Delhi Police hunting for Dawood, Shakeel

Delhi Police hunting for Dawood, Shakeel

NEW DELHI, JUL 31 -

The Delhi Police is hunting for fugitive don Dawood Ibrahim, his aide Chhota Shakeel and eight bookies, three of them in Pakistan, in connection with the spot fixing scandal in Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket matches, an official said Tuesday.

S.N. Srivastava, special commissioner of police (special cell), said: "Apart from Dawood Ibrahim and Chhota Shakeel, we are still hunting for eight bookies. Three of them -- identified as Javed Chotani, Salman and Ahtesaam -- are Pakistan-based, while five belong to different cities of India."

"We have a man as witness who has identified Dawood's voice in two separate telephonic conversations," said Srivastava.

After confirming Dawood's link in the fixing scandal, we managed to get a non-bailable warrant against him and Shakeel from a court in Delhi, he said.

In a charge sheet filed in a Delhi court Tuesday, we have referred to about 12 voice samples as proof, along with phone conversations of accused and their cell phone ownership documents along with other evidence, he said.

Chotani was the mediator between Dawood and other bookies as he was in constant touch with the don, added the officer.

Bookie Ashwini Aggarwal, also known as Tinku Mandi, was named in the charge sheet as the main link between Indian bookies and the underworld, he said.

"Tinku Mandi and Chotani were in constant touch with Dawood. They were talking to Sunil Bhatia and Ramesh Vyas as mediator. Bhatia and Vyas were working as hawala operators," said Srivastava.

Police filed a 6,000-page charge sheet, along with a summary of 577 pages, in court in the IPL-6 spot fixing case.

The formal set of charges named 39 accused, including Dawood, Shakeel and Rajasthan Royals cricketer S. Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan, in the scandal unearthed in May.

"Till now, 29 people have been arrested in the IPL spot fixing case. Twenty-one of them are on bail, while eight are in judicial custody. Now we are hunting 10 more accused whose named we have mentioned in the charge sheet," said Srivastava.

According to Srivastava, they have mentioned Dawood's name in the first column of the charge sheet which has annexures that include transcripts of phone conversations, voice sample reports, forensic reports and confessional statements.

Police also file a plea in court to cancel the bail of 21 accused, including Sreesanth and Chavan.

Sreesanth, Chavan and Chandila were arrested by Delhi Policefrom Mumbai May 16. The police later arrested 26 more accused. While Sreesanth and Chavan are out on bail along with 19 other accused, Chandila is still in Tihar jail with eight others.

Srivastava said they had recorded the statements of seven accused -- including bookie Ramesh Vyas, Tinku Mandi, Firoz, Sunil Bhatia and Deepak -- before a magistrate.

Police have named 168 prosecution witnesses, including former cricket board secretary Sanjay Jagdale, IPL CEO Sundar Raman, Rajasthan Royals captain Rahul Dravid and the team management.

The police have also attached the statements of Sidharth Trivedi and Harmeet Singh, both Rajasthan Royals cricketers, who said that bookies had approached them for spotfixing.

But the name of Rajasthan Royals co-owner Raj Kundra and his wife Shilpa Shetty had not been mentioned in the charge sheet as they were not found to be involved in fixing.

Srivastava said Vyas told them during interrogation that they use a code 'Ek ka note 51 k 390777' for the transfer of hawala money.

"Vyas was told to show good conduct towards 'master', Salmaan, and 'doctor', Chotani. He was also threatened by the underworld," said the officer.

Snowden's father says FBI asked him to visit his son

Lonnie Snowden spoke to Russian TV from a studio in the US

Continue reading the main story

US spy leaks

• US revelations
• Snowden's options
• Spying on allies
• Q&A: Prism

The father of US fugitive Edward Snowden has said the FBI asked him to travel to Moscow and see his son, but adds that he wants more details.

Lonnie Snowden said he had been asked several weeks ago about Edward, who is sought by the US for leaking details of electronic surveillance programmes.

However, he wants to know the FBI's intentions, he told Russian state TV.

He said his son would not get a fair trial in America and, if he were in his son's place, he would stay in Russia.

Continue reading the main story

Snowden leaks timeline

• 5 June: First leak published in the Guardian saying the NSA is collecting the telephone records of millions of Americans
• 6 June: Details of the Prism programmepublished by Guardian and Washington Post
• 9 June: Guardian identifies Edward Snowdenas source of the leaks, at his own request
• 14 June: US files criminal charges against Mr Snowden
• 23 June: Mr Snowden leaves Hong Kong for Moscow, applies for asylum in Ecuador
• 2 July: Bolivian leader Evo Morales' plane apparently searched for Mr Snowden
• 6 July: Bolivia, Venezuela and Nicaragua say they would offer Mr Snowden asylum
• 12 July Snowden gives news conferencesaying he is seeking asylum in Russia
• 23 July The US gives an assurance that it would not seek the death penalty for Mr Snowden

• Who is Edward Snowden?
• Where will Snowden end up?
• Q&A: Prism

He described his son as a "true patriot" who had "made America a more democratic country" by revealing secret details of the US National Security Agency's surveillance programmes.

The interview was broadcast live, early in the morning, on the Russia 24 news channel. Mr Snowden spoke English, with a Russian translation.

Mr Snowden has been stuck in transit at a Moscow airport for more than a month as he has no valid travel documents.

'Forever grateful'

"Edward, I hope you are watching this," Lonnie Snowden said in the interview.

"Your family is well. We love you. We hope you are healthy, we hope you are well, I hope to see you soon, but most of all I want you to be safe. I want you to find a safe haven."

The fugitive's father also thanked the Russian authorities for keeping his son safe.

"I also would like to thank President Vladimir Putin and the Russian government for what I believe to be their courage and strength and conviction to keep my son safe," he said.

Campaigners against secret US surveillance programmes demonstrated in support of Edward Snowden in Berlin on Sunday

"Like any mother or father who loves their child, I love my son and I will be forever grateful for what you have done, very much."

Edward Snowden arrived in Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport on 23 June from Hong Kong, where he had made his revelations.

He has requested temporary asylum in Russia, while saying he hopes eventually to go to Latin America..

The Snowden affair has caused diplomatic ructions around the world, upsetting America's close allies and traditional enemies.

The US Attorney General, Eric Holder, has given Moscow an assurance that he will not face the death penalty if extradited to America, but the Russians say they do not intend handing him over.

Unidentified body of Indian national found in Syangja

Unidentified body of Indian national found in Syangja

SYANGJA, JUL 31 -

A body of an Indian national was found at the premises of a famous temple, Chhangchhangdi Chhanya Chhetra, at Chhangchhangdi-3 in Syangja district on Wednesday morning.

According to Hari Krishna KC, Police Inspector at the Ward Police Office, Waling, the deceased appeared to be in his 60s.

Locals informed police after they saw the body at the resting place of the temple premises.

Investigation into the case is underway as the identity of the Indian national has not been ascertained yet. The body has been kept at the mortuary of Waling Primary Health Centre, said police.

Police suspect that the deceased might be a pilgrim, who came to visit the temple. RSS

14 cement factories to get access roads

14 cement factories to get access roads

• Rs 1.23 billion earmarked for building access roads and electricity lines

KATHMANDU, JUL 31 -

The government plans to spend Rs 390 million to build access roads for 14 cement factories under its policy of promoting manufacturing industries.

A sum of Rs 1.23 billion has been earmarked for the construction of access roads and electricity transmission lines and sub-stations for cement factories which are under construction in different parts of the country.

Out of the total allotment, Rs 390 million will be spent on building access roads, Rs 360 on connecting the cement factories to power supply and Rs 380 million will be used for the construction of special economic zones.

Industry Secretary Krishna Gyanwali said his ministry had recommended the names of 14 cement factories to receive the facility of access road a week ago.

He added that once the programme is approved by the National Planning Commission (NPC), the ministry will begin work on the access roads which will connect the mines and manufacturing units.  

“Only those cement factories which produce clinker by using local limestone will receive the facility,” said Gyanwali. The government plans to complete construction of access roads for five cement factories within the current fiscal year.

In fiscal 2008-09, the government announced infrastructural support to cement factories utilizing local raw materials with the objective of promoting mega industries.

Under the programme, the government promised to construct roads and drinking water facilities and lay electricity lines to the factory sites stating that it would encourage investors to make use of the country’s huge limestone reserves, thereby saving billions of rupees spent on importing clinker.

Gyanwali said that new companies had also applied for access roads. The five cement factories which will benefit from the facility are Ghorahi Cement, Rolpa Cement, United Cement, Shivam Cement and Nigale Cement.

Other factories had asked for the facility last year, according to the industry secretary. “The applicants could not receive the promised facility in the last fiscal as the government could not announce a full budget, and so it could not release the necessary budget on time,” he said.  

Cement producers have long been urging the government to provide basic infrastructure stating that a huge portion of their investment goes into developing basic facilities.

Meanwhile, the private sector has welcomed the government’s preparation to provide the promised infrastructure facility. “Though the government has not fulfilled its promises several times in the past, we are compelled to trust it this time,” said Atmaram Murarka, president of the Cement Manufacturers’ Association asking the ministry to provide the facilities at the earliest.

Industrialists said that a number of investors had put their money in cement factories in anticipation of government assistance in building basic infrastructure. “The delay in providing the facility has prompted many investors to give up their plans,” added Murarka. He also asked the ministry to provide electricity and transmission line facilities at the earliest. MoI officials said that once the NPC approves the project to build access roads, it will begin doing home work to provide electricity facility to three factories that have been waiting for it since the last fiscal year.

Budget Allocation

Factory    Amount (in millions)

Ghorahi Cement    Rs 60

Rolpa Cement    Rs 50

Sonapur Cement    Rs 50

Dang Cement    Rs 20

CG Cement    Rs 20

United Cement    Rs 20

Laxmi Cement    Rs 10

Bhardeu Cement    Rs 10

Shivam Cement    Rs 25

Makalu Cement    Rs 25

Nigale Cement    Rs 30

Sarbottam Cement    Rs 30

Palpa Cement    Rs 10

Maruti Cement    Rs 30

Total    Rs 390

(Source: Ministry of Industry)

Metal poisoning from China factory kills 26

Metal poisoning from China factory kills 26

BEIJING , JUL 31 -

At least 26 villagers have died from cadmium poisoning and hundreds more fallen ill since 2009 near a disused factory in central China , local media said Wednesday, underscoring the country's mounting pollution challenge.

Soil samples from Shuangqiao in Hunan province contained 300 times authorised cadmium levels and excess amounts were found in 500 of 3,000 villagers tested by health authorities, the ChinaYouth Daily said.

It said 26 people had died as a result of cadmium exposure in the last four years, eight of them under 60 and 20 of them from cancer, while children in the village were born with deformities.

A major chemical plant operated in the village until 2009, and a "huge" industrial waste pile remains in the factory grounds, as does "an odour that will not go away", the paper said.

It described the situation as "one of the country's 10 biggest pollution incidents".

Cadmium is highly toxic and exposure to the metal "is known to cause cancer", according to the US Department of Labor.

China is grappling with severe environmental degradation inflicted by decades of breakneck economic growth, and communities have protested industrial projects they fear will harm their hometowns or their health.

Amid growing concern about ground pollution, China recently carried out a five-year nationwide soil survey costing one billion yuan ($160 million).

But early this year it declared the findings a "state secret", underscoring the sensitivity around the issue.

The environment ministry this year acknowledged for the first time the existence of "cancer villages", years after domestic media reported on more than 100 polluted rural areas with higher incidences of the disease.