The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Friday, January 14, 2000,
Chandigarh, India

THE TRIBUNE SPECIALS

50 YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE

TERCENTENARY CELEBRATIONS

S P O T L I G H T

Eight gunned down
MUZAFFARNAGAR, jan 13 (PTI) — Eight persons were gunned down by miscreants at Fahimpur village in the district while they were returning from a court hearing, the police said on Thursday. The assailants dragged the victims out of the bus in which they were travelling and shot them dead, Senior Superintendent of Police Ashutosh Pandey said. An old rivalry was said to be the cause behind the crime, he said.

Chief Engineer killed
IMPHAL, Jan 13 (PTI) — S.C. Sher, Chief Engineer of a hydroelectric project near here, was killed last night by underground militants demanding extortion money, official sources said today. Three heavily-armed militants asked Sher to come out of his official residence in a guest house in Bishenpur district around 7:30 pm and shot him from point blank range. Sher received more than eight bullet wounds.

Chandraswami’s plea
NEW DELHI, Jan 13 (PTI) — The Supreme Court today dismissed controversial godman Chandraswami’s application seeking permission to go abroad for treatment. A Division Bench comprising Justice D.P. Wadhawa and Justice S.N. Phukan rejected the plea of Chandraswami, who is facing trial in several cases in different courts. Chandraswami had moved the apex court after his plea was earlier rejected by the Delhi High Court.

New SPG chief
Tribune News Service
NEW DELHI, Jan 13 — Mr Tushar Kanti Mitra, a 1968 batch West Bengal cadre IPS officer, has been appointed as the new Director of the elite Special Protection Group (SPG), a Ministry of Personnel official, said tonight. Mr Mitra is personally serving as Additional Director in the Intelligence Bureau. He replaces Mr M.R. Reddy, who is understood to be joining the Ministry of External Affairs.

US delegation in Pak
ISLAMABAD, jan 13 (DPA) — Pakistan today sought “basic fairness” as high-profile delegations arrived from the USA and the UK to urge its military regime to restore democracy and to give up its nuclear competition with arch-rival India. “A basic fairness is expected from the USA in its approach to both Pakistan and India,” a Foreign Ministry spokesman told reporters .

Man kills 6 kin
TEZPUR, Jan 13 (UNI) — Caught in the weird world of witchcraft, a man axed to death his wife, mother, four children in Sonitpur district, the police said today. After the deed yesterday, he attempted suicide. A case has been registered against the person, Dhaneswar Ratia. Sonitpur Superintendent of Police Khabir Ahmed, after visiting the spot at Namgaon Tea Estate, said Raita struck his head with an axe. “He even wanted to kill us (police).”