Nido Tania murder case: Court takes cognizance of charge sheet

NEW DELHI: A Delhi court today took cognizance of the charge sheet filed against seven accused in the Nido Tania murder case and asked the agency to provide copies of the final report to the four adult accused on the next date of hearing.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Pritam Singh directed the CBI to supply the copies of the charge sheet and other documents annexed with it to the four adult accused on May 7 in connection with the death of 19-year-old Arunachal Pradesh student Nido Tania.

The matter against the three juveniles will be sent to the Juvenile Justice Board.

CBI has dropped murder charges on the accused allegedly involved in the death of Tania, son of an Arunachal Pradesh MLA, on the ground that his killing was not premeditated but a result of altercation over breaking of glass counter.

The charge sheet was filed by the CBI yesterday against seven people, including three juveniles, in the case.

CBI has filed the charge sheet for the offences of culpable homicide, illegal confinement under the IPC and the provisions of the SC/ST Atrocities Act against Farman, Pawan, Sunder Singh and Sunny Uppal, currently in judicial custody.

Earlier, the accused were booked for the offence of murder by the Delhi Police but the CBI dropped the murder charge in its charge sheet.

The case was transferred to CBI from Delhi Police for further investigation after the victim's parents had met Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde and Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, demanding speedy justice for Tania.

They had alleged police negligence in the case and also demanded action against the guilty personnel.

The accused were apprehended after relatives of Tania, a BA first year student in a private university, alleged that he had an altercation with some shopkeepers at Lajpat Nagar market here on January 29 after they made fun of his hair style.

Following the altercation, the shopkeepers had allegedly thrashed him. He was brought dead to AIIMS the next day.

The death of Tania, son of a Congress MLA, evoked angry reactions from people of the northeast living in the national capital who alleged police had failed to protect him.

Police had booked the four adult accused under Section 302 (murder) of IPC after the postmortem report showed Tania died due to injuries to his head and face caused by a blunt object.

Initially, police had on February 3 arrested three of the accused under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (SC/ST) (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.

On February 10, police arrested Sunny and slapped murder charge against all the four accused. Two minors, who also allegedly assaulted Tania, are facing an inquiry before the Juvenile Justice Board here.

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Tarun Tejpal to get unedited CCTV footage

PANAJI: The Goa Police Crime Branch has been directed by a fast track court on Saturday to submit copies of all evidence, including unedited CCTV video footage, to former Tehelka editor-in-chief Tarun Tejpal, who faces charges of rape.

Additional Sessions Judge Vijaya Pol in her order directed the investigating officials to hand over the evidence within 20 days from Saturday.

Tejpal had been repeatedly seeking footage from CCTV cameras installed outside an elevator at the Grand Hyatt hotel, on the outskirts of Panaji, where he is alleged to have raped a now former junior colleague twice on two days.

The journalist has contested the allegation of rape and had claimed in an application to the court that the CCTV footage, which has been used as evidence by the police against him, should be handed over to him because "it was evidence" of his "innocence".

The victim had claimed that Tejpal had raped in the elevator during ThinkFest, an annual conference organized by Tejpal in Goa.

Tejpal, who surrendered to the police, has been in police and judicial custody for over five months now.

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Army foils infiltration bid along Line of Control in J&K

JAMMU: Army foiled an infiltration bid along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district of Jammu & Kashmir.

"Our troops observed movement of some militants near LoC near Sawjian belt of Poonch district yesterday and challenged them," Defence spokesman said here on Saturday.

The infiltrators went back after being fired upon, he said.

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Air taxi service in Rajasthan soon

JAIPUR: The Rajasthan government is set to soon launch an air taxi service which will help connect major industrial and tourism points in the state, officials said.

"As per the plan, approved by chief minister Vasundhara Raje before the (Lok Sabha) election code of conduct came into effect (March 5), we will give on rent the state government-owned planes to individuals and organisations for flying in the state," a senior official of the general administration department told IANS Saturday.

He said Rajasthan has two planes and airports are functional in Jaipur, Jodhpur and Udaipur.

Work on airports is on in Kota and Ajmer while defence-owned airports are operational in Bikaner, Jaisalmer and Barmer. The state also has a number of airstrips and helipads.

"To begin with, we will fly these two airplanes with a capacity of seven passengers each as air taxis and charge a minimum fare of Rs.10,000 per person. The condition is the planes will only fly when all seats are booked," he said.

Welcoming the idea, tour and transport operator Karan Singh said Rajasthan located in the north-west of India is the country's largest state in terms of area. Foreign tourists visiting the state have to skip important destinations due to absence of proper air connectivity or lack of quick means of transport.

"I think this air taxi service will not only help to open some of the virgin tourism sites in the state but also give a boost to the flow of tourists," he said.

Rajasthan with its heritage, culture, safaris, sand dunes, lush forests and wildlife continues to be one of the favourite tourism destinations in the world.

The foreign tourists are mostly from France, Britain, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, the US, Spain, Canada and Australia.

The state in the past couple of years attracted over 1.5 million foreign tourists and over 28 million domestic tourists.

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North Ireland tensions rise as police extend Gerry Adams detention

BELFAST: Tensions in Northern Ireland rose on Saturday after police obtained an extension to question detained republican leader Gerry Adams over a notorious IRA murder.

His Sinn Fein party warned it could review its support for police in the British province, where thousands of people died during decades of Catholic-Protestant unrest.

The government rejected accusations that the arrest of Adams, the public face of the republican movement, was politically motivated.

Adams, 65, presented himself at a police station late Wednesday and was arrested for questioning over the murder of Jean McConville, a widowed mother of 10, in 1972.

McConville's children watched as she was dragged screaming from their home after the IRA accused her of being an informer. She was later found shot in the back of the head.

Detectives were today granted an extra 48 hours until tomorrow night to question Adams, after the previous deadline to charge or release him expired, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said.

Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness, the top Sinn Fein figure in the power-sharing government in Belfast, had warned yesterday that the party would "reflect" on its cooperation with the police if Adams was charged.

Sinn Fein assembly member Alex Maskey told the BBC today the party would "monitor and review" its relationship with law enforcement services.

He said there was a "small element of people involved in policing who are politically motivated". The arrest came weeks before local and European elections.

"The people that I represent are scathing in their anger at the moment about the PSNI — and it's not just about in relation to Gerry Adams," he said.

Republican support for the reformed Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) — which replaced the widely criticised Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) — was a key part of the peace process launched by the 1998 Good Friday agreement.

Sinn Fein, the political wing of the now-defunct IRA, wants Northern Ireland to leave the United Kingdom and join the Republic of Ireland to the south. Adams played a leading role in the Northern Ireland peace process.

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6.0-magnitude quake strikes off eastern Indonesia: USGS

JAKARTA: A strong 6.0-magnitude earthquake jolted parts of eastern Indonesia on Friday, the US Geological Survey reported, but local officials said there was no risk of a tsunami.

The quake struck at 4:43 pm local time (0843 GMT), 70 kilometres (43 miles) south-southeast of Namela in the Maluku chain of islands at a depth of 54 kilometres, the USGS said.

"The quake's epicentre was in the sea and was mildly felt in the cities of Ambon, Namlea and Namrole," Tri Handayani, an official from Indonesia's Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency, told AFP, adding that there were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.

She said there was no risk of a tsunami. Indonesia sits on the Pacific "Ring of Fire" where tectonic plates collide, causing frequent seismic and volcanic activity.

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SIT reopens Muzaffarnagar gang-rape case after SC directive

MUZAFFARNAGAR: The Special Investigation Team (SIT), probing the Muzaffarnagar riot cases, has reopened a gang-rape case of Phugana village in the district, following a directive by the Supreme Court.

Appearing before a woman magistrate on Thursday, the gang rape victim recorded her statement and admitted of being gang raped by five men in Phugana village.

According to SIT officials, a final report was filed by the SIT on the basis of the victim's earlier statement where she had turned hostile.

The case has been reopened on the directive of the Supreme Court, which had ordered that statement of victims in all gang-rape cases in Phugana village be recorded again before a woman magistrate, SIT sources said.

Five persons are accused of allegedly gang raping a 30-year-old woman in Phugana village during communal riots in Muzaffaranagar and its adjoining districts last year.

SIT officials further added that the victim had admitted that she had given the first statement under pressure and that the accused men had threatened her of dire consequences if she admitted of being raped.

The victim's family was displaced from Phugana and rehabilitated in Loee village in the district.

Police had registered six separate gang-rape cases against 27 people in Phugana village in September last year.

SIT had found 22 persons involved in five cases. Two accused have been arrested by the police, while 20 are still at large.

Meanwhile, a local court has initiated attachment proceedings against 20 absconding accused.

Around 60 people died and thousands were displaced from their homes in last year's communal violence in Muzaffarnagar and neighbouring villages of Western Uttar Pradesh.

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NIA team at Chennai twin blasts site: Shinde

SHIMLA: Union home minister Sushilkumar Shinde Friday said the Centre has sent a National Investigation Agency (NIA) data collection team to the site of the twin blasts on a train in Chennai that left a woman dead.

He said the Tamil Nadu government was probing Thursday's incident in which 14 people were also injured.

"The Tamil Nadu government refused to get the matter investigated by the NIA as it claimed that the state police officials are sufficiently efficient to investigate the incident. Nevertheless, we have sent a data collection team of the NIA," he told reporters here.

The home minister said 10 battalions of central forces have been dispatched to Assam where at least 10 people were killed and four others injured when suspected militants opened indiscriminate fire in two villages Thursday night.

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Akash missile successfully test fired for second day in a row

BALASORE: In a perfect launch of the same missile for second day in a row, India on Friday successfully test fired indigenously-developed surface-to-air Akash missile as part of a user trial from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur in Odisha.

The missile with a strike range of 25 km and capability to carry warhead of 60 kg, was test fired for the second consecutive day at about 2.28pm from launch complex-3 of the ITR, defence sources said.

Akash, which aimed at a para-barrel target during the trial, is a medium range surface-to-air anti-aircraft defence system developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) as part of the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme.

Two Akash missiles were successfully test fired from the same base on April 26 while another such missile also hit the target yesterday, an official said adding today's test fire was also another success story.

Compared with American MIM-104 Patriot surface-to-air missile system, Akash has the capability to neutralise aerial targets like fighter jets, cruise missiles and air-to-surface missiles.

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Over 250 missing after landslide in northeastern Afghanistan

KABUL: A police chief says 250 people are missing after a landslide buried a village in northeastern Afghanistan.

Faziluddin Hayar, the police chief in Badakshan province, says hundreds of homes near a mountain in the Hobo Barik village were hit by the landslide at about 1pm on Friday.

Hayar says seven people have been rescued, and crews are searching for more survivors.

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Pentagon praises Indian developmental assistance in Afghanistan

WASHINGTON: The Pentagon has praised India's significant contribution in the peaceful development of Afghanistan, aimed at securing a stable region and facilitating economic corridors into Central Asia.

India and Afghanistan signed a strategic partnership declaration in 2011, which formalised cooperation on governance, economics, commerce, education, public administration, and security/law enforcement, it said in a report submitted to the US Congress.

Subsequent engagements are reinforcing the positive relationship between Afghanistan and India, it said.

Noting that India supports a variety of high-visibility projects and initiatives in Afghanistan, the report said these ventures are primarily focused on major infrastructure projects, including electricity generation and transmission, road construction, and mining.

"India is showing increased interest in Afghan security assistance, though activities in this area remain limited. India currently offers India-based training to Afghan national security forces (ANSF) personnel across a number of specialties, and the Indian government committed to expand this programme. India does not provide direct military support or training in Afghanistan," the Pentagon said.

The report further said, Pakistan shows a willingness to cooperate on some key US goals, including publicly committing to playing a positive role in a genuine Afghan-led reconciliation process and providing essential support to US retrograde operations from Afghanistan, adding that Pakistan continues to cooperate on some counter-terrorism activities.

"The Pakistani military made limited gains against Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other anti-Pakistan militant groups in the FATA and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which led TTP to engage in negotiations with the government. However, Pakistan did not take significant action against Afghan or India-focused militant groups," the report said.

In its report, the Pentagon also praised the Afghan national security forces for their conduct in the recent presidential elections.

"Afghan security forces held their own against the insurgency, sustained the gains made in the 2013 fighting season and successfully secured the presidential and provincial council elections on April 5, 2014," it said.

"Despite insurgent intent to disrupt the election process, ANSF layered security operations prevented high-profile attacks across the country and voter turnout was high. The large rise in attacks preceding previous Afghan elections did not occur," it said.

According to the Pentagon, the Taliban-led insurgency failed to achieve its stated operational objectives over the reporting period.

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Chennai bomb blasts: BJP says threat to leaders, election process

NEW DELHI: In the wake of Chennai blasts, BJP on Thursday said there is threat to leaders as well as to the environment for holding free and fair elections and asked the central government not to show any laxity on the security front.

Conveying condolences to the kin of the deceased and sympathies to those injured, the main opposition party said there were enough indications that forces inimical to India and the forces which are trying to create disharmony in the country have remained active through the election process.

"BJP expresses its note of caution at the moment when such a grave attack has happened. The threat which we spoke about at the beginning of election persists, not just for BJP leadership and BJP rallies, but for the conduct of free and fair polling," BJP spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman told reporters.

"We want harmonious environment in which the elections should be taking place, whereas forces inimical to India are even now attempting to disturb peace with which elections should take place," she said, adding "I think the Government of India should be cautious and absolutely careful not to relax even for a minute. The threat continues."

She said the threat to disturb the environment, wherein free and fair poll should be held, is very much there and government should not show any laxity on the security front. Sitharaman said such incidents discourage voters to go to polling booths who go to polling stations with peace on their minds, is being constantly threatened.

"Enough care should be taken to maintain peace and harmony and prevention of such attacks should be in the minds of the government," she said. "Not only are we concerned about the safety and security of the BJP rallies, Narendra Modi's rallies, the threat perception is something which we were worried about and we did highlight it to (Home Minister) Sushikumar Shinde," she said.

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Modi victory will see ideology of hate penetrate into govt machinery: Nandita Das

STOCKHOLM: Actress and social activist Nandita Das has warned that a victory for Narendra Modi in the ongoing general elections will result in an ideology of hate to penetrate into the government machinery and influence institutions and policies.

Nandita, who showcased her hard hitting and poignant film Firaq at the India Unlimited festival in Stockholm organised by the Indian embassy told TOI in an exclusive interview that Modi as Prime Minister will make minority communities like Muslims who are already marginalised, feel more vulnerable than ever before.

Firaq was her directorial debut feature film and tells the story of a few families in the aftermath of the Gujarat riots.
The actress who has some highly acclaimed films to her credit - having acted in over 30 feature films in 10 different languages with directors of international repute like Deepa Mehta, Adoor Gopalakrishnan, Mrinal Sen, Shyam Benegal and Mani Ratnam also warned "during a short stint in government, the NDA alliance changed the content of school text books to their advantage. Once Modi becomes PM, these policies based on hate will get legitimized and we will not even get to know about them".

Nandita who has lent her support to a "cultural pluralism campaign" that is asking people to vote for a secular candidate said that she has been on the receiving end of a vitriolic attack for opposing Modi as Prime Minister.

Nandita told TOI "The amount of hate mails I have received asking me and my son to leave India and migrate to Pakistan just because I oppose Narendra Modi has made me realise that never before in this country has one seen such tremendous threat to the freedom of expression. For the first time, I am truly afraid".

According to her, modern Indians have decided to trade off human rights for the fake promise of development.

She told TOI "It is almost like under Modi raaj, there can be no differing views. The level of intolerance that one is noticing against anyone opposing Modi and the courage with which the attacks are happening clearly shows how anti-socials and political goons know there is someone to protect them".

She added "The myth of development in Gujarat under Modi has resulted in modern Indians choosing to forget the horrifying Gujarat riots. It is almost like completer shutters down over their eyes. We have chosen to forget how Muslims were slaughtered in Gujarat in the biggest blot on Indian democracy in recent years".

Nandita has now lent her support to a campaign which says "Dear Fellow-Indians, The best thing about our country is its cultural diversity, its pluralism - the co-existence of a number of religions and ethnicities over centuries, and hence the blooming of multiple streams of intellectual and artistic thought. And, this has been possible only because Indian society has prided itself on being essentially secular in character, rejecting communal hatred, and embracing tolerance".

"Today, that very sense of India is vulnerable. The need of the hour is to protect our country's secular foundation. Undoubtedly, corruption and governance are important issues, but we will have to vigilantly work out ways of holding our government accountable to that. However, one thing is clear: India's secular character is not negotiable. Not now, not ever. As Indian citizens who love our motherland, we appeal to you to vote for the secular party which is most likely to win in your constituency".

Nandita's warnings come just days after sculptor Anish Kapoor, film director Deepa Mehta, novelist Salman Rushdie and some of the best known Indian academics teaching in Britain's top universities sharply attacked the BJP leader saying "The idea of Modi in power fills us with dread".

They warned that a Modi victory would "likely mean greater moral policing, especially of women, increased censorship and vigilantism, and more tensions with India's neighbours"

Professors from institutions like the London School of Economics, Cambridge, Oxford, SOAS and King's College issued a letter opposing Modi as the next Indian Prime Minister.

The 75-strong intelligentsia led by Prof Chetan Bhatt and Gautam Appa of LSE sharply attacked the BJP leader saying "The idea of Modi in power fills us with dread".

Calling Modi a leader embedded in the Hindu nationalist movement, namely the RSS and other Sangh Parivar groups, with their history of inciting violence against minorities, they highlighted how groups that support Modi stand accused in recent terrorist attacks against civilians.

They said "As the people of India vote to elect their next government, we are deeply concerned at the implications of a Narendra Modi-led BJP government for democracy, pluralism and human rights in India. We recall the extreme violence by the Hindu Right in Gujarat in 2002 which resulted in the deaths of at least 1,000 people, mostly Muslims. This violence occurred under Modi's rule, and senior government and police officials have provided testimony of his alleged role in encouraging or permitting it to occur".

They added "Some of his close aides have been convicted for their involvement, and legal proceedings are ongoing in the Gujarat high court which may result in Modi being indicted for his role. He has never apologized for hate speech or contemptuous comments about various groups - including Muslims, Christians, women and Dalits. His closest aide has been censured recently by India's Election Commission for hate speech used in this election campaign".

The latest letter comes just a few weeks after more than a dozen of India's most revered artists and academics expressed "acute worry" at the prospect of Modi becoming the country's Prime Minister.

The group that included British lawyers, activists, academics and three members of the British parliament said "Modi refuses to accept any responsibility or to apologize for the horrifying events that took place in Gujarat in 2002. Without questioning the validity of India's democratic election process, it is crucial to remember the role played by the Modi government in the horrifying events that took place in Gujarat in 2002. The Muslim minority were overwhelmingly the victims of pillage, murder and terror, resulting in the deaths of more than 2,000 men, women and children. Women, in particular, were subjected to brutal acts of violence and were left largely unprotected by the security forces".

08.20 | 0 komentar | Read More

Modi victory will see ideology of hate penetrate into govt machinery: Nandita Das

STOCKHOLM: Actress and social activist Nandita Das has warned that a victory for Narendra Modi in the ongoing general elections will result in an ideology of hate to penetrate into the government machinery and influence institutions and policies.

Nandita, who showcased her hard hitting and poignant film Firaq at the India Unlimited festival in Stockholm organised by the Indian embassy told TOI in an exclusive interview that Modi as Prime Minister will make minority communities like Muslims who are already marginalised, feel more vulnerable than ever before.

Firaq was her directorial debut feature film and tells the story of a few families in the aftermath of the Gujarat riots.
The actress who has some highly acclaimed films to her credit - having acted in over 30 feature films in 10 different languages with directors of international repute like Deepa Mehta, Adoor Gopalakrishnan, Mrinal Sen, Shyam Benegal and Mani Ratnam also warned "during a short stint in government, the NDA alliance changed the content of school text books to their advantage. Once Modi becomes PM, these policies based on hate will get legitimized and we will not even get to know about them".

Nandita who has lent her support to a "cultural pluralism campaign" that is asking people to vote for a secular candidate said that she has been on the receiving end of a vitriolic attack for opposing Modi as Prime Minister.

Nandita told TOI "The amount of hate mails I have received asking me and my son to leave India and migrate to Pakistan just because I oppose Narendra Modi has made me realise that never before in this country has one seen such tremendous threat to the freedom of expression. For the first time, I am truly afraid".

According to her, modern Indians have decided to trade off human rights for the fake promise of development.

She told TOI "It is almost like under Modi raaj, there can be no differing views. The level of intolerance that one is noticing against anyone opposing Modi and the courage with which the attacks are happening clearly shows how anti-socials and political goons know there is someone to protect them".

She added "The myth of development in Gujarat under Modi has resulted in modern Indians choosing to forget the horrifying Gujarat riots. It is almost like completer shutters down over their eyes. We have chosen to forget how Muslims were slaughtered in Gujarat in the biggest blot on Indian democracy in recent years".

Nandita has now lent her support to a campaign which says "Dear Fellow-Indians, The best thing about our country is its cultural diversity, its pluralism - the co-existence of a number of religions and ethnicities over centuries, and hence the blooming of multiple streams of intellectual and artistic thought. And, this has been possible only because Indian society has prided itself on being essentially secular in character, rejecting communal hatred, and embracing tolerance".

"Today, that very sense of India is vulnerable. The need of the hour is to protect our country's secular foundation. Undoubtedly, corruption and governance are important issues, but we will have to vigilantly work out ways of holding our government accountable to that. However, one thing is clear: India's secular character is not negotiable. Not now, not ever. As Indian citizens who love our motherland, we appeal to you to vote for the secular party which is most likely to win in your constituency".

Nandita's warnings come just days after sculptor Anish Kapoor, film director Deepa Mehta, novelist Salman Rushdie and some of the best known Indian academics teaching in Britain's top universities sharply attacked the BJP leader saying "The idea of Modi in power fills us with dread".

They warned that a Modi victory would "likely mean greater moral policing, especially of women, increased censorship and vigilantism, and more tensions with India's neighbours"

Professors from institutions like the London School of Economics, Cambridge, Oxford, SOAS and King's College issued a letter opposing Modi as the next Indian Prime Minister.

The 75-strong intelligentsia led by Prof Chetan Bhatt and Gautam Appa of LSE sharply attacked the BJP leader saying "The idea of Modi in power fills us with dread".

Calling Modi a leader embedded in the Hindu nationalist movement, namely the RSS and other Sangh Parivar groups, with their history of inciting violence against minorities, they highlighted how groups that support Modi stand accused in recent terrorist attacks against civilians.

They said "As the people of India vote to elect their next government, we are deeply concerned at the implications of a Narendra Modi-led BJP government for democracy, pluralism and human rights in India. We recall the extreme violence by the Hindu Right in Gujarat in 2002 which resulted in the deaths of at least 1,000 people, mostly Muslims. This violence occurred under Modi's rule, and senior government and police officials have provided testimony of his alleged role in encouraging or permitting it to occur".

They added "Some of his close aides have been convicted for their involvement, and legal proceedings are ongoing in the Gujarat high court which may result in Modi being indicted for his role. He has never apologized for hate speech or contemptuous comments about various groups - including Muslims, Christians, women and Dalits. His closest aide has been censured recently by India's Election Commission for hate speech used in this election campaign".

The latest letter comes just a few weeks after more than a dozen of India's most revered artists and academics expressed "acute worry" at the prospect of Modi becoming the country's Prime Minister.

The group that included British lawyers, activists, academics and three members of the British parliament said "Modi refuses to accept any responsibility or to apologize for the horrifying events that took place in Gujarat in 2002. Without questioning the validity of India's democratic election process, it is crucial to remember the role played by the Modi government in the horrifying events that took place in Gujarat in 2002. The Muslim minority were overwhelmingly the victims of pillage, murder and terror, resulting in the deaths of more than 2,000 men, women and children. Women, in particular, were subjected to brutal acts of violence and were left largely unprotected by the security forces".

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Over 350 passengers stranded in Jeddah after AI plane develops snag

NEW DELHI: Over 350 passengers, including IUML MP E T Mohammed Basheer, were stranded at Jeddah airport after a Boeing 747 of Air India suffered a technical problem on Wednesday. The airline dispatched two aircraft from Mumbai and Delhi to bring them back today.

The passengers of the Jeddah-Kozhikode flight AI-962 spent several hours at Jeddah's King Abdulaziz International Airport before they were provided with accommodation by the airline at nearby hotels, an airline official said here.

They said two Airbus A-320 aircraft were flown from Delhi and Mumbai on Thursday to bring back the stranded passengers. A Boeing 747-400 of Air India can accommodate over 400 passengers, while a B 747-300 has 342 seats.

Due to the problem suspected in the hydraulic system of the aircraft, Air India rescheduled the departure of flights to Kozhikode and Hyderabad.
The stranded passengers included several elderly Umrah pilgrims besides women and children, according to reports from Jeddah.

They said one of the two aircraft sent on Thursday would return later tonight while the other would return Friday early morning.

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Three injured in bomb blast in poll-bound Madhubani in Bihar

MADHUBANI: Three persons were critically injured when a bomb exploded at Katma village in Bihar's Madhubani district on Tuesday, a day before the fourth phase of polling in Bihar.

A woman named Shanti Devi was injured when she picked up from the ground the crude bomb mistaking it for an interesting object and it exploded in her hand. Her husband and a neighbour's boy standing nearby were also wounded.

All the three injured were admitted to hospital.

Seven constituencies are going to polls on Wednesday in the fourth of the six-phase Lok Sabha elections in Bihar to decide the fate of 94 candidates.

The seats are Madhubani, Jhanjharpur, Madhepura, Darbhanga, Samastipur (SC, Reserved), Begusarai and Khagaria, all in the Kosi river belt.

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Eminent painter and sculptor MM Devan dies in Kerala

KOCHI: Eminent painter, sculptor, writer, art critic and orator MV Devan passed away nearby Aluva on Tuesday, family sources said. He was 86 and is survived by two daughters.

Devan, who was the founder member and present chairman of Kerala Kalapeedom, had also served as the chairman of Kerala Lalit Kala Academy, secretary of Madras state Lalit Kala Academy, art consultant of FEDO, a unit of the Fertilizers and Chemicals Travancore (FACT) here.

He was also awarded Kerala government's prestigious Ravi Varma Puraskar.

Born in Panniyamnur village in Thalassery in northern Kerala on January 15, 1928, he left for Madras after high school to study painting. He learnt the basics of painting from Government School of Arts and Crafts under stalwarts like Debi Prasad Roy Choudhary and KCS Panicker.

Devan later joined as staff artist at Mathrubhumi daily, Kozhikode.

He again left for Madras and joined the Southern Languages Book Trust as art consultant from 1961-62. Devan continued his pursuit of art with Madras Lalit Kala Academy and Lalit Kala Academy, New Delhi.

Devan was associated with various literary publications, including "Navashakti" and "Gopuram."

The collections of critical essays "Devaspandanam" is his magnum opus.

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At least six hurt in shooting at FedEx facility in Georgia

ATLANTA: At least six people were hurt in a shooting at a FedEx Corp facility at an airport in Kennesaw, Georgia, early on Tuesday, WSB-TV reported.

A FedEx spokesman confirmed the shooting but provided no additional details.

"FedEx is aware of the situation," said spokesman Ben Hunt. "Our primary concern is the safety and well-being of our team members, first responders and others affected. FedEx is cooperating with authorities."

Hundreds of police had converged on the scene, and more patients were expected at a hospital that already was treating six people from the incident, local media reported.

"(My boss) called me about 6 o'clock this morning saying there was a guy inside, shot the security guard," Michael Hogland, a driver at the FedEx facility, told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

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At least six hurt in shooting at FedEx facility in Georgia, US

ATLANTA: At least six people were hurt in a shooting at a FedEx Corp facility at an airport in Kennesaw, Georgia, early on Tuesday, WSB-TV reported.

A FedEx spokesman confirmed the shooting but provided no additional details.

"FedEx is aware of the situation," said spokesman Ben Hunt. "Our primary concern is the safety and well-being of our team members, first responders and others affected. FedEx is cooperating with authorities."

Hundreds of police had converged on the scene, and more patients were expected at a hospital that already was treating six people from the incident, local media reported.

"(My boss) called me about 6 o'clock this morning saying there was a guy inside, shot the security guard," Michael Hogland, a driver at the FedEx facility, told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

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Petition filed in Pakistan court to prove Bhagat Singh's innocence

LAHORE: A copy of the FIR registered against Bhagat Singh in the then Lahore SSP's murder case in 1928 has been sought here to prove the innocence of the legendary freedom fighter.

Petitioner Imtiaz Rashid Qureshi, chairman of the Bhagat Singh Memorial Foundation, had filed a petition seeking attested copy of the FIR registered against Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru for allegedly killing then SSP John P Saunders.

The additional district and sessions court on April 11 had ordered the police to provide Qureshi a copy of the FIR.

During yesterday's hearing, Qureshi told the court that he had showed the court order to the police but they refused to give him a copy of the FIR.

The sessions court issued a notice to Lahore Police chief Chaudhry Shafiq regarding compliance of the court's order.

The judge adjourned the hearing for two weeks. Qureshi said the Punjab police legal affairs office had records from 1895 to 1928. But the police did not give him the FIR registered in 1928 when the SSP was killed.

He said special judges of tribunal handling Singh's case awarded death sentence to him without hearing 450 witnesses in the case. Singh's lawyers were not given the opportunity of cross-question them.

Qureshi has also filed a petition in the Lahore high court seeking reopening of the Singh's case. "I want to establish his innocence in the murder case," he said.

The Lahore high court has referred the case to the chief justice for constitution of larger bench.

In March 1931, following his trial for involvement in the 'Lahore conspiracy case', the British government hanged Singh at Shadman Chowk, aged 23.

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About 50 mummies discovered in Egypt's Valley of the Kings

CAIRO: Remains of about 50 mummies, including newborn babies, thought to belong to the 18th Pharaonic dynasty were found in a huge tomb in Egypt's Valley of the Kings in Luxor, antiquities minister Mohamed Ibrahim said on Monday.

Wooden coffins and death masks were found beside the bodies, probably dating from the New Kingdom, state news agency MENA quoted Ibrahim as saying, referring to Egypt's 18th, 19th and 20th dynasties between about 1567 and 1085 BC.

According to initial studies of the find, princes and princesses were among the bodies found in the tomb, which had been raided in previous eras, MENA reported.

The discovery was made by a Swiss team from the University of Basel working with the Egyptian government.

Antiquities are vital to Egypt's tourist trade but, beset by insecurity and political chaos in the three years since the Arab Spring, the country has failed to secure ancient sites and stop theft from museums, mosques, stores and illegal excavations.

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Bihar minister files case against Ramdev

PATNA: Bihar minister and JD(U) leader Shayam Rajak on Monday filed a complaint case against yoga guru Ramdev for his uncharitable remarks on Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi pertaining to dalits.

Rajak filed the case in the court of chief judicial magistrate Ramakant Yadav.

The matter will come up for hearing tomorrow. Rajak submitted in his petition that Ramdev's statement "Rahul Gandhi visits Dalits' houses for honeymoon" had insulted the downtrodden.

He sought action against Ramdev under IPC 354 (Assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), Representation of Peoples Act, 1951 and relevant sections of SC & ST Act.

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Teacher admits campaign to install Muslim staff in UK schools

LONDON: Amid reports that UK authorities are investigating about 25 state schools in Birmingham for their alleged radical "Islamisation", a teacher at the centre of the plot has acknowledged the existence of such a campaign to install Muslims in governing roles.

The schools are currently being probed after reports that there existed a "Trojan Horse" plot aimed at takeover of the secular state schools by religious hardliners.

The reports claim male and female students were segregated, sex education banned and extremist clerics praised in assemblies.

But one of the teachers said the controversial plot was aimed at raising the attainment levels of Muslim students after years of under-achievement.

Speaking anonymously to Channel 4 News last night, the teacher said: "This is about the proportion of representation and leadership on boards of schools that serve predominantly Muslim children.

"These teachers and leaders have a deeper understanding of the view of the population in these schools. I think the needs of Muslim children have been neglected for many, many years."

Birmingham has a large Muslim population — nearly 22 per cent, according to the 2011 census.

The "Trojan Horse" plot involves the alleged takeover of secular state schools and the removal of secular head teachers in Birmingham by radical Muslim staff and governors.

Five non-Muslim heads have left their posts in a tiny area of the northern England city over the past six months.

Britain's schools inspectorate, OFSTED, is set to publish its final inspection reports on the Operation Trojan Horse by the second week of May.

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Deceased YSR Congress leader still a contestant, EC clarifies

HYDERABAD: The Election Commission on Monday clarified that YSR Congress's Shobha Nagi Reddy, who died in a road accident last week, will still be treated as a candidate in the elections to Andhra Pradesh's Allagadda assembly constituency and if she gets elected, a by-election will be held.

In a communication to the YSR Congress, the poll panel made it clear that the votes polled for the deceased candidate will not be treated as votes cast for NOTA (None of the above) option. It also dismissed the view that even if the deceased gets highest number of votes, the candidate with maximum number of votes among the remaining contestants will be declared elected.

Shobha, a candidate of YSR Congress from Allagadda in Kurnool district, died in a road accident last Thursday. However, the Election Commission did not countermand the election as YSR Congress is not a recognized party.

As her name was already included on the ballot paper, she remained a contesting candidate. State's chief electoral officer Bhanwarlal had earlier stated that votes polled for Shobha would have no validity and that they would be treated as votes for NOTA option.

The Election Commission's clarification came as a relief for YSR Congress, which was left without a candidate in the constituency.

Allagadda is one of the 175 assembly seats in Seemandhra going to polls on May 7.

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Deceased YSR Congress leader still a contestant, EC clarifies

HYDERABAD: The Election Commission on Monday clarified that YSR Congress's Shobha Nagi Reddy, who died in a road accident last week, will still be treated as a candidate in the elections to Andhra Pradesh's Allagadda assembly constituency and if she gets elected, a by-election will be held.

In a communication to the YSR Congress, the poll panel made it clear that the votes polled for the deceased candidate will not be treated as votes cast for NOTA (None of the above) option. It also dismissed the view that even if the deceased gets highest number of votes, the candidate with maximum number of votes among the remaining contestants will be declared elected.

Shobha, a candidate of YSR Congress from Allagadda in Kurnool district, died in a road accident last Thursday. However, the Election Commission did not countermand the election as YSR Congress is not a recognized party.

As her name was already included on the ballot paper, she remained a contesting candidate. State's chief electoral officer Bhanwarlal had earlier stated that votes polled for Shobha would have no validity and that they would be treated as votes for NOTA option.

The Election Commission's clarification came as a relief for YSR Congress, which was left without a candidate in the constituency.

Allagadda is one of the 175 assembly seats in Seemandhra going to polls on May 7.

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Fire breaks out in lawyers' chamber block in Supreme Court

NEW DELHI: A fire broke out in a lawyer's chamber block in the Supreme Court premises today and four tenders were rushed to douse the blaze.

Fire brigade officials said that the fire, which broke out in the R K Jain lawyers' chamber block, had been brought under control.

While there was no immediate report of any casualty, the damage was being assessed.

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Was Polo castrated?

MYSORE: Whether or not country's lonely gorilla of Mysore zoo, for whom the authorities frantically tried to find a companion or partner, was castrated before he was handed over to Mysore zoo is a question that remains unanswered.

Polo, 43, a western lowland gorilla, an endangered species was the only representative of his species in India. He lived with Sumathi, before her death in 2000. Since then, zoo authorities were looking for a suitable female gorilla to partner with Polo to continue his progeny.

Though search proved a failure, a zoo official ,couple of years ago, revealed that Polo would not be able to mate with the new partner as he had no reproductive organs.

According to this official Polo's genitals appear to have been removed before he was shipped to India. Attendants who bathed the gorilla had mentioned to the higher ups the lack of genital in Polo and his failure to impregnate Sumathi even once though despite both being in the prime of their life and health. Even the officials then who failed to witness any aggressive sexual behaviours of Polo with Sumathi had revealed to this paper that Polo simply lies on Sumathi when they were allowed to mate. Zoo authorities then who saw any arousals on the part of Polo had even showed the films of other Gorillas mating and porno films to arouse his sexual desires and mate with Sumathi. Irony was Polo was selected as Sumathi's partner because he had a record of fathering many baby gorillas in Dublin zoo.

However, the authorities who denied the castration story and claimed that they were looking for the partner then were on Sunday said to be discussing the issue at a closed door meeting held at Mysore zoo earlier. Zoo sources disclosed to Times Of India that the remnant of the Polo's testicles which were very small in size have been sent for biopsy to a research institute at Bangalore to find out whether they were "active or not".

Usually the gorillas have a life span of 40 to 45 years in natural habitats , they live till the age of 55 to 60 in captivity.

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Coal scam: CVC may back CBI on closure of about 20 cases

NEW DELHI: The Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) is likely to support CBI's recommendation for closing about 20 preliminary enquiries (PEs) filed by the agency in connection with the multi-crore coal blocks allocation scam.

The Supreme Court had on March 28 asked CVC to peruse the coal blocks allocation cases in which there was a difference of opinion within CBI on the closure issue.

CVC, which exercises superintendence over CBI for overseeing corruption cases, has reviewed files relating to these cases and is likely to support the probe agency in its report to be filed in the apex court early next month, official sources said.

The commission is also likely to get its report vetted by legal experts before filing it in the court next week, the sources said.

There are about 20-22 PEs in which CBI officers — investigating and supervising — have divergent views.

CBI is probing at least 16 cases of alleged misappropriation in coal blocks allocation.

The apex court's direction to CVC had come following filing of two closure reports last month in coal blocks cases in which DIG Ravi Kant, who supervises the probe along with other two officers of the same rank, had given opinion for filing of charge sheets in them.

The court, while hearing coal block cases, had late last month asked Central Vigilance Commissioner and two vigilance commissioners to give their suggestions whether the cases can be closed or CBI can go ahead with the filing of charge sheets in them.

CBI had last week filed closure reports in two coal cases related to JLD Yavatmal Energy and JAS Infrastructure Pvt Ltd on the ground of lack of evidence of criminal conspiracy or cheating against them.

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China buries over 100 stray dogs alive, triggers massive online outrage

BEIJING: Around 100 stray dogs have been buried alive in northern China, triggering a massive online outrage over welfare of animals in the communist country.

A post on Sina Weibo, the Chinese equivalent of Twitter, appealed for help on Wednesday night to save scores of stray dogs trapped in a big pit near a garbage dump in Alxa Left Banner in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

"Yinchuanshouhuzhedongwuzhijia" or "Home for Stray Animals in Yinchuan", a non-governmental organization (NGO), posted pictures of the dogs in the pit, including a close-up of a baby dog, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

The photos were taken by a woman, surnamed Tan, who went to the site with five friends on Wednesday to search for a pet dog.

"We saw around a hundred dogs in a pit, but we could not get down into it because it was too deep," Tan said, adding they tried to save the dogs using ropes. They saved over 20.

She said that the dogs must have been in the hole for a long time, because they were thirsty.

A volunteer at the NGO said eight members of the agency went to rescue the dogs on Thursday, only to find the pit had been filled. Several dogs were running around, said the volunteer, without giving her name.

"The pit was five to six-metres deep. We could not dig as we didn't have proper tools," she said.

Another group said a number of dead dogs were retrieved from the pit on Friday.

Rumors on the internet said that the local Chengguan, or urban management officers, had buried the dogs alive, although the city management bureau denied such cruelty.

A member of staff with the bureau said they had caught dozens of stray dogs and put them in a rented yard because of complaints from residents that people and domestic animals had been bitten.

"We went to the yard after hearing about the reports, but only a few were there," she said.

The incident has angered many, and a post about it had been forwarded more than 18,000 times by Sunday morning.

Chinese netizens called the act "inhumane" and "shameful".

"Life is equal, how could thugs conduct such a massacre?" wrote a Weibo user with the screen name "MingyangsihaiUSA".

Stories regarding stray animals have made the headlines, causing a wave of public fury.

In May 2013, dozens of stray cats were abused and slaughtered in a residential district in Beijing, with the fur of the animals almost completely plucked out.

An activist said the government should step in and tackle the problems regarding oft-neglected stray animals.

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ED to summon West Bengal Left leaders now in Saradha scam

NEW DELHI/KOLKATA: Widening its probe into the multi-crore Saradha chit fund scam, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has brought under its scanner three leaders of West Bengal CPM for their alleged business association with the schemes launched by the defunct group at some point of time.

Sources said that the agency's Kolkata zonal office was preparing to summon atleast three CPM leaders "to obtain their side of information" in the case in which depositors have raised their grievances for being duped by the group through alleged chit fund operations.

After a five-month long probe, the agency has found some connection of these leaders with Sudipta Sen, the promoter of the Saradha group, and some of his associates, sources in the ED said.

They added that while the Left leaders have not been named in its FIR filed in the case under Money Laundering Laws, the versions of CPM leaders were important before filing of charge sheet or any further action by them.

The central probe agency will soon issue summons to these leaders to "join investigations."

"These leaders have already given their side of the evidence to state investigating agencies after the scam came to the fore and hence it was felt necessary to seek their statements in the money laundering case," ED sources said.

The Rs 2,460 crore chit fund scam in West Bengal involving the Saradha Group came to the fore last year when 80 per cent of the depositors complained that their money still remained unpaid.

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