Women facing harassment can write to us: SC

Women, facing harassment in their in-laws' home or at any other place, can straightaway write to the Supreme Court and their letter would be entertained as public interest litigation (PIL), new eligibility guidelines published by the top court said.

Incidents of torture resulting from moral policing by village panchayats, generally in the news for ostracising couples in inter-caste marriages where one of them belong to a backward class, would also be entertained as PILs, it said.

Tired of dealing with the heap of PILs that crowd the list of cases to be heard daily, the court has come out with an eligibility test for PILs to limit their number and reduce the burden on judges.

No petition involving individual or personal matter shall be entertained as public interest litigation, said the recent guidelines posted on the apex court website.

"Letter-petitions (letters written by aggrieved parties to the apex court directly without filing a petition in the registry) will ordinarily be entertained as PIL," said the guidelines putting the petitions into 10 categories.

The court, which had seen a flurry of public interest litigation on admissions to educational institutions, has completely banned PILs on the admission issue.

The categories under which letter-petitions would be entertained are:

• Atrocities against women, especially harassment of bride, bride burning, rape, murder, kidnapping etc.

• Harassment or torture of villagers by co-villagers or by police from persons belonging to SC or ST or economically backward classes

• Bonded labour matters

• Neglected children

• Non-payment of minimum wages to workers

• Harassment of jail inmates (not to include petitions for parole)

• Refusal of police to register case, harassment by police and custodial death

• Environmental pollution, wildlife and maintenance of heritage and culture

• Petitions from riot victims and those seeking family pension

All letter-petitions received in the PIL cell would be screened and if found meeting the eligibility criteria, would be placed before a judge nominated by the Chief Justice of India for scrutiny.

If the judge finds the letter PIL suitable, only then it would be put up for hearing in open court, the guidelines said.

News Source : Samachar

LeT, Kashmiri groups may attack India: US

The US intelligence believes that Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Tayyaba (LeT) and Kashmir-focussed insurgent groups will continue to plan and execute ''attacks'' in India.

''The IC (intelligence community) assesses that Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Tayyaba (LeT) and other Kashmir-focussed groups will continue attack planning and execution in India. Shia and Hindu religious observances are possible targets, as are transportation networks and government buildings,'' according to the Director of National Intelligence Michael McConnel.

McConnel was giving his assessment while briefing the US Select Senate Committee on Intelligence on an unclassified version of the Annual Threat Assessment.

''We judge Kashmir-focussed groups will continue to support the attacks in Afghanistan, and operatives trained by the groups will continue to feature in al-Qaida transnational attack planning,'' McConnel told law makers.

McConnel also made the assessment that although India and Pakistan are ''fielding a more mature strategic nuclear capability'' neither of them are in a Cold war mentality of an arms race for numerical superiority.

The top Intelligence person of the Bush administration also argued that the ongoing political uncertainty in Pakistan has not seriously threatened the military's control over the country's nuclear arsenals.

''In assessing the nuclear competition between India and Pakistan, we note that missile tests and new force deployments over the past three years have not affected the ongoing political dialogue.

Although both New Delhi and Islamabad are fielding a more mature strategic nuclear capability, they do not appear to be engaged in a Cold War-style arms race for numerical superiority.''

News Source : Samachar

UK scientists create embryo with three parents

For procreation, it has always taken two to tango. But scientists from the UK's Newcastle University have taken reproductive biology where it has never gone before - creating a human embryo from three parents, two women and a man.

The scientists believe the technique will help prevent women with diseases of the mitochondria - tiny batteries within each cell that provide energy - from passing on the defects to their children. Mitochodrial DNA is carried from mother to offspring and faults in it can cause about 50 known diseases, some of which lead to disability and death.

Researchers from Newcastle University presented their findings at a medical conference at the weekend, a university spokeswoman said on Tuesday.

According to reports in the British media, the Newcastle team has created 10 successful three-parent embryos from couples at risk of mitochondrial disease. The embryos were fertilized through the conventional in vitro method.

After a day, each embryo was emptied of its pronuclei - structures that contain the sperm and egg which are still separate at this stage. These pronuclei were inserted into an emptied egg from a second woman with healthy mitochondria.

In this way, the team created embryos which contained genetic material from the original parents but had healthy mitochondria from the donor woman.

The embryos grew normally till the fifth day, after which they were terminated.

If the embryos were to be implanted back into the mothers, they would have created the world's first genetically modified babies. The team's experiments with mice have produced healthy offspring.

Professor Patrick Chinnery, a member of the Newcastle team, was quoted by the BBC website as saying: "We believe from this work, and work we have done on other animals that in principle we could develop this technique and offer treatment in the foreseeable future that will give families some hope of avoiding passing these diseases to their children."

News Source : Samachar

Political leaders detained in Mumbai

Barring stray incidents of stone-pelting, Mumbai and its suburbs remained peaceful on Tuesday. The police foiled a Congress leader’s attempt to take a protest march to the residence of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray, whose remarks on north Indians caused violent incidents in the city.

The war of words, however, continued. MNS municipal councillor Vasant Geete said his party would not allow trains from north India to enter Maharashtra if the leaders there did not stop making provocative statements, and Maharashtra Samajwadi Party general secretary Mushir Sayyed said his party would not tolerate attacks on north Indians and it would give a befitting reply.

The police detained a few leaders from both sides. Seventy-three members of the MNS and 19 of the SP were arrested in connection with violent incidents.

Police said the office of Bhojpuri actor Manoj Tiwari and a showroom of SP leader Abu Azmi were stoned.

The police detained Congress spokesperson Sanjay Nirupam at Shivaji Park, near Mr. Raj Thackeray’s residence. He was earlier picked up at a distance but was allowed to come to Shivaji Park in his car to “court arrest.”

He told journalists that he was staging a “peace march” and he was for amity among the various linguistic communities of the city. It was the responsibility of Mr. Raj Thackeray to restrain the hooligans of his party. He denied reports that his office was attacked. He claimed that he was representing the Uttar Bharatiya Parishad, a body of north Indians in the city.

After Mr. Nirupam was taken away, some of his supporters tried to move on but the police dispersed them. Some of them “courted arrest” by boarding a police van.

The police also detained MNS spokesperson Shishir Shinde and an activist Yashwant Killary. Shiv Sena MLA Bala Nandgaonkar was also taken into preventive custody.

Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee said at a press conference that the Constitution gave all citizens right to live anywhere in the country and a stand against that was unconstitutional. “All [Indians] are ‘bhoomiputras’ [sons of soil] in India,” he said.

News Source : Samachar

IBM opens new unit in India

International Business Machines Corp said on Tuesday it had launched a new centre in India to meet robust global demand for outsourcing. The facility in Noida, an information technology hub on the outskirts of New Delhi, will provide application services to IBM’s global clients, the company said in a statement.

The US giant will open another centre in the vicinity that will be fully operational by mid-year, it said. The two centres will house about 3,000 employees. In June 2006, IBM said it would invest $6 billion in India over 3 years.

News Source : Samachar

HK Indians go on a ‘househunt’ in US

Every year, just ahead of the Chinese New Year festival, employers in Hong Kong fork out annual performance-linked bonuses to employees, and announce their wage hikes for the year. This year, the festival falls on February 7, and it caps what’s been a boom year for the Hong Kong economy, which translates into fatter bonuses. Even multinational banks and financial institutions, that have had their profits wiped out in the US because of the subprime mortgages crisis, have seen their profits from Asia soar.

A group of Indian investment bankers in Hong Kong, who have deservedly earned million-dollar bonuses this year, are planning to travel across small-town America over the next few weeks, in the certainty of snapping up some great deals in the housing market, which has collapsed over the subprime crisis and fears of a US recession. As homeowners in the US foreclose loans they cannot afford any longer, they might have to sell their houses at throwaway prices. “A few of my friends and I are taking a couple of weeks off to study the market, and are sure to land some fabulous bargains,” an Indian investment banker told me.

Being bankers, they have a financial justification for what to some may seem like profiting from others’ misery. “Look at it this way: We’re giving struggling homeowners an exit option they don’t now have. The longer they hold on to their homes, the more desperate their situation will become,” the banker explained.

News Source : Samachar

Respect umpiring decisions: Sangakkara

Brisbane: Sri Lankan wicket-keeper batsman Kumara Sangakkara said umpiring decisions in cricket should be respected.

He was responding to a question on his appeal for a caught behind decision against Rohit Sharma which was upheld by Umpire Rudi Koerzten. But the replays indicated the Indian batsman had not got a touch to the ball at the ’Gabba on Tuesday.

Sangakkara said: “We have some of the best umpires in the business and we should accept their decisions graciously. The beauty of the game lies in the human element.”

The Lankan said umpiring decisions could go either way. He was referring to his own dismissal in the Hobart Test against Australia this season. Umpire Koertzen had wrongly ruled Sangakkara out when he was leading Sri Lanka’s heroic pursuit in last innings. His dismissal had ended Lanka’s hopes.

On Tuesday’s match here, Sangakkara said Sri Lanka had a chance to chase down a target of 268. The Lankan was appreciative of Gautam Gambhir’s hundred but added he should have nailed the catch when the batsman was on 10.

‘Very satisfying’

Gambhir said his unbeaten century gave him a lot of joy. “Scoring a hundred in Australia, in conditions and situations that are challenging, is very satisfying. As a cricketer you always dream of doing well in Australia. It is a long series and I want to sustain my form.”

On his duel with Muttiah Muralitharan, Gambhir said: “He is a great bowler, a legend. He has so many variations. I was not able to pick him in the beginning but played him better later on.” He added batting at No 3. had made him more responsible.

Gambhir added he was making an attempt to tighten up his game. “On pitches like this you should not give away your wicket hanging your bat out. I am working on these aspects,” he said. The southpaw said he took confidence from captaining Delhi to the Ranji Trophy this season and batting well under pressure.

Gambhir dwelt on the virtues of team-spirit. “There is no use scoring a hundred if your team does not win,” he said.

He believed India had a chance to win both the games that had to be abandoned here.

On Sachin Tendulkar crossing 16,000 runs in the ODIs, he said: “Who am I to say anything about him. He is the greatest batsman in Indian cricket.”

News Source : Samachar

Mumbai to New York in less than 3 hours

Engineers in Britain unveiled plans on Tuesday for a hypersonic jet which could fly from Mumbai to New York in less than three hours.

The A2 plane, designed by engineering company Reaction Engines based in Oxfordshire, southern England, could carry 300 passengers at a top speed of almost 6,400 kmph – five times the speed of sound.

The LAPCAT (Long-Term Advanced Propulsion Concepts and Technologies) project, backed by the European Space Agency, could see the plane operating within 25 years, depending on the “the requisite political will,” the firm’s boss Alan Bond said.

At 143 metres (169 feet) long, the aircraft is half the length of the Titanic and weighs 400 tonnes – lighter than a Boeing 747.

What’s more, it could theoretically fly non-stop for up to 12,500 miles (20,000 km).

“The A2 is designed to reach speeds of Mach 5,” Bond said.

To reach Mach 3, the aircraft’s engines generate thrust equivalent to that of a conventional jet aircraft. But to touch speeds beyond Mach 3, the A2 plane has to employ a specialist unit that pre-cools the super-heated air generated by flying at high speeds before it enters the turbines, preventing the engines from melting.

Top: An artist’s impression of the A2 plane taking off. Above: A size comparison between an Airbus A380 and the new aircraft

In the past, engineers weren’t successful in designing a system that was capable of operating at such extreme temperatures.

A2 operates on liquid hydrogen, which is more ecologically friendly than conventional aircraft fuel as it gives off water and nitrous oxide instead of carbon emissions.

Passengers would have to put up with having no windows, due to problems with heat produced at high speeds. Instead designers may put flat screen televisions where the windows would be, giving the impression of seeing outside.

“It sounds incredible by today’s standards but I don’t see why future generations can’t make day trips to distant countries,” Bond said.

Despite its length, the aircraft will also be able to land on current international airport runways. Fares would be comparable with current first class tickets on standard flights, of around 3,500 pounds (Rs 2,70,000 approx).

“Our work shows that it is possible technically; now it’s up to the world to decide if it wants it,” he added.

News Source : Samachar

Will silences Zardari critics

Benazir Bhutto's political will was finally made public on Tuesday following growing murmurs amongst Pakistan People's Party (PPP) workers and other sections questioning whether the assassinated leader had indeed intended her husband to succeed her as party chief.

The will does indeed call for Asif Zardari to lead the party after her, and also reveals her great concern for her country's future.

PPP spokesperson Sherry Rehman said the contents of the will were being made known to all to end any doubts about Benazir Bhutto's wishes after her death. The one-page, hand-written document is dated October 16, or two days before she returned to Pakistan from eight years of self-exile.

At a press conference Sherry Rehman clarified that this was Bhutto's political will, quite separate from her personal one discussing how her assets should be divided. "The latter will remain private," she declared.

Another party spokesman, Farhatullah Babar, said there had been questions about why the will was not made public at the time of her funeral. "Well, everybody now can see it," he said. "It's in her own handwriting and any doubt or misgivings about the leadership of the party can be set aside now by all," Babar said.

Even before this official release, a copy of the handwritten will had been posted on the website of Newsweek magazine. "I would like my husband Asif Ali Zardari to lead you in this interim period until you and he decide what is best. I say this because he is a man of courage and honour," the will maintains.

"He spent 11 and a half years in prison without bending despite torture. He has the political stature to keep our party united."

This part of the will had been read out by her son Bilawal Bhutto Zardari at the crucial party meeting on December 30 following Benazir's death, though the entire will was not revealed. It was on the basis of this that Zardari was given the leadership of the PPP and at his suggestion Bilawal was made the chairman.

In the one-page will, Benazir urges PPP workers to continue the mission of her father. She pays rich tribute to PPP workers, who in her words have worked honestly and sincerely for the completion of Quaid-e-Awam Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto's mission for the establishment of a democratic Pakistan.

In her will, Benazir expressed her hope that party workers would succeed in fulfilling the PPP manifesto, adding the party workers would work for the elimination of poverty from the country and keep working for national progress.

News Source : Samachar

TCS asked 500 staffs to leave for poor performance

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has asked around 500 people to leave the company after the second annual appraisal it carries out, citing performance-related issues. By the end of the financial year, this number could go up to 600, company officials told ET. The employees who were asked to leave are mostly those with 2-3 years of experience and do not include trainees because they have less than a year’s experience.

Last week, TCS was in the news for cutting down the variable pay of employees for slippages in internal growth targets — a move that will save it about Rs 83 crore. However, the TCS management denied the move was linked to any slowdown worries. “This manner of forced attrition is only linked to the appraisal process. It is not linked to any other factor,” a TCS spokesperson told ET.

An official statement from the company termed it a routine exercise carried out bi-annually to weed out non-performers. “The number of employees impacted during this year till date is 500 which constitutes about 0.5% of the company’s employee strength of 1,08,000,” the statement by the spokesperson said.

According to the statement, if an employee gets a grade of 2 or below during the first appraisal cycle, the company puts the employee on a performance improvement plan that includes additional training and assignments on new projects.

At the end of the second appraisal if the employee’s ratings do not improve to a grade better than 2, the employee is asked to resign. TCS arranges for placement agencies to help the employees get placed in other organisations, the statement said. The grades are on a scale from 1 to 5, with 1 being the lowest and 5 being the highest.

A centre-wise or business-wise break-up of the 500 employees was not available. “The actual numbers are 500 as of date. It may rise to 600 by end-March. I am not in a position to give a centre-wise break-up of those who have left the company. In Kolkata, 50 people have been asked to resign out of nearly 6,500 working there,” a spokesperson said in response to an ET query. Analysts said the move did not signal any major concerns as yet.

“It seems to be the outcome of a routine annual performance appraisal exercise. It would be of concern only if the joining dates of new recruits were staggered,” said Jayendran Rajappa, IT analyst with Prabhudas Lilladher. A TCS employee also confirmed that a few employees were asked to leave every year for performance-related issues.

“A 0.5% cut is minor considering leading global corporates lose anywhere between 5-10% every year,” Suveer Chainani, an analyst with Macquarie Research, said. The TCS scrip, however, reacted falling 2.7% on the BSE to Rs 949.45 on Tuesday. The BSE IT index also lost 1.4% to close at 4039.82 on a day the Sensex ended flat.

News Source : Samachar

Kandahar hijacking: life term for three

A special CBI court in Patiala on Tuesday awarded life sentences to Abdul Latif, Dalip Kumar and Yusuf Nepali for abetting and conspiring with terrorists who hijacked the Indian Airlines flight IC-814 to Kandahar in Afghanistan on December 24, 1999. They were found guilty on various counts, including murder.

Handing down the 69-page judgment in the case, which took nine years and involved 120 witnesses, the judge, Inderjit Singh Walia, sentenced the three to life imprisonment for colluding with those behind the hijacking that was aimed at seeking freedom for top terrorists — Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Maulana Masood Azhar, Ahmed Zargar and Sheikh Ahmed Omar Sayeed.

The court also awarded seven years’ rigorous imprisonment for attempt to murder, five years’ term for kidnapping, abduction and wrongful confinement. The three also received another five years’ term for forgery and a fine of Rs. 2,000 along with a three-year prison sentence for criminal intimidation. The accused were found guilty for possessing illegal weapons, for which they got three years in jail under the provisions of the Arms Act and were also convicted for entering into a criminal conspiracy.

The proceedings were held inside the Central Jail in Patiala, where an anti-hijacking court was set up under the IPC provisions and anti-hijacking law. The trial was not open to journalists and no contact with the accused was allowed. While the accused have been lodged in the Patiala Central Jail since 1999, the main accused in the case are still at large even as the Interpol has issued notices.

The CBI, which had named 10 persons in its chargesheet, identified the hijackers as Ibrahim Athar alias Chief, Sunny Ahmed Qazi alias Burger, Sahid Sayeed Akhtar alias Doctor, Zahoor Ibrahim Mistry alias Bhola, Shakir alias Shankar and Jaish-e-Muhammad Maulana Masood Azhar’s brother Yusuf Azhar and his brother-in-law Abdul Rauf. While Latif was said to have co-ordinated the conspiracy in India, Yusuf who is a Nepali citizen, was charged with arranging passports and tickets at Kathmandu and Dalip Kumar, of providing the hijackers their arms and ammunition.

Announcing that they would appeal before the Punjab and Haryana High Court, defence counsel B.S. Sodhi said his clients had been made scapegoats. He said the prosecution did not place on record the evidence the investigating agencies gathered from Bangladesh and Dubai.

On December 24, 1999, IC-814 with 179 passengers and 11 crew members was hijacked by five armed men, while it was on its return journey from Kathmandu to New Delhi. The plane landed at Amritsar’s Raja Sansi International Airport after Pakistan refused it permission to land initially.

It was then taken to Lahore and Dubai. Amid high drama, the aircraft landed at Kandahar in southern Afghanistan, from where an eight-day ordeal for the passengers and crew began.

The freedom of the hijacked people was ensured after the release of the three terrorists lodged in Indian jails. To intimidate the Indian authorities, the hijackers killed 25-year-old Rupen Katyal and stabbed Satnam Singh, who survived multiple injuries.

News Source : Samachar

Include ‘father’ under Class I heir, says panel

The Law Commission of India has recommended to the Centre to amend Section 8 of the Hindu Succession Act to include “father” under Class I heir of the deceased male along with son, daughter, widow and mother. At present “father” is included only under Class II heir.

Section 8 contains general rules of succession in the case of males. Accordingly, the property of a male Hindu dying intestate shall devolve first upon the heirs specified in Class I of the schedule; second, if there is no Class I heir upon relatives specified in Class II; and third if there is no heir in the two classes, then upon the agnates of the deceased; and lastly, if there is no agnate upon the cognates of the deceased.

In 2005, certain amendments were made to the HAS by which four categories of heirs, hitherto placed in Class II, were elevated to Class I heirs, viz. daughter’s son’s son; daughter’s daughter’s daughter; daughter’s son’s daughter and son’s daughter’s daughter. While adding these categories to Class I, the corresponding entries were not deleted and they continued to remain in Class II.

Taking note of these discrepancies, the Law Commission, headed by Chairman Justice A.R. Lakshmanan, suo motu took up a further study and, after examining the issue in detail, recommended certain rectifications.

In its 204th report to be submitted to Union Law Minister H.R. Bhardwaj on Wednesday, the Commission said that it had made significant and useful suggestions that would go a long way in providing gender equality in the matters of succession of Hindu coparcenary property. The terms of reference enjoins the Commission to revise a Central Act of general importance to simplify them and remove anomalies. The Commission noted that whereas “mother” of Hindu coparcenary has been included in Class I heirs, “father” has been put in Class II heirs.

News Source : Samachar

India not to attend pipeline talks

With the transit fee issue with Pakistan yet to be resolved, India has decided not to attend the proposed trilateral talks in Tehran for finalising the much delayed multi-million dollar three-nation gas pipeline deal.

Iranian Ambassador Syed Mahdi Nabizadeh said here on Tuesday that there was no response from India to their proposal to hold a meeting on February 12 or 13.

He pointed out that technical issues between New Delhi and Islamabad were yet to be finalised and regretted India’s absence at three earlier meetings in Pakistan.

“According to our policy, we have tried our best to achieve the main objective of arriving at a trilateral agreement. We are still trying,” he said.

Reliable sources said that the decision not to attend the talks in Tehran was taken after deliberations at the highest level.

An agreement on the deal has been in limbo for almost one year. On its part, the United States has openly expressed concern over the deal and expressed the hope that India would not go ahead with the project.

The sources said Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Murli Deora will first go to Pakistan after the conclusion of general elections there on February 18 and only then would the possibility of trilateral talks arise.

The Pakistan Energy Minister met Mr. Deora in London recently and invited him to Islamabad to settle the transit fee issue.

Another meet postponed

The sources said another meeting was proposed in Islamabad on the sidelines of the Steering Committee meeting of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India gas pipeline project on February 13-16 but that was also postponed indefinitely.

New Delhi has, since July 2007, not taken part in trilateral meetings on the project owing to non-resolution of the transit fee issue.

While India and Pakistan agreed on the transportation charge for the 1035-km route of the pipeline, differences continued on transit fee payment.

Under the ambitious project, Iran will lay a 1,100-km pipeline from the Persian Gulf to the Iran-Pakistan border, while Pakistan will lay a 1,035-km pipeline from its border with Iran to the Indian border. India will then pipe the gas to consumption centres.

News Source : Samachar

Diamond trader ends life after Rs 10 cr loss

A 45-year-old diamond merchant committed suicide at his office in Pancharatna building at Opera House on Monday morning. Apparently, Pratik Mehta had been depressed for some time after suffering losses amounting to Rs 10 crore. He is survived by his wife and two children.

According to D B Marg police, minutes after opening his office around 10.30 am, Mehta went to his cabin and drank some acid used for cleaning diamonds. He immediately fell off the chair and started screaming. His peon, the only other person present at that time, rushed inside.

Senior inspector N R Mali said, “The peon called out to other traders and with their help rushed Mehta to Bhatia Hospital. Mehta was admitted to the ICU. He succumbed to internal injuries around 10 am on Tuesday. His body was sent to Sir J J Hospital for a post-mortem. The report is awaited.”

Mehta had left behind a note claiming he ended his life due to losses suffered while doing business with two firms.

Pratik Mehta

Mehta’s firm, Sohan Jain's Diamond Company, traded diamonds within and outside the country. According to the police, Mehta regularly supplied diamonds to a company in Korea and another in Hong Kong. However, during the past one year, Mehta had not been paid for diamonds worth Rs 10 crore. Realising he had been cheated and that getting his money back would be a Herculean task, Mehta slipped into depression.

“Our investigation is based on his suicide note,” Mali said.

Police are now questioning his staff and family about his dealings with the two overseas firms.

News Source : Samachar

Obscene SMS: Man gets 1-year in jail

Addicted to sending SMSes? Beware. Sending a wrong SMS to a wrong person could land you in trouble.

In one of the first cases of its kind, the district and sessions court has awarded one-year simple imprisonment along with a fine of Rs 10,000 to an accused for sending vulgar message to the complainant on her cell phone two years back.

The judge found Shankar Balram Chelani (40) guilty and convicted him under Section 292 of Indian Penal Code and sub-section 67 of Information Technology Act.

The complainant woman had received a vulgar SMS from an unidentified number on May 18, 2005. The woman lodged a complaint with Koradi police.

Police constable Sunil Meshram carried out the investigation under the guidance of assistant police commissioner at Pachpaoli S B Shinde. Meshram, with the help of the mobile service provider, traced the person from whose mobile the SMS was sent.

The number belonged to Shankar Chelani, a resident of Wardhman Nagar. Once traced, the police arrested the accused and filed a case against him.

News Source : Samachar

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, guru to the Beatles, dies

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, a guru to the Beatles who introduced the West to transcendental meditation, has died at his home in the Dutch town of Vlodrop, a spokesman said on Tuesday. He was thought to be 91 years old.

"He died peacefully at about 7 pm," said Bob Roth, a spokesman for the Transcendental Meditation movement that the Maharishi founded. He said his death appeared to be due to "natural causes, his age."

Once dismissed as hippie mysticism, the Hindu practice of mind control that Maharishi taught, called transcendental meditation, gradually gained medical respectability.

He began teaching TM in 1955 and brought the technique to the United States in 1959. But the movement really took off after the Beatles visited his ashram in India in 1968, although he had a famous falling out with the rock stars when he discovered them using drugs at his Himalayan retreat.

With the help of celebrity endorsements, Maharishi parlayed his interpretations of ancient scripture into a multimillion-dollar global empire.

News Source : Samachar

Actress moves HC to force in-laws to her give son back

After her in-laws have allegedly refused to let her meet her three-year-old son since April last year, a desperate mother has filed a habeas corpus petition in Bombay High Court demanding that the child be produced in court. Saba Salem Ali Khan, 25, a film and television actress, has been repeatedly trying to gain custody of her child ever since her husband Salem Khan allegedly shot himself dead at his Uttar Pradesh residence in April 2007.

On Tuesday, Saba’s father-in-law arrived in court but did not bring Evan along. Taking serious note of this, the court directed him to file an affidavit in a week’s time and produce Evan at the next hearing on February 12. “The natural parent always has the first right over a child,” observed justice S B Mhase who was hearing the case along with justice Amjad Sayed. According to Saba’s petition, she and Salem, both actors by profession, fell in love and got married in October, 2003. In January 2004, they went to UP to seek his parents’ blessings. “Salem’s family was unhappy with the marriage as the couple had married without their consent,” Saba’s petition states. In December 2004, Saba gave birth to Evan in Mumbai. However, the differences between Salem’s family and the couple continued. The couple eventually moved to Mumbai.

“On April 18, 2007, Salem left for his hometown to meet his parents. He took Evan with him, saying his parents wanted to see him and transfer some property in Evan’s name,” the petition states. The couple was in touch over the phone, but on April 25, 2007, Salem did not call Saba all day. When she called his residence, her father-in-law told her that Salem had shot himself.

When Saba said she was coming to UP to take Evan, the family threatened her, the petition states. Saba tried to lodge a police complaint, without success. She then filed a habeas corpus. The court first sent a notice to her in-laws and when they did not turn up, a bailable warrant was issued against them last week, Saba’s lawyer Aparna Vhatkar said.

News Source : Samachar

TCS, IBM show staff the door

Coinciding with cost-cutting drive in Indian IT space amid fears of recession in the US, two major IT firms have resorted to downsizing.

The largest software exporter TCS said about 500 members of its staff have “voluntarily resigned” after an annual performance check, while global IT major IBM is believed to have shown the door to 5,000 entry-level trainee programmers across major offices in the country on the grounds of performance. “Employees with experience of two years and above across the company who were unable to meet performance requirements have been asked to look for other jobs commensurate with their abilities,” TCS spokesperson Pradipta Bagchi said on Tuesday. However, he asserted that no employee has been sacked or fired. As a policy the only time when TCS dismisses people is for disciplinary reasons, he added. “This is not an exceptional thing, it happens every year and it’s part of our annual performance exercise. In TCS, everyone has to go through an appraisal cycle where they are rated between 1-5 depending on their performance. If in one appraisal cycle anyone is rated below 2, we put them on PIP (performance improvement plan). Under this they are given extra training. Even after this if their rating is below 2, then they are asked to look for other jobs,” Mr Bagchi said. Even last year, nearly 500 employees had to leave the company on performance ground. TCS has added 7,522 employees in the third quarter ended December 31, taking the number of its employees to 1,08,229. The move comes close on the heels of global IT major IBM reportedly showing the door to a large number of its entry-level trainee programmers across major offices in the country on the grounds of performance. Although IBM has confirmed the move, they declined to specify as to how many trainees have been dismissed. However, sources suggest that the number could be as high as 5,000. When asked about the sudden job cuts, the IBM spokesperson said it is a continuous process and is meant to validate the quality of employees. “IBM is driven by a high-performance culture, a place where employees are able to contribute at the upper limits of their potential and continually build market-valued skills and capabilities in both formal training and experiential learning. In support of that expectation on the part of our workforce, we are pioneering new ways for our people to certify their skill levels,“ the spokesperson added. However, IBM India management is reluctant to go into the details of the tests that have been conducted, citing it as an HR exercise. Asked whether it is related to the company’s performance, the spokesperson said it is a continuous process and has got nothing to do with the company’s performance. Incidentally, TCS also plans a 1.5 per cent cut in variable salaries of its employees in the fourth quarter, as it fell short of certain financial targets. News Source : Samachar

Saudi woman strip-searched for having coffee with a man

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia's religious police detained and strip-searched a woman for sitting in a Starbucks coffee shop with a male work colleague, who is not a member of her family.

The 40-year-old financial consultant, named only as Yara, said she was arrested on Monday by members of the powerful Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice. She was holding a business meeting with the man in a branch of Starbucks in Riyadh, in a section reserved for families as is the rule in Saudi Arabia where unrelated members of the opposite sex are segregated in public, she was quoted as saying by the Arab News.

Yara said she was taken to a Riyadh prison, strip-searched and forced to sign a confession to having been caught alone with a unrelated man — an illegal act in the kingdom, which enforces a strict Islamic moral code.

"I had no other choice," but to sign, said the married mother of three. "I was scared for my life... I was afraid that they would abuse me or do something to me."

News Source : Samachar

Raj shows up at Mumbai top cop's function

MUMBAI: The cycle of violence set in motion by activists of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena continued uninterrupted on Tuesday even as the man who started it all, an apparently unruffled MNS chief Raj Thackeray, attended the wedding reception of police commissioner D N Jadhav’s daughter Kirti in Goregaon.

Raj Thackeray mocked at those demanding his arrest by turning up at the Goregaon wedding reception. Host Jadhav gave a grand welcome to Raj, who was nattily dressed in a suit, and his wife Sharmila. Raj, on Tuesday, reiterated his tirade against north Indian migrants, including actor Amitabh Bachchan.

The brunt of the burden of keeping the law and order situation under control was borne by joint commissioner K L Prasad.

The Oshiwara office of Manoj Tiwari, a popular Bhojpuri actor, was attacked by a mob owing allegiance to the MNS. A few migrants from north India were also beaten up in different parts of the metropolis.

In Nashik, a local MNS activist, Vasant Gite, warned that all trains entering the state from the north would be stopped if north Indian leaders like Samajwadi Party’s Abu Azmi continued to make "provocative" statements. Azmi had said that lathis would be distributed to migrants from UP and Bihar to defend themselves.

Some vandals also pelted Azmi's showroom at Bandra. He claimed that the police were mute witnesses to the attack.
A group of MNS workers also tried to ransack the office of Sanjay Nirupam, a Congress spokesperson and former Shiv Sainik, who planned to lead a protest march to Raj's house in Shivaji Park.

The police foiled the MNS plan, while taking Nirupam’s supporters into custody. By Tuesday night, the city police had arrested 115 MNS activists and 19 SP workers in all.

The Shivaji Park police on Tuesday also arrested two key MNS functionaries, former MLC Shishir Shinde and MLA Bala Nandgaonkar, in connection with Sunday’s violence against Uttar Bharatiyas. They were later released on bail.

Nandgaonkar was leaving his house in Mazgaon when a police team asked him to accompany them. He was first taken to Matunga police station and subsquently to the Shivaji Park police station. Shinde was picked up from Mulund and put under arrest.

Inside the police station, Nandgaonkar said he would not seek bail and would also resist being taken to court. He said, "The police have arrested me for rioting when I did not resort to violence. I was not even present at any of the scenes of violence."

Shinde then persuaded him to take bail. A huge mob gathered outside the Shivaji Park police station where the duo was being quizzed. It chanted slogans against Nirupam and Azmi. Shinde said, "The police has slapped a charge of criminal conspiracy against me. Are we criminals?" he asked.

Meanwhile, police sealed all roads leading to Raj Thackeray’s house overlooking Shivaji Park. Even his followers were not allowed to visit his house.

News Source : Samachar

No entry for trains from N India: MNS

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) has threatened not to allow trains coming from North India in Maharashtra if the north Indian leaders do not refrain from allegedly ''provocative'' speeches.

MNS leader Vasant Gite accused north Indian leaders of being responsible for the ongoing problems in Mumbai and other parts of the state with their ''provocative'' speeches.

The MNS corporator warned such ''provocative'' speeches like distributing 'lathis' will not be tolerated.

Earlier, state Samajwadi Party chief Abu Azmi had said that ''we will distribute lathis to north Indians''.

Gite said ''we have no objection if outsiders coming to Maharashtra to earn their livelihoods but they should behave well and should love and respect the state where they earn and prosper''.

Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party state unit general secretary and city President Mushir Sayyed said SP would give a befitting reply if anyone dared to attack north Indians.

''I am proud of Maharashtra and it's wrong to create a rift between the people by indulging in regionalism just to gain political mileage''.

News Source : Samachar

Was fining Rohit justified?

First, the wound. Then, the salt.

Rohit Sharma was fined 10 per cent of his match fee at the Gabba after he "expressed disappointment" at being given out caught behind off Muttiah Muralitharan.

Replays proved beyond doubt that umpire Rudi Koertzen had done Rohit in with a poor decision. There was daylight between Rohit's bat and Muralitharan's delivery.

But the ICC match referee Jeff Crowe, displaying ineptness that match referees have come to be known for, decided to go with the letter of the rule, not its spirit, and turned his back to the grave umpiring error.

Sharma was guilty under ICC Code of Conduct section 1.3 for excessive, obvious disappointment at an umpire s decision and an obvious delay in leaving the wicket.

Sure Jeff. When a young batsman fighting to keep his place in the side gets done in on zero, we expect him to smile back with all 32 and send the umpire a bottle of wine to show his gratitude.

Did we mention that Ricky Ponting and Andrew Symonds escaped punishment for similar acts earlier this season? Is it one s imagination, or is ICC really not doing enough to shed its anti-Asia image?

Here's a proposal to the ICC: next time, field robots, not human beings. Then, match referees wouldn't have problems controlling their emotions.

Like Ian Chappell said, animosity and anger on the cricket field is predominately caused by poor officiating. Either poor laws and playing conditions, or bad decision making.

News Source : Samachar

N-weapons falling into terror hands: India

Voicing concern over the ''very real threat'' of atomic weapons falling into hands of terrorists, India on Tuesday sought strict controls over such arsenal by countries having established nuclear programmes, in an apparent reference to Pakistan.

External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said the challenges of terrorism and nuclear proliferation were inter-connected and ''alarming aspect'' was the linkages that radical terror groups have forged with ''a few nuclear scientists''.

In an apparent reference to activities of Pakistan's disgraced scientist AQ Khan, he said it was well known how transfer of uranium enrichment technology, equipment and even weapon design has taken place ''clandestinely and flagrantly in our region''.

Addressing a seminar on Asian security which will focus on emerging challenges in the region, he said the threat of nuclear proliferation has been a ''principal cause of concern in recent years.''

The concern, he said, was not limited to new states acquiring nuclear weapons capability but extends to the ''very real threat of terrorist groups laying their hands on nuclear material and even fully-assembled nuclear weapons.''

He pointed out that one of the concerns related to the ''inability of states to sufficiently safeguard their nuclear material, technology and facilities against attempts to procure weapons of mass destruction (WMD)-relevant items''.

Another factor, he said, was the ''deliberate and callous proliferation by states including state failure to exercise adequate control over personnel engaged in nuclear programmes.''

News Source : Samachar

Bangalore Open: Paes slams Sania

Sania Mirza faces a volley of criticism over her decision to skip the Bangalore Open.

The advice may have been given to her by Mahesh Bhupathi, but now both the mentor and the protegee are being castigated for what many are calling an impulsive and incorrect decision.

Leander Paes one of the most respected voices in Indian Tennis has only joined in saying that nobody is above the game.

Mahesh Bhupathi didn't want to comment any further on the issue of Sania Mirza's pull out from the Bangalore Open.

But his former doubles partner certainly made his point.

"Celebrities in all walks of life, be it actors or sportspersons, or politicians, all have to face this kind of a thing. Controversies are always part and parcel of life when you are a public figure," said Leander Paes, non-playing captain, Davis Cup team.

"It's about what kind of dignity you handle all this with. The biggest thing for any athlete is to play for his country and for its people," he added.

Despite the endless string of controversies that have surrounded Sania's career, most former players were harsh on globosport the sports management company headed by Mahesh Bhupathi, which advised Sania to skip the Bangalore Open.

"It's a highly immature, juvennile decision that she has been advised to do. It is not a question of setting just a bad precedent. It is the fact that she's been so badly misguided," said Naresh Kumar, Former Davis Cup Captain.

However, it is not like Sania does not have support. Many can empathise with what she has been going through.

"It is not easy on the court, when you already have so many things on your mind. So you don't need these controversies when you're off the court, that doesn't help at all," said Rohan Bopanna, Sania's Hopman Cup team-mate.

Media reports have hinted that a dispute over appearance money could be a reason for Sania pulling out of India's most high profile tennis event, which will feature the Williams sisters.

The tournament organisers did not confirm or deny that they are just hoping that Sania will have a change of heart.

"Certainly hope she does reconsider. After all she must not take a decision after depending on the extreme fringe layer of people, she should get on the court and play," said Sunder Raju, Tournament Director, Bangalore Open.

Sania's decision to pull out of the Bangalore open has evoked sharp criticism, from not just the experts but from former and current players alike.

But the one point to ponder here is about the challenges in front of Indian sports persons not just is it hard to become successful in India, but it seems now you've also got to contend with numerous other challenges, once you've made it as well.

News Source : Samachar