Month: July 2012

Assam: Man let off after convincing he was Muslim

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A 30-year-old man who was detained after arousing the suspicion of the CRPF on the outskirts of this town in Assam, was let off after he could convince the securitymen that he was a Muslim.

Mokibur Rahman was guarding his house on July 22 at Magurmari village after most residents fled to Bilasipara in Dhubri district when some CRPF men called him out. “Somebody had flashed a light from near my house at their post on the other side of the road. And, they thought it was me,” Rahman said here.

Four Iranians get death for $2.3 bn bank fraud

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Four Iranian citizens charged with defrauding Iranian banks of $2.3 billion have been sentenced to death, the Mehr news agency reported.

“The convicts will be informed in the nearest future about the court’s decision to sentence the four of them to capital punishment,” Prosecutor General Gholamhossein Mohseni E’jei said.

Mohseni E’jei said two other people have been sentenced to life in prison and the rest of the accused, 33 Iranians, received 25-year-long jail terms.

Assam most complex state: Chidambaram

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Home Minister P Chidambaram on Monday said that Assam is the “most complex state” administered in the country as people of various groups live here.

The Home Minister comments came after reviewing security and rehabilitation work being carried out in the violence-hit areas of Assam.

“Assam is perhaps the most complex state administered in the country because people of various ethnicity lives together. People of the country must learn to live together as India is a plural society,” he told reporters here.

Kiran Kumar shielding Jagan to save Cong: CPM

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CPI-M politburo member and Andhra Pradesh secretary B V Raghavulu on Monday alleged that Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy was trying to save jailed MP YS Jaganmohan Reddy in a disproportionate assets case apparently to save Congress.

At a press conference after the CPI-M state secretariat meeting here, Raghavulu questioned on what basis was the state government extending legal aid to five tainted ministers who were under the CBI scanner for issuing 26 controversial Government Orders during the YS Rajasekhara Reddy regime.

Sonia should be Leader of Lok Sabha: Cong leader

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Congress President Sonia Gandhi should take up the post of the Leader of the Lok Sabha, a party leader said on Monday.

The leader, who declined to be identified, said it would be ideal if Sonia becomes the Leader of the Lok Sabha and there may be a deputy also.

The leader recalled that Sonia was the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha before Congress came to power in 2004.

He insisted that it was only a convention and not a rule for the Leader of House has to be a Cabinet Minister.

Muslims still fear persecution in Gujarat

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A US report on international religious freedom on Monday expressed concern over the slow pace of proceedings in punishing perpetrators of the 2002 Gujarat riots, and said Muslims in the state still fear persecution.

The report claimed that despite the Congress-led national government’s rejection of ‘Hindutva’, several BJP-ruled states continued to be influenced by the ideology.

Sangma to float new political party

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Former Lok Sabha Speaker Purno Agitok Sangma is set to raise a new party next month after his unsuccessful bid to Rashtrapati Bhavan, sources closes to Sangma said today.

The formation of the new party – the Nationalist Indigenous Peoples’ Party of India – will be decided to tomorrow at the meeting consultative meet of top Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leaders from across the Northeastern states in Shillong.

2 held for MMS scandal in Nagpur

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Two youths were arrested from Nagpur for allegedly making an obscene video of a teenage girl and circulating it in Gadchiroli via MMS. Parag Kawle (24) and Akshay Admane (22) were picked up from Nagpur yesterday on a tip-off that they have circulated the clip in Gadchiroli, police said. The duo were remanded in magisterial custody till August 10 and further investigations are on, they added. UNI

2 victims of Tamil Nadu Express untraced

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Eleven people from Bhopal and Indore, who reserved seats in coach S-11 — of the New Delhi-Chennai Tamil Nadu Express — that caught fire today, had a providential escape barring two who are untraceable. Railway sources said nine of these people have reached Chennai. Bhopal’s Shaukat, Riyaz, Sajjad, Sabir, OP Mahana, Bhupendra, VS Chandle and Indore’s Rohit, Rachit, Rashmi and Sirjeet — all four from the same family — made reservations. Shaukat and Chandle are untraceable. UNI

Commissioner of Rly safety announced statutory inquiry

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The Commisioner of Railway Safety will hold a statutory inquiry into the fire accident in the New Delhi-Chennai Tamil Nadu Express at Nellore Railway station today. About 32 passengers were killed and 25 others injured in the ghastly train accident. Announcing this to the media here, SCR in a press release said the commissioner Dinesh Kumar Singh, South Central Circle, Secunderabad would hold a inquiry in Railway Officers Rest House at Nellore Railway station on August 2 and 3 at 1000 hours.

Court rejects Nimmagadda’s bail plea

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The Principal Special CBI here today rejected the bail petition of industrialist Nimmagadda Prasad, an accused in the disproportionate assets case against YSR Congress party President Y S Jaganmohan Reddy. Judge U Durga Prasada Rao, who reserved orders on July 20, dismissed the petition after hearing the arguments from both sides. Mr Prasad was currently lodged in Chanchalguda Jail here.

Former tahsildar arrested; unearthed assets worth over Rs 2 cr

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The sleuths of Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has arrested a former Tahsildar Ms T.Anjana Devi in connection with amassed assets disproportionate to the known sources of income found during the raids conducted at various places including residence and other premises at Kurnool and Guntur Districts. The assets with market value of more than Rs 2.40 crore were unearthed during the searches yesterday, ACB said in a release here today. The assets include one two-stored building, two houses, 80 tolas of gold jewellery and silve articles, four-wheeler vehicles and two motorcycles.

Suspended TDP MLA Kodali Nani convicted for one year

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Gudivada MLA Kodali Venkateswara Rao alias Nani, who was suspended from the opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) recently, was today convicted to one year imprisonment and fined Rs 2,000 on the charges that he had obstructed officials from discharging their duties during a protest demonstration.. Judicial First Class magistrate of Kailaluru sentenced the MLA and seven others on the charge that they held a demonstration with farmers in front of the Tahasildar office in Mudinepalli town in 2005, demanding compensation.

ACA releases Telugu version of coaching manual

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President of the Andhra Cricket Association (ACA) DV Subba Rao and General Secretary G Ganga Raju released the Telugu version of the National Cricket Academy’s (NCA) Coaching Manual, at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Andhra Cricket Association here yesterday. According to an ACA release, Subba Rao, who chaired the meeting, lauded the efforts of Raju in bringing out the book in the larger interests of coaches imparting training to players in the districts, despite their inability to follow English language in which a wealth of knowledge is available in their profession.

TN Express fire: inquiry ordered

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The South Central Railway (SCT) has ordered a high-level inquiry by the Commissioner of Railway Safety, South Central Circle into the cause of the tragic fire accident this morning.

The rescue teams have retrieved 28 bodies, including 19 male, 6 female and three children from ill-fated S-11 coach, a release said this evening. In addition, four more bodies in unrecognisable condition have been recovered from the coach, the release said.

TN Express fire: PM expresses concern to AP CM

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Prime Minister Manmohan Singh spoke to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy this evening on telephone and enquired about the rail accident in Nellore which claimed 32 lives. The Prime Minister expressed shock and anguish over the ghastly train accident which occurred this morning. He extended sympathies to the bereaved families, an official release here said. The Chief Minister briefed the Prime Minister about the accident and said that he had personally visited the accident site.

AP CM greets Gagan Narang for winning first medal for India

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Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy today congratulated Gagan Narang for winning the first medal for India in the London Olympics 2012, Narang won the bronze medal in Men’s 10-metre Air Rife event.

In a special message to Gagan Narang, the Chief Minister said, ‘Well done, keep it up, i join the people of Andhra Pradesh on congratulating you in winning the bronze medal in the London Olympics.’ The Chief Minister while wholeheartedly congratulating Narang, said he has not only brought glory for the nation, but for Andhra Pradesh too.

CM directs actions against wine shop owners near temple

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Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy today directed the Srikakulam District Collector to take action against the wine shops set up very near the Muthyalamma temple. The Chief Minister asked the Collector to sumbit a report as to who was responsible and to recommand action on stern measures to be taken agaisnt the concerned, an official release here said. The Chief Minister also asked the officials to take stock of the violations all over the state in opening wine shops near sacred places, schools and take stern action against those responsible for it.

7 Bangladeshis held for illegal stay in Faridabad

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The Haryana Police today arrested seven Bangladeshi nationals who were found staying illegally in Faridabad district. Stating this here today, a police spokesman said the police had got information that seven Bangladeshi citizens were residing in village Badauli in Faridabad district. During investigation, it was established that they did not have Indian passport and had entered India in an unauthorised manner.

9 Trains cancelled due to Northern Grid failure

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Following failure of Northern Power Grid, 9 passenger trains were cancelled, one express train was diverted while 17 mail trains reached Ambala Cantonment station late by 1 to 6.45 hours today. The passengers remained stranded due to cancellation of trains and also late arrival both of Up and Down trains. However, the running of trains was restored at around 12 in the noon after the snag in the Grid was removed.

Power supply restored in half of Haryana

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Haryana Power Utilities have restored supply of power in 50 per cent area of the state and claimed that supply would be restored in 80 per cent of the area by midnight. Meanwhile, they claimed that the supply of power has been restored at all sub-stations in the state. A spokesman for Haryana Power Utilities said that no negative indication was found in Haryana grid which caused grid failure as per analysis of Haryana Vidyut Prasaran Nigam and the flash report of Northern Regional Load Despatch Centre (NRLDC).

Experts to find tunnel’s link across the border: IG BSF

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Apprehending the handiwork of narcotic smugglers besides infiltrators, Inspector General Border Security Force S K Mishra today said that experts from the national capital would be invited to find out the facts about the tunnel’s link across the international border in Pakistan.

Ashish Dhawan become education evangelist

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Ashish Dhawan, founder of ChrysCapital Investment Advisors, a leading private equity firm, announced his decision to step down last year, everyone thought it was too early. But Dhawan, one of the most prolific dealmakers in India’s private equity industry, can hardly be expected to take a wrong decision. He is known for marquee deals involving the BPO firm Spectramind and the wind energy company Suzlon. Needless to say, he had already planned his future venture: working for social causes, particularly education.

British scientists to study how cows make friends!

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Cows have attracted the curiosity of British scientists as to how they make friends among themselves.

In a three-year study, funded by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and DairyCo, the levy-funded organisation that works on behalf of British dairy farmers, scientists will try to understand more about “social networking” within dairy herds.

They aim to help farmers improve the health and welfare of their cows, thereby increasing milk yields, Daily Mail reported.