Man sentenced to life for Mehar Bhargav's murder

Lucknow : A local court here awarded life imprisonment in connection with the Meher Bhargava murder case on Friday. According to the sources, Sunny Rawat, the prime accused in Meher Bhargava murder case, was found guilty, but the court acquitted three other accused due to lack of substantial evidence. Sunny Rawat shot at Meher Bhargava when she resisted an attempt to molest her daughter-in-law.

Sunny Rawat, arrested in connection with the Mehar Bhargava murder, confessed before the media to having fired the fatal shot at her in a fit of rage. ‘Yes, I fired the shot,' Rawat told reporters here after which he was produced before a local court as the main suspect. Rawat, who was presented by police at a news conference, claimed Mehar threatened him and his accomplices with dire consequences and also abused him following which he shot her in a fit of rage. ‘She (Mehar) used filthy language which I could not bear and fired at her,' he said.

He alleged that it was Pramod Singh who passed lewd remarks about Mehar's daughter-in-law near the stairs of their house on February 28 after which she scolded Singh and threatened to call the police.The family driver, Ganga Prasad, identified Rawat as the one who had fired the fatal shot after Rawat and another youth Sanjay Menon were arrested.

The four men, identified as Sachin Pahadi, Pramod Singh, Amit Singh and Jaiprakash came down from K D Singh's flat, where they had been drinking the previous night. The accused tried to flee when Meher threatened to call the police. When Meher's driver chased them, Sachin Pachadi shot at her. Two of the accused, Sachin and Amit, have a criminal history, with Sachin already having two murder charges against him. The reward on Sachin has been increased from Rs 2,500 to Rs 5,000, according to Hazratganj inspector D K Rai. Amit has cases lodged against him at Mughalsarai police station in Chandauli district. While Jaiprakash and Pramod have been arrested, Amit and Sachin are still missing.

Meher Bhargava was the 50-year old wife of senior Congress leader Luv Bhargava. A little more than an month after she was shot, barely metres from the Lucknow police superintendent's office, she succumbed to injuries and died at 6.15 pm on March 25th at the Apollo Hospital where she was admitted.

Cassette king killer arrested in Dhaka

Abdul Rauf Merchant, who was convicted for killing audio king Gulshan Kumar in 1997, and had absconded has been arrested in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Merchant had been released on furlough when he went absconding since Saturday, May 23, 2009.Merchant, a resident of Mumbra suburb of Thane near Mumbai, was released on furlough for 14 days by the Bombay High Court last month on condition that he would report to police every day.

Merchant reported for a week but had thereafter stopped coming to Mumbra police station, Joint Commissioner of Police, Rakesh Maria said, adding efforts were on to trace him."We have got certain clues about his whereabouts but at this stage we cannot disclose anything", Maria said. Furlough is leave granted to a convict every two years for a fortnight to visit his family and return to jail after expiry of the period.

Merchant had filed a petition from jail asking for release on furlough. The court had allowed his plea after advocate Farhana Shah argued his case as amicus curiae.This is for the first time that Merchant was released from jail on furlough after he was given life sentence for killing Gulshan Kumar. Merchant was convicted in 2001, while 18 other accused were acquitted by the trial court as policecould not prove conspiracy charges against them.

Civil rights activist Binayak Sen gets bail

The Supreme Court on Monday granted bail to Binayak Sen, a doctor accused by authorities of links with Maoist rebels, in a high-profile case that saw a host of Nobel laureates call for his freedom. Sen, 59, was jailed about two years ago in Raipur, capital of Chhattisgarh on accusations he passed notes from an imprisoned Maoist leader.

Chhattisgarh is one of the centres of a Maoist insurgency that stretches across a swathe of eastern and central India.Sen, who has won international fame for running health clinics for poor villagers in this tribal region, denies the charges. He has also been critical of government-backed tribal militia that were formed to battle Maoist insurgents.

Lower courts had previously turned down his bail plea. But on Monday Supreme Court Justices Markandeya Katju and Deepak Verma granted bail to Sen. The prosecution did not contest his bail plea. Last year, the Global Health Council, an association of health organisations and workers, announced he was the winner of the 2008 Jonathan Mann Award for Global Health and Human Rights. After that 22 Nobel prize-winning scientists appealed to the Indian government to release Sen and let him travel to Washington D.C. to collect the award.

The Nobel laureates spanned around three decades of winners, including economists, chemists and doctors.They said the laws under which Sen had been jailed fell short of international human rights standards. Maoist rebels say they are fighting for the rights of the poor and landless. They regularly kill policemen and attack government establishments.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has described the four-decade-old Maoist rebellion as the single biggest threat to India's internal security. It has killed thousands of people. Human rights groups had launched a high-decibel campaign, including on social network websites and through emails, to demand Sen's release."I am very happy that my personal ordeal is over, the judiciary has stood up for what is correct," Ilina Sen, the accused doctor's wife,told reporters.

CPI seeks withdrawal of all cases against Binayak Sen
Welcoming the bail granted by Supreme Court to prominent civil rights activist Binayak Sen, CPI today asked the government to set him free by withdrawing all cases against him."Foisting of cases against such eminent persons is a shame on our democracy. The time has now come for the government to withdraw all cases against him and he must be set free immediately," party National Secretary D Raja told here.
The Apex court today ordered the release of Sen, who was lodged in a Chhattisgarh jail since two years. A prominent PUCL leader, Sen was arrested by the Chhattisgarh police for allegedly colluding with certain naxalite leaders, a charge denied by the activist. Raja also demanded dismantling of the private anti-Naxal army Salwa Judum, saying even Home Minister P Chidambaram had earlier admitted that this outfit was a "non-state actor".(mediavigil)

SIT and witness protection‎

By-Dr Nutan Thakur

R K Raghavan's statement in Gandhinagar (Gujarat) that "witness protection will be given the highest priority during trial" and that all witnesses will "be getting adequate protection" is a welcome one. More so because he is the head of the Special Investigation team (SIT) that has been constituted by the Supreme Court to investigate into the Gujarat riots and recently has also been assigned the task of looking into the various complaints against the Chief minister Modi, many of his close associates and some important government functionaries as well.

Not that everyone is satisfied with the SIT's job so far and more often than once, figures have been raised against its functioning, where it has been felt that it has not come up to the expectations of the people in its process of trying to bring the culprits before the Court. And yet, this is what we have and thus every one of us, who knows that Gujarat is the worst example so far of the State sponsored violence and mayhem in our country, are pinning our hopes on the SIT.

Through these words Raghav has tried not only to assuage the feelings of the devastated and brutalized victims but has also tried to instill some sort of confidence in them to come up and speak the truth. He exhorts them by saying that "they need not fear anyone." How much does he really mean when he speaks these brave-sounding words and how much of it would actually be implemented on the ground during the long processes of trial, no one knows but the fact that witness security is being recognized as an important issues and steps are being taken to ensure it, is itself something to feel good about. Moreover, it also brings forth the fact that even the Supreme Court and SIT, as its assisting body, realizes the possibility of such things happening in Modi's land.

One more thing that the SIT must do is to complete the arduous and difficult task assigned to it by the Supreme Court as regards investigating into the roles of the bigwigs including the all-powerful and invincible-looking Narendra Modi and his lieutenants. It seems easier than done because of the kind of complete hold that the government enjoys in the State, with its kind of brute majority which naturally makes the affected persons feel helpless and despondent, with no one to really look at for support, save the public spirited persons and social activists. It will be difficult to come out with concrete evidence that would nail down these persons but if the SIT is able to do anything in this regards, it would be truly great service to the Nation.(mediavigil)

Shame on Indian Government

Every year on 14th Aug (Pakistani Indipendence Day), Pakistani flag is hosted every where in Kashmir, including the govt. buildings and on 15th Aug, same people burn the Indian flag.









A Kashmiri separatist leader burning the Indian Flag

Shock and anger on pro-Hindutva websites

"The BJP does not impress Hindus any more, and it manages to frighten non-Hindus. Not a combination to win India." B.RAMAN gives a flavour of the discussion on the election results on pro-Hindutva web sites. May 18, 2009

There has been a lot of discussion going on for the last 12 hours or more in the pro-Hindutva web sites in India and abroad about the stunning failure of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to do well in the just-concluded elections to the Lok Sabha, the lower House of the Indian Parliament, and the dramatic success of the Congress (I). The pro-Hindutva elements, which regularly visit these web sites and make their postings, are in an astonishing state of shock. There is more introspection already going on in these web sites than in New Delhi and State capitals and there is more loud-thinking than in the endless debates in our TV channels. It is more interesting and educative to read these postings in the web sites than to listen to the blah, blah, blah of the spokesmen of different parties and the so-called analysts who
have congregated in New Delhi.

2. As one goes through these web sites, one is struck by the admiration of many pro-Hindutva elements over the way the Congress (I) has managed to give a youthful image to the party and over the quality of the intellect and powers of articulation of the youth brigade of the Congress (I). There is a grudging admiration even for Rahul Gandhi. Some admit that he has made an impact on the nation as a whole. Others insist
that his impact is confined to Uttar Pradesh.

3. Many have compared the youthful image of the Congress (I) to the tired and aging image of the Hindutva leaders. Where are the young people in the BJP, the posters have been asking. The majority are agreed that L.K.Advani was a bad choice to lead the election campaign. They allege that instead of surrounding himself with youthful faces and intellects, he surrounded himself with old pensioners from different government services and the armed forces who were unable to read the mind of the Indian youth.

4. A perusal of many of these postings shows that the angry pro-Hindutva elements do not look upon younger BJP leaders such as Arun Jaitley, Sushma Swaraj, Arun Shourie etc as representing the newly rising Indian youth. They dismiss them as middle-aged backroom manipulators and not genuine representatives of young India.

5. Many of the postings say that Advani made the election campaign a personality-based one and not an issue-based one, which was a serious mistake. Interestingly and significantly, many admit that the just-concluded election has shown that Narendra Modi, the Chief Minister of Gujarat, has no national stature. The fact that he has been able to galvanise the Gujaratis in Gujarat and outside does not mean that he will be able to galvanise the rest of India. They feel that one of the biggest problems of the BJP is that it has not been able to produce a leader of national stature after Atal Behari Vajpayee, the former Prime Minister. It has produced a number of good regional leaders, but they are not in a position to expand their appeal beyond their region and beyond their respective communities.

6. I am reproducing below some examples of the kind of comments I picked up from my browsing:"I think BJP should dismantle, and regroup under a new name, new leadership, with a bit more conviction (I mean the mental kind, not legal) and spine. Bottom line: The BJP does not impress Hindus any more, and it manages to frighten non-Hindus. Not a combination to win India."

" How do old people like Advani answer to the aspirations of the youth and also how can they 'connect' to a grandfatherly figure when a much older figure like me sees him as an anachronism. Are you going to inspire the youth so that they will vote for Advani in 2014? I see it in simple terms: Manmohan Singh kept Advani engaged while the Congress youth brigade engaged the voters. This is a classic military tactic though I don't believe the Congress worked it out as a strategy. But that was the effect and people should learn from it and plan for the future. What worked in the 80s will not work with the voters today many of whom were not born then or were small children. The electorate is not static. As you going to take them back to the 80s? Also, the BJP is being ill-served by some of its 'intellectuals', who talk smoothly on TV and score debating points, but have no clue about the electorate. This
is soothsaying, not problem solving. A defeat of this magnitude is due to a fundamental shift, not minor issues like whether Modi or Vajpayee would have made a better speaker. I already see futile talk that BJP made a tactical error by bringing in Narendra Modi as speaker and so forth. This is like a drowning man clutching at straws. This shows that the BJP doesn't know what hit them-- the youth brigade.
Where is a BJP youth brigade that can engage Rahul, Sachin Pilot, Jyotirmayi Scindia and so forth? Why did the BJP fail to cultivate them even with its vast cadre? It has five years to focus on this issue.

Bringing up a cadre of young leaders should be the first priority of BJP-RSS. It should allow them some freedom and not put them in an ideological straitjacket. That will nip talent in the bud. My concern is more for future generations than the fortunes of any political party. Where are the future leaders? I hope people are listening. I will bring this up with some people I know and also mention it in a couple of presentations."

" The BJP has to be a party for all communities if it has to be a truly national party. A party that has India's interests as its priority and delivers on development will have no problems getting the support of a large section of Christians and Muslims. All that the BJP has to do is remove the institutional bias against Hindus that exists in govt circles. That's all Hindus ask of them."

"I am not a Hindu though I have Hindu heritage. I was looking forward to INC's defeat mostly because I vehemently am opposed to the idea of dynasty. India is a republic not a monarchy. I am seriously disappointed by the disastrous performace of BJP.

You are in the trenches against an enemy more powerful and more organized moving against you and as you are running low on ammunition, you don't want traitors in your rank. You also don't want ultra patriots among you who might do serious damage to your battle plan. It is almost like giving the enemy your ammo stock even while you are running low yourself. Varun Gandhi played that spoiler. He may have made a tactical error in judgement but the moment the national and international media
caught of that it brought about strategic implication. Sadly, the BJP's reaction was hew and haw without clear and concise action/reaction.

Remember how GWB disowned Trent Lott? That is what leadership is. Does not matter how charismatic a person is and how popular he/she might be but the moment he/she steps out of line.....he/she however capable must be gone. In 1991 the Deputy Commander of all US forces arrayed against Iraq made a statement to the press about how the war would be waged. Norman Swarzkoff fired him even though he was said to be a brilliant war planner because he went to the press without approval. Despite being friendly with the Bush family he was fired nevertheless. BJP officials did not show leadership when it was needed.

India has the world's largest twenty something population. Many of these are urbanized or dream of being urbanized. Many move to urban areas in search for that extra rupee. Many of these even in the country are fascinated by Bollywood and its regional cousins. Admit it. Materialism, westernization and its associated fashionals/influence is ever expanding. In light of these developments, it would have been prudent for BJP to endear itself among this demographic. Beating up couples on their Valentine dates or trashing pubs/nightclubs will alienate these
folks. The Hindu forces should be geared to fight Talibanization and not become like the Taliban. Believe it or not, of all the good things you do one small infraction is all that is needed for the media to show you like a demon. The zealots played into the hands of the media like fools.

For a youngster in Madras who has heard of BJP and other Hindu right movements, he would know little of what great work these movements are doing in Gujarat or Haryana. But he would hear from the media when a couple on a Valentine date get beaten up. That would be his impression of the HIndutva movement. Like the the old saying....a drop of ink is enough to spoil a bucket of milk. Also, in light of this twenty something demographics, where are the young blood faces in the BJP? This is the largest twentysomething population in the world and largest voting block in the country. Eighty-something year old Mr. Advani, no disrespect to him and his huge contribution to the country, but there is a disconnect and I don't think he instils much confidence among the young crowd.

All these time Rahul Gandhi and his sister went around charming whoever that could be charmed. Lets admit it. We humans are visual animals. It is nature and no matter how indoctrinated we are otherwise this will forever be dominant. In 2009, the India voter wants to see someone like him/her. Regardless of MMS, Rahul was the featured face of the INC in this election. Then the allienation and division among Hindus. Given that Hindus are intrinsically secular, stealth must have been the operative word. You cannot charge around like a bull.

People however worried about their Hindu religion will be seriously repulsed. You should win the heart and mind of people via stealth instead of repulsing them. Does the BJP stand for all Hindus or some Hindus only? If a man does not do his husbandly duties, his wife will not sit and wait around. She is bound to seek the arms of another willing man. And there are no shortage of men who will not think twice of doing the deed when a vulnerable or willing housewife arrives on the scene. This is the same with the controversy surrounding conversion.

Why do people convert to another religion? Can we all agree that the reason they convert is because the new religion offered them hope and other related benefits that the original religion did not offer? You can cry till your lungs burst about the activities of the evangelists but as long as you have a vulnerable population that you hardly care except that they convert to another religion....the ants will keep moving to where the sugar is. Its the law of nature that you cannot change. Until HIndus themselves take the initiative to empower and help the downtrodden and vulnerable among them....these same vulnerable and downtrodden will be played for their votebanks by the cunning foxes.For a party that desires to change the nation, the party must first instil change in the party. Does not matter how INC does business or XYZ party does business....its about time the BJP does business differently and stand out as a force of positivity. Have a national referendum to select a party candidate just like the US primary. This will galvanize the rank and file and allow everyone a chance to vote their leader and give every party member a voice. Be the agent of change instead of giving lip service to it.On the whole all these news about goondas beating up people, color tv or sack of rice or money in exchange for vote stinks bigtime. What happened to the spiritual Indian? Does this prove that Hindu influence is depleting? No wonder HIndutva lost its appeal?Lastly, you cannot fight corruption by being less corrupt. You are either incorruptible or corruptible. BJP needs to stand as an incorruptible
party that is for good governance."

A caveat: Not all these people who post in these web sites are necessarily Hindutva cadres or sympathisers. There are some who feel more comfortable with the strategic thinking of the BJP on national issues than with that of the Congress I(I), but they cannot be characterised as pro-Hindutva.(The writer is Additional Secretary (retd), Cabinet Secretariat, Govt.of India, New Delhi, and, presently, Director, Institute For Topical Studies, Chennai)

LTTE Chief Prabhakaran shot dead

Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam supremo Velupillai Prabhakaran was on Monday shot dead by Sri Lankan special forces as he tried to stage a dramatic breakout from the army encirclement, a military spokesman said.

"They (LTTE leaders) were all killed by the army during combat. They did not commit suicide. We are now in full control of the country," military spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara said.Army chief Lieutenant General Sarath Fonseka, who is considered to be the strategist who plotted the current military campaign against the LTTE, said, "Our armed forces have militarily defeated the LTTE and freed the nation from three decades of terror".

His spokesman Nanayakkara said, "We believe Prabhakaran was amongst those 250 LTTE cadres who were killed. No DNA tests are to be carried out. We are identifying the bodies based on the intelligence information we have".

The Commander of the Sri Lankan Army, General Sarath Fonseka, has confirmed that LTTE chief Prabhakaran’s body has been found on Tuesday morning by the Lankan troops. The terror chief’s body was found by the 53 Division troops led by Major General Kamal Goonarathne, Sri Lankan military sources said. A Lankan military spokesman also said that Prabhakaran was in uniform and there were bullet wounds on his head.

Latest report emerging from the war zone reveals that Prabhakaran’s body has been recovered and it has been flown to an Army camp in Colombo for DNA testing and to confirm it medically.At the time of filing this report it is learnt that Sri Lankan Army has so far recovered more than 35 dead bodies of the Tigers and they continue to collect more bodies.

It is learnt that except for Dwaraka, the only daughter of Prabhakaran who is away somewhere in Dublin for her higher studies, said to be holding a Swedish Nationality Passport, all the other members of the family - Prabhakaran (father), Charles Anthony (son), Balachandran (son) and Mathivathani(wife) have deceased according to an unconfirmed report emerging from an army source, who wanted to remain anonymous.

In the meantime, Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa who arrived early this morning and received a heroic welcome at the international airport at Katunayake, will not be delivering an address to the nation as earlier planned. According to a source in the Presidential Secretariat, it is now learnt that he will be filing a report in the Sri Lanka Parliament on Tuesday 19 May, regarding victory over the Tamil Tigers and the end of the three decade old scourge of terrorism in the country.