Kudankulam protests: Police action unjustified, says report

Chennai: Tamil Nadu police has been slammed by a fact-finding team that probed the handling of protests against the Kudankulam nuclear plant, specially calling its 'descration' of a church "dangerous and deplorable". The police has rejected the findings.

The team, led by former High Court judge Justice Kolse Patil has said that the use of force against the peaceful protesters was unjustified. Police had lathi-charged the protesters who wanted work on the nuclear plant to be stopped. The team also found that police, while trying to control the agitation, looted and damaged private and public property. The fact-finding team was formed after demands from the Chennai Solidarity Team for Kudankulam and Teachers Against Nuclear Energy.

In the most damning finding, the team said that the desecration of a church by the police was a "dangerous and deplorable act". There were allegations that police officers had barged into the St Lourde's church looking for protesters there. The Archbishop of Madras-Mylapore had alleged that the policemen "insulted religious symbols".

Justice Kolse Patil's team also said that charging the protesters with sedition and waging war against the state was irrational and that police action had created "fear psychosis" in the area.

Tamil Nadu Police though said that they had acted "responsibly" and had been attacked by villagers.

A protest against fuel loading in the nuclear power plant that had been going on for several days in Kudankulam was broken up by police after the Madras High Court gave its green signal to operationalise the plant. Police who had cordoned off the area around the plant had been taken by surprise after the protesters approached the plant by walking along the beach, leading to a stand-off. The protests are still continuing.

In Bihar, a woman IPS officer takes on top cop

Patna: It is khaki versus khaki again in Bihar and this time it involves a woman Indian Police Service (IPS) officer and the State Director General of Police (DGP).

The Bihar Police has written to the state Home Department asking for the suspension of 2006 batch IPS officer Anasuya Rana Singh Sahu. According to the state police, which has prepared a dossier on her stint in Sheikhpura, she was trying to collect money through her bodyguard and her driver.

The state police's economic offences wing tapped the mobile phones of both the constables for over two months, and based on the transcription, showcaused Ms Anasuya. She was transferred out of Sheikhpura last week, and has yet to be given a posting.

But Ms Anasuya has now decided to fight back. After replying to the showcause notice, today she decided to charge none other than state DGP Abhayanand, for targeting her for what she describes as refusing to his "unreasonable and wrong recommendation."

She also said that when her bodyguard and driver are prima facie responsible, then action should be taken against them and not against her. "When I'm responsible for my driver's illegal activities, then shouldn't the DGP also face action for my lapses, if any?" she asked.

Ms Anasuya also admitted that she has had heated exchange of words with her boss on two occasions over his pressure to implement what she describes as something which was not consistent with the law.

Today, when contacted, Mr Abhayanand refused to comment on the charges made against him, saying in Ms Anasuya's reply submitted to the state headquarters, these charges were not mentioned. "It's beyond my comprehension why such charges are being levelled in media," he said.

This episode has once again exposed how divided Bihar Police has become these days and how the state DGP is facing criticism from his own juniours. Earlier this month, during the state DGP's meeting in New Delhi, he faced a lot of criticism from fellow colleagues when he read out his paper "riot vs lathi" on how to control mob without using minimum force.

Senior cop freed after being held hostage by suspended constable in Hyderabad

Hyderabad: A four-hour-long 'hostage' drama ended late on Wednesday as a suspended head constable, who had taken a senior police official hostage, released him unharmed.

Giriprasad Sharma, a suspended head constable with the Police Transport Organisation, released Superintendent of Police (SP) Lakshminarayana from a shop near Birla Planetarium in the heart of the city.

The high drama ended around 11:15 pm after Director General of Police (DGP) Dinesh Reddy reportedly spoke to Mr Sharma over his mobile phone and promised to look into his demands.

Police shifted Mr Lakshminarayana to a hospital and took Mr Sharma into custody.

Mr Sharma's demands included suspension of Additional Superintendent of Police Vijaykumar, who was allegedly harassing him and was responsible for suspending him, allocation of Rs.100 crore to Police Transport Organisation and recruitment of 500 mechanics and drivers in the organization.

It was in the evening that Mr Sharma took the official hostage in a shop and sent a message from his mobile phone to some television channels around 7:30 pm.

He had locked the shutters from inside and threatened to kill the official and commit suicide if police tried to break in. He claimed that he was carrying 40 litres of petrol with him.

As the senior police officials along with a fire engine and fire fighting personnel surrounded the shop, Mr Sharma sent out a printed message, listing his demands. He wanted either the Home Minister or DGP to respond.

Mr Sharma relented after the DGP intervened and assured him that his demands would be considered.

The incident triggered panic in the police establishment and caused embarrassment to the top brass as the scene of crime is close to the state police headquarters.

Earlier, Andhra Pradesh Home Minister P. Sabita Indra Reddy had appealed to the head constable to release the official and promised to take action against the Additional Superintendent of Police.

It was not immediately known why the SP had gone to a shop reportedly belonging to the head constable.

From: NDTV

Police brutality caught on camera in Bihar, man dragged by his hair

Munger: A shocking incident has come to light in Bihar's Munger district where the policemen have been caught on camera manhandling an accused.

According to the police, they were solving a dispute between two men when the incident happened. One of the men, the cops allege, was in an inebriated state and armed with an illegal pistol and live cartridges. He started a fight with the policemen, following which the police, along with local people, beat him brutally till he fell unconscious.

The policemen then took the young man to the hospital in a cycle rickshaw; a cop sat in the rickshaw with his feet on the chest of the man. The policeman further dragged him by his hair in the hospital.

Miraculous rescue of two-year-old boy kidnapped in Pune

Pune: For 26-year-old Smitha Joshi, the world suddenly came crashing down when her two-and-a-half-year-old son, Abeer, disappeared from a bus stand in Pune on Sunday. She thought that her son had been kidnapped. But just 24 hours later, there was relief and joy in the Joshi household - Abeer was back in his mother's arms after being miraculously rescued.

The tearful reunion followed a harrowing day and night of desperation and frantic search for Abeer. A native of Aurangabad, Smitha was boarding a bus home from the Shivajinagar bus stand in the city on that fateful Sunday afternoon. While she went inside the bus to place the luggage, little Abeer was standing outside. But when Smitha got down the bus, she found Abeer missing - all in a matter of minutes.

"I had just gone inside to keep my bag in the bus...Abeer was standing down...as I came back, he was not there," Smitha said.


A search for the boy began but in vain. The Joshis feared the worst - their son had been kidnapped.

A missing person's complaint was lodged at the Shivajinagar police station. In the meanwhile, Abeer's family and relatives continued their search, scouring all bus stands and the railway station in the city to look for him. After almost 24 hours, Abeer's uncle finally spotted a woman with a little boy near a bus stand in the city. He grew suspicious - the woman had covered her face with a cloth and was approaching the bus stand. As she came closer, he realised that it was Abeer who was with the unidentified woman.

"We are trying to find whether this woman is part of an organised gang but the very fact that she kept the boy with her for 24 hours without informing the police is suspicious...we will interrogate her," Smita Mehendale, Inspector, Shivajinagar Police Station said.

The woman will now be produced in court and the police hope that her interrogation may help them in unearthing what could possibly be a bigger racket.

For the Joshis, meanwhile, their joy knows no bounds. "I am very happy now...my son is back...I was so concerned what may have happened to him...he was not well," Abeer's mother said. But not everyone is as lucky. Every year, thousands of children go missing - while some get lost, others are kidnapped by gangs and syndicates and are later made to beg or become victims of trafficking. 

Two Kolkata school girls dead after alleged joint suicide

Kolkata: Two teenaged girls were found dead in the courtyard of an 18-storey apartment block in a posh housing complex in the southern fringe of Kolkata on Tuesday, police said.

Police suspected that Sabiba Chandana and Neha Panjari, both aged 15 and students of class IX of the same school, committed suicide by jumping from the roof of the building. However, no suicide note was found.

"A scream sound came at 6 am, it was heard by the guard. When he came here, he found that the dead bodies of two girls was lying here... police investigation is going on," said Sujay Chandra, Deputy Commissioner, South, Kolkata Police.

While Sabiba was a resident of the housing complex off EM Bypass under East Jadavpur police station, Neha had come to visit her, police said.

The incident occurred 11 days after a woman and her two daughters jumped to death from a 36-storey building in a suspected suicide pact. According to police, they were suffering from depression after the recent death of the woman's husband.

(With inputs from PTI)

Traffic cop beaten up by senior J&K minister's escorts in Srinagar

Srinagar: In a blatant abuse of power, a traffic policeman was beaten by a senior Jammu and Kashmir minister's escorts on Monday.

The incident happened allegedly after the traffic policeman stopped the convoy of Taj Moihuddin, J&K's Irrigation and Flood Control Minister, from jumping a traffic signal at Lal Chowk in Srinagar.

The injured traffic cop was admitted to a hospital, and the two escorts were arrested. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has said that strong action will be taken against the escorts.

"The cops who beat the traffic police officer have been arrested and booked. I have asked for strongest possible action under law," Mr Abdullah tweeted.

Mr Moihuddin was not available for any comments.

From: NDTV

Kudankulam protests: Villagers hold huge rally amid tight security

Kudankulam: With enriched uranium fuel set to be loaded in the Kudankulam nuclear power plant in Tamil Nadu, protests against the controversial project were intensified again on Sunday. An uneasy calm prevailed at the nuclear plant with anti-nuclear protesters bracing for a showdown with authorities.

Villagers in and around the site of the plant held a rally yesterday to reiterate their demand of shutting down the controversial nuclear plant. Defying prohibitory orders, the protesters tried to lay siege to the plant and refused to pay heed to repeated appeals by authorities to disperse. Although police stopped them around half kilometre away from the plant, villagers continued to camp on the sea shore through the night.

The procession, the first outside the village of Idinthakarai in six months, is viewed as an attempt to lay siege to the plant, according to sources. With Pattali Makkal Katchi's (PMK) support to the rally, elaborate security arrangements were made with around 5000 policemen, including from the Rapid Action Force, were deployed around the plant.

Police said they will take action "as per the prevailing situation." The security authorities had also asked SP Udhayakumar, the face of the movement, to stay away from the rally.

However, over 1,000 anti-nuclear protesters led by Mr Udayakumar tried to march towards the plant but were prevented from proceeding by the Rapid Action Force personnel and police, half a kilometre from the site, police said.

Mr Udhayakumar is the coordinator of the People's Movement Against Nuclear Energy or PMANE, the banner under which the agitation is being carried out.

The fresh protests come in the wake of the country's nuclear watchdog, Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB), having given its go-ahead on August 10 for loading of 163 enriched uranium fuel bundles in the first unit of the two 1,000 MW Russian reactors at the Kudankulam plant. After the reactor is fuelled, activities to approach first criticality-starting fission chain reaction, for the first time in a reactor, will be taken up. Then the power generation will be gradually scaled up on AERB's permission based on the results of various studies.

The project has been fiercely opposed by the locals and activists who have cited health and safety concerns arising out of the functioning of the nuclear plant. The agitation, which began last year, has pointed towards the nuclear disaster at the Fukushima plant in Japan last year that was triggered by a tsunami. The marathon sit-in protests and hunger strikes, which even saw the participation of children, had resulted in work being stopped at the plant.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had repeatedly allayed the fears of the locals with an expert committee constituted by the Centre having declared the project safe in January this year. The Tamil Nadu government, which initially sided with the locals and passed a resolution last year asking the Centre to halt work at the site, later gave its nod to the project in March this year. Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa had also announced Rs.500 crore for local area and infrastructural development.

The Madras High Court had, last month, greenlighted the commissioning of the plant.

But that has failed to convince the agitators who remain adamant on their position.

(With inputs from IANS, PTI)

Odisha clashes: Congress leader Jadgish Tytler booked for criminal conspiracy

Bhubaneswar: Congress leader Jadgish Tytler, who is the party's in-charge of Odisha, has been booked for criminal conspiracy for the clashes that broke out outside the state Assembly during a protest by Congress workers in Bhubaneswar on Thursday. Several protesters as well as 60 police personnel were injured in these clashes. And a woman cop was beaten up by a mob on the rampage. So far, 35 people have been arrested in this connection.

Pramila Padhi, the 39-year-old from the Bhubaneswar City Police who was thrashed by the mob, has alleged that she was attacked after Mr Tytler called for barricades to be broken. "I was trying to persuade people to stay calm when 30 to 40 of them caught hold of me, dragged me along and even molested me. They kicked and beat me up. They attacked me as soon as Jagdish Tytler called on party workers to break the barricades," the woman cop reportedly told the Press Trust of India.

Ms Padhi is currently at a private hospital battling shock and trauma apart from bruises all over.

Yesterday, the Congress apologised for the assault on the woman cop, but insisted that not all the thousands of people present during the protest were Congressmen.

"We are sorry that the woman cop got injured," Mr Tytler said, but quickly added that "there are two sides to the story. Our people have also been injured. The cops attacked us first. "

On Thursday, a crowd of more than 25,000 protesters - who Congress MLA Bhupinder Singh now says were not all party workers but also "included unemployed youth, agitating teachers and auto-rickshaw drivers unhappy with new rules" - tried to storm the Assembly to demand the resignation of Chief Minister Navin Patnaik for what they allege is his involvement in the coal block allocation scam that has rocked Parliament as well.

Prohibitory orders had been imposed which the protesters defied. As the mob broke through one of the barricades, the cops used tear gas to control the situation. Several protesters as well as 60 policemen were injured in the clashes that followed.

Ms Padhi, in uniform, was on duty near the Congress Bhavan when the clashes began; she was a deployed to guard a woman Congress leader, and not to control the crowd. Local TV channels showed footage of protesters thrashing Ms Padhi with bamboo sticks as she lay on the ground trying to protect herself. Eyewitnesses said she fell on to the ground after people surrounded her during the clashes and then one of the men kicked her.

Various police organisations had yesterday demanded that Congress leaders Jagadish Tytler, who was leading the protest, and Niranjan Patnaik be arrested within 48 hours for provoking the violence. "We will be otherwise forced to go for a ceasework agitation," they had warned. Along with Mr Tytler, Mr Patnaik and several others have also been booked others for criminal conspiracy under Section 120 ( B ) of the Indian Penal Code.


The Congress has accused the police of violating the law by hitting people on their heads. "They should have targeted only those who jumped over the barricade instead of launching attacks on the stage erected for the rally," Bhupinder Singh said.

But Bhubaneswar Police Commissioner Sunil Roy said television footage clearly shows that the protesters threw stones at policemen around the time the last speeches were delivered by Congress leaders. The police, he said, used utmost restraint in using water canons and tear gas shells to disperse the crowd. But the mob kept coming back to attack the policemen and it was then that they decided to chase them away, he said. Mr Roy said the Congress leaders who had organised the rally would be taken to task for violating the conditions of the licence granted to them to hold a "peaceful rally and demonstration".

From: NDTV

Four found dead, with throats slit, in Kolkata house

Kolkata: Four people, including a septuagenarian woman, were found dead with their throats slit at a house in Behala on the southern fringes of the city on Thursday night.

The alarm was raised by a physiotherapist who came to the house on Biren Roy Road (east) area to see one of the victims - Gouri Bhattacharjee, aged around 75, at 8 pm. He alerted the neighbours when he found the front door of the house open.

Police said besides the bodies of Mrs Bhattacharjee and her 50-year old son, her nurse and a domestic help were also found dead with throats slit in the same house. While the bodies of the mother and the son were discovered on the first floor of the house, the maid was found locked in a kitchen on the ground floor and the body of the nurse was discovered in the dining room.

Police are yet to find any clue on the assailants and their motive. Though sources say, the attackers could be professional killers. According to reports, there were no signs of burglary as nothing looked missing from the house.

Mayor Sovan Chatterjee, who visited the spot, said it was apparently a case of murder from the way the bodies were discovered with deep gashes on throats. Commissioner of Police RK Pachnanda, who inspected the place, said the matter was being investigated.

(With inputs from PTI)

Railway constable arrested for rape in Delhi

New Delhi: A 21-year-old woman was sexually harassed in New Delhi by a Railway Protection Force (RPF) constable who has been arrested, the police said on Wednesday.

The incident took place on Tuesday in New Delhi Railway Station's dormitory situated on the second floor.

Following the victim's allegation, constable Pintu Kumar, 24, who joined RPF two years ago, was arrested from his residence Wednesday. A rape case has been registered against him, a police official said.

"The victim is a homeless and often sleeps in temples or gurdwaras. Around 11 p.m. Tuesday, when the victim was sitting at the station the accused approached her sexually harassed her," said a police officer.

The victim approached the police on Wednesday morning. After the medical examination, a case of rape was registered against the constable.

"Initially, she was unable to give the exact sketch of the RPF personnel but later he was identified using CCTV footage," added the official. 

From: NDTV

Kasab, Gawli cases to become teaching tools

MUMBAI: Delighted at their recent successes, the Mumbai Police are planning to make teaching tools out of the convictions of terrorist Ajmal Kasab and underworld don Arun Gawli.

The police brass believe the efficiency with which the "two cases were probed, documented and followed up on" can serve as a lesson for the force. The police's legal cell has been asked to make PowerPoint presentations on the cases' investigations and prosecution.

After that step is complete , "we will conduct training sessions that will cover filing of an FIR, collecting material and corroborative evidence as well as technical and scientific evidence," said joint commissioner of police (crime) Himanshu Roy. The tutorials will also incorporate lessons on "how to safeguard witnesses and protect their identities" .

Roy said that many investigating officers lose focus once the chargesheet is filed. "Cases also fall apart since officers are unable to make their point well in court."

The home department has announced a reward for the officers who were part of the investigating teams probing Kasab and Gawli cases. Sources said chief minister Prithviraj Chavan may personally give the cash reward and appreciation notes to the officers.

Ramesh Mahale, chief investigating officer (crime branch), and 24 of his subordinates will be felicitated in the 26/11 case. The Gawli case was cracked by the crime branch's unit 3, which included inspectors Dinesh Kadam, Ninad Sawant, Dhananjay Daund (retired) and Yogesh Chavan.

US firm sued in India over pictures of Buddha on shoes

CHANDIGARH: Haryana police has registered a case against a US-based shoe manufacturing company for hurting the religious sentiments of Buddhists by promoting a range of shoes with Lord Buddha's images.

The case against California-based Icon Shoes was registered in the Rewari police station on Friday on the complaint of a wildlife activist. Rewari SP Abhishek Garg said the case was registered only after taking a legal opinion.

"We have registered the case after taking legal opinion from the district attorney. The company is accused of hurting the religious sentiments of the Buddhist community the world over," said Garg.

Besides sections 295, 295A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Rewari police has also added section 66 of the IT Act as the company sells its products online too.

Naresh Kadyan, the complainant, has sought action against the company and its promoters and has also urged the police to ban the marketing and publicity of the products with immediate effect.

"Nobody has any right to hurt the religious sentiments of a community. We have got letters of protests from residents from across 36 countries of the world wherein they have either lodged criminal complaints or have approached their governments to penalize and ban this company," said Kadyan.

When contacted, Dr Satyapala, former head of department of Buddhist Studies, Delhi University, said it's a shameful act.

"The company should immediately withdraw its products and ad campaigns and should tender an unconditional public apology. We have already brought this to the notice of National Commission for Minorities. At the same time we have also urged the central government to take up this issue at international platforms," Dr Satyapala said.

Lookout notice for MK Alagiri's son in illegal quarrying case

Chennai: The Madurai police have asked immigration authorities  to issue a look out circular for union minister MK Alagiri's son Durai Dayanidhi and eleven others in the illegal granite quarrying case in Madurai.

The police have also filed  an FIR against all the involved under the Mines and Minerals Act for encroaching government land and illegal mining. Mr Alagiri's son, who was a director of granite export company till a few years ago, had applied for  anticipatory bail before this development .

A former collector of Madurai had alleged a revenue loss of sixteen thousand crore due to large scale violation in the granite industry, following which all 175 quarries in the district are being raided.

Granite baron PRP Palanisamy had recently surrendered. Union minister MK Alagiri had, however, denied these allegations last month.
 

Ex-Mumbai Police Commissioner Arup Patnaik hospitalised

Mumbai: Former Mumbai Commissioner of Police Arup Patnaik has been admitted to Jaslok hospital in South Mumbai after he reportedly complained of chest pain.

Mr Patnaik was the Commissioner of Mumbai Police till as recent as last week. He was transferred and promoted to Director General, Security Corporation, after being criticised by some parties for his handling of the August 11 riots in the city. Mr Patnaik was succeeded by Satyapal Singh as the new Police Commissioner.

On August 11, a riot took place at Mumbai's Azad Maidan. Thousands had gathered to protest against the killings of Muslims in ethnic violence in Assam and Myanmar. An armed mob infiltrated the crowd, and went berserk. Two people were killed and more than 40 injured, many of them policeman. Some policewomen were molested.

Mr Patnaik told NDTV earlier this week that though he has been accused of not acting strongly to curb the riot, he is convinced that he did the right thing, and that he accepts that the buck stops with him. He said that if he had not asked the police to show restraint and had they opened fire, 200-300 people could have been killed. The idea, he said, was to prevent the situation from worsening. From the stage, he ordered that any of the protestors at the rally who dispersed peacefully, would not be arrested.

From: NDTV

Administration will fire at anyone who resorts to arson and violence: Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi

Guwahati: With the death toll in the Assam clashes reaching almost 80, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today said, "Administration will fire at anyone who resorts to arson and violence." Mr Gogoi's warning came after five more people were killed on Saturday in Chirang district of Assam. They were reportedly coming from a relief camp to buy groceries.

Police said that the bodies were recovered from a paddy field in Choudhuripara near Mangolian Bazar in the district.

Inspector General of Police (Bodoland Territorial Areas District) SN Singh said that the bodies were recovered after local residents informed police. The deceased were yet to be identified, he said.

"Suspected miscreants must have killed the five people during the day and hidden their bodies in a paddy field in the area," he said.

Following the killings, the area is tense and a curfew has been imposed.

Almost 80 people have died in the last one month in ethnic violence in parts of lower Assam between the indigenous Bodo tribals and Muslim settlers.

Over two thousand people, who fled their villages in fear owing to the clashes, have been living in relief camps in the state.

(With IANS inputs)

Arvind Kejriwal detained, released; water cannons, tear gas used on protestors

New Delhi:  The Delhi Police used tear gas, water canon and lathi-charged Arvind Kejriwal and his supporters as the anti-graft activists attempted to 'gherao' the residences of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress President Sonia Gandhi and BJP President Nitin Gadkari.

Here are the 10 latest developments in the story:

1. Mr Kejriwal was detained by the police shortly after 2 pm as he led a group of hundreds en route to the PM's home. His supporters deflated the tyres of the bus that was meant to take him to a nearby police station. He was released less 40 minutes later. "We have proved our point. We should now disperse peacefully," Mr Kejriwal said. He later tweeted to declare that his mission for the day had been accomplished. "Today's movement had 2 purposes. (1) tell people how BJP and Congress are hand in gloves. People from both parties got coal blocks (2) expose the brutal, corrupt nature of political establishment. Expose their arrogance of power. Both objectives achieved. I salute all krantikaris," Mr Kejriwal posted on the micro-blogging site Twitter.
2. In an attempt to stop Mr Kejriwal and his supporters from entering high-security areas of the capital, the Delhi Police used batons, tear gas and water cannons on a crowd of at around 1:45 pm as they tried to march in three groups to the homes of the PM, Mr Gadkari and Mrs Gandhi.
3. The Delhi Police has filed five criminal cases against unknown people after the protest by India Against Corruption. Cases of rioting, destruction of public property, assault on public servants have been registered after 15 policemen were injured. The police had detained 974 people; they were later released.
4. The protest had been denied permission by the Delhi Police on the grounds that no protest can be allowed in high-security areas. They had also said that a protest by members of India Against Corruption that was held in the capital last month violated the conditions agreed to by the activists, so a repeat could not be risked.
5. The Delhi Metro had been asked to close six stations between 8 am and 6 pm today to prevent protestors from reaching the homes of the three targeted leaders, but all stations remained operational through the day.
6. Mr Kejriwal says the public must hold both the BJP and the Congress accountable for alleged losses of thousands of crores because nearly 50 coal blocks were allocated between 2004 and 2009 without an auction. The national auditor said in a report earlier this month that the losses could add upto 1.86 lakh crores.
7. Mr Kejriwal began the protest at 6 am this morning. At 7 am, he was detained when he was sitting on a footpath outside the PM's residence at the 7 Race Course Road, with a handful of people. "What wrong are we doing? We are just sitting quietly on the footpath. At least we should be told why we are being detained," Mr Kejriwal told the media from the back seat of a police jeep. 
8. He was released one hour later when the police said he could hold a demonstration meet at Jantar Mantar. 2000 people then gathered there and Mr Kejriwal and other activists attempted to lead them towards the politicians' homes.
9. Former senior police officer Kiran Bedi was not present at today's protests, leading to speculation of a divide among the top rung of India Against Corruption. Ms Bedi had said yesterday that she believes the running party or the Congress should be targeted for corruption. Mr Kejirwal has been careful to suggest that both the Congress and the opposition BJP are equally responsible for trying to scam the country via the assignment of coal fields at a fraction of their market value to private firms.
10. Mr Kejriwal and Ms Bedi belong to the group that used to be known as Team Anna, for their affiliation to Gandhian activist Anna Hazare. Last month, the activists said they will formal a political party and contest elections. Anna has made it clear he will not run for office or become a member of this new political force. Meanwhile, targeting both the Congress and the BJP, Anna today said those whose hands are "blackened" with corruption are levelling allegations against each other and that they cannot provide any future to the country.
    
    From: NDTV