NIA announces award for info on Delhi HC blast accused
NEW DELHI: NIA on Friday announced a cash reward of Rs 10 lakh for any information leading to arrest of three Hizbul Mujahideen terrorists including Junaid Akram in connection with the Delhi high court blast that left 15 people dead.All the three — Junaid, Shakir Hussain Sheikh and Amir Ali Kamal — are residents of Kishtwar district of Jammu region and have been accused by the NIA of playing “a crucial role in the conspiracy which led to the blast at the High Court on September 7, 2011.”The age of Junaid, whose brother Wasim is at present in NIA custody, has been mentioned as 19 years and he has been accused of several terrorist cases in Kishtwar area. He is stated to be active since last year.However, the family contends that he was only 16 year old and that he had been kidnapped by Hizbul Mujahdieen militants last year after he appeared in 10th class examination as an act of revenge as an information from the family had led to arrest of Azhar Ali, financer and recruiter of Hizb terror group.(PTI)
Pawar calls for agriculture reforms
NEW DELHI:Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar Friday called for reforms in agricultural marketing to enable farmers to get best prices for their products.The prevailing system of regulated markets under the Agriculture Produce Market Committee Act, 2003, was a constraint on farmers’ ability to sell their produce at the best prices, he said here.Pawar was addressing the Parliamentary Consultative Committee attached to the agriculture ministry.The minister said large number of intermediaries and huge transaction costs such as market fee and entry tax make marketing reforms a priority.He said: “We continue to pursue this with states and have achieved some success. The model Agriculture Produce Market Committee Act, 2003, has been adopted, to varying degrees, by 17 states. Nine states have also framed the rules. (IANS)
Man rapes niece, gets ten years jail
NEW DELHI: A 21-year-old father of two has been jailed for 10 years by a Delhi court for raping his six-year-old niece.”The offence for which the convict is being sentenced, is grave, heinous and utterly abominable. Such an act of perversity has to be dealt with strictly and sternly,” said Additional Sessions Judge Mamta Tayal. The prosecution stated that Uttar Pradesh-native Vinod had kidnapped and raped his cousin’s minor daughter, who was the same age as one his children, on June 21, 2010.On the day of the incident, the victim was playing with her younger brother outside their house in south-west Delhi when Vinod came up to her and took her to a deserted spot in a rickshaw.He raped the girl and when she cried, he threatened to slit her throat, asking her not to disclose it to anyone. Vinod then left the traumatised girl at a temple close to her locality from where she went home and slept.(PTI)