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Some
‘pro-India’ leaders in J&K working for ISI From B L Kak NEW DELHI, Nov 1: The Government has ordered the Army and paramilitary personnel deployed in the troubled districts of Rajouri and Poonch in Jammu province to further tighten security and launch long-range patrolling along the Line of Control (LoC) to render ineffective Pakistani troops’ desperate attempts to push armed infiltrators and subversives into the Indian territory. The drive to organise fresh infiltration of militants and mercenaries into the sensitive districts of Rajouri and Poonch was launched after several hundred J&K-bound trained anti-Indians pitched themselves across Balakot in Poonch and in Kotli and Bhimber across Manjakot and Nowshera in Rajouri. The Government of India’s orders for "prompt and effective" measures against any violation of the LoC and infiltration by the "enemy" came after a high-level meeting in New Delhi. The meeting took place after the Military Intelligence (MI), Intelligence Bureau (IB) and the Border Security Force’s intelligence agency, better known as BSF (G), in their identical reports, highlighted the "hectic" activity across the Poonch-Rajouri border. And the activity, reports pointed out, was loaded with "anti-India accent". In other words, Pakistani troops continued to be under orders to facilitate the passage of additional men and material into the Indian territory via the LoC in Poonch and Rajouri districts. If the BSF (G)’s information in this connection is any guide, more than 8,000 trained militants and terrorists have already arrived in different camps in Pak-controlled territory across Poonch and Rajouri. Field intelligence units (FIUs) of the MI and the IB have also informed their higher-ups that militants, imported mercenaries and subversives, whose number can be "anywhere between 5,000 and 7,000", are waiting "on the other side" for an opportunity to make inroads into the districts of Poonch and Rajouri. The urge of Pakistan-sponsored ultras to be in these two districts sooner than later is, obviously, the product of the ISI’s gameplan to ensure further increase in the available strength of anti-India militants and mercenaries in the Udhampur district and Kashmir valley. Poonch is flanked by the districts of Baramulla and Pulwama of Kashmir valley in the north-east, illegally occupied areas of J&K by Pakistan in the north-west and by the Rajouri district in the south. And Rajouri district is flanked by Poonch district in the north, Jammu district in the south, Udhampur district in the east and Pakistan occupied Kashmir (Mirpur sector) in the west. According to sources in the Home Ministry, members of a field intelligence unit have, in their report, portrayed an alarming picture vis-à-vis the clandestine involvement of "at least seven political leaders" belonging to the districts of Rajouri, Poonch and Doda in "certain activities aided and abetted by the Pakistani ISI. Certain portions of the Equally sensational is the ‘finding’ in the report: "These unreal pro-India leaders-three from Rajouri district and two each from Poonch and Doda districts-have, in the past one decade or so, built huge cash reserves for themselves as a result of their nexus with the ISI and its operatives. More disturbing than this is the flow of money from them to two J&K Ministers and a set of security and police personnel from time to time". According to the report, beneficiaries "also include at least some officials of the Army, BSF, J&K Police and Rashtriya Rifles". One of these officials, who was not long ago transferred from Kashmir to Rajouri after allegations against him for harassing "some pretty women", received what the report cryptically termed as " hefty kickbacks" from one of the pro-ISI political leaders of Rajouri. |
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India’s fiscal deficit down 19 per cent Excelsior Special Correspondent NEW DELHI, Nov 1: The fiscal deficit of the country has, in the first half of the current financial year, witnessed a 18. 71 per cent decline on the backs of higher revenue receipts and tight expenditure control. The deficit, in absolute terms, stood at Rs 42,592 crores during April-September period as against Rs 52,395 crores in the same period last year. Finance Ministry officials reckon that a clear indication on whether the Government would be in a position to rein in fiscal deficit at the targeted level of 5.1 per cent of the gross domestic product (GDP) will be known only before the end of December. The fiscal deficit, according to the estimates by the Controller General of Accounts (CGA), in the first half amounted to 38.3 per cent of the estimate for the full fiscal year. This is in contrast to April-September 1999 when fiscal deficit amounted to 65.5 per cent of the budgeted target of Rs 79,955 crores. The fiscal deficit in September this year stood at Rs 6,145 crores as against Rs 4,269 crores in September 1999, up by nearly 44 per cent. Revenue receipts of the exchequer during the first half ended September stood at Rs 82,898 crores as against Rs 68,463 crores in the same period last year, up by 21 per cent. Of this, tax revenues grew by around 21.08 per cent to touch Rs 54,082 crores in the first half of the current financial year as against Rs 47,427 crores last year. The mop-up during April to September amounted to 37 per cent of the budgeted target. Non-tax revenues registered a greater buoyancy to touch Rs 28,816 crores . Total receipts stood at Rs 87,523 crores as compared to Rs 72,197 crores, logging a 21.2 per cent growth. Total expenditure, on the other hand, grew by 4. 43 per cent to touch Rs 130,115 crores. The marginal increase is reflected in the higher interest payment outgo which stood at Rs 38,105 crores as compared to Rs 36,883 crores. Meanwhile, the Group of Ministers (GoM) constituted to explore the means of liquidating excess foodgrain stocks in the Central pool has deferred a decision on further reduction in the issue prices of foodgrains supplied to the below-poverty-line (BPL) segment. In its meeting, the GoM, which is headed by the Home Minister, Mr LK Advani, has directed the Ministry of Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution to work out the administrative mechanism for implementing its proposal to supply grains to the "poorest of the poor" at Rs 2 per kg for wheat and Rs 3 per kg of rice, as against the regular BPL prices of Rs 4.15 per kg and Rs 5.65 per kg respectively. The Ministry has also mooted allocating 25 kg of grains per month to the "poorest of the poor" families compared to the normal BPL quota of 20 kg per family. The Antodaya scheme of offering grains at rates even below the existing BPL prices is expected to cost the exchequer Rs 1,158 crores in the remaining months of the current financial year by way of additional consumer subsidy. Mr Shanta Kumar, the Minister for Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution, has pointed out that if the Antodaya scheme enables the Food Corporation of India (FCI) to off-load some of its excess stocks, the savings in carrying costs would more than offset the additional consumer subsidy implication of the scheme. The FCI’s total foodgrain stocks, as on October 1 this year, amounted to 40. 06 million tonnes, more than double the stipulated minimum buffer norm of 18.1 million tonnes for that date. The Finance Ministry has, however, argued against projecting the scheme as being intending primarily at liquidating the FCI’s excess stocks. |
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| Prosecution of Azhar, Sharma under
PCA not ruled out: CBI NEW DELHI, Nov 1: The CBI does not rule out prosecution of former skipper Mohammed Azaruddin and Ajay Sharma under Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA) for allegedly receiving huge sums of money from bookies in match-fixing as they were "public servants". Special Director G Achari, who was overall incharge of the investigations into the match-fixing scandal, told PTI "we will pursue the case against the two players under PCA and we will not allow the matter to rest." "We are gathering more evidence against these two players and are waiting for more inputs from income tax authorities," he said adding "at some stage we may call them for further questioning, though not for the time being." Asked whether it would result in filing of an FIR, he said that would depend on the evaluation of the total evidence gathered and "if the case becomes worth pursuing in a court of law". However, Achari expressed CBI’s inability to proceed against others named in its report - Ajay Jadeja, Nayan Mongia, Manoj Prabhakar and former physiotherapist Ali Irani - saying the cases against them were time barred. The Gambling (Prohibition) Act provides a time limit of six months from the date of commission of the offence for the investigating agency to register a case. On continuance of the probe in the match-fixing case, he said CBI would now have a "restricted role" due to limitation period barrier. Asked whether there was any political pressure on the investigating agency during the probe, Achari said "we had a free hand and there was no political pressure on us at all." Asked whether transfer of huge sums of foreign exchange, including through hawala channel, by bookies constituted an offence under Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), Achari said "it is for the Enforcement Directorate to consider whether such a case is made out against the bookies." CBI had referred its probe report to former Supreme Court Judge Justice M K Mukherjee and Solicitor General Harish Salve to get their expert legal opinion on "whether the facts disclosed in the enquiry are sufficient to institute a case for any criminal offence" Though Justice Mukherjee ruled out a case of cheating against the players, on Azharuddin and Sharma, he said "the two players may be said to have committed offences under Section 13(1(D)(I) of Prevention of Corruption Act". "The two players may also be proceeded against under Section 13(1)(E) of the Act if and when sufficient materials are collected to fulfil the requirements thereof (sections of PCA)," Justice Mukherjee said. Considering the provisions of Indian Penal Code specially "cheating", Justice Mukherjee said "it is difficult to hold, on the basis of materials collected during inquiry, that a case of cheating has been made out." Ruling out booking of players on the charge of cheating, the former Supreme Court judge said "however reprehensible the conduct of the players concerned may be, it cannot be brought within the parameters of ‘cheating’ as defined in the Indian Penal Code." CBI said technically cases under PCA could be registered against Azharuddin and Sharma but added "looking at the issue in totality, the question of registration of a case under Sections 13(1)(D)(I) and (III) (Criminal Misconduct) is under evaluation". Reproducing the legal opinions, the CBI report said "thus, from the opinions, it is evident that, the facts disclosed in the inquiry do not constitute any offence under the provisions of IPC or Gambling Act." Regarding case against players under disproportionate assets, the investigating agency clarified that "the CBI inquired only into the issue of match-fixing and related malpractices and did not conduct detailed investigations into the assets of the players." "However, relevant information available with CBI was shared with the income tax authorities for appropriate action," the probe report said. CBI said the report was discussed in detail with the Solicitor General Harish Salve "who has scanned the evidence and is in broad agreement that no criminal charges under cheating or the Gambling Act can be filed against anyone because of nebulous position of law in this regard." Salve also felt that there was no point in proceeding against the players due to "improbability of investigating agency being able to obtain sufficient legal evidence." (PTI) |
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Muthiah called to meet on
Nov 3 NEW DELHI, Nov 1: Emphasising that guilty will not be spared, Union Sports Minister Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa said here today that he has called Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president A C Muthiah on Friday to discuss what action can be taken against the five players following their indictment by the CBI. Addressing a crowded press conference in which he released the 162 page report on cricket match fixing and related malpractices, Dhindsa said his Ministry is already in touch with the Law and Home Ministries seeking their views before taking any further action. Admitting that report was leaked much before the official release, Dhindsa said the reputation of the innocent players will be safeguarded and protected. He said he will discuss the charges levelled against the BCCI by the CBI in its report with Mr Muthiah on Friday. Asked if he thought that any good will come out of this report, the minister said yes I think for the time being there will be no match fixing. He said the report should be an eye opener for other sports federations. I will hold discussion with the officials of other federations also to see that such things don’t take place in their games . The minister said if need be a law could be made enacted to stop such wrongdoings in sports. Asked why were the names of players mentioned in the CBI report without any "clinching" evidence against them, Dhindsa said he was none to comment on this aspect. However, he said in future the Government would take all necessary precautions and enact all required laws to prevent occurrence of such malpractices in the field of sports, especially cricket. "For this purpose, I have also called a meeting of presidents of the various sports federations on November 22 to discuss the issue and take their suggestions in framing appropriate rules," he said. "Once, an action plan is finalised with the consultation of the Ministries of Law and Home, BCCI and other bodies, the same will be enforced strictly," the Sports Minister said. He said from the report, his preliminary assessment was that "there is a lot of scope for reforming and restructuring the sports organisations". Asked about his view on the tainted players, Dhindsa said he still maintained that exemplary punishment should be given to those found guilty. CBI report has named several Indian and foreign players and expressed concern that the betting syndicate stood the danger of being taken over by mafia and suggested immediate measures to prevent such a possibility. (PTI) |
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NEW DELHI, Nov 1: The one-day international between India and Pakistan in Jaipur last year, which the visitors won by 143 runs, was among the matches fixed by Mohammed Azharuddin, according to the CBI report. CBI says that the former Indian skipper had told it that he accepted money from bookie M K Gupta but did not underperform in most of the matches in which he had taken money. Azharuddin is quoted by the agency as having stated that the Titan Cup match between India and South Africa at Rajkot in 1996, which also the hosts lost, was fixed through Mukesh Gupta and revealed that teammates Ajay Jadeja and Nayan Mongia were also involved along with him. Azharuddin also said that a match in the Pepsi Asia Cup in Sri Lanka in 1997 was also fixed through M K Gupta, the CBI report said, without specifying which match. In the Pepsi Cup match played at Jaipur on March 24, last year, Pakistan won the toss and electing to bat, made 278 for nine with mainly a knock of 95 by opener Saeed Anwar. Burly Inzamam-ul-Haq chipped in with a useful 43. Leg spinner Anil Kumble was the most successful Indian bowler with 4/58 followed by pace bowler Javagal Srinath with 2/39. Set an asking rate of 5.6 runs per over, the Indians were bundled out 135 in just 36.1 overs to lose the match by 143 runs. The highest scorer for the home team was Ajay Jadeja, one of the two former India captains mentioned in the CBI report. Azharuddin, the man in the eye of the storm, got out for just one run while Pakistani off spinner Arshad Khan claimed 3/22. In the Titan Cup at Rajkot on October 29, 1996, India were all out for 185 in 48.1 overs and South Africa hit up 188 for five in 48.4 overs to emerge victors by five wickets. (PTI) |
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6 houses damaged in Pak
shelling in Machhil Excelsior Correspondent SRINAGAR, Nov 1: While as one militant and a civilian have got killed in different militancy-related incidents across Kashmir valley since last evening. half-a-dozen residential houses have been damaged in Pakistani troops’ shelling in Machhil sector of Kupwara district. Official sources told EXCELSIOR that on a tip-off, troops of Rashtriya Rifles 22 Bn conducted a cordon-and-search operation at Potkhah Muqam in Kreeri-Sopore belt of north Kashmir. During the operation, exchange of fire took place between a militant and security forces. As the house of one Abdul Ahad Dar suffered extensive damage, one militant got killed. The fake identity card recovered from his pocket described him as Maulvi Ghulam Hassan Sheikh S/o Abdul Ahad Sheikh of Sadpora Sopore. However, his name "Muzzamil" was found inscribed on his AK-56 rifle. He was later identified as a Pakistani cadre of Lashkar-e-Toiba. Unofficial reports said that one soldier, Naik Rajinder Singh, sustained injuries in the encounter and he was rushed to hospital for medical treatment Reports from south Kashmir said that during last night, militants intruded into the house of one Ghulam Hassan Dar S/o Abdus Salam Dar at Sunsum village near Achhabal and shot him dead. He was described as a civilian. Reports from Kupwara said that Pakistani troops directed heavy artillery fire in Machhil sector, close to LoC. Even as nobody was reported injured, four residential houses were damaged at Ring Balla and two more at Ring Payeen. Two watermills were also destroyed. Militants caused an IED blast at Radbugh on Handwara-Kupwara road at 1315 hours today but the targetted vehicles of the security forces had already crossed the particular point and there was no damage. Here in the capital city, militants lobbed a hand grenade on a picket of BSF 63 Bn at Zarrab Khana Saraf Kadal, in downtown and one soldier, namely Santosh Rathore sustained injuries. He was rushed to hospital for treatment. Militants lobbed another hand grenade on BSF at Gulshan Mohalla, Badamwari, at 2015 hours this evening. It could not be ascertained whether anybody had got killed or injured in the attack. However, reports said that the civilians of the locality were taken out for searches and identification parade. Seven civilians, including four women, had sustained splinter injuries when militants had tossed a hand grenade on a BSF picket at Bashhpora in the city outskirts on Tuesday afternoon. |
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Brakpora, Pahalgam
probe reports Excelsior Special Correspondent SRINAGAR, Nov 1: Even as two different yardsticks have been adopted by the investigators, almost all the sections of opinion in Kashmir valley have expressed satisfaction over the inquiry reports on Brakpora and Pahalgam shootouts, albeit for different reasons. There has been no significant reaction from the ruling National Conference immediately. Nevertheless, two legislators — MLA Kokernag Syed Abdur Rasheed and MLA Shangus Abdul Majeed Mir — congratulated the Chief Minister in their statements and hailed the outcome of the inquiries and acceptance of all the recommendations as an achievement of their party’s Government. Similarly, the major separatist oufits and alliances like Hurriyat Conference and Shabir Shah’s Democratic Freedom Party are yet to come out with a formal reaction. Still, the formidable militant organisation Hizbul Mujahideen today expressed satisfaction that Police and paramilitary forces had been found responsible for both the incidents. "We feel vindicated", said the Hizb Statement. The Hizb Statement described it as a vindication of the outfit’s claim that only Indian security forces and the State Police were "invariably" behind such incidents of firing. Government’s stooges, it said, enact such dramas for the appeasement of their masters who place all such things in the militants’ account and sully their image. The purpose, according to Hizb, was to sabotage the efforts of peaceful solution to the Kashmir problem. The Hizb spokesman claimed that the two inquiries, conducted by a retired Supreme Court of India judge and Corps Commander of Kashmir valley, had left no room for any doubt that all the massacres from Chittisinghpura to Pahalgam and Wandhama to Doda, Udhampur and Surankote were the handiwork of the security forces and Police. "The probes have facilitated the process of finding the reasons behind all other carnages", said the Hizb Statement. The spokesman sounded jubilant that the "reality has been unravelled at last". However, he has taken strong exception to the Chief Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah’s crticism on the Army Chief Gen Padmanabhan and the senior BSF official P C Joshi who had lately asserted that Kashmir had only a political solution and it could never be settled militarily. Interestingly, the Hizb spokesman is all praise for the two major heads of the India armed forces who, according to him, had shown realisation of the fact and reality and counselled their Government to take majors in the direction of Kashmir’s political solution. "Messers Padmanabhan and Joshi have done justice to their place and position by telling their nation truth as they are both members of a free society and system. On the other hand, Dr Farooq Abdullah has failed to realise the ground realities as he is a slave", says the Hizb circular. It urges the Government of India to "take seriously" the truthful statements of the two most responsible heads of security forces and ponder over a political and stable resolution of the Kashmir crisis. State vice president of BJP and former Lok Sabha member Abdur Rasheed Kabuli has hailed the reports for a different reason. In his statement, Kabuli described the two investigation reports as "victory of truth, justice and democratic process". He argued that in case the Government would have taken cognizance of Chittisinghpura in time, incidents like Brakpora and Pathribal would not have occurred. Welcoming the Government’s decision to order thorough investigation of Chittisinghpura and Pathribal, Mr Kabuli said that the NC Government should have accepted moral responsibility of the two carnages and stepped down from office. Yet another section of the local population is baffled why "different yardsticks" had been adopted in the two inquiries. It is being pointed out that one SSP is placed under continuous suspension for two firing incidents in his district -- though he has been exonerated by Pandian Commission -- but "scapegoats" are put on the altar at Pahalagam as the Government has "some weakness" for the officers during whose term and presence at the spot, 32 pilgrims, civilians and policemen died at Pahalgam on August 1 last. |
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Youth hurt in attack on
CISF camp Excelsior Correspondent RAMBAN, Nov 1: Continuing their offensive against Pakistan-sponsored foreign mercenaries, the troops of Delta Force today eliminated two more dreaded militants in village Chambalwas in Banihal tehsil of Doda district but lost one more jawan in the gun-battle. Defence sources said a massive search and cordon operation undertaken by army in Mangat, Chambalwas and surrounding villages of Banihal, in which troops had already eliminated 12 militants, met with another success this morning when they spotted a group of militants moving in the village Chambalwas and asked them to surrender. However, the militants fled towards a hilly area where they took positions and opened firing on approaching columns of Delta Force. Army jawans returned the firing and chased militants in the heights. After more than two hour long hide and seek battle, army jawans succeeded in killing two militants. An army jawan, who was instrumental in the killing of two militants, lost his life in the exchange of firing. He was fourth army jawan to sacrifice his life in the ongoing gun-battles in Banihal tehsil for the last four days while the number of militants killed in the encounter has gone upto 12, majority of them being the foreign mercenaries from Pakistan. Meanwhile, Doda police have arrested four militants and their harbourers from different places across the district, police sources said. They said police raided village Zaidier and captured a militant identified as Mehraj-ud-Din son of Aziz Mohd, a resident of Zaidier, Doda. Another militant identified as Khurshid Ahmed son of Ghulam Mohd Malik surrendered before police alongwith one buoynet, one IED and one grenade. Doda police also arrested two upper ground workers of the militants identified as Bashir Malik, an employee of R&B Department son of Fateh Mohd and Nazir Ahmed son of Ghulam Ali, both resident of village Zaidier. A binocular, one grenades, 63 rounds of AK-47 and one IED was recovered from the house of Bashir Ahmed. Police said all four arrested militants and their harbourers were being subjected to sustained questioning to extract clues from them about militants’ activities. A case has been registered against all of them. Meanwhile, a mysterious youth last night raised anti-national slogans and started running towards the main gate of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) office at village Semna in Kishtwar tehsil of Doda district. Sentry on duty at CISF office asked the youth to stop but he paid no heed and continued to run towards the camp. He also disclosed that 17 more militants were following him. The Sentry of CISF opened firing causing injuries to the youth who was later identified as Shahid Iqbal son of Javed Iqbal Zargar, a resident of village Semna, Kishtwar. The injured has been hospitalised. Police said the facts will be ascertained only when a statement of the injured youth was recorded. |
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Two militants, civilian, jawan killed in Rajouri Excelsior Correspondent RAJOURI, Nov 1: Two militants, an army jawan and a civilian were killed in two encounters at Laa and Sam Samad under the jurisdiction of Thanna Mandi police station in this district overnight. Of three militants killed in Nadli village of Surankote yesterday, one has been identified as Aamir Khan, a district commander of Masood Azhar’s Jaish-e-Mohammed outfit. According to official sources a group of unidentified militants opened firing on a patrol party of Rashtriya Rifles at village Laa, about 15 kms from here under the jurisdiction of Thanna Mandi police station late last night. Army’s patrol party took positions and returned the firing. In the heavy exchange of firing an army jawan was seriously injured while a civilian, who was returning to his house, got killed. Militants managed to escape taking cover of darkness. The injured jawan identified as Naik Babu Singh was rushed to hospital where he succumbed to his injuries this evening. The deceased civilian, whose body was recovered from the scene of encounter in the morning, was identified by the local people as Tulla Gujjar, a resident of village Laa. Army of Thanna Mandi Brigade, part of Romeo Force, has stepped-up searches in Laa and surrounding forests to track down the militants involved in attack on RR patrol. However, they couldn’t be traced till late this evening. Sources said the number of militants, who attacked army patrol, was around four to five. Meanwhile, troops of Thanna Mandi Brigade launched a search operation in village Sam Samad, about eight kms from here at 0830 hours today after getting an information from local people that two militants had taken shelter in a house since last night and were threatening the villagers. Troops swiftly cordoned off the village and encircled a house of one Mohd Abdullah where the militants were hiding. One of the militants suddenly came out of the house, opened indiscriminate firing on the jawans and tried to escape. He was shot dead by army personnel. Troops then blasted the house of Mohd Abdullah where another militant was hiding killing him on the spot. There was no casualty of army in the exchange of firing. Identity of slain militants couldn’t be established immediately. From their possession, army recovered two assault rifles and some ammunition. Meanwhile, one of the three militants, who were killed yesterday in an encounter with army at Nadli, Surankote, has been identified as Aamir Khan, a Pakistani and ‘district commander’ of Jaish-e-Mohammed outfit for Poonch. A civilian, who was also killed in the cross-firing, was identified as Raqib, a local of Nadli. |
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Two accused arrested Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Nov 1: Trikuta Nagar police have arrested two shopkeepers from Narwal locality and unearthed a racket involved in black-marketing of kerosene oil. A large quantity of kerosene oil approximated 2500 litres, kept for black-marketing in the shops, was also seized by police. Police sources said police parties of Trikuta Nagar police station and Narwal police post raided two shops of Sham Lal Arun Kumar and Yashpal son of Harbans Lal, both located at Narwal Chowk. From the shop of Sham Lal Arun Kumar, police seized five cans of 40 litres each totaling 200 litres. Shop owner Arun Kumar Gupta son of Sham Lal Gupta, a resident of Channi Himmat was taken into custody by police. On the basis of Arun Gupta’s questioning at police station , police raided his residence in Sector No. 2 of Channi Himmat and found a huge stock of kerosene oil dumped there which include six barrels, each containing 200 litres and 10 cans, each containing 40 litres. The entire stock was seized. In total, 1800 litres of kerosene oil was recovered from shop and residence of Arun Gupta, the sources said. Another raid was conducted by same police at a kiryana shop owned by Yashpal son of Harbans Lal at Narwal Chowk from where approximated 700 litres of kerosene oil was seized. Police parties which raided both shops and seized kerosene oil were led by SHO Trikuta Nagar police station Shahid Pervez and Narwal police post Incharge Rajesh Sharma. A police spokesman said both these shopkeepers were not authorised to sell kerosene oil as they had no license to do so. The huge quantity of kerosene oil was stored illegally in the shop and was meant for sale in the shops at exhorbitant rates, thus fleecing the consumers to earn illegal profits. |
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NEW DELHI, Nov 1: Rajghat, the samadhi of father of the nation Mahatma Gandhi, was the venue for bribing a groundsman to prepare a tailor-made pitch as per the instructions of a bookie for a test match between India and Australia in 1996, CBI said in its probe report. Ram Adhar, working as groundsman at Ferozeshah Kotla, was contacted by Ajay Sharma 3-4 days before the match and told him to meet at Rajghat, the report said. Adhar, in his testimony before CBI, said he met Sharma and another person on the appointed day, where he was paid Rs 50,000 by Sharma "to prepare the pitch in such a way that it was result oriented." "Accordingly, he had prepared the pitch and the test match concluded in just three and half days," CBI said. Bookie M K Gupta, the probe report said, has stated that "he got a result-oriented pitch prepared in connivance with Ajay Sharma and Ram Adhar. "Sharma concedes that he received Rs three lakhs from MK for this arrangement and he paid Rs 50,000 to Adhar," the report added. (PTI) |
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T R Prasad takes over as Cabinet Secy NEW DELHI, Nov 1: T R Prasad today took over as the new Cabinet Secretary succeeding Prabhat Kumar who retired after a two-and-a-half year tenure in the key bureaucratic post. Prasad, a 1963 batch IAS officer from Andhra Pradesh cadre, had been appointed Officer-on-Special-Duty (OSD) in the Cabinet Secretariat on October 20 last, prior to which he was the Defence Secretary. He has served in various capacities including holding the Post of Secretary, Heavy Industry, Chairman of Maruti Udyog Limited and Chairman of Foreign Investment Promotion Board. Kumar, who is a IAS batchmate of Prasad, will be assuming charge as Governor of the new State of Jharkhand which comes into being on November 15. (PTI) |
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7 year old boy offered as human sacrifice MORENA (MP), Nov 1: A woman and her parents were arrested on charges of murdering a seven-year-old boy to beget a child in Sothwagaon village in Shyopur district here, police said today. They said the woman, Ramdwarika, had come to her parents house in the village after she failed to conceive a child. On Monday night, she alongwith her parents kidnapped Laxman, son of a neighbour while he was asleep, to offer him as a ‘human sacrifice’ to appease the gods. The body of the boy, with injury marks, was later found in her backyard along with the material used for "puja and hawan", police added. (PTI) |
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NCC cadets exempted from UPSC test for entry into forces NEW DELHI, Nov 1: In a bold move to step up lagging recruitment drive in the armed forces, Government today gave green signal to a proposal to allow National Cadet Corp (NCC) cadets holding "C" certificates direct entry into army through Services Selection Board. The Central Advisory Committee, which met here, approved the scheme making NCC cadets holding "C" certificates exempt from UPSC written tests while seeking entry into the Indian Military Academy (IMA) and appear for Services Selection Board directly. Thus the Army has joined Navy and Air Force to exempt cadet with "C" certificates from UPSC written examination and the step will enhance recruitment particularly in officer stream in the Army. According to Army’s own internal assessment, it is facing a shortage of almost 13,000 officers and the gap is increasing every year causing concern among top brass. The 40th meeting of the Advisory Committee of the NCC also approved conversion of 81 soft non-military stations to hard non-military stations as part of austerity drive. The step would entitle service personnel on deputation with NCC to get with educational and medical facilities. (PTI) |
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Ram temple will be constructed at any cost: VHP NEW DELHI, Nov 1: The VHP today declared that Ram Temple would be constructed at Ayodhya at any cost and said the date for the commencement of the construction work would be decided at the ‘Dharma Sansad’ to be held during Kumbh Mela in Prayag in January next. VHP senior vice president Acharya Giriraj Kishore made the announcement a day after BJP president Bangaru Laxman warned that "law will take the course it deems fit" if VHP went ahead with the construction plan irrespective of the stand of the Government and the Supreme Court. Kishore told PTI-Bhasha that VHP would like to go ahead with construction work without violating law and avoiding confrontation with the Government. However, he said if the law took its course even after this, "we will also go ahead as per the decision of the religious leaders." He claimed that the temple issue was not pending in the apex court. "What is before the court is only the question of title." He said the VHP was of the view that if the Government and court seriously considered the matter, it could be resolved within six months. "On the basis of facts, it will be a victory for Hindus," he said. (PTI) |
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Jogi will provide a stable Govt: Cong NEW DELHI, Nov 1: Congress today dismissed any possibility of Goa type developments in the new born State of Chhattisgarh and expressed confidence that Chief Minister Ajit Jogi would be able to provide a stable Government. "There is no possibility of Goa type development in Chhattisgarh. Congress Government would be a stable Government and play a significant role in the development of the new State", party spokesman Anand Sharma told reporters. Asked about jostling and manhandling of senior party leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Digvijay Singh at Raipur, he said "some partymen did so and the matter was being inquired into." However, he said there is no place for violence in parliamentary democracy. On burning of effigy of dissident leader Jitendra Prasada outside the AICC headquarters, Sharma said the party had nothing to do with it. (PTI) |
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