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Two rape victims move HC,seek life imprisonment for Dera chief

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Chandigarh: Two women followers raped by the Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh today moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court seeking life imprisonment for the sect head sentenced to 20 years in prison. A special CBI court on August 28 had sentenced Ram Rahim Singh to 20 years in prison after his conviction in two rape cases.

“A revision petition has been filed today in the Punjab and Haryana High court for the enhancement of sentence for Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh to life imprisonment in rape case,” said victims’ counsel Navkiran Singh here. “In this case, the Dera sect chief was considered as ‘Pita Ji’ (father) by his followers. Victims were under emotional and physical custody of Dera chief and he broke their trust and misused his position as a religious and spiritual leader. Therefore, we sought life imprisonment instead of 20-year sentence,” the counsel further said.

CBI Judge Jagdeep Singh had pronounced two sentences of 10 years rigorous imprisonment in each of the two cases that date back to 2002. Besides, the court had also fined him Rs 15 lakh in each of the two cases. Ram Rahim was convicted by the special CBI court on August 25, following which violence and arson had erupted in Panchkula and Sirsa districts which left 41 people dead and scores of injured. Ram Rahim is currently lodged in Sunaria jail in Rohtak district of Panchkula.

In April 2002, an anonymous letter was written to the then Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana High Court, complaining about alleged sexual exploitation of women followers at Dera Sacha Sauda in Sirsa
Then in May 2002, the high court directed Sirsa district and session judge to probe the allegations in the letter. In September 2002, the high court had handed over the matter to the CBI after district court indicated possibility of sexual exploitation.

In December 2002, the CBI registered a case of rape, criminal intimidation against Ram Rahim Singh.
The CBI had filed charge sheet against Dera head in Ambala court in July 2007. The charge sheet mentioned about sexual exploitation of two ‘sadhvis’ (women followers) between 1999 and 2001. In September 2008, the special CBI court framed charges against Gurmeet Ram Rahim under sections 376 (rape) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC.

On August 17, 2017, the arguments of prosecution and defence concluded and the Special CBI Judge Jagdeep Singh on August 25 convicted Ram Rahim Singh in the rape case.

(Agencies)

RBI lowers economic growth projection to 6.7% in FY18

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Mumbai: The Reserve Bank today lowered to 6.7 per cent the economic growth projection for 2017-18 from its August forecast of 7.3 per cent in view of issues with GST implementation and lower kharif output estimates.

In its Fourth Bi-monthly Monetary Policy Statement, 2017 -18, RBI said the loss of momentum in first quarter of the current fiscal and the first advance estimates of kharif foodgrains production are early setbacks that impart a downside to the outlook on growth projections.

The implementation of GST so far also appears to have had an adverse impact, rendering prospects for the manufacturing sector uncertain in the short term, it said. “This may further delay the revival of investment activity, which is already hampered by stressed balance sheets of banks and corporates,” it said. RBI further said that consumer confidence and overall business assessment of the manufacturing and services sectors surveyed by it weakened in the second quarter (July- September).

On the positive side, firms expect a significant improvement in business sentiment in third quarter, said the Resolution of the six-member Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) put by the central bank on its website. “Taking into account the above factors, the projection of real GVA (Gross Value Added) growth for 2017-18 has been revised down to 6.7 per cent from the August 2017 projection of 7.3 per cent, with risks evenly balanced,” it said.

Fitch Ratings this week had lowered India’s economic growth forecast for the current fiscal to 6.9 per cent from 7.4 per cent earlier after the GDP growth “unexpectedly faltered” in the April-June quarter. Asian Development Bank too has lowered the growth projection to 7 per cent for the current fiscal from its earlier estimate of 7.4 per cent. The real GVA growth slowed significantly in the April- June period of 2017-18, cushioned partly by the extensive front- loading of expenditure by the central government.

GVA growth in agriculture and allied activities slackened quarter-on-quarter in the usual first quarter moderation, partly reflecting deceleration in the growth of livestock products, forestry and fisheries. Industrial sector GVA growth fell sequentially as well as on a y-o-y basis. The manufacturing sector the dominant component of industrial GVA grew by 1.2 per cent, the lowest in the last 20 quarters.

RBI said the uneven spatial distribution of the monsoon was reflected in the first advance estimates of kharif production by the Ministry of Agriculture, which were below the level of the previous year due to lower area sown under major crops including rice, coarse cereals, pulses, oilseeds, jute and mesta. The central bank further said that the assessment of food prices going forward is “largely favourable”, though the first advance estimates of kharif production pose some uncertainty.

(Agencies)

Petrol price down Rs 2.5 a litre, diesel by Rs 2.25

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New Delhi: Petrol price was Wednesday cut by Rs 2.5 per litre and diesel by Rs 2.25 following the reduction in excise duty on auto fuels.

Petrol in Delhi now costs Rs 68.38 a litre, down from Rs 70.88. A litre of diesel now comes for Rs 56.89 as against Rs 59.14 previously, according to Indian Oil Corp (IOC), the nation’s largest fuel retailer.

The government had yesterday cut excise duty on petrol and diesel by Rs 2 per litre each to moderate the relentless rise in fuel prices over the last three months.

IOC Director (Finance) A K Sharma said the cut in retail selling price is higher after factoring in its impact on VAT.

As things stand, excise duty is levied on fuel produced ex-refinery. Local sales tax or VAT is levied on the total of ex-refinery cost plus excise duty and commission paid to dealers.

So, till yesterday the VAT on petrol in Delhi was Rs 15.07 while today it stands at Rs 14.54. On diesel, VAT today is Rs 8.41 per litre as against Rs 8.73 previously.

The excise duty cut paused the relentless rise in rates witnessed since July 4. While petrol prices had increased by Rs 7.8 to reach Rs 70.88 a litre in Delhi Tuesday, the highest since August 2014, diesel rates had risen by Rs 5.7 to touch an all-time high of Rs 59.14.

The excise duty cut would cost the government Rs 26,000 crore in annual revenue and about Rs 13,000 crore during the remaining part of the current fiscal year that ends on March 31, 2018, the government had said yesterday.

The government, which had between November 2014 and January 2016 raised excise duty on petrol and diesel on nine occasions to take away gains arising from plummeting global oil prices, has been criticised for not cutting excise duty despite a sustained rise in fuel prices since early July.

In all, duty on petrol was hiked by Rs 11.77 per litre and that on diesel by 13.47 a litre in those 15 months that helped government’s excise mop-up more than double to Rs 2,42,000 crore in 2016-17 from Rs 99,000 crore in 2014-15.

While the costliest petrol was sold in September 2013 when it was priced at Rs 76.06 a litre in Delhi, the previous highest rate for diesel was also during the BJP rule in September 2014 when it was priced at Rs 58.97 per litre.

On petrol, excise has been cut to Rs 19.48 per litre from Rs 21.48 per litre and on diesel to Rs 15.33 a litre from Rs 17.33 previously.

The rise in petrol and diesel prices also reflected in wholesale price inflation, which increased to 3.24 per cent in August 2017, as compared to 1.88 per cent in July.

(PTI)

Demonetisation was like suicide: Arun Shourie

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New Delhi: Slamming the Narendra Modi government over sliding economic growth and increasing job losses, former Union Minister Arun Shourie has likened demonetisation with suicide, saying the latter is too “a bold step”.

He also called the Narendra Modi government as “government of two-and-a-half persons”.

“This is a government by ‘ilhaam’ (revelation). The Prime Minister has the ‘ilhaam’ one night that demonetisation should be done and he does it. In any case it was a bold step. I have to remind you suicide too is a bold step,” Shourie said in an interview with NDTV when asked why in his view, the government went in for demonetisation.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes on November 8 last year.

“Which argument (offered by the government in defence of demonetisation) today survives? Black money? All of it turned white. Terrorism? Terrorists are still coming into India. At the end they have nothing to say,” he added.

Shourie also took a dig at BJP President Amit Shah who has said that current slowdown is “due to technical reasons”, terming him “that famous economist?” and underscoring that official figures cannot be brushed under the carpet.

He also said those running the government do not seek any advice or hear the facts.

“This is a government of two-and-a-half persons, that is, Narendra Modi, Amit Shah and one in-house lawyer. They don’t have the expertise and they have surrounded themselves by persons who don’t have the expertise.

“They are now in a sealed echo-chamber. They don’t hear what is happening. The distress the RBI has documented of small and medium enterprise. These poor fellows had been clamouring and shouting. Nobody heard them,” he added.

He said that persons like Yashwant Sinha, P. Chidambaram and several other economists have been “talking about facts”.

“And those facts emerge from official reports such as The Economic Survey, the RBI surveys, the SBI’s report etc. Is it a fact or not that GDP has collapsed to 3.7 per cent according to the old series? Is it a fact or not that index of industrial production has gone down from about 9 per cent in 2015-16 to about 1.7 per cent in April to July? Is it not a matter of concern?” Shourie said.

However, he said, despite all the red signals, there was little hope of a course change as “it all flows from the nature of the government” and the Modi government has a “sense of hustings”.

“Their core competence is event management. They are so self-satisfied with it. They are just briefing each other, not listening to others… They are concerned about 300-feet statute, bullet trains etc,” he said.

On BJP and government functionaries calling former Union Minister Sinha a “frustrated” person after he lashed out at the government, Shourie said it was “their standard operating procedure”.

“Whenever they are confronted with inconvenient facts, they try to bury it in avalanche of abuse. I have aconstructive suggestion for them. They should publish a list of persons in advance who they think are frustrated,” he said.

He said that the government’s policies must have predictability, stability and credibility — all of which is totally absent now — so that investors and industry are sure of what they can expect from the government and not taken by surprise by out of the blue announcements followed by policy flip flops as has happened under the present regime, be it demonetisation or GST implementation.

(PTI)

Nobel Medicine Prize goes to Hall, Rosbash and Young

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Three US geneticists’ discoveries identified genes that set ‘circadian clock’ which regulates sleep and eating patterns.

Young has been on Rockefeller University’s faculty in New York since 1978 [Shannon Stapleton/Reuters]

by Al Jazeera

Three US geneticists – Jeffrey Hall, Michael Rosbash and Michael Young – have been awarded the Nobel Prize for medicine for shedding light on the biological clock that governs the sleep-wake cycles of most living things.

The team’s work revealed the role of genes in setting the “circadian clock” which regulates sleep and eating patterns, hormones and body temperature, the Nobel committee said in announcing the prize on Monday.

“Their discoveries explain how plants, animals and humans adapt their biological rhythm so that it is synchronised with the Earth’s revolutions.”

All life on Earth is tuned to the rotation of our planet. Scientists have long known that living organisms, including humans, have an internal timekeeper that helps them anticipate and adapt to the rhythm of the day.

Hall, 72, Rosbash, 73, and Young, 68, “were able to peek inside our biological clock and elucidate its inner workings”, the jury said.

The three scientists will share the prize of nine million Swedish kronor (about $1.1m or 937,000 euros)

They identified genes that regulate the clock, and the mechanism by which light can synchronise it.

Circadian dysfunction

A disrupted circadian clock is what causes jetlag – which happens when the internal clock and external environment move out of sync as people rapidly change time zones.

The clock also regulates sleep, which is critical for normal brain function.

Circadian dysfunction has been linked to depression, bipolar disorder, cognitive function, poor memory formation and some neurological diseases.

Studies have indicated that a chronic misalignment between a person’s lifestyle and the circadian clock – when doing irregular shift work, for example – might be associated with an increased risk for neurodegenerative diseases, metabolic disorders and inflammation.

Disruptions to the circadian clock can have serious consequences ranging from impulsive behaviour to life-threatening conditions such as obesity and cancer, the experts say.

One need only to look at the poor health records of shift workers such as nurses or factory labourers.

The World Health Organization has already raised the red flag, with a 2007 report noting that “circadian disruption” is “probably carcinogenic” – which means cancer-causing.

Scientists are working hard on methods to alter the rhythm of errant clocks as a means to “improve human health”, the Nobel jury said.

The period gene

Using the fruit fly as a model organism, this year’s laureates isolated a gene that controls the daily biological rhythm, called the period gene.

“They showed that this gene encodes a protein that accumulates in the cell during the night and is then degraded during the day,” the Nobel statement said.

“Subsequently they identified additional protein components of this machinery, exposing the mechanism governing the self-sustaining clockwork inside the cell.”

When workers force themselves to stay awake, it triggers the release of stress hormones such as cortisol – the same one that rushes into your blood in a life-or-death situation.

The chemicals may keep a person awake, but there are significant side effects.

For example, cortisol works to suppress the immune system and, in the long run, can make a person more susceptible to a range of illnesses.

Such a lifestyle also opens one up to eating outside of normal times, when the body’s metabolism might be lower and the calories are more likely to be converted into fat instead of being burned up.

Even short-term disruptions of the circadian clock can wreak havoc on the human body, such as jetlag.

Flying from Paris to Los Angeles deposits travellers nine hours earlier in time, upending eating and sleeping patterns.

The results can be blunted interaction with the world and a lack of empathy, complex thinking, or even clear memories.

In such a state, people can do “overly impulsive things – jump the red traffic light and fail to see the consequences of actions”.

Curiosity for medicine

Rosbash, born in 1944 in Kansas City, Missouri, to parents who had fled Nazi Germany, received his doctoral degree in 1970 at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and has since 1974 been on faculty at Brandeis University, where he worked closely with Hall on his prize-winning research.

Hall had originally planned to attend medical school when he entered Amherst College in Massachusetts in 1963, but halfway through his bachelor’s degree, his curiosity for medicine was replaced by one for basic science.

He went on to earn his doctoral degree in 1971 at the University of Washington, before joining Brandeis University in 1974. He is now retired.

Young received his doctoral degree from the University of Texas in Austin in 1975 and has been on the faculty at Rockefeller University in New York since 1978.

SIT gathered clues on Gauri’s murder: Minister Ramalinga Reddy

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Chikkaballapura: Karnataka Home Minister Ramalinga Reddy on Monday said the Special Investigation Team which is probing the murder of senior journalist Gauri Lankesh has gathered some clues and is gathering evidence to claim it in public.

“SIT gathered some clues, but we cannot tell things to the media for now, because we should have correct evidence for the clues we have got,” he told reporters at Chikkaballapura, 60 km from Bengaluru.

Gauri Lankesh was shot dead at close range by unknown assailants outside her residence here on the night of September 5.

He said “If there are no proper evidence when we file a charge sheet at the court, it won’t stand. So we are trying to collect the evidence correctly. Our SIT is working towards gathering evidence.”

The Karnataka government, which has constituted the SIT headed by IGP (Intelligence) B K Singh, has announced a Rs 10 lakh reward to anyone who gives clues about the killing that led to outrage and protests.

As a political slug fest broke out over the killing, her family had pleaded against giving a political colour to it.

(Agencies)

The 10th Global Festival of Spiritual Sciences in Bangalore Sept 30th – Oct 4th, 2017

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Bangalore: Thriive Art & Soul, India’s only state-of-art wellness and spiritual portal hosts the Global Festival of Spiritual Sciences (GFSS) India’s biggest celebration of the human spirit. GFSS is a platform for spiritual masters working towards the spiritual enrichment of human spirit. It will take place in the stunning Pyramid Valley International (PVI) from 30th September, 2017 – 4th October 2017 in Bangalore.

GFSS is a series of extraordinary spiritual talks by global masters, interspersed with artistic activities and meditations for the soul, inspired and motivated by Brahmarshi Patriji and Dr. Newton Kondaveti.

GFSS will host the biggest global names in the spiritual world including the well-known spiritual master Jasmuheen (Australia), Newton Kondaveti & Dr. Lakshmi (India), Amara Tia Ann (Singapore), Sonya Sophia (USA), Ladan Ratcliffe (Iran,) Trish Watts (Australia), Taniah T Kamadon (Penang Malaysia) and Rae Chandran (Japan). These brilliant global masters have converged at Pyramid Valley to share their wisdom with seekers, lightworkers and laypersons.

According to Pinky Daga, CEO of Thriive Art & Soul says, “For spiritual newbies, this celebratory aspect is a gentle introduction to specialized subjects. Masters make the subjects experiential and easy to follow which empowers an inner transformation within the seeker. As a result, GFSS has become a fertile ground for life-changing experiences and formation of deep bonds between like-minded souls.

She further adds, “GFSS has grown bigger and evolved into a festival in its 10th year, making it more inclusive, adding the element of fun to spirituality”

Making benevolent contact with Star beings’, ‘Mahakundalini Activation’ and ‘Appreciating the Spiritual Nature through the lens of Science’ are some of the topics that will delight the spiritual enthusiasts’ hearts.

Meditating in the serene environs of Pyramid Valley, visiting Medlabs to view and experience quantum energy healing devices, trekking up to Tapasthali to view the breath-taking sunset, spending one-on-one time with Masters at mealtimes – all these will create memorable moments for the guests at GFSS.

Mystical dance concerts by the STEM Dance Kampni and CMTAI and physical meditations like Power Yoga, Qi Gong, Tai Chai and Pilates will add to the gaiety.

Special workshops on making mandalas and fairy houses will keep the children occupied while their parents indulge in soul-enriching experiences.

About GFSS 2017

Thriive Art & Soul, India’s only state-of-the-art wellness and spiritual portal founded in August 2016; hosts the Global Festival of Spiritual Sciences (GFSS) India’s biggest celebration of the human spirit.

This year, the 10th Global Festival of Spiritual Sciences (GFSS) will take place between Saturday, 30th September and Wednesday, 4th October 2017.

GFSS 2017 is a series of extraordinary spiritual talks by global masters, interspersed with artistic activities and meditations for the soul. The festival takes place annually in the stunning Pyramid Valley International (PVI), Bengaluru.

Nestled in PVI is one of the largest pyramids in the world built exclusively for meditation. Situated on the outskirts of Bengaluru, India, it has been mapped by the Government of Karnataka as one of the 7 Wonders of Bengaluru city.

You can find more information on:
If you would like to register to GFSS 2017, please register here events@thriive.in.

You can also call and register with Balaji Golekar- +91 7506424584

Venue: The Pyramid Spiritual Trust (India)
Kebbedoddi Village, Harohalli Hobli, Kanakpura Taluka, Ramanagara District, Pin – 562 112.

Date & Time
Sept 30th – 9.30 AM to 5.30 PM
Oct 1st – 4th – 5.30 AM to 9.30 PM

Information, please contact:Tamiraa.s@gmail.com+91 9619923403

Media contact: Sridevi Rao 9844167547/9448701953

Honeypreet arrested by Haryana Police from Punjab

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Chandigarh: After being on the run for over a month, Honeypreet Insan, adopted daughter of the jailed Dera Sacha Sauda chief, was Tuesday arrested by the Haryana Police from Zirakpur-Patiala road in Punjab in connection with the violence that followed the sect head’s conviction.

Priyanka Taneja alias Honeypreet was arrested from Zirakpur-Patiala road, Haryana Police DGP B S Sandhu said.

“We have arrested her,” the DGP said.

Honeypreet tops the list of 43 people ‘wanted’ by the Haryana Police in connection with the incidents of violence that left 41 people dead and several injured following Gurmeet Ram Rahim’s conviction in rape case.

Talking to mediapersons at Panchkula, Police Commissioner A S Chawla said, “She has been taken into custody by SIT in- charge (Mukesh Kumar) from Zirakpur-Patiala road in Punjab.

She is being brought to Panchkula for questioning in connection with the incidents of violence”.

“Her role in the violence (after Ram Rahim’s conviction on August 25) will be probed…who provided her shelter or support during her run from police will also be produced. She will be produced before a court (in Panchkula) tomorrow and we will seek her police remand,” Chawla said.

Chawla also said that another woman who was accompanying her was also taken into custody.

He said Punjab Police has been informed about the arrest.

Honeypreet’s arrest came hours after she appeared on two private TV channels.

Honeypreet had accompanied Ram Rahim from the sect headquarters at Sirsa to a special CBI court in Panchkula on August 25. After the Dera chief’s conviction on that day, she also accompanied him in a chopper when he was flown to Rohtak to be lodged in a jail.

There had been no trace of Honeypreet after the evening of August 25.

A lookout notice and later an arrest warrant was issued by the Haryana Police against Honeypreet.

(PTI)

Vijay Mallya arrested in London: Reports

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New Delhi: Liquor baron Vijay Mallya, who is wanted in India for defaulting on loans worth Rs 9,000 crore, has been arrested for a second time this year in London, according to state broadcaster Doordarshan.

He has been arrested under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, said sources.

The details are awaited but according to reports, his arrest may be procedural and a bail order may be in place.

Mallya has repeatedly refused to appear before courts and investigators in India since he secretly fled to Britain in March, 2016, after defaulting on loan payments to state-owned banks and allegedly misusing the funds.

Mallya has been rejecting allegations by investigation agencies that he diverted most of the Rs 6,000 crore borrowed from a State Bank of India-led consortium of lenders as fabricated and baseless. This is the second arrest this year. He was arrested in April and was granted bail.

The Central Bureau of Investigation and the Enforcement Directorate, in their yet-to-befiled chargesheet, said the funds were allegedly laundered to shell companies in half a dozen countries.

Mallya, who fled to the UK from India in March 2016, said in January the allegations of fund diversion were a ‘joke’ and that he was getting used to “witch hunts coming from all directions with no legal basis whatsoever.”

With the fresh allegations, Mallya may find the going tough when his extradition case comes up for hearing in December.

Investigative agencies including the CBI and the ED recently completed the submission of probe evidence to the British Crown Prosecution Service.

(Agencies)

Kerala High Court grants bail to actor Dileep

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Kochi: Malayalam superstar Dileep, arrested for alleged involvement in the conspiracy behind the kidnapping of an actress, was on Tuesday granted bail by the Kerala High Court.

The bail conditions include surrendering his passport, furnishing a bond of Rs 1 lakh and a pledge to stay away from witnesses in the case.

This is the third time Dileep had approached the High Court for bail. He had also sought bail earlier twice from the trial court.

Dileep was arrested on July 10. The bail comes at a time when the police are set to file a chargesheet.

The arguments on the bail plea got over on Friday.

As news spread that the actor has got bail, his fans started reaching in large numbers the Aluva sub-jail near here where he has been lodged since his arrest.

Actor Mahesh, who had been defending Dileep all through, expressed happiness.

“Every time a bail plea was moved, we hoped against hope that he would get bail. Finally, the prayers of his fans have been answered,” he said.

The abduction took place in February when the actress was on her way from Thrissur to Kochi.

She was taken around in her vehicle forcefully for about two hours before being dumped near an actor-director’s home.

The key accused — Pulsar Suni and his accomplices involved in the actual abduction — were arrested a week later. After detailed questioning, police unearthed a conspiracy angle in the abduction and arrested Dileep.

(IANS)

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