SC says not to give its orders ‘political colour’
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday said that its orders on the Guru Ravidas Temple in Tughlaqabad forest area here cannot be given a “political colour”. A bench comprising Justices Arun Mishra and MR Shah asked governments of Punjab, Haryana and Delhi to ensure that no law and order situation is created politically or otherwise during the protests over the demolition of temple. “Everything cannot be political. Our orders can’t be given a political colour by anybody on earth,” the bench said. The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) had demolished the temple pursuant to the orders of the apex court, which had on August 9 observed that “serious breach” had been committed by Guru Ravidas Jainti Samaroh Samiti by not vacating the forest area as earlier ordered by the top court. (PTI)
Former Bihar CM passes away
New Delhi: Former Bihar Chief Minister Jagannath Mishra, the last Congress leader to preside over the state, died here on Monday following cardiac arrest, his family said. He was 82. Nitish Mishra, son of the three-time Chief Minister, told IANS that his father, who had been ailing for some time, passed away around 9.45 a.m. Mishra had been reportedly suffering from multiple ailments and was receiving treatment at a Delhi hospital. Once a powerful figure for the Congress in Bihar politics, Mishra first became Chief Minister in 1975 and then returned to office in 1980 and 1989 before Lalu Prasad succeeded him. Mishra was also a former Union cabinet Minister. Congress interim President Sonia Gandhi condoled the death of Jagannath Mishra, saying he always stood for the interests of the deprived and marginalised minorities in society. “He will be remembered for a long time to come,” she said in a statement. Condoling his demise, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar announced a three-day state mourning. (Agencies)
Manmohan Singh elected to RS
Jaipur: Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha from Rajasthan on Monday. Since the Bharatiya Janata Party did not put up any candidate due to lack of numbers in the assembly, Manmohan Singh was declared elected after the scheduled time to withdraw nominations ended on Monday. The seat had fallen vacant due to the death of sitting member, Madan Lal Saini of the BJP. (IANS)
Truck-bus collision leaves 13 dead
Dhule: At least 13 people, including two children, were killed and 15 others injured when a container truck collided with a state transport bus in Maharashtra’s Dhule district, a police official said on Monday. The accident took place around 10.30 pm on Sunday near Nimgul village on Shahada-Dondaicha road, he said. The truck driver lost control over the wheels following which the vehicle collided with the bus which was on way to Aurangabad from Shahada town in Nandurbar district, he said. “Thirteen people, including two women, two children and drivers of both the vehicles, were killed in the mishap,” the official said. While 11 of them died on the spot, two succumbed at a hospital in Dondaicha town of Dhule, he said. The injured persons were undergoing treatment at two local government hospitals where the condition of three of them was reported to be serious, he said. A case of accidental death was registered, he said. The kin of the deceased were informed and the process was on to hand them over the bodies after the post-mortem. (PTI)
ED summons Chidambaram
New Delhi: In more trouble for former Finance Minister and Congress leader P. Chidambaram, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has summoned him for questioning in an aviation scam case dating back to the UPA regime, authorities said on Monday. A senior ED official told IANS: “We have summoned Chidambaram on August 23 for questioning in the aviation scam.” The Congress leader, who is being probed in the Aircel Maxis deal and INX Media case, has been summoned on charges of money laundering. The ED is probing the aviation scam on the basis of a CBI FIR. Earlier, the ED had questioned former Aviation Minister Praful Patel in connection with the sharing of the profitable routes of Air India with other airlines. (IANS)
UP govt transfer police chief
Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh government on Monday transferred two IPS officers, including the district police chief of Allahabad, official sources said. Although no official reason has been cited, the transfers come after a series of murders in the district, where six people were killed on Sunday in separate incidents. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Atul Sharma has been attached to the office of the director general of police. SSP Satyarth Anirudh Pankaj of the special task force has been made the new Allahabad police chief, the sources said. (PTI)
Two create panic in mall, held
Vadodara: Two men were arrested for allegedly acting suspiciously and attempting to bribe two mall employees to store a bag, an act that led to to the mall being evacuated and bomb detection and disposal squad being called in, a senior official said on Monday. Sagar Thakkar and Jignesh Bariya, who were arrested in the early hours of Monday, have told police they carried out the act for fun, Vadodara Police Commissioner Anupam Singh Gehlot said. “They went to a crowded mall on Ajwa-Waghodiya road late Sunday evening and tried to hand over a bag to two mall employees, including a woman, and offered them Rs 50,000 to place it somewhere inside. The staff refused,” he said. The employees alerted the mall authorities about the incident who then called the police, a team of which arrived with the BDDS in tow, he said. “The mall had to be evacuated and searches had to be carried out. We also scoured CCTV footage through which we zeroed in on Thakkar and Bariya. The bag did not contain anything suspicious,” the top cop said. “The two have told us they did it for fun. We have charged them under IPC for furnishing false information and creating panic among people. Further probe is being carried out by Bipod police,” he said. (PTI)
Woman harassed in UP, kills self
Muzaffarnagar: A woman hanged herself from the ceiling of her residence after being allegedly harassed for dowry by her in-laws in Muzaffarnagar district, police said Monday. Rashmi had married Sumit Kumar eight months ago. Kumar and his father have been arrested on abetment to suicide charge based on a complaint by the woman’s father, they said. The suicide was reported from Goela village on Sunday. The body has been sent for a post-mortem examination. (PTI)