AMRITSAR, Oct 28 (Agencies): "Pakistan has given me a Diwali gift", this is how Dalbir Kaur, sister of Sarabjit Singh currently lodged in a Pakistani prison, reacted to reports that his brother has been shifted from death row cell to a normal cell in a jail in Lahore.
"Pakistan Government has given me a gift on the occasion of Diwali by shifting my brother from the death cell.
Now he can heave a sigh of relief," Kaur told agencies.
Pakistani television channels today reported that Sarabjit has been shifted from the death cell to a normal cell.
"Now with this, a fresh ray of hope appeared for the safe repatriation of Sarbjit Singh from Pakistan to India".
She hoped that her brother will celebrate all traditional festivals with his family from next year as the "Pakistan Government would definitely repatriate him safely".
"I am thankful to the entire leadership of Pakistan Government including Prime Minister, President, opposition, masses and media of India and Pakistan," Kaur said.
Kaur expressed hope that both Indian and Pakistan would definitely come out with a positive remedy for the repatriation of Sarabjit Singh.
She claimed that that her brother Sarabjit had crossed over to Pakistan inadvertently in 1990.
Sarabjit, whom Pakistani authorities call Manjit Singh, has been on death row since he was convicted for alleged involvement in four bomb attacks in Punjab province in 1990.
Terror blast victims' families hold multi-faith prayer meet NEW DELHI, Oct 29 (Agencies): United by grief and prayers for their loved ones, families of terror blast victims and their well-wishers participated in a multi-faith prayer meet here Wednesday.
The function was held near the 2005 pre-Diwali blast site at Sarojini Nagar Market in south Delhi.
Wiping her tear-stained face time and again, 23-year-old Masrat cradled her year-old daughter Munaja, rocking to the chants of a Sikh prayer.
She lost her husband Quasim to the Sep 13 blast at Gaffar Market, where he plied a cycle-riskshaw.
Unable to hide her grief, Masrat cried: 'I cannot forget him (Quasim).
I am happy that this multi-faith prayer took place - I pray for peace and harmony.' Hassan, 32, Quasim's brother brought Masrat and Munaja all the way from their home near Anantnag in Jammu and Kashmir two days ago because the promised compensation of Rs.500,000 from the government has not reached the widow.
He wanted to leave the national capital, where has lived for 14 years, because he fears another terror strike.
'Walking on the road, images of the dustbin near me blowing me to bits flash in my mind.
No, I don't feel secure - for this I hold the government responsible,' Hassan told a news agency.
The prayer meet in which over 100 people participated was organised on the third anniversary of the 2005 serial blasts that killed 61 people, near the Sarojini Nagar blast site.
As per information from the home ministry, in the past four months, one person was killed and 11 injured in the July 25 serial terror blasts in Bangalore; 56 people died and 260 were injured in the serial bombings in Ahmedabad July 27; 26 people were killed and 133 injured in the blast in Delhi Sep 13; and three died and 22 were wounded in the Mehrauli blast in Delhi Sep 27.
'Whenever these terror attacks take place - innocent lives are destroyed! Families are left with hollow wounds.
This prayer meeting was also convened so that families and friends of the dead can share their sorrows and give each other strength and courage,' said Ashok Randhawa, president of the Sarojini Nagar Mini-market Traders Association.
Randhawa, who has been actively engaged in helping blast victims and families cope with their grief and process their compensation with authorities, said: 'The multi-faith prayer is symbolic of how society can unite to tackle terror'.
Leaders from different faiths, Bhai Charan Singh and Bhai Sajan Singh from Gurudwara Singh Sabha, Maulvi Sabeer Miyan Sultani from Darbhanga Ghat and Father Nirmal Daniel from the Lodhi Road Church, held 20-minute-long prayers each.
This was followed by a pooja by family members of victims following Hindu traditions.
Among other blast victims, Mohan Chand Sharma, the police inspector who lost his life in the Sep 19 shootout at Jamia Nagar, in south Delhi, also was remembered.
The religious leaders in their prayer speeches jointly deemed the victims of the terror bombings as martyrs and prayed for strength and harmony amongst all 'brothers'.
All India Anti-Terrorist Front leader M.S.
Bitta also attended the function.
He interacted with the families and said that he was just a 'civilian sharing grief of the families'.
Like others present, Bitta too paid his respects by offering flowers at the marble plaque on which the names of those killed in the terrorist strike are engraved.
Two held for Malegaon blasts in police custody NASHIK, Oct 29 (Agencies): A court here Wednesday remanded two men including one retired army major, arrested for suspected involvement with the Sep 29 Malegaon explosions, to police custody till Nov 10.
The ruling was given by Nashik Sessions Court Judge P.G.
The Mumbai Police Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) had detained Sameer Kulkarni and retired Major Ramesh Upadhyay from Pune last Saturday.
They were interrogated under detention and finally placed under arrest Tuesday evening, according to public prosecutor A.
Among other things, the ATS has said that the two men were involved in imparting training to some activists of the right-wing Hindu Janjagriti Samiti (HJS).
Mishra said that one of the accused, Upadhyay, who is suffering from a heart ailment, shall be given appropriate medical treatment.
Kulkarni is a high-ranking office-bearer of Abhinav Bharat, a Hindu organization.
Last week, three HJS activists, including a woman 'Sadhvi' (missionary), were arrested from Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh in connection with the bomb blast in Malegaon, a town that has a strong concentration of Muslims, which left five of them dead.
The three-Pragnya Singh Thakur and her two associates Shamlal Sahu and Shivnarayan Singh - are currently in police custody till Nov 3.
Andhra minister to stand by allegations made against colleague HYDERABAD, Oct 29 (Agencies): The Congress government in Andhra Pradesh faced more embrassment Wednesday with a minister reiterating serious charges of corruption levelled against his cabinet colleague despite a ministerial committee giving the latter a clean chit.
Animal Husbandry Minister G.
Surya Rao created a storm last week by alleging that Panchayat Raj Minister J.C.
Diwakar Reddy had taken a bribe of Rs.70 million from those involved in illegal quarrying of sand.
The three-member committee formed by Chief Minister Y.S.
Rajasekhara Reddy to conduct an inquiry, gave a clean chit Tuesday to Reddy.
The chief minister, who held a three-hour meeting with the ministerial committee Tuesday night in the presence of both the ministers, pulled up Rao for going public with serious charges of corruption against his cabinet colleague and thus denting the image of the government a few months before the elections.
Rao Wednesday said he still stands by his allegations against Reddy.
Talking to newsmen in Amalapuram, he denied the claim made by Finance Minister K.
Rosaiah that he tendered an apology to Reddy for making the allegations.
Rosaiah, who headed the three-member committee, had earlier claimed that the row between the two ministers ended with Rao regretting his remarks.
Rao had thrown an open challenge that he will quit politics if he was not able to prove his allegations.
The minister for animal husbandry also alleged that using the bribe money Reddy purchased a new car worth Rs.1.2 million.
While Rao belongs to the East Godavari district in coastal Andhra, Reddy comes from Anantapur district in Rayalseema.
The latter is also the minister incharge for East Godavari district.
Rao said that he had drawn the attention of the chief minister about the activities of Reddy but no action was taken against him.
Another senior Congress leader and MP from Amalapuram, Harsha Kumar also supported Rao's allegations.
He too claimed that the chief minister did not respond to his letter, in which he had drawn his attention towards the activities of Reddy.
The mud slinging by the two ministers has left the Congress government red faced at a time when parties were gearing up for the assembly and Lok Sabha elections, likely to be held early next year.
Reddy has alleged that Rao was making such allegations as he might be planning to defect from Congress to another party.
There were speculations a few weeks ago that Rao might leave Congress to join Praja Rajyam floated by Telugu superstar Chiranjeevi.
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