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Naxals have run over Salwa Judum, SC told
BJP targets Manmohan for defending CVC
We know what’s happening across LAC: Army Chief
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Bravehearts do region proud
Govt: Appropriate action will be taken against diplomat
Kargil Records CWG Scam ‘Indian-sounding names in Swiss Bank's secret accounts’
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Naxals have run over Salwa Judum, SC told
New Delhi, January 18 A Bench comprising Justices B Sudershan Reddy and SS Nijjar passed an order, also asking the state government and the Centre to vacate within four months all the schools and hostels which were being used for housing the central security forces.
The Bench issued the directives even as senior counsel Harish Salve, appearing for the state government, said the vigilante group, Salwa Judum, “has become history” after the outfit, which had come into being as a result of a “spontaneous uprising” of the tribals against Naxalism, was subjected to several deadly attacks by Naxalites in 2006. Salwa Judum “does not exist any longer. Also, there is no question of the state government supporting this or any other movement which preaches violence.” The relief camps were being run mainly for these erstwhile activists of Salwa Judum and their sympathisers and the families of both these categories. Initially, the camps housed as many as 80,000 tribals but their numbers had come down to 18,000 at present, Salve said. At one point of time, the state government did provide some support to the vigilante group, which began as a peaceful movement and turned violent later, but after the Naxalites decimated it, the state restricted itself to providing shelter and security to its members, sympathisers and families at these camps. The state government had “learnt its lesson,” Salve said. The Chhattisgarh government had decided to immediately set up the State Human Rights Commission headed by a retired High Court Chief Justice and this would be “up and running” within ten days, looking into complaints of violation of people’s rights, he said. On a complaint by senior counsel Ashok Desai, appearing for the PIL petitioner, that the state government was providing compensation only to those affected by Naxal violence, the Bench said in its order that similar relief should be extended to all the victims, including those affected by the security forces or the Salwa Judum.
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BJP targets Manmohan for defending CVC
New Delhi, January 18 Targeting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, BJP spokesman Ravi Shankar Prasad said the government was trying to defend a tainted CVC and questioned Singh’s compulsion in defending the CVC so aggressively. “Dr Manmohan Singh, what is the compulsion that you are so aggressively defending the indefensible, namely the tainted CVC?” Prasad said here on Tuesday.
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We know what’s happening across LAC: Army Chief
Ambala, January 18
The Chief said that the Army is in the process of restructuring and relocating its assets and formations to improve operational efficiency, decision-making and response. He also said that the number of individuals involved in decision-making at the higher levels would be reduced. Stating that the Adarsh society scam has not affected the morale in the Army, he said that procedures were being re-worked so that clearances of higher headquarters would be mandatory for grant of no-objection certificates for land transfer. The Army Chief also pointed out that infiltration in Jammu and Kashmir had come down. He said that 110 persons had infiltrated across the LoC in 2009, which had come down to about 85 in 2010. He pointed out that 42 terrorist training camps were still functional across the LoC and infiltration would continue as long as their remained active. On troop reduction in J&K, he said that there was a unified command in the state, which would take decision.
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Bravehearts do region proud
New Delhi, January 18 One of them, 13-year-old Shruti Lodhi, will receive the award posthumously. She pushed two of her friends to safety in a fraction of a second but could not save herself as a huge tree fell on them in Dehradun last April. Similarly, 11-year-old Gurjeevan Singh of Mansa in Punjab single-handedly thwarted a bank robbery. On the afternoon of February 10 last year, three robbers barged into the Sutlej Grameen Bank in Mansa district. They attacked the security guard with a sword and snatched his weapon but the bank manager managed to sound the siren. In the ensuing melee, the robbers misplaced their motorcycle keys. Enter Gurjeevan, like a true blue Bollywood hero. He started pelting bricks at the robbers, who shot at him but missed. In the chaos, the gun slipped out of a robber’s hand and local residents, already charged up seeing the young boy’s valour, swung into action and overpowered the band of robbers. When asked what got into him, Gurjeevan ponders a bit and says: “I don’t know… I just had to do it. Every person should help others.” Was he not scared? “No,” he replies rather nonchalantly. No less courageous was what 10-year-old Priyanshu Koshi of Uttarakhand did. As he and sister Priyanka were walking back from school down a lonely road on July 1, 2009, a leopard appeared out of nowhere and attacked the duo. While the animal held on to Priyanka, Priyanshu swung his school bag at it. Startled, the leopard let go of Priyanka and fortuitously, an Army jeep and some locals appeared on the scene and the animal escaped.
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Govt: Appropriate action will be taken against diplomat
New Delhi, January 18
“The Ministry of External Affairs has taken a serious view of the matter. The matter has been looked into actively and with all seriousness that it deserves. The officer and members of the family have been transferred back to the headquarters. Once the officer is back, the matter will be thoroughly investigated and acted upon appropriately,” MEA’s official spokesperson Vishnu Prakash told reporters here. Verma, the third senior-most Indian diplomat and minister (economic) at the Indian High Commission in Britain, had reportedly sought immunity from prosecution after being questioned by the British police over claims that he assaulted his wife in December last year. Verma’s wife accused him of beating her and went into a hiding with her five-year-old child, fearing for her safety. After moving out of Verma’s official residence in London, she moved an application seeking permission to stay back in Britain on humanitarian grounds. Prakash said: “There is no question of condoning domestic violence which is totally unacceptable. Once the officer is back, the matter will be thoroughly investigated and acted upon appropriately. The laws of the land would take care of any act that needs to be taken care of consequent to the inquiry.” On the role of Deputy High Commissioner Rajesh Prasad, who according to the British newspaper had threatened Verma’s wife, Paromita, with deportation to India, the Spokesperson indicated that the High Commission only encouraged both sides to resolve their marital discords, which was the best way of doing it. “The High Commission has the responsibility towards the welfare and well being of the officer and the members of the family. I have already mentioned that domestic violence is unacceptable and there is no question of condoning. “At the same time, the HC had encouraged both sides to sort out any marital issues between the two of them, which is best way of doing that,” he said. “Verma and members of his family have been transferred back to the headquarters. They will be returning soon. And once they return to India, the matter will be investigated and appropriate action under the law of the land will be taken,” the spokesman added.
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Kargil Records
Chandigarh, January 18 The bench comprising Justice NP Gupta and Lt Gen NS Brar has directed the Army to produce the said documents on March 3. Brigadier Singh was commander of 121 Brigade at Kargil when the conflict broke out. He was removed from command in the early stages of the conflict and later dismissed from service. Praying not only for professional restitution, but also for a complete investigation into the Kargil conflict, he has sought a number of records to substantiate his claims. During the hearing today, the Army’s counsel had contended that the documents could not be produced as additional time was required to collect and procure the documents that were held by various units and formations.
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CWG Scam New Delhi, January 18 The CBI had on January 12 searched office and residence premises of Nanu and many others after it registered a case in connection with the over Rs 600 crore alleged overlays scam. — PTI
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‘Indian-sounding names in Swiss Bank's secret accounts’ New Delhi, January 18 The channel, Headlines Today, showed a list purportedly containing names of the secret account holders in Julius Baer Bank and Trust Ltd, a Swiss Bank. The list was handed over by one of its former employees Rudolf Elmer to Assange. The channel showed the list purportedly containing Indian-sounding names but made it clear that it could not independently verify the genuineness of the identity of the account holders or whether they are Indians or not. Two entities had purportedly parked about $ 95 million (about Rs 432 crore). Elmer told the channel, “I think that owner of Julius Baer is very much in the business of India. They actually hired investment managers sitting in India for getting money out of India.” — PTI
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More trouble for Aseemanand Sukna scam Stampede blamed on vehicle flow
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2 kids from Uttarakhand, one from Punjab win National Bravery Award
“Each nation has its own policy. Since the LAC is just marked on a very large-scale map and there is no physical demarcation of the border on the ground, troops from both sides undertake patrols in accordance with their perception on the LAC,” he said, while interacting with the media here today.
