New Delhi, May 8, 2009
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SC asks States to set up committees to prevent ragging
New Delhi: The Supreme
Court on Friday asked all State Governments to set up committees to prevent incidents
of ragging in educational institutions across the country. A Bench headed by Justice
Arijit Pasayat said educational institutions would also have to take measures
for the de-addiction of alcoholic students. Passing strict directives, the apex
court said every college should have a psychiatrist to provide counsel to the
students. All State Governments have been asked to give an undertaking to the
court about the steps taken by them to eradicate the menace. In March, the apex
court had issued notices to the Andhra Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh Governments,
on the death of first-year medical science student Aman Kachroo due to ragging,
and an attempt-to-suicide case by a female student of the Bapatla Agricultural
and Engineering College after she was allegedly forced to dance nude by her seniors.
Nineteen-year-old Kachroo was mercilessly beaten to death by four seniors on March
8 at his Rajendra Prasad Medical College hostel in Himachal Pradesh's Kangra Distrcit.
The accused have been booked under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code. The Supreme
Court had issued a contempt notice to the two colleges as the incidents were in
gross violation of the court's directives to check ragging in educational institutions.
The Prevention of the Ragging in Colleges and Institutions Bill was introduced
in the Rajya Sabha in 2005. The Bill makes ragging punishable with imprisonment
up to three years and a fine of Rs 25,000.
Ban
on mining in Haryana’s Aravali hills Top
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday banned
all mining activity in Haryana’s Aravali Hills, describing the ongoing ecological
degradation as very serious. In March, the apex court said that the relentless
battering of this natural barrier would allow the western desert to gradually
eat up the grain bowl of the Gangetic plains. During the March hearing on the
matter, amicus curiae Ranjit Kumar explained to the court how for years, mine
lease holders have been violating the license conditions by digging right up to
the water table leading to a massive drop in groundwater levels, causing severe
drinking water shortage in the villages. He also said then that lease holders
had not filled up abandoned mine pits or taken up afforestation drives. The Special
Forest Bench, comprising Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan and Justices Arijit Pasayat
and S H Kapadia, said: ``If there is total devastation of Aravalis, then the logical
corollary is a total ban on mining activity''. “Once we are satisfied that there
is total devastation, we can impose a total ban on mining. It is like cancelling
an examination because of widespread malpractices,” the apex court added.
Gujarat HC names nine judges for 2002
riot cases Top
Ahmedabad: The Gujarat High Court has designated
nine judges for as many special fast track courts to carry out the trial in the
2002 post-Godhra riot cases being probed by the Supreme Court-appointed Special
Investigation Team (SIT). Out of the nine special courts, four will be in Ahmedabad,
two each in Mehsana and Anand, and one in Himmatnagar of Sabarkantha district.
According to the court's order, additional sessions judge P R Patel has been designated
to conduct the trial in the Godhra train carnage case that will be held in the
premises of the Sabarmati Central Jail here. Judge S H Vora and additional sessions
Judge Jyotsna Yagnik will be presiding over the trial of Naroda Gam and Naroda
Patiya cases respectively. Judge B U Joshi has been designated as judge for the
special court dealing with the Gulberg Society massacre case, where Congress ex-MP
Ehsan Jaffery was killed. Justices B N Kariya and S C Srivastava will handle the
two cases in Mehsana district. Judges S Y Trivedi and R M Sarine will conduct
the trial in two cases in Khambodaj and Ode of Anand district respectively. Judge
H P Patel will oversee the Prantij taluka riot case of of Sabarkantha district
where some British nationals were also killed. The special court will be based
in Himmatnagar, the district headquarters. On May 1, the Supreme Court ordered
day-to-day hearing of the Gujarat riot cases by fast track courts in the state.
While vacating its stay order of November 21, 2003, the apex court directed that
witnesses be provided security for their safe passage and if necessary at their
place of living during the trial. The court said the SIT would act as a nodal
agency to decide as to which witnesses in the case should be given protection
and relocated. The apex court also gave liberty to the SIT to recommend cancellation
of bail if it is considered necessary.
Mumbai
attacks witness identifies Kasab Top
Mumbai:
The first witness in the Mumbai terror attack case on Friday said he saw Mohammed
Ajmal Amir Kasab, the lone surviving terrorist, fire at Assistant Sub-Inspector
Tukaram Omble. 'I saw Kasab firing from a AK-47 rifle at Omble, who fell to the
bullets," said Police Sub-Inspector Bhaskar Kadam. Kadam also said he fired at
Abu Ismail who was with Kasab on the day of the terror attack. While Kasab pretended
to fall down from car, Ismail was seriously injured. On Thursday, special public
prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam said the prosecution would now begin to present its witnesses
in each of the cases against the accused. The prosecution said it has over 1,800
witnesses and more than 750 pieces of evidence to present to the court. On Wednesday,
court charged Kasab with waging war against India . Eight-six charges, including
common and individual were framed against Kasab by the special court. He was also
charged under the Explosives Act and the Arms Act. Kasab pleaded not guilty to
the charges framed against him by the special court. "I do not accept the charges,"
he said. Charges were also framed against him under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention)
Act, the Custom Act, the Foreigners Act, the Prevention of Damage to Public Properties
Act, conspiracy, murder, attempt to murder and causing grievous injury.
Advisory
board terms NSA against Varun Gandhi invalid Top
Lucknow:
The imposition of National Security Act on BJP leader Varun Gandhi by Mayawati
Government has been termed invalid by the UP advisory board appointed by Allahabad
High Court to go into the merits of the case. The NSA would now be immediately
revoked and Gandhi would be a free man as per the law. The Supreme Court on May
2 had extended the interim bail of Varun Gandhi till May 14. Varun Gandhi had
submitted his representation before an advisory board in the Lucknow bench of
the Allahabad High Court on April 28 against slapping of the NSA over his alleged
hate speech in Pilibhit. Senior judge Pradeep Kant heads the three-member advisory
board, which also includes two retired high court judges. As the ultimate statutory
authority on the NSA, the advisory board has the right to approve or revoke the
government order invoking the act against Varun, BJP candidate from the Pilibhit
Lok Sabha constituency. The verdict of the advisory board is final and if it chooses
to revoke the NSA, Gandhi would be set free with immediate effect. Varun was charged
for making highly inflammatory anti-Muslim utterances during his poll campaign
in Pilibhit. In his representation, Varun said the Uttar Pradesh Government had
slapped NSA against him out of "political vendetta". He claimed that he had not
created any law and order problem during his surrender on March 28 in the Pilibhit
court. The state government had invoked NSA against him on March 29 and he was
kept in Etah jail.
Prachanda
meets Koirala to discuss political scenario in Nepal Top
Kathmandu:
Nepal caretaker Prime Minister and Maoist party chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal
'Prachanda met Nepali Congress president Girija Prasad Koirala to discuss the
political scenario in the aftermath of his resignation. According to Nepali Congress
vice president Ram Chandra Poudel who was present during hour-long meeting, Koirala
asked Prachanda to cooperate in forming a government of national consensus. Prachanda
on his part said he would consider the proposal. Prachanda also tried to allay
fears of Nepali Congress leadership regarding the controversial videotape containing
his speech during a close-door training of PLA commanders one and half years ago.
Talking to reporters after the meeting, Prachanda said the discussion with Nepali
Congress president was about forging a consensus and cooperation among the parties.
Meanwhile, Indian Ambassador to Nepal Rakesh Sood and UNMIN chief Karin Landgren
separately met Prachanda. Meanwhile, Nepali Congress leader Krishna Prasad Situala
has claimed that an understanding has already been reached among parties to form
a unity government under the leadership of CPN (UML). Situala said it's certain
that the next government would be led by UML and what is being awaited now is
a formal decision of the UML and the nomination of its leader, who will become
the Prime Minister. He further claimed that "other parties" are also convinced
that the UML should lead the "government of national consensus". He said that
the Maoists should be part of the new coalition, but they cannot take the leadership.
Pakistan ‘formally’
declares all-out war against Taliban Top
Islamabad:
Pakistan has finally declared an all-out war against the Taliban in the Swat and
Malakand Divisions of the country’s North West Frontier Province (NWFP). In a
televised address to the nation on Thursday, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani
announced the formal deployment of troops in the Malakand region, and vowed to
flush out militants from the area at all costs. “We will eliminate those who have
tried to destroy peace of the country,” Gilani said. In an attempt to justify
the government’s move to sign the Swat peace deal with the TNSM to force the Taliban
to lay down their arms, Gilani said the government accepted the demand for the
enforcement of the Nizam-e-Adl in the hope that peace would be restored. “We had
faced pressure. We were criticized for such policies, but we took the decision
for our national interests,” The Nation quoted Gilani, as saying. He urged the
people of the country to stand behind the security forces strongly, so that they
can quell the menace permanently which has virtually held Pakistan hostage. “We
will not compromise. The nation must stand against those who have imposed their
will at gunpoint. They have held the country hostage,” Gilani added. Referring
to the Swat flogging incident, in which the Taliban had publicly whipped a teenaged
girl, Gilani said such ‘shameful acts’ against women in the country has not only
earned a bad name for the nation, but has also put the lives of local people under
perpetual threat. He also announced a package of one billion rupees for the rehabilitation
of internally displaced persons.
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