tribuneindia...Spotlight

			Saturday, September 19, 1998
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Patel meets PM
NEW DELHI, Sept 18 (UNI) — The Karnataka Chief Minister, Mr J.H. Patel, today met the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, and other Central ministers in an effort to speed up several pending proposals of the state government. Official sources said Mr Patel's meeting with Mr Vajpayee lasted for about 30 minutes. He is understood to have impressed upon Mr Vajpayee the need to clear several long pending projects like the 1,000 MW Cogentrix power project and the international airport at Devanahalli. Mr Patel also met the Home Minister, Mr L.K. Advani, and discussed the issue of the Mysore Palace. He also met the Planning Commission Deputy Chairman, Mr Jaswant Singh, and the Commerce Minister, Mr Ramakrishna Hegde.

15 feared drowned
BEGUSARAI (Bihar), Sept 18 (PTI) — At least 15 persons were feared drowned when a country boat sank in the Balan river near Damodpur village today, the police said. The boat carrying 35 passengers was caught in an eddy and capsized they said, adding that 20 people swam to safety. Three bodies have been recovered so far.

Warrants issued against Tiwari
From Our Legal Correspondent
NEW DELHI, Sept 18 — The Supreme Court, taking a serious view of the conduct of the Managing Director (MD) of S.B. Petroleum, Mr V.K. Tiwari, son-in-law of prominent Congress leader of Uttar Pradesh, Mr Mayapati Tripathi, today issued non-bailable warrants against the MD to secure his presence in the court on September 24, in connection with a case of fraud worth more than Rs 14 crore. The Bench, comprising Mr Justice A.S. Anand, Mr Justice B.N. Kirpal, and Mr Justice V.N. Khare, issued non-bailable warrants against Mr V.K. Tiwari when the judges found that he was not present in the court despite directions to this effect being passed on August 28.

Lawyers' stir
CHENNAI, Sept 18 (PTI) — Advocates today boycotted all city courts, including the Madras High Court, here to protest the September 4 attack on a city-based lawyer and condemn, what they called, 'interference' by state government officials in the investigation. A general body meeting of the Madras High Court Advocates Association (MHAA) yesterday decided on the boycott to condemn the attack on P. Saravanan and a clerk working in his office. Meanwhile, hearing on a writ petition, filed by AIADMK supremo Jayalalitha, challenging the permission granted to Tamil Film Producers Association to organise a function at ‘Nehru’ Stadium here, was adjourned to September 21 in view of the boycott.

Ethnic violence
GUWAHATI, Sept 18 (PTI) — Violence continued to rock trouble-torn Gossaigaon subdivision in Assam's Kokrajhar district today as several houses were set ablaze in two villages and three more persons were killed, taking the toll in the ethnic clash to 46. Official sources said several houses were set ablaze by both Bodos and adivasis in two remote villages of the subdivision — Reshamguri and Balimari. Three persons were killed and three injured in separate incidents in the subdivision since last night.

CRPF battalions
NEW DELHI, Sept 18 (PTI) — The government has cleared the proposal of raising 20 new battalions for the CRPF to augment the hard-pressed force, Home Minister L.K. Advani said here today. Though problems of internal security had increased unexpectedly in the past 15 years, the strength of the forces had not been increased correspondingly, he told a welfare seminar of the CRPF.

Russian deal
MOSCOW, Sept 18 (PTI) — Two top industrialists of Russian plane manufacturer MAPO-MiG and a banker have been arrested on charges of embezzling $ (US) 237 million worth of public funds meant for supplying 10 Mig-29 fighter aircraft to India in 1995, Itar-Tass news agency quoting the Prosecutor-General’s office said. Alexander Bezrukov, former chairman of military-industrial complex MAPO, and financial director of Mig corporation Maxim Tkachev have been arrested along with Chairman of the Kreditny Soyuz bank, Dmitry Baranov.

West Bengal tornado
RAIGANJ (WB), Sept 18 (PTI) — Eightynine houses were destroyed and a large number of trees uprooted in a tornado that hit five villages of West Bengal’s Uttar Dinajpur district, official sources said today. However, there were no reports of deaths after the tornado hit villages of the Hemtabad area last night, state Home (Civil Defence) Minister Drikumar Mukherjee and SDO, Raiganj Sadar, M.K. Pramanik said.

Student killed
ROURKELA, Sept 18 (PTI) —A student was killed and 14 were injured when the police opened fire in the Regional Engineering College (REC) campus here to disperse an irate mob, official sources said today. The police action, that killed third year Mechanical Engineering student, G.R. Sujit, came after lathi charge and tear gas shells failed to quell the mob, which went on a rampage in the residence of the REC Principal, Prof A.K. Mohanty, protesting the death of a student due to alleged negligence at a local hospital.

CP shootout
NEW DELHI, Sept 18 (PTI) — A Delhi court today framed charges against all 10 cops, including suspended Assistant Commissioner of Police S.S. Rathi, in the Connaught Place (CP) shootout case in which two innocent businessmen were shot dead on March 31 last year. Additional District and Sessions Judge B.B. Choudhury today completed the formalities of framing charges after all accused pleaded "not guilty" and preferred trial in the case.