Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 16: India’s goodwill gesture of returning Pakistan Army jawan’s body with full respects within 24 hours of his killing on the Line of Control (LoC) at Lam in Nowshera sector of Rajouri district notwithstanding, Pakistan hasn’t yet returned the body of a civilian hailing from Pargwal island of Akhnoor tehsil, who was killed in a Lahore jail allegedly by the jail staff and some inmates on January 15.
Official sources told the Excelsior that even autopsy on the body of Chamel Singh, 55, son of Rassal Singh, a resident of Bhalwal Molu, Pargwal, hasn’t been conducted so far. His body was lying in Jinnah Hospital at Lahore for nearly a month now.
The Indian High Commission in Islamabad has taken up the matter with Pakistan for handing over the body to them so that it could be returned to the family. The High Commission staff had recently written to the family of Dara Singh at Pargwal and sent an email that the body would be handed over to them at Wagah border in Amritsar district of Punjab soon.
Chamel Singh’s elder son, Dara Singh told the Excelsior on telephone from Pargwal that his family had replied to the letter the very next day by email as well as via post seeking that the body be handed over to them at Octroi Post in Suchetgarh sector of RS Pura tehsil as it would be easy for them to transport the body to the native village of the victim instead of Wagah.
“After that, we didn’t get any response from the Indian High Commission”, Dara Singh said.
“We equally blame the Indian Government for the mess. Out Government returned body of Pakistan Army jawan within 24 hours of his killing in Lam area of Nowshera sector with full respects while Pakistan Government has failed to give the dead body of an Indian prisoner even after a month of his killing”, he lamented.
There had been reports that to make the killing of Chamel Singh as a natural death, Pakistan authorities had deliberately been delaying the return of his body as time delay would heal the wounds, which he might have suffered in the scuffle.
“The Pakistan authorities had instead been shifting blame of delay in handing over the body on India saying that the Indian High Commission in Islamabad hasn’t deputed an official to Jinnah Hospital in whose presence the autopsy has to be conducted”, sources said.
Chamel Singh, according to official inputs and information supplied by his family, had gone mission from his house on December 22, 2008. However, it was in October 2012 that the family came to know of his confinement in Kot Lakhpat Rai jail of Lahore Pakistan when they received a letter from Chamel Singh addressed to his wife Kamlesh Devi.
In the letter, he had written that he had inadvertently crossed the border and was arrested by Pakistani forces. He had said that he would be completing his sentence in the next few months. However, according to sources, Chamel was due to complete his sentence in 2015.
Surprisingly, Dara Singh said, they received another letter written by his father on February 13 i.e. nearly a month after his killing in which Chamel Singh had stated that he had written at least 10 letters to them but got no reply. “We didn’t receive any letter excepting the one we got in October 2012”, Dara Singh indicating that Pakistan jail authorities might have blocked rest of the letters.
While Pakistan authorities had claimed that Chamel Singh had complained of chest pain after breakfast on January 15 and was shifted to hospital, where he died but Tehseen Khan, a Christian lawyer who recently completed a 42-month sentence for a fraud case in the same jail had claimed that Singh had died after he was allegedly beaten by jail staff and some inmates over a dispute on washing of clothes.
Pakistan authorities had launched a judicial inquiry into the death and Magistrate Afzal Abbas recorded the statements of 14 Indian prisoners who were in the same barrack as Chamel Singh. The magistrate is awaiting the findings of the autopsy to finalise his report.
There are a total of 33 Indian prisoners in Kot Lakhpat Jail and officials have said they are safe.
He was lodged in Kot Lakhpat Rai jail since June 2012 and was due to complete his sentence in 2015.
Kot Lakhpat Jail’s Additional Superintendent Ishtiaq Ahmed said that the autopsy could be done only when an official of the Indian High Commission is present.
However, Tehseen Khan, a Christian lawyer who recently completed a 42-month sentence for a fraud case, claimed Singh had died after jail staff allegedly beat him.
Authorities launched a judicial inquiry into the death and Magistrate Afzal Abbas recorded the statements of 14 Indian prisoners who were in the same barrack as Singh.
However, the magistrate is awaiting the findings of the autopsy to finalise his report.
There are a total of 33 Indian prisoners in Kot Lakhpat Jail and officials have said they are safe.
The records of Kot Lakhpat Jail State that Singh was arrested near the border at Sialkot in 2010.
He was brought to the jail last June and was due to complete his sentence in 2015.
Akhnoor family awaits body from Pak for over a month
India begin preparation for series with two hectic sessions
BANGLORE, Feb 16:
The Indian team today began their three-day training camp ahead of their Test series against Australia starting next week with two hectic practice sessions, with senior batsman Sachin Tendulkar returning in the mix after his retirement from ODI cricket.
Tendulkar, who struggled against England in the recent home Test series, batted for two hours and 15 minutes in two separate sessions, one in the morning and another in afternoon, lasting five-and-a-half hours in total.
In the morning session, Tendulkar batted along with Virat Kohli for 45 minutes on the centre pitch at Chinnaswamy Stadium, facing Ashok Dinda, Bhuvaneshwar Kumar, Pragyan Ojha and R Ashwin.
In the second session which began at 2 pm, Tendulkar batted on the centre pitch for 20 minutes facing top Indian bowlers. After that he hung at the nets for one hour and 10 minutes, focussing more on his shots in contrast to the morning session when he did not try anything unusual and paid attention to the basics.
Interestingly, the out-of-system young and unknown raw bowlers who were called for service by the support staff bowled at Tendulkar, who did not ask them to bowl to his wishes.
Tendulkar also rolled his arms against Harbhajan Singh, who enjoyed his batting by lifting ‘net bowlers’ out of the park a couple of times and even breaking windowpane glasses at pavilion area.
Tendulkar also hurled ‘throwdowns’ with leather balls to Virat Kohli who worked on his technique to sort out some grey areas in his batting.
Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni got down to the details of batting than wicket-keeping. He batted for nearly 25 minutes. (PTI)
JD(U) MLA Anant Singh, 3 others granted bail
PATNA, Feb 16:
JD(U) MLA Anant Singh and his three associates were granted bail by a court in Bihar’s Patna district today after they surrendered in connection with a case of alleged assualt on a journalist six years ago.
Singh and three others – Vipin Singh, Shiv Shankar and Sanjay Kumar – surrendered before the Judicial Magistrate Ghanshyam Singh, days after an arrest warrant was issued against them.
They were granted bail on a personal bond and sureties of Rs 10,000 each.
The JD(U) leader, who represents Mokama assembly seat, was booked along with six associates for assaulting an electronic news channel journalist Prakash Singh who had went to the former’s residence in the state capital six years ago to seek his comments in connection with the murder case of a woman.
Singh and his six associates were arrested and sent to jail in December 2007 but all of them subsequently were released on bail.
The court adjourned the hearing in the assault case on journalist for March 16 next. (PTI)
Move out of offices, Rahul tells PCCs; sets time- bound agenda
NEW DELHI, Feb 16:Rahul Gandhi today set time-bound targets for the S+tate Congress chiefs, who were asked to increase contact with workers, making it clear that reward will be linked to their performance and tickets will be given only after the candidates fulfil the set criteria.
After a two-day interaction with PCC chiefs and CLP leaders as part of an exercise to tone up the Congress before the next vote, Gandhi asked the state party presidents to “move out of party’s State offices” for at least 10 days in a month and visit the districts and blocks to hear the partymen’s grievances and strengthen the organisation.
He also gave a timeline of two-months to the state leaders to ensure that all district Congress Committees and Block Congress Committees are constituted in this period, adding that he will review the performance of the PCC chiefs on this count, party sources said.
Gandhi also decided to meet the PCC and CLP chiefs in the national capital once every two-three months and told them to carry out a similar exercise with DCC presidents in their states, they said.
He also promised to work out a mechanism to be in touch with the state leaders through internet tools or phone regularly saying “there should not be any communication gap”.
Making it clear that only those who perform will be rewarded, the Congress Vice President also sounded a warning that leaders who fail to come up with desired results will be made answerable, the sources said.
Amid complaints that Union Ministers do not visit party offices when they visit the states, Gandhi said that the ministers must visit the PCC offices and interact with the state leaders when they go there.
The meeting saw demands that senior leaders, who recommend tickets for anyone, should take responsibility if the candidates perform badly or lose. A demand was also raised to implement the ‘one-man one-post’ formuale in the party.
Gandhi had yesterday deprecated the tendency of groupism amid complaints by PCC chiefs from Delhi and Madhya Pradesh against against Delhi Chief Minister Shiela Dikshit and some Union Ministers from Madhya Pradesh respectively, which is ruled by the Opposition BJP.
PCC chiefs and CLP leaders from West Bengal, Orissa, Maharashtra and other states had demanded clarity on the issue of alliances amid concerns that regional parties were taking away the Congress space.
West Bengal PCC chief Pradeep Bhattacharya batted for Congress going it alone in West Bengal, remaining equidistant from both Trinamool Congress and CPI.
“We should contest the upcoming panchayat polls in the state alone. Our previous alliance with Trinamool Congress has damaged the party while Mamata Banerjee’s party benefited by aligning with us,” he said.
He also claimed that though CPI(M) “is keen for an alliance with the Congress, we should avoid it as it will prove detrimental to Congress’ interests”.
Hitting out at former ally Trinamool, which parted ways with Congress last year, Bhattacharya alleged that there was “complete lawlessness in West Bengal and Congress workers were being prosecuted”.
Responding to it, Gandhi said he should strengthen the organisation there and agreed to his proposal for one to one discussion on the issue.
Uttar Pradesh CLP leader Pradeep Mathur said that there is a need to examine at what cost the Congress should be ready to forge alliances. “What is the benefit of forging alliances where regional parties are finishing us,” he asked.
This was a concern expressed even at the party’s Chintan Shivir in Jaipur last month.
On issues related to Madhya Pradesh which were raised at the interaction with Gandhi, PCC chief Kantilal Bhuria today said that it is not a matter of complaint but “the facts” should be put out if such a meeting is held.
He was asked about his comments against Union Ministers Kamlanath and Jyotiradiya Scindia, who hail from the state.
“I asked Rahul Gandhi to advise them to attend the meeting of the Coordination Committee. Ministers should attend the meeting of the Coordination Committee. Ministers should take out time for the organisation. Rahul ji said that any minister visiting the state must inform the PCC,” Bhuria said after the meeting.
A coordination committee of Congress has been constituted for the state Assembly polls scheduled this year.
UPPCC chief Nirmal Khatri struck an introspective note saying “there is a need to put our house in order in UP. Why we are not getting the support of masses despite having heritage, ideology and leaders at central level”.
Uttarakhand PCC chief Yashpal Arya demanded effective steps to check indiscipline saying the problem is not so much at the junior level as it is at “our level”. “Whoever it is, if he speaks against party leaders, we should take action,” Arya said.
His remarks are significant as a virtual rebellion had broken out in the Uttarakhand unit of the party when Bahuguna was made Chief Minister as the camp of Union Minister Harish Rawat was unhappy with the choice.
Later, Congress General Secretary Janardan Dwivedi told reporters that Gandhi’s two-day interaction with the state leaders was a meeting to review the state of affairs in various states.
At the outset, Gandhi had asked the state leaders to be free and frank in the discussions so that he could get a clear picture and the state leaders took the cue.
Dwivedi said that all the 45 leaders, who attended the deliberations, spoke at the 13-hour long meeting which was spread over two days.
He said that when such consultations take place, a host of matters concerning the organisation come up. (PTI)
PM calls for reducing huge pendency of cases
NEW DELHI, Feb 16:
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today lauded the efforts of Bar Council Of India in promoting high standard of legal education in the country and said that the legal fraternity will pool their expertise knowledge and wisdom in redressing the problem of huge pendency of cases in the trial courts.
Speaking at a function at Vigyan Bhavan to commemorate Golden Jubilee Celebrations of the BCI, Dr Singh said that legal education has evolved in context of globalisation and assumed considerable significance over time.
Dr Singh asserted the need of highly trained lawyers not only in the field of litigation but in academics, corporate practice, government and in civil society.
Dr Singh said that the BCI has enormous responsibilities to discharge, since it is a regulatory body and it should prescribe certain standards of professional conduct and etiquette by exercising disciplinary jurisdiction over the bar.
“It also sets the standards for legal education and grants recognition to Universities and institutions of legal education whose degree in law will serve as qualification for enrollment as an advocate”, the Prime Minister said.
Its other functions include protecting the rights, privileges and interests of advocates and implementing schemes for their welfare,” Dr Singh said.
The National Legal Services Authority has formulated a number of schemes to provide “access to justice” to the marginalised people including free legal aid to under-trial prisoners and for supporting the implementation of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, the Prime Minister said and urged the legal fraternity at various levels to become active participants and facilitators in the implementation of these schemes intended to empower the disadvantaged.
Asserting that he was fully aware of the responsibilities of the Government in working with the Judiciary and other stake holders to build a strong and effective justice delivery system, he said, “I reaffirm our Government’s commitment to take all necessary action in this direction, and also to work for the welfare of the legal fraternity.”
Chief Justice of India Altamas Kabir emphasised the importance of ethics and etiquette in the legal fraternity. He pointed out that Chapter 2, Part 6 of the Bar Council Rules specifically focused on the standard of professional conduct and etiquette and the Golden Jubilee of the BCI was the right occasion to ponder over “how we have been able to maintain ourselves”.
The CJI urged the legal Body to work towards sensitising lawyers, taking care of legal education including revising the curriculum, betterment of the profession for consumers of justice and to “try and make justice accessible to citizens, wherever he or she may be”.
Union Minister for Law and Justice Dr Ashwani Kumar, exhorted the legal fraternity to set the highest standards and lend a helping hand to the disadvantaged and the deprived. And to engages in actions that “enhances our dignity and that of the profession”.
‘ Law imparting institutions should constantly upgrade the curriculum content and lawyers must keep pace with the process of globalization, like IT, IPR, Regulatory mechanisms, international trade among the new horizons of law, ‘ the law minister said.
In his address, Attorney General G E Vahanvati, said that lawyers were the backbone of the judicial system. Maintaining that Section 16 of the Advocates Act did not distinguish between lawyers practicing in lower courts and higher courts, he said hard working lawyers from the lower courts can also be designated as Senior Advocates. “Why not acknowledge the outstanding lawyers who are equally good, if not better”, the senior Lawyer said.
In his welcome address, Chairman of the Bar Council of India, Manan Kumar Mishra, highlighted the problems faced by lawyers including insurance cover, stipend for young students and legal aid.
Pointing out that BCI played a key role in bringing about the five year law course while the National Law School in Bangalore was its brainchild, he said the courses have become more popular than those of IITs and IIMs.
Mishra said that the BCI was working towards creation of law academies in different states for the purpose of continuing legal education and entering into MoUs with different international; institutions.
Judges from the Supreme Court and various High Courts, Vice-Chancellors of several Universities, Union Ministers, Advocates General, Senior Advocates, Law officers of the Central and state Governments, Bar Council office bearers from different states and well known jurists and academics are attending the two day Golden Jubilee celebrations of the BCI.
Despite the heavy rain in the early morning hours, students and Law faculty from various law schools across the country were present at the Vigyan Bhawan making the hall jam packed. So much so many students couldn’t get a place to sit in the hall and had to wait outside.(UNI)
Pensioners, senior citizens list demands
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 16: State Pensioners and Senior Citizens Welfare Society in a meeting here today has demanded immediate payment of 6th Pay Commission arrears in favour of the employees and pensioners.
The meeting which was chaired by Mir Ghulam Rasool, patron of the Society also demanded enhancement of pension for the State pensioners on the analogy of Central Government pensioners, enhancement of Medical Allowance to Rs 1000 per month, bringing the pensioners under the Medical Insurance Scheme, the children of deceased pensioners be given Government jobs under SRO 43, benefit of SRO 59 and time bound promotions be given to those pensioners who have been deprived of it during service period, Haj Quota be fixed for pensioners and senior citizens, they be given rebate in transport and air services while traveling inside or outside the country and the pensioners and senior citizens be provided facilities for treatment in hospitals.
The Society also demanded merger of 50 percent DA with basic pay, and regularization of daily wagers besides enhancement of their wages.
The meeting was also addressed by Baldev Raj Sharma, chairman Pensioners Association Jammu Province.
Italian court rejects Indian plea
NEW DELHI, Feb 16:
India’s efforts to access information on the helicopter scam received a setback today with an Italian court rejecting a request for documents related to the deal even as CBI and Defence Ministry teams prepared to travel to Rome to gather evidence.
AgustaWestland, which has been issued a show cause notice by the Defence Ministry for cancellation of the Rs 3,600 crore deal, today promised to address all the points raised by the Indian Government.
Meanwhile, Guissepe Orsi, CEO of Finmeccanica, the holding company of AgustaWestland, has denied knowing the family of former IAF chief Shashi Tyagi, who has been accused of taking bribes.
Orsi’s lawyer Ennio Amodio went a step further telling Indian TV channels that “there was nothing substantiated regarding the actual conduct of Mr Shashi Tyagi.”
There was bad news for the Government as the court in Milan hearing the case refused to share any details saying it was “not possible to give a positive reply” to the Indian request.
The Indian embassy in Rome had made the request for details and documents of the probe on February 13 after the arrest of Orsi in connection with allegations that kickbacks to the tune of Rs 360 crore were paid in the Rs 3,600 crore deal, sources said here today.
The communication was received by the Indian embassy in Rome from the Judge of Preliminary Investigations of the Tribunal Busto Arsizio Luca Labianca.
Meanwhile, the Italian court Tribunale de Busto Arsizio will begin the hearing of the helicopter scam on Monday in which Orsi and AgustaWestland CEO Spagnolini have been arrested.
Both were arrested in the early part of the week by the Italian police in connection with the Rs 362-crore kickbacks scam for supplying 12 AW-101 choppers to India.
The company has already supplied three choppers to India which are based at the Hindan air base near here. The Defence Ministry has put on hold the delivery of the remaining nine choppers expected to have been delivered by the middle of next years.
It has also stopped further payments to AgustaWestland for the remaining nine helicopters. The Defence Ministry has said that even at this stage, India can get back its money with interest. (PTI)
India to host second trilateral dialogue with US, Afghanistan
WASHINGTON, Feb 16:
India will host the second tri- lateral dialogue with US and Afghanistan next week, which among other things will focus on co-operation between the three countries post-2014 when the US forces are scheduled to hand over control for security operations to Afghan forces.
The US delegation, led by Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Robert Blake, would include Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Dan Feldman, the State Department said in a statement yesterday.
The day-long meeting would be held on February 19.
“The United States, India and Afghanistan all share a common vision for a strong, peaceful, and prosperous region and have pledged to work together on common challenges and opportunities including combating violent extremism, strengthening cultural exchanges and increasing regional trade and economic integration,” the statement said.
The trilateral reflects our mutual commitments to transparency and coordination as Afghanistan continues with it ongoing security, economic and political transitions,” it said.
The meeting follows the inaugural trilateral consultations held at the Afghan Mission in New York City on September 25, 2012.
After New Delhi, Blake will travel to Tajikistan on February 20 leading a US delegation for the mid-year review of the US-Tajikistan Annual Bilateral Consultations.
In Tajik capital Dushanbe, Blake will also meet senior government officials, local business representatives, and civil society leaders. (PTI)
Pakistan’s recent moves a preparatory ground for new aggression: PK
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 16: Panun Kashmir (PK) at a seminar here today linked the Pakistan’s recent moves as a preparatory ground for new aggression following the withdrawal of US Army from Afghanistan.
This was stated by PK chairman Dr Ajay Chrungoo while speaking at a one day seminar on the topic “New Dimensions of Pakistan’s Mischief in J&K’’.
Dr Chrungoo said that Pakistan believe that it has been reasonably successful in its diplomacy to tell the world that mass rebellion is the real issue in J&K and not the terrorism.
Dr Chrungoo said the brazen show casing of Hafez Sayed as the leader of Islamic crusade in J&K and also displaying his linkages even with those separatist leaders whom Government of India describes as moderate is a very decisive signal to the terrorist over ground as well as underground about Pakistan for new offensive not in distant future.
B S Slathia ex-president Bar Association Jammu while stressing on strengthening of nationalistic, secular and democratic forces in the country said the nationalism is our strength and not weakness. He said it is unfortunate that Government was not patronizing nationalist forces.
Speaking in the seminar PK vice chairman Shailender Aima said that dealing with Pakistan is no normal business as it is not just another State in neighbourhood but a mindscape which is antithetical, to Bharat and India. He accused the India state of playing a hide and seek with the public perception and the collective conscience of the Indian nation with regard to policy viz a viz Pakistan.
Prof Hari Om said that for the first time in last 65 years, Pakistan has been allowed to get away with brazen diplomatic affronts which border on national humiliation. Pakistan has chosen to unleash a diplomatic insult on India not only from its own territory but also from the soil of India in what is called the recently started peace process.
M M Khajuria former DGP while making very insightful assessment of the security developments in the State and the new thrusts of Pakistani policy in J&K said the contours of Pakistan response have been discernable in raking up the Kashmir issue in the UNO and the OIC. He said even though Pakistan’s response to the hanging of Afzal Guru has been cautious, her missions have been hyper active in USA and Europe with tangible results.
Daily rated workers stage protest demonstration
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 16: Daily rated workers from various departments including ITI and Non-ITI, held a strong protest demonstration outside the office of Divisional Commissioner at Rail Head complex here today.
A large number of daily rated workers from PHE, Irrigation, PDD, JDA, JKPCC, Agriculture and other departments, under the banner of J&K All Department ITI & Non-ITI Daily Rated Workers United Front (affiliated with NTUF), assembled near Panama Chowk and from there they moved towards Divisional Commissioner’s office in the shape of a grand rally.
Despite rain a large number of workers from Kathua, Samba, Jammu, R S Pura, Bishnah, Akhnoor, Udhampur, Reasi and parts of Rajouri participated in this protest programme. They were shouting slogans in support of their demands. They were demanding skilled rate of Rs 225 per day wages for ITI trained and Rs 175 per day for the non-ITI workers, regularization of policy for all ITI and non-ITI daily rated casual labourers /workers engaged after 1994 and release of pending wages of daily rated workers engaged in various divisions of Jammu province, especially in Doda, Rajouri and Jammu.
Several senior trade union leaders including Mohd Gafoor Dar, president NTUF (J&K) and chairman of United Front of DRWs, Tanveer Hussain, Subash Chander, Chandan Singh, Manish Abrol, Deepak Gupta and others addressed the gathering and strongly condemned the Government for not releasing their pending wages and taking a decision about their fate. They demanded that workers engaged after 1994 should also be regularized and a uniform policy be framed for it. Despite written agreement with JCC, the Government has failed to frame a policy, they maintained.
After staging protest demonstration for more than two hours, a delegation of protesting workers led by Mr Dar submitted a memorandum to the Divisional Commissioner, projecting workers’ demands. They resolved to intensify their protest programme at all the district headquarters if the Government failed to take a decision about their fate shortly.