend Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code and all other statutes which provide for death penalty. They said death penalty was a violation of the fundamental human rights — the right to life and the right not to be subjected to cruel, inhuman or degrading punishment. "To begin with a total moratorium on death penalty for 10 years may be introduced followed by an absolute abolition as a pragmatic process. In the meanwhile women, children, Dalits, persons over 60 years and persons with disabilities be excluded from death penalty", a resolution passed at the end of a two-day conference said. The resolutions were passed at the first national conference of the campaign against death penalty, headed by Justice V.R. Krishna Iyer. It was attended by 110 delegates from 15 states. Justice Rajinder Sachar, Former
National Conference of Women Chairperson Mohini Giri, Mr M. Manoharan,
convener of the Campaign Against Death Penalty, Dr Asgar Ali Engineer,
Justice H. Suresh, eminent journalist Kuldip Nayar, Prof Iqbal Ansari,
Dr Rajat Pande, Prof N. Radhakrishnan and Mr Anand Patwardhan were
among the speakers. |
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MEA, MHA asked to deport foreigners NEW DELHI, July 23 (PTI) —The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has directed Ministries of Home and External Affairs to take necessary action for the deportation of foreign nationals including some Pakistan and Afghan nationals, detained in Amritsar jail and said their continued detention was a violation of human rights. Acting on a petition on behalf of detainees and a direction from the Punjab and Haryana High Court on May 24 this year on the deportation of some foreign nationals detained in Amritsar Jail, NHRC asked the ministries to take necessary steps for the compliance of the court’s order. The commission, which took up the matter regarding their deportation to avoid the infringement of human rights, in its recent order also asked for compliance within four weeks. The High Court in its order said on scrutiny of their cases, it was found that they had been arrested either for over-staying or for entering the Indian territory without passport and visa, but they had already been in detention for the period prescribed as punishment for such offences. There are about 120 detainees in the jail which include 54 from Pakistan, 50 from Bangladesh, 13 from Burma, two from Iran and one from Afghanistan, it said. Since the said foreign nationals had
been arrested long back, their cases were taken up in the Camp Court
presided over by the Chief Judicial Magistrate, the order said. |
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RSS missive to PM on Christian propaganda NEW DELHI, July 23 (PTI) — In a counter-offensive, an RSS outfit today urged Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee to wake up to and curb the "objectionable activities" of certain fundamentalist Christian missionaries in the country, including "aggressive harvesting of faith" and "mischievous propaganda" against Hindus and Hindu organisations. ‘Prajna Pravah’, the intellectual forum of the RSS, in a letter to Mr Vajpayee said the "propaganda being systematically planned and executed by the church will lower Bharat’s image in more than one way in the eyes of the world." "The mischievous propaganda, by circulation of lies, misrepresentations and insinuation, to say the least, is inflammatory and disturbing, and certainly invites legal and administrative action," Rajendra Chaddha, joint coordinator of the forum, said in the communication. The letter assumes significance in the wake of the recent attacks on Christians, over which the Sangh Parivar has come in for severe criticism. The RSS, which has denied all charges of involvement in the attacks, had earlier threatened to sue publications carrying "baseless" charges against it. Quoting extensively from Christian publications to substantiate his charge that they were "heaping abuses on the Hindu deities and mocking at the religious symbols and practices of Hindus", Mr Chaddha said; "Apart from aggressive harvesting efforts, this literary insinuation against the Hindu religion is one of the major causes of communal disturbance in the country." "I am sure that you will appreciate and be sympathetic with what this anguished social worker feels about the ongoing mischievous propaganda against the Hindus and Hindu organisations," Mr Chaddha said in his letter to Mr Vajpayee. "It is high time that the government woke up to the aggravating problem and did justice to the aggrieved society (majority community) by curbing the anti-national and anti-social forces," he said. Defending the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) against the charge of spreading hate literature against the minorities, the RSS leader said: "The VHP booklets and pamphlets increasingly prove how the activities of Christian fundamentalists are aimed at destabilising the Hindu society and the state." VHP leader Pravinbhai Togadia had last week demanded the prosecution of Christian leaders for levelling "baseless allegations" against the Sangh Parivar outfits. Christian leaders had declined to
participate in a dialogue with VHP and the Bajrang Dal leaders
organised by the National Commission for Minorities on July 11. |
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Doors open for Samata, JD (U) merger: Nitish NEW DELHI, July 23 (PTI) — Samata Party leader Nitish Kumar today said his party was still favourably inclined for a merger with the Janata Dal (U), a pre-poll promise which has not been fulfilled so far. Our door is open for talks on merger with the JD (U)," he told PTI journalists during an interaction here. The three parties — the Samata Party, the JD (U) and the Lok Shakti — fought on their own symbol in the general election because the technicalities of the merger could not be formalised for want of time. Since then, the JD (U) and the Lok Shakti have merged with Civil Aviation Minister Sharad Yadav as the party chief. Mr Nitish Kumar said reports of
further split in the JD (U) with Communications Minister Ram Vilas
Paswan hinting at the formation of his own party, was an internal
matter of that party and the Samata Party had nothing to do with it.
But, "we would like the JD (U) to remain united and not divide
further". |
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Doubts
raised over Railways’ electrification NEW DELHI, July 23 — Even while the Indian Railways are going full steam with its track electrification drive, experts have begun to raise serious doubts over the whole issue. With the inauguration of the electrification of the Ambala-Kalka section tomorrow, a well placed Railway official told TNS that this was being done in violation of established norms. The Ambala-Kalka section’s electrification is being treated as an extension of the Delhi-Ambala section’s electrification. The traffic density on this particular route is hardly one seventh of what is required for economic viability of electrification projects, inside sources pointed out, adding that the Indian Railways were expected to suffer recurring losses of Rs 12 crore per year due to the extension of the line to Kalka. Railway electrification was responsible for 33 per cent of the power shortage in the country. He said while Punjab and Haryana were short of power which had crippled both agriculture and industry, the Railways was going ahead with its electrification drive unmindful of the consequences. An official said electrification was often justified on grounds of conserving petroleum and foreign exchange but the ground reality was different. He said most of the new power plants in the country were being planned on petroleum products — naptha, diesel, etc. The Power Minister, Mr R. Kumaramangalam, said 5000 MW power projects requiring 10 billion litres of high speed diesel (HSD) annually were in the pipeline which was five times the total requirement of Indian Railways. The Railways consume 1.9 billion of HSD annually to run 2,500 diesel engines per day. One electric locomotive needs at least 5 MW, which could turn out to be more in the context of transmission losses. Therefore, 5000 MW power would be required for running approximately 800 electric locomotives. Besides, electric traction requires huge capital investment in overhead wires, power plants, substations etc, which are not required in case of diesel traction, an expert pointed out. The Indian Railways are losing Rs 1,900 crore annually on account of electrification. Rs 600 crore per year are running losses because of higher operating costs on electric traction as compared to diesel traction. Moreover, Rs 1,300 crore per year go towards payment of interest on the capital cost. A Railways official pointed out that for carrying similar level of traffic, energy bill of the Railways was higher by 75 per cent with electric traction as compared to diesel traction. Giving another example, the official said the Ludhiana-Amritsar electrification project was having a rate of return of only 4 per cent against Railway board’s norms of 14 per cent. He said the loss was being justified on "strategic considerations". But this is not correct, the official said, adding that it was a common knowledge that the overhead wire as well as other traction installations, etc were highly vulnerable to terrorist attacks and subversive activities in border areas. Obviously, electrification was being undertaken with such a zeal to serve probably some vested interests, the official said, adding that Ludhiana-Amritsar electrification was in a way compromising the national security. Incidentally,
countries like the USA, Australia and Canada have less than 1 per cent
electrification against Indian Railways’ 41.7 per cent. All profit
making railways of the world are having predominantly diesel traction
while all loss making railways are predominantly electric traction
railways, the official stressed. |
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Monsoon
active in Rajasthan NEW DELHI, July 23 — Monsoon has been active in Rajasthan. Rainfall: Rain or thundershowers have occurred at most places in Rajasthan, Jammu and Kashmir and at a few places in Haryana and at isolated places in the rest of the region. The amount of rainfall in cm: Haryana: Jagadhari, Kaithal and Panipat 1 each, Himachal Pradesh: Nagrota Surian 3, Guler 2 and Kangra 1, Jammu and Kashmir: Banihal, Jammu, Pahalgam and Quazigund 2 each and Kathua 1. Punjab: Amritsar 2. Rajasthan: Didwana 9, Degana and Fatehpur 6 each, Osiyan and Pushkar 5 each, Jayal, Jaitran and Sikar 4 each, Bhopalgarh, Nokha and Nasirabad 3 each, Bilara, Beawar, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Ladnu, Makrana, Mangliwas, Ramgarh Bandh and Tastgar 2 each and Ajmer, Bali, Bhopalsagar, Gudadam, Khevesar, Mawer, Mount Abu, Madhti, Matri, Kundia, Phalodi, Rajasmand, Umed Sagar 1 each. Uttar Pradesh: Bareilly 2 and Kakardharighat 1. Forecast valid until the morning of 25th: Rain or thundershowers will occur at many places in Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, north-west Rajasthan, East Uttar Pradesh and the hills of West Uttar Pradesh and at a few places in the rest of the region. Heavy rainfall warning: Heavy rain is likely at a few places with isolated very heavy rain fall in Himachal Pradesh, north-west Rajasthan and the hills of West Uttar Pradesh, North-West Rajasthan and the hills of West Uttar Pradesh during the next 24 hours. Heavy rain is also likely at isolated places in Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab and East Uttar Pradesh during the same period. Forecast for Delhi and neighbourhood valid until the morning of 25th: Generally cloudy sky with a few spells of rain/thundershowers, and heavy in some areas. Farmers weather bulletin for Delhi: Forecast valid until the morning of 25th: Moderate to rather heavy rain will occur at a few places. Outlook for the subsequent two days:
Decrease in rainfall. |
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SC order in disproportionate assets case NEW DELHI, July 23 (UNI) — In a ruling that may have a bearing on the recent income tax raids on cricketers, the Supreme Court has directed in a case of disproportionate assets that the property of the wife and other relatives, acquired through their own resources, and duly accounted for, have to be excluded from the assets of the accused. The ruling was given by a two-judge Bench comprising Mr Justice S. Rajendra Babu and Mr Justice Shivaraj Patil, while dismissing an appeal by the Madhya Pradesh government in a corruption case. The appeal was directed against an MP high court order quashing charges framed against a public servant by an Indore special court. A complaint under sec 13(1)(E) read with sec 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, was filed alleging that road Transport Inspector Mohanlal Soni, while working in the regional office of the Road Transport Corporation, had acquired assets in excess of his known sources of income during September 25, 1982, and March 27, 1993. During the investigation, properties and assets belonging to Soni’s mother-in-law, father, brother and nephew were shown as his assets. The assets of his wife, an income tax assessee and a self-earning member, were also included in Soni’s assets. While submitting the charge sheet against the respondent, several important documents like the orders of assessment and IT returns collected during the course of the investigation, were withheld. The documents supported the case of the respondent. An application by the
respondent, seeking that the documents be produced in the court before
charges were framed, was rejected by the trial court, and despite a
direction by the high court in a revision petition that documents
should be produced and the trial court must consider them before
framing the charges, the special judge proceeded to frame charges. |
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Tandoor case: 2 docs to be examined NEW DELHI, July 23 (PTI) — A city court holding trial in the "Tandoor Murder case" has ordered the police to examine two doctors in connection with the scientific tests conducted on the body of former Delhi Youth Congress President Sushil Sharma’s wife Naina Sahni. Additional Sessions Judge G P Thareja has directed Special Prosecutor A P Ahluwalia to examine the two doctors, G V Rao and Joginder Singh, who had conducted the experiments on her body, before the end of this month. On the request of the prosecution, the court, which is hearing the case on day-to-day basis, had earlier said the two doctors should be summoned so that the facts, in what manner the experiments were conducted, could be ascertained. During recording of evidence, Centre for Cellular and Molicular Biology (CCMB) Director Lalji Singh had said Dr Joginder Singh of the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital had prepared the Medico Legal Certificate (MLC) of the burnt body and Dr G. V. Rao had carried out the DNA test. Dr Joginder Singh’s name was omitted as a witness earlier due to some error, Mr Ahluwalia had said. The court is hearing on day-to-day basis the case wherein Sharma had allegedly shot dead his wife Naina Sahni and then an attempt was made to burn her body in Bagiya restaurant here on July 2, 1995. Besides Sushil Sharma, Bagiya Restaurant Manager Keshav had also been facing trial in the case. Both Sharma and Keshav had been in the judicial custody since their arrest in July that year. In the past five years, the court has so far recorded evidence of 84 witnesses with the last one being examined on Saturday. According to Mr Ahluwalia, six more
witnesses would be examined, including the two doctors, one music
teacher of Naina Sahni and the Investigating Officer in the case. |
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Rain delays flights DUM DUM, July 23 (UNI) — Heavy
rains coupled with poor visibility disrupted flights at Calcutta’s
Dumdum Airport on Sunday morning. The city experienced its first heavy
monsoon from early this morning and with visibility coming down to
within 600 mts considered "unsafe" for aircraft operations.
Many of the flights were grounded till visibility improved, airport
sources said here on Sunday. Most of the affected flights were those
belonging to Indian Airlines (IA) and the Alliance Air (AA). |
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