New Delhi, May 18
An embarrassed Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit today cleared the file on the mercy petition of Parliament attack case convict Afzal Guru and sent it to the Lieutenant Governor Tejender Khanna’s office, four years after its opinion was sought on the issue by the Centre. Though the approval came after 16 reminders from the Centre, Dikshit is learnt to have backed his hanging.

“File aage chali gayi hai. (The file has been moved for further action),” Sheila Dikshit told reporters here. However, she did not respond to queries on where the file has been sent.

She also declined to share details but official sources later disclosed that she backed the hanging of Afzal, who hails from Sopore in Kashmir, and has written that the government would have to study the law and order implications if he is hanged.

The President of India can decide on the mercy plea only after a recommendation from the Central Government, which is why it had sought the Delhi Government’s opinion since the Parliament attack, which brought India and Pakistan to the brink of war, occurred in the Capital.

Dikshit had yesterday denied receiving any reminder from the Home Ministry on the issue but state home secretary GS Patnaik later admitted receiving the reminder, saying it was routine correspondence and a final call on Guru’s mercy plea would be a political decision.

The Congress Government in Delhi has been sitting over Afzal Guru’s file ever since he mercy petitioned the President four years ago. Many believed the delay was more political than executive as the Central Government was wary of a backlash in Kashmir, where separatist sentiments run high, if Afzal was hanged.

A Delhi court had convicted Guru on December 18, 2002 for his role in the Parliament attack and the High Court upheld the judgment on October 29, 2003. The Supreme Court rejected his appeal on August 4, 2005. A session court then fixed his date of hanging for October 20, 2006. However, Afzal filed a mercy plea with the President and the file had been lying with a dithering Delhi Government for most of the period.

The death sentence of Pakistani terrorist Ajmal Amir Kasab has given a fresh impetus to the demand that the government take a final call on Afzal Guru as soon as possible.

New Delhi, May 18
Home Minister P Chidambaram today said though there was no absolute evidence about the role of Indians in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, there is suspicion about the involvement of some locals.

"Apart from Fahim Ansari and Sahabudin, who were charged in that case, there is no concrete evidence of any Indian or local person. However, there is a suspicion because among the handlers was one person who used Hindi or Urdu, which will only be known by somebody who lives in India," Chidambaram said in an interview to CNN-IBN.

He said an appeal process was still open for prosecution in the case of Fahim Ansari and Sahabudin, who were acquitted by the special trial court in Mumbai for want of evidence.

"This is still the judgment of the trial court which has given them the benefit of doubt. Now the prosecutor believes he has enough evidence against them but the judge said ‘may be but I am giving them the benefit of doubt’," he said, adding that there was still an appeal process.

On the issue of convicts awaiting death sentence, the Home Minister said, “I have re-examined four cases so far and have re-submitted them to the President. I can re-submit the fifth, sixth, seventh. No one, I am afraid, can or should comment on what the President will do. Every convict on death row will be treated alike. To be a convict on death row is a punishment worse than hanging.”

Chidambaram said death sentence should remain in the statute book because the debate whether death sentence was a deterrent or not was not a settled debate.

"The death sentence should be awarded only in the rarest of the rare cases. I totally subscribe to the judgment of the Supreme Court there. We can show mercy only where mercy is deserved and not all cases deserve mercy," he said.

On the caste census, the Home Minister said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had assured to take the matter back to the Cabinet. "I am going by the letter of the PM's statement. I am awaiting the Cabinet decision," he said. — PTI

New Delhi, May 18
Government’s case for regulation of higher education gained currency today with ASSOCHAM predicting a 100 per cent growth in the number of privately run management colleges in the country in two years - from 300 at present to 600 by 2012.

Rapidly declining percentage of GDP spent on higher education is creating opportunity for private players to enter higher education and private management college would rise by 100 per cent by 2012, concludes the ASSOCHAM report to be released shortly by HRD Minister Kapil Sibal.

Titled “Envisaging Future of Indian Higher Education”, the report predicts the growth of private engineering colleges and private medical colleges by 67 and 47 per cent, respectively, by 2012.

“Number of engineering colleges in private and joint venture sector are likely to be about 2000 and number of medical colleges will reach 200 in two years,” ASSOCHAM president Swati Piramal today said.

The report puts existing engineering colleges in India at 1200 as against 150 medical colleges and attributes its conclusions to the fact that factors responsible for growth and demand for private education will be pushed up in future due to twin reasons of demand pull and supply push factors which include inability of public university system to meet the demand of rapidly growing population and the declining trend of public expenditure on higher education.

The demand for professional courses will also rise because of increasing purchasing power for high cost private education, the report states, adding that there had been a 20 per cent rise in the income of middle class people - something that will spur demand.

The conclusions further paint a fine picture of accessibility to higher education, referring to the slowdown in population growth from 2.1 per cent to 1.7 currently. Indian education space could be one of the largest markets in Asia, the report adds pointing to Asian population of over 1.13 billion and the fact that India is planning to spend around 5 per cent of its GDP in next five years on education. 

New Delhi, May 18
All Central Universities and deemed universities will need to have at least one teacher for every 10 students in their postgraduate programmes in science and one for every 25 students at the undergraduate level, as per new University Grants Commission (UGC) regulations.

The regulations prescribe a varied set of required teacher-student ratio for different streams of studies in addition to laying down strictures that a teacher’s workload should not be less than 40 hours a week for 30 working weeks in an academic year. The new rules were adopted on the recommendations of a committee led by Prof JAK Tareen, former UGC member and Puducherry University vice-chancellor.

The committee had said that uniform norms for student-teacher ratio were difficult to arrive at as various factors, including enrollment at different levels and specialisations, determine them. For PG programmes, new regulations make it mandatory for universities to have at least one teacher for every 10 students for science, and media and mass communication studies, and one teacher for every 15 pupils for humanities, social sciences each as well as for commerce and management.

Undergraduate programmes will need to have at least one pedagogy for every 15 students in the media and mass communication departments, while the teacher-student ratio should be 1:30 for social sciences and 1:25 for the science stream.

Norms laid down earlier for teachers' workload require 16 hours of direct teaching for lecturers and senior lecturers and 14 hours for readers and professors. — PTI 

New Delhi, May 18
Laxity and casual approach have been found to be the reason behind the death of a number of tribal Special Police Officers who lost their lives when their civilian bus was blown up by the Naxals in the Dantewada district of Chhattisgarh on Monday.

Highly placed police sources from Chhattisgarh on Tuesday told The Tribune that, while returning from an anti-Naxal mission, these SPOs had completely deviated from the “standard operating procedures.” Many SPOs were reportedly travelling on the rooftop of the ill-fated bus.

The SPOs are mostly local tribals recruited by the police to fight the Maoists and have emerged as the biggest threat to them. The CPI (Maoist) politburo has passed resolutions to “crush” the SPOs.

According to Chhattisgarh Director-General of Police Vishwa Ranjan, about 100 SPOs had gone to Dantewada on May 15 for an anti-Naxal operation. Some of them were returning by the bus. Under the Standard Operation Procedures, security men had been advised not to use civilian vehicles. Although the authorities on Monday evening had put the toll figure at 36, Dantewada’s Superintendent of Police Amresh Mishra told this correspondent that the number of deaths was 31, including 16 SPOs and some policemen, with one SPO succumbing to injuries this morning.

Meanwhile, the police in Chhattisgarh and other Naxal-infested states, were on high alert on Tuesday - the first day of two-day bandh announced by Maoists. The railways are on special alert as the Maoists always target trains and railway property during their bandhs. The railways stepped up vigil across, especially in Bihar and Jharkhand, and cancelled some trains.

The Eastern Central Railways cancelled eight trains and decided to divert six others through safer routes. Regarding yesterday’s incident in Dantewada, sources said the Naxals had issued a warning to private vehicles - “do not carry security forces.” Panic-stricken private bus operators in the Dantewada, Jagdalpur, Naryanpur, Sukma and other areas of the Bastar region refused to take out their vehicles “on government duty” on Tuesday. A private commercial bus ferrying passengers from Dantewada to Sukma was blown up between Gadiras and Bhusaras near Chingavaram village, about 50 km south from the Dantewada district headquarters on Monday, with the Naxals detonating improvised explosive device containing gelatin sticks planted on the metalled road. The bus was targeted after the Naxals got to know that SPOs were on the bus.

Police sources from Dantewada said that some SPOs were travelling in a jeep which was in the front of the bus. But the Naxals had let it pass and targeted the bus to kill more SPOs. A senior police officer from Jagdalpur said that the Naxals had opened fire on the bus after triggering the IED.

Forty seven rifle cartridges were recovered from the spot, indicating that the military wings of the Naxalites were involved in the attack and the rebels wanted to kill the surviving victims. The state police are using tribals by appointing them as SPOs and arming them with weapons to counter Maoists. 

New Delhi, May 18
The BJP has blamed a ‘crippled’ and a ‘hesitant’ UPA for the successive rounds of attacks by Maoists in Dantewada.

Reacting strongly to the latest Maoist act of blowing a bus full of commuters in Dantewada yesterday, Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley referred to Home Minister P. Chidambram’s latest expression of helplessness where he has admitted to working only with a limited mandate and said, “How can the fight against Maoism be crippled by the Cabinet Committee on Security’s inability to give a larger mandate to eliminate Maoism? A limited mandate effectively means that our security apparatus must fight Maoists with one hand tied? The half battle against Maoism can never succeed. A half battle is a losing battle.”

Jaitely said, “It is intriguing that whereas the Opposition is willing to give full support to an effective strategy by the government to eradicate Maoism, it is the Congress and the UPA, which is involved in demoralising the entire security apparatus of this country in this battle.”

Jaitley concluded by asking Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to clarify this and said, “It is the Prime Minister of India who is constitutionally accountable to both Parliament and the people. What is the governmental stand on this issue? Why is the country’s Home Minister feeling crippled in the fight against Maoists? Why is the Cabinet Committee on Security scared to mount a security offensive?”

Meanwhile, the Congress accused the BJP of doublespeak on the Maoist issue and at the same time maintained that there was no differences between the party and the Central Government in tackling the menace. “The BJP is engaging in doublespeak. They are talking in one language here (Delhi) and in another language in Chhattisgarh. The PM and the Home Minister have said they will support the Chhattisgarh government in the fight against the Naxals,” said party spokesman Shakeel Ahmed. 

New Delhi, May 18
Jharkhand Vikas Morcha chief Babulal Marandi today moved the Supreme Court seeking dismissal of the Shibu Soren government in Jharkhand for continuing as the Chief Minister without getting elected to the Assembly.

Marandi, the first Chief Minister of Jharkhand, contended this was a clear violation of the special provision under Article 164 (4) of the Constitution by the JMM chief. Article 164 (4) enabled an un-elected person to become Chief Minister subject to the condition that he/she would get elected to the Assembly within six months.

Marandi’s petition alleged it was the third time that Soren took advantage of the Constitutional provision and had been unable to get himself elected to the House. The Governor should be asked to restrain Soren from functioning as a full-fledged Chief Minister and the Cabinet from taking decisions on policy matters.

Chandigarh, May 18
The Armed Forces Tribunal has upheld the trial and dismissal of a brigadier by a general court martial (GCM) for alleged irregularities in canteen accounts, but has remitted portion of the sentence awarding him nine months imprisonment.

A GCM held at Ferozepur Cantonment had in December 2004, held Brig R.P. Singh guilty of seven out of 13 charges leveled against him and had sentenced him to dismissal from service and nine months imprisonment.

“We are not inclined to interfere with the findings of the GCM which have been duly confirmed. However, coming to the question of sentence, we are of the view that nine months imprisonment will be too harsh and therefore, we modify the sentence to this extent and maintain the order of dismissal awarded by the Court Martial,” the tribunal’s bench comprising Justice A.K. Mathur and Lt Gen M.L. Naidu pronounced today.

Stating that the tribunal had upheld the trial process, the Army’s counsel, Col R Balasubramanian (retd) told The Tribune that the GCM had initially awarded him a severe reprimand and forfeiture of service for 12 years for pension. General Officer Commanding 11 Corps, Jalandhar, the GCM’s convening authority, considered the sentence too lenient and ordered that the GCM reassemble to revise its sentence. Ordering revision, he added, is well within the powers of the convening authority.

In June, 2001 the General Officer Commanding, 2 Corps, Ambala ordered a court of inquiry to ascertain irregularities in the CSD canteen of 35 Infantry Brigade in Delhi, which the petitioner was then commanding. An audit firm had pointed out the irregularities. The COI was finalised in December 2001, which recommended disciplinary action against the petitioner.

The brigadier, on his part, had contended that he was victimised for using to oblige senior officers and fro exposing graft and misdeeds.

Jaipur, May 18
Lokesh Sharma, another suspect detained by the Rajasthan ATS from MP in connection with the 2007 Ajmer Dargah blast, has reportedly revealed that the conspiracy for the blast was hatched during a meeting in Indore.

The ATS is now verifying his statement and it may take along Devendra Gupta, prime accused in the case, and Sharma to Indore for the purpose. Sharma has been remanded to police custody till May 21.

A resident of Indore, Sharma is known for his proximity to Sushil Joshi, a former RSS pracharak and member of the Abhinav Bharat from MP's Mhow district.

Joshi was allegedly killed by SIMI activists two months after the Ajmer blasts. He was reportedly one of the masterminds of the blast and close to Sadhvi Pragya Singh, currently in jail for Malegaon blasts.

Sharma and Joshi were accused of murdering Madhya Pradesh Congress leader Pyar Singh Nemana in August, 2003. Sharma had been arrested and later released on bail.

The ATS has also detained Rajesh Mishra, an industrialist from MP's Dhar district, who is close to Sharma. A joint team of the Rajasthan ATS and the CBI had already interrogated him in October, 2009. Three persons were killed and 30 injured in a blast at Ajmer Sharif Dargah on October 11, 2007.

Jaipur, May 18
The release of two villagers, accused of poisoning two tiger cubs in Ranthambore Tiger Reserve, on bail does not augur well for tiger conservation in the desert state.

A Sawai Madhopur court today ordered the release of Ram Khiladi Gujjar and Mukesh Gujjar, both residents of Tadla Khet village and accused of killing two 17-month-old tiger cubs, after the forest authorities could not file a chargesheet against them within 60 days of their arrest. The duo had poisoned the cubs on the outskirts of Ranthambore Tiger Reserve after the big cats killed their goats. They were arrested on March 8, the day the cubs were found dead. DFO (Core), Ranthambore, RS Shekhawat, said they didn’t file the chargesheet as the third accused, Narsi Gujjar, is still at large.

“We have completed investigation into the case but the third accused is yet to be arrested. We want to file a chargesheet in which names of all accused are included”, he contended.

Wildlife experts opine: “There was no reason for not filing the chargesheet as they had all evidence in the case. A forensic lab report had confirmed a case of poisoning, the carcasses of goats that were used as bait were recovered from the spot, and the shop from where the pesticide was purchased was also identified”, they said.

Guwahati, May 18
The CPM is all set to mobilise the people against the ‘wrong policies’ of the incumbent Congress-led UPA Government that has led to unprecedented rise in prices of essentials, unemployment, plight of farmers, says party general secretary Prakash Karat.

Addressing party workers here this evening, Karat fired a broadside at the ‘UPA Government II’ for being ‘over-enthusiastic’ in serving the interests of capitalists and only 10 per cent (richer section) of the population of the country.

“Futures trading in essential commodities like wheat has not been done away with by the Congress-led government, as it doesn’t want to hamper the interest of big companies and capitalists though it is fully aware that futures trading is mostly responsible for escalating prices of food items,” he said.

The CPM leader said the unabated price rise had greatly reduced the real income and spending capacity of about 90 per cent population in the country, especially poor. In this regard he referred to Argon Sengupta Committee Report, which said 77 per cent people in the country can’t spend more than Rs 20 per day.

Karat accused the UPA government of adopting ‘class policy’ and said, “In the last Budget, the UPA Government imposed Rs 40,000 crore indirect tax on common people while it waived corporate tax to the tune of Rs 80,000 crore.”

“Debt-ridden farmers are committing suicide all over the country after failing to get remunerative prices for their products. Blame it on wrong economic and anti-farmers policy of the UPA Government,” Karat said raising the alarm over the ‘amorphous’ Food Security Bill being pushed by the UPA Government.

He said the attempt to open up health and higher education sectors to foreign players would spell doom for common people of the country as government will have no control over their fee structure as per the draft bill.

“The urgent need of the hour is to launch a widespread intensive agitation against the wrong, anti-people policies of the Congress-led UPA Government by bringing all anti-Congress forces together,” Karat said accusing the Congress of bulldozing its way in absence of a Common Minimum Programme in the incumbent UPA coalition.

Kolkata, May 18
The division bench of Calcutta High Court, comprising justice Bhaskar Bhattachrayya and Prasenjit Mondal today ordered a fresh CBI probe into the alleged killing of the Muslim boy Rizwanur Rahman, a graphic designer, who fell in love with a Hindu businessman’s daughter Priyanka Todi and married her under the Special Marriage Act some time in July, 2007 which the Todi family did not approve of. 

The Todi family had influenced state police and other influential people to break the marriage of their daughter with a Muslim boy. Accordingly, Rizwanur and his family members were called to Lalbazar several times and allegedly threatened. Later, on September 21, Rizwanur’s dead body was found lying mysteriously on the railway track near Dum Dum junction station. 

At that time, Rizwanur’s mysterious death and the love story of the young Hindu-Muslim couple rocked civil society and caused a stir. 

Earlier, on the basis of the allegation lodged with the police by Rizwanur’s elder brother Rukhbanur that Rizwanur was killed, the Alipore court order a CBI inquiry and after it’s inquiry, the CBI submitted a charge sheet stating that Rizwanur had committed suicide because he was under depression.

The CBI held the two IPS officers at Lalbazar-Ajoy Kumar, DCDD, Gyanbanth Singh, DCHQ and two other senior policemen, Priyanka Todi’s father Ashoke Todi, uncle Pradip, maternal uncle Anil Sarogi and several others, responsible for abetting and mentally torturing Rizwanur to propel him to commit suicide.

The Alipore Court passed an order endorsing the CBI enquiry report and asked the state government to take departmental action against the government officials and initiate necessary legal steps against others.

Later, the single bench of justice Saumitra Pal of Calcutta High Court also upheld the lower court’s judgment and recommended penal action against the Todi family members and others and departmental action against the police officers.

But the Todi family appealed to the division bench of Calcutta High Court challenging the lower court’s order. 

Today after prolonged hearings, the division bench squashed the lower court’s judgment and passed an order of a fresh inquiry by the CBI after registering an FIR under Section 302, acknowledging the allegation that Rizwanur was murdered. The CBI was also directed to submit its report to the bench within four months’ time. After today’s judgment, Rizwanur’s bereaved mother and other family members expressed satisfaction. Several political leaders and activists welcomed the court’s ruling and they hoped real culprits would be punished.