Tuesday, October 26, 1999

Bofors: recovery of kickbacks ‘from heirs’
GUWAHATI, Oct 25 — BJP leader Sushma Swaraj today indicated that public money swindled in the Bofors deal would be recovered from the legal heirs of the accused who were not sent for trial.

NCC cadets visit Kargil sector
NEW DELHI, OCT 25 — A unique opportunity was recently provided by the Army to young NCC cadets who were sent on an organised trip to Kargil sector for a week.

Medical teams in trains planned
NEW DELHI, Oct 25 — The Railways plan to depute doctors and nurses in trains covering long distances. Railway Minister, Mamata Banerjee told newspersons here today that she has proposed a doctor-nurse team on board trains covering long distances.

India, UAE sign extradition pact
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, Oct 25 — India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) today signed an extradition treaty laying the legal framework for seeking the extradition of Mr Win Chadha, an accused in the Bofors case.

The treaty was signed by the visiting UAE Minister for Justice, Islamic Affairs and Awqaf, Mr Mohammad Makhira al Dhaheri and the Minister of Law , Justice and Company Affairs, Mr Ram Jethmalani this evening at Hyderabad House.

The treaty with the UAE will provide a legal framework for seeking the extradition of terrorists, economic offenders and other criminals from the UAE, the spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs said.

“The extradition treaty embodies the desire of the two countries to strengthen bilateral cooperation between them and to take concrete steps to combat terrorism and other crimes. The two countries shall extradite any person found in their respective countries who is accused or convicted of an extraditable offence, as defined in the treaty.”

“The treaty will have retrospective effect and extradition will be possible irrespective of whether the crime was committed before or after the entry into force of this treaty.”

The agreement on mutual legal assistance in civil and commercial matters, also initiated today, is aimed to facilitate the widest measure of legal assistance in civil and commercial matters. As a result of this agreement, it will be possible to serve summons and other judicial decrees by the courts of one country in the territory of the other.

“The judicial authority of one country may also, on the request of the other, take evidence and the courts of one country may also execute decrees and arbitration awards passed in the territory of the other.”

The agreement on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters, also signed today, is aimed to improve the effectiveness of both countries in the investigation, prosecution and suppression of crime, including crime related to terrorism and tracing, restraint, forfeiture or confiscation of the proceeds and instruments of crime.

The treaty will also facilitate the widest measures of mutual assistance in service of summons, execution of warrants and other judicial documents and commissions.

Bofors: recovery of kickbacks ‘from heirs’

GUWAHATI, Oct 25 (UNI, PTI) — BJP leader Sushma Swaraj today indicated that public money swindled in the Bofors deal would be recovered from the legal heirs of the accused who were not sent for trial.

Participating in a meet-the-Press organised by the Guwahati Press Club, she said the law would take its own course in the Bofors case in which Rajiv Gandhi was an accused.

“Death of a person does not debar from including his name in the charge sheet and that is why Rajiv Gandhi’s name is there in the charge sheet. This money (public money swindled) is always recoverable from the legal heirs of those who have been accused and who have died,” she said.

“You may not prosecute the person since you know he is not there. But if findings are that the money is given to the heir then you can always recover the money and that is why his (Rajiv Gandhi) name is there. He is not sent for trial because he is not present. But money can always be recovered and there are instances as there are sufficient laws,” she said.

She said the Centre would take the Bofors probe to its logical conclusion.

“Even Congress President Sonia Gandhi had gone on record saying that her party would strive for taking the Bofors probe to its logical conclusion”, Ms Swaraj said.

Denying the Congress charge that the NDA government was trying to victimise its leader following the charge sheet on Bofors, Ms Swaraj said “Ms Sonia Gandhi herself has gone on record that the party wants the Bofors probe to conclude.”

Musharraf’s journey to Pakistan

NEW DELHI, Oct 25 (UNI) — On September 20, 1947, around noon, a riotous mob gathered outside the “Nehar Wali Haveli” at Kucha Saadullah Khan in the walled city, thirsting for blood. About 40 Muslims were holed up inside, fearing for their lives.

The mob made a lot of threatening noises but maintained a safe distance fearing that the people who had taken shelter inside the ancestral property of General Pervez Musharraf, now Chief Executive of Pakistan, could be armed.

Fortunately, the police arrived in time and escorted them to Purana Qila on the Sher Shah Suri Marg, where arrangements had been made to accommodate displaced people.

“Mob mentality was at work and everyone wanted to occupy evacuee property,’’says a septuagenarian, then aged around 20 years, who saw it all.

The man came here from Lahore well before the riots broke out and was staying with his brother-in-law, principal of a top Delhi college, when communal riots broke out. He now has a stake in the haveli.

“It is possible that young Pervez could have been in the group that was escorted out by the forces,’’ he said on condition that his identity not be disclosed.

But the young General was not among the group. Original deed documents now available with the UNI reveal that Pervez Musharraf’s father, Syed Musharrafuddin had moved out of the haveli at least a year earlier.

On November 4, 1946, Musharrafuddin signed as a witness the documents (taqsim nama), by which the heirs of Qazi Mohtashimuddin, the General’s great grandfather, divided the huge haveli among themselves. He gave Baron Road, New Delhi (near Minto Bridge) as his place of residence. The document, bearing an impression of King George V, was registered with the Sub-Registrar of Properties, province of Delhi.

The haveli, spread over 24,817 sq ft and valued in 1946 at Rs 100,000, was divided between the five siblings (three brothers—Motaminuddin, Nizamuddin and Muizuddin, and two sisters) according to the “Shariat’’ (Islamic law) which provides for a share to daughters in the father’s property.

Musharrafuddin’s mother, Amina Begum, and aunt Syeda Begum, both got equal shares measuring 2569 sq ft.(then valued at Rs 12,500).

On the paternal side, General Pervez Musharraf’s family tree could not be traced beyond his grandfather — Syed Sharfuddin — who died early leaving behind a young widow to take care of his two sons.

Amina Begum returned to the ‘Nehar Wali Haveli’ and stayed there till her elder son, Ashraf, found a job with the Department of Revenue, and was allotted accommodation on Baron Road.

The family later shifted to Arambagh in Pahargang and Qureshi Manzil on Khajoor Road at Karol Bagh before migrating to Pakistan.

Little is known about Sharfuddin. He was born at Makhdoom Patti, a locality in Panipat (undivided Punjab) and is believed to have come from a family of “Sajjadanasheens’’(caretakers of Sufi shrines).

The search in Panipat was only partly productive. Birma, probably the oldest living “jamadar’’ in the city, and the only one to remember the Sharfuddin family, says: “Their house (still in good condition) is right next to the dargah of Hazrat Shah Makhdoom.’’ He remembers little else. The family shifted to Delhi well before Independence.

Efforts to trace a neighbour of Musharrafuddin, Syed Mahmood Nizami of 13, Baron Road, led the search to Amroha in Uttar Pradesh.

Mr Nizami, an employee of the Department of Food, had signed the “taqsim nama’’ as the second witness. However, enquiries revealed that he also opted for Pakistan at the time of partition where he died around 1988.

HC seeks details of fare hike

NEW DELHI, Oct 25 (UNI) — The Delhi High Court today deferred till next Monday the hearing on a public interest petition seeking the immediate rolling back of the 100 per cent hike in the DTC bus fares, affected to meet crores of rupees of accumulated losses, and the 35 per cent hike in diesel prices.

A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice S.N. Variava and Mr Justice S.K. Mahajan directed the petitioner to furnish certain details regarding the structure of fare hike and its implication by November 1, 1999.

The Bench sought details like the cost of maintenance of DTC buses, hike in school transport charges and to what should be the percentage of “reasonable hike” according to the petitioner. The PIL had urged the court to direct the government and the DTC to keep the hike at a reasonable level.

The PIL filed by the All India Lawyers’ Union (AILU) said the ‘arbitrary and irrational’ hike in bus fares is tantamount to exploitation of the common man at the hands of the state, which runs contrary to the letter and spirit of Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution.

The PIL filed through counsel Ashok Aggarwal urged the court to immediately stay the operation of the October 15 order of the DTC which doubled the fares from October 16. The ‘mindless’ decision was a clever ploy to cover up the massive bungling in the corporation, it added.

NCC cadets visit Kargil sector
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, OCT 25 — A unique opportunity was recently provided by the Army to young NCC cadets who were sent on an organised trip to Kargil sector for a week.

A total of 28 cadets representing all states and union territories were airlifted by the Indian Air Force (IAF) to Leh from where they travelled by road to Kargil.

The local formations and units at Kargil conducted the cadets around the main battlefields of the recent conflict. The cadets were briefed on accounts of the events of those days.

They could see the main hill features where the battle took place and visited a number of specialised units and met soldiers who have been fighting the weather, terrain and the enemy, all simultaneously. The heroic deeds of our soldiers left an imprint on their young minds which has motivated most of them to join the armed forces.

The visit brought the NCC cadets much closer to the armed forces.

The Chief of Army Staff, Gen V.P.Malik, also hosted a reception for them at Kashmir House to listen to their interesting experiences.

Medical teams in trains planned
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, Oct 25 — The Railways plan to depute doctors and nurses in trains covering long distances.

Railway Minister, Mamata Banerjee told newspersons here today that she has proposed a doctor-nurse team on board trains covering long distances.

Ms Banerjee confirmed that discretionary passes for journalists, social activists and freedom fighters were being discontinued “for the time being” as an austerity measure. She said instead of issuing such passes, the Railways could improve service to the passengers by having a medical team on duty in trains covering long distances.

“We can have a doctor and a nurse on duty in long distance journeys. This would mean sparing two berths. I’ve asked the concerned department to submit a report on implementation of this proposal,” she pointed out.

The minister said this was the first time that a move had been made to discontinue discretionary passes as part of a series of austerity measures to overcome financial problems arising out of decline in budgetary support.

Asked to spell out other austerity measures, Ms Banerjee said: “We have already started taking austerity measures. A member of the Railway Board cancelled his tour to Bangkok.”

Magdalla to have airport
SURAT: The Union Textile Minister, Mr Kashiram Rana, has said the Magdalla airstrip, near here, would be converted into a full-fledged airport with private sector participation. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) would be signed in this regard shortly, involving the Centre, Gujarat Government and private aviation companies, Mr Rana said at a function, where he was felicitated by the Southern Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry, here on Sunday. — PTI

Autumn festival in Pauri
DEHRA DUN: With the Tehri cultural festival and the “Hardwar mahotsav’’ having concluded recently and the pauri autumn festival beginning on Thursday, the festival season in the region is in full swing. To be held in Pauri town of Garhwal’s Pauri district, the “Sharadotsav’’ will be preceded by a “route march’’. — UNI

Bee menace at Madampatti
COIMBATORE: The inhabitants of Madampatti village here are at their wits end in trying to drive away the bees which attack them at a burial ground. As soon as a funeral procession approaches, the bees from 10 hives on a tree turn on them. The hives had come up during the last 15 years. When the hapless villagers reported about the menace to the authorities, the fire service personnel visited the spot. But they expressed their inability to scare away the honey-bees apprehending that the insects would swarm the village. — UNI

Panel to review health facilities
NEW DELHI: The government has set up a committee to review health facilities and manpower in the entire North-East region. The committee, headed by Mr J.V.R. Prasada Rao, Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Health, includes senior officials of the Health and Home Ministries, the Planning Commission, as well as the Secretaries and Directors of Health Services of the North-Eastern states, officials said. — PTI

Debris of plane found after 61 years
CHHINDWARA: Strange as it may sound, the debris of an Army Dakota plane that crashed in 1938 have been found recently near Ambadi village under Sausar tehsil in Chhindwara district of Madhya Pradesh. The plane belonged to the Army at that time ands was used for carrying mail to Kamptee near Nagpur in Maharashtra when it crashed. The debris of the plane got noticed after they were found floating in the recent floods, officials said here on Monday. — PTI

Husband of two commits suicide
NOIDA: A 38-year-old man of Sector 40, Noida, committed suicide by hanging himself. The deceased, Raj Kumar, had two wives and was under great mental strain due to frequent quarrels among the trio. Fed up with the daily fights, he hanged himself on Sunday. The police has sent the body for postmortem and is investigating the case. — FOC

Bandh hits life in Tripura
AGARTALA: Life was paralysed in parts of Dhalai and North Tripura districts on Monday following a dawn to dusk bandh called in protest against militant attacks in the state. While the ruling CPM-sponsored a 12-hour strike in Dharmanagar sub-division in North Tripura, the Opposition Congress called a similar bandh in Kamalpur sub-division to protest the killing of its leader Jagadhish Ghosh. The police had recovered the leader’s mutilated body on Sunday from Bhubanchara. — UNI

Rama Devi calls on Advani
NEW DELHI: The Himachal Pradesh Governor, Mrs Rama Devi, called on the Union Home Minister, Mr Lal Krishan Advani, here on Monday. Official sources described the meeting as a “courtesy call” by the Governor on Mr Advani assuming charge as the Union Home Minister. — TNS