Manmohan leaves Seoul after attending G20 summit

Seoul, Nov 12 : Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh left the South Korean capital Seoul Friday after attending the G20 summit where he called for a new global rebalance.

Manmohan Singh said funds from surplus nations can go to bridging the infrastructure gap in poor and emerging economies to avoid destabilisation.

He also warned against protectionism in the wake of unemployment in rich nations, while asking the G20 leadership to agree to what is called the mutual assessment process to determine what level of deficit or surplus is good or bad for each country.

"Problems facing us in rebalancing the global economy is well known," the Indian prime minister told a plenary session of the G20 Summit here.

Since Thursday, the prime minister had a string of engagements including a bilateral meeting with his Ethiopian counterpart Meles Zenawi followed by another with Mexican President Felipe Calderon, besides British Prime Minister David Cameron and Canadian Premier Stephen Harper.

The Indian delegation includes Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao and Finance Secretary Ashok Chawla.

The G20, originally formed at the level of finance ministers and central bank governors in 1999 after the East Asian economic crisis, has assumed significance after it was elevated to a summit-level forum in 2008 after the ongoing global financial crisis.

Besides India, South Korea, the G20 comprises Brazil, the US and Canada, Argentina, Australia, China, France, Germany, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, Britain and the European Union.

Raja rules out resignation over 2G spectrum issue

New Delhi, Nov 12 : Information Technology and Communication Minister A. Raja on Friday ruled out his resignation over the 2G spectrum issue, saying he will prove that everything that he has done has been according to the law.

"The question does not arise at all. We will prove that everything has been done according to the law," Raja told reporters here.

He maintained that he will not comment on the spectrum allocation issue as it is "sub-judice" and said the affidavit submitted by the Telecom Department before the Supreme Court yesterday "says it all".

"The entire matter is sub-judice. It may not be fair on my part to comment on this...," he added.

Reacting to AIADMK chief J Jayalalithaa''s open offer for support to the UPA Government if it removed Raja from the Cabinet,, Raja said, "She is trying to save her own skin as she is facing corruption charges herself."

"She has no moral right to offer support to the UPA Government," he added.

On Wednesday, Jayalalithaa had said that if the Congress sacks Raja, she is ready to offer her support to the UPA coalition.

Raja, according to the AIADMK chief, has committed the mother of all scams, and therefore, he needs to be dismissed.

The 2G (second generation) spectrum allocations caused an alleged loss of Rs1.76 lakh crore to the government, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has stated in a damning report.

The report further states that Raja had no apparent logical or valid reasons to ignore the advice of the Law and Finance Ministries while allocating telecom spectrum to several firms in 2007-08.

The report is likely to be tabled in Parliament within ten days.

Haryana honour killing: Man shoots brother-in-law

Fatehabad (Haryana), Nov 12 : In another case of honour killing in Haryana, a 28-year-old man was shot dead by his wife's brother as he hailed from a different caste, police say.

The shooting took place at Tohana town late Thursday, said police. The killed man was identified as Sukhbir Singh, a resident of Rajgarh village in Jind district.

"Sukhbir married Kirandeep Kaur in May this year. Kirandeep was from a different caste and her parents were against the marriage. We have arrested Jagjit Singh, Kirandeep's brother, and another youth for murdering Sukhbir," a police official said Friday.

"Sukhbir ran a cable network business. Jagjit Singh had come in a car and blocked Sukhbir's way as he was going towards Hisar on a motorcycle. After firing at Sukhbir, they also ran the car over him. It is a clear case of honour killing," the police official added.

In the last few months, many cases of honour killing have rocked different parts of Haryana.

FIR filed against Cong leaders for 'attacking' RSS office

Allahabad: An FIR was lodged by RSS and VHP supporters here on Thursday against a number of Congress leaders, including its state unit vice-president, accusing them of having "attacked" the RSS office here during a protest against former Sangh chief K C Sudarshan's reported comments against Sonia Gandhi.

The FIR was lodged at Civil Lines police station against seven named persons, including UPCC vice-president Shekhar Bahuguna and city Mayor Chaudhary Jitendranath Singh, and 35 unnamed ones under various sections of the IPC relating to rioting and causing hurt voluntarily, police sources said.

"Today's incident was shameful. The most shocking part was that the Mayor was leading the Congress activists who attacked the RSS office this evening," VHP city unit president Pawan Srivastava alleged.

However, when contacted, Mayor Singh rubbished the charge and said, "It was a peaceful and orderly expression of the outrage felt by party members over the unmentionable remarks that the former RSS chief Sudarshan has reportedly made against our supremo Sonia Gandhi".

"In fact, I had gone to the spot only to ensure that no untoward incident took place. And contrary to the allegations being made by the RSS, the VHP and the BJP, we ourselves were attacked by bricks and stones by the Sangh Parivar activists who were livid at our democratic protest," he claimed.

Singh also claimed that UPCC vice-president Shekhar Bahuguna, who has been named in the FIR, "was not even present at the demonstration".

"Bahuguna happened to pass by along with his family members and upon seeing the demonstration, he simply advised the protestors to carry on in a peaceful manner and went away," the Mayor, who is also city Congress chief, claimed. 

He also said that he has submitted a written complaint to the district police chief and "we have been assured of appropriate action against the Sangh members who indulged in violence themselves but are accusing us of having done the same".

"We will not get cowed down by the Sangh Parivar's tricks."

50 pc votes cast in fifth phase of Bihar polls

Patna: Defying a poll boycott call, an estimated 49.84 per cent voters exercised their franchise on Tuesday in 35 assembly constituencies in the fifth phase of Bihar assembly elections amid stray incidents of violence.

Of the 17 Maoist-hit constituencies, Rajauli recorded 47 per cent voting, Gobindpur 45, Arwal 43, Kurtha 41, Jehanabad 45, Ghosi 54.3, Makhdumpur 51, Bodh Gaya 51, Phulwari 52.28, Masaurhi 53.04, Paliganj 50.28, Atri 47, Bikram 52.15, Islampur 50, Hilsa 50.4, Belaganj 49 and Wazirganj 49 per cent, Additional Chief Electoral Officer Kumar Anshumali.

Prominent candidates whose fates were sealed in EVMs were JD-U ministers Hari Narain Singh (Harnaut), Jitan Ram Manjhi (Makhdumpur), Bhagwan Singh Kushwaha (Jagdishpur) and BJP minister Prem Kumar (Gaya town).

Others were JD-U Chief Whip in the Assembly Shravan Kumar (Nalanda), party MLAs Asha Devi (Barhara), Sunil Kumar (Biharsharif), Shyam Rajak (Phulwari), Narendra Kumar Pandey (Tarari), senior BJP leaders Sayadeo Narain Arya (Rajgir), and Amrendra Pratap Singh (Ara).

The exercise was, by and large, peaceful, DGP Neelmani said.

A man identified as Subhash Sharma was shot dead by unidentified assailants about 500 metre away from booth no 124 at the Kurtha assembly seat in Arwal district, but the DGP said that it was not related to the elections.

Altogether 292 persons were detained and around 125 vehicles including 86 motorcycles, seized Neelmani said.

Official sources said LJP president Ram Vilas Paswan's son-in-law and party nominee Mrinal Paswan was detained together with seven supporters for creating disturbance in a constituency in Rajgir.

NCP nominee for Jagdishpur Manoj Kumar Rai, was arrested with Rs 21,000 in cash in his possession in Bhojpur district, while former RJD minister Adiyta Singh was arrested for electoral irregularities at a booth in Nawada, the sources said.

Four persons were detained and Rs 1.55 lakh in cash was seized from their vehicle in Phulwari constituency where JD(U) nominee Shyam Razak locked horns with RJD's Uday Manjhi.

Supporters of two rival JD(U) and RJD clashed in Biharsharief town. No casualty was reported.

An unexploded landmine was seized from under a bridge at Baragaon under Masaurhi assembly constituency in Patna district, the sources said. 

Special: Bihar elections

A person was arrested and five country-made pistols were seized from his possession at Arwal.

Five members of a patrol, including a magistrate, were injured when their jeep overturned in Arwal Assembly constituency.

A presiding officer suffered cardiac arrest in booth 166 in Biharsharief constituency and was admitted to hospital, the sources said.

Parents seek permission to sell their kidneys

Kanpur:  The parents of a sick teenager in Kanpur have asked a local court to permit them to sell their kidneys so that they can raise the money needed for his treatment.
14-year-old Anuj Behl has aplastic anemia - a disorder in which the body does not produce new blood cells. He needs a bone marrow transplant - that and other medical attention that he needs could cost upto 25 lakhs, say doctors.
"We don't even have enough to eat. We appeal to our countrymen to help us save our son's life," said Sangeeta Behl, mother.
Anuj's father is a scooter mechanic and the only earning member of his family of five.

The son's treatment has literally driven them out on the streets. Every valuable in the house sold, the two daughters are forced to beg and polish shoes.
"Every month we have to arrange 6-7 bottles of blood for him," said Manish Behl, father.
In court today, the government said it has deposited 1.5 lakhs for Anuj's treatment at  the Sanjay Gandhi PGI Hospital in Lucknow - a baffling attempt at help because this hospital reportedly does not have the expertise to treat aplastic anaemia.
"The state government has deposited Rs. 1.5 lakh at the Sanjay Gandhi PGI Hospital in Lucknow and will give more financial support if required," District Magistrate Mukesh Meshram said.
The court is expected to hear  Anuj's parents' appeal on the 26th of this month.
How You Can Help
Should you want to donate to this family, you can send a cheque in the name of:
Sangeeta Behl
Punjab National Bank
A/C: 2340000100212519
For more information, contact Maneesh Behl at 092358-31083

CBI officer's car stolen from outside his high-profile residence

Delhi: It's not about the model of the car; this is all about its sentimental value. That's what Mohammed Danish, son of CBI officer Javed Siraj, emphasised on while speaking to MiD DAY.


On the night of November 7, Siraj's favourite Maruti 800 was stolen from the doorstep of his posh Pandara Road residence. An FIR has been registered.


The victim Javed Siraj, Superintendent of Police (SP), CBI, lives at A-97 on Pandara Road. He is currently posted in Srinagar and wasn't home when the incident took place. A police officer said that his son Mohammed Danish, who works with an American firm, informed the police about the theft of his car a day after the incident. A case was registered with Tilak Marg police on November 8.


Danish said he is astounded by the fact that the thieves dared to steal the vehicle from such a high-profile area.


"Though it wasn't an expensive vehicle, it was very close to my father's heart and he looked after it personally. I parked it outside my house on the 7th of November at around 10 pm. Next day the cleaner informed me that the vehicle was missing from the parking space. When I searched in the nearby area, my neighbours told me that they saw a few persons sitting inside the car the previous night but they did not raise any alarm," said Danish.


"We were later informed by one of our neighbours that he saw someone reversing the car at about 1:30 am. But he did not suspect any foul play so he ignored that," said Danish.


He also raised the larger issue of security. "We have seen, during the last 12 months or so that there have been instances of unauthorised entries in the Pandara Road locality throughout the day and presence of many oddballs who are staying here in the garages, create nuisance. The colony is left largely unguarded at night despite there being several entry and exit points." Danish said.


A police officer said the car was a 1999 model, bearing DL2CN0280 number plate. The officer said that so far they don't have any clues in the matter. A case of theft under section 379 of IPC was registered by the police on the basis of the complaint furnished by the SP's son.