QBullet: Gulbarg Society Sentencing; Essar Tapping Twist and More

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1. Gulbarg Society Sentencing: “Not As Harsh As Naroda Pitya”

Fourteen years after a mob massacred 69 people at the Gulbarg Society, a court on June 17 sentenced 11 of the 24 convicts to life imprisonment. A Special Sessions Court also sentenced one person to 10 years and 12 others to seven years in jail for lesser offences.

The Quint spoke to RK Raghavan, former CBI Director and chairman of the SIT constituted by the Supreme Court to probe riot cases, including the Gulbarg massacre, about the verdict, and though he welcomed the judgement, he also expressed his dissatisfaction.

Also Read: Gulbarg Case: So Many Life Terms Is Exemplary, Says RK Raghavan

What are your reactions to the Ahmedabad court’s verdict, convicting 24 people while acquitting 36 others in the Gulbarg Society massacre case of 28 February 2002?

Mixed reactions. Happy that 24 have been convicted. Acquittals (are) too high for my satisfaction. Anyhow, I bow down to the Judge‘s superior wisdom.

To the question of why the Gulbarg massacre sentencing isn’t as harsh as in the case of Naroda Patiya, a piece in The Indian Express written by Leena Misra says:

The verdict in the Gulbarg case is far different from the Naroda Patiya killings, considered the worst of the post-Godhra bloodshed, where 97 persons were killed and the court had named a sitting BJP MLA and former minister in the then Narendra Modi-led government, Maya Kodnani, as “kingpin” and awarded her life sentence for 28 years, apart from 31 others. In the Gulbarg case, the court did not find enough evidence to corroborate the conspiracy clause, which would have meant that the killings were pre-planned.  

Leena Misra in The Indian Express

In its judgment, the court accepted the defence lawyers’ theory that slain Congress MP Ehsan Jafri’s firing infuriated the mob and became the catalyst for the carnage. The Court cited 20 policemen’s testimonies to arrive at this conclusion.

Meanwhile, Zakia Jafri, who lost Ehsan, her husband, in this massacre, says she’ll continue to fight another legal battle having challenged the clean chit given to Prime minister Narendra Modi who was chief minister in 2002 by the same SIT.

2. BJP MLA’s Rally Stopped Outside Kairana, March Called Off

Escalating political tensions in UP over the alleged exodus of Hindus from Kairana, BJP MLA Sangeet Som on June 17 was stopped by Uttar Pradesh police from taking his rally to Kairana. Som complied with the police, saying party workers would not do anything to affect law and order.

Also Read: BJP MLA’s Nirbhay Yatra Stopped Outside Kairana, March Called Off

Section 144 – prohibition on assembly of more than 10 persons in an area – had earlier been imposed in Kairana. Som, who is an accused in the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots case gave a 15-day ultimatum, saying that if the SP government in Uttar Pradesh does not bring the Hindus who allegedly migrated back, no one would be able to stop BJP workers from going to Kairana.

3. Dabholkar’s Killer Wanted to Raise Hindu Army

The CBI on Saturday claimed that Virendra Tawade, a member of Sanatan Sanstha who has been arrested in connection with the murder of rationalist Narendra Dabholkar, had sent emails to Sarang Akolkar, an absconding accused with a Red Corner Notice (RCN) issued by the Interpol against him in the Goa blast case of 2009, speaking about the formation of 15,000-strong army who are ready to fight anti-Hindu forces in the country.

A report in The Times of India mentions that the CBI also believes that an officer from the police force, who was in regular touch with Dabholkar’s killers, may have provided arms training to them.While the CBI has identified the police officer, it is yet to interrogate him in the case.

4. New Education Policy: Key Recommendations

While recommending a SAT-like national-level test after Class XII, The Report of the Committee for Evolution of the New Education Policy suggested major changes in the school examination structure, while warning against allowing educational institutions to become “political arenas to settle national rivalries.”

For higher education institutions, it goes on to recommend.

It is essential to find right balance between free speech and freedom of association guaranteed by the constitution, with the primary purpose for which the universities have been established to enable the pursuit of education.

To restrict the period of stay of students on campuses, there should be a national debate on the need for the students to necessarily achieve the minimum benchmarks for scholastic progress to prevent the misuse of educational facilities (hostel and fellowships) established at public expense.

The Economic Times collated all the recommendations in a listicle format. The Union HRD ministry will now take a call on the panel’s recommendations.

5. Amid Rumours of Her Being Cong Face in UP, Sheila Faces Scam

Former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit has rubbished allegations linking her to a Rs 400-crore water tanker scam, saying that it is a “politically motivated” accusation. This came after Lt Governor Najeeb Jung ordered Delhi government’s Anti-Corruption Branch to probe the scam. Dikshit also questioned the timing of the probe saying it was ordered when preparations for polls in Punjab and Uttar Pradesh were picking up momentum.

Also Read: Delhi Water Tanker Scam: Sheila Dikshit Lashes Out at AAP Govt

Also Read: Sheila Dikshit Likely to Be Given Punjab Congress Charge

Meanwhile, amid rumours of her being elected as the face of the Congress party in UP following Prashant Kishor’s recommendation, Dikshit said that she is ready to play any role in the Uttar Pradesh and Punjab elections, and reminded party high command that decisions about election strategy for the poll-bound states should be made as soon as possible.

6. Twist in Essar Tapping Case: Ex-Employee Distances Himself From Lawyer

We told you on Friday about a complaint submitted to PMO by Suren Uppal, a Supreme Court lawyer, who alleged that Essar Group tapped phones of several top businessmen including Mukesh Ambani and Anil Ambani, current and former Cabinet ministers like Suresh Prabhu, Praful Patel and high-profile bureaucrats between 2001 and 2006.

Also Read: Essar Group Tapped Phones of Several VVIPs: Complaint to PMO

Well, the story has taken a twist with Albasit Khan, the ex-Essar employee who allegedly handled the tapping, distancing himself from the Supreme Court lawyer who had said that he was representing Khan.

But the lawyer, in his own defence, says: “I have said in my complaint to the Prime Minister that Essar has won over Albasit Khan”.

“I have enough evidence with me that Albasit Khan was in touch with me on the subject of the interception operations. I have logbooks of the entire operation handwritten by Albasit himself. I will prepare a PIL and hand over all this material along with the tapes, running into over 25 hours, to the Supreme Court,” says the SC lawyer.

Meanwhile, the group has rubbished allegations that it tapped phones of several high-profile individuals between 2001 and 2006,

Also Read: VVIP Phone Tapping Allegations ‘False’ and ‘Extortionist’: Essar

7. Anand Shows Video to “Show” RS Poll Rigging

RK Anand, one of the defeated candidates in Haryana in the Rajya Sabha Polls, has released a video recording to prove that the BJP had rigged the polls, reports The Hindu.

Mr Anand, an Independent candidate with Congress backing, also filed a police complaint against the winning candidate Subash Chandra, an official of the Election Commission and two BJP MLAs. The footage Mr Anand shared with journalists at his residence was taken from the polling station on 11 June, when the legislators cast their votes to elect two Rajya Sabha representatives. Mr Anand pointed to a visual showing Aseem Goyal, a BJP MLA, walking towards the ballot box.

In his complaint to the Haryana police, Mr Anand said Mr Subash Chandra had met the Returning Officer of the Election Commission a day before the polling. At the meeting, he said Mr Chandra “took photographs of that pen on his mobile phone and retained a paper having the marking of that pen.”

8. Kerala CPM Minister Backs GST

Three days after the meeting on GST of state finance ministers with Union Minister Arun Jaitley, Kerala’s Finance Minister Thomas Issac, a member of the CPM Central Committee, distanced himself from the Congress’s demand of a cap of 18 percent on the GST rate, reports The Indian Express.

He said he “did not know what made them (the Congress) make such an amendment” and added that he “did not find any reason to stand in the way of the GST”. Issac said his state stands to gain from the Goods and Services Tax and added that the CPM will not accept the Congress’s proposed amendment on the GST ceiling rate. The Bill is stuck in Rajya Sabha where the ruling coalition lacks numbers.

9. David Cameron Assures Firm UK Support to India’s NSG Membership Bid

Ahead of the NSG plenary next week, British Prime Minister David Cameron has assured Prime Minister Narendra Modi of the UK’s “firm support” for India’s NSG membership bid, reports The Times of India.

Cameron confirmed Britain’s backing for India’s membership of the 48-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) in a telephone call to PM Modi on Thursday. The two leaders also took stock of UK-India ties in their telephonic conversation. India’s case for NSG membership is also being strongly pushed by the US , which has written to other members to support India’s bid at the plenary meeting of the group expected to be held in Seoul on June 24. While majority of the elite group backed India’s membership, China along with New Zealand, Ireland, Turkey, South Africa and Austria were opposed to India’s admission. China maintains opposition to India’s entry, arguing that it has not signed Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). China wants NSG membership for its close ally Pakistan if NSG extends any exemption for India. India has asserted that being a signatory to the NPT was not essential for joining the NSG as there has been a precedent in this regard, citing the case of France.

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