The Tribune – Sedition case; Challan filed against Dal Khalsa activists

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, February 4. After a period of more than six years, the local police finally filed a challan against 22 Dal Khalsa activists in a sedition case registered against them on June 8, 2005. Six of the accused, including Dal Khalsa’s secretary general Kanwar Pal Singh, appeared before the trail court of CJM Kuldeep Singh today. The court has fixed March 13 as the next date of hearing and has ordered all the accused to appear before it.

The local police had on June 8, 2005 registered a case under various offences, including sedition, at Civil Lines Police Station against Dal Khalsa activists for organising a Genocide Remembrance March on the eve of 21st anniversary of “Operation Bluestar”. The FIR was registered under sections 153-B, 153-A, 124-A, 188 of the IPC.

In February, 2010, the accused had approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court and filed a petition praying for the quashing of the FIR. The case is still pending in the High Court and the next date of hearing is February 9, said Kanwar Pal Singh.

He said the police today filed a challan under section 188 of the IPC whereas sanction to prosecute the accused under sedition charges from the Department of Home Affairs and Justice was still awaited.

He further commented, “What had the government and the police been doing for all these years.” He added that the march passed through the streets of Amritsar peacefully and culminated at Sri Akal Takhat Sahib.

A number of policemen and intelligence operatives were in attendance to monitor the event although no incidents of incitement or violence occurred and no attempt was made to stop the march or make any arrests during the event, he claimed.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120205/punjab.htm#21

The Tribune – DSP Gill concealed his identity: Victim’s friend

Mohit Khanna, Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, February 4. Three days after the brutal killing of Moga DSP Balraj Singh Gill and Monica Kapila, an industrialist’s wife, the police today questioned a woman friend of the victim (Monica) and a male doctor.

The woman, identified as Vandna, is said to be a close friend of Monica. The doctor whose identity has not been disclosed yet was also an intimate friend of Monica.

During the questioning, Vandna said DSP Gill had concealed his identity and posed as Aman Verma, an industrialist. Monica was all praise for Verma’s (Gill’s) gentle demeanor, Vandana told the investigating officers.

Vandna was shocked when she came to know that Verma was none other than Moga DSP Gill, revealed a police source.

The victim’s friend said the DSP got late in arriving at the farmhouse. In the meantime, Monica rang up Vandna and told her that she was roaming around the Golf Link area in her vehicle and waiting for Verma (DSP Gill).

The sources said the call details procured by the police had showed that the duo used to exchange frequent messages.

However, there is no record of any long telephonic conversation between the two victims.

The sources said as the DSP was “concealing” his identity that was perhaps the reason why he did not carry his service revolver on that ill-fated day. Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Kulwinder Singh said, “The assailants were more than three in number. Practically, if they were chasing a woman, they might be on a vehicle. After killing the victims, they took both the vehicles. That indicates that three or more persons are involved in the crime”.

The police today formed special teams to expedite the investigation of the case. On the other hand, the Moga police has also launched a parallel probe into the incident.

Meanwhile, during the bhog ceremony of the slain DSP, relatives and friends rebuffed the allegations of DSP’s links with Monica. They said baseless stories were being made to malign the image of the DSP and the woman.

“Everyone is concocting stories. My son had no involvement with Monica Kapila. The case appeared to be part of some major conspiracy hatched to kill my son and to malign the image of the family. It could also be a ploy to divert the line of investigation of the police in this case,” said Kashmir Singh Gill, Balraj Singh Gill’s father.

 http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120205/punjab.htm#5

The Asian Age – Big win for government, Palaniappan Chidambaram

Asian Age Correspondent

New Delhi, 5 February 2012. Special CBI court on Saturday dismissed Janata Party president Subramanian Swamy’s plea to make Union home minister P. Chidambaram a co-accused in the 2G scam case, saying Mr Chidambaram had not indulged in any criminal conspiracy or derived any pecuniary advantage in his limited role in decisions taken with former communications minister A. Raja on 2G spectrum.

The verdict came as a major win for the home minister, who was being targeted by the Opposition both in and outside Parliament in connection with the multicrore scam. Dr Swamy intends to move the Supreme Court, claiming that he “need not go to the high court”.

Special CBI judge O.P. Saini, in his 64-page order, observed: “I do not find any sufficient ground for proceeding against P. Chidambaram. The plea is without any merit and the same is dismissed.” The home minister, who met PM Manmohan Singh immediately after the verdict was announced, left to attend a Congress rally at Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu.

The judgment, being viewed as a major political victory for the Congress and the home minister, has also dented the Opposition’s move to make corruption a major plank against the UPA in the Assembly polls in UP.

The judge said Mr Chidambaram was party to only two decisions — keeping spectrum prices at 2001 levels and dilution of equity by two companies. The judge observed that “they are not per se criminal”.

The court said it would commence the hearing on the complaint filed by Dr Swamy, in which he made further allegations against former telecom minister A. Raja, without making Mr Chidambaram an accused from March 17.

http://www.asianage.com/india/big-win-govt-pc-097

Netherlands 23 december till 2 January, Den Haag & Amsterdam

Special Christmas offer : One way tickets to Den Haag only 19 Euro
I just had to go and visit my Den Haag parivar

23/12/2011 Brussel Zuid – Bruxelles Midi
New Siemens engine

23/12/2011 Brussel Zuid – Bruxelles Midi
The train I took from Sint-Truiden continuing to Gent Sint- Pieter via Denderleeuw

 23/12/2011 Brussel Zuid – Bruxelles Midi
Christmas decorations everywhere

23/12/2011 Brussel Zuid – Bruxelles Midi
Benelux IC to Amsterdam via Brussel Centraal, Mechelen, Antwerpen Centraal,  Roosendaal (NL), Dordrecht, Rotterdam CS, Den Haag HS and Schiphol Airport

To see more Belgium and Netherlands public transport pictures :

http://www.flickr.com/photos/12445197@N05/sets/72157622685920411/

More Belgium / Netherlands pictures to follow
Harjinder Singh
Man in Blue

The Tribune – Border haul: BSF seizes 23 kg heroin worth Rs 115 cr

Tribune News service

Chandigarh, February 4. In two separate incidents along the Indo-Pakistan border in Punjab last night, the Border Security Force seized 23 kg heroin, valued at Rs 115 crore in the international market, along with a pistol and eight rounds of ammunition.

Around 13 kg heroin and a pistol were seized at the Pallopati border outpost in the Ferozepur Sector, while 10 kg contraband was seized at Ghoga outpost in Amritsar Sector, said the BSF in a statement here today. The alleged smugglers at both places managed to flee under the cover of darkness.

Acting on a tip-off, special nakas were laid in the vicinity of the Pallopati border outpost. On the intervening night of Feb 3 and 4, security personnel observed movement of three suspected persons from Pakistan side. The smugglers came near the Pillar No. 145/3 of the international border at around 4 am.

While two persons stayed back, the third person, who was carrying a bag, approached the barbed wire fence. He was challenged and three mortar flares were fired to illuminate the area. The naka party then fired in the direction of smugglers, who managed to escape. A search of the area produced 13 packets of narcotics wrapped with adhesive tape and one loaded pistol.

In the second incident, a special naka was laid near Ghoga outpost. At around 4.30 am, BSF troops heard some sound near the fence and spotted movement of a person carrying a plastic pipe from the Pakistan side. He ran away after being challenged. Ten packets of heroin were recovered from the pipe, which was left behind by the smuggler.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120205/main8.htm

BBC News – Afghan civilian deaths rise for fifth year, says UN

Saturday, 4 February 2012. The number of civilians killed and injured in the Afghan conflict has risen for the fifth year in a row, a UN report reveals.

The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (Unama) documented 3,021 civilian deaths in 2011 compared with 2,790 in 2010 and 2,412 in 2009.

Most deaths were caused by insurgents, the report found.

It said improvised explosive devices (IEDs) were being used more widely and suicide attacks had become deadlier.

However, it also said that civilian deaths from air strikes in support of the Afghan government rose in 2011.

“Afghan children, women and men continue to be killed in this war in ever-increasing numbers,” said Jan Kubis, UN Special Representative for Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

“For much too long Afghan civilians have paid the highest price of war. Parties to the conflict must greatly increase their efforts to protect civilians to prevent yet another increase in civilian deaths and injuries in 2012.”

‘Real suffering’  

The 2011 Annual Report on Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict said a total of 11,864 civilian lives had been claimed by the conflict since 2007.

In 2011, “anti-government elements” were blamed for 2,332 or 77% of civilians killed – up 14% from 2010, the report said.

There were 410 civilian deaths (14%) that resulted from the operations of pro-government forces, a fall of 4% from 2010.

Another 279 civilian deaths (9%) could not be attributed to either side in the conflict, the report added.

“Improvised explosive devices were the single largest killer of Afghan children, women and men in 2011, taking the lives of 967 civilians, or nearly one in three (32%) of all civilians killed in the conflict,” the report said.

“Among the tactics of pro-government forces, aerial attacks caused the greatest number of Afghan civilian deaths in 2011 attributed to these forces.”

The report said 187 civilian deaths were attributed to air attacks, an increase of 9% over 2010.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, said it was “extremely worrying” that civilian casualties continued to rise year after year.

“Behind these numbers is real suffering and loss for families in Afghanistan. It is incumbent on parties to halt this trend and prevent such loss of life,” she said.

Ms Pillay will report to the Human Rights Council in March on human rights developments in Afghanistan.

The Nato-led International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) is due to leave Afghanistan by the end of 2014, handing over security to Afghan forces.

Attacks by unmanned US drone aircraft are regularly carried out against Taliban targets in Afghanistan and across the border in Pakistan.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-16883917