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PMO didn’t support fight against corruption: Magsaysay winner

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Sanjiv Chaturvedi

New Delhi: Ramon Magsaysay award winner Sanjiv Chaturvedi on Wednesday accused the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) of not backing his campaign against corruption in Haryana and the AIIMS.

“PMO didn’t support (my) fight against corruption,” bureaucrat Chaturvedi told NDTV, soon after the Magsaysay Foundation announced that he and social activist and fellow Indian Anshu Gupta were among the winners of the 2015 awards.

“Zero tolerance should be against corruption, not honest officers,” added Chaturvedi, who earlier worked at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences here.

“All kind of lies were spread against me when I was fighting corruption in AIIMS and Haryana,” he said.

“My mistake was (that) while fighting graft, I took (Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s) ‘Na Khaunga Na Khane Dunga’ slogan at face value,” said Chaturvedi.

(IANS)

Anshu Gupta, Sanjiv Chaturvedi win Magsaysay Awards

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Anshu Gupta Sanjiv Chaturvedi

New Delhi: Social worker Anshu Gupta and former AIIMS officer Sanjiv Chaturvedi on Wednesday won the prestigious Ramon Magsaysay awards for “enterprising leadership” and for exposing corruption.

The Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation said Gupta was being recognized for “his creative vision in transforming the culture of giving in India, his enterprising leadership in treating cloth as a sustainable development resource for the poor”.

The award citation also credited Gupta with “reminding the world that true giving always respects and preserves human dignity”.

The foundation said Chaturvedi was being recognized for “his exemplary integrity, courage and tenacity in uncompromisingly exposing and painstakingly investigating corruption in public office, and his resolute crafting programmes and system improvements to ensure that government honourably serves the people of India”.

Established in 1957, the Ramon Magsaysay Award is Asia’s highest honour and is widely regarded as the region’s equivalent of the Nobel Prize.

Gupta heads the NGO Goonj, which believes in reusing clothes and other material to turn into a valuable resource, to create “a parallel economy which is not cash-based but trash-based”.

An elated Gupta told IANS: “I am certainly very happy to receive this award… Our work has been recognized.”

Chaturvedi said he would make a statement later in the day.

Other winners announced on Wednesday are Kommaly Chanthavong (Laos),
Ligaya Fernando-Amilbangsa (The Philippines) and Kyaw Thu (Myanmar).

The Magsaysay awards celebrate the memory and leadership example of the third Philippine president after whom the award is named.

It is given every year to individuals or organisations in Asia who manifest the same selfless service and transformative influence that ruled the life of the late Filipino leader.

The five 2015 Magsaysay awardees join the community of 307 other Magsaysay laureates who have received the honour to date.

(IANS)

Supreme Court upholds death warranty against Yakub Memon

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Yakub Memon's photograph on his IGNOU records.

Yakub Memon’s photograph on his IGNOU records.

Mumbai: A three-member bench of the Supreme Court has upheld the death warrant issued against 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts convict Yakub Memon saying there was no lapse in the earlier dismissal of his curative petition.

Following the Supreme Court verdict, the Maharashtra Governor reportedly dismissed Memon’s mercy plea.

A mercy petition that lies with the President Pranab Mukherjee is the only hope Yakub Memon, who faces gallows tomorrow, is left with.

The bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra, before rising for lunch recess, said it will pronounce the order today itself, if the counsel for the parties “cooperate”. The arguments will continue after the lunch break.

Senior advocate Raju Ramachndran, appearing for Memon, initiated arguments by referring to the separate, divergent orders passed by Justice A R Dave and Justice Kurian Joseph yesterday and said that the procedures established by the law have not been followed while deciding the curative petition of the convict.

Ramachandran said, “The judges, who were part of judicial process earlier, must be party to curative petition. It cannot be decided by judges who are strangers to the matters.”

He further said that besides the three senior most judges, the curative petition should have been circulated to the judges, if available, who had decided the criminal appeal and the review petition.

Senior advocates T R Andhyarujina and Anand Grover both supported the contention of Ramachandran and said that this death warrant is illegal and can not be executed tomorrow.

A three-judge bench headed by CJI had on July 21 rejected Memon’s plea, contending that the grounds raised by him for relief did not fall within principles laid down by the apex court in 2002 in deciding curative petitions.

Memon, in his plea, had claimed he was suffering from schizophrenia since 1996 and has remained behind bars for nearly 20 years, much more than a person serving life term has to spend in jail.

He had sought commutation of death penalty, contending that a convict cannot be awarded life term and the death sentence for the same offence.

The apex court had on June 2, 2014 stayed the execution of Memon and referred his plea to a Constitution Bench as to whether review petitions in death penalty cases be heard in an open court or in chambers.

The apex court had on April 9 this year dismissed Memon’s petition seeking review of his death sentence which was upheld on March 21, 2013.

Memon’s review petition was heard by a three-judge bench in an open court in pursuance of the Constitution Bench verdict that the practice of deciding review pleas in chambers be done away with, in cases where death penalty has been awarded.

12 coordinated blasts had rocked Bombay, as the city was then known, on March 12, 1993, leaving 257 dead and over 700 injured.

(Agencies)

Modi saved Kodnani, Bajrangi from the noose, Asaduddin Owaisi says

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Asaduddin Owaisi

Hyderabad: AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi alleged that the then Narendra Modi government in Gujarat had asked the prosecution not to press for death sentence of former minister Mayaben Kodnani and Bajrang Dal leader Babu Bajrangi, convicted in 2002 post-Godhra riot case.

The Hyderabad Lok Sabha MP questioned whether those responsible for killing people during riots should get death penalty.

“Kodnani and Babu Bajrangi were convicted by a court which sentenced them to life imprisonment in connection with the killing of 92 persons. The prosecution wanted capital punishment. But Modi, who was then Gujarat chief minister, asked prosecution not to appeal against the ruling (in HC) and let the punishment be life sentence,” the All-India Majlis-e- Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leader alleged.

“Shouldn’t those who killed 92 persons get death sentence?” Owaisi asked.

He was addressing a public meeting here Saturday night on the occasion of 7th death anniversary of Sultan Salahuddin Owaisi, former president of AIMIM.

During his speech, Asaduddin, who had recently suggested that 1993 Mumbai blasts convict Yakub Memon was awarded capital punishment because of his religion, read out a media report against the death penalty.

“Is it not true that Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal had met then President Pratibha Patil with a mercy petition seeking clemency for Rajoana (assassin of former Punjab CM Beant Singh)?” he said.

Asaduddin challenged the BJP, which shares power in Punjab with Shiromani Akali Dal, to hang the killers of Beant Singh.

The AIMIM leader said Babri Masjid was demolished in 1992 but that case is still dragging on.

(PTI)

SC bench split over Yakub Memon’s plea, refers it to CJI

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Yakub Memon's photograph on his IGNOU records

Yakub Memon’s photograph on his IGNOU records

New Delhi: A two-judge bench of the Supreme Court today delivered a split verdict on a plea by Yakub Abdul Razak Memon, the lone death convict in 1993 Mumbai blasts case, seeking stay of his scheduled execution on July 30 and referred the matter to the Chief Justice to take call on it.

While Justice A R Dave dismissed his plea, Justice Kurian Joseph stayed the death warrant issued on April 30 for his execution on July 30.

Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi and other senior advocates, including Raju Ramachandran, appearing for Memon, said that since the two judges have differed on staying the death warrant, “there will be no order in law if one judge has stayed it and the other has not”.

The bench referred the matter to Chief Justice of India H L Dattu to take an urgent call at 4 PM in view of the divergence of opinion on the issue of death warrant.

The bench also requested the Chief Justice to constitute an appropriate bench and list the matter for hearing tomorrow.

Justice Dave dismissed the petition filed by Memon and said it will be open for the Maharashtra Governor to dispose of his mercy plea before the scheduled date of execution of death warrant.

While rejecting the petition in which Memon has contended that the correct procedure was not adopted in deciding his curative petition on July 21, Justice Dave disagreed with Justice Kurian on the issue of staying death warrant issued by the TADA court in Mumbai on April 30.

“Sorry, I will not like to be part of staying the death warant. Let CJI decide,” Justice Dave said and quoted a couplet from Manu Smriti relevant to the issue.

Justice Kurian said he is expressing his inability to agree with Justice Dave as there is a “procedural violation” in deciding the curative petition filed by Memon.

Justice Kurian said once it is found that the procedure established under law is not followed while dealing with the curative petition, that too when the life of a person is concerned, and there is error apparent on the face that the mandatory process has not been followed, then such defects need to be cured.

While holding that Memon’s curative petition is required to be heard afresh, Justice Kurian referred to the order dismissing his curative petition, saying, “The curative petition itself was not decided in accordance with the rules laid down by this court. That defect needs to be cured otherwise there will be a clear violation of the right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution.”

Justice Kurian said the technicalities involved in dealing with the matter should not stand in the way of justice being done to a person as this court under the Constitution is for the protection of life of a person.

He said, “The technicalities should not stand in the way as the law is for common man and also law is not helpless and this court should not be rendered powerless.”

He noted that Article 21 deals with the right to life of a person and same shall be deprived only in accordance with the procedure adopted by law.

“It has been noticed that the procedure by law was not followed in this case while depriving the right to life of a person,” he said.

(Agencies)

Muslim organisations in Karnataka appeal for cancelling death punishment to Yakub Memon

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(L-R) Umar Shariff (DIET), Mr. Mahir (MPJR), Syed Mohammed Iqbal (KMMM), Syed Shafiullah (JDS), Mr. Khalid (MPJR)

(L-R) Umar Shariff (DIET), Mr. Mahir (MPJR), Syed Mohammed Iqbal (KMMM), Syed Shafiullah (JDS), Mr. Khalid (MPJR)

Bengaluru: A collective of Karnataka-based Muslim organisations including, Mission Possible for Justice & Rights (MPJR), Karnataka Muslim Muttahida Mahaz (KMMM), Discover Islam Education Trust (DIET), All India Dawah Centres Association (AIDCA) and Karnataka Muslim Muttahida Tehreek (KMMT) today urged the Centre not to hang 1993 Mumbai blast death row convict Yakub Memon.

Addressing the press here, Mr. Umar Shariff, president of DIET said that, “Yakub Memon has already spent around 22 years behind the bars for the role which has not even been clearly or convincingly established. He or his family should not be punished for the alleged crimes of his brother”.

Referring to the view of the late head of the counter-terrorism division of the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) B Raman, who had favoured clemency for Yakub Memon on the ground that he had cooperated with investigating agencies and does not deserve to be hanged, Syed Shafiullah of Janatal Dal (Secular) urged the government to commute the death penalty to life sentence, for if carried out, it would not serve the interests of justice.

He also presented former Supreme Court judge Justice (Retd.) Markandey Katju, who last week said that the evidence on which Memon has been found guilty is “very weak”, and there has been “gross travesty of justice” in the case.

Syed Mohammed Iqbal, general secretary of the Karnataka Muslim Muttahida Mahaz, questioned what he termed as ‘double standard’ practiced in the decision to hang Menon.

“Justice B N Srikrishna’s report, submitted in 1998, had named Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray as the man who directed the violence in the January 1993 phase of the riots, which claimed the lives of over 900 innocent people, yet he was given a state funeral. He pointed out that those scheduled to hang for two other crimes, the assassinations of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh, have not yet been hanged. All we are asking is to give Memon the same clemency that these people have been granted.”

The organisation stated that there many in the country, including the Communist Party of India (Marxist), CPI, MDMK and others, who feel feel that Yaqub Memon should not be hanged.

A P J Abdul Kalam’s mortal remains reach Delhi

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A P J Abdul Kalam

New Delhi: The body of former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, who died after suffering a cardiac arrest during a lecture at the IIM-Shillong on Monday, was flown to Delhi early Tuesday morning by a special aircraft.

President Pranab Mukherjee received the body of Kalam. Delhi Lt. Governor Najeeb Jung was present at Palam Airport.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar too were present at Palam airport.

The Army, Navy and Air Force paid their last respects to the mortal remains of the former president.

Kalam’s body will be kept at his residence in Rajaji Marg, New Delhi, for public to pay their last respects from 4 pm.

Leaders pay tribute

Several leaders including Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi and senior IAF officials joined in paying tribute to India’s ‘Missile Man’ whose departure has plunged the nation into overwhelming grief.

“It is an irreparable loss to the nation. He loved children, he loved the nation. I have met him many times. I took him to rural areas of Assam. He was a very simple and honest man. Along with India, entire state is mourning his death,” Mr. Gogoi said.

Assam Pradesh Congress Committee president Anjan Dutta and other senior party leaders were also present and paid their respects.

State mourning

Wrapped in the tricolour, the casket carrying his body was taken inside the aircraft as a mournful hymn played in the background.

The Union Cabinet is expected to hold a special meeting in New Delhi to condole his death.

The government has announced a seven-day State mourning in honour of Kalam. “As a mark of respect to the departed dignitary, seven days of state mourning will be observed throughout India from July 27, 2015 to August 2, 2015, both days inclusive,” an official statement said.

President, PM condole

Condoling Kalam’s death, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted, “India mourns the loss of a great scientist, a wonderful President & above all an inspiring individual.”

President Pranab Mukherjee said in a message, “In his passing away, we have lost a great son of India who dedicated his entire life for the welfare of the motherland and its people. Mr. Kalam was a people’s President during his lifetime and will remain so even after his death.”

Parliament pays tribute to Kalam

Paying glowing tributes to former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, the Union Cabinet today passed a resolution saying the country has lost “a visionary scientist, a true nationalist and a great son.”

The meeting of the Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, expressed its profound sorrow at the sad demise of former President of India yesterday in Shillong.

In the resolution, it said, “in his passing away the country has lost a visionary scientist, a true nationalist and a great son”.

Both Houses of Parliament adjourned for the day after paying glowing tributes to Kalam.

(Agencies)

Bengaluru City police and Amnesty International India partner to enable safe reporting of sexual violence

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Amnesty International India will also inform people about the process of filing an FIR through virtual reality kiosks in select neighbourhoods, Interactive voice responses, WhatsApp, e-learning videos and Haptik (a mobile-based chat platform that offers support services).

by Karuna Mishra

Nasheman.in reporter Karuna Mishra understanding the process to file FIR by the ready to report campaign.

Nasheman.in reporter Karuna Mishra understanding the process to file FIR by the ready to report campaign.

Bengaluru: The Bengaluru City Police and Amnesty International India today launched the ‘Bengaluru, get Ready to Report’ initiative to empower women in the city to report sexual violence with safety and dignity.

The initiative is part of Amnesty International India’s ‘Ready to Report’ campaign. It will involve local neighborhood communities working with the Bengaluru police to enable safe and dignified reporting, in line with international standards.

Launching the initiative at the Ashok Nagar police station, M. N. Reddi, the Commissioner of Police, Bengaluru City, said “We want to encourage women to report instances of sexual abuse or harassment to the police without any loss of time. Unless women are ready to report, it is difficult for the police to act.”

“We are collaborating with Amnesty International India in 10 police stations where our staff and officers will take a pledge to enable women in the area to freely report cases of sexual abuse and harassment.”

Speaking to Nasheman.in, he said, “he is concerned with the sexual harassment faced by the women in the city and the police is trying its best to reduce it by educating such concept.”

The Commissioner inaugurated a ‘virtual kiosk’ set up by Amnesty International India that offers a simulated experience of being inside a police station and explains the step-by-step process of filing an FIR in Kannada and English. He joined local residents in painting the wall of the Ashok Nagar police station on the theme of ‘women’s safety’.

sexual violence

“National statistics show that for every one woman who reports sexual violence to the police, there are 99 that do not. Women often do not feel confident about walking in to a police station to report any form of sexual violence. Sometimes, they are not aware of the formal procedure to file an official complaint,” said Gopika Bashi, Amnesty International India’s Women’s Rights Campaigner.

“Through our ‘Ready to Report’ campaign, we hope to inform and make it easier for women to approach the police.”

Amnesty International India will also inform people about the process of filing an FIR through virtual reality kiosks in select neighbourhoods, Interactive voice responses, WhatsApp, e-learning videos and Haptik (a mobile-based chat platform that offers support services).

The police stations from the six divisions of Bengaluru that will be part of the initiative are: North – Yeshwantpur, West – Chickpet, Central – Cubbon Park, Sadashiv Nagar, Ashok Nagar, East – Indira Nagar, South – Electronic City, Basavangudi, South East – Whitefield, Koramangala. The stations will host events to build relationships with neighborhood communities.

The artist Ullas Hydoor, Zoom car, Logical Indian, Flippar and Haptik are the other partners in the initiative.

​Lalu Prasad Yadav arrested as RJD bandh cripples life in Bihar

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lalu prasad yadav

Patna: RJD President Lalu Prasad and several of his supporters were today arrested here while trying to enforce the day-long Bihar bandh called by his party as the shutdown adversely affected life across the state.

Patna Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Vikas Vaibhav said, “Prasad has been arrested along with his supporters while enforcing bandh. He has been taken to the camp jail of Bihar Military Police – 5 located on the outskirts of Patna. He might be given bail if the sections imposed are bailable ones.”

An FIR has been registered against Prasad at Kotwali police station under sections 147 (rioting), 149 (unlawful assembly), 341 (wrongful restraint), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of duty, 323 (voluntarily causing hurt).

332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from discharge of duty), 431 (mischief by injury to public road), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace), 506 (criminal intimidation).

The bandh disrupted normal life as few trains were halted by lathi-wielding mobs, which also forced few shops and educational institutions to shut operations. The working of the Patna High Court was also hit.

Officials said several judges got delayed in reaching the High Court due to the bandh and wanted to know if the state government was supporting it. They also questioned the security preparedness of the state government.

Earlier, Prasad had come out from his residence riding a ‘tamtam’ or ‘tonga’ (a single-horse drawn carriage) draped with his party colours and symbol.

He and his hundreds of supporters then proceeded towards Dak Bungalow crossing, the nerve centre of city traffic, enforcing bandh all the way.

“Our motive is to demand caste census data and remove BJP from power. ‘BJP hatao, desh bachao’ (Remove BJP, save the country) because it is ‘Bharat Jalao Party’. The bandh is a huge success. I have never seen this type of bandh in my life except during the JP movement,” Prasad said.

The RJD chief denied any untoward incident by his party workers anywhere in the state and asserted that “youths have punctured BJP”. He also gave the call to remove Narendra Modi from the post of Prime Minister.

Officials said shops remained shut, colleges and educational institutions were forced to close down, roads including national highways were blocked and vehicles were attacked during the shut-down called by RJD.

Hordes of RJD supporters armed with sticks and canes were seen burning tyres and bamboos at busy thoroughfares in the state capital. They also disrupted classes and forcibly closed colleges affiliated to Patna University, officials said.

(Agencies)

Lokayukta joint commissioner Syed Riyaz arrested

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Lokayukta scam

Bengaluru: Karnataka Lokayukta joint commissioner Syed Riyaz was arrested by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) on Sunday night for his alleged involvement in collecting bribes from state officials.

“We have taken Riyaz into custody from a private hospital where he was taking treatment for blood pressure and diabetes,” said a senior investigating officer.

As part of its probe into the graft charges against some unidentified officials in the watchdog, though the SIT team summoned Riyaz for interrogation, he delayed by extending his leave from July 17 to July 31 on returning from pilgrimage to Makkah on July 19.

“Preliminary investigation and interrogation of three suspected extortionists whom we arrested last week revealed that Riayz was one of the kingpins in threatening many officials of booking graft cases and raiding their premises if they did not pay up over the years,” the officer said.

The SIT, headed by Additional Director General of Police Kamal Pant, was set up by the state government on the request of Lokayukta, Justice (retd.) Y. Bhaskar Rao on June 30 to probe the graft charges, including a bribe of Rs.1 crore sought allegedly by his son Ashwin Rao.

The SIT is also on the lookout for Riyaz’s brother-in-law Sadiq for allegedly being part of the extortionist gang.

The three co-accused in the scam are Ashok Kumar, Srinivas Gowda and Shankare Gowda, who used to threaten officials and extort money after collecting information against them through the Right to Information (RTI) Act.

(Agencies)

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