S P O T L I G H T

Five bodies found in canal
Our Correspondent
Meerut, July 17
Five unidentified human bodies, including a headless one, are lying unclaimed in the canal of Bhola Power House for the past two days. Fish and scavenging birds are having a feast of the bodies. But no administrative action has been taken by the Meerut police. People of the nearby Janikhurd village are on the opinion that it is a case of mass murder. They believe that all five bodies belong to one family comprising three adults and two children that has been murdered somewhere else and their bodies dumped here by the killers. According to the villagers, the police of Janikhurd has been informed. However, a police official said, “we have no information about the matter”.

SC notice to Centre over ICWA takeover
Legal Correspondent
New Delhi, July 17
A Division Bench of the Supreme Court comprising Mr Justice G.B. Pattanik and Mr Justice U.C. Banerjee today issued notices to the Union Government, the Cabinet Secretary, the Union Urban Development Minister Jagmohan and others on a writ petition challenging the takeover of the management and building of the popularly known Sapru House in the Capital with effect from September 1, 2000. The petitioners, Mr Dharam Dutt (retired IAS), Mr Bishnu Prasad, a former MP and advocate, Mr Surjit Singh, journalist and another sought quashing of three successive ordinances issued by the President taking over the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA).