National brief

members.

Trade tax official dies mysteriously

Kanpur: An assistant commissioner of trade tax died under mysterious circumstances here,the police said. Sanjay Srivastava was checking the papers of a truck and found them incomplete. He asked the driver to report to Sikandra police station,DM Saroj Tiwari said. Srivastava suddenly turned blue and collapsed,Tiwari added. His colleagues rushed him to a hospital where he died.

Pak soldier handed back

Srinagar: A Pakistan Armyman,who had crossed the border and sneaked into Kupwara,was on Wednesday handed over to the Pakistani authorities. Sarfaraz Ahmed,an infantry man from the Mujahideen brigade,was arrested by the Army in Kupwara near Neel border post on Tuesday.

Kota bridge collapse: 1 more body found

Jaipur: Another body was found on Wednesday from the debris of an under-construction bridge that collapsed over Chambal river in Kota district,pushing the toll to 36. “Rescuers extricated a mutilated body from the rubble,” Kota Collector T Ravikant said. Eleven people were still missing and believed to be trapped under the debris.

Pinarayi gets bail in graft case

Kochi: CPM Kerala secretary Pinarayi Vijayan,listed as an accused in the Rs 100 crore graft case relating to award of contract to Canadian firm SNC-Lavalin during his tenure as Power Minister in 1998,on Wednesday got a temporary reprieve with a CBI special court granting him bail. The CBI,which is probing the case,sought dismissal of his petition seeking direction to question Defence Minister A K Antony in the case. Judge K P Jothindranath granted bail to Vijayan on his furnishing a bond of Rs 2 lakh and two sureties.

Smita now meets state Congress chief

Mumbai: Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray’s daughter-in-law Smita Thackeray,whose wish to join Congress had created a flutter in the political circles a month ago,recently met state party president Manikrao Thakre. Smita,a film and TV producer,met Thakre at party office in central Mumbai two days ago. Confirming the meeting,Thakre told PTI that he had asked her to meet the central leadership in Delhi. “She has not put any pre-conditions for her entry into the party. The party high command will have a final say in this matter,” he said.

Leopard falls into well,rescued

Ahmedabad: A leopard,which had fallen into a well in Keshod taluka of Junagadh district,has been rescued following efforts of the Gujarat forest department,forest officials said on Wednesday. The incident occurred on Tuesday in Hajab village. Keshod Range Forest Officer B V Parsala said rescue operations had begun as soon as they got information from the villagers. “We had tried for hours to get the leopard out of the well. In night,we kept a ladder inside the well. The leopard climbed the ladder in the night and returned to the forest,” he said.

DCP’s wife files FIR against constable

Mumbai: Wife of a Mumbai DCP has lodged an FIR against an unidentified constable alleging criminal breach of trust after the latter did not return her a rifle given to him to get the servicing done. The complainant Hemalata Salve,wife of DCP Vishwas Salve,attached with Special Branch,lodged the FIR alleging that a police constable deployed at their residence on security duty did not return the gun after she gave it to him for servicing,the police said. The complainant could not recall the name of the constable.

Rao condoles death of woman IFS officer

New Delhi: Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao has said Kezhekapt Rukmini Menon was a role-model for all junior Indian Foreign Service officers,particularly,for the woman diplomats in the foreign service. She was speaking at a meeting organised by the IFS association to condole the demise of Menon,who was India’s second woman career diplomat after C B Muthamma. Menon breathed her last at her

Bangalore residence on December 23. She had served in Europe,Australia,Canada,Asia and Africa.

Sahai new Rly Board Member Traffic

NEW DELHI: Indian Railways Traffic Service (IRTS) officer of the 1973-batch,Vivek Sahai,is the new Member Traffic in the Railway Board. Sahai,who was General Manager,Northern Railway,succeeds Sri Prakash. Prakash has become Chairman of the Standing High Power Committee on Infrastructure Planning,Business Development and Project in the Ministry of Railways. Sahai will continue as the General Manager,Northern Railway,for a period of three months

or until further orders.