Quicktakes

Bitta8217;s demand
NEW DELHI: Former Youth Congress president M S Bitta today demanded mandatory capital punishment for terrorists in order to wipe out the menace from the country. quot;Tougher laws should be enactedproviding for death sentence and to ensure that bail is not granted to terrorists, who should be kept in isolation during trial,quot; he said.

TN relief
CHENNAI: Families of fishermen from Tamil Nadu, who were taken into custody by the Sri Lankan Navy, would be paid 50 rupees per day till the fishermen returned to India.

Gujarat toll
GANDHINAGAR: The Gujarat monsoon toll has risen to 23 with one more death reported from Bhavnagar in the past 24 hours. Six deaths were reported from Junagarh, four from Navsari, two each from Surat, Dahod and Sabarkantha and one each from Bhavnagar, Baroda, Anand and Banaksantha.

Pilgrim dies
SRINAGAR: One more Amarnath-bound pilgrim died at high altitude Sheshnag today taking the toll during the ongoing pilgrimage to six. The deceased, identified as Prasad son of Ram Lal of Kothai 8211; Ahmedabad, died 124 kilometres from Srinagar at an altitude of 3,718 metres high altitude.