Church for 35 per cent posts to women

By U Sudhakar Reddy

Hyderabad, Feb. 25: Catholic churches in the country have decided to give 35 per cent representation to women in diocesan and parish councils. Women will also get reservation in finance committees and in ecclesiastic bodies at the local and national levels. The 28th Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI) which concluded recently at Jamshedpur decided that representation for women in church committees should ideally go up to 50 per cent.
The CBCI reiterated the Vatican stand that women will not be eligible for priesthood. It said that a gender policy will be developed within a year by each regional bishops’ conference with time-bound action plans with monitoring mechanisms. Based on this, a CBCI gender policy will emerge.

"CBCI advised the local regional bishop conferences to study the matter in depth and to implement it with immediate effect taking into consideration the local situation," the Hyderabad archbishop Marampudi Joji said. "The representation pertains only to administrative and associate bodies but not priesthood," he said.

He added that the Hyderabad archdiocese will begin implementation of the decision. A Catholic Bishops Council consisting of 13 bishops will gather for an annual conference in Hyderabad from March 4 to 6 to discuss the issue of empowering women in the church.

The CBCI said the church would provide scholarships and part-time courses for women in theological, biblical and canonical studies and use them as parish workers, researchers and spiritual counselors. The work of women in parishes will be affirmed through the recognition of these as ministries.

N -Sites of South India on LeT Radar

By U Sudhakar Reddy

Hyderabad Feb. 22: The Lashkar-e-Tayyaba has tasked two groups of terrorists to attack the Nuclear Fuel Complex in Hyderabad and Kaiga Nuclear Power Plant in Karwar, Karnataka. According to intelligence inputs and information gathered by investigating agencies following the arrest of six LeT terrorists in Lucknow on February 11, the Lashkar operatives, with arms sourced from the outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom, entered the country through Nepal. They stopped over at Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh.
A person codenamed Zaman Bhai bought them three train tickets to Bangalore and two to Hyderabad. The trail appears to have run cold at this point, but a senior city police official said two terrorists, Riyaz and Sultan, are now in Karnataka. Railway Protection Force and Government Railway Police have been asked to check trains from Gorakhpur. A railway police official said, “There are two trains from Gorakhpur. One halts at Hyderabad and the other continues to Bangalore. We are keeping tabs on the passengers on these trains.” The police said the ultras could have altered their plans following the arrest of Hyderabad terror suspect Mohammed Riyazuddin Nasir alias Mohammed Ghouse in Karnataka. Police said the terrorists had earlier planned to attack targets in Delhi and Lucknow but shifted focus to Hyderabad and Karnataka. An intelligence alert regarding possible terror strikes has been sent to all police and security agencies in the city, Cyberabad, the Central Industrial Security Force and all top cops in the state.
Security at the Nuclear Fuel Complex has been beefed up and the police is on high alert in the city in view of possible terror strikes. Central Industrial Security Force, which guards the Nuclear Fuel Complex, has put the facility’s security on maximum level. Vehicles carrying nuclear fuel to Kaiga from NFC have also been given additional security.
“There is a definite threat to the nuclear installation,” a police official said on condition of anonymity. “We are trying to trace two groups comprising two to three terrorists each who are planning to carry out attacks in Karnataka and Hyderabad.” M. Mattaiah, SHO of the Kushaiguda police station, under whose limits the NFC is said, “CISF is taking care of all internal security and is controlling access to the complex. Police has intensified patrolling on the periphery of the facility and a picket has also been set up. We are also checking people moving about near the NFC.”
Hyderabad has been on the terror radar since May 18, 2007, when a blast was set off at Mecca Masjid, and the twin explosions at Lumbini Park and the Gokul Chat eatery on August 25, 2007. Meanwhile, Nasir has reportedly revealed during narcoanalysis tests conducted by the Bangalore police that eight fidayeen trained in Pakistan by the LeT have sneaked into the country. He said they were probably in Uttar Pradesh, North Karnataka and Hyderabad.
Nasir confessed that he had planned to attack the office of the director-general of police in Hyderabad.

(Published in Deccan Chronicle on Feb 23 2008)

Central Military Commission Planned Orissa Attack

By Udumula Sudhakar Reddy

Hyderabad, Feb 20 2008
AP leaders in the Maoists' central military commission planned the bloody attacks in Nayagarh town in Orissa on February 15. Maoists killed 13 policemen and looted about 1,200 weapons.
Police suspects that M. Balakrishna, Andhra-Orissa border (AOB) special zonal committee secretary, played a key role in the execution of the CMC's decision to attack the town.
A senior police official said, "We strongly suspect the involvement of central military commission members T. Keshava Rao and Tirupati who come from AP."
Officials said that the prime motive behind the attack by the Maoists was to loot sophisticated weapons like AK-47, the Insas automatic rifles and self loading rifles.
AP Maoists have previously carried out similar attacks at Koraput in February 2004 and at R. Uadayagiri in March 2006.
In Chhattisgarh, the Dandakaranya special zonal committee secretary G. Ashok alias Kosa alias Satyanarayana Reddy is suspected to be behind the recent attacks.
"AP Maoists are experts in planning and executing such massive attacks. Local tribals are used as support troops and human shields," said an intelligence official.
The state police anticipates trouble in North Telangana, Khammam and the AOB zone.
The AOB consists of the districts of Malkangir, Koraput, Rayagad and Gajapati in Orissa and Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam and East Godavari of Andhra Pradesh.
A senior official of the anti-naxalite agency observed, "it is a threat to the state. They may now look towards Andhra Pradesh again."
AP leaders in the Maoists' cen- tral military commission planned the bloody attacks in Nayagarh town in Orissa on February 15. Maoists killed 13 policemen and looted about 1,200 weapons. Police suspects that M. Balakrishna, Andhra-Orissa border (AOB) special zonal committee secretary, played a key role in the execution of the CMC's decision to attack the town. A senior police official said, "We strongly suspect the involvement of central military commission mem- bers T. Keshava Rao and Tirupati who come from AP." Officials said that the prime motive behind the attack by the Maoists was to loot sophisticated weapons like AK-47, the Insas auto- matic rifles and self loading rifles. AP Maoists have previ- ously carried out similar attacks at Koraput in Febru- ary 2004 and at R. Uadaya- giri in March 2006. In Chhattisgarh, the Dan- dakaranya special zonal committee secretary G. Ashok alias Kosa alias Satyanarayana Reddy is suspected to be behind the recent attacks. "AP Maoists are experts in planning and executing such massive attacks. Local tribals are used as support troops and human shields," said an intelligence official. The state police antici- pates trouble in North Telangana, Khammam and the AOB zone. The AOB consists of the districts of Malkangir, Koraput, Rayagad and Gajapati in Orissa and Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam and East Godavari of Andhra Pradesh. A senior official of the anti-naxalite agency observed, "it is a threat to the state. They may now look towards Andhra Pradesh again."

Forensic tangle in VIP murder case

By Udumula Sudhakar Reddy

Hyderabad, Feb 20 2008

Andhra Pradesh Crime Investigation Department is in a fix over whether to charge a murder case against K. Venkat Rao, son of former PCC chief and Indian Parliamentarian K Keshava Rao, because of the conflict of opinion among forensic experts.
B. Prashanth Reddy, 35, a real estate partner of Venkat Rao, died of bullet injuries in the latter's house on September 9, 2007. Following this, the CID arrested Venkat on charges of murder.
Police accused him of killing Prashanth over a real estate dispute. The realtor died of a bullet wound on the right temple.
However, forensic experts have different opinions on the issue.
While some of them support the murder theory others think that the realtor committed suicide. Since there are no eyewitnesses in the case, the CID has to depend upon forensic evidence.
While Dr M. Narayana Reddy, head of the Osmania General Hospital Forensic Department, opined that it was murder, the senior forensic doctor, Dr M. Ravinder Reddy, said it was suicide. This has complicated matters further.
"I am of the opinion that the firearm injury in the case is consistent with self infliction and the APFSL report on gun residue on the hand of the deceased Prashanth Reddy confirmed self infliction," said Dr Ravinder Reddy in his report.
However, Dr Narayana Reddy said that the type of injury could not be selfinflicted by a right-handed person. "It is more in favour of being fired by another person," he said in his report.
The Crime Investigation Depart- ment is in a fix over whether to charge a murder case against K. Venkat Rao, son of former PCC chief K. Keshava Rao, because of the conflict of opinion among forensic experts. B. Prashanth Reddy, 35, a real estate partner of Venkat Rao, died of bullet injuries in the latter's house on September 9, 2007. Follow- ing this, the CID arrested Venkat on charges of mur- der. Police accused him of killing Prashanth over a real estate dispute. The realtor died of a bullet wound on the right temple. However, forensic experts have different opinions on the issue. While some of them sup- port the murder theory oth- ers think that the realtor committed suicide. Since there are no eyewitnesses in the case, the CID has to depend upon forensic evi- dence. While Dr M. Narayana Reddy, head of the Osmania General Hospital Forensic Department, opined that it was murder, the senior forensic doctor, Dr M. Ravinder Reddy, said it was suicide. This has complicat- ed matters further. "I am of the opinion that the firearm injury in the case is consistent with self infliction and the APFSL report on gun residue on the hand of the deceased Prashanth Reddy confirmed self infliction," said Dr Ravinder Reddy in his report. However, Dr Narayana Reddy said that the type of injury could not be self- inflicted by a right-handed person. "It is more in favour of being fired by another person," he said in his report.
Prashanth Reddy was shot in the right temple. Prashant's family claimed that Venkat had a dispute with him over the ownership of a piece of land and repayment of some amount. In the expert opinion given by Dr Narayana Reddy he pointed out "The range of firing is three inches to 24 inches. This type of injury in a right handed person is very rare because the hand must be in a stressful position at the time of firing. The injury is more in favour of being fired by another person,"
Contradicting this Dr Ravinder Reddy stated ,"On the range of fire which is too wide is not based on any investigation, no muzzle to garment test was performed to determine the probable range of fire. Doctor cannot say on the frame of the mind of deceased. The hand is in a stressful position is not a post-mortem examination finding. There is no reasoning in the previous opinion to rule out self infliction,"
In the his report Dr Narayana Reddy said that the victim was standing in the corner of the room and head came into contact with the walls at the time of firing and opined that distortion of the bullet was due to pressing of bullet to wall.
Setting aside this Dr Ravinder Reddy said it can not be reconstructed from the medical evidence to show that deceased was standing in the corner of the room at the time of shooting and the bullet deformed as it passed through bones and it cannot be said that it pressed against the wall.
Striking aside the Dr Narayana Reddy's finding that the swelling of the eyelids was caused due to fall on sofa the latest expert opinion by Dr Ravinder said it may be due to early stages of decomposition.
In the initial opinion favouring the murder angle Dr Narayana Reddy opined that it is possible to find the traces of gunpowder on the right hand of the deceased when the victim tried to ward off the attach by catching the hand of the shooter. Dr Narayana Reddy attributed the absence of struggle marks to a surprise attack.
Setting aside these findings Dr Ravinder Reddy said ,"The autopsy doctor said it was a surprise attack that's why there are no struggle marks and other hand he says the deceased tried to ward of the attack resulted in the presence of GSR. There two are differing opinions of the same expert,"
The latest report by Dr Ravinder Reddy said that the wound is typical of self inflicting shot.

Prisoners fight for mangalsutra right

By U Sudhakar Reddy

Hyderabad
The state gov ernment is planning to amend AP Prison Rules to allow women inmates to wear mangalsutras and nose rings in jail.
The Home Minister, Mr K. Jana Reddy, gave this assurance on Wednesday after ruckus in the Legislative Council over police removing the mangalsutras of arrested women MPTC members when they were taken to Eluru jail. MLCs of the Telugu Desam protested strongly at this and said that the mangalsutra was sacred for Indian women and remov ing it was tantamount to insulting them.
However, the government said that police removed them for safekeeping since they were valuable property. As such, there is ambiguity in prison rules regarding wearing of mangalsutra. While the rules generally allow female prisoners (except widows) to wear mangalsutras and nose rings in jail, they also insist that inmates should not be allowed to keep valuables. This leaves space for police officers and jail officials to deny permission to women to wear mangalsutras.
The state gov- ernment is planning to amend AP Prison Rules to allow women inmates to wear mangalsutras and nose rings in jail. The Home Minister, Mr K. Jana Reddy, gave this assurance on Wednesday after ruckus in the Leg- islative Council over police removing the mangalsutras of arrested women MPTC members when they were taken to Eluru jail. MLCs of the Tel- ugu Desam protested strongly at this and said that the mangalsutra was sacred for Indian women and remov- ing it was tantamount to insulting them. However, the government said that police removed them for safekeeping since they were valuable property. As such, there is ambiguity in prison rules regarding wearing of mangalsu- tra. While the rules generally allow female prisoners (except widows) to wear mangalsutras and nose rings in jail, they also insist that inmates should not be allowed to keep valu- ables. This leaves space for police officers and jail officials to deny per- mission to women to wear mangalsu- tras.
In all, 36 MPTC members were arrested on February 9 at Eluru for obstructing police and they were later remanded to judicial custody. Out of them, nine were women. Four of them were from the Congress, four from the TD and one was an independent.
"While they were shifted to jail, a woman constable escorting them suggested that they hand over their mangalsutras to relatives as prison rules do not allow inmates to wear gold ornaments," said Mr Jana Reddy. Six MPTC members then handed over their mangalsutras to relatives and three others handed them over to the jail officials.
The home minister said that all of them were given pasuputadu (sacred yellow thread) to wear instead of their gold mangalsutras. "It is not true that police forcibly removed the mangalsutras," he said.
All the women MPTC members were released on bail on February 12 and they "remarried" their husbands to lodge their protest.
Mr Jana Reddy admitted in the Council that there was ambiguity in the prison rules and said the government would take steps to clarify matters.
"The Act says that widows can't wear mangalsturas and nose rings," he said. "But nowadays widows wear a nose ring. So we will try to amend rules."
He also ordered a DIG-level inquiry into the incident after the opposition turned down the proposal for a probe by the district collector.
The Leader of Opposition in the Council, Mr D. Veerabadhra Rao, said that removal of mangalsutras hurt the sentiments of the MPTC members.
"One MPTC member is a tribal person and she might be disowned by her husband if she removes the mangalsutra," he said. There was a heated debate over the issue with the TD leaders demanding the suspension of the sub-inspector, Mr Govindarajulu, who allegedly removed the mangalsutras. The Chief Minister, Dr Y.S. Rajashekar Reddy, was present during the discussion

(Published in Deccan Chronicle on Febraury 14 2008)

State blames faulty tiger census method

By U. SUDHAKAR REDDY

Hyderabad
The latest census showing AP as having just 95 tigers, against 195 in the previous exercise, has come as a shock for the forest department. The department which boasted that the tiger population had increased particularly in the Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve is now blaming the decreasing numbers on wrong technique.
The 2008 tiger census released by the National Tiger Conservation Authority on Tuesday put the number of tigers in the state at 95.
It estimated that there were on average 53 tigers in the Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve, the largest in the country, and adjoining forests in Kurnool, Prakasam, Kadapa, Mahabubnagar and Guntur districts.
It estimated that in Adilabad the tiger population was 19 with a range of 17 to 34. In the Karminagar-WarangalKhamamam belt, the tigers were estimated at 12 with a range from 10 to 14. In the Khammam(east)-East Godavari-Visakhapatnam belt, there were an estimated 11 tigers ranging form 9 to 13 tigers.
An official of the reserve said, "As per our calculation there are 70 tigers in the Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam reserve and 30 in Gundla Brahmeswara." "The camera traps sampling (adopted by the census) is incorrect," the official said.
The chief wild life warden, Mr Hitesh Malhotra, told this newspaper, "They assessed the number of tigers in a different way. They took three to four parameters for computation including camera traps, pug marks, faecal matter and other evidences."
"Previously they used to take vegetation and pug marks," he said.
"If 100-odd tigers have been wiped out or poached since the last census, it is not possible that we will not come to know of it." he said.
"Except in one or two cases there are no reports (of poaching). This has something to do with the method," he said. "Camera traps were set up in limited areas particularly close to the Srisailam-Dornala road in Nallamala where there is more disturbance," he pointed out.
Another official said that the tiger numbers were cooked up earlier. "The figures now show an increase in tiger numbers due to good protection measures."
The Tiger Conservation Authority suggested that the prey based in Srisailam be increased. It said the southeastern ghats be depopulated. It suggested that northern tiger populations be interconnected by prey base restoration

(Published in Deccan Chronicle on Febraury 14 2008)

No public debate on AP police reforms

By U Sudhakar Reddy

Hyderabad

The state government is trying to change the way the police works but without even a cursory discussion with the major stakeholders - the citizens. Human rights groups have cried foul at the government's decision to pass the AP Police Reforms Bill without any public consultation.
The committee which drafted the AP Police Act on the basis of directives issued by the Supreme Court did not hold any public debate. Neither is the government planning anything along those lines in the coming weeks.
Instead, it wants to pass the bill in the budget session of the Assembly straightaway. Once the draft bill gets the nod of the chief minister, Dr Y.S. Rajashekar Reddy, the cabinet will approve it and place it before the Legislature. Civil society and human rights groups have slammed this ‘secretive procedure' as nothing less than a travesty of democracy.
WHAT THE SC WANTS

1. Fixed tenure for DGPs, SPs and station houses officers (of operational duty) for two years. DGPs should be selected on merit basis.

2. Setting up of police establishment boards to deal with transfer, promo tion and posting of personnel.

3. Setting up of police complaint authority at state and district level to deal with complaints against misconduct and custodial violence.

4. State Security Commission to prevent unnecessary influence on the police by the state government.

5. Separation of the investigation and law and order functions of the police. 6. Scientific research in crime investigation.

(Published in Deccan Chronicle on Feb 6 2008)

Fraudsters make money off childbirth

By U. SUDHAKAR REDDY

Hyderabad

The Janani Suraksha Yojana scheme to encourage institutional deliveries among poor women is being rampantly misused.
Under the scheme, a woman who undergoes delivery in hospital will be given Rs 600. Two women were caught red-handed the other day for trying to claim this incentive at Niloufer Hospital by producing fake discharge cards.
Hajera Begum, 18, wife of Mohammed Ali of Mangalhat and Sajeeda Begum, wife of Shaik Abdul Raheem, were warned and let off by the hospital.
Hajera took the discharge card of one Asma Begum and changed the name. Then she approached the family planning department at Niloufer to claim the incentive. Sajeeda Begum tried to claim the money by forging the discharge card of one Zaheda Begum.
The Niloufer resident medical officer, Ms K. Usha Rani, said. "Officials became doubtful as one of them claimed to have had a second delivery in six months."
It is learnt that such incidents are common in several government hospitals in the city.
"These are isolated cases," said the district medical and health officer, Ms Ch Jaya Kumari.
"In most instances, it is deserving people who get the benefits. We are checking all claims. I will also inquire into the latest incident," Ms Kumari told this correspondent.
The Janani Suraksha Yojana scheme to encourage insti- tutional deliveries among poor women is being ram- pantly misused. Under the scheme, a woman who undergoes delivery in hospital will be given Rs 600. Two women were caught red-handed the other day for trying to claim this incentive at Niloufer Hospital by producing fake discharge cards. Hajera Begum, 18, wife of Mohammed Ali of Mangal- hat and Sajeeda Begum, wife of Shaik Abdul Raheem, were warned and let off by the hospital. Hajera took the discharge card of one Asma Begum and changed the name. Then she approached the family planning department at Niloufer to claim the incentive. Sajeeda Begum tried to claim the money by forging the discharge card of one Zaheda Begum. The Niloufer resident medical officer, Ms K. Usha Rani, said. "Officials became doubtful as one of them claimed to have had a second delivery in six months." It is learnt that such inci- dents are common in sever- al government hospitals in the city. "These are isolated cases," said the district medical and health officer, Ms Ch Jaya Kumari. "In most instances, it is deserving people who get the benefits. We are check- ing all claims. I will also inquire into the latest inci- dent," Ms Kumari told this correspondent.

(Published in Deccan Chronicle on Feb 6 2008)

Mock surgery on conjoined twins model

By U Sudhakar Reddy

Hyderabad, Feb. 2: A team of neurosurgeons of Breach Candy Hospital in Mumbai aided by doctors from the city-based Niloufer Hospital will prepare a model of the conjoined heads of the Siamese twins Veena and Vani for mock surgery.
Doctors will decide on the actual surgery to separate the twins after reviewing their performance on the model.
The model will have blood vessels and other systems resembling the craniophagus twins. Doctors are planning to use 3D imaging software to perform simulation surgery on computers.
The twins share the same blood vessel to the brain which makes the surgery risky. Veena and Vani were shifted to Breach Candy on January 16 for clinical investigations.
Niloufer Hospital's resident medical officer, Dr K Usha Rani, told this correspondent, "They will try to analyse complications that may arise during the surgery and get expertise in handling the case."
Dr A. Narendra Kumar, head of the department of paediatric surgery wing of Niloufer, was part of the team of Breach Candy Hospital neuro surgeons lead by Dr Ashish Mehta.
Niloufer Hospital superintendent Dr S Narasimha Rao said, "Clinical investigations are still going on. They may take a few more days." He said the twins will be shifted to Niloufer after the conclusion of investigations

IMA snaps at Naidu for backing quacks

By U Sudhakar Reddy

Hyderabad. Jan. 30: The Telugu Desam president, Mr N. Chandrababu Naidu, faced the ire of Indian Medical Association and the doctors' community for his decision to support quacks, popularly known as RMPs and PMPs.
The Andhra Pradesh Medical Council and the AP Private Nursing Homes Association joined the IMA to condemn Mr Naidu's support to the quacks. On Tuesday Mr Naidu had demanded that the government should utilise the services of quacks in villages.
There are around 1.5 lakh unqualified practitioners in the state who can influence rural vote banks.
According to the AP Medical Council, there are around 58,000 qualified doctors. After excluding those who left the country and those who are dead, the number would be about 40,000.
The APMC member, Dr K. Ramesh Reddy, said, "Quacks are totally unqualified and do not have basic training in medical sciences whether it is allopathic or Indian system of medicine."
"Most of these people worked as compounders or ward boys with qualified doctors. At any cost they can not claim to be doctors and can't be trained," Dr Kumar said.
"They may be used as paramedical staff. They should not run any clinic and if they do it is illegal and punishable under law," he said.
"There is nothing like a condensed training course. If these quacks are allowed to practise medicine it will risk the lives of patients."
He asked the government to provide infrastructure to the doctors to run clinics in rural areas.
The Indian Medical Association's city secretary, Dr P. Pulla Rao, said, "A court case is pending regarding the qualification of quacks. The government also told the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council that there are no plans to recognise quacks."
"For political mileage the parties are raking up these issues and giving assurances. Instead of punishing the quacks they are trying to regularise them, which is not acceptable," Dr Pulla Rao said.
The Andhra Pradesh Private Nursing Homes Association president, Dr Y. Ravindar Rao, said, "Nowhere in the world are unqualified persons given permission to practice. Taking a small test and issuing a certificate is not correct."
"If the government or the Opposition does this for political mileage it is incorrect," he said.
The RMPs and PMPs may be used as health workers to distribute tablets and perform first aid.
"They should not be allowed to practice, diagnose and prescribe," he added