New Delhi The Indian government has revoked the passports of 25 men living abroad for abandoning their spouses in India, a Ministry of Women and Child Development (WCD) official said on Friday.

Of these, eight were recommended by the Ministry while the rest involved cases where the state police sought the action.

“We keep receiving such complaints where Non-Resident Indians have been held accountable for abandoning their wives. The action taken depends on priority,” the official said.

Apart from revoking of passport, in some cases the police also has the authority to issue Look-Out-Circulars (LoC).

In criminal matters involving NRIs, the LoC can be issued by the investigating agency in cognisable offences when the husband from overseas is deliberately evading arrest.

It could also be that he is not appearing in the trial court despite non-bailable warrants and other coercive measures or that there is likelihood that he will leave the country to evade trial or arrest.

An inter-ministerial body dealing with matrimonial disputes headed by WCD Secretary Rakesh Srivastava with members from Home Ministry and the External affairs takes the decision of issuing the LoC after the case is scrutinised by the National Commission for Women (NCW).

(IANS)

Lucknow A minor boy was shot dead in Etah district of Uttar Pradesh round midnight during a religious congregation, police said on Monday.

The 14-year-old was part of the crowd that had gathered to hear the ‘Bhagwad Katha’. He died on the spot after being hit by a bullet that was apparently shot to ‘kill’ Kans in the act being enacted on the stage.

Senior police officials rushed to the crime scene at the Bhaduiya Math village.

An official told IANS that it had been decided that the dummy of Kans hanging on a tree near the temple – venue of he congregation, would be shot and killed. The 14-year-old Pradeep who was watching the show was however shot in the chest in the firing that ensued.

He was rushed to a nearby medical facility where he was pronounced dead on arrival. Sanjay Kumar, additional superintendent of police (ASP) informed that a probe has been ordered and the body has been sent for post-mortem.

Many people die every year in Uttar Pradesh in celebratory firing during weddings and incidents like this. There is a ban on such firing but the law implementation is poor, an official averred.

(IANS)

Sabarimala Over 60 pilgrims have been arrested from Sabarimala after they failed to comply to prohibitory orders in place at the temple leading to protests here and across Kerala, police said on Monday.

While angry Hindu acitivists took to streets, raised slogans and held prayer sessions in front of police stations across the state, Union Minister K.J. Alphons criticised the state government for the action.

As news spread about the arrests, in Thiruvanathapuram protesters assembled near Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s residence and shouted slogans.

The situation started growing tense late on Sunday, when despite prohibitory orders in and around the temple town, over 200 pilgrims did not vacate the premise and started singing Lord Ayyappa hymns .

They continued with the chants even after being requested, forcing the police to take action and forcefully evict them. As many as 68 devotees were also arrested.

They were taken to the Maniar Police Camp in Pathanamthitta district and were to be produced before a court later Monday.

Superintendent of Police Prathish Kumar told the media the arrests were made as protesters even after being informed to disperse once the temple closed at 10 p.m, did not move out.

Forces of the sangh parivar has announced to hold protests on Monday across the state. Security has been heightened for Vijayan, who has official engagements in Kozhikode.

Speaking to the media at Nilackal, Alphons on Monday said: “I fail to understand why the Kerala Police has clamped prohibitory orders.

“This is not the way things should be handled. Sabarimala pilgrims are not extremists. You cannot use force in this place.”

He also said that he would inspect how the state has utilised the Rs 100 crore-relef fund from the Centre. “I will go around the temple town to make sure how the funds have been used.”

The Sabarimala temple opened its doors at 5 p.m. on November 17 for two months.

The temple town has witnessed protests by Hindu groups since the September 28 when the Supreme Court allowed women of all ages to enter the temple that hitherto banned girls and women aged between 10 and 50.

The apex court on November 13 refused to stay that verdict.

While the Kerala government is trying hard to see that the apex court verdict is implemented, the BJP/RSS, sangh parivar forces and the Congress-led UDF are up in arms against violation of the temple tradition.

(IANS)

Varanasi, Nov 19 A fire broke out at the Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport here in Uttar Pradesh on Monday at the Air India ticket selling counter creating panic, police said.

Fire tenders were rushed to the spot, an official said, adding that no officer or staff was present at the counter at the time of the incident as the first flight of Air India comes from New Delhi at 11.35 a.m.

Some furniture and computers were damaged. The reason behind the fire was not known.

(IANS)

Belagavi (Karnataka) Hundreds of farmers, including the womenfolk, on Sunday staged a protests here against the state government’s alleged indifference over ensuring minimum support price for sugarcane and in getting their arrears released from the mill owners.

“In view of the production glut and falling price, the state government should ensure a minimum support price (MSP) of Rs 3,000 per tonne for sugarcane with 9.5 per cent recovery and help us get arrears for the cane supplied to mill owners last year,” farmer leader Siddanna Gouda told reporters here, about 500km northwest of the state.

The previous Congress government had fixed Rs 2,500 per tonne as MSP last year.

With input costs, including harvesting and transporting the cane to the mills going up steeply, Gouda said growing sugarcane was no longer remunerative, as mill owners were unwilling to pay more and settle the arrears.

“We suspended on Saturday our agitation launched on November 15 for higher MSP and recovery of arrears on the assurance of Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy that he would meet us here on Monday. But he has now backed out,” alleged Gouda.

As a mark of protest against Kumarswamy cancelling his visit to the city on Monday, about 20 farmers drove trucks laden with sugarcane into the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha, which is the state legislative and secretariat building for the region.

“We will disrupt the winter session of the state legislature here next month if the state government does not resolve our issues by November 30, as we cannot keep the cane in the fields longer from harvesting as recovery will be less if delayed,” added Gouda.

The opposition BJP condemned the JD-S-Congress coalition government’s indifference to the plight of the sugarcane farmers in the state.

“The coalition government’s approach to farmers’ plight is reprehensible. Scores of farmers, including their womenfolk, were arrested at Belagavi for staging a protest,” said Karnataka BJP President B.S. Yeddyurappa in Bengaluru.

Mocking at Kumaraswamy and the JD-S for claiming to be a party for farmers, by farmers and of farmers, Yeddyurappa said the former told a woman agitator that he was not responsible for what happened to them over the last four years as he became chief minister only 5 months ago.

Kumaraswami has also cast aspersions on the integrity of the farmers, which is unacceptable.

“By calling farmers ‘goondas’ (goons), Kumaraswamy has indulged in an outrageous act. This shows the contempt his party has for farmers,” added Yeddyurappa.

(IANS)

New Delhi Air quality in Delhi and the adjoining areas worsened to the ‘very poor’ category on Sunday, after a 3-day respite, and pollution is expected to increase over the next few days due to unfavourable weather conditions.

Official report claims “significant drop” in stubble burning in neighbouring states. Delhi is currently suffering with the pollution generated from the local sources.

The Air Quality Index (AQI) of Delhi on Sunday was 311, considered ‘very poor’, while on Saturday it was 267 or ‘poor’, on a scale of 0 to 500.

The major pollutant PM2.5 or particles with diameter less than 2.5mm also intensified over the day as the Westerly winds brought along moisture.

“Air quality is ‘very poor’ and expected to remain in the same category, with a gradual increase for the next three days as surface winds will be declining slowly,” said a forecast by System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR).

SAFAR said that high humidity is unfavourable for dispersion of the pollutant.

“Delhi currenlty is polluted with its own pollutants. Stubble burning has negligible effect on it,” said Mahesh Palawat, a director at private weather forecasting agency Skymet.

With wind speeds set to fall till November 20, the pollution may rise.

“However, air quality will improve with Delhi receiving fresh north-westerly winds from November 21,” Palawat added.

The average presence of the major pollutant PM2.5 was 163 microgrammes per cubic meter in Delhi. Across over 40 regions in the National Capital Region (NCR) it was 160.

Across NCR, Gurugram with an AQI of 255 or ‘poor’ had the cleanest air. The AQI was 335 in Ghaziabad, 313 in Greater Noida, 336 in Noida and 308 in Faridabad.

SAFAR has issued an advisory cautioning people in Delhi to avoid outdoor physical exercises.

[IANS]