0815 HRS.

27.11.2013

THE HEADLINES:

• Talwar couple gets life imprisonment in the Aarushi-Hemraj twin murder case.
• Six people killed in an explosion in Idinthakarai village of Tamil Nadu.
• Supreme Court constitutes 10-member committee to look into complaints of sexual harassment.
• The apex court seeks comments of States and Union Territories on constitutional validity of Aadhaar card.
• India bag 36 medals, including 19 Gold, on Day 2 of Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships in Malaysia.
• And, the final ODI cricket match between India and West Indies to be played in Kanpur today.

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The special CBI Court in Ghaziabad has sentenced the dentist couple Rajesh and Nupur Talwar to life in the 2008 twin murder case of their daughter, Aarushi and domestic help, Hemraj. The court has also sentenced both for five years imprisonment for conspiracy and destroying of evidence. They have also been slapped a fine of 17 thousand rupees each. Earlier, the CBI counsel had pressed for the maximum punishment of death for the dentist couple. Arguing before Additional Session Judge Shyam Lal, the CBI submitted that the killing was a cold-blooded murder and fell in the rarest of rare category. It gave details of the sections under which the couple has been sentenced. The Defence Counsel said that they will go in appeal against the conviction.

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Six people, including three children, were killed last night, after a country bomb exploded accidentally in Idinthakarai village, close to the Kundankulam Nuclear Power Plant. Police said, several people in the area are missing. Three houses were razed under the impact of the blast. Rescue teams and fire tenders are extricating people believed to be trapped under the debris. More from our correspondent:

Special teams have been formed to investigate the bomb explosion case in Idinthakarai Tirunelveli district. The Superintendent of Police Bidari said that so far  two unexploded bombs were deactivated and bomb disposal squads were deployed to handle the  stored explosives and explosive  materials hidden in the house. No arrests have been made so far. And the police suspect involvement of anti nuclear movements in the incident. Joy reporting from Chennai

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The Delhi High Court will today hear the anticipatory bail plea of Tehelka Editor Tarun Tejpal in the sexual assault case against his junior colleague in Goa. The court yesterday refused to grant interim protection against arrest to Tejpal.

Meanwhile, the Investigating officials of the Goa Police have established contact with the victim in Mumbai. Disclosing this to mediapersons at the Police Headquarters DIG, Goa Police, OP Mishra said a team of the Crime Branch of the Goa Police is talking to the victim.

"A team of Crime Branch officials including the investigating officer they are talking to the victim. She is fully cooperating with us. A Border check post alert has been issued by the investigating officer, that in case there is an attempt to leave the country the investigating officer should be informed about it."

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Electioneering has reached a feverish pitch in Rajasthan and Delhi for the upcoming Assembly elections. Political parties are making all out efforts to win voters.In Rajasthan, Congress President Sonia Gandhi will address an election meeting in Sikar today. BJP President Rajnath Singh will address four election meetings in the state. Our correspondent reports that campaigning will end on Friday and polling will be held on Sunday:

Chief Ministers of neighbouring states of Rajasthan are active in election campaigning. Chief Minister of Gujrat  and Haryana Narendra Modi and Bhupendra Singh Hooda are continuously addressing election meetings. Today Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Shivraj Singh will also join the campaign. He will election campaign  for BJP candidates in tribal dominated Udaipur division. Now  almost every constituency  has been touched by national level leaders of  either by Congress  and BJP or BSP,JDU,NPP,and CPM.Anurag Vajpeyi AIR News Jaipur.

Campaigning in the national capital is on in full swing. Senior leaders of different political parties addressed a series of rallies in various parts of the city yesterday. Candidate are also resorting to door to door  campaigns. Electioneering in Delhi will end on Monday and polling will take place next Wednesday.

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The Group of Ministers, GoM, set up to look into the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh will meet in New Delhi today. The Ministerial panel headed by Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde, has already completed its consultations with all stakeholders and is likely to finalise its recommendations. Mr. Shinde yesterday gave the assurance that the panel would address concerns and honour sentiments of all stakeholders. He said the GoM is trying to find ways to not hurt any region while creating Telangana. Our correspondent reports that, the GoM has been mandated to look into a whole range of complex issues including determination of the boundaries of State of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh with reference to the electoral constituencies, judicial and statutory bodies, and other administrative units.

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The Supreme Court has constituted a 10-member committee to deal with complaints of sexual harassment within its premises. The Gender Sensitisation and Internal Complaints committee, the GSICC, constituted by Chief Justice of India P. Sathasivam, is headed by Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai. The committee has six other female members. Two members are outsiders and not connected with the apex court. The panel is in consonance with the guidelines laid down by the apex court in its judgment in the Vishaka case for dealing with complaints of sexual harassment at work place.

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The Supreme Court has asked States and Union Territories to respond to petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the Aadhaar card, and it being made mandatory for getting benefits of the government's social welfare schemes. The apex court was hearing a batch of petitions challenging the constitutional validity of Aadhaar on the ground that it violates and transgresses the individual rights of citizens. A bench of justices BS Chauhan and SA Bobde said that the stand of state governments needed to be considered while adjudicating the case on Aadhaar card. The counsel for Petitioners contended that the Unique Identification Authority of India, UIDAI violates the right to privacy of individuals by collecting all personal informations which can be misused. The bench, however, said that the issue cannot be seen only from the privacy angle as food and water are more important than the right to privacy.

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The Reserve Bank of India has allowed banks to treat loans given to medium manufacturing enterprises after November 13, as priority sector advance. the RBI said that the step has been taken to provide enhanced liquidity support to medium and small enterprises. Under priority sector advance, most banks have to lend 40 per cent of their loans to agriculture, micro and small enterprises, to poor people for housing, students for education and other low income groups and weaker sectors. This facility will remain open till March 31, next year.

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Finance Minister P. Chidambaram has warned of stern action against service tax defaulters. Taking part in an interactive session on service tax in Kolkata last evening, Chidambaram urged all concerned to take the opportunities of voluntary compliance in 2013 to pay area taxes without any penalty by December this year. Chidambaram said that non payment of 50 lakh rupees service tax will be liable to arrest and prosecution. He said, 13 people have, so far, been arrested for non payment of service tax that the and government is keeping a close watch to nab tax evaders.

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Nine coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh, especially East and west Godavari, Krishna and Visakhapatnam, have been put on high alert to face the very severe cyclonic storm, 'Lehar', which is expected to make a landfall tomorrow afternoon. The cyclone, over southeast and adjoining west central Bay of Bengal moved westward, and lays centred at about 810 km east-southeast of Machilipatnam, 750 km east-southeast of Kakinada and 720 km southeast of Kalingapatnam. More from our correspondent:

The Chief Minister, N. Kiran Kumar Reddy reviewed the situation and special officers have been appointed to each of the coastal district to supervise and coordinate with the district administrations in the rescue and relief operations. About 30 teams of National Disaster Response Force  were positioned at various places in the nine coastal districts . The services of four columns of Army and four helicopters are kept at the State’s disposal .   People living in low-lying vulnerable areas are being shifted to safer place . Total suspension of fishing operations is being enforced while a call has been given to those out at sea to reach the coast immediately. Henry, AIR News, Visakhapatnam

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India bagged 36 medals, including 19 Gold, on the second day of the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships at Penang, Malaysia yesterday. Besides 19 Gold, India won 11 Silver and 6 Bronze, taking into account the Youth, Junior and Senior category competitions which are being held simultaneously.On the opening day of the event, India had won one gold and two silver medals in the Youth Boys 50kg category.

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The final one day international of the 3-match cricket series between India and the West Indies will be played in Kanpur today. The match will be played at 9 AM. Our correspondent reports that the series is square at 1-1.

"Stunned by a 2-wicket defeat in the second game at Vizag on Sunday, Team India will look to reaffirm their supremacy, when they take on the Caribbean in the final ODI, before heading to South Africa, early next month, for 3 One dayers and 2 Test matches. The onus will be on the middle order, which, except Dhoni, hasn't really fired. The top order, with Virat Kohli's fire power, has been extraordinary. Yuvraj, Raina and Jadeja, however, have been below par. Although Mohammed Shammi and Bhuvneshwar Kumar are taking wickets, they are a hint expensive. Though Jadeja and Ashwin have been decent. 'Fire in unison', is what is required, as the West Indies will be looking to forget the disastrous Test series and fly back home with, at least, a limited overs series win. SAVVY HASAN KHAN, FOR AIR NEWS."

All India Radio will broadcast live commentary on the match, just after this bulletin. The commentary can be heard on national hookup and on the FM Gold network.

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NEWSPAPER HEADLINES

• A court in Delhi awarding "Life Imprisonment" to Rajesh and Nupur Talwar for murder of their daughter Aarushi and domestic help Hemraj, can be seen prominently on the front pages of the the news papers today. "Talwars escape Noose but get Life" reads Mail Today's headline.
• "Global Free Trade talks collapse", under that headline the Statesman reports that negotiators from 159 WTO countries came tantalizingly close but failed to clinch a Global Free Trade deal. Disputes between major economics like the US, EU, China and India bogged down the discussions, adds the paper.
• With Assembly Elections in five states just around the corner, election-related news is highlighted in the press. "Come December 8, the Election Commission plans to make available for the first time, vote-counting-trends and final results of the elections in real time - on twitter and facebook, repots Hindustan Times.
• Business Standard writes that the Finance Ministry has zeroed in on six firms to sell government stakes. The disinvestment is to meet the budget target of raising 40,000 crore rupees this year.
• "Goa Police issue flight alert on Tejpal after they get statement from victim" - reads the headline of the Indian Express. "The Times of Indiawrites that the former Tehalka journalist, who has alleged sexual assault by Tarun Tejpal, gave her first detailed account to the police yesterday.
• The Times of India corroborates that a top Indian American executive at Citi-group - Neeraj Sahai - has been appointed president of Standard and Poors Ratings Services, the world's largest ratings firm.
• And finally, in a wake up call for conservationist, The Pioneer writes that at least 15 species of bird found in India figure under the Critically Endangered list. These include the Great Indian Bustard and various species of vultures and forest owlets.