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Pressure mounts on Justice Dinakaran
Punishing 26/11 plotters in Indo-US interest: Envoy
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Batla Encounter
IAF gets new airstrip near China border
HC issues warrants against ‘busy’ officer
Allahabad HC orders seizure of absconding husband’s assets
CoBRA officer killed in encounter
Ex-MP’s supporters stone Cong office
Mamata hints at CBI probe into job scam
Alienation of upper castes erodes
JD(U) base
Fresh trouble for Maya
Statue Row
Navy inducts stealth destroyer INS Kochi
Car bomb in Manipur Raj Bhawan triggers panic
No permanent commission for women in Army
48 kg of heroin seized in Jaisalmer
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Pressure mounts on Justice Dinakaran
New Delhi, September 18 Simultaneously, the five-member SC collegium headed by Chief Justice KG Balakrishnan held an informal meeting and is believed to have discussed the explanation given by Justice Dinakaran, who has denied the allegations.
The delegation, comprising senior advocates Shanti Bhushan, Anil Divan and Kamini Jaiswal, all members of the Committee on Judicial Accountability, also urged Moily to hold back the appointment of Justice Dinakaran till the outcome of the inquiry. “The probe could be conducted by retired SC Judge N Santosh Hegde, at present Lok Ayukt of Karnataka, as he was a “man of high repute.” He could find out whether the charges against the Karnataka CJ were right or wrong,” Divan told reporters after the half-an-hour meeting with Moily. He, however, clarified the inquiry was not to find out whether the Judge in question was “corrupt as this is never proved. Constitutional authorities have to satisfy themselves whether the candidate has integrity.” Alternatively, the SC collegium, which had recommended Justice Dinakaran for elevation, could seek the views of SC Judges Markandey Katju and AK Ganguly, who were CJs of Madras HC when the Judge in question was a Judge there, he said. The Committee on Judicial Accountability had earlier written separate letters to President Pratibha Devisingh Patil, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the CJI on the issue. The CJI had summoned Justice Dinakaran to Delhi last week and taken his response to the allegations. Divan said reverting to the pre-collegium system, which had a role for the executive also in the appointment of Judges, would be “equally bad”. “We have to devise a new mechanism, which involves Constitutional amendment. It could be on the lines of the Judicial Appointments Commission of Britain which had more than 15 members,” he said. Asked whether it was proper for the collegium to review its recommendation, the delegation said this was necessary as the doubt about his integrity had cropped up after the proposal was forwarded to the government. The committee had raised the issue as any dip in the image of the SC and HCs also adversely affected advocates’ reputation which was “even worse”, he said. Besides the CJI, the SC collegium consists of Justices BN Agarwal, SH Kapadia, Tarun Chatterjee and Altamas Kabir.
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Punishing 26/11 plotters in Indo-US interest: Envoy
New Delhi, September 18 “Swift and lengthy punishment for six suspects of Mumbai attacks in Pakistan is important for the US and India," Roemer told reporters outside the North Block after a meeting with Home Minister P
Chidambaram. He also called on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh this afternoon to discuss the latter’s planned visits to the US.
“Going after Hafiz Saeed and dismantling terror infrastructure in that region is extremely important for both the US and India," the envoy said. A day after Pakistan registered cases against Hafiz Saeed for allegedly inciting people to wage ‘jehad’, Roemer said: “It is extremely important that these perpetrators be brought to justice and put behind bars, and receive sentences commensurate with their crimes against India, US and the world.” A US Embassy statement said Ambassador Roemer reviewed with Chidambaram the important next steps, which India and the US would be pursuing following Chidambaram’s recent visit to the US. In his meeting with the PM, there were discussions on a broad range of bilateral and global issues. Roemer conveyed to the PM President Obama’s warm greetings and anticipation at seeing Manmohan Singh in Pittsburgh for the G-20 Summit later this month and for his official state visit in November. “The upcoming official state visit, the first by a foreign leader during the Obama administration, is a testament to the vital importance of the US-India strategic partnership in addressing global challenges,” the US envoy said. Meanwhile, Indian officials said the filing of FIRs against Hafiz Saeed by Pakistan appeared to be aimed at creating a positive atmosphere ahead of a meeting between the foreign secretaries of India and Pakistan in New York next week on the margins of the UN General Assembly. “We will have to see if the action against Hafiz Saeed is irreversible or once again a cosmetic step taken on the eve of crucial meetings between the foreign secretaries and the foreign ministers,’’ they added. The officials, however, noted that the action against Saeed was not in the context of his role in the Mumbai attacks but for raising charity and inciting people to wage ‘jehad’.
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Batla Encounter
New Delhi, September 18 The petition filed by an NGO ‘Act Now For Harmony and Democracy’ submitted that the HC has erred in accepting the findings of NHRC which had refuted the allegation that it was a fake encounter. It pleaded that the High Court did not go into the merit of the case and only relied on the finding of the Commission’s report on the ground that it is a statutory body whose report cannot be questioned. — PTI
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IAF gets new airstrip near China border
New Delhi, September 18 This is the third such airstrip that has been activated in the past 15 months along the LAC in Ladakh. This morning an AN-32 aircraft landed at Nyoma, where an advanced landing ground (ALG) has been readied for faster deployment of troops and moving supplies to troops based at forward posts. The landing strip is 23-km inside Indian Territory and is at an altitude of 13,300 feet. An ALG means, where the landing strip comprises hard compacted earth but is not paved with concrete. Earlier in May last year, the IAF had activated Daulat-Beg-Oldie (DBO), the highest airfield in the world situated at an altitude of 16,200 feet. The DBO has been located right at the base of the Karokaram range in the northern Ladakh. Later in November last year, the IAF operationalised the ALG at Fukche. Both the ALG’s can take AN-32 aircraft. Though operational commanders believe that there has been no substitute to building all weather roads along the Sino-Indian border, the ALG’s would be helpful in evacuation, rotation of troops besides supplies. This morning group Captain SC Chafekar touched down at the airstrip. The plane had been carrying the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Air Command (WAC), NAK Browne and General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Northern Command Lieutenant General PC Bharadwaj, spokesperson for the WAC Flight Lieut Priya Joshi said.
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HC issues warrants against ‘busy’ officer
Chandigarh, September 18 Rejecting the exemption plea of the Controller of Defence Accounts (CDA), Meerut, the Punjab And Haryana High Court has issued warrants against him and directed SSP, Meerut, to ensure the officer’s presence on the next date of hearing. Pronouncing the orders in an open court today, the Bench also ruled that the SSP should appear before the court at the next date of hearing in case he fails to comply the HC’s orders. The 75-year old veteran, HS Lamba, has been waging a legal battle to get his reservist pension sanctioned. In separate cases disposed-off earlier, the HC had ruled that depending upon their service profile, some reservists were entitled to pension. The CDA, in his exemption application put up before the court had contended that he was busy with the visit of the Controller General of Defence Accounts to Meerut on September 15. He had also claimed that he was holding the charge of two establishments and hence be exempted because of the heavy workload. The court, however, did not accept the grounds on which the exemptions were sought. The CDA had also missed out on attending earlier hearings also. In a separate case concerning contempt of court, the high court today ordered the present defence secretary to appear before it on October 9. The petitioner, Lt Col Surjit Singh, had been granted pension by the HC after a long legal battle, but the orders had not been implemented by the authorities.
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Allahabad HC orders seizure of absconding husband’s assets
Lucknow, September 18 The court, which did not consider an appeal filed by the husband’s counsel yesterday to defer the attachment of his property, has asked the absconding husband to appear on October 6 when the case next comes up for hearing. A division bench of justices Abdul Mateen and Ashwani Kumar Singh of the high court’s Lucknow bench, which had taken a serious view of the matter, directed the Lucknow chief judicial magistrate to seize the property located in Sadar of one Aslam whose wife Sayeda had filed a case against him in the ‘mahila thana’ for demanding dowry. They also asked for notices to be issued to the Indian embassy in Saudi Arabia as well as the Saudi embassy in India to trace the whereabouts of Aslam who had reportedly left for Jeddah. The court also directed the investigating officer of the Hazratganj ‘mahila thana’, where the original FIR had been filed, to get details of the absconding husband’s passport and visa at the next date on October 6. Reacting to the series of measures suggested in the order Aslam’s counsel yesterday told the division bench that his client’s passport was being investigated in Saudi Arabia and he might not be able to return to India. He, however, admitted before the court his client had become a “victim of wrong advice”. In August Aslam had appeared in person before the court in a dowry case in which a nonbailable warrant was to be issued against him. Nine members of his family had already been arrested and released on bail. Aslam declared before the court he had “no grudge” against his wife and was prepared to live with her. The court had later issued a notice to his wife so that the matter could be sorted out amicably, and also asked him to deposit Rs 15,000 as surety so that his nonbailable warrant could be stalled. On the next date (September 8) Sayeda appeared and agreed to patch up with her estranged husband. Neither Aslam nor his counsel was present in court that day, forcing it to reconsider ordering a nonbailable warrant against the former. However, Sayeda’s lawyer, Siddharth Sinha, requested the court to defer the issue of the warrant, as it would not be conducive for arriving at a settlement. Responding to the wife’s request the court asked the CJM to issue a bailable warrant and ask Aslam to appear before the division bench on September 14.
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CoBRA officer killed in encounter
New Delhi, September 18 An assistant commandant of the Anti-Naxal Force Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) was killed.
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Ex-MP’s supporters stone Cong office
Mumbai, September 18 Athavale, who failed to re-enter the Lok Sabha earlier this year, had ignored a notice to vacate the residential accommodation (in Delhi), which is offered to sitting MPs. After reports from the national capital that Athavale's belongings were thrown out by the evicting authorities, scores of RPI activists descended at the Congress party offices located in South Mumbai. The RPI has its office a few kilometres away from the Congress office, which was inaugurated by party chief Sonia Gandhi only this week. The protesters shouted slogans against Gandhi for the eviction order. Athavale, who is busy trying to put up a third front for next month's Assembly elections, alleged that he had been targeted since he was a Dalit.
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Mamata hints at CBI probe into job scam
New Delhi, September 18 Although saying that the inquiry was not against Lalu and that she respected him, the Railway Minister when specifically asked about the issue, replied, if necessary, allegations of irregularities in Railway Recruitment Boards (RRB) and Railway Recruitment Committees would be referred to an outside agency. There were reports that the Railway Minister has ordered a CBI inquiry into the allegations of irregularities in recruitment during Lalu's tenure. The step, apparently would be taken as a result of MPs belonging to Lalu's rival party JD-U alleging that people sold their land to the former railway minister's relatives in exchange for railway jobs and contracts. The Union Minister said irregularities in recruitment have also come in from North-Eastern and South-Eastern railways.
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Alienation of upper castes erodes
JD(U) base
Patna, September 18 Both parties were virtually written off by almost all political pundits after their dismal performance in the general elections held barely four months ago. Lalu Prasad Yadav’s RJD was reduced to just four seats while Paswan’s LJP drew a blank. Considering the former to be a sinking ship many Lalu supporters jumped on to Nitish Kumar’s bandwagon and there were also quite a few desertions from the LJP. The question that is now on everyone’s mind is what made them stage a sudden comeback in the bypolls. Other than the perseverance of both Lalu and Paswan, Nitish’s overconfidence and what was also perceived even by his own partymen as his ‘arrogant and dictatorial’ attitude appears to be one of the key factors for the rout of the ruling combine. The polls have been dubbed as the ‘semi finals’ ahead of the assembly elections in the state scheduled in October next year. Perhaps, Nitish’s JD(U) and his ally, the BJP, were still riding riding on the back of their splendid performance during the last Lok Sabha polls, winning 32 out of the 40 seats. Why else would they have taken their opponents so lightly? Nitish remained so busy with his “social engineering to carve a new vote bank for him among the extremely ‘backward castes’ and the deprived lot of ‘dalits’, whom he called ‘mahadalits,’ that he did not realise his tested and trusted support base among the upper caste was fast eroding. The ‘upper castes’ who backed Nitish and were staunch opponents of Lalu were gradually alienated by some of the chief minister’s actions, including his ‘social engineering’. His overenthusiasm to set up the Bandopadhyay commission on land reforms on the pattern of West Bengal further antagonised landowners. On his part the Bihar chief minister failed to allay their fears. By denying a party ticket to members of the Brahmin community during the last general elections and humiliating leaders like Jagannath Mishra, a former CM and the seniormost Brahmin leader in the JD(U), Nitish forced the community to look to other parties for its political survival. Over the course of time the Bhumihars, once his most militant supporters, also became disenchanted with him due to his dictatorial style of functioning. The Rajputs were also sore with Nitish for not being given the importance they deserved in politics. The anti-Lalu ‘upper caste’ voters had fallen back on Nitish as the Congress in Bihar had become a second fiddle to the RJD. But after the Congress party broke its ties with both Lalu and Paswan and began pursuing an independent path in politics, the ‘upper caste’ voters found an alternative anti-Lalu platform. No wonder, a majority of ‘upper caste’ members voted for the Congress in the bypolls ensuring the party’s victory in two constituencies. Though the fact that ‘upper caste’ voters gradually drifted from the NDA to the Congress could not have ensured a major victory for the latter, it certainly caused a major setback for the NDA and its leader.
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Fresh trouble for Maya
Lucknow, September 18 A division bench comprising Justice Pradeep Kant and Justice Shabibul Hasnain issued the notices, while admitting a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking reopening of the case against Mayawati and Naseemuddin Siddique, who had earlier been exonerated by the CBI court in the Taj Corridor case. On the PILs filed by Anupma Singh, Kamlesh Verma and others, the court observed that prima facie there appeared to be a case that needed to be examined. The matter will to come up for hearing in November. In September 2003, the Supreme Court had directed the CBI to investigate the case in which Mayawati had been accused of siphoning funds. The CBI had even filed an FIR against Mayawati under Section 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act and sought the permission of the then Governor TV Rajeswar to prosecute her. But on June 3, 2007, barely a fortnight after Mayawati returned to power after a landslide victory, the Governor rejected the CBI’s request. Subsequently, on June 5, the CBI court dropped the charges against the two. The Taj Corridor project was aimed at upgrading tourist facilities near the Taj Mahal. The total estimated cost of the project was Rs 175 crore, of which only the first installment of Rs 17 crore had been released. Meanwhile, in a press release, BSP leader Satish Mishra maintained that earlier too three petitions of similar nature had come up in the apex court and had been quashed. To seek reopening of the cases in a High Court, when it had been refused in the apex court, was against established procedure of law and would be immediately challenged, he added.
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Statue Row
Tribune News Service Party spokesman Manish Tewari said, “The party would like to unequivocally condemn the statement of the UP Chief Minister where she has openly called for a possible civil war and ensure that anarchy prevails”. He also said such statements mock the constitution and challenges the Supreme Court, adding that “These statements clearly betray the lack of confidence and faith the CM has for democracy and rule of law”. Mayawati, he said, had used a language that was tantamount to the contempt of court. “I am sure, Supreme Court will take due notice”. Mayawati on Thursday had warned that if the monuments and memorial sites dedicated to the BSP icons were demolished, a serious law and order situation would arise in the country. The SC had earlier this month ordered a halt to construction of statues dedicated to Mayawati, her mentor Kanshi Ram and the party symbol across Uttar Pradesh capital Lucknow and other places.
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Navy inducts stealth destroyer INS Kochi
Mumbai, September 18 Launching INS Kochi, the Project 15-A Kolkata Class stealth destroyer built by the Mazgaon Docks Ltd here today, Admiral Verma stressed the need for putting in place a warship building programme. “The Navy is poised for growth and the time has come to conceptualise an indigenous warship building system. A serious relook at the inefficiencies of the Navy is also required,” Verma said. The Naval Chief conceded that the Navy was forced to look abroad for its requirements of warships. However, he said, it was necessary to acquire warship building in the country. INS Kochi was formally launched by Admiral Verma’s wife Madulika Verma. It will formally join the naval fleet in 2011. INS Kolkata, the first vessel, will be inducted next year. The third vessel of its class is likely to be launched in 2012. According to the project details, all three vessels will have land attack capabilities as well. Each of the Project 15-A Kolkata Class destroyer is expected to cost about Rs 3,800 crore. These ships will be fitted with the state-of-the-art weapon systems, including the Brahmos missile, the Barak-2 surface-to-air missiles with a range of 70 km.
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Car bomb in Manipur Raj Bhawan triggers panic
Guwahati, September 18 According to information provided by Imphal West district police, a powerful improvised explosive device (IED) fitted with a timer was detected along with a large number of detonators stuffed in a Maruti 800 car that was parked inside the premises of the Raj Bhawan. Police informed that the car was immediately taken out of the campus and taken to Pangei firing range and explosives experts were called to defuse the bomb. The police are looking for the driver and owner of the car (bearing registration number MN01W5048). No one has been arrested so far even as the police has cordoned off the area in and around the Raj Bhawan. As the presence of a car laden with explosives inside the Raj Bhawan amounts to a definite security lapse, the state police has initiated an internal investigation into the incident which might be a desperate attempt by insurgents to strike terror in the troubled state. “It is most likely a handiwork of some militant outfit. We have ordered a probe into the incident,” IGP (law and order) Karnajit Singh said. When contacted over phone, a Raj Bhawan official confirmed that the car was parked not far away from the Raj Bhawan office. The Governor Gurbachan Jagat was in station when the explosives were detected by the police. Explosives-laden Maruti cars were used to trigger the most devastating serial blasts in Assam last year that left over 80 persons dead and more than 400 injured.
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No permanent commission for women in Army
New Delhi, September 18 It also rejected the officers’ plea that in case their demand for permanent commission was declined, they should be entitled to pension, the senior law officer said. The SG further submitted the government’s new policy for granting permanent commission for women officers was still under its consideration. Whether the policy would be implemented or not from this year was still not clear, he submitted. In the earlier hearing, the Bench had asked the government to consider the serving women officers’ plea and said: “At least the cases of women officers, who retired and who have come to the court, should be considered for permanent commission”. A total of 17 women army officers, now serving, had moved a petition demanding equal service rights at par with their male counterparts. Although the Centre took a policy decision to do so following the High Court’s November 2008 order, it had said the policy would be applicable only to those who join the service from the year 2009, but not those who had joined before that. Counsel for the officers Rekha Palli told the court that there were 1,400 vacant posts in various departments of the Army, but the government refused to accommodate the women officers. —PTI
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48 kg of heroin seized in Jaisalmer
Jaipur, September 18 Additional Director General (SOG) Kapil Garg said they made the recovery following a tip-off that the contraband, valued at over Rs 48 crore, had been smuggled into the border district by Yaru Khan, a local resident. Garg said accused Yaru had brought 58 kg of heroin from Pakistan three months ago and had concealed it in his backyard. But the remaining consignment was yet to be seized.
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US Ambassador to India Timothy Roemer today strongly backed India’s demand that Pakistan must act against Jamaat-ud-Dawa
(JuD) chief Hafeez Saeed, the key plotter of the 26/11 Mumbai terror
attacks
In a fresh trouble for the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati, the Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court today sent notices to her and her senior most Cabinet minister Naseemuddin Siddiqui in the controversial Taj Corridor case. However, the BSP national general secretary Satish Mishra declared that today’s order would be challenged in the Supreme Court.
Mumbai, September 18
