8 DECCAN HERALD

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Nation
Passersby turn blind eye to accident victim
People refuse to help man who lost his wife, daughter in Jaipur
JAIPUR: Passersby turned a blind eye to a family in need of help after being run over by a truck in the Ghat ki Guni tunnel near here.

In brief

A TV grab shows the accident victim consoling his son beside the bodies of his wife and daughter (blurred). AFP

A 26-year-old woman and her eight-month-old daughter were crushed to death when the bike on which they were riding pillion was hit by an over-speeding truck inside the tunnel on Sunday where entry of two-wheelers is banned.

The 2.8-km-long tunnel which acts as a bypass to the JaipurAgra road on the outskirts of the city was inaugurated by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi during the Chintan Shivir in January. According to police, Kanhaiya Lal Raiger of Thikariyawas village was on the way to his in-laws house in Luniyawas with his wife

Guddi (26), son Tanish (4) and eight-month-old daughter Arushi. They were riding through the tunnel when an over-speeding truck hit the bike from behind. Guddi was holding Arushi in her hands. Both were thrown off the bike. The truck ran over them and they died on the spot, DCP traffic Lata Manoj Kumar said. The officer said the truck sped away after the accident but an FIR has been registered against the trucker based on the CCTV footage. A police

team has been sent to Haryana to seize the vehicle. Their bodies were dragged a few meters after the truck ran over them. Raiger and his son have sustained minor injuries. After the accident, nobody came to their rescue. While two-wheelers regularly flout the norm and use the tunnel to save time, the traffic police and the private agency, Rohan Rajdeep Rajasthan Infrastructure Limited, responsible for its maintenance, have been fighting over jurisdiction.
DH News Service

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh presents Daughter of India award to the parents of Delhi gang-rape victim in New Delhi on Monday. PTI

Mittal, Ruia plea may be sent to 2G bench

Industrialists told to give bonds on Wednesday
NEW DELHI: The CBI on Monday requested the Supreme Court to allow the special bench to hear a plea made by Sunil Bharti Mittal of Bharti Cellular Limited, and Essar Group promoter Ravi Ruia against summons issued by the 2G trial court in a case of allocation of additional 2G spectrum during the NDA regime in 2002.

Sprinkling ideas

Twelve people were killed in Himachal Pradeshs Chamba district when their vehicle skidded off the road and fell into a 700-metre-deep gorge, report agencies from Shimla. The victims were returning from a cricket match and were aged between 11 and 25 years. They died on the spot and their bodies were recovered from the wreckage early on Monday, SP B M Sharma said on Monday.

Twelve die in Himachal road accident

Sharma said the accident occurred on Sunday night near the Kuthar rivulet, 80 km from Chamba, the district headquarters. Cause of the accident is yet to be ascertained. Eyewitnesses said authorities had a tough time extricating the victims from the gorge. Chamba is one of the remote places of Himachal. Scarcity and low frequency of passenger buses in the district leads to overcrowding of vehicles.

A three-judge bench presided over by Chief Justice Altamas Kabir, however, adjourned the matter to Thursday after Justice Vikramjit Sen recused from hearing. The apex court also told the 2G court to defer the hearing scheduled for Tuesday till April 22. Senior advocate K K Venugopal, appearing for the CBI, submitted the petitions filed by Mittal and Ruia should be heard by another bench that has been monitoring the 2G probe. He submitted that the bench that heard 2G case in the Supreme Court had passed certain orders, including those relating to filing of the chargesheet after divergent opinions came from CBI direc- DH News Service

tor and its director of prosecution. The petitions (of Mittal and Ruia) refer to these orders by another bench of this court. It would be appropriate in these circumstances that the petitioners be heard by the same bench, the counsel said. The apex court, in a brief hearing, told the counsel representing Mittal and Ruia to ensure that both of them appear before the trial court on Wednesday and furnish their personal bonds for their appearance on a future date. The names of Mittal and Ruia did not figure in the CBIs chargesheet as accused but the 2G court issued summons to them after finding enough material to proceed against them. Earlier, the apex court had questioned the CBIs move to defend the trial courts order. We don't understand this. You (CBI) say there was enough material against them, but then why did you not name them as accused? We would have understood this if their names had been included as accused in the chargesheet. But you did not do so, the court observed.

Modi moves to new office

At a time when politics was being played out in New Delhi over BJPs prime ministerial candidate, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi shifted to his new office in Gandhinagar on Monday, DHNS reports from Ahmedabad. The Rs 150-crore chief ministers enclave will serve as offices for senior ministers and bureaucrats. Called the Swarnim Sankul 1 and 2, the construc-

Fire department personnel demonstrate the use of a hose during a drill at a bus stand in Hyderabad on Monday. The fire drill was organised to enhance awareness on safety and security measures during mishaps. AFP

tion of the two blocks had been taken up about a year back, much before Modi was re-elected as the chief minister. But despite media speculation, the new office is neither bullet-proof nor are the two blocks named as North and South blocks. The chief minister sat in his third floor office on the first day going through files. The other ministers have offices on the second floor of the same block.

SC seeks govt response to anti-porn law

NEW DELHI, PTI: The Supreme Court on Monday sought response from the government on a plea to block and ban porn sites on the Internet, particularly those showing child pornography, as these are a major cause of crime against women. A bench headed by Chief Justice Altamas Kabir issued notices to ministries of Information and Technology, Information and Broadcasting and Home Affairs and Internet Service Providers Association of India on a petition seeking to bring an anti-pornography law. The petition filed by Indorebased advocate Kamlesh Vaswani said watching obscene videos is not an offence but it is one of the major causes for crime against women.

Bahuguna hospitalised
Noted environmentalist Sunderlal Bahuguna was on Monday admitted at the Jollygrant Hospital after he complained of breathing problem, reports PTI from Dehradun. The 86-year-old was admitted at the hospital this morning, doctors said.

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At the beginning, the bench was reluctant to entertain the petition on the ground that the issue could be dealt under the information technology law. The bench, which was of the view that the problem was difficult to be curbed, was told by senior advocate M N Krishnamani, appearing for the petitioner, that filing complaint under the cyber law was not the solution as certain provisions in it are ultra vires of the Constitution.

Rs 400-cr surety in BCCI-Nimbus dispute

The Supreme Court on Monday asked three nationalised banks to deposit Rs 400 crore towards securing the claim of BCCI in a dispute over termination of a Rs 1,600-crore contract with Nimbus Communications, pending the hearing of their dispute, PTI reports from New Delhi.
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The petition filed through advocate Vijay Panjwani said absence of Internet laws encourage people to watch porn videos and as it is not an offence, over 20 crore porn videos or clippings are freely available in the market, which are directly been downloaded through Internet or other video CDs. The sexual content that kids are accessing today is far more graphic, violent, brutal, deviant and destructive and has put entire society in danger so also safety threats to public order in India. The petitioner most respectfully submits that most of the offences committed against women/girls/children are fuelled by pornography. The worrying issue is the severity and gravity of the im-

ages is increasing. It is a matter of serious concern that prepubescent children are being raped, it said. The petition also referred to the December 16 Delhi gangrape case. Offenders minds are mostly fuelled by pornography as the sexual offender or rapist achieve his gratification not from sexual release alone but also from the thrill of domination, control and power, it said. It added that only distribution, production and sharing of porn videos and clippings are offence here. At best, the IPC only recognises the offences of obscenity, kidnapping, abduction, and other related offences which are not sufficient to tackle the issue of pornography, and such videos, it said.

Though his condition is improving, he has lost a lot of weight which is a cause for concern and will have to be kept at the hospital under observation, they said.Bahugunas name is associated with the Chipko movement of the 1970s and the anti-Tehri dam stir.

Li to visit India next month

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang will visit India in May, his first official tour abroad after assuming office two months ago, reports PTI from New Delhi. While newly-elected President Xi Jinping made Russia his first stop last month to show the importance Beijing attached to its relations with Moscow, Li will begin his foreign tour by visiting India. From Russia, Xi went to Durban to take part in the BRICS Summit, where he had his first meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Proposal for Lis visit came as a surprise to Indian officials as it is very much unlike the protocol conscious Chinese political set up.

Body of PBS consigned to flames

CHENNAI, PTI: The mortal re-

Goa to go ahead with Mumbai women wearing scarfs to come under scanner entry tax despite stir
MUMBAI: Maharashtra police will now keep a watch and may even stalk girls and women wrapped in scarfs, as the central intelligence agency suspects that a female suicide squad trained in Pakistan may try to carry out an attack in Mumbai or Pune. Interestingly, with summer slowly reaching its zenith in April and May, police and surveillance agencies will have a difficult time as a majority of girls and women not only cover their heads but also their face to avoid the heat, dust, sunglare and tanning. In a written reply to a query on intelligence alerts and security measures undertaken,

Jagan seeks final charge sheet

YSR Congress president and Kadapa MP Y S Jaganmohan Reddy on Monday moved a petition in the CBI special court in Hyderabad urging it to take up trial in the disproportionate assets case only after the CBI files a final charge sheet, DHNS reports. Jagans counsel said a separate trial for each charge

mains of veteran playback singer P B Srinivos were consigned to flames on Monday, as hundreds of his fans bade him a tearful farewell. The celebrated multi-lingual singers eldest son lit the funeral pyre amid chanting of mantras during the last rites performed as per Hindu rituals at the Kannamapettai burial ground, sources said. State Minister K T Rajenthra Bhalaji and Chennai Mayor Saidai Duraisamy were among those who paid their tributes and attended the funeral. Several playback singers from southern tinsel world, including Vani Jayaram, P Suseela and S Janaki, took part in the funeral of 82-year-old Srinivos, who died after a brief illness on Sunday at his CIT Nagar residence here. The family chose to conduct the funeral using firewood and did not opt for the electric furnace, sources close to the family said. Popularly known as PBS, the veteran singer lent his voice in all four South Indian languages besides Hindi. He was the voice of Kannada film icon Rajkumar and Tamil veteran Gemini Ganesan. Srinivoss famous numbers Kaalangalil Aval Vasantham and Mayakkama Thayakkama, among many others, are still hummed and remain in his fans hearts. His last song was in Tamil film Ayirathil Oru- In this file photo, two Playboy bunnies pose for photos at the van in 2010. Indian Playboy club in Mumbai. AFP

state Home minister R R Patil quoted an input from secret services and said there was a possibility of hit-and-run- attacks by an all-female squad. As per the strategic alert from the central intelligence agency, an all-woman commando trained squad prepared in Pakistan may try to sneak into metros in Maharashtra and carry out a hit-and-run attacks specially in cities like Mumbai and Pune. Patil said the alert received on January 12 had been flashed to Mumbai police, railway police, district police and other security agencies that operate at airports and docks, with an instruction to implement stan-

dard operating procedure (SOP) formulated for untoward eventualities. The security agencies along with surveillance units had been instructed to keep a special watch on women wearing scarfs and specially female foreign visitors who would have their heads covered. However, even as the minister was quoting the specific intelligence alert, while talking to the press in Pune on February 23 soon after the Hyderabad blast, he had clarified that there was no specific input from the Centre regarding a possible terror strike in Maharashtra.
DH News Service

PANAJI, AGENCIES: Entering Goa just got even more expensive. Visitors driving to Goa by road, on anything other than a two-wheeler, will be charged toll upwards of Rs100, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar said at a press conference Monday. "Five toll booths have already been erected at five entry points. One more entry point will be erected soon," Parrikar said. The neighbouring states have been charging tolls, which is similar to the entry tax imposed by Goa, he said. He said people from neighbouring states cannot dictate terms to Goa. The state governments decision evoked strong resent-

ment among the people living in districts of Maharashtra and Karnataka, bordering Goa. While the Mumbai-Goa Highway at Banda in Sindhudurg district was blocked, the wholesale dealers from Belgaum in Karnataka stopped the transport of essential commodities like vegetables, groceries and others. Parrikar, however, said vehicles from Sindhudurg, Belgaum and Karwar would be given concession in the form of monthly passes later. Currently we are observing the traffic from these districts. We will give them concessions in the form of monthly passes, the Chief Minister said.

sheet violates Supreme Court (SC) orders in various cases. He argued that the court can begin the combined trial after the investigating agency completes the process of filing the charge sheets. The CBI informed the court that it was probing various aspects of the case and defended separate trial on each charge sheet.

Bunnies not welcome

Goa govt rejects Indias first Playboy club proposal

PANAJI, PTI: Goa will not be

home to the countrys first Playboy Club with the state government deciding to reject a proposal for opening this facility at Candolim beach amid a controversy that it would promote vulgarism. Bowing to pressure from within the ruling BJP against the US-based Playboy Clubs move to open a branch in the tourist state, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar on Monday said the application would not be considered by his govern-

ment on technical grounds. The Playboy Clubs application for setting up the facility in beach shack will be rejected as shack licences are usually given to individuals and not to the companies, Parrikar told the state Assembly. Technically, it is not possible for the state government to grant licence to Playboy Club, he added. The Playboy Club, a chain of nightclubs and resorts, had applied for setting up its facility in a beach shack at Can-

dolim beach as per its business plan to open 120 clubs, bars and cafes in India by 2022. However, the proposed venture faced stringent opposition, spearheaded by BJP legislator Michael Lobo, who alleged that the club will promote vulgarity and threatened hunger strike if the enterprise is allowed to operate in the state. He had also raised the issue on the floor of the House in the form of calling attention motion.

Actor Genelia Deshmukh at a promotional event in Hyderabad on Monday. PTI