News and Events - AUGUST 2009

[I-G]

Man throws acid on wife over domestic dispute

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Share Print E-mail Comment[ - ] Text [ + ]STAFF WRITER 13:25 HRS IST
Jammu, Aug 26 (PTI) A woman was critically injured after her husband allegedly threw acid on her over domestic dispute in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua district today.

Police said the man threw acid on his wife while they were on their way to a temple in the forest belt in Jasrota area, 70 km from here, and fled. He was, however, arrested later.

Some passersby rushed the woman to a nearby hospital where her condition is stated to be serious, they said, adding that domestic dispute was the reason behind the attack.

fullstory

Seriously government should change the laws , acid is really avialable easier .

 

[I-G]

Anti-Sardar Patel book sold from RSS HQ in Gujarat

Anti-Sardar Patel book sold from RSS HQ in Gujarat
Ashish Vashi , TNN 27 August 2009, 12:17am IST


AHMEDABAD: Narendra Modi displayed great alacrity in banning Jaswant Singh's Jinnah book in Gujarat. But another such tome, authored by RSS
ideologue H V Seshadri, which also slams Sardar Patel for precipitating Partition, has been in circulation for the last 27 years. And here's the icing on the cake: the book's sold from the RSS headquarters complex in Gujarat!

There's little chance that Modi would not have known of the book since Modi was a regular at the place. Modi spent over 13 years as a `pracharak' ^ from 1967 to 1980 ^ in the same building, though the book was published after that, in 1982. But as a voracious reader, old-timers recall, Modi devoured most Sangh publications.

The book, `The Tragic Story of Partition' has unflattering references to Nehru and Patel. Seshadri clubs both and holds them responsible for partition, which is what Jaswant Singh has done in his book, `Jinnah: India, Independence, Partition'.

It's still selling at the Sahitya Sadhana Trust, which is part of the RSS HQ complex. A TOI reporter picked up a copy on Tuesday for Rs 100.

It's now learnt that Modi has told his officials to closely scrutinise Seshadri's book to thwart legal challenges. Unconfirmed reports have said Jaswant himself is planning to go to court to oppose the ban.

If he does, Seshadri's book, which has been quoted by BJP leader Arun Shourie to ridicule the ban, will be the main argument of the petitioner. Seshadri's book has sold thousands of copies in Gujarat in the last 27 years; it's a must-have for any RSS worker.

``This book talks about the importance of `Akhand Bharat'. It's an immensely important thesis for Sangh's ideology,'' says Prof Hemant Shah, who teaches political science at Gujarat University.

Excerpts: ``When the new Viceroy Lord Mountbatten announced on 3rd June 1947 the plan of transfer of power, it came as a stunning blow to the people. For that plan, approved by Nehru and Patel, had envisaged cutting up Bharat and creation of Pakistan! ... The great and trusted leaders of Congress had turned their back on the sacred oaths they had taken, and the pledges they had administered to the people. What took place on the August 15-15, 1947, was this gross betrayal of the nation's faith, the betrayal of the dreams of countless fighters and martyrs who had plunged into the fire of freedom struggle with the vision of Akhand Bharat in their hearts.''

On another page, Seshadri writes: ``The Working Committee met in a tense atmosphere. Everybody felt depressed at the prospect of Partition. The Viceroy's proposals were accepted without much discussion. As a matter of fact, Jawaharlal and Vallabhai were already committed to the acceptance of the proposals. There was no critical examination...''


Anti-Sardar Patel book sold from RSS HQ in Gujarat - India - NEWS - The Times of India

 

[I-G]

More the marrier: 1 man, 14 wives

More the marrier: 1 man, 14 wives
V Narayan, TNN 27 August 2009, 12:42am IST


MUMBAI: You may find it difficult to live a double life but a Mumbai man has been living 14 different lives - with 14 different wives - over the last couple of years.

The police arrested the 40-year-old man, who used to be an engineer with Air India, on August 18 for marrying 14 women in the last two-and-a-half years. Police officials said Tushar Waghmare alias Tushar Bapat was sacked from his job soon after that.

Five official complaints have been registered so far against Waghmare. The nine other victims were not coming forward to lodge complaints as they feared for their reputation, officials said.

Investigators said Waghmare registered his profile with a marriage portal and mentioned that he had divorced his wife in 2006. He mentioned on his profile that he was looking for working Brahmin women who could be divorcees or widows.

Officials said he ``took care'' of all 14 wives, including one from Nagar, though - in the end - it was they who looked after him after he had exhausted his monthly salary of Rs 70,000. Three of the women Waghmare married were architects or engineers, police officials said, and the others were homemakers.

Waghmare used to visit profiles of girls on marriage portals and would fix appointments with their parents at one of his rented apartments in Lokhandwala or Jogheshwari. ``None of the women or their parents ever thought of doing a background check on him as they would be impressed with his job profile,'' deputy commissioner of police R M Vhatkar told TOI.

Vhatkar said Waghmare would spend at least three consecutive days with each of his wives and then tell them that he had to travel to other states to attend official meetings; this way, he managed to spend time with all his 14 wives.

Senior inspector Vijay Raut said: ``Waghmare married the victims after showing a bogus divorce letter written on stamp paper that was signed and had a notary's stamp. We managed to get hold of five different marriage photographs of Waghmare.'' Interestingly, there are a couple of faces that are common to every one of the five pictures; one them would pretend to be Waghmare's father and the other would pose as his uncle.

Inspector Shivaji Phadtare said: ``Waghmare started marrying women one after the other since his first wife divorced him in 2006. Waghmare changed his surname to Bapat (a Brahmin surname) so that he could marry Brahmin girls.''

Waghmare was finally caught after he married a 29-year-old architect in Mulund on August 11; she was a divorcee and had a son, officials said, and added they were surprised by Waghmare's increasing audacity. He was living with one of his other wives when the architect's parents came to visit him at his Lokhandwala home and he just sent her to the market for a couple of hours.

However, three days after they returned from honeymoon in Lonavala, this last of wives told Waghmare that her employers had asked her to go to Delhi on an assignment. ``I was shocked when Waghmare replied that I could take my own time and could return whenever I wanted to. What shocked me even more was when he told me he would not mind at all if I had extramarital affairs. This prompted me to go to his Lokhandwala flat on August 16, when I met a 29-year-old woman who claimed that Waghmare married her in April 2009,'' the victim mentioned in her complaint.

Investigators said they had received a letter from Air India, saying they were conducting a departmental inquiry against Waghmare for sexually harassing AI women employees since 2006. He has been remanded in police custody till August 29.

More the marrier: 1 man, 14 wives - Mumbai - City - NEWS - The Times of India

 

[I-G]

Rs 10 crore seized from senior VHP leader in Jaipur

Rs 10 crore seized from senior VHP leader in Jaipur


Share Print E-mail Comment[ - ] Text [ + ]STAFF WRITER 21:46 HRS IST
Jaipur, Aug 26 (PTI) In one of the biggest hauls in Rajasthan, the Income Tax Department has seized Rs 10 crore in cash and jewellery worth Rs 57 lakh from the premises of a senior Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader who is also a financial stock broker.

"We have seized Rs 10 crore in cash and jewellery worth Rs 57 lakh from the premises of the financial broker," Additional Director of Income Tax Prasannjeet Singh told reporters.

The seizure was made during a raid by IT sleuths at two residential premises and an office complex of the broker Damodar Modi yesterday. Several cars were also seized, Singh said.

Modi is the "sangrashak" of Jaipur "prant" of VHP and is its seniormost leader in Rajasthan.

Modi had eight bank lockers and property worth Rs 22 crore.

fullstory

 

[dave lukins]

It's not so much he had 14 wives but how did he put up with all the Mother's-in Law

 

[1.44]

Russia to invest $143 mln in engines for new Angara rocket
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NIZHNY NOVGOROD, August 24 (RIA Novosti) - Russia will invest about 4.5 billion rubles ($143 mln) by 2015 in the production of engines for a family of Angara carrier rockets, the Perm Territory's government said on Monday.
The RD-191 is a high-performance single-combustion chamber rocket engine, which recently passed a series of benchmark tests at the Proton-PM company in the Perm Territory in the Urals, and will be soon certified for test flights.
Russia's Federal Space Agency Roscosmos and the Perm Territory signed an investment agreement last week during the MAKS-2009 air show near Moscow.
The environmentally-friendly Angara rocket, currently under development by the Khrunichev center, is designed to put heavy payloads into orbit. It is intended mainly for launch from the Plesetsk space center to reduce Moscow's dependence on Kazakhstan's Baikonur, the main launch facility for the current generation of Russian rockets.
The new line of rockets will complement, and eventually replace, the existing line of Rockot and Proton launch vehicles. It will be available in a range of configurations capable of lifting between two and 24.5 metric tons into low-earth orbit.
The Angara family will be used for military and civilian purposes, specifically to put into orbit satellites as part of the Federal Space Program, as well as joint international space projects.
The Khrunichev center recently asked the government to allocate additional 10 billion rubles (about $290 mln) over the next three years to finish the development of the Angara rocket.

Russia to invest $143 mln in engines for new Angara rocket | Top Russian news and analysis online | 'RIA Novosti' newswire

 

[RPK]

fullstory

50 pc quota for women in panchayats

New Delhi, Aug 27 (PTI) In a path-breaking move to empower women at the grassroots level, government today approved a proposal to increase reservation for them in panchayats to 50 per cent.

A meeting of the Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, decided to bring a bill to amend Article 243(D) of the Constitution to enhance reservation for women in panchayats at all tiers from the current one-third to at least 50 per cent.

"This is a path-breaking decision," Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni told reporters.

She said the Panchayati Raj Ministry is likely to move a bill to amend the constitution in the next session of Parliament to give effect to the increased quota.

 

[RPK]

He failed Class X in 1962, locked himself indoors since

He failed Class X in 1962, locked himself indoors since- Hindustan Times

Chinese soldiers had almost overrun his village near the central Assam town of Tezpur. But that’s not the reason why Thula Borah locked himself indoors since 1962.

Sonitpur district authorities are baffled by the 63-year-old Borah’s reluctance to emerge from his residence at Deurigaon, some 150 km from Guwahati.

Borah’s neighbours, however, insist he was seemingly in his senses until a few years back. “Strangely, he chooses to remain indifferent to the world beyond his room. We tried talking him out of his confinement, but he is unresponsive,” said Ramen Deka, a neighbour of the Borahs.

Among the few who tried to coax Borah out of his self-imposed confinement was Satyen Goswami, now a deputy superintendent of police. “The last time I tried was in 1990, and my efforts came to naught,” he said.

What made Borah lock himself up? Members of his family opted to remain incommunicado, but neighbours said he could not digest his mother’s scolding after failing in the Class X exam that year.

He did not come out of his room when his mother died. Nor did he attend his younger brothers’ marriages. He is barely able to recognize his siblings, leave apart their children.

Borah survives on food his kin pass through a window. He appears to be sulking in one corner most of the time, disinclined to talk or pace about.

Doctors have recommended medical help for Borah. “He possibly took such a step out of depression and stubbornness. His could be a case of mania, and he is challenging himself and his family,” said Imphal-based psychiatrist Lenin.

 

[NSG_Blackcats]

Air France plane chased by MiG 29 over Amritsar​

Amritsar: The Indian Air Force today scrambled its MiG 29 fighter jets to intercept an Air France flight entering India from Pakistan over Amritsar as the aircraft had switched on wrong Identify Friend or Foe (IFF) code. "Taking prompt action after our radars detected an unknown aircraft over our territory, we scrambled two of our MiG 29 air defence fighter jets from Adampur air base to intercept the aircraft at around 0610 hours in the morning, as it had switched on a wrong IFF code," IAF officials said here.

Full Story

 

[1.44]

UK Army Chief served visiting Indian Army Chief £5 a head banquet

UK Army Chief served visiting Indian Army Chief £5 a head banquet
​

General Sir Richard Dannatt, the outgoing head of the Army, is reported to have claimed less than £20,000 in expenses, and even bought cheap wine and sausages from Lidl to feed military top brass.

Details of his expenses are said to show that he spent as little as £5 a head when hosting dinners for foreign dignitaries, Armed Services chiefs and politicians.

In stark contrast to the excessive expenses claimed by many MPs, General Dannatt spent only £1.49 for each of six bottles of Merlot from the cut-price supermarket Lidl as part of his official entertainment claims. A board dinner of the Army Executive Committee was given Tesco’s homebrand chicken wings and oxtail soup.

The expense claims, obtained by the News of the World under the Freedom of Information Act, are said to show that his total claim for the past four financial years — including 18 months as Commander-in-Chief Land — came to £19,290.77.

The disclosure came after Kevan Jones, the Defence Minister, last week denied reports that he was plotting with Labour MPs to obtain details of Sir Richard’s expenses in order to smear him in retaliation for his outspoken criticisms of government policy.

A spokesman for the Ministry of Defence said: “As head of the Army, [the] Chief of the General Staff undertakes official hosting and entertaining of both overseas and United Kingdom dignitaries. This is an important part of his remit to assist in the betterment of international relations, to promote the British Army and facilitate a wider public understanding of its role.”

Other claims show how General Dannatt even shipped over cheap wine from France to save on entertainment costs.

In August last year he entertained General Deepak Kapoor, chief of the Indian Army, Shiv Mukherjee, the Indian High Commissioner, and 21 other guests at a reception at Kensington Palace costing £123.58. The food was purchased from Tesco and came to £5.15 per head.

In March he and Lady Dannatt held a lunch for 14 people costing £80.05.

General Sir Richard Dannatt gave guests cheap wine to reduce expenses - Times Online

 

[I-G]

Woman sets herself ablaze near husband's samadhi

Woman sets herself ablaze near husband's samadhi
27 August 2009, 10:44pm IST


JUNAGADH: In a shocking incident, a 32-year-old woman set herself on fire on Wednesday near the samadhi of her husband who died two days ago. The incident occurred at Dhebar village in Visavadar taluka of Junagadh district.

Some villagers called it an act of sati, but police, who took the body for postmortem, called it a case of suicide. They said Daya Vankar took the extreme step as she was unable to bear the loss of her husband.

Visavadar police officials said Khima Vankar was killed in an accident on Monday when his rickshaw overturned. He was buried and a samadhi made in the graveyard as per community custom.

Overwhelmed with grief, Daya took a tin of kerosene from home and headed for the graveyard at 3 am. At the samadhi, she poured the inflammable material on her body and set herself on fire.

When her family members woke up and found her missing they went in search of her. They saw her burnt body at the graveyard and informed the police. Police recorded the statements of her other family members too.

Visavadar police inspector PV Gohil said, "The woman was saddened by her husband's death. She was also childless." He stressed that it was not a case of sati. A sati incident is announced beforehand and the woman plunges into her husband's funeral pyre.

Woman sets herself ablaze near husband's samadhi - Rajkot - City - NEWS - The Times of India

 

[RPK]

Fake flight lieutenant in police custody

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Bangalore, Aug 27 (PTI) In a joint operation, the city police and an Indian Air Force team have arrested a man who posed as an IAF flight lieutenant and allegedly cheated several people with offers of jobs in the Air Force.

Deepakanthan, 23, was nabbed here yesterday, police said.

The accused, who had a fake Identity card stating that he was a flight lieutenant attached to IAF, Ambala unit, and also an IAF letterhead, had allegedly collected money from several job aspirants.

Using the card and an IAF uniform, he also had stayed for 10 days in an IAF officers' mess at Yelahanka along with a woman. Though already married, he promised her that he would marry her, police said.

 

[RPK]

Crime: Not an IAF officer, but gentleman & more - 1 -  National News ? News ? MSN India

A clever imposter took the Indian Air Force for a royal ride, rather flight, by becoming an officer for 10 days. And there is the story of a sex doctor and more..

A man has proved how the security system in the Indian Air Force is full of gaping loopholes. For 10 days, Deepak Kanthan became a self-made Flight Lieutenant at the high security Yelahanka Air Force base in Bangalore.

Playing the role almost to perfection of Frank Abagnale in Steven Spielberg's Catch Me If You Can, Deepak took the entire IAF in Yelahanka for a ride. He enjoyed the IAF's hospitality, along with his fiancé , for 10 days. A red faced Air Force authorities filed a complaint and the `officer' was arrested.

He did all this to impress his lost and found girl friend. Deepak was already married when he bumped into his high school mate Princy Priya who worked for a star hotel. He told her that he was an IAF officer and there started Deepaks flight of falsehood.

He made false letterheads of the Ambala IAF base, got a fake transfer order done and in full uniform and a flying badge `reported' for duty at Yelahanka. He got a royal salute, a welcome and a posh guest room.

He was so familiar with the IAF that nobody suspected him. But the waiters at the IAF mess suspected something amiss as Deepak lacked officer like qualities while having food. The alerted the higher ups. Soon, Deepak's papers were sent to Ambala. The IAF base there said that there was neither a Deepak there nor a transfer.

By then, Deepak had vanished.

But in the base he was a thorough gentleman. During his stay as an officer, he proposed to Princy and promised her that he would land in a helicopter for the wedding. She has told police: "He forced my parents to arrange the marriage in one of the costliest venues with a sprawling courtyard so that he could land by helicopter at an auspicious time."

Instead of landing in a helicopter, Deepak has now landed behind bars.

 

[I-G]

Kidnapped US girl resurfaces after 18 years as sex slave

Kidnapped US girl resurfaces after 18 years as sex slave
IANS 28 August 2009, 06:39am IST


SAN FRANCISCO: A woman who was snatched as an 11-year-old from a bus stop was reunited on Thursday with her family after spending 18 years as the captive of a convicted rapist who fathered her two children, police said. ( Watch Video )

Throughout her capture, Jaycee Dugard, was held in a shed and other outbuildings hidden on the property of Phillip Garrido, 58, in a rural area of Antioch, California, some 80 km northeast of San Francisco.

Garrido and his wife Nancy, 54, were each being held on $1-million bail on a number of charges including kidnapping, rape and conspiracy.

"None of the children have ever been to school. They've never been to a doctor," a police representative told a press conference. "They were kept in complete isolation in this compound, if you will."

Police discovered Dugard Wednesday when they questioned Garrido after reported suspicious activity involving him and two children at the University of California, Berkeley.

Dugard was reunited with her family Thursday. Her stepfather, Carl Probyn, who was with her when she was abducted in June 1991, told the San Francisco Chronicle that the family was overjoyed at her appearance.

"She sounds normal. She told my wife she remembers everything," Probyn said.

"I gave up hope for 18 years, just went into recovery mode," he said. "I thought it would be nice just to recover her and capture the people and find out why they did this. Now, I just won the lotto. It's just unbelievable. This is going to be a great day today."

Kidnapped US girl resurfaces after 18 years as sex slave - US - World - NEWS - The Times of India

 

[I-G]

Thai woman sentenced to 18 year jail term for insulting monarchy

Thai woman sentenced to 18 year jail term for insulting monarchy
AP
Published: August 28, 2009, 10:29

Bangkok: A Thai court sentenced an activist Friday to 18 years in prison, on charges of insulting the monarchy in speeches during political rallies.

Daranee Charnchoengsilpakul, 46, was charged with violating Thailand's lese majeste law, which mandates a jail term of three to 15 years for anyone who "defames, insults, or threatens the King, the Queen, the Heir-apparent, or the Regent."

Daranee, nicknamed "Da Torpedo" for her aggressive speaking style, has been detained without bail since July 2008.

The court sentenced Daranee, a jounalist-turned-activist, to six years in prison for three different remarks deemed insulting to the monarchy during public political rallies, said Judge Phrommaj Poosae.

Dressed in an orange prison uniform, Daranee smiled and flashed a victory sign to cameras as she was escorted from the courtroom by guards.

Daranee told reporters she will appeal the verdict.

"I expected the verdict," she told reports. "My lawyer will appeal."

In June, the court decided to close the trial to the public, citing national security and sensitivity of the issue despite concerns raised by Amnesty International and other human rights groups.
Repeating comments deemed insulting to the monarchy is also a crime in Thailand.

The case is tied closely to the country's bitter political division between supporters of the 2006 coup against former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was accused of corruption, abuse of power and anti-coup activists and Thaksin loyalists, who include Daranee.

Thaksin's "red-shirt" supporters view him as the country's rightfully elected leader, accusing some of the king's close advisers of meddling in politics and even orchestrating the coup. His "yellow-shirt" opponents say Thaksin tries to usurp the authority of King Bhumibol Adulyadej and plots to get rid of the constitutional monarchy, accusations the former leader has repeatedly denied.

Gulfnews: Thai woman sentenced to 18 year jail term for insulting monarchy

 

[I-G]

Thirty VIPs removed from X-category security list

Thirty VIPs removed from X-category security list
PTI 28 August 2009, 04:48pm IST


NEW DELHI: After dithering for five years, the home ministry has removed X-category security to 30 individuals, including former Chief Justice of
India Y S Sabarwal, triggering concern among protectees who are now making all out efforts to retain their police cover.

Home minister P Chidambaram, who himself has refused to take any security, took the decision as he is of the opinion that security should be provided only to those who either face credible threats or are holding Constitutional posts.

With this, the list of X-Category protectees has come down to 20 after a detailed review by security and intelligence agencies, home ministry officials said.

The X-category protectees are given one personal security officer for eight hours, which means sparing three policemen for an individual.

The drill will now be followed for VIPs enjoying Y, Z and Z-plus category security, they said.

As the news of security withdrawal of X-category protectees spread, the home ministry was flooded with requests of VIPs to continue their police cover.

"VIPs from various backgrounds and mostly politicians are trying all possible connections to prove the genuineness of their security cover before the home minister," a senior official said.

Thirty VIPs removed from X-category security list - India - NEWS - The Times of India

 

[NSG_Blackcats]

School principal rapes student during recess​

In a shocking incident, a Jaipur school principal brutally raped a 16-year-old girl for two days in a row on the school premises, while other children were out during recess. The principal of a school in the Ramganj area reportedly called the minor into his room and raped her, muffling her screams with a cloth that he stuffed into her mouth. The child went home and returned to school the next day only to have him do the same thing again. The incident came to light only when the girl broke down after two days of being raped and told her mother what had happened.

Full Story

 

[I-G]

Schoolgirl paraded without top over fee row
Manveer Saini, TNN 29 August 2009, 03:53am IST


CHANDIGARH: In a shocking incident, a Class III student was allegedly humiliated by her class teacher and stripped of her top for not paying the tuition fee. The victim, who is entitled to full fee concession, was made to move from one classroom to another to cries of "shame, shame'', it has been alleged. ( Watch Video )

The incident happened at Faridabad Model School on Friday. The nine-year-old daughter of an autorickshaw driver who had been sanctioned full fee concession by the district education department under a scheme for underpriveleged children told her teacher that she had not paid the school fee.

"The teacher then took off her T-shirt and tried to pull the skirt too. When she failed in her attempt, she paraded my daughter from room to room and made the children say shame, shame,'' the mother said. She claimed she came to know of the incident only when the distraught girl returned from school.

Though school principal H S Malik denied the matter was related to fee, she said the teacher has been suspended. The police, too, took cognizance of the complaint made by the victim's mother against the teacher, Neetu. "We came to know about this incident in the afternoon. I have instructed the police station to register a case,'' police commissioner P K Aggarwal said.

Faridabad's district education officer K Bala claimed ignorance but assured immediate probe and appropriate action against the school management and the teacher. According to reports, the victim was made to pay the fee regularly. Her parents had approached the district administration regarding this and invited the school management's ire.

N L Jangid, president of Parent's Association of Faridabad, said the government had failed to implement fee-related instructions of Punjab and Haryana High Court and Supreme Court.

Schoolgirl paraded without top over fee row - Delhi - City - NEWS - The Times of India

What the hell is happening .

 

[I-G]

School principal rapes student during recess​

In a shocking incident, a Jaipur school principal brutally raped a 16-year-old girl for two days in a row on the school premises, while other children were out during recess. The principal of a school in the Ramganj area reportedly called the minor into his room and raped her, muffling her screams with a cloth that he stuffed into her mouth. The child went home and returned to school the next day only to have him do the same thing again. The incident came to light only when the girl broke down after two days of being raped and told her mother what had happened.

Full Story

Minor raped by school owner
PTI 29 August 2009, 01:20pm IST
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JAIPUR: A 14-year-old girl was allegedly raped by the owner of her school in Ramganj locality here, following which locals thrashed the accused and
indulged in stone pelting.

The girl, a Class VI student of Maharaja Secondary School, was allegedly raped by Ramesh Sain at the school office on Friday, Deputy SP (North) Anil Gothwal said on saturday.

Minor raped by school owner - Jaipur - City - NEWS - The Times of India

 

[I-G]

Surya namaskar should not be made compulsory: court

Surya namaskar should not be made compulsory: court
Saturday, 29 August 2009
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Bhopal, August 29: The Madhya Pradesh High Court in an interim order Friday directed the state government not to force educational institutions to conduct the yoga exercise suraya namaskar, or salutation to the sun.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state government had two years ago made 'surya namaskar' compulsory in schools and colleges - which the minorities, Christians and Muslims, protested as an attempt to impose Hindu rituals on students of minority communities.

The Catholic Church went to the Madhya Pradesh High Court bringing to its notice that the order of the state government violates Section 25 to 30 of the Fundamental Rights of the Constitution under which the minority institutions are governed.

Advocate Rajesh Chand who appeared for the Catholic Church on behalf of Fr. Anand Muttungal (church spokesman) also pointed out that the order was against the interim order of the high court in the same matter in 2007.

He requested the court to give an interim order to stop the state government from making surya namaskar compulsory and initiate action against officials who violate the court order.

"In the light of the above arguments, the Jabalpur bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court comprising of Chief Justice A.K. Patnayik and Ajit Singh, Friday issued an interim order to the government to abstain from exerting any preasure on students and schools that do not take part in the surya namaskar," Rajesh Chand told IANS.

The court, he said, has also issued notices to the chief secretary, principal secretary education, education commissioner, district education officer Jhabua and Rajgarh in this regard.

Archbishop Dr. Leo Cornelio, chairman of the Catholic Bishops' Council, has welcomed the order of the court.

-IANS

Surya namaskar should not be made compulsory: court | Siasat