Home   Contact Us                                                                               Dateline New Delhi, Sunday, Dec 7, 2003

Three Indian workers kidnapped in Afghanistan (Go To Top)

           Kabul, Dec 7: Three Indian workers were kidnapped on Saturday afternoon from the highway between Kabul and Kandahar, the Daily Times quoted a security source as telling a international news agency. The kidnapped Indians were said to be road workers. The paper said that unknown armed men stopped the Indians' car around 10 km north of Shahjoy in south-east Afghanistan's troubled Zabul province. Their Afghan driver was reportedly beaten and the armed men made off with the Indians and their car, the unidentified source said. The Indians were working for the Indian BSC/C and C joint venture firm, engaged in re-building the Kabul-Kandahar road. Further details are awaited.

Top CBI official held on graft charge (Go To Top)

          Visakhapatnam, Dec 7: A top sleuth of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has been detained along with two others in a graft case in Visakhapatnam. The CBI arrested its deputy inspector-general of police, Sudhakar Rao, following allegations that he demanded one million rupees as bribe from an insurance official to settle his corruption case. Two women accomplices of Rao have also been arrested. Sudeep Pratap Singh, an assitant commissioner of police with the CBI, said: "We received a complaint from a complainant who works in the United India Insurance, he's a divisional manager there. We are not disclosing the names. Now we have arrested the accused, both the ladies and the officers have been arrested." Rao was arrested after two junior officers made a complaint to the top brass of the CBI urging them to lay a trap to nab him.

Pak-trained terrorist nabbed in Delhi (Go To Top)

          New Delhi, Dec 7: Rashid Qureshi, 40, a Pakistan-trained terrorist who hails from Uri in Kashmir, was nabbed in Delhi on Saturday night, following a tip-off, sources said. Several incriminating documents linking him to Pakistan's Inter- Services Intelligence (ISI) and fake passports were recovered from his possession, police said. Qureshi had allegedly been sent by his masters here to set up a base for terrorist activities as he was familiar with the topography of the national capital, they said. The terrorist had undergone training in Pakistan which he had visited several times in the past, police said. He had brought weapons, including AK-47s and grenades, from Pakistan and hidden them in Kashmir, the sources said.

Six killed in Hyderabad riots (Go To Top)

          Hyderabad, Dec 7: Six people were killed in Hyderabad after clashes between Hindus and Muslims on the eleventh anniversary of the razing of the Babri mosque in Ayodya. Twenty-four people were injured. Of them 12 sustained bullet injuries as police opened fire on Saturday to control rampaging mobs in the city's old quarters where Muslims are in a majority. Locals said they received little help from the police. "I have been hit on the head, my ear is badly damaged. My clothes are all smeared with blood, the police did not take any action, the commissioner (of police) himself came here but nothing happened," an injured said.

          Muslims in the area had announced earlier they would observe December 6 as Black Day. Local leaders accused the state authorities of laxity saying it did not make enough security arrangement despite repeated pleas for more force deployment in the communally-sensitive region. "Since the day they made the announcement for observing Black Day, we have been asking for extra force in the old city but nobody listened. After 2 pm the mob started assembling here, at that time also if the police had undertaken preventive arrests this violence could have been avoided," said Baddam Bal Reddy, a local leader.

          An indefinite curfew has been imposed in several areas of the city. On December 6, 1992, Hindu zealots destroyed the 16th century Babri mosque in Ayodhya, triggering riots that killed more than 3,000 people. The row has symbolised Hindu- Muslim tension since, and sometimes exploded in violence.

Raman Singh sworn in Chhattisgarh chief minister (Go To Top)

          Raipur, Dec 7: Raman Singh, Central minister and chief of the Chhattisgarh unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party, was sworn in as the chief minister early on Sunday. Singh, who quit as Central minister to assume the new charge, was the only one to be sworn in. Singh plans to expand his Cabinet later. Defying opinion polls and stunning main Opposition Congress party, the BJP stormed to power in three of the four heartland states, including Chhattisgarh, which went to polls last week. Deputy Prime Minister Lal Krishna Advani was also present at the ceremony to consolidate the party's unprecedented win in the state, where a massive bribery scandal involving its senior minister Dilip Singh Judeo had rocked party quarters. The BJP won the last major state election in riot-scarred Gujarat a year ago this month, with a hardline Hindu campaign that many feared would be repeated.

Jogi, accused of horse-trading, suspended from Congress (Go To Top)

          New Delhi, Dec 7: Outgoing Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh Ajit Jogi on Sunday denied allegations of bribery against him by the Bharatiya Janata Party. BJP leaders played an audio tape in full media glare in Raipur on Saturday night alleging Jogi attempted horse-trading after his Congress party's debacle in the recent polls. Jogi, who had earlier framed his rival Dilip Singh Judeo of the BJP in a similar bribery act on secret video CD, was swiftly suspended by Congress before Sunday sunrise. The Congress Working Committee, the party's policy-making body, began a day-long session in the national Capital on Sunday to review its ouster from three of the four states that went to the polls on December 1. The party also lost to regional Mizo National Front, who retained power in Mizoram in the November 20 polls.

          Jogi, who rushed overnight to New Delhi to meet Congress president Sonia Gandhi, denied bribery allegations. Jogi was suspended by Congress after the BJP alleged that he was caught on tape trying to offer money to buy off their legislators ahead of the swearing in ceremony of new state chief, Raman Singh. Jogi is also charged in a New Delhi court of trying to defame the Intelligence Bureau (IB) by using forged fax documents.

          Central Law Minister Arun Jaitley on Saturday alleged Jogi offered money to buy off BJP legislators ahead of the swearing-in ceremony of new state chief Raman Singh. He displayed to the media in Raipur the 2.5 million rupees that the BJP claims were sent by Jogi to split their party. Jaitley also played an audio recording allegedly featuring Jogi. Jaitley said one of the BJP legislators Baliram Kashyap was approached on Jogi's behalf to win over the party's 26 tribal legislators and form a government with Congress support.

          Jaitley said the new BJP government in the state will now hand over the case to the main investigating agency, saying it has enough proof to convict Jogi of corruption. In a similar blow to the BJP last month, its Central junior environment minister, Judeo was caught on camera accepting money from some people to obtain mining rights in the state.

Delhi police bust another gang dealing with fake stamp papers (Go To Top)

          New Delhi, Dec 7: The police in the Capital said on Sunday they have busted another gang dealing with fake judicial and postal stamps and papers. Surender Pratap and his wife were arrested on Saturday and fake stamp papers worth 20 million rupees seized from them. Sanjay Beniwal, deputy commissioner of police, said that these fake certificates looked so original that they were difficult to differentiate. "We have seized fake stamp papers worth two crore rupees which include judicial and non-judicial. There are revenue stamps and postal stamps. We have also recovered some fake certificates which are difficult to be distinguished from the original ones," Beniwal said. Apart from the fake stamp papers, the police recovered educational certificates, computers and a printing machine with stamp paper watermarks.

          Pratap denied any links with the multi-million dollar inter-state syndicate run by kingpin Abdul Karim Telgi. "I read in the newspaper about Telgi (Abdul Karim Telgi) scam but I have nothing to do with him. Mine was a separate business," he said. The couple sold fake judicial and non-judicial papers to agents outside the city and in the neighbouring state of Uttar Pradesh. Following the Telgi scam, similar other cases are being unearthed in several parts of country.

23 killed in Doda road mishap (Go To Top)

          Jammu, Dec 7: Twenty-three people were killed and 17 injured on Sunday when a matador carrying them to a marriage party rolled into a gorge in Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir, official sources said. The matador was on its way from Magarkote to Potha when the driver lost control and the vehicle rolled into 400-feet deep gorge late on Sunday afternoon, the sources said. The vehicle was totally damaged and 23 people were killed on the spot.

22 Maoists killed in Nepal (Go To Top)

          Kathmandu, Dec 7: Twenty-two Maoists have been killed in encounters with security forces in Nepal, defence sources said on Sunday. Nineteen of them were killed on Saturday at Khotang district in eastern Nepal, media reports said. The incident occurred when a group of hundred Maoists attacked the security forces while they were on patrol duty. As many as 427 Maoist rebels have been killed in different operations launched by the security forces in the past eight months, an army official said adding, 28 security personnel were also killed during the period.

Ganguly hits ton, match heading for draw (Go To Top)

          Brisbane, Dec 7: India skipper Sourav Ganguly cracked 144 on the fourth day of the Brisbane Test against the Aussies here on Sunday. At stumps India were 362/6 with a first innings lead of 39 runs with four wickets intact. Parthiv Patel was undefeated on 37 and Ajit Agarkar playing on 12. The crowds at the Gabba stadium were treated to the Ganguly magic as the Prince of Kolkata scored his 11th Test hundred in style. Coming in to bat at a crucial phase of the match with Tendulkar dismissed for a duck and India precariously placed at 62/3, Ganguly began confidently, hitting all round the wicket.

          Earlier, a flurry of boundaries from the blade of Virender Sehwag followed by Rahul Dravid's cheap dismissal and the shocking umpiring decision from Steve Bucknor that cost Sachin Tendulkar his wicket brought the Test alive. Sehwag looked good for his 45 runs off 51 deliveries studded with five hits to the fence. Rahul Dravid (1) was dismissed cheaply when he edged a Gillespie delivery into the waiting hands of Hayden at first slip. India having lost two quick wickets had the Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar come in to bat at a critical stage. Gillespie was pleasantly surprised and the commentators and Tendulkar shocked as Steve Bucknor upheld an lbw appeal to a ball that hit Sachin very high on the pads and the point of impact was well outside the off stump. But Sourav Ganguly, VVS Laxman and then the lower batting order took India to a position of strength with a draw looking the most likely outcome in the Brisbane Test.