O HERALD O The Voice of Goa Since 1900
There was the door to which I found no key; there was the veil through which I might not see
—Omar Khayyam
IN BRIEF
Dinakaran refuses to go on leave In an apparent act of defiance, Karnataka High Court Chief Justice P D Dinakaran, who faces allegations of land grab that has stalled his elevation to Supreme Court, has not proceeded on leave as advised by the apex court collegium. Justice Dinakaran is continuing with his administrative work as of today , sources said. (PTI)
Another suicide attack in Russia
A suicide bomber blew himself up in a police station killing two policemen and wounding 13 others in Russia s volatile Muslim-dominated north Caucasus region of Ingushetia, bordering insurgency-hit Chechnya. The suicide bomber struck as a car full of officers entered the compound of police headquarters in Karabulak, Russia s investigative committee said in a statement. (PTI)
Sports: Shilpa, Raj plan soccer league Pg 18
PANJIM, TUESDAY, APRIL 6, 2010
PRICE Rs. 3.00 (Air Surcharge Rs 1.50) Pages 18
Business: Inflation dominates banker-RBI meet Pg 12
Goa s Heartbeat: Aamir perfect to play Guru Dutt Pg 14
All eyes on Cabinet meet G7 in Mumbai, likely to abstain HERALD REPORTER PANJIM, APRIL 5
Realising that the Congress High Command is not keen in giving in to their demands, the restive Group of Seven (G7) non-Congress MLAs was camping in Mumbai to complain to central leader of NCP Praful Patel even as an emergency Cabinet meeting convened by the Chief Minister Digambar Kamat on Tuesday at 10 am sparked off speculation Monday evening. The ministers were intimated about tomorrow (Tuesday s) cabinet meeting at around 5 pm and that too without any clear-cut agenda. Immediately, the rumour mill was at work with speculations running high that the chief minister may go in for dissolution of the assembly. To add spice to the speculation were reports that the chief minister has an appointment with the Governor at 10.45 am. This added grist to the rumour mill. However, sources close to the chief minister have vehementally denied such a move saying that
Congress doesn t believe in running away from the situation created by G7. In the political circles, reports were doing the rounds as to why the chief minister has convened an emergency cabinet meeting. On the other hand, G7 ministers who are in Mumbai, in all likelihood, will boycott the Cabinet, for the second time within three weeks.
As we are in Mumbai, we may not be able to attend the Cabinet meeting , said Revenue Minister Jose Philip D Souza who is the leader of three-member NCP legislative wing. The late evening information was that the cabinet meet is slated to discuss the sports policy but other issues are also likely to come up, sources said. RESTLESS: Feeling restless and
Alemao ups ante on PWD HERALD REPORTER MARGAO, APRIL 5
An unfazed PWD Minister Churchill Alemao has dared anyone to strip him of the PWD portfolio and asserted that the Digambar
Kamat-led government is fully behind him. Let them touch my PWD portfolio and then I will react, was how Alemao reacted during an informal chat with newsmen when asked about the reported demand by the G7 to strip him of the PWD portfolio. Refusing to comment on the G7 demand to strip him of the PWD portfolio or the demand for an apology over his statements against the NCP, Alemao (Continued on page 10)
agitated the G7 members, on getting no intimation from Congress, left for Mumbai but till late evening, they couldn t have an audience with Union Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel. Due to some busy schedule, Patel reached Mumbai at night, a source said adding that they will meet him late night or Tuesday morning. Sources said G7 members will register protest against the Congress for not keeping its word of getting back to them on their demands. After the Congress-NCP Coordination Committee on March 31 in New Delhi, the Congress had informed them that they would take up their demands with party President Mrs Sonia Gandhi. G7 members now feel that the Congress is testing their patience and giving the excuse that they have not been able to speak to Mrs Gandhi till now. Sources said G7 has got the message that the Congress High Command is not going to give in to their demands unless the (Continued on page 10)
240 kg seized charas go missing! HERALD REPORTER PANJIM, APRIL 5
In a shocking development, the Goa Police teams which were auditing the drugs, seized between 2000 till date, in the AntiNarcotics Cell maal khana (store room) have discovered that 240 kg charas missing. The ANC maal khana is located at the state head quarters, which is highly protected. Out of the 280 kg of charas (hashish) which was seized in the last 10 years, approximately 240 kg of charas worth Rs 2
crore in the international market is missing, sources told Herald. The audit of the ANC godown was called for after Israeli drug dealer Yaniv Benhaim alias Atala in a video uploaded on youtube alleged that the ANC PI Ashish Shirodkar stole the drugs from the godown and gave it to him to sell in the market. Last month Herald had reported that drugs seized by the Goa Police were not disposed off since 2000. Herald had also said that there were no orders from the destruc-
Goa s plan may be fixed at Rs 2600 cr HERALD REPORTER PANJIM, APRIL 5
The meeting between Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission Dr Montek Singh Ahluwalliah and Chief Minister Digambar Kamat for the finalisation of the Annual Plan 2010-11 will be held in New Delhi on April 13, official sources said. With positive indications coming from New Delhi, Goa s annual plan for the current financial year is expected to be fixed at around Rs 2,600 crore compared to last year s plan size fixed by the Planning Commission at Rs 2240 crore. The Goa Budget presented in the Goa assembly last month by the chief minister was of around Rs 2550 crore. For the next week s meeting, the chief minister will be accompanied by the Deputy Chairman of Goa state Planning Board, Dr Wilfred de Souza and senior bureaucrats.
The officers who will attend the meeting include Chief Secretary S K Srivastava, Finance Secretary Uddipta Ray, Secretary to CM Raajiv Yadhuvanshi, Secretary (tourism/sports) Dr M Modassir, Joint Secretary (Budget) Anand Sherkhane, Joint secretary (DMU) Anupam Kishore, Budget Analyst (Secretariat) Hemant Dessai, and two heads of department Principal Chief Engineer PWD A M Wachasundar and Chief Electrical Engineer Nirmal Braganza. (Continued on page 10)
tion committee to destroy any drugs during this period. It may be noted that all drugs seized are transferred to the ANC godown, where they are stored under lock and key. By regulation, the drugs are then supposed to be destroyed at regular intervals after proper stocktaking by the Drug Destruction Committee (DDC), which is chaired by the Director General of Police (DGP). Since the arrest of the five policemen including suspended Police Inspector Ashish Shirodkar,
Waiter kills friend over petty quarrel HERALD CORRESPONDENT PERNEM, APRIL 5
A petty quarrel between two waiters took a violent turn, after a 24-year-old waiter from Bangalore allegedly stabbed his friend to death near a guest house at Dando-Girkarwado-Arambol on Sunday at about 1.30 am. According to reports, Balwantsingh Mehra (32) of Uttarkhand, who was working as a waiter at a restaurant at Girkarwado, was allegedly stabbed by Irfan Ali, who was working as a waiter-cum-security guard at a guest house at Dando, which is being run by a Russian national. On Sunday night, Balwantsingh and Irfan had gone for a drink, but Irfan had to leave his friend alone at the bar after he got a call on his mobile phone from his owner asking him to come to the guest house. After some time, Balwantsingh, who was in intoxicated state, went near Irfan s workplace and (Continued on page 10)
the Crime Branch alongwith the ANC and the court officials had been auditing the drugs seized in last 10 years in the maal khana. At the moment we are auditing the stock of charas and found that 200 kgs (charas) is missing, a senior official of the crime branch said here today. We are yet to check other drugs like cocaine, ganja (marijuana), and other synthetic drugs stored in the godown, the official stated. (Continued on page 10)
Justice delayed is justice denied, so goes the saying. But this criminal case which hogged the limelight nine years ago is yet to witness a full-fledged trial till date. The infamous India-Australia ODI fake ticket scam case involving Goa Cricket Association (GCA) chief Dayanand Narvekar is stuck up over the question of framing of charges against the nine accused persons. While the lower court had ordered framing of criminal charges against Narvekar and eight others in the infamous case which was later upheld by the Sessions Court, South the High Court has stayed the lower court s order pending a decision. Narvekar and others had preferred an appeal to the High Court against the order of the
The conspiracy The accused entered into a criminal conspiracy with the ticket contractor, Chinmay Fallari for the sale of tickets by manipulation. Excess tickets numbering 1650 worth Rs 9.37 lakh were printed and diverted to Eknath Naik for sale. The accused Dayanand Narvekar, Vinod Phadke, Ramashankar Das, Chinmay Fallari, Devdutt Fallari, Gajanan Bhise, Joaquim Pires, Venkat Raut Dessai and Eknath Naik. Sessions Court upholding the order of the Judicial Magistrate First Class, Margao directing framing of criminal charges against the nine accused. Sources said the matter is still pending in the High Court ever since the court had stayed the operation of the Sessions Court order. Proceedings in the case
have come to a halt in the lower court ever since the High Court had stayed the Sessions court order. It was Judicial Magistrate First Class, Margao Ashley Norohna who had three years ago ordered framing of charges of criminal conspiracy, cheating and forgery against Narvekar
Mamata for sub-quota
HERALD REPORTER PANJIM, APRIL 5
PTI NEW DELHI, APRIL 5
In all probability, Goa will gamble online soon as nine parties have responded to Goa Government s efforts to start an online lottery. Officials of the Department of Lotteries declined to furnish any details on the tender papers submitted to bid for the online lottery system.
Government s efforts to ensure early passage of the Women s Reservation Bill in the Lok Sabha today received a setback with its ally Trinamool Congress joining Samajwadi Party, RJD and JD(U) in opposing the proposed legislation in the present form. An all-party meeting called here to break the logjam over the bill failed as differences persisted, prompting even UPA allies and those supporting the proposed legislation not to rush through its introduction till there is consensus. Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee held two-hour-long deliberations with leaders of SP, RJD, JD(U), BSP, who are strongly opposed to 33 per cent reservation for women in Lok Sabha and Assemblies as envisaged in the bill. The meeting was also attended by Leader of Opposition Sushma Swaraj and leaders of Left parties, which are backing the legislation. UPA allies NCP, DMK and NC also attended. On the government s side, Mukherjee was joined by Home Minister P Chidambaram, Parliamentary Affairs Minister P K Bansal, Defence Minister A K Antony and Law Minister Veerappa Moily. After the meeting, it was decided that further discussions would be held, a statement which indicated that the bill may not be introduced in the Lok Sabha in the second half of the Budget Session beginning on April 15. The bill, a constitutional amendment legislation requiring two-third majority support, has already been passed by the Rajya Sabha. The meeting saw strong opposition being expressed by SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, RJD
However, sources stated that nine firms have sent in their bids, the last date for which was today. The tenders will be opened later this month, the sources said. The online lottery system was seen as a good option to generate revenue for the State which has seen higher spending in the last few years. The Government expects an annual revenue of Rs 22-25 crore from it, the sources said. This time, the tender document was made more attractive and its clauses were different from the one floated more than two years ago. That time, the sources said, the government had offered the contract to operate the lottery to a private company against a onetime payment of Rs 25 crore. In addition, it had sought a share from the lottery income. This was found too much for investors to fetch revenue and it never materialized as not a single applicant applied. This time, the private company will be allowed to open centres to run the online lottery.
supremo Lalu Prasad and JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav, who maintained that they would not dilute their demand for quota for minorities, backwards and Dalits within 33 per cent reservation as proposed in the bill. They got a shot in the arm, with Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee also favouring quota for minorities. Significantly, after the all-party meeting, she briefly met the Yadav trio after which they jointly met Mukherjee again to convey their views. CPI(M), which has been supporting the bill, also said that it had no objection to providing subquota in the bill if the government came with a proper proposal. This was seen by the opponents as support for their demand.
SHOAIB IN THE DOCK
Cops seize passport, asked not to leave country PTI HYDERABAD, APRIL 5
Investigating a complaint of cheating against him, police today took away the passport of Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik and asked him not to leave the country. A team of police officials visited the posh Banjara Hills residence of Sania Mirza, whom Shoaib is slated to marry on Apr 15 and where he is staying since his arrival on Saturday, and questioned him for more than an hour on the complaint filed by the family of Ayesha Siddiqui, who has claimed to have married him and that he has cheated her. The city police questioned Shoaib Malik for one-and-half hours and they have also seized his passport. Immigration authorities have been informed about the case filed against Malik and the seizure of his passport, Additional Commissioner of Police
I’m here for the marriage and to clear my name. I’m not leaving the country. Inshallah, I’ll clear my name. I have no objections (to police taking the passport) and I’m cooperating with the police and Indian government.
Pak backs Shoaib Pakistan said Monday it would fully back cricketer Shoaib Malik as he contests cheating charges by Ayesha Siddiqui, a resident of Hyderabad, who claims to be his first wife and has demanded a divorce before he weds Indian tennis star Sania. (coordination) D Tirumala Rao said. Another official said they were
Ticket-gate: nine years on, trial yet to begin HERALD REPORTER MARGAO, APRIL 5
No consensus on Women s Bill
Soon, online gambling to hit Goans; 9 bids come in
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and others. But, before the charges could be framed against the accused, Navekar and others field a revision application before the Sessions Court, which upheld the order of the lower court. The April 6 ODI between Australia and India had hit the headlines after cricket fans with genuine tickets were left stranded outside the Nehru stadium, Fatorda. Many of these ardent cricket fans had borne the brunt of police lathis despite possessing valid tickets for the cricket match. The Margao police later charged Narvekar, Ramshankar Das and Vinod Phadke for allegedly entering into a criminal conspiracy with the ticket contractor, Chinmay Fallari for the sale of tickets by manipulation in the tender for a consideration of Rs 68 lakh.
The police further charged the trio for intentionally placing orders for 29,000 tickets and complimentary passes before Hitech print system, Hyderabad beyond the capacity of the stadium, which was put at 27,300 spectators. In execution of the criminal conspiracy, the excess tickets numbering 1650 worth Rs 9.37 lakh were allegedly unauthorisedly diverted to the accused Eknath Naik, the brother-in-law of Dayanand Narvekar for sale. The Police alleged that Eknath sold the tickets for higher premium to the general public and cheated them. The police further charged the trio for allegedly printing 700 fake complimentary tickets from Classical computers Panjim and illegally sold the tickets to general public in execution of the criminal conspiracy.
trying to collect evidence. Shoaib is cooperating and Sania is supporting him. They say
they know the truth behind the whole issue, he said. During the questioning, Shoaib told the police that he had been cheated by the Siddiqui family and tricked into marriage. However, Shoaib appeared before the media in the evening with Sania by his side, and said he would not leave India as he wanted to clear his name. He expressed confidence of getting the passport back by the evening. He claimed that he was being emotionally blackmailed by Ayesha. Shoaib said he has not done anything wrong and questioned why Ayesha was not appearing in public to make her allegations. Both he and Sania said they were from respectable families with the tennis star adding that to see my future husband like this (answering questions about marriage) is painful for both the families .