ED officials found in his possession travellers' cheques in excess of Rs 6 lakh. Many of these cheques had been countersigned, which meant they were as good as currency. With the hawala business in a slump following the liberalisation of foreign exchange rules, the man was clearly carrying money abroad to launder it. The question ED officials needed to answer was: whose money was it?
But they were obstructed. A top minister in the Maharashtra government, originally from north India and related to this person, told them to go easy. ED didn't close the case, the man didn't go to jail: he was, however, questioned intensively.
Half a dozen politicians
The directorate is now in a better position to answer the questions raised then. Quiet investigations revealed the money belonged to half a dozen politicians. Painstaking research into mobile communication and intelligence gathering led ED to where it is today -- getting ready to arrest former Jharkhand chief minister Madhu Koda and some of his friends.
The first five years of Koda's life as a BJP legislator were uneventful: he used this time to consolidate relationships. But elections came around in 2005 and the BJP turned down Koda's claim of a nomination. He contested as an Independent from his old constituency and won.
This was the time Koda -- along with friends Kamlesh Singh and Bandhu Tirkey -- discovered he too had some value. Koda agreed to support a BJP-led government led by Arjun Munda, taking over as the minister of mines. But Munda's government lasted only till September 2006 when Koda and his friends dislodged the NDA government to pave way for the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government with Koda at its head.
ust who were Koda's friends?
The 2005 elections created what Jharkhandis called the G5 -- a group of five Independents, or single MLAs from small parties, without whom the government could not function. They were Madhu Koda (Independent) Kamlesh Singh, Bandhu Tirkey, Enos Ekka and Sudesh Mahto.
Most of these MLAs are involved in pending criminal cases. Take Kamlesh Singh. He is the son of a judicial officer with fairly humble beginnings. But two years ago, when his daughter got married, five chartered planes landed in Ranchi with relatives and friends, not just from India but also abroad. Ranchi had never seen anything like that.
When Madhu Koda became chief minister backed by the UPA in 2006, his first statements were: he would undo the last few decisions taken by the previous government and would look afresh at the 40-odd memoranda of understanding signed by the previous government -- sending shivers down the spines of steel tycoons, including LN Mittal.
Today, inquiries into Koda's affairs indicate not just a huge international empire of assets but a list of leaders he had business dealings with. At least one of them is a former minister from Bihar and another a sitting cabinet minister from Maharashtra.
Heat on Koda to come clean
A public interest litigation filed in the Jharkhand High Court about a year ago by a resident of Ranchi, Durga Oraon, had facilitated the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to unearth the documents relating to alleged purchase of a coalmine in Liberia, hotel in Mumbai and Thailand, properties and companies across India and involvement in illegal foreign exchange transactions worth around Rs 2,500 crore by the former Chief Minister of Jharkhand Madhu Koda along with his associates.
The Jharkhand High Court on Thursday directed the Income Tax Department to furnish a detailed progress report of its investigation into the assets acquired by Madhu Koda, his five former ministerial colleagues and his two business associates by November 12, the next date of hearing. While Madhu Koda is currently undergoing treatment in a private nursing home in Ranchi after the I-T raids, his two business associates, Binod Sinha and Sanjay Choudhary and others were asked by the I-T department to appear personally to explain certain transactions and events relating to the seizure of huge documents by them.
The appearance of Koda's associates before the Additional Director, IT (investigation), Ranchi had been fixed on Friday, but only one of Koda's personal assistants and another person had appeared before the IT officials.
It may be mentioned that after the high court's orders on the PIL, the I-T sleuths had started the probe into the assets disproportionate to the known sources of income of Koda, businessmen Sinha and Chaudhary and former ministers of Jharkhand, Kamalesh Singh, Bhanu Pratap Sahi, Bandhu Tirkey, Harinarayan Rai, Enos Ekka and Chandra Prakash Chaudhary.
The state Vigilance Department and the Enforcement Directorate had instituted separate FIRs against former ministers Harinarayan Rai and Enos Ekka for amassing assets much in excess to their known sources of income.
The state Vigilance Department after completing the investigation, submitted a chargesheet. The Directorate of Enforcement is also probing case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
Source: Business Standard
bloggers opinion
1.Dr.Manmohan Singh can take credit of acting like a Dritarashtra, when loot was going on under his regime with the active support of UPA and Sonia Gandhi. Quattrochi has gone away with millions and then Koda was promoted as CM just to deny BJP elected by people from ruling and encouraged corruption. The IT and ED has to unearth more document to see how many relatives and chamchas of Sonia are also benefited and under Madhu & Koda deals of the loot. This mother of all the loot that happened under UPA may be this, I am not sure.
If you have no shame then you are called UPA
2.bitter shame on this country.Unfortunate country with i billion population staying silent and expressing helpless attitude.Shame on those men that fought for freedom for personal gains.Its a shame to be born in a country that has no future .
7.11.09
How investigators traced Madhu Koda’s hawala connect: what about high profile criminals in the name og legacy in Politics
Vinod Kambli to enter Bigg Boss?
After news of Pravesh Rana entering Bigg Boss [ Images ] 3 comes a rumour that there might be another wildcard entry into the house.
Former cricketer Vinod Kambli has apparently entered the house last evening, and the episode will be telecast tonight.
We tried to get in touch with Kambli repeatedly but his phone has been diverted to his manager, who claims to have 'no clue' where Kambli is.
This will not be Kambli's first taste of showbiz. He had earlier starred in the big flop, Anarth, and even participated in a dance reality show called Ek Khiladi Ek Haseena.
His episode on Sach Ka Saamna created a fair deal of controversy when he confessed that Sachin Tendulkar [ Images ] did not help him out during his bad phase in cricket.
6.11.09
India looses: sachin wins
there is no special in India loosing the match when sachin makes his 50 and 100 . Like Gavasker , his performance is useful for his personal records than for the Team performance.
it requires applauds when Ricky opts for second Power play when sachin is in the middle. .this is deliberate choice for Ricky to knock India out as he knows sachin will play for his records than for the Team India. there India lost wonderful chance to make big score during Powerplay 2. Team management should decide Sachin or Team for the next game
it requires applauds when Ricky opts for second Power play when sachin is in the middle. .this is deliberate choice for Ricky to knock India out as he knows sachin will play for his records than for the Team India. there India lost wonderful chance to make big score during Powerplay 2. Team management should decide Sachin or Team for the next game
Hyderabad: Sachin Tendulkar played one of his superlative one-day knocks and crossed the 17,000-run mark in limited-overs cricket, but India, chasing a whopping 351, lost a heart-stopping match by a mere three runs to go down 2-3 in the seven-match series against Australia here on Thursday.
Tendulkar scored a scintillating 175 off 141 balls and such a knock deserved to be on the winning side. He carried on manfully even after losing Virender Sehwag (38), Gautam Gambhir (8), Yuvraj Singh (9) and skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (6) for 162 runs before the half-way stage and found in Suresh Raina (59) a lively partner who could hit big shots when required.
It was the Tendulkar-Raina 137-run fifth-wicket partnership that brought India close to victory at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium at Uppal. When everything including the run-rate was under control, the two perished and the match was more or less lost. Raina tried to hoick and Tendulkar attempted a paddle shot over fine-leg inside the circle.
4.11.09
2.11.09
Why are Indian families shrinking?
"There was always food being cooked for our family of six, and I, as the oldest, was frequently pulled away from my favourite hobby of reading fashion magazines to referee fights between the others." Her husband Atul Bhargav, president, New Delhi Trader's Association, who also has two sisters and a brother, had much the same kind of upbringing. But now that they are a couple, Anjana and Atul's decision to have just one child has ensured that their daughter Ankita will have a very different life. "She didn't have to fight for our attention, or share her room," says Anjana. And baby makes three
It's not just the Bhargavs, many other middle class and upper middle class urban couples across India, just like the rest of the world, are choosing to have just one child. "A shift in attitude is taking place and the number of people having one child is on the increase," says Shireen Jejeebhoy, senior associate, Population Council. Dr Kaushiki Dwivedee, senior consultant obstetrician and gynecologist, unit head, Max Hospital, Gurgaon, explains, "Forty-five per cent of the women who come to me, who are in their late 30s, have just one child. In fact, lots of younger women too have one child. But I am not counting them since they could still be making up their minds." The one-child family is fast moving toward becoming the norm in urban circles. Susan Newman, a social psychologist at Rutgers University, USA, and author of Parenting an Only Child, says, "I actually call the only child the new traditional family.
This generation is witnessing the drastic downsizing of the family structure." So, there may be a time very soon when the government's famous family planning slogan - Hum Do Hamare Do - could soon become Hum Do Hamara Ek. Consider these statistics: According to the National Family Health Survey (NFHS), the percentage of ever married women who want 0, 1 or 2 children has increased from 40 per cent in 1992-93 to 65 per cent in 2005-06. Says Shireen Jejeebhoy, "That's a great leap. Also, if you examine the statistics of ever married women who want a single child, that number has increased from 3 per cent in 1992-93, to 5 per cent in 1998-99, to 7 per cent in 2005-6." She adds that the figure should be more because there are more women who do not want more than one child, but do not have access to or do not practice contraception. "This is termed 'unmet need'," says Jejeebhoy, adding that 10 per cent of women in urban areas have accidental and unplanned pregnancies. Under pressure
There are many reasons why couples are choosing to restrict the size of their families. Sometimes, the decision comes about because of a series of constraints. Kathak dancer Shovana Narayan (who has three siblings), and her diplomat husband Dr Herbert Traxl (who has two), chose to have just one child - 24-year-old Irwin Ishan - for "purely practical reasons". Says Narayan, " I was very busy with my career. And there were long stretches in our marriage when my husband and I were on separate continents. That isn't the best way to bring up children." Dr Traxl agrees: "Our lifestyle didn't allow us the choice to have more kids."
Dr Kiran Bedi, India's first and highest ranking woman officer in the Indian Police Service, also chose to have just one child, despite coming from a family of six, because she was a working mother with a high-pressure job who still wanted to do justice to her child. Her daughter Saina also has just one child. Still other couples make their decision since they feel they cannot afford to have more than one child. Says 32-year-old homemaker Swati Mahendra, "My husband is the only earning member of our family. We can manage quite well now that our daughter Aastha is just two years old. But we know that very soon, our expenses will only rise once she begins school." She adds, "We want to give her the best education and lifestyle, and we know we can only do that if we have one child. That's why we haven't considered having another baby." Work order
Many women are also aware that having kids involves a break or halt in their careers, and by having one child, seek to minimise this disruption. Explains Bedi, "These days, women have realised that since they are economically independent, they are part of the decision-making in the house. They have also realised that a career is a sure-shot way to maintain their self-respect and self-esteem. So they don't want to give-up their careers." This has two implications: women think twice before increasing their family size, and also feel that they won't be able to pay the required attention to their kids while they are working.Says Kiran Bedi, "Having a child is like living your life over with him/her. Earlier, women had the time to do it. My mother lived her life four times over with the four of us and then three times again with her grandchildren. How many of us can afford to do so while we are also working?" No help at hand
The fact that the joint family set-up has broken down doesn't help. Model Sonalika Sahay, whose daughter Zana is two years and two months old, says she doesn't think she will have another baby even though her banker husband Kamal Mehta may be open to the idea. "Being a parent is a full-time job," explains Sahay, adding, "My mother had five of us, but she is a homemaker and we lived in a joint family. I am a working mother who might have erratic hours. Also, Zana herself is quite a handful. I don't know how people manage two to three children and their careers." It is this dilemma of not having any backup or support that many women of this generation are confronted with.
Rashi Rohatgi Khan, director, W Five Communication, a public relations firm, who has a six-and-a-half year old daughter Ain, says, "Both my husband I do want another child. But I worry about how both of us will be able to manage our work and home pressures if that happens." That certain age. Age and biological complications also deter women from having more than one child. Says Dr Kaushiki Dwivedee, "Women are getting married later in life because of their careers and desire for personal independence. They have their first child in their late 20s or early thirties, so by the time they think of having a second, they feel it is too late.
It is also a fact that pregnancy is a physically harder proposition later in life, and that one's stamina to raise a child also dwindles with age." That was partly why Shovana Narayan did not plan another child. "I had Ishan in my early 30s. There were many fears in my mind about getting pregnant again at that age," she recalls. The resolve to just have one child is also strengthened if the first pregnancy has been a complicated one. According to experts, parents most often choose to be happy with their one child rather than risk the mother's health again. My one and only
Earlier, pregnancy was a very natural sequel to marriage. But, today, bringing up a child involves conscious strategising, and is rarely a decision that is taken casually. "The stakes involved in bringing up a child are higher," explains Dr Kaushiki Dwivedee, adding, "A child today has to be sent to the best schools. They need to attend hobby classes, like riding, piano or ballet. Sending children abroad for education, even without scholarships, has also become a norm. All this has made bringing up a child an expensive proposition." TV actress Swati Chitnis and her husband Commander Amol Chitnis chose to have one child for similar reasons. Chitnis explains, "After Neel was born, we decided to stop trying for another because we felt that we would be able to bring up one child better. We wanted to give our son (now 25, a commercial pilot) all our resources and time."
Couples are now so focused on parenting that they are willing to tailor their lives around their child. Bedi gives the example of her daughter Saina, who shifted base from Delhi to Pune because that city has the right climate for the child. "That is the kind of concentration people have regarding their children nowadays," explains Bedi. Couples also hold on to their decision even though they may want a larger family. According to Sonalika Sahay, "It is a fact that a woman's responsibilities increase more than the man's when you have kids. A lot of people tell me that if I have another child, both will grow up together. But that's not true - every child needs special attention. It's not possible to give time to your kids and manage the demands of work. I have seen that most friends with two or more kids eventually resign from their jobs." Doubts and fears
It's undeniable that bringing up an only child is a simpler proposition. "You spend less energy than if you have two or more kids. You are able to devote finances properly to them. Your responsibility with regard to getting them married also ends quickly," says homemaker Ritu Madaam. But there are also doubts and fears for some couples. Explains Madaam, "When my only daughter moved to another city to study, my husband and I felt lonely. That's the day I wished I had another child." Parents also wish for another when they see their child feel lonely.
Cricketer Kapil Dev and wife Romi have one daughter, Amiya. Romi feels that the older one gets, the more dependant one becomes on siblings. "I was an only child for a long time and I did experience loneliness. I know Amiya does too. Especially, when she was younger, and we would go out for a party, she would ask, 'who will I stay with?' If we could, Kapil and I would have wanted more kids." Swati Chitnis agrees. "There will be a time when parents won't be around. The thought that Neel will be on his own scares me. He is very close to his cousins and has lots of good friends. But they are not close family." She adds, "When my mother fell ill, there were three of us, our spouses and kids with her. In our case, it will be only him." Shovana Narayan also confesses to a similar fear, and admits that that is when she worries about not having more kids. "It wasn't meant to be," says Narayan, adding, "But I'm happy that Ishan doesn't think about it."
Anjana Bhargav, in contrast, is not as anxious. "Ankita will be solely responsible for me and my husband when we are old. But I assure myself that she will definitely have friends to help her out. I too am there with my friends when their parents fall ill. So I'm sure she will also be able to handle all the responsibilities alone. It's not the end of the world," she says. End of the great indian family? It's no accident that most Indians, irrespective of community, have different names for different members of their family - mother's elder sister, father's younger brother, etc. But as more and more people have just one child, the extended family is in danger of disappearing altogether. And that, say experts, leaves us a in a grey area, with no sign of what will come to replace the close familial bonds we take so much for granted.
After all, who will hide a groom's shoes at weddings if there are no cousins? And who will tie rakhis if boys do not have any sisters? How will people have large convivial family get-togethers if there are no large families left? Says Dr Nikhil Raheja, psychologist, National Institute of Psychiatry, "All this might conceivably happen in the near future. There might be a total disintegration of the family legacy." Some experts say that people will develop closer ties with friends to bridge gaps in their family circle. But not everyone is certain of that. Says 55-year-old businesswoman Reshma Mehndirata, who has four siblings, "It's not that friends won't stand by you in times of trouble. But more often than not, you tend to lose touch with friends. With siblings, even if you haven't met or spoken for months, your bond will be intact. That's because your parents are the common link between you." Dr Raheja agrees, "Friends are under no compulsion to help you. In contrast, siblings might be estranged for years, but will come together
eventually." However, it's too early to write off the idea that other support systems will eventually replace the Indian family. Fashion designer Anjana Bhargav witnessed something early on that convinced her that familial bonds are not the only ones people can rely on. "When I got married, we had an old couple as neighbours," recalls Bhargav. "Both their sons lived abroad and there was nobody to take care of them, except for a girl living nearby who literally adopted them." All my children Delhi resident Lalita Sharma, now 76, recalls the experience of bringing up five children (four daughters and one son) I had my first child at 18. From the beginning, my life revolved around the children. Raising them was my job, something I did 24/7, with no breaks, no hobbies, no 'me' time or 'couple time'.
I would get up at dawn to prepare breakfast and tiffins for the kids and my husband. After they left the house, I would go to the market to buy vegetables for lunch, and if I had a few minutes, I'd chat with women in the neighbourhood. The children were back for lunch, and after that, while they took a nap, I would make snacks for tea. I would then start preparations for dinner, and, if I had the strength, help them lay out their uniforms. I never had time to check their homework. When my eldest daughter started college, she began helping me in the kitchen and taking care of the kids. I would often be very tired. My husband would come home late at night, so his involvement with the kids was limited.
There was no discipline problem, since parents were figures of authority then. Also, children weren't exposed to too many things, so even though we couldn't monitor them at all times, they turned out well. Money was always short, though my husband earned a decent salary. The kids did wear hand-me-downs often, but we also made sure we got them new clothes on special occasions, such as festivals. We would only go out once a month for a movie, and for holidays we would go to my mother or my in-laws' house once a year.
NXR and NXG, two stunners from Reva's stable
When the entire automobile industry is racing towards the age of electricity, the Reva Electric Car Company is leading from the front as it prepares to launch two new models - Reva NXR and NXG. The Reva Electric Car Co. has joined forces with Bannon Automotive, a new electric car company in Freeport , New York , to assemble the three-door plug-in hatchback NXR at a site in the Syracuse
The three-door, four-seater NXR is more spacious compared to the previous models of the carmaker. It can accelerate to a maximum speed of 105 km/h with a range of 160 kilometers on a single charge of its lithium-ion battery pack. Moreover, the car will come with a 15-minute fast-charge capability, even though the full charge would take eight hours from astandard household outlet.
Other exciting features of the Reva NXR include keyless entry and operation, dual charge ports, intelligent digital display and a host of telematics. These include SMS alerts and commands such as distance-to-empty and time-to-full charge, remote cabin heat/cool, service and insurance alerts, a monthly eco-drive check by email and healing and REVive remote emergency charge.
in case a customer runs out of charge, they can call or SMS Reva's 24X7customer support centre and a remote charge enables the Reva new models to continue driving within a few minutes. Meanwhile, another e-mini is taking birth in the Reva stable, the NXG. Wide as a supercar, the NXG's muscular styling and design are both futuristic and sensual. It will be more powerful with a top speed of 130km/h and an efficiency of 200 km per charge. The NXG also comes with REVive 4 Wheel disc brakes with integrated regenerative braking, along with all the advanced technologies that the NXR possesses.
"The two cars target two different consumer sets. The NXR is perfect second car; it is automatic, easy to drive, park and safe. It will have optional solar panels on the top. The NXG, on the other hand, is a complete lifestyle fun car," said Mr. Chetan Maini, Chief Technology Officer and Deputy Chairman of Reva Electric Car Company.
he Reva NXR Intercity, excluding its lithium-ion batteries, will be about Rs 10.65 lakh, meanwhile the Reva NXR City India
1.11.09
YSR son to campaign for Congress in Hyderabad civic polls
YS Jaganmohan Reddy will be one of the Congress MPs campaigning for the party in the next month's elections to Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GMHC), Union Law Minister and AICC General Secretary in Charge of Andhra Pradesh M Veerappa Moily said on Saturday.
"Jagan will also be part of our campaigners," Moily said.
Every leader and worker should strive for Congress victory in the GHMC elections, he added.
Jaganmohan, son of late chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy, is Lok Sabha MP from Kadappa.
Moily is in the city to discuss the party's preparations for the GHMC elections.
He said Congress would make a concerted effort to win the polls to the 150-member civic body.
Selection of candidates for the GHMC elections will be done by the State Congress leadership.
A decision on whether or not to align with the Majlis Ittehadul-e-Muslimeen will be taken after talks with the local leaders, Moily said in reply to a question.
On the party candidate for by-election in Pulivendula Assembly segment, necessitated by the death of Rajasekhara Reddy, he said a decision on this would be taken after the poll notification was issued.
Meanwhile, Congress leader and Rajya Sabha member V Hanumantha Rao had a meeting with Moily at the Lake View Guest House on Saturday. The two discussed issues related to the GHMC elections.
"I am not in the race for the Mayor post," Rao said after meeting.
It was the collective responsibility of every Congressman to ensure the party's victory in GHMC, he added.
SRK SERENADES DELHI
SRK SERENADES DELHI
Shah Rukh Khan cast a magic spell over the participants of the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon on Sunday morning as he mingled with them freely. Many of them even stopped running just to get a glimpse of the superstar who was there to lend support to the event.Dinakaran dropped from SC promotion list
Man form the Down trodden was sent to Down
The Supreme Court Collegium headed by Chief Justice of India KG Balakrishnan has dropped the name of Karnataka High Court Justice PD Dinakaran from the list of those recommended for elevation to the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court Collegium headed by Chief Justice of India KG Balakrishnan has dropped the name of Karnataka High Court Justice PD Dinakaran from the list of those recommended for elevation to the Supreme Court.
The name of Justice Dinakaran has been dropped due to the allegations of corruption and land encroachment against him.
Five eminent Jurists had written letters to President Pratibha Patil, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, CJI KG Balakrishnan and Union Law Minister M Veerappa Moily appealing to them not to promote Dinakaran in view of the allegations against him.
The CJI conducted an informal discreet enquiry and also sought report from Tamil Nadu government.
The allegations of land encroachment were confirmed when District Collector of Thiruvallur, Palani Kumar, in his report to SC confirmed that Dinakaran had encroached on 197 acres of public land illegally.
Dinakaran, however, rubbished the report and denied the allegations.
According to the CJI, the decision of the Supreme Court Collegium to not promote Dinakaran till the enquiry against him is completed has already been conveyed to the Central Government.
Earlier, Moily had said “nothing will be done which tarnishes the image of the Judiciary”.
Meanwhile, the collegium has cleared the decks for elevation of four others to the Apex court namely Justice AK Patnayak (Chief Justice of Madhya Pradesh High Court), Justice Tirath Singh Thakur, Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana High Court), Justice SS Nijjar (Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court) and Justice KS Radhakrishna ( Chief Justice of Gujarat High Court).
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