The CBI is set to chargesheet policemen and government officials for the Nandigram firing once it receives the Bengal government’s sanction for prosecution. “We are preparing the chargesheet,” said a senior CBI official, claiming the agency had an airtight case. He did not reveal the identities of those who would be chargesheeted. “Next week, we will write to the Mamata Banerjee government seeking sanction for prosecution against the policemen, police officers and...

-The Economic Times Team Anna found itself an 'untouchable' when politicians across the aisle attacked it in Parliament for calling parliamentarians thieves and dacoits. It was a rare moment of unanimity in the Lok Sabha on Monday as outraged members condemned Team Anna saying it had crossed all limits of decorum by using such unparliamentary words during its day-long fast at Jantar Mantar on Sunday.  However, Arvind Kejriwal, who was in the...

-The Telegraph Assam has witnessed one abduction almost every two days this year. Despite militancy being on the decline, there has been no let-up in abductions in the state. Assam forest minister Rakibul Hussain today told the Assembly that 56 abduction cases have been registered in the state since January, which works out to 86 days till today. Replying on behalf of chief minister Tarun Gogoi, who holds the home portfolio, Hussain said between...

-The Telegraph The Centre today told the Supreme Court that no prosecution could be launched against armed forces fighting “counter-insurgency” and sought four months to decide whether to grant sanction to prosecute officers over a 12-year-old alleged fake encounter in Kashmir. The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, invoked in “disturbed areas”, specifically mandates prior sanction before any prosecution can begin, the government told the court while replying to a notice on the...

The government continued to give away coal blocks without bidding even after a meeting headed by Manmohan Singh (in his role as coal minister) on October 14, 2004 decided that all future allocation would be through the competitive route, says a CAG report. The government auditors' draft report on performance of coal block allocations also says the Centre opted for the longer process of amending mining laws when it could have...