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A day after the special tribunal of Delhi High Court lifted the ban on the controversial organization, Students’ Islamic movement of India (SIMI), the Supreme Court re-imposed the ban on Wednesday staying the Tribunal order.  After the home ministry had challenged the controversial judgment of the Delhi High Court and filed an appeal in the SC.

The apex court has issued a notice to SIMI asking as to why it should not be banned and has given them 3 weeks to respond to the same.

Justice Gita Mittal stated, “As the Centre’s order dated February 7 for further extension of the ban on SIMI was not backed by strong evidence, the Delhi High Court’s single judge Bench had to take such a decision.“

The Tribunal had lifted the ban on SIMI, citing lack of a concrete reason for continuing the ban. The organization was banned in 2006 with the charge of indulging in anti-India activities.

The ban will now continue as earlier. SC stated the decision in wake of recent terror attacks happening in the country. When the entire country is under the shadow of terror blasts, the verdict is justifiable. Because of these serious concerns, SC intervened and re-imposed the ban on SIMI before completion of 24 hours.

SIMI was first banned for two years in 2001, under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act,

Tags: Ban, Delhi High Court, High Court, Justice, SIMI, Students Islamic Movement of India, Supreme Court

The Delhi High Court Tribunal headed by Justice Geeta Mittal, lifted the ban on controversial Students Islamic Movement of India on Tuesday night. The otherwise banned organization was prohibited since 2006 with the charge of indulging in anti-India activities but the tribunal observed no concrete evidence against SIMI to continue the ban.

“Material given by the Home Ministry is insufficient, so ban cannot be continued,” the judge said in a sealed order handed over to the ministry. However, the Home Ministry has said it will appeal in the Supreme Court against the ban.

SIMI was first banned for two years in 2001, under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, after intelligence reports showed that its cadres were joining Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) and was were providing support in setting up of ‘sleeper cells’ in India.

The ban has since been re-imposed after every two years, the last one being imposed on February 08, 2006 against which SIMI has appealed in the court.

Tags: Ban, Delhi High Court, High Court, Justice, SIMI, Students Islamic Movement of India, Supreme Court

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday said that Terrorism is the biggest threat to South Asia’s stability.  While speaking at the opening ceremony of the 3-day long 15th South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) summit in Colombo, he reminded the twin blasts in Bangalore and Ahmadabad and the Indian Embassy attack in Kabul, and stressed the need to fight terrorism.

“Terrorists and extremists don’t know borders. We must act with determination to fight terrorism. We cannot lose the battle against ideologies of hatred,” said Dr Singh.

He further called on the eight-nation regional grouping to identify and address new challenges if it wants to be a dynamic and responsive body. Dr Singh also discussed the surging crude prices and warned member nations that rising crude prices could jeopardize the region’s economic development. He said, “We must pool our resources to tap renewable resources in South Asia”.

Calling the establishment of SAARC Food Bank in 2007 an extremely significant development, Dr Singh said it was “an example of our foresight in the wake of world food crisis”.

“We need a second Green Revolution” to tackle the growing food crisis, the Prime Minister said in his address. “South Asian countries need to work together to ensure food security so that the specter of food shortages and hunger vanishes from our region,” he added.

Tags: Ahmadabad, Colombo, Crime, M M Singh, Manmohan Singh, MM Singh, PM, SAARC, SAARC Summit, South Asia, Terror, Terrorism, threat

In the last one month, there reported four deaths in the ashrams of Asaram-Bapu, all happened mysteriously in bathroom. These incidents put a question mark on the safety of Aashrams and on the words of the spiritual leader. Till now, there are no clues behind the deaths of these innocent boys of the Ashram who were there to seek education.

Recently a four-year-old child, Vedanta was found dead in the bathroom by his fellow students at 6:15 pm on Thursday (July 31). His head was found in a bucket of water. The door was bolted from the outside. Reason given for this death was again a slip of leg by the child like in earlier three deaths. In the last 3 days, it was the second death at the Ashram in Chhindwara, MP. Two days back, a 4-year-old Ramakrishna Yadav was also found dead in the hostel bathroom. Reason for his death was told the same.

Is it convincing? Definitely not. Above all this, the parents have not filed the case yet believing in the words of Asaram-Bapu that the child would be reborn again.

The issue has taken a serious turn in the society. A fight broke out between the two groups of people, the supporters of the ashram and the protesters of the deaths. Lathi charge and tear gas shells are used by the police to disperse the crowd.

Earlier, on July 5, dead bodies of two missing children of the Asaram Gurukul in Ahmedabad were found in the Sabarmati River. These two students were missing from July 3. The two dead boys were cousins and feared that they are killed. Their fathers went on indefinite hunger strike, which they inexplicably withdrew.

The deaths are now being probed by the criminal investigation department (CID).  Meanwhile, the parents of other children are scared of the incidents and took their Childs away from the ashram.

Some channels on TV have shows Asaram-Bapu shedding tears on the death of the children. He says that he is not responsible for the deaths. God knows what the conspiracy behind it is. But the pure image of the spiritual guru of Indians is washed with the incident.

Tags: Aashram, Asaram, Asaram Bapu, Death, Students Death, Vedanta

Dr. Rajesh Talwar who was in jail for 50 long days for being accused of murdering her own 14-year-old daughter Aarushi and their domestic help Hemraj, is finally released out from Dasana jail on Saturday morning.

A visibly shaken Dr Talwar said, “I was in a lot of grief. I thank God and CBI. Now I just want to be with my family.”

His relatives completed the formalities of providing surety for the bail given by a local court, on a surety of Rs 10 lakhs, to a tearful reunion with his wife Nupur Talwar, also a doctor, and brother, dinesh Talwar, and other relatives.

After reuniting his family,Rajesh Talwar said to the media, “Finally truth has come out. I will talk later on.”

Rajesh Talwar was very depressed on the murder of her beloved daughter and above all in this tragic situation, the charges of murder on him were a matter of deep grief for him and his family.

The superintendent of Dasana jail Ramji Singh too recalled the days Dr Talwar spent there saying, “He (Talwar) looked humiliated and refused to talk about Aarushi with other inmates or the jail staff. However, one week ago he offered his services (as a dentist) to jail inmates.”

Aarushi and Hemraj were murdered on the intervening night of May15-16 at the residence and Talwar was suspected in the murder who was later arrested on May 23 by Noida police on the basis of some interrogation and inspection.

Immediately thereafter the media also spurned various stories of Talwar’s alleged affairs with another woman doctor and that his daughter had come to know of it and quarreled with her father over the matter.

Later Dr. Nupur Talwar claimed that Noida police is framing her husband and they have no trust on police. She asked the court to submit the case to CBI. CBI made a lot of effort to frame out the killer but the truth is far behind. Initially CBI also suspected Talwar, but it is yesterday, the CBI told the designated court that they had no evidence to link Talwar to the two murders, after which the court granted bail to him.

Rajesh Talwar’s brother Dinesh requested the media personnel, “Rajesh needs support. We will share his feelings and tragedy that we have gone through. We thank everyone who stood by us in the hour of grief.”

Media is trying to catch the glimpse of this unlucky father and the family. While the media persons were chasing Nupur, she only managed to say that “I thank god that finally justice has prevailed. We will go home and face the situation.”

Yesterday after CBI gave a clean chit to Rajesh Talwar, Nupur said, “I am really grateful and indebted to the CBI for carrying out the investigation in such a professional manner and letting the world know the truth.”

CBI however will interrogate him again if the need arises or if they find any evidence against him during the course of their ongoing investigations.

According to CBI, the double murders were carried out by Krishna (Talwar’s compunder), Rajkumar (domestic help of Durrani’s) and another person named Vijay Mandal but the investigation is still going to hold some solid evidences.

Tags: Aarushi, Aarushi Murder Case, Double Murder Case, Krishna, Noida Murder Case, Talwar, Twin Murder Case

In the early hours of this Sunday, a 41 year old teacher was shot dead when he tried to stop a robbery taking place in his house that time.

Suresh Kumar, a resident of Rama Vihar in outer Delhi, never knew it would be his last sleep with his family on the Saturday night. Rama Vihar that falls in the Aman Vihar police station area was the crime place. On hearing certain noises a little after midnight, Kumar got up to find three armed men trying to rob his place to which he suddenly got up and caught hold of one of the men, who in return backfired at him to save himself up. The robbers were supposed to be fully armed and fled on foot. Kumar’s family constitutes his wife and two children, aged seven and eleven years.

According to his wife, Suresh had a few disputes with people and requested the police to look into the matter as the murder could have been planned by the same people. She announced that the gun shot had woken her up and as she got up, she found her husband shot and lying on the floor amidst blood. Renu further informs that instantly she got up and went to the terrace to shout for help but by the time she could gather some neighbors, the robbers had fled from the crime scene. Suresh had been brought to the Sanjay Gandhi Hospital where he was declared brought dead. A case of murder has been registered with the Anand Vihar police station and the investigations are on to find the three robbers and also to look into the plea of the wife that if it is a planned murder involving Kumar’s enemies.

The robbers could not take away any valuables from the house and are believed to have entered the house through the terrace.

Tags: Bravery, Delhi, Murder, Robbery, Teacher

A day after a bomb blast near Pakistan’s capital city Islamabad’s Lal Masjid killed 20 people, one more deadly serial bomb blast in Pakistan’s port city of Karachi killed 5 persons and left more than 50 others injured on Monday.

The six “low-intensity” explosions occurred in Banaras Chowk, Orangi town, Shahrah-e-Noor, Paharganj, Qasba mor and Mangho pir areas, police said.

“There were a series of blasts in Karachi which were of low intensity and have not caused any damage to property,” Karachi police Chief Waseem Ahmed said.

Reportedly, at least nine people were injured in Banaras Chowk while five people were wounded in a blast in a minibus in Shahrah-e-Noor area.

Ahmed claimed that the blasts were apparently carried out to create an atmosphere of fear and tension only.

Hours after Islamabad explosion, Islamic hardliners took out a rally demanding President Pervez Musharraf’s public hanging.

The police were on high alert and have taken all measures the secure the life and property of people. Injured were already rushed to hospitals. People are scared of the successive incidents of bombing.

Tags: bomb blast, Karachi, Musharraf, Pakistan

In a suicide car bomb blast near the Indian embassy in central Kabul on Monday morning, killed 4 Indians among 41 people.

The explosion took place near a row of metal turnstiles outside the Embassy, where dozens of Afghan men line up every morning to apply for visas. The suicide bomber exploded two embassy vehicles as they were entering the premises, sources said, and the intensity of the blast blowing off the gates of the embassy. Some buildings inside were also damaged in the blast.

Several nearby shops were damaged or destroyed in the blast, and smoldering ruins covered the street. Afghan police have secured the site of the blast.

Till the latest reports, the death toll from the attack has reached 41. A senior police official said. ”We have 41 people martyred,” said the official, who declined to be named.

“India and Afghanistan have a deep relationship between each other. Such attacks of the enemy will not harm our relations,” Spanta told the embassy staff, according to Baheen.

The Indian ambassador and his deputy were not inside the Embassy at the time of the blast, Baheen said.

“We are in touch with the Ambassador who is supervising arrangements for medical assistance,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Navtej Sarna said in a statement.

“The Government of India strongly condemns this cowardly terrorist attack on its diplomatic mission in Afghanistan,” he added.

In the wake of the suicide attack, a high-level meeting was called in New Delhi by External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee to discuss the situation soon after the attack.

About 3,000 Indians are working on various reconstruction and developmental projects in Afghanistan and they have often been subjected to attacks by Taliban since launching an insurgency following the ouster of the Taliban at the end of the 2001.

Earlier, 12 people were killed and 42 wounded in a suicide bomber near the gates of the interior ministry in September 2006. Additional guards and barriers were posted on the tree-lined street after that blast.

Tags: Afghan, bomb blast, Central Kabul, Indian Embassy, Kabul

The US intelligence agency CIA claimed that Al Qaeda chief Osama Bin Laden is suffering from a terminal kidney disease and on death bed. Two officials confirmed that he may live only for a few months only.

Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf was the first person to claim that Laden suffered from kidney disease and was on dialysis.

One of the two CIA officials quoted the report that came out six-nine months ago saying, “Based on his current pharmaceutical intake we would expect that he has no more than 6-18 months to live and impending kidney failure.”

The intelligence agency confirmed the news by getting the names of some of the medications Bin Laden was taking.

“It’s trying to make a diagnosis from thousands of miles away with only fragments of the medical chart,” the Time magazine quoted Paul Pillar, the former top analyst and deputy director of the CIA’s counter-terrorism centre, as saying.

Frances Fragos Townsend, who was chief of the White House Homeland Security Council said, “I’ve read all the same conflicting reports that people have talked to you about. I never found one set of reporting more persuasive than another.”

Tags: Al Qaeda, CIA, Death Bed, Kidney Disease, Osama Bin Laden, Pervez Musharraf, US

It is reported that the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) can target Goa for its next terror operations, presently being in Karnataka.

SIMI had made Karnataka its base to conduct and assist in terror acts across India. But now, Intelligence Bureau sources said that the change in Karnataka government switching to first time Bharatiya Janata Party in power has made the banned outfit shift out of the state.

Mohammad Asif, a SIMI operative who was arrested recently in Karnataka, revealed during his narco analysis test that the outfit had decided to shift out of the state if the BJP came to power.

With other gathered information, the IB has come to the conclusion that Goa would be the next hub for SIMI.  An IB official said at least 60 per cent of SIMI’s operations have already been shifted to Goa.

IB told two reasons behind moving to Goa by SIMI. First, an attack on Goa would get SIMI worldwide attention thanks to the foreign tourist presence there. Second, security in Goa is not up to the mark lest it act as a deterrent for tourism which is one of the state’s primary sources of income.

A senior police officer in Goa told rediff.com that SIMI was in constant touch with certain Naxalite outfits and had sought their help in setting up base there.

A police officer in Karnataka said, “This move does not mean that their job will become easier. SIMI’s plans to carry out attacks in Karnataka are still on, and they need to keep a constant watch on its movements.”

In Goa SIMI plans to conduct training programs for its cadres, launch recruitment drives and, over a period of time, smuggle in arms and ammunition as was being done in Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Karnataka.

Tags: Goa, Karnataka, Naxal, Naxalite, SIMI, Terror, Terrorist