Former law intern hints at filing police complaint against Justice Ganguly

NEW DELHI: A former law intern, who accused ex-Supreme Court judge A K Ganguly of sexual harassment, has hit back at him for denying the charges and hinted that she may file a police complaint.

"Those who have been spreading rumours and politicizing the issue, are doing so out of prejudice and malice to obfuscate the issue and escape scrutiny and accountability," the intern wrote on her blog on Legally India.

Her comments came a day after Justice Ganguly had written an eight-page letter to Chief Justice of India P Sathasivam, denying that he had sexually harassed the intern and alleging there was a "palpable design" to malign him because of the judgments he had given against "powerful quarters".

Indicating that she may lodge a police complaint, the intern said,"I request that it be acknowledged that I have the discernment to pursue appropriate proceedings at appropriate times. I ask that my autonomy be respected fully."

The intern said that any one claiming that her statements were false was showing disrespect not just to her but also to the Supreme Court. "I would like to state that I have acted with utmost responsibility throughout, keeping in mind the seriousness of this situation," she said.

Cong holds consultations with minorities on party's manifesto

NEW DELHI: Congress today held consultations with representatives from various minority communities, including Muslims, as part of its exercise to include demands and aspirations of sections of people in its 2014 election manifesto.

Party Vice President Rahul Gandhi and Minority Affairs Minister K Rahman Khan, among the senior leaders, are holding direct interactions with the communities to incorporate their views and suggestions in the party's manifesto for the next Lok Sabha polls.

he exercise comes in line with Gandhi's call for "opening the doors and windows of politics" for common man in formulating policies and programmes of the government as the party sought to reach out to the people directly in the manifesto-making exercise by launching a website to seek direct feedback from the public.

As a prelude, Gandhi had held a meeting with representatives of Dalits, tribal and OBCs on December 13 to discuss the social, political and economic challenges before the communities and formulate programmes to address them.

Addressing the meeting of Dalits, tribals and OBCs, Gandhi had said that politics was so far being done from behind the closed doors and windows and the political process was restricted to some 500-odd people.

"It is a narrow elite, which constitutes the political establishment and each party is run by a narrower group," he had said, promising to open the system.

The consultation process called "Your Voice Our Pledge" has been started witha view to help shape the pan-India agenda of the manifesto.

Addressing the media after that meeting, Union Minister Jairam Ramesh had said that the manifesto will be ready by the first week of February and it will be open for public discussion for the next one-and-a-half months thereafter.

Five such consultations are being organised by the party with various sections including SC/ST/OBC, minorities, women and youth.

Virat Kohli loses top spot to AB de Villiers in ICC ODI rankings

Dubai:  Virat KohliStar batsman Virat Kohli lost his top position to AB de Villiers while most of his teammates, barring skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, also slipped in the latest ICC one-day rankings issued on Thursday after the 0-2 series loss to South Africa.

India, in fact, dropped two ratings points but held on to the top spot with 120 ratings points, while South Africa continued to be in fifth place with 110 ratings points, with a gain of three points.

Dhoni remained static at sixth but Shikhar Dhawan was down a rung to 10th, while Rohit Sharma found himself 18th after losing three spots. Suresh Raina, who was 19th in the previous list, is now out of top-20 and is currently placed at 23rd.

In the bowling charts, Ravindra Jadeja was pushed to the seventh spot, a loss of four positions, while Ravichandran Ashwin ended up 17th after slipping three rungs.

For South Africa, leading the way is de Villiers, who had started the series in second spot behind India's Virat Kohli, trailing by 17 ratings points on the rankings for ODI batsmen.

But now de Villiers at 872 has not only regained the number-one rank, he has also opened up a 13 ratings points lead over Kohli.

De Villiers, who scored 189 runs in three completed innings during the series, was the second highest run-getter on either side with a top score of 109 in the final match.

De Villiers, who was named in both the ICC Test and ODI Teams of the Year in 2013, now heads both the Test and ODI batting tables. De Villiers had also been shortlisted for the People's Choice Award this year.

De Villiers is the third batsman from South Africa after Jacques Kallis and Hashim Amla to head the Test and ODI batting tables at the same time, and the ninth player overall.

Amla achieved the distinction in February this year when he topped the charts after the Johannesburg Test against Pakistan. Amla, on the other hand, has moved up a place to third in the batting list.

Meanwhile, South Africa's Quinton de Kock has made the biggest gain in the latest rankings following his three successive hundreds in the series, jumping 61 places to a career-best 14th with a best-ever 672 ratings points.

De Kock became only the fifth batsman in history to score three successive ODI hundreds, to thereby end as the highest run-getter in the series with 342 runs. Outside the top-20, the batsmen to move up include JP Duminy in 24th (up by three), David Miller in 45th (up by 12) and Ravindra Jadeja in 71st (up by one).

Meanwhile, South Africa fast bowler Dale Steyn has continued his upward move in the ICC Player Rankings for ODI bowlers. Steyn has moved up three positions to second after claiming six wickets in the two ODIs that he played.

Pakistan spinner Saeed Ajmal continues to be number-one ranked on the rankings for ODI bowlers. The other two South Africa bowlers inside the top-10 are Lonwabo Tsotsobe in eighth (up by two) and Morne Morkel in ninth.

Meanwhile, Ryan McLaren has entered the top-20 of the bowling ranking for the first time, as he moved up two places to sit in 20th. Outside the top 20, the bowlers to advance up the rankings include Mohammed Shami in 43rd (up by seven) and Ishant Sharma in 51st (up by 16).

Market fire in China's Shenzhen kills 16

A fire in a farmers' fruit market in south China's Shenzhen has killed at least 16 people and injured at least three, officials say.

The fire broke out in the early hours of Wednesday and spread to an area of around 1,000 sq m (0.4 sq miles), the local fire department said.

It took around two hours to extinguish the fire. Around 145 firefighters were at the scene, officials said.

Authorities said they were investigating the cause of the blaze. The fire started at 01:30 local time (17:30 GMT) at the Rongjian Farmers' Market in Shenzhen's Gongming District, the Shenzhen fire department and Shenzhen emergency management office said on their verified microblog accounts.

The city deployed 29 fire engines, and the fire was extinguished at 03:00 local time (19:00 GMT), they added.

Search and rescue and clean-up operations were still under way at 08:00, the fire department said.

The market remained shut on Wednesday morning, while a main road near the market was closed off in both directions, state-run broadcaster CCTV said, citing one of its reporters.

Protest over parole for Sanjay Dutt outside Pune's Yerawada jail

Pune:  A group of Republican Party of India (RPI) activists demonstrated outside the Yerawada Central Jail in Pune today, protesting against the likely release of incarcerated Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt on parole.

Waving black flags and banners, the RPI activists shouted slogans demanding that Dutt should not be granted parole and must be treated at par with any other prisoner.

Police deployment has been beefed up outside the jail since last night with the expected release of Dutt on parole, as his wife Maanyata Dutt is unwell.

Dutt, 54, had recently applied for a month's parole contending that he wanted to take care of his wife. The parole has been granted and he is awaiting release from the jail to return home to Mumbai.

However, Maanyata reportedly attended a film premier Thursday night and her pictures were splashed in various online media sporting a jeans and t-shirt.

This would be the third time that Dutt would come out on parole in the past three months.

Dutt had been granted a fortnight's parole for medical reasons Oct 1 which was extended by another 15 days. He returned to the jail on October 30.

The actor is presently serving the remaining 42 months of his five-year sentence for involvement in the March 1993 Mumbai serial blasts.

Having served 18 months in jail as an undertrial, Dutt started his stint in the Yerawada jail May 16 this year. In the jail he has been employed in making paper bags which are sold outside through some NGOs.

Though he spent Diwali in jail along with the other inmates, he is likely to enjoy Christmas and New Year with his family.

Dutt has acted in movies like "Munnabhai M.B.B.S", "Lage Raho Munna Bhai" and "Agneepath" in the past few years.

Former Mysore ruler Srikantadatta Wodeyar dies

Bangalore:  Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wodeyar from the former royal family of Mysore and who was recently elected president of the Karnataka cricket association, died of a heart attack in Bangalore today.

Mr Wodeyar, 60, had the heart attack at his Bangalore home and efforts to revive him at a city hospital were not successful.

He was a former Congress MP from the Mysore constituency and also a fashion designer.

The son of the late Maharaja Jayachamarajendra Wodeyar, Srikantadatta was never officially a Maharaja, but many people in Mysore thought of him as one. He was a central figure in Mysore's celebration of Dasara and had participated in the festival in October this year.

Mr Wodeyar's wife Pramoda Devi Avaru is from the Bettada Kote Ursu family of the former princely state of Mysore. They have no children.

Mr Wodeyar played university level cricket and maintained his links with the game. He was elected president of the Karnataka Cricket Association last month.

A friend, Dr Dayanand Pai, said, "He wanted to help cricketers from rural areas and give them a chance. He recently told me how he wanted at least one from Karnataka in the Indian cricket team."

When Karnataka was reeling under severe drought last year, Mr Wodeyar had reached out to farmers and conducted prayers at the grounds of his Mysore palace.

Karnataka Home Minister K George said, "His contribution to preserve the culture of the state cannot be forgotten. Not just that he loved sports. As a politician too, he was very committed."

"Our last connection with the Mysore family is lost. He was a sincere man," said former Karnataka chief minister BS Yeddyurappa.

Telangana bill sent to President Pranab Mukherjee

New Delhi/Hyderabad: The central government Friday sent to President Pranab Mukherjee the draft bill for formation of separate Telangana state.

The union home ministry sent the draft Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Bill to Rashtrapati Bhavan, a day after it was approved by the union cabinet, official sources said.

The president, who is on a tour to West Bengal, will have a look at the bill after his return to the national capital Sunday.

He will then refer the bill under Article 3 of the Constitution of India to Andhra Pradesh state assembly to send it back with its views within a prescribed time.

The draft bill will then go the union cabinet, which will give it a final shape for tabling the same in parliament.

It was not clear whether the bill would be tabled during parliament's winter session, which concludes Dec 20.

Congress general secretary incharge of party affairs in Andhra Pradesh, Digvijaya Singh Friday said if the bill could not be tabled during the winter session, a special session would be convened.

Talking to reporters, he said whether the bill would come up during winter session or not would depend on the time the president would give to Andhra Pradesh assembly to respond with its comments.

"We can always call a special session," he said when asked what the government would do if the bill doesn't come up during the current session.

Mumbai court orders fresh trial in 2002 hit-and-run case against Salman Khan

Mumbai:  A Mumbai court today ordered fresh trial in a 2002 hit-and-run case against Hindi film actor Salman Khan.

Mr Khan had asked for a fresh trial after the charge against him was enhanced from "rash and negligent driving" to the more serious "culpable homicide not amounting to murder", which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in jail.

The court today said all evidence and witnesses in the case will be re-examined. The trial is set to begin on December 23.

The 47-year-old actor had told the court that the evidence presented earlier before a magistrate should be discarded as he was now facing a more serious charge. The prosecution had argued against fresh trial, saying it was a "stalling tactic."

In September 2002, Mr Khan was allegedly driving a Toyota Land Cruiser that ran over a group of people sleeping on the pavement outside a bakery in suburban Bandra. One person was killed and four others were injured in the accident.

The case has gone from court to court with arguments centred around whether Mr Khan was driving the car that day or not. The Mumbai police say they have enough evidence against him.

In 1998, Salman Khan spent three days in prison for killing a black buck, an endangered species of deer, in Rajasthan.

The actor has starred in many Bollywood blockbusters for two decades and is considered one of the biggest commercial draws at the box office.

Cong rejects Modi's call for debate on Art 370

New Delhi, Dec 2 (PTI) Dismissing his call for a debate on Article 370 of the Constitution, Congress today advised Narendra Modi to discuss the issue first with Sangh Parivar, saying there is already "clarity" in the ruling party about it.

    Party General Secretary Digvijay Singh also said that he "does not take Modi's statement very seriously" as the BJP's Prime Miisterial candidate "keeps changing" it from one place to another.

    Alluding to recent gaffes of Modi in rallies related to historical events, Singh said that the Gujarat Chief Minister is "unaware of history" and has been speaking "untruth" on many issues.

    "As far as my party is concerned, there in clarity on the issue (of Article 370 giving special status to Jammu and Kashmir). If Modi wants to debate, he should debate it within BJP and the Sangh. We have no objection if Modi, BJP and the Sangh debate it within them. We have no objection if they want a public debate...," Singh said.

    In what appeared a somewhat softening of BJP's stand for scrapping Article 370, Modi had yesterday said that there should be at least a debate on whether or not it has benefited J-K.

    Addressing his first rally in Jammu after being named the BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate, he had said his party wanted a discussion on various aspects of the constitutional provision.

    Union Minister Manish Tewari was quick to dismiss Modi's remarks, saying it reveals BJP's doublespeak.

    "The manner they speak about Article 370 and Article 371 makes me conclude that they neither read the Constitution of India nor they have cared about detail....

    They (Modi's remark) "completely reveal their (BJP's) doublespeak. 10 years ago, five years ago, one year ago you would hear BJP talking about abrogating Article 370. Now they are talking about debate on Article 370," he had said

லிபியாவின் சிறையிலிருந்து 40 கைதிகள் தப்பி ஓட்டம்

லிபியாவின் தெற்குப் பகுதியில் உள்ள சபா நகரத்தின் சிறைக்கைதிகள் 40 பேர் துப்பாக்கி ஏந்தி வந்த வெளிமனிதர்களின் உதவியுடன் தப்பித்துள்ளனர் என்று நேற்று வெளிவந்த ஊடகச் செய்திகள் தெரிவித்துள்ளன.

நேற்றுமுன்தினம் அதிகாலை அந்த சிறைச்சாலைக்கு அடையாளம் தெரியாத துப்பாக்கி ஏந்திய மர்ம நபர்கள் வந்துள்ளனர். சிறைச்சாலையின் முன்புறப்பகுதிகளில் கண்மூடித்தனமாக சுட்டுக்கொண்டே வந்த அவர்கள் அங்கு சிறை வைக்கப்பட்டிருந்த கைதிகளைத் தேடினர். அவர்களைக் கண்டுபிடித்ததும் அவர்களிலிருந்து பலரைக் கடத்திச் சென்றனர். சிறையின் இயக்குநர் நாசிர் ஷாபான் இத்தகவலைத் தெரிவித்தார். இவர்களில் பலர் மீண்டும் தாங்களாகவே திரும்பி வந்துள்ளதாகவும் அவர் கூறினார்.

லிபியாவின் காவல்துறையினரும், ராணுவத்தினரும் தற்போது பயிற்சி முகாம்களில் ஈடுபட்டிருப்பதால் அங்கு இதுபோன்ற சிறைத் தகர்ப்பு சம்பவங்கள் நடைபெறுவது சகஜமாக இருக்கின்றது. இவர்களின் பாதுகாப்பிற்கு அரசு, புரட்சிப் போராளிகளையே நம்பியிருக்க வேண்டியுள்ளது. கடந்த 2011-ம் ஆண்டில் லிபியாவின் அதிபர் முயம்மர் கடாபியைப் பதவியிலிருந்து இறக்க அரசு ராணுவத்திற்கு உதவி புரிந்த இத்தகைய தனியார் புரட்சி இயக்கங்கள் பல நேரங்களில் சட்டத்தினை மீறியும் செயல்பட்டுவருகின்றன. ஆனால், இத்தகைய இயக்கங்களை அரசால் கட்டுப்படுத்தவும் முடியவில்லை என்பதே பிரச்சினைக்குரிய விஷயமாகவும் இருக்கின்றது.

Andhra Pradesh bans online ticketing for private buses

HYDERABAD: The Andhra Pradesh Transport Department's ban on online booking of tickets for private buses after two ghastly accidents killed more than 50 is set to hurt ticketing companies like Redbus and Abhibus. The transport department authorities claim that under Indian law, the private players are only given permission to ply group tours between places and are not allowed to sell tickets individually.

As a result, they have banned tickets being sold online. Already, hundreds of private buses have been taken off the roads for not complying with the safety requirements. In Andhra Pradesh, nearly 800 buses went off the roads. Similarly, authorities in neighbouring Karnataka have also seized hundreds of buses and booked about 4,000 cases against private bus operators. The clampdown on the private operators began after two accidents -- the first one killed 45 in Andhra Pradesh's Mahbubnagar and the second took place in Haveri (Karnataka), killing seven.

"It will impact the entire industry," said Phanindra Sama, chief executive of RedBus, India's largest online bus-ticketing player with amarket share of about 60%. He refused to give an estimate of the expected loss. However, a senior executive at Redbus.in, who did not want to be identified, said the impact could be about 30%. "The impact is mostly felt in Andhra Pradesh. Operations in rest of states are nearly normal," he said. Andhra Pradesh accounts for a fifth of the private bus market, which currently is at about Rs 15,000 crore. The total bus ticketing market in the country, including the share of various government-operated ones, is at about Rs 40,000 crore.

Sudhakar Reddy Chirra, founder and chief executive officer of Abhibus.com, which reported Rs 140 crore of business last fiscal, said business at his firm was down by a fifth. "Since we have many other software products which are given to the public transport organisations for booking tickets online, the impact is less on us." B Venkateswarlu, joint transport commissioner with Andhra Pradesh's Transport Department, said as many as 500 buses were voluntarily withdrawn by their owners.

"About 900 buses were seized by us. We have booked over 1,200 cases after the accident as against 1,500 cases booked during the last one year." The bus owners are worried that if the clampdown continues, it will kill their sector. UP Chhattisgarh Model may Hold Solution

H Subhash Chandra Bose, the president of Andhra Pradesh Private Bus Operators' Association, said nearly 90% of the private buses were off the roads now. "We fail to understand why Andhra Pradesh is the only state in the country which finds online ticketing illegal and is forcing us not to sell tickets even offline to individuals ," said Bose, who owns SVR Travels, an operator of luxury buses with a fleet of 120.

HT Ramakrishna, president of Kesineni group, which owns 110 luxury buses, urged the AP government to come with a solution that is similar to the one implemented in states like Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. In those states, the private buses are hired by the state-owned Road Transport Corporations on a revenue-sharing model. "If that model is not accepted, then they should allow us to run our buses as usual," he said.

இந்தியாவில் முழு உடல் ஸ்கேனர்களை இரண்டு விமான நிலையங்களில் நிறுவ முடிவு

ஏர்போர்ட்ஸ் அதாரிட்டி ஆப் இந்தியா நிறுவனத்தின் கட்டுப்பாட்டில் மொத்தம் 125 விமான நிலையங்கள் இயங்கிவருகின்றன. இவை தவிர 5 தனியார் விமான நிலையங்களும் இந்தியாவில் உள்ளன. இவற்றுள், மெட்ரோ அல்லாத இரண்டு விமானநிலையங்களில் சோதனை முயற்சியில் தொழில்நுட்ப முழு உடல் ஸ்கேனர்களை நிறுவுவதற்கு இந்நிறுவனம் முடிவு செய்துள்ளது.

இவற்றை நிறுவுவது குறித்து பயணிகளின் கருத்தும் தெரிந்து கொள்ளப்படும் என்று நிறுவனத் தகவல்கள் தெரிவித்தன. இந்த ஸ்கேனர்கள் எங்கு நிறுவப்படுகின்றன என்ற தகவலோ அதற்கான காலக்கெடுவோ தெரிவிக்கப்படவில்லை. இந்தியாவின் வடக்கு மற்றும் தெற்குப் பகுதிகளில் உள்ள இரு விமானநிலையங்களில் இந்த இயந்திரங்கள் பொருத்தப்படும் என்றும் விரைவில் அந்த நிலையங்கள் தேர்ந்தெடுக்கப்படும் என்றும் மட்டுமே அதிகரிகளால் குறிப்பிடப்பட்டுள்ளது.

கடந்த 2009-ம் ஆண்டில் அமெரிக்காவில் உள்ள டெட்ராய்ட் விமான நிலையத்தில் நடைபெற்ற உள்ளாடை குண்டு சம்பவத்தைத் தொடர்ந்து புதுடெல்லியில் உள்ள உள்நாட்டு விமான நிலையத்தில் 2010-ம் ஆண்டு முழு உடல் ஸ்கேனர் ஒன்று நிறுவப்பட்டது. ஆனால் இதில் தங்களின் பிரைவசி பாதிக்கப்படுவதாகப் பெண்களிடமிருந்து பெரும் எதிர்ப்பு கிளம்பியதை அடுத்து இந்தத் திட்டம் கைவிடப்பட்டது.

தற்போதைய மில்லி மீட்டர் தொழில்நுட்பத்தில் பிரைவசி பாதிக்கப்படாத வண்ணம் பொதுவான உருவப்படம் மட்டுமே தோன்றும் என்று ஏர்போர்ட்ஸ் அதாரிட்டி நிறுவனம் குறிப்பிட்டுள்ளது. எனினும், பயணிகளின் சம்மதமும், ஒவ்வொரு இயந்திரத்திற்கும் ஒரு கோடி திட்ட மதிப்பீடும் இடப்பட்டுள்ளதால் கால அவகாசம் தேவை என்று அந்நிறுவனம் தெரிவித்துள்ளது.

Wahab Riaz booked for violating one-dish rule in Lahore party

Lahore:  A case has been registered against Pakistani cricketer Wahab Riaz for violating "one dish" rule at a party he arranged in connection with his marriage at his residence here.

A police team raided his Garden Town residence on Sunday and registered an FIR under section 188 of Pakistan Penal Code against him for violating a ban on more than one dishes at marriage ceremonies.

Riaz's nikah is scheduled for November 28.

In Punjab, a province of 90 million, the government has banned serving more than one dish at marriage functions that could not last 10pm.

"How could police raid and register a case against my son when we were holding the marriage function inside our house," Riaz's father Sheikh Sikandar said.

He said a police official heading the raiding team wanted "some money" and when his demand was not met he registered the case on the pretext of violating one dish rule.

Station House Officer Adnan Maqsood said the police raided the cricketer's house on the complaint of city district government official Muhammad Amer.

The Punjab government has ordered an inquiry into the matter.

3 killed in Bangalore building collapse

Three persons including a two-year-old girl were buried alive when their house collapsed on them in Jai Krishnappa compound in Adugodi in Bangalore on Tuesday.

The deceased have been identified as Bhola Singh, 22, Malkan Singh, 20, both street vendors, and Savitha, 2. Another inmate of the house Rajbir Singh, 21, who sustained injuries, has been admitted to St John’s Hospital.

An official of Fire and Emergency services, which have been deployed for rescue operation, feared that that a 45-year-old woman, who is missing, could be trapped underneath the debris. Rescue operations were being carried out by deploying earth movers and excavators.

The collapsed house was situated atop a godown in the compound. The collapse of the house around 8.45 am also led to crumbling down of a row of houses adjoining the godown, officials said.

While two families occupied the house atop the godown, about ten to twelve people resided in the other adjoining houses that crashed subsequently. Most of the families living in the complex were daily wagers, who had left for work in the morning. Or else, the number of casualties could have been higher, a police official added.

Police said that the houses in the compound were about 40 years old and incessant rains over the last two or three days could have caused the collapse.

Karnataka minister Santosh Lad quits over mining scam

Bangalore: The multi-crore mining scam in Karnataka Friday cost Congress minister Santosh Lad his job amid mounting pressure for his resignation ahead of the state legislature's session from Nov 25 at Belgaum.

Ending the day-long suspense and political drama, the 34-year-old mining baron, who was minister of state for infrastructure development, information and Kannada and culture departments finally submitted his resignation letter to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

"I have tendered my resignation to the chief minister in view of the allegations of illegal mining against me and my company and to avoid any embarrassment to our government," Lad told reporters later.

Lad's mining firm V.S. Lad & Sons was indicted by then Karnataka ombudsman (Lokayukta) Justice N. Santosh Hegde for illegally extracting and supplying about 10,000 tonnes of iron ore during 2008-10 from Sandur mines in Bellary district, about 330km from here.

Lad's firm is also being probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on a Supreme Court directive after its appointed central empowered committee (CEC) classified it under 'C' category mining lessee and directed the state government to cancel its license for allegedly committing large scale illegal mining.

"Though there was no pressure from the CM or the party's high command, I have resigned because I don't want my party to be embarrassed further. I am open to investigations and am sure I will be proved innocent," Lad asserted.

Lad is the first minister to quit the six-month-old Congress government after the party returned to power following its victory in the state legislative assembly elections in May.

The resignation came after whistle-blower S.R. Hiremath of Samaja Parivartanan Samudayaa, an NGO, on whose petition the apex court ordered the CBI probe, recently met Governor H.R. Bhardwaj with documentary evidence to seek Lad's removal from the cabinet.

After the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lawmakers petitioned the governor with the same demand, Bhardwaj advised the chief minister to look into the matter.

The BJP and two other opposition parties -- Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) and Karnataka Janata Party (KJP) threatened to disrupt the state legislature session at Belguam, about 500 km from here in northern Karnataka, if Lad was not removed from the ministry.

The Lad family has been in mining business for decades and the controversy over Santosh Lad's alleged involvement in illegal mining has pitted him against his cousin Anil Lad, a Congress lawmaker from Bellary district.

Indian-American woman dragged to death in US

Boston: In a tragic incident, a 58-year-old Indian-American woman was killed when a youth struck her with a pickup vehicle and dragged her for nearly five kilometres after an altercation at a motel, police said.

Kanchanben Patel and her husband, who worked at the motel, were hit by the youth who had an altercation with them about illegal use of a room.

Moses Acloque, 22, hit Kanchanben with his pickup truck and dragged her for three miles, killing her, police said.

Acloque was arrested in Foxborough late Monday night just after a state trooper reported seeing the body of Kanchanben under his Ford F150 vehicle.

Employees at Arbor Inn Motel told police that Acloque and another man had sped away from their property after refusing to pay their bill when he hit the couple, who recently celebrated becoming US citizens.

After smashing one car, MyFoxBoston reports, he struck Kanchanben and her husband. Acloque was arraigned this morning in Wrentham District Court on multiple charges, including leaving the scene of an accident causing death, prosecutors said.

Uddhav's brother opposes Thackeray's Shivaji Park memorial

Mumbai: In an embarrassment for the Shiv Sena, the late Bal Thackeray's elder son Jaidev Sunday expressed strong opposition to a memorial dedicated to his father at Shivaji Park here.

Jaidev, the estranged elder brother of Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray, said there is no need for a statue or memorial to be built at the historic ground in Dadar west and its status as a play-cum-recreation ground should remain undisturbed.

"I feel that those Shiv Sena leaders who have made it big in the party should contribute money and buy land somewhere in the city for the statue or memorial. They can even construct it in the mayor's bungalow compound. Why should it be constructed at Shivaji Park," Jaidev asked mediapersons, even as lakhs of people converged on the ground to mark Thackeray's first death anniversary.

In the past one year, there have been demands from various quarters to erect a befitting statue of the late Thackeray at Shivaji Park, which had a special place for him during his lifetime.

Jaidev said only a statue of the great warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji should adorn Shivaji Park.

Going a step further, he added that there is no need for anybody else's statue or memorial at the ground, including his father Bal Thackeray.

"When the Shiv Sena leaders can get land for constructing resorts, why can't they get a piece of land for a Thackeray memorial? If the party was really serious on it, they could have easily got some land for him in the past one year," Jaidev said sarcastically.

To a question, Jaidev said not only should Shivaji Park be kept free of any memorial, even the Mahalaxmi Race Course should be left untouched.

Mumbai is already short of open public spaces and whatever is left should not be disturbed. "There is no need for any memorial or statue of Thackeray at Shivaji Park - he lives in the hearts of the people," Jaidev asserted.

Hinting at plans to enter politics, Jaidev said he would launch a campaign to unite Maharashtrians soon before taking further steps.

Shivaji Park, where Thackeray was cremated last year in a public funeral, is regarded as the 'cradle of Indian cricket' where many top Indian cricketers, including Bharat Ratna Sachin Tendulkar, cut their teeth in the game.

Cricket temple dedicated to Sachin, Dhoni, Yuvraj in Bihar soon

Cricket is a religion in India and affirming this is the fact that a temple dedicated to Indian top three cricket players -- Sachin Tendulkar , Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Yovraj Singh, is being constructed in a village in Bihar.

This cricket temple -- a first of its kind -- will provide an opportunity for fans of cricket's Gods -- Sachin, Dhoni and Yuvraj -- to offer prayers and worship them if they like it.

The construction of the temple is a brainchild of Bhojpuri actor-cum-singer Manoj Tiwari, who is an avid cricket fan.

"I have decided to construct a temple dedicated to cricket players like Sachin, Dhoni and Yuvraj, Tiwari told rediff.com.

Tiwari also added that the cricket temple will be constructed in his ancestral village, Atarwaliya, in Kaimur district.

"After the Indian cricket team won the World Cup earlier this year, I made up my mind to build a temple dedicated to cricket players," Tiwari said.

He informed that the temple will be designed by a Mumbai-based renowned architect.

"White marble life-sized statues of Sachin, Dhoni and Yuvraj in cricket uniform, with bats in hands, will be installed as deities of the cricket temple," he said.

He said that special sculptors from Jaipur were hired to make the idols.

According to him, four acres of land was acquired for the cricket temple in his village.

"A huge bat and ball would be constructed atop the temple to make the structure visible from distance," Tiwari said.

Man accused in Phoolan Devi's murder case, dies in Tihar

New Delhi: A 35-year-old man, accused in Samajwadi Party MP Phoolan Devi's murder case and lodged in high security Tihar jail, died here on Wednesday following a heart attack, officials said.

"Pradeep, who was lodged in jail for past six year in connection of Phoolan Devi murder case, suffered heart stroke in the morning," Sunil Gupta, Tihar Jail spokesperson said.

He was rushed to the Deen Dayal Upadhyay hospital, but he died mid way.

"The matter is being enquired into by a Judicial Magistrate. Further action would be taken after the report," Gupta said.

Legalising betting like 'enjoying rape': CBI chief Ranjit Sinha regrets statement after backlash

CBI Director Ranjit Sinha today expressed regret for his comments comparing the legalizing of betting in sports to 'enjoying rape', after a huge public backlash.

"I regret any hurt caused as same was unintended and inadvertent. I reiterate my deep sense of regard and respect for women and commitment to gender issues," Mr Sinha said today, stopping short of an apology in his third clarification since the controversy erupted yesterday.

India's top investigator was at a panel discussion in Delhi on Tuesday evening, trying to argue that if the state could not stop betting it should at least legalise it and earn revenue, when he drew the bizarre analogy, "If you can't prevent rape, you enjoy it." (watch CBI's chief's comment)

He tried to explain later that he "just used a proverb to make a point," but his use of the word 'proverb' for the distasteful comment did nothing to stop the deluge of outrage on social forums.

The CBI issued a clarification late last night and Mr Sinha tried to defend himself again today, saying, "I gave my opinion that betting should be legalized and laws cannot be enforced. That does not mean that laws should not be made. This is as erroneous as saying that rape is inevitable and one should lie back and enjoy it."

The CBI chief's epic blunder inflamed the social media and enraged many at a time the nation's rape debate - triggered by the fatal gang-rape of a medical student in a moving bus in Delhi last December - has been dominated by calls for sweeping changes not just in laws but in mindsets.

"The CBI director has rendered himself unfit to hold this office. Such an irresponsible and insensitive comment is simply inexcusable," tweeted Biocon chief Kiran Mazumdar Shaw.

"Unbelievable!" tweeted noted Bangladesh writer Taslima Nasreen.

CPI-M leader Brinda Karat said the CBI director should be prosecuted. "If the CBI director who is in charge of several rape investigations can trivialize it, it gives a very wrong message. He has no right to continue in office," Ms Karat said.

Tea set worth Rs. 1.5 crore owned by this BJP leader

Shivpuri:  Bharatiya Janata Party leader Yashodhara Raje Scindia owns a dinner set worth more than Rs. 1.5 crore.

That's listed by the parliamentarian in her disclosure of assets that she has filed along with her nomination papers for the Madhya Pradesh elections.

The state votes on the 25th of this month.

Ms Scinda, who belongs to the former royal family of Gwalior, is currently a Member of Parliament but is now running for the state legislature from the constituency of Shivpuri.

Nitish Kumar an arrogant Chief Minister, says Narendra Modi in Chhattisgarh

Jagdalpur, Chhattisgarh:  Narendra Modi today unpacked a litany of accusations against his political rival, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who he described as arrogant.

At an election rally in Chhattisgarh, which votes for its next government this month, Mr Modi configured an image of Mr Kumar as an uncaring chief minister "whose body language suggested happiness" after last month's serial blasts in Patna which preceded a massive rally held by the BJP leader.

Mr Modi, who is the BJP's candidate for Prime Minister, was not harmed in those explosions.  Six people were killed and 83 injured; the BJP has attributed the terror attack to the "gross criminal negligence" of Mr Kumar and his government. 

In June, Mr Kumar pulled the trigger on a 17-year alliance with the BJP over its decision to give Mr Modi the starring role in its campaign for the national election. After the Gujarat riots of 2002 in which more than 1,000 people were killed, Mr kumar distanced himself from Mr Modi, describing him as a polarizing leader.

In Chhattisgarh, the BJP and chief minister Raman Singh are seeking a third consecutive term in power. Mr Modi used a Naxal attack in the state in May in which several Senior Congress leaders were killed to compare and contrast the Chhattisgarh chief minister's performance to that of Mr Kumar's.

"Dr Raman Singh met the victims, instituted an investigation to look into the shortcomings of the government."  He added, "When the Bihar Chief Minister was questioned on the blasts, his arrogance was evident. See how an empathetic Chief Minister behaves and how an arrogant Chief Minister behaves."

Body of one of four missing ad execs found in river near Pune

Pune:  The body of one of four young advertising executives, who had been missing since Friday, has been found in a river near Pune.

The police said 28-year-old Chintan Buch's parents had identified his body.

The police believe that the car which the four co-workers were traveling in fell into the Neera River, 40 kms from Pune on the highway to Bangalore. Divers are searching the river today.

The three men in the silver Hyundai i-20 were headed to a holiday in Goa. En route, they were going to drop their female colleague to her family home in Kolhapur.

Their families reported them missing after their cellphones were unreachable.

The group was last seen on security cameras on Saturday morning as their car passed through a toll plaza near Pune.

The three people who have yet to be found are Pranav Lele, Sahil Qureshi and Shrutika Chandvani.

Rahul Gandhi responds to 'heckler' at a rally of Sarpanches in Jammu

Jammu:  Rahul Gandhi today faced a heckler as he addressed a gathering of village leaders in Jammu and Kashmir.

At a rally of Panches and Sarpanches - or village heads - the Congress vice president was speaking about the empowerment of local leaders, when he was interrupted.

"We are with you. But we demand that the state government gives us rights. We have been hearing about getting powers for the last three years, since we were elected, but we haven't got anything, all this is fraud. No one listens to us," a Sarpanch from the crowd shouted at Mr Gandhi.

The Congress leader paused in the middle of his speech to respond to the heckler. He said, "I have come here to listen to you. Why would I have come here if I did not want to listen to you? You have to fight. You have to put pressure on the state government. We are with you."

Omar Abdullah's National Conference rules the state along with the Congress.

The man who interrupted Mr Gandhi was Parikshit Singh, Sarpanch of Ramnagar. He later explained his action, "Many of our Sarpanches were killed by militants. No Sarpanch was given security but an MLA has been given the security of 50 guards. They did not let our voice reach Rahul Gandhi."

The Panches and Sarpanches were elected three years ago in historic Panchayat elections held after a gap of more than three decades in the state lacerated by militancy.

But since that milestone for grassroots democracy in Jammu and Kashmir, these leaders have been struggling for their rights, demanding more powers for local governance, while facing constant threats from militants.

Rahul Gandhi said to these leaders today, "Your future is most important to me. I will keep coming here and continue to fight for your rights till you get your dues."

Modi has enough security, Rajiv Gandhi didn't get even a sub-inspector: government

New Delhi:  The government and the main opposition party, the BJP, feuded openly today about whether security for Narendra Modi, who is running for Prime Minister, should be upgraded.

"I want to tell the NDA (the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance) that Rajiv Gandhi wasn't given the security of even a sub-inspector when they were in power. Maybe that's why he lost his life," said RPN  Singh, junior Home Minister.

The BJP-backed National Front government was in power when Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated in 1991.

A glut of bomb blasts targeted a rally held by Mr Modi in Patna last month. Six people were killed and 83 injured in the explosions which ended before Mr Modi arrived at a large public park in the heart of the city to address tens of thousands of supporters.

Mr Modi is guarded by the Gujarat police and the National Security Guard, whose commandos are offered to chief ministers seen as high-risk targets like J Jayalalithaa.

After the Patna blasts, the BJP said that Mr Modi should be guarded by the elite Special Protection Group which handles the security of the Prime Minister and Congress president Sonia Gandhi and her children.

Today, Mr Modi's party said it did not want to get into the specifics of what sort of protection should be offered to the 64-year-old prime ministerial candidate, but said the onus is on the Centre to work out the details.

"Our Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi must be given full security. He is a prime terrorist target and the government knows this - still they are not doing anything," said BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar.

After Mr Modi was declared the BJP's choice for prime minister in September, central intelligence agencies warned that different groups were prepping to target him, and therefore any state visited by him for election rallies or other meetings should be on high alert and ensure that the leader is given maximum security.

After the bomb blasts in Patna, the Centre decided that when he travels, his security arrangements will be closely coordinated between central intelligence agencies, the Gujarat Police and National Security Guard commandos who escort him, and the government of the state that is hosting him. This Advanced Security Liaison or ASL is similar to how the PM's security is handled.

Chinese businesswoman sentenced to death for cheating investors

BEIJING: A Chinese businesswoman was sentenced to death on November 5 for cheating investors of an "extraordinarily large" amount of $200 million, the second such case this year in the country.

The Inner Mongolia autonomous regional higher people's court in north China upheld the verdict of the Erdos intermediate people's court that sentenced 42-year-old Su Yenyu to death in January this year.

Su's personal wealth has been confiscated. She was accused of cheating investors of 1.23 billion yuan ($200 million) using high returns as bait, personally misappropriating 552 million yuan, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

"The amount of the fraud was extraordinarily large and caused significant damage to both the country and the people. In such cases the death penalty is mandatory," the high court said.

Su began her "illegal" fundraising in 2006, using the funds to invest in restaurants, health clubs, coal mines and farms, even buying lottery tickets worth 20 million yuan.

She burned all documents relating to her business between 2006 to October 2009.

She surrendered to police on September 20, 2011. Ren Wenxiang, a man who supported Su's endeavours, was sentenced to five years for fraud and fined five lakh yuan.

In May, a businesswoman in southeastern China was sentenced to death on charges of stealing $100 million from investors.

Erdos, an emerging city surrounded by vast grasslands, has made a fortune from large reserves of coal and natural gas in the past decade.

Nirupama Rao bids farewell to her diplomatic career

Washington: Nirupama Rao, Indian envoy to the US, bid farewell to her career of diplomacy, as members of the American diplomatic core and her counterparts from countries like China and Brazil gathered at a reception hosted in her honour by the State Department here.

"It is difficult to imagine that so much time has passed," Rao told a select audience gathered at the Foggy Bottom headquarters of the US State Department, which hosted a rare farewell reception for the Indian diplomat on the last day of her assignment last night.

Rao, 62, in the four-decade of being a diplomat served as India's Foreign Secretary, External Affairs Ministry's spokesperson and envoy to important countries like China and Sri Lanka.

"I leave with a great sense of optimism and hope and satisfaction that I have been able not only to learn so much but also to help build partnerships and forge relationship between India and a number of countries around the world," said Rao.

US Secretary of State John Kerry sent a special message to Rao which was read on the occasion.

He appreciated Rao's role in strengthening the important partnership between India and the US. "I wish you all the best in the day, months and years to come," Kerry said in the message.

"An honour to be hosted to farewell @StateDept today. Touched by Secretary Kerry's message and presence of so many friends and colleagues," Rao tweeted after the reception. Rao is one of the few diplomats who has over 190,000 followers on the microblogging site.

At the reception, she was described as "tireless champion" of Indo-US Strategic Partnership and that during her two-year tenure, the bilateral relationship has reached new heights.

She was accompanied by her husband and former Chief Secretary of Karnataka Sudhakar Rao.

Last week, Deputy Secretary of State William Burns hosted a luncheon for her at the State Department.

The Indian-American community and the US India Business Council also hosted receptions for her last week.

Rao also hosted a farewell reception at her residence last week, which was attended by top American diplomats and members of the Indian-American community.

Among those attended the reception were US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Nisha Biswal and her predecessor Robert Blake; and US the Under Secretary of State for Management Patrick Kennedy.

Rao will be succeeded by S Jaishankar, currently India's Ambassador to China.

Three Indians jailed in Dubai for bribery

Dubai: A Dubai court has jailed three Indian barbers for a year each for offering 1500 dirhams (around $400) to a Dubai Municipality health inspector to get a health card illegally.

The Indian trio, identified by their initials as IM, AK and MS, were said to have offered a municipality inspector the bribe in June to get a health card for AK, who was suffering from hepatitis B, the Gulf News reported.

The Dubai Court of First Instance Sunday found them guilty of offering a bribe despite the defendants pleading not guilty.

The prosecutors told the court that IM tried to convince the inspector at Dubai Municipality’s clinic that AK was healthy.

The court also fined the defendants 600 dirhams each.

The three Indians were charged after they were caught in a sting operation while giving the bribe.

“IM asked me over the phone if I could help him issue a health card to a person who suffers from hepatitis B. I refused and told him that it was unlawful to process a health card for a barber who suffers from a contagious disease,” the health inspector said.

 “The next day he came to my workplace and asked why I was hesitant to help him. The supervisor said earlier health cards had been issued to individuals with contagious diseases,” he said.

“I promised I would reconsider… then I told my boss. She suggested that I pretend to have agreed in order to expose the staff members who processed the health cards to unhealthy individuals,” the inspector added.

The Indian nationals will be deported after they complete their sentences.

Two farmers commit suicide due to rain damaging their crops

    Two farmers ended their lives in Karimnagar district on Monday, the police said here today.

    Unable to bear the damage due to recent rains, to his paddy crop which he had cultivated after borrowing money from private financiers, Sudhakar Reddy (47) consumed insecticide in his farm on Sunday.

    He was immediately shifted to the hospital at Manthani division headquarters, where he died while undergoing treatment, today.

    In a similar case, a cotton farmer, Bandari Odelu (20) of Uppal village in Kamalapur mandal, ended his life by consuming insecticide on Monday.

    The police has registered cases and investigation is on, the police said.

Indian dupes some 500 Hajj pilgrims in Saudi Arabia

Jeddah, Nov 4 (PTI) An Indian national in Saudi Arabia has allegedly duped some 500 pilgrims of nearly USD 400,000 through a fake Hajj campaign here, prompting authorities to launch a manhunt for him.

    The victims of the fake scheme are all expatriates.They were informed by the Indian in mid-September that they will have tents in Mina and receive free food and transportation. However, after collecting over 1.5 million Saudi Riyal, the man disappeared and switched his mobile off.Victims were assured by the Saudi authorities that the man who cheated them is still in the Kingdom and cannot flee the country, Saudi Gazette reported.

    Jeddah police said the man cannot leave Saudi Arabia because he has a documented case
.
    The police said they have contacted the Indian Embassy to inform them about the man. They said the man was hiding somewhere between Makkah and Jeddah."We are expatriates and are not aware of the legal procedures here," said Mohammed Shariff, one of the victims.

Lata Mangeshkar wants Narendra Modi to become Prime Minister

Noted singer Lata Mangeshkar on Friday backed Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi as a prime ministerial candidate saying she wished to see the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader in the top office.

The remark was made by the legendary singer at the inauguration ceremony of a hospital in Pune. The hospital has been named after Deenanath Mangeshkar, father of Lata Mangeshkar.

Following the statement by Lata, the BJP PM candidate addressed the gathering saying he was honoured to be invited for the event by the Mangeshkar family.

Lata's sister Asha Bhosle was also on the stage.

I am being projected as dracula, Asaram Bapu claims in court

New Delhi:  Self-styled godman Asaram Bapu, currently lodged in a jail in Gujarat, has once again lost a petition seeking to restrain the media from reporting on sexual assault allegations against him.

The 75-year-old had moved the court to stop two TV channels from airing allegedly slanderous reports about him saying they were projecting him as a "dracula who drank children's blood."

Rejecting his plea, a bench headed by Chief Justice P Sathasivam said it cannot ask the media not to report the information they get from police or other sources.

"If some inmate says something or an investigation officer talks to the media, how can we stop them? Media is reporting what they say. We can't stop media.  You have other remedies," Justice Sathasivam told Asaram's counsel.

Asaram moved the court against the two channels after the Supreme Court on October 21 declined to restrain both print and visual media from carrying news reports about his case.

The spiritual guru was arrested in August this year on charges of sexually assaulting a teenage girl at his ashram in Jodhpur in Rajasthan.  Later, two sisters who stayed at his ashrams in Gujarat accused him and his son, Narayan Sai, of rape. Asaram has denied all charges against him.

Ghosal's dream run ends in World Squash Championship

Manchester: Saurav Ghosal's dream run in the World Squash Championship came to an end when he suffered a straight-game defeat against defending champion and world number one Ramy Ashour from Egypt in the quarter-finals, here.

Ghosal, who made history by becoming the first Indian ever to reach the world championship last-eight stage, put up a brave fight before running out of steam against the top seed from Cairo, losing 9-11 5-11 9-11 in a 48-minute contest at Manchester Central late on Thursday night.

It was Ashour's fourth successive quarter-final berth in the championship, which he won last year and in 2008. Ghosal, who went into the match without a win against the Egyptian in the last four meetings, made an impressive start as he led 8-4 and 9-6 in the first game.

But the 26-year-old, later described by Ghosal as "the most original squash player I have ever seen", came up with a series of scintillating shots to recover from the deficit and take the game.

Election Commission issues notice to Rahul Gandhi

New Delhi:  The Election Commission has issued a notice to Rahul Gandhi on a complaint by the BJP that he had falsely blamed the party for communal violence in Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh.

In rallies in states like Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh that are headed for elections, the Vice-President of the Congress had accused the BJP of practicing "the politics of hatred" and of instigating communal riots in places like Muzaffarnagar.

"BJP felt that unless there is a Hindu versus Muslim situation in Uttar Pradesh, they would not do well. So, they set this fire," Mr Gandhi alleged, adding that it was the Congress which had "doused the fire".

The BJP says that Mr Gandhi's remarks violate the model code of conduct for elections.

The party's six-page complaint to the poll panel also included Rahul Gandhi's allegation during a rally in Indore that Pakistani agencies were trying to reach out to young Muslims whose families had been affected by the Muzaffarnagar riots.

Need Sardar Patel's secularism, not votebank secularism: Narendra Modi

Ahmedabad:  Narendra Modi's riposte to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in their fierce Sardar Patel duel came from the site where he is building the world's tallest statue in honour of India's "iron man" today. (Modi's dream project: 10 things to know about world's tallest statue)

Addressing a farmers rally before inaugurating the statue on Sardar Vallabhai Patel's 138th birth anniversary, the Gujarat Chief Minister said, "By aligning Sardar Patel with one party you are demeaning him," referring to Dr Singh's assertion at a public function on Tuesday that Sardar was a Congressman. (PM, Narendra Modi join tug-of-war over Sardar Patel's legacy)

"I am proud and happy that I belong to a political party to which Sardar Patel was attached," Dr Singh had said, as his Congress and Mr Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party do battle over Sardar Patel's legacy.

The PM had also said, "Sardar Patel was totally secular, and believed in the unity of India," seen as a swipe at Mr Modi, who is accused by the Congress of being a "divisive leader."

Mr Modi, who is the BJP's candidate for PM and hopes to replace Dr Singh in Delhi next year, said today that he concurred with the Prime Minister that Sardar Patel was "a true secular."

But, he added, "We need Sardar Sahab's secularism, not vote-bank secularism." The Gujarat Chief Minister pointed out that the "secular Patel who united India...had no hesitation rebuilding the Somnath Temple."

The Sardar statue will be built on an island called Sadhu Bet on the river Narmada in Gujarat, the home state of both Sardar Patel and Mr Modi. Twice the size of the Statue of Liberty in the US, it is seen as a not-so-subtle bid by Mr Modi and his BJP to appropriate the legacy of Sardar Patel, who was associated with the ruling Congress.

Mr Modi has used his ambitious project to undermine his chief rivals, the Gandhi-Nehru political dynasty that heads the Congress. Sardar Patel was first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru's deputy and his Home Minister, but often at odds with him.(Modi's Patel statue project: Legacy, politics and controversy)

When he shared the stage with the PM on Tuesday, Mr Modi had said, "Every Indian regrets Sardar Patel did not become the first Prime Minister. Had he been the first Prime Minister, the country's fate and face would have been completely different."

This morning the Congress' Digvijaya Singh tweeted, "Sardar-Humility personified ! Modi-Conceit and Arrogance personified Sardar -United India Modi-Divides NDA BJP and Hindus and Minorities."

Odisha: Woman teacher set on fire, school inspector absconding

Bhubaneswar: In shocking news from Odisha, a 27-year-old woman teacher has been set on fire in the Rayagada district. She has sustained 90 per cent burn injuries and is critical.

She has been moved to Vishakapatnam for treatment. The main accused, the school inspector, is absconding. More than three months ago, the woman teacher had allegedly lodged a sexual harassment complaint against the school inspector but no action was taken. On Sunday night, she was threatened to withdraw the complaint. When she refused to do so, she was set on fire.

The school inspector and the district inspector of the school have been suspended and an assistant sub-inspector has also been suspended.

Bomb found at Patna's Gandhi Maidan, experts explode it

Patna: The National Security Guard's commandos today averted another blast at Patna's Gandhi Maidan by conducting a controlled explosion of a bomb found there.

The National Investigation Agency or NIA has taken over the investigation into the serial blasts, government sources said.

On Sunday, six people were killed and 83 injured in a string of crude bomb explosions that ended just before the BJP's prime ministerial candidate, Narendra Modi, addressed tens of thousands of supporters at the same public park in the heart of the city.

Just four days before the rally, the state's Intelligence Bureau had warned the Bihar Police in writing that Mr Modi was likely to be targeted at election rallies.

But Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has refuted allegations of major security lapses and has said that there were no intelligence inputs of a possible strike in Patna. 

Yesterday, when confronted with the intelligence bureau's note, the state's top cop, Ravindra Kumar, said that the warning was abstract and not specific.

Maharashtra: Teacher gets foot massage from students, suspended

A shocking incident has came to light from Akola in Maharashtra where a government school teacher for the specially-abled was suspended after a video showing students massaging her feet was made public.

It is being alleged that the teacher asked class VII students to give her a foot massage. The matter surfaced after a student with the help of a friend captured the visuals on a mobile camera.

Suspected Indian Mujahideen member Afzal Usmani rearrested, say sources

Mumbai: Suspected Indian Mujahideen operative Afzal Usmani has been re-arrested by Maharashtra's Anti-Terrorism Squad or ATS more than a month after he escaped from a crowded court in Mumbai on September 20, sources said.

A massive manhunt was on for Usmani who is accused of serial bomb blasts in Gujarat in 2008 that killed 57 and injured nearly 200.

The 37-year-old suspect had managed to give the cops a slip while he was brought to the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) court along with 22 others from Taloja Central Jail in Raigad district to hear the charges against him.

It later emerged that that there were no Close Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras at the sessions court, which also houses the MCOCA court which tries hardened criminals, including terrorists.

Usmani's arrest in August, 2008 had helped the police in Maharashtra bust the Indian Mujahideen module in the state.

Home Minister Shinde at Bollywood event after Patna blasts, BJP asks why

Mumbai: The BJP has criticized Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde for attending a Bollywood event in Mumbai on Sunday evening, hours after serial blasts in Patna in and around the site of a Narendra Modi rally killed six people and injured over 80.

On Sunday evening, Mr Shinde, who has charge of the country's law and order, kept his date with the makers of the Hindi film Rajjo, which has reportedly been directed by Vishwas Patil, who belongs to the minister's village in Maharashtra. During the 45-minute event at a luxury hotel, the Home Minister launched the film's music and also posed for photographs with its lead star Kangana Ranaut.

Mr Shinde faced a barrage of questions as soon as he left the function and justified not changing his plans because of the blasts, saying he had immediately sent crack investigating teams to the spot and was in regular touch with his officials.

"Since the bomb blast at 9.30 am, I have been getting updates about the situation. I have spoken to the Chief Minister of Bihar a few times. In the afternoon itself I sent an NIA (National Investigation Agency) team and a bomb inquiry squad to Patna by plane," he told reporters.

The BJP refuses to buy the explanation. Shivraj Singh Chouhan, chief minister of election-bound Madhya Pradesh tweeted: "Home minister launching music when there were blasts in Patna. Now it's time for them to hear the music."

Another BJP leader Siddharth Nath Singh said, "When the rally, hosting six lakh people, happened, when serial blasts happened, major havoc could have spread. But rather than controlling the situation, (Mr Shinde) was launching music. This has become a habit of the Congress Home Minister and other ministers. Instead of paying attention to good governance, they pay attention to their clothes and to music," said BJP leader Siddharth Nath Singh.

The BJP has accused not only the Nitish Kumar government in Bihar, but also the Centre of being lax about security for the Patna rally of Mr Modi, who is the party's prime ministerial candidate for 2014.

Twitter is also abuzz with comments about Mr Shinde attending the Bollywood event so soon after a major attack.

AP: Truck falls into lake

     Markapuram (AP),Three persons were killed in Peddaviradu mandal in Prakasam district today when a truck carrying cement fell into a lake, police said.G Ramanjaneyulu, DSP Markapur, said the truck driver lost control of the vehicle trying to avoid collision with an auto-rickshaw coming from the opposite direction.

     Ten people were travelling in the truck. While a body was recovered and another two could be seen floating on the water, others were missing, the DSP said.A woman and a girl who were injured in the accident were admitted to a hospital.

Centre 'worried' over increase in infiltration

"Looking at last year's record, we are not worried. This year, however, we are worried because of the increased infiltration. I have been discussing this with my officers about the reasons behind the infiltration," Shinde said while addressing the troops in Samba.

    He is visiting the Jammu area in the wake of escalation of the ceasefire violations along the International Border and the Line of Control (LoC).

    136 ceasefire violations have been reported so far this year, the highest in the past eight years. Even yesterday, Pakistani Rangers opened fire at 10 border posts, injuring two persons.

    Because of these violations, the Union Home Minister will not able be go to any forward post and will have to confine himself to meeting BSF personnel in Samba district in this region.
  
He expressed government's "full support" for the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) and said they have been granted the status of ex-servicemen like their counterparts in the defence services.  

    "The CAPF are not given the status of ex-servicemen like the defence forces. When I said this to the PM, he asked me to bring a note regarding this in the Cabinet. You all will be happy to know that CAPF have been granted the status of ex-servicemen," Shinde said.

    He also said that the Ministry is considering extending few more benefits to CAPF personnel.

    The Home Minister also sought to boost the morale of forces saying the government is aware of the hardships faced by them while guarding the country and will take steps to address their issues.

Muslim leaders say Rahul Gandhi's statement 'most unfortunate'

 Lucknow: Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi's statement that some Muslim youths from communal riot-hit Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh were in touch with Pakistan's intelligence agency has been slammed by prominent clerics of the community as "most unfortunate".

Maulana Saif Abbas Naqvi, a Shia cleric, said such statements not only painted the Muslim community in bad light but also strengthened communal forces. He said these were "grave insinuations" against millions of peace loving and patriotic Muslims in the country.

He also alleged that instead of understanding the plight and pain of the communal riot victims, the Gandhi scion was playing politics with them.

Shahar Qazi, Maulana Abul Irfan Miyan Farangi Mahali, called Rahul Gandhi's comment "most unfortunate" and demanded an immediate and unconditional apology from the Congress leader.

"It does not behove leaders of a national party like the Congress to make such cheap and hurtful statements against the Muslims...we are patriotic and would do anything for India" he said in a statement.

Maulana Kalbe Sadiq, senior vice-president of the All-India Muslim Personal Law Board, said anyone who cast aspersions on the integrity and loyalty of the minority community was doing great disservice to the country.

At an election rally in Indore on Thursday, Rahul Gandhi had made a sensational claim that singed by the riots and killings in Muzaffarnagar district of the state, many Muslim youth were in touch with Pakistan's intelligence agency. The communal clashes last month left 62 dead and 43,000 homeless.

Titanic dead buried at sea in haunting photo made public for the first time

Bodies stacked high in bags, a mass funeral is held for dozens of Titanic victims before they are buried at sea.

The haunting photo was taken days after the ship hit an iceberg on April 15, 1912, but has just been made public.

It is now set to fetch £5,000 at auction.

In the rare snap, two men can be seen dropping a victim over the side of body recovery ship the Mackay Bennett.

The boat Rev Hind leads the service as the solemn crew look on.

Some 1,522 people died and auctioneer Andrew Aldridge said: “This picture blows away the myth the burials were dignified.”

Henry Aldridge & Son will auction the photo on October 19 in Devizes, Wilts.

Malala Yousafzai honoured at Harvard for humanitarian work

London: The Taliban is afraid of women's power and the power of education, said Pakistani teenager activist Malala Yousafzai as she has been honoured by the prestigious Harvard University.

Yousafzai, 16, an outspoken proponent for girls' education who survived an assassination attempt by the Taliban, was at Harvard on Friday to accept the 2013 Peter J Gomes humanitarian award.

Harvard president Drew Gilpin Faust said she was pleased to welcome Malala because of their shared interest in education.

Malala was shot in the head last October. Militants said she was attacked because she criticized the Taliban, not because of her views on education.

"The so-called Taliban were afraid of women's power and were afraid of the power of education," Malala told hundreds of students, faculty members and well-wishers who packed Harvard's ornate Sanders Theater for the award ceremony.

According to a report in the Guardian, the teenage activist said she hopes to become a politician because politicians can have influence on a broad scale.

She spoke nostalgically about her home region, the Swat valley, and said she hopes to return someday.

She called it a "paradise" but described a dangerous area where militants blew up dozens of schools and sought to discourage girls from going to school by snatching pens from their hands.

Students, she said, reacted by hiding their books under their shawls so that people wouldn't know they were going to school.

Malala highlighted the fact that very few people spoke out against what was happening in her home region.

"Although few people spoke, but the voice for peace and education was powerful," she said.

Malala also described waking up in a UK hospital, where she was taken for emergency treatment following the assassination attempt in Pakistan.

"And when I was in Birmingham, I didn't know where I was, I didn't know where my parents are, I didn't know who has shot me and I had no idea what was happening," she said. "But I thank God that I'm alive."

The chairman of the Norwegian Nobel peace prize committee, Thorbjorn Jagland, paid a special tribute to Malala in a message read publicly during her award ceremony.

"Your courage," Jagland said in the tribute, "is sending a strong message to women to stand up for their rights, which constitutes a precondition for peace."

Asia Cup hockey: Indian women lose to Korea in semis, World Cup dreams end

India's dreams of earning a World Cup hockey berth were shattered when they lost 2-1 in a semifinal match of the 8th women's Asia Cup championship in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday. The Koreans scored both their goals in the first half. Ritu Rani (in pic) pulled one back for India soon after halftime, but the Koreans held on to their slender lead. China and Japan will play the second semifinal. (India vs Korea match highlights)

The Koreans, who had scored 31 goals in their three group matches, were on the offensive from the start and scored both their goals in the first 10 minutes. The goals came from penalty corner conversions.

Korea took a 1-0 lead in the second minute of the match. Cheon Seul Ki converted the first penalty corner the Koreans earned. Twenty-four-year-old Cheon Seul Ki  is a veteran of 71 international matches and one of the best dragflickers in Asia. Korea make it 2-0 in the ninth minute. Cheon Eun Bi, who has played 43 matches for Korea, made no mistake.

The prolific Ritu Rani, who scored seven goals in India's first match against Hong Kong China, scored in the 41st minute. She converted a penalty corner. But the Koreans held on to their slender lead to shut the door on the Indians.

Earlier this week, India claimed a hard-fought 2-0 win against Malaysia, with Poonam Rani and Lily Chanu Mayengbam both scoring crucial second half goals. The result sealed a second place finish in Pool A behind China.

Korea continued their superb run of form with a blistering 16-2 win against Chinese Taipei to seal their place at the top of Pool B, while Japan confirmed their place in the competition semifinals with a thoroughly convincing 12-0 drubbing of Kazakhstan.

Sultan of Johor Cup hockey: India dismiss Pakistan 4-0, eye berth in final

In a dazzling second-half show, India whipped arch-rivals Pakistan 4-0 in a round-robin league match of the invitational under-21 Sultan of Johor Cup hockey tournament in Johor Bahru, Malaysia on Wednesday. Sukhmanjit Singh (38th and 46th), Imran Khan (45th) and Ramandeep Singh (61st) scored for India in what turned out to be a totally one-sided contest. The teams were locked 0-0 at half-time.

This was India's third straight win while Pakistan lost their first game in three outings. India and Malaysia are level on points (nine from three wins each) but the hosts are No. 1 in the six-team championship with a better goal-difference. India play Korea while Pakistan and Malaysia lock horns in key games on Thursday. A win against Korea should ensure India a spot in Sunday's final.

"It was a great performance from the players and I am both happy and proud. The players played to instructions, not falling into playing the pace of our opponents in the first half," said Indian team manager Baljit Singh Saini, who coached the team last year.

"The win was as a result of the ability of the players to finish off the chances created and this augurs well for our quest to make the final," the former Olympian added.

India looked a galvanized lot after the breather. Sukhmanjit scored in the 38th minute from India's second penalty corner of the game after his first-half effort hit the woodwork. It was a crisp finish after the Indians employed an indirect set-piece.

Imran's 45th minute field goal showed the Pakistan defence in poor light and after Sukhmanjit converted a stroke in the 46th, the Pakistanis looked completely gutted. Unlike the Indians, the Pakistanis had experience in their team but they looked completely out of sorts.

The hard-working Ramandeep Singh completed the rout in the 61st minute. It was a brilliant field goal and the best of the match. Imran and Mohammed Amir Khan set up Ramandeep with a simple finish after a sizzling move down the centre left the Pakistanis gasping.

With Pakistan making very little effort to hit back, India defended easily and even changed goalkeepers. India struggled to beat Argentina and England in their opening games but they looked good in a big game like Pakistan.

China to execute parking-row toddler killer

A court in China has sentenced a man to death for killing a two-year-old girl in Beijing over a parking space row, state media report.

Han Lei, 39, pulled the toddler out of her pram and threw her to the ground after her mother refused to make way for his car in July.

He fled the scene but was captured. The girl later died from her injuries.

He said the killing was unintentional, as he was drunk and had thought the pram was a shopping trolley.
"I did not know there was an infant inside," he previously said.

The case has provoked an outcry in China, with many people expressing their anger online, state media reported.

Many in China were shocked that an argument over a parking space could come to such a violent end, says the BBC's Martin Patience in Beijing.

The trial started on 16 September at the Beijing No 1 Intermediate People's Court.

Prosecutors had recommended the death sentence for Han, who committed the crime within a year of being released from prison, the Xinhua news agency said.

Han also beat the girl's mother during the altercation in Beijing's Daxing district.

Another man, Li Ming, who drove Han away from the scene, has been jailed for five years.