New York Sikh cabbie found guilty of kidnapping, raping passenger

New York:A Sikh taxi driver in New York has been found guilty of kidnapping and raping a 29-year-old female passenger three years ago and faces 25 years in prison when he is sentenced May 12.

But a Brooklyn jury Friday acquitted Gurmeet Singh, 42, of Queens of robbery and assault as well as the top count of predatory sexual assault, New York Daily News reported.

'I was terrified. I thought it was really scary,' a 61-year-old female juror was quoted as saying of the victim's testimony, which was punctuated by hysterical sobs as she recounted waking up in the back of a car and being violated at knifepoint.

Some members of the panel, which deliberated for over a day, tended to buy Singh's account that the back-seat sex was consensual, Daily News said.

But the panel eventually agreed that the woman must have passed out and could not have thrown herself at the bearded driver, as he claimed.

The victim, a non-profit employee, testified she hailed a yellow cab in Williamsburg after a Cinco de Mayo (Spanish for 'fifth of May'), a Mexican-American holiday, party in May 2011, dozed off and came to when the defendant was on top of her.

'Bound, gagged, blindfolded with a knife to her throat,' prosecutor Linda Weinman was quoted as saying in her closing argument. '(She) woke up to her worst nightmare.'

The victim suffered cuts and a busted lip and her cellphone and $20 were missing.

'I thought, 'I'm going to get killed',' she recounted through tears last week.

Gurmeet Singh was earlier implicated but never charged in a similar attack in Harlem, according to Daily News.
IANS

New York Sikh cabbie found guilty of kidnapping, raping passenger

New York:A Sikh taxi driver in New York has been found guilty of kidnapping and raping a 29-year-old female passenger three years ago and faces 25 years in prison when he is sentenced May 12.

But a Brooklyn jury Friday acquitted Gurmeet Singh, 42, of Queens of robbery and assault as well as the top count of predatory sexual assault, New York Daily News reported.

'I was terrified. I thought it was really scary,' a 61-year-old female juror was quoted as saying of the victim's testimony, which was punctuated by hysterical sobs as she recounted waking up in the back of a car and being violated at knifepoint.

Some members of the panel, which deliberated for over a day, tended to buy Singh's account that the back-seat sex was consensual, Daily News said.

But the panel eventually agreed that the woman must have passed out and could not have thrown herself at the bearded driver, as he claimed.

The victim, a non-profit employee, testified she hailed a yellow cab in Williamsburg after a Cinco de Mayo (Spanish for 'fifth of May'), a Mexican-American holiday, party in May 2011, dozed off and came to when the defendant was on top of her.

'Bound, gagged, blindfolded with a knife to her throat,' prosecutor Linda Weinman was quoted as saying in her closing argument. '(She) woke up to her worst nightmare.'

The victim suffered cuts and a busted lip and her cellphone and $20 were missing.

'I thought, 'I'm going to get killed',' she recounted through tears last week.

Gurmeet Singh was earlier implicated but never charged in a similar attack in Harlem, according to Daily News.
IANS

African National Congress suspends Indian-origin leader

Johannesburg:An Indian-origin leader whose comments against the Indian community in South Africa sparked a racial controversy has been suspended by the African National Congress (ANC) Saturday, a media report said.

Visvin Reddy

Visvin Reddy, a former municipal councillor of eThekwini in Kwazulu-Natal province and ANC Chatsworth branch chairman, made a comment on Facebook onWednesday that said the Indians who complain about the ANC government should go back to India.

'His recent remarks on a public platform... the party views as out of line with the position of the organisation,' SAPA quoted a statement by the ANC's KwaZulu-Natal provincial secretary Sihle Zikalala.

Zikalala said the ANC believed in non-racialism.

'To you anti-ANC commentators… wait until May 8. The ANC will still rule this country,' Reddy had said in his Facebook comment.

'You whiners should leave. Go to India and you will see what a good life we have here. Continue with your garbage and marginalise yourself further. Do not blame the ANC, blame yourself.

'You have not yet embraced democracy. Only a foolish Indian in South Africa will not engage the majority constructively,' Reddy, himself of Indian descent, said in his Facebook post.

The country's general elections will take place May 7.

In a statement Thursday, Zikalala said: 'We view Reddy's utterances as totally uncalled for and not reflecting the principles of democracy.

'The ANC indeed needs the support of Indians and the organisation would never stoop to the level of those who voice their disrespectful sentiments about this community.'

Zikala also said a disciplinary hearing for Reddy would follow.

An apologetic Reddy Friday said that he realised his Facebook comment was 'idiotic'. IANS

African National Congress suspends Indian-origin leader

Johannesburg:An Indian-origin leader whose comments against the Indian community in South Africa sparked a racial controversy has been suspended by the African National Congress (ANC) Saturday, a media report said.

Visvin Reddy

Visvin Reddy, a former municipal councillor of eThekwini in Kwazulu-Natal province and ANC Chatsworth branch chairman, made a comment on Facebook onWednesday that said the Indians who complain about the ANC government should go back to India.

'His recent remarks on a public platform... the party views as out of line with the position of the organisation,' SAPA quoted a statement by the ANC's KwaZulu-Natal provincial secretary Sihle Zikalala.

Zikalala said the ANC believed in non-racialism.

'To you anti-ANC commentators… wait until May 8. The ANC will still rule this country,' Reddy had said in his Facebook comment.

'You whiners should leave. Go to India and you will see what a good life we have here. Continue with your garbage and marginalise yourself further. Do not blame the ANC, blame yourself.

'You have not yet embraced democracy. Only a foolish Indian in South Africa will not engage the majority constructively,' Reddy, himself of Indian descent, said in his Facebook post.

The country's general elections will take place May 7.

In a statement Thursday, Zikalala said: 'We view Reddy's utterances as totally uncalled for and not reflecting the principles of democracy.

'The ANC indeed needs the support of Indians and the organisation would never stoop to the level of those who voice their disrespectful sentiments about this community.'

Zikala also said a disciplinary hearing for Reddy would follow.

An apologetic Reddy Friday said that he realised his Facebook comment was 'idiotic'. IANS

Hajj: 30,000 seats under govt quota cut down

New Delhi: The External Affairs ministry has cut down as many as 30,000 seats under the Haj quota of the Central Government. Accordingly, the number of persons performing the pilgrimage through All India Haj Committee will come down.

However, the number of pilgrims from India would remain unchanged with the increase in quota for private tour operators. The new regulations will be applicable for Haj pilgrimage this year.

It has been alleged that the move has been aimed for the benefit of private operators.

Meanwhile, Minority Affairs Minister K Rahman Khan has openly come out against the new regulations. Registering his protest, he shot off a letter to Prime minister with a demand to revoke the decision.

Last year, a total of 1.3 lakh seats were allotted to the All India Haj Committee. Now it has been reduced to 1 lakh and the remaining 30,000 seats were given to private operators.

The private operators were allotted 14,000 seats last year. Now it has risen to 44,000.

Hajj: 30,000 seats under govt quota cut down

New Delhi: The External Affairs ministry has cut down as many as 30,000 seats under the Haj quota of the Central Government. Accordingly, the number of persons performing the pilgrimage through All India Haj Committee will come down.

However, the number of pilgrims from India would remain unchanged with the increase in quota for private tour operators. The new regulations will be applicable for Haj pilgrimage this year.

It has been alleged that the move has been aimed for the benefit of private operators.

Meanwhile, Minority Affairs Minister K Rahman Khan has openly come out against the new regulations. Registering his protest, he shot off a letter to Prime minister with a demand to revoke the decision.

Last year, a total of 1.3 lakh seats were allotted to the All India Haj Committee. Now it has been reduced to 1 lakh and the remaining 30,000 seats were given to private operators.

The private operators were allotted 14,000 seats last year. Now it has risen to 44,000.

Private bus strike called off

KOTTAYAM: The indefinite strike called by private bus owners from Monday seeking a hike in fares, has been called off. The decision was taken following the talks held between the representatives of bus owners, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and Transport Minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan in Kottayam.

The government has Justice Ramachandran Committee’s report on the hike in bus charge. The bus owners accepted government’s directive to take a decision on the hike after discussing in the cabinet.

Bus owners organisation called for a strike demanding a rise in minimum fare to Rs 10, increase the concessional fare for students and to retain the private bus permit etc.

After the talks, bus owners federation and confederation said they have faith in the assurance of the transport minister and the fare will be hiked as per the report of the commission.

Private bus strike called off

KOTTAYAM: The indefinite strike called by private bus owners from Monday seeking a hike in fares, has been called off. The decision was taken following the talks held between the representatives of bus owners, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and Transport Minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan in Kottayam.

The government has Justice Ramachandran Committee’s report on the hike in bus charge. The bus owners accepted government’s directive to take a decision on the hike after discussing in the cabinet.

Bus owners organisation called for a strike demanding a rise in minimum fare to Rs 10, increase the concessional fare for students and to retain the private bus permit etc.

After the talks, bus owners federation and confederation said they have faith in the assurance of the transport minister and the fare will be hiked as per the report of the commission.

Pakistan's ISI planned terror attacks on US and Israeli consulates in India

NEW DELHI: Central security agencies have claimed that Pakistan's ISI had plans to carry out terror attacks on two foreign consulates in India with evidence for this reportedly given by a Sri Lankan national, arrested from Chennai, during his interrogation.

Official sources claimed on Sunday that Sakir Hussain, a Sri Lankan national, told his interrogators that he had been hired allegedly by an official in Pakistani high commission in Colombo as part of the ISI's alleged plans to conduct reconnaissance of US consulate in Chennai and Israeli consulate in Bengaluru.

Hussain was arrested on April 29 in a coordinated operation involving various countries including a southeast Asian nation.

He is reported to have told the interrogators that Pakistan's spy agency was planning to send two men from Maldives to Chennai and that he had to arrange for their travel documents and hideouts.

Hussain's name cropped up during an investigation in a southeast Asian country which tipped a central security agency in India about possible attack on US and Israeli consulates, the sources said.

An immediate surveillance led the investigators to Husain who had been constantly shifting his base in neighbouring Sri Lanka prompting the sleuths to seek cooperation of the island nation, the sources said.

After Hussain's arrival in Chennai, he was picked up and subjected to sustained interrogation during which, the sources claimed, he spoke about a possible terror strike on the two consulates.

During interrogation, Hussain reportedly took the name of Amir Zubair Siddiq, who is counsellor (visa) at Pakistan high commission in Colombo, as his alleged handler and also said he had been chosen as he was engaged in human trafficking, making of forged passports and smuggling of fake Indian currency.

The sleuths recovered pictures of US and Israeli consulates showing various gates and roads leading to the two premises, the sources said, and claimed that these pictures had been mailed to his alleged handlers in Pakistan and its high commission in Colombo.

Cyber signatures showed that the pictures were downloaded at a computer within the premises of Pakistan high commission at Colombo and the same had been shared with Sri Lankan authorities, the sources claimed. Muhammad Daud Ehtisham, press attache, High Commission of Pakistan in Sri Lanka, has dismissed as speculative in nature the charge of ISI's alleged involvement in any attack plans.

Observing that this seemed to be a "malicious media campaign", Ehtisham has been quoted as having said that Pakistan and its state institutions are responsible entities and do not indulge in such activities.

The sources claimed that a proper sketch prepared about the roads leading to the two consulates were also uploaded and emailed in Portable Document Format (PDF).

Sri Lankan authorities were carrying out a probe at its end to fill in the gaps in the investigations being carried out by India besides corroborating the version of Hussain.

Siddiq is not a new name for intelligence agencies as he figured earlier as well in 2012-13 when central security agencies picked up one Tameem Ansari, a frequent flier from Trichy to Colombo. Ansari was arrested after six months of surveillance in 2012.

Ansari, a small trader who sent, among other things, potatoes and onions to Sri Lanka, was in touch with Haji, a Tamil-speaking Muslim from Colombo.

Since Ansari's business was not doing well, Haji allegedly introduced him to Siddiq in the Pakistan mission in Colombo, and his second in command, Shaji.

After reportedly brainwashing him, Siddiq roped him to take videos of the Nagapattinam port, the ships that berthed there, the topography and other dimensions as well as Mallipattinam, traditionally a landing point.

The sources said the apparent strategy being followed by Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) was to rope in Muslims from Sri Lanka for executing their plans to give credibility to the deniability factor that it was not involved in any way.

Pakistan's ISI planned terror attacks on US and Israeli consulates in India

NEW DELHI: Central security agencies have claimed that Pakistan's ISI had plans to carry out terror attacks on two foreign consulates in India with evidence for this reportedly given by a Sri Lankan national, arrested from Chennai, during his interrogation.

Official sources claimed on Sunday that Sakir Hussain, a Sri Lankan national, told his interrogators that he had been hired allegedly by an official in Pakistani high commission in Colombo as part of the ISI's alleged plans to conduct reconnaissance of US consulate in Chennai and Israeli consulate in Bengaluru.

Hussain was arrested on April 29 in a coordinated operation involving various countries including a southeast Asian nation.

He is reported to have told the interrogators that Pakistan's spy agency was planning to send two men from Maldives to Chennai and that he had to arrange for their travel documents and hideouts.

Hussain's name cropped up during an investigation in a southeast Asian country which tipped a central security agency in India about possible attack on US and Israeli consulates, the sources said.

An immediate surveillance led the investigators to Husain who had been constantly shifting his base in neighbouring Sri Lanka prompting the sleuths to seek cooperation of the island nation, the sources said.

After Hussain's arrival in Chennai, he was picked up and subjected to sustained interrogation during which, the sources claimed, he spoke about a possible terror strike on the two consulates.

During interrogation, Hussain reportedly took the name of Amir Zubair Siddiq, who is counsellor (visa) at Pakistan high commission in Colombo, as his alleged handler and also said he had been chosen as he was engaged in human trafficking, making of forged passports and smuggling of fake Indian currency.

The sleuths recovered pictures of US and Israeli consulates showing various gates and roads leading to the two premises, the sources said, and claimed that these pictures had been mailed to his alleged handlers in Pakistan and its high commission in Colombo.

Cyber signatures showed that the pictures were downloaded at a computer within the premises of Pakistan high commission at Colombo and the same had been shared with Sri Lankan authorities, the sources claimed. Muhammad Daud Ehtisham, press attache, High Commission of Pakistan in Sri Lanka, has dismissed as speculative in nature the charge of ISI's alleged involvement in any attack plans.

Observing that this seemed to be a "malicious media campaign", Ehtisham has been quoted as having said that Pakistan and its state institutions are responsible entities and do not indulge in such activities.

The sources claimed that a proper sketch prepared about the roads leading to the two consulates were also uploaded and emailed in Portable Document Format (PDF).

Sri Lankan authorities were carrying out a probe at its end to fill in the gaps in the investigations being carried out by India besides corroborating the version of Hussain.

Siddiq is not a new name for intelligence agencies as he figured earlier as well in 2012-13 when central security agencies picked up one Tameem Ansari, a frequent flier from Trichy to Colombo. Ansari was arrested after six months of surveillance in 2012.

Ansari, a small trader who sent, among other things, potatoes and onions to Sri Lanka, was in touch with Haji, a Tamil-speaking Muslim from Colombo.

Since Ansari's business was not doing well, Haji allegedly introduced him to Siddiq in the Pakistan mission in Colombo, and his second in command, Shaji.

After reportedly brainwashing him, Siddiq roped him to take videos of the Nagapattinam port, the ships that berthed there, the topography and other dimensions as well as Mallipattinam, traditionally a landing point.

The sources said the apparent strategy being followed by Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) was to rope in Muslims from Sri Lanka for executing their plans to give credibility to the deniability factor that it was not involved in any way.