India

Srinagar, Oct 5 (IANS) Former Chief Minister and president of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mehbooba Mufti said on Wednesday that while the Union Home Minister was visiting the Valley, authorities put her under house arrest.

This was, however, refuted by the J&K Police, who said she was free to travel.

"While HM is going around Kashmir beating drums of normalcy, I am under house arrest for simply wanting to visit Pattan for a worker's wedding.If an ex CM's fundamental rights can be suspended so easily, one cant even imagine the plight of a commoner.@AmitShah @manojsinha", she said on her twitter page.

In response to her tweet, the police said on its official Twitter page: "It is clarified that no restriction of any kind travel to pattan, travel to pattan was at 1 pm as intimated to us. The picture tweeted by her is of inside of the gate with own lock of residents who stay in the bunglow (sic). There is no lock or any restrictions. She is free to travel".

--IANS
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New Delhi, Oct 5 (IANS) The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), in its first chargesheet on 2G scam, accused former Union Minister and DMK leader A Raja of being the 'master mind' of the conspiracy in relation to the scandal.

Corporate companies -- Reliance Telecom, Swan Telecom, and Unitech Wireless along with eight persons are charged as co-accused in the case. Former telecom secretary Siddhartha Behura, Unitech chief Sanjay Chandra, DB Realty boss, its MD Vinod Goenka, and Swan Telecom MD Shahid Balwa are named in the charge sheet.

The 2008-2G case is an alleged corrupt sale of telecommunications bandwidth to selected organisations at prices that understated the real market value of the asset.

The sale is claimed to have occurred when Raja headed the Telecommunications and IT Ministry; it has been considered the largest political corruption case in modern Indian history, amounting to around Rs 1.76 lakh crore.

On December 21, 2017 , a Delhi court acquitted all accused, including Raja and DMK Rajya Sabha member Kanimozhi in the 2G spectrum allocation case.

Special Judge O.P. Saini said the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate had failed to provide sufficient evidence to prove the charges against 33 persons named in the case and the court has "absolutely no hesitation in holding that the prosecution has miserably failed to prove any charge against any accused".

In his 1,552-page judgment, the judge said it was actually confusion caused by "various actions and inactions" of the Department of Telecommunication (DoT) that snowballed into a "huge scam seen by everyone where there was none".

He said many facts in the prosecution's "well choreographed chargesheet" were found to be incorrect. "All the accused are acquitted."

The court also let off 19 accused, including Raja and Kanimozhi, in a related money laundering case probed by the Enforcement Directorate.

--IANS
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Srinagar, Oct 5 (IANS) Union Home Minister Amit Shah will address a large public rally in J&K's Baramulla town on Wednesday where he is expected to announce regularisation of hundreds of daily wagers whose future has been in lurch for over three decades.

All security arrangements are in place for Shah's Baramulla public rally which is his first such exercise in the Valley after the abrogation of Article 370.

A large number of people from different parts of Baramulla, Uri, Handwara, Tengdhar, Trehgam and other places have already reached Baramulla to attend the rally.

After he addressed a historic public rally in Rajouri on Tuesday, where he assured reservations to the Pahari community of the UT, Shah is likely to announce regularisation of hundreds of daily wagers in J&K whose future is in lurch because successive governments in the state promised them permanent jobs without any results.

Shah chaired the core group meeting of the BJP on Tuesday where he told the party leaders to gear up for the Assembly elections which would be held soon.

He enjoined upon the party leaders to carry the Prime Minister's message of a new, progressive J&K to the voters.

"After the Centre did so much for every section of the local society, it is now the duty of the people to vote in large numbers to strengthen democracy in J&K," he told the BJP core group meeting.

He is also scheduled to inaugurate many developmental projects, including the hydraulic entry and exit gates of the spill channel in the World famous Hokersar wetland bird reserve.

He will also inaugurate 15 water supply schemes under the Jal Jeevan mission, 94 roads of 580.92 kms length, 7 power transmission projects, new building of sub-district hospital in the Hazratbal area of Srinagar city, 11 urban development projects in Kashmir division, 74 roads with 434.37 kms length and 7 bridges, 20 power distribution/transmission projects, in patients block in sub-district hospital Bijbehara, transit accommodation (864 BHK) at Baba Daryadin in Ganderbal, Allowpora in Shopian and Odina in Sumbal Bandipora.

He will also chair a high level security review meeting in Srinagar before he leaves for New Delhi in the evening.

--IANS
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Kotdwar (Uttarakhand), Oct 5 (IANS) As many as 25 bodies have been recovered while many others are still feared missing after a bus travelling at a high speed fell into the Nayar river near the CMD band of Bironkhal in Uttarakhand's Pauri district, disaster control room officials said.

There were more than 50 processions in the bus while the rescue operation team has so far retrieved 25 bodies. Rescue operations are facing problems due to darkness. The death toll is expected to rise since there are many people reportedly missing.

On receiving information about the bus accident in Pauri district, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami reached the disaster control room located at the Secretariat.

He took detailed information about the accident from the officials and also spoke to Pauri District Magistrate over the phone and instructed him to carry out relief and rescue work with utmost vigil.

Dhami directed the State Disaster Control Room officials to continuously monitor the situation and be in constant touch with the district officials.

The Chief Minister added that all possible help will be provided at the government level and also spoke to the Lansdowne MLA over the phone.

Terming the bus accident as unfortunate, Dhami has directed to make arrangements for all possible treatment of the injured persons and speed up the relief and rescue operations with coordination.

The Chief Minister directed the Uttarakhand Secretary (Disaster Management), Ranjit Sinha, that the disaster management system should be operated continuously and the situation should be kept under constant watch.

Dhami himself is supervising all the preparations. Sub-Divisional Magistrate and ambulance, lights, rescue equipment, two ambulances from Ramnagar, one ambulance from Haldwani and relief materials are being sent to the affected site. Proper arrangements have been made in the hospitals of Ramnagar and Haldwani.

The District Magistrates of Nainital and Almora are themselves monitoring all the arrangements. The Chief Minister also inquired about the situation in Uttarkashi and has postponed all the government programmes proposed on Wednesday.

--IANS
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New Delhi, Oct 4 (IANS) The Union Home Ministry on Tuesday declared a total of 10 individuals including commanders of Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) and other terrorist outfits involved in terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir "terrorists" under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), officials said.

"Shaukat Ahmed Sheikh, Imtiaz Ahmed Kandu and Basit Ahmed Reshi have been declared terrorists under the UAPA," the Ministry said in a statement.

Besides, under the UAPA, seven other individuals -- Habibullah Malik, Bashir Ahmad Peer, Irshad Ahmed, Rafiq Nai, Zafar Iqbal, Bilal Ahmad Baig and Sheikh Jameel-ur-Rehman have also been declared terrorists.

All of them have links with Lashkar-e-Taiba, Hizbul Mujahideen, Tehreek-ul-Mujahideen, Harkat-ul-Jihad-e-Islami, and Jammu and Kashmir Islamic Front.

Sheikh a.k.a. Shaukat Mochi hails from Jammu and Kashmir's Baramulla district, and is said to be currently residing in Pakistan.

He is the 'Chief Launching Commander' of HM, and is tasked with spreading terrorist activities in the region by coordinating in infiltration, and recruiting terrorists through his network of allies in Kashmir.

Basit Reshi, also from Baramulla, was last reported to be residing in Pakistan.

Charged with coordinating targeted killings, he had planned and executed a terrorist attack on the police post of Baba Ali Raina Mazar in Sopore on August 18, 2015 which led to two fatalities.

Reshi has been involved in arranging arms and ammunition from across the border, and motivating the youth to join terrorist activities, officials said.

Imtiaz Kandu a.k.a. Sajad a.k.a. Fayaz Sopore, originally from Jammu and Kashmir's Sopore, is currently residing in Pakistan.

According to officials, he has been involved in providing financial aid to terrorists, supplying arms and ammunition and smuggling narcotics.

Kandu has allegedly coordinated attacks on security forces and civilians, which have resulted in several fatalities.

Habibullah Malik a.k.a. Sajid Jatt belongs to Pakistan Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT)/The Resistance Front (TRF).

Officials said he was one of the key handlers of the terrorists that attacked Indian troops at Bhata Dhurian in Poonch district. He had also been the mastermind in many terrorist attacks in the Kashmir Valley.

Bashir Ahmed Peer a.k.a. Imtiaz Alam belongs to Jammu and Kashmir, and is currently residing in Pakistan's Rawalpindi.

He is the launching commander of Hizbul Mujahideen.

He was tasked with providing logistics to HM terrorists, especially for infiltrating into Kupwara, and coordinating with other terrorist groups for terrorist activities in Jammu and Kashmir.

Irshad Ahmed a.k.a. Idris, currently living in Islamabad, is also the launching commander of HM who has been involved in its launching activities, coordinating the terrorist organisation's training operations.

Rafiq Nai a.k.a. Sultan is also living in Pakistan and is the launching commander of Tehreek-ul-Mujahideen/Jammu and Kashmir Ghaznavi Force.

According to officials, he is involved in arms smuggling and infiltration of trained Pakistani terrorists into Indian territory to revive terrorist acts in Jammu and Kashmir.

Zafar Iqbal a.k.a. Salim hails from Poonch district and is currently living in Pakistan.

Iqbal is the Operational Commander of the Harkat-ul-Jihad-e-Islami/Jammu and Kashmir Ghaznavi Force.

Apart from smuggling of narcotic substances and weapons, he is also involved in funding and infiltration of terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir.

Bilal Ahmed Baig a.k.a. Babar belongs to Srinagar, and is currently living in Rawalpindi.

He is the head of the Jammu and Kashmir Islamic Front (JKIF). He is involved in the smuggling of arms in Jammu and Kashmir. Bilal Ahmed Baig.

Sheikh Jameel-ur-Rehman a.k.a. Sheikh Sahab belongs to the district Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir.

He is currently living in Pakistan and is the head of Tehreek-ul-Mujahideen.

He was also involved in smuggling of explosives made in Pakistan and movement of terrorists from Pakistan to India.

He was also involved in the conspiracy to attack religious places in Poonch.

--IANS
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New Delhi, Oct 4 (IANS) In a significant development, the Congress has lost chairmanship of the Parliamentary panels on Communication & IT and Home.

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, who headed the key Lok Sabha panel on Communication & IT, has now been replaced by Shiv Sena MP Prataprao Jadhav. Incidentally, Jadhav belongs to Eknath Shinde's faction within Shiv Sena.

Similarly, BJP Rajya Sabha MP from Uttar Pradesh, Brijlal, will now head the Parliamentary panel on Home, which was earlier with the Congress.

The Lok Sabha Parliamentary panel on Energy, which was headed by erstwhile NDA ally JD-U's Rajiv Ranjan Singh Lalan, will now be headed by BJP MP Jagdambika Pal.

The panel on Energy is considering the controversial Electricity Amendment Bill.

Congress MP Jairam Ramesh has been appointed as the Chairman of the Parliamentary standing committee on Science and Technology, Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

Incidentally, Trinamool Congress, the third largest party in the Lok Sabha, has not been given any panel to head.

BJP and its allies now head key panels on Home, IT, Defence, External Affairs, Finance and Health.

Lok Sabha MP Radha Mohan Singh has been appointed the Chairman of the Parliamentary standing committee on Railways.

BJP Rajya Sabha MP from Bihar, Vivek Thakur, has been appointed as the Chairman of the standing committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth and Sports.

All the Parliamentary panels' tenure had ended last month, which had necessitated their reconstitution.

--IANS
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New Delhi, Oct 4 (IANS) Delhi's ruling Aam Aadmi Party on Tuesday held a protest against BJP-run Municipal Corporation, burning effigies of "BJP Ke Koode Ka Ravan" at 3,500 places on the eve of Dussehra.

Blaming the BJP for the national capital's garbage, AAP leaders burnt the effigies as per the rituals of Dussehra where effigies of Ravan are torched as a mark of ending negativity.

The protest was led by AAP MCD in charge and MLA Durgesh Pathak.

During the protest, AAP leader Sanjeev Jha torched an effigy at Tiranga Chowk of Nathu Colony in his Assembly constituency Burari. Afterwards, senior AAP Leader & MLA Atishi torched an effigy in her constituency Kalkaji's IG Camp.

"BJP-ruled MCD has turned Delhi into a city of garbage during its 15 year reign. Our protest is a wake up call to BJP which is sleeping like Kumbhkaran to come and see how their maladministration and apathy has caused all sorts of troubles to Delhiites," Jha said.

Atishi said: "People want Delhi to be garbage free; burning of Ravana's effigy today is a symbol of how the public wants to free themselves from BJP's rule in MCD and oust them from power. People are proud that CM Arvind Kejriwal has transformed schools, hospitals, electricity and water supply in Delhi; they know that if AAP comes to power in MCD, Delhi will become garbage free as well."

The BJP has been at the helm of affairs in MCD for the past 15 years and they have turned Delhi into a city of garbage. When someone enters Delhi, three humongous garbage mountains welcome them, she added.

--IANS
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New Delhi, Oct 4 (IANS) The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday said it has attached movable and immovable properties worth Rs 6.03 crore in connection with a money laundering case lodged against K.N. Marzook, the former Chairman and Director of Kerala Chamber of Commerce and Industries (KCCI), and others.

An ED official said the attached properties consist of various movable and immovable properties in the form of bank accounts, lands and residential and commercial space in Kerala Trade Centre (KTC) building situated in Ernakulam, in his name as well as in the name of Kerala Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) and Cherupushpam Films Private Limited.

The ED initiated money laundering investigation against Marzook and others on the basis of the FIR filed by Central Police Station, Ernakulam district, Kerala.

The ED learnt in the investigation that Marzook had been misusing his official position.

The official said that by misusing his official power, he made the KCCI enter sale agreements with buyers of KTC and received money from various buyers for selling the building space of the Kerala Trade Centre in cash.

During the course of investigation, it was revealed that Marzook received huge cash amounts from the prospective buyers and had diverted money received from the sale of KTC building space to start a private TV channel namely India Middle East Broadcasting Network (IMBEN).

This TV channel was banned from operations by Ministry of Information and Broadcasting due to involvement of Marzook.

The ED learnt that crores of rupees were diverted from KTC accounts to KCCI and IMEBN accounts by Marzook.

--IANS
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Chennai, Oct 4 (IANS) The makers of Telugu star Nani's highly anticipated Pan Indian film Dasara have released the first single from the film, 'Dhoom Dhaam Dhosthaan'.

The number starts off as a typical Telangana-style folk song. However, Nani is seen saying that he wants energy levels to be up and therefore, offers a bottle of alcohol to the band. The pace and intensity of the number then increases, making it a foot-tapping street song.

Nani sports a rustic look for his character in the film. There is amazing synchronisation between Nani and the other dancers who dance with him. The batch kicks up the dust in the coal mines with their amazing and dynamic dance moves.

Santhosh Narayan has scored this song, which rises on the strength of the percussion used. Rahul Sipligunj, Palamuru Jangireddy, Narsamma, Gotte Kanakavva and Gannora Dasa Laxmi have sung the number, which has been penned by Kasarla Shyam in typical Telangana style.

Srikanth Odela is debuting as director with the movie being mounted on a large scale by Sudhakar Cherukuri under the banner of Sri Lakshmi Venkateswara Cinemas.

National Award-winning actress Keerthy Suresh plays Nani's love interest in the movie. Samuthirakani, Sai Kumar and Zarina Wahab will also be seen playign pivotal roles in the film that has cinematography by Sathyan Sooryan.

'Dasara' is to be released in Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam and Hindi languages on March 30, next year.

--IANS
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Ahmedabad, Oct 4 (IANS) An Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation officer, responsible for keeping roads free from stray cattle in Naroda area, has been booked in culpable homicide in a fatal accident.

In a criminal complaint, one Prashant Patel alleged that since the Municipal Corporation officer failed to discharge his duty, his younger brother Bhavin died after his two-wheeler hit a cow sitting in the middle of the road.

He also demanded action against the owner of the cows.

On Monday, while hearing a PIL on stray cattle menace, the chief justice directed the state government the government to fix responsibility and compensation amount for the kin of the youth K.B. Patel, who died in an accident a few days ago.

During the hearing, the Gujarat High Court Advocates Association submitted that due to cattle on road, 42 persons died in road accidents in 2020, in 2021 (61) and 2022 till date 60 persons have lost their lives in the state.

--IANS
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