Wednesday, January 22, 2003, Chandigarh, India
Updated at 3:00 am (IST)

Nod to jail term for insulting Tricolour
New Delhi, January 21
The Union Cabinet today approved the decision to impose strong punishment, including imprisonment, for showing any disrespect to the National Flag. The Cabinet decided to bring about an amendment to the Prevention of Insults to the National Honour Act, 1971.

‘Badal turned blind eye to scam’
Chandigarh, January 21
The Chief Minister of Punjab, Capt Amarinder Singh, today accused the previous Badal government of turning a blind eye to the kidney scam which had been going on in the state for years.

      CM rebukes IMA
      Punjab page: Badal denies hand in kidney scam
      Kidney scam: IMA forms panel

Manipur’s integrity to be upheld: PM
New Delhi, January 21
Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee has assured Manipur that any solution to the vexed Naga issue would not threaten the territorial integrity of the state, according to Manipur Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh who met the Prime Minister this morning.
In video (28k, 56k)

2 kids thrown out of car;  1 dead
Jalandhar, January 21
Panic gripped city residents as two minor migrant kids, who were allegedly kidnapped from the Nakodar Chowk last night and were beaten up mercilessly by some unidentified persons, were thrown out on the Ladowali road this night from a running Maruti car — resulting in the death of one of the kids and grievous injuries to the other.

PANCHKULA EPISODE: A TRIBUNE FOLLOW-UP
Several questions remain unanswered
Panchkula, January 21
The police action against a senior Punjab IAS officer and his colleague’s wife here last night reads like a mini-thriller, foggy night, high speed limousines, with the principal characters trying to put up fake identities. The incident, as reported by The Tribune today, has aroused not only tremendous public curiosity and interest but has also left several questions unanswered.

Once prestigious, now under cloud Amritsar, January 21 The prestigious Ram Saran Daskishori Lal Kakkar Charitable Hospital, which had rendered yeoman service to injured police personnel during militancy days is now in the eye of storm due to the multi-crore kidney scam. When former Indian Youth Congress president M.S. Bitta, was brought to the hospital in a critical condition after an assassination attempt, a militant outfit had threatened to blow up the hospital.