• NATIONAL

Police tried to suppress the probe: Nimbalkar's son

Omraje Nimbalkar, son of late Congress leader Pawanraje Nimbalkar, on Sunday alleged that state police, which initially probed his father's murder, tried to "suppress the probe".

After Nimbalkar's murder near Navi Mumbai in 2006, his wife filed petition in High Court, accusing Padamsinh Patil, NCP MP from Osmanabad, of involvement in the crime, and sought CBI probe into the case. Talking to a newschannel, Nimbalkar's son Omraje said, "there was attempt to suppress the probe during the tenure of R R Patil as state home minister."

R R Patil belongs to NCP. Navi Mumbai police was probing the case before the High Court last year transferred it to the CBI. Omraje alleged that police "did not want to catch the real culprits" which compelled his mother to move the High Court.

He also said his family suspected Padamsinh Patil from the beginning as he was the only one who would have benefitted by the murder.

Patil was arrested by CBI late last night.

Mindcrest to up headcount to 1,000; hire 350 people in FY'10

Offshore legal services provider Mindcrest will hire 350 people in the country during the current financial year, taking the total

employee strength to more than 1,000.

"We will increase our total employee strength in India to over 1,000 by this fiscal and for which we will offer jobs to nearly 350 people in the country," Mindcrest President and CEO Ganesh Natarajan said.

At present, the total number of lawyers employed in the Mumbai-based legal process outsourcing (LPO) firm is 650.

Apart from increasing its human resource in India, the company would also double its attorney number in the US, Natarajan said. Currently, the US offices employ only 20 lawyers.

Child rights legal cell set up, to launch helpline

With the setting up of the first child rights legal cell, the capital will in a week's time get special toll-free helplines, a panel

comprising senior lawyers, social scientist, jurists, and counsellors along with a special cell for child victim support.

A week after 36 bonded child labourers were rescued by NGO Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA) with the help of sub-divisional magistrate, labour department and Delhi Police from zari industry in North Ghonda Chowk sub-division, Seelampur, the formation of such a cell comes as a major step towards rehabilitation of the rescued children.

With increasing number of cases of child trafficking and child abuse coming to light, the Chief Justice of India had recently directed for the creation of an All India Legal Aid Cell exclusively for child rights.

Before Emaar bailout, DDA mulled legal option

On February 10, when the Delhi Development Authority received Emaar-MGF's request for a bailout, the authority weighed its options including taking Emaar-MGF to court over failure to live up to its contract. Emaar-MGF wanted the DDA to either extend financial help through a loan or purchase flats in the Commonwealth Games Village.

In a brief prepared by the DDA, for perusal during its recently-held authority meeting with the Lieutenant Governor on June 3, the DDA said it considered five options before deciding to purchase 333 flats from Emaar-MGF. "The DDA weighed the pros and cons in the event of the project developer failing to sustain the pace of work," the brief said. Two of the options it lists are, "To file a legal suit for specific performance against the project developer," and "to revoke the Project Development Agreement, forfeit the upfront fee of Rs 321 crore given by the Project Developer, invoke the performance guarantee of Rs 300 crore and find a new developer to complete the project."

Now, Government takes legal literacy to rural areas

In an attempt to spread awareness about legal rights and laws among the illiterate and the poor, the Delhi government has initiated a Legal Literacy programme for the rural areas of Delhi.

The programme, which was inaugurated on Saturday by Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit in Daulatabad village near Najafgarh, is being held in collaboration with the Delhi High Court Legal Services Committee.

While inaugurating the programme in the presence of newly-elected Member of Parliament Mahabal Mishra and MLAs Somesh Shokeen and Bharat Singh, Dikshit said legal experts along with students will be visiting homes in the village at regular intervals to spread awareness.

Govt call on foreign law firms' entry after taking legal fraternity into confidence: Moily

he government will take a call on the entry of foreign law firms in India after taking the legal faternity into confidence, Law Minister M Veerappa Moily said today.

" Whatever reforms take place, including entry of foreign legal firms into the country, I would not like to say anything now and attract confrontation and conflict," Moily said.

He said he would like to take the legal fraternity, including the Bar Council of India, into confidence,"which I hope they will (agree to) because now a days the mindset of the people is for reforms.Let us discuss about it,"he added.

Moily said the government will take a stand regarding the creation of a High Court bench in Thiruvananthapuram after it receives a recommendation from the Supreme Court.

• INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Chinese company wins intellectual property legal process in United States

JK Sucralose Inc., one of the biggest sucralose manufacturers and exporters in China, has won an intellectual property legal process in the United States, the company said on Saturday.

"The U.S. president did not take the decision to veto an earlier administrative ruling in the company's favor before the deadline expired Saturday, that means JK Sucralose won the case," Florey Ye, senior vice president of JK Sucralose U.S. Inc., told Xinhua.

Tate & Lyle, one of the world's largest sugar companies, lodged a complaint against three Chinese sucralose manufacturers with the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) in April 2007, claiming the Chinese companies' products sold in the United States infringed on its intellectual properties.

Legal settlement saves British GP

Preparations for the British Grand Prix at Donington Park will continue after the race operators reached an out of court settlement with the track owners.

Owners Wheatcroft and Son Limited had threatened to cancel the lease because Donington Ventures Leisure Ltd (DVLL) owed £2.47m in rent.

The two parties have also agreed a united front over the outstanding planning issues at the circuit.

Donington has a 10-year contract to host the race, starting in 2010.