Fugitive inspector surrenders in court

The fugitive inspector of Madannapet police station, N Ch Rangaswamy, finally put an end to his 45-day cat and mouse game with his colleagues, the men in khaki, and surrendered before a court today. Accused in the rape of a minor girl, Rangaswamy was sent to 14 days judicial remand by a local court.Chaitanyapuri police said Rangaswamy surrendered before the XI Metropolitan Magistrate at the Rangareddy Courts Complex in L B Nagar along with his advocate. He was sent to judicial remand till October 28.Emerging out of the court premises, the suspended inspector told mediapersons that he was framed in the case. “The girl’s parents are trying to implicate me in a false case. I am not guilty and I have not committed any crime,’’ he said.Police said Rangaswamy surrendered after all his efforts to get free of the case went futile. Rangaswamy appealed for an anticipatory bail but was rejected. Later, he tried to influence the victim and change her statement but even those attempts were foiled by police. “All his options were closed and police tracked him down wherever he went forcing him to surrender,’’ a police officer said. Even as Rangaswamy weighed his options, police tightened the noose around him. Police registered a case of kidnap against the inspector and his brother, Srinivas, when they tried to influence the victim to give a statement in favour of the inspector in the court. Meanwhile, special teams which were on a hunt for the fugitive inspector reportedly tracked him to his hideouts  including Visakhapatnam, Nellore and also to places outside the state. “Rangaswamy even took shelter in Maharashtra and Chennai for some days,’’ sources said.After his surrender, Rangaswamy was sent to Cherlapally prison where his brother, Srinivas, was cooling his heels.A case has been registered against Rangawamy in August this year for allegedly raping a minor and he was later suspended by the city police. The Central Crime Station (CCS) initially investigated the case but later it was transferred to the Chaitanyapuri police

Gruelling duty takes a toll on traffic cops in city

Over 50 per c ent of the city's traffic police personnel are struggling to breathe, hear and stand. Their eight-hour gruelling shift spent on the roads managing traffic amidst air and noise pollution is making them prone to ENT, respiratory disorders and spine-related problems.

While a study on the effects of their constant exposure to pollution is underway at the AP General and Chest Hospital, doctors from this hospital said that the recommendations given in a previous study have not been implemented so far. The 3,000-odd (both Hyderabad and Cyberabad traffic police) constables in the city continue to suffer in rain and shine without any protective gear.

"In the studies, we found that they exhaled higher amount of carbon monoxide, which is dangerous for the heart. Increased exposure to the sun can lead to skin cancer. Asthma attacks are also exaggerated among traffic constables," said Dr K Subhakar, chest physician, Chest Hospital. Doctors said the public should also act responsibly and switch off the engine at traffic junctions.

Even though the traffic police wing have started conducting health camps for traffic constables at various jurisdictions over the last few days, the detection is not up to optimum level. "Such camps can only pick up major events. The detection is done roughly and less than 10 per cent of the problems are picked up. They have to go for total testing," said Dr P N S Reddy, chest physician. Doctors say that constables are not even provided masks and the deterrent possibly is the Rs 1 lakh monthly expenditure the department would incur if it does supply the masks.

Officials say they are aware of the health problems of constables and are working on them now. "About 50 per cent of them develop health problems over a period of time unless they take precautions. We are training them in yoga and pranayam," said C V Anand, additional commissioner, traffic, Hyderabad. That's possibly a case of too little too late.

Recently at a programme on 'World Deaf Day', an NGO donated around 150 ear plugs to the traffic constables to reduce the intensity of noise pollution.

City police commissioner A K Khan had then announced that all the traffic constables would be provided with these machines if found effective. But specialists say that such announcements had remained only on paper.

Getting the Hyd Metro on a smooth track

With Hyderabad getting ready to start work on the Metro Rail, it will do well to learn lessons from the mistakes and the good practices of the Bangalore Metro Rail project, and take a leaf out of the Delhi Metro Rail project as well.

The first and foremost that the Hyderabad Metro Rail Limited (HMRL) will have to keep in mind is detailed planning on the logistics of the project and the time frame of the project. Timely completion of project without any delay whatsoever will be a key to the success of the project and will also ensure that costs are maintained. And people have a right to monitor its completion because it is finally the exchequer's money.

Any large project such as the Metro Rail will always have a direct consequence on the people of the city, requiring greater planning, keeping in mind the already heavy traffic and safe movement of people.

So, the first step the Hyderabad Metro Rail Authority will have to take is be transparent about the details of the project and involve all agencies like the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA), Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB), traffic police, transport department, the Telecom department, the AP Transco, the Environment department, the Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board (APPCB), the Forest department, the railways, and the Hyderabad Collectorate. A coordination committee of these agencies should be formed with full powers, to avoid any confusion. Separate control rooms should be set up to handle problems that may crop up during the construction phase.

Fingers pointed at land deals by Hyderabad varsity

Sections of the faculty are angry with the Hyderabad university for giving away vacant land in the campus to public and private organisations. The varsity says the charges are baseless.
The issue has vitiated the academic atmosphere in the varsity, University of Hyderabad Teachers Association secretary Purendra Prasad told IANS.

'We strongly oppose all moves to give away land originally granted to the university,' said social science professor Sudhakar Reddy. 'For a growing university, land is the future asset.'

When it was established in 1974, the government of Andhra Pradesh allotted 2,324 acres of land to the varsity in the 'green belt' area of Hyderabad.

'The university has alienated more than a third of its land, used up another third, and the remaining has to be preserved to protect the environment,' Prasad said. 'Where is the land for future expansion?'

A signature campaign, 'Save University of Hyderabad', spearheaded by Reddy, has collected 600 signatures in a week not only from the university but from sympathisers at other Indian varsities and from abroad.

A petition to be submitted to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Oct 19, during his proposed visit to Hyderabad, demands a halt to land deals and a thorough review of allotment and cancellation of unjustified deals.

But Seyed Hasnain, the varsity's vice-chancellor since 2006, said the campaign was 'based on deliberate disinformation' by Left leaning teachers 'with zero or hardly any academic pursuit'.

He said nearly 780 acres of the university land was allocated to various institutions by the Andhra Pradesh government even prior to 2006.

'I wonder why these self-styled guardians of the university land did not protest until 2006,' Hasnain said.

Prasad retorted that prior to 2005, land was allotted mainly for public interest at the behest of the state government, which compensated by returning 450 acres and providing other benefits like improved public transport or power supply on the campus. 'That is not the case now,' he said.

Reddy said the faculty was not aware about the land deals then because they were small and infrequent. 'We woke up only when land deals, including with private parties, started taking place on a large-scale.'

The Teachers Association has alleged that in just five years, the varsity's administration attempted to give away more than 1,000 acres of land.

Hasnain said that from 2006 till date only 488.28 acres were allotted 'through government orders', that too after the unanimous approval by the university's Executive Council.

'Pressure on Jagan to come clean'

Several Congress leaders on Tuesday demanded a thorough probe into the assets of Kadapa MP Y S Jaganmohan Reddy, which were allegedly amassed during the last one-and-half-a-years when the entire world was reeling under a financial meltdown. 

Amalapuram Lok Sabha member G V Harsha Kumar asked his colleague Jagan to come out with details of his income, nature of business, and how long he had been in the business. "Since Jaganmohan Reddy is an elected member of the party, he should dispel all the doubts generated by his huge advanced income tax. He owes an explanation to the people of the country," Harsha Kumar told the media in New Delhi. 

Saying that the growth in his assets coincided with the period of his father's chief ministership, Harsha Kumar said Jagan's earning should not bring disrepute to the party in the state. "I ask Jagan to make public the details of his assets and explain how he amassed such a vast property in such a short period of time," the MP told TOI from Delhi. 

In Hyderabad, senior Congress leader Palwai Goverdhan Reddy also wondered how Jagan could accumulate such a vast wealth in a matter of two to three years. "Jaganmohan Reddy should reveal his sources of income and explain the reasons for the disproportionate growth in his tax payment in the past three years," he said. 

Senior Rajya Sabha member V Hanumantha Rao urged the income tax department to probe the sources of Jagan's income. He also urged Jagan to disclose the secrets of his success in business for the benefit of the people of this country. "If Jagan could tell how he succeeded in business, the people could follow his advice and become rich. This way, poverty can be eliminated in the country," he told the media in Delhi. 

Sania Mirza back home in Hyderabad after marriage

Tennis star Sania Mirza, who missed a Gold at the Commonwealth Games, is back home in Hyderabad after four-and-a-half months since her marriage. Sania has now shifted to Dubai to live with her husband — Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik. However, her husband Shoaib will not be able to join her at his in-laws place.

“Sania has told us that she needs complete rest and wants to enjoy home cooked food, prepared by her mom. It’s strictly family time for her because she also needs to recuperate from the grueling schedule of the Commonwealth Games,” says a source close to the Mirza family.

Shoaib, who was accompanying Sania at the games, had to leave for Pakistan to take part in the domestic tournaments there. The cricketer was staying at a hotel in Delhi during the CWG. He missed Sania’s final match as he had to fly back to Pakistan. Sania’s dad and mom however were at the court.

“Shoaib might come down to take her back to Dubai but at the moment he is busy playing in Pakistan. The controversy during his wedding had scarred him but he has healed now and expects that he will be welcomed in Hyderabad the way he was welcomed in Pakistan as well,” the source close to the family said adding that the former Pakistani cricket captain is indeed a tad bit worried about the kind of reception he will get in Hyderabad now.

So, how is Sania managing in Dubai? “She is happy. It’s a little different because she is alone there as opposed to India where she had the family rallying around her. But her dad and mom are as close to her as they used to be and Imran (her dad) still keeps a very strict eye on her practice and on her tournaments.

Nevertheless, she is managing well on her own there and of course, she is facing no problems regarding her game because the sports infrastructure there (in Dubai) is really world class,” the source adds.

So, what will be Sania doing when she staying home? “Well lots of home parties are in the pipeline for her. Meeting with her close friends and cousins and of course, movies on DVD are also in order. Sania is a movie freak,” the source ends.

Minister acts tough on erring gas agencies

Civil supplies minister Jupalli Krishna Rao on Monday asked officials to take action against a gas agency in Srinagar Colony that was allegedly violating rules and causing hardship to consumers. 

He expressed his displeasure at the functioning of the chief rationing officer, his staff and representatives of oil companies, as they had failed to prevent gas distribution agencies from flouting rules with ease. 

The minister, who conducted surprise checks at gas agencies in Srinagar Colony and Jubilee Hills to verify complaints of cooking gas shortage on Monday, had a first-hand feedback from consumers and also customers calling up the gas agency telephone. He found that there was no proper entry of the customer details at one of the gas agencies and asked for a detailed enquiry. 

The minister assured consumers that the government would not hesitate to cancel the licenses of gas agencies that were found to be indulging in malpractices. He asked officials to book cases against two erring gas agencies that were selling gas ignoring the official seniority list to fresh customers. 

Last week, the minister toured some gas agencies in Vanasthalipuram and directed civil supplies officials to order an enquiry against an agency for selling gas refills to customers out-of-turn.