Paternity suit: Court orders Tiwari's reply in 4 weeks

New Delhi, April 7: Former Andhra Pradesh governor N D Tiwari was Wednesday directed by the Delhi High Court to file his response in a paternity suit against him within four weeks.The court of Justice J.R.Midha asked Tiwari, 86, to file a written reply in the suit filed by 34-year-old Rohit Shekhar within four weeks, failing which he will have to appear before the court personally. The veteran politician, who was also the chief minister of Uttaranchal, has been asked to respond to the photographs submitted by Shekhar, showing both of them together on different occasions, and also on Shekhar's plea for a DNA test. The court, while allowing an application by Tiwari seeking more time, said that this would be the last chance for him and if Tiwari failed to furnish the reply in the stipulated time, he will have to come personally on May 20, the next date of hearing. The court had on March 17 dismissed Tiwari's plea challenging the paternity suit and said that it may consider ordering a DNA test if the issue of maintainability was raised by him. Shekhar has claimed that Tiwari began neglecting him and his mother Ujjawala Sharma after 1995 and refused to meet him after becoming the Uttaranchal chief minister. He now wants a DNA test to confirm his biological father.  Tiwari's five-decade-old political career came to a virtual end after a news channel last year showed clippings of an elderly man purported to be Tiwari in bed with three young women. A few days later, Tiwari resigned as the Andhra Pradesh governor citing health grounds.
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Day after deadly Maoist ambush, troopers scared to enter forest

A day after 76 troopers were massacred in the worst ever Maoist attack, hundreds of para-military men and state police personnel assigned to track down the killers are scared to enter the jungles of Chhattisgarh Wednesday fearing a repeat of the ‘bloody Tuesday’ incident.The shell-shocked police incumbent here have ordered nearly 40,000 policemen deployed in the restive Bastar region to retaliate.But officials posted in the interiors of the region say: “The Tuesday attack has rattled the entire police force engaged in the anti-Maoist operation and they are now reluctant to enter the landmine protected jungle terrain”.“It’s easy for everyone to dictate to us from New Delhi and Raipur sitting in air-conditioned chambers, but here the situation is completely hostile because Maoists rule the roost in jungles. The forces in Bastar now need urgent motivation,” a police officer based in Dantewada said on phone.Police officers posted in the sprawling 40,000 sq km Bastar terrain made up of five districts — Bijapur, Narayanpur, Bastar, Kanker and Dantewada where the Maoists staged a bloodbath in the Chintalnar hilly area say — “policemen are suffering high casualties because of an absolute lack of co-ordination between state forces and para-military men who are put in difficult terrains in Chhattisgarh”.“Despite all efforts at the police headquarters and at the state government level, the CRPF is not taking local police and special police officers (SPOs) along while entering the Maoists’ den and are thus getting killed without a fight,” noted a senior official here.He remarked that CRPF men are all outsiders and know nothing about the difficult jungle terrain. They were reminded several times by officers at the police headquarters to take along at least the SPOs who are locals but the CRPF men neither followed this suggestion nor did they stick to the 48-point guerrilla warfare manuals.
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There is no ‘Operation Green Hunt’: Chidambaram

Home Minister P.Chidambaram Wednesday insisted that there was no “Operation Green Hunt” against Maoists — as has been widely reported.“There is no Operation Green Hunt,” Chidambaram told reporters here. Chhattisgarh police officials say they had coined the term for one successful drive against the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) in the state.But former Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) director general A.S.Gill said it was wrong to call the current campaign against the Maoists by the same name.“It is a media creation and continues till date,” Gill said.Chidambaram’s clarification came a day after Maoist guerrillas massacred 76 security personnel in Chhattisgarh Tuesday in the worst attack since the Maoist movement erupted over four decades ago.
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Armed forces not trained to combat Maoists: air chief

Indian Air Force chief Air Marshal P.V. Naik Wednesday said he did not favour using armed forces in operations against Maoist insurgents.“All the armed forces – air force, army and the navy – are trained for lethal operations. We are not trained for limited lethality. Use of the air force in such situations like Naxals… I am not in favour. But it is a state prerogative,” Naik said during the inauguration of Commenders Conference here.“At present we must leave it to paramilitary forces as they have trained manpower and intelligence,” he added, a day after the massacre of 76 Central Reserve Police Force personnel in Chhattisgarh Tuesday.
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Curfew to be relaxed for 12 hrs tomorrow; situation peaceful

Hyderabad, Apr 7: Giving relief to the people of old city falling under various zones affected by communal violence, the authorities have decided to relax day curfew from dawn to dusk tomorrow as no incidents of violence were reported during the 12-hour-long relaxation period today.Police decided to relax indefinite curfew clamped in Hyderabad since March 27 for 12 hours from 0600 hrs to 1800 hrs tomorrow in 25 police station limits, as there was 'tremendous improvement' in the situation in the city and in view of essential needs of people, according to City Police Commissioner A.K.Khan.Normalcy is returning to the area after posting nearly 30 companies of paramilitary forces, besides state police personnel, including the elite OCTOPUS personnel who were closely monitoring the situation round-the-clock to maintain law and order. The situation was peaceful and fully under control and no untoward incidents were reported during the 12-hour curfew relaxtion period today. ''If the present situation continues, curfew could be lifted fully in a couple of days,'' he added.People came out from their houses for purchasing essential commodities. As a precautionary measure, prohibitory orders were promulgated in the entire city. The situation was ''peaceful and fully under control,'' the sources said, adding no untoward incidents were reported during the curfew relaxation period.
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Andhra Pradesh to bring umbrella legislation to regulate money lending

Hyderabad, Apr 7: The Andhra Pradesh Cabinet today approved a Bill to bring under one umbrella all State Acts for effective regulation of money lending as suggested by Reserve Bank of India and curb high lending rates charged by unscruplous private money lenders.The Cabinet Meeting, chaired by Chief Minister K Rosaiah, at the Secretariat this evening, gave its nod for the Andhra Pradesh Money Lenders and Accredited Loan Providers Act, 2010 on the lines of the model bill suggested by the RBI.The Bill envisaged to bring under public officers all money lenders in an area and make them maintain books of accounts.Any loan in respect of which money lender or accredited loan provider had realised from debtor an amount equal to or more than twice the amount of principal should stand discharged and the amount, if any, so realized should be refunded, an official note here tonight said---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fear of arrest forced Shoaib Malik to compromise?

Hyderabad, April 7: Did the fear of imminent arrest force Pakistani cricket star Shoaib Malik to do a volte-face and compromise with his alleged first wife Ayesha Siddiqui by sending divorce papers to her?This question is doing the rounds after Shoaib, who is scheduled to marry Indian tennis ace Sania Mirza here April 15, signed the divorce papers and sent the same to Ayesha Siddiqui Wednesday after the latter agreed to withdraw the police case against him. Ayesha, during her statement to police Tuesday, was believed to have given clinching evidence against Shoaib. According to sources close to her family, it included medical evidence that Ayesha had become pregnant after the marriage and even had a miscarriage. They claimed that this would nail Shoaib. The woman had also submitted 'nikahnama' which carried the signature of Shoaib, details of his visit to Hyderabad after their wedding in 2002, the places where they stayed and the persons they met in Hyderabad. Notwithstanding his spirited defence, Shoaib was worried after police grilled him Monday following a criminal case booked against him on the basis of complaint by Ayesha and seizure of his passport. He was charged with cheating, harassment and criminal intimidation. While community elders claim to have worked out the compromise in the larger interest of the relations between Indian and Pakistan and the community, sources said the solution was arrived at after Sania Mirza's family made hectic efforts fearing Shoaib's arrest. Sania's family was worried that Shoaib's arrest, legal tangle and the continuing adverse media publicity could force the postponement of the marriage. They roped in some key Muslim political and religious leaders who contacted Ayesha's family to find a way out, sources said. With only a week to go for the marriage, Sania's parents also convinced Shoaib to agree for a compromise and sign divorce papers without bothering whether the girl is Ayesha or Maha. Shoaib was given to believe that he was giving a divorce to the girl he married over phone and not to the girl whose pictures were shown over television channels. Shoaib had maintained that he signed the 'nikahnama' for marrying the girl whose photographs were sent to him. He had declined to give divorce saying he knew her as Maha Apa or elder sister of Ayesha. The Siddiqui family claimed that Maha is another name of Ayesha.
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All clear for Shoaib-Sania wedding, Ayesha gets divorce

Hyderabad, April 7 : La' affaire Sania-Shoaib-Ayesha ended abruptly Wednesday with the Pakistani cricketer sending divorce papers to Ayesha Siddiqui, who in turn agreed to withdraw the criminal complaint of cheating against him.Shoaib Malik, who is set to wed Indian tennis ace Sania Mirza on April 15, had denied Hyderabad girl Ayesha's claims that he had married her. He had admitted to a telephone wedding but said he had been shown the photograph of another woman. After days of mudslinging, a compromise was reached with the intervention of elders of the Muslim community and representatives from the three families. "Shoaib Malik has sent divorce papers to Ayesha Siddiqui," Shams Babar, a family friend of the Siddiquis, told "My daughter is relieved and she is very happy. Justice has been done," Ayesha's mother Farisa Siddiqui told reporters, adding that her daughter would now withdraw the case. She said the compromise was reached without any compensation. Shoaib paid Rs.15,000 as monthly maintenance for three months as per Islamic law. The surprising development comes two days after Ayesha filed a complaint with the police accusing Shoaib of cheating, harassment and criminal intimidation. Shoaib, who married Ayesha over phone in 2002, was questioned by police on Monday and his passport seized for investigations. Abid Rasool Khan, general secretary of the Andhra Pradesh Congress and a friend of both families, told reporters that Shoaib sent the divorce papers after advice by community elders. He said efforts for a compromise were being made for last few days as the community was getting a bad name due to the allegations between the two sides.
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PRESIDENT OF INDIA presenting padma shree award,

The President, Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil presenting the Padma Shri Award to Ms. Rekha Ganeshan, & Saif Ali Khan Patodi at the Civil Investiture Ceremony-II, at Rashtrapati Bhavan,   (Photo by PIB No.CNR-31137)
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