TUESDAY | 09 NOVEMBER 2021 | VOL.
2 ISSUE 104 | NEW DELHI
an honour
fernandes, JaiTley, swaraJ given
padma vibhushan posThumously
A total of 119 persons were conferred with the Padma awards 2020 which include
seven Padma Vibhushan, 10 Padma Bhushan and 102 Padma Shri awards.
CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI
P
resident Ram Nath
Kovind on Monday
posthumously hon-
oured former Union Minis-
ters George Fernandes, Arun
Jaitley and Sushma Swaraj
with Padma Vibhushan, the
country’s second-highest ci-
TOP OF THE DAY
‘india’s power
deficiT wiped
ouT in 2020-21’
NEW DELHI: The massive power
deficit in the country almost
wiped out in 2020-21, said the
Ministry of Power on Monday.
According to the ministry, India
had a massive power deficit of
-16.6 per cent in 2007-08. Even
in 2011-12, it was -10.6 per cent.
Through the multi-pronged,
comprehensive and aggressive
interventions of the government,
this deficit is near about wiped
out, consistently over the last 3
years: -0.4 per cent in 2020-21,
-0.7 per cent in 2019-20 and -0.8
per cent in 2018-19. The current
year, up till October, it has been
-1.2 per cent; the marginal spike
being attributable to the an-
nual post-monsoon pressure on
power output, said the ministry
srinagar on
unesco creaTive
ciTies lisT
SRINAGAR: In a major recogni-
tion of the crafts and arts of
Jammu and Kashmir, Srinagar
on Monday joined the UNESCO
Creative Cities Network (UCCN)
2021, under the Crafts and Folk
Arts category. The inclusion
of Srinagar in the creative city
network for arts and crafts has
paved the way for the city to
represent its handicrafts on the
global stage through UNESCO.
This was announced on UNES-
CO’s official website wherein
49 cities have joined this elite
list. The UNESCO creative city
network involves seven creative
fields arts and folk art, media,
film, literature, design, gas-
tronomy and media arts. Prime
Minister Narendra Modi tweeted
a congratulatory message:
“Delighted that beautiful Srinagar
joins the @UNESCO Creative
Cities Network (UCCN) with a
special mention for its craft and
folk art. It is a fitting recognition
for the vibrant cultural ethos of
Srinagar. Congratulations to the
people of Jammu and Kashmir.”
u.s. reopens
To fully
vaccinaTed
foreigners
WASHINGTON: After 20 months
of travel restrictions, the United
States is flinging its doors wide
open to fully vaccinated inter-
national travellers on Monday,
welcoming many visitors who’ve
been shut out of the country for
20 months, reported CNN. The
United States is largely wide
open, although there are some
state and local restrictions that
still apply. For example, there are
mask mandates in Hawaii.
3 perpeTraTors
bJp holds proTesTs
againsT Tmc over
vaT on fuel
vilian award. About the for-
mer Finance Minister, the late
Arun Jaitley, the Rashtrapati
Bhavan said in a tweet: “An
outstanding parliamentarian
and a distinguished lawyer,
he made significant contri-
butions in judicial reforms,
electoral reforms and pro-
gressive social & economic
legislations.” The award was
evidence Tampering
Uphaar fire tragedy: Ansal
brothers get 7 years in jail
CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI
Delhi’s Patiala House Court
on Monday sentenced con-
vict businessmen Sushil
Ansal and Gopal Ansal and
others to seven years’ jail
term in the case related to
tampering with crucial evi-
dence in the 1997 Uphaar fire
tragedy case.
The court also ordered to
take them into custody. The
Chief Metropolitan Magis-
trate Pankaj Sharma also im-
posed a fine of Rs 2.25 crores
against Sushil Ansal and Go-
pal Ansal each in the matter.
The court while passing the
order said, “After thinking
overnights and nights, the
court has come to the con-
clusion that they deserve
punishment.” The Asso-
ciation of Victims of Uphaar
Tragedy (AVUT) recently
pleaded before a Delhi court
to give life imprisonment to
businessman Sushil, Gopal
Ansal, and others in evidence
tampering cases relating to
the 1997 cinema fire tragedy.
Representing AVUT, Sen-
‘homeless’ lisT
HC seeks fresh reports on
Bengal post-poll violence
ARUP KALI
KOLKATA
The Calcutta High Court
has directed the CBI and
the court-monitored Special
Investigation Team (SIT) to
submit fresh investigation
reports in West Bengal’s post-
poll violence cases. The order
was passed on Monday by a
division bench of Chief Jus-
tice Prakash Srivastava and
Justice I.P. Mukherjee. The
bench also wanted a list of
“homeless” political activists.
The state police SIT had
earlier submitted a progress
report on the post-poll vio-
lence probe. That report is
a month old. Therefore, the
High Court wanted a new re-
port to know exactly at what
received by Jaitley’s wife.
About former External
Affairs Minister, the late Su-
shma Swaraj, the Rashtrapati
Bhavan tweeted: “A visionary
leader, deeply rooted in In-
dian traditions, Smt Swaraj
embodied the empowerment
of women and was a woman
of many firsts.” The award
was received by Swaraj’s
ior advocate Vikas Pahwa
had submitted before Chief
Metropolitan Magistrate
Pankaj Sharma that the
case revealed the arrogance
of rich people, who think
themselves out of the reach of
law and can get relief despite
committing serious offences.
He has demanded maximum
punishment for the convicts.
He also had submitted that
the accused in this case, pri-
marily the Ansal brothers,
misused the liberty granted
to them in the main Uphaar
case and tampered with the
evidence after hatching a
criminal conspiracy with the
court staff.
Delhi’s Patiala House Court
had earlier convicted busi-
nessmen Sushil Ansal and
Gopal Ansal along with their
two employees among others
in the case related to tamper-
ing with the crucial evidence
in the 1997 Uphaar fire trage-
dy case. The Court had found
all accused guilty under Sec-
tions 409, 201, 120B of IPC
and pronounced the order.
Along with the Ansal
brothers, a court staff Dinesh
stage the investigation was at
present.
On Monday, the lawyer of
the plaintiffs raised the issue
of compensation. In this con-
text, Justice I.P. Mukherjee
said that first the investiga-
tion should be completed,
then the compensation issue
would be addressed. Prose-
cutor Priyanka Tibrewal al-
leged that some residents of
Shyamnagar were still una-
ble to return home and could
not attend work. Chief Justice
Prakash Srivastava directed
to submit a long list of those
homeless people to the Ad-
vocate General. The case will
be heard again on 23 Decem-
ber. Earlier, the larger bench
had said that compensation
would be given only if there
4
idenTified
of failed
assassinaTion
aTTempT: iraqi
pm
daughter.
Former Defence Minister,
the late Manohar Parrikar
was awarded the Padma
Bhushan posthumously on
Monday. The award was re-
ceived by his son Utpal Par-
rikar. Manohar Parrikar, who
was Goa’s Chief Minister and
also Defence Minister, suc-
cumbed to his illness on 17
Chand Sharma and other
individuals P.P. Batra, Har
Swaroop Panwar, Anoop
Singh, and Dharamvir Mal-
hotra were booked in the
tampering of evidence case.
Out of the seven accused,
two accused Har Swaroop
Panwar and Dharamvir Mal-
hotra died during the course
of the trial.
The district court ear-
lier had ordered framing
of charges against seven
accused of abetment of of-
fence, causing disappearance
of evidence, criminal breach
of trust by a public servant,
and criminal conspiracy.
Sushil and Gopal Ansal
had earlier approached the
High Court challenging the
charges framed against them
for tampering with evidence.
Senior advocate Vikas
Pahwa has appeared in the
matter for the complainant
Association of Victims of Up-
haar Tragedy (AVUT). While
Senior Advocate Pramod Kr
Dubey and Advocate Tanveer
Ahmad Mir appeared for the
Ansal brothers in the matter.
P2
was an FIR. According to the
CBI, an FIR has been regis-
tered against 40 people so
far. The investigation is still
ongoing.
There were several allega-
tions of political violence
after the Assembly election
results were declared on 2
May. The BJP made most
of the allegations, and has
maintained that in many
cases, there has been police
inaction. The state police
administration has shown re-
luctance to file cases against
the ruling camp. Following
the order of the Calcutta High
Court on 19 August, the CBI
has started an investigation
into the post-poll violence.
The state government has
P2
March 2019.
At the event, a total of 119
persons were conferred with
Padma awards 2020 which
include seven Padma Vib-
hushan, 10 Padma Bhushan
and 102 Padma Shri awards,
in an event which was organ-
ised in Rashtrapati Bhavan
in the national capital today.
Other dignitaries who were
President Ram Nath Kovind presents the Padma Shri to
Harekala Hajabba for Social Work, in New Delhi on Monday.
An orange vendor in Mangalore, Karnataka, Hajabba saved
money from his daily sales to build a school in his village. ANI
in up
SC wants ex-HC judge to
monitor Lakhimpur probe
CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI
The Supreme Court on
Monday proposed to ap-
point a former High Court
judge to monitor the ongo-
ing investigation into the
Lakhimpur Kheri violence
where eight persons, includ-
ing four farmers, were killed
during a farmers’ protest.
A Bench of Chief Justice
N.V. Ramana, Justice Surya
Kant and Justice Hima Kohli
expressed dissatisfaction
with the Uttar Pradesh Po-
6 sharpesT kid on The block
do noT
lower
your
guard
awarded the Padma Vib-
hushan include boxer M.C.
Mary Kom, former Mauritius
Prime Minister Anerood Jug-
nauth GCSK, classical singer
Chhannulal Mishra and Vish-
veshateertha Swamiji Sri
Pejavara Adhokhaja Matha
Udupi (posthumous).
Awardees for Padma
P2
Remarkable
lice probe and mixing of wit-
nesses in different FIRs in
the Lakhimpur Kheri case.
The investigation is “not go-
ing the way we expected,”
the Bench said.
It asked senior advocate
Harish Salve appearing for
the Uttar Pradesh govern-
ment to take instructions
from the government on
the appointment of a former
High Court judge from a dif-
ferent state to oversee the
probe and posted the matter
for hearing on Friday. “...to
ensure that evidence in FIR
This is The iniTial
sTep in The paTh
Towards The
counTry's finesT
daily newspaper.
one killed
MEA summons Pak
diplomat, lodges
protest over firing at
Indian fishermen
CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI
fishing boat “Jalpari” on 6 No-
vember 2021, resulting in the
death of an Indian fisherman
India on Monday summoned
a senior diplomat from the
and causing serious injury to
another fisherman.
Pakistan High Commission Sources said that Govern-
and lodged a strong protest ment of India condemned this
on the incident of unpro- deplorable action by the Pa-
voked firing at Indian fish- kistanis of firing at an Indian
ermen by the Pakistan side, fishing boat and causing loss
sources said. They said that of life which is in contraven-
the senior diplomat from Pa- tion to all established interna-
kistan High Commission was tional practices and bilateral
summoned by the Ministry understandings. They said it
of External Affairs. Paki- was reiterated that the author
stanis fired upon an Indian P2
false invoices?
during upa
rule, dassaulT
bribed
middleman for
rafale, claims
french porTal
CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI
A French news portal, Media-
part on Monday claimed in a
new report that it had evidence
of kickbacks being paid by
French aircraft manufacturer
Dassault Aviation to help secure
the sale of Rafale fighter aircraft
to India. Mediapart has alleged
that false invoices were used to
enable Dassault Aviation to pay
at least 7.5 million euros (which
is nearly Rs 65 crore) in secret
commissions to middleman Su-
shen Gupta. Sushen was earlier
arrested for alleged bribes in the
AgustaWestland deal.
According to media reports,
these payments were made be-
tween 2007 and 2012 during
the rule of Congress-led UPA
government. The UPA-era Ra-
fale deal was scrapped by the
BJP-led NDA government after
it came to power in 2014. The
NDA went for a government
to government deal and subse-
quently inked a Rs 59,000-crore
inter-government deal on 23
September, 2016 with France to
procure 36 Rafale jets from Das-
sault Aviation.
P2
219 (mowing down of farm- government regarding this
ers by a vehicle) is recorded suggestion of the apex court.
independently from FIR Justice Kant suggested the
220 (lynching of accused) names of Justice Rakesh
and there is no overlapping Kumar Jain or Justice Ranjit
and no intermixing, we are Singh, former judges of the
inclined to appoint a retired Punjab and Haryana High
judge of a different High Court to oversee the probe.
Court to monitor the inves- It also declined to hand over
tigation. Somehow, we are the probe to the Central Bu-
not confident of the state reau of Investigation saying
judiciary overseeing... Let “the CBI is not the solution
a retired judge of different to everything”.
High Court monitor it,” the During the hearing, the
Bench said. Bench expressed concerns
Salve said that he will get that the case against the
instructions from the state P2