Union Law Minister Salman Khurshid revealed that the Lokpal Bill will be a reality long before the Parliament elections in 2014. While speaking to Karan Thapar on Devil's Advocate, Khurshid said that the moment the Select Committee report comes, will then the government will be be able to say now the final, the last mile is to be reached. Below is the full transcript of the interview: Karan Thapar: Hello...
08:43 PM, Aug 05, 2012
Mumbai: A day after NCP chief Sharad Pawar criticised the functioning of the state Home Department, Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar on Sunday reviewed the security scenario in Pune and declared that Rs 30 crore will be made available to set up CCTVs in Pune and Pimpri -Chinchwad cities. Ajit Pawar, who is the Guardian Minister of Pune, met ATS Chief Rakesh Maria, Pune Police Commissioner Gulabrao Pol and other...
07:15 PM, Aug 05, 2012
Mumbai: Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar on Saturday called upon the Maharashtra government to improve its intelligence set-up to prevent a repeat of the serial blasts in Pune earlier in the week. "This is the second time in two years that blasts have taken place in Pune, this time it is fortunate that there were no casualties. Repeated blasts like this are not good for the state," Pawar told reporters here....
02:37 AM, Aug 05, 2012
Mumbai: Noting that blasts reflect poorly on the state administration, Union Minister and NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Saturday asked party leader and Maharashtra Home Minister R R Patil to focus on improving the performance of the police and intelligence departments. Addressing a press conference, Pawar said when incidents such as blasts happen, not only innocent people lose lives, but the attitude of the society to a particular community changes....
07:16 PM, Aug 04, 2012
Pune: Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan on Saturday met the investigators probing into the Pune blasts. He said all the material collected from the blast sites has been sent for forensic testing and all CCTV footages are being examined. Chavan said he has also discussed about the maintenance of the CCTV cameras with Mayor. The CCTV cameras at two of the blast sites were found to be non-functional. This has...
04:04 PM, Aug 04, 2012
Darjeeling: Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde said that he would visit Pune, which was rocked by serial blasts on August 1, on Saturday. "I am going to Pune tomorrow," Shinde told reporters who sought his comment that there were four blasts at Pune after he took over as union home minister. The blasts had taken place on a day when Shinde was scheduled to visit the city. Shinde was...
09:48 AM, Aug 04, 2012
Mumbai: Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde would visit the blast sites in Pune on Saturday. "Shinde will visit the sites where the four blasts took place," Maharashtra Minister of State (Home), Satej Patil, said. Shinde would also review the security situation by holding a meeting with the top officers. Four low-intensity explosions took place in the busy JM Road area in Pune on August 1. Shinde, who took charge...
07:30 PM, Aug 03, 2012
Pune: The four blasts that hit a kilometre-long stretch in Pune may have been of low intensity but have managed to shake up the administration and citizenry. However, even as investigators from various security agencies have started probing what has been confirmed as a planned and coordinated act, photographs indicate that local cops may have obliviously made the inquest a tad more difficult. Policemen are seen lifting bicycles (in pic)...
05:33 PM, Aug 03, 2012
Pune: The Maharashtra Police have prepared sketches of two persons who may have planted explosives in Pune as investigators suspect the involvement of at least three persons in executing the August 1 serial bomb blasts in Pune. "The sketches of two persons who could be bomb planters are ready. It will not be made public but would be given to the policemen involved in the investigations," a police officer said...
05:11 PM, Aug 03, 2012
Singanalluru Puttaswamayya Mutturaju, better known as Dr Rajkumar or Annavaru (elder brother) emoted, laughed, mourned, fought, danced, sang and ruled with the masses not only in reel life, but also in real life. The state had witnessed untold sorrows when Dr Rajkumar was kidnapped by forest brigand Veerappan and then later when he died, leaving behind frenzied masses. The John Wayne of south Indian cinema, he had acted in more...
02:04 PM, Aug 03, 2012
Pune: Forensic science lab report on nature of explosives used in Pune serial blasts is likely to come out on Friday. Unconfirmed reports on Thursday said ammonium nitrate might have been used in the blasts. The Maharashtra ATS is also likely to release sketches of suspects on Friday. Two of the suspects will be those who bought bicycles, used in the blasts, on the day of the incident. Apart from...
01:47 PM, Aug 03, 2012
Mumbai: All the three cycles, upon which the bombs were placed in Wednesday's Pune serial blasts, were bought on the same day, according to sources. The police have identified the trader who sold the cycles, and have also questioned nine major cycle-sellers and distributors. The investigators are looking closely at a possible Indian Mujahideen role. On Thursday, the investigators also found that two CCTV cameras at the blast sites were...
08:38 AM, Aug 03, 2012
New Delhi: The explosive material used by terrorists to trigger coordinated serial bomb blasts in Pune was ammonium nitrate, according to a preliminary forensic examination. Official sources privy to the investigations said on Thursday night that ammonium nitrate, which has been often used by banned terrorist outfits like Indian Mujahideen, was packed inside a steel box. Sources said a timer was also attached to the steel box and a combination...
10:25 PM, Aug 02, 2012
Mumbai: The investigations into the series of low intensity blasts in Pune city make it clear that the act was a carefully planned exercise. But the worrying aspect was that despite Pune having been a terror target in the past, surveillance devices like CCTV camera weren't working this time as well. Investigators began a massive operation to unravel what was first described as an act of mischief. There is now...
09:10 PM, Aug 02, 2012
New Delhi: Condemning the serial blasts in Pune, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday said the Congress-led UPA government should take the matter seriously and practise zero tolerance towards terrorism instead of indulging in appeasement and votebank politics. "BJP condemns the terror act of yesterday evening in which serial blasts took place in Pune. It is a reminder and a warning that India has to strengthen its fight against...
06:07 PM, Aug 02, 2012
New Delhi: Investigations into the Pune blasts hit their first hurdle on Thursday as the police found that the CCTV cameras at two of the blast sites were not working. The CCTV cameras at the Dena Bank and the Mc Donald's restaurant were found to be non-functional. Before the German Bakery blasts in February 2010, the Pune Municipal Corporation had identified 70 key locations for the installation of CCTVs. That...
03:05 PM, Aug 02, 2012
Though Shivarajkumar's 50th birthday celebration continues the whole month, coming August will see a different take. The Rajkumar's family will be coming together for a social cause. A committee has been formed under 'Shivarajkumar Suvarana Mahotsava Abhinandana Samithi' with KP Shrikanth being the President and MS Ramesh, the head of Director's Association taking the initiative to celebrate the Hero's birthday. "We had fans celebrating Shivanna's birthday by having blood donation...
02:57 PM, Aug 02, 2012
New Delhi: Refusing to comment on the nature of the Pune blasts, Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde said that investigations were on and that he would speak up only when he had some update. He further said that he was not going to go to the blast site. "We have taken the Pune incident very seriously. The investigations are on. We cannot say anything on the nature of the...
02:51 PM, Aug 02, 2012
Pune: Officials of the Social Security Cell on Tuesday night busted a high-profile sex racket and arrested a couple and two small-time TV actresses who chose to be a part of the flesh trade to earn an extra buck. The arrested couple has been identified as husband-wife duo of Dinesh and Smita Dhiwar. The two actresses had worked in several Hindi serials as junior artists. The officials said the couple,...
02:33 PM, Aug 02, 2012
Ahmedabad: Asking the Centre to adopt a zero tolerance policy on terror, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said strong measures should be taken to curb attacks like the one in Pune on Wednesday night. "I hope the Government of India, by adopting a zero tolerance policy on terror, will take some stern steps to curb such terror strikes and make its presence felt, which is a common expectation...
12:54 PM, Aug 02, 2012
