10 Maoists killed in eastern Hazaribag

     Hazaribagh: The police in Jharkhand, a hotbed of Maoists, claim to have gunned down 10 rebels in a fierce encounter early on Tuesday, barely a week after the guerillas held hostage of over 200 passengers in a train but eventually left them unhurt, in a daring show of strength. Several Maoists were also injured in the fighting. Pravin Kumar Singh, Superintendent of Police, Hazaribagh, said the encounter, which was carried out jointly by the state police and paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force, took place along Hazaribagh and neighbouring Bihar's Gaya district. "Killing of Maoists in such large number is indicative of our success. And it is a big achievement for us that we could kill them in such large numbers and seize a huge cache of arms with them," said Kumar. The group was active in Bihar and also suspected to be behind the daring Jehanabad jailbreak. The rebels, who operate out of jungle bases in nine Indian states, mainly in the southern and eastern parts of the country, claim to be fighting for the rights of poor peasants and landless labourers in an insurgency that has killed thousands over four decades. Police estimate there are as many as 20,000 Maoists, known as Naxalites, named after the town of Naxalbari in West Bengal where the movement began in 1967. They have links with Maoist rebels in neighbouring Nepal.

Protest by missionary group (Go To Top)

     Jaipur: Thousands of Christians took out a silent march across the Pink City on Tuesday after the BJP Government froze the bank accounts of a Christian missionary over allegations of funding literature defaming Hindu gods. A book controversy concerning a publication by Emmanuel Mission, a Christian missionary group, had generated waves of protests in the state earlier this month. The book allegedly contained offensive remarks against Hindu Gods and has been banned in India. Police has also arrested its Hindi translator Dennis Nathaniel. Father Remond Kohilo, president of Rajasthan Christian Fellowship, said the state government had failed to protect the interest of the minority communities. The book is said to be an analytical study on another book written by a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leader. The Emmanuel Mission has earlier been in controversy for forcefully converting people to Christianity. Religious conversions by Christian missionaries have been a sore point with right wing Hindu groups who question the motive behind working among the economically and socially backward people. Reports of mass conversions with impoverished tribals turning to Christianity in lieu of free food and medical aid are fairly frequent from the interior regions of the country.

Probe into NDDB (Go To Top)

     New Delhi: Following a complaint lodged by former National Dairy Development Board Chairman, Verghese Kurien, the Union Finance Ministry has ordered a probe against the institution. Kurien, who resigned as Chairman of Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation also demanded the removal of Amrita Patel from the National Dairy Development Board. Reports say that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has told Kurien to find a replacement for Patel. In a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress party leader Sonia Gandhi, Kurien said the Board was involved in financial anamolies in connivance with dairies in Baramati in Maharashtra. The minister in charge of the department Sharad Pawar has been asked to submit a report in the wake of the complaint. The doyen of India's cooperation movement and "white revolution," Verghese Kurien, on Monday resigned as member and chairman of the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF) in anticipation of a no-confidence motion. He has been chairman since the inception in 1973 of the GCMMF, which markets the Amul brand milk and milk products. Only three months ago, Dr. Kurien (84) was unanimously re-elected for three years by the same board of directors, which, he said, turned against him suddenly now. Dr. Kurien, who was chairman of the National Dairy Development Board from its inception in 1965, voluntarily resigned in favour of Dr. Amrita Patel in 1999. Another institution he built up is Institute of Rural Management, Anand (IRMA).

Suspended Khurana has new platform (Go To Top)

     New Delhi: Taking part in expelled BJP leader Uma Bharati's massive rally at Ramlila ground here today, the recently suspended BJP leader Madan Lal Khurana today announced of launching a new platform called the "Delhi Bachao Morcha" to which he referred as one that would pay attention and raise issues and problems faced by the people of Delhi. Khurana, who is at loggerheads with former party chief LK Advani, was suspended for the second time from the BJP on Sunday, hours after he declared his plans to attend a public rally by rebel leader Uma Bharati and dared the BJP's top brass to take action against him for the move. Khurana, an open critic of Advani, had last faced suspension in July 2005 but was taken back into the party at the behest of former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee.

    Khurana quit as the Governor of Rajasthan in October 2004, serving less than a year of his five-year term, to return to what he said "active politics" but has not been rehabilitated among party office-bearers.

Bhrigu Phukan passes away (Go To Top)

      New Delhi: Former Asom Home Minister and student leader Bhrigu Kumar Phukan passed away on Tuesday morning in New Delhi following multiple organ failure. The Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) leader was undergoing treatment at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) for liver and lung ailments for last three weeks. Phukan was brought to Delhi from Guwahati about three weeks back for treatment after his condition deteriorated and he had been on life support system for last six days. Phukan is survived by his wife and a daughter. His body is expected to be flown to Guwahati for last rites tomorrow. Phukan, a law graduate, was a leading figure of the six-year-old agitation (1979-85) against illegal migrants by All Assam Students' Union along with former Chief Minister of Asom, Prafulla Kumar Mahanta. He was one of the signatories to the 1985 historic Assam Accord between the AASU and the Centre that brought to an end the bloodshed during the six-year anti-foreigners agitation. He later became a senior leader of the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), the political party formed by the student activists, and served as state's Home Minister.

Abhishek Kasliwal in judicial remand (Go To Top)

    Mumbai: A local court on Tuesday remanded rape accused Abhishek Kasliwal, the scion of Shri Ram Mills till April 3. Twenty-six-year old Abhishek Kasliwal, the son of Ambuja Kasliwal, the owner of Shree Ram Mills has been facing charges of allegedly raping a 52-year old woman According to sources the police would conduct an identification parade tomorrow. Earlier, Kasliwal was in police custody and was remanded to judicial custody till today. Meanwhile, the state forensic science laboratory at Kalina claims in its report that the 52-year-old woman, who is complainant in the case, was raped. It is likely to submit the report to the city police later today. On March 18, Kasliwal underwent brainmapping and polygraph tests at the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL), Bangalore. However, the reports of the tests conducted on Kasliwal at the CFSL in Bangalore will reach the police by the end of this week. On March 17, a local court had rejected the bail plea of Kasliwal and sent him to police custody till today. On March 12, Police had arrested Kasliwal, following allegation of rape lodged by a woman. The woman in her complaint stated that she was waiting for transport near Churchgate while on her way to home around midnight on March 11. Kasliwal who was reportedly drunk, offered her a lift in his bottle-green Mercedes car. It has been alleged by the lady that Kasliwal drove her to the Sriram Mills in Worli where he raped her four times. The police sent her to St George's Hospital and Nagpada police hospital for medical examination. Preliminary reports suggested of rape and assault.

Pakistan confirms bird flu (Go To Top)

     Karachi: Pakistan has confirmed the existence of bird flu in the country. A government spokesman announced that the outbreak of the deadly H5N1 strain of the virus had been confirmed in the country, reports The News. The virus was detected in chickens at two farms in northwestern Pakistan, and they have been sealed off, said Mohammad Afzal, spokesman for the Food, Agriculture and Livestock ministry. He further said that the presence of the strain was also confirmed by the European Union's (EU's) Reference Laboratory for Avian Influenza in Weybridge, England.

Sensex crosses 11,000 points mark (Go To Top)

     Mumbai: Supported by heavy buying by Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) and domestic funds in the bluechip stocks, the country's benchmark index created history on Tuesday as the Sensex crossed 11,000 points mark for the first time. After opening 4.51 points up at 10,945.62, the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) 30-share sensitive index crossed the psychological barrier of 11,000 points mark in the early morning trading. The benchmark index jumped nearly 60 points to scale a new life- time high of 11,001.50 early in the opening trade. The Sensex has covered the journey from 10,000 points mark to 11,000 points mark in 29 trading sessions. The benchmark index had crossed the 10,000 points mark on February 6, 2006.

Dalmiya files application for bail (Go To Top)

     Mumbai: Former BCCI chief Jagmohan Dalmiya has filed an application for anticipatory bail in the Mumbai High Court. The move comes as a response to BCCI's FIR against him in the Marine Lines Police Station last week. Dalmiya has been accused by the current BCCI regime of swindling funds from a committee formed to host the 1996 World Cup and misappropriation of money received in television rights. The BCCI alleges that a sum of almost Rs 21 crore is unexplained.

Injured Tendulkar out of ODIs (Go To Top)

     New Delhi: Master blaster Sachin Tendulkar will not play the one-day series against England as he has been asked by doctors to undergo a right shoulder operation at the earliest. BCCI sources said that Tendulkar will go to London for his surgery and will require at least eight weeks rest thereafter. Last year he was diagnosed with this injury when he was on the Sri Lanka tour and was being treated by the team physio John Gloster. Meanwhile, the Indian squad for the first three ODIs was announced today. The national selection committee have included pacer Munaf Patel in the squad in the wake of his credible performances in the Mohali and Mumbai Test matches. Andhra Pradesh batsman Venugopal Rao, who was dropped from the Pakistan tour, has also been recalled and will probably play in place of Tendulkar. The Indian ODI squad is as follows: Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Rahul Dravid, Yuvraj Singh, Mohammad Kaif, Suresh Raina, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Irfan Pathan, Venugopal Rao, Munaf Patel, Sreesanth, Harbhajan Singh, Ajit Agarkar, Ramesh Powar, Rudra Pratap Singh.

Back to Headlines                  Go To Top