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Tarun Tejpal claims innocence over rape charge
Tarun Tejpal claims innocence over rape charge (AFP) / 18 February 2014 Investigating officer Sunita Sawant filed a 2,684-page charge sheet before the court on Monday, saying there was enough evidence to prove the charges. A leading Indian editor charged with raping a colleague insisted on Tuesday he was innocent, after a court deferred his plea for bail in the case which has dominated local media. Tarun Tejpal, the founder and editor of top investigative magazine Tehelka, has been in custody since his arrest in late November over the alleged incident in a hotel lift in the southern state of Goa. On Monday Tejpal was charged with a series of offences including sexual harassment, outraging modesty and rape, in one of the highest-profile cases since India toughened its rape laws last year. “The charge sheet against me is out of political vendetta. I am innocent,” the 50-year old told reporters outside the court in Goa’s capital Panaji, after his bail hearing was deferred until March 4 and he was taken back into custody. “The truth is in the CCTV footage and it will be known to the world,” he said, dressed in a white Indian kurta (tunic) for his court appearance, at which his family members were also present. The woman, who has quit the magazine since the scandal broke and who cannot be named for legal reasons, has told police she was molested twice in the lift during a magazine-sponsored event in the state. The case made front-page news in India for days, at a time when sexual assault was under the spotlight following the fatal gang-rape of a student in Delhi in December 2012, which sparked widespread protests. The magazine has reported forcefully on gender inequality in India recently, highlighting police and judicial insensitivity to rape victims as well as the misogynistic attitudes of many Indian men. It has been accused of hypocrisy and trying to cover up a serious crime after magazine staff were sent an email saying Tejpal was stepping down for six months for “misconduct”. Police say their investigation gathered CCTV footage showing the pair entering the elevator — although there was no camera inside it — and other evidence including email and SMS exchanges between them. Investigating officer Sunita Sawant filed a 2,684-page charge sheet before the court on Monday, saying there was enough evidence to prove the charges. Police said they also sought on Monday a fast-track trial that could be completed within 60 days. For more news from Khaleej Times, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/khaleejtimes , and on Twitter at @khaleejtimes Continue reading
Musharraf at court for the first time for treason hearing
Musharraf at court for the first time for treason hearing (AFP) / 18 February 2014 He was first ordered to appear before the tribunal on December 24, but had missed repeated hearings since then due to bomb scares and health problems. Pakistan’s former military ruler Pervez Musharraf arrived in court on Tuesday for the first time to face charges in a treason case he has denounced as a score-settling exercise by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. The 70-year-old arrived in a heavily protected cavalcade of at least half a dozen vehicles at the National Library in Islamabad where the court has been holding hearings, an AFP photographer said. No former military leader has appeared in court before, and the trial is seen as a test of the supremacy of civilian rule in a country governed for more than half its history by the army after three coups. Musharraf faces possible treason charges, which can carry the death penalty, over his suspension of the constitution and imposition of a state of emergency in 2007 while he was president. He was first ordered to appear before the tribunal on December 24, but had missed repeated hearings since then due to bomb scares and health problems that saw him complain of a heart ailment. Musharraf has challenged the civilian court’s right to try a former army chief, saying he is entitled to be dealt with by a military tribunal. He has accused Prime Minister Sharif, whom he ousted in a 1999 coup, of waging a “vendetta” and has asked for permission to go abroad for medical treatment, which has been refused. Sharif came to power after elections in May last year in the first transfer of power from one elected government to another after a full term. Musharraf has endured a torrid time since returning to Pakistan in March last year on an ill-fated mission to run in the general election. Almost as soon as he landed he was barred from contesting the vote and hit with a barrage of legal cases dating back to his 1999-2008 rule. The charges against him include the murder of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto in December 2007. So far, nothing has come of rumours that a backroom deal would be struck to get Musharraf out of the country before trial, to avoid a destabilising clash between the government and the powerful armed forces. For more news from Khaleej Times, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/khaleejtimes , and on Twitter at @khaleejtimes Continue reading
UAE, US discuss regional issues and bilateral relation
UAE, US discuss regional issues and bilateral relation (Wam) / 18 February 2014 General Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed receives US Secretary of State in Abu Dhabi. General Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, received US Secretary of State John Kerry and his accompanying delegation at Al Mina Palace on Monday. General Shaikh Mohammed and Kerry discussed bilateral relations and cooperation between the countries as well as an array of issues of mutual concern. During the meeting, which was attended by Shaikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Foreign Minister, the two sides reviewed appropriate means of strengthening the existing avenues of joint cooperation for serving strategic interests of the two friendly countries and their people. Discussions also tackled latest regional and international developments where the two sides reviewed ongoing efforts to achieve peace and security in the region and recognised the need for continuous consultations and coordination in this regard. The UAE and the US also underscored that serious dialogue and constructive understanding are the adequate mechanisms to address and resolve all crises and issues in the region. Looking at regional concerns and developments, the two sides discussed the humanitarian crisis in Syria and results of the recently concluded Geneva II Conference. Situation in Egypt was also figured high during the talks, where they stressed the importance of realising political and economic stability there. The two sides also discussed the talks between Iran and the Group 5+1 in Vienna next week, which seeks to reach an inclusive agreement on Iran’s nuclear programme. Current efforts to revive Middle East peace talks were also touched. Yousef Al Otaiba, the UAE Ambassador to the US, and Mohammed Mubarak Al Mazrouie, Undersecretary of the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince’s Court, attended the talks from the UAE side. Present from the US side were Michael H. Corbin, US Ambassador to the UAE, Philip Gordon, White House Coordinator for the Middle East, North Africa and the Gulf; Thomas Shannon, Counselor of US Department of State, and a number of US officials. For more news from Khaleej Times, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/khaleejtimes , and on Twitter at @khaleejtimes Continue reading
