Indian among five killed in random shooting spree

WASHINGTON, Oct 4: A part-time cab driver of Indian origin was among five persons gunned down one by one in a random shooting spree in Washington suburbs, police said.

The victims were killed in Maryland suburbs over a period of 18 hours between 6:pm Wednesday and 10:am Thursday.

Prem Kumar Walakar was shot at a mobil gas station on Aspen Hill road at Connecticut Avenue yesterday. The other shootings took place at two shopping centres, gas stations and on the lawn outside an auto dealership in the suburb killing four persons, police said.

While it is not clear as to how may persons were involved in the shooting, police suspect the hand of "a skilled shooter" in the incidents.

"We do have someone that so far has been very accurate in what they are attempting to do, and so we probably have a skilled shooter," said Montgomery county police chief Charles Moose.

Witnesses to the shootings said they saw a white truck leaving some of the crime scenes. Hours after the shotings, police were still stopping all white trucks in the area and questioning the occupants.

There is no indication that any of the five people killed were in any way related or had any conflict with anyone, chief Moose said.

There was no evidence of any altercations or conversations of any nature before the victims were shot.

Police also said that race did not appear to be a motive as the victims included two white men, a white woman, a Indian and a Hispanic woman.

"These individuals had not done anything. We need to figure out some way to stop this. We strongly feel that all of `these are connected," Mose said.

He said a 24-hour hotline was established, "manned by trained, veteran investigators...Who know how to work with people and ask the right questions."

The first fatal shooting occurred on Wednesday evening when James Martin (55) of Silver Spring was killed in the parking lot of a shoppers food warehouse at Randolph Road and Georgia Avenue at Wheaton.

The next four victims died on Thursday morning.

James Buchanan was pushing a lawn mower over a narrow strip of grass in front of the fitzgerald auto mall on Rockville pike when he was shot dead on Thursday.

Premkumar was the next victim. "Normally, he does not go out that early," said his daughter Andrea Walekar, 24, a business student at the University of Maryland. "He wasn’t supposed to be there."

Then, about 8.30 a.m., Sarah Ramos, 34, was sitting on a bench at the shopping centre near the leisure world retirement community of Georgia Avenue in silver spring when the killer next took aim and fired.

The killer struck again at a shell gas station in Kensington killing Lori Lewis-Rivera (25) who was vacuuming her minivan.

A single shot was fired on each location but it was unclear whether they were fired from a vehicle.

Montgomery county executive Douglas Duncan said a reward of "up to 50,000 dollars" was posted "for information leading to the arrest and indictment" of the shooter.

"This mindless violence has affected the entire region," he said asking people to remain vigilant. (PTI)

Iranian actress, director face arrest over kiss

TEHERAN, Oct 4: Iran’s hardline judiciary has issued arrest warrants against a leading actress and a director over a kiss at the close of a film festival, the Teheran daily Etemad reported Thursday.

Gowhar Khayrandish, who is in her 50’s, kissed young filmmaker Ali Zamani on the cheek while presenting him with an award at the festival in the Central Iranian city of Yazd.

The gesture caused fury among Islamists who staged a demonstration in the city’s main mosque against the "un-Islamic behaviour which has inflicted damage on the Islamic faith."

The judiciary also issued an arrest warrant for Mohammad-Ali Pakdel, an official of the local culture ministry, for having let the couple return to Teheran from Yazd.

Pakdel was later released on bail of 6,200 dollars.

Deputy culture minister Hassan Pezeshk, a reformist, said he deplored the incident but added that the young filmmaker was a former student of the actress’ late husband and the kiss was meant in a motherly fashion.

In Iran, men and women are not allowed to shake hands in public under Islamic regulations, but according to Persian custom, kissing as a form of greeting and congratulations is still common and practised in private. (DPA)

Pak tests Hatf-IV missile

ISLAMABAD, Oct 4: Pakistan today "successfully"test-fired a medium range surface-to-surface ballistic missile Hatf-IV, which could carry nuclear warheads and hit targets within the range of 750 kms covering several parts of India.

An official announcement here said the indigenously built missile was test fired after a due notification was given to the neighbours.

The test was to check the technical aspects of the missile, also known as Shaheen, foreign office spokesman Aziz Ahmed Khan was quoted by official APP newsagency as saying.

"It is in line with testing the technical aspects of the indigenously produced missile. It has nothing to do with the Indo-Pak situation but to test the technical aspects of the missile," he said.

The missile was reported to have been test fired from a test range at Somyani coast.

Asked about the current Indo-Pak tensions, Kahn said all the neighbouring countries were informed prior to the testing of the missile.

India was reportedly informed yesterday evening when the Indian charge de affairs Sudhir Vyas was called to the foreign office here for a meeting.

Pakistan has conducted a series of tests of its long and medium range missiles in May this year.

The tests included its medium range surface-to-surface ballistic missile, Hataf-V and Hatif-II called "Abdali" which has a range of 180 km, were tested in quick succession in three days.

The missile tests carried out during the height of military tensions with India drew criticism from us and other countries. (PTI)

Pak military regime aggravated tensions with India: ICG

NEW YORK, Oct 4: Saying that a military Government in Pakistan has exacerbated tensions with India over Kashmir, a US-based analysis and advocacy group has warned that President Pervez Musharraf’s plans to perpetuate military power could lead to instability.

"A military Government in Pakistan has already exacerbated tensions with India over Kashmir, and elements of the military have used the Jihadis for their own purposes," the international crisis management group says in its report released yesterday.

Asking the United States and EU to ensure that Musharraf keeps his promise to restore democracy, ICG asks Musharraf to give the Election Commission full authority to check the malpractices in the coming elections, and give unrestricted access to local and international observers to witness the electoral process.

Political stability will elude Pakistan until the country has a representative Government. There is a high risk that the coming elections will not be free and fair. "But if they are the victors will be the major, moderate parties who are sympathetic to US goals in the region, who have their own reasons to normalize relations with India and curb the powers of extremist groups," it stresses.

Demanding that Musharraf withdraw the proposal to form a National Security Council and other constitutional amendments recently promulgated, ICG said they undermine federal, parliamentary and democratic structure and safeguards the interests of only armed forces.

It also criticized Musharraf for following the previous military rulers by unilaterally instituting political and constitutional changes intended to ensure the Generals retain the real power and democratic transition falters.

The report blames military and political elite for thwarting development of democracy in the country, stressing, "the political elite succumbed in the past to the military’s tactics, tempted by the spoils of power, and is again facing a blueprint for more military rule".

External pressure, especially from the US and the European Union, is vital if Musharraf is to fulfil his pledge to restore democracy. "Washington and its allies have so far said little, in the misguided belief that Pakistan’s military is the only institution that can combat terrorism in the region and hold back the tide of Islamist extremism," it says." (PTI)

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