NEW DELHI, Feb 25: A suspicious laptop bag was today found near the Army Research and Referral Hospital near Dhaula Kuan in South Delhi, sparking security alert.

The bag was found near the hospital in the afternoon, after which a bomb squad was rushed there.

A senior police official said they are yet to ascertain whether the bag contains any kind of explosive.

The area has been cordoned off, he said. (PTI)

Samajwadi Party leader shot dead

GHAZIABAD, Feb 25:  A local Samajwadi Party leader was shot dead today in Bamhetta village of the district.

Police suspect it to be a case of an old rivalry.

Yashvir Singh, an advocate and city president of party’s Advocate Cell, was gunned down at his home in the village at around 11 am.

“Three bullets hit Singh and doctors declared him brought dead. Assailants who were in two cars and a bike also took with them a rifle and licensed revolver of his gunner,” SSP Prashant Kumar said.

Yashvir’s brother Salekh Chand and his bodyguard Shrichand were also injured in the incident when around 12 persons barged into his home in Bamhetta village under Kavinagar police station in the district.

The injured were admitted to a private hospital.

Shoot-out between both sides lasted for about 15 minutes and according to Yashvir’s relatives, a local criminal Mitthan was among the assailants.

“There are five cases registered against Mitthan. He had a old personal feud with Yashvir,” police added. (PTI)

NEW DELHI, Feb 25:

The Supreme Court registry has told the Delhi High Court that the process of engagement of law researchers by it is “not open to judicial scrutiny” as there is no employer-employee relationship between them.

“The professional engagement of a person qualified in law cannot be equated with the appointment in a civil post as there does not exist a relationship of employee and employer between the respondent (SC) herein and the law researcher in this case.

“Nature of law researcher who is qualified in law vis-a-vis the respondent herein being in the nature of personal engagement and an avocations, the said process of engagement is not open to judicial scrutiny,” Raj Pal Arora, Registrar (Administration General) of Supreme Court, said in an affidavit submitted before Justice Rajiv Shakdher.

The affidavit was filed in reply to a plea filed by Phaguni Nilesh Lal, a final year law student of Army Institute of Law in Mohali, alleging that she was refused opportunity to apply for the post of ‘Law Clerks-cum-Research Assistants’ for 2013-14 with the apex court in violation of her right to equality on the ground that her institute was not on the list of approved panel.

“The system of engaging Law Clerk-cum-Research assistant has been in vogue in Supreme Court since long. It was intended to provide assistance to Hon’ble Judges in academic research. …The engagement of law clerks was expected to be in the nature of a personal engagement and an avocation rather than a strict professional engagement,” the reply said, adding the scheme of selection has been “evolved by the orders of the Chief Justice of India” by empanelling colleges “inter-alia of known reputation especially the National Law Schools.”

The apex court registry took the plea that the “concept of public office does not come into play” in engaging the law researchers and “no one can claim a right to be appointed/ selected because it is a position of great trust and confidence.”

During the hearing, Rajeev Sharma, the counsel for law student, pointed out to the court that the apex court registry has refused to part with certain information under Right to Information (RTI) Act on the grounds that the matter is pending in the High Court.

Justice Rajiv Shakdher, in the order, clarified that the Supreme Court registry was not prohibited from giving requisite information sought by the student under RTI.

The court has now posted the matter for further hearing on March 19.

Earlier, the court had asked the apex court registry to submit details of any guidelines for empanelment of law schools whose students can apply for the posts of research associates with it.

The law student, in her plea, had said that the Supreme Court recruits final year LL.B students as research assistants for “short term assignments”.

She was denied permission to apply on the grounds that her college was not empanelled, the plea had said and sought a direction that students of all institutions recognised by the Bar Council of India be considered for the posts.

For employing research assistants, the high courts adopt the same scheme based on merits and allow students of all law colleges to apply, while the Supreme Court has allegedly given preferences to students of some institutes only, it claimed.

The SC Registry took a plea during the hearing that such applications have to be “routed through the concerned law college” and that the institution should be empanelled with it. (PTI)

NEW DELHI, Feb 25:

TheTurkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India(TAPI) gas pipeline is expected to begin commercial operation in 2017-18, the government has informed Parliament.

The transnational project envisages supply of 38 MMSCCMD (Million, Metric, Standard Cubic Metre per Day) of gas to India, the Government said, underlining that TAPI completely integrates with the country’s energy management goals as natural gas was an efficient fuel for power generation and cleaner alternative fuel for vehicles.

The Inter Governmental Agreement, Gas Pipoleine Framework Agreement and the GAS Sale and Purchase Agreements have been finalised.

The stakeholders have also decided to constitute a special purpose vehicels(TAPI Ltd) to carry out  pre-project activities and to finalise an appropriate consortium leader for the project.

India would contribute five million dollars as its initial equity in the SPV, and further investments would be negotiated and decided upon the induction of Consortium leader and after completion of feasibility study.

The natural gas of which Turkemnistan holds 4 per cent of the world’s resreve will be transported from a caspian sea resort in Turkmenistan, via Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The pipeline will have the capacity to transport 90 MMSCMD of gas for 30 years.

(UNI)