The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

	BJP members to court arrest Ranchi, January 17 The BJP today said its members would court arrest on Friday in Jharkhand against the Union Cabinet's recommendation of President's rule in the state keeping the Assembly in suspended animation. “The party has called a jail bharo andolan in every district tomorrow in protest against the Centre ignoring the Cabinet decision to dissolve the House in favour of a fresh mandate,” BJP’s state unit president Dineshanand Goswami said. “The Arjun Munda government had recommended dissolution of the House, but the Congress-led government at the Centre wants the Assembly to be kept in suspended animation under President’s rule to rule the state indirectly,” Goswami said at a dharna near Raj Bhavan. AJSU party president and former deputy Chief Minister Sudesh Mahto said, “The decision is contrary to the people’s desire for an elected government.” — PTI
	Battery glitch grounds Boeing’s Dreamliners Tribune News Service New Delhi, January 17 In a major setback to leading aircraft manufacturer Boeing, the entire 50-strong global fleet of its much-heralded passenger jet, 787 Dreamliner aircraft, including six flown by national carrier Air India, was grounded after US regulator Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) asked all airlines to cease operations of the aircraft till a battery fire incident reported yesterday is properly investigated. The battery fire incident in Japan is the latest of several technical snags to hit the aircraft in recent weeks. The directive saw India’s civil aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) advising Air India to ground its 787 fleet with immediate effect. However, the decision has also put a question mark on the future of the aircraft in Air India, which is slated to receive the remaining 21 Dreamliners over next two years. Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh stated that the 787s would be allowed to fly only after clearance by the US regulator and the DGCA. “Certainly, we will not fly the Dreamliner until the FAA and our own DGCA give clearance,” he said. On the seriousness of the problem, Ajit Singh said, “We will know in a couple of days how long it would take. There are about 50 Dreamliners in operation for more than a year, therefore (the aircraft has flown) more than 50,000 miles. So let us hope they can find a solution soon.” Ajit Singh said he had talked to the FAA. The US regulator had replied that “it will check all the planes and the entire system with regard to this battery problem”. So far, there is no clarity on when the 787s will be back in service. Boeing has to come up with a plan for the FAA to test all the electrical system and batteries. “When that plan comes up, we will also test the aircraft accordingly but basically, first the FAA has to approve that these are safe to fly,” Singh said. Experts said it was uncommon for the FAA to open a review of an airplane it has already certified. This is perhaps the first such action against a US-made passenger plane since the McDonnell Douglas DC-10 was grounded in 1979 after a deadly crash in Chicago. The 787 has been plagued by cost overruns and years of delays. There are allegations that Boeing's rush to get planes built after those delays resulted in the recent problems, a charge the manufacturer vehemently denies. Air India officials said that the grounding of 787s would not have any impact on Air India's operations. The flights to Dubai, Paris and Frankfurt operated by these airplanes would now be serviced by Boeing 777s. Air India had been flying six 787s on different domestic and international routes. But the incident has put a question mark on the delivery of the remaining 21 Dreamliners. Even though AI officials said that “all the 787s with the Air India are in service and flying well”, sources said technical snags have been reported in the aircraft forcing the AI management and the DGCA to raise concerns with the company and do a rethink on the remaining purchases. Air India is due to receive two 787s next month while five more will arrive by the end of the year, which, sources say, may be put on hold. While officials claim that AI is entitled to compensation, sources said India has already pumped in crores on their acquisition. Boeing's defence After the FAA ordered a comprehensive review of its electrical systems, the Boeing issued a statement saying that "some in-service issues had been experienced in the recent months" and for that reason, it was decided to "start a review of the 787's recent issues and critical systems". Defending the aircraft, Boeing said it stood by its engineering. Air India's assurance Air India "reassured" its passengers saying "it has always kept passengers' safety foremost in its mind and endeavoured to give the best in terms of service to its esteemed passengers". "Our aircraft are maintained by the best engineers in the industry and the state-of-the-art Dreamliners are the latest acquisition of the airline," it added.
	Delhi gang-rape case moved to fast-track court Tribune News Service News Delhi, January 17 More than a month after a 23-year-old girl was allegedly gangraped and tortured in Delhi, the case was committed to a fast-track court today. The proceedings of the case will start from January 21. It will be conducted by the fast-track court located at the Saket District Court in Delhi. Additional Sessions Judge Yogesh Khanna will conduct the case. The case was committed to the fast-track court by Metropolitan Magistrate Namrita Aggarwal. The five out of the six accused, excluding the juvenile, who are named in the case’s chargesheet were presented at the Saket court today. The accused are Ram Singh, his brother Mukesh, Pawan Gupta, Vinay Sharma and Akshay Kumar Singh. The trial of the juvenile, who cannot be named as per the law, is being handled by the Juvenile Justice Board in Delhi. The soft copy of the case’s chargesheet has been provided to the counsel of the five accused. Some of the defence lawyers had alleged that certain documents of the hard copy are not legible. Clear photographs of the recovered items belonging to the alleged gang-rape victim and her male friend, Awninder Pratap Pandey, have been provided to the defence lawyers. Several CDs of the Zee News interview of Pandey have been provided to the lawyers. During the interview, Pandey alleged that the police delayed the transportation of him and the girl to the Safdarjung Hospital. The Delhi Police had denied the allegation. The counsel for the accused had filed their replies to the police application, which demanded that the five accused should be handcuffed when they are brought to the court from jail. The court has reserved its order on the application. Advocate AP Singh, who is the counsel for Vinay and Akshay, said the former was beaten by Tihar jail inmates. “I submitted Vinay’s medical report to the court today. He has injuries on his ribs. The court has sought a reply from the jail authorities and directed them to provide better medical treatment to Vinay,” said Singh.
	Odisha man gets death for raping, killing minor Bhubaneswar, January 17 Sending a strong message to sexual offenders, a fast-track court in Odisha on Thursday sentenced a man to death for strangulating a three-year-old after raping her. The court in the district headquarters of Sambalpur, about 317 km from here, sentenced 26-year-old Thidu Munda after examining about 13 witnesses. Additional district judge (fast track) Ashok Kumar Panda described the incident as rarest of the rare crime while pronouncing the death sentence, government lawyer Subrat Mohanty told reporters. Munda had kidnapped the girl from her village Budhiapalli in the district Oct 4, 2012. After raping and murdering her, he had dumped the body in a forest near the village. The decomposed body of the girl was found in the forest four days later while police arrested Munda on October 13. — IANS
	chintan shivir Congress’ mass-contact drive to be over by Dec Anita Katyal/TNS New Delhi, January 17 With less than 18 months to go for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the Congress ‘Chintan Shivir’ opening in Jaipur tomorrow will chalk out party’s “future course of action” by finalising a year-long mass-contact programme while giving serious thought to the constitution of a dedicated party cadre for handling organisational and election matters. The Chintan Shivir sub-group on organisation strengths, headed by Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, has dwelt at length on the disarray in party structures and made several recommendations for streamlining their functioning to enable the Congress to overcome this problem. Realising that the Congress is ill-prepared for the 2014 electoral challenge, the sub-group led by Azad has suggested that the country be divided into eight zones and extensive mass-contact programmes be undertaken at the booth, block, district and state levels. It has been proposed that this programme commence at the earliest and end by December 31 so that all the ground work is completed before the party begins preparations for the Lok Sabha elections. The group has underlined the urgency of strengthening the party at the booth level which has been identified as the key for effective election management. “We have often found that the party workers are absent at the booth level. It is absolutely critical to have dedicated cadres at that level to mobilise the electorate,” remarked a senior UPA minister. The sub-group has recommended that party functionaries and office-bearers should be discouraged from contesting elections and should instead concentrate on organisational work and election management. At the same time, it has been suggested that those drafted for party work be adequately rewarded by giving them posts and positions on official committees and boards to keep up their motivation levels. It is also proposed that office-bearers should have a say in the selection of candidates, which is not the case so far, so that they feel involved in party affairs. Congress leaders said their experience has shown that the dissent and factionalism is rampant while the organisation gets neglected when party office-bearers lobby for tickets and contest elections. “When office-bearers in a state unit or district are busy in their own elections, poll management is inevitably relegated to the background,” remarked a senior Congress leader.
	CPI: PM should have convened all-party meet Tribune News Service Chandigarh, January 17 The CPI today condemned the Central Government for speaking only to the top leadership of the BJP, ignoring all other political parties, on the issue of developments on the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir. Referring to the deputing of the National Security Adviser by the Prime Minister to brief the BJP leaders Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley on the LoC issue, CPI national spokesman D Raja said the BJP was not the only stakeholder in country’s security and politics. Other political parties were equally important as for as national politics and security were concerned. “It would have been better if the Prime Minister had convened an all-party meeting and briefed leaders of various parties about the developments on border,” he said. He urged both countries to resume dialogue for resolving various issues.
	59 inmates flee UP juvenile home; 58 return Tribune News Service Lucknow, January 17 Fifty-eight of the 59 inmates who fled from a juvenile home in Hardoi district yesterday returned to the home after being assured by the district administration to look into their demand of more humane treatment by the staff. According to Hardoi district magistrate Anil Kumar, Bhoora is the only inmate who has not returned to the home. There was a virtual mutiny in the home yesterday when 59 inmates eloped after snatching arms from the guards. While one police personnel was injured in the incident, one of the inmates suffered serious head injuries. According to ADG (Law and Order) Badri Prasad, trouble started when a new inmate, Ranjit, was found smoking. Older boys tried to stop him, but soon it turned into a clash between two groups of inmates. When the staff intervened to control the situation, an inmates versus staff fight broke out. Staff members were, however, hopelessly outnumbered by inmates. The inmates then fleed and reached the Collectorate compound to meet the DM and the SSP. The matter was amicably settled and all inmates, except one, came back.
	1 dead, 8 hurt in Lucknow sectarian violence Tribune News Service Lucknow, January 17 Tension prevailed in the old city with fresh incidents of violence, including brickbatting, reported near the Jama Masjid area where the body of the person killed in late last night’s sectarian fighting was being taken for the final prayers. An undeclared curfew prevailed in the old city, especially in the Thakurganj and Wazirganj areas, as schools and colleges remained closed and shops and business establishments voluntarily downed their shutters. Violence near the Deputy Saheb ka Imambara in Wazirganj had erupted late last night after the killing of one Mohammad Suleman alias Shanu. Eight persons were injured. Today, when the body was being taken out after the post-mortem examination at the King George Medical University Hospital, the procession was attacked near the Jama Masjid area. Provocative slogans were raised by one section of the community while the other demanded compensation for the next of kin of the victim. Later in the presence of the police, there was a stabbing incident near the mandi crossing near the KGMU Hospital, confirmed ADG (Law and Order) Arun Kumar. He also admitted that a large number of agitated relatives and well-wishers of the injured - admitted to the trauma centre of the hospital - had remained on the streets, virtually bringing traffic to a halt. Of the six persons arrested for last night’s violence, three have been named. But ADG Kumar did not reveal their names nor did he confirm if they were associated with any political party. “The violence is part of a well-planned conspiracy to disrupt peace and harmony in the city. But we are determined to maintain peace especially in view of the forthcoming Barawafat festival,” said ADG Kumar. Tension started last night when an unidentified person fired just as crowds were dispersing after the conclusion of a majlis (Shia religious congregation) at the Deputy Saheb ka Imambara in Wazirganj. In the confusion that ensued, a person was killed and many were injured, eight of them seriously, resulting in a pitched battle between two groups. Tension had been simmering between the two sects over the past five days and finally erupted onto the streets last night. Around 18 additional PAC companies and four of the RAF have been moved in to beef up security in the old city where round-the-clock police pickets have been set up to monitor the situation. The RAF also took out a flag march today to restore confidence among the citizens. How it happened Tension had been simmering between the two sects over the past five days and finally erupted onto the streets on Wednesday night Violence started Wednesday night when an unidentified person fired just as crowds were dispersing after the conclusion of a Shia religious congregation at the Deputy Saheb ka Imambara in Wazirganj In the confusion that ensued, a person was killed and many were injured, eight of them seriously, resulting in a pitched battle between the two groups
	Telangana heat rises as Centre’s deadline draws near Suresh Dharur/TNS Hyderabad, January 17 A bitter regional showdown appears on cards in Andhra Pradesh as the January 28 deadline set by the UPA government for announcing a decision on the raging Telangana statehood issue is fast approaching. Providing a glimpse of the political turbulence ahead, the ruling Congress leaders from Rayalaseema and coastal Andhra regions, who are opposed to the bifurcation of the state, met here today and adopted a unanimous resolution calling for maintaining the status quo. The meeting, attended by 62 leaders including 15 Ministers, 35 MLAs, eight MLCs and two MPs, warned of “serious political consequences” if the state was divided. “Nothing short of maintaining the united Andhra Pradesh is acceptable to us,” the resolution said. The gathering of integrationists came in the backdrop of a buzz in political circles that the Centre has made up its mind to carve out a separate Telangana state to fulfil the aspirations of the people of the backward region. The three-hour long meeting also decided a send a delegation to Delhi on January 21 to meet the central party leaders and impress upon them the need to keep the state united. “It is good for the party and the people if the state remains united. We are confident of convincing the Centre against bifurcation and will convey the feelings of the people to the party leadership,” Primary Education Minister S Shailajanath said after the meeting. The resolution cited a statement made by former Prime Minister late Indira Gandhi in the Lok Sabha on November 27, 1972 in which she said, “I stand firmly for the integrated state of Andhra Pradesh after the consideration of the pros and cons of the two agitations (Jai Telangana and Jai Andhra)”. “The meeting endorsed her statement and wanted the present leadership to remain committed to this stand,” Shailajanath said. On their part, the Telangana protagonists took out a rally and tried to disrupt the meeting of the integrationists. The members of the Telangana Joint Action Committee (TJAC), a conglomeration of various political and social groups fighting for the statehood cause, staged a silent march. The police arrested several pro-Telangana students here when tried to disrupt the meeting of Seemandhra (a reference to Rayalaseema and coastal Andhra) leaders at the Ministers’ Quarters in Banjara Hills. Raising slogans of 'Jai Telangana', the students said they would not allow any meeting aimed at stalling the formation of Telangana state. After chairing an all-party meeting on Telangana in Delhi on December 28, the Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde had announced that the Centre would announce its decision within a month. The Congress leadership is expected to take a final call on the vexatious issue during its “Chintan Shivir” in Jaipur. The ruling party is caught in a Catch-22 situation on the long-pending demand for creation of Telangana state, comprising ten districts, with Hyderabad as the capital. While leaders from Telangana region, cutting across party lines, have been rooting for a separate state, their counterparts in the Rayalaseema and coastal Andhra regions are equally vociferous in their opposition to the bifurcation. There were indications earlier that the UPA leadership was considering a proposal to constitute an autonomous Telangana Regional Council, on the lines of Darjeeling Hill Council, to put an end to the political uncertainty in the state, a formulation that is unacceptable to the Telangana protagonists. Deep divide The supporters and opponents of the Telangana cause within the ruling Congress have been holding separate strategy meetings, air-dashing to Delhi to present their cases before the party bosses The Centre is expected to spell out its stand before January 28 on the issue which has resulted in a bitter regional divide in the state While leaders from Telangana region, cutting across party lines, have been rooting for a separate state, their counterparts in the Rayalaseema and coastal Andhra regions are equally vociferous in their opposition to the bifurcation Telangana heat rising as Centre’s deadline nears
	Engaging school kids in anti-Posco stir ‘illegal’ Bhubaneswar, January 17 Participation of schoolchildren in anti-Posco agitation is "illegal" and action is being contemplated against those responsible for it, official sources said today. Over 100 schoolchildren have joined the anti-Posco dharnas organised by the Posco Pratirodh Sangram Samiti (PPSS) at the entry point to Gobindpur gram panchayat area, which falls in the proposed mega steel project site, since the past four days. This was in violation of at least two central laws - Right to Education Act and Child Right Protection Act, they said. "Engaging children in the agitation is unacceptable. The government has sought reports from the authorities on the matter before taking action against persons responsible for it," revenue divisional commissioner AK Padhee said. Chief Secretary BK Patnaik reviewed the situation at the proposed Posco steel project site during the day in view of the fresh agitation against it. Padhee, Jagatsinghpur District Collector SK Mallick and other senior government officials attended the meeting.— PTI
	Visit to Vietnam very useful, says Ansari On Board Special Aircraft, January 17 Terming his state visit to Vietnam as "very productive", Vice President Hamid Ansari today said India's ties with ASEAN countries are part of a well-considered Look East policy which has resulted in a ten-fold increase in trade with them in the last 12 years. "Vietnam is and ASEAN is a part of a well-considered Look East policy of the Government of India which has been in place for some years now. Vietnam is an important element in it but the policy covers the entire ASEAN region. I think we are satisfied with the results," he told reporters while returning to Delhi. Ansari today winded up a four-day state visit to Vietnam during which he discussed trade, cultural exchange, tourism- related issues with the South East Asian nation's top leaders. — PTI
	GUJARAT RIOTS SC restrains trial court from deciding on SIT report on Modi’s role Legal Correspondent New Delhi, January 17 The Supreme Court today restrained a special trial court in Ahmedabad from taking its final decision on the Special Investigation Team (SIT) report for closing the case against Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and 62 others in connection with a 2002 riots incident in which former Congress MP Eshan Jafri was burnt alive by a mob at the Gulberg Housing Society. A three-member Bench headed Justice DK Jain passed the order on a plea by Zakia Jafri, widow of the slain Congress leader, despite objections raised by the Gujarat government. The other members of the Bench were Justices P Sathasivam and Aftab Alam. Zakia has approached the SC seeking copies of the three SIT reports submitted in May and November 2011 and January 2012. The case would be taken up for hearing again on February 7. The SIT, headed by former CBI Director RK Raghavan, had interrogated Modi in the light of an apex court order asking the SIT to conduct a fresh investigation into the February 28, 2002 violence in the Gulberg Society, Ahmedabad.
	Will fight against graft till my last breath: Anna Belgaum, January 17 Anti-graft crusader Anna Hazare today said he would continue his fight against corruption and goondaism till his last breath. "I have been fighting corruption and goondaism throughout without bothering about my life and will continue to do so till my last breath," he told reporters here en route to Bijapur. He recalled the influence of Swami Vivekananda's teachings on him,saying he had once tried to end his life in desperation but accidentally came across a book by Vivekananda which changed the course of his life. — PTI
	3 held for trespass at ISRO unit Tribune News Service New Delhi, January 17 A man employed at an Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) unit in Tamil Nadu was caught with his father-in-law when he was showing off the area to him. A supervisor of labourers at the unit was also apprehended on grounds of neglecting his duty. The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) apprehended C Krishna Kumar, a welding contractor working at a section in the unit, with his father-in-law Jaya Singh who illegally entered a restricted area by pretending to be a labourer. “Kumar wanted to show off the area to his father-in-law. Diraviyam, the supervisor responsible for making the list of labourers, was also apprehended for allegedly neglecting his duties,” said a senior CISF officer. The CISF later informed the police about the matter. The three men were arrested on charges of trespass, forgery and violation of the Official Secrets Act.
	SC: All and sundry don't deserve police protection Legal Correspondent New Delhi, January 17 Questioning the need for providing police protection to all and sundry and allowing red beacon lights on their vehicles, the Supreme Court today directed all the states to furnish details about the total number of persons enjoying such facilities and the expenditure being incurred by the government for the purpose. A Bench comprising Justices GS Singhvi and HL Gokhale made it clear that only those holding important constitutional posts or were facing threat to their lives should be given such privileges. In Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan, even sarpanches were getting security and had tinted glasses in their vehicles and the police could not dare to remove the black films, the Bench noted. In several states, even MPs, MLAs and municipal commissioners were being allowed to use beacon lights in their vehicles, while this facility should be restricted to ambulances and the vehicles of the police and some defence personnel.
	Parliamentary panel submits report on food Bill Tribune News Service New Delhi, January 17 After several delays and hiccups, a parliamentary standing committee today submitted its report on the UPA government's ambitious Food Security Bill. It has suggested that the legislation should ensure supply of 5 kg wheat and rice to all beneficiaries at a uniform price of Rs 3 and Rs 2 per kg, respectively. The panel, headed by Congress Lok Sabha member Vilas Muttemwar, has done away with the proposal that the price and quantity of the food grains sold to the poor and the general public be priced separately. The Food Bill, which has been under scrutiny by the standing committee for nearly a year, that proposed that BPL families be given 7 kg wheat and rice at Rs 3 and Rs 2, respectively, while non-BPL families were to get 3 kg food grains at the price fixed by the government, which is about Rs 7 per kg for wheat and Rs 10 per kg for rice. However, the standing committee has suggested that all beneficiaries be provided 5 kgs of wheat and rice at a uniform rate of Rs 3 and 2 per kg. "There should be no general and priority household categories, only inclusion and exclusion," Muttemwar said. The panel felt there should be a single category of beneficiaries with uniform entitlement. The recommendations were submitted to Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar today. The government would now study the suggestions and finalise the legislation so that it could be passed in the Budget session of Parliament in February. The Food Security Bill was promised by the Congress in its 2009 election manifesto and is said to be party president Sonia Gandhi's pet project and billed as UPA-II's flagship programme.