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Security in place for vote counting on Sunday

     Patna/Ranchi/Chandigarh: Paramilitary and police contingents have taken up positions to ensure fool proof security during counting of votes for 243 seats in Bihar, 81 in Jharkhand and 90 in Haryana on Sunday to decide the fate of 2,752 candidates in the assembly elections that ended on February 23. Chief ministers of the three states and an array of ministers and political stalwarts will be waiting with baited breath for results, more so in light of the anti-incumbency spanner thrown in by the exit polls of private TV channels. Besides Chief Minister Rabri Devi, seeking a second term from Raghopur, 3,179 contestents, including leader of the opposition Upendra Singh, state Congress president Ramjatan Sinha, his NCP counterpart Aqil Haider and SP state president Dadan Singh alias Dadan Pahelwan will be on tenterhooks in Bihar on Sunday. The counting in 44 centres spread over 38 districts would also decide the fate of 31 RJD ministers, three Congress ministers and assembly Speaker Sadanand Singh. Of the 243 seats, RJD contested 215, BJP and JD-U 103 and 138, Congress fielded 84 candidates, LJP 168, BSP 238, SP 143, CPI-Ml 88, CPI 15 and CPI-M 12. Paramilitary forces have taken up positions at all the centres, sources said in Patna.

Three killed in Bihar repoll (Go To Top)

     Patna: Repolling in Belaganj and Barachatti assembly constituencies of Bihar claimed three lives, including that of two naxalites. The Naxalites were killed in firing by BSF and CRPF jawans during repolling in the constituencies in Gaya. However, repolling in Surajgarha assembly seat in Lakhisarai district was reported to be peaceful. The Deputy Inspector General of Police (Magadh range), Sunil Kumar said that the naxalites were killed in a fierce encounter with BSF personnel at a booth at Goithamittha village in Barachatti constituency, where repoll was taken up after reports of electoral irregularities. Two self-loading rifles were recovered from the spot. Some naxalites managed to escape with the bodies of their slain colleagues, said the DIG. In a different incident, an alleged booth grabber was killed when CRPF men opened fire at a booth at Harna village in Belaganj where repoll was in progress. The EC has earlier ordered repolling at 459 booths in 81 out of 93 constituencies, which had gone to polls in the third phase on February 23. Repolling is going on, on six booths of Raghopur assembly constituency, from where Chief Minister Rabri Devi is one of the candidates.

Legal hurdles cleared for Monica Bedi's extradition (Go To Top)

     New Delhi: In a major set back to former bollywood starlet Monica Bedi's efforts to halt her extradition to India, the Portugese Constitutional court has rejected her plea seeking the cancellation of extradition orders. A CBI spokesman said the Constitutional court, the apex court in Portugal, dismissed the plea against her extradition on Friday. A CBI team would leave for Portugal after receiving the court's orders to bring back Monica, the girlfriend of Mumbai serial blast accused Abu Salem. She is facing charges of fleeing India on a forged passport and an assumed name with Salem after the bomb blasts. The Portugal police arrested Monica and Salem on September 18, 2002 when they were found travelling with forged passports. The Supreme Court of Portugal has already rejected a petition by underworld don's girlfriend opposing her extradition to India. The little-known Bollywood actress had filed an appeal before the Portugal Supreme Court after the High Court of that country ordered her extradition to India to face trial in a case of securing a fake passport. The Court ruled that Monica had completed her sentence in Portugal for illegal entry and could now be extradited to India to face trial in a case related to possession of forged passport. New Delhi had already given an assurance that she would not be awarded capital punishment, which is banned in Portugal.

     The Indian investigative agency, which has been investigating the case for last three years, had sought Bedi's extradition for obtaining a fake travel document in the name of Sanha Kamal Mallick from Hyderabad. She was caught in Portugal with the same passport. The Supreme Court of Portugal had earlier dismissed her petition seeking her release after completion of her jail sentence of two years in September this year. Bedi had said in her petition that she had completed her sentence on September 17 this year and she should be released. Earlier, Monica had written letters to the President and Prime Minister of India, urging them to grant pardon and cancel all criminal proceedings against her. Bedi was apologetic of her mistake and requested the government to grant her a "second chance." Admitting her "guilt" in forging the passport, Monica had said that she just accompanied Salem and had no knowledge about the 1993 Mumbai bomb blast case.

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