News and Events - AUGUST 2009

[I-G]

Death toll rises to 16 in Singrauli blasts
Singrauli, MP (PTI): With the recovery of six more bodies, the death toll in the powerful blast here that rocked two private factories manufacturing explosives for coal mining has climbed to 16, a top official said on Monday.

"Sixteen bodies have been recovered from the site where a powerful explosion rocked two factories of the Bairhan Industrial area yesterday," Singrauli Collector P Narhari told PTI over phone.

The rescue operation is almost complete and the chances of recovery of more bodies from the rubble is remote, the Collector said.

Of the 16 bodies recovered from the site, 13 have been identified, while the rest got totally mutilated and are beyond recognition, Narhari said, adding DNA test would be conducted to identify them.

The post-mortem of the remaining 13 bodies have been conducted after which they were handed over to their family members for performing last rites.

An inquiry will be conducted by the Controller of Explosives to find out the cause of the blast, he said.

A total of 49 persons were injured in the incident and among them 24 were discharged while the rest were undergoing treatment at different hospitals, the collector added.

The Hindu News Update Service

 

[I-G]

Murder case against cops involved in Dehradun 'encounter'
7 Jul 2009, 0951 hrs IST, PTI


DEHRADUN: A case of murder has been registered against the police officials involved in the alleged fake encounter of MBA graduate Ranbir Singh here.

The FIR under section 302 (murder) of the IPC was registered against all the policemen involved in the encounter of the Ghaziabad youth Ranbir Singh, SHO of Raipur police station where the case was lodged said on Monday.

An FIR has also been registered against two DSPs Ajay Kumar and G C Tamta on the basis of a complaint of Ranbir's father Rabindra Pal Singh that they roughed up his family members outside the place where the autopsy of the slain youth was being done.

22-year-old Singh was gunned down by police on Friday last. His autopsy report revealed that he was shot at close range and may have been tortured.

Uttarakhand chief minister Ramesh Pokhariyal Nishank has said that his government is ready for a CBI probe into the death of the youth.

"I have full faith in the CB-CID. But if the family members of Ranbir want a CBI probe into the matter, we will not shy away from it also," Nishank said after meeting Ranbir's father yesterday.

Murder case against cops involved in Dehradun 'encounter' - India - The Times of India

 

[I-G]

Muslim priests at 900-yr-old Shiva temple in Kashmir

Muslim priests at 900-yr-old Shiva temple in Kashmir
8 Jul 2009, 1016 hrs IST, PTI


PAHALGAM (JAMMU AND KASHMIR): Situated on the banks of the icy Lidder river, a 900-year old Shiva temple is the only Hindu shrine in Kashmir valley
which has Muslim priests.

After the migration of Kashmiri Pandits from a nearby village, two Muslim priests - Mohmmad Abdullah and Ghulam Hassan kept the doors of the Mamalaka temple open and bells continued to toll.

"We not only took care of temple but also held 'aartis' everyday," Ghulam Hasan told a correspondent.

Besides ensuring the safety of the 3-feet-long black stone "shivaling", Abdullah and Hassan have ensured no devotee goes without prasad even for a single day.

Built by Raja Jai Suria, the temple was once a must stop over for pilgrims going to the Amarnath cave shrine in South Kashmir Himalayas.

The temple was for long run by a local association of Kashmir Pandits headed by Pandit Radha Krishen.

After his migration from Kashmir in 1989, the temple became a property of the state archaeology, archives and museum department and a protected monument.

While leaving, Pandit gave the charge of the temple to his friend Abdul Bhat, a Muslim, and asked him to keep the gates of the temple open. Keeping the promise, Bhat took care of the temple till his transfer from the area in 2004.

After that Mohammad Abdullah and Ghulam Hassan were entrusted with the task of maintaining the temple.

"We have faith in Lord Shiva. We not only maintained the temple, undertook repairs but also ensured that the temple remains fully functional despite threats from the militants," they said.

"We have fulfilled our task of guarding this shrine for Kashmiri Pandits. It is theirs. We wish they return and take back the control of the temple," they said.

The temple, which has images of Ganesha, Parvati and Hanuman carved in stone, also houses a natural spring.

During the last four years, the number of Hindu devotees to the temple has increased slightly, they said adding these include some visiting Kashmiri Pandit families that left the area as well as tourists.

Muslim priests at 900-yr-old Shiva temple in Kashmir - India - The Times of India

 

[EnlightenedMonk]

^^ A very heartening story indeed... somebody please post this in that pathetic excuse for a forum and let all the hate-mongers there read this for themselves and comment...

 

[I-G]

^^ A very heartening story indeed... somebody please post this in that pathetic excuse for a forum and let all the hate-mongers there read this for themselves and comment...

which forum , u can post the link ?

 

[EnlightenedMonk]

which forum , u can post the link ?

Am sending the link to you in a PM... I don't think its right to post the links to other forums here...

 

[F-14]

" those who sleep can be woken up but can you wake up those who pertaned to sleep "

 

[I-G]

" those who sleep can be woken up but can you wake up those who pertaned to sleep "

There are people sleeping everywhere in every community and every religion .

 

[I-G]

105 dead consuming spuriour liquor in Ahmedabad

105 dead consuming spuriour liquor in Ahmedabad
10 Jul 2009, 1029 hrs IST, IANS


AHMEDABAD: The death toll in one of Gujarat's worst moonshine tragedies rose to 105 even as doctors in four hospitals were trying desperately to
save scores of other critically ill patients, officials said on Friday.

People began dying on Monday after having consumed illicit liquor. By midnight Thursday, 105 lives had been lost.

Authorities said 149 patients admitted to the Civil Hospital, L.G. Hospital, Shardaben Hospital and V.S. Hospital were still critically ill.

"The ICU (intensive care unit) is full of these patients and there are about 60 outside in various wards," said an intern at the Civil Hospital.

He said that the slow poison effect of the brew on the nervous system is claiming lives though many of the patients have been on life support for over three days.

"The last time the state witnessed a liquor tragedy of this scale was in 1989, when 132 people were killed in a matter of days," he added.

Embarrassed by the scale of the tragedy in a state where consumption and sale of liquor is officially banned, police have swept through Gujarat in search of those illegally selling home-made liquor.

On Thursday, Gujarat closed down 1,200 liquor dens and arrested over 800 illegal brewers.

A home department official monitoring the police raids said: "A majority of those arrested deal in country liquor in ghettos in cities, townships and villages."

A police team has also been rushed to Memahdabad, about 35 km from here, to hunt for the person who is believed to have manufactured and supplied the illicit liquor that led to the tragedy. Information about him was given by notorious bootlegger Harishankar Kahar, who was detained by the Crime Branch here Wednesday night.

The government has also announced a four-member commission headed by a former Gujarat High Court judge to probe the tragedy. It will submit its findings by Nov 30.

Gujarat is the country's only state where sale and consumption of liquor is banned in deference to Mahatma Gandhi, a Gujarati who was passionately opposed to liquor.

This has led to a proliferation of illegal liquor dens, whose home-made brew is mostly consumed by those from low income families who can't afford high priced drinks available outside the state.

105 dead consuming spuriour liquor in Ahmedabad - Ahmedabad - Cities - The Times of India

 

[EnlightenedMonk]

If you have prohibition of liquor anywhere bootlegging is the end result...

Why don't they drop all this sham of "Mahatma's State" and hence you cannot consume liquor in his respect and just legalise the entire thing...

By legalising, you only tend to gain more control over the industry through regulations and also earn revenues through taxation...

 

[I-G]

Threat to bomb Indian community centre in Belfast

Threat to bomb Indian community centre in Belfast
10 Jul 2009, 0658 hrs IST, PTI


LONDON: The Indian Community Centre in Belfast has received a threat letter from Protestant extremists asking immigrants to leave Northern ireland
or face bomb attacks.

Besides the Indian centre, the threat letter has been sent to the Belfast Islamic Centre and the Polish Association, reports from Belfast said.

The letter, threatening of racist violence, from the youth wing of the Ulster Defence Association warned: "No sympathy for foreigners, get out of our Queen's country before our bonfire night (July 11) and parade day (July 12).

"Other than that your building will be blown up. Keep Northern Ireland white. Northern Ireland is only for white British."

Patrick Yu, executive director at the Northern Ireland Council for Ethnic Minorities (Nicem), said race-hate crime had grown steadily in Northern Ireland recent years, with increasing incidents of assaults, intimidation, harassment and robberies.

Belfast has a small Indian community comprising entrepreneurs and professionals, including prominent businessman and consul-general of India, Lord Diljit Rana.

Some Indian IT companies also have a base in Belfast and other cities in Northern Ireland.

The Indian centre in Belfast is a voluntary organisation which was established in 1981 in the Carlisle Methodist Memorial Church Hall. The centre works towards the promotion and greater understanding of Indian culture and traditions in Northern Ireland.

It has long been a hub for arts and cultural activities for the Indian community in Northern Ireland, and has always sought to include the wider community wherever possible.

The centre which is also an information point for the Indian community, and is a regular point of contact, runs many activities. It participates in the advocacy and representation of the Indian community at all levels.

Yu added that the extremists "just want to scare people" and discourage foreigners from feeling at home in Northern Ireland.

Threat to bomb Indian community centre in Belfast - Indians Abroad - World - The Times of India

 

[I-G]

One more held in Kandhamal nun rape case

BHUBANESWAR: More than ten months after the alleged rape of a Catholic nun during the Kandhamal riots, one more wanted person was arrested on Thursday, raising the number of those held in the case to 18.

Police said Ghanshyam Bishoyee was rounded up from K Nuagaon in the Baliguda area of Kandhamal district, in connection with the alleged rape of the 29-year-old nun. Bishoyee played a major role in abetting the offender during the incident on August 25, 2008, in the aftermath of the killing of VHP leader Laxmanananda Saraswati on August 23, a senior crime branch officer said.

The nun has already identified three of the 17 persons arrested earlier. — PTI

The Hindu : National : One more held in Kandhamal nun rape case

 

[I-G]

‘Bhyrappa’s writings creating disharmony’

Special Correspondent

MANGALORE: Certain articles written by Kannada writer S.L. Bhyrappa have disturbed the peaceful co-existence of Hindus and Christians, the B.K. Somasekhara Commission, which has been constituted to look into the attacks on churches, was told on Thursday.

Legal adviser to the commission S.R. Raviprakash was recording the statements of the witnesses who had filed affidavits with the commission. Sister Joseph Mary, a retired teacher from Permannur, said one of the great writers of Kannada, Mr. Byrappa, had written articles that created wrong impressions about Christians. She said he had projected the activities of Nobel laureate Mother Theresa and her organisation as the ones aimed at religious conversion. As a result, Hindu youths and their parents had begun to look at Christians with suspicion. She urged the Commission recommend action to stop circulation of such articles in future.

The former president of Ullal City Municipal Council Ruphina Veigas told the commission that both policemen and Bajrang Dal activists had entered the chruch in Permannur armed with stones. She said that she had seen them entering the premises throwing stones at the church. She alleged that she had seen policemen breaking window panes of the church.

She said she had questioned the then Superintendent of Police N. Satheesh Kumar, who was there on the spot, about this. She quoted Mr. Kumar as saying, “You have created enough trouble by conversion (of Hindus to Christianity). Run from here. Or we will take more stringent action.” She said she had recognised officers such as Jayanth Shetty and Shivaprakash in the crowd that day at Permannur.

She accused the policemen of walking on the holy place in the church wearing shoes. The miscreants had damaged several idols. She said police had arrested many Christians but spared Bajrang Dal activists who were actually seen “dancing”.

Police had also taken away motorcycles in a lorry, Mr. Veigas stated.

She said she had gone to the Ullal police station twice that evening but was sent away saying prohibitory orders were in place. She alleged that the attack on the church was pre-planned.

The Hindu : Karnataka / Mangalore News : ‘Bhyrappa’s writings creating disharmony’

 

[I-G]

8 HIV +ve students expelled from school

AIDS stigma: 8 HIV +ve students expelled from school
Zeenews Bureau

Latur, July 10: In a pointer to the social stigma that is still attached to AIDS, eight HIV positive students of district council school at Hasegaon village in Latur district of Maharashtra were expelled from school due to the strong opposition from other students and their parents.

The students were expelled after 140 of the total 230 students’ boycotted classes as they fear that they may contract the disease from the positive children.

In fact, for the past few days, this school in the Marathwada region has been flooded with requests by parents for transfer certificates (TC).

Yesterday, district education officer D Joshi, his deputy S Sonawane, and other officials visited the village and had discussions with Sewalaya director Ravi Bapatley, but nothing positive was achieved.

The education officer said, “We are trying our best to clear the doubts and misconceptions about the disease, but the adamant wards and parents are in no mood to listen to us.”

“We even had doctor for the counselling who clarified to the parents that their children were safe even if they came in contact with the HIV positive kids,” he added.

The headmaster of the school Dharmraj Sathe had yesterday said, "We will give admission to as many Aids-affected children as we can because we know AIDS does not spread by dining or playing together.

But now it’s apparent that he had to bow to the pressure from other children and their parents.

The HIV positive children are staying in an ashram in Hasegaon village run by an non-governmental organisation Ahmi Sevak for orphans and HIV-positive children.

Eight students from this ashram, Sewalaya, were studying in the zilla parishad (district council) school. Since the past few days there were rumours in the village that if anybody dines or plays with the HIV/AIDS patients, they will also contract the infection.

AIDS stigma: 8 HIV +ve students expelled from school

 

[I-G]

18-month-old raped, killed by 38-yr-old

18-month-old raped, killed by 38-yr-old
10 Jul 2009, 0251 hrs IST, TNN


AMRAVATI: A 38-year-old man allegedly raped and then murdered an 18-month-old girl at Dongaryawali village, 8 km from Morshi, in the wee hours of
Wednesday.

Police said that the victim’s father used to work as a watchman at a farm. The accused Sanjay Gajabe sneaked into their house and took away the victim to a farm where he did the heinous act. Sanjay then killed her and threw the body in a well. The victim’s family launched a frantic search and found her body floating in the well.

The victim’s father filed a complaint with the police accusing Sanjay of killing his daughter. Subsequently, the police arrested Sanjay the same day. Sources said Sanjay has confessed to the crime.

18-month-old raped, killed by 38-yr-old - Nagpur - Cities - The Times of India

This is really very disturbing

 

[I-G]

Liquor tragedy mastermind 'identified'
IANS 11 July 2009, 04:07pm IST
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AHMEDABAD: The Crime Branch of Ahmedabad police on Saturday claimed to have identified the mastermind behind the moonshine tragedy which has so far

claimed 136 lives in the city.

"We have identified one bootlegger named Vinod Dagri, who is a resident of Mehamdabad (near Ahmedabad), to be the mastermind behind the supply of the killer country liquor. He has been absconding since the tragedy happened and our team is now hunting for him across the state," Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) of Ahmedabad Crime Branch Abhay Chudasma, told reporters on Saturday.

He alleged it was Dagri who had supplied 1,000 litres of country liquor to Ahmedabad-based bootlegger Harishankar Kahar alias Hari Om, that resulted in so many casualties. Kahar has been arrested.

The Crime Branch is also looking for Abdul Shara, another alleged bootlegger from Kankadiwad locality in Ahmedabad, who is also suspected to be involved in supplying the killer liquor in the affected areas of this city.

The police are also hunting for the people who supplied the chemicals that were mixed with the brew.

"The arrested bootlegger Harishankar Kahar has told the Crime Branch that he purchased 1,000 litres of country liquor from Vinod Dagri in Mehamdabad, which provided us the lead to hunt for Dagri immediately," Chudasma said.

He said that three of Kahar's key accomplices - Vipul Lohar, Uttam Lohar and Himmatsinh - were arrested by the police Saturday morning. "This will provide us further leads in the case," he said.

Meanwhile, the Gujarat Congress continued its attack on Chief Minister Narendra Modi for the tragedy caused by drinking illicit liquor. Leader of Opposition in the Gujarat assembly Shaktisinh Gohil told reporters that the chief minister was trying to shield the bootleggers by not taking appropriate action to arrest them.

Gujarat Congress president Siddharth Patel said his party legislators would continue to raise the issue of the tragedy both within and outside the Gujarat assembly in the coming days.

Liquor tragedy mastermind 'identified' - Ahmedabad - City - NEWS - The Times of India

 

[p2prada]

If you have prohibition of liquor anywhere bootlegging is the end result...

Why don't they drop all this sham of "Mahatma's State" and hence you cannot consume liquor in his respect and just legalise the entire thing...

By legalising, you only tend to gain more control over the industry through regulations and also earn revenues through taxation...

Unfortunately, it will still not prevent the villagers and the poor from consuming spurious liquor which is cheap and tax free.

 

[I-G]

Iran says it is first in Mideast to clone a cow

Iran says it is first in Mideast to clone a cow

Isafahan, Iran (AP): Iran says it has become the first country in the Middle East to clone a cow.

The leader of the project says it is part of Iran's research with stem cells. Iran has announced in the past that it cloned a goat and a sheep.

Besides its nuclear activity and nascent space program, Iran has sought to highlight advances in other technologies such as cloning and medicine.

The government set a goal to become a regional leader in advanced sciences and technology by 2025.

Mohammed Hossein Nasr-e-Isfahani says the male cow, named Bonyana, was born on Saturday in the city of Isfahan in central Iran. He is the head the Royan Research Institute.

Mr. Isfahani said the cloning animals could lead to advances in medical research.

The Hindu News Update Service

 

[I-G]

A temple, where devotees offer liquor to deity

A temple, where devotees offer liquor to deity
IANS 12 July 2009, 09:30pm IST


SARDANA: This temple in Uttar Pradesh's Sitapur district doesn't have an idol or a priest and devotees don't make floral offering. They offer liquor

to the deity -- a saint who lived in the area around 150 years ago and was said to enjoy his drink in the evening and had a knack of clairvoyance and curing people.

Welcome to the Khabees Baba temple situated in a forest area near Sandana town in Sitapur district, some 80 km from Lucknow, where devotees offer liquor to the deity.

According to locals, the temple was built around 150 years ago in memory of a saint named Khabees Baba, who devoted his life worshipping Lord Shiva in Sitapur.

"It is believed that Khabees Baba died in the Sandana forest while worshipping Lord Shiva. So, in order to pay homage to their guru, Baba's disciples constructed the temple at the place where he died," Shyam Babu Saini, a teacher and resident of Sandana, said.

The temple is popular not only amongst the locals in Sitapur; devotees from different parts of Uttar Pradesh and elsewhere too visit the temple.

"Though devotees visit the temple round-the-year, they throng here in large numbers during the month of Ashadh of the Hindu calendar, especially on the occasion of Guru Poornima," said Saini.

Locals say Khabees Baba was fond of liquor and whatever he used to say under its influence proved to be true.

"We have been told by our ancestors that a large number of people used to meet Khabees Baba Monday evenings, when he used to get drunk," said Praveen Kumar, 65, a resident of the Roti Godam area of Sitapur. He visits the temple often.

"People, especially those with chronic health problems, used to come to Khabees Baba. An inebriated Baba used to bless them and their health problems used to be cured," he added.

The small temple has no idol inside, instead there is a raised platform on which rests two slipper-shaped structures that are taken to symbolise the feet of the saint, locals say.

Devotees coming to the temple offer liquor on these clay structures, while a small portion of liquor around the symbolic feet is collected and distributed as prasad (offering) among the devotees.

There is no priest in the temple and the locals themselves take care of its maintenance, taking turns to do so.

A temple, where devotees offer liquor to deity - Mad, Mad World - World - NEWS - The Times of India

 

[I-G]

Hooch tragedy: Dadu Charra, 3 women bootleggers held

Ahmedabad, July 12: Four bootleggers, including absconding accused Dadu Charra, have been arrested today for supplying spurious liquor in the city which claimed over 130 lives, police said.

"We have arrested Yogendra alias Dadu Chara (28) who had brought the spurious brew from main bootlegger Vinod Chauhan alias Dagri who operates from Mahemdabad and supplied it to Odhav and Majoor Gam areas," Deputy Commissioner of Police Abhay Chudasama told reporters here.

"Along with Dadu, we have also arrested three women bootleggers who are basically sub-dealers of Dadu and one Harishankar Kahar. They bought illicit liquor from them and sold it in the city," Chudasama said.

The women bootleggers include Lata Chunara (30), Kanta Vaghela (60) and Kanta Rathod (65), he added.

According to police, Dadu has three cases under Prohibition Act registered against him. He was also booked under PASA (Prevention of Anti-social Activities) Act in 2008 and sent to Porbander jail.

Another supplier Harishankar Kahar, who had also brought the illicit liquor from Chauhan, and three of his associates, are presently under police custody and are being interrogated.

With the arrest of Dadu, policemen are hopeful that Chauhan too will be arrested soon.

The police across the state continued crackdown on illicit liquor dens and manufacturing units.

In Vadodara, 12 persons including eight women have been detained in connection with hooch trade in Sama locality, J Desai, Police Inspector, Fatehgunj police station said.

He said the police team raided Sama area where illicit liquor was being manufactured.

Police seized materials used for making spurious liquor and detained 12 persons, including eight women.

They said at some places, children were employed for manufacturing spurious liquor. Further investigations are on, the police said.

Meanwhile, 57 persons have been held in connection with 73 cases related to recovery and consumption of country-made liquor from various parts of the city.

Besides this, 48 cases related to prohibition have been registered against the bootleggers in Vadodara city, the police added.

Hooch tragedy: Dadu Charra, 3 women bootleggers held