Gulberg Society massacre: Verdict likely tomorrow

AHMEDABAD : A special SIT court is likely to pronounce its verdict tomorrow in connection with a 2002 post-Godhra riots case of Gulberg Society in which 69 persons including former Congress MP Ehsan Jafri were killed.
Special Court Judge P B Desai will deliver the judgement over eight months after the trial concluded on September 22, 2015.
The Supreme Court, which is monitoring the case, had directed the SIT court to give its verdict by May 31.
There are 66 accused named by the SIT in the case, of which nine are behind bars since 14 years, while others are out on bail.
One of the accused, Bipin Patel is a sitting BJP corporator from Asarva seat. He was also the corporator in 2002 when the massacre happened and won the election for fourth consecutive term last year.
Last week, the court had turned down pleas moved by two accused–Narayan Tank and Babu Rathod–to conduct narco analysis and brain mapping tests on them to prove their innocence. The court maintained that it was not required when the verdict was imminent.
During the trial, riots victim’s lawyer had argued that the massacre was a pre-planned criminal conspiracy hatched by the accused to kill minority community members of the Gulberg Society.
The defence had refuted the conspiracy theory of prosecution and claimed that the mob resorted to violence only after slain Congress MP Eshan Jafri fired several rounds on them.
The Gulberg Society case is one of the nine cases of the 2002 Gujarat riots probed by the Supreme Court appointed SIT.
The incident had taken place a day after S-6 coach of Sabarmati Express was burnt near Godhra train station, where in 58 ‘karsevaks’ were killed. (AGENCIES)

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NSA slams talk of India’s fragmentation

PUNE : National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval has criticised the “talk of India’s fragmentation” by elements who have made no sacrifices for the country.
In an indirect reference to the recent controversy about anti-national slogans raised at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in Delhi, Doval said, “some people who have made no sacrifices for the country are talking about fragmentation of India saying Bharat Ke Tukde Honge Inshalla”.
In such events, what is important is how rest of the society responds or remains a “mute spectator”, he said adding that the challenge before the country was to evolve a “national will power” to discourage these tendencies.
Doval’s comments came at a ‘Youth for Development’ conference which he addressed at Hinjawadi IT park here last night.
According to a recent report prepared by a high-level inquiry committee of JNU, provocative slogans including ‘Bharat ko ragda do ragda'(India should be stamped out) and ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ were raised at a controversial event in the varsity by a group of masked outsiders.
However, the report said video footages of the February 9 event does not show anyone raising the slogan “Bharat Ki Barbadi tak jung rahegi” (Fight will go on till India is ruined) but claimed that eyewitnesses have confirmed shouting of such slogans in their deposition. (AGENCIES)

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Kashmir hospitals suffered Rs 625.78 cr damage during 2014 floods

SRINAGAR : The Government Medical College (GMC) and its associated hospitals besides S K Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) have suffered Rs 625.78 crore damage during the devastating September 2014 floods.
This information was given by Minister incharge Health and Medical Education Bali Bhaghat in the Legislative Council (LC) today.
He said the building infrastructure, medical equipment, machinery, drugs and other consumables were damaged in the devastating floods. The SKIMS medical college, Srinagar, suffered highest Rs 322.74 crore loss, GMC and its associated hospitals Rs 267.96 crore, Government Dental College Rs 16.50 crore and health institutions under Director Health Service, Kashmir Rs 18.58 crore.
He said against total projection of Rs 635.78 crore, equipment and civil works to the tune of Rs 279.22 crore were restored and executed under State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) and Prime Ministers National Relief Fund (PMNRF).
Besides, an amount of Rs 15.53 crore has been provided under PMNRF for additional replacement of damaged equipments, he said adding these hospitals are presently functional. (AGENCIES)

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Injury-hit India take on Laos in Asian Cup qualifiers

VIETANNE (Laos): Their preliminary round campaign ending in disappointment, India will need to get their act together and salvage some pride when they take on Laos in a play-off match of the 2019 AFC Asian Cup Football Qualifiers here tomorrow.
India were left to feature in this play-off match after they finished at the bottom of their group during the preliminary round of the joint qualification campaign of the 2019 AFC Asian Cup and 2018 FIFA World Cup.
The bottom-placed teams of each group of the preliminary round and a few other lowest-ranked countries of the continent have been required to feature in these play-off matches to give them a chance to make it to the qualifying tournament of the 2019 Asian Cup.
India could only collect three points from a win from eight matches in the preliminary round and they need to begin the home and away play-off tie well tomorrow if they want to avoid the ignominy of not being able to even qualify to play in the qualifiers of the Asian Cup.
The return leg is scheduled for June 7 in Guwahati.
Head coach Stephen Constantine have come here with 21 players as several have been left out due to injury. Out of those injured, six could have “started against Laos”, according to Constantine.
“A number of our key players are unfortunately injured. In fact, in our last practice session, we lost another promising youngster who might have started tomorrow,” Constantine said at the pre-match press conference here today.
“But there’s no point looking back and crying. We are ready with what we have. Every team plays to win. We will play hard. I believe in the ability of my players,” said the English coach who took over the reigns last year and whose future has been put under the scanner after a string of poor shows by the national side under his charge. (AGENCIES)

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CM Mehbooba files nomination papers for Anantnag Assembly seat

CM Mehbooba files nomination papers for Anantnag Assembly seat

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Speaker seeks safety audit of army ammunition depots

Speaker seeks safety audit of army ammunition depots

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India, Morocco launch Chamber of Commerce to boost trade

RABAT : With India keen to tap Morocco as the hub for its economic activities in the resource-rich Africa region, the two countries have jointly launched a trade body to boost bilateral commercial engagements.
The India-Morocco Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IMCCI) was launched by visiting Vice President Hamid Ansari and Moroccan Prime Minister Abdelilah Benkirane at a function here yesterday.
Speaking on the occasion, Ansari said that a Chamber of Commerce and Industry did not exist because “we took things for granted”.
He said that the world is changing and it has become a globalised world.
“We do need bodies like the IMCCI,” he added.
“It is a testament to the growing importance of commercial engagement between our two countries, said Ansari, whose visit marks the first by an Indian Vice President in 50 years to Morrocco.
He said that the IMCCI should focus on the requirements of both sides.
An official spokesman said that bilateral trade between the two countries stood at USD 1.26 billion in 2015 with Indian exports forming roughly 25 per cent of the trade volume.
He said that Morocco has emerged as a favoured destination for investments by Indian firms, adding that Indian companies have cumulatively invested more that USD 320 million in Morocco, including in the flagship project, the Indo-Maroc Phosphore SA joint venture.
The last two decades of economic growth have also strengthened India’s private sector and it is keen to expand its global operations, the spokesman said.
Earlier in the evening, Ansari visited the Mohammed VI Imam Training Centre which promotes the values of moderate Islam and is actively working on ideologies and beliefs.
The Centre trains a large number of preachers from the Arab world besides Africa, including women. (AGENCIES)

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