tribuneindia...Spotlight

			Wednesday, March 31, 1999
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Suicide bid by MLA in House
HYDERABAD, March 30 (PTI) — A ruling Telugu Desam Party MLA today attempted to commit suicide in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly charging the government with apathy in granting ex-gratia to the kin of cotton farmers who committed suicide in Warangal district recently. Mr S. Madhusudhanachary, MLA from Warangal district, protested when Speaker Y. Ramakrishnudu disallowed his adjournment motion on the delay in the payment of ex-gratia to cotton farmers issue. While the Speaker was addressing Congress members, Mr Madhusudhanachary sprang a surprise by pulling out a bottle of insecticides and opening the lid after showing it to the Chair. The speaker alerted the watch and ward staff to stop him who, along with three senior ministers, rushed to the members and forcibly took away the bottle.

3 CPI-ML men shot
ARA, March 30 (PTI) — An armed squad of CPI-ML (Liberation) gunned down three activists of CPI-ML (Shanthal faction) at Maira village in Bhojpur district of Bihar late last night, the police said today. The killings were in retaliation for the murder of liberation cadre Baban Ram by the Shanthal faction on Sunday. Senior district officials have rushed to the spot.

2 killed in Tripura
AGARTALA, March 30 (PTI) — Two persons were killed and six injured, five of them seriously, when suspected National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) militants opened fire at a truck at Balurdham in West Tripura District last night, the police said here today. The ultras, clad in olive green fatigue and armed with sophisticated weapons, fired at the vehicle carrying some traders. While two died on the spot, six others were injured in the incident.

Poisonous ‘prasad’
SURAT, March 30 (PTI) — Three workers died after consuming poisonous ‘prasad’ in Vedach village in Broach district yesterday. The three had consumed the ‘prasad’ at the foundation stone laying ceremony of a brick kiln, a report received here today said. The bodies were later sent to a hospital at Jambusar Taluka town for post-mortem examination.

74 Shiv Sainiks held
MUMBAI, March 30 (PTI) — Seventyfour Shiv Sainiks, including Thane Sena unit chief Anand Dighe, were arrested at Durgadi fort at Kalyan, in adjoining Thane district yesterday, for allegedly disturbing the peace during Id-ul-Zuha prayers. Durgadi fort, located on a hillock, houses a temple and a dargah and every year Hindu devotees are not allowed to visit the temple during Id to prevent communal tension. The police said the Sainiks had allegedly tried to disturb the prayers by ringing the bells of the temple.

Awards for scientists
NEW DELHI, March 30 (PTI) — Five eminent scientists have been selected for Om Prakash Bhasin awards, instituted by Shri Om Prakash Bhasin Foundation for science and Technology for their outstanding contribution in their fields. The awardees include Manju Sharma, Secretary in the Department of Biotechnology, A. Seetharam from the Indian Council of Agricultural Research and P. Ramachandra Rao, Director, National Metallurgical Laboratory at Jamshedpur, Shankar Pal from the Machine Intelligence Division at the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) in Calcutta and M. Gouri Devi, Director of the Bangalore-based National Institute for Mental Health and Neurosciences have also been selected for the award.

Bajrang man shot
FAIZABAD, (Uttar Pradesh), March 30 (PTI) — A gang of three gunmen today shot dead a person, believed to be a Bajrang Dal activist, near the Civil Lines area in the city. The police said the deceased, a Bajrang Dal activist, was on a motor cycle when the miscreants shot at from close range and escaped. A massive manhunt had been launched to nab the culprits.

Mine blast kills 7
COLOMBO, March 30 (PTI) — At least seven Sri Lankan soldiers were killed in a Claymore mine blast triggered by Tamil rebels in the eastern Trincomalee district, a defence communique said today. The blast occurred when LTTE guerrillas detonated the mine blowing up a tractor carrying army men at Otiyamalai in the district yesterday killing all seven soldiers on board the vehicle. In another incident, LTTE militant was killed by troops in northern Jaffna.

2 Naxalites killed
GAYA (Bihar), March 30 (PTI) — A constable and two extremists of the banned Maoist Communist Centre were killed in a fierce encounter at Nawada village in extremist-hit Gaya district of Bihar today. In the encounter that lasted for several hours, a jawan of Bihar military police was killed on the spot while police shot two MCC cadres. The ultras succeeded in taking away the bodies of their comrades.

Mumbai airport
MUMBAI, March 30 (PTI) — Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee will name the Mumbai airport after Chhatrapati Shivaji and pay tributes to the Maratha emperor on his 319th death anniversary at the historic Raigad Fort in Mahad during his day-long visit to Maharashtra tomorrow. This will be the second landmark in the metropolis to be named after the Maratha warrior after the railway terminus formerly known as Victoria Terminus.