Ex-ministers Kaul, Thungon charge-sheeted
NEW DELHI: The CBI on Monday filed three charge-sheets against former Union ministers Sheila Kaul and PK Thungon for alleged criminal conspiracy and misuse of official position in the out-of-turn allotment of government accommodation, shops and kiosks. The charge-sheets were filed with additional sessions judge Ajit Bharihoke. The CBI had investigated the case on a SC directive on February 14, 1996. The president had granted sanction to prosecute Kaul, who was then urban development minister, and her deputy Thungon, last April.
Mahajan quits
NEW DELHI: BJP leader Pramod Mahajan has resigned as Political Adviser to Prime Minister AB Vajpayee following the party’s decision to field him for the June 18 Rajya Sabha biennial election from Maharashtra.
Train derailed
GUWAHATI: At least two people were killed and 22 injured, four of them seriously, when seven coaches of the Guwahati-bound Siffung passenger train jumped tracks near Tarang bridgebetween Kokrajhar and Salakathi stations of Northeast Frontier Railway in Assam on Monday. One person died on the spot, another later, an NF Railway spokesman said. The derailment took place owing to removal of fish plates by Bodo militants.
Indian evacuees
NEW DELHI: The Indian Government has made all arrangements for the evacuation of Indian nationals wishing to leave Eritrea and a chartered plane from Asmara would arrive in Mumbai early on Tuesday, an External Affairs Ministry spokesman has said. All Indian nationals are safe in Asmara and not affected by the civil war between Ethiopia and Eritrea, he said.
BARC homepage
MUMBAI: Bhabha Atomic Energy Research Centre (BARC), India’s premier nuclear establishment, has withdrawn its homepage from internet service following the controversy of online pirates breaking into its computer network after the nuclear tests, sources said.
Prisoners escape
MUZAFFARPUR (BIHAR): Eleven undertrials, including some alleged hard-core criminalsand these involved in murder cases, escaped from the civil court premises here Monday. Police Superintendent (In charge) Babu Lal Ram said the undertrials fled from the court’s bathroom and the police party escorting them failed to trace them.
Body recovered
MUMBAI: A naval helicopter fished out the body of a woman from rough seas off Marine Drive in the City. The body was spotted floating around 12.30 Monday afternoon. The body was flown to Naval helicopter base I N S Kunjali. The dead body was identified as Maya Jayantilal Thakkar, 29, a resident of Bhayander.