BABRI MASJID DEMOLITION: ALL ACCUSED ACQUITTED, COURT SAYS NO EVIDENCE

A special CBI court on Wednesday acquitted all 32 surviving accused in the

Babri Masjid demolition case, citing lack of evidence.

In his 2,300-page order, CBI Special Judge Surendra Kumar Yadav rejected

evidence from photos, videos, and speeches of the accused, raised questions

on the conclusions drawn by the prosecution, and referred to the possible

involvement of Pakistani intelligence agencies and anti-social elements and

terrorists disguised as kar sevaks who had entered the site.

Also, the judge ruled, videos of the demolition were not sent for forensic

examination, and negatives of the pictures taken on that day were not

produced - they could not, therefore, be relied upon as evidence. "All

evidence present in documents was analysed. The crime against the accused

could not be established," Yadav said in his order, written in Hindi.

Among those aquitted of conspiracy charges were the leading lights of the

Ram Janmabhoomi movement that led to the demolition of the Babri Masjid in

Ayodhya on December 6, 1992: former Union ministers L K Advani, Murli

Manohar Joshi, and Uma Bharti, former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Kalyan

Singh, and former BJP MP Vinay Katiyar.

The CBI had filed chargesheets against 49 people, 17 of whom, including

Vishwa Hindu Parishad leaders Ashok Singhal and Acharya Giriraj Kishore, and

Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray, are now dead.

The order came less than a year after a five-judge Bench of the Supreme

Court, in a unanimous decision, gave the disputed land in Ayodhya to a trust

for the building of a Ram temple. The Supreme Court had called the razing of

the Babri Masjid illegal.

The CBI had relied heavily on newspaper cuttings, video clips, and speeches

by the accused to establish its case. The judge, however, said: ".From the

witnesses produced by the CBI, the newspaper cuttings, video cassettes, and

the printout of the speeches, it is established that there was no occasion

where the accused persons sat inside a room and made a plan to demolish the

mosque.

"No prosecution witness has clearly named any accused persons; the witnesses

have also not clearly stated that it was through the accused that the

disputed structure was demolished."

UNLOCK 5.0 GUIDELINES: GOVT ALLOWS MOST ACTIVITIES FROM OCTOBER 15

States and Union Territories can take a decision on whether to open schools

from October 15; cinemas and multiplexes will be allowed to open with 50 per

cent capacity from the same date; limits on outdoor gatherings have been

removed while indoors gatherings will be allowed with 50 per cent capacity -

there are among the new unlockdown guidelines issued by the Ministry of Home

Affairs on Wednesday evening.

Business to business exhibitions are allowed, too, and swimming pools "being

used for sportspersons" are also permitted to open, as are entertainment

parks. All of these will have SOPs issued by their governing ministries and

will be permitted to open from October 15.

On the re-opening of schools, the MHA said "State/ UT Governments have been

given the flexibility to take a decision after 15th October 2020, in a

graded manner."

AT INDIA-CHINA DIPLOMATIC MEET, STRESS ON MAINTAINING STABILITY ON THE

GROUND

A day after Beijing hardened its position and said that it does not

recognise the Union Territory of Ladakh and is opposed to the construction

of Indian infrastructure there, Indian and Chinese diplomats met through

virtual mode and New Delhi said that the two sides should "avoid

misunderstandings and maintain stability on the ground".

As the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China

Border Affairs (WMCC) met for the fifth time since the border standoff began

in May, they said that the next round of the meeting of Senior Commanders

"should be held at an early date so that both sides can work towards early

and complete disengagement of the troops along the LAC in accordance with

the existing bilateral agreement and protocols, and fully restore peace and

tranquility".

After the WMCC meeting, the Ministry of External Affairs said that the two

sides "reviewed the current situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC)

in the India-China border areas and had frank and detailed discussions on

the developments since the last meeting of the WMCC on 20 August, 2020".

DATA DILEMMA AFTER THIRD SEROLOGICAL SURVEY IN DELHI

The prevalence of Sars-Cov-2 virus antibodies in Delhi dropped by over four

percentage points in a month, officials told the Delhi high court citing the

recent serological survey, throwing up an epidemiological finding that now

distorts estimates of how many people may have been exposed to Covid-19 in

the national capital.

The presence of antibodies, which develop after a person has had an

infection, is only expected to grow within a population with an outbreak.

But it was 29.1% among the 15,000 people sampled in August, dropping to

24.8% among the 17,197 people sampled in September, according to the Delhi

government's submissions.

The decrease may be due to a change in sampling method to represent of

socio-economic conditions of the people, the researchers who designed the

survey said.

Experts said the change in sampling criteria meant comparing the last two

surveys was similar to comparing "apples and oranges".

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

======================

MORE ABOUT THE FIRST TRUMP-BIDEN DEBATE

The US embarrassed itself before the world for nearly 100 minutes on Tuesday

night with an ugly "presidential debate" full of angry exchanges and

invective, culminating in implicit threats of election-linked racial

conflagration by President Donald Trump. Trump walked all over the

Democratic challenger Joe Biden with frequent, hectoring interruptions

during a heated encounter that often left the latter struggling to respond,

but Trump was not necessarily the winner; nor Biden the loser. It would be

fair to say both men lost. America lost.

The major takeaway from the debate was dire: Trump essentially reaffirmed

that he will not accept the results of the elections if it goes against him

when all ballots are counted. In fact, he even seemed to suggest that all

ballots should not or need not be counted while appearing to give a call of

arms to racist militias to intervene in the election process.

Asked to condemn white supremacy and militia groups, Trump initially said

"Sure" and wanted the host Chris Wallace and Biden to name a group, but when

presented with Proud Boys, a violent, racist, pro-Trump group, his response

was: "Proud Boys? Stand back and stand by", before complaining about Antifa

and the left and blaming them for violence. Proud Boys, which believes white

men and western culture are under siege and is listed as a hate group by the

Anti-Defamation league, took Trump's remarks as approval for their

activities. "We're ready. Standing down and standing by sir," they responded

via social media.

Trump also asked his supporters to go to polling stations on Election Day in

what some analysts saw as a call to voter intimidation, given that there is

a specific process to enlist as a poll observer.

Biden did his best to put together coherent answers to questions about the

pandemic, the economy, the conduct of elections and other topics, but faced

with Trump's incessant interruptions, he lost composure more than once. The

host, Fox News' Chris Wallace, was also a victim of Trump's bullying and

lost control of proceedings several times.

Offered a chance by the moderator to say he will accept the election results

whichever way it goes when all ballots are counted, Trump launched into a

tirade about the US election system and denigrated the whole process,

picking on stray instances of fraud or misdemeanour that experts say

aberrations, not the norm. Trump also shrugged off questions about his

alleged tax shenanigans, including paying only $750 in taxes in 2016 and

2017, crediting the tax code created by the Obama-Biden administration for

his ability to outsmart the system and muttering all business leaders do the

same "unless they are stupid".

Even as the so-called debate was going on, a collective groan went across

the country - on social media and beyond - about two more such debates in

October filled with puerile antics, petty insults, and pathetic

articulation.

THE REST

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JUSTICE LIBERHAN, ON BABRI MASJID DEMOLITION CASE

"I found it was a civil conspiracy, I still believe in it. From all the

evidence produced before me, it was clear that the Babri Masjid demolition

was meticulously planned. I remember Uma Bharti categorically took

responsibility for it. It was not an unseen force that demolished the

mosque, human beings did it," Justice Manmohan Singh Liberhan said

yesterday.

The Liberhan Commission, set up in 1992 to probe the Babri Masjid

demolition, had, in its report submitted in 2009, pointed to the involvement

of senior RSS and BJP leaders. "They either actively or passively supported

the demolition," it said.

The Commission said the mobilisation of "kar sevaks" was neither

"spontaneous or voluntary" but "orchestrated and planned". The report named

over 60 people - including senior BJP leaders Advani, Joshi, Bharti and A B

Vajpayee, RSS and VHP leaders, bureaucrats - as "culpable" for "leading the

country to the brink of communal discord".

"My findings were correct, right, honest, and free from fear or any other

bias," Justice Liberhan said. "For posterity, it is a report that will

provide an honest account of what took place and how. It will be part of

history," he said.

Justice Liberhan, however, refused to comment on the court's decision. "I

will not comment on the judge or the court or the CBI investigation. I

believe everyone does his job honestly. The court has the right to differ,

there can be no dispute about its power or working," he said.

MUSLIM BODIES TO COLLECTIVELY DECIDE ON CHALLENGING BABRI CASE VERDICT:

FIRANGI MAHALI

All-India Muslim Personal Law Board senior member Maulana Khalid Rasheed

Firangi Mahali on Wednesday said organisations representing the community

will together decide whether they need to challenge or not the CBI court

verdict in the Babri mosque demolition case.

He said Muslims in the country have always honoured court verdicts and will

continue to do so.

HATHRAS GANG-RAPE: PLEA IN SC FOR CBI PROBE, TRANSFER OF TRIAL TO DELHI

A plea was moved in the Supreme Court on Wednesday seeking directions for

handing over to the CBI or a Special Investigation Team the case of brutal

gang-rape and death of a 19-year-old Dalit woman in Hathras district of

Uttar Pradesh.

The Dalit teen was sexually assaulted allegedly by four men on September 14

and referred on Monday to the Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi with spinal

injuries, paralysis and cuts in her tongue. She died around 3 am on Tuesday.

The accused, who had allegedly tried to strangle her to death as she

resisted their rape attempt, have been arrested.

The plea filed by a social activist, Satyama Dube, sought transfer of the

case from UP to Delhi for trial, alleging that the state authorities had

failed to take any action against accused persons.

Meanwhile, BJP general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya told reporters in

Bhopal that the accused in the case have been arrested. "All of them will go

behind bars...Because under Yogiji, who is the chief minister of Uttar

Pradesh, I know that in his state a vehicle can overturn anytime."

Vijayvargiya did not elaborate, but he was apparently referring to the death

of dreaded gangster Vikas Dubey in an alleged encounter with the UP police

in July.

LAST DITCH ATTEMPT TO SAVE INS VIRAAT

The ship-breaking firm from Alang - Shree Ram Group - which bought INS

Viraat from an auction and took it for dismantling last week has demanded Rs

100 crore from a Mumbai-based company that is making a last-ditch attempt to

save the historic aircraft carrier and convert it into a museum.

"The company from Mumbai wants to buy the ship from us. I told them that I

am a patriot, too, and I do not have a problem if they want to salvage the

historic ship. But because I bought this in scrap, you will have to produce

an NOC from the Govt of India. I do not want anyone to allege in future that

I was involved in a scam," says Mukesh Patel, chairman of Shree Ram Group.

Director Operations, Envitech Marine Consultants Private Limited, Vishnu

Kant Sharma, says that they had received a letter of willingness from the

Goa govt on September 20, to berth the vessel in the state, should they

acquire it from the Shree Ram Group.

Sharma said that they had received a letter from the Chief Minister of Goa,

Pramod Sawant in response to their email of September 4 requesting the state

government to give an NOC to the MoD for berthing INS Viraat in Goa and

turning it into a museum and a tourist centre.

COUNTRY RECEIVED 'ABOVE NORMAL' RAINFALL DURING 4-MONTH MONSOON: IMD

The country received above normal monsoon during the four-month rainfall

season, recording the second highest precipitation in the last 30 years, the

India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Wednesday.

The country received 109 per cent rainfall of the Long Period Average (LPA)

with three of four months-June (107 per cent), August (127 per cent) and

September (105 per cent)---witnessing above normal rainfall, while July

recorded (90 per cent) below deficient rainfall.

"Quantitatively the 2020 monsoon seasonal rainfall during 1 June to 30

September 2020 has been 95.4 centimetres against long period average of 87.7

cm based on data of 1961-2010 (109 per cent of its Long Period Average)," RK

Jenamani, scientist with the National Weather Forecasting Centre (NWFC)

said.

The monsoon season in India officially starts on June 1 and lasts till

September 30.

The southwest monsoon delivers about 70 per cent of the country's annual

rainfall, critical for the agriculture sector that accounts for about 14 per

cent of India's GDP and employs more than half of the country's 1.3 billion

population.

INTEREST RATES ON SMALL SAVINGS SCHEMES UNCHANGED FOR Q3

The government on Wednesday kept the interest rates on small savings

schemes, including PPF and NSC, unchanged for the October-December quarter

amid moderating bank deposit rates.

Public Provident Fund (PPF) and National Savings Certificate (NSC) will

continue to carry an annual interest rate of 7.1 per cent and 6.8 per cent,

respectively.

Interest rates for small savings schemes are notified by the Finance

Ministry on a quarterly basis.

The interest rate for the five-year Senior Citizens Savings Scheme has been

retained at 7.4 per cent.

The girl child savings scheme Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana will offer 7.6 per

cent rate during the third quarter of the current fiscal.

The annual interest rate on Kisan Vikas Patra (KVP) has been retained at 6.9

per cent.

ANURAG KASHYAP ISSUED SUMMONS TO BE PRESENT FOR QUESTIONING IN RAPE CASE

AGAINST HIM

The Mumbai Police issued a summons to film-maker Anurag Kashyap to be

present for questioning on Thursday in connection with a rape case filed

against him by an actress.

The development comes days after the actress accused the police of showing a

lack of urgency in investigating her complaint.

In an FIR registered last week, the actress had accused Kashyap of

committing rape, outraging her modesty and wrongfully confining her. She

told police that the sexual assault took place in 2013.

The actress also alleged that Kashyap had misbehaved with three other

actresses, each of whom have denied her allegations. Kashyap had issued a

statement a day later denying the allegations. He also received support from

his colleagues, both men and women, in the film industry.

On September 27, the actress and her lawyer visited the Versova police

station to demand that the complaint be investigated on a priority basis.

She also threatened to start a hunger strike unless police arrested Kashyap

soon.

FRENCH OPEN: SERENA PULLS OUT OF SECOND ROUND MATCH DUE TO INJURED HEEL

Saying she is "struggling to walk," Serena Williams ended her latest bid for

a 24th Grand Slam title and withdrew from the French Open before her

second-round match Wednesday because of an injured Achilles heel. Williams

hurt herself during her semifinal loss at the US Open three weeks ago and

said she hasn't had "enough time to properly heal" and needs "four to six

weeks of sitting, doing nothing."

The sudden announcement came roughly an hour before the 39-year-old American

was supposed to head out onto Court Philippe Chatrier to face Tsvetana

Pironkova. Williams said it is "more than likely" she will not play another

tournament in 2020. She said she tried warming up for the match but knew she

wasn't able to compete. She spoke to coach Patrick Mouratoglou and, she

said, "We kind of both thought about it and we decided it wasn't the best

for me to try and play today."

BOWLERS HELP KKR TO 37-RUN WIN

A brilliant bowling performance helped Kolkata Knight Riders to a 37-run win

over Rajasthan Royals in the IPL here today. Defending 174/6, KKR restricted

Rajasthan to 137/9. KKR had an excellent day with the ball as all their

bowlers finished with at least a wicket each. Young pacers Kamlesh Nagarkoti

and Shivam Mavi took two wickets each. Rajasthan allrounder Tom Curran

scored a fighting 54 off 36 balls. Earlier, opener Shubman Gill (47 from 34

balls) and England World Cup-winning skipper Eoin Morgan (23-ball 34 not

out) helped KKR get to 174.

Scores:

KKR 174/6 (Gill 47, Morgan 34, Russell 24; Archer 2/18)

RR 137/9 (Curran 54*, Buttler 21; Nagarkoti 2/13, Mavi 2/20, Chakravarthy

2/25).

Each of teh two teams, KKR and RR, have two wins 3 respective matches played

INDICATORS

Sensex 38,068 (+95), Nifty 11,226 (+4), Trading Value NSE ,(Rs.crores)

48,509.84

Nasdaq 11,168 (+82) Dow 27,782 (+329), S&P 3,363 (+28)

US$-Rs. 73.56 GBP-Rs. 94.68, Euro-Rs. 86.24, UAE Dhm-Rs.20.02, Can$-Rs.

55.04, Aus$- Rs. 52.52

GBP 0.77 /US$, Euro 0.85 /US$, Jap.Yen 105.57 /US$, Aus$ 1.40 /US$, Sing

1.36 /US$, Bang Taka 83.14 /US$, Can$ 1.33 /US$, Mal Ring 4.15 /US$,

Pak Re 165.07 /US$, Phil Peso 48.44 /US$, Russian Rouble 78.24 /US$, NZ$

1.51 /US$, Thai Baht 31.59 /US$, Ukraine Hryvnia 28.00 /US$, Norway NOK 9.40

/US$

Bitcoin - USD 10,823

Dollar Index 93.78 Brent Crude 40.95 BDI 1,658

Gold world Spot Price USD/aoz 1,891 India (Rs. per gm 24k/22k) 4,995 / 4,895

Silver (Rs. Per KG) 62,500

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

It is better to be approximately right, than precisely wrong. - Warren

Buffett

OFF TRACK

At a dinner party, several of the guests were arguing whether men or women

were more trustworthy.

"No woman," said one man, scornfully, "can keep a secret."

"I don't know about that," answered a woman guest. "I have kept my age a

secret since I was twenty-one."

"You'll let it out some day," the man insisted.

"I hardly think so!" responded the lady. "When a woman has kept a secret for

twenty-seven years, she can keep it forever."