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Time for Rs one lakh penalty to curb frivolous PILs: SC
New Delhi, Jan 29 (PTI) Intending to crack the whip on rising "frivolous" and "bogus" PILs, the Supreme Court today said time has come for slapping a penalty of Rs One lakh to deter these litigants after observing these petitions have become a "nuisance." An exasperated Bench of the Court felt litigation by way of PIL has become a "brahmashtra" and on all issues PILs are being filed consuming the judicial time needed for regular matters and said the situation warranted a tough decision.
PIL is no longer a public interest litigation but has taken a shape of "private interest litigation, publicity interest litigation or paisa income litigation," a Bench comprising Justices H K Sema and Markandey Katju said.
"Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was for weaker section of society those who do not have money. It, however has become nuisance," it said.
Justice Katju said time has come to curb the practice by imposing huge cost on petitioners for filing frivolous petitions which defeated the purpose for which it was evolved.
"There is a need for strict action otherwise people will not understand. Unless and untill we impose penalty of Rs one lakh people will not stop filing frivolous PILs," he said.
The remarks came during the hearing of a bunch of PILs seeking guidelines on premature release of convicts serving life sentence in various jails across the country.
The Bench said that there are some genuine and good PILs and rest around 95 per cent are frivolous causing wastage of judicial time.
"We are engaged in doing frivolous work. We are unable to do regular work," Justice Katju said recalling his experience as a judge of three High Courts.
"In the High Courts half the time goes in frivolous work," he said adding that most of the PILs are "bogus" to which Justice Sema also agreed. PTI
RBI retains all key rates, dashes hopes of lower lending rate
Mumbai, Jan 29 (PTI) Belying expectations of a softer interest rate regime, RBI today kept all key rates unchanged in a bid to maintain financial and price stability.
Maintaining status quo in its stance, RBI, in its third quarter review of credit policy, also kept growth projection unchanged at 8.5 per cent and inflation close to 5 per cent in 2007-08.
A 0.75 per cent cut in interest rates by US Federal authorities had led to renewed speculation that India too could follow suit to avert any possible slowdown in the economy. But, Finance Minister P Chidambaram had clearly shown his preference for containing inflation even if it meant balancing growth.
This is for the first time in the last two years that Reserve Bank has not hiked the key rates indicating that the monetary policy of borne fruits in sense of price and financial stability.
However, it gave a policy prescription to the government to "effectively, demonstrably and convincingly indicate commitment to managing capital flows consistent with macro fundamentals through appropriate and decisive policy action." This assumes significance in the wake of volatile global situation with the forecast of recession in US, evident from the recent 0.75 per cent rate cut by the US Federal Reserve.
Adopting a cautious approach, particularly with the possibility of rising inflation in the wake of surging global oil prices, RBI kept the benchmark bank rate unchanged at 6 per cent. This is the rate at which the central bank lends to commercial banks.
RBI also decided to keep key short term rates, repo and reverse repo unchanged at 7.75 and 6 per cent respectively. PTI
Centre to seek CBI inquiry into Gurgaon kidney racket
New Delhi, Jan 29 (PTI) The Centre today said it would seek a CBI inquiry into the Gurgaon kidney racket and will bring in amendments to the National Organ Transplant Act making punishment for illegal organ trade more stringent.
"Since it (the racket) may involve multiple states and cities like Mumbai, Noida and Gurgaon....We will soon be requesting the CBI to undertake a detailed investigation and give a comprehensive report on how widespread the problem is," Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss said at a press conference here.
"We have asked the Haryana Government to take steps and also sought some more information from them regarding the kind of steps they have taken," Ramadoss said.
The minister said the government would also bring in an amendment to the National Organ Transplant Act in the coming budget session to make it more simple and also enhance punishment for those indulging in illegal trade of organs.
The amendment to the Act will be two-pronged. It will try to make it simpler and more transparent, the Minister said. Any transplant in the country will be mentioned online.
The government would also launch a national programme on creating awareness about organ transplant, he said. "A major mass-media campaign will soon be organised in the country to bring about a behavioural change so that people are willing to donate organs". PTI
Verdict on Kandahar hijack case deferred to Feb 5
Patiala, Jan 29 (PTI) The judgement in the hijacking case of an Indian Airlines plane at Kandahar in 1999 in which three persons were arrested was deferred to February five by a special court here today.
Defence lawyer Barjinder Singh Sodhi told reporters outside the prison the verdict was deferred because Special Judge Inderjit Singh Walia was still going through the documents pursued by the defence and the prosecution.
Walia had on January 18 reserved the judgment for today after conclusion of arguments in the case. He held his court inside the high security Patiala Central Jail here where the three conspirators -- Abdul Latif, Dalip Kumar and Yusuf Nepali -- are lodged since their arrest about eight years ago.
The IC-814 Airbus A300, with 189 passengers including the crew, was hijacked by five men after it took off from Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu on December 24, 1999 for New Delhi and taken to Kandahar in Afghanistan.
Over 120 witnesses have being examined during the trial that began in March 2001.
The three conspirators have been accused of helping the Pakistani hijackers in procuring fake passports and other papers and also assisting them in taking weapons aboard the aircraft. CBI had registered a case against 10 persons, but was able to arrest only three.
The hijackers sought and secured the release of dreaded terrorists, including Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Maulana Azhar Masood, from Indian prisons. One passenger was killed while the then External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh flew with the terrorists to be set free at Kandahar to secure the release of the passengers after a seven-day ordeal. PTI
Joint statement paved the way for an amicable solution
Ashish Shukla
Adelaide, Jan 29 (PTI) The behind-the-scene efforts of the Indian Cricket Board officials and their Australian counterparts played a big part in the withdrawal of the racial abuse charge against off-spinner Harbhajan Singh.
The push towards an amicable solution happened when the two parties signed on a joint statement which stated that Harbhajan had indeed made an offensive statement but it was not a racial attack.
Importantly, Australians, on their part, agreed that they were okay with the assertion of Indians.
During the hearing, both the parties were made to give their statements in private, as well as in front of each other.
The statement also highlighted -- and accepted by Andrew Symonds -- that the Australian allrounder had indeed provoked the Indian in using an offensive language.
The statement was signed by both parties, including Sachin Tendulkar and Ricky Ponting, and it cleared the decks for settlement.
The video as well as the audio transcript of the incident was played and listened in front of the judge which was no different to what was presented at the time of hearing in Sydney.
Indians had no problem with Harbhajan being charged with section 2.8 of Code of Conduct which, in essence, amounted to a player 'using offensive language' against a fellow player or official on the field of play.
It was the same stance which the Indians had offered to accept in Sydney but which was thrown out of hand by the Australians. PTI
Munaf to replace injured RP Singh in tri-series
New Delhi, Jan 29 (PTI) Paceman Munaf Patel will replace injured seamer Rudra Pratap Singh in the upcoming one-day cricket tri-series in Australia.
R P Singh, who suffered a hamstring injury during Australia's first innings in the drawn fourth and final Test at Adelaide, has been ruled out of action for three weeks.
"The Chairman of Selectors Dilip Vengsarkar along with the BCCI Secretary Niranjan Shah spoke to Sanjay Jagdale, Bhupinder Singh, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Chetan Chauhan and the other two selectors presently in Australia, V Raju and Ranjib Biswal and decided to send Munaf Patel as replacement for R P Singh," said a BCCI statement.
Yuvraj Singh, too, is nursing an injury to his knee and is hopeful that he would be fit for the second ODI. He will be shown to an orthopaedic surgeon in Melbourne tomorrow, it said.
Manoj Tiwari is selected as back up for Yuvraj. He will be flying to Australia as soon as the visa and other formalities are completed.
The triangular series, beginning on Sunday, will also involve the hosts Australia while Sri Lanka be the third team featuring in it. PTI
Harbhajan wins appeal, racial charge overturned
Adelaide/New Delhi, Jan 29 (PTI) The charge of racial abuse against Harbhajan Singh was overturned today but he was held guilty of using offensive language against Australia's Andrew Symonds, ending a bitter controversy which had posed a threat to the remainder of Indian cricket team's tour of Australia.
An ICC-appointed Appeals Commissioner, Justice John Hansen who heard the Indian off-spinner's appeal against the three-Test ban imposed on him by Match Referee Mike Procter, ruled that on the basis of evidence submitted before him the charge of racial abuse was not proven.
Hansen, a New Zealand High Court Judge, held a day-long hearing at the Adelaide Federal Court during which besides Harbhajan, Sachin Tendulkar and Australian players skipper Ricky Ponting, Symonds, Matthew Hayden and Michael Clark were present.
The judge, after overuling the January 6 verdict of South African Procter who had held Harbhajan guilty of racially abusing Symonds by calling him a 'monkey', said that the off-spinner should be charged with a lesser violation of using offensive language.
Harbhajan pleaded guilty to the charge and after hearing submissions on the penalty which could have ranged from a ban for two ODIs and one Test to a fine, Hansen imposed a fine of 50 percent of the match fee on him.
A delighted BCCI, which had raised the stakes by threatening to call back the team from Australia unless the racial charge was withdrawn, welcomed the verdict and announced that the tour will go ahead. PTI
Tait quits cricket indefinitely
Melbourne, Jan 29 (PTI) Unable to cope up with the demands and rigours of professional cricket, Australian fast bowler Shaun Tait today shocked everyone by indefinitely quiting all forms of the game.
Tait, projected as the Australian speed machine and believed to emerge as the world's fastest bowler, flopped in the Perth Test against India and ended up wicket less. He was subsequently dropped for the final match at Adelaide but picked for the upcoming tri-series.
The 24-year-old bowler who had recently returned from a two-year injury lay-off after battling shoulder, elbow, back and hamstring injuries, said he needed a physical and mental break from the game.
"This is not an overnight decision but something that I've been struggling with for sometime," Tait said in a statement issued by Cricket Australia.
"A break from professional cricket will hopefully give me a clear mind and a chance for my body to rest and recover," he said.
"My love and enjoyment of the game is struggling due to these issues and if I continue to go on it will be unfair on my team mates and support staff of both the Australian and South Australian cricket teams -- and most importantly my family and close friends." PTI
61 killed in Lanka clashes; army captures key rebel area
T V Sriram
Colombo, Jan 29 (PTI) In a major military success, Sri Lankan security forces today captured a key area of the rebel-held territory in the island's north as a series of clashes in the restive region left at least 59 Tamil Tigers and two soldiers dead.
The army captured the Viyattankulam area in Mannar after killing 22 rebels and destroying 16 bunkers, the Media Centre for National Security (MCNS) said in a statement.
In a separate incident, nine Tigers were gunned down in Welioya in Jaffna by the troops yesterday, the Defence Ministry said.
Another rebel was killed and a bunker destroyed when the troops attacked a group of LTTE cadres in Janakpura in Welioya yesterday, it said, adding that troops gunned down one more guerrilla in a similar incident later in the day.
Separately, a rebel was killed and three injured in the same area last evening, the MCNS said.
At Kiribbanwewa in Welioya, security forces killed one LTTE cadre in a clash yesterday, the army said, adding later in the day four more rebels were gunned down in an encounter in the same area.
In another confrontation, security forces destroyed some LTTE bunkers and killed four Tiger rebels at Kilali in Jaffna yesterday, the MCNS said.
At Muhamale in Jaffna, one soldier was killed when he got caught in a booby trap bomb, the army said, adding three soldiers were also injured in the incident. PTI
SAARC summit to be held in Sri Lanka from July 27
T V Sriram Colombo, Jan 29 (PTI) The 15th SAARC Summit will be held in the picturesque Sri Lankan city of Kandy from July 27 with Colombo planning "foolproof" security arrangements to ward off any LTTE attack as it battles the rebel forces in the north.
"The President (Mahinda Rajapakse) visited Kandy (about 80 kms of North East of Colombo) yesterday and held a meeting with regard to making available all facilities in time before the SAARC summit beginning on July 27," a top official told PTI.
"Security issue was also discussed," the official said, adding it was decided to take special measures to ensure "fool proof arrangements." The week-long summit that will conclude on August 3 is expected to be attended by SAARC heads of state including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Among various infrastructural facilities, the government proposes to renovate the whole road network in Kandy in time for the summit. The event will be marked by special cultural pageants and other colourful programmes in the hill resort.
The summit is also expected to be attended by around 1,000 delegates from the SAARC countries besides a 300 strong representatives from the media, officials said.
Arrangements will also be made for special train services from Colombo to Kandy during the summit. Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama and his cabinet colleagues Mahindananda Aluthgamage, Rohana Dissanayake were among those who attended the meeting chaired by the President.
Fighting between military and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam has intensified since the government scrapped a ceasefire on Jan 16, leaving over 600 rebels dead. PTI
Pak parliamentary panel for lifting of ban on Indian films
Rezaul H Laskar
Islamabad, Jan 29 (PTI) Pakistan's numerous Bollywood fans may soon get to watch their favourite stars on the big screen if the government clears a recommendation from a parliamentary panel for lifting a four-decade ban on Indian films.
The Standing Committee on Culture of the Senate, the upper house of Pakistan's parliament, last week sent a report backing the lifting of the ban and containing a mechanism for importing Indian movies on a reciprocal basis.
"We have devised a mechanism for allowing the import of Indian films for a period of one year, after which the arrangements can be reviewed," Senator Zafar Iqbal Chaudhry, the chairman of the committee, told PTI.
The government would have to clear the proposal before the import of Indian films is allowed, Chaudhry said. The culture ministry has forwarded the committee's report to caretaker Prime Minister Mohammedmian Soomro, who is expected to take a decision on it in the near future.
Chaudhry did not give details of the mechanism that was devised by the Senate panel, but reports said the import of 12 Indian films will be allowed against the export of an equal number of Pakistani movies to India.
Indian movies were banned in Pakistan after the 1965 war between the two countries. Only a handful of Bollywood productions have since been released in Pakistan.
On two occasions, Indian movies were distributed only after the intervention of military rulers late Gen Zia-ul-Haq and President Pervez Musharraf.
Musharraf personally backed the release of the Indian classic "Mughal-e-Azam" in 2006 after receiving a request from the family of its director K Asif. PTI
UCO Bank likely to cut lending rates by 0.5 pc
Mumbai, Jan 29 (PTI) Kolkata-based public sector lender UCO Bank is considering to cut its lending rates shortly, a top bank official said.
"We are mulling a cut in our lending rates by 0.5 per cent," UCO Bank Chairman and Managing Director S K Goel told PTI.
The proposal will be put up before our board soon for ratification, he added.
Goel said the bank was expecting a rate cut or a reduction in the cash reserve ratio by the Reserve Bank, but it did not happened.
With an ample liquidity in the system, a section of bankers had been saying that there was a scope to reduce lending and deposit rates.
RBI too in its third quarter review of credit policy had said that there was a liquidity overhang in the system. PTI
Sensex ends lower by 61 points in volatile trade
Mumbai, Jan 29 (PTI) In choppy trade, the Bombay Stock Exchange benchmark Sensex closed lower by 61 points today on emergence of selling in banking and realty stocks after the Reserve Bank of India left the key rates unchanged.
The Sensex, which surged to 18,491.06 points at open today, declined to end at 18,091.94, 60.84 points lower to its previous close.
The index touched the day's low of 17,927.92 points.
The 50-share Nifty of the National Stock Exchange index however gained 6.70 points at 5,280.80, after touching the day's low of 5,225.25 and a high of 5,391.60 points.
A steep fall in banking, realty and heavy-machinery stocks mainly pulled down the market after the RBI kept key rates unchanged in its quarterly monetary policy review meeting today, brokers said.
They said RBI's unchanged rates would reduce demand for housing and new constructions and helped pulling down the retail index. PTI
Domestic factors of price stability dominant: RBI Governor
Mumbai, Jan 29 (PTI) RBI Governor Y V Reddy today said the review of the monetary policy was influenced by concerns of price stability, to ensure which the apex bank is keeping a watch on global developments.
"Inflation is broadly in line but not as comfortable that we lift our vigil on stability," he said at his customary post-policy review media conference.
He said while growth in 2008 had moderated to 8.5 per cent and inflation rate below five per cent, the apex bank aims at maintaining the same growth in 2009 and inflation to go towards 4.5 per cent.
RBI, in its credit policy review today, kept all key rates unchanged so as to ensure price stability, while keeping an eye on global uncertainties.
The Wholesale Price Index-based inflation, Reddy said, had apparently come down but there are underlying issues of incomplete pass-through of oil prices which has kept it suppressed. Inflation rate for the week ended January 12 was 3.83 per cent.
As per Consumer Price Index, the inflation should be around 6 per cent, he said, adding that overhang of liquidity continues. PTI
FM to discuss measures with RBI to contain capital flows
New Delhi, Jan 29 (PTI) Endorsing the Reserve Bank's monetary policy stance, Finance Minister P Chidambaram today said he will discuss with the RBI Governor what further measures could be taken to contain capital flows.
"RBI governor will, I am sure, visit Delhi shortly and we will discuss what further policy actions need to be taken (to contain capital flows)," he told reporters, when asked about RBI Governor Y V Reddy's views that appropriate and decisive policy actions were required to manage capital flows consistent with macro fundamentals.
Chidambaram said: "We will discuss with the RBI. He (Reddy) has given only a statement." To a query, he told reporters that the gap between interest rates in India and the US have indeed increased due to cut announced by that country's Federal Reserve.
However, there is no surety that capital flows would increase due to the US central bank's move, he said.
On apprehension of surge in capital flows due to widening of interest rate differential between India and the US, the finance minister said: "We do not what will happen yet. As I had said the cat can jump either way. There could be increased capital flows... Let us wait and watch." There are no instant answers to these difficult questions, he said.
The central bank governor has reinforced price stability and has emphasised on credit delivery, particularly for employment oriented sectors, Chidambaram said. PTI
I want to be the Indian Oprah Winfrey: Pooja Bedi
New Delhi, Jan 29 (PTI) Model turned actor and now a talk show host, Pooja Bedi says she wants to be next award winning US talk show host, Oprah Whinfrey.
"I want host the biggest talk show in India on the largest TV network and become India's Oprah Winfrey," said Bedi who was in the city as a brand ambassador of a medical product.
Bedi would soon be seen on TV anchoring a new talk show which she promises would be 'issue based'.
Bedi who has the knack of standing out with her work, be it being the first female model for Kamasutra condoms or being open about the botox injections that she takes to stay 'beautiful', said, "When I modelled for the condoms, everyone was surprised. Nobody had expected such a move. Even when I was open about Botox usage, people were again stunned. I am open about things that I think people should use because it is safe and healthy." Bedi, who is now the brand ambassador of Botox in India said almost everyone in the profession of beauty does undergo lot of medical help to stay young and beautiful.
"This is the business of glamour and everyone here has to remain young and beautiful. A lot of celebrities have to whoop all kind of stuff on to the face to come before the camera. I want to look good and hence I go for Botox," she said.
Bedi added, "I was hosting a chat show and I had very deep lines on my forehead. Every time the bright light use to hit my forehead, the lines became too visible. The guests use to feel that something was wrong since the lines generally come when people are tense. I then decided to go for Botox and now I have been using it regularly for over three years with wonderful results." PTI
Indians are online shopping savvy: Survey
New York, Jan 29 (PTI) More than 85 per cent of the world's online population has used the Internet to make a purchase increasing the market for online shopping by 40 per cent in the past two years, points out the latest Nielsen Global Online Survey on Internet shopping habits. Globally, more than half of Internet users have made at least one purchase online in the past month, said the survey.
Indians are one of the the most online shopping savvy people when it comes to using credit cards since 84 per cent of Indian online shoppers did so just behind Turkish online shoppers who topped global rankings for credit card usage (91 per cent) for online purchases followed by 86 per cent of Irish online shoppers.
While globally books, electronics items along with clothes are mostly bought over the net, 70 per cent of the Indians who are active on the web world said they bought airline tickets/reservations on the Internet in the last three months.
Among Internet users, the highest percentage shopping online is found in South Korea, where 99 per cent of those with Internet access have used it to shop, followed by the UK, Germany and Japan with 97 per cent each with the U.S. Eighth, at 94 percent.
Globally, the most popular and purchased items over the Internet are Books (41 per cent purchased in the past three months), Clothing/Accessories/Shoes (36 per cent), Videos / DVDs / Games (24 per cent), Airline Tickets (24 per cent) and Electronic Equipment (23 per cent).
Film Review: Comedy saves Sunday
Film: Sunday
Director: Rohit Shetty
Cast: Ajay Devgan, Ayesh Takia, Irfan Khan and others
Shambhu Sahu
'Sunday' is a suspense-cum-comedy film. But, some how, its USP is comedy and not the thriller plot, which is a tad too-over-stretched and not really new.
The film is about mysterious Sehar (Ayesha Takia), a dubbing artiste who has a habit of forgetting things. One fine day, a contract killer attacks her after which she approaches ACP Rajveer Randhawa (Ajay Devgan) for help. Incidentally, this chilled-out but corrupt-cop is the guy Sehar's mother has chosen for her.
The problem begins when she can't recall anything related to the incident. So police has no clue how to go about this case until the cops find some voices recorded in her cassette recorder. From there on, the cops reach to one suspect to another to another... But as one nears the climax he knows the film is one of the typical 'who-done-it' type.
The film (and the search for the culprits) slows down and is further hampered by two songs. It makes you lose interest in the suspense part of the film but thank God, Ballu (Arshad Warsi) and Kumar (Irfan Khan) are around. The duo who play a crook cab driver and a wannabe star respectively - don't let one lose interest in the film.
They offer plenty of fun while taking rides through 'Dilli di galiyan'. Arshad's fun acts - like fooling a traffic cop or reacting after getting shot at in his bum, etc. - coupled with Irfan's hilarious dialogues - while wanting to play Ravana or the Don in 'DonIII' or to turn a singer-composer to bag a lead role in some film ala Himesh Reshammiya are a complete 'paisa vassol'.
Ajay Devagn is good as a typical Dilli Policewala. He sings love songs, eats lots of Sundaes and makes you laugh. Ayesha has acted well in a character that seems to have many layer, not actually as you know in the end. Vrajesh Hirjee as Chakki, a South Indian karate trainer, is also good but has a comparatively shorter role.
Director Rohit Shetty has a knack for humour and he had a big success with his earlier film 'Golmaal: Fun Unlimited', a surprise hit in 2006. In 'Sunday' he offers comedy, action and suspense but it's the funny side of it that you enjoy the most than anything else. However, a few scenes like the chase in Chandini Chowk and Arshad's fight sequence are good and show his capability and talent which he inherited from his father, famous Bollywood fight master Late Shetty.
The film, which is shot mostly in Delhi, has a nice cinematography by Aseem Bajaj whose presentation of city locals and action scenes is a treat. A good one-time watch. PTI
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Sensex: 18091.94, -60.84
The sensex closed at 18091.94, down 60.84
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1 U.S. $ = 39.325 INR
1 Japanese Yen = 0.3677 INR
1 British Pound = 78.263 INR
1 Canadian $ = 39.341 INR
1 Singapore $ = 27.696 INR
1 UAE Dirham = 10.707 INR
1 Saudi Arabian Riyal = 10.501 INR
1 Euro = 58.093 INR
1 Qatar Rial = 10.807 INR
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