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Friday,
July 6, 2001, Chandigarh, India   |
Stalin,
two ex-ministers apply for bail Beevi did
what was expected of her
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YC
report to name 300 Cong candidates in UP Home Ministry team leaves for Manipur
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Preventive
arrests begin ‘Kohinoor’
suite for Pervez Electravan
to ferry Musharraf to Taj Talks
under US pressure: Mulayam Tau did not hanker after power:
Chautala Prabhakar’s
bail plea rejected Manu picked quarrel
with Jessica: Malini
Smugglers
pay for safe passage Code of
conduct for MLAs sought Fresh
plea for mercy killing Plan to fell 3.5 lakh trees for more funds
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Stalin, two ex-ministers apply for bail Chennai, July 5 While Mr Stalin has been lodged in Madurai prison, Mr Ko Si Mani and Dr K. Ponmudi, former state ministers, are being kept in jails in Thanjavur and Cuddalore, respectively, since June 30. The Crime Branch-CID has charged them under various IPC sections and the Prevention of Corruption Act for allegedly violating norms and regulations in the construction of nine flyovers in the city, and causing a loss of about Rs 12 crore to the exchequer. In his petition, Mr Stalin, who headed the Traffic Improvement Committee (TIC), said he was innocent and had nothing to do with the alleged offence. He said he had been falsely implicated in the case. Mr
Karunanidhi, an accused in the case, had also been arrested in the early hours of Saturday. But he was released yesterday.
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Beevi did what was expected of her
Thiruvananthapuram, July 5 Ms Beevi had resigned on Sunday last following the Centre’s decision to recall her in the wake of the developments following the arrest of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi. “As a Governor I had done all that I was expected to do”, she told newspersons at the airport on her arrival from Chennai en route to her native town of Pathanamthitta in Central
Travancore. UNI |
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YC report to name 300 Cong candidates in
UP New Delhi, July 5 The Youth Congress observers’ report, which will be finalised and presented to the AICC by July 10, has also identified issues which could help the Congress come out of its present “grim” situation in the state. The report notes that there is no leader in the Uttar Pradesh Congress who enjoys a state-wide appeal. One of the main tasks of the Youth Congress observers was to identify the “winnable” Congress candidates in each constituency. The observers also noted the names of likely candidates of the three major parties — the BJP, the BSP and the SP. Apart from gathering information on the Youth Congress functionaries, the observers profiled each constituency in terms of the name and party of the sitting MLA, vote division, name of Congress candidate, public reputation of the sitting MLA, his chances of being re-elected and the caste composition in the area. Done in all 1,050 blocks across the crucial state, the survey was executed by 40 Youth Congress observers in a span of 20 days. The observers concluded that people of Uttar Pradesh were looking for an alternative to the caste and religion-oriented politics of the BJP, the BSP and the SP. The Congress, they say, can be the alternative if it puts its act together. Interestingly, the observers noted that there was no leader with universal appeal in the state, save Congress President Sonia Gandhi. The people of the state, were again looking for Congress-style development politics, they noted. Based on the survey carried out by the observers, Youth Congress chief Randeep Singh Surjewala has decided to recommend 300 names for the party’s ticket in the coming Assembly elections. About 20 per cent of these names would be from the Youth Congress. The names of the party candidates would be finalised by an election committee and the recommendations by the Youth Congress observers would form a crucial input while finalising the list. A copy each of the observers’ report would be presented to AICC general secretary Oscar Fernandes and Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad, general secretary-in-charge of Uttar Pradesh. The survey will also form the basis of comprehensive restructuring of the Youth Congress. The Youth Congress has decided to assign specific responsibilities to its workers for the campaign of Congress candidates. |
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Home Ministry team leaves for Manipur New Delhi, July 5 The team, which includes Additional Secretary (Home), in charge of the North-East, Mr P.D. Shenoy, will discuss the ceasefire issue with the AMSU, the AMUCO, the MEIRAPHAIBIS (women’s organisation) and others to know their views on issues arising out of the extension. The team would report back to Home Minister L.K. Advani by Saturday. This will be a prelude to the meeting convened by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee on the issue on July 8. The decision to send the team was taken at a high-level meeting chaired by the Union Home Minister to review the issues arising out of the ceasefire extension with the NSCN(I-M). Senior officials of the ministry, including Home Secretary Kamal Pande, and the Centre’s representative for the Naga peace talks, Mr K. Padmanabhaiah, attended the meeting. Meanwhile, a delegation of Manipur MLAs belonging to various political parties met Lok Janshakti Party chief and Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan and explained to him the problems arising out of the extension of the Centre-NSCN(I-M) ceasefire beyond Nagaland. The delegation, led by Assembly Speaker S Dhananjoy Singh, urged Mr Paswan to convince the Centre to withdraw the ceasefire immediately. The Manipur MLAs, who are camping here, have been meeting leaders of various political parties and have also submitted a memorandum to President K R Narayanan. They have also threatened to resign en masse if the Centre does not withdraw the ceasefire extension beyond Nagaland by July 31. |
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Preventive
arrests begin New Delhi, July 5 This step was taken following intelligence inputs that members of certain organisations along with listed bad characters of the area could demonstrate near Naherwali Haveli to protest against the visit of General Musharraf, reliable sources in the Delhi Police said. All guest houses, restaurants and other hideouts of suspects are being raided by the police. Rallies and demonstrations at Rajghat and in other sensitive areas have been banned as General Musharraf is to visit the Gandhi Samadhi also. The sources said the area would be thoroughly checked by intelligence agencies. Sniffer dogs would be taken to narrow bylanes of Daryaganj to find out if any explosive was planted there. There will be a curfew-like situation in the Daryaganj area as all market places will be closed 24 hours before the visit of General Musharraf. Security personnel would be deployed on roof tops of all buildings located near the haveli on July 14 when the President of Pakistan would visit the area. The sources said for security reasons there would be no mushaira or any other function to welcome the guest. The area MLA, Mr Shoaib Iqbal had a plan to organise a ‘mushaira’ in Naherwali Haveli where General Musharraf was born in 1943. His parents had left the haveli in 1946. Senior officials of the Delhi Police have visited the area several times for security reasons. Shopkeepers on the pavements have been shifted to make the area clean. The Delhi Police took help of different agencies to clean the area of encroachments. Officials of the Pakistan High Commission have also visited the area to see the security arrangement. |
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‘Kohinoor’ suite for Pervez Agra, July 5 While the entire luxury hotel commands an excellent view of the Taj Mahal, located just 600 metres away, it is the “Kohinoor” suite that provides a perfect view of the monument of love from all rooms. Built in a combination of Mughal and Rajasthani architectural styles, the suite is a mixture of luxury and tradition and provides latest amenities. Spread over 175 sq metres, the suite has two bedrooms, a living room, a study, besides a kitchen and bathroom. It also has an independent terrace and a balcony facing the monument. Meanwhile, two suites are being readied for Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and his family in Jaypee Palace hotel here. Mr Vajpayee would be staying in the presidential suite, according to Mr Rajat Chhabra, vice- president, Jaypee Palace. He said as the Prime Minister was fond of seafood, a variety of fish, especially salmon, was being imported. Meanwhile, Mughal Sheraton is gearing up to receive a large number of mediapersons. A media centre is being set up at the hotel for the purpose, according to Mr Sanjay Kripal, general manager of the hotel.
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Electravan
to ferry Musharraf to Taj Bhopal, July 5 Resembling a well-furnished drawing room, the carpeted battery-driven car, manufactured for the first time by the public sector Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited
(BHEL), has four fans, five comfortable reclining seats and two folding tables. The noise-free vehicle will reach Agra a couple of days before Gen Musharraf and his wife Sahba’s visit to the historic city on July 15. The Electravan with great interiors has specially been manufactured for VVIP visits, following an order from the Agra Development Authority (ADA), BHEL Executive Director
S.N. Roy told UNI here. He said BHEL had already supplied 12 pollution-free vehicles to the ADA for use in the premises of the
Taj. The Electravan’s designer JBD Souza, Deputy General Manager (Design) in BHEL’s Electric Vehicle Department, said the cost of the vehicle was more than Rs 12 lakh, but its running cost was just Rs 1.50 per km. Referring to the additions made in the 96-volt new model, Mr D’Souza said the furnishing and body construction were done keeping in mind that it was to be used by dignitaries. For safety purposes, a portable fire extinguisher and toughened glasses had been fixed in the vehicle. Its maximum speed was 70 km per hour, he
added. Electravan was run by an electric motor powered by a pack of rechargeable traction batteries positioned in the vehicle itself, Mr D’Souza added. “The vehicle is free from the highly discomforting noise and vibration so common in equivalent diesel vehicles,” he said, adding that it was ideal for use in wildlife sanctuaries, safari parks and places of historic importance. Mr D’Souza said an optional battery withdrawal arrangement had been provided with facilities for replacing discharged batteries with charged ones within a few minutes. The VVIP vehicle, which arrived here last night after interior decoration at
Indore, is likely to be dispatched to its destination in a day or two. Mr Om Parkash Sharma, owner of the
Indore-based private coach builder garage which has been associated with BHEL since 1965, said he had been asked to make the interiors cosy enough to render it suitable for dignitaries. It was the first time that the Electravan boasted of such interiors, he said, adding that he was happy that it was to be used by the country’s guests.
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Talks under US pressure: Mulayam Patna, July 5 “Despite the denial by Pervez Musharraf everybody knows that the talks are being held under pressure from the USA. The denial was also made under US pressure,” he told mediapersons here. “A foreign power partitioned India and if another foreign power successfully brings about a rapprochement between India and Pakistan, we have no objection,” he said. “We want leaders of India and Pakistan to find an amicable solution to the Kashmir tangle regardless of the fact that they have agreed to sit together and deliberate on the problem under US pressure,” he said. “But in principle, we are completely opposed to involving any third party in resolving the Kashmir problem. Any dialogue should be limited to India and Pakistan,” Mr Yadav said. Asked if he was hopeful of the success of the talks, the Samajwadi Party leader said, “I am not an astrologer, but friendship between the two countries is imperative.” “We socialists have always held the view that Partition of India was artificially engineered and friendship with Pakistan is the only logical denouement,” he added. On the recent developments in Tamil Nadu, the Samajwadi Party leader said actions of both Jayalalitha and the Centre were driven by “revenge” and his party opposed any vengeful conduct by the Centre or a state government in the larger interest of federalism. Mr Yadav said the political and economic atmosphere in the country was conducive to the growth of a third front. Asked to comment on RJD President Laloo Prasad Yadav’s rejection of the invitation to join the People’s Front, he said the invitation was extended on the condition that the RJD severed its ties with the Congress. “Only a party which commits itself to maintaining equidistance from the Congress and the BJP is welcome,” he said.
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Tau did not hanker after power:
Chautala New Delhi, July 5 Delivering Chaudhary Devi Lal Memorial Lecture on ‘The Life, Legacy and Contribution of Devi Lal to the upliftment of Indian farmers,’ Mr Chautala recalled instances from his father’s life to bring out qualities that made Devi Lal popular among the masses. Tributes were also paid to Devi Lal by the Pakistan High Commissioner Ashraf Jehangir Qazi and noted journalist M.J. Akbar at the ICSSR-organised memorial lecture. The lecture was preceded by a seminar on ‘Agricultural problems of farmers of India-Pakistan and the Vajpayee-Musharraf summit.’ Recalling his association with Devi Lal as his son and a party worker, Mr Chautala said his father was pragmatic while being affectionate. Devi Lal, he said, wonderfully related to people and often gave himself to villagers even while he was Chief Minister. Having joined the freedom struggle when he was only 15, Devi Lal showed keenness to serve people. Soon after Independence, he took up the cause of agricultural labourers and later in his life started old-age pension in Haryana. Mr Chautala remembered how an hour before his death Devi Lal was counselling a party MP on ways to get relief for farmers whose crops had been damaged in a hail storm. Devi Lal’s prowess to resolve conflicts was
acknowledged by all speakers, including ICSSR chairman Prof M L Sondhi. Mr Chautala recalled how his father diffused the tense situation created by Sant Fateh Singh’s decision to immolate himself over the issue of division of Punjab for creation of Haryana. |
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Prabhakar’s bail plea
rejected Nainital, July 5 He was arrested on Monday by the Uttaranchal police from his New Delhi residence. It is alleged that Prabhakar as Director of a finance company had defrauded and cheated people while accepting deposits from the company. The bail application before the CJM, Nainital was rejected on the grounds of a medical report submitted by the team of government doctors that Prabhakar was not suffering from brain stroke. He had taken the plea on medical grounds to seek bail from the CJM. The medical report disclosed that he was suffering from depression not from brain stroke. Meanwhile, a team of the Indore police reached Haldwani this morning and filed an application before the Haldwani court to hand over Prabhakar to them for questioning in connection with a chit fund scam case registered against him at Jhuni in Indore. The Indore police had earlier filed an FIR against Prabhakar and three others on June 5 last year on the complaint of one Mr Shreyas Singhal that the four had duped him of over Rs 1 lakh. The application of the Indore police was also rejected on the grounds that they were not able to produce any authentic documents of arrest warrants against Prabhakar. But the court allowed the Indore police to interrogate Prabhakar for investigations in the hospital. When the reports last came the policemen from Indore were still waiting for the written orders of the court to interrogate the former test cricketer. On the other hand, Ms Sandhya Prabhakar, wife of Manoj Prabhakar, told The Tribune that her husband’s condition was serious and she has demanded to release him on bail for better treatment at New Delhi. Prabhakar was hospitalised in a private nursing home on Monday following brain stroke just after he was ordered to be lodged in judicial custody till the next hearing. She blamed the Uttaranchal police of implicating her husband in a false case at the behest of certain forces involved in the match fixing case. She also demanded a proper inquiry should be initiated by the CBI in the cases registered against her husband. She revealed that the company in which her husband was said to be the Director had also duped them of more than Rs 1 lakh. |
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Manu picked quarrel with Jessica: Malini
New Delhi, July 5 Ramp model Jessica Lal was allegedly shot dead by Shidharth Vashist, alias Manu Sharma, after she refused to serve liquor to him during a party held on the intervening night of April 29-30, 1999, at Tamarind Cafe in Qutub Colonade restaurant in South Delhi. Deposing before the court of Additional Sessions Judge H.R. Malhotra, Malini, daughter of socialite Beena Ramani, stated that at least four persons came to the party and asked for drinks. They kept on pressing Jessica and her for drinks despite being told that drinks were not available as the party was over by that time, Malini said. Pointing to Manu Sharma, the 31-year-old fashion designer told the court that the accused went to the extent of saying that he had Rs 1,000 to pay for a sip of her drinks, a behaviour which irritated her and she left the room. Malini said: “I could not give drinks even for Rs 1,000 as there was no availability.” “Then he said, OK could I have a sip of you for Rs 1,000,” she added. She said that a few minutes after she left the room with Sanjay Mehthani, Shyan Munshi came running and screaming that Jessica had been shot. The stand taken by Malini could be perceived as a ray of hope for the prosecution after four witnesses, including complainant Shyan Munshi, turned hostile in the case.
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Worshipping Big B on Guru Purnima Kolkata, July 5 The celebration, complete with the traditional “guru puja,” “guru mangalkamna yajna,” “pushpanjali” (flower offerings) and chanting of Vedic hymns in honour of the “guru”, began early in the day marking the beginning of a four-month long “Amitabh Utsav” envisaged by the Amitabh Bachchan Fans’ Association (ABFA) here. “He has touched the lives of millions with his soul-stirring movies, each of which has a moral lesson for us lesser mortals,” the ABFA state secretary, Mr S.P. Kamat, said. For Mr Kamat and over 10,000 registered fans of the thespian, “Amitji’s” meaningful movies and rich dialogues in baritone have become a part of their lives.
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Smugglers
pay for safe passage Jaynagar (Bihar), July 5 Come evening, the village youth near Jaynagar come out on the road and with torch in their hand wait for the trucks that carry the smuggled items. The identified truckers do not stop but slow down and throw to them some packet that has, either a two-in-one, a wristwatch, music system, a suit length, a utensil or a wall clock. The village youth who cannot find jobs have easy money that runs their household. Sometimes cash packets also drop in because drugs and arms cannot be shared with them. Smuggling has become a well-accepted trade along the Indo-Nepal border. The Customs and policemen all are on the “pay roll” and to show the world that they exist, sometimes they raid a hotel on the Indian side and seize the drugs or some smuggled goods. On July 1, the Custom sleuths raided a hotel in Raxaul in East Champaran district, a bordering district of Bihar and seized one kilogram of heroin valued at one crore in the international market. Nobody could be arrested. The Joint Working Group (JWG) meeting of India and Nepal had pointed out the need to change the treaty guiding the free movement between the two countries. At present the smugglers move freely along the borders as the police of the two countries do not have jurisdiction over their areas and criminals easily cash on to this weakness. The two sides do have meetings of their police teams but the much-needed teeth of law are unavailable. Importantly, the free trade regime and movement between the two countries cannot be restricted, as it would wreak havoc on the economy of the two sides. India and Nepal are currently having border trade of around 2500 crores and tourist and normal passenger movement earns a few more crores. The Home Ministry rule framed recently, necessitating visa for air passengers has resulted in the suspension of Nikkon air flights for the last three months. The airways officials cite the lack of passengers as the reason for the flight suspension. However the smuggling menace has to be curbed as it is affecting the Indian industry. The Bihar Chamber of Industries had urged the Central government to intervene in the matter so that Chinese goods entering India through smuggling routes do not destroy the local industries. |
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Code of conduct for
MLAs sought Dehra Dun, July 5 Mr Pant, who attended a meeting of Speakers held at Chandigarh recently, said the issue was taken up strongly at the two-day meeting. Mr Pant was of the opinion that even though legislators in Uttaranchal had so far behaved in an exemplary manner — conforming to the pattern displayed by legislators belonging to small states — the general culture of parliamentary behaviour needed to be improved throughout the country. The Speaker said he had advocated the computerisation of legislative proceedings during the Assembly session at the meeting. The Goa Assembly was the first to have achieved the same, he said. |
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Fresh plea for mercy killing Patna, July 5 Kanchan’s husband, Mr Tarkeshwar Chandravanshi, has filed a fresh petition in the Patna HC seeking once again permission for the mercy killing of his wife who has been in coma for the past 23 months. In his second petition seeking euthanasia for his wife, Mr Chandravanshi has informed the HC about how his wife has not been responding to the various types of medical treatments that she has undergone in the last two years. Justifying the plea for permission of mercy killing, Kanchan’s husband has cited the validity of the term “citizen” that is said to be a hindrance in allowing the mercy killing. He maintains that the term citizen that enshrines all the human values and fundamental rights of the Indian Constitution is moot in the case of his wife. A person being in coma for the last 23 months and with no signs of recovery cannot be termed a citizen as the term citizen means a healthy and normal living being. |
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Surgical mop left in intestines Kolkata, July 5 Sandhya Karmakar (36) is now lying in a drowsy state in the state-run SSKM Hospital here unaware of what the doctors had found inside her intestine. “The doctors found a surgical mop — a pack of cotton fabric used during operations. She had undergone a gall bladder operation on April 26. Perhaps the mop was left inside after that,” SSKM Surgeon Superintendent Dr D.D. Chattopadhya said. Karmakar was admitted to the hospital on June 27 and was operated upon on July 3. Her earlier operation was done at a nursing home in Kharagpur. Commenting on the serious implications of such ‘mistakes’, Dr Chattopadhya said “this could be fatal as the patients under such circumstances contract peritonitis, intestinal obstruction which may lead to septicemia, causing death.” Initially, the hospital doctors had thought she had a tumour as the endoscopy report showed some element protruding from her intestinal channel, he said. Asked if the hospital authority would charge the nursing home with negligence, he said: “Our duty is to cure the patient only.”
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Plan to fell 3.5 lakh trees for more funds Hanumangarh, July 5 According to sources, after cutting down trees along the Indira Gandhi canal, the department has now decided to axe trees in the area along the Bhakra and Gang canals to collect funds. The department has identified 3,48,136 trees fit to be axed along the banks of these two canals. Of the trees which have been identified for cutting, those which are in the area of the Gang canal are about 60 years old and those which fall in the Bhakra area about 40 years old. The state government has ordered the Irrigation Department to collect one per cent excess revenue than the target allotted so the department has been asked to axe these trees. Of these, in the Gang canal area, there are 46,000 sisam trees, 28,000 white lead trees, 87,000 acacia trees and 39,000 other trees. In the Bhakra area, there are 84,975 acacia trees, 79,287 sisam trees and 19,074 other trees that have been identified for being axed. Sources revealed that the Irrigation Department, after counting the trees to be axed under these two canals in Sriganganagar and Hanumangarh district, have written to the Forest Department. These trees are first cut and then send to some other place for being auctioned. However, this procedure causes wastage of time and is very expensive. According to sources, the government has been considering auction of these trees in open competition before these are axed. Sources said the arrangement would be cheaper. |
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New turn to Gulshan
case Mumbai, July 5 |
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Undertrial
dies at hospital New Delhi, July 5 The accused, who was a drug addict, was admitted to the hospital of Central Jail on July 1. He remained at the hospital for two days. The third day he turned violent following which he was referred to the Jail casualty ward. His illness was diagnosed as hyperpyrexia, the sources said. He was referred to DDU hospital yesterday as his condition deteriorated. However, there was no improvement in his health and he died today. The SDM, Rajouri Garden, has been asked to conduct an inquest, the sources said. |
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Tigress
dies at Nandankanan Zoo Bhubaneswar, July 5 Bisakha suffered heatstroke thrice during March and was under close observation. She had lost her vision entirely and was being fed with boneless meat. The tigress gave birth to 18 cubs, including white ones, during her stay within the enclosure. Bisakha, who was extensively studied by Dr R.L. Brahmachari for her behavioural pattern, was cremated within the zoo premises after an autopsy by the zoo doctor. With this loss, the zoo has been left with only 33 big cats, including 15 rare white ones.
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