Sunny Rawat confesses to killing Meher

     Lucknow: Lucknow's Meher Bhargava murder case took a new twist today when Sunny Rawat, the man in the custody of Lucknow Police, admitted that he had shot Congress leader Luv Bhargav's wife on February 28. The confession came barely 24 hours after he yesterday claimed that it was indeed Sachin Pahari, who pulled the trigger. Sunny Rawat reportedly confessed that he was feeling guilty now about the crime. Till Wednesday, Sachin Pahadi, who has close links with the Samajwadi Party leadership, was named as the alleged shooter. Pahadi is said to have fired at Meher's neck after she asked him and his friends to apologise for making lewd remarks against her daughter-in-law, Kavita. Sunny was arrested on Wedensday, after the police failed in its attempt to capture the prime accused Sachin Pahadi in the crowded Kaiserbagh area of Lucknow that also witnessed gunfire in which Pahadi was reportedly said to have been injured. However, it was the driver of Meher Bhargava who first dismissed that Pahadi was the alleged shooter.

    The driver, who was present at the site of the incident, had seen the shooter from a very close distance as he had pulled up the four men to come near the vehicle after Meher asked them to say sorry for their indecent remarks. He had earlier said that it was Sunny not Sachin who had triggered the gun. "I asked my driver not just once, but 10 times. I asked him whether he was 110 per cent sure. He said he could never forget the killer's face. That leads me to believe that the killer is in police custody," said Luv Bhargava, husband of the deceased. However, UP Police remained firm on its earlier statement that Pahadi was the alleged shooter. "We stand by our investigation. It's only after an identification parade that we can say if Rawat is the real killer or not," Senior Superintendent of Police, Lucknow, Ashutosh Pandey had said. It was only after an identification carried last evening where Meher's driver identified Rawat as the alleged killer. On Wednesday, Sunny while speaking to reporters had named Sachin as the main culprit. "I do not know what went wrong with him as he pulled out the gun and shot at the lady," Sunny said . But today UP police said that Rawat has confessed to have shot Meher. Meher's death evoked huge response and concern from the general mass as the people criticised the administration for not taking action against the criminals as they were said to be associated with the ruling party of Uttar Pradesh.

Manohar Shyam Joshi dead (Go To Top)

      New Delhi: Eminent Hindi writer and the creator of popular television soaps 'Humlog' and 'Buniyad', Manohar Shyam Joshi, passed away this morning following a brief illness. He was 72. "The Father of Indian Soap Operas", as he was often regarded as, had left an everlasting impression upon the minds of the viewers, and his demise has cast gloom over the entire Hindi literary and film fraternity. Joshi was born on August 9, 1933 in Almora (Uttaranchal). His creation and Indian telvision's first soap opera 'HumLog' started in 1982, dealt with the everyday lives of people. Shyam Joshi was one of the first post modernist authors in modern Hindi literature, and is also known for the novels he had written on a wide range of topics ranging from Kumaoni traditions (Kasap) to political satire like 'Netaji Kahin'. Some of his prominent literary works included Kasap, Netaji Kahin Kuru Kuru Swaahaa, Hariya Hercules ki Hairaani, Baaton-Baaton Mein, Mandir Ghaat ki Pauriyaan, Kaise Kissago, Ek Durlabh Vyaktitva, Ta Ta Professor Kyaap and Hamzaad. Besides, Shyam Joshi also created many well known television serials, including Humlog, Buniyad, Kakaji Kahin, Mungeri Lal ke Haseen Sapne, Hamrahi, Zameen Aasman and Gatha. Shyam Joshi also wrote scripts of Hindi movies like Hey Ram, Papa Kahte Hain, Apu Raja and Bhrashtachar.

VP Singh detained at demolition site (Go To Top)

      New Delhi: Former Prime Minister V. P. Singh was today detained by the police while protesting against the demolition started on Wednesday at Fly-ash pound on Ring Road near Pragati Maidan here. About 1, 200 jhuggis are being removed following a High Court order, and Singh was protesting against it when he was detained by the police to proceed to the slum site and confined to the Tilak Marg police station for hours. V. P. Singh had discussions, yesterday with the residents of the slum dwellers where a power plant is proposed to be constructed. "The arrest is not an issue. The issue is that the government has issued an ordinance (G. O), in which it has committed that if any one is displaced, an alternate plot would be provided immediately. We want the government should follow its own ordinance apart from following the Supreme Court's order. Ajay Maken has also assured some days back that rehabilitation would be done immediately. One can see Congress's manifesto also. If the government follows its manifesto and the ordinance, I have no dispute," said Singh. He also charged the government for setting aside its own commitment by evicting those who have been living since 1998. "They said that they will not displace those who came in or before 1998 but we have proof that they have displaced many of them. We just want that all of them should be provided with alternate land," he added. However, a senior police officer of Delhi Police said that V. P. Singh was not arrested but requested not to visit the place of demolition. "Delhi police has not detained or arrested any one today in this regard. I learnt that some persons believe that V. P. Singh has been arrested. V. P. Singh was only requested not to go to Fly- ash pound as major demolition was carried out there and situation may get worsen with his visit," said the police officer. Delhi High Court, on March 1 ordered the removal of over 1,000 unauthorized structures and slums from the land and had asked Delhi Development Authority, Municipal Corporation of Delhi and other Government agencies to give explanation as to how over 2,800 jhuggis were relocated at the place which was unfit for human dwelling.

Warrant against MCD Commissioner

       New Delhi: A bailable warrant has been issued against Municipal Corporation of Delhi Commissioner A K Nigam for "misleading" the Delhi High Court on some demolitions carried out by the civic authority in the capital. High Court Justice Pradip Nandrajog issued the warrant that sought Nigam's presence before the court on April 18. The court order came even as Delhi's traders went on a 48-hour strike, closing down almost all major markets in the city, to protest the sealing of shops operating in residential areas. Responding to the shutdown call given by trade bodies, shops in Greater Kailash, Karol Bagh, Lajpat Nagar, South Extension, Moti Nagar, Patel Nagar, Rajendra Nagar, Naraina, Rohini, Pitampura, Paharganj, Green Park and Shahdara downed their shutters, traders claimed. Markets in Nehru Place, Hauz Khas, Uttam Nagar, Mayur Vihar, Gandhi Nagar and Patparganj were also affected to some extent, while shops in Connaught Place and Chandni Chowk were open as both the market associations are not participating in the strike. Traders said the 48-hour strike was "just a warning and if the government is not taking note of their legitimate grievances, they will intensify their agitation in the coming days." "Our demands are that the basement area of buildings should be allowed to be used as godowns, offices should be permitted to function in first, second and third floors and the MCD should take traders into confidence before taking any decision," General Secretary of the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) Praveen Khandelwal said. He also asked the MCD to notify the remaining 71 of the total 189 roads in residential areas identified by the civic body for mixed land use purpose.

Charles, Camilla visit Mehrangarh Fort (Go To Top)

      Jodhpur: Britain's royal couple, Prince Charles and wife Camilla Parker Bowles, on Thursday visited one of the country's biggest and magnificent royal forts in Rajasthan where they were hosted by Jodhpur's royal family. The royal couple carried a traditional wooden hand-held fan to fend of the scorching desert heat, and walked through the compound of the sprawling 15th century Mehrangarh Fort, along with Maharaja of Jodhpur, Gaj Singh II and his wife Maharani Hemlata Raje. The Mehrangarh (Majestic) Fort atop a 125-meter hill, is the epicentre of the desert town and gives a bird's eye view of the entire settlements from its four vantage points. The massive complex with walls over 21-meters wide, houses four palaces and apartments made in exquisite stained glass and stones mash is an architectural wonder, and is one of the country's biggest tourists attractions. The heir to the British throne and his wife are on a six-day private tour of India. This is the third visit of Prince Charles to India since 1992 to what was once the jewel in the crown of the British Empire. The royal couple will be skipping the Taj Mahal, a 17th century- wonder in pure white marble. During the 1992 visit of Charles with his former wife, Diana was photographed alone in front of the monument of love, in what became a defining image of their impending split. The royal couple is on the last leg of the month-long foreign tour, which included a visit to Egypt and Saudi Arabia.

Four doctors arrested in AIIMS case (Go To Top)

      New Delhi: In a major breakthrough in the infamous paper leak case of the All India Post-Graduate Medical Entrance Examination (AIPGMEE), four people were arrested as the CBI conducted country-wide raids at more than 41 places across Uttar Pradesh, Pondicherry, Tamil Nadu and Delhi on Thursday. According to a senior CBI official, the CBI had raided the houses of 35 doctors in Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry, including seven in the city, in connection with the case. As per the initial investigations, a group of doctors organised the whole thing in which the question papers from the examination hall were taken out and answers sent through SMS to the entrance test candidates, who were carrying mobile phones in the examination centres. ''Investigations revealed that candidates had arranged cell phones on the day of the examination for receiving answers through SMS on their cell phones,'' added the official. Further searches and subsequent examination of the suspected doctors revealed that they had collected from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 10 lakh from each candidate. The names of the four doctors arrested were given as P Sathish Kumar (26), Vijay Kannan (25), both pursuing PG courses, Ravi Kannan (28) and N Bhasker (30), both completed their PG from JIPMER in Pondicherry.

   A case was registered on March 27 following complaint of the Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry after the reported malpractices in such a prestigious medical entrance examination surfaced. During preliminary enquiry, it was found that out of the 1,006 seats, 424 candidates had been selected from Chennai centre alone. Also, in the list of first 100 candidates, 37 figured from the Chennai Centre. The CBI had registered two cases on Monday under different sections of the IPC for cheating, forgery and under the Prevention of Corruption Act against 28 suspected doctors. Out of the two cases, one was registered in Chennai against 22 doctors and unknown public servants and searches were conducted in Chennai, Erode, Madurai, Dindigul, Cuddalore, Kanyakumari, Salem, Villupuram, Perambalur, Pudukottai, Namakkal, Tuticorin and Pondicherry on Wednesday. The other case was registered in Delhi against six doctors (candidates in the entrance test) and unknown public servants. In this connection, searches were conducted at six places in Delhi.

Shyam Saran meets Rice over nuke deal (Go To Top)

      Washington: India's Foreign Secretary, Shyam Saran, who is currently on a three-day visit to Washington, has had a meeting with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and discussed the progress made in the crucial July 18, 2005 Indo-US nuclear deal. The deal, which was formalised on March 2 during the visit of US Preseident George W Bush, is presently being discussed in the US Senate for its ratification. The White House is reported to be under pressure to convince the US Congress about the need for ratifying a deal that could overtun existing American law on proliferation. Rice and Saran are reported to have discussed ways to take the historic deal forward, besides other bilateral issues. Saran's discussions with the American leadership are taking place even as former President Jimmy Carter has warned that the nuclear accord could open a pandora's box. Saran's Washington agenda includes convincing 'sceptic' US Senators about India's strong commitment to non-proliferation of nuclear technology and a sound record on this front. Saran will be meeting Under Secretary of State for Non Proliferation and International Security Robert Joseph and Under Secretary for Global Affairs Paula Dobriansky later in the day. Today, he is also scheduled to meet a number of US Senators, including ranking Senate Foreign Relations Committee member, Joseph Biden, Chairman of the International Relations Committee Henry Hyde, Democrat Tom Lantos and Co-Chair of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans Gary Ackerman, a strong votary of the civilian nuclear deal. On Tuesday, Saran had a long meeting with US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns and other State Department officials over lunch, where Washington has supposedly assured New Delhi of its strong commitment to working with the US Senate and the Nuclear Suppliers Group to advance the civilian nuclear energy agreement between the two countries.

    Officials from both the sides also discussed the "123 agreement" a name given to the outline of the civilian nuclear deal agreement, that will seek to set out the terms, quantities and nature of nuclear commerce that US and India will engage in after the ratification of the deal. Meanwhile, today US President George W. Bush in the Freedom House reiterated that growing economies like India needs clean fuel and that US would help them with nuclear supply. "We'd like to share those technologies with other nations of the world that are beginning to grow so that they are good stewards of the environment as well and so I've got a comprehensive plan that uses technologies to help this nation from a national and economic perspective, but also will help improve the global economy -- the environment from those new, burgeoning economies that are -- like China and India, to be exact", Bush said.

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