EC announces dates for 5 Assembly polls

EC announces dates for 5 Assembly polls
March 02, 2011 2:28:39 AM

PNS | New Delhi

With 6 phases, West Bengal to have longest poll schedule

The Election Commission on Tuesday announced elections for Assam, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and West Bengal and the Union Territory of Puducherry.

Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry will have a single-phase polls on April 13 and announcement of results would be a month later -- on May 13. There would be two phases in Assam with 62 Assembly constituencies going to poll on April 4 and the remaining 64 polling on April 11.

The longest poll schedule was announced for West Bengal, set to take almost a month and comprising six phases. Chief Election Commissioner SY Qureshi said elections in West Bengal would begin on April 18 (64 constituencies) and be followed by the remaining 50 on April 23. April 27 would be the next date for 75 constituencies, while May 3 (63 constituencies) and May 10 (14 constituencies) would follow. Counting of votes would be on May 13.

11 get death, 20 life for Godhra carnage by Rathin Das

11 get death, 20 life for Godhra carnage by Rathin Das
March 02, 2011 2:26:07 AM

Rathin Das | Ahmedabad

http://www.dailypioneer.com/321424/11-get-death-20-life-for-Godhra-carnage.html

A special court in Ahmedabad on Tuesday pronounced death sentence to 11 persons and life imprisonment to 20 others for setting fire to the S-6 coach of the Sabarmati Express at Godhra railway station on February 27, 2002. Fifty-eight passengers were burnt alive in the ghastly tragedy, which set off Statewide riots in which more than 1,100 people were killed over the next three months. Additional Sessions Judge PR Patel pronounced the sentences on Tuesday morning inside the high security Sabarmati Central Jail, where the in-camera trial had been conducted for the last several years.

Prominent among those sentenced to death is Abdul Razzak Kurkur, the owner of the Aman Guest House where the conspiracy was hatched on the night of February 26, 2002.

Others who have been awarded capital punishment are Bilal Ismail Abdul Majid Sujela, alias Bilal Haji; Ramjani Binyamin Behra, Hasan Ahmed Charkha, alias Lalu; Jabir Binyamin Behra; Mehboob Khalid Chanda, Salim, alias Salman Yusuf Sattar Zarda; Siraj Mohammad Abdul Meda, alias Bala; Irfan Abdul Majid Ganchi Kalandar, Irfan Mohammad Hanif Abdul Gani Pataliya and Mehbub Ahmed Yusuf Hasan, alias Latiko. Terming the incident as “rarest of the rare”, special judge PR Patel ordered the 11 guilty be “hanged by the neck till dead”.

This is perhaps the first case in the country in which 11 people have been awarded capital punishment, special public prosecutor JM Panchal said after the court pronounced the punishment inside Sabarmati Jail. The death penalty will have to be confirmed by the high court.

On February 22, the court upheld the prosecution’s allegations that the Godhra train inferno was the result of a pre-planned conspiracy and convicted 31 accused and acquitted 63 others.

Emerging from the courtroom after the verdict, special public prosecutor JM Panchal said those sentenced to life imprisonment would serve their terms concurrently as they have been pronounced guilty for as many as 23 types of crime, ranging from murder, attempt to murder, criminal conspiracy to illegal assembly, illegal procurement of petrol and its transportation. However, the last nine years already spent in the prison would be considered for deduction for those sentenced to life imprisonment.

Panchal said that details of specific reasons for the sentences awarded to each convict can be given only after studying the certified copy of the 900-page judgement. The trial, interrupted several times over the last nine years due to various court orders, was conducted inside the Sabarmati Central Jail because of security and logistic reasons.

Of the total 134 booked for the crime, 16 are still absconding while 14 were released due to lack of evidence and five died in jail. Charges were framed against 94 and 253 witnesses were examined during the trial which finally began in June 2009.

Trying to slink off to Srinagar, Geelani held at IGI Airport by Karn Pratap Singh

Trying to slink off to Srinagar, Geelani held at IGI Airport by Karn Pratap Singh 

March 02, 2011 2:21:14 AM

Karn Pratap Singh | New Delhi

http://www.dailypioneer.com/321417/Trying-to-slink-off-to-Srinagar-Geelani-held-at-IGI-Airport.html

Despite being served notice for not leaving the city without informing the investigating agency, Hurriyat faction leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani attempted to leave the Capital on Tuesday.

The Special Cell of Delhi Police, however, detained him at Indira Gandhi International Airport’s Terminal-3, where he and his son had gone to board a flight for Srinagar. Geelani was brought to Lodhi Colony office of the Special Cell and interrogated for at least four hours for his alleged involvement in the hawala racket.

The Delhi Police had served a notice on Geelani on February 22 asking him to join the investigation in a hawala case, in which four Hizb-ul-Mujahideen terrorists arrested by the Special Cell on January 22 this year had named him. Geelani, however, showed his inability in joining the investigation claiming he was not well and was undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Delhi. The Special Cell served a fresh notice on him asking him to indicate a convenient date and time when he could meet an officer investigating the case of hawala transactions.

Confirming that Geelani was stopped from going to Srinagar, Special Commissioner of Police (special cell) PN Aggarwal said, “He was called in to join investigation related to a hawala case.

Our investigating officials questioned him over the matter.” Sources in the Special Cell revealed that Geelani was taken to Special Cell’s Lodhi Colony office around 11 am and questioned in connection with his alleged role in the hawala racket, besides the reason for leaving the city without informing the investigating agency.

“Despite repeated attempts he could not give any satisfactory reason to leave for Srinagar,” said the source adding he was allowed to leave the Special cell office around 3 pm. The separatist leader was under observation at his Malviya Nagar residence from the time he was served a notice by the investigating agency. Four cops in plain clothes were keeping a round-the-clock watch on his movement and on Tuesday morning they learnt about his movement to IGI Airport.

The recently-unearthed hawala trail in the Kashmir Valley has put the spotlight on some senior leaders of the Hurriyat Conference, following which the head of the hardline faction of the separatist group, Geelani, was asked not to leave Delhi so that he could be questioned.

Spokesman of hardline faction of Hurriyat Conference Ayaz Akbar had alleged if Geelani was being implicated in the hawala case it would be construed as an attempt to defame the movement in Kashmir. Akbar also confirmed that Geelani was taken to Lodhi Colony while he was going to catch a flight to Kashmir.

Mobile radiation is dangerous by Dr.R.K.Behera

Mobile radiation is dangerous
by Dr.R.K.Behera


The speculative fears of mobile phones being a danger to health in the long run, seem to be coming true. A latest government study talks about the harmful effects of not just using mobile phones but also the radiation from mobile phone towers. A Times of India report states that - Radiation from mobile phones and towers poses serious health risks, including loss of memory, lack of concentration, disturbance in the digestive system and sleep disturbances, according to an inter-ministerial committee formed by the ministry of communications and information technology to study the hazards posed by mobile phones. 

One India also reported that the damages may not be lethal for humans, but they worse for birds and insects as well. The committee has attributed the radiation effects to the disappearance of butterflies, bees, insects and sparrows. The government report also says that mobile towers should not be installed near high density residential areas, schools, playgrounds and hospitals. "The localized SAR value as per the Indian guidelines standard is 2 watt per kg, averaged over a six minute period and using a 10 gram average mass. With higher SAR values of mobile handsets the public could potentially receive much higher radiofrequency exposure. 

We have recommended that SAR levels to be lowered down to 1.6 watt/kg, as prescribed by the Federal Communication Commission of US," said a member. The eight-member committee, which included representatives from the health ministry, department of biotechnology and member secretary, DoT, has recommended that mobile phones not adhering to standard levels of specific absorption rate (SAR) - a measure of the amount of radiofrequency energy absorbed by the body while using a phone -- should be barred.

Member scientist, ICMR R S Sharma said that compared to Europeans, Indian cellphone users are more at risk for adverse affect of radiation due the country's hot tropical climate, low body mass index, and low fat content. "We have recommended amendment in the Indian Telegraph Act 1885 and rules so that only mobile handsets satisfying radiation standards should be permitted in the country," he said. In another report, citizens are scared of the radiation from mobile tower in Andheri. In the past five years, more than 15 housewives living in Sher-e-Punjab colony in Andheri (East) have suffered from various forms of cancer. Although there is no proof of a direct link, residents are drawing parallels between the appearance of the first cancer case and the installation of the first mobile phone tower in the society nearly seven years ago. Based on a Hindustan Times report. Neha Kumar, who has been studying the biological effects of mobile phone towers, said, “All these women don’t have any family history of cancer. Plus, all of them are within a certain radius of those mobile towers. All this is not a coincidence.”So how do we minimise the damage in view of such grave consequences. The report adds - 

“While talking on mobile, keep calls short or send a text message (SMS). This advice should be especially relevant keeping in mind the children, adolescents and pregnant women” said the report. The advice should be printed in the user manual by handset manufacturers. “Whenever possible, use cellphone when the signal quality is good. People having active medical implants should keep their cellphone at least 30 cm away from the implant” said the report. Many a times we find ourselves complaining of bad network in certain areas. Mobile companies raise towers at every nook and corner to beat each other at network coverage. Are we compromising our health for better mobile connections?

Dr.R.K.Behera, Patkai Christian College (Autonomous)

Godhra verdict: 11 get death, 20 to serve life term - Hindustan Times

Godhra verdict: 11 get death, 20 to serve life term - Hindustan Times

Godhra verdict: 11 get death, 20 to serve life term
Mahesh Langa, Hindustan Times
Ahmedabad, March 01, 2011
First Published: 09:01 IST(1/3/2011)
Last Updated: 14:16 IST(1/3/2011)Share
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Policemen stand guard at Ahmedabad Central Jail, as a special court announces the verdict on a 2002......
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A special court today sentenced 11 of 31 convicts to death and gave lifers to the rest in the 2002 Godhra train burning incident that killed 59 people and triggered large scale communal violence in Gujarat. The court has described the
case "rarest of the rare" deserving death sentence.

>Special trial court judge PR Patel today passed the quantum of punishment to the convicts at Sabarmati central jail where a makeshift court room was created to conduct the trial.


Judge Patel held Razaq Kurkur, owner of Aman Guest house where the conspiracy was hatched, as the main conspirator in the case.

"The court looking into their active role in the conspiracy and setting afire the S6 coach of Sabarmati Express train near Godhra, gave death penalty to 11 people," public prosecutor J M Panchal said.

The court also slapped punishment on them under various other sections, which will be concurrent to their life term.

The prosecution had sought death sentence for all the 31 convicts, saying that it was a heinous act.

On February 22, the court had convicted all the 31 while accepting the prosecution's contention that there was a conspiracy behind the incident and convicted 31 under various sections of Indian Penal Code (IPC) like 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder) and 120B (criminal conspiracy).

They were also convicted under IPC section 147, 148 (rioting with deadly weapons), 323, 324,325,326 (causing hurt), 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on religious grounds), various sections of the Indian Railways Act, Prevention of Damages to Public Property Act and Bombay Police Act.

The Court had acquitted 63 others, in the burning of S-6 coach of Sabarmati Express in 2002 near Godhra railway station where 59 persons were killed.

Those who were awarded capital punishment are Bilal Ismail Abdul Majid Sujela alias Bilal Haji, Abdul Razak Mohammad Kurkur, Ramjani Binyamin Behra, Hasan Ahmed Charkha alias Lalu, Jabir Binyamin Behra, Mehboob Khalid Chanda, Salim alias Salman Yusuf Sattar Zarda, Siraj Mohammad Abdul Meda alias Bala, Irfan Abdul Majid Ganchi Kalandar alias Irfan Bhopo, Irfan Mhammad Hanifabdul Gani Pataliya and Mehbub Ahmed Yusuf Hasan alais Latiko.

Panchal said the prosecution has not received the detailed copy of the judgement containing reasons for the punishment meted out and, therefore, he could not comment on the specific role and the differentiating factor due to which the 11 were given death and others life imprisonment.

The prosecutor said that this was perhaps the first case in the country in which 11 people have been awarded capital punishment.

Asked if the prosecution will appeal against the life imprisonment awarded to the 20 convicts, he said a decision to that effect will be taken by the special investigation team that probed the case.

The accused have been given 90 days time to appeal in the higher court, he said.

The time spent in jail by the 20 accused who have been awarded life, will be deducted from their total punishment, he said.

Defence counsel I M Munshi said the convicts will definitely appeal against the punishment awarded to them.

"It (the punishment) is very difficult to swallow. Till we get the copy of the judgement, we cannot comment much," Munshi said.

"We will definitely appeal against the verdict in the high court. Till the high court confirms the judgement, it cannot be implemented," he said.

What happened in Godhra?

The deadly train fire in Godhra on February 27, 2002 killed 59 passengers, most of them Hindu pilgrims, and triggered riots in Gujarat. A mob of Muslim men was blamed for starting the fire.

Towering concern - Hindustan Times

Towering concern - Hindustan Times
The concerns are rising despite absence of clinching scientific evidence. Even as the long-term health impact of radiations from cell phones and cellular towers are not yet completely clear, civic agencies don’t allow towers near homes, schools and hospitals. In case you don’t want a cell phone tower installed next to your home, you can put your foot down.

The explosion in the number of mobile phone users in the country has led to the demand for better connectivity, which leads to indiscriminate installation of cell phone towers. India has 5.4 lakh towers of which Delhi alone has 5, 364. This includes both legal and illegal ones. “Some studies list cancer as one of the possible outcomes of prolonged exposure to cellphone radiation, apart from other symptoms such as restlessness, headache, sleep disturbance etc. But it’s still too early to say anything...” says Dr Rakesh Kumar, associate professor, department of ENT, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, involved in a research project on the impact of cellular radiations.


As the world debates the health effects of cell phone radiations (a recent WHO report doesn’t correlate cancer or other health effects with electromagnetic field radiation emitting from cell phone and cell phone towers), Indian experts working in the area advice preventing over-exposure until the actual health impacts of radiation become clearer. “Since the actual effects of cellphone radiation are still a grey area, it is better to be cautious,” says Dr RS Sharma, deputy director general, Indian Council of Medical Research. Sharma is part of an eight-member inter-ministerial committee formed in September 2010 to examine scientific data available on the effects of electromagnetic radiation exposure from cell phone towers and handsets on human beings and the environment.

The inter-ministerial committee report, recently put on the telecom ministry website for public feedback, has expressed special concern over radiations emitted by fixed infrastructures used in mobile telephony, among other things “ The areas of concern include… base stations and their antennae, which provide the link to and from mobile phones. The field intensities drop rapidly with distance away from the base of the antenna…,” said the report. “Towers are considered to be even more dangerous than mobile handsets, as they emit radiation 24X7 with greater intensity, as compared to handsets that can be switched off,” adds the report.

What you should do

Till a study conducted in India on the effects of mobile phone radiation comes out, civic authorities, at least in Delhi are playing safe. “As there are no conclusive reports on harmful effects of these radiations, we decided to exclude schools, hospitals and dispensaries from the list,” said a senior Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) official. “In residential colonies, approval of the resident welfare association and every flat owner is mandatory for the agency to issue a no-objection certificate,” he added. Radiation radar

In case a tower is installed near your home, without your consent, you can write to the MCD zonal office to complain.

The mobile network providers would also have to seek permission from several other local bodies such as the fire department before they are permitted to install a tower.

For now, India is following the global precedent of not allowing cellphone towers near homes, without the owner’s permission. In the future, an India-specific study on the effects of electromagnetic radiation on health could provide scientific evidence on this. Till then, better be safe than sorry.

Cell phone radiation: Is it harmful?

Cell phone radiation: Is it harmful?

s / February 25, 2011

Spending 50 minutes with a cell phone plastered to your ear is enough to change brain cell activity in the part of the brain closest to the antenna.


But whether that causes any harm is not clear, scientists at the National Institutes of Health said on Tuesday, adding that the study will likely not settle recurring concerns of a link between cell phones and brain cancer.

"What we showed is glucose metabolism (a sign of brain activity) increases in the brain in people who were exposed to a cell phone in the area closest to the antenna," said Dr. Nora Volkow of the NIH, whose study was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

IN PICTURES: Cell phone evolution

The study was meant to examine how the brain reacts to electromagnetic fields caused by wireless phone signals.

Volkow said she was surprised that the weak electromagnetic radiation from cell phones could affect brain activity, but she said the findings do not shed any light on whether cell phones cause cancer.

"This study does not in any way indicate that. What the study does is to show the human brain is sensitive to electromagnetic radiation from cell phone exposures."

Use of the devices has increased dramatically since they were introduced in the early-to-mid 1980s, with about 5 billion mobile phones now in use worldwide.

Some studies have linked cell phone exposure to an increased risk of brain cancers, but a large study by the World Health Organization was inconclusive.

Volkow's team studied 47 people who had brain scans while a cell phone was turned on for 50 minutes and another while the phone was turned off.

While there was no overall change in brain metabolism, they found a 7 percent increase in brain metabolism in the region closest to the cell phone antenna when the phone was on.

Experts said the results were intriguing, but urged that they be interpreted with caution.

"Although the biological significance, if any, of increased glucose metabolism from acute cell phone exposure is unknown, the results warrant further investigation," Henry Lai of the University of Washington, Seattle, and Dr. Lennart Hardell of University Hospital in Orebro, Sweden, wrote in a commentary in

JAMA.

"Much has to be done to further investigate and understand these effects," they wrote.

Professor Patrick Haggard of University College London said the results were interesting since the study suggests a direct effect of cell phone signals on brain function.

But he said much larger fluctuations in brain metabolic rate can occur naturally, such as when a person is thinking.

"If further studies confirm that mobile phone signals do have direct effects on brain metabolism, then it will be important to investigate whether such effects have implications for health," he said.

John Walls, a spokesman for CTIA-The Wireless Association, an industry group, said the scientific evidence so far "has overwhelmingly indicated that wireless devices, within the limits established by the FCC (Federal Communications Commission), do not pose a public health risk or cause any adverse health effects."

Volkow said her the findings suggest the need for more study to see if cell phones have a negative effect on brain cells.

Meanwhile, Volkow isn't taking any chances. She now uses an ear phone instead of placing a cell phone next to her ear.

"I don't say there is any risk, but in case there is, why not?"