CIC slams Defence Ministry's for its obsession with secrecy1 Jan 2008, 0251 hrs IST,TNN
NEW DELHI: The Central Information Commission has asked the Defence Ministry to spell out the details and records which it could reveal to the public at large, even as it chided the government for being "obsessive" with "confidentiality". The CIC asked the Defence Ministry to outline a "de-classification policy" for release of information in public domain, an agency report said. Information Commissioner A N Tiwari, hearing the petition from a journalist seeking details of INS Khukri's sinking in the Arabian Sea in 1971 after being torpedoed by a Pakistani submarine, said, "It is better to draw out a determination as to what (details) you want to part with and what you do not want to give." The petitioner had sought details from the Defence Ministry but was denied the same, after which the CIC was approached. The commission's bench headed by Chief Information Commissioner WajahatHabibullah did not find any fault with the ministry's reply but it expressed concern about the government's tendency to keep information out of a citizen's reach. Taking an apparent dig at the contention raised by officials that every data on INS Khukri's sinking, if released, could compromise its tactical thought process, Tiwari asked, "Can the country be held hostage for failure of the defence?" Drawing out a comparison with the Royal Navy of Britain, Tiwari said while all relevant information pertaining to HMS Sheffield, destroyed by an Argentine missile in 1982, was open to general public, the Indian counterpart was still reluctant to part with such information
Monday, December 31, 2007
Gopal Ansal moves HC in Uphaar case
Gopal Ansal moves HC in Uphaar case1 Jan 2008, 0522 hrs IST,TNN
NEW DELHI: Businessman Gopal Ansal, one of the 12 convicts in the Uphaar cinema fire tragedy case, on Monday approached the Delhi High Court challenging his conviction and sentence of two-year prison term by a trial court. Appearing before a vacation Bench comprising Justices H R Malhotra and P K Bhasin, the counsel for Gopal Ansal sought the court’s permission to file the appeal, which was granted by the Bench. The court posted the matter for further hearing on January 02, the day on which a regular Bench is expected to take up the appeal of his brother Sushil Ansal who has also been sentenced to two years’ imprisonment. HC had already on December 11 issued notices to the CBI and Association of Victims of the Uphaar Tragedy (AVUT) on Sushil’s petition and sought their response to his appeal for suspension of sentence. In his appeal, Gopal, like his brother has maintained that the lower court wrongly implicated him in the case without appreciating that he was not the licensee of the ill-fated cinema hall. Saying that the second transformer which led to the tragedy was "thrust upon" the management by the civic agencies, Ansal has questioned why only he and his brother along with Uphaar management were singled out when it was the duty of other agencies like DCP licensing to ensure removal of any alleged deviations in the hall. The petition further argues that it was the job of the parking authorities outside the hall to manage vehicles in and around the cinema hall for which the owners can’t be held liable. On November 23, a Patiala house sessions court had sentenced Sushil Ansal along with his brother Gopal — the owners of cinema hall — to a two-year jail term for causing death by their negligent act. Seven others — Radha Krishan Sharma, N S Chopra, Ajit Chowdhary (Uphaar managers), Manmohan Unniyal (cinema’s gatekeeper), Brij Mohan Satija, A K Gera and Bir Singh (all DVB officials) — held guilty for culpable homicide not amounting to murder, were awarded seven years’ rigorous imprisonment. The other three, convicted for offences similar to that of the Ansals were also given a two years’ jail term each but were granted bail.
bellyad.innerHTML = b2;
NEW DELHI: Businessman Gopal Ansal, one of the 12 convicts in the Uphaar cinema fire tragedy case, on Monday approached the Delhi High Court challenging his conviction and sentence of two-year prison term by a trial court. Appearing before a vacation Bench comprising Justices H R Malhotra and P K Bhasin, the counsel for Gopal Ansal sought the court’s permission to file the appeal, which was granted by the Bench. The court posted the matter for further hearing on January 02, the day on which a regular Bench is expected to take up the appeal of his brother Sushil Ansal who has also been sentenced to two years’ imprisonment. HC had already on December 11 issued notices to the CBI and Association of Victims of the Uphaar Tragedy (AVUT) on Sushil’s petition and sought their response to his appeal for suspension of sentence. In his appeal, Gopal, like his brother has maintained that the lower court wrongly implicated him in the case without appreciating that he was not the licensee of the ill-fated cinema hall. Saying that the second transformer which led to the tragedy was "thrust upon" the management by the civic agencies, Ansal has questioned why only he and his brother along with Uphaar management were singled out when it was the duty of other agencies like DCP licensing to ensure removal of any alleged deviations in the hall. The petition further argues that it was the job of the parking authorities outside the hall to manage vehicles in and around the cinema hall for which the owners can’t be held liable. On November 23, a Patiala house sessions court had sentenced Sushil Ansal along with his brother Gopal — the owners of cinema hall — to a two-year jail term for causing death by their negligent act. Seven others — Radha Krishan Sharma, N S Chopra, Ajit Chowdhary (Uphaar managers), Manmohan Unniyal (cinema’s gatekeeper), Brij Mohan Satija, A K Gera and Bir Singh (all DVB officials) — held guilty for culpable homicide not amounting to murder, were awarded seven years’ rigorous imprisonment. The other three, convicted for offences similar to that of the Ansals were also given a two years’ jail term each but were granted bail.
bellyad.innerHTML = b2;
A Democratic Attitude Helps Reduce Stress
A Democratic Attitude Helps Reduce Stress29 Dec 2007, 0001 hrs IST,Ravi K Wadhawan
The qualities of the playful Krishna, dignified Maryada Purush Rama, serene Mahavira and Buddha define our cultural heritage. Despite the rich tradition, however, we are increasingly becoming vulnerable to stress and strain. We also accept that once we have stress in us, it can only be managed and not eliminated. Managing stress means we are accepting its presence in our lives as an inevitability. Parents worry about the levels of stress in their children. This in turn makes parenting a stressful activity. Since stress is inside of us, it cannot be plucked out easily. Stress carries a huge quantum of energy and so is never still. It travels to every nook and corner of our body and begins to dominate our lives in all spheres. Stress releases negative energy and disturbs the normal functioning of our heart, liver, kidneys and lungs. It permeates every cell in the body. The major manufacturers of stress are anger, ego, jealousy, irritation and our perceived failures. A better understanding and analysis of these factors can help us overcome them. Generally, opposition to what we wish, want and think, gene-rates anger. A justified opposition should not anger us. But when reason is lost, we get angry. This gives rise to ego. Anger and ego are intricately related. Anger comes and goes while ego settles and forms layers. Over a period of time, ego begins to weigh us down. A body weighing a mere 40 kg mass may carry with it a tonne of ego! Acceptance prevents anger. And acceptance comes to those who are receptive to criticism. To be receptive to criticism, you must evolve a democratic temperament in an argument. When somebody takes a view opposite to yours, it does not necessarily mean that he is wrong. You might be wrong. When you think that you are right, simultaneously the other person is also thinking the same of himself. A third person might find that there is no room for anger in this conflict because it is either a fight between two rights or two wrongs. There is also a third possibility that one of the two conflicting persons is right and the other one is wrong. But the problem here is that who will confess to being wrong? Accepting the other person's right to his view requires a democratic attitude. Once we imbibe the spirit of democracy, acceptance becomes easier. This brings about a calming effect upon everybody involved in the conflict and improves inter-personal relations. With this democratic approach to life, anger begins to disappear and with it, the layers of ego in us begin to dissolve. This makes us feel lighter, and happier. Irritation being the smaller version of anger also recedes once we are able to analyse anger. Jealousy feeds anger. Its random energy burns and chars us from inside. It comes to us either from an inferiority or superiority complex. In its acute manifestation, it becomes harmful to both the person who is jealous and the person who is being envied. Jealousy colours our perception of everything. We should count our blessings everyday and give thanks to God everyday. It will invoke generosity in us, forming an antidote to jealousy. We can overcome negative tendencies in us by honestly analysing our feelings. We need to remember that any solution has to come from inside rather than from the outside. Once we empty ourselves of our negative feelings, we begin to feel at peace. Then we can live happily ever after.
var RN = new String (Math.random());
var RNS = RN.substring (2,11);
var b2 = ' ';
if (doweshowbellyad==1)
bellyad.innerHTML = b2;
The qualities of the playful Krishna, dignified Maryada Purush Rama, serene Mahavira and Buddha define our cultural heritage. Despite the rich tradition, however, we are increasingly becoming vulnerable to stress and strain. We also accept that once we have stress in us, it can only be managed and not eliminated. Managing stress means we are accepting its presence in our lives as an inevitability. Parents worry about the levels of stress in their children. This in turn makes parenting a stressful activity. Since stress is inside of us, it cannot be plucked out easily. Stress carries a huge quantum of energy and so is never still. It travels to every nook and corner of our body and begins to dominate our lives in all spheres. Stress releases negative energy and disturbs the normal functioning of our heart, liver, kidneys and lungs. It permeates every cell in the body. The major manufacturers of stress are anger, ego, jealousy, irritation and our perceived failures. A better understanding and analysis of these factors can help us overcome them. Generally, opposition to what we wish, want and think, gene-rates anger. A justified opposition should not anger us. But when reason is lost, we get angry. This gives rise to ego. Anger and ego are intricately related. Anger comes and goes while ego settles and forms layers. Over a period of time, ego begins to weigh us down. A body weighing a mere 40 kg mass may carry with it a tonne of ego! Acceptance prevents anger. And acceptance comes to those who are receptive to criticism. To be receptive to criticism, you must evolve a democratic temperament in an argument. When somebody takes a view opposite to yours, it does not necessarily mean that he is wrong. You might be wrong. When you think that you are right, simultaneously the other person is also thinking the same of himself. A third person might find that there is no room for anger in this conflict because it is either a fight between two rights or two wrongs. There is also a third possibility that one of the two conflicting persons is right and the other one is wrong. But the problem here is that who will confess to being wrong? Accepting the other person's right to his view requires a democratic attitude. Once we imbibe the spirit of democracy, acceptance becomes easier. This brings about a calming effect upon everybody involved in the conflict and improves inter-personal relations. With this democratic approach to life, anger begins to disappear and with it, the layers of ego in us begin to dissolve. This makes us feel lighter, and happier. Irritation being the smaller version of anger also recedes once we are able to analyse anger. Jealousy feeds anger. Its random energy burns and chars us from inside. It comes to us either from an inferiority or superiority complex. In its acute manifestation, it becomes harmful to both the person who is jealous and the person who is being envied. Jealousy colours our perception of everything. We should count our blessings everyday and give thanks to God everyday. It will invoke generosity in us, forming an antidote to jealousy. We can overcome negative tendencies in us by honestly analysing our feelings. We need to remember that any solution has to come from inside rather than from the outside. Once we empty ourselves of our negative feelings, we begin to feel at peace. Then we can live happily ever after.
var RN = new String (Math.random());
var RNS = RN.substring (2,11);
var b2 = ' ';
if (doweshowbellyad==1)
bellyad.innerHTML = b2;
Young wrestler raped, killed30 Dec 2007, 0128 hrs IST,TNN
YAMUNANAGAR: At 15, Rinkle was all set to rule the mat as one of Haryana’s promising female wrestlers. She came in second in the 48-kg category at the junior wrestling championships at Ambala and was getting ready for the national wrestling meet. But five days before the selections, Rinkle was raped and killed allegedly by two of her uncles as she was taking food from her home to her grandfather. Her life snuffed out brutally, all that remained as testimony to Rinkle’s wrestling dreams was a trophy presented to her by CM B S Hooda, which she had proudly displayed in her living room. On Saturday, nine days after she disappeared from Amdalpur village, police arrested and took to court three of the accused, among them her uncle Naresh, even as they sent search parties to hunt down her other uncle, Rimpa, who is absconding. According to police, the uncles first allegedly raped her and then, when fingers started pointing towards them, killed her. The three arrested men have been sent in police remand for a day. Rinkle’s father, Jagpal Singh, said she had gone to deliver a meal to her grandfather on December 20 when she stopped by at her uncles’ place. She went missing the same day. Her body was recovered from the western Yamuna canal on December 26. A postmortem report said the death was caused by drowning. The police are still trying to ascertain how and why the other two accused connived with the uncles.
Promotion to a temporary post can be revoked: CAT
Promotion to a temporary post can be revoked: CAT30 Dec 2007, 1233 hrs IST,PTI
NEW DELHI: The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) has declined to set aside the Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry's decision to revert an employee to a lower post holding that his promotion earlier was to a temporary post. A Bench comprising Justices V K Bali and L K Joshi observed that the very promotion of the petitioner appeared to be on a temporary-basis for a particular work and hence her promotion can be revoked. The petitioner was promoted to the post of Senior Proof Reader on a temporary sanctioned post for editing work of "UNESCO Doot". "There will be no illegality in reverting an incumbent to a post, who may be temporarily occupying the assigned job, when requirement of the same may come to an end," the Bench said. The Tribunal viewed that the impugned orders came on May 1 and 6, 2002 and by filing the petition by the end of 2007, the case was "hopelessly barred by time". "There was no occasion for the petitioner to have waited for the decision on her representation for such a long time," it said. The orders under challenge clearly revealed that the petitioner was reverted to post Proof Reader Junior on abolition of the temporary sanctioned post of Senior Proof Reader to which she was promoted for a particular work, the Tribunal held.
NEW DELHI: The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) has declined to set aside the Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry's decision to revert an employee to a lower post holding that his promotion earlier was to a temporary post. A Bench comprising Justices V K Bali and L K Joshi observed that the very promotion of the petitioner appeared to be on a temporary-basis for a particular work and hence her promotion can be revoked. The petitioner was promoted to the post of Senior Proof Reader on a temporary sanctioned post for editing work of "UNESCO Doot". "There will be no illegality in reverting an incumbent to a post, who may be temporarily occupying the assigned job, when requirement of the same may come to an end," the Bench said. The Tribunal viewed that the impugned orders came on May 1 and 6, 2002 and by filing the petition by the end of 2007, the case was "hopelessly barred by time". "There was no occasion for the petitioner to have waited for the decision on her representation for such a long time," it said. The orders under challenge clearly revealed that the petitioner was reverted to post Proof Reader Junior on abolition of the temporary sanctioned post of Senior Proof Reader to which she was promoted for a particular work, the Tribunal held.
Mumbai courts top in giving death penalty
Mumbai courts top in giving death penalty31 Dec 2007, 0020 hrs IST,Kartikeya,TNN
MUMBAI: This is one grim statistic that the city will not be proud of. Of the 25 death penalties handed down by trial courts in India in 2007, 12 were given in Mumbai alone. Moreover, this year, the Bombay High Court confirmed death sentences for six persons, which again is the highest number among all high courts in the country. In comparison, the Delhi and Chennai HCs upheld death sentences for one and three persons. Going by the cases lined up for hearing, in 2008 too, prosecutors in Mumbai are likely to ask for more than 20 persons to be sent to the gallows if they are found guilty of the crimes they are charged with. The last execution in Maharashtra was carried out on July 12, 1995, when a convict named Amrutlal Joshi was hanged at Pune's Yerawada jail. Currently, the state has 42 convicts on death row -- which is also the highest number for any state in the country. The latest additions came last Thursday when a fast-track court in Pune sentenced two women -- Leena Deosthali and Deepti Deosthali -- for murdering a doctor in 2006. "The Bombay HC is confirming death sentences where the crime is marked by brazen brutality,'' said senior lawyer Shrikant Bhat. He added that these days brutal crimes are highlighted by media and courts are reluctant to be lenient on them. "Organized crime and terror acts also invite the death penalty," he added. The 12 men who received capital punishment in Mumbai in 2007 were those found guilty by the Terrorism and Disruptive Activities (prevention) court in the 1993 serial blasts case. The prosecution had demanded death for 44 convicts connected to the case but the court awarded it only to a dozen. "Terror attacks are one category where the courts are considering the crime heinous enough to be punished with death," said ex-IPS officer and advocate Y P Singh. The SC says death penalty should be an exception and not the rule and given only in the "rarest of rare" cases. The six confirmations of death sentence by the Bombay HC came in two cases. Three robbers, who had killed five members of a family, at Nashik and three others, who were convicted in the Vasai honour killings, can now only hope for a reprieve from the SC. Incidentally, in 2007, the SC upheld death sentences for two women from Maharashtra, Renuka Shinde and Seema Gavit, who had kidnapped and killed 14 children. If their execution is carried out then they will be the first women to be hanged in India. In 2008, prosecutors in Mumbai are expected to demand death for five persons including a woman, if they are held guilty of carrying out the twin blasts at the Gateway and Zaveri Bazaar in 2004.
MUMBAI: This is one grim statistic that the city will not be proud of. Of the 25 death penalties handed down by trial courts in India in 2007, 12 were given in Mumbai alone. Moreover, this year, the Bombay High Court confirmed death sentences for six persons, which again is the highest number among all high courts in the country. In comparison, the Delhi and Chennai HCs upheld death sentences for one and three persons. Going by the cases lined up for hearing, in 2008 too, prosecutors in Mumbai are likely to ask for more than 20 persons to be sent to the gallows if they are found guilty of the crimes they are charged with. The last execution in Maharashtra was carried out on July 12, 1995, when a convict named Amrutlal Joshi was hanged at Pune's Yerawada jail. Currently, the state has 42 convicts on death row -- which is also the highest number for any state in the country. The latest additions came last Thursday when a fast-track court in Pune sentenced two women -- Leena Deosthali and Deepti Deosthali -- for murdering a doctor in 2006. "The Bombay HC is confirming death sentences where the crime is marked by brazen brutality,'' said senior lawyer Shrikant Bhat. He added that these days brutal crimes are highlighted by media and courts are reluctant to be lenient on them. "Organized crime and terror acts also invite the death penalty," he added. The 12 men who received capital punishment in Mumbai in 2007 were those found guilty by the Terrorism and Disruptive Activities (prevention) court in the 1993 serial blasts case. The prosecution had demanded death for 44 convicts connected to the case but the court awarded it only to a dozen. "Terror attacks are one category where the courts are considering the crime heinous enough to be punished with death," said ex-IPS officer and advocate Y P Singh. The SC says death penalty should be an exception and not the rule and given only in the "rarest of rare" cases. The six confirmations of death sentence by the Bombay HC came in two cases. Three robbers, who had killed five members of a family, at Nashik and three others, who were convicted in the Vasai honour killings, can now only hope for a reprieve from the SC. Incidentally, in 2007, the SC upheld death sentences for two women from Maharashtra, Renuka Shinde and Seema Gavit, who had kidnapped and killed 14 children. If their execution is carried out then they will be the first women to be hanged in India. In 2008, prosecutors in Mumbai are expected to demand death for five persons including a woman, if they are held guilty of carrying out the twin blasts at the Gateway and Zaveri Bazaar in 2004.
Top cop accused of harassment31 Dec 2007
Top cop accused of harassment31 Dec 2007, 0220 hrs IST,Neel Kamal,TNN
SANGRUR: Balwant Kaur, a resident of Barundi village in Sangrur, has approached the district police chief with a complaint against a senior police officer, alleging that she was sexually harassed by the cop, who was reportedly inquiring into a case of maltreatment of the woman by her in-laws and husband. Exasperated, Kaur, a postgraduate, has given an ultimatum that in case the police failed to take action against her in-laws and the officer by January 15, she would expose the “guilty police officer”. Kaur was married to Gurpreet Singh of Sandaur four years ago, while her mother, sisters and brother left for Canada a year back. Soon after, her in-laws allegedly started pressuring her to get money from her mother, which she did on some occasions. Later, Kaur alleged that her in-laws expected her mother to help Gurpreet Singh migrate to Canada. Kaur, in a press conference, claimed that when she failed to facilitate her husband’s immigration to Canada, her in-laws started beating her up regularly. "On August 22, I took the matter to police post Sandaur but their inaction made me approach SSP Sangrur on October 12 and an enquiry was marked," said Kaur, who was made to return to her in-laws’ place with the assurance that they would not harass her anymore, she claimed. However, the torture only increased after police intervention, Kaur added. On December 5, she again complained to the police, accusing her in-laws of trying to kill her by beating her so severely that she was admitted to civil hospital, Malerkotla. The police registered a case under sections 324, 323, 498, 34 of IPC against her husband, mother-in-law Manjit Kaur and sister-in-law Gagandeep. "Justice was denied to me as no arrest was made and my in-laws threatened me with dire consequences," said Kaur, accusing the investigating police officer of harassing her by sending vulgar messages and favouring her in-laws. "If the police do not arrest my in-laws and take action against the guilty police officer, I will approach higher authorities and unmask the officer," said Kaur. Informing that the enquiry officer in Kaur’s case had been changed and a CIA staff was asked to take over and make arrests if necessary, SSP Arunpal Singh said, "About the police officer accused of sending vulgar messages, the matter will be investigated if Kaur gives the complaint in writing. If any police officer is found guilty, appropriate action will be taken."
bellyad.innerHTML = b2;
SANGRUR: Balwant Kaur, a resident of Barundi village in Sangrur, has approached the district police chief with a complaint against a senior police officer, alleging that she was sexually harassed by the cop, who was reportedly inquiring into a case of maltreatment of the woman by her in-laws and husband. Exasperated, Kaur, a postgraduate, has given an ultimatum that in case the police failed to take action against her in-laws and the officer by January 15, she would expose the “guilty police officer”. Kaur was married to Gurpreet Singh of Sandaur four years ago, while her mother, sisters and brother left for Canada a year back. Soon after, her in-laws allegedly started pressuring her to get money from her mother, which she did on some occasions. Later, Kaur alleged that her in-laws expected her mother to help Gurpreet Singh migrate to Canada. Kaur, in a press conference, claimed that when she failed to facilitate her husband’s immigration to Canada, her in-laws started beating her up regularly. "On August 22, I took the matter to police post Sandaur but their inaction made me approach SSP Sangrur on October 12 and an enquiry was marked," said Kaur, who was made to return to her in-laws’ place with the assurance that they would not harass her anymore, she claimed. However, the torture only increased after police intervention, Kaur added. On December 5, she again complained to the police, accusing her in-laws of trying to kill her by beating her so severely that she was admitted to civil hospital, Malerkotla. The police registered a case under sections 324, 323, 498, 34 of IPC against her husband, mother-in-law Manjit Kaur and sister-in-law Gagandeep. "Justice was denied to me as no arrest was made and my in-laws threatened me with dire consequences," said Kaur, accusing the investigating police officer of harassing her by sending vulgar messages and favouring her in-laws. "If the police do not arrest my in-laws and take action against the guilty police officer, I will approach higher authorities and unmask the officer," said Kaur. Informing that the enquiry officer in Kaur’s case had been changed and a CIA staff was asked to take over and make arrests if necessary, SSP Arunpal Singh said, "About the police officer accused of sending vulgar messages, the matter will be investigated if Kaur gives the complaint in writing. If any police officer is found guilty, appropriate action will be taken."
bellyad.innerHTML = b2;
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)