Wednesday, November 25, 1998

Rebels talk to JD as Patnaik vacillates
BHUBANESWAR, Nov 24 — The stalemate continued in the Biju Janata Dal with no sign of a breakthrough in the nine-day-old crisis gripping the regional party, as the dissident leaders opposing the leadership of party chief Naveen Patnaik appeared to have toughened their stand today.

Sonia pays homage to Guru Teg Bahadur
NEW DELHI, Nov 24 — Congress President Sonia Gandhi paid homage to the ninth Sikh Guru, late Guru Teg Bahadur, on his martyrdom day today and said his life was an example of utmost sacrifice and secularism.

JD leaders chargesheeted
PATNA, Nov 24 — Some Janata Dal leaders, including an MLA Nawal Kishore Rai, are among 61 persons chargesheeted in connection with the August 11 police firing on relief-seekers which killed five persons in Sitamarhi district of Bihar, official sources said today. The chargesheet was submitted to the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate (Sitamarhi) yesterday.

HC notice to Delhi police on
Romesh Sharma’s petition
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, Nov 24 — The Delhi High Court today issued notices to the Delhi Government and the Delhi police, on a petition by Romesh Sharma, an alleged frontman of Dubai-based underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, seeking the removal of police guards from his farmhouse and residence and the release of 14 cars seized by the authorities.

A Division Bench comprising Mr Justice Devender Gupta and Mr Justice Mukul Mudgal also issued notices to Joint Commissioner of Police Amod Kant, Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) and the SHO of Hauz Khas police station.

The Bench, however, directed the deletion of the Union of India and the Delhi Government from the array of respondents as there were no charges made out against them.

The court asked the respondents to file reply by December 15, the next date of hearing.

However, on Sharma’s plea for the quashing of four of the 16 FIRs, the court advised his counsel, H R Khan Suhel to file separate petition with respect to each FIR.

Sharma had sought the quashing of FIR (801), under the Wildlife Protection Act in connection with the alleged seizure of a leopard and two tiger skins from his house, FIR (802) under the Excise Act pertaining to the seizure of costly foreign liquor, FIR (803) under the Arms Act for the recovery of 14 .32 bore revolver cartridges and FIR (807) in connection with the alleged grabbing of three properties. He had sought the quashing of the FIRs claiming that these were based on "false" cases.

Sharma was arrested on October 28 by the Delhi police for allegedly amassing wealth disproportionate to his known source of income, kidnapping and the forcible possession of certain properties. He continues to be in judicial custody since then.

Later, the CBI also registered a case against him for getting a passport for the mother of Dawood Ibrahim and the acquisition of the helicopter through fraudulent means.

Sharma in his plea said the presence of the police guards at his residence and farmhouse was affecting the freedom of members of his family and relatives as they were reportedly not being allowed to enter the premises.

Sharma had also pleaded for direction to the police and other investigating agencies not to give statements and interviews against him saying the agencies had launched a "false campaign" against him.

Regarding the 14 cars, including two Mercedes, seized by the police at the time of his arrest, he claimed that none of them were mentioned in any of the FIRs.

All four FIRs sought to be quashed by Sharma are registered with the Hauz Khas police station.

Sharma’s counsel claimed that the police had no power to register a case under the Wildlife Protection Act as this authority rests only with the Wildlife Department. Moreover, the leopard and tiger skins recovered from his house were about two centuries old, Mr Khan said.

He said the liquor seized from his residence, two days after Divali, was gifted to him by some of his friends. The seizure was made when Sharma was in the Hauz Khas police station, he contended.

Rebels talk to JD as Patnaik vacillates

BHUBANESWAR, Nov 24 (PTI) — The stalemate continued in the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) with no sign of a breakthrough in the nine-day-old crisis gripping the regional party, as the dissident leaders opposing the leadership of party chief Naveen Patnaik appeared to have toughened their stand today.

Although some senior party leaders, including three MPs, mediating to bring about a rapprochement between the two warring factions led by the party president and chairman of the political affairs committee, Mr Bijay Mohapatra, continued their dialogue to avert a split, there was no improvement in the situation in the absence of Mr Patnaik who had left on a tour of some districts yesterday.

One prominent mediator, Mr Braja Kishor Tripathy, said they were still hopeful of a solution.

Two suspended party MPs, Mr Prabhat Samantray and Mr Tathagat Satpathy had yesterday withdrawn the case they had filed in a civil court here challenging the disciplinary action taken against them by Mr Patnaik raising hopes of an early settlement.

But today some rebel legislators, five of whom had been expelled from the party and Mr Mohapatra himself was suspended, said they did not expect anything positive from the talks initiated by mediators as the party president was not sincere about ending the crisis.

If Mr Patnaik had minimum sincerity, he could have withdrawn the suspension orders slapped on the two MPs after they withdrew the court case, one rebel MLA said.

Another dissident legislator, who was more vocal said a solution was possible only if Mr Patnaik was replaced as the party president.

Rebel sources said everything would be finalised at the latest by December 1 next when the state assembly is slated to meet.

Meanwhile, political observers attached significance to the meeting between some rebel leaders and former Union Minister Srikant Jena and other Janata Dal leaders during the past two days.

Although BJD leaders said there was no political significance to their discussions with Mr Jena, some prominent JD leaders like former minister Surendra Nath Nayak were openly advocating the need to unite all former Dal leaders to fight against the BJP at the central level and the state Congress regime.

Advani: Official Secrets Act being scrapped

NEW DELHI, Nov 24 (PTI) — Union Home Minister L K Advani today indicated that the Official Secrets Act was being scrapped to bring about transparency in the functioning of the government.

He made these remarks in the context of CBI raids on the premises of a top executive of Reliance Industries from where some secret official documents were reportedly seized.

The minister said the recovery of the documents itself was not as significant as the investigation into the activities of Dawood Ibrahim’s alleged frontman, Romesh Sharma.

The documents recovered from the Reliance executive did not pertain to the next Budget and would have anyway become outdated, he said.

Nevertheless, he said, investigations in this regard would go on separately.

The minister said the raids on Reliance should not deflect the focus from Romesh Sharma’s links with Dawood on the one hand and political persons, bureaucrats and police officials on the other.

He said the CBI had been asked to investigate and prosecute Sharma in such a manner so that he did not get away as had happened in several similar cases in the past.

It was not an ordinary case of corruption or racketeering, he said. "It is an illustration how porous and soft our system has become."

The Home Minister said it was a matter of concern that a frontman of Dawood Ibrahim had been carrying out activities in the Capital for such a long time.

This, he said, could not have been possible but for the support he must have received from important political personalities, bureaucrats and the police.

It was this aspect which the CBI had been asked to investigate, Mr Advani said.

UNLF rules out talks

IMPHAL, Nov 24 (UNI) — The United National Liberation Front (UNLF) of Manipur today ruled out talks with the Centre on militancy and criticised the NSCN (I-M) for negotiating with the government.

In a statement here on the occasion of the 34th anniversary of the outfit, the UNLF made an introspection of activities and apologised to the people for the acts of omission and commission that might have been committed by party cadres and members of its armed wing.

Criticising the NSCN (I-M) for participating in talks with the Centre, the UNLF noted that holding negotiations was an exercise in futility since successive governments at the Centre had been insisting on dialogues within the framework of the Indian constitution.

The UNLF decried the fratricidal conflicts among different communities and alleged that such clashes were the handiwork of the central government.

Emphasising unity among various militant outfits, the UNLF extended revolutionary greeting to fraternal parties, namely the People’s Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK) and the Revolutionary People’s Front (RPF), ULFA, the NSCN (K) and the TDPF on the foundation day of the party.

Ruckus in AP House

HYDERABAD, Nov 24 (PTI) — The Andhra Pradesh Assembly today witnessed noisy and unruly scenes for over 90 minutes with TDP and Congress members trading charges of corruption before a senior CPI member moved a closure motion to end the slanging match between the two groups.

During a reply on corruption in government departments, the Telugu Desam members led by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and Congress floor leader P. Janardhan Reddy broke into a slanging match of accusations and counter accusations of patronising corruption.

While Mr Naidu contended that the Congress was responsible for blocking development in the state, Mr Reddy hit back listing out the scams during the TDP rule in the state amidst shouts and counter shouts from the treasury and Opposition Benches.

When the question took more than one hour, an apparently agitated senior CPI leader C. H. Rajeshwara Rao rose and urged both the parties to shun mudslinging and moved a closure motion.

The motion was carried by voice vote with only Congress members negating the motion arguing that corruption was an issue to be discussed at length.

Force multipliers boost IAF’s capabilities
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, Nov 24 — “Improvements in communications, air defence networking and rapid computerisation apart from procurement and continuous upgrading of its weapon systems would act as force multipliers and add a greater punch to the IAF’s capabilities” Air Chief Marshal Satish Kumar Sareen said while addressing Field Commanders of Western Air Command.

The two-day conference which concluded at Command Headquarters, Subroto Park, today was chaired by Air Marshal Vinod Patney, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Air Command to review the performance of all operational units and formulate plans for the future.

The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Satish Kumar Sareen said that despite the resource crunch, the nation had made substantial investments in the Air Force through procurement and continuous upgradation of its weapon systems.

Sonia pays homage to Guru Teg Bahadur

NEW DELHI, Nov 24 (PTI) — Congress President Sonia Gandhi paid homage to the ninth Sikh Guru, late Guru Teg Bahadur, on his martyrdom day today and said his life was an example of utmost sacrifice and secularism.

“The guru continues to be a source of inspiration and his life teaches us to live in harmony and brotherhood,” she said in her message.

She said the sacrifice of Guru Teg Bahadur for the right to freedom of religion was unique in Indian history and it was due to this that “we remember him as ‘Hind ki Chaddar’ (protector of the nation)”.

Earlier, three Sikh delegations the Indian National Forum, National Akali Dal and Gurdwara Guru Sangat Sabha met her at her residence and pledged to work for national unity and communal harmony.

The National Forum President, Mr Balbir Singh, presented a “saropa” to Mrs Gandhi on the occasion.

JD leaders chargesheeted

PATNA, Nov 24 (PTI) — Some Janata Dal leaders, including an MLA Nawal Kishore Rai, are among 61 persons chargesheeted in connection with the August 11 police firing on relief-seekers which killed five persons in Sitamarhi district of Bihar, official sources said today. The chargesheet was submitted to the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate (Sitamarhi) yesterday.

JD’s Sitamarhi district president Manoj Kumar and former MLA Anwarul Haque are also among those accused in the charge-sheet filed under various sections of the Cr P.C. and the IPC, the sources said.

DD to telecast exit poll

NEW DELHI, Nov 24 (PTI) — Doordarshan will telecast an exit poll to be conducted by a leading public opinion polling agency, the Development and Research Services (DRS), on the Assembly elections being held in four states tomorrow.

The DRS exit poll, to be presented by Nalini Singh, will be telecast from 5.01 pm to 8.30 pm with a 30-minute break for the news. It will cover a representative cross section sample of 12,000 voters in 110 Assembly constituencies spread across all four states — Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Delhi and Mizoram.

The programme will have Mr Arun Nehru as an expert political commentator and various political personalities will also be interviewed as trends keep coming in.

“The data collected from around 500 polling stations will be transmitted to the DRS via satellite. The agency has developed highly advanced specialised database software to dynamically analyse the exit poll trends,” psephologist G.V.L. Narasimha Rao, Director of the DRS, told PTI here today.

“From November 25 onwards, the DRS will constantly update its forecasts and the early trends will be available very soon. We have planned to give trends at three different times of the day - 11 am, 2 pm and after the polling ends”, Mr Rao added.

“So immediately after the telecast begins on we would be able to tell the viewers what were the trends after 11 am and 2 pm,” he said.

In any exit poll, the margin of error can be about 3 per cent in case of votes which could translate into an error margin of about 10 per cent for seat forecasts.

“However, one cannot really conduct these polls with a presumption that the voter is lying. In fact, the lying factor does not exist. People either tell you the truth or nothing at all,” Rao said.

“Another important factor of the exit poll is that it is conducted by secret ballot. The field investigator, carrying a letter issued by the Election Commission and the state Election Office, gains access to very near the polling booth,” he added.

“Once the voter comes out after casting his vote, he is given a dummy ballot paper and asked to repeat his vote and put the paper into a box,” Mr Rao said.

Thus, according to him, as the poll is conducted through secret ballot, it rules out the possibility of a voter not wishing to disclose for whom he voted lying.

Meanwhile, the news services division of the All India Radio (AIR) has planned 28 special programmes for the coverage and analysis of Assembly elections and results in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Mizoram and Delhi on November 25, 28 and 29.

“Eminent journalists, political scientists and psephologists in Delhi studios will interact with our correspondents spread over the four states, besides political leaders, academicians and people of eminence,” an AIR release said here today.

Three live special radio bridge programmes have been organised to put out the analysis of exit poll and the emerging scenario during counting.

The first such programme on exit poll analysis can be heard on November 25 between 9.30 pm and 10 pm. The other two radio bridge programmes will be available on the same time on the national hook-up on November 28 and 29, the release said.

Among the panelists would be eminent personalities like Hindustan Times Editor V.N. Narayanan, Dainik Hindustan Editor Alok Mehta, noted columnist Inder Malhotra, Times of India Coordinating Editor M.D. Nalapat, broadcaster Mrinal Pandey, psephologists N. Bhaskar Rao and G.V.L. Narasimha Rao, it said.

AIR has deputed about 50 correspondents in four states for elaborate coverage of elections and results, it added.

Jindal issue: BJP wary, Cong happy
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, Nov 24 — The ruling BJP at the Centre is understood to be in jitters over the timing of the resignation of industrialist-turned-politician, O.P. Jindal from the HVP. The Congress today said it would welcome if he joined the party.

The intelligence wing of the Haryana government is understood to have stepped up its surveillance activities, keeping a close watch on the movements of the HVP leaders.

Although the BJP, which is in the coalition government with the HVP in Haryana, has chosen to keep silent over the resignation of Mr Jindal, inner circles of the BJP are said to be disturbed over the development.

Senior BJP leaders, including Delhi Chief Minister Sushma Swaraj, are said to be wary of the development as it comes in the midst of the campaigns for the elections in the four states. Mr Jindal is considered to be having a clout among the trading and business community — the bulwark of the BJP. The trading community has a significant presence in Delhi and Rajasthan which will go to the polls. Besides, the political opponents of the BJP, especially the Congress, are bound to inflame the passion of the traders on the issue and use it as an opportunity to point out another instance of the weakness in the BJP and its allies. What has come as a blow to the BJP and the HVP is Mr Jindal’s allegation that Chief Minister Bansi Lal was casteist and that his government had stopped grant to Maharaja Agarsain Medical College.

The allegations of Mr Jindal against Mr Bansi Lal has put the BJP in a cleft stick. Any reaction by the BJP has the potential to annoy a section of the public. As it is the BJP is said to be having a difficult task in assuaging the ruffled feelings of the Jat community in Delhi and Rajasthan on the issue of ousting Mr Saheb Singh Verma from the post of Chief Minister.

What has made the BJP and HVP circles more apprehensive is the Congress’ open offer to Mr Jindal to join it. According to sources, senior leaders of the BJP have information that Mr Jindal had met the Congress President, Mrs Sonia Gandhi, before taking the decision to formally quit the HVP.

Meanwhile, the HVP leaders today stepped up their tirade against Mr Jindal. In a hard hitting joint statement issued here, Mr Narbir Singh, Mr Kanwal Singh, Mr Charan Das Shorewala and Mr Ramesh Chander Kaushik (all ministers of Haryana) refuted the claim of Mr Jindal that he had contributed a lot in empowering the HVP in Haryana.

Referring to the accusation of Mr Jindal on the stoppage of grants to Agroha Medical College and Hospital, they sought to clarify that it was the Bhajan Lal government which had taken the decision and not the present government.

Even while the HVP camp kept up its verbal offensive against Mr Jindal, his supporters chose to lie low. Supporters of Mr Jindal said he would come out with his views at his first press conference after his resignation from the HVP. The conference is expected to take place shortly. However, one of his supporters said the tirade of the HVP against Mr Jindal would boomerang on it.

Mr Bhajan Lal also gave colour to the verbal skirmishes welcoming the resignation of Mr Jindal from the HVP. In a statement he described the resignation as a bold step, and added that it was a sign of frustration among members of the HVP. He clarified that the grant to Agroha Medical College and Hospital was stopped by the Bansi Lal government.

Sushma dismisses opinion polls
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, Nov 24 — The BJP’s chief ministerial candidate, Ms Sushma Swaraj, today dismissed predictions made by opinion polls and asserted that the party would come back to power.

Addressing a press conference here, she criticised the recent poll surveys as “outdated” and said they were based on conclusions made even before the campaign began.

She claimed that on the basis of her campaign in all Assembly constituencies, she was of the view that the BJP would win with a comfortable majority.

“The first poll survey was based on information gathered between November 1 and 9 and we started our campaign after that. How could the survey reach any conclusion even before we started our campaign,” Ms Swaraj said.

She said the surveys were conducted by interviewing people at the doorstep and they spoke whatever was in their minds. “However, to bring them to the polling station to vote was another thing,” she said.

Mrs Swaraj, however, admitted that workers and supporters of the party were “unhappy over the developments during the past six months”.

Addressing a press conference here today, the Chief Minister said that her main task to motivate those who were disappointed and angry was to work for the organisation and bring the ‘supporter voters’ to the polling stations to vote.

“Today a machinery is needed to bring voters to booths and poll results depend upon the ballot. The Congress does not have such machinery,” she said.

She said that the campaigning was based on a three-pronged strategy. The first was to motivate the organisational machinery, the second to remove the anger of the “supporter voters” through the motivated workers and the third was methodical planning on the day of the polling.

Mrs Swaraj said that the BJP did not skirt issues, but addressed them properly. The Opposition had made onion prices an issue but the BJP accepted that and also gave the reasons for the price escalation and the remedial measures.

Mrs Swaraj said that the BJP would enter the polling tomorrow “with meticulous planning.” At least 10 party workers would be present at every polling station of whom two would be inside the station and two outside. Two workers each would be on standby and four each would remain outside every booth to guide the voters.

On the charges made by the former Chief Minister of Delhi, Mr Sahib Singh Verma, that the Congress had brought in “bad characters” to disturb the poll process, Mrs Swaraj said that she had already spoken to the Lt Governor, Mr Vijai Kapoor, about it and he had assured that the Government would ensure a free and fair poll.

Cong asks EC to step up security
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, Nov 24 — The Delhi unit of the Congress today wrote to the Election Commission alleging that the BJP had brought large number of “anti-social elements” into the Capital to “create trouble” during tomorrow’s Assembly election and asked for the stepping up security and vigilance.

Distributing copies of the message to the media here, Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee spokesman Brij Mohan said yesterday’s arrest of six BJP workers “intimidating voters” in Hauz Khas, from where Chief Minister Sushma Swaraj is the BJP’s candidate, confirmed the Congress fears.

“We request adequate arrangements should be made tonight and tomorrow to keep the law and order situation under control,” the DPCC communication to the commission said, adding that the arrested BJP workers were from Haryana.

The Congress had urged the Lt- Governor, the Police Commissioner and the Election Commission to check such elements, he added.

Delhi Pradesh Youth Congress President Jaibir Singh Nagar said they had identified the polling stations where the BJP workers might try to cast bogus votes.

“Ten Congress workers (per polling booth) would be present in all constituencies to prevent the BJP workers from indulging in any electoral malpractice,” he said.

Mr Brij Mohan also criticised the alleged raid on the residence of the President of the All-India Muslim Personal Law Board, Mr Ali Mian, and termed it as a conspiracy by the Centre on the eve of the Assembly poll.

On the other hand, the chairman of the BJP campaign committee, Mr Vijay Kumar Malhotra, condemned the announcements made by the Imam of Jama Masjid and Milli Forum to support the Congress.

The support by the Imams had exposed the “communal face of the Congress and falsified its promises of secularism”, he added.

MP poll: former CMs in fray
From K. V. Prasad
Tribune News Service

BHOPAL, Nov 24 — The Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections this time has witnessed the involvement of a Chief Minister and at least five former Chief Ministers, two of whom are actively canvassing for their sons.

Barring Chief Minister Digvijay Singh (Raghogarh) and his challenger, Mr Sunderlal Patwa (Bhojpur) of the BJP, most of the other aspirants have been tied down to their constituencies indicating the level of contest they are facing.

Apart from Mr Patwa, the former Chief Ministers who are in the fray include Mr Shyama Charan Shukla of the Congress (Rajim), Mr Kailash Joshi of the BJP (Bagli) and BJP rebel Veerendra Kumar Saklecha (Jawad).

Two other former Chief Ministers who are also contesting, albeit indirectly, are Mr Arjun Singh and Mr Moti Lal Vora, both are actively campaigning for their sons, Mr Ajay Singh ‘Rahul’ (Churhat) and Mr Arun Vora (Durg), respectively.

The campaign of Mr Digvijay Singh has mostly been conducted by his brother Mr Laxman Singh who is an MP from Rajgarh in which Raghogarh is an assembly segment.

The brothers belong to an erstwhile princely family of the area and people in Raghogarh know they will be voting for ‘Bade raja sahab’ the BJP candidate, Mr Chanchal Kumar Jain, an advocate, is considered to be a lightweight.

Mr Patwa who is seeking to make a comeback from Bhojpur which borders the State capital. He has represented the constituency on four earlier occasions till he moved briefly to national politics in 1997.

Mr Saklecha, who headed the Janata Party government in the 70s, rebelled on being denied a ticket and is locked in a triangular contest. His area of influence is said to be limited to some pockets and his presence may benefit Congress candidate Ghanshyam Patida, pitted against BJP candidate Ram Lal Patidar.

Mr Kailash Joshi of the BJP is facing a direct challenge from Congress candidate Shyam Holani, while Mr S C Shukla from Mr Mina Singh of the BJP.

Meanwhile, reports indicate that Mr Ajay Singh from Churhat faces an uphill task even though Mr Arjun Singh had tried to have the passage smoothened by striking a tacit understanding with the Bahujan Samaj Party, which has considerable clout in the area.

Police having tough time
From Chander Parkash
Tribune News Service

SANGRIA (Rajasthan), Nov 24 — Even as all nine candidates of this assembly segment have started door-to-door campaigning for tomorrow’s poll, the police is having a tough time in keeping a vigil on those who have come from Punjab, Haryana and other states for supporting different candidates.

Although all entry points from Haryana and Punjab have been sealed, the police is still receiving complaints from candidates about the movement of strangers.

The police, in association with patwaris, has launched a drive to seize vehicles bearing the registration numbers of states other than Rajasthan.

Mr OP Kataria, DSP, told Tribune News Service today that as the constituency had been declared sensitive by the Election Commission, the police was taking all steps to ensure a free and fair poll.

About security arrangements, he said of the 143 booths, 133 would be having a security guard each while the other 10 which were identified as hyper-sensitive would be guarded each by six armed personnel. Two control rooms, one in the office of the Returning Officer and one in the local police station, had been set up, he added.

However, police sources said that about 100 vehicles from Punjab and Haryana carrying supporters of different candidates had entered Sangria town by noon today.

Mr Kataria said that all vehicles were being checked thoroughly before being allowed to enter the town and the carrying of firearms had been banned. He said the movement of vehicles would be restricted tomorrow and no unauthorised person would be allowed to go near any booth.

Errant cops arrested, suspended
GUWAHATI: Altogether three Non-Commissioned Officers (NCOs) and 15 police constables have been arrested and suspended from services by the Assam police administration for dereliction of duty, an official spokesman said. One NCO and five constables, posted as house guards at the residence of ruling AGP MLA Bonen Mochahary in Dhubri district, from whom NDFB militants snatched arms on Saturday last were arrested and suspended. Another NCO and five constables, posted at the residence of Bodoland Autonomous Council (BAC) executive member Hemen Brahma in Dhubri district, were arrested and suspended on the same charge. A third batch of five policemen were arrested for their failure to perform their duty of escorting a bus which was attacked by Santhals in Kokrajhar district recently. Three passengers were killed and 27 injured in the incident. — UNI

Cassette racket
NOIDA: The Noida police has unearthed a racket under which duplicate T series cassettes under the brand name of Super Cassette Industries were manufactured and sold. According to sources, some persons from Ghaziabad, Noida and Delhi, were misusing this brand name and preparing duplicate cassettes under the brand name of T series. The main kingpin of the gang Rakesh Kumar of Mainpuri district has been arrested and a case registered against him. — FOC

Drive to nab Veerappan intensified
COIMBATORE: Over 1,000 personnel of the joint Special Task Force (STF) are kept in readiness in forest areas in Sathy hills, while strategies are being worked out to apprehend the elusive forest brigand Veerappan. The intensified operations come in the wake of an encounter the STF had with Veerappan and his gang a couple of days ago at Aneripallam in the Kadambur forest areas, police sources said. Top police officials from Erode and Nilgiris district, and STF SPs from Tamil Nadu and Karnataka were camping at Bannari to work out the strategy for nabbing the dreaded poacher. STF commandant and IG Kalimuthu was expected to reach the camp, they said. — PTI

ABI award for social worker
BHUBANESWAR: Pruthiraj Misra, a Bhubaneswar-based social worker, has been nominated for the prestigious man-of-the-year title for 1998 by the American Biographical Institute INC (ABI). According to a communication received from the ABI, Mr Misra has been chosen for the honour for his overall accomplishments and contributions to society. Mr Misra is presently working for the advancing native missions as its South Asia Field Director. — PTI