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Interrogation continues in Noida killings

      Noida (UP): The police is continuing interrogation of the servant-owner duo, who admitted to have sexually abused and killed several children here, to gather more information of the kids who had gone missing from the Nithari area. Police recovered more human bones from an open drain in Noida during an extensive search after stumbling on the skeletons while investigating the murder of a girl, Payal, who was missing from Nithari village for the past six months. Rajesh Kumar Singh Rathore, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Noida, said that police was interrogating both Surendra alias Satish, and Mohinder Singh on the missing children. He further said that they have sent the bones and skulls recovered from the Sector 31 Noida house for scientific test in forensic labs at Agra and Hyderabad . Police has also said that Surendra, domestic help in the house of Mohinder Singh Pandher, has confessed to killing young children for the last twenty-one months. In the past 21 months, thirty-eight children were reported missing from this upscale suburban area of Noida, and mostly girls in the age group of 3-11 years have gone missing from Nithari. Nine of the 17 skulls found have been identified and details about the others could be known only after DNA test report comes, police said. Police are likely to venture into Mohinder's Sector 31 house, on which angry people pelted stones, to gather more information, and details about the gruesome killings. Police teams have been sent to Ludhiana to interrogate other family members of Mohinder Singh Pandher.

Mayawati asks CM to quit over Noida killings Top

       Noida (UP)/ Chandigarh: Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati on Sunday demanded resignation from Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav over the serial killings of children in Noida. Mayawati who visited the crime site in Nithari area on the outskirts of Delhi also demanded a CBI enquiry into the case. "The kidnappings have been taking place in the State for long time now. It shows that the Government is shielding the mafias involved in the kidnappings. Therefore, CBI enquiry should be ordered in this case," said Mayawati. In the past 21 months, thirty-eight children were reported missing from this upscale suburban area of Noida, and mostly girls in the age group of 3-11 years have gone missing from Nithari. Meanwhile, relatives and parents of the children allegedly abused and killed by Mohinder Singh Pandher, a factory owner and his domestic servant Surender aka Satish also demanded a CBI inquiry into the matter. People in large number gathered outside Pandher's house in Sector 31, Noida and pelted stones. Police had to resort to lathicharge to disperse the crowd. Police on Sunday recovered more human bones from the open drain behind Pandher's home during an extensive search. The Noida District Magistrate Ajay Chowhan confirmed that 17 skulls have been recovered till now. "We have recovered 17 skulls till now. We are investigating further about other bodies and other missing children so that the cases of other missing children can be solved," said Chowhan. According to the police, the accused Surender has admitted killing children and said the owner of the house Pandher was also involved in the crime. Meanwhile, Bajrang Dal staged a protest in front of Pandher's house in Chandigarh . They were demanding death sentence for both the accused. Police teams have also been sent to Ludhiana to interrogate other family members of Pandher. The bones and skulls recovered have also been sent for scientific test in forensic labs at Agra and Hyderabad , police said. Nine of the 17 skulls found have been identified and details about the others could be known only after DNA test report comes, police added. Surender during police interrogation has confessed of sexually assaulting his victims and then killing them by strangulating. He then beheaded the victims and buried their head wrapped in a polythene bag in his residential compound. During night he used to dispose the dead body by dumping it in the open drain. The crime came to light on Friday after police arrested Surender in connection with the disappearance of several children in the area. Police had said Surender had lured the children from poor families in the area by offering them sweets.

President, PM greet nation on New Year, Id Top

      New Delhi: President Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Sunday greeted the nation on the eve of the New Year and extended his best wishes to all Indians living in the country and abroad. In a message, the President said, "This New Year 2007 can be the year of spreading happiness. Happiness will spread everywhere if citizens of our country decide to give. Giving gives happiness. Giving can be of anything like sharing knowledge, removing pain and empowering with part of one's rightful earning," President Kalam said in his message. "May God bless you all," he added. In his message, the Prime Minister said the New Year gives us an opportunity to dedicate ourselves to the consolidation of the gains of the past and to work for new horizons of progress and development. "India enters 2007 with a sense of confidence and purpose. We need to sustain the upward curve of economic prosperity, which should be inclusive and bring succour to the underprivileged and weaker sections of society. May the year 2007 bring peace, prosperity, health and happiness to all," Dr. Singh added. Kalam and Dr. Singh also greeted fellow citizens on the occasion of Idu'l Zuha, which is being celebrated tomorrow. In his message, the President said," On the occasion of Idu'l Zuha, I extend my greetings and good wishes to all my people." "Idu'l Zuha is indeed a day of remembrance of the great sacrifice and a thanksgiving day to the Almighty who has bestowed everything to humanity. It is a beautiful mission for every family to the needy. By giving, God multiples happiness to the family," the President said. In his message, Dr Singh said Id-ul Zuha epitomized the spirit of sacrifice and sharing. "Hazrat Ibrahim's shining example of selfless sacrifice should inspire everyone to subordinate self-interest to the greater good of humankind. It is an occasion to reaffirm our responsibility towards the less privileged sections of our society," he said. "May Id-ul-Zuha this year bring peace, happiness and joy for everyone," he added.

Bajrang 'warns' over New Year revelries Top

       Indore: As the world prepares to welcome the New Year, the Bajrang Dal activists took out a 'warning rally' here and warned against obscenity in parties organised on the New Year eve. The activists distributed pamphlets in the streets, went to hotels and restaurants and warned the owners against encouraging any celebration in an obscene fashion. They also said that action would be taken against anyone found involved in such acts. "We are protesting against obscenity. If we hear of anything obscene, then our activists who are taking round of the city will not spare those found involved in such acts. And the administration will be responsible for the action taken," said Narendra Parmar, District Convenor, Bajrang Dal. However, police officials said that action would be taken against those found indulging in brawls leading to violence. "Through the pamphlets, they have appealed to the people to abide by the Indian cultural ethos and there is no problem if anyone does peaceful protest. The police will take action against those who take the law in their hands," said Anshuman Yadav, Superintendent of Police, Indore . Meanwhile, the administration claimed to have taken the necessary steps for peaceful celebrations on New Year. According to the local administration, special force will be deployed in crowded areas. Police patrolling teams will also keep vigil round the city.

CAS comes into effect Top

      New Delhi: The Conditional Access System (CAS) has been implemented from today in certain notified areas of Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai. Under the CAS, viewers will be able to watch free-to-air channels through the present installed cable wires, but the signals of the paid channels will be encoded, which can be decoded through the installation of private set-top boxes at homes. Pay channels can be chosen from a wide array on offer. Meanwhile, Cable TV and Direct to Home (DTH) TV operators have come out with lucrative offers for customers falling under the CAS regime in notified areas of the metros. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) officials have termed it as a tariff war in the cable TV industry. The TRAI has fixed two structures for the CAS regime. One scheme offers a refundable deposit of Rupees 999 per box with a monthly rental of Rupees 30, which means, if the box is returned, the refund will be made after deducting Rupees 12.50 per month of box-use. The second scheme includes a refundable deposit of Rupees 250 per box with a monthly rental of Rupees 45, in which Rupees 3 per month of box-use is deducted from the refund on return. However, if the customer does not opt for the Set Top Box (STB), he will have to pay Rupees 77 a month for 30 free-to-air channels from the cable operator. Those with the box can view pay channels for Rupees 5 each. Right now, Tata Sky is in the market selling its DTH STB for Rupees 2,999 and Rupees 1,000 as installation charges, with its monthly fee being Rupees 300 for all its channels.

Dancer Chandralekha dead Top

      Chennai: Legendary classical dancer Chandralekha died of cancer here on early Sunday morning. She was 78. She died at her resident here after prolonged illness. She had been undergoing treatment at a city hospital from where she was discharged two days back. Born in 1929, the classical dancer and choreographer had managed to bring Indian dancing up to date by reinterpreting classical traditions in dance and developing a unique sequence of signature movements. Chandralekha was a student of renowned Bharatnatyam teacher Guru Kancheepuram Ellappa Pillai. She blended classical Bharatnatyam with Kalaripayyatu and yoga. In 1962, she turned to choreography, but in 1972 gave up dancing from lack of faith in the fixed norms of classical bharatnatyam. For 12 years she paid her way by writing and by designing political placards. She also took part in the Indian movements for women and the environment. In 1984, an east-west dance encounter in the Max-Mueller-Bhawan Institute in Bombay led Chandralekha to take up dancing again, and she began a new career. She had since brought a new production out every year and won international acclaim with her Chandralekha Dance Group, though remaining very controversial in India. Recipient of the 'Kalidas Samman', she had also worked together with European dancers like Susanne Linke and Pina Bausch. She had also received Sangeet Natak Academy Fellowship and Kalidas Samman among others at the national level. Chandralekha's international recognitions include the Gaia Award in 1992 from Italy and the Time Out Dance Umbrella Award in 1992 from London . Some of her works include Sharira- Fire and Desire (2000), Sloka: Self and Renewal (1999), Raga: In Search of Feminity (1998), Mahakaal (1995), Yantra- Dance Diagrams (1994), Sri (1991), Prana (1990), Lilavati (1989), Request Concert - Solo (1989), Angika (1985), Navagraha (1972), and Devadasi (1961).

Dr RA Mashelkar retires as CSIR chief Top

       New Delhi: After giving his service for eleven years, Dr RA Mashelkar retired from the post of Director General of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) on Sunday. Under his leadership, the CSIR became an institution for global Research and Development and received accolades from all quarters. Winner of around 50 national and international awards, Dr. Mashelkar has been known for spearheading a new thinking in the field of science and technology. He championed the cause of protection of traditional knowledge in India by fighting the "turmeric" and "Basmati Rice" battles, with set a new paradigm in the protection of developing world's traditional knowledge heritage, besides leading to the setting up of India 's first Traditional Knowledge Digital Library. Mashelkar chaired about 12 high power committees, which were set up to look into diverse issues of national importance. Dr Mashelkar is third Indian engineer to have been elected as Fellow of Royal Society (FRS), London , in the 20th Century. He was only the eighth Indian scientist in over 140 years to have been elected Foreign Fellow of US National Academy of Science (2005) and the first Asian scientist to have won the 'Stars of Asia Award', which was presented by former US President George Bush (Sr). Over 25 universities have honored him with honorary doctorates, which include Universities of London, Salford, Pretoria , Wisconsin and Delhi . Dr Mashelkar has also been honoured with Padmashri (1991) and Padmabhushan (2000), in recognition of his contribution to nation building. CSIR is the largest chain of publicly funded industrial research and development institutions in the world with thirty-eight laboratories and about 20,000 employees.

Controversial Sardar Sarovar Dam completed Top

       Narmada Valley ( Gujarat ): Construction of controversial Sardar Sarovar Dam in the Narmada Valley was completed on Sunday. Authorities hailed the completion of the project in Gujarat as an answer to the thirst, irrigation and power needs of millions in the vast, parched regions in the west of the country. "We have been successful in reaching a significant height of the dam. Today, we did the last concrete and 121.92 metres height as been done. Now the work that remains is the gate that has to be made. By January end, 1450 megawatts power supply should start, that's what I have thought," said Chief Minister Narendra Modi after the last bucket of concrete was poured on the wall of the 7.7-billion dollars dam. The Sardar Sarovar is the centrepiece of the multi-billion dollar Narmada Valley development project that taps the Narmada , the country's fifth-largest river, through a series of dams, reservoirs and canals. Authorities say the dam will connect 86,000 kilometre (50,000 mile) network of canals and help irrigate 1.8 million hectares (4.5 million acres) of farmland and provide drinking water to 20 million people in Gujarat and the neighbouring states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra . The dam will also help in controlling floods and its two power plants are expected to generate 1,450 MW of peak power, they say. Construction of the dam, which is 1,250 metres (4,100 ft) long, 122 metres (400 ft) high, began in 1987. But it soon became the focus of one of the world's longest social and environmental campaigns. Nearly a decade was lost to a dispute between rival states over how to divide water and power from the dam, and at least five more years in protracted legal battles with activists from the Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA). The NBA says the dam will displace 320,000 people -- many of them poor tribal farmers who have not been properly resettled on fertile land, and disrupt the lives of hundreds of thousands more. It also says that the benefits claimed by authorities are false promises. In March this year, NBA's Medha Patkar went on a hunger strike that lasted nearly three weeks, forcing authorities to come up with better rehabilitation plans for some of those affected.

UP villagers torch Reliance's excavators Top

       Jadopur (Uttar Pradesh): Farmers in Uttar Pradesh set ablaze excavators of Reliance Energy Limited while digging work was on for a power plant in the region. Hundreds of villagers of Jadopur in Ghaziabad, who are agitating for a fair compensation for the farmlands acquired to set up the power plant by Reliance Energy Limited, gathered at the site and pelted stones and torched at least two excavators yesterday, said officials. "While the construction work was on for the Reliance project on the land, villagers gathered on the spot. Digging work was being carried out when they started pelting stones," said Piyush Mordia, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Ghaziabad. He added, "Police force which reached the spot took immediate action to control the situation. The fire was extinguished with the help of a fire brigade. A case has been registered against all the accused. The situation is normal now". The Uttar Pradesh Government had acquired over 2000 acres of land for setting up a power plant by Reliance Energy Limited owned by industrialist Anil Ambani's Reliance group. Farmers and opposition parties alike had criticized the State Government for acquiring the farmland at unfair prices to favour the industrial house.

Blasts in Bangkok kill two on New Year's Eve Top

       Bangkok: At least two persons were killed and 12 others were injured in seven serial blasts that rocked several areas of the Thai capital on Sunday evening. In the wake of the blasts Thai authorities have cancelled all major New Year's celebrations in the city and Thailand 's second largest city, Chiang Mai. Thai Government's Chief Spokesperson Yongyud Maiyalab has warned people to be cautious but not to panic, CNN reported. One of the blasts reportedly occurred at a mall near the Victory Monument in the centre of Bangkok city. No claims for carrying out the blasts have been made by any terror group.