Two arrested in Noida as people protest
Skeletal remains of children found

NOIDA (U.P.), Dec 29: In a gruesome discovery, police today found skeletal remains of at least eight children who are believed to have been sexually abused before being murdered in this industrial town on the outskirts of Delhi.

The suspected serial killer Surender alias Satish, a domestic help, has been arrested along with his master Mohinder Singh Pandher, a factory owner from whose house the skeletons were found in gunny bags.

The victims appeared to be among some 38 missing children from the Nithari village in Sector 31 of this western UP town in the past one year indicating that the number of those murdered could be much higher.

Senior Superintendent of Police R K S Rathore said the 30-year-old domestic help from Almora in Uttarakhand confessed to killing six children and a 20-year-old girl Payal by strangulating them after sexual abuse. Surender had lured the children, under 12 years, by offering sweets and toffees.

Investigations were on to find out the role of his employer Pandher who owns a factory here and in Chandigarh.

The saga of the missing children came to light when the skeletal remains were recovered from a drain abutting the house of Pandher. The remains were found in gunny bags.

Not far away from this area, the kidnapping of Anant Gupta, a nursery student and child of a multinational executive, last month made news headlines. The child was recovered after a ransom of Rs 50 lakh was paid.

Rathore said Surender was in possession of the girl Payal’s mobile phone and further interrogation revealed that he had killed seven persons, including her.

A C Sharma, Additional DGP, Uttar Pradesh, said investigations were on to find out whether Mohinder Singh had any role in these killings as the girl was suspected to have had an affair with him.

Jagmohan Yadav, Inspector General of Police (Meerut Range), who inspected the house, said the parents of two girls who had gone missing about a year ago reported to police three days back that they had found clothes and slippers belonging to the children in the drain. Talking to reporters, he said police had since then kept the house under surveillance and last night a team of the Special Operation Group had picked up Surender.

Asked about the number of skeletons found in the house, Yadav said the exact number could not be given right now. No perfect skeletons were found and the exact number of bodies could be given only after scientific tests, he added.

Heavy bulldozers were used to demolish the compound wall of the house and digging continued late in the evening for retrieving any possible human remains. An eyewitness said meat choppers, rifles and live cartridges were recovered by the police from the house.

While the house was sealed, police also were investigating whether the killings could be linked to any organ trade.

Hundreds of people, including parents of the missing children, gathered outside the house as news of the discovery of skeletons there in the area.

They were angry with police and accused them of inaction on their complaints when the children were missing. Some of them said the police had not even entertained their complaints and registered an FIR.(PTI)

NC strength to go down heavily in Upper House
*Coalition to be major beneficiary

By Sanjeev Pargal

JAMMU, Dec 29: Main Opposition, National Conference is all set to further lose its strength in Legislative Council after the retirement of eight sitting members of the Upper House on February 27 next year. Chairman A R Dar, who had been elected to the Council on National Conference mandate but had parted ways with the party following his stand on Permanent Residents (Disqualification) Bill, is among eight candidates, whose term is due to expire after next two months.

While five out of eight MLCs, whose term expires on February 27, belonged to the National Conference and another one had won with NC support, the party is in a position to win only two seats in the election going by its strength in the Assembly.

According to official sources, out of eight retiring members, four each belonged to Jammu and Kashmir divisions. However, since three separate notifications will be issued for holding the elections (one notification will be issued for four seats of Kashmir division, another notification for three seats of Jammu region and a third notification for a seat reserved for Doda district within Jammu region), the National Conference with a strength of 25 MLAs could win only one seat each from Jammu and Kashmir divisions provided that there is no cross voting by the coalition MLAs, which was witnessed two years back when NC leader Tarlochan Singh Wazir had emerged victorious with cross voting by at least eight coalition MLAs.

The coalition partners could romp home with six seats, which will further reduce the National Conference strength from present eight plus one ally to just five in the Upper House, sources said.

Eight MLCs, whose term ends on February 27, are A R Dar, Chairman of the Council, whose judgment on PR (Disqualification) Bill had won him wide applause countrywide, Ghulam Rasool Kar (Congress), Ghulam Nabi Shaheen (NC) and Abdul Rehman Trakroo (CPI, who had been elected to Upper House twice with NC support), all from Kashmir valley, Brij Mohan Sharma, Choudhary Hussain, Nazir Ahmed Mir and Mohd Iqbal, all belonging to NC and Jammu region.

One nomination seat is also vacant in the Upper House. As per Constitutional provision, the Government can nominate eight members to the Upper House. Presently, there are seven nominated members—four from Jammu (three Congress and one JKNPP) and three from Kashmir (all PDP). The Government is likely to fill nomination seat also along with election to eight seats, sources said.

Having come closer to a two-third majority in the Lower House, the Congress-PDP coalition will significantly improve its strength in the Upper House as well, where it was in minority two years back, following February 27 election and one nomination.

In 36 member Council, there are four vacancies (two each reserved for Panchayats from Jammu and Kashmir divisions). Strength of the House will remain 32 till Panchayat elections are held and four vacancies filled by the Panchayat members.

In 32 members House, strength of the coalition partners could go upto 25 (including the nominated members), sources said, while the NC might end up with five or six seats.

Meanwhile, election process for eight seats is expected to be set in motion by the Election Commission of India very soon. As per Election Commission rules, election to seats falling vacant can be held as early as three months.

According to sources, a notification for the elections was expected to be issued shortly by the Election Commission.

In 36 member Council, 11 MLCs are elected from each division-Jammu and Kashmir by the Assembly. In 11 seats of Kashmir, one seat each is reserved for Leh and Kargil while in 11 seats of Jammu, one seat each is reserved for Poonch and Doda. Eight MLCs are nominated by the Government. Two MLCs each are elected by Panchayat members in both divisions while one MLC each is elected from two divisions by Local Bodies members.

JE blown up in powerful Srinagar blast

Excelsior Correspondent

SRINAGAR, Dec 29: A 26-year-old junior engineer died in a major IED blast at Mirza Kamil Sahib Chowk in Hawal area of Srinagar city today.

Informed sources told the EXCELSIOR that a powerful IED, planted in the boundary wall of a graveyard at Mirza Kamil Sahib Chowk in Hawal locality, went off with a deafening explosion at 1015 hours today. While the boundary wall was demolished, 26-year-old Junior Engineer (JE), Shabir Hussain Khan S/o Showkat Ali Khan R/o Bagwanpora, Lal Bazar, was directly hit on his motorcycle. He died on the spot. Eyewitnesses said that parts of his head were blown off.

Glasses and shutters of over a dozen residential houses and shops were shattered to smithereens. One parked car and two two-wheelers were also damaged in the blast though none of the pedestrians or motorists was injured. Eyewitnesses said that a large number of people had a narrow escape. Even as a CRPF naka was at a distance, there was apparently no specific target when the blast occurred. Residents said that the young JE was on way to Mughal Darbar bakery to buy breads and sweets when he was hit and faced the main brunt of the blast. With a married sister, Shabir was the lonely son of his parents.

A pall of gloom descended on Bagwanpora locality when the JE's dead body reached there in minutes of his departure, a couple of days before the festival of Eid-ul-Azha.

Residents said that the young JE got killed months after a young man as also a young woman of the same locality died in separate blasts earlier this year. No militant outfit had claimed responsibility of causing the IED blast till late tonight. In the last 17 years of secessionist militancy, nobody has owned up blasts in which only the innocent civilians become the victim. Since the militants are widely suspected to have planted the bomb, none of the politicians or so-called human rights activists issued any statement in protest or condemnation.

Reports from north Kashmir said that Police recovered the dead body of 17-year old Irfan Ahmed Gujri S/o Ghulam Mohammad R/o Malapora, Pattan, from the same locality today. Residents and officials said that the youth was not mentally sound.

Meanwhile, Police in Shopian area of south Kashmir have claimed to have recovered one Nazir Ahmed Wagay son-in-law of Mohammad Abdullah R/o Chak Sedhau from the clutches of his kidnappers. Sources said that a night after Wagay was kidnapped from his residence, Police conducted a raid on Wathoo locality and recovered him unharmed. All the three kidnappers were taken into custody and detained after a case of abduction was registered against them. They were identified as Mohammad Yusuf Haji S/o Ghulam Rasool R/o Bongam, Abdur Rasheed Bhat S/o Mohammad Ramzan Bhat R/o Wathoo and Mohammad Yusuf Wagay S/o Assadullah Wagay R/o Kanipora, Shopian.

Reports said that Mohammad Yusuf Haji was a senior activist of Youth Congress who had also unsuccessfully contested last year's civic body election in Shopian town. Unconfirmed reports described him as District President of Youth Congress. Police sources said that Haji and his associates had subjected Wagay, a small time bovine animal dealer, to physical torture. As residents of Wathoo heard screams from the house of one Abdur Rehman Bhat, they informed Police which conducted a raid, rescued Wagay and arrested the three kidnappers.

HC seeks record of Pathribal case

SRINAGAR, Dec 29: The State High Court today called for records of the Pathribal case, in which five Army officers are accused of killing a like number of civilians in a fake encounter, from the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) Srinagar.

The High Court listed the case for hearing on February 28, defence counsel Anil Bhan told .

He said the court also stayed the proceedings of the case before CJM Srinagar M Y Akhoon till the next date of hearing.

The CBI had filed a chargesheet on May 11 before the CJM against Brig Ajay Saxena, Lt Col Brahendra Pratap Singh, Maj. Saurabh Sharma, Maj Amit Saxena and JCO Idrees Khan for allegedly killing five civilians in a fake encounter at Pathribal in the wake of Chittisinghpora massacre of 35 Sikhs in March 2000.

The CJM had given the Army the option to either exercise court martial against the accused officials or let the civil court try them.

The Army and defence counsel had contested the CBI chargesheet saying it was not maintainable in a court of law without prior sanction for prosecution of the accused officers from the Centre.

However, Akhoon on August 24, set aside the objections raised by them observing that the issue of seeking sanction can be decided during the course of the trial or even at its conclusion.

The Army and the defence counsel challenged the order in the Sessions Court, which upheld the lower court order.

In his application to the High Court, the defence counsel has maintained that since the accused were operating in their area of jurisdiction, any action taken by them, including the killing of the five civilians, was in the line of duty.

He also pleaded that prior sanction from the Centre was necessary for trying the accused officers as provided under section seven of the Armed Forces Act.

The Army has also sought prior sanction from the Government for exercising the option of court martial against the accused.

The CBI, in its 300-page chargesheet, had said the accused army officers of killing the civilians in a fake encounter. The agency’s counsel also pleaded before the lower courts that killing the civilians was not in line with the duty of the accused persons and hence there was no need for seeking sanction from the Centre.

Five civilians were killed by army a few days after the Chittisinghpora massacre in March 2000 and dubbed them as foreign militants responsible for the murder of the Sikhs. (PTI)

Hurriyat ready for talks with PM
Declare ceasefire in J&K: Mirwaiz

SRINAGAR, Dec 29: Asking the Centre to declare a ceasefire in Kashmir, the moderate faction of the Hurriyat Conference today said it was ready for talks with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh but the dialogue should be held on the "basis of equality".

"We are ready for talks with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh if the Government is willing to do so. But the talks should be held on the basis of equality," Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq told reporters here.

He said "communicators", who were conveying messages between Hurriyat and the Centre over the resumption of peace talks, were active behind the scene. The last round of talks between Hurriyat and Singh were held in May this year.

Asked about the deadlock in talks, Mirwaiz held the bureaucracy in New Delhi responsible for it. "It is they (bureaucracy) who decide on the timing. The Prime Minister is inclined for resolution of Kashmir issue," he said after returning from a 15-day Europe tour.

Mirwaiz said during his trip, he studied the Irish peace process and came to the conclusion that the British and Irish leadership had shown political will and vision in an attempt to resolve the dispute.

It is high time the leadership in India and Pakistan showed the same vision and take steps which would lead to a lasting solution to Kashmir issue according to the wishes and aspirations of the people here, he said.

He said although there were similarities in the Irish peace process and the Kashmir issue, the two issues were unique.

"At least the vicious cycle of violence in Ireland has come to a halt. Government of India should declare a ceasefire in the state so that people can feel the change," he said.

The peace process between India and Pakistan will bear no fruit and cannot move forward unless the people of Jammu and Kashmir get relief on the ground, Mirwaiz said.

While everybody was talking about the Indo-Pak peace process, there were certain issues which needed to be resolved between New Delhi and Srinagar, he said.

"The issue of human rights violations is one of the biggest impediments in the peace process. Despite the assurances from the Prime Minister, rights violations are going on unabated," Mirwaiz said.

He said the suggestions of Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf were positive which need to be discussed. "We want to discuss these suggestions with Pakistan leadership and at the sametime, we can put forth our suggestions to leadership in New Delhi.

Mirwaiz said India should realise the changing geo-political situation as was evident from appeals from organisations like Organisation of Islamic Conference and European Union Parliament which have called for resolution of Kashmir issue as per the wishes and aspirations of the people.

Every country, be it the US, United Kingdom or Norway, is willing to play its role in resolving the Kashmir issue between India and Pakistan, he said.

Mirwaiz said India should realise that no issue or problem can be resolved by use of force as has been witnessed in Afghanistan and Iraq.

On the alleged biased report prepared by European Parliament Rapporteur on Kashmir Baroness Emma Nicholson, Mirwaiz said a Hurriyat delegation would visit Brussels soon and brief the members of the European Parliament about the ground situation here.

"European Parliament delegations will be visiting India and Pakistan some time next year. I assure you that the Nicholson report on Kashmir will not stand," he added. (PTI)

PM was in hurry to solve Kashmir in 2006: BJP

NEW DELHI, Dec 29: In the BJP’s assessment, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s moves with Pakistan over Kashmir in 2006 were an attempt to change geography to enter history.

The main opposition party believes his Government pursued a Third-Front agenda throughout the year.

But leaders of the saffron party, which kept battling infighting and lost power in Jharkhand this year before retrieving Hindutva from the back burner, say 2006 was replete with opportunities for them to reach out to their constituency because of the UPA’s moves on minorities and security issues.

Public reaction to the party’s position on Vande Mataram, the Afzal row and on the Sachar Committee report, for instance, gave the BJP a chance to pursue its aggressive nationalist ideology, according to its general secretary Arun Jaitley.

"These issues helped us consolidate our own ideological constituency," he told reporters today in an assessment of the BJP and the UPA for 2006.

But the former Union Minister found the Prime Minister in a hurry to resolve the Kashmir issue this year.

"He wanted to change geography to get into history. That position will never be accepted by India or any Indian," Jaitley said, referring to Singh’s moves in Havana with Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf and his response to Islamabad’s four-point formula on Kashmir.

The BJP leader, whose party has sought rejection of the US legislation on the Nuclear deal with Washington, alleged the Prime Minister also appeared ready to compromise India’s deterrence and preparedness in exchange for nuclear fuel.

"In Havana, the Prime Minister abandoned national position and accepted Pakistan’s (by calling Pakistan a victim of terror)," Jaitley said. "He allowed Pakistan a foot into the door," the BJP leader added, citing the proposed Joint Anti-Terror Mechanism in Kashmir.

The BJP also believes there has been no economic move by the Congress-led Government worth mentioning in 2006.

"Name one economic decision of significance which gave fillip to the growth rate. ... The answer is no!" he remarked.

Whatever economic growth took place in 2006, he added, was entrepreneur driven and not a result of any Government decision.

The BJP insisted that the Left supporters of the UPA restricted Finance Minister P Chidambaram from moving ahead with economic reforms.

"The Finance Minister in the UPA is a Revenue Secretary. And even if he wants to take steps, the Left stops him," Jaitley said as he called the Congress-led Government a high taxation regime, citing the current level of taxes in a variety of sectors.

He, however, said Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee, who ended her 25-day hunger strike over acquisition of farm land in Singur for a Tata project yesterday, has been able to "flag the double-speak of the Left".

In the backdrop of a minority conference organised by Steel Minister Ram Vilas Paswan and Minority Affairs Minister A R Antulay’s announcement that the Sachar report would be implemented in 2007, the BJP leader alleged that the Prime Minister was following agenda set by his Cabinet colleagues.

"Others like Lalu, Ram Vilas, Antulay would set the agenda and a weak leadership would follow it," Jaitley said. (PTI)

SC to get 3 more Judges

NEW DELHI, Dec 29: The Supreme Court is likely to get three more Judges shortly, bringing the vacancy level from existing four to just one, the Law Ministry sources said here today.

The files of three Chief Justices from State High Courts, who are slated to be elevated as Judges in the Apex Court, are awaiting President A P J Abdul Kalam’s approval, after they have been cleared by a collegium of Supreme Court, Law Ministry and Prime Minister’s Office, the sources said.

The three Chief Justices are H S Bedi of Bombay High Court, V S Sirpurkar of Calcutta High Court and B Sudershan Reddy of Guwahati High Court.

The ministry is hoping the names will be cleared before the designated Chief Justice of India K G Balakrishnan takes over the country’s highest judicial office from the outgoing CJI Y K Sabharwal on January 14. Balakrishnan’s appointment was cleared by the President earlier last week.

With Sabharwal going out, the vacancy level will again increase by one and the Apex Court will have a total of 24 Judges working against the sanctioned strength of 26.

The vacancies are again going to further increase down the year as four Judges are retiring in 2007 and six more are due to demit office in 2008, the sources said. The Apex Court has seldom worked to its full strength.

The ministry said it was more keen on seeing the appointment of three Judges in Apex Court through, before it starts working on vacancies in the various High Courts, which are estimated to be around 118, after appointment process of those in the pipeline is complete.

"About two-and-a-half years ago there were about 300 vacancies in various High Courts in the country and till now we have appointed 262 Judges and more appointments are in the offing," H R Bhardwaj, Minister for Law and Justice, said.

Explaining the perpetual shortfall, the minister said, "the vacancy level keeps fluctuating because as Judges from High Courts keep retiring, more and more Judges from District Courts also keep on getting elevated to the High Courts."

Besides a massive pendency of cases across the country, the litigant woes are further compounded by an apparent unending shortage of Judges. There are 10.5 Judges per one million population against required 50 Judges per million population as recommended by the Law Commission.

In terms of pendency, there are 33,635 cases pending in the Supreme Court and 42, 42, 450 in the 21 High Courts of the country.

Uttar Pradesh leads with 10,74,179 are cases pending in Allahabad High Court, accounting for one-fourth of the entire pendency in the country. This is followed by Tamil Nadu (3,70,911), Maharashtra (3,58,031), Jharkhand (2,78,098), West Bengal (2,65,372) and Punjab and Haryana (2,43,471).

At the District and Subordinate Court level, more than 2.53 crore cases are pending in various courts in 35 States and Union Territories across the country. Of this 1.83 crore account for criminal cases alone, while over 70.4 lakh are civil in nature.

In overall pendency, Uttar Pradesh again leads other States by having 46,28,866 criminal and civil cases in the backlog. It is followed by Gujarat (39,35,946), Maharashtra (33,27,881), West Bengal (19,41,227), Bihar (12,77,692), Karnataka (10,86,058), and Rajasthan (10,50,374).

The Law Minister said in order to overcome the litigation burden, the Government has set up fast track courts, tribunals, Lok Adalats, family courts, labour courts, consumer court and is encouraging alternate modes of disposal such as mediation, arbitration, and negotiation.

Fast track courts alone have disposed of 10.42 lakh cases out of 18.23 lakh transferred to them. Nearly five lakh Lok Adalats organised so far settled two crore cases, benefiting over 82 lakh people.

In view of their efficiency, the financial support to these courts have been extended by another five year, Bhardwaj said. (PTI)

Bhardwaj heads 14 Corps

NEW DELHI, Dec 29: Major General P C Bhardwaj, General Officer Commanding, Delhi area, has been posted as the new Corps Commander of the crucial Leh-based 14 Corps.

Bhardwaj, a much decorated para officer will take over the Corp on promotion to the rank of Lt General, according to a Army announcement here.

The current Corps Commander of 14 Corps Lt Gen J K Mohanty has been been named as the new Commandant of the Army War College in Mohow.(PTI)

Another CRPF jawan ends life

SRINAGAR, Dec 29: One more jawan of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) committed the suicide here today despite introducing a 24-hour help-line for security personnel posted in the State to help them overcome their problem.

Official sources said a CRPF jawan R Choudhary shot himself dead with his service weapon at Humhama this morning.

Police have registered a case in this regard. Choudhary was the second CRPF jawan who took the extreme step during the past one week.

A CRPF jawan was killed in similar circumstances at Bemina on December 25.

This is another incident of suicide by security personnel posted in Jammu and Kashmir in the recent past.

Alarmed by the increasing incident of suicides among Army troops and other security personnel, the defence authorities have recently introduced a 24-hour help-line and yoga classes besides several other measures to help the soldiers overcome the problems related to stress and their family.(UNI)

13 cross over to PoK

SRINAGAR, Dec 29: A large number of villagers gathered on this side of river Kishenganga to bid an emotional farewell to 13 people who crossed over to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) from the Teetwal crossing point.

While 11 people went across the Line of Control (LoC) to meet their relatives in PoK, two returned to their homes in Muzaffarabad.

Hundreds of people had gathered on both sides of river Kishenganga, which demarcates the LoC in Tangdhar sector of Kupwara district, to witness the crossing.

People bade a tearful send off to their relatives as they crossed a footbridge erected over the river which divides Chillana village in PoK from Teetwal in Jammu and Kashmir.

On October 29 last year, India and Pakistan agreed on opening five crossing points across the 742-km-long LoC to facilitate movement of people and relief material for survivors of the devastating 7.6 magnitude earthquake on October 8, 2005, which killed thousands of people and rendered millions homeless.

The five crossing points were Nauseri-Teetwal (Tangdhar), Chakothi-Kaman Post (Uri), Hajipir-Uri, Tattapani-Mendhar (Poonch) and Rawalakot-Chakan Da Bagh (Poonch).(UNI)

Two arrested, rifles seized

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Dec 29: Security forces and police today arrested an Over Ground Worker (OGW) of the militants, who had been pressurising youths including students to join militancy in Bhadarwah tehsil of Doda district. He has been identified as Babbar Hussain Sheikh son of Ghulam Ahmed Sheikh R/o Chakka, Bhadarwah.

Babbar has been sent for questioning. Five boys were rescued from his clutches.

Troops of 36 RR and police recovered two rifles during a search operation in Kandi area of Rajouri district. The rifles had been snatched from two Village Defence Committee (VDC) members—Wani Amin and Zaffar Iqbal by the militants from village Devan, Kandi on December 3. Police party in the operation was led by DySP DAR Fareed Ahmed and DySP Operations Mr Katoch.

Troops of 37 RR, 150 CRPF and Mendhar police today arrested a suspect Jafran son of Hukam Dad from village Banola in Mendhar tehsil of Poonch district and recovered 30 AK rounds, one grenade and one magazine.

India disappointed at Saddam hanging, pol parties denounce it

NEW DELHI, In a guarded response to execution of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, India today said it was "disappointed" over the "unfortunate" event but political parties and Muslim leaders strongly denounced the "illegal" hanging of a friend of this country.

The Government, which had earlier opposed Hussain's execution, hoped it will not affect the process of reconciliation and restoration of peace in the trouble-torn country.

"We had already expressed the hope that the execution would not be carried out. We are disappointed that it has been (carried out)," External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said in a statement.

"We hope that the unfortunate event will not affect the process of reconciliation, restoration of peace and normalcy in Iraq," he said.

New Delhi had on Monday expressed opposition to Hussein's execution and cautioned that no steps should be taken which could delay restoration of peace in the troubled country.

"It is our hope that the sentence will not be carried out and the former President's life would be spared," External Affairs Ministry spokesman Navtej Sarna had said after an Iraqi appeals court upheld the death sentence to Hussain.

New Delhi had hoped that "no steps" would be taken which "might obstruct the process of reconciliation and delay restoration of peace in Iraq."

Political parties, including the ruling Congress, reacted strongly to the hanging of ousted Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, terming it as "judicial assault" and "barbaric" development that will cause "more serious and bigger problem" in that country.

Congress said Hussain's hanging does "not carry any credibility" as there were "clear procedural deficiencies in the trial process" besides the "undue haste" in carrying out the death sentence.

"They validate our previously expressed apprehensions regarding ad-hoc victors' justice and therefore, we condemn it," Congress chief spokesman Janardan Dwivedi said shortly after Hussein was hanged in Iraq at around 6 AM local time (0830 IST).

"Nevertheless, we hope that this unfortunate event will not stand in the way of the process of restoring normalcy and reconciliation in Iraq," he added.

The government's ally CPI(M) saw the hanging as an "illegal and criminal act" of "an imperialist occupying power" which has "no right to violate national sovereignty and dispense justice on those whom they have illegally overthrown."

Foreseeing increased hatred for the US after the hanging, the Left party, in a statement, asked the government to "realise that its strategic alliance with the Bush administration, which is notorious for its imperial aggrandisement, will harm India's interests."

"This urgency in executing Saddam is very suspect," CPI(M) leader Nilotpal Basu said added that his party feared that it would have an adverse impact not only in Iraq but also in other parts of the world.

Terming the execution as "barbaric", CPI National Secretary D Raja said, "trial was a farce and the verdict to hang Saddam a judicial assault as the country was on under US-British the occupation."

He said even the UN failed to intervene to stop the hanging.

Congress spokesman Abhishek Singhvi said the execution was not the solution to the problem in Iraq and expressed fear that it "will be the beginning of a bigger and "more serious and bigger problem" in that country.

He said the development showed those holding powers in Iraq now have failed to win over the hearts and minds of ordinary citizens.

Former External Affairs Minister K Natwar Singh said tension in West Asia would increase with the execution. "With this, the deterrence will increase, tension will increase. It will have a very adverse impact on the region for decades to come," he said.

Condemning the hanging, Muslim leaders said it will affect peace in the world.

Describing as "highly shocking" the way Hussein was executed, All India Personal Law Board member Kamal Farooqi said "it will add to the problems. Peace will be disturbed across the world."

Attacking US President George W Bush, he said "I think it is designed by Bush who is not loosing any opportunity to hurt the Muslim sentiments.

"It reinforces our view that it is America which is in fact trying to harm the world peace," he said. (PTI)

Senior police officer among 2 killed, three injured

SRINAGAR, Two people including a state police officer were killed and three others wounded in a militant attack at Pampore,

on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway Jammu and Kashmir today.

Official sources said militants attacked Station House Officer (SHO), Pampore Manzoor Ahmad, when he was going to the main market.

Manzoor and his guard, constable Chand Mohammad and three civilians were critically wounded.

They were rushed to a hospital where the SHO and one of the civilian Jan Mohammad died. Chand Mohammad was being operated upon by the doctors in the Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences at Soura. Both the injured civilians are out of danger, doctors said.

Security forces, guarding the highway, cordoned off the area and launched a search operation to apprehend the militants responsible for the attack. (UNI)

Lt Gen Deepak Kapoor to take over as Army Vice Chief

NEW DELHI : Lt Gen Deepak Kapoor is to take over as the Vice Chief of the Army Staff at the Army Head Quarters here on January 1 next, it was officially announced today.

Lt Gen Kapoor succeeds Lt Gen S Pattabhiraman who retires later this month.

Lt Gen Deepak Kapoor was commissioned into the regiment of artillery on June 11, 1967 and has held important staff and command appointments in his almost 40-year-long career so far.

An alumnus of the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, he has done the higher command and National Defence College courses. In addition, he has represented the country as the Chief Operations Officer for All United Nations Forces deployed in Somalia from 1994 to 1995 for which he was awarded the Vishisht Seva Medal in January 1996.

Also, the General Officer has taken active part in the 1971 operations launched for the Liberation of Bangladesh.

During his service as a Brigade Commander deployed on the line of control in Jammu & Kashmir, the General Officer was awarded the Sena Medal (devotion to duty) in January 1998.

He commanded one of the most prestigious divisions of the Indian Army, the Ram Division, as part of a strike corps during operation Parakram.

He has been the Chief of Staff of 4 Corps in the north east fighting insurgency in Assam and thereafter has commanded 33 Corps, deployed on the Sino-Indian border. For his excellent Command of the Corps, the General Officer was awarded the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal.

On promotion, he commanded the Army Training Command at Shimla.

The General Officer has an abiding interest in self education, self improvement and acquisition of knowledge in pursuance of which, while in service and involved in professional activities, he did his bachelors in arts privately.

He has a Masters Degree in Political Science and a Masters Degree in Military Science. He holds a Diploma in Business Management and has completed his Masters in Business Administration from the Indira Gandhi National Open University, New Delhi.

The General Officer is also an excellent sportsman and has played Hockey, Basketball, Golf and Tennis at various levels.

Lt Gen Kapoor has been in command of the Northern Army from September 5, 2005. (UNI)