Hasan Ali's bail hearing adjourned till tomorrow

Mumbai:  Pune-based stud farm owner Hasan Ali Khan's judicial custody was extended by a day today after a sessions court in Mumbai adjourned his bail hearing till tomorrow.

Khan is believed to have 8 billion dollars in black money in foreign bank accounts. He was arrested last month and moved to Mumbai from Pune, where he is known for his lavish cars, homes, horses and parties.

He has been asked to pay Rs. 70,000 crore as a penalty for tax evasion, but his lawyer claims that he is innocent of all the charges against him.

He is currently lodged in the high-security Arthur Road jail in Mumbai.

The Supreme Court has referred repeatedly to the government's inaction against Khan in the context of a case that it is hearing on black money. The Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by former Law Minister Ram Jethmalani among others asks the government to recover crores of unaccounted-for money that has been stashed in foreign banks by Indians.

Mumbai attacks mastermind Hafiz Saeed slams cricket diplomacy

Islamabad:  Hafiz Saeed, the man considered to be the mastermind of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, has denounced the recent efforts by India and Pakistan to take the peace process forward.

Saeed, the leader of the banned group Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD), slammed the cricket diplomacy initiated by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Addressing a gathering of about 200 supporters at Islamabad, Saeed said, "This cricket diplomacy, these so called trade and friendship efforts have no value. We want to be clear about this. We are with the Kashmiri people and will continue to give our full support till they are free. We will stand by the Kashmiri people until they have achieved freedom."

Saeed also raised the Kashmir bogey, calling for its "liberation".

"The path the Pakistani government is adopting, to gain India's friendship is not acceptable to Pakistan under any circumstances and we want to be clear about this, we are with the Kashmiris and, god willing, we will fulfil our commitment."

Saeed's comments at the gathering is one of several instances where the Pakistani establishment has looked the other way even as he continues with his anti-India rant at rallies right in the heart of cities acoss the country.

Besides Saeed, the gathering was addressed by Abdul Aziz Alvi, the head of the JuD in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, United Jihad Council vice-chairman Muhammad Usman and leaders of the Hurriyat Conference.

Both Saeed and Alvi were briefly detained in the wake of the Mumbai attacks, which were blamed on the Lashkar-e-Toiba.

Advani's blog on Anna Hazare

Delhi:  Hailing Anna Hazare's campaign for a "more effective" Lokpal Bill, senior BJP leader L K Advani disapproved of those who revel in spreading a climate of disdain about politics and politicians which he said was a gross disservice to democracy.

In his latest blog, he said Hazare fast achieved more in four days than what the opposition had in two months when it was demanding a JPC probe into the 2G scam. (Read Full Blog)

Interestingly, Advani gave credit to TV and information technology for what Hazare achieved in a short time.

"The immediate effect (of TV and IT) has been that JPC which the NDA, supported by the entire opposition, could achieve only after two months and that too by not allowing Parliament to have any business for whole of winter session.

"Hazare was able to achieve his limited objective of a more effective Lokpal Bill within four days of his
announcement of a fast unto death," Advani said.

Advani criticised leaders from the ruling party who had called Hazare an "RSS agent". He praised the social activist's response and the letter he wrote to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in this regard.

He blamed the UPA government for both the problems in granting a JPC as well as in Anna's success and maintained that this regime has by now earned the "singular reputation" of being the most corrupt government in independent India.

He also expressed his ire against those who attacked former BJP leader Uma Bharti when she visited Jantar Mantar to meet Hazare during the agitation.

"It is an index of Anna's innate decency and his disinclination to believe that all politicians are corrupt that when he learnt about this he publicly apologized to Uma. I am of the view that those who revel in spreading a general climate of disdain about politics and politicians are doing a gross disservice to democracy," Advani said.

He maintained that despite the shortcomings of Indian democracy there were still "conscientious and upright politicians" in the country.

Advani also heaped praise on yoga guru Baba Ramdev for contributing to Hazare's movement.

"In fact, government should be conscious that the dimensions of corruption have become so frightening that the assault on this malady has to be multi-pronged," he said.

Advani suggested that a meeting of political parties should be convened to discuss this issue "particularly in the context of black money and curbing money-power in elections".

Hazare had also expressed concern about use of money-power in elections.

Case against 28 cops over alleged fake encounter

Bhadoi, Uttar Pradesh:  An FIR has been lodged against 28 police personnel, including five station officers, for killing a Dalit man in an alleged fake encounter six years ago, officials said on Tuesday.

A case has been lodged by CB-CID inspector Keshav Prasad Gupta at Gyanpur police station against 28 police personnel on charges of murder and Dalit harassment and other sections of IPC, they said.

In May 2005, Vijay alias Lalau, a native of Rewa district in Madhya Pradesh, was killed in an encounter with police near Badawapur canal. Police claimed that Vijay was a wanted criminal and carried a cash reward of Rs. 5,000 announced by Madhya Pradesh government on his head.

However, Vijay's wife raised suspicion over the encounter and lodged a complaint with the National Human Rights Commission, which directed CB-CID to probe the case.

The CB-CID in its report raised suspicion over the encounter following which the investigating officer has lodged a case against 28 police personnel.

Cash-for-votes: Former Chief Election Commissioner wants Special Investigation Team for probe

New Delhi:  Former Chief Election Commissioner JM Lyngdoh and 13 others have moved the Supreme Court for constituting a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the cash-for votes scam.

In his petition, Lyngdoh urged the apex court to direct the government to set up an independent SIT to probe the allegations and try to complete the investigations within six months.

He also pleaded that the chief of the SIT should be given absolute powers and independence to choose the best officers for the probe.

The petitioners were also quoted as saying that information from the WikiLeaks cables could be used as corroborative evidence.

Income Tax raids at Mumbai's Lilavati Hospital

Mumbai:  Mumbai's famous Lilavati Hospital - the choice of several VIPs - got attention today for a different reason. The Income Tax raided 29 locations across the city on Monday that are related to the hospital and its trustees.

The hospital in Bandra is governed by the Lilavati Kirtilal Mehta Medical Trust, which was formed in 1978. Seven of the 11 trustees are from the Mehta family.

The searches come as two of the trustees - Prabodh Mehta and Rashmi Mehta - have been accused in the Supreme Court of siphoning money from the hospital to a bank account in Liechtenstein.

The petition has been filed by a Delhi resident, Harsh Raghuvanshi, who claims that the Mehtas are using the hospital for money-laundering. The Supreme Court had asked the Central government and the Reserve Bank of India to follow up on his complaint.

The LGT Bank in Liechtenstein has given the Indian government a list of nearly 30 Indians who operated undeclared bank accounts there. It's not clear if the raids against the Mehtas are connected to that list, which has been shared with the Supreme Court by the government.

Income Tax officials also searched the offices of Mayfair Realtors and Vestra Infrastructure in Mumbai - companies which had loaned money to the Lilavati Trust in 2002.

Responding to the raids, the hospital, in a statement said, "The I-T Department today has conducted a search operation at the Lilavati hospital which is their routine work and we are cooperating with them."

'Shubho Nobo Borsho' says Clinton

Washington:  "Shubho Nobo Borsho!" said US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as she greeted Bengalis across the globe on the occasion of the New Year.

"Shubho Nobo Borsho!" Clinton said in her message to the Bengali community.

"As you celebrate this special day, know that the United States stands with all Bengalis everywhere as we work for a more peaceful and prosperous future."

"On behalf of President (Barack) Obama and the people of the United States, I send my best wishes to all Bengali-speaking people around the world as you celebrate Poila Boishakh in the coming days. I wish all Bengalis prosperity and happiness in this new year of promise and possibility," Clinton said.

The Secretary of the State also said it is an opportunity to honour the rich history of Bengali culture with music, drama and traditional foods. She believed Bengali artists, scientists, politicians and entrepreneurs have positively influenced American culture.

"Bengali-Americans will join their fellow Bengali family and friends to celebrate the many accomplishments of the Bengali people," she added.