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Kanchi mutt allowed to operate two bank accounts

     Chennai: The cash-strapped Kanchi Kamakoti Mutt today secured some relief from the Madras High Court with Justice K P Sivasubramaniam permitting it to operate two of the accounts in a branch of Indian Bank at Kancheepuram, to meet the day-to- day expenses of the mutt. The interim order, effective till January 25, was issued by the judge on a petition filed by Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetadhipathi Jagadguru Sri Sankaracharya Swamigal mutt, which contended that the money was needed to meet various expenses of the mutt. Earlier in the day, the judge had told counsel for the mutt T R Rajagopal that the mutt could operate an account and had asked Rajagopal to identify which account in the Indian bank the mutt would operate. However, when the court resumed after the lunch recess, Rajagopal sought the court's permission to operate five accounts, which was strongly objected to by the Tamil Nadu public prosecutor K Doraisamy. After this the judge permitted the mutt to operate one current account and one savings bank account. Rajagopal assured the court that the mutt would provide a day-to-day statement of bank transaction to the court. The judge also directed that a copy of the bank transaction be given to the special police team investigating the Sankararaman murder case.

     The mutt had filed a petition on Monday seeking a direction from Madras High Court to restrain the government from interfering with the right of the mutt to operate various bank accounts. "The freezing of bank accounts has now rendered the performance of religious duties impossible," S Mahadevan, manager of the mutt had said in a petition in the High Court, filed on behalf of the mutt. "It is well settled that the mutt is a legal entity and will have to be seen as an entity distinct from the pontiffs, who preside over the mutt," the petition had said, adding that the action had rendered the performance of religious and other duties impossible.

Indian embassy guards shot dead in Nepal (Go To Top)

     Kathmandu: Two Indian security guards were killed in an accidental shooting inside the Indian Embassy in the Nepali capital on Tuesday, an embassy official said. "Initial investigations show that it was a case of accidental firing," official Sanjay Verma told foreign news agency, adding a third guard was injured. No further details were available, The News quoted an embassy official as saying.

     "Tragically in this incident, two of the security guards were killed and one was wounded. The wounded guard is in critical condition in the hospital. As far as we can ascertain from preliminary investigations, the facts are that last night i.e. the 17th, there was an altercation between a couple of security guards. And one of the guards early this morning shot at one of the others, in the process killing two and wounding a third. A full investigation is under way to ascertain the details of the case," External Affairs Ministry spokesman Navtej Sarna. told a press conference in New Delhi.

Bihar's doctors migrate, fearing kidnappings, extortions (Go To Top)

     Patna: Panic-stricken doctors in Bihar are leaving for other parts of the country fearing for their lives from kidnappers. There has been a sharp jump in the number of kidnappings and murder of doctors and traders in the state. With no help forthcoming from state authorities, top medical practitioners are forced to flee the state and rebuild their lives in cities like Delhi and Mumbai, where they work in hospitals. According to the state government figures, at least 36 doctors were kidnapped for ransom in the last two years. "There are doctors who have received extortion calls everyday. They are very disturbed. Many of them have already left Bihar and are settling in other parts like Delhi and Mumbai. They have been good orthopaedic surgeons, physicians, but we could not do anything to stop them. They have left their big bungalows here to live in rented apartments in big cities," said Shahajanand PD Singh, Secretary of Indian Medical Association in Bihar. Singh said that the government is unmoved even after they made several petitions and even took to strikes.

     Late last year, the kidnapping of Ramesh Chandra, a renowned neuro surgeon, had sparked furore among the medical fraternity, who went on strike till he was released after two weeks. Newspapers reported that a huge sum was paid for Chandra's release, which was denied by both the doctor and the government. Police alleges a nexus between kidnappers and local politicians. DP Ojha, the state's former Director General of Police, went to the extent of saying that even the state government was hand-in- glove with the criminals. "It is quite unfortunate that the politicians are also involved in it. And the current state government is also sheltering the criminals. It's a well-known fact. These criminals have support from the politicians. In Bihar, every third politician himself is a criminal," he said. With the forthcoming assembly polls just a month away, police fear rise in number of criminal activities.