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SAARC home ministers’ meeting today
Contempt Petition in Migrants’ Case
Govt may lift export ban on non-basmati rice |
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Sethusamudram Project
SC stays narco test of godmother Santokhben
Rizwanur’s post-mortem, viscera reports sent to AIIMS
Panel summons AIIMS director
JD(S) final decision on Oct 24
Manipur Deputy Speaker denied bail
TN Assembly passes bill on minority quota
India gives list of terrorists to Pak
2 Indians on Time’s global ‘Heroes of Environment’ list
Five new IAS, IPS officers appointed in Gujarat
New visa application form for UK
Pranab to visit China
BJP MLA held for assaulting Cong leader
Mid-day meal scheme extended
Ten of a marriage party killed in mishap
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SAARC home ministers’ meeting today
New Delhi, October 22 Even though bilateral discussions are on in this matter, Bangladesh is poised to request India in a multilateral forum to hand over Bangladeshi criminals believed to be hiding in this country. Dhaka estimates there are 600-700 Bangladeshi criminals hiding in India. The meeting, spread over four days and chaired by union home minister Shivraj Patil, will strive for a consensus on the critical multilateral legal assistance (MLA) which in turn can be utilised as an instrument to cooperate on crimes without relying solely on bilateral settlements. The extradition of Bangladeshi criminals hiding in India is also expected to be covered under the MLA. India is strongly pushing the MLA issue having raised it at bilateral meetings and at the multilateral level. Under the proposal, SAARC member states will extend legal cooperation among themselves in dealing with arresting criminals and checking drug smuggling and trafficking of women. SAARC legal experts have already met in Colombo and the ministers will discuss the outcome of those deliberations and recommendations. The SAARC member states have agreed in principle to form a police forum called Saarcpol and the meeting is expected to give it a concrete shape. Nepal first proposed the formation of Saarcpol on the lines of Interpol and Europol last year for cooperation in police matters in the region. The host government for the first time handed over three Bangladeshi criminals to the Criminal Investigative Department on October 7. The CID officials of Bangladesh are hopeful of taking back to their country two top criminals from Kolkata later this week. Preparatory to the conclave of the Home Ministers of the eight-member SAARC grouping, the police chiefs of the fledgling grouping will first meet tomorrow followed by the home secretaries on Wednesday. The home ministers will meet on Thursday to give final shape to the preceding deliberations and have a round up session the next day on October 26. Ahead of the SAARC home minsiter's conference, the meeting of the Indo-Pak Joint Terror Mechanism has taken place in the backdrop of the bomb blasts in Karachi following the return of former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto to her country after being in exile for more than eight years. This mechanism was set up following an understanding reached between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Pakistan President Gen Pervez Musharraf on the sidelines of the NAM summit in Havana, Cuba, in September last year. The first meeting of the SAARC home ministers was held in Dhaka in May last year where it was resolved to fight terrorism and drug trafficking by bolstering the existing mechanism and sharing information and experiences. The ministers pledged to work together to bring peace and stability to the region by fighting terrorism which was causing damage to the lives and livelihood of the people and affecting economic stability and prosperity of the region. They also decided to work more closely with the Asean countries and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.
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Contempt Petition in Migrants’ Case
New Delhi, October 22 A Bench of Justices Ashok Bhan and D.K.Jain turned down the request of Panthers Party president Bhim Singh for issuing notices to them before perusing an affidavit filed by the relief commissioner at Jammu, to whom the notice was issued earlier on August 20. However, the court asked Bhim Singh to file his response to the relief commissioner M.K.Kaul’s affidavit, submitted today, within a week. Kaul, in his affidavit, claimed that the orders of the court regarding identifying migrants of the Jammu region and providing relief to those whose identity had been established, was complied with. On the court’s specific query as what was the stand of the Jammu and Kashmir Government about the status 11,904 PoK migrants belonging to 2,201 families and living in different parts of the Jammu region since 1947, the state’s standing counsel Anis Suharawardy said “they are not registered migrants”. Pathters Party activist Kamal Goria, in his petition of 2006, had said that these people had migrated to Jammu areas in 1947 from Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) but were not provided any relief till date. He had accused the state government of discriminating them in terms of relief vis-à-vis Kashmiri Pandits, forced to leave the valley after militancy in 1990. The Panthers Party had sought relief and rehabilitation package for them on a par with Kashmiri Pandits. Kaul, in his today’s affidavit, stated that 118 families living in the Jammu region identified as genuine migrants, were already being provided relief. The commission had processed the applications of 665 families on the parameters laid down for identification with due clearance from the CID of state police and district collector, but so far verification report about 230 persons had been
received, he said. Out of the 247 applicants processed so far, only three families were found to be “genuine” migrants, the affidavit said. The commission said the applications of the 665 families under process were received prior to July 13, 2006, order of the court, asking the state to identify the genuine 1947 migrants and provide them relief. As per the data submitted with the affidavit by the commission, it had scrutinised 77
families in Doda, four in Banihal, 50 in Bhaderwah, 26 in Thathri and 73 in Kishtwar areas to establish the identity of migrants from PoK. In an earlier affidavit filed prior to the July 13, 2006, order, the then relief commissioner had stated that the 1947 situation was different, as there was mass migration after partition of the country. Goria in his PIL had said that the PoK migrants, mostly Hindus, were living in a pathetic condition in different parts of Jammu and both Central and state governments had “ignored” their repeated pleas for rehabilitation all these years.
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Govt may lift export ban on non-basmati rice
New Delhi, October 22 This was indicated by Prime Minister when Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda called on him here today. Hooda apprised the Prime Minister of the huge loss being caused to the country and paddy growers of the state due to imposition of ban on export of non-basmati rice by the government recently and urged the Prime Minister to lift the ban on export of non-basmati rice keeping in view the interests of paddy growers of the state, an official release said. He also urged the Prime Minister to enhance the bonus on rice, which is being procured at the minimum support price of Rs 675, and a bonus of Rs 50 per quintal for safeguarding the interests of paddy growers. The chief minister also requested the Prime Minister to notify the proposal of PUSA-1121 variety of rice as basmati, made by the Haryana government, immediately as this would help in opening up entire European market and would help the farmers in getting remunerative price for their produce.
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Sethusamudram Project
New Delhi, October 22 BJP spokesman Prakash Javadekar said the announcement was a deliberate attempt by the DMK minister to hurt the faith and sentiments of the followers of Lord Ram and the minister had chosen the day when the whole country was busy burning Ravana's effigy. By watching 'Ravan dahan' at Ramlila grounds in Delhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi had contradicted their own affidavit filed before the Supreme Court denying the existence of Lord Ram. If there was no Ram, there was no Sita or her abduction and the campaign to liberate her from the Ravana'a custody by building Ram Setu, Javadekar pointed out. Baalu's statement is in fact not just a contempt of the court but also an effort to nullify the government panel which had no member from oceanography, architecture, finance, he said.
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SC stays narco test of godmother Santokhben
New Delhi, October 22 After her counsel Bina Madhvan’s contention that such test against the wishes of the accused violated her fundamental right, a Bench of Justices Altamas Kabir and H.S. Bedi granted the interim stay on the high court permission. The court, however, would examine the question whether narco test on the asking of the police could be permitted by the court of law. Jadeja’s counsel said for narco test some drugs, which had adverse effect on a person’s body, were administered against his or her will, which violated their fundamental rights. Since the statement coming from the accused in the narco test did not have any evidential value in the court of law as it was only a part of the investigation process, the police could not be allowed to use courts to assist it in the probe of a case, counsel argued.
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Chiranjeevi’s daughter moves HC, seeks protection
Hyderabad/New Delhi, October 22 Within hours of the newly-wed couple approaching Delhi court seeking police protection, Pavan Kalyan, also a popular actor, drove to Jubilee Hills police station here and surrendered his revolver, apparently to send across a message that there is no threat from the family. "We will not harm them. We wish them happiness wherever they are," Pavan said. Defying her family's wishes, Srija (19), a student of chartered accountancy, had married her boyfriend Shirish Bharadwaj (22), an engineering graduate, in a secret ceremony at Arya Samaj here last week. The couple, who went into hiding soon after their marriage, surfaced in Delhi today and moved High Court seeking police protection. "We have approached Delhi court because we could not get protection in Andhra Pradesh," Srija said. She, however, hoped that her family would bless her on her return to Hyderabad and made it clear that she had high respect for her parents. She said she had informed her father about her affair with Bharadwaj about a year ago. "Only after my family rejected my choice did I take this step," Srija said. Pavan said the actor's family was in a state of shock as Srija did not inform them before leaving home. "Since she is a major, she has every right to choose her life partner. We wish her a happy life. She is welcome home anytime," he said. The actor said his elder brother was deeply hurt by the development while his sister-in-law had fallen ill due to shock. Meanwhile, coming to the rescue of newly-wed daughter and son-in-law of Telegu star Chiranjeevi, the Delhi High Court today directed the police to provide protection to the couple since they had got married against the wishes of their families. The order came after the couple apprehended threats to their lives from the bride's family. ''Delhi police would be kept informed by the petitioners (Chiranjeevi's daughter Srija and son-in-law Shirish Bhardwaj) about their residential address in the capital. The police shall give necessary protection so that their lives face no danger,'' Justice S N Dhingra said. Mentioning the recent case of Rizwanur Rehman, their petition expressed apprehension about replication of the Kolkata tragedy. However, Advocate Maninder Singh, appearing on behalf of Chiranjeevi's family, refuted the allegations and said the actor had already publically blessed his daughter for a happy married life. This should clear the air once and for all, he submitted. He further contended that the family should be given some time to file a reply. The matter has been adjourned till October 29 by which Chiranjeevi has to file his reply as per court orders.
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Rizwanur’s post-mortem, viscera reports sent to AIIMS
Kolkata, October 22 The CBI officials also did not accept the CID report of Rizwanur’s death due to suicide. Officials said it was to be ascertained if the death was due to suicide or accident. But there were reasons to suspect that Rizwanur might have been killed, said the CBI officials. Meanwhile, SUCI and some other like-minded parties have given a call for 12-hour Bangla Bandh on October 30 to protest against the killing of Rizwanur Rahman. Trinamool Congress, the Naxalites and a few minority groups have supported the bandh call. According to the CBI, Rizwanur’s body, which was buried at the Pak Circus burial ground, would be exhumed, if necessary, for a second time examination by an expert body to be constituted by them. The mother of the deceased Kishwar Jahan said she would have no objection if Rizwanur’s body was exhumed and once again examined for finding out the truth and punishing the guilty responsible for her son’s death. Though the warrant of arrests against Ashok Todi, the businessman father-in law of Rizwanur who is the prime accused, and others were “officially obtained” at the CBI’s special court in Delhi, it could not be executed today also following legal hurdles. The CBI could execute the Delhi court’s order after processing it at the CBI bench at the Calcutta High Court.
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Panel summons AIIMS director
New Delhi, October 22 NCSC chairman Buta Singh told UNI here today that the commission had taken a decision to summon Dr Venugopal to its office as he was ‘avoiding appearance before the commission on one or other pretext.' Dr Venugopal was called to appear before the commission thrice, in August, September and again on October 20. Each time, he furnished the commission with some pretext that too, only fifteen minutes before the scheduled time for his presence, said Buta Singh. The commission is inquiring into the Thorat Committee report on AIIMS which had accused AIIMS Director P Venugopal of ''playing a pivotal role in instigating the anti-quota agitation'' that broke out after the Government decided to introduce 27 per cent reservation for OBCs. The AIIMS set up a committee of its own on May 24 to review the findings, observations and recommendations of the Thorat Committee report describing its composition as ‘biased’.
— UNI
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JD(S) final decision on Oct 24
Bangalore, October 22 JD(S) supremo H.D. Devegowda would hold consultations with his son and former Chief Minister H.D. Kumraswamy, state unit party president Merajuddin Patel, senior leaders M.P. Prakash and N Cheluvaraya Swamy to take a decision on the issue, state unit spokesman Y.S.V. Datta said here. Last week, Kumaraswamy elicited views from his party MLAs where majority of them had urged him to explore the chances of aligning either with the Congress or the BJP to form a government. JD(S) men are said to be apprehensive that the situation would not be conducive for facing elections at a time when the party refused to handover power to the BJP. Meanwhile, interacting with the press on the sidelines of a function here, union minister of state for labour Oscar Fernandes said the Congress high command would decide on the Karnataka affairs. Remaining non-committal on whether his party was inclined to revive ties with JD(S), he, however, said there was a need for secular parties to come together. Fernandes also clarified he was not a chief ministerial aspirant. However, former deputy CM and BJP leader B.S. Yediyurappa stuck to his party stand of going for elections and demanded that the Assembly be dissolved. — PTI
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Manipur Deputy Speaker denied bail
New Delhi, October 22 "I am unable to accept the argument that since the accused has now become deputy speaker of the Assembly, he is entitled to regular bail," Additional Sessions Judge H.S. Sharma said in an order last week while refraining from giving respite to T H Shyam Kumar Singh. Singh, 41, who was elected as the deputy speaker of the Manipur Assembly in August this year after winning the State Assembly election from Tihar jail here, was granted interim bail till October 31 by the Delhi High Court. Singh had contended that he was required to attend various political meetings and sessions of the Assembly. The special cell of the Delhi Police had nabbed Singh along with two self-styled lieutenant colonel of the banned UNLF of Manipur on October two last year from IGI Airport here while the trio was trying to board a Kathmandu-bound flight. A chargesheet has also been filed in the case, indicting Singh for offences pertaining to crimes against the state and other provisions of the IPC.
— PTI
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TN Assembly passes bill on minority quota
Chennai, October 22 Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi, however, reminded the House that the issue relating to a ceiling of 50 per cent in total reservation and the inclusion of the State law for the protection of its existing level of reservation in the Ninth Schedule to put it beyond judicial scrutiny was still pending before the Supreme Court.
— TNS
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India gives list of terrorists to Pak
New Delhi, October 22 The second meeting of the India-Pakistan Joint Anti-terrorism Mechanism did not bring about any decisions, nor was any expected in the first place. Officials on both sides admit the very fact that the meeting took place was in itself an encouraging and positive development. The Pakistani side took the familiar line on two points:
(i) It was not breeding terror in India, and (ii) Indian activities in Baluchistan through its consulates in Afghanistan were detrimental to Pakistani interests and not acceptable. The Indian side gave a list of names of terrorists who are wanted for terrorist acts in India and who, according to Indian information, are presently in Pakistan. The list carried old names like “global terrorist” Dawood
Ibrahim, but it also included at least half a dozen new names. India updated Pakistan about its investigations in the Samjhauta Express link train blast. The Pakistanis told the Indians that their own investigations told them that Pakistan was nowhere connected with the Samjhauta explosion. Both sides discussed the terror acts that took place in the two countries since March this year when the first meeting took place. The Indian delegation was headed by
K.C. Singh, additional secretary, Ministry of External Affairs, while the Pakistani delegation was led by Khalid Aziz
Babar, additional secretary (UN and EC), Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan. A joint statement said both sides shared new information on terrorist incidents.
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2 Indians on Time’s global ‘Heroes of Environment’ list
New Delhi, October 22 Tanti and Dobhal are the only two Indians on the list, which includes other prominent names like Nobel Peace Prize winner and former US Vice-President Al Gore, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Prince Charles of Wales and former Russian President Mikhail Gorbachev. The magazine said its ‘Heroes of the Environment’ list is focused on those who are making efforts to address the pressing questions of sustainability. While Tanti, Chairman of Suzlon Energy, the fourth largest wind turbine maker in the world has been named as one of the ‘moguls and entrepreneurs’, Dobhal, a glaciologist, is part of the scientists and innovators category. The magazine has described Dobhal as the one scaling “the shrinking glaciers of the Himalayas to track the globe’s warming in real time.” “The environment isn’t bound by borders on the map and neither are our heroes. So we selected candidates from developed countries, where environmentalism has had time to take root, and from developing nations, where tomorrow’s green battles will be fought,” the magazine said in the cover story of its latest Asia edition. Pointing out that Tanti is all the more convinced that wind is the energy of the future and that his firm would help in launching the industry into the mainstream, he is quoted as saying. “... green business is good business. But it’s not just about making money. It’s is about being responsible.” According to the magazine, Tanti settled down on wind power by buying two turbines to meet the energy needs of his textile company in late 90s. Later, in 2001, Suzlon sold off its textile manufacturing firm and entered into the field of wind turbine generators. “If wind was the answer to Suzlon’s energy needs, asked Tanti, then why couldn’t it fuel the growth of other industries?,” the report added. Dobhal, a glaciologist at Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology which studies the Himalayan glaciers, makes use of bamboo sticks to measure the rise and fall of glacial mass. “Because I am a government servant, whatever I do I’m doing it for my country... Glaciers are the best indicator we have,” he is quoted by the magazine. His work is all the more important since Himalayan glaciers have been studied by less scientists compared to that of glaciers in Alps, the Rockies and the Arctic, points out the report. “You don’t have to be an environmentalist to be a hero of the environment. The threats that face the planet are so varied from widespread species extinction to dwindling natural resources that we’ll need front-line activists and boardroom tycoons in equal measure,” says the magazine. — PTI
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Five new IAS, IPS officers appointed in Gujarat
New Delhi, October 22 While M.V. Joshi will be the new collector of Valsad, four superintendents of police have been replaced in as many districts. The EC order comes close on the heels of top-level changes in the state police. In today's exercise, Wabang Zamir has been appointed superintendent of police at Patan, Archana Shivhare as SP in Rajkot Rural and Amit Vishwakarma as SP, Baroda Rural. Surat Rural SP would hold additional charge as SP Tapi, an EC spokesman said. The Commission had also decided to send three special observers to supervise the observance of model code of conduct by the political parties in the state from tomorrow. G.D. Tripathi, Manisha Arun Patankar and Arun Singhal would tour various areas in Ahmedabad, Surat and Jamnagar, the EC said. In addition, the commission is also sending three teams of its officials this week to oversee poll readiness in Baroda, Surat and Ahmedabad.
— PTI
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New visa application form for UK
New Delhi, October 22 With effect from October 29, all visa applicants applying for a visa/entry clearance to the United Kingdom would have to apply using the new application forms. These forms will be available from the British High Commission and Deputy High Commissions' Visa Departments, local Visa Application Centres and from the UKvisas' website: www.ukvisas.gov.uk <http://www.ukvisas.gov.uk> Mark Sedwill the director of UKvisas said "We at UKvisas want to encourage tourists, students and key workers to apply for visas to go to the UK. We have redesigned our visa application forms to make them as straight forward and as simple as
possible."
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Pranab to visit China
New Delhi, October 22 The minister who will leave for China tomorrow on a three-day visit, will also have discussions on regional and international issues, a spokesman of the External Affairs Ministry said here today. This is the third stand-alone meeting of the foreign ministers of the three countries to discuss regional and international issues and expansion of tri-lateral cooperation. Sources said Mukherjee is also likely to meet his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi on the sidelines of the tri-lateral meeting to discuss the entire gamut of bilateral relations, including the vexed border issue. Sources said the visit of the External Affairs Minister and his bilateral meeting with the Chinese Foreign Minister would be followed by the visit of the UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi in mid-week.
— UNI
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BJP MLA held for assaulting Cong leader Ahmedabad, October 22 According to police sources, Chaudhary, along with his supporters, assaulted Congress leader Ankur Joshi, a social worker Usmanbhai, a reporter Ramesh Acharya and editor M.K. Sayeed of a local daily, while they were sitting in a room at Hotel Janpath in Radhanpr town. Chaudhary and his men allegedly beat these four people with hockey sticks and fired few bullets at them with his private revolver. In the incident, all four sustained fractures and were treated at Mehsana Civil Hospital. The assault was the fallout of a political rivalry between Chaudhary and Joshi. The police at the Chansama police station today called the BJP MLA, where he was later arrested. — UNI
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Mid-day meal scheme extended
New Delhi, October 22 The scheme has been extended since October 1 to classes VI to VIII in 3,479 educationally backward blocks and will cover the entire country next year on, an HRD ministry statement said. In keeping with its newly acquired function, the National Programme of Nutritional Support to Primary Education is renamed National Programme of Mid-Day Meals in Schools, it said. The central assistance to states to cover upper primary stage was included in a Rs 7,324-crore mid-day meal grant as part of the Budget 2007-08, which marked a 37 per cent increase over the previous year, the statement said. The expenditure as on September 30, 2007, was Rs 2231
crore, including Rs 422 crore towards cooking cost for upper primary stage, it said. The states and Union Territories will pay 50 paise of the Rs 2.50 cooking cost per child per school day, except Northeastern states which will pay 20
paise, the statement said. — UNI
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Ten of a marriage party killed in mishap
Dehra Dun, October 22 The Tata Sumo carrying a marriage party that comprised a six-member band team, two photographers and three others, including the driver, rolled down into the Alaknanda river near Karanprayag in Chamoli Garhwal last evening, officials at the disaster management and mitigation centre here said. One person, however, escaped unhurt as he hung on to a rock. The ten others died on the spot. The marriage party was returning from Shiv Nandi in Pauri Garhwal and was on their way back to Sonla in Chamoli district. The villagers awaiting the arrival of the party began a massive hunt after the members did not turn up late night. The man hanging on to the rock was rescued only in the morning and was shifted to a hospital. — PTI
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