Lucknow, Sep 29 (IANS) Besides throwing a security net around the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court, the administration here Wednesday ordered closure of all liquor vends and shops selling fireworks ahead of the much-awaited Ayodhya verdict Thursday.
New Delhi, September 29: The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court will Thursday give its verdict on the Ayodhya land row. Here are the claims and counter-claims of the contestants in the Babri Masjid-Ramjanmabhoomi dispute:
Birthplace of Hindu god Ram:
– Hindu litigants say the disputed site in Ayodhya is the birthplace of Ram.
Mumbai, September 29: The Bombay Stock Exchange benchmark Sensex today fell by 148 points to close below psychological 20,000 level as investors locked in profits judging the 12 per cent rally in last four weeks an overdone. The 30-share index closed lower by 148.52 points at 19,956.34 points.
The barometer had climbed 14 per cent this year to regain 20,000-level after 32 months and becoming the best performer among the world”s ten biggest markets. The broad-based National Stock Exchange index Nifty dipped below crucial 6,000 points level by losing 38.20 points to 5,991.30 points.
New Delhi, September 29: Pakistan High Commissioner Shahid Malik today met Home Secretary Gopal K Pillai and discussed with him the issue of security during Commonwealth Games, where athletes from the neighbouring country will also participate. “I discussed about security during Commonwealth Games,” Malik told reporters when asked about the 30-minute meeting.
Malik, who visited the Commonwealth Games Village yesterday, had expressed satisfaction over the facilities and said that the Pakistan athletes would be staying there.
—PTI—
Lucknow, September 29: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati today demanded an increased package of Rs 2,175 from the Centre for carrying out flood relief operations in the state. “The Chief Minister has written another letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh requesting him to immediately provide Rs 2,175 crore for flood-hit districts in the state,” an official spokesman said.
Mumbai, September 29: The Bombay High Court Wednesday rejected a plea of Pakistani terrorist Mohammed Ajmal Amir Kasab for permission to consult his lawyers in isolation in the Arthur Road Central Jail premises.
A division bench of the court comprising Justice Ranjana Desai and Justice V.K. Tahilramani cited grounds of security and safety of the lawyers and security personnel while declining permission, Kasab’s lawyer Farhana Shah said.
New Delhi, September 29: A day before Allahabad High Court’s verdict on the Ayodhya dispute, Home Minister P. Chidambaram Wednesday said the government didn’t foresee any problems after the announcement of the court decision.
“India has moved on, especially the people who were born after 1992 (when Babri Masjid at the disputed site was razed by Hindu fanatics) have a different view. I don’t foresee any problem with the judgment,” Chidambaram told reporters here.
Hyderabad, September 29: Lok Satta Party president Jayaprakash Narayan on Wednesday expressed the hope that the Allahabad High Court’s verdict on the Babri Masjid title suit, scheduled to be delivered on Thursday, would not trigger any problems since frenzy has not overtaken political parties now.
Dr Narayan told media persons that the people have always maintained peace and harmony and it was the political parties, which whipped up prejudice and violence among communities off and on. He stated that, “today, political parties are showing commendable restraint.
Hyderabad, September 29: South Central Railways on Wednesday denied reports which appeared in a section of the press that railway police personnel allegedly threw out four passengers from Kacheguda – Guntur Passenger between Mahabubnagar and Devarakadra Railway stations on Kacheguda – Kurnool section on Tuesday night.
SCR Chief Public Relations Officer Chandrima Roy said that the media reports were false since no escort duties are assigned for ordinary passenger carrying trains.
Hyderabad, September 29: Information Technology Minister Komatireddy Venkata Reddy on Wednesday stated that the government would initiate action against those IT firms, which have not utilised the lands sanctioned for the purpose.
Talking to media persons, Mr Venkata Reddy said the government was preparing the list of lands sanctioned for IT firms.
If the IT firms failed to utilize the sanctioned land for establishing firms, the government would recover the land from them, he asserted.
Hyderabad, September 29: The Gulbarga police on Wednesday arrested Mahender Reddy in connection with the murder of Telugu Desam Party leader from Krishna district Chalasani Pandu alias Chalasani Venkateswara Rao.
According to sources, Mahender Reddy, the personal assistant of Chalasani Pandu (54), admitted to have committed the crime before the police.
Mahender Reddy reportedly told the police that he murdered Pandu as he refused to pay Rs 20 lakh in connection with a land dispute in Visakhapatnam.
The police have made arrangements to shift him to SR Nagar police station.
Nizamabad, September 29: In a shocking incident, the Sarpanch Jalalpur, Navipeta Mandal in Nizamabad district was burnt alive by a gang of unidentified persons in the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday.
According to Navipeta Inspector Umachari, initial investigations reveal that the gang entered Sarpanch Dharma Prasad Reddy’s residence by breaking open the door and overpowered him. The intruders tied the Sarpanch to his bed and doused it with petrol. They then set him on fire and ran away.
Hyderabad, September 29: Faulting the State government’s attempt to withdraw funds allocated for the development of constituency during the tenure of the former CPM MP, Mr Babu Rao, a delegation of the State CPI-M party leaders met the Chief Secretary, Mr S V Prasad, in the Secretariat on Wednesday and submitted a memorandum.
The CPI-M leaders, Mr Madhu and Mr Y V Rao have demanded that the government order a thorough inquiry into the MP development funds and ensure that developmental works are taken up at the earliest.
Hyderabad, September 29: The Junior Chamber International Banjara Hyderabad, in collaboration with the Special Olympics Bharat Andhra Pradesh, will be conducting some cultural and fun events for the special children (intellectually disabled) at the RRC Grounds, Secunderabad on September 30 from 9 am.
New Delhi, September 29: Yesteryear glamour girls Zeenat Aman and Mandakini may soon be raising the mercury levels on the reality show “Bigg Boss 4” if everything falls in place.
Both the actors are known for their sensuous appeal on the big screen. While Zeenat, 58, has been credited for popularising the western look in Indian cinema, Mandakini hogged the limelight for her skin show in movies like “Ram Teri Ganga Maili”.
“There is a possibility that Zeenatji and Mandakini will be part of ‘Bigg Boss’. Nothing is confirmed yet, but there is a strong possibility,” a source told IANS.
Lucknow, September 29: No restrictions will be imposed on devotees visiting Ram Lala – the makeshift temple at the disputed site in Ayodhya – Thursday when the verdict in the Ramjanmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title suit will be pronounced, an official said Wednesday.
“There will be absolutely no restriction on ‘darshan’ of Ram Lala,” said Faizabad District Magistrate M.P. Agarwal.
“Like any other day, devotees can come for the ‘darshan’ even on judgement day. Everything is normal here,” Agarwal told IANS on telephone from Faizabad, some 150 km from Lucknow.
Mumbai, September 29: Amitabh Bachchan, who is all set to host the fourth season of ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’ (KBC), remembers how the game reality show changed the mathematics of his life and pulled him out of a financial crunch.
‘Ten years ago in the year 2000, when the entire world was celebrating the new century, I was celebrating my disastrous fortune. There were no films, no money, no company, a million legal cases against and the tax authorities had put notice of recovery on my home,’ Big B, 67, wrote on his blog bigb.bigadda.com Wednesday.
Jammu, September 29: Ahead of the Legislative session commencing here tomorrow, BJP has submitted a no-confidence motion against the ruling NC-Cong government in the state accusing it of failure on all fronts.
“We have submitted no-confidence motion against the Omar Goverment for failure on all fronts including governance and law and order situation in Jammu and Kashmir”, BJP Legisaltive Party Leader Chaman Lal Gupta told PTI here today.
Raipur, September 29: The four policemen, abducted by the Maoists in Bijapur district, are safe and their release is expected soon, a senior police officer said today. “All four are safe and they are likely to be released soon,” DIG Vivekanand Sinha told reporters here, quoting information received by the police.
Ahmedabad, September 29: With the trial in 2002 Godhra train burning coming to an end, the Special Investigation Team was planning to approach the Supreme Court which had in May last restrained trail courts from pronouncing judgement in the cases probed afresh by the agency.
The agency members are contemplating filing a petition in the apex court seeking lifting of the stay on pronouncement of verdict in the nine cases – the train carnage and eight post-Godhra riot cases – probed by the Supreme Court-appointed team, according to SIT officials.
New Delhi, September 29: Come Sunday and Delhiites will have a rare insight into the personal letters that legendary poet Mirza Ghalib wrote to his friends, disciples, relatives and even government authorities.
“Ghalib Ke Khat” by Delhi-based Pierrot’s Troupe is unique in the sense that it does not feature the Urdu poet reading or writing his letters.
Lucknow, Sep 29 (UNI) Samajwadi Party supremo and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav today said that his party would accept any judgement of the Allahabad High Court over the Ayodhya title suit.
”SP state president Akhilesh Yadav had already appealed to the people of the state to maintain communal harmony in wake of the judgement,” he said adding that the party will abide by tomorrow’s court verdict.
Mumbai, September 29: The Bombay High Court Wednesday rejected a plea of Pakistani terrorist Mohammed Ajmal Amir Kasab for permission to consult his lawyers in isolation in the Arthur Road Central Jail premises.
A division bench of the court comprising Justice Ranjana Desai and Justice V.K. Tahilramani cited grounds of security and safety of the lawyers and security personnel while declining permission, Kasab’s lawyer Farhana Shah said.
London, September 29: A man in Germany has admitted to raping or sexually assaulting more than 1,000 women by copying a trick from the movie “The Silence of the Lambs”.
Forty six-year-old Joerg P. admitted to more than 1,000 offences against women in a crime spree that spanned 22 years. The trial has begun in Germany, Daily Mail reported.
Joerg used a trick from film “The Silence Of The Lambs” to lure his victims into feeling bad for him.
Mumbai, September 29: Leading IT exporter, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) today said it has bagged a 50 million Australian dollar order from leading Australian renewable energy company AGL Energy Limited for providing infrastructure management services for a period of five years.
Prior to this Infrastructure management contract, TCS has been executing a number of leading edge programmes covering Advanced Metering, Gas Trading, Pricing Engine and multiple SAP projects, TCS said in a release here.