-The Times of India Rajya Sabha deputy chairman PJ Kurien has written to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and Vice-President HamidAnsari, claiming innocence in the Suryanelli rape case. Kurien is learnt to have written to the two leaders last week to counter the renewed controversy over the rape scandal that has put him in the line of fire. BJP and CPM have adopted a tough stand, demanding that he step down from his...

-The Hindustan Times The hanging of the 2001 Parliament attack accused Afzal Guru in Delhi’s Tihar Jail last week evoked a range of diverse emotions. While Guru’s Sopore-based family accused the Union government of not informing them about the execution, the State rejected the charge. A senior Supreme Court lawyer questioned the timing of the execution, saying that the Centre decided to hang Guru at this time because several important assembly...

-The Economic Times Brands may be spending million to promote an eco-friendly-image, but when it comes to actual sales, organic and 'planet-friendly' products have failed to move cash registers for retailers, whether it's fresh produce, groceries or even clothing. Top food retailers like Future Group, Reliance Retail and Spencer's Retail say sales from organic vegetables, fruit and food products account for less than 2 per cent of total food sales, even three...

-The Hindu Withdraw cases against villagers, Posco Pratirodh Sangram Samiti: Civil society groups Several civil society groups have alleged abuse of human rights and registration of false cases by State government agencies in order to curb resistance against the land acquisition for the proposed Posco steel plant in Odisha. Highlighting instances of “biased and arbitrary” police action in the eight villages of Jagatsinghpur district affected by the plant, illustrated in the recently-released fact...

-The Hindustan Times Haridwar: The income-tax department has frozen the bank accounts of the two trusts run by yoga guru Ramdev and asked the Divya Yog Mandir Trust and Patanjali Yog Mandir Trust to pay up Rs. 34 crore. The trusts, registered as charitable organisations, were enjoying tax exemptions until a few months ago. The benefits have been withdrawn. Divya Pharmacy, run by the mandir trust, manufactured medicines and was earning profit...