Zaheera now wants to be in Gujarat jail

     Mumbai: Zaheera Sheikh, the prime witness in the Best Bakery case awarded a year's jail term for the contempt of court did a turnaround in a Sessions Court today wanting to go to Gujarat jail. Zaheera who had surrendered on March 10 keeping with a Supreme Court directive, here today said before a Sessions Court that she wanted to go to Gujarat jail and not to Maharashtra jail. Earlier, she had pleaded to the court that she may be sent to a Maharashtra jail and not in Gujarat as she feared for her life. Zaheera pleading in favour of Gujarat jail, alleged before the Sessions Court judge Abhay Thipsay: "I want to go to Vadodara. They (police) will kill me here. They are not giving proper food and allowing me to perform Namaaz." The judge then inquired from the police persons accompanying Zaheera in the court. A woman constable said that Zaheera wanted non-vegetarian food to eat which can not be provided to her and was asking for a scarf while performing namaaz. The constable added that while she was being allowed to perform Namaaz, she could not be provided scarf as per the rules. The court ordered that Zaheera should not be treated very harshly and that she should be provided better facilities for food and offering namaaz. The court gave Zaheera Police custody till March 20 and ordered that she be produced on that day during the retrial of Best Bakery case when replies would be heard on the show cause notice issued to her and her family members on perjury charges. Noting that the Supreme Court had not clarified on the manner in which the jail term awarded to Zaheera has to be executed, the Court said that it was proper to keep police custody for Zaheera till March 20.

     Before Zaheera surrendered before the court on March 10 she had gone into hiding from her relative's residence at suburban Bhayander in nearby Thane district following the apex court order. Zaheera, who had turned hostile in the Best Bakery case and was found to be a "self-condemned liar" by a high-powered committee appointed by the Supreme Court, was sentenced to one-year simple imprisonment and a fine of Rs 50,000 for contempt of court. As many as 14 people, including two children, were killed as rioters set on fire the Best Bakery on March 1, 2002 located in Vadodara's Hanuman Tekri area. Eleven of those killed belonged to one family, that of Zaheera Sheikh. Following a FIR filed by Zaheera's family, the Gujarat government filed charges against 21 people and set up a fast track court in May 2002. A trial court in Mumbai on February 24 gave a verdict of life imprisonment to nine people accused in the case and issued notice to Zaheera together with her family members, whom the court accused of giving false statement. Besides Zaheera, the family members that were accused were her mother Sehrunissa, two brothers Nasibullah and Nafitullah and sister Sahira.

Three killed in police firing in Navi Mumbai (Go To Top)

      Mumbai: At least three people have been killed and several others injured in Ghansoli village outside Navi Mumbai when the police opened several rounds of fire in order to control a bloody clash that broke out between two groups on Thursday. According to police sources the trouble started on Wednesday during the "Holi celebrations" when a group of some mathadi (porters) workers from the Mathadi-dominated Simplex Colony allegedly molested a local girl. This reportedly initiated the villagers to attack on mathadi workers' colony this morning. As the crowds became unruly, police opened fire. The mob also attacked fire brigade vehicles and pelted stones at policemen. Three policemen who reportedly injured were Navi Mumbai Deputy Police Commissioner Amar Jadav and senior police inspector, Rabale police station Samsher Pathan. They have been admitted to a local government hospital, said sources. The rowdy mob from either side pelted stones on each other and also attacked fire brigade vehicles and at least two vehicles were damaged. However, the police have cordoned off the area and the local market has been closed. Two of the deceased has been identified as Jagdish Patil (21) and Santosh Patil (24). One person was also killed in the mob violence that took place before police came to the site. One Mathadi leader, Narendra Patil, was also admitted to the MGM hospital in a critical condition today morning, added sources.

Buddhists gather to hear Dalai Lama  (Go To Top)
by Hemant Chauhan

     Dharamshala (Himachal Pradesh): Thousands of Buddhist devotees have assembled here to take part in a traditional prayer meeting addressed by Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama. The Dalai Lama delivered sermons at a special function to mark the first full moon after the Buddhist festival Losar that marks the beginning of the Tibetan New Year. The prayer meeting was attended by Buddhist monks from across the world, members of the Tibetan community-in-exile and a large number of foreign tourists. The Dalai Lama would elaborate on the Buddhist ideologies including guide to Bodhisatava's (Lord Buddha's) way of life called Choe-Juk in Tibetan language and compendium of training termed as Lap-Tue. The preaching of the Dalai Lama, the spiritual and temporal leader of Tibetans -- who revere him as the reincarnation of a long line of Buddhist kings, are considered as divine by the devotees. "These teachings which were given by His holiness Dalai Lama are a guide which will lead us through the Bodhivasta life. So I think being a Buddhist I should go and listen to these teachings and there have been lots of monks and foreigners and Tibetans from all over the world," a Tibetan Buddhist, Tenzing said. Since fleeing Tibet in 1959 after an abortive uprising against Chinese rule, the shaven-headed Dalai Lama has spent most of his time here in the Himalayan foothills. The Dalai Lama won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989 for his non- violent campaign to gain autonomy from Chinese rule in Tibet. But China claims that Tibet has been an integral part of the country for ages. Of late, the Dalai Lama has dropped the demand for complete independence for Tibet and is now campaigning for genuine autonomy from the Chinese. But the Chinese Government has kept up attacks on the Buddhist leader, calling him an insincere propagandist and accusing him of avoiding proper channels of communication.

Kunjarani Devi wins first gold for India at Commonwealth   (Go To Top)

     Melbourne: Weight-lifter Kunjarani Devi won the first gold medal for India setting a new Games record at the 18th Commonwealth Games here today. Kunjarani set a Games record in the women's 48-kg category event with an overall lift of 166 kg, which included 72kg in a snatch and 94kg in the clean and jerk at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre. Marilou Dozois of Canada won the silver with a total lift of 165 kg (73kg+92kg) while Eurika Yuriko Iris Yamasaki of Australia claimed the bronze hoisting 153 kg (69kg+84kg). Kunjarani, at 38 years was the oldest contestant in her class. She lifted 88 kg in her first attempt and followed it up with a lift of 91 kg in her second attempt in clean and jerk. The clincher came in the third and final lift where she hauled 94 kg in clean and jerk to keep her title. She, however, had a tense beginning in snatch after she failed to lift 70kg. Soon she was in her elements and lifted the weight in her next attempt and went on to improve it, lifting 74 kg in third attempt. Her closest competitor Dozois, who began the competition by lifting 69 kg, successfully went on to carry the weights of 71 kg and 73 kg in her subsequent attempts to overtake the bespectacled Indian. However, in clean and jerk, Dozois came under pressure when her first attempt to lift 89 kg failed and the second attempt was also not cleared immediately. In her third and last chance, she managed 92 kg. Kunjarani had won three gold medals, one each in the snatch, clean and jerk and overall, in the 2002 edition of Commonwealth Games in Manchester setting the Games record of 167.5 kg (75kg+92.5kg). Kunjarani has been showing improvement in her lift since the Athens Games in 2004 and she is the top seed in ranking among the Commonwealth nations. The Indian lifter has 21 medals from the World Championships alone. The Manipuri lifter was placed seventh in Centennial World Championship in Doha. Her lift in Doha, the first World Championship after the Athens Games was her recent best lift of (78Kg + 100Kg) 178 kg.

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