Lok Sabha to hold discussion on Commonwealth Games preparation

Amid a row over alleged large-scale corruption in Commonwealth Games projects, the Lok Sabha will hold a discussion on CWG preparations on Monday. BJP members Virender Kumar and A T Nana Patil will initiate a special discussion on "delay" in the preparation of the mega sporting event to be held in

New Delhi from October 3-14.

The issue of alleged large-scale corruption in the Games projects had created an uproar in Parliament last week with entire Opposition in the Lok Sabha uniting to attack the government, accusing it of allowing "loot" of public money.

Members of the BJP, JD(U), Left parties and Samajwadi Party had targeted the government on the issue. The Left had even demanded a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) to probe charges of corruption in the Games projects.

While Sports Minister M S Gill will reply to the debate, Urban Development Minister S Jaipal Reddy is expected to intervene in the matter.

A discussion on the Bhopal gas tragedy and the recommendations of the GoM will also take place next week, Parliament sources said.

The sources said the BJP will no longer press for a discussion on "misuse" of CBI, an issue high on the Opposition party's agenda when the Monsoon session began two weeks back.

Instead, Congress members are now keen for a discussion on the issue through which they could raise the matter of "Hindu terror", the sources said.

33 soldiers washed away in Ladakh floods, Pak help sought

Thirty-three soldiers including three JCOs, deployed along the Line of Control near Siachen glacier, are feared to have been washed away to PoK in flash floods in Ladakh and help of Pakistan has been sought to trace them. A senior army officer said today that the jawans, who were manning a post

near Turtok along the Line of Control (LoC), still remained untraced after they faced the fury of a swollen Shyok river on the same day when Leh was hit by flash floods following a devastating cloudburst on Friday.

The Army has now sought the help of Pakistani authorities to help rescue the 33 personnel of 15 Bihar infantry regiment as it fears that they may have been swept away towards Pakistan-occupied Kashmir(PoK) in the deluge, the officer said.

Though the 33 soldiers, including three junior commissioned officers, were well-trained to negotiate the conditions, the Army has not been able to trace them even 48 hours after the incident, the officer said.

"The soldiers are feared to have been swept away towards PoK and we have sought help from Pakistan to trace them," the officer said.

Efforts on to check oil spill off Mumbai

The authorities on Sunday launched efforts on a war footing to combat the oil spill from a Panaman ship which crashed

The damaged cargo ship MSC Chitra is seen in the Arabian Sea, off the Mumbai coast. Two Panamanian cargo ships collided off the Mumbai coast causing an oil spill from one of the vessels.
into another vessel in Mumbai harbour, an official said.

The MSC Chitra had crashed into the St Kitts-registered MV Khalijia-III on Saturday.

Five Indian Coast Guard (ICG) ships and two helicopters have been pressed into service for checking the massive oil spill in the Mumbai harbour, around five km south of Mumbai, the official said.

Due to the impact of the collision, MSC Chitra has dangerously tilted in the sea and rescue groups were seeing containers that it was carrying falling from it at regular intervals.

Since the containers are floating in the choppy Arabian Sea, it poses a serious hazard to vessels navigating in that area and consequently, shipping traffic has been kept on hold for the time being, an official said.

The coast guard vessels - Sankalp, Amrit Kaur, Subhadra Kumari Chauhan, Kamla Devi and C-145 - have joined advanced offshore patrol vessel Sangram which was deployed since Saturday to monitor the oil spill and guide the relief efforts.

Accroding to the ICG, two helicopters were pressed into service for aerial spraying of dispersants on the thick oil slick through regular sorties. Nearly 150 litres of dispersants had so far been sprayed.

The ICG's smaller vessels are now engaged in churning down the oil sheen for weathering/emulsification, but the discharge from the grounded ship continued, thwarting the efforts by different agencies.

The official said that the authorities are making the best efforts to mitigate and minimise the damage to the sea due to the oil spill.

"Containment and recovery of spilled oil in present position is not feasible because of the rocky surface and the prevailing weather and tidal conditions," the official explained.

The ICG rescued all the 33 sailors from the two ships. The two vessels, loaded with containers of dry cargo, collided when one of them was attempting to berth at the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT), off Mumbai, around 9.45 a.m. Saturday, an ICG official said.

Pilots deserting Mallya's Kingfisher Airlines

Vijay Mallya`s Kingfisher Airlines is facing trouble as more than 150 of its pilots have bid adieu to Kingfisher in the past one and half years, citing various reasons.

Even though some new have joined, the current shortage in the airlines is estimated to be 35, forcing the airline to ground some of its aircrafts. Amid all the turbulence, a huge shuffle and reshuffle has been noticed. The troubledairlines cancel leaves of flight commanders, and put senior executives from the operations department on flying duty.

In the same period, Kingfisher`s rival, Jet Airways, lost 35 pilots.

In response to an e-mail query, a Kingfisher spokesman wrote: "We are not in the business of answering speculative questions. The assumptions and consequent questions do not merit reply. All our flights are operating on schedule."

Kingfisher, part of the UB Group -- the world`s second largest spirits maker by volume, has 618 pilots. Kingfisher`s Airbus A320 fleet, which constitutes about a third of its 66-plane fleet, has been the worst hit by the pilot shortage.

"The airline is facing a shortage of at least 35 pilots in the Airbus A320 fleet," a Kingfisher executive said on the condition of anonymity. Another said the airline had told the pilots they should go on leave only if absolutely necessary. It has put at least 12 senior executives from the operations department on the flying roster to bridge the gap in the cockpit.

In other airlines, senior executives from the operations department are required to fly only once a month to retain their flying licence.

Another Kingfisher executive said the airline had been forced to ground some of its aircraft owing to the pilot shortage. "About 12 of our aircraft are grounded at the moment. Some due to spare parts shortage, but a few because they do not have pilots to operate them," the executive said.

Kingfisher was under a debt of Rs7,413 crore as of December 2009. The merchant banking arm of State Bank of India (SBI) is preparing a debt-recast plan for the airline. SBI had earlier rejected a proposal to recastKingfisher`s Rs2,099-crore short-term debt.

Kingfisher, which operates more than 375 flights a day to 71 destinations in India and abroad, had reported net loss of Rs1,647.2 crore in the financial year ended March 2009. It reported a net loss of Rs187 crore in the first quarter of the current financial year.

The airline has hired Seabury Aviation & Aerospace, a US-based company, to advise on sustaining its long-term profitability by strengthening the operational and financial performance

CBI continues to question Amit Shah

The CBI sleuths on Sunday kept on quizzing former Gujarat minister Amit Shah. He was grilled on Saturday for nine hours in connection with the 2005 killing of Sohrabuddin Sheikh in a staged shootout.

The former minister of state for home was at the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) office in the morning for the final day of questioning. His two-day period of CBI remand ends Sunday night.

Though Shah has been lodged in Sabarmati jail after his arrest on July 25 and judicial remand thereafter, he spent on Saturday night in the CBI lock-up in it's regional office in Sector-10 here.

He was brought to the CBI camp office in the old secretariat for further questioning Sunday morning.

The minister faced over 300 questions over the length of the day Saturday, say sources in CBI. His lawyers said they had no complaints in relation to the questioning.

According to the source, Shah has been less than cooperative in answering questions. On Saturday, he was in the custody of the CBI from almost 10 am to 8.30 pm The questioning began around 10.a.m. Sunday again.

He has answered largely in monosyllables or at best with "I don't remember".

The former minister has been asked searching questions about the orders he issued in relation to the transfer of key police officers who are now co-accused and his phone conversations - 32 times with Deputy Superintendent of Police NK Amin on the day Sohrabuddin's wife Kauserbi is suspected to have been killed, the source said.

Murty's son to tie knot with TVS heiress

A big event is going to take place as two business family descendants will be two hearts and one soul very soon. Infosys mentor NR Narayana Murthy's son Rohan is all set to marry Lakshmi Venu, only daughter of TVS Motors chairman Venu Srinivsan. Rohan.

Rohan is a Microsoft fellow, who is doing his PhD in computer science from Harvard University, and has an engineering degree from Cornell University.

He earlier did his schooling at Bishop Cotton Boys' School in Bangalore. Lakshmi, who studied economics at Yale Univeristy, later got a PhD in manufacturing management from Warwick Univesity in the UK. In Chennai her alma mater was in Shishya.

Lakshmi is mandated to steer strategy at both Sundaram Clayton (an auto component maker) and TVS Motor (India's third largest two-wheeler company).

Said Narayana Murthy, who is on a visit to Mantralaya, home of the revered saint Sri Raghavendra Swami, "We are very happy. Lakshmi is such a wonderful person." He said that the marriage date was left to the couple. "I don't want to get into the details. It is left to the couple.

They are both mature, intelligent people and will decide these things on their own." Rohan is currently in Chennai meeting members of Lakshmi's family.

Cloudburst toll reaches 115; many trapped

Several foreigners were among the tourists reported to be stranded in Leh on Friday as air links were snapped after massive flash floods hit the town, killing at least 115 and washing away several government buildings and houses.

"Some foreign nationals are reported to have been affected in the natural calamity i.e. flashflood due to cloud-burst at Leh," a statement by the external affairs ministry said.

It gave the satellite phone number of the control room of the Leh district administration for those wanting to find information. The number is 00870-7636-13623.

A 24-hour helpline has also been set up in the control room. The numbers are 09906990787 and 09906990835.

Unprecedented massive cloudbursts triggered flash floods and mudslides in Leh town around midnight, washing away concrete structures including government offices, paramilitary camps and residential homes in the town.

"The runway of the Leh airport has been inundated by the flood waters and road connectivity was disrupted there," a police official said in Srinagar.

Because of the damage to the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) headquarters, communications have been completely disrupted in Leh town and it is difficult to reach anybody through phone there.

'Saying I'm HIV+ is tough; saying I'm gay is tougher'

It is a Sunday morning. Outside Hyderabad, at a Rajasthani-style resort named Dhola-ri-dhani, close to 500 men have gathered. The younger among them seem to be in their 20s, the seniors in their 60s. They speak softly, but warmly to each other. Many of them know each other through previous secret meetings but if they were to meet outside, they would not acknowledge that. It would be as though they have never met before. But here they are at peace in a gathering where they can be themselves.

The technical term used to describe them is MSM: Men Who Have Sex with Men. The group gathered here has bisexuals, homosexuals, and transgendered individuals. There are cross-dressers too, conspicuous with their elaborate hair-dos and bright outfits and what appear to be deliberately feminine mannerisms.

The meeting has been organized by the Andhra Pradesh AIDS Control Society and local NGOs who want to build a greater support system for the 60,000 men in Andhra Pradesh who have sex with other men. There is a sense of urgency. HIV is shooting up in the community - from 9 to 11% in the last two years.

Vivek tested positive for HIV in 2003. His wife knows that. What he hasn't told her is that he contracted the infection when he lived in Mumbai as a young man. To supplement his income as a receptionist, he worked as a paid sex worker. Since his teens, Vivek knew that he was sexually attracted to men. But the fear of rejection by his family and society, he says, nudged him into marrying a cousin He has a 12-year-old daughter now. Vivek says it was humiliating and debilitating to tell his family that he is HIV positive; but telling them about his sexual preference is impossible.

That is the startling consensus here - that the stigma of being gay is more domineering and substantial than that of being HIV positive. And this is what worries health workers. That while society is, however gradually, being trained to overcome its prejudice against HIV and AIDS, there is no comparable progress in how it perceives or treats homosexuality. ``In India, it is still a crime," says Vivek.

More than a year ago, a landmark judgement saw the Delhi High Court decriminalizing homosexuality under Section 377. That verdict has been challenged in the Supreme Court, whose ruling is awaited. The government, however, has not appealed against the High Court's decision. Chances are, experts say, that the ruling will not be over-turned.

But the gap between legal acceptance and everyday life is expansive and isolating. Nayeem, now in his 30s, came out to his father 10 years ago. It was traumatising for both father and son. After six daughters, his father responded, he wanted his only son to be a "proper man." Nayeem has held his ground, refusing to marry. But his sexual preference remains a secret.

"With HIV status, people may taunt you a couple of times. Then they accept. But it is not like that with homosexuality. They humiliate you everywhere, call you a hijra," he says.

The six -hour-long meeting encourages men gathered here to swap stories and understand that they need to access medical extension services offered by the government and NGOs.

And, also, more importantly, help others who find it very difficult to come out and seek guidance. To learn how they can lead a life of their choice and still protect themselves from HIV. Considerable time is spent explaining the need for regular tests. The gathering is familiarised with the exclusive drop-in centre for MSMs, the only one of its kind possibly in the country. Health workers explain that they are lobbying for MSM-specific condoms, with more lubricants, to soon be made available in the market.

At 5 pm, Vivek is ready to leave. He will tell his wife that he spent the day at his office.

Train passengers robbed, assaulted in Bihar

Over 50 armed robbers stormed into the AC coaches of a Delhi-bound express train and looted the passengers in Bihar`s Lakhisarai district early on Friday.

The Howrah-Delhi Lal Quila Express was on its way to Delhi when the incident happened. The robbers looted cash and valuables from the passengers between Bansipur and Bhulai railway stations, about 150 km from here.

The passengers were also assaulted and were injured when they resisted the robbers.

Railway police has lodged a case in this connection.

Over a dozen train robberies have been reported in Bihar in the last six months. Today`s robbery is a case of major railway security breakdown.

How to file your income tax returns!

As the d-day (31 July) to file the income tax returns is just couple of days away, it is high time that you file your returns before it is too late. If you are very busy, then you can file your returns online too. You are duty bound to do so.

You have to remember that filing of tax returns is mandatory for everyone whose gross total income exceeds the basic exemption limit, which is Rs1.90 lakhs for women below 65 years of age, Rs 2.40 lakhs for senior citizens and Rs 1.60 lakhs for any other individual, for the financial year 2009-10 (for income earned between April 2009 and March 2010). The due date for filing the tax returns for financial year 2009-10 in case of individual tax payers is July 31, 2010. The current tax returns don`t require any documents to be annexed.

According to noted income tax consultant,Surinder Gambhir,there is a misconception among some salaried individuals that because the employer has deduced tax at source, they are not required to file tax returns. Even though tax has been deduced and there is no other source of income, or liability to pay tax, you have to fileincome tax returns. It is necessary to file income-tax returns if the total income, before allowing any deduction, exceeds the exemption limit.

All you need is Form 16 and 16A along with the summary of all your bank accounts. And of course your PAN Card number.

There are eight Income tax return (ITR) forms. Depending on the various streams of income you earn, you have to select the return form accordingly. If you have income from salary, pension and interest income, then ITR-1 is the form for you. If you have capital gains or rental income or you’re paying off a home loan in addition to interest income and salary income, then you need to fill ITR-2. Make sure you select an appropriate form after taking into consideration, the flow of income from various streams.

There are two possible ways to file your returns—online and offline.

Though many are contemplating whether it’s worthwhile shifting from the old fashioned method of filing returns physically to a modern method i.e. e-filing which was introduced in the assessment year 2006-07, but the fact remains that with the last day for filingIncome Tax returns coming close, whatever means you choose-offline or online, what matters is that it is done before its too late.

Cloudburst, flash floods kill over 100 in Leh; many missing

At least 100 people were killed and several are missing after flash floods and cloudburst hit parts of Leh on Thursday night.

According to reports, the communication system in the area was badly affected because of the cloudburst which was accompanied by heavy rains. Because of this the exact number of casualties is not known yet.

A polytechnic college, headquarters of the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police camp, many government offices and houses have been damaged. The Leh airport has been flooded.

As many as 4,000 army men, and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and police personnel have launched a massive relief and rescue operation.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has expressed grief over the tragedy. He has directed the civil and police administration to undertake relief and rescue work.

Old Leh city is worst affected, with the main hospital, SNM Hospital, flooded and the main bus stand flattened.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has expressed grief over the loss of life and property.

"The Prime Minister is grieved to learn about the loss of life and property in the flash floods which hit Leh after a cloud burst last night,” a PMO statement said.

Kashmir: 2 more killed, Omar meets injured in hospital

It's more than a week now but the Kashmir valley continues to be on the edge. And on Thursday, two more people died in Kashmir - one succumbed to injuries in the hospital and the second died in firing at Pulwama, according to locals. Ten others were also injured in the firing.

The stone-pelting mobs clashed with security forces, protesting a death in police firing last night. Police used tear gas and lathicharge to disperse the crowd.

Protesters also allegedly attacked two police posts in Sopore and Srinagar and set fire to a state road transport corporation office in Baramulla. Curfew continues in all 10 districts of the Valley for the seventh consecutive day.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah reached out to the victims of violence in the Valley. A beleaguered Omar, who has been accused of failing to control the turmoil in the state, visited the injured in the Sher-e-Kashmir hospital and also took stock of the availability of medicines in various hospitals and directed the health ministry to airlift medicines if required.

In another development, PDP leader Muzaffar Beg sent his resignation as an MLA to his party president. Baig complained that MLAs are not consulted on any issue, which makes the Kashmir Assembly meaningless.

Meanwhile, 38 young Members of Parliament have written to the youth of Jammu and Kashmir expressing empathy, pleading for restraint and endorsing the need for dialogue. Cutting across party lines, the MPs - including Priya Dutt, Dipendra Huda and Sandeep Dixit of the Congress, Akhilesh Yadav of the Samajwadi Party and Supriya Sule of the NCP - issued a signed statement condemning the violence.

Read more at: http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/pulwama-1-killed-10-injured-in-firing-42290?cp

Always advocated non-violent protests: Geelani

At a time when Kashmir has seen some of its worst violence in years, hardline separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani has called for the people to stop violence and end attacks on police stations and public property. It's being seen as a possible breakthrough in the Valley.
Speaking to NDTV, Geelani says the Omar Abdullah government assured him he would have the freedom to practice his politics as long as it's peaceful. "Despite the promise, Omar government stopped my first march," he added.

"Islam has always preached non-violence. I have always advocated non-violent protests but Delhi never understood my politics. My statement on non-violent protests does not change basic stand," Geelani said.

The Hurriyat leader added that he wanted the troops to be pulled out of Kashmir. "There is no military solution to Kashmir. Delhi can't win Kashmir by force."

Yesterday, Geelani made an unusual appeal to people not to burn police stations, rail tracks and public property and said violence goes against the Kashmir cause.

Meanwhile, there were fresh protests in Srinagar today after the death of a man injured during firing last night. Police used tear gas and lathicharged the crowd.

Protest also continued in Srinagar and other parts of the Valley in the night. Two police posts and a CRPF guard post were attacked by a mob in Sopore.

All districts of Kashmir remained under curfew yesterday as additional paramilitary forces reached the Valley.

A total of 29 people have been killed in clashes across the Valley since Friday.

No conviction for demanding dowry: Supreme Court

The Supreme Court has ruled that a person cannot be convicted for merely demanding dowry unless the demand is followed by mental or physical torture resulting in the death of the victim.

A Bench of Justices R M Lodha and A K Patnaik said in a judgement that the prosecution has to establish convincing evidence that the accused had subjected the victim to torture soon before her death in connection with the demand.

"The evidence of Prosecution Witness-2, PW-4 and PW-5 shows that Jagdish and Gordhani played a role in the demand of dowry for a scooter or Rs 25,000 for Amar Singh but demand of dowry by itself is not an offence under Section 498A or Section 304B IPC.

"What is punishable under Section 498A or Section 304B of IPC is the act of cruelty or harassment by the husband or the relative of the husband against the woman," the Bench said.

The bench passed the judgement while upholding the acquittal of Gordhani, mother-in-law, and Jagdish, brother-in-law, in a dowry death case of newly-married woman Santosh in Rajasthan's Alwar district in March, 8, 1993. It however, upheld the conviction of the husband Amar Singh.

The sessions court had convicted all the three for dowry death (304B) and 498A (harassment of married woman by husband/relatives).

The Rajasthan High Court had on an appeal from the accused quashed the conviction of Jagdish and Gordhari while sustaining the life sentence imposed on Amar Singh.

While the state government had appealed against the acquittals, Amar Singh challenged his conviction.

Read more at: http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/no-conviction-for-demanding-dowry-supreme-court-42298?cp

Jagan vs Congress: Andhra's passive-aggressive battle

Despite a grand tour which defied his party's orders to stay put, Jagan Mohan Reddy has not been penalized by his party, the Congress. Instead, the Congress' approach to YSR Junior is passive-aggressive - those close to him are being censured.

Like Konda Surekha, who quit as the Minister for Women and Child Welfare last year, declaring that it was impossible to work with anyone other than Jaganmohan Reddy as Chief Minister. When Jagan's father, YSR, died in a helicopter crash last September, the party brought in K Rosaiah to replace him.

Surekha, who is a Congress MLA from Warangal, has been issued a show cause notice for describing Rosaiah's government as "awful" in a letter to Sonia Gandhi and other leaders last week.``I am saying openly that Jaganmohan Reddy has to be given the leadership. The party requires a powerful leader. He has the people's verdict," she says, defiantly.

Mass support is certainly what Jaganmohan set out to prove when he began his Odarpu Yatra late in May this year. He said he wanted to personally visit each family who said that his father's death, a member died from shock (there were close to 400 who made this claim).

The party said it was not required, especially after the tour in Telangana region ended in violence. But after a short break, Jaganmohan continued with this yatra. The road show was a pointed demonstration of strength, appeal, and whether or not the Congress likes it, a claim of the heir apparent.

Rosaiah handled the crisis mainly by staying out of it. He took his cues from the Congress leadership in Delhi, which played it safe, stating that Jagan's trip was a personal one, and therefore did not require the party's intervention. Jagan's camp, however, says that Rosaiah took the tour as a personal slight.

Ambati Rambabu, a former General Secretary of the party, has been suspended for his anti-Rosaiah remarks.``The Chief Minister is giving wrong information to the high command against Jagan. Jagan in fact, before starting the Odarpu yatra took the Chief Minister's blessings," he says.

In the face of what they perceive as constant undermining, Rosaiah's supporters are now returning the volleys. ``You say the rule in the state is very bad. Who are you to dictate terms to the High Command?'' asks P Shanker Rao, a Congress MLA and a self-declared Rosaiah supporter.

What the party is truly worried about, sources say, is that the Jagan camp, through its public criticism of Rosaiah, wants to provoke the central leadership in Delhi. The consequences of that could turn the fault-line into a very decisive crack.

Bihar govt given 15 days to clear Patna airport runway

'Clear the entire length of the runway in fifteen days or shut it', this is the diktat for the Bihar government with regard to the Patna Airport.

This is an order served to the Bihar government by the Union Civil Aviation Ministry.

"Safety of the aircraft and passengers is the most important criteria. I have been informed by the DGCA about the present state. Many airlines have complained in the past that to land at Patna they have to keep 20 to 30 percent of their seats vacant. Keeping all this in mind we have asked the state government to intervene and make necessary changes," said Civil Aviation Minister, Praful Patel.

He also added that in case of non cooperation by the Bihar government, big aircraft would be barred from landing at the runway. "They must do this if in future they want to see Patna having an International airport," he concluded by saying so.

The whole story started after a detailed report by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation was tabled. As per the report, Patna has the most dangerous airstrip in the country for a big aircraft to land on.

The Patna airstrip is about 6,400 feet in length which is acceptable by the international standards however, the problem lies in the strategic location of the runway. The runway is bound by trees of the zoological garden on one side and a railway line on the other. Hence, the usable length of the airstrip, at any given time, reduces to only about 5, 500 feet making the landing of any big aircraft a risky affair. The critical location of the runway is so that even an expansion can do no good to it.

Going back in the past, Patna airport has its own history of air mishaps. In the year 2000 an Alliance Air flight from Kolkata crashed near Patna Airport. The aircraft had overshot the runway and when it tried to turn around 360 degrees to re-land, it crashed killing 60 people.

Talks of shifting the airport on the outskirts of the city have been going on for a while now. The officials say, that the only option is to shift the airport to Bihta Air force Base which is35 kilometres from the city. The runway length is a safe 8,000 feet at that location.

This was proposed and also cleared by the state government last year. But until now, no work has started on the ground; neither has the paper work begun.

Is this why the Bihar government is maintaining a steady silence?

Read more at: http://www.ndtv.com/article/cities/bihar-govt-given-15-days-to-clear-patna-airport-runway-42242?cp

Alleged CWG corruption: Three people suspended, treasurer quits

After a fortnight of damning allegations and revelations, heads have begun rolling in the Organising Committee for the Commonwealth Games. And the investigation into allegations of corruption has been handed over to the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

T S Darbari, Jt Director General of the committee and a close aide of the chief Suresh Kalmadi, has been suspended after censure by the Sports Ministry. Another member, Sanjay Mohindroo, has also been suspended, as has M Jeychandren, Officer on Special Duty, Finance & Accounts.

Darbari and Mohindroo were the people responsible for delivery, Jeychandren was the person responsible for accounts and they would remain under suspension while the ED conducted its inquiry, the committee's Secretary General Lalit Bhanot said at a Press conference.

Bhanot repeatedly insisted though that the Organising Committee was "transparent", and that it defended its decisions.

The committee has also decided to sack an Australian company hired to land sponsorships for the Commonwealth Games, Sports Marketing and Management (SMAM), for "non-performance." (Alleged CWG corruption: Australian Firm, SMAM, fired)

Earlier in the day, the Treasurer, Anil Khanna, resigned over reports that his son's company won a contract worth a crore for prepping tennis courts for the Games and used inferior material.

He will be replaced by AK Mattoo, in a role reversal of sorts. Mattoo had quit the post of Treasurer in January this year, and Khanna was brought in.

It's a new wave of embarrassment for the Organising Committee Chairman Suresh Kalmadi, given that all these people are known for their proximity to him. (Video Special: Corruption scandal hits CWG)

The Sports Ministry had formally asked Kalmadi to dismiss Darbari and Mohindroo on the grounds that they are linked to two major financial scandals.

An email from Mohindroo shows him dictating taxi rates to a vendor in London who was hired to provide cars and other services during the Queen's Baton Relay function in London last year. (Read: Commonwealth Games official 'fixed' taxi rates?)

The vendor in question -Ashish Patel- and his firm, AM Cars -have a dubious financial record. Instead of asking him for rates, Mohindroo states what fares Patel should charge. 450 pounds a day. Exorbitant even when compared to hiring a BMW or Mercedes with a driver in London.

Darbari is at the centre of a Customs case which accuses him of illegally trying to import a ring worth nearly 20 lakh from Dubai into Kerala. He was also sent to Australia for the Queen's Baton Relay there.

Sources say Darbari is linked to a controversial deal with an Australian firm, Sports Marketing and Management (SMAM), which was allegedly promised close to 200 crores in exchange for delivering sponsorship for the Games. What exactly SMAM has delivered so far remains unclear.

The company's head, Mike Bushell, told an Australian newspaper that they had managed record-breaking deals for the Games, and that SMAM has not been paid "a single rupee" so far. The Inquiry Committee set up by Kalmadi is also looking into whether SMAM shares any DNA with World Sports Group, a company being investigated for an 80-crore kickback in a controversial broadcast rights deal for the Indian Premier League.

Read more at: http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/alleged-cwg-corruption-three-people-suspended-treasurer-quits-42282?cp

Chidambaram appeals for peace in Kashmir

Home Minister P Chidambaram on Wednesday appealed to the people of Jammu and Kashmir to "end the cycle of violence" that has been continuing for the past more than 50 days. "I appeal to the people of Jammu and Kashmir to end the cycle of violence," Chidambaram said in the Lok shabha.

He said the central government was behind the Omar Abdullah-led state government in its efforts aimed at restoration of peace, holding dialogue and redressal of grievances in all parts of Kashmir.

Chidambaram made a specific appeal to parents in Kashmir, urging them to ensure that their children do not become part of violent activities.

He said that there were 872 stone pelting incidents in June and July 2010 and 1,456 security personnel were injured, adding that the security forces showed "great fortitude" in dealing with the violent protests.

The Kashmir Valley has been on the boil due to violent protests against civilians being killed in firing by security forces since June 11.

Gunfight with Maoists over, 'missing' Chhattisgarh cops safe

Security forces fought a long-drawn gun battle with heavily armed Maoists in a forest in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada area that ended on Wednesday evening, a top police official said, adding that the 70 policemen earlier reported missing were found to be safe. "Our courageous jawans displayed bravery in the encounter that began around 11 a.m. and stretched till evening. Now the gun fight is over and all policemen are safe... they are on their way back but returning very slowly as there is a possibility of landmines or ambushes in their forested way after sunset," Director General of Police Vishwa Ranjan said.

The gunfight began when Maoists attacked a search team of the state police in a thickly forested area of Gumiapal, close to Kirandul, about 420 km south of capital Raipur, an iron ore mining facility of India's top iron ore producer NMDC Ltd.

A strong contingent of the District Force and Koya Commando comprising special police officers (SPOs) had gone into the forest around 11 a.m. after a tip-off about the presence of a unit headed by Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) commander Ganesh Uike, state police spokesperson Rajesh Mishra told reporters.

"Our forces hit five rebels with bullets in the initial spell of the battle and the rebels climbed up to a hilltop to launch a counter-attack but they (Maoists) never managed to succeed," said Ranjan.

Ranjan, who was monitoring the gunfight from the police headquarters here, said some 100 policemen came under attack from the Maoists and a 75-member reinforcement sent later also engaged the rebels.

Inspector General of Police (Bastar Range) T.J. Longkumer said: "It is really a major relief... Maoists were never allowed during the six-hour battle to dominate us. It is good to know that all our jawans are safe."

Rahul, Dimpy seek divine blessings

Rahul Mahajan and Dimpy Ganguly put up a show of togetherness in public for the first time today after a quarrel on Friday when the Kolkata-based model walked out to return the same day following an apparent patch up.

The couple who got married just in March this year visited the famous Sidhhivinayak temple here this afternoon to seek blessings.

"We have no issues between us and I love my wife. We are together and therefore came to take blessings of the God," Rahul, who kept his arm around Dimpi's shoulders, told reporters.

However, Dimpi. who had earlier spoke of her marital woes and physical abuse, refused to speak to the media.


Soon after she was back in the Mahajan family home but says she needs time to think. "He says he has regretted what he did. I need some time alone to think,” she maintained.

As the heir to his father's political legacy, Rahul Mahajan had it all. But he has squandered his legacy with allegations of drug abuse and repeated domestic violence.

Rahul's first marriage ended after allegations of violence. His television stint - an attempt to restore his battered image. But looks like the real life re-run could come in the way.


Earlier, Kolkata-based model Dimpy Ganguly walked out of her four-month-old TV marriage with Rahul Mahajan, accusing him of "punching, kicking and dragging" her by hair only to return home after an apparent patch-up.