BJP leader Balbir Punj said, “This is a very serious development and particularly the way Air India was robbed and after that a serious allegation being made in a very respectable newspaper in Canada. The prime minister must immediately order a high level inquiry and take the nation into confidence as to what he is doing about this serious allegation.”

Civil aviation minister Ajit Singh said a probe could not be ordered merely on the basis of a newspaper reports. “He (Patel) has denied doing any such thing. I have no information about this and he has told the prime minister that he is ready to face a probe. What else can be done? How can any report published in any newspaper lead to a probe? Something concrete has to be there,” he said.

Karigar is accused of paying bribes and also for being involved in a bid-rigging scheme in 2007 in a failed attempt to win contracts for computerized passenger face recognition biometrics system of Air India.

The case filed with the Royal Canadian Mountain Police against Karigar also includes the name of Hasan Gafoor, former Mumbai Police commissioner.

Meanwhile, the newspaper pointed out that there was no direct proof that Patel had accepted the bribe.

Article source: http://timesofindia.feedsportal.com/fy/8at2EtY0WEG6t1k0/story01.htm

In March, 2005, the Central Vigilance Commission had forwarded a complaint alleging irregularities in issuance of insurance policies by NICL to a private telecom provider for coverage of default payments to CBI for discreet inquiry and report. The allegations were that during 2002-2004, NICL officials in connivance with officials of the private telecom firm signed two MoUs.

“Terms and conditions in the MoUs signed between NICL and the firm were in deviation from the standard policy and favourable to the party,” the source said.

On the basis of the said agreements, NICL issued two special contingency policies (SCPs) from the Kalyan division office of NICL in Mumbai. “During the enquiry it was found that the officials of Mumbai Regional office of NICL and Kalyan division office of NICL committed serious illegalities in connivance with officials of telecom provider which resulted into wrongful loss of Rs 273.12 crore,” he said.

After a discreet inquiry, CBI registered a regular case against several officials of NICL and the private telecom provider under different sections of IPC and the Prevention of Corruption Act in December last year. During the investigation, it was found that the NICL while issuing both policies did not carry out risk analysis and absence of “application of mind” which caused huge loss, the source said.

Besides, NICL had also surrendered the basic right of the insurer to review and opt for cancellation of the policy in case negative trends are noticed. “In majority of

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“Inclement weather and cancellation of helicopter service has led to worry among people in Lahaul, considering that no emergency help would be available during this period,” Sanjeev Shashni, a resident of Sissu village, lamented. He rued that the government has no backup plan to tackle such situations. Another resident of Keylong, Sheru Bodh, said that it was unfortunate that they are totally dependent on the health of a flying machine in emergency situation. “Our hospitals do not have facilities and patients are needed to be airlifted to Kullu frequently. Winter is the time when illnesses knock at every door here,” he added.

A four-seater small chopper was hired for Friday and three sorties were scheduled between Kullu and Lahaul especially for staff supervising teacher’s eligibility test (TET on Sunday. But the sorties were cancelled due to inclement weather. Sources said the test could be postponed or cancelled if the staff does not reach Lahaul on time.

Kullu-Lahaul flight committee in-charge Roop Lal said the chopper had a critical problem in its rotor blades and they had to cancel all sorties. “It could take 3 or 4 more days for the chopper to be fit to carry passengers across the Rohtang pass. Once it reaches Kullu, flights would be operated regularly according to the schedule made by the general administrative department,” he said.

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Khan “met” the villagers through a video conference at the local government school where his eponymous production house had set up the system for the purpose. He asked sarpanch Paramjit Singh and other residents about how they were able to do this when they stayed in a region known for its love for alcohol.

The talk lasted 20 minutes. He also asked women in the village about how they felt when the vend was closed in 2010.

Gurmail Kaur said most of the meagre earnings of her family were drowned in liquor consumption earlier and now, all of it was being utilized for food and fulfilling children’s educational requirements.

Paramjit said, “As Aamir himself contacted us, this would motivate others to follow in our footsteps.”

School teacher Renu was all praise for Aamir. Another teacher, Pushpa Vohra, said, “We told Aamir about the change in behaviour of many residents, who have now started attending parent-teacher meetings after they stopped consuming liquor.”

Aamir took notice of many Sangrur panchayats’ act after TOI started its “Brewing Trouble” series on excessive use of liquor in the state in late 2011.

“Aamir Khan’s production team reached Sangrur villages on October 22 to capture the tale of how panchayats acted. This would make for one episode in Aamir’s upcoming project,” said convener of the NGO, People for Transparency (PFT), Kamal Anand.

About 50 Sangrur panchayats used the provisions of Panchayati Raj Act to remove liquor vends from their areas. As part of that, they can ask state

Article source: http://timesofindia.feedsportal.com/fy/8at2EtY0WEKyD1k1/story01.htm

Sonu had alleged that the accused got an advertisement published in a local newspaper on October 8, 2010, which gave some contact numbers for sale and purchase of kidneys. When he called on the number, the person who took the call demanded Rs 5 lakh for a kidney.

Maheshwari immediately sent written complaints to then Health minister Laxmi Kanta Chawla, the Punjab DGP and other senior officials. However, no action was taken. “I sent more complaints in April 2011, but still no action was taken. Then I knocked on the doors of Punjab and Haryana high court. When police did not act despite HC directions, the court reprimanded Patiala Police on January 31, asking it to take action within a week. Finally, an FIR has been registered,” he said.

Alleging that the police were trying to hush up the matter, Maheshwari added, “Karnail had told me that two kidneys of A and B blood groups were available, but police inquiry report states that both the organs were of Sunita, a woman from Patiala. How can a woman have kidneys of different blood groups?”

“We have arrested Karnail and taken him into one-day police remand. We have started investigations and expect to make more arrests in coming some days,” said investigations officer Bhupinder Singh.

Article source: http://timesofindia.feedsportal.com/fy/8at2EtY0WEJpK1k1/story01.htm

JALANDHAR: Two years after announcing the founding of Ravidassia religion by Dera Ballan, the Asi-Dharmi community has finally installed Amrit Bani Granth at the Guru Ravidass dham – the biggest and most opulent upcoming shrine of the community – in Buta Mandi area of Jalandhar.

Dera Ballan had announced to found the new religion on January 30, 2010, on the occasion of birth anniversary of Guru Ravidass after the killing of its deputy head Sant Ramanand in May 2009 at a temple in Vienna by some Sikh radicals.

Earlier, the dera gave prime place to Sikh holy book Guru Granth Sahib and every religious ceremony was performed around it. Guru Ravidass Dham is managed by Sri Guru Ravidass Education and Charitable Trust, which is headed by Seth Satpal Mall, a close confidant of Dera Ballan management, who was an aspirant of Congress ticket in the assembly election but could not get it.

The management had been avoiding installing the Amrit Bani Granth while replacing Bir of Guru Granth Sahib for the last two years even as there was strong demand from a sizeable chunk of the population in Buta Mandi, a stronghold of the community, and radical elements of the community had even been castigating the management.

Ravidass Dham has a grand structure and work on it has been going on for the last few years. Around a year back there has been a vertical divide in the management over its control and also over

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