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TNT trigger in bombing of Israeli diplomat's car

April 23, 2012

New Delhi, April 23: More than two months after the attack on an Israeli diplomat in the capital, the Central Forensic Science Laboratory has identified trinitrotoluene (TNT) as the explosive material used in the strike.

The 31-page forensic report was handed over to Delhi Police at a time when a team is getting ready to leave for Tehran to probe the role of three Iranians - Houshang Afshar Irani, Mohammad Reza Abolghasemi and Seyed Ali Mahdian Sadr - allegedly involved in the February 13 bombing of diplomat Tal Yehoshua Koren's car. The letters rogatory, being sent to Iran, Thailand and Malaysia, are already under process.

Sources say TNT has not been used widely by terrorists in India earlier. "It is a material which is usually used by military and armed forces. There are few blasts in India where traces of TNT have been found. Terror groups in India mostly use RDX, PETN, ammonium nitrate or potassium chlorate," said a senior officer.

CFSL deputed its senior scientists for identifying the explosive material used in the terror incident, the first time when a foreign diplomat was targeted in India. "It is established from samples picked from the scene of crime that TNT was used as the explosive material," the report said. It also talks about pieces having magnetic nature that could have been used by main bomber Irani for sticking the bomb on the car.

Yehoshua was seriously injured in the attack and was treated at a Delhi hospital for a few days before being flown back to Israel. The Indian driver of the car and two others were also injured.

The investigators, who are in touch with intelligence agencies of other countries, feel that the attack was carried out by Tevhid-Selam-Quds, an organization that is being handled out of Iran. "Its operatives are trained and equipped with weapons, ammunition and explosives, especially in handling of TNT and C4," said a source. The group has a history of carrying out terrorist attacks on Israel in other countries like those in Turkey, including the murder of Israeli security officer Ehud Sadan.

Delhi Police has already arrested Indian journalist Syed Mohammed Ahmed Kazmi, who was working part-time for an Iranian news agency and Persian newspapers, for allegedly being a part of the car blast conspiracy in Delhi. He was sent to judicial custody for 14 more days on Saturday.

The National Bomb Data Centre, which comes under the elite NSG, was kept away from collection of samples at the blast site by Delhi Police despite being the central nodal agency for monitoring, recording and analysing all bombing incidents in the country.

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Agencies
August 6,2020

Mumbai, Aug 6: Former Reserve Bank of India governor Raghuram Rajan said on Thursday that overly focusing on what sovereign rating agencies think can take one's eyes off what needs to be done for the economy.

"It is also important to convince both domestic and international investors that after the crisis associated with the pandemic is over, we will return to fiscal responsibility over the medium term, and the government should do more to convince them of that," Rajan told the Global Markets Forum.

India was placed under one of the strictest lockdowns in the world in late March for more than two months to stem the spread of the coronavirus, but cases have continued to rise steadily since the government eased restrictions in June, stymieing hopes of an economic recovery.

The government has announced several initiatives to help the poor and small- and medium-size businesses, but actual cash outgo from the government's measures has been estimated at just about 1% of GDP.

Several attribute the fiscal prudence to fear of a downgrade after Moody's cut India's rating and outlook in early June followed closely by a change in outlook from Fitch.

The central bank on its part too has reduced the key lending rate by 115 basis points on top of the 135 bps last year and is widely expected to cut rates by another 25 bps later on Thursday.

"The RBI and government have certainly been cooperating, but it seems like it is elsewhere, the ball is in the government's court to do more," Rajan said.

He said the RBI needs to focus on whether credit is reaching the stressed areas of the economy and also if the viable firms were able to access credit and not the unviable ones.

"And I think that's where it has to focus its attentions, because resources, as you well know, are limited in India today."

Recently analysts, however, have cited the growing possibility the RBI may prefer to pause and cut rates only at its October meeting.

Government officials too have suggested the possibility of any more fiscal stimulus being announced, would only come in the second half of the fiscal year, once a recovery has taken root and coronavirus cases have peaked.

"What India should focus on at this point is protecting its economic capabilities, so that when it has dealt with the virus it can go resume activity in a reasonable way. That should be the focus," Rajan said.

"And if it does that, there is no reason why the rating agencies will not see that as an appropriate policy".

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News Network
May 11,2020

May 11: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday said many states were amending labour laws, but the fight against the novel coronavirus pandemic cannot be an excuse to exploit workers, suppress their voice and crush their human rights.

Gandhi said there cannot be any compromise on the basic principles by allowing unsafe workplaces.

"Many states are amending labour laws. We are together fighting against corona, but this cannot be an excuse to crush human rights, allow unsafe workplaces, exploit workers and suppress their voice," he said.

"There cannot be any compromise on these basic principles," he added.

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh also said it would be dangerous and disastrous to loosen labour, land and environment laws in the name of economic revival and stimulus.

"In the name of economic revival and stimulus, it will be dangerous and disastrous to loosen labour, land and environmental laws and regulations as the Modi govt is planning.

"The first steps have already been taken. This is a quack remedy like demonetisation," Ramesh tweeted.

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Agencies
July 13,2020

Jaipur, July 13: Amid a deepening political crisis in Rajasthan where the number 2 leader of the Congress party Sachin Pilot has revolted, over 200 Income Tax (I-T) sleuths raided the residences and properties of two of Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot’s close confidants.

The Income Tax department has carried out searches at over a dozen locations linked to Congress leader Dharamender Rathore as well as jewellery firm owner Rajiv Arora, both of whom are considered close to Gehlot.

Officials said that the raids that are underway in Jaipur, Kota, Delhi, and Mumbai were done after a complaint of tax evasion was made. Under the scanner, they said, are transactions that were made outside the country.

The curious timing of the Income Tax department’s action against Gehlot’s aides has made the Congress accuse the sleuths of acting on the behest of the BJP.

Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala tweeted: “After all, BJP's lawyers came on the field. The Income Tax Department started raids in Jaipur. When will ED arrive?”

The Congress is facing a cliffhanger in Rajasthan after the open rebellion by deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot, who on Sunday night claimed that he had the support of 30 MLAs and that Gehlot was leading a minority government in the state.

However, Congress leader Avinash Pande on Monday said 109 MLAs have signed a letter of support to the chief minister, well above the majority mark of 100. The party has issued a whip to all the MLAs, asking them to attend the Congress Legislature Party meeting at 10.30 am. 

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