Month: May 2010

IPS officer sent to judicial custody in Sohrabuddin case

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Gandhinagar, May 05: Deputy commissioner of the Ahmedabad crime branch Abhay Chudasama, accused in the Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake shootout case, was Wednesday sent to judicial custody after the CBI demand for additional seven days’ remand was turned down.

Chudasama, an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer, was presented before the court on the completion of his seven days’ remand with a request for a further equal extension to probe certain important aspects of the investigations into the Sohrabuddin case.

Victoria most glamorous celebrity: Poll

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London, May 05: Former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham has been named the World’s most glamorous celebrity in a poll by make-up brand Max Factor.

“Victoria Beckham has been gracing the fashion pages for years now with her glamorous looks and she has designed her own clothes range. She never leaves home without being fully made up and her signature glossy pout has become her calling card,” contactmusic.com quoted a spokesperson as saying.

Dannii Minogue and Angelina Jolie stood second and third respectively in the poll which asked the opinions of 3,000 women.

–Agencies

Pranab Mukherjee meets SEBI, IRDA on Ulip row

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New Delhi, May 05: The finance ministry has held a meeting with the officials of the two warring regulators, Sebi and Irda, over the issue of control of Ulips and is understood to have impressed upon them the need to sort out the differences amicably.

The meeting, which was held yesterday, came even as the Supreme Court issued notices to the Centre, Irda and 14 life insurance companies on a petition by the markets regulator Sebi to transfer all the PILs filed in different high courts to the apex court.

BSNL to procure equipment for Defence by July-end

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New Delhi, May 05: The state-run telco BSNL will start procuring the equipment for building a dedicated network for the Defence forces to release the radio waves for high speed mobile services by the end of July.

However, the spectrum allocation to the successful bidders in the ongoing 3G auction would be as per the timeline and there would be no delay beyond September, DoT and BSNL asserted today.

3G bid crosses Rs 11,000 cr, Mumbai costliest circle

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New Delhi, May 05: The bid for pan-India 3G spectrum crossed Rs 11,000 crore on Day 22 of the auction today, assuring the government a revenue of over Rs 44,500 crore.

According to the latest figures on the website of Department of Telecom (DoT), the pan-India 3G bid touched Rs 11,045 crore with Mumbai being the costliest circle at Rs 1,909.18 crore.

DoT, however, said that operators would be asked to bid for ‘B’ and ‘C’ category circles also after another four rounds of the bidding.

This means, the auction for 3G spectrum could get over in the next 2-3 days.

Osama bin Laden in Washington, not Iran: Ahmadinejad

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Washington, May 05: Osama bin Laden, the most wanted man on the planet, is not holed up in Iran but is in the US capital, Washington DC, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has claimed.

“Rest assured that he’s in Washington. I think there’s a high chance he’s there,” Ahmadinejad said sarcastically in an interview to ABC News when asked to comment on reports that bin Laden is hiding in Iran for years.

Goa court issues notice to CBI in IFFI scam

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Panaji, May 05: Days after CBI quizzed former Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar in connection with an alleged scam in IFFI infrastructure, a local court has sought to know why the agency has not questioned some others linked to the case.

CBI, which is probing the scam related to building infrastructure to host the first edition of International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in 2004, has been asked to appear before the court within a fortnight, by the District and Sessions judge after the court issued a notice to the agency.

BJP decision on Jharkhand likely tomorrow

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Ranchi, May 05: BJP, which withdrew support to the Shibu Soren government in Jharkhand after the JMM chief voted for the UPA in cut motions in Parliament and then put its decision on hold, is likely to take a final call on the issue tomorrow.

“The BJP parliamentary board will come out with a final decision tomorrow,” a top national leader of the party told.

BJP has remained firm on its stand that JMM should get letters of support from all its 18 MLAs before the party went ahead with forming a government.

Techies can work from home now

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New Delhi, May 05: The government on Wednesday relaxed its policy for IT SEZs and allowed the employees to carry out their duties even from home.

The ministry’s decision comes following representations from IT professionals, SEZ developers and other stakeholders.The relaxation, however, would be allowed in certain specific cases.

I am surprised by personal attack on me: Randhir

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New Delhi, May 05: Indian Olympic Association Secretary General Randhir Singh today said he is surprised by the “personal attack” on him by the Sports Ministry in its tug-or-war with IOA over the tenure limitation regulation.

The Government today criticised Randhir, saying that he has a “conflict of interests” in the tenure issue because the IOA official was also an International Olympic Committee (IOC) member.

“I’m surprised by this personal attack on me and I would respond in a press conference at the Olympic Bhawan tomorrow,” a miffed Randhir told PTI.

Army jawan snuffs out his life

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Jammu, May 05: An army jawan allegedly committed suicide by shooting himself with his service weapon at Keri in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district today.

Lance Naik Ajay Atma Ram, belonging to 8 Maha Regiment, allegedly shot himself dead with his service rifle after returning from duty in the morning, a defence spokesman said.

Army has ordered a court of inquiry into the alleged suicide, he said.

In another incident, a BSF jawan was injured when his rifle went off accidentally while he was cleaning it.

The incident happened in Samba sector in Jammu Division, officials said.

Sohrabuddin case: IPS officer questioned by CBI

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Ahmedabad, May 05: CBI probing the Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case today questioned IPS officer G L Singhal and asked him to appear before it for further interrogation tomorrow.

“We questioned him at length today (for over three hours) but there are still certain things we want him to clarify so we have asked him to appear tomorrow as well,” a senior CBI official said.

Singhal, a promotee IPS officer, is currently SP in Gujarat anti-terrorist squad and was SP Gandhinagar at the time of Sohrabuddin’s fake encounter in November 2005.

Bru repatriation from May 11

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Aizawl, May 05: Repatriation of around 462 Bru families, who had fled Mizoram to neighbouring Tripura in the wake of the communal tension triggered by the murder of a Mizo youth by Bru militants in November, would begin from May 11, state Home Secretary Lalmalsawma said here today.

The Brus would return and would be resettled in their respective villages in Mizoram and the exercise was expected to be completed by May 15, Lalmalsawma told PTI.

Three child labourers rescued

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New Delhi, May 05: Three child labourers were rescued by authorities from an electric sockets manufacturing unit in west Delhi.

The rescue came during an operation yesterday by Delhi Government’s Task Force on Elimination of Child Labour, police and Labour Department officials on a complaint filed by child rights NGO Bachpan Bachao Andolan.

The BBA said in a press statement today that all three children belong to Bihar.

–Agencies

Maoist surrenders in Warangal

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Warangal, May 05: A Maoist, who allegedly had close links with Naxal leader Kobad Gandhy, today surrendered before the Warangal police.

45-year-old Kusuma Kattaiah alias Umesh surrendered before Superintendent of Police Shah Nawaz Qasim here, police said.

He wanted to lead a normal life. Ill-health was also one of the reasons that prompted him to surrender, they said.

Kattaiah, a native of Suripally in Warangal district, was a member of ‘Regional committee’ of North Maharashtra and South Gujarat state.

Kattaiah joined Maoists in 1987 and went underground.

Chidambaram greeted with black flags, slogans at JNU

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New Delhi, May 05: Union Home Minister P Chidambaram was tonight greeted with slogans and black flags by a group of students at the Jawaharlal Nehru University here over the government’s approach to combat the Maoists.

Chidambaram arrived at the JNU campus at around 9:30 pm to attend an anti-Maoist programme organised by NSUI, the students’ wing of Congress, at the School of Social Sciences auditorium.

Activists belonging to All India Students Association (AISA) and Democratic Students Union (DSU) shouted slogans against the Home Minister outside the auditorium as he reached the venue.

Politicians upset with HC’s decision on Shivaji Park

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Mumbai, May 05: The Bombay High Court’s interim order on Shivaji Park here has upset politicians, with Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Chhagan Bhujbal terming the decision as “sad”.

“I do respect the HC’s decision, but it is sad that the Shivaji Park ground would not be allowed for general rallies and programmes,” Bhujbal told reporters here.

The High Court today directed the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) to notify Shivaji Park, the favourite venue of political parties for rallies, as a “silence zone”.

Book bus, rail and air tickets in post offices

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Ambala, May 05: Bus, rail and airlines tickets will now be available in post offices in Haryana.

Initially the service will be available in 128 post offices in the state, Chief Postmaster General Indu Gupta told reporters here.

Later, it will be extended to other post offices in the state, she said.

The facility is already available in post offices in Karnataka, Kerala, Gujarat, Assam and Tamil Nadu, Gupta said.

To a question, she said booking of hotels, cars and tour packages will also be available at the post offices.

–Agencies

Iraqi opposition: Shiite pact a ‘sectarian merger’

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Baghdad, May 05: Iraq inched towards a new government Wednesday with power set to be vested once more in the hands of Shiite religious parties who have close ties to Iran, pushing Sunni-backed secularists to the margins.

A deal was struck late Tuesday between the war-torn country’s two biggest Shiite Muslim alliances, allowing them to squeeze out a secular coalition that won a March 7 general election but failed to build a parliamentary majority.

Iraq deadlock broken as Shiite parties join forces

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Baghdad, May 05: Iraq looked headed for a new government Tuesday after the country’s two biggest Shiite alliances struck a deal following months of post-election haggling that had brought politics to a standstill.

The agreement will allow the nation’s Shiite religious parties to cling to power and see off the challenge of a secular alliance which won a March 7 general election with strong Sunni backing, but failed to secure a majority.

Libyan leader’s son urges ‘efficient’ government

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Cairo, May 05: The son of Libyan leader Moamer Gathafi and heir apparent Seif al-Islam on Wednesday called for a more “efficient” system of government in Libya, where his father has ruled for more than 40 years.

“We need to reform our system, we need to change our society, we need to reinvent our country,” he told a packed auditorium at the American University in Cairo.

“We need to have an efficient government system,” he said, speaking in English. Sometimes we run after fantasy and romantic ideas (but) we need to be serious. We have to be realistic.”

Saudi clerics in war of words over gender mixing

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Riyadh, May 05: Conservative Muslim Saudi Arabia’s battle over men and women freely mixing mounted on Tuesday as a powerful Islamic judge rebuked a hardline cleric over his attacks on anti-segregationist reformers.

In a column published on a website for judges, Riyadh criminal court judge Sheikh Issa al-Ghaith lashed out at cleric Abdul Rahman al-Barrak for his sweeping condemnation of anyone advocating lifting the country’s draconian Islamic laws against fraternisation between unrelated men and women.

Egypt writers hit back in ‘Arabian Nights’ Islamist row

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Cairo, May 05: The head of the writers’ union in Egypt hit back on Wednesday against Islamists seeking to ban “Arabian Nights,” saying it would file a legal complaint against them for “their stance against heritage.”

A group of Islamist lawyers had filed a complaint to the public prosecutor against the publication of the classic “One Thousand and One Nights,” known in English as “Arabian Nights,” because they said it was lewd.

Top court demands Israel explain illegal outpost

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Jerusalem, May 05: Israel’s Supreme Court on Wednesday gave the state 90 days to explain why it had failed to carry out an order to demolish an unauthorised settlement outpost built on private Palestinian land.

In 2005 the government destroyed several buildings in the Amona outpost in the occupied West Bank, but since then much has been rebuilt and no further action has been taken despite repeated orders.

The three-judge panel asked the state “to explain within 90 days why the state will not enforce the demolition orders issued for the compound in question.”

Two dead in Riyadh floods

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Riyadh, May 05: Two people died in the flooding caused by violent thunderstorms which paralysed Riyadh this week, Saudi newspapers reported on Wednesday.

Some 155 people had to be rescued as cars, buses and commercial vehicles stalled in up to two metres (6.6 feet) of water in underpasses and low-lying roads when the flooding hit during the afternoon rush hour on Monday, civil defence spokesman Abdullah al-Ghaffari told the Saudi Gazette.

No details were given about the two people who died.