HC rejects plea of 2G scam accused of nurturing trees
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday rejected the plea of Swan Telecom promoter Shahid Usman Balwa and others seeking relief from nurturing trees, which they have to plant as part of the punishment for failing to file responses on investigating agencies’ appeal challenging their acquittal in the 2G case. However, Justice Najmi Waziri agreed to Balwa and businessman Rajiv Agarwal’s plea to reduce the number of trees to 1,500 from 3,000 each to be planted in Delhi’s South Ridge forest area. On February 7, the court had asked three companies — Dynamix Reality Pvt Ltd, DB Reality and Nihar Constructions — to plant 3,000 trees each. The court has directed them to submit photographs of their plantation drive on the next date of hearing. The court has said trees should be of indigenous variety and must be taken care of till the monsoon. (IANS)
Pak intruder detained by BSF
Kutch (Gujarat): Border Security Force troopers have apprehended an intruder coming from the Pakistan side in the Rann of Kutch in the wee hours of Wednesday. The 50-year-old male was spotted in the alignment of Boundary Pillar 1050. No recoveries were made from the arrested individual. According to BSF, the intruder surrendered immediately after being challenged. Further questioning is ongoing. Earlier on February 26 morning, a drone was shot down after it intruded Indian air space in Kutch district of Gujarat. The drone was downed by the Spyder air defence system using its Derby missile. (ANI)
Court records Saxena’s statement
New Delhi: A Patiala House court on Wednesday recorded the statement of Rajiv Saxena in connection with his plea to turn an ‘approver’ in the AgustaWestland case. Saxena, a co-accused in the case, recorded his statement before Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) Samar Vishal during an in-chamber hearing under section 306 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC). The entire proceeding lasted nearly three hours. The Enforcement Directorate (ED), which is probing the case, will file its reply post recording of the statement. The arguments on the application of Saxena will take place at 2pm on March 8. (ANI)
Terrorist hideout busted in J&K
Shopian: A terrorist hideout was busted on Wednesday in Kungnoo village here in a joint operation by the Jammu and Kashmir Police and 44 Rashtriya Rifles. A substantial amount of incriminating material has been recovered from the hideout, according to the police in Shopian. A case has been registered and further investigation is underway. This comes as tensions between India and Pakistan have heightened following the February 14 deadly terror attack in Pulwama, and cross-border firing that ensued subsequently on various posts along the Line of Control (LoC). Last week, two terrorists belonging to Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), including one from Pakistan, were killed in an encounter. The encounter had come a day after India carried out air strikes at a JeM camp in Balakot in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. (ANI)
CISF officer dead in Delhi fire
New Delhi: A CISF trooper died and important government documents were gutted in a major fire that broke out on the fifth floor of Pandit Deendayal Antyodaya Bhawan at the CGO Complex on Wednesday morning. The fire damaged many rooms of the Disability Division of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Delhi Fire Service (DFS) officials said. Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) Sub-Inspector M.P. Godara, who was on security duty on the fifth floor, was found unconscious by fire fighters, who reached the spot after receiving an alert around 8.34 a.m., minutes after smoke and flames were noticed in the building. Ex-Air Force serviceman Godara, who joined the CISF in 2008, was declared dead at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Trauma Centre. He was a resident of Churu in Rajasthan and is survived by two sons. DFS Director Vipin Kental told IANS that 25 fire tenders were pressed into service and the flames were completely doused by 10.05 am. (IANS)
SC reserves order in Ayodhya case
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday reserved its order on the issue of referring Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title dispute case to court-appointed and monitored mediation for a “permanent solution”. The court asked the parties concerned to suggest the name of a mediator or panel of mediators. A five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi said, “We intend to pass the order soon.” The bench had on February 26 had suggested an amicable resolution in the case through mediation and reserved its order for March 6. There are fourteen appeals before the top court against the 2010 Allahabad High Court judgment trifurcating the disputed site at Ayodhya for Ram Lalla, Nimrohi Akhara and the original Muslim litigant. Several other appeals have also been filed in the court relating to the issue. (ANI)