New Delhi, June 11
After taking suo motu cognisance of the large scale violence and destruction of public and private properties during the Gujjars’ agitation, the Supreme Court today dismissed a petition on behalf of the community seeking direction to the police of the states concerned not to “harass innocent” people while probing the cases of vandalism.

A Bench of Justices Arijit Pasayat and P.P. Naolekar told Akhil Bharatiya Gujjar Vikas Sangathan lawyer Surat Singh that why should the police take action against those who had not done anything wrong.

There was no occasion for issuing such a direction as the law enforcing agencies were expected to function as per the rule of law, the court said.

The apex court had described the vandalism of public and private properties in affected states as a “national shame” during the agitation by the Gujjars, stating that though every body in a democratic country had a right to raise his demand but indulgence in violence could not be permitted.

The court had given 10 days of time to the DGPs of Rajasthan, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh and the Police Commissioner of Delhi on June 5 for submitting status reports on action taken against the culprits, who indulged in causing loss to the public and private properties.

The sangathan alleged that the people belonging to the Gujjar community were being harassed by the police of the states concerned and false cases were being registered against them.

Mumbai, June 11
Underworld don Abu Salem was brought to Mumbai from New Delhi on Monday morning as he is scheduled to appear before a special TADA court in connection with the 1993 serial blasts case.

Salem was taken to Mumbai's Arthur Road jail, where he was earlier lodged.

Salem is under 25-day judicial custody in a case registered in 2002 under MCOCA for his alleged involvement in an extortion case.

Salem is accused of attempting to extort Rs 5 crore from Ashok Gupta, a businessman in Greater Kailash in New Delhi.

The Delhi Police also needed Salem for interrogation over his role in trying to extort Rs 10 million via his henchmen from South Delhi businessman Rajat Nagrath in July 2002. — ANI

Guwahati, June 11
Tension continued to grip Moreh township in Manipur bordering Myanmar in the wake of killing of 11 persons from two different communities by two rival militant groups on Saturday.

The border town, a popular business hub, has been under indefinite curfew since Saturday under heavy deployment of the police and paramilitary force personnel. The killings of 11 civilians by ultras has created tension even in the state capital in Imphal forcing Governor S.S. Sidhu to make a clarion call to the people of all communities to maintain harmony.

A police source in Imphal informed that senior police officials of the state, including director general Yumnam Joykumar Singh, are camping in the border town and having consultation with different groups of people to prevent escalation of violence.

Six of those killed in Moreh were construction workers from Meitei community while the rest were from the Kuki tribe. The killings are suspected to be handiwork of rival Kuki and Meitei militant groups.

Meitei protesters blocked roads and forced the closure of business establishments in the state capital in the wake of mindless killings at Moreh. An Indian Reserve Battalion and the Manipur State Police commandos launched operation in Moreh to flush out militants responsible for killings. Assam Rifles jawans have also been deployed to mount vigil in curfew bound border township.

It all started with the gunning down of five youths by ultras on Saturday morning. A rival militant group in an act of retaliation killed six more people later in afternoon same day.

On hearing the news of the killing, hundreds of people at the border town, mostly womenfolk, had stormed the Moreh police station. The police used tear gas and other mob dispersion devices to control the mob.

Tension had gripped the border town located on the Indo-Myanmar border since May 25 last following killing of two persons in an explosion of a bomb inside a hotel at Namphalong just across the Indo-Myanmar border. The border gates had remained closed since May 25 following the bomb blast and the trade is yet to resume.

Mumbai, June 11
The new Goa government headed by Digambar Kamat has already begun to look wobbly after feuding MLAs from his Congress stalled the expansion of the Cabinet.

The Cabinet has just four ministers, including the Chief Minister. One representative each from the regional Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party and alliance partner the Nationalist Congress party were sworn in along with Kamat last weekend. Also in the government is Ravi Naik from the Congress who was a contender for the top job.

But allocation of portfolios has become tricky since there are several claimants for plum portfolios like Public Works Department and Town and Country Planning. Naik is locked in a tug of war with Sudhin Dhavalikar of the MGP for the PWD portfolio. Sources say Kamat tried to split the portfolio into three and share it between the two claimants. But the conciliatory move did not work.

The new Goa CM says he will expand the Cabinet only next week after meeting the party high command in Delhi.

Under a Constitutional amendment enacted three years ago, only 12 of the 40 MLAs in the Goa House can be inducted into the Cabinet.

Three MLAs each from the MGP and the NCP have been assured a berth. Slots are being sought to accommodate the two Independent MLAs supporting the government as well.

Panaji, June 11
Congress legislator Aleixo Sequeira was today sworn-in as pro-tem Speaker of the Goa Legislative Assembly.

Governor S.C. Jamir administered oath to Sequeira at a function held at Raj Bhavan. — PTI

Kolkata, June 11
Jyoti Basu's "compromise formula" for ending Tata Motors land dispute at Singur ultimately fell through since the government says the lands forcibly acquired and handed over to Tata Motors can be returned to the unwilling farmers due to the legal barrier.

The veteran leader, who had intervened for "salvaging" the party sunk in the deepening crisis following the Singur-Nandigram controversies, earlier suggested after his talks with Mamata Banerjee and the Chief Minister Buddhadeb

Bhattacharjee separately that the lands forcibly acquired at Singur should be returned to the unwilling farmers and accordingly, the Chief Minister was advised to act.

But on Sunday after meeting the industries minister Nirupam Sen and going through the details of the terms of agreement with Tata Motors, Basu modified his "compromise formula " and suggested that the Chief Minister should negotiate with Mamata Banerjee and persuade her to accept the "suitable alternative lands" and compensations for the unwilling farmers at Singur.

Following Basu’s advice, Bhattacharjee sent invitation letters to Mamata and the leaders of several other parties

involved in the land acquisition controversies at Singur, Nandigram and elsewhere for attending the all-party peace meeting, the date and the venue of which would be finalised after the government's bi-lateral talks with different parties.

Reacting to Basu's new proposal, Mamata ridiculed she was not surprised that the old leader would be finally changing his decision when he had to please the chief minister and others for his bread, butter and shelter.

She claimed they themselves had also consulted the legal experts who had stated categorically that if the government so desired, the lands already handed over to Tata Motors could be taken back and there could be no legal hurdle against the re-transfer of the lands to the original owners.

Mamata said she would not attend any peace meeting called by the Chief Minister since he was the "killer". She reiterated she also would not be present in any meeting at Writers Buildings and the CPM Alimuddin Street party office.

Instead, Mamata gave a call to all like-minded parties and the Krishi Bachao Committee to launch a massive agitation programme throughout the state from this weekend against the eviction of the farmers and selling their farmlands to foreign investors and the country's corporate houses. Mamata hoped in this agitation programme, the Congress(l) and a section in the CPM and three front partners, CPI, RSP and Forward Bloc, would extend their support.

After Basu's meeting with Mamata at Salt Lake on Monday and subsequent developments, the homeless people of Singur, Nandigram and Khejuri were gradually returning to their respective homes. But after yesterday's decision, fresh trouble broke out again at Nandigram and Khejuri where both the CPM and the farmers had been involved in new clashes which suspended the home-returning programme" of the evicted people.

Senior FB leader Ashoke Ghose, who at one stage initiated dialogues both with Mamata and CPM leadership and held a peace meeting at Mahajati Sadan on May 24, was sorry that Basu's attempt too now failed.

But still he hoped that a settlement could be reached among the “warring parties” and the homeless people at Nandigram and Khejuri would be able to return to their homes.

New Delhi, June 11
Members of WomenPowerConnect, a coalition of more than 400 women organisations and individuals, met President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam today to prevail upon the policymakers to introduce the long pending Women’s Reservation bill.

In a memorandum submitted to the President, representatives of various women groups urged Dr Kalam to use his good office to prevail upon the policymakers to introduce the women’s reservation bill and fulfil their promise to the women of India.

Demanding that the government table the bill in the forthcoming monsoon session of Parliament, WomenPowerConnect president Ranjana Kumari said, “In the past three years, the UPA governnent has shown no intention of presenting this bill in Parliament. What is more worrying is that there is not even a draft bill”.

Dr Kumari said reservation for women in the Panchayati Raj had ushered in positive changes as women across the country had understood the significance of political representation for achieving political empowerment.

New Delhi, June 11
MPs have once again objected to a bill for setting up an institutional mechanism to discipline errant judges of the Supreme Court and high courts on grounds that it would need an amendment to the Constitution and that it would further dilute the Parliament’s power.

According to law ministry sources, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Law and Justice Ministry failed to finalise its recommendations on the Judges (Inquiry) Bill, 2006 during its meeting on Thursday.

The bill seeks to establish a National Judicial Council to probe allegations like corruption and inefficiency against judges of the higher judiciary. It ran into fresh trouble over a provision seeking to make an inquiry against a judge confidential and keeping it out of the ambit of the Right to Information Act.

Ministry sources said several members of the panel questioned the rationale of making the investigation process confidential under Section 33 of the bill when even the process of appointment of judges falls within the ambit of RTI.

The bill already faces severe resistance from lawmakers in the panel for being “unconstitutional” because it provides that an impeached judge of the Supreme Court or a high court can challenge the president’s order dismissing him in the apex court - a scenario even the constitution does not envisage.

Several experts, including eminent lawyer and former law minister Ram Jethmalani, have repeatedly questioned Section 30 of the bill, which provides: “A judge aggrieved by an order of removal passed by the President or the NJC ... may prefer an appeal in the Supreme Court.”

Jethmalani had earlier said, “Section 30 is the most foolish provision of the bill.” On Thursday, several members of the panel reiterated that the bill could not be passed by parliament unless the constitution was amended.

Informed sources said members also opposed the bill saying that it would further dilute parliament’s power when it came to dismissal of judges. To sort out the objections and finalise a consensual recommendation to the government, the panel headed by Rajya Sabha member EMS Natchiappan has decided to convene one more meeting June 14. — IANS

New Delhi, June 11
In the storm over the suspension of Pakistan’s Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry, the issue of Justice Rana Bhagwandas, known for his unbiased attitude, has lost sight of.

On May 28, 2007, Bhagwandas was sent on a forced “official trip” abroad. Apparently, he refused to comply with the directives to rule in favour of the incumbent government. It is understood that Bhagwandas was sent abroad so that the next seniormost judge Javed Iqbal could take over and do the government’s bidding.

Bhagwandas is at present in Malaysia. He is under instructions not to return to Pakistan unless told when to come back.

The maintainability of a petition by Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry was scheduled before the full bench of the Supreme Court today and the buzz word in the Pakistani media is that the verdict is to come out in a few days.

Justice Bhagwandas, who holds a SAARC visa sticker, was in India when the confrontation between General Musharraf and Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry took place initially. He maintained a low profile and extended his stay on grounds of performing some religious rites.

Sources say on March 9 Bhagwandas was very much in Pakistan, but he refused to take over as the acting chief justice. Apparently, he was asked to quickly form a five-member supreme judicial council and rule in favour of the government by dismissing Iftikhar Chaudhary. That the crisis boiled over is another matter.

However, on Bhagwandas’ refusal, he was quietly sent out to India. Since he was holder of a SAARC visa, it was difficult to immediately confirm, the precise date on which he came to India. He returned back to Pakistan only after persistent media pressure.

Bhagwandas is known for his unbiased attitude and is also not corrupt. Significantly, the media in Pakistan is also not questioning the sudden “official trip” (starting May 28, 2007) of Justice Bhagwandas at this crucial juncture. It has been 12 days since he left the country and it is not known when is he expected to come back.

Neither is Pakistani media discussing this, nor is government breaking its deafening silence on the issue. His family has reportedly been warned not to discuss the issue at all.

Pakistan’s Supreme Court is currently flooded with petitions of various kinds, including the all important constitutional petition filed by Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry, challenging the presidential reference against him. Some of the important cases include May 12 Karachi violence - inaction of Sindh government, inadequate security deployment; clamp down on media - the new PEMRA ordinance; challenge to General Musharraf on refusing to quit despite attaining the superannuating age.

Rana Bhagwandas was the first Hindu and the second non-Muslim (after A.R. Cornelius) to serve in this post.

New Delhi, June 11
The Delhi High Court chief justice’s Bench would hear the case pertaining to the alleged collusion between the special prosecutor and the defence lawyer in the high-profile BMW car hit-and-run case, involving the grandson of former Naval Chief S. N. Nanda.

Nanda’s grandson Sanjeev had been chargesheeted for running over six persons by his MBW car in 1999, including three cops. A recent sting operation by a TV channel had shown that his lawyer and former Congress MP R. K. Anand and special prosecutor I. U. Khan had allegedly been striking a deal in the case.

A Bench of justices J. P. Singh and S. Murlidhar, before whom the matter relating to the sting operation was placed today, said the case should be put up for hearing before Chief Justice M. K. Sharma’s Bench on July 2.The High Court had taken suo motu notice of the sting operation on May 31 and sought entire material from the TV channel, NDTV.

The TV channel had made available to the court the entire footage of the sting operation in which key witness Sunil Kulkarni was allegedly being influenced by the defence lawyer and the prosecutor.

New Delhi, June 11
Former test cricketer Maninder Singh today told the police that the June 9 incident in which he sustained cuts on his wrists was an “accident”.

Denying that it was an attempt to commit suicide, he told the officer, who recorded his statement at the Shanti Mukund Hospital in the Preet Vihar area of East Delhi, that he sustained injuries as he banged his arms on the windowpane to awaken his family, said DCP (East) Ajay Chaudhary.

“As I had come late and no one was responding to my calls I tried to awaken them by banging on the glass window during which I sustained injuries on my wrists,” Maninder told the investigation officer.

On the police’s next step, in view of the fact that despite him being a “left-hander”, his right wrist had deeper injuries, Chaudhary said it would depend on the hospital report, which would describe the nature of injuries caused to the former cricketer.

Earlier, he was operated upon at the hospital and kept under 48-hour observation, because of which the police could not ascertain the cause of his condition. However, members of his family had claimed it to be “an accident”.

On the other hand, doctors attending on the former cricketer had said he was brought to the hospital with deep wounds on both his wrists.

Maninder is at present out on bail. — UNI

New Delhi, June 11
The government is likely to review in mid-July prices of petrol and diesel, which have not been changed since February despite a spurt in international oil prices.

“Once we have the trend for first quarter (April-June), we will review the situation. In early July, we hope to get a consolidated view after consultations with industry and the Left parties,” a top oil ministry official said.

The review will throw the exact quantum of under-realisation of petrol, diesel, domestic cooking gas (LPG) and kerosene for the full fiscal and how this has to be borne by all the stakeholders.

At least one-third of the projected Rs 50,400 crore revenue loss on fuel sale will be borne by upstream firms like ONGC, while the Government will also share part of the burden by way of compensating fuel retailers through issue of oil bonds.

The rest will have to be split between the retailers and the consumers, the official said. International oil prices have risen 10-12 per cent since mid-February when petrol prices were slashed by Rs 2 a litre and diesel by Re one per litre.

“Once we have a consolidated view, we will go to the Cabinet, possibly in second or third week of July, for a decision,” the official said. The Cabinet will decide on the quantum of bonds Finance Ministry will issue to Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum and Hindustan Petroleum as also deliberate the need for raising petrol and diesel prices.

“You will have a decision in July,” he said adding discussions on sharing of under-recovery on fuel sales will begin with Finance Ministry after July 2-3. — PTI