M A I N   N E W S

17 more die in Bihar poll violence
Santosh Jha

Patna, April 23
The bloodbath in Bihar fails to check its deadly ‘tandav’ as the fourth phase continued with the killing spree that marked the first three phases of the six-phase Panchayat polls leaving 17 dead on Monday, taking the toll to nearly 100. As reports from remote parts of the state were still pouring in at the police headquarters, the toll may cross the 20-mark in the final count till late in the night.

Despite assurances from the state administration and special arrangements from the state police, peaceful and fair polls remained a daydream as booth looters had a field day and gun-totting marauders held sway at almost all the booths. The dead include a relative of one Mukhiya candidate and one polling officer. 

Orphanage Director held, CID begins probe

Hyderabad, April 23
As the Andhra Pradesh Government grappled with sordid child adoption racket after rescuing 94 infants, Director of a city-based NGO-run orphanage was arrested while a special CID team began investigations today into the child trafficking.

A special three-member CID team, headed by Inspector General of Police C. Jayachandran, seized the records and questioned the staff of the John Abraham Memorial Bethany Home at Tandur in neighbouring Ranga Reddy district from where 60 female infants were rescued by authorities on Saturday last. The city police arrested N. Sanjeev Rao, whose adoption home the Action for Social Development (ASD) was also raided and 34 infants rescued.

Rao was running the orphanage at Gandhinagar despite cancellation of its licence two years ago following his involvement in a similar child trafficking racket.

As the murky dimensions of illegal adoptions, started unfolding, the Chandrababu Naidu government announced that a new order would be issued specifying stringent adoption norms.

The ASD Director, who was arrested in 1999 in a similar case and later got released on bail, was arrested by Musheerabad police last night on a complaint by the state Child Welfare and Women’s Development Department, the police said, adding that he would be produced before a city court tomorrow.

Cracking the whip on the errant orphanages, officials had raided the ASD premises and the Tandur Home rescuing altogether 94 infants, all girl children. PTI