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Mahajan undergoes surgery again

     Mumbai: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) General Secretary Pramod Mahajan underwent a minor surgery at the Hinduja Hospital here today. The surgery, which started at 11:00 am this morning, lasted for more than two hours. After the completion of operation, Director Administration of Hinduja Hospital Anupam Verma informed the media-persons that the leaders "liver injury appeared contained, requiring no further intervention". Speaking on behalf of London-based liver transplant specialist Dr. Mohammad Rela, Dr. Verma said that liver transplantation was never required nor considered as a treatment option for Mahajan. "He (Dr. Rela) has been in full agreement with the line of management given by Dr. G B Daver and his team," he added. A medical bulletin released after the operation stated that pipes for internal feeding and breathing have been inserted in Mahajan's body. The bulletin further stated that the ailing leader tolerated the whole procedure well. It also anticipated that Mahajan might require similar procedures in future. He has been shifted back to the intensive care unit after the operation. Mahajan had undergone a similar operation even earlier. The first surgery was conducted on the morning of April 22 after his brother Pravin shot him at point-blank range. The second surgery for removing the packs from the liver was carried out earlier on the evening of April 23. Three bullets, one in the muscle of the back (Left Para spinal muscle L2), second in the subcutaneous tissue of the back and the third one in the body of T12 vertebra are still present in Mahajan's body.

Praveen in police custody till May 3 (Go To Top)

     Mumbai: Praveen Mahajan, who shot his elder brother and prominent BJP leader Pramod Mahajan, was on Saturday remanded to police custody till May 3 on charges of attempt to murder. He was produced before a local court today amidst tight security. On Friday, police recorded the statement of Pramod Mahajan's wife Rekha, who told the police that she saw Praveen Mahajan firing the third shot at her husband. Police also recorded the statement of Mahajan's son Rahul and his brother-in-law and BJP leader Gopinath Munde. On April 23, the magistrate presiding over a court in Bhoiwada area of Dadar in central Mumbai sent Praveen to remand following which police sought his custody to interrogate him further. Praveen is booked under section 307 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) (attempt to murder) and Section 450 (criminal trespass with intention to commit serious crime punishable with life imprisonment). He has also been charged under Section three of the Arms Act (misuse of licensed weapon). Praveen came to his brother's flat at Poornima building in Pochkhandwala Road in Worli area of Central Mumbai on April 22 and opened fire at him. According to police, the initial confession by the accused was that there was a long-standing animosity between the siblings, which could have led to the shootout. Praveen's lawyer Nandkumar Rajirkar claimed that his client was mentally unsound and was suffering from depression. But Mumbai police refuted the claim, saying that the police are not aware of any mental ailment that he was suffering from. Praveen Mahajan, a Thane-based builder, is the youngest of three brothers and two sisters. Pramod is the eldest.

ANI founder-director Prakash honoured (Go To Top)

      New Delhi: Founder-Director of Asian News International (ANI), Prem Prakash was today honoured with "Life- time Achievement Award" for excellence in the field of journalism by Hindu College, a premier college under the University of Delhi. Hindu College today honoured its distinguished alumni at the annual get-together in the capital. Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee, who was the chief guest at the function, got a silver replica of the towering Qutab Minar of Delhi as an award for his lifelong selfless service to the nation and for the manner in which he has been presiding over the current Lower House of Parliament. In his address at the function, Chatterjee, emphasising on the need for higher education, saying that education helps in progress of a country. "The country expresses our educational institutions to produce forward looking, scientific tempered and rational human beings, who will contribute to progress of the country," said Chatterjee. Chatterjee recalled Mahatma Gandhi's visit to the college and how his speech given then was relevant even today for promotion of communal harmony. "With the complex and diverse society as we people have, the people specially our young men and women should strive for national unity and device ideologies against superstition and mythological beliefs and pursue scientific enquiry which alone can make the country move forward in highly competitive global environment," he added. Delhi's famous Urdu Poet Gulzar Dehlavi also received the lifetime achievement award. Honourable Justice Mukul Mudgal was another one of the old students of Hindu College, was honoured for achieving excellence in their respective fields. Justice Mudgal delivered the judgment in the Uphaar Tragedy case of 1997. "The senior Hinduites, who have made such a remarkable contribution to the polity and various fields, are source of information to all of us. Their life teach us that achievements acquired not by following the beaten track but by taking road less travelled and by continuously raising the bar for others to follow," said a distinguished guest attending the function.

72 pc turnout in Kerala Assembly polls (Go To Top)

       Thiruvananthapuram/ New Delhi: Seventy per cent polling was recorded in the second phase of the Assembly elections in Kerala. Deputy Election Commissioner R. Bhattacharya said this while briefing reporters in New Delhi today evening and added that the polling for the 66 assembly segments in the six central and northern districts of Kerala, passed of peacefully. There were reports of some minor incidents from Kozhikode and Malappuram districts, while voting in the remaining segments of Ernakulam, Thrissur, Palakkad and Wayanad districts passed on smoothly. Re-polling was also done in the four polling booths in the two assembly constituencies of the state which had gone to polls in the first phase that was held on April 22. The ruling Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) along with Democratic Indira Congress (K) led by erstwhile Congress leader K Karunakaran is facing a stiff competition in the state from the CPI (M)-led Left Democratic Front(LDF). 436 candidates were in the fray for the second phase of the Assembly elections including LDF veteran CPI-M leader, V S Achuthanandan, DIC (K) president K Muraleedharan, UDF convener P P Thankachan and LDF convener Paloli Muhammadkutty. The fate of the Speaker of the outgoing Assembly Therambil Ramakrishnan, IUML leader P K Kunhalikutty and former Union Minister O Rajagopal of BJP were also today sealed in the EVMs. The third and the final phase of the 140 member Kerala Assembly elections will be held on May 3 in the Kannur and Kasargode districts of the state. Polling for the third phase will be held in the 15 assembly constituencies of the state. The first phase of polling held in the 59assembly constituencies of the state on April 22 witnessed 69.78 per cent turnout.

Four killed in encounter in Tripura  (Go To Top)
by Pinaki Das

      Agartala: Four persons, including two security personnel, one civilian and a militant, were killed in security force-militant cross-fire in Tripura's Dalai District on Saturday afternoon. Reports reaching here said that the incident took place in the interior part of Champaraipara, which falls under the jurisdiction of the Ganganagar Police Station in the district. The location of Saturday's encounter is said to be about 125 kilometres from Agartala, and came two days after security forces killed two militants.

Naxals kill 13 in Chhattisgarh District (Go To Top)

     Raipur: Naxalites have killed 13 of the 52 villagers they had abducted last Tuesday and released 37 others in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada District. "We have recovered 13 bodies from near the Manikonta Village of Erroabore police station, about 550 kms from the state capital," sources at the Dornapal Police Station told to a news agency over phone. The outlawed Maoists had killed two persons yesterday, they said, adding, 37 villagers who were kidnapped from the village from opposing naxalites were released. "The released villagers are in a state of shock and are not (not) able to tell where they were and how they were treated," the sources said. Senior officials have joined Chief Minister Raman Singh and some of his ministers at Dantewada District headquarters to review the possible impact of these killings. Security has been beefed up in anticipation of a further attack. The chief minister was in the area attending a meeting of the Bastar Development Authority. About 60 villagers, who are staying in Dornapal relief camps, had gone to their Manikonta village to look after their belongings on April 25. The Maoists, who were present in the village, surrounded them and assaulted them, police said. Three men and five women escaped and ran into the nearby jungles and reached the Dornapal relief camp and then informed the police. These villagers were staying in government relief camps after the Naxals had threatened to attack them for participating in an anti- Maoist campaign in Dantewada and Bijapur Districts.

Britain's MI6 advertise for fresh recruits (Go To Top)

     London: Britain's Secret Intelligence Service, which is better known as MI6, has for the first time in its 97 years of existence, resorted to open advertising for fresh recruits. The exercise is being seen as a means of expanding the Service to meet 21st Century challenges such as terrorism and counter proliferation. Open advertising, which builds on the launch of the Service website (www.sis.gov.uk and www.mi6.gov.uk) in October 2005, is intended to broaden and diversify SIS's recruitment base. From now on there will be regular general advertising campaigns for careers in SIS, as well as campaigns aimed at attracting staff into particular career streams. The first campaign will be advertising for generalists. The advertisements will direct everyone interested to the revised careers section of the main SIS website through a new careers internet address - www.siscareers.gov.uk. There they will find not only new details about career possibilities but also the added option of applying online. Commenting on this development, Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said: "This is another example of the modernisation of SIS's recruitment process, extending the Service's candidate base, and making it easier to apply. I welcome this move, and would add this message of encouragement to all members of the British public: 'Don't wait to be asked to join SIS - if you believe you have the aptitude and talent - apply now !". The SIS has awarded the recruitment services contract to Barkers Group plc, following the standard formal tender process. This three-year contract comprises the full range of recruitment activity including targeted advertising, online application handling and candidate management.