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Love finds the right track – on Delhi Metro

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Cupid can strike in the unlikeliest places, even in the congested confines of a Delhi Metro station or train. Ask the many youngsters who traverse the length and breadth of the national capital and its suburbs in the trains and find that romancing in the crowd may be just the way to go.

For those looking for love and those already head over heels in it, Delhi Metro is veritable Cupid land — the crowded refuge of a couple looking for privacy or providing the opportunity to find that certain someone in the long journeys made day after day.

Islamist politics rages in sun-kissed Maldives, India worried

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The dramatic transfer of power in the Maldives has ripped the mask off a placid tourist paradise with sun-drenched beaches and global jetsetters. Behind the veil is brewing a heady mix of Islamisation and politics that also has India worried.

“The Islamist parties stoked resentment against the Nasheed government and tried to discredit him as anti-Islamic. Islamists ganged up with the disgruntled sections of the police, the military and the opposition to engineer a coup,” Ahmed Shaheed, Maldives former foreign minister and a key aide of Nasheed, told IANS over the phone from Male.

YSR party wants by-polls in one go

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With Andhra Pradesh assembly speaker taking no decision on their disqualification, 17 rebel legislators of the ruling Congress Monday urged the Election Commission to hold by-elections to 24 assembly seats in one go.

In a letter to the Chief Election Commissioner, the legislators loyal to YSR Congress demanded that balloting to seven vacant assembly seats be deferred till the speaker decides on their disqualification.

Seven assembly seats fell vacant late last year due to the resignation of the members. Election to these seats are due on or before April 30.

Samjauta Blast: NIA Arrests Indore-Based Man

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In another arrest in the Samjhauta express blast case, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has taken into custody an Indore-based man for his alleged role in the 2007 train attack.

The arrest of Kamal Chouhan, believed to be a close aide of Ramji Kalsangra and Sandeep Dange, key accused in the case, came after he was asked to appear before the NIA headquarters here following summons served at his home at Depalpur Tehsil in Indore in Madhya Pradesh, official sources said here tonight.

Anti-Gujarat Forces to Haunt the State in 24 Hours: Modi

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A day ahead of an Ahmedabad court opening a crucial SIT report on post-Godhra riots, Chief Minister Narendra Modi today warned of a “storm of criticism by anti-Gujarat forces” to sweep the state in the next 24 hours.

“There will be a storm in the form of criticism in next 24 hours, but the anti-Gujarat forces will not be successful in doing any harm,” Modi said after his day-long Sadhbhavana fast held here today without elaborating.

My Community Living in Fear in Gujarat: Keshubhai

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Former Gujarat Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel, considered to be the bete noire of incumbent Narendra Modi, today claimed that people of his community were living in the shadow of fear in the state.

“People of my community in the state are scared,” said Patel, who was here to attend a community marriage ceremony in Kamrej area.

Later on when quizzed about his comments, he said, “Yes I have said that people of my community are scared and not only that I would like to add the people of Gujarat are scared and are living under fear”.

Tamil Nadu assembly to ban cellphones

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Call it collateral effect from an episode in a neighbouring state or just a coincidence. The Tamil Nadu assembly is likely to bar MLAs from carrying mobile phones inside the House.

Highly placed sources said rules in this regard were being drafted. The move assumes significance coming just days after three BJP ministers were found watching porn clips on their handsets in the Karnataka assembly.

Jihadist forums say fighters going to Syria

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Jihadist forums say that Muslim volunteers are travelling to Syria from a string of Arab countries to fight against President Bashar al-Assad’s secular regime, which is battling an 11-month uprising.

Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri has voiced support for the Syrian uprising, while Iraq’s deputy interior ministry told AFP on Saturday that jihadists and weapons were moving from Iraq to Syria.

Man gives birth to a baby girl

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A man born a woman has become Britain’s first male mother despite having a sex change. The man, who is in his thirties, gave birth last year after having hormone treatment to reactivate his womb, which was not removed during the original sex change operation.

Joanna Darrell, of the Beaumont Society transgender support group, said the man had asked about the health implications of keeping his womb and what surgery he could have before it became impossible to carry a baby.

Multi-crore land scam accused continues in Delhi government

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One of the accused in Delhi’s multi-crore land scam in 2007, who allegedly allotted plots to fictitious people and sold them at exorbitant rates and was accused of cheating and criminal conspiracy, continues to be director in the Delhi government’s sensitive Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) despite his deputation having expired way back in 2008.

IANS has access to documents which show that the six-year deputation term of S.N.S. Sidhu, who is currently director (Administration and Law) in DUSIB, expired on June 3, 2008, and no extension has been granted to him.

Sadhvi Pragya writes to President, alleges torture in jail

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Claiming innocence Sadhvi Pragya Thakur, accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast, has urged President Pratibha Devisingh Patil to take action against Mumbai ATS officials for alleged torture in jail.

Sadhvi Pragya, lodged in a Mumbai jail, has recently written a letter to the President and also urged to direct the National Human Rights Commission to look into the matter.

Modi govt., SIT destroyed evidence, says Bhatt

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Suspended Gujarat IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt has accused the State government and the Special Investigation Team of -destroying- records related to 2002 post-Godhra riots.

In a letter written to the Nanavati Commission, Mr. Bhatt on Saturday alleged the crucial records related to 2002 post-Godhra riots have been -destroyed- by the Gujarat government and the SIT.

Why Khurshid’s Sonia blooper is bringing tears of laughter

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In the Congress party, it was General Secretary Digvijaya Singh’s role to drop bombshells and for embarrassed party spokesmen to distance themselves from it.

But times have changed. Now it is up to party leaders to blabber on foolishly in front of TV cameras, and for Digvijaya Singh to set the record straight.

Law Minister Salman Khurshid had his first brush with the law when the Election Commission censured him for announcing an enhancement in the Muslim quota and violating the code of conduct.

One killed and 12 hurt in gun attack on Khan rally

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One person was killed and a dozen injured as two gunmen opened fire and threw hand grenades at a political rally led by Imran Khan. The cricketer-turned-politician had left the venue before the attack and was not hurt.

Yesterday’s killings came soon after Mr Khan, the leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, had concluded the rally at Swabi in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Police suggested that they, rather than the PTI or its followers, were the target of the unidentified attackers. Seven of the wounded were police officers.

Student arrested for MMS of girl from IIT-Kanpur

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A student from IIT-Delhi has been arrested for allegedly creating an obscene MMS of a female student from IIT-Kanpur.

The third year student of textile engineering at IIT-Delhi was arrested for attempting to kidnap the girl and pressurising her to marry him, Circle Officer Shailendra Lal said.

The victim, who is a first-year student at IIT-Kanpur, says they met through common friends.

She had registered an FIR in Kalyanpur police station on November 26, stating that the boy was threatening to misuse her pictures if she refused to marry him, Lal said.

Indian student stabbed in London

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An Indian student, pursuing MBA from the London Business School, was stabbed in the Newham borough on Friday, Scotland Yard was quoted as saying in media reports.

Eleven people have been arrested following the stabbing of the student whose condition remains critical, reports added.

The media reports identified the victim as Praveen Reddy from Hyderabad. Scotland Yard officers believe the man sustained injuries at Kent Street, E13.

Case against Modi should be closed: BJP

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With the special investigation team (SIT) submitting its final report to a Gujarat court on Chief Minister Narendra Modi’s role in the 2002 communal riots, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Saturday said that the case should now be closed even if some groups seemed interested in victimising him.

“It seems there are some groups which are interested not in justice for the victims, but more in victimising the chief minister,” BJP spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman told IANS.

She said the party would not comment on the SIT report unless it is made public.

Auto drivers want financiers externed from city

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The Greater City Auto Owners’ Welfare Association has demanded that the City Police Commissioner enforce provisions of Anti-Gooda Act against the Auto financiers, who were harassing the poor auto drivers by collecting exorbitant interest rates on loans taken by them. It also appealed to the city police chief to extern the greedy auto financiers from the City.

Girl kidnapping gang nabbed

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Police today nabbed two members of a girls’ kidnapping gang at Siddipet in this district.Police said that the gangsters were kidnapping girls and selling them to brothel houses. Police said that they have rescued two girls from the clutches of the kidnappers.

Police are reportedly interrogating the duo for more information about other members of the gang and the details of other girls whom they had abducted earlier. (NSS)

Batla pictures brought tears to Sonia’s eyes’

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Union law minister Salman Khurshid found himself at the centre of a controversy today over his remarks that pictures of Batla House encounter had brought tears to the eyes of Congress chief Mrs Sonia Gandhi.

Mr Khurshid, who raised the controversial encounter during an election meeting in Azamgarh yesterday in an apparent bid to woo Muslim voters, today backtracked asserting he did not say that Sonia cried and he had only stated that she became “emotional”.

Will ensure rights of Pasmanda Muslims even if EC hangs me: Khurshid

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Sticking to his stand on minorities, Congress leader Salman Khurshid has said he would ensure the rights of Pasmanda Muslim community even if the Election Commission “hangs” him.

Addressing an election rally in Khatakpur locality on Friday night, the Law Minister said that EC had censured him, but even if the “Commission hangs him or does anything else”, he would ensure that people of Pasmanda community get their rights.

Eight die as emergency services crippled in Andhra hospitals

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At least eight patients have died since Friday night at government-run hospitals in Andhra Pradesh where emergency services are crippled following a strike by junior doctors, officials said Saturday.

Hospital officials said six patients died in the emergency ward of Gandhi Hospital here and one each in Visakhapatnam and Kurnool since Friday night. The relatives of the deceased alleged that lack of medical aid resulted in the death of their kins.

Sex, lies and videotape hit BJP

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Karnataka was supposed to be a stepping stone for the Bharatiya Janata Party’s successful political foray in the south. But it is turning out to be a millstone around the party’s neck.

TRS to press for bill favouring Telangana

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The Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) has decided to press for the introduction of a bill favouring formation of a separate state in the Budget session of Andhra Pradesh Assembly beginning February 13.

Speaking to reporters tonight after a joint meeting of its Legislature Party and Politburo, TRS president K Chandrasekhara Rao said the party would move a bill if the government did not come forward to introduce it.

The party, which has 11 members in the assembly, would try to stall the house over its demand for a pro-Telangana bill in the assembly.

Two arrested for duping job-seekers in AP

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Two persons, including a woman, have been arrested for allegedly duping 37 youths to the tune of Rs 55 lakh by promising them jobs in an IT giant, police said. The Crime Investigation Department (CID) of Andhra Pradesh has made these arrests. The accused–K Srilakshmi and her associate G Anand- duped the youths across the state under the pretext of providing jobs in IBM company, police said.