Bangalore, August 17
People’s Democratic Party (PDP) leader Abdul Nasser Madani, an accused in the 2008 Bangalore serial blast case, was arrested by a joint team of the Karnataka and Kerala police from his orphanage-cum-madrassa complex at Kollam in Kerala today ending the eight-day suspense over the issue.

A police team from Bangalore has been camping in Kollam since August 9 to arrest Madani. However, large number of Madani’s supporters had gathered outside his residence making it difficult for the police to arrest the accused.

The three-day visit by the President Pratibha Patil to Kerala (August 12 to 14) is also said to be one of the reasons for the delay in the arrest of the alleged terror mastermind as the Kerala government did not want a law and order situation in state when Patil was there.

Additional Commissioner of Police (ACP), Bangalore, Omkaraiah, who led the police party that arrested Madani, said: “The arrest was not a smooth affair. However, the police was deployed in strength to foil any design by Madani’s supporters to create problem. Still there was some slogan shouting and protests by Madani’s supporters.”

The ACP said Madani was being flown to Bangalore from Thiruvananthapuram tonight and would be produced before a magistrate in Bangalore tomorrow. Madani’s wife Soofiya accompanied him up to the airport, Omkaraiah said.

The arrest spoilt Madani’s chance of obtaining anticipatory bail from the Supreme Court where his petition came up today. After, the Karnataka government’s counsel informed the court the Madani had been arrested already, the apex court asked the PDP leader to seek regular bail.

On June 11, the Bangalore city police’s crime branch filed an additional chargesheet before the sessions court here alleging that Madani was involved in the serial blast case as he conspired with the main accused in the case, T Nazir, commander of the LeT’s (Lashkar-e-Taiba) South Indian module. Madani had filed an anticipatory bail application in the High Court here after the session court turned down his petition for pre-emptive bail. He, however, failed to get any relief from the High Court.

Earlier today Madani, who claimed himself to be unwell, addressed a press conference at Kollam and claimed that the Bangalore police was framing him.

Madani was earlier arrested in 2000 and imprisoned for eight years in connection with serial blasts in Coimbatore in 1998 in which 60 people were killed.

New Delhi, August 17
A sum of Rs 48 lakh has been pilfered from the public funds account of the Indian Air Force (IAF) using counterfeit cheques.

Sources said the sum was pilfered from the IAF account with the Canara Bank between June 4 and 10 this year. The public fund is equivalent to the treasury account operated by the state government departments and is used to disburse salaries etc.

The IAF, in three-pronged action has instituted an inquiry into the case. It has filed an FIR with the local police and ordered validation of all its public and non-public accounts held at all Air Force establishments across the country.

The fraud was detected by the Air Force Central Account Office (AFCAO) officials. Surprisingly, the withdrawals were done using counterfeit cheques and with forged signatures that the bank officials cleared.

The money was transferred through the bank against accounts of purportedly non-existent individuals, across the country.

The IAF said the bank had meanwhile agreed to reverse the entire lost amount to the IAF’s Public Fund as it was their responsibility to verify the genuineness of the cheques and their signatories. IAF’s discussions with the bank reveal that the forged cheques originated from various parts of the country based on fictitious bank accounts, presumably opened using fake documents like discharge book, certificate of service etc.

New Delhi, August 17
A Bill paving way for the women to get equal rights in guardianship and adoption of children was passed by the Rajya Sabha today.

The Personal Laws Amendment Bill seeks to amend the Guardians and Wards Act, 1890 and the Hindu Adoptions and Maintenance Act, 1956. It also seeks to allow the mother along with the father to be appointed as a guardian, making the process gender-neutral.

Besides, it aims at removing hurdles in the way of a married woman to adopt. She can give a son or daughter for adoption.

"The amendment will make both mother and father natural guardians of the child," Law Minister Veerappa Moily said while replying to the debate on it. He said the Centre also proposes to make marriage registration compulsory and the state governments are taking steps in this regard.

For adoption and guardianship, under the existing Act, only the father is considered to be the natural guardian of the child in a Hindu family and only unmarried, divorced women and widows are allowed to adopt a child. Women separated from their husbands and engaged in lengthy divorce battles cannot adopt a child.

"It (the Bill) will have a far reaching impact on bringing gender equality and gender neutrality," Moily said.

He said it sends the message that Parliamentary democracy has matured and the psyche has changed.

On demand from the BJP for a uniform civil code, he said: “Uniform civil code is not possible as it requires changes in personal laws of the minority community”. He said the UPA Government had maintained that it should not interfere in these laws.

Earlier, participating in the debate Venkaiah Naidu of the BJP demanded a common civil code and setting up of a commission or sub-committee to study the matter. — PTI

New Delhi, August 17
RJD chief Lalu Prasad led the charge as members from different parties today forced adjournment of the Lok Sabha for over two hours, protesting against the government’s decision to defer the MPs’ pay hike Bill.

The issue figured in the Rajya Sabha too with members wanting to know by when the government proposed to increase their wages. Rajniti Prasad (RJD) raised the issue when the House met for the day. He drew support from members belonging to other parties.

Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee informed the members that the report of the joint committee on salary and allowances of MPs has been received by the government and it was under consideration. “The report will be made effective from beginning of 15th Lok Sabha. Whenever the Bill is passed, the benefits will be given with retrospective effect,” he said.

In the Lok Sabha, soon after the House had finished a heated discussion over firing on farmers in Uttar Pradesh, an agitated Lalu was on his feet raising the issue of salary hike for MPs. He was supported by Mulayam Singh Yadav of the Samajwadi Party and MPs of different parties, barring those on the Left benches.

Several Congress MPs were also seen standing in support of Prasad’s demand. Many of them were seen asking the BJP members to also stand up in support of the demand.

Speaker Meira Kumar tried to pacify the agitating members but they were in no mood to listen. She called BJP MP Yogi Adityanath to raise his Zero Hour issue, but nothing could be heard in the din.

Currently, MPs get Rs 16,000 per month as salary. A House panel has suggested a salary of Rs 80,001 for MPs on the grounds that it would be one rupee more than that of a Cabinet Secretary (whose salary is Rs 80,000). However, the Parliamentary Affairs Ministry has suggested raising the MPs’ salary to Rs 50,000.

On Monday, the Union Cabinet had deferred a decision on the Bill to raise the salary and allowances of MPs following division among ministers. Lalu protested again when the House reassembled after lunch.