Karnataka News Archive: July 2007

Australia must apologise to India: Haneef
Tuesday, July 31, 2007 | MP

Bangalore, July 30 (ANI): Dr. Mohammad Haneef, who arrived here two days after the Australian Government dropped a terror-related charge against him, on Monday said that he wanted the John Howard Government to apologise to his peace loving nation for his 25-day-long ordeal in Brisbane, where he was 'victimised' as a terror suspect.

In a press conference in Bangalore, Haneef along with his Australian lawyer Peter Russo, and cousin I A Siddiqui said that he was not a victim of the international conspiracy, but definitely an Australian conspiracy.

"I do not want anybody to be victimised in the name of peace," Haneef added.

Haneef further said that he wanted his visa back, and was saddened since his visa was not extended.

Meanwhile, Australian Prime Minister John Howard ruled out the possibility of an apology to Haneef and refuted the latter's claims of being 'victimised'.

Howard also reiterated that Haneef's visa would not be extended.

Haneef also thanked the Indian Government, his family, lawyer and his supporters in India, Australia, worldwide and the media for supporting him through his ordeal.

Dr Haneef spent 25 days in detention on the charge being "reckless" in handing over his mobile SIM card to his cousin Sabeel in the United Kingdom.

Haneef was released after a charge against him of providing support to a terrorist organisation was dropped.

He flew out of Australia on Saturday night and arrived in Bangalore late on Sunday where he was whisked away from the airport to be reunited with his family.

Dr Haneef had been incarcerated since his arrest at Brisbane airport on July 2 over the foiled bomb attacks in the United Kingdom in late June.

Despite the charge being dropped, Australian Federal Police (AFP) Commissioner Mick Keelty has said that the investigation was still continuing. (ANI)

Haneef’s wife thanks Manmohan Singh for dropping of terrorism charge against him
Saturday, July 28, 2007 | MP

Bangalore, July 27 (ANI): Doctor Mohamed Haneef’s wife has thanked Prime Minster Manmohan Singh and the Indian Government for their support in facilitating the dropping of charges against her husband.

Firdous Ashriya said that her intuition about his innocence had been proved right.

"He should not be deported, but should come to India with a valid visa," she added.

She said that she is expecting her husband to return in the next three to four days.

Haneef's mother and the other members of his family also said that they were relieved.

Australian Immigration Minister Kevin Andrews said, "Rather than being detained in immigration custody, he (Haneef) will be released into residential detention, which means that he can reside at his unit on the Gold Coast.''

"Or if he wishes to reside somewhere other than that unit on the Gold Coast, then any reasonable request in that regard will be taken into account and met,'' he added.

Australian’s Director of Public Prosecutions Damien Bugg was quoted by The Australian, as saying in Canberra that "While there are inferences that are available from the material I have, I am of the view that they are not sufficiently strong to exclude reasonable hypotheses consistent with innocence.''

''In the circumstances of this case, I do not believe that evidence to prove the case to the requisite standard will be obtained," Bugg added.

Haneef, 27, was charged with providing support to a terrorist organisation by giving his SIM card to a relative later accused of being linked to a failed plot to bomb central London and Glasgow Airport.

The Australian Police arrested Haneef when he was leaving Australia with a one-way ticket to Malaysia on July 2.

Another two suspects, Kafeel Ahmed, 27, and his brother Sabeel, 26, who also belong to Bangalore, were arrested by British police in connection with the plot.

Kafeel, who studied engineering in India, suffered critical burns in the attack on Glasgow airport in Scotland, where witnesses said he set both himself and the crashed jeep on fire.

A total of eight people were arrested in the plot, either from the Middle East or India. Seven were arrested in Britain and Haneef was arrested in Australia. (ANI)

Haneef’s wife says he is fine
Thursday, July 26, 2007 | MP

Bangalore, July 25 (ANI): Firdous Arshiya, the Bangalore-based wife of Doctor Mohammad Haneef, has said that her cousin Imran Siddiqui met her husband in Australia, and he was keeping well.

Arshiya told reporters that Imran showed him the pictures of their newborn baby for the first time.

"Imran said Haneef is fine. He was happy to see photographs of his newborn child,” Arshiya said.

Arshiya said her family was relieved after Imran met Haneef, and added that she wanted the Australian authorities to complete the trial as fast as possible.

"After my cousin saw him, it was a relief for the entire family. I want the trial to be faster," she said.

Arshiya said she did not know whether a second meeting was possible with
Haneef, and added that Imran would stay in Australia as long as was needed.

“He will come back with him," she said.

Haneef is charged with recklessly supporting terrorism by providing a relative in Britain with his SIM card.

He has not entered a plea to the charges and remains in jail after the government cancelled his visa and ordered he be kept in immigration detention, despite a magistrate earlier ruling he could be released on bail.

Police in Britain have charged three people over the attacks, including
Haneef's second cousin, Sabeel Ahmed, 26, who is accused of failing to disclose information that could have prevented an act of terrorism. (ANI)

Delhi Karanataka Sangha organises Karnataka folk festival
Monday, July 23, 2007 | MP

New Delhi, July 22 (ANI): It was a celebration of special sort for a large number of people from Karnataka in the capital, as they cherished revisiting their rich culture attending Karnataka folk festival held at the Delhi Karnataka Sangha here.

Organised by the Department of Kannada and Culture Karnataka and Yakshagana Academy and the Delhi Karnataka Sangha, the Karantaka Folk Festival was an attempt to present rich Karnataka folk culture before all those individuals who now live in Delhi following an array of reasons.

Delhi Karnataka Sangha’s President Dr. Purushothama Billimale, said: “Fourteen troupes from different regions of Karnataka have been invited to make a confluence of various art forms existing in Karnataka. It is an attempt to showcase the variety of cultures existing in the same State.”

The two-day Karnataka folk festival comprised a number of performances by various artistes who arrived here on Friday to leave an indelible mark on everyone’s mindset.

Malik Sahab Halingali, an artiste from Bagalkode District, said: “It’s a great feeling to perform before the people of our own State now residing in Delhi. Almost everyone present here understand Kannada (the native language of Karnataka) thus they understand and appreciate with great admiration.”

One of the most captivating presentations was in the form of “Bhavikya Bhakti Rasmanjari Geet Samwad”, an all-poetic interaction between pupils and the teacher on religion and life.

Ibrahim N.Sutar, President of the Bhavikya Janapada Sangeeta Mela, from Karnataka’s Mahalingapur, said: “Our objective is to convey the God’s message stated in Koran, Geeta, Ramayana and other religious texts through Sufism.”

He said: “Ours is a poetic presentation in a question-answer format. A pupil asks his teacher various questions about life and the latter responds in a simple way to make even the most illiterate of rural area understand religions and their common message.”

Be it folksongs, enactment of religious anecdotes like “Keechak Ka Vadh” through shadow puppetry show or traditional drums performances reverberating Carnatic culture were some of the performances that won the maximum applause. (ANI)

Haneef’s wife remains hopeful of a fair trail
Saturday, July 21, 2007 | MP

Bangalore, July 21 (ANI): Firdous Arshiya, the Bangalore-based wife of Doctor Mohammad Haneef, has said that she remains hopeful about a fair trail for her husband.

Arshiya said she reposed faith in the Indian Government's initiative to ensure a fair trail, and told reporters that the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) is trying to see that he gets treated fairly.

Arshiya's cousin, Imran Siddiqui expected to reach Brisbane on Sunday to help Haneef in the legal process. Imran was granted a tourist visa by the Australian Immigration Department on Friday.

When asked about the SIM card reportedly lent by Haneef to Sabeel Ahmed, one of the arrested Indian doctors linked to the attacks in London and Glasgow, Arshiya said, "I would just say that whatever the truth is coming out."

Confirming reports that her visa had been cancelled by the Australian Government, she said she did not mind.

Haneef is presently in solitary confinement at the Brisbane-based Wolston Correctional Centre after failing to post a 10,000 dollar surety - which would have resulted in his transfer to Villawood Immigration Detention Centre in Sydney, after being charged with recklessly providing support to his two UK-based cousins - Sabeel and Kafeel Ahmed -- the key accused in the June 29 and 30 foiled UK bomb drives.

On Monday, Australia's Immigration Minister Kevin Andrews had cancelled Haneef's work visa after he was granted bail on a charge of recklessly providing support to a terrorist organisation.

Haneef, 27, has been in custody since July 2, but was only charged on July 14, which led to global criticism of his 12-day detention without charge. (ANI)

Wipro's net profit up by 17 percent
Friday, July 20, 2007 | MP

Bangalore, July 19 (ANI): Indian IT major Wipro Limited has posted a net profit of Rs 7.3 billion in the first quarter of the current fiscal 2007-08, registering a growth of 17 percent.

Announcing the result of its first quarter, Wipro Chairman Azim Premji said that the company is investing in growth markets worldwide during this fiscal year to compete with global peers.

"The results for the quarter are satisfying considering the strong headwinds faced by us in the form of an appreciating rupee," he said.

The revenue from the global IT division of the IT major is 726 million dollars, registering a growth of 20 percent.

The company today projected revenue of 777 million dollars from its flagship global IT services and products division for the second quarter (July-Sept) of the current fiscal (2007-08). (ANI)

Wife terms Haneef’s detention in Australia as ‘unfair’
Tuesday, July 17, 2007 | MP

Bangalore, July16 (ANI): The wife of Mohammed Haneef, an Indian origin doctor detained by the Australian Federal Police (AFP) in Brisbane in connection with the failed UK terror plot, today termed his detention as unfair.

"I think whatever the Australian Government has done is completely unfair and I think they are harassing my husband by doing this. I do not know for what reason they are doing this. My husband is innocent and everyone knows that,” said Firdaus Arshiya, Haneef’s wife.

“If they had to cancel his visa why did they not cancel it on the day they charged him. Somehow they want to detain my husband," she said.

She urged the External Affairs Ministry to intervene in the matter to secure Haneef’s release.

"The charge itself is this…the thing is baseless. So, they have to help the Indian citizens being harassed by the Australian Government," she said.

Earlier today, Australian authorities invoked immigration laws to detain Haneef hours after court granted him bail in connection with foiled UK terror plot.

Australian Immigration Minister Kevin Andrews said Haneef, who worked at a hospital on Australia's tourist Gold Coast city, had failed a “character test” and he had used his powers under migration law to cancel his visa.

Australia's immigration laws give the minister the power to cancel a visa if a person fails a "character test" or is reasonably suspected of being involved in criminal conduct.

Haneef will now be held in immigration detention until his trial. He would then be deported if acquitted of any crime, or once he has completed any sentence.

Earlier in the day, magistrate Janet Payne, granting the bail, ruled Haneef should be released ahead of his trial in the case.

Haneef, 27, has been in custody since July 2 but was only charged on Saturday (July 14), sparking criticism by civil rights groups of his 12-day detention without charge.

Australian Prime Minister John Howard has defended anti-terrorism laws, which allowed Haneef to be detained for 12 days before being charged, saying the laws are essential to protect Australian citizens.

Australian Federal Police (AFP) have charged Haneef with "providing support to a terrorist organisation" because he left his mobile phone SIM card with his second cousin, one of those linked to the terror plots in London and Glasgow. (ANI)

Kumaraswamy apprises Patil of flood situation in Karnataka
Sunday, July 15, 2007 | MP

New Delhi, July 13 (ANI): Karnataka Chief Minister H. D. Kumaraswamy today met Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil here and apprised him of the flood situation in the state.

Kumaraswamy also submitted to the Home Minister a memorandum for central assistance. Patil assured Kumaraswamy of all possible central assistance.

Patil said that a team would be sent to Karnataka immediately to assess the damage, caused by the floods. He further assured Kumaraswamy that the second instalment of central share of the Calamity Relief Fund (CRF) amounting to about 47 crore rupees would be released in advance at the request of the State Government.

Floods caused by heavy monsoon rains have been wreaking havoc in Karnataka over the last few days with water overflowing from the Krishna River in Belgaum, Bijapur and Bagalkot Districts.

Normal life was also hit severely due to heavy rainfalls in Kodagu, Chikmagalur and Hassan Districts.

Water overflowing of the Cauvery River had flooded Hemavathi, Lakshmanathirtha and Kabini basins. (ANI)

Greenpeace protests in Bangalore over promotion of genetically engineered foods
Wednesday, July 11, 2007 | MP

Bangalore, July 11 (ANI): In a continuation of their global campaign against genetically modified foods, Greenpeace staged a protest here on Tuesday.

Greenpeace activists unfurled a banner and protested against allowing genetically engineered crops in India.

Divya Raghunandan, a Greenpeace campaigner said genetically engineered food was bad and injurious to health.

All major players in the food sector must ban genetically engineered crops and vegetables, she added.

The Genetically Engineered Approval Committee (GEAC) of the Government of India will meet next week to take a decision on whether to allow open field trails of genetically engineered vegetables in India.

Genetically modified foods are produced from Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) which have had their genome altered through genetic engineering techniques.

The general principle of producing a GMO is to insert DNA that has been taken from another organism and modified in the laboratory into an organism's genome to produce both new and useful traits.

Typically, this is done using DNA from certain types of bacteria. These foods have been available since the 1990s, with the principal ones being derived from plants - soybean, corn, canola and cotton seed oil.

Controversies surrounding genetically engineered foods and crops commonly focus on human and environmental safety, labelling and consumer choice, intellectual property rights, ethics, food security, poverty reduction, and environmental conservation. (ANI)

Bangalore police widen probe into UK terror plot suspects
Monday, July 9, 2007 | MP

By K G Vasuki

Bangalore, July 8 (ANI): Even though the Bangalore police are tight lipped over the investigation of the Karnataka connection to the foiled terror attacks in the UK, they have widened the scope of enquiry.

Bangalore city police commissioner N Achuta Rao has reiterated that no external agencies have asked them for any help, but the enquiry was on to ascertain the facts of involvement.

The two Indian doctors -- Sabeel Ahmed and Mohammed Haneef -- detained in
Liverpool in the UK and Australia respectively for their alleged involvement in the London-Glasgow terror plot belong to Bangalore.

Kafeel Ahmed, the elder brother of Sabeel Ahmed, has also been detained in Liverpool for his suspected role in the attack.

The police have not given any clean chit to the Ahmed family after they seized CDs and other documents from the house. They are scrutinising e-mails, internet chats and other communication transcripts of Sabeel, Kafeel and Haneef.

However, no incriminating evidence has been found so far.

Rao said: “As the involvement of three well educated youth from Bangalore in the foiled British terror attacks have been more or so established, Bangalore, the Information Technology city, is not the same and has to face the consequences”.

In the wake of the growing terror incidents in Karnataka and the recent revelation of these doctors being allegedly involved in the terror attacks, the government is mulling on forming a separate anti-terrorist squad.

The Bangalore police are also trying to dig out the details of Kafeel and Sabeel and their past activities, when they were in Bangalore. They are also keeping a close watch on the duo’s friends and other suspected people in the city.

Widening their investigation, the Bangalore Police are also looking for Ahmed brothers’ links in the terror attack at Bangalore's Indian Institute of Sciences in 2005.

Eight people have been detained so far in connection with the two failed London car bombs and a botched attack on a Scottish airport. Three of them are Indians, while rest hail from Middle East, including Iraq and Jordan. (ANI)

Deora praises Mangalore Refinery for its role in Mauritius
Sunday, July 8, 2007 | MP

New Delhi, July 7 (ANI): Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Murli Deora has said that the extension of petroleum product supply agreement with Mauritius for a further three years through the Mangalore Refinery is an important and a major step forward in strengthening the long and friendly relations between India and Mauritius.

Interacting with the Mauritian Minister of Industry, SME, Commerce and Cooperatives, Dr. Rajesh Jeetah, Deora assured that India would cater to all requirements of the Mauritian oil sector.

The two billion dollar deal, Deora said would provide long term assurance and comfort to Mauritius on continued availability of strategic and sensitive petroleum products.

Jeetah complemented India for the role it was playing in developing institutions and infrastructure in Mauritius. He said the strong cultural and emotional bonds between India and Mauritius would have a salutory impact on rapidly growing economic and technical ties.

The present one-year contract between MRPL and Mauritius’ STC, signed in 2006, expires in July 2007. The new contract for three more years from August 2007 to July 2010 was inked by MRPL’s Managing Director R. Rajamani and STC’s General Manager R.S. Soomarooah.

High Commissioner of Mauritius in India M. Chooni, Additional Secretary MoP and NG S. Sundareshan and CMD of ONGC R. S. Sharma were also present at the agreement-signing ceremony. (ANI)

Bangalore Police probe background of UK terror plot suspects
Sunday, July 8, 2007 | MP

Bangalore, July 7 (ANI): Bangalore Police have launched their own probe into the background of the two doctors arrested in Australia and Britain for suspected involvement in terror plots in London and Glasgow.

Bangalore Police Commissioner, N Achut Rao, said that neither British nor Australian Police have approached them for help in the probe, and whatever investigation is being done in Bangalore, is on their own.

The two Indian doctors -- Sabeel Ahmed and Mohammed Haneef -- detained in
Liverpool and Australia for their alleged involvement in the terror plot belong to Bangalore.

Both of the detained doctors were pass-outs from the B.R. Ambedkar Medical College in the city.

Meanwhile, friends of the doctors vouched for their credentials and denied all charges that they could be involved in the plot.

"I was completely shocked after hearing the news. One thing I am sure of and can vouch for, that both of them are innocent and can never indulge in any such activity," said N. Afsar, friend of Sabeel and Haneef.

The detention of these two Muslim doctors has put the entire community under scanner.

Masood Abdul Khadir, Secretary of Anjuman Khudamul Muslimin Social Organisation, a religious organisation of Muslims, said that it is not the question of a community, adding that “Even if it is taken as a community, there are 150 million Muslims in India. I feel there should not be any hue and cry about it."

These two are the only Indians out of eight people detained so far in connection with two failed London car bombs and a botched attack on a Scottish airport, while rest are from the Middle East including Iraq and Jordan. (ANI)

Wipro acquires Unza for 246 million dollars
Saturday, July 7, 2007 | MP

Bangalore, July 6 (ANI): Country's third-largest software services exporter Wipro has acquired Singapore's Unza Holdings for about 246 million dollars in cash.

"I think it is going to be very significant. Because if you look at the companies in Asia -combined sales turn over and scale that Wipro and UNZA together will have-, I can't think of any company that will come up to a size and scale," Director of Unza Gavin D Welman said.

"It gives us access to 48 brands, access to a lot more formulations, new packaging, new foot prints in countries," said Vineet Agarwal, President of Wipro Consumer Care.

New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) listed Wipro, which also has interests in consumer care and lightings, expects to complete the 100 percent acquisition by July-end.

Unza is a maker of personal care products with operations in over 40 countries. It has manufacturing plants in Malaysia, Vietnam, China and Indonesia. (ANI)

Mangalore Refinery to supply petroleum products to Mauritius for three more years
Saturday, July 7, 2007 | MP

New Delhi, July 6 (ANI): Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd. (MRPL) has entered into contract with State Trading Corporation (STC) of Mauritius to supply petroleum products three-year contract for completing the petroleum requirements of Mauritius, estimated to be one million tons a year.

Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Murli Deora, and Mauritian Industry Minister, Dr. Rajesh Jeetah, were present at the signing ceremony

The new contract commences from August 2007 and ends in July 2010. It was inked by MRPL’s Managing Director R Rajamani and STC of Mauritius General Manager R S Soomarooah.

In June 2006, for the first time, STC of Mauritius finalized import of its entire range of petroleum products (gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, and furnace oil) requirements for the country from MRPL.

The products imported by STC are sold to local oil companies in Mauritius, viz. Shell (Mauritius), Total Mauritius Ltd, Caltex Oil (Mauritius) Ltd and Indian Oil (Mauritius) Ltd.

Apart from STC of Mauritius, MRPL started exporting to other new markets in 2006-07 like the Emirate National Oil Company of Dubai, aggregating to 1.5 million tons of liquid petroleum products.

Speaking after the signing of the contract, MRPL Chairman R S Sharma said that notwithstanding hardening of international prices and ocean freight, ONGC-MRPL offers very competitive prices for the global market.

Sharma further said that the three-year agreement with STC, Mauritius, should be seen as a historic occasion in strengthening mutual economic cooperation between the two countries through respective state-owned organizations.

Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd. (MRPL) was set up in 1996 with a design capacity of 9.69 million metric tonnes per annum (mmtpa). A coastal refinery operated by private industrialists, it ran into financial strain soon after the Administered Price Mechanism (APM) was partly dismantled in 1998.

‘Sick’ and on the verge of being referred to the BIFR, it was taken over by ONGC on March 28, 2003. Under ONGC management, the refinery was turned around in 368 days flat. MRPL is recognized today as the leading refinery in India in terms of capacity utilization, energy efficiency and safety record. (ANI)

Bangalore Muslim families shocked by Indian doctors connection in UK terror plot
Saturday, July 7, 2007 | MP

By K G Vasuki

Bangalore, July 6 (ANI): The news of involvement of two Indian doctors in UK’s terror plot has sent shock waves through middle class Muslim families.

Dr. Mohammed Haneef, 27, and Dr. Sabeel Ahmed, 26 were arrested in connection with the London car bomb plot. Both doctors hail from Bangalore and were close friends.

Talking to media Afsar, one of the neighbours of Ahmed, who was detained in Liverpool, says he is shocked and feels that community was targeted.

For another Afsar, a friend of Ahmed, it was a shock and doesn't believe that his friend was involved in the crime.

Even though Ahmed's family did not come out, a kind of shock and fear gripped the locality.

The Mosque near the house of Ahmed has become a hotspot for discussion.

Sher Mohammed Ulla, a member of the Masjid and a friend of the family, said: “It further isolates the community. This incident certainly affects the Muslim community”.

According to State Police Intelligence sources, the banned fundamental organisations are active for quite some time in Bangalore and they quote the recent attack on Indian Institute of Science.

The police off the record accept that the ISI and Students' Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) were active in coastal Karnataka.

Even though the police are not making any comment, they have started looking into threads and links after getting clearance from the Union Government on UK terror plot and the involvement of doctors. They are also looking at the presence of Al Qaeda in Bangalore.

Meanwhile, the DCP (Crime) Ravikanthe Gowda visited the house of Ahmed but refused to comment on the progress on the investigation.

However, a prominent Muslim leader and Secretary of Anjuman Khudamul Muslim, an organisation of influence among Muslims in Bangalore, Masood Abdul Khadir finds that the involvement of these doctors further isolates the community. (ANI)

Kin of detained Indian doctor say he is innocent
Friday, July 6, 2007 | MP

Bangalore, July 5 (ANI): Family members of Sabeel Ahmed, the Indian doctor detained in Liverpool over last Saturday's foiled UK bomb plot, say he is innocent.

Ahmed, 26, is a relative of another Indian doctor, Mohammed Haneef, 27, who was detained by Australian police in the same case of the foiled attacks in London and Glasgow, Scotland.

Both Ahmed and Haneef have passed out from the B R Ambedkar Medical College, Bangalore. Ahmed was a year junior to Haneef in college.

Both have also worked together at Halton Hospital in Cheshire in 2005.

Zakira, Ahmed's mother, said she has spoken to her son, and a lawyer has been appointed to help her son.

"Haneef and Sabeel are friends and they are relations. Both these boys are caught in between all this," lamented Zakira.

“I asked the officials, if I can go there and help in the legal procedure," said Zakira.

Ahmed hails from a family of medical practitioners, both his parents are
doctors.

Meanwhile, a Scotland Yard counter-terrorism investigator has begun questioning Haneef, who was detained in Brisbane.

According to news.com.au, the chief inspector from the Metropolitan Police's Counter Terrorism Unit will assist Australian Federal Police (AFP) in quizzing Haneef.

But the senior British officer and the AFP have a court order to detain Haneef without charge only until late tonight.

The unnamed officer, who arrived in Brisbane this morning, avoided the media at Brisbane International Airport.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said from London they preferred the officer's identity not to be revealed in the media, but confirmed the officer left yesterday on a flight to Australia.

Haneef, who has been working as a registrar at the Gold Coast Hospital, is one of six doctors arrested in connection with the plot and the only person detained outside Britain.

British health authorities have confirmed he worked part-time in 2005 at the same hospital in north-western England as another arrested doctor.

A second doctor from the Gold Coast Hospital, Dr Mohammed Asif Ali, has been cleared after questioning. (ANI)

Archive: 2004, 2003