News and Events - AUGUST 2009

[I-G]

Six sentenced to life imprisonment for dowry death
PTI 21 August 2009, 01:05pm IST


ETAH: Six members of a family were sentenced to life imprisonment for killing a woman, who failed to fulfill their dowry demands, by a local court here.

Judge Gyan Prakash while pronouncing the judgement on Thursday held victim's husband Prempal and his other family members accused in the dowry death case. The accused who are sentenced to life imprisonment are Prempal, Phool Singh, Nannoo, Roopram, Radha and Guddo.

According to prosecution, Shweta was married to Prempal on April 25, 2001. She was constantly harassed by her husband and in-laws for dowry demands.

On June 16, 2004, Shweta was suffocated to death in village Nagla here in the district.

Six sentenced to life imprisonment for dowry death - India - NEWS - The Times of India

 

[I-G]

BSP leader booked for beating Dalit labourer

BSP leader booked for beating Dalit labourer
IANS 21 August 2009, 12:02pm IST


LUCKNOW: A leader of the ruling Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has been booked for allegedly beating a 45-year-old Dalit labourer and making objectionable remarks about him in Ballia district of Uttar Pradesh, police said on Friday.

BSP leader Mukteshwar Singh was booked under the SC/ST (Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes) Act Thursday after he made caste-based comments against Kailash Ram, who had raised objections to alleged anomalies in the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS).

BSP champions the cause of Dalits.

"Ram has accused the local BSP leader and the Jamalpur village head of committing financial irregularities under the NREGS," police Inspector Umesh Chandra Pandey said.

"In his compliant, Ram has alleged that Singh and his aides Thursday barged inside his house and beat him with iron rods and wooden sticks. The assailants also threatened Ram that he would face dire consequences if he reports to the police," he added.

Police are yet to arrest Singh, who is absconding.

Ballia is about 350 km from state capital Lucknow.

BSP leader booked for beating Dalit labourer - India - NEWS - The Times of India

I just cant understand how Madam Mayawati will solve this issue ?

 

[I-G]

UID number could become mobile number also

UID number could become mobile number also

Updated on Friday, August 21, 2009, 14:32 IST Tags:UID number, mobile number

New Delhi: Facing a peculiar situation of exhausting 10-digit mobile numbers, C-DOT, a research and development organisation of the telecom sector, is studying if the Unique Identity Number could be converted into mobile number.

The identity number could be the one to be issued by the government for which an UID Authority has been set up, or any other like driving licence number.


The situation has arisen in the wake of phenomenal growth in the mobile telephony with over 1 crore subscribers being added every month.

"We are carrying out a study to check whether some other ID numbers can be used as the mobile number. The current, 10-digit number will get exhaust soon. So we are looking at this--one number--concept where in a single number can be used for different purposes," C-DOT Executive Director P V Acharya told a news agency.

The Department of Telecom (DoT) is planing to come up with 11-12 digit number, but what is guarantee that this will also not fall short of demand, he said.

"What we have thought is why not have one unique number associated with the person like the social security number in US or the UID. So that unique number we can use for the purpose of mobile communications also," he said.

However, Acharya added that it (the number) is not usable right away as there are certain issues of protocol and standard.

"We are examining whether it is usable and if so then what modifications are required in the infrastructure," he added.

The project is still at a very preliminary stage and no funding has been decided yet for the project. C-DOT has started the study project in May and is likely to come up with some conclusion within a year.

The government is planning to rework the current numbering plan and is already debating with the telecom regulator TRAI whether 11-12 digit numbers could be offered.

The present numbering plan was framed in 2003 to serve estimated 75 crore subscribers until 2030. However, the booming Indian telecom sector is likely to reach 75 crore mobile users much before that as currently India's mobile subscriber base is 44.16 crore.

Reworking the present numbering system means that cell phone numbers could go beyond the usual 10 digit.

However, the cost and technology is a major consideration here. If the operator has to provide a less than 10 digit or more than 10 digit number, they have to invest a lot on upgrading their database.

It is believed that both the government and the industry are looking at a numbering framework that will cause minimum disturbance to existing mobile phone users.

In India, the first numbering plan was announced in 1993. In 2003, a fresh plan came about.

India is not the only country where mobile numbers have had to be changed because of the growth story and new operators joining in. China and the UK are among others to have done it.

Bureau Report

Soon your UID number could become mobile number also

 

[I-G]

Woman professor 'killed' by in-laws


Lucknow, Aug 20 (PTI) A professor of Lucknow University was allegedly killed by her in-laws, who also performed her last rites to avoid any police action, after she was unable to fulfill their dowry demands.

According to a report lodged by victim Savita Devi's brother Sanjeev Kumar at Gosaiganj police station yesterday, the professor died in suspicious circumstances. Kumar alleged that his sister's in-laws had killed her.

He said in the report that Savita was admitted to a hospital on August 17 after she allegedly tried to hang herself. He alleged that there were a number of wound marks on Savita's body.

The last rites of Savita was later performed by her husband and other family members in Barabanki district to evade police action, he alleged.

Savita was working in Home Science department of the Lucknow University on contractual basis.

fullstory

 

[I-G]

Longer jail term for molesters
Sanjeev Shivadekar, TNN 21 August 2009, 01:50am IST


MUMBAI: The state has proposed to increase the prison term for offenders booked in cases of molestation, outraging modesty of women or insulting them by using abusive language, messages, signs or printing material with intention of blackmailing and for those caught for rash and negligent driving. The proposal to amend the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) was tabled and approved in the state cabinet meeting held in Mantralaya on Thursday.

But the government has showed its velvet gloves, also proposing to make some sections offences on which a compromise can be reached between the offender and the complainant. These include Sections 147 (rioting punishable with two years jail and/or fine), 148 (rioting armed with deadly weapon; the punishment in this case is up to three years and/or fine) and 506 (A) (criminal intimidation, punishable with two years jail and/or fine).

"Ordinances for these proposals will have to be promulgated. If there's no Ordinance, then the Bills have to be introduced in the coming Assembly session to be held in Nagpur (winter session),'' law & judiciary principal secretary M N Gillani said. But the amendments would require President Pratibha Patil's consent, he added.

One of the important recommendations involves Section 354 that deals with outraging the modesty of women; the government has suggested increasing the existing punishment from two years to three. Another proposal concerns Section 509 that deals with insulting women by using abusive language, messages, hand signs; it has been proposed that these attract a punishment of one year or fine or both. The state has also proposed to make Section 292 a non-cognisable offence; this deals with printing of material with intention of blackmailing. It has been recommended that the punishment for this be two years of imprisonment or fine or both.

The government has taken a cue from the Alistair Pereira case as well. The Bandra boy was booked under Section 304(A) in the hit-and-run case. The state has now proposed to increase the punishment for this from two to five years if there is a death because of rash and negligent driving. For Section 279 (rash and negligence driving), too, the government has suggested increasing the prison term from six months to one year; the state has proposed the fine be made unlimited from the existing Rs 1000.

Longer jail term for molesters - Mumbai - City - NEWS - The Times of India

Anatomy prof booked for lewd SMSes
TNN 21 August 2009, 05:51am IST


HYDERABAD: An anatomy junior professor of Shadan Institute of Medical Science in Peerancheruvu was taken into custody on Thursday evening for
allegedly sending abusive and threatening SMSes to an MBBS final year girl student. The errant academic, Prof Pathan Feroze Khan, a native of Nellore, was booked for criminal intimidation and insulting the student.

Based on a complaint lodged by the girl's uncle, police began investigation and took the professor to the police station on Thursday evening and grilled him for over five hours. He might be formally arrested on Friday.

According to Humayunnagar inspector of police N Chandrasekhar, "Twenty days ago, the student's maternal uncle lodged a complaint against Pathan stating that he was harassing his niece by sending rude SMS."

As part of the investigation, police seized Sims of both the professor and the student. The professor cunningly sent SMSes through different mobile numbers. However, the student did not delete the text messages, the inspector added.

According to police, the professor had been sending abusive and threatening messages everyday to the student for the past two months.

Anatomy prof booked for lewd SMSes - Hyderabad - City - NEWS - The Times of India

 

[NSG_Blackcats]

Rahul Gandhi takes a Metro after rain brings traffic to halt​

 

[I-G]

Youth tries to throw cow urine on Deshmukh, held

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Share Print E-mail Comment[ - ] Text [ + ]STAFF WRITER 20:28 HRS IST
Mumbai, Aug 22 (PTI) A youth today tried to throw 'gomutra' (cow urine) at Union Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh at Kolhapur in western Maharashtra.

Deshmukh was in Kolhapur to attend a function organised by MLA Satej Patil.

The youth Prashant Majgaonkar tried to spray the liquid on Deshmukh through a spray bottle and was taken into custody by police.

Reacting to the incident, Deshmukh said the police should not take any action against the youth as it would hamper his academic career.

fullstory

 

[I-G]

Dowry' death: 25-year-old girl set ablaze
TNN 23 August 2009, 04:07am IST

A 25-year-old girl, who was allegedly set ablaze by her husband and brother-in-law on Friday night, died in Watgunge early on Saturday. Priti Nandy's husband Manoj and brother-in-law are absconding. She was allegedly killed as she failed to bring the amount of money desired by the duo from her father. Her brother found her in an unconscious state at her CGR Road residence with serious burns. Police have started a case of dowry death.

Youth held for shop ruckus: A 25-year-old youth was arrested for going on the rampage at a shop in Baguiati on Saturday night. Police said Sonu Singh had gone to the shop to get some papers photocopied. He had offered the shopowner a 50-rupee note and asked change. But the latter said he had none, which was followed by an altercation. Sonu turned violent and went on the rampage. Police arrested him after getting a complaint from the shopowner.

Two drown in Hooghly: Two residents of Titagarh drowned near Ramkeshtopur Ghat under Shibpur police station on Saturday evening. Pawan Shau (30) and Bhola Bakshi (35) had come to the Shibpur burning ghat and went to Ramkeshtopur Ghat to take a dip in the river. The bodies have been recovered. Police have ruled out the possibility of foul play.

Dowry' death: 25-year-old girl set ablaze - Kolkata - City - NEWS - The Times of India

 

[I-G]

Dalit rally turns violent in Guj village; many injured

Dalit rally turns violent in Guj village; many injured

STAFF WRITER 23:46 HRS IST

Banaskantha (Guj), Aug 24 (PTI) Police today fired in the air to disperse a violent mob that indulged in ransacking, loot and arson here over the murder of a Dalit youth allegedly by some upper caste people, police said.

The mob used lathis and sharp weapons and hurled stones, injuring scores of people, including Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP) M M Parmar and a dozen policemen at Deesa town, some 28 km from here.

Police used canes, teargas and then fired in the air when rampaging mob refused to disperse.

The rally was organised by Dalits demanding arrest of those involved in the July 31 murder of Ramesh Parmar in Ghada village. The villagers claimed that Ramesh was murdered by some upper-caste people.

Since the incident, all 28 Dalit families of the village had been camping in the premises of revenue office in Deesa demanding arrest of the assailants.

fullstory

 

[I-G]

Violence-hit Uttarakhand town under security blanket

15:59 HRS IST
Dehradun, Aug 24 (PTI) Anti-rioting police were today patrolling the streets of the violence-hit Kaladhungi town in the state where a policeman was burnt alive after the murder of a local BJP leader, even as authorities said the situation was under control.

The situation in Kaladhungi is under control, Inspector General of Police, Kumaon, Ashok Kumar said, adding that police personnel along with PAC and anti-riots troops are patrolling in the town.

A magisterial inquiry has been ordered by the state government into the incident, official sources said.

Violence broke out in the town yesterday over the killing of BJP leader Balwant Singh Kanyal allegedly by BSP activist Neeraj Tiwari in the Kaladhungi police station on Saturday night.

Angry supporters of Singh yesterday attacked the police station, setting it ablaze, and torched over a dozen vehicles, including those belonging to police and state roadways.

fullstory

 

[I-G]

Christians protest use of cross on paper napkins

Christians protest use of cross on paper napkins
Dinesh K Sharma, TNN 25 August 2009, 02:45am IST


FEROZEPUR (PUNJAB): Tempers came to a boil when angry Christians protested the use of paper napkins with patterns of the cross at a wedding
reception in Ferozepur.

An agitated mob not only broke down a door and window panes of the building where the party was in progress on Sunday, but also thrashed the trader who supplied them.

Though no case was filed, police stepped up vigilance and urged residents to maintain peace. Amarnath and Sons, who sold the napkins, generally get their supplies from Delhi. The napkins that led to frayed tempers were said to have come from China.

‘‘The matter was settled amicably around noon after we tendered an unconditional apology for purchasing and using the paper napkins. However, a group of 25 youths started pelting stones and damaged the resort even after that, forcing us to call the police,’’ said Jarnail Singh, the owner of JB Resort, the venue of the wedding party.

Christians protest use of cross on paper napkins - India - NEWS - The Times of India

 

[Flint]

Aha! The Chinese hand! (kidding)

India's secular education system is clearly lacking.

 

[RPK]

Russian government looks to buy golden bed

Russian government looks to buy golden bed | Oddly Enough | Reuters

Russian government looks to buy golden bed


MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia's government has issued a tender for luxury furniture, including a gilded bed, triggering an outcry Wednesday in a country where the economy shrank 10.9 percent in the last quarter.

The interior ministry said it wanted a cherry wood bed and that the "the decorative elements of the head and footboards must be covered with a thin layer of 24 carat gold."

The total value of the furniture tender was 24.4 million roubles ($755,900), according to the procurement agency's site zakupki.gov.ru

"I cannot imagine the need to purchase expensive items during such a difficult financial situation for the country," wrote blogger here shortly after the details became public.

The tender announcement said the bed should be sent to the ministry headquarters. Other items must be delivered to an address in an exclusive dacha district on Moscow's outskirts.

According to Russian newspaper Vedomosti, this is where several senior officials in the interior ministry reside in state-owned homes.

"Golden toilets would be more logical...and a negotiating table should be made of bulletproof and shock resistant material," wrote one comment on the Vedomosti website.

The publication of the tenders comes as part of Russian efforts to improve transparency and boost public confidence in efforts to cut corruption by holding public competitions for state purchases.

 

[natarajan]

oh let this foolish people stop bashing other religion ex:hindu gods in tshirts,games and all teasing other religion then see how this ppl can interfere in private function,govn should put all this stupid for atleast 5 years under communal riot act or something :2guns::2guns:

 

[I-G]

Moscow police detain teenager over bomb plans

Moscow police detain teenager over bomb plans


14:2325/08/2009
MOSCOW, August 25 (RIA Novosti) - Police in Moscow have detained a teenage member of an unnamed neo-Nazi group on suspicion of planning a series of blasts across the capital, an Interior Ministry spokesperson said on Tuesday.

"The arrest was carried out hours before powerful homemade explosive devices were to go off near a World War II monument in a Moscow park, as well as in other public places," the spokesperson for the ministry's anti-extremism department said.

"The suspect was detained by police as he was making his way to the scene," he added.

The teenager was detained in possession of about 2 kg of explosive substances and detonators.

The spokesman also said that investigators had already proven the teenager's involvement in a number of other blasts in Moscow, in which homemade bombs were used.

"In particular these are blasts at a food market in the north of the city, a shopping complex in the northwestern administrative district of the capital, as well as explosions involving a car and a retail

Moscow police detain teenager over bomb plans | Top Russian news and analysis online | 'RIA Novosti' newswire

 

[I-G]

Child bride show attracts viewers, critics

Child bride show attracts viewers, critics

MUMBAI, India (CNN) -- Dressed in fancy clothes, she applies eye liner, dabs her nose with a powder puff and the director shouts, "Silence, rolling!"

On cue, the star of the show delivers her lines. Meet Anandi, the main character of "Balika Vadhu," an Indian television serial. Twelve-year-old Anandi is a child bride who was married off at the age of eight. She now lives with her husband and in-laws, bound by customs and traditions in their home.

The daily soap is just over a year old and already one of India's most highly rated TV shows. An estimated 74 million people watched it in July.

The CEO of Colors, the channel the show airs on, says viewers love it because it's based on reality.

Rajesh Kamat said: "There is enough research on child marriage, the evils of child marriage. We've based our storyline on that."

Kamat added the concept the show was based on is very much real and most of the incidents depicted in the program still happen in parts of India.

Even though the Indian legal age for marriage is 18 for girls and 21 for boys, the law is often ignored.

Since it's an illegal act, it's very hard to find a record of how many child marriages take place -- but according to UNICEF, 40 percent of all child marriages in the world take place in India.

Critics of "Balika Vadhu" say the premise -- that child marriage takes place in India -- is the only real aspect of the show.

The driving force behind child marriage is poverty, says Puja Marwaha, of the children's charity Child Rights and You. She says child brides are often illiterate, malnourished, considered a burden on their parents -- and their lives bear no resemblance to the glossy images seen on TV.

According to Marwaha, the serial glorifies child marriage. "To show it as harmless, is a problem."

"Poverty is not pretty so the child is not going to be wearing party frocks and looking pretty, contented and happy because that's not what really happens. What really happens is the child is forced into adult responsibilities too early. Whether it's the responsibility of motherhood or whether it's linked to abuse, as is the case many times."

That, according to Marwaha, is the reality of child marriage.

The people behind the show say its goal is not to glamorize child marriage -- but to highlight its dark side.

Kamat said: "Have we depicted it in a way that is entertaining? Yes. Is the evil of child marriage highlighted? Yes. Are the evils associated with it highlighted? Absolutely."

In between takes on the set of the show just outside Mumbai, Avika Gor, who plays Anandi, does her part to educate the audience.

"I feel very bad about what's happening to Anandi. Child marriage is very, very, very, very, very, very, very bad."


Some Indian lawmakers argued the show violated the Indian Constitution and demanded the show be banned.

The government looked into it and gave it a clean chit, so the cameras continue to roll on the sets, and the show goes on.

Child bride show attracts viewers, critics - CNN.com

 

[natarajan]

Non-Muslim students fast during Ramzan in US

In an effort to raise awareness about Islamic rituals and customs, non-Muslim students from over 150 colleges and universities across the US and Canada fasted for a day during the ongoing Islamic holy month of Ramzan.
The nationwide event titled 'fast-a-thon', held on October 26, gave Muslim students the opportunity to teach their non-Muslim peers about Ramzan, the Islamic holy month, when believers fast from dawn to dusk, the US information agency reported.
The annual event, organised by the Muslim students association, was also a chance for students from all communities to come together for a good cause.

For every non-Muslim who participates in the event, local businessmen donate money to 'soup kitchens' and other community organisations that help feed the hungry.
Non-Muslim students fast during Ramzan in US

 

[I-G]

'Kaminey' faces ire of Jagannath priests

'Kaminey' faces ire of Jagannath priests
TNN 25 August 2009, 01:51am IST

PURI: A day after priests at the world-famous Jagannath temple burned posters of Vishal Bhardwaj’s latest film, ‘Kaminey’, protesting against this
Shahid Kapoor-starrer containing a ‘‘derogatory reference’’ to Orissa’s reigning deity, the local police on Monday filed a case against the producer of the film alleging blasphemy.

‘‘There’s a scene in the film in which a well-known Hindi phrase, Apna haath Jagannath (self-help is best) is written on the toilet door. A photograph of a scantily-clad woman is alongside. This desecrates the image of our revered god,’’ said Damodar Mahasuar, temple priest.

Police said Kalinga Sena, a Puri-based cultural outfit, had lodged an FIR, alleging blasphemy.

'Kaminey' faces ire of Jagannath priests - Bhubaneswar - City - NEWS - The Times of India

 

[I-G]

China, Pak to construct of dam in occupied area

China, Pak to construct of dam in occupied area

Updated on Tuesday, August 25, 2009, 23:41 IST Tags:China, Pakistan, MoU

Beijing: Pakistan and China have inked an MoU on construction of a hydro-power station at Bunji in Northern Areas, a move that is expected to draw ire from India which maintains that Islamabad cannot undertake any project in the territory under its illegal occupation.


The MoU was part of over six Memoranda of Understanding signed during the ongoing visit of Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari to China.

Pakistan's Presidential spokesman Farhatullah Babar said that the centrepiece of Zardari's visit had been signing of the MoUs for cooperation in education, fisheries, agriculture, dams and investment.

He said the most important of them was the construction of a hydro-power station at Bunji in Northern Areas on 'Build, Operate and Transfer' (BOT) basis, which means that all the investment will be made by Chinese entrepreneurs, Pakistan's official APP news agency reported.

India has been maintaining that the Northern Areas have been illegally occupied by Pakistan.

The dam is estimated to cost between six to seven billion dollars and will have a capacity to generate 7,000 megawatts of electricity.

Babar also said the Pakistan President has invited Chinese companies to bid for construction of over a dozen small and medium-sized dams in all the four provinces of Pakistan. Out of these dams, five will be in Balochistan, four in Sindh and two each in NWFP and Punjab.

Bureau Report

China, Pak ink MoU on construction of dam in Northern Areas

 

[I-G]

In Chhattisgarh, rape charge dismissed on word of accused

In Chhattisgarh, rape charge dismissed on word of accused


If the police elsewhere in India were to follow the approach of their Chhattisgarh counterparts, no case of rape would ever be prosecuted. For the state government has dismissed as “entirely false” a tribal woman’s allegation of gang rape on nothing other than the word of the very men the woman says raped her. Not surprisingly, the men are all leaders or activists of the Salwa Judum counter-insurgency campaign the Chhattisgarh government has promoted with the Central government’s backing.

On August 20, Chhattisgarh filed its long-awaited reply in an ongoing Public Interest Litigation case against Salwa Judum in the Supreme Court.

The petititioners – Nandini Sundar, Ramachandra Guha, E.A.S. Sarma, Manish Kunjam and Kartam Joga – have alleged that the Salwa Judum is guilty of serious crimes against the tribal population of Bastar, including murder, rape and arson. Following the corroboration of many of their allegations by the National Human Rights Commission, the Supreme Court asked the Chhattisgarh authorities to investigate and

punish the perpetrators. An Action Taken Report was filed in January 2009, which the petitioners attacked as inadequate in a detailed affidavit. In March, the government asked for a few weeks to file a reply but finally presented its case only this week.

One of the incidents on which action was expected concerned the March 2008 rape of Ms. M, an 18-year-old girl from Bhandarpadar village, Dantewada district. On April 29, 2009, she filed an affidavit before the Chief Judicial Magristrate in Dantewada naming four Salwa Judum leaders --- Soyam Mukka, Boddu Raja, Dinesh and Tudka --- as her assailants. On June 15, 2009, Ms. M. reiterated her allegations before the magistrate.

In its reply to the Supreme Court, however, the Chhattisgarh government submitted an “enquiry report” dated June 17 stating that Ms. M had left her village and “nobody knows as to where she has gone

away”. The fact that she had appeared before a magistrate two days before this report was written is not mentioned. Instead, the Dantewada Superintendent of Police asserts that since the complainant’s current written address --- just across the border in Andhra Pradesh --- is in another state, “thus the police party could not visit that place”.

Dismissing her complaint about rape by the leaders of the Salwa Judum and Special Police Officers as “entirely false”, the report says: “In this regard, the witnesses, namely Ismail Khan… Boddu Raja, Soyam Mukka and Dinesh Maurya were inquired and their statements recorded”. Nowhere does the enquiry report say that three of the seven “witnesses” are named suspects in the case. Worse, it goes on to assert: “The leaders of Salwa Judum, namely Boddu Raja and Soyam Mukka have stated that the witnesses launched Salwa Judum movement against the naxalites by visiting across the villages in public awareness mission. A fortiori, the frustrated naxalities, in effort to defame and discourage them and put an end to Salwa Judum have planned a strategy and at the instance of naxalites, this lady complainant [Ms. M] has leveled allegations such as rape and robbery”.

Boddu Raja and Soyam Mukka are the prime accused in the rape case. But this did not deter the police from treating their word as sacrosanct in a case that no less an authority than the Supreme Court is seeking action on.

In Chhattisgarh, rape charge dismissed on word of accused @ The Hindu