India's BJP demands 'bug probe'

22 June 2011 Last updated at 11:22 GMT Pranab Mukherjee is one of the most senior ministers India's main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party has demanded a probe into an alleged security breach in Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee's office.

The Indian Express newspaper has reported that "planted adhesives" were found in Mr Mukherjee's office last year, pointing to an attempt to bug it.

The paper said investigators found the adhesive to be a "sort of chewing gum".

Mr Mukherjee said investigations had "found nothing" and urged the media not to waste time on "bogus things".

"In respect of news item regarding bugging in my office, the Investigation Bureau looked into it and found there is nothing in it," Mr Mukherjee said on Tuesday.

However, opposition BJP leader Sushma Swaraj described the reported bugging as "India's Watergate", and demanded to know whether the government was spying on its own minister or if a "corporate house" was doing so.

"In either case, it is a matter of grave concern. It is India's Watergate and needs to be thoroughly investigated," Ms Swaraj said.

In its report on Tuesday, the Indian Express said Mr Mukherjee had written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh last September asking for a "secret inquiry" into what he called a "serious breach of security" in his office.

The newspaper said that "planted adhesives" had been found at "16 key locations" in the office.

No microphone or recording device had been found, Mr Mukherjee reportedly wrote to the prime minister.

The newspaper said that the Intelligence Bureau had investigated the complaint and said that the adhesives were a "sort of chewing gum".

Some of the gum was apparently marked by lines which could have indicated they had at some point held recording devices.

Mr Mukherjee, 76, is the most senior member of the Congress-led federal government and one of India's leading politicians.

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India's oldest inmate freed at the age of 108

18 June 2011 Last updated at 19:05 GMT Brij Bihari Pandey took revenge on a rival who was made chief priest of a temple A convicted murderer, who was India's oldest inmate, has been released from prison at the age of 108.

Brij Bihari Pandey, a Hindu priest, was serving a life sentence for the murder of four people in 1987, when he was 84.

Officials at Gorakhpur jail in Uttar Pradesh state say Mr Bihari, who requires regular hospital visits, was freed on humanitarian grounds.

As he is unable to walk, relatives carried him from prison to a waiting car.

"It was getting difficult to take care of a 108-year-old prisoner," said jail Supt SK Sharma.

"We moved an application for his release and the court accepted it."

In 1987, Mr Bihari and 15 others - many of them his nephews and family members - killed four people over the appointment of a rival as chief priest of a Hindu temple.

After a trial lasting more than two decades he was sentenced in 2009 but had to be frequently rushed to hospital and was mostly bed-ridden.

As he was carried from the jail, Mr Bihari hugged fellow inmates, who placed a garland of flowers on him.

Prison officials said he received the garland with a broad smile and said: "God is great. Thank you."

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Tata is India's wealthiest group

20 June 2011 Last updated at 16:51 GMT Ratan Tata took charge of the Tata group in 1991 and is scheduled to retire in December 2012 India's Tata Group has become the country's wealthiest, with a market value higher than the combined wealth of the two Reliance conglomerates.

The combined value of the Reliance groups, led by feuding brothers Mukesh and Anil Ambani, is $81.6bn.

The Tata group, led by Ratan Tata, is worth $98.7bn (?60.9bn), according to the company.

The change is partly the result of the strengthening share prices of the almost 30 listed Tata companies.

These firms are in a range of industries from energy to chemicals.

But it is also due to the fall in the market value of the Ambani brothers' firms over the past year.

The Reliance group of companies has faced challenging times as a company riven by family feuds and disputes.

Run by Mukesh Ambani's brother Anil, the telecoms company has faced a slump in its share prices as a result of a high profile scandal involving licences for second generation phones.

Tata's elevation to India's most valuable quoted company indicates a marked reversal from a year ago in the fortunes of the Tata and Reliance groups, the BBC's Nidhi Dutt in Mumbai (Bombay) says.

Despite having many more companies listed on the Indian stock exchange in 2010, Tata ranked behind Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Industries, which held the top slot. Reliance has interests in the petrochemical and energy sectors, but only two listed firms.

But one year on, Tata is now not only worth more than Reliance Industries, but both it and Reliance Communications combined.

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Raina knock saves India's blushes

First Test, Kingston (day one):

Suresh Raina's elegant 115-ball innings included 15 boundaries at Sabina Park An enterprising 146-run partnership between Harbhajan Singh and Suresh Raina spared India's blushes on day one of the first Test against West Indies.

The tourists were close to collapse at 85-6 when the seventh-wicket duo counterattacked before Harbhajan (70) was dismissed by Fidel Edwards (4-56).

Raina (80) fell soon after but India made 246, while Devendra Bishoo and Ravi Rampaul each took three wickets.

West Indies lost opener Lendl Simmons to end the day on 34-1.

They trail the world's number one Test side by 212 runs and have the potential to build an effective first-innings lead after a satisfying opening day in the field in Jamaica.

Buoyed by their 3-2 one-day series victory with an experimental team, the tourists, bolstered by the return of captain Mahendra Dhoni, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman, gave Virat Kohli his Test debut alongside opener Abinhav Mukund, a left-hander fresh from an abundant first-class season with Tamil Nadu.

Fidel Edwards made his first Test appearance in more than two years

Captain Dhoni elected to bat on a surface hinting at moisture and assistance for the quicker bowlers, acknowledged by West Indies captain Darren Sammy, who said he would have bowled first had he won the toss.

And his seamers made immediate inroads into India's top order as Rampaul dispatched Murali Vijay and Mukund in the first session.

Leg-spinner Bishoo made the next breakthrough, dismissing VVS Laxman when the elegant right-hander attempted an off-drive but edged a simple catch to Darren Sammy at first slip.

Edwards removed Kohli with the final ball before lunch when the debutant pushed without conviction outside off stump, edging a simple catch to wicketkeeper Carlton Baugh to leave the tourists reeling at 69-4.

Dravid's attentive innings was cut short in similar circumstances to Laxman, attempting an expansive off drive without the necessary footwork, contributing to a thick outside edge to Sammy at slip off the ebullient Bishoo.

The Guyanese struck two deliveries later when captain Dhoni was surprised by additional turn and bounce off the track, presenting Simmons a simple catch at gully, leaving India close to collapse at 85-6.

But Harbhajan's simple "see it, hit it" philosophy contributed 10 boundaries and a huge six off Bishoo, adding 146 crucial runs alongside Raina before the off-spinner was snared with a well-worked short-ball tactic by Edwards shortly before tea.

The fast bowler's short delivery drew an indecisive flat-bat swipe, top-edged high into the leg side where Bishoo took a sensational diving catch running at speed to his left.

The excellent Raina, left with little choice but to launch an all-out assault, was smartly caught by the reliable hands of Bishoo at deep square leg, ending his entertaining 115-ball knock which featured 15 attractive boundaries.

West Indies's openers were troubled by a testing new-ball spell by Praveen Kumar, extracting movement off the pitch in both direction.

But it was erratic partner Ishant Sharma who removed Simmons when the opener feathered an edge via his thigh pad into the hands of Vijay at short leg.

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