NIA questions two Indian Mujahideen suspects

HYDERABAD: Officials of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Saturday grilled Indian Mujahideen (IM) suspects Syed Maqbool and Imran Khan about the 12 persons from Hyderabad whom the two met during their stay in Tihar Jail.

Arrested by the Delhi police for their alleged involvement in the Pune bomb blasts in October last year and lodged in Tihar Jail, Maqbool and Imran were brought to Hyderabad on Friday to be questioned over their possible role in the Dilsukhnagar twin bomb blasts of February 21. Both the NIA as well as Hyderabad police teams investigating the blasts are pointing to the involvement of the local modules of the IM in the blasts and believe that local IM modules carried out the blasts.

According to sources, the NIA team grilled the two IM suspects about the identity and background of the 12 persons who had visited the duo in Tihar Jail. Maqbool and Imran had earlier confessed that they had conducted a recce at Dilsukhnagar, Begum Bazaar and Abids to zero in on possible spots for carrying out the bomb blasts. The NIA officials quizzed the duo as to whether the youths from Hdyerabad who had visited them in jail were given any instructions by them to carry out or help execute the blasts, said sources.

The NIA team also took Imran to an undisclosed location on Saturday morning before returning to the agency's Begumpet office. On Friday night, the NIA officials wanted to take Maqbool and Imran to some locations, but decided against it after seeing media teams parked outside the Begumpet office, the sources said.

The NIA investigators are questioning the duo to know more about the Bhatkal brothers, especially Yasin, and their modules, which were behind the Dilsukhnagar twin blasts. Both Maqbool and Yasin were grilled separately by two teams all through the day.

Meanwhile, the city police officials were still unable to come up with sketches of the blast suspects as the witnesses were not able to provide them with proper identification. "The facial features of the suspects as being described by the witnesses are contradicting one another," said an official.

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Hyderabad cops want to keep blast probe to themselves

HYDERABAD: In a clear rebuke to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) that has been pressing for transfer of the Dilsukhnagar twin blasts case to it, the Hyderabad police on Friday transferred the case to its own Special Investigation Team (SIT). Headed by additional CP, crimes, of Hyderabad police, Sandeep Shandillya, SIT comprises six teams who have been informally probing the blasts till now.The question of who will probe the twin blasts is turning out to be a prestige issue, with the NIA trying to take over the probe ever since the blasts rocked the city on February 21. Frustrated at not being handed over the case, NIA officials had sought the intervention of the Union home ministry and New Delhi had dropped hints to chief minister Kiran Kumar Reddy on the issue.

"However, director general of police Dinesh Reddy has made it clear that AP's police teams will conduct all investigations at Dilsukhnagar and inside the state, and that the NIA can pursue the leads elsewhere in the country," sources said. But within the state, jurisdictional confusion continue between the various police departments.

Meanwhile, NIA IG A Ravishankar told the media here on Friday that they had written to the Centre seeking the transfer of the case to them and added that they are awaiting a reply.

The case that was transferred on Friday pertains to the first blast that happened near Venkatadri theatre. The case was registered by Malakpet police and the same was handed over to the SIT on Friday. However, the Cyberabad police still continues to probe the second blast that happened near Konark theatre. The Saroonagar police had registered a case and the investigations are still being carried out by them.

In another anomaly between the two investigations being carried out by the two police teams, the Cyberabad cops had invoked the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act to probe the case while their Hyderabad counterparts did not do so. "As a result, the case in Cyberabad case is being handled by an officer of the ACP rank while in Hyderabad, it is being probed by an officer of the inspector rank," said the sources. However, the police sources asserted that the presence of two teams within the state police is not hampering the investigations. "The probe into all aspects of the Dilsukhnagar twin blasts are being coordinated at a very senior level. The NIA is breathing down our neck and our objective is to gather vital leads into the blasts and crack the case at the earliest," said the sources. Meanwhile, Dinesh Reddy on Friday visited the AP State Forensic Science Laboratory where samples from the twin blasts sites are being preserved.

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Manik Sarkar, son of tailor, to be Tripura chief minister again

AGARTALA: Tripura chief minister Manik Sarkar, set to assume office for a fourth time after leading the Left to a huge electoral win, is the son of a tailor who still washes his own clothes.

An unassuming man, the 64-year-old got down to work no soon than he was declared the winner from Dhanpur constituency. He met CPM leaders and activists at Sonamura, 60km from here.

On Thursday, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) bagged 49 of the 60 seats while its ally Communist Party of India won one seat. The Congress finished with only 10 seats.

It was the best result for the Left since 1978 when the legendary Nripen Chakraborty-led CPM swept 56 seats. This time, Sarkar helped the Left Front increase its 2008 tally by one seat.

Undoubtedly, the "poorest" chief minister in India, Sarkar, according to documents filed with the Election Commission, has Rs.10,800 in cash.

In line with CPM rules, Sarkar gives away his salary to the party, which pays him Rs 5,000 a month.

He is probably India's only chief minister who does not own a home, car or bank balance worth mentioning.

He does not even have a mobile phone and has never used the red beacon on his official car.

Sarkar's wife Panchali Bhattacharjee, 62, who retired as a government employee in 2010, has Rs 22,015 in cash and Rs.24,52,395 as savings. The couple has no children.

She said her husband still washed his clothes every morning.

"My wife's pension can sustain us. My expenses are a small pot of snuff and a cigarette a day," Sarkar said.

After the death of his mother in 2009, Sarkar inherited a small house worth Rs.200,000 in Agartala. He donated it to his younger sister.

Sarkar's father Amulya was a tailor and mother Anjali was an employee of the state health department.

Sarkar joined politics in 1967 and was elected secretary of the CPM's Tripura unit in 1993.

A bachelor of commerce from Calcutta University, Sarkar was first elected to the Tripura assembly in a 1980 bypoll and again in 1983.

He is the second in the northeast to be the chief minister for 15 years or more after Gegong Apang of the Congress who ruled Arunachal Pradesh for 24 years over two periods (1980-99 and 2003-07).

On Thursday, Sarkar defeated his Congress rival Shah Alam by 6,017 votes. In 2008, Sarkar's winning margin was 2,918.

"This is a verdict in favour of development, peace and stability besides good governance," Sarkar told reporters.

According to a CPI-M leader, Left Front leaders will meet here Friday and decide when to form a new government.

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Mumbai safest city in India, solo women travellers say

MUMBAI: Even as crimes against women are making headlines in the city, women, who travel alone, still consider Mumbai the safest city compared to other Indian metros, and Maharashtra the safest state. Not surprisingly, Delhi was tagged the least safest city in India.

These findings were part of a countrywide survey that recorded the perception of solo woman travellers. "Due to the recent spate of crime against women, Delhi has gained notoriety with 84% women claiming it to be the most unsafe metro in the country," revealed the Solo Women Traveller Survey 2013, which was carried out by atravel website.

While Mumbai bagged the tag of safest city with 34% votes, Ahmedabad and Bangalore were tied at a distant second with 12% votes each. Nearly 60% respondents said Delhi NCR was the most unsafe among the Indian states and union territories. At a distant second was Bihar (18%), followed by Uttar Pradesh (8%).

A majority of 27% women said they considered Maharashtra to be the safest state, followed by Gujarat (15%) and Karnataka (10%).

"The rise in number of women travelling alone on business is an understandable fallout of the increase in the number of working women. The surprise is the significant number of women who choose to travel alone on vacation," said Nikhil Ganju, country manager, TripAdivsor India, which carried out the survey with a sample size of 500 women. "Another interesting insight that highlights a latent opportunity for the hospitality sector is that 78% respondents said they would prefer to stay in an all-women's hotel or on a women exclusive floor when traveeling alone," he added.

The survey said: "At least 37% women said they don't mind travelling alone for work, but worry about their safety. While 24% respondents said they worry about their safety when they travel within India, but not overseas, only 6% said they worry when they travel abroad alone, but not in India."

The other findings

* 41% respondents said they actually enjoyed travelling alone for work.

* 76% women said they enjoy going solo on a holiday.

* 58% respondents said their biggest incentive for solo vacations was that they could do want they want to 34% women indicated they loved travelling alone as it was adventurous and exciting.

* 32% said the thrill of managing everything by themselves was a motivator.

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Bansalonomics: High on substance, low on flourish

NEW DELHI: A meticulous parliamentarian, railway minister Pawan Kumar Bansal didn't seem too nervous before his maiden budget. But he did quickly glance through the list of business, as the Lok Sabha dispensed with routine pursuits, to check when it would be his turn.

Just then, Bansal realized he needed to fix his lapel mike. Soon the wire was neatly concealed under his tunic while the wooden support on which his bulky leather-bound speech was to rest was checked. He was ready.

His quiet style belies it, but Bansal has been around. He was first elected to the Rajya Sabha in 1984 and is a four-term Lok Sabha MP. But if his moment of arrival was a bit delayed, the Chandigarh MP was more than ready for it on Tuesday.

In keeping with his serious mien, Bansal's speech was high on substance and low on flourish apart from a few poetical references, which, while an improvement on Mamata Banerjee's offerings, weren't inspirational.

The workman-like approach showed in his attention to balancing finances and his promise not to announce trains at the expense of services and safety - a clear break from predecessors like Lalu Prasad and Banerjee.

His words would be reassuring for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who Bansal consulted on more than a few occasions ahead of the railway budget. The message of financial discipline and focus on infrastructure building sets the tone for Thursday's general budget.

The uproar in the House, triggered by Trinamool Congress MPs protesting about projects in West Bengal not finding a mention took Bansal by surprise, but he might have realized that in a pre-election year this was not unexpected.

The Trinamool plan to highlight "neglect" of West Bengal was quickly taken up by Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party MPs raising slogans about their own grievances. Soon some 30-odd MPs crowded the well, shouting him down.

Realizing the futility of carrying on with the budget speech, parliamentary affairs minister Kamal Nath and finance minister P Chidambaram advised Bansal to wrap up proceedings. The minister made a quick count of new express trains and announced the total.

He had already made clear the government's intent to prioritize 347 projects, again a change from Banerjee's empire building that included schools, colleges and hospitals.

The sting in the budget lay in the minister's announcement that fuel hikes can mean a revision in fares for passengers and freight twice a year. But that was not now.

Budget 2013 > Rail Budget 2013 > Economic Survey 2013

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Manmohan will visit UAE next month

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will visit the United Arab Emirates (UAE) next month, government sources confirmed on Monday. This will be the first visit by an Indian PM to the Gulf country in 32 years.

The last visit was by Indira Gandhi in 1981. Singh will visit Abu Dhabi en route to Durban, where is scheduled to attend the BRICS summit in the fourth week of March.

Government has been contemplating a bilateral investment promotion and protection agreement with the UAE and it is possible that the pact will be signed during Singh's visit. India and the UAE have an annual trade volume of over $ 72 billion dollars.

Singh will also hope to address investor concerns there considering how Abu Dhabi-based telecom major Etisalat was forced to shut operations in India last year after the Supreme Court cancelled 122 telecom licences following the 2G scam. In fact, Etihad Airways, which had almost finalized a deal for picking up a 24% stake in Jet Airways, is now said to be doing a rethink because of what is routinely described by international agencies as unpredictable market conditions in India. According to sources, the UAE is insisting on signing the pact before the Etihad-Jet deal. The UAE is the 10th biggest investor in India in terms of FDI.

``Considering the size of the Indian expatriate community it is high time an Indian prime minister visited UAE,'' said a source confirming that the visit will take place just after the first part of the budget session.

The Indian expatriate community is the largest in the UAE, totaling around 2 million. According to foreign ministry data, about 20% of the community comprises professionally qualified personnel, another 20% are white-collar non-professionals and the rest are blue-collar workers. The presence of a large number of blue-collar workers has also forced India to develop effective grievance-redressal mechanisms for its workers. Then President Pratibha Patil had visited the UAE in 2010 during which the Gulf nation reaffirmed support for India's permanent membership in an expanded UN Security Council.

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Karunanidhi slams AIADMK, BJP over stand on Sethusamudram

CHENNAI: DMK Chief M Karunanidhi on Sunday called on the Centre to take steps to present a strong case before the Supreme Court on the Sethusamundram shipping channel project sought to be blocked by "communal forces".

Flaying the BJP and the AIADMK for their stand on the project, Karunanidhi said the national party, while in power, had proposed the alignment for the project which involved dredging of 'Ram Sethu', the mythical bridge believed to have been built by Lord Ram to cross over to Lanka. Now it is firmly opposed to the project.

"After considering various proposals over the route, the Vajpayee-led NDA government had decided to implement the project on alignment No 6 which involves the Ram Sethu, called Adam's Bridge. Forgetting that, it is now opposing dredging of Ram Sethu," he said.

The Pachauri Committee has said the shipping channel project is not viable on economic and ecological grounds. The government has rejected the report and maintained that it intends to pursue the project which will cut through the Adam's Bridge.

On the AIADMK chief J Jayalalithaa's demand to the prime minister that Ram Sethu be declared a national monument, Karunanidhi said she had claimed in 2005 that it was due to her efforts that preliminary work on the project was initiated in 1998 and that she had been instrumental in its taking shape.

The AIADMK had in its 2001 poll manifesto spoken in favour of the Sethusamudram project, he said, adding she had turned against it since she didn't want DMK to take the credit.

"Some communal forces had taken the issue to the apex court with a view to creating roadblocks," he said.

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Hyderabad blasts: Local outfit under police’s scanner

HYDERABAD: With no breakthrough so far in Dilsukhnagar serial blasts that claimed 17 lives and left nearly 150 injured, the investigating agencies are scanning the activities of Dursgah-e-Jihad-o-Shahadat (DJS), a city-based outfit whose members were alleged to have been involved in a series of terror attacks in the past.

"DJS has been a training ground for militants in the past. Many of them had developed links with foreign intelligence agencies and terrorist organisations and carried out attacks in Hyderabad and elsewhere. It is critical to know the status of these members in the context of the latest blasts," a police officer said on condition of anonymity.

Local police sources said the outfit lost its sheen after the death of its founder Shaikh Mahboob Ali in 2011. The new DJS president Mohammed Abdul Majid, son-in-law of the founder, staged a protest on December 6, the anniversary of Babri Masjid demolition. He also organised protests against a police officer in October for which he was behind bars for over two weeks.

Police sources said IM operative Syed Maqbool, who was arrested by the Delhi police in October last year for planning terror attacks across the country, was once linked to DJS. Mohammed Abdul Shahid Bilal and his brother Samad, who were first linked with Mecca Masjid bomb blast and later killed in Karachi, were also DJS members. Mohammed Viquar, who reportedly killed two policemen in 2009 and 2010 had his initial training with DJS. Another militant Ghulam Yazdani, who was killed in a police encounter in Delhi, also owed allegiance to the outfit.

The founder's grandson Nijihullah was packed off to Saudi Arabia to escape police, but later fell into the hands of Pakistani terror handlers. He was reportedly trained in Pakistan and later pushed back into India. His present whereabouts are not known.

Denying any role in terror activities, DJS President Abdul Majid had earlier claimed that the outfit had trained about 50,000 youths in self-defence in the past. The two camps of DJS where "self-defence training" was imparted—Ujale Shah Eidgah grounds and Purani Haveli—are now defunct.

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Indian Mujahideen shows yet again that it is alive and kicking

NEW DELHI: Indian Mujahideen, Pakistani terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba's proxy in India, may have been down after the August 2012 Pune serial blasts but it's certainly not out as it has the capacity to regroup after every clampdown. The Hyderabad incident has once again proved that the banned group is not only alive but also kicking through its potent sleeper cells in different states.

Getting continuous support from the Pakistani spy agency ISI, the outfit has enough resources to make its presence felt at regular intervals through attacks in different cities. Its supply lines of explosives, detonators and micro chips are intact and it can attack anywhere in the country with as much ease as it did during its peak in 2007-08 when it carried out blasts in Lucknow, Faizabad, Varanasi, Jaipur, Ahmedabad and Delhi.

A Delhi Police dossier, prepared after last year's Pune blasts and shared with the home ministry in September, shows that the terror outfit has modules in Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala and Delhi where it recruited cadre during the lull of 2009. It came to action again in 2010 when it attacked German Bakery in Pune and carried out a shootout and blast outside Jama Masjid in Delhi.

The dossier, shared with all states, says the IM's top leaders - Amir Raza Khan and Bhatkal brothers (Iqbal and Riyaz) - are currently in Pakistan while others have safe hideouts in Saudi Arabia, Nepal and the UAE (Dubai and Sharjah). Khan and the Bhatkal brothers were among the founding members of the outfit which later took in its fold almost all the cadres of Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI).

The dossier says that IM - which was set up by ISI to camouflage its own footprint and project to the world that Islamic terrorism in India was indigenous in character and content - has "substantial corpus of money", having funding sources based in Kuwait, Riyadh, Chicago and different cities in Pakistan.

Even though a number of operatives were arrested in 2011-12 by Delhi, Maharashtra and Gujarat police, 15 key absconders - Yasin Bhatkal, Shahnawaz, Abu Rashid, Abdus Subham Qureshi, Tehsin and Mirza Shadab Bai among them - have been carrying out operations under the guidance of their bosses in Pakistan.

Calling IM a "start to finish jihad factory", the dossier highlighted that "innocuous religious platforms" like Quran Foundation, Pune and Islamic Guidance Centre, Mangalore were among institutions from where foot soldiers were recruited, which included disenchanted Muslim youth ranging from petty criminals to highly paid software professionals. It noted how the outfit had recruited its prized operative -- Mansoor Ali Mohammed Peerbhoy -- while he was studying Arabic at the Quran Foundation.

Peerbhoy, a Yahoo techie-turned-media chief of the terror outfit who was arrested in 2008, had brought in a number of educated youth to the IM's fold. Recruitments of Arif Badar, IED assembly and micro chip-based timer expert, and Mobin, internet hacking expert, were testimony of how talented ones were identified and trained as terrorists through fiery and emotive 'taqrirs' (speech) and attitude hardening 'dars' (lessons).

It was noted that "brainwashing through doctored pictorials and videos, such as that of Godhra and Babri Masjid incidents" was very common in these 'taqrirs' and 'dars'.

Use of 'social networking sites' for sending personalized messages and motivating vulnerable youth had also come to the notice of investigating agencies, prompting them to suggest setting up "massive and sophisticated surveillance infrastructure" in the country.

Though the IM came to notice for the first time when it sent emails to media houses before the serial blasts in Faizabad, Lucknow and Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh in November 2007, its genesis - the dossier says - goes back to the year 2000 when the underworld network was roped in to organize talent spotting, motivation and training of Indian youth at the facilities of LeT and ISI.

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Terror returns, again on cycle: 13 killed in Hyderabad twin blasts

HYDERABAD: It proved to a lull before a terrifying storm. Seventeen months after the last deadly bomb blast at the Delhi High court, two powerful bombs fastened to parked bicycles ripped through Hyderabad's bustling Dilsukhnagar area on Thursday, killing at least 13 persons and injuring 70 others. While no individual or group has claimed responsibility so far, intelligence officers insist that the deadly operation bears the stamp of Lashkar proxy, Indian Mujahideen.

Thursday's bombs triggered back-to-back explosions near popular movie theatres, blowing bodies into the air, flattening shops and houses and triggering panic among scores of injured people who were seen scurrying for cover in all directions with blood oozing out of their heads and legs.

The first bomb went off with a deafending blast near the Dilsukhnagar bus stop at 7.05pm, close to Venkatadri theatre and a minute later, another high intensity blast, near a snack shop close by, flung bodies into the air and left a crater on the tarmac, police and witnesses said. TV channels reported that an unexploded bomb was recovered from the area but there was no confirmation from the cops.

Six months ago, there were low-intensity blasts in Pune which fortunately claimed no casualty. Since the last blast in which people died was in September 2011 in Delhi, a perception of ebbing terror threat had grown which Thursday's Hyderabad bomb attacks have blown to smithereens. With finders being pointed at IM, it seems that terror operatives have regrouped now with deadly intent.

Immediately after the blasts at Dilsukhnagar on Thursday, terrified people ran from the blood-splattered area as glass shards and debris flew. They poured out into the narrow streets causing a stampede as people, including women carrying small children in the arms, ran for safety. Locals rushed to the aid of the injured, writhing and wailing with pain on the streets and sidewalks.

"For a second, I got blinded as there was smoke and darkness all around. Later, I heard women and children wailing around me," said Sudhakar Shetty, who survived the terror blasts with severe burns. "I was cooking in the kitchen of Mirchi Point (an eatery), and wanted to run out along with others but soon realized that I could not move as both my arms and legs were burnt," he said.

At least 25 people were initially rushed to the Osmania general hospital and 15 to the Yashoda hospital in Malakpet, police said. More were taken to two other hospitals. Two days of strike by nurses and group IV staff caught doctors at the emergency ward off guard and some patients even offered to help. But with the CT scan machine not functioning at the hospital, most of the injured could not be scanned for internal hemorrhage. The 108 ambulance service alone shifted 42 injured to various hospitals, an official said.

"I have counted at least nine bodies and many more are injured and crying for help," said a senior doctor at Osmania. Similar scenes were seen at Yashoda and Omni hospitals, where scores of injured were taken for treatment. Immediately after the blasts, phone lines got jammed and people left offices in a hurry, causing huge traffic jams all around. Many shops and business establishments downed their shutters.

Authorities were on high alert since Afzal Guru's hanging on February 9. Apart from Jammu & Kashmir, there were protests against the hanging in Hyderabad. The execution also triggered revenge threats from Pakistan-based militants and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) vowed renewed attacks on Indian cities. Members of the groups at a private gathering organised by the United Jihad Council in Pakistan, while paying tribute to Guru, had also vowed to step up their 'jihad' in Jammu & Kashmir.

It was the third time that Dilsukhnagar has been targeted by terrorists. In 2002, a bomb went off in a scooter parked near Sai Baba temple in the area, killing two people, while another bomb was defused near a foot overbridge in 2007, extremely close to the spot where Thursday's bombs were placed.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh dispatched a National Security Guard team to the Hyderabad on a BSF aircraft to probe into the blast and immediately sanctioned Rs 2 lakh each to next of kin of those killed and Rs 50,000 each to those seriously injured. A National Investigation Agency, stationed in Hyderabad also joined the probe.

Hyderabad is not new to terror attacks as three previous blasts killed scores of people. The first in May 18 2007, killed 14 people, including five in police firing at Mecca Masjid and in the second attack, which were twin blasts in Lumbini Park and Gokul Chat on August 25 2007, 42 people had died.

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Why jail for common man and reprimand for Army men? SC asks

NEW DELHI: If a common man gets jailed for violating the Arms Act, then why are Army personnel, adjudged to have committed the same offence by a Court of Inquiry for selling their non-service weapons, let off after just a reprimand and a fine of Rs 500?

A Supreme Court bench of Justices S S Nijjar and M Y Eqbal on Tuesday posed this and other searching questions during the hearing of a PIL filed five years ago which alleged that Army officers were selling their weapons illegally in Rajasthan.

Additional solicitor general Paras Kuhad said that initially, the Army thought selling of non-service weapons by Army personnel was a major illegality but on appreciation of evidence, it was not found to be so by a Court of Inquiry, as well as by the Army chief and the defence ministry.

"A reprimand is considered quite severe penalty in a disciplined force like Army. In some cases, the officers have been punished with forfeiture of several years of service which would seriously hamper their career prospects," Kuhad said and requested the court that once the Army has taken a view, it would not be prudent for the apex court to intervene.

The bench appeared unconvinced as it said, "This (the case) seems to indicate that the officers were running an industry." But Kuhad said the sale was not illegal but what was objectionable was that some officers acted like middlemen to persuade other officers to sell their non-standard pattern (NSP) weapons.

The bench said, "Why should they be permitted to continue in service? Only thing restraining us is the fact that it involved officers of the Army. Otherwise, consequences would have been different. In our opinion, the punishment awarded does not appear to be adequate."

It asked the Army headquarters to submit records of Court of Inquiry proceedings and the General Court Martial records and asked Kuhad to elaborate on his proposition that the courts must be very circumspect while interfering with the findings of CoI and GCM.

The Army was forced to take action against its officers after the Supreme Court raised security concerns on the basis of the PIL. Petitioner advocate Arvind Sharma had alleged that a gunrunning racket involving Army officers was rife in the border districts of Rajasthan.

Rajasthan police had registered 14 FIRs, of which the one filed by Jaipur anti-corruption bureau on July 18, 2007 pertained to 284 cases. The state government, in its affidavit before the apex court, had said, "During investigation, 304 more cases came to light on perusal of records and 41 cases pertaining to licences issued from the state of Punjab came to light." Additional advocate general Manish Singhvi informed the court that investigation in 13 cases were complete.

The Army too had detailed the court martial proceedings and punishment given to 72 officers and a Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) found involved in the illegal sale and purchase of non-service weapons.

Of the 29 officers of the rank of lieutenant colonel, colonel and major found involved in the sale of weapons, 15 were "punished" with "severe reprimand and a fine of Rs 500", two were "reprimanded" and rest were awarded punishment ranging from one to three years loss of service either for promotion or pension purposes.

The 25 officers posted in Indian Army Training Team at Bhutan, who were found to have imported ammunition in excess of the authorized 50 rounds, were all let off with "severe displeasure (non-recordable).

The PIL filed by advocate Arvind Sharma had in 2007 alleged that the government had not taken action against Army officers despite the Rajasthan home ministry finding that they were involved in selling their non-service weapons to arms dealers and private persons.

The Army inquired into the incidents and told the apex court in 2008 that weapons procured and sold in breach of Army Act and Customs Act were of both prohibited and non-prohibited bore and "a total of 72 officers and one JCO were blameworthy" in these cases.

dhananjay.mahapatra@timesgroup.com

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Uproar in legislature over 'Surya Namaskar'

PATNA: The issue of Surya Namaskar being organized in schools across Bihar rocked the joint session of the state legislature on Monday during the governor's address. Even as governor Devanand Konwar was midway through his address, an RJD member raised the issue. Immediately, the BJP members got up in rage and came almost on the verge of clash with RJD members.

What angered the saffron party members, including some ministers, was a remark by the RJD's Akhtarul Iman. As the governor referred to minority welfare schemes in his address, Iman stood up to lodge protest over the 'Surya Namaskar' scheme in schools, saying it was being done at the behest of RSS.

Incensed over his remark, health minister Ashwini Kumar Choubey and animal and fishery resources minister Giriraj Singh got up and lashed out at Iman condemning his remarks, Several BJP legislators also trooped into the well of the House and menacingly moved towards the RJD benches. Nityanand Rai of the BJP was among the more vocal members shouting at those opposing the Surya Namaskar.

Jawahar Prasad and others started raising slogans like 'Jai Shri Ram', 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai', 'Vande Matram' and 'Har Har Mahadeo'. The JD-U members sat quietly and appeared uncomfortable, feeling that the BJP members' outburst would rob them the opportunity to capitalize on governor bashing by Jyoti of Congress.

Some senior BJP leaders rushed to the well of the House to pacify their members and bring them back to their seats. "We will enter the assembly everyday with 'Surya Namaskar' unless the RJD member takes back his remarks," Rai was heard shouting. The fracas continued for over 10 minutes disrupting the governor's address.

The RJD and Congress members, who did not take part in the acrimonious exchanges, were later seen telling JD-U legislators that the BJP showed its strength and demoralized its ally. "Jyoti's show was excellent but the BJP people diverted the attention," commented one JD-U minister. "Surya Namaskar issue only communalized the legislative atmosphere," quipped another JD-U MLA.

Some minority bodies had earlier voiced serious reservation over the education department's notification on making 'Surya Namaskar' compulsory in the government schools to mark the 150th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekanand. The government later issued another notification making it optional. "There should be no objection to it," said health minister Choubey and added that anybody can salute the sun revering it as a god or just an object.

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Samajwadi Party aims to repeat backward caste vote formula in Lok Sabha polls

LUCKNOW: The Samajwadi Party rode to power in Uttar Pradesh last year by fetching a major chunk of backward caste votes. The party is eyeing to repeat the same winning formula in 2014 LokSabha elections and has set the ball rolling by demanding the inclusion of 17 backward castes in the scheduled castes list. The party has also declared a public holiday on April 5 on account of GuharajNishadrajJayanti, which was a long pending demand of the community.

The conference of party workers from the backward castes held at SP headquarters in Lucknow on Saturday was also a part of the state government's strategy to consolidate its position among this vote bank.

There was no immediate provocation for SP to hold such a conference. The SP had, in fact, marked its targets for the Mission 2014 while preparing for the 2012 assembly election. In its assembly election manifesto, the SP had promised to pursue the central government to include 17 backward castes in the SC list. The commitment worked, believe senior SP leaders.

For the SP, shifting focus on the backward castes is important after its vociferous protest against the quota in promotion bill. Though the move may have helped party to attract the upper caste voters disenchanted with the BJP or the Congress, it has alienated a section of the backward class. By targeting the backward castes, the party hopes to compensate for the alienated in order to benefit from the shift from the upper caste.

It was not therefore surprising that once the SP was in the saddle in UP, the Akhilesh Yadav government got down to work immediately thereafter. Akhilesh slotted the welfare of the backward castes on top priority in his first official document released on March 28, 2012. The chief secretary Jawed Usmani has since been heading the high level committee to study and design the welfare schemes for these castes in the state.

Not only the SP, even the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress too are trying to woo backward votes, which, till recently, was seen as the Bahujan Samaj Party's (BSPs) traditional vote bank. The BJP too had shown its inclination towards the backward section well in advance when more than 30% of the candidates won its organizational elections held before 2012 assembly election.

The Congress-led UPA government is also not lagging behind and has three key ministers from the backward castes -- Sriprakash Jaiswal, RPN Singh and Beni Prasad Verma.

Besides, the parties left nothing to chance during allotment of tickets for the UP assembly poll. Sample this: BJP fielded 126 backward castes, followed by SP with 125 such candidates. The BSP nominated 113 backward caste candidates while the Congress fielded 110 candidates. The allocations of these candidates exceeded far beyond the ratio of candidates from other castes and communities like 30% dalits, 20% OBCs, 20% Muslims, 15% Brahmins and 15% other castes.

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Global watchdog sees Chennai’s tiny shop as supplier to Iran’s nuclear programme

CHENNAI/NEW DELHI: A tiny firm in a dark alley in Chennai's electronic spare parts hub on Meeran Sahib Street has been unwittingly catapulted into the midst of a suspected nuclear smuggling operation. A reputed proliferation watchdog has cited the company as a likely supplier to Iran's nuclear programme.

Ferrito Plastronics, a modest establishment with a reported turnover of Rs 2 crore-Rs 5 crore, has found a mention in a report published by the Institute of Science and International Security (ISIS) for an enquiry of one lakh ring magnets posted on a Chinese commercial website by an Iranian trading firm, Jahan Tech Rooyan Pars.

The Chennai firm does supply magnets. But these, avers company proprietor Bala Subramanian, are the ones used in loudspeakers, coils and medical equipment. Besides these, there are decorative magnets for fridges, Subramanian's shop assistant displayed to TOI.

So how did Ferrito Plastronics become part of the cloak-and-dagger world of the nuclear mart? Subramanian says he has never had trade dealings with China — his only interaction being an occasion when he left his business card at a trade fair he had attended in that country a few years ago.

Indeed, going by the shop and its trappings, it seems far fetched to visualize the firm as a supplier for highly sophisticated magnets used to enrich uranium to make it weapons grade. Subramanian was close to panic while speaking to TOI over telephone, pleading his innocence, saying he has committed no crime.

"I largely supply coils to Singapore and Korea. I have never traded in China. I only once left my visiting card at a trade fair there. It seems they used my information from the card on the website," said Subramanian. He does business also in Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

Subramanian's problems seem to have stemmed from Jahan Tech Rooyan Pars having posted the enquiry . In 2012, it was 'sanctioned' by Canada over 'nuclear proliferation' concerns. According to the ISIS report, specifications for ring magnets mentioned in the trade query matched those used in IR 1 centrifuges for uranium enrichment.

'Shouldn't I do business?'

Although the ISIS report does not offer any evidence to show Ferrito Plastronics ever supplied to the Iranian company or showed any interest in the query for ring magnets, it has mentioned the Chennai firm in the context of how dubious companies floated by Iran use certain channels to procure nuclear equipment from different sources while routing supplies through China, using its lax trade controls.

Founder and president of ISIS David Albright has said both Indian and Chinese governments should warn companies that there is zero tolerance for any of their domestic companies entering into such transactions.

A panicky Subramanian wondered what was wrong in a foreign company making an enquiry. "Shouldn't I do any business," he asked while maintaining he had nothing to do with nuclear-related magnets.

Subramanian's defence seems genuine, but Albright points out that small companies like Ferrito Plastronics could be used to procure the magnets from larger manufacturers. "I don't manufacture magnets. I source from a company (Winner Electricals) based in New Delhi. Also, we can't match prices of China. I largely supply in Tamil Nadu and Kerala," he claimed.

ISIS is a globally recognized institution dedicated to informing the public about science and policy issues affecting international security. Its primary focus is on stopping the spread of nuclear weapons and related technology, bringing about greater transparency in nuclear activities worldwide, strengthening the international non-proliferation regime and achieving reductions in nuclear arsenals, according to its website.

Claiming that his company's monthly turnover was "a mere Rs 1 lakh", Subramanian said. "The magnets we deal with are used in almirahs, loud speakers and in the field of medical therapy. Why should I be hounded when I have committed no crime?"

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Drastic decline in deaths on Indo-Bangladesh border: DG BSF

JAISALMER: Decline in deaths on the Indo-Bangladesh border has been possible after India decided to use less lethal weapons at the border. This has also resulted in continuous improvement in relations between the two countries. This information was given by the newly appointed director general of BSFSubhashJoshi during his stay at Jaisalmer. Joshi is here to participate in the closing ceremony of the BSF43rd frontier fire power shooting competition.

He also added that to strengthen Sir Creek and other water areas adjoining Gujarat, the process is on to buy fast attack craft from America for the BSF water wing. The proposal has been sent to the Centre. He said that relations between India and Bangladesh are improving. Joshi said, "We are doing our duty with alertness at the Indo-Bangladesh border, where care is being taken that no activity from our side is carried out that may spoil relations between the two countries. The BSF jawans and officers are following all the border rules and laws and are guarding with complete vigilance and alertness."

He added that after deciding to use less lethal weapons at the border, there has been a drastic decline in the number of deaths. Although some areas still face problems but they are trying to find a solution, said Joshi.

When asked about the water areas in Gujarat, he said that the Centre has handed over 65 km area from Jakhau to Medi to BSF and marine battalion has been deployed on the ground. He also praised the jawans who despite facing hardships due to the difficult terrain are doing their duty with alertness in this area.

The DG (BSF) also answered the question of handing over Burma border to BSF and said that officially no order has been given by the government. He added that if the government gives new responsibility to the BSF, then it would give resources too. BSF is ready to take any responsibility.

When the question about doubts among jawans and officers over the change in BSF's annual change over policy (ACOP) was raised he replied that under this policy to keep the battalions permanent and changing troops on the fixed time, it is decided by the Centre. Discussion is going on and whatever decision is arrived at, it will be in the favour of the force, he said.

In this regard, whatever doubts will arise, that will be removed through leadership. We will solve it by sitting together. Whenever there is change in policy, initially many doubts arise, but after getting the right information, everything becomes normal. He said whether it naxalite area or desert area, BSF jawans even in such tough situation do tough duty and guard the borders of the country with alertness. He has dedicated this year 2013 for jawans announcing 2012 year of jawans.

He said efforts are being made so that the jawans can live quality life.

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Rafale talks progressing well: PM

NEW DELHI: French president Francois Hollande on Thursday ruled out any AgustaWestland-type scam in India's purchase of 126 medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA), one of India's biggest defence deals ever, saying that there will be nothing in the ongoing negotiations contrary to the "principles common to us". France and India entered exclusive negotiations for purchase of Dassault Aviation's Rafale aircraft, which was chosen over its much fancied rival Eurofighter Typhoon.

After a meeting with Hollande, PM Manmohan Singh announced that Rafale negotiations are "progressing well".

Hollande said that competitiveness and fairness are going to be the basis for the deal in an interaction with journalists in the evening. "On corruption we are vigilant and so is India; that is an essential principle," he said. The president was replying to a query about the AgustaWestland chopper scam in which defence firm Finmeccanica is alleged to have paid a bribe of euro 12 million to former IAF chief S P Tyagi's family members.

"As far as probity is concerned, there will be nothing contrary to the principle common to both the countries. This is about the excellence of Rafale and time and again we have proved its efficiency," said Hollande, who was on his first visit to Asia after taking over as president last year.

Earlier in the day, Hollande said after his meeting with Singh that "some progress has to be achieved in the negotiations for Rafale" and that France hoped that the two countries can soon reach a conclusion. Hollande later clarified that he had not come to India for commercial negotiations and that rather than his weight behind the talks; he would put his trust in the aircraft.

Singh also announced that the two sides had concluded negotiations for surface-to-air missile Maitri as he went on to describe France as one of India's most valued strategic partners. Maitri will be co-developed and co-produced in India. "There is a welcome shift from defence trade to co-development and co-production of advanced defence items in India, which will help expand our domestic production base and strengthen the India-France strategic partnership," said Singh.

With both sides highlighting the fact that Hollande had chosen India for his first visit to Asia, the president said France shared a relationship of confidence with India. The president was replying to a query seeking to compare India with China. "We have civil nuclear cooperation with China but we are supplying defence material and equipment to India too. We have confidence in India which is a peaceful power but wants to protect itself. We can supply material and technology to India without fearing what use will be made of this technology by India," said the French president.

The two countries also reviewed progress on the Jaitapur Nuclear Power Project under which France will help India build six next generation European Pressurized Reactors (EPRs). "We reiterated commitment to its early implementation as soon as the commercial and technical negotiations, which have made good progress, are completed," said Singh. While there was no big ticket announcement, the two sides did sign four agreements, including one for cultural exchange programmes.

The two sides also discussed the situation in Mali with Hollande thanking Singh for supporting Mali. As part of its support to the Malian defence forces and the African-led International Support Mission, India had announced an assistance of $1 million at the Donors Conference held recently in Addis Ababa, the headquarters for African Union.

Coming down heavily on terrorism, the two leaders said no compromise is possible with terrorists. Cross-border terrorism needs to be addressed at the multilateral level by supporting initiatives in the framework of the UN such as the draft Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism, said a joint statement.

In this context, the two sides recognized that terrorism poses the main threat to Afghanistan's security and stability. The leaders expressed commitment to the key principles for a peaceful inter-Afghan dialogue: acceptance of the Afghan Constitution, renunciation to violence and breaking links with terrorism.

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Tyagi cousins got benefit of clout?

NEW DELHI: The emergence of the three low profile Tyagi brothers as key middlemen in swinging the huge defence contract for VVIP helicopters in 2010 has surprised many, given the dominance of India's arms trade by a few families as illegal agents.

In the past several years, the three Tyagi brothers have never been known to be major middlemen, capable of illegally manipulating big defence contracts. The influential position as arms dealers, though illegal, was reserved for the Nandas, the family of former Navy chief Admiral S M Nanda; the Choudhries, headed by Sudhir Choudhrie and mostly based in the UK; the Khannas, the politically connected family headed by NRI Vipin Khanna; and Mohinder Sahni among others.

Many in the national capital have known the Tyagis for a very long time, since the time of Rajiv Gandhi's government in the mid-80s. They were also familiar faces in power circles when Atal Bihari Vajpayee was PM. The eldest of them, Dr Rajiv Tyagi, a doctor who doesn't have the flamboyance of usual middlemen, has been around for almost 30 years now. But most don't seem to recall any major deal swung by the Tyagi brothers. It may well be that they were smart enough to suppress their illegal activities.

Italian court documents show that they had very warm relations with former IAF chief S P Tyagi, but it doesn't have any specific evidence to show that former air chief himself accepted bribes. The Tyagi brothers had accepted money, court documents show.

The unusual importance of the relatively unknown Tyagi brothers in fixing the deal also raises questions if they drew all their influence in the deal because of their cousin's important position. The youngest of the brothers, Sanjeev Tyagi, also called Juli, appears to be the most active in the particular deal, according to court documents.

In the world of defence purchases, prominent dealers are an important component for any deal with a foreign company. Despite integrity clause, and vehement denials by firms, it is well known that one of these middlemen are required to swing a deal in the complex, crowded Indian market.

Despite their acts being illegal, and many CBI investigations, not one of them has landed behind bars except for Abhishek Verma, who may have projected more importance than what he actually enjoyed in swinging deals. While Verma had flaunted himself as a major arms dealer, the fact remains that he was a peripheral player, desperately trying to swing big deals. But there is no evidence of him fixing any big deal. That role was reserved for the Nandas, Choudhries and the select members of this exclusive, rich and powerful clique.

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National Advisory Council to discuss cash transfer scheme

NEW DELHI: National Advisory Council chairperson Sonia Gandhi has agreed to discuss the cash transfer scheme at a meeting of the UPA's think tank after some members raised concerns about its efficacy and consequences for other social security schemes run by the government, especially the National Food Security Bill.

The scheme is likely to be deliberated upon at the next meeting of the council on February 26. It will also be attended by Nandan Nilekani, chairman of the Unique Identification Authority of India, who is expected to provide an update and explain the scheme, which Congress wants to be its big-ticket offer for the 2014 general elections.

Concerns have arisen within the party, the government as well as the council over implementation of the scheme as well as the consequences of replacing food and other subsidy schemes with cash benefits using Aadhaar cards.

After initial trumpeting by Congress of the programme as a 'game changer', rollout of the cash transfer scheme was hit by confusion within the administration, logistical impediments and delays, forcing the government to scale down the phased process. The key group of ministers handling the project shrunk the targeted districts in the first phase from 51 to 20, alongside pruning the number of schemes to be moved to the new platform.

Critics and civil society groups having the Congress leadership's ear have warned that instead of providing benefits, a hasty rollout targeting the general elections could end up causing problems to many beneficiaries due to the switch in delivery mode. They also warned against converting the government service deliveries to cash delivery.

The timing of putting major subsidy schemes like food, fertilizer, kerosene and LPG under the cash transfer platform also remain uncertain. Internal critics continued to warn that without these schemes and other conditions in place, the cash benefit programme would find it difficult to take off for lack of enough money flowing through the channels.

The government had to delay putting LPG supply on to the cash transfer platform in 20 districts.

NAC members are expected to be divided on the scheme but Nilekani could see some searching questions being asked, which the scheme managers in the party and government have so far avoided answering.

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Don’t agonize over my death, Afzal Guru wrote in last letter

NEW DELHI: The morning that Afzal Guru was to be executed, he wrote a letter to his wife, Tabassum. Written in Urdu, he handed it over to jail officials before he was marched out for his execution.

"He pressed the letter into the jail superintendent's handjust before he was asked to step out of his cell. All he said was that it was meant for his wife and to please ensure that it reached her safely," said a senior Tihar official.

"It was his last wish. We have sent the letter through Speed Post as that is the only mode available to us and should reach the family soon," he added. Afzal would frequently pen down his thoughts in jail and always had access to pen and paper, said officials, and wrote the letter using the same stationery.

Officials said that Afzal in the letter only wrote about family matters. "It was an extremely personal letter where he told his wife to take care of their son and not agonize over his death. In very gently worded language, he said that she should remain strong for their son and not give in to despair. As ever, Guru was calm and dignified in his parting words," said a source.

"The family should be able to read the letter in private and should share it with public if they wish to. In deference to their privacy, they should not again have to find out about their family member through national media. All we can say is that it was only related to his personal life and did not deal with any national matter," he added.

The family, based in Sopore in Kashmir, is yet to receive the letter. The entire plan for Afzal's execution, named 'Operation Three Star', was planned to the last detail, said prison sources. "It was named Operation Three Star because it took place in the jail number 3 premises. All jail officials concerned were briefed and all of them stayed in jail through the night on Friday and finalized all preparations. Contrary to certain media reports, where he would be buried and what all procedure would be maintained was pre-decided and the entire process was completed by 9am. All decisions were made as per detailed talks with the government," said a highly-placed source in Tihar.

"There has been much speculation on his final day, some of which is wrong. He did not spend a sleepless night before his execution. He was one of the most model prisoners in jail, and did not create any trouble till the last," he added.

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Tourism boom may bust J&K stir

NEW DELHI: Will tourism save Kashmir from large scale unrest in the aftermath of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru's hanging? A mix of strict but cautious policing and anticipation of a good tourist season ahead in the Valley has given government hope that the ongoing phase of unrest in Kashmir may pass off with minor hiccups.

While Saturday saw violent protests in the Valley, largely concentrated in areas around Sopore (Guru's hometown) and Baramulla, leading to 38 people getting injured, Sunday was quieter with only 16 injuries (including four security personnel). While seven people were injured in Guru's village Mazbugh in Sopore, five were injured in police firing in Watergam, Rasiyabad near Baramulla. One of the injured, who took a bullet in the abdomen, is reported to be serious.

Despite these gaps in exercise of restraint and aggressive statements from various quarters in the Valley, there is a sense that things may not spin out of control as long as there is no civilian casualty. One of the reasons being cited is the expectation of profit from the second consecutive bumper tourist season.

Over 1,300 tourists had reached the state since Guru's hanging and the volume is expected to surge once tulips start blooming. Last season, 13 lakh tourists visited the Valley. This was in addition to six lakh who were there for Amarnath yatra and a crore who visited Vaishno Devi. Administration believes that people are hoping for a repeat; an expectation that may help temper the intensity of protests which if stretched will affect inflow of tourists.

Another belief in the establishment is that Guru's hanging has not come as too big a shock for the Valley which was somewhat expecting it after the hanging of Ajmal Kasab.

The relative quiet -- which led Jammu and Kashmir CM Omar Abdullah to admit that his government had feared far worse - following the initial unrest was significant as the protests on Sunday were more organized unlike the spontaneous ones on Saturday.

This was controlled further by strict and cautious policing. Security forces patrolled highways and main roads through the night to ensure that the protesters didn't get to block traffic by placing boulders or felling trees. It was a busy night for Jammu and Kashmir police, Army and paramilitary forces but it ensured that vehicles had no trouble moving.

Through Sunday, forces restricted movements even in the interior parts of Srinagar, which are generally not monitored closely. It was taking advantage of this that in 2010, stone-palters had gathered in alleys and then launched attacks on security forces.

Strict instructions have gone out from state DG Ashok Prasad to security men to not aim their guns on protesters above waist in case of mob violence as a casualty at this stage could throw things out of gear with secessionists using the issue to whip up passions. The instructions have been largely followed with exceptions like the Rasiyabad incident and one person receiving a bullet injury in the shoulder on Saturday when an Army unit, freshly deployed in the state and, hence, not fully steeped in the doctrine of maximum restraint, fired in self-defence at Handwara.

The arrival of 2,000 CRPF personnel also helped the administration. These troops were returning from leave and had reached Jammu but the administration decided against moving them on Friday evening lest it aroused suspicion that something was amiss.

Valley sources, however, said it may well be the lull before the Friday storm. "Unless Friday, when the Valley is expected to see intensified protests, passes off without much incident, nothing can be said. There is anger against the Omar Abdullah government and the Centre in the Valley, but no one wants long-drawn unrest. If this stage passes off, the protests may die down within 15 days," the source said.

Meanwhile, militant groups have started fishing in troubled waters. Both LeT and Jaish-e-Mohammed have issued threats to stage attacks and conduct blasts both within and outside the Valley. While all states have been put on alert, there is no immediate threat, security agencies said. "There is as yet no specific intelligence on any terror attack," an intelligence official said.

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