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NATIONAL
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updated : THURSDAY
15 MAY
2008 |
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| RDX
used in Jaipur terror strike;
probe points at HUJI’s
involvement
JAIPUR,
May 14: High explosive RDX was
used in the terror strike here,
a senior police official said
today as tell-tale signs pointed
towards the involvement of Bangladesh-
based Harkat-ul-Jehadi Islami
in the serial blasts.
The explosive devices were fitted
with timers and planted on cycles,
a modus operandi similar to
the one used in last year’s
blasts in court premises in
Uttar Pradesh in which HUJI
was involved, police said.
Eight persons including a man
injured in the blasts and a
rickshaw puller are being questioned,
they said, noting that seven
teams of Rajasthan police and
intelligence branch have begun
the probe into the blasts.
“It was a cent per cent
a terrorist attack on the pattern
of blasts in the court premises
in UP in November last year.
RDX was used in containers tagged
to cycles along with timer devices,”
Additional Director General
of Police (Crime) AK Jain said.
An examination of the blast
sites indicated that the bombs
were filled with ball bearings
and small iron pieces to act
as splinters, sources close
to the investigation said.
HUJI may have been able to form
sleeper cells in Rajasthan,
they said, adding that a proper
investigation into the blast
at a sufi shrine in Ajmer last
year could have been a pointer.
“We have collected sufficient
evidence from the places of
the blasts. They are being analysed
by our technical experts,”
Superintendent of Police, Jaipur,
Raghvendra Suhasa said, noting
that one unexploded bomb, found
from the blast site, has been
defused.
Union Home Secretary Madhukar
Gupta told reporters in New
Delhi that “our priority
now apart from vigilance and
being on the alert will be to
get hold of the people responsible”
for the blasts.
The sources said the blasts
triggered in areas close to
two Hanuman temples in the old
city could have been aimed at
disturbing communal peace.
Rajasthan’s Home Minister
Gulab Chand Kataria said the
State has requested the Centre
for additional forces to maintain
peace. “We have asked
for some forces including some
commando units from the Centre
as the blasts were clearly aimed
at flaring up communal passions
in the State,” he said.
Police sources said that investigations
were on to find out from where
the cycles, which were new,
were purchased.
Asked whether the State had
any prior information about
the blasts from intelligence
agencies, the Minister replied
in the negative.
Eight serial blasts took place
in a span of 12 to 13 minutes
in crowded market areas of the
city leaving at least 63 dead
and 200 injured.
The blasts rocked Tripolia Bazar,
where large number of devotees
turned up at a Hanuman temple,
Johari Bazar, Manas Chowk, Badi
Choupal and Choti Choupal –
all located within a two-km
radius in the old city. (PTI)
Curfew
imposed in Pink City
JAIPUR, May 14: Curfew was today
imposed in 15 police station
areas of the city in the wake
of the eight deadly blasts here
that left at least 60 dead and
200 injured.
District Collector Akhil Arora
said curfew has been imposed
as a precautionary measure.
The curfew will be effective
from 9 am to 6 pm.
Additional Director General
of Police Kanhaiya Lal said
curfew has been imposed in 15
police station areas. The areas
under curfew are Lal Kothi,
Adarsh Nagar, Transport Nagar,
Manak Chowk, Subhash Chowk,
Ram Ganj, Galta Gate, Brahmpuri,
Bhatta Basti, Kotwali, Nahargarh,
Sanjay Circle, Jalubpura and
Hasa. (PTI)
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Teasers
on small screen is passe; social
networking sites rule
New
Delhi, May 14: Now you don’t
have to wait to catch rushes
of forthcoming big screen releases
on television. With movie marketing
moguls fast latching on to popular
social networking sites you
could switch to the Internet
and view promos and teasers
for the latest flicks.
In the new trend, trailers for
films like the upcoming Akshay
Kumar-Katrina Kaif starrer Singh
is King are being promoted on
the Internet on sites like Orkut,
Facebook and My Space. These
social networking sites provide
subscribers with opportunities
to create communities which
are used to discuss films through
forums as well as upload latest
videos.
The first production house to
take advantage of this medium
was Subhash Ghai’s Mukta
Arts, who promoted their Black
& White staring Anil Kapoor
via an online community with
the tag line “Kill Terror
in Search of Harmony.”
The initiative, however, did
not do too well for them.
The fate of Ghai’s movie
did not hamper Yash Raj films
from promoting their production
house latest flick Tashan through
Orkut and Facebook.
“This is really a very
encouraging medium. Internet
is advantageous to promote new
movies on networking sites as
large chunk of members on these
sites are youth, who relates
themselves with the character,”
says an official spokesperson
from Yash Raj Films.
On Orkut and Facebook, the community
has forums and polling booths
to discuss Jimmy’s (Saif)
new mustachioed avatar or Pooja’s
(Kareena) size zero figure.
It has more than a thousand
members and the owners have
placed themselves with the name
of Bachchan Pandey, Jimmy and
Bhaiyajee, the names of the
characters in the movie.
“We achieved the desired
results of the activity by getting
people together on an online
space by creating official online
“Tashan” community
on social networking sites.
The target audience for Tashan
lent itself to the Internet,”
says the spokesperson.
Meanwhile, an official spokesperson
for Google, which owns Orkut
and You Tube, says recently
there has been changes in strategies
followed by production and media
houses which have taken up aggressive
marketing through social networking
sites.
“Be it movies, programmes
or projects, currently Orkut
and other social networking
sites seem to target the 15-24-age
bracket – a very coveted
demographic for media and lifestyle
goods consumption,” the
spokesperson adds.
“An Internet ‘audience’
now didn’t wait for teasers
to come on television, but is
now actively viewing the promos
or video, new looks of the stars
in the movie and information
about movie through discussions
by accessing social sites.”
So, what’s the strategy
behind promoting it on social
networking sites? Promoting
new products not only helps
them to find a niche audience
but also helps to create awareness
faster and at a minimal possible
cost. It allows Internet ‘audience’
to have text, graphics, database
and even live videos.
Networking sites also provide
a platform to engage with the
audience by enabling interaction
in fun and interesting ways
ranging from allowing the audience
to leave their comments, throw
open discussions.
“In fact, at times promoting
on social networking sites can
also help production houses
find distributors for projects.
It’s more cost effective
and simpler to alert a distributor
to a web page than to send a
videotape and promotional material
through post and can nearly
eliminate the possibility of
projects falling into the wrong
hands or not arriving at all,”
says Google spokesperson. “I
am an active member of Salman
Khan’s next venture Wanted
Dead or Alive and Akshay-Deepika
starrer Chandni Chowk to China
on Orkut. We discuss characters,
their new fashion statement,
hit or flop, and watch latest
video uploaded on these sites.
Who waits for trailers on TV,”
says Anurag Yadav, member on
a Orkut site.
Another thing is these communities
are not restricted to filmmakers
, but channels like MTV, Channel
V and Sony entertainment are
also active on these sites with
MTV’s famous youth programme
“Roadies” community
active on Orkut site and others
are in the pipeline.
“Orkut has several thriving
communities, and is an open
platform for dialogue, creativity
and self expression. MTV has
had an active Roadies community
on orkut for a long time, and
is continuing to build on this
to engage their community further
on Orkut,” says Google
spokesperson. (PTI) |
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Change
‘Bombay’ prefix
to Mumbai everywhere: Sena
MUMBAI, May 14: Issuing a
stern warning, Shiv Sena Chief
Bal Thackeray today asked
all the institutions in the
city with the name Bombay
as prefix to change it to
Mumbai, failing which the
party would target them.
“If the supporters of
Bombay keep harping their
tune, then the Bombaywallahs
will be forced to flee,”
Thackeray said in an editorial
in the party mouthpiece Saamana.
“Samajhne wale ko ishara
kaafi hai. (Intelligent people
should take a cue from our
indications). Be it a school,
an English newspaper or any
industry, we are giving an
indication as to what we think
they should do,” he
said.
“Those clamouring to
retain the name of Bombay
instead of changing it to
Mumbai will be forced to flee,”
Thackeray warned.
The Sena had targeted a leading
newspaper, an elite school
and a textile showroom for
using Bombay in their name.
It also protested yesterday
in front of the Bombay Stock
Exchange, demanding a change
in its name.
Twenty-four workers from the
party and its campus wing
Bharatiya Vidhyarthi Sena
were also arrested outside
BSE under provisions of Bombay
Police Act for violating prohibitory
orders yesterday.
Shiv Sena had launched a campaign
to rename the city from Bombay
to Mumbai on Sunday last,
thereby vandalising the boards
of Bombay Scottish School
in Mahim. In another incident,
the Sainiks knocked down the
Bombay Dyeing boards outside
the company’s showroom
in Worli and also targeted
a Times group newspaper, Bombay
Times.
The move to attack these institutions
comes after Saamana editor
Sanjay Raut wrote a stinging
article, rebuking institutions
for continuing to use “Bombay”
in their names.
Thackeray, in today’s
editorial said: “What
is the harm if the name of
Bombay High court is changed
to Mumbai High court, Bombay
Dyeing to Mumbai Dyeing or
Bombay Stock Exchange to “Mumbai
Stock Exchange?” He
said, “If Calcutta can
be changed to Kolkata, Bangalore
to Bangaluru, Trivandrum to
Thiruvananthapuram, then what
is the problem if the name
of Bombay becomes Mumbai?”
Besides, he said the Central
Government had long back changed
Bombay’s name to Mumbai.
But unfortunately, some people
are still opposed to using
Mumbai even though the change
of name has been done constitutionally.
(PTI)
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Allowance
for gallantry award winners
hiked
NEW
DELHI, May 14: In a major
decision, the Government today
hiked by more than 100 per
cent monetary allowance to
gallantry award winners of
the Armed Forces.
The recipients of Param Vir
Chakra, the nation’s
highest Gallantry award for
bravery, will now receive
Rs 3000 per month as against
Rs 1500 at present.
There are 21 army personnel
who have won this rare honour
in the five wars that the
country has faced since Independence.
Similarly, the winners of
Ashok Chakra, nation’s
highest peace time Gallantry
award, will now receive an
allowance of Rs 2,800 per
month as against the present
amount of Rs 1400.
For Mahavir Chakra –
the allowance has been raised
to Rs 2400 from Rs 1200 and
Kirti Chakra – the hike
has been put at Rs 2100 instead
of Rs 1050. The allowance
for Vir Chakra has been raised
to Rs 1700 from Rs 850 and
for Shaurya Chakra, it has
been increased to Rs 1500
from Rs 750.
As many bravehearts have won
the Gallantry awards twice,
the Government notification
said that each bar to the
decoration will carry double
the amount.
The Government said the hike
will cover all soldiers and
officers decorated in pre-independence
and post-independence time.
As there are no Victoria Cross
award recipients alive, the
new hike does not extend to
them. But, other soldiers
and officers who have won
laurels during the Second
World War and the Burma campaign
will get the benefits.
Under the new notification,
the recipients of Distinguished
Service Order, Indian Order
of Merit and Indian Distinguished
Service Medal will now get
Rs 2000 per month instead
of Rs 50-200 at present.
The winners of Distinguished
Service Cross, Military Cross,
Distinguished Flying Cross,
Distinguished Service Medal,
Military medal and Distinguished
Flying medal will get Rs 1400
per month as compared to the
present amount of Rs 50-200.
The Government also announced
granting monetary allowance
at the rate of Rs 500 per
month to the recipients of
Sena, Nao Sena and Vayu Sena
Medal winners awarded for
acts of Gallantry. The notification
said the payment would be
made to all those who have
received the awards since
January 26, 1999. (PTI)
CBI court may adjourn
cases against Badals: SC
NEW DELHI, May 14: The Supreme
Court today asked a CBI court
in Punjab to consider keeping
on hold the trial of corruption
cases against Chief Minister
Parkash Singh Badal and his
family members till it hears
the petition filed by his
predecessor Amarinder Singh
seeking a fair trial outside
the State.
“The Special judge may
adjourn the trial of the case
till July 16 when the matter
will be taken up for hearing,”
a Bench headed by Chief Justice
KG Balakrishnan said.
It also permitted Singh’s
plea that the Special Court
should provide him with certified
copies of the deposition made
by the witnesses and orders
of the proceedings so far.
The former Chief Minister
has alleged that trial in
the disproportionate assets
case registered against Badals
was not being held in free
and fair manner in the State.
The cases against Badal, his
wife and son were registered
in 2003 by the previous Congress-led
Government headed by Singh.
Senior advocate TR Andhyarujina,
appearing for Singh, alleged
that after Badal became the
Chief Minister there has been
total subversion of justice
and the atmosphere has been
such that witnesses are turning
hostile.
He said after the Badal Government
came to power, several public
prosecutors were changed and
out of the 59 witnesses examined,
39, majority of whom were
Government officials, turned
hostile.
The senior advocate said even
the investigating officer
in the case has turned hostile
and the complainant has withdrawn
himself from the case, which
was now heading for the acquittal
of accused persons.
However, senior advocate Soli
Sorabjee and Harish Salve,
appearing for the Badal family,
said Singh had made the allegation
due to political considerations.
They said that district public
prosecutor remains the same
who was appointed by the previous
Government. (PTI)
Parliament attack
case: SC dismisses Shaukat’s
petition
NEW DELHI, May 14: The Supreme
Court today dismissed the
petition filed by Parliament
attack case convict Shaukat
Hussain Guru challenging his
ten years imprisonment.
“We do not find any
reason to interfere with our
verdict,” a Bench headed
by Justice PP Naolekar said.
Shaukat had contended that
he was convicted by the apex
court on August 4, 2005, under
sections 123 (concealing conspiracy)
of the Indian Penal Code (IPC),
the offence for which he was
never charged.
Shaukat had filed the petition
after the apex court had dismissed
his review and curative petition
against the judgement sentencing
him to ten years imprisonment.
The trial court had awarded
death sentence to Shaukat
for the December 13, 2001,
attack on Parliament which
was upheld by the Delhi High
Court. However, the apex court
had reduced the sentence to
ten years imprisonment under
section 123 of the IPC. (PTI)
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