Month: March 2010

Reprocessing deal with India reflects deep ties: US

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Washington, March 31: Applauding the successful conclusion of a nuclear fuel reprocessing agreement with India, the US has said this reflects a much broader, deeper and expanded relationship between the two countries.

“I think it’s a reflection of the deepening of our relationship,” State Department spokesman Philip J Crowley told reporters Monday commenting on the completion of another step to implement the landmark India-US civil nuclear deal.

NCM to send probe team to Hyderabad, seeks report from AP govt

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New Delhi, March 31: The National Commission for Minorities has decided to send an inquiry team to Hyderabad to probe the communal clashes there and sought a detailed report from the Andhra Pradesh government on the issue.

“We have sought a comprehensive report from the state government over the incidents. We want to know what is the latest situation there, the reasons for the communal flare-up, actions taken by the state government so far and their plan of action to stop the communal clashes,” NCM Chairman Md Shafi Qureshi told PTI.

Politicians playing a dangerous game

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Hyderabad, March 31: Is the communal violence in Hyderabad being used by unscrupulous political forces to settle scores with their rivals? Or is it being used to scuttle the demand for Telangana state? Several people in the know believe it is so.

Astrologer kidnaps, rapes minor

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Chitradurga, March 31: A self-styled astrologer-cum-witch doctor is alleged to have raped a minor girl after kidnapping her with the intention of sacrificing her for appeasing spirits for acquiring wealth.

Police are looking for Siddesh (46), who runs a astrology outfit called Mahashakti Mastamma Devi Jyotishalaya on Turuvanur Road and is reported to have kidnapped the ninth standard student from the school here a week ago and taken her to Rastapur village Shahapur taluk.

Citizen has no fundamental right to sell liquor: SC

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New Delhi, March 31: The Supreme Court has ruled that a citizen has no fundamental right to engage in the sale of liquor as government alone has the right to regulate the business in public interest.

A bench of Justices R V Raveendran and Surinder Singh Nijjar said the government also has the right to consider grant of licenses as per the rules in force and not at the time when the applications are made for running the business.

Proud to be gay: Ricky Martin

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New York, March 31: Puerto Rican pop star Ricky Martin officially came out of the closet and announced that he is gay.

In a message on his website he wrote, “I am proud to say that I am a fortunate homosexual man. I am very blessed to be who I am.”

There had been much speculation about Martin’s sexual orientation, but it is the first time that he has confirmed publicly that he is homosexual.

Martin said he decided to come out because he felt he wanted to “free myself from things I was carrying within me for a long time” while he was writing a memoir.

Whats Wrong with Police in Hyderabad

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Hyderabad, March 31: It was noticed in Old City and Musheerabad area that the police officials had failed to respond the emerging situations, especially the communal violence which the State capital has been witnessing for the last three days.

The inexplicable part of Tuesday developments is that despite more than 6,000 armed personnel being kept at the disposal of the city police, violence broke out in newer areas in Secunderabad side in addition to Begum Bazar, after a Bajrang Dal rally turned violent escalating the tension all over the city.

Cong slams Modi; BJP defends Big B

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New Delhi, March 31: Congress and BJP continue to exchange barbs over Narendra Modi and Amitabh Bachchan.

BJP today alleged that filmstar Amitabh Bachchan was being targeted by Congress as he is brand ambassador of Gujarat but said the question of his joining the party did not arise.

“Amitabh Bachchan has become brand ambassador of Gujarat and not of Pakistan. He is an artiste and not Dawood (Ibrahim),” BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said.

BJP seeks judicial probe into Hyderabad clashes

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Hyderabad, March 31: The Bharatiya Janata Party demanded a judicial probe into the current communal disturbances in Hyderabad.

Party spokesperson Prakash Javadekar quoted the city Police Commissioner as having stated the attacks were premeditated. “In this situation, it becomes all the more necessary to get to the truth through a judicial inquiry,” he said.

There seemed to be a larger conspiracy behind the disturbances, the BJP said. It blamed Muslim fundamentalists for objecting to a hoarding of Lord Ram that was to be put up on the eve of Hanuman ‘jayanti.’

Online Muslim sex shop in Netherlands is all halal

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The Hague, March 31: Candid but demure, an online sex shop for Muslims has been launched in the Netherlands to tap into a demand for erotica that does not offend Sharia law.

We had about 70,000 hits in the first four days,” founder Abdelaziz Aouragh told AFP of his site that went online last week and claims to be the world’s first erotic webshop for Muslims.

The 29-year-old Dutch national said it targets married Muslim couples as an alternative to sites “that focus on pornography and the extravagant side of erotica” things forbidden in Islam.

Class X exams postponed

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Hyderabad, March 31: There is a lull in the deserted old city area of Hyderabad after three days of unrest in the curfew-bound areas. One person has died so far.

As a result, Class 10 exams scheduled to be held on 31 March, 1 April have been postponed in Hyderabad and Secunderabad.

“The curfew right now is indefinite,” says Hyderabad’s Assistant Commissioner of Police.

Rioters rampage as field cops refuse to act

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Hyderabad, March 31: A bevy of senior officers up to the rank of Inspector Generals of police (whose services have been requisitioned from other branches of AP Police) have been deployed for riot duties.

Saffron and green flags, some politics in between

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Saffron is suddenly a dominant colour in Hyderabad. Over the past week, much of the city has been adorned with flags of the colour in the run up to Hanuman Jayanthi festivities as the BJP and its affiliates went the extra distance to make the festival a grand success.

Sania happy with wedding, will play for India

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Hyderabad, March 31: All set to marry former Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik, India’s tennis queen Sania Mirza broke her silence and confirmed the news of her marriage to the frenzy of media gathering which was stationed outside her house for a reaction.

Flying back to Hyderabad after a lightning visit to Delhi where she secured visa from Pakistan High Commission for going to Lahore for a reception, a visibly happy Sania was all smiles and accompanied her father Imran Mirza while addressing the scribes present outside her house.

I know Shoaib for past 7 years: Sania

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Hyderabad, March 31: Tennis star Sania Mirza remarked that her wedding with Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik should be looked at as a simple wedding like that of any other Indian girl and that she is not trying to make any statement on India-Pakistan relations through it.

Speaking to the media late on Tuesday evening at her residence, Sania said that the wedding-cum-receptionwould be held in Hyderabad on April 15 and she was delighted at the whole idea. “There is mutual admiration and more importantly the two families are really happy at it,” she added.

Curfew cripples life in Hyderabad

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Hyderabad, March 31 (Siasat News): The badly affected were the daily wage earners. Petty vendors who plied trade on the Patherghatti footpaths and the auto rickshaw drivers couldn’t operate. Construction labour from neighbouring Nalgonda and Mahabubnagar districts were seen pleading with police to allow them to move out of the curfew areas.

‘Drop ‘Bombay’ from stamp duty bill’

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Mumbai, March 30: Strongly voicing the Marathi plank, Shiv Sena today asked Maharashtra Government to drop the word ‘Bombay’ from the Stamp Duty (Amendment) Bill.

“The state Government should change the name of the Bill to Maharashtra Stamp Duty Act as the earlier Bombay province has now become Maharashtra,” Sena MLC Diwakar Raote said while discussing the Bill, which was passed in the Upper House.

Revenue Minister Narayan Rane assured him that the name would be changed to Maharashtra before the beginning of the next session.

I had opposed post-Godhra riots: Modi

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Ahmedabad, March 30: Under renewed attack over the post-Godhra riots, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi today said he was opposed to that violence and still denounces them.

Joining the battle with Congress over its attack on Amitabh Bachchan for endorsing Gujarat as its brand ambassador and questioning him on the post-Godhra violence, Modi wrote in his blog, “Friends, Modi himself has opposed the riots and still does. Every citizen must oppose riots.

Three militants, soldier killed in Kashmir gunfight

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Jammu, March 30: Three militants and an Indian army soldier were killed in a fierce gun battle in the mountainous Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir Tuesday evening, officials said.

According to police sources, a group of militants were reported to be hiding in Kandi area of Rajouri, 200 km northwest of Jammu. Security forces, comprising the army and police, cordoned off the area and thereafter a fierce gun battle began in the evening.

A soldier was also injured in the battle, according to latest reports.

Criminal shot dead in Uttar Pradesh

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Lucknow, March 30: A criminal wanted in cases of murder and abduction was shot dead in a gunfight with a state police squad on the outskirts of this capital city Tuesday, an official said.

Ejaz Ahmad, who had over 12 cases of murder, abduction, loot and other heinous crimes lodged against him, was shot dead Tuesday afternoon in the Gudamba area of Lucknow.

“It was only after an hour of gunfight with the criminal that a team of Special Task Force (STF) shot him dead,” police inspector Sanjay Mishra told reporters here.

Maoists torch four trucks, blow up school

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Ranchi, March 30: Maoist rebels torched four trucks and blew up a school building in Jharkhand’s Chatra district, police said Tuesday.

Four trucks were fired on by 20 to 25 rebels, suspected to be from the People’s Liberation Front of India (PLFI), near Piperwar coal mines of the district, around 170 km from Ranchi, Tuesday morning.

The drivers, however, managed to escape, abandoning the trucks which were later set on fire by the rebels.

In another incident, Maoist rebels blew up a school in Sohar village of the district late Monday night. The building was badly damaged.

Acquitted builder moves HC against top police officers

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Mumbai, March 30: A city-based builder who was acquitted by the special Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) court for lack of evidence has now moved High Court, seeking action against Director General of Police and DG (CID) Meeran Borwankar.

Petitioner Mahendra Agarwal has alleged that he was falsely implicated by DGP Anami Roy and others in the case related to a construction dispute in which gangster Ravi Pujari is involved.

State has filed appeal against the acquittal of Agarwal and six others.

Acquitted builder moves HC against top police officers

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Mumbai, March 30: A city-based builder who was acquitted by the special Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) court for lack of evidence has now moved High Court, seeking action against Director General of Police and DG (CID) Meeran Borwankar.

Petitioner Mahendra Agarwal has alleged that he was falsely implicated by DGP Anami Roy and others in the case related to a construction dispute in which gangster Ravi Pujari is involved.

State has filed appeal against the acquittal of Agarwal and six others.

Sania collects visa, date to be decided by parents

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New Delhi/Karachi, March 30: All set to marry star Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik, India’s tennis queen Sania Mirza today collected her visa to travel to Pakistan for the wedding which has created ripples on both sides of the border.

Accompanied by her mother, the 23-year-old Sania, went to the Pakistan High Commission and completed the formalities during a whirlwind trip to the national capital.

“We have got the visa. We are happy. Now that we have got the visa, we will be travelling to Pakistan”, her mother Nasima Mirza told reporters.

Evening courts not for trying regular cases: SC

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New Delhi, March 30: The Supreme Court today said the concept of evening courts are not meant for trying regular cases but to help check the clogging of lower courts with petty cases.

“Evening courts are not for regular trials. Cases of traffic challans etc can be looked after by it to avoid clogging of lower courts,” a Bench headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan said when a matter relating to it was mentioned.

The Bench said if regular trials are conducted by evening courts, it would be difficult for the lawyers, who are working throughout the day, to attend proceedings.