Month: February 2013

No arrests made: NIA

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The National Investigative Agency has refuted the media reports regarding arrests of suspicious persons and taking them into custody in the aftermath of Dilsukhnagar bomb blast.

In a clarification statement Mr. Loknath Bohra inspector general National Investigation Agency told this.

In a statement issued by NIA he informed that no arrest has been made in Dilsukhnagar blast nor any person has been detained on the basis of suspicion. He told that following Dilsukhnagar blast no one has been arrested in Andhra Pradesh or in any part of the country.

Siasat news

2G case: Attorney General to testify before court as witness today

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Attorney General (AG) Ghoolam E. Vahanvati is likely to appear on Wednesday before a Delhi court trying the 2G spectrum allocation scam accused to depose as a prosecution witness in the case.

The CBI, in its charge sheet, has alleged that former Telecom Minister A Raja, in conspiracy with co-accused and former telecom secretary Siddharth Behura, had “fraudulently portrayed” to the Department of Telecommunication (DoT) that the amended draft of the press release regarding issuance of letters of intents (LoIs) to the telecom firms had the consent of the then Solicitor General Vahanvati.

One more swine flu death, 40 new cases in Delhi

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A swine flu patient died while 40 more people tested positive on Tuesday, taking the toll to 12 and the number of people infected by the Influenza A (H1N1) virus in the national capital to 834, an official said.

“Forty more people tested positive for swine flu and one death has been reported today (Tuesday) from Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital,” a doctor at the Delhi Health Service (DHS) told IANS.

Tuesday’s death takes the toll to 12 this month till Tuesday. In January, 39 cases were reported and one died.

Akbar Owaisi exempted from attending Nizamabad court

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First Additional Judicial Civil Judge Amravati exempted politburo member and Chandrayangutta MLA Akbaruddin Owaisi from attending the court till the preparation of charge sheet. It must be recalled that Akbaruddin Owaisi was booked under 153, 153 (A) 295(A)IPC for delivering hate speech in the II town, Qila Road on December 8, 2012 and was given on remand.

He was released on bail on February 15 and was directed to personally appear before the court on February 26.

NCP, MNS workers pelt stones at each others 5 injured

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Street fights broke out between Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) workers in several areas of Maharashtra, including Thane and Mumbai, yesterday evening. Five people were injured.

Police said an inspector was also hurt in the incident. Meanwhile, Thackeray escaped unhurt.

Police had to resort to lathicharge to control the situation.

The incident took place at around 8.30 pm at Bhingar in the western Maharashtra district, about 125 km from Pune.

Major fire at Kolkata market, 12 killed

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A major fire engulfed a six-storey market complex in central Kolkata’s Sealdah area early Wednesday, killing at least twelve people and injuring several others.

According to reports, the fire was detected at around 3.50 am and the victims were sleeping at that time.

The police believe that at least 30 to 40 people are still feared trapped inside the market complex.

At least 18 fire brigade teams were rushed to the spot to douse the fire. The fire department officials fought the blaze for nearly three hours to bring it under control.

Esha dances her way to health

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Actress Esha Gupta believes that dancing is a liberating form of exercise.

The 27-year-old does not like following a strict work-out regime and dances approximately two hours a day as part of her daily exercise, said a statement.

“Esha feels that dance is one of the best forms of exercise. It helps you be fit and at the same time also relaxes one’s mind. It is one of the best forms of expression, as well,” said a source.

Kareena Kapoor to be the show stopper for LFW 2013

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Actress Kareena Kapoor will be walking the ramp for Lakme Fashion Week Summer/ Resort 2013 which kick starts from March 22. Kareena will be the show stopper for the grand finale which will be presented by designer Namrata Joshipura. Last year too Kareena had walked the ramp for grand finale designers – Kallol Dutta and Pankaj and Nidhi. “Yes this year too Kareena, being the brand ambassador of Lakme, will be walking the ramp for the finale. She is quite excited about it. We hope she would have some time from her busy schedule,” Purnima Lamba, Head Innovations, said.

Man jailed for life for raping and sodomising minor daughter

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A man has been sentenced to life imprisonment by a Delhi court here for raping and sodomising his nine-year-old daughter, saying that the girl child is to be “worshipped” and not “raped”. A fast track court, trying sexual offence cases against women, said the crime committed by the convict, being the father of the victim, was “intensely grave, serious and barbaric in nature” and also made it clear that he would not be entitled to any clemency till he spends at least 20 years in jail.

Afzal letter: No need to be ashamed of attack on Parliament

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Parliament attack convict Mohammad Afzal Guru had in a letter purportedly written by him over four years ago said that there was no need to be ashamed of the December 13 attack on Parliament, but had stopped short of owning any responsibility for it.

In the letter written to editor of a local Urdu weekly, Guru, who was hanged in Delhi’s Tihar jail on February 9, asked Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin not to be “ashamed of December 13” and stop terming the attack as a “conspiracy”.

10,081 posts lying vacant in All India Radio: Govt

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Over 10,000 posts and more than 6,000 jobs are lying vacant in the All India Radio and the Doordarshan, government said today. Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari said the number of vacant posts in the AIR as on December 1 last year is 10,081 and Doordarshan is 6,186. He was responding to a question in Lok Sabha. In response to another question, Tewari said there has been a significant increase in expenditure of Prasar Bharati in the wake of the various recommendations of the Sixth Pay Commission.

Army jawan killed in Manipur bomb explosion, two injured

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An army jawan was killed and two others seriously injured when a powerful bomb, allegedly planted by insurgents, exploded in Manipur’s interior Churachandpur district bordering Myanmar and Mizoram this morning. Official sources said personnel of 11 Gorkha Rifles were on patrol duty when the bomb, which was attached to a culvert, exploded at around 6:40 AM killing a jawan on the spot and injuring two others seriously. It was not immediately known whether the suspected insurgents used remote-controlled device or a timer.

We were completely outplayed by India: Clarke

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Smarting under huge defeat, Australian captain Michael Clarke said that they were completely by India in the first cricket Test at the Chepauk today. Clarke also showered praise on Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni stating that his double century turned out to be the game-changer. “They outplayed us. Mahendra Singh Dhoni certainly led the charge and I thought Virat Kohli was outstanding as well with his hundred. But it certainly was Dhoni, who changed the game,” a dejected Australian captain told mediapersons at the post-match conference.

Islamic scholars condemn killing of Shia Muslims in Pakistan

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A group of Islamic scholars today called upon international bodies like United Nations, Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International and governments across the world to devise ways to put an end to killing of Shia Muslims in Pakistan. “It is extremely shameful,” Islamic scholar Maulana Sayed Ahmedalo Abidi, Imam-e-Juma Khoja Jama Masjid Dongri and Principal of Houza Ilmiya Najifi House, told reporters here. “Shias are being attacked, shot and bombed. This is extremely serious,” he said, urging the Indian government to take up the issue in international forums.

Lalu, Paswan should reconsider support to UPA : Modi

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Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi today asked RJD chief Lalu Prasad and LJP president Ramvilas Paswan to reconsider their outside support to UPA II government saying this was for the first time since Independence that Bihar has been so ‘starkingly discriminated’ against in the Rail budget. “Out of 67 new trains announced in the Rail budget presented by Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal today, only six are for Bihar and out of that five are weekly trains,” Modi told PTI.

Arunachal to get first rail line this year: Bansal

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In an apparent response to China bettering its transport infrastructure along its western frontiers, Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal today announced that Arunachal Pradesh will get its first rail line this year. “For the first time the state of Arunachal has been brought into the rail network and we shall commission the Harmuti-Naharlagun line this year,” Bansal said presenting the Railway Budget in the Lok Sabha. He said the national project of Udhampur-Srinagar- Baramulla and other projects of strategic importance would be taken up on top priority.

PM likely to visit UAE next month

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In a first visit in three decades to UAE by an Indian Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh is likely to visit that country next month en route to Durban for the BRICS- Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa- Summit on March 26-27. Indira Gandhi was the last Indian prime minister to travel to the country in 1981. Though the Prime Minister’s programme to UAE has not been finalised so far, he is likely to combine the trip to United Arab Emirates with his South Africa visit, sources said. UAE is home to nearly two million-strong Indian expatriate community.

Bomb hoax on Patna-bound IndiGo flight

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A phone call to police claiming that a bomb has been planted on a Patna-bound IndiGo flight sent authorities at IGI airport here into a tizzy but it turned out to be a hoax allegedly by a passenger who was running late to catch the plane. According to sources, the Delhi Police control room received a call at around noon, saying there is a bomb on Patna-bound IndiGo flight (6E-178). The flight, with 138 passengers, was scheduled to take- off at 12.15 PM. As soon as the information was received, police and Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) jumped into action.

1984 riots: CBI’s final arguments against Sajjan on March 14

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A Delhi court today fixed March 14 for hearing final arguments of CBI in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case in which Congress leader Sajjan Kumar and five others are facing trial. District Judge J R Aryan could not hear the arguments of senior advocate R S Cheema, appearing for CBI, as the lawyers at the Karkardooma Court complex were observing a day long strike. CBI had commenced final arguments in the case on March 31, last year and the counsel for the accused had concluded their final arguments on February 4.

Noted educationist Nizam Uddin Ahmed dead

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Noted educationist Nizam Uddin Ahmed died at his residence here today, family sources said. He was 74. Ahmed, popularly known as ‘Maulovi Sir’, was a recipient of the state level Teachers’ Award and had joined Haflong Government Boys’ High School in 1960 and retired in 1997. As a mark of respect to him, all the educational institutions were today given half holiday in the Dima Hasao district where he had served in its headquarters Haflong, official sources said. In a condolence message Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi lauded his contribution in the field of education spanning almost four decades.

Railways to increase e-ticket capacity to 7,200 per minute

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Raising hopes of smooth and much faster online bookings of rail tickets, Railways Minister P K Bansal today said a new e-ticketing system will be deployed by December-end which will allow 7,200 bookings per minute against the present 2,000. “By the end of this calendar year, we will put in place a Next Generation e-ticketing system which will bring about a paradigm shift in internet rail ticketing … The system shall be able to support 7,200 tickets per minute as against 2,000 tickets per minute today,” Bansal said in his speech on Rail Budget for 2013-14.

‘No proposal for bringing Delhi Police under city govt’

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There is no proposal to bring Delhi Police under Delhi government, the Centre said today amid demands raised by Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit that certain aspects of policing in the capital should be handed over to the city administration. This was disclosed by Minister of State for Home Affairs Mullappally Ramachandran in a written reply in Lok Sabha. He said police is actively taking steps for improving law and order in the capital.

Analysts give mix reaction on rail budget

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Analysts today gave a mixed reaction to the railway budget, with some terming it as a “non-event” saying there were no radical measures to bridge the revenue deficit in the document, and a few calling it “pragmatic” given the limitations. While E&Y and Nomura analysts described it as ‘run of the mill type’, PwC India termed the exercise by Rail Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal as pragmatic with focus on the short-term.

Retd police officer’s son gets life term for wife’s murder

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A local court today sentenced son of a retired police officer to life imprisonment for murdering his wife. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 20,000 on Kuldeep Singh, son of retired SP Ajmer Singh, failing which he will have to spend three more years in imprisonment. Randeep Kaur (40) had a love marriage with Kuldeep in 1996 and the couple had two daughters. Her body was found in Bhakra Canal near Malko Majra village on February 9 last year. Kuldeep had informed police that he and his wife were returning home when their car suddenly overturned and it lost balance.

Shah commission arrives in Odisha, to hear mines lessees

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A five-member team of Justice M B Shah Commission probing illegal mining activities in states, arrived here today to hear mine owners and the Odisha government before finalising its report. “This time we will hear the views of lessees on mining activities in the state. They have been served notices for the purpose,” team leader U V Singh told reporters on his arrival. The hearing, considered to be the last one before finalisation of the report, is likely to span three days. It would start tomorrow after the arrival of Justice M B Shah, Chairman of the commission.