A Raja
A Raja
NEW DELHI: Sixty-three persons, including promoters and CEOs of 10 telecom firms have come under its scanner in the 2G spectrum case, the CBI on Tuesday told the Supreme Court which expressed satisfaction over the ongoing probe.
The central government, which is also party to the case, informed a bench of justices G S Singhvi and A K Ganguly that it is in favour of setting up a special court to try the accused in the 2G case and the law minister has written a letter to the Delhi high court chief justice asking him to constitute a court and identify a judge for this purpose.
"The matter is under consideration," additional solicitor general Indira Jaisingh told the bench, which wanted to know about the progress of investigation into the case.
Senior advocate K K Venugopal, representing the CBI, apprised the bench about the progress by the CBI and placed the probe status report in a sealed cover.
"63 persons including promoters and CEOs of 10 companies have come under the scanner of the CBI in its probe into the 2G spectrum scam," Venugopal said.
The bench asked the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate to place before it their reports about the investigation by March 10 and posted the matter for further hearing on March 15.
Senior advocate Harish Salve, appearing for Tata group of companies, meanwhile, pleaded for in-camera proceedings.
Earlier on February 10, while hearing a plea by Centre for public interest litigation for probe into the 2G case, the Supreme Court had asked the CBI to widen its probe ambit and include into it high flying corporate honchos without getting influenced by their status.
While giving the CBI a free hand to probe the case, the court had also asked the government to set up a special court to exclusively try the spectrum scam case accused.
"We have a large number of persons who think themselves to be the law. Law must catch them. It should be done with greater expedition. Merely that they are on the Forbes list or they are millionaires does not make any difference," the bench had remarked after perusing the CBI's probe status report in which names of big corporate houses and their officials had been mentioned.
But counsel Prashant Bhushan appearing for petitioner CPIL had pointed out to the court that the agencies have not questioned the heads of several companies including those of Swan Technology, which was controlled by Anil Ambani's Reliance Group, when the spectrum was allocated.
At this, the bench said, "Top authorities of companies were not questioned. It is surprising that the managing directors were not summoned".
Seeking to widen the CBI's probe ambit, the apex court had said the agency's freedom to investigate the matter should not be curtailed in any way and asked the agency to go beyond the role of the four persons, including former Telecom Minister A Raja, already arrested in the case.
"This investigation has led to prima-facie conclusion about the culpability of four persons. What about the beneficiaries. They are part of a larger conspiracy. We want to know about them. You (CBI) take instructions and tell us what action you are planning to take," the bench had told the CBI.
Read more: 63 people under scanner in 2G spectrum case, CBI tells SC - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/63-people-under-scanner-in-2G-spectrum-case-CBI-tells-SC/articleshow/7600680.cms#ixzz1F9gLIuAU
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Godhra verdict: 11 get death, 20 get life term
A Sessions Court at the Sabarmati Central Jail in Ahmedabad on Tuesday awarded death sentence to 11 people and life term to 20 others. The sentence was pronounced by Additional Sessions Judge PR Patel, who had on February 22 convicted 31 people of criminal conspiracy in the Sabarmati Express train burning case.
Terming the case as as "rarest of rare" Justice Patel awarded capital punishment to Bilal Ismail Abdul Majid Sujela alias Bilal Haji, Abdul Razak Mohammad Kurkur, Ramjani Binyamin Behra, Hasan Ahmed Charkha alias Lalu, Jabir Binyamin Behra, Mehboob Khalid Chanda, Salim alias Salman Yusuf Sattar Zarda, Siraj Mohammad Abdul Meda alias Bala, Irfan Abdul Majid Ganchi Kalandar alias Irfan Bhopo, Irfan Mhammad Hanifabdul Gani Pataliya and Mehbub Ahmed Yusuf Hasan alais Latiko.
"The court has sentenced 11 to death, 20 to life imprisonment. It has passed separate sentences for different offences like looting, firing. The accused have been fined as well," said Rajendra Tiwari, the lawyers for the victims killed in the train burning incident.
The sentence can be appealed in the High Court within 90 days.
The prosecution had sought death sentence for all the 31 convicts saying that it was a heinous act.
However, the advocate of riot victims Mukul Sinha called the sentencing "shocking".
"This sentencing is shocking. There was no iota of evidence to prove the conspiracy. I think there was no evidence against any one of them. The death sentence to 11 is shocking, it's disproportionate and unfair," Sinha told CNN-IBN.
The court had accepted the prosecution's contention that there was a conspiracy behind the incident and convicted 31 under various sections of Indian Penal Code (IPC) like 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder) and 120B(criminal conspiracy).
They were convicted under IPC section 147, 148 (rioting with deadly weapons), 323, 324,325,326 (causing hurt), 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on religious grounds), various sections of the Indian Railways Act, Prevention of Damages to Public Property Act and Bombay Police Act.
The court had acquitted 63 others in the case including the key conspirator Maulvi Hussain Umarji.
The S-6 coach of Sabarmati Express was set on fire on February 27, 2002, killing 59 kar sevaks returning from Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh. The train burning incident sparked off the Gujarat riots in which over 1,000 people were killed. The trial conducted inside the Sabarmati Central Jail began in June 2009.
Terming the case as as "rarest of rare" Justice Patel awarded capital punishment to Bilal Ismail Abdul Majid Sujela alias Bilal Haji, Abdul Razak Mohammad Kurkur, Ramjani Binyamin Behra, Hasan Ahmed Charkha alias Lalu, Jabir Binyamin Behra, Mehboob Khalid Chanda, Salim alias Salman Yusuf Sattar Zarda, Siraj Mohammad Abdul Meda alias Bala, Irfan Abdul Majid Ganchi Kalandar alias Irfan Bhopo, Irfan Mhammad Hanifabdul Gani Pataliya and Mehbub Ahmed Yusuf Hasan alais Latiko.
"The court has sentenced 11 to death, 20 to life imprisonment. It has passed separate sentences for different offences like looting, firing. The accused have been fined as well," said Rajendra Tiwari, the lawyers for the victims killed in the train burning incident.
The sentence can be appealed in the High Court within 90 days.
The prosecution had sought death sentence for all the 31 convicts saying that it was a heinous act.
However, the advocate of riot victims Mukul Sinha called the sentencing "shocking".
"This sentencing is shocking. There was no iota of evidence to prove the conspiracy. I think there was no evidence against any one of them. The death sentence to 11 is shocking, it's disproportionate and unfair," Sinha told CNN-IBN.
The court had accepted the prosecution's contention that there was a conspiracy behind the incident and convicted 31 under various sections of Indian Penal Code (IPC) like 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder) and 120B(criminal conspiracy).
They were convicted under IPC section 147, 148 (rioting with deadly weapons), 323, 324,325,326 (causing hurt), 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on religious grounds), various sections of the Indian Railways Act, Prevention of Damages to Public Property Act and Bombay Police Act.
The court had acquitted 63 others in the case including the key conspirator Maulvi Hussain Umarji.
The S-6 coach of Sabarmati Express was set on fire on February 27, 2002, killing 59 kar sevaks returning from Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh. The train burning incident sparked off the Gujarat riots in which over 1,000 people were killed. The trial conducted inside the Sabarmati Central Jail began in June 2009.
NEWS Slow-start story 'laughable' - Haddin
Brad Haddin scored 29 off 66 balls against Zimbabwe © AFP
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Players/Officials: Brad Haddin
Matches: Australia v Zimbabwe at Ahmedabad
Series/Tournaments: ICC Cricket World Cup
Teams: Australia
Brad Haddin, the Australian opener, has rubbished reports that the ICC's Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU) were looking into Australia's slow start in their Group A match against Zimbabwe in Ahmedabad.
"It's quite a laughable story. It's a joke," Haddin told reporters during a net session at the SSC in Colombo. "We just got off the mark a bit slowly."
Haddin and Shane Watson, the Australian openers, scored five runs in the first two overs and only 28 in the first ten. Australia eventually went on to score 262 for 6, after which their bowlers secured a 91-run victory.
The story, which was reported by Press Trust of India, was also criticised by Australian team manager Steve Bernard, who said that "it was the silliest thing I've heard this week - and I've heard a lot of silly things since I've been here".
"I've just heard the story a moment ago and I'm not sure how to respond, except to say it would make a cat laugh. It's the most ludicrous thing I've ever heard in my life that a side can be 0-5 after two overs and that that's suspicious."
The ICC said it did not comment on any ACSU matter, including whether or not a match had been investigated.
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