New Delhi, March 28
In another stinging remark, the Supreme Court today slammed the government for not making any effort to probe sources of black money or the threat to national security even after “sleeping” over the issue since 2008.

A Bench comprising Justices BS Sudershan Reddy and SS Nijjar made the observation after going through the records pertaining to the week-long interrogation of Pune-based stud farm owner Hasan Ali by the Enforcement Directorate. Ali is estimated to have stashed away $8 billion in secret overseas bank accounts, while the Income Tax Department has raised a tax demand of Rs 70,000 crore.

“From where did you get the money? You have not put this question anywhere (to Ali)”, the Bench asked Solicitor General Gopal Subramanium.

“We would like to know the progress you have made, particularly from the angle of national security and the source of these funds, in the investigations. Other things don’t take us anywhere. What is the source of this money? We are very seriously concerned about it,” the Bench told the SG.

The Bench also went through a fresh status report filed by the ED today, giving details of its probe following the arrest of Ali and his associate Kashinath Tapuria. “It is difficult to be calm and quiet after going through the status report. The way things are happening in this country…” Justice Reddy remarked, leaving the sentence incomplete.

Even after the government came to know of Ali’s black money in early 2008 “all the agencies were sleeping over the matter. Absolutely nothing happened,” the Bench remarked, pointing out that things started moving only at the instance of the apex court in the wake of a PIL filed by former law minister Ram Jethmalani and others.

The apex court put across yet another embarrassing question: “What about others? This is only one individual. Your whole concentration is on one individual.”

After asking probing questions, the Bench wanted to know the government’s response to the court’s suggestion to set up a special investigation team (SIT) comprising top officials from the CBI, ED, RAW and the income tax department for ensuring a coordinated and comprehensive probe to deal with the problem of black money in its entirety.

“Perhaps, a court-appointed SIT would ensure that things go in the right direction,” the Bench felt. The SG sought time till the submission of another status report. The government would be ready to set up an SIT if the Bench was not satisfied with the next status report, he pleaded.

The Bench also asked the government as to why it was not publicly disclosing the names of other people. “Why should it not be disclosed? Let the people of this country know what is happening,” Justice Reddy remarked.

The SG argued that revealing the names at this stage would lead to more speculative reports in the media and pointed out such reports that had already been published. But the Bench was not convinced. “This is what happens when we try to keep things in secrecy.”

Taking the Bench through the ED’s status report, the SG carefully avoided reading out vital details in the open court. He was just pointing out page numbers and paragraph numbers that contained important information.

Replying to clarifications sought by the Bench, the SG said one of the individuals was a “power broker” and that Ali’s three passports did not involve just “forgery” alone, as it was thought earlier. He did not elaborate.

The SG informed the court that the ED had taken serious note of Ali’s complaint, apprehending a threat to him and his family and seeking security. The Bench may pass any order in this regard, if necessary, he said.

Hyderabad, March 28
The ruckus in the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly touched a new low today when a minister traded blows with Opposition’s Telugu Desam Party (TDP) members over charges of corruption.

The former Chief Minister late YS Rajasekhar Reddy’s younger brother and state Agriculture Minister YS Vivekananda Reddy raced towards the Opposition benches and entered into an ugly confrontation with them as the stunned House watched the bout helplessly. Later, Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy apologised to the opposition members on behalf of his colleague.

The trouble started when the TDP members stormed the Speaker’s podium waving placards that read “YSR Dongala Mutha” (YSR and his gang of thieves). For the ninth day in a row, the opposition was stalling the proceedings of the House, pressing for constitution of a Joint Legislature Committee (JLC) to probe the land allotments made during YSR’s regime to benefit private companies, including those owned by his son YS Jagan Mohan Reddy.

In a fit of rage, Vivekananda rushed to the Opposition benches and pulled a couple of placards from their hands. A bout of jostling and pushing followed. He traded blows with TDP members G Muddukrishnama Naidu and C Prabhakar.

Soon, the Congress MLAs owing allegiance to Jagan also pitched in and rushed menacingly towards the TDP members. It was free for all, as the members hurled chairs and papers at each other. As the situation was slipping out of control, Deputy Speaker N Manohar adjourned the House. The adjournment lasted nearly seven hours during which he held a series of consultations with leaders of all political parties on ways to defuse the situation. The TDP demanded immediate dismissal of the minister for attacking its members and using filthy language against them. When the House re-assembled, the Chief Minister tendered an apology but made it clear that the Congress would not tolerate character assassination of the former Chief Minister. He warned the TDP members against any attempts to defame YSR.

Later, the minister also expressed regrets. “I could not control anger when my brother was being called a thief. Please pardon me. I am sorry,” Vivekananda said, pointing to the Opposition benches.

New Delhi, March 28
Fresh trouble brewed today for Ketan Desai, the tainted former president of the Medical Council of India, with the Supreme Court issuing him a notice over a petition challenging his election to the Gujarat University Senate against a seat reserved for registered medical graduates.

Desai’s appointment was challenged on the basis of the suspension of his medical registration by the Medical Council of India’s Board of Governors, who found his conduct professionally wanting last year after the CBI arrested him for corruption. The MCI consequently summarily suspended his medical licence, barring him from practice and from presenting himself as a doctor in any medical conference at home or abroad.

The apex court notice to Desai, the Gujarat Government and the Gujarat University today came in an interesting appeal filed by Kolkata-based NGO People for Better Treatment (PBT) against a December 22, 2010 order of the Gujarat High Court which had outright dismissed the said PIL on grounds that the NGO’s president was a Non-Resident Indian and an “NRI may not have any concern for the public interest of the Indians”.

Arguing on the behalf of the petitioner before the Division Bench comprising Justices GS Singhvi and AK Ganguly, senior advocate MN Krishnamani asked whether the high court was justified in dismissing the petition without going into its contents and whether it was also justified in holding a cynical view that NRIs cannot play a role in the public interest of the Indians. In any case, the petitioner in this case is the NGO and not its president who happens to be an NRI. The apex court admitted the appeal, issued notices to the respondents and said that an amicus curiae (to assist the court) be appointed in the case.

The appeal raises vital law points including whether a person, whose medical registration has been cancelled by the MCI, can be elected unopposed to the Senate of a University against a seat from where only registered medical graduates can contest. Desai was elected unopposed to the Gujarat varsity senate in December 2010.

The loophole in his appointment stems from the fact that under the Indian Medical Council Act 1956, medical members from each university senate have to be elected as MCI members. This means that whenever the government reconstitutes the MCI (which it replaced with a Board of Governors last May following Desai’s arrest), Desai can -- being medical member of the Gujarat University Senate -- return to the MCI even when he faces serious criminal charges.

Desai was arrested on April 23 last accepting a Rs 2 crore bribe from a private medical college owner from Punjab. The case lingers though he secured bail in October 2010.

New Delhi, March 28
Chandigarh tycoon and Trinamool Congress’ Rajya Sabha member KD Singh today courted yet another controversy when Left Front leaders approached the Election Commission against the recent recovery of Rs 57 lakh from the industrialist.

Just two days after CPM general secretary Prakash Karat threatened action against the close aide of Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, four Left Front members met Election Commission officials today, alleging the use of money power in the polls by the TMC. KD Singh - whose rise to political fortunes has been quick and easy - had entered the Rajya Sabha recently with help from the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha. However, he was quick to shift his loyalties to the TMC, which, in turn, inducted him into its core committee and made him in charge of the northeast.

The Left delegation comprising CPM’s Nilotpal Basu and CPI’s D Raja among others today questioned why Singh, caught with Rs 57 lakh at the Delhi airport on March 24 while on his way to Guwatai, was allowed to proceed without the money being confiscated. KD Singh was flying on his private airplane to poll-bound Assam but was intercepted for interrogation and later let off.

“Normally, such huge amounts of cash should have been seized. But Singh was allowed to go,” the petitioners said. The Left’s memorandum to the EC voices concerns that the said money could be misused for polls in Assam, where the Trinamool is contesting a large number of seats.

“We are surprised by KD Singh’s reported claim that this money was legitimately drawn from a bank for his business purposes. We are unaware of business activities in the present times, which require such a major volume of cash movement. We are also surprised that the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), who held KD Singh and his associates along with the money, allowed him to go with the money,” he said. Even the EC had, in its meeting with political parties on March 9, said it would take suo motu notice of any reports of money abuse during elections.

Mumbai, March 28
The Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd has commenced the process of beginning work on the forthcoming Jaitapur Nuclear Power Plant at Ratnagiri even as protests over the acquisition of land for the project is showing signs of snowballing.

The NPC has put out advertisements inviting tenders for setting up of laboratories which will be part of the plant. While one of the laboratories is meant for concrete testing, the other is a meteorological laboratory, according to sources. Both the laboratories are scheduled to begin functioning from the month of May in the village of Madhban, the scene of major protests against the project. The concrete testing facility will be used for quality-control purposes while seismic testing will be conducted at the meteorological laboratory, according to sources.

The publication of the tender advertisements come at a time when the Ministry for Environment and Forests has called for fresh safeguards

before environmental clearance is issued for the JNPP project. Even the Maharashtra government has promised to take a fresh look at the

project following the crisis at Japan's Fukushima nuclear complex. Confirming that the NPCIL is going ahead with the setting up of the

laboratories, officials said so far they have not been asked to go slow on the project.

NPC will open the tender for the two laboratories on April 26. Meanwhile, the opposition Shiv Sena has threatened to intensifyprotests against the project. Shiv Sena Executive President Uddhav Thackeray has announced that he would kick off a fresh campaign from Madhban beginning April 9.

Mumbai, March 28
Film buffs starved of blockbusters ever since the cricket World Cup began can now rejoice as 15 big-budget films are set to hit the screens on April 1.

Among the biggest releases to hit the screens next weekend will be “Game”, produced by Eros International, starring Abhishek Bachchan.

Promos for the film are on and the producers expect the film to get a good opening. "If India reaches the final there will be some impact on Saturday, but we expect full-house shows on Friday and Sunday," says Ram Mirchandani, CEO, Eros International.

Other big releases coinciding with “Game” are Vashu Bhagnani’s “Faltu” and PVR's “Teen Thai Bhai”, all of which have booked screen space in multiplexes across Indian metros.

Later in the month other big-budget films like “Dum Maro Dum” and “Thank” are lined up for release as filmmakers work to make the most of the window between the cricket World Cup and the Indian Premier League (IPL). Though IPL matches begin on April 8, the action is expected to hot up later in the month before the finals in May.

Throughout the World Cup there were just four new films released at theatres as the sporting event coincided with school examinations. Of the four - Tanu Weds Manu, Yeh Dooriyaan, Phirr and Shagird - the first has been declared a hit, while the rest have managed decent collections. However, multiplex owners in Mumbai said most theatres had just 20 per cent occupancy as people stayed home to watch World Cup matches.

A number of multiplexes had shut down part of their establishments ostensibly for maintenance on days the Indian cricket team was playing. Others simply chose to screen-dubbed action films from Hollywood and re-releases of old flicks like “Dabangg”.

Hyderabad/Bangalore, March 28
Karnataka ministers G Janardhana Reddy and B Sriramulu on Monday escaped unhurt when a private plane in which they were to fly to New Delhi suffered a tyre burst during take off at the Hyderabad airport, official sources said.

State tourism minister Reddy, a mining baron, later left for New Delhi by another aircraft while Sriramulu, his close associate and the health minister, cancelled the trip, the sources said. The aircraft had six passengers -- the two ministers and officials of the Karnataka tourism department. — IANS

BRIEFLY

Now, psychologists a phone call away
New Delhi: People suffering from emotional and psychological problems will now have access to psychologists through a tele-counselling helpline launched by a leading private hospital. The Apollo M.I.N.D. Line is aimed at providing counselling to college students, young women, professionals and senior citizens among others. — PTI