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Charges framed against Lalu, Mishra in fodder scam
In 5 years, MLAs’ assets nearly double
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HC nod for Delhi gurdwara poll
Drunk AI pilot removed
Probe Siddiqui, Lokayukta again tells Mayawati
Punjab among least-affected states
Shehla
murder case
Handa’s allegation of bias an ‘after thought’
Gogoi’s please-all tactic: 21 more Parliamentary Secys
IAF-Army exercise in N-E
Don’t shut Assamese medium schools, ULFA warns Railways
Palampur-born Air Marshal is Training Command
AOC-in-C
MNC firm to pick up stake in Shillong football club
Govt seeks SC clarification on 2G auction Bengal cops lock horns over eve-teasing
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Charges framed against Lalu, Mishra in fodder scam
Patna, March 1 The court has framed charges against them about 16 years after the case was lodged. After all the accused appeared before a special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court in the multi-crore-rupee fodder scam case, charges were framed against them. The court also said that trial against the accused, including Lalu Prasad and Mishra, would begin soon. Public Prosecutor Jai Prakash said that the court would start the trial within a week. Both Lalu Prasad and Mishra denied allegations against them and claimed they were framed. “I have nothing to do with the fodder scam. The CBI conspired to frame me in this case. The CBI was biased against me and false cases are being thrust on me,” Lalu Prasad told reporters after the hearing. Mishra said, "I was not involved in the scam but the CBI framed me." The move is seen in political circles as a major setback for Lalu Prasad, who heads the Rashtriya Janata Dal, the main Opposition party in Bihar. Last year, the court dismissed the discharge petitions of the accused. It had fixed March 1 as the date for framing charges against them and asked them to be present on the day. The case was filed against Lalu Prasad, Mishra and others for allegedly conspiring to fraudulently withdraw Rs 47 lakh from the Bhagalpur treasury between 1995 and 1996. The CBI filed a chargesheet against 44 persons on March 31, 2003, and the court took its cognisance on April 30 that year. Of the 44 accused, six have died, two have turned approvers, while two others are still evading arrest. A total of 34 people are facing trial. According to court officials, Lalu Prasad, till date, has been charged in six cases related to the fodder scam. Five of these were registered in Ranchi in Jharkhand, which was carved out of Bihar in 2000. Funds meant for cattle feed were misused by politicians and government officials in the scam, which surfaced in the 1990s in undivided Bihar. Large amounts were withdrawn illegally on the pretext of purchasing fodder. —
Agencies
Leaders, babus make hay Funds meant for cattle feed were misused by politicians and government officials in the scam, which surfaced in the 1990s in undivided Bihar. Large amounts were withdrawn illegally on the pretext of purchasing fodder
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In 5 years, MLAs’ assets nearly double
Lucknow, March 1 But how their five-year tenure benefited their assets is something that financial figures speak out aloud. It is also a miracle that legislators have added crores of rupees to their assets within five years by declaring professions like farming, social work, teaching and law. According to the data provided by National Election Watch regarding assets of re-contesting MLAs’ in the 2012 Vidhan Sabha elections, the average assets of these MLAs, as declared in 2007, was Rs 1.21 crore which has now increased to Rs 3.56 crore - a growth of 194 per cent. The person topping the list in terms of increase in assets is BSP MLA and youngest Cabinet minister Nand Gopal “Nandi” from Allahabad South constituency. He has shown the highest increase in assets amounting to Rs 79.94 crore (from 15.32 crore to 95.26 crore). In 2007, he showed his profession as a retailer. Now he is into trading, distribution and manufacturing. It may be recalled that in July 2010, he escaped a bomb attack outside his Allahabad residence in which a local BSP worker and a journalist were killed. He was airlifted to Lucknow where after months, he managed to recover. Second on the list is a member of the Rampur royal family, Nawab Kazim Ali Khan, who won in 2007 on a Samajwadi Party ticket, then joined the BSP and re-contested on its symbol. This time, he is the Congress candidate from Suar Tanda in Rampur. His assets have witnessed an increase of Rs 47.7 crore (from Rs 9.18 crore in 2007 to 56.89 crore in 2012). In 2007, he was into farming and doing some business. In the intervening years, he has become an architect and his wife a fashion designer. The controversial don-turned-politician and head of the Rashtriya Parivartan Dal Dharam Pal Yadav from Sahaswan constituency in Badaun is third on the list. His assets have seen a remarkable increase of Rs 28.3 crore (from Rs 14.42 crore in 2007 to 47.72 crore in 2012).
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HC nod for Delhi gurdwara poll
New Delhi, March 1 “The process of delimitation and preparation of fresh electoral rolls is undoubtedly in progress and no error can be found with the decision of the Lieutenant Governor,” the Division Bench ruled. The single-Judge had ruled that the Delhi Government could hold the elections only after completing the delimitation exercise in 46 wards within a month and preparing the electoral rolls with the voters’ photographs. The DGE challenged the verdict, contending that the poll process was already on and as such the judiciary had no powers to interfere. If necessary, the delimitation and preparation of fresh voters’ list could be undertaken immediately and completed in time, the Division Bench held. The poll process had been challenged by one Harmohan Singh, contending that holding elections on the basis of incomplete electoral rolls and without delimitation of wards would result in unfair representation of members from each ward. Under the earlier schedule, the election was to be held on March 11. The Division Bench clarified that it would not interfere with the decision of the Lt Governor. Appearing for the DGE, senior advocate KTS Tulsi said the delimitation of wards could be done only after the elections as it would take a long time.
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Drunk AI pilot removed
New Delhi, March 1 According to officials, Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh took a strong view of reports about drunken pilots and sought details from the national carrier on Joseph, who was earlier suspended for three months following the incident. Joseph, GM (Operations) in Chennai, had tested positive on alcohol in a pre-flight medical check on February 3. He was about to operate flight AI-671/672 on the Chennai- Madurai-Chennai-Mumbai sector, which was then operated by another commander. The senior commander, who also held the charge of Flight Operations Inspector with aviation regulator DGCA, was among the highest grade pilots in the country.
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Probe Siddiqui, Lokayukta again tells Mayawati
Lucknow, March 1 According to Justice Mehrotra, the arguments put forward by the Mayawati government opposing the probe by a central agency does not hold water. Hence he has decided to seek Governor’s intervention.
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Italy begins case against marines
Kochi, March 1 The police custody of the two Italian marines Latore Massimiliano and Salvatore Gironi was meanwhile extended till March 5 by a Kollam court. The two accused are in police custody since February 20. A communication from the Deputy Attorney Dr Eliza Betta Cenicola stating that as per Article 575 of Italian Penal code whoever causes death of a person was punishable with a prison term of not less than 21 years was filed in the High Court by counsel for Italian government and the two marines. The case has led to a diplomatic stand-off between India and Italy. During the proceedings in the High Court, Justice P S Gopinathan ticked off the Italian government, pointing out "serious defects" in its plea seeking quashing of FIR against the two marines and sternly told them it will look into the petition only after these are "cured". Italian government should not have an impression that the Indian Judiciary was so loose that anyone could file a plea before courts, he said in the open court. The judge directed the Consul General to produce necessary documentary evidence to show that the Consulate has the authorisation to represent Italian government in legal proceedings relating to the killing of the fishermen by the marines on board the cargo ship Enrica Lexie off the Kerala coast last month. The judge even expressed doubt whether the signature of one of the accused affixed in the affidavit produced before the court was genuine. Even though senior counsel for the petitioners repeatedly requested the court to look into the documents, the court refused and directed the petitioners to "cure" the defects. Only after "curing" the defects, the documents would be looked into, the judge held. — PTI
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Punjab among least-affected states
New Delhi, March 1 NACO provided the information to a Bench of Justices GS Singhvi and SJ Mukhopadhaya that is hearing a bunch of petitions challenging the Delhi High Court verdict decriminalising homosexual activity among consenting adults in privacy. According to the statistics submitted by Additional Solicitor General Mohan Jain, Punjab, Orissa, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh together account for 12 per cent of 23.9 lakh cases of HIV/AIDS infection. Each of these four states has about 50,000 to one lakh such cases. Andhra and Maharashtra have 5 lakh and 4.2 lakh cases while Karnataka and Tamil Nadu have 2.5 lakh and 1.5 lakh such persons. As a whole, the four high-risk states have a share of 55 per cent of the HIV/AIDS affected persons in the country. The issue cropped up in the court following arguments that the incidence of such infections is high among people with homosexual orientation. The Health Ministry supports decriminalisation of such acts in order to encourage such people to admit their preference and thereby make the task of dealing with the infection easier. On the other hand, those in favour of Section 377 IPC, under which same gender sex is a crime, cite the same figures to bolster their viewpoint. Of the 23.9 lakh HIV/AIDS patients, 3.5 per cent are children below 15 years of age while 83 per cent are in the 15-50 age group. Women constitute about 40 per cent of the affected population. West Bengal, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar fall in the moderate category, each accounting for about one lakh cases. The four states account for 22 per cent of the affected population. The statistics, which pertain to 2009, do not talk about Haryana, Himachal Pradesh or other states. The SC Bench has also sought details about the number of people with homosexual orientation for adjudicating the appeals against the HC verdict.
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CBI searches Zahida’s office
Bhopal, March 1 Search was on even in the evening. Irfan, a third suspect and one of the alleged shooters, who was arrested by Uttar Pradesh Police in connection with another case, had told the interrogators that he had been hired by Zahida's men for killing Shehla, said CBI spokesperson, Dharini Mishra. According to sources, Zahida told CBI officers that she had Masood killed through hired shooters, because she suspected Masood's relations with her husband. Masood, a well-known RTI activist, was shot dead outside her house at Koh-e-Fiza locality of Bhopal on August 16 last. As the search at Zahida's office, located in a busy commercial area, started in the afternoon, curious onlookers gathered outside. Police were deployed in the area as a precautionary measure. The CBI has also deployed armed security personnel at the office. — PTI
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Handa’s allegation of bias an ‘after thought’
Chandigarh, March 1 Maj Gen Handa has moved the Armed Forces Tribunal for not being empanelled for promotion to the rank of Lieutenant General. He has stated that while commanding 57 Mountain Division, Gen VK Singh, the then Eastern Army Commander and the reviewing officer of his ACR, had a role in him being awarded a “displeasure” and being given a “lukewarm” report, contrary to his earlier profile and his performance. Handa’s counsel, Col NK Kohli (retd) argued that despite having an outstanding career profile, he had suffered simply for being at the wrong place at the wrong time. He had refused to change the Chief’s date of birth while he was posted in the Military Secretary’s Branch at Army Headquarters prior to proceeding to the north-east. Col Kohli contended that apart from the date of birth issue, there was no other reason for being given lower points in the ACR. Counsel for the respondents, Capt Sandeep Bansal contended that Handa had filed his non-statutory complaint over his ACR, knowing that it would be decided by the Army Chief, wherein there were no allegations of any bias in regard to the date of birth issue. These allegations cropped up later in the statutory complaint filed with the central government, which was also rejected. He said that Handa had also not sought redress against his grievance on his ACRs within the mandatory period of six months. Nor did he challenge the orders rejecting any of his complaints. While pointing out that Handa had not challenged the election process of proceedings of the selection board, Bansal added that the displeasure awarded to Handa was in fact just a “reproof”, which is not recorded in the ACR or any other document and hence has no bearing on promotional aspects.
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Gogoi’s please-all tactic: 21 more Parliamentary Secys
Guwahati, March 1
As per the amended provision of the Constitution, Assam with a 126-member Assembly can have a ministry of maximum 19 members, including the CM.
So, after coming back to power with 78 Congress MLAs in the last Assembly election of 2011 Gogoi has been exploring ways to keep his folk happy as he could accommodate only 17 Congress MLAs in the ministry while leaving one ministerial berth to long-time ally BPF.
The parliamentary secretaries will be attached with various Cabinet ministers and departments. They took oath while their portfolios remain to be distributed.
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IAF-Army exercise in N-E
New Delhi, March 1 Frontline fighters, airborne radars, UAVs, helicopters, transport aircraft and combat troops of the Army are part of the exercise. The IAF warplanes are using the three major airbases in the North-East - Chabua, Tezpur and Bagdogra. The advanced landing grounds in Arunachal Pradesh will also be used in the operation codenamed Pralay (catastrophe). The four-day exercise will involve all the frontline fighter aircraft — the Sukhoi 30-MKI, Mirage-2000, MiG-29, Jaguar, MiG 21 and IL-78 air-to-air refuelling planes. Mi-17 choppers and An-32 transport planes will also take part. The exercise will include air drop of troops using tactical lift aircraft C-130-J, acquired from the US, while the Airborne Warning and Control Systems (AWACS) mounted on a IL 76 transport plane and UAV’s will be used to provide a real-time battlefield picture for better coordination. The exercise involves the IAF’s Eastern Air Command and Eastern Command of the Indian Army, Wing Commander Gerald Galway, spokesperson of the IAF, said today.
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Don’t shut Assamese medium schools, ULFA warns Railways
Guwahati, March 1
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Palampur-born Air Marshal is Training Command
AOC-in-C
Bangalore, March 1 An alumnus of the NDA, the Air Marshal was commissioned in the Indian Air Force in December 1974 in the fighter stream. His predecessor Air Marshal Dhiraj Kukreja, the last chief of the Training Command, was a transport aircraft pilot. A senior pilot at the Aircraft and Systems and Testing Establishment said nothing much should be read in the posting of a fighter pilot as the chief of the Training Command. “It's a pilot’s vacancy. Many fighter pilots have headed the Training Command earlier,” the IAF official said. Rajinder Singh takes over as the chief of the Training Command at a time when questions are being raised with regard to the training format of the IAF for its rookie pilots. The propeller-driven basic trainer HPT-32 has been grounded and trainees are being given their first flying lessons aboard Kiran, an intermediate jet trainer. Some of the recent crashes involving IAF pilots have been blamed on this allegedly flawed training format, a charge that is denied by the IAF. As chief of the Training Command, Rajinder Singh will oversee the basic training of all three categories of IAF pilots - fighter, transport aircraft and helicopter pilots.
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MNC firm to pick up stake in Shillong football club
Guwahati, March 1 The red (home jersey) and white (away jersey) team that has been on a dream run of late and became cynosure of soccer fan all over the country, has done something path breaking in Indian football by roping in an MNC owned by an NRI to pick up 25% stake in the club. NRI Pradhyum Reddy, who is currently coaching the club in the I-League, said, “The money made available by the MNC stakeholder will go a long way in helping the club uplift its youth development academy so that we can produce quality players of our own instead o having to go shopping for players from outside.” Reddy said, “We will now have resources to revamp our marketing for getting much better sponsorship and upgrade the club from a North-East brand to a completely Indian brand in near future. We have plan to send some of our senior players to Denmark to play in their second division at the end of the season here so that they become more skilled and bring back home techniques from the foreign soil. Our coaches can also be sent to Denmark where the football season starts at the end of the season in India, on exposure trip so that it helps make out our team better.” He said Indian football stood to gain a lot if Lajong could produce quality player through its youth development academy that will get a fillip with MNC fund for the club.
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Govt seeks SC clarification on 2G auction New Delhi, March 1 The government also plans to file another petition tomorrow seeking review of its order on the appropriateness of a policy it followed for the allotment of 2G licences in 2008. In two separate petitions today, the government sought relief from the court that had given its landmark verdicts a month ago in which it had cancelled the 122 licences issued by the then Telecom Minister A Raja on first-come-first served basis.
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Bengal cops lock horns over eve-teasing Midnapore (WB), March 1 The police arrived at the scene after being held up at Gopali, one km away from the camp, following the disturbances, during which the remaining CIF personnel fled from the spot, police sources said. CIF IG SN Gupta and DIG (Midnapore Range) Vineet Goyel subsequently held talks with the EFR men and set the four CIF personnel free. A police force, led by SDPO Dipak Sarkar, took over the CIF camp after the fire brigade put out the flames. Earlier in the day, villagers blocked the Keshiary- Kharagpur state highway demanding handing over of a CIF man accused of molesting a girl, said to be the daughter of an EFR jawan, on Tuesday night when she was returning home from tuition. As the police asked the agitators to disperse and clear the state highway, the villagers indulged in brick batting, leading the police to resort to baton charge. Fourteen policemen were injured in brick batting by the villagers. Earlier on February 24, 20 CIF men were injured in a clash with EFR. The EFR alleged that a CIF man had misbehaved with women at a fair in the area. — PTI
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Patna, March 1
The 285 sitting MLAs re-contesting for the 16th Vidhan Sabha may find it difficult to explain how they positively contributed to progress of their respective constituencies.
A Bench comprising Acting Chief Justice AK Sikri and Justice Rajiv Sahai passed an order to this effect by setting aside the order of a single-Judge Bench that had restrained the Directorate Gurdwara Elections (DGE) from holding elections to the DSGMC.
