north east online - north east india news: Jan 18, 2010

Monday, January 18, 2010

Most wanted terrorist caught in Hyderabad

The South Indian commander of a terror outfit Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami (HuJI), Mohd Amjad alias Khaja, has been taken into custody by Andhra Pradesh Police, a senior police official said on Monday.

Khaja, said to be a close aide of Mohammed Abdul Shahed alias Bilal, a self-styled commander of HuJI, was made as South Indian in-charge to carry out terror activities after the suspected killing of Bilal in a shoot-out in Karachi in Pakistan during 2007.

Khaja was nabbed in Chennai through a joint operation by Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal Police and Central agencies based on the information given by arrested HuJI operatives in Kolkatta recently, the police official said.

The HuJI terrorist, said to be a native of Hyderabad, was operating his activities from Bangladesh and allegedly conspired to unleash terror on Republic Day either at Chennai or Hyderabad, he said.

Khaja was allegedly involved in the blasts in Mecca Masjid and twin blasts in Hyderabad during 2007 besides conspiring terror attacks in Ajmer Shareef and Jaipur and was also suspected to be an accused in the "failed" conspiracy to eliminate BJP leader Indrasen Reddy in 2004.

India Reserve Battalion in Mizoram leaves for Assam

Aizawl, Jan 18 (PTI) Contingents of the India Reserve Battalion (IRB) in Mizoram are being relocated to two districts in Assam to help state authorities maintain law and order, a senior police officer said today.

The 3rd battalion of IRB would be shortly leaving for Udalguri and Darrang districts as directed by the Union Home ministry, the official said.

While the first batch left the headquarters at Mamit on Mizoram-Tripura border last Saturday, the second and final batch led by the Battalion's commandant John Neihlaia would be leaving Mizoram after the vehicles return.

The deployment is expected to be completed within this month, the official said.

IRB is a special force based in Mizoram, Nagaland, manipur and Meghalaya.

Bollywood actor Diana Hayden inaugurates Nagaland aviation center

DIMAPUR - Former Miss World and Bollywood actor Diana Hayden inaugurated an aviation centre in Nagaland’s Dimapur city on Sunday.

Hayden, who is a celebrity guest lecturer for airline personnel training programmes, urged students to choose aviation as a carrier.

“This is the time while the aviation minister has got the wheels in motion to set up all the new airports, the extra airports are coming up. So, this is the time for students to study because they will be ready when there is requirement,” she said.

“I am sure that Naga people are very intellectual people, the only thing they lack in Nagaland is exposure and I brought this institute to give them exposure in aviation which opens for them to choose their career in five different fields,” said Kavini Zhimomi, proprietor and Director of the Avalon Aviation Academy.

The institute provides various study programmes on aviation, hospitality, travel and tourism. (ANI)

Bollywood icon Aamir Khan wants to visit Lahore

Lahore, Jan. 18 (ANI): Bollywood star Aamir Khan has expressed a desire to visit Lahore.

Khan is currently visiting Karachi.

The Daily Times quoted Khan as saying he wanted to visit Lahore because many of his relatives are settled there.

During a telephonic news conference, he said had a lot of pleasant memories attached not only with Lahore but also with Pakistan in general.

He added that he liked visiting Pakistan and was not afraid of security threats or bothered by the current differences between India and Pakistan. (ANI)

Ruchika case: Rathore''s bail plea extended till January 25

Panchkula, Jan 18 (ANI): The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Monday extended the two anticipatory bail applications and a petition demanding cancellation of abetment to suicide charges against former Haryana Director General of Police (DGP) SPS Rathore in connection with the Ruchika Girhotra molestation case till January 25.

The High Court had earlier on January 12 rejected the interim bail plea of Rathore, and asked the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to file its reply in this case by January 18.

The CBI had on January 12 taken over the case and begun its investigation into all the three fresh FIRs filed against Rathore, leveling various allegations, including attempt to murder, abetment to suicide and doctoring the post mortem report and other documents.

A CBI team had on January 15 called upon Ruchika''s father Subhash Chander Girhotra along with her friend Aradhana''s father Anand Prakash at their Chandigarh camp office, and held a formal interaction with them in order to acquaint themselves with the case.

The former cop has been charged for allegedly molesting 14-year old teenager Ruchika Girhotra, a budding young tennis star in 1990s.

Rathore has three cases pending against him in the court; all filed by Ruchika''s family and friends.

Ruchika''s family lawyer Pankaj Bharadwaj had earlier filed two FIRs against Rathore.

The lawyer had claimed that the first FIR was filed for forging documents like the inquest report and the other for illegal detention of Ruchika''s brother, Ashu, who was kept in illegal detention at the behest of Rathore and given tortures.

The third case is that of abetment to suicide against him. The family has claimed that Ruchika was expelled from Sacred Heart Convent in Chandigarh due to Rathore''s influence.

Teenager Ruchika had killed herself three years after the incident by drinking poison.

The CBI is investigating whether Rathore drove Ruchika to suicide after she filed molestation charges. An inquiry by the Chandigarh administration has found that Ruchika was unfairly expelled from her school in 1990. The report also concluded that the expulsion took place under pressure from "an external influence".

The Special CBI court had earlier held the former cop guilty under Section 354 IPC and sentenced him to six months imprisonment and had imposed a fine of Rs 1,000 on him. (ANI)

PM pays homage to Jyoti Basu

New Delhi/ Kolkata, Jan 18 (ANI): Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh visited the CPM headquarters in Delhi on Monday to pay his condolences to veteran Communist patriarch Jyoti Basu, who breathed his last at the AMRI Hospital in Kolkata on Sunday.

In his condolence message, Dr Singh wrote, "In the sad demise of Shri Jyoti Basu, our country has lost a great son who was a great statesman and a great patriot. I convey my deepest condolences to the members of the bereaved family and to the countless admirers, comrades and followers of Shri Basu."

Meanwhile, the West Bengal Government has declared a two-day State mourning and a paid state holiday on Monday in all government offices.

The national flag would fly at half-mast atop all government offices and establishments.

A state funeral will be held on Tuesday. Leaders from across the world are likely to arrive in Kolkata to pay homage to Basu.

Representatives of Communist parties in China, Cuba and Venezuela including other leaders like Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will attend the funeral.

Earlier on Sunday, thousands of people, including activists of Communist Party of India (Marxist) turned out in Kolkata city on Sunday (January 17) to pay homage to veteran Basu, who was 95 at the time of his death.

Basu died from multiple organ failure at the AMRI Hospital, where he was being treated for 15 days.

Basu''s death has caused a major grief across political parties.

Senior BJP leader Lal Krishna Advani said he would be present at Basu''s funeral on Tuesday.

Basu''s body would be taken from funeral parlour ''Peace Havan'' on Tuesday morning to the State secretariat, assembly and the party headquarters, before its final journey to the SSKM hospital.

A London-trained barrister, Basu debuted in politics as a union leader and later gained legendary status with his five unbroken 5-year terms as chief minister of West Bengal.

Basu retired from active politics a decade ago, but his towering stature retained its unifying influence among the leftist groups and he continued to play what often seemed the role of a crisis manager and political arbitrator.

Basu''s party and its allies, despite their long years in power, have often differed over policy issues such as acquiring farmland for industry.

It was his brand of liberal communism that ensured wide acceptability for Basu and he was offered the job of prime minister twice in 1996, but he had to decline because of opposition from within his party.

Basu described that decision as "historic blunder" in an open criticism of a section of his party''s dogmatic ideologues.

Born into a middleclass family of a doctor, Basu went to study law in the United Kingdom where he came in touch with the Communist Party of Great Britain.

The short, reticent politician, always seen in a white flowing shift and an Indian wraparound, began his political career as a leader of dock and railway workers in Kolkata.

His staid and sometimes brusque style earned him the sobriquet of "a field marshal in a gentleman''s garb". (ANI)

Wholesale sugar prices have dipped: Sharad Pawar

New Delhi, Jan 18 (ANI): Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar today said that wholesale sugar prices have fallen 10-12 percent in the past two to three days and the effect would be felt in the retail prices in some time.

Talking to reporters here, Pawar said: "There is a drop in wholesale but not in retail yet. Our past experience of many years... whenever there is drop in wholesale, it takes about 10-15 days in retail so we hope that the process will start soon."

He said wholesale sugar prices had fallen to 37-38 rupees per kilogramme from 42 rupees.

Pawar also said cold weather in northern India was beneficial for the wheat and rapeseed crops, and an instruction for the selling of wheat and rice in open market has been sounded to the officials.

"We have given instructions for the sale of wheat and rice in the open markets of the FCI (Food Corporation of India) branches. Its effect will be felt in some time and I hope the state governments will help us in this," Pawar added.

The government last week had announced a slew of measures such as duty-free sugar imports and enhanced allocation of rice and wheat to check prices. Indian inflation jumped to a one-year high of 7.3 percent in December, driven by high food prices. (ANI)

ICICI bank employees orchestrate Rs 20 lakh fraud

New Delhi, Jan 18: Two bank employees and their three accomplices have been arrested for allegedly drawing Rs 20 lakh using fraudulent methods.

Speaking on the arrests on Sunday, Jan 17, Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) H G S Dhaliwal informed that the five people have been identified as Amit Chauhan (29), Sunil Grover (21), Raman Preet Singh (26), Ashish Tiwari (24) and Deepak Malik (33).

A media report published on Monday, Jan 18 has revealed that the two bank employees were working with the country's leading ICICI Bank.

The two ICICI employees are 33-year-old Deepak Malik, a branch sales manager, and a business banking executive 24-year-old Ashish Tiwari, CNN-IBN reports.

According to the report the duo passed confidential client information to three others who would then procure chequebooks in the names of the customers using forged documents.

The mastermind behind the fraud has been identified as Amit Chauhan, a high school pass out, who is reportedly an expert in forging signatures.

How Kolkata will pay final tribute to Basu

Kolkata's grief over the loss of Jyoti Basu has been visible. Thousands of people have filled the streets to pay their last respects to the man who served as West Bengal's Chief Minister for 23 years.

On Tuesday, Basu's body will be donated by his family to a local hospital for medical research.

At 7.30 am, his body will leave Peace Haven, an undertaker, for the CPM office on Alimuddin Street. Between 8 and 9 am here, senior party leaders and Politburo members will pay their respects.

The cortege will then move at 9.15 am from Alimuddin Road (via AJC Bose Rd via Lenin Sarani) to Writers Buildings.

There, Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and senior bureaucrats will lay a wreath on Basu.

At 10 am, Basu will be moved to the Assembly for four hours. The public and VIPs will pay homage here together. The Army is in charge of this part of the proceedings.

At 3 pm, Basu is expected to be moved to the Citizens' Park for a 21-gun salute.

At 4 pm, Basu's body will be taken to PG Hospital.

As West Bengal mourns the death of its former Chief Minister Jyoti Basu, the state government declared a two-day state mourning and a paid state holiday on Monday in all government offices. The national flag would fly at half-mast atop all government offices and establishments. (Read: Jyoti Basu passes away at 95)

A state funeral will be held on Tuesday. Leaders from across the world are likely to arrive in Kolkata to pay tributes to Basu. Apart from foreign dignitaries like representatives of Communist parties in China, Cuba and Venezuela and Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, prominent leaders from India like Congress president Sonia Gandhi and senior BJP leader L K Advani too are likely to attend Basu's funeral.

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