 |
|
Last chance for Mayawati in Taj corridor scam
‘Doosri Radha’ dons police uniform
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Family prays for Kutty’s return
Thousands hit as SC restores property to Raja Left support music for Cong ears
CBI to take signatures
of Monica Bedi
Houses torched in community clash
Three BSF jawans killed in Tripura
Followers fear release of Ambedkar’s love letters
Schedule of Samjhota, Attari Express revised
Freedom after 54 years
Tarannum walks out of jail, into Bollywood
British award for PAU economist
Suhasini faces 3 cases for backing Khushboo
1,000-MW project
|
|
Last chance for Mayawati in Taj corridor scam
New Delhi, November 21 As a Bench of Ms Justice Ruma Pal, Mr Justice S B Sinha and Mr Justice K S H Kapadia after two-hour-long arguments of senior advocates, appearing for the CBI, Uttar Pradesh Government and Mayawati, indicated that it would pass an order directing the CBI to file a chargesheet on the face of CBI and CVC reports, her counsel K K Venugopal objected to it. Venugopal said before any order was passed, he would like to place on record certain earlier judgements of the apex court to show that no specific direction for filing of the chargesheet could be issued by any court to the investigating agencies. He registered his objection when the Bench, at the end of the proceedings, observed that “we are directing that the chargesheet should be filed on the opinion of the CBI Investigating Officer in his report without expressing our opinion.” In view of his objection, the Bench adjourned the hearing to December 5 permitting the counsel to place on record the desired verdicts on which he was relying upon. The court gave the indication of issuing order for filing the chargesheet against the accused persons after perusing the report of the CVC and the final report of the CBI, whose officers at the highest level, including the agency's Director U S Mishra, had purportedly opined against prosecuting Mayawati and her former cabinet colleague Nasimmuddin Siddiqui contrary to the IO’s report. Due to the conflict within the agency, the CBI Director had sought the opinion of the Attorney General Milon Banerjee, who had suggested that no prosecution could be launched against Mayawati and Siddiqui. Because of the confusion within the CBI, the court had sought the opinion of the CVC, suggested that prosecution could be launched on the basis of the available material. Mayawati had sought to challenge the CVC giving its suggestion to the CBI to act in a particular manner as well as the apex court issuing a direction for filing the chargesheet on the ground that under the Cr.PC the decision regarding prosecution was strictly vested with the agency investigating a case. As the Bench asked Solicitor General (SG) G E Vahanvati as what was the opinion of CBI officers investigating the case and those at the higher level, including its Director, he said as per the report of agency’s IO G C Dwivedi, the prosecution of Mayawati and Siddiqui was subject to recording of a statement of P L Punia, the then Principal Secretary to Mayawati. "Punia initially had said he had cleared the project on his own and later said it was done on her (Mayawati's) instructions," he said, adding the IO had also given clearance for prosecution of bureaucrats R K Sharma, S C Bali, Kamal Radhu and M Sharma. The IO, however, had opined that no criminal case was made out against other bureaucrats, K C Mishra, D S Bagga, R K Gupta, Rajendra Prasad and A K Bose, as they were only found to have committed "gross misconduct" while performing their duty, the SG said. Senior advocate Harish Salve, appearing for the UP Government, contended that the apex court was fully competent to issue a direction to the CBI to file a chargesheet in the case, in which the FIR was in fact registered on the court's order of Septmber 18, 2003, after certain material evidence were brought before it by the agency.
|
|
‘Doosri Radha’ dons police uniform
Lucknow, November 21 The controversial IG shot into limelight when the electronic media ran stories of his Krishna bhakti. He was seen dressed in pitambar lehenga-chunni, nose ring and all sola shringar, including payal and alta, dancing in his office and speaking of his spiritual marriage to Lord Krishana. Taking a serious note of this high-ranking officer’s very public display of unusual bhakti, an embarrassed state government has sought a report on his conduct. DGP Yashpal Singh is personally looking into the matter and has not submitted a report as yet. He was not available in his office to comment on today’s meeting with Mr Panda. Speaking to the electronic media after the meeting with the DGP, Mr Panda, alias
Doosri Radha, accepted that he had worn his official uniform after a long time. The police uniform was a symbol of power while my pitambar (yellow dress) symbolised spiritualism, he said. He charged retired police DGP Prakash Singh with starting a campaign for his suspension. “How will he know the anand of Krishna bhakti?” he stated. ‘Doosri Radha’ also blamed the media for undue focus on his personal spiritual pursuit. Principal Secretary Home Alok Sinha said the government was considering Mr Panda’s request for voluntary retirement. Meanwhile, his wife Veena Panda reiterated her charge of her husband threatening to take her life. |
|
Family prays for Kutty’s return
Chingoli (Kerala),
November 21 Maniappan R. Kutty was kidnapped along with three Afghans yesterday when they were working in a highway construction project. Maniappan was planning to visit his parents and wife in this coastal village of Alapuzha district on November 8 when he was transferred by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) to Afghanistan. He was earlier posted at Meghalaya. “Maniappan is our only son. He is the sole breadwinner of the family,” Maniappan’s 70-year-old father Ramankutty, a heart patient and his mother Mani (60), who is recovering from cancer, told PTI. Maniappan’s wife Bindu is devastated hearing about his abduction. The couple has two sons aged 8 and 3 years. The family came to know about his abduction first from television reports. They were later intimated by BRO officials from Delhi, his uncle Krishnankutty said. Chief Minister Oommen Chandy has also spoken to Maniappan’s relatives and is expected to visit the family. Krishnankutty said the family had been informed that all efforts were being made at the highest level for his early release. KPCC President Ramesh Chennithala said he had spoken to the Prime Minister’s private secretary and Foreign Secretary this morning and they had promised that the needful was being done to ensure his safe return. —PTI
|
|
Gurus’ relics light up Gurdwara Rakabganj
New Delhi, November 21 Priceless and rare as they are, some of these relics, including the dastar, some other articles, jutis, clothes and handwritten documents, have been carefully repaired and conserved to prevent further deterioration by the Indian National Trust for Arts and Cultural Heritage (INTACH). The conservation of these religious relics, says Shobita Punja from INTACH, will prevent their further deterioration for future generations. Each article, depending upon the material it has been made from, has been conserved after following specific scientific procedures, she says. The exhibition, on till November 29 on the gurdwara premises, is serving a dual purpose. Thousands of devotees are being able to have a darshan of the relics to which otherwise they would not have had an easy access. Moreover, a special fund, created by INTACH for members of the community, will help them participate in the historic effort to conserve some other Sikh relics in their original form. Donations made by the way of seva will receive 50 per cent tax exemption under Section 80G of the Income Tax Act and utilised by INTACH for appropriate scientific restoration to ensure that they last for several more decades within the community for future generations. The effort of conservation began in 1999, when in connection with the tercentenary of the Khalsa Panth, the National Institute of Punjab Studies decided to locate, catalogue and photograph relics connected with Sikh Gurus, Maharaja Ranjit Singh and other historic personalities. These relics, till then, were mostly in private collections of various families in Punjab, who had been guarding them for generations. However, since they had not been preserved scientifically, some of these relics were not in a very good shape. As per Bhai Buta Singh, a 12th generation member of Bhai Rup Chand family from Bhai Rupa village in Bathinda, the family, which is now headed by Bhai Gurchet Singh, preserved 108 items, including a handwritten Guru Granth Sahib in gold, some gutkas, handwritten hukumnamas and raag malas. The sixth Sikh Guru, Guru Hargobind, stayed with the family for almost six months and nine days in 1686 and made the place his office from where messages and commands to his followers were dispatched. The amazing collection of other precious relics, which are also on the display, include Mughal paintings, khadauns, a wooden rabab, letters and a kirpan. The other family, whose collection has also been on the display since Guru Gobind Singh’s Parkash Utsav, is the Bhai Jasbir Singh family from Chak Fatheh Singh village from Bathinda. Guru Gobind Singh visited the village on request of Mata Mai Desan and her family and stayed in her house for almost a week. Descendents of Mata Mai Desan, who live in the same house today, have preserved the everyday objects used by the Tenth Guru during his stay with the family. On display are newar of the bed on which Guru Gobind Singh used to sleep, his dastar, a low seated wooden peeda, tawa , some clothes and other items.All these relics will be returned after the conclusion of the exhibition.
|
|
Thousands hit as SC restores property to Raja Lucknow, November 21 Thousands of such affected farmers and students have taken to the streets to focus attention on their plight. They are planning a long-term struggle to fight for their rights. Drawing attention to this “explosive situation” the Mahmudabad MLA, Mr Narendra Singh Verma said the cooperative sector sugar mill in Sitapur had been built on the erstwhile Raja’s land. It has already received notice for closure. This threatens the livelihood of the 2,800 workers employed in the mill and the 55,000 farmers who sell their crops there, said Mr Verma. The other government institutions in the tehsil that face an uncertain future are the Government Degree College and Jawharlal Nehru Polytechnic which together have more than 4000 students on their rolls. “These students have launched an agitation to safeguard their future”, informed Mr Verma. Also affected are approximately 4,000 farmers who are cultivating 956 acres leased out to them by the Custodian of Enemy Properties. “It is absurd to expect them to remove their standing wheat crops before the end of December,” said Mr Verma. Describing the situation as “grim and growing grimmer by the day,” District Magistrate of Sitapur Amod Kumar said he had already informed the Custodian of Enemy Properties of the public sentiment. According to the court order, if the properties are not vacated by December 21, the authorities, in this case the District Magistrate, will come under contempt of court. On October 22, the Supreme Court had passed a historical judgment through which the properties worth thousands of crores of rupees spread over two states and five districts were restored to the erstwhile Raja of Mahmudabad after a 32-year-long legal battle. The judgment also cleared the stigma of enemy property from the family’s name. However, the present representative of the people of
Mahmudabad, Mr Verma, pointed out that the judgment had grave implications for the “Raja saheb’s praja”. They want him to take a flexible stand and either sign new agreements with the exiting tenants or give them more time to make alternative arrangements. Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee legislative party leader Pramod Tiwari washed off his hands from the matter, saying that could he do little in the matter of a Supreme Court judgment. MLA Verma has asked him to contact the Raja who is a member of the Congress and has twice been the party’s MLA in the Vidhan
Sabha. Meanwhile, Raja Mahmudabad was in Nainital and could not be contacted for comments. |
|
Left support music for Cong ears New Delhi, November 21 The BJP-led NDA has announced plans to put the government, particularly the Congress, through the proverbial wringer in this session on the Volcker committee revelations and the Mitrokhin papers. The Supreme Court’s order on the dissolution of the Bihar Assembly by Governor Buta Singh and the Bihar poll results could cast a shadow on the coming session, especially since all exit polls have predicted a victory for the NDA. Although the Congress has been bracing itself to counter a resurgent Opposition, it was more worried about the increasing stridency exhibited by the Left parties, who teamed up with the Samajwadi Party, to lodge a public protest against the government’s decision to vote with the US against Iran at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). In fact, at one point, a nervous Congress was even talking about the possibility of the Left parties distancing themselves from the UPA government and the impact of such a move in Parliament.Consequently, the UPA government worked overtime to avert a vote on the Iran resolution at IAEA’s November 24 meeting. The Left’s announcement followng its meeting with the UPA leaders that it is satisfied with the government’s diplomatic efforts on Iran was music for the Congress ears. Having got all its allies and supporting partners on board, Congress leaders looked far more confident than they did a few days ago. This even helped the Congress shake off its concern over tomorrow’s results of the Bihar Assembly elections as the party virtually accepted that a defeat of the RJD alliance was very much on the cards. The party was,however, quick to refute any suggestion that an adverse verdict would impact the UPA government at the Centre. Mrs. Ambika Soni, chairperson, AICC media department, pointed out how the NDA government had lasted its full term even though the BJP lost elections in three major states during its tenure. “The UPA has got a mandate to rule for five years and it will complete its term,” she added emphatically. Unofficially, however, AICC leaders maintain that a change in Bihar could well prove to be a blessing for the UPA government as it would make RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav more dependent on the Congress and also more manageable. While the Congress leaders have held preliminary meetings to discuss their floor strategy for the coming session, Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee has held a series of meetings with all political parties over the past few days to seek their cooperation for the coming session.Today, Mr Chatterjee held a luncheon meeting with the UPA allies, minus the Congress, and followed it up with a dinner meeting with parties supporting the UPA from outside like the Left, Samajwadi Party and the BSP. He has already met Congress and NDA leaders. |
|
CBI to take signatures
of Monica Bedi
Hyderabad, November 21 The CBI team had filed a memo on Saturday seeking permission to take Monica’s specimen signature in the presence of the Judge to compare it with her signatures on the passport application form and the passport she secured from the Hyderabad Regional Passport Office. This was objected to by the defence lawyers who were given time till today to file a counter. The court then allowed the defence counsel to talk to Monica in the prison before today, while refusing permission to talk to her in the court. Finally, today the defence counsel agreed to the CBI taking her signatures. The Special Judge directed the CBI team to take the specimen signatures of Monica when she will be produced again before the Court on November 25, when her judicial custody ends. Meanwhile, Monica Bedi will file her bail petition tomorrow. Monica’s counsel G. Babu Rao today told mediapersons that they would be filing their client’s bail petition tomorrow morning. He said the filing of bail petition was delayed due to her being in police custody. “Tomorrow in the morning hours, we would be filing the bail petition,” he said. Meanwhile, a police team from Bhopal arrived in Hyderabad to take Monica Bedi into custody in another passport forgery case.
Monica is listed as the wife of gangster
Salem’s friend Mohammed Usman Khan in this fake passport case. — UNI |
|
Houses torched in community clash
Parlakhemundi (Orissa), November 21 The clash, which occurred yesterday, was a sequel to simmering discontent between two communities in the village, the police said. Superintendent of Police A.N. Sinha said two cases had been registered and four persons detained in connection with the incident. Sinha, who visited the village after the clash, said the damaged houses belonged to both communities. Efforts were on to constitute a peace committee in the area to restore normalcy by officials including the Sub-collector, DSP, the local Block Development Officer and others. District Collector B.B. Mohanty also went to the area to take stock of the situation after the clash which followed in the wake of the alleged assault of a tractor driver about 10 days ago by some youths belonging to one community after water splashed on one of their friends as the vehicle was passing by. In retaliation, a youth was reportedly assaulted yesterday which led to the clash between the two groups. The situation in the village was tense but under control, the officials said. Four sections of the armed police were deployed and the authorities maintaining a strict vigil on the situation.
—PTI |
|
Three BSF jawans killed in Tripura
Agartala, November 21 BSF jawans were patrolling along the Indo-Bangla international border to provide protection to workers of a construction company engaged in the border fencing work. The ultras fired at them at around 8.30 a.m., Additional Director General (operations) S.K. Sud told PTI. While three jawans were killed on the spot, eight persons were wounded in the firing by ultras who used automatic weapons, he said. A civilian, critically injured in the ambush, succumbed to injuries on way to hospital. Three jawans and three civilians were among the injured. The insurgents looted three automatic weapons including a motor launcher from the site where the fencing was being done by NBCC. The ultras might have sneaked into the Chittagong hill tract of Bangladesh because the site of ambush is just 400 metre away from the border, the official said. —PTI
|
|
Followers fear release of Ambedkar’s love letters
Nagpur, November 21 Reacting sharply to reports in a section of the media here, Mr Gavai said he would soon meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and other senior leaders and demand an immediate ban on the book, authored by Prof Arun Kamble, a Marathi professor from Bombay University. He said if the book containing the love letters by the British lady was published, it would hurt the sentiments of lakhs of followers of Dr Ambedkar and create law and order problems in the country. According to a report, the book, under publication, is a collection of love letters written to Dr Ambedkar by Francis, who was a typist in Britain’s House of Commons and also worked in India House in London. The correspondence spans over 20 years — from 1922 to 1943. The report said Prof Kamble had claimed that the letters were ‘’authentic’’ and were given to him by Dr Ambedkar’s librarian S.S. Rege. Meanwhile, Dr Ambedkar’s grandson and former MP Prakash Ambedkar has also lodged a complaint with Delhi police to prevent the publication of the letters. — UNI
|
|
Schedule of Samjhota, Attari Express revised
New Delhi, November 21 While the days of run of 4001 Attari Special from Delhi Junction to Attari remained the same — on Sunday and Wednesday. 4001 (Delhi-Attari) would depart from Delhi at 2100 hrs to reach Attari at 0440 hrs the next day. Its onward link the 4607 Samjhota Express from Attari to Lahore would depart as per existing schedule — at 1330 hrs on Monday and Thursday. In the return direction, the 4608 Samjhota Express from Lahore to Attari would run on Monday and Thursday instead of Tuesday and Friday, to reach Attari at 1230 hrs. Its onward service, the 4002 Attari-Delhi Special would depart from Attari at 2005 hrs the same day — Monday and Thursday to arrive at Delhi Junction at 0335 hrs the next morning. Meanwhile, in order to clear the extra rush of passengers the Railways had decided to run a special train between Mumbai (Central) and Hazrat Nizamuddin (Delhi). — UNI
|
|
New Delhi, November 21 The National Human Rights Commission had in June this year issued notice to the Inspector General of Prisons and Assam Chief Secretary about their status. The IG (Prisons) communicated that prisoners Machang Lalung, Sonamoni Deb and Khalilur Rehman have been handed over to their relatives, the NHRC said in a statement here today. The brothers of another woman prisoner have also expressed willingness to take her back once the sentence is completed. Lalung had been admitted to the LGB Regional Institute of Mental Health in Tezpur in April, 1951, when he was 23. Though he was declared fit for trial in 1967, the authorities took no note and he continued to remain an undertrial till he was released in July this year at the age of 77. Rehman was admitted as an undertrial in 1969 even though his conviction on charges of murder had been set aside by the High Court a year earlier as he was mentally unfit. He was handed over to his sister on June 24. After spending 32 years as an undertrial, though he was held not guilty because of his mental problem, Deb was released on June 30, the NHRC statement said. Parbati Mallik, who was charged with murdering her mother, was brought to the mental institute in 1977 but her case was fixed for hearing only after the NHRC’s intervention. — PTI
|
|
Tarannum walks out of jail, into Bollywood
Mumbai, November 21 Producer Nitin Manmohan told reporters here yesterday that a film featuring Tarannum would begin to roll in the coming days. His office has got in touch with her and the project would be announced soon, Manmohan said. So far no details are available except for the fact that a well known director is being shortlisted. Tarannum was arrested by the Mumbai police after the Income Tax Department detected assets worth crores of rupees in her possession. Subsequent investigation revealed that prominent Bollywood personalities, including a well-known Sri Lankan cricketer, allegedly visited the dance bar where Tarannum Khan worked. |
|
British award for PAU economist
New Delhi, November 21 She is being awarded the prize for her paper “India’s Livestock Sector: Potential for Exports” and “Crop Livestock Systems in Indian Punjab: An Economic Analysis.” Over 550 scientists from 45 countries attended an international conference where the PAU scientist was honoured. Prof John MacRae, president of the British Society of Animal Sciences, lauding the economist’s contributions, said: “The committee of judges was impressed by the highest standards of presentation by Dr Poonam Kataria at this international conference among all presenters.”
|
|
Suhasini faces 3 cases for backing Khushboo
Coimbatore, November 21 The cases, under eight different sections, were filed in the first, fifth and sixth Judicial Magistrate Courts this afternoon by some PMK functionaries. Two cases would come up for hearing on November 30 and the third at a later date, police said.
— PTI |
|
Mumbai, November 21 The joint venture company will be named NLC Tamil Nadu Power Ltd, NLC said today. The project would be funded through equity and loans. NLC would hold 89 per cent in the company and the rest would be with the TNEB. — PTI
|
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Mailbag | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
Videos
