M A I N   N E W S

Venkatachaliah to head statute review panel

NEW DELHI, Feb 2 (PTI) — The government today decided to appoint former Chief Justice of India M.N. Venkatachaliah as the Chairman of the National Commission to review the Constitution.

“We have decided to appoint Justice Venkatachaliah as the chairman of the National Commission to review the Constitution,” Union Law Minister Ram Jethmalani said.

Mr Jethamalani said the formal letter appointing Justice Venkatachaliah as Chairman “will be issued in a day or two”.

Asked about the appointment of other members of the review commission, the Law Minister said: “It will take a week as their consent have to be obtained before drafting them into the panel.”

Meanwhile, Justice Venkatachaliah told “star news” that “my own reaction is that the terms of reference (of the commission) is very wide and comprehensive. It admits a very constructive interpretation”.

“I am also happy that two important areas, that is basic features and parliamentary form of democracy, have been kept out and that is a wise thing,’’ he added.

Dara shifted to Baripada jail

BARIPADA, Feb 2 (PTI, UNI) — Dara Singh, the prime accused in the gruesome killing of Australian missionary Graham Stuart Staines and his two minor sons, who was remanded in judicial custody by the Karanjia Subdivisional Judicial Magistrate last night was shifted to Baripada circle jail today for security reasons.

Dara Singh was kept at Karanjia sub-jail last night. However, Mayurbhanj Superintendent of Police Y.B. Khurania made a written request to the District Collector to shift him from Karanjia to Baripada jail as the sub-jail did not have a special cell.

After obtaining necessary permission from the Collector, Dara Singh, who was arrested early yesterday from the dense forest bordering Mayurbhanj-Keonjhar district of Orissa, was shifted to the Baripada circle jail, official sources said here.

A report from Bhubaneswar said the special squad of Mayurbhanj police later handed over Dara Singh to the Orissa crime branch police for his involvement in the murder of a Muslim trader at Padiabeda weekly had on August 26, 1999.