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Budhia's coach may be arrested

      Bhubaneswar: Orissa`s Minister for Women and Child Development, Pramilla Mallick, today said that marathon boy wonder Budhia Singh`s coach, Biranchi Das, might be arrested on charges of cruelty to a minor. Reacting to a report forwarded to her by the Khurda District Child Welfare Committee (CWC), Mallick said: "The government will forward copies of the report to collectors and SPS of all districts for taking necessary action. If the boy`s coach does not pay any heed to this, he may be arrested." The committee has requested the state government to stop roadshow marathons involving five-year-old Budhia. Quoting from the report, Mallick said making the child run such long distances might constitute the offence of "cruelty" to the child which was punishable under section 23 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000. It might also constitute the offence of "endangering life of others" punishable under section 336 of the Indian Penal Code, she added. R S Mishra, the chairman of the Khurda District CWC, said the committee would write a separate letter to Coach Das, advising him not to make the child run marathons. "If he does not heed the advice, he may risk exposing himself to prosecution," Mishra warned.

    The report of the CWC, which was submitted to the state government yesterday, drew the government`s attention to the provisions under Section 151 of CrPC which empowered the police to arrest anybody even without warrant for preventing commission of a cognisable offence by the concerned person. "The CWC is very much concerned, particularly for the opinion that the child is under cardiological stress and that if the child continues to run for long distances, there may be aggravation of the condition which may even result in renal failure," it said. The CWC also took serious note of the medical board`s opinion that the child should not be subjected to long distance running and of the supporting opinion that in such long distance running, risk of "heat stroke" increased leading to definite life risk. Damage to the child`s health condition could be better known on receipt of complete medical opinion to be given after carrying out other tests, more particularly the MRI, USG of the entire abdomen and renal scanning as suggested by the medical board, it said. "The CWC is of the view that the issue of risk to life of the child needs to be addressed immediately. The CWC is also of the view that for the sake of protection to the child and as immediate preventive and remedial measure, he should not be subjected to running distances, much less road show marathons and he should be given rest," the report said.

Jammu-Rawalkot bus service begins (Go To Top)

      Poonch: The much awaited bus service between Jammu in India and Rawalkot in Pakistan began today with the crossing over of 24 Indians and 30 Pakistanis at the Chakanwala Bagh joint checkpost. It was a moment of joy for the relatives on either side of the subcontinental divide, who had been separated for years by the prohibitive Line of Control (LoC). Taj Hussain Shaha, an advocate with the Poonch District Court, said he was extremely happy to be given an opportunity to meet his relatives in Pakistan after so many years. "By profession, I am an advocate and I am going for the first time after receiving a permit to go to Pakistan. I will be going to Rawalpindi and Muzaffarabad to meet my relatives.The relations between India and Pakistan will change . The system will end and we will be free to meet our relatives and friends," he said. Muhammad Iqbal Mir, a resident of Pakistan-administered Kashmir, said his visit to the Indian side of Kashmir had been a memorable one. " I belong to Poonch, but I stay in Bazpur. I came here on April 24, 2006 and have visited my relatives. It was a good experience. Both the Indian Government and the Government Of Pakistan, and the people belonging to both nations are very happy seeing these positive developments. I have come here after 59 years," he said. All were happy when they were on their way. India and Pakistan have agreed to launch the Poonch-Rawalkot bus service from June 19, 2006. The joint statement issued after, two days of talks, said the bus will operate on a fortnightly basis. Both sides , have also agreed to start the Srinagar- Muzaffarabad truck service in the first half of July, besides agreeing to expedite the operationalisation of meeting points, along the Line Of Control , (LOC) so that the divided families can meet. The two sides are likely to agree to finalise business tie-ups on a dozen items from each side , which could include fruits, vegetables, handicrafts and Kashmiri shawls.

Seven children buried alive in UP brick kiln (Go To Top)

      Chandauli (Uttar Pradesh): At least seven child workers were buried alive in a brick kiln in Chandauli district. The children, aged six to thirteen years, were digging soil near the kiln when the mound apparently caved in. Police later rescued two children from the heap. The bodies of the remaining seven have been sent for post-mortem. "Children of the labourers working in the kiln were taking out earth form an area when the mound of earth suddenly fell and the children were buried under it. Seven children were dead and two have been hospitalised. Out of them one was aged thirteen and the other six years," Inspector of the Mughalsarai Police station Ratan Singh Yadav said. The children were hailed from Gaya district in Bihar and were working along with other members of their family. Officials said a man-hunt had been launched for the owner of the brick-kiln. Around 17 million children are employed as child-labours in India. Most of these children work under dangerous conditions in the firecracker, hand-rolled cigarette and glass industries and are exposed to hazardous chemicals and open furnaces spewing toxic gases. Human rights groups say many children have been working from a very tender age of four or five, and by the time they reach adulthood, they may be irrevocably sick or deformed.

Efforts on to release abducted Indian (Go To Top)

       New Delhi: The Government said on Friday that it was monitoring the situation about the kidnapping of an Indian national, Mammen, in Nigeria closely and all efforts were being made for his early release. Briefing reporters about the developments in this regard, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Navtej Saran said that the Indian High Commissioner in Lagos contacted the Foreign and Home Ministers of Nigeria, and the Governor of Rivers Province to ensure the safety and immediate release of Mammen. Two senior officers of the High Commission were sent to Port Harcourt for an on-the-spot assessment of the situation, Sarna said. The High Commission is also in touch with Mammen's family over phone, he said, adding that Mammen's wife "appeared to be calm and hoped that her husband would be released by his abductors soon". On being asked about the identity of the abductors, Sarna said he had no tangible information on that. Mammen, who was kidnapped on May 11 along with two other foreign nationals, was working for an Italian company, M/s Saipem, based in Port Harcourt in Nigeria.

FB MP gets 10-year jail for raping girl (Go To Top)

      Purulia (West Bengal): A lower court here today sentenced a Forward Bloc MP from Purulia district, Veer Singh Mehto, to 10-year imprisonment after he was found guilty of raping a minor girl, 25 years ago. Mehto was produced before the additional Sessions Judge in Purulia and has been lodged in the Purulia jail. Three assistants too have been sentenced to 10-year imprisonment while other two were released by the court. Mehto who had been contesting the polls for the past 24 years, might move to the High Court against the today's judgment, sources said. The decision is likely to affect the political circle of the state where Left won the assembly polls yesterday and will form the government for the seventh time.

FIR threat against Udit Narayan (Go To Top)

      Patna: The Bihar Women's Commission today warned of lodging an FIR against Bollywood playback singer Udit Narayan if the singer fails to appear before it after two more summons. Narayan failed to appear before the women commission in connection with complain filed by his first wife today. Narayan was summoned by the women commission after Ranjana Jha, who claims to be the singer's first wife, filed a petition in the Commission against the singer. However, Narayan's lawyer, Mahasweta Chatterjee, appeared before the Bihar Women Commission on behalf of the singer. Chatterjee said that the Commission has power equivalent to Civil Court and the sections under which summon was issued, allows the client to be absent in person if the lawyer is present. The Commission has handed over the copy of the case documents of the lawyer. Two more summons would be issued to Udit Narayan and if he fails to appear, thereafter FIR would be registered against him, said the Chairman of the Commission. "There is no argument required for the fact that in Commission's point of view Ranjana Jha is the wife of Udit Narayan Jha. He has never denied it before the Commission; he (through his lawyer) has only said that he wants a copy of the documents of the case filed against him. I will make one copy of the document of the case available to him after that I will send him second summon on 22nd May and the third one, ten days later. If he fails to appear before the Commission. it would be considered that Ranjana is the wife of Udit Narayan Jha and he has done injustice to her. The Commission will then register a FIR against him," said Manju Prakash, Chairman, Bihar Women Commission.

    Ranjana, the lady claiming to be the first wife of Udit Narayan, said that Udit should appear before the Commission on May 22 if he was concerned about his image. "After hearing his lawyer she (Manju Prakash) has said that summon will be issued to him on May 22. I think that Udit ji should appear before the Commission on 22nd because it would defame him more if he fails to appear before the commission," said Ranjana Jha. Ranjana, who claims to be the legally wedded wife of the veteran singer, demanded that her rightful place as wife of Udit Narayan be restored. Ranjana hails from Nirmali village in Bihar and claims that she got married to the Bollywood playback singer on December 7, 1987