IMPHAL, October 21: Justice Laxmi Kanta Mohapatra, the former judge of Allahabad High Court, was sworn in as a judge of the High Court of Manipur at a ceremony held at the Durbar Hall of the Raj Bhavan.

The swearing-in-ceremony was conducted by Governor of Manipur Ashwani Kumar.

During the function, Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh; Deputy Chief Minister Gaikhangam; Chief Justice in-charge of Manipur High Court, Justice N Kotiswar, MLAs; Ministers; and other officials attended.

Speaking to media persons after the swearing-in-ceremony, Justice Laxmi Kanta Mohapatra said that he will try to ensure speedy justice in the state. He added that there are many social related issues which can be solved without approaching the court and if possible should be settled outside.

He expressed his happiness on becoming one of the judges of High Court of Manipur, and added that he will try to dispose all the pending cases in different courts of the state. 

Mumbai, August 20: Hyderabad Hotshots, spearheaded by Indian badminton icon Saina Nehwal, brought down the high flying, unbeaten Pune Pistons in impressive style with a comprehensive 4-1 victory in the Indian Badminton League at the NSCI courts in Mumbai last night.

The thumping victory also powered the Hotshots to the top of the league table with 11 points to their credit while leaving Pistons in second place with 9.
Saina provided the early spark to the Hotshots campaign against the league toppers by clinching the high quality women's singles clash against her long-time German rival Juliane Schenk in a battle between two of the world's top five players.

Egged on by the partisan crowd chanting "Saina Saina", the Indian world no 4 downed world no 3 Schenk 17-21 21-19 11-6 in 59 minutes after her compatriot and teammate Ajay Jayram shocked Vietnamese rival Tien Minh Nguyen, world no 5, 21-19 21-8 in the opening men's singles encounter in just 40 minutes.

Later, the Malaysian world no 2 pair of V Shem Goh and Wah Lim Khah subdued the challenge of India's seasoned pair Sanave Thomas and Rupesh Kumar 21-19 and 21-16 to give the Hotshots a winning lead in the best of five clash, their second victory in three ties, thus ensuring the Pistons' first defeat in as many encounters.

Thailand's S Tanongsak, a semi finalist at the All-England made it 4-0 for the Hotshots with a straight-game victory over Pistons' Saurabh Varma. The left hander won 21-19 21-18 in the second men's singles match.

Pistons got a consolation victory as well as one point from the tie when their mixed doubles combination of Joaquim Fischer Nielsen and Ashwini Ponnappa downed Hotshots' pair of V Shem Goh and Pradnya Gadre 21-11 21-14.

Islamabad, August 20: Former Pakistani military ruler Pervez Musharraf has been indicted by an anti-terrorism court in the 2007 assassination of ex-premier Benazir Bhutto.

Musharraf, who has been under house arrest for last four months, was charged with murder, conspiracy to commit murder and facilitation of murder, said state prosecutor Chaudhry Muhammad Azhar.

The 70-year-old former president was brought under heavy security to the anti-terrorism court of judge Habibur Rehman in Rawalpindi.

If convicted, Musharraf can be sentenced to death or life imprisonment.

Musharraf denied the allegation on Tuesday in the court and his legal team will continue to defend him in the case in which he has been falsely implicated, the information secretary of his All Pakistan Muslim League, Aasia Ishaq said.

"He was not in the list of accused till 2008 but later his name was included on the basis of an email by Benazir to the US journalist Mark Segal," said Ishaq.

"When this email has been considered by the court, why it has not considered another email by her to Musharraf in which she nominated three people as culprits for her (future) murder."

Ishaq said that the court has fixed next hearing on 28th August and the former president will now face the trial in the case.

Bhutto was killed in suicide attack in 2007 in Rawalpindi when Musharraf was president of the country.

Musharraf had blamed her killing on Pakistani Taliban chief Baitullah Mehsud, who denied any involvement. Mehsud was killed in a US drone strike in 2009.

MOREH, August 11: Acting on a tip off, a team of Custom Preventive Force, Moreh led by Inspector Angom Dorendro Singh under the supervision of Lalkhonesh Simte, Superintendent CPF has seized 3443 World of Your (WY) tablets with the arrest of a Myanmarese national from Moreh Ward no 3 yesterday around 12.30 pm.

The arrested drug peddlar has been identified as Mg Win Man (46), son of (L) U Maw Shew of Tamu Ward no 5, Moreh.

According to reports, based on specific information recieved that a drug deal was imminent by person coming from Tamu in Moreh Ward no 3 near Sun Rise Club, the team was keeping a tight vigil in the area until a person coming in a suspicious manner from Namphalong, Myanmar was spotted.

On checking, the team found 3443 WY tablets kept concealed in two bags of the person with one bag containing 3200 tablet and another 243 tablet. According to custom officer, the value of the seizeds tablet is believed to be worth Rs 40 lakhs in the international market.      

On further investigation, the arrested person informed that the WY Tablet was brought to be handed over to an individual identified as Moungoo of Tamu in Morning Market, Moreh.

The arrested Myanmar national has been brought to Imphal for further investigation by a team of Custom Preventive Force led by Inspector A Dorendro this morning, the reports added. 

Dhaka, July 16: Fundamentalist Jamaat-e-Islami's 91-year-old supremo Ghulam Azam was on Monday sentenced to 90-year in jail by a special Bangladeshi tribunal for masterminding atrocities during the country's 1971 war of independence, the fifth and the most-awaited verdict on the war crimes cases.

"He (Azam) will serve 90 years in jail," chairman of the three-member International Crimes Tribunal-1 A T M Fazle Kabir announced at the crowded courtroom, amid tight security as Jamaat-e-Islami enforced a violent nationwide general strike today called another general strike tomorrow against the "politically motivated" sentencing.

He will serve the sentence "consecutively or till his death", Justice Kabir said as the wheeled-bound Azam remained stoney-faced.

Before the judgement was announced, police fired rubber bullets to disperse Azam's supporters protesting in the capital Dhaka and other cities.

The judgement, however, said Azam deserved the death penalty for the crimes he had committed in 1971 for siding with the Pakistani junta but his old age and physical condition forced the panel to deliver the 90 years of jail term.

Azam, who has left deep emotional scars in the collective national psyche by engineering war-time atrocities in 1971, was found guilty of all five categories of crime - conspiracy, planning, incitement, complicity and murder.

He had been charged with 61 counts of crimes in all five categories.

Prosecution lawyers, during the trial earlier compared him with German Nazi leader Adolf Hitler as his party cadres used to operate as Gestapo forces in killing the leading intelligentsia particularly just ahead of the final victory.

Under the verdict, Azam was handed down 10 years jail term for conspiracy in committing crimes against humanity, 10 years for planning, 20 years for incitement and 20 years for complicity.

He was sentenced to jail for another 30 years for the murder of police officer Siru Miah and his son Anwar Kamal and 36 others as they had sided with pro-independence forces.

A total of 16 prosecution witnesses including historians, rights activists and war crimes researchers testified against Azam while his son ex-army brigadier Abdullahil Aman Azmi appeared as the sole defence witness.

"Ghulam Azam's case is a unique one. Ghulam Azam was not physically present during these crimes but he has been accused of being the main man and the overseer of the war crimes during 1971," Justice Kabir said, as the panel pronounced the operative part of an abridged 75-page judgement.

Azam, the then chief of the East Pakistan wing of Jamaat-e-Islami party and Azam, a provincial minister in 1971, was present as the tribunal delivered the crucial verdict.

He was "found guilty of all the charges" in course of the trial during the past one year.

IMPHAL, October 28: The 15 day Workshop on Indigenous Musical Instruments of Manipur concluded today at the Tribal Museum and Research Centre, Sagolband Bijoy Govinda Akham Leikai.

The valedictory function was attended by Sangeet Natak Academy Awardee and Ethnomusiologist, Laishram Birendrakumar, former director NEZCC, Dimapur Aheibam Birendra and Director IGRMS prof KK Mishra as the chief guest, president and guest of honour, respectively.

Laishram Birendrakumar said in his speech that there are more than 30 tribes in the state.

“The map we see of Manipur today is just the political map; however the musical map is much far and wide”.

Aheibam Birendra said that there are 35 tribes in Manipur and every tribe mingling with each other over centuries. Artefacts of each tribes are still maintained at the Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahlaya (National Museum of Mankind), Bhopal.

He said the 15 day workshop is a living example of unity amongst the people of Manipur since time immemorial.

Speaking on the occasion, KK Mishra expressed that not many people know about the existence of such museum in Manipur.

Elaborating on the existence of such museums, he said that the Bhopal museum is quite the contrary to the people’s perspective of a museum.

He elaborated, that people usually see a museum where items are displayed in a glass box, however the Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahlaya (National Museum of Mankind), Bhopal is quite different from a conventional museum spreading across 200 acres with open space displays of antiques from across the country and outside.

He also expressed, “Due to globalization we are losing our culture including our musical instruments”.

“The introduction of Jazz music in the country has adversely affected our indigenous music.”

“Indigenous musical instrument makers are hard to find today in the country”, he said.