Bangaru
moves HC for quashing of FIR in
corruption case
NEW DELHI, Jan 14: Former BJP
president Bangaru Laxman, accused of
allegedly accepting illegal gratification
from journalists posing as arms dealer in
the Tehelka expose in 2001, today
approached the Delhi High Court for
quashing of the FIR against him in the
corruption case.
Issuing
notice to the CBI, Justice Sanjay Kishan
Kaul, however, refused to stay the
proceedings against the BJP leader in the
trial court.
In a
revision petition, Laxman alleged that he
was not supplied with documents including
some video tapes, used as a piece of
evidence by the investigating agency
against him.
His
counsel Sunil Kumar and Manish Mohan
submitted, neither tapes nor equipments,
specifically mentioned by the CBI in the
list of documents filed along with the
chargesheets in July 2006, were
completely supplied to Laxman as till the
date.
They
argued that some video tapes, sent to
forensic examination, were also not
handed over to the accused.
Meanwhile,
the counsel moved an application seeking
preponement of the hearing on a petition
challenging the order of a Special Court,
granting relief to T Satyamurthi, a
co-accused, who was made an approver by
the CBI in the case.
The court
adjourned the matter to March 26.
In
December, 2004, CBI had registered a case
invoking provisions of the Prevention of
Corruption Act against Laxman for
allegedly receiving a gratification in a
fictitious arms deal from Tehlka
journalists in an expose named as
‘Operation Westend’.
On March
13, 2001, Tehelka had created a flutter
in the political circles by releasing
tapes of the expose showing Laxman along
with some other political leaders from
ruling dispensation, taking money for
fake defence deals. (PTI)
Bird
flu alert in West Bengal district
SURI, WB, Jan 14: The death
of thousands of home-bred chickens in
Birbhum region over the past one week has
prompted district authorities to sound a
bird flu alert in two blocks.
District
Magistrate Tapan Kumar Shome today said
"all departments concerned have been
alerted. The villagers have been asked
not to sell or buy chicken. They have
also been asked to wear masks and cover
their hands and legs while feeding
birds."
Though
neither the district administration nor
the veterenary department confirmed an
outbreak of birdflu, a preliminary report
from the High Security Animal Husbandry
Laboratory in Bhopal has apparently
confirmed the disease affecting poultry
there, official sources said.
N D
Bhowmick, deputy director of state Aimal
Resource Department, said "the
pattern of 60-62 per cent mortality rate
is alarming in the block II of Rampurhat.
The Rampurhat block I has also reported
some cases.
"Samples
had been collected and sent to the Bhopal
laboratory. But right now we cannot
describe it as an outbreak of bird flu
because the laboratory will submit its
final report to the department concerned
of the Central Government and they will
make the necesary announcement,"
Bhowmick said.
The
problem was that the birds affected are
home-bred, the sources said.
Villagers
of Margram of Rampurhat II block had
informed the village panchayat that the
birds they reared were dying following a
brief period of drowsiness.
When the
number increased rapidly in the last
week, the district asdministration took
up the matter seriously.
Officers
of the animal resources department from
New Delhi and Kolkata arrived here on
Saturday and started monitoring the
situation and taking precautionary
measures. They also held a high-level
meeting yesterday. (PTI)
Book
blames politicians for turmoil in J&K
NEW DELHI, Jan 14: Commercialisation
of politics and dubious role played by
"’mainstream
politicians"’ had greatly
contributed to political turmoil in Jammu
and Kashmir, according to a book.
The book
"’Kashmir in War and
Diplomacy" says wrong policies and
ambitions of greedy politicians gave
birth to militancy in the state in the
late 1980s.
Failure of
political leadership from Sheikh Mohammad
Abdullah down to the new crop were the
main factors for mass resentment among
the people of the state. The situation
further deteriorated with the support of
external elements to the militancy, says
the book written by columnist Zahid G M.
The author
lambasts Hurriyat leadership’s role,
stating these leaders are clueless. The
dissensions in separatist leadership were
galore and causing hurdles in finding a
common approach to the issue.
The book
is highly critical of the "dubious
role played by some mainstream
politicians" that had delayed return
of peace and normalcy in the state.
It also
lists role of "desperadoes from
outside" for disturbing peace and
tranquility of the state.
"Desperadoes from outside had
disturbed peace and tranquility of this
great abode of love and peace. The Land
of sages and servants had been despoiled
by raiders in the past," the author
says.
The author
in the 230-page book feels that India and
Pakistan appear serious in finding an
amicable solution to the long-standing
Kashmir issue.
"The
two countries have to depart from their
stated positions and procrastination for
ushering in lasting peace in the region.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is sincere
in his approach to build bridges of
friendship with Pakistan.
"If
the two countries, which fought three
wars in the last sixty years on Jammu and
Kashmir, reach a final settlement it
would usher in an era of peace,
prosperity and development in the
region."
The book
presents a lucid account of latest
political scenario in troubled Jammu and
Kashmir and points out the causes that
contribute to complexity of the problem
that bedeviled Indo-Pak relations.
It
identifies both external and internal
factors that were responsible for birth
of militancy in the State.
There is
an urgent need to give required push and
impetus to the bilateral talks that got
stalled due to political instability in
Pakistan and several other developments
in the region, the author suggests.
The two
countries should ensure to arrive at a
consensus on the Kashmir issue, which is
seen by many as legacy of partition.
(UNI)
Need
to have penal provisions for misusing RTI
Act: CIC
NEW DELHI, Jan 14: In view of growing
misuse of the Right to Information Act by
citizens for ulterior motives, the
Central Information Commission (CIC) has
expressed the need to amend the law to
incorporate penal provisions against such
information seekers.
"The
recent cases show the necessity of some
provisions in the RTI Act for taking
punitive action against information
seekers who seek to misuse the Act in
such blatant fashion," the
Commission said, while dismissing a plea
of a Navodaya Vidyalaya teacher after
finding his application to be "a
tool for vendetta" against the
school.
In
probably a first order of its kind, the
CIC directed a government functionary to
ignore RTI pleas of school teacher Ramesh
Chandra who along with his wife Uma Kanti
made every possible effort to use the
pro-people legislation to harbour revenge
against his department.
The CIC
took the decision after noting that the
couple in a bid to challenge
Ramesh’s transfer had earlier
unsuccessfully moved the Central
Administrative Tribunal, the High Court
and the National Commission for Scheduled
Castes before finally banking on the RTI
Act.
Terming it
as a "worst misuse of RTI Act,"
Information Commissioner O P Kejariwal
said "the present case is an example
to the ridiculous length to which a
person can take a beneficial piece of
legislation and make a mockery of
it."
The apex
RTI body passed the strictures against
the couple after they sought over
20-year-old records concerning thousands
of employees of the school.
Disgusted
over the applicant’s behaviour, it
said "The Commission directs
Navodaya Vidyalaya not to consider the
RTI applications filed by Ramesh and his
wife since the RTI cannot be turned into
a tool for vendetta of an employee
against his organisation for some
grievance one harbours against it."
(PTI)
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