INTERNATIONAL

DGP in trouble over Nithari leak

KOLKATA: West Bengal police chief Anup Bhushan Vohra has been pushed on the back-foot a day after transcripts of an alleged telephonic conversation between two Murshidabad cops and an unidentified caller on the Nithari killings appeared in a daily newspaper.

According to the transcript, the officers probing the unnatural death of Jatin Sarkar, the father of one of the Nithari victims, were under tremendous pressure from the Bengal DGP for "prolonging" the case.

Some top officers have been named as accused in the FIR - including CBI director Vijay Shankar, CBI SP SJM Gillani and an Uttar Pradesh DSP, Dinesh Yadav. When TOI asked Vohra about the transcripts, he said: "I will not comment on it. The inspector-general of police, law and order, will brief you on this."

On his part, I-G (law and order) Raj Kanojia questioned the authenticity of the tape.

"First, forensic tests must be done to see whether the tapes are genuine...I have heard the conversation. But it would be unfair to comment on it without verifying it. Every district police officer has been asked by the DGP to expedite the probe. There is no question of asking any officer to linger with any case."

CBI director Vijay Shankar refused to comment on the matter. So did the two officers - Behrampore IC Dilip Ganguly and DSP (headquarters) Santo Kumar Mitra - whose alleged conversation has triggered the controversy.

Later, only Mitra agreed to speak briefly saying, "We have done no wrong. There is a conspiracy against us." However, Murshidabad district police sources confirmed that both investigators probing Sarkar’s death were under tremendous pressure.

Sarkar’s daughter Pinky was raped and murdered at Moninder Singh Pandher’s D-5 house in Noida in 2006. In a complaint filed before the special court hearing the case in May, 2007, her father had questioned why CBI and UP Police had hidden the "original" statement of Pandher, whose involvement in the serial murders was clear from that statement.

On September 1, 2007, a few days before a crucial hearing, Sarkar was found dead near Gandhi Colony Ghat in Behrampore. Police treated it as an accidental death despite complaints of threats filed by Sarkar’s relatives.

CBI, meanwhile, gave Pandher a clean chit in 10 of the 11 chargesheets it filed - the sole exception being Payal murder case. But legal experts, activists and some of the victims’ families accused CBI of diluting evidence to save Pandher and intimidating witnesses. They, too, found it intriguing that CBI has not produced confessional statements of Pandher and another accused, Surender Koli, in court.

The statements had been recorded by UP Police DSP Dinesh Yadav, who investigated the Payal case, in the presence of a dozen cops and some independent witnesses.

"Two senior police officers have entered into an agreement to save each other," claimed Khalid Khan, the lawyer of some of the Nithari victims.

"But a statement given by Sarkar’s widow Bandana, which was recorded before the magistrate, clearly shows that Vijay Shankar, Gillani and Yadav kept threatening Sarkar," Khan alleged.

Sarkar’s son Sonu, who is now staying with his uncle Uttam Sarkar at Noida, claimed: "The Supreme Court asked the police to give us protection. But now the protection has been withdrawn. Don’t be surprised if we meet the same fate as my father." (Agencies)

Country should have human organ bank, House told

New Delhi: A forceful suggestion was made in the Lok Sabha that India should create Human Organ Bank, Kidney Bank on the lines of Eye Bank, to stop illegal trade in human organ transplantation.

The suggestion came from former union minister and BJP member Maneka Gandhi while expressing concern over the recent expose of a kidney racket.

Describing the racket as ‘tip of an iceberg’, she said there was need to regulate the donation of organs, including kidneys, to protect people being fleeced by touts and uncanny doctors. If a Bank for Human Organ is created on the lines of Eye Bank, it will be possible for people to legally donate their organs.

Ms Maneka said the United States and several European countries have human organ Banks. "Our people go to Singapore for organ transplantation. If we can provide this facility in the country they need not to go abroad," she said.

Replying to the supplementary, Home Minister Shivraj Patil said he had nothing to say as the question pertained to the Health Ministry. The setting up of such a bank would require amendment to the existing law and only the Health Ministry could comment on it.

Mr Patil said an expert committee set up by the government to go into the whole gamut of human trade in the country had submitted its report and was presently under consideration of the Health Ministry.

To a question by Mr Thawarchand Gehlot, BJP, he said 14 persons have so far been arrested for their alleged involvement in illegal organ transplants, including kidney transplants, in cases registered by Haryana police and UP police.

The names are Dr Amit Kumar, Dr Upendra (close associate of Dr Kumar), Dr Saraj Kovind (Anaesthetist), Dr Jeevan Kumar (brother of Dr Kumar), Dr K K Agarwal (Anaesthetist), Gyasuddin and Jagdish Nai (both middlemen for supply of kidneys), Manoj (OT assistant), Mrs Pooja (wife of Dr Jeevan Kumar), Umesh (Driver of Dr Jeevan Kumar), Ms Linda (nurse in RML Hospital, Delhi), Harpal (Driver of Dr Upender), Ramesh and Suresh (cooks of Dr Amit Kumar).

He said in view of the gravity of the alleged criminal offences, the case had been entrusted to the CBI for investigation as it was found that the racket has links abroad. He also conceded that the accused have their bank accounts and property abroad and assured that suitable action would be taken under the law.

The provisions of the Transplantation of Human Organs Act, 1994, contain stringent punishment for the offences of removal of human organs without authority and for commercial dealings in human organs.

Several members expressed anguish that the trade in human organs was continuing because of inadequate punishment given to the offenders of the 1994 legislation. They called for making the law more stringent. (UNI)

Terror groups have bases in Pak : Govt

New Delhi: Most individuals and terrorist groups operating in India have linkages with groups and agencies across the border, mainly in Pakistan and Pakistan occupied Kashmir, government told the Lok Sabha Tuesday.

Replying to questions in the House, Minister of State for Home Sriprakash Jaiswal said Lashker-e-Toiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), Harkat-ul-Jihad-e-Islami (HUJI), Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) and Al-Badr were among the terror groups having international networks.

Security and intelligence agencies closely monitor the activities of such groups and networks and relevant information and inputs in this regard are regularly shared with the state governments, he said.

Close vigilance and surveillance is being maintained on the borders to check and control possible infiltration of terrorist elements in the country, Jaiswal said.

Other measures taken to check infiltration include border fencing or floodlighting and strengthening of arrangements for coastal security, he said.

In view of the external imperatives of the terrorist activities and violence in various parts of the country, action is also being taken at the international level through bilateral and multilateral cooperation to check and counter terrorism and several institutional mechanisms have been developed towards this end, the minister said. (PTI)

After Mumbai, gag order against Raj in Pune too

Pune/Mumbai: After Mumbai, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray, who indulged in an anti-North India campaign, was on Tuesday barred from going public with his speeches in Pune even as more Bollywood actors came out in opposition to the gag order against him.

Pune police restricted Raj from addressing public rallies till March 13 in the city. Raj reached Pune Tuesday and stayed put in his residence there.

"Raj has received a notice today at Pune airport preventing him from holding a rally in Pune," MNS spokesman Shirish Parkar said.

In Mumbai, police served a show cause notice to Raj asking why the gag order against him should not be extended.

The double whammy for Raj came at a time when MNS was planning a rally at Shivaji Park in Mumbai on March 9 on the party’s second foundation day but is yet to get police permission.

"Police has not given permission for the rally and the prevention order is applicable on whole party," Parkar said.

Raj had made inflammatory statements against members of the north Indian community which resulted in incidents of violence across Maharashtra last month.

Mumbai police had barred Raj on February 11 from addressing public rallies or press conferences.

The order was later extended till March 3 and was upheld by the Bombay High Court despite Thackeray challenging it.

Actors Salman, Sohail Khan and Suneil Shetty joined a growing list Bollywood personalities in opposing police ban on Raj from going public with his speech. (PTI)

VHP launches protest against Sethu affidavit

New Delhi: The VHP on Tuesday launched its country-wide rallies to protest government’s fresh affidavit in the Supreme Court seeking clearance to go ahead with Sethusamudram project. A motor-cycle rally comprising several two-wheeler borne youths shouting pro-Hindutva slogans set for Parliament street as a part of the protest but were instead diverted to Raj Ghat by the police, VHP spokesperson Vinod Bansal said. "Country-wide motor-cycle and scooter rallies will also be held on Wednesday as a part of the agitation," he said. VHP leader Giriraj Kishore had asked the government to refrain from getting the stay order vacated so long as the protection of the Ram Sethu, whose origin has triggered a controversy, is not ensured. ‘Sadhus’ would decide the future course of action at a meeting to be held here this week. The details of the movement would be chalked out in a day or two, he added. (PTI)

US wants India to move with both Hyde Act, 123 pact

New Delhi: Amid concerns here over the Hyde Act, the US Tuesday suggested that the "domestic" legislation would have to be taken into account in operation of the civil nuclear cooperation with India.

"The Hyde Act is a domestic legislation and the 123 agreement is an international agreement. I think we can move forward with both in a consistent manner," Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher told reporters here.

Boucher, who discussed the nuclear deal issue with Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon, made the comment when asked by reporters whether the Hyde Act would have any bearing on the Indo-US nuclear cooperation.

The comment came amid concerns voiced by the Left parties and BJP over the Hyde Act despite the government’s insistence that it will have no bearing on the nuclear deal with the US.

The concerns were heightened after US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice said last month that changes in the NSG guidelines, required by India for nuclear commerce with international community, will have to be "completely consistent with the obligations of the Hyde Act".

External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee questioned Rice’s comment in a veiled manner, as he asserted that India’s rights and obligations on civil nuclear cooperation came only from the 123 Agreement.

Left parties, do not buy the government’s argument on Hyde Act and have warned of serious consequences if the deal with the US was operationalised.

The US has reiterated its desire to see the "important and historic" India-US nuclear deal concluded as quickly as possible, saying it would be a shame if this opportunity was lost for any reason.

Washington acknowledged "there are internal political issues for the Indian government to work out, and it’s important that they have an opportunity to do so," State Department spokesman Tom Casey said referring to the Indian Left’s opposition that has stalled the deal.On the other hand, members of US Congress had pointed out difficulties of getting such an agreement through the legislature as the US enters its own election cycle, he said in response to a question about the recent flurry of activity on the issue. (Agencies)

IAF Pilots can take civil jobs

CHANDIGARH: Even as the Indian Air Force (IAF) is facing a severe crunch of trained pilots, it is not averse to its pilots joining the commercial airlines.

"The IAF is allowing its pilots to take up civil jobs," Air Marshall P K Barbora, who is also AOC-I-C Western Command told reporters during his first visit to the Airforce station here after assuming charge.

He, however, said that the IAF was at present short of 1200 odd trained pilots.

"The IAF is allowing only non-active military flying pilots to join the commercial airlines," he said adding that "the IAF has become the avenue of second career option for the trained pilots."

If a commercial pilot is getting an annual salary of Rs three to four lakh per month then he will prefer to join commercial airlines, he said and hoped that the salary of pilots would take a big leap after the sixth pay commission report. (Agencies)

Rally against female foeticide

New Delhi: In order to raise public awareness of female foeticide, a rally was taken out today in the capital which saw participation of MLAs, senior government officials and local representatives.

A large number of women took part in the rally as part of Meri Shakti, Meri Beti campaign launched by Centre for Social Research (CSR) and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and pledged to protect the girl child.

"The shameful practice of sex selective abortions can only be checked when the whole community takes responsibility of protecting the girl child," said Ranjana Kumari, Director CSR.

According to 2001 census, Delhi has 927 girls per 1,000 boys. (PTI)

43 overweight airhostesses grounded

New Delhi: Shed flab or face action seems to be the mantra of state-run airliners with regard to overweight airhostesses as three leading public carriers have grounded 43 out-of-shape stewards.

Indian Airlines and Air India, now merged into one entity, have grounded 22 and 16 overweight airhostesses respectively, while Alliance Air has taken action against five stewards so far, the Government told the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.

"Such cabin crew are asked to reappear for weight check periodically and are assigned flight duty once they conform to the prescribed weight limits," Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel said in a written reply to a question.

He said cabin crew who continue to remain overweight are evaluated by a Medical Board and based on its assessment and recom-mendations, further action is taken as per the Terms of Employment.

To a question on safety, Patel said four incidents of breach of separation, were reported at the Delhi airport last year and steps are being taken to avert recurrence of such incidents. (PTI)

Call us home: Spy tells govt

New Delhi:As Kashmir Singh prepares to return home after 35 years in a Pakistani jail, another Indian national has written to the chief justice with an impassioned appeal that India must own up to "spies" like him who have been languishing in prisons across the border for decades.

Gopal Dass, who was arrested by Pakistani forces on July 27, 1984, and claims to be an Indian spy, sent his letter to Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan on Oct 10 last year from the Mianwali Jail in Pakistan’s Punjab province.

It landed in the chief justice’s court as a vital annexure to a petition accusing the government of callousness in securing the release of about 200 Indians, including prisoners of war, spies and other citizens, imprisoned in various Pakistani jails.

Addressed and delivered to his brother Anand Vir of Faridkot in Punjab, Dass makes a fervent plea: "Dear brother, please tell the apex court judge about us and request him to ask the government why they don’t take back the Indians who have sacrificed themselves for their motherland. Are they not Indian citizens?"

Implicating both India and Pakistan, Dass asks: "How can Indian and Pakistani ministers say that they do not indulge in espionage against each other?"

"It’s known to the entire world that both countries indulge in espionage. Every time a spy is held, it’s reported by the entire media, including the BBC."

Dass says the Indian government has virtually forgotten nearly 200 prisoners like him and goes on to detail the plight of four other prisoners who he says completed their sentence at least five years ago.

The four other co-prisoners identified are "Kashmir Singh, who has just been released after 35 years in Pak jail, "Karmat Rahi, son of Sath Shama of Fateh Gargh Churian in Punjab, Chaman Singh, son of Ujagar Singh of Singoke village under Ram Dass police station (state unknown) and Vijay Kumar, son of Krishna Chand of Mansar village in Jammu".

Legal experts say that the sensitivities involved would mean that the Indian government would always officially deny that it had ever sent any spy to Pakistan. Even Dass’ brother Anand Vir has not identified him as an Indian spy in the petition. (IANS)

Kashmir Singh returns home amid tears and cheers

Wagah-Attari: Indian national Kashmir Singh, who was released on Monday in Lahore after languishing in Pakistani jails for 35 years on a death row, on Tuesday crossed the Wagah border to walk into the loving embrace of his family members amid tears and cheers.

The Indian sepoy, who was the oldest prisoner on death row in Pakistan, was welcomed by his wife Paramjit Kaur with tears in her eyes, his son Shishpal and brother-in-law Trilok Singh and Border Security Force and civil officials.

As he crossed the Radcliffe line to end his 35-year-long ordeal, Kashmir and his wife Paramjit were overwhelmed with emotions.

''Finally, God has accepted the prayers of the family. This is a new birth of my husband. All pain and suffering that I went through is over,'' said Paramjit, who had to work even as a maid to rear her little children--Amarjit Singh, Shishpal Singh and Manjit Kaur, in the absence of her husband.

Kashmir Singh was later examined by a team of doctors from Amritsar.

Earlier, BSF and Pakistan Rangers exchanged Kashmir's repatriation documents.

Kashmir Singh, alias Shallo Singh of Nangal Choran village in Mahilpur block of Hoshiarpur district, was arrested in Rawalpindi on espionage charges in 1973 and was sentenced to death by an Army Court. Later, the death sentence was converted into life imprisonment during the regime of late Benazir Bhutto.

Kashmir Singh who had languished in different jails of Pakistan for a period of 35 years, was released from imprisonment following the acceptance of India's mercy petition on humanitarian grounds by Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf after his cause was taken up by Pakistan Human Rights Minister Ansar Burney.

Mr Burney himself escorted Kashmir Singh from Lahore to the Wagah-Attari border and then supervised his repatriation to India.

The Pakistani minister hugged Kashmir Singh on the zero-line and bade him a farewell.

Singh told reporters there were several Indian prisoners languishing in Pakistan's prisons and that the government should do something to secure their release too.

A Sikh by birth, the bald man with a grey beard crossed over the international border on foot amidst clapping from both sides.

Earlier, as he walked out of Pakistan, a teary eyed Singh was seen off by Burney amidst clapping from scores of people. Punjab minister Bikram Singh Majitha and Hoshiarpur MP Avinash Rai Khanna were the first to greet him on the Indian side.

Singh waved back at his Pakistani friends as he crossed the zero line.

"We had lost all hope of his return. At one stage, we presumed him dead also. We are so happy that he is returning to his family and grandchildren," Kashmir Singh's son Shishpal, 40, told IANS here.

Shishpal was only five years old when his father went missing in Pakistan. (Agencies)

SHILLONG: The State Election Office on Tuesday declared that Meghalaya has recorded 89.05 per cent turnout, highest since the Statehood in 1972, in the elections to the eighth Legislative Assembly.

SHILLONG: Chief Minister DD Lapang on Tuesday denied media reports about his remark on possibility of post-poll alliance between Congress and NCP and said the matter would be decided by the new Congress Legislature Party (CLP) to be formed after declaration of the poll results.

SHILLONG: Members of Baghmara Block of Congress party have resigned from the party en masse in protest against the AICC's decision to allot the party ticket to Arjun Momin ignoring the decision of the Block Congress Committee.

Shillong: In a fresh setback to Mawlai UDP candidate Process T Sawkmie, UDP vice president and veteran politician Standlington David Khongwir has lashed out at Mr Sawkmie for "ignoring" him during the entire election campaign in the constituency.

Shillong: Two persons were injured when a speeding truck dashed a car they were traveling in on Tuesday.

Shillong: Master Debarpan Dhar, a student of BK Bajoria School, Shillong has reached the grand final of the Sa Re Ga Ma Pa of the Zee Bangla Channel. The final will be telecast live on Zee Bangla Channel from 1700 hours on March 9, sources informed on Tuesday.

The decks have been cleared for the Constituent Assembly elections in Nepal on April 10. First, the Maoists won all their demands with a policy of arm-twisting. Then came the agitation of the United Democratic Madhesis Front (UDMF). It observed a fortnight-long strike, which ended with the signing of a deal with Prime Minister G.P. Koirala on behalf of the government. The Front represented three ethnic parties. The strike in the Terai region had cut off supplies to the Kathmandu Valley and other hill areas resulting in an acute shortage of essential commodities and fuel. Talks were held for seven days before the interim government asked the Election Commission to extend the date for filing nominations so that the agitating Madhesis could take part in the elections. According to the deal, all federal units of Nepal , including the Madhesi region will be made autonomous. The deal confers on the Madhesis all rights without compromising the sovereignty and national integrity of the country. Their grievance that they were discriminated against by the hill people will be removed. The agreement includes the provision for increasing seats for Madhesis in the Constituent Assembly from 20 to 30 pc and for the representation of all ethnic groups on a proportional basis. It also says that they will be proportionally recruited by the Nepali army and those killed during the agitation will be declared martyrs. Koirala has assured the Madhesis that the agreement will be implemented in letter and spirit. UDMF leader Mahantha Thakur has urged the government to create an environment for the armed Madhesi groups to embrace peace.

The Madhesis are an ethnic Indian community and being Hindus, have close links with the RSS in India . It was suspected that the deposed King Gyanendra had a base among them and was trying to mobilise their support for a royal restoration. That made bringing them into the democratic mainstream of Nepal all the more necessary. India had been pushing Kathmandu to hold talks with the Madhesis and has welcomed the agreement. New Delhi is committed to the setting up of a democratic republic in Nepal . Ian Martin, Chief of the UN Mission to Nepal and the special representative of the UN Secretary General has also expressed satisfaction. How Maoist leader Prachanda reacts still remains to be seen.

GUWAHATI: Continuing the blame game over inter-state border dispute, Assam has alleged that Meghalaya, among other north-eastern States, encroached upon 13,184.88 hectares of the State's land.

Kohima: High alert has been sounded in Nagaland and the security forces have been maintaining constant vigil in the state in view of the Assembly elections to be held on Wednesday.

Aizawl: An Al-Qaeda suspect was arrested in Zawngling village of Mizoram on February 27, according to a delayed report. The suspect was first arrested on account of his inability to produce an Inner Line Permit (ILP) to the authorities. The suspect, identified as Mohammad Anwar Khan (45), who claims be a resident of Dalgate village in Srinagar, was sent to the Saiha District Court of Mizoram. Police have contacted the Srinagar police for verification of his identity. (NNN)

Kohima: The revised voters' list of Nagaland is being dominated by youngsters in the age group of 18-35 years, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) CJ Ponraj said. Talking to reporters here on Monday, the CEO said the majority of the 13,00,507 electorate, including 6,35,903 women, were in the age group of 18-35 years.

Agartala: Separatist National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) militants kidnapped two surveyors of a public sector undertaking company in Tripura, police said here on Tuesday. "The captives - Ketab Ali, 26 and Arup Das, 28 - were engaged by the National Projects Construction Company Ltd (NPCC) to carry out survey for erecting border fencing in interior parts of Gandacherra in Dhalai district," said police spokesperson Nepal Das. NPCC is a public sector undertaking of the union government. Both the hostages hail from Darrang district of Assam.

NEW DELHI: Bharatiya Krishak Samaj, an organization of farmers, on Tuesday demanded that the entire North-East should be declared as organic zone and its farmers should be provided with subsidy directly since they do not use fertilizers which is subsidized.