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Lara Dutta against children participating in beauty pageant BANGALORE, July 23: Miss Universe Lara Dutta does not support young chidren participating in beauty pageants, saying it would lead to insecurity ....more Execution of EAS in Orissa BHUBANESWAR, July 23: The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has alleged "serious irregularities" in execution of the Employment .....more ISI supports Deendar
Anjuman From B L Kak ST Kitts case trial to resume against Chandraswami, Mamaji NEW DELHI, July 23: The ST Kitts case trial against controversial Godman Chandraswami and his aide K N Aggarwal alias.........more |
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Sikkim CM seeks views from public on political issues GANGTOK, July 23: Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Chamling has now turned to public for their views and suggestions in an effort to find solution to some of the long-standing issues. .........more
Mahajan inaugurates CBI seminar on cyber law NEW DELHI, July 23: NEW DELHI, July 23: The Government has mooted the idea of instituting a National Critical Infrastructure Protection Group (NCIPG) to ensure that sensitive and critical documents of national importance are not tampered .....more Cheating case against Super Cassettes on Shayar’s complaint NEW DELHI, July 23: Police have registered a case against Super Cassettes Ltd, its owners, singers Anuradha Paudwal, Jagjit Singh,........more Cop denies Sanjay’s allegation of using force during probe MUMBAI, July 23: A senior police officer has denied before a designated TADA Court that film star Sanjay Dutt was compelled to make a statement.....more |
Lara Dutta against children participating in beauty pageant BANGALORE, July 23: Miss Universe Lara Dutta does not support young chidren participating in beauty pageants, saying it would lead to insecurity among them. "I don’t support that", Lara said to a question on her maiden visit to Bangalore, where she lived for 17 years, after being crowned the coveted title in May. Asked at a news conference here on her views on beauty pageants featuring children aged around five or six, she said she does not support that. "Little children should not compete with each other (with regard to this type of contests). It will lead to children developing insecurity", she remarked. Lara, who arrived to a warm welcome here last evening, reiterated that she would work on creating awareness on HIV and AIDS. Repeatedly asserting that India needs to understand the gravity of the situation regarding HIV and AIDS, she said "it’s time we start talking about it. It can no longer be pushed under the table". Lara emphasised the need to make primary education compulsory in the country, and said she wants to start a mobile interactive healthcare programme in rural areas, for which she sought assistance from NGOs. Gender inequality is rampant in rural India, she said. Lara said she wants to takes journalism and intends to direct a documentary. Lara expressed regrets over the recent trend of some leading fashion houses in India coming out with Westernised cloths. "Modernisation does not mean Westernisation", she said. Indian cloths and culture is hugely appreciated internationally, she said. Last night, welcoming her, Karnataka Chief Minister S M Krishna, promised to give her a plot of land in the city on behalf of the State Government. (PTI) |
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Execution of EAS in Orissa BHUBANESWAR, July 23: The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has alleged "serious irregularities" in execution of the Employment Assurance Scheme (EAS) in Orissa and suggested a probe into it. Implementation of EAS, a centrally-sponsored programme, in the state was marked by "large-scale malpractice, doubtful payments and employment of a large number of unregistered and fictitious persons," the latest CAG report for the year ended March 31,1999, said. The Central Government contributes 80 per cent of the funds required under the scheme while the remaining 20 per cent is provided by the state. The report said various irregularities in muster rolls and delayed payments had also raised doubts about genuineness of payments. The scheme was being implemented in the state for the last six years with the objective of providing 100 days of gainful employment to the rural poor during the lean agricultural season and to create durable and productive community assets. Pointing out that the reports of employment sent to the Central Government differed significantly from what was reported by the District Rural Development Agencies (DRDAs), the CAG report said the scheme was not monitored at any level. Records in regard to creation of durable assets were not verified by inspection and therefore, their creation was "doubtful," the report said. Stating that a huge amount of scheme funds remained unspent between 1993-94 and 1997-98, the report said no utilisation certificates were furnished by the 30 DRDAs in the state in respect of Rs.527.69 crore received by them during the period. Five executing agencies in Keonjhar district did not spend Rs 2.98 crore received from DRDA, but reported it as spent, the report said. It said against the norm of employment of 100 days per person per year only 5.88 to 45.72 mandays were generated in Jharsuguda and Phulbani districts while in Kalahandi employment generation was less than 10 days per person per year. The number of persons employed out of registered employment seekers came down from 77 per cent in 1995-96 to 22 per cent in 1997-98. While pointing out a number of specific irregularities and violation of norms of drdas in the implementation of eas scheme, the CAG observed that there was no monitoring and inspection at any level by Government or district and block officials. EAS Committes or Vigilance Committees were either not formed or were non-functional, it said. (PTI) |
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ISI supports Deendar
Anjuman From B L Kak Hyderabad, July 23: The Andhra Pradesh police claim to have busted a major Pakistani plan to destabilise south India. With the arrest of some more activists of Dendar Anjuman in Hyderabad and Krishna districts and their undisclosed revelations to their interrogators, the State’s Director-General of Police, Mr HJ Dora, seems to accept the ‘finding’ that their game-plan was to destabilise south India. The most sensational disclosure by the captured activists: Their sect leader, who was in Mardan in Pakistan, had planned to "invade" India next year with the help of 9 lakh Pathans. Deendar Anjuman is headed by Zia-ul-Hassan, a Pakistani national. Disclosure number two: Zahid Pasha, son of Zia-ul-Hassan, who supervised the execution of the blasts at a Christian congregation in Machilipatnam on may 21, a Ram temple at Vijayawada and churches in Ongole and Tedepalligudem on June 8 and a mosque in Guntur in June 25, had successfully managed to flee India the next day. Mr HD Dora said in an interview that while Deendar Hydderabad branch secretary, Jaleel Chowdhury, who is also the son-in-law of Zia-ul-Hassan, the Pakistan-based founder of the sect, and Hyderabad propagation secretary, Wajudulla were nabbed at Hyderabad, Haniff alias Anwar of Nuzvid, Deendar’s Vijayawada unit treasurer, Mastan, and another member, Farid by name, were arrested at different places in Krishna district. Mr Dora revealed that some of the members of Deendar Anjuman, including Anwar and Nazamuddin, had been to Pakistan for arms training. Haniff and seven others, he added, had broken open a nationalised bank in Krishna district in February last and decamped with Rs 7 lakhs in cash to fund their activities. The Director-General of Police said that they had spent Rs 1 lakh for their ‘spiritual’ leader in Mardan in Pakistan and had advanced Rs 50,000 to a non-resident Indian (NRI) in Saudi Arabia to purchase a farm house at Chekkapalli in the Krishna district for imparting training to their activistis in the use of arms. According to Mr Dora, explosives and religious literature as well as some documents were seized from Farid and Mastan. Questioning of various ISI suspects have revealed that the Deendar Anjuman’s activists have spread their activities to the States of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Goa, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. The normal strategy of some of the cult members is to lure members of the other religions to its fold by claiming that "all religions are one and the same". But thereafter the cult members try to "brainwash" the members of the other community that Islam is still superior to others. In fact, the Andhra Pradesh police chief had himself gone on record that members of the sect were "fierce fundamentalists". Investigating officials said that clues obtained so far pointed to the Deendar Anjuman’s links with a Pakistani militant organisation, ‘Fidiyan’, which was carrying out subversive activities in the country. On the other hand, the Deendar Anjuman sect continued to maintain that it had no role in the recent blasts at the churches and religious places in Andhra but did not rule out the possibility of "some misguided elements" associated with the sect as having triggered them. General secretary of the Anjuman, Maulana Jaffar Sadiq Aser, told EXCELSIOR: "Deendar Anjuman is investigating charges against all the persons who have been arrested or detained by the police. If they are found guilty of any charge, they would be expelled from the Anjuman". |
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ST Kitts case trial to resume against Chandraswami, Mamaji NEW DELHI, July 23: The ST Kitts case trial against controversial Godman Chandraswami and his aide K N Aggarwal alias Mamaji will begin here tomorrow after a gap of about four months. Chandraswami and Mamaji are facing trial in the case for allegedly forging certain documents to tarnish the image of former Prime Minister V P Singh. Special Judge Ajit Bharihoke is expected to resume recording of prosecution evidence against the accused. Ten prosecution witnesses have been examined so far in the case. The court had framed charges of forgery and criminal conspiracy against Chandraswami and Mamaji for allegedly fabricating a bank document to show that V P Singh’s son Ajeya Singh had opened an account in the First Trust Corporation, a private bank in St Kitts Islands, in 1986 and deposited 21 million dollars there. The High Court had in December last year dismissed the appeals filed by CBI and Chandraswami and cleared the decks for commencement of trial while ruling that the trial court had rightly framed charges against the Godman and his aide. CBI has challenged the High Court order in the Supreme Court saying the material gathered during the investigation clearly established that former Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao and former Union Minister K K Tewary were party to the conspiracy to tarnish the image of V P Singh. The Supreme Court on July 17 issued notices to Rao and Tewary on CBI’s Special Leave Petition asking them to file their replies within four weeks. (PTI) |
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Cop denies Sanjay’s allegation of using force during probe MUMBAI, July 23: A senior police officer has denied before a designated TADA Court that film star Sanjay Dutt was compelled to make a statement during sustained interrogation in the serial blast case seven years ago. Deposing before designated judge Pramod Kode on July 21, senior Inspector Suresh Walishetty also refuted allegations that the actor had refused to make such a statement after he was compelled to do so. He told defence counsel Rajendra Singh Durihat Sanjay was interrogated in a closed room in the office of police commissionerate in South Mumbai on April 19, 1993, because passers-by often peeped inside. Asked who were the passers-by in the police commissionerate, the witness replied they were reporters, canteen boys and visitors who peeped in to have a look at the actor. To a question, he replied the door of the room - where Sanjay was being interrogated - was closed to keep him away from the prying eyes of the public and thereby avoid. He denied that other accused were being tortured in front of sanjay and refuted allegations of the defence counsel that some co-accused were being physically hammered in the adjoining rooms. To another question, the Inspector said he was interrogating Sanjay every day between April 19 to 26 but he did not make a record of each and every statement made by the actor. To another question, the police officer denied that constables gathering in the room - where Sanjay Dutt was interrogated - were carrying ‘Bol Patta’ or belts with the letter inscribed ‘Bol’. However, Inspector Walishetty admitted that in the First Information Report (FIR) he had not mentioned about his visit to co-accused Yusuf Nalwalla’s house along with Sanjay on April 19, 1993. This fact was omitted because it was not told to him by Assistant Police Inspector (API) R R Joshi. ‘It is true that I had dictated the complaint but this was done after the details were narrated to me by API Joshi. I had gathered that while narrating the details, API Joshi had missed two facts’, he told Sanjay’s counsel. The witness agreed to the defence lawyer’s suggestion that both the facts were important and pertinent to the case because they were the origin of other events which occurred on the same day. The Inspector also agreed that he had dictated the first information report to the typist but this was done as per the say of API Joshi. To a question, the witness revealed that he had recorded several first information repo he was aware that all important facts should be mentioned therein. It is the prosecution’s case that Yusuf, childhood friend of Sanjay, had picked up AK-56 rifle and a pistol from the actor’s house in Bandra on his instructions and gave it to his friend for destruction. While ak-56 was melted in a foundary, the pistol was preserved in a sealed cover with another friend. (PTI) |
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