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Snoopgate: Gujarat asks DGP not to act against CM
Three Lt Cols booked for IMA recruitment scam
Arrest Devyani’s maid and send her back: India to US
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LS poll: BJP first list of candidates by February
Will be happy to see Pawar as PM: Shinde
Dutt seeks parole extension
Now, a complaint against ex-CJ of Calcutta HC
Eggs hurled at AAP leader Vishwas
Day before rally,
anti-AAP posters put up in Amethi
People die in palaces too: UP minister on deaths in camps
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Snoopgate: Gujarat asks DGP not to act against CM
In an advisory sent to the DGP, the home department has reportedly told him that Sharma’s complaint did not hold any merit and no action was required to be taken when the state government had already constituted a judicial inquiry commission to probe into the matter. Sharma had approached the Gandhinagar Sector 7 police station earlier this week to register an FIR against Modi, his close aide and former minister of state for home Amit Shah, former chief of intelligence wing of the police AK Sharma, and a few others for alleged spying on a woman. The Gandhinagar police had accepted his application but refused to register an FIR and advised him to approach the Sugnaben Bhatt Inquiry Commission if he had any grievance. Sharma had called on the DGP who had sought about a week’s time to study his complaint and issue necessary directions to the police if he found merit in the case. Thakur had a meeting with Modi on Thursday in which Sharma’s complaint figured prominently besides issues such as possible police transfers before declaration of the Lok Sabha election. The DGP had reportedly sought the Chief Minister’s direction in this regard following which the home ministry’s advice was issued to him today. Sharma had disputed the police claim that filling of FIR was not required when the matter was under consideration of a judicial inquiry commission. The judicial inquiry commission had only recommendatory powers and was not expected to look into the “criminality” of an offence, he had claimed and maintained that spying on a woman breaching her privacy was a cognisable offence and the police must register an FIR, investigate and punish the guilty. Sharma, who had claimed that he was put behind the bars and suspended on “frivolous grounds” only because of his close proximity to the woman in question, had threatened to approach the court if the police refused to register his complaint. State Cabinet spokesman and finance minister Nitin Patel when asked about the home ministry’s advisory to the DGP refused
to comment stating that he was “not aware” about the development. Sharma’s complaint ‘lacks merit’
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Three Lt Cols booked for IMA recruitment scam
Dehradun, January 11 The CBI has booked the officers for allegedly issuing fake experience certificates and replacing the original answer sheets of the candidates who appeared in the group ‘C’ and group ‘D’ recruitments held at IMA in 2012. Meanwhile, the CBI has reportedly found evidence of illicit financial transactions during the preliminary enquiry and has reportedly frozen the bank accounts of the accused officers namely Lt Col Akhilesh Mishra (the then MTO in IMA), Lt Col Jagdish Bishnoi (the then selection board member for the group ‘C’ category) and Lt Col Ambarish Tewari (the then administration officer Rashtriya Indian Military College (RIMC) and selection board member of group ‘D’ category) and other accused persons. The investigating body has registered a case against 22 persons including Army officers and officials of establishment board. According to sources, the CBI is likely to interrogate the three officers and other accused in the case soon. This might be followed with the filing of a charge sheet in the case. The CBI has booked the serving officers for alleged conspiracy and forgery. In 2012, recruitment for 283 posts in group ‘C’ and ‘D’ was held at the IMA. Later, the documents of 36 employees were found forged after their documents were sent to the issuing authority for final verification. Accordingly, the services of errant employees were terminated by the IMA. When the scam came into the limelight last year, the case was taken over by the CBI. Public Relation Officer of IMA, Major Prashant Tripathi, told The Tribune, “The IMA is nowhere in the loop and the matter is between the CBI and Army headquarters. We were only asked to hand over all the documents related to the 2012 recruitment of group ‘C’ and ‘D’. That we did in April last year.” On the question of holding an internal inquiry, he said, “We are waiting for the final CBI report in the case that the agency will submit to the Army headquarters. Then, the further course of action will be decided.”
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Arrest Devyani’s maid and send her back: India to US
New Delhi, January 11 As the two countries seek to repair a relationship that has been seriously affected by the indictment of the Indian official in a visa fraud case and her subsequent return to India, New Delhi is insisting that the US authorities arrest Sangeeta for “stealing valuables and some important documents” from Devyani’s house and send her back to India to stand trial in court cases against her. India has already asked the US to withdraw from its embassy the diplomat who assisted the “evacuation” of the maid’s family from India on December 10, two days before Devyani was arrested. After weeks of negotiations following Devyani’s arrest, the two countries were able to work out a “face-saving” solution both sides could live with. Under the deal, she was indicted but granted diplomatic immunity from visa fraud charges. New Delhi rejected America's request to waive Devyani’s immunity, after which she was asked to exit the country, leaving her two young children behind who are likely to join her later. Incidentally, her husband is a US citizen. But, she now faces the prospect of arrest if she were to return to the US without diplomatic immunity, even if it is 20 years later. After reaching the South Block today, Devyani refused to entertain questions from the media. “I can’t comment. Thank you for your support. My lawyer and the government will speak for me,” she said as she entered the Ministry of External Affairs. External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid said it was sad that Devyani could not complete the tenure of her service in the US but denied that there was any stand-off between New Delhi and Washington over the issue. “There is no stand-off...there are certain issues of domestic law and that we will find out. And, if there are any issues, we will sort them out mutually,” he said. It’s a mini crisis: Khurshid Foreign Minister Salman Khurshid said the US should have warned senior officials visiting Washington a day before Khobragade's arrest by State Department security in December. He called the row a "mini crisis" and said India should have been given the chance to withdraw Khobragade before she was arrested. — Reuters
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Rift widened after Washington failed to drop criminal charges
Ashish K Sen in Washington Weeks of intense discussions between the US and India on Devyani Khobragade's fate got mired in differences over interpretations of diplomatic immunity and unwillingness on the part of the US authorities to drop criminal charges against India's deputy consul general in New York. "We tried everything in the book to see if our bottom lines met, but our bottom lines did not meet," an Indian official, who described the developments that led to Khobragade boarding a flight back to India, said. On Thursday, Khobragade was indicted by a grand jury in New York on charges of visa fraud and making false statements regarding the employment of her domestic worker Sangeeta Richard. Discussions between the Indian Embassy, State Department in Washington, Khobragade's attorney and the office of US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Preet Bharara, in New York showed the US was willing to consider re-designating the charges against Khobragade from a felony to a misdemeanour, but were unwilling to go below a misdemeanour, which is a criminal count. "Their bottom line was misdemeanour and ours was no criminal charge, and that was still a huge gap," said the Indian official, adding: "For us the idea that an Indian diplomat faces criminal charges was frankly out of the question." "Once we reached that impasse, the only option left was to pursue the route of getting a visa for her as a diplomat of the UN," the official said. India reassigned Khobragade to its mission at the UN in New York. The UN promptly signed the re-accreditation request, but the State Department dragged its feet. Indian officials said the US was reluctant to move on this matter because it would give the impression that a diplomat who faced criminal charges had been provided full diplomatic immunity and allowed to get away scot-free. The State Department spokesperson, Jen Psaki, said since Khobragade had left the US, she no longer had diplomatic immunity. "Prior to her departure, it was conveyed to her and the Indian Government that she is not permitted to return to the US except to submit to the jurisdiction of the court," said Psaki. "Her name would be placed in visa and immigration lookout systems to prevent the routine issuance of any future visa and upon her departure, a warrant may be issued for her arrest. This does not change the charges. The charges remain in place. There are processes that are standard processes in each of these cases which we were abiding by throughout this process." On reaction from New Delhi, Indian officials said it came down to the question of Khobragade's diplomatic immunity. US officials said that since Khobragade was a consular officer she was not immune under the Vienna Convention from prosecution for crimes committed outside her official duties. Indian officials insisted she was. "The issue was fundamentally about immunity," said the Indian official. "We felt that what the US position on Devyani's status was not what was our understanding."
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LS poll: BJP first list of candidates by February
New Delhi, January 11 “The list of candidates for the noncontroversial and pro-BJP constituencies will be released as soon as possible so that the candidates get a head start,” a senior leader told The Tribune after a strategy meet with the party’s PM candidate Narendra Modi today for giving final touches to the plans for the national council-the last one before the General Election. The list of remaining constituencies will follow after taking into account the profile of candidates fielded by rival parties, including the Aam Aadmi Party, and other related factors. Though Modi has not yet finalised the constituency he will contest from in the coming elections, the sources say this announcement too is expected after the two-day meeting next week. The BJP has done intense homework for this two-day meeting to send the right message to the masses through cadre and leaders, Preparations include consultations at various levels, including general secretaries and high-level Parliamentary Board yesterday. Sources said the council is important because from here the final message to the voters will be disseminated. Senior leaders will meet state delegates and district presidents to gauge the mood at grassroots level.
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Will be happy to see Pawar as PM: Shinde
Solapur, January 11 “I would be happy if Pawar becomes the PM. He is my political guru. I entered politics because of him,” Shinde said in an interaction with editors of a Marathi newspaper here. “Everone has ambition. He has been trying since 1992," he said. Shinde's remarks came ahead of Congress' crucial session on January 17, amid reports that party vice-president Rahul Gandhi could be named its PM candidate. "There is no reason for (having) two views on this. I have said this many times, even on national platform," Shinde said. Pawar has been trying to become Prime Minister since 1992, but was a “victim of Delhi politics”, he said. Pawar, who broke away from Congress on the issue of Sonia Gandhi's foreign origin in 1999 to form the NCP, has made it clear that he would not contest the LS polls and instead intends to take the RS route to Parliament. The NCP said Pawar was not in the race for the top post despite being “most
eligible”. — PTI
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Dutt seeks parole extension
Mumbai, January 11 Dutt's month-long parole ends on January 23. Maanyata who has been diagnosed with a tumour in her liver has also been diagnosed with tuberculosis. The actor was first released on parole in October.
— TNS
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Now, a complaint against ex-CJ of Calcutta HC
Kolkata, January 11 She said the proposal came to her through an advocate.
On January 7, the women lawyer lodged a formal complaint with the SDPO at Bishnupur, Bankura. The complainant said although she had shifted from Kolkata to her home town at Bishnupur, she continued to receive threats. She has requested for police protection as she felt unsafe and unsecured. The Bishnupur police have referred the matter to the DG for advice.
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Eggs hurled at AAP leader Vishwas
New Delhi, January 11 At the press briefing to announce Ashutosh’s joining, Delhi Chief Minister and AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal welcomed persons interested in systemic change to be part of his party. Arvind said Ashutosh would be assigned some important responsibility. Meanwhile, at the party’s press conference in Lucknow today, Saif Jafri Nagina, who calls himself a Samajwadi Party supporter, hurled eggs at AAP leader Kumar Vishwas. Tomorrow, Kumar is scheduled to address a rally in Amethi where he hopes to give a tough fight to Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi in the Lok Sabha poll. “The idea is to free Amethi of dynasty politics,” said Vishwas. He slammed the Congress and said it was creating obstacles for his party’s Amethi rally. Responding to the disruption at the press event, Kumar said, “Such attempts have been made in Delhi. Ink was thrown on Arvind and other party members. This shows that political parties are afraid of AAP and its growing presence.” New Delhi: Three days after the launch of anti-corruption helpline by CM Arvind Kejriwal, two constables Ishwar Singh and Sandeep Kumar from Janakpuri police station were arrested on Saturday on charges of extortion by the Vigilance Department following a sting operation by a vendor. — PTI
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Day before rally,
anti-AAP posters put up in Amethi
Lucknow, January 11 The posters and hoardings have been attributed to a little-known outfit called Rashtriya Rashtravadi Party. It has charged Aam Aadmi Party leaders Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia and Kumar Vishwas of being “anti-national”. Rashtriya Rashtravadi Party chief Prakash Chandra has charged the AAP leader of allegedly wrapping the body of AAP worker Santosh Koli in Noida on August 7, 2013 in the Indian Tricolour which he described as amounting to showing disrespect to it.
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People die in palaces too: UP minister on deaths in camps
Lucknow, January 11 "Deaths of children, adults and elderly are inevitable. It isn't necessary that only those living in camps are dying. People die in palaces too. It isn't that children in our homes don't die. Deaths occur everywhere," Rai, who holds the Sports portfolio, said. — PTI
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Ahmedabad, January 11
