A special NIA court in New Delhi on Friday fixed March 24 for commencement of arguments on framing of charges against suspected LeT terrorist Abu Jundal, one of the masterminds of the 26/11 attacks.
District Judge I S Mehta fixed the matter for March 24 after the National Investigation Agency (NIA) supplied the deficient copies of the documents filed along with its charge sheet to advocate M S Khan, who appeared for Jundal.
Jundal, who has been charge sheeted for allegedly carrying out terror activities in India, had earlier claimed before the court that NIA and Maharashtra Police had forced him to sign some documents and blank papers.
Jundal, who is also known as Sayed Zabiuddin Ansari, is presently lodged, in Arthur road jail in Mumbai in connection with an alleged conspiracy to launch terror strikes in the country.
Jundal was charge sheeted by NIA for offences punishable under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act for allegedly attempting to recruit persons through Internet for joining banned outfit LeT and carrying out terror activities in India.
In its charge sheet, the NIA had said that in and around 2005, Jundal along with his absconding associate Fayyaz Kagzi had joined LeT and in November 2005, they went to Nepal to meet LeT commander Abdul Aziz and received a three-day training of bomb assembling and IED making from him.
It had also claimed that after returning to India, Jundal fled to Pakistan via Bangladesh and stayed in Karachi and in LeT’s headquarters in Muridke.
He did three training courses in LeT training camp and came in touch with LeT top operatives, including its chief Hafiz Saeed, Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi and Zarar Shah, NIA had alleged.
NIA in its charge sheet also said that in September 2008, Ansari taught spoken Hindi to the 10 cadres, who carried out terror strike in Mumbai in which 166 people were killed.
“Since the arrest of Ajmal Kasab and subsequent investigations had established the fact that all the attackers were citizens of Pakistan, LeT functionaries further conspired to use Indian youngsters for carrying out future terrorist attacks so as to conceal the actual involvement of LeT in promoting terrorism in India,” it had said.
In October 2010, Jundal went to Saudi Arabia with the “intention of recruiting persons for terrorist attacks” and in December he returned to Pakistan, the NIA had said, adding, he was in process of recruiting persons for carrying out terror attacks on the instructions of top LeT operatives.
NIA had lodged a case against Jundal, who was deported by Saudi Arabia in June, 2012, for allegedly conspiring to launch terror strikes across the country.
It had lodged the FIR against him following unearthing of LeT’s conspiracy of terror strikes in India.
Expressing shock over the fact that Regional Transport Offices in Maharashtra issue vehicle fitness certificates without the mandatory checks, Bombay High Court directed the authorities to provide them equipment for checking headlight beams and brakes.
The equipment is to be provided to all the 49 RTOs in the state by March 10.
“If such facilities are not provided at the RTOs by the appointed date, then we shall stop you from issuing fitness certificates,” said the division bench headed by Justice Abhay Oka, while hearing a public interest litigation seeking a direction to RTO to follow provisions of Motor Vehicles Act.
The court also directed the Transport Commissioner to file a compliance affidavit.
To a query by the judges, the government pleader said the cost of equipment ranges from Rs 25,000 to Rs 40,000 apiece.
“It is indeed shocking to know that such facilities are not available in major cities,” said the bench and warned that no further time would be given beyond March 10.
An affidavit filed by Transport Commissioner Satish Sahasrabudhe said the equipment to check headlight beams and brakes were not available at the RTOs in Aurangabad, Jalna, Amravati, Thane, Latur, Nasik and Pune.
Also, Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI), in a report, has said that these facilities are not available at RTOs in Nasik, Aurangabad and Mumbai.
Petitioner Srikant Karve alleges that an average 70 vehicles are cleared everyday by each RTO in the state after issuing the fitness certificates, and this would be impossible if the mandatory checks are actually being carried out.
Employees of the organisation complain about the congested retiring room, demand better amenities.
On one hand, the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport Undertaking (BEST) is offering free passes to 227 corporators on the other side, the organisation is not bothered about the welfare of its own employees. The retiring rooms of the BEST lack space to accommodate the drivers who often relax in the afternoon while having their lunch at the same place. The room is poorly maintained which is causing huge inconvenice to the staff members. How can 100 BEST employees be accommodated in a small room measuring 5 * 15 whose condition is deteriorating day by day? Employees have been urging the BEST to renovate the room since last 20 years but the organisation has been turning a blind eye towards this issue.
When AV visited the Kapadia Chowki, Borivali we found that the BEST has failed to provide better amenities to the conductor and driver. The drivers and conductor were seen having meals at the cramped retiring room. A small bench which is in dire straits and can only accommodate four employees while the remaining staff members have to go outside for having food. Employees feel uncomfortable while using the lavatory which is constructed in a congested area. Hence many of them have to go outside for attending nature call. The area where employees have their food is too close to the lavatory. Mosquitoes also trouble them while having food and there is possibility that many of them might fall ill.
Many times, employees have filed a complaint with the BEST officials. The management also had promised the employees to renovate the retiring room but the proposal only remains on paper.
Dilip Ghosle, a BEST driver who has completed 20 years of service said, “When we had taken up this matter with the senior officials they had promised to resolve this issue but no action has been taken yet.”
Arun Borkar, another driver said, “We have to bear the brunt of the unhygienic surroundings prevalent in the retiring room. There is a possibility that we might fall ill if we take rest in this place.”
Madhav Kulkarni a driver from Kasturba Chowk said, “When railway employees are being offered better rest rooms why can’t the BEST provide such kind of amenities to us too.”
Vinod Kotak, a retired BEST employee said, “The working conditions have remained the same even during my tenure of service. Earlier I use to suffer hardships on account of it but now the current staff members have to bear the inconvenience. We too had complained about this matter with the senior officials but they turned a blind eye towards it.”
When AV spoke to the BEST, Chairman, Sanjay Ambole and asked him why the organisation is not bothered about the welfare of its employees, he said, “We had forwarded a letter to the concerned officials and they are trying their best to resolve this issue. We will ensure that our employees get better amenities and will redress their grievances.”
Recently, media has been accused and discussed too much for many reasons. Its integrity has always been in question. However, its authenticity is the duty of thinkers, readers and buyers. We are very fortunate that in our country, we are extremely interested in politics. The headline craze has brooked the credentials of a newspaper. Everywhere, we are talking about politics and nothing else since the Indian politics got attention from British Raj. Thus, in that sense our news papers are much more serious of people’s opinion and much better compared to other papers of the world. Second thing is that newspapers or news does not mean only news, news has to have variety of segments. News does not mean only national issues. News by itself is very rich in its nature and anything that gives healthy entertainment and right education and inspires people to do better or asks the Government its accountability to do a better job is news. All these aspects constitute good journalism. My point however is that in the recent decades, the largest selling newspapers actually sell news space at a price tag; the so called supplement is complete paid advertisement in the form of news. We should not follow western culture of journalism, there should be social control.
Generally news channels have a favourite quote, “If this is what people want to see, we are going to show”. Is that correct? Ethical or unethical, no one knows. I think a viewer has a choice, if he is not interested in what you are showing then he will switcvethe channel. We being politically hungry, there was a time when Indian youth was not at all interested in political development or politics of this country. However, today’s youth are discussing politics and also has their own opinion on it, and this is probably the impact of political coverage.
Today media has more young audience. Youth know their right to vote and they are keeping eye on good, bad and ugly side of politics. Earlier, we could see two people in the corner discussing politics in pale dim light with bad picture quality on the national channel and no one was really interested to look at those interviews or shows. Today, there is large participation in news based talk shows and discussions.
Now, if you look at the tabloids, even they are aggressive. They are also into investigative journalism. Everyone wants to know about fashion, cooking, films, party, page three, derby and race course activities. Nothing is framed and limited to particular segment of news print. Sometimes you are kind, unkind, avarice and aggressive according to your magazines and newspaperinterests.Music, art, cinema, gossips have its relevant space in the print media. What we are talking about is appetite, courage and willingness required for which we will go for money and power in its best ways.
When AAP suddenly won in Delhi, media went over hauling about the party and its simplicity. None of the channels dared to show Salman Khan’s bare body or ShahrukhKhan’s hyped coverage. They had not even bashed Modi or dared to show Modi’srally. The subject had its own relevance and steadiness. Sometimes, when there is nothing much to show, no news or scandals to expose, then the TV channels has to focus on PoonamPandey or Sunny Leone to entertain their viewers. The news has to be relevant and worth grabbing the attention of readers or viewers. There are occasions when there is nothing happening and hence one need to find alternative by any means. News is all about analysis and paralysis. Sometimes, news channels show discussion on irrelevant topics which don’t create an impact on anyone. However, this happened mostly in the olden days which was old fashioned and dull without any interactivity and pep in it.
When it comes to paid news, even today the regional newspapers have no courage to speak against government.There is a quiet understanding between the management of the newspaper and authorities to not to go against each other. If you go against the government, then the solution is its closure. Many such bold newspapers had to shut down their shop for writing against government. Many prospered by supporting and promoting and being the mouth piece of state governments or Chief Ministers. In north India, this kind of news culture is quite frequently witnessed. There is a large section of media, especially if we go in the rural areas, or to be specific local media, the journalists of which act like blackmailers. Now obviously, the ethics and morality has taken a back seat there. Let us not stigmatise small media but there are blackmailers in small media as well as in the national media. It won’t be wrong to say that blackmailers are everywhere.
There are many regional papers that can be termed as the best example for honest journalism but unfortunately they did not survive. Why? They would not have died if they would have grown at a sub regional level. You take the examples of one of the leading Hindi newspapers; they are publishing sixty three editions for this country. It has tried to reach almost every district and state. Many times, media has crossed its ethical boundaries. These are fascinating views about ethical and unethical journalism. Media is interfering too much into people’s private life. The biggest example is Tehelka. They used prostitutes to pose as arm dealers and got into defence boundaries, but it was in the public interest. Liked by many and condemned by large. Sometimes, media feels that going beyond the normal parameters of ethics is OK. What happened to Tehelka and its owner?Theorganisation collapsed and TarunTejpal is in jail on rape charges. If there is appetite in media, I would say all is fair if it’s done in the public interest. Anyways, today we have more stringent rules and regulations even for media.
Journalists have to raise their voice on unethical practices saying no to even their own bosses, managements and pay masters, by challenging them. Sometimes, it’s very much interfering and journalists cannot really execute their freedom to live in ethical frame. Media in India is sometimes constantly under accusations. They are related with one or another political party; if you say good about Congress then you are against BJP and if you stand by BJP then you are accused of being bought by BJP. And if you are against both of them, then you are accused of being paid by some third party. The general assumption is that media and party are sold out in the country.
In other ways, finance is one of the biggest problems of media. Small town or state level media is actually controlled by political parties directly while parties handle national channels indirectly. It’s very difficult for working journalists to understand how they are directly and indirectly controlled by political parties. Actually, journalists must assert themselves, and today common people are scrutinising media much. There is no doubt that media has become powerful and that’s why everyone wants to control it. The debate over ethics is rudimentary. Nowadays, ethics deal with the silence of authorities. It’s time to revolt from within. However, it is not in journalists’ hand actually.
Bharatiya Janata Party prime ministerial nominee Narendra Modi took his attacks on Gandhi family to another level altogether on Friday when he called Congress President Sonia Gandhi ‘10 numbri Gandhi’ (which in Hindi is used for a crook) during his rally in Karnataka’s Gulbarga.
Blaming that the Congress believed in ‘divide & rule’ politics, Modi targeted the Congress party over bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh. He accused it of ignoring Seemandhra while carving out Telangana. “See what happened in Andhra Pradesh. We wanted Telangana and we want development of Seemandhra. Congress killed the mother during child’s birth,” he said.
Modi said that he would be going to Seemandhra to heal the people’s wounds. “I’ll go to Seemandhra as soon as I can, to heal their wounds and share their woes,” he said.
He claimed that the ‘BJP wave’ had taken over the country. Perhaps it will be a tsunami for them. Congress would not be saved,” he added.
Addressing the local populace, Modi said that even when India got independence in 1947, it was only Sardar Vallabhai Patel who took on the Nizam and freed Gulbarga. He indicated that had it not been Patel, Gulbarga would have been a part of Pakistan post independence.
Modi took on the Congress government in Karnataka saying that they have not yet started working. He said that the state government was still in celebration mood. Karnataka government is in the state for a long time now but still they have not started the work. Their celebrations are still on. The Rail Ministry is shut and the CM’s work is shut,” he said.
Sahara chief Subrata Roy turned himself in after the Supreme Court ordered his arrest for not appearing in court in a case linked to his alleged failure to return Rs. 24,000 crore to investors.
“All I want to say is this is the best honour my country could give me,” was his message, read out by son Seemanto to the media after the arrest in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. He said his father had surrendered as a law abiding citizen, but the top court said there was no proof of it.
A court had to wait three hours this evening for Mr. Roy to appear for a hearing on his police custody. He told the court that he would like to be placed under house arrest.
Mr. Roy is expected to be in custody at least till March 4 as the Supreme Court refused to take up his plea against the arrest warrant today, saying there is “no urgency.”
“The Sahara chief is very attached to his mother; her condition remains fragile and he was hoping for a Supreme Court relief,” said Seemanto Roy in Delhi.
The Sahara group has vast real estate holdings and interests in media companies and hotels. Mr. Roy, who calls himself its ‘chief guardian’, has been accused of failing to comply with a 2012 court order to repay crores to investors in Sahara companies.
Sahara says it had returned all but Rs. 2,000 crore to investors and more than 100 truckloads of receipts had been given to market regulator Sebi, or the Securities and Exchange Board of India. There would have been a “bloodbath and suicides” if they hadn’t paid, the company said.
This morning, Mr. Roy had declared he was “not absconding” after a police team that landed with a warrant at his sprawling residence in Lucknow last evening couldn’t find him. The Sahara chief said he was out consulting doctors and meeting lawyers at the time.
Today he appealed to the court to keep him in “house arrest with my ailing mother till March 3,” and said he “can’t handle this level of agony and humiliation.”
He has repeatedly cited his mother’s illness for not appearing in court.
It seems the NaMo magic is spreading everywhere with DMK chief M Karunanidhi saying that Bharatiya Janata Party’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi is a good friend.
Karunanidhi, the former Tamil Nadu chief minister was quoted by a Tamil newspaper Dinamalar as saying that the Gujarat Chief Minister’s continuous campaigning for upcoming crucial General Elections shows that Modi is very hard working.
When asked about the possible outcome of the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, Karunanidhi refused to comment on the post poll scenario.
The DMK chief’s warming up to Modi is a good sign for the BJP as Karunanidhi had recently said that his party would not align with the Congress for the parliamentary elections.
Interestingly, Karunanidhi’s arch rival J Jayalalithaa is also a very good friend of the BJP strongman.
Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) chief Ramvilas Paswan on Thursday returned to the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) fold and announced an alliance with the BJP for the Lok Sabha elections.
The announcement was made by Paswan along with BJP president Rajnath Singh.
Addressing a joint press conference with Paswan, Singh said, “The process of expansion of NDA has begun; Lok Janshakti Party leader Ram Vilas Paswan has decided that his party will be part of the NDA. We have finalized seat sharing, I am confident that the alliance will help the NDA in Bihar.”
Once a mentor, Anna Hazare is now accusing former Delhi chief minister and Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal of being “power hungry”.
Hazare said he was disappointed that Kejriwal had not responded to his 17-point agenda.
“I had handed over a 17-point agenda letter to Kejriwal and told him that I would support him if he agrees to it. But till date, neither Kejriwal nor his party has given me any assurance on it. It is now very clear that these (AAP and Kejriwal) people are thinking of power more than of the nation. (Even if AAP comes to power) nation will not have any bright future as there will be no difference between them and other parties,” the social activist said on Thursday.
The remarks have come even as Hazare backed West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee for the prime minister’s post, as the latter had agreed to the Gandhian’s 17-point agenda.
Listing out his agenda and seeking various CMs’ response to it, Hazare had said that village-centric social and economic initiatives and proposals like promoting vocational education and tough laws against corruption should be made part of the government’s agenda.
“I didn’t support any political party in the past. For the first time in my life, I have announced support to Banerjee because no other party responded to my letter except her. I feel if the 17-point agenda is implemented, it will change the entire picture of the nation,” he said.
“She is the only leader who responded to my letter seeking support on 17 issues for good governance,” he noted.
“Mamata Banerjee has fought for the society and has faced physical assaults in national interest and I feel such people should lead the country. That is the reason I have extended my support to Banerjee. However, this support will be only till the coming polls,” he said.
“I have not supported Mamata Banerjee the person or the party but I liked her social and national perspective,” he said.
“I have extended my support to Mamata Banerjee as she thinks and works only for society and country. She is a CM and can lead a life full of luxury but she leads a simple life,” Hazare said, justifying his support to the TMC chief.
“I support the spirit of sacrifice that I see in Mamata Banerjee.”
Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) chief Ram Vilas Paswan’s son Chirag on Friday defended his party’s decision to return to the NDA led by the BJP, a day after the two parties forged an alliance ahead of the crucial Lok Sabha polls.
Defending the decision Chirag said, “The decision on alliance has been taken keeping the interest of the country first and the party second.”
Chirag, also an actor, further stated that his party’s alliance with the BJP is “issue based.”
The young LJP leader also took a dig at the RJD led by Lalu Prasad, saying, “People keep talking about communalism but didn’t Lalu Yadav run a government with support from BJP?
When asked why his party returned to the NDA fold after ditching it 12 years ago over Narendra Modi’s alleged involvement in the 2002 Gujarat riots, Chirag said, “My father quit after what happened in 2002. He didn’t come back till a clean chit was given to Narendra Modi.”
He went on to say, “Now that Supreme Court has given a clean chit to Modi, I don’t think 2002 is an issue.”
“Moreover, BJP chief Rajnath Singh too has apologized to the minorities in case they committed some mistake. What more should be done,” Chirag Paswan said.
Further justifying the LJP-BJP alliance decision, Chirag Paswan said after the entry of Ramdas Athavale’s RPI in the NDA and Dalit leader Udit Raj joining the BJP, LJP’s joined hands with the BJP reasserts the fact that only the NDA can take the country out of the troubled times it is in.
On the issue of supporting Nitish Kumar, who has called for a bandh on March 2 to press the Centre for granting special status to his state, Chirag said that the BJP is holding a rally on March 3 and the LJP national president will be there to support the cause.
In a major fillip to the BJP’s ambition to win majority of Bihar’s 40 Lok Sabha seats, party president Rajnath Singh on Thursday announced the return of Lok Janshakti Pary (LJP) into the NDA fold.
Addressing a joint press conference with LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan, Rajnath Singh said, “The process of expansion of NDA has begun; Lok Janshakti Party leader Ram Vilas Paswan has decided that his party will be part of the NDA. We have finalized seat sharing, I am confident that the alliance will help the NDA in Bihar.”
The Delhi Court on Friday dismissed the proposal of veteran Congress leader ND Tiwari for settlement of paternity case outside the court after his biological son Rohit Shekhar refused to do so.
Seeking to settle the matter peacefully, the proposal to settle the matter “amicably” outside the court was put forth by Tiwari on February 19.
The paternity suit was filed by Shekhar in 2008, in which he had claimed that Tiwari was his biological father. However, the Congress leader has denied the claim.
The court had declared Tiwari as the biological father of Shekhar in 2012 on the basis of the DNA test report and directed him to pay a fine of Rs. 2.5 lakh to the petitioner.
However, Tiwari expressed his inability to pay the fine claiming that being a retired freedom fighter, he survives on pension.
The court had also rejected his plea to be allowed to be cross-examined outside the court owing to his ill-health.
Employees of the organisation complain about the congested retiring room, demand better amenities.
