Indian Military

Chicago/New Delhi/Bangalore: In a verdict that “disappointed” India, a US jury cleared Pakistan-born Canadian Tahawwur Rana of charges that he helped with the 26/11 Mumbai attack but convicted him of supporting the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), the Islamist militant group New Delhi blames for the carnage.

The Indian government stressed it was still carrying out investigations against Rana, but the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said New Delhi had not done enough to get him convicted for the Mumbai attack and wanted an appeal filed against the verdict.

Rana, 50, was held “not guilty” by a jury in the famed Dirksen Federal Courthouse in Chicago Thursday, bringing some relief to the terror suspect and his family present.

It was a major victory for the defense as being held guilty would have meant life in prison.

As Judge Harry D. Leinenweber acquitted him for the 2008 slaughter of 166 people, including six Americans, in Mumbai, his wife, mother and daughters huddled together in prayer in the court.

NEW DELHI: Both houses of Parliament were adjourned till 2 pm after uproar by the opposition over Army chief VK Singh's allegations that he was offered a bribe of Rs 14 crore. Meanwhile, defence minister AK Antony has ordered a CBI probe on Army chief's allegations.
Earlier, both houses of Parliament were adjourned till noon after the opposition MPs created a ruckus over the disclosures made by the Army chief.

The opposition today cornered the government in Parliament over Army Chief General VK Singh's claim that he was offered bribe.

In an interview to a national daily 'The Hindu', army chief General VK Singh, who recently lost his date of birth battle, has claimed that he was offered a bribe of Rs 14 crore by an equipment lobbyist for clearing the purchase of 600 substandard vehicles.

The army chief also added that the defence minister AK Antony was apprised of the matter.
General Singh also said that 7,000 of those of which were already in use in the Army had been sold over the years at exorbitant prices.

NEW DELHI: The Central Bureau of Investigation is likely to ask Army chief Gen V K Singh for a formal complaint in connection with his allegation that he was offered a bribe of Rs 14 crore to clear a "sub-standard" defence deal.
According to agency sources, any action will be taken only after getting a formal complaint from Gen Singh. The CBI has asked the army chief to submit details about the date of meeting with the lobbyist and possible witness list along with the complaint, they added.
"Before a formal complaint is received from Singh, no case will be registered. As soon as we get a formal complaint, FIR will be registered in the case," said a CBI official.
The official informed that CBI has received a reference from the defence ministry to probe the matter and it has been processed according to the laid down procedure.
The army chief had claimed that an equipment lobbyist had offered him a bribe of Rs.14 crore in order to have a tranche of 600 sub-standard vehicles of a particular make cleared for purchase, a matter which he had reported to defence minister AK Antony.

NEW DELHI: A harried UPA government found itself in a bind on Wednesday over what to do with sullen Army chief Gen V K Singh after his letter to the prime minister highlighting major shortcomings in the country's defence preparedness found its way in the media.
The leak of Singh's complaint about "critical hollowness" in the Army's operational capabilities was being seen by the government, according to sources, as an "anti-national act". Defence minister A K Antony almost said so in the Rajya Sabha: "Publishing the contents of secret communications within the government cannot serve our national security."
A tense Antony told the Rajya Sabha after an emergency huddle with the PM and other members of the Cabinet Committee on Security that "appropriate action will be taken". Still, the government was constrained not to precipitate matters with a general with a honest reputation, who also appears to be battle-ready.
The leak, widely suspected to be the handiwork of sympathizers of the general, who has felt aggrieved after his request to get his date of birth revised was rejected, appears to have tested the government's patience.