Melbourne: Victoria Police has denied they had a plan to limit publicity about the bashing of three Indian men outside a Melbourne pub on Saturday night.
Four men were arrested in relation to assault and affray, but they were released pending further investigations. Police believe a fifth man may also have been involved in the bashing outside a pub at Epping in Melbourne's east.
Stung by the racial attack against three Indians in Melbourne, Victorian Police on Wednesday said it has launched investigations in to the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Dismissing the contention by relatives of the victims that a group of 70 people attacked the three Indians, it said only four men were involved in the assault and a group of up to 20 were bystanders.
"Four men had been involved in the actual assault and a group of up to 20 had been bystanders," Acting Senior Sergeant Glenn Parker was quoted as saying by 'The Age'.
A Victoria Police spokeswoman said police had witnessed about 15 men and women making racist comments and one woman throwing water on a bystander during the heated incident.
She said the group continued to sling racist abuse and threats at the victims as police took them away from the scene. The Victoria Police has launched an investigations "in to the circumstances surrounding the racial attack."
Details of the incident only emerged publicly on Tuesday, prompting an outraged Indian media to claim Victoria Police had been involved in a cover-up.
Three Indians brutally attacked by 70 Aus youths
Melbourne: After a brief lull in attacks on Indians in Australia, three members of the community were "brutally bashed" by a group of around 70 youths, including women, who were attending a birthday party in a bar here after making racist remarks against the trio.
26-year-old Sukhdip Singh, who arrived here a month ago on a spouse visa, his brother Gurdeep Singh and uncle Mukhtair Singh were attacked by the group when they were playing pool in a bar in Epping suburb on Saturday.
"At around 11'o clock my brother-in-law Sukhdip was playing pool along with his family members when they were attacked by around 70 locals who were attending a party," the victim's relative Onkar Singh said.
"They were quietly playing and were trying to avoid trouble even after these locals were trying to provoke them by passing comments," he said.
The group started telling them to go back to their country. "When they reached the car park to leave the place a huge crowd attacked them and started bashing them brutally.
The attackers were in their teens and around twenties," he said.
When contacted, a Victoria Police spokesperson said that before the incident took place, a woman made a racist remark to a group of four males playing pool at Legends Bar.
"A short time later, the pool-playing group decided to leave the venue. It is believed they were followed into the car park by up to four males who were part of a larger group celebrating a birthday in the function room," the spokesperson said.
Congress fumes over Tharoor's austerity 'taunt'
NEW DELHI: The Congress on Wednesday said minister of state for external affairs Shashi Tharoor's remarks that he would travel in "cattle class out of solidarity with all our holy cows" were not acceptable and the party high command may also decide if any disciplinary action is to be taken against him.
"The party strongly disapproves the statement of the minister. It is unacceptable, not respecting political or any other sensibilities," said Congress spokesperson Jayanthi Natarajan.
On his page on the micro-blogging site Twitter, Tharoor was asked, "Tell us minister, next time you travel to Kerala, will it be cattle class?" His reply: "Absolutely, in cattle class out of solidarity with all our holy cows."
Asked whether any disciplinary action would be taken against the former UN diplomat, the spokesperson said: "This is something that the high command will decide."
The Congress and the government it leads have launched an austerity drive against the backdrop of drought in some parts of the country and rising prices of essential commodities.
Tharoor as well as external affairs minister S M Krishna were asked earlier this month to move out of five-star hotels where they had been staying for over three months - though at their own expense.
Tharoor, who was staying at the Hotel Taj Mahal on Man Singh Road, is now staying at an Indian Navy guesthouse.
Dalai Lama free to visit Arunachal: India
NEW DELHI: External Affairs Minister S M Krishna on Wednesday dismissed China's objections to the Dalai Lama's proposed visit to ArunachalPradesh later this year, and said that the Tibetan leader is "free to go anywhere in India".
"Arunachal Pradesh is a part of India and the Dalai Lama is free to go anywhere in India," Krishna told a news channel.
"The only question is that he is not expected to comment on political developments," Krishna said.
The Dalai Lama has sought the Indian government's permission to visit Tawang, a monastery town in Arunachal Pradesh, which is claimed by China.
Tibet's exiled leader plans to go there in November to inaugurate a hospital for which he had donated Rs.20 lakh ($40,000).
China has voiced "strong concern" over the proposed visit saying it "further reveals the Dalai clique's anti-China and separatist essence".
"We firmly oppose Dalai visiting the so-called Arunachal Pradesh," said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Jiang Yu.
Samdhong Rinpoche, prime minister of the Tibetan government-in-exile headquartered in Indian town of Dharamshala, rubbished Beijing's objections to the Dalai Lama's visit.
"Arunachal Pradesh and its Tawang region are an integral part of India. If the Dalai Lama, who is staying here for the last 50 years, is visiting any part of the country why does this bother China?" he said.
"If the Dalai Lama goes to Chinese territories it can raise objection, but in this case it has no business to interfere," he added.
The Tibetan-government-in exile is not recognised by any country in the world.
China's objections to Dalai Lama's visit to Arunachal Pradesh come amid reports of Chinese incursions into the Indian territory which have revived the spectre of the China threat.
India cited Chinese threat as its primary reason for going nuclear in 1998. Since then, the two countries have expanded their political and economic ties and are now trying to resolve the decades-long boundary dispute with negotiations.
CJI asks Karnataka HC CJ to explain huge assets allegation
New Delhi: Taking note of allegations of acquisition of "huge assets" made against Karnataka High Court Chief Justice P D Dinakaran, Chief Justice of India K G Balakrishnan reportedly sought an explanation from the judge who denied the charges.
The meeting that took place last week here came against the backdrop of five legal luminaries writing to the CJI about complaints from several lawyers based in Chennai against Dinakaran.
The leading advocates including F S Nariman, Shanti Bhushan, Ashok Desai and Ram Jethmalani suggested that the CJI should reconsider the decision to elevate the judge to the Supreme Court. Dinakaran and four others have been recommended by the Supreme Court Collegium to the Government for being appointed as judges of the apex court.
Highly-placed sources said during the meeting at the CJI's residence and attended by some Supreme Court judges, Dinakaran's attention was drawn to the letter sent by the lawyers under the auspices of the Forum for Judicial Accountability levelling charges of land grabbing and other "irregularities" against the judge. Dinakaran is understood to have denied the charges before returning to Bangalore. The Bar Council of India (BCI) had on Monday voiced reservation over Dinakaran being appointed to the apex court.
Indian Business News
Sensex closes near 16-month high
Mumbai: Equities rose 1.35 per cent on Wednesday to their highest close in almost 16 months, as signs of a US economic recovery added to the upbeat hopes for robust quarterly earnings.
Traders said Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke's comment that the US recession was probably over was a shot in the arm for increased fund flows into riskier assets such as equities.
Foreign funds have moved over $9 billion into Indian stocks this year, with more than $700 million coming in so far this month.
Tata Steel, which owns Europe's second-biggest steel maker Corus, was the top gainer in the main index on expectations a US recovery would boost demand.
The share jumped 8.2 per cent -- its biggest one-day rise in more than three months -- to Rs 531.60, its best close in a year.
"Tata Steel looks good on the recent rise in Corus' product prices and the improvement in the unit's operating capacity to 70 per cent from 50 per cent in the first quarter," said Eric Martins, senior research analyst at Systematix Shares.
The 30-share BSE index added 1.35 per cent, or 222.59 points, to 16,677.04 points, its highest close since May 22, 2008, with 24 components rising.
The benchmark, which rose for a second day, has gained nearly 73 per cent since the start of January.
"We are fairly valued at this point in time and caution is the word now," said Rajen Shah, chief investment officer at Angel Broking. "We have moved up too aggressively... the market seems to be 6-7 months ahead of time."
RPL's fractional share entitlement to be consolidated: RIL
Mumbai: Reliance Industries said on Wednesday that the fractional entitlements to shareholders of Reliance Petroleum, arising after the merger of both the Mukesh Ambani group companies, will be consolidated and go directly to a trustee.
"The board of directors of RIL shall consolidate fractional entitlements to which the shareholders of RPL may be entitled on issue and allotment of the equity shares of RIL and allot such fractional entitlement directly to an individual trustee or a corporate trustee, who shall hold such entitlements," RIL said in a filing to the Bombay Stock Exchange.
Fractional entitlement arises when the shares held by shareholders of a company merging with another firm are unequal to the share swap ratio fixed for the merger.
Earlier in March, the board of both the companies had approved the all-share merger deal between the two Mukesh Ambani group firms -- RIL and RPL.
Under the scheme, the company would be issuing one share in the merged entity for every 16 shares held in RPL -- resulting into issuance of 6.92 crore new shares by RIL.
Besides, pursuant to the said merger the promoter shares of RPL would stand cancelled, when the scheme becomes effective.
Indian Sports News|Sports News
Champions Trophy will prove ODIs can survive: Lorgat
DUBAI: Amid growing concerns about One-day cricket's future, ICC CEO Haroon Lorgat has said the upcoming Champions Trophy will prove there is enough space for the 50-over format as it battles the Twenty20 onslaught.
"In the context of 50-over cricket this is an important tournament," Lorgat said.
"It reminds me of a year ago when people were talking about the death of Test cricket, with no crowds being there and so on. Similarly with the ODIs, I think we are maybe running ahead of ourselves.
"Look at England where there is a lot of interest still in the ODI series despite England being so far behind Australia, crowds are still turning up. Similarly in the recent tri-series in Sri Lanka. We will see here, with the Champions Trophy, that there is a place for the ODI format in cricket," he added.
Eight nations will compete in the Champions Trophy which begins September 22 in Johannesburg, amid increasing speculation that the format will not survive.
England has already scrapped its domestic 50-over tournament and according to the ICC's cricket manager Dave Richardson, South Africa is also toying with the idea of a four-innings format domestically.
Many former and current cricketers have also come out with different formulae to save the game. Indian batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar has suggested breaking the ODIs into four innings of 25 overs each.
Anil Kumble and Dean Jones have also given their respective suggestions and although the ICC has agreed to make minor innovations, Lorgat ruled out any wholesome change in the format until the cricket committee gets together next May.
"From an innovations point of view, we're always looking for new, exciting things. The batting Powerplay is a good example but we do not want to do too many things too quickly.
"Between the Champions Trophy and the 2011 World Cup, we are more in the mindset of retaining the format. Experts are in place on the cricket committee but I think we can leave it till next May," Lorgat said.
Lorgat said this edition of the Champions Trophy would be more streamlined and refreshing, which will re-impose faith on the One-day version of the game.
"We recognised that the tournament needed a bit of refreshing and relevance to ensure that it is a best of the best. We have made it a destination event where teams and everyone can settle in at one location for the whole event beginning to end and there is no routine of practice, play and fly again," he said.
"There is also greater prize money at stake and the lesser number of teams means most games will have something at stake. "There is differentiation in this Champions Trophy and we are confident that we will see ODI cricket as a relevant format through this," Lorgat added.
Fennell's worries would be addressed by October: Kalmadi
New Delhi: The beleaguered Organising Committee of the 2010 Commonwealth Games on Wednesday promised to sort out each and every concern raised by CGF President Michael Fennell and vowed to deliver the best Games ever. Organising Committee (OC) chairman Suresh Kalmadi described Fennell's stinging criticism of the capital's lethargic preparation for the event as a "wake up call" and said the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) chief would not have a problem when he returns next month for the CGF General Assembly in the city.
"Fennell's observation was a wake up call for us. We have this CGF General Assembly in October and by then, everything would be sorted out," Kalmadi told reporters today. The OC found itself in a spot of bother after Fennell's harsh letter to its Executive Board, warning that the Games was heading for "partial failure" and asked for a meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Kalmadi did not think Fennell's seeking a meeting with the Prime Minister is effectively showing his lack of trust in the OC's capabilities.
"I don't think so. We have no problem with his meeting with the Prime Minister. Come October and everything would be fine by then. Fennell seeking a meeting with the Prime Minister is not an issue with us," he said.
Security and lack of foreign technical expertise are two major areas pointed out by Fennell but Kalmadi insisted that there was nothing to worry about.
"Fennell or no Fennell, we are conscious of our duty about security of the games. An Australian agency comes every two months to assess security and the Home Ministry is also looking at it. I can assure that there will be a foolproof security system during the Games.
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