Asaram rape case witness Rahul Sachan stabbed in court premises

New Delhi/Jodhpur: In yet another attack on the witness of the Surat rape case against controversial 'godman' Asaram, Rahul Sharma alias Rahul Sachan alias 'Laptop Baba' was on Friday attacked by unidentified man with a knife in Jodhpur court premises.

According to reports, Sachan was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital. Meanwhile, police said that they have arrested the attacker.

Last month, Akhil Gupta, another witness in the said case and former driver and cook of Asaram was shot dead by unidentified persons in Uttar Pradesh's Muzaffarnagar.

He was shot dead on Jansath Road under New Mandi police station area in Muzaffarnagar on his way back home by unidentified assailants.

Gupta had given statement before a Gandhinagar Court under section 164 of CrPC along with some incriminating proof against Asaram, who is accused of sexually assaulting a 16-year-old schoolgirl.

The Supreme Court, later, declined a plea for bail by self-styled godman Asaram Bapu.

Earlier, in the chargesheet filed on January 9, 2014, before Chief Judicial Magistrate, Gandhinagar, the Gujarat Police had named Asaram, his wife Lakshmi, daughter Bharti and four of his followers, Dhruvben, Nirmala, Jassi and Meera, for “hatching a conspiracy”, “illegal confinement” and “rape”.

Later, the Ahmedabad police listed 101 witnesses, of whom two, Akhil Gupta and Amrut Prajapati, are now dead. Three others related to the case have survived attacks. However, the SIT officials claim that since the murders took place after the chargesheet was filed, these would not affect the case.

The 72-year-old Asaram, who is currently lodged in Jodhpur jail, was arrested after a 16-year-old girl lodged a police complaint August 20, 2013, accusing him of sexually assaulting her at his ashram in Jodhpur.

Asaram was arrested in September 2013. He is being tried under the provision of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO).  

(Zee Media Bureau)

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AAP govt to pursue corruption charges against Sheila Dikshit, Mukesh Ambani, Veerappa Moily

New Delhi: Delhi's AAP government to be sworn in tomorrow will pursue allegations of corruption against ex-Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and industrialist Mukesh Ambani and others, Deputy Chief Minister-designate Manish Sisodia said on Friday. All the cases that were registered last year during Kejriwal government's 49-day stint "will be pursued", Sisodia said.

Sisodia, who had been asked whether the FIRs lodged by the AAP government last year against Mukesh Ambani, the then Petroleum Minister M Veerappa Moily as also allegations against Dikshit would be pursued, responded "yes, definitely".

The then Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had ordered filing of an FIR on February 11 last year against Moily, his predecessor Murli Deora, who is dead now, and RIL Chief Mukesh Ambani for alleged collusion in hike of prices in natural gas from the KG basin. The then AAP government had also ordered a probe into street light purchase scam during the Commonwealth Games of 2010 in which Dikshit's role had come under the scanner.

Sisodia said the AAP government will "revive" the cases that have been put in cold storage and take them to a "logical conclusion". On its key poll promise of slashing power tariff by 50%, Sisodia said it would be done "as soon as possible".

Alleging wide-spread corruption in the power sector, Sisodia said the new government would force the power distribution companies to give all their financial details to the CAG that is probing their accounts. The CAG audit into the finances of the private power distribution companies was ordered by the Kejriwal government last year.

In its manifesto, AAP had promised to cut power tariff by 50% immediately after coming to power and said the rates will be revised based on the findings of the CAG audit. "CAG audit into the discoms is already going on. We will force them to give all the details to the CAG," Sisodia said.

Sisodia said the AAP government will also soon announce 20 kilolitres (20,000 litres) of free water to every household per month as per its promise. The previous AAP government had introduced the free water scheme but it was discontinued after it quit. "We will bring back the free water scheme which was discontinued after we quit the government as water is basic right," he said.

Asked how the new AAP government will tackle the 'VIP culture' of 'lal battis', he said "all the Ministers will ride ordinary cars".

"Not even the Chief Minister will use red-beacon or hooters on his official car. The AAP government will be a government of simplicity. The Ministers may avail government accomodation but not huge bungalows. They will take normal salary and will not travel with huge security contingents," he said.

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Gulbarg fund case: SC stays arrest of Teesta Setalvad till February 19

New Delhi: Supreme Court on Friday deferred the hearing on the anticipatory bail plea of social activist Teesta Setalvad till February 19, in a case of alleged embezzlement of funds for a museum at Gulbarg society, devastated in the 2002 riots.

The court has also given protection from arrest to Setalvad and her husband till February 19.

A day ago, the apex court had stayed the arrest of Teesta Setalvad and her husband, soon after Gujarat High Court rejected their anticipatory bail plea.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal had orally mentioned about the imminent arrest of the couple, soon after Gujarat High Court rejected their anticipatory bail.

The couple had rushed to the apex court within an hour of the High Court dismissing their plea for a stay on its order to allow them time to move the Supreme Court.

Setalvad and her husband have been booked by the Crime Branch of Gujarat Police on charges of cheating, breach of trust and under the IT Act, in a matter relating to the construction of "Museum of Resistance" in the Gulbarg society in Ahmedabad which was hit by communal riot in 2002.

Meanwhile, Congress leader Manish Tewari said activist Teesta Setalvad had played an important role in exposing the perpetrators of Gujarat pogrom and bringing them to justice and added that the steps taken against her were out of a sense of political vendetta.

"The fact remains that Teesta Setalvad played a very seminal role in exposing the perpetrators of the Gujarat pogrom and bringing them to justice. It's quite obvious that whatever steps have been taken against her, they are out of a sense of political vendetta," Tewari said.

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Delhi: Parties condemn incident of vandalism at Christian school

New Delhi: Cutting across party lines, leaders on Friday denounced the alleged vandalisation of a prominent Christian school in South Delhi with Aam Admi Party saying both the Centre and the state have to think about how to prevent such "unacceptable" incidents.

"This is an incident which cannot be accepted. Society can't stand like this. Everyone has to think

about this including the Centre and the state," AAP leader Manish Sisodia told reporters here. "Something needs to be done about it because such incidents have been continuously increasing. It can't be left as a small incident.... People belonging to a religion are praying and others who are not following it are throwing stones at them.

"Let tomorrow's programme happen. We will discuss this with police that how such actions can be controlled because society needs to be kept together. If it is divided then it is a danger for the nation," he said.

The AAP government will be sworn in here tomorrow. Congress leader Arvinder Singh Lovely also condemned the incident saying, "It is a matter of deep concern the way minorities are being attacked continuously. It shows the failure of police and government in maintaining law and order situation."

Another Congress leader, Shobha Jha, said, "It is unfortunate that this is fifth such incident of an attack on minorities, church or schools being ransacked and the government is sleeping." "It is unfortunate that no arrest has been made in the last attack despite people of Christian community protesting against it. This shows the government is insensitive towards security of minorities," she added. Prime Minister Narendra Modi today summoned Delhi Police Commissioner B S Bassi in the wake of the incident and directed him to come down hard against those involved in such attacks.

BJP's spokesperson Sambit Patra, however, said that the incident should not be viewed in religious context. "I don't think this is a targeted attack on a community. The principal has also come to the forefront and maintained that no religious item was attacked and it's a case of theft. Even police commissioner has come out with the same comments on the matter. I think it's unfair to mix religion into every issue," he told reporters. Unidentified persons had allegedly vandalised the school in South Delhi's Vasant Vihar in the wee hours today even as police and school authorities claimed it to be a case of robbery.

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PM Modi sending Foreign Secretary Jaishankar to Pak soon since calling off talks over Kashmir

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is sending Foreign Secretary Subrahmanyan Jaishankar to Pakistan as part of a regional tour, the first top-ranking visit since Modi broke off talks last year over the disputed region of Kashmir.

The sign of a thaw in ties comes weeks after a visit to India by US President Barack Obama.

The United States has long privately encouraged dialogue between India and Pakistan hoping that better ties between the nuclear-armed neighbours could lead to cooperation in other areas such as Afghanistan.

Modi called his Pakistani counterpart, Nawaz Sharif, early on Friday to wish his country luck in the World Cup cricket tournament beginning this weekend and to tell him that Jaishankar will soon visit Islamabad as well as other regional capitals.

The Indian government last year abruptly called off talks between the foreign secretaries, incensed that Pakistan`s envoy in New Delhi had hosted Kashmiri separatists in the run-up to those talks.

India considers the whole of Kashmir as an integral part of the country and the decision by Modi`s government to pull the plug on talks with Pakistan represented a stiffening of India`s stand on the 68-year-old dispute over the territory.

Pakistan criticised the decision to cancel the talks and there have since been calls, including from within India, that the two countries must remain engaged.

Sharif told Modi that he welcomed the proposed visit of the Indian envoy to Pakistan to discuss all issues of common interest, the Pakistani foreign office said in a statement.

The neighbours have fought two wars over Kashmir since independence from Britain in 1947 and ties remain difficult since a 2008 attack on Mumbai by Pakistan-based gunmen.

India wants speedy trials of those suspected to have orchestrated the attacks. Pakistan says it is doing all it can.

Modi said in a Twitter post that he called the leaders of Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, besides Pakistan to wish them luck in the cricket tournament being held in Australia. India play Pakistan in their opening game on Sunday.

Reuters 

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