Hearing of Ayodhya demolition case defers till Aug 18

RAEBARELI, Aug 4: The hearing of Babri mosque demolition case, in which BJP leaders L K Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi and six others are accused, was today deferred till August 18 by a special court here as the witnesses did not turn up to give their testimony.

Special Judge (Ayodhya Prakaran) Vansh Raj Singh deferred the matter after the CBI counsel sought adjournment stating that the witnesses, who were to give their testimony in the court, did not turn up.

Besides Advani and Joshi, former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Uma Bharti, BJP general secretary Vinay Katiyar, VHP leaders Ashok Singhal, Vishnu Hari Dalmiya and Acharya Giriraj Kishore and Sadhvi Ritambhara are accused in the case. (PTI)_

Kota Open Univ offers Gandhigiri course to Sanjay

JAIPUR, Aug 4: Actor Sanjay Dutt, who has expressed his desire to pursue Gandhigiri in Pune’s Yeravada prison, has help in hand with Kota Open University offering to send him information on its Gandhigiri courses.

University’s Vice-Chancellor Prof Naresh Dadiach said that since the actor wants to continue Gandhigiri, which he made so famous through his film Lage Raho Munnabhai, the University will send information related to its Gandhigiri course material to him.

Kota Open University offers six-month certificate course on Gandhian methods. There’s also a one-year PG diploma on Gandhian Theory of Conflicting Resolution.

The actor is yet to react to the offer. (UNI)

Devotees break coconuts on head for fulfillment of wish

KARUR, (TN), Aug 4: In a fit of religious fervour, as many as 1000 devotees, mostly women, had coconuts broken on their heads at Shri Mahalakshmi Amman Temple on the occasion of "Aadi Perukku" festival near here today.

The unique ritual was performed by the devotees, praying for the fulfillment of their wish.

As the temple priest broke the coconuts on the heads of the devotees, a few of them suffered bleeding injuries.

However, going with the tradition, the temple priests applied turmeric powder on the injured heads.

Earlier, the temple priest performed special poojas and other rituals to the presiding deity Mahalakshmi Amman.

Thousands thronged the temple to witness the coconut breaking ritual.

Later, the broken coconuts were distributed as "Prasadam" to the devotees.(UNI)

Another hard disk seized from
Kafeel’s Bangalore residence

BANGALORE, Aug 4: Police have recovered another hard disk from the residence of terror suspect Kafeel Ahmed, who died of severe burn injuries a month after he allegedly rammed an explosives-laden jeep into the Glasgow airport in UK.

The disk, which was seized subsequent to the high capacity hard disk recovered earlier from Kafeel’s residence in Banashankari here, has been sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) in Hyderabad, City Police Commissioner N Achutha Rao told reporters here today.

He, however, did not specify the time frame for submission of a report by FSL to the city police. "I really do not know how much time it is going to take".

Rao also said that they had still not received any official confirmation that the person who rammed the flaming jeep into Glasgow airport on June 30 and succumbed to burns in a UK hospital on Thursday last after battling for life for over a month was Kafeel Ahmed.

"We have not received any official confirmation that the man who drove the burning jeep into Glasgow airport and died of burns on August 2 was Kafeel Ahmed," he said.

Asked about the role played by the city police in the wake of the alleged involvement of three Bangaloreans in the failed car bombings in London Glasgow, he said "we are in touch with the respective governments of UK and Australia through proper channels." (PTI)

UKD to support Uttarakhand CM Khanduri

DEHRADUN, Aug 4: Uttarakhand Kranti Dal (UKD), a key regional party and coalition partner of the BJP Government, has decided to support Chief Minister B C Khanduri, who is contesting for the Dhumakot assembly seat.

"We have decided to support the Chief Minister from Dhumakot," UKD president B D Raturi said.

Raturi said his party would not field any candidate from Dhumakot assembly constituency.

According to political observers in the state, the move is being seen as a major boost to Khanduri, who resigned as an MP after he became chief minister.

Earlier, BJP state president B S Koshiyari wrote a letter to Raturi and sought support from UKD for the Chief Minister.

The by-election in Dhumakot, which will be held on August 29, was necessitated after senior Congress leader and former Tourism Minister T P S Rawat quit the seat for Khanduri.

Under the constitution, Khanduri must become an MLA before September 8, six months after becoming the chief minister.

He will file nomination papers on August 7.

The Congress is still to decide its candidate against Khanduri. But sources said former minister Surendra Singh Negi is likely to be the party candidate.

Counting to the seat will be held on September 2. (PTI)

Police firing on flood victims unwarranted: Amanullah

MADHUBANI, Aug 4: The two-member official team headed by Bihar Home Secretary Afzal Amanullah, despatched to probe yesterday’s police firing on flood victims in the district that left one dead and three injured, has termed the step "unwarranted" and recommended suspension of the policeman concerned.

"The firing by Havildar Aditya Narayan Singh on the crowd was totally unwarranted and he has been placed under suspension on the instruction of the Chief Minister," Amanullah told newspersons after holding an inquiry into the incident along with Additional Director General, CID, Yashwant Malhotra.

He said the Chief Minister had granted all the three demands made by the family of the victim, Darshan Thakur, that included suspension of the errant policeman, institution of a criminal case against him and compensation.

"The perpetrator of the incident stands suspended and a criminal case is being instituted against him. A compensation of Rs one lakh, due to a person who dies because of flood, will be reaching his family tomorrow," the Home Secretary said, adding a brother of the deceased also had a telephonic talk with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

Amanullah, who also met the injured policemen and members of the public at a local hospital, said going beyond the set norms the Government would also explore possibilities for a job to the wife of the deceased. (PTI)

CJI inaugurates country’s first mobile court in Haryana

PUNHANA, HARYANA, Aug 4: With a view to reaching the "unreached", the first mobile court of the country was inaugurated by Chief Justice of Indian K G Balakrishnan in this town of Mewat district today.

"People go to the court, but here the court has come to them," Justice Balakrishnan said after dedicating the mobile court to the people.

He said the process of getting justice was expensive and difficult for poor people but with the mobile courts becoming a reality, it would help the backward and uneducated classes get it delievered right at their doorstep.

Talking about the "dismal picture" of country’s judicial system, the Chief Justice said there was a need to build proper infrastructure to provide timely and inexpensive justice to all.

"A large number of cases are pending in different courts of the country and the number of courts are very less," Justice Balakrishnan said.

Expressing happiness over the setting up of the unique court, he said people should ensure that they not be used to settle personal scores.

"Make the best use of it, as from now on no ordinary man of this region would suffer unnecessarily to get justice as the mobile court would handle all kinds of cases," Justice Balakrishnan said.

Union Law Minister Hansraj Bhardwaj, lauding the concept, said 7000 mobile courts would soon be set up in different parts of the country.

Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda also hailed the initiative, saying it will go a long way in helping the people of the backward Mewat region to get justice.

Punjab and Haryana High Court Chief Justice Vijender Jain said, "This was in my mind for a long time and I was thinking of how we could make it more people-friendly. Now with this concept being operational, the justice delivery system would improve in the rural areas."

To educate people about the concept and its use, students of the National School of Drama presented a skit.

Among those present on the occasion were Supreme Court judges Justices H S Bedi, Ashok Bhan and Judge, Session Division, Gurgaon, K S Garewal.

The airconditioned bus, costing about Rs 20,00,000, is equipped to enable the presiding officer to work in the privacy of a retiring room at the vehicle’s rear, with a computer at his disposal and enough room to seat ten.

Like any court, the Court-on-Wheels will receive plaints, miscellaneous civil and criminal applications, grant bail or remand accused to custody, record evidence, pronounce judgements and decrees, pass sentences and commit convicts to prison. (UNI)

SC to hear plea against Mayawati on Monday

NEW DELHI, Aug 4: The Supreme Court will hear on August 6 an application seeking directions to the CBI special judge, Lucknow, to proceed with the trial in the Taj Corridor case in which Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati is the main accused.

The applicant, Ajay Kumar Aggarwal, a Supreme Court advocate, in his application has contended that protection of Section 197 CrPC is not available to those public servants who are allegedly facing corruption charges and the Supreme Court has laid down the law in this regard in the Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal case.

The applicant has also alleged that the UP Governor has wrongly declined to grant sanction for prosecution of Mayawati and the then Environment Minister Naseemuddin Siddiqui and their associates are facing allegations of pocketing over Rs 100 crore in Taj Corridor scandal.

It may be noted here that the Supreme Court had directed the CBI to place the report of investigation officer before the competent court in the case for consideration of the court to assertain whether a prima facie case of corruption is made out against Mayawati and hence the refusal of the Governor to grant sanction amount to willful disobedience of the orders of the Supreme Court. (UNI)

Provoking confrontation is not on UN agenda: Nambiar

MUMBAI, Aug 4: The United Nations prefers mobilising consensus through peaceful negotiations in tackling contentious issues rather than resorting to provoke confrontation, a senior UN official has said.

"In the changing world, UN can best serve the interests of peace by a steady persistence in readdressing the issues without provoking confrontation, the patient mobilisation of public opinion in the direction of peace," Chief of Staff to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, Vijay Nambiar said here.

He was delivering a lecture on ‘United Nations In a Changing World’ at the 13^th Lalit Doshi Memorial Lecture yesterday.

"The United Nations can deliver only what member states, especially with veto wielding powers, are willing to agree. However, no Secretary General can escape the responsibility as ‘secular pope’ of giving strong voice to the conscience of the world community," Nambiar said.

According to him, eliminating weapons of mass destruction (WMD) was on the top prority for the world body.

"In this insecure world, the UN cannot afford to ignore giving priority to the goal of eliminating WMD, while preventing both their geographic spread and potential acquisition by terrorists. These priorities are especially important with respect to nuclear weapons," Nambiar said.

Nambiar said virtually all states agree that nuclear non-proliferation treaty (NPT) is the fundamental instrument in achieving disarmament, non-proliferation, and to promote peaceful uses of nuclear energy.

"However, there remain wide differences over the relative priorities of these activities," he said.

He also noted that rate of violent deaths due to conflicts across the world had reduced five-fold in past one decade. In the 1990s, such deaths averaged 200,000 per year. In 2003, the number came down to 27,000.

"There is little doubt that this statistic is seriously dented by the violence witnessed over the past several months in Iraq. But there can be little argument either that overall decline in the number of wars and casualties is ascribable largely to the efficacy of UN peacekeeping and nation-building around the world," the UN Chief of Staff said.

Speaking on the UN’s role post Cold War, Nambiar said that it had assumed a range of unprecedented responsibilities central to a changing world.

"It has conducted elections in sovereign states and helped structure the bases of their administration, including the civil service, judiciary, police and media," he said.

Through the International Criminal Court and other specific tribunals, UN has brought to trial public figures, including those who have served as Heads of States, he said.

"With new instrumentalities like the Peace Building Commission, it has consciously fashioned post-conflict reconstruction efforts in fragile societies emerging from war and internal strife addressing complex institutional and developmental changes," Nambiar said. (PTI)

No hassles with JD(S) over transfer
of power: Venkiah Naidu

CHENNAI, Aug 4: Senior BJP leader and the party’s Vice President Venkiah Naidu today ruled out any hassles with its coalition partner Janata Dal(S) over transfer of power to the BJP on October 3 as per the agreement between the two parties.

Addressing a press conference at the BJP headquarters "Kamalalayam" here Mr Naidu said "it’s a solemn agreement between the two parties and not a private agreement between two leaders."

Criticising the Congress party of scheming to sabotage the relations between the two parties, Mr Naidu reiterated "we have no doubt that the charge would be handed over to us as agreed upon. Our coalition will go on to complete a full term and face the polls after 20 months."

He said whatever the machinations by the Congress, the "transfer of power would be smooth" , and added "the Congress is trying to play dirty politics as reflected by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s statement yesterday that the JDS-BJP coalition was not in good shape, as if the UPA was intact.

"I am sure the JD(S) will handover power to BJP" , he asserted.

He also pointed out that the BJP asked the JD(S) to rule inspite of having 80 seats vis-a-vis 46 for JD(S) because it did not wish to have another election there after the people were "fed up" of Congress rule and wanted a change.(UNI)

LJP to launch stir if Bihar Govt fails
to nab anonymous caller

NEW DELHI, Aug 4: Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) today threatened to launch an agitation if the Bihar Government failed to nab the anonymous caller who had telephoned its leader and Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan to say that he would be gunned down when he visited the state again.

"It is over a fortnight now that Paswan has got the threatening call and so far no arrest has been made," the LJP chief’s younger brother and convenor of the state unit of the party Pashupati Kumar Paras said.

Demanding a CBI inquiry into the matter, Paras said a delegation of party leaders would soon meet the Bihar Governor and Chief Minister to demand quick action on the issue.

"If no prompt action is taken, the party activists shall launch an agitation," he said.

LJP has already demanded ‘Z Plus’ security for Paswan in the wake of the alleged threat to him and his family.

Paswan’s house was blown up by Naxalites in 2005 and his motorcade attacked in the state, Paras added. (PTI)

Gujarat tops list of cardiac patients: Dr Trehan

AHMEDABAD, Aug 4: Expressing concern over the growing incidence of heart diseases, senior cardiac surgeon Dr Naresh Trehan, today said Gujarat, Rajasthan and Punjab have the highest number of cardiac patients in the country.

"Gujarat tops the list of endemic states which has a high number of cardiac patients while Rajasthan and Punjab are second and third respectively," he told reporters at the launch of the fifth chest pain clinic of Apollo Hospitals here.

According to Trehan, the higher incidence of cardiac disease among people living in these states had a lot to do with their dietary pattern.

"For instance, in a wedding feast in Gujarat, a guest consumes about 250 gms of ghee," he said adding consumption of solid fats like ghee and butter were more harmful to the heart as compared to edible oils.

"Ideally, a person should not consume more that 15 millilitre of oil, that is three tea spoons, every day", he added.

According to him, about 50 million people in India were suffering from heart diseases.

"We are genetically prone to heart aliments. Moreover, smoking, dietary patterns and stress all contribute to increasing cases of heart disease," Trehan remarked. (PTI)