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Wednesday, April 20, 2011, Chandigarh, India
Updated at 2:30 am (IST)

Normal monsoon expected this year
IMD foresees increased farm output
New Delhi, April 19
The Indian Meteorological Department today predicted “normal rains” for the 2011 monsoon, strengthening the prospects of a good agricultural production. Earth Sciences Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal said the seasonal rainfall for the country as a whole was likely to be normal, which is 96 to 104 per cent of the long period average.

Monsoon and its political implications

17 killed in chopper crash
Guwahati, April 19
Seventeen persons, including three crew members, were killed on the spot and six others including two crew members grievously injured when a Pawan Hans Helicopter MI 172 exploded into a ball of fire just before crashlanding at Tawang helipad in Arunachal Pradesh at around 1-50 pm. today.

The site where a Pawan Hans helicopter with 23 persons on board caught fire and crashed into a gorge while landing in Tawang.

Onlookers watch as the wreckage burns. — AFP/ Tribune photo

Halt honour killings, rules SC
Tells states to suspend Collector, SSP if they fail to prevent such acts
New Delhi, April 19
The Supreme Court today directed all the state governments to immediately suspend the District Magistrates/Collectors and SSPs/SPs if they failed to apprehend those responsible for honour killings or prevent such incidents despite having advance knowledge. Khap panchayats “often decree or encourage honour killings or other atrocities in an institutionalised way on boys and girls of different castes and religion, who wish to get married or have been married, or interfere with the personal lives of people.

Haryana, UP fail to respond

All-girl institute shines in foeticide hub Tarn Taran
Khadoor Sahib, April 19
While Tarn Taran has emerged as the district with the worst sex ratio in Punjab, the girls at Shri Guru Angad Dev Institute of Careers and Courses, being run by Baba Sewa Singh Khadoor Sahibwale in this holy town (of the district), have outshone boys to the extent that now only they get admission here. And doors for boys at the institute lie shut.

Institute’s alumni at Nishan-e-Sikhi at Khadoor Sahib. Tribune photo

PMO okays questioning of Puducherry Lt Governor 
ED sleuths likely to quiz Iqbal Singh later this week
New Delhi, April 19
The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) has given its nod to allow the Enforcement Directorate to question Puducherry Lieut-Governor Iqbal Singh.


IN THE EYE OF THE STORM: Puducherry Lt Governor Iqbal Singh comes out after a meeting with Union Home Minister P Chidambaram at North Block in New Delhi. — PTI 

Shiney moves HC against conviction 
Mumbai, April 19
Bollywood actor Shiney Ahuja, who was sentenced to seven years' rigorous imprisonment for raping his domestic help, today moved the Bombay High Court challenging his conviction on the ground that it was a “perverse and illegal” judgement. Shiney said in the appeal that even after the victim testified under oath that neither rape nor sexual intercourse took place between them, still the lower court held him guilty.