WASHINGTON : At last Hillary Clinton is “out of the woods”, smugly telling Americans that had election been held 12 days earlier, “I would be your President” and not that brash billionaire Donald Trump.

She took “absolute personal responsibility” for her stunning loss to the political novice even as she claimed Russian President Vladimir Putin, FBI director James Comey and misogyny stole the election from her.

She was cruising to a victory before WikiLeaks started making embarrassing disclosures from her campaign chief’s emails hacked by Putin’s spooks and Comey reopened a probe into her own email saga, Clinton suggested.

But the former Secretary of State did not say why she did not campaign in the battleground states of Wisconsin and Michigan or woo Trump supporters whom she dismissed as a “basket of deplorables.”

She also did not say why she used a “f—ing insane” private server, as a top desi aide Neera Tanden called it, as President Barack Obama’s top diplomat that led to the FBI probe in the first place.

Nor would she say why in the midst of the investigation hubby Bill by “chance” went over to Attorney General Loretta Lynch’s plane last July to say hello and “chat about their grandkids” and golf.

That meeting was “the capper” for Comey, as he would tell senators a day after Clinton’s charge, when he decided that the Justice “department cannot, by itself, credibly end this”.

It was then that he publicly rebuked her for being “extremely careless” in guarding the nation’s secrets and yet letting her go scot free saying “no reasonable prosecutor” would charge her.

But Comey also told the Republican-controlled Congress that he would not hesitate to reopen the probe if and when new material turned up.

And so there was the “October surprise” just 11 days before the November 8 election when his team found thousands of “classified” Clinton e-mails on the computer of her trusted aide Huma Abedin’s husband, Anthony Weiner.

Clinton’s desi “second daughter” appears “to have had a regular practice of forwarding emails” to Weiner, under investigation for a sexting scandal, for taking out printouts for her boss, as Comey would later tell senators.

Faced with a bad or catastrophic decision to speak or conceal, he chose the former, Comey asserted, saying “concealment, in my view, would have been catastrophic” and “death of FBI”.

“It makes me mildly nauseous to think that we might have had some impact on the election,” he testified. “But honestly, it wouldn’t change the decision.”

But the top cop, who has been retained in his job by Trump, also declined “to say another peep” about an investigation into Trump campaign’s contacts with Russia “until we’re done”.

“That’s the way we handled the Clinton investigation, as well,” Comey claimed, dismissing Democrats’ charge of using double standards for the two presidential rivals.

Trump himself brushed aside Clinton’s claim with a tweet: “Comey was the best thing that ever happened to Hillary Clinton in that he gave her a free pass for many bad deeds!”

“The phony Trump/Russia story was an excuse used by the Democrats as justification for losing the election,” he asserted, “Perhaps Trump just ran a great campaign?”

Trump might have already hit the nail on the head when he thanked the Abedins when Comey’s October surprise suddenly lifted his stock. “Good job Huma, thank you Weiner,” he then tweeted.

The President then returned to his favourite pastime of undoing the Obama legacy with his first major legislative victory with the House passing a bill to repeal and replace his predecessor’s “disastrous” signature healthcare law dubbed “Obamacare”.

Using “The Art of the Deal”, he also won Congressional approval for a $1.1 trillion budget to keep the government going until end-September by foregoing funds for that “big beautiful wall” on the border with Mexico.

Pundits dismissed his “Trumpcare” victory as “pyrrhic” suggesting the Republicans would pay a high political price as some House Democrats waved them farewell with a pop song: “Na na na na, hey, hey, hey, goodbye.”

But a victory may remain a distant dream for the Democrats until they can say “Na na na na” to Clinton who has now styled herself “part of the resistance”.

(With Inputs from IANS)

The 92-year-old irrepressible Ram Jethmalani described at times as a maverick is acclaimed as the best legal brain in the country. He revels in controversy which has kept him in the spotlight and has vehemently opposed the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty. Married to two women at the same time which was accepted stoicly by Rani’s mother Durga, the family was patriarchal hailing as he did from Sindh in Pakistan. 

Sindhis from this region married four or five times. At the same time he has refused to talk about some of his escapades and dalliances when he was 19. 

The author Susan Adelman, a paedriatic surgeon and her husband Martin Adelman have been friends of Ram and his family for more than four decades. He loves to shock. If asked for his views about God, he may answer “God is a bumbling fool and a sadist. I am not even sure that he exists, but like a good lawyer, I give him the benefit of doubt”.  

His critics complain Ram fights institutional corruption but he defends the rights of criminals. He is a lawyer who stands up against oppression, fights injustice and is a guardian of freedom. 

Despite being in peril, Ram “waded in with 50 lawyers to intercept a bloody pogrom against Sikhs in Delhi after Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s assassination on October 31, 1984. His creative questions and original arguments are a matter of legend often offered to the great amusement of the court. He is the most pro-Israel politician in Asia. He was a strong champion of Israel when the government would not allow an Israeli embassy in India. 

He has never been sectarian and lectures widely about the peaceful beginnings of Islam. He has argued a landmark case in which he contrasted Hindutva with Hinduism. He believes in astrology and wistfully remembers the gentle sufis of his childhood in Sindh. He has been variously called the Father of Social Justice in India and overcame great odds to establish reservations to help backward classes. 

Sindhis are a minority community in India and that is probably why he vehemently defends the rights of all minorities. Ram shot into prominence during the Emergency from 1975 to 1977 when he was chairman of the Bar Council of India and a powerful opponent of the Indira Gandhi regime. In Washington DC he spoke eloquently about the Emergency before a Congressional committee. 

He was first elected a member of Parliament on his return to this country immediately after the Emergency was lifted and elections called. Above all he is the grand master of the rules of evidence and cross examination. He was the first person to receive political asylum in America during the Emergency. He recalls being impressed with Muhammed Ali Jinnah arguing three cases in court even though he lost them. After Jinnah graduated from Law school he went to a Hindu lawyer in Karachi to interview for a position with him. The lawyer told him his qualifications were excellent; then they began to talk salary. Jinnah insisted on Rs 100 a month but the Hindu refused to go over Rs 75, so Jinnah returned to Bombay (now Mumbai) which obviously provided a wider platform. “If the Hindu had not been a miser, there would not have been a Pakistan.” 

In many ways Ram’s law practice began in 1948 and his career is also the story of India. His family first found that Ratna Shahani had entered his life in 1952. She was the first female lawyer that he had ever met. Her persona contrasted sharply with that of Durga. He married Ratna in Delhi because bigamy was illegal in Bombay. 

Critics disparage Ram as a smugglers’ lawyer. He simply told people “when I see a man come into my office with his pockets bulging with smuggling money, I consider it my duty to relieve him of this wealth.” 

Less than ten years after he arrived in Bombay his first case was registered in the Supreme Court in 1957. This was a refugee matter that tested the constitutionality of the Bombay Land Requisition Act. 

Many of the other cases involved smugglers apprehended under various customs acts particularly the Customs Act of 1962. One of his former junior Sri Jaisinghani said smugglers once constituted 90 per cent of Ram’s practice. After 1962 smuggling soared and along with it a massive black market. 

India was rife with schemes to covert black money to white. It seemed that everyone knew how the rich spent their black money and where to get the best exchange rates. 

Ram uses his arts of rhetoric, cross examination and sly innuendo. There is no secret to his techniques beyond their cleverness, clarity and originality. He has encyclopaedic knowledge of the law. Even judges are in awe. Lawyers have heard a judge ask Ram on several occasions to give the exact language of a statute. He teaches students that “great milestones of the law have not been laid in cases of respectable people but with people who are disreputable.”  

About Israel, he has always explained that the Sindhis are the Jews of India. He has been highly critical of India’s posture against Israel especially during the Indira Gandhi government. Even though India extended formal recognition to Israel in 1950, Israel was not allowed to open an embassy in Delhi until 1992. His house was the de facto Israeli embassy in India.   

Ram’s life in Parliament combined politics with his law practice. He hoped to be law minister but Prime Minister Morarji Desai gave that portfolio to Shanti Bhushan. It was Ram’s belief that he was not appointed law minister because Desai was a teetotaller and he drank Scotch. He loved to jibe that even if Desai drank his own urine in the morning, he preferred scotch at dinner time. 

When Desai promoted prohibition, Ram said “I will keep drinking to keep my right to drink alive.” On one occasion when Desai chided him to behave, he replied “You stick to your pissky and I’ll stick to my whisky…” 

One of  the remarkable aspects of Ram’s career is how he moves easily among cases of criminal law, family law, contract law and constitutional law. It is widely believed he knows more law than any other lawyer in India. 

After Indira Gandhi’s assassination, Sikh revenge was seen as malevolent revenge and by defending them Ram was seen to be on the wrong side, the public even signalling their displeasure with demonstrations against him. BJP requested Ram to resign as party vice president and he did. This time the resignation was accepted and this was the most disastrous move in his career. Otherwise he would have become the Prime Minister. He was satisfied with sacrificing his own interests for a cause. He often acts first on his gut feeling, and uses his brilliance later to justify his actions.  

After losing his parliament seat in 1985, Ram was in political wilderness. He returned to the Rajya Sabha from Karnataka in 1988. He started a political party Bharat Mukti Morcha and disbanded it. He stoutly counters the criticism that he only defends reprehensible people. Even the lowest of society have the same right to constitutional protection as those in the higher strata. The job of a criminal lawyer is to defend criminals. “Where some may see a criminal lawyer without morals, others may see a social reformer fighting for equal rights.” He has told the media that his last remaining political aspiration is to get rid of India’s corrupt leadership and replace it with an honest government. 

His “larger and final objective” is to see the major democracies of the world — the US, Israel, India and Japan — unite to promote the ideals of democracy for all. He has given interviews observing “Today I’m living in the departure lounge, waiting for my delayed flight to leave.” A highly incisive and compelling biography of Ram Jethmalani always the rebel. 

Tata Trusts has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) for the construction of a state-of-the-art cancer centre in Tirupati. 

The proposed facility in Tirupati will be a comprehensive centre, with in and out-patient facilities, diagnostics, therapeutics, rehabilitation and other such support services. In a phased manner the centre will house Operation theaters, linear accelerators for Radiation Oncology, Brachytherapy and a Bone Marrow Transplant unit. The hospital will be constructed on 25 acres of land provided by the TT Devasthanams.

Tata Trusts have been working in cancer care for several decades across a spectrum of activities, ranging from the setting up of pioneering institutions such as the Tata Memorial Hospital in 1941 and Tata Medical Center, Kolkata in 2011, to providing medical relief grants to individuals suffering from this dreaded disease.

Recognising the centrality of infrastructure to cancer service delivery and the shortage of the same in the country, the Trusts are in the process of conceiving and setting up or upgrading various super specialty centres across the nation with the objective of decentralizing cancer care in the country. As a member of the National Cancer Grid, a forum of 106 cancer hospitals, Tata Trusts have access to experts across these centres to enable its various cancer initiatives. The Trusts plan to raise funds internally and externally to finance these not-for-profit hospital projects, a statement issued by the Trust said. 

 Â“The Trusts are pleased to bring state-of-the-art cancer care services to the region. We are grateful to TTD for this partnership. Our aim is to ensure the provision of equitable, affordable, high quality cancer care for the masses. We are positive that this centre will be a landmark institution in this part of the country, ” said R. Venkataramanan, Managing Trustee, Tata Trust. 

“We have had a great experience working with the Tata Group through our relationship with TCS in the last year and a half. TTD is happy to welcome an institution like Tata Trusts to work on this pressing issue of rising cancer prevalence in the region. We are certain that this project will go a long way in bridging the gap in affordable cancer care in the region,” according to Dr Sambasiva Rao, Executive Officer, TTD.  

Tata Trusts will set up a project management vehicle that will be responsible for all aspects of construction, execution and operationalization of the facility. The Trusts will also rope in a team of experts from Tata Medical Center, Kolkata and Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai to provide technical assistance to the project.

This state-of-the-art cancer care centre in Tirupati will address the increasing numbers of cancer cases in the region to begin with, and will evolve to become a renowned centre of excellence in oncology education and research as well. The centre will strive to provide affordable care to patients without denying care to those with financial constraints.

The Board of Trustees is constituted by members appointed by the government. TTD maintains 12 temples and their sub-shrines, and employs about 14,000 persons. TTD has a renewed focus on cancer and healthcare infrastructure and intends to take concrete steps to improve infrastructure & access to healthcare in Tirupati Tata Trusts is amongst India’s oldest, non-sectarian philanthropic organisations that work in several areas of community development. Through direct implementation, co-partnership strategies and grant making, the Trusts support and drive innovation in the areas of education; healthcare and nutrition; rural livelihoods; natural resources management; enhancing civil society and governance and media, arts, crafts and culture. 

The Apex Court has confirmed the death sentence for four rapists in the Nirbhaya rape case, which had shocked the nation on 16th December 2012. The four convicts – Akshay Thakur, Vinay Sharma, Pawan Gupta and Mukesh – had appealed in the Supreme Court after the High Court against the verdict of death sentence. Today, the bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra pronounced the verdict. 

10 Important Things to Know in Supreme Court’s Nirbhaya Case Judgement

1.”The dying declarations (by gestures)… do withstand close scrutiny and they are consistent with each other.”

2.”The present case clearly comes within the category of ‘rarest of rare case’ where the question of any other punishment is ‘unquestionably foreclosed’. If at all there is a case warranting award of death sentence, it is the present case.”

3.”It is absolutely obvious that the accused persons had found a 313 object for enjoyment in her and, as is evident, they were obsessed with the singular purpose sans any feeling to ravish her as they liked, treat her as they felt.”

4.”It sounds like a story from a different world where humanity has been treated with irreverence.”

5.”We are compelled to arrive at the singular conclusion that the aggravating circumstances outweigh the mitigating circumstances now brought on record.”

6.”The wanton lust, vicious appetite…have driven the appellant to commit a crime which can bring in a ‘tsunami’ of shock in the mind of the collective, send a chill down the spine of the society.”

7.”After throwing the informant and the deceased victim, the convicts tried to run the bus over them so that there would be no evidence against them. They made all possible efforts in destroying the evidence…” 

8.”The cruel manner in which the gang-rape was committed in the moving bus… and the coldness with which both the victims were thrown naked in cold wintery night of December, shocks the collective conscience of the society.”

9.”The gruesome offences were committed with highest viciousness. Human lust was allowed to take such a demonic form.”

10.”The evidence brought on record with regard to finger prints is absolutely impeccable.”

Justice Chinnaswamy Swaminathan Karnan of the Calcutta High Court firmly refused to undergo a medical examination by a panel of doctors as ordered by the Supreme Court on the ground that he was of sound mind and there was nothing wrong with him. 
When the doctors arrived at his residence in Kolkata on Wednesday morning, Justice Karnan extended all the courtesies by inviting them to his official residence and offered them tea. The judge stuck to his stand there was no problem with him which left the Doctors no option but to make their exit. 
Justice Karnan had taken the audacious step of ordering non-bailalble warrants against the Chief Justice of India J S Khehar and six other judges of the Supreme Cout on May 02. This has probably sealed his fate of being retired prematurely. 
. There have been any number of compelling reasons for the Apex court to take the unprecedented step of ordering a medical examination of Justice KarnanHe has refused to undergo a medical check up in connection with a contempt case against him. 
Ever since he was appointed a judge of the Madras High Court on March 30, 2009, he has proved to be highly embarrassing and a thorn in the flesh for brother judges as well has higher authorities. The tough posturing of Justice Karnan has been highly embarrassing. The bee in his bonnet is his claim of being subjugated and ill treated by his brother judges because he is a Dalit. Some of the judges of the Madras High Court were scared of him. 
When the Supreme Court restrained Justice Karnan from exercising his judicial and administrative powers after February 8, he threatened to pass “suo-moto suspension order against the DGP of West Bengal if he functions against my wish.” He also passed several retaliatory orders against the seven judges of the Supreme Court. 
In the prevailing circumstances the Apex court had to step in and act firmly: The Chief Justice of India Justice Khehar observed earlier this week on Monday: “…anybody can play this trick on us? Say something and then feign to be ill. We have to deal with it so that it cannot happen again.” 
Justice Karnan was  scheduled to undergo a medical examination yesterday on Thursday in Kolkata and a report to be submitted on or before May 8. The Bench fixed May 9 for further hearing and passing order on the merits as well as disposing the case. 
The seven judge bench said the statements and the orders passed by Justice Karnan “indicate that he may not be in a position to defend himself in these proceedings.” 
Faced with a contempt charge, Justice Karnan had on March 31 dared the Supreme Court to send him to jail after it refused to restore his judicial and administrative work. The bench had directed all courts and authorities not to take cognizance of orders passed by Karnan after February 8. Justice Karnan had also dubbed as “autocratic” the collegium system of selecting judges. In November 2015 he went on long leave, dissatisfied over the allocation of “insignificant or dummy” portfolios given to him. The proverbial last straw for him came when the Madras High Court Registry sought the Supreme Court’s intervention after Justice Karnan accused the sitting Chief Justice of caste discrimination. 
Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi and K K Venugopal appearing on behalf of the Madras High Court underlined the need to make an example of Justice Karnan so that a strong message is sent to all those making scandalous allegations. Justice Karnan is calculatedly making such allegations ridiculing the Judiciary. 
Venugopal argued that Justice Karnan should be allowed to retire in May and not persist in taking action against him as he is not competent. 
Justice Karnan caught the headlines in November 2011 when his complaint to the National Commission of Scheduled Castes (NCSC), alleging he was being harassed and victimised by brother judges because he was a Dalit, became public. He alleged attempts were made to reduce his role to one of subjugation. 
Two years later in 2014, Justice Karnan entered a court hall where a Division Bench was hearing a PIL pertaining to names recommended for the post of judges and declared that the “selection is not fair” and that he would file an affidavit on the issue. 
The Supreme Court in March 2014 condemned Justice Karnan’s behaviour observing: “The sudden unfamiliar incident made us fume inwardly on this raw unconventional protest that was unexpected, uncharitable and ungenerous and, to say the least it was indecorous.” 
The then Madras High Court Chief Justice R K Aggarwal wrote to then Chief Justice of India P Sathasivam urging him to transfer Justice Karnan to some other court. Justice Karnan became the first judge to appear before the Supreme Court on April 1 on bailable warrants. He dared the Apex court to arrest him and put him behind bars. 

(T R Ramachandran is senior journalist and commentator. The views are personal.) 

NEW DELHI: Pakistan Army’s rogue Border Action Team (BAT) which consists of regulars of Pak army and terrorists of various outfits not only killed but mutilated  the bodies of two Indian soldiers at Krishna Ghati sector in Poonch district in Jammu region early this week, sparking a national outrage over the reprehensible and inhuman act. 
The military controlled Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) created BAT with ulterior motive of controlling India-Pakistan border by abducting, killing and mutilating members of Indian Patrol Teams.
The usual modus operandi of the members of BAT is to penetrate the Indian territory and not only kidnap Indian soldiers but also indulge in ghastly act of mutilating bodies of Indian soldiers which no civilized army does. Hence, ISI involved persons of Special Services Group (SSG) as well as members of terrorist outfits like Lashkar-e-Toiba (L-e-T), Jaish-e-Mohammed (J-e-M) and other terrorist groups created by ISI to carry out such inhuman acts against India.
In the past BAT was involved in several dastardly acts. In January 2013 BAT beheaded Lance Naik Hemraj while on October 28 and in November 2016 they again mutilated bodies of Indian soldiers. Nonetheless Pakistan army personnel were involved in mutilating Indian security personnel even before formation of BAT.
The shameful acts of BAT have full support of Pakistani army as the border posts give cover to BAT operations through heavy firing with malafide intention to distract the attention of Indian security forces. BAT also facilitates the infiltration of terrorists in India.  BAT personnel are equipped with AK-47 rifles, imported snow clothing, satellite phones with GPS, high energy food just to name a few.
BAT’s action came soon after Pakistani Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa visited border areas and promised assistance to the separatist movement in Jammu & Kashmir.
Analysts claim that General Bajwa gave a harsh message to Prime Minister Sharif that there cannot be cordial relations with India and he should not think that after departure of General Sharif he can dominate the army which is most powerful in Pakistan.
It may be pointed out that only a week ago Indian business tycoon Sajjan Jindal had met Nawaz Sharif. The meeting was a part of back-channel diplomacy and reportedly paving the way of arranging a meeting between Sharif and Modi during Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit scheduled to be held at Astana, Kazakhstan in June this year.
General Bajwa also communicated to separatists in J&K that Pakistan will continue to support their anti-India secessionist agitation. Pakistani army, which proclaims itself as the saviour of Pakistan, also impressed upon masses that army will continue to attack and exterminate Indian soldiers.
There are also reports that the launching pads in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) which had been dismantled after Indian surgical strike have again emerged with extra vigour and more than 200 terrorists are waiting to infiltrate in India. 
Pakistan has also arrested an innocent Indian citizen Kul Bhushan Jadhav and after falsely implicating him for espionage he was convicted and sentenced to death. Pakistan denied consular access to the Indian High Commission in Islamabad which indicates that the charges against Kul Bhushan were false and fabricated.   
Whole nation expressed deep sense of resentment and anger over the mutilation of Indian soldiers’bodies and Defence Minister Arun Jaitley assured the nation that the “sacrifice will not go in vain” and promised to take appropriate action.
Indian armed forces smashed two border posts of Pakistan and killed more than seven Pakistani soldiers. India also returned Pakistani students before completion of their tour of India and refused to give visas to Pakistani wrestlers as well as squash players to participate in Asian Championship but these measures are not enough, India has to take severe actions against Pakistan so that in future it desist from such cowardly actions.
Besides these mild measures India should not agree for any negotiations or should not indulge in Track II diplomacy. There is a problem between Civil and Military rulers in Pakistan but India cannot suffer because of the rift between them. In fact there is no use talking to toothless civilian government. First of all India should immediately withdraw Most Favoured Nations (MFN) status given to Pakistan. Secondly, under Indus Water Treaty India is entitled to use 20 percent water hence the country should make arrangements so that India can utilize its share of water and in case of war their share of water too. India should also downgrade the diplomatic status instead of High Commissioner a junior person can be posted in Islamabad.  India should plan a surgical strike not on launching pads but deep inside PoK on terrorist camps .Indian forces have right to go inside PoK as it is integral part of India. The training camps of terrorists should be devastated in such a manner that not only the trainees but the trainers are also exterminated which will give a blunt message to the rogue Pakistani army which is imparting training to terrorists to infiltrate and create mayhem and violence in India and raise the temperature in Kashmir Valley as well.   
 (Jai Kumar Verma is a Delhi-based security analyst and a former senior officer of R&AW. Views expressed are personal.)

New Delhi : Hailing as historic India’s successful launch of the South Asia satellite, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday termed it a symbol of South Asian co-operation for its economic progress.

“With this launch, we have started our journey to build the most advanced frontier of our partnership,” Modi told the heads of governments of Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Afghanistan, the Maldives and Sri Lanka over video.

Calling the satellite a symbol of cooperation to resolve people’s problems, he said: “It shows that our collective choice for our citizens will bring us together for cooperation, not conflicts, development not destruction and prosperity not poverty.”

An Indian rocket with the over two tonne satellite or GSAT-9, intended to address the region’s “economic and developmental priorities”, blasted off from the Sriharikota spaceport on Friday evening.

This project will help the region achieve effective communication, better governance, better banking services and better education in remote areas, Modi said.

“The satellite will provide services specific to individual countries… and also common service.”

It is also expected to help improve weather forecast, telemedicine and disaster management.

Modi congratulated the Indian Space Research Organisation.

In the video conference, South Asian leaders hailed India for the launch.

Referring to South Asia’s shared priorities, he said: “And in this, you will find a strong and committed partner in India.”

The rocket will sling into orbit the 2,230 kg South Asia satellite, intended as an ‘Indian Gift’ for use by its fellow Saarc nations, minus Pakistan, which opted out stating “it has its own space programme”.

The South Asian Satellite – Some highlights 

• Space diplomacy has touched new heights with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s unique gift in the sky to South Asian neighbours.
• The gift of a communications satellite for use by neighbours at no cost has perhaps no precedent worldwide.
• The satellite, which weighs over 2 tonnes, has been fabricated in three years at a cost of over Rs. 230 crore.
• Its footprint that extends all over South Asia.
• The South Asia Satellite has 12 Ku band transponders which India’s neighbours can utilise to increase communications.
• Each country will get access to at least one transponder through which they could beam their own programming.
• The satellite will facilitate DTH television, VSAT links, tele-education, telemedicine and disaster management support. It will provide critical communication links in times of disasters such as earthquakes, cyclones, floods, and tsunamis.
• Heads of Government from all the seven South Asian nations who are benefiting from the satellite, connected via video conference, in a unique celebration of the successful launch.

(With inputs from IANS and PIB)

NEW DELHI : The Apex Court has confirmed the death sentence for four rapists in the Nirbhaya rape case, which had shocked the nation on 16th December 2012. The four convicts – Akshay Thakur, Vinay Sharma, Pawan Gupta and Mukesh – had appealed in the Supreme Court after the High Court against the verdict of death sentence. Today, the bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra pronounced the verdict. 

Timeline of the Nirbhaya gang-rape case in which the Supreme Court on Friday upheld the death sentences of the four convicts.

December 16, 2012: A 23-year-old paramedic student and her boyfriend take a private bus home after watching English film “Life of Pi” at the Select City Walk Mall in Saket. The woman was brutally raped and beaten up by six men in the moving bus and thrown out of it near Mahipalpur along with her male friend. They were admitted to Delhi’s Safdarjung Hospital the same night.

December 17: Delhi Police identify four men who raped and assaulted her — bus driver Ram Singh, his brother Mukesh, Vinay Sharma and Pawan Gupta. Doctors say the woman has suffered grave internal injuries.

December 18: Ram Singh and three others are arrested. People come out on the streets to protest the gang-rape.

December 19: The woman undergoes a fifth surgery, with doctors removing most of her intestines.

December 21: The accused juvenile is nabbed from Anand Vihar bus terminal in Delhi. The government appoints a panel of physicians to ensure she receives best medical care. The woman’s friend identifies Mukesh as one of the culprits. Police conduct raids in Haryana and Bihar to nab sixth accused, Akshay Thakur.

December 22: Akshay Thakur is arrested in Bihar and brought to Delhi. Victim records her statement before the SDM in hospital.

 December 25: The woman’s condition deteriorates

December 26: She is flown to Singapore’s Mount Elizabeth Hospital for advanced treatment

December 29: The woman dies in Singapore due to organ failure

January 2, 2013: The then Chief Justice of India Altamas Kabir incepted fast track court for speedy trial in sexual offence cases

January 3: Police files charge-sheet against five adult accused for offences including murder, gangrape, attempt to murder, kidnapping, unnatural offences and dacoity

January 17: Fast track court starts proceedings against five adult accused

January 28: Juvenile Justice Board rules that sixth accused is a minor

February 2: Five adult accused are charged with 13 offences including murder

February 28: Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) frames rape, murder charges against the juvenile accused

March 11: Ram Singh, the bus driver, is found hanging in his cell in Tihar jail

March 21: Government approves new tougher anti-rape law to punish sex crimes, including death for repeat rape offenders

July 5: Trial against juvenile concludes, the JJB reserves verdict for July 11

July 11: The JJB holds the minor guilty of illegally confining and robbing a carpenter on December 16 night before the gangrape. It defers to July 25 its verdict in the gang-rape case.

July 25: JJB defers to August 5 its verdict after a PIL is filed in the Supreme Court seeking fresh interpretation of the term “juvenile”.

August 19: JJB again defers verdict to 

August 22: Supreme Court allows JJB to pronounce verdict in gangrape case

August 31: JJB convicts the juvenile for gangrape and murder and awards three years term at a probation home

August 22: Fast track court begins hearing of final arguments in trial against the four adult accused.

September 10: Court convicts Mukesh, Vinay, Akshay, Pawan of 13 offences including gangrape, unnatural offence and murder of the woman and attempt to murder her male friend

September 13: Fast track court awards death to all four convicts. Trial court refers the case to Delhi High Court for confirmation of death sentence

November 1: The Delhi High Court starts hearing the case on a daily basis   

January 3, 2014: The Delhi High Court reserves its verdict on confirming the death sentence and appeals of the four convicts.

March 13: The Delhi High Court upholds the death sentences awarded to the four convicts

June 2: Two death row convicts move the Supreme Court against the Delhi High Court verdict 

July 14: The Supreme Court stays till further orders execution of death penalty of two of four convicts — Vinay Sharma and Akshay Thakur

December 18, 2015: Delhi High Court refuses to stay the release of the juvenile. He walks out of a correction home after spending three years.

April 3, 2016: Supreme Court begins hearing in the case

July 11: Hearing begins with a change in Bench to Justices Dipak Misra, R. Banumathi and Ashok Bhushan

August 2016: Vinay Sharma tries to commit suicide in Tihar Jail

January 6, 2017: Supreme Court seeks mitigating circumstances from the accused

March 27: Supreme Court reserves verdict after nearly a year of hearing the case

May 5: SC upholds death penalty of four accused – Akshay Thakur, Vinay Sharma, Pawan Gupta and Mukesh Singh

(With Inputs from IANS)

NEW DELHI : Calling it a “rarest of rare” case, the Supreme Court on Friday upheld the death sentence on all four convicts in the brutal Nirbhaya gang-rape here of 2012 that led to her death and caused nationwide outrage.
 “If ever a case called for hanging, this was it,” said a bench of Justice Dipak Misra, Justice Ashok Bhushan and Justice R. Banumathi. The ruling was applauded in the courtroom.   The judges said that the aggravating circumstances against Mukesh, Pawan, Vinay Sharma and Akshay Thakur far outweighed the mitigating circumstances cited in their favour.  The four were convicted for raping and assaulting the 23-year-old paramedical student inside a moving bus on December 16, 2012 which led to her death 13 days later in a Singapore hospital.   The rapists, six in all, pounced on the young woman who had boarded the bus with her boyfriend to go home after seeing a movie.   After committing the crime, they dumped both on the side of a road. Some onlookers alerted the police. The sheer brutality of the crime led to nationwide revulsion — and street protests.   A fifth accused, Ram Singh, committed suicide in the Tihar Central Jail here. The sixth, a juvenile, has been released after serving his probation period in a remand home.  Taking note of the serious injuries and the severe nature of the offence, the judges said they were upholding the death sentence first pronounced by a lower court and upheld by the Delhi High Court.  The crime shocked the nation’s conscience, the Supreme Court judges said.  There were tears in Nirbhaya’s mother’s eyes when she heard the judges upholding the death sentence.  “I am happy the Supreme Court has heard our voice and understood the suffering Nirbhaya underwent,” the grieving father said, referring to his daughter by the name given by the media.   “It has given justice to Nirbhaya and the entire country.”  The convict’s lawyer, A.P. Singh, pledged to file a review petition.  “I am not satisfied with the judgement,” he told the media. “It is a violation of human rights. Someone cannot be hanged just because of public sentiments.”  Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi said she was happy. “It was a horrible experience and suffering for the family.”  The Delhi Commission for Women welcomed the capital punishment. “Finally, justice was delayed but not denied,” said its chief, Swati Maliwal.

(With Inputs from IANS)

MUMBAI : Although the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the government have been working to tackle the problems of mounting bad loans, the Ordinance on NPAs will define the way forward in this regard, a top official said on Friday.
 Terming it as “a very interesting piece” of legislation signed by President Pranab Mukerjee on Friday, RBI Executive Director Sudarshan Sen said efforts are on to resolve the problem of Non Performing Assets (NPAs).  However, he warned: “This is a continuing process…nothing happens overnight. These are hard problems, these are difficult problems, but we are determined to solve them.”
 Post-enactment, six Non Banking Financial Companies (NBFC) had registered with the RBI of which three are systemically important.  Sen said the size of the sector at the last count was approximately Rs 3,200 crore which declined over the previous year due to various factors.  “What is of concern also is the high NPAs in the sector…With 29 per cent gross NPA ratio and 11 per cent net NPA ratio, this is a little alarming as is also the negative ROA (return on assets) and ROE (return on equity), so these areas need to be addressed,” urged Sen.  Among the factors hindering healthy function of factors was non-availability of recourse under the provisions of Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest (SARFAESI).  However, last year the benefit of Enforcement of Security Interest was extended to all systemically important NBFCs, including NBFC factors, which is expected to improve recovery by factors and reduce their NPA levels, he said.  Referring to RBI’s Trade Receivables Discounting System (TReDS), Sen said that it will not only facilitate discounting of invoices and bills of exchange but also greatly facilitate the factoring business.  He added that it will be a huge source of information for tapping potential clients.  About the implementation of Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code and the status of a factor — whether financial creditor or operational creditor, Sen said the definitions might suggest that factor would be treated as an ‘operational creditor’.

(With Inputs from IANS)