From the archives of the Hindustan Times: November 26

Mysore also accedes to India (1949)

Bangalore- Mysore State has acceded to the Indian Union, according to a proclamation issued by the Maharaja of Mysore today (November 25).

The proclamation provides that the Indian Constitution shortly to be adopted by the Indian Constituent Assembly shall be the constitution of the State of Mysore as for other parts of India and shall be enforced in accordance with the tenor of its provisions.

The proclamation further states:

That provisions of the said Constitution shall, as from the date of its commencement, supersede and abrogate all other constitutional provisions inconsistent therewith which are at present in force in the State.

That both the House of Legislature of Mysore (Legislative Council and the Representative Assembly) as at present constituted shall be dissolved on December 15, 1949.

That hereafter and until such time as the House or Houses of legislature of Mysore have been duly constituted and summoned to meet for the first session under the provisions of the Indian Constitution there shall be only one house of legislature to be known as the Legislative Assembly of Mysore.

That the Constitution of the said Legislative Assembly of Mysore shall in all respects be the same as the Constitution of the Constituent Assembly of Mysore.

India, Pak agree to stop shelling, buy time for peace (2003)

New Delhi- India and Pakistan agreed to a ceasefire along the line of control (LoC), the international border and the actual ground position line (AGPL) in Siachen from midnight on Tuesday (November 25).

The modalities of the decision were finalised on Tuesday by officiating Director- General of Military Operations Major-General A.S. Bahiya and his Pakistani counterpart Major-General Ashraf Qayani. The ceasefire was announced simultaneously in New Delhi and Islamabad. It covers the 778- km LoC, the 150-km AGPL and the 198-km international border.

However, while instructions were sent to the armed forces not to fire at Pakistani positions, New Delhi was also careful not to lower its guard even though there were indications from Islamabad that it wanted to create a positive atmosphere, sources said.

They added that pressure from the US following blasts in Istanbul earlier this month and Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf’s assessment that infiltration had to be controlled in his country’s interests contributed to Islamabad’s decision to implement the ceasefire. Moreover, the sources said, increased people-to-people contacts had created a constituency for peace in Pakistan.

New Delhi would assess the situation even as it continued to propose “soft measures” to create an atmosphere conducive for talks. In effect, that meant India would make an assessment about infiltration levels after the snow in the region melted and the passes became navigable.

But even against this backdrop, the ceasefire might be seen as a step in the direction of talks between the two countries, the sources said.

Although New Delhi maintained that it would continue with its step-by-step approach to normalising relations with Pakistan, it was not averse to putting the process on a fast track if Islamabad demonstrated its resolve to shed its negative mindset, South Block insiders said.

Parents killed her (2013)

Ghaziabad- Dentist couple Rajesh and Nupur Talwar killed their 14-year-old daughter Aarushi and domestic help Hemraj Banjade, a court said here on Monday at the end of a trial that gripped the country and polarised opinion.

A Class 9 student, Aarushi was found with throat slit at the family home in Noida on May 16, 2008, days before her birthday. A day later, their live-in Nepalese help Banjade, 45, was found dead on the terrace.

A CBI court that tried the double murders on Monday held the Talwars guilty of murder and destruction of evidence in the riveting case that saw a number of twists and turns. Rajesh was also found guilty of misleading the probe.

Punishment will be pronounced after arguments for sentencing begin on Tuesday.

Media were not allowed in the courtroom that was packed to capacity when additional sessions judge Shyam Lal read out the verdict at around 3.25pm after 15 months of hearing the case.

“Now is the time to say omega in this case, to perorate it is proved beyond reasonable doubt that the accused are the perpetrators of the crime in question,” Lal said in his 204-page order.

The Talwars, who broke down on hearing the verdict, face a maximum of death penalty or life imprisonment. They were immediately taken into custody and sent to Dasna jail.

“We are deeply disappointed, hurt and anguished for being convicted for a crime that we have not committed,” the couple said in a written statement given to a huge media contingent that had gathered outside the court, many of them perched on treetops. “We refuse to feel defeated and will continue to fight for justice.”