|
|
|
|
|
Coal block allocations flawed: CBI
Naming of Jharkhand BJP chief miffs
BJP ups ante against Gandhi family |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Ram Singh died due to hanging: Autopsy report
Several questions remain unanswered
‘Nirbhay’ misses target, aborted midway
Boxers in the
drug ring
Focus goes off real masterminds
It’s business as usual at Bhola’s akhara
Legendary painter Ganesh Pyne passes away
|
|
Coal block allocations flawed: CBI
New Delhi, March 12 In a status report filed in the SC, the CBI said it had noticed irregularities in the allocations as these were made on the basis of misrepresented facts provided by the companies and without verifying the applicants’ credentials. After going through the report, a three-member Bench headed by Justice RM Lodha said the procedure adopted by the government prima facie did not “appear to be proper and legal.” “The whole allocation has to go” if the government had not followed any guidelines or procedures for selecting companies for allocating coal fields for mining and disqualifying others. The Bench, which included Justices J Chelameswar and Madan B Lokur, directed CBI Director Ranjit Sinha to file an affidavit assuring the court that he was not sharing the probe details with the government and was not holding back any information from the SC. Appearing for the Centre, Attorney General GE Vahanvati defended the allocations and contended that the CBI’s findings were not the “final word” in the case. The Bench advised the AG to be cautious in his statement so that the CBI probe was not prejudiced. If you are challenging the very conspiracy angle of the controversy, then it would affect the probe,” it pointed out. “I am not trying to pre-empt the inquiry. I have no problem with it. Let the CBI probe the allocation,” the AG clarified. The Bench directed the government to explain how it had chosen 100-odd applications from among 2,000 applicants for allocation of coal fields. The Bench is hearing PILs filed several persons pleading for quashing the allotment of 194 coal blocks allotted by the Centre to private companies during 2004-11 “in a pick and choose manner” thereby causing a “huge loss” to the country. Among the petitioners are former Cabinet Secretary TSR Subramanian, NGO Common Cause, former Chief Election Commissioner N Gopalaswami, ex-Union Secretaries Ramaswamy Iyer and Sushil Tripathi and Admirals (retd) RH Tahiliani and L Ramdas, who has been the Navy chief. The CBI began investigating the alleged scam in May 2012 on the basis of a complaint filed by BJP MP Prakash Javadekar. Today, the SC clarified that it would go into the legality of the allotments while the CBI would deal with the alleged criminal aspects. Arguing for the petitioners, counsel Prashant Bhushan said the allotments were illegal as coal fields were given away without any auction and on extraneous considerations. Listing the next hearing for April 30, the Bench asked the CBI to file another status report by April 26.
Based on fudged facts
In a status report filed in the SC, the CBI said it had noticed irregularities in the allocation of coal blocks (from 2006-09) The allocations were made on the basis of misrepresented facts provided by the companies and without verifying the applicants' credentials After going through the report, a three-member SC Bench said the procedure adopted by the government prima facie did not "appear to be proper and legal"
|
|
Naming of Jharkhand BJP chief miffs Yashwant
New Delhi, March 12 Rai, who is considered close to former Jharkhand Chief Minister Arjun Munda, was appointed despite Sinha also being in the race. Apparently, the Hazaribagh MP made his displeasure known at a meeting convened by Leader of Opposition Sushma Swaraj saying that “failed leaders were being promoted” and in protest he was ready to resign from his Parliamentary seat. The BJP though appeared dismissive of this open show of dissent with party spokesman Prakash Javadekar saying that the meeting of the Parliamentary Board was not attended by all members. Sources say that Sinha’s “attention-seeking” attempt was unlikely to draw the desired result because airing grievances at a time when larger issues were staring at the party had not gone down well with the top brass. Also, the party’s ideological mentor -- the RSS -- is also said to be opposed to Sinha getting any berth, more so after his criticism of former party president Nitin Gadkari over a corruption scandal and support to NRI businessman Anshuman Mishra -- an independent candidate from Jharkhand for the Rajya Sabha. Therefore, this is certainly not the first time that Sinha has had a run in with the party.
|
|
|
BJP ups ante against Gandhi family New Delhi, March 12 So a day after Italy refused to send back the two Marines charged for killing two Indian fishermen off the Kerala coast, BJP leaders slammed the Congress-led government, saying that the issue would be raised in the Parliament on Wednesday. They termed the Italian government's refusal “betrayal and bluff” and cited it as an example of “diplomatic collusion” between the UPA government and Italy.
|
|
|
Ram Singh died due to hanging: Autopsy report
New Delhi, March 12 While the cause of the death was confirmed by the AIIMS autopsy team headed by Dr DN
Bhardwaj, HoD of AIIMS forensic sciences department, on a ligature mark around the neck, doctors following the post-mortem examination ruled out the possibility of strangulation and fabricated hanging. In the morning, while five doctors of the AIIMS forensic sciences department conducted the post-mortem, Ram Singh’s parents stood outside the mortuary. His mother was inconsolable and brother, who refused to be identified, said, “My brother was murdered. We have seen injury marks on the body and finger marks on the neck.” “There were multiple injuries on his body; scratches on his face and neck; and a swollen right shoulder (damaged right collar bone). He has not committed suicide,” said their lawyer Manoj Tomar after the family members left for Rajasthan’s Karauli district for the last rites. The body was handed over to them at around 12.50 pm. While the post-mortem report is ready, the picture will become clearer when the reports of the various samples sent to the Central Forensic Sciences Laboratory arrive. The National Human Rights Commission today took cognisance of Ram Singh’s death in judicial custody.
|
|
|
Several questions remain unanswered New Delhi, March 12 The initial findings of Ram Singh’s post-mortem at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi say it was a case of “death due to hanging”. The police said “it was a case of suicide”. Police sources said the noose he used to hang himself was made using threads taken out from the mat that he had been using, a deviation over yesterday’s claim that Ram Singh used his bedsheet to hang himself. The police said it would have taken him at least one to two days to prepare the noose. Here lies the biggest gap in the theory. Did none of the three other inmates of his 15x12 feet cell notice him weaving a rope using the thread he tore from the mat? Jail officials said he could have been doing that work at night and might have hidden it under his mat. The three inmates have reported that they heard no sound when Ram Singh allegedly tied the noose to the iron grill, climbed onto a plastic bucket and hung himself. Jail officials claim a Tamil Nadu Police sepoy, who had been patrolling the ward, saw Ram Singh’s body hanging from the iron-grill. Yesterday, a Tihar Jail press note read Ram Singh “was found hanging around 5.45 am”. Jail authorities further claimed that he might have committed suicide around 3 am. They have not been able to explain as to why the sepoy didn’t notice the incident at that time, although all cells were well lit throughout the night. “It is a case of negligence. An internal inquiry is being conducted, which will ascertain if the sepoy was patrolling,” said a jail source. Lawyers for the deceased do not agree with theory of jail officials and the police and suspect Ram Singh was murdered inside the jail. “We saw his body. There were injuries on his chest, neck and face. One of his hands, which was deformed after an accident, was straightened down,” said one of the three lawyers in the case.
|
|
|
‘Nirbhay’ misses target, aborted midway
Balasore (Odisha), March 12 The missile, which failed to hit the intended target in the sea, was terminated over the Bay of Bengal after it was airborne for about 25 minutes but crashed on land at some distance from a village near Kendrapara in Odisha, DRDO spokesman Ravi Gupta said. It is unusual for aborted missiles to fall on land. There was no loss of life or property, Gupta said, as TV footage showed wreckage of the missile launched from here. The DRDO while making the announcement, however, said the sub-sonic missile 'Nirbhay' (fearless) with a strike range of around 1,000 km was "successfully" launched and met the basic mission objectives and performed some of the manouveres satisfactorily. "Nirbhay was successfully launched today at 1150 hrs from launch complex, Chandipur, Odisha, meeting the basic mission objectives successfully. After travelling approximately mid-way, deviations were observed from its intended course. Further, flight was terminated to ensure coastal safety," DRDO spokesman Ravi Gupta said in a statement. The missile blasted off from a mobile launcher positioned in the launch pad-3 of the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur, about 15 km from here.
India has the technology of super-sonic missile like BrahMos which is jointly developed by India and Russia. BrahMos has a strike range of 290 km. — PTI
Deviation from flight path
The missile, which failed to hit the intended target in the sea, was terminated over the Bay of Bengal after it was airborne for about 25 minutes but crashed on land at some distance from a village near Kendrapara in Odisha The surface-to-surface sub-sonic cruise missile has the capability of being launched from land, sea and air Nirbhay, developed by Aeronautical Development Establishment, a DRDO laboratory based in Bangalore, is stated to have a strike-range of around 1,000 km
|
|
|
IAF plans to overhaul maintenance bases
Chandigarh, March 12 “We have forwarded the plan to the Ministry of Defence for approval and issuing a request for proposal to the industry for executing the project,” Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Maintenance Command, Air Marshal J. Chandra told The Tribune. The IAF’s Nagpur-based Maintenance Command has 13 base repair depots located across the country that provide engineering and maintenance support for its aircraft, weapon systems, radars and other equipment. Besides overhaul and repair, these are also responsible for undertaking suitable modifications and retrofitting to aircraft and equipment to meet specific operational requirements. The plan envisions procurement of new generation machines and precision tools, automation and computerisation of work processes, replacement of old heavy duty machines, refurbishing the buildings, hangars and test-rigs, installation of high-end testing and evaluating equipment and overhauling the training infrastructure. Also in the works is improving the environment in the chemical shops of depots and setting up effluent treatment plants. While the IAF is revamping its maintenance establishment in anticipation of new aircraft, facilities would be set up only for those aircraft where the numbers are large enough to ensure economic viability. For example, the IAF has no intention for setting up any major maintenance facility for the 10 C-17 heavy lift aircraft it has bought, the first of which is undergoing flight trials in the US. “The manufacturer, Boeing, will be responsible for providing technical support through its establishment being set up here,” Air Marshal Chandra said. New overhaul facilities are, however, being set up for the Russian Mi-17V5 helicopters at No.3 Base Repair Depot here, where these machines are being assembled and test flown. This is the IAF latest acquisition and about 80 such choppers are being inducted. A new hangar and repair line is expected to come up here in two or three years at a cost of about Rs 80
crore.
|
|
|
Boxers
in the drug ring
Patiala, March 12 The boxer was yesterday asked over 50 questions by the team in Panchkula, but the police claimed most of his replies were off track. He also refused to give his blood and hair samples for forensic examination. Vijender, a DSP with the Haryana Police, was questioned following confessions by his friend Ram Singh that they had tried drugs and were in touch with arrested NRI drug lord Anup Singh Kahlon. A senior official in the NIS said the boxer would join the camp after a few days and that he had applied for leave. Sources said the boxer was ready to undergo tests by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) and had conveyed the same to the Indian Amateur Boxing Federation (IABF). “He has said he is available for any tests carried out by NADA but not outside,” said a source. Vijender’s coach at the camp Gurbax Sandhu refused to comment. Sources said the Fatehgarh Sahib police was not satisfied with Vijender’s replies as the boxer chose to give one or two worded replies to most queries. “Replying to questions on his alleged links with Kahlon over the phone, Vijender claimed he did not recall the context of the conversations,” a source said. Sources say the Fatehgarh Sahib police is likely to summon Vijender again under relevant sections of the CrPC. “We have Ram Singh’s confessions that he and Vijender consumed drugs on more than one occasion. Vijender’s regular mobile conversations with Kahlon further point towards many unanswered questions,” a source said. Ludhiana DIG MF Farooqui has said their primary focus now is to establish Kahlon’s smuggling racket and Vijender’s questioning was only essential to ascertain his links with Kahlon. Fatehgarh Sahib SSP HS Mann has maintained that identifying the drug route and the smugglers is their main concern for now. “We are conducting raids both inside and outside the state,” he said.
|
|
|
Police mulls legal option to get Vijender's samples Ludhiana/ Fatehgarh Sahib, March 12 The police has decided to knock the doors of the judiciary for seeking formal orders to question him and take his hair and blood samples. The police is confident that the hair sample test result would substantiate their claim that Vijender had tried heroin. Vijender’s aide Ram Singh, in his statement to the police, had said that he along with Vijender had consumed heroin, thinking it to be a food supplement. "We are exploring all options to procure samples from Vijender. Since he has refused to give samples, we will have to get orders from the court,” said DIG (Ludhiana) MF Farooqui. Sources said the police would seek the orders on grounds that since Vijender was involved in a drug scandal and is suspected to have consumed drugs, his questioning was hence important in the case. Mittersen Goel, a former district attorney, said, "If Vijender refuses to provide his blood and hair samples, the police could take inference under Section 144 of the Evidence Act and make Vijender join the investigation." SSP Fatehgarh Sahib Hardial Singh Mann said the police was armed with various sections of the law to force Vijender to go in for test. The SSP said the police has enough evidence rergarding Vijender’s links with international drug trafficker Anup Singh Kahlon. The police is continuing with its raids to nab former policeman and kingpin of the international drug racket Jagdish Singh Bhola. Vital samples The police is confident that the hair sample test result would substantiate their claim that Vijender had tried heroin. Vijender’s aide Ram Singh, in his statement to the police, had said that he along with Vijender had consumed heroin, thinking it to be a food supplement
|
|
|
Focus goes off real masterminds
Patiala, March 12 Police investigations surrounding police officers-turned-smugglers Jagdish Bhola and Anup Singh Kahlon have been kept under wraps, while probe surrounding Vijender continues to make the headlines. The police looks to question Vijender again after he dodged a majority of queries asked during yesterday’s grilling in Panchkula. While sources say Bhola is in the police net and the recent raids in Ludhiana were based on revelations made by Bhola and Kahlon, there has been no official word on it. Neighbours of Kahlon claim his Zirakpur-based house was frequented by individuals, including women, in swanky cars. Sources say of more than 100 persons that Kahlon was in touch with, only Vijender and Ram Singh have officially been summoned. The police was quick to summon Vijender following revelations by Ram Singh - a close friend and a fellow boxer - that they had allegedly consumed drugs on more than one occasion. Sources say the police wants to know if Vijender or Ram Singh were habitual users and if they were involved in the racket as well. The police, during initial investigations, has learned that a woman had stayed at Kahlon’s house for a couple of weeks. But it has failed to ascertain the identity of the woman so far. “Young men and women used to frequent the house. A girl in her 20s was also seen quite often,” a neighbour said. The Tribune investigations suggest that the value of Rs 130 crore for the 26-kg heroin is inaccurate as the contraband is available in Punjab for as low as Rs 8-10 lakh per kg, putting the value of the drug at Rs 2.5
crore.
|
|
|
It’s business as usual at Bhola’s akhara
Khanna, March 12 At present about 50 wrestlers are practising at this akhara, of which 20-25 are residing on its premises. The resident wrestlers are from Haryana, Madhya Pradesh and Delhi apart from Punjab. Some wrestlers said they had not seen Bhola for the past 8-9 months at the akhara and were surprised to learn about this development.
|
|
|
Legendary painter Ganesh Pyne passes away
Kolkata, March 12 Pyne was born in Kolkata in 1937 and in his long career of five decades his paintings were exhibited round the world - Paris, London, Washington and Germany. Described as 'an artist's artist, a philosopher's philosopher and master fantasist of them all', Pyne had received several awards and accolades for his works. He was known for his small tempera paintings, rich in imagery and symbols and acknowledged the influence of great painters like Abanindranath Tagore, Hals Rembrandt and Paul Klee. But it was his exposure to Walt Disney's cartoons and his own experience as a young animator in Calcutta that finally liberated him and helped him develop two important stylistic features - distortion and exaggeration which he used to explore the deep recesses of his fantastical imagination to create uncanny images of disquieting creatures. — PTI
|
|
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Letters | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | E-mail | |
The CBI today told the Supreme Court that its investigations had shown that coal block allocations during 2006-09 were “arbitrary and flawed,” prompting the court to remark that the allocations would be cancelled if this was true.
The surface-to-surface sub-sonic cruise missile has the capability of being launched from land, sea and air, they said, adding Nirbhay has good loitering capability, good control and guidance, high degree of accuracy in terms of impact and very good stealth features. Nirbhay, developed by Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), a Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) laboratory based in Bangalore, is stated to have a strike-range of around 1,000 km.