Statescape — Floods cripple life in Orissa

The road communication between Basta and Baliapal in northern Orissa has been totally cut off.

5 hurt in Tamil Nadu police firing

RAJAPALAYAM: Five persons were injured when police opened fire at a mob which attacked them at Sethur near Rajapalayam in Kamarajar district of Tamil Nadu on Sunday. According to police, the over 200-strong crowd, including women, attacked their van with stones and fuel wood, to facilitate escape of 20 persons who had been arrested for instigating violence by bringing down the flags of political parties and hoisting their community flag in the village. Police said they first made a lathicharge and later burst tear gas shells to quell violence and rearrest the escapees.

Manmohan bags Lokmanya Tilak prize

PUNE: The Lokmanya Tilak Memorial Award for 1997 would be given to former Union Minister Dr Manmohan Singh. The award, instituted by the Lokmanya Tilak Smarak Trust would be handed over to Dr Singh by Prime Minister I K Gujral at a function here on August 1, Jayantrao Tilak, chairman of the trust told reporters here on Sunday. The award carries Rs one lakh and a citation.

Bomb planted 18 months ago defused

JAIPUR: A powerful bomb planted by a Pakistani national and his three accomplices in the Sawai Man Singh Stadium here before the Republic Day celebration of last year, was dug out on Saturday, Rajasthan police said here on Sunday. The Police and a team of special bomb disposal experts, with the help of the Pakistan based militant, identified as Abdul Matin, dug out the bomb from the stadium. Later, the bomb was defused. Matin, who with his three accomplices, had planted the bomb in the stadium, was brought from Srinagar by the Rajasthan Police to assist in locating the hidden bomb.

Ex-DGP launches new political party

HYDERABAD: “Andhra Nadu”, the new political outfit of former director general of police M V Bhaskara Rao was launched on Sunday with the aim of rendering “political distributive justice” to the oppressed sections of the society. Launching the party amidst slogan shouting by his supporters, Bhaskara Rao, who had recently sought voluntary retirement from service, said his party would strive to ensure political social and economic justice on basis of proportional representation. Rao said his party was a conglomeration of all deprived and depressed sections who were denied power and justice since Independence.