Lathi charge at Jawaharlal Nehru University

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he students of Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) students and police clashed late on Sunday night after some outsiders molested a girl on campus.

Four young men forcefully entered the university campus and started harassing a few girls after which JNU students protested and blocked the main gate.

After a six-hour stand off, the police used tear gas and lathicharge to disperse the students who were not allowing the police to take away the alleged molesters. Later, the men were caught and handed over to the police.

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Gogoi condemns twin bomb blasts in Nalbari

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ssam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Monday strongly condemned the twin bomb blasts in Nalbari and said those responsible for it would be apprehended and dealt with firmly.

"I have directed the district authorities to launch a massive operation and nab those involved in the bomb blasts immediately," the Chief Minister, who is currently in New Delhi, said.

"People of Assam want peace not violence and we will not tolerate the killing of innocent people," he added.

The Chief Minister also instructed the district administration to provide best medical care to the injured and transfer them to specialised hospitals, if necessary.

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By-election on December 19 in Manipur

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y-election to prestigous Yaiskul Assembly constituency in the heart this town in Imphal East district of Manipur would be held on December 19, state election office said on Saturday.

Joint Chief Electoral Officer N Prabin said in a statement that the notification for the by-election, necessitated due to the death of Congress MLA E Kunjeswar, would be issued on November 25.

The last date for filing of nomination papers and withdrawal of papers would be December 2 and December 5 respectively. Counting of votes would be taken up on December 23.

The model code of conduct has come into force in Imphal East district after announcement of the by election by the Election Commission yesterday, the statement said.

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Politicos funded Assam rebel group: probe

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he National Investigation Agency’s (NIA) maiden chargesheet has exposed the nexus militants in the Northeast enjoy with politicians, bureaucrats and contractors.

The 34-page chargesheet against 14 people, filed in a court on November 17, outlines how Rs 20 crore (200 million) in central funds was diverted to a militant outfit through the public health engineering and social welfare departments in Assam’s North Cachar Hills district.

Most transactions were made through a hawala (illegal money transfer) racket based in Kolkata to reach arms smugglers, to provide guns to the Dima Halam Daogah (Jewel) group, says the chargesheet. The group is also called the Black Widow.

The Centre had in June asked the NIA to investigate the nexus, two months after the Assam police arrested two Black Widow rebels with weapons and Rs 1 crore in cash. The two confessed they got the money from Mohit Hojai, then chief executive member of the North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council.

The twin arrests almost coincided with the capture of Jewel Garlosa, the group’s chairman, in Bangalore. Hojai and Garlosa are among the 14 chargesheeted, as are Jiang Juming, a Myanmarese gunrunner, and social welfare deputy director R.H. Khan. Of the 14, 11 are in jail, two out on bail and one yet to be arrested.

The NIA has referred the case to the CBI as there are government officials involved.

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New guvs for Assam, Gujarat, Tripura

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ormer Orissa Chief Minister and veteran Congress leader Janaki Ballabh Patnaik was on Saturday appointed the governor of Assam while Dr Kamla has been transferred to Gujarat from Tripura.

Educationist and veteran Congressman from Maharashtra, Dr DY Patil was appointed as the Governor of Tripura in place of Dr Kamla, a Rashtrapati Bhavan communique said on Saturday.

Patnaik will take charge after the controversial Governor Syed Sibtey Razi whose term comes to an end on December 9.

The presidential communique, which announced Razi’s departure more than a fortnight before his term comes to an end, is being seen as a snub to him, since corruption allegations against Razi during his tenure in Jharkhand had embarrassed the Centre.

The terms of several governors, including S.F. Rodrigue in Punjab, have come to an end, but there is no word yet on their successor.

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8 dead in Assam twin blasts

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uspected United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) bombers struck western Assam’s Nalbari town, 60 km from state capital Guwahati, on Sunday, killing seven people and injuring more than 50.

The twin blasts, within 20 minutes and 10 ft apart, near the Nalbari Sadar police station follows the blowing up of 16 oil tankers of a goods train in Golaghat district last Monday.

Nalbari superintendent of police Jitmal Doley said the explosives, stashed into the frame of bicycles, caused the first blast at 9.45 am, injuring six people. The second bomb caused the maximum damage: five dead on the spot and two succumbing in hospitals.

Inspector General of Police (Law and Order) Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta said there was little doubt Sunday’s twin blasts were ULFA’s handiwork.

The police believe the Nalbari blasts could be a “show of strength” by ULFA ahead of its “protest day” on November 27.

The involvement of another outfit, the National Democratic Front of Bodoland, is also not being ruled out.

ULFA, however, denied its hand in the blasts. “This is a government conspiracy to discredit us,” said Hira Sarania, commander of ULFA’s 709 Battalion.

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