HC quashes FIR against Russian photojournalist

Olga was booked under Foreigners Act by Ropar police

Chandigarh, January 27
Dubbed as a Russian spy after being arrested by the Punjab Police, it's justice at last for Olga Timoshik. In India to collect data for an exhibition "India-Siberia 2010", the photojournalist today heaved a sigh of relief after Justice Nirmaljit Kaur of the Punjab and Haryana High Court quashed the FIR against her.

She was arrested by the Punjab Police and allegedly subjected to third degree interrogation for 10 days during her police remand. The cops also allegedly launched a "character assassination campaign" in newspapers and "widely publicised" the "confidential details of her private life".

This was not the end of troubles for her. She was charged with the offence of instigating a German to overstay in India.

The startling claims were made by the Russian journalist in her petition filed through counsel SS Behl for quashing of the FIR registered under the provisions of the Foreigners Act on May 25, 2010, at Nangal police station in Ropar.

The High Court was told the police focused on Olga after a German, Thomas Kuhn, was arrested, as he could not produce his passport. Kuhn told the police that his journey with Olga started after they met on a train; and Olga took his passport to get the visa extended. The prosecution claimed she never returned it to Kuhn.

She was described as a co-accused on June 12, 2010, and was arrested soon after despite full cooperation.

Behl told the court that Olga was intensely harassed "in police custody and through the Press later". "It seems that it was an attempt to extort a confession from her. She was dragged in as an accused on flimsy grounds, and her legal rights were not read to her."

She was "paraded through the neighbourhood", was forced to appear before the media and the story of a Russian spy with her snapshots was widely publicised in channels and newspapers, Behl added.

On December 8 last, Kuhn pleaded guilty "probably to get out of jail and country". But, the petitioner, Behl contended, has been "falsely charged with offence of abetment /instigation, which never took place".

ਪੰਜਾਬਣ ਵਕੀਲ ਗੁਰਜੀਤ ਚਾਹਲ ਦੀ ਫਰਮ ''ਬਰਮਿੰਘਮ ਲਾਅ ਸੁਸਾਇਟੀ" ਦੇ ਐਵਾਰਡ ਲਈ ਨਾਮਜ਼ਦ

ਬਰਮਿੰਘਮ, 27 ਜਨਵਰੀ-ਵੈਸਟ ਮਿਡਲੈਂਡ 'ਚ ਅਧਾਰਿਤ ਉੱਘੀ ਪੰਜਾਬਣ ਵਕੀਲ ਗੁਰਜੀਤ ਚਾਹਲ ਦੀ ਫਰਮ ਨੂੰ ਬਰਮਿੰਘਮ ਲਾਅ ਸੁਸਾਇਟੀ ਵਲੋਂ 2012 ਦੇ ਐਵਾਰਡ ਸਮਾਗਮ ਲਈ ''ਲਾਅ ਆਫ ਦਾ ਯੀਅਰ" ਕੈਟਾਗਰੀ ਲਈ ਨਾਮਜ਼ਦ ਕੀਤਾ ਗਿਆ । ਬੀਬੀ ਗੁਰਜੀਤ ਚਾਹਲ ਨੇ ਇਹ ਸੂਚਨਾ ਦਿੰਦਿਆਂ ਦੱਸਿਆ ਕਿ ਉਸ ਦੀ ਲਾਅ ਫਰਮ ਦੀ ਨਾਮਜ਼ਦਗੀ ਨਾਲ ਨਾਲ ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਦੀ ਫਰਮ ਦੇ ਇਕ ਟਰੇਨੀ ਵਕੀਲ ਮਾਰਕਹੈਂਡਜ਼ ਦਾ ਨਾਮ ਵੀ ''ਟਰੇਨੀ ਆਫ ਦਾ ਯੀਅਰ" ਕੈਟਾਗਰੀ ਲਈ ਨਾਮਜ਼ਦ ਹੋਇਆ ਹੈ। ਦੱਸਣਯੋਗ ਕਿ ਬਰਮਿੰਘਮ ਲਾਅ ਸੁਸਾਇਟੀ ਦਾ 2012 ਦਾ ਐਵਾਰਡ ਸਮਾਗਮ ਵੀਰਵਾਰ 22 ਮਾਰਚ, 2012 ਨੂੰ ਹੋਵੇਗਾ। ਜਿਸ ਦੌਰਾਨ ਜੇਤੂਆਂ ਦੇ ਨਾਮ ਐਲਾਨੇ ਜਾਣਗੇ।

ਮਸ਼ਹੂਰ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਪੇਸ਼ਕਰਤਾ ਸੋਨੀਆ ਵੱਲੋਂ ਬੀ ਬੀ ਸੀ ਨੂੰ ਛੱਡਣ ਦਾ ਫੈਸਲਾ

ਲੰਡਨ, 27 ਜਨਵਰੀ - ਬੀ. ਬੀ. ਸੀ. ਏਸ਼ੀਅਨ ਨੈੱਟਵਰਕ ਦੀ ਮਸ਼ਹੂਰ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਪੇਸ਼ਕਾਰਾ ਸੋਨੀਆ ਦਿਓਲ 3 ਮਾਰਚ, 2012 ਨੂੰ ਬੀ ਬੀ ਸੀ ਛੱਡ ਕੇ ਵੈਨਕੂਵਰ ਵਿਆਹ ਕਰਵਾ ਕੇ ਵੱਸਣ ਦੀ ਤਿਆਰੀ ਕਰ ਰਹੀ ਹੈ। ਸੋਨੀਆਂ ਨੇ ਕਿਹਾ ਕਿ ਇਸ ਫੈਸਲੇ ਨਾਲ ਉਸ ਵਿਚ ਦੂਹਰੀਆਂ ਭਾਵਨਾਵਾਂ ਹਨ, ਇਕ ਪਾਸੇ ਉਸ ਦੇ ਜੀਵਨ ਦਾ ਖੁਸ਼ੀਆਂ ਭਰਿਆ ਮੌਕਾ ਆ ਰਿਹਾ ਹੈ ਅਤੇ ਉਸ ਨੂੰ ਲੈ ਕੇ ਬਹੁਤ ਖੁਸ਼ ਹੈ ਅਤੇ ਦੂਜੇ ਪਾਸੇ ਰੇਡੀਓ ਪਰਿਵਾਰ ਨਾਲ ਗੂੜੀਆਂ ਸਾਂਝਾ ਨੂੰ ਛੱਡ ਰਹੀ ਹੈ, ਜਿਸ ਦਾ ਉਸ ਨੂੰ ਦੁੱਖ ਵੀ ਹੈ। ਸੋਨੀਆ ਦਿਓਲ ਨੇ ਜਿੱਥੇ ਬੀ ਬੀ ਸੀ ਤੇ '1984 ਏ ਸਿੱਖ ਸਟੋਰੀ' ਤਹਿਤ ਉਸ ਨੇ ਸਾਕਾ ਨੀਲਾ ਤਾਰਾ ਅਤੇ ਦਿੱਲੀ ਦੰਗਿਆਂ ਬਾਰੇ ਇਕ ਡਾਕੂਮੈਂਟਰੀ ਫਿਲਮ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਰਤ ਕੀਤੀ ਸੀ, ਉਥੇ ਕਈ ਮੇਲਿਆਂ ਅਤੇ ਐਵਾਰਡ ਸਮਾਰੋਹਾਂ ਵਿਚ ਸਫਲ ਸਟੇਜ ਦੀ ਭੁਮਿਕਾ ਵੀ ਨਿਭਾਈ ਹੈ। ਬੀਤੇ ਵਰ੍ਹੇ ਲੰਡਨ ਵਿਖੇ ਹੋਏ ਸਿੱਖ ਐਵਾਰਡ ਦੀ ਸਟੇਜ ਸੰਚਾਲਨਾ ਵੀ ਸੋਨੀਆ ਦਿਓਲ ਨੇ ਹੀ ਕੀਤੀ ਸੀ।

Savvy NRIs lap up India Inc’s dollar bonds from existing FIIs

MUMBAI: Dollar-denominated bonds of Indian companies are gaining popularity among wealthy non-resident Indians (NRIs) and savvy local investors. These individuals are mopping up such bonds, which are being dumped by foreign investors amid worries that Indian companies could default on their debt repayments in the wake of the slowdown in the domestic economy and squeeze in corporate profits.

Wealth managers said confidence in debt of Indian companies is so low that foreign investors are dumping their bonds at 40% to 60% discount to their original prices. Bank bonds, which bear coupon rates in the range of 4-5%, are trading at 6-6.5% levels in overseas markets. Dollar bonds issued by corporates are currently yielding 7-7.5%.

Indian companies are considered risky overseas because of their lower credit rating, which is driven by the nation's sovereign rating of 'BBB minus'.

"There are worries of debt repayment defaults; also there is a feeling that Indian companies will not do well over the next few quarters. This has resulted in foreign banks and institutions reducing exposure to Indian debt," said Nitin Jain, head - capital markets, Edelweiss Capital Markets.

NRIs and the informed domestic investors are seeing opportunities in such fire sales. They are looking out for papers, especially, foreign currency convertible bonds (FCCBs) that are up for redemption this year. Yields on many such bonds are trading at almost 9% overseas, with those issued by blue-chip companies like Tata Steel, Reliance Industries and Bharti Airtel at 8.5-9%. Such investments make sense for NRIs because dollar deposits fetch them just 1% to 1.25%.

Much more than returns, dollar bonds eliminate currency risk for NRIs, said Raghvendra Nath, managing director of Ladderup Wealth Management.

"In these times of currency volatility, there's huge risk involved in bringing money to India and investing them in local assets. There's greater comfort for NRIs to invest in dollar bonds and earn higher yields on them," Nath said. These bonds could fetch these NRIs between 5% and 7%, said wealth managers.

For wealthy local investors, such investments are attempts to diversify their portfolio. Most of them are using the Reserve Bank's liberalised remittances scheme route - which allows individuals to invest up to $2,00,000 in foreign assets every year - to invest in these bonds.

"HNIs (high net worth investors) are investing in dollar-denominated bonds to diversify their portfolio. This strategy allows investors to have exposure to a different currency other than the rupee," said Prateek Pant, head of wealth solutions at RBS. "Several FCCBs are currently trading at a significant discount to their issue price. NRIs are cherry picking the well-known names as value buys," Pant said.

Edelweiss's Jain said rich investors invest in dollar bonds to pocket the additional 'carry' value on rupee. "They are hedging the rupee ( futures) before investing in these bonds. They earn an additional 5-6% carry value on rupee along with 6-7% yields on bonds," Jain said.

US-based Sikhs file lawsuits against Jay Leno, NBC

JALANDHAR: Two separate complaints against Leno have been lodged in the US - one with the Federal Communications Commission and the other with the superior court of California.

The US-based Sikh rights group " Sikhs for Justice" (SFJ) has lodged a complaint with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) of the US government - which regulates the broadcast of television programs, analyzes the complaints and conducts investigations - against the "objectionable depiction of Golden Temple" byNBC Talk Show Host Jay Leno on January 19, 2012.

Meanwhile California based Dr Randeep Dhillon has filed a suit for damages for Libel in the superior court of California against Jay Leno and NBC.

The SFJ complaint filed with Joel Gurin, bureau chief, consumer & governmental affairs bureau at FCC states that "Jay Leno's depiction of the Golden Temple as the home of the rich is racist, derogatory, defamatory, contrary to the reality, inimical to the principles of Sikhism, and thus hurtful to the sentiments of the Sikh community." The complaint demands imposition of sanctions against Leno "for spreading racism" and against NBC "for airing contents ridiculing a place of worship."

Attorney Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, legal advisor to SFJ, said "while we value and honour freedom of speech protected by the First Amendment but the First Amendment is not a tool to ridicule a religion or to spread untrue, biased and racist information." This is not the first time that Jay Leno has shown disrespect and bias towards Sikhs and their faith. Earlier, in 2007 Jay Leno had called Sikhs as 'diaper heads' referring to the turban worn by Sikhs in compliance with their religious edict.

"Jay Leno's wrongful depiction of the Golden Temple is more hurtful to the sentiments of the Sikh community because any disrespectful or derogatory remark about the temple brings back the tormenting memories of June 1984 Operation Blue Star in the minds of the Sikhs in which thousands of Sikh pilgrims were killed," attorney Pannun added. SFJ also announced to hold a protest rally on February 2 in front of the NBC Headquarters in New York City demanding that the NBC sack Jay Leno for his remarks about the Golden Temple.

Dr Randeep Dhillon's libel suit in the superior court of California against Jay Leno and NBC said that the "publication" (comments) was made intentionally and it hurt the sentiments of the all the Sikh people in addition to the plaintiff.

It said, "The publication and broadcast was libelous on its face and clearly exposes plaintiff, other Sikhs and their religion to hatred, contempt, ridicule and obloquy because it falsely portrays the holiest place in the Sikh religion as a vacation resort owned by a non-Sikh. Holding that the publication and broadcast warranted an award of punitive and exemplary damages the petition has prayed for general damages, special damages, punitive damages and any further relief as deemed just and fair by the court."