Statescape — Gujral’s reply to debate on Haj fire tragedy

Noted author Pravin Patkar receiving this year's Keshavrao Kothawale award for his collection of short stories from veteran actor Shriram L...

Noted author Pravin Patkar receiving this year’s Keshavrao Kothawale award for his collection of short stories from veteran actor Shriram Lagoo at a function held on Monday in Pune.

NEW DELHI: The Government is to make a detailed statement on the recent Haj tragedy today, Information and Broadcasting Minister Jaipal Reddy, told the Rajya Sabha today. “Prime Minister I K Gujral) will make a suo moto statement on all aspects of the tragedy,” he said responding to the concern voiced by several members. The statement would include the report submitted to the government by a fact-finding team sent to Mina.

The Information and Broadcasting minister gave the assurance when Deputy Chairperson Najma Heptullah asked the government to clear the doubts and misgivings in the minds of members on the role of the Saudi Arabian authorities as well as the statement made by the Indian Consul-General. Azam Khan (SP) demanded that the Saudi authorities should provide insurance cover to Haj pilgrims and asked how the local administration could allow the use of cooking gas in the tents.

First phase of Rajiv murder case over

CHENNAI: The examination of all the 288 prosecution witnesses in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case was completed before the special judge Navaneetham at the special court in Poonamallee. The last person cross-examined by the defence counsel was S Ragothaman, DSP, CBI, SIT, the investigating officer in the case. With the completion of examination of prosecution witnesses, now the stage is set for the special judge to question all the 26 accused in the case, which will commence from May 14. The regular arguments in the case would begin thereafter and is likely to continue for about two months.

DNA test reports of Tanwar case soon

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HYDERABAD: The Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) here, which has been assigned the task of conducting the DNA test in the sensational Tanwar murder case, would complete investigations within a few days, a spokesman of the CCMB said. “The insufficient amount of samples and enormous time loss (the murder occurred in November 1993) are posing technical challenge to us. But we hope to achieve breakthrough”, Dr Lalji Singh, head of the DNA fingerprinting division of the premier research institute said. The CCMB, whose DNA analysis had earlier helped identify murderers in sensational cases involving Rajiv Gandhi and Naina Sahani besides solving several paternity dispute cases, received the blood samples of Dr Surendra Tanwar about two weeks ago.

Satnam Bai summoned before Takht

AMRITSAR: Akal Takht Jathedar, Ranjit Singh, summoned Satnami Bai, widowed in the Delhi riots in 1984, and three others to appear before the Takht for explanation on May 13. A former president of the Delhi Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee, Paramjit Singh Sarna, Jathedar’s elder brother and DGPC member, Gurcharan Singh and Ripudaman Singh, president of the Delhi Gurudwara Prabandhak Sudhar Committee, are the other three persons who have been summoned by the Akal Takht. Satnami Bai was the main prosecution witness in the case of Delhi riots against the former Union Minister, H K L Bhagat but she changed her statement against Bhagat in November last year.

Sanction sought for Jaya’s prosecution

CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu government has sought the governor’s sanction to prosecute the former chief minister, J Jayalalitha, for accumulation of wealth disproportionate to her known sources of income even as a petition by her challenging the governor’s power to grant such sanction is pending before the Supreme Court. If the governor, M Fatima Beevi, granted the necessary sanction, the charge-sheet against Jayalalitha was likely to be filed before the month-end in a special court set up by the government. The DVAC will also file charge-sheets against former AIADMK minister C Aranganayagam, former party minister, M Satyamurthy, and former party MLA, Mallika, for possessing wealth disproportionate to their income.