Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Hic, hic, hurray to Indian Army
The Indian Army loves its peg. But this makes a huge dent in the government exchequer.The Indian Army has drawn excess liquor in Delhi to the tune of Rs 27 crore, causing the government a loss of over Rs 10 crore in taxes. The Canteen Stores Department (CSD) depot and the Delhi Area failed to exercise built-in checks and withdrew excess liquor, mostly rum, to the tune of Rs 27 crore in the last one-and-a-half year. This resulted in the loss of over Rs 10 crore in taxes due to the price difference between the Army's subsidised booze and market rates. "Had the Army not overdrawn and sold liquor, most of which is smuggled out in the civil market, the government could have got Rs 10 crore as taxes. Everyone is looting the system," said a senior Army official. Around 43 Army units overdrew about 1.12 lakh cases of liquor, according to top sources in the Army. Sources said that the CSD depot and the Headquarters (HQ) Delhi Area kept issuing liquor to the units without verifying if it was within permissible limits.However, the GOC of the Delhi Area, Maj Gen K J S Oberoi, said, "This is not correct. We haven't overdrawn liquor. There is an official report on this. In fact, we have been drawing below our prescribed quota. I have streamlined the canteen's functioning."But on record, while the HQ Delhi Area admits that excess withdrawal had taken place in certain months, it blames only a couple of units for the slip-up. The Army conveniently passed the blame on to Smart Cards that are now being used by defence personnel to buy liquor from any part of the country. The Army says that officers proceeding on leave don't procure liquor from their parent units or from where they are posted but have been withdrawing their monthly doze from Delhi, since it is a large station.But ex-serviceman K Singh denies an unprecedented surge in liquor sale after the induction of Smart Cards. "Even before the Smart Cards were introduced, officers used to buy liquor from their holiday stations by taking certificates from their serving stations. This is nothing new," says Singh.Incidentally, the Delhi Area says that the Army Battle Honours Mess has underdrawn liquor to the tune of 686 cases and puts the blame of extra withdrawal to the large number of officers who regularly travel to Delhi. However, units like the Research and Analysis Wing's Aviation Research Centre, the National Defence College and the National Security Guard's 52nd battalion and others are not under the Delhi Area's control.
'Judges are acting as collection agents'
The Chief Justice of India, KG Balakrishnan, said on Wednesday judges handling petty cheque bounce cases were wasting their time as "collection heads of money lenders".He made this observation while inaugurating six evening courts in Delhi. The evening courts will mainly deal with cheque bounce cases under the Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act."Section 138 is a problem. Cheque bounce cases have been on the rise in the country. In Delhi, there are around six lakh cases and in Mumbai around 8 to 10 lakh cases," Balakrishnan said in the Patiala House Courts."Judges handling these cases have become mere collecting head of money lenders," the senior most judicial officer said. The CJI explained that as most of the litigants who file cheque bounce cases want their money back, the judges end up acting like "collection heads". As a solution, he wants the evening courts to handle these cases. "Though at present we are starting six evening courts that will function from 5 to 7 pm, the number will increase to 30. And apart from handling cases under Section 138, these courts will attend to traffic challans and other petty matters," said Delhi High Court Chief Justice AP Shah. He said the Indian courts were not public-friendly without toilets or even proper sitting space for people.
Antulay has the last laugh
Buckling under consistent Opposition pressure, the government may force Minorities Affairs minister A R Antulay to apologise for his controversial statement on the circumstances leading to ATS chief Hemant Karkare's death."Antulay will have to apologise or be sent packing," a senior Congress leader said.However, Antulay remained unfazed and said there was "no difference" in his stand over the issue. "No decision has been taken on my resignation," Antulay said.The Opposition rocked the parliament on Monday, demanding immediate sacking of the minister. The government assured the vociferous opposition that it will make a statement on Tuesday. Nabbed terrorist Ajmal Amir Qasab had confessed that he and his companion killed Karkare and others outside Cama Hospital. On Monday, MEA joint secretary T C A Raghavan handed over a hand written letter to Afrasiab, Pakistan's Acting High Commissioner in New Delhi, in which Qasab sought legal assistance and a meeting with Pakistani officials. Meanwhile, the Home Ministry briefed US spies on the November 26, 2008 attack. Director of National Intelligence John Michel McConnell met Home Minister P Chidambaram, National Security Advisor M K Narayanan, senior Intelligence Bureau officials and reviewed investigations into the terror attacks.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
No concrete evidence to nail KrishnaNo concrete evidence to nail Krishna
Date: 14 Jun 2008
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) landed itself in a soup after formally arresting Dr Rajesh Talwar’s compounder, Krishna Thapa, who had been in illegal detention of the Noida police and the agency for more than 10 days.The agency says Krishna knew about the murder of the 14-year-old girl. The CBI also says there could be three people, who might have killed the Delhi Public School girl.After conducting nacro and brain mapping tests, the CBI arrested Thapa for his involvement in the Arushi murder case. The agency, however, has no concrete evidence to nail Thapa in the case.A source in the CBI said, “Krishna is probably being arrested for destroying evidence but it seems unlikely that he could have been the killer.There are four witnesses to stand by Krishna to prove his alibi that he was in L-14, Noida Sector 25, and not at the Talwar’s residence, where Arushi and Hemraj were killed, at the time of the crime.Thapa’s niece Sunita Thapa said, “Krishna was with me till 10.30 pm. We walked from Noida Sector 18 and came home (L-14, Noida Sector 25) and then watched television. After that he went to sleep. There were four people, including my father who were sleeping in the room, at home.” Sunita also clarified that her father had got up twice or thrice in the night. “Krishna was with us till 7 am on May 16,” she said. Arushi and Hemraj were killed on May15-16 night at L-32, Noida Sector 25.The Noida police and then the CBI, however, subjected Thapa to intensive interrogation and grilling.Thapa had been in the police custody from May 16, the day of the murder. According to sources, Thapa was mentioned in the Noida police list of accused, who were grilled since the day of the murder. Thapa had been working at Dr Talwar’s clinic for last two years at Parsavnath Building.Thapa at the Noida Sector 20 police station had told MiD DAY, "I did not wanted to work with Talwar. I wanted to leave the job and I was planning to quit for quite a long time." However, he did not answered why he wanted this.Arun Kumar, the agency joint director and who is leading the investigation, said he would not reveal anything till the probe is on. F C Sharma, the advocate of Thapa, said the agency and the Noida police have framed the compounder.
In Krishna’s supportThere are four witnesses to stand by Krishna to prove his alibi that he was in L-14, Noida Sector 25, and not at the Talwar’s residence, where Arushi and Hemraj were killed, at the time of the crime.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) landed itself in a soup after formally arresting Dr Rajesh Talwar’s compounder, Krishna Thapa, who had been in illegal detention of the Noida police and the agency for more than 10 days.The agency says Krishna knew about the murder of the 14-year-old girl. The CBI also says there could be three people, who might have killed the Delhi Public School girl.After conducting nacro and brain mapping tests, the CBI arrested Thapa for his involvement in the Arushi murder case. The agency, however, has no concrete evidence to nail Thapa in the case.A source in the CBI said, “Krishna is probably being arrested for destroying evidence but it seems unlikely that he could have been the killer.There are four witnesses to stand by Krishna to prove his alibi that he was in L-14, Noida Sector 25, and not at the Talwar’s residence, where Arushi and Hemraj were killed, at the time of the crime.Thapa’s niece Sunita Thapa said, “Krishna was with me till 10.30 pm. We walked from Noida Sector 18 and came home (L-14, Noida Sector 25) and then watched television. After that he went to sleep. There were four people, including my father who were sleeping in the room, at home.” Sunita also clarified that her father had got up twice or thrice in the night. “Krishna was with us till 7 am on May 16,” she said. Arushi and Hemraj were killed on May15-16 night at L-32, Noida Sector 25.The Noida police and then the CBI, however, subjected Thapa to intensive interrogation and grilling.Thapa had been in the police custody from May 16, the day of the murder. According to sources, Thapa was mentioned in the Noida police list of accused, who were grilled since the day of the murder. Thapa had been working at Dr Talwar’s clinic for last two years at Parsavnath Building.Thapa at the Noida Sector 20 police station had told MiD DAY, "I did not wanted to work with Talwar. I wanted to leave the job and I was planning to quit for quite a long time." However, he did not answered why he wanted this.Arun Kumar, the agency joint director and who is leading the investigation, said he would not reveal anything till the probe is on. F C Sharma, the advocate of Thapa, said the agency and the Noida police have framed the compounder.
In Krishna’s supportThere are four witnesses to stand by Krishna to prove his alibi that he was in L-14, Noida Sector 25, and not at the Talwar’s residence, where Arushi and Hemraj were killed, at the time of the crime.
Another CBI head rollsAuthor
: M K Tayal Date: 14 Jun 2008
Peeved over bad media coverage and leaks, agency chief asks the spokesman to proceed on long leave
Irked over leaks to the media in the Arushi murder case, Central Bureau of Investigation director Vijay Shanker packed off agency spokesperson G Mohanty from the plump post. The move came a day after three officials probing the double murder case were shifted on Thursday. Though the agency is yet to appoint another spokesperson, Mohanty has been sent on long leave and likely to report back on June 30. However, according to sources, Shanker has been peeved at the media coverage of the Arushi case, in which the CBI is being compared to the Noida police for messing up the sensational murder case.“The agency and the Noida police have been projected as highly incompetent organisations unable to crack the case, so the director had been unhappy with the investigation team for leaking information,” says an agency source. Mohanty was not available for comment on Saturday morning when MiD DAY tried to contact him on the developments in the Arushi case.According to sources, the agency is on the back foot in the case, as it had been in the Nithari case and several other cases. Earlier, the agency removed SCU 3 from the twin murder case and handed over the probe to the SCU 2, which is headed by DIG Alok Verma. It also removed DIG Zaki Ahmed, superintendent of police R S Dhankar and ASP T Balaji on Thursday for leaking information to the media and raising questions on the method of investigation by the sleuths.
Peeved over bad media coverage and leaks, agency chief asks the spokesman to proceed on long leave
Irked over leaks to the media in the Arushi murder case, Central Bureau of Investigation director Vijay Shanker packed off agency spokesperson G Mohanty from the plump post. The move came a day after three officials probing the double murder case were shifted on Thursday. Though the agency is yet to appoint another spokesperson, Mohanty has been sent on long leave and likely to report back on June 30. However, according to sources, Shanker has been peeved at the media coverage of the Arushi case, in which the CBI is being compared to the Noida police for messing up the sensational murder case.“The agency and the Noida police have been projected as highly incompetent organisations unable to crack the case, so the director had been unhappy with the investigation team for leaking information,” says an agency source. Mohanty was not available for comment on Saturday morning when MiD DAY tried to contact him on the developments in the Arushi case.According to sources, the agency is on the back foot in the case, as it had been in the Nithari case and several other cases. Earlier, the agency removed SCU 3 from the twin murder case and handed over the probe to the SCU 2, which is headed by DIG Alok Verma. It also removed DIG Zaki Ahmed, superintendent of police R S Dhankar and ASP T Balaji on Thursday for leaking information to the media and raising questions on the method of investigation by the sleuths.
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