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Tuesday January 2018
Q. Will you watch ‘Padmaavat’? Yes No Can’t say Go to our Twitter handle @dna, look for #DNAPoll and vote.
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Breaking news US lawmakers struck a deal to reopen the federal government, three days into a shutdown prompted by an impasse over immigration and border security, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said on Monday.
inside Opinion
Contemporary history must acknowledge the role that Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose played in ousting Britishers, writes Kingshuk Nag P8
City
Ahead of the ASEAN Special Commemorative Summit 2018 on Thursday, the Delhi Traffic Police issued an advisory for the citizens P2
india
Former UP CM and SP chief Akhilesh Yadav will contest 2019 Lok Sabha elections from Kannauj in place of his wife Dimple Yadav P7
sports Former world No. 1 Novak Djokovic is knocked out by South Korean Chung Hyeon in fourth round of Australian Open P13
Afterhrs Relationships in the industry are fragile, says Sidharth Malhotra on Bolly equations and talks about his love for spy-films
BSF destroys Pak arsenal across border Srinagar: The Border Security Force (BSF) has destroyed fuel and ammunition dumps of Pakistan forces in retaliation to the repeated ceasefire violations on the international border. BSF released the footage pinpointing the targets of Pakistani forces across the border. “BSF is pinpointing the retaliation to unprovoked fire by Pakistan forces across border in Jammu,” said a BSF spokesperson. “At several locations, the enemy’s firing positions, ammunition and fuel dump have been destroyed by our men.” Report, P5
YESTERDAY’S POLL RESULT: Is AAP fair in blaming the Centre for disqualification of its 20 MLAs? Yes No Can’t say
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NIA’s most wanted ‘techie-bomber’ Qureshi nabbed in Delhi Anvit Srivastava anvit.srivastava@dnaindia.net New Delhi: The police arrested Abdul Subhan Qureshi alias Tauqeer — one of India’s most wanted terrorists — from East Delhi’s Ghazipur area after a brief encounter on Saturday night, ending a nine-year chase by central agencies and antiterror units of eight states. He was the mastermind of serial blasts in Gujarat and Delhi in 2008. A total of 21 blasts had rocked Ahmedabad and Surat, killing 56 people and wounding over 200. His name had also figured in the July 2006 Mumbai train bombings, and many other terror attacks in the country. He hid in Nepal, Saudi Arabia and remote parts of
India, and was often referred to as “India’s Bin Laden”. The breakthrough came just before Republic Day celebrations on Friday. He was the co-founder of terror outfit Indian Mujahideen and was known as its top bomb-maker. He was former head of the Students’ Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), a banned Islamist organisation. A software engineer by profession, Qureshi has worked in top-notch IT firms at high salaries. He studied in Mumbai. He was on the most-wanted list of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and was being hunted by the antiterror units of Gujarat, Delhi, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka.
‘My son is not guilty, he will be acquitted’
Abdul Subhan Qureshi, wanted for several terror attacks in India, being produced in a court in New Delhi on Monday —BB Yadav/DNA The 46-year-old was in the capital on Saturday night to meet one of his old associates, when the special cell, following intelligence, laid a trap to arrest him. “About 12 rounds were fired from both sides. We
Loya death case is serious: CJI bench Lawyers’ body is cautioned not to ‘cast aspersions’
No foul play in judge’s death, Maha tells SC
Ritika Jain ritika.jain@dnaindia.net
DNA Correspondent correspondent@dnaindia.net
New Delhi: The case of special CBI judge BH Loya’s death is “serious” and its details must be looked at with “objectivity”, the Supreme Court said on Monday, while asking a lawyers’ body not to “cast aspersions”. The court transferred to itself two petitions, pending at the Bombay High Court and its Nagpur bench, relating to the alleged mysterious death. The court also asked the parties to catalogue all documents relating to Loya’s death, which have not been filed so far, and submit them on February 2, the next date of hearing. “We must look into all documents with objectivity,” said a bench led by Chief Justice Dipak Misra. The bench, also comprising Justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud, restrained all High Courts from entertaining any petition relating to Loya’s death. In 2014, Judge Loya died, allegedly of a cardiac arrest,
when he was hearing the Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case that had 22 accused, including current BJP chief Amit Shah. The case was transferred to another judge who then dismissed the charges. On Monday, the court got irked when advocate Dushyant Dave, appearing for a Bombay lawyers’ body that has filed a PIL in the High Court there, took Shah’s name. “Please do not cast aspersions or comment on such things. We all are the holders of our own conscience,” Justice Chandrachud said as the bench considered the strong opposition of advocate Harish Salve, the counsel for the Maharashtra government in the case. Justice Chandrachud said that the court would look at the matter objectively since it could not base its analysis depending on news reports. Turn to P4
Please do not cast aspersions or comment on such things (on Justice Loya’s death). We all are the holders of our own conscience DY Chandrachud, Supreme Court Justice
New Delhi: The Maharashtra government told the Supreme Court on Monday that a prudent probe was conducted after media reports, and four judicial officers assured there was no foul play in judge BH Loya’s death. Complying with the court’s direction, Maharashtra submitted a 50-page report that comprised statements from district judges who were present with Loya at the time of his death. At least four judges present with Loya since he started complaining of “chest pain” have narrated the sequence of events on the intervening night of November 30-December 1, 2014. It was submitted that following news reports surrounding the death, Maharashtra directed the commissioner of the state Intelligence department to conduct an inquiry into the matter. It said that statements were taken after permission from the Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court. A copy of the post-mortem report suggesting that the death was due to heart attack has been included in the sealed report.
have found pistols and documents he was carrying. He was trying to revive SIMI and Indian Mujahideen in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh,” said Pramod Kushwaha, DCP, SpeTurn to P4 cial Cell.
Canadian PM will visit India next month DNA Correspondent correspondent@dnaindia.net New Delhi: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will arrive in India next month for a seven-day visit, from February 17-23, aimed at strengthening the bilateral strategic partnership in the key areas of counterterrorism, energy and trade. “The visit is aimed at further strengthening the bilateral relations between the two countries in key areas of mutual interest, including trade and investment, energy, science and innovation, higher education, infrastructure development, skill development and space,” according to an MEA statement. PM Narendra Modi had paid a bilateral visit to Canada in April 2015.
Mumbai: Mohammed Usman Qureshi, Abdul Qureshi’s father, said he was happy with his son’s arrest but hoped he would be declared innocent one day. “I remember Abdul telling us about working with the SIMI. But it was only for preaching, not terror activities. I am happy he has been arrested; the court will declare him innocent. For me, my son is innocent and charges against him Report, P14 are false.”
The suave engineer who kept vanishing Sumit Kumar Singh singh.sumit@dnaindia.net New Delhi: Abdul Subhan Qureshi alias Tauqeer is tech-savvy, extremely radicalised and has excellent oratory skills. Every time security agencies cracked down on SIMI or IM, he just vanished. He speaks English well and has deep knowledge of local as well as international issues. He could easily influence and motivate impressionable minds into waging Jihad. He studied at a mission-
ary school in Mumbai’s Byculla, and earned his diploma in Industrial Electronics from Bharati Vidyapeeth University in Pune. He started working as a customer support engineer at a company in Mumbai. During this period, he also attended weekly programmes of SIMI in Kurla. He became a member of SIMI in 1996, and by 2000, he transformed into a radical youth. He got the task of editing the English edition of SIMI magazine ‘Islamic Turn to P4 Movement’.
PM hosts dinner for top CEOs, hard-sells India Keynote address at WEF session in Davos today DNA Correspondent correspondent@dnaindia.net Davos: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has arrived at the Swiss city of Davos to showcase his economic reform agenda to global business leaders and seek investments in India. Besides the usual business, the PM will also present Indian cuisine and yoga at the 48th annual meeting of World Economic Forum (WEF). Shortly after his arrival in Zurich on Monday, the PM held a bilateral meeting with Swiss President Alain Berset, before driving to the town of Davos, 100 km away, in the Alps Mountains. PM Modi hosted dinner for 12,000 delegates, in-
Prime Minister Narendra Modi greets officials after arriving at Zurich International Airport to participate in WEF in Davos on Monday —PTI cluding heads of almost 60 companies spread across 26 different sectors. On the opening day of the WEF’s plenary session on Tuesday, Modi will deliver a keynote address on ‘Creating a Shared Future in a Fractured World’. Then he is scheduled to interact exclusively
with Indian chief executives. In the afternoon, he will meet the WEF’s 120-member International Business Council. Ramesh Abhishek, secretary of the department of industrial policy and promotion, said, “Even more round tables have been lined up.” Related reports, P7
AAP down, Oppn smells blood in Del bypolls Chhavi Bhatia chhavi.bhatia@dnaindia.net New Delhi: If the disqualification of 20 AAP MLAs is not overturned by a court of law, bypolls to these seats have to be conducted within six months, a possibility that has enthused the Opposition. Delhi’s ruling party seems down. Its MLAs faced the action because they were found holding offices of profit as parliamentary secretaries. The BJP, with three MLAs,
Tough battle ahead and the Congress, with none, have started planning to make the most of the chance thrown in their way by the Election Commission. The
bypolls to the 20 seats provide a ready platform to both parties to improve their tallies. The grand-old party has begun its legwork in the 20 Assembly constituencies. “All these are traditional Congress seats. We have chalked out a plan and have decided to hold workers’ meet from January 28. We will visit all constituencies to discuss issues,” said Ajay Maken, Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee chief. Sources in Delhi BJP say
that leaders from constituencies that may go to the polls started doing the rounds of the party office. While hectic strategising is on among BJP leaders, they claim that state BJP president Manoj Tewari has been holding closed-door meetings with confidants to finalise names of candidates. CM Manish Sisodia tweeted an open letter to the people of Delhi, asking, “Is it justified to disqualify elected leaders in such an unconstitutional and illegal way?”
Share buyback may be taxed in Budget ‘Padmaavat’ protests Bawana: Hundred on, SC hearing today such tragedies are Tax loophole needs mission to be plugged, say budget officials in FinMin 2018-19 ‘waiting to happen’ Buybacks Boom: Avoided Dividend Tax From Last 2 years
2009-10 2010-11
Dipu Rai dipu.rai@dnaindia.net
New Delhi: Share buybacks will no more be a tool to avoid dividend tax for listed companies as the Finance Ministry is planning to plug this tax loophole in the Union Budget, to be presented on February 1. A ministry source told DNA that the “government is very serious about such tax leakage” and “may change the rule of Section 115QA in the Budget.”
`13,765 Cr
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`11,380 Cr
2013-14 2014-15 2015-16
DNA Correspondent correspondent@dnaindia.net
`824 Cr `4,295 Cr
`605 Cr `1,834 Cr
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`34,468 Cr `48,918 Cr Data till December 31, 2017: Prime Database
Currently, only unlisted domestic companies are liable to pay additional income tax at the rate of 20 per cent on any amount of distributed income paid by them on a
buyback under Section 115QA. This rule is likely to extend to listed companies as well. The government has found that company promoters are
allotting cash to shareholders, including themselves, through buyback without paying any tax. In the 2016 Budget, the government had introduced 10 per cent tax on dividend of over Rs 10 lakh. After this, the listed companies turned share repurchases as a tool for tax-planning. After the dividend tax levied, share buybacks spiked more than 1,700 per cent in FY 2016, as compared to the year Turn to P4 before.
New Delhi: Protests against ‘Padmaavat’ rocked Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh even as Karni Sena indicated willingness to watch the film ahead of its scheduled release on January 25. In Rajasthan, protesters in Rajsamand and Barmer blocked highways, while a youth in Bhilwara climbed a mobile phone network tower to express opposition. Towns like Indore, Ujjain
and Jhabua in Madhya Pradesh witnessed road blockades while in Uttar Pradesh’s Gorakhpur, the home turf of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, people waving saffron flags burnt an effigy of director Sanjay Leela Bhansali right in front of a cinema hall. Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh approached the Supreme Court for modification of an order that paved the way for Padmaavat’s release. The court will hear the petitions on Tuesday after the states expressed fears of a law and order breakdown.
More stone-pelters in Trump mimics Modi to push Afghan cause Kashmir to be let off DNA Correspondent correspondent@dnaindia.net Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir government is considering amnesty to secondtime stone-pelters in the Valley, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti said on Monday. “The government is reviewing cases of second-time offenders in stone-pelting protests,” she said while replying to a question in the Upper House of the Assembly. Unless the cases are with-
drawn, such people cannot get government jobs. In November last year, she had ordered the withdrawal of cases of stone-pelting against 4,327 youths. This followed the recommendation of a high-powered committee headed by Director General of Police (DGP) SP Vaid. Mufti had started a process of reviewing cases against youths from 2008 to 2014 and 104 cases involving 634 youths were withdrawn in two months of her assuming power.
DNA Correspondent correspondent@dnaindia.net
New Delhi: US President Donald Trump is in controversy for faking Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s accent. While directing Pentagon officials to send 1,000 more American troops to Afghanistan, Trump said: “Never has a country given so much away for so little in return as the US in Afghanistan.” Trump used a typical South Asian style with nasal resonance, signature of Modi’s style of speech, those
PM Modi greets President Trump during his US visit in June last year who participated in the meeting told Washington Post. Modi is known to praise the Trump administration’s role in Afghanistan.
The Washington Post report adds: “To Trump, Modi’s statement was proof that the rest of the world viewed the US as being duped and taken
advantage of in Afghanistan.” The incident highlights that world leaders are taking PM Modi’s foreign policy observations very seriously. Trump has made it clear to senior Pentagon officials that he wants to see a quick return on the increased US investment in troops and money in Afghanistan. Trump has used mimicking in the past as well. In October 2017, his address commemorating Hispanic Heritage Month, drew flak for his exaggerated Spanish accent.
Vatsala Shrangi vatsala.shrangi@dnaindia.net New Delhi: Investigations into the Bawana factory fire, which killed 17 workers trapped inside it on Saturday, revealed gaping violations in the building plan. It has been found that a number of units are functional in the Bawana Industrial Area, which has around 10,000 factories. The factory did not have fire exits, had an additional floor and basement in violation of the building norms. The owner had not applied for a Completion Certificate, revealed an inquiry report of the North MCD. “The plan was sanctioned in 2006 in favour of M/S Diamond Plastic Industries. As per record, the building was issued a notice of house tax in December 2007. The construction was complete well before 2007. However, the applicant had not applied for a completion certificate,” the report stated. Agencies probing the incident plan to inspect all of these units to check for violations, said sources. DNA had previously reported the building was functioning illegally, as it did not
17 people had died in the fire have a valid licence. The civic body in 2014 had rejected the application received in the name of Uma Mittal, the wife of owner Subhash Mittal. The industrial area having multiple authorities in charge for various sanctions at present has North MCD, Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (DSIIDC), Delhi Fire Services (DFS) and the Labour Department investigating the tragedy. The Labour Department stated that a unit cannot be approved by the MCD without provisions of firefighting, ventilation and means of escape in case of fire.” Civic officials said the monitoring in ‘confirmed’ areas is under the jurisdiction of the DSIIDC, while the latter is shifting blame said, “the development corporation has no powers of enforcement.”
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