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Gear up to face terror: PM to police HYDERABAD, Oct 26: Terming terrorism as the most dangerous threat to the country, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today said there was an "external dimension" to the internal threat and called upon the police to gear up to meet the new challenges. "There are subversive forces at work. Economic globalisation and technological development have altered the nature of crime, giving rise to new forms of criminality," he said after reviewing the passing out parade of the 58th batch of IPS probationers at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy on the outskirts of the city. Calling for improved coordination among the states and the use of best technologies to face the multitude of dangers, Singh said, "Today’s terrorists are most sophisticated having transnational linkages and adequate resources. Both knowledge and determination are required if we are to succeed against these elements." The most dangerous threat to the country, he said, was terrorism. "From an occasional footnote, it has become a hydra-headed monster. There are several strains of terrorism present and you will need to keep abreast of developments in this regard," the Prime Minister told the young officers. Referring to the situation in the northeast, Jammu and Kashmir and Naxal-hit states, he said that the problems in each of these regions were different and a skillful approach was needed to tackle them. "All this will demand sensitive handling. Understand reasons for disaffection and alienation and you will find some answer to your challenges," he told the officers. 78 IPS probationers, including eight women, participated in the parade as a culmination of 45-week long training at the academy. Four officers from the Royal Bhutan Police and three from Maldives Police also passed out today. It was after a gap of 21 years that the passing out parade was reviewed by a Prime Minister. The earlier occasion was when late Rajiv Gandhi reviewed the parade in 1985. Pointing out how the nature of crime and violence in the society had undergone changes, Singh said sophisticated instrumentalities were now available to criminals. "This requires knowledge of new disciplines and new ways of tackling such crime. Only a deep understanding of the complexities of forces shaping our polity will enable you to handle your work in an efficient manner," he told the police officers. Referring to the internal security challenges, Singh said, "We face not one single over-arching threat but a multitude of dangers. Problems are not confined to one state alone and often encompass several states. This requires not just improved coordination between states but also new modes of cooperation requiring the best use of technologies." Union Ministers Shivraj Patil and S Jaipal Reddy, Andhra Pradesh Governor Rameshwar Thakur, Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, state Home Minister K Jana Reddy and Director of the Academy Kamal Kumar were also present on the occasion. Exhorting police officers to develop a strong sense of commitment to secularism and earn the name for being just, fair and firm, Singh said, "Our country is defined by its pluralism. It is this plurality of cultures, religions and ethnicity that make our society one of the most complex yet fascinating in the world." He also asked the young officers to strive to change the image of the police, rising above parochial considerations and personal ambitions. "Your understanding, your specialisation and your empathy will contribute greatly to our vision of an inclusive and prosperous India," the Prime Minister said. While cautioning them about "immense resistance from vested interests" to their endeavours, he, however, said, "but, you must catch the bull by its horns and take charge of your destiny." Singh also asked them to maintain high standards of professional excellence, integrity and honesty while discharging their duties. The Prime Minister gave away medals to the meritorious probationers. Nishant Kumar Tiwary of Bihar cadre received the prestigious Prime Minister’s Baton and Home Ministry’s revolver for the best all-round probationer. (PTI) |
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Probe demanded into PSO’s
killing Excelsior Special Correspondent SRINAGAR, Oct 26: Two soldiers got killed and 19 others, including 13 soldiers, sustained injuries in a head-on collision between a J&K State Road Transport Corporation (SRTC) bus and a civilian passenger bus on Srinagar-Jammu national highway near Letapora today. Informed sources told the Excelsior that possibly due a tyre puncture and slippery road, the driver of a J&K SRTC bus, bearing registration No: JK01Y-0295, lost his balance and his vehicle collided head on with a civilian passenger bus, JKE-7940, at Khanibugh Letapora on the national highway in Awantipore area. While the SRTC bus was carrying troopers from Srinagar to Jammu, the civilian bus was coming from the opposite direction of Anantnag. 15 soldiers and 6 civilians sustained injuries of varied intensities. They were quickly evacuated and rushed to hospital. However, the critically wounded Captain Pramod of 97 Field Regiment and Subedar Paramjit Singh of 16 Punjab, succumbed to injuries shortly after the accident. All the injured, including the critically injured driver of the ill-fated SRTC bus, Varman Singh of Jammu, were admitted to hospitals. Defence spokesman at 15 Corps headquarters refuted agency reports suggesting four fatal casualties. Late tonight, he insisted that only two of the soldiers had died. He maintained that six of the injured soldiers were under treatment at a military hospital while others had been discharged. Police sources said that in all two soldiers got killed and 19 others, including 13 soldiers, sustained injuries in the collision of the two buses. SP Awantipora Sardal Khan rushed to the spot for rescue operation. Agencies Add: Meanwhile, People today took to streets at Sheri on the Srinagar-Uri road, demanding a thorough probe into the killing of a Personnel Security Officer (PSO) of a peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) leader by the security forces. Shouting slogans against the security forces for killing Mohammad Ashraf Lone PSO of PDP zonal president Ghulam Hassan Rather, the demonstrators, mostly women, blocked the road. The Karvan-e-Aman bus with 28 Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) bound passengers was also stranded on the highway. However, the bus was allowed to move only this afternoon. The demonstrators demanded that an inquiry be initiated in the killing and those responsible for the act be punished. Police on October 22 claimed that Special Operation Group (SOG) of state police and Rashitriya Rifles (RR) in a joint operation killed Lone in an encounter. It further said that a leader of PDP, a partner in the coalition Government in the state, was helping Pakistan based Lashker-e-Toiba (LeT) militants in the north Kashmir. Police further said six other LeT militants, responsible for grenade and other attacks in Sopore, were also arrested. However, the family members of the arrested youths, refuting the police claim, said they were innocent and were being implicated in false cases. (UNI) |
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New SIT to investigate Chopra killings Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Oct 26: Director General of Police (DGP) Gopal Sharma today constituted a new Special Investigating Team (SIT) to probe sensational murder of cement tycoon Rajinder Bushan Chopra alias Raju Chopra and four others in Chopra’s Trikuta Nagar bungalow on September 17 night. The team comprising an IPS officer and two DySPs from CID (Counter Intelligence) and Railways Police was constituted today by the state police chief through an official order issued on the recommendations of Inspector General of Police (IGP), Jammu Zone, Dr Shesh Pal Vaid. The team comprised Atul Goel, an IPS officer, presently posted as ASP, Abdul Rouf Lone, DySP Railways, Shamsher Singh Parihar, DySP CID (CI) Jammu and DySP Sajjad Bhat. DySP East Mamata Sharma and SHO Trikuta Nagar Inspector Purshotam Mengi will be part of the team in their capacity as Incharge of Trikuta Nagar, where the killings of Raju Chopra, his wife Madhu Chopra, daughter Saloni Chopra, a driver and a servant of the family were executed by some unidentified killers on September 17 night. While Mr Goel will head the compact team, SSP Jammu Mukesh Singh will supervise it. Dr Vaid told the Excelsior that the team has been revamped as investigations were now required to be computer savvy. Therefore, Mr Goel has been chosen to head the team, he said. "Since there was not much evidence on ground in the killings as majority of evidence had been destroyed by the killers, investigators will have to concentrate more on data to be retrieved from mobile, landline telephones and computers of Chopra family and his associates", the IGP Jammu said. Initially, police had constituted a 21 member team to investigate the killings. As clues remained elusive, three DySPs, who had served as SHOs of Trikuta Nagar police station and were known as "professional investigators" were unofficially asked to help the team. They include Shamsher Singh Parihar, Sawtantar Arora and Pritam Singh Jamwal. "Now an official order has been issued incorporating Mr Parihar and Rouf Lone in the team besides making the team compact for investigations", sources said. Mr Parihar, it may be recalled, had worked out the blind killings of a couple, who happened to be parents of PGI Medical Superintendent Dr Anil Gupta, in Trikuta Nagar within a week during his posting as SHO Trikuta Nagar police station. Though the accused hadn’t left much evidence in the house, it was on the basis of scientific evidence collected by Mr Parihar and the case prepared by him that one of the accused was awarded death sentence by the court. Rouf Lone had successfully handled investigations into first ever case of MBBS paper leakage in the State. It was due to his efforts that several startling revelations were made in the professional entrance paper scam which include that the papers were being leaked for past few years, kin of some influential persons were beneficiaries of the paper leakage and that impersonation was also taking place in the exams. Controller of the Competent Authority was arrested by the Crime Branch during investigations of the case. New team has been asked to take over investigations of the case immediately. It may be recalled that on September 20, the State Cabinet had handed over investigations of the case to Central Bureau of Investigations (CBI). However, a CBI team is yet to reach here to take over investigations. |
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Under-trial arrested, high level
probe ordered By Sanjeev Pargal JAMMU, Oct 26: After 650 calls and SMS were traced on a mobile telephone recovered from the possession of an under-trial Gurmeet Singh in high security Kot Bhalwal jail, he was taken into custody by CID (Counter Intelligence) sleuths today. Prisons Department have also ordered a high level probe into smuggling of mobile telephone and SIM cards inside the jail where a number of militants including foreign mercenaries are lodged. "Data retrieved from mobile telephone number 99068-72239, which was recovered from the possession of Gurmeet Singh, a resident of Mandlik Nagar, Tope Sherkhanian, indicated that over 650 calls and SMS were received on it since August 8, 2006 when it was activated", official sources told the Excelsior. All calls and SMS were received on the telephone from different parts of Jammu and Kashmir, mostly the Kashmir Valley. "No international call had been received on the telephone. Only one call was received on it from a Reliance mobile of Punjab, a number which was initially presumed to be Sri Lankan number by the authorities", they said. Immediately after the receipt of call list, the CID (CI) sleuths took Gurmeet Singh into custody and registered a case against him at CID police station under Section 18 of Unlawful Activities Act. He has been sent to Joint Interrogation Centre (JIC) for sustained questioning. Another mobile telephone number 99061-48770, which was recovered from a Hizbul Mujahideen militant Mohd Altaf Choudhary of Rajouri, had been activated only on October 14. It had very few incoming and outgoing calls, sources said, adding the militants as well as murder accused Gurmeet Singh had received and made majority of calls from the other number, which was in operation in jail since August. Mohd Altaf Choudhary, who had been in jail for last four years, is a former head constable of Security wing of Jammu and Kashmir Police. He was arrested in a plot to assassinate former Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah. He had also served as PSO of a retired Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), sources said, adding he had been designated as ‘Mukhia’ (chief) by the militants and other detenues in the jail. They didn’t rule out the arrest of Choudhary from whose possession second mobile telephone was recovered. "We have reports that the mobile telephone was not being used by Choudhary but some other militants including dreaded ultra Raja Muzaffar. As Choudhary had been designated as ‘Mukhia’ by the militants, he was given the mobile by some other militants and told to deliver it to Sheikh Rashid, officiating Superintendent of Kot Bhalwal jail’’, sources said. Rashid, it may be recalled immediately after taking over as Superintendent after his predecessor Gurdip Singh went on a month leave had ordered strictness in the jail premises leading to seizure of mobile telephones and SIM cards. Concerned over developments in the jail premises, Prisons Department have also ordered a high level inquiry into the seizure of mobile phones from the jail inmates. The inquiry will be conducted by DIG Prisons Sahibzada Rafiq. It will look into the circumstances leading to smuggling of mobile phones and SIM cards inside the jail premises and pin point ‘negligence’ on part of jail staff and action to be taken against them. Preliminary investigations revealed that the militants especially Raja Muzaffar, a Kashmiri militant of Hizbul Mujahideen outfit, wanted the first SIM card with mobile number 99068-72239 to be destroyed. Raja Muzaffar along with his associates reportedly met ‘Mukhia’ Mohd Altaf Choudhary in the jail premises and agreed to give him a second SIM card (99061-48770). They wanted the ‘Mukhia’ to approach the Jail Superintendent and request him to destroy first SIM card with the condition that they would replace it with another SIM. Superintendent Sheikh Rashid agreed. As soon as the ‘Mukhia’ handed over the second SIM, Mr Rashid put him back into the barrack and sounded CID (CI) as well as seniors in Prisons Department about the recovery of second SIM card. According to sources, the militants wanted to destroy the first SIM as it contained a large number of mobile and landline numbers of their contacts who had called them on the mobile. The militants had also dialed numbers from the same mobile. They said the CID sleuths were in the process of tracing name and addresses of the persons who had called on the mobile or received calls. It was, however, clear that Raja Muzaffar was in regular touch with some militants from inside the jail through the mobile and had also passed on some directions to his cadre. Intelligence agencies were also investigating as to how the militants could manage to get the mobile telephones issued on the name of an Army soldier Naresh Kumar of Rashtriya Rifles, posted in Baramulla and an under-trial Sanjeev Kumar Samyal of Samba, lodged in a jail for last three years in a murder case. |
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Mumbai blast accused confess involvement MUMBAI, Oct 26: The Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) of Mumbai Police today claimed that four of the six accused in the July 11 Mumbai train blasts confessed to the exact roles played by them in the incidents. The confessions of four accused Mohammed Ali, Naved, Sajid and Majid have been recorded, ATS chief K P Raghuvanshi told reporters here. "The bombs were assembled at Mohammed Ali’s residence at Govandi by a specialised team of Pakistani and Indian nationals. Majid facilitated the movement of six Pakistanis who crossed over to India from Bangladesh in 24 Paragnas district of West Bengal," he said. Sajid Ansari helped the Pakistani nationals in assembling the electronic circuits used in the bombs and naved served as the local guide for the Pakistanis, Raghuvanshi said. Junaid, arrested from Belgaum on October 3, handled the entire support system and logistics and was among the masterminds, Raghuvanshi said. ATS said it had also come to light during interrogations that accused Mohammed Sajid Ansari, who ran a mobile phone repair shop at Jogeshwari in Mumbai, is an active member of banned SIMI and knew other accused including Junaid and Faisal. The investigating agency told the Court that Mohammed Sajid had even attended a meeting at Faisal’s Bandra house where the plan to cause a series of blasts in trains was finalised with exact role to be played by the accused. He actively participated in assembling the bombs by lending his expertise and knowledge of electric circuitry in making timer devices which were used to activate the bombs, the Court was informed. The role by Mohammed Sajid was also confirmed by other accused during disclosures before the competent authority under MCOCA, the ATS remand application said and added the remaining components and electric/electronic instruments used by him in making timer devices have been recovered at his instance and taken charge of by the police under a Panchnama. As regards the role played by Naveed Hussain Khan, ATS said it had come to light that he knew co-accused Faisal since 2001 and had attended meetings between February and July 2006 called by accused Junaid in Faisal’s house where the plan to set off the blasts in trains was finalised. ATS told the Court that Naveed had transported Pakistani militants in Faisal’s car from the places where they were accomodated to the residence of Mohammed Ali where the bombs were assembled. Naveed also drove the car loaded with bombs and Faisal and Sajid to Faisal’s residence in Suburban Bandra, it claimed. The investigating agency told the Court that Majid Mohammed Shafi had disclosed during interrogation that he was a resident of Kolkata and had links with militants operating from Bangladesh. He is allegedly involved in helping militants cross border from Bangladesh and enter India since past two to three years and was a regular carrier operating through unauthorised channel, the ATS said. In furtherance to July 11 blast conspiracy, Majid helped six Pakistani militants in infiltrating India. These Pakistani militants had smuggled RSX which was used in making bombs. The identity of Pakistani militants was being verified and necessary action in this regard was being initiated, ATS said. Accused Abdul Wahid Din Mohammed Shaikh had disclosed during interrogation that he was working for SIMI and was in touch with Junaid. He had also attended conspiracy meetings and arranged for accomodation of Pakistani militants and played an active role in their escape after the blasts. ATS said accused Shaikh Mohammed Ali had disclosed during interrogation that he had undergone militant training in Pakistan organised by ISI. Meanwhile, the special MCOCA Court remanded five suspects in the July 11 serial blasts case to judicial custody till November 9. (PTI) |
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3 cops held in Doda for enacting encounter drama Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Oct 26: Three police constables have been arrested and a case registered against them at Kishtwar police station for enacting a drama of an encounter and claiming that their AK rifle was snatched by the militants outside a Ziarat. In another incident, Doda police and security forces today arrested a Hizbul Mujahideen militant from Basti, Bhadarwah, SSP Doda Manohar Singh said. Police sources said three constables who have been arrested and suspended from the services for enacting drama of a fake encounter outside Astan Bala Ziarat in Kishtwar tehsil of Doda district have been identified as Abdul Rehman, head constables, Mohd Shaffi and Ashiq Hussain, constables. A case against them has been registered at Kishtwar police station under FIR No. 227/06 under Sections 326/420/182/119/177/201/203/34 RPC and 30 Police Act. It was on August 20, 2006 that a complaint was lodged by Company Commander ‘B’ of JKAP 13th battalion regarding an encounter outside a Ziarat at Astan Bala in Kishtwar town the previous night. The complaint said that Ashiq Hussain, constable, who was on guard duty at Ziarat was fired upon and injured and his service weapon, an INSAS rifle, was snatched. After visiting the spot the same day, SSP Doda Manohar Singh had ordered secret investigations in the case as he became doubtful after going through the circumstantial evidence that it was not a militant attack but the constables had enacted a drama. Guard personnel Mohd Shaffi, constable and Abdul Rehman, head constable were questioned during investigations. Photographs and other material was sent to FSL Jammu for expert opinion. Statements of witnesses were recovered and the cops on duty were subjected to sustained questioning. All suspected police personnel barring Ghulam Hassan, constable later admitted that Abdul Rehman, Ashiq Hussain and Mohd Shaffi, all from JKAP 13th battalion had enacted drams of encounter to save themselves as the weapon was misplaced by them. "The act was treated as indiscipline/negligence in which the cops had misguided the Police Department. Moreover, Ghulam Hassan, constable had no knowledge about the episode as revealed by him during questioning", the sources said, adding, therefore, a FIR was registered against three cops and all of them were arrested. They have also been suspended from the services. A joint search operation was launched by Army, police and CRPF at Basti in Bhadarwah area of Doda district today. During searches, a Hizbul Mujahideen militant Farid Ahmed Sheikh son of Abdul Qayoom Sheikh R/o Basti was arrested. He was involved in several militancy related incidents besides a rape case. |
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Natwar betrayed my trust: Sonia NEW DELHI, Oct 26: Breaking her long silence, Congress president Sonia Gandhi today attacked former External Affairs Minister K Natwar Singh, saying he had "betrayed" her trust in him by "misusing" the party’s name in the oil-for-food scam in Iraq. "As it became clearer that it was true that my colleague had misused the name of the party in some ways, I felt extremely betrayed," she said in an interview to NDTV, according to a release issued by the channel. She was unforgiving on Singh when she said ".......He was a colleague in whom I had placed trust and I felt very terribly betrayed." This is the first time Gandhi has made her position clear on Singh after the tabling of the report of the Justice Pathak inquiry authority in Parliament in which he and his son were indicted. In her comments immediately after the controversy broke out late last year, Gandhi had said she had a "close working relationship" with Singh and made it clear that anyone found involved in the scam would have to pay for it. Gandhi denied she is "the power behind the throne" saying she enjoyed a relationship of mutual trust with him. Explaining her "alleged" differences with the Prime Minister over the hike in petrol prices, she said "I think there was a miscommunication about the exact figure, I mean it was no problem at at .....We are not competitors." Asked about Singh’s reaction when he was told by her in 2004 that he is the Prime Ministerial choice, she said "I think he is a person who keeps his emotions to himself. Also I suppose he was rather surprised." Gandhi spoke about the overwhelming fear that her family lived with after Rajiv Gandhi became Prime Minister. Her opposition to his decision (to take up Prime Ministership) was a "Mahayudh" with him. Describing her meeting with Rajiv after Indira Gandhi was assassinated, she said "my husband was away.... He was in West Bengal. He arrived and came straight to the hospital.... It was a very difficult moment. He did say. That is what was expected of him and I did beg him not to take that responsibility. I did say that because I thought he would be killed too. He replied he would be killed anyway." When asked why she was never seen smiling when Rajiv was in office, Gandhi said "I was a little frightened. I was very shy and I was worried about my husband’s safety. And I think its not true that I never smile. I smile but may be people prefer other photographs." She revealed that she did not watch television during the elections, talked about how she treated "pizza and past allegations" fired at her and what she felt about being compared to a Jhola-carrying NGO worker. (PTI) |
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SRINAGAR, Oct 26: The Karvan-e-Aman bus today left for Aman Setu, the last Indian border post, with 28 Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) bound passengers, official sources said. They said the bus left under tight security for Aman Setu, the last Indian post on the Line of Control (LoC) in Uri sector from here this morning. Twenty-four passengers had come to Kashmir valley to celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr with to their relatives here yesterday were returning to their homes in Muzaffarabad, the capital of PoK. The other four passengers are the resident of the Kashmir valley who are going to PoK to meet their relatives after a gap of more than 57 years. The passengers will deboard the bus at Aman Setu and cross over to PoK on foot through the bridge seperating India and Pakistan. However, they will again board a bus from PoK the other side of the LoC to reach Muzaffarabad. The bus service to enable the families separated during to partition in 1947 was started on April 7 last year first the bus was flagged off by the Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson Sonia Gandhi. Hundreds of Kashmiris living on both sides of the LoC have so far crossed the line to visit their relatives in Jammu and Kashmir and PoK. However, the bus service was suspended after October 8, devastating earthquaked that damaged the Aman Setu bridge and road on the other side the LoC. It took a few months to restore the service after PoK administration undertook the repair work. The damaged bridge was reconstructed by the Indian Army which was inaugurated by Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad. A number of separatist leaders, including moderate Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Omar Farooq and Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front chief Mohammad Yaseen Malik also undertook the journey through this route. (UNI) |
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NEW DELHI, Oct 26: The BJP today decided to launch its second phase of agitation, demanding the hanging of Mohammad Afzal,convicted by the Supreme Court in the Parliament attack case, from November 15 to 24. BJP spokesman Prakash Javadekar said that the meeting of the party’s office-bearers decided to hold rallies at 14 places in the country, which witnessed by terrorist incidents, to highlight the menace of terrorism to the nation. "The Government’s soft-pedaling of mercy petition of Afzal raised many issues," he said, adding the cities where the rallies are be held include Ayodhya, Varanasi,Hyderabad, Combatore, Kolkatta where the terrorists have struck in the past. There had been umpteen number of mercy petitions by the convicts facing the gallows for their crimes against humanity and all petitions were disposed off within 24 hours after filing thepetition but the Government was yet to decide in 24 days after the clemency was sought, Mr Javadekar noted. He said delay in hanging Afzal was not an issue concerning an individual but the determination of the national will to enforce the law in letter and spirit. "Nobody in BJP pleaded for mercy for Dara Singh, convicted of murdering Christian Missionary Graham Staines in Mayurbhanj in Orissa because nobody agreed with the killing. It was not the case with Afzal where people and organisations including Congress party were putting forth all kinds of perverse arguments to save him from the gallows," he said. He said on November 27, the opening day of the winter session of Parliament, the BJP had decided to organise a huge rally in Delhi and the party had nominated two senior leaders Vijay Kumar Malhotra and Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi to coordinate with the Delhi unit. On December 13, the BJP would felicitate the families of victims who fell of terrorist bullets in Parliament attack, he added. (UNI) |
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Husband must explain reasons for wife’s death: SC NEW DELHI, Oct 26: Tightening screws against accused in dowry death cases, the Supreme Court has held that in case of death of a married woman under suspicious circumstances, the husband must explain the circumstances of wife’s death otherwise he can be held responsible for her death. The ruling was handed down by a bench comprising Justices G P Mathur and R V Raveendran while dismissing the appeal of the appellant husband Trimukh Maroti Kirkan against the Bombay High Court judgment reversing the trial court order acquitting the accused. High Court had set aside the order of acquittal and convicted the accused under Section 302 IPC and sentenced him to life imprisonment with a fine of Rs 2000 on July 27, 2005. The victim was found dead in her matrimonial home on November 4, 1996 nearly seven years after her marriage. The appellant cooked up a story of snake bite and claimed that she had died of snake bite but failed to explain the injuries on the body of the deceased and the medical report also confirmed that the victim had died of strangulation. The conviction of Maroti and Nilawati, in-laws of the deceased under section 498A IPC was set aside by the High Court. The court in its judgment observed, "In a case based on circumstantial evidence where no eye-witness account is available, there is another principle of law which must be kept in mind. The principle is that when an incriminating circumstance is put to the accused and the said accused either offers no explanation or offers an explanation which is found to be untrue, then the same becomes an additional link in the chain of circumstances to make it complete. When the death had occured in his custody, the appellant is under an obligation to give plausible explanation for the cause of her death in his statement under section 313 Cr P C. The mere denial of the prosecution case coupled with absence of any explanation were held to be inconsistent with the innocence of the accused but consistent with the hypothesis that the appellant is a prime accused in the commission of murder of his wife." The appellant was driving a tempo and was demanding Rs 25,000 from the parents of the deceased to buy a new tempo. The apex court concluded by noting, "The high court was, therefore perfectly right in allowing the appeal filed by the state and in convicting the appellant under section 302 IPC and sentencing him thereunder. We, therefore do not find any merit in the appeal which is hereby dismissed." (UNI) |
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Gandhian philosophy more
relevant in Excelsior Correspondent Srinagar, Oct 26: Gandhian activist and Social Worker, Nirmala Desh Pande has said that Gandhian philosophy has become more relevant in present day world and people from all over the world are coming to the ambit of Gandhian philosophy . Addressing a press conference here today, she said that our mission is to develop strong public opinion for peace and harmony and we are working at international level in this regard. She said that a campaign has been launched by Gandhian Non-Indian residents living in Europe and America aimed at creating more secular and harmonious India wherefrom peace and love will emanate for rest of the world. She said that message of co-existence, mutual trust and peace strengthened and spread by Gandhian society is being warmly accepted by the people in both India and Pakistan and also at global level. She said that a super power in the form of strong public opinion is fast developing and peace and harmony is being sought everywhere. She said that she has received highest love and regard from the people of Kashmir and is equally popular in India and Pakistan as Bidi saying that a branch of her organization namely Indo-Pak Soldiers Initiative for Peace has been established both in India and Pakistan represented by ex-servicemen and army officers. She said that Chairman of Indian Chapter is retired General Moti Dhar while as the chairman of the Pakistan Chapter is Lt. General Naseer Ahmad adding that both chapters have asked me to be their common chairperson. Speaking in the press conference State Secretary CPIM and MLA Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami highlighted the role of Nirmala Desh Pande for striving with sincerity and devotion for creating peace and harmony in India. He said that strong public opinion is building up both in India and Pakistan to strengthen the peace process and concept of peace constituency is fast emerging on the socio-political spectrum of subcontinent. Musharraf hedging in talks with India: US think tank WASHINGTON, Noting that Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf is clearly "hedging" in talks with India by allowing Kashmiri militant groups to continue to operate, a leading US think tank has asked Washington to send a consistent message to Islamabad to deny safe haven to terrorists. The heritage foundation has said Washington should privately acknowlege the links between the Taliban, Al-Qaeda and Pakistan groups that target India and ask Islamabad to deny a safe haven to militants regardless of whether they attack coalition forces in Afghanistan or innocent civilians in India or elsewhere. Observing that US expectations are that Islamabad develop an equally uncompromising policy toward all three groups, it said "this means that Pakistan must shut down training facilities associated with international terrorist incidents, including institutions run by the Lashkar-e-Toiba in Muridke and the Jaish-e-Mohammed in Bahawalpur. "Washington should emphasize the dangers of Islamabad’s maintaining a permissive attitude toward groups that commit terrorism and remind Pakistani officials that US laws require sanctions against states that support terror groups," Lisa Curtis of the foundation said in the paper. The paper said the US should not try to involve itself directly in resolving the Indo-Pak dispute, but should continue to talk about the issue separately with both sides and inject ideas into their dialogue process. "President Musharraf is clearly hedging in talks with India by allowing Kashmiri militant groups to continue to operate. The US needs to convince Musharraf to instead put his faith in the Indo-Pak dialogue," it said. "A genuine peace process between New Delhi and a wide spectrum of Kashmiri leaders that addresses political grievances and human rights issues would also help to temper the Pakistani public’s emotional reactions to Kashmir and widen public support for a genuine crackdown on violent groups," the think tank said. "Encouraging travel back and forth across the loc (started by the Muzaffarabad-Srinagar bus link) and greater interaction and cooperation between officials from both sides of the LoC will widen the constituencies for peace and help to isolate violent extremists," it said. The paper pointed out that Pakistani President has so far been reluctant to take concrete steps to rein in ‘jihadists’ that fight in Kashmir, mainly because his Government believes the militancy is Islamabad’s only way to keep pressure on India and to force New Delhi’s hand in negotiations over the contested territory. "New Delhi’s allegations that a Pakistan-based terrorist group and Pakistan’s intelligence agency were involved in the Mumbai bomb blasts could derail Indo-Pakistani bilateral talks unless Pakistan takes concrete steps to crackdown on domestic terrorist groups," it said. "While Washington should encourage such a crackdown, it will also need to acknowledge Pakistan’s interest in seeing substantive movement on India-Pakistan talks on Kashmir. In this context, Washington should encourage New Delhi to take additional Confidence-Building Measures on Kashmir and to involve the Kashmiris in a peace process that addresses human rights concerns and political grievances," the heritage said. Noting that Musharraf would find it politically challenging to pursue a broader crackdown on domestic terrorists that strike in India and abroad, it said religious parties would label such a crackdown as a surrender to India over Kashmir. However, Musharraf could draw support for such a crackdown from other parts of Pakistani society, such as the secular political parties, the business community, and Pakistanis who have been involved in people-to-people exchanges with Indians over the past few years," it suggested. It stressed that a more serious dialogue on Kashmir between India and Pakistan and deeper engagement by the US would help to give Pakistan confidence that its viewpoint has been taken into account. "Washington needs to strengthen its policy toward Pakistan in ways that both demonstrate long-term US commitment to the relationship and press Pakistan to expand its efforts against violent extremists. The best chance for success against violent extremism in Pakistan lies in a strategy that prioritizes economic and democratic development and the pursuit of better ties with neighboring countries, namely Afghanistan and India. "Washington should support these objectives and encourage greater economic interdependence among these three south Asian countries" Curtis has said. The foundation said Pakistan needs to come down hard on any elements that are found protecting or sheltering Taliban or Al-Qaeda. "This may require Musharraf to punish lower-level individuals within his own intelligence and security services who have helped Taliban leaders evade capture by US forces in the past. "This is a tall order for Musharraf, given the deep institutional links between the intelligence and security services and the Taliban," the paper has argued stressing the point that Islamabad has to have a "zero tolerance policy". "Links between Pakistan-based Kashmiri militant groups and international terrorist incidents further demonstrate the need for Islamabad to adopt a zero-tolerance policy toward violent extremism," it added. (PTI) Two militants of Pak-based Al-Badr arrested in Mysore BANGALORE, Two Pakistani militants werearrested in Mysore early today after a gunbattle with policewhich claimed to have foiled a "devastating" terror strikeplan that could have targeted the imposing state Secretariatbuilding `Vidhan Soudha’ here. Mohd Ali Hussain and Mohd Fahad, allegedly belonging toPakistani terror outfit Al-Badr, were intercepted while theywere riding a motorbike and captured after a shootout pastmidnight in Mysore, about 140 kms from here, KarnatakaDirector General of Police B S Sial told reporters. Two constables and a militant suffered minor injuries inthe gunbattle, he said, adding police had foiled themilitants’ plan to carry out "devastating strike" in Bangaloreor some other parts of Karnataka. Security in the state capital where an international itevent commences this evening, Mysore and other places wasbeing tightened in the wake of the arrests. Sketches of ‘Vidhan Soudha’ and its newly constructedannexe Vikasa Soudha, a satellite phone with numbers linked toJammu and Kashmir and Pakistan, a laptop and some commonlyavailable chemicals used for making improvised explosivedevices were recovered from the militants, Sial said. An AK-47 rifle, a foreign made pistol, a cell phone,detonators, a digital camera and passports were also recoveredfrom them, he said. Describing their arrests as a "major breakthrough", thePolice Chief said, "a major disaster or terrorist activity"has been averted in Bangalore or other places in Karnataka. The two militants had also surveyed the Central Instituteof Regional Languages in Mysore, a reputed institute whichattracts foreigners. (PTI) |
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