Olympic and Paralympic sprinter Oscar Pistorius started his five-year jail sentence on Tuesday for killing his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, marking the end of a trial that has gripped South Africa and millions around the world.
His uncle, Arnold Pistorius, indicated he would not appeal.
As judge Thokozile Masipa gave her decision on the 27-year-old’s culpable homicide conviction, Pistorius, whose downfall has been likened to that of American football star O.J. Simpson, stood resolutely in the dock.
His only reaction was to wipe his eyes before two police officers led him to the holding cells beneath the High Court in the heart of the South African capital.
Ninety minutes later, an armored police vehicle carrying Pistorius – still dressed in dark suit, white shirt and black tie – left the building through a throng of reporters toward Pretoria Central Prison, where he is expected to serve his time.
Once the execution site for opponents of South Africa’s former white-minority government, the jail is now home to the country’s most hardened criminals, including the man known as “Prime Evil”, apartheid death squad leader Eugene de Kock.
Prisons officials said Pistorius, whose lower legs were amputated when he was a baby, would be housed in a separate and secure hospital wing of the massive complex.
“ONE LAW FOR ALL”
In delivering her decision, 67-year-old Masipa stressed the difficulty of arriving at a decision that was “fair and just to society and to the accused”.
She also rebuffed suggestions that Pistorius – a wealthy and influential white man – might be able to secure preferential justice despite the “equality before law” guarantee enshrined in the post-apartheid 1996 constitution.
“It would be a sad day for this country if an impression were created that there is one law for the poor and disadvantaged, and one law for the rich and famous,” she said.
Steenkamp, a 29-year-old law graduate and model, died almost instantly on Valentine’s Day last year when Pistorius shot her through a locked toilet door at his luxury Pretoria home.
Prosecutors pushed for a murder conviction, but the athlete maintained he fired in the mistaken belief an intruder was hiding behind the door, a defense that struck home in a country with one of the world’s highest rates of violent crime.
The ruling African National Congress’ Women’s League, which is at the forefront of political efforts to tackle violence against South African women, on Tuesday called for an appeal by the state against the Sept. 12 culpable homicide conviction.
But Steenkamp’s family said it was satisfied with the sentence.
“Justice was served,” family lawyer Dup De Bruyn told reporters outside the court. The judge had given “the right sentence”, he said.
“DARK AGES” GONE
With no minimum sentence for culpable homicide, South Africa’s equivalent of manslaughter, Pistorius could have been punished with a few years of house arrest combined with community service.
Before the decision, protesters picketed outside the court, a sign of the anger that might have ensued and the damage that might have been done to an often-criticized judicial system if the sentence were seen as too light.
“Why are certain offenders more equal than others before the law?” said protester Golden Miles Bhudu, dressed in orange prison garb and wrapped in chains as he ridiculed Pistorius’ retching and crying during the seven-month trial, the first in South Africa to be broadcast live throughout.
“He screams like a girl, he cries like a baby but he shoots like a soldier,” Bhudu said.
However, Masipa pointed to the moral and philosophical changes South Africa has undergone since the end of white rule and the 1994 election of Nelson Mandela, saying the courts were no longer about mob justice and an “eye-for-an-eye”.
“As a country we have moved on from the dark ages,” she said. “Society cannot always get what they want because courts do not exist to win popularity contests.”
Many ordinary South Africans were unimpressed, especially after Pistorius’ defense lawyer, Barry Roux, said he expected the athlete to serve only 10 months of the five-year sentence behind bars, and the remainder under house arrest.
“They are only scaring him with this sentence. It shows our society hasn’t transformed,” said Johannes Mbatha, a 38-year-old minibus taxi driver waiting at a Johannesburg bus station.
“If it was a black man he would have never received such a light sentence. But that’s how things are in South Africa.”
In Steenkamp’s home town of Port Elizabeth, a handful of family friends at a bar owned by her parents raised their hands in recognition of the five-year sentence.
“I thought he would walk,” said 50-year-old Martin Cohen, who worked as a race horse trainer with Steenkamp’s father, Barry, who suffered a stroke shortly after his daughter’s killing.
The state prosecuting authority, which has two weeks to decide whether to launch an appeal against the verdict, said Pistorius was likely to serve at least a third of his sentence in prison or 20 months.
On a separate conviction for firing a handgun in a packed Johannesburg restaurant, Pistorius was given a three-year suspended sentence.
Even if he is freed early, Pistorius will not be able to resume his athletics career until his full term is served, the International Paralympic Committee said, ruling out any appearance at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Known as “Blade Runner” because of his carbon-fibre prosthetics, Pistorius became one of the biggest names in world athletics at the London 2012 Olympics when he reached the semi-finals of the 400m race against able-bodied athletes.
Olympic and Paralympic sprinter Oscar Pistorius started his five-year jail sentence on Tuesday for killing his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, marking the end of a trial that has gripped South Africa and millions around the world.
His uncle, Arnold Pistorius, indicated he would not appeal.
As judge Thokozile Masipa gave her decision on the 27-year-old’s culpable homicide conviction, Pistorius, whose downfall has been likened to that of American football star O.J. Simpson, stood resolutely in the dock.
His only reaction was to wipe his eyes before two police officers led him to the holding cells beneath the High Court in the heart of the South African capital.
Ninety minutes later, an armored police vehicle carrying Pistorius – still dressed in dark suit, white shirt and black tie – left the building through a throng of reporters toward Pretoria Central Prison, where he is expected to serve his time.
Once the execution site for opponents of South Africa’s former white-minority government, the jail is now home to the country’s most hardened criminals, including the man known as “Prime Evil”, apartheid death squad leader Eugene de Kock.
Prisons officials said Pistorius, whose lower legs were amputated when he was a baby, would be housed in a separate and secure hospital wing of the massive complex.
“ONE LAW FOR ALL”
In delivering her decision, 67-year-old Masipa stressed the difficulty of arriving at a decision that was “fair and just to society and to the accused”.
She also rebuffed suggestions that Pistorius – a wealthy and influential white man – might be able to secure preferential justice despite the “equality before law” guarantee enshrined in the post-apartheid 1996 constitution.
“It would be a sad day for this country if an impression were created that there is one law for the poor and disadvantaged, and one law for the rich and famous,” she said.
Steenkamp, a 29-year-old law graduate and model, died almost instantly on Valentine’s Day last year when Pistorius shot her through a locked toilet door at his luxury Pretoria home.
Prosecutors pushed for a murder conviction, but the athlete maintained he fired in the mistaken belief an intruder was hiding behind the door, a defense that struck home in a country with one of the world’s highest rates of violent crime.
The ruling African National Congress’ Women’s League, which is at the forefront of political efforts to tackle violence against South African women, on Tuesday called for an appeal by the state against the Sept. 12 culpable homicide conviction.
But Steenkamp’s family said it was satisfied with the sentence.
“Justice was served,” family lawyer Dup De Bruyn told reporters outside the court. The judge had given “the right sentence”, he said.
“DARK AGES” GONE
With no minimum sentence for culpable homicide, South Africa’s equivalent of manslaughter, Pistorius could have been punished with a few years of house arrest combined with community service.
Before the decision, protesters picketed outside the court, a sign of the anger that might have ensued and the damage that might have been done to an often-criticized judicial system if the sentence were seen as too light.
“Why are certain offenders more equal than others before the law?” said protester Golden Miles Bhudu, dressed in orange prison garb and wrapped in chains as he ridiculed Pistorius’ retching and crying during the seven-month trial, the first in South Africa to be broadcast live throughout.
“He screams like a girl, he cries like a baby but he shoots like a soldier,” Bhudu said.
However, Masipa pointed to the moral and philosophical changes South Africa has undergone since the end of white rule and the 1994 election of Nelson Mandela, saying the courts were no longer about mob justice and an “eye-for-an-eye”.
“As a country we have moved on from the dark ages,” she said. “Society cannot always get what they want because courts do not exist to win popularity contests.”
Many ordinary South Africans were unimpressed, especially after Pistorius’ defense lawyer, Barry Roux, said he expected the athlete to serve only 10 months of the five-year sentence behind bars, and the remainder under house arrest.
“They are only scaring him with this sentence. It shows our society hasn’t transformed,” said Johannes Mbatha, a 38-year-old minibus taxi driver waiting at a Johannesburg bus station.
“If it was a black man he would have never received such a light sentence. But that’s how things are in South Africa.”
In Steenkamp’s home town of Port Elizabeth, a handful of family friends at a bar owned by her parents raised their hands in recognition of the five-year sentence.
“I thought he would walk,” said 50-year-old Martin Cohen, who worked as a race horse trainer with Steenkamp’s father, Barry, who suffered a stroke shortly after his daughter’s killing.
The state prosecuting authority, which has two weeks to decide whether to launch an appeal against the verdict, said Pistorius was likely to serve at least a third of his sentence in prison or 20 months.
On a separate conviction for firing a handgun in a packed Johannesburg restaurant, Pistorius was given a three-year suspended sentence.
Even if he is freed early, Pistorius will not be able to resume his athletics career until his full term is served, the International Paralympic Committee said, ruling out any appearance at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Known as “Blade Runner” because of his carbon-fibre prosthetics, Pistorius became one of the biggest names in world athletics at the London 2012 Olympics when he reached the semi-finals of the 400m race against able-bodied athletes.
Amidst calls by several BJP MLAs in Maharashtra for Union minister Nitin Gadkari to be made the state’s chief minister, the senior leader today said he was happy working at the Centre.
“I am happy in Delhi,” Gadkari told reporters here when asked whether he intends to return to state politics.
Gadkari’s comment came after Maharashtra BJP president Devendra Fadnavis, considered to be the front-runner for the post of chief minister, today visited him at his residence in the Mahal area of the city to wish him on Diwali.
The visit, described as a courtesy call by Fadnavis, lasted for about half-an-hour, according to sources.
After the meeting, the Union Transport and Shipping Minister told reporters, “Fadnavis is my colleague and came to meet me on Diwali.” However, what transpired during the meeting of the two leaders was not known.
Gadkari had earlier clarified his stand about not returning to state politics, saying it was for the the BJP’s central leadership to decide and that he would accept any responsibility given to him by the party. Party sources said that the central leadership favours Fadnavis for the top post.
Fadnavis, who was accompanied by city Mayor Pravin Datke, declined to comment on his meeting with Gadkari. He had also remained tight-lipped yesterday when PTI contacted him for his comments on the Vidarbha MLAs supporting Gadkari for the chief minister’s post.
A group of 39 newly-elected BJP MLAs from Vidarbha region had met Gadkari here on Tuesday and pushed for him to be made the Maharashtra chief minister.
Nagpur-East MLA Krishna Khopde had yesterday offered to quit and vacate his seat to pave the way for his mentor Gadkari. Later, two more MLAs — Sudhakar Kolhe (Nagur-South) and Sameer Meghe (Hingana) — too, offered to resign from their respective seats for the Union minister.
Also, five independent MLAs — Vinayak Patil (Ahmednagar), Shirish Choudhary (Amalner), Ganpat Gaikwad (Kalyan-East), Mahesh Landge (Bhosari) and Ravi Rane (Badnera) — yesterday met Gadkari and Fadnavis separately to offer their support if the chief minister is chosen from the Vidarbha region.
May the festival of lights be the harbinger of joy and prosperity. As the holy occasion of Diwali is here and the atmosphere is filled with the spirit of mirth and love, here’s hoping this festival of beauty brings your way, bright sparkles of contentment, that stay with you through the days ahead.
Best wishes on Diwali and New year.
MUMBAI: Hyderabad-based MIM on Sunday made its maiden entry into the Maharashtra assembly pocketing two seats, while pro-Marathi MNS of Raj Thackeray was all but wiped out winning just one.
MUMBAI: In a turn of events, Hyderabad-based MIM on Sunday made its maiden entry into the Maharashtra assembly pocketing two seats, while pro-Marathi MNS of Raj Thackeray was all but wiped out winning just one.
Lok Sabha MP Asaduddin Owaisi’s Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen’s candidates won Aurangabad Central and Byculla seat in Mumbai defeating Shiv Sena and BJP nominees respectively.
Former journalist Imtiyaz Jaleel trounced Sena’s former MP and ex-mayor Pradeep Jaiswal by about 20,000 votes in Aurungabad Central as Warish Yusuf Pathan beat BJP’s Madhukar Chavan by 1,357 votes in Byculla.
Akhil Bhartiya Sena’s Geeta Gawli, daughter of mafia don-turn-politician Arun Gawli, was also in the fray in Byculla and Shiv Sena had declared it will not field a candidate against her.
MIM had fielded 24 candidates in the poll for the 288-member Maharashtra Assembly.
While “outsider” MIM made hay, Raj Thackeray’s MNS, which many felt would be the X-factor in the poll, faced its worst drubbing.
Of the 219 candidates fielded by MNS, only SB Sonavane won from Junnar beating Shiv Sena’s AD Buchke by around 17,000 votes.
MNS had won 13 seats in the 2009 assembly election.
BJP Parliamentary Board today meet to discuss government formation in Maharashtra, Haryana. This Parliamentary board secretary Jagat Prakash Nadda announced after the meeting that Home Minister Rajnath Singh will visit Mumbai as the BJP observer for Maharashtra to decide the name of new Chief Minister. Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu will be the observer for Haryana.
Party National Vice President Dinesh Sharma will accompany Mr Naidu while party General Secretary Jagat Prakash Nadda will accompany Mr Singh. This was announced by Parliamentary board secretary Jagat Prakash Nadda after the meeting of Parliamentary Board in New Delhi this evening.
The Meeting convened to decide on the formation of government in Maharashtra and Haryana was chaired by BJP President Amit Shah and attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Rajnath Singh, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Rural Development and Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari among others.
Modi wave still continues to influence voters: Amit Shah
BJP today asserted that Narendra Modi wave still continues to influence voters. Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, party president Amit Shah said, the results of Haryana and Maharashtra Assembly polls have given a seal of approval on the work of Modi government during the four months at the Centre. He said BJP is going to form government in both the states and Chief Minister in Maharashtra will be from the Party.
Terming the victory in the two states as historic, Mr Shah said that it is set to win 49 seats in Haryana and 121 seats in Maharashtra. He said, the party has never contested elections on so many seats in the states. Shah also said, that party’s vote share has gone up from nine per cent to over 33 per cent in Haryana and from 14 percent to about 28 percent in Maharashtra. BJP President said, the Congress has been relegated to third position and it is not even in a position to get the post of Leader of Opposition in the assemblies.
On breaking up alliance with Shiv Sena, Mr Shah said that BJP respects its allies and it never broke the alliance with Shiv Sena. He said, Shiv Sena is still part of NDA government at the Centre.
The 2014 Maharashtra State Assembly Election Results has surely excited political experts with a tough tussle among the top parties to form the government. The Narendra Modi wave was expected to get BJP a record number of seats in this election, and as per trends it rightly did. But despite over a 100 seats (as per trends), BJP finds itself in a soup needing the help of another major party in the state – Shiv Sena, Congress or NCP to form the government. However, among the likely winners in this year’s elections, there have also been some shock defeats.
Here is Narayan Rane: The Indian National Congress (INC) leader Narayan Rane became the first big name in this year Maharashtra Assembly election to face a shocking defeat. Contesting from Kudal, he lost to Shiv Sena’s Vaibhav Naik by over 9,000 votes. One of Prithviraj Chavan’s biggest critics, Rane had previously served as the Maharashtra chief minister when he was with Shiv Sena in the 1990s.a look at the top 5 wins/losses in the 2014 Maharashtra elections so far.
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Prithviraj Chavan: Former Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan registered a massive win from Karad (south) defeating seven-time legislator and Congress rebel Vilaskaka Undalkar Patil. The anti-incumbency wave has hit Congress big time this election. Parting ways with NCP and taking digs at long-time allies hasn’t helped their image. However, the win will come as a huge relief.
Ajit Pawar: If Prithviraj Chavan won at Karad, his arch-rival from NCP Ajit pawar too followed up with a win soon from Baramati. Pawar had won from the same constituency thrice earlier and things went of easily on the election result day for the strongman of NCP. Rashtriya Samaj Paksha candidate Mahadeo Jankar offered some challenge, but Pawar comfortably registered his fourth consecutive assembly win from Baramati.
Abu Azmi: Maharashtra president of Samajwadi party Abu Azmi won yet another assembly election from Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar. This was his seventh win in the Maharashtra Assembly election. Azmi came under serious criticism following ill-statements against women and orthodox ideologies towards crime like rapes. Yet, the win proves that Azmi continues to enjoy the support of the people of his constituency.
Devendra Fadnavis: The BJP Maharashtra President Devendra Fadnavis, contesting from Nagpur North-West constituency won with the projection of a Clean Maharashtra campaign. NCP’s old timer Dilip Pankule too was also in the fray, but could do little to make Fadnavis swaet over his chances of winning the seat to the assembly.
Party | Lead | Win | Total |
BJP | 0 | 122 | 122 |
Shivsena | 0 | 63 | 63 |
Congress | 0 | 42 | 42 |
NCP | 0 | 41 | 41 |
MNS | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Others | 0 | 19 | 19 |
Janata Dal (United) on Saturday made a scathing attack on the Centre for not disclosing information about black money and said the election campaign on the issue by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was based on false promises. “Before elections, BJP on top of its voice made promises that it will bring back black money in the country…what to talk about return of the black money now they are not even disclosing names of account holders,” senior JD(U) leader and former Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said in a facebook post.
Kumar’s snide remark followed the Union Government telling the Supreme Court on Friday that not all information about black money received from foreign nations could be made public. Taking a jibe, Kumar said “If black money issue was a ‘Yogasan’ (yoga exercise) of Swami Ramdev? Was it an empty speech of Narendra Modi or thousands of crore worth ‘staple’ of BJP.” “Whether it was an empty promise to get votes or ‘sirsasan’ (upsidedown yoga exercise) of Modi government which has gone back on its promises?” he said. “Sari batein…jhoot ke dam par sasahan (all talks…coming to power on the basis of falsehood),” Kumar said.
Three people were arrested Friday in connection with an attack here on two youths from Nagaland, police said.
Aloto Chishi alias Sukoy and Awana alias James, working in a call centre here, were injured when they were attacked Wednesday night in Sikanderpur area here near the Mehrauli border.
“Police arrested Gaurav Yadav alias Pony, 23, and his two tenants Ram Bihari and Vijay Kumar for attempt to murder,” Nazneen Bhasin, deputy commissioner of police (east), told reporters.
Bhasin, who is also chief nodal officer for crime against people from northeast region, said the victims live as tenants in the home of Yadav’s cousin.
“Nagaland youths Wednesday night had scuffle over some issue with Yadav but they reached a settlement. Gaurav invited Sukoy and James to have drinks in the room of his tenant.
“The youths were attacked when they refused to have more drinks and were held hostage for whole night,” she said.
Ram Bihari hails from Aligarh in Uttar Pradesh while Vijay Kumar is from Nadia district in West Bengal, the officer said. Both are in their 20s.
The arrested people were Friday presented in a court, which sent them to judicial custody.
The Naga youths – in the age group of 22 to 25 years – were admitted to a state-run hospital here. James was later shifted to a hospital in Delhi as his condition was stated to be critical.
Bangalore, Oct 18:
It’s a festive mood at the residence of J Jayalalitha in Poes Garden.
Unmindful of the heavy downpour, thousands of AIADMK cadres have been waiting patiently since morning to see their leader Jayalalithaa, who is on her way from Bangalore after being released from the jail there.
The crowd seems to be increasing in number steadily since afternoon even as Jayalalithaa is expected to arrive at her residence at around 7 p.m., party workers gathered outside her residence said.
D Ramesh, a party functionary from Royapuram, said “I don’t want to leave this place without seeing her.”
A large number of women too have gathered at Poes Garden since morning on the hope that their leader will say a few words – usually from the balcony on major occasions.
Sources said that Jayalalithaa is expected to arrive in Chennai by a charter flight shortly and likely to head directly to her Poes Garden residence. It is, however, not clear whether she will visit the party headquarters, where supporters have been celebrating since morning.
It is also learnt that a human chain is likely to be formed by her right from the Chennai airport till her residence.
PTI reports:
AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa was today released from jail here after 21 days, a day after Supreme Court granted her bail in an 18-year-old disproportionate assets case.
Jayalalithaa stepped out of Parappana Agrahara Central Prison shortly after Special Court Judge John Michael D’ Cunha issued the release order.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Pannerselvam, several ministers, MPs and legislators received her near the prison after which she headed to HAL airport to fly back to Chennai by a special flight.
Jayalalithaa had yesterday got a major relief when the Supreme Court granted her conditional bail and suspended the sentence of four years simple imprisonment given by the trial court in Bangalore in the 18-year-old illegal assets case.
Earlier, the release order by the Special Court came after a bond for Rs. two crore and surety on assets for more than Rs. one crore was furnished for Jayalalitha. Copy of the Supreme Court order was also produced by her lawyers.
Jayalalithaa’s close aide Sasikala and her relatives Sudhakaran and Elavarasi, who also fufilled similar conditions, also walked out of jail.
AIADMK supporters carrying Jayalalithaa’s photos and holding flowers broke into celebrations as her motorcade passed through the heavily guarded route from the prison.
Hundreds of policemen, including city armed reserve, were posted in and around the prison, with authorities clamping prohibitory orders anticipating huge flow of AIADMK supporters.
With the AIADMK chief enjoying ‘Z’ Plus category, police had stepped up security supervised by senior officials and barricaded the areas in and around the prison complex and blocked access one km away on the road leading to the prison.
Pannerselvam and his entourage had reached Bangalore in the morning.
At the Karnataka-Tamil Nadu border point on Hosur also, police and city armed reserve kept a close vigil and regulated the movement of vehicles from the neighbouring state into the city. The jail is located about 20 km from the Hosur point.
Groups of AIADMK supporters had gathered at Hosur entry point chanting slogans hailing their leader.
Jayalalithaa and three others had moved the Supreme Court after failing to get relief from the Karnataka High Court.
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