Month: March 2012

Another youth attempts suicide for Telangana

by

The revived Telangana statehood agitation has taken a new turn with a spate of suicides being reported from across the region despite political parties pleading with the youth not to resort to such a drastic step.

In the latest instance, a tribal youth attempted suicide in Nalgonda district, while another youth in the city succumbed to burns yesterday after battling for life for three days. In all as many as five incidents of suicide have been reported during the week.

Cancel irregular land allotments in AP: Chandrababu

by

N Chandrababu Naidu on Friday demanded that Andhra Pradesh government immediately cancel all the “irregular” land allotments made to private entities and individuals in the state between 2006 and 2011 in the light of the damning findings of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India.

Addressing a press conference here today, Chandrababu said the allotted land should be resumed and re-distributed to the farmers, from whom, it was forcibly acquired.

Don’t make me commit suicide, Israeli car blast accused pleads

by

Journalist Syed Mohammed Ahmad Kazmi, arrested for his alleged role in the February 13 bomb attack at an Israeli diplomat car, sought bail from a Delhi court on Saturday pleading that he “should not be pushed to the point of committing suicide.”

Arguing for bail before the court of Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Vinod Yadav, Kazmi’s counsel Gajinder Kumar said, “I (Kazmi) should not be pushed to a point where I am forced to commit suicide.”

Kumar added his client’s incarceration is the punishment for a crime that he did not commit.

Jagan may face arrest in illegal assets case

by

The Central Bureau of Investigation on Saturday filed a 68-page chargesheet against Kadapa MP and YSR Congress president YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, son of former Andhra Pradesh chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy in disproportionate assets case here.

While facing the repercussion Jagan may have to face arrest soon, official sources said.

The CBI has also charged 12 other members of the party in the case. The investigating agency, which registered the case on August 17 last year, has listed 72 persons and organisations including Jagan as accused.

Palwai confident of favourable decision on Telangana

by

Rajya Sabha member Palwai Goverdhan on Saturday expressed confidence that the Congress party would announce a favourable decision on the formation of Telangana State. He said that the party was seriously considering ways and means to find a solution to the Telangana issue.

Speaking on the occasion of his felicitation at Vasavi Kendra, Khairatabad, by Telangana Congress Monitoring Group on his elevation as Rajya Sabha member, Palwai Goverdhan said that the Congress party tied up with Telangana Rashtra Samithi in 2004 elections with the promise of the formation of Telangana state.

Chidambaram blames political parties for delay on ‘T’ decision

by

Home Minister P Chidambaram on Saturday blamed four political parties for the delay in taking a decision on the Telangana issue.

Addressing a press conference here, Chidambaram said that four out of eight political parties were yet to give their opinion on the statehood issue. “There is a demand for a decision and from my side, from the Government of India side, we are requesting the four political parties which still have not expressed their opinion to quickly make up their mind and tell us their view,” he said while hoping that the parties would give their views on the issue.

Shankar Rao asks Acharya to name real conspirators in Emaar case

by

Former minister Dr P Shankar Rao on Saturday defended the statements of arrested IAS officer B P Acharya that the real conspirators in Emaar land scam have escaped and he was falsely implicated in the case.

Talking to media persons at the Congress Legislature Party office, Shankar Rao said that he had sent a legal notice to Acharya advising him to disclose the conspirators’ names in the Emaar case. With probe continuing in the Emaar scam, he appealed to the CBI to submit a supplementary chargesheet in the court by including the names of real conspirators as accused.

Survaram replaces Bardhan as CPI General Secretary

by

The 21st National Council meeting of Communist Party of India being held at Patna on Saturday unanimously elected Suravaram Sudhakar Reddy of Andhra Pradesh as party General Secretary replacing present incumbent A B Bardhan.

Suravaram Sudhakar Reddy become the first leader from the State to have been elected to top post at the national level after a gap of 24 years. Suravaram Sudhakar would continue in the post for four years.

Syndicate Bank opens 108 branches in a day

by

Setting a record of sorts, state-run Syndicate Bank Saturday opened 108 new branches across 15 states and Andaman & Nicobar islands simultaneously through the electronic route from here.

Union Minister of State for Finance Namo Narayan Meena, who was present on the occasion, used the bank’s electronic system to inaugurate all the 108 branches at a time remotely.

With the addition of 108 branches, the leading bank’s branch network across the country has gone up to 2,700 in fiscal 2011-12.

Jagir Kaur’s resignation accepted

by

A day after she was convicted and sentenced to five years’ rigorous imprisonment for criminal conspiracy and other charges in the mysterious death of her daughter, the Punjab governor Saturday evening accepted the resignation of cabinet minister Jagir Kaur.

A state government spokesman said Saturday that Jagir Kaur, who held the portfolios of rural water supply and sanitation and defence services welfare, Saturday submitted her resignation to Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and the same was forwarded to Governor Shivraj Patil for its acceptance with immediate effect.

Palestinian reconciliation unlikely in 2012: Hamas official

by

A Hamas official Saturday ruled out the possibility that the Palestinian reconciliation will take place this year, blaming mainly Israel and the US for blocking it.

Salah Al-Bardawil, a member of the Islamic movement’s politburo, said that the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), led by Fatah party, is being “financially and politically blacklisted by Israel and America to prevent the reconciliation,” reported Xinhua.

Congress leader’s son shot dead in Indore

by

The son of a Madhya Pradesh Congress leader was shot dead Saturday during an argument in Indore, police said.

Sunny Yadav, the 25-year-old son of K.K. Yadav, a Congress leader and ex-corporator had an ongoing land dispute with Ashu and Rajesh Patel.

On Saturday, Sunny got into an argument with Ashu and Rajesh in the Banganga area of Indore, over 180 km from Bhopal. During the argument, Ashu shot Sunny.

Sunny was rushed to hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.

In the incident, a sub-inspector also received a bullet in his leg.

Fourth foetus found in Jaipur

by

Another foetus was recovered from a dustbin here Saturday taking the total number of foetuses recovered in the city to four over the past five days, police said.

The foetus was recovered a day after the Rajasthan High Court summoned Jaipur’s Commissioner of Police B.L. Soni and sought explanation over action taken in the cases of female foeticide and infanticide.

Some passers-by informed the police in the afternoon that a foetus was lying in a dustbin in Jalupura area.

Police kept eyes closed during 1984 riots, CBI tells court

by

The CBI Saturday told a Delhi court hearing a case related to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots against Congress leader Sajjan Kumar that police kept their eyes closed during the carnage.

While advancing the final arguments, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) counsel R.S. Cheema said: “This was a case where the police acted in a pre-planned manner and every policemen was keeping his eyes closed.”

Cheema told Additional Sessions Judge J.R. Aryan that 150 complaints were made regarding the riot related incidents but only five cases were registered by police.

Israeli car blast: Don’t make me commit suicide, Ahmed Kazmi

by

Journalist Syed Mohammed Ahmad Kazmi, arrested for his alleged role in the February 13 bomb attack at an Israeli diplomat car, sought bail from a Delhi court on Saturday pleading that he “should not be pushed to the point of committing suicide.”

Arguing for bail before the court of Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Vinod Yadav, Kazmi’s counsel Gajinder Kumar said, “I (Kazmi) should not be pushed to a point where I am forced to commit suicide.”

Kumar added his client’s incarceration is the punishment for a crime that he did not commit.

Akhilesh Yadav’s wife declares assets on UP govt website

by

Following her husband and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav’s footsteps, Dimple Yadav has made public her assets by uploading details on the state’s official web site.

According to the declaration made on the website last night, Dimple has assets worth around Rs238.38 lakh.

She has two houses worth around Rs81.39 lakh in Lucknow.

She also has jewellery worth around Rs59.76 lakh and Rs81.67 lakh as cash and bank deposits in the form of FDRs.

She has invested Rs15.56 lakh in life insurances.

Convicted Jagir Kaur remains a VIP prisoner

by

Hardly a few hours after her conviction and arrest Friday evening, former Punjab cabinet minister Jagir Kaur continued to wield political influence even as a prisoner of law.

Video footage emerging from Patiala and Kapurthala jails clearly shows that Jagir Kaur, who was convicted of criminal conspiracy and other charges in the mysterious death of her 19-year-old daughter, Harpreet Kaur, in April 2000 and sent to jail, was availing VIP treatment despite her conviction and arrest.

Tatra scam second biggest after Bofors, says BJP

by

BJP on Saturday said the Tatra scam was the second biggest after the Bofors scam and demanded immediate resignation of Defence Minister AK Antony for allegedly patronising corruption.

“This (Tatra) is the second biggest scam after the Bofors scam and it has exposed that weapons of our soldiers are not up to the standard,” BJP national spokesperson Prakash Javdekar told a press conference here.

Javedkar alleged that the defence minister was in the know of things and Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad had in 2009 made a communication to Antony about the scam and alerted the government.

CBI charge sheets Jagan, 12 others

by

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Saturday filed a charge sheet against YSR Congress party leader Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy and 12 others in an illegal assets case.

The investigating agency submitted the charge sheet to special CBI court at the Nampally Criminal Court complex.

The accused have been charged with cheating, criminal conspiracy, forgery and criminal breach of trust, the CBI sources said.

Diplomat: US, Russia have ‘homework’ on shield

by

Russia and the United States need to do their “homework” on the technicalities of a proposed NATO missile defense shield in order to settle a dispute that has strained relations, the US State Department’s top arms control official said Friday.

The US insists the shield is needed to fend off an Iranian missile threat, but Moscow has rejected those assurances and voiced concern that it will eventually grow powerful enough to challenge Russia’s nuclear deterrent.

$640 million US lottery prize has a winner

by

A record $640 million lottery prize that sent the United States into a gambling frenzy has gone to as many as three winners, lottery officials and media said on Saturday.

None of the players were identified but officials confirmed that winning tickets were sold near Baltimore, Maryland and Redbud, Illinois, and CNN reported a third winner in the state of Kansas.

“Redbud has a winner,” Illinois lottery superintendent Michael Jones told the broadcaster.

Saif-Kareena off again!

by

Saif-Kareena off again!Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor want to still go ahead with their trip to the Muscat film fest, after their earlier plan went kaput

It’s better late than never for Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor. After the two skipped the opening of the Muscat International Film Festival, buzz is that the two might attend the event today or tomorrow.

Reportedly, the screening of their latest film, Agent Vinod, was cancelled after the two didn’t show up on time to catch their flight to Muscat from the Mumbai international airport.

Asin is after all, a Mallu girl at heart

by

Asin is after all, a Mallu girl at heartThe actress feels extra special at being conferred an award by the Kerala government

Getting an award is always special but receiving one from one’s own community and hometown adds an extra dimension to the experience.

Though Asin Thottumkal is tied up with the promotions of her upcoming film and travelling, she took time off recently to make a trip to Thiruvananthapuram where she was honoured by the government of Kerala.

Charge sheet is fraudulent, says YSR’s party

by

YSR Congress party Saturday termed as “fraudulent” the charge sheet filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in an alleged illegal assets case against its leader Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy.

The party alleged that it was done in a hurry to prevent bail for Vijay Sai Reddy, and said it is exploring legal options to challenge the charge sheet.

Ram Navami Procession –Police arrangements

by

Hyderabad, March 31: In connection with Sri Ram navmi festival, a procession is being taken from Ganga Bowli,Mangalhat. Organizers are making elaborate arrangements. On the other hand, police peace committee and mayatri committee members are also engaged in making law and order arrangements.

Addl. Commissioner of Police, Mr.Amit Garg visited GoshaMahal stadium and exchanged views with members of Peace Committee and others.