AK Khan warns RTC employees against drunken driving

Vice Chairmen and Managing Director APSRTC A K Khan on Monday warned the corporation’s employees of stern action if they indulge in drunken driving. He said that those who drive vehicles in inebriated condition would not be spared and appropriate action would be initiated against them to ensure the safety of the RTC Commuters.

Jagan to withdraw bail petition from SC

YSR Congress party president Jaganmohan Reddy on Monday decided to withdraw his bail plea from the Supreme Court on technical grounds.

According to reports, Jagan took this decision as he was briefed by his lawyers that it was improper to seek bail at the time when the Enforcement Directorate was investigating the case. Jagan’s counsel said that his client would file a separate petition in the apex court seeking to withdraw his bail plea.

Vijayamma’s Deekha aimed at diluting ‘T’ agitation: Yashki

Nizamabad MP Madhu Yashki Goud on Monday alleged that YSRCP honorary president Y S Vijayamma observed Maha Deeksha for the cause of weavers in order to disturb the law and order situation in the Telangana region.

Talking to media persons, he came down heavily on Vijayamma for observing the Deeksha at a time when the Centre was planning to take a decision on the Telangana State issue. He slammed the State Government for giving permission to stage Deeksha which disturbed the law and order situation in the region.

CPI to protest against price rise, inflation

The Communist Party of India today said it would stage a sit-in from July 30 till August 3 near Parliament House to oppose price rise, food shortage and the “failure” of the UPA government to control inflation.

“UPA II has failed to check the price rise and control inflation, as a result people are suffering,” CPI state secretary Girish told reporters here today.

–Agencies

Mumbai Police to take voice samples of Abu Jundal

Taking the voice samples of LeT operative Sayed Zabiuddin Ansari alias Abu Jundal will be among the top priorities of Mumbai Crime Branch, which has secured his ten-day custody in the 2008 terror attack case. “Forensic experts would be called soon to conduct Jundal’s voice measurementthrough audio spectrometer.

Besides his interrogation, his voice sample collection is one of our top priorities during the custody period,” a Crime Branch official said.

Man arrested for advocate Azmi’s murder given bail

A man arrested in connection with the murder of criminal lawyer Shahid Azmi about two years ago has been granted bail by the Bombay High Court.

Justice R C Chavan granted bail to accused Vinod Vichare observing that he was not shown to be present on February 11, 2010, the day Azmi was gunned down in his office at Kurla.

Vichare was arrested by the police within days after advocate Azmi was shot dead.

–Agencies

Notorious criminal arrested in Noida

A notorious criminal, carrying a reward of Rs 50,000, was today arrested from Nangla village here.

Amit Mandal, a native of Bihar, was arrested on a tip-off, police said.

Bihar had announced a reward of Rs 50,000 on the arrest of Mandal, who was wanted in several cases.

Additional District Judge Munger Bihar had issued a warrant against him in connection with a murder case, they said.

–Agencies

Nani to contest as YSRCP candidate in 2014

Gudivada MLA Kodali Nani, who was recently suspended from the TDP, today announced that he would contest in the 2014 elections as the YSR Congress candidate.

Nani announced this decision at a public meeting in the SC colony of Angaluru village under Gudlavallerlu mandal of Krishna district on Sunday. He said that he had plunged into politics to fulfill the ideals of late N T Rama Rao and was elected to the Assembly twice.

He said that he had to take the decision to leave the party as he could not do anything to the constituency, as the TDP had not come to power.

TG venkatesh clarifies statement

The Minor Irrigation Minister TG Venkatesh has clarified that some of the leaders have misunderstood his remarks against the IAS officers.

Speaking to the media here on Sunday, Venkatesh has explained that his intention in making that statement was only to make the IAS officers, who failed to work, to discharge their duties for the sake of people.

Revanth dares Shobha to come for debate

TDP MLA A. Revanth Reddy on Sunday dared YSRCP MLA Shoba Nagireddy to come for a debate either in Hyderabad or Allagadda or Kodangal on who were involved in land grabbing and murder politics.

Speaking to the media here on Sunday, Revanth Reddy dubbed “Sakshi” newspaper as a ‘poisonous daughter’. He said that the newspaper, which was born out of ill-gotten money, was publishing utterly false news stories stating that the TDP office was a center of all conspiracies. It was ridiculous and shame on the part of the “Sakshi” to write about Constitutional values and laws.

CM asks collectprs to act swift on rain havoc

Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy has directed all the district Collectors to keep a close watch on situation arising out of heavy rains and immediately take corrective steps even by visiting affected areas, preserving inflows in reservoirs, irrigation tanks, strengthening of bunds and to keep the government and Chief Secretary informed on any problem to be sorted out at government level.

Rain wreak havoc in AP, 15 CM rains recorded in Hyderabad

At least eight persons, including three children, were killed in two rain-related incidents in the city on Saturday, police said.

The Metrological department has said that due to the incessant rains the state capital has recorded 15cm rains in last 24 hours.

The incessant rain has left the state capital totally battered with many low-lying colonies in areas like Uppal, Manikonda, Malakpet, Meerpet, Uppuguda and Ramanthapur flooded.

Criminal case against AP min for ‘inflammatory’ remarks

A retired IAS officer today filed a criminal case against an Andhra Pradesh minister for making certain “inflammatory and provocative” statements against bureaucrats and exhorting people to “shoot” non-performing public servants.

B V Papa Rao, who served as Home Secretary of Assam and also with the United Nations during his career, said in his complaint that the statement of Minor Irrigation minister T G Venkatesh attracted criminal liability under various IPC sections.

–Agencies

US cautions citizens against overseas travel, including India

The United States has issued a fresh travel advisory on overseas travel to its citizens, including India which “continues to experience terrorist and insurgent activities.”

“India continues to experience terrorist and insurgent activities which may affect US citizens directly or indirectly,” the State Department said in its new worldwide travel alert for its citizens.

Sri Lanka commends India for LTTE ban for another 2yrs

Sri Lanka today praised India for continuing with the proscription of the LTTE for another two years.

“This is a very good action by India as a friendly government”, Keheliya Rambukwella, the Minister of Information and Government spokesman told reporters here.

LTTE was banned in India in the aftermath of the assassination of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1991.

–Agencies

City auto drivers threaten stir from August 1

Auto drivers unions’ joint action committee here on Thursday threatened to go on strike in the twin cities from August 1 if the State government failed to hike the auto fares immediately.

On Thursday, the auto drivers staged a massive dharna at the Transport Commissioner’s office at Khairatabad demanding cancellation of challans and other demands. The JAC leaders also handed over a strike notice to the Additional Commissioner of the Road Transport Authority.

OU campus tense again as marching students held

Tension prevailed once again on the Osmania University campus on the Telangana issue, after a lull in the agitation for a long time.

The OU students on Thursday took out a rally opposing the elected representatives of the Telangana region voting for Pranab Mukherjee in the Presidential race, branding him as anti-Telangana. They proposed to take out the rally up to the Assembly premises where voting was taking place. However, the police stopped the students at the NCC gate.

Boycotted Presidential poll due to anti Telangana attitude of congress

Telangana Rashtra Samithi here on Thursday announced that it was boycotting the Presidential election due to the adamant attitude of the Congress party on the decades’ old Telangana issue.

Announcing this to the media, TRS supremo K. Chandrasekhara Rao said that his party has decided to keep off the Presidential election in protest against the hostile attitude of the ruling Congress party and its Presidential candidate Pranab Mukherjee towards formation of separate Telangana State. The motto of the TRS was separate State, he added.

AP IAS officer used govt money sans sanction

Yet another senior IAS officer in Andhra Pradesh finds himself in the dock for splurging government money for personal purposes.

VN Vishnu, who served as Collector of Guntur district from April 2011 to July 15, 2012, is accused of spending lakhs of rupees of government money without any budgetary provision or official sanction, official sources here said on Wednesday.

Vishnu is already under the CBI scanner over certain controversial land deals executed during his previous stint as Vice-Chairman of Visakhapatnam Urban Development Authority. He was grilled by the CBI last week.

Court reserves order on defamation plea against Teesta

A local court today reserved till July 23 its order on the defamation suit filed against activist Teesta Setalvad by her former associate.

Rais Khan, who had worked with Setalvad in her NGO Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP), had filed on June 20 an application in the court of judicial magistrate, demanding legal actions against her for publishing and propagating derogatory remarks about him.

–Agencies

HSBC India staff under scanner for money laundering and terror financing

HSBC’s staff in India have come under the scanner for deficiencies in their role as “offshore reviewers” of the global banking giant’s compliance to safety mechanism against money laundering and terrorist financing.

A probe by the US senate’s permanent subcommittee on investigations found that HSBC’s anti-money laundering (AML) compliance department, which included employees in India, was highly inadequately staffed.

KCR’s statement a part of matchfixing: Dayakar Rao

TDP Telangana Forum convener Errabelli Dayakara Rao has alleged that the statement of TRS chief K Chandrasekhara Rao that Telangana State would be a reality soon, was part of a match-fixing between his party and the Congress.

Talking to the media here on Wednesday, Errabelli said that the TDP would start extending help to the Telangana martyrs’ families from 30th of this month. He said that his party chief Chandrababu Naidu was ready to give a letter to the Centre on Telangana as demanded by some parties.

–Agencies