NCP wants to know cost of necklace Gadkari gave to Modi

MUMBAI: NCP sought to know the cost of the diamond necklace which former BJP president Nitin Gadkari recently presented to his party's prime ministerial candidate, Narendra Modi.

"When Modi was anointed BJP's PM nominee, party leaders garlanded him.

"The same day, Gadkari presented him with a diamond and pearl necklace. For some time, Modi wore it. Later, he removed it and handed it over to his private secretary or bodyguard," state NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik told reporters here.

"Where is that necklace today? Has he kept it in his treasury ("toshakhana") or did he take it home or did he give it to a friend. This information should be given to the people of the country," Malik said.

"We also want to know what is the value of the necklace.

Is it Rs 50 crore, or Rs 5 crore or Rs 50 lakh or Rs 5. The people are eager to know its cost," the NCP leader said.

22.44 | 0 komentar | Read More

Ishrat case: CBI questions Vanzara on his resignation letter

AHMEDABAD: Central Bureau of Investigation, which is investigating the 2004 Ishrat Jahan encounter case, questioned suspended IPS officer DG Vanzara at Sabarmati Jail here on Friday over his resignation letter, in which he has said he and other police officers were simply following the state government's "conscious policy".

CBI sources said the questions pertained to his resignation letter, in which he has also faulted Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi for not protecting the police officers who came under cloud in fake encounter cases in Gujarat. Vanzara (59), an officer of the rank of Deputy Inspector General of Police, jailed in fake encounter cases, resigned on September 1.

In his resignation letter, he expressed bitterness about the way Modi government failed to stand by him and other officers who implemented the government's "conscious policy" of "eliminating terrorism", and "zero tolerance". The 1987-batch IPS officer was considered to be close to Modi.

In particular, his letter accuses former minister of state (home) Amit Shah of betraying him and 32 other officers who are now in jail in connection with various encounter cases from Gujarat that CBI is probing. Vanzara says in the letter that he once adored Modi as a 'God', who could not rise to the occasion under the "evil" influence of Shah. Shah is Vanzara's co-accused in Sohrabuddin Sheikh and Tulsiram Prajapati encounter cases.

22.44 | 0 komentar | Read More

BSF jawan on leave becomes victim of Muzaffarnagar riots

MUZAFFARNAGAR: Sajid, a BSF jawan, had come home on leave hoping to spend time with his family, but had no inkling of what was in store for him.

During the communal violence in Muzaffarnagar, the rioters torched Sajid's house in neighbouring Shamli district, forcing him and his family to flee to save their lives.

Sajid is a jawan of the 112th company of the BSF at Ganganagar in Rajasthan, and had come home in Nala village when violence broke out in Muzaffarnagar and adjoining areas.

After his house was attacked, Sajid called his seniors at the BSF, and on their directions, he and his family were safely shifted to a relief camp in Kandhla village in the district.

Sajid and his family are still at the camp.

Over 40,000 people have been displaced in Muzaffarnagar district and surrounding areas after the outbreak of the violence.

22.44 | 0 komentar | Read More

Akhilesh govt has no right to continue: Cong

NEW DELHI: Drawing a parallel between communal violence in western UP and 2002 post-Godhra riots in Gujarat, Congress on Friday said Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav has "no right to continue" as the state government "failed miserably" to control the riots in Muzaffarnagar.

Terming Mujaffarnagar riots as "one of most deplorable acts of modern India during recent times", party spokesperson P C Chacko said "it is almost like revisiting Gujarat riots in 2002 again".

Alleging the state government "failed miserably" to take preventive action, he said the incidents in Muzaffarnagar and adjoining areas show "total failure" of the state government and hence "the state government has no right to continue in the light of these incidents".

He made it clear that he was not advocating the imposition of President's rule in the state and that "these two are entirely different things...sacking of a government is an entirely different matter."

Asked whether the visit of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi to Muzaffarnagar was only symbolic, Chacko shot back "going there and suspending the government? We did not mean that."

Replying to a volley of questions as to what prompted him to compare the Muzaffarnagar riots with those in Gujarat, he said "because both are riots. Whenever any communal riots happen, there is a carnage. Is it not?"

Chacko said that besides those who died, there are 50 thousand people in relief camps and their condition is "not at all satisfactory" and asked the UP government to immediately create an atmosphere in which people can go back to their native villages.

22.44 | 0 komentar | Read More

Onions from Afghanistan arrive to help contain prices

CHANDIGARH: With onion prices continuing to remain high, Punjab based traders have started importing it from Afghanistan through Attari-Wagah land route in Amritsar. While 400 tonnes of onion came from Afghanistan on Thursday, traders said about 2,000 more tonnes of the vegetable will come in from that country in the next 7-10 days.

"Considering the severe shortage of onion in the country which pushed up the prices quite high, we decided to import onion from Afghanistan. A consignment of 350-400 tonne of onion has already been imported and we expect 1,500-2,000 tonne of onion to flow into India from there through Attari-Wagah land route," Amritsar Exports Chamber of Commerce, president, Rajdeep Uppal said over phone.

As many as 10 traders from Punjab and Delhi imported onion from Kabul, traders said. Earlier, Amritsar based traders had tried to import onion from neighbouring country Pakistan.

They had even asked their counterparts in Pakistan to seek permission for onion export to India through Attari-Wagah land route in a bid to enhance bulb's supply. But that could not materialize, traders said. The imported onion from Afghanistan would be sold in the markets of Punjab, Jammu & Kashmir and even Delhi, traders said.

"Though the crop imported from Afghanistan is not superior to our crop. But its supply will certainly bring down the onion prices in the markets," said Uppal. Retail prices of onion are ruling at Rs 70 per kg in Punjab and Chandigarh.

India last imported onions from Pakistan in January, 2011 when it faced massive shortage of supplies.

22.44 | 0 komentar | Read More

Haryana honour killing: 3 members of slain girl's family arrested

CHANDIGARH: Three family members of the girl, who along with a 23-year-old boy was brutally killed in Rohtak district for "honour", were on Thursday arrested while police are carrying out raids to nab three other accused in the case.

The girl's father Ravinder, mother Reeta, and uncle Narinder were on Thursday arrested while police are looking for the girl's brother, his friend and a car driver.

"The police have arrested three persons -- deceased girl's mother, father and her uncle," Rohtak IG Anil Rao told over phone here.

Rao, while terming it as a "cold blooded murder", said that the weapon used in the crime is yet to be recovered.

"It was a cold blooded murder where parents of the girl seem to be against their daughter's affair," he said.

While the girl, Nidhi Barak (20) was killed in public view, the boy Dharmender Barak (23) was beaten up, his arms and legs broken and then beheaded on Wednesday.

Both Nidhi and Dharmender belonged to Jat community and were residents of Gharnavati village in Kalanaur of Rohtak district.

Nidhi was pursuing a fine arts course in Rohtak, while Dharmender was doing ITI diploma in Rohtak. On Tuesday both the deceased left their homes and did not return.

Nidhi's family managed to contact her on Wednesday and persuaded her to return home. But, later, they were both found murdered.

"Honour" crimes are common in Haryana and Punjab.

Alarmed over it, the Supreme Court in 2011 had observed that the so-called honour killers should face the death penalty.

There are no statistics on the number of "honour" killings across Haryana and Punjab, but according to a study, hundreds of people are killed each year for falling in love or marrying against their families' wishes.

Meanwhile, All India Democratic Womens' Association (AIDWA) has expressed deep shock and anguish over the "barbaric case of honour killing" in Rohtak.

Haryana state committee of Janawadi Mahila Samiti said that "heinous crime is a shame on the face of civil society".

The level of cruelty displayed in this shameful crime has stirred the conscience of all right thinking individuals, it said.

AIDWA state aecretary Savita said that "such barbaric crimes continue unabated and reminding of medieval period".

"Haryana alone has recorded dozens of honour killing incidents but nothing has been done to curb such crimes against humanity," he said.

It is ironical that the state government and mainstream politics continue to be silent spectators due to which no strong signal goes to the perpetrators of such crimes, she said.

The AIDWA had long been striving for enactment of a separate legislation against honour killings, she said.

"A memorandum, with over a lakh signatures, was submitted to the Union law minister a few months back and draft legislation too was submitted to the ministry. But the same was not placed before Parliament owing to opposition by Haryana government and other regressive forces like khaps who are active in the north western region," she said.

AIDWA also exhorted the elders to ponder over the concept of family honour and raise questions as to what honour was being saved by killing our own children.

22.44 | 0 komentar | Read More

Muzaffarnagar riots: Top UP cop seeks central deputation

LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh ADG (law and order) Arun Kumar, who oversaw security arrangements in Muzaffarnagar after communal riots erupted, has sought the state government's permission to go on deputation at the Centre.

Kumar's move has come amid reports of alleged political interference in police functioning during the riots. A total of 47 people were killed in the communal violence.

He has also gone on leave and is said to have gone out of the state on a personal visit.

Kumar, who was in charge of law and order in Muzaffarnagar after violence erupted in the district, has moved an application seeking permission from the government to go on central deputation, a senior official in the home department said.

The government will seek opinion of the state DGP on Kumar's plea, the official said.

"Arun Kumar is on leave and has gone out of the state on a personal visit and is expected to be back on Sunday," sources in the police department said, adding that IG (law and order) RK Vishwakarma has been given Kumar's charge.

Kumar had camped in Muzaffarnagar during the riots to monitor the situation. He is also heading the probe into the violence.

'Need to work on law and order'

Meanwhile, facing flak over law and order situation after Muzaffarnagar riots, chief minister Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday the situation had to be improved to bring Uttar Pradesh on the path of all round development.

"Very soon, Uttar Pradesh would be among the states which are being discussed for development," Akhilesh said, winding up a discussion in the state Assembly on the supplementary budget totalling Rs 7,112.39 crore.

Realizing that a lot of damage has been caused because of Muzaffarnagar clashes, the chief minister said "as far as law and order is concerned ... there is a need to continuously work in this direction ... if the image gets sullied entrepreneurs would not come forward to invest here".

Faced with continued attacks by opposition parties over dozens of minor and major riots, including Muzaffarnagar, taking place during the Samajwadi Party, Akhilesh tried to counter the claims that law and order situation was better during the previous Mayawati government.

"This is not what I am saying ... this is what the figures of Union Home ministry says ... maximum riots took place in the state in 2007-2008 and 2008-2009", he said.

The chief minister's mention of law and order during Mayawati government drew a sharp reaction from leader of opposition and BSP leader Swami Prasad Maurya to which parliamentary affairs minister Azam Khan retorted by asking him not to interrupt.

The recent communal clashes in Muzaffarnagar and adjoining areas claimed 47 lives and displaced over 40,000 people.

22.44 | 0 komentar | Read More

Former chief information commissioner launches online petition against Ram Jethmalani

MUMBAI: Former chief information commissioner Shailesh Gandhi has strongly criticized senior lawyer Ram Jethmalani — who is defending Asaram in a rape case — for his reported statement that "the girl was afflicted with a chronic disease which draws a woman to a man," and that "this was subject to police investigation".

He has launched an online petition demanding that the bar council cancel his membership.

Gandhi said, "This is a vile, defamatory and vulgar statement meant to overawe the minor girl. It calls for great courage for a minor girl to file a complaint against Asaram," he said.

Gandhi added it was because of the national mood due to the supreme sacrifice of Nirbhaya, that "girls are now gathering the courage to report cases of molestation, sexual harassment, assault and rape. The trial is of Asaram, not of the victim. Jethmalani's pronouncement appears to overawe her and threaten her with character assassination. If this becomes the trend, defence lawyers will consider it legitimate to use such despicable tactics and the entire gain in getting girls to report such heinous crimes will regress," he said.

22.44 | 0 komentar | Read More

Navy’s probe into INS Sindhurakshak tragedy nowhere near completion

NEW DELHI: Over a month after submarine INS Sindhurakshak sank because of a series of onboard explosions at the Mumbai naval dockyard the Navy is nowhere near concluding its probe into the incident. The tragedy claimed 18 lives including three officers,

Naval divers, who have clocked around 1,500 hours of operations since the accident on August 14, have managed to recover only 11 bodies till now. Nine of them have been handed over to the families after they were identified through DNA tests.

"The submarine's internal structure, especially in the weapons and other chambers close to the nose, has been severely damaged and mangled. The vessel's outer hull has also developed cracks, with its water-tight integrity breaking," said an officer.

The board of inquiry (BoI), chaired by Commodore Deepak Bisht, will only be able to complete its probe once the 3,000-tonne submarine — submerged in about eight-metre water — is "fished out" for forensic and other examinations.

The tender or the RFP (request for proposal) will be "floated soon" for the complex salvage operations to be undertaken. Several global and domestic companies — like Titan Salvage, Arihant Divers, Duke Offshore, SMIT and Graf Technical Marine — have already submitted their initial proposals after inspecting the submarine.

"The aim is to expeditiously ink the contract after the RFP is floated for the herculean salvage operation that could take a few months," Commodore Bisht said.

Preliminary findings indicated that it was "an accident or inadvertent mishandling of ammunition" in the fully-loaded weapons compartment of INS Sindhurakshak that caused things to spiral out of control with some missile and torpedo warheads exploding in "sympathetic detonation", as was earlier reported by TOI.

The Kilo-class submarine, with a full complement of 18 missiles and torpedoes, was slated to head for "a long deployment patrol" on August 14 itself. The unexploded torpedoes and missiles still inside the submerged submarine have been found strewn around after being dislodged from the six firing tubes and 12 racks. However, the likelihood of them being "unstable is very remote" because they have "already been exposed to explosions, very high pressure and temperatures, and have been underwater for over a month".

The accident — the first one of its kind — jolted the Navy. Apart from the loss of life, it also underlined that the force is left with only 13 aging diesel-electric submarines — nine Kilo-class of Russian origin and four HDW of German-origin. Only seven to eight of them are operational at any given time.

Incidentally, INS Sindhurakshak, which had cost $113 million when it was inducted in December 1997, had completed a $156 million prolonged "mid-life medium refit-cum-upgrade" in Russia in January.

22.44 | 0 komentar | Read More

Navy’s probe into submarine INS Sindhurakshak tragedy nowhere near completion

NEW DELHI: Over a month after submarine INS Sindhurakshak sank because of a series of onboard explosions at the Mumbai naval dockyard the Navy is nowhere near concluding its probe into the incident. The tragedy claimed 18 lives including three officers,

Naval divers, who have clocked around 1,500 hours of operations since the accident on August 14, have managed to recover only 11 bodies till now. Nine of them have been handed over to the families after they were identified through DNA tests.

"The submarine's internal structure, especially in the weapons and other chambers close to the nose, has been severely damaged and mangled. The vessel's outer hull has also developed cracks, with its water-tight integrity breaking," said an officer.

The board of inquiry (BoI), chaired by Commodore Deepak Bisht, will only be able to complete its probe once the 3,000-tonne submarine — submerged in about eight-metre water — is "fished out" for forensic and other examinations.

The tender or the RFP (request for proposal) will be "floated soon" for the complex salvage operations to be undertaken. Several global and domestic companies — like Titan Salvage, Arihant Divers, Duke Offshore, SMIT and Graf Technical Marine — have already submitted their initial proposals after inspecting the submarine.

"The aim is to expeditiously ink the contract after the RFP is floated for the herculean salvage operation that could take a few months," Commodore Bisht said.

Preliminary findings indicated that it was "an accident or inadvertent mishandling of ammunition" in the fully-loaded weapons compartment of INS Sindhurakshak that caused things to spiral out of control with some missile and torpedo warheads exploding in "sympathetic detonation", as was earlier reported by TOI.

The Kilo-class submarine, with a full complement of 18 missiles and torpedoes, was slated to head for "a long deployment patrol" on August 14 itself. The unexploded torpedoes and missiles still inside the submerged submarine have been found strewn around after being dislodged from the six firing tubes and 12 racks. However, the likelihood of them being "unstable is very remote" because they have "already been exposed to explosions, very high pressure and temperatures, and have been underwater for over a month".

The accident — the first one of its kind — jolted the Navy. Apart from the loss of life, it also underlined that the force is left with only 13 aging diesel-electric submarines — nine Kilo-class of Russian origin and four HDW of German-origin. Only seven to eight of them are operational at any given time.

Incidentally, INS Sindhurakshak, which had cost $113 million when it was inducted in December 1997, had completed a $156 million prolonged "mid-life medium refit-cum-upgrade" in Russia in January.

22.44 | 0 komentar | Read More