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Agnivesh questions use of funds by Team Anna
Darjeeling bridge collapse kills 40
Flight makes emergency landing in Hyderabad
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Ex-Chief of Naval Staff Dawson dead
Co-accused’s confession can’t be sole basis for conviction: SC
ULFA-govt peace talks tomorrow
Notice to EC over supplementing EVMs with paper trails
Tihar seeks IIM's
help to boost sales Ward member at 102
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Agnivesh questions use of funds by Team Anna
New Delhi, October 23 Another former member “Waterman” Rajinder Singh also raised the issue urging Kejriwal to come clean on the controversy regarding donations to the Anna Hazare movement, saying he could not see transparency in the matter as Team Anna preaches. Team Anna, however, dismissed the allegations, saying Agnivesh might be levelling such accusations “out of anger”. Agnivesh was removed from the team following the surfacing of a video clip that purportedly showed him asking a person to deal strongly with Hazare. They said all details regarding their accounts will be put on the website of the Public Cause Research Foundation (PCRF), by this month-end after a special audit. Activist Kiran Bedi, who is facing allegations of overcharging institutions on travel bills, alleged there was a “pattern to defame” Team Anna members and said “hang some of us if that helps”. Agnivesh, who had yesterday alleged that Kejriwal has siphoned off over Rs 80 lakh donated by people for Anna Hazare’s agitation by diverting it to a trust run by him, said Hazare did not have his name in the Public Cause Research Foundation run by Kejriwal. “I am not blaming Kejriwal that he is deliberately doing so and does not want transparency. I am also not saying there is some fraud and corruption in accounts,” Angivesh said, insisting that his protest was only for transparency. Maintaining that they were “transparent” in their functioning, Kejriwal’s associate and Team Anna member Manish Sisodia said, “We have conducted a special audit for the past six months and by the month-end we are putting the details on the website.” On Agnivesh, he said, “We have no animosity with Swami Agnivesh. He could have said something out of anger. It’s not in our custom to rebut against anything that an elderly says.” He said Hazare was aware that donations were being deposited in the foundation account and nothing was hidden from him. — PTI
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Darjeeling bridge collapse kills 40
Kolkata, October 23 The over-loaded hanging wooden bridge over the river gave way at around 8 p.m. Many of the victims got trapped in the nearby hillocks and several persons were swept away in the turbulent riverwaters. The Army and the disaster management forces were deployed immediately for rescue operation. The forces had recovered 34 bodies so far. Some 70 injured persons were admitted to different hospitals and nursing homes in Darjeeling and Siliguri, where six more persons succumbed to the injuries. Accompanied by Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi, union minister of state for health Sudip Bandopadhya and several other state ministers, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee visited the accident site and the hospitals at Siliguri and Darjeeling today. She ordered a high-level inquiry into the accident. The CM has declared an ex-gratia payment of Rs two lakh to the families of the deceased, Rs 50,000 each to the seriously injured and Rs 25,000 each to the persons who suffered minor injuries. According to reports, over 1000 hill people from different villages in and around Darjeeling were present at the month-long tourist festival, which was inaugurated by Mamata Banerjee last week. After the end of the mela in the evening, the people were in a hurry to return homes. As a result, the over-crowded wooden bridge caved in. While some of the people plunged into the river, some were trapped in the nearby hillocks. Police and the GJM volunteers started the rescue operation. The Army and the disaster management personnel were also rushed to the spot. The bridge was built by the British in 1942 had been in a deplorable condition. He blamed the district administration and the tea gardens authorities for not maintaining the bridge properly.
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Flight makes emergency landing in Hyderabad
Hyderabad, October 23 The Emirates flight with 481 passengers on board was on its way from Bangkok to Dubai when pilots detected a technical snag in the wee hours. The aircraft first approached the Chennai airport but did not get clearance for landing since the runway was busy. The pilots then contacted ATC, Bangalore, and got clearance for an emergency landing. A full contingent of fire tenders, ambulances and support staff was on standby to provide emergency assistance. “The Airport Rescue Fire Fighters upgraded themselves from CAT-9 to CAT-10 category to ensure safe landing of the aircraft. It landed safely at 3.40 am. The aircraft has been towed to the parking bay and passengers have been sent to Dubai on an alternative aircraft,” a spokesman said.
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Ex-Chief of Naval Staff Dawson dead
Bangalore, October 23 The funeral service will be held at St Johns Church in Bangalore at 10.30 am on Tuesday and the burial will take place at Kalpalli Military Cemetery.
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Co-accused’s confession can’t be sole basis for conviction: SC
New Delhi, October 23
A bench of justices Aftab Alam and Ranjana Prakash Desai said confession made by a co-accused can be considered by courts to assist them in arriving at the truth, only if the main evidence proceeds in similar direction. "Therefore, in dealing with a case against an accused, the court cannot start with the confession of a co-accused,” it said.
— PTI
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ULFA-govt peace talks tomorrow
New Delhi, October 23 Top ULFA leaders will discuss with government representatives various aspects of the group's 'charter of demands' which sought amendment in the Constitution for finding "meaningful" ways to protect the rights and identity of the indigenous people of Assam. The ULFA team will led by its 'chairman' Arabinda Rajkhowa. — PTI
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Notice to EC over supplementing EVMs with paper trails
Guwahati, October 23 The writ petition was filed by former minister and AGP general secretary Jagadish Bhuyan. The notices issued by the high court to the CEC and EC are returnable by December 5. The notices were received by EC standing counsel D Baruah. Petitioner Bhuyan said he had prayed for directing the ECI and CEC to supplement the existing EVMs with voter-verifiable paper trails so that the voter could be sure that the vote cast by him/her had fallen on the right symbol.
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Tihar seeks IIM's
help to boost sales
New Delhi, October 23 A team from IIM-Ahmedabad will study the branded products of Tihar Jail and suggest ways to improve marketing of these items, Tihar Jail Director General Neeraj Kumar said.
"Dheeraj Sharma, associate professor of IIM-Ahmedabad, and his team have offered us help in improving the brand image of our products. He will visit our prison some day soon and help us in issues related to sales, distribution and management of TJ brand products," he said. — PTI
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Jantar Mantar
The seating arrangements made at Vigyan Bhavan for the opening session of the National Development Council meet last week included the mandatory row of chairs for Prime
minister Manmohan Singh and his key ministers like Pranab Mukherjee, P Chidambaram, Kapil Sibal and Dinesh Trivedi. However, the Trinamool Congress leader and Railway Minister Trivedi was conspicuous by his absence from the stage although his nameplate could be spotted on the table. It is not that Trivedi had decided to boycott the meet. He merely chose to sit in the audience as his leader, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, was also seated there. Trivedi did not want to be sit on an elevated platform while his boss and party supremo was sitting below along with other Chief Ministers, fearing it might upset her.
Gadkari's Diwali feast
CMs & corruption
When two Congress CMs met at a social function in the Capital recently, they kept bemoaning about how CMs across the political spectrum are facing tough times. After exchanging notes in this regard, both cautioned each other to be alert and hoped they would meet next in happier times. Starting with former Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan, who was forced to step down following his involvement in the Adarsh Housing scam, the list of Chief Ministers, who are troubled by corruption charges, is lengthening. The BJP had to sacrifice its Uttarakhand and Karnataka Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishnak and BS Yeddyurappa, as their tainted image was hurting the party. Though politically well-ensconced, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa had to depose before a special court in the Rs 66-crore disproportionate case while closer home, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit is biding her time, hoping the CWG controversy will not hit the headlines once again.
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At least 40 persons, including seven women and four children, were killed and 80 others injured as a bridge collapsed over Ranjit River at Bijonbari, about 30 km from Darjeeling town, late yesterday.
BJP president Nitin Gadkari's Diwali dinner for journalists last week was a sedate affair though mediapersons turned out in large numbers to partake of his hospitality. None of the BJP A-listers were present as most senior leaders were said to be out of town or otherwise busy with Diwali functions. Although known to be quite a foodie, Gadkari did not partake of the vegetarian fare which was on offer that evening. Having undergone a surgery recently to lose weight, the portly BJP chief continues to be on a liquid diet. Given the ongoing turmoil in Indian polity, Gadkari's conversation was surprisingly non-political. He instead chose to dwell at length on the promotion of biofuels (his favourite subject) and the road projects he had undertaken as a minister in Maharashtra.