The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Monday, January 31, 2000,
Chandigarh, India

THE TRIBUNE SPECIALS

50 YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE

TERCENTENARY CELEBRATIONS

S P O T L I G H T

Blast injures 15
COLOMBO, Jan 30 (PTI) — A bomb blast in a passenger bus in southern Sri Lanka today left 15 persons injured while 22 LTTE rebels and two policemen were killed in other separate encounters between the troops and the guerrillas in the north since yesterday. Fifteen passengers were injured, some of them seriously, in Kurnegala district when a bomb exploded in their bus near Phalanguda, defence sources here said.

CBI examines pilots of hijacked plane
NEW DELHI, Jan 30 (PTI) — Pilots and crew members of the Indian Airlines flight IC-814, which was hijacked on December 24, have been examined by the CBI which was also scrutinising documents filed by Amritsar police authorities on the hijack episode. The investigating agency, which recorded the statements of the pilot, co-pilot and the crew members, was in the process of corroborating them, CBI sources said today. Statements of some passengers were also recorded by the investigating team, the sources said.

Shanta hospitalised
HYDERABAD, Jan 30 (PTI) — Union Minister for Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution System Shanta Kumar was admitted to a private hospital here tonight following complaints of “restlessness” while he was travelling on a Delhi-Bangalore flight, which was diverted to Hyderabad. According to Indian Airlines sources, on arrival at Hyderabad, the minister was rushed to a private hospital in Secunderabad, where his condition was stated to be stable.

Ministers quit
PATNA, Jan 30 (UNI) — Two more ministers resigned from the Rabri Devi Cabinet in Bihar today after the ruling Rashtriya Janata Dal denied them ticket to contest the assembly poll. Building Construction Minister Basant Singh and Minister of State for Food and Civil Supllies Ramlakhan Mahto put in their papers alleging large-scale irregularities in distribution of the party ticket.

Curfew stays
LUCKNOW, Jan 30 (PTI) — Curfew continued in Azamgarh and Mubarakpur of Uttar Pradesh today as a precautionary measure although no untoward incidents were reported from the towns hit by violence earlier this week. No fresh incident of violence was reported from anywhere in Azamgarh city, which witnessed communal clashes on Thursday that left a policeman and three students injured, Principal Secretary (Home) V. K. Mittal told reporters here. Altogether 58 persons have been rounded up in connection with the clashes.

Immolation
SATARA, Jan 30 (PTI) — An 80-year-old farmer, who set himself afire in front of the rehabilitation office yesterday in a desperate attempt to draw attention to his inability to repay an agricultural loan, succumbed to his injuries today. Ram Pawar from Kasoli village in Koregaon taluka set himself ablaze by pouring kerosene on himself in front of the office near the District Collectorate.