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Anna Hazare silent on Kiran Bedi's U-turn

January 22, 2015

New Delhi, Jan 22: Anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare literally snubbed Kiran Bedi, his former aide, to show his displeasure at her for joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), by not taking her calls and declaring on Wednesday that he would stay away from “political dirt”.

bediThe septuagenarian Gandhian had done the same thing – couple of years ago — when his other aide Arvind Kejriwal floated the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to fight a political battle. Hazare remained inaccessible for Kejriwal for a few days. Kejriwal and Bedi were part of the India Against Corruption (IAC) movement that Hazare launched in 2011.

However, now in the Delhi Assembly polls – the two tallest figures are fighting against each other and are engaged in a war of words.

At one point of time, Anna, Bedi and Kejriwal sat in core committee meetings in Ralegan Siddhi—his village in Ahmednagar —and chalked out future strategies.Hazare’s displeasure was clearly visible when he said he does not want to comment on Bedi’s move. “I want to stay away from political dirt,” he told reporters in a brief chat at Ralegan Siddhi.

On being asked to react to Bedi’s move and over reports he refused to take calls from her, Hazare said: “I do not wish to comment.”

Bedi, after being declared a CM-candidate on being asked about Hazare, had said: “I called Annaji on telephone, sometimes he was sleeping and sometimes he was taking rest. I tried calling Annaji…and would call again.”

To repeated queries, the 77-year-old veteran again said: “Please keep me away…..I do not want to get into political dirt.”

In December 2013, when AAP decided to form government in Delhi, Hazare had taken the same stand of not making any remark. “Let them do what they think good, I do not wish to comment,” he said.

On the issue of Jan Lokpal, he said that he would decide the future course of action after the Delhi polls.

While his closest aides have taken the political path, Hazare, a former soldier, has managed to stay away from politics.

Before the Lok Sabha elections last year, another aide Gen (Retd) V K Singh, the former chief of Army Staff joined the BJP, fought and won the Lok Sabha elections, and he is now the Minister of State for External Affairs and Minister of State (Independent Charge for North East Region).

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Agencies
August 7,2020

Kottayam, Aug 7: A trial court in Kottayam on Friday granted bail to Bishop Franco Mulakkal, accused of raping a nun in Kerala, with stringent conditions and directed him to be present on the dates of hearing of the case.

The Additional Sessions Court had cancelled the bail granted to the Bishop on July 13 for failing to appear for the trial and issued a Non Bailable Warrant against him.

Mulakkal was present in the Court on Friday when it considered the matter.

Granting bail, the court directed him not to leave the state till the chargesheet is read out to him on August 13 and to be present in court on the dates of hearing of the case.

The Court also directed him to offer fresh sureties and bail bonds.

On July 13, Mulakkal’s counsel had informed the court that his client could not appear as he had been in self quarantine due to his primary contact with a COVID-19 infected person.

The next day, the former Jalandhar Bishop had tested positive for coronavirus.

The prosecution informed the Court that Mulakkal had not produced the COVID negative certificate, to which the Court observed that the state Health Department can take necessary action on this issue.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday had directed Mulakkal to face trial as it dismissed his plea seeking discharge in the rape case lodged against him by the nun belonging to a congregation under Jalandhar diocese, saying there was no merit in his petition.

A bench of Chief Justice S A Bobde, A S Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian had told the counsel for Bishop that the court is not saying anything on merit, but is dismissing the plea on the issue of discharge from the case.

Mulakkal, in his plea had challenged the July 7 Kerala High Court order, dismissing his discharge plea in the rape case filed by the nun.

The High Court had asked the deposed Bishop of Jalandhar diocese to stand for trial in the rape case, which was registered on the basis of a complaint filed by the nun.

The senior priest of the Roman Catholic Church had filed the revision petition following the dismissal of his discharge plea by a trial court in March this year.

The rape case against the Bishop was registered by police in Kottayam district.

In her complaint to the police in June, 2018, the nun had alleged that she was subjected to sexual abuse by the bishop during the period between 2014 and 2016.

The bishop, who was arrested by the Special Investigation team, which probed the case, charged him with wrongful confinement, rape, unnatural sex and criminal intimidation.

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News Network
May 11,2020

Kolkata, May 11: Murshidabad district, one of the biggest contributors to the army of migrant workers from West Bengal, received news of unnatural deaths of three of these people since Saturday. While two died in Kerala, one was found dead in a rented house in Odisha.

Residents of Baliaghati village in Murshidabad’s Suti police station area said Safikul Sheikh (31) was killed in a road accident in Kerala. Sheikh’s associates called up his family on Sunday morning and said he had gone to a local market, violating lockdown orders, when the accident took place. Sheikh wanted to return home before Eid but got stranded.

Mohammad Hafijul, one of Sheikh’s relatives, said, “A few days ago a special train from Kerala carried migrant workers to Murshidabad but Safikul did not have the money to buy a ticket. We do not know how his body will be brought back.”

In another incident, a 24-year-old resident of Domkal allegedly hanged himself in Kerala on Saturday. He used to work in a brick kiln. His mother said, “My son was depressed as he could not buy a ticket to board the special train that came to Murshidabad. We have appealed to the local administration to bring back his body.”

In the third incident, Bakul Sheikh (24) died under mysterious circumstances at Sonepur in Odisha where he went five months ago to work as a mason. Sheikh hails from Kohetpur village in Shamserganj. His relatives told the local police that his associates called up and said he was found dead inside the toilet of the house where he was living with other migrant workers.

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News Network
January 27,2020

Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 27: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to arrange for airlifting the Indians stranded in Wuhan province of China, the epicentre of coronavirus, saying the ground situation there has further worsened.

In a letter to Mr. Modi, he said since the situation in Wuhan was grave, it would be appropriate to operate a special flight to Wuhan or a nearby functional airport and airlift Indian nationals stranded there.

Mr. Vijayan also wanted the Prime Minister to give necessary instructions to the Indian Embassy in China to act pro-actively and provide necessary assistance and reassurance to Indians, including Keralites, stranded in Wuhan and Yichang.

The Chief Minister offered assistance of medical professionals from the State in case of evacuation of the Indians from Wuhan.

Chinese health authorities have announced the death toll due to coronavirus has sharply increased to 80 with 2,744 confirmed cases.

The confirmed cases of pneumonia caused by the novel coronavirus officially described as 2019-nCoV included 461 patients who are in critical condition.

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