New Delhi
Interpol Notice Against 2 Italians in Choppergate
Interpol has issued Red Corner Notices (RCNs) against two Italian nationals, alleged to be the middlemen in the `3,600-crore VVIP chopper deal from AgustaWestland, on charges of money laundering pressed by the ED. Officials said the global warrant for arrest has been issued against Carlo Gerosa and Guido Ralph Haschke after a special court here had issued non-bailable warrants (NBWs) against them on the plea of the Enforcement Directorate some time back. An RCN, according to Interpol, is issued “to seek the location and arrest of wanted persons with a view to extradition or similar lawful action” in a criminal case probe. The latest notice against the duo states the foreign nationals are “wanted by the judicial authorities of India for prosecution/to serve a sentence” under various sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Another accused of the ED in the same case, British national Christian Michel James, has already been notified for arrest by the Interpol earlier this month on the request of the CBI which is also parallely probing the case.
Kolkata
NIA Files Chargesheet in Burdwan Blast Case
The NIA on Monday filed its second supplementary chargesheet in the Burdwan blast case, in which Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JuMB) terrorists were allegedly involved. In the chargesheet, the NIA claimed that the JuMB had planned a series of terror attacks in India from the neighbouring country. In its 200-page chargesheet, filed with 36,000 documents before the chief judicial magistrate at the city sessions court here, the agency named 19 more people, mostly Bangladeshi terrorists. Two JuMB terrorists – Shakil Ahmed Gazi and Subhan Mondal – had died during the explosion at Khagragrh in Burdwan district of West Bengal on October 2 last year while one Abdul Hakim was injured. Hakim, his wife and Kazi’s wife were arrested subsequently. The NIA had raided several places in West Bengal and Assam and arrested several people. The NIA, in its chargesheet, indicated the influence of the ISIS over JuMB. An NIA team, led by its DG Sharad Kumar, had visited Dhaka after the blasts and held meetings with security and defence officials of Bangladesh.
L N Reddy to Head Judicial Panel on OROP
Justice (Retd) L Narasimha Reddy, former Chief Justice of Patna High Court, will head the judicial Committee which will look into the implementation of One Rank One Pension (OROP) scheme, it was officially announced here on Monday, but the protesting veterans rejected it. The Committee has been given a six-month deadline for submission of its recommendations. The Terms of Reference for the Committee shall be to examine and make recommendations on references received from the Central Government on various issues concerning the scheme announced by the government last month. In a statement, the protesting veterans said, “We reject the notification as it is one of the seven anomalies pointed out by us to government after issue of notification on OROP and repeatedly thereafter”. “Paragraph one of the commission notifica tion says it will consider “Govt references” only. Thus leaving the veterans high and dry. Also by doing so the door kept open with a mediator has been shut on our face too,” they said. “The agitation will be intensified across the country,” they added.
Graft Convicts Told to Pay for Pollution
A Delhi court on Monday expressed concern over rising pollution in the national capital and directed two convicts in a graft case to deposit `35 lakh fine with the Pollution Control Committee as a small symbolic step for amelioration of pollution conditions. The court said the convicts should pay back compensation to the society at large which should be utilised to control the “spiraling pollution which is bleeding the residents of Delhi at present, which is the need of the hour”. Special CBI Judge Sanjeev Aggarwal passed the judgment while awarding varying jail terms of one to three years to the three convicts, including two women. “Out of the fine of `44 lakh imposed upon accused no. 1 and 2, `35 lakhs be deposited with the Delhi Pollution Control Committee for the amelioration of pollution conditions in Delhi, which though a very small symbolic step, yet will be of some help in the said movement, as said Neil Armstrong ‘that one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind’,” the court said. The court sentenced Rita Singh,66, and Natasha Singh Sinha, 44, both directors of private firm, and former public servant Y V Luthra,73, to two, three and one year imprisonment. The court allowed their pleas to suspend their sentence and granted bail.