SPECIAL COVERAGE
CHANDIGARH

LUDHIANA

DELHI



THE TRIBUNE SPECIALS
50 YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE

TERCENTENARY CELEBRATIONS
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N A T I O N

Pak scientist Chisti gets bail
New Delhi, April 9
Eighty-year-old ailing Pakistani scientist Mohammed Khalil Chisti, serving life term in an Ajmer jail in Rajasthan in a 20-year-old murder case, was today granted bail by the Supreme Court on humanitarian grounds.

Relatives of Khalil Chisti (inset) celebrate in Ajmer after he was granted interim bail by the apex court

Relatives of Khalil Chisti (inset) celebrate in Ajmer after he was granted interim bail by the apex court.
— PTI

When Zardari said: ‘Feels like I am in Lahore’
New Delhi, April 9
Pakistan President Asif Zardari was struck by the similarities between Lahore and Delhi on his first visit to the Indian Capital yesterday. “Aisa lag ra hai jaise Lahore mein ghoom rahein hain,” Zardari told Parliamentary Affairs Minister PK Bansal, who was deputed as minister-in-waiting with the visiting dignitary.


EARLIER STORIES



United States Navy sailors on board USS Halsey as the ship calls on the Chennai port on Monday
United States Navy sailors on board USS Halsey as the ship calls on the Chennai port on Monday. USS Halsey, along with USS Carl Vinson and USS Bunker Hill, is taking part in a joint military exercise with the Indian Navy from April 9 to April 16 in the Bay of Bengal. — PTI

Evidence on Saeed already provided to Pak: India
New Delhi, April 9
Within hours of Pakistan Prime Minister hinting that there was not enough evidence against the planner of Mumbai attacks, Hafiz Saeed, India hit back saying a clear trail of evidence leading up to Saeed has been provided to Pakistan and it establishes his role in the November 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.

Odisha hostage crisis deepens
Bhubaneswar, April 9
As the deadline set by the abductors of BJD MLA Jhina Hikaka and Italian tour guide Paolo Bosusco ends tomorrow, the chances of an early solution to the twin hostage crises in Odisha appeared to have receded with both Maoist groups placing new conditions for the duo's release from captivity.

Odisha cops threaten to boycott anti-Naxal ops

ULFA doves seek leader’s extradition from B’desh
Guwahati, April 9
The Government of India has assured the pro-talks faction of the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) that it would make attempts for the extradition of the outfit’s general secretary Anup Chetia who is lodged in a jail in Bangladesh.

ULFA chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa (R) and other delegates of the outfit after meeting Union Home Secretary RK Singh in New Delhi on Monday. A Tribune photograph

ULFA chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa (R) and other delegates of the outfit after meeting Union Home Secretary RK Singh in New Delhi on Monday


Curfew continues in old Hyderabad

Policemen check admission tickets of students coming to appear in exams in a curfew-bound area at Maddanapet in Hyderabad on Monday
Policemen check admission tickets of students coming to appear in exams in a curfew-bound area at Maddanapet in Hyderabad on Monday. The area is under curfew after a clash between two groups on Sunday. — PTI

Antony knew of Tatra scam in 2008: BJP
New Delhi, April 9
The scam in the supply of Tatra trucks to the Indian Army was brought to the notice of Defence Minister AK Antony in 2008, claimed the BJP today. BJP MP from Jabalpur Rakesh Singh said he had written a letter to the Defence Minister on May 12, 2008, alleging a scam in the purchase.


CBI examines BEML officials

Akhilesh scraps Maya’s scheme for urban Dalits
Lucknow, April 9
The Akhilesh Yadav government has decided to drop the Shri Kanshiram Ji Shahri Dalit Bahulya Basti Samagra Vikas Yojna, a scheme for the redevelopment of urban slums predominantly inhabited by Dalits.

Scrutiny of Ambedkar cartoon ordered
New Delhi, April 9
The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), the country’s apex school curriculum-drafting body, has ordered scrutiny of a cartoon featuring Dr BR Ambedkar, father of the Indian Constitution, in allegedly poor light.

India, Qatar ink oil, gas pacts

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh shakes hands with Qatar's Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani as President Pratibha Patil, Sheikh Hamad's wife Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser al-Missned (second from right) and PM's wife Gursharan Kaur (R) look on at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on Monday
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh shakes hands with Qatar's Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani as President Pratibha Patil, Sheikh Hamad's wife Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser al-Missned (second from right) and PM's wife Gursharan Kaur (R) look on at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on Monday. Sheikh Hamad is on a three-day state visit to India. Tribune photo: Mukesh Aggarwal

Aarushi Case
HC suspends order on Nupur’s bail plea
Allahabad, April 9
In a setback to dentist Nupur Talwar, facing trial in the murder of her teenaged daughter Aarushi, the Allahabad High Court today suspended its last month order asking a CBI court at Ghaziabad to "expeditiously" decide any bail application moved by her.

Karnataka HC dismisses plea against former CM
Bangalore, April 9
A petition by a Bangalore-based advocate accusing former Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy of bigamy was dismissed by the Karnataka High Court today. The petition sought disqualification of the JD(S) leader as a member of the parliament.

Left show

CPM volunteers take out a rally to mark the 20th Congress of the party in Kozhikode on Monday
CPM volunteers take out a rally to mark the 20th Congress of the party in Kozhikode on Monday.
— PTI

Grenades seized from Garo militants’ hideout
Guwahati, April 9
Meghalaya Police is on its toes to corner the rampaging militants belonging to the outlawed Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA), a Garo tribe outfit fighting for a separate Garo homeland, after the recovery of a huge haul of rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) from a militant hideout located deep inside the jungle of East Garo Hills district on Sunday.

Climate change is good news for exotic fruit
Srinagar, April 9
While climate change in the Himalayas has weather scientists worried, its spin-off could not only satisfy the palate of a growing number of Mediterranean fruit lovers, but also help in significant foreign exchange savings.

15 yrs on, Harshad Mehta's brother in police net
Mumbai, April 9
Sudhir Mehta, brother of late scam-tainted stock broker Harshad Mehta, was on Saturday arrested by the Criminal Investigation Department of the Pune police in a case dating back 15 years.

Baby girl tortured, now in Bangalore
Bangalore/New Delhi, April 9
Wearing a yellow top three-month-old Afreen is unlike any one of her age. She wears an oxygen mask while lying in a hospital bed. Doctors treating her say that she has been severely tortured.
According to Afreen’s mother Reshma Banu, she has been tortured by none other than her father. The reason: He wanted a male child.

English footballer threatens action, govt to modify anti-tobacco ad
New Delhi, April 9
Following threats of legal action over the use of what appears to be English footballer John Terry's image on an anti-tobacco pictorial warning, the government has now decided to replace the controversial warning with a new one.

Nitish’s statement irks MNS
Mumbai/Patna, April 9
The Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) is peeved over Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's statement that no one can stop him from going to Mumbai and take part in 'Bihar Divas celebration'.





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Pak scientist Chisti gets bail

New Delhi, April 9
Eighty-year-old ailing Pakistani scientist Mohammed Khalil Chisti, serving life term in an Ajmer jail in Rajasthan in a 20-year-old murder case, was today granted bail by the Supreme Court on humanitarian grounds.

Chishti got the reprieve from a bench of justices P Sathasivam and J Chelameswar considering his old age and the fact that he has been in India since 1992 after a murder case was lodged against him when he came on a visit to Ajmer to see his mother.

A microbiologist, Chisti had come to visit his ailing mother in Ajmer in 1992 when he got embroiled in a dispute and, in the melee, one of his neighbours was shot dead while his nephew got injured.

Born in Ajmer to a prosperous family of caretakers of the Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti shrine, Chisti was studying in Pakistan at the time of partition in 1947 and chose to stay back in that country.

"We are satisfied that a case is made out for enlargement on bail," the bench said while directing the release of Chisti from jail on the conditions and satisfaction of the fast-track court, Ajmer.

The bench, which took a sympathetic view, also agreed to hear his plea to to go back to Karachi and asked him to file a separate application for it.

"You file another application and then mention these things that you want to go to your native country and we would consider," the bench said when senior advocate U U Lalit, appearing for Chisti, submitted that he should at least be allowed to live in Delhi.

Chisti's plea to come to the national capital was opposed by the Rajasthan Government which said that the visa issued to him only permitted his stay in Ajmer and nearby areas.

The court then asked Chisti not to leave Ajmer till further orders.

Chisti was granted bail a day after his case was discussed between the authorities of the two countries during Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari's visit to India.

During the hearing, the bench also made a reference to Zardari's visit and said, "Let us hope what has happened yesterday will continue".

"What we have read from today's newspapers is that good things are happening," the bench observed.

During today's hearing, the bench said if Chisti has not surrendered his passport, then he has to do so.

The family of Chisti, expressed joy at the apex court order for his release on bail.

An emotional Shoha, Chisti's daughter, told the media in Islamabad that the bail was "due to God" and efforts by countless Pakistanis and Indians.

After a prolonged trial that stretched for 18 years, Chisti was held guilty in the murder case and was awarded life sentence on January 31 last year by an Ajmer sessions court.

He had earlier been also granted bail by the sessions court during the trial but was ordered not to leave Ajmer. He was re-arrested after his conviction to serve the sentence. Chisti, who suffers from heart, hearing and other ailments, had lived in his brother's poultry farm till his conviction.

His case came to light when Justice Markandeya Katju, the then Supreme Court judge, wrote to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh urging that the Pakistani national be pardoned on humanitarian grounds.

An eminent professor of virology in Karachi Medical College, Chisti holds a PhD from Edinburgh University. — PTI

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When Zardari said: ‘Feels like I am in Lahore’
Anita Katyal
Our Political Correspondent

New Delhi, April 9
Pakistan President Asif Zardari was struck by the similarities between Lahore and Delhi on his first visit to the Indian Capital yesterday. “Aisa lag ra hai jaise Lahore mein ghoom rahein hain,” Zardari told Parliamentary Affairs Minister PK Bansal, who was deputed as minister-in-waiting with the visiting dignitary.

As he drove from the airport to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s residence on Sunday afternoon, the Pakistani President kept exclaiming about how beautiful the city is and how it reminded him of Lahore. Looking around keenly from his car window, Zardari’s immediate reaction was, “Bahut khubsoorat shehar hai,” and then went on to add that the city reminded him of Lahore. He told Bansal that he had never got an opportunity to visit Delhi though he had been a frequent visitor to Mumbai, which was his favourite haunt when he was growing up.

Bansal responded by pointing out that if Zardari was to visit Chandigarh, it would remind him of Islamabad as both are newly planned cities.

And if Zardari was taken up by the Delhi’s beauty, he was equally effusive in his praise for the sumptuous meal which was laid out for him and his delegation at the PM’s residence. “Delicious preparations,” he reamrked to Bansal as they left Delhi for Jaipur on way to Ajmer.

Conversing in Punjabi through the day, Zardari and Bansal exchanged notes on a host of issues, ranging from the personal to something as prosaic as the availability of water in their respective countries and the condition of the rivers and canal system. However, the two leaders took care to avoid any sensitive issue like Kashmir or Hafiz Sayeed.

Zardari, Bansal said, was extremely relaxed and informal in his interaction. “He exuded warmth and was genuinely keen on improving ties between the two countries,” the Minister remarked, adding that Zardari was concerned about the growing scourge of terrorism which is afflicting this region and impeding development in both countries.

The Pakistani President was particularly keen on improving trade relations between the two neighbours. “It’ll be a win-win situation for both, “ he remarked, pointing out that India and Pakistan were needlessly overspending by purchasing goods from other countries which could easily be sourced from each other. He said Islamabad’s plans to accord MFN status to India by this year-end is very much on track.

As the two leaders chatted amiably, Zardari spoke warmly about the special bonds which had developed between Rajiv Gandhi and his wife Benazir Bhutto.

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Evidence on Saeed already provided to Pak: India
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 9
Within hours of Pakistan Prime Minister hinting that there was not enough evidence against the planner of Mumbai attacks, Hafiz Saeed, India hit back saying a clear trail of evidence leading up to Saeed has been provided to Pakistan and it establishes his role in the November 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.

Sources within the government said Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani’s demand for “solid evidence” has been fulfilled long back by India.

Two key evidences against Saeed are the testimonies of Ajmal Kasab - the lone surviving gunman - and David Coleman Headley. These have been included in the proofs against the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) founder, said sources.

Kasab, during his interrogation, asserted that Hafiz Saeed was present during the selection and training of terrorists who were sent to accomplish the 26/11 attacks. David Coleman Headley, who is under arrest in Chicago and was interrogated by Indian agencies, also testified to the role of Hafiz Saeed.

Pakistan PM Gilani was quoted in the media as having said, “We are serious on the issue of Saeed, but the question is how to proceed against him without evidence. Courts here are independent and we need substantial evidence against him.”

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Odisha hostage crisis deepens
Maoists impose new conditions for the release of captives

Bhubaneswar, April 9
As the deadline set by the abductors of BJD MLA Jhina Hikaka and Italian tour guide Paolo Bosusco ends tomorrow, the chances of an early solution to the twin hostage crises in Odisha appeared to have receded with both Maoist groups placing new conditions for the duo's release from captivity.

While the release of Italian Paolo Bosusco became uncertain with the Maoists asking the state government to "clarify" how many ultras would be freed, another group of Naxals holding Laxmipur MLA Jhina Hikaka hostage also wanted immediate release of 30 persons.

A day after the Maoist group holding the 37-year-old MLA hostage asked his wife to reach a village in Koraput district tomorrow along with 30 freed prisoners for the release of Hikaka, the state government today remained tight-lipped on the issue.

In a letter released last night to the media, the Andhra Odisha Border Special Zonal Committee of the Maoists not only sought an immediate release of more number of prisoners, but also their physical presence for the MLA's release.

The ultras wanted Hikaka's wife Kaushalya to reach Balipeta in the Naxal-hit Narayanpatna area along with 30 rebels, including 23 persons whose release the Odisha Government had decided to facilitate and seven more rebels.

The letter, bearing the name of a senior Maoist leader and addressed to the media, said the MLA's wife should also be accompanied by two Naxal-nominated mediators - BD Sharma and Dandapani Mohanty - engaged in the Italian hostage crisis and Koraput-based lawyer Nihar Ranjan Patnaik.

One of the Maoist-nominated mediators BD Sharma had, meanwhile, left the state capital for Delhi.

The Maoists said they would hand over the abducted MLA to them, provided they did not bring along any police or intelligence officials.

The letter came a day after the Maoists extended the deadline for fulfilment of their demands till April 10. They had initially fixed April 5 as the deadline and then extended it till April 7.

Though Hikaka's abductors had on April 7 demanded release of five more persons in addition to the 23 agreed to by the state, two more names were added last night.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had earlier said the government was examining the demand of the MLA's abductors for release of five more persons.

The government has agreed to facilitate the release of 23 prisoners, including 15 members of Naxal-backed Chasi Mulia Adivasi Sangha (CMAS) and eight Maoists.

Hikaka was abducted in Koraput district while returning home at Laxmipur after attending a meeting in Koraput on March 24. Lawyer Nihar Patnaik, who fights cases for Maoists, received a copy of the two-page letter in Telugu, but he said the red rebels had not contacted him so far over the new matter.

Meanwhile, the release of Paolo Bosusco, abducted on March 14, hit roadblocks yesterday with the Maoists asking the state government to first "clarify" how many ultras would be set free and how many of their 13 demands would be met.

Odisha State Organising Committee secretary Sabyasachi Panda in an audio message to the media said they had demanded release of seven persons and the government had earlier agreed to release six, but finally said it would free only five.

"This has created suspicion and the government should make it clear how many are going to be released along with their names," Panda said and demanded that the government should clarify how many of his group's 13 demands had been accepted. — PTI

Plan to check kidnappings

The Centre is planning to seek cooperation from all states in preparing a standard operating procedure (SOP) to deal with any crisis arising out of kidnappings. The Home Ministry was likely to raise the issue at the Chief Ministers' conference on internal security to be held here on April 16 and put forward its views on formulating an SOP to deal with any hostage situation.

Centre's advice

The Centre is also believed to have advised the Odisha Government to be cautious in accepting the demands of the Naxals to get release of ruling BJD MLA Jhina Hikaka and Italian Paolo Bosusco.

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Odisha cops threaten to boycott anti-Naxal ops

Bhubaneswar, April 9
Odisha's police force today threatened to boycott anti-Naxal operations if hardcore Maoists were freed by the state government in a bid to end the twin hostage crisis that escalated with the abductors setting new demands before their deadline expires tomorrow.

The Odisha Police Association (OPA) warned to skip duties in Naxal-affected areas while making it clear that it would oppose "tooth and nail" any move to set free hardcore Maoists like Chenda Bhusanam alias Ghasi, an accused in the killing of at least 55 security personnel.

With the abductors of MLA Jhina Hikaka and Italian Paolo Bosusco placing new demands, an early release of the duo also appeared uncertain. While the release of the Laxmipur BJD MLA became uncertain with Maoists demanding swap with 30 prisoners, another group of Naxals holding the Italian tour guide asked the government to clarify how many ultras it would free. — PTI

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ULFA doves seek leader’s extradition from B’desh
Bijay Sankar Bora/TNS

Guwahati, April 9
The Government of India has assured the pro-talks faction of the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) that it would make attempts for the extradition of the outfit’s general secretary Anup Chetia who is lodged in a jail in Bangladesh.

The leaders of the pro-talks faction of the ULFA led by its chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa today held the third round of peace talks with the Government of India representatives led by the Union Home Secretary RK Singh in New Delhi.

“Today’s talks were focused on reviewing the progress made so far in the peace process besides shedding light on our charter of demands. The Government of India has also responded positively to our demand for extradition of our general secretary Anup Chetia from Bangladesh to facilitate his participation in the dialogue process.

“We have been told that from now, the talks will deal with our various demands in phases.

The next round of talks is likely in May-June,” ULFA vice-chairman Pradip Gogoi informed The Tribune over phone from New Delhi.

The seven-member delegation included Pradip Gogoi, Sasa Choudhury, Raju Baruah, Chitraban Hazarika, Pranati Deka and Mithinga Daimary.

The pro-talks faction of the outfit, which has been holding talks with the Government of India for over a year to bring lasting peace to the state, has already submitted a 12-point charter of demands to the Government of India.

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Antony knew of Tatra scam in 2008: BJP
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 9
The scam in the supply of Tatra trucks to the Indian Army was brought to the notice of Defence Minister AK Antony in 2008, claimed the BJP today. BJP MP from Jabalpur Rakesh Singh said he had written a letter to the Defence Minister on May 12, 2008, alleging a scam in the purchase.

He had said that the government was procuring Tatra trucks at Rs 65 lakh each when the government-owned Vehicle Factory Jabalpur (VFJ) was offering the same trucks at Rs 30 lakh each.

“A policy was formulated that existing stallion 4x4 5/7.5-tonne vehicle manufactured at the VFJ will be replaced in a phased manner with mobility vehicles …in order to have the same mobility as that of mechanised formations. The estimated requirement of the Army is around 5,500,” he said recalling his letter.

He said the VFJ developed “high-mobility 6x6 vehicle with Ashok Leyland which was approved for induction in 2000, but the final specifications were issued only in 2007”.

According to him, he had stated in his letter that “it will not be out of place to mention here that the BEML-Tatra tie-up for heavy recovery vehicles has been under CBI investigation for non-fulfilment of indigenisation and continuing large imports”.

He had informed the Defence Minister that “Ravi Rishi (promoter of Tatra) has been a negative catalyst in the recently scrapped Eurocopter defence deal. His involvement and other nefarious events led to the same deal being re-tendered”.

The Jabalpur MP claims that the government was only helping the BEML-Tatra at the cost of the VFJ, threatening its basic existence and putting in jeopardy employment of around 4,500 employees of the factory. Antony acknowledged the receipt of his letter on May 30, 2008, he said.

The BJP claimed that the Defence Minister was not telling the truth when he claimed that he had came to know about the Tatra deal from Gen VK Singh only now. The party has demanded his sacking, accusing him of either being directly involved in the “scam” or shielding someone involved in it.

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CBI examines BEML officials

New Delhi, April 9
Three senior officials of the finance and vigilance wings of BEML were examined by the CBI today regarding the case of alleged irregularities in the Tatra truck supply deal to the Army. The three senior officials, including the finance head of the BEML, were asked about different aspects in order to understand the nuance of the deal, CBI sources said.

They were also asked about prima facie discrepancies which have appeared from the scrutiny of documents and questioning of Vectra chairman Ravinder Rishi by the CBI last week, the sources said. The sources refused to reveal the names of the officials as they are neither accused nor concerned with the alleged irregularities.

The CBI sources said it was not a questioning but an examination to clarify the finer points of the truck supply deal with Tatra Sipox UK and subsequent changes made in it over the period.

The sleuths asked the officials to reason out the signing of contract with Tatra Sipox UK which was not the original manufacturer in 1997 and its renewal in 2003.

They also asked the rules which could have been violated in doing so and whether such an action was in accordance with the procurement rules.

They were also asked about payment modes adopted for the Tatra Sipox UK and where the payments were actually going, the sources said. The officials were also asked about the changing of currency from dollar to euro in making payments to Tatra.

The agency had sought detailed documents from Defence Ministry on the deal which were received by it on Saturday, sources said. — PTI

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Akhilesh scraps Maya’s scheme for urban Dalits
Several PPP projects also under scanner
Shahira Naim/TNS

Lucknow, April 9
The Akhilesh Yadav government has decided to drop the Shri Kanshiram Ji Shahri Dalit Bahulya Basti Samagra Vikas Yojna, a scheme for the redevelopment of urban slums predominantly inhabited by Dalits.

The Mayawati government had launched the ambitious Rs 2,000-crore scheme. In the first phase, around 250 slums were to be identified across 72 districts by a local committee headed by the district magistrate/divisional commissioner.

The new government also announced renaming of the Kanshiram Nagar Vikas Yojna, a revolving fund to urban bodies under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission.

Similarly, several of Mayawati government’s PPP projects are also under the new government’s scanner. The first such project to be stalled is the proposed disinvestment of 71 tourist lodges and state government-run hotels under the department of tourism. The scheme was stopped as it included many profit-making units as well.

The proposed Japanese Government-assisted Maitri project in Kushinagar where a massive statue of Gautam Buddha was to come up along with a Buddhist tourist spot is also being reconsidered due to the farmers’ resistance to part with their productive agricultural land for the project.

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Scrutiny of Ambedkar cartoon ordered
Aditi Tandon/TNS

New Delhi, April 9
The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), the country’s apex school curriculum-drafting body, has ordered scrutiny of a cartoon featuring Dr BR Ambedkar, father of the Indian Constitution, in allegedly poor light.

The cartoon in question appears in the NCERT’s Class XI political science textbook ‘Indian Constitution at Work’ and bears an artist’s impression of slackness in the drafting of the Constitution, which had taken two years, 11 months and 17 days. The cartoon features Dr Ambedkar seated on a snail. At his back stands Pt Jawahar Lal Nehru wielding a hunter, urging the former to speed up the process.

The cartoon has enraged several Dalit organisations, who see it as an insult to Ambedkar, Chairman of the Drafting Committee of Indian Constitution. As a reaction, some organisations have written to the Human Resource Development Ministry against the “offensive portrayal of the great visionary” and demanded immediate rectification.

The matter was first raised on April 1 by Ramdas Athawale, chairman of the Republican Party of India, who wrote to HRD Minister Kapil Sibal seeking withdrawal of the book or the objectionable cartoon.

The NCERT, meanwhile, said the matter was being considered at the highest level and a scrutiny ordered, though neither the cartoon nor the book in question was new.

“The Director has written to Chief Advisor of the textbook in question and to other members of the textbook drafting committee. Their responses are awaited after which the next course of action will be decided,” NCERT spokesman today said.

The NCERT has dedicated several projects to Dr Ambedkar. Its Publication Division is housed in a block named after Dr Ambedkar whose life and times have been extensively featured in a non-textbook the NCERT published long ago. The book has been reprinted several times over.

“To then say that the cartoon was included in the chapter to insult Dr Ambedkar is not right,” NCERT spokesman said.

What NCERT Says

  • The cartoon is not new. It was created at the time of the drafting of the Constitution by acclaimed cartoonist Shankar of the Children's Book Trust, who wanted to convey his own impression of the delay in drafting
  • The NCERT only reproduced the cartoon with a pedagogic purpose in a chapter that is discussing the making of the Indian Constitution
  • The idea is to have students think why it took long to finalise the Constitution and the reasons behind it

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Aarushi Case
HC suspends order on Nupur’s bail plea
CBI had said that she secured the order in her favour by submitting false information

Allahabad, April 9
In a setback to dentist Nupur Talwar, facing trial in the murder of her teenaged daughter Aarushi, the Allahabad High Court today suspended its last month order asking a CBI court at Ghaziabad to "expeditiously" decide any bail application moved by her.

The court passed the order on a recall application filed by the CBI that alleged that Talwar had secured the order in her favour by submitting "false information" and sought punitive action against her.

Justice Bala Krishna Narayana, while suspending his order dated March 13, 2012, issued notice to Nupur asking her to file a reply within two weeks and also summoned the records of the trial from the lower court.

According to CBI counsel Anurag Khanna, the probe agency has alleged that Nupur had in her petition prayed for a direction to the trial court that a decision on her bail application be taken on the same day and had "falsely" stated that she had not so far been granted this sort of relief.

"Nupur Talwar had made the submission hiding the fact that an order to the effect that her bail plea be decided on the very same day was passed by the Allahabad High Court itself on March 18, 2011. The CBI has, therefore, requested the court to recall its order passed last month and also sought punitive action against the petitioner under Section 340 of the Criminal Procedure Code for providing false information in a sworn affidavit," Khanna said.

On March 13, the court had asked Nupur to appear before the CBI court within 30 days and asked the trial court to "expeditiously" decide any bail application filed by her.

Nupur and her husband Rajesh Talwar are facing trial in the four-year-old murder case. Aarushi’s body was found with her throat slit at the Talwars’ Noida residence in May, 2008. The body of their domestic help Hemraj was recovered from the terrace of the house hours later.

The CBI submitted its closure report last year in which it did not name the Talwar couple as an accused. However, the special court at Ghaziabad decided to go ahead with the trial holding that there was enough evidence against them. — PTI

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Karnataka HC dismisses plea against former CM
City-based advocate accused Kumaraswamy of bigamy
Shubhadeep Choudhury
Tribune News Service

Bangalore, April 9
A petition by a Bangalore-based advocate accusing former Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy of bigamy was dismissed by the Karnataka High Court today. The petition sought disqualification of the JD(S) leader as a member of the parliament.

A division bench headed by Chief Justice Vikramajit Sen dismissed the petition filed by city-based advocate Sashidhar Belagumba on the ground of lack of proof. The petitioner was not an aggrieved party himself and therefore cannot seek prosecution of the JD (S) leader, said sources.

Belagumba had filed the petition in the High Court on October last. He accused Kumaraswamy, son of former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda and a Lok Sabha member, of committing a ‘crime’ by marrying again while his first wife Anitha is alive. The petitioner referred to Section 494 of the IPC (marrying again during lifetime of husband or wife) and to Radhika’s admission in the press and its confirmation by Kumaraswamy. According to the petition, the JD(S) leader had also confirmed fathering a child with Radhika.

Belagumba, who is said to be close to the BJP leader and former chief minister BS Yeddyurappa, was in no position to present Santosh Hegde, who once accused Kumaraswamy of bigamy, in the witness box.

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Grenades seized from Garo militants’ hideout
Bijay Sankar Bora/TNS

Guwahati, April 9
Meghalaya Police is on its toes to corner the rampaging militants belonging to the outlawed Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA), a Garo tribe outfit fighting for a separate Garo homeland, after the recovery of a huge haul of rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) from a militant hideout located deep inside the jungle of East Garo Hills district on Sunday.

East Garo Hills district Superintendent of Police JFK Marak today said 66 RPGs were recovered after a joint team of Meghalaya Police Commandos and personnel from CRPF Cobra unit busted the main camp of GNLA chief Sohan D Shira.

“We fired as many as five RPGs towards the GNLA camp to pin them down after they opened up on our commandos with a similar firepower. Ultimately, they abandoned the camp after coming under sustained fire from our side,” said Marak.

“Such a huge haul of RPGs was a surprise for us. We suspect the GNLS militants, who have been under constant pressure due to intensified operation of police, were planning a big attack on security forces,” the police officer said. He said the GNLA procured the explosives from Myanmar and Bangladesh with the help of Assam-based insurgent groups-the anti-talks faction of the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA).

“The GNLA has about 300 armed cadres and are operating in Garo Hills areas taking advantage of the thickly forested terrain that is close to international border with Bangladesh. The outfit has been on an abduction and extortion spree and is now facing the heat of sustained operation by Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) commandos of Meghalaya Police and the CRPF Cobra men. We are also getting regular intelligence inputs from people about the outfit,” the police officer said.

He also said the Army which is operating against ultras in neighbouring Assam has also been helping as they could enter into 30 km inside Meghalaya’s boundary with Assam to chase insurgents.

Meanwhile, the six employees of a coal exporting company of Gasuapara in South Garo Hills who were kidnapped at gun point by suspected GNLA militants on Thursday night have been released unharmed, the police said. The police suspected that ransom had been paid promptly by the company. Further investigation was on.

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Climate change is good news for exotic fruit
Vijay Mohan/TNS

Srinagar, April 9
While climate change in the Himalayas has weather scientists worried, its spin-off could not only satisfy the palate of a growing number of Mediterranean fruit lovers, but also help in significant foreign exchange savings.

Experiments by the Central Institute of Tropical Horticulture (CITH) in introducing and cultivating fruits like olives and kiwi on the Himalayan slopes have been successful.

This implies that farmers and horticulturists residing in specific mountainous tracts, where the economy is primarily dependent on fruit production, can look up to producing other cash crops.

“Over the years, there has been a general increase in average temperatures in this region. Summers have become hotter and the duration of winters has reduced. This has affected snow patterns and availability of water,” Dr Nazeer Ahmed, Director of the Srinagar-based CITH, said. “This has made the climate conducive for introducing new species like olives.”

At present, the cultivation of olives and kiwi in India - considered exotic fruits - is negligible. While kiwi is grown by some high-end farmers in small orchards in the Himalayas and is now regularly seen in markets, olive is still an entrant in the horticulture field.

A small plantation was started recently as a pilot project in Rajasthan. Some plantations have been done in the Ramban area of Kashmir. The fact that olives have been successfully produced in the Kashmir valley means that they can be grown in a variety of terrain and climatic conditions in India.

The demand for olives as well as olive oil is consistently growing in India. In fact, even some street food vendors now claim that they use olive oil as cooking medium. It is not produced in India and is entirely imported.

CITH began its experiments in cultivating olives by importing various varieties of saplings from the US, Egypt and Italy. Olives need subtropical climate with mild winters and warm, dry summers. Olive trees require sufficient winter chilling to initiate flower development.

According to Dr Ahmed, there is a potential to bring over 1 lakh hectares under olive cultivation in the country. Olive cultivation barely covers a thousand hectares presently.

Olive cultivation would gradually bring down its market price and of its products, he said. “It will cut imports and help save valuable foreign exchange.”

CITH scientists estimate that Kiwi plantations in India cover about 10,000 hectares. The potential for this fruit in the short term is about 1 lakh hectares. “Presently, a single piece of Kiwi costs Rs 25. If the cultivation area increases and the yield is good, the production cost would be about Rs 3-4 apiece and the sale price between Rs 5 and Rs 10 a piece,” Dr Ahmed said.

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15 yrs on, Harshad Mehta's brother in police net
Shiv Kumar/TNS

Mumbai, April 9
Sudhir Mehta, brother of late scam-tainted stock broker Harshad Mehta, was on Saturday arrested by the Criminal Investigation Department of the Pune police in a case dating back 15 years.

According to the Pune police, Sudhir Mehta was wanted - since 1997 - for cheating investors by issuing fake share certificates. "Sudhir Mehta, who had been untraceable since 1997, was arrested following a tip-off that he would be staying at a Pune hotel,” VS Tikole, Deputy Superintendent of Police, CID Pune, told reporters today.

Mehta was produced before the holiday court on Sunday which remanded him to police custody for 10 days, the police said.

His brother, Harshad, who was also an accused in the case died in jail in 2001. Two of Mehta's alleged accomplices Mangal Jain and Dr Amit Shah are still declared absconders, according to Tikole.

According to the Pune police, the complaint against Mehta, Jain and Shah was filed by Shrikant Gopal Rathi on July 29, 2007.

In his complaint, Rathi alleged that Mehta through his front men Bharat Somchand Khona, Jain and Shah pledged shares of Indo-American Credit Co-operative Ltd with him some of which were later found to be bogus.

Subsequent investigations revealed that Mehta along with his front men were raising funds by pledging bogus shares which were used to trade in the stock market, according to the police.

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Baby girl tortured, now in Bangalore
Shubhadeep Choudhury/TNS

Bangalore, April 9
Wearing a yellow top three-month-old Afreen is unlike any one of her age. She wears an oxygen mask while lying in a hospital bed. Doctors treating her say that she has been severely tortured. According to Afreen’s mother Reshma Banu, she has been tortured by none other than her father. The reason: He wanted a male child.

Dr Gangadhar Belawadi, medical superintendent of Vani Vilas Hospital where Afreen is admitted, said the baby was having severe respiratory problems and suffered brain hemorrhage. “It appears she has been hit on the head. She has been also shaken violently,” Belawadi said.

He said the condition of the infant, who has been kept under observation in the paediatric ICU of the hospital, is critical.

Meera Jain, chairperson of the Child Welfare Committee of Karnataka, visited Afreen today. She told reporters that Afreen’s father Farooq, who is already in police custody, would be presented before the five-member bench of the CWC tomorrow. Afreen’s mother Reshma Banu would be brought under police protection, Jain said.

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English footballer threatens action, govt to modify anti-tobacco ad
Aditi Tandon/TNS

New Delhi, April 9
Following threats of legal action over the use of what appears to be English footballer John Terry's image on an anti-tobacco pictorial warning, the government has now decided to replace the controversial warning with a new one.

The Ministry of Health today received seven sets of pictures as probable replacement for the one with terry's image, which is being used by certain top tobacco manufacturing firms, including the ITC.

"We received the pictures only today and will soon decide which one to take," ministry officials said.

The ministry had earlier written to the DAVP (Directorate of Visual Publicity) in this regard and had always maintained that it was for the DAVP to make amends for any error that went into visual publicity material.

Even the ITC had subsequently written to the ministry about the controversy and demanded a fresh set of pictorial warnings to be used on their cigarette packs. The one with a blurred Terry image was in use on several packs after the Ministry of Health approved it following receipt from the DAVP last December.

The trouble started when the managers of England and Chelsea skipper John Terry threatened to initiate legal action against the government for what they said clearly appeared to be a slightly blurred image of Terry's face.

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Nitish’s statement irks MNS

Nitish KumarMumbai/Patna, April 9
The Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) is peeved over Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's statement that no one can stop him from going to Mumbai and take part in 'Bihar Divas celebration'.

Asked for his comment on the MNS's opposition to his visit to the metropolis, Kumar said in Patna today that there was no ban on visit, and he could go anywhere.

"Raj saheb will make the party's stance on the issue clear at a public meeting at Malegaon on April 12," a senior MNS leader said, adding that Kumar's statement had not gone down well with the party.

"Mumbai is the capital of Maharashtra. If anybody tries to show Maharashtra's culture and Marathi language in a bad light, it will not be tolerated," he said.

Though no one from MNS has formally announced so, recent media reports said the party will not allow celebration of Bihar Divas in Mumbai on April 15. "There is no hurdle for me to go there. Can go to any part of the country, don't need any type of visa for that. I am going," Kumar earlier said.

He said he would give his message to people from Bihar living in Mumbai on April 15 during his scheduled visit to attend a social and cultural programme organised by migrant labour from the state to celebrate the centenary of the creation of the state "I will give my message there," he said. — PTI

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