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Jamia Nagar Encounter
Mulayam softens stand
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Countdown begins for Mission Moon
Court’s duty to separate grain from chaff: SC
Now, unnamed drivers can get insurance
SC okays drinking water project
for Rajasthan
President denounces violence, intolerance
‘Witch hunting’ claims 3 of a family
Seven militants nabbed in Manipur
Man in debt kills four of family
Minor Set Afire
AMU to get 5 more centres
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Arundhati seeks judicial probe
New Delhi, October 19 “I am just one of the thousands of people who are asking some very serious questions from the police...thousands of people are saying a lot of things”, she said. “One (of them) is that once the police has killed people, it ceases to be a neutral party,” Roy told Karan Thapar in the Devil’s Advocate programme of CNN-IBN. She said, “Historically, the world over, police and security forces have done things like that. But I am not saying it is fake. I am saying lets have an enquiry.” On being asked that in doubting the police, she was ignoring the evidence recovered from the scene of the encounter, she said, even in case of these recoveries, there had been a serious procedural lapse. “When the police makes recoveries at the scene of a crime they should have independent witnesses corroborating it...and even the Magistrate is asking for all documents, for the FIRs, for the post-mortem reports, for the case diaries (and they are) not being produced,” she said. Asked as to what she suspects or accuses the police of, the writer said, “Primarily of giving us a story that does not hold together, that insults our intelligence.” Roy said she was not dismissing corroborative evidence such as the clips of vehicles used as bombs at an Ahmedabad hospital, which were found in Atif’s mobile and a laptop recovered from Batla House in which Al Qaida literature was found. Roy said, “I am not dismissing the fact that they may be real terrorists. There are real terrorists (but) who are they, are these boys the real ones? A lot of questions that don’t have answers and lot of strange stories are floating around.” When pointed out that her views would create an impression that she does not trust the police, the acclaimed writer said it was a duty to have serious doubts and as members of a civil society to ask the hard question. She also pointed out to different versions put out by the police in various states regarding the mastermind of the serial blasts in the national capital. On the publication of “confessions” of alleged terrorists by a news weekly, Roy alleged that the phenomenon of media confessions was now becoming a standard operation procedure of the Delhi Police's Special Cell. “Even in the Parliament attack case, the court admonished the police for parading these people before the media and giving these media confessions,” she said Accusing the Indian middle class of shunning its liberal democratic values and permitting the country to become a police state, Roy said they would have to ask themselves a serious question about when to speak up and when to keep quiet. “I think we are into very very dangerous situation now....I am saying with these policies that we are pursuing today, every ordinary Indian citizen’s life is going to be at risk and we will pay very heavily for the consequences of what is going on now,” she said. — PTI
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Mulayam softens stand
Lucknow, October 19 Though refusing to withdraw support from the UPA government even if they don’t accept the SP demand of the judicial probe, Mulayam suggested that the probe would only help the Congress-led government to remove the suspicion from the minds of the people, particularly the Muslims. “Now it is up to the centre to decide whether to remove the confusion of the people or take a political bashing in the coming elections,” he commented. Addressing a press conference here, Mulayam said, the police had organised a fake encounter at Batla House and shot dead two youths in the name of terrorists, who along with other three arrested were taking coaching for their admission in engineering colleges. “There is also some controversy in the killing of the Delhi Police inspector during the encounter,” he said, adding that only a judical probe could find out the real facts. Clarifying his party’s stand to continue its support to the UPA government, he said, “His party was committed to support the centre as decided over the civil nuclear deal.” He criticised the media for terming ‘Azamgarh as the nursery of terrorism’ without any evidence.
— UNI
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Countdown begins for Mission Moon
Bangalore, October 19 The scientists are hoping that the weather on Wednesday remains fine. Met officials have predicted rain, but rain alone will not affect the launch. Cyclone accompanied by lighting, however, will be a problem. If the weather is conducive, the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle
(PSLV) with the lunar spacecraft atop will take off at 6.20 am on October 22. With 11 scientific payloads - consisting of six foreign and five Indian - the 1,380 kg spacecraft has been fitted to the 316-tonne launch vehicle. Scientists and technicians of the Indian Space Research Organisation
(ISRO) and its sister organisations are working round-the-clock for the 52-hour initial countdown. The integrated launch vehicle has been already moved into the launch pad. The telemetry, tracking and command network
(Istrac) of the ISRO in Bangalore will guide the mission on its 18-day voyage to the moon's orbit. The Deep Space Network
(DSN) of the ISRO at Byalalu, about 40 km from here, will establish a channel of communication between the spacecraft and the scientists at the ground over the next two years. The Spacecraft Control Centre
(SSC) at Istrac, DSN and the Space Science Data Centre (ISSDC) will keep watch on the spacecraft’s movement and health, and control the functions of its scientific payloads. The ground facilities will also help process the data from the mission. Istrac’s S-band network stations will support the mission during the launch and early orbit phase, including the earth transfer orbit. The network’s other stations are located at Lucknow and at Port Louis in Mauritius. Depending on the mission requirements, network stations at Biak (Indonesia) and Bears Lake (Russia) will also figure in the
picture. Chandrayaan-I is the first mission of the ISRO beyond the earth’s orbit. It will be followed by
Chandrayaan-II, featuring a rover. India and Russia will jointly participate in the project.
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Court’s duty to separate grain from chaff: SC
New Delhi, October 19 A bench, comprising Justices Arijit Pasayat and Mukundakam Sharma, made the observation while dismissing the appeals of Bur Singh and another convict who had challenged the Punjab and Haryana High Court’s verdict in a murder case. Ruling as “clearly untenable” the appellants’ plea that the maxim “falsusin uno falsus in omnibus” (false in one thing, false in everything) be applied in their case as a co-accused in the case was acquitted on the basis of the same evidence, the court said: “Even if major portion of evidence is found to be deficient, in case residue is sufficient to prove guilt of an accused, notwithstanding acquittal of number of other co-accused persons, his conviction can be maintained.” “It is the duty of court to separate the grain from the chaff. Where the chaff can be separated from the grain, it would be open to the court to convict an accused, notwithstanding the fact that evidence has been found to be deficient to prove guilt of other accused persons,” the court further added. “The doctrine is a dangerous one, especially in India, for if a whole body of the testimony was to be rejected, because a witness was evidently speaking an untruth in some aspect, it is to be feared that administration of criminal justice would come to a dead-stop.” Acknowledging that witnesses just cannot help in giving “embroidery to a story, however true in the main,” the judges said it had, therefore, to be appraised in each case as to what extent the evidence was worthy of acceptance. Merely because in some respects the court considered the same to be insufficient for placing reliance on the testimony of a witness, it would not necessarily follow as a matter of law it must be disregarded in all respects as well. ''The evidence has to be sifted with care. The aforesaid dictum (false in one case….) is not a sound rule for the reason that one hardly comes across a witness whose evidence does not contain a grain of untruth or at any rate exaggeration, embroideries or embellishment.” Observing that the maxim had not received general acceptance or had come to occupy the status of a rule of law, the bench said, “It is merely a rule of caution. All that it amounts to is that in such cases testimony may be disregarded, and not that it must be discarded.” The judgement was written by Justice Pasayat.
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Now, unnamed drivers can get insurance
Mumbai, October 19 As a result, those who were refused compensation under the ‘unnamed drivers’ category between July 1, 2002 and October 2005 (when the error was in operation) can now claim it afresh. Unnamed drivers are those who are not insured personally, not being either owners of the vehicle or paid drivers or employees of the owner. Often such persons are the vehicle owner’s close relatives. IMT 16, a regulation under the Indian Motor Tariff (IMT), to which all vehicle insurance policies have to conform, provides for insurance cover to such persons. When purchasing an insurance policy, the owner of the vehicle can pay an additional premium so that all persons using the vehicle get insured. In 1995, the Tariff Advisory Committee (which frames IMT) decided that those who drive a vehicle, not being its owners/paid drivers, would also be covered under this. However, through a printing error, words “but not driving” crept into the section in July 2002-revised version. A Mumbai-based diamond merchant Prakash Sheth realised this when a personal tragedy struck. In May 2005, Sheth’s nephew died in an accident while driving his father’s car. However, the New India Assurance Company rejected the insurance claim by the victim’s parents as the car was insured in his father’s name.
— PTI
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SC okays drinking water project
for Rajasthan
New Delhi, October 19 The project, which will be implemented by the Public Health and Engineering department in about a year, involves laying of a 160-km pipeline to draw water from the Chambal river. The permission was given by a forest bench headed by Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan and comprising Justices Arijit Pasayat and S.H. Kapadia since a part of the land required for constructing the intake well is located in the Chambal Ghariyal Sanctuary. Of the 2.37 hectare needed for the well, 0.069 hectare is in the sanctuary. The apex court order was based on the recommendations of the Central Empowered Committee (CEC), set by the government at the instance of the court to clear projects involving forest land. Of the 930 inhabited places that would be covered by the project, 926 are villages and four are towns. No felling of trees is involved According to project authorities, the location selected for tapping the riverwater is hydrologically feasible as sufficient flow of water will be available at the downstream of the tapping point. A monitoring committee consisting of the representative of the chief wildlife warden, Rajasthan, and secretary, Public Health Engineering Department, would be set up to ensure that the prescribed minimum flow of water is maintained downstream of the tapping point of the Chambal river.
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President denounces violence, intolerance
Guwahati, October 19 Presenting the Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed Memorial Award for National Integration for the years 2006 and 2007 to noted journalist Shekhar Gupta and in absentia to renowned film personality and social activist Shabana Azmi, respectively, Patil said, “Recent incidents of violence and intolerance in our country go against our cultural ethos and civilisation values. It is deeply distressing that they (perpetrators of violence) have chosen the wrong path and a divisive agenda. Their violence should not divert us from our path of growth neither should it be allowed to divert dilute our basic tolerant character.” Referring to the awardees, the President said both of them belonged to professions, which have a very broad outreach and have capacity to deeply impact the minds of people. “Media in one form or other has today dramatically penetrated into every home. In many ways, the media is shaping our thoughts, aspirations and opinions and this means that the responsibilities and duties of the media are increasing.,” she said. Receiving the award, Shekhar Gupta said, “Journalists don’t do things deliberately. Journalists do all things while trying to report correctly on any issue braving allurement, cynicism and overcoming laziness.” Shabana Azmi who couldn’t attend the award giving ceremony, in an e-mailed message said, “India is a multi-lingual, multi-religious, multi-cultural society and the task of achieving national integration in such a diverse country is truly challenging one.”
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‘Witch hunting’ claims 3 of a family
Guwahati, October 19 According to police sources, two miscreants, identified as Umesh and Shayam
Rajak, hacked to death Ghasi Saotal (51), his wife Kiran Saotal (45) and their minor son Bilu Saotal (10) at their residence at Buragaon village inside Adabari Tea Estate on Friday. Kiran and Bilu died on the spot, while Ghasi died later in the hospital. The police later arrested the culprits from the residence of the village headman. The due confessed to kill the Saotal family suspecting them to had been practising black magic (witch craft) in the area. Father of one of the accused Umesh had died of severe stomach pain recently and the family thought that the death was caused by the ‘black magicians’ - Ghasi Saotal and Kiran
Saotal. The police has registered a case under Sections 448/326/302/34 of the IPC. As per records available with the Assam police, over 200 persons have been killed in the sate in the past seven years for allegedly practicing ‘witch craft’. Out of these, 13 persons were killed in Sonitpur district in the past two years. A project called ‘Prahari’ launched by the Assam police in Kokrajhar district of western Assam paid rich dividends in respect of tackling the malady. IGP Kula Saikia, who was the man behind the project
‘Prahari’, said such brutal murder of innocent people on the allegation of practicing witchcraft projected a bad image of the state outside, besides causing loss of innocent lives. He called for “mutli-agency approach” involving the law-enforcing agencies, policy makers and civil society to deal with the menace effectively. |
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Seven militants nabbed in Manipur
Imphal, October 19 PRO, Assam Rifles, said the AR troops launched operation in Bashikhong here yesterday and nabbed five cadres of People’s Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK) identified as Koijam Pishak, Athokpam Loken Singh, Y. Kiran Singh, Lourembam Rajen Singh and Saibam Ibotombi. One nine mm pistol and four live rounds have been recovered from their possession. In another incident, troops established mobile check post at Langol and Khunbi in Thoubal district and apprehended one cadre of People’s Liberation Army (PLA) identified as M. Dilip Singh, who allegedly acted as guide for armed PLA cadres and provided them information of security forces movement, the PRO added. The Imphal police also nabbed a cadre of Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP) yesterday.
— UNI
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Man in debt kills four of family
Jaipur, October 19 Stressed with the failure in business, the accused killed the four persons, including his parents, father Chhittarmal and mother Chande Devi and two brothers, Suresh and Shubkaran, in Chaaranwas village of Chomu town on September 12. The police stated here today that the accused had been arrested after the chemical examination of the viscera which revealed that the deceased were administered a poisonous injection. Though poison-laced food was found in the house, the examination revealed that the four had only dozed off after partaking the food, as the poison was not strong enough.
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Girl in critical condition; family alleges rape
Tribune News Service
Jaipur, October 19 The condition of the girl, admitted in SMS hospital with 90 per cent burn injuries, was critical, said doctors. The police said the accused seemed to be mentally sick for committing such a crime. The Lal Kothi police has arrested the accused, Salim Aji, grocery merchant in Dhanna Das ki Bagichi colony. The police said the medical examination of the girl had been conducted, but the report was yet to be received.
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AMU to get 5 more centres
Aligarh, October 19 Human resource development minister M.A.A. Fatmi, an alumnus of AMU, while addressing World Summit of AMU Alumni today, said the proposed centres would replicate the AMU model and would be the richest contribution to Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, the founder of AMU, for the outstanding services he has rendered for spreading education among Indians.
— UNI
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Monuments to get facelift Blast near Manipur CM’s house 12 get life term for murder Rlys to redesign pantry car NDF activist arrested 4 killed in house collapse
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New Delhi, October 19
