Centre seeks recall of SC verdict on commuting death sentence - Business Standard

The central government Saturday moved the Supreme Court seeking recall of its verdict holding that inordinate, unexplained and unreasonable delay in deciding a mercy petition by the president was a ground for commuting a death sentence to life imprisonment.
The court had held that in deciding the mercy petition, there could no distinction whether the death row convict was sentenced under normal penal offences or under the provision of anti-terror laws.
The review petition said that the court ought to have taken into account the decision of the Constitution bench upholding separate machinery for the trial of offences under anti-terror laws.
The centre has said the president's decision to reject mercy petitions could not have been interfered by the court as the same was not subject to judicial review.
It said the court could not have substituted life imprisonment for the death sentence while exercising its power of judicial review over the president's decision to reject mercy petitions.
The centre in its review petition said that if the court was of the view that the mercy petitions were not properly considered, then the same could have been returned to the president for reconsideration.
The petition to recall the Jan 21 verdict said the president or the governor were not required to spell out any reason for deciding mercy petitions either way.
The centre said the scope of judicial review was extremely limited and ought not to be exercised except on the grounds of malafide, political expediency, extraneous factors, undue haste and non-applicability of mind to the material available before the president.
Contesting the jurisdiction of the three-judge bench to decide the issue, the centre's plea said the grounds set out in the Jan 21 judgment involved the interpretation of the constitution and the same could have been done by the five-judge bench as spelt out under article 145.
The government said if a mercy petition is pending decision with the president, the court could not have passed the order of remission and all that it could have done was ask the president to decide the mercy petition expeditiously.
"In fact, the court ought not and could not have ordered even in pending mercy petitions that the petition should be allowed or convert the death sentence to life imprisonment," the review petition said.
Besides delay, the court had also held that insanity, mental illness and schizophrenia could be the grounds for seeking commuting death sentence to life imprisonment.
The apex court by its Jan 21 judgment commuted the death sentence of 15 convicts to life imprisonment on the grounds of delay in deciding their mercy petitions by the president.
In the case of 13 death row convicts, it was on account of years of delay in deciding the mercy petitions and for two convicts, it was mental illness.

This judgment was relied upon for commuting the death sentence of three key conspirators in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case to life imprisonment and was also cited by a 1993 Delhi bomb blast convict seeking commutation of his death sentence. 

Lt Gen Kumar to be new Army DGMO

New Delhi: Lt Gen P R Kumar will on Saturday take over as Director General Military Operations (DGMO) from Lt Gen Vinod Bhatia, who is retiring today.
"Lt Gen Kumar will take over as DGMO tomorrow from Lt Gen Vinod Bhatia who will retire today after a tenure of more than 18 months," an Army release said.
The DGMO is an important office controlling the operations of the Army and is also responsible for immediate resolution of border conflicts with Pakistan and is soon expected to be assigned the same task with China as well.
An alumnus of National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla, Kumar was commissioned into Regiment of Artillery on December 15, 1976.
He is an aviator and was till now holding the responsibility of the Directorate General of Army Aviation.
Kumar has held a variety of command, staff and instructional assignments. He has also commanded a medium regiment, an infantry brigade in north and an Infantry Division in the east.

He commanded the prestigious Strike Corps, on the South Western Front.

RAW officer commits suicide after killing wife, two children

A 52-year-old RAW official on Saturday hanged himself after killing his wife and two children at his home here, police said.
Ananya Chakravarty was found hanging from a ceiling fan while his 43-year-old wife Jaisree, 17-year-old son Arnab, and 12-year-old daughter Disha were found lying in a pool of blood inside their home at Sadiq Nagar area of south Delhi, police said.
The house was bolted from the inside.

"The reason for the extreme step is yet to be ascertained. It seemed Chakravarty first killed his wife and children and then hanged himself," said a police officer.

Manipur girl thrashed, molested and racially abused by two drunk men in Delhi

In yet another incident of violence against Northeastern people in the national capital, a girl and her cousin brother hailing from Manipur were allegedly attacked by two men who thrashed them, hurled racial abuses and molested the girl last night.
According to the police, both the assailants, identified as Kamal, a motor mechanic and his associate Manpreet have been arrested.
The victims hail from Ukhrul district of Manipur. The 24-year-old-woman is pursuing B. Ed from Delhi University.
The incident took place at around 10 PM last night in Vijay Nagar area which is close to Delhi University's north campus when the boy was going to drop her cousin sister to her PG after having dinner at his place.
As they reached near a park at Buddha Colony, they saw a man urinating on roadside. Seeing the girl, he turned towards her and started making lewd gestures and comments.
"They first ignored him but as he continued and went on to call them 'chinki' 'and nepali', the boy confronted him.
Kamal and Manpreet, who were in an inebriated state, thrashed the boy black and blue, when the girl tried to intervene, they beat her, tore her dress and molested her and even tried to rape her in front of her brother," said a friend of the duo.
As they shouted for help, locals and neighbours rushed to the spot after which they fled from the spot. Police was informed and both the victims were taken to a nearby hospital.
They were later discharged after first aid and medical examination.
However, soon after the incident, Northeastern students and other locals reached Model Town police station and protested. The demonstrators pelted stones due to which over ten vehicles including a PCR van were damaged, the officer said.

"We have registered a case under relevant sections and both the accused have been arrested," said a senior police official.

Former BJP president Bangaru Laxman passes away

Former BJP President Bangaru Laxman, who was caught on camera in 2001 while accepting a bribe of Rs one lakh in a fake defence deal hugely embarrassing the the NDA government, died at a hospital here Saturday.
A former Union minister, Laxman, who was to turn 75 on March 17, was not keeping well for some time due to a kidney ailment and died of cardiac arrest at a private hospital 5 PM.

Sad to know about Shri Bangaru Laxman's demise. May his soul rest in peace. Condolences to his family.
Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 1, 2014

He is survived by three daughters and a son.
The first Dalit president of BJP, he had hit the headlines when he was caught on camera receiving money from a purported arms dealer in a sting operation by Tehelka. He was convicted in the case by a Special CBI Court in 2012.
The episode also marked the advent of sting journalism in the country.
Born in a dalit family in Andhra Pradesh, he joined politics at an early age and was elected to the Rajya Sabha in 1996. He was also jailed during the Emergency in 1975.
His wife Susheela Laxman Bangaru was a BJP member of 14th Lok Sabha and was elected from Jalore constituency in Rajasthan. He is survived by his wife, a son and three daughters.

BJP President Rajnath Singh and other party leaders have condoled the death of Laxman.

Ex-Army chief joins BJP, says the party can take the country forward

Former Army Chief General VK Singh, who was engaged in a long-drawn battle with the Government over his age issue, joined the Baharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday.
"I'm joining BJP as it is the only party which is nationalist," former Army Chief General VK Singh said.

The BJP believes that 'Ex-servicemen Welfare Commission' should be constituted for the welfare of our armed forces' veterans.
Rajnath Singh (@BJPRajnathSingh) March 1, 2014

"Joining the nationalist alternative", the former Army Chief said.
We need good governance that can propel the nation to development, he added.
The decision comes months after he shared dais with BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi at an ex-servicemen rally in Rewari in Haryana.
It is, however, not yet clear whether BJP would field him in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
Singh's tenure as the Army Chief was marked by a controversy over his age. He became the first serving chief to drag the government to the court over his age issue which was decided in favour of the government by the Supreme Court.
The dispute over his age arose because he had two sets of date of birth -- May 10,1950 and May 10,1951 -- in his official records.
Government had recognised 1950 as his official date while he was insisting that it should be 1951, which would give him 10 months more in service.

Soon after retirement, Gen Singh had adopted an anti-government stance and blamed the bureaucracy and the Prime Minister's Office for creating troubles for him during his tenure.

Political funding must come under RTI: Manohar Parrikar

Goa Chief Minister Manohar ParikkarIn the first clear call being made by a politician on a highly contentious issue, Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parikkar has said he was bringing funding for political parties under RTI. Appearing on the Right To Be Heard Townhall debate on Headlines Today, Parikkar, a no-nonsense politician with a clean image, said the income source of political parties can be brought under scrutiny. "I support political parties being brought under RTI in a restrictive way. I don't agree internal party matters must be in public domain, but funding should be. I am a big supporter of RTI, '' Parikkar said. The BJP Chief Minister's comments are significant since all parties have ruled out coming under the RTI ambit. But Parrikar refused to be drawn into giving a reaction on Arvind Kejriwal's demand that the BJP muist come clean on who was funding Narendra Modi.
Parrikar, who had last year caused flutter in the party with his remark that the 2002 post-Godhra riots in Gujarat were a blot on Narendra Modi's career, deftly fielded several questions on what he now thought about the BJP's PM candidate. To a question on why Modi was not still apologising for the way the Gujarat riots were handled,  Parrikkar said: "You should ask Modi. But he's pained by it. Whether he should apologise, that depends on the temperament of a person. I don't think he needs to apologise."
Asked how he would have handled the situation had the riots taken place in Goa, Parrikar said "If a similar situation would have happened here, I would have acted on it.". But Parrikar added that 12 years have passed and people learn from past experiences. Modi is an able administrator and there is no law or order problem now.
Parikkar also said Modi was not dictatorial but assertive. And he was sure that as the scope of his role expanded, Modi would be more consultative in nature on issues.  And in a tongue-in-cheek comment on Modi, Parrikar said "He's a good learner. He has picked up from the Goa model." The Goa model being that the BJP government is not seen as one with a Hindutva agenda. Parrikar said Modi has now become more attractive to even minorities because of his learning from the Goa model. Asked if Modi was wooing industry by saying he was in favour of equal competition, Parrikar said there was no question of a BJP re-think on FDI in retail.
He defended Modi for not appearing before the media, saying "He's busy connecting with the people now, and when he will give an interview it won't be like Rahul Gandhi's."
When asked about his views on  Arvind Kejriwal, another ex-IITian who became Chief Minister even if it was for 49 days, Parrikar said "Dreams don't become a reality unless you have executive abilities. My personal opinion is that had the BJP announced Harsh Vardhan four weeks before it actually made him CM candidate, the party would have got at least 40 seats."

The Goa Chief Minister denied that he had taken special interest in the Tarun Tejpal case. "I didn't take centre stage on the Tejpal case. I don't interfere with police work. I only told police that don't get influenced by anyone. If a highly place media personality does something wrong then the punishment should be quick and harsh."

AAP enemy is price-rise, corruption, says Kejriwal

Ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday launched his three-day yatra in Uttar Pradesh on Saturday, saying price rise, corruption and communalism would remain the centrepiece of the AAP campaign.
He said even the  Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) cannot change the way things stand now in the country, adding,  both corruption and communalism were uppermost in the minds of the AAP leaders which needed to be fought tooth and nail. 
"Nothing will change if the BJP comes to power. The country will continue to bleed because of corruption. Our enemies are price rise, corruption and communalism and other parties aren't doing anything about these issues," said the former Delhi chief minister.
Another senior party leader Manish Sisodia said that politics of development should replace the politics of caste and religion. 
"UP is dominated by caste and religion politics and we want to replace it with politics of development. The state is backward and we intend to target other parties over a number of issues plaguing the state," said Sisodia, who is accompanying Kejriwal in the road-show.
Another party leader and UP in-charge Sanjay Singh said "corruption, dynastic politics and criminalisation of politics" are the main issues the AAP will focus on in UP.  "Also, power is another important issue we intend to target as it is bigger problem than Uttar Pradesh," he said, adding, "People will vote for our party and help us in fighting corruption," Singh said.
The former Delhi chief minister kick-started a roadshow from AAP office in Kaushambi in Ghaziabad as part of his 500-km yatra, accompanied by fellow party members Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh.
The road show, "Jhadu chalao beimaan bhagao yatra" would end in Kanpur, passing through Pilkhuwa, Babugarh, Garh Mukteswar, Gajraula, Moradabad, Shahbad, Hardoi, and Unnao. The Kanpur rally, second after the one in Rohtak in Haryana last week, is also a part of its national campaign. Kejriwal will also meet leaders from business community and social organisations.
Through the road show, AAP intends to target rival parties especially the Congress and the BJP over the Reliance gas issue.
The party has over 3.5 lakh workers and activists in Uttar Pradesh and also has pinned high hopes in the state.
It also plans to counter political heavy-weights like Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav, Congress-Vice President and President Sonia Gandhi, Union Ministers Salman Khurshid and Ajit Singh by fielding candidates against them.

Kejriwal even plans to campaign in BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi's home turf on March 8, a state where the AAP is trying hard to emerge as the third alternative to the Congress and the BJP.

Putin seeks Ukraine troop deployment - BBC News

The BBC's Daniel Sandford says "what appear to be Russian troops" are standing guard at local government offices in Simferopol

Russia's President Vladimir Putin has asked his upper house of parliament to approve the deployment of Russian troops in Ukraine, the Kremlin says.

It follows discussions by the lower and upper house on ways to "stabilise" the situation in Ukraine's Crimea region, where many ethnic Russians live.
Earlier, the Ukrainian defence minister said Moscow had already deployed some 6,000 extra troops to Crimea.
Kiev has accused Moscow of deliberately trying to provoke a confrontation.
President Putin submitted the request "in connection with the extraordinary situation in Ukraine and the threat to the lives of Russian citizens", the Kremlin said.
He asked the upper house - which constitutionally must approve such a motion - for Russian armed forces to be used "until the normalisation of the political situation in that country".
Earlier, the newly-elected pro-Moscow leader of Crimea, Sergiy Aksyonov, appealed to Mr Putin for help to ensure peace on the peninsula - a request which the Kremlin said it would "not leave unnoticed".
'Provocation'
The request follow days of military activity in Crimea during which unidentified armed men moved in to take over the regional parliament, state television and telecommunications hubs.
Soldiers from Russia's Black Sea Fleet, which is based in Crimea, are reported to be guarding some administrative buildings and military bases.
Amid the closure of airspace over Crimea's regional capital Simferopol on Friday evening, there were unconfirmed reports that Russian planes were flying in thousands of troops.
Ukrainian Defence Minister Ihor Tenyukh said on Saturday there are now an extra 6,000 Russian troops in Crimea, alongside an additional 30 armoured vehicles.
Under the agreement governing the presence of the fleet in Crimea, the Russians must co-ordinate all troop movements outside the fleet's base with the Ukrainian authorities beforehand.
Events in Crimea have angered the new interim government in Kiev and alarmed Western leaders.
Ukraine's acting President Oleksander Turchynov accused Russia of trying to provoke Kiev into "armed conflict", but said they would not react.

US President Barack Obama has warned of the "costs" of any Russian intervention in the Ukraine.

UPDATE 3-West voices alarm on Crimea, calls on Russia to respect Ukraine ... - Reuters

* Ukraine says Russia sending extra troops to Crimea
* Putin proposes sending armed forces to Crimea
* France, Britain, Germany urge for de-escalation
* Calls come after Obama warns Russia against intervention
PARIS, March 1 (Reuters) - The West expressed alarm on Saturday over fast-moving developments in Ukraine's Crimea, urging all sides to avoid further escalation and calling on Russia to respect Ukraine's sovereignty.
A week after violent protests forced Russian-backed President Viktor Yanukovich to abandon power in Kiev, Ukraine's new leaders say Russia is trying to take control of the southern Crimea region, which has a majority ethnic Russian population.
France, Britain and Germany issued calls for de-escalation in Crimea hours after U.S. President Barack Obama warned that military intervention in the region would be deeply destabilising and "carry costs".
"France is extremely concerned by the reports from Crimea, which describe significant troop movements," French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said in a statement. "We call on the parties to abstain from acts that could raise tensions and affect Ukraine's territorial unity."
No bloodshed followed Yanukovich's ouster, but Ukraine's new leadership faces a challenge in Crimea, which was part of Russia until 1954.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk accused Russia on Saturday of sending thousands of troops to the area.
Armed men wearing combat uniforms with no identification have taken control of two airports in the area and have taken over the regional parliament in what Kiev describes as an occupation by Moscow's forces.
Crimea's pro-Russia prime minister has put himself in charge of all military forces, police and other security services in the region. He has also appealed to Russian President Vladimir Putin for assistance in "guaranteeing peace and calm" there.
Putin has asked the upper house of parliament to approve sending armed forces to Ukraine's Crimea region, citing a threat to the lives of citizens of Russia.
British Foreign Secretary William Hague, who travels to Ukraine on Sunday to hold talks with the new leadership, urged his Russian counterpart to act to ease tensions.
In a tweet, Hague added he had spoken to German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier and discussed the need for international diplomatic action to address the crisis.
Earlier, Steinmeier called developments in Crimea over the past few hours dangerous and urged Russia to explain its intentions.
"The situation in Crimea in particular has become considerably more acute. Whoever pours more oil onto the flames now, with words or actions, is consciously aiming for further escalation of the situation," he said.
"Everything Russia does in Crimea must be in keeping with the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, and treaties on Russia's Black Sea fleet," he said.
Steinmeier said European leaders must confer swiftly in order to agree a common position of the European Union.

Russia says any movements by its military in Crimea are in line with agreements with Ukraine in the lease of a naval base in the port city of Sevastopol, and Moscow has accused Kiev of trying to destabilise the Black Sea peninsula.

Pakistan Taliban announce month truce - BBC News

Taliban spokesman Shahidullah Shahid emailed the statement to reporters on Saturday The Pakistani Taliban have announced a month-long ceasefire aimed at reviving stalled peace talks with government.

Pakistan's government welcomed the announcement as a "positive development", and said it was prepared to resume talks.
The talks broke down last month, after Taliban-linked militants said they had killed 23 soldiers they were holding.
This triggered air strikes by the Pakistani military against suspected militant hideouts in the north-west.
Taliban spokesman Shahidullah Shahid said the Taliban had decided on a ceasefire "because of a positive response from the government, an appeal from the religious scholars and for the better future of Pakistan".
He requested the Pakistani government to fulfil the group's demands, which include an end to US drone strikes and the introduction of Sharia law.
Irfan Siddiqui, an adviser to the Pakistani prime minister, said that the ceasefire would be a "positive development".
"After all 17 days of talks, this is the first big breakthrough that we are seeing," he said.
Interior ministry official Sami-ul Haq told local media that he had spoken to the head of the Taliban's negotiating committee following the announcement.
The officials agreed to arrange a meeting between the two sides "within a day or two".
Increasing attacks
The Taliban said last month that they were close to deciding on a ceasefire, before negotiations stalled.
The government's decision to hold peace talks has been criticised by some Pakistani opposition parties because militant attacks have continued.
The Taliban have recently stepped up attacks against targets in Pakistan and Afghanistan, ahead of an anticipated reduction in the number of US troops in the region in 2014.
Hundreds have died in Pakistan in a series of bomb and gun attacks in recent months.

The Pakistani Taliban, also knows as the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), are based mainly in the north-west, but have staged attacks across the country.

BJP leader Bangaru Laxman passes away - Daily News & Analysis

Former president of the Bharatiya Janata Party, Bangaru Laxman was awarded a four year jail term for an expose by Tehelka in 2001. 
BJP's ex-President Bangaru Laxman passed away today at the age of 74.
He was awarded a four year sentence for having accepted a bribe in an expose done by Tehelka in 2001. He was caught while dealing with a fake arms dealer in a bid to recommend them to the defence ministry for a contract to supply thermal binoculars to the Army. He was convicted by a Special CBI Court on 27 April 2012 for taking bribe under Prevention of Corruption Act and was taken into custody. For a complete chronology of events in the Bangaru Laxman's corruption case, click here.
The veteran politician died at at Yashoda Hospital in Hyderabad. He is survived by three daughters and a son.
Born in a dalit family in Andhra Pradesh, he joined politics at an early age and was elected to the Rajya Sabha in 1996. He was also jailed during the Emergency in 1975. His wife Susheela Laxman Bangaru was a BJP member of 14th Lok Sabha and was elected from Jalore constituency in Rajasthan.

Kejriwal kicks off 3-day LS polls campaign in UP - Hindustan Times

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday began his three-day whistle-stop election tour of Uttar Pradesh and said the country was run by Mukesh Ambani and not the Congress or BJP.
"If BJP comes to power, things will remain as they are. Corruption will stay in the country, price rise will continue. Our enemies are corruption, price rise and communalism," Kejriwal told reporters while embarking on the tour from the AAP office in Kaushambi, Ghaziabad.
Kejriwal's journey will cover 15 Lok Sabha seats in the state, which sends the highest (80) number of lawmakers to Parliament. This is his second major campaign after a rally in Haryana last week.
After a brief rule in Delhi, AAP dived into national politics and has decided to contest 300 Lok Sabha seats. On March 8, Kejriwal is slated to campaign in BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi's home turf, Gujarat.
Kejriwal's first halt was in Pilukhwa, where he told a gathering that "this country is run by Mukesh Ambani and not the BJP or Congress".
Read: Advantage AAP in high-profile New Delhi seat
In Hapur, he garlanded former Prime Minister and farmer leader Chaudhary Charan Singh's statue and claimed corruption was curbed significantly during AAP's brief rule.
In Moradabad, where people are upset with the sitting Congress MP Mohammad Azharuddin they rarely get to see, Kejriwal was back to attacking Ambani, Robert Vadra, Modi and Rahul.
Senior AAP leader Manish Sisodia, who accompanied Kejriwal, said the party wants to replace the politics of caste and religion in UP with the politics of development.
Sanjay Singh, the party's leader in charge of the state, said AAP's target would be "corruption, dynastic politics, electricity shortage and criminalisation of politics".
While enthusiasm was high among the people who listened to his speeches, many complained that Kejriwal did not touch specific local issues, such as sugarcane farmers' complaints.
Read: Kejriwal to campaign in Modi's home turf on March 8
In Moradabad, Raghubir Sharma, a shopkeeper, asked why the AAP ignored its internal opposition to the candidature of its Lok Sabha candidate Khalid Parveiz, believed to have several cases against him.
The party has decided to take on political heavy-weights like Samajwadi supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav, Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Union ministers Salman Khurshid and Ajit Singh in UP.
On Sunday, Kejriwal's tour will start from Hardoi and proceed to Unnao and then to Kanpur, where he is scheduled to address a rally.

On March 3, the rally would head to Delhi covering Auraiya, Etawah, Firozabad, Agra, Mathura and Palwal.

Centre moves Supreme Court against verdict that says delay is ground for ... - NDTV

New Delhi:  The Centre today filed a review petition in the Supreme Court against its verdict that said death sentence can be commuted over delay in deciding mercy petition.
The top court had, in January, commuted the sentences of 15 death row convicts, ruling that delays in their execution were grounds to change their sentences to life imprisonment.
"Inordinate and unreasonable delay attribute to torture. Whether the convict is a terrorist or an ordinary criminal, delay is a ground for commutation of death sentence," the court said in its ruling, which accepted that prolonged imprisonment of a convict awaiting execution amounts to cruelty and violates the fundamental right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution.
The verdict was based on an appeal by four members of the gang led by notorious sandalwood smuggler Veerappan.
Last month, the court commuted the death sentence of three men convicted of killing former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi to life in prison, rejecting the government's view that an 11-year delay in deciding their mercy petition was not agony for them.
Story First Published: March 01, 2014 12:43 IST

V K Singh threatens to drag Home Minister to court - Business Standard

Former Army chief Gen VK Singh has issued a legal notice to Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde, threatening to drag him to court over alleged "failure" to act upon his complaints of "sedition and treason" against certain individuals.

In the notice served to the Home Minister through his lawyer Vishwajeet Singh, the retired General, who joined BJP today, said, "Why judicial intervention should not be sought in the matter against you for dereliction of duty in such a serious matter that has direct implications on India's national security."
The former chief said he had complained to Shinde on "offences of sedition, treason and violations of the official secrets act by certain individuals" referring to some media publications on "attempted military coup" and had sought probe into the matter.
Singh has given seven days time to Shinde to respond to his notice, failing which he said he will initiate legal action against him.
The alleged offences mentioned by Singh against some media persons and Army officials were related to violations under Official Secrets Act, 1923 and the National Security Act, 1980 as also under various penal provisions of the Indian Penal Code, 1860.
Singh said he had issued a reminder to the Home Minister in December seeking response on his previous complaint.
Shinde, however, did not respond either to the complaint or to the reminder, the notice said.
"You chose to initiate no action whatsoever upon receiving the said complaint. You further chose not to respond to my client or inform him as to the reasons for not taking any action on his complaint," it said.

VK Singh, former Army Chief, makes formal entry into politics, joins BJP - Economic Times

NEW DELHI: Former Army Chief Gen V K Singh, who was engaged in a long-drawn battle with the government over his age issue, today joined BJP, saying it is the only "nationalist" party which he wants to see in power.
Gen Singh, who joined the BJP along with a number of other ex-servicemen in presence of party President Rajnath Singh, said the troops should support it so that a "stable, strong and nationalist" government is formed.
"I saw only BJP as nationalist party," he said while explaining the reason for joining the party.
"We, who have served on borders, should work with nationalist forces. So, we have decided to move with BJP to bring a government which is stable, strong and takes decisions in national interest, said the 63-year-old who retired in May 2012.
He expressed confidence that the enthusiasm of the servicemen will make BJP stronger.
Welcoming him into BJP, Rajnath Singh said if BJP comes to power, it will take good care of the armed forces.
He used the occasion to attack the UPA government, saying it has not looked after the armed forces well. In this context, he cited the recent mishaps involving the Navy.
The BJP chief also attacked the government over ceasefire violations by Pakistan, including beheading of two Indian soldiers, and intrusions by China.
Gen (retd) joined BJP months after he shared dais with its Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi at an ex-servicemen rally in Rewari in Haryana.
The BJP chief also attacked the government over 'one-rank, one-pension' decision, saying it came too late.
He said it was BJP veteran L K Advani who had first raised the demand and the UPA government had accepted it only at the time of the elections.
Rajnath Singh also said that the defence forced needed modernisation which was not being done.

View the original article here

NCP keen to form alliance with Congress in three states

New Delhi: The Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has said that it would be keen to form an alliance with the Congress Party in Goa, Gujarat and Odisha before the 2014 general elections.
NCP general secretary D.P. Tripathi said: "Talks are going on, but the Congress has not decided anything. Last time, we had an alliance with the Congress in Goa. We are trying for alliance with the Congress in Goa, Gujarat and Odisha. We need to come to a decision about these places."
Tripathi also said that the NCP has announced its first list of 24 candidates for the general elections, 18 of whom are from Maharashtra and six from other states.
Tripathi clarified that nothing has been finalised on seat sharing arrangements.
In the 2009 elections, the NCP had won eight of the 22 seats that they contested.
The Congress Party has led coalition governments for the past decade, but faces an uphill struggle to win re-election this year due to a string of corruption scandals and sagging economic growth.
Regional parties and their often charismatic leaders have become more powerful national players in recent years.
In recent days, some prominent state-level leaders have sealed alliances or spoken of a so-called Third Front.
Jayaram Jayalalithaa, chief minister of Tamil Nadu, has also formed an alliance with some Left Front parties.
A government made up of several regional groups with diverse agendas could prove unwieldy, a potential problem for Asia's third-largest economy, whose growth has tumbled to a decade low due to the slow pace of reform under the Congress Party's watch.

First Published: Friday, February 28, 2014, 16:03
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54 new central schools to come up

New Delhi: As many as 54 new central schools would be opened across 17 states of the country.
The approval for opening of the new Kendriya Vidyalayas (KV) was given by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) at a meeting here Friday.
These 54 KVs would be located in 53 districts of the 17 states, an official release said here.
The total cost of opening of these new KVs is projected at Rs 9.2 billion. The non-recurring costs covering constructions cost, furniture and fixtures will be Rs 7.9 billion and recurring cost covering pay and allowance and other expenses will be Rs 1.3 billion.
These new KVs when fully functional will provide quality education to approximately 54,000 students in addition to 1,200,000 students already studying in the present central schools.
The main objective of the schools is to cater to the educational needs of children of transferable central government employees, including defence and para-military personnel, by providing a common programme of education, the release said.
There are at present 1,094 functional Kendriya Vidyalayas including three in Moscow, Kathmandu and Tehran.

First Published: Friday, February 28, 2014, 15:23
View the original article here

Government unlikely to go ahead with ordinance route for Rahul Gandhi pet ... - NDTV

New Delhi:  The UPA government will not invoke the emergency powers of the Constitution for promulgating ordinances ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, due by May, sources said today. The Congress Core Group, in a late evening meeting, has reportedly decided not to go for the ordinance route to bring the anti-graft bills being pushed by Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi into effect.
According to top sources, the government was unsure whether President Pranab Mukherjee would give his nod to the ordinances. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will meet President Mukherjee before flying out to Myanmar, but sources said the government is unlikely to pursue the matter further.
A massive political backlash was expected if the bills were pushed through ordinances, as a government, which has entered its last lap, conventionally, leaves the fate of such bills to be decided by the next government.
The UPA had failed to rush these bills through in the last session Parliament. Two of them, the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Bill and the Rights of citizens to Timebound Delivery of Goods and Services and Redressal of Grievances Bill, were an important part of the plan set in motion by Mr Gandhi to reclaim the anti-corruption plank, which has been appropriated by Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party and Narendra Modi's BJP.
The BJP and the AAP have been hitting out at the Congress' governance track-record and its failure to rein in corruption at high places. The last five years of UPA rule have seen several corruption cases bursting in the open, denting the government's image.
 Story First Published: February 28, 2014 21:03 IST

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Mamata flays centre for raising poll campaign expenditure

Kolkata: Condemning the centre's decision to raise the expenditure limits for the Lok Sabha polls to a maximum of Rs 70 lakh and a minimum of Rs 54 lakh, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Friday said the move will encourage corruption.
"I am not only surprised but also shocked to see the attitude of the outgoing government on such important policy matter.
"It is a long pending demand for state funding for election expenditure as part of electoral reforms. Instead, the central government has decided to increase the poll expenditure limit," Banerjee said on a social networking site.
The decision came Friday following a proposal by the Election Commission to raise expenditure limits for Lok Sabha elections to a maximum of Rs 70 lakh and a minimum of Rs 54 lakh, allowing candidates to spend more on their poll campaigns.
Observing that the decision will put "poor political parties" at a disadvantage, Banerjee said: "It will help the capitalist and large political parties who have enough money and can always spend crores for their election".
"The decision will clearly encourage more and more corruption and black-money," she added.

First Published: Friday, February 28, 2014, 16:06
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Significant rights abuses by Indian police, forces: US report

Washington: A US Congress-mandated report today said that abuses by police and security forces are the most significant human rights problems in India, but that the government had made some "progress" in cases seeking to punish officials for killings during the 2002 Gujarat riots.
"The most significant human rights problems were police and security force abuses, including extra-judicial killings, torture, and rape; widespread corruption at all levels of government, leading to denial of justice; and separatist, insurgent, and societal violence," said the annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices released by Secretary of State John Kerry.
Other human rights problems included disappearances, poor prison conditions that were frequently life threatening, arbitrary arrest and detention, and lengthy pretrial detention, the report said.
It noted that the judiciary remained overburdened, and court backlogs led to lengthy delays or the denial of justice.
Authorities continued to infringe on citizens' privacy rights, the report said adding that the law in some states restricts religious conversion, and there were reports of arrests but no reports of convictions under those laws and religion-based societal violence remained a problem, it said.
Forced labour and bonded labour were widespread while child labour, including forced child labour, was also a serious problem, it added.
In its report the State Department said that the government made some progress in cases that seek to hold police and security officials accountable for killings during the Gujarat riots in 2002.
"The government made some progress in cases that seek to hold police and security officials accountable for killings committed during the Gujarat riots in 2002," the report said.
Noting that there were allegations of bias in cases stemming from the 2002 Gujarat violence, the report said a decade after the communal riots, the 2013 Study on Internally Displaced Persons of India (IDPs) by the Centre for Social Justice reported 3,964 internally displaced families in 86 settlements in Gujarat, all of them Muslim.
"The study reported that 30 percent of the IDPs had not received any aid and the rest had been inadequately compensated," it said.
Civil society activists continued to express concern about the Gujarat government's failure to protect the population or arrest many of those responsible for communal violence in 2002 that resulted in the killings of more than 1,200 persons, the majority of whom were Muslim, although there was progress in several court cases, the report said.

First Published: Friday, February 28, 2014, 02:11
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BSF for upgradations to secure Indo-Pak border effectively

New Delhi: BSF is looking for good road network in one of the most inhospitable terrains for security forces in the marshy Rann of Kutch area to secure India's borders with Pakistan more effectively.
The Kutch area on India's western flank in Gujarat is one of the most inhospitable terrains for security forces in the country as the marshy land and salty water in the area makes human survival difficult.
"We want to have a good road connectivity. We are also looking at some technology solutions so that we can secure the border area more effectively," outgoing BSF Director General Subhash Joshi told reporters here.
Joshi retired on Friday after over 37 years in the Indian Police Service (IPS). He headed the BSF for over a year after heading the elite counter-terror force NSG.
He said the force was "concerned" about security measures and upgradations being made in this area which shares its waters with Pakistan including the notorious 'harami nala' area where fishermen of both the countries often cross over into each others' territory.
The DG also said that the force has prepared a proposal to upgrade its war stores, artillery and firing systems which it essentially deploys along the Pakistan border under the command of the Army.
"We want to upgrade our firing systems on the lines of the Army that is based on computer technology," he said.
The force, which has an exclusive air wing amongst all paramilitary forces, is also scheduled to get by year-end new choppers which will be deployed for anti-Naxal operations and for serving high-altitude border posts along Bangladesh in Mizoram.
Eight modern military choppers, Mi-17 V-5, have been sanctioned to the over 2.4-lakh strong force and these will be imported from Russia.

First Published: Friday, February 28, 2014, 16:36
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Uma asks Sonia to clear Cong stand on Khurshid`s remark

Indore: BJP vice-president Uma Bharti on Thursday asked Congress president Sonia Gandhi to clarify her party's stand on the "impotent" barb against BJP's PM nominee Narendra Modi by External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid.
"In the last many years, nobody has made such intemperate comment against any politician. The Congress president should clarify whether her party approves of the comment made by Khurshid or whether the observation on Modi was Khurshid's personal view," Uma said.
"Has Congress became so uncultured that its leaders (have) started making such kind of statements," she asked.
"On a number of occasions, Congress had distanced itself from its general secretary Digvijay Singh's controversial statements, I feel Congress should distance itself in Khurshid's case as well," Uma said.
The BJP leader said this below the belt comment by Khurshid will ensure that Congress will land in abyss post elections.
In the wake of furore caused by Khurshid after describing Modi as "impotent" in handling of the 2002 Gujarat riots, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi today expressed his disapproval for such language.
Responding to a query on contesting Lok Sabha polls, Uma said as she was occupied with the Ganga river conservation programme, she would not be able to spare time for her constituency.
"However, if BJP president Rajnath Singh asks me to contest, I am ready to fight the election from any given constituency," she said.
When asked about the change of guard in Uttarakhand, Uma, also the BJP's in-charge of the hill state, said Congress will achieve nothing by replacing Vijay Bahuguna with Harish Rawat as chief minister.
"...Despite Rawat assuming the reins of Uttarakhand, Congress will lose polls in the hill state and BJP would win all the five (Lok Sabha) seats," she added.

First Published: Thursday, February 27, 2014, 23:47
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No change in policy on communal riots in Gujarat: US

Washington: The United States continues to express concern about communal violence in India, the Obama Administration has said, strongly refuting reports that it has gone soft on the Gujarat communal riots in 2002 and the alleged role of its Chief Minister Narendra Modi.
"I wouldn't characterise our assessment that way. I think you'll find if you review the text that we're very clear about our concerns about several episodes of communal violence across India," US State Department Spokesperson Jen Psaki told reporters on Thursday.
Psaki was responding to a question on the latest annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices released by Secretary of State John Kerry.
"If Modi was mentioned in previous human rights reports for India by name, and (why) he is not mentioned in this one," she was asked.
Paski said that there is no change in the US policy on communal riots in Gujarat about a decade ago. Both the annual reports of the 2011 and 2012 mention Modi in its report but it no way refers to his role in the communal riots.
The latest report said: "Civil society activists continued to express concern about the Gujarat government's failure to protect the population or arrest many of those responsible for communal violence in 2002 that resulted in the killings of more than 1,200 persons, the majority of whom were Muslim, although there was progress in several court cases," the report said.
"The Gujarat government appointed the Nanavati-Mehta Commission to investigate the 2002 violence. In December, the Gujarat government granted an extension for the 21st time, extending the commission to June 30, 2014," it said.
The State Department said the Gujarat government withdrew its consent to seek the death penalty for former minister Maya Kodnani and others convicted in the 2002 Naroda Patiya violence that killed 97 Muslims.
The investigating agency questioned the Gujarat government's move in a petition in the Supreme Court in June.
Kodnani, the first senior politician to be convicted for 2002 violence, was sentenced to a 28-year jail term for her involvement in the post-Godhra riots case.
The report also talked about last year's communal violence in the Muzaffarnagar area of Uttar Pradesh that led to 65 reported deaths, 42,000 persons displaced, and hundreds of injuries during the months of August and September.
"The violence started with a sexual harassment incident between a Muslim man and a Hindu Jat woman and escalated following a political meeting of officials and others from more than 300 local villages during the weekend of September 7-8," it said.

First Published: Friday, February 28, 2014, 07:58
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Post retirement, PM to move to bungalow vacated by Sheila Dikshit

New Delhi: A sprawling bungalow on Motilal Nehru Place will be the abode of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh once he retires after the Lok Sabha elections.
The 3, Motilal Nehru Place type VIII bungalow, spread over 2.5 acres, was vacated by former Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit recently.
The four-bedroom bungalow with well maintained lawns and office space meets the requirement of a former prime minister.
"Some work has to be undertaken at the bungalow before the VIP moves here and CPWD has been given the responsibility for it," said a senior Urban Development Ministry official.
With the allotment of a Lutyen's bungalow, Singh and his wife would be entitled to occupy the house for their lifetime.
Singh, a Rajya Sabha MP, is currently staying at 7 Race Course Road, the official residence of the Prime Minister.
Dikshit has moved to a 2,000-sq ft, three-bedroom flat in Silver Arch apartment on Ferozeshah Road in central Delhi after vacating the Motilal Nehru Place bungalow.

First Published: Friday, February 28, 2014, 12:56
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Sex offender reported captured in Virginia - Seattle Post Intelligencer

DENVER (AP) — U.S. Marshals say they have arrested a child rapist who cut off his GPS monitor and disappeared from Denver one week ago.The U.S. Department of Justice said Eric Hartwell, 51, was taken into custody in Norfolk, Va., on Friday.Authorities say Hartwell was captured at a motel on Military Highway. They say Hartwell refused to surrender and officers broke down the door to arrest him.Hartwell was serving a three-year sentence for refusing to register as a sex offender in Colorado.He served time for failing to register in Washington and cut off his ankle bracelet a week after being paroled there in 2009. He was later captured in Carrollton, Texas, and sentenced to five years in federal prison in 2010 for failing to register.
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AAP lashes out at UPA govt for permitting field trials on GM crops

New Delhi: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Friday lashed out at the UPA government for permitting field trials of GM crops, saying such a decision was taken even when a Parliamentary Standing Committee on Agriculture had opposed such trials.
"The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) condemns the action of (Environment Minister) Veerappa Moily to approve these field trials and make this country a laboratory for risky GM crops and demand that all field trials be stopped and initiate an enquiry on the undue hurry of the minister's action," a statement released by the party today said.
"It is unacceptable that Moily went ahead to give permissions for these field trials even when a Parliamentary Standing Committee on Agriculture comprising of MPs from various political parties including Congress party and other UPA allies had recommended against such field trials," it said.
The party also questioned the haste shown by the government in this matter.
"The Supreme Court appointed Technical Expert Committee (TEC) comprising of eminent scientists also had highlighted the scientific evidence on adverse impacts of GM crops and the failure of the existing regulatory system in their final report submitted to the court in July last year and strongly recommended against any open releases including for experimental trials.
"The haste with which Moily is trying to approve field trials of risky untested GM crops before the court is going to hold a hearing on the final TEC report in April 2014, just a month away shows the undue interest the minister has on getting these GM crops out in to fields," the statement said.
The statement stated that the government's decision will only benefit the multi-national seed corporations.
"On the one hand, scientific evidence and scientists voices on the adverse impacts of GM crops to human health and environment are increasing.
"On the other experiences with BT cotton also show that the only entity that is benefiting from the introduction of GM crops are the big seed corporations which get monopolistic control over our seed sector," the statement said.

First Published: Friday, February 28, 2014, 15:38
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Corruption widespread in India, says US report

Washington: There is widespread corruption in India at all levels of the government, including judiciary, said a US Congress-mandated report.
"Corruption was widespread," said the annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2013 released on Thursday by US Secretary of State John Kerry.
According to the report, though the law provides criminal penalties for official corruption, the Indian government did not implement the law effectively, and officials frequently engaged in corrupt practices with impunity.
"Corruption was present at all levels of government. The CBI registered 583 cases of corruption between the months of January and November.”
"The Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) received 7,224 cases in 2012. Of those, 5,528 were received in 2012 and an additional 1,696 remained from 2011. The commission recommended action on 5,720 cases," the report said.
"The CVC operated a toll-free hotline to lodge complaints and a web portal to share information. NGOs noted that bribes typically were paid to expedite services, such as police protection, school admission, water supply, or government assistance," it said.
Civil society organisations drew public attention to corruption throughout the year, including through public demonstrations and websites that featured individual stories of corruption, it added.
The government designated chief vigilance officers to address public complaints and grievances in the banking, insurance, and other sectors serviced by private, public, and corporate bodies.
Parliament passed a bill in December establishing an ombudsman organisation known as a Lokpal to investigate allegations of government corruption.
The State Department said many government-run programs to alleviate poverty and provide employment suffered from poor implementation and corruption.
For example, after obtaining government documents under the RTI Act, a petitioner alleged misappropriation of funds in the Maharashtra Tribal Development Department.
On June 13, the Bombay High Court ordered that a special team be formed to investigate an alleged fraud in which money meant for tribal welfare was used for other purposes, it said.
A case against several suspects, including Tiruvannamalai municipality councillor KVN Venkatesan - connected to the July 2012 killing of social activist Rajamohan Chandra, who had filed public-interest litigation cases against government officials, politicians, and realtors suspected of corruption and land grabbing - awaited trial at year-end.
In December last, a commission probing the role of state chief ministers and other officials in the 2012 Adarsh housing scam involving improper allocations of apartments reserved for veterans and war widows submitted its report to the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, but the Maharashtra state government rejected the report.
The trial of former telecommunications minister A Raja and MK Kanimozhi, a member of the upper house of Parliament, accused of taking bribes in the rigged sale of the 2G mobile telephone spectrum in 2008, did not conclude by year's end, the State Department said.
On August 07, Justice RA Mehta refused to become the Gujarat Lokayukta, the state anti-corruption ombudsman authority, even after the Supreme Court upheld his appointment, and remarked that the state government would not support his investigations.
The Gujarat government sought to amend the Gujarat Lokayukta Act in April, to curtail the primacy of the governor and chief justice of the high court in the ombudsman's appointment and subject the appointing powers only to the chief minister's decision.
The governor refused to sign the bill.
The State Department said the law provides for an independent judiciary, and the government generally respected judicial independence, although "judicial corruption" was widespread.
"The judicial system remained seriously overburdened and lacked modern case management systems, often delaying or denying justice. In August, Law Minister Kapil Sibal stated that there were three vacancies on the Supreme Court and 275 vacancies on the high courts," it said.
"Vacancies in the subordinate judiciary were also alarming, with more than 3,700 positions to be filled in the states. The law minister attributed lengthening delays of cases in courts to the vacancies," the report said.

First Published: Friday, February 28, 2014, 07:53
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Wreath laying ceremony for victims of submarine INS Sindhuratna mishap

Mumbai: The Navy will on Friday conduct a wreath laying ceremony in memory of its two personnel who lost their lives battling the fire in submarine INS Sindhuratna.
"The Navy has organised the wreath laying ceremony today for Lieutenant Commander Kapish Munwal and Lieutenant Manoranjan Kumar," defence PRO Narendra Vispute said.
After the ceremony, the Navy will send the bodies to their natives places later today, a naval source said.
"The bodies were handed over to the respective families last night itself," said Dr Tatya Lahane, Dean of JJ hospital.
Navy sources had yesterday said that Munwal was probably the first one to spot the fire and swiftly jumped to contain its spread to prevent extensive damage to the submarine, while Kumar helped him to ensure the safety of other Navy personnel and contain damage to the submarine.
INS Sindhuratna was at sea on a routine training and workup (inspection) on February 26 when the mishap was reported. The submarine was towed to the harbour yesterday morning.

First Published: Friday, February 28, 2014, 14:05
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Mt. Gox Seeks Bankruptcy After $463 Million Bitcoin Loss - Businessweek

Mt. Gox customers hold placards while protesting outside a building housing the headquarters of Mt. Gox and its parent company Tibanne Co. in Tokyo. Photographer: Kiyoshi Ota/Bloomberg
Mt. Gox, once the world’s largest Bitcoin exchange, filed for bankruptcy in Japan, and said that 850,000 Bitcoins belonging to its customers and the firm were missing.
“The company believes there is a high possibility that the Bitcoins were stolen,” Mt. Gox said in a statement. “It is considering filing a criminal complaint.”
The filing follows three weeks of speculation about the fate of the Tokyo-based exchange, which suspended withdrawals on Feb. 7. The turmoil left investors and entrepreneurs asking how the insolvency could happen, and how the fledgling Bitcoin industry can bounce back.
Is Bitcoin Real Money?
“Mt.Gox is the only exchange that wasn’t backed by venture funds or institutional investors,” Mickey Malka, the founder of Palo Alto, California-based Ribbit Capital and a Bitcoin investor, said in an interview. “It will take time for the rest of the Bitcoin ecosystem to prove that this is a bad apple and not a problem of the entire ecosystem.”
The price of Bitcoin was down almost 3 percent to $560.89 at 10:48 New York time, according to the CoinDesk Bitcoin Price Index.

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Will webcam spying report change debate over monitoring programs? - CBS News

If you have a webcam, your picture may be in the hands of British intelligence.
British newspaper The Guardian says a surveillance program targeted 1.8 million Yahoo users around the world, even though none are suspected of wrongdoing.
The report is based on classified documents from National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden.
The report is more information about just how invasive the security agencies' monitoring programs have been, both in the U.K. and in the U.S., intercepting vast amounts of private electronic communication, including emails and, now, pictures, CBS News' Elizabeth Palmer reported.
The Guardian reports that an official British spy agency, GCHQ, used software provided by the NSA to vacuum up millions of video images from webcam conversations by Yahoo users. That is, it was invisibly eavesdropping on conversations - the kind that are used more and more to chat and do business.
But because video files are so large, the U.K. government computers were only capturing one still frame every five minutes.
There is one thing that has got Britons laughing about the entire affair, Palmer said. It's the revelation in GCHQ documents that their analysts had to be warned to use caution when they were looking at the intercepts because up to 11 percent of them contained what it called "undesirable nudity."
Yahoo, which said it knew nothing about the program, said it amounted to "a whole new level of violation of our users' privacy."
The Guardian reports the program is code-named OPTIC NERVE, and it served partly to experiment with face-recognition technology.
The U.K. government says the program was entirely legal. But Phillip Mudd, a former CIA analyst, says whether it's acceptable is another question. "The question this raises is the same question that's raised by the acquisition of phone and email data," Mudd said. "It's not whether you can do it. It's whether citizens in Britain and the United States believe their governments should do it."
The allegation that the government is not only reading and listening, but also watching our private lives, Palmer added on "CTM," is bound to intensify that debate.
© 2014 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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Cabinet approves President`s rule in Andhra Pradesh

Zee Media Bureau
New Delhi: In its last Cabinet meet before the General Elections, the United Progressive Alliance on Friday approved imposition of President’s Rule in Andhra Pradesh.
The Cabinet, which met at Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's residence, also decided to place the Andhra Pradesh Assembly in suspended animation.
Over a week after Parliament passed a bill for bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, the central government is yet to decide on the day when two states will formally come into being.
Andhra Pradesh Governor ESL Narasimhan had recommended for a spell of central rule after the resignation of Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy.
The Assembly Elections in Andhra Pradesh are due along with the Lok Sabha Elections.
Carving out of Telangana has brought about several vexed issue related to Andhra Pradesh bifurcation, including that of the electoral and government machinery that need to be settled to ensure smooth and fair elections in two separate states.
Keeping the law and order under control in an emotive atmosphere, especially in Hyderabad and Seemandhra and Rayalaseema, is another crucial area that would need a longer period of cooling off, sources told PTI.

First Published: Friday, February 28, 2014, 08:29
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Govt cutting short procedures for appointment in Lokpal panel: BJP

New Delhi: BJP leader Arun Jaitley on Thursday accused the government of "cutting short procedures" in its "terrible hurry" to appoint members of Lokpal ahead of general elections and packing the committee with its "supporters".
In a write-up titled 'Not the way to appoint a Lokpal', Jaitley said government had tried to "pack" the search committee with its "supporters".
Jaitley also said the manner in which government has invited applications is "inappropriate" and many senior judges had refused to apply as they felt it "compromised their dignity and self-respect".
In the write up, the senior BJP leader said UPA government "is in a terrible hurry to make appointment on the eve of elections and for this purpose is it is cutting short procedures." In the process, both legislative provisions and propriety are being "violated", he added.
Jaitley said Section 4(4) of the Lokpal Act provides that "the Selection Committee shall regulate its own procedure in a transparent manner for selecting the Chairperson and members of the Lokpal."
He said the selection committee had met only once on February 21, and it was understood members of the Search Committee were appointed in the meeting.
"Instead of the procedure for selection being laid down by the Selection Committee, the Department of Personnel Training (DoPT), had taken out an advertisement on January 17, 2014 i.E. On a day that the Selection Committee had not been constituted, inviting applications for appointment as judicial and non-judicial members of the Lokpal," Jaitley said.
He said even though DoPT has no role under the Act, it has framed rules to assign itself a role.
He said neither the selection committee nor the screening committee had in the present case any role in issuing advertisement or inviting applications or short listing the applicants as this entire functioning has been "usurped" by DoPT.
The BJP leader said he had written to the Prime Minister twice on the issue but the two replies did not address his principal concerns.
Jaitley further said that in his letter to the PM, he had said the idea of retiring or sitting judges of the highest court having to move applications for a post-retirement assignment is "repugnant to the dignity of the office that they have held."
"I know, for fact, several sitting judges have refused to apply because they felt it compromised their dignity and self-respect", Jaitley said. However, some others have forwarded their applications to their Chief Justices for being forwarded for consideration, he added.
"The government should realize that an institution does not belong to one political party. The more fair and credible institutions we create, the better it will be for the system. Marginalizing the Search Committee or deciding to pack the Lokpal with friendly names is not necessarily in the interest of the institution.
"The UPA has done enough damage to CBI, CAG, PAC, JPC and CVC. I hope, the Lokpal survives this assault," Jaitley said.

First Published: Thursday, February 27, 2014, 23:48
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Modi, BJP should introspect before accusing Congress of dynastic politics

New Delhi: Commenting on the alliance between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), Congress leader Shakeel Ahmad on Friday said that BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi should introspect his own party before criticizing others of family politics as he was doing the same.
"Modi always criticizes the Congress for playing family politics, but before criticizing others, he must look in his own party," said Ahmad.
"The LJP has joined the National Democratic Alliance. Now there are Badal, Thackeray and Paswan families in the BJP, and all these families follow dynastic politics," he said.
He further said that Vilas Paswan joining the NDA did not make sense as Paswan had left BJP due to Modi's role in the Gujarat riots.
"Paswan was in NDA 11 years ago. He had left the NDA because of BJP and Narendra Modi's role in Gujarat riots," said Ahmad.
"He was angry that Modi did not resign from his post taking responsibility for the riots and now he has joined them to make Narendra Modi the PM," he said.
"We don't understand the logic behind it," he added.
The BJP and the LJP have sealed a seat-sharing pact for the coming Lok Sabha elections in Bihar.
The LJP will fight seven out of the 40 Lok Sabha seats in the state under the deal.
The pre-poll alliance of the Ram Vilas Paswan-led party with the BJP led National Democratic Alliance comes 12 years after it quit the alliance over Gujarat riots issue.
BJP President Rajnath Singh made this announcement at a news conference after Central Committee meeting of the BJP here yesterday. He said the BJP will contest the remaining 33 seats in Bihar.
Paswan exuded confidence that the next government will be formed by the NDA.
Paswan said his party would support BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi for country's top position.
"The next government at the centre will definitely be that of the National Democratic Alliance. Before you ask me about Modi, I will inform you that the BJP has already decided on Modi as its prime ministerial candidate and we will go with that," he said. I

First Published: Friday, February 28, 2014, 15:57
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Narendra Modi is hardworking and a good friend: Karunanidhi

Zee Media Bureau/Biplob Ghosal
Chennai: It seems the NaMo magic is spreading everywhere with DMK chief M Karunanidhi saying that Bharatiya Janata Party's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi is a good friend.
Karunanidhi, the former Tamil Nadu chief minister was quoted by a Tamil newspaper Dinamalar as saying that the Gujarat Chief Minister's continuous campaigning for upcoming crucial General Elections shows that Modi is very hard working.
When asked about the possible outcome of the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, Karunanidhi refused to comment on the post poll scenario.
The DMK chief's warming up to Modi is a good sign for the BJP as Karunanidhi had recently said that his party would not align with the Congress for the parliamentary elections.
Interestingly, Karunanidhi's arch rival J Jayalalithaa is also a very good friend of the BJP strongman.
Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) chief Ramvilas Paswan on Thursday returned to the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) fold and announced an alliance with the BJP for the Lok Sabha elections.
The announcement was made by Paswan along with BJP president Rajnath Singh.
Addressing a joint press conference with Paswan, Singh said, “The process of expansion of NDA has begun; Lok Janshakti Party leader Ram Vilas Paswan has decided that his party will be part of the NDA. We have finalized seat sharing, I am confident that the alliance will help the NDA in Bihar.”

First Published: Friday, February 28, 2014, 12:06
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Foreign funding for AAP; HC to hear PIL on March 12 - Zee News

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Friday fixed for hearing on March 12 a PIL seeking registration of a criminal case against Aam Aadmi Party and its founding members on the ground that the party allegedly received foreign funding in violation of various laws.
"The counter affidavit filed by respondent party (Aam Aadmi Party) is not on record due to some objection in the registry," a bench of justices Pradeep Nandrajog and Jayant Nath said.
The court asked ML Sharma, who has filed the PIL, to file a rejoinder to AAP's reply which is yet to come on record.
AAP, in its reply, has said it did not flout any law in receiving foreign funds. It said the party got donations worth Rs 30 crore from Indian citizens only, out which about Rs 8.5 crore came from NRIs.
"It is the only party whose all financial records and the names of each and every donor is on its website, open for public view," the affidavit, filed by AAP national secretary Pankaj Kumar Gupta, said and sought dismissal of the PIL.
Earlier, the court had issued notices to AAP and its founding members, including former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, on the plea.
Besides Kejriwal and Prashant Bhushan, petitioner advocate M L Sharma has made AAP leaders Manish Sisodia and Shanti Bhushan as parties in his PIL.
The court had said the Centre should look "afresh" into the accounts of AAP to find out the source of money received by the party after its inception.
Sharma, in his plea, had cited some names, including that of Kejriwal, and sought that "a direction be issued to register a criminal case against the respondents (AAP members) under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) and to conduct day-to-day trial proceedings under court supervision in the interest of justice."

First Published: Friday, February 28, 2014, 21:15
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CAG`s note of caution over combat readiness of Navy`s aviation arm

New Delhi: The Comptroller and Audit General has sounded a note of caution over the combat readiness of the Navy's aviation arm as only 26 per cent of its assets are available at any given time, adding to the woes of the force hit by a series of accidents involving its submarines.
In a report, the CAG has also cautioned the Navy over indigenisation efforts, saying while these may be encouraged, the limitations should be clearly recognised and these should not come at the cost of operational preparedness.
Noting that Navy's air combat capability has weakened drastically as the available aircraft carrier, INS Viraat, is almost half a century old and running on "borrowed time", CAG has blamed sluggish acquisition and high number of aircraft undergoing repair and overhaul for its falling strength.
The audit report says attack capability of the already depleted fighter aircraft fleet is "significantly eroded" as they have not been kept in full combat readiness due to lack of a fully functional fitted radar and limited firing of practise missiles.
"The bombs fitted became obsolescent and guns are underutilised," it said. "The period between 1990 and 2005 could be termed as lost decades so far as expansion of aviation assets is concerned... This gap has put tremendous pressure on the aviation arm of the Navy.
"Reconnaissance activities have been curtailed due to drastic depletion in the force level and limited capability as a result of ageing of the aircraft, outdated equipment and sub-optimal functioning of the other equipment," it said.
Cautioning that modernisation programmes will have limited benefits, it said upgrade of an aircraft at a cost of Rs 641.62 crore may not yield the desired result due to short residual life.
CAG has pitched for expediting finalisation and approval of the Navy's long term perspective plan to give a firm direction for acquisition and induction of aircraft, management of assets and the flow of funds.

First Published: Thursday, February 27, 2014, 23:46
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Tea party insists it's alive and kicking - Longview Daily News

WASHINGTON (AP) — The foot soldiers of the tea party movement dismiss the chatter about its demise.
They stand ready to use their unbending political force against both President Barack Obama and the Republican establishment this election year.
The Tea Party Patriots, one of the major grass-roots groups, marked the fifth anniversary of the movement Thursday. They attracted hundreds of members and plenty of speakers to a Washington celebration in which they directed their animosity at the Washington establishment.
The national grass-roots coordinator says the strength of the group is reflected in $1.2 million and counting that it raised in 10 days.
Republican primaries this election year will be a crucial test for the movement. The GOP establishment has aggressively challenged tea party-backed candidates in several states.

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HC reserves verdict on PIL alleging Congress, BJP foreign funding

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Friday reserved its order on a PIL alleging that Congress and BJP received funding from subsidiaries of UK-based Vedanta Resources in violation of various Indian laws.
A bench headed by Justice Pradeep Nandrajog also asked the Centre and both the political parties to file written submissions within a week.
The court was hearing a PIL filed by an NGO, Association for Democratic Reforms, which had alleged that the Ministry of Home Affairs in its reply has factually admitted the position that funding came to these parties from Vedanta.
Earlier, the court had issued notices to the political parties, Ministry of Home Affairs and the Election Commission on the PIL filed by the NGO and EAS Sarma, a former Secretary of the Government of India.
The PIL had sought a direction for a "court-monitored investigation by SIT or the CBI into the violation of foreign funding and other laws by major political parties, corporate groups and PSUs."
It had also alleged that the two political parties have violated the Representation of People's Act and the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) by taking donations from government companies and foreign sources, which is prohibited under both the legislations.
The petition alleged that Vedanta Resources and its subsidiary companies in India, including Sterlite Industries, Sesa Goa and Malco, "have donated several crores of rupees to major political parties like the INC and the BJP".
The PIL has also alleged that according to Vedanta's annual report of 2012, it had made political donations to the tune of USD 2.01 million either through a trust or directly in respect of the Indian General Elections.

First Published: Friday, February 28, 2014, 13:35
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Anna Hazare hits out at Arvind Kejriwal, says he is power hungry

Pune: Once a mentor, Anna Hazare is now accusing former Delhi chief minister and Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal of being “power hungry”.

Hazare said he was disappointed that Kejriwal had not responded to his 17-point agenda.

"I had handed over a 17-point agenda letter to Kejriwal and told him that I would support him if he agrees to it. But till date, neither Kejriwal nor his party has given me any assurance on it. It is now very clear that these (AAP and Kejriwal) people are thinking of power more than of the nation. (Even if AAP comes to power) nation will not have any bright future as there will be no difference between them and other parties," the social activist said on Thursday.

The remarks have come even as Hazare backed West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee for the prime minister's post, as the latter had agreed to the Gandhian's 17-point agenda.

Listing out his agenda and seeking various CMs' response to it, Hazare had said that village-centric social and economic initiatives and proposals like promoting vocational education and tough laws against corruption should be made part of the government's agenda.

"I didn't support any political party in the past. For the first time in my life, I have announced support to Banerjee because no other party responded to my letter except her. I feel if the 17-point agenda is implemented, it will change the entire picture of the nation," he said.

"She is the only leader who responded to my letter seeking support on 17 issues for good governance," he noted.

"Mamata Banerjee has fought for the society and has faced physical assaults in national interest and I feel such people should lead the country. That is the reason I have extended my support to Banerjee. However, this support will be only till the coming polls," he said.

"I have not supported Mamata Banerjee the person or the party but I liked her social and national perspective," he said.

"I have extended my support to Mamata Banerjee as she thinks and works only for society and country. She is a CM and can lead a life full of luxury but she leads a simple life," Hazare said, justifying his support to the TMC chief.

"I support the spirit of sacrifice that I see in Mamata Banerjee.”


First Published: Friday, February 28, 2014, 09:11

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Embalmers find man alive and kicking in body bag - USA TODAY

54 Let friends in your social network know what you are reading about Workers at a MIssissippi funeral home found a man alive and kicking in a zipped-up body bag as they were preparing to embalm him, WAPT-TV reports.A link has been posted to your Facebook feed." A link has been sent to your friend's email address.Add Videos or PhotosBe first to contributeSign in now to share your story.Sign in with FacebookSign in with Google+Be first to contributeYour submission didn’t go through. Please try again.We're experiencing a few technical issues. Try again
Workers at a Mississippi funeral home found an elderly man alive and kicking in a zipped-up body bag as they were preparing to embalm him, the Clarion-Ledger reports.
Walter Williams, a 78-year-old farmer who had been pronounced dead at his home Wednesday night by a coroner, woke up inside the bag at the Porter and Sons Funeral Home in Lexington, Miss., about five hours later.
"I asked the coroner what happened, and the only thing he could say is that it's a miracle," said Holmes County Sheriff Willie March,
Coroner Dexter Howard had declared Williams dead after checking his pulse.
"I did my part in checking him, I filed my paperwork, and we were ready to make the removal," Howard said. "We got him to the funeral home, and into the embalming room and noticed the kicking, and he began to breathe."
Williams' nephew, Eddie Hester, told WAPT-TV that he "stood there and watched them put him in a body bag and zipped it up."
After he became animated inside the bag, paramedics rushed Williams to a hospital.
"I don't know how long he's going to be here, but I know he's back right now. That's all that matters," Hester told WAPT.
The coroner said Williams' pacemaker may have stopped working and then started up again.

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Court fixes March 24 for arguments on charge against Abu Jundal

New Delhi: A special NIA court here on Friday fixed March 24 for commencement of arguments on framing of charges against suspected LeT terrorist Abu Jundal, one of the masterminds of the 26/11 attacks.
District Judge IS Mehta fixed the matter for March 24 after the National Investigation Agency (NIA) supplied the deficient copies of the documents filed along with its charge sheet to advocate MS Khan, who appeared for Jundal.
Jundal, who has been charge sheeted for allegedly carrying out terror activities in India, had earlier claimed before the court that NIA and Maharashtra Police had forced him to sign some documents and blank papers.
Jundal, who is also known as Sayed Zabiuddin Ansari, is presently lodged, in Arthur road jail in Mumbai in connection with an alleged conspiracy to launch terror strikes in the country.
Jundal was charge sheeted by NIA for offences punishable under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act for allegedly attempting to recruit persons through Internet for joining banned outfit LeT and carrying out terror activities in India.
In its charge sheet, the NIA had said that in and around 2005, Jundal along with his absconding associate Fayyaz Kagzi had joined LeT and in November 2005, they went to Nepal to meet LeT commander Abdul Aziz and received a three-day training of bomb assembling and IED making from him.
It had also claimed that after returning to India, Jundal fled to Pakistan via Bangladesh and stayed in Karachi and in LeT's headquarters in Muridke.
He did three training courses in LeT training camp and came in touch with LeT top operatives, including its chief Hafiz Saeed, Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi and Zarar Shah, NIA had alleged. NIA in its charge sheet also said that in September
2008, Ansari taught spoken Hindi to the 10 cadres, who carried out terror strike in Mumbai in which 166 people were killed. "Since the arrest of Ajmal Kasab and subsequent investigations had established the fact that all the attackers were citizens of Pakistan, LeT functionaries further conspired to use Indian youngsters for carrying out future terrorist attacks so as to conceal the actual involvement of LeT in promoting terrorism in India," it had said.
In October 2010, Jundal went to Saudi Arabia with the "intention of recruiting persons for terrorist attacks" and in December he returned to Pakistan, the NIA had said, adding, he was in process of recruiting persons for carrying out terror attacks on the instructions of top LeT operatives.
NIA had lodged a case against Jundal, who was deported by Saudi Arabia in June, 2012, for allegedly conspiring to launch terror strikes across the country.
It had lodged the FIR against him following unearthing of LeT's conspiracy of terror strikes in India.

First Published: Friday, February 28, 2014, 15:24
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Submarine accident: Full military honours for dead officers

Mumbai: The funeral of two Indian Navy officers who lost their lives aboard the INS Sindhuratna submarine will be conducted with full military honours, an official announcement said here Friday.
Lt Commander Kapish Muwal and Lt Commander Manoranjan Kumar were found dead in airtight compartment 3 Thursday after INS Sindhuratna was brought to the naval harbour here.
Their relatives were informed of the tragic deaths and they have arrived in Mumbai to claim the bodies.
"The wreath laying will be with full military honours for the brave officers. The armed forces and police units at home town have been informed for arrangement of military honours," the defence ministry said in a statement.
Besides, the Naval Ensign will be lowered to half mast "in honour of the sacrifice made by the two officers in the call of duty for the nation", the statement added.
The compensation of the deceased officers is also being processed by the defence ministry and the Indian Navy and shall be handed over to their kin.
All the other crew members, numbering around 94, have also undergone preliminary medical check-ups and their condition is stable.
Of the seven injured, some are being kept under observation at the INHS Asvini for a few days and they will be discharged soon.
The Indian Navy has already launched a high-level inquiry into the disaster that struck INS Sindhuratna early Wednesday.
Smoke had engulfed the compartment 3 in the sailors' accommodation area when the submarine was underwater during a training mission.
Refitted and renovated in Mumbai last December, the INS Sindhuratna was on a routine training exercise to familiarize the crew with operations of the Russian built vessel.
As a direct fall-out of the incident - and around 10 others involving other vessels - Admiral DK Joshi resigned as the navy chief, owning moral responsibility.

First Published: Friday, February 28, 2014, 15:59
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