Gujarat NGO worker alleges cops targeting him

Ahmedabad: Yusuf Shaikh is the convener of a committee formed to monitor the condition of the victims of 2002 Gujarat riots were been internally displaced।

For the past three days, the police have been summoning him for questioning। One of the lines of investigation is a youth who spent time in relief camps after their homes were burnt down, could have provided support in the terror plots at Ahmedabad and Surat.

Shaikh alleges the police is almost treating social activists as suspects। "The police have sought every little detail of me and my family, and all people that I know. They have been harassing me," he says.

Activists agree। "Its almost as if it's a crime to be born in a community. The police has been questioning even innocent people,” says social activist, Dushyantbhai.

Human rights activists working in Gujarat say this amounts to victimisation and harassment।

"It is absolutely unacceptable। Not only are they harassing and picking up people and very senior people. Also,Amit Shah, a minister, has given an interview saying NGOs are responsible for terrorism because they are bringing money from outside and that money is used in terrorist attacks,” says Shabnam Hashmi, Convener of Anhad.

According to sources, the police are looking to question over 100 persons, all riot victims, who are presently not available at their addresses, and attempts are being made to track them down by questioning NGO workers।

"It's a virtual 360 degree investigation। We are looking at all possible angles in the investigation. We need to examine every possible link,” says Additional Commissioner of Police, Ahmedabad, H P Singh.

For the police, a possible revenge angle is just another line of investigation, but for riot victims, it could be like adding insult to injury.

About 80 die in stampede in Naina Devi temple in HP

Bilaspur (HP) (DNS): Around 80 pilgrims were feared killed and over 30 others injured on Sunday in a stampede at the Naina Devi temple in Bilaspur district in Himachal Pradesh।

"About 80 people have died and about 30 are injured as per latest reports from Bilaspur district," Himachal Pradesh Government's Principal Secretary P C Kapoor said। The temple is located about 160 kms from Shimla.

However, Chief Minister P K Dhumal, who was in Chamba, said the toll was 68। He said he was trying to reach the spot but was stuck due to heavy rain.

Rumours of a landslide and rolling down of stones from a nearby hilltop led to a commotion which apparently caused the stampede as a large number of pilgrims tried to push their way causing collapse of a railing along the four-km trek to the temple।

The pilgrims had gathered to offer prayers on the occasion of 'Navratra'. The incident that took place around 1000 hrs, Additional District Magistrate C P Verma told DNS>from the spot, about 50 kms from district headquarters of Bilaspur.

Terror is single biggest threat to region: PM

Colombo 2 August Days after the Bangalore and Ahmedabad blasts, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said on Saturday that terrorism remains the “single biggest” threat to South Asia’s stability।

Addressing the 15th South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) summit, Singh stated that terrorists and extremists know no borders। “The recent attack on the Indian Embassy in Kabul and the serial blasts in Bangalore and Ahmedabad are grim reminders of the barbarity that still finds a place in South Asia.”

The PM called for joint action and determination to fight the scourge of terrorism। “We must defend the values of pluralism, peaceful coexistence and the rule of law.” Singh said the ideology of hatred and fanaticism could destroy the social fabric in the region.

Terror dominated the summit agenda with Afghan President Hamid Karzai and his Sri Lankan counterpart Mahinda Rajapaksa taking a tough line against the menace। Both countries are grappling with terrorism and civil strife. While the Taliban are resurgent in Afghanistan, in Sri Lanka, the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) are locked in battle with the armed forces.

Karzai was blunt in referring to the involvement of a neighbouring country in aiding and abetting the Taliban insurgents as well as other active terrorist groups। Terrorism, he said, was receiving institutional support from countries like Pakistan. “In Pakistan, terrorism and its sanctuaries are gaining a deeper grip as demonstrated by the tragic assassination of shaheed (martyr) Benazir Bhutto,” Karzai said at the summit in the presence of Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani. He added terrorism might prove to be the most destabilising factor in the region and that his country was facing the brunt of it.

“While existing on the absolute fringes of our tolerant and peace loving societies, terrorists in our region receive institutional nurturing and support। It is this embedded nature of terrorists that make it a much more sinister threat,” he said.

Interestingly, Gilani in his address called for joint action against terrorism without referring to the allegations that Pakistan’s ISI was behind the July 7 suicide attack on the Indian Embassy in Kabul.

DNA tests to identify train victims

Hyderabad: A day after the fire on a train in Andhra Pradesh’s Warangal district killed at least 31 passengers, the authorities faced a tough job identifying bodies that were charred beyond recognition।

Even 36 hours after Gautami Express caught fire near K-Samudram railway station in Warangal district on Friday, only two bodies were identified। Forensic experts sifted through the charred remains, looking for clues to identify the dead.

The passenger train, which was going from Secunderabad to Kakinada in Andhra, apparently caught fire due to a short circuit।

A sense of gloom descended at MGM hospital in Warangal where the skeletons of 29 persons were packed in gunny bags and placed in the mortuary for postmortem। “We will be able to identify them after post-mortem though their gender, age and height. If required, we will send the bodies for superimposition, provided we receive the victims’ photos,” explained Kakatiya University forensic professor Dr Hemanth Rao. He added if there is a further dispute over the identities, the skeletons would then be sent for DNA tests.

A team of forensic experts headed by Dr Rajamohan Lal and Dr Ismail were performing postmortems on the skeletons। The work is likely to be completed by Sunday morning.

The bodies of Dr Sarita, 25, and G V Bhagyalakshmi, 37, who were the only ones identified, were handed over to their families।

Meanwhile, authorities said sabotage was ruled out in the incident. with inputs from ians.

New CBI director favours joint ops with foreign countries

New Delhi, Aug 2 (DNS) With increasing number of crimes having international links, the CBI today favoured joint operations with foreign agencies against criminals setting up global syndicates। "CBI's role is not limited within the boundary of the country.

We want to have joint operations, investigation, joint prosecution even with other countries," new CBI Director Ashwani Kumar told reporters after assuming charge here। Kumar said Indian criminals were being prosecuted even in other countries for different crimes, including illegal money transfer.

"Our assets -- illegal money -- are being transferred to other countries। So our task is how to bring that money back and catch the criminals," he said.

Asked whether the CBI would be able to arrest key accused in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts Dawood Ibrahim, believed to be in Pakistan, during his tenure, Kumar said an Interpol Red Corner notice has already been served against the gangster and he was hopeful that Dawood would be brought to justice। "We will be successful.

I hope we will be successful in bringing him back to the country। I hope we will not only be able to arrest him but also other criminals," he said.

The 58-year-old Kumar also favoured close coordination between state police forces and the CBI to deal with different crimes। "The state police forces have a major role to perform and the CBI can assist them.

When the Prime Minister (Manmohan Singh) had visited Ahmedabad (following the serial blasts), he announced that there would be joint operation, joint investigation," he said.

SAARC should allow trade in more goods: CII

New Delhi (DNS): SAARC countries should allow trade in more goods under South Asia Free Trade Agreement to enhance the trade among the member countries, industry body CII said।

Enhancing trade among the SAARC countries -- India, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Pakistan, Maldives, Sri Lanka and Nepal -- in a time bound manner would hasten the process of SAARC integration, the chamber said।

In a five point agenda, CII asked the government to enhance trade and investment flows, integration of infrastructure, promotion of tourism and greater people-to- people contacts, and Cooperation in agriculture and SME development।

Export Promotion Zones and Special Economic Zones should also be set up in each SAARC member country to enhance the investments between them, CII said।

CII also said that to encourage the intra-SAARC investments, all the member nations should frame a regional policy for the purpose and a South Asia fund on Climate Change should also be set up to increase cooperation।

Since making borders irrelevant is an important initiative towards integration, CII suggested to set up an integrated south Asia transport network for easier movement of goods, services and people।

For greater cooperation in agriculture and small and medium enterprises development, a South Asian centre for agriculture research and extension services should be set up which would go a long way in modernising agricultural operations in the smaller economies, it added.

Inflation rises to 11.98 per cent

New Delhi, July 31 (DNS) Inflation rose to 11।98 per cent for the week ended July 19, as some food and manufactured products turned dearer.

The moderation in inflation a week earlier to 11।89 per cent turned out to be an aberration as the rate of price rise is now a just a tad below the crucial 12 per cent। It has been rising unabatedly since petrol prices were increased by the Government on June 5.

Prices of pulses, fruits and spices went up as did the rates some manufactured products items।

Inflation stood at 4।65 per cent in the corresponding week a year ago.

This is the first official data on inflation after the Reserve Bank increased the short-term lending (repo) rate by 50 basis points to 9 per cent and also raised the mandatory deposits (CRR) that banks have to park with it by 25 basis points to cool down the rate of price rise।

However, the exact effect of these measures will be known after some time only as official data is released with a two week lag and hike in CRR would come into effect only after August 30।

Announcing the first quarterly review of the credit policy RBI Governor Y V Reddy had said that the main thrust of the policy would be to bring down inflation to 7 per cent by March, 2009।

Earlier, the apex bank had set the attempt to bring down inflation close to 5 per cent by end of this fiscal and lower it further to 4-4.5 per cent with a medium-term objective of 3 per cent.