O HERALD O
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Sports: Brazilian legend Ronaldo retires Pg 15 Many things difficult to design prove easy to performance. — Samuel Johnson
IN BRIEF Yemenis protest against president Thousands protested in Yemen for a fourth straight day, demanding political reforms and the ouster of the US-allied president in demonstrations inspired by the upheaval in Egypt. The protests come even as the US has embarked on a plan to deepen its involvement in training the country’s counter-terrorism force to counteract a local affiliate of al-Qaeda that has mounted several attacks.– (AP)
Cupid reigns on Valentine Day Romance was in the air as young and not-so-young couples kept their date with the Valentine’s Day while the police kept an hawk-eye on loveless conservatives from donning the role of moral cops. Lovebirds exchanged gifts, red roses and flocked to popular malls, restaurants, pubs and multiplexes to celebrate the day. — (PTI)
Business: Inflation down; FM says fight will continue Pg 13
Four top Goa babus get Delhi ticket HERALD REPORTER PANJIM, FEB 14
Bringing about sweeping changes in Goa’s administration, Union Ministry for Home Affairs (MHA) has transferred two each Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and Indian Police Service (IPS) officers to Delhi. IAS officers - C Tripathy, State Agriculture Secretary (1996 batch) and Narendra Kumar, Secretary to Goa Governor (1998 batch) have been shunted to New Delhi in an order issued last Friday. They will be replaced by IAS officers – R K Verma from Dadar and Nagar Haveli, Pawan Sen and V K Deu. Similarly, IPS Officers — Deputy Inspector General of Police Ravindra Yadav (1995 batch) and Senior Superintendent of Police (Security) V V Chaudhary (1998 batch) have been shunted to Delhi police. The two senior officers will be replaced by two other IPS officers - Sanjay Singh (1990 batch) and I B Rani (2000 batch) — currently with Delhi police. Joint Secretary (Personnel) Yatindra Maralkar has confirmed the development stating that the transfers are on ‘central deputation’. Whether the set of police officers and bureaucrats are transferred on promotion or not is, however, not confirmed. It is reliably learnt that trans-
Raja, Balwa face fresh charges CBI has brought fresh charges of forgery and cheating against former Telecom Minister A Raja and Swan Telecom promoter Shahid Usman Balwa who have been arrested in connection with 2G spectrum allocation scam case.
Sheila upset, to meet PC PTI NEW DELHI, FEB 13
Peeved at the Centre transferring several top officials of the city, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit will seek a revision of the decision by the Home Ministry tomorrow. Dikshit said she will go to the Home Ministr y, which effected the transfer on Friday night, demanding a revision of the transfer orders as allowing these officers to go from the city government will affect the important exercise of budget which is underway. fers of two other IPS officers Director General of Police Bhim Sain Bassi and Inspector General of Police Sundari Nanda who is presently on eight months leave, are on the cards.
Relief for K’taka CM; independent MLAs’ petition dismissed
(air surcharge Rs 2.00) pages 16 + 4
Goa’s Heartbeat: The King’s Speech sweeps BAFTAs with 7 awards Pg 4
Activists drum up support for Desmond, Anuja
PTI BANGALORE, FEB 14
In a relief to the ruling BJP, the Karnataka High Court today upheld Speaker K G Bopaiah’s order disqualifying five independent MLAs, who had withdrawn support to the Government, from the Assembly membership on the eve of October 11 Trust vote which it won. “... We are of the view that the impugned order passed by the Speaker is not in violation of constitutional mandate nor is there any infirmity based on malafides or perversity”, a full Bench of the court said in a 190page verdict, dismissing their petitions challenging the disqualification. Gulihatti D Shekar, Venkataramanappa, P M Narendraswamy, D S u d h a ka r a n d S h i v a r a j Thangadagi – all elected as Independents — were disqualified by the Speaker on October 10, a day before the B S Yeddyurappa Government took a vote of confidence on the floor of the Assembly which it won by voice-vote amid pandemonium. The BJP Government later accepted an offer made by the Governor to seek the Trust vote again, if it wished, on October 14 and won it 106 votes in favour and 100 against. On October 6, these five MLAs along with 11 rebel BJP MLAs had submitted a letter to Bhardwaj withdrawing support to Yeddyurappa. Bopaiah had passed the concurrent order on separate petitions filed by BJP MLAs C T Ravi and D N Jeevaraj, who is also Chief Whip of the BJP legislature party.
Activists demand justice for Judges Desmond D’Costa and Anuja Prabhudesai at a meeting at Azad Maidan, Panjim on Monday. Photo by Sachin Ambadoskar HERALD REPORTER PANJIM, FEB 14
Social activists today rallied behind two Judges – Desmond D’Costa and Anuja Prabhudesai, denouncing their suspension and demanding independent High Court for the State of Goa. In a meeting held at Azad Maidan, the activists resolved that there should be full transparency and observance of principles of natural justice. Seeking Justice for an injustice, the activists demanded that the suspension of Additional Sessions Judge Desmond D’Costa be revoked immediately and also higher ups in the judiciary should stop harassing Industrial Tribunal judge Anuja Prabhudesai. The public meeting, which was attended by over 200 peo-
ple from various sections of society, raised questions over the judicial decisions in the matter of suspension of both the judges.
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South Goa advocates zero in on Judge Bakre, to boycott his court l
Veteran social activist Dr Oscar Rebello said that the meeting was not to challenge the judiciary but infact it’s a reaction of outrage about what happened to Desmond and Anuja Prabhudesai. “This battle is not about the judges, it’s about us because for us these are our icons for truthful judiciary. If they fall, we fall”, he exclaimed. The meeting, which was chaired by trade union leader
Christopher Fonseca, had more than fifteen speakers on dais, who condemned the High Court decision and also resolved that they will support both the judges. Rebello said that the fight is for ‘integrity, dignity and majesty’ of judiciary. “Judiciary remains the last bastion of our hope”, he added. South Goa advocates Association President Anacleto Viegas, who sparked off the discontent amongst the lawyers after Desmond’s suspension, claimed that the High Court of Bombay cannot give justice to Goa. Viegas made a pitch for an independent High Court for the State. “We have 3,000 lawyers. The chief justice can be from outside. We have enough Goan judges in the High Court”, he
Claims State yet to recommend probe HERALD REPORTER PANJIM, FEB 14
Virtually washing its hands off the police-drug nexus case involving Israeli Yaniv Benaim alias Atala and seven policemen, the Central Bureau of Investigation today claimed that Goa Government had not recommended any probe, while also stating that the case did not come under its jurisdiction. The Division Bench of Bombay High Court at Goa was hearing a petition filed by National Student Union of India (NSUI) Goa Unit pleading a CBI probe into the police-politician-drugs mafia nexus cases in the State. “The alleged case of the Crime Branch relates to the local State police and none of the accused are working in the Central Government or in any central public sector undertaking, which would justify taking over the investigation already being conducted by the local police”, reads the affidavit filed by CBI Superintendent of Police S S Gavli. It further stated, “…the Government of Goa has not issued
The case of the Crime Branch relates to the local State police and none of the accused are working in the Central Government or in any central public sector undertaking, which would justify taking over the investigation already being conducted by the local police. — CBI affidavit
any authorisation under the Delhi Police Act 1946 authorising CBI to take over the investigation”. On the contrary, Goa Government by a letter dated January 21, 2011 to the Department of Personnel & Training Dr S K Sarkar in New Delhi had requested CBI to take over the probe. Seven policemen including Inspector Ashish Shirodkar were arrested last year after drug lord Atala had confessed about his links with the policemen who allegedly supplied him drugs. Swedish model and Atala’s former girlfriend Lucky Farmhouse Amori had shot the confession on the spy cam exposing
the policemen-drug peddler nexus in the State. NSUI earlier had given 48 hours ultimatum to Chief Minister Digambar Kamat to hand over the case to CBI or the National Investigation Agency (NIA). In its further submission to the Court, CBI stated that the matter does not fall within the purview of CBI also as Anti Narcotics Cell or the Crime Branch is looking after narcotics related offences. “There is a separate wing in the Centre - Narcotics Control Bureau to deal the menace of narcotics. In view of the above, it is submitted by the CBI that (Continued on page 10)
Tata Group Chairman Ratan Tata and his telecom firm Tata Teleservices Limited (TTSL) as also Anil Ambani and his Reliance Communications may feel the heat as the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is probing the dual technology licence to them in October 2007 and their direct and indirect funding to the two new companies that got the 2G licence and spectrum three months later. The agency is working on a theory that this dual policy of allowing these CDMA operators, which also included Shyam Teleservices, the money-making GSM sector by then Telecom Minister A Raja, without any Union Cabinet approval, is the forerunner to the massive 2G scam. While Raja and DB Realty boss Shahid Usman Balwa were taken on further remand of three and four days respectively by the CBI on Monday, the probe against Tata and Ambani is being conducted under both the first FIR registered in 2009 as also under a fresh FIR registered for preliminary inquiry on the directive of the Supreme Court. The agency is probing Delhi visits of Tata in his private jet
Debt-hit Nepal casinos may shut shop SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT PANJIM, FEB 14
Goa’s floating casinos may be in for a bonanza, as the fate of eight of Nepal’s 10 casinos – once a major tourist attraction – is in jeopardy. The owners have failed to pay nearly NRs 40 crore (Rs 25 crore) in taxes, fees and other dues to the Government. The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the Nepal Parliament has directed the State to scrap their licences if they failed to clear their dues within 35 days. That deadline expired on Friday. A sharp dip in business owing to political turmoil and labour unrest caused the casinos to run up a huge debt to the Government. On Friday, the Department of Revenue Investigation said eight casinos were still behind in their payments, most, earlier owned by a company
Bonanza for Goa?
Political turmoil and labour unrest caused the casinos to run up huge debt to the Government. Indian businessman Rakesh Wadhwa who operated most of the casinos in Nepal is now reported to be trying to sell his stake to invest in Goa.
headed by Indian businessman Rakesh Wadhwa. Managing Director of Nepal Recreation Centre (NRC), which once ran most of the casinos in Nepal, Wadhwa had to flee the country after the industry became embroiled in a political battle between the ruling Communists and the opposition Maoists. He is now reported to
be trying to sell his stake to invest; where else, but in Goa… Two of Wadhwa’s casinos, including Casino Nepal, the oldest in South Asia, have sought time to clear their dues. The DRI said it would decide on them next week. Casino Nepal owes NRs 13 crore (Rs 8.20 crore), while Casino Anna has to pay over NRs 10.3 crore (Rs 6.50 crore).
Casino Anna’s ownership is in dispute after the five-star Hotel de l’Annapurna, where it was based, asked it to vacate the premises owing to unpaid rent. Earlier, Casino Shangri-la, whose CEO was Wadhwa’s wife Shalini, went to court to dislodge the casino after it defaulted on rent. The two casinos in Kathmandu that have cleared their dues – Casino Tara and Casino Everest – also face uncertainty as they are under NRC. The two casinos in Pokhara – Casino Grande and Casino Fulbari – are both behind in payments. Ironically, Wadhwa’s monopoly started crumbling soon after he wrested NRC away from his former mentor, American investor Richard D Tuttle, after a bitter legal battle in Hong Kong. The first casino to go was Casino (Continued on page 10)
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT PANJIM, FEB 14
Bhanu Chander alias DJ Nash, caught in possession of cocaine, was lucky on 10 previous occasions when he managed to smuggle the contraband to Hyderabad from Goa. Nash, son of a retired Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer, always used to be cautious and bring in small quantities, so as not to cause suspicion. But on Friday, he came with 305 grams, to supply it to some influential persons. But he ran out of luck as the Hyderabad police nabbed him and his accomplices. “Previously, he used to smuggle around 50 grams of cocaine, in 10-gram packets. Each packet was sold for up to Rs 50,000 on which he would make a cut of nearly Rs 30,000. He also used to keep some stuff for his own consumption”, police officials said. He used to sell one gram of cocaine at Rs 4,000, but had been known to charge as much as Rs 6,000, they added. Nash’s latest trip to the city was specifically to meet Murali and recover arrears, apart from delivering more cocaine. In the last few months, Nash allegedly sold cocaine worth Rs 5 lakh to Murali, but received only Rs 50,000. “The meeting between Nash and Murali was about settling pending dues of Rs 4.5 lakh”, police said. Police recovered the telephone logs of both Nash and Murali and found that on several occasions they had spoken to each other on the phone.
(Continued on page 10)
Drug nexus case not within 2G scam: Tata too our purview: CBI to court under CBI scanner HERALD CORRESPONDENT NEW DELHI, FEB 14
11th time proves unlucky for drug peddler
Sanquelim mishap claims 2 lives
The agency is probing Delhi visits of Tata in his private jet or otherwise during the scam period of 2007-08 and it has also taken on record his handwritten letter to DMK supremo and Chief Minister M Karunanidhi on November 13, 2007, less than a month of getting the GSM licence, praising Raja as “rational, fair and action oriented”.
Two persons were killed while around 43 others were injured when a passenger bus and a truck collided at VijaynagarKarapur, Sanquelim, on Monday evening. The mishap occurred at about 6.10 pm when the bus (GA-01U-2603), which was proceeding from Panjim to Valpoi, dashed against an oncoming truck (GA04-T-1769) on the slope at Vijaynagar. Onlookers rushed to the spot and broke the windows of the bus, to pull out the passengers. Bus driver Davlatrao Rane from Advai-Sattari died on the spot, while passenger Kalpana Kerkar from Parye-Sattari died in hospital. – (HC) Report on pg 2
or otherwise during the scam period of 2007-08 and it has also taken on record his handwritten letter purportedly written to DMK supremo and Chief Minister M Karunanidhi on November 13, 2007, less than a month of getting the GSM licence, praising Raja as “rational, fair and action oriented” for pursuing the spectrum policy that is “fair, legally sound, rational and well-reasoned”. The letter reportedly found at Raja’s residence was supposed to be delivered to Karunanidhi by Tata’s lobbyist Nira Radia as stated in the letter itself.
Got all the vegetables & very cheap, dear!! I went all the way to Belgaum market instead.