2100 HRS
11th March, 2013

THE HEADLINES:

• Home Minister, says prime accused in Delhi gang rape case Ram Singh's suicide in jail is a major security lapse; preliminary enquiry suggests he committed suicide.
• CBI carries out searches in five cities  for alleged irregularities in allotment of coal blocks.
• Punjab police questions boxer Vijender Singh in drug haul case.
• Russian Conglomerate Sistema wins telecom spectrum in eight circles for 3, 639 crore rupees in an auction.
• Australia axes vice-captain Shane Watson and three other key players from the side for the third Cricket Test against India.

||<<><>>||

The Home Minister, Mr. Sushil Kumar Shinde says a preliminary enquiry suggests that the prime accused in the Delhi gang rape case Ram Singh committed suicide. Addressing a press conference in New Delhi today, he described Ram Singh's death in the jail as a major security lapse. Shinde added that security in Tihar jail will be reviewed in the wake of the suicide. When asked about the allegations that Ram Singh was murdered, he said that a magisterial inquiry is already in progress. 

It is a grave incident, a major lapse.  The inquiry is being done.  We can not come to a conclusion at this stage; so everything will depend on the inquiry.

The key accused in the case, Ram Singh allegedly committed suicide in Tihar jail this morning. He was found hanging in the jail. His body has been taken to the DeenDayal Upadhyay Hospital for an autopsy. Ram Singh was the driver of the bus involved in the gang rape.ail Sources said, the incident took place in Jail No 3 around 5 am.Tihar jail authorities have ordered an inquiry into the incident.

Women and Child Development minister Krishna Tirath has said the Delhi gangrape prime accused Ram Singh may have committed suicide in frustration over the prospect of being jailed for life. Talking to reporters in New Delhi today, she said it would have been better if the law of the country had punished him. Ms Tirath said his death should send a message to others who indulge in such activities.

Speaking on the anti terror body, the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), the home minister said, a note is being sent to the cabinet to take the proposal forward. Mr. Shinde also said progress has also been made in investigations into the recent twin blasts at Hyderabad.

In response to a question on the appointment of former CBI Director, Ashwani Kumar as Governor of Nagaland, he said that Government was within its right to do so and Mr. Kumar was fit enough to serve the nation longer.

The Home Minister said the government has taken note of JKLF leader Yasin Malik sharing a dias with the mastermind of the  Mumbai terror attack Hafiz Said inPakistan and the Jammu and Kashmir government has taken action.

The action against him has been taken by Jammu and Kashmir local police and he is under house arrest.

<><><>

The Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, which proposes a jail term to a rape convict for his entire life, will be taken up at a special meeting of the Union Cabinet tomorrow. The Union Home Minister, Mr. Sushil Kumar Shinde said this to reporters in New Delhitoday. Dismissing reports of any differences in the Cabinet over the bill, he said there is  a difference of opinion on legal points, which is being addressed. The fresh bill will replace the ordinance on crimes against women promulgated last month which had prescribed life imprisonment as the maximum punishment for those committing rape. It will also replace the Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2012 introduced in the Lok Sabha in December last.

<><><>

The CBI today carried out searches in five cities after registering a fresh case against Jharkhand Ispat Private Limited for alleged irregularities in the allotment of coal blocks. CBI sources said that the Jharkhand Ispat Private Limited, a company of the RC Rungta Group, was allotted North Dhadu coal block on January 13, 2006for its sponge iron plant.

They said the agency detected several irregularities in the allotment after which a case was filed against it and unknown public officials. Searches were still going on at Varanasi, Hazaribagh, Kolkata, Ranchi and Delhi.

The CBI has so far registered 10 FIRs, including this one, in connection with the coal scam. 

The Punjab Police today questioned Boxer Vijender Singh  in connection with drug haul case. History sheeter Paramjit Singh has also been brought from Tihar jail toPunjab for investigation in the 130 crore Rupees drug haul case. He is said to be an important link to reach  the alleged kingpin of this international drug racket, Arjuna Awardee wrestler, Jagdish Bhola.

Police sources reveal that raids are on at Bhola’s suspected hideouts and the police is quite close to nabbing him. Meanwhile, Fatehgarh Sahib District Police Chief, Hardyal Singh Mann,  told our Jalandhar Correspondent that a Look out Circular (LoC) has already been issued and all the airports have been alerted across the country so that Bhola does not sneak out of India. He is the key to cracking this sensational case which allegedly involves the Olympian Vijender Singh. 

<><><>

Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia today said the Indian economy will grow in the range of seven to eight per cent in the next five years. Referring to the widening Current Account Deficit, CAD, he said efforts are needed to contain it and survive with a CAD of over 4 per cent in the next two years. Mr Ahluwalia was speaking at a function in New Delhi. 

<><><>

In Tamil Nadu, protesters held siege at the Koodankulam Nuclear power plant area today urging the government to shut down the plant. The protest was held with the power plant in its final stages of commissioning. More from our correspondent:

More than six thousand fishermen in 600 boats staged sea-siege protest 500 metres away from the Koodankulam Nuclear power plant today. The protesters led by People’s Movement Against Nuclear Energy are urging the government to drop the nuclear power plant project. No untoward incident has been reported and the protest passed off peacefully according to Tirunelveli Superintendent of Police Vijayendra Bidari. The protests in various forms sea siege, road blockade, hunger strike, immersing in beach sand have reached the 573rd day today. This has resulted in inordinate delay in commissioning of the 1000 MW Nuclear power plant set up with Russian expertise in Koodankulam. K Devi Padmanabhan,AIR News,Tiruchirapalli

<><><>

For news updates, follow us on Twitter @ airnewsalerts.  You can also visit our facebook page All India Radio News for more news and events. For news updates on mobile, SMS AIRNEWS to 56060."

<><><>

The Indian unit of the Russian conglomerate Sistema has won telecom spectrum in eight circles for 3,639 crore rupees in an auction held today. The circles are Delhi, Kolkata, Gujarat, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh (West) and West Bengal. Talking to reporters in New Delhi, Telecom Secretary R Chandrashekhar said the auction ended in just three rounds with lone bidder Sistema Shyam TeleServices Limited, SSTL, putting in bids at the minimum bid price. He said the bid price had already been cut by about half after no company bid for the 800-MHz band in the auction held in November last year. The Telecom Secretary added that in all, 24 blocks in eight telecom circles were allocated out of 61 blocks put up for auction.

Out of 61 blocks which were put for auction, 24 blocks were taken.  This is approximately 40 per cent of the blocks that have been put for auction.  In value terms it is 3639 crores, which is about a little over 56 per cent of the value of the spectrum that has been put for auction.

<><><>

President Pranab Mukherjee arrived in Mauritius this evening on a three-day state visit. At Port Louis, he was received and warmly greeted by Dr. Navinchandra Ramgoolam, Prime Minister of Mauritius.

Today in Mauritius, the President meets with Rajkeswur Purryag, President of theRepublic of Mauritius. A banquet will also be hosted for President Mukherjee by the Prime Minister of Mauritius, Dr. Navinchandra Ramgoolam. The highlight of this visit would be Mr. Mukherjee being chief guest at the 45th Independence Day celebration of Mauritius tomorrow. Agreements are expected to be signed in the field of health and social sectors.

<><><>

In an unprecedented move, Australia today axed vice-captain Shane Watson and three other key players from the side for the third Cricket Test against India. Watson, pacers James Pattinson and Mitchell Johnson and batsman Usman Khawaja were dropped for failing to make a presentation on how to improve their personal as well as the team's performance after the innings defeat in the second Test at Hyderabad. 

<><><>

The North Zone have entered the final of the Deodhar Trophy cricket tournament. In the first semi-final played at Guwahati today, they beat Central Zone by eight wickets.

Put in to bat, Central Zone made 190 in 41.5 overs. Due to inclement weather, the North's target was revised to 160 in 33 overs and the winners achieved the target with 19 balls to spare.

The second semi-final between South Zone and West Zone will be played in Guwahati tomorrow.

<><><>

Snapping a four-day winning streak, the Sensex at the Bombay Stock Exchange dropped 37 points,  to close at 19,646, today, on mild profit-booking by investors ahead of industrial and inflation data, and amid weak European markets. The Nifty lost 3 points, to 5,942. The rupee closed 13 paise weaker, at 54.41 against the dollar. Snapping two days of losses, gold gained 20 rupees, to 29,840 rupees per ten grams in Delhi. Silver advanced 50 rupees, to 55,100 rupees per kilo.  Pradeep Kumar, AIR News

<><><>

Finance Minister P. Chidambaram has  emphasized the need for enhancing the capital base of the world bank to meet the challenges of poverty reduction and infrastructure development in the developing countries. During a meeting, with the World Bank President Dr. Jim Yong Kim, in New Delhi today, the Finance Minister discussed the issues related to the global economy and its impact on the Indian economy. He informed the World Bank President about the challenges faced by the Indian economy at present and reforms undertaken by the Government in the recent past. Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Jim Yong Kim informed Mr. Chidambaram about the World Bank Group’s new agenda on global poverty reduction and shared prosperity.

<><><>

The Tourism Minister Mr K Chiranjeevi has welcomed the government's move to simplify the issuance process of embarking card for Indians and disembarking cards for foreigners. An official statement said that the proposed simplified forms for embarking and disembarking are point specific with the relevant questions and tourist friendly.The new system which is  a joint effort of Home and Tourism Ministries will come into effect from 1st of July this year.

<><><>

The News Services Division of All India Radio in its weekly “PUBLIC SPEAK” programme will bring you a discussion tonight on "Socio-Economic Empowerment of Women". This can be heard on the FM Gold Channel and additional frequencies at9.30 p.m. Listeners can ask questions to the experts sitting in our studio on telephone number: 011-2331-4444.

This programme is also available on Doordarshan DTH.