tribuneindia...Spotlight

			Sunday, December 20, 1998
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51-kg time bomb recovered
GUWAHATI, Dec 19 (PTI) — A major disaster was averted today when police defused a massive 51-kg time bomb planted in the petrol tank of a vehicle in the high-security State Secretariat’s parking lot, a stone’s throw away from the Assam Chief Minister’s office, a day after a car bomb killed eight people nearby. The device, timed to explode at 3.30 pm, was found in an abandoned ambassador car just opposite the offices of Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta and his Cabinet colleagues, official sources said. It is still not known which extremist group had planted the bomb, but the hand of Bodo militants is suspected to be behind yesterday’s blast which Mr Mahanta had said might have been aimed at his life.

Mishra released
PATNA, Dec 19 (PTI) — Former Bihar Chief Minister Dr Jagannath Mishra was today released on bail after 53 days’ incarceration in the Beur central jail in a conspiracy angle case of the fodder scam. Special CBI Judge S K Lal ordered Mishra’s release after submission of a bail bond of Rs one lakh with two sureties of like amount.

Kamlesh Sharma
UNITED NATIONS, Dec 19 (PTI) — Indian Ambassador to the United Nations Kamlesh Sharma has been appointed as Vice-Chairman of the working group set up by the General Assembly to prepare for the proposed global conference on finance for development. Mr Sharma’s appointment to the prestigious position was announced by assembly president Didier Oppertti of Uruguay after intensive consultations lasting several days.

3 jawans killed
GANGTOK, Dec 19 (PTI) — Three Army personnel have been killed and seven injured when their vehicle skidded off the road into a deep gorge in north district, sources at the Army Headquarters said here today. The accident occurred on December two last near Bomsoy Bridge in the Chungthang sub-division, 110 km from here in north district, they said adding the injured jawans were admitted to the hospital.

Call for Barakland
GUWAHATI, Dec 19 (PTI) — The Barak Gana Parishad, a non-political organisation formed in April, today demanded carving out of a separate Barakland state from southern Assam. The BGP, having 250 units spread over Barak valley, demanded that the Centre and state governments pass separate bills in this regard, the organisations’ president Rati Ranjan Roy said in a press release here.

Gowda hospitalised
NEW DELHI, Dec 19 (PTI) — Former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda has been admitted to Apollo Indraprastha Hospital here for a "routine check-up". The former premier, admitted to the hospital on December 17, has been progressing well, sources said.

Soldiers killed
KARACHI, Dec 19 (AP) — The mutilated bodies of two Pakistan Army soldiers and an Air Force technician were found in the violent southern port city of Karachi early today, police said. The three men had been kidnapped earlier. The police said the bodies showed signs of severe torture.