Bypoll for Meghalaya RS seat on April 18
New Delhi: By-election to fill a Rajya Sabha seat from Meghalaya will be held on April 18, the Election Commission announced on Monday. The by-election has been necessitated to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Thomas Sangma of NCP on February 4. His term was to have ended on April 12, 2014.
Chopper scam: CBI seeks more documents
New Delhi: CBI will be seeking more documents from the Defence Ministry including its internal probe into alleged kickbacks by UK-based AgustaWestland to clinch 12 VVIP helicopter deal. CBI sources said a meeting in this regard with the officials of the Defence Ministry is likely to take place soon where these documents could be handed over to the agency. The sources said Defence Ministry has assured the agency to provide details of an internal inquiry which was conducted to go into allegations of kickbacks and the suspected involvement of some officials.
Kalmadi questioned in Forex violations
New Delhi: Sacked CWG organising committee chief Suresh Kalmadi was on Monday questioned by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with its probe into alleged forex violations in the run up to the 2010 sporting extravaganza. The agency has filed a case under Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) with regard to the Queen’s Baton Relay that happened in london before the games and other funds that were brought in the country for the multi-disciplinary games that were held here. This is the first time the ED is questioning Kalmadi in detail with regard to RBI clearances that the Organising Committee had obtained while preparing for the CWG.
IRS officer held taking bribe
New Delhi: The CBI on Monday trapped a 1994-batch Indian Revenue Service officer CS Bharti posted as Additional Income Tax Commissioner in Gandhinagar for allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe of `30 lakh. Bharti was trapped on Monday evening for allegedly demanding and accepting the bribe for scrutiny and assessment of income tax return of Drishti Constructions, CBI sources said. “Delivery of bribe was taken by a third party in Ahmedabad as arranged by a middleman on the instructions of the accused,” an agency spokesperson said, adding assessment order was handed over to the complainant after confirmation of delivery of bribe amount. Searches continued till filing of the report and the officer is likely to be arrested, the sources added.
greater representation for Banjara sought
New Delhi: Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Monday received a demand for greater representation to the Banjara community in Maharashtra by putting up 10 candidates in Assembly polls and three in lok Sabha elections. Sanjivkumar Rathod, a member of the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee, met Rahul and demanded that Hingoli Parliamentary constituency be reserved for the Banjara community which comprises 10 per cent population in Maharashtra. Also the community to be recognised as a Scheduled Tribe across the country as at present it comes under the SC category in Karnataka, Delhi and Punjab, OBC in Madhya Pradesh, ST in Andhra Pradesh and Nomadic Tribe
in Maharashtra.