Three terror suspects, who were recently deported from UAE for their alleged ISIS links and for conspiring to carry out terror strikes in India and other countries, were on Tuesday remanded to 10 days’ NIA custody by a Delhi court. Sheikh Azhar Al Islam, Mohammad Farhan Shaikh and Adnan Hussain were produced in muffled faces before District Judge Amar Nath during in-camera proceedings after expiry of their NIA custody.

According to sources, the NIA sought extension of police remand of the three accused for 12 days, saying they were required to be interrogated to unearth the larger conspiracy of ISIS in India and abroad. “During questioning, accused had disclosed that they were active supporters of Islamic State and remained in close contact with several active members of IS using internet, telephone and other means of communication in furtherance of its activities,” the NIA said in its remand application.

The agency further contended that sustained custodial interrogation of these three accused was required “to unravel the larger criminal conspiracy of IS activities in India and abroad including recruitment of resident and non-resident Indians by the IS.”

“Custodial interrogation of the accused during this period has resulted in the revelation of many facts which are pertinent to establish the inter-connection amongst these accused and their association with IS. The sustained questioning of the accused also led to the discovery of many facts which need to be further verified and investigated to establish their involvement in furtherance of their activities of the IS by the accused,” the agency said.

Advocate M S Khan, who appeared for Farhan and Adnan, opposed the NIA’s plea saying his clients have already been interrogated at length and there was no need to extend their custody.

Adnan, who hails from Karnataka, Farhan who is from Maharashtra and Sheikh Azhar from Jammu and Kashmir were arrested on January 29 by the NIA after being deported from the UAE. The trio were detained by the NIA on arrival from the UAE at the IGI airport here.

The three suspects, along with other unknown associates, were allegedly involved in a conspiracy to identify, motivate, radicalise, recruit and train Indian citizens, located in India and abroad, for planning and executing terror attacks, according to the NIA.

On September 15 last year, the UAE had deported four Indians suspected to have links with ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria). The UAE had also sent back last year a 37-year-old woman Afsha Jabeen for allegedly recruiting youths for ISIS. In January 2015, Salman Mohiuddin of Hyderabad was arrested when he was preparing to board a flight to Dubai on way to Syria via Turkey.

According to Indian intelligence agencies, around six Indians who had joined the ISIS were reportedly killed in different incidents in Iraq and Syria.

PTI.

Non-Resident Indians, who return to the country “every now and then”, can purchase a house in India, the apex consumer commission has said while asking Supertech Ltd to pay around Rs 64 lakh to an NRI for denying possession of a flat in Greater Noida in Uttar Pradesh.

National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC), presided by Justice J M Malik, directed the firm to pay Rs 63,99,727 to south Delhi resident Reshma Bhagat and her son, Tarun Bhagat, who had booked a flat in the .builder’s project in 2008.

The firm was scheduled to hand over its possession to the complainant in 2009 and when it did not construct the house, the Bhagats approached the consumer commission for refund and damages, the complaint said.

The firm had opposed the complaint seeking refund and other damages, claiming that the flat was booked in the name of Tarun, an NRI, and it was not for residing purpose but solely to earn profit and he could not claim to be a ‘consumer’ himself.
The commission rejected the firm’s contention, saying “it cannot be made a ‘rule of thumb’ that every NRI cannot own a property in India. NRIs do come to India, every now and then. Most of the NRIs have to return to their native land. Each NRI wants a house in India. He (Tarun) is an independent person and can purchase any house in India, in his own name.”

The NCDRC also rejected the firm’s claim that the complainants were offered an alternative flat but they rejected it and hence the complaint should be dismissed.

“It is well settled that nobody can force anybody to accept the flat of the choice of the Opposite Party (firm). Any other flat cannot be imposed upon the consumers. They have got their free will to accept or reject the other flats offered to the complainants. It is difficult to fathom why the flat which was promised to be give to complainants, originally, was not given,” it said.

According to the complaint, the complainants had made payment of Rs 63,99,727 to Supertech Ltd in 2008 for a luxurious flat which was to be built in Greater Noida and the flat’s possession was to be given by December, 2009.

The firm, however, did not construct the flat and the complainants approached the commission seeking Rs 1.40 crore from the firm, including interest and damages.

The deposition of David Coleman Headley began before a special Mumbai court on Monday where he is revealing the sequence of events and planning behind the 26/11 terror attacks. He is what we know so far:

1. I was a true follower of Lashkar-e-Taiba

2. Sajid Mir of Lashkar-e-Taiba was my main contact

3. After I changed my name, I disclosed this information to my colleague Sajid Mir of LeT

4. Sajid Mir wanted me to setup some business or office in India

5. After I changed my name, within few weeks I visited Pakistan

6. I changed my name so that I could enter India. I wanted to enter India with an American name

7. Sajid Mir (LeT) specified object of his intention before my first visit to India

8. Sajid Mir (LeT) asked me to take general video of Mumbai city

9. I visited India eight times after receiving the new passport. Out of eight times, I visited Mumbai seven times

10. My seven visits to India were directly from Pakistan and one from the UAE

11. After 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, I visited India on March 7, 2009, from Lahore to Delhi

12. All details except the place of birth, date of birth, mother’s nationality and passport number were incorrect in my visa application.

13. The first attempt was in September 2008, which failed because the boat hit some rocks in the ocean. The people on boat were saved as they were wearing life jackets. Weapons and explosives were lost.

14. The second attempt was made after a month in October 2008. Those involved in first attempt were involved in this as well, but the attack failed.

15. It was in the third attempt that the attack was successful i.e. on November 26, 2008.

16. Retired Major Abdur Rehman Pasha and I were arrested in Landikotal area near Pakistan-Afghan border because I looked like a foreigner. During my arrest, Major Ali came to interrogate me.

17. During my interrogation, I showed my Pakistan ID card and they released me

18. During the interrogation, I gave the information to Major Ali that I am holding a business office in India. Major Ali thought that I will be beneficial for gathering intelligence from India.

19. He introduced me to Major Iqbal of Pakistan’s ISI.

20. Sajid Mir (LeT Operative) was using the email ID [email protected] to communicate

21. Sajid Mir and Major Iqbal were happy to see my Indian visa. Sajid Mir was guiding me on getting visas.

22. Dr. Tahawwur Hussain Rana helped me get the Indian visa. I met him in a military school in Pakistan’s Punjab province. Dr. Rana was my schoolmate for five years. After school, Rana became a doctor in Pakistan Army in Rawalpindi.

23. Headley names 26/11 mastermind Hafiz Saeed in court, says, “I was inspired by Hafiz Saeed’s speeches.”

This is a developing story and will be updated as information pours in. (ANI)

PTI.

An eight-year-old boy was killed in a celebratory firing bySamajwadi Party (SP) workers at Kairana town in Shamli district, triggering protests by locals.

The victim, Sami, who was passing by Kairana area in a rickshaw, was hit during the firing by SP workers on Sunday, Superintendent of Police Anil Kumar Jha said.

The workers were celebrating the victory of party candidate Nafisa in the local body polls from the town, he said, adding the boy later succumbed to his injuries.

A case has been registered against five persons, including the husband of the victorious candidate under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code, the police said, adding efforts are being made to arrest the absconding accused.

Irate locals blocked the Khatima-Panipat Highway to protest the death of the boy.

Kozhikode: Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen does not feel that India is an “intolerant” country and wondered why secularists in the country were questioning only Hindu fundamentalists.

She also said that a democracy based on pseudo-secularism was not a true democracy at all. “I don’t think India is an intolerant country. Most of the people are quite tolerant for each other’s faith, I think”, she said at the Kerala Literature Festival in Kozhikode last evening, joining the debate over ‘intolerance’.

The author, living in exile in India after incurring the wrath of fundamentalists back home over a novel written by her in 1994, said, “The laws in the country (India) do not support intolerance. But there are so many intolerant people in the country.”

Responding to a question, she said, “Why secularists in India were questioning only Hindu fundamentalists while leaving alone Muslim fundamentalists.”

“True conflict in India was between secularism and fundamentalism, between innovation and tradition and between people who value freedom and who do not”, she said.

“All religions were anti-women though distortions caused by fundamentalists added to it”, Nasreen said explaining her struggle against fundamentalism. Holding that religion should be kept separated from government, she said influence of religion in lawmaking has caused “oppression” of both Hindu and Muslim women in Bangladesh.

More than 150 writers of national and international repute are taking part in the four-day festival, which concludes on Sunday.

Government is considering a package of tax incentives for the labour-intensive leather and gems and jewellery sectors in the forthcoming Budget to provide a boost to manufacturing as well as exports.
Leather and leather goods sector is a focus area under the ‘Make in India’ initiative of the central government and the aim is to increase its exports to USD 15 billion by 2020 from the current USD 6 billion.
The Commerce and Industry Ministry in its suggestions for the Budget 2016-17, has recommended several initiatives including elimination of customs duty on imported leather machinery from about 26.5 per cent currently, sources said.
It has also sought excise duty reduction for all leather and non-leather goods of up to Rs 2,000 and increase in the abatement rate to 35 per cent from 25 per cent.
These suggestions, if implemented, will help in assisting technology upgradation, capacity modernisation, expansion of manufacturing sector and achieving the USD 15 billion exports target, sources said.
Council for Leather Exports Chairman Rafeeq Ahmed said that the sector employs about 3 million people and support is required to boost the sector.
“Big expansion plans are there in the sector and for that imported machinery is required because 95 per cent of the machinery for tanning and footwear is imported,” he said.
Footwear currently attracts an excise duty of 12.5 per cent.
For gems and jewellery, which is also the thrust sector under the ‘Make in India’ programme, the industry has asked to raise customs duty to 15 per cent from the current 10 per cent and abolish the excise duty from the current rate of 6 per cent on imitation jewellery.
The suggestions assumes significance as the popularity of Indian imitation jewellery across the globe is increasing and there is a huge demand in countries including the US and Europe.
“Extending the tax benefits to the sector will enable competitive manufacturing in the country and also boost exports,” sources added.
Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will unveil the Budget on February 29.
Contracting for the 13th month in a row, India’s merchandise exports fell 14.75 per cent in December to USD 22.2 billion due to a steep fall in shipment of petroleum products and engineering goods amid tepid global demand.PTI

Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu today accused the Congress of being “intolerant” towards mandate of people and indulging in excuses to block the bills and the Parliament proceedings.

“… there is no excuse at all…Congress should stop making excuses and blocking the bills. Obstruction and blocking of the bills is blocking progress of the country. And it is Congress which is making excuses saying we are being not consulted,” the Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister said.

“We never ignore anybody, we are consulting all parties. Umpteen number of times, Congress has been spoken to. Even Prime Minister has invited Congress president and even I have been to the house of Congress President twice…there is no question of ignoring,” Venkaiah said.

“What we inherited from Congress party is fiscal deficit, revenue deficit, trade deficit, current account deficit and above all trust deficit. Now those deficits are over and India is moving forward and they should recognise that and should not find excuses to block the bills and block the Parliament,” he said.

The senior BJP leader accused the Congress of being “intolerant” to people’s mandate and asked the party to realise it and support the government.

“They (Congress) should function democratically and they should understand the spirit of democracy and respect mandate of people. They are intolerant towards the mandate of the people. Mandate is for Modi, mandate is for development and mandate is for good governance,” he said.

Let the Congress also realise this and support the government, instead of bringing lame excuses, Venkaiah said.

He sought to know where are the excuses (from the government side). Prime Minister Narendra Modi is moving ahead and now international recognition and respect has come to India, he stressed.

Venkaiah said worldwide economy has slowed down, but India is moving forward. India is the most favourite destination, according to World Bank, ADB, IMF, World Economic Forum and everybody is saying with one voice.

“(There is) International slow down, China is going negative and India is moving forward…where is the question of finding excuses?” the Union minister asked.
He was reacting to Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi’s recent comments that the PM should stop making excuses and start running the country.

Social security measures are being taken up, he said, adding that 20 crore bank accounts were opened and PM crop insurance scheme has been launched.

On the forthcoming Budget session, he said, “In the upcoming Parliament session my priority is GST bill, Real Estate Development bill, Bankruptcy bill. There are few more bills. I only hope the Opposition parties also join hands together to pass these progressive bills which will help the country,” Venkaiah said.

The GST in fact will increase the GDP by 1.5 to 2 per cent. That being the case, I don’t think why anybody should oppose the bill, except for political reasons, he said.

“Obstructing the bill is obstructing the progress and growth of the country and affecting the poor and common people. I hope the political parties understand this and come forward to support,” he added.

CBI has arrested a Haryana Income Tax Deputy Commissioner and his aide for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs two Lakh from a private firm proprieter for giving relief while levying penalty.

CBI sources said Deputy Commissioner in Sirsa Nitin Garg was arrested late last night.

The agency said that the proprieter of the private firm based in Sirsa had received an I-T notice seeking certain information under Income Tax Act for the assessment year 2013-14.

“It was alleged that the complainant was threatened that in case the bribe was not paid, heavy penalty will be imposed on him. The Deputy Commissioner instructed his aide to accept the money,” CBI spokesperson R K Gaur said here.

He said that Garg allegedly demanded a bribe of Rs two lakh for not imposing heavy penalty.

The agency laid a trap and Garg and his aide, a resident of Bhatinda in Punjab, were arrested while allegedly accepting the bribe, he said.

“Searches were conducted at the residential and official premises of the accused which led to recovery of cash Rs 15.60 lakh, gold weighing 1620 grams, diamonds worth around Rs 60 lakh, silver amounting to Rs five lakh, 26 bank accounts in his name and that of his family members. Both the accused will be produced today in a competent court,” he said.