Jat stir: HC pulls up railways for inaction

LUCKNOW: The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court on Wednesday pulled up the railway authorities for not reacting in time to the Jat agitation that has crippled the rail traffic. It directed the Central and state governments to ensure that there was no recurrence of such blockades of rail tracks or highways.

The court also directed the authorities concerned to lay down guidelines in order to tackle the problem by use of force and by invoking the provisions of the National Security Act (NSA).

The order was issued by the division bench of Justice Uma Nath Singh and Justice V K Dixit while hearing a PIL on harassment of lakhs of people due to cancellation of around 760 trains following rail blockade at Kafurpur in J P Nagar for 15 days by Jat protesters demanding reservation in Central services under other backward class (OBC) category.

The HC had on March 18 taken sou motu cognizance of a TOI report on the problems of the people due to the Jat agitation. On the direction of the chief justice of the Allahabad High Court, the registrar of the court registered the matter as a PIL.

In the March 18 order, the rail route along which the protesters were squatting was vacated by the authorities. However, the agitation continued and the community leaders have now announced to block the highways leading to Delhi.

The Central and state governments as well as the chairman, Railway Board, submitted a status report in the High Court in pursuance to March 18 order to get the railway lines cleared. Taking on record the affidavits filed the authorities, the High Court also appreciated the effort to clear the railway tracks, but expressed displeasure over the initial inaction.

Meanwhile, the Jat protesters on Wednesday tried to enter Delhi through Ghaziabad and for an hour blocked the road at Anand Vihar when stopped by police to proceed further.

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Army probe faults 10 top officers in Adarsh building scam

NEW DELHI: An Army court of inquiry (CoI) has found two former Army chiefs, Gen Deepak Kapoor and Gen N C Vij, and several other senior Army officers responsible for the Adarsh housing society scam.

The CoI probing the scam, which was exposed by The Times of India, has said the conduct of several top Army officers—among them the two ex-Army chiefs, four lieutenant generals and three major generals—was "blame-worthy". This is the first time that so many top Army officers have been indicted by an Army court.

Apart from Gen Kapoor and Gen Vij, the other officers blackballed by the CoI include Lt Gen G S Sihota, Lt Gen P K Rampal, Lt Gen Shantanu Choudhry , Lt Gen Tejinder Singh, Maj Gen Ram Kanwar Hooda, Maj Gen A R Kumar, Major Gen V S Yadav and Maj Gen Tej Kishen Kaul.

The CoI report was recently submitted to the defence ministry. The Army has recommended that the CBI should be asked to look into specific evidences established by the CoI against the officers, most of whom are retired. Three serving officers found "blame-worthy'" would face Army punishment, most likely administrative action such as loss of seniority, sources said.

The possibility of a full-fledged court-martial is being ruled out for now. The Army had constituted a three-member CoI in December last year in Pune, the headquarters of Southern Army Command, in the wake of TOI's expose of senior Army officers who overlooked objections or played along with the lead players of the housing scam and received apartments in the upscale Mumbai complex.

The senior-most serving officer figuring in the list of those against whom prima facie evidence has been found by the CoI is Major Gen Ram Kanwar Hooda, who was the General Officer Commanding, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Goa, until a few months ago.

Gen Hooda owns at least one flat in Adarsh complex. The Army headquarters has already taken him off the list of those to be considered for next rank. He is to retire this month-end. He could also be summoned for further Army disciplinary action, sources said.

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HDFC is Asian Banker's 'Best Retail Bank in India'

MUMBAI: Country's second largest private lender HDFC bank has won the Asian Banker's 'Best Retail Bank in India' award this year.

Beating a host of other competitors in Asia Pacific, Middle-East, Central Asia and Africa on a range of parameters, the bank has won the 'Best Retail Bank in India' award for the fifth year in a row, a release issued here said.

More than 150 retail financial institutions from 29 countries across the Asia Pacific, Middle East, Central Asia and African regions participated in the competition.

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