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September 30
Petrol, LPG price hike announced
While the price of petrol has been increased by about Rs 2.30, the price of Liquefied Petroleum Gas will go up by about Rs 36 in the metros.
Cabinet reshuffle expected on Saturday
Vacancies in the Union Cabinet exist following the resignations of Ram Jethmalani, Uma Bharati and Bangaru Laxman.
NEWS
At last, KBC has a crorepati!
Harshavardhan Nawathe, a resident of Ghatkopar, north Bombay, won the coveted crore in a show recorded on Thursday.
JMM BRIBERY CASE
Narasimha Rao, Buta face jail terms
P V Narasimha Rao became the first Indian
prime minister to be convicted in a criminal case, when
CBI special judge Ajit Bharihoke found him and former
home minister Buta Singh guilty in the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha bribery
case.
Rao and Buta Singh can get upto seven years
A senior lawyer said the senior Congress leaders can get bail only if the sentence is less that three years.
Rao silent; Ajit Singh, Satish Sharma 'vindicated'
Rao's lawyer said that they would read the order before moving the high court.
Sonia meets Narasimha Rao: PTI
Apparently, shocked by the development concerning its former prime minister and party president, the All India Congress Committee had declined to comment on the verdict in the JMM bribery case.
Congress, BJP guarded about JMM verdict
The Sonia camp cannot but be happy about Rao's certain and inevitable phasing out from the political centrestage.
'The CBI sabotaged the case'
'The issue under consideration was fundamental. It was related to Parliament's ethos. What do we accept from the people who get elected on our votes? Do they get elected so that they can disregard parliamentary morals?' asks lawyer P N Lekhi.
JMM bribery case: Chronology
THE DAY'S IMAGES
The Verdict
Images from outside the Vigyan Bhavan courtroom where the judgment was pronounced in the JMM case on Friday.
ANALYSIS
Rao goes into history books again
'The first time it was as the prime minister who initiated economic liberalisation, and took India on the road to market reforms. Now, it is as the first former prime minister of India to be convicted in a criminal case of bribery,' says Amberish K Diwanji.
SPECIAL
'I grieve the death of a good friend of India'
President K R Narayanan salutes the memory of his classmate, former Canadian premier Pierre Trudeau who died on Thursday.
THE PM'S SURGERY
'The number of days he spends here will depend on how he responds to treatment'
'Surgery is possibly on October 10. Unless the doctors say his condition is frail and they want to wait one or two days. Post-operative care will need another five days.' Dr K G Nair on the prime minister's surgery.
Elite commandos gear up for PM's visit
Bombay's Breach Candy hospital, where Vajpayee will be operated upon, said that since Monday officers and men of the SPG have carried out a series of checks.
RAJAKUMAR'S ABDUCTION
Veerappan says he's running out of patience: PTI
The message was conveyed through an audio cassette, which was received by P Nedumaran, president of the Tamils' National Movement, in Madras. Nedumaran's office did not say how they received the cassette.
Karunanidhi surprised over escape: PTI
'I do not know what compelled Nagappa. He may have escaped due to his mental condition,' the Tamil Nadu chief minister told reporters in Madras.
Nagappa meets S M Krishna in Bangalore
Maradagi Nagappa, who escaped from Veerappan's clutches, surfaced at Dr Rajakumar's farmhouse at Gajanur on Thursday evening, two months after the bandit kidnapped the Kannada thespian along with three others.
EXCLUSIVE
'Dr Rajakumar is fine'
'Veerappan respects Dr Rajakumar a lot. Not even one day has he misbehaved with Dr Rajakumar.' Maradagi Nagappa, in his first interview after he escaped.
FLOODS IN BENGAL
Desperation sets in as toll climbs: AFP
The estimated death toll in devastating floods in West Bengal climbed to 865 Friday.
Flood-hit WB village claims it was ignored
Exasperated over the administration's 'apathy' in supplying food material to those marooned for many days, residents of Ranaghat, the sub-divisional headquarters of Nadia district, demonstrated outside the sub-divisional office on Friday.
THE BOFORS CASE
CBI seeks red corner alert against Ardbo: PTI
The Central Bureau of Investigation has approached Interpol for
issuance of a red corner alert for the arrest of the former chief of
Bofors Martin Ardbo, an accused in the pay-off case.
Case deferred till October 9
The hearing was deferred after Judge Bharihoke agreed to the defence counsel's demand that they needed time for scrutinising documents.
THE RAJAN CASE
Bombay police team to go to Bangkok: PTI
The team will leave this week in connection with the attack on Vijay Daman alias gangster Chhota Rajan on September 15.
'In Thailand and in India, I have no enemy'
Gangster Chhota Rajan made this statement before a court in Bangkok on September 28.
OTHER REPORTS
India is Putin's 'most preferred destination'
His biography First Person Conversation With Vladimir Putin says he admires Napoleon Bonaparte the most and is inspired by Charles de Gaulle.
Tansi case orders reserved for Oct 9
Former Tamil Nadu chief minister and AIADMK general secretary J Jayalalitha is a prime accused in the land deal case.
Three more armymen arrested for ISI links
With this, the number of military personnel arrested for ISI connections has gone up to 11.
India, France to boost co-operation in software
France and India have identified 10 key areas in the software industry in which the two countries will boost bilateral co-operation. These include software development, e-commerce, IT-enabled services like call centres, tele-medicine and exploration of joint development of third country markets.
PTI REPORTS
Minister resigns from Union government
Minister of State S B P B K Satyanarayana Rao has resigned from the Vajpayee government saying ministers of his rank 'do not have sufficient work'.
16 ultras, two security officers among 20 killed in J&K
Militants also shot dead two members of a family and triggered an explosion injuring two persons.
AFP REPORT
Snake enters PM's house
Everybody went into a tizzy, not knowing what to do. Finally, the elite commandos did what most Delhiites do when in trouble -- dial 100, the police control room number. But that did not help either.
DIARY
Nine magical nights
"You are not God," 'It is also a reflection of our times that today doctors report a massive rise in abortions weeks after Navratri grinds to a halt...' Amberish K Diwanji on dandia in days gone by.
COLUMNS
The Russian Bear Hug
'India and Russia share common interests in safeguarding their territorial integrity and pluralistic societies against the onslaught of forces of religious extremism and in promoting democratisation of the world order. President Putin will, therefore, be a welcome and honoured guest when he arrives in Delhi on October 2,' says G Parthasarathy.
Share and Steal Alike
'Copyright infringement is not about the Internet. The definition of theft has not changed with digital media. Making a profit by promoting copyright infringement is not about technology,' says Reeta Sinha.
September 29
Bofors case hearing on Friday
The Central Bureau of Investigation counsel, however, refused to confirm or deny whether the agency would file a chargesheet against the Hinduja brothers.
No link between Bofors funds and gun deal, say Hindujas: PTI
According to them, the CBI had told Swiss authorities that the documents received by it earlier in relation to the Hindujas do not specifically mention that the amounts paid were in respect of the gun contract between the Indian government and Bofors.
RAJAKUMAR'S ABDUCTION
'I escaped. Annavaru is fine and safe'
Nagappa told rediff.com that he was not released by Veerappan. "I was waiting for an opportunity to escape," he said.
Nagappa out of Veerappan's custody
According to police sources, Karnataka Director General of Police C Dinakar, Home Secretary Srinivasan and top police officials were working out an action plan to bring Nagappa to Bangalore on Friday morning.
Karnataka bandh passes off peacefully
While the bandh was total in the entire old Mysore region and partial in the Malnad region, it was a virtual flop in the coastal districts of the southern state.
SPECIAL
Veerappan can be nabbed if you have the support of locals
How a flawed forest policy made Veerappan king. The concluding part of Ramesh Menon's series on India's most-wanted bandit.
BENGAL FLOODS
Bengal flood toll touches 597, many bodies undiscovered
The state government has also issued a fresh warning to the Calcutta
Municipal Corporation and the police, asking them to remain on high alert as
high tide in the Hooghly threatened to overrun a large
part of Calcutta on Thursday.
ER apologises for advertisement: PTI
The Eastern Railway general manager said that the objective of releasing the ad was to urge the flood-affected people not to resist the restoration work being carried out by the railways.
Basu threatens to sue Eastern Railway: PTI
The West Bengal chief minister was upset by an advertisement by the Eastern Railway in Thursday's newspapers directly criticising the state government's flood relief efforts.
Sonia makes aerial survey: PTI
The Congress president also met Governor Viren Shah before leaving for New Delhi
Central team to visit flood-hit areas in Bengal
Senior agriculture ministry sources told rediff.com
that the central team would be led by the agriculture secretary
and would submits its
report after "making a thorough assessment".
SLIDE SHOW
Tour of Duty
Images from the highest battleground in the world, the Siachen glacier.
DIARY
'Your daughter will never walk again'
"You are not God," I remember my mother telling the doctor fiercely. "I will see that she walks!" Caroline D'Souza on what it is to be polio-afflicted.
OTHER REPORTS
Navy launches fourth missile boat
INS Prabal is an improved version of earlier three missile boats, has a hull weighing 50 tonnes more to accomodate the extended operation room and new compartments, besides
installation of addtional equipment and systems to support new weapons configuration.
7 Indian sisters to be canonised on Oct 1
The seven sisters are among the 120 bishops, priests, lay
people and religious persons who were "martyred" in China in
1900 and will be canonised or raised to sainthood by the Pope
at the St Peter's Square in Rome.
Rumours dog KBC prize winner in Calcutta
'Everyday somebody or the other from my family calls me up to inquire
whether
I am being targeted by extortionists,' says R C Dubey.
Gawli, four aides, acquitted in Bombay
Additional sessions judge S B Dhumat on Thursday acquitted the alleged gangster in a case of attempted rioting and dacoity and threatening to kill.
Vajpayee heads Asiaweek's 'Dream Cabinet'
'With Vajpayee in the saddle,' says the magazine, 'the nation has rarely looked stronger and more resolute.'
Mental hospital charged with rights violation
The Kerala State Human Rights Commission has ordered a police investigation into charges of torture and human rights violations at the Sacred Heart mental hospital at Painkkulam in Kottayam district.
PTI REPORTS
Brigadier Surinder Singh files interim reply
He has demanded copies of findings of the court of inquiry, the Subrahmanyam Committee report which went into Kargil lapses and his own statement before the inquiry committee.
'Army gearing to face nuclear threat'
General Padmanabhan, who takes over as
the new Army Chief on Saturday, said that the contours of
insurgency were dynamic and demanded a dynamic riposte.
Pak stepping up campaign, says PM
The prime minister Thursday charged Pakistan with stepping up its terror campaign in "direct proportion" to the "mounting desire" for peace among people in Jammu and Kashmir.
Germany for resumption of Indo-Pak talks
The South Asian situation will be a high priority area of discussion during Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer's visit to India beginning Friday.
Rajan appears in court on stretcher
The alleged gangster, charged with giving false information in a visa application and barred from leaving Thailand, looked pale as he was quickly taken into the courtroom on the stretcher hooked on to glucose bottles with armed policemen forming a ring around him.
Rajan refuses to identify attackers
During his two-hour testimony and interrogation, the underworld don told a Bangkok court that everything happened so fast that he could not see any attacker.
Uma Bharati to rejoin active politics
Her brother said that Uma Bharti had almost made up her mind to re-enter active politics after her talks with senior Uttar Pradesh minister Lalji Tandon at Kedarnath on Wednesday.
Tension grips Leh following minor scuffle
In north Kashmir, a former district commander of the Hizbul Mujahideen, Peer Abdul Gani, was shot dead by unidentified gunmen at Flood Colony in Baramulla district.
Documents indicating heavy investments by
film stars seized
Documents indicating investments of nearly Rs 100 million by leading Bollywood personalities in overseas fixed deposits and investments in real estate and
mutual funds were unearthed during the two day search
operations carried out by Income Tax department.
Delhi cable TV operators call off stir
The three-day strike was called off following talks with Information and Broadcasting Minister Arun Jaitely
Ashwin Naik's bail cancelled: arrest warrant
issued
The bail was cancelled on the ground that he had committed serious offences during the bail period.
28 killed in LTTE counter-attacks
Army spokesman Brig Sanath Karunaratne said 19 soldiers and nine Tamil rebels were killed in some newly-captured areas of government troops in the northern Jaffna peninsula.
COLUMNS
The oil price hike: The blow could have been softened
'The government should come clean and tell us how they intend to restructure the taxes for oil and petroleum products so that we, the people, know exactly at what price they are importing the stuff and at what price it is being retailed to us. We are today mature enough, as a nation and as a people, to face the facts and it is the responsibility of the State to take us into confidence,' says Pritish Nandy.
Please sir, it's been eight years
'All in all, you know you can wholly escape even the hint of punishment by Indian law for your Indian crimes. By the simple tactic of ensuring that time goes by,' says Dilip D'Souza.
September 28
Gujarat doctor offers to treat Osama
A sleuth from the Central Bureau of Investigation was at Dr Hargovind Trivedi's doorstep recently, because he agreed to a bizarre proposal from friend and associate Madhubhai Shah, to offer to carry out a kidney transplant operation on the world's most wanted man.
RAJAKUMAR'S ABDUCTION
Karnataka government braces for bandh
Dr Rajakumar's three sons have assured that they would do their utmost to see that the Karnataka bandh on Thursday passes off peacefully.
Observe bandh peacefully: Rajakumar
Journalist emissary and Tamil magazine Nakkeeran editor R R Gopal, who entered the Sathyamangalam forest on Tuesday evening, is continuing negotiations with forest brigand Veerappan to secure the release of Kannada actor Dr Rajakumar and three others held hostage by him since July 30.
OTHER REPORTS
No need for fresh alert for Rajan's arrest: Interpol
The alert issued by Interpol in 1995 is pending with the Thailand police
and they can arrest Rajan. Only after he is formally arrested by the Thai police, can the Interpol branch can make a formal request for his extradition.
Rs 1 billion defamation suit against Maharashtra BJP spokesman
Atul Bhatkhalkar had alleged that Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh had siphoned off Rs 500 million while de-zoning agricultural land around Belawadi area near Pune. Deshmukh denies the allegation.
5 Ahmedabadis killed in Swiss copter crash
The group had left for Germany on September 18 to participate
in an aluminum trade fair there.
After finishing with the business, the group decided to go sight-seeing in Switzerland, where the crash happened.
Jaiswal clears path for Sonia
"The UP Congress chief is enlisting support in our party for the perceived uncontested re-election of Sonia Gandhi as Congress president. His efforts include the delicate task of ensuring that Jitendra Prasada becomes toothless in his challenge to Madam for the party chief's post," said a former party parliamentarian from Uttar Pradesh.
Mahajan off to Paris on IT mission
Accompanying the IT minister will be a 22-member delegation, comprising ministry secretary P V Jaikrishnan, chairman of the National Association of Software Companies Dewang Mehta as well as representatives of nearly 20 Indian information technology companies, eager to examine the potential of the French market for Indian software exports.
WB govt deliberately caused floods, says Mamata: PTI
Union Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee had a tough time removing government files to safety as her Calcutta residence went under knee-deep water.
Sonia to visit flood-hit Bengal on Thursday
Among the issues that the Congress party chief will discuss with PCC leaders are relief and rescue measures taken by the state government and the law and order situation in Midnapore, Birbhoom and Bankura.
India, Italy differ on Security Council expansion
Both countries want to make the world more ''democratic'' and reform the United Nations Security Council, the country's ambassador to India, Benditto Amari, said in Bhubaneshwar on Wednesday.
Army commander warns against ISI designs
Lt Gen Surjit Singh, the general officer commanding-in-chief of the central command said on Wednesday that it had major plans of expanding its clandestine network in India's hinterland.
LTTE plot to kill candidates bared
The plot was revealed following the recovery of many documents from a bag left by two terrorists who defied a halt order at an army checkpoint in Kokuvil, Jaffna on September 18, a government spokesman said in Colombo.
Top police official held in AP
The Hyderabad city police Wednesday arrested a deputy superintendent of police with the elite commando force, Greyhounds, in connection with an international narcotics smuggling racket.
High tide alert in parts of Calcutta
"The state relief ministry said
the tide on Wednesday evening is expected to be over six ft in height, which would cause inundation in
Kalighat, Iqbalpur and Tollygunge Circular Road in south Calcutta and
Adi
Ganga belt, Nimtola Ghat and areas around Kestopur Canal in north
Calcutta.
Desperate, Andhra farmers resort to suicide
Successive crop failures and mounting debts are driving groundnut growers in the drought-prone Rayalaseema region in Andhra Pradesh to despair and suicide.
Two security men killed in gun-battle in Srinagar
In a fierce gun battle early
on Wednesday morning in the main fruit market at Parimpora in
the city, seven persons including two security men were
killed.
SPECIALS
Celebrating South Asiana
'My involvement with SAJA has made me realise what a provocative phrase 'South Asian' is. Those who embrace it are embracing the idea that 1.5 billion people of the subcontinent can have something in common. That close to two million folks in the US share in a destiny that unites them as immigrants, children of immigrants, or as visitors,' says Sreenath Sreenivasan.
'You who let Tamil blood flow like water!'
How Veerappan thinks and reacts... the psychological profile of India's most-wanted bandit.
PTI REPORTS
Cabinet hikes number of Padma awards to 100
The decision was taken on the basis of a recommendation
of the awards committee, and the number of persons to be
henceforth decorated, subject to suitability, would be Padma
Vibhushan (20), Padma Bhushan (30) and Padma Shri (50).
Top militant killed in J&K
Shoukat Ahmad Lone, a Harkat-Ul-Mujahideen leader also known as Puppa Lone, was the main accused in a string of rocket attacks on the Jammu and Kashmir civil secretariat.
Test flight done on Airbus aircraft
An Indian Airlines official says 'turbulent weather condition' was the reason for the Singapore-bound plane returning to Madras airport.
Army general with artificial legs appointed GOC-in-C
Lt. Gen. Pankaj Joshi, who lost both his legs in a landmine accident in Sikkim in 1967, will head the Central Command at Lucknow.
Chidambaram rules out joining BJP
''I will not lose my dignity,'' the former Union minister told reporters in Karaikudi, when asked if he was planning to join the BJP.
Chidambaram among scores held in TN
Tamil Maanila Congress volunteers were taken into custody when they attempted to picket state government offices protesting against the state and central governments' 'anti-people' policies.
Situation in Dariapur normal, day curfew lifted
However, night curfew will continue as a precautionary measure, Ahmedabad police said on Wednesday.
National security recommendations soon
The Group of Ministers, headed by Union Home Minister L K Advani, will finalise its recommendations after examining reports of task forces on border management, internal security, management of defence and intelligence, which would be with the Centre by the weekend.
Rajan charged with giving false info
The Thai immigration authorities on Wednesday charged the gangster with giving false information in a visa application and barred him from leaving the country, police said in Bangkok.
DIARY
My little flower girl
'I didn't want to believe it. I preferred to wait for her. Will anyone rape such a tiny girl, who had nothing but bones on her body?'
COLUMNS
There should be no soft options
'Let there be an open admission that the Rubaiya Sayeed incident was comprehensively mismanaged. Then, lay down the policy that the Government of India shall not negotiate at the point of the gun,' says T V R Shenoy.
Getting Personal About Language
'No one Indian language can fully or even adequately express the cultures of
India, of its people. One has to wonder why anyone would declare, implicitly
or explicitly, that any language could, or that one is better than another,' says Reeta Sinha.
September 27
8 Indian tourists perish in Swiss accident
The accident occurred in the Val Nendaz valley near Sions. Local police said they had found four bodies so far.
DEVELOPMENTS IN J&K
European envoys meet Yaseen Malik: PTI
J&K People's Democratic Party vice president Mehbooba Mufti told the delegation that without Pakistan's involvement, the Kashmir problem was unlikely to be resolved.
Nineteen killed in J&K
Thirteen militants, some of them foreigners, and four security personnel were among 19 people killed in different incidents in Jammu and Kashmir during the past 24 hours.
PTI REPORTS
India for counter measures against asylum regime
To discourage terrorists from seeking a safe haven through the regime of asylum, India has asked the international community to take appropriate measures before granting this relief.
West Bengal flood toll 516
Floodwaters have entered Calcutta where local police stations have been asked to make announcements to alert people in the low-lying areas to shift to safer places. Normal life in the metropolis may be disrupted for another two days.
Centre to take appropriate action in Bengal
Union Home Minister L K Advani has said that the Centre will not remain a "mute spectator" to the happenings in the state.
THE RAJAKUMAR ABDUCTION
Karnataka HC cautions govt on bandh
The HC bench directed State Home Minister Mallikarjun
Kharge and state chief secretary B K Bhattacharya to maintain law and order across the state at any cost.
Rajakumar's release becomes a rallying point
The abducted film star's sons are unable to wait for courts to conduct the next Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act case hearing on Oct 11.
Cong rebels resurface as Krishna fails
Former Karnataka chief minister S Bangarappa, whose second daughter Geetha is married to the Kannada icon Dr Rajakumar's eldest film star son Shivarajkumar, preferred to get grievances about governance across to party chief Sonia Gandhi.
SPECIAL
'I kept his head as a souvenir'
How Veerappan murdered one of the best foresters in Karnataka. Ramesh Menon continues his series on India's most-wanted bandit.
DIARY
Through thick and thin
'How can you ask for extra helpings when the better half is trying to live on a couple peas floating in watery soup?' Shishir Bhate on what happens to hubbies when wives go on diet.
OTHER REPORTS
Desperate, Andhra farmers resort to suicide
Successive crop failures and mounting debts are driving groundnut growers in the drought-prone Rayalaseema region in Andhra Pradesh to despair and suicide.
Centre lacks will-power: Mukherjee
The West Bengal pradesh Congress committee chief lashed out at the National Democratic Alliance government for 'misleading' people on the issue of imposing Article 356 in the state.
Four minors raped at school for mute
The incident came close on the heels of a sexual exploitation case at a tribal hostel at Palghat in Kerala.
Two killed in Amritsar blast
The police have not confirmed whether it was a bomb or a gas cylinder that exploded. But, eye-witnesses said that a building crashed with the impact.
Muslim clergy backs proposals to empower women
'Women should have the same rights as men, especially if they are wronged or their rights are trampled upon. She should get justice,' said Syed Ahmed Bukhari, junior imam of Delhi's Jama Masjid.
IA flight makes emergency landing in Madras
Passengers of an Indian Airlines flight on the Madras-Singapore sector on Tuesday morning had a narrow escape, when the aircraft made a full scale emergency landing at Madras airport after encountering 'heavy turbulence and jerks'.
Mahajan in Bombay to finalise PM's surgery details
It is now certain that Prime Minister Atal
Bihari Vajpayee would undergo surgery at the Breach Candy hospital in South Bombay on October 10, 'unless there are some last minute changes', says the Union parliamentary affairs minister.
Four burnt alive in Rajasthan
In a gruesome incident four members of a Harijan
family were burnt alive by assailants in Nawalgarh town
in the Jhunjhunu district of Rajasthan.
Six undertrials killed in shootout near Saharanpur
The fact that three of the six victims happened to be real brothers has led to suspicion that the killings were the outcome of a family feud.
SPECIAL
After Vajpayee, Who?
'One theory making the rounds is that the next PM will be Chandrababu Naidu. Someone who has the stature and CEO capabilities to head the new, Pentium-powered India.' Anvar Alikhan lays his bets.
INTERVIEWS
'I suggested N D Tiwari as UP Congress chief'
'There are a handful of people who are
holding our party to ransom,' says deposed UP Congress chief Salman Khursheed.
'I brought life into yoga'
'Yoga was a very dry subject 40 years ago. There were hardly three or four people learning yoga then, but now there are millions of people who learn yoga. I changed the whole scene.' Yogacharya B K S Iyengar, in conversation.
MORE PTI REPORTS
Dual citizenship under consideration
L N Singhvi, chairman of a high-level committee on Indian diaspora, said the government had attached considerable importance to the Indian diaspora and its relations with the motherland.
Trishul short-range missile test-fired
The surface-to-air missile was tried to gauge its accuracy and various parameters.
Partial victory in Basmati patent case
The request for re-examination to the United States Patent Office included evidence that Basmati rice grain produced in India since long, prior to the date of the patent, had the characteristics which were claimed unique by RiceTec.
India, US to enhance co-operation to combat terrorism
India conveyed its serious concern over Pakistan's sustained attempts at sponsoring cross-border terrorism in the name of a holy war, at the second meeting of the Indo-US joint working group on counter-terrorism.
US may declare Pak a terrorist state
US President Bill Clinton told a recent fund-raiser meeting, "We need to contain terrorism around the world."
Paswan threatens to resign from Union Cabinet
Union Communications Minister Ram Vilas said any attempt to shift or close down the railways' zonal headquarters at Hajipur (in Bihar), his home constituency, would not be tolerated and threatened to resign from the Council of Ministers on the issue.
Delhi cable operators switch off transmission
Amid threats by agitating operators to intensify their stir and include other northern states, Delhiites were reminded of the days when Doordarshan ruled supreme.
Rajan likely to testify in Thai court
The Bangkok Post newspaper, quoting a police official, said that the gangster must be questioned before investigations into an attack on him can be concluded.
India, SA to sign defence pact
The agreement, Indian officials said, will attempt to institutionalise major area of co-operation such as regular dialogue on defence, particularly on security issues, co-operation in defence, science and technology and exchange of training programmes for military and medical personnel.
AFP REPORTS
Court to consider Nawaz Sharief's request
It has agreed to defer all further hearing of state appeals against Pakistan premier Nawaz Sharief until it has ruled on his application to summon military ruler General Pervez Musharraf in an appeal against his conviction for plane hijacking.
Fiji coup leader tipped as US ambassador
Fiji's military backed government wants to name former coup leader and prime minister Sitiveni Rabuka as its ambassador to the United States but Washington is resisting.
COLUMNS
The alternative Indians may have preferred to hear
'It would be an understatement to say that Mr Vajpayee missed the bus to a tryst with destiny in Washington on September 14, 2000,' says Arvind Lavakare.
Truth or dare...
'When the PM talks about being misquoted by the media, it's probably time to wonder if the lie has become the truth,' says Saisuresh Sivaswamy.
September 26
DEVELOPMENTS IN J&K
European envoys meet Hurriyat leaders and Hizb mediator: PTI
French Ambassador Bernard De Montferaand, who led the envoys, ducked questions about the nature of the discussion saying the purpose of their current visit was of the same nature as the previous ones by envoys of different countries to Kashmir during the past six years.
Israeli experts in Kashmir to advise Indian security forces
The visit, at Home Minister L K Advani's behest, will be followed by intense interaction between officials of both sides and the possible purchase of some equipment from Israel to improve border management.
Militant stronghold on road to development
Farmers in Anantnag are busy harvesting paddy, gutted infrastructure is being rebuilt and the communication network is being strengthened. Student enrolment had increased by 37,000 over the past four years.
13 militants among 15 killed in J&K: PTI
Militants fired 20 mortar bombs aimed at civilian areas near army camps in Rajouri town in Jammu and Kashmir. However, they missed the target and exploded in open areas injuring an old woman.
OTHER REPORTS
Flood toll in Bihar mounts to 108: PTI
The four-day ordeal of passengers of the Patna-Cochin Express, which had been stranded at Jhajha in Munger district, finally ended when the train was allowed to resume its onward journey after restoration of the track near Jamui station.
Bengal flood toll 420: PTI
Chief Minister Jyoti Basu donated a day's salary to the Chief Minister's Relief Fund and also appealed to people to show a similar gesture in aid of the millions marooned by floods in eight districts of West Bengal.
BJP rules out dismissal of Basu government
The BJP vice-president said informal contacts were being made with the Congress on getting its support for central intervention in West Bengal.
I don't need lessons from you, Basu tells Advani
'We do not need to be advised about the role and functioning of democracy by those who destroyed the Babri Masjid in 1992, which led to communal riots,' the Bengal chief minister said.
Cable operators to stop transmission in Delhi
They claim that amendments to the Cable Television Network Act will make them responsible for deviations from the programme and advertising code, laid down by the government, in the programmes being relayed by satellite broadcasters.
Municipal Corporation of Delhi admits to corruption
When the Delhi high court asked why no action was initiated against officials responsible for unauthorised constructions, the MCD counsel said that if it is done, there will be no junior engineers left as most officials take money.
Bangkok cops launch hunt for remaining Rajan assailants
'We are on the job... Investigations are in progress and we hope for a breakthrough soon,' a Thai police officer said.
Shift of big cats temporary, says Orissa CM
Patnaik said the government would set up a second zoo in Sambhalpur district, after which it would bring back all the animals that have been shifted from Nandankanan.
Orissa's alleged liquor king arrested, remanded
Police sources said raids had established that Surendranath Das aka Belu had shifted his thrust from liquor to timber after the 1992 Cuttack hooch tragedy.
PTI REPORTS
JMM bribery case judgment on Sept 29
Special Judge Ajit Bharihoke also deferred hearing on Ajit Singh's application seeking permission to go abroad till September 29. Singh, an accused in the case, had sought permission to visit Singapore.
Govt to pay pension to telecom workers
However, the officers were not prepared to accept time-bound protection for the Indian Telecom Service cadre, as proposed by the government, U K Srivastava, ITS Association chief said.
Indian Railways to use anti-collision devices
The device installed in the engine of the train stops the train automatically if it anticipates a collision.
Pak set to test-fire Shaheen II
Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan, considered as the father of Pakistan's nuclear programme, also said that the country had crossed the nuclear threshold in 1985 itself.
IMF alarmed by Pakistan's defence spending
The increase in Pakistan's defence spending has prompted the International Monetary Fund to demand an expenditure control system to make the country eligible for a $250 million loan.
RAJAKUMAR'S ABDUCTION
Karnataka film fraternity to go ahead with bandh: PTI
Some Kannada actors have vowed not to shave their beards till Dr Rajakumar returns from the forests.
'Gopal to enter forest on Monday or Tuesday': PTI
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi said the government could think of alternative steps to meet the situation arising out of Dr Rajakumar's abduction only after Gopal return's from his mission.
SPECIAL
'I aimed at his head and hit it with the first shot'
Ramesh Menon recounts Veerappan's transformation from a poacher to murderer.
INTERVIEW
'No one individual has made South Africa'
'South Africa has been in the making for over 100 years by people's sacrifices. One should not perceive the struggles of this nation as a one-man show.' Dr Frene Ginwala, speaker of South Africa's national assembly, on the making of a nation.
DIARY
After Ash!
"This is not Mission Difficult, this is Mission Impossible!" Sukanya Verma chases a star!
COLUMNS
A naïve decision
'The government has only displayed its naivete in opting to withdraw its entire contingent from Sierra Leone though it was only the leadership that was under a cloud. The government has stood by Jetley though the decision to withdraw forces may not go down well with the rank and file of the services,' says Major General (retd) Ashok Mehta.
Heart of dorkness
'Can you imagine any Indian newspaper publishing a piece in support of the Unabomber or the accused in the Oklahoma bombing...? Would any Indian media permit itself to be a mouthpiece for the justification of terrorism?' asks Varsha Bhosle.
September 25
Advani to Basu: If not me, satisfy people
''We are not worried about West Bengal only because some innocent people are murdered. We are also worried because our most precious right to express opinion peacefully, or through elections, has been in danger,'' the home minister stated in Bombay on Sunday.
INDIA-IRAQ TIES
Panja meets Saddam Hussein: PTI
The minister of state for external affairs, who is leading a 35-member business delegation on a two-day visit to Iraq, discussed bilateral ties.
India for lifting of UN sanctions
Minister of State for External Affairs Ajit Kumar Panja said they had proved to be counter-productive and affected the common man.
SIMI-GOVT FACE-OFF
SIMI dares UP government to ban it: PTI
The Students' Islamic Movement of India Sunday said it would only awaken Muslim Students, leading to their strong affinity towards it.
UP police register case against SIMI chief
The FIR includes charges of spreading religious fundamentalism,
making provocative speeches on sensitive issues such as Jammu and
Kashmir, damaging public peace and having links with several
militant groups.
OTHER REPORTS
Jayalalitha in another bid for Oppn unity
Help me help you, was the message AIADMK supremo Jayalalitha had for leaders of secular Opposition parties, and they were only ready to oblige. With that may have been sown fresh seeds of Opposition unity at the national-level, this time through a dinner hosted by Jayalalitha at her Poes Garden residence.
Nandankanan lion dies while being shifted
The 14-year-old African lion, which died of 'exhaustion' in Srikakulam district in Andhra Pradesh, had shown signs of weakness on Friday, when it was being shifted.
Liquor baron held in Orissa
Crime branch police arrested Surendranath Das alias Belu, kingpin of the 1992 Cuttack illicit liquor tragedy that claimed over 200 lives, on charges of illegal trading in Indian-made foreign liquor on Saturday.
Jaiswal confident of consolidating party
When reminded of the virtual free-for-all between rival Congress groups when he took over on Saturday evening, the new UP chief pointed out, "Let me tell you, whatever it may be, the Congress remains a party with least infighting."
Laxman, BJP are enemies of humanity: Basu
The West Bengal chief minister warned that any attempt by the Centre to invoke Article 356 in the state would result in butchering the country's democratic set-up.
PTI REPORTS
No major burden of petro price hike on consumers
The government Sunday said it would pass on to consumers only one-third of the oil pool deficit by raising prices of petrol, kerosene, liquefied petroleum gas, diesel and automatic transmission fluid by the month-end while making up for the rest by cutting duties and floating oil bonds.
India must be more vocal, says Rajendra Chaudhary
The son of the former Fiji head of state said in Bombay on Sunday that they had appealed to the government to pursue the case of bringing back democracy.
Chhota Rajan wants to return to India
Senior police official Maj Gen Chakthip Kunchornna tried to question Daman alias Rajan, "but the man refused to co-operate", The Bangkok Post reported.
Delhi court summons Nina Pillai
The court has directed the widow of biscuit tycoon Rajan Pillai to appear on October 9, on an Enforcement Directorate plea, seeking co-operation in probing allegations of FERA violation.
September 24
THE UNION CABINET MEETS
Union Cabinet defers fuel price hike: PTI
The cabinet, which was briefed by Petroleum Minister Ram Naik on the issue on Saturday afternoon, did not feel a hike was necessary as yet.
Ally pressure led to putting off of hike
In the end it was the allies who had scored, when the Trinamul, DMK and TDP forced the Union Cabinet to put off the petroleum products price hike.
Slew of economic decisions taken
It may have not hiked the prices of petroleum products, but Saturday's Union Cabinet meeting took eight other crucial decisions.
Decision on petro price hike by month end, says Naik: PTI
The government would aim at reducing the oil pool deficit through a mixture of price increase, excise and custom duty reduction and issuance of oil bonds, the minister said.
No formal proposal from petroleum ministry yet: Dhananjay
However, he said the country should be prepared for some hard decisions as the 'oil pool' deficit had gone up by Rs 90 billion. He said consumption of petroleum products had gone up by leaps and bounds following the increase in number of vehicles.
THE SITUATION IN BENGAL
NDA backs Mamata on Bengal situation
The co-ordination committee of the ruling alliance gave the Vajpayee government a mandate to take all steps necessary to 'restore normalcy' in the state.
Bangaru Laxman for Article 356 in Bengal
But only last week he had said that the situation in the strife-torn Midnapore district seemed to be peaceful 'and does not support the demand for central intervention'.
'Fernandes is not in the right frame of mind'
In Shyamsundarpur, people appeared to be angry with the defence minister's call for President's rule in Bengal.
Bengal floods claim 82 more lives: PTI
Chief Minister Jyoti Basu told reporters in Calcutta that, save Murshidabad, the flood situation in other districts had improved slightly.
OTHER REPORTS
Five killed and five injured in J&K blast
A powerful improvised explosive device exploded near a hot water spring, killing five persons on the spot. People from afar visit the place to bathe in the spring.
J&K police chief to stay
A Union home ministry official said Gurbachan Jagat had done tremendous work in combating the insurgency in Kashmir.
Train services in Bengal disrupted
Train services from Calcutta to north Bengal and neighbouring districts remained completely disrupted for the fifth consecutive day on Saturday with no let-up in the floods.
Army sticks by Kargil widows
Parents of dead soldiers may not approve, but the army concludes that widows are entitled to a lion's share of the compensation amount, for they 'have a long road ahead'.
Goa government indifferent to oil spill
No agency is monitoring the clean-up. Even the chief secretary does not know details of the operation.
Indian Christian body appeals to pope
The Global Council of Indian Christians has appealed to John Paul II to use his 'good offices' to persuade the government to initiate a peace dialogue between Indian Christians and Hindus to 'remove unfounded fears about Christianity'.
Bhavnagar still trembles with fear
Ever since the tremors began, about 250,000 people have left the city. Municipal schools, which normally had 42,000 students, are left with hardly 14,000. Even colleges see empty classrooms.
RPI leader shot dead in Bombay
Raghoji Valji Makwana, who was a social worker and husband of a Republican Party corporator, was gunned down outside his Mulund office.
Dalai Lama on week-long visit to France
The Tibetan leader will spend a large part of his visit in a small town in southern France, where he will give discourses to Buddhists and French citizens.
Handicapped minor raped in police van
Women activists have demanded the immediate arrest of constables allegedly involved in the rape in Calcutta.
Orissa engineering college director rescued
The Puri police rescued Kamini Kanta Patnaik, from a house about 15 km from Bhubaneswar, at 2100 hours IST on Friday.
RAJAKUMAR'S ABDUCTION
Krishna to appeal for bandh call withdrawal
Opposition leaders claimed to have repeated their suggestion to the state government to explore alternative strategies even while continuing negotiations.
Rains hampering Gopal
There has been no information from Gopal since he left for the woods on the night of September 20.
Police abort ex-minister's mission
Fomer Karnataka minister S Ramesh and 50 others had planned a peace mission to the Sathyamangalam forests to meet Veerappan and secure Rajakumar's release.
PTI REPORTS
PM to be operated on October 10
Vajpayee is likely to be operated upon at Bombay's Breach Candy Hospital by Dr Chittaranjan Ranawat.
India-US equation altered, says Jaswant
The external affairs minister said the new equation was a result of growing confidence in India and recognition of it as a great democracy.
Security around Thackeray's house beefed up
This followed reports of an alleged plot by two agents of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence to blow it up.
5 killed in J&K infiltration bid
The heavily armed militants tried to enter Kashmir valley in Kupwara district.
Govt denies inviting Israeli counter-terrorism team
The government denied that Home Minister Advani had invited a team of Israeli counter-terrorism experts to the country.
DIARY
Where the mountains kiss the clouds...
'Reality sucks. Especially when you begin to descend the 4,500-foot cloud-laced mountain to the potholes back home, swallow a lungful of belching smoke. And your system, spoilt for the last few days, promptly protests by making you ill. Very ill.'
CAPITAL BUZZ
How Vajpayee almost didn't make it
Just two days before the prime minister left for the United States, there was a move to cancel the tour. Capital Buzz. Gossip from the Delhi durbar.
September 23
INTERVIEW
'I think some poison had entered his body, and was eating up his body'
'Everything was over on the 15th. They fooled around for one week.' Kitty Kumaramangalam unburdens herself on her husband P R Kumaramangalam's death.
RAJAKUMAR'S ABDUCTION
Karnataka MPs will seek PM's intervention
'Perhaps only the central government's intervention, apart from a change of heart by Veerappan himself, can hasten the release of Dr Rajakumar,' said actor
Ambareesh, who sports a long beard that he swears he will shave only after Rajakumar returns.
Ex-minister wants to negotiate with Veerappan: PTI
A former Karnataka minister announced that he would venture into the forests along with 500 others on a 'peace march' to secure the actor's release.
SPECIAL
'When will this nightmare end?'
'I rushed towards the living room. I could not believe what I saw. Veerappan stood there with a gun...' The third part of a series on India's most-wanted bandit.
THE DRAMA IN BENGAL
CPI-M warns central government
The party's politburo 'warned' the Union government against making any move intended to 'subvert' Centre-state relations in West Bengal.
Why Mamata had a change of heart
The Congress party's lukewarm response to the Trinamul demand for imposition of President's rule in West Bengal is responsible, suggest top BJP officials.
Centre will not act in a hurry
A home ministry official said Mamata Banerjee had been persuaded to refrain from acting hastily on the issue, whose political fallout is vital for the welfare of the ruling NDA.
CPI-M's land reforms movement backfires?
Party mandarins feel that the Left Front's land reforms movement, initiated in 1977 soon after occupying the corridors of Writers' Building, is where the mother of all problems lies.
OTHER REPORTS
J&K decides to press on with census
All enumerators and related staff will be provided security. And if need be, the time limit for the operations will be extended as per the provisions of the census law.
Bengal flood toll shoots up to 129
There were reports of 69 more deaths from the worst affected Murshidabad district.
Action against Azhagiri clears decks for Stalin
Simultaneously, it has sent out signals to the DMK cadre that the leadership will not tolerate indiscipline in an election year.
Orissa engineering college director kidnapped
Kamini Kanta Patnaik, also a legal practitioner, was about to leave for Cuttack at 1950 IST when five to six persons came in two Maruti vans with bombs and other weapons, barged in, dragged him out and fled.
Students' strike paralyses medical services in MP
Students of all six medical colleges in the state went on a strike protesting against a government decision to scrap admission exams for post-graduate medical courses.
UP scientist fights varsity for claim to discovery
A retired geology professor of Kumaon University is fighting against denial of his claim to a path-breaking piece of research that is an extension to Charles Darwin's theory on evolution of life on earth.
Bombay-based gangster held in AP
Raju Gangaram alias Raju Bhaiyya was arrested following a tip-off in Karimnagar district.
PTI REPORTS
Bail for 32 Suryanelli rape case accused
They have been directed not to leave the country without the court's permission and not to involve themselves in any crime or cause annoyance to the victim and her family.
Review South Asia policy, Jaswant tells US
The external affairs minister called for a re-examination of the United States's South Asia policy in view of the sea change in India-US relations in recent times.
Peace lies in strength, says Vajpayee
The prime minister said in an article in The International Herald Tribune that India's experience has taught it that peace lies in strength, without a non-discriminatory world order.
Ayodhya panel summons Joshi, Bharati
The commission headed by Justice M S Liberhan is probing the sequence of events leading to the demolition of the Babri Masjid at Ayodhya on December 6, 1992.
Ahmedabad peaceful; curfew relaxed in Dariapur
But in a separate incident, police had to resort to a lathi-charge to disperse a clashing mob at Madhupura locality of the city. At least three persons were injured and two dozen arrested.
'HIV infection has reached epidemic level in 5 states'
A UN official warned that India would not be able hold back the number of infected individuals at the current level of 3.7 million if it did not come out with a strong response.
HC questions AIIMS about shortage of doctors
Health-care services in the institute have been affected by the shortage as no regular appointments have been made since 1994, according to the United Communist Party of India.
Dara acquitted in cow looting case
The sub-divisional judicial magistrate of Karanjia in Orissa acquitted Dara Singh and others for lack of evidence.
Bombay judge sacked from judicial service
J W Singh was suspended in August last year after the Bombay high court registrar charged him with developing links with the underworld.
Five killed in freak mishap
A person sitting on the roof of a Hajipur-bound bus from Samastipur in Bihar came in contact with a high-tension wire, leading to the casualties.
Chhota Rajan shifted from hospital
The gangster, who was attacked by hired gunmen recently, was moved to an undisclosed destination after an 'unknown' Indian tried to visit him at the local hospital where he was being treated.
SC pulls up National Consumer Forum: PTI
It took a serious view of the forum keeping a person who had claimed Rs 3.4 million as damages from a Delhi hospital waiting for six years and then asking him to approach the state forum with a revised claim as the first one was high.
DIARY
Gladiators, alligators and animators
Anvar Alikhan tells us how much Ridley Scott's Gladiator owes the city of Hyderabad.
COLUMNS
Coping with the K word
'After Pokhran II, a conflict between India and Pakistan is everyone's problem because one mistake can blow us all up. Nuclearisation has brought the issue centrestage. It is now everyone's concern,' says Pritish Nandy.
Language as a mask of conquest -- II
'The plethora of languages in India will probably continue into the near future; much as certain Northerners might like to push their idea of a Bharat which is Hindi-only, I think they will not succeed. And this is a good thing too,' says Rajeev Srinivasan.
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