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| Wednesday, January 10, 2001, Chandigarh, India   
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Dawood man held in Gulshan murder case Bharat Shah’s house raided Equality before law not absolute: SC Maruti Udyog strike ends Samata still divided on merger issue |
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| Court ‘holds key’ to Ayodhya issue NEW DELHI, Jan 9 — Rejecting the proposed Ayodhya talks in Lucknow on January 13, the Babri Masjid Reconstruction Front (BMRF) and the Minorities Forum of India said today that the court verdict would be the only solution to the Ayodhya issue.
2 Chinese ships to visit India Fog delays flights for second day
Dawood man held in Gulshan murder case KOLKATA, Jan 9 (PTI) — In a major breakthrough in the Gulshan Kumar murder case, the city police today claimed that Abdul Rauf, who was working for Dawood Ibrahim, today “confessed” to having killed the music mughal three years ago. Rauf, arrested yesterday from a PCO near the Park street, confessed before the police that he was contracted as a hitman by Qayuum, a Dubai-based operator of Dawood operating from Karachi, to kill Gulshan Kumar, Deputy Commmissioner, Dective Department, Banibrata Bose told newspersons here. Rauf, remanded in police custody till January 20 by Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Samir Kumar Neogy, was arrested when he went to purchase something. An Indian passport in the name of Bimal Das, on which he travelled to Thailand with Rauf’s photograph affixed on it, was seized from him. His wife Meenaz Abdul Rauf was also arrested from a house in the Picnic Garden area yesterday. During interrogation Rauf, who would be taken to Mumbai on Thursday, also confessed that he received Rs 1 lakh for killing Gulshan Kumar. After the murder, Rauf left the country for Dubai and stayed at a safe house provided by Qayuum. He was to be introduced to Dawood, as a reward, Mr Bose said. Rauf confessed that another hitman Anil accompanied him, while ‘spotter’ Adil pointed out Gulshan, he said. Adil was arrested by the Mumbai police, while Anil was still on the run. Mr Bose said the city police only came to know that a Mumbai-based underworld hitman, wanted in the Gulshan Kumar murder case, had taken shelter in Kolkata. Acting on a tip-off, the police checked ATM cards in 22 bank branches in Kolkata, when an account in Rauf’s name with a deposit of Rs 10,000 from Chhota Shakeel was stumbled upon. Rauf had received help from the owner of a video parlour and a businessman for opening his account. The police interrogated both of them, which led to Rauf’s arrest. |
| Bharat Shah’s house raided MUMBAI, Jan 9 (PTI) — A day after his arrest for alleged links with underworld don Chota Shakeel, The police today raided the posts Napean road bungalow of Bharat Shah who was admitted to the intensive care unit of government-run JJ Hospital after he complained of severe chest pain last night. Crime branch sleuths descended on Shah’s residence in south Mumbai and carried out extensive raids there and in the office of television channel B4U in which he is said to have major investments, the police said. The raids were carried out following the seizure of two audio cassettes allegedly containing a taped conversation between Shakeel and Shah which the state government claimed provided “concrete evidence” of “direct links” between the two in financing the movie ‘Chori Chori Chupke Chupke’ and some other film deals. Meanwhile, a special court today adjourned to January 15 the petition of film financier Bharat Shah urging for the release of negatives of the movie ‘Chori Chori Chupke Chupke’ from the police custody. The petition was adjourned after public prosecutor Rohini Salian sought time to file her say in this matter on the ground that Shah could not be interrogated sufficiently on account of his ill-health. The prosecutor informed designated Judge A.P. Bhangale that the investigating agency had to confront Shah with the seized negatives of the film which was allegedly financed by him at the instance of Karachi-based gangster Chhota Shakeel. Shah has claimed in the petition that his firm ‘Mega Bollywood Ltd’ had financed the film producer to the tune of Rs 12 crore and entered into an agreement with him for acquiring world distribution rights of ‘Chori Chori Chupke Chupke’. Shah has prayed for an injunction restraining the police from interfering with the release of the film which had been stalled last month following the arrest of Rizvi. Shah has urged that the police be directed to withdraw its letter sent to Adlabs not to release the negatives of the film. He claimed to have acquired world trade rights and said the police could not seize the film negatives because the entire payment of Rs 12 crore was made by him through cheques. The prosecutor, in her oral submissions, contended that the film was “incriminating” material because the police suspected it to be financed by the underworld. Therefore, the police was within its right to seize the film’s negatives. Police has also alleged that Abdul Rahim, assistant of Rizvi, was Chhota Shakeel’s “man” and acted as a conduit between the gangster and the producer. Meanwhile, a special court today allowed the plea of Bharat Shah to have home food and meet his relative in the intensive care unit of J.J. Hospital. The designated judge A.P. Bhangale allowed his son, Rashish Shah, to visit the intensive care unit and also take along with him home food for the ailing accused on medical advise. On a plea made by Shah’s counsel Shiraz Rahimtullah, the court allowed home food to the accused at his own risk and that too after the approval of doctors.
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| Equality before law not absolute: SC NEW DELHI, Jan 9—The Supreme Court in a significant judgement today on the concept of equality under the Constitution ruled that mere differentiation or inequality of treatment does not per se amount to discrimination. The Bench comprising Mr Justice G.B. Pattanaik and Mr Justice B.N. Agarwal, while striking down a Karnataka High Court judgement in the case of the absorption of 625 part- time lecturers by the state government, said, “The concept of equality before the law does not involve the idea of absolute equality among human beings, which is a physical impossibility”. Allowing the appeals of the state of Karnataka and another, the court ruled, “Equality before the law does not mean that things which are different shall be treated as though they are the same. It of course means denial of any special privilege by reasons of birth, creed or the like.” “The legislature and the executive government, while dealing with diverse problems arising out of an infinite variety of human relations must of necessity, have the power of making special laws to attain any particular object, and to achieve that object it must have the power of selection or classification of persons or things upon which such laws are to operate”, the court added. The high court had dismissed writ petitions against the orders of the Karnataka Administrative Tribunal, which struck down Rule 2 (b) (iii) of the Karnataka State Civil Service (Absorption of Persons working as part-time lecturers in the Karnataka Education Department of College Education) Special Rules, 1996, and the order of December 15, 1997, whereby the state government regularised 625 part-time lecturers. The regularisation was struck down essentially on the ground that the stop-gap lecturers were back door entrants and their regularisation by the rules was contrary to the law laid down by the Supreme Court in several cases, and it affected the rights of regular entrants. Upholding the absorption rules and the regularisation of jobs, the Supreme Court judges directed that the government must insist upon the candidates to pass the National Eligibility Test as required by the UGC within three years and it is only on passing of such tests, the absorbed employees would be entitled to the scale of pay, available for the regular qualified lecturers. |
| Maruti Udyog strike ends NEW DELHI, Jan 9 — The three-month old strike by Maruti Udyog Limited workers ended today after the workers’ union accepted the management’s incentive scheme and agreed to sign an undertaking to abide by the rules of conduct of the company. The agreement between the Maruti management and the union, signed late yesterday, also provides that of the 80 workers who were suspended or whose services were terminated by the management, 39 employees dismissed and suspended for misconduct would not be taken back. The “law will take its own course” in their case, a company press note said here. The remaining workers, including 21 trainees, would have to sign an individual bond of good conduct before they are let in. The agreement would end a prolonged period of unrest in Maruti, during which the workers’ union demanded that the management review its incentive scheme, revoke all suspensions and dismissals and allow workers to enter the factory premises without their having to give an undertaking of good conduct. As per the agreement, the union has also agreed to cooperate fully with the management in restoring normalcy and improving productivity and competitiveness. |
| Samata still divided on merger issue MYSORE, Jan 9 (PTI) — The Samata Party concluded its two-day national conclave here today, painting a picture of unity even as rumblings continued to dog the party with pro and anti-merger groups holding their ground. Briefing reporters, party president Jaya Jaitly asserted that there was no crisis in the organisation and differences of opinion among leaders would be resolved through dialogue. However, dissident MP Prabhunath Singh struck a discordant note, indicating that the presence of five rebel MPs at the national council meeting was only part of a temporary truce. He said they would await the outcome of the January 14 meeting convened by Defence Minister George Fernandes at Delhi and decide the future course of action. Even as Ms Jaitly reiterated that the merger of the Samata Party was not on the party agenda, Mr Prabhunath Singh firmly said he was opposed to the merger of the party with the Janata Dal (United) and that the issue still remained unresolved. Union Agriculture Minister Nitish Kumar, under attack from dissidents for his pro-merger stand, stuck to his guns today, saying that there was no change in his position. Queried about Mr Prabhunath Singh’s stand, Ms Jaitly refused to be drawn into discussion on the merger issue. “We do not want to discuss party issues through the Press and use the media to communicate views to the partymen”, she said. Following a last-minute successful patch-up bid by Mr Fernandes, the five dissident MPs arrived here early today and attended the meeting, revising their stand to boycott the conclave. Led by Mr Raghunath Jha, rebels Prabhunath Singh, Nanya Lal, Arun Kumar and Mahendra Batia attended the meet after visiting the Chamundeshwari shrine atop Chamundi hills but interestingly did not take part in discussions at the session. |
| Court ‘holds key’ to Ayodhya issue NEW DELHI, Jan 9 (UNI) — Rejecting the proposed Ayodhya talks in Lucknow on January 13, the Babri Masjid Reconstruction Front (BMRF) and the Minorities Forum of India said today that the court verdict would be the only solution to the Ayodhya issue. In a statement BMRF president Shakil Ahmad Sheri said the Muslim community had not authorised the All-India Babri Masjid Action Committee member Mohammed Hashim Ansari to hold talks with BJP MP Vinay Katiyar for a negotiated settlement of the Ayodhya dispute. He also criticised the Fatehpuri Masjid Shahi Imam Mufti M. Mukarram Ahmad for giving a positive response to Mr Katiyar’s offer of talks. The Muslim community would accept the decision of the Supreme Court in this regard as it had full faith in the judiciary , he added. Minorities Forum of India president Mohammad Azam Khan, MP, also said in a statement here that the verdict of the apex court would be acceptable to the Muslim community. NAGPUR (PTI): The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) will go ahead with the construction of Ram temple at Ayodhya, its Vice-President Acharya Giriraj Kishore said here on Tuesday. “Come what may, the construction of Ram temple is imminent. We are not concerned with the political consequences over the construction of the temple”, he said. Dates would be finalised by the “dharma sansad” from January 19 to 21 during the Mahakumbh Mela in Allahabad, he asserted, ruling out a time frame for completing the work. Dharmacharyas would decide the commencement of work at Ayodhya, Mr Kishore said. Asked about the NDA allies opposing its construction move, he lashed out at the “so-called secular parties”, saying that they “opposed and obstructed any work done to strengthen Hindus”. |
| From Germany to Kumbh — on cycle KUMBH NAGAR, Jan 9 (PTI) — From Germany’s Black Forest to a sea of sadhus in Allahabad, it has been a spiritual journey for Datta Bharti. While many travelled by planes, trains and buses to reach this site of millennium’s first Maha Kumbh mela, Datta Bharti pedalled his way from Germany. Datta Bharti, who refuses to divulge his German name, made it from Black Forest completing an arduous journey that has begun more than six months ago. “I started my journey on June 26 to reach the Kumbh mela,” said a reticent Bharti as he mingled with sadhus, playing various musical instruments that he carries along. He stopped to rest in Pakistan and later at Rishikesh before reaching Kangra district in Himachal Pradesh. Datta Bharti had come here six years ago for the Ardh Kumbh mela. “The spiritual atmosphere, the chanting of mantras, the music — all lead me again to the Kumbh,” he says barely managing time off from playing the instruments. |
| 2 Chinese ships to visit India NEW DELHI, Jan 9 — Defence relations between India and China are set to improve further, with two ships from the Chinese navy coming to India during the year to have joint exercises with the Indian Navy. Although China will not be participating in the International Fleet Review, slated to be held in Mumbai in February, two of its ships will be visiting the Indian coasts later for joint exercises. The visit of the ships will be in reciprocation of the visit of two Indian warships to Shanghai in September last year. |
Fog delays flights for second day NEW DELHI, Jan 9 (PTI) — Air traffic at the Delhi airport came to a grinding halt for the second consecutive day today following a thick blanket of fog which caused poor visibility and delays in various flights. “The Delhi airport was non-functional for nearly eight hours between 2.46 a.m. and 10.05 a.m. following poor visibility due to dense fog which resulted in the delay of several flights,” airport officials told PTI. The last international flight landed at 2.46 a.m. immediately before the closure of the airport, the sources said, adding that all three international flights and two domestic flights were diverted to Karachi, Mumbai, Dhaka, Jaipur and Lucknow, respectively. |
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