Omar Abdullah sworn in as J&K’s youngest CM

National Conference president Omar Abdullah was on Monday sworn in as the youngest-ever Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir by state Governor NN Vohra. Putting to rest speculations about the appointment of a Deputy Chief Minister, Tarachand of the Congress took oath as Omar’s deputy.

Ten ministers were also sworn in along with Omar and Tarachand – five each from the two parties. Six-time MLA Abdul Rahim Rather took oath as a Minister of State. UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi was also present at the swearing-in ceremony.

Other ministers who also sworn-in were three-time MLA and former JKPCC Chief Peerzadas Mohmmad Sayeed, Taj Mohideen, Nawang Rigzin Jora, Shyam Lal Sharma, all Congress, and Ali Mohammad Sagar, Mian Altaf, Surjeet Salathia from NC, to be ministers in the J-K government.

Thirty-eight-year-old Omar was invited by Governor Vohra last night to form the government in the state. The invitation followed NC chief’s meeting with the Governor to formally stake claim to form the government.

Omar was, earlier, unanimously elected as the leader of the NC Legislature Party at its meeting on Sunday. His name was proposed by his father and former Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah and seconded unanimously by the remaining 25 Legislators.

"I am confident to deliver in the state and come up to the expectation of the people of the state", said Omar who got a rapturous welcome on reaching the border state's winter capital yesterday.

Yesterday, PDP pulled out of the ruling Congress-led UPA coalition over its new alliance with National Conference with party president Mehmooba Mufti writing a letter to UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi.

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UP Engineer case: BSP MLA confesses

Uttar Pradesh's ruling BSP MLA Shekhar Tiwari, now in police custody, has confessed to his involvement in the killing PWD executive engineer M K Gupta in Auraiya district, a senior police official claimed on Friday.

"The MLA has confessed to his involvement in the murder of the PWD engineer in Auraiya district during interrogation in the police remand", Addtional Director General (Law and Order) Brijlal told reporters in Lucknow.

Manoj Gupta, was allegedly beaten to death by BSP MLA Shekhar Tiwari after he refused to make a donation for Chief Minister Mayawati's birthday.

Tiwari, who was arrested for the killing, was charged under the National Security Act (NSA) and Gangster Act. The engineer's post mortem report says he had two head injuries, wounds all over his body and fractures in one arm and both legs.

The victim's family has been demanding a CBI probe even after Mayawati's refusal.

The killing of the PWD engineer Manoj Gupta to allegedly extort money for Mayawati's birthday bash has kicked up a political storm in Uttar Pradesh.

Gupta family's modest home has become the centre of a brewing political storm with the entire Opposition lining up at their door.

The Samajwadi party stepped up its demands for a CBI inquiry and said they will even ask the Centre to intervene.

"We are sure that we are not getting into any political camp, either directly or indirectly. What we have to do is to fight it out to the last end," said Gupta's son Prateesh Pranjal.

Autopsy of the body of the engineer has established that he was beaten up "mercilessly" and "ante-mortem injuries" caused his death, police said.

"A panel of doctors led by a chief medical officer conducted the post-mortem examination of Gupta's body last night and it has detected serious injuries on his head, chest, abdomen and other parts," SP Kanpur Dehat N Ravindra said.

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India compiling evidence to share with Pak, rest of world

As Islamabad continues to be in denial mode, India is compiling evidence about the role of Pakistan-based elements in the terror strikes for sharing it with the world besides the neighbour very soon.

The evidence, being put together, includes the confession of the lone terrorist held in Mumbai terror attack Ajmal Amir Qasab, logbook recovered from the vessel in which the 10 terrorists came from Karachi, records of satellite phone used by the attackers and transcript of conversations between the attackers and their handlers in Pakistan, the sources said.

The dossier will also include the corroborative evidence tracking the journey of the attackers from Karachi to Mumbai, they said.

The evidence will mostly include Qasab's confession to the police wherein he has given details of how he became a motivated terrorist of Lashkar-e-Taiba from a normal youth of Faridkot in 741Pakistan's Punjab province.

Investigators have found evidence to show that the terrorists, who struck at the Taj Hotel, Trident Hotel and Nariman House on November 26, were in touch with their handlers in Karachi even while their three-day engagement with security forces was on.

As the armed engagement was being telecast live by Indian TV channels, the LeT commanders in Pakistan were found giving directions to the attackers like 'set ablaze the hotel' and 'throw grenades' on the crowds outside the hotels and Nariman House.

The evidence will be shared with Pakistan along with the US, UK, China and other countries which have influence on Islamabad.

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