Contempt of Courts Amendment is law

      New Delhi: The Contempt of Courts (Amendment) Bill, 2006 has been enacted. The Bill as approved by Parliament received the President's assent on March 17 and has since been sent for Gazette Notification as Act No. 6 of 2006. The amended Act substitutes Section 13 of the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971 which elaborates the circumstances under which contempt is not punishable. The provisions of the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971 were interpreted in various judicial decisions to the effect that truth could not be treated as a defence to a charge of contempt of court. The National Commission to Review the Working of the Constitution had also recommended that in matters of contempt, it will be open to the court to permit defence of justification by truth. The Government was advised to amend this provision in the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971 so as to introduce the procedural fairness and meet the requirements of Article 21 of the Constitution. Accordingly, the Contempt of Courts (Amendment) Bill, 2003 was introduced in the Lok Sabha on May 8, 2003 and was subsequently referred to the concerned Parliamentary Standing Committee for examination. The Committee had considered the Bill in its meeting on September 2, 2003. But with the dissolution of the 13th Lok Sabha, the Contempt of Courts (Amendment) Bill, 2003 lapsed. Hence, the Bill was re-introduced with some modifications.

Warrants against nine in Jessica case (Go To Top)

      New Delhi: The Delhi High Court today issued bailable warrants against the nine accused in the Jessica Lal murder case. The Court, having been convinced about the 92 points raised by the Delhi Police in its appeal, issued the bailable warrants. The next date of hearing has been fixed for April 18. The court has also ordered the nine accused, not to leave the country until the next hearing. A division bench comprising Justice Manmohan Sarin and Justice Manju Goel heard the proceedings of the case. Mounting pressure by citizens forced the Delhi Police to file the case for hearing in the High Court. Police sought the conviction of the accused on the ground that the trial court had erred in acquitting them on "mere conjectures and surmises." The 44-page appeal has as many as 92 grounds on which the trial judge's acquittal should be quashed. The Delhi Police will also question a top East Delhi arms dealer for his alleged role in replacing the original cartridge of the weapon used to kill Lal. Additional Sessions Judge S L Bhayana had acquitted all the accused including Manu Sharma, son of Haryana Minister Venod Sharma and Vikas Yadav, son of D.P.Yadav, Uttar Pradesh politician, in the murder of Jessica. The appeal said that Manu, the prime accused, who shot the victim, was in possession of a licensed .22mm bore pistol but the trial court did not insist on the production of the weapon by the accused as it would have offered a vital link in establishing evidence against the accused. Jessica was shot at the restaurant owned by Bina Ramani on the night of April 29, 1999 by Manu Sharma.

Amitabh returns to screen (Go To Top)

      Mumbai: Fim star Amitabh Bachchan shot for a regional language film in Goregaon, on the outskirts of Mumbai, on Tuesday, three months after undergoing surgery for a life- threatening illness. He shot for the film titled "Ganga", a Bhojpuri movie produced by his make-up man Deepak Sawant. Earlier, on Monday, Bachchan stepped into the studios to shoot for a Bollywood production about extra-marital relations. Last month, Bachchan had recorded a song for a film in which he is also acting. Bollywood had been waiting with bated breath for Bachchan's return. The "Big B", as he is known, was voted in a 2002 BBC Online survey as the most popular screen and stage icon of all time, ahead of Laurence Olivier and Alec Guinness. Bachchan helped reverse a steady decline in Bollywood's fortunes in 2005, and trade analysts say the industry is looking to him for another year of improvement. Millions of dollars are riding on him this year through films and advertisements. The actor had earlier said it could take up to six months for him to recover fully. Industry officials said Bachchan has four Bollywood films to finish this year and several commercials. Bachchan has acted in over 150 films, playing rebels, smugglers and vigilantes in a series of anti-establishment roles in the 1970s and 1980s. He now plays more mature roles, many of which are specifically written for him.

Kapil Sibal to give Rs 10,000 per month to
Bismillah Khan (Go To Top)

      New Delhi: Union Minister for Science and Technology Kapil Sibal has said that he would like to offer Rs 10,000 per month to Shehnai maestro Bismillah Khan from his personal account. Sibal made the announcement at his official residence after meeting Mrs and Mr Jha, a Delhi based journalist couple who brought out a monogram on Bharat Ratna Ustad Bismillah Khan to protect the musician. Sibal also assured that he would lead the nation-wide campaign and movement to protect musicians, artists, academicians and others who have brought laurels and pride to the nation. "I personally feel pleasure in joining the campaign initiated by the Jha couple who have brought a monograph on Bharat Ratna Ustad Bismillah Khan to extend financial support to the Shehnai maestro." "Charity begins at home," said Sibal, while expressing his gratitude for powering Indian classical music. "Bismillah Khan has tuned India perfectly for the past eight decades and now it is our time to serve the maestro," he added.

    Sibal would attend a public felicitation programme organised by the couple to mark the 91st birthday of Bismillah Khan followed by the release of a monograph on the Shehnai maestro at his Varanasi house on March 25. On the occasion the minister would present a three-kilogram silver Shehnai to the living legend for his contribution to the Indian classical music. The 20 inches long Shehnai was prepared by a Daryaganj jeweller. However, the couple will present a 91-kg cake and hand over a cheque of Rs. 1.5 lakh to the living legend. Due to last date of Muharram (March 21), the felicitation programme has been shifted to March 25. Earlier, it was scheduled for March 21. Ustad Bismillah Khan was born on 21 March 1916. The ancestors of Bismillah Khan were court musicians in the princely state of Dumraon in Bihar and he was trained under his uncle, the late Ali Bux 'Vilayatu' and Ahmed Hussain of Benaras. Ali Bux was a shehnai player attached to Varanasi's Vishwanath Temple. Bismillah Khan has retained the magic of his shehnai ever since his maiden performance at the age of 14 at an All-India Music Conference in Allahabad in 1930. Ustad poured his heart out into Raga Kafi from Red Fort on the eve of India's first Republic Day ceremony. Bismillah Khan sees only a divine unity between his music and his religion. Music, sur, namaaz is the same thing for him. His namaaz is the seven shuddh and five komal surs. A devout Shia, he is also a staunch devotee of Saraswati, the Hindu goddess of music.

Holiday on Bhagat Singh urged (Go To Top)

     Khatkar Kalan (Punjab): People of Khatkar Kalan in Nawanshehar, Punjab, the birth place of Bhagat Singh, today demanded a national holiday on March 23, the date on which he kissed the gallows before turning 24 in 1931. Thursday (March 23 ) will mark the 75th martyrdom anniversary of Bhagat Singh. According to residents of Khatkar Klan village, the younger generation is unaware of Bhagat Singh's contribution even though his ancestral house has been turned into a museum. "The younger generation is forgetting the importance of Bhagat Singh. Children are unable to see Bhagat Singh's house and thus unable to learn any detail about his contribution to the motherland. We demand the government should re-invoke the holiday on this date so that school children should be aware of the contribution of this great man in the Indian freedom struggle," said Baldev Singh, a villager Some of the villagers are also demanding the government to issue currency notes with a picture of the young martyr as they think it would inspire the younger generation to think for the country. "If Gandhi is the Father of our Nation, Bhagat Singh should be known as the Son of the Nation," said Surjit Singh, a villager. Bhagat Singh along with Sukhdev and Rajguru were hanged on the orders of a special tribunal set up by the British Viceroy for masterminding the plot to kill superintendent of police Scott, known as 'Lahore conspiracy case'. The revolutionaries killed Scott to take revenge for the death of Lala Lajpat Rai, who died after getting hurt in a lathicharge while protesting against the Simon Commission in 1928. Some of the revolutionaries were sentenced for life imprisonment and some of them awarded prison sentences of lesser period after a farcical trial of the case.

England squares series, defeat India (Go To Top)

      Mumbai: The three-match India-England Test series ended in a draw on Wednesday with England bundling India out for 100 runs and securing victory in Mumbai Test by 212 runs. England's stand-in skipper Andrew Flintoff bagged both the man of the match and man of the series awards for his four successive half-centuries during the tour. He took three wickets for 14 runs in 11 overs today. England on Tuesday had set a target of 313 runs in 98 overs for India to win the Test. Resuming the day at 18 for one, the hosts lost their last seven wickets for just 25 runs while crashing to defeat 75 minutes after lunch. Master blaster Sachin Tendulkar top scored with 34 runs. Off-spinner Shaun Udal took four wickets for England. England had lost the second Test in Mohali by nine wickets, while the first Test in Nagpur ended in a draw.

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