L A T E S T N E W S SC terms all coal block allocations since 1993 illegal NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court today held that all coal block allocations made since 1993 till 2010 before the pre-auction era during the previous NDA and UPA regimes have been done in an illegal manner by an "ad-hoc and casual" approach "without application of mind".



However, the consequences arising from the verdict of such coal blocks will be considered after further hearing by the apex court.



The apex court, which examined the allocation of 218 blocks, said, "Common good and public interest have, thus, suffered heavily" as "there was no fair and transparent procedure, all resulting in unfair distribution of the national wealth." A Bench headed by Chief Justice R.M. Lodha also held that "no state government or public sector undertakings of the state governments are eligible for mining coal for commercial use".



The Bench also clarified that there was no challenge laid before it for cancellation in respect of blocks, where competitive bidding was held for the lowest tariff for power for Ultra Mega Power Projects (UMPPs) in accordance with the opinion given in the Natural Resources Allocation Reference.



However, it said "having regard to this, it is directed that the coal blocks allocated for UMPP would only be used for UMPP and no diversion of coal for commercial exploitation would be permitted".



The Bench, also comprising justices Madan B. Lokur and Kurian Joseph, said as allocation made both under the Screening Committee route and the government dispensation route, are arbitrary and illegal, further hearing was needed to deterimine the consequences for which it would hear the matter on September 1.



"As we have already found that the allocations made, both under the Screening Committee route and the government dispensation route, are arbitrary and illegal, what should be the consequences, is the issue which remains to be tackled. We are of the view that, to this limited extent, the matter requires further hearing," the Bench in its 163-page judgement said.



After the pronouncement, the Bench orally said though the Attorney General had given the figures of coal blocks, they were not verified and even the state governments had raised objections. These issues have to be gone into, the court said while suggesting that a small committee comprising retired Supreme Court judges can be set up to give its report on the issue in the shortest possible time.



The Bench, which had marathon hearing on the PILs filed in 2012 by advocate M.L. Sharma and NGO, Common Cause, seeking quashing of the coal blocks allocated during the relevant period, said, "To sum up, the entire allocation of coal blocks as per recommendations made by the Screening Committee from July 14, 1993, in 36 meetings and the allocation through the government dispensation route suffers from the vice of arbitrariness and legal flaws."



"The Screening Committee has never been consistent, it has not been transparent, there is no proper application of mind, it has acted on no material in many cases, relevant factors have seldom been its guiding factors, there was no transparency and guidelines have seldom guided it," it said.



On many occasions, guidelines have been honoured more in their breach, the Bench observed.



"There was no objective criteria, nay, no criteria for evaluation of comparative merits. The approach had been ad-hoc and casual. There was no fair and transparent procedure, all resulting in unfair distribution of the national wealth.



"Common good and public interest have, thus, suffered heavily. Hence, the allocation of coal blocks based on the recommendations made in all the 36 meetings of the Screening Committee is illegal," the Bench said.



It observed that the allocation of coal blocks through the government dispensation route, however, laudable the object may be, also is illegal since it is impermissible as per the scheme of the CMN (Coal Mines Nationalisation) Act.



While holding that State Government or its public sector undertakings are not eligible for mining coal for commercial use, the Bench said, "Since allocation of coal is permissible only to those categories under Section 3(3) and (4), the joint venture arrangement with ineligible firms is also impermissible."



"Equally, there is also no question of any consortium/ leader/association in allocation. Only an undertaking satisfying the eligibility criteria referred to in Section 3(3) of the CMN Act, viz., which has a unit engaged in the production of iron and steel and generation of power, washing of coal obtained from mine or production of cement, is entitled to the allocation in addition to Central government, a Central government company or a Central government corporation," the Bench added.



In the conclusion, the Bench said, "By way of footnote, it may be clarified and we do, that no challenge was laid before us in respect of blocks where competitive bidding was held for the lowest tariff for power for Ultra Mega Power Projects (UMPPs)".



The Bench noted that Common Cause counsel Prashant Bhushan had submitted that since allocation for UMPPs was in accord with the opinion given in the Natural Resources Allocation Reference and the benefit of the coal block is passed on to the public, the said allocations may not be cancelled.



It accepted the NGOs submission that there should be an order to restrain in some cases in which the g has allowed diversion of coal from UMPP to other end uses, i.e., for commercial exploitation.



"Having regard to this, it is directed that the coal blocks allocated for UMPP would only be used for UMPP and no diversion of coal for commercial exploitation would be permitted," the Bench said. Initially, the PILs had alleged irregularities in the allocation of around 194 coal blocks without following proper guidelines during the UPA regime but later the apex court expanded its ambit by examining the issue since July 14, 1993.



The NDA was in power from 1998 to 2004.



The coal blocks were allotted in Jharkhand, Chattisgarh, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Odisha and Madhya Pradesh to private companies and parties.



When the matter came for hearing, the Centre provided data relating to 218 coal blocks, stating that 105 were allotted to private companies, 99 to government companies and 12 were for UMMPs.



The Centre said two coal blocks for coal to Liquid (CTL) projects were also allocated.



During the hearing, the apex court was told that 41 coal blocks were deallocated.



When the petition was filed in 2012, it was alleged that that the CAG has estimated a huge loss of about Rs 1.64 lakh crore to the country in the allocation of coal blocks.



The apex court had rejected the contention of the Centre that the petition based on the CAG report was "premature" as the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) was then slated to examine about the correctness of allocation.



It has been monitoring the CBI probe into the scam and special court has been set up to exclusively deal with the prosecution of cases arising out of it in which politicians and businessmen have been named as accused.



The matter saw the CBI facing tough time and the government getting pulled up for alleged interference in the probe.



During the hearing, the apex court sought the details of guidelines framed by the Central government for allocation of coal blocks and examined the process adopted for it.  PTI

Govt to move quickly after SC final order on coal blocks:Goyal NEW DELHI: Welcoming Supreme Court judgement as ending of uncertainty, Coal and Power Minister Piyush Goyal today said the government is ready to act quickly once the court delivers its final view on the coal mines allocation, which it has declared illegal. The government is awaiting Supreme Court to deliver its final view on how the mines "illegally" allocated between 1993 and 2010 should be treated, Goyal told reporters here.





Later, Goyal went to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi.





"The fact that this has brought to finality and closure a dispute or problem that has been for many years ... (It is) a big plus for the Indian economy. I think in fact they should have been immensely pleased that the economy can now move forward rapidly rather being cast with the shadow of uncertainty," he said.





He said the clarity of law in policy and certainty of future are the "hallmarks of a good economy and will be liked by the investor community", with coal sector poised for progress after being in "limbo" for long.





His remarks follow the Supreme Court ruling that all coal block allocations between 1993 and 2010 had been done in an illegal manner by an "ad-hoc and casual" approach "without application of mind".





"I would look forward to finality in the matter of coal block allocations, which have for several years now kept the sector in limbo, and with the finality that one can expect very soon, I hope that the sector can start progressing," he said.





"I respect the judgement of the Supreme Court and am also happy that they have set a date for further hearing," he added.





Goyal said economy can now move forward rather been cast in shadow of uncertainty and the government is ready to act quickly post the apex court's final order.  PTI Cong retains Patiala seat; SAD sweeps Talwandi Sabo CHANDIGARH: The Congress and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) have scored one-one in the Assembly bypoll in Punjab.



Congress leader and former Union Minister Preneet Kaur won the Patiala Assembly seat defeating her nearest rival Bhagwan Dass Juneja of SAD.



Kaur, wife of former Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, won the seat by a margin of 23,282 votes.



The seat fell vacant after the former CM got elected to the Lok Sabha from Amritsar.



Kaur was polled 52,967 votes, SAD nominee Bhagwan Dass Juneja 29,685 and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidate Harjit S Adaltiwala 5,724.



In Talwandi Sabo, Shiromani Akali Dals candidate Jeet Mohinder Singh won the bypoll by over 46,600 votes. He defeated his nearest rival Harminder Singh Jassi of the Congress.



Jeet Mohinder had quit the Congress earlier this year and joined the Akali Dal.



Meanwhile, SAD candidate's son Gurpal Juneja died of heart stroke last night, so the Congress has decided not to celebrate and keep the victory a low-key affair.



Gurpal was cremated on Monday morning.



Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, Cabinet Ministers, including Bikram Singh Majithia and Surjit Singh Rakhra, Patiala MP Dr Dharamvira Gandhi, Congress candidate Preneet Kaur and AAP candidate HS Adaltiwala also attended his cremation.  With inputs from Gagan K. Teja

Bihar: Lalu-Nitish-Cong alliance wins 6 seats PATNA: Secular alliance, comprising RJD, JD(U) and Congress, has won six seats while BJP has won four of the ten Assembly seats in Bihar where bypoll was held on August 21, according to reports.



In the 2010 Assembly election, BJP had won six, RJD three and JD(U) one seat, respectively.



The regrouped "Mandal forces" appears to have checked division of votes which is a setback for the BJP that had won 31 seats out of 40 in Bihar in the recent General Election with ally LJP and RLSP.



In the 2010 Assembly election, BJP had won six, RJD three and JD(U) one seat, respectively.  Agencies Karnataka : Cong wrests Bellary Rural from BJP BANAGALORE: In a shot in the arm for the ruling Congress in Karnataka, the party today won two seats, wresting the prestigious Bellary Rural from the BJP which managed to retain one constituency in the fiercely-fought August 21 bypoll.



In a blow to the BJP, Congress' N.Y. Gopalakrishna trounced BJP's Obalesh by a margin of 33,104 votes in Bellary Rural, represented earlier by B. Sriramulu, who vacated the seat after becoming a Lok Sabha member.



Sriramulu, once considered a trusted lieutenant of mining baron and former Minister Janardhana Reddy, had won Bellary Rural in the 2013 Assembly poll as the candidate of his outfit BRS before rejoining the BJP ahead of the Lok Sabha election.



In Shikaripura, the BJP managed to retain the seat with B.Y. Raghavendra, son of party national vice-president and former Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa, winning by a margin of 6,430 votes against Congress' H.S. Shantaveerappa Gowda in a closely fought battle.



Yeddyurappa had won the Shikaripura seat in the 2013 Assembly election by a margin of over 24,000 votes as the candidate of Karnataka Janatha Paksha (KJP), his outfit which merged with the BJP months before the Lok Sabha poll. He had represented Shikaripura seven times before making his debut as a Lok Sabha member from Shimoga in the last poll.



The Congress retained its traditional stronghold of Chikkodi-Sadalga, where its candidate Ganesh Prakash Hukkeri defeated BJP's Mahantesh Kavatagimath by 31,820 votes.



The poll outcome has come as a big booster for Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, as it is expected to put murmurs of discontent against his style of functioning within his party in a mute mode at least in the near future.



The Congress had played for high stakes in the election, the first test of popularity after the Lok Sabha poll which saw a resurgent BJP winning 17 of 28 Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka.



The Congress, which put up a sterling performance in the 2013 Assembly poll unseating the BJP's first-ever government in the South, had won just nine Lok Sabha seats and JDS two.



Former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda led JDS, now facing dissatisfaction among its MLAs over leadership's functioning, had not fielded candidates in all the three constituencies.  PTI MP: BJP retains Agar seat AGAR (Bhopal): The BJP today retained the Agar Assembly seat by a margin of 27,102 votes with its candidate Gopal Parmar defeating Congress' Rajkumar Gore.



The result was announced by the District Returning Officer after the counting was over.



The by-poll was necessitated in Agar (Malwa) after sitting BJP MLA Manohar Untwal got elected as MP from Dewas Lok Sabha seat.  PTI PM Jan Dhan Yojana to be launched on Aug 28 by Modi NEW DELHI: The 'Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana', an ambitious financial inclusion scheme under which the government intends to provide every household with a bank account and insurance cover, will be launched on August 28 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The scheme, about which Modi made the announcement in his Independence Day speech, will be launched across the country simultaneously amid his emphasis that it lies at the core of "our development philosophy of 'Sabka Sath Sabka Vikas'".





As a first step, under the scheme, every account holder will get a 'RuPay' debit card with a Rs one lakh accident cover.





"As we go along, they will be covered by insurance and pension products," the Prime Minister said today while announcing the decision about the launch.





Modi, who has sent an email to all bank officers, said bank account for each household is a "national priority" and they should try their best to ensure that no one is left without a bank account.





Describing the task as "gigantic," he said, "We need to enroll over 7 crore households and open their accounts. This is a national priority and we must rise to meet this challenge. There is an urgency to this exercise as all other development activities are hindered by this single disability.





I am sure we will overcome this situation collectively."  PTI Sheila Dikshit meets Home Minister NEW DELHI: Amidst reports that she may be shunted out of Kerala, Governor Sheila Dikshit today met Home Minister Rajnath Singh.



She will also meet President Pranab Mukherjee in the evening, fuelling speculation that she may put in her papers.



During her 15-minute meeting with the Home Minister, Dikshit is understood to have discussed about her continuation in the Thiruvananthapuram Raj Bhavan, sources said.



But details of the discussion are not known.



"These are all rumours," she told reporters, after her meeting with the Home Minister, when asked whether she would resign as Kerala Governor.



Dikshit is said to have refused to quit after the NDA government had allegedly nudged her to resign.



There have been reports that suggested that the former Delhi Chief Minister may be transferred to a state in the north-east.



Yesterday, Maharashtra Governor K .Sankaranarayanan resigned after he was transferred to Mizoram for the remainder of his tenure till 2017.



Sankaranarayanan too was nudged by Union Home Secretary Anil Goswami to put in his papers after the Narendra Modi government came to power.



Earlier, the NDA government had sacked Mizoram Governor Kamla Beniwal, who had served in Gujarat earlier and had a running battle with Narendra Modi when he was the state's Chief Minister.



Virendra Kataria, a former Congress leader, was also sacked as Puducherry Lieutenant Governor last month.



Four other Governors  M.K. Narayanan (West Bengal), Ashwani Kumar (Nagaland), B.L. Joshi (UP) and Shekhar Dutt (Chhattisgarh) had put in their papers apparently after they were telephoned by the Union Home Secretary.



Uttrakhand Governor Aziz Qureshi has challenged Modi government's moves to ease him out of office, bringing the controversy over removal of UPA-appointed Governors under judicial lens.  PTI Pak troops fire at 40 BoPs, 24 villages along IB JAMMU: Extending ceasefire violations to Samba district, Pakistan troops heavily shelled and fired upon 40 Border Out Posts (BoPs) and 24 villages along the International Border in Jammu and Samba districts, leaving three persons injured.



BSF troops gave a befitting reply by responding strongly with equal caliber weapons to Pakistan's firing which resulted in heavy exchange of fire, which continued till 0700 hours, a BSF officer said.



"Pak Rangers resorted to heavy firing of small and automatic weapons and shelling of mortars bombs on 35 to 40 BoPs and civilian areas along IB in Arnia and R S Pura sub-sectors of Jammu district from 2130 hours last night" the officer said.



This is the first time that Pakistani Rangers have extended the ceasefire violation to Samba district.



Pakistan targeted BoPs and Border hamlets along IB in Arnia, R Pura, Kanachak, Akhnoor sub-sectors of Jammu district and Ramgarh sector of Samba district.



As per the official reports, Pak also targeted 24 Border villages throughout the night till this morning.



"Although there was no human loss, three civilians have been injured in Pak shelling.They included two people in Flora village and and one in Khothar besides injuries to cattle in Jora Farm area in R S Pura belt", Sub-Divisional Police Officer

(SDPO), R S Pura, Devender Singh said.



Pakistani rangers rained 52mm and 82-mm mortar shells apart from using LMGs, MMGs and automatic weapons on at least 40 BoPs and 24 border hamlets triggering panic and fear among the people living along the border in Jammu and Samba districts.



There have been 21 ceasefire violations in less then a fortnight and 23 in the month of August.



Since July 16, there have been 33 ceasefire violations.



Meanwhile, BJP National President Amit Shah and MoS PMO Jitendra Singh are visiting people who have migrated from border hamlets and are put up in safe shelters in R S Pura on Monday. PTI Army man, ultra killed in anti-militancy operations SRINAGAR: An army jawan and a militant were killed today in two ongoing anti-militancy operations in Jammu and Kashmir's Kupwara district. In the operation launched in Keran sector on Saturday night, security forces tracked down a militant and engaged him in a gunfight. The militant was killed in the operation while searches in the area continued, an army spokesman said.





A gunbattle erupted in forest area of Lolab, adjacent to Kalaroos, in Kupwara district after army launched an operation to track down a group of militants who had managed to escape during the encounter yesterday, an army official said.





He said the militants were engaged by security forces leading to a fierce gunbattle that was going on.





Lance Naik Dhananjay Kumar was injured in the exchange of firing, he said adding the soldier later succumbed to injuries.





This is the third fatality suffered by army in Kupwara district in the past two days.





An army jawan was killed in a gunbattle with militants in Kalaroos area of the district yesterday while another laid down his life in Keran sector a night earlier.





Four militants were also killed in the Kalaroos operation. PTI

Pak crisis deepens; Qadri issues 48-hour deadline to govt ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's political crisis deepened today with cleric Tahir-ul-Qadri giving a fresh 48-hour ultimatum to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to step down after a former top Election Commission official backed protesters' allegations of rigging in last year's polls. Buoyed by former additional secretary Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Afzal Khan's claim that the general election in which Sharif won by a landslide was rigged, protesters headed by Qadri and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan stepped their campaign against the government.





"I ask the members of National Assembly to leave the house before my deadline expires," Qadri said addressing his supporters outside the Parliament.





"All the credit for this struggle goes to the people," he said. Qadri blamed the ruling PML-N for letting the situation escalate to this stage.





Qadri said on the twelfth day of the protest, it was now transforming into a "revolution".





The PAT chief alleged that the procedure followed to select the election setup and the way the polls were held, assemblies were formed, was in clear violation of the Constitution.





"We consider the government unconstitutional from the very first day," Qadri said.





Qadri gave the 48-hour deadline to the government, asking it to dissolve the assemblies, let the FIR of Model Town incident in which 14 of his supporters were killed be registered and release Joint Investigation Team (JIT) report.





He also demanded that Prime Minister Sharif and his brother Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif be arrested.





In an interview to a private TV channel last night, Afzal Khan had alleged, that former chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Justice (retd) Tassaduq Hussain Jillani, Justice (retd) Riaz Kayani and former Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Fakhruddin G Ebrahim were involved in the rigging. Khan retired on May 17 last year.





Kayani today refuted Afzal Khan's allegations, terming them as bogus and a conspiracy. He said Khan had leveled false allegations, because he had not being given a service-extension.





"Election 2013 unravelling as ppl come forward 2 give evidence of planned rigging. Latest is confession of Retd Add Sec ECP M Afzal Khan," Imran Khan tweeted.





"BUT Nawaz Sharif resignation necessary so all those in the know & willing to testify are given security & protection," he tweeted.





No talks took place today between the government and protesters. Three rounds of negotiations have failed to break the deadlock that has now lasted for 12 days.  PTI Ludhiana offers maximum employment: Economic Survey CHANDIGARH: Ludhiana-the industrial hub of Punjab -- offers the maximum employment across Punjab with a share of 19.1 per cent while Mansa district generates least number of jobs with having 1.5 per cent share in total employment, as per latest Economic Survey. A total of 35.62 lakh jobs are generated in Punjab, as per the findings of the sixth Economic survey which was carried out by Central Statistical Organisation (CSO) from January 16, 2013 to April 30, 2014.





The findings of the survey were released by Punjab Finance Minister Parminder Singh Dhindsa here during 13th Finance Commission Review meeting-cum-GSDP workshop of Northern Region States which held here.





As per the survey, out of total employment of 35.62 lakh, Ludhiana district has the highest percentage of 19.1 per cent and Mansa district has the lowest at 1.5 per cent.





Five bigger districts --Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Sangrur, Amritsar and Patiala together accounted for 50.7 per cent and five small districts --Faridkot, Roopnagar, SBS Nagar, Pathankot and Mansa together accounted for only 9.5 per cent, as per the survey.





However, the growth rate in employment has been 40.69 per cent as compared to employment during last Economic Survey conducted in year 2005.





Out of total employment, the percentage share of workers in rural and urban areas in the state is 47.68 per cent and 52.32 per cent, respectively, as per survey findings.





Out of total 35.62 lakh workers, 29.13 lakh are male and 6.49 lakh are female ones.





The percentage of male workers for rural, urban and combined is 76.26 per cent, 86.84 per cent and 81.79 per cent respectively, while the percentage of female workers for rural, urban and combined is 23.74 per cent, 13.16 per cent and 18.21 per cent, respectively, as per the survey.





The survey also found the number of establishments engaged in economic activities grew by 42.47 per cent to 15.12 lakh as compared to number of establishments during fifth economic survey.





Out of total establishments, 54.14 per cent establishments are operated in rural areas and 45.86 per cent of the total establishments are carried out in the urban areas of the state.





As far as establishments are concerned, Ludhiana district was again occupied top slot as it has highest percentage of 14.1 per cent while Mansa has the lowest percentage at 1.6 per cent, as per findings.

"It has been observed that only five districts -- Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Amritsar, Sangrur and Patiala -- account for 47.3 per cent of the total establishment while bottom five districts account for only 10.2 per cent of the total number of establishments," as per Economic Survey.





There are approximately 8.95 lakh establishments, constituting 59.19 percent of the total establishments which are operated from outside household with fixed structure. Out of these establishments, 47.03 per cent are operated in the rural areas and 52.97 per cent in urban areas, it said.





Approximately 1.88 lakh establishments, constituting 12.46 per cent of total establishments which are operated from outside household without fixed structure. Out of these establishments, 46.07 per cent are operated in the rural areas and 53.93 per cent in urban areas.





"The trends of the rural, urban and combined establishments reveal that up to fifth EC census number of establishments operated in the urban areas were more than the establishments in the rural areas. In sixth EC the trend has reversed as the number of establishments in rural areas is higher than those in urban areas," it said.





At this point the explanation for this may be that recently there is semi urban setup in rural areas and partly that many farmers are doing economic activities (other than farming) to supplement their meager income as original holdings are declining in size over time," it said.





Meanwhile, Punjab Finance Minister P S Dhindsa said the data will enable the state to formulate various economic policies in an objective manner.





He said mentioned that data of "Cost of Cultivation Study" under farm activity to be conducted in each district will help to formulate policies including crop diversification plans at district level.





Similarly data of "Business Register Survey" will enable the state government to prepare more authentic Industrial Policies for the state.





Ashish Kumar, Additional Director General, Central Statistical Office said with the achievement of various milestones under 13th FC, the country will enter a new phase of statistical era where for the first time income estimates will be available at district level.





With this, India will join countries having advance statistical system, he said.





The 13th FC recommended grant of Rs 1 crore for each district of the country for strengthening database and statistical system especially at district level in all the states of the country including Punjab.  PTI Three die in Ludhiana factory fire CHANDIGARH: At least three people were killed in a massive fire that broke out at a wool factory in industrial hub Ludhiana's Shivpuri area on Monday morning.



The police, quoting Fire Department officials, said the victims died of suffocation.



Fire tenders were rushed to the factory to douse off the fire. It was difficult to control the fire as the the factory had stored a lot of combustible raw and woollen clothes material.  Agencies



Fire in Delhi building NEW DELHI: A fire broke out Monday on the first floor of a building in Delhi's Connaught Place area, an official said.



An official of the Delhi Fire Service said the fire broke out in Rama building.



"Over 10 fire tenders have been rushed to the spot to douse the fire which was reported at 7.50 a.m.," the official told IANS.



The official said the cause of the fire is still not known and no casualties have been reported so far. -IANS

Former Test cricketer Yograj Singh arrested CHANDIGARH: Yograj Singh, a former Test cricketer and the father of Yuvraj Singh, was arrested along with three others by the Haryana Police today in a brawl case.



The cricketer-turned-actor was arrested from Panchkula after a case under various sections of the IPC, including trespassing and criminal intimidation, was registered against him, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Panchkula, Rahul Sharma said today.



Yograj, with his family members and relatives, was celebrating a birthday in the family, Sharma said, adding that the incident took place after the party ended and relatives proceeded to their Panchkula residence.



The relatives had an argument with their neighbours over parking of a car, following which they called Yograj, he said.



A fight broke out between Yograj and the opposite side, a retired Chandigarh police DSP, when the former cricketer reached the scene along with some other persons, Sharma added.



Before his arrest, Yograj had told reporters that the DSP's sons allegedly had a scuffle with his relatives.



However, the DSP had maintained that Yograj's side assaulted them first.



Cross FIRs have been lodged under various sections of the IPC and four persons, including Yograj and one of his associates, were taken into custody, Sharma said, adding, the DSP and one more person have been taken into custody from the opposite side.



Yograj had been booked on various charges including trespassing and criminal intimidation in connection with the incident, he said.



"Both the parties have lodged FIRs. We have arrested Yograj and others in the case. We are in the process of verifying allegations," he added.



56-year-old Yograj had recently undergone surgery to remove a throat tumour in the United States.



Yograj is a noted actor and has done many films, most of them Punjabi. Last year, he also featured in Bollywood film 'Bhaag Milkha Bhaag'.  PTI



Indian scientists find a 'wonder herb' in the high Himalayas LEH: In the high hostile peaks of the Himalayas where sustaining life is a challenge in itself, Indian scientists say they have found a "wonder herb" which can regulate the immune system, help adapt to the mountain environment and, above all, protect from radioactivity.



Rhodiola, a herb found in the cold and highland climate, has led India's leading scientists to wonder if it is the end to the quest for "Sanjeevani", the mythical herb that gave renewed life to Ram's brother Lakshman in the epic Ramayana.



Locally called 'Solo' in Ladakh, the qualities of Rhodiola were largely unknown so far. The leafy parts of the plant were used as vegetable by locals. However, research by the Leh-based Defence Institute of High Altitude Research (DIHAR) is exploring the therapeutic values of the herb that shows it can do wonders for the troops posted in difficult high altitude areas like the 5,400-metres-high Siachen glacier.



"Rhodiola is a wonder plant that has immunomodulatory (enhancing immune), adaptogenic (adapting to difficult climatic condition) and radio-protecting abilities due to presence of secondary metabolites and phytoactive compounds unique to the plant," R.B. Srivastava, Director, DIHAR, told IANS.



Srivastava said the herb can mitigate the effects of gamma radiation used in bombs in biochemical warfare.



"A concerted effort involving conservation, propagation and sustainable utilisation of this unique medicinal herb will surely result in rediscovery of Sanjeevani for the troops deployed in extreme climatic condition along Himalayan frontiers," said the director.



The Leh-based lab of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), the world's highest agro-animal research laboratory, has been researching on this wonder plant for more than a decade.



"While its adaptogenic qualities can help the soldiers in adjusting to the low pressure-low oxygen environment, the plant has also been found to have anti-depressant and appetizer properties," said Srivastava.



In the barren glacier of Siachen where white is the only colour visible for miles, depression is a problem troops face. The high altitude and harsh climate also make them lose appetite.



DIHAR has already developed Herbal Adaptogenic Appetizer, and Herbal Adaptogenic Performance Enhancer that improves performance in extreme high altitude conditions, and has been highly appreciated by the Army.



Rhodiola is also found in other parts of the world with other countries like the US and

China engaging in research on the wonder herb.



The plant has been used in traditional Chinese medicine to combat high-altitude sickness, while in Mongolia physicians prescribed it for tuberculosis and cancer.

Researchers in Russia studied its impact on athletes and later on cosmonauts.



Some other qualities the plant is found to be containing in studies across the world include fast recovery after heavy workout, memory enhancement, and cardiac stress reduction.



"Our research reveals its potential for anti-aging, tissue regeneration, protecting neurons during lack of oxygen, and cognitive improvement," said Sunil Hota, who is working on investigating medicinal properties of the plant at DIHAR.



O.P. Chaurasia, ethnobotanist with DIHAR for nearly two decades, told IANS that they have successfully established a field gene bank and Rhodiola plantation of nearly two acres in the premise of the laboratory.



"We are trying in-vitro propagation of the plant to increase its population," added Chaurasia.- IANS

'Gandhi' director Richard Attenborough is dead LONDON: Richard Attenborough, an Oscar-winning British film director known for the monumental film 'Gandhi', died at the age of 90 on Sunday, media reported on Monday.



Attenborough was one of Britain's leading actors, before becoming a highly successful director, BBC reported.In a career that spanned over six decades, he appeared in films including "Brighton Rock", "The Great Escape" and later in

the dinosaur blockbuster "Jurassic Park".



As a director he was best known for "Gandhi", which won him two Oscars.

Sir Ben Kingsley, who played the title role, said he would "miss him dearly".



"Richard Attenborough trusted me with the crucial and central task of bringing to life a dream it took him 20 years to bring to fruition." "When he gave me the part of Gandhi it was with great grace and joy. He placed in me an absolute trust and in

turn I placed an absolute trust in him and grew to love him," Kingsley said.



Attenborough had been in a nursing home with his wife for a number of years.



He had also been in a wheelchair since falling down stairs six years ago.



His son Michael said that Attenborough died at lunchtime Sunday.



Paying tribute, Prime Minister David Cameron tweeted: "His acting in 'Brighton Rock' was brilliant, his directing of 'Gandhi' was stunning - Richard Attenborough was one of the greats of cinema." Actress Mia Farrow tweeted: "Richard Attenborough was

the kindest man I have ever had the privilege of working with a Prince RIP 'Pa' - and thank you." Attenborough was also a life president of Chelsea Football Club, which said it was "deeply saddened" to learn of his death.



"He led a long and successful life and always found time for the things in life he loved most, one of which was Chelsea FC," the club said. -Agencies

