Mumbai Scan

Easter greetings

MUMBAI: Maharashtra governor Dr P C Alexander has greeted the people of Maharashtra on the occasion of Easter. In his message, he said, “Easter marks the resurrection of Lord Jesus Christ from the dead. It is celebrated all over the world as the victory of truth and loveover evil and hatred. Let us today rededicate ourselves to the values of love, compassion and forgiveness so ardently preached by Lord Jesus,” he said.

Noted litterateur dead

MUMBAI: Ganesh Mantri, former editor of leading Hindi weekly Dharmyug of the Times of India group, died here on Saturday following a heart by-pass surgery. He is survived by his wife and a son. Sources said that Mantri had undergone a by-pass surgery following a heart attack, but failed to regain consciousness after the operation. Mantri, who belonged to Kota, had joined the Times of India group as a trainee sub-editor and rose to became editor of Dharmyug. After the closure of Dharmyug, Mantri started contributing regular columns in several newspapers. The Journalists Association of Rajasthan, meanwhile, expressed grief over Mantri’s demise and said Hindi journalism had become poorer by his departure.

State Samata Party meeting

MUMBAI: A two-day executive committee meting of the Maharashtra Samata Party began onSaturday at Nala Sopara in northwest Mumbai. In a statement, Clifford Martis, national secretary of the Samata Party, said that the meeting would discuss various issues of topical interest and take stock of the party’s performance in the state. Various party activists would participate in the meeting, he added. Martis said the free housing scheme had been bogged down because of rigid rules which had driven away prospective financiers and builders from venturing into the projects.

Bhiwandi court refuses bail plea

MUMBAI: The Bhiwandi court, which was to decide on the bail application of the accused in the kidney transplant case, refused bail to all four and extended their remand until April 16. Two of the accused, Deepak Kumar Jaiswal and Shakeel Basheer Ansari, told the court that their left kidneys had also been removed. But the Bhiwandi Crime Branch said it would require time to establish whether this were true.