Court Update 8212; Delhi

8220;The complainant Nina has not till date responded to a request from the IO that she record her statement. She may cooperate with the IO in the investigation,8221; the CMM said in his order.

He also directed Inspector Rathi to file another progress report by March 26.

Nina Pillai had alleged that there was a 8220;wider conspiracy8221; behind the death of her husband. The CMM on January 18 ordered the crime branch of the Delhi Police to probe that angle.

The crime branch has already registered a case against godman Chandraswami, industrialist Nusli Wadia, Bangkok-based NRI Rakesh Saxena and Singapore-based businessman Frederick Ross Johnson for their alleged involvement in Pillai8217;s death.

8220;It would be the obligation of the IO to go into all the circumstances existing at the time July 19958230;and to examine not only the roles of the four accused persons but also that of the then jail officials,8221; the CMM had said.

Nina Pillai had accused Chandraswami of extorting Rs 25 lakh from her husband as donation for his ashram, 2.6 million to bail him out of court cases in Singapore and for getting him a project in India using his connections.

According to her, Wadia wanted to gain control of Britannia Industries, in which her husband held most of the shares. Wadia allegedly joined hands with Johnson, Rajan Pillai8217;s partner at one time, and some other persons in Singapore to oust Rajan from the Britannia group, she alleged.

MCD restores mid-day meals in schools
The Municipal Corporation of Delhi MCD today submitted before the Delhi High Court that it has restored the mid-day meal scheme in its nearly 1800 primary schools and has doubled the quantum of money allocated for the purpose.

Presenting his case before a division bench comprising Justice Arun Kumar and Justice J.B. Goel, MCD counsel Raman Duggal informed the court that the scheme was restored on February 12 and the corporation was now spending Rs two per student instead of Re one, as was the provision earlier for the mid-day meal.The supplier of the meal, Modern Food Industries, which provided bread in the schools, has also been changed as there were complaints against it. He added that the corporation has also decided to provide egg-less cake in place of bread to increase the protein quantity in the food.

The bench took note of the submission made by Duggal and the affidavit placed by him before the court and disposed of the PIL filed by the All India Lawyers8217; Union AILU seeking immediate provision of the stalled mid-day meals in the schools.