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LXXXIX No. 215 Price `4.50/with Hindustan `8.50 (`7.00 in Faridabad) /with Mint `7.00 40 pages (excl. Meerut). Area specific pgs extra.
US RELEASES GORY VIDEOS OF GAS ATTACK TO DRUM UP SUPPORT FOR SYRIA STRIKE
>HT WORLD P18
COMMUNAL RIOTS Shoot-at-sight orders in Muzaffarnagar as army takes charge; Centre seeks ground report
HT Correspondents
INDIA
Saharanpur
Bubana UTTAR PRADESH Kalan
UTTARAKHAND
NH-58 Purkaji
letters@hindustantimes.com
MEERUT / LUCKNOW: Fourteen more people were killed in UPs Muzaffarnagar on Sunday, taking the toll from two days of deadly communal clashes to 27. Unofficial sources, however, put the figure much higher. The state government gave shoot-at-sight orders as the violence, fuelled by rumours, spread to the rural areas. The army, called in on Saturday, staged a flag march and took over law and order responsibilities in the district, inspector general Brij Bhushan said. Army personnel were moved into riot-affected Meerut and Shamli districts too. Late at night, the violence spread to Baghpat district where one person was killed. An army column sent to evacuate people trapped in several affected villages also came under attack. Home secretary Kamal Saxena said the jawans managed to get the people out safely . Reports of lynching, arson, stone-pelting and damage
Sikri to property poured in Yamuna through the day. As curJauli river Shamli few continued, police ice MUZAFFARNAGAR Shahpur ar rested 30 people on n Khatauli charges of inciting violence. ence. Miranpur Communal tensions simBaghpat mering in Muzaffarnagar since Meerut August 27, when a sexual harassment incident led to clashes shes and three deaths resurfaced aced on Saturday after a mahapanchayat on the issue. Thirteen people were killed in the violence. On Sunday , shops stayed shut and people had to make do without essentials such as milk, bread and vegetables. Additional troops of the paramilitary forces, Rapid Action Force and Provincial Ar med Constabulary were deployed in affected areas. In the face of Opposition criticism, the ruling Samajwadi Party held a meeting with party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and chief minister Akhilesh Yadav discussing the situation with ministers. The Centre sought a report from the state and directed it to take strong action. Home minister Sushilkumar Shinde spoke to the CM on Saturday , sources said.
Bijnor
Ganga river
An injured man at the district hospital in Muzaffarnagar on Sunday. The armys presence has done little to quell the violence. PTI PHOTO
n a personal computer, hitting the F5 button (on a Mac its the Command + R button) instantly refreshes the page youre on. Its a neat little shortcut that many of us use when were on our computers. Now, your favourite newspaper, Hindustan Times, has hit the F5 button Beginning today, youll l get it in a brand new avatar. What has changed? A lot. Weve introduced several brand new features, a few w design changes and planned a number of special initiatives. All of which have been done keeping you, our readers, in mind. Over the past few months, weve engaged with many of you, brainstorming over countless cups of coffee, discussing sing what you like or dont like about Hindustan Times. What you hold in your hands nds today is the result of this effort. This refresh isnt just cosmetic. It goes beyond look-and-feel. The new Hindustan Times will be a reflection of our relentless commitment to inform, analyse and explain. It will tirelessly work to make your life better; it will partner you to ring in change. Over the last 90 years, Hindustan Times has consciously and constantly embraced innovation and technology. We have numerous firsts to our name, but every change has revolved around you. This refresh is no different. While you will encounter change in every page of Hindustan Times, here are a few new things we are proud to present: tone for you, your city and our country. So, how about a little more than just Page One? This industry-first concept will give you a quick snapshot of everything you need to know while youre grabbing a coffee or a quick breakfast. From all the top news on the front of the page, to all the news you can use around your city the events that you could attend, the movies and the TV programs that you could see. We are giving it to you in a tear-away sheet that you can fold and keep and use through the day.
PAGE ONE PLUS >> We know that Page One sets the
HTEXCLUSIVE
harinder.baweja@hindustantimes.com
Shishir Gupta
games at sea with 22 other countries including China and the US. It is a departure from its recent policy of participating only in bilateral naval war games. India is about to make an exception and take part in the multilateral, US-hosted international maritime war exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) in Hawaii next year. China, which along with India attended the 2012 biennial exercise in Honolulu just as an observer, has already confirmed participation in the 2014 event. The prospect of better understanding strategic imperatives Chinas growing influence in the regions waters has been a major worry and exposure to the worlds finest naval warships are believed to have swung Indias decision to participate. The decision to participate in RIMPAC 2014 has been taken in principle. The Indian Navy is most keen to send its warships to the Asia-Pacific games hosted by the US Pacific Command. We are waiting for the written confirmation from defence minister AK Antony, said a South Block official.
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gating the `1.86 lakh crore coal block allocation scandal may search offices of the coal ministry and seize records after September 15 in a lastditch effort to trace the missing files crucial to its probe, HT has learnt. Despite reminders we have not received any reply from the ministry and we
may have to go in and seize records, a Central Bureau of Investigation officer told HT on condition of anonymity . The documents that would be of primary interest to the agency would be the dispatch registers, which record the movement of all government files. A scrutiny of these would help establish who the custodians of the files were when they went missing. The law allows an investigation agency or officer to search
and seize records vital to an investigation. On August 30, the Supreme Court, which is monitoring the probe in the scandal that has come to be known as Coalgate, hit out at the ministry for losing crucial files and wondered if it was an attempt to destroy evidence. The court gave the ministry two weeks to make all the documents available to the probe agency .
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our in-depth coverage will only get better, you will now see some exciting new features - for instance, our community columns, written by citizens from the various ethnic communities that make ours a truly cosmopolitan city.
letters@hindustantimes.com
Gaurav Choudhury
NEW DELHI: Worlds largest retail chain Walmart is unlikely to partner Bharti Group for its retail foray in India. The company , it is learnt, is in talks with other Indian firms to ink a new deal for deep-discount superstores in India. By month-end, Walmart is likely to announce its decision to pull out $100-million (`455 crore in 2010) investment made in a Bharti Group company Cedar Support Services for which it is facing a government
THE WORLDS LARGEST RETAILER LIKELY TO PULL OUT $100M INVESTMENT MADE IN CEDAR SUPPORT SERVICES A BHARTI GROUP COMPANY
probe for breaking rules. The pull-out will virtually rule out a potential partnership deal with Bharti Retail that operates front-end stores under the brand name Easy Day . Walmart is also examining options to call off its six-yearold 50:50 wholesale venture with the Sunil Mittal-led group which
runs cash-and-carry stores under the Best Price Modern Wholesale brand. We continue to review the guidelines and work with the government to understand the rules that exist for foreign direct investment, a Walmart India spokesperson told HT in an emailed response. A Bharti spokesperson said the company does not comment on speculation. Walmarts India entry has been marred by a string of controversies. In June, its chief Raj Jain quit abruptly , a few months after Bharti Walmart suspended five executives as part of a global investigation against alleged >>P15 corrupt practices.
BUENOS AIRES / NEW DELHI: Indias wrestling heavyweights can rejoice. The sport will be at the Tokyo 2020 summer Olympics after all. Wr e s t l i n g w o n a c r u cial Inter national Olympic Committee (IOC) vote in the Argentine capital on Sunday to regain its place in the sports roster as it got 49 out of 95 votes cast by IOC members, beating bids from squash and baseball/ softball in the process. It had lost its spot in February as the IOC looked to refresh its sports programme. Star wrestler Sushil Kumar, who won silver at the 2012 London Games after a bronze finish in the 2008 edition in Beijing, said, Its great news for the fraternity . The decision will motivate the younger crop to take up the sport. We will definitely see more medals in the sport in future Olympics. Wrestling Federation of India president Raj Singh felt that Tokyo winning the bid to host the 2020 Games had an impact on the final voting, since the sport is very popular in Japan. I was confident about wrestling making the cut. When Japan was given hosting rights, it was a positive sign for wrestling, Singh said.
>> FOOD FOR THOUGHT, P25
HT FOR DELHI/GURGAON/NOIDA >> Youve chosen to live ve in Delhi NCR for a good reason. You love it because it feels like home. And yet, it sometimes feels like hell. We will pull out all stops to make your city a better place to live in. We will take up the issues that matter the most, pose tough questions to the administrators and drive resolution of your biggest problems.
newspaper. This means theres no chance of your missing the top business news and analyses of the day. We have also made financial writing more accessible to our readers: Our new Business section avoids esoteric jargon and explains things simply. Allow me to sign off by pledging, once again, that you are central to everything we do. Which is why we want to change the depressing narrative of news around us. From corruption and inflation to crime against women, theres so much negativity around us. Lets come together to fight this.
LETS RAISE ISSUES. LETS SOLVE ISSUES. COME, LETS MAKE NEWS BETTER.
HT Correspondent
WASHINGTON: Leander Paes made history on Sunday by becoming the oldest man, at 40, to win a Grand Slam event in the open era, partnering with Radek Stepanek to win the US Open mens doubles title. They beat number 2 seeds Alexander Peya and Bruno Soares in straight sets to win 6-1, 6-3, in New Yorks Arthur Ashe stadium. Paes hit a forehand winner to earn the championship point and then hit a backhand volley to seal the trophy win. The last over-40 player to win
Paes oldest man to win Grand Slam Victims parents want death for 16/12 accused
letters@hindustantimes.com
REUTERS
a major title was the legendary Martina Navratilova, who was 46 when she won the Australian and Wimbledon mixed doubles with Paes in 2003. This was Paess third US Open title -- his previous two were with
Martin Damm in 2006 and Lukas Dlouhy in 2009. When asked about his secret, Paes said at the post match interview, chose a great partner. Find someone from the Czech Republic, he said, pointing to Stepanek. Stepanek, who has had health problems, pointed to Paes as his secret. Lee was aways in my corner, waiting for me, he said. The pair had surprised everyone by beating the top seeded Bryan brothers Bob and Mike in the semi-final.
Harish V Nair
harish.nair@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI: On the eve of judgement day, the family of the 23-year-old woman who was gang-raped and murdered in a moving bus on December 16, 2012 demanded death sentence for all the four adult accused. A special fast track court is expected to pronounce the judgment on September 10. Crestfallen at the punishment
of three years in a reformatory home given to a minor accused in the case on August 3, the victims father, told HT: Nothing short of a death sentence for all the accused will satisfy us. It will bring peace to our minds and to the whole country . >>P4
HTFORDELHI
When a woman chooses security over freedom, just know you are in Delhi. >p4
darpan.singh@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI: Delhis Ridge, the scrub forest that helps keep the Capitals pollution under check and shields it from sandstorms, is being targeted yet again this time by none other than the state government. The citys rulers have picked a particularly green 7.1-acre patch of the Ridge at Chattarpur where they want to build a 225-bed hospital, and have asked the Ridge
Management Board (RMB) for clearance. The RMB will also consider a proposal to widen a dirt track to a 100-foot-wide road, which will serve as an approach to the hospital. Also at risk is a water body located close to the project site. The Ridge is vital for Delhi because it prevents erosion and acts as a check to hot winds and sand storms from Rajasthan. It absorbs part of the pollution that the citys burgeoning number of cars spew and helps in keeping groundwater charged.
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