Anti-terror operation: Jayalalithaa extends cash reward to over 250 cops

CHENNAI: Amid complaints of several police personnel who participated in an anti-terror operation being overlooked by the state, Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa on Monday extended cash reward to more than 250 police personnel who helped nab three Al Umma terrorists from their hideouts in Chennai and Puttur in the neighboring Andhra Pradesh.

Jayalalithaa had earlier honoured the brave act of special division team that nabbed the fugitives - Sikkander 'Police' Fakrudeen, Panna Ismail and Bilal Malik - with a cash reward of Rs 5 lakh each to 21 personnel in the ranks of superintendent of police and constable. Inspector S Lakshmanan, attached to special division, who sustained stab injuries in the operation at Puttur, was given cash reward of Rs 15 lakh.

In an official statement, Jayalalithaa said the coordination efforts of the personnel played a pivotal role in nabbing the culprits in such an operation. "Thus, I have ordered cash reward to all those who executed their duties perfectly by offering intelligence inputs in these cases and related ones," she said while announcing Rs 5 lakh cash reward each to Perimet inspector Veerakumar and Madurai special division head constables M Vijayaperumal and K Mariappan.

Veerakumar rushed to the spot, immediately after getting a timely alert from Perimet constable Radhika about special division inspectors Lakshmanan and Ravindran struggling hard to nab Fakrudeen near Choolai in Chennai. Veerakumar overpowered the terrorist, which led the Tamil Nadu team zero in the other two terrorists at Puttur hideout. Jayalalithaa rewarded Rs 2 lakh each to constable Radhika and special division cell inspector S Ramamurthy (Madurai) and B Bandarinathan (Tirunelveli).

That apart, the chief minister announced a reward of Rs 1 lakh each to 245 personnel, including five constables from Perimet police station, another six personnel who helped defuse the explosives seized from the hideout and others attached to special division, special investigation division, special intelligence cell and special investigation team.

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Aftermath of cyclone Phailin: Southern Railway cancels four trains

CHENNAI: (PTI) Southern Railway on Monday announced cancellation and rescheduling of some trains to Andhra Pradesh and Odisha in the aftermath of cyclone Phailin that crossed the east coast.

The Howrah Mail scheduled to leave from here on Monday at 11.40pm has been cancelled. Similarly, the Coromandel Express to Howrah slated for Tuesday has also been cancelled, a Southern Railway press release said.

Puducherry-Howrah Weekly Express scheduled to leave Puducherry on October 16 and Kochuveli-Santragachi Weekly Special scheduled to leave on October 15 have been cancelled.

Tiruchirapalli-Howrah Bi-Weekly Express scheduled to leave on October 15 has been "rescheduled" to leave on October 16 at 4pm.

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Lanka court grants bail to 12 in Tamil students killing case

COLOMBO: Twelve Sri Lankan policemen from an elite task force, accused of killing five Tamil students in 2006, were on Monday granted bail in a case that evoked international concern.

Judge Amal Ranarajah in the Trincomalee high court in the east allowed the release of suspects on bail.

The killing of some five Tamil students in early 2006 by the police's elite special task force caused international concerns as rights group urged the Sri Lankan government to bring perpetrators to justice.

The parents of the students accused the government troops of gunning down five students.

Bowing to pressure, the government initiated the legal process which resulted in the arrest of the 12 personnel in August.

The massacre of the Trincomalee students figured in the UN Human Rights Council discussions on Sri Lanka's rights accountability.

The suspects were released based on cash bail terms, the court announced, adding that they must report to police in the capital Colombo every week.

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Stampede: Congress, BJP in war of words

NEW DELHI: War of words erupted today over the stampede in Madhya Pradesh, with Congress demanding chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan's resignation and BJP hitting back by accusing it of playing politics over dead bodies.

Congress alleged that the tragedy at Ratangarh temple in Datia yesterday was "man-made" and a result of "misgovernance" as adequate precautionary measures had not been taken.

"A stampede had happened over five years ago at a similar place which left many people injured. The MP government learnt no lessons from it. Its misgovernance and rampant corruption lies at the roots of the tragedy. It should take moral responsibility and the CM should resign," AICC Communication Department head Ajay Maken told reporters. He claimed that cops present to maintain order in the place were collecting bribe of Rs 200 from every tractor driver to drive into a no-entry-zone for vehicles. Tractors were used to ferry thousands of pilgrims.

"It cramped the entire area and it became a reason for the disaster... The MP government and the CM could not escape responsibility for such a big man-made tragedy," he said.

Party general secretary and former state Chief Minister Digvijay Singh levelled similar allegations.

Union Minister Kamal Nath, another senior leader from the state, also demanded the Chouhan's resignation.

"They (government) have failed. I hold them squarely responsible certainly for this incident," Nath said.

Chouhan termed the politics over the tragedy "unwanted" and said, "The focus should be on attending to the injured and taking steps to avoid any such incidents in the future".

Terming the Ratangarh stampede as unfortunate, BJP spokesman Prakash Javadekar said Congress is playing "politics over dead bodies" and demanded that government must plan out full-proof mechanisms for avoiding such incidents in future.

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BJP leader Subramanian Swamy attacks UP govt on IAS officer's suspension issue

NEW DELHI: BJP leader Subramanian Swamy on Monday hit out at the Uttar Pradesh government for suspending a senior IAS official over a controversial letter convening a meeting to discuss "reconstruction" of Ram Temple in Ayodhya.

Following the controversy, the UP government had first transfered IAS officer Sarvesh Chandra Mishra on Saturday and then suspended him yesterday.

"I condemn the UP government for suspending a senior official for carrying out his duty as per commitment given by the Union Government to the Supreme Court in 1994," Swamy said.

Mishra, a 1997-batch IAS officer, was the Home Secretary of Uttar Pradesh before he was shunted out on Saturday.

"The reason given for suspending the senior official is his circular to the state officials to convene a meeting to draw up a plan to build a Ram temple... The circular is consistent with the commitment of the central government made to the Supreme Court in 1994," Swamy said in a statement.

The UP government had said yesterday that Mishra mentioned a "wrong and extremely misleading subject on a disputed issue in the letter regarding a meeting to be chaired by the Principal Secretary (Home) on October 14, and signed it".

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Police solve 'Baby Hope' case, arrest cousin for 1991 killing of 4-year-old girl

NEW YORK: Police announced on Saturday that, after an investigation that lasted more than two decades, they had arrested the killer of a child who was nicknamed Baby Hope by detectives after her body was discovered inside a picnic cooler beside a Manhattan highway in 1991.

During an interrogation early on Saturday, the 4-year-old girl's cousin, Conrado Juarez, had admitted sexually assaulting and smothering her, police commissioner Raymond Kelly said.

The child's name and the circumstances of her death had been a mystery for two decades. But earlier this week, police announced that a new tip and a DNA test had allowed them to finally identify the baby's mother, a dramatic turnaround in one of the city's more notorious cold cases.

Now they are also revealing the slain girl's name: Anjelica Castillo.

It wasn't clear whether Juarez, 52, had a lawyer. Police said he lived in the Bronx, but that the family had been living in Queens at the time of the killing. They also said Juarez claimed that a relative helped him dispose of the child's body.

Anjelica's naked, malnourished corpse was discovered on July 23, 1991, beside the Henry Hudson Parkway. Detectives thought she might have been suffocated but had few other clues as to what happened.

The case became an obsession for some investigators. Hundreds of people attended a funeral for the unknown girl in 1993. Her body was exhumed for DNA testing in 2007, and then again in 2011.

In July, detectives tried another round of publicity on the 22nd anniversary of the discovery. They canvassed the neighborhood where her body was found, hung fliers, circulated sketches of the girl and a photograph of the cooler and announced a $12,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.

Former detective Jerry Giorgio, who had the case from 1991 until his retirement over the summer, said he remained confident the case could be solved.

"You know that expression `I'm on cloud nine'?'' Giorgia said Saturday. "Well I'm on cloud nine.''

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New York Police solve 'Baby Hope' case, arrest cousin for 1991 killing of 4-year-old girl

NEW YORK: Police announced on Saturday that, after an investigation that lasted more than two decades, they had arrested the killer of a child who was nicknamed Baby Hope by detectives after her body was discovered inside a picnic cooler beside a Manhattan highway in 1991.

During an interrogation early on Saturday, the 4-year-old girl's cousin, Conrado Juarez, had admitted sexually assaulting and smothering her, police commissioner Raymond Kelly said.

The child's name and the circumstances of her death had been a mystery for two decades. But earlier this week, police announced that a new tip and a DNA test had allowed them to finally identify the baby's mother, a dramatic turnaround in one of the city's more notorious cold cases.

Now they are also revealing the slain girl's name: Anjelica Castillo.

It wasn't clear whether Juarez, 52, had a lawyer. Police said he lived in the Bronx, but that the family had been living in Queens at the time of the killing. They also said Juarez claimed that a relative helped him dispose of the child's body.

Anjelica's naked, malnourished corpse was discovered on July 23, 1991, beside the Henry Hudson Parkway. Detectives thought she might have been suffocated but had few other clues as to what happened.

The case became an obsession for some investigators. Hundreds of people attended a funeral for the unknown girl in 1993. Her body was exhumed for DNA testing in 2007, and then again in 2011.

In July, detectives tried another round of publicity on the 22nd anniversary of the discovery. They canvassed the neighborhood where her body was found, hung fliers, circulated sketches of the girl and a photograph of the cooler and announced a $12,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.

Former detective Jerry Giorgio, who had the case from 1991 until his retirement over the summer, said he remained confident the case could be solved.

"You know that expression `I'm on cloud nine'?'' Giorgia said Saturday. "Well I'm on cloud nine.''

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Nobody untouchable in politics, Sharad Pawar says

NAGPUR: Attending a function where former BJP president Nitin Gadkari rolled out business plan of his Purti Group, NCP president and Union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar said "there are no untouchables in politics".

"There should be no untouchables in politics as well as social work," Pawar said in his address at Gadkari's function held here on Saturday night.

It is recalled that Purti Group came under the scanner last year over reports of investment by shell companies, which eventually led to Gadkari stepping down as BJP president.

On the occasion, Gadkari declared a tie-up with Essar Group for launching 100 petrol pumps across the country which would sell ethanol blended fuel at a price lesser by Rs 2 than being sold by PSU oil companies.

Purti makes ethanol through baggase and other biowaste.

Gadkari said Purti had sponsored a research by a group of IITians for making biofuel mixed aviation turbine fuel.

He also announced Purti Group's foray into commercial LPG marketing as well as battery-operated rickshaws which is aimed at doing away with conventional rickshaws which require physical labour.

"A part of the cost to buy these rickshaws would be borne by the Purti Group and the Deendayal Trust run by it," Gadkari said.

In his address, Pawar praised Gadkari for promoting smaller check dam-like projects as against fund-guzzling huge dams.

"...Take example of Gosikhurd project. It has taken almost 25 years for its benefits to reach the people. Smaller dams on the other hand start giving results in a year's time...Years have gone by but Vidarbha's irrigation woes remain unresolved," said Pawar.

Interestingly, the project, which commenced in 1983 in Bhandara district, has been mired in allegations of corruption and misappropriation of funds which led to massive escalation of costs.

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Israel finds tunnel dug under its Gaza border, blames Hamas

ISRAEL-GAZA BORDER: Israel displayed on Sunday what it called a Palestinian "terror tunnel" running into its territory from the Gaza Strip and said it was subsequently freezing the transfer of building material to the enclave.

"The discovery of the tunnel ... prevented attempts to harm Israeli civilians who live close to the border and military forces in the area," Israeli defence minister Moshe Yaalon said in a statement, accusing Gaza's ruling Hamas Islamist movement of being behind construction of the 2.5-km (1.5 mile)-long tunnel.

There was no claim of responsibility in Gaza but a spokesman for Hamas's armed wing wrote on Twitter that "the determination deep in the hearts and minds of resistance fighters is more important than tunnels dug in the mud".

Hamas, along with other militant groups, tunnelled into Israel in 2006 and seized an Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit, who was held for five years before being exchanged for 1,400 Palestinians in Israeli jails.

The Israeli military said it found the tunnel along its fortified Gaza border last week near a kibbutz, or communal farm. It invited journalists to view it on Sunday.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who launched an eight-day war against militants in the Gaza Strip last November with the declared aim of curbing rocket attacks against Israel, publicly congratulated the army "for uncovering the terror tunnel".

The military said the tunnel, dug in sandy soil, had been reinforced with concrete supports, and Yaalon announced that he was immediately halting the transfer of building material to the Gaza Strip.

For years, Israel had refused to allow these goods into the territory because it said militants would use them to build fortifications and weapons.

In 2010, as part of its easing of its internationally-criticised Gaza blockade, Israel gave foreign aid organisations the green light to import construction material for public projects. Last month, Israel resumed the transfer of cement and steel to Gaza's private sector.

Hamas seized the Gaza Strip in 2007, a year after winning a Palestinian election, from forces loyal to Western-backed President Mahmoud Abbas. The movement is shunned by the West over its refusal to renounce violence and recognise Israel.

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Evil goes up in smoke, gusto marks Dussehra festivities

NEW DELHI: Giant effigies of ten-headed demon king Ravana, his son Meghnad and brother Kumbhakaran went up in flames marking the triumph of good over evil as fervour marked Dussehra festivities across the country today.

Crowds burst into cheers as the fire crackers-stuffed effigies, dotting grounds and open spaces, crackled in fiery splendour at sundown.

With police keeping a hawk-eye vigil, the festivities passed off peacefully in different parts of the country.

Celebrations, however, were low-key in the country's east coast where a cyclone, the country's worst in 14 years, wreaked havoc leaving a trail of destruction.

In Delhi, President Pranab Mukherjee, Vice-President Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress chief Sonia Gandhi were among a large number of dignitaries who saw the evil going up in smoke at Parade and Ramlila grounds.

Dussehra, which also marks the end of scorching summer and heralding of winter, is preceded by nine auspicious days of Navaratri during which devotees pray, fast and feast.

Ramlilas, vivid enactments from the life of Lord Rama, were staged in large parts of the country during the nine days preceding the festival.

A number of fairs were also held on the occasion of Dussehra which also symbolises the triumph of warrior Goddess Durga over buffalo demon Mahishasura.

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