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Friday,
September 5, 2003, Chandigarh, India  
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Trial opens in the slaying of Sikh Pak releases 269 Indian fishermen PM likely to address UN General Assembly Over 900 held as parties defy ban in Nepal UK toughens immigration norms |
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Trial opens in the slaying of Sikh Washington, September 4 The defence attorney, however, pleaded that the gunman Frank Roque (44), was mentally ill when he heard voices that edged him on to kill Sodhi (49). Whether Roque (44) was convicted and sentenced to death depends largely on whether jurors believed he was insane when he pulled the trigger of a semi-automatic handgun, hitting the Indian immigrant with all five shots. The courtroom was packed to capacity and court TV, a television programme, filmed the trial for a planned five-episode report. Minutes before the trial began, Harjit Singh Sodhi, a brother of the victim, told reporters: “The whole world is watching to see what kind of punishment will they give to their own terrorist?” Defence attorney Dan Patterson did not consider Roque a terrorist but felt that the ‘patriotic fervour’ that followed the September 11 attacks, coupled with Roque’s undiagnosed mental illness, were catalysts for the murder — so said a report in the Arizona Republic. “Frank Roque is mentally ill. He no longer hears the voices he heard on September 11,” Patterson said. “They’ve been stilled because he is on medication.” “The voices said kill the devil,” Patterson said, “not kill the Arabs, not kill the Sikhs. Kill the devil.” Deputy County Attorney Vince Imbordino said Sodhi became the unfortunate target of Roque’s rage because he wore a turban as a sign of his Sikh religion. “It’s a clash of different cultures that came to a deadly end,” Imbordino was quoted as saying. “To some extent, this case is about September 11, but I think the evidence will prove it was a flash point. It goes much deeper.” Roque was believed to have made a series of racist statements that began when the World Trade Centre collapsed, and also announced his plans to murder the immigrant to a co-worker. He was believed to have said that he had been treated rudely at a gasoline station on University Drive by “a towel head or a rag head”, Imbordino said. He told an Applebee’s restaurant employee on September 11: “I’m going to go out and shoot some towel heads,” the prosecutor was quoted as saying. Roque told the co-worker: “We should round them all up and kill them. We should kill their children, too, because they’ll grow up to be like their parents.” But Patterson said Roque was not a racist and never made racist statements before the 9/11 attacks. Sodhi came from Punjab in 1989 and worked as a cab driver in the Bay Area in California until he opened his Chevron station at 80th Street and University Drive in Mesa in early 2001. Imbordino said Roque shot Sodhi as he spoke to a landscaper about a leaking hose. Landscaper Luis Ledemsa testified that he was crouching when he heard a truck’s skidding tires. Singh Sodhi’s last words were “Don’t kill me!” before shots rang out and the victim collapsed, Ledemsa said.
— IANS |
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Pak releases 269 Indian fishermen Islamabad, September 4 The fishermen and their seized boats were handed over at a ceremony in Karachi attended by First Secretary in the Indian High Commission R.K. Sharma. They had been detained for allegedly entering and fishing in Pakistan’s territorial waters illegally. Sharma said India would reciprocate by releasing 94 Pakistani fishermen. Pakistan Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali had announced the release of 343 Indian fishermen in May following Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s offer of hand of friendship. However, the process was delayed as Pakistan officials initially released only 22 of the 41 boats seized along with the 269 fishermen. The remaining 74 Indian fishermen, who were caught along with 18 of their boats, were expected to be released later. All the fishermen hail from Gujarat.
— PTI |
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PM likely to address UN General Assembly New York, September 4 Mr Vajpayee will also have bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the UN session. The details of such meetings and the possibility of him holding talks with the UN chief and US President George W. Bush are unavailable at present, Ambassador-at-Large for NRIs and PIOs Bhishma K. Agnihotri told reporters at a press conference last night. The Prime Minister is expected to address the UN session in Hindi.
— UNI |
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Over 900 held as parties defy ban in Nepal Kathmandu, September 4 General-secretary of Nepali Congress Sushil Koirala, CPN leader Bharat Mohan Adhikari, general-secretary of the Nepal Sadbhavana Party Rajendra Mahato and several other leaders of the five parties were arrested when they staged a protest at Ratnapark defying the government’s order banning protest in the Kathmandu valley for three weeks beginning from Tuesday. Over 900 political leaders and workers were arrested, including more than 300 of the Nepali Congress during the protest, spokesman of the Nepali Congress Arjun Narsingh said. This is the first time that such a large number of party workers have been arrested since the take over by the King on October 4, 2002. The five major political parties have been demanding the revival of the dissolved House of Representatives and formation of an all-party government, including them to resolve the problems of the Himalayan Kingdom.
— UNI |
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UK toughens immigration norms London, September 4 Immigrants to the United Kingdom will need to demonstrate a knowledge of British history before being given citizenship, according to proposals published by the Home Office. There is more. Prospective citizens will also have to pass basic tests in the English language and undergo 10 two-hour lessons about life in Britain. According to the proposals, new arrivals have enormous pride in being given British citizenship. Indians, Pakistans and Bangladeshis, in particular, said British citizenship resulted in VIP treatment when travelling. At present, an immigrant can apply for naturalisation after being resident for five years — or three years if married to a British citizen. Henceforth citizenship ceremonies will also be held for new citizens, where they will swear allegiance to the Queen and pledge loyalty to the country, replacing the current system under which people receive their citizenship in a document sent through the post from the Home Office. Home Secretary David Blunkett, who has insisted that the test should include more about the nation’s past, also said he wanted Britishers to be proud of their culture. While unveiling the new proposals, Mr Blunkett said last night the new proposals for citizenship which include an oath and a pledge, did not mean that immigrants would have to assimilate into a common culture. Those migrants who had done best in Britain, such as the Jewish community, had succeeded by learning the language and being prepared to integrate in the ways and life of Britain, he said. “It does not stop them from holding their religion and culture dear,” Mr Blunkett said. The proposals are for compulsory citizenship programmes for the 120,000 immigrants a year who seek a British passport. Would-be citizens will be assessed on their progress in English and will have to improve by at least one level of the English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) scale. The minimum standard required would be moving from no English to a level where the migrant could take up an unskilled job.
— PTI |
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Islamabad, September 4
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