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US report endorses Indian stand SC clears decks for trial in 17-yr-old HP forest scam 2 jail officials held for helping Telgi |
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No end to factional fight in Kerala Cong
SC to peruse order in Salman case Meghalaya bandh total, peaceful
Indian team sets sail for Antarctica CAG raises questions over Navy contract Strength of forces inadequate,
says Advani Gates-funded anti-AIDS project launched in Andhra
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US report endorses Indian stand on Kashmir New Delhi, December 10 “There should be a long-term US diplomatic effort to assist — not to mediate or arbitrate — India and Pakistan’s intermittent efforts to bridge their differences,” says a new report of an independent task force co-sponsored by the US’ Council on Foreign Relations and the Asia Society. The report, entitled “New priorities in South Asia: US policy towards India, Pakistan and Afghanistan” has been prepared by noted South Asia experts Frank G. Wisner II, Nicholas Platt, Marshall M. Bouton (co-Chairs), Dennis Kux and Mahnaz Ispahani (project co-Directors). The report, in a way, puts its seal of approval on what has been New Delhi’s consistent stand of not accepting any third-party mediation on the Kashmir issue. Though it does not specifically say so, the report urges Washington not to deal with Pakistan with kid gloves. It reminds the Bush administration that a positive relationship with Pakistan “will be difficult to sustain unless Islamabad firmly turns its back on terrorist groups and plays by non-proliferation rules”. The think-tank has come out with a brutally frank recommendation that to promote democracy in Pakistan, the USA should “oppose continued involvement of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI)”. In endorsement of another Indian stand vis-a-vis Pakistan, the report has recommended that the USA should press Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf to make good on his pledge to stop infiltration across the Line of Control (LoC) “permanently” and pressurise General Musharraf not to permit the use of Pakistani territory as a base for neo-Taliban attacks on Afghanistan. In a specific recommendation, the report says that the US Congress should revise the Bush administration’s proposal for US $3 billion in economic and security assistance to Pakistan for five years starting with fiscal year 2005. Without mincing words, the think-tank says that “Pakistan presents one of the most complex and difficult challenges facing US diplomacy”. It also notes that even though Pakistan offers valuable help in rooting out the remnants of Al Qaida, it has failed to prevent the use of its territory by Islamist terrorists “as a base for armed attacks on Kashmir and Afghanistan”. |
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SC clears decks for trial in 17-yr-old HP forest scam New Delhi, December 10 The hurdle in the way of Special Court at Shimla to proceed with the trial against Mr Gupta, was cleared by a Bench comprising Mr Justice Doraiswamy Raju and Mr Justice Arijit Pasayat, holding that the High Court had taken a wrong view while dropping the forgery charges under Sections 467, 468 and 471 of IPC against him for want of sanction. “It is not part of the duty of a public servant while discharging his official duties to commit forgery of the type covered by the offences (under these sections)... and want of sanction under Section 197 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) is, therefore, no bar,” the apex court ruled. The Supreme Court agreed with the stand of Himachal’s Additional Advocate-General (AAG) J S Attri that no sanction was required to prosecute Mr Gupta as the trial court had taken cognizance of the matter after he had retired and moreover provisions of Prevention of Corruption Act, as a special law, would always prevail upon the general law. The High Court had dropped the forgery charges when the order of the Special Court on framing of charges against him was challenged by Mr Gupta on the ground that no sanction was taken by the prosecution from the appropriate authority to proceed against him in the court of law. However, the High Court had retained the charges of cheating and criminal conspiracy and under some relevant provisions of Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA) against Mr Gupta. Besides him, the Special Court had also framed charges against H P Agro Industries Executive Officer R S Jishtu, its Chief Sales Officer R K Sharma and Dharampur-based supplier firm Gupta Pipes’ officials Purshotam Lal Gupta and Tula Ram on August 5, 1995. The Special Court in its order had recorded that various orders were booked with the firm for supply of 1,243 tonnes of wire within a span of one month for fencing of protected forests and Syntax tanks to the department for irrigating the nursery grown by it. The supply was ordered without the approval of rate contract and the price of Rs 10,500 per tonnes for ‘U staple’ wire and Rs 10,000 for ‘electroplated’ wire, which was much higher than the earlier approved rate contract, which had expired in September 1985, the prosecution alleged. It had further alleged that 1,420 high-density polythene water tanks of the capacity ranging between 500 liter and 2000 liter were purchased at highly “inflated” rates at the cost of about Rs 40 lakh by Mr Gupta and nearly Rs 36 lakh was paid to the firm in advance. Mr Gupta and other officials in the purchase had caused “wrongful loss” to the government and “wrongful gains” to themselves with close nexus between the Chief Conservator and Mr Purshotam Lal Gupta of the Gupta Pipes, who was a former stenographer of the Forest Department, the prosecution alleged. |
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2 jail officials held for helping Telgi Bangalore, December 10 P.N. Jayasimha, former superintendent of Central Jail at Parapana Agrahara and now principal of Prison Training School in Mysore, and assistant jail superintendent Nanjappa were arrested last night for their complicity, R. Sri Kumar, head of the stamp investigation team, said. Both officials, Mr Kumar said, were “conspiring and actively” associating with Telgi and his associates while they were in charge of the central prison and care of Telgi in furthering criminal acts from the jail premises. They allowed free access of a cell phone to Telgi and helped him to continue, expand and monitor the sale and circulation of fake stamp papers in different parts of the country, Mr Kumar said. He said there was evidence that documents were fabricated. —
PTI |
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Immigration to Canada made easy New Delhi, December 10 This has become possible after the Canadian Government relaxed the pass marks needed for immigration to Canada to 67 from 75. Under the new laws, some cases of immigration where the application was made prior to January 1, 2002, can reapply. Dual assessment will be provided for the following applications submitted prior to January 1, 2002: those still pending; those withdrawn between January 1, 2002, and December 1, 2003; those refused between March 31, 2003, and June 20, 2003; and those referred back by the courts under the former Act and still not re-determined until December 1, 2003. The changes do not apply to persons who submitted applications after January 1, 2002, because two weeks earlier, the selection criteria which exists today had been pre-published. According to the Immigration Department, these applicants should have been aware that a new selection scheme could affect their applications. |
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No end to factional fight in Kerala Cong New Delhi, December 10 While the party leaders have since got involved in dealing with the simmering dissidence in Punjab Congress, the recent Assembly election results have forced the Congress Central leadership to move cautiously on the Kerala front. As of now, it has adopted a “wait and watch” policy, hoping that the two warring factions will eventually tire themselves out. The party unit in Kerala has been in turmoil for several months after veteran leader K. Karunakaran raised a banner of revolt to press his demand for the removal of Chief Minister A.K.Antony.The dissident group has got a shot in the arm after a key ally, the Muslim League, has publicly criticised Mr. Antony for his anti-minority statements. Mr Karunakaran has issued several ultimatums to the Congress leadership, even threatening to split the party. Although his support base among the legislators has dwindled substantially, Congress leaders believe this problem needs urgent handling as it is weakening the government and the party in the state. A three-member AICC panel, comprising Ahmed Patel, Pranab Mukherjee and
R.K. Dhawan, had heard the main players last week. Complaining bitterly about the Chief Minister’s style of functioning, the Karunakaran group remained adamant on its “remove Antony” demand. The panel has also started consulting other allies in the UDF government to ascertain their views. It will confer with Mr Karunakaran after he is discharged from hospital in a day or two. The Chief Minister’s supporters, on the other hand, urged the Congress leaders to enforce discipline in the party. The father-son duo, it was stated, have been working together in fuelling dissidence, even going to the extent of openly consorting with the Left parties. The Antony group also argued that the party be prepared for Mr. Karunakaran’s exit. |
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Dalai Lama gives award
to Amritsar Vidya Mandir New Delhi, December 10 The award, which is instituted by the Organisation of Fraternity and Understanding and is headed by Sanjay
Dalmia, consists of a silver plaque and a cash prize of Rs 1 lakh. Speaking on the occasion, Master Ajit Singh of the forum apprised the audience of the activities of the school where senior students were roped in to contribute to society by helping teach the younger ones. He said the foundations of the school were laid following newspaper reports in The Tribune, about the pathetic and heart-rending condition of the residents of
Maqboolpura. |
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SC to peruse order in Salman case New Delhi, December 10 A Bench comprising Mr Justice N. Santhosh Hegde and Mr Justice B.P. Singh said the trial court order and its contents as read out to Salman, be placed before it by December 12. While the trial court on May 2 had framed charges under Section 304 Part-II of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), pertaining to culpable homicide, not amounting to murder, against him for allegedly crushing to death a person sleeping on a Mumbai footpath, the High Court had dropped the same and directed the Trial Judge to proceed with a case of negligent driving against him. The court wanted the trial court order to examine it whether the contents read out to Salman at the time of framing of the charges, fell within the meaning of Section 300 of IPC, defining murder and the exceptions attached to it. The apex court said this was necessary to find out whether the trial court had applied the law correctly against the actor, or the High Court was right in dropping the charge. |
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Meghalaya bandh total, peaceful Shillong, December 10 The police said there was no untoward incident from any part of the districts. In Shillong, all educational institutions, offices, commercial establishments were closed and no vehicles, save security vans, plied on roads. The district administration beefed up security and imposed prohibitory orders to maintain peace and tranquillity during the bandh. Rain late in the afternoon lashed the already cold state capital forcing the few children outside to remain indoors. Reports from Jowai, district headquarters of Jaintia hills, said shops and other commercial institutions put up shutters and there was no movement of vehicles. However, the police said normal attendance in offices was registered in the district. The police from
Nongpoh, district headquarters of Ri-bhoi said that life was paralysed in the district. —
UNI |
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Indian team sets sail for Antarctica Panaji, December 10 The 55-member team would set sail for Antarctica from their Cape Town base in South Africa on December 12 by the Greek vessel ‘MV Emerald’. Led by Dr S. Jayaram, Director, Geological Survey of India, Bangalore, the team is drawn from 17 scientific organisations, universities and departments. The logistics and medical support is co-ordinated by the National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research, Vasco da Gama, Goa. “The summer component of the 23rd Indian Antarctica expedition and winter component of the 22nd expedition were expected to return to India by March 2004,” centre’s Director Dr P.C. Pandey said today. The only woman among the 55 scientists Prof M Olec, is from Poland. She would work on lichens in association with the Botanical Survey of India during the expedition. A significant aspect of the latest expedition was that it would carry out a special aerial survey to identify the ideal site for locating the second research station in Antarctica shelf, parallel to the existing ‘Maitri’ station to carry out future scientific activities. The Centre had given formal clearance for the new station as the ‘Maitri’ commissioned in 1988-89 under the technical expertise of DRDO’s Research and Development Establishment, Pune, would soon be outliving its utility. The first permanent Indian station in Antarctica ‘Dakshin Gangotri’ was set up in 1983, but was abandoned later. ‘Maitri’ was established at Schirmacher Hills, an ice-free, boulderous terrain in central ‘Dronning Maudland,’ for which the nearby Priyaarshini lake provides vital water supply to the station throughout the year. |
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CAG raises questions over Navy contract New Delhi, December 10 Defence Minister George Fernandes told the Rajya Sabha, in a written reply, that the Navy was in the process of serving an action-taken note as per the procedure. He said that the CAG had also pointed out that documents of the firm who had been supplied with the contract were incomplete. Replying to another question, Mr Fernandes said no agreement had been signed with Russia for acquiring Admiral Gorshkov aircraft carrier and 25 MiG-29K so far. |
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Strength of forces inadequate,
says Advani New Delhi, December 10 “The security forces have to be deployed for law and order and elections. The number is inadequate. But whatever forces are available, efforts are made towards their optimum utilisation,’’ he said, responding to supplementary questions. Mr Advani said that states were being given assistance to deal with law and order problems. Mr Advani said the Central Bureau of Investigation had registered 1,916 cases against Central Government officials in the past five years. |
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Gates-funded anti-AIDS project launched in Andhra Hyderabad, December 10 ‘Avahan’ (the Foundation’s India AIDS Initiative) would provide grants to four partners — the Hindustan Latex Family Planning Promotion Trust, the International HIV/AIDS Alliance, the Transport Corporation of India and Foundation and the Population Services International — to provide HIV prevention services to groups at high risk of infection. The initiative is part of a national HIV prevention package, totalling $ 67.5 million. —
UNI |
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In video: Dalai Lama expresses concern over human rights violation.(
