Court sentences Asaram to life imprisonment in 2013 rape case

AHMEDABAD, JAN 31 (PTI): A court in Gandhinagar on Tuesday sentenced self-styled godman Asaram Bapu to life imprisonment in a rape case filed by a former woman disciple in 2013 after the prosecution argued for the strictest punishment saying he is a “habitual offender”.

Additional sessions judge DK Soni also imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 on Asaram which will be paid as compensation to the victim.

The defence said the order will be challenged in the Gujarat High Court.

The 81-year-old godman is currently serving a life term in a Jodhpur jail in another case of raping a minor girl at his ashram in Rajasthan in 2013.

He was produced in the Gandhinagar court via video link when the judge passed the order on Tuesday.

A day earlier, the

Asaram Bapu

court had convicted Asaram in the case registered in 2013 for raping a woman disciple, who hailed from Surat, on several occasions from 2001 to 2006 when she was living at his ashram at Motera near Ahmedabad.

Six other accused in the case, including Asaram’s wife Laxmiben, their daughter, and four disciples who were accused of aiding and abetting the crime, were acquitted for want of evidence, the prosecution had said.

AAP will fight all 224 seats in Karnataka: Atishi

said the BJP and the Congress are “poor copycats in implementing schemes”.

“The court on Tuesday sentenced Asaram Bapu to life imprisonment under sections 376 (2)(C) for rape and 377 (Unnatural offences) of the Indian Penal Code. He was also ordered to pay Rs 50,000 towards the compensation to the victim. In the remaining sections, he was sentenced to one year in jail under each count and slapped with a nominal fine,” said special public prosecutor RC Kodekar.

Besides IPC sections 376 (2) (C) and 377, Asaram was convicted under sections 342 (wrongful detention), 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 357 (assault), and 506 (criminal intimidation).

The prosecution had sought life imprisonment for Asaram on the ground that he was a “habitual offender,” being convicted and jailed in a similar rape case of a girl at his Jodh-

J-K: Rahul, Priyanka visit Kheer Bhawani temple, Hazratbal shrine pur ashram in Rajasthan.

Arguing against the life sentence, the defence lawyer said they had no objection if Asaram was handed a 10-year imprisonment, Kodekar added.

“There is a provision of maximum life imprisonment or 10 years in jail for the offence for which Asaram has been convicted by the court. But, we have argued that he has already been convicted in another similar case in Jodhpur, and hence he is a habitual offender,” Kodekar told reporters outside the court after the conclusion of the arguments earlier in the day.

He said the prosecution had submitted before the court that Asaram should get the strictest punishment for the way he kept the victim captive, raped and sodomised her and forced her to remain confined in the ashram.

The hearing of the case was held in-camera.

SRINAGAR,

Jan 31

(PTI): Congress leaders

Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra visited Jammu and Kashmir’s two revered shrines of Kheer Bhawani and Hazratbal on Tuesday, a day after the Bharat Jodo Yatra concluded here, officials said. The Gandhi siblings first drove from their hotel here to the shrine of Ragnya Devi, popularly known as Mata Kheer Bhawani Temple, in Tullamula area of the central Kashmir’s

ASI Gopal Das had ‘clear intention’ to kill minister: FIR

BHUBANESWAR, JAN

BENGALURU, JAN 31

(PTI): Aam Aadmi Party leader Atishi on Tuesday said her party is setting the agenda for the upcoming Karnataka assembly election with BJP promising ‘Namma Clinic’ on the lines of Delhi’s Mohalla Clinics and Congress promising 200 units of free electricity as has been implemented in the national capital.

The party will fight in all the 224 assembly constituencies across the state in the election, which is less than three months away, and the list of candidates would be announced in the first week of March, the AAP leader said at a press conference here.

The party leader said people do not want a “copycat version of the Delhi model of governance and want the original”. Hence, the party has decided to fight the election in Karnataka with all its vigour. She

While the saffron party has been in power for the past three-and-half years, it is only at the brink of assembly polls that it is promising to implement the ‘Namma Clinics’ based on the Mohalla Clinic model of Delhi, she claimed. “If you (BJP) were serious about providing high-quality healthcare, why has it not been done all these years? It goes to show that a copycat is only a copycat,” Atishi charged.

She wondered why the BJP made a promise of 24,000 classes under the ‘Viveka’ scheme in Karnataka at the end of its tenure.

“My question is why they were not built in the last five years. You (BJP) have been in power, you had the budget and yet you have not built them,” Atishi sought to know. The AAP leader said the Congress is promising 200 units of free electricity if voted to power, which is similar to AAP’s scheme, which has already been implemented in Delhi.

She challenged the Congress that the people of Karnataka will believe the party’s promise of free electricity if it gives free electricity in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Himachal.

31 (PTI): The Odisha Police in its FIR in the killing of Health minister Naba Kishore Das said the accused assistant sub-inspector (ASI) Gopal Das had “clear intention” to kill him.

This was stated by Brajrajnagar Police Station inspector-in charge (IIC) Pradumnya Kumar Swain, who was present at the site when the ASI allegedly opened fire at the 60-yearold minister, leading to his death after some hours during treatment on Sunday.

While no explanation was given in the FIR for the attack by Gopal Das, psychiatrists treating the police officer for nearly a decade said he was suffering from bipolar disorder, a mental disease which causes extreme, at times ‘maniac’ mood swings.

“All of a sudden, ASI Gopal Das of Gandhi Chowk Police Outpost, who was deployed for traffic clearance duty for the programme, came close to minister N K Das and opened fire from his service pistol from a very close range aiming at the minister with a clear intention to kill him,” the IIC said in his complaint at Brajrajnagar Police station. Dr C handra Sekhar Tripathy, head of psychiatry department, MKCG Medical College and Hospital, Berhampur, said Gopal Das had bipolar disorder about 10 years ago. Tripathy said, “Das had first visited my clinic about eight to ten years ago. He used to get angry very easily and was undergoing treatment for this. I am not sure whether he was taking medicines regularly. If medicines are not taken regularly, the disease reappears. It has been a year since he visited me last.”

Visakhapatnam will be new Andhra Pradesh capital: Jagan Reddy

VIJAYAWADA, JAN 31 (AGENCIES): Andhra

Pradesh Chief Minister

YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Tuesday said the State capital would be shifted to Visakhapatnam.

Addressing the preparatory meeting for the Global Investors Summit to be held in Visakhapatnam in March, Jagan said he would be shifting his office to the port city in the months to come. “Here I am to in -

Restore churches neglected during Portuguese rule in Goa: BJP leader

PANAJI, JAN 31 (PTI):

Goa BJP leader Savio Rodrigues on Tuesday met Governor P S Sreedharan Pillai batting for the restoration of churches that he said were neglected during the Portuguese rule in the coastal state, as he called the Christian community an important stakeholder in the democracy of India.

Savio Rodrigues prowess”. vite you to Visakhapatnam which is going to be our capital in the days to come. I myself would also be shifting over to Visakhapatnam in the months to come,” he said. Amaravati is the present capital of Andhra Pradesh. In November last year, Jagan Mohan Reddy government repealed the controversial AP Decentralisation and Inclusive Development of All Regions Act, 2020 intended to establish three capitals for the State. The State government had proposed three capitals, Visakhapatnam (Executive capital), Amaravati (Legislative capital) and Kurnool (Judicial capital).

Jagan further said the State Government is organising the Global Investors Summit in Visakhapatnam on March 3 and 4 and requested the corporate community to take part in the meet and invest in the State.

Corrigendum

Ganderbal district, the officials said.

The duo, accompanied by some Congress leaders, paid obeisance at the shrine nestled among mighty chinars, 28 kilometres from here, they said.

The temple is a revered shrine for the Kashmiri Pandits who believe that the colour of the sacred spring water, which flows below the temple, indicates to the situation in the valley.

While most of the colours don’t have any particular significance, black or dark colour of the water is believed to be an indication of inauspicious times for Kashmir.

Later, they visited Dargah Hazratbal, on the banks of the famous Dal Lake here. The shrine houses a relic of Prophet Mohammad and is deeply revered among the Muslims in the valley. The visits were kept a secret due to security considerations, they said.

Centre confusing people in name of CAA: Mamata

MALDA (WB), JAN 31

(PTI): West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday alleged that the BJP-led central government is “confusing people” in the name of implementing the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. Banerjee also claimed that she and her party Trinamool Congress have been taking care of the Matua community people, whose roots are in Bangladesh, and blamed the BJP for trying to approach them as a “friend” in the name of the CAA.

“In the name of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, they (Centre) are confusing people. We have been taking care of the Matuas for a long time, but when polls approach, the BJP goes to them, claiming to be their friends... screaming CAA,” Banerjee said at a govern- ment programme here. The Matuas, originally hailing from East Pakistan (now Bangladesh), started migrating to West Bengal in the 1950s, mostly due to religious persecution there. The CAA facilitates the grant of citizenship to migrants belonging to Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan. But as the rules under the Act have not been framed by the government yet, no one so far could be granted citizenship under it.

Banerjee also accused the BJP-led central government of “not releasing” the state’s dues. “You (Centre) owe over Rs 1 lakh crore to Bengal, give us our dues,” she said without elaborating.

Banerjee had earlier alleged that the Centre was not releasing funds for the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee scheme. Referring to river erosion mostly in the districts of Malda and Murshidabad of West Bengal, Banerjee said that the central government has “stopped looking into the matter”.

Press note issued by this office and published in Nagaland Post dated 31.01.2023, page 5 should be read as - “some representatives from various ranges previously supporters of Thapi Semy and R. Khing” and not as “Semy Clan”. Inconvenience caused due to typing error is regretted.

Held For Smoking In Plane

Man

KOCHI, JAN 31 (PTI):

A 62-year-old man from Kerala was arrested for allegedly smoking inside the lavatory of a private airlines, which landed at the airport here on January 29.

According to Police, a case under various provisions of the Aircraft Act was registered against Thrissur resident, Sukumaran. The case was registered on January 29 and the man was arrested after completing formalities. Later, he was let off on bail, they said.

As per the FIR, the man was found smoking inside the lavatory of Spicejet airways mid-flight and was apprehended by the crew who handed over him to the airport authorities.

Rodrigues, the BJP’s Goa spokesperson, hailed the scheme introduced by the government to restore temples destroyed or damaged during the Portuguese time. The state’s BJP government has sanctioned Rs 20 crore for the purpose.

“In keeping with the intent of the Government of Goa to preserve our heritage, it is my earnest appeal for the Centre and State to consider setting up a fund under a government scheme for the restoration of heritage Catholic Churches in Goa,” he said in a memorandum submitted to the governor.

He said the Catholic churches in the state draw a large number of tourists from all religions who marvel at their history, spiritual essence and “architectural

“Some of the churches like The Velim Church, Church of Our Lady of Rosary, Church of Our Lady of Immaculate Conception, Three Kings Chapel and many more are monumental wonders that must be preserved,” he added.

Goa, which attained statehood in 1987, was liberated on December 19, 1961, from Portuguese rule.

Rodrigues said that the government can initiate a study before allotting funds for the “restoration or renovation of heritage Catholic churches” in Goa. He said churches and convents run by the Dominicans, Augustinians, Franciscans, Carmelites and native Goan Churches were also left to ruin during the Portuguese rule.

“I must commend the sincere efforts put in by the Centre and the State for the renovation and restoration of Bom Jesus Basilica (a UNESCO heritage site) at Old Goa so far. It is my humble suggestion that the government extend its efforts towards other Catholic churches that also have historical, cultural and religious significance for Goa and its people,” he said.

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Shadow over budget

Even as union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman is to present her union budget before the crucial 2024 Lok Sabha election, she would be keen to roll out growth figures and project positive growth for the next five years in order to buttress the claim that the Indian economy continues to be the fastest growing and headed towards becoming a $5 trillion economy in the next five years. When Sitharaman presents her budget on February 1,2023 she may look to maintain its pace of spending to bolster growth as it leans on asset sales while shunning subsidies to shrink the deficit, according to a survey of economists. According to market surveys the finance minister is likely to increase expenditure by about 12.5% year-on-year to 44.40 trillion rupees ($544 billion) in the year beginning April, according to the median of estimates in a Bloomberg survey ahead of the February 1 budget. Sitharaman’s final full-year budget before an election season will address issues of rising unemployment and look at supporting the poor and middle class, but she will stay away from spending way beyond the country’s means as the government seeks to shore up investor sentiment, according to survey respondents. Among the worst sufferers of the government’s economic policy are low and middle income groups who are face rising cost of consumable items in the market. The middle income group have been hardest hit by the multiple bank charges levied on every form of bank cash transaction. The blame on covid pandemic during 2021-22 and then the Ukraine war does explain it. The GDP, inflation figures of other countries may not be impressive because they use credible data from reputed independent institutes but are providing all the care-food, medical and job to the people. The government is allergic to independent economists and more inclined to political economists. The start ups launched with a bang are on decline as much as job intake. To add to the misery of the growth story of the Indian economy is the explosive report by the Hindenburg Research which alleges that the stock values of the Adani Group has been largely inflated and thus its ability to raise debt and leverage has been wildly inflated. The Hindenburg report triggered a massive sell-off in Adani Group as stocks continued to fall for the third consecutive session on January 30, wiping out nearly Rs 1.4 lakh crore worth of investors’ wealth. In all, about 29% of the group’s market capitalisation, or about Rs 5.6 lakh crore, has been eroded in the last three trading sessions. The 5-year advance in Adani Enterprises trumped even the likes of Elon Musk’s Tesla Inc., vaulting Adani from relative obscurity into the ranks of the world’s ten richest people. He surpassed Mukesh Ambani to be in third position but after the crash Adani is at 7th place. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, said LIC lost a whopping Rs.74,000 crore as the second largest holding in the Adani group while State Bank of India lost Rs.81,200 crore. As the shock wave hit the stock market for days, the government and the Securities Exchange Board of India(SEBI) remained mute. The reason is that Gautum Adani from Gujarat and chairman of the Adani group, has been the biggest beneficiary of government largesse. Ramesh demanded that the government, SEBI, the ED and CBI also get into the act of probing and unearthing the alleged fraud. That is the litmus test for the government vis-à-vis its tirade against corruption, black money and bank fraud.