Bilkis Bano identifies accused

     Mumbai: Bilkis Bano, the key witness of mass murder and rape case during Gujarat riots in 2002, today identified 12 accused, her lawyers said. Bilkis Bano had alleged that a mob of 500 people had attacked her family and at least three women, including her sister, were gang raped on March 3, 2002 during the communal riots. Bano and her husband Yakoob Patel are the only survivors in the family out of the total 16; the rest were burnt alive. Public prosecutor RK Shah said that a special judge hearing the case has now set February 23 for the cross-examination of Bano. "Whatever was remaining has been almost completed today. Whatever remains we will ask her tomorrow. She has identified the accused today and the jeep also. She has identified the clothes which she was wearing at that time." Defence lawyer Gopalsinh Solanki said: "When the evidence will come in front, then only will we cross examine...........then only will we do anything. She has said there were 12 people in all."

Now, George drops a 'Third Front' revival bombshell (Go To Top) 
by KG Vasuki

     Bangalore: Former defence minister and convenor of the opposition National Democratic Alliance (NDA), George Fernandes, has dropped a bombshell of reviving the Third Front. Talking to reporters here a day before voting in the third phase of assembly polls takes place in Bihar and Jharkhand and repolling takes place in four Haryana constituencies, Fernandes said that he was seriously considering a move to revive the Third Front as part of an overall political strategy. He, however, refused to answer whether it was to keep both the Congress and the BJP away. He only said that the Third Front would be used to strengthen the NDA. Fernandes was here to attend a function. He firmly ruled out any chances of an alliance with the Lok Janashakthi Party leader Ramvilas Paswan in Bihar. He expressed confidence about the chances of the NDA coming to power in Bihar, and said that Nitish Kumar had already been declared the chief ministerial candidate of the NDA in the event of it coming to power. He also used the occasion to criticise Congress president Sonia Gandhi for raking up the coffin scam issue during her poll campaigns in Bihar and elsewhere. He said that he had written to the Prime Minister, asking him to order a probe in the issue, but so far he had not received any reply. Fernandes ruled out any hung assembly in Bihar. Though he said he was open to the idea of post poll adjustments, he said that the upcoming results would have a bearing on the UPA government led by Dr. Manmohan Singh.

Union minister Akhilesh Singh barred from entering Motihari (Go To Top)

     Motihari (Bihar): Soon after the externment of RJD MPs Mohammed Shahabuddin and Chief Minister Rabri Devi's brother Sadhu Yadav, another RJD MP and Union Minister Akhilesh Prasad Singh has been barred from entering his Lok Sabha constituency, Motihari. The externment of the MP was ordered on Monday by the District Magistrate cum-District Election Officer, Vinay Kumar for three days "apprehending disturbance during polls". Recently, the DMs of Siwan and Gopalganj had ordered externment of Shahabuddin and Sadhu Yadav from their respective constituencies, fearing poll violence and disturbances. Although the Siwan MP, Shahabuddin, was granted bail by the Patna High Court, he was not be able to come out of jail as the Siwan DM has ordered for his detention till Feb.28 under judicial custody in Beur jail in Patna under Bihar Control of Crime Act. Shahabuddin was lodged in the jail as an accused in the murder case of the CPI-ML worker Munna Choudhury. Similarly, Rabri Devi's brother, Sadhu Yadav had to leave Gopalganj in a huff on Monday following the DM's order. However, the orders have not gone well within the RJD. Party President Lalu Prasad Yadav has taken strong exception to the externment of the RJD MPs from Siwan and Gopalganj and termed the measure as "violation of the constitutional right of a voter".

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