Month: April 2013

Ishrat Jahan encounter case: Another Gujarat police officer arrested

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The CBI on Thursday arrested another officer of Gujarat police in connection with the 2004 alleged fake encounter of 19-year-old college girl Ishrat Jahan and three others, officials of the agency said.

NK Amin, suspended Deputy Superintendent of Police, who got bail from Bombay High Court in March in Sohrabuddin encounter case on medical grounds, was on Thursday arrested by CBI from the Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad.

Amin was in jail for past six years in Sohrabuddin case.

Gangrape: Transport dept yet to share info, cops tell court

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Inquiry into allegations that the Delhi gang-rape incident had occurred due to “corrupt” activities in the state transport department, which allowed the bus to ply illegally, is pending for want of information from the department, Delhi Police today told a court here.

Appearing before Special Judge Narottam Kaushal, ACP Crime Branch Suresh Kaushik said, “The enquiry into the matter is pending for want of information from Transport Department.

Government clerk assaulted by Andhra Minister’s supporters

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A government clerk was on Thursday assaulted allegedly by some supporters of an Andhra Pradesh minister outside a police station in Banjara Hills area in Hyderabad.

Sambasiva Rao, working as camp clerk in the office of Additional Director General (Greyhounds), was beaten up by two youths after heated arguments between them near a traffic signal in the upscale area in late afternoon, sources said.

Following the incident, Rao, who was driving a car, lodged a complaint with Banjara Hills police station against the bike-borne youths, who also filed a counter-complaint.

Narendra Modi welcome to apply for visa, will decide case on merits: US

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Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi is welcome to apply for a visa to America, a senior US official said today, noting that the Obama administration would review the BJP leader’s case on its merits.

“There is no change (in US policy)…he (Modi) is welcome to apply. All visa decisions are made on a case by case basis, and I’m not going to prejudge it here,” State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland told reporters at her daily news conference.

20 injured in communal clashes in Jaipur

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Over 20 people, including a dozen policemen, were injured in this Rajasthan capital following a violent clash between two communities Thursday, officials said.

People hurled stones on the policemen who were trying to control the situation, torched a factory and damaged over a dozen cars, they added.

A senior police officer told IANS that the clash started following a dispute over parking in the city’s Sanganer area around 4 p.m.

UPA will lose 2014 polls: Nitish Kumar

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The United Progressive Alliance (UPA) is unlikely to return to power after the next Lok Sabha polls, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said Thursday.

“Going by the mood among common people, Congress-led UPA will not return to power,” Nitish Kumar told media persons here.

The UPA II failed to fulfil promises made to people, he said.

“UPA has failed on all fronts. During its rule, unemployment and price rise increased like never before,” he said.

He also denied that his Janata Dal-United (JD-U) was getting close to the Congress.

—IANs

Man axes nine women to death in Chhattisgarh

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A mentally unstable man carried out a bloodbath in Chhattisgarh’s impoverished tribal-dominated Balrampur district Thursday, axing to death nine girls and women aged between 2-65 years, police and eyewitnesses said.

The bodies of four female adults and five minors, were lying in a pool of blood for hours in the terror-hit Barhatola village under Samri police station, and the accused, Pandu Nageshia, 35, was tracked down when Balrampur District Collector C.R. Prasanna and Superintendent of Police G.S. Darro reached there with a police contingent.

ICC introduces new ‘No ball’ playing condition

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The International Cricket Council (ICC) Thursday introduced a new playing condition for Tests, One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and Twenty20 Internationals that instructs the umpires to call ‘No ball’ whenever a bowler breaks the non-striker’s wicket during the act of delivery.

This playing condition will come into effect April 30 and the first international match to be played under the new regulation will be the first ODI between Zimbabwe and Bangladesh in Bulawayo May 3.

Iam not in race to be PM, takes indirect dig at Modi for alienating Muslims

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Virtually pitted in a race against Narendra Modi ahead of next Lok Sabha elections, Rahul Gandhi on Thursday unveiled his vision of inclusive development seeking partnership with corporate India but deprecated the “politics of alienating communities”.

In his first structured interaction with India Inc, the 42-year-old Congress leader, widely seen as party’s future Prime Minister, spoke at length on his idea of development in which government and industry can build a “brave empowered new India” with inclusiveness and compassion.

Three Held For Lifting Car And High-End Mobiles

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Three youths were arrested on Thursday by the Cyber Crime Police, CCS, DD, Hyderabad for committing thefts.
In a pressnote here, Dy. Commissioner of Police, Detective Department, CCS, Hyderabad has stated that the accused Immaraju Pramod Vimal, 23, of Srinagar Colony, Kandikatti Jayanand Arun, 22, of New Gayatri Nagar, Jillelaguda and Neelapally Mahender, 20, of Nehru Nagar Colony, Sherlingampally formed into a gang and committed theft of various articles.

34 state civil service officers undergoing training call on President

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A group of 34 state civil service offficers promoted to the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and undergoing the 113th induction training programme at the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration, Mussoorie, called on President Pranab Mukherjee at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Thursday.

Speaking on the occasion, President Mukherjee said that the role of the government in public life would always remain paramount.

Hence, he added: “The development that we envision for our society would depend on the quality of public administration.”

Will work to link Urdu with Google search: Sibal

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) In an effort to popularise Urdu, Communication Minister Kapil Sibal has decided to set up a committee of experts to evolve technology for linking the culturally rich language with the Google search engine.

He also urged Nokia – the world’s largest mobile company – to develop a software so that 170 million Urdu speaking people in India can communicate with each other in this language.

The purpose is to link Urdu with all the social networking sites, Sibal said at the Urdu Editors Forum which was also attended by Harayana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Urdu scholars.

Eyeing PM’s post, Narendra Modi says he wants to repay India’s debt

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Virtually acknowledging his prime ministerial ambition, Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said it is the duty of every child to repay the debt he owes to “Mother India”.

“Not only Modi, every child and citizen owes a debt to Mother India…it is his duty to repay the debt whenever an opportunity arises. A doctor repays his debt to Mother India when he saves lives….A teacher does so by teaching.

Jaitley targets PM over decision-making in UPA

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argeting UPA over its decision-making, BJP leader Arun Jaitley Thursday expressed apprehension about Prime Minister Manmohan Singh being able to implement his formulations on economic problems and stressed the government’s elected head must have the last word.

Delivering the valedictory address at the CII conference here, Jaitley also accused the Congress of “controlling CBI” for its political ends.

The leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha said there had been concern in the country over the past few years over the direction in which the economy was moving.

SHC receives 16,972 applications for Haj-2013

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The Andhra Pradesh State Haj Committee has received as many as 16,972 applications for the Haj 2013 from the aspiring Haj pilgrims of the State.

Out of the total applicants 8,700 are males, 8272 are females and 20 infants. Hyderabad with 8345 applications stands first followed by 960 from Kurnool, 844 from Nizamabad and 782 from Mahbubnagar. Only seven applications were received from Vizianagaram and there was no Haj applicant from the Srikakulam district.

Two brothers electrocuted

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Two brothers were electrocuted today while they were trying to switch on their submersible pump, police said.

The incident took place this afternoon, leading to the death of Kamlesh (25) and Ajay (18) on the spot, they said.

The bodies have been sent for post mortem examination while the further probes are on, police added.

–Agencies

Pension scheme for journalists on anvil: Tarun Gogoi

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With a view to provide financial help to retiring scribes, Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today said his govermment is thinking of implementing a pension scheme for journalists.

Addressing a ceremony during the launch of logo for journalists of Assam at the Central Hall of Legislative Assembly here, Gogoi also announced a hike in the amount sanctioned under the Journalists’ Welfare Medical Scheme to Rs 10 crore from the existing Rs one crore.

–Agencies

Yashki asks KCR to think about state and not harp on polls

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Nizamabad MP Madhu Yashki Goud has advised TRS Chief K Chandrasekhara Rao to concentrate on achieving separate Telangana State instead of thinking about 2014 elections from now onwards.

Speaking to the media here on Thursday after meeting Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy at Secretariat, Yashki ridiculed KCR for stating that the alliance governments would come with the early elections.

One state,one CM-Why injustice to Telangana?asks Harish

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TRS Legislature Party deputy leader T Harish Rao has expressed anguish that injustice was being meted out to Telangana though the State was one and the Chief Minister was one.

Talking to the media here on Thursday, Harish Rao asked Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy, who goes to Seemandhra region by helicopter whenever it was hit by cyclone, was not visiting the Telangana region when it was ravaged by hailstorm. Stating that while the Seemandhra region was being provided with seven-hour power supply, he alleged that the Telangana region was not being given even three-hour power supply.

United States carried out 48 drone strikes in 2012: Pak rights body

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The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) said Thursday that the United States carried out 48 drone attacks in Pakistan”s tribal regions in 2012.

The HRCP announced this in its annual report. It also revealed that the U.S. had conducted 74 drone strikes in 2011.

The report strongly condemned drone attacks and called upon the U.S. to stop these attacks. The CIA-sponsored drone campaign is highly controversial in Pakistan, however, Washington has ruled out any change in the policy.

I am not god of cricket: Tendulkar

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He might be revered by billions of fans but Sachin Tendulkar insists he is “not god of cricket” as many would like to call him as he does “make mistakes” unlike the almighty.

“I am not God of cricket. I make mistakes, God doesn’t,” Tendulkar said at a promotional event here yesterday.

–PTi

Cong misusing CBI, UPA govt may fall anytime: Rajnath

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BJP chief Rajnath Singh today accused the Congress of misusing CBI as a tool to remain in power and said the days of UPA government were numbered.

“Congress led UPA government is a weak government and may go anytime. It is in minority but continues to remain in power due to the misuse of the CBI.

“The government must go because it is not acting in the interest of healthy democracy,” Singh said during the launch of BJP state chief Vasundhara Raje’s ‘Suraj Sankalp Yatra’ here.

‘Ek Thi Daayan’ crew launches book ‘Daayan’

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Konkona Sen Sharma and Huma Qureshi along with the cast and crew of ‘Ek Thi Daayan’ released a book called ‘Daayan’.

The book, which has real stories related to witches and supernatural powers, is a yet another innovative concept for promoting their upcoming movie.

Talking about the storyline, filmmaker Ekta Kapoor said that the film does not promote superstition, but has its roots in folk

tales about witches.

“Our film is based on a fictitious story. These are not true facts; we are not doing a docu-drama. We are not trying to promote

Iran insists West must recognise its “right to uranium enrichment” in upcoming talks

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Iran”s chief nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili said Thursday that in the forthcoming nuclear talks, the West must recognize his country”s right to uranium enrichment.

Making the remarks in Almaty, Kazakhstan, Jalili said that Friday talks can simply open the way to resolving Iran”s nuclear issue by “recognizing Iran”s nuclear rights, especially the rights of enriching uranium.”

“This is the right which has been safeguarded by the Nuclear Non- Proliferation Treaty (NPT) directives,” he stated.

94-year-old grandmother to stand for parliamentary polls in Malaysia

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A grandmother aged 94 on Thursday became the first person to request for a nomination form in Malaysia”s Terengganu state to run for parliamentary elections for the second time.

The request soon after Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak announced plans to hold general elections.

A sprightly Maimun Yusuf asked for a nomination form at an election commission office, saying that she intended to stand as an independent Member of Parliament for Kuala Terengganu, the capital of conservative Terengganu state in the east coast of Malaysia.