Raja Bhoj's statue installed in Bhopal's Upper Lake

The statue of Raja Bhoj has finally been brought to Bhopal. It has been installed on the part of the Burj of Bhopal Fort that was established by Nawab Dost Mohammad Khan.

The statue would be formally unveiled in February. Bhoj is said to have ruled the region 1,000 years ago. It is also believed that on his name the place was named Bhojpal which later became Bhopal.

In medieval era, the Afghan dynasty ruled Bhopal. For over two centuries, Muslim Nawabs and Begums sat on the throne of the princely state until the state was merged in Indian Union.

Raja Bhoj is also credited for the creation of the biggest man-made water body, the Bada Talab or Upper Lake in Bhopal. The BJP workers had earlier demanded that the Habibganj railway station be named after Raja Bhoj.

But the demand was not met with. However, the installation of Bhoj's statue that had been promised earlier has now been completed. Mayor and senior officers will formally unveil the statue on February 28.

Murder mystery: BJP corporator arrested in Sunil Joshi case

The murder case of former RSS functionary Sunil Joshi is getting more murkier as a local BJP leader who is corporator in Dewas municipal corporation has been arrested.

The corporator Ramcharan Patel who represents ward number 44 was arrested for concealing evidences. The Udyog Nagar police station officers said that there were adequate evidences agaisnt Patel as he was the first person to reach the spot after Joshi was shot dead.

He had picked up Joshi's mobile phone which was later allegedly tampered and went missing. The Sunil Joshi murder case has assumed significant importance.

The police had closed the case in 2009 but reopened it after NIA and ATS began conducting the investigation. The Udyog Nagar police said that Joshi was killed by his companions as he bossed over them

But it is suspected that Joshi was killed as he knew too much. It was not just Joshi but his accomplice Ram Prakash Kalota who was also found murdered later. Kaloda's brother Jagdish says that he is now getting death threats. This is the reason that the case is now being investigated on priority.

Not just Kalota, more persons either got murdered or were missing. Investigation in all the cases of Saffron terrorist acts involving Malegaon, Modasa, Ajmer Dargah, Samjhauta Express and Hyderabad's Mecca Masjid blast have to Joshi.

The investigation has taken agencies to several persons in Indore, Dewas, Ujjain, Shajapur, Pithampur, Mhow and Depalpur.

Corrupt PWD engineer's bank lockers throw up millions in Madhya Pradesh

It seems corruption has become such a norm in Madhya Pradesh that any bureaucrat at whose residence a raid is conducted, it could be a surety that the investigators will get millions in terms of black money.

PWD Executive Engineer Ashok Kumar Jain's residence and bank lockers in Bhopal and Sagar have also thrown up huge quantity of gold and cash. Till now 11 kg gold and Rs 1.7 crore cash has been recovered from the two lockers that were opened by Lokayukta police officers. The property and assets amassed by the corrupt engineer are estimated to be worth Rs 10 crore or 100 million rupees.

The suspended engineer  has now been charged with amassing property and wealth illegally. But such is the extent of corruption in Madhya Pradesh that a few raids in a month hardly affect the Great Game in which sarkari babus are involved.

Robert Percival 'greeted' with shoes, footwear in Bhopal

The victims and survivors of the biggest industrial tragedy in the world gave a unique 'welcome' to Robert Percival, the trustee of the Union Carbide Corporation (UCC) on his arrival to Bhopal Memorial Hospital and Research Centre (BMHRC) on Thursday.

Gas victims including victims with footwear, shoes and sandals in their hands rushed towards Percival when he arrived at the hospital. They were angry that when the Bhopal Memorial Trust has been taken over by the Union government, it was under what capacity that the member of the earlier trust that is believed to be responsible for the mess in which the super-specialty hospital finds itself in, had been invited here.

When the protesters found that Percival was staying in the guest house on the premises of the BMHRC, they marched towards the building. However, the officials swiftly escorted and sent Percival away. Robert Percival is the son of Sir Ian Percival who was the sole trustee of the trust.

However, there were allegations of misuse and embezzlements of funds against him. Before his death, he had nominated his son Barrister Robert Percival as trustee. The BMHRC that was built in order to treat gas victims free of cost, is today mired in controversies.

Genuine gas victims don't get treated and money is charged from them while several important wings aren't functioning and equipment are gathering dust in the absence of doctors and specialists. Gas victims suspected that Percival arrived here to find a way to get into the new trust also. [On top left is brief screenshot of news published in Raj Express]

MP turning into Vidarbha: Two more farmers commit suicide in state

Madhya Pradesh is now witnessing a grave situation as debt-ridden farmers are almost routinely committing suicides. The two incidents in Bhopal and Sehore should open the eyes of the state government.

Shiv Prasad Mewada, 40, ended his life in Birjis Nagar in Ichhawar (Sehore) on Saturday. He hanged himself in the room on his fields. He had taken a loan of Rs 4.8 lakh from the bank and another Rs 80,000 from Kisan Credit Card and he was tensed because he was unable to pay installments timely.

The crop had failed. His brother told him that they would sell land to pay back the amount. But Shiv Prasad committed suicide. His wife said that Shiv had borrowed money from villagers also and the repeated visits of bank officials who came to ask for payment drove him to commit suicide.

The other suicide was reported from Bhopal's Berasia where another farmer hanged himself to death. Gokul Prasad had just half-acre of land and the pangs of hunger were reportedly the reason for his decision to end his life. Police claimed that he was mentally unstable.

But the suicides are no exception. Incidents in Damoh's Haa and Harrai in the last fortnight show that there is something horribly wrong. The Agriculture minister, the Chief Minister and the entire state government must take urgent corrective measures to redress the grievances of farmers.

Defaming Kashmiris: Hindi media creates 'terrorists' in Madhya Pradesh

Dainik Bhaskar report on January 1

Two youths were arrested in Madhya Pradesh. They belonged to Jammu & Kashmir and this was the reason that the newspapers gave the headlines 'Terrorists captured' or 'Aatanki giraftaar'.

Read the Dainik Bhaskar report on the left, which is self-evident. The reporter says that it is not confirmed whether they were members of HuJI.

The fact is that senior police officers didn't link them to any militant outfit. It was perhaps an off-the-record hint.

The English papers reported the officials as saying that the youths were wanted in connection with a criminal case and a case of unlawful activities prevention act. This suggests that at the most they were absconders or wanted persons, which is not as sensational.

All Hindi papers were confused. Some attributed them to be HuJI 'terrorists' while others said they were Hurriyat members. Is it possible that after interrogation by ATS, the police were unable to find out their real links?

The youths were not even charged with any crime in Madhya Pradesh. Of course, it gave publicity to police that they are making the state safe as newspapers published the 'achievement'.

It doesn't increase circulation or TRP. Then what is the reason for such sensationalism. Is it the race that the other paper might publish more sensational news, which forces the rest to publish lies and defame our own country-men!