Student barred from exam hall kills self

College allegedly stopped Virendra as his father failed to pay Rs 5000 donation; students go on rampage
AMAN SHARMA

Posted online: Saturday, May 28, 2005 at 0000 hours IST

LUCKNOW, MAY 27: Students of a government-aided college in Jaunpur went on a rampage today after their classmate committed suicide on the campus for allegedly not being allowed to sit for an examination.

According to an FIR filed with the Line Bazaar police, the college authorities had demanded Rs 5,000 as donation from Virendra Kumar Pandey, 26, and refused to let him sit for the B Pharma examinations when his father failed to pay the sum. Virendra, his classmates say, left the examination hall crying and his body was later found near the college gate.

A case of abetment to suicide, under Section 306 of the IPC, has been filed against the institute’s chairman, B.P. Yadav, on the basis of a complaint by the deceased’s brother.

Speaking to The Indian Express over phone, Ripendra Kumar alleged that the greed of the college management forced his brother to commit suicide. ‘‘We had paid Rs 80,000 as fees to the Prasad Institute of Technology. However, the management insisted on Rs 5,000 as donation. Finally, they threatened Virendra that he will not be allowed to sit for the exams if we did not pay the sum,’’ said Ripendra. His father Umesh Chand Pandey is a poor farmer from Motipur village in Kushinagar district.

The college authorities had also barred Virendra from appearing for the first test on May 24. ‘‘But the management changed its mind on the assurance that my father would pay the money in two days,’’ said Ripendra.

On May 26, Umesh Chand did come to Jaunpur but with only Rs 3,000, that too after taking a loan, said Ripendra.

‘‘The institute’s chairman, B.P. Yadav, rebuked my father for bringing only Rs 3,000. He humiliated my father when he fell at his feet, pleading not to play with Virendra’s career. The chairman kept the money and then pushed my father out of his office, saying he must pay the remaining Rs 2,000 today,’’ said Ripendra.

Virendra’s classmate Harish Yadav said, ‘‘the teacher sent him (Virendra) away when he came to the examination hall today, saying he hadn’t paid the donation and so will not be allowed for the exam. He left the room crying.’’

Virendra’s body was found half-an-hour later near the college gate. He had consumed some poisonous substance.

Irate students then went on a rampage, breaking furniture and pelting stones at the college office. The vehicle belonging to the chairman was smashed and the students later blocked the Azamgarh-Jaunpur highway for hours. The local police had to intervene to bring the situation under control.

When contacted, Yadav denied having demanded any donation. ‘‘The student only had Rs 5,000 pending as his annual fee. We were demanding the same as per rules,’’ he added.

Kid rescued from UP

Express News Service

New Delhi, May 20: A five-year-old was rescued by the North district police who also arrested his abductors in an operation involving the UP police.

Bhasker Victor, of Kishan Ganj railway colony, told on April 30, that his son, Aryan who had gone to play had not returned. The Sarai Rohilla police registered a case and took up investigations.

On May 16, Bhasker received a call from the kidnappers who demanded a ransom of Rs 15 lakh for the child’s release. The following day the kidnappers called Bhasker many times. Police traced the call to Azamgarh in UP and a team was immediately dispatched. Bhasker was, meanwhile, asked to come with the money and a Nokia-6600 phone to Bareilly. Police learnt that only one of the accused would go there and two others would flee to Etawah with the child by train.

The team to Etawah arrested Rakesh and the team in Bareilly also apprehended the other accused, Kailash Kumar.

Organic India Announces First Line of Tulsi Tea

2005-05-12 - Organic India

Six Stress-Relieving, Energizing & Delicious Blends that are “Good for You – Good for the Planet”

(Boulder, Colorado) - Organic India is the first company to bring the ancient wisdom of Tulsi tea to North America. The company has announced a line of certified organic Tulsi Tea that includes six soothing and delicious blends sustainably grown and processed in India. For more than 5,000 years, Tulsi has been revered as the “Queen of Herbs” for enhancing physical, emotional and spiritual wellness and vitality.

Also called “Holy Basil,” Tulsi contains hundreds of beneficial natural compounds known as phytochemicals. Working together, these compounds possess strong antioxidant, antibacterial, antiviral, adaptogenic and immune-enhancing properties that promote general health and support the body’s natural defense against stress and illness. Drinking Tulsi is also known to cause a sense of clarity and well-being, bolster stamina, provide relief from cold and flu symptoms, and strengthen digestion and metabolism to promote weight-loss.

Organic India’s Tulsi Teas are not only good for the people who drink them, they are also good for the planet and the community where they are created. To produce Tulsi Tea, Organic India works with more than 200 family farmers in the village of Azamgarh in Northern India. Organic India pays the farmers a premium above market price for their organic Tulsi. More than 1,500 farmers, harvesters and factory workers are employed and paid a Fair Trade wage during the processing of Tulsi Tea.

Organic India’s six savory blends of organic Tulsi Tea include: Original Tulsi; Tulsi Ginger; Tulsi Gotu Kola; Tulsi Chai; Tulsi Green Tea; and Tulsi Darjeeling. Delightful whether prepared hot or iced, each flavorful blend is offered in a variety of packaging styles of which the most popular is a box of 25 tea bags for a suggested retail price of $5.00. All of the organic herbs for Tulsi Tea are hand-harvested at the optimal time, and then blended and packaged in modern hygienic facilities to ensure maximum purity, freshness, potency and flavor. While Tulsi itself is caffeine-free, three of the teas blends contain some caffeine: Green, Chai and Darjeeling.

Operating under a sustainable business model, Organic India is the largest grower of organic herbs in India. The company’s products are marketed exclusively by Om Organics, and sold in hundreds of stores across the U.S. including Whole Foods Markets. In addition to delicious Tulsi Tea, Organic India offers organic herbal supplements, bulk organic herbs, and an ever-expanding line of high quality organic spices, grains, seeds and herbs.

For more information, please visit www.organicindia.com or www.omorganics.com.

Contact: Mic LeBel, 207-563-7695 mic@planetfriendlypr.com

Lucknow to take on Meerut in semi-final

Express News Service

Lucknow, May 10: The semi-final line-up of the State Women Hockey Tournament for girls U-16 has been decided today. Lucknow will clash with Meerut in the first semi-final match, while Gorakhpur will take on Varanasi in the second semi-final match, at the KD Singh ‘Babu’ Stadium.

The tournament being played on league-cum-knock-out basis is organised under the aegis of the UP Sports Directorate.

In league matches played today, Varanasi brushed aside Jhansi 5-0, while Gorakhpur made Faizabad bite dust 6-0.

Varanasi scored a one-sided win over Bareilly 1-0, while Gorakhpur made a clean sweep over Kapur 5-0.

The match between Varanasi and Jhansi was totally a one-sided affair. Varansi players were moving in a well organised manner and outclassed Jhansi in all departments. Janian Bano and Kiran Kumari were the two players who played a vital role in the win, sounding the board twice respectively. The last goal was scored by Shashi Kala.

In the Gorakhpur vs Faizabad match, the Gorakhpur team did not start on a promising note, but in the second half, it gathered courage and bounced back into the game. Jyoti Pandey, Nidhi, Sikha, Amrita and Preeti struck a goal for Gorakhpur team.

In another outing, solo effort by Shashi Kala in the eighth minute, helped Varanasi clinch a win over Bareilly, while the last match between Gorakhpur and Kanpur was a treat for the audience. Pramila struck the first goal, in the fifth minute and took the winning team ahead.

After getting a lead, Gorakhpur stretched the lead to 5-0. Rajini struck twice, while Archana and Shikha sounded once.

Earlier, Meerut stole the limelight on the second day of the hockey tournament, snapping up three matches, while the home team could win two matches. Meerut beat Jhansi, Faizabad and Azamgarh by 1-0, 2-0 and 1-0 goal respectively. The Lucknow outplayed Faizabad and Kanpur by 3-0 and 5-0 goals respectively.

In another match, Moradabad beat Faizabad 1-0, while the matches between Gorakhpur, Moradabad and Jhansi, Azamgarh ended 0-0.

‘EDUCATION FOR ALL’ DEFECTIVE: SHABANA

Azamgarh

Social worker and former MP, Shabana Azmi said in Mijwan, her ancestral home town in Azamgarh district that government is trying to spread education through its scheme ‘Education for all’ but this scheme is defective and that is why there is no end to the problem of illiteracy. Therefore, this scheme needs to be changed in order to improve it and make it effective. She was speaking at a function in Kanya Madhyamic School where she also distributed bicycles to one dozen girl students under a government scheme. She also criticised central and state governments’ half hearted measures in providing primary and junior education in the country. Earlier, speaking at Jaunpur she accused a section of the country’s population who, under a conspiracy after Independence, limited the scope of Urdu by declaring it the language of Muslims only whereas in fact it is the dominant language in northern India, she said.

Saffron racket kingpin held at IGI

In past 2 yrs, 23 were arrested with saffron; biggest seizure this yr was in April — 118 kg from 3 Iranians.

Pratul Sharma

New Delhi, May 6: THE Customs department at the IGI Airport claimed a major success as it arrested the kingpin of a saffron smuggling racket passing through Iran and Dubai.

While saffron is not a banned item, Customs officials said that bringing it into the country in large quantities is an offence.

‘‘Noman Ahmed, an Indian national, was arrested on Wednesday. His name cropped up in revelations of the many accused caught earlier with consignments,’’ said Sanjay Bansal, Deputy Commissioner, Customs (Preventive). Ahmed claimed to be a rice exporter, but would take people from his native place in Uttar Pradesh, Azamgarh, to Dubai on the pretext of offering them jobs. When they returned, he would give them the consignment of saffron.

In the last two years, 23 passengers have been arrested with 468 kg of saffron, worth more than Rs 1.5 crore. This year, six seizures were made.

The biggest seizure was made last month, when 118 kg of saffron was recovered from three Iranian nationals at IGI Airport. On Monday, Indian national Abdul Khair Ahmed was arrested with 24.5 kg of saffron, worth over Rs 8 lakh in the local market.

Customs officials said in all these seizures, the saffron orginated from Iran, the world’s biggest producer and exporter of the spice. ‘‘However, the consignments were sent here through Dubai, which is a trade hub,’’ said Bansal. When we started keeping a tab on flights originating from Dubai, the accused started using other routes, he said.

Noman first went to Pakistan and then entered India and other accused also used this long detour, he added. Officials said the trade would suffer, given Noman’s arrest.

Smuggling of saffron produced in Iran, which was not common until 2003, picked up drastically following a drop in indigenous production. Customs officials sought specialised training to identify the medicinal herb, as it it cannot be detected by X-ray during security check.

Customs sources said there is a surge in the number of smuggling cases, as the spice, which also has medicinal value, is in great demand here. Saffron produced in Iran is considered to be the best quality. Iran, which produces 85 per cent of the entire saffron worldwide, exports it to 50 countries, including India, Iraq, Turkey and Pakistan.