M A I N   N E W S

HCs ban oil officers’strike

MUMBAI, Jan 10 (PTI, UNI) — The Mumbai High Court today restrained till January 14 the Bharat Petroleum corporation management staff union and the refinery staff union from proceeding on strike.The order was delivered by Mr Justice D.K. Deshmukh on a application filed by Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd challenging the decision of the officers’ associations to proceed on strike.

The public in general would be put to great hardship if the officers were allowed to go on strike because petrol, diesel, kerosene and liquid petroleum gas were of great utility to the consumers, the court was told.

Officers now undertaking the strike, which was to start from midnight today, will invite contempt of court proceedings, the statement said.It said in another application by the Indian Oil Corporation, the Delhi High Court has observed as prima facie illegal the threatened strike by oil sector officers and restrained them from participating in any agitation till further notice.

The government move came after talks between the government and Oil Sector Officers’ Association failed yesterday and the latter announced it was going ahead with its nation-wide strike.

Where is CBI team on hijack probe?
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, Jan 10 — Has the Central Bureau of Investigation set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the recent Indian Airlines hijacking episode? Well not till late this evening.

The CBI which was in the process of preparing to take over the case from the Punjab police was not aware of any such formation.

The CBI Director, Mr R.K. Raghavan, when contacted by The Tribune this evening said that so far no team had been formed.

The FIR in the case of hijack was registered by the Punjab police at Amritsar before it flew to Lahore.

As per procedure, the Punjab Police has to make a request to the Centre which in turn hands over the case to the CBI.

Till Sunday evening, the bureau had not registered the case and even today, towards end office hours there was nothing to suggest about its registration, Bureau sources said.