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Pre-medical paper leak probe goes to Nagpur

          Nagpur: A special team of Delhi Police arrived in Nagpur on Wednesday to begin probe into the leak of one of the most prestigious medical entrance examinations of the country. The entrance examination was originally scheduled for Sunday, but was deferred after police arrested two medical college students from Nagpur selling the papers to a group of parents and students in New Delhi. The two arrested medical students were suspected to be part of a cross-country network, whose kingpins are Ranjit Verma and his brother Satinder. Search for Ranjit Verma, a fourth-year medical student at the Government Medical College, is still on. Officials of the Special Branch of Delhi Police said that Ranjit Verma had removed all incriminating evidence from his hostel room, ever since the case came into limelight. "Since the time it came in media Ranjit was here, we have found evidences of Ranjit's presence. He has removed all evidences which could help us in further investigation," said Sub-Inspector Karan Singh of Delhi police.

          Meanwhile, authorities at the Government Medical College in Nagpur said that they were cooperating with the police in their investigation. "We gave Delhi Police officials all the help we could...the rooms of Vikas Verma and Ranjit Verma were searched. The police are looking for some papers. They are in need for more papers which they are looking for," said V.R. Bhutada, Dean of Government Medical College, Nagpur. Nearly 250,000 students across 31 cities will now reappear for the test on April 17. The CBSE regulates secondary and senior secondary examinations in the nation besides conducting admission tests for over 100 medical and engineering colleges. Higher education in India, as a whole, has been facing a crisis with various state boards and even top institutes like the IIMs (Indian Institutes of Management), the prestigious business schools, being hit by paper leaks.

Naxal attack kills three in Bihar (Go To Top)

         Akbarpur: At least three people were killed in Bihar when a vehicle carrying 13 people ran over landmines suspected to have been planted by leftist rebels. The incident took place on Wednesday in Akbarpur village in Nawada district. "There was a sound. The jeep overturned. I do not know what happened as I could not see anybody," said Mohammad Naushad, driver of the vehicle, in hospital. Officials say the attack was aimed at disrupting the election process. The attack comes a week after 26 policemen were killed in a landmine blast in neighbouring Jharkhand while on their way for patrolling. People's War, a radical group that says it fights for the distribution of land to poor peasants, frequently attacks policemen and government property, accusing the authorities of repression in the poor region. The PWG is the largest of the leftist rebel groups or Naxalites as they are called in local parlance, while the Maoist Communist Centre (MCC) and a faction of the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) are also active. The Naxalites have targeted rich landowners, police and government officers.

Lashkar terror mastermind gunned down in Valley (Go To Top)

          Srinagar: Security forces in Kashmir on Wednesday gunned down a self styled divisional commander of the Pakistan- based Lashkar-e-Taiba militant outfit accused by New Delhi of a raid on parliament two years ago. Abu Kasha, a resident of Okawa in Pakistan, has been responsible for carrying out attacks on politicians and disrupting the election process.

Nation pays homage to Ambedkar (Go To Top)

          New Delhi: Vice-President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat today led the nation in paying homage to Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, the framer of the Indian Constitution, on his 113th birth anniversary. Floral tributes were offered at Ambedkar's statue on the lawns inside the Parliament House complex this morning. Former Prime Minister V.P. Singh, Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment Dr. Satyanarayan Jatiya, Deputy Chairperson of the Rajya Sabha Najma Heputullah, Ministers of State Sangh Priya Gautum and Ashok Pradhan, Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Dr. Manmohan Singh and Chief Minister of Delhi Sheila Dixit were among the others who paid tribute to late Dalit leader. A cross section of people also paid their tributes to the messiah of the downtrodden. A prayer by Buddhist monks and artists singing devotional songs marked the occasion. The Ambedkar Foundation organized the function.

No headway in Chittagong arms cache investigation (Go To Top)

          Dhaka: There has been no headway made as yet by the Bangladesh government in its investigation of a cache of arms that it seized in Chittagong recently. Disclosing this to reporters here, Bangladesh's Home Secretary Omar Farook brushed aside newspaper reports that quoted intelligence agencies as saying that the weapons were meant for insurgent outfits in northeast India. "I would not like to make any sweeping comment on such a national issue," Farook said. He, however, confirmed that three people - the owner of a fishing boat, a labour contractor and the owner of the abandoned car carrying the arms - were still being interrogated after their arrest in the first week of April. He identified them as Abdus Sobhan, Din Mohammad and Hafizur Rahman. Meanwhile, both the ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party and the opposition Awami League continue to trade charges against each other over the issue. The Awami League on Tuesday accused the BNP of being hand-in- glove with arms smugglers in the country, a charge denied by the home secretary.

India, Nepal agree to enhance patrolling on porous border (Go To Top)

         Kathmandu: The Governments of India and Nepal have decided to increase joint patrolling along the porous border that lies between the two countries to check the movement of Maoist rebels. This was decided in a meeting between officials of the two countries at Raxaul, Bihar on Tuesday.

US peace group asks India, Pak to demilitarise Siachen (Go To Top)

          Washington: Asiapeace, an online discussion group, has called on both Pakistan and India to demilitarize the Siachen Glacier, the world's highest battleground. "The war in the Siachen Glacier is completing 20 years on 13 April 2004. More than 10,000 soldiers continue to face each other at altitudes between 15,000 and 20,000 feet. Since this senseless conflict began, nearly 10,000 soldiers from both sides have been killed and wounded," said the group in a statement. The Daily Times further quoted the group as saying that the toll on the glacier continues to mount by the day, and added that declaring a cease-fire in the region was a meaningless gesture.

          "This futile sacrifice of our young soldiers must be brought to a complete stop," the group said. "We feel that the Siachen issue needs to be addressed without any further delay. Clubbing Siachen with such questions as trade and travel betrays a lack of consideration for the plight of our soldiers and the sub-human conditions under which we have forced them to serve," the group said further in its appeal. "If we are serious about improving relations between our countries, then the question of Siachen must be taken up before all else," it added.

Dravid gives India the edge (Go To Top)

          Rawalpindi: Vice-captain Rahul Dravid on Wednesday struck a masterly unbeaten 134 to give India the edge over Pakistan in the third and final test here. Dravid hit 19 fours in his 17th test century, taking the visitors to 342 for four. They are 118 runs ahead of Pakistan's first innings total of 224. The 31-year-old put on 129 for the second wicket with makeshift opener Parthiv Patel (69) and raised 131 for the fourth with Vangipurappu Laxman (71) after India resumed on 23 for one. Brief scores: Pakistan 1st innings: 224. India 1st innings: 324 for four in 105 overs (Dravid 134 not out; S Ganguly 53 not out; V V S Laxman 71; Patel 69. S Akhtar 3/47).