16-year-old boy thrashed by cops in Warangal; probe ordered

A day after a sixteen-year-old boy was allegedly beaten up by police in full public view at Jagtial town in Karimnagar district of Andhra Pradesh, the state human rights commission today directed the DGP to file a status report on the incident on March 7.

“This incident appears to be barbaric and violates the human rights of the boy, who was dealt with unlawfully,” SHRC Member (Non-Judicial) Kakumanu Peda Peri Reddy said, adding the commission has taken a suo motu cognisance of media reports which last night telecast the footage showing the cops beating up the boy.

Alliance with Congress not possible, says Akhilesh

Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Akhilesh Yadav denied the possibility of a post-poll alliance with the Congress and expressed confidence that his party will get full majority in the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections.

In an interview with CNN-IBN’s editor-in-chief Rajdeep Sardesai, Akhilesh said the Congress was fighting the polls not to defeat the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) but to deter the Samajwadi Party (SP).

Former ISRO chief refused info under RTI query on his blacklisting

Former ISRO chief G Madhavan Nair on Wednesday said the Department of Space (DoS) has refused to reveal the reasons, sought by him under an RTI query, for blacklisting him and three other space scientists over the controversial Antrix-Devas deal.

Citing some sections, the DoS had refused to provide the answers to his questions filed under the RTI Act a month ago, Nair said adding that he would move the appellate authority.

“Virtually I can say I got a blank paper. Nothing contents in that,” he told PTI here on the reply he got from the DoS.

CBI hints at BJP legislator’s role in Shehla Masood’s murder

The probe into the murder of RTI activist Shehla Masood may see more arrests as the CBI Wednesday hinted at the possibility of involvement of a Bhopal-based BJP legislator.

CBI sleuths, who had arrested a Bhopal-based interior designer, Zahida Parvez, Tuesday for plotting to kill Shehla, said they hoped to reveal the alleged role of an MLA.

Zahida and another accused, Saqib ‘Danger’ were produced in a special CBI court in Indore Wednesday. The court remanded them to CBI custody for a week.

Government objects in court to RSS chief’s Malegaon remarks

The government Wednesday objected in the Supreme Court to the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) chief’s remarks on the Malegaon blasts when the court was hearing a plea by the case’s key accused against the Bombay High Court order that allowed their custodial interrogation.

Additional Solicitor General Harin Rawal drew the attention of the apex court bench of Justice H.L.Dattu and Justice Anil R. Dave to the news item that had appeared in a national daily.

“Today I find some article in a national daily which causes concern to me,” Rawal told the court.

Economic growth falls to 3-year low at 6.1 percent

India’s economic growth slumped to a near three-year low of 6.1 percent in the quarter ended December due to poor performance of manufacturing and mining sectors, official data showed Wednesday.

The data makes it increasingly clear that growth is likely to fall well below seven percent against the budgetary target of 9 percent and the 7.1 percent growth projected by the Prime Minister’s economic advisory panel recently.

BSP legislator’s son accused of assaulting Russian woman

The son of a Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) legislator from Uttar Pradesh has been accused of assaulting and threatening his Russian female friend in her south Delhi house and escaping with her passport, cellphone and debit card.

Vivek Singh, son of BSP legislator Chandraveer Singh, was in an inebriated state when the incident took place Wednesday morning in the 24-year-old victim’s home in Mehrauli, police said. The woman hails from Moscow and at present is an intern with an architect in Gurgaon.

ISI,Milatary knew about Osama : Wikileaks

Pakistani army Tuesday denied whistleblowing website WikiLeaks cable’s allegation, suggesting Pakistan military and the main intelligence officials were aware of Al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden’s presence in Abbottabad city.

The US military killed bin Laden May 2, 2011, leaving the Pakistan government embarrassed over his presence in the country, Xinhua reported.

According to a WikiLeaks report, officials of the Pakistan army and spy agency Inter-State Services (ISI) knew about bin Laden’s hideout in Abbottabad.

Swamy calls Sonia ‘Vishkanya’ Digs her US trip

Ding-Dong battle between Subramanium Swamy and Congress continues,After giving lectures to Muslims on how to be good Indian ,Now he is taking about “Vishkanya” and her surgery.Every one must pray for her fast recovery but Swamy is making fun of her surgery.
Janata Party supremo Subramanian Swamy once again targeted Congress President Sonia Gandhi, who left for US for routine medical check-up. Swamy, while tweeting from his personal Twitter account claimed that he had information about the reasons behind Sonia’s mysterious visit to US.

Huge contrast between YSR’s and Congress rule, says Vijayamma

Drawing a contrast between the YSR-term and the three-year Congress rule, YSR Congress on Wednesday said the budget was very deceptive as it has little or no concern for welfare measures and was boasting of 20 per cent growth rate though it was imposing heavy dose of taxation.

“When the growth rate is 20 per cent for the past three years, why were the taxes and fares increased and no sufficient allocations made to the welfare schemes,” Pulivendula MLA YS Vijayamma asked in her address during the discussions on budget in the State Legislative Assembly.

MIM leader involved in flesh trade?

An organized sex racket was busted with the arrest of a woman, who was luring innocent girls and sending them to Hyderabad from Nizamabad district. A total of 27 girls fell prey to the tactics of the accused woman, Gunnabai, who was operating her racket with the help of a Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) leader.

Sources said a team of intelligence police went to Falaknuma area in the Old City of Hyderabad and conducted enquiries based on a complaint lodged by one girl Nazima, who was one of the victims of Gunnabai.

Nagam files nomination papers from Nagarkurnool seat

Telangana Nagara Samithi president and former MLA Nagam Janardhan Reddy on Wednesday filed his nomination as an independent candidate from Nagarkurnool Assembly segment, for which the by-elections will be held on March 18.

Before filing his nomination papers, Nagam Janardhan Reddy came in a procession from Achampet, where he performed special puja at Umamaheswara Swamy Temple to seeking blessings of God for his victory. In the procession, Nagam was accompanied by Telangana Rashtra Samithi MLA Vidyasagar Rao, MLC Naradas Lakshma Rao and hundreds of pro-Telangana activists.

Transfers and postings of IPS officers notified.

The state Government has today affected the following transfers and postings of IPS officers, with immediate effect

The services of Lokendra Sharma, Additional Director General of Police, Organization, Hyderabad are placed at the disposal of the Energy Department for being posted as Additional Managing Director (Vigilance&Security), APTRANSCO, vice Umesh Sharraf, transferred.

70,000 killed in Iraq between 2004-2011

Terrorism and other acts of violence killed almost 70,000 people in Iraq in eight years between April 2004 and December 2011, the government said Wednesday.

“These figures represent the total number of victims who fell as a result of terrorist attacks and violence and military operations,” government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said in a statement.

Citing numbers provided by the health ministry and the National Security Council, al-Dabbagh said a total of 69,263 people died and 239,133 were wounded.

The figures were from April 5, 2004, to Dec 31, 2011.

SC pulls up RSS chief for his remark on Hemant Karkare

The Supreme Court on Wednesday pulled up Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat for his remark that former Maharashtra Anti-Terror Squad chief Hemant Karkare was under pressure to implicate Sangh activists in blast cases, including Malegaon blast.

Bhagwat had reportedly claimed that Karkare, five days before he was killed in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, had told him that he was under tremendous pressure to ‘nail’ RSS activists in unsolved blast cases.

Taking strong exception to Bhagwat’s remark, the apex court termed it as ‘unnecessary’.

CISF officer killed in Moradabad accident

A Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) officer was killed when a speeding truck rammed into his car at Moradabad in Uttar Pradesh Wednesday.

According to information received at the Uttar Pradesh Home Department, the officer, identified as S.P. Saini, was an assistant commandant with the CISF and was posted with the 622 Battalion at Moradabad.

The mishap took place near Shahpur village when a speeding truck, coming from the opposite direction, rammed into Saini’s official car – a Tavera – which was being driven by his driver.

You can’t create Munni again: Malaika

Kareena Kapoor has been roped in to do an item song in Dabangg 2, but neither Arbaaz Khan nor Malaika Arora are confirming the big news. However, Malaika does say this, “I adore Bebo and think she’s absolutely fantastic, so yes, she would be an obvious choice.” The item queen sizzled as Munni in the original film produced by her and hubby Arbaaz, and says it is a difficult act to repeat. “It’s such an iconic song.

Falak responding to treatment, still critical: Doctor

Battling for survival at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) for over 40 days, two-year-old battered baby Falak is showing good signs of improvement and responding to treatment.

However, the baby remains critical, doctors attending on her said Wednesday.

Congress obstructed the progress of UP, alleges Mayawati

BSP supremo and Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati today charged the Congress with obstructing the development of the state and insulting its people by dubbing them as ‘beggars’. The Congress ruled the state for about 40 years but it still had the audacity to put the blame on others for the lack of development in UP, she said while addressing an election meeting here during last leg of campaign for the seven-phase assembly polls ending March 3 .

Surrogation: Parents to use dead son’s semen

Thanks to a verdict by a Lok Adalat in Kerala, an elderly casual labourer and his wife have won the right to collect their deceased son’s semen from an infertility clinic and use it to have a surrogate child.

Ravi Kumar, 59, a casual labourer, and his 58-year-old wife Karthiyayani from Thrissur are overjoyed with the verdict. They have even found a woman who is willing to become a surrogate mother.

First Arab woman to become NASA researcher

NASA has appointed a Saudi woman academic who holds a doctorate degree in environmental studies and biotechnology from a UK university as a member of its scientific team.

Muhammad Ibrahim Al-Rashid, president of NASA affiliate the Gulf American Foundation for Space, Technology and Environment, said Majda Aburas was appointed as a member of the regional research team considering her national initiatives to protect the environment.

“It was the result of her continuous work for the environment to solve its problems,” Al-Rashid said.

Riots rock China’s Muslim region

In a new sign of growing ethnic tension in Western China, at least 20 people were killed in a new outburst of violence in the country’s Muslims-majority region of Xinjiang.

“Nine violent terrorists suddenly surged into the crowd and stabbed to death innocent people with their knives, causing 13 innocent people to die and injuring many,” Xinjiang’s government said in a statement cited by Reuters.

“Police rushed to the scene, handled the situation with resolution and shot dead seven violent terrorists, capturing two.”