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Saturday,
August 17, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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Ultras go
hi-tech, courtesy ISI
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Pak
starts probe into ultras’ bank accounts CBI to grill IA plane hijacking suspect Cong
seeks Mahajan’s dismissal |
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New Delhi, August 16 Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani today came to the rescue of Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pramod Mahajan describing allegations made against him in journalist Shivani Bhatnagar murder case as “malicious” intended to derail the probe. 
In Video (28k, 56k)
Central
Govt firm on cancelling allotments Land
allotted as per norms: Jagmohan Indira
govt tried to ‘stop’ temple construction Hindus
‘will not accept verdict’ on Ayodhya Goel
invites DRG convener for talks 4 names
cleared as CBI Joint Directors Jennifer Lopez to
act in Telugu film
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Ultras go hi-tech, courtesy ISI New Delhi, August 16 While President Musharraf called the elections in Jammu and Kashmir as farcical and washed his hands off any responsibility for their peaceful conduct, sources here said expensive Chinese and Korean-made communication systems were being forwarded to the terrorists by the ISI to help them avoid detection at this crucial juncture. Pakistan army handlers of the terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir are also helping them devise new methods for communication, which include new call signs and new codes for passing on messages. Reports here said that in a bid to deny the Indian security forces any chances of interception of messages between the Pakistan-based terrorist organisations and their cadres hiding in Jammu and Kashmir, the ISI had provided them with “satellite telephones” and highly sophisticated mobile phones. As many as 200 Chinese-made satellite phones, each costing over Rs 50,000, have been bought by the ISI, specially with the idea of helping the terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir. Besides, specially-made Korean antennas have also been forwarded to help them avoid detection. The antennas, the sources said, were very powerful and very small in size. As a result the security forces were not being able to detect the location of the terrorists while the latter were receiving messages from across the border. The Chinese-made satellite phones were also serving the same purpose as these were being operated on a different frequency. However, these were helping the terrorists have better communication across the border in
comparison to radio messages. The areas from where there was enhanced communication between the terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir and their handlers across the border were Nikhial, Kohat and Zaffarwal in Pakistan. The sources said evidence of the Pakistan army’s involvement was also available in the sudden change of call signs and coded messages being forwarded from across the border. The call signs had suddenly become very professional which reflected the professional training imparted by the Pakistan army. Meanwhile, intelligence reports also suggested the possibility of further spurt in violent activities in Jammu and Kashmir as the election dates draw nearer. |
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Pak starts probe into ultras’ bank accounts New Delhi, August 16 Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has started gathering details of accounts belonging to several banned militant and sectarian organisations in banks like Habib Bank, National Bank, Allied Bank, Muslim Commercial Bank and Faysal Bank, ‘Dawn’ newspaper reported. The organisations, accounts of which were being investigated include Lashkar-e-Toiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad, Harkat-ul-Mujahedeen, Sipah-e-Sahaba, Al Badr, Tehreek-i-Jafferia Pakistan and Al Rashid Trust, it said. The paper said the FIA was “assigned to locate and identify the financiers and donors of these organisations” which had been maintaining several local and foreign currency accounts with different banks. The FIA’s assignment, “reportedly given on the insistence of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), was also aimed at cross-checking the data so far collected by other intelligence agencies in this regard”, the paper said. However, it quoted unnamed banking sources as saying that though some “sensitive agencies” had already obtained information on financial transactions of the banned outfits through these accounts, these agencies had “no legal cover for seeking such information from the banks”. The investigating officer, according to the bankers, should obtain permission under the Bankers Books Evidence Act, under which they require a nod of a sessions court or a high court in writing. Reports had said a former ISI chief had sent $ 1 million to Mohammad Atta, a key conspirator of the September 11 terror strikes in the USA. The Pakistani weekly “Independent” said investigators believed “that former ISI chief Gen Mehmood Ahmad had also been involved in the transaction of money through Omar Sheikh (now in Pakistani custody) to Mohammad Atta who reportedly returned $ 15,600 through the hawala channel just before the ‘kamikaze’ attacks”.
PTI |
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CBI to grill IA plane hijacking suspect
New Delhi, August 16 CBI sources said that the team had been sent after the state police had informed the agency about his arrest and alleged role in the 1999 hijacking. The sources said during investigation into the hijacking episode, the CBI team had come across his name but his role was confined to supply of one grenade to Dilip Kumar
Bhujel, one of the eight accused chargesheeted by the agency in this case. The CBI sources said Subba was believed to be running an illegal racket of arms and ammunition supply to gangs and
possibly to militant groups. The state police had claimed that Subba, alias Gore, was also wanted in connection with the attempt on the life of Gorkha National Liberation Front president Subhas Ghishing in February last year. He is the son of Gorkha Liberation Organisation chief Chattre
Subba, now in jail on the charge of attempt on the life of Ghishing. UNI |
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Al-Umar ultra
held in Delhi New Delhi, August 16 Special Cell sleuths, acting on secret information that the militant would be meeting his contact at the ISBT, arrested him there. Syyed Shabir Ali Shah (28), is a resident of Pulwana in Jammu and Kashmir. During interrogation he told the police that he was asked to set up a base in Delhi to motivate young Kashmiris to join the outfit. He also kept changing his base in the Capital, to avoid detection. The militant had earlier been arrested in 1992 in Jammu & Kashmir and was released in 1993. |
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Cong seeks Mahajan’s dismissal New Delhi, August 16 “Mr Mahajan should be immediately dismissed from the Union Cabinet to facilitate an impartial probe in the matter”, party spokesman Satyavrat Chaturvedi said. He said if the minister had “slightest of morality’’ he would have resigned on his own. The spokesman said Ms Madhu Sharma, wife of the prime accused R.K. Sharma had alleged that Mr Mahajan had a lengthy telephonic conversation with Shivani before her murder. This, he said, could be crucial in solving the case. Demanding Mr Mahajan’s removal, he said an impression should not go to people that the minister was in a position to tamper with evidence. Mr Chaturvedi was also critical of Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani who had been accused by Ms Sharma of attempting to implicate her husband. The party, however, did not demand any action against him. Denying suggestions that the party was using different yardsticks for Mr Mahajan and Mr Advani, he said the nature of allegations against the two was different. He said the charges against Mr Mahajan had once again exposed the BJP which talked loudly of values and criminalisation of politics. Asked about the serious allegations made by Ms Sharma another party spokesman Abhishek Singhvi said there was no “legal or factual’’ bar on making such allegations. AICC general secretary Ambika Soni said the charges against the Parliamentary Affairs Minister showed that the image of the NDA government had slipped to a point where anybody could level charges against the coalition government or its ministers. They said Mr Mahajan was a senior minister and it was for him to reply about the allegations. She said the issue had come up after scandals like Tehelka, UTI, bank, defence deals, petrol pumps and land allotment. Meanwhile, Congress President Sonia Gandhi today expressed deep shock and distress over the tragic death of 30 persons in a bus mishap in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir. She also extended her condolences to the bereaved families. |
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Allegations
baseless: Advani New Delhi, August 16 Reacting to allegations made by Madhu Sharma, wife of Ravi Kant Sharma, senior IPS officer and prime suspect in the case, that Mr Mahajan was involved in it, Mr Advani said,” These are all baseless allegations against a valued colleague, coming as these do from a suspect who is on the run.” Strongly condemning the allegations, the Deputy Prime Minister, who is also the Home Minister said, “It is a malicious campaign unleashed by vested interests to derail the probe which is on the right path”. Refusing to take questions from reporters saying that it would not do justice with the probe, Mr Advani added that campaign was aimed at “changing the course of the investigation”. “It is not without reason that the person, who is the prime suspect in the case, is absconding,” he said. Mr Advani said he had discussed the case with officials who were investigating it. They told him that the probe was reaching the “right destination.” Refuting the charges against him, Mr Mahajan said the allegations against him had been made by the wife of a person who had been refused bail by several courts and was on the run. Mr Mahajan said his relationship with Shivani was purely professional that a politician had with mediapersons. The high-profile Union Minister also said he was ready to face any inquiry by the CBI or by the Press or by anybody else. |
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Central Govt firm on cancelling allotments New Delhi, August 16 “The government has taken a decision and made its position clear. It is for the courts to do what they want to do,” Solicitor-General Harish Salve, appearing for the Centre told Justice Manmohan Sarin, who granted a stay in the case listed before him today. The court had sought Mr Salve’s appearance on whether it could for the time being defer implementing the decision in view of the flood of litigations and wait till the next hearing of the matter by the Supreme Court. “I have no instruction and will not say
anything further on the issue,” Mr Salve told the court. Despite the Supreme Court issuing notices to the allottees on Wednesday for August 26 on the government petition seeking transfer of all allotment cases to the apex court or to a particular High Court, a large number of allottees are daily moving the High Court here seeking a stay on the ground that cancellation could not be made in a sweeping order by the Centre as it would affect genuine cases. While staying the order in respect of three petrol stations and four LPG agencies, the court said it would only entertain those cases in routine manner which were listed for the day. It declined to entertain the petitions by 32 allottees, whose counsel mentioned those before it in the afternoon. The court said let the petitions first be listed by the registry for hearing.
PTI |
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Cong for Naik’s
dismissal Patna, August 16 The party, under the leadership of its President and Bihar Medical Education Minister Shakeel Ahmed, held the day-long dharna here.
UNI |
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Land allotted as per
norms: Jagmohan New Delhi, August 16 Explaining about the allotments made during his tenure as the Urban Development Minister, he, while questioning the critics whether the RSS was untouchable and that it should not be given anything, also pointed fingers at a senior journalist for insinuating that he had the support of the RSS. Referring to reports that prime land in the National Capital had been allotted to the Sangh Parivar outfits, he admitted at a press conference that during his tenure as the Urban Development Minister “only three or four registered societies, allegedly having membership of RSS sympathisers/workers were allotted land”. During the same period, he said, allotments were made to other societies as well and added that allotments made to certain societies should not be seen in isolation. “No allotment was made to any institution which was not in accordance with well-established principles, procedures and norms laid down by the Union Cabinet years ago and on the basis of which hundreds of allotments had been previously made,” he said in a statement circulated to reporters. Maintaining that ideological consideration was not an issue, he said it was not fair to impute motives to all decisions. “If they are RSS, are they untouchables? All are equal before law,” he retorted when repeatedly asked if it was a mere coincidence that all the Sangh Parivar outfits were given plots in one row. The minister said the correspondent of a newspaper, against whose chief reporter he had taken firm action for “fraudulent occupation” of a high-class government flat in Kidwai Nagar, had insinuated that the RSS had been supporting him because of these allotments despite his `anti-people’ decisions. “This insinuation has been attributed to some BJP sources. This is a mischievous and malafide concoction,” the minister said, adding that he had already initiated legal action against the journalist. |
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Indira govt tried to ‘stop’ temple
construction New Delhi, August 16 “In 1984 when a ‘sankalp divas’ was organised for the construction of the Ram Temple, yatras were taken out from all parts of the country and even Nepal, to Delhi. But the then Congress government under Indira Gandhi foiled the plans and the yatras could not be completed,” he told the commission. Deposing as a witness before the commission, he said it was not possible for the leaders to stop kar sevaks on December 6, 1992, as the mood of the crowd was to pull down the disputed structure, which they regarded as a “sign of slavery.” “The kar sevaks even warned that they would manhandle anyone who tried to stop them,” he said, recalling that the number of kar sevaks was so much that “we couldn’t do anything.” He also echoed VHP’s view that courts had no role in deciding the birthplace of Lord Ram, saying that it was more a matter of faith.
PTI |
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Hindus
‘will not accept verdict’ on Ayodhya New Delhi, August 16 Deposing before the Liberhan Commission of Inquiry probing the December 6, 1992, demolition of the disputed structure here, Mahant Avaidyanath said the Court might give any verdict but the Hindu society and Kar Sevaks would not be able to accept it as this was a matter of faith for them. Justifying the demolition of the Babri
Masjid, he said it was a “symbol of slavery.” There was nothing wrong or illegal about it, he asserted. Responding to Justice M.S. Liberhan’s question regarding what the Ayodhya movement’s leaders were doing at the time to contain the situation, he said the
belligerent mood of a majority of Kar Sevaks left them with little choice and they could not do much. |
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Goel invites DRG convener for talks New Delhi, August 16 Sources in the group told TNS today that Mr Goel visited the Freedom Vigil camp at Jantar Mantar and regretted the delay in the fulfilment of the demands made by the DRG in their memorandum to the Prime Minister in February. While reiterating the government’s commitment to the cause of disability, Mr Goel said they were considering the demands. He also invited Mr Abidi to attend a meeting in the South Block on Monday afternoon to discuss the action plan on the demands with officers concerned. Mr Goel further assured the DRG that within a week, the PMO would facilitate their meetings with the Finance Minister, the Union HRD Minister and the Urban Development Minister. The CPM leader, Mr Somnath Chatterjee, also visited the camp and assured the activists that he would write to the Prime Minister in support of their demands. Prominent among those who represented the DRG were Gen Ian Cardozo and Vandana Bedi from the Spastics Society of Northern India, Aruna Rao of Deaf Way, Asha Mehra of Swabilambam, Ranoo Banerjee of Parivaar, D.S. Chauhan of Delhi Association of the Deaf and Kamaljeet Singh and Rajashekar from the Jagrit Viklang Manch. |
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4 names cleared as CBI Joint Directors New Delhi, August 16 The names of Param Vir Singh, S.C. Sinha, S.P. Srivastava and U.S. Dutta were cleared by the Appointments Committee of Cabinet on Appointments after the CBI Board had cleared their names and forwarded these to the government for clearance, official sources said here. The four officials have served the CBI in various capacities earlier. While Mr Param Vir Singh is an IPS officer of 1974 batch of Tamil Nadu cadre, Mr S.C. Singh is an IPS officer from Haryana of 1975 batch. Both Mr Srivastava and Mr Dutta were IPS officers from 1976 batch from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar cadres respectively. The names had been cleared by the CBI Board comprising the CBI Director, the Home Secretary, the Chief Vigilance Commissioner and the Secretary in the Ministry of Personnel.
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Jennifer
Lopez to act in Telugu film Mumbai, August 16 Pawan Kalyan, Telugu cinema’s superstar, Chiranjeevi’s brother, has landed a casting coup by signing this hot singing sensation for his new directorial venture ‘Johnny’ to be produced by Geeta Arts. Pawan, touted as the Hrithik Roshan of Telugu cinema, is also acting in the film. The sequence featuring Jennifer was shot abroad as the producers wanted to keep her involvement under wraps, sources in Geeta Arts said. The film will hit the theatres in November. The shooting for ‘Johnny’ began in April.
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