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Political Notes

	May 02, 2005

American Centre attack case accused sentenced to death



A Sessions Court in Kolkata has sentenced to death Aftab Ansari and six others found guilty of attacking the American Centre in 2002. Judge Vasudeb Majumdar said the offence fell in the category of rarest of rare crime and pronounced the death sentence for waging war against the country and for possessing and using prohibited arms.

The six others who were given the death sentence are Jamiluddin Nasir, Mussarrat Hussain, Hasrat Alam, Rehan Alam, Adil Hassan and Shakir Akhtar. The judge also sentenced the seven to life imprisonment for murder and conspiracy.

When the judge came to hear the convicts, Ansari was the first to speak, “If I am guilty, give me the maximum sentence. I leave it to you.” The six others repeated the same.

When the judge passed the sentence, Ansari broke into a smile. Ansari said his dying wish was to meet his three-year old son who was born while Ansari was in custody in Dubai. “But I do not want to meet my wife as she did not come to meet me after I was detained at Dubai airport”, he said.



Shahabuddin raided



In Bihar, Special Task force commandos raided the ancestral house of controversial RJD MP Mohd. Shahabuddin and his relatives at his native Pratapore village on Sunday, April 24. The task force raided 11 houses and seized arms and ammunition including two night vision devices besides stolen vehicles. The raids were an outcome of a large number of anonymous complaints received by the District Magistrate. Complaints had alleged rampant illegal activity at Pratapore. Three persons were taken into custody after the raid.



Sanjay Nirupam joins Congress



Sanjay Nirupam who had resigned from the Shiv Sena about a month ago has joined the Congress. Mobbed by hundreds of supporters — mostly members of organisations representing the city’s North Indian community — Nirupam, once a journalist from Baknaura (Bihar), returned to Mumbai on Tuesday afternoon. A day after the decision to induct the former Shiv Sena MP into the Congress was made public, Nirupam’s return saw some comic scenes at the airport. Waiting for him with bouquets and banners, some members of the reception party forgot their leader and chased Sachin Tendulkar who was returning from Delhi until his guards whisked him away.



Lashkar men gunned down in Delhi



Two alleged militants belonging to the Lashkar-e-Taiba were killed in an encounter with the Delhi Police on April 25. The encounter took place near Pragati Maidan where the police had laid a trap. One of the men killed is suspected to be a Pakistani national. Observers say that the incident shows that Pakistani intelligence agencies are still trying to fish in troubled waters and create problems in India despite the recent talks between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf. There are reports that the police are looking for some more terrorists who might be hiding in the city.



Gujarat police catch Dawood Ibrahim man in Mumbai



A team of the Gujarat Police have arrested Izu Sheikh, one of the key accused in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts. The Mumbai police were ignorant about the gangster’s presence after he checked into a hotel in the Andheri area last week. Izu Sheikh is reported to be a trusted lieutenant of mafia don Dawood Ibrahim and controls the gold smuggling syndicate of the D company as it is called. He is reported to be one of the eleven-member core group formed by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence 9ISI) after the Babri Masjid demolition. Indian agencies were searching for him as he was instrumental in smuggling RDX, a deadly explosive.



Former President K.R. Narayanan writes to Godhra Riots Commission



Former President K.R. Narayanan has confirmed that he has written a letter to the Godhra Riots Probe Commission saying whatever he said in an interview to media persons regarding the 2002 communal riots in Gujarat was his opinion. Two years after stepping down from office, Narayanan in an interview on March 2 had criticized former Prime Minister Vajpayee for the way he handled the post-Godhra situation. He had alleged that Vajpayee did not do anything effective to control the riots in Gujarat despite his letters. In the interview, Narayanan had asked the military to be sent to suppress the riots. He said the military was sent, but it was not given enough powers to check violence.



CPI(M) leader Surjeet taken ill



Last week when he was on his way to Ho Chi Minh City to take part in the 30th anniversary celebrations marking the liberation of South Vietnam CPI(M) leader Harkishan Singh Surjeet was admitted to a hospital. Doctors said he was suffering from dehydration. The CPI(M) politburo has rushed a team to Bangkok to take care of Surjeet and to bring him back.



28 judges in UP face guillotine



A full Bench of the Allahabad High Court is learnt to have approved on Saturday (April 30) the recommendation of a five-judge inquiry committee to compulsorily retire from service 28 judges from the lower judiciary. A Times of India report said the step was taken under rule 56 (fundamental rules) by the committee comprising Justice Jagdish Bhalla, Justice BS Chauhan, Justice AK Yog, Justice Pradeep Kant and Justice SS Kulshresth. The committee held them guilty of various charges of doubtful integrity, alcoholism, moral turpitude and professional incompetence.



The committee, which was constituted by the Acting Chief Justice on January 24 this year , examined the records of 530 judicial officers against whom adverse entries were made. Its final report, put up before the Chief Justice, recommends “six month parole” to another batch of 18 judges whose cases would be reconsidered after the stipulated time.