Worst fears come true, YSR dead
* Charred bodies of Reddy and others on board found after 24 hours * State funeral to be held today at Pulivendula Kadapa district * RK Tyagi to head Aviation Ministry’s probe panel
Hyderabad, September 3
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy has died in a helicopter crash over Nallamala forest area in Kurnool district.

Outpouring of grief
Editorial: Death on the hilltop
Nation page:
YSR had finger on people’s pulse
Desperation to meet people proved fatal
Another Cong leader dies in his prime
Punjab’s flight safety record worst
Quotes of remembrance

Bahadurgarh mourns pilot Bhatia
Bahadurgarh (Jhajjar), September 3
A pall of gloom descended at the parental house of Gp Capt Sunil Kumar Bhatia, pilot of the chopper of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YSR Reddy that crashed yesterday, here today.

War of succession hots up; son frontrunner
Hyderabad, September 3
Even before Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy’s body could reach the state capital, a campaign has been launched by a vociferous section of the state Congress to make his son and MP YS Jaganmohan Reddy the next Chief Minister.

Fresh rivalry in BJP
RSS notice acts as trigger
New Delhi, September 3
RSS chief Mohanrao Bhagwat may have put Leader of Opposition L.K. Advani and BJP president Rajnath Singh on notice to quit their respective posts soon, but the notice itself has triggered fresh rivalry within the BJP, complicating the situation further for the organisation and making the succession process in the party that much more difficult.

SC commutes killer’s death sentence to life term
New Delhi, September 3
Citing extreme poverty and other mitigating circumstances, the Supreme Court has commuted the death sentence awarded to 35-year-old Sushil Kumar, a Jalandhar resident, for murdering his wife and two minor children on March 4, 2005 to life imprisonment.

Ansals’ plea against prosecution rejected
New Delhi, September 3
The Delhi High Court today rejected the petition by Ansal brothers, Gopal and Sushil, who had challenged the trial court’s order summoning them for allegedly tampering with evidence in the 1997 fire accident at the Uphaar cinema hall in South Delhi.

Maharashtra bids farewell to Ganpati
Mumbai, September 3
The 10-day Ganesh festival came to an end today with devotees thronging the sea to immerse idols of Ganpati amidst a light drizzle.

Your passport to better facilities Chandigarh, September 3 The government’s flagship e-governance programme, Passport Seva Project, will become functional by October this year.