Nasheman

India's largest selling Urdu weekly, now also in English

You are here: Home / Archives for Nasheman

Sex claims against WikiLeaks founder Assange to expire

by

Three out of four charges to reach their five-year expiry date next week as his lawyer calls for probe to be dropped.

Assange (right) has always denied the sexual assault allegations against him [AP]

Assange (right) has always denied the sexual assault allegations against him [AP]

by Al Jazeera

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is set to be cleared of three sexual assault allegations made in Sweden within days, as a five-year statute of limitations against the charges expires.

Three of the charges of sexual molestation involving two women he met during a visit to Sweden five years ago will expire on August 13 and August 18.

The statute of limitations on a fourth and more serious allegation of rape is not set to expire for another five years.

Never charged

Assange, who has been holed up at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London for more than three years, has never been charged with any offence and has denied all of the allegations.

His lawyer, Thomas Olsson, told Swedish Television last week that it was “lamentable that it’s taken such a long time to wind up this case” and called on Swedish prosecutors to close the investigation.

However, he said it was unlikely that the closing of the case itself would be enough to prompt Assange to leave the embassy, where he has sought asylum since June 2012, as he remained concerned over being extradited to the US to face charges over WikiLeaks’ publication of classified US military and diplomatic documents.

“The reason he is at the embassy is his concern over being extradited to the US and prosecuted there because of the very serious accusations the US made about WikiLeaks publications and because of personal threats made by people in public office,” Olsson said.

“So long as that threat remains – and it’s a threat of global scope – he can’t leave the embassy.”

On Wednesday the Financial Times reported that Ecuador had agreed to hold talks with Sweden about questioning Assange, a move which could end a years-long stand-off.

Swedish officials said Ecuador had wanted Sweden to sign a bilateral agreement on judicial cooperation regarding Assange’s case before allowing Swedish prosecutors to question him. Sweden described the demand as unreasonable.

Assange’s lawyer Olsson said Assange’s lawyers had for several years requested prosecutors to come and interrogate Assange “but had not had a reply”.

“What people forget is that Julian Assange voluntarily attended the first interrogation and answered the questions he was asked,” Olsson said.

“Then the investigation was closed and a new prosecutor arrived on the scene to open it again.”

Bradley Manning, a US army soldier, in 2013 was sentenced in a military court to a maximum term of 35 years’ jail for passing on thousands of classified military documents to WikiLeaks for publication.

India reach 128/2 after bowling out Sri Lanka for 183

by

REUTERS/Dinuka Liyanawatte

REUTERS/Dinuka Liyanawatte

Galle: India posted 128/2 at stumps in reply to hosts Sri Lanka’s 183 in the first innings on Day One of the first Test match at the Galle International Cricket Stadium here on Wednesday.

Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin was the inspiration behind India’s impressive performance, claiming a six-wicket haul to bowl out the hosts.

Ashwin (6/46) alongside leg-spinner Amit Mishra (2/21) flummoxed the Sri Lankan batsmen to bowl them out in just 49.4 overs in the second session of the day’s play.

In reply, Shikhar Dhawan (53) and skipper Virat Kohli (45) remained unbeaten to help the visitors reach 128/2 in 34 overs at the end of the day’s play.

(IANS)

Rupee crashes to nearly 2 year low, down 48 paise

by

Rupee

Mumbai: Staying on a downward trajectory for the fifth straight session, the rupee lost another 48 paise against the US dollar to 64.67, its weakest level since September 2013, due to appreciation of the dollar overseas after China devalued the yuan for the second straight day.

Forex dealers said increased demand for the greenback from importers after China lowered the yuan value continued to put pressure on the rupee.

Furthermore, a lower opening of the domestic equity market played spoilsport, they said.

The rupee had plunged 32 paise to close at nearly a 2-month low of 64.19 per dollar in yesterday’s trade on persistent demand for the American currency from banks and importers on the back of a higher greenback overseas.

Meanwhile, the benchmark BSE Sensex was down 120.70 points, or 0.43 per cent, at 27,745.39 in early trade today.

(PTI)

Malegaon terror attack: PIL in SC accuses Modi govt of influencing trial

by

Supreme Court

New Delhi: Accusing the NDA government of trying to interfere with the functioning of the prosecutor in the 2008 Malegaon blasts case by exerting “pressure” on her to “go soft” on the accused, an activist today moved the Supreme Court seeking a fair trial “as the executive is attempting to influence the judicial system”.

The PIL filed by Harsh Mander alleged that National Investigation Agency (NIA) officials had pressured erstwhile Special Public Prosecutor in the case Rohini Salian to “go soft” on the accused “presumably” under instructions from their “political masters”.

The petition, filed through senior counsel Indira Jaising, has alleged that Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), which is the controlling Ministry of NIA, “have been allegedly trying to influence/pressurize an honest Public Prosecutor to go soft on the accused persons”.

The petitioner has sought the apex court’s intervention to ensure a fair trial as there were reasons to “credibly fear” that “executive is attempting to influence the judicial system to cave in to the pressure exerted by it in all matters, including affording protection to right wing extremists who sympathize with its ideology”.

Salian, who was SPP in the case, had recently stirred a controversy when she alleged an NIA officer had told her to “go soft” on the accused, a charge denied by the anti-terror agency. She also claimed the same officer had told her that she would be replaced. Salian is no longer on NIA’s panel of lawyers.

“That the factual conspectus afore-stated goes a long way in showing that the government of the day has tried to interfere with the functioning of special public prosecutor, treating the post as if it is under the Government in utter disregard to the principle laid down by this Court…,” the PIL said.

It sought a direction to the Centre to appoint a SPP to conduct “fair” trial and constitute a Special Investigating Team of CBI to probe alleged actions of NIA officials who allegedly pressured Salian. The PIL said pressure exerted on Salian by NIA officials seriously compromised a fair and transparent trial in the case.

“If there is credible reason to fear that public prosecutors are made to succumb to the wishes of their political masters, it is submitted that public faith in the entire edifice on which the free, fair and transparent trial is based would crumble,” it said.

Referring to Salian’s interview to media, the plea alleged that she had made “startling revelations” regarding “hidden hands allegedly nudging the judicial system to free the accused in the 2008 Malegaon case.”

The petition said the case involves people from “right wing extremist fringes of the society whom the present day Government is allegedly seeking to shield by diluting their stance in the prosecution of the case.”

It claimed the government was trying to soften their stance “which inevitablely would result in favouring of the accused, who belong to the majority community and thus strike a blow to the secular ethos of the Constitution and its mandate of protecting the interests of vulnerable minority.”

“This is a case where the systematic victimization based on pre-existing prejudices is writ large and ultimately the fair conduct of the trial would be a very important factor in order to restore the confidence of the minority who have been demoralized to a great extent,” the PIL said.

It said that SPP’s hallmark of being independent from government influence has been “severely compromised” in the case as was obvious from Salian’s statement.

“This is also supported by the fact the NIA since it has taken over the investigation from the Maharashtra ATS has not added any new evidence in the present matter despite strong evidence being available to it,” it claimed.

It said unless the apex court steps in, the victims of the Malegaon blasts cannot expect justice in the current scenario due to the “brazen illegalities” allegedly committed by the government.

The high-profile accused in the case include Lt Col S P Purohit and Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur. The 4,000-page charge sheet had alleged that Malegaon was selected for the blasts because of its sizeable Muslim population. It named Pragya Singh Thakur, Purohit and another accused, Swami Dayanand Pandey, as the key conspirators.

The charge sheet had alleged it was Pandey who had instructed Purohit to arrange for RDX, while Pragya owned the motorcycle which was used in the blast.

Ajay Rahirkar, another accused, allegedly organised funds for the terror act, while conspiracy meetings were held at Bhonsala Military School in Nasik, according to the charge sheet. Rakesh Dhawde, Ramesh Upadhyay, Shyamlal Sahu, Shivnarain Kalsangra, Sudhakar Chaturvedi, Jagdish Mhatre and Sameer Kulkarni were the other accused. The blast on September 29, 2008 had left four dead and nearly 80 injured.

(PTI)

HC rejects Asaduddin Owaisi’s Bengaluru rally plea ahead of BBMP polls

by

Asaduddin Owaisi

Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court has said the returning officer will have to take inputs from the city police before granting permission to the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) to organise a rally ahead of the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike elections.

Justice A.S. Bopanna on Tuesday issued the direction while rejecting AIMIM’s plea for a direction to the authorities to grant permission for its public rally that was scheduled for August 11 at Chota Maidan in Shivajinagar.

A jurisdictional returning officer on August 6 had granted permission to AIMIM to hold the rally at Chota Maidan between noon and 10 p.m. on August 11 on the condition that it should obtain permission from the city police.

The police, however, refused permission on the grounds of participation of AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi, who was earlier this year barred from entering the city. The retuning officer, on August 10 passed a fresh order cancelling the conditional permission granted earlier.

Observing that the view of the police on law and order and threat perceptions would be important for the returning officer to decide on granting permission, the court said AIMIM could seek permission from the returning officer, the police under the Karnataka Police Act and from the owners of any other venue.

(Agencies)

St. Germain High School hockey tournament in floodlight

by

St. Germain High School hockey

Bengaluru: St. Germain High School, one of the prestigious schools in Bengaluru are having their annual OBA hockey tournament, sponsored by Bank of Baroda.

The tournament has been in inception since 1999 by the OBA of St. Germain High School under the able leadership of the then president Leo Devdas, under who the sports foundation committee was formed and has continued the tournament with the support from the Karnataka State Hockey Association.

The tournament started in 1999 was a huge success and was sponsored by Dr. Thomas Chandy. The tournament, is open to all schools in Bengaluru and many prestigious schools have been taking part in the tournament.

This year, the OBA committee headed by Mani Maran are organizing the hockey tournament. Speaking to Nasheman.in Mr. Maran said that we want to promote school hockey in a big way and we will be having the finals in floodlights. He said this is the first time in India a school hockey tournament final is being played in floodlights.

Rolling trophies for winners & runner ups will be given and certificates to all participating players. Speaking to Nasheman.in, Mr. Krishnamurthy honorary secretary of KSHA said that hockey should be protected and requested the media to highlight hockey and advised students to join the free hockey academy.

The finals will be played on Wednesday 12th August in KSHA stadium starting from 4.30 PM.

Germain High School

Home Minister addresses Ed Milan gathering at Archbishop’s house

by

Archbishop

Bengaluru: Home Minister KJ George addressed an Eid Milan gathering of various Muslim leaders and delegates from various Christian denominations across the city.

“Meetings like this foster peace and goodwill where there is discord. I am happy to be present for these gatherings organised by the Archbishop. May we have many more of such gathering of people from all religious background to promote an atmosphere of peace.” KJ Goerge said.

MLA NA Harris was also present.

Archbishop told the gathering “It is certainly a matter of great joy to host this fellowship with our Muslim brethren. All religions of the world preach and promote harmony. Religion guides us on the part of morality. The Catholic Church documents hold the Muslims and people of all religions in high regard, acknowledging the ‘spirit of prayer and sacrifice’ found in these religions”.

Pakistan stumbles upon its ‘biggest’ child abuse case

by

Shock and anger as police discovers 400 video recordings of more than 280 children being forced to have sex in Punjab.

People have protested in the wake of the scandal calling for action against perpetrators [AFP]

People have protested in the wake of the scandal calling for action against perpetrators [AFP]

by Al Jazeera

Officials in the Pakistani state of Punjab have called for a federal inquiry into what it called the largest-ever child abuse case in the South Asian country’s history involving nearly 300 children.

The government of Punjab state on Sunday ordered a judicial investigation into the case that came to light last week after discovery of about 400 video recordings of more than 280 children being forced to have sex.

“Those involved in the case will be severely punished. They will not be able to escape their fate. The affected families will be provided with justice at any cost,” Chief Minister of Punjab Shahbaz Sharif was quoted as saying by Dawn newspaper website.

So far seven people have been reportedly arrested by the police over the case that has shocked the nation of 180 million.

Most of the victims were under 14, including a six-year-old boy, Rai Babar Saeed, district police chief of Kasur, where the incident happened, told reporters, adding that a 10-year-old schoolgirl was filmed being molested by a 14-year-old boy.

Videos of these assaults were filmed and thousands of copies are believed to have been sold in Hussain Khanwala village in Kasur district, the police said.

One of the victims said he was injected in the spine with a drug before he was assaulted, they added.

Government in denial

The scale of the scandal emerged earlier this week after the victims’ parents clashed with the police during a protest against their failure to prosecute the men who orchestrated the scandal.

Pakistan experienced a similar tragedy in the late 1990s, when 100 children were sexually abused and murdered in Lahore by Javed Iqbal Mughal, a serial killer.

Al Jazeera’s Nicole Johnston, reporting from Islamabad, said that a gang of 25 men were involved in the crime, coordinating it.

“Some of the victims’ families started to speak up. This is creating a lot of controversy in Pakistan,” she said.

In an interview with Al Jazeera, Tahira Abdullah, a human rights activist in Islamabad, said that the government is “in denial” about the abuses.

“I think Pakistan is failing its children,” she said, adding that the stigma about the cases, and the lack of trust in the court system, have prevented the arrest and persecution of abusers.

Large explosion hits Kabul airport entrance

by

At least four dead in blast, officials say, after scores were killed in recent attacks in the Afghan capital.

Kabul was already on high alert before the blast after last week's attacks which killed at least 50 civilians [Reuters]

Kabul was already on high alert before the blast after last week’s attacks which killed at least 50 civilians [Reuters]

by Al Jazeera

A large explosion has hit the entrance to Kabul airport, killing at least five people and wounding many more, according to Afghan officials.

Sources told Al Jazeera that a car bomb was used in the attack, which took place at the civilian entrance of the main airport in the capital on Monday.

Five civilians were killed and 17 people wounded, including a woman and a child, said Wahidullah Mayar, a spokesman for the public health ministry.

The Afghan Taliban claimed responsibility for the airport blast.

The tangled, flaming wreckage of one of the cars lay on its side, as dozens of firefighters and police gathered.

Kabul was already on high alert before the blast after last week’s attacks which killed at least 50 civilians and security forces personnel in the worst violence seen in the city in years.

The wave of violence comes days after a change of leadership in the Afghan Taliban, who announced the death of their founder, Mullah Mohammad Omar, late last month and named Mullah Mohammad Akhtar Mansour as their new leader.

However his swift appointment by a small council of leaders in the Pakistani city of Quetta has angered others in the group, causing rifts within the movement and adding to speculation that the latest wave of violence is linked to the leadership dispute.

The blast struck near the entrance of Kabul’s international airport during the peak lunchtime period [AFP]

25,000 farmers seek President’s permission to end lives on Independence-Day

by

pranab-mukherjee

Lucknow: Around 25,000 farmers in Mathura have sought permission from President Pranab Mukherjee to commit suicide on August 15 after a 17-year-long struggle to get compensation from the government failed to meet success.

Construction of Gokul Barrage had submerged 700 acres of land and the farmer from 11 villages have been fighting for compensation since 1998.

As per government sources, 25,000 farmers are due to get Rs 800 crore as compensation for lost 700 acres of land.

Bharatiya Kisan Sangh, an off-shoot of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, took their cause and the agitating farmers even faced bullets in November 2014 but nothing has happened so far.

In February this year, when the farmers sat on dharna, several protesters were falsely implicated for loot and dacoity.

Finally seeing that there are no hopes of justice being made, the farmers under the aegis of Sangha wrote a letter to the President on Saturday seeking permission to hang themselves.

(Agencies)

KNOW US

GET INVOLVED

PROMOTE

Archives