Cnstimes

Social media to influence 160 Lok Sabha seats in next polls: study

2013-04-12T12:30:00.000+05:30

New Delhi: Social media is likely to influence 160 Lok Sabha seats in the next general elections, a study has said.

"There are 160 high impact constituencies out of the total of 543 constituencies, which are likely be influenced by social media during the next general elections," the study by IRIS Knowledge Foundation and Internet and Mobile Association of India has said.

The state of Maharashtra has the maximum 21 high impact constituencies followed by Gujarat (17), the study Social Media and Lok Sabha Elections -- said.

High impact constituencies are those where the number of Facebook users is more than the margin on victoryof the winner in the last Lok Sabha election, or where Facebook users account for over 10 per cent of total voters in a constituency.

Uttar Pradesh has 14 high impact constituencies, while Karnataka has 12 such seats. Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala has 12, 11 and 10 such seats respectively.

Madhya Pradesh has nine high impact constituencies while Delhi has seven, the study said.

Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan have five high impact constituencies each while Bihar, Chattisgarh, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand and West Bengal have four constituencies, the study said.

There are a total of 67 constituencies, which have been identified as medium impact constituencies, while the rest of the constituencies have been identified as low impact or no impact constituencies, the study said.

The medium impact constituencies are those where it has been assumed that a Facebook user can influence one other voter who may not be on Facebook, it said.

There are 60 low impact constituencies while the remaining 256 are in no-impact category, it added

PTI

Two arrested, three detained for ransacking at Presidency University

2013-04-12T11:19:00.003+05:30

Kolkata: Two days after the attack on the Presidency University in Kolkata by alleged Trinamool Congress workers, two people have been arrested and three have been detained. Those arrested are Shubhojeet Burman and Jayanta Haldar and both are not students of the Presidency University.
Meanwhile, the West Bengal Governor is now caught in a political crossfire between the Left and the TMC after he asked the CPM to apologise for the attack on Bengal Finance Minister Amit Mitra by his party cadre in Delhi. The CPM lashed out with General Secretary Prakash Karat writing to President Pranab Mukherjee protesting against the Governor's interventon for seeking this apology.
Earlier on Thursday, hundreds hit the streets against the attack on the Presidency University. The faculty and the students of marched for 5 kilometres condemning the violence at the prestigous Baker's Lab in the Presdiency University.

Those arrested are Shubhojeet Burman and Jayanta Haldar, both of whom are not students of the Presidency University.

Suspected members of the Trinamool Congress youth wing allegedly barged into the university premises on Wednesday and manhandled them. Armed with sticks, they ransacked the science lab where classes were being conducted.
Some teachers were allegedly assaulted too. The attack came despite West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's appeal for non-violent protests.
Female students at the Presidency University alleged that the attackers even threatened them with rape. "We were threatened with rape, beaten up. The hooligans threatened me thrice saying if I leave the campus, they'll rape me," said a student.
Presidency University Vice Chancellor Malabika Sarkar also added, "I am 100 per cent with the students. I am as shocked as my students. When I was a student I had seen this kind of violence, but not that brutal that some outside people come and break the gates. All I could see was people carrying TMC flags."

IBN

Delhi gangrape accused deny being in the bus on December 16 night

2013-04-12T09:05:00.002+05:30

Two of the accused in the Delhi gangrape case on Thursday claimed before a special court that they were not in the bus in which a 23-year-old girl was brutally assaulted and raped by six persons on December 16 night.

Accused Vinay Sharma in his application before Additional Sessions Judge Yogesh Khanna claimed he, along with co-accused Pawan Gupta, were not present in the bus in which the alleged incident took place.

Vinay, who filed the application through his counsel A P Singh, said he has been falsely implicated in the case.

The lawyer told the judge that the application was moved after Vinay informed him that his mobile has a video-clip, which allegedly shows that the two went to a music function in south Delhi.

"Accused Vinay's mobile contains a video recording and photos which can establish that he and Pawan were not in the bus on the night of incident," he told the judge, while seeking permission to make a CD of the video.

The court, however, said that they can make a CD out of the video recording as the matter was between the defence counsel and the accused, but, at present, it has nothing to do with the case.

"It is very important defence for the accused, as the mobile contains some exclusive information, which can prove the innocence of my client," the lawyer submitted before the court.

He also said that now the police cannot state that the video was being planted as the said mobile phone was in police custody since the accused' arrest in the case.

"He (Vinay) has not played any role in the commission of the offence, as he was not in the bus nor was he part of the alleged incident. The police have falsely implicated Vinay in the case," Singh told the court.

The counsel also said Vinay and Pawan went along with their friend to the music function at district park near R K Khanna Tennis Stadium in south Delhi.

He said the friend of the two accused could be a crucial witness to prove their innocence in the case.

Meanwhile, the court today directed counsel M L Sharma, appearing for accused Mukesh, to remain present before it on Friday so that he can cross-examine the prosecution witnesses.

Special Public Prosecutor Dayan Krishnan today raised objection over Sharma's absence from the court, even after being specifically asked to come.

Krishnan said that defence counsel (Sharma) is trying to completely derail the proceedings and is making a "deliberate attempt to delay the trial".

The judge said, "I am also concerned about it. Lets see from tomorrow."

Till date 65 of the prosecution witnesses have deposed in the court.

Initially, five accused in the case were facing trial for allegedly gangraping and assaulting the girl, who died in a Singapore hospital on December 29.

With the proceedings against the main accused Ram Singh having abated after his death on March 11, the remaining four adult accused--Mukesh, Vinay, Akshay Singh and Pawan--are facing trial in the case for rape and murder of the girl. The sixth accused in the case is a juvenile who is facing trial before the Juvenile Justice Board in Delhi.

PTI

19 Rameswaram fishers released from Lankan prison

2013-04-12T09:03:00.002+05:30

RAMESWARAM: After a series of misfortunes, fishermen at Rameswaram received some good news on Thursday, as 19 of their counterparts locked up in a Sri Lankan prison were released by the court. The fishermen here, who announced a road roko at Pamban in this regard have decided to postpone the protest till April 18, when 30 other fishermen detained by Sri Lanka to be produced before the court.

On March 13, the Sri Lankan naval personnel caught 19 fishermen and seized their four boats off Katchatheevu and remanded them in Mannar court. The court, which scheduled their hearing on March 28, initially, extended their imprisonment till April 11. Though the Sri Lankan navy detained 34 more fishermen from Rameswaram, on March 14, they were fortunate to be released on the same day and returned to Rameswaram on March 19.

Under these circumstances, the court, which took up the case of the 19 fishermen on Thursday ordered their release and they are expected to be handed over at international maritime boundary line (IMBL) by Friday. Meanwhile, the imprisonment of 26 fishermen from Karaikal, who were detained on April 5 has been extended by the Kaytes court till April 19 and they have been locked up in Jaffna prison.

U Arulanandam of Alliance for Release of Innocent Fishermen said the released fishermen will be handed over at the IMBL on Friday afternoon. "While they are handed over to Indian Coast Guard, two fishermen from the island nation, Thumman and Chandru from Valvettithurai, who were stranded in Kodiakarai on March 26 will be handed over to Sri Lankan navy," he said. "However, the court had extended the remand of 26 Karaikal fishermen till April 19," he stated.

With the fishing ban period all set to start from April 15, the Rameswaram fishermen were trying to make some money but the March 13 incident came as a blow for them. After the imprisonment of 19 fishermen, the fishers called for an indefinite strike and they indulged in train roko too for the cause. They withdrew the strike on March 31 after assurance from the district administration over their release and ventured into the sea. But their relief was shortlived, as 30 other fishermen from Rameswaram were detained by the Sri Lankan navy on April 6. The fishermen were remanded till April 18. Irked by this, the fishers in Rameswaram announced indefinite strike from April 7.

Earlier, the fishermen associations decided to picket the Pamban bridge, the road that connects the island with the mainland but after the release of the fishermen, they have withheld the decision. "We have decided to wait till April 18 when other 30 fishermen are to be produced before the court. The repeated arrests and imprisonment of our counterparts have destroyed our livelihood and the fishing ban period of 45 days is going to be the toughest one this year," commented B Jesuraja, district secretary of Tamil Nadu Mechanised Boat Fishermen Association

TOI

Husband's seniors molested me, Navy officer’s wife alleges

2013-04-12T09:02:00.004+05:30

NEW DELHI: Drawn by his handsome looks and six-pack, IIT-Bombay graduate Sumedha (name changed) quit her Morgan Stanley career to get married only to see her dreams shattered within a few months. Not only did she witness her Navy officer husband in a compromising position with a senior officer's wife but was told that she too would have to be part of the "wife-swapping evenings" if she wanted her husband to keep his job.

"When I saw my husband with the other lady I started to cry and question my husband. The woman instead shouted at me, slapped me and threatened me with dire consequences if I did not keep quiet," the 25-year-old said.

The Navy has flatly denied the allegations with defence minister A K Antony seeking a report on the matter.

Sumedha, who was living with her husband in Kochi, reached Delhi late on Thursday evening. Remarkably calm and collected, she recalled how her frantic calls to the Southern Naval Command, residences of Chief of Naval Staff and the defence minister went unanswered. Sumedha, who is preparing for her civil services, said 20-30% of naval officers indulged in wife-swapping. "There are parties every day and the women wear very revealing, almost vulgar clothes. I found later that wife-swapping was common there," she said.

When asked how she could substantiate her allegations, Sumedha said, "I know what I have seen. There has been a complaint filed earlier about wife-swapping in 2011 on INS Dronacharya but the officers involved were posted out and the issue buried."

Sumedha, who has filed a complaint with the Harbour police station in Kochi and the Vasant Vihar police station in Delhi, said she was molested by senior officers in the presence of her husband. "I was bound down and molested my three of my husband's colleagues. My husband then threw me out of the house," she said.

She added that the only time her husband had shown remorse was when he told her that he had to indulge in this "wife-swapping" or he would lose his job. "Officers and sailors, they were all afraid to say anything or come to my rescue because they feared being thrown out of the Navy," she said.

When asked about allegations that she was mentally unstable, Sumedha said, "How can a marriage counselor certify my mental fitness. Anyway, where is the proof that I even went to a counselor?"

On the Navy's denial of her allegations, Sumedha said, "It doesn't matter what they say. I know the truth. I have already asked my lawyer to take up the issue with the police." She also claimed that she had been offered Rs 2 crore to settle the matter.

Defence minister A K Antony has sought a report from the Navy on the allegations even as naval officials said they had already launched a probe.

The defence minister's office, however, said they were yet to receive a formal complaint though the lieutenant's wife insisted that she had sent a complaint to the minister through registered post in the first week of March but had not received any response.

An Southern Naval Command official confirmed it had launched an investigation. "The Chief of Naval Staff 's office has asked for a report, based on the lady's complaint a week ago," the official said.

In a statement, the Navy said, "The wife of the officer has leveled unfair allegations against superior officers in her husband's chain of command, their spouses and other officers who have interacted with her. These officers accompanied by their respective spouses had tried to unsuccessfully resolve the issues dogging the couple's personal life in a bid to leverage the strength of the naval community bond. Unfortunately, the lady had resorted to such methods of dragging her estranged spouse's colleagues into the vortex of their unhappy relationship in the past too in other units in which her husband has served. The couple was also sent to a marriage counselor under the aegis of the Navy Wives Welfare Association."

TOI

Odisha: Nuclear capable Agni-II missile successfully test fired

2013-04-07T12:13:00.003+05:30

New Delhi: The medium range, nuclear capable surface-to-surface Agni-II missile was on Sunday successfully test-fired with a strike range of more than 2,000 km from the Wheeler Island off Odisha coast. "The trial of the surface-to-surface missile was conducted from a mobile launcher from the Launch Complex-4 of Integrated Test Range (ITR) at around 10:20 am," defence sources said.
"Agni-II Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile (IRBM) has already been inducted into the services and today's test was carried out by the Strategic Forces Command (SFC) of the Army as part of training exercise with logistic support provided by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)," the sources said.
The two-stage missile equipped with advanced high accuracy navigation system, guided by a novel scheme of state of the earth command and control system was propelled by solid rocket propellant system, they said. "The entire trajectory of the trial was tracked by a battery of sophisticated radars, telemetry observation stations, electro-optic instruments and naval ships located near the impact point in the down range area of the sea," said a DRDO scientist.

The 20-metre long Agni-II is a two-stage, solid-propelled ballistic missile.

The 20-metre long Agni-II is a two-stage, solid-propelled ballistic missile. It has a launch weight of 17 tonnes and can carry a payload of 1,000 kg over a distance of 2,000 km. The state-of-the-art Agni-II missile was developed by Advanced Systems Laboratory (ASL) and integrated by the Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL), Hyderabad.
Agni-II is part of the Agni series of missiles developed by DRDO which includes Agni-I with a 700 km range, Agni-III with a 3,000 km range, Agni-IV with 4,000 km range and Agni-V more than 5,000 km range. The last trial of Agni-II conducted on August 9 last year from the same base, was a total success. "Today's test fire was successful. It met all the parameters. It was 100 per cent successful," MVKV Prasad, the director of Integrated Test Range (ITR) said

PTI

Thane building collapse: 2 developers arrested; toll touches 72

2013-04-07T09:59:00.001+05:30

A cup of tea with a friend was all

Rammilan Vishwakarma, 40, thought of when he entered into the third floor flat of his friend Jamal. Almost ten minutes after, as he had just kept the cup down, finishing his tea, the building collapsed. Both the friends died immediately. Jamal’s mother was the only survivor, while seven others innocents from the same family died for no reason.

The rescue operations in Lucky Compound on Thane-Mahape Road in Mumbra ended on Saturday afternoon, almost 48 hours after the eight floors of the tower crumbled, killing 74 and injuring 61 others.

“It was a courtesy call from Vishwakarma, as both were in the same profession of driving goods truck. Who could have thought that this visit will be the last? Someone’s mistake has cost our family a huge blow,” said Rajesh Chowdhary, Vishwakarma’s brother-in-law, waiting outside the morgue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Hospital in Kalwa to collect the dead body.

Five-year-old Sandhya Rathod was admitted i to Thane Civil Hospital and from last two days he had not been able to open her eyes. According to the hospital staff, the amount of soil and sand that has gone inside her eyes makes her difficult to open them.

From the day she was admitted to the hospital, a social worker Josleen Soares has been nursing her and is trying desperately to find her parents.

“She calls me uncle and recognises me by touch. I was with her from last two nights and hospital administration has now barred me from meeting her. At first, they do not treat the patients properly and now want to stay me away from her,” he said, while talking to reporters outside the hospital.

Two of the builders responsible for the misery of these people, Jamil Qureishi and Salim Shaikh, were arrested on Saturday from Uttar Pradesh and Thane respectively. Thane Police Commissioner confirmed their arrest saying the authorities registered a case of culpable homicide against both of them.

Meanwhile Dipak Chavan, Deputy Commissioner of Thane Municipal Commissioner (TMC), who was suspended by Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan on Friday, found himself in to yet another controversy after he allegedly beat up the reporter and cameraman of a news channel.

“We were standing outside his house for his reaction, when he stormed out and started beating us. He grabbed the mike and camera from us and kept inside his house,” said Sonu Kanaujia, reporter from the news channel.

Nearby building razed

While the rescue operations ended on Saturday afternoon, the decision to raze all other structures inside the compound was received with minor protest from the locals. “We have to raze the neighbouring building as it has already tilted. The other structures in the compound have to be removed as they are illegal,” said R.A. Rajeev, TMC Municipal Commissioner.

“Illegal buildings have been coming up in the city from many years and 90 per cent of the buildings in Mumbra are illegal. As the number of people increases, they put another floor on the existing one. This has become difficult to stop,” he said.

Hasina Sheikh, a 10-year-old girl, admitted in the Thane Civil Hospital has been asking the whereabouts of her parents to Abdul Rahim Sheikh, one of the social workers helping the victims, ever since she regained her consciousness. “She was studying when the building collapsed and now desperately wants to see her family,” he said.

“We have traced her father, who is injured but safe now. Her mother is dead, but there is no one to claim her body right now as father is in the hospital. I don’t know how to tell someone that her mother is dead,” he said.

The Hindu

Dutch held for British tourist's murder in J&K

2013-04-07T09:57:00.002+05:30

Police await autopsy report as rape suspected. On sunny Saturday morning a stream of people cruised through the still waters of the famed Dal Lake to console Hafiza Begum, devastated by the murder of 24-year-old British tourist, who was staying on their houseboat for the last one and half months.
A posse of police and forensics experts was already on the deck of ‘New Beauty’ houseboat to retrieve the body lying in the pool of blood inside a small cabin of the boat. The adjacent chamber in the three-room houseboat too was open with 43-year-old Dutch tourist Richard De-Wit, who had checked in just two days back, strangely missing.

Just 200 meters in the lake a shikara, used to ferry the tourists to and fro from the shore to the houseboat, was capsized. Police said Richard tried to flee in the shikara allegedly after committing the crime but in the melee he lost control and the boat capsized.
Richard swam across to the shore and boarded a taxi near Tourist Reception Centre, more than two kilometres away from the Dal Lake, to reach Jammu in a bid to escape from the police. But police intercepted the cab at Qazigund, 75 kilometres from Srinagar, and apprehended Richard who is now the prime suspect in the murder.
Police have registered a case of murder under section 302 Ranbir Penal Code. Police have sent the body of the British tourist for autopsy to establish whether she was sexually assaulted before she was stabbed to death.
“As of now we can only say that we have found her body which has been sent for autopsy”, said Syed Afad-ul-Mujtaba, deputy inspector general of police, (central Kashmir range). Police said the British woman had checked in the houseboat in mid-February after developing friendship with one of the sons of the houseboat owners in Goa.
The houseboat owners said they knew the deceased’s family for long. “She was not a guest but like a family member. Only yesterday we visited Dargah Hazratbal (housing the relic of Prophet Mohammad) to pay obeisance. She was so close to us that she decked up our boat to make it more attractive (for tourists),” said Irfan Ahmad, one of the brothers owning the New Beauty houseboat.
For the family the loss is personal. “My mother is inconsolable because she had been like our own. She used to have food with us like our other family members,” said Ahmad.

DNA

7.2 magnitude quake rocks Irian Jaya, Indonesia

2013-04-06T13:42:00.000+05:30

A major 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck the eastern Indonesian province of Papua on Saturday, the US Geological Survey said, sending panicked crowds running into the streets.
There were no immediate reports of damage and no tsunami warning was issued after the quake struck on land at 1:42 pm (0442 GMT) at a depth of 75 kilometres (46 miles), 272 kilometres west-southwest of provincial capital Jayapura, the USGS said.

Local seismologists had measured the quake at 7.2 magnitude.
People in the area told AFP they felt the quake strongly and hundreds went running into the streets, witnesses told AFP.
Narsi Bay said she was in a meeting on the first floor of a hotel in Jayapura when she felt "strong shaking".
"I went downstairs to go outside as quickly as I could as I was afraid that the building would collapse," she told AFP.
"The quake happened on land, there is no tsunami threat," an official from the country's meteorology, climatology and geophysics agency told AFP. "We haven't received any reports of damage."
Indonesia sits on the Pacific "Ring of Fire" where continental plates collide, causing frequent seismic and volcanic activity.

HT

Death toll rises to 72 in Mumbai building collapse

2013-04-06T12:11:00.001+05:30

The death toll from a collapsed building in Thane rose to 72 on Saturday, as a injured woman trapped for 36 hours was freed from the rubble of the illegal and half-constructed building.
Rescue workers using cranes and bulldozers continued to search through the wreck of twisted steel and concrete after the seven-storey building collapsed "like a pack of cards" on Thursday evening, officials and witnesses said.
"The building collapsed like a pack of cards within three to four seconds," said Ramlal, a local resident. "It just tilted a bit and collapsed," he said. Residents said labourers paying rent of around $5 a day had lived in the building.
The building, which was in a forested area in the city of Thane, had been made using poor materials and without proper approvals, said Sandeep Malvi, a spokesman for licensing authority the Thane Municipal Corporation.
He said 72 people had been killed and 36 injured had been admitted into local hospitals. "There may still be more bodies inside," Malvi added. "The rescue is still going on."
As the sun rose on Saturday, around 100 workers from the national disaster relief agency continued to use jackhammers and other equipment to cut through the pile of metal and concrete.
The woman dragged from the building on Saturday was found after workers heard her voice and used camera eqiupment to pinpoint her location under the rubble. A 10-month old infant was pulled from the debris on Friday.
The seriously injured have been shifted to JJ and Sion Hospitals in Mumbai. A 65-year-old woman, identified as Kutibi Shaikh, was rescued after being trapped for almost 30 hours, according to reports.
At the collapse site, another survivor Shabnam told reporters that she had received a distress call on her mobilephone from a young teacher around 3 pm yesterday saying that she was trapped alongwith six-seven students, but lost contact thereafter.
The fate of the teacher and students is still not known as relief operations. Heartbreaking tales like a male survivor losing 13 of his family members have unfolded, as rescuers looked for survivors and bodies in the debris of bricks, mortar and twisted steel.
A case has been registered against builders Salil and Khalil Jamadar under Sec 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of IPC but no arrests have been made so far in the case, police control room said.
The Deputy Municipal Commissioner of the area has been suspended following the collapse, which the state chief minister said was due to the building being built illegally, local media reported.
Police said they were searching for the builders and would charge them with culpable homicide in connection with the disaster.
"Unauthorised constructions are a product of unavailability of affordable housing," said Lalit Kumar Jain, president of the Confederation of Real Estate Developers of India.

(with PTI inputs)

Sudden showers snap power supply in many areas

2013-04-06T10:32:00.001+05:30

HYDERABAD: A moderate shower on Tuesday afternoon may have provided the much-needed respite from the scorching heat, but it knocked out over a dozen feeders, disrupting power supply across the city.
Many areas suffered power interruptions during the shower, but some localities witnessed power disruptions for several hours even after the rain as feeders tripped and lines snapped due to uprooted trees. The Central Power Distribution Company Limited (CPDCL) offices were flooded with calls of outages.

CDPCL officials said that power disruptions caused tripping of 32-kv major feeder lines in Malakpet, Salar Jung Museum, Film Nagar and Banjara Hills.
Sources said Hussain Nagar near B S Maktha and parts of Methodist Colony, Begumpet, were without power supply from 3 pm. There were reports of similar problems in Banjara Hills, Kalyan Nagar, Mythrivanam, Srinagar Colony, Mettuguda, Alwal, Geetanagar near Neredmet, Uppal, Lenin Nagar in Champapet, Azampura and other areas.
At Vivekanandapuram Colony in Sainikpuri, the strong gust uprooted a large tree snapping a power line and nearly crushing a small shop underneath it. "The huge tree took all the wires along with it as it fell. The road was blocked since around 3.15 pm," Abhishek Roy, a resident of the area, said. Locals complained that CPDCL officials arrived at the spot only at 4.30 pm and work continued beyond 7 pm, causing traffic congestion in the nearby areas. The CPDCL officials said power disruptions were due to showers and gales. In many areas, which witnessed heavy gales, the officials shut down power supply to avoid untoward incidents. "Power was restored immediately after the rain stopped in almost all the areas," B Ram Das, superintending engineer of SCADA, said.
Meanwhile, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) central emergency unit received complaints of uprooted trees from Rasoolpura, Alwal (near Yellamma temple) and Mettuguda. Water-logging was also reported from Lakdi-ka-pul, Ramanthapur, Banjara Hills, and CTO at Paradise.

TNN

Arvind Kejriwal to end two-week fast today

2013-04-06T08:57:00.004+05:30

New Delhi: Activist-turned-politician Arvind Kejriwal is scheduled to break his two-week long fast at 5 pm today.

Mr Kejriwal is protesting against Delhi residents being over-charged for water and electricity because of an alleged conspiracy between the government and private firms. He says though his fast is ending, the protest will not.

Mr Kejriwal, who is 44, has lost more than six kilograms since his fast began on March 23. He announced yesterday afternoon that nearly 10 lakh people have signed his petition agreeing that the government is fleecing them.

He also said that for the next stage of his "satyagraha" or civil disobedience movement, he would like residents of Delhi to help his team in reconnecting the power supply to homes who are without electricity because of unpaid bills. Power companies have issued an advisory asking people not to re-connect power connections. Apart from being illegal, power companies say, people will be at a risk of electrocution.

While the Congress claims Mr Kejriwal's fast is only a 'political' stunt to garner votes, the BJP has said that the fight against inflated bills should be from within the system and not through "illegal means."

"It's a political fast; what should the government or the congress do about it? He's a person who is a political personality now and political parties' fast is a thing that political parties do to win over votes or win over people's confidence," Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit said.

"I think we will have to fight for issues, for causes not in a non-cooperational kind of mode. We still have to work with the system and cleanse it, reform it and make it better," BJP spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman said.

Mr Kejriwal said he had hoped that his one-time mentor, activist Anna Hazare, would give him a glass of juice today with which he would end his strike. But Anna is not free, he said.

NDTV

British woman found dead on houseboat in Srinagar; police suspect murder, arrest Dutch tourist

2013-04-06T08:55:00.003+05:30

Srinagar: A British woman holidaying on a houseboat on Dal Lake in Srinagar has been found dead this morning, allegedly murdered by a Dutch tourist who was staying in a separate room in the houseboat, according to police sources.

The suspect was arrested near Banihal tunnel, 100 Km from Srinagar, this morning.

Police suspect that Sara Elizabeth, 24, might have been raped before being killed. A case of murder has been registered and a team of forensic experts has been roped in to help the police in their investigations.

NDTV

Thane building collapse: 67 dead, marathon rescue operation still on

2013-04-06T08:55:00.000+05:30

Mumbai: More than 40 hours after the horrific building collapse in Thane, the death toll is still climbing. Sixty seven people are reported dead so far and the toll includes nine boys and 13 girls. Sixty two people have been injured in one of the worst building collapse disasters in Maharashtra. Meanwhile, the authorities are assessing the full extent of the tragedy.
Thane Municipal authorities have said that the building was illegally constructed on forest land and should have been demolished earlier. The officials added that complaints about the illegal building were made to the forest department but in vain. Municipal Commissioner RA Rajeev said the building was built on forest land and two notices were sent to the building. "We had repeatedly asked the forest department to take action. We had asked MSEB to cut electricity to the building. We have issued total notices to about 250 illegal buildings in this belt. We try forcible removal. It is not easy. Also its a congested area our equipment is unusable here," said Rajeev.
The concerned deputy municipal commissioner and senior police inspector have been suspended, Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan said after visiting the collapse site on Friday. The state government has also announced Rs 2 lakh each to the next of kin of those killed and Rs 50,000 each to those

seriously injured, the Chief Minister said.

Chavan, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, Home Minister RR Patil, Thane's Guardian Minister Ganesh Naik, Minister of State for Tribal Welfare Rajendra Gavit visited the collapse site as well as the hospitals and enquired about the health of the injured.
The National Disaster Response Force, which is leading the rescue efforts, said many children are still trapped in the debris. Among those injured is a little girl, whose parents are yet to be traced.
The girl who says her name is Sandhya Thakur, is being looked after in the hospital by her rescuer. The four-year-old was found with several injuries and needs a CT scan. Sandhya's mother reportedly succumbed to her injuries on Friday.
While children are looking for parents and the parents are looking for children, there are those like Sandhya who have not been told that their parents are no more. Sandhya's mother died on a bed close to hers and there is no news of any other relatives.
With entire families being wiped out, extended family members are rushing in to complete formalities and get news of their family and with most documents buried under the rubble, they're finding it difficult to prove identities to claim bodies.
One of the survivors of the mishap Mohd Yamin, resident of fifth floor, said, "The surrounding buildings charge around Rs 1500. But here, the builder charged only Rs 500 and gave the place for rent to as many people as possible."
So who will be held accountable for the collapse? For the survivors there is a feeling that nothing can compensate their loss.
Meanwhile, the police have registered a case of culpable homicide against the builder, who remains untraceable. The incident took place at 6:30 pm on Thursday following which fire tenders and medical teams were rushed to the spot. Several people remain trapped under the debris and the rescue operations still continue.
According to Deputy Collector Manoj Gohad, the building in the Shil Dhaigar locality was unauthorised and was occupied up to the fourth floor. Around 28 families were reportedly moved into the building even while construction was on and were living without an occupancy certificate because the builder feared the building would be demolished otherwise.
The injured have been admitted to various hospitals including Thane Civil, CSM Civic hospital at Kalwa, Kalsekar hospital in Kalwa, while those in critical condition were shifted to Sion and JJ Hospital.
Meanwhile, former Mumbai municipal commissioner GR Khairnar, known as the Demolition Man for his firm stand against illegal constructions, has questioned the Thane Municipality's motive in turning a blind eye to the building's illegalities. "There is a lame excuse that municipal authorities cannot cope with illegal construction. Police, municipality all are involved in this so each can blame the other. Builder will be punished but municipal authorities are more responsible," said Khairnar.
Despite the blame game, the essential questions that surrounds this tragedy are:
1. How did this building get an electricity and water connection, enabling residents to live in it?
2. Why did the municipality not act against residents even after learning the building did not have an occupancy certificate?

IBN

SFI activist's death in Kolkata: One person arrested

2013-04-03T13:51:00.000+05:30

Kolkata: One person has been arrested in connection with the death of Students Federation of India activist Sudipto Gupta in Kolkata. The person arrested is Raju Das, the driver of the bus which was used to take the demonstrators to the prison by the police. Meanwhile, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee met other activists injured in the police crackdown.
The death of the 23-year-old SFI activist, Sudipto Gupta, has sparked off massive protests in Kolkata. Sudipto was fatally injured allegedly by the police during a crackdown in the city on Tuesday.
Eyewitnesses say the police bundled protesters on to a bus following a mass arrest and then Sudipto was pushed out of the bus and badly beaten up. SFI General Secretary Satarup Ghosh, who is an eyewitness, said, "He was hit on his head so hard that one of his eyes came out."
"We were courting arrest when the policemen started beating us in the bus. One of the policemen hit Sudipto's head with a lathi and he fell down. When we demanded immediate medical help for him, the police refused," Ghosh said.
The police on the other hand have said that Sudipto fell off the bus. "There was a scuffle inside the bus as the students shouted slogans. One of the students hit a lamp post and was critically injured," Javed Shamim, Joint Commissioner of Police, Law and Order, said.
Sudipto's body was sent for a post-mortem. After the post-mortem on Wednesday, his body will be taken to his residence, then to his college and finally to a crematorium.
His family, meanwhile, has also demanded action. "I want them to be punished. How could they torture a 23-year-old boy like this," his father Pranab gupta said.
An FIR has been lodged. The Left Front has asked for a judicial probe and claimed it will hit the streets in protest.
What spurred the Kolkata police to resort to alleged brutality that cost a 23-year-old his life and another battling death is something that the Left will corner West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over and also the home minister of the state in the coming days.

Student unions to observe strike in WB tomorrow to protest SFI leader's death in police custody

2013-04-03T12:07:00.002+05:30

The Students Federation of India (SFI) has called a state-wide strike in West Bengal on Thursday to protest the death of its leader allegedly in police custody on Tuesday.

The 22-year-old leader of opposition CPI-M's student wing, Sudipta Gupta, was arrested after a clash with the police, and he later died in a city hospital triggering a row with the men in uniform claiming he fell from a vehicle while the SFI alleged he succumbed to injuries sustained in lathi-charge.

Talking to Headlines Today, SFI's Bengal president Madhuja Sen Roy said the outfit would observe a strike on Thursday to protest the police highhandedness. Conventions across the state would also be held at various centres on April 6, she said, adding that student unions including AISF, BSU and AISU would support the agitation.

The SFI demanded a judicial probe into the incident and alleged that the Trinamool Congress government was using state machinery to influence the case.

Even the CPI-M has demanded a judicial inquiry into the death of the student leader, alleging that he was beaten to death by the police.

Earlier, joint commissioner of police (headquarters) Javed Shamim had claimed that Gupta was injured in an accident when he, along with 30 others, was being taken in a bus after being arrested as he also denied lathi-charge by the police.

The incident took place when SFI supporters gathered in Rani Rasmoni area of the city in connection with a protest rally to demand holding of college union elections in the state.

HT

Men on bike throw acid at four sisters in Uttar Pradesh; one critical

2013-04-03T10:53:00.003+05:30

Muzaffarnagar: Two men on a bike allegedly threw acid at three women teachers and a student in Uttar Pradesh's Muzaffarnagar district yesterday. The four victims are sisters who were returning from school after a board exam when the men allegedly attacked them.

One of them is in a critical condition and has been shifted to Delhi's Gangaram Hospital for treatment.

"We were coming back from work when two men came on a bike; they had their faces covered and attacked us with acid and ran away," one of the siblings said.
Attacks on women have topped the national agenda since December, when a medical student was assaulted and raped, allegedly by six men, on a moving bus in Delhi. She died two weeks later of severe injuries inflicted on her during an attack so vicious that it stunned the doctors who attended to her.

Seething with anger and grief, students led protests in the capital and other cities, forcing the government to introduce tough new laws to punish sexual crimes against women.

The new anti-rape bill was passed in Parliament last month. The house had voted against life imprisonment for acid attack. The revised laws also recognize voyeurism and stalking as criminal offences, and controversially provide death penalty for rapes which leave the victim dead or in a coma.

NDTV

Honda to invest Rs 2,500 cr in India by 2014

2013-04-02T14:19:00.002+05:30

NEW DELHI: Japanese auto giant Honda today announced to invest Rs 2,500 crore in India by 2014 to enhance its manufacturing activities, including setting up a new car assembly line.

As part of its plans, the wholly-owned subsidiary of the company--Honda Cars India Ltd ( HCIL) -- will set up a car assembly line, a diesel engine component unit and a forging plant at its Tapukara facility in Rajasthan.

"India is a strategic market for us and it is a strategic base for our local procuring business... We will invest Rs 2,500 crore to expand production capacity of the Rajasthan plant," Honda Motor Company Managing Officer Yoshiyuki Matsumoto told reporters here.

After completion, the Tapukara plant will have an installed capacity to roll out 1.2 lakh cars every year, he added.

With setting up of the new assembly line at Tapukara, HCIL's total installed capacity will be 2.4 lakh units annually, considering the Greater Noida plant.

The new assembly line and the forging plant will generate an employment of 2,200 people by 2014, in addition of 265 people already hired for the diesel engine component unit.

Meanwhile, the company today unveiled a new 1.5 litre diesel engine, which will be fitted first in the upcoming sedan Amaze.

Matsumoto also said the company will launch diesel variant of all its future models in India.

PTI

Pakistan attack: Deadly raid on Peshawar power plant

2013-04-02T14:17:00.001+05:30

A policeman and a plant employee were killed on the spot and 10 people were taken hostage, police said.
Five bodies were later recovered from a nearby field but the whereabouts of the five remaining hostages are unknown.
No group has said it carried out the raid, but the Taliban frequently launch attacks in the region.
The attack temporarily disrupted power to parts of the city - the supply has now been restored.
The assault by heavily armed militants took place in the early hours of Tuesday in the southern Badh Bher suburb of the city, an area frequently targeted by militants, correspondents say.

"They attacked the power station at around 02:30 (2130 GMT Monday). They killed two officials on the spot and abducted 10 others," Javed Khan, a senior police official in the area, told Agence France-Presse news agency.
The BBC's Orla Guerin in Islamabad says that there had been fears militants would step up attacks in advance of elections to be held in May.

Are you in Peshawar? Are you affected by the issues in this story? Send us your comments and experiences using the form below.

BBC

DA case: CBI to file supplementary chargesheet against Jagan Reddy today

2013-04-02T12:35:00.002+05:30

Hyderabad: The CBI, probing the alleged disproportionate assets case involving YSR Congress chief YS Jaganmohan Reddy, has said it could file a supplementary chargesheet in the case by Tuesday.

The central agency made this submission before a special CBI court here while seeking extension of judicial remand of Jagan and other accused.

The supplementary chargesheet is likely to be filed against three pharma companies after the CBI during its investigation collected more details against them.

The court, in the meanwhile, extended the judicial remand of Jagan, former Andhra Pradesh Excise Minister Mopidevi Venkata Ramana Rao, industrialist Nimmagadda Prasad, IRAS officer KV Brahmananda Reddy (all accused in Vanpic aspect of Jagan assets case) till April 8, after they were produced before it through video-conference from Chanchalguda Central Prison where they are currently lodged.

Andhra Pradesh Roads and Buildings Minister Dharmana Prasada Rao, also an accused in the case, appeared before the Principal Special Court for the CBI cases. Jagan was arrested by CBI on May 27 last year on corruption charges and has been lodged in Chanchalguda Jail since then.

Meanwhile, the court also extended till April 1 the judicial custody of former Karnataka minister Gali Janardhan Reddy, his brother-in-law B V Srinivas Reddy and Gali's close associate K Mehfuz Ali Khan- all accused in the Obulapuram Mining Company (OMC) scam case, till April 15.

It also extended the judicial remand of Sunil Reddy, an accused in the Emaar scandal till April 8.

The CBI has accused Jagan of getting huge investments from various individuals and firms into his businesses as quid-pro-quo for the favours granted by the then government headed by his father and chief minister (late) YS Rajasekhara Reddy.

The CBI has so far filed four chargesheets against Jagan and others.

The investigating agency has accused that Jagan and his late father hatched a conspiracy to defraud the state government, wherein Jagan influenced the senior Reddy in doling out certain favours to various stake-holders, who made investments of several crores into Jagan's businesses (at very high premium) as a quid-pro-quo.

IANS

LDF disrupts Kerala Assembly, minister resigns over domestic violence allegations

2013-04-02T12:30:00.001+05:30

The resignation of Forest Minister KB Ganesh Kumar following allegations of domestic violence had its echo in the Kerala Assembly on Tuesday where opposition LDF demanded that Chief Minister Oommen Chandy should step down on moral grounds.
As soon as the Assembly began its proceedings, the LDF members were on their feet alleging Chandy had lost moral right to remain in office as he "misled" the House over the complaint by Yamini Thankachi against her husband.
Though Speaker G Karthikeyan sought to pacify the agitated members saying the issue could be discussed during zero hour, they persisted with their demand forcing the House to be adjourned temporarily within few minutes after question hour.
Kumar, who belongs to Kerala Congress (B), a single-MLA constituent of the ruling UDF, resigned late last night after his wife lodged a complaint against him in a police station.
Kumar, who had rejected his wife's allegation as "totally baseless" and even ruled out resigning from the ministry, however, tendered his resignation to the Chief Minister.
Sources in the Chief Minister's Office said the resignation letter will be forwarded to the Governor.
The long-running family dispute reached a flashpoint yesterday with Kumar filing a divorce petition in a local court. Yamini had alleged that she had been a victim of domestic violence for the last 16 years and accused her husband of having "illicit affairs", while Kumar retorted saying he was a victim of "black mailing".
In the wake of embarrassment caused by the incident, the ruling UDF top leaders are said to have advised Kumar to quit leading to his resignation.

PTI

Deepak Bhardwaj murder case: 2 shooters arrested, family under scanner

2013-04-01T13:45:00.001+05:30

Zeenews Bureau

New Delhi: Amidst high drama, the Delhi police on Monday made first arrest in the case of the murder of Bahujan Samaj Party leader and business tycoon Deepak Bhardwaj in his south Delhi farmhouse.

Purushottam Rana was apprehended from outside Patiala House court complex this morning but his accomplice Sunil Mann managed to evade the waiting police and entered a court room but the judge refused to hear the matter and handed him over to the police.

Meanwhile, media reports have quoted police sources as saying that Bhardwaj's wife, Ramesh Kumari, and his sons, Hitesh and Nitesh, could be behind the murder of the BSP leader.

The trio have been interrogated by police, and Hitesh and Nitesh have told police that business rivalry could be the reason behind the murder of their father.

"We have arrested Rana," Ravindra Yadav, Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime), told a news agency.

Police sources said they had a tip off about the possible surrender but they could manage to catch Rana only.

At Patiala House court complex, Mann managed to enter Metropolitan Magistrate Prashant Sharma's court to surrender but the judge refused to hear the matter and directed the Delhi Police Crime Branch officials, who were present there, to take the accused out of the court room.

The magistrate was angry with the conduct of the persons who were accompanying Mann and said he would not hear the matter today.

"Is this the way you behave in court room? Don't you know that the accused is charged in a murder case under Section 302 IPC? I will not take up the matter today. Take the accused out of the court room," the magistrate said.

As the police officials took the accused outside the court room, a ruckus was created by the persons who were accompanying Mann and the police had to struggle to put him inside their vehicle.

The police had issued lookout circulars against the two suspected shooters-- Rana and Mann.

The grey-coloured Skoda Laura car used in the sensational murder has also been recovered.

Its owner Rakesh has also been detained. The killers, police said, after committing the crime had returned the car to Rakesh. The driver of the car, identified as Amit, has also been nabbed.

The officer had raided areas in Delhi's north and northwest to nab the shooters.

Bharadwaj, the richest candidate in the 2009 Lok Sabha polls from Delhi with declared assets of over Rs 600 crore, was shot dead on March 26 at around 9 am by unidentified men in his 35-acre farmhouse in south Delhi's Rajokri.

A post-mortem examination report revealed Bharadwaj had been shot thrice -- once in his head and twice in his chest.

The killers entered the farmhouse on the pretext of meeting Bharadwaj to book a marriage venue in the farmhouse complex.

(With Agency inputs)

YouTube’s April Fool prank: ‘We’re shutting down’

2013-04-01T12:12:00.002+05:30

Reuters

And this year they have pulled out all the stops.
In an elaborately produced video featuring a number of YouTube stars like the (now grown up) brothers who starred in “Charlie bit my finger” and David – from “David after the dentist“, YouTube CEO Salar Kamangar said that “we started YouTube in 2005 as a contest with a simple goal: to find the best video in the world”, and that after eight years of ‘accepting submissions’ the site would now shut down.
The video also featured “competition director” Tim Liston who said “distinguished” film critics, YouTube celebrities and some of the site’s “most prolific” commentators would watch every single video on the site over the next ten years in order to find a winner. “Your work has ended but ours has just begun. It’s going to be an exciting decade”, he says – before adding that the site would reopen in 2023, featuring only the winning video.
As for criteria – apparently popularity would not be a factor, with “Gangnam Style” having the same chance of winning as a “man filming himself throwing bread to ducks”.
As far as believability goes, it’s hard to imagine that this video would have fooled everyone. But as CNet notes, “While the notion that YouTube has been a 8-year-long contest and Google is finally choosing a winner and shutting the site down tonight is pretty hard to swallow on its face, Google did shock many people by announcing the shutdown of Google Reader recently. Perhaps Larry and Sergey are beginning to go all Howard Hughes on us?”

reuters

Delhi: 3 men allegedly assault 35-year-old woman sexually

2013-04-01T09:13:00.001+05:30

CNN-IBN

New Delhi: Another case of sexual assault has been reported from the
national capital. A 35-year-old woman has alleged that three men
sexually assaulted her in South Delhi.
The woman and her sisterwork at a mall in Gurgaon and took a lift from
a cab late on Saturday night. The woman claimed that while her sister
got off at Okhla, she was assaultedwhile on her way to Sangam Vihar.
A case has been registered against three persons and a probe is on.
More details are awaited.

Deepak Bhardwaj murder: Police detain 1 person

2013-03-31T19:17:00.001+05:30

CNN-IBN

New Delhi: The Delhi Policeon Sunday detained a manin connection with
the murder of business tycoon and Bahujan SamajParty (BSP) leader
DeepakBhardwaj. The police suspect him to be the driver of the Skoda
car which the killers used to escape. The Skoda ownerhas been taken
into policecustody and the car has been impounded.
Bhardwaj, a real estate tycoon and Delhi's richest Lok Sabha candidate
in 2009, was shot dead by two men at his South Delhifarmhouse on
Tuesday. Police said that the suspect's exact role is currently being
verified.
The police had earlier detained three men in Jindin Haryana who were
questioned in Delhi. They were later let off.
Delhi Police on Friday had said that they have identified the two men
involved in the murder. Bhardwaj's wife was also questioned because
policewanted to know if she hada grudge against her husband since she
was living separately in Dwarka with younger son Nitish for several
months,a police officer close to the probe told reporters. The officer
did not want to be named.