Suryanelli: I'm clean, won't quit, says Kurien

NEW DELHI: Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairperson and Congress MP PJ Kurien on Friday ruled out his resignation following allegations of his involvement in the 1996 Suryanelli gangrape case. Speaking to CNN-IBN Kurien said, "There is no question of stepping down from my position."

Kurien also claimed that he had never asked for any appointment from Congress President Sonia Gandhi and so there was no question of being denied. "My conscience is clear; I have nothing to worry about. The girl is being used by my political opponents to settle political scores," said Kurien. "Courts of the country have given me a clean chit. Why should I be bothered about allegations?" he added.

Afzal Guru hanged in Tihar jail

  NEW DELHI: Parliament attack convict Mohamammed Afzal Guru was hanged on Saturday morning at 8 am at Tihar jail. The family of Guru was informed about the decision of the Government that his mercy petition was rejected.

Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde said, “The convict was hanged at 8 am.”

Curfew was imposed in the Kashmir Valley in the wee hours on Saturday.

President Pranab Mukherjee had rejected the mercy plea of the 2001 Parliament attack convict, clearing the way for his hanging.

“The mercy petition of Afzal Guru was rejected a few days back,” Rashtrapati Bhavan spokesperson Venu Rajamony said on Saturday.

This is the third prominent mercy plea rejected by Mr. Mukherjee after 26/11 convict Ajmal Kasab and Saibanna Ningappa Natikar, who was sentenced to death for murdering his wife and daughter.

Afzal Guru, a Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorist was convicted for masterminding an attack on Parliament on December 13, 2001. Five terrorists had opened fire at the Prliament premises. All of them were killed and nine victims, mostly security personnel succumbed to injuries.

Syed Abdul Rehman Geelani and Shaukat Hussain were charged as co-conspirators. A Special POTA court in December 2002 convicted three of the accused in the Parliament attack case of conspiracy to commit terrorism and acts amounting to treason.

Geelani was acquited by the Supreme Court and Shaukat Hussain was freed in December 2010 after completing his prison term.

In 2004, Supreme Court convicted Guru of conspiracy in the December 2001 attack on Parliament and sentenced him to death.

 

  

Afzal Guru hanged in Tihar jail

  NEW DELHI: Parliament attack convict Mohamammed Afzal Guru was hanged on Saturday morning at 8 am at Tihar jail. The family of Guru was informed about the decision of the Government that his mercy petition was rejected.

Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde said, “The convict was hanged at 8 am.”

Curfew was imposed in the Kashmir Valley in the wee hours on Saturday.

President Pranab Mukherjee had rejected the mercy plea of the 2001 Parliament attack convict, clearing the way for his hanging.

“The mercy petition of Afzal Guru was rejected a few days back,” Rashtrapati Bhavan spokesperson Venu Rajamony said on Saturday.

This is the third prominent mercy plea rejected by Mr. Mukherjee after 26/11 convict Ajmal Kasab and Saibanna Ningappa Natikar, who was sentenced to death for murdering his wife and daughter.

Afzal Guru, a Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorist was convicted for masterminding an attack on Parliament on December 13, 2001. Five terrorists had opened fire at the Prliament premises. All of them were killed and nine victims, mostly security personnel succumbed to injuries.

Syed Abdul Rehman Geelani and Shaukat Hussain were charged as co-conspirators. A Special POTA court in December 2002 convicted three of the accused in the Parliament attack case of conspiracy to commit terrorism and acts amounting to treason.

Geelani was acquited by the Supreme Court and Shaukat Hussain was freed in December 2010 after completing his prison term.

In 2004, Supreme Court convicted Guru of conspiracy in the December 2001 attack on Parliament and sentenced him to death.

 

  

Suryanelli: I'm clean, won't quit, says Kurien

NEW DELHI: Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairperson and Congress MP PJ Kurien on Friday ruled out his resignation following allegations of his involvement in the 1996 Suryanelli gangrape case. Speaking to CNN-IBN Kurien said, "There is no question of stepping down from my position."

Kurien also claimed that he had never asked for any appointment from Congress President Sonia Gandhi and so there was no question of being denied. "My conscience is clear; I have nothing to worry about. The girl is being used by my political opponents to settle political scores," said Kurien. "Courts of the country have given me a clean chit. Why should I be bothered about allegations?" he added.

I didn’t record Rajan’s statement, says Siby Mathews

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Chief Information Commissioner Siby Mathews who investigated the Suryanelli case said that he didn’t record the statement of BJP leader K S Rajan, a witness in the case. His statement was recorded by DySP Prabhakaran Nair and has the evidence to prove it.

Rajan addressing the media said the officer had changed the time of his visit to Idicula’s house from 5 pm to 7 pm. Rajan also threatened to sue the officer

I didn’t record Rajan’s statement, says Siby Mathews

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Chief Information Commissioner Siby Mathews who investigated the Suryanelli case said that he didn’t record the statement of BJP leader K S Rajan, a witness in the case. His statement was recorded by DySP Prabhakaran Nair and has the evidence to prove it.

Rajan addressing the media said the officer had changed the time of his visit to Idicula’s house from 5 pm to 7 pm. Rajan also threatened to sue the officer

Nepal: Prachanda re-elected as Maoist president

KATHMANDU: Prachanda, the powerful Maoist leader who became prime minister after toppling the 239-year-old monarchy in Nepal, was on Friday re-elected as the president of the ruling UCPN-Maoist party. Prachanda, 58, whose real name is Pushpa Kamal Dahal, was re-elected as the party's president during its seventh general convention which concluded in Hetauda on Friday. "We have successfully concluded our convention. Now, the country will head towards elections for parliament," Prachanda told delegates gathered at the meeting after his re-election. "As chairman of our party, I will use all my strength to steer the party and the country in a new direction," he said. The ruling party's general convention also elected 90 out of 150 central committee members. Other members will be nominated by the president, according to the party sources. The Maoists fought a decade long civil war with the royal forces which ended in 2006 after which the rebels joined mainstream politics and came to power two years later. Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai and Deputy Prime Minister Narayan Kaji Shrestha have been elected first and second vice president respectively. Posta Bahadur Bogati has been elected as general secretary of the party. Nepal plunged into political crisis after a 601-member interim legislature elected to draft a post-war Constitution was dissolved by Maoist Prime Minister Bhattarai in May last year. Elections promised for November were also shelved amid serious differences among the main political parties over who should lead a national unity government. Prachanda has made it clear that the party cannot quit the government unless the Constituent Assembly elections are guaranteed under a new government.

Suby Mally in CBI custody

KOCHI: The CBI court Friday sent Suby Mally, a Mumbai based businesswoman, arrested for mediating between Steel and Industrial Forgings Ltd (SIFL) and various ordnance factories in a deal for supplying component of battle tanks, to four-day custody. They had sought the custody of Suby for further interrogation.

Suby Mally in CBI custody

KOCHI: The CBI court Friday sent Suby Mally, a Mumbai based businesswoman, arrested for mediating between Steel and Industrial Forgings Ltd (SIFL) and various ordnance factories in a deal for supplying component of battle tanks, to four-day custody. They had sought the custody of Suby for further interrogation.

Nepal: Prachanda re-elected as Maoist president

KATHMANDU: Prachanda, the powerful Maoist leader who became prime minister after toppling the 239-year-old monarchy in Nepal, was on Friday re-elected as the president of the ruling UCPN-Maoist party. Prachanda, 58, whose real name is Pushpa Kamal Dahal, was re-elected as the party's president during its seventh general convention which concluded in Hetauda on Friday. "We have successfully concluded our convention. Now, the country will head towards elections for parliament," Prachanda told delegates gathered at the meeting after his re-election. "As chairman of our party, I will use all my strength to steer the party and the country in a new direction," he said. The ruling party's general convention also elected 90 out of 150 central committee members. Other members will be nominated by the president, according to the party sources. The Maoists fought a decade long civil war with the royal forces which ended in 2006 after which the rebels joined mainstream politics and came to power two years later. Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai and Deputy Prime Minister Narayan Kaji Shrestha have been elected first and second vice president respectively. Posta Bahadur Bogati has been elected as general secretary of the party. Nepal plunged into political crisis after a 601-member interim legislature elected to draft a post-war Constitution was dissolved by Maoist Prime Minister Bhattarai in May last year. Elections promised for November were also shelved amid serious differences among the main political parties over who should lead a national unity government. Prachanda has made it clear that the party cannot quit the government unless the Constituent Assembly elections are guaranteed under a new government.