Goa: US firm is accused of bribing officials
Former Goa Chief Minister Digambar Kamat is likely to be arrested by the state's Crime Branch on Friday if a court refuses to extend anticipatory bail to him for his alleged involvement in the Louis Berger case. The US firm has been charged with bribing Indian officials to win two major water developmental projects in Goa and Assam. The development comes a day after former public works department minister in Kamat’s cabinet Churchill Alemao was arrested by the Goa crime branch. Earlier, Japan International Cooperation Agency Project Director Anand Wachasunder and former Vice President of Louis Berger Satyakam Mohanty had been arrested in connection with the case.
West Bengal: Madan Mitra's bail plea rejected
The Calcutta High Court on Thursday rejected the bail plea of West Bengal Transport Minister Madan Mitra, who is an accused in the multi-crore-rupee Saradha chit fund scam. The plea was rejected despite Mitra's lawyer Kapil Sibal promising that the Trinamool Congress minister would step down if he was granted bail. Sibal said that Mitra continued to remain in police custody even though the investigation into the case had been concluded and a chargesheet filed. Rejecting Sibal's arguments, a twojudge bench said that Mitra would be able to influence the investigation due to his position in the state government.
Tamil Nadu: State asks why Rajiv's killers can't be released
Drawing an analogy with the release of the brother of Mahatma Gandhi's assasin Nathuram Godse from jail, the Tamil Nadu state government on Thursday asked the Supreme Court to uphold the release of the seven people convicted for the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. Senior advocate Rakesh Dwivedi said that nobody had questioned the release of Gopal Vinayak Godse 16 years after he was arrested in connection with the Mahatma's assassination. He added that the state was not defending the actions of the former Prime Minister's assassins, but pointed out that the main conspirator in the case, Velupillai Prabhakaran, had never been brought to justice in an Indian court.
Kerala: College magazine withheld for anti-Modi remarks
A Kerala college magazine allegedly containing negative remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi was withheld from publication, with the management of the printing press on the Thursday objecting to the content. A group of students belonging to Communist Party of India (Marxist)'s student wing, the Students Federation of India, protested the decision, but the press management refused to back down from its stand. The magazine was sponsored by SFI volunteers at the Maharajas Technical Institute in Thrissur. "The article on Modi was noticed when the copies were being packed", the owner of the press said.
Pondicherry: Students demand V-C's removal
Pondicherry University students on Thursday began an indefinite fast to demand the removal of Vice-Chancellor Chandra Krishnamoorthy for allegedly causing administrative chaos and violating their human rights. The students, who have been agitating since July 27, have also demanded an improvement in hostel facilities and other amenities. Officials of the Union Human Resource Development Ministry said that they would depute a committee to listen to all parties involved in the dispute and make a report to the Central government.
We welcome your comments at
letters@scroll.in.
Former Goa Chief Minister Digambar Kamat is likely to be arrested by the state's Crime Branch on Friday if a court refuses to extend anticipatory bail to him for his alleged involvement in the Louis Berger case. The US firm has been charged with bribing Indian officials to win two major water developmental projects in Goa and Assam. The development comes a day after former public works department minister in Kamat’s cabinet Churchill Alemao was arrested by the Goa crime branch. Earlier, Japan International Cooperation Agency Project Director Anand Wachasunder and former Vice President of Louis Berger Satyakam Mohanty had been arrested in connection with the case.
West Bengal: Madan Mitra's bail plea rejected
The Calcutta High Court on Thursday rejected the bail plea of West Bengal Transport Minister Madan Mitra, who is an accused in the multi-crore-rupee Saradha chit fund scam. The plea was rejected despite Mitra's lawyer Kapil Sibal promising that the Trinamool Congress minister would step down if he was granted bail. Sibal said that Mitra continued to remain in police custody even though the investigation into the case had been concluded and a chargesheet filed. Rejecting Sibal's arguments, a twojudge bench said that Mitra would be able to influence the investigation due to his position in the state government.
Tamil Nadu: State asks why Rajiv's killers can't be released
Drawing an analogy with the release of the brother of Mahatma Gandhi's assasin Nathuram Godse from jail, the Tamil Nadu state government on Thursday asked the Supreme Court to uphold the release of the seven people convicted for the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. Senior advocate Rakesh Dwivedi said that nobody had questioned the release of Gopal Vinayak Godse 16 years after he was arrested in connection with the Mahatma's assassination. He added that the state was not defending the actions of the former Prime Minister's assassins, but pointed out that the main conspirator in the case, Velupillai Prabhakaran, had never been brought to justice in an Indian court.
Kerala: College magazine withheld for anti-Modi remarks
A Kerala college magazine allegedly containing negative remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi was withheld from publication, with the management of the printing press on the Thursday objecting to the content. A group of students belonging to Communist Party of India (Marxist)'s student wing, the Students Federation of India, protested the decision, but the press management refused to back down from its stand. The magazine was sponsored by SFI volunteers at the Maharajas Technical Institute in Thrissur. "The article on Modi was noticed when the copies were being packed", the owner of the press said.
Pondicherry: Students demand V-C's removal
Pondicherry University students on Thursday began an indefinite fast to demand the removal of Vice-Chancellor Chandra Krishnamoorthy for allegedly causing administrative chaos and violating their human rights. The students, who have been agitating since July 27, have also demanded an improvement in hostel facilities and other amenities. Officials of the Union Human Resource Development Ministry said that they would depute a committee to listen to all parties involved in the dispute and make a report to the Central government.
