LoC attack: Kamal Nath defends Antony amid opposition attack on his statement

NEW DELHI: Under attack for his statement on the killing of five Indian soldiers on LoC, defence minister A K Antony on Wednesday maintained that his contention about the involvement of terrorists in the assault was based on "whatever information" he had.

He told Rajya Sabha that he will get back to the House if he got more details about Tuesday's incident in Poonch after the visit of Army chief Gen Bikram Singh to Jammu on Wednesday.

Defence Minister will not apologise for statement, says government

New Delhi: The government has said that Defence Minister AK Antony's controversial statement in Parliament yesterday on the killing of five Indian soldiers in Kashmir was based on facts and that he would not issue an apology for it.

External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid said today, "What the defence minister said was very carefully calibrated and is final, is based on Army's facts," adding, "There is no question of the defence minister apologising." (Track live updates)

India halts dialogue process with Pakistan: Indian media

NEW DELHI: Indian media claimed on Thursday that the country has halted dialogue process with Pakistan while Indian Minister of External Affairs Salman Khurshid told that it is before time to say anything yet, Geo News reported.

According to the India media reports, Pakistan-India talks over several issues including the controversial Sir Creek have been discontinued.

Batla House encounter: Court to pronounce sentence tomorrow

NEW DELHI: The sentencing of Batla House encounter convict Shahzad Ahmed has been deferred for Tuesday.

A Delhi court on Monday reserved its order on quantum of sentence to suspected Indian Mujahideen operative Shahzad in the 2008 encounter case for Tuesday.

Additional sessions judge Rajender Kumar Shastri had on July 25 found Shahzad guilty of assaulting police officers and obstructing them from doing their duty.

No proof against Gurunath, Kundra, says BCCI probe panel

KOLKATA/NEW DELHI: Exactly 58 days after he "stepped aside" as BCCI president, the decks have been cleared for N Srinivasan's return to the helm of the richest cricket body in the world.

A report submitted by a two-member panel that probed allegations of betting and spot-fixing against Srinivasan's son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan, India Cements Ltd (owner of Chennai Super Kings) and Jaipur IPL Pvt Ltd (owner of Rajasthan Royals), found no direct evidence of wrongdoing on the part of any party. The panel consisted of two former judges of the Tamil Nadu high court, Jayaram Chouta and R Balasubramanian.

Now, Farooq Abdullah says you can fill your stomach for rupee 1

NEW DELHI: After Congress spokesperson Raj Babbar and Rajya Sabha MP Rasheed Masood's claim of 'super cheap' food available on the streets of India, another minister is of the view that one can have a filling meal for just Re 1.

Union minister of new and renewable energy and National Conference party leader Farooq Abdullah said that one can fill his stomach for just Re 1.

Modi US visa row: CPM MP Yechury says he didn't sign any letter

New Delhi: The controversy over Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi's US visa has got more twists and turns. CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury has been denied signing the letter sent to US President Barack Obama against a visa to Modi while MPs say he must have forgotten that he signed it.

Yechury, whose name figures at number 9 on the letter written in late 2012, on Tuesday had refuted claims that he was one of the MPs who has reached out to Obama to halt Modi's visit. He had said, "I would be the last person to write to the US Administration and to do something like this. We don't want anyone to interfere in the internal affairs of the country. Secondly, it is up to the US government to decide on giving visa."

High Court notice to Sajjan Kumar on CBI's plea against acquittal

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Monday issued a notice to Congress leader Sajjan Kumar on an appeal of the CBI challenging his acquittal in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case relating to the killing of five Sikhs by a mob.

A bench of justices G S Sistani and G P Mittal asked the Congress leader to file his response to the petition of the probe agency and fixed the matter for further hearing on August 27.

Besides CBI, victims' family members Jagdish and Nirpreet Kaur had also challenged the trial court order in the case and their plea would be taken up on August 27 by the same bench.

No relief for Sajjan Kumar from Delhi High Court

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Tuesday dismissed Congress leader Sajjan Kumar's plea challenging framing of murder and rioting charges against him in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case relating to the killing of six people in Sultanpuri area here.

Justice Suresh Kait had reserved the order after hearing all the parties in the case. The court, which was to pronounce its order on April 29, had deferred it saying further hearing is required in the case.

Sajjan Kumar contested the trial court order, which in July 2010 framed charges against five accused, including him, for the murder of six people after the assassination of then prime minister Indira Gandhi on October 31, 1984.

SC's caged parrot remark is correct: CBI chief Ranjit Sinha

NEW DELHI: CBI chief Ranjit Sinha on Thursday accepted the Supreme Court's observation that the country's premier investigating agency was a "caged parrot" that "speaks in its master's voice".Asked by reporters about his views on the apex court's caged parrot remark, Sinha said: "Whatever Supreme Court said is correct.

Pakistan seeks international probe into Sanaullah Ranjay's death

NEW DELHI: The Pakistan high commission has requested the Indian government to institute an international probe into the death of Pakistani prisoner Sanaullah Ranjay, who died on Thursday at a Chandigarh hospital after being attacked in Jammu jail last week."We have requested the government of India for an international inquiry into the brutal attack on the Pakistani citizen. We request the government of India to immediately give his body to his family members so the funeral can take place according to Islamic rituals," Manzoor Ali Memon, one of the three diplomats granted consular access to the prisoner, told a TV channel.Sanaullah, who had been at the PGIMER hospital after his attack in Jammu's Kot Bhalwal jail May 3, died just before 8am on Thursday.

Pakistani prisoner attacked in Indian jail dies: hospital official

NEW DELHI: Sanaullah Haq, the Pakistani prisoner who  was attacked in an India prison in Jammu last week, died in the Chandigarh Hospital on Thursday, DawnNews reported.

“His condition was extremely critical. He died early morning,” a senior doctor at a government hospital in Chandigarh told AFP on condition of anonymity.

Ranjay, who was admitted to the Chandigarh hospital in a serious condition, had suffered renal failure late Wednesday, the doctor said.

Pak activist Ansar Burney demanded Rs 25 crore to save

New Delhi: Indian prisoner Sarabjit Singh's sister Dalbir Kaur said Pakistan has murdered her brother and alleged that Pakistan human rights activist Ansar Burney had demanded Rs 25 crore to help Sarabjit. "Had I paid Rs 25 crore to Ansar Burney, Sarabjit would have returned to India. I am poor so could not pay him. Burney had told me that at least pay Rs 2 crore to get Sarabjit. He told him that if I will give him the money in the morning, Sarabjit will be released by evening," she alleged.

India to send plane to bring back Sarabjit's body

Lahore/New Delhi: Sarabjit Singh, the Indian who was attacked in a prison in Pakistan where he spent 22 years after being convicted of terrorism, died early this morning at a Lahore hospital after a cardiac arrest.

Pakistan has agreed to send back his body to India for his last rites.  It had turned down India's appeals to let Mr Singh be treated either in India or another country.

Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde said that a special plane will be sent to bring Mr Singh's body home.

SC rejects Punjab probe report in woman assault case

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has rejected the Punjab govt's magisterial probe report on assault of a woman by police at Taran Taran.

The apex court castigated the magistrate for saying police need to resort to lathicharge in such situations indicating that the girl and her father were the aggressors.

CBI to honour ISI founding member

NEW DELHI: The Central Bureau of Investigation has approached the external affairs ministry with an unusual request. It wants the ministry to facilitate the India visit of the Lahore-based family of a Pakistani who had helped set up the country's spy agency, Inter-Services Intelligence.

The reason: the man in question, Khan Bahadur Qurban Ali Khan, was the first chief of the Special Police Establishment (SPE), the forerunner of CBI. Khan is to be honoured posthumously during the upcoming golden jubilee celebrations of CBI.

Khan, who was an officer of the erstwhile Indian Police during British rule, will be among a host of former directors of the country's premier probe agency who will be honoured at the April 6 event.

Indian prisoner's death: No word from Pakistan on autopsy report

New Delhi: There has been another India-Pakistan confrontation, this time over the death of Indian prisoner Chamel Singh. Government sources have told CNN-IBN that India has not received any reply from Pakistan on why it took two months to conduct Chamel Singh's autopsy.

In fact, CNN-IBN has learned that Pakistan has not yet responded to India's request for the autopsy. This comes as Pakistani authorities rejected India's claims that Singh died of torture at the Lahore jail.