Kolkata, July 04: Atleast ten persons, including three women, were killed and 40 others injured when a mini bus carrying passengers fell from the over bridge onto a railway track of the Howrah station here on Saturday.
All trapped passengers have been rescued and shifted to a nearby hospital. Doctors have been rushed to the spot to rescue the injured.
According to available information, the accident happened around 4 o’clock this afternoon. Eyewitnesses said that the bus was trying to overtake another vehicle, when the driver lost control and fell down to the tracks of platform number 12 of the railway station, almost 50 feet below.
“I saw the bus coming at a good speed. It was probably trying to overtake another vehicle in front of it,” said an eyewitness who was present at the time of the accident.
The bus was plying on the Nasirganj-Kichripur route.
Sameer Goswami, CPRO of Eastern Railway, has meanwhile confirmed the tragic event. However, the spokesperson could not tell exactly how many injured were there inside the bus.
The accident has thrown railway traffic out of the gear. Notably, the Howrah station is an important junction of the Eastern Railway.
Talking to a channel, Goswami said that the authorities are working to resume the railway traffic.
As a precautionary measure, the railway authorities switched off high tension power supply from platform number 10 to 23.
However, local train services from platform number one to five were unaffected by the accident.
Exhume bodies of Shopian rape victims: HC
SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir High Court on Saturday directed exhumation of the bodies of two women allegedly raped and murdered in Shopian last month to collect their DNA samples subject to the consent of their family.
Noting that the DNA report is missing and post-mortem was done in a proper way, a division bench of the high court comprising Chief Justice Barin Gosh and Justice Mohammad Yaqub Mir ordered exhumation of the bodies of Asiya and Nelofar.
Justice Gosh directed the principal of medical college Srinagar to set up a team of doctors to perform the tests.
"This is a sensational matter. Every man on the street, irrespective of caste or creed, is praying for the culprits to be caught," he observed. The case has sparked massive protests in the Kashmir Valley.
The court appointed inspector general of police (CID) Farooq Ahmad as special officer inquiry and DIG Rouf-ul-Hassan as his deputy to monitor the proceedings of the special investigation team (SIT) inquiring into the case.
Ahmad is at present carrying out an internal departmental probe into alleged negligence of duty by four suspended police officials including the former SP, Shopian.
The court also directed the SIT headed by SP Shah Din Malik to interrogate and carry out narco-analysis test of four suspended police officials and two witnesses. It asked the SIT to submit its progress report every week to the Court.
The orders were passed by the court after hearing the arguments of Kashmir High Court Bar Association (KHCBA) which had filed a PIL on the Shopian incident.
Gay sex should not be legalized at any cost: Lalu
PATNA: RJD chief Lalu Prasad on Saturday denounced Delhi High Court's ruling decriminalising gay sex and said the Centre should appeal against the judgement in the Supreme Court.
"Gay sex should not be legalised at any cost and the Centre should appeal against the verdict in the Supreme Court. I am dead against legalisation of gay sex and will strongly raise the issue in Parliament. Section 377 of the IPC should not be amended," Prasad said.
Asked whether homosexuality is still a crime, he said: "Yes, it is a crime... Such obscene acts should not be allowed in our country. The society is adversely affected."
"Such things which affect the society should not be permitted at all... Government has a greater responsibility towards the society," Lalu added.
"I don't want to talk about such rubbish things. These are obscene things which our country and culture do not permit," he said.
The Delhi High Court had on Thursday legalised gay sex among consenting adults holding that the law making it a criminal offence violated fundamental rights.
Pak court adjourns trial of Lashkar operatives linked to 26/11
Islamabad: The trial in a Pakistani anti-terror court of five Lashker-e-Toiba operatives accused of involvement in the Mumbai attacks was adjourned on Saturday till July 18 without any proceedings.
The case, being heard by an anti-terror court in Rawalpindi, was adjourned for a fortnight due to the non-availability of a judge, sources said.
There has been no movement in the case since May 23 as Justice Sakhi Muhammad Kahut, the judge of anti-terror court number 2 who was hearing the matter, was removed as part of judicial reforms.
Subsequently, the Federal Investigation Agency approached Justice Muhammad Akram Awan, the judge in anti-terror court number 1, to take up the case and he repeatedly adjourned the matter. Awan was on leave on Friday due to personal reasons, the sources said.
The sources also said Baqir Ali Rana had been appointed as the new judge for anti-terror court number 2 and is expected to assume office on Monday.
He is expected to hear the case against the five LeT operatives as well as several other cases related to high-profile terrorist attacks.
Authorities have framed charges against the five LeT operatives, Zaikur Rehman Lakhvi, Zarar Shah, Abu al Qama, Shahid Jamil Riaz and Hamad Amin Sadiq, under the Anti-Terrorism Act, Pakistan Penal Code and a cyber crimes law.
On May 5, the court distributed copies of the chargesheet among the suspects. They are expected to be formally indicted at the next hearing.
The trial of the five LeT members is being held inside the high-security Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi due to security reasons.
Youth killed in police encounter, parents cry foul
DEHRADUN: Controversy surrounded gunning down of an MBA qualified youth in an alleged police encounter, with his parents on Saturday claiming that he has no criminal history have raised doubts that it could be a killing in a case of mistaken identity.
Ranbir Singh, 22,who hailed from Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh, was shot dead on Friday in an alleged encounter with police in Ladpur jungles here.
"We have ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incident," principal secretary home Subhash Kumar said.
Senior superintendent of police, Dehradun, said the youth, who was riding a motor cycle along with two others, snatched the revolver of a constable when their two-wheeler was stopped during a checking of vehicles in view of president Pratibha Patil's visit.
However, Ranbir's father Ravinder Singh said his son is innocent. "Show me his criminal record. The police just killed him to get (gallantry) medals. And the police are threatening me now," he said, sobbing and trying to console his wife.
Uttarakhand inspector general of police N A Ganapati said the three boys were asked to stop by G D Bhatt, a sub-inspector at Dalanwala area. When the police searched their bag, a weapon was found in it, he said, adding that the boys overpowered Bhatt, snatched his revolver and fled.
When the SI flashed a message over the wireless, the boys were intercepted at another place and there was an encounter in which Ranbir was killed, Ganapati said.
Indian Business News
RIL moves SC against Bombay HC's gas pricing ruling
New Delhi: A day after Anil Ambani-led RNRL petitioned the Supreme Court seeking modification in the Bombay High Court order, elder brother Mukesh-run RIL moved the apex court challenging the same judgement that asked it to supply 28 MMSCMD gas to RNRL at USD 2.34 per mmbtu.
Reliance Industries Ltd in its appeal alleged that the High Court had erred in deciding the three terms -- quantity, tenure and price of gas supply -- to power plants of RNRL affiliates as the court had no jurisdiction.
The High Court on June 15 had asked RIL to honour a 2005 family agreement to supply 28 million cubic meters per day of gas from its Krishna-Godavari basin fields to RNRL at USD 2.34 per mmBtu for 17 years from the date of setting up of the Dadri power plant.
"The High Court as a company court exercising jurisdiction under Section 392 of the Company Act, 1956, had no power to modify the scheme of reconstruction of a company by demerger as approved almost unanimously by 99.9998 per cent shareholders and creditors and sanctioned by the court..." RIL said in appeal.
According to the petition, the supply of gas as per the MoU was subject to all necessary approvals as required under the Production Sharing Contract and the government policy.
The high court, while concluding that the MoU of June 18, 2005 was binding on the companies, overlooked the fact that obligations contained in the MoU contemplated approval of the government and the same were not absolute.
Bank unions defer July 6 strike over SBI merger
NEW DELHI: Bank unions have deferred their nation-wide strike called to protest the proposed merger of State Bank of Indore with State Bank of India following the advice of the deputy chief labour commissioner that both the management and unions should discuss and sort issues out.
The decision to defer the strike was reached after a meeting yesterday with the deputy chief labour commissioner, said the All India Banks
' Empolyees Association (AIBEA) general secretary, C H Venkatachalam.
"We strongly opposed the closure of any of Associate Banks and their merger with SBI," he said. After hearing both sides, he said, the deputy chief commissioner felt that in such a complex issue like merger, both the parties should sit across the table and hold meaningful discussions to find an acceptable solution.
“Accordingly, the managements of SBI and State Bank of Indore were asked to invite the union for discussion,” he added. The deputy chief labour commissioner further advised them not to pursue the merger issue with the RBI and th government, Venkatachalam said.
Other associations which were part of the meeting included NCBE, AIBOA, BEFI and INBOC. At the same time representatives of Indian Banks' Association, SBI, State Bank of Indore, and other associates were present from the management side.
Oracle plans to lay off up to 1,000
BOSTON: Oracle Corp plans to lay off up to 1,000 workers in Europe, or about 1 percent of its global staff, as the recession erodes the giant software company's earnings, French news agency has AFP reported.
Oracle spokeswoman Deborah Hellinger declined to comment.
The world's No. 2 publicly held software maker would be one of the last major technology companies to undertake significant layoffs in this economic downturn.
Oracle would join EMC Corp, Hewlett-Packard Co, International Business Machines Corp, Intel Corp, Microsoft Corp and SAP AG, among others.
Trade unions learned of the job cuts on Monday and Tuesday during committee meetings of Oracle's European workers, according to the AFP report.
Redwood City, California-based Oracle had some 86,000 employees as of May 31, compared with 84,233 a year earlier. About a third of the software maker's employees are in the United States.
Indian Sports News |Indian Cricket News| Sports News
Dhoni helps India take 2-1 lead over Windies
Gros Islet, St. Lucia: Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni struck an unbeaten 46 off 34 balls to guide India to a six-wicket victory, under the Duckworth-Lewis method, in a rain affected third one-dayer against West Indies on Friday.
India, who now lead the four-match series 2-1, needed 11 to win off the final over of the game and Dhoni whacked Jerome Taylor's second ball for a big six high over midwicket to make the task manageable.
A smart innings of 62 from 59 balls by Ramnaresh Sarwan had put West Indies on their way to a good total but he was run out just when the home side looked to up the tempo.
Federer tops Haas to reach Wimbledon men's final
Wimbledon: Roger Federer reached his seventh straight Wimbledon final on Friday by beating Tommy Haas of Germany 7-6 (3), 7-5, 6-3.
Federer won five consecutive titles at the All England Club before losing to Rafael Nadal in last year's final. At this year's tournament, the second-seeded Swiss is trying to win his record 15th Grand Slam title.
Federer played excellent tennis on Friday, holding serve easily and breaking Haas late in the second and third sets. He will next face either Andy Murray or Andy Roddick in Sunday's final.
West Indies had made a flying start with skipper Chris Gayle smashing 27 off 14 but he went caught behind Ashish Nehra just after the first of a series of rain interruptions.
West Indies were 66 for one off 10 overs and with Sarwan's intelligent batting they moved to 105 for two off 16.
The rain reduced their innings to 27 overs and although West Indies made 186 for seven, further delays meant India had only 159 to make off 22 overs.
Openers Dinesh Karthik (47) and Gautam Gambhir (44) put on 84 for their first wicket inside 13 overs to give the tourists a good platform.
Karthik was run out and then Gambhir was caught behind off Sulieman Benn's spin and when danger-man Yuvraj Singh went for two, caught by Darren Bravo off David Bernard, West Indies had clawed their way back into the game.
Venus set on path to success by Serena
London:A display of raw desire over a decade ago from sister Serena inspired Venus Williams to ascend the summit of the women's game but there will be no room for sentiment when the siblings meet for the fourth time in a Wimbledon final on Saturday.
As 29-year-old Venus chases a coveted sixth Wimbledon singles crown, she recalled how her sister's early mettle made a big impression.
"We were playing in Sydney, I think she was playing (Lindsay) Davenport, who at the time was at least in the top five or maybe higher. We were just coming on tour," Venus told reporters after reaching her eighth singles final at the grasscourt major with victory over top seed Dinara Safina.
"Serena was down 1-6, 2-5... I'll just never forget it. She came back and won that match. It was so intense. I just learned so much from that, her fight," she added. "That actually had a huge impression on my career, that one incident.
"We saved the article. Afterwards I would read it with an Australian accent. We'd read it over and over again, about how she overcame all the odds and won that match... it was a huge lesson for both of us."
Memory of that early match has driven the sisters to win a combined total of 17 grand slam singles titles and both have been ranked number one in the past.
With their head-to-head record standing at 10-10, family bragging rights will also be at stake on Saturday.
Federer tops Haas to reach Wimbledon men's final
Wimbledon: Roger Federer reached his seventh straight Wimbledon final on Friday by beating Tommy Haas of Germany 7-6 (3), 7-5, 6-3.
Federer won five consecutive titles at the All England Club before losing to Rafael Nadal in last year's final. At this year's tournament, the second-seeded Swiss is trying to win his record 15th Grand Slam title.
Federer played excellent tennis on Friday, holding serve easily and breaking Haas late in the second and third sets. He will next face either Andy Murray or Andy Roddick in Sunday's final.
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