Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir government has asked all the deputy commissioners of the state to take action against transmission of 34 TV channels, including those from Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, saying they have the potential to incite violence and create law and order situation.

The directive comes after the Centre asked the state government to take immediate steps to stop the unauthorised broadcast of Pakistani and Saudi Arabian channels in the state.

“It has been reported that the cable operators in the Valley have been transmitting certain TV channels (which are not permitted by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India).

“It needs being noted that transmission of non-permitted TV channels apart from attracting the violation (of the law), has the potential to encourage or incite violence and create law and order disturbances in the Kashmir Valley,” an order issued Saturday by Principal Secretary, Home Department, R K Goyal, to all the district rpt district magistrates (deputy commissioners) of the state said.

Goyal asked deputy commissioners to clarify as to what action has been taken in regard to media reports that certain cable operators were transmitting such non-permitted channels and also directed them to take urgent necessary action.

“In the circumstances, it is impressed upon you to ensure that urgent necessary action is taken in accordance with provisions of law,” the order reads. He said the transmission of non-permitted TV channels by the cable operators attracts violation of the Cable TV Networks Regulation Rules.

“As per Section 11 of the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, the district magistrate has the power to seize the equipment in case of a violation,” the order reads.

On Friday, Union Information and Broadcasting Minister M Venkaiah Naidu spoke with the state chief secretary over the issue and sought a compliance report at the earliest.

He expressed concern over reports that these channels were being broadcast in Jammu and Kashmir without permission. The State Home Department, which is headed by Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, has listed 34 such channels belonging to Pakistan and Saudi Arabia including Zakir Naik’s banned Peace TV.

The 34 channels are Peace TV Urdu and English, ARY QTV, Madni Channel, Noor TV, Hadi TV, Paigam, Hidayat, Saudi Al-Sunnah Al-Nabawiyah, Saudi-Al-Quran Al-Karim, Sehar, Karbala TV, Ahli-biat TV, Message TV, Hum TV, ARY Digital Asia, Hum Sitaray, ARY Zindagi, PTV Sports, ARY Musik, TV One, ARY Masala, ARY Zauq, A TV, Geo News, ARY News Asia, Abb Takk News, Waseb TV, 92 News, Duniya News, Samna News, Geo Tez, Express News and ARY News.

The principal secretary, Home Department, asked the deputy commissioners to file a compliance report by email by Sunday.

(Agencies)

Gorakhpur: A woman IPS officer was reduced to tears after a BJP MLA in Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s parliamentary constituency of Gorakhpur got into a heated argument with her over evicting protesters, with the incident being captured on the camera.

The incident occurred in Kareemnagar area of the city where some people, protesting against a liquor shop, were removed by the police. Local BJP MLA Radha Mohan Das Aggarwal reached the spot amid complaints by protesters that the Circle Officer Charu Nigam had forcibly removed them.

They alleged that the police had hit a woman and dragged an 80-year-old man. The MLA questioned the IPS officer about her action and told that there had been orders by the state government that liquor shops will not function in densely populated residential areas.

Amid the exchange of words, Nigam took out a handkerchief and wiped her tears. The visuals were captured and telecast by news channels. The police officer later accused the MLA of misbehaving and insulting her.

“The MLA misbehaved with me and refused to acknowledge in full public view that he is speaking to a woman police officer,” Nigam said. On the footage showing her wiping tears, she said, “I did not weep, as it is not ingrained in my personality. However, I got emotional when my senior officer supported me.”

The protesters were removed from the road as they were obstructing the traffic, she said. When the MLA arrived, the road was free from protesters, which apparently angered him as had asked them to stay put and lift the blockade only after his persuasion, Nigam claimed.

On the other hand, Aggarwal accused the IPS officer of exercising high-handedness with the protesters, who were demanding that a liquor outlet in their locality be shut. “We are against the operation of liquor shops. People were peacefully protesting against the liquor shops, but the woman police officer forcibly removed the protesters and while doing so, she hit a woman and dragged an 80-year-old man. This simply cannot be tolerated,” he said.

Aggarwal rubbished allegations that he misbehaved with her. He alleged that there was a tacit understanding between the police and the liquor mafia as a liquor shop closed 15 days ago had suddenly started doing business again.

When asked to comment on the footage telecast by local news channels, Aggarwal said, “Is my body language showing that I am misbehaving with her? I was not speaking to the CO (Charu Nigam), but to the SP (City). See my body language properly.”

“If you see the video recording of the incident, you will find the woman officer removing the protesters forcibly…you will see the reality,” the MLA said.

Later, Nigam took to Facebook to thank everyone who supported her. “My training has not taught me to be weak. I just did not expect that SP city Ganesh Saha sir would outrightly reject the irrational argument and talk about my injury (sic),” she posted on the social networking site.

“I was the seniormost officer in the police there but when sir came and stood by the force, I got emotional. The media has taken this stand because every one of them saw both incidents and this shows the positivity of the media in Gorakhpur. I am thankful to them to have shown the truth with least manipulation,” she said.

The 2009 batch IPS officer said the people should not think that “I am weak because I had tears in my eyes. It was due to the tenderness associated with women”.

The woman IPS officer has been quite active in the newly formed anti-Romeo squad and has been nick-named by some media organisations as ‘Lady Singham’ after a Bollywood movie.

(PTI)

New Delhi: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) legislator Kapil Mishra today submitted documents to the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) to back his allegations that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had delayed the probe into a Rs 400 crore tanker scam.

A day after he said he had witnessed Kejriwal take Rs 2 crore from Health Minister Satyendra Jain in another case, Mishra alleged that the investigation into the tanker scam that dated back to Sheila Dikshit’s tenure as chief minister was repeatedly delayed and influenced by Kejriwal and “his two men”.

Mishra said he had shared all the evidence related to the tanker scam with the ACB. “I told the officials how Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal deliberately delayed the report and how public money was misused.”

“Also, I told them how Kejriwal along with his two men affected the tanker scam probe. The government also tried to shield Sheila Dikshit time and again. ACB will call me again for a detailed investigation,” he told reporters after the meeting.

Mishra, who was sacked as minister on Saturday, also demanded a lie detector on his allegations that he was an eyewitness to the Rs 2 crore exchanging hands between Kejriwal and Jain. He said that a lie detector test be conducted on all three.

Mishra has claimed Jain had told him in a private conversation that he had “settled” a Rs 50 crore land deal in favour of a relative of the chief minister.

Mishra further said that he has sought an appointment with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with the Rs 2 crore allegations.

The bombshell prompted calls from the BJP and Congress for Kejriwal’s ouster, but AAP stood solidly behind its leader, insisting there was no merit in the allegation. The tanker scam relates to alleged irregularities in the hiring of private tankers to supply water.

(Agencies)

Lucknow: SP leader Shivpal Yadav today said his brother Mulayam Singh Yadav will head a secular front to be formed by him, days after he asked Akhilesh Yadav to hand over the reins of the party back to his father. Shivpal had said recently that the secular front would be formed if Akhilesh Yadav did not hand over the reins of the party back to his father Mulayam in three months.

“For social justice, a secular front will be formed. Netaji (Mulayam) will be its National President,” Shivpal told reporters in Etawah, the bastion of the Yadav clan. The warring uncle of Akhilesh made the announcement after a meeting with Mulayam at a relative’s house in Etawah.

Shivpal held discussions on forming the new secular front with them. He, however, did not explain what the new front would do – whether it would contest polls against the SP or strengthen it by bringing socialists under one roof.

(Agencies)

New Delhi/Bengaluru: Water level in major reservoirs in south India including Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu has reportedly decreased and stands at 4.68 Billion Cubic Meters (BCM) as on May 4, as per the latest data released by the Union Ministry of Water Resources on Friday.

There are 31 reservoirs located in the Southern part of the country under the Central Water Commission (CWC) and have a total storage capacity of 51.59 BCM; however, at present it is only 4.68 BCM, which amounts to a mere 9%.

The storage during corresponding period of last year was 13% and the average storage of last ten years during the corresponding period was 20%.

The states having better storage than last year for the corresponding period are Punjab, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Telangana.

States having lesser storage than last year for the corresponding period are Himachal Pradesh, Tripura, Uttarakhand, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

(Agencies)

New Delhi: Young Rishabh Pant smashed his way to a brilliant 97 while Sanju Samson scored a fluent 61 to guide Delhi Daredevils to a comfortable seven-wicket win over Gujarat Lions and keep the hosts afloat for a play-off berth in the ongoing Indian Premier League, here Thursday.

Electing to field, Daredevils bowlers leaked runs as Gujarat rode on skipper Suresh Raina (77) and Dinesh Karthik’s (65) half-centuries to post 208 for seven.

Later, Pant and Samson showed their batting class to enable Daredevils’ overwhelm the target with consummate ease, reaching 214 for three with 15 balls to spare.

By virtue of this win, Rahul Dravid’s boys have managed to stay in the play-off race garnering eight points from 10 games to hold on to the sixth position in the standings with four matches still to play.

Last year’s third-placed team, Gujarat, on the other hand, are out of the play-off reckoning along side Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Chasing the stiff target, Daredevils were off to a blazing start but soon they were dealt a blow in the form of skipper Karun Nair who edged one to Karthik off Pradeep Sangwan with the scoreboard reading 25-1 after three overs.

Sangwan yielded too many runs in his next over with Rishabh Pant at his attacking best, clobbering the bowler for two huge hits over the fence and a four to pick up 17 runs of the fifth over.

Thereafter, it was a one-way traffic as young Pant displayed his hitting prowess to find boundaries and sixes at will to register his fifty in 27 balls with the help of two fours and five hits over the fence.

Pant and Samson went hammer and tongs from the word go as the duo didn’t spare a single Gujarat bowler to help Delhi race to 100 in just 9.1 overs.

The duo looked in murderous form as they notched up 100- run partnership for the second wicket in just 46 deliveries.

Pant showed he could be the next big thing in Indian cricket as he dealt in fours and sixes to take Daredevils forward in the company of Samson, who too showed his hitting prowess.

Samson matched his partner Pant stroke for stroke as he smacked Ravindra Jadeja for two consecutive sixes in the 12th over to bring down the equation to 56 runs off the eight overs.

With the run rate under their control, Samson went for a big shot only to give a straight forward catch to James Faulkner at cover off Jadeja’s bowling.

But the dismissal hardly had any effect on Pant as he continued his onslaught to produce one of the best innings of IPL 10.

But luck didn’t favour Pant as he was dismissed just three runs short of his maiden IPL century, when he nicked a Basil Thampi delivery to Karthik behind the stumps with Daredevils needing just 30 runs off 32 balls to win.

Shreyas Iyer (14 not out) and Corey Anderson (18 not out) finished off the proceedings for Daredevils by stitching an unbeaten 35-run partnership for the fourth wicket.

Earlier, skipper Raina and Karthik struck fluent half- centuries to set the foundation for a huge score.

Coming in to bat no. 3, Raina played fluently to score 77 runs off just 43 balls with the help of five boundaries and four sixes and together with Karthik added 133 runs off just 78 balls for the third wicket.

Sent into bat, Gujarat didn’t have the best of the starts as they lost two wickets in quick succession.

Brendon McCullum (1) was the first to depart caught by wicketkeeper Pant in the last delivery of the second over and then Dwayne Smith (9) was run out in the very next delivery of the same over.

Thereafter skipper Raina and Karthik joined hands and the duo mixed caution with aggression to take Gujarat forward.

The duo rode on their luck, especially Raina, as they brought up 100-run partnership off just 60 balls.

Raina was lucky to have survived in the seventh over when he was dropped by Marlon Samuels off the bowling off Mohammed Shami.

But Karthik was at his attacking best as he smashed Amit Mishra for a six and a four. He was harsh with left-arm spinner Shahbaz Nadeem as he smacked the bowler for two sixes and one four to pick up 18 runs off the 12th over.

But an over later an in-form Raina departed as he fell prey to an unnecessary mix-up.

Gujarat were dealt a double blow in the next over as, Karthik too perished, caught by Anderson off the bowling of Pat Cummins in the first delivery of the very next over.

Jadeja smacked Anderson for two consecutive sixes in the final two deliveries of the last over to take Gujarat past the 200-run target.

(PTI)

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday upheld the death sentence of the four convicted in the sensational December 16, 2012 gangrape and murder of Delhi’s Nirbhaya.

SC confirmed findings of the trial court and Delhi High Court against the four convicts in the case.

Justice Dipak Misra observed in its order that it’s a story of ‘some different world’.

“It’s a barbaric incident. Taking the serious injuries, the severe nature of offence committed by the convicts, we are upholding the sentence,” said the order said.

The top court said that the nature and manner of the crime devastated social trust and falls in ‘rarest of rare’ category warranting death penalty.

“Victim’s dying declaration is consistent; it has been proved beyond doubt and corroborated.

“Aggravating circumstances outweigh mitigating circumstances in the case; offence created ‘tsunami of shock’.”

Tears were seen in the eyes of Nirbhaya’s mother during the verdict and the entire courtroom clapped when the judgement was read out.

The 23-year-old paramedic was brutally assaulted and raped by six persons in a moving bus in south Delhi and thrown out of the vehicle with her male friend on the night of December 16, 2012.

She was not only raped and beaten, but was also ‘violated with a metal rod.’

“It appears to be that a rod was inserted into her and it was pulled out with so much force that the act brought out her intestines… That is probably the only thing that explains such severe damage to her intestines,” a doctor from Delhi’s Safdarjung Hospital where the woman was undergoing treatment had told the media.

A P Singh, lawyer for one of the convicts, said that justice had not been done and that he would file a review petition after reading the order. “The convict can’t be hanged for sending a message to the society; the order violated basic human rights,” Singh asserted.

The Delhi High Court, in its verdict on March 13, 2014, had observed that their offence fell in the rarest of the rare category and had upheld the death sentence awarded to them by the trial court.

The trial court had also awarded death penalty to the four convicts. Prime accused Ram Singh allegedly committed suicide in his cell in Tihar jail in March 2013 and proceedings against him were abated.

The woman had undergone multiple surgeries, where portions of her intestine, which had turned gangrenous, were removed. Doctors had said that only five percent of her intestine had been left inside her when she arrived at the medical facility. She had died in a Singapore hospital on December 29 that year.

The four convicts — Mukesh, Pawan, Vinay Sharma and Akshay Kumar Singh — had approached the Supreme Court against the high court’s order which had confirmed the death penalty awarded to them by the trial court.

During the hearing, advocates A P Singh and M L Sharma, representing the four convicts, had said they should be given a chance to reform and considering the mitigating factors, the court should not award them death penalty. They also raised questions about the evidence collected by the police in the matter.

(Agencies)