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Bhullar, Afzal, Kasab must be hanged: Gill
Path ‘clear’ for Amar’s grilling
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Dey murder: Arms supplier arrested
6 terrorists involved in
planting bombs: ATS
Mamata announces package for N Bengal
Congmen from Rayalaseema, coastal Andhra meet PM
It’s still raining riches at Sai Baba’s abode
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Bhullar, Afzal, Kasab must be hanged: Gill
New Delhi, July 19 Addressing media at a function organised by the Anti-Terrorist Front, Gill said Bhullar, Afzal Guru, Kasab and others, who had been convicted by the court and awarded death sentences, should be hanged. When asked that the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee was opposing death sentence to Bhullar, he said the gurdwara committee should not interfere in such issues. It should look after the management of gurdwaras. When asked how terrorism could be controlled in the country, he said the government should emphasise on security issues. As many as 85 per cent budget of the government is spent on salaries of its employees and only 2 per cent of the budget is spent on security. Secondly, the government should de-centralise the security forces. There was time when the Mumbai police was considered as one of the best police forces in the world. But now after the terrorist acts in the city, it does not have that kind of credibility. Chairman of the Anti-Terrorist Front MS Bitta said political parties that had launched a campaign against the death sentence awarded to Bhullar were playing vote-bank politics. They get funds from foreign countries by showing the clippings of newspapers in which their statements appear opposing the death sentence to Bhullar. Bitta criticised Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit who allegedly visited UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi for conversion of Bhullar’s death sentence into life imprisonment on the ground of his unsound mental condition.
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Path ‘clear’ for Amar’s grilling
Aditi Tandon/TNS
New Delhi, July 19 Sanjeev Saxena, prime accused in the case, arrested a while ago, has named Amar Singh during police investigations. The police have now written to the Home Ministry for clearance to interrogate the MP. So far as the rules go, MPs enjoy no immunity or privileges in matters of criminal prosecution. “If there is a criminal case against any member, he/she has no privilege, which is solely meant to ensure free and fearless functioning of the member inside the House. In criminal cases such as bribery, law of the land will apply to the MP in question,” former Lok Sabha Secretary General PDT Achary today told The Tribune, indicating that the path is clear for the police interrogation of Amar Singh and even Ashok Argal - one of the three BJP MPs (the other two being Faggan Singh Kulaste and Mahavir Bhagora) who were alleged to have been bribed for casting a vote in favour of the UPA Government’s trust vote on the Indo-US nuke deal in 2008. Argal is still a Lok Sabha MP while the other two are not. Under procedures in cases such as bribery, which qualify as offences under the IPC, the police need not seek permission of the Presiding Officers of the two Houses to interrogate the MP in question since they are simply seeking to record the MPs’ statement for aiding their own investigation and not really chargesheeting him. Permission of the Presiding Officers is only required if the MP in question is charged under the Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA) which describes an MP as a public servant, as per the Supreme Court direction in the JMM bribery case. However, the Home Ministry may, if it wants, seek the opinion of the Presiding Officers even in the cash-for-vote scam and the latter can then look at the facts of the case and grant permission.
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Pulok Chatterjee to join PMO
New Delhi, July 19 The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has issued orders that the 1974-batch IAS officer be recalled from his assignment at the World Bank and “be put at the disposal of the PMO.” Although the ACC order does not specify Chatterjee’s responsibilities, UPA sources said he is likely to be appointed secretary to the PM. It is not clear if M.N. Prasad, a former Bihar cadre IAS officer, who is holding that position, will continue as his term is set to end within the next few months. Currently an executive director with the World Bank, Chatterjee’s term was to end in Feburary 2012 but he is set to retire from service this October. The Uttar Pradesh cadre officer has worked in close proximity with Congress President Sonia Gandhi as her private secretary when she was Leader of Opposition when NDA government was in power. He served in the PMO when the UPA government came to power in 2004 and was known to be a bridge between the Sonia and the PM Manmohan Singh’s office. He moved to the World Bank in 2008. There had been considerable speculation earlier that Chatterjee would succeed KM Chandrasekhar as the next Cabinet Secretary. However, the government did not want to create any controversy by superseding Ajit K. Seth, especially after the humiliation it suffered when Supreme Court quashed the appointment of PJ Thomas as Chief Vigilance Commissioner. Nevertheless, it was clear that Chatterjee would be accommodated by the present dispensation in a key position It was surmised that he would be inducted into the PMO after his retirement in October or after he finishes his World Bank stint.
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RS Chairman recasts probe panel in Dinakaran case
New Delhi, July 19 A Bench comprising Justices GS Singhvi and CK Prasad dismissed a petition filed by Dinakaran and said it would give the reasons for the ruling later. Senior counsel Amarendra Sharan, appearing for the CJ, cited various court rulings to contend that the probe panel, headed by SC Judge Aftab Alam, could not take on record the pleadings of any such person. Meanwhile, Rajya Sabha Chairman and Vice- President Hamid Ansari has reconstituted the panel, replacing senior advocate PP Rao with G Mohan Gopal, Director of Rajiv Gandhi Institute for Contemporary Studies at the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation. Karnataka High Court Chief Justice JS Khehar is the third member of the panel. The SC Bench had earlier allowed Justice Dinakaran’s objection to the inclusion of Rao in the panel, contending that the eminent jurist had campaigned against his proposed elevation to the apex court. The probe panel has framed about 15 charges against Justice Dinakaran, including corruption and land grab, as part of the move for his removal through impeachment in Parliament.
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Dey murder: Arms supplier arrested
Dehradun, July 19 During preliminary interrogation, Sisodia said he had received arms from one Nain Singh Bisht, an arms supplier from Nepal. He further stated that the arms were provided to Bisht by one Sahil, a close aide of Chhota Rajan. Sisodia had delivered arms to the assailants on May 12 and 13 at Haldwani. The Mumbai police would take Sisodia into transit remand to take him to Mumbai. Others arrested in the case include Vinod Asrani alias Vinod Chembur, a bookie who allegedly helped the shooters identify Dey. Asrani was arrested on July 3. The police had also arrested gunman Rohee Thangappan Joseph alias Satish Kalya and his associates Abhijeet Shinde, Arun Dake, Sachin Gaikwad, Anil Waghmode, Nilesh Shendge and Mangesh Agawane. TNS/PTI
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6 terrorists involved in
planting bombs: ATS
Mumbai, July 19 “During our meetings with various security agencies, including the National Investigating Agency, there was a unanimous opinion that there could be at least six accused who must have been involved in the operation of placing the explosives at the (three) sites,” said an ATS official. They all must have been newly recruited in the terror outfit responsible for the blasts, the official said, adding that they might have gone to the sites in pairs. “We have reason to believe that the terrorists could have strong links with Gujarat and
Kolkata,” the officer said, refusing to divulge further details. The perpetrators of the blasts had kept explosives in a tiffin box at Zaveri Bazar, while the nature of metallic containers in which the bombs were kept at Dadar and Opera House is not yet clear, the official added. The state ATS, Mumbai Crime Branch and the National Investigating Agency today held a meeting that went on for hours in which the progress of the case was reviewed and investigation angles were discussed, the sources added. Meanwhile, the death toll in the triple blasts has gone up to 20 with one more person succumbing to his injuries. According to the police, Ashok Bate, 35, had sustained injuries at the Zaveri Bazar blast and was in hospital in a critical condition. Bate, who was employed in a local office, had stepped out on work when the bomb went off. Ten injured persons were discharged from hospital on Tuesday while 70 are still in various hospitals. — TNS/PTI Mumbai Blasts investigation
Hyderabad city police chief AK Khan shows seized gelatin sticks on Tuesday. — AFP
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Mamata announces package for N Bengal
Siliguri, July 19 She also laid the foundation stone for a new Chief Minister's secretariat between Siliguri and Matigara of Darjeeling district. "All development work for North Bengal will be monitored from the new secretariat," said Banerjee at a function in Kanchenjungha Stadium in Siliguri. "I will also come every three months to sit with the North Bengal development board to monitor the progress of development work," she added. Mamata alleged that the CPM had had neglected north Bengal over the past three decades and did not adopt any major development package for the neglected and the backward districts. She also promised an ad hoc grant of Rs 200 crore in addition to an equal amount already sanctioned for various development activities in north Bengal districts. The new package also includes train services from Siliguri to Aluabari, a modernised DEMU shed at Siliguri junction station, table tennis academy of international standard at Siliguri and a modern cold storage at Jalpaiguri.
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Congmen from Rayalaseema, coastal Andhra meet PM
Suresh Dharur/TNS
Hyderabad, July 19 Divided on regional lines, Congress leaders from the state are making a beeline to Delhi to present their case before the UPA leadership. A delegation of over 50 Congress leaders from Rayalaseema and coastal Andhra regions, including state ministers, MPs and MLAs, met the Prime Minister and Union ministers P Chidambaram and AK Antony today and urged the Centre not to entertain any idea of bifurcating the state. “Keep the state united as per the wishes of the majority of people and rein in Telangana protagonists, who are deliberately whipping up regional passions to meet their selfish political ends,” was the key message sent across by the “Seemandhra” ( a term coined by the media to denote Rayalaseema and coastal Andhra) delegation. The ‘Seemandhra’ leaders apprised the Prime Minister of the situation in the state following mass resignations by Telangana Congress leaders and said the party High Command should not buckle under pressure. They want the Centre to go by the sixth option recommended by the Justice BN Srikrishna Committee, which went into the statehood issue. The sixth option states that Andhra Pradesh should be kept united while a statutorily empowered Telangana Regional Council should be formed to ensure development in the backward region.
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It’s still raining riches at Sai Baba’s abode
Hyderabad, July 19 “We have found a suitcase stuffed with Rs 27 lakh cash. We have also found gold, silver and precious stones from one of the rooms,” the Anantapur District Collector Durga Das said. The third round of inventory, which began yesterday, has yielded more than 34.5 kg of gold, 340 kg of silver and Rs.1.90 crore in cash. The counting is still on. Baba’s personal rooms were unlocked on June 16 and what the officials found was a virtual treasure trove: 98 kg of gold, 307 kg of silver and Rs 11.56 crore in cash in the first count.
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Ishrat case probe No bail for Morani Piracy bid foiled
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Former Punjab DGP KPS Gill said the death sentence given to Devender Pal Singh Bhullar by the Supreme Court and rejection of his mercy petition by the President of India was being politicised by the parties keeping in view the assembly elections in Punjab though people of the state were against terrorism.
Dehradun, July 19
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today launched a host of projects for north Bengal and slammed the main Opposition Left Front for trying to ignite problems in the hills. The projects include the first rail-bus service from Siliguri town to Bagdogra airport and resumption of air service between Coochbehar and Kolkata after a gap of 16 years.
Meerut: Within a week of a meat trader getting a mysterious phone call from Iran offering him Rs 2 crore to carry out blasts in the city, two more persons have approached the police claiming they have got similar cash-for-terror calls. Adil, a resident of Inchauli area, has approached the police saying that he received a call on July 17 from a person offering Rs 1.5 crore to him to carry out blasts in the city. On July 16, Vikas of nearby Baghpat district reported to police that a person calling from abroad offered him Rs 1 crore to carry out blasts in the city. — PTI
