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Maya orders release of girl ‘raped’ by MLA
B’day girl unveils Rs 4,000-cr schemes
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Malegaon Blast
Stampede toll 102; probe ordered
Vanishing of illegal migrants peeves HC
MoEF decision on Adarsh today?
No proposal to lower voting age to 16: EC
Army salutes the disabled
SC slams Allahabad HC over
acquittal of rapist on ‘flimsy grounds’
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Maya orders release of girl ‘raped’ by MLA
Lucknow, January 15 Substantiating her point, she took the example of the recent gang rape case in Banda in which her party MLA Purushottam Dwivedi was the main accused and had been arrested as she had promptly ordered an inquiry. “A Crime Branch-CID probe in the matter is on and after its report, the state government will take stern action against the policemen and others involved in harassing the girl,” the BSP leader said. “It appears from the girl’s statement and evidence that there is a conspiracy to implicate her in a theft case in order to keep her in prison,” said Mayawati. She also ordered that the case be heard by a fast-track court so that justice was neither denied nor delayed. Later speaking to the media, Cabinet Secretary Shashank Shekar Singh admitted that the gang rape victim had been released from Banda jail. Interestingly, her bail application was to come up for hearing on January 17. An Uttar Pradesh policeman was today suspended on the charge of misbehaving with the rape victim at the police station during her detention in connection with a theft case against her. Jabbar Ahmad, who was posted at Attra police station, has been placed under suspension for misbehaving with the rape victim at the police station, Superintendent of Police Anil Das said. Ahmad was acting in charge of the station when an FIR was lodged against the girl who was arrested on December 12, he said. — PTI
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B’day girl unveils Rs 4,000-cr schemes
Lucknow, January 15 Wearing a pink salwar kameez set aside for joyous occasions, the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister inaugurated or laid the foundation stones of schemes and projects worth Rs 4,000 crore. The venue of the main function -- the imposing 3,000-seat auditorium on the campus of the Dr Ram Manohar Lohia National Law College -- was also dedicated to the nation. The one birthday gift Mayawati personally described as “truly revolutionary decision of her government”, was coming into force today of the UP Janhit Guarantee Ordinance. She said that by ensuring time-bound delivery of public services to the “aam admi”, she hoped that her government would become more “people-centric”. The CM unveiled a spruced-up Hazratganj, one of the main business districts of Lucknow. Nine more towns of historical and religious importance were also being spruced up through 355 projects costing Rs 15,000 crore, she said. Continuing with the celebrations, ‘jan kalyani shivirs’ (public service camps) were organised in each of the 72 districts of the state. Mayawati also launched a mobile hospital scheme to cover 133 blocks in 15 districts. The CM directed an increase in the cash amount under the Mukhyamantri Mahamaya Arthik Madad Yojana from Rs 300 to 400 per family. Under this scheme, poor, non-BPL families not getting the benefit of any existing government anti-poverty scheme are paid Rs 300 per month. Serving and retired public servants of the state also received a 10 per cent increase in DA with retrospective effect from July 2010. Hitting out at a section of the media, Mayawati said that she was well aware that despite her announcing welfare schemes, some would only report what she was wearing, her jewellery and give details of her family members sitting in the front row.
26,681 undertrials to be freed
Extending her largesse to prisoners, Mayawati ordered the release of around 26,681 poverty-ridden undertrials who could not afford to initiate bail proceedings and were languishing in state jails. She also announced the release of 574 eligible poor prisoners who have completed half the term of their maximum punishment. The state government has also issued orders for the early release of seriously ill, destitute and aged prisoners convicted by various courts.
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Malegaon Blast
The Maharashtra Government is under pressure from the minority community to press for the release of 13 men, all Muslims, in the light of Swami Aseemanand owning up responsibility for the blasts. The ATS has now asked for a certified copy of the confession statement from the Central Bureau of Investigation. Investigators from Maharashtra are already in Haryana to question Swami Aseemanand who is in judicial custody. Meanwhile, counsel for the arrested men are preparing to challenge the chargesheet filed against them in the courts. The blasts claimed the lives of seven persons. The Maharashtra Government has already asked the CBI to take a fresh look at the Malegaon case. The CBI has already submitted that it did not find any evidence against the men arrested for the blasts in Malegaon in 2006. Pressure is now mounting on the Maharashtra Government with its Minister for Minority Affairs Naseem Khan and other Muslim leaders in the state pushing for the release of the 13 persons held in the case. "The case has to be reinvestigated so that those found innocent are released," said Naseem Siddiqui, president, Maharashtra State Minority Commission. However, members of the Muslim community are clearly not satisfied. At a meeting held here in South Mumbai today, members of the community said persons wrongly held should be compensated by the government.
Swami Aseemanand’s confession recorded
PANCHKULA: Swami Aseemanand, an accused Samjhauta Express blast case, recorded his confessional statement before the Chief Judicial Magistrate on Saturday. The in-camera proceedings continued for more than five-and-a-half hours and concluded at 5.45 pm. Aseemanand was produced before Chief Judicial Magistrate Rakesh Singh.
— TNS
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Stampede toll 102; probe ordered
Vandiperiyar (Ker), Jan 15 Most of the dead were from Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh who used the grassland forest trekking path known as 'Pulumedu' in Periyar tiger reserve in Idukki district. The preliminary report of the district administration said the stampede was caused by a commotion created by a minor mishap involving a jeep and an autorikshaw which grazed each other while plying along the narrow trekking route. This set off panic in the route flooded with thousands of pilgrims and smaller vehicles, leading to the disaster in darkness with poor lighting made worse by fog. People ran helter skelter and were trampled upon as utter chaos and confusion overwhelmed the pilgrims who had gathered there to sight the Makaravillakku (celestial light) on the Eastern horizon that marks the culmination of the two month long Sabarimala pilgrimage. Police said they did not receive any complaints of any missing persons. All bodies had been shifted to hospital at Kumali for post mortem and were being transported to their respective home towns, they said. — PTI
PM Fund comes to the aid of victims
New Delhi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has sanctioned a relief of Rs 1 lakh each from the PM Relief Fund to the kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 each as compensation to those injured in the Sabarimala temple stampede incident. He expressed deep shock at the tragedy that followed the ceremony marking Makar Jyoti at Sabarimala in Kerala. The PM also spoke to Chief Minister of Kerala V. Achyutanandan regarding the incident. Govt responsible for tragedy: Oppn
Opposition leader Oommen Chandy and KPCC president Ramesh Chennithala have blamed the LDF-led state government for the Sabarimala stampede which claimed over 100 lives at nearby Pullumedu. Addressing reporters here, they said lack of proper arrangements and lapses on the part of the government and related agencies in crowd management had caused the mishap.
— TNS
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Vanishing of illegal migrants peeves HC
Guwahati, January 15 “Once a notice is issued to suspected foreign national for appearance either before the police administration or Foreigners’ Tribunal, the jurisdictional Superintendent of Police will ensure that such foreign national cannot do the act of vanishing,” Justice B K Sharma said in his order. The court further directed that the concerned Superintendent of Police “shall ensure taking finger prints and photographs of such suspected foreign national at the time of issuing notice by the police or referring a suspected foreigner to the Foreigners Tribunal.” The court also asked the DGP and the Home Commissioner of Assam to issue appropriate directives to all concerned in the light of the court order as mentioned above. The court also directed the Union Home Ministry to ensure adherence to the court order and suggest measures to be followed strictly by the Assam government. The court issued the order while disposing of a writ petition filed by a Bangladeshi national Somiron Nessa declared an illegal migrant in Assam by a Foreigners’ Tribunal. The petitioner vanished after invoking the high court’s jurisdiction. Justice Sharma observed that illegal migrants continued to disappear in Assam after their detection and commented, “What purpose the Foreigners Tribunals have served except passing the orders, if those orders are not in a position to be implemented by the mighty administration of the state and the Central government.”
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MoEF decision on Adarsh today?
New Delhi, January 15 The MoEF officials say the ministry has found no merit in arguments given by the promoters of the Adarsh Housing Society on the alleged environment law violations. While there is a strong opinion that the entire building be declared illegal, the society may be asked to knock off some floors. The society is accused of violating laws in the construction of the 31-storey building on defence land in prime Colaba area. Accusing the society of not taking the requisite green permissions from the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority, the MoEF had issued a show-cause notice on November 12. Later, accepting a request from the society, the ministry had on December 28 extended the last date for its response on the show-cause notice to January 4.
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No proposal to lower voting age to 16: EC
New Delhi, January 15 The formal clarification came here today soon after reports appeared that there was a proposal to lower the voting age further to 16 years. The voting age was brought down to 18 by Rajiv Gandhi way back in 1989. The EC is in fact finding it hard to ensure that all those who have reached the age of 18 may be enrolled as voters in time, said the clarification. The issue came up at a recent academic forum in Bhubaneshwar before Chief Election Commissioner SY Quarishi, who was responding to a student’s suggestion to the effect that since the children are reaching the age of maturity faster the voting age should accordingly be reduced to 16 years.
— TNS
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Army salutes the disabled
New Delhi, January 15 “We have been giving great respect to our martyred soldiers and the time has come to give due honour to our soldiers who have been disabled in operations. For this, 2011 will be the Year of the Disabled Soldier,” Army Chief General V K Singh said while addressing the 63rd Army Day parade here. He said a grant of Rs 1 crore had been sanctioned for the purpose and in the remaining part of the year, the Army would focus on providing rehabilitation, training and basic amenities to the disabled soldiers. Announcing other welfare schemes for the families and personnel, the Army Chief said a grant of Rs 25,000 would be provided to widows of soldiers and an additional Rs 400 would be given every month for education of their children.
— PTI
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SC slams Allahabad HC over acquittal of rapist on ‘flimsy grounds’ New Delhi, January 15 While examining the evidence of rape victims, the courts “must not be swayed by beliefs in other countries. “Society’s belief and value system need to be kept uppermost in mind as rape is the worst form of woman’s oppression,” a Bench comprising Justices Aftab Alam and RM Lodha ruled yesterday. Justice Lodha observed that a “forcible sexual assault brings in humiliation, feeling of disgust, tremendous embarrassment, sense of shame and lifelong emotional scar to a victim” and it is, therefore, most unlikely a woman, and more so a young woman, will rope in somebody falsely in the crime of rape. “An Indian woman traditionally will not concoct an untruthful story and bring charges of rape for the purpose of blackmail, hatred or revenge.” The HC had set aside the conviction by the trial court, citing two reasons. First, the minor victim’s brother had lodged the FIR 11 days after the girl had been kidnapped and, second, there were no external or internal injuries on the minor. The Supreme Court, however, explained that the FIR was delayed as the “honour of the family was involved.” On injuries, the Bench said the victim had clearly deposed that she was not in a position to put up any struggle as she had been taken away from her village.
— TNS
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Sachin kidnap plot: Six get life term Bus mishap kills 13 Beggar in bin Kalam on growth Pt Bhimsen ‘critical’
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Vandiperiyar (Ker), Jan 15
Mumbai, January 15
