Anti-Naxal drive: IAF to deploy latest Mi-17 V-5 helicopters

NEW DELHI: Strengthening its capability for anti-Naxal operations, IAF will deploy a squadron of its latest Mi-17 V-5 helicopters in Nagpur to cater to the needs of extremism-hit states of Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh.

These helicopters are advanced versions of the existing fleet of Mi-17s in the IAF and are equipped with sophisticated avionics and on-board navigation systems making them more suitable for both day and night operations in Naxal-affected areas.

The helicopters will be deployed in Nagpur to cater to the needs of Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh in anti-Naxal operations, Indian Air Force sources said.

So far, IAF has deployed its choppers in Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh and Jagdalpur in Chhattisgarh for supporting anti-Naxal operations.

IAF has been providing aerial support to troops from CRPF deployed in Left Wing Extremism (LWE) affected states since 2009.

The choppers are used to insert and evacuate troops during Naxal-operations and have been suitably equipped to operate in dense forests and can operate from temporary helipads there.

The Mi-17 V-5 helicopters have on-board weather radar along with the state-of-the art autopilot and latest night vision devices.

IAF has been providing aerial assistance in the anti-Naxal operations in five states of Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Bihar, West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh.

The force is operating there within the standard operating procedure (SOP) or rules of engagement laid down by the defence ministry, which prescribes for fire in self defence only.

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BJP protests outside Delhi CM Sheila Dikshit's residence

NEW DELHI: Scores of BJP activists led by Delhi unit chief Vijay Goel today courted arrest here today while protesting against power tariff hike in front of Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit's residence.

The activists squatted in front of the Chief Minister's residence and demanded her resignation.

They later courteded arrest and were taken to Tuglaq Road police station from where they were released.

Addressing the protesters, Goel said BJP is committed to raise the voice of people against electricity tariff hike and to uproot the Sheila Dikshit government.

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Tyres of Air India flight burst after landing in Dibrugarh, passengers safe

DIBRUGARH: Two tyres of an Air India flight from Kolkata to Dibrugarh burst while landing at the Mohanbari airport in Assam'sDibrugarh district on Saturday, but all the 90 passengers on board were safe, airports authority sources said.

After the flight landed at 12:15 pm two tyres of the Boeing aircraft were found punctured, the sources said.

As there was no facility at the airport for repair of the tyres, engineers from Kolkata were flown to Dibrugarh for rectifying the problem, they said.

The flight scheduled to leave at 12:45 pm took off for Kolkata via Dimapur only at 3:30pm.

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Cobrapost rubbishes RBI deputy governor's clean chit to private banks

The author has posted comments on this articleTNN | Mar 23, 2013, 07.23PM IST

NEW DELHI: Investigative website Cobrapost on Saturday said RBI deputy governor KC Chakrabarty's clean chit to private banks on allegations of money laundering was premature and preposterous "aimed at sweeping under carpet the alleged involvement of the banking majors in money laundering."

Referring to the recent undercover operation by the website showing executives of three major private banks—ICICI, HDFC, and Axis— willing to wash black money into the banking system, Chakrabarty had on March 21 said: "There is no scam (that) has happened...Let us not unnecessarily downgrade ourselves. Our system to prevent money laundering is perfect."

For the RBI to say that there is no offence as there was no transaction is a "very novice reading of the law and a wilful ignorance of rules and regulations," the website said.

"The manner in which the RBI deputy governor has rushed to issue the statement, even before the central bank could complete the inquest it has initiated into money laundering practices by the three banks, even before these banks could complete their own investigations into the alleged misdemeanour of their officials, and even before the income tax department could come up with its own finding, is tantamount to be self-serving and is a brazen attempt on the part of the deputy governor to not only give these banks a clean chit but also mask the miserable failure of the banking regulatory mechanism of the RBI," the website said.

Being a signatory of FATF ( Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering), India has treaty obligations to "block precisely the kind of money laundering that the Cobrapost expose shows has been happening rampantly in the country's leading three private banks," the statement said.

"Operation Red Spider by Cobrapost clearly shows that RBI and the Financial Intelligence Unit of the Finance Ministry have failed in their jobs and instead of heads rolling there the RBI is intent on diluting the nature of what has been found and saving its own skin," the website said.

In its expose, executives of the three private banks offered alleged assistance in investing black money in the banking channel through various means. Some of them offered to accept huge amounts of cash and invest it in insurance products and gold, open an account to route the cash into various investment schemes of the bank, and do it all without even PAN card or adhering to the KYC norms of the banks.

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Death toll in Thai refugee camp fire rises to 35

BANGKOK: The number of Myanmar refugees killed in a fire at a camp in Thailand has risen to 35.

The public health chief of Mae Hong Son province, Paisarn Thanyavanichkul, says police and rescue workers found 35 bodies after Friday's fire at the Ban Mae Surin refugee camp. He said Saturday that another five people were seriously injured and 20 to 30 others slightly injured. One refugee was missing.

The fire burned about 100 thatch huts to the ground and left a few thousand refugees homeless. Authorities believe it was started by a cooking accident.

About 3,300 refugees, mostly from Myanmar's Karen minority, live at the camp. More than 100,000 refugees live in Thai camps near the Myanmar border, mostly ethnic Karen who fled fighting between Karen guerrillas and the government.

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Egypt activists, Islamists clash outside Brotherhood headquarters

CAIRO: Egyptian opposition protesters clashed with Islamists on Friday near the Muslim Brotherhood's headquarters after activists marched to the building guarded by police and Brotherhood members.

The two sides threw stones at each other near the building. Police who had been deployed outside the headquarters, have not yet intervened, an AFP correspondent said.

As the clashes continued, live television showed hundreds of protesters carrying anti-Brotherhood banners and making their way up to the hilly Mokattam neighbourhood where the Brotherhood headquarters are situated.

Opposition activists had called for the protest a week after they clashed with the Islamists near the headquarters.

The Brotherhood on Thursday vowed it would protect its headquarters and bused in hundreds of supporters.

The Brotherhood has seen about 30 of its offices across the country attacked in widespread protests against President Mohamed Morsi, the Islamists' successful candidate in last June's election.

The Brotherhood, well-organised despite decades of persecution under former strongman Hosni Mubarak and his predecessors, was the main winner of parliamentary and senate elections last year.

But its critics accuse it and Morsi of mirroring the tactics used by Mubarak against the opposition.

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Pervez Musharraf gets bail ahead of planned return

KARACHI: Pakistan's former military ruler Pervez Musharraf was on Friday granted protective bail in a series of legal cases, allowing him to return from exile without being arrested immediately.

Musharraf, who seized power in 1999 and left the country after stepping down in 2008, has vowed to return home on Sunday to contest the May 11 general election, but is wanted in Pakistan for conspiracy to murder and illegally arresting judges.

To preclude the prospect of his arrest on arrival, his daughter, Ayla Raza, petitioned a court in Karachi on his behalf for protective bail.

"He has been given pre-arrival, protective bail in all three cases," Musharraf's lawyer Ahmad Raza Kasuri told AFP.

Judge Sajjad Ali Shah posted bail at 300,000 rupees ($3,000) over the 2007 sacking of judges, the 2006 death of Akbar Bugti, a Baluch rebel leader in the southwest and the 2007 assassination of Benazir Bhutto.

The decision means that Musharraf cannot be arrested for 10 days in connection with the judges' arrests and for 14 days in connection with the other two cases.

"He has full protection now and he cannot be arrested in these cases upon his arrival in Pakistan," Salman Safdar, another Musharraf lawyer, told AFP.

After the court decision, a handful of activists from Musharraf's All Pakistan Muslim League (APML) party flashed victory signs and chanted "Long Live Musharraf" and "Musharraf will come back, he will bring prosperity".

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Delhi gang-rape case: SC stays HC order for using TV interview as evidence

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday stayed the Delhi high court's order which had allowed the plea of December 16 gang rape accused to use as evidence a CD containing the interview of the victim's male friend given to a news channel.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Altamas Kabir stayed the March 7 order after Delhi Police submitted that the TV interview is per se inadmissible.

The high court had allowed the plea of accused Ram Singh, who allegedly committed suicide in Tihar jail recently, and his brother Mukesh and had set aside the trial court's order by which they were not allowed to exhibit the CD of the interview telecast on January 4, as a piece of evidence.

On December 16, the 23-year-old victim was brutally gang-raped and assaulted in a moving bus in south Delhi. She died in a Singapore hospital on December 29.

Ram Singh's brother Mukesh, Pawan Gupta, Vinay Sharma and Akshay Singh are the adult accused facing trial. The sixth accused, who has been declared as a juvenile, is facing trial before the Juvenile Justice Board.

The trial court had on February 2 framed charges against the five accused under various sections of the IPC for offences which include gangrape, murder, attempt to murder, unnatural offences, dacoity, conspiracy and kidnapping.

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Sebi-Sahara case: Final hearing on Subrata Roy's plea tomorrow

The author has posted comments on this articlePTI | Mar 22, 2013, 07.04PM IST

MUMBAI: The Securities Appellate Tribunal will begin tomorrow the final hearing on a plea by Sahara chief Subrata Roy against market regulator Sebi's attachment order on his bank accounts and other assets, along with those of two group firms and their top executives.

The matter relates to a Supreme Court direction ordering refund of more than Rs 24,000 crore of investors' money raised by two Sahara group firms — Sahara India Real Estate Corp Ltd and Sahara Housing Investment Corp Ltd — through issue of bonds, wherein Sebi has been asked to facilitate the refund.

After expiry of the court-set deadline for the refund, Sebi last month issued attachment orders against the two firms and their top executives, including Subrata Roy.

Roy has approached the Securities Appellate Tribunal (SAT) against the attachment orders and the plea has been posted by the SAT for "final hearing" tomorrow.

After hearing both the sides on March 12, SAT Presiding Officer P K Malhotra had said the matter would be taken up for disposal expeditiously and posted the matter for final hearing on March 23. He had, however, refused any interim relief.

"The final hearing will be in Mumbai on March 23, 2013. In view of the early hearing granted, we do not consider it necessary to pass any interim order...," Malhotra had said.

In its latest order in this long-running case, Sebi last week said the companies have not complied with the Supreme Court orders and therefore it was compelled to pass the attachment orders.

During the last hearing, the Sahara counsel had sought interim relief for industrialist Subrata Roy Sahara whose bank accounts have also been ordered to be frozen. The counsel submitted that SAT should at least give an interim relief by directing to de-freeze Roy's accounts.

However, Sebi counsel had argued that there was no need for interim relief in the case.

The apex court had passed its first order in this case on August 31, 2012 and Sebi was asked to facilitate the refund.

In December 2012, the group was allowed to pay the money in three instalments, including an immediate payment of Rs 5,120 crore, followed by an instalment of Rs 10,000 crore in January first week and remainder by February first week.

Saharas have paid Rs 5,120 crore to Sebi and claim that this amount itself is more than the total outstanding liability towards the bondholders of the two companies.

Sebi last month also issued public notices cautioning the general public and investors against dealing with the two Sahara group firms and their top executives due to an order for attachment of their assets.

Sahara has claimed that the actions taken by Sebi were based on "old facts" and the orders for attaching assets of individuals is incorrect on part of the market regulator.

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CBI registers case in disappearance of Ramdev's guru

NEW DELHI: CBI has registered a case in connection with alleged kidnapping of yoga exponent Ramdev's guru Swami Shankar Dev who mysteriously went missing six years ago while taking a morning walk in Haridwar.

CBI sources said a case under Section 365 of Indian Penal code against unknown persons. The section pertains to kidnapping or abducting and wrongful confinement.

Uttarakhand Police registered a case of abduction to probe the disappearance of Dev, who had been living in Ramdev's ashram but was missing since July 2007 when he had gone out for a morning walk.

The FIR was reportedly filed by Ramdev's aide Acharya Balkrishna at Kankhal police station three days after the Swami went missing under mysterious circumstances.

The state government had earlier sent a request to CBI in October last year to probe the case but the same was rejected as the state police had not even registered a case, the basic formality before the agency takes up the probe.

Swami Shankar Dev was the founder of Divya Yog Mandir Trust, currently headed by Ramdev who is under scanner for alleged violations in labelling of some of the products of the Trust.

Ramdev had earlier welcomed the decision of the government for a CBI probe into the disappearance of his guru.

Ramdev and his trusts are facing a number of probes by the income tax, service tax and enforcement directorate for alleged evasion of taxes and irregularities in complying with forex laws.

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Arun Jaitley accuses PM of 'blatantly interfering' in CBI functioning

NEW DELHI: BJP leader Arun Jaitley on Thursday accused Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of "blatantly interfering" in CBI's functioning and "crippling" it from carrying on its routine investigations for "stopping" CBI searches at the residence of DMK leader M K Stalin's residence in Chennai.

"Merely because it has a political fallout, it is improper for any Prime Minister or a finance minister to so blatantly interfere in the functioning of CBI and cripple it from carrying on its routine investigations," Jaitley said.

The leader of the opposition in the Rajya Sabha said if CBI was carrying out its search in the normal course of investigation, then it should have been allowed to carry out the exercise at Stalin's residence.

"If this was a search in the normal course of CBI investigation, CBI is entitled to carry out that search. What business does the government have or the political regime have to interfere in CBI and start stopping that search"? he said.

Jaitley said the Prime Minister or the finance minister "cannot interfere" in the functioning of CBI and have a "search stopped".

He said CBI carries out searches on many people but the Prime Minister has never condemned them.

Hitting out at the Prime Minister and the finance minister for condemning the search, Jaitley said "they can't condemn a search because it is the job of CBI in connection with their investigation to search premises."

He said if the government was not in the know of CBI search in Chennai, then the government had no power to stop it and if it was in the know of the search, "then the government will have to answer" the action as it is initiated two days after DMK withdrew support to UPA.

Jaitley said the Prime Minister or the finance minister has no right to interfere in the functioning of CBI.

"No Prime Minister or finance minister has any powers to interfere in CBI's functioning," he said.

Jaitley said since CBI was an independent body, it should have been allowed to carry out their routine investigations of their own and not interfere merely because of a "political fallout" of their action.

"If that search was carried out in normal course, then it should have been continued. To interfere in that search and the Prime Minister condemning it means that there is interference in the functioning of CBI," he said.

The BJP leader also said there was no reason for the Prime Minister or the finance minister to say that the CBI search on DMK leader's premises was unfortunate.

Singh earlier in the day distanced the government from the CBI raid saying it had "no role" in the development and was "upset" over it.

"We are all upset at these events. The government had no role in this that I am sure of. We will find out the details. This should not have...(happened). The timing of the raid is most unfortunate," Singh told reporters here.

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Yeddyurappa releases 1st list of candidates for assembly polls

BANGALORE: The Karnataka Janata Paksha (KJP) headed by former Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa today released its first list of 69 candidates for the May 5 Assembly polls.

Beating the ruling BJP and the Opposition Congress in the move, Yeddyurappa told reporters that he will fight from his traditional Karnataka Janata Pakshain Shimoga district.

The former Chief Minister's trusted lieutenant Shobha Karandlaje, whose name figures in the list announced a day after the Election Commission declared the single phase poll schedule, will contest from Rajajinagar in Bangalore.

Out of the 69 candidates, three are women, 14 belong to the SC and eight to the ST, besides three Muslims and a Christian, Yedurappa said.

The Congress, the BJP and the JDS are still engaged in the process of selecting candidates.

KJP will not have truck with any other party and will contest all 224 Assembly seats, said Yeddyurappa, whose party did damage to the BJP in the recently concluded Urban Local Bodies polls, but failed to make a mark on its own.

"I am confident that the party will gain majority," he said.

KJP is in touch with pro-Kannada and various other organisations fighting for the cause of state's land, water and farmers, he said adding, "We have had three rounds of talks with these organisations and they have expressed their eagerness to join hands with us."

The process is on and the second list of candidates will be announced soon, Yeddyurappa said.

Asked when other BJP ministers and legislators, apart from those who had already joined hands with him, are expected to join the KJP, Yeddyurappa added, "wait and watch."

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Sri Lanka to partly take back oil tanks from IOC after UN vote

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka on Thursday announced plans that it would partially take over a strategic oil storage depot in Trincomalee from the Indian Oil Company's local arm after India voted in favour of a US-sponsored resolution against Colombo at the UNHRC.

There had been unconfirmed reports in the local media that the government was eying the 99-tank storage facility in the north-eastern port district of Trincomalee, but information minister Keheliya Rambukwella on Thursday announced at the weekly cabinet press briefing the plans to take back unutilised tanks from Indian Oil Company's local arm known as Lanka IOC.

Rambukwella said there were provisions to re-possess tanks that were not used by the Indian Oil Company's local unit, Lanka IOC, which bought one third of the government's retail oil business in 2003.

In line with the privatisation, Sri Lanka gave the World War II tank farm of 99 storage tanks in the north-eastern port of Trincomalee to Lanka OIC which is using 15 of them and refurbishing two more.

The minister said the new petroleum minister Anura Yapa after assuming duties in January was keen to expand the state-run Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) business and wanted to increase the CPC's storage capacity.

"If they are not using these tanks, the CPC wants to take them back and put them into good use," Rambukwella told reporters here.

"If Lanka IOC is not using them and they have no future use for them, the CPC wants them. After all, this is for our country," he said.

The decision was announced as India voted with the US at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva criticising Sri Lanka's rights record, but Rambukwella said the decision to partially take back the tank farm had nothing to do with the UNHRC vote.

Lanka IOC head Subodh Dakwale said they were unaware of the government decision. He said they were refurbishing two more storage tanks at a cost of 17 million dollars.

"Sri Lankan government has been negotiating with us for some time. I would say its been a few months. We have'nt heard anything from the government," Dakwale said.

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Visit not an endorsement of any single politician or party, British minister says

LONDON: UK's renewed engagement with Gujarat "after more than a decade" is more economic and not "an endorsement of any single politician or party".

In an exclusive interview to ToI, British minister of state at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Hugo Swire, who on Thursday became the first cabinet minister from the UK to visit Gujarat in more than a decade, said: "In October 2012, after much consideration, our government changed our approach to engagement in Gujarat. The decision was not taken lightly and I respect the views of those who disagree with our change of policy."

Swire, who met Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi in Gandhinagar on Thursday but didn't extend an invitation to the leader to come to London, told TOI that "I am conscious that I am the first British minister to visit Gujarat in more than a decade. British ministers have not engaged with the political leadership of Gujarat on account of the allegations of complicity in the horrifying communal violence there in 2002. This unrest saw over 1,000 people killed, mostly Muslims, and including British citizens. This is about engagement with the state of Gujarat, not the endorsement of any single politician or party."

"As part of this engagement, as with any ministerial visit abroad, my role will always be to get what is best for the British people. Our relationship with India is absolutely fundamental to the UK's economy, with bilateral trade between our two countries on course to double to £23 billion by 2015. Gujarat has grown at 10% per year for the last five years and is experiencing rapid development. The UK has a broad range of interests there." Swire was, however, clear that UK's overseas interests and its human rights agenda are not contradictory.

He said, "Britain stands for democratic freedoms, universal human rights and the rule of law. We believe that individual demands for a better life can only be truly satisfied in open and democratic societies, and that it is peaceful, open economies that allow trade and investment to flourish."

He added, "So while I acknowledge that people may be concerned, they should also recognize that whether it is India, or China, or Syria, or Burma, or the Falklands, the UK will continue to strive to help people build a secure, democratic, and prosperous future, not just because it is the right thing to do, but because it is in our direct national interest."

Swire said he wants to provide the best possible support for British nationals who live, work or visit Gujarat and to the 450,000 Gujaratis who live in the UK.

Referring to the multi-billion pound deal between a UK company BG Group and Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation Limited - one of the biggest UK-India deals in history, Swire said, "I want to see many more deals like this and as minister responsible for UK relations with India, I hope that I can play some part in helping to make those happen."

"The BG Group deal is an example of what can be achieved when the UK and India work together. This deal will mean greater energy security for Gujarat. As a result of deals like this we are well on the way to the target of doubling bilateral trade with India. It follows on from other key work with India including the deal with Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd to assemble Hawk Aircraft in India and the massive investment by TATA which makes that firm the largest manufacturing employer in the UK," Swire added.

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Saif Ali Khan asked to leave VIP lounge at Lucknow airport

LUCKNOW: Bollywood star Saif Ali Khan faced an embarrassing situation at the airport here today when he was asked to leave the VIP lounge.

The 42-year-old actor, who was in the city for the shooting of Tigmanshu Dhulia's upcoming directorial 'Bullet Raja', was on his way to Delhi when he reached the Chaudhary Charan Singh airport and entered the VIP lounge, airport sources said.

An attendant informed Saif that only those who figured in a list authorised by the government could utilise the VIP lounge, and hence he should leave the place, they said.

Saif had a talk with airport staff following which he left the lounge and boarded his flight to Delhi, sources said.

The administration as well as the airport security officials denied that there was any tiff between the actor and the staff.

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Raj Thackeray slams Asaram for 'wasting' water at Holi event

YAVATMAL: Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray today criticised Asaram Bapu for allegedly wasting water at a pre-Holi celebration event even as the state has been reeling under worst drought.

"Asaram's act of wasting huge quantity of water when the state is facing severe drought is insensible and must be condemned", Raj told reporters here today.

The controversial spiritual leader drew flak from all sections for allegedly wasting water while playing Holi with his followers at a function held in Nagpur recently.

The issue echoed in Maharashtra legislature as well with members taking exception to the act, against the backdrop of severe drought.

Asserting that he was against playing second fiddle to Shiv Sena whose president Uddhav Thackeray had extended an olive branch to MNS to come on board for Assembly elections next year, Raj said he preferred going solo as he was confident of victory.

"No party has grown like MNS in a short span of mere seven years. MNS holds sway over young voters as they believe in my leadership", he said.

Raj was interacting with reporters at Circuit House here as the part of his ongoing Vidarbha tour.

Raj sought to question the rationale behind holding the winter session of state legislature in Nagpur.

"What is the output of these sittings?...Holding winter session in Nagpur is nothing but wastage of public funds", Raj said.

The MNS chief said he was against the statehood demand for Vidarbha as bifurcation of Maharashtra would be against the interest of Marathi-speaking people.

On development backlog in Vidarbha, the MNS chief said, "If my party comes to power, I won't sanction any new project. On the contrary, I will expedite completion of already-sanctioned projects".

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Colorado prisons chief shot and killed at his home

DENVER: The head of the Colorado Department of Corrections was shot and killed when he answered the front door of his home, and police were searching for the gunman on Wednesday.

Tom Clements was shot around 8:30pm local time on Tuesday night at his home in Monument, north of Colorado Springs, said Lt. Jeff Kramer, of the El Paso County Sheriff's Office.

A family member called police to report the shooting and officers found 58-year-old Clements dead in his home, he said. Search dogs have been called in to comb through a wooded area around Clements' home, and authorities were going house to house trying to find out what neighbors heard and saw.

Governor John Hickenlooper appointed Clements to the post in 2011 after he served for more than three decades in the Missouri Department of Corrections. He replaced Ari Zavaras, a former Denver police chief who led the department under two governors.

The department operates 20 adult prisons and a juvenile detainment system.

In a statement released early Wednesday and sent to department employees, Hickenlooper said he was in disbelief over the killing.

"As your executive director, he helped change and improve (the department) in two years more than most people could do in eight years. He was unfailingly kind and thoughtful, and sought the 'good' in any situation. I am so sad. I have never worked with a better person than Tom, and I can't imagine our team without him," Hickenlooper said.

The governor said he is awaiting further details.

Clements is survived by his wife, Lisa, their two daughters and their family.

Hickenlooper asked the public to respect their privacy.

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Italian marines issue: Centre will explore diplomatic and legal options, PM says

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has said Italy's stand on the return of two of its marines to India to face the trial for killing two Indian fishermen has violated all norms of diplomatic discourse.

In a letter to Kerala chief minister Oommen Chandy, he said he shared the sense of national outrage over Italy's communication that the marines will not return to India and said all diplomatic and legal options would be explored to bring the duo back to India to face the trial.

The Prime Minister also made it clear that the stand of Italy in this regard was not acceptable to India and added they have violated all rules of diplomatic discourse and has cast a shadow on the relationship between the two countries.

The Supreme Court had permitted the marines to leave India for four weeks on the basis of an undertaking given by the Italian ambassador who assumed full responsibility for their return to India.

The marines of the Italian ship "Enrica Lexie" Massimilliano Latore and Salvatore Girn were permitted by the Supreme Court on February 22 to go to Italy for four weeks for voting in election but Italian government has informed India that they would not return.

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1993 Mumbai blasts: SC to pronounce verdict on Sanjay Dutt tomorrow

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court will on Thursday pronounce its verdict in 1993 Mumbai serial blasts in which 100 people were convicted out of which 12 were awarded death penalty and 20 were given life sentence by a TADA court.

A bench of justices P Sathasivam and B S Chauhan will also decide the appeal of Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt challenging his conviction and six years imprisonment awarded to him for being in illegal possession of arms under the Arms Act.

CBI had preferred not to challenge Dutt's acquittal under the stringent anti-terror law Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA).

Though a string of high-profile attacks have since rattled the city, which has emerged as the favourite target of various terrorist organisations, the 1993 bombings were Mumbai's first experience with modern-day terrorism.

A total of 257 persons were killed and 713 others injured when a series 13 coordinated explosions shattered the metropolis on March 12, 1993. Property worth Rs 28 crore was destroyed in the explosions in which RDX was used for the first time in the country.

The blasts occurred at 12 places including Bombay Stock Exchange building, Air-India Building at Nariman Point, at Worli opposite Century Bazaar, Hotels Sea Rock and Juhu Centaur.

Dawood Ibrahim, Tiger Memon and his brother Ayub Memon were alleged to be the main conspirators of the blasts and they were declared as proclaimed offenders.

Two convicts--Mohammed Iqbal, who got death sentence and S N Thapa, a former customs officer, who was given life term-- passed away during the pendency of case in the apex court.

Of the 20 who were given life sentence, one died and two got bail. Seventeen are serving life sentence in jail along with 11 death convicts.

Most of the 100 convicts filed appeals in the Supreme Court. The CBI has pleaded for enhancement of punishment of 57 convicts.

The TADA Court had acquitted 23 accused of all charges. Among them were Raheen Memon, wife of prime accused Yakub Memon, Suleiman Memon, Tiger Memon's brother and Hanifa Memon, his mother.

The state challenged the acquittal of 17 accused in the apex court.

Rest of the accused who were convicted are currently on bail and awaiting the Supreme Court judgement on their appeals. If their sentence is confirmed, they will have to surrender and go back to jail.

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Indian naval officer crosses equator in his last leg of global circumnavigation

NEW DELHI: Lt-Commander Abhilash Tomy, the naval officer who embarked on a "non-stop" circumnavigation of the globe on a sail boat last November, crossed the equator in the Indian Ocean on Wednesday evening.

He now has just 1,080 nautical miles left on his last leg to reach Mumbai and become the first Indian to undertake this "solo, unassisted, non-stop" endeavour.

Tomy, who earlier crossed Cape Leeuwin, Cape Horn and Cape of Good Hope in the arduous voyage during which he often faced winds of up to 45-50 knots, is expected to reach Mumbai towards end-March or early-April on his naval sailing ship Mhadei.

By then, he would have covered a distance of over 22,000 nautical miles (around 40,000-km), crossing the equator twice in the process.

"The Mhadei crossed the equator at 5.39pm on Wednesday. The last time Tomy had any human contact was when he was flagged off from Mumbai on November 1. He manages to sleep only a couple of hours at a stretch. While around 5,000 people have climbed Mt Everest, only around 80 have successfully done the solo non-stop circumnavigation of the globe," said a Navy officer.

After Commander Dilip Donde became the first Indian ever to undertake solo circumnavigation of the world in Mhadei in 2009-2010, Tomy - a maritime reconnaissance Dornier pilot by specialization - then came forward to do one better by undertaking a "solo, unassisted, non-stop" endeavour in the "Sagar Parikrama-II" mission.

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NIA announces Rs 10 lakh reward for info on Hyderabad twin blasts

HYDERABAD: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has announced a cash reward of Rs 10 lakh for any information leading to the arrest of the accused in the twin blasts at Dilsukhnagar here on February 21, claiming lives of 17 persons and injuring over 100.

On the direction of ministry of home affairs, NIA had taken over the probe into the twin blasts case from Andhra Pradesh police, and its Hyderabad branch had registered two FIRs on March 14 in connection with the case.

The information may be provided on email or by telephone call, by post or to the SP NIA, according to the agency's website.

The identity of the informant will be kept confidential, the website mentioned.

After registration of the case, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) was constituted by the NIA Director General, comprising officers of NIA and Andhra Pradesh police and the SIT started the investigation.

Two powerful Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) exploded near Konark and Venkatadiri theatres in Dilsukhnagar here on the evening of February 21, claiming 17 lives and injuring over 100 people.

Though, no one has been arrested in the twin blasts case, however, NIA has questioned two suspected IM operatives, namely, Syed Maqbool and Imran Khan.

It was also granted custody of another suspected IM operative, Obaid-ur-Rehman, in connection with the Hyderabad blasts.

Earlier, the Andhra Pradesh government had announced a reward of Rs 10 lakh for those who give credible information leading to detection of the accused in the case.

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DMK convenes emergency meeting of party executive committee on March 25

CHENNAI: The DMK, which decided to pull out UPA govt over the latter's reluctance to censure Sri Lanka in the United Nations Human Rights Council for alleged war crimes committed on Tamils, has convened an emergency meeting of the party executive council meeting on March 25 to chart out the future course of action.

Meanwhile, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), an ally of the DMK in Tamil Nadu, also pulled out of the UPA. The party has one MP, its leader, Thol Tirumavalavan, in the Lok Sabha. The DMK is keen on giving a major thrust to the pro-Eelam struggle by making it a mass movement to whip up popular sentiments.

Earlier, speaking to mediapersons, DMK president M Karunanidhi said the Tamil Eelam Supporters' Organisation (Teso) would continue its activities to expose the atrocities committed by Sri Lanka against Tamils. He charged both the United Nations and the Government of India with betraying the interests of Tamils. Asked whether India was also responsible for the war crimes, he said, "First of all, let it be probed and proved that war crimes were committed."

He ruled out extending outside support to the UPA. Asked whether the party would extend issue-based support, he said, "It is a common practice among political parties to extend issue-based support. That is a different issue". However, if the Union government adopted a resolution in the Parliament on the lines suggested by the DMK, Karunanidhi said he would reconsider the decision to withdraw support.

Karunanidhi, however, added that the Congress leadership did not show any sign of heeding to DMK's demands. There was no feedback from the Congress after the three Union ministers - A K Antony, Chidambaram and Gulam Nabi Azad - called on him on Monday, he said. He refuted the charge that it was a delayed action from his side. Referring to the general perception that his party maintained a stoic silence when Sri Lanka massacred Tamils in large numbers in the last leg of the ethnic strife in 2009, he said, "You should not go by the general perception".

DMK senior leader and party MP Kanimozhi hinted that India played a major role in watering down the US-sponsored resolution against Sri Lanka in the UNHRC. "After the final draft was out, DMK had no choice but to pull out," said Kanimozhi. One of the DMK headquarters secretaries, K Radhakrishnan, said the Union government gave no sign of considering DMK's demand. India's permanent representative to the UN, Dilip Sinha, was summoned to New Delhi at a time when he should be in the UN to tighten the noose around Sri Lanka, he said.

Another leader said when an English translation of Karunanidhi's demands was handed over to Sinha through an emissary a week ago, he did not even bother to read the contents because the brief from his bosses was to rescue Lanka.

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23 supporters of Asaram arrested for assaulting mediapersons

MUMBAI: As many as 23 followers of Asaram Bapu were arrested for allegedly assaulting media persons and damaging their equipment, as the controversial self-styled godman drew flak from media over wastage of water at a pre-Holi function organised by him in drought-hit Maharashtra.

"A total 23 people have been arrested late last night in connection with the attack on media persons," said an official at Rabale police station in neighbouring Navi Mumbai city.

Police used video footages, witness accounts and photographs to nail the accused, the official said, adding that more arrests were likely.

The accused were apparently angry at criticism by media of Asaram Bapu over wastage of water at a pre-Holi function by him in Navi Mumbai, at a time when Maharashtra is facing its worst-ever drought in more than four decades.

While Maharashtra MLAs had raised the issue in the state Legislature of Asaram and his followers "wasting" water at Sunday's event in Nagpur, the Municipal Corporation there had said it was sending a notice to him for misuse of water tankers provided by the civic body.

A social activist had even approached the Chief Justice of Bombay high court to restrain Asaram and general public from wasting water during the Holi festival.

Asaram Bapu has been mired in controversies and the Ministry of Corporate Affairs had recently said it received complaints against him and his son in an alleged 700-acre land grabbing case and the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) is looking into the matter.

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Six accused in Swiss tourist gang-rape case sent to judicial remand

BHOPAL: Six accused, allegedly involved in gang rape of a 39-year-old Swiss tourist in Datia district of Madhya Pradesh (MP) on March 15, have been remanded to 15 days' judicial custody.

Chief judicial magistrate R P Yadav passed an order to the effect on Tuesday afternoon. They were remanded to police custody for a day on Monday after police said that they wanted to investigate possible involvement of seventh accused in the case.

Though the police had sought for 10-day remand, the court remanded them to their custody for a single day.

Those arrested were Kanjar Baba (20), Bhutha (25), Rampro (25), Gaza alias Brijesh (25) Vishnu (25) and Nitin Kumar - all residents of Kanjar Tola settlement in Jharia village, located - 2km from the spot where the victim was raped and 8km from the district headquarters.

"As the victim had mentioned in her statement that six to seven persons were involved in the crime, we interrogated the accused so that the leftovers could be identified. But nothing was found. They have confessed that only six persons were involved," D K Arya, deputy inspector general (DIG) Chambal range told TOI.

Counsel for one of the accused sought for bail arguing that one of the accused, Nitin, was a minor. However, police produced documents claiming that he was an adult and also had a 5-year-old daughter.

Asked about the TIP identification parade (TIP) of the accused, DIG said that the victim was in a state of shock and they have to wait until she agrees to visit Datia again. "Once she comes, we would ensure that the proceedings for TIP are completed at the earliest," he said. The Swiss couple had left for New Delhi on Saturday.

The 39-year-old Swiss woman, on a cycling trip along with her companion, was gang-raped at a forest area near Sewda road in Datia district on March 15. The couple - on adventure tourism in India - decided to camp at a forest area for the night while on their way back from Orchha (temple city), and were proceeding to Agra.

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Delhi sees 16 per cent rise in per capita income

NEW DELHI: The per capita annual income in the national capital has increased by nearly 16 per cent to Rs 2.01 lakh in 2012-13 compared to the previous fiscal, which is three times the national average and second highest in the country.

The per capita income of people in Delhi at current prices without factoring in inflation has been estimated at Rs 2,01,083 which is a rise of Rs 27,397 from Rs 1,73,686 in 2011-12, according to Economic Survey tabled today in Delhi assembly. The national average has been worked out at Rs 61,564.

On the basis of constant prices, the per capita income for 2012-13 was estimated at Rs 1,20,414, a jump of Rs 7,788 compared to Rs 1,12,626 the previous fiscal. The national average was estimated at Rs 39,143 against Rs 38,037 in 2011-12. The data has been reached as per advanced estimate.

"The per capita income reflects the availability of ample employment opportunity in the city and satisfaction level of the residents," chief minister Sheila Dikshit who presented the economic survey said.

As per the economic survey, gross state domestic product at current prices has increased to Rs 3.65 lakh crore in 2012-13 which is a growth of 17.70 per cent over the Rs 3.10 lakh crore in 2011-12.

"The advanced estimate of gross state domestic product of Delhi during 2012-13 recorded at Rs 3,65,726 crore," the survey report said.

At constant prices, the gross state domestic product for 2012-13 was recorded at Rs 2.20 lakh crore as against 2.02 lakh crore in 2011-12.

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Govt 'lukewarm' on Sri Lanka human rights issue at UN, says DMK

NEW DELHI: With the resolution on Sri Lanka expected to come up at the UN later this week, UPA ally DMK today attacked the government saying it was "lukewarm" on this issue and pressed it to bring amendments to make it stronger.

A day after DMK chief M Karunanidhi threatened to walk out of UPA on the issue, party MP T Siva said in the Rajya Sabha, "The lukewarm response of the government of India to the plight of Tamilians is not healthy...I urge the government not only to support the resolution but also bring in effective amendments that are required to strengthen it."

Asking the UPA government to insist on creation of an independent and credible international inquiry to probe "war crimes" against ethnic Tamilians, Siva said his party chief has already written a letter to the Prime Minister on this. V Maitreyan (AIADMK) alleged that the UPA government has been "silent and evasive" on the issue.

He also slammed the comments of India's permanent representative at the UN saying "that statement is a betrayal of Tamils...it is nothing but stabbing the Tamils in the back".

He was taking objection to the statement in which India said "welcome progress" had been made by Sri Lanka in rehabilitation of the internally displaced people.

Both the Tamil Nadu parties as well as CPI wanted that the Indian government should not only support but also strengthen through amendments the US resolution on Sri Lanka at the UN Human Rights Council.

The government is trying to placate DMK and has sent Union ministers P Chidambaram, A K Antony and Ghulam Nabi Azad to hold talks with Karunanidhi in Chennai.

Ridiculing the talks between Karunanidhi and the Congress ministers as a "deal between UPA Delhi and UPA Chennai", Maitreyan said any such thing will not be acceptable as the issue did not concern only these two.

D Raja (CPI) said government continues to remain "ambiguous". Asking the government to acknowledge what happened in Sri Lanka was genocide, Raja said, "Government should not hesitate to vote against Sri Lanka.

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Fall in number of suicides by defence personnel: Govt

NEW DELHI: Government on Monday asserted in Lok Sabha that the number of suicides by defence personnel due to stressful working conditions has come down, thanks to steps like psychological counselling, yoga and provision of married accommodation.

Minister of state for defence Jitendra Singh informed the Lok Sabha during Question Hour that suicidal tendencies among officers is a "matter of concern for the government".

Singh maintained that government is taking several steps to deal with the issue and studies are being conducted to find out the factors as well as suggest remedial measures.

"The government has also taken a number of steps to reduce the stress of defence personnel which includes conduct of yoga and meditation, psychological counselling, liberalised leave policy, improvement in living and working conditions through better facilities and married accommodation," he said.

Other steps include improved accessibility and frequent interaction between officers and jawans, provision for sports and recreational facilities, training on stress management and establishing redressal mechanism in states.

"The Defence Institute for Psychological Research (DIPR) is presently conducting study to find out the factors causing distress among young officers. The study is likely to be completed by the end of 2013," Singh said.

In 2010, the suicide figures were - army (115), navy (1), and Air Force (14). These figures have seen a fall in 2012 - army (93) and navy (1).

"The suicide rates have gone down. I would be happy if there is none," Singh said.

The study being conducted by the government is aimed at analysing the level of distress prevailing among young officers, the causal factors that create distress among them and to suggest remedial measures.

"The defence minister has also written to the state governments to take steps to reduce stress caused to soldiers at home by some issues like land... Members should also speak to collectors in their constituencies to resolve these issues as soon as possible," Singh said.

He said there was only one case of fratricide in 2012. Government is studying circumstances which cause suicides, Singh said, adding that recommendations of earlier studies have been implemented.

Some members were not satisfied with the minister's reply and alleged that there have been stand-offs between officers and jawans.

The DIPR had conducted a study in December 2006 to study suicides and fratricides in counter-insurgency areas, followed by an impact analysis of the counter insurgency areas, study of suicides and fratricides in peace areas in December 2009, impact analysis in counter-insurgency and peace areas in October 2010, psychological autopsy of suicide cases in January 2011 and suicide risk assessment inventory in September 2012.

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Asaram's pre-Holi celebrations draw flak in Maharashtra assembly

MUMBAI: Spiritual leader Asaram Bapu was on Monday criticised by the opposition in Maharashtra legislature for allegedly wasting water in pre-Holi celebrations, even as the state is facing worst-ever drought in over four decades.

Congress MLC Sanjay Dutt raised the issue of the spiritual leader and his followers "wasting" water, at the event in Nagpur on Sunday and said the water tankers for the event were supplied by the Nagpur Municipal Corporation.

"Asaram Bapu wasted lakhs of litres of water while celebrating Holi at the Kasturchand Park in Nagpur yesterday. This happened at a time when the entire Maharashtra is reeling under a severe drought," Dutt said, raising the issue through a point of propriety.

He sought action against those involved in the misuse of water.

Revenue minister Balasaheb Thorat said necessary instructions have been issued to concerned officials to avoid recurrence of the incident.

While so much water was being wasted, Asaram Bapu's bhakts (devotees) were also celebrating the occasion, which is a matter of sadness, Dutt said.

The issue was also raised in the assembly by MNS group leader Bala Nandgaonkar, who condemned the wastage of water when there is a severe drought the in the state.

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Tamil Nadu: Protests continue over Sri Lankan issue, 500 students arrested

CHENNAI: Over 500 college students were arrested here for attempting to picket the Raj Bhawan even as they continued their protests over the Sri Lankan Tamils issue for the eighth day on Monday.

A large number of students joined the protests despite government directing closure of educational institutions.

Protests ranged from fast to agitation to boycott of classes in various parts of the state including Coimbatore, Salem and Tirunelveli, with students pressing for various demands, including an independent probe against Colombo for alleged human rights violations and moving the International Court of Justice.

City-based Loyola College students had first embarked on a fast-unto-death last week on this vexed issue, with more and more students taking to various forms of protests.

Tamil Nadu is on the boil after pictures by a private channel showed the alleged cold blooded killing of slain LTTE chief V Prabakaran's 12-year-old son Balachandran.

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Air India clearing its dues owed to private airport operators: Ajit Singh

The author has posted comments on this articleJaideep Shenoy, TNN | Mar 18, 2013, 05.23PM IST

MANGALORE: There has been slight delay in Air India receiving the turnaround money assured to it by Union Government for the revival of the national carrier.

Once this money is released, Air India will pay the dues that it owes to private airport operators.

Incidentally, the national carrier too has embarked on an internal turnaround plan after years of opprobrium for poor financial management, weak performance and customer dissatisfaction.

In an informal interaction with media persons at Mangalore International Airport here on Monday, Union minister for civil aviation Ajit Singh said the national carrier has by and large sorted out the issue of timely payment of salaries to its staff.

Refuting suggestions that there is delay on this count, Ajit said, "Tell me if anybody is not getting (their salary). There are no such reports and nobody has come to us (with complaints of delay), he said.

Admitting that there is some backlog, which he did not off hand quantify, Ajit said, "Every month we are taking care of some of the backlog (in terms of salary dues)." Referring to the issue of promotions of Air India staff held up for the past three to four years, Ajit said the process is on.

"They will start getting their promotions in the next month or so," the minister said, adding that a promotion board has been set up to take care of this issue.

Parrying a question on dues owed by various airlines, including the now grounded Kingfisher Airlines to the Airports Authority of India (AAI), Ajit Singh said, "Please ask the question to VP Agrawal, chairman, AAI."

Agrawal who was present on this occasion chose not to answer. Private airlines, including those that have closed down, have a due of over Rs 526 crore towards Airports Authority of India (AAI), as on December 31 last year.

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A nation that does not respect its women can never prosper: CJI

ALLAHABAD: Chief Justice of India Altamas Kabir today expressed grave concern over rising incidents of violence against women in the country.

He also laid emphasis on the need for having more judicial officers, better judicial infrastructure and setting up of mediation centres and tribunals to meet the challenge of growing number of litigations.

"A nation which cannot ensure respect for its women, can never prosper. It is heartening to see that women are coming to the forefront in all walks of life. Steps like reservations in panchayats have enabled them to become sarpanch and take charge of their villages despite social prejudices", the CJI said here on the sidelines of a function organised by the Allahabad high court on the 150th birth anniversary of renowned educationist, jurist and freedom fighter Madan Mohan Malaviya.

Referring to the infamous Delhi gang-rape case, Kabir said, "The December 16 incident left the entire nation shaken. Besides, every morning we wake up to find newspapers replete with stories of violence against women. Madan Mohan Malaviya had realised the need for uplifting the status of women decades ago and the ideal needs to be preserved".

The CJI also took note of the staggering pendency of cases in courts across the country and said, "Governments in states should take steps to increase, if needed even double, the number of judicial officers posted in districts".

He, however, added that such a measure will require commensurate upgradation of infrastructure.

"We can take the example of the Allahabad high court where the sanctioned strength is 160 but the number of judges is about half of that. However, if we try to fill all vacant posts, it may not necessarily translate into better rate of disposal as there are not adequate number of chambers and court rooms. This also needs to be addressed".

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Not in the race for state BJP president's post: Former Karnataka CM Gowda

MANGALORE: Former chief minister DV SadanandaGowda on Sunday again clarified that he was not a contender for the post of state BJP president. "In case the responsibility is given to me, I will shoulder it. I will not resort to blackmail tactics or lobby for the post,'' he said.

Regarding housing minister V Somanna's statement that the party will invite Karnataka Janata Party leader BS Yeddyurappa to join BJP and he still is their leader, Gowda said: "The matter has not been discussed in the core committee meeting of BJP. Only Somanna can clarify what he meant about being our leader,'' he added. He said that the BJP will star pre-poll campaign with rallies starting from March 23 to 31.

Regarding the setback in urban local body polls, Gowda and district-in-charge minister CT Ravi said that this was a temporary setback. "We will regroup and fight back,'' they said. Ravi also said that he was not in the running for post of state BJP president.

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Pakistan's former military ruler Pervez Musharraf to return to Pakistan on March 24

DUBAI: Pakistan's former military ruler Pervez Musharraf would return to the country on March 24 to lead his party in upcoming elections, ending his nearly four years of self-imposed exile in Dubai and London.

Musharraf, 69, will return to the country intent on leading his party in upcoming elections, a statement released by him said.

Musharraf plans to fly on a commercial airline into Karachi on March 24, then attend a rally attended by 50,000 people including more than 200 Pakistani expatriates from the US, Canada, the UK and the UAE, the statement was quoted by the CNN as saying.

He plans to lead his party, the All Pakistan Muslim League into Pakistan's general elections, which are slated for May.

In 1999, the then chief of Pakistan's army became its president in a bloodless military coup.

Musharraf, who stepped down as president in 2008 after he was threatened with impeachment, has earlier brushed aside questions on whether he would be arrested on his return in connection with several cases against him, including the case related to the assassination of former premier Benazir Bhutto.

Pakistan Peoples Party leaders have said that Musharraf would be arrested as soon as he lands as he is wanted by authorities in connection with Bhutto's assassination.

Musharraf has set several dates for his return to Pakistan in the past but put off his homecoming after he was threatened with arrest.

An anti-terrorism court has declared Musharraf a "proclaimed offender" or fugitive for refusing to cooperate with investigators probing Bhutto's death in a suicide attack in Rawalpindi in December, 2007.

Musharraf has been shuttling between London and Dubai after he went out of Pakistan in exile.

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MP Congress to hold protests over Swiss woman's gang rape

BHOPAL: The opposition Congress will stage statewide protests tomorrow over the gang rape of a Swiss woman in Datia district of Madhya Pradesh.

While the state Congress president Kantilal Bhuria will stage a protest in Bhopal, the leader of opposition in the state assembly Ajay Singh will stage a sit-in at Datia to highlight the rising crime against women in the state, the party sources said.

Ajay Singh has asked the Congress Legislature Party to raise the issue vociferously in the assembly tomorrow, they said.

The protest would be held in the state capital from 1 pm to 3 pm, while at the district headquarters across the state it would be held between 12 noon and 2pm, they said.

Both Bhuria and Ajay appealed to the Congressmen and people to take part in the protest in large numbers to expose the ruling BJP government on the issue of deteriorating law and order situation in the state, specially the crime against women.

They said that the Datia gang-rape incident has put the country and the state to shame across the world and has severely affected the tourism industry in the state.

Women in the state should be provided licensed guns, as the government had failed to protect their honour, the leader of opposition said.

The alleged gang-rape of the Swiss woman took place at Jhadia village, eight kms from Datia town, at around 9 pm on March 15, when the 39-year-old lady along with her partner was touring the region on a bicycle as part of their India tour.

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Iran to try 18 suspects over killing of nuclear scientists

TEHRAN: An Iranian news agency reports the judiciary has indicted 18 suspects on charges of involvement in the killing of nuclear scientists.

Since 2010, at least five Iranian nuclear scientists, including a manager at the Natanz enrichment facility, have been killed. Tehran has accused Israel's Mossad, the CIA and Britain's MI6 of being behind the assassinations. The US and Britain have denied the allegations, but Israel has not commented.

The Sunday report by the semiofficial Mehr agency quotes Tehran chief prosecutor Abbas Jafari as saying authorities have issued indictments against the 18 suspects, and they will go trial in coming months. He gave no other details.

In 2012, Iran hanged a man who was sentenced to death for the 2010 killing of a nuclear physicist.

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