The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Wednesday, April 19, 2000,
Chandigarh, India

THE TRIBUNE SPECIALS

50 YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE

TERCENTENARY CELEBRATIONS

S P O T L I G H T

Dara’s accomplice arrested
BARIPADA (Orissa), April 18 (PTI) The police has arrested one more person in connection with the gruesome killing of Australian missionary Graham Sewart Staines and his two minor sons in January last year, official sources said here today. Abhi Mahant, an accomplice of Dara Singh, the main accused in the incident already in custody, was nabbed by a special police squad from Sudarshanpur village in Baripada district yesterday, the sources said. Mahant carried a reward of Rs 50,000 on his head.

5 Naxals shot dead
HYDERABAD, April 18 (UNI) — Five Naxalites belonging to the People’s War Group were killed in different encounters with the police in Andhra Pradesh yesterday. The police said here today that two motor cycle-borne Naxalites were killed in an encounter near Mustipalli village in Karimnagar district. The central organiser of Janasakthi, Dalam P. Ganga Reddy, was killed in an encounter near Lingampet in the same district. Two Naxalites belonging to Sikasa, a frontal organisation of the PWG, were killed at Dugnepalli village in Adilabad district.

Ultras surrender
GUWAHATI, April 18 (PTI) — As many as 48 militants belonging to the ULFA and the NDFB outfits have surrendered with arms before village elders in lower Assam’s Darrang district, district administration sources said today. Among the ultras who surrendered yesterday, 47 were from the ULFA the sources told PTI. Stating that the surrender was organised by the public, the sources said the rebels of the banned underground outfits were scheduled to meet the Deputy Commissioner today for receiving their formal surrender certificates.

17 LTTE men killed
COLOMBO, April 18 (UNI) — At least 17 LTTE men were killed in separate confrontations with government troops in northern Jaffna yesterday, a defence ministry statement said. Of them, eight were killed by the forces. In the general area of Nagar Kovil and Ariyali, troops attacked enemy bunkers with mortar and artillery fire, killing three. In Chavakachcheri, two terrorists were killed in counter bombardment.

Tornado strikes Cuttack
BHUBANESWAR, April 18 (PTI) — A tornado which struck several villages in Baramba tehsil of Cuttack district on Sunday has caused extensive damage to houses and livestock, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Debi Mishra has said. Though no human casualty was reported, low-lying areas were flooded and the squall caused power supply to snap causing many areas to go without power for about five hours.