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Indicted ex-minister sent to jail
Office of profit: Karat writes to Kalam on
Cong managers a worried lot
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Six of Parihar gang killed
Charge against Sadhu Yadav: probe ordered
Bihar businessman in below poverty list
Bangalore to be renamed Bengaluru on Nov 1
Youth blows up self during wedding
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Indicted ex-minister sent to jail
Mumbai, May 13 Sources said, Naik surrendered before the police at the Malabar Hill Police Station at 4:30 am. He was immediately taken to the Thane Central Jail. Naik chose to surrender after the arrest warrants were issued against him and Additional Chief Secretary Ashok Khot. He resigned late Friday night after the apex court rejected his petition to review the one-month jail sentenced imposed on him. Khot, who was sentenced along with Naik, has been suspended from the Indian Administrative Service. His whereabouts were not know as on Saturday afternoon. The Supreme Court on Wednesday sentenced the two to month’s simple imprisonment for contempt of court for illegally giving licenses to six plywood industries to operate
in a forest area in 2004, despite a ban. Both of them were found guilty on the basis of entries made in official files which allowed the saw mills to function in violation of the Supreme Court orders. |
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Office of profit: Karat writes to Kalam on EC action
New Delhi, May 13 Kalam had referred complaints against 43 MPs and over 200 MLAs to the Election Commission for its views on allegations that they were holding office of profit. In a letter to the President, the CPM General Secretary termed the EC’s decision to seek details of office of profit from the complaint as “unjustified” merely on the basis of allegations. Karat said it was a well-established fact that no judicial or quasi-judicial body can seek materials from a party with a view to make out a case of action, where none is disclosed. "It was incumbent on the EC to reject in limine the purported petition/complaint of Trianamool Congress MP Mukul Roy which did not disclose any prima-facie case whatsoever and should have given its opinion to the President that the purported complaint did not disclose even the slightest prima-facie case of which cognisance should be taken," he said. Surprisingly, Karat said, instead of rejecting the petition the EC "gratuitously" sought to give an opportunity to Roy to try and make out a case by inviting him to furnish documents and materials. "We strongly believe that there has been an unwarranted and unjustified exercise of power and authority on the part of the Election Commission of India --unwarranted because it has violated basic norms of jurisprudence, and unjustified because it has transgressed all rules of fair play," he added. Karat said the order passed by the Election Commission "was and is illegal and unconstitutional especially since the EC has chosen to step into the arena of controversy, something that the EC should have eschewed." In such circumstances, he said, the Election Commission should not proceed further and should reject the purported complaint against CPM MPs "as it was made at a time and with an eye on the state elections and was motivated on the face of it for political and not for bonafide purposes”. He said the EC decision to seek more details gives an impression that the poll body "gives credence to the bare allegation that the named MPs do hold offices of profit as alleged." "This impression should not have been created by an unbiased constitutional authority as the Election Commission undoubtedly is," Karat said. The general secretary demanded that the complaint by Mukul Roy should be rejected outright and the EC order be recalled immediately to "help restore confidence and meet with the ends of justice”. Karat urged the President to seriously consider the matter and take suitable action. |
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Cong managers a worried lot
New Delhi, May 13 This would be the first Congress parliamentary party (CPP) meeting which Ms Gandhi will address after her spectacular victory in the Rae Barelli bypoll. Soon after her election result was declared, former Chhatisgarh Chief Minister and 24 Congress MPs had written an open letter to Ms Gandhi urging her to lead the country. Clearly aimed at undermining the authority of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, this exercise proved to be a non-starter after the Congress President publicly expressed her displeasure over it. Although Mr Jogi has said he will not press ahead with this move, party managers are not sure that this demand will not be articulated by other MPs in their enthusiasm to demonstrate their loyalty to Ms Gandhi at Monday’s CPP meeting. The CPP meetings are normally only addressed by the Congress President. But party managers may want to convert it into a celebration of sorts. They had initially planned on inviting the CPP executive committee’s members and others from the floor to address the meeting essentially to congratulate Ms Gandhi. With several MPs already taking the lead and knowing the sycophantic nature of Congress members, there is every possibility that gushing speakers could well beseech the Congress President to reiterate the plea that she take over as Prime Minister. In order to avoid such a potentially embarrassing situation, party managers have already told Mr Jogi that he should refrain from reiterating his demand. Mr Jogi, on his part, has promised not to raise this issue at the upcoming meeting but there is always a possibility that somebody else could do so. Congress managers are now wondering if they should rethink their earlier plan and stick to the original format of the meeting wherein only the Congress president will take the floor. In that case, it is felt, it will turn out to just another routine meeting while the whole purpose was to make it a special occasion, given the circumstances, under which Ms Gandhi had resigned her Lok Sabha seat and returned with a thumping majority.
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Six of Parihar gang killed
Lucknow, May 13 One member of the gang has also been arrested and a police head constable injured during the encounter, that began around 4 pm and is still continuing, UP Director-General of Police Bua Singh said. Informed that some 30 members of the gang had been seen in Johar-ka-Pura village in Bhind district bordering UP and were moving towards the Chambal ravines, teams from four police stations and PAC personnel were rushed to the area. The DGP said there was a heavy exchange of fire and six bodies had so far been recovered from the encounter site while one was captured alive. Seven persons, including a girl recently kidnapped by Parihar and allegedly forced to marry his younger brother, were rescued from the clutches of the gang, he said. A carbine, two double-barrel guns and some other arms, including rifles had been recovered from the gang, the DGP said. Senior police officials of the state had also rushed to the scene to assist in the encounter. Asked whether Parihar was killed in the operation, Mr Singh said that he could not verify it.
— PTI |
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J&K Govt to surrender house in Delhi
New Delhi, May 13 NC’s founder leader Sheikh Abdullah moved to this house from Kodaikanal where he was in detention. He lived at the Kotla Lane House for two years and made himself available for talks with Mrs Gandhi’s government. The talks – between the emissaries of the two leaders – led to an accord between Mrs Gandhi and Sheikh Abdullah. Such was his level of attachment to this house that after his release, when the Indira Gandhi government had banned him for visiting J&K, Sheikh Abdullah lived in this house for seven years. The state government has already sent a communication to the Union Urban Development Ministry asking for allotting 3, South Avenue Lane, the house of J&K Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad here, to the J&K Government in lieu of 5, Kotla Lane. Mr Azad had been occupying 3, South Avenue Lane, since he was a Union Minister in Prime Minister Narasimha Rao’s Cabinet. The Urban Development Ministry has confirmed the state government’s move and plans to demolish the dilapidated building to build a new multi-storied structure. Mr Azad considers 3, South Avenue Lane, to be lucky for him and wants to retain it. The problem is that the state government has had 5, Kotla Lane, for decades and it has been the hub of political activity and crucial talks between the Centre and the state. The crucial Beg-Parthasarthy talks between Sheikh Abdullah’s special envoy Mirza Aaslam Beg and the Centre’s representative Mr G. Parthasarthy, took place for two years in 5, Kotla Lane. The talks paved the way for Sheikh Abdullah joining the national mainstream and becoming the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir in late 70’s. Mirza Beg became the Deputy Chief Minister. The then Prime Minister I.K. Gujral had talked of converting the 5, Kotla Lane house into a Sher-e-Kashmir Memorial. Mr Gujral had even promised rechristening Kotla Lane as Sher-e-Kashmir Sheikh Abdullah Road. The Ghulam Nabi Azad government has conveyed its choice for allotment of 3, South Avenue Lane, so that the Chief Minister does not attract the ire of the Supreme Court. Mr Azad appears to be unaware of the groundswell of support with which the NC is preparing to oppose the state government’s move. The NC may even move the Supreme Court while simultaneously launching a political campaign for maintaining the status quo. The 5, Kotla Lane house controversy comes close on the heels of Jammu and Kashmir government’s controversial decision of leasing out the valley’s hill resorts to corporate houses. The government is planning to lease out over 60 acres of forest land at picturesque Gulmarg to a corporate house in the first phase. |
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Charge against Sadhu Yadav: probe ordered
Patna, May 13 Sources in the vigilance department disclosed that Mr Singh received a threat to his life over the phone on Thursday night. It was learnt that the anonymous caller had threatened Mr Singh with dire consequences if he did not go slow in probing the scam. Mr Singh was reportedly looking into, besides others, the role of Mr Sadhu Yadav in the Rs 17 crore scam which took place in 2004 during the regime of former Chief Minister Rabri Devi. Mr Singh had since reported the matter to his superiors, following which the Chief Minister asked the top brass of the police to look into this issue, which was politically sensitive too. It may be noted that recently the Patna High Court had rejected the anticipatory bail petition of Mr Yadav. Mr Yadav had appplied for the bail after the State Vigilance Bureau had issued a nationwide alert to arrest him after finding sufficient evidence of his involvement into the scam. Few days ago Special Judge to the state vigilance court had asked Mr Yadav to surrender before the court by June 9 and also issued a proclamation notice against him. Eight other co-accused in the flood-relief scam, including former Patna DM Gautan Goswami, are now languishing in jail. |
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Main witness of Jessica murder held for perjury
Kolkata, May 13 His wife Priyaand and father Prabir Munshi, who were accompanying Shayan, were also detained but were soon released after questioning. Shayan, a young model turned actor of the Bollywood, was allegedly leaving the country without prior permission of the court and was arrested under Section 41 of the IPC on the charges of perjury. Soon after his arrest by at the airport’s immigration counter, Shayan was handed over to the Dum Dum police. He was brought to Barrackpore for producing him before the SDJM court. But he was kept in the court lock up for several hours following confusion over his arrest. Shayan’s lawyer Subhas Dutta claimed there was an arrest order against him but still surprisingly he had been detained. He said he contacted the police and the court authorities but they too failed to explain why and at whose order his client had been arrested. Shayan’s wife, Priya, who is also an actor, said she contacted the Delhi Police over phone and was told that they did not issue any arrest order. She claimed her husband had been arrested following some misconception and communication gap between the Delhi Police and the Bengal Police. The SDJM at Barrackpore, Mr Gopal Karmakar, was also not satisfied by the police version of the actor’s arrest. He wanted to see the original documents and the relevant papers of the Delhi court vis-à-vis the Delhi Police regarding the Jessica Lal murder case and the arrest order of Shayan. Accordingly, the SDPO, Mr Subrata Dutta, contacted the Delhi Police but these documents were not easily available. As a result, Shayan had to remain in the lock up for hours together under constraint and confusion. One of the police versions stated Shayan had been arrested under Section 41of the IPC on the charges of perjury. He was also accused of leaving the country without the prior permission of the court, though both his wife and lawyer claimed there was no such case pending against him. But another version said Shayan was arrested not in connection with the Jessica Lal murder case but on some economic offences and the confusion arose over his arrest following communication gaps between the police in Delhi and Bengal. |
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Bihar businessman in below poverty list
Patna, May 13 The list bears the name of Superintendent of Police (CBI) Ram Chandra Choudhry of Kansi Panchayat in Darbhanga district, who is now posted at Ranchi. The CBI officer’s name had been found in all columns of the list with certain serial numbers. Businessman Rajkumar Choudhry of Kansi Panchayat in Darbhanga district has also been identified as a poor person and been included in the BPL list by the administration. His name too figured in more than ten places in the list. Former bureaucrat Ras Bihari Choudhry, who served both in Bihar and Jharkhand, also figures in the list. Names of technocrats also featured in the list. Uttam Lal Bhagat, who is also owner of 50 acres of fertile land, also appeared in the list. Retired postmaster Gangesh Choudhry’s name also appeared in three places of the list. An employee of Union Bank of India Ashok Kumar Choudhry figures at several places in the list. A retired principal also managed to get himself enlisted in the list. — UNI |
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Bangalore to be renamed Bengaluru on Nov 1
Bangalore, May 13 Talking to mediapersons after taking part in a programme held to mark 100 days in office, Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy today said Bangalore would be renamed Bengaluru on November 1 to mark the Suvarna Karnataka (50 years of statehood) celebrations. This was exactly what his predecessor N. Dharam Singh had promised earlier. The then Chief Minister had made an announcement in this regard at Gulbarga five months back, saying he was taking a decision on a recommendation made by Gnanpith awardee and noted Kannada writer U.R. Ananthamurthy. The hope that Brand Bangalore would stay had received a shot in the arm when Mr Kumaraswamy, after taking oath as Chief Minister, claimed that a mere change of name would not help the city in any way. With today’s announcement, it seemed that the way had been paved for the renaming of other cities in the state. Mr N. Dharam Singh had announced that Mysore would be renamed Mysooru, Hubli renamed Huballi, Belgaum renamed Belagaavi, Mangalore renamed Mangalooru, Vijapur renamed Bijapur and Gulbarga renamed Kalburgi. The Chief Minister said Brand Bangalore would not be affected by the change. Bangalore was here to stay as an information technology hub, he said, adding that the government had been advising investors to set up shop in other parts of the state to encourage all-round development. He gave the example of the Fab City project, which he said had been touted by many as an indication that business was going to other cities. He said a sustained effort had created information technology hubs in Mysore and Mangalore, which would be extended to other tier two cities to better manage and regulate information technology growth in the state. |
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Youth blows up self during wedding
Lucknow, May 13 An electrician by profession, physically disabled Netrapal tied crude bombs to his body and connected the circuit to his shoe to be detonated through a switch. The incident occurred at Dhanyoli village in neighbouring Hardoi district at 4 am yesterday just before the marriage rituals of Madhu and Ram Lakhan were completed. According to Madhu’s mother, Netrapal, a resident of a nearby village, had been troubling Madhu for some time. When she did not respond to his overtures, he had threatened to kill her and her entire family. Madhu’s uncle Mewalal also substantiated the charge that Netrapal had made their lives miserable by threatening to kill them and not allow Madhu to get married. According to eyewitnesses, Netrapal came disguised in a sari to gain entry into the marriage function. |
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BJP flays attack
New Delhi, May 13 Addressing a press conference here, he said both leaders would go to Doda on May 15 to attend and address a protest rally. |
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Exhibition opens
New Delhi, May 13 The exhibition also threw light on the trial of teenaged revolutionary Khudiram Bose and other connected cases. |
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New DRDO headquarters
New Delhi, May 13 The 6.5-acre complex is located near the Rashtrapati Bhavan and
the South Block, which houses the Ministry of External Affairs and the Defence Ministry. |
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