One killed, four injured as a building collapses in Mumbai

One person was killed and four others injured as a multi-storeyed building collapsed in Kurla, Maharashtra.

"This all happened at around 9.30 pm. People came back home from work and were having their dinner and suddenly the building collapsed. It was God's grace that only a part of building collapsed, so people suddenly came out of their houses and then the whole building collapsed. We are still not sure how many people have stuck in but most of the people living in the building are safe," said Ramesh, a local on Wednesday.

The building collapse has raised serious concerns about the safety of other apartments in the region as the area said to be developed illegally.

"I heard some noise. So, when I came out to see what was happening, I saw that a portion of the building was collapsing. So, we all came out of our houses. Suddenly, the building collapsed," said Hasan, a local.

The injured have been admitted to a hospital and rescue operations are still in progress.

"The residents of the building told us that around 10 pm a portion of the building collapsed and then people started vacating the building. And around 12 pm the whole building collapsed. Till now four people are injured and they have been admitted in the hospital. The main priority for us right now is to remove the debris so that people stuck inside should be rescued immediately.

Then further investigations will be done on how this building was constructed, when was it constructed and what role did Mahanagar Palika (Municipal corporation) played in it," said Vasim Khan, lawmaker from Kurla.

Nine fire engines are at the spot for the rescue work. By Anand SrivastavaANI)

Source http://sify.com/news/one-killed-four-injured-as-a-building-collapses-in-mumbai-news-national-kh3oOeeefff.html

Rising prices not government failure: Pranab Mukherjee

Finance minister Pranab Mukherjee on Wednesday welcomed a debate on the rising prices which, he said, was not a government failure and could be discussed but not voted on.

Unless the central government "fails to discharge its duties enjoined by the constitution of the law", the matter could not be discussed under the adjournment motion, which entails voting, Mukherjee said in the Lok Sabha.

Intervening on the debate on whether the house should allow the adjournment notices moved by the opposition, he said: "My limited point is that I have some reservations about admitting this motion as adjournment."

Quoting rules, he said the issue to be discussed under the adjournment motion has "to be definite, and it must be related to the functioning of the government".

He said the decision-makers were not taking any "sadistic pleasure" from hiking fuel prices. "There are certain compulsions. I had certain compulsions. Rates of crude oil in the international market have gone up. There has not been any failure of the government."

Mukherjee, who is the leader of the house, however, welcomed a debate on the rising prices. "All aspects of the issue will be debated with remedial measures. If opposition members have constructive measures (to suggest) I will welcome that."

"We will like to discuss the issue. I have no problem in having a discussion. The government welcomes that but this cannot be discussed under adjournment motion," he stressed.

Speaker Meira Kumar had earlier allowed MPs to debate on whether the house should allow the adjournment notices that opposition members see as an instrument of censure against the government's policies.

After a brief commotion and protests by a united opposition, the speaker said she was allowing the members who had given her adjournment notices to speak under "special circumstances".

Leader of Opposition Sushma Swaraj was the first to justify her notice, saying "it was cent percent according to the house rules".

"The adjournment motion that entails voting means stopping all other businesses, and discuss an issue of urgent importance that has occurred recently. The notice I have given has raised has two points... recent hikes in (the prices of ) kerosene and the cooking gas," Swaraj said.

The June 26 fuel price hike has put poor men of the country into "grave hardships", she said. "This needs urgent attention and calls for stalling all other business to be discussed on top priority."

She said the opposition wants to "censure" the government over its wrong pricing policies. "This is a censure motion. This is to censure the government. The government won't fall. But we definitely want to censure this government because they are troubling the common man."

Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh said the opposition was "expressing the sentiments of the people as 85-90 percent of the population are suffering due to rising prices".

"People are dying due to starvation," he said, supporting the adjournment motion.

Sharad Yadav of the Janata Dal-United (JD-U) said the opposition didn't want the government to fall. "We want to stop rising prices. We want to jolt the government out of a slumber."

Lalu Prasad of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) said there was no dispute within the opposition over the price rise issue. "We are united and want the government to take corrective measures."

After listening to the viewpoints of the opposition and the government, the speaker adjourned the house till 2 p.m.

She will announce her decision on whether the issue calls for an adjournment motion that entails voting in the post-lunch session.

Source http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Rising-prices-not-government-failure-Pranab-Mukherjee/articleshow/6227417.cms

Medical student arrested for mowing down labourers in Delhi

A medical student, who allegedly drove a speeding a car that ran over eight labourers killing four of them in a South Delhi locality, was arrested on Tuesday while he was trying to flee the country.

Shahid, hailing from Rajasthan’s Alwar and pursuing MBBS from Ukraine, was arrested at the airport here.

Four labourers were killed and four others, including a woman, injured when the Honda City car driven allegedly by Shahid ran over the labourers near Safdurjung flyover early yeaterday morning. The labourers were engaged in road repairing work.

Shahid, who was suspected to be under the influence of alcohol, had fled from the spot after the accident.

He along with his two friends Shahzad (18) and Alam Khan (23) was returning from a party at Alam’s residence in Aula village in Mehrauli when the incident took place at around 2 AM, police had said.

The labourers were undertaking repair work on the road when the incident took place.

“Shahid lost control of the car when he swerved after failing to spot a barricade near the spot where road levelling work was being done. The vehicle first ran into a divider and crushed the labourers before coming to a stop after ramming into a tractor carrying construction material,” police had said.

Source http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/article536543.ece

India to become Muslim dominated world: Kerala CM

Kerala Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan had been confronted a big criticism over his comment that India and Kerala will become a Muslim-dominated world in 20 years.

Islamic organizations and Opposition parties in Kerala had criticized Achuthanandan on his comment.

Talking about the radical Islamic outfit Popular Front of India (PFI), Kerala CM said that PFI aims to convert Kerala into a Muslim majority state in the next 20 years.

"For achieving that goal, the outfit is pumping money to attract youth and give them weapons. They also try to convert youth from other communities and persuade them to marry Muslim girls," added Achuthanandan.

The Indian Union Muslim League on Monday, Jul 26 said that Achuthanandan's statement was "dangerous" and "insulting to the entire (Muslim) community."

On the other side, the alliance of Opposition parties UDF said, " Achuthanandan's comments were deplorable, dangerous."

"His comment was a part of his strategy to play the 'Hindu card' before civic and Assembly polls in the state," added UDF.

Source http://news.oneindia.in/2010/07/26/india-to-become-muslim-dominated-world-kerala-cm.html

Four students killed in Assam police firing

At least four students were killed and over a dozen others injured, when the police opened fire on rampaging protestors attempting to stop updating of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam's Barpeta town on Wednesday.

The protestors consisting of All Assam Minority Students Union (AAMSU) activists turned violent and started vandalising, attacking shops and private vehicle and even tried storming the District Magistrates Office in a bid to stop updating of National Register of Citizens (NRC) work in progress.

Police first resorted to baton charge and then opened fire in the air, before firing at the protestors to disperse them.

"I have known that three people have died on the spot and the injured are in Barpeta Civil Hospital and in Guwahati Medical College Hospital," said Saiful Islam, relative of an injured student.

Police opened fire when they failed to disperse the protestors even after bursting teargas shells.

Three students died on the spot, while another succumbed to his injuries at the Guwahati Medical College Hospital.

The injured were admitted to the Barpeta Civil Hospital and those with serious injuries were rushed to the Guwahati Medical College Hospital.

As part of the NRC project, the citizens have been asked to attach some documents as proof of their citizenship included the list of NRC 1951 and electoral roll of 1966 and 1971.

The NRC is being updated to identify and enlist Indian citizens in the State. (ANI)

Source http://sify.com/news/four-students-killed-in-assam-police-firing-news-national-khwoadabhac.html

Chidambaram suggests use of aircraft to reach accident sites

PTI Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram at a convention in New Delhi.

Home Minister P. Chidambaram on Wednesday regretted the enormous delay in rescue and relief teams reaching the train accident site at Sainthia in West Bengal and said use of helicopters or small planes on such occasions should be looked into.

He said the capacity of disaster management capacity is tested only when a disasters strikes and one has to increase their capacity.

“I was informed that the first relief team could leave only about 2 hours and 30 minutes after the accident happened.

The second team could only leave seven hours after the accident and they had to drive for about 220 kms which means there is a clear gap in the mobility of the disaster team.

“So we need to increase our capacity to be able to move disaster relief teams quickly which means perhaps helicopters, small planes. All this would cost money but I think capacity has to be built,” he said.

Speaking at a function organised by the National Disaster Management Authority, Mr. Chidambaram said, “I compliment the NDMA and NDRF for vastly improving our capacity in case of natural disasters like flood or cycle or fire. But there are some other cases I think in which our response should be better, for example if there is a train disaster.”

He said in the last one-and-a-half years, the response to disaster has been better especially to natural ones.

“More lives are being saved, more relief and aid is being rushed to affected people, more quickly and the situation brought to control within a few days,” he said.

Source http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article526577.ece

Every fourth person in Singapore is Indian

Singaporeans at an airshow. The population of the Indian community has doubled over the last two years in Singapore

With the number of settlers from India almost doubling in the past two years, every fourth person in Singapore is now from the Indian community, a media report said.

The city has a population of 1.79 million, including expatriates, and of them 400,000 are of Indian origin - a 100 per cent increase in the community size in two years.

According to The Straits Times, the number of Indians setting up companies here has also doubled to 3,000 from the 2006 level of 1,500. Businesses chiefly revolve around information technology, finance, trade and food.

"The city's friendly environment, and Tamil being the official fourth language after English, Chinese and Malay, are the major attractions for the expatriates who mainly hail from southern Indian states," Nikhilesh Gupta, president of the Bengali Association Singapore, was quoted as saying to the daily.

Top professionals from India are moving into the engineering, information technology and finance sectors, while the non-skilled and semi-skilled workers are getting opportunities in construction and marine industries, the daily said.

In sports, the Singapore Cricket Association said its domestic league has grown to 90 teams from 36 teams in 2007. Over the weekends, cricket stumps are as common as football goal posts on Singapore playing fields, it reported.

Source http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/article524874.ece?homepage=true

ICAI announces CPT/ CA finals 2010 results

The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) has announced the CPT June 2010 results/ CA finals results.

The results were on Monday, Jul 19 published online.

Lakhs of students appeared for the Common Proficiency Test (CPT) for the academic year 2010.

Established under the Chartered Accountants Act, 1949, ICAI is a prominent accounting body across the globe.

The institute aims at regulating the profession of Chartered Accountancy.

Source http://news.oneindia.in/2010/07/19/icai-announces-cpt-ca-finals-2010-results.html

Curfew imposed again in most of Indian Kashmir

Authorities re-imposed a rigid curfew throughout most of the Indian portion of Kashmir to prevent street protests after Friday prayers following weeks of unrest that has killed 15 people.

The mostly Muslim region, where resistance to rule by predominantly Hindu India is strong, has been under a rolling curfew for the past three weeks after anti-India street protests and clashes surged.

The tension in the Himalayan region — divided between India and Pakistan and claimed by both — is reminiscent of the late 1980s, when protests against New Delhi's rule sparked an armed conflict that has killed more than 68,000 people, mostly civilians.

Separatist politicians and militants want to carve out a separate homeland or merge with Pakistan.

On Friday, thousands of police and paramilitary soldiers — dressed in riot gear and armed with assault rifles — patrolled Srinagar, the main city in the Indian-held Kashmir. They asked people to stay at home, said Javaid Ahmed, a local resident.

The government decision followed a call for protests by the All Parties Hurriyat Conference, the region's main grouping of separatist parties. An earlier curfew had been eased last weekend so that residents could celebrate a Muslim festival.

But on Thursday, the unrest picked up again, when thousands of people held streets protests chanting "We want freedom" and "Go India, go back" in Srinagar.

Clashes erupted as government forces fired tear gas to disperse rock-throwing protesters in Srinagar and some other towns, injuring 16 protesters and 13 troops, a police officer said on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to talk to reporters.

On Friday, shops, schools and government offices were closed and public buses stayed off the roads in the region.

Source http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jvKA6FSwHfK3D4qLBBHtEDQt5rlwD9H0180O0

Who's to blame for Mumbai Chlorine gas leak?

Students of Lal Bahadur Shastri College of Advanced Maritime Studies and Research who were admitted to the J.J. Hospital on Wednesday

The Mumbai Police has registered a case against unknown persons under the Environment Protection Act in connection with the chlorine gas leak in Mumbai Port Trust on Wednesday, in which over 100 people fell sick. (See Pictures)

The charges included in the First Information Report (FIR) are attempt to commit culpable homicide, causing hurt by dangerous weapon, negligent conduct with respect to poisonous substance and endangering life or personal safety of others.

"We have registered an FIR against unidentified persons (in the gas leakage case) at Sewri police station and started probing the matter," DCP Khalid Kaisar told PTI.

"When the cylinders were brought here to the Port Trust, who imported them and why they were lying since over ten decades will be among the various things the police would look into it," he said.

The DCP said the Port Trust has been guarding the cylinders and as of now the police are not holding the Port Trust responsible for the incident.

Meanwhile, the clean-up at the site is on. "Overnight three cylinders containing chlorine gas have been neutralised unto 80 per cent. One cylinder is giving a problem as its gas valve is not functioning. So neutralising that cylinder is taking time. They will take at least another 24 hours to complete the operation," said Vinay Kajla, Commandant, CISF, Mumbai Port Trust Division.

At 3.15 on Wednesday morning, a gas leak from a chlorine cylinder at the Mumbai Port Trust filled the air. At least a 100 people fell sick when they inhaled the gas. The condition of eight persons, admitted in JJ hospital, is said to be critical. (Watch: Students affected by Mumbai gas leak)

For more than six hours, fire-fighters tried to neutralize the gas filling the air with sodium hydroxide sprays. The major fear: that there are more than a hundred cylinders similar to the one that caused this morning's disaster lying in the same warehouse. "That is supposed to be an empty cylinder of chlorine, but sometimes you have residual chlorine which remains in the cylinder and that leaked out," explained Rahul Asthana, the Deputy Chairman of the Mumbai Port Trust. So who is responsible for them? "They were not taken by the importer and they are lying confiscated here in the hazardous cargo go-down," said Asthana.(Watch: Maharashtra Health Minister on chlorine leak)

A 45-member team of the National Disaster Response Force was brought in from Pune to figure out how to safely dispose the remaining cylinders. "Out of 105 cylinders that have been found, 100 are clean but five still have chlorine in them. We are trying to neutralise them on the spot," SA Ahmed, Assistant Commandant of the National Disaster Response Force said on Wednesday. One container takes six hours to neutralise and these should be cleaned by Thursday morning, he added.

Ahmed also said, "To ensure safety we have asked people to leave the area and have cordoned it off. Both colleges in the area have been evacuated. I have requested the state government to check if there are other cylinders like this in other locations."

The big questions that officials now have to answer: Given that these cylinders were confiscated 15 years ago, why have they still not been disposed off when it was clear that these contained hazardous material? Further, why did nobody seem aware that the cylinders still had some chlorine in them?

The Shipping Ministry has also ordered the Mumbai Port Trust to file a detailed report on how such a leak could occur. "The Mumbai Port Trust is checking its records to find out if any action had been taken for the disposal of hazardous material in the past," said an official statement from the Mumbai Port Trust. (With PTI inputs)

Read more at: http://www.ndtv.com/article/cities/who-s-to-blame-for-mumbai-chlorine-gas-leak-37548?cp

Chlorine gas leak in south Mumbai, over 70 people hospitalised

The Bhopal gas tragedy of 25 years ago still haunts the country. It was a nightmare, thus, when a part of south Mumbai woke up to the news that toxic Chlorine gas had leaked from a cylinder kept at the Mumbai Port Trust at 3.15 in the morning. The leak was contained six hours later, at 9 am.

The gas caused acute respiratory distress. Ninety-two people were affected, 78 are still in hospital, eight of them are critically ill in intensive care. Among those in hospital are 14 students of the Lal Bahadur Shastri Maritime College. The victims have been admitted to the JJ Hospital and KEM Hospital.

This area in south Mumbai is sparsely populated, so there were fewer victims than if it had happened in any other part of the Metro.

The gas began leaking at about 3.15 am, but was detected close to 4 in the morning. The fire brigade was called in and fire-fighters sanitised the area. Some of the firemen were affected too.

"Following the complaint, our men rushed to the spot to plug the leakage. However, four of our men also took ill and have been rushed to nearby hospitals," Uday Tatkare, the Chief Fire Officer, said.

As a precautionary measure, people residing in and around the area have been evacuated. To ensure that the leak did not spread to other areas, the firemen made a "water curtain" and pushed it towards the sea.

So what did happen at 3.15 am as Mumbai slept?

Rahul Asthana, Deputy Chairman of the Mumbai Port Trust explained, "This cylinder containing chloride had to be auctioned off for a long time. An empty cylinder of chlorine...but sometimes you have residual chlorine that remains in the cylinder and that is what leaked out. It didn't leak from the valve but from the bottom of the cylinder as a result of which the chlorine leaked into the atmosphere.'

Asthana said the situation was under control: "We procured Sodium Hydroxide as a neutralising agent so there is no danger now."

Giving an overview of the incident, Maharashtra Health Minister Vijay Kumar Gavit said, "In some cylinders kept in the Sewree dock there was some leakage last night. 92 people have been affected in all, 78 are in a general ward, eight are in ICCU and the rest have been discharged. They are suffering from acute respiratory distress syndrome." He said all the maritime institute students affected would be discharged by the evening.

• Chlorine gas is a respiratory irritant. It causes eye irritation as well as nausea, vomiting, dizziness and headache.
• If exposed a long period of time and in strong concentration, it may lead to excess salivation, loss of consciousness and possibly death.
• In case of chlorine exposure prompt action is essential

Source http://www.ndtv.com/article/cities/chlorine-gas-leak-in-south-mumbai-78-people-hospitalised-37349

Read more at: http://www.ndtv.com/article/cities/chlorine-gas-leak-in-south-mumbai-78-people-hospitalised-37349?cp

Read more at: http://www.ndtv.com/article/cities/chlorine-gas-leak-in-south-mumbai-78-people-hospitalised-37349?cp

Millions of devotees throng Puri for the Rathyatra

Millions of devotees from across the country and abroad thronged this pilgrim town today when Lord Jagannath, the presiding deity of the 12th century temple here, set off on his annual sojourn to his aunt's house accompanied by elder brother Lord Balabhadra and sister Devi Subhadra on three majestic wooden chariots.

Special rituals like Mangla arati and Mailam were held before the deities proceeded out of the sanctum sanctorum of the temple after descending from the Ratna Sinhasana, the bejewelled throne.

The three deities were taken down the 22 steps of the temple known as 'baisi pahacha' through the Lion's gate in an elaborate royal ritual called 'Pahandi' to the beating of gongs as devotees and sevayats jostled each other to have a closer look and to touch them.

Devotees poured into this seaside town since early morning to watch the ceremonial pulling of the huge chariots of the three deities on the 'Bada Danda', as the Grand Avenue is known, with security personnel deployed in strength keeping a watchful eye.

The temple was thrown open to public on July 11 for the 'Naba Jaubana Darshan' of the deities who remained confined to the 'Anasara Pindi' or recovery chamber following a ritual bath on 'snana purnima' on June 26.

At first Sudarshana, the celestial wheel of Krishna-Vishnu, was taken out and placed in the chariot of Subhadra. It was followed by Balabhadra, Subhadra and finally Jagannatha.

Jagannath was ensconsed in the largest of the chariots, 45-feet high 'Nandighosh' which has 16 huge wooden wheels.

It was followed by the chariot of Balabhadra, the 14-wheeled 44-feet-high 'Taladhwaja' and lastly that of Subhadra known as 'Darpadalan' with 12 wheels and standing 43 feet high. Security cordoned each chariot.

The Gajapati King of Puri Divya Singha Deb arrived from his palace on a silver-plated palanquin for the 'Chhera Pahanra' ritual.

He offered prayers to the deity and then swept the platforms with a golden broom and sprinkled flowers and fragrant water.

Among VIPs who turned out to watch the Rathayatra were Governor MC Bhandare and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

Meanwhile, volunteers sprayed jets of water on the vast multitude to given them relief from the heat.

Source http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_millions-of-devotees-throng-puri-for-the-rathyatra_1409143

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Unarmed Mumbai cops led to 26/11 mayhem: FBI

FBI said absence of weapons with the Mumbai police had led to dozens of people being mowed down at five-star hotels.

Labelling the 26/11 terror attacks as "deceptively simple and highly coordinated with little money expended", the FBI has said the crippling flaw in the Mumbai police's defence against the initial assault was that its officers didn't even carry weapons.

The premier US investigative agency has also pointed out that the Indian forces did not have the sophisticated gadgets and systems to intercept the communication between the attackers and their handlers in Pakistan.

FBI said absence of weapons with the Mumbai police had led to dozens of people being mowed down at five-star hotels, a train station and a Jewish centre before the specialised Indian forces killed all but one of the terrorists.

"Half of these guys weren't armed" during the initial assault in Mumbai, said Sergent Alan Matas. "That's half the battle."

"If something like this happened here, we would respond with a more organised attack," Detective Ivan Cabrera was quoted as saying by 'The Miami Herald' newspaper.

FBI's Supervisory Special Agent Anthony Tindall told members of the agency's Joint Terrorism Task Force and others gathered at the Sunrise Civic Centre over the weekend that "in the US, we would bring guns and bullets much quicker than the Indians could have."

Tindall, now based in Hawaii as the FBI's liaison to the US Pacific Command, said India sought the FBI's help during the November 26-28 attack and the bureau deployed eight agents from Los Angeles as well as technicians from Quantico, Virginia.

He said FBI gained the trust of Indian investigators almost immediately because its agents and technicians were able to glean significant information from GPS, cellphones, satellite phones, Internet data, financial records, witnesses and boats used by the terrorists.

"One of the things we learned from this operation is that we needed to bring them something they couldn't do themselves," Tindall told the audience, while showing TV news accounts of the massacre.

"A lot of the information led back to Pakistan," he was quoted as saying by the newspaper.

Another major turning point in the investigation was the early arrest of Pakistani national Muhammad Ajmal Kasab, the lone survivor.

He was a poor, uneducated young man recruited, trained and selected for the mission directed by Lashkar-e-Taiba.

Tindall called Ajmal, who joined another terrorist in the deadly Mumbai railway station attack, "an incredible source of information."

Ajmal was found guilty in May of 86 counts of murder, conspiracy and waging war against India and received the death penalty from the Indian court.

Tindall also said that a Mumbai-style attack in the US would not likely cause as much death and destruction because local, state and federal law enforcement would be better coordinated.

Source http://www.indianexpress.com/news/Unarmed-Mumbai-cops-led-to-26-11-mayhem--FBI/645326

66 pc women faced sexual harassment last year: Survey

Two out of three women in Delhi have suffered sexual harassment at least 2-5 times in the last year. This was revealed in a joint survey report released by NGO Jagori, United Nations Development Fund for Women and UN Habitat.

The survey ‘Safe Cities Baseline Survey- Delhi 2010’ gathered and analysed information about the nature and forms of gender based violence and harassment faced by women, the role of governing agencies and the police in safeguarding women’s rights and societal perceptions and attitudes towards sexual harassment. It had a total sample of 5010 people. This survey is the first of its kind and is unique for including the perceptions and experiences of men regarding the issue. It looked at harassment of women in Delhi , highlighting concerns relating to public spaces in the city.

More than 80 per cent of the respondents reported incidents of verbal harassment, with 45 per cent women reporting incidents of stalking. Women claimed to suffer maximum harassment in the marketplace followed closely by metro stations and areas around schools and colleges. Roadsides and public transport are places where women are most vulnerable to harassment. The survey found school and college students to be most vulnerable to harassment, though women across all categories face harassment.

Source http://www.indianexpress.com/news/66-pc-women-faced-sexual-harassment-last-year--Survey/644118/

Govt wary of playing into hands of protesters

The Centre’s wariness on Kashmir was on account of the fear of walking into what it considers to be a trap being laid by those inciting violence in the state just when it had appeared to be on the mend. The troops who staged a show of strength — a flag march of sorts — were back to their respective locations within hours. But the sight of the men in olives on the streets of Srinagar revived memories of the troubled eighties when Army had to be deployed to fend off the secessionists.

A day after mob violence and the resultant police firing claimed three more lives in the trouble-torn Kashmir valley, a worried Cabinet Committee on Security backed “maximum crackdown” on the trouble makers. The CCS, which met at a short notice, also decided to send Union home secretary G K Pillai to take stock of the situation and advise the state government which had looked clueless in the face of spiralling violence.

CCS identified the failure of the state government to enforce curfews it declared as a serious concern. “Curfews will be fully enforced till normalcy is restored and the violators would be put behind bars,” said a senior official. The Centre is particularly apprehensive of what may unroll on Friday when thousands congregate in Srinagar and urban centres for prayers. J&K has a history of prayer gatherings being commandeered by rabble rousers, and the use of loudspeakers in mosques on Tuesday to stoke passions and mobilize crowds against security forces has raised fears of the tactic being used again.

The cabinet panel, however, also underlined the need for tact so that security forces don’t end up playing into the hands of agent provocateurs. It felt that the J&K police should lead the effort to stop violence which has caused over a dozen civilian deaths in the past four weeks, and should be extended full assistance.

The Army has been instructed to avoid confrontation with crowds. “The Army will not be used for crowd control and would, in fact, avoid direct confrontation with crowds,” said a senior official.

Source http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/JK-Govt-wary-of-playing-into-hands-of-protesters/articleshow/6141202.cms

3 die as Indian forces fire on Kashmiri protesters

Indian forces opened fire on hundreds of rock-throwing protesters in Kashmir killing three people as authorities re-imposed a curfew in the region's main city amid increasingly violent demonstrations against alleged human rights abuses.

Security forces initially used tear gas to disperse the demonstrators, a police officer said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to reporters. When that failed, paramilitary soldiers opened fire with live ammunition, he said.

Fayaz Ahmed Wani, a 35-year-old protester, was killed and two others were wounded, the officer said.

Protests against Indian rule in the Himalayan region have grown increasingly strident in recent weeks with Kashmiri people accusing government forces of killing at least 15 people during street demonstrations. The recent unrest had prompted authorities to impose a curfew in most parts of Kashmir.

As the news of Wani's killing spread, separatist activists in the main city of Srinagar used the public address systems of mosques asking people to join the protest.

"Our protests and civil disobedience will continue until India withdraws its military and paramilitary soldiers from all populated areas," said Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, a key separatist leader who led thousands of marchers in downtown Srinagar.

Carrying black and green flags, the protesters chanted "Go India, go back" and "We want freedom" as they marched through the streets.

The curfew was lifted Tuesday until the latest clashes in Srinagar prompted authorities to enforce it again.

Kashmir is divided between Hindu-majority India and Muslim-majority Pakistan and is claimed by both. Separatist politicians and armed militants in Kashmir reject Indian sovereignty and want to carve out a separate homeland, or merge the predominantly Muslim region with Pakistan.

A young woman was killed when a bullet hit her inside her home in Srinagar. Farooq Ahmed, a senior police officer, said she may have been hit by a stray round.

The woman's death triggered more violent protests with demonstrators clashing with government forces. After trying to quash the crowds with tear gas and warning shots, troops opened fire killing a 16-year-old boy and critically wounding another young man, police said.

Hundreds of protesters then set a police camp on fire.

Five photographers were injured when paramilitary soldiers beat them with sticks and rifle butts during a funeral procession for those killed Tuesday, said Farooq Javed, the president of Kashmir Press Photographers Association. He was among the injured.

Manas Ranjan, a spokesman for the paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force, said officials would investigate the incident.

The latest protests broke out over accusations government forces killed a teenager on Monday.

Police claim Muzaffar Bhat, 17, died after he slipped into a stream by accident.

Resident Abdul Gani said Bhat was playing cricket when Indian paramilitary soldiers beat him with sticks and threw him into the stream.

Also Tuesday, an Indian border guard was killed by gunfire emanating from Pakistani territory. The shooting happened as India's Border Security Force soldiers were returning to camp after patrolling the frontier overnight, said J.S. Oberoi, a border force official.

Oberoi said an investigation was under way to determine whether the soldier was shot by Pakistani guards or by insurgents trying to sneak into the Indian portion of Kashmir from Pakistani territory.

Source http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jvKA6FSwHfK3D4qLBBHtEDQt5rlwD9GPTAJ01

Bandh complete in state, passes off peacefully

The Hindu BJP workers block traffic at NH24 near Akshardham temple during the Bharat Bandh in New Delhi on Monday.

The state on Monday witnessed total bandh as part of the one-day Bharat Bandh call given by the BJP-led NDA and Left parties sepa-rately. The day passed off peacefully, except Khagaria where the police resorted to lathicharge to disperse the CPI-led bandh enforcers.

Train services were disrupted and around a dozen trains were detained at various stations due to the bandh, as the bandh supporters, including women, either squatted on the railway lines or climbed on to their engines. There was no vehicular traffic on the roads in the cities before noon, while the movement of vehicles on the national as well as state highways and other roads was also minimal.

Trucks remained lined along the roads, since the big and small towns and bazars witnessed bandh enforcers, including women, coming out in batches, shouting slogans against the UPA government for failing to check price rise and also for increasing the prices of petro products. With schools closed, there were no school vehicles on the roads, while the government offices wore a deserted look and banking establishments had negligible transactions. All retail and wholesale business activities, barring the retail medicine shops, had come to a standstill, and shutters of the shops, too, were down.

In Patna, the bandh enforcers were on the road at around 7.30 am. By around 9 am, members of Mahila Brigade, all armed with lathis and some even with swords, disrupted the train services at Patna Junction. With autos and rickshaws out of the roads, the pedestrians had a harrowing day. The batches of political parties -- the BJP, JD(U), CPI, CPM, SUCI, Foward Bloc and the Revolutionary Socialist Party -- led by their leaders started crowding around Patna's busiest hub -- Dak Bungalow crossings -- by 10 am. Soon, they put old tyres to fire on the busy Bailey Road from which black tongues of smokes billowed.

By around 1 pm, the police 'arrested' 2,645 people all over the state, and at around 4.30 pm, their number swelled to 8,519, said state DGP Neelmani. In Patna, the prominent among those 'arrested' at the Dak Bungalow crossings were BJP national general secretary and party's chief spokesman Ravishankar Prasad and its state chief, Dr C P Thakur. The police picked up JD(U) national spokesman Shivanand Tiwary and its Rajya Sabha member, Upendra Kushwaha, as well as its general secretary, Shyam Ra-jak. The police also arrested CPI state chief Badri Narayan Lal, among others.

In fact, with tyres aflame at the Dak Bungalow crossings, the police applying restraint and the slogan shouting people rending the air with their party flags fluttering, the spot looked like a little less than a war zone. Both the BJP and JD(U) supporters also indulged in slogan shouting against each other over the issue of Gujarat CM Narendra Modi.

CM Nitish Kumar said the Centre, seeing the spontaneous protests of people, should rollback the price rise of petro products. He added that the popular sentiments should be appreciated and general price rise should also be checked.
Flights not affected: There was no impact of bandh at the Jayaprakash Narayan International Airport, as all the flights both landed and departed on scheduled time expect the Jet Airways flight from Patna to Kolkata. The passengers too reached the airport on time to board their respective flights, said AAI sources here.

Autos keep off road: Three-wheelers, said to be the lifeline of the city, did not ply in the entire city causing hardship to daily commuters, as it is the only mode of transport for the middle income group and covers almost every corner of the city. Most of the auto stands, including Kurji Mor, Pataliputra Colony, Rajapur bridge, Gandhi Maidan, Patna Junction, GPO roundabout, Chitkohra flyover, Phulwarisharif, Polytechnique Mor, Bor-ing Road roundabout, Khagaul Road, RPS More and City Chowk, wore a deserted look throughout the day.

Source http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/City/Patna/-Bandh-complete-in-state-passes-off-peacefully/articleshow/6133193.cms

Bharat Bandh: Bus services disrupted in various A.P. districts

The Hindu A view of the deserted petrol bunk due to the Bharat Bandh against hike in fuel prices in Khammam on Monday.

Opposition workers staged demonstrations in front of bus depots in many districts of Congress-ruled Andhra Pradesh on Monday as part of the nation-wide bandh called by NDA and Left to protest fuel price hike, disrupting bus services.

Bandh supporters staged demonstrations in front of some bus depots in Khammam, Nalgonda, Ranga Reddy and Kadapa districts of the state disrupting services of the Andhra Pradesh Road Transport Corporation, causing inconvenience to commuters, police said.

In Rajahmundhry, services of over 700 buses in nine depots have been cancelled as protestors stopped buses and organised agitations, a APSRTC official said.

However, train services in the state remained unaffected.

“No disruption has been reported so far. We have neither rescheduled nor cancelled any of the train services in the region,” the official spokesperson of South Central Railways said.

All schools, colleges and universities in the city remained closed. While banks will continue to function normally, petrol stations and cinema halls will remain shut till evening.

Meanwhile, the advanced supplementary SSC Board exam for Social Studies Paper-I scheduled on Monday has been postponed.

It will now be held on July 8, officials said.

Similarly all the examinations of Osmania University here, scheduled today have been postponed in view of the bandh.

Hyderabad City police Commissioner A K Khan said the situation in the city is peaceful and no untoward incident has been reported so far.

Source http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/andhra-pradesh/article501221.ece

Rupee drops on arbitrage, gold demand

The rupee slipped after a higher start on Friday as traders grabbed an arbitrage opportunity in the futures and forward markets, while gold-related demand for dollars also weighed on the Indian unit.

At 10:45 am (0515 GMT), the partially convertible rupee was at 46.68/69 per dollar, 0.2 per cent weaker from 46.58/59 at close on Thursday when it had hit 46.79 during trade, its lowest since June 11.

The rupee had opened at 46.47 and rose as high as 46.44 before falling.

"Gold prices are down, so there is some gold-related dollar buying," said Vikas Chittiprolu, a senior foreign exchange dealer with state-run Andhra Bank, adding that arbitrage between the futures and forwards was the main reason for the rupee's fall.

In the currency futures market, the most traded near-month dollar-rupee contracts on the National Stock Exchange and MCX-SX were at 46.8150 and 46.8175 respectively, with the total traded volume on the two exchanges at about $1.7 billion.

The one-month onshore forward contract was trading at 46.88, prompting banks to buy dollars in the futures market and sell in the forwards. However, the gap between the two rates has narrowed from around 0.15 rupee in the morning to 0.06 rupee.

"There was arbitrage opportunity between the MCX and OTC markets in the morning and a decent arbitrage. So that led to selling (dollar) there and buying here," said Madhusudan Somani, head of foreign exchange trading at Yes Bank.

However, dealers said the arbitrage opportunity would soon disappear and lead to some stabilisation in the rupee rates.

India is the world's largest buyer of gold and a drop of more than 1.5 per cent in gold futures on Thursday have spurred demand, traders said.

The index of the dollar against six major currencies was down 0.1 per cent. Most regional currencies rose against the dollar.

The dollar was on the back foot against the euro and slipped against the Aussie on Friday after a big euro short squeeze ahead of US jobs data, while the yen lost ground all round as the squeeze spilled into Asian trade.

Indian shares were up 0.2 per cent, with Reliance Industries leading the rise, taking cues from firm Asian markets.

Foreign fund flows play a crucial role in determining the rupee's fortunes. Foreigners have bought a net $6.7 billion of stocks so far in 2010, in addition to last year's record $17.5 billion inflow.

Source http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/markets/forex/Rupee-drops-on-arbitrage-gold-demand/articleshow/6118608.cms

Hearing on Rathore bail plea adjourned

The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Thursday adjourned till Friday the hearing on the bail plea and revision petition of disgraced former Haryana police chief SPS Rathore, convicted for molesting teenager Ruchika Girhotra who later committed suicide.

Rathore was sentenced to 18 months rigorous imprisonment by the district and sessions court of Chandigarh. He is currently lodged in the high-security Burail jail here since May 25.

“Rathore's counsel Abha Rathore has started submitting the facts before the court. But we are well prepared to oppose it. The case has been adjourned till Friday (July 2),” Ajay Kaushik, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) lawyer said on Thursday.

Rathore, the former Haryana director general of police, was sent to jail May 25 after the court upheld his conviction in the molestation case by a CBI special court in December and enhanced his jail term to 18 months.

Rathore was sentenced to six months rigorous imprisonment and fined Rs.1,000 by the CBI special court. He was immediately granted bail then. Rathore filed a plea in January challenging his conviction.

Source http://www.hindustantimes.com/Hearing-on-Rathore-bail-plea-adjourned/Article1-565808.aspx