Killer waves leave 9,358 dead; 3,223 in India alone

CHENNAI, Dec 26: The killer Tsunami tidal waves triggered by a massive earthquake in Indonesia, the worst in four decades, today battered a huge swathe of south and south east Asia killing 9,358 people, including over 3,223 in India alone, and leaving tens of thousands homeless.

Tamil Nadu bore the brunt of the nature’s fury with 1,725 people losing their lives in the state and Andaman and Nicobar, closest to Sumatra coast, the epicentre of the 8.9 magnitude quake on the richter scale, was also equally badly hit accounting for 1,000 deaths, including 23 Air Force personnel and their family members, and suffering extensive damage.

What began as minor tremors at 6.28 am on a lazy Sunday turned out to be a nightmare for the entire southeastern coastal belt and Kerala on the southwest coast where 121 people lost their lives and 43,000 were rendered homeless.

Pondicherry, also on the east coast neighbouring Tamil Nadu, reported a toll of 280 people—211 in Karaikal enclave and 69 in Pondicherry. In Andhra Pradesh, 69 people were killed. West Bengal and Orissa were lucky to escape unscathed.

Nagapatinnam, the small port town of Tamil Nadu, was the worst hit as 900 people lost their lives while Kanyakumari in the land’s end reported 400 casualties. Chennai city, where morning walkers were doing their daily chore along the Marina Beach and residents close to the coast were caught unaware by the tidal waves rising up to 30-40 feet, accounted for 125 deaths.

About 6,033 people, including 3,225 in Sri Lanka alone, perished as the tidal waves razed the coasts of Sri Lanka, Indonesia, where 2.439 were killed, Thailand, Malaysia and the Maldives.

As the magnitude of the devastation left the nation in shock, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh spoke to the Chief Ministers of the affected states and assured them of Central assistance in rescue and relief operations. He also sought liberal donation to the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund to help the flood-hit people in the affected parts.

He despatched Union Ministers Mani Shankar Ayer and Dayanidhi Maran to Tamil Nadu, which suffered the worst natural disaster in living memory, and Shivraj Patil to Andhra Pradesh to coordinate with the State Governments in the hour of crisis. Patil will also go to Chennai and Port Blair.

The Army, Navy and Air Force, backed by helicopters, aircraft and warships carrying food, medicines, clothes and tents, mounted a massive rescue and relief operations in aid of civil administration.

It was the first time that India was hit by the Tsunami waves which are triggered by seismic disturbances—earthquakes, volcanic eruptions or under-sea landslides—that jolt the ocean floor. The result is a deep wave that reaches from the sea’s surface to the floor and travel horizontally at speeds upto 800km and reaches height between 50 and 100 feet.

Chief minister Jayalalitha (Tamil Nadu) and Y S Rajasekhara Reddy (AP) undertook an aerial survey of the affected areas and announced a solatium of Rs one lakh for the families of the each of the dead.

The Crisis Management Group chaired by Cabinet Secretary B K Chaturvedi met in Delhi and worked out an emergency plan involving the armed forces and central paramilitary forces to beef up the rescue and relief operations and to provide succour to the affected.

The second unit of the Madras atomic power station in Kalpakkam, about 70km from Chennai, was shut down after sea water entered its plant but the key installation was declared safe.

Car Nicobar island, just about 115 nautical miles from the Sumatra island, and Campbell Bay, only 25 nautical miles off the Indonesia coast, suffered extensive damage.

The entire IAF airbase in Car Nicobar got almost entirely wiped out and 23 airmen and their family members were killed and another 63 people from the base were missing and feared dead, IAF chief S Krishnaswamy said.

Panic gripped the coastal areas as the Met department warned of after-shocks persisting for at least one or two days.

Massive Tsunamis battered the eastern and southern coasts of Sri Lanka killing at least 1,651 people, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse’s top aide Lalith Weeratunga said.

Nearly a million people were affected by the havoc wreaked by the tidal waves, he said.

The Sri Lankan Government declared a "state of disaster" to deal with what is being described as the region’s worst ever natural calamity in recent times

Ten people were killed in the IAF base in Car Nicobar island and the fate of 45,000 people in an area between Car Nicobar island and Greater Nicobar island remained unknown. Communication links have been completely snapped in the islands.

In Thailand, the popular holiday resort of Phuket, was the worst hit and nearly 300 people were killed while over 1,000 injured. Scores of divers holidaying in Phuket were reported missing.

The massive waves hit the picturesque Phi Phi island — the location for Reonardo Dicaprio starring Hollywood film ‘The Beach’ — and destroyed resorts dotting the coastline.

Phuket and adjoining regions were hit by three to four tidal waves as high as 10 meters, Thai officials said.

In Indonesia, Aceh province in Northern Sumatra was the worst hit as over 1,870 people lost their lives. Thousands of people left their homes and were headed for higher ground after the temblor wreaked havoc in the region.

In Malaysia, at least 42 people, including foreign tourists, were swept away as tidal waves swept the resort island of Penang and the mainland state of Kedah.

Hundreds of others were injured while dozens were reported missing from the two regions where more than 1,000 homes across numerous fishing villages were destroyed as waves smashed the coastline.

Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga has cut short her private visit to London and appealed to the international community for help.

Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse has urged India to provide urgent medical assistance to his country and help with helicopters in the rescue mission.

Huge tidal waves washed over the Maldives, killing a British tourist and flooding two-thirds of the capital island Male.

In Chennai, morning walkers on the Marina Beach and residents in the foreshore estate slum tenements almost abutting the sea got a rude shock after what was felt as mild tremors struck the city at 0635 hours.

Sea waves leaping upto 30-40 ft crossed the beach and slammed the houses catching people unawares. Most of the victims in the city were women and children who could not apparently get away from the invading floods. Other eastern coastal states of Orissa and West Bengal, which also felt the tremors, however, escaped the fury.

The second unit of the Madras Atomic Power Station at Kalpakkam has been shut down after water entered the plant.

About 500 tourists are said to be stranded on the Vivekananda Rock Memorial in Kanyakumari following the tremors. Helicopters from nearby Thiruvananthapuram were pressed into service to rescue them.

The Centre’s crisis management group met and drew up an emergency plan to carry out relief and rescue operations in the affected regions of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Pondicherry and Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Ministries of Defence, Civil Aviation and Shipping and the three services of the armed forces would be coordinating the operations with Chennai being the main hub, Cabinet Secretary B K Chaturvedi told reporters after the CMG meeting.

The meeting also discussed steps to be taken to evacuate the tourists trapped in Port Blair in Andaman and Nicobar islands and facilitate travel of those wishing to move out.

The Air Force has been asked to airlift relief material and Chennai will be the main operation centre. The Civil Aviation Ministry will run additional flights to those wanting to move out of the affected regions. (PTI)

'We have lost faith, we feel insecure'
IRCON officials threaten to suspend work on rail project

From Ahmed Ali Fayyaz

SRINAGAR, Dec 26: While the whole world was celebrating Christmas on Saturday, officials of the Government undertaking IRCON International Ltd here were busy in a desperate attempt to seek security for their life in Kashmir Valley. Disillusioned with the authorities, the IRCON officials have finally threatened to suspend work on the prestigious Udhampur-Qazigund-Baramulla railway project connecting the capital cities of Jammu and Kashmir.

In a serious communication to the Managing Director IRCON, officials working on the Prime Minister's special priority project have made it clear that they would resort to the extreme step of suspending the construction work if the authorities failed to protect them from militants. Their immediate cause of action is the Saturday last incident when a group of gunmen appeared on a railway site at Nina Batpora in Pulwama district of south Kashmir and began looking for an IRCON engineer D K Gautam. For his good luck, the engineer had managed to hide himself somewhere around the site.

Earlier in April this year, militants had kidnapped and subsequently killed an IRCON engineer Sudheer Kumar Pundir and his brother in the same area. That time IRCON engineers and contractors had suspended work for over two months. They resumed the construction activity only after the authorities, working under direct instructions from the PMO and the Union Home Ministry, announced to deploy a reasonable number of paramilitary force for the security of the project staff. At least two Deputy Commissioners issued notifications banning the movement of "all strangers" on the track and the stations under construction.

The Christmas day SOS, a copy of which is in possession of the EXCELSIOR, has expressed the IRCON officials' loss of faith in the authorities responsible for their protection against militants. Copies of the communication have been delivered on the Minister of Railways, Lalu Prasad Yadav, and Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed. "Most of the time, we face lot of harassment from local land owners, who turn up on the pretext of non-payment of land compensation in which the local authorities have failed miserably. We are not able to identify the genuine land owners from the miscreants/militants", says the memorandum signed by 29 Dy General Managers, Managers, Assistant Managers, SEs and JEs.

According to the memorandum, whenever the IRCON officials complained the matters to the Project Director, he assured them that necessary steps were being taken for their safety and security. "After the recent incidents, we have lost all faith and we all feel very insecure and unsafe", adds the SOS addressed to the MD IRCON. "The sorry state of law and order in the state is because of the lacklustre attitude of Police officials. They will consider it serious only when somebody loses his life. There have been a lot of incidents in this area (Awantipur-Bijbehara) when people came inquiring about the whereabouts of the IRCON engineers".

The IRCON officials have lamented that most of the assurances of security given to them from time to time have proven to be false. According to them, the paramilitary forces have been positioned far away from the construction sites and they have confined themselves to their barracks and sandbag bunkers. "For the name of security, we were provided with cellphones and PSOs, which have proved to be quite insufficient. Cellphones do not work in towns, leave alone the remote worksites where we work most of the time", the IRCON officials have complained in their memorandum.

"We are all shocked to find that the management and the Government have failed miserably in looking at the basic interest of their dedicated workers who are working in such difficult terrain and law and order conditions. There is practically no visible appreciable arrangement at various worksites, as promised to us", complains the SOS.

When contacted for their comments over telephone, senior IRCON officials (whose names are being withheld for the reason of security), confirmed that their subordinates had written "an open letter" to the MD, Union Railway Minister and the J&K Chief Minister, asking for adequate security. "We tried our best to infuse a sense of security among the staff working on different sites but they are all scared after last week's episode at Nina Batpora", said a senior engineer. He said that on Dec 18th, suspected militants had appeared on the site apparently to kidnap an engineer. He said that the site was in the same area where militants had blown up a vehicle of the Army earlier this month, killing all the 10 soldiers and their driver.

Inspector General of Police, Kashmir Zone, Javaid Makhdoomi, claimed to the EXCELSIOR that whatever security arrangements had been promised to the IRCON--- and were possible for the Government--- have already been made. He said that was no point in threatening suspension of the work after the high level meeting he took with the IRCON authorities at Police Control Room Srinagar just three days ago. He said that DIGs of CRPF, Range DIGs of J&K Police, besides Commandants and SPs of the two forces, participated in the meeting. Makhdoomi claimed that all the matters of concern were sorted out in the meeting and its minutes were circulated by IRCON itself.

IGP Kashmir said that, at the meeting, the IRCON officers stated that the work was going on smoothly on the whole project from Banihal to Baramulla except one problematic belt between Padgampora and Nina Batpora. He said that in the wake of the decisions taken in the meeting, a thick CRPF contingent, besides a unit of "well equipped, 30 strong boys" of J&K Police were presently moving to the area identified by the IRCON. Some Army units had also been mobilised around the track, he said. He asserted that after the April last incident, six companies of CRPF, in addition to different units of Army and J&K Police, had been specially provided for the site and area security of the railway project from Banihal to Srinagar alone.

"IRCON must realise that it is not doing any special favour to J&K people or the Government. It is a private contractor earning money. We are still spending tax payers' money on its engineers. Each engineer has been provided with two PSOs. They have been advised to move groups of four at least so that there are eight PSOs with them. But, unfortunately, they don't cooperate with us. The engineer and his SPO were alone when some people reportedly appeared at Nina site on December 18th. We believe they have also "some other problems" in which security agencies have no role", IGP Kashmir added. He said that his doors were still open for the IRCON officials if they had still genuine security-related problems.

Foreign Secretaries hold informal talks on Kashmir, other issues

ISLAMABAD, Dec 26: Foreign Secretaries of India and Pakistan tonight held informal talks over dinner on the broad contours of the second round of the composite dialogue process beginning here tomorrow on Kashmir and other contentious issues.

Indian Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran, who arrived here from North West Frontier Province’s capital Peshawar town this evening met his Pakistani counterpart Riaz Khokhar over dinner and held informal talks on a host of issues including the vexed Kashmir issue and other items on which officials of the two countries have been discussing since early this year.

Officials described the talks as informal discussions to broadly set parameters for formal talks on Jammu and Kashmir, peace and security and CBMs, which the two officials were designated to discuss under the composite dialogue process initiated early this year.

Besides reviewing the progress of the first round and to discuss the three items listed to them, the two top officials also would fix a calendar for official level talks on Siachen, Sir Creek, Wullar Barriage, terrorism and drug trafficking, economic and commercial cooperation and promotion of friendly exchanges in various fields.

Ahead of formal talks, Pakistan indicated today that it will put forward some formal proposals on the nuclear and conventional CBMs as well as to resolve the Kashmir issue.

Asked about reports about it, Pakistan foreign office spokesman Masood Khan said that evolution of proposals is a joint responsibility of both the sides we shall try to hear each other out to try to move forward.

India is expected to approach the talks with plans to propose a visa-on-arrival scheme, which includes granting visa on arrival to all Pakistani nationals above the age of 65 and children below 12, media reports quoted officials as saying.

"Pakistan will put on the table some additional proposals on nuclear and conventional CBMs as well as float fresh ideas pertaining to the Kashmir issue," local daily `Dawn’ quoted Pakistan foreign office officials as saying.

"We would like to join them (Indians) in an earnest search for solutions to the Kashmir issue for sustaining the dialogue and making it move forward meaningfully on Kashmir," the officials said.

"We would like the Indian side to seriously consider the proposals on peace and security and on Kashmir and we hope Indians will show willingness to move forward and not remain mired in rigid positions," they said.

When contacted Pakistan foreign office spokesman, Masood Khan did not contradict the news of Pakistans plans to float new ideas on both Kashmir and CBMs front but at the same declined to elaborate what the new ideas going to be.

The new Indian proposal if it materialises would ease pressure as visas can be issued at Wagah and Attari border points for old people and school children who want to visit India, the officials said.

Indian Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran, who arrived in Peshawar Shyam yesterday, will hold informal talks with the Pakistan Foreign Secretary Riaz Khokhar over dinner tonight to broadly discuss the contours of their talks scheduled to be held tomorrow and Tuesday.

Pakistan’s plans to float new ideas to resolve Kashmir was significant as Pakistan Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz during his visit to New Delhi in November had denied that Islamabad wants to put forward idea of dividing Kashmir on both sides floated by President Gen Pervez Musharraf.

The first round of the composite dialogue process initiated by previous Vajpayee Government early this year ended with both sides reiterating their stands on the Kashmir and other contentious issues.

Under the agreed format, Foreign Secretaries of both countries would discuss, peace, security, Kashmir and CBMs.

The rest of the items, Siachen, Sir Creek, terrorism and drug trafficking, Wullar barrage, economic and commercial co-operation and promotion of friendly exchange in various fields will be discussed by concerned officials.

The two Foreign Secretaries were expected to set a calendar for the talks on these issues.

Besides the agreed issues, the two Foreign Secretaries will also discuss informally ways and means to iron out differences over the travel document to be carried by passengers in the proposed bus service between Srinagar and Muzaffarabad.

The two officials would also discuss opening of consulates in Karachi and Mumbai, rail link between Munnabao and Khokhrapar and the differences over the hydro power project being built by India on the river Chenab at Baglihar in Jammu and Kashmir.

On the nuclear and conventional CBMs the two sides held comprehensive round of talks this month here but without agreement on advance notification of missile test firing as well as hotline contacts between Foreign Secretaries to deal with emergencies relating to nuclear weapons. (PTI)

Praja Parishad revived, Chander Mohan elected president
Nirmal, Hari Om, Khajuria 'malefic planets' of BJP: Koushal

Excelsior Special Correspondent

JAMMU, Dec 26: "The State unit of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been eclipsed by three malefic planets—Saturn, Neptune and Pluto and they are responsible for the expulsion of hard-working leaders as well as debacle of the party at the battle of hustings."

This was stated by expelled leaders of BJP at a function organised to announce the revival of the Praja Parishad. "These malefic planets in the form of Dr Nimal Singh, Prof Hari Om and Ashok Khajuria have made the party weak on all fronts", Mr Rishi Kumar Koushal said, adding "we were expelled from the party because these three leaders didn’t like anybody to leave behind them in strengthening the party and winning the confidence of the people".

Since there was no ray of hope for the people of Jammu particularly after BJP rendered weak by dictatorial attitude of these leaders the expelled leaders cudgelled their brains and finally came to the conclusion that Praja Parishad should be revived to fight for the cause of Jammu and its people, Mr Chander Mohan Sharma said and added that the revived Praja Parishad would leave no stone unturned to provide justice to the people of Jammu.

"We are not against anybody, our thinking is very much positive, our approach objective and not subjective and with the dint of hardwork of all the expelled BJP leaders with the active support of their supporters the Praja Parishad would soon become a mass movement", Mr Koushal said, adding "Praja Parishad was always run by dedicated people and I am visualising revival of Praja Parishad at a fast pace".

The responsibility, he said, which Mr Chander Mohan Sharma has taken up would definitely yield fruitful results and all the hard-working people are welcomed in the Parishad’s fold.

In the gathering, Mr Chander Mohan Sharma was unanimously appointed as president of the Praja Parishad and he was asked to frame working committee immediately. "Local bodies elections are challenge for us and we have to prove our worth. We have to provide justice to the people because Praja Parishad is the only ray of hope for Jammu", Mr Sharma said.

"There is no body in the Pt Prem Nath Dogra Bhawan to listen to the grievances of the poor and hapless persons for which the Bhawan was famous once upon a time", Mr Sharma said, adding "this is a disrespect to the great leader and we will set free the Bhawan from the clutches of the self-centered BJP leaders".

He announced Mr Rishi Kumar Koushal as chief convenor and said that a working committee would soon be constituted.

No quick fix solutions: Natwar

DUBAI, Dec 26: Progress is being made in Indo-Pak dialogue as the Pakistani establishment has for the first time showed willingness to discuss issues other than Kashmir, External Affairs Minister K Natwar Singh has said, while asserting that there are no "quick fix" solutions to the problems between the two countries.

"For the first time, the Pakistani side is saying that we would like to discuss Kashmir plus (other issues). Previously, it was only Kashmir and nothing else, so progress is being made and there is a change in the thinking of the ruling establishment in Pakistan in this regard, which is most welcome, Singh, who was on an official visit to Oman told members of Indian community at the India House in Muscat yesterday.

The current accent was on reconciliation and arriving at a common ground towards peaceful settlement of longstanding and unresolved issues, he said.

There was a ray of hope that unresolved matters would get resolved and the overall relation between the two countries are now steadily improving, The Times of Oman daily quoted him as saying.

Singh refused to put a time frame to resolution of issues, saying it was a marathon and not a 100m race.

Some are of the opinion that this can be achieved very quickly, but there are no quick fixes. There are very difficult problems and there are some problems, which can be solved easily and others with little or more effort. But, there are one or two problems, which are very difficult and for which there are no answers and this is one of them.

"If our relations improve on all other fronts, then possibly when the people from both sides get involved in economic welfare, trade welfare, communication welfare and IT revolution, maybe political matters may also start getting their respective place," Singh said.

"However, it is a long haul and it is not a question of being optimistic or pessimistic but realistic."

"Both countries are now seriously engaged in a composite dialogue and looking forward to establishing better relations. And if that happens, it is good for all of us, he said.

We are hoping that the bus service between Srinagar and Muzaffarabad will start soon. We also hope to open the railway line between Sindh and Rajasthan. We are also hoping to open our Consulate-General in Karachi and from Pakistans side, in Mumbai. Plans are afoot to ease the visa regime and many other confidence building measures are being looked into.

India was carrying forward with the composite dialogue, which was initiated by the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Government. After many ups and downs in Indo-Pak relations, Vajpayee had the vision and the courage to announce that he and Pervez Musharraf had a composite dialogue.

More has to be done on the trade front, he said, noting that the present volume, around $400 million, was quite low, when compared to India’s trade with China, which was put at around $12 billion.

We have so much to offer each other. We will work towards our mutual interest and if there is a genuine improvement of relations between the two countries, the whole scenario in the SAARC region changes for the better.

Referring to the recent people-to-people contacts between the two countries, Singh said that in a cricket match, "India ... Defeated (Pakistan) in Multan and Lahore and Pakistanis were getting up and clapping. Previously, there would have been war and not clapping this changed everything!

He also referred to the heart operation given to a Pakistani girl in India. This has been happening for a very long time and it has brought in a most welcome change."

Referring to the impact of terrorism across the world, Singh said that after September 11, 2001 attacks on us, "suddenly terrorism was the number one item on the international agenda."

"We had serious problems with terrorism. Nearly 60,000 Indians have been killed in Kashmir in the last 15 years, but fortunately, our relations with Pakistan are improving, the minister said. (PTI)

HUJI commander killed in gang rivalry
Two ultras, civilian shot dead

Excelsior Special Correspondent

JAMMU, Dec 26: Two militants were gunned down by Army and Doda police in an encounter at Ghai Dessa while a HUJI "area commander" was shot dead by the militants of Jaish-e-Mohammed outfit in a case of inter gang rivalry in Doda district today. Two Army jawans were injured in Dessa gun-battle.

In another incident in Rajouri district, the militants kidnapped two civilians and later gunned down one of them at Dhanwakote.

Official sources said a joint team of Army and police cordoned off a hideout of the militants in Ghai area of Dessa police station, about 30 kms from Doda this afternoon. The operation was launched on a specific information that two militants were hiding in an abandoned dhok in the upper reaches of Ghai.

The militants, who had taken positions at an area of advantage after observing movement of the security personnel, opened firing, which was retaliated. Two Army jawans Pritam and Jaltan were seriously injured in the operation while fighting bravely with the militants.

Both the militants were gunned down by security forces in the evening. One of them has been identified as Ghulam Hussain alias Murtaza R/o Bhatta. However identity of his associate hasn't been established so far. Two AK-47 rifles, one wireless set, two magazines, 37 rounds and two grenades were recovered from the hideout.

Injured Army jawans have been airlifted to the Military Hospital, Udhampur.

Sources said the operation was still going on in the area as some shots were heard in a surrounding forest area when the operation was going on.

Police today recovered bullet-riddled dead body of Majid Hussain alias Noor Hussain son of Abdul Majid Lone, a resident of Lonepura, Padyarna near Arkhada forests in Chhi area of Dool in Kishtwar tehsil in Doda district.

Majid Hussain was an "area commander" of Harkat-ul-Jehad Islami (HUJI) outfit, the sources said, adding his killing was an outcome of "inter gang rivalry" between HUJI and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) outfit, which had earlier also led to several clashes in upper reaches of Doda district this year.

Body of the militant was sent to hospital for post-mortem. Weapon of the militant had been taken away by the rival militants.

Meanwhile, four militants last night struck at village Dhanwakote in Rajouri district and kidnapped two civilians—Mohd Bashir, 65, son of Makhan Din and Khalid Ahmed, 36, son of Wazir Hussain.

They took away the civilians to a nearby forest area where they killed Mohd Bashir. Whereabouts of Khalid Ahmed were not known till late this evening. Police was investigating the killing and searching the kidnapped civilian.

During a search operation at village Conchair, Amkoot in Banihal, security forces and police recovered one radio set, one AK magazine, nine rounds and four detonators. The consignment was hidden in a hollow tree.

Handwara rape case
Court martial to continue daily

SRINAGAR, Dec 26: The General Court Martial (GCM) proceedings against an Army Major accused of raping a woman and her ten-year-old daughter in Handwara area of Jammmu and Kashmir would continue on daily basis from today, a Defence spokesman has said.

Brigadier Syed Ata Hasnain, who is presiding over the GCM against Major Rahman Hussain in the alleged rape case, gave the orders to this effect at Uri Brigade, the spokesman said.

Defence counsel and senior advocate Venugopal cross examined a sepoy and a hawaldar of the Quick Reaction Team (QRT) of the Army that was led by Major Hussain on the night of November 6, when the incident allegedly took place.

The court recorded the statement of the two jawans who described the movement of the QRT and maintained that a police post at village Badra Payeen came under militant fire on that day, he said.

The court will continue to record initial statements of all the witnesses before proceeding to the evidence part in the case, the spokesman said.

Meanwhile, the Defence has sought the medical examination and DNA test reports, which the prosecution promised to procure at the earliest, he added.

While a GCM was ordered against the officer, a magisterial probe is also going on into the incident. Blood samples of the accused and the victims have been sent to Central Forensic Laboratory in Chandigarh and results were still awaited. (PTI)

2 Pak militants, SPO killed in Valley

Excelsior Special Correspondent

SRINAGAR, Dec 26: Security forces have eliminated two militants in a gunbattle in Ganderbal area and unidentified gunmen, believed to be militants, have shot dead a Special Police Official (SPO) in Bandipore since last evening.

Informed sources said that on the basis of a specific information, troops conducted a search operation in Tsoonthwaliwaar area of Ganderbal-Lar belt during last night. During the operation, two holed up militants were detected at a particular hideout. Troops laid a tight cordon around the hideout and directed the militants to come out for surrender.

The militants instead opened fire. In retaliation, troops destroyed the hideout, killing both the militants. They were unidentified but, on the basis of recoveries from the hideout, officials claimed that they were Pakistani members of Lashkar-e-Toiba.

Reports from Bandipore said that unidentified gunmen, believed to be militants, appeared at Sumlar and they shot dead one SPO, namely Ghulam Nabi Khan of the same village.

Pak military agent nabbed

AMRITSAR, Dec 26: A Pakistan military intelligence agent has been nabbed by Punjab Police here for allegedly e-mailing secret defence documents to his country.

A police spokesman said here today that the accused, Sunny Shairaj alias Rashid Massih, who belonged to the Field Intelligence Unit (FIU) of Pakistani military, was nabbed while he was e-mailing secret documents, pertaining to Indian defence set up, to one major Tariq from a cyber cafe near the GND University here last evening.

The accused had arrived in India about six months back via Kathmandu and Delhi and prior to arrival in India he was trained by the Pakistani intelligence agency ISI.

The possible local links of the accused were being investigated, the spokesman added. (UNI)

'Re-open Munnabao-Khokhrapar border'

ISLAMABAD, Dec 26: Ahead of tomorrow’s India-Pak Foreign Secretary level talks, Muthahida Quami Movement (MQM) leader Altaf Hussain has demanded the re-opening of the Munnabao-Khokhrapar border connecting Southern Sindh and Rajasthan.

Hussain, who has created a storm back home by questioning the relevance of partition of India and Pakistan, told a public meeting at Pakistans Hyderabad city over phone yesterday that the Munnabao-Khokhrapar rail link should be reopened.

The opening of the border would lead to prosperity in Sindh, create jobs and enable divided families to meet, local daily Dawn quoted him as saying. He accused some Urdu speaking nationalists obstructing the reopening of the border.

The rail route between Munnabao and Khokhrapar has recently been discussed between the two countries and Pakistan said it could take nearly two years to repair the track while India wants it to be reopened by October next near.

Hussain, who lives in self-exile in London even though his party MQM was part of the coalition in Federal and Sindh governments, charged that history of Pakistan has been distorted and today’s younger generation does not know about Pakistans founder father Mohammad Ali Jinnah, Liaquat Ali Khan and Fatima Jinnah, who he said had been overtly or covertly murdered.

Referring to criticism of his remarks made recently during his tour of New Delhi where he questioned the relevance of partition, he said those who were calling him traitor had acted as informers of the British against freedom fighters. (PTI)

Cong seeks more seats in Assembly polls

NEW DELHI, Dec 26: Congress, having seat sharing talks with RJD for Bihar Assembly polls in Bihar, today sought to drive a hard bargain by telling its chief Lalu Prasad Yadav that Congress’ position has improved since 2000, warranting more seats for the party.

Prasad held hour-long talks with a group of three senior Congress leaders including Union Minister Arjun Singh on the seat sharing issue. Other two leaders in the group were former Union Minister M L Fotedar and CWC member Harikesh Bahadur, in-charge of party affairs in Bihar.

Bahadur later said that they told Prasad about the improvement of Congress position since last Assembly polls, a point which he said was "appreciated" by the Railway Minister.

Congress was allotted only four Lok Sabha seats by RJD during recent elections in Bihar. Now Congress state unit is demanding that the party should get "respectable" number of seats from RJD if the high command decided to go with Prasad.

Majority of State Congress leaders were opposed to a tie-up with RJD but the central leadership have compulsions of the UPA coalition where Prasad’s party having 25 Lok Sabha MPs is the second largest party in the ruling UPA.

LJP chief and Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan, a known detractor of Prasad, had appealed to Congress only yesterday to give up Prasad’s company and join LJP-led front to end the RJD "misrule" in Bihar.

Prasad was accompanied in the talks by Union Minister and party leader P C Gupta.

Sources said that Prasad appeared to be buying time for a deal with Congress. (PTI)

Ambani brothers hold counsel with mother

NEW DELHI, Dec 25 : Warring Ambani brothers Mukesh and Anil have had separate meetings in the last two days with mother Kokilaben, whom both had made arbiter in their dispute over the control of Rs 90,000 crore Reliance Group, ahead of the crucial Board meeting of the flagship Reliance Industries.

There is no word so far from Kokilaben, while both the brothers have had said through aides and spokesmen that they would abide by whatever mother decided on the issue.

It is understood that some proposals from other members of Ambani clan and family friends are doing rounds, but both the camps are tightlipped.

The efforts to break the imbroglio over the ownership issues, which Mukesh had earlier claimed had been settled during the RIL’s founder chairman Dhirubhai, precede the Board meeting of the flagship company on Monday at Mumbai in a bid to avert flaring up of the issues.

Asked if there was a proposal to handover the control of Infocomm to Anil, sources in RIL, headed by Mukesh and RCIL, the holding company of the communication venture, expressed ignorance.

Ever since Mukesh gave up his 12 per cent sweat equity in Reliance Infocomm, estimated to value between Rs 5000 crore to Rs 7,000 crore, in a surprise announcement on Thursday, there were speculations that elder Ambani was willing to rescind his control over the communication venture in favour of Anil.

Asked about reports that Income Tax Department had sent queries to the company on the sweat equity given to Mukesh, which he annuled two days ago, an RCIL spokesperson said it was "a wild allegation from vested interests. There is no truth in it."

Before RCIL announcement of accepting the request of Mukesh seeking annulment of the transactions on sweat equity of 12 per cent to him, Anil Ambani had sent a communication to RIL Board members demanding a discussion on the changes in the equity pattern in Infocomm and over Rs 12,000 crore investment of flagship company in it.

A few days after the feud between the two brothers became public during the third week of last month, sources had said that Mukesh was willing to offer some of the group companies to Anil but not in RIL. However, Anil’s camp had said immediately thereafter that there would be no compromise on the flagship company. (PTI)

 
 
 
 
 

 

 

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