MHA likely to deny sanction to CBI to prosecute 4 IB officers
New Delhi: The Home Ministry is likely to deny sanction to CBI to prosecute four Intelligence Bureau officials, including its former Special Director Rajinder Kumar, in the Ishrat Jahan fake encounter killing case. A final decision on CBI’s request for sanction will be taken after a thorough examination of the documents provided by the investigating agency, a Home Ministry official said. The agency has sought sanction from Home Ministry to prosecute Kumar and three other officers — P Mittal, MK Sinha and Rajiv Wankhede — in connection with the case of the fake encounter killing of college student Ishrat, in which the charge sheet has been filed after completion of investigation. CBI has handed over to Home Ministry the documents sought by it to take a decision regarding the granting of sanction to the agency to prosecute the four Intelligence Bureau officials. Home Ministry had asked for the ‘case diary’ and the Superintendent of Police’s final report before deciding whether to give the sanction to prosecute the IB officers. Home Ministry sources had said the ministry sought certain documents from CBI after stating that no sanction would be accorded without proper application of mind, for which the material available on record was required. Home Ministry and CBI were at loggerheads over the issue of sanction to prosecute the four IB officials with the former demanding the case diary before giving its nod even as the probe agency decided to seek legal opinion on the demand. According to the law, a case diary which is maintained by the Investigating Officer can be shared only with the court. (Agencies)
175 kgs of rare herb seized, one arrested in Doda
Jammu: Police and Forest Protection Force (FPF) sleuths have seized 150 kgs of medicinal herbs- Nag Chatri and 25 kgs of Khour in Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir and arrested one driver of Public Works Department (PWD) in this connection. Acting on a tip off, FPF men headed by Deputy Director Ravinder Singh intercepted a vehicle at Akramabad in Doda district on Doda-Jammu highway on Wednesday, FPF officials said. Two people, including the driver, escaped from the spot, they said adding, during the search of the vehicle, 110 kgs of banned Nag Chatri and 25 kgs of another banned medicinal herb Khour was seized along with the vehicle. A case has been registered in this regard and operation to trace down the duo have been launched, they said. In another incident, a man has been arrested in the same district for allegedly possessing 40 kgs of banned rare medicinal herb, police said. The accused has been identified as Naveed Ahmed of Malanoo-Kahra village, they said. The drug, Nag Chatri was seized during a police check, from the driver of a truck of the PWD, which was on its way to Thathri from Piyakul, a police spokesman said today. The truck was later seized and the driver was arrested on the spot, he said, adding that in this regard a case has registered and investigation and search of accused Dalmir Ahmed, a known smuggler of forest-produced Nag Chatri, has started. (PTI)
Tharoor seeks early end to Sunanda death probe
Thiruvananthapuram: Former union minister Shashi Tharoor Wednesday requested the authorities to conduct a “thorough investigation” into the death of his wife Sunanda Pushkar and to conclude the inquiry “rapidly and transparently”. Tharoor’s statement came as the central government Wednesday sought a detailed report from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi on the allegation by a forensic doctor that he was pressurised to manipulate the report of Pushkar’s autopsy. TV channels in Kerala went berserk Wednesday morning on the allegation of AIIMS doctor Sudhir Gupta that he was pressurised to manipulate the autopsy report. “Upon the tragic loss of my wife Sunanda and from the very beginning, I have requested for a thorough investigation by the authorities to be conducted and concluded rapidly and transparently,” Tharoor said in a statement here. The Pushkar family also took the same view, saying “we have all fully cooperated with the authorities”. “I reiterate my request to bring this protracted inquiry to a clear and definitive conclusion at the earliest, so as to put all speculation to rest,” Tharoor said in the statement issued in both English and Malayalam. Pushkar was found dead in her room at a five-star hotel in Delhi Jan 17. (IANS)
Defamation case: Tytler offers apology, Phoolka refuses
New Delhi: Congress leader Jagdish Tytler, accused in a criminal defamation complaint filed against him by a senior lawyer representing victims of 1984 anti-Sikh riot cases, on Wednesday told a Delhi court that he was ready to tender “unconditional apology” to the advocate to settle the matter. However, senior advocate H S Phoolka, who is a complainant in the case, refused to accept Tytler’s offer, saying “any compromise” in a serious matter like this would send a wrong message to the people. His response came after Tytler’s counsel told Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) Gaurav Rao that his client has offered to tender unconditional apology as no public interest was involved in the complaint filed by an individual. “The (alleged) issue is of 2004. We are in 2014. Much time has expired. My client (Tytler) is in public life….and he has been not held guilty by any court…My client will tender unconditional apology,” Tytler’s lawyer told the court. The court asked Phoolka whether he was ready to settle the matter and accept the apology tendered by Tytler as “it is a defamation complaint and it has nothing to do with the riots.” Phoolka, however, did not accept the suggestions of the court and said, “The matter is of great importance and any settlement will send a wrong message among the people. I can not settle the matter and any compromise is not possible.” “I will not do this (settlement). Whatever you (judge) want, you may decide but settlement is not possible at all,” he said. (PTI)
PIL seeking suo motu police FIR registration against Pal filed
Kolkata: A PIL was filed before the Calcutta High Court today seeking suo motu registration of FIR by the West Bengal Police and penal action against Trinamool Congress MP Tapas Pal who is in the eye of a storm over his derogatory comments against women. Samit Sanyal, a lawyer, filed the petition before the high court, praying that the state police take suo motu action and register an FIR against Pal, who has tendered a written apology to his party and the media for his remarks. (PTI)