Top Stories of the Week
Attack on Nithari Killers
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday produced Moninder Singh Pandher and Surendra Koli, prime accused in the Nithari serial killings, in a special court here.
The duo was severely beaten up by a group of lawyers and public in the premises of the court here, where they were produced by the CBI. Some lawyers caught Pandher by his hair and repeatedly punched him on his face and rained blows on him. Unable to withstand the attack, the businessman became unconscious and fell to the ground.
The policemen surrounding them had a tough time controlling the angry crowd. The CBI has registered 19 cases against them. Uttar Pradesh Police had on December 29 recovered skulls and human remains from a drain behind Pandher's D-5, Sector 31 residence in Noida, unearthing the serial killings of children and women allegedly killed by him and his domestic help Koli.
Asked if the lawyers claimed to have been named in the case were absconding, SP (city) Govind Agarwal said: "Well, not really. We have obtained lots of TV news footage and newspaper photos for identifying many more individuals guilty of thrashing Pandher and even roughing up policemen. Stern action will be taken." from
Times Of IndiaLabels: breaking news, national, terror attack
Bangalore violence
Night curfew was clamped in part of the City even as a 12 year-old boy was killed in police firing and more than 30 people injured in fresh violence that broke out during a 'Shobha Yatra' taken out by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) on 21st January 2007.
The curfew, clamped as precautionary measure, would be in force till morning in Bharatinagar area and depending upon the situation decision would be taken to withdraw.
Police said the boy was killed at Kamaraj road when the police opened fire after lobbing of tear gas shells and lathi charge was proved to be futile to disperse the mob which indulged in torching vehicles besides pelting stones on roadside shops.
More than 40 vehicles including buses, autorickshaws and two wheelers were damaged and torched and scores of shops were damaged in stone pelting.
More than 30 people, including six police personnel, who were injured in violence were admitted to various Hospitals.More than 300 people were taken into custody in connection with the violence.
In other two areas Shivajinagar and Halasur police limits Prohibitory Orders under section 144 were clamped. Large scale violence broke out during 'Shobha Yatra' taken out by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad activists.
No fresh incidents of violence was reported last night in the trouble hit areas where night curfew had been clamped.
Additional Police Commissioner Bipin Gopalakrishna said the curfew in Shivajinagar, Bharatinagar and Halsur, Tannery Road, K G Halli and Thimmaiah Road last night, was relaxed in the morning.
Labels: breaking news, national, politics, terror attack
India wins first ODI by 14 runs
India were indebted to
Sourav Ganguly for posting their highest total against the
West Indies as the left-handed opener celebrated his comeback with a superb
98.The former Indian captain, playing his first one-dayer in 16 months, hammered three sixes and 11 fours in his 110-ball knock to help the hosts surpass their previous best total of 325-5 against the West Indies.
However, West Indies opening batsman
Shivnarine Chanderpaul smashed a robust century, but failed to stop India from posting a thrilling
14-run win in the first one-day international here.
The left-hander cracked an unbeaten 149 for his fifth one-day hundred before the West Indies were restricted to
324-8 in reply to India's challenging total of
338-3 on a batting pitch.
The 32-year-old Chanderpaul threatened to ruin Ganguly's day with a gem of an innings, which came off 136 balls with the help of three sixes and 16 fours. He was named
man of the match.
Labels: national, sports
Sania Mirza crashes out of Australian Open
Sania Mirza could not rein in the string of unforced errors and her serve also let her down as the Hyderabadi ace crashed out of the Australian Open singles event following a 3-6, 2-6 second round loss to Japan's Aiko Nakamura here today.
The Indian was erratic throughout, committing 26 double faults in all, as Nakamura outplayed her in just over an hour to set up a third round clash with Swiss Martina Hingis.
Sania thus failed to better her 2005 show at the Melbourne Park, where she had reached the third round before losing to eventual champion Serena Williams.
Nakamura, it seemed, had learnt her lessons from the 2005 loss to Sania in the Japan Open, the only face-off between the two players before today's match, and was clearly the more disciplined, breaking the Indian thrice in the opening set.
Sania also managed to convert the two break points that came her way but never looked to be in her elements and committed 12 unforced errors compared to Nakamura's six to surrender the first set in just 33 minutes.
The second set followed almost the same script and Nakamura gave no chance to the world number 53, breaking her twice. The Hyderabadi star wasted two break points and served poorly, committing three double faults apart from 14 unforced errors to bow out of the first Grand Slam of the year.
Sania later admitted that she was not in her best form and blamed poor serve and the inability to land the trademark forehands for the straight set loss.
Labels: national, sania mirza, sports, tennis
Sidhu sent to Patiala jail
Cricketer
Navjot Singh Sidhu has sent to Patiala
jail. He was the former BJP MP.Last month, Sidhu was given a three-year jail sentence by the Punjab and Haryana High court after he was convicted in a Patiala road rage case in 1988, in which a person had died.
He has surrendered in keeping with a legal provision by which an appelant has to surrender in the original court's jurisdiction before the Supreme Court can take up his appeal.
Labels: national, navjot singh sidhu, politics
Postmortem identifies 3 missing children
Three of the four
highly decomposed bodies found in an abandoned rice sheller of former
Congress MP Jagmeet Singh Brar last night, were today identified as those of children of the migrant Bawaria families who had been reported missing for almost two months.
Speaking to UNI, IG Bathinda Range Mr V K Bhawra, said three of the children were identified as Ashki (9), Ratni (13) and one boy Satbir (10) after the post mortem carried out at the Guru Gobind Singh Medical College and Hospital at Faridkot this morning.
The fourth highly decomposed body could not be identified. As the bodies were half-burnt, the identification was extremely difficult, he said.
Mr Bhawra said a BDR was entered by the police on the complaint of the parents and the missing report was flashed on the local TV Channels and newspapers.
Some people, including a woman belonging to Bawaria tribe hailing from Rajasthan, named by the missing children's families were questioned by the police after raids carried out throughout last night and in the day, he said.
However, nobody has been arrested so far, Mr Bhawra said.
The bodies of children with their
hands tied were found by a police patrol party from the deserted rice sheller, which had not been in operation since the last few years. The patrol party had gone to the godown to make arrangements for the stay of police personnel during the coming 'Maghi' mela here.
The incident, coming close on the heels of Noida's Nithari serial killings, has sent shockwaves in the state poised for assembly polls next month.
The firebrand Congress campaigner, Mr Brar, when contacted stated that the rice mill owned by his family, had been closed for the last five years. He said the matter be thoroughly investigated adding that he would fully cooperate with the police.
Commenting on the political ramifications of the matter, Mr Brar admitted he even had rivals within the Congress party itself and stressed that he would like the truth to come out.
Labels: breaking news, national
CBI probe and Forensic tests for Noida killing
Stating that Uttar Pradesh government had ultimately bowed to public pressure by agreeing on a
CBI probe into the killing of innumerable children at Nithari village in Noida, the BJP today said the investigation should start immediately.
The two accused of Nithari killings,
Moninder Singh Pandher and
Surinder Koli were put through various psychological tests today at the Forensic Science Laboratory here.
Noida Deputy SP Dinesh Yadav, who accompanied the accused from Delhi, told newspersons near the FSL that they had requested the officials here to conduct three tests --
narco-analysis,
lie-detector and
brain mapping -- in order to probe the missing gaps.
''The tests are part of the investigations, and are being done on court orders,'' Mr Yadav said.
Asked about the possibility of a link to organ trade, the DSP said, ''The case would be probed from every possible angle.'' Refusing to to give a time-frame for completion of the tests, the FSL Director said it could take at least three to four days. ''It depends on the personality and the mental status of the accused.
They are human beings, nothing can be fixed. But it might take three to four days,'' he added.
He said the FSL here was recognized as number one in the country and declared as the national resource centre by the Centre.
''The laboratory has various facilities in narco-analysis, psychological profiling, and lie-detection, among others, of international standards,'' the Director said.
Several important cases like the
Madhumita murder case,
Anara CD analysis,
Telgi case, and others were brought here for investigations.
Labels: breaking news, national
Violence in Nandigram, West Bengal
The situation in Nandigram, West Bengal that witnessed a mob violence on Wednesday, remained under control even though tension simmered as villagers put up barricades to cut-off the area from rest of the state, official sources said today.
Home Secretary Prasad Ranjan Ray said the situation in Nandigram, in East Midnapore district, was under control but tension still prevailed in the area.
A large contingent of police had been posted in the area after the mob fury in which 20 people, including 14 cops, were injured following a reported government move for acquisition of 22,500 acres of land for two proposed Special Economic Zones (SEZs) by the Indonesian Salim Group.
The incident took place even before the political situation in Singur over the land acquisition by Tatas cooled down.
However, the state government denied having issued any notification for land takeover in the area saying the violence was ''deliberate'' and it was made to happen on the basis of a rumour.
Labels: breaking news, national, terror attack
ULFA strikes Assam
Separatist militants gunned down 10 people in two attacks in restive Assam on Sunday, bringing the death toll in a wave of rebel violence since Friday night to 67, police said.
Hundreds of soldiers and police raided insurgent hideouts in jungles of the northeastern state after two days of coordinated rebel strikes.
Police blamed the attacks on the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), which has been fighting for the independence of Assamese people in a conflict that began almost three decades ago and has killed thousands of people.
"We are going all out against the ULFA," Tarun Gogoi, Assam's chief minister, told Reuters.
"Massive combing operations have started and additional troops are being rushed to the affected areas."
Rebel attacks have increased since September after the ULFA and New Delhi called off peace talks and government troops ended a truce. Since then, the rebels have bombed crowded markets and railway stations, killing dozens of civilians.
The weekend wave of violence started late on Friday with the gunning down of 48 labourers and traders. An explosion on Saturday killed seven people, including four policemen.
The attacks continued on Sunday with the rebels killing 12 people, including nine labourers at a brick kiln and two supporters of the ruling Congress party in the oil- and tea producing state, police said.
Security officials said the attackers had fled to the mountains of neighbouring Arunachal Pradesh.
Last week the ULFA warned non-Assamese businessmen and labourers of dire consequences if they continued to live in Assam, accusing New Delhi of flooding the state with outsiders to reduce the indigenous Assamese population to a minority.
Labels: breaking news, national, terror attack
Woman kills self, two mentally retarded children
The wife of a Jamshedpur-based industrialist
killed herself and her two mentally retarded children by driving her car into a ravine at Daravali in Mulshi taluka of Sutarwadi village, 30 km from here.
The deceased, Neha Khatan (36), drove her car with her children Nipun (12) and Chahat (3) directly into the valley. The car caught fire, killing all three occupants instantly, police said adding the bodies were beyond recognition. The identity of the deceased was established through the number-plate of the car.
The police said the incident occurred last evening. Initially, the police believed it was a case of accident. However, they recovered three suicide notes written by the deceased for her husband, who owns a factory in Bhosari industrial area in Jamshedpur and her parents in which she stated that she was committing suicide out of depression.
In her note, she said she wanted her husband to remarry and that
she had another five-year old daughter Janhavi, who was normal.
Police have registered a case of suicide and murder, sources added.
Labels: accidents, national
President Kalam gives assent to Reservation Bill
President A P J Abdul Kalam has given assent to the 'Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Admission) Bill, 2006, paving the way for starting implementation of the reservation policy from the 2007 academic session.
The Act provides for reservation in admission of students belonging to the Scheduled Castes, the Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes (OBCs) to certain Central Educational Institutions established, maintained or aided by the Central Government.
The provision of the Act, inter-alia will not apply to (i) a Central Educational Institution established in tribal areas referred to in the Sixth Schedule to the Constitution, (ii) the institutions of excellence, research institutions, institutions of national and strategic importance specified in the Schedule to this Act, and (iii) the Minority Educational Institutions referred to in clause (1) of article 30 of the Constitution.
Labels: national, politics
Lathicharge on irate villagers - Noida
On January 1st 2007, Police claimed to have recovered arms and chemicals from the residence of the accused in the serial killing of children and women in Sector 31
Nithari village here.
Searches carried out Dec 31st, 2006 at the house of Mohinder Singh Pandher led to the recovery of a rifle, a revolver and some chemicals, said a police official.
''Some pornographic CDs and literature were also found during the overnight search operation.'' Blood stains were also found at two places inside the palatial house of
Pandher (60), a manufacturer and supplier of earth movers and bulldozers, said the official adding that the chemical and samples of blood stains sent for forensic examination.
Meanwhile, on Sunday (Dec 31st, 20060) police resorted to
lathicharge on irate villagers in Nithari village who pelted stones on forces deployed there after they tried to enter the 'killer house' at about 1500 hrs by breaking the barricading put there. The mob also vandalised Noida medical centre and broke a few ambulances.
In wake of mounting agitation against the brutal killings, the State government has announced a compensation of
Rs 2 lakh for the victims' families. The state government had ordered a high-level inquiry into the incident, fixing the responsibility of those guilty of laxity in conducting investigations, which would submit its reports in three days.
Former UP chief minister and Bahujan Samajwadi chief
Mayawati visited the Nithari village and demanded a CBI inquiry into the incident. "We will also write a letter to UP Governor. We also request Central Government to impose President's rule in the state,” she said.
Surendra was arrested on Friday and he allegedly
confessed to sexually abusing and murdering at least seven children after police found the skeletons following a tipoff. The remains of the children were found buried in plastic bags behind a water tank in the house of a businessman for whom Kohli worked in Noida.
The businessman,
Mohinder Singh, and a medical store owner were also arrested, but police have refused to say whether they had any direct involvement in the killings. The police say after the bodies, many of them in parts, were found, the alleged killer, a domestic servant at the house, confessed to luring at least seven children to the home and killing them.
Labels: breaking news, national
Serial Killing in Noida
The police here have arrested a serial killer and later dug out skeletal remains of several children from a 'nullah' in Nithari village area of the city.
City SSP R K S Rathore told UNI that a mobile was seized from the possession of the arrested accused -- 30-year-old Surender.
A sack containing clothes and slippers of children was also recovered from the place where the killer resided, said Superintendent of Police Soumitra Yadav adding that the entire 'nullah' was being searched.
Police also said that during interrogation, the accused admitted to raping and later killing several girls found missing from the area earlier. He later threw their bodies in the 'nullah'.
Meanwhile, a huge crowd gathered at the 'site' where police were digging out skeletons from the 'nullah' after news spread that the killer involved in the killing of several children had been arrested.
As many as 38 children have been missing in the last one-and-a-half years from the area.
The police has dug up the lawns of the 'killer house' in Nithari village as part of continuing efforts to probe the serial killings of women and children at the place. However, ''nothing suspicious'' was found in the night-long digging of the non built-up area at 'D-5 Nithari Gaon' in Noida's Sector 31, according to top police sources.
''Though nothing concrete has been found in the digging, the final word would be out only after laboratory tests are conducted on the unearthed substances.'' The digging was undertaken to find out if some bodies had been buried inside the house as well, the sources added.
Meanwhile, several members of the victims' families today met the two-member enquiry panel and asked for ''liberal assistance'' to begin life anew. They demanded that at least one member of each affected family be given a government job and a 25 sq metre plot for building a house.
Speaking to the affected families, after visiting the 'killer house' in Nithari Village this afternoon, Mr Katiyar empathised with them and regretted that a'' pittance'' was announced as compensation by the state government.
''At least Rs ten lakh should be given to all those who had suffered for so long at the hands of the killer,'' he said.
Labels: breaking news, national
India wins the first Test Match
Leg-spinner Anil Kumble took three wickets as India completed an historic triumph by beating South Africa by 123 runs on the fourth day of the first Test against South Africa at the Wanderers Stadium.
A defiant 97 by Ashwell Prince could not prevent India from achieving their first Test win in three tours of South Africa here on Monday.
Prince and Shaun Pollock, virtually the only South Africans who shone in the match, put on 67 for the seventh wicket, their team's highest partnership of either innings, to delay India's victory celebrations.
The stand was ended by Kumble, who bowled Pollock for 40. Kumble then trapped Andre Nel leg before before bowling Prince when the left-hander went down the pitch and misjudged the flight. Kumble took three for 54.
Labels: international, national, sports
Manu Sharma convicted for Jessica murder case
Setting aside his acquittal by the trial court, the Delhi High court today convicted
Manu Sharma for murdering model
Jessica Lall more than seven and a half years ago.
Besides, co-accused Vikas Yadav and Amardeep Singh were held guilty of destroying evidence.
All the three were directed to be taken into custody forthwith.
A Division Bench headed by Justice R S Sodhi and Justice P K Bhasin called ''positively perverse'' the judgment of the trial court acquitting Manu Sharma on February 21 this year.
They severely criticised the judge of the trial court for making an immature assessment of the material on record, which is self-contradictory, based on misreading of material.
The judges agreed with CBI counsel Additional Solicitor General Gopal Subramanium that the trial court wrongly believed a case of the prosecution that two shots had been fired by two people from as many different pistols even as it was never the case of the prosecution.
The court disdainfully dismissed the two-gun theory, bolstered by senior counsel 
Ram Jethmalani trying to make Jessica, the victim, look like an accused provoking a tall Sikh man into firing a shot.
''Much was sought to be made of the report of the ballistic expert, Roop Singh, saying the empty cartridges recovered from the place of occurrence appear to have been fired from two weapons. His report cannot be relied upon, not evidenced under the law laid down by Code of Criminal Procedure,'' the judges said.
Second opinion of another ballistic expert, Prem Sagar Manocha, categorically stating it impossible to say whether the cartridges have been fired from two different weapons was also doubted by the judges, calling him unreliable.
''The two-weapon theory appears to be concoction of the defence and a manipulation of evidence, in particular of Shyan Munshi who for the first time in court introduced such a theory,'' the judgement said.
The Bench said the trial court had also erred in holding the three witnesses hostile. The trial court grossly erred in manner of appreciation of testimonies of the witnesses, the judges added.
The trial court arrived at a factually wrong finding, not borne out from the evidence on record to the effect that she thought that he had fired a shot at Jessica Lall and that she was not an eye witness, said the judges.
The court set aside the defence argument that Bina Ramani, owner of the Tamarind Cafe, where Jessica was killed on April 29, 1999, and a prime witness, had been under constant pressure from the police to toe their version.
The judges further showered praise on Ms Ramani, calling her, ''the only brave person present in that party to muster courage to face the shooter while others claiming to be socialites did not have the courage to raise a little finger to apprehend the culprit whom Bina was chasing and shouting that he had shot Jessica.'' The recovery of a Tata Safari from Noida further helped the court hold Manu guilty. Manu's allegation of being falsely implicated under a political design didn't convince the court wondering as to why on earth every body would conspire against him. More so, when Manu had not been able to name the politican he considered to be behind the scheme.
Another nailing evidence against Manu was the recovery of two empty cartridges from the place of crime that matched with the mutilated lead bullet recovered from the skull of Jessica. The court said Manu could not produce either a licensed pistol or 25 rounds to prove the prosecution wrong.
A hearing on the quantum of sentence has been posted for December 20.
December 20th, 2006 (Wednesday): Delhi high court sentenced manu sharma to life imprisonment in jessica lall murder case.
Delhi high court also sentenced vikas yadav and tony gill to four years rigorous imprisonment.
Labels: breaking news, national, others
Lalu-Rabri are accquited of charges
In the much-awaited judgment on the Disproportionate Asset case, the CBI special court today acquitted Railway Minister Lalu Prasad and his wife Rabri Devi, observing that the prosecution had failed to prove its charges.
In his voluminous judgment running into over 150 pages, special judge Munilal Paswan said the prosecution had failed to prove its allegations in the DA case.
The court said the judgement was mainly based on the findings of Income Tax Apellate Tribunal (ITAT) and the tax returns of the VIP couple were accepted by the ITAT. The judgment was also based on the findings of the Supreme Court in the writ petition filed by Lallan Singh, alleging tampering of trial evidence in the DA case by Mr Prasad.
Labels: breaking news, national, politics
Navjot Singh Sidhu challenges HC order in SC
Former BJP MP from Amritsar Navjot Singh Sidhu and Rupinder Singh Sandhu, convicted a long with him in a road rage case, have filed an appeal in the Supreme Court against Punjab and Haryana High Court judgement sentencing them to three years imprisonment.
The Appellants who filed the petition yesterday, have contended the incident took place in 1988 and the High Court should not have reversed the order of acquittal as there is a long gap of 18 years without there being any compelling circumstances.
The appeal is likely to come up for hearing in January as the High Court has granted him time till January 31, for approaching the Supreme Court for getting a stay against his conviction and sentence.
The High Court has suspended their sentence till that date, and if the two failed to get the stay till that time, then both will have to surrender and go to jail.
The family members of Gurnam Singh have also said publicly that they would file an appeal against the High Court judgement to get the sentence enhanced.
Labels: national, navjot singh sidhu
AIIMS RDA on hunger strike
As soon as the Lok Sabha passed the controversial OBC reservation bill, twelve members of the AIIMS Resident Doctors' Association (RDA) went on flash hunger strike in protest.
However, services in the world renowned healthcare institution will not be affected and the doctors will continue to work. The angered doctors accused the government of ''betraying'' them and failing to secure the interest of the masses.
''The Government had assured us that the interest of the masses will not be compromised.... But neither recommendations of Moilly Committee have been included nor our demands considered,'' RDA member Dr Binod Patra said.
The Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Admission) Bill, 2006, provides for 27 per cent quota for OBC students in elite educational institutions maintained and aided by the Central Government.
He said the Government did not even wait for courts to pronounce their verdict on the contentious issue. ''When the matter is subjudice what was the hurry to rush the bill. We are not against any section or society but only want merit to be given priority,'' he added.
The AIIMS RDA is holding talks with other organisations and colleges for support on the strike. It will hold its General Body Meeting (GBM) tomorrow to decide the future course of action.
The AIIMS RDA, under the banner of Youth for Equality, had started and spearheaded the anti-quota agitation since May.
The doctors have appealed the public to support the anti-quota agitation.
In the Lok Sabha, Union Human Resource and Development Minister Arjun Singh said a separate Bill was under preparation to provide reservation in unaided educational institutions also.
''The Bill is consistent with Constitutional provisions and will meet the goal of equity and social justice,'' he added.
The government would take further steps to provide reservation in private institutions of higher learning only after taking all political parties into confidence.
Labels: breaking news, national, politics
Rajya Sabha discuss labour strike
The Rajya Sabha will have a discussion on the nation-wide strike called by the Left trade unions against the industrial policy of the UPA government today.
The demand to discuss the issue was made by Left members in the House as soon as it assembled for the day.
However, Chairman Bhairon Singh Shekhawat said they could raise the issue during the Zero Hour, to which the members agreed.
Labels: national, politics
Trade Union strike paralyses life in Bengal
The 24-hour nationwide strike began in West Bengal this morning, paralysing normal life.
Official sources said no untoward incident had so far been reported from anywhere in the state and the strike was peaceful. All shops and markets, educational institutions and commercial establishments remained closed, while factories, coal mines and tea gardens recorded negligible attendance.
No vehicle rolled out on the street and train services from Howrah and Sealdah were severely affected. No flights had taken off from Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport so far since morning following cancellation by authorities.
However, near normal functioning was reported from the state's IT hub in Salt Lake Sector Five as the authorities had made prior arrangements for overnight stay of the employees.
The strike was called by the National Platform of Mass Organisations (NPMO), a combine of 56 mass organisations in protest against the "anti-people" policies of the UPA Government and pressing for a 16-point charter of demands.
CPI(M)'s frontal wing CITU, a major constituent of the NPMO, worked overtime to make the strike a success with support from the Left Front Government. CITU, however, had claimed that no force would be used to ensure the strike's success by obstructing anybody from joining duty. But UNI car was stopped on the VIP road and the driver was heckled. Police had to intervene to bring the situation under control.
Though Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee ordered all arrangements to ensure that willing people could go to their work places, transport workers in the Government and private did not join duty making it impossible for anybody.
Labels: breaking news, national, politics
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