Tuesday, July 16, 2002, Chandigarh, India
 Updated at 3:00 am (IST)

Death to Sheikh Omar
Three get life term in Pearl murder case
Hyderabad (Pakistan), July 15
Two and a half years after his release by India to end the hijacking of an Indian Airlines plane, Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh was today sentenced to death by a Pakistani court for the kidnapping and killing of US journalist Daniel Pearl.
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World page:
  It’s Muslims vs rest of the world: Sheikh
  USA, UK oppose death verdict

Powerless farmers take to the streets
Lalton Kalan, July 15
Irritated by erratic power cuts, thousands of farmers took to the streets and gheraoed PSEB offices all over the state today.

Baba Bhaniarawala arrested
Ropar, July 15
Controversial Baba Piara Singh Bhaniarawala was arrested from his native Dhamana village, about 20 km from here, by the Nurpur Bedi police this evening. He has been arrested under Section 188 of the IPC for violating the order of the District Magistrate, Ropar vide which the Baba has been asked to leave the district within three days.

Rallies mark Jammu bandh
Jammu, July 15
Relatives of the victims of the Qasim Nagar massacre raised anti-government slogans as they collected the mortal remains of the dead from the cremation ground today even as a complete bandh was observed here in protest against the incident. Protest rallies were held at several places.
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    Houses deplore Jammu massacre
    Qasimnagar massacre flayed
    BJP blames Pakistan
    Adjournment motion on carnage

PM wants Mamata in Cabinet
New Delhi, July 15
Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee is keen to induct Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee into his Cabinet and keep the controversial bifurcation of the Eastern Railway in abeyance till then.

Tender apology, SAD asks Tohra
Revelations in Amritsar ex-DC’s book
Chandigarh, July 15
The SAD today urged former SGPC chief G. S. Tohra to tender an unconditional apology by presenting himself at Akal Takht. He has been urged to do so in the light of “revelations” made in a book authored by former Deputy Commissioner of Amritsar, Mr Sarabjit Singh.

MPs brave heat to vote
New Delhi, July 15
Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani and Leader of the Opposition Sonia Gandhi were among the first ones to cast their votes today in the 12th Presidential election in Parliament House, which was marked by bonhomie. The polling, which began on a brisk note at 10 a.m. and ended at 5 p.m., was marked by some dramatic and lighter moments too.
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    MLAs vote for President
    Graphic: The Presidential election, a rundown

Pak army’s 10-day exercise from today
Ferozepore, July 15
Pakistan’s armed forces would conduct military exercise from July 16 (Tuesday) as part of training programme that began following large-scale deployment of troops along the border with India. Indian intelligence agencies on the other hand are analysing Pakistan’s war games seriously.

Theft in godown, stocks intact Ropar, July 15 Investigation into the case of theft of wheat from Chamkaur Sahib-based godowns of Markfed have revealed that foodgrains were stolen by certain officials. The Ropar police caught Jasbir Singh, a field supervisor of Markfed posted at Chamkaur Sahib while he was trying to steal 440 quintals of wheat from the godown under his charge on June 29. The police confiscated the foodgrains, loaded into the two trucks.