Indian Medic Convicted for Manslaughter

Hippocrates Shamed: Priya Ramnath a 40 year old doctor of Indian-origin was given a six-month suspended jail term by a British Court after being found guilty of killing a patient by giving her a fatal injection of adrenaline against the advice of her colleagues, media reports said on Friday.

The Birmingham crown court on Friday convicted Ramnath, who worked in Britain's National Health Service, of manslaughter for her involvement in the death of Patricia Leighton at Stafford District General hospital in July 1998, reported the Guardian.

Ramnath, who lives in the US, had administered the fatal injection to Leighton, an intensive care patient against the advice of three of her colleagues. Leighton died of heart failure shortly after.

The prosecuting lawyer, Michael Burrows, told the court that within moments of receiving the jab, Leighton "jerked forward and sat bolt upright in her bed". He said she had shouted out: "What's happening to me? I am going to die."

Leighton, later, lost consciousness and her heart stopped and all efforts by the doctors to resuscitate her failed.

According to the prosecution, Ramnath failed to speak to a consultant anaesthetist at the hospital before injecting the drug into Leighton.

Ramnath, whose sentence was suspended for two years, came back from the US last February to face the charge after being threatened with extradition.

The jury, which had been considering its verdict since on Tuesday, found her guilty by a 10-2 majority.

(With Internet Inputs)

Arrests, Detentions over MLA Daughter Attack

Mangalore police on Saturday arrested two persons and detained four, a day after CPM MLA's daughter and her Muslim male friend were attacked allegedly by Sri Ram Sena and Bajrang Dal activists who beat up and kidnapped Shruti, the girl in question, for talking to Shabib, a classmate of her brother.

The identities of those arrested or detained could not be ascertained.

The incident took place at 1530 hours on Friday when Shruti, the daughter of CPM MLA Kunjambu, was on her way to Mangalore from Kasirgarh after a vacation by a bus.

The activists attacked the 12th standard student in the bus while she was talking to a Muslim male friend. They dragged the two out of the bus and beat them up before forcibly putting them in a waiting auto-rickshaw and fleeing the spot.

The girl was released after an hour, the boy is still missing.

Kunjambu had confirmed the incident saying, "My daughter was coming back to home after the vacation by a bus. The conductor of the bus belonged to BJP. He informed the Ram Sena and Bajrang Dal goons who attacked my daughter, dragged her and her friend out of the bus and kidnapped them.”

He further added, "My daughter was released after almost an hour.”

Meanwhile, condemning the incident Kerala Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan on Saturday termed the incident as “devilish”.

The Sri Ram Sene has denied any role in the attack.

B’lore Blast Case Cracked, Claim Cops

Some six months after serial explosions rocked India’s silicon valley city of Bangalore, the Karnataka police claim to have cracked the mystery with the arrest of nine persons belonging to a Kerala-based radical group, one person was killed while eight others were injured in the orchestrated bombings.

Abdul Sattar, Abdul Jabbar, Sarfudin, Sakariya from Mallapuram, Kerala and Mujeeb, Faizal, Abdul Jaleel, Manaf of Kannur, and Badruddin from Ernakulum have been arrested for alleged involvement in the July 2008 blasts, DGP Ajai Kumar Singh was quoted as saying by PTI.

Four others involved in the blasts were killed in an encounter with the Indian army in Jammu and Kashmir while they were attempting to crossover into Pakistan between October 4 and 7.

The police, however, maintained a studied silence on the identity of the radical outfit and parried queries on possible links between the group and militant outfits like Lakshar-e-Tayyeba.

The top police officer said the group was "radicalised by general feeling of perceived injustice to Muslims in India due to Babri Masjid demolition and Godhra incident and Gujarat riots," quoted PTI.

Ansals Granted Bail in Uphaar Case

The Supreme Court on Friday granted bail to the Ansal brothers -- Sushil and Gopal-- who were convicted and sentenced to one year imprisonment in the Uphaar fire tragedy case. 59 people had died of asphyxia and over a 100 injured in the stampede at the cinema hall back in 1997.

A bench, headed by Justice S B Sinha, also issued notices on the cross appeals filed by the Ansals and Association of the Victims of the Uphaar Tragedy (AVUT) challenging the one year sentence imposed on the accused by the Delhi High Court.

The bench ordered that the Ansal brothers be released on the personal bond of Rs 10,000 each.

While the Ansals had challenged the sentence imposed by the High Court, the victims' association had sought enhancement of the punishment on the ground that the offence fell under the purview of section 304 IPC (culpable homicide not amounting to murder).

The High Court had earlier reduced the sentence to one year prison term from the two years imposed by the Sessions Court.

Afghan Presidential Polls Postponed

Afghan officials said Thursday that Presidential elections in the country stand postponed and would now be held in August. The officials attribute the decision to more time required to prepare for polls, which will see President Hamid Karzai seek re-elecion for the top office.

The decision, to postpone polls, apparently contravenes the country’s Constitution and raises questions over the legitimacy of what could be President Karzai’s final months in office.

Karzai in stark contrast to his predecessors is a key New Delhi ally and has sided with India on several counts, including the attack on the Indian Mission in Kabul and the recent terror strikes in the Indian commercial capital.

Azizullah Ludin, the chairman of the Independent Election Commission, said his office had decided to put off the voting until Aug. 20, which would give election workers more time to register candidates and set up voting machinery, and soldiers more time to bring dozens of chaotic districts under control.

Ludin said the new date would allow the presidential election to take place under more favorable weather.

The Afghan Constitution states that the presidential term expires on May 22. and elections, the Constitution says, must be held 30 to 60 days before the end of the term.

Citing the Constitution, Opposition leaders say they would stop recognizing Karzai’s authority after May 22. They called on the United Nations and Western governments to help them appoint a temporary president after Karzai’s term formally expires.

The development comes amid media reports that, for several weeks now, have suggested that Karzai may be on his way out of power and any controversies on the matter may see an interim government, blessed by the US, put in place in Kabul.

ATS to Question Sene Chief

Worries for Sri Ram Sene chief Pramod Muthalik continue to burgeon on Friday, as Muthalik, who hit headlines after his supporters attacked women in a Mangalore pub, will now be questioned by Maharashtra's Anti Terror Squad (ATS) for allegedly praising Sadhvi Pragya Singh.

In a speech he made earlier this month he praised Sadhvi Pragya Singh, an accused in the Malegaon blast case.

It has also emerged that the prime accused in the blast case, Lieutenant Colonel Purohit, also knew him. A team of the national commission for women is also reaching Mangalore.

NDTV, on its website, claims to have a copy of a speech Muthalik made 10 days ago where he praised Sadhvi Pragya Thakur and warned that no one could stop the power of Hindu extremism.

Pro-Tamil Protest: 38 Arrested in Chennai

At least 38 people were arrested Friday for protesting the killing of Tamil civilians in Sri Lanka, police said. The protesters were on a road leading to the Sri Lanka's deputy high commissioner's office in Chennai the state capital of Tamil Nadu. According to the police, a majority of those arrested are students.

Staff at the deputy high commissioner's office did not see or hear the protests, but saw it on television news, diplomatic sources said. The sources added that they have full confidence in the law and order machinery of Tamil Nadu.

Security had been tightened outside the mission in south Chennai Thursday after a man set himself on fire outside a building housing central government offices to protest the killing of Tamil civilians in Sri Lanka, triggering a mob attack on a Bank of Ceylon branch.

A sub-inspector and three constables have been placed under suspension for the attack on the bank

PM May Come out of ICU Today

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who underwent a coronory bypass surgery at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) on January 24, walked around in his room today and took regular meal, doctors say he might pull out of the intensive care unit late in the day today (Wednesday).

The PMO said in Delhi on Tuesday evening that the PM was making steady progress in the post-operative period. Dr Singh is being supported by a team of cardiac rehabilitation and physio-therapy experts.

Doctors attending to Singh say, the prime minister is being weaned off the ICU and will b administered routine care Wednesday onwards.
Several of his invasive monitoring lines have been removed and physiotherapy is being given to enable early mobilisation. Premier Singh is conversing with the family and the doctors.

Israeli Raids Target Gaza Tunnels

In a pre-dawn attack on Wednesday Israeli jets blew-up tunnels under the Gaza-Egypt border, no casualties were reported in the raids that, reportedly, sent hundreds of people fleeing their homes in panic. Israel later confirmed the raids which came hours before the newly appointed US Middle East peace envoy was due to arrive in Israel.
The raids were ostensibly in retaliation of an attack on an Israeli army patrol that killed an officer and wounded two other soldiers.

Confirmed the raids, Israel said the attacks on the Rafah tunnels are aimed at stopping alleged weapons smuggling into the Gaza Strip by Hamas fighters.

The tunnels are also used to smuggle food, fuel and consumer goods from Egypt and are considered a life-line for thousands of ordinary Gazans.

The latest attack came despite fragile ceasefires declared by Israel and Hamas last week, ending a 22-day Israeli military campaign on Gaza in which 1,300 people were killed.

Israeli jets had targeted scores of cross-border tunnels during the recent war, but many tunnels resumed work shortly after the ceasefire.

Neither Hamas nor any other group has claimed responsibility for Tuesday's bomb attack targeting an Israeli army patrol along the Gaza border.

Meanwhile, Egyptian mediators have been talking separately to Israel and Hamas to negotiate a more permanent ceasefire.

Hamas wants the border crossings into Gaza reopened, including the Rafah checkpoint bordering Egypt, to end the Israeli blockade in the territory.

Israel wants to stop the rocket fire and prevent Hamas fighters from using smuggling tunnels under the border with Egypt to rearm themselves with weapons.

Barack Obama, the US president, has despatched George Mitchell to the region to discuss the ceasefire efforts.

Speaking on Monday Obama said he had instructed Mitchell, who played a prominent role in the Northern Ireland peace process, to "engage vigorously" to achieve real progress between Israel and the Palestinians.

Ex-President Venkatraman Passes Away

India’s eighth president Ramaswamy Venkataraman passed away on Tuesday. Elected to the post of President in 1987, his five-year term at the Rastrapati Bhawan saw Venkatraman work with four prime ministers, including three - V P Singh, Chandrashekhar and Narasimha Rao – appointed by him.

His term rang-in the era of constitutional politics in the country that resulted in marginal players hold key offices in the country.

Venkataraman was admitted to the Army’s Research and Referral Hospital on January 12 and breathed his last at 1430 hours on Tuesday. Venkataraman is survived by his wife, Janaki, and three daughters. His wife and son-in-law were at his side at the time of his death.

He was hospitalised after he complained of delirium and dehydration. Hospital authorities said he was suffering from multi-organ failure and was on life support systems.

Venkataraman, who was elevated from Vice-Presidency, assumed the office of President on July 25, 1987 and his term lasted till July 25, 1992.

Earlier, as Minister in the Union Cabinet, he held the key portfolios of Defence and Finance. He was also Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission.

He was a member of the Constituent Assembly that drafted the Constitution.

President Pratibha Devisingh Patil, Vice-President Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi paid rich tributes to the departed leader.

The President said Venkataraman was a true patriot who served the nation with distinction in various capacities in public life, and rose to occupy the highest office.

Vice-President Hamid Ansari said that the former president had left a distinct mark in the national polity with his “innate simplicity, vast erudition and deep sensitivity for the poor and the deprived in his long public career.”

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said that the former president would be “remembered long for his service to the nation, the strength of character and his knowledge and wisdom.”

Former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee said in the death of Venkataraman, Indian politics had lost a “guiding light”.

The government declared a seven-day state mourning in the country.