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| HC asks CBI
to seek details in Kesri case from CBDT, ED NEW DELHI,
Nov 10: Delhi
High Court today declined long adjournment to CBI on a
plea regarding disproportionate assets against former
Congress president Sitaram Kesri and directed it to
ascertain from Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT),
Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Income Tax Department
what action they had taken into the.......more KOCHI,
Nov 10: The
Kerala High Court today issued notice to the Union
Government, represented by the Cabinet secretary, on a
petition seeking striking down of sect 20 of the Indian
Divorce Act as it was ‘arbitrary’ and
‘discriminatory’.... ...more MUMBAI,
Nov 10: A
member of Chhota Rajan gang was killed and two others
injured in an encounter with the police here early
today.......more NEW
DELHI, Nov 10:
BJP president Kushabhau Thakre today blamed conspiracy by
traders and political opponents for the rise in prices of
essential items including onions and defended the
Government saying it had no control over weather......more NEW
DELHI, Nov 10:
While women in the rest of the country chant ‘no
dowry’, Goan women say no to ‘no dowry’.
The Anti-Dowry Act might have been hailed as a step
towards attainment of gender equality, but women in Goa
feel otherwise. .......more JAIPUR, Nov 10: Vice Chancellor of Rajasthan University I Rajagopal has resigned following an immolation bid by a student outside the campus, official sources said......more |
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Joshi for combating NAGPUR, Nov 10: Maharashtra Chief Minister Manohar Joshi today said his Government had taken certain decisive steps to combat rising crime in Mumbai in the wake of Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee’s ......more Five Apeejay School NEW
DELHI, Nov 10:
Eight students, including five from Apeejay School at
Saket here, would represent the country at two
international fora to discuss issues relating to
children’s rights, world peace and environment......more JAIPUR,
Nov 10: A day
after the deadline for the withdrawal of candidature for
the Nov 25 Assembly polls expired, the ruling Bharatiya
Janata Party and its arch rival, Congress, in Rajasthan,
are still battling the problem of rebels who have entered
the fray against official nominees........more BHOPAL,
Nov 10:
Election Commissioner G V G Krishnamurthy today refuted
senior BJP leader and former Chief Minister Sunderlal
Patwa’s charge that the returning officers of 107
Assembly segments in Madhya Pradesh had accepted fax
copies of form ‘B’ from Congress candidates,
but assured that he would look into the matter if there
was any such isolated case.........more NEW DELHI, Nov 10: Sahara India Housing Limited has created a world record in tree plantation by planting 125,256 saplings at its project site at Amby Valley near Lonavla......more |
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| HC asks CBI
to seek details in Kesri case from CBDT, ED NEW DELHI, Nov 10: Delhi High Court today declined long adjournment to CBI on a plea regarding disproportionate assets against former Congress president Sitaram Kesri and directed it to ascertain from Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Income Tax Department what action they had taken into the matter. A division bench of Justice Arun Kumar and Justice Manmoha Sarin issued the direction to CBI after perusing its report on progress of the investigation, submitted in a sealed cover today by agency’s counsel H V P Singh. The court asked CBI to issue reminder to CBDT, ED and the Income Tax Department to state by November 30, the next date of hearing, what further action had been taken by them in this matter as per the earlier directions of the court. The bench took serious view over non-appearance of any agency official in the court today and directed its counsel to ensure the presence of concerned CBI Superintendent of Police on next date. Patna-based freelance journalist in a writ petition had accused Kesri of amassing assets disproportionate to his known sources of income and sought prove by CBI and other agencies. High court in a detailed order on July 15 had sought explanation from CBI why it should not register a corruption case against Kesri for alleged bribing of MLAs during his election to Rajya Sabha in 1994. Court had further asked the agency to ascertain whether a substantial portion of his household expenses were met by the the Congress party, and his son’s assets were disproportionate to his known sources of income. CBI had sought eight week adjournment on the plea that Additional Solicitor General Altabh Ahmed, who was dealing with the case, were pre-occupied with Rajiv Gandhi murder case in Supreme Court. Court in its July order had pointed out to CBI that some Bihar MLAs had alleged that they were offered bribe by Kesri in connection with his election, why the agency should not register a case against the former Congress president. On the issue of expenditure of a whopping Rs 25.64 lakh on household expenses of Kesri during 18-6 the court asked CBI to examine income tax returns of the Congress party to ascertain whether it met such expenses of Kesri. On the charge of Kesri’s son Amarnath having huge assets, the court had asked CBI to inform the income tax authorities about it and find out from them within two months as to what action was taken. However, the income tax department has not filed its report so far in the court. The bench also criticised the inaction on the part of Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) in taking action in regard to allegations pertaining to acquisition of wealth by relatives of Kesri. The ED was directed to probe the alleged foreign bank account of Kesri regarding which a separate petition has also been filed by Mudhresh. (PTI) |
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| HC notice
to Union Govt KOCHI, Nov 10: The Kerala High Court today issued notice to the Union Government, represented by the Cabinet secretary, on a petition seeking striking down of sect 20 of the Indian Divorce Act as it was ‘arbitrary’ and ‘discriminatory’. The petition moved by Aloysious Thomas of Kochi also prayed for declaring the section as unfair, discriminatory and unjust and violative of articles 13 (1), 14 and 15 (1), 21 and 25 of the constitution and so ultra vires and unconstitutional. As per the section, only a Christian needs to get confirmation from High Court and that too by a full bench of a order of nullity of marriage passed by a district judge. The petitioner submitted that since the section was applicable only to Christians it was discriminatory and against the right to equality guaranteed under art 14 of the constitution and so was violative of art 14. ‘Solely because one is a Christian, he is forced and compelled to get confirmation of a decree for nullity from the High Court even if the parties are not interested in taking the matter to High Court against the district judge’s order’, he said. ‘The procedure for confirmation of a decree for dissolution, instituted by sect 17, is a new procedure introduced in India and has no parallel in the English law’, the petitioner submitted. The Law Commission had opined that there was no need for sect 17, he said adding ‘but despite that, Parliament had failed to take necessary steps to get rid of sect 20 and confirmation proceedings’. The petition came up before Justice C S Rajan. Another petition had been
moved in the court earlier seeking a declaration that
sect 10 (grounds for dissolution of marriage) of the
Indian Divorce Act was unconstitutional and violative of
arts 14, 15 an 16 of the constitution. (PTI) MUMBAI, Nov 10: A member of Chhota Rajan gang was killed and two others injured in an encounter with the police here early today. Acting on a tip-off that the gangsters would visit a place at Mazgaon in South-Central Mumbai, police laid a trap near a high school in the area. When asked to surrender the trio opened fire, police said, adding the three were injured in the encounter which followed. They were rushed to J J Hospital, police said adding one of them, who is yet to be identified, succumbed to injuries and was declared dead before admission. The injured, identified as
Dinesh, alias Danny Vithal Ahire (25) and Jaivardhan
Gaurav Mane (28), were wanted in connection with several
cases of murder, extortion, kidnapping and robbery,
police added. (PTI) Thakre blames traders, pol opponents for price rise NEW DELHI, Nov 10: BJP president Kushabhau Thakre today blamed conspiracy by traders and political opponents for the rise in prices of essential items including onions and defended the Government saying it had no control over weather. Addressing a press conference to mark the release of a party statement on the coming Assembly elections in four states, he claimed that prices were coming down following initiatives taken by the Government like import of onions under Open General License (OGL) and the ban on its exports. Soon after, Thakre faced a hostile press when he was asked to elaborate on the theory of conspiracy and to name those involved in it. He was also asked why the Government could not take adequate steps in time before prices escalated. Admitting there was some delay on the part of the Government to take early steps to control prices, Thakre said it had no control over rains which failed last year leading to failure of crops in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Maharasthra and Madhya Pradesh. On the price situation, he said a part of it was due to traders who wanted to exploit the situation. Action has been taken against erring traders, he said. He also referred to the recent salt shortage in the capital and some parts of the country due to rumour mongering which was foiled in 24 hours. On the eight months of BJP in power at the Centre, Thakre said BJP’s actual performance could not be measured through this coalition as it was encumbered by allies who the party had to carry with in all decisions. We cannot run this Government as a one-party Government and standards of one-part Government cannot be applied to this coalition. We can’t do (what we want) with what people have given us, he said. Asked if he was only looking for excuses for failures of the Government especially on the price front by blaming weather and allies, Thakre said Government had taken initiatives only after which onions had been brought under OGL and prices had come down. Saying BJP-led coalition favoured consensus instead of confrontation, Thakre accused the Congress of backtracking on Women’s Reservation Bill after promising support. He said unlike the previous United Front Government which was indecisive, the BJP-led coalition took decisions and did not allow situations to linger. While it was not a prisoner of indecision by the Government had to persuade allies and that was why delays could not be avoided sometimes. In democracy, iron hand does not work, he said. (PTI) |
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| Dowry prohibition adversely affects
Goan women NEW DELHI, Nov 10: While women in the rest of the country chant ‘no dowry’, Goan women say no to ‘no dowry’. The Anti-Dowry Act might have been hailed as a step towards attainment of gender equality, but women in Goa feel otherwise. The Goa State Commission for Women is shortly setting up an expert committee to look into the issue. The recommendations of the Committee will be submitted to the State Government, the Ministry of Human Resource Development and the National Commission of Women (NCW). "If the Committee so feels, we will suggest that Goa be kept out of the purview of the Act," Goa Women’s Commission chairperson Dr Pramod D Salgaocar told UNI. The Portuguese Civil Code still holds its sway in Goa. According to this, women used to be given ‘dota’ (Goan equivalent of ‘Stree dhan’) at the time of marriage which included things like jewellery except immoveable property and this was considered legal. "But now in the reign of the Anti-Dowry Act, women do not get this. At the same time they are disinherited from father’s property with the brothers taking their consent in writing before a wedding," Dr Salgaocar explained. "We are not in favour of dowry, but in the context of the ground realities, there is a need for rethinking and addressing the lacunae in the act," she added. The Commission has had several meetings with various women’s groups on the issue. The Expert Committee will also look into the Temple rights of women. "Right now, only men are allowed to vote in elections for temple committees according to Portuguese laws as it is reasoned that after marriage they will become part of a different family. But we want equal rights for women," she said. Rehabilitation of sex workers of Baina beach also remains on the top of the list of priorities of Dr Salgaocar who is also the president of the Goa Mahila Pradesh Congress Committee (I). The Commission has conducted a socio-economic study of the sex workers and submitted it to the ncw urging it to work out a rehabilitation package. "We also want the State Government to come out with a white paper," she said. "In Baina, within an area of a little less than a kilometre, over 2000 sex workers operate in over 250 cubicles and the money generated through the flesh trade is to the tune of Rs. nine lakh a day," she said. Dr Salgaocar said the number of Goan girls involved in the flesh trade can be counted on one’s fingers. "Most of the girls are from Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra. It is an organised trade and the girls operate on a contract basis. It is time to come hard on the traffickers and stop the migration," she said. The NCW has already set up a Committee to work out a rehabilitation package coopting two representatives of the sex workers as members. But rehabilitation, as Dr Salgaocar elaborated, remains a complex issue. "Some of the prostitutes have even kept their children in boarding schools in Mumbai and spend a lot of money on their education. Any rehabilitation package cannot fulfill this kind of financial security," she explained adding "also why should only Goa Government bear the financial burden as most of the girls have come from outside". Dr Salgaocar said a high rate of education among women had paid dividends in terms of population control in Goa where "Aanganwadi workers have been agitating for alternative employment in the face of closure of a lot of primary schools due to dearth of children". The Commission, she said, proposed to conduct a survey on the effect of education. "We should have free education for women till graduation," she said. "However, still a lot remains to be done with regard to the women’s legal rights so as to accelerate them in the educational, social and political areas and thus lead to their empowerment," she felt. "The women’s cell has been reactivated and it will act as a nodal agency with a 24-hour hotline," she added. A medical professional herself, Dr Salgaocar recently started a debate on the validity of the Sex-Determination Act during a workshop of IMA (Bardez chapter). "Can the state impose pregnancy on a woman against her will?" she asked referring to pre-natal sex-determination. "one must address the crucial dichotomy between female foeticide and the inherent right of a woman with regard to her pregnancy," she added. (UNI) |
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| Five Apeejay School students bound
for foreign shores NEW DELHI, Nov 10: Eight students, including five from Apeejay School at Saket here, would represent the country at two international fora to discuss issues relating to children’s rights, world peace and environment. Six students, including three from the Apeejay School, have qualified to attend the Junior Summit ’98, an international students conference at Boston, USA. Two others from the same institution would travel to Nairobi, Kenya, to participate in another conference, chairperson of the Apeejay Education Society, Stya Paul said in a statement here today. The six students, selected from among millions who participated in an open global competition held by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology would discuss at Boston from November 15-21 children’s rights, personal health, environment and world peace. The other two Apeejayites, also selected from among a hundred enthusiastic delegates from across the world, would voice their concern on the issues of ‘sharing the planet’ and ‘water is life’ in a two-day conference from November 23 at Nairobi. The Nairobi conference is being held under the aegis of the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP), Paul said. (PTI)
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| Congress and BJP plagued by rebels
in Rajasthan JAIPUR, Nov 10: A day after the deadline for the withdrawal of candidature for the Nov 25 Assembly polls expired, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and its arch rival, Congress, in Rajasthan, are still battling the problem of rebels who have entered the fray against official nominees. BJP candidates are up against party rebels in at least eight of the 200 seats, while the problem looms much larger for the Congress with defiant partymen entering the fray in atleast 16 constituencies. Meanwhile, the BJP has expelled two rebel candidates -Krishna Kumar Jakhar and Nihal Chand, former MP- who have filed papers from Sangaria and Raisinghnagar respectively after the party leaderships’ appeal for withdrawal of candidature went unheeded. The BJP had left these two seats to its ally the Indian National Lok Dal. A former independent MLA, Amrit Parmar, who recently joined the BJP, is in the contest against Chief Minister Bhairon Singh Shekhawat in Bali. Among those out to queer the pitch for official Congress candidates are, seven former ministers and four sitting MLAs. They include former ministers Sriram Gotewala (Johari Bazar) and Shashi Dutta (Tibi), Damodar Acharya (Nagaur), Surendra Vyas (Malpura), Gyan Singh Chaudhary (Bhadara) Dulha Ram (Raisinghnagar) and Sapat Ram (Khairthal). The vice president of the Rajasthan Mahila Congress Nilima Sharma has also refused to withdraw from the race. BJP’s sitting MLAs who are contesting as independents after failing to win party tickets include Nandlal Vyas (Bikaner), Kishengopal Kogta (Bhinay) and Babu Lal Bacher (Dudu). Among the prominent congress rebels are, Sumitra Singh (Jhunjhunu), Jagdish Tiwari (Bassi), Chandra Shekhar (Bandikui), Remeshwar Chaudhary (Nawan), Ramkaran Gurjar (Kotputli) and Prakash Bairwa (Phagi). Spokesman for both BJP and Congress today expressed confidence that they would succeed in their efforts to persuade the rebels to retire from the contest. (PTI)
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