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BSF, BDR sign agreement to deal with cross-border crimes
New Delhi, Apr 12 (PTI) Resolving to maintain a tranquil border, India and Bangladesh today signed an agreement to make joint efforts to tackle cross-border crimes like arms smuggling and trafficking of women and children.
At the end of the five-day border coordination conference here, the Border Security Force and Bangladesh Rifles agreed to jointly deal with trafficking of women and children, counterfeit currency and arms smuggling through a mechanism of sharing of timely actionable information by sector commanders.
"The agreement will help both BSF and BDR to deal with such matters expeditiously at ground level," Director General of BSF A K Mitra told reporters after signing the agreement with Director General of BDR Major General Shakil Ahmed.
Mitra said efforts would be made for getting information on cross-border crimes, illegal immigration, maintenance of border pillars at the sector commander level for better coordination and immediate action.
He said sector commanders would take pro-active steps to resolve the problems of the local population in border areas.
Ahmed said BDR was committed to make the border secure and peaceful.
"The agreement will help to end any suspicion and distrust prevailing on the ground level," he said.
Asked about the recent firing incidents between the two forces in North Bengal sector, Ahmed said Bangladesh wanted a peaceful border and such incidents have come down significantly. PTI
19 year-old sentenced to death for murdering employer
Kochi, Apr 12 (PTI) A teenager was sentenced to death by a court here for murdering his septuagenarian employer, a senior advocate of the Kerala High Court, after fraudulently withdrawing Rs six lakh from his account.
Two other accused-- Rajesh (21) and Shimon (23) have been sentenced to life by Ernakulam Principal Session Judge D Pappachan yesterday.
Awarding the sentence, the Judge held that the youth, Amalraj (19), was a confidant of the advocate, M P Abraham, but had turned out to be his annihilator.
The murder had triggered extreme indignation in the community, he said, noting it was a well planned cold blooded murder.
On July 12 last year, the convicts waited near the victim's office till the other staff had left. They then forcibly brought him down from his room and tried to electrocute him. When they found the victim had not died, the three strangulated him.
According to the prosecution, it was Amalraj, working as a clerk in Abraham's office, who hatched the conspiracy to do away with him after he was scolded by his employer for not maintaining office records properly.
Amalraj had also withdrawn about rs six lakh from the advocate's account using his cheque books. Fearing that Abraham had come to know about the withdrawal of the money, he decided to do away with him and hired the two other accused.
The court also directed Amalraj to pay a fine of Rs 17,000 and awarded life term for the offences under section 302 (murder), 109 (abetment), 120(B) (criminal conspiracy), 10 years imprisonment under section 450 (house trespass) and five years imprisonment under section 201 (causing disappearance of evidence) of the IPC.
A fine of Rs 15,000 each was imposed on the other two accused.PTI
CCP may meet on Tuesday; steel export ban tops agenda
New Delhi, Apr 12 (PTI) Cabinet Committee on Prices is likely to meet on Tuesday to discuss further options before the government including ban on steel export and increasing duty on iron-ore export to control inflation.
The Finance Ministry has sent a detailed note for consideration of the CCP. The options include reducing excise on steel, a high level official said here today.
After the wholesale price-based index, inflation, touched a 3-year high of 7.4 per cent, the government announced ban on cement export yesterday and withdrawal of incentives on export of steel as well. PTI
Lee-Hesh take India into World Group Playoff
Poonam Mehra
New Delhi, Apr 12 (PTI) Reuniting after more than a year, Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi put behind their personal differences to win the doubles tie against Japan and guide India to the Davis Cup World Group Playoff here today.
The Indian pair beat Satoshi Iwabuchi and Takao Suzuki 7-6 (2) 3-6 6-3 6-4 in a nearly three-hour contest to complete a 3-0 win in the best of five tie and take India to World Group playoffs in September after a gap of two years.
Yesterday, Rohan Bopanna and Prakash Amritraj won their respective singles matches to put the hosts 2-0 ahead in the Asia/Oceania Zone Group I tie.
Today's match was crucial to get India into the playoff, but the interest had been hightened by yesterday's controversy surrounding Paes' comments about Bhupathi.
But as the Indian skipper had said while clarifying his comments, no matter what transpired between him and Bhupathi inside the locker room, the one thing they have not forgotten is how to play together.
The duo, whose last appearance together was in Doha Asian Games in 2006, were not exactly at their best in the match but their opponents' inability to latch on to their chances only made the 'Indian Express' pair's task a bit easy.
Coming back after an ankle injury, Paes was noticeably rusty, leaving Bhupathi to win a lot of crucial points but the pair's coordination was spot on.
The opening set was sans much drama and went on serve before being settled in the tie-breaker. PTI
Dravid and Laxman steady Indian ship
Kanpur, Apr 12 (PTI) India lost the openers cheaply but managed to ensure there were no further setbacks to progress to 88 for two in their first innings at lunch on the second day of the third and final cricket Test against South Africa here today.
Replying to the visitors' first innings total of 265, the Indian innings began on a disastrous note as the dashing Virender Sehwag (8) and Wasim jaffer (15) perished quickly, both falling to lbw decisions.
But Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman ensured that there were no more jolts as they added 52 runs for the unfinished third wicket partnership to keep the innings on track.
Dravid was batting on 20 while Laman, who unleashed a few stunning shots, was batting on 33 at the lunch break.
Dale Steyn, who generated a fair anount of pace in his first over, drew first blood for the visitors by getting rid of the dangerous Sehwag who could hang around for just 21 minutes at the crease.
The Delhi batsman was trapped leg before by a delivery which was angled into the right-hander and the Indian opener hardly moved his feet to be trapped plumb in front of the wicket.
The Indians suffered another jolt immediately after the first drinks break when Morne Morkel, who replaced Steyn from the pavilion end, struck in his very first over by accounting for Jaffer who never really looked comfortable in the middle.
The opener fell to a leg before decision to Morkel's fast ball which hit him low on the pads as he tried to move across the line, leaving India at a precarious 35 for two. PTI
Paswan seeks ban on steel exports; CCP to decide next week
New Delhi, Apr 12 (PTI) As yet another tough measure to curb price rise, the Steel Ministry has recommended banning export of finished steel and hiking duty on iron ore export - the issues which will top the agenda of meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Prices (CCP) next week.
"We have recommended a ban on exports of finished steel products completely. This recommendation has gone from my ministry to the government," Steel Minister Ram Vilas Paswan said here today.
Other recommendations of the ministry sent to the CCP include cut in excise duty on the alloy from 14 to 8 per cent, abolishing import duty as well as the Countervailing Duty on steel products besides imposing 15 per cent duty on export of iron ore, he said.
The Finance Ministry has also sent a detailed note to the CCP listing options for containing inflation, which has touched a three-year high and has become a major political challenge for the government. The CCP to be chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is likely to meet on Tuesday or early, depending on the return of Finance Minister P Chidambaram from abroad.
Paswan pointed out that at a time when global steel prices are high, the domestic manufacturers tend to focus on exports to cash in on the opportunity at the cost of domestic consumers.
He also warned that even after these measures, if steel producers do not rein in exports and reduce prices, then the government will resort to bringing steel under the Essential Commodities Act.
"But we do not want to go to such an extent. We hope the industry will act responsibly," Paswan said.
Government has already banned export of various items like non-basmati rice, cement, wheat and pulses. PTI
Cement export ban not to affect SEZs: Nath
New Delhi, Apr 12 (PTI) The government today said ban on cement exports, announced to check rising prices, will not impact the Special Economic Zones which are considered to be bonded territories by the customs authorities.
"No, the ban will not impact the SEZs," Commerce and Industry Minister Kamal Nath said here at the CII seminar on the Foreign Trade Policy.
Nath said the Directorate General of Foreign Trade has issued the notification banning export of cement. There was a confusion whether the sale of cement from the 'Domestic Tariff Area' to SEZs would attract the ban.
Asked whether a similar ban on steel export was under consideration of the government, Nath said the Steel Ministry was working on the specific steps. The decision would be taken by the Cabinet Committee on Prices meeting next week.
"The message is clear that the government is ready to take whatever steps are required to control inflation," he said.
On export target, Nath said the Indian economy has adequate momentum to sustain growth rate of 22-23 per cent in the export sector. "If we maintain the same growth rate or raise it by one or two per cent, we will reach 200 billion dollars," he said.
The Foreign Trade Policy has set a target of 200 billion dollars export for 2008-09 despite missing the 160-billion target in the previous year when exports totalled 155 billion dollars in the face of rupee rise and US slowdown. PTI
Gold recovers marginally
Mumbai, Apr 12 (PTI) Gold prices recovered marginally on the bullion market here today on mild local demand in view of current marriage season despite lower New York advices.
Silver, however, declined on lack of industrial demand coupled with lower global cues.
Gold futures finished lower in New York on Friday mainly due to long liquidation, but with traders describing the market as confined within its recent range and continuing a consolidation phase.
June gold fell by USD 4.80 to USD 927 an ounce on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange. Comex May silver lost 35.3 cents to USD 17.69 per ounce.
In the local market, standard gold (99.5 purity) firmed up by Rs 20 per ten grams to Rs 11,990 from Rs 11,970 yesterday and pure gold (99.9 purity) also moved up to Rs 12,050 from Rs 12,025.
However, silver ready (.999 fineness) dropped further by Rs 80 per kilo to Rs 23,780 from Rs 23,860 previously. PTI
Nepal Maoists win nine seats, leading in 60
Shirish B. Pradhan
Kathmandu, Apr 12 (PTI) The Maoists in Nepal are racing ahead in the constituent assembly polls to decide the country's future political system, with the former rebels bagging nine of the 18 seats declared so far and trends indicating their leading in 60 of the remaining 240 constituencies.
The CPN-Maoist, which ended its decade-long insurgency in 2006 and contested the polls for the first time on April 10, seems to be moving towards a possible majority, with the Nepali Congress bagging three and CPN-UML four seats and both leading in 12 constituencies each.
The election to the 601-seat Constituent Assembly is expected to abolish the 240-year-old monarchy and frame a new constitution for the Himalayan state.
The Terai-based Madhesi People's Rights Forum (MPRF), which had fielded 105 candidates, is leading in 10 seats. The Nepal Workers and Peasant Party, a regional formation, had won two assembly seats in Bhaktapur district.
Interestingly, CPN-UML is facing reversal in Kathmandu valley's three districts, Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur, considered a traditional communist stronghold.
Prime Minster Girija Prasad Koirala-led Nepali Congress, has bagged three seats in the Kathmandu valley so far and ahead in two other constituencies.
Three of the Maoists who have won -- Krishna Bahadur Mahara, Paspha Bhusal and Dev Gurung -- were ministers in the interim government.
A complete count of votes in all 240 constituencies is not expected to be over before the next week.
The good showing of Maoists is being seen as the peace bonus given by the people for coming to the mainstream politics by ending the decade-long armed conflict that claimed at least 14,000 lives. PTI
Ram Sampat schemed to make money out of me: Rakesh Roshan
Mumbai, Apr 11 (PTI) With 'Krazzy4' finally hitting the screens today, the film's producer Rakesh Roshan has hit out at music composer Ram Sampat who had slapped a copyright infringement case against him and later withdrew for an out-of-court settlement and alleged the latter had schemed to make money out of him.
In a statement issued here today, Roshan said it is interesting to note that 'Krazzy 4' music was launched in February 2008 and the promos containing the alleged infringed work was released on TV on all channels in the end of February 2008.
"All these days, Ram Sampat chose to wait and instituted the suit in the High Court just a few days before the release of the film. This was a well-planned scheme of making money. Having all the proof in my hand to defend, I was helpless for want of time", Roshan charged.
The filmmaker said he was required to be in the court when the prints of the film had already been delivered all over the world.
"Finding myself caught in a helpless situation and to keep up my commitment with distributors and to respect feelings of the audience, I had no way but to succumb to the pressure and to compromise on the matter, thereby seeing that the film is released on the announced date.
"To honor all these commitments, moral and professional, I paid the price to Ram Sampat who strangulated me just days before the release," he alleged. PTI
SC allows Sanjay Dutt to go abroad for film shootings
New Delhi, Apr 10 (PTI) Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt, granted bail in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case, was today allowed by the Supreme Court to go abroad for film shootings.
A Bench headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan directed him to return by September 30 and submit his passport with a court.
The Bench also directed him to file an affidavit stating that he would return to the country after completing his work.
Dutt had approached the apex court on March 13, seeking permission to visit Malaysia, Thailand and the United States.
While granting regular bail to the actor on November 27 last year, the court had directed him to surrender his passport and asked him not to leave the country without its permission.
Dutt was convicted under the Arms Act for possessing illegal weapons in connection with 1993 Mumbai blasts case. He was, however, absolved of the serious offence under the TADA.
The CBI had not opposed his bail maintaining that he was entitled for the relief since he was guilty of a less serious offence.
The Bollywood star, who was sentenced in July last year, had spent 18 months in jail. PTI
Digest of domestic stories for the week April 5-11
Saturday
Mumbai: Filmstar Rajnikant pitching for Tamil Nadu in the Hogenakkal water row becomes an unlikely trigger for a spat between Amitabh Bachchan and Shiv Sena which targets him on the issue of Marathi pride.
Panaji: Placido Carvalho, the main accused in the sensational Scarlett Keeling case, is released on bail after Goa's Children Court says "there is no prima facie material against him bringing out his nexus with the offences of murder and rape."
Sunday
New Delhi: Former Chief Election Commissioner M S Gill and Congress youth brigade members Jyotiraditya Scindia and Jitin Prasada are among the seven new faces inducted into the Union Council of Ministers as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh strips Manishankar Aiyar of Youth Affairs and Sports, and effects a reshuffle of portfolios.
New Delhi: The Left and UNPA allies as well as Opposition BJP steps up attack on the government over the price rise issue warning that it would have to pay "heavy political price" and the outside supporters announce a nationwide stir from April 16.
Monday
Guwahati: The ULFA makes a vain attempt to target the Kolkata-bound Kamrup Express train and for the first time hoists its flag in public places in Assam including at the Guwahati University campus to mark the banned outfit's 30th 'raising day'.
New Delhi: The Uttar Pradesh Government approaches the Supreme Court against an order of the Allahabad High Court restraining it from carrying out construction works at the Ambedkar Park in a posh Lucknow colony by declaring it as a green belt.
Azamgarh: In a new low in the war of words with Congress, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati claims that Rahul Gandhi takes bath with a "special" soap after his visits to dalit homes.
Tuesday
Chennai: Jayalalithaa and Chief Minister M Karunanidhi cros swords over Tamil Nadu putting on hold the Hogenakkal water project with the AIADMK supremo alleging the DMK leader was expecting a cabinet berth for his daughter MP Kanimozhi prompting him to take the decision.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court clears the decks for UP Government to organise the birth centenary celebrations of Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar on April 14 in a Lucknow park on the condition that no permanent construction shall be carried out in it.
Dubai/ Thiruvananthapuram: The de-boarding of a Kerala MP from an Air India aircraft erupts into a major row with the Parliamentarian being accused of calling the pilot a "glorified driver" while the politician threatens to move Parliament's Privileges Committee on the issue.
Wednesday Ahmedabad: Justice Akshay Mehta's appointment to the Nanavati Commission fuels a controversy with the organisation representing the post-Godhra riots victims deciding to boycott it and demanded his removal following some allegations against the retired Gujarat High Court judge.
Bangalore: Taking a cue from neighbouring Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, Congress in Karnataka comes out with a populist election manifesto promising rice at Rs two a kg, free colour TV sets and cheap loans for farmers and others. New Delhi: The country's first woman IPS officer Kiran Bedi pulls out of Olympic torch relay, saying she "cannot run in a cage" while Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is unlikely to take part due to security concerns.
Thursday New Delhi: Settling the controversial reservation issue in education, the Supreme Court upholds the law providing 27 per cent quota for OBCs in IITs, IIMs and other central educational institutions and said the "creamy layer" cannot enjoy the benefit.
Mumbai: Hindi film `Krazzy4' is cleared for release with all song sequences after an advertisement-jingle composer and producer Rakesh Roshan reach a "settlement" in a day-long drama shortly after the Mumbai High Court ordered deletion of two songs on plagiarism charges.
Friday New Delhi: In a shocking incident, a rape victim is beaten up with 'chappals' in public in an east Delhi locality allegedly by relatives and neighbours of the accused after making insinuations about her character.
New Delhi: India makes it clear that it will not ban the protests by Tibetan refugees but gives assurance that proper security would be ensured for the event. PTI
Unicef reaches out to rural India with TV serial
Rajeev Ranjan Dwivedi
New Delhi, Apr 11 (PTI) A tele soap opera now aims to make a difference in the lives of those in the rural areas of the country by inspiring them to take life saving actions on sensitive issues like maternal mortality, HIV prevention and gender discrimination.
United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef) in collaboration with Prasar Bharati has launched the new tele-serial, 'Kyunki Jeena Issi Ka Naam Hai,' that uses entertainment - education format to deliver socially inspiring messages.
Through the serial, that began airing this week, the Unicef says it proposes to reach 40 million women with the story that also addresses the issue of gender discrimination very subtly to make an impact on the "orthodox" Indian mindset.
"We have made such an attempt in South Africa and it was a huge success, so we want to replicate it in India though this serial. Entertainment and drama reaches where the words and facts do not always reach," says Unicef representative to India, Morten Giersing.
He further adds that the serial is built around the concept that 95 per cent is entertainment and should entertain. The concept should be expressive and should be "something that could help people in their life," he feels.
Giersing notes that continued efforts are needed to make India a place better and safer for women and children. "Prasar Bharati makes course corrections and come out with a programming tool, which takes care of the public service broadcasting component unlike other channels," says BS Lalli, CEO Prasar Bharati, which shares with Unicef the credit of launching the serial. PTI
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