People surround the wreckage of the Alliance Air plane
 that crashed in Patna on Monday. —Reuters photo

Crash site presents ghastly sight
PATNA, July 17 — Mutilated bodies, broken cabin baggage and pieces of the ill-fated Alliance aircraft strewn all over reflect the magnitude of the crash in which 61 people, including 54 on board, and seven persons on the ground, were killed.

NC to continue in NDA
Farooq hopeful on autonomy issue
NEW DELHI, July 17 — Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah today expressed optimism about finding an amicable solution to the vexed autonomy issue and assured Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee about his party’s continuation in the National Democratic Alliance.

Urine case: Badal orders probe
GONIANA (Bathinda), July 17 — Mr Parkash Singh Badal, Chief Minister of Punjab, has ordered an inquiry into the “urine drinking incident” that took place in one of the police stations in Batala in which an “Amritdhari Sikh” was compelled to drink urine by an ASI. Mr Badal, who was here today to attend a “sangat darshan programme” said an inquiry into a ‘custodial death’ in Noshera Panua chowki of Sarhali police station of Amritsar district had also been ordered and a DIG would conduct the inquiries of both the cases.

315 kg of RDX seized in valley
SRINAGAR, July 17 — At least 12 persons, including 11 militants, have been killed in separate incidents in Kashmir valley since yesterday, while the security forces seized 315 kg of RDX from a downtown locality here last night. Militants also kidnapped five villagers in Udhampur district, the police said here today.

NHRC to be consulted on PoT Bill
NEW DELHI, July 17 — In the wake of sharp reaction and criticism the proposed Prevention of Terrorism Bill has evoked in several quarters, the Centre today announced that it would consult the National Human Rights Commission on the proposed legislation.

 

16 killed as rain lashes Himachal SHIMLA, July 17 — At least 16 persons were killed in rain and landslide related mishaps in Himachal Pradesh today. The districts of Shimla, Solan, Sirmaur and Kinnaur had continuous rain for the second day today, flooding the rivers and nullahs and also triggering landslides at many places. Special reports from HAMIRPUR, KASAULI, KATHUA, NAHAN, PARWANOO, SOLAN, MALERKOTLA and MOGA