16:06 PM Thirty one of the 32 convicts get a life term -- one convict is absconding.
Maya Kodnani will get 10 years under section 307 (attempt to murder) and 18 years under 302 (murder). The sentencing will not be parallel, which means she will finish a 10-year term and then do the 18 year term. Though the court does not explicitly say that "she will be in jail until she dies" as it does in the case of Babu Bajrangi, a life term incarceration for 14 years when lifers become entitled to remission of the rest of the sentence as per Prison Manual provisions.
Which is why the sentencing for all the convicts in the Naroda Patiya case is life sentence.
Maya Kodnani will get 10 years under section 307 (attempt to murder) and 18 years under 302 (murder). The sentencing will not be parallel, which means she will finish a 10-year term and then do the 18 year term. Though the court does not explicitly say that "she will be in jail until she dies" as it does in the case of Babu Bajrangi, a life term incarceration for 14 years when lifers become entitled to remission of the rest of the sentence as per Prison Manual provisions.
Which is why the sentencing for all the convicts in the Naroda Patiya case is life sentence.
Communal violence cancer to society: Judge: Handing out the judgment, the Special court judge Jyotsana Yagnik said communal violence is like a cancer to society and should be rotted out. Seven out of the 32 convicted get 21 years in jail.
Maya Kodnani gets a 10 year term followed by a 18 year term, a total of 28 years in jail. Babu Bajrangi gets a life term "in jail till death", says the counsel for the victims.
Kodnani, a three-time MLA from Naroda area, who was considered to be close to chief minister Narendra Modi, is the first woman and first MLA to be convicted and sentenced in a post-Godhra riots case. Kodnani and Bajrangi were held guilty under sections 120 (B) (criminal conspiracy), 302 (murder) and 307 (attempt to murder) of IPC and the prosecution sought the maximum punishment of death sentence for all.
15:46 18 yrs for Maya Kodnani, life term for Bajrangi : BJP MLA Maya Kodnani gets 18 years, while Bajrang Dal leader Babu Bajrangi gets life in the Naroda Patiya riots case that left 97 dead. Kodnani, a BJP MLA and former minister in the Narendra Modi government and Bajrangi are among the 32 people convicted by a special court in the Naroda Patiya riots case on Wednesday.
15:41 'Cong attacking CAG to divert attention from corruption issue': And the tu-tu main-main continues... Slamming Congress for attacking Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), BJP today said it is criticising the constitutional body to divert attention from the real issue of corruption.
"By attacking CAG, Congress is diverting attention from the real issue of corruption...It would be better if Congress targets 'CAG' - corruption, 'atankwad (terrorism)' and 'ghotala (scams)' - which it created. That will benefit the country and wash the taint off Congress' face because of this coal scam," BJP spokesperson Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi told reporters here.
"We will fight effectively from Parliament to street to ensure that those behind the coal scam are punished," he said. On the demand by SP, Left and other parties for a judicial inquiry into the coal block allocation, party spokesperson Venkaiah Naidu said, "If parties supporting Congress are demanding this, the message from this dharna is that even parties supporting Congress are finding it difficult to support it on the issue."
15:29 I cannot get into a tu-tu-main main with political leaders: PM: PM Dr Manmohan Singh is back from his four-day visit to Tehran for the NAM summit. Dr Singh tells journalists, including Nikhil Lakshman, on his return, "I cannot get into a tu-tu-main main with other political leaders. I have to maintain the dignity of the PM's office. If I was resigning, I would not be here." Read
15:06 Sonia misses finance minister Pranab Mukherjee: Friday has been a busy day for Sonia Gandhi as well, say our sources in Delhi. She met many Union Ministers of State at 10 Janpath and had a discussion with at least 25 MPs from four states. Sources say Sonia Gandhi feels Pranab Mukherjee's absence keenly now as he has always been the party's fire-fighter.
14:59 PM keeps himself abreast of coalgate in Iran: Our Delhi sources tell us that fax machines were spewing out reports and emails were being sent between the capital and Tehran to brief the Prime Minister on the political developments on Coalgate. Of course, Air India One had special provisions for fax and satellite phones, as well.
BJP leader Nitin Gadkari who is now in Canada also kept himself abreast of the
BJP demonstrations on Coalgate in 40 cities in India.
14:50 Ruchika Girhotra's family moves court against CBI : The family of Ruchika Girhotra will approach the Punjab and Haryana High Court challenging the Central Bureau of Investigation closure report in the molestation-suicide case. The CBI's closure report pertained to Ruchika's brother, Ashu Girhotra's torture and destruction of evidence in the case.
Teenager Ruchika, who was a budding tennis player, had committed suicide in 1993, three years after allegedly being molested by former Haryana DGP SPS Rathore in August 1990.
69-year-old Rathore is currently out on bail after spending around six months in jail serving a sentence of 18 months in the main case relating to the molestation charge. He has appealed against the sentence in the molestation case.
14:45 Ramesh Srivats @rameshsrivats Basically, St. Stephen's is asking Unmukt Chand to choose - Tests or Exams?
14:41 Sibal says BJP stand will affect investor confidence: Government today said incidents such as stalling of Parliament by BJP would dent investors confidence and affect growth which has slowed down to 5.5 per cent in the first quarter of the current fiscal.
"When you raise every issue like this, the confidence of those coming from outside to invest is stopped, industrialists here will stop investment. Will the BJP governments and the BJP invest money," Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal said when asked to comment on the latest growth figures. Sibal said he wanted to know from the BJP whether they can run the country without growth.
14:29 Five athletes who symbolise triumph of will over adversity : They are the images which sum up the spirit of the athletes who have been dubbed The Superhumans. Each has found their own remarkable way to overcome their disability and perform to the highest level in their chosen sporting discipline.
14:18 PM Does China's next leader have a soft spot for Tibet?: For decades, Beijing has maintained that the Dalai Lama is a separatist, but Tibet's exiled spiritual leader once had a special relationship with the father of Xi Jinping, the man in line to become China's next president. Read
14:10 PM SC allows Jaya Jaitly to visit Fernandes: Former Samata Party president Jaya Jaitly was today allowed by the Supreme court to meet her party colleague, bed-ridden and Alzheimer's-hit former Defence Minister George Feranndes once every fortnight for 15 minutes.
A bench headed by Justice P Sathasivam allowed the plea of Jaitly who had approached the apex court after the Delhi High Court had denied her the permission to visit the ailing 82-year-old leader.
Jaitly, a close political associate of Fernandes, had earlier moved the high court after the ailing leader's family members had not allowed her to meet him. The high court had on April 17 denied her the permission to visit him while dismissing her plea for her impleadment in a civil suit filed by Fernandes' brothers seeking access to him.
A bench headed by Justice P Sathasivam allowed the plea of Jaitly who had approached the apex court after the Delhi High Court had denied her the permission to visit the ailing 82-year-old leader.
Jaitly, a close political associate of Fernandes, had earlier moved the high court after the ailing leader's family members had not allowed her to meet him. The high court had on April 17 denied her the permission to visit him while dismissing her plea for her impleadment in a civil suit filed by Fernandes' brothers seeking access to him.
14:05 PM PM leaves Tehran for Delhi as 4-day NAM ends : Prime Minister Manmohan Singh left Iran for home today after concluding a four-day visit to Iran during which he attended the 16th NAM Summit and held crucial bilateral meetings, including with Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari.
During his stay in Tehran, the Prime Minister addressed the NAM Summit, where he strongly pitched for coordinated global actions against international terrorism and proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
He asked the Non-Aligned Movement to take a lead in this and also take a stand based on "universally accepted principles" on Syria.
Also read: Nikhil Lakshman's report from Tehran -- India wants early end to 26/11 trial in Pakistan
During his stay in Tehran, the Prime Minister addressed the NAM Summit, where he strongly pitched for coordinated global actions against international terrorism and proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
He asked the Non-Aligned Movement to take a lead in this and also take a stand based on "universally accepted principles" on Syria.
Also read: Nikhil Lakshman's report from Tehran -- India wants early end to 26/11 trial in Pakistan
13:54 PM Ratan Tata: No anger about Singur, just sadness: Rata Tata also said there is no anger about Singur, just sadness. " The matter is sub judice," he added. He reiterated that there was no bias against Bengal, and when the political climate was right, somewhere in Bengal there could well be a Tata factory.
Refresh your memory with this backgrounder. The Tata Singur story
Refresh your memory with this backgrounder. The Tata Singur story
13:44 PM Ratan Tata: There could be a Tata factory in Bengal: At his last Annual General Meeting as Chairman of the Tata group, Ratan Tata today raised hopes for investment in Bengal. Addressing the meeting, Tata said the Group will not run away from West Bengal and added, "Who knows, there could be a Tata Motor factory somewhere in West Bengal."13:33 Once Upon a Time in Karachi: Snapshots from a time when the cinemas were packed and the booze flowed. Karachi in sepia tones. See
13:21 PM Girl commits suicide after moral police scold her: A girl in Jalandhar has committed suicide after she was allegedly humiliated by the moral police. The girl, who is a college student was found dead near the railway tracks, reports CNN IBN. The girl was pulled up for being in a car with her boyfriend. She was also believed to have been distressed when the media took her photographs. Police have ordered an enquiry into the incident.
13:04 PM From Bihar, a new approach to flood control: The 2008 Kosi floods were a wake-up call for the government of Bihar. Its water resources department is now trying to make sure the disaster of 2008 doesn't happen again. Read how
12:53 PM 'Congress leaders have close ties with minelord': Who is Manoj Jayaswal and what is his relationship with coal minister Sriprakash Jaiswal? Similarly, what is his connection with Congress Rajya Sabha MP Vijay Darda? They all seem to be interconnected and this confluence manifests itself in the Coalgate allocations. Read more on the The Daily Mail
12:45 PM Sibal asks Stephens principal to let Unmukt sits for exams: HRD Minister Kapil Sibal today requested St Stephens College Principal Walson Thampu to use his discretionary powers to ensure that junior cricketer Unmukt Chand, the captain of U-19 World Cup winning team, does not lose an academic year due to low attendance.Sibal spoke to Thampu yesterday after India captain M S Dhoni and Sports Minister Ajay Maken rallied behind Chand. Talking to reporters, Sibal said, "I have requested Walson Thampu if he could use his discretionary powers to ensure that Unmukt could sit for his university exams. "He said he was bound by university rules and then I requested the Vice Chancellor if he could use his emergency powers. He agreed to it and said he would be positively inclined," the minister said.
Delhi University rules mandate a student to have at least 33.3 per cent attendance in an academic session after all exemptions, but 19-year-old Unmukt, a first year BA student of St Stephen's College, could not attend required number of classes owing to his cricketing engagements.
12:36 PM Meghalaya minister claims she received threatening texts: Meghalaya urban affairs minister Ampareen Lyngdoh today said she had received threatening text messages in her cell phone after her goodwill visit to Maharashtra and Karnataka to stem the exodus of NE students in the wake of backlash against Assam violence.
The messages were sent by an unidentified person to her cell phone on the intervening nights of August 27 when she landed in Kolkata, Lyngdoh said. Lyngdoh was part of a three-member team of cabinet ministers that visited Karnataka and Maharashtra last week.
"Initially, I did not pay heed to the first message that I got. But then subsequently another two messages were sent from the same number which forced me to file an FIR,' the lone lady legislator in Meghalaya said.
The messages were sent by an unidentified person to her cell phone on the intervening nights of August 27 when she landed in Kolkata, Lyngdoh said. Lyngdoh was part of a three-member team of cabinet ministers that visited Karnataka and Maharashtra last week.
"Initially, I did not pay heed to the first message that I got. But then subsequently another two messages were sent from the same number which forced me to file an FIR,' the lone lady legislator in Meghalaya said.
12:27 PM RS nod for extension of Lokpal Bill panel report: The Rajya Sabha has approved the extension of the Lokpal Select Committee.
The panel examining the anti-graft Lokpal Bill had decided to seek an extension till the winter session of Parliament for submitting its report.
In a meeting, members of the the committee -- headed by Congress MP Satyavrat Chaturvedi -- appeared unanimous in seeking the extension of its term to complete analysis of the bill, which has already been passed by Lok Sabha.
In the beginning of the monsoon session on August 8, the government had expressed the hope that the select committee would finalise its recommendations by the last week of the session.
The panel examining the anti-graft Lokpal Bill had decided to seek an extension till the winter session of Parliament for submitting its report.
In a meeting, members of the the committee -- headed by Congress MP Satyavrat Chaturvedi -- appeared unanimous in seeking the extension of its term to complete analysis of the bill, which has already been passed by Lok Sabha.
In the beginning of the monsoon session on August 8, the government had expressed the hope that the select committee would finalise its recommendations by the last week of the session.
12:07 PM Digvijaya says CAG Vinod Rai has political ambitions: Congress general secretary Digvijaya Singh is in the news again. Yesterday, he lashed out at Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) Vinod Rai, accusing him of harbouring "political ambitions' like one of his predecessors, TN Chaturvedi. Chaturvedi was the CAG in 1989 when the auditor published a report on the Bofors guns bought by Rajiv Gandhi's government. After his retirement, Chaturvedi joined the BJP and became an MP and governor of Karnataka.More on the Indian Express.
12:00 PM Economic growth declines to 5.5 pc in April-June: Showing persistent sluggishness, the economy grew by 5.5 per cent in the April-June quarter this fiscal due to poor performance of manufacturing, mining and farm sectors.
The gross domestic product had expanded by 8 per cent in the April-June quarter of 2011-12. During the quarter ended June 30, the manufacturing sector grew marginally by 0.2 per cent, against 7.3 per cent growth in the same period of 2011-12, according to the official data released today.
The gross domestic product had expanded by 8 per cent in the April-June quarter of 2011-12. During the quarter ended June 30, the manufacturing sector grew marginally by 0.2 per cent, against 7.3 per cent growth in the same period of 2011-12, according to the official data released today.
11:48 AM Gangster/politician Arun Gawli gets life term : Gangster-turned-politician Arun Gawli gets life imprisonment. The gangster-turned politician and 11 others were convicted for the murder of Shiv Sena corporator Kamlakar Jamsandekar last week.
During arguments on sentencing, the once feared underworld don told Special Judge Pritiviraj Chavan there was no reason for him to kill Jamsandekar for a "paltry" amount of Rs 30 lakh.
The court also convicted eleven others accused while the sentence will be pronounced on August 27. One of the accused, Bala Surve, died during trial, while three accused were acquitted for lack of evidence.
During arguments on sentencing, the once feared underworld don told Special Judge Pritiviraj Chavan there was no reason for him to kill Jamsandekar for a "paltry" amount of Rs 30 lakh.
The court also convicted eleven others accused while the sentence will be pronounced on August 27. One of the accused, Bala Surve, died during trial, while three accused were acquitted for lack of evidence.
11:46 AM SC directs retrial of Pakistani national sentenced to death by a lower court in 1997 Delhi bus blast case that left four dead.
11:42 AM Japan supports Samsung in Apple dispute: A court in Tokyo has ruled that Samsung Electronics did not infringe on patents held by Apple, a victory for the South Korean company. The ruling dealt with transferring media content between devices. Read
11:32 AM The most annoying, pretentious, useless business jargon: The next time you feel the need to reach out, touch base, shift a paradigm, leverage a best practice or join a tiger team, by all means do it. Just don't say you're doing it. Read
11:18 AM Anti-nuke protestors say they will not give up the fight. Another fight looming is that the AIADMK has demanded that Tamil Nadu be given full allocation of 2,000 megawatt of electricity from the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project.
11:14 AM HC green light for Kudankulam N-plant: The Madras High Court gives the go-ahead to unit-I and II of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project in Tamil Nadu. The HC ruled that there were no environmental worries and orders for the setting up of a school and hospital around the plant.
11:11 AM Sahara properties can be seized if Rs 17400 cr is not refunded: Sahara will have to give the list of investors to the Supreme Court in 10 days and has appointed retired apex court judge Justice B N Aggarwal to oversee the probe by SEBI against the two Sahara companies. Sahara had raised the money through Optionally fully convertible debentures (OFCD). The SC has also ruled that if Sahara does not pay the money, their assets can be frozen and seized.
11:06 AM Parliament adjourned: And as expected, both Houses of Parliament have adjourned. The Opposition has derailed Parliament for seven days now over coalgate and demands for the PM's resignation.
11:05 AM Mulayam leads coalgate dharna outside Parliament: Both houses of Parliament have convened, but this morning outside Parliament,
SP leader Mulayam Singh Yadav and MPs from TDP and Left parties sat on a dharna to seek a judicial inquiry into coal blocks allocation.
Eight parties, including the Samajwadi Party and the Left, have joined hands to protest the continued disruption of Parliament and are demanding a probe by a sitting Supreme Court judge into the coal block allocation issue.
"Our attempt is to unite non-NDA, non-UPA parties to demarcate ourselves from BJP and Congress, both of which are involved in corruption relating to mining and therefore do not want a debate in Parliament," CPI(M) leader Basudeb Acharia had said yesterday. Acharia had said the BJP had also made similar allocation of coal blocks in Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand, apart from the mining scam in Karnataka.
SP leader Mulayam Singh Yadav and MPs from TDP and Left parties sat on a dharna to seek a judicial inquiry into coal blocks allocation.
Eight parties, including the Samajwadi Party and the Left, have joined hands to protest the continued disruption of Parliament and are demanding a probe by a sitting Supreme Court judge into the coal block allocation issue.
"Our attempt is to unite non-NDA, non-UPA parties to demarcate ourselves from BJP and Congress, both of which are involved in corruption relating to mining and therefore do not want a debate in Parliament," CPI(M) leader Basudeb Acharia had said yesterday. Acharia had said the BJP had also made similar allocation of coal blocks in Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand, apart from the mining scam in Karnataka.
10:59 AM The SC has appointed retired apex court judge Justice B N Aggarwal to oversee the probe by SEBI against the two Sahara companies.
10:57 AM SC tells Sahara to refund 17,400 cr to investors: The Supreme Court has directed the Sahara Group to refund Rs 17,400
crore which it had collected from its investors and gave three months time to Sahara India Real Estate Corporation and Sahara Housing Investment Corporation to refund the amount. The SC also directed SEBI to conduct probe against the two Sahara companies to find out their actual subscriber base.
The court had asked the Sahara group of companies to state on an affidavit the amount of funds collected, the net worth of the companies which had received the deposits and how they sought to secure the liabilities. These queries were to protect the interests of the investors.
crore which it had collected from its investors and gave three months time to Sahara India Real Estate Corporation and Sahara Housing Investment Corporation to refund the amount. The SC also directed SEBI to conduct probe against the two Sahara companies to find out their actual subscriber base.
The court had asked the Sahara group of companies to state on an affidavit the amount of funds collected, the net worth of the companies which had received the deposits and how they sought to secure the liabilities. These queries were to protect the interests of the investors.
10:44 AM Naroda Patiya riots: Maya Kodnani, Bajrangi punishment today: Up ahead today, a special court in Ahmedabad will pronounce the quantum of punishment for 32 convicts in the 2002 post-Godhra Naroda Patiya riots case. BJP MLA and former minister in the Narendra Modi government Maya Kodnani and Bajrang Dal leader Babu Bajrangi are among the 32 people convicted by a special court in the Naroda Patiya riots case on Wednesday, in which, 97 people belonging to the minority community were killed.
10:37 AM Admiral Devendra Kumar Joshi is the Navy Chief: Admiral Devendra Kumar Joshi takes over as the new Navy Chief. Joshi, who used to be Vice Admiral, is an anti-submarine warfare specialist, and will succeed Admiral Nirmal Verma who retires today.
Joshi (58), who is at present the Western naval Commander, is taking over the force at a time when it is set to operate two aircraft carriers and induct a large number of warships, long-range surveillance aircraft and submarines.
He will have a three-year tenure.Vice Admiral Joshi has commanded the tri-services Andaman and Nicobar Island command and also headed the Integrated Defence Staff headquarters here. He also commanded the Vizag-based Eastern Fleet of the Navy.
Commissioned in 1974, the Vice Admiral has commanded the aircraft carrier INS Viraat, guided-missile destroyer Ranvir and corvette INS Kuthar
Joshi (58), who is at present the Western naval Commander, is taking over the force at a time when it is set to operate two aircraft carriers and induct a large number of warships, long-range surveillance aircraft and submarines.
He will have a three-year tenure.Vice Admiral Joshi has commanded the tri-services Andaman and Nicobar Island command and also headed the Integrated Defence Staff headquarters here. He also commanded the Vizag-based Eastern Fleet of the Navy.
Commissioned in 1974, the Vice Admiral has commanded the aircraft carrier INS Viraat, guided-missile destroyer Ranvir and corvette INS Kuthar
10:01 Former Union Minister Kashiram Rana dead:
Former Union Minister and dissident BJP leader Kashiram Rana, who recently joined Keshubhai Patel's Gujarat Parivartan Party, passed away early Friday morning, party sources said. He was 76.
Rana complained of chest pain early morning when he was in the circuit house of the city.
He was rushed to Jiveraj Mehta hospital in Ahmedabad where he died.
Rana was a textile minister in the A B Vajpayee government.
However, the MP from Surat was sidelined after Narendra Modi became the chief minister of Gujarat.
Rana had recently joined Gujarat Parivartan Party, floated by Keshubahi Patel, and was busy in election campaign.
09:45 Sensex sheds 71 points in early trade:
The BSE benchmark Sensex fell by over 71 points in early trade on Friday on fresh selling by funds ahead of first quarter GDP data.
The 30-share barometer, which had gained 50.83 points in Thursday's volatile session, fell by 71.28 points, or 0.41 per cent, to 17,470.36.
Stocks of IT, power and realty sectors lead the fall.
Similarly, the wide-based National Stock Exchange index Nifty shed 29.15 points, or 0.55 per cent, to 5,285.90.
Marketmen said selling by funds and retail investors ahead of first quarter GDP data to be announced later in the day today amid a subdued trend in Asian markets, following weak Japanese economic figures, mainly influenced the trading sentiment in Dalal Street.
09:22 BJP's nationwide coal-gate protest begins today:
The BJP's nationwide protest over the coal blocks allocations will begin on Friday.
The party, after stalling Parliament for seven days over the issue, gave a call for a nationwide protest over the matter. The party has been demanding that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who was the coal minister during the period in which the allocations were made, resign.
The three-day protest across 40 towns and cities in the country will be led by top BJP leaders like LK Advani, Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley.
According to the Comptroller and Auditor General report on coal, the allocations led to a huge loss of Rs 1.86 lakh crore.
Although the government claims it is ready for a discussion in Parliament over the matter, the BJP has been adamant so far.
The Congress has claimed that the BJP has skeletons in its own cupboard which is why it is shying away from debate.
The Samajwadi Party, the Telugu Desam Party and the Left will be holding a separate protest of their own on Friday at the Parliament Gate.
09:20 Patent row: Google, Apple CEOs in secret talks:
Google Inc Chief Executive Larry Page and Apple CEO Tim Cook have been conducting behind-the-scenes talks about a range of intellectual property matters, including the mobile patent disputes between the companies, people familiar with the matter said.
The two executives had a phone conversation last week, the sources said. Discussions involving lower-level officials of the two companies are also ongoing.
Page and Cook are expected to talk again in the coming weeks, though no firm date has been set, the sources said on Thursday. One of the sources told Reuters that a meeting had been scheduled for this Friday, but had been delayed for reasons that were unclear.
The two companies are keeping lines of communication open at a high level against the backdrop of Apple's legal victory in a patent infringement case against Samsung, which uses Google's Android software.
09:19 2.5 million Syrians in great need for aid: UN:
UN says that more than 2.5 million people are 'in great need' of humanitarian assistance and protection inside Syria. They in particular pointed to a demand for water, sanitation, food, shelter, blankets and healthcare.
The statement came as UN Deputy Secretary-General was briefing the UN Security Council on the humanitarian situation in Syria. At the start of the ministerial meeting, Eliasson also said proposals to set up "safe zones" in Syria raised 'serious questions' and would need to be studied carefully.
France, which is council President for August, convened this latest UN Security Council meeting. Syria's neighbours, Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan are also attending. Diplomats say that aside from a possible announcement of aid initiatives by individual countries, there would be no further action on Syria from the Security Council.
09:17 All eyes on first quarter GDP numbers:
Economic growth during the April-June quarter is expected at 5.2 percent and the economy will continue to perform below potential for the entire year, research firm Moody's has said.
"(April-June quarter) GDP figures are expected to show the economy grew by just 5.2 percent year-on-year," Moody�s Analytics said in its India Spotlight report.
The first (April-June) quarter GDP numbers are scheduled to be released on Friday.
Moody's said the Indian economy will perform below potential through 2012 as the current slowdown is broad-based and that there is little scope to lift growth from its current path.
The country's GDP growth had slowed to a nine-year low of 5.3 percent in the January-March quarter. For the entire fiscal the growth had dropped to 6.5 percent.
02:04 UK: No solution in sight to Assange standoff: AP reports: Britain's Foreign Secretary William Hague acknowledged today there was no swift end in sight to the diplomatic standoff with Ecuador over the fate of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.
Assange, who is trying to avoid extradition to Sweden for questioning over sex crimes allegations, has been sheltering inside Ecuador's Embassy in London -- beyond the reach of British law enforcement -- since June 19.
Though he has been offered asylum by the Latin American nation, Assange will be arrested if he sets foot outside the mission.
01:35 Isaac moving on, but Gulf Coast damage grows: AP reports: Isaac dumped unrelenting rain and flooded areas around New Orleans today as people who thought they could ride out a lowest-category hurricane faced quickly rising waters.
Hundreds of homes were swamped, about 500 people had to be rescued and half of Louisiana was without power.
At least two people were killed. New Orleans itself was protected by newly fortified flood defenses put in place after the devastating hurricane Katrina seven years ago.
01:27 US warns Iran after IAEA nuclear report: AFP reports: The United States warned Iran today its window for opening serious talks is limited, after the United Nations nuclear watchdog said Iran had doubled enrichment capacity at its underground facility at Fordo.
White House spokesman Jay Carney also reiterated that President Barack Obama is determined to prevent Iran getting a nuclear bomb but added that US officials would know whether it reached breakout capacity to reach that stage.
01:15 Sikh temple victim remains in coma: AP reports: Sikh priest Punjab Singh has remained in a coma ever since the shooting rampage at a Wisconsin temple earlier this month that left six victims dead and three other people wounded, his family said.
In their first public comments since the August 5 attack, Singh's sons described how they rushed from India to be with their father after the shooting, and how they now spend most of their waking hours at his hospital bedside where he recovers from a gunshot to the head.
00:57 Syria opposition wants no-fly zone, corridors: The opposition Syrian National Council urged the United Nations Security Council to impose a no-fly zone and humanitarian corridors to protect civilians caught in Syria's conflict, in a statement issued ahead of a UN council meeting on Thursday.
The SNC, accusing the government of "crimes" and 'barbaric acts', said a no-fly zone and corridors were essential to protect almost 2.5 million civilians displaced by the conflict or who had fled across the borders with Syria's neighbours.
00:41 UK hacking: Ex-tabloid lawyer arrested: CNN reports: The former top lawyer for the now-shuttered News of the World newspaper, Tom Crone, was arrested Thursday in London by police investigating phone hacking allegations, his wife confirmed.
The Metropolitan Police said a 60-year-old man was arrested at his home in address in southwest London on Thursday morning but did not name him, in line with UK police practice.
19:00 Mamata's district tours wasteful expenditure: CPI(M): Moving on, the CPI(M) today alleged that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's district tours were aimed at political mileage before the panchayat election and should be scrapped as it was wasteful expenditure.
18:00 Cancel ALL 142 coal blocks allocated during UPA rule: BJP: BJP today stuck to its demand for cancellation of the 142 coal blocks allocated during UPA rule and asked the government to clarify whether any "comparative appraisal" of applicants was done and what was the criteria for making these allotments. 
17:20 Foreign coach would benefit women boxers: Mary Kom: After making the country proud with her bronze medal-winning feat in the London Olympics, M C Mary Kom today said that training under foreign coaches will be beneficial for women boxers of the country.
15:44 Iran's Indians raise concerns with PM: Representatives of the Indian community in Iran today raised issues of property rights, work permits and recognition of marriages during their interaction with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who kick-started his much awaited visit here.