CHENNAI: Accompanying Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa on his India visit is a tall, well-built, bearded, bespectacled man. As with the other ministers in the delegation, this man -- Douglas Devananda, minister for traditional industries and small enterprises development -- is being accorded full state protocol. Ironically, he is a proclaimed offender in India and liable for arrest.
Devananda was declared a proclaimed offender and an absconding accused by a sessions court in Tamil Nadu in connection with a shootout-cum-murder in Chennai in 1986. In November 1986, Devananda, then a member of the separatist movement Eelam People's Revolutionary Front (EPRLF) in Sri Lanka, and nine others were charged with opening fire with automatic weapons at locals in Choolaimedu in Central Chennai, injuring five people. One person, Thirunavukkarasu, succumbed to his injuries later.
Members of the LTTE, EPRLF and other Lankan militant outfits used to freely move around and live in Chennai, then Madras, in the 1980s.
In the Choolaimedu shootout case, Devananda and others were charged with murder, attempt to murder, rioting and unlawful assembly. While Devananda alone attended courts and obtained bail, others absconded from the very beginning. In 1994, he too went underground, forcing the VI additional sessions court in Chennai to declare him a proclaimed offender.
Another case for kidnapping a boy for ransom was registered against Devananada by the Kilpauk police on March 2, 1989, and that, too, is pending. The third case was registered by the Kodambakkam police in 1990 for rioting and criminal intimidation of a person called Valavan by Devananda.
Devananda, who was made minister for traditional industries and small enterprises development by Rajapaksa, has a chequered history. He was formerly with the EPRLF, later in the People Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE), then with the Eelam National Democratic Liberation Front (ENDLF) and now with the Eelam People's Democratic Party (EPDP). As a bitter critic of the LTTE and its chief V Prabhakaran, he has escaped at least 10 attempts on his life, the latest being the one by a human bomb who exploded in his office on November 28, 2007.
As per Section 41(1)(c) of the Code of Criminal Procedure, any police officer may "without an order from a magistrate and without a warrant" arrest any person who has been proclaimed as an offender either under the CrPC or by an order of the state government, if found anywhere in India.
The Indian Penal Code (IPC) prohibits Indians from extending facilities such as food, shelter, money, arms and conveyance to offenders and proclaimed offenders, and has specific provisions to punish people who harbour such people. While Section 52A defines what is harbouring, Section 216 prescribes imprisonment up to seven years or fine or both, for those who harbour offenders.
In fact, a practising advocate preferred a public interest writ petition in the Madras high court on Wednesday, seeking the arrest of Douglas Devananda in connection with the pending criminal cases against him. The petitioner, P Pugalenthi, has said that on coming to know that Douglas would be part of the presidential delegation from Sri Lanka, he had petitioned the Union ministries of home and external affairs, besides the director-general of police in Tamil Nadu, to arrest and prosecute Devananda. "I have not received any response from the authorities so far," he said.
Chief secy told me to let Anderson go: Ex-collector
BHOPAL: Two days after the verdict in the Union Carbide gas leak case, Moti Singh, who was collector of Bhopal when the tragedy struck, made a sensational disclosure: Carbide boss Warren Anderson was arrested by Bhopal police and taken to the company's guesthouse in a safe area where he stayed for a couple of hours. He had access to a telephone in his room, and he used it to call up various people. "A couple of hours later," says Moti Singh, "the cops released Anderson on the orders of then Madhya Pradesh chief secretary Brahmaswaroop."
Anderson flew in to inspect the damage on December 7 morning along with Keshub Mahindra and Vijay Gokhale, then chairman and vice-chairman of Union Carbide (India) Limited. He walked into the airport casually with a gas mask in hand. While still in the airport, he was arrested and taken to the Union Carbide guesthouse, away from the affected areas.
"It was in the guesthouse that we told him that he was under arrest," Moti Singh said. "He was taken aback and asked what he should do. Anderson, Mahindra and Gokhale were in separate rooms of the guesthouse. There was a telephone in the room where Anderson had checked in. It was not disconnected and he misused it to reach out to his contacts," Singh added.
"The decision to release Anderson could not have been taken by him (the chief secretary) alone. It was too big an issue. Something must have transpired which we don't know about. We were all under pressure," Singh said.
"No one was willing to stand surety for Anderson," the former collector of Bhopal recalled. "So the police got a junior employee of the plant to stand surety for Anderson's bail. We stopped him from going to the affected areas and put him on the state plane which took him to New Delhi. It wasn't our decision. We were following the government's orders."
According to Singh, Brahmaswaroop called him and the police superintendent to his office in the secretariat around 2pm. "The chief secretary told us to release Anderson and urgently put him on the state plane at the airport. We did not question the decision because he was not one to answer queries. He gave orders and expected them to be followed," Singh said.
The collector and SP returned to the Union Carbide guesthouse and completed the formalities of granting Anderson, Mahindra and Gokhale bail. "But Anderson was hesitant to leave," Singh recollected. "He delayed his departure by two hours and constantly asked if he could visit the factory area and victims. He told us intricate details, including the wind direction, which spread the lethal gas through the city."
Singh added, "Anderson was not remorseful or sympathetic. He was intelligent and arrogant. He wanted to visit the site out of curiosity, to see the effect and magnitude of the gas leak. He had all the information that we had about the disaster. It was as though the US was monitoring minute-by-minute developments in Bhopal."
'ISI guided LeT at every step for 26/11'
NEW DELHI: Pakistani-American terrorist David Headley has confirmed that Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists carried out the Mumbai attack under the "guidance" of Pakistan's ISI.
Headley, who is being interrogated in the US by a team of NIA officials, has said that the notorious ISI was engaged with the Lashkar commanders responsible for the 26/11 carnage at "each and every stage of the plot".
The account of the terrorist, who receed targets for Lashkar terrorists across the country, corroborates India's stand about the involvement of Pakistani state actors in terrorism, trains the spotlight on LeT-ISI tandem, and explains Pakistan's unwillingness to clamp down on the Lashkar leadership.
Headley has mentioned serving officers of Pakistan army — Major Sameer Ali, Major Iqbal and Major Haroon — as those who collaborated with the Laskhar terrorists. Major Sameer and Major Iqbal figured in the dossier India gave to Pakistani foreign secretary Salman Bashir.
NIA's sessions with Headley tally with what he is learnt to have told the FBI, including the crucial bit about Hafiz Saeed being in the loop through the plot.
Whether the disclosures that undercut its denial will lead Pakistan to step up its cooperation with the 26/11 probe remains unclear.
Home minister P Chidambaram is to demand voice samples of seven Lashkar commanders including Zakiur
Rahman Lakhvi, Zarar Shah, Abu Al Qama and others when he meets his Pakistani counterpart Rehman Malik during his visit to Islamabad for the conference of home ministers from SAARC region. Pakistan has so far refused to give voice samples which could help investigators ascertain the identity of those who instructed the 26/11 attackers as they went about their deadly assignment.
Headley has also spoken of how post-26/11, ISI wanted Lashkar to disown the Mumbai attack to turn the global attention away from the terror outfit that Pakistan considers to be an important strategic asset to be used against India. With Ajmal Kasab snared, and investigations by India and FBI homing in its nexus with Lashkar, ISI planned to blame the carnage on al-Qaida. It even prepared a list of 4-5 al-Qaida figures who were to be projected as the conspirators.
Significantly, the ploy did not work because of resitance from Lashkar leaders, particularly Zakiur Rahman Lakhvi, one of the 26/11 masterminds. Lashkar leaders who have proclaimed themselves to be innocent and have accused India of levelling baseless charges, felt that the increased notoriety after 26/11 had raised the terror profile of the group and was going to help them with recruitment and funds.
Headley also admitted that while he had started off as a Lashkar recruit, he started drifting towards Al Qaida under the influence of Major Abdul Rahman Saeed. Saeed, who served with 6 Baloch Regiment of Pakistan army, took voluntary retirement in 2002 to devote himself full time to Al Qaida's cause. Headley, who respected Saeed for his "sacrifice", went high in the retired major'e esteem because of precise inputs he provided for the 26/11 attack.
Saeed, with the help of Ilyas Kashmiri, drafted him for the plan to attack Danish newspaper Jylland Posten which published controversial cartoons of Prophet Mohammad. This, when Headley's original handler Sajid Mir wanted him to focus on Lashkar's anti-India mission.
During his Pakistan visit, Chidambaram will also ask Islamabad to locate and arrest 13 absconders found guilty by Indian courts.
Choppers for anti-Naxal fight on CCS agenda today
New Delhi: With differences between the Home Ministry and the Defence Ministry over the Army deployment in anti-Naxal operations still unresolved, the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), which meets on Thursday, is likely to limit itself to focusing mainly on the procurement of more helicopters for use in these operations and setting up of a unified command like the ones in J&K and the Northeast.
As per sources, procurement of over two dozen choppers is likely to top the agenda of CCS meeting given the ever-growing realisation that Central Paramilitary Forces needed these to ferry troops to the areas of operation. Officials say having dedicated helicopters at their disposal will give the much-needed edge to security forces in terms of the time taken to reach a given location as well as by saving them from the trouble of travelling through heavily-mined forests. Less than half a dozen choppers are currently being used in the anti-Naxal operations.
Sources say a final call on whether the Army should be deployed in fight against the Naxals is not likely to be taken at least at this CCS meeting. With the Army having already pointed out that its troops cannot be deployed for active operation without implementing the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, sources say the government is likely to leave this discussion for a later day.
Past experience shows the government has not been able to withdraw the Army from a conflict zone even years after it was first sent in. “This fact has to be carefully considered if a final decision to use the Army against the Naxals has to be taken,” says a source. The government is also weighing the “collateral damage” that may occur as a result of roping in the Army to fight the Naxals.
CPM, BJP turn up heat on N-liability Bill
New Delhi: Even as the UPA government indicated its flexibility on the Civil Nuclear Liability Bill issue, the CPM and the BJP on Wednesday made it clear that they were not willing to tone down their objections to the legislation.
While the BJP asked the government to withdraw the legislation, the CPM stuck to its stand that the suppliers’ liability needed to be fixed. CPM general secretary Prakash Karat told The Indian Express that unless foreign suppliers are brought within the ambit of liability, the CPM and the Left would continue to oppose the legislation. The government had on Tuesday indicated it was ready to periodically review the Rs 500 crore cap on liability for operators.
Karat said the CPM was “more concerned” about provisions in the Bill that make the foreign nuclear reactor suppliers’ liability virtually non-existent. “We feel it is being done to help US companies,” he said.
The government’s proposal to do away with a provision that gave the Indian operator the right to recourse only if the accident has resulted from a wilful act of gross negligence on the part of the supplier has also not enthused the CPM.
The BJP, on the other hand, said the government should withdraw the legislation in light of the Bhopal gas tragedy verdict. “The government’s intention is not to safeguard the rights of the Indians, but to please the foreigners. The Bill is aimed at making the US happy,” BJP spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain said. He also slammed PM Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi for being silent on the Bhopal verdict.
India to press Pak for voice samples of Saeed, Lakhvi
New Delhi: India will seek to press Pakistan to hand over the voice samples of Lashkar-e-Toiba founder Hafiz Saeed and commander Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi when Union Home Minister P Chidambaram meets Pakistan’s Interior Minister Rehman Malik in the bilateral engagements between the two neighbours during the SAARC Interior Ministers’ Conference later this month.
As per sources in the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), India is expected to renew its demand for voice samples of the key LeT operatives so that it can match them with the voices of the handlers of the 10 terrorists who attacked Mumbai on November 26, 2008. “All we want is the voice samples of people like Hafiz Saeed and Lakhvi so that we can match them with voices of those who were supervising the terrorists on the phone during the 26/11 attack,” said a government functionary. “What could be Pakistan’s objection to that?”
India also plans to convey to Pakistan that intelligence and information-sharing between the two countries needs to be dealt with as a priority and handing over the voice samples of LeT operatives to India would go a long way in promoting security cooperation between both the countries. Further, New Delhi believes that if it can match the voices of the key LeT men and recordings made during 26/11, it would strengthen India’s case against the LeT.
With National Investigation Agency (NIA) officials, who are currently in the US to interrogate Pakistani-American terror suspect David Coleman Headley, expected to return well in time before Chidambaram flies down to Islamabad, the Indian security establishment is hoping to arm itself with fresh information about the LeT’s role in 26/11.
The Indian side will also raise the issue of increasing infiltration attempts that are being made from across the border. “Everyday, our security forces are encountering more and more attempts to infiltrate across the LoC. We hope to raise this matter strongly during our interactions,” an official said.
Business News
LIC, four banks likely to invest Rs 161 cr in Videocon
Mumbai: Four leading banks including IDBI Bank and country's largest insurer, Life Insurance Corporation of India, are likely to invest around Rs 160 crore in Videocon Industries, which will be used to fuel the electronics giant's expansion programme.
Videocon Industries is raising this amount as a part of its Rs 2,161 crore fund raising programme aimed at financing its business expansion plans.
The Rs 161 crore investment would be done by way of a preferential allotment and will enable the firm to meet its working capital requirements and on-going capital expenditure, the company said in a notice issued to its shareholders prior to its Extraordinary General Meeting later this month.
Other lenders, which would invest in the firm are ING Vysya Bank, Oriental Bank of Commerce (OBC) and State Bank of Patiala (SBP).
"The company is having a substantial amount of fund requirements to support the operations and growth in future.
IDBI Bank, ING Vysya Bank, OBC, SBP and LIC have expressed their intention to contribute to the equity of the company by way of preferential allotment," the company said in the notice.
Post-preferential allotment, the shareholding of the promoters in the company will come down to 66.67 per cent from the existing 68.46 per cent while the portion held by banks and financial institutions will rise to 3.55 per cent from 1.29 per cent presently.
Recently, the Board of the company had approved fund raising of up to Rs 2,161 crore through the equity route.
Apart from the preferential allotment, its Board has also approved Rs 1,000 crore through a qualified institutional placement and another Rs 1,000 crore through issue of equity shares or any other convertible instrument.
Post-issue, IDBI Bank will hold a 1.72 per cent of paid-up equity share capital in the company while the holding of LIC, ING Vysya Bank, OBC and SBP will stand at 5.26 per cent, 0.13 per cent, 0.33 per cent and 0.11 per cent respectively, the company said.
Videocon is a leading manufacturer of consumer electronics, home appliances and office automation equipment.
The company has also operations in areas like Internet services, petroleum exploration and power generation.
For the quarter ended March, the net profit of the company doubled to Rs 1.49 crore as against Rs 72.98 lakh over the corresponding period a year ago. Net income jumped up to Rs 28.40 crore in the quarter from Rs 22.14 crore in the year-ago period.
For the half-yearly period ended March 31, net profit rose to Rs 2.81 crore from Rs 1.33 crore in the same period last fiscal.
The company's income rose to Rs 56.47 crore in the six months period under review from Rs 42.47 crore in the same period last year.
Sensex rises 0.4 pct; RIL, SBI climb
Mumbai:The Bombay Stock Exchange benchmark Sensex on Thursday rose by over 95 points in early trade on buying by funds and retail investors.
The 30-share index, which gained 40.79 points in the previous session, gathered another 95.51 points, or 0.57 per cent, to 16,753.40 points.
Stocks of auto, oil & gas and metal sectors were leading the rally.
The wide-based National Stock Exchange index Nifty gained 28.40 points, or 0.52 per cent, to 5,028.70 points.
Brokers said increased buying by foreign funds and retail investors helped the Sensex remain in the positive for the second straight session, but overnight losses in the US market and mixed cues from Asian markets capped gains.
Among auto stocks, Tata Motors gained 0.95 per cent to Rs 735, Mahindra and Mahindra was up 0.99 per cent to Rs 582.90 and Maruti Suzuki rose by 0.46 per cent to Rs 1,308.30.
Stocks of most-weighted Reliance Industries was up by 0.60 per cent to Rs 1.012.90 supported by reports that the company was looking to enter the telecom sector.
Rcom was up 0.32 per cent to Rs 170.50, Bharti Telecom by 0.79 per cent to Rs 274.30, Sterlite Industries by 0.78 per cent to Rs 634.45, Hindalco by 1.54 per cent to Rs 135.05 and State Bank of India by 0.97 per cent to Rs 2,295.
Pre-market: Sensex to tread water; Bharti, RIL eyed
Foreign woes will continue to haunt Indian stock markets.
Indian shares are seen little changed early on Thursday, with investors wary about euro zone's fiscal problems and mixed Asian markets.
Bharti Airtel will be watched after a top official told Reuters the leading mobile operator will offer affordable rates in Africa to boost usage but has no plan to launch a price war.
Top-listed firm Reliance Industries will be on the radar after the Economic Times reported it is looking to enter the telecoms market when the opportunity arises, with a focus on selling phone and Internet services to companies.
The MSCI's measure of Asian markets other than Japan was trading barely changed at 0257 GMT, while Japan's Nikkei edged 0.3 percent higher.
The Nifty India stock futures in Singapore were up 0.05 percent.
On Wednesday, U.S. stocks were dragged down by energy shares after upbeat comments by Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke on the health of the U.S. economy failed to sustain an early rally in world stocks.
The 30-share BSE index ended up 0.25 percent at 16,657.89 points.
STOCKS TO WATCH
* IT services firm HCL Technologies Ltd after the company said it would aggressively focus on Brazil and aims to expand and strengthen presence in infrastructure services there.
* Shriram EPC after its managing director told Reuters the company expects to list its group firm Orient Green Power in 2010.
* Back-office service provider Hinduja Global Solutions Ltd after its chief executive officer told reporters the company is looking to acquire firms in the United States, UK and Latin America.
* MIC Electronics Ltd after the company said it had won an order worth 85.6 million rupees from Commonwealth Games 2010.
* Zensar Technologies Ltd after its chief executive officer told reporters the company is looking to acquire firms with an annual revenue of $40-$120 million in FY11.
* Orbit Corporation Ltd after the company said its board would meet on June 18 to consider raising up to 10 billion rupees through preferential allotment or qualified institutional placement.
FACTORS TO WATCH
FOREX-Aus dlr jumps post strong employment, China data * NYMEX-Crude slips back after big gain, Wall St hurts
* U.S. stocks drop on BP's slump, euro up
* US STOCKS-Wall St slides as BP plunge hurts sentiment
Sports News
Different strokes for different folks
Johannesburg: From dour Dunga to the downright eccentric Diego Maradona, the leading coaches at the World Cup are plotting different ways to win the title.
Brazil coach Dunga upset millions of his countrymen by leaving big stars such as Ronaldinho, Alexandre Pato and Adriano out of a squad he believes needs stability to win a sixth World Cup.
One of the game’s all time greats as a player, Maradona stunned the football world by ignoring hugely experienced defenders Javier Zanetti and Esteban Cambiasso, who showed their top form by helping Inter Milan win the Champions League.
Maradona has been unable to get the best out of stars such as Lionel Messi and the football jury is out as to whether such a great player will ever make it as a coach.
While the rejection of these top players seems crazy, no will be complaining in Brazil if Dunga wins the title he won as a player 16 years ago. And Maradona will achieve even greater plaudits in Argentina if he justifies his selections by capturing a third for his country.
While Dunga has a wealth of talent to choose from, England’s Fabio Capello struggled to find genuinely top quality players to complement the stars he has.
The Italian, who has had major club successes with AC Milan and Real Madrid, knows he has the nucleus of a team to get very close to winning the title. But he doesn’t have a safe and reliable goalkeeper and can’t find the right partner for Wayne Rooney in attack.
What he does have, however, is a technique to get these millionaire stars to do what he wants, to behave smartly and respectfully even at their team hotel where cell phones and flip-flops are banned in public and the players dine together as a team. The disciplinarian has also ordered his England players to leave their wives and girlfriends — and millionaire lifestyles — behind.
Rule of fear
“Capello instills fear, like a severe dad,” England striker Wayne Rooney said of the England head coach. “He has explained to us how to do everything. He has made us more of a squad. He has worked above all on the tactics, now we can change them every match.”
While Capello has many players who are at their peak, Italy’s Marcello Lippi, who guided the team to its triumph four years ago, is trying to get one last effort from his aging stars.
Lippi was persuaded to return after a disastrous spell by Roberto Donadoni. Facing Paraguay, New Zealand and Slovakia, Italy is the favourite to win its group, and would then likely face Denmark, Japan or Cameroon for a place in the last eight. With this aging team, however, anything after that would be a bonus for Lippi.
France coach Raymond Domenech is on the way out too, and will be replaced by former Bordeaux coach after the World Cup is over. Many of his critics say that’s already too late.
But France, like Italy, has a comparatively easy path to the last 16 with games against Uruguay, Mexico and host South Africa. And despite the poor form of a talented but dispirited side, three victories will make Domenech look good.
Spain’s Vicente Del Bosque know that his side is among the leading favorites, especially with most of the Euro 2008 winning team he inherited from Luis Argones still around
Quiet and happy to stay out of the spotlight, Del Bosque won domestic and European titles with Real Madrid and many fans in the world would applaud him for a World Cup triumph.
His biggest headache is the fitness of several key players coming into the competition, with Fernando Torres, Cesc Fabregas and Andres Iniesta all missing games for their clubs.
Loew ups the ante
Germany and the Netherlands are other major contenders. Joachim Loew has loaded his German squad with six strikers to compensate for a weaker-than-usual midfield, while Dutch coach Bert van Marwijk knows his team’s chances also rely heavily on a star studded-attack with Robin van Persie hoping to thrive on the talent of Arjen Robben and Wesley
Sneijder.
There’s no guarantee, however, that one of the traditional favorites will go home with the trophy.
Bob Bradley has made steady improvements to the United States side and a victory over England at Rustenburg on day two could kickstart a powerful run through the tournament.
'Nobody knows how long career will last'
Mumbai: Selection meetings haven't really gone Ishant's way either over the last couple of months - be it for the short tour to Zimbabwe, the India A sojourn to England or the Asia Cup - receiving the selectors’ snub on each occasion. Speaking to The Indian Express on the sidelines of a promotional event here, the 22-year-old admits going through the worst phase of his still-nascent international career. Excerpts:
How have you been dealing with not being able to play any competitive cricket?
The more you play, the more you learn. I never say no even when it comes to playing for my company, ONGC. I want to play as many matches as possible because I get to learn a lot by playing more games. But these things aren't in my hand. I have been working hard with my old coach.
What facets of your bowling have you been working on?
He had identified a few technical flaws in my bowling that had developed along the way - things like my left arm not going the right way, and the position of my right arm. I am taking a serious look at it and working to get back to my best.
It was during the IPL last year in South Africa that the downturn in your fortunes began. Did playing for the controversy-ridden KKR have an effect on your psyche?
I have always believed that you have to concentrate on your own game and somehow ignore whatever is happening around you. But being part of KKR has helped this year, (especially) getting to work under Wasim Akram.
Many experts believed that Ishant Sharma had lost his confidence completely since last year. How do you react?
I believe if you enjoy your cricket, it is good for you. Things really started going bad for me at the Twenty20 World Cup (in 2009), and after that we went to the West Indies where I got dropped. I did not get much opportunity after that and I started putting pressure on myself to keep taking wickets and performing better.
Do you think you have an advantage for starting at such a young age?
I agree there are advantages of starting young. But you can't think about it too much, because nobody knows when your last day will come and how long your career will last.
How are you planning to regain the lost confidence?
I will try and get some match practice by playing in local matches and for my company, which will also help me improve my fitness.
Mandela to attend World Cup opening ceremony
Cape Town: Former South African President Nelson Mandela will attend the football World Cup’s opening ceremony on June 11 despite his increasing frailty.
“He will come and greet the fans ... before he retires to his home. We’re trying to see how long he will stay at the stadium. At least 10 to 15 minutes,” The Telegraph quoted Zwelivelile, as saying.
The announcement follows intense speculation about whether the 91-year-old Nobel prize winner would play a part in South Africa’s proudest moment.
Mandela had a key role in South Africa’s successful bid to host the games, but his public appearances have become increasingly rare – the last was in February on the 20th anniversary of his release from prison.
Earlier, South African Sports Minister Makhenkesi Stofile had said that the former premier had requested four tickets for the opening ceremony, which is followed by the first match between South Africa and Mexico, as well as the final on July 11.
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