Court sentences eight others too
Former Satyam Computer Services Limited Chief Executive Officer and founder B Ramalinga Raju was sentenced to seven years rigorous imprisonment by a special court on Thursday for committing financial fraud. The Hyderabad court also found eight others guilty, including Raju's brother B. Rama Raju. They were sentenced to seven years in prison. A fine of Rs 5 crore was imposed on Raju and his brother while others sentenced were fined Rs 25 lakh. The Satyam scam was unearthed in 2009 after Raju admitted to overstating the company’s assets by Rs 5,040 crore. Shareholders lost nearly Rs 14,000 crore as a consequence.
Modi embarks on three-nation tour
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday embarked on a tour of France, Germany and Canada as a bid to strengthen strategic and economic ties with them. Modi arrived in France on Thursday night for a four-day stay during which he will hold talks with French President Francois Hollande about trade and defence. Modi will also urge French businesspeople to participate in the Make in India campaign. Modi will then head to Germany, where he is expected to push German firms to get involved in the Make in India campaign. He will be the first Indian Prime Minister to make a standalone visit to Canada in 42 years.
Pakistan court orders release of Lakhvi
The Lahore High Court on Thursday ordered the release of Zaki-ur Rehman Lakhvi, the prime accused in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks case. Justice Muhammad Anwarul Haq dismissed Lakhvi’s arrest order under the Maintenance of Public Order, saying that the evidence submitted by the provincial government did not justify his detention. Delhi reacted strongly to the court’s order, saying that Lakhvi’s release posed a security threat to India and the world. “This also erodes the value of assurances repeatedly conveyed to us with regard to crossborder terrorism,” said External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin.
Border dispute with India an undeniable fact, says China
The border dispute between India and China is an undeniable fact, Beiing said on Thursday. However, China is ready to work with India to find a reasonable solution to the dispute, said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying. China's statement comes a month ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the country. The two sides have to make joint efforts to maintain the peace and tranquillity of the border area, Hua said. She added that both countries had exchanged their views on the issue over 18 rounds of meetings by their Special Representatives.
Union government suspends Greenpeace's registration
The Union government on Thursday suspended the registration of environmental organisation Greenpeace over an alleged violation of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act. The government said Greenpeace had “prejudicially affected the economic interest of the state”. The order also froze seven of Greenpeace's bank accounts, alleging the organisation has incorrectly reported foreign contributions it has received. Another charge concerns the shifting of the Greenpeace office from Chennai to Bengaluru without informing the Centre. The suspension comes almost a year after the Intelligence Bureau had claimed in a report that foreign-funded non-governmental organisations were “negatively impacting economic development” in the country.
Former Satyam Computer Services Limited Chief Executive Officer and founder B Ramalinga Raju was sentenced to seven years rigorous imprisonment by a special court on Thursday for committing financial fraud. The Hyderabad court also found eight others guilty, including Raju's brother B. Rama Raju. They were sentenced to seven years in prison. A fine of Rs 5 crore was imposed on Raju and his brother while others sentenced were fined Rs 25 lakh. The Satyam scam was unearthed in 2009 after Raju admitted to overstating the company’s assets by Rs 5,040 crore. Shareholders lost nearly Rs 14,000 crore as a consequence.
Modi embarks on three-nation tour
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday embarked on a tour of France, Germany and Canada as a bid to strengthen strategic and economic ties with them. Modi arrived in France on Thursday night for a four-day stay during which he will hold talks with French President Francois Hollande about trade and defence. Modi will also urge French businesspeople to participate in the Make in India campaign. Modi will then head to Germany, where he is expected to push German firms to get involved in the Make in India campaign. He will be the first Indian Prime Minister to make a standalone visit to Canada in 42 years.
Pakistan court orders release of Lakhvi
The Lahore High Court on Thursday ordered the release of Zaki-ur Rehman Lakhvi, the prime accused in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks case. Justice Muhammad Anwarul Haq dismissed Lakhvi’s arrest order under the Maintenance of Public Order, saying that the evidence submitted by the provincial government did not justify his detention. Delhi reacted strongly to the court’s order, saying that Lakhvi’s release posed a security threat to India and the world. “This also erodes the value of assurances repeatedly conveyed to us with regard to crossborder terrorism,” said External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin.
Border dispute with India an undeniable fact, says China
The border dispute between India and China is an undeniable fact, Beiing said on Thursday. However, China is ready to work with India to find a reasonable solution to the dispute, said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying. China's statement comes a month ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the country. The two sides have to make joint efforts to maintain the peace and tranquillity of the border area, Hua said. She added that both countries had exchanged their views on the issue over 18 rounds of meetings by their Special Representatives.
Union government suspends Greenpeace's registration
The Union government on Thursday suspended the registration of environmental organisation Greenpeace over an alleged violation of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act. The government said Greenpeace had “prejudicially affected the economic interest of the state”. The order also froze seven of Greenpeace's bank accounts, alleging the organisation has incorrectly reported foreign contributions it has received. Another charge concerns the shifting of the Greenpeace office from Chennai to Bengaluru without informing the Centre. The suspension comes almost a year after the Intelligence Bureau had claimed in a report that foreign-funded non-governmental organisations were “negatively impacting economic development” in the country.
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