Reliance GM shot dead in Jharkhand

RANCHI: A top Reliance executive was shot dead and seven other company officials wounded in a suspected Maoist attack in Chatra district, around 100 km from Jharkhand's capital, on Wednesday.

Reliance Power general manager Manoj Kumar Ojha was killed by teenaged gunmen reportedly in green 'uniforms' while the company's assistant vice-president Hiren Bhujh was shot in the hip near Hesatu village in Chatra. This is the most high profile killing in Jharkhand since the murder of Ashish Dey, a co-owner of Sreeleather, on November 2, 2007.

"The Reliance Power team from Delhi and Mumbai was on inspection tour for a site for the Rs 20,000 crore mega power plant in Telaiya," said a senior Reliance Power official. The executives visited several villages under Tandwa and Simaria police stations in Chatra on Wednesday morning and were on their way back when they were attacked.

Eyewitnesses said two youngsters between 15 and 19 stepped out of the forest and blocked the two vehicles in which the Reliance Power team was travelling. Without warning, they started shooting from rifles from close range, the official said.

The drivers of the two vehicles stepped on the pedal and tried to escape through the hail of bullets. The lead SUV got through but the second one, carrying Ojha and Bhujh, overturned. While Ojha died on the spot, Bhujh took a bullet in the hip and injuries from the crash.

The other wounded officials are Mayank Murari, Devjit Deogharia, I K Singh, R S Yadav, Anil Kumar and I K Rao. The attackers melted into the forest. The company official said none of them had got threats from the Maoists or any splinter or criminal group.

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At Rs 95cr, Orissa mine owner top taxpayer

ROURKELA: KJS Ahluwalia, a mine owner in Orissa, is the country's top taxpayer in the individual category for 2010-11. Two other mine owners from the state, Prasanta Ahluwalia and Indrani Pattnaik, also figure in the top 10 taxpayers' list.

Income tax officials in Rourkela said Ahluwalia, owner of an iron ore mine and a mini steel plant in Keonjhar, paid Rs 50 crore as advance tax in the last quarter. He paid a total tax of Rs 95 crore, making him the highest taxpayer ahead of some of the richest men in the country, including Mukesh Ambani and Azim Premji.

Ahluwalia's younger brother, Prasanta Ahluwalia, ranked sixth in the list of top taxpayers. He paid an advance tax of Rs 22 crore, taking his total tax in the last fiscal to Rs 44 crore. Prasanta owns one iron ore mine in Keonjhar district with a Rs 350 crore turnover.

Indrani Pattnaik, sister-in-law of Congress leader Niranjan Pattnaik, ranked fourth in the top tax payers' list. She paid Rs 64 crore advance tax. In 2009-10, Indrani had paid Rs 75 crore tax and was the third highest tax payer.

The state vigilance department had filed a chargesheet against Indrani allegedly for illegal mining. Following this, the state government had stopped her mining activities in November 2010. Indrani paid income tax on the business before Nov 2010, an I-T source said. "We are proud to have three mine owners from the state as top taxpayers," said assistant commissioner of IT (Rourkela Circle) Sandip Lakra.

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Aamir Khan says Anna Hazare deserves greater support than cricket team

NEW DELHI: Actor Aamir Khan says the country should extend greater support to Anna Hazare's struggle for a strong anti-corruption law than it did to the Indian cricket team's quest for the World Cup. In a letter to the social activist, who is on fast unto death demanding that the government co-opt the civil society in drafting the Lokpal Bill, the actor said the struggle against corruption was "infinitely more important, and affects each and every one of us".

In the letter sent on April 6, the actor called Hazare an inspiration for the youth of India and said that he had written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh asking him to pay heed to Hazare's appeal.

In his letter to the Prime Minister, Khan said: "I would like to humbly submit to you that, based on all the material that I have read, what Mr Hazare is saying makes a lot of sense to me."

"I am one of over a billion citizens of this country who is affected by, and most concerned about, corruption in our country. The last few months have witnessed some shocking exposés. In fact our society has been plagued by this sickness over the last few decades. I am one of the many who feel that strong steps need to be taken as corrective measures," the actor wrote to the Prime Minister.

He further wrote: "It is therefore with great hope and all humility that I request you to pay heed to the voice of Mr Anna Hazare. I would like to submit to you that the nation is slowly but surely collecting behind Mr Hazare in appreciation for what he is fighting for. I am merely one of many who support Mr Hazare and have come to appreciate that this upright 72-year-old man is willing to sacrifice his life in the fight against corruption."

Text of Aamir Khan's letter to Anna Hazare


Mumbai,
6th April, 2011.

Dear Mr. Hazare,

Over the last few days I have been following, through the media coverage, news about your struggle against corruption and the fast that you have undertaken.

I have been through your appeal.

I have been through the draft provided by the media of the government proposed Lokpal bill, which is under consideration of the government, which you are opposing.

Through the internet, I have also been through the draft of the Jan Lokpal Bill as drafted by the members of the Civil Society, which you are supporting.

I would like you to know that I am amongst thousands who are fully supportive of your efforts. The crusade that you have begun is an extremely important one, and I would like to extend my support to you.

For your information, I have written to our Hon'ble Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh requesting him to pay heed to your appeal. I am attaching my letter to him for you to read.

You are an inspiration for the youth of this country and my prayers are with you.

Like the country has supported the Indian Cricket team in their struggle to win the World Cup, I hope and pray that your struggle, which is infinitely more important, and affects each and every one of us, will get an even greater support.

Jai Hind.

Yours sincerely,
Aamir Khan

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