President Pratibha Patil goes on mercy overdrive

Himanshi DhawanHimanshi Dhawan, TNN | Jun 22, 2012, 05.55AM IST
NEW DELHI: Ahead of demitting office, President Pratibha Patil has scored a new record. She has commuted the death sentence of as many as 35 convicts to life — among them are those convicted of mass murder, kidnapping, rape and killing of children.
On June 2, Patil gave her pardon to four more — Bandu Baburao Tidke from Karnataka, Buntu from Uttar Pradesh and Lalchand alias Laliya Dhoom and Shiv Lal from Rajasthan. As a swami of Sadashiva Appana Math, Bagalkot, Tidke abducted a 16-year-old schoolgirl, raped and murdered her. UP's Bantu, on death row since July 2008, was convicted of raping and killing a five-year-old girl.
In fact, almost all the convicts pardoned are guilty of the most blood-curdling crimes. Piara Singh, Sarabjit Singh, Gurdev Singh and Satnam Singh had massacred 17 of a family at a marriage function. Gopi and Mohan (Tamil Nadu) and Molai Ram and Santosh (Madhya Pradesh) had raped and murdered little girls.
The large scale of presidential pardons is seen as surprising. That is because India has not yet abolished the death penalty.
Were these pardons diluting the legal provision through the backdoor? Archana Dutta, Rashtrapati Bhavan spokesperson, said the President was well aware of constitutional provisions as she was a lawyer herself. "The President only takes a decision to commute a death sentence or reject it after she is satisfied by the advice tendered by the government. The President ensures that the government has put in certain application of mind to give mitigating and extenuating circumstances for their advice,'' she said.
Notwithstanding Dutta's assertion, the speed with which Patil has granted pardons would indicate haste. Those shown clemency have been held guilty of barbaric crimes. These appear to have met the criterion of the "rarest of the rare" crimes that attract death penalty. While Patil has shown mercy to mass killers and rapists and killers of children, she has not given the same treatment to political assassins like the killers of former Punjab chief minister Beant Singh or Rajiv Gandhi.
With the June 2 decision to grant four more pardons, the President boasts of a disposal rate of 200%. In recent times President K R Narayanan received 10 petitions and disposed of only one in his tenure. A P J Abdul Kalam inherited nine petitions with another 16 added in his term, taking the total to 25. He disposed of only two — rejecting one and pardoning the other.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/President-Pratibha-Patil-goes-on-mercy-overdrive/articleshow/14330594.cms

Cement Companies turn Rogues to defraud the public

CCI issues order against Cement Manufacturers, Imposes penalty of more than six thousand crores on 11 Cement companies
The Competition Commission of India has found cement manufacturers in violation of the provisions of the Competition Act, 2002 which deals with anticompetitive agreements including Cartels. The order was passed pursuant to investigation carried out by the Director General upon information filed by Builders Association of India. The Commission has imposed penalty on 11 Cement Manufacturers named in the information @0.5 times of their profit for the year 2009-10 and 2010-11. The penalty amount so worked out amounts to more than Six thousand Crores. The Commission has also imposed penalty on the Cement Manufacturers Association.
The Cement Manufacturers upon whom the penalty has been imposed are ACC, Ambuja Cements Limited, Ultratech Cements, Grasim Cements now merged with Ultratech Cements, JK Cements, India Cements, Madras Cements, Century Cements, Binani Cements, Lafarge India and Jaypee Cements.
While imposing penalty, the Commission has considered the parallel and coordinated behaviour of cement companies on price, dispatch and supplies in the market. The Commission has found that the cement companies have not utilised the available capacity so as to reduce supplies and raise prices in times of higher demand. The Commission has also observed that the act of these Cement Companies in limiting and controlling supplies in the market and determining prices through an anti-competitive agreement is not only detrimental to the cause of the consumers but also to the whole economy since cement is a crucial input in construction and infrastructure industry vital for economic development of the country.
The contravening Cement Manufacturers had been directed to deposit the penalty amount within 90 days. They have also been directed to ‘cease and desist’ from indulging in any activity relating to agreement, understanding or arrangement on prices, production and supply of cement in the market.
CMA has been asked to disengage and disassociate itself from collecting wholesale and retail prices through the member cement companies and also from circulating the details on production and dispatches of cement companies to its members.
The order of CCI has been passed in r/o case no.29 of 2010 and a copy of the order has been uploaded on the website of CCI at CCI RC/JR
CCI issues order against Cement Manufacturers, Imposes penalty of more than six thousand crores on 11 Cement companies
Comment: India should import cement from China at Rs 100 and sell it in the market for Rs 120/. We need to kill the Cement Rogues.

Adarsh Scam: Evidence Destroyed- Sabotage Suspected?

Adarsh scam files destroyed in Mantralaya fire?
Thursday, June 21, 2012, 18:35  4   Zeenews Bureau
Mumbai: A massive fire, which broke out in Maharashtra's State Secretariat or the Mantralaya building in south Mumbai on Thursday, has given triggered a bitter controversy with reports claiming a sabotage angle in the incident.
Media reports claimed that the fire which started on the fourth floor of the building and later spread to the sixth floor, which houses Chief Minister’s Office, has destroyed several important documents related to the Adarsh Housing society scam, in which several Ministers in the Maharashtra government are facing inquiry.
Sources have also confirmed that files related to the Kargil war have also been damaged in the incident. When quizzed by the reporters, Maharashtra Chief Minmister Prithviraj Chavan said, “Our concern right now is to save people. Issues such as destruction of important files will be discussed later.”
Suspecting a conspiracy in the Mantralaya fire incident, the main opposition BJP has sought an explanation from the Maharashtra government regarding the safety of Adarsh scam related documents.
However, the CBI has categorically denied reports that Adarsh scam related files have been destroyed in the fire.
 
The central probe agency gave an assurance by saying, “All the files relevant to the Adarsh housing society scam are safe with the courts and have not been damaged as a result of the Mantralaya fire.”
The fire - supposedly caused by a short-circuit- started on the fourth floor and later spread to the sixth floor, which houses the Chief Minister’s Office; luckily Chavan was not in his office.
Indian Navy commandoes were pressed into the rescue operation. Specialist Marine Commandos also arrived with specialist equipment.
The fire reportedly started from the cabin of Maharashtra Tribal Affairs Minister Babanrao Pachpute located on the 4th floor at around 3 pm. Pachupate is from the NCP.
The Mantralaya is the State Secretariat and houses the offices of all ministers of the Maharashtra government. From the fourth floor - which houses urban development and education departments – the fire then spread to fifth and sixth floors of the building.
The landmark Mantralaya Building is located in the heart of South Mumbai very near to the Mumbai High Court.
No casualties have been reported so far as the building was evacuated soon after fire was noticed.
The police have cordoned off the area and are in control of the situation
http://zeenews.india.com/news/maharashtra/adarsh-scam-files-destroyed-in-mantralaya-fire_783139.html