Policeman killed in Hyderabad shootout

Hyderabad, May 14: Two assailants on motorcycle opened fire at a police picket here, killing a police constable and injuring two others on Friday.

The two attackers came on a motorcycle and opened fire on the picket in Shahali Banda, about a kilometre from the Charminar and Mecca Masjid, in the Old City area. The assailants fled after the attack.Ahead of the third anniversary of the blast at the Mecca Masjid, which is on May 18, the policemen were deployed as part of the security arrangements. Andhra Pradesh Special Police Constable Ramesh died while being taken to the Osmania Hospital while two other policemen were being treated for their injuries. Hyderabad Police chief A.K. Khan said that Viqar Ahmed alias Viqaruddin alias Ali Khan is the main suspect behind the attack. Police have put up barricades at several points in the city and started checking vehicles and frisking people. On the second anniversary of the blast in 2009, a policeman was killed and another injured in a similar attack at Falaknuma area of the old city.
================================================

CBI submits report on Andhra CM Rajashekhar Reddy's copter crash

New Delhi, May 14: More than eight months after the fatal copter crash that killed Y S Rajashekar Reddy, and four others, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) today submitted its report on the likely causes of the death of the then Andhra Chief Minister.The report was submitted to the Government of Andhra Pradesh and District Magistrate Kurnool today, said the CBI here adding that the crash which took place on September 2 last year at around 0923 hrs also killed the CM's Principal Secretary P Subramanyam, his Chief Security Officer A S C Wesley, along with pilot Group Captain S K Bhatia and co-pilot Captain M S Reddy.''The CM was on his way to attend an official function 'Rachabanda' (Village corner) in Chittoor District.'' The State-owned Bell-430 VT APG helicopter left the Begumpet Airport at 0838 hrs but disappeared from the Air Traffic Control (ATC) screen at Shamshabad at 0923 hrs, after travelling about 94.1 nautical miles from Hyderabad's Begumpet Airport. The wreckage of the helicopter, along with the bodies of all the five deceased, was later recovered from a hillock 'Chirumanu Chiruthagundam Thippa' in Nallamalla Reserve Forest in Kurnool District (AP).A case in this regard was registered at Atmakur Police Station under section 174 of the Criminal Procedure Code on September 3, 2009, and a Preliminary Enquiry registered at CBI, Hyderabad, on September 11 following a request by the state government. The ''detailed and exhaustive enquiry'' carries accounts of several witnesses, and the assistance of experts from the National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL), Bangalore, Institute of Aerospace Medicine(IAM), Bangalore, Central Forensic Laboratories, Hyderabad, New Delhi and Chandigarh, Rotary Wing Society of India, Delhi, Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Hyderabad, National Remote Sensing Center, Hyderabad, Zen Technologies Ltd, Hyderabad among others.
================================================

Andhra Pradesh capital in grip of intense heat wave

Hyderabad,May 14: The 400-odd year-old state capital of Andhra Pradesh, Hyderabad, which was once well known for its favourable weather conditions suitable for the people, is now in the intense grip of heat wave conditions with the mercury touching 45 degrees Celsius, surpassing earlier highest record of 43.3 degrees Celsius reported three-decade ago.For the fourth consecutive day today the state capital experienced scorching heat, rendering the streets virtually deserted.Most people remained indoors to escape the heat while those on the roads covered their heads with scarves and caps. The weather office has attributed the heat wave conditions in Hyderabad and other parts of the state, especially Telangana, to the northwest winds and maintained that the hot weather conditions were mainly due to the dry winds generated in Rajasthan and blowing through Maharashtra. Further the weather office has predicted that the severe heat wave would continue for the next four to five days. However, unconfirmed reports further claimed that 25 people last their lives due to severe sun-stroke for the last 48-hours in the state. But there was no official confirmation on sun-stroke deaths in the state.
================================================

Cop shot dead in Hyderabad, terror attack suspected

Hyderabad, May 14: A policeman was killed and two others were injured when two people on a motorcycle opened fire at a police picket in Hyderabad Friday. The police suspect involvement of a terror operative Vikar Ahmed in the incident.  Eyewitnesses said two people on a motor cycle opened fire on the picket in Shahali Banda, about a kilometre from the historic Charminar and Mecca Masjid, in the Old City area. The policemen were deployed as part of the security arrangements ahead of the third anniversary of the blast at the Mecca Masjid (May 18). The assailants fled after the attack. Constable Ramesh, of the Andhra Pradesh Special Police (APSP), died while being taken to Osmania Hospital while two other policemen were being treated for their injuries. Police chief A.K. Khan told reporters that involvement of Vikar Ahmed alias Viqaruddin alias Ali Khan is suspected. Police have put up barricades at several points in the city and started checking vehicles and frisking people. The incident sent shock waves as it came despite the continuing search operations by police for over a fortnight amid intelligence warnings of possible terror attacks and close on the heels of the arrest of a terror suspect. On May 3, an alleged terror suspect of the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), Mohammed Zia-ul-Haq, 34, was held for planning to cause explosions in the city. Last year, on the second anniversary of the blast, a policeman was killed and another injured in a similar attack when assailants opened fire on police at Falaknuma area of the old city. The police commissioner said the incident appeared to be linked to the anniversary of bomb blast at the Mecca Masjid. "Yes. We do see similarities with last year's incident," he said. Ahmed was also blamed for attack on policemen in Santoshnagar area in 2008. Two policemen were injured when Ahmed and two others accompanying him opened fire as police were trying to arrest them. "We can't say for sure that he is behind today's incident, but we suspect his involvement and also of other suspects who are at large," Khan said. Police had been on the lookout for Vikar after the Mecca Masjid blast. A resident of Old Malakpet area in the city, he was also associated with a city-based rightwing group Darsgah Jihad-O-Sahadath (DJS) Police suspect that Vikar, who had gone to Gulf a few years ago for job, got training in the terror camps abroad. He reportedly visited Oman, Qatar and Bangladesh and developed links with some terror groups. On May, 18, 2007, a bomb blast during Friday prayers in the 17th century mosque killed nine people. Five people died in the subsequent police firing on protestors outside the mosque. (photo by R S J Thomas)
================================================

Cop shot dead in Hyderabad, high alert in city

Hyderabad,May 14:A policeman was killed and two others were injured when two people on a motorcycle opened fire on a police picket in the old city of Hyderabad Friday. A high alert has been sounded across the city.The incident took place this evening near Volga Hotel in Shahali Banda area, about a km from the historic Charminar and Mecca Masjid. Eye witnesses said two people on a motor cycle opened fire on a police picket deployed as part of the security arrangements ahead of the third anniversary of the blast at the historic Mecca Masjid (May 18). The assailants fled after attacking the policemen. Constable Ramesh, of the Andhra Pradesh Special Police (APSP), died while being shifted to Osmania Hospital while two other policemen were being treated for their injuries. Police have put up barricades at several points in the city and started checking vehicles and frisking people. The incident sent shock waves as it came despite the continuing search operations by police for over a fortnight amid intelligence warnings of possible terror attacks and close on the heels of the arrest of a terror suspect. Last year, on the second anniversary of the blast, a policeman was killed and another injured in a similar attack when assailants opened fire on police at Falaknuma area of the old city. Police believed Viqaruddin, an alleged terror operative, was involved. Two policemen were injured Dec 3, 2008 in the attempt to arrest Viqaruddin, when one of the two people accompanying him opened fire at the policemen. The trio managed to escape. The bomb blast during Friday prayers in the 17th century mosque May 18, 2007 killed nine people. Five people died in the subsequent police firing on protestors outside the mosque. Police May 3 arrested an alleged terror suspect belonging to the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT). Police said 34-year-old Mohammed Zia-ul-Haq was planning to cause explosions in busy areas of the city.
================================================

Heat wave claims 26 lives in Andhra Pradesh

Hyderabad, May 14 : The severe heat wave in Andhra Pradesh Friday claimed 26 lives, taking the toll to 44 in two days, officials said.Almost the entire state is in the grip of a heat wave with the temperatures hovering five to six degrees Celsius above the normal for this time of the year. Hyderabad and most parts of Telangana region were almost like a furnace. As many as 26 deaths due to the heat wave were reported Friday from 14 of the 23 districts in the state. The scorching heat Thursday claimed 18 lives. Ramagundam in Khammam district Friday recorded 49 degrees Celsius the highest this season. Adilabad district also recorded 47 degrees. In Hyderabad, the mercury soared to 44 degrees Celsius. The Met Office has warned that the temperature in most parts of the state would remain between 45 to 47 degrees Celsius till the monsoon sets in. The sweltering heat has severely affected normal life in some districts. The streets wore a deserted look as people preferred to remain indoors. In Hyderabad, Chief Minister K.Rosaiah reviewed the situation with top officials of health and disaster management departments. He expressed anguish at the reported sun stroke cases.He directed the departments to take all precautions and steps needed to save people from the scorching heat. Rosaiah asked officials to create awareness among the people to prevent heat strokes by adopting various preventive measures. He also directed district collectors to ensure supply of safe and pure drinking water in all the villages.
===============================================

APPA to take more activities journos' benefit: Chairman

Hyderabad, May 14 : Andhra Pradesh Press Academy (APPA) Chairman Tirumalagiri Surender today said the Academy would gear up with several activities for the benefit of the journalists and the media in the state.Speaking during an interactive session with the Editors and Senior Journalists in the print media to seek their suggestions on the implementation of the various activities taken up by the Academy, Mr Surender, who was recently appointed as Chairman of the Academy, said the Academy proposed to help the media to create a self-regulatory mechanism to follow ethics and improve the quality of media.Apart from the existing activities of the Academy, it was decided to develop an online knowledge centre by making the existing website more meaningful.It was also decided to appoint Media Committee to coordinate with the media management and professional organisations and create data bank on full particulars of all the journalists working throughout the state, he said.
================================================

BJP demands white paper on financial position in AP

Vijayawada May 14 : Expressing concern over the deteriorating financial position of Andhra Pradesh, Central Committee Member and senior BJP Leader Indrasena Reddy today demanded the State Government to release a white paper on the state's financial position. Addressing a press conference here, he claimed that the state's financial position was so poor that it was unable to implement welfare schemes. ''The declined financial position has forced the government to either dilute the welfare schemes or do away with them. The government is planning to scrap the fee reimbursement schemes and withdraw Rs 25 subsidy being given on domestic gas cylinders,'' he alleged.He alleged that while the farmers were not getting remunerative price for their produce, the prices of essential commodities were spiralling day by day.''All the things reflect the corrupt policies and misgovernance of the Congress-led state government,'' he said.Expressing dissatisfaction over the way in which the Sri Krishna Committee, which was constituted by the Centre to know the views of various political parties and organizations to carve out separate Telangana state, he said ''Sri Krishna Committee is visiting the state like a holiday trip.'' ''The Committee is asking various senior leaders irrelevant questions. I do now know how it will be helpful for the formation of separate T-state,'' he added.
================================================