tribuneindia...Spotlight

			Saturday, July 24, 1998
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JMM case: witness turns hostile
NEW DELHI, July 23 (UNI) — Yet another CBI witness, Mr Virender Singh, advocate, turned hostile today in the JMM MPs' bribery case against former Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao and 19 others. With this, three prosecution witnesses have turned hostile in the case. Mr Virender Singh denied in the trial court of Additional Sessions Judge Ajit Bharihoke that he had given the CBI a video cassette, allegedly containing Mr Bhajan Lal's speech on the reported bribing of opposition MPs to defeat the July 28, 1993, no-confidence motion against the Rao government. The witness, who is practising law at Hansi in Hisar district of Haryana, however, admitted that he had given the CBI a video cassette left with him by one of his clients whose name he did not know. He was also not aware of whether the cassette was blank or recorded.
Murder bid
MOSCOW, July 23 (AFP) — Chechen President Aslan Maskhadov today escaped with slight grazes from a car bomb assassination bid which left one of his bodyguards killed and four others seriously wounded, officials said. Explosives packed into a small car exploded at 11.20 a.m. as the presidential motorcade drove by, Deputy Prosecutor Magomed Magomadov told Interfax. Mr Maskhadov's black Chevrolet and a following security jeep burst into flames following the blast.
UN man quits
UNITED NATIONS, July 23 (PTI) — Apparently dissatisfied with the pace of relief efforts in Baghdad despite his campaign for an increased humanitarian aid for the country. United Nations Relief Coordinator for Iraq, Denis J. Halliday has decided to quit his post. A statement issued by his spokesman Eric Falt said Mr Halliday was leaving for personal reasons. Mr Falt agreed that those reasons could include "his dissatisfaction with the relief efforts and sanctions programme".
CM recovering
JAIPUR, July 23 (PTI) — The condition of Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, admitted to SMS Hospital here last night, was "stable and under control", state Health Minister Rajendra Singh Rathore told the House today. During zero hour, the Health Minister informed the members that Mr Shekhawat had developed "pancreatic infection" due to stones in the gall bladder.
Karnataka bandh
BANGALORE, July 23 (PTI) — The 12-hour Karnataka bandh sponsored by the BJP to protest against the recent hike in power tariff by the Karnataka Electricity Board (KEB), evoked a mixed response today. Early reports from the district headquarters suggested that the bandh was largely peaceful, barring a few stone-throwing incidents in Hubli, Gulbarga and Mangalore, the police said here. Reports said the response to the bandh was overwhelming in Madikeri, Chitradurga, Hassan, Karwar and Gulbarga.
Parallel probes
MUMBAI, July 23 (PTI) — Parallel inquiries have been started by the police and the Railways into the death of an elderly widow in a stampede on Tuesday last at the Andheri suburban station here and serious injuries to two others. The stampede followed a cane-charge by the police to disperse irate commuters who pelted stones on RPF personnel for allegedly meting inhuman treatment to an unauthorised woman hawker. While 58-year-old Daisy Challa, a widow employed in a private firm, succumbed to injuries suffered in the stampede. The hawker Jamila Murtaza Shaikh and commuter Vithal Wadkar, who runs a printing business in Navi Mumbai, were hospitalised.
Assembly Speaker
JAIPUR, July 23 (PTI) — The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today proposed the name of Samrathlal Meena as its candidate for the assembly Speaker's post. The election for speakership is slated for tomorrow, the assembly sources said. "Since there is no other contestant, Mr Meena's name would be declared elected unopposed as the speaker tomorrow," the sources said.
Naval chief's visit
MOSCOW, July 23 (PTI) — The Chief of the Indian Naval Staff Admiral Vishnu Bhagwat, is arriving here tomorrow to discuss cooperation between the naval forces of the two countries within the framework of the Indo-Russian inter-services cooperation agreement. During his week-long visit on invitation from the Russian Naval Chief Admiral Kuroyednaov, Admiral Bhagwat is scheduled to hold talks with senior Russian officials.