The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Bhatta-Parsaul rapes
Bhatta rape cases: PAC commander, 16 jawans booked
Tribune News Service

Lucknow, October 24
Finally, in an attempt to save itself from further embarrassment as a result of contempt of court proceedings, the Uttar Pradesh Government filed an FIR this evening against a PAC company commander and 16 unidentified PAC jawans in the Bhatta-Parsaul rape case.

The decision, which comes almost five months after the incident, has finally vindicated AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi’s stand on the issue. He was the first senior leader to sneak into the twin villages on May 11, days after it was rocked by violence, killing four persons, on May 7.

While officials at the DGP office in Lucknow and the Gautam Buddha Nagar SSP’s office feigned ignorance regarding the FIRs, SO Dankaur police station Anuj Kumar confirmed the news.

“At around 5 pm, an FIR was registered at this police station against Company commander, PAC, and 16 unidentified jawans of the PAC,” said Kumar.

Earlier in the day, National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) chairperson PL Punia had threatened to initiate contempt of court proceedings against the Uttar Pradesh Government for not instituting FIRs in the alleged rape cases despite the Allahabad High Court’s ruling to do so.

Following a complaint by a Bhatta-Parsaul rape victim regarding police inaction, a lower court had ordered the lodging of an FIR in the case, a decision challenged by the state government in the Allahabad High Court.

On October 20, Allahabad High Court Justice SC Agarwal had upheld the decision of the lower court while dismissing the state government’s criminal revision petition. The judgment had clearly pointed out that the state government had no business to challenge the decision of the lower court in the matter. Despite the clear order of the Allahabad High Court, the state government had been silent on the issue for the last four days forcing the NCSC to threaten contempt proceedings.

The state government’s decision to file the FIR comes a day before the NCSC chairperson had summoned Gautam Budh Nagar SSP Jyoti Narayan to appear before the commission.

On October 5, NCSC chairperson Punia had issued an arrest warrant against the 1996 batch IPS officer Narayan for failing to investigate the seven alleged rape cases in the twin villages of Bhatta-Parsaul during the farmers clash with the police on May 7. Along with that, he had asked the state DGP to ensure Narayan’s appearance before the commission on October 25.

UP yatras dearer to BJP than Advani’s trip?
Faraz Ahmad/TNS

New Delhi, October 24
The BJP is not terribly pleased with LK Advani’s attempts to overshadow the two parallel party yatras - by Rajnath Singh and Kalraj Mishra - planned in Uttar Pradesh whose first phase concluded yesterday.

Formally, the BJP and some of its top leaders have been avoiding a direct reply as to who will join Advani’s Jan Chetna Yatra and at what time for the fear that their absence would make it to the news pages. But quite a few appear not too enthusiastic and have been maintaining a sort of laissez faire posture about their octogenarian leader’s 38-day spin around the country.

Even as confusion persisted in the party about Advani’s plans to make a flying visit to Bangalore as part of his yatra, with Advani insisting about no change in his plans, and the BJP sources hinting Advani should rather skip Bangalore, there were clear indications that the BJP and its leaders, have been far more keen on their GenNext leaders Rajnath Singh and Kalraj Mishra’s twin yatras in UP because of their immediate relevance to the state Assembly elections.

The first phase of the two yatras ended yesterday with a very significant development - Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley accompanied Rajnath Singh for the Lakhimpur party rally. With the past cold vibes between the two leaders being common knowledge, Jaitley’s presence there made several unstated political points, felt political observers.

Simultaneously, Kalraj Mishra concluded his first phase of the yatra in Orai near Jhansi which was attended by Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Uma Bharti.

In any case, Jaitley’s presence at Rajnath’s rally made more than a point because unlike Mishra, Rajnath is the sole leader who defied summons to show up at Varanasi for Advani’s public meeting on October 13. Sources said Rajnath ignored several missives and stayed away from Advani’s jamboree.

Therefore, Jaitley, who is known to be on no first-names terms with Rajnath was there obviously at the instance of the party high command with the blessings of the Sangh, claimed party insiders.

Inflated bills: Kiran Bedi to return excess amount
Agnivesh levels fresh charges against Bedi, Kejriwal

New Delhi, October 24
Under attack over charging her hosts business class for economy class travel, Team Anna member Kiran Bedi today offered to return the excess money collected but it did not cut much ice with her detractors.

As a controversy raged with several prominent figures, including former Chief Justice JS Verma, questioning her action, Bedi said the trustees of her NGO India Vision Foundation have asked her travel agent to return the balance amount to the hosts.

"Trustees have instructed the travel agent to return the balance amounts forthwith. They have already passed a resolution directing me to travel strictly as per invite. This leaves no room for discretion," she said.

She said the travel agent Anil Bal, also a trustee of the Foundation, was handling the travel account and has been asked to return the money. Bal's agency was handling the travel assignments of Bedi.

The Trustees, including adman Prahlad Kakkar, Laveleen Thadani, Achal Paul, Pradeep Halwasiya, Amarjit Singh and Sunil Nanda, were of the view that she need not save money for the NGO in this way, she told PTI.

Allegations were levelled against Bedi that she overcharged hosts by inflating her travel bills and that she availed discounts on air tickets using her gallantry medal. She defended herself saying she did not personally benefit and that the money thus saved went to the Foundation. — PTI

Expand definition of graft: SC panel

New Delhi: The National Commission for Scheduled Castes has suggested expanding the definition of the term corruption in the proposed Lokpal Bill by including issues like non-utilisation and diversion of funds from schemes meant for the welfare of STs and SCs. It has also suggested that no judge or the Chief Justice should be eligible for appointment in Lokpal panel if he has "passed adverse judgment on important Dalit issues". — PTI

Gang printing fake currency notes busted, 4 held

Patna, October 24
In a joint operation the police and the Special Task Force (STF) today busted a gang printing fake currency notes from Chowk police station area here and seized fake notes with a face value of Rs 57,000, a police official said.

Acting on a tip off, the STF and the police raided a house and arrested the four persons and seized the fakes notes, printer and other materials used for printing the fake currency notes, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Alok Kumar told reporters here.— PTI

Cong, TRS have struck deal to dilute stir: TDP
Suresh Dharur/TNS

Hyderabad, October 24
The architect of the Telangana movement K Chandrasekhar Rao is caught in the eye of a political storm following allegations that he has struck a “secret deal” with the Congress government to “dilute” the statehood agitation.

As a quid pro quo arrangement, Rao, who is the founder-president of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), had allegedly secured a major irrigation contract, worth over Rs 4,700 crore, in favour of his business partner.

‘Betrayal Day’ on November 1
Hyderabad: The Telagana Political Joint Action Committee has decided to observe the Andhra Pradesh Formation Day on November 1 as 'Betrayal Day'. Talking to reporters after a meeting of the JAC, its convener M Kodandaram said that Telangana supporters would hoist black flags at various places on that day.
“The formation of Andhra Pradesh is betrayal for us,” Kodandaram said. The pro-Telangana public representatives of various parties, who have quit their posts, would sit on a fast, he said. The duration of the fast would be decided soon, he said.— PTI

The charge, made by the main Opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP), set off ripples in political circles as it came against the backdrop of several key unions of government employees in the Telangana region calling off their indefinite stir at the behest of Telangana Joint Action Committee (TJAC) which is widely seen as a mouthpiece of the TRS.

While TRS rubbished the allegations, the TDP leaders released certain documents to drive home their point that the Telugu daily “Namasthe Telangana,” promoted by the TRS chief, had received investments from a construction company SEW Infrastructure Ltd which has bagged the contract, along with two other firms as part of a consortium, for executing the Polavaram irrigation project.

Interestingly, the controversial Polavaram project, across the Godavari river, has been facing strong opposition from Telangana protagonists, including the TRS, for several years now on the ground that it will benefit only the coastal belt and spell doom for the backward Telangana region.

The fact that a close aide of a Telangana votary has bagged the contract for a project that is under attack by statehood supporters took the political circles by surprise.

“The beneficiary of the government contract, CL Rajam, is also the managing director of “Namasthe Telangana” daily. He had invested Rs 2.39 crore in the daily through his own firm Intercontinental Infrastructure Limited, besides another Rs 5 crore through his son C Srikanth. They had bought the shares in the daily at Rs 10 per share,” senior TDP leader and former minister Kadiyam Srihari alleged.

“It is clear that as a quid pro quo gesture for getting investments into his daily, Rao had bargained with the Congress top brass during his recent visit to New Delhi and ensured that the irrigation contract was awarded to SEW Infrastructure Ltd,” the TDP leaders alleged.

The TRS leaders quickly denied the charges levelled, saying their party chief and his family members had nothing to do with Polavaram contract. “There is absolutely no link between Rajam’s business activities and the Telangana issue. So, the question of sabotaging the Telangana movement for the sake of Polavaram contract does not rise,” the TRS legislature party leader E Rajender said.

The Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy made light of the allegations. “These are technical issues which will be examined by the Empowered Committee. All that the government had approved was the price bid filed by SEW consortium at 12.5 per cent lower than the estimated cost. This will result in a saving of Rs 600 crore for the government. If there are any irregularities in the technical issues, the government and the courts will look into them,” he said.

NRI, parents arrested for harassing wife

Thane, October 24
An NRI man, along with his parents and brother, has been arrested for allegedly harassing his wife, police said today.

Sundipto Dey has been arrested with his family members — mother Tapti, father Virendranath and brother Pradipto — for the alleged harassment.

According P P Gugle of the Naupada police station, Sudipto's wife Samboti had moved to the United States after their marriage. However, soon, her in-laws started demanding more dowry.

Later, when the couple came to India on a vacation, the in-laws started harassing her. She was allegedly abused and tortured physically by her in-laws.—PTI

Blockade casts shadow on Diwali in Manipur
Bijay Sankar Bora/TNS

Imphal, October 24
With life remaining crippled under spiralling prices of essential commodities, scarcity of petroleum products, medicines and other items due to the hitherto 84-day-long economic blockade along the National Highway Nos 39 and 53 connecting Manipur with the rest of the country, people in the troubled northeastern state are staring at probably the costliest Diwali and Ningol Chakhoba festival this year.

“The Meitei community will celebrate Ningol Chakkouba festival on October 28 amid scarcity of essentials and other items. But the community just can’t avoid celebrating this traditional festival,” said N Satryajit, a resident of Imphal city.

Ningol Chakkouba is a festival where married women are invited by their brothers and parents to their homes for a grand feast. The brothers and parents prepare special dishes with as many varieties of fish as possible as the main menu.

“However, Ningol Chakhouba and Diwali may turn out to be a subdued affair in Manipur given the impact of the prolonged blockade on the financial position of the people,” said Singjjit Singh, a senior resident and brother of Manipur’s iconic lady Irom Sharmila who has been on a fast for around 11 years now, demanding repeal of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958, from her state.

The economic blockade that began on the midnight of July 31 with the agitating SADAR Hills District Demand Committee (SHDDC) giving a call for it. A counter-blockade was called from August 21 by the United Naga Committee (UNC), Manipur, which is opposed to granting the status of a separate district to Kuki tribe-dominated SADAR hills area. The result: National Highway Nos, 39 and 53 have remained under siege.

Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Home Minister P Chidambaram in New Delhi last week and discussed the situation of the state with them.

Despite repeated calls from both the Centre and the state government, the SHDDC has refused to call off the blockade unless its demands are met.

Manipur Government spokesman and Minister N Biren Singh admitted the blockade has created a severe shortage of essential commodities, including diesel and petrol. “People have to wait in long queues in front of petrol pumps to buy a few litres of fuel,” he said. One kg potatoes cost around Rs 50 while a kg of onions is pegged around Rs 70. The arrangements made by the government to maintain supply of essential commodities have not been sufficient.

Move to induct ex-Armymen in IPS slammed
Vijay Mohan/TNS

Chandigarh, October 24
Even as the government has given a go-ahead to the proposal to induct short-service commission (SSC) Army officers and ex-paramilitary officers into the Indian Police Service (IPS) and the notification in this regard is expected shortly, the move has apparently not gone down well with the IPS cadre.

The Issue
n Based on the Kamal Kumar Committee's suggestions, the government has agreed for a 'limited competitive examination' through the UPSC to induct ex-Army and paramilitary officers to overcome shortage of IPS officers.
n The first batch of such officers is expected to be inducted next year.
n However, the panel report says that strong reservations were voiced against the induction of Army officers. The Army itself was suffering from an acute shortage and it would not be prudent to poach its (Army's) resources, it adds.

Based on the recommendations of the Kamal Kumar Committee, the government had agreed for a ‘limited competitive examination’ through the Union Public Service Commission to induct the aforementioned officers to overcome the serious shortage of IPS officers. The first batch of such officers is expected to be inducted next year and this would be in addition to the regular entry through the Civil Services examinations (CSE).

However, the report of the committee, headed by retired IPS officer Kamal Kumar, states that strong reservations were voiced against the induction of Army officers. “It was pointed out that the Army itself was suffering from an acute shortage of officers, which was much greater than that in the IPS, and it would not be prudent in the overall national interest to poach Army’s resources,” the report says.

“The argument against the discharged SSC officers was that apart from the difficulties in imparting meaningful training to them in conceptual and practical skills of crime investigation and aspects of policing at their late age, it had also to be kept in mind that those who were not found good enough by the Army for further retention, may hardly be found useful for the IPS,” the report added.

According to figures released by the Ministry of Home Affairs earlier this year, the IPS cadre has an authorised strength of 4,720 officers. The present posted strength of the IPS is 3,393 officers, leaving a shortfall of 1,327 officers.

To mitigate the situation, the batch-size of IPS (direct recruitment) was increased from 88 in 2005 to 150 in 2009. Besides the new mode of induction to the IPS through the limited competitive examination to recruit around 80 additional officers annually was also brought in.

The limited examinations are expected to continue till 2020. Officers of the Army and paramilitary organisations like the BSF, the CRPF, the ITBP and the CISF who have put in at least five years service and are below 35 years of age would be eligible for writing the limited examination.

With one case this year, India set to be polio-free
Aditi Tandon/TNS

New Delhi, October 24
Down to one case this year, India is hoping to attain polio-free status by the end of 2011. The government will now treat every new reported case of polio as a public health emergency to push for the eradication goal.

For the first time since efforts began in 1985, the country has arrived this close to eliminating the infection that used to affect 2 lakh people when the campaign began. Even in 1995 when the highly lauded Pulse Polio Programme was launched, India had 50,000 polio cases. The reversal began in 2010 with 42 cases being reported.

But this year has been a watershed, with just one case surfacing so far on January 13 in Howrah in West Bengal. Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, the actual vulnerable spots, have reported no infection since April 2010 and also September 2010, respectively.

“No case of Type 3 polio has come up for over a year. We are the closest ever to eradicating polio,” a health ministry today said today. The ministry has designed an Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan to intensify measures to build immunity of children in all high-risk areas and conduct intensive immunisation campaigns rapidly in response to any polio cases.

Compared to one case this year, there were 39 in 2010. “Now that we are successfully past the monsoon, the toughest season to conquer polio, we are hoping for the best,’ ministry sources said.

Public health experts, however, said the key to eradicating polio was to prevent children being administered injections when they were experiencing fever.

“Polio infection remains essentially rural in nature. If you stop exposing a child to injections and pricks when he is experiencing fever, you can eradicate polio. In villages, quacks administer injections to bring down fever and this gives the virus a chance to attack the child’s nervous system. If injections are avoided, the polio virus will pass off with medication like any other virus,” Dr M Walia, acclaimed physician with Ram Manohar Lohia said.

Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad also sounded a note of caution. “We are close to our goal but are not taking any chances. Efforts will be further intensified to stop any residual poliovirus circulation and prevent polio cases following an international importation,” he said.

To check polio importation from Pakistan, which is experiencing a resurgence and has re-infected China recently, polio immunisation has begun at Wagah border and Attari railway station in Punjab since September and Munabo in Barmer district of Rajasthan since this month. Continuous polio vaccination is also being carried out at 81 transit points along the Indo-Nepal border in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar since April this year, the Azad said.

“The key is four doses of the vaccine for every child under 5 years. Repetitive dosage is a must to ensure lifelong immunity for children, “Dr Walia added.

Two conmen remanded in CBI custody

Mumbai, October 24
A special court today remanded two persons, arrested for posing as CBI officers and duping several people including Bollywood personalities, to CBI custody, after it was informed that the duo has revealed vital information during the lie detector tests, which needs to be investigated.

The Anti-Corruption wing of the CBI had arrested Ashwini Kumar Sharma and Rajesh Ranjan last month for posing as officers of the agency and extorting crores of rupees from several persons, including film director Rakesh Roshan and businessmen.

The agency had last week sought permission from the court to conduct lie detector tests on the duo to find out the name of the CBI officer, who was helping the accused.

"The two arrested accused were subjected to lie detector tests at the Hyderabad forensic lab and reports have been submitted. The accused have revealed vital information, for which, further interrogation and corroboration is required," a CBI press note said. — PTI

No Hindu-Muslim divide on women malnutrition, all suffer equally
J&K an exception; Hindus behind Muslims on all health indices
Aditi Tandon/TNS

New Delhi, October 24
The majority-minority debate becomes irrelevant when it comes to health indicators of women in India. Analysis of the latest data collated by the India Human Development Report-2011 shows that there is no difference whatsoever between Hindus and Muslims in adult female malnutrition as also anaemia. The report records shocking levels of hunger and says, “By WHO’s standards, India is in a state of famine”.

On women malnutrition, the situation is similar for Hindus and Muslims in all states, except Jammu and Kashmir where Hindus are much behind Muslims on all health outcomes. The percentage of Muslim women with body mass index less than 18.5 (the measure of adult malnutrition) is just 21 in J&K as against 32 for Hindu women. A similar gap exists for underweight children in the state where Muslims are closer to the state’s average and better than the all-India average for Muslims whereas Hindus are lower than the state’s averages for all health outcomes.

Otherwise, Hindu and Muslim women suffer equally on the count, though the number of malnourished adult Muslim women is rising.

Malnutrition statistics reveal that the highest increase in the number of malnourished Muslim women (BMI under 18.5) is in Orissa. Bihar, on the other hand, recorded the highest percentage of malnutrition among Hindu women.

In both the communities, the highest percentage of women suffering from malnutrition is concentrated in low per capita income states like Jharkhand, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh. So far as socially marginalised groups go, their percentage of women with less than 18.5 BMI is much higher than the national average. Malnutrition among women is higher than the national average of 36 pc for SCs (41 pc) and STs (47 pc).

Bihar and Orissa are again the worst when it comes to malnutrition among SC and ST women. In both states, over 50 pc women of these groups are malnourished.

“The percentage of men with BMI less than 18.5 is marginally lower than that for women. It stood at 34.2 per cent as per the latest data. According to the WHO, if 40 pc or more of the population has a BMI less than 18.5 - which is quite close to the Indian situation - it is regarded as a state of famine. If India is not in a state of famine, it is quite clearly in a state of chronic hunger since only such hunger can lead to a situation where a third of the country’s adults have a BMI less than 18.5,” the India Human Development report concludes.

Even on anaemia, women are equally suffering across communities, except among Jains and Sikhs. There has also been an increase in the incidence of women suffering from anaemia, with the highest such increase - 6 percentage points - being for Muslim women.

While the prevalence of anaemia among Hindu and Muslim women was found to be closer to the national average, it was the lowest for Sikhs and Jains.

Despite mishaps, train stunts continue to thrill youngsters in Mumbai
Shiv Kumar/TNS

Mumbai, October 24
Despite the crackdown on boys and young men performing dangerous stunts on Mumbai's local trains, thrill seekers are risking their lives in ever larger numbers.

According to the Government Railway Police (GRP) Commissioner Prabhat Kumar, over 3,200 persons -- mainly young boys and youth — Were nabbed till the end of September for hanging out of trains and performing stunts.

Police officials stationed at the Central Railway headquarters at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus railway station say the number of thrill-seekers seem to have increased ever since a video posted on YouTube featured young men performing dangerous stunts on a running train.

At least four boys are reported to have been killed and many others seriously injuries after falling off running trains. "We have now formed special squads to catch these people," said a Central Railway spokesman.

Most incidents of train stunts have been reported on the Harbour Branch of the Central Railway, which is home to vast tracts of slums. In just one day last week, 15 boys were caught in the act, say police.

Often, the boys’ parents are called and the boys are let off with a warning. The authorities have also posted emergency telephone numbers in the coaches so that people can alert the police.

The menace has assumed such serious overtones that political parties like the Shiv Sena are openly issuing appeals against such dangerous stunts. Aditya Thackeray, Yuva Sena Chief and grandson of Bal Thackeray, is the latest to issue a public appeal.

Cash for vote
HC stays summons against Rewati Raman

New Delhi, October 24
The Delhi High Court Monday stayed till Nov 15 a trial court's summons to Samajwadi Party MP Rewati Raman Singh in the 2008 cash-for-votes scandal in parliament. The trial court had asked the MP to appear before it on November 3.

"Proceedings are stayed before the trial court till next date of hearing November 15," Justice Suresh Kait said. The special trial court hearing the cash-for-votes case last week asked Delhi Police to include Rewati Raman Singh as an accused in the case, saying there was sufficient material to show that he was part of the criminal conspiracy.

The court, which issued a notice to Delhi police after taking note of the petition, said the "audio-video CDs of the sting operation" be also submitted to it on the next date of hearing.

Earlier, the lower court had brushed aside the clean chit given to Singh in the scam and issued a summon as an accused to him for November 3, saying "there was sufficient material to show that he was a part of alleged criminal conspiracy." During the day, Justice Kait granted bail to Rajya Sabha MP Amar Singh, a co-accused, after taking note of his critical health conditions.

On July 22, 2008, BJP MPs Faggan Singh Kulaste, Mahavir Bhagora and Ashok Argal waved wads of currency notes in the Lok Sabha ahead of a trust vote, alleging they were given the money to vote in favour of the Manmohan Singh government. — Agencies

After a Supreme Court rap for shoddy probe, Delhi Police July 17 made their first arrest in the case, taking Amar Singh's secretary Sanjeev Saxena into custody. Three days later, middleman Suhail Hindustani was arrested and Sep 6 Kulaste and Bhagora, who are no longer MPs, were taken into custody.

BJP: Accused getting bail, whistleblowers still in prison

With cash-for-vote accused Amar Singh granted bail in the scam, the BJP on Monday lamented that while those charged with bribery in the case are getting out of jail, the whistleblowers are still behind bars. "All those who have been accused of bribery in a scam which really impacted Indian democracy, i.e. the vote of confidence won by bribery, seem to be foremost in getting relief from courts," Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley said.

He maintained that it was a "sad commentary" on the state of things . — PTI

CBI inspects BSNL records of Maran’s ‘phone exchange’

New Delhi, October 24
Nearly four years after getting complaints, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has started a formal probe into allegations that a 'virtual' telephone exchange was set up at the then telecom minister Dayanidhi Maran's home for facilitating data transfer from Sun TV, owned by his brother Kalanithi Maran.

The CBI is scrutinising crucial documents received from Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) on allocation of over 300 high-capacity telecom lines to Dayanidhi Maran's residence.

Sources said the scrutiny will take another two months after which CBI will be filing a regular case in the matter. The agency had sought these documents from the state-run telecom firm after filing a preliminary enquiry in the case.

The sources in the agency said they were trying to figure out how the allocation of such a huge number of ISDN lines capable of carrying very large data was made to Chennai residence of the former telecom minister and how was it connected to the Sun TV office.

They are also trying to analyse the losses suffered by the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited because of these dedicated lines.

The agency had sought documents related to sanction given for setting these ISDN lines. It has asked the Telecommunication Department to provide them with technical details of the alleged set-up connecting Sun TV office and former Telecom Minister Dayanidhi Maran's residence. — PTI