A Candle March has been organized by civilian society of human rights (Regd.) . The march started from Mini Rose Garden & culminated at C.M.C chowk.

Ajmal Kasab hanged at Pune"s Yerawada Jail

Pune, Nov.21 Ajmal Kasab, the prime accused for the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack, was hanged at Pune"s Yerawada Jail at 7:30 a.m. on Wednesday,after President Pranab Mukherjee rejected his mercy petition.

According to television reports, the petition was rejected on November 5 after which the Lashkar-e-Toiba operative was shifted from Mumbai"s Arthur Road Jail to Pune"s Yerawada Jail.

The entire process was excuted in complete secrecy, television channels said. President Mukherjee"s rejection came two months after the Union Home Ministry rejected Kasab"s mercy petition.

Kasab and nine other Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists had sailed into Mumbai on November 26, 2008 from Karachi and killed 166 people.

Sukhbir proposes joint industrial zones

Terming his five-day visit to Pakistan as "historic and successful", Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal today said the governments of both Punjabs had shown keen interest in setting up of joint industrial zones, which would be treated at par with the local industry.

Speaking to mediapersons in Attari after crossing over to India, Sukhbir said he had played his part by initiating the process of strengthening trade and commerce ties between the two countries.

"During our five-day visit to Pakistan, we worked out several proposals. The list will be sent to the Union Government for final approval," he said.

Sukhbir said Pakistan Punjab's Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, too, had agreed on the proposal for setting up joint industrial zones. "Entrepreneurs of both Punjabs will be free to set up their industrial units in such areas, which will be treated at par with the local industry. The products manufactured in these zones will be duty-free," he said.

Both Punjabs, he said, had also agreed upon to constitute a 20-member (10 from each side) joint coordination committee to discuss various issues, including increasing the trade ties and exchange of ideas in various fields. The committee would meet at least once every two months. Among the 10 members would be three ministers, three secretaries and four businessmen.

"The onus is now on the Union Government to give a concrete shape to the proposals and carry forward the dialogue," he said.

Sukhbir said he had also raised the issue of setting up of a visa consulate in Lahore and Amritsar and opening Hussainiwala and Suleman Ki (Fazilka) borders for trade. He said he had also urged Sharif to strengthen infrastructure on its side of the Integrated Check Post at Attari.

The governments of both Punjabs have also agreed to initiate 'Punjab Cup', a bi-annual sports tournament comprising cricket, hockey, wrestling and tug-of-war, he said.

The Deputy Chief Minister said Sharif had also accepted his invitation to grace as chief guest the Kabbadi World Cup final slated to be held in Ludhiana on December 15.

He said he had also requested Pakistan Punjab Assembly Speaker Rana Iqbal Mohammad to organise cricket, and if possible kabaddi too, matches between the legislators of both Punjabs.

Sukhbir said he had requested Sharif to rename a chowk in Lahore after martyr Bhagat Singh and release Indian prisoners, including Sarbjit Singh.

What Punjabs discussed

• Constituting a 20-member (10 from each side) committee to discuss various issues
• The committee will meet at least once every two months
• Among the 10 members will be three ministers, three secretaries and four businessmen
• Setting up of a visa consulate in Lahore and Amritsar
• Opening of Hussainiwala and Fazilka borders for trade
• Strengthening infrastructure on both sides of the Integrated Check Post
• Initiating 'Punjab Cup', a bi-annual sports tournament comprising cricket, hockey, wrestling and tug-of-war
• Organising cricket, and if possible kabaddi too, matches between the legislators of both Punjabs

In fresh expose, Kejriwal targets HSBC, Ambanis

Activist-turned-politician Arvind Kejriwal came back today with the latest round of corruption exposes and targeted country’s leading industrialists, a Congress MP and multinational HSBC Bank.

Accusing the HSBC Bank of indulging in money laundering, Kejriwal claimed Ambani brothers, Naresh Goyal and Congress MP Annu Tandon had parked their black money in its Geneva branch.

Addressing a press conference, Kejriwal and lawyer Prashant Bhushan alleged around Rs 6,000 crore black money was lying in 700 accounts of the Geneva branch of the bank.

They claimed that people who had deposited "small amounts of money" in the bank were raided but "big fish" like Mukesh and Anil Ambani, Naresh Goyal (Jet Airways), Tandon and Burmans (Anand, Pradeep and Ratan) of Dabur were “let off” at the behest of the government.

“Developments of the last few years suggest that had the Indian Government acted tough, it could have got access to the list of those having their undeclared accounts abroad. However, the Indian Government seems to be more interested in helping the guilty rather than punishing them,” said Kejriwal.

Demanding details of all 700 persons in the list, he said “They should be arrested if they are found prima facie guilty to have sent their money abroad through hawala”.

Kejriwal’s allegations received a favourable echo from the BJP, which saw it as an opportunity to embarrass the grand old party on its “Samvad Baithak” day.

Asking the government to make public details of such individuals and entities public, BJP party spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman said the party had been raising the issue of black money since the 2009 General Election but done nothing to curb the practice.

Interestingly, Kejriwal credited today's expose to a senior Congress leader. He claimed the “Congress whistle-blower” gave him details of 10 influential Indians.

The activists claimed that the Ambani brothers had Rs 100 crore each, Reliance Group's Motech Software Rs 2,100 crore, Annu Tandon and her husband late Sandeep Rs 125 crore each, Naresh Goyal Rs 80 crore and Dabur's Burman brothers Rs 25 crore in the list of around 700 people having accounts in HSBC as of 2006. He wanted the bank’s top officials to be immediately arrested under the Prevention of Money laundering Act and urged the 32,000 Indian employees to quit job for the sake of the country. He also demanded the HSBC’s operations to be immediately suspended in India.

Kejriwal also accused President Pranab Mukherjee of protecting heavyweights like Mukesh Ambani.

Mukesh Ambani’s company and a spokesperson for Anil Ambani refuted the charges.

Activist’s charge

 HSBC Bank is indulging in money laundering

 The Ambani brothers had `100 crore each, Reliance Group's Motech Software `2,100 crore, MP Annu Tandon and her husband late Sandeep `125 crore each, Naresh Goyal `80 crore and Dabur's Burman brothers `25 crore stashed in the bank’s Geneva branch

 The Indian Government seems to be more interested in helping the guilty rather than punishing them