NEW DELHI/GHAZIABAD, Apr 30: Dr Nupur Talwar, co-accused in the murder of her schoolgirl daughter Aarushi Talwar and domestic help Hemraj, today surrendered before a special CBI court in Ghaziabad.

She was later sent to Dasna jail after her application for interim bail was rejected.

Earlier, following the refusal of CBI Special Judge Preeti Singh to consider her bail application citing lack of jurisdiction, Dr Talwar’s lawyers moved the District and Sessions Court.

Additional District and Sessions Judge Shyamlal rejected her interim bail plea and posted the application for regular bail for hearing tomorrow. She was sent to Dasna jail following rejection of the application.

She had applied for bail under Section 437 of CrPC saying she was a woman. However, the court rejected her plea telling her that the charges levelled against her were serious.

The CBI argued that being a woman was not a ground for bail. It said she had been avoiding orders to appear in court and that it was a heinous case of double murder.

Soon after Dr Talwar surrendered in the court, she was taken into custody by the CBI.

She had arrived at the court along with her husband Rajesh Talwar, who is also accused of the murder of their daughter Aarushi and their domestic help Hemraj. They were found dead at Talwar’s home in Noida in May 2008.(UNI)

NEW DELHI, Apr 30: Slamming the Government for the delay in taking any action on the demand for creation of a separate state of Telangana to be carved out of Andhra Pradesh, the Opposition BJP today demanded that the Government come out with a definite response to the continuing agitation for it.

“Bring a Bill in Parliament, and we will support it,” Leader of the Opposition Sushma Swaraj said in the Lok Sabha as the Telangana issue continued to disrupt the Question Hour in the House, leading to its adjournment till noon.

As the House assembled for the day, two Telangana Rashtria Samiti Members, its chief Chandrashekhar Rao and member Vijay Shanti came into the well and started sloganeering in favour of their demand.

The House has been witnessing similar protests for most of this session and also of the previous winter session too.

As the Question House proceedings became inaudible, Ms Swaraj stood up and urged Speaker Meira Kumar to heed to the demand of the Members who have been agitating in the House for a long time.

Ms Swaraj also urged the Speaker to adjourn the House for ten minutes to take up the issue and ask the Leader of the House Pranab

Mukherjee to respond to the demand.

“The Leader of the House should tell the Members what the Government was doing about Telangana. Bring Telangana Bill, and we

will support it,” she said.

Meanwhile, some other Members also started supporting Ms Swaraj’s

demand for the TRS Members to be given a chance to be listened to.

This issue along with the vociferous demand of the SP and BSP Members for reopening of the Mau cotton Mill increased the din to a

level when proceedings became inaudible and Ms Kumar finally adjourned the House till noon.(UNI)

NEW DELHI, Apr 30: BJP members today expressed serious concern in Rajya Sabha over the threats by militants to newly-elected sarpanches and panches in Jammu and Kashmir and urged the government to pay serious attention to it.

Drawing the attention of the House during Zero Hour, party member Avinash Rai Khanna said militants have put out posters asking them to resign or face consequences.

Fearing that this trend could catch up in other states having problems of extremism and naxalism, Khanna said those who do not believe in democracy could adopt this new method to terrorise public representatives.

“Today it has happened in Jammu and Kashmir. It can happen in any other state tomorrow,” he said, asking the government to take up the matter seriously. (AGENCIES)

RAJAHMUNDRY, AP, Apr 3 : India’s defence preparedness has been boosted by the successful launch of Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile Agni-V, Minister of State for Defence M M Pallam Raju has said.

“With the launch of Agni-V, our defence system has been further strengthened,” he said.

“We are reviewing defence-related matters keeping in view China and other neighbouring countries,” Raju said.

Nuclear-tipped Agni-V, which has a strike range of over 5,000 km, was successfully test-fired on April 19 off Odisha coast.

The Minister, who is Lok Sabha MP from Kakinada, was talking to reporters at Kothapet in East Godavari district, where he had gone to attend a private function last evening.

“We are importing nuclear reactors from Russia and taking steps to produce nuclear power in the country,” Raju said.

He said that all welfare schemes launched by the Y S Rajasekhara Reddy-led Congress Government in Andhra Pradesh in 2004 will continue and there will be no disruption in their implementation. (PTI)

NEW DELHI, Apr 30: BSP supremo Mayawati today demanded that the Centre bring a Constitutional amendment bill during the current session of the Parliament to provide for reservation to SC and ST Government employees in promotions.

When Rajya Sabha met for the day, Satish Chandra Misra (BSP) stated that his party has given a notice for suspension of Question Hour to raise the issue of Supreme Court judgment overturning reservation for SCs, STs and OBCs in promotion.

He requested Chairman Hamid Ansari to allow his party leader Mayawati to raise the issue, to which he agreed.

Mayawati said the Supreme Court in Indra Sawhney case had declared as ultra vires reservation in promotion. However, in order to continue reservation in promotions, the Constitution was amended to enable states to continue reservation in promotion.

First in case of Rajasthan, and on April 27 in case of Uttar Pradesh, the Supreme Court has held that reservation in promotion is unconstitutional, she said.

The Supreme Court had last week quashed Uttar Pradesh government’s decision to provide reservation benefits for SCs, STs and OBCs in promotions saying the state failed to furnish sufficient valid data to justify the move to promote employees on caste basis.

The apex court said the rule was contrary to the various judgements by the Constitution benches in the M Nagara, Indra Sawhney and various other cases wherein it was provided that reservation in promotions can be given only if there is sufficient data and evidence to justify the need.

Mayawati said SC and ST employees will have to revert to their original posts if this ruling is not changed.

“It is extremely important for the Central Government to bring a Constitutional amendment during the current session of the Parliament itself” to make the Supreme Court ruling ineffective, she said.

Mayawati said the amendment should be placed under Schedule 9 of the Constitution and asked the opposition parties to support the cause.

Schedule 9 protects laws that are contrary to the Constitutionally guaranteed fundamental rights.

“If the government needs our support (in passage of the Constitutional amendment), we are ready to provide that,” the BSP leader said.

Mayawati also demanded a discussion on the issue.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister P K Bansal said the government was ready for a discussion on the issue if a notice for the same is given.

Misra said his party will give notice and the discussion could take place on Wednesday. (PTI)

NEW DELHI, Apr 30: Aiming to enhance the combat potential of its fighter aircraft, the IAF has signed contracts with various companies to upgrade its fleet of combat planes involving MiG-29, MiG-27, Mirage-2000 and Jaguars.

In a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today, Defence Minister A K Antony said, “IAF has undertaken upgrades of MiG-21 and MiG-29 aircraft. Contracts have also been signed to upgrade MiG-29, Mirage-2000 and Jaguar aircraft.”

Contract for upgrade of MiG-29 was signed with RAC MiG at a cost of USD 964 million and it is scheduled to be completed by 2016, he told the House.

For upgradation of Mirage-2000 aircraft, a contract has been signed with French firms Thales and Dassault Aviation at a cost of 1470 million Euros. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) will also participate in the programme and a contract worth Rs 2020 crore has been signed with it also.

“All the aircraft (Mirage-2000) are scheduled to be upgraded by mid-2021,” Antony said.

On upgradation of Jaguar aircraft, he said, “The contract has been signed with HAL at a cost of Rs 3113.02 crore and the aircraft are planned to be upgraded by December 2017.”

The Defence Minister also said that IAF has prepared a Long Term Perspective Plan (LTPP) for procurement of aircraft and equipment in next 15 years (2012-2027).

“This plan lays down the roadmap for capability-building and enhancement of combat potential of the IAF,” he said.

Antony also said that various contracts have been signed in last three years for procurement of Su-30 MKI fighter aircraft, Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), Medium Lift Helicopters, Intermediate Jet Trainers and Hawk Advanced Jet Trainers as well as various types of radars, airborne weapon systems and air defence missile systems.

On allocation for the force in present fiscal, Antony said, “The Budget allocation for capital procurements for 2012-13 is Rs 30,514 crore.”

He denied reports of lobbying by defence firms which had responded to the Request for Proposal for procurement of 126 Medium-Multi Role Combat Aircraft (M-MRCA) for the IAF.

On shortage of fighter pilots in IAF, he said, “Present strength of pilots is 3,406 against the sanctioned strength of 3,783. The available strength of pilots in IAF is sufficient to meet its current operational requirements… Presently, 180-200 pilots are commissioned every year in the force.”

Several steps have been undertaken by IAF to attract youngsters such as improvement in job profile and training infrastructure, implementation of the recommendations of 6th Pay Commission, publicity campaigns through print and electronic media etc.

“The Short Service Commission for flying branch has also been modified to make men eligible for induction in this branch,” the Defence Minister said. (PTI)

NEW DELHI, Apr 30: The Government today informed the Lok Sabha that it would soon take a decision on whether to intervene in the Supreme Court on the issue providing reservation benefits to SCs, STs and OBCs in promotions.

Responding to concerns expressed by members during Zero Hour, Minister of State in PMO V Narayanasamy said discussions were being carried out between the Ministries of Law and Justice, and Social Justice and Empowerment and the Government “will take immediate decision” in the matter.

Raising the issue, P L Punia (Cong) referred to the recent Supreme Court judgment which termed the move to grant reservation in promotions as “unconstitutional” and asked the Government to seek a clarification from the apex court by moving a writ petition on the M Nagaraj case.

He said the recent Supreme Court verdict has “created certain confusion” in regard to grant of reservation in promotions to higher Government posts. Punia received support from several members in the House from various parties.

Narayanasamy said the Government, which had twice earlier brought amendments to the law, had referred the issue to the Law and Justice Ministry.

“Discussions are going on and we will decide on what further course of action” needs to be taken on the matter,” he said, adding that the suggestion given by Punia would also be considered.

Terming the move as unconstitutional, the Supreme Court last week quashed Uttar Pradesh government’s decision to provide reservation benefits for SCs, STs and OBCs in promotions in jobs saying it was done without sufficient data. (PTI)