Mumbai, December 13
Investigating agencies are recording the confessions of Ajmal Amir Ali Iman, alias Ajmal Kasab, the only terrorist from the group which attacked Mumbai last month to be caught alive, in camera to bolster the case against Pakistan before the international community.

According to sources, Kasab’s confessions are being recorded continuously and even the proceedings of the narco-analysis or lie detector tests would also be videoed.

The recordings of Kasab’s confessions are being examined by the national security agencies to corroborate information they have on Pakistan’s role in carrying out terrorist strikes in India.

Mumbai’s Additional Police Commissioner Rakesh Maria told reporters that Kasab had provided detailed information on the terror apparatus of the Lashkar-e-Toiba. The terrorist had also told the police about how the 10 attackers left Karachi days before the assault in Mumbai and arrived in the city on board a hijacked fishing trawler, thus leading to subsequent events.

Central agencies, besides the foreign ministry will take a call on

how to make use of Kasab’s recorded confessions. Reports here say a copy may be given to Interpol, which has already issued red-corner notices against a number of wanted terrorists holed up in Pakistan.

Meanwhile, Kasab has written to the Pakistan High Commission seeking legal help, but the neighbour continued to be in a denial mode.

Kasab’s letter has been forwarded by the Mumbai Police to the external affairs and Union home ministries for necessary action, Rakesh Maria said.

He said Kasab had also asked the Pakistan High Commission to take the custody of the body of fellow terrorist Ismail Khan, who was killed in an encounter in south Mumbai the same night.

Meanwhile, the Mumbai Police has taken the custody of two more operatives of the LeT, Fahim Ansari and Mohammad Sabauddin, from the Uttar Pradesh Police. Fahim Ansari was wanted for allegedly carrying out a terror attack at the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore two years ago.

He was caught earlier this year. Prior to his arrest, Fahim had come to Mumbai and staked out important targets like the Taj and Oberoi hotels, which were attacked last month.

Fahim had also recced the Bombay Stock Exchange, but the attackers dropped plans to hit the building since it is empty at night.

Sabauddin is also suspected to have visited Mumbai and helped organise logistics for the terrorists, the police says.

Mumbai, December 13
Hotel Taj Mahal Palace and Tower, which came under terrorist attacks last month, today said it would reopen the rooms in the Taj Mahal Tower on December 21.

The hotel will reopen at 7 pm on Sunday, December 21, according to a statement from the Indian Hotels Company.

Ten terrorists on November 26 attacked Mumbai and fired indiscriminately at the guests in the century-old Taj Mahal Palace and Tower.

The hotel’s heritage wing (Palace), which bore the brunt of the damage, however, would take some more time to reopen.

“To reopen the Taj with such speed, but with no loss of attention to details, shows our resolve to commemorate all innocent and brave people who lost their lives during the terror strikes,” Indian hotels MD & CEO Raymond Bickson said. — PTI

New Delhi, December 13
Voicing scepticism over Pakistan acting decisively against terrorists operating from its soil, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee has said such elements have been “let off” in the past after some initial action.

“We shall have to see whether these (actions by Pakistan) are taken to their logical conclusion,” he said, asking Islamabad to ensure that the terror infrastructure is dismantled completely.

Reacting to Islamabad’s demand for evidence of the involvement of the Pakistan-based elements in the Mumbai attacks, Mukherjee said India was ready to do so but not at this juncture when investigations were yet to be concluded.

“We can make available whatever evidences we have. In this case, we are also investigating, we have not come to any conclusion. Therefore at this juncture, perhaps, it would be premature to share the evidences,” Mukherjee told Karan Thapar on Devil’s Advocate programme on CNN-IBN.

He refused to comment on the current crackdown on terror groups in Pakistan, while noting that similar actions took place in the aftermath of the attack on Parliament in 2001.

“Almost similar actions were taken at the initial stage when the international pressure was mounted. After that it was let off,” he said, adding that he was “waiting to see” that these steps were pursued 
seriously.

“I am waiting to see ...the infrastructure facilities available to terrorists are totally dismantled and the outlawed and banned organisations do not reappear in their new name with the new signboards but with the same old faces.”

Mukherjee said the “non-state actors” Pakistan has been referring to as behind the terror attacks “live and function” within the territory of that country.

“That is why, repeatedly, I said elements from Pakistan. That is a phrase I have used meticulously. I would not like to be more specific unless definitive conclusion is arrived at by the investigating agencies,” he said.

The minister’s comments come amid a crackdown launched by Pakistan against the Jamaat-ud Dawa, the front organisation of Lashkar-e Toiba (LeT) blamed for the Mumbai attacks, after the UN Security Council designated the outfit as a terrorist group.

He told Thapar that India was seeking action against two categories of persons -- those who have committed crime in India and have taken shelter in Pakistan, and Pakistani citizens indulging in terrorist activities in India.

“Some people who have committed crime in India and have taken shelter in Pakistan like Dawood Ibrahim. We are asking the Pakistan authorities to hand him over to Indian authorities so that he can be tried as per Indian laws here. There are persons who are Pakistan citizens, who are indulging in terrorist activities in India. Let them be arrested and tried as per Pakistan law,” Mukherjee said.

The minister said he did not understand the difficulty Pakistan has in handing over Masood Azhar to India. “He was in Indian custody. We had to hand over him to hijackers of the Indian plane in Kandahar. He is available in Pakistan. He is seen on television screens in Pakistan. I do not know what difficulty Pakistan has (in handing him over).”

“Pakistan government did not demand his (Azhar’s) return. Hijackers had demanded that you release him. (If) Pakistan government cannot hand him over to us what is the point in keeping him under house arrest,” Mukherjee asked.

On whether Pakistan has sought consular access to Ajmal Amir Iman, the lone surviving terrorist arrested during the Mumbai attacks, he said India has not received any official request.

“To my knowledge it has not reached me. I do not know whether it has reached to the lower level. I will find it out,” Mukherjee said.

“Are they saying the man is a Pakistani citizen. I do not know. Have they claimed the dead bodies, I do not know,” he said, pointing out that “everything is appearing in the media.”

Asked on how long would India wait, he said, “It depends on how fast, how quickly Pakistan responds or whether they respond at all or not. Therefore, it will not be possible for me to indicate any time frame right now.”

New Delhi, December 13
The Supreme Court yesterday transferred to Delhi a defamation case against Jagdish Tytler in which the Congress leader is facing trial in a Ludhiana court.

A Bench comprising Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan and Justice P. Sathasivam shifted the trial to a Metropolitan Magistrate at the Patiala House Courts here on a petition filed by Tytler. The Congress leader had pleaded that he was facing threat to his life in Punjab and as such he was not in a position to appear in the trial court there.

The court, however, said it would take up at a later date an application filed by H.S. Phoolka, the complainant in the defamation case, seeking action against Tytler for trying to mislead the Bench through a false affidavit.

Tytler had filed an affidavit stating there was a demonstration against him outside the Ludhiana trial court on the day of the hearing, because of which his lawyer could not attend the proceedings. Further, the case against him was not mentioned in the court’s list for that day. In this vitiated atmosphere, he contended through his counsel Mukul Rohtagi, he could not expect justice.

Senior advocate Shanti Bhushan, appearing for Phulka, said Tytler had misrepresented the facts in the affidavit to mislead the court. The demonstration had taken place at a place far away from the court complex, he said.

The Bench, however, rejected the plea for the issue of a notice to Tytler on the perjury petition, stating that it would do so only if it was convinced of the need after hearing the arguments. Opposing the plea, Salve said he could satisfy the Bench that his client had not lied to the court on oath.

In the defamation petition, Phulka had alleged that Tytler had given an interview to a television channel stating that the lawyer was putting up false witnesses in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots cases and was also blackmailing him. Tytler had also allegedly threatened Phulka with dire consequences.

Tytler is an accused in the riots case, while Phulka is the counsel for several victims of the mayhem that had followed the assassination of Indira Gandhi.

On November 21, the Supreme Court had stayed the proceedings until further orders after counsel Salve maintained that the trial court had issued bailable warrants against his client despite the fact that he had sought exemption from personal appearance. According to Tytler, Phoolka had deliberately filed the case against him in Punjab.

New Delhi, December 13
The K.C. Deo panel report dealing with the cash-for-votes scam that hit the Lok Sabha on July 22, will be tabled in Parliament on Monday.

The much-awaited report, as expected, will come to the House with two dissenting notes - one from the BJP and the other from the CPM.

Both the parties earlier raised issues about the body of the report and the conclusions of the panel inquiring into allegations of bribery against SP leaders Amar Singh and Reoti Raman Singh and Congressman Ahmad Patel.

CPM’s deputy leader in the Lok Sabha Mohd Salim admitted to his dissent with respect to the report and said despite several meetings of the panel and best efforts, unanimity could not be achieved over important elements concerning the issue. BJP’s deputy leader in the House V.K Malhotra will give the other dissenting note, it is learnt.

The report, it may be recalled, was adopted on October 30, after much dilly-dallying and deliberations. Originally, it was to be submitted to the Lok Sabha Speaker in August, but that could not happen due to long-drawn procedures involving witnesses and transcription of television footage.

The panel ended up seeking four extensions and finally did not manage to arrive on any consensus. The final report, it is learnt, has recommended further investigation in the matter.

V. Kishore Chandra Deo, chairperson of the panel, had earlier given time to members to submit dissenting notes by November 5. Other members of the panel, constituted by the Speaker earlier, are V.K Malhotra (BJP), Mohammad Salim (CPM), Ram Gopal Yadav (SP), Devendra Yadav (RJD), Rajesh Verma (BSP) and C. Kuppusami (DMK).

Sources add that the BSP might also add a dissenting note to the report.

New Delhi, December 13
In another significant judgment here, Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee has rejected the BJP’s petition to disqualify MP Somabhai Patel on grounds of defection.

This is the second case - out of the total 26 involving cross-voting by MPs in the July 22 trust vote - where the Speaker ruled non-service of party whip on the member as a ground for rejection of the disqualification petition against him under the tenth schedule of the Constitution. On October 27, the Speaker had cited the same reason to offer immunity under the said schedule to Telangana Rashtriya Samiti member A. Narendra.

In the case at hand, BJP’s chief whip Santosh Gangwar filed a petition before the Speaker to disqualify the party’s Sundernagar (Gujarat) MP Somabhai Patel on grounds that the latter defied the party whip to vote against Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s trust vote.

Patel, however, argued that he was not in touch with the party as he had been suspended before the July 18 meeting where the party decided to oppose the government’s confidence motion.

In a similar case earlier, BJP’s S.K. Sangliana, also facing defection charges, had been disqualified by the Speaker after the petitioners proved that Sangliana had attended the meeting where the party communicated to MPs its decision with regard to the trust vote.

The same proof was, however, not available in case of Patel, who successfully argued that since he was suspended from the party, he did not attend any party meeting, nor did he receive any whip. Non service of the whip coupled with failure of the BJP to prove that Patel attended the crucial party meet led to the latter’s success in the case.

So far, only two members - whose parties petitioned against them on ground of defection - have successfully argued their cases and retained their membership of the Lok Sabha. These are A. Narendra of the TRS and now Somabhai Patel. Eleven members have been disqualified in similar cases.

Guwahati, December 13
Worried over the fast spread of bird flu in Assam, the Centre has asked the Assam government to complete culling operations within three more days in all nine identified epicentres of the disease in six districts of the state.

Secretary of animal husbandry, dairy and fisheries of the Central government, N. Gokul Ram said today the Assam government would be required to complete the culling of fowls comprehensively in all the nine bird flu affected epicentres in the state by December 16 to prevent the further spread of the dreaded disease.

So far 3.18 lakh birds had been culled in and around five epicentres, while 1.8 lakh eggs and 11,000 kg of feed destroyed.

He said two more affected locations were spotted in North Lakhimpur and Sivasagar districts of Assam and incidence would be confirmed on the receipt of test reports from outside laboratories.

The Centre has also asked the Meghalaya government to carry out culling operations in bordering areas close to Khanapara and Rani in Guwahati where the bird flu has taken a heavy toll on poultry birds.

A.B. Bandopadhyaya, commissioner, animal husbandry, Central government, said porous Bangladesh border could be one of the reasons for the spread of the bird flu in the state.

According to state veterinary commissioner Shyamlal Mewra, the Central government has already released Rs 95 lakh for the payment of compensation to affected poultry farmers whose birds have been culled.

Meanwhile, the Assam government today announced a higher rate of compensation against culled birds. “The state government has decided to pay from its coffer to bring the monetary compensation on a par with the market rates,” informed the government spokesperson and health minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sharma here.

The decision was taken at a high-level meeting chaired by Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi late last night in order to neutralise poultry farmers’ resistance to the culling operations ‘on account of low compensation rate’.

As per the revised rates decision, the farmers will be paid an additional Rs 40 for every culled adult backyard and commercial chicken. Previously, Rs 50 was paid against every adult backyard chicken and Rs 40 for commercial chicken.

In case of adult ducks, another Rs 50 would be paid, besides the Rs 75 already given. The rates for chicks and ducklings as well as eggs would remain unchanged. He said an interest-subsidy package was being worked out to provide relief to those affected farmers who had taken loan to start their poultry farms.

New Delhi, December 13
Chief Justice of India K.G. Balakrishnan is expected to take necessary action only next week on the report of the three-judge committee on the allegations involving two women judges of the Punjab and Haryana High Court -- Justices Nirmal Yadav and Nirmaljit Kaur. According to sources, no clinching evidence was available against either of the judges.

The committee comprising Chief Justices Hemant Laxman Gokhale of the Allahabad High Court and K.S. Radhakrishnan of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court and Delhi High Court judge Madan B. Lokur submitted its report to the CJI yesterday.

Though there is no official word on the findings of the panel, according to legal circles, no clinching evidence was available against either of the judges. The case pertains to allegations that a bribe of Rs 15 lakh meant for Justice Nirmal Yadav was by mistake delivered at the residence of Justice Nirmaljit Kaur.

Justice Nirmaljit Kaur had lodged a police complaint on August 13, stating that senior Haryana law officer Sanjeev Bansal had delivered the cash. The case was subsequently handed over to the CBI, which also examined the two judges with the permission of the CJI. Justice Yadav has been asked to proceed on leave.

Chief Justice Balakrishnan had simultaneously set up the judges’ panel to decide on the future course of action. A similar procedure was followed in the case of Calcutta High Court Judge Soumitra Sen before the government was asked to initiate impeachment proceedings in Parliament for his removal for misconduct in depositing in his personal account the proceeds in a case in which he was the court receiver.

The details of the panel’s report would not be known officially at least till Monday, today and tomorrow being holidays, sources said.

New Delhi, December 13
The plea of investigating agencies on withholding information in an ongoing probe should be entertained only in exceptional cases and as a rule the Right to Information should prevail, chief information commissioner (CIC) Wajahat Habibullah said today.

The CIC said while the Right to Information was a rule, accepting the plea of an investigation agency to withhold information from an RTI application in the interest of an ongoing probe was only an exception.

“The officials of agencies should be asked to furnish valid reason as to how the information sought would impede the probe,” he said, during a working session on ‘Role of Right to Information in promoting rule of law’ at the International Conference of jurists on terrorism, rule of law and human rights here.

He said the public information officers (PIOs) in the states dealing with RTI applications were overloaded and not trained to handle the responsibilities given to them.

“They should know their powers,” Habibullah said, adding that since they do not have direct access to the information sought, they should inform the information commission that the officer concerned has failed to furnish the information on time.

“As per the RTI Act, the concerned officer becomes the deemed PIO and penalty for not providing the information is imposed on him,” he explained.

The CIC appreciated the creation of a special cell in the Army headquarters here to deal with RTI applications. — PTI

BRIEFLY

Maoists kill four
GIRIDIH (JHARKHAND): Four persons have been killed by Maoists in Jharkhand’s Giridih district, a senior police officer said. Armed Maoists kidnapped villagers, Mansur Ansari, Gulam Ansari and Mateen Ansari, from their homes at Haladih-Betiatand village and shot them dead on Friday night. In a similar incident at Gopilo village, Maoists on Friday night abducted Keshav Yadav from his residence and bludgeoned his head with a stone. All bodies were recovered on Saturday morning. — PTI