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| Saturday, February 5, 2000, Chandigarh, India  
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Magistrate
kills three, manipulates FIR: PIL Kerala
HC moved on statute review Hawala
case may be reopened: CVC Meira
avoids blaming Sonia Ensure fair poll in Bihar, CEC
urged BJP-INLD campaign from Feb 8 |
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Note
on 2-child norm sent to Cabinet
|
Magistrate kills three, manipulates FIR: PIL NEW DELHI, Feb 4 (PTI) — In a sensational case before the Supreme Court today, it was alleged that a Ghaziabad magistrate, allegedly driving his car at a high speed, killed three persons on a two-wheeler and later used influence to replace his name with his driver’s in the police report as the culprit. A Division Bench comprising Mr Justice S.P. Bharucha and Mr Justice Ruma Pal, after hearing the PIL filed by advocate Lokesh Pundhir, issued notices to Uttar Pradesh Government, Senior Superintendent of Police Ghaziabad and the Magistrate, Rajinder Prasad. The petitioner, who claimed to be an eye-witness to the accident, alleged the magistrate, driving at a high speed, killed three persons on a scooter on September 26 in front of Massuri police station in Ghaziabad district. Mr Pundhir claimed the magistrate, after showing his identity card to the police, managed to flee from the sport without even bothering about the victims. The injured were later taken by Mr Pundhir to hospital where one was declared brought dead while the other two succumbed to their injuries. He went to the police station to lodge an FIR but later found he was shown only as a witness and somebody else as the complainant, Mr Pundhir said in the petition. Charging the magistrate with using influence and subverting investigation, the petitioner alleged that he learnt later to his "utter shock" that one Uday Tyagi had been shown as the driver of the vehicle involved in the accident in place of Rajinder Prasad. The petitioner, through advocate Chandrasekhar, alleged, "the most revealing fact is that Rajinder Prasad happened to be the judicial magistrate of the police station within whose jurisdiction the accident took place". "So he succeeded in shielding himself by manipulating almost all vital aspects of the investigation," he added. Further, Mr Pundhir alleged that the police, despite knowing the identity of the driver of the Maruti van, deliberately put Uday Tyagi’s name in the FIR while recording in the complaint that the driver’s name and address were unknown. The petitioner alleged that police did not conduct the requisite tests of the blood samples on the driver’s seat of the van as it would have led to the identification of the person responsible for the gruesome accident. Mr Pundhir said he was not only the eyewitness to the accident but also knew very well that the driver was the magistrate, and alleged that "all principles of fair and impartial investigation are sacrificed and the real culprit is shielded". The petitioner said in
these circumstances the Supreme Court should direct a
probe into the incident to be conducted by an independent
investigating agency. |
Kerala HC
moved on statute review BANGALORE, Feb 4 (UNI, PTI) — Former Chief Justice of India, Justice M.N. Venkatachalaiah, who would head the commission to review the working of the Constitution, today said its members should maintain political neutrality and not have any pre-set political agenda. In an interview, Justice Venkatachalaiah said, "In a country where everything is political, when I said a member should be apolitical, I meant that he should not be suspected to be adhering to a pre-set political agenda or any political party. They should be people who are aware of the Indian predicament". KOCHI: A writ petition, seeking a declaration that the Union Government has no jurisdiction to constitute a committee for reviewing the Constitution, was filed in the Kerala High Court on Friday. The petition, which came up before Mr Justice J.B. Koshy, has been posted to February 10 for instructions. The petition by S. Sathyan of Thodupuzha and two others also wanted the court to restrain the government from appointing the committee and a declaration that reviewing the Constitution in any manner was ultra vires. The petitioners also wanted quashing of all records of the February 1 meeting of the Union Cabinet, which decided to constitute the committee. MYSORE: The
review of the Constitution being sought by the BJP is a
"sinister move" to deny highest position in the
country to minorities by bringing in the Presidential
form of government, a former Prime Minister, Mr H.D. Deve
Gowda said here on Friday. |
Meira
avoids blaming Sonia NEW DELHI, Feb 4 — After having decided to resign from the Congress party, Mrs Meira Kumar today claimed she has yet to make, up her mind as to which political party she would chose, preferring to leave the decision to "her supporters’’. Having sprang a surprise a couple of days ago by resigning from the primary membership of the Congress, Mrs Kumar was restrained in her attack on the leadership of the Congress President, Mrs Sonia Gandhi. While addressing the media, two days after her resignation, she couched her decision in the language of a diplomat, a career she quit over a decade ago to join politics.. Mrs Kumar alleged that the Congress party had become "rudderless’’ and was "paying lip service" to the cause of Dalits, the weaker and oppressed sections of the society. While stopping short of blaming the Congress President she took shield behind her "resolve" not to attack anyone personally. Yet in the same breath, she described the Congress as a monolith party where the writ of the party President runs large. "If any thing goes well (in the Congress) it is because of the President and if anything goes wrong it is because of the President. "I have kept my options open and will decide after consulting my supporters’’ was her stock reply to persistent queries from the media as to which would be the party of her choice. Asked if she considered the BJP as ‘untouchable’ or ‘communal’’, Mrs Kumar said having taken up a fight against untouchability she did not practice the policy. If several other political parties like the National Conference could join the National Democratic Alliance headed by the BJP, the ‘communal’ tag may not be justified. Meanwhile, the Congress today reacted to Mrs Kumar’s charges stating that she had been given "more leverage by the Congress President’’ and she even took active part in the Central Election Committee meetings. The Congress fielded the AICC General Secretary, Mrs Ambika Soni, to counter the charges of Ms Kumar. "She (Mrs Kumar)
never gave an advice not to align with Ms Jayalalitha.
One always looks for reasons while leaving and justifies
it,’’ Mrs Soni said. |
Hawala case may be reopened: CVC NEW DELHI, Feb 4 (PTI) — The politically sensitive Rs 65 crore Jain Hawala case in which all accused have been discharged by the designated court, might be reopened if the CBI questioned the Dubai-based kingpin Amir Bhai, Central Vigilance Commissioner N Vittal said today. "I have asked CBI whether Amir Bhai can be questioned again so that the matter can be reopened ... and CBI gets a second chance for making up the goofing they might have done earlier," Mr Vittal said participating in a star TV programme. The heat and dust generated by the much talked about case was put to rest on January 31 when the designated court discharged the controversial Jain brothers along with four former top officials of Neyveli Lignite Corporation (NLC) in the last pending case. Amir Bhai, who had been allegedly eluding the enforcement authorities for the last five years, was arrested by a team of CBI and ED officials on January 10 at Indira Gandhi International Airport here after he was intercepted by Interpol. He is at present in judicial custody on alleged charges of FERA violations. Participating in a discussion on ‘corruption among public servants’ in the programme ‘Big Fight’, the CVC said the question of punishment of any CBI officials for lapses "in the present system is impossible". Strongly justifying the CVC move to put on its website the names of 91 IAS and IPS officials against whom it has advised initiation of criminal or departmental proceedings since January 1990 in various corruption cases, Mr Vittal said it was not a "publicity stunt". "In the next 15
days lot more names will be shown," the CVC said
adding "the people of this dubious background in
sensitive posts have already been exposed. Linkage of
corrupt politicians and bureaucrats is hotly talked
about". |
Ensure fair poll in Bihar, CEC urged NEW DELHI, Feb 4 (PTI) — The BJP today urged the Chief Election Commissioner to take all necessary steps to ensure free and fair Assembly polls in Bihar as RJD had the "reputation of rigging elections". "The RJD has acquired notoriety for rigging elections and we have asked the Election Commission to ensure that free and fair polls are held in the state and for this purpose, extra forces may be deployed from states where elections are not being held," party spokesman Mr Venkaiah Naidu told reporters here. He said the party urged the commission to focus special attention on Danapur where the RJD chief Mr Laloo Prasad Yadav, is contesting and also the Patna seat. It strongly condemned the attack on central ministers, Mr Babulal Marandi and Mr Shahnawaz Hussain in Ranchi yesterday allegedly by the Congress workers. "It is the Congress which had blocked the formation of Vananchal by supporting the RJD. Such gimmicks by the Congress would boomerang on it," he said. PATNA: The Chief Election Commissioner Dr M.S. Gill on Friday constituted a high-level standing committee of top officials to oversee the conduct of coming Assembly poll in Bihar. The committee will
comprise the state’s Chief Electoral Officer,
Director General of Police and nodal officers of various
central paramilitary forces (CPMF) who will supervise the
conduct of poll and liaise with the Election Commission
for necessary guidance, Dr Gill told mediapersons after
reviewing poll preparations with senior officials over
the past two days. |
Minor reshuffle of Secretaries NEW DELHI, Feb 4 — The Centre today effected minor Secretary-level reshuffle appointing Mr Shymal Ghosh as Telecom Secretary. Mr Ghosh will swap place with Mr Anil Kumar who will be the new Textile Secretary. Mr P.L. Sanjeeva Reddy, Secretary Rural Development has been shifted to Company Affairs, a place which fell vacant after the appointment of Mr T.K. Krishna Murthy as Election Commissioner. Mr Arun Bhatnagar,
Secretary Youth Affairs and Sports will succeed Mr Reddy
while Mr N.N. Khanna, Special Secretary, Commerce will be
the new Secretary of Youth Affairs and Sports, official
sources said tonight. |
Iranian award for Prof Swarup MUMBAI, Feb 4 (PTI) — Radio astronomer Prof Govind Swarup, designer of the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) in Pune, has been chosen for the 12th Khwarizmi International award of Iran. Prof Swarup, who was the director of the National Centre for Radio Astrophysics of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), will receive the prestigious award on February 6 from Iran’s President Syed Mohammad Khatami for his outstanding scientific contributions in the field of radio astronomy, according to a TIFR release. Prof Swarup was responsible for the indigenous design and construction of GMRT, commissioned recently at Khodad, 80 km north of Pune, with fully steerable 45-metre dish antennas of a novel design. Al-Khwarizmi, after whom
the international award is named, was a ninth century
scholar from Baghdad who wrote several books based on
Hellenistic, Hebrew and Hindu philosophies, the release
added. |
BJP-INLD campaign from Feb 8 NEW DELHI, Feb 4 — The BJP and the INLD will launch their joint campaign for the Assembly poll in Haryana simultaneously from eight places on February 8. The BJP spokesman, Mr M. Venkaiah Naidu, said leaders of both the parties would campaign for each other’s candidate in the state. As per the campaign programme chalked out by both the parties, on February 8 the Union Minister for Information Technology, Mr Pramod Mahajan, along with local leaders of the INLD would address a meeting at Rohtak. The Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Om Parkash Chautala, along with the Union Minister of State for Home, Mr I.D. Swami, would kick off the campaign at Karnal. Simultaneously, a former Union Minister of State, Ms Uma Bhatari, would address a meeting at Gurgaon, while the Minister for Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution, Mr Shanta Kumar, would launch the campaign at Ambala City. Former Delhi Chief Minister, Mr M.L. Khurana and Mr Sahib Singh Verma, have been deputed to start the campaign from Faridabad and Sonepat, respectively, while a former Rajasthan Chief Minister, Mr Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, would address a meeting at Hisar. For the Jagadhari
Assembly seat, the party has yet to decide the name of
the leader, Mr Naidu said. |
10 kg of heroin seized, 13 Nepalese held NEW DELHI, Feb 4 (UNI) — Customs officials at Indira Gandhi International Airport have busted a major international drug trafficking gang operating in Pakistan, Nepal, Thailand and India with the arrest of 13 Nepalis from possession around 10 kg of pure white heroin was seized. Customs Commissioner Vijay Zutshi told newspersons today that among the arrested couriers were 11 who had swallowed capsules containing heroin and were travelling to Bangkok. On January 28 night, alert officials of the Air Customs Preventive Unit caught a Nepali, Lila Bahadur Gurung, who was travelling to Bangkok by an All Nippon flight. On sustained interrogation, he admitted to having swallowed capsules containing heroin. The Customs sleuths mounted a surveillance in the check-in area and nabbed four more Nepalis who were travelling to Bangkok on the same flight. These four - Bhai Lama Tamang, Changke Lama Tamang, Muinen Tamang and Gang Bahadur Tamang — also confessed that they had swallowed capsules. In all 1,135 capsules
filled with heroin weighing eight to nine gm each have
been recovered so far and efforts are on to recover more
contraband. |
Note on 2-child norm sent to Cabinet NEW DELHI, Feb 4 (PTI) — The Health Ministry will move a note to the Cabinet for the reconsideration of the two-child norm as a pre-condition for contesting elections to the Lok Sabha. The note follows an earlier meeting of all political parties convened by the Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare N.T. Shanmugam where participants failed to arrive at a consensus as leaders of major political parties were opposed to the idea of a legislation for adopting the two-child norm, an official release said here today. The last meeting was the
result of a recommendation of the Parliamentary Standing
Committee on Human Resource Development. |
Charas seized from ex-IAF officer NEW DELHI, Feb 4 (PTI)
— The Delhi police on today seized 150 kg of charas
from south-west Delhi and arrested a retired senior Air
Force official and his daughter in this connection. The
seizure was made following a tip-off from Vasant Kunj
area this morning and Wg. Cdr. Satnam Shah (retd) and his
daughter Priya were arrested. |
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