The High-profile absentees

DEMOTION ORDER

AN IG of CRPF posted in Jamp;K has been demoted after discrepancies were found in his physical fitness records. The order to demote IG,Operations,S S Sandhu,was issued by the Home Ministry which said he would be posted as DIG at CRPF Headquarters in Delhi. It is perhaps for the first time in the 74-year-old history of the three-lakh strong CRPF that a senior officer has been demoted. Sandhu was not known to be on the best of terms with the CRPF headquarters or the Jamp;K police. He had first come under scanner after he challenged medical boards recommendation declaring him unfit for promotion,and suo motu submitted a report from another panel of doctors,which was not authorised as per the CRPF rules.

THE DAMPER

CBI director Ranjit Sinhas first At Home function on Tuesday was marred by bad weather. Many guests did not show up because sudden downpour in the evening. Among those present were Lalu Prasad and Ramvilas Paswan,two leaders whose political fortunes have been going downhill. Sinha happened to be the head of the CBI office in Patna when the fodder scam broke out. Due to rain,PM Manmohan Singh did not go towards the reception area and instead made a visit inside the residence of the CBI director.

MAKING AN EXCEPTION

CONGRESS partys list of candidates for Karnataka Assembly elections is said to have been finalised,except for some hopefuls whose fate is still to be decided. The party had decided that it will not give tickets to any relatives of serving Union ministers. That had put a cloud over the future of Labour Minister Mallikarjun Kharges son Priyank and junior minister K H Muniyappas daughter Roopkala,both of whom are seeking tickets. But the party is now leaning towards making an exception in the case of Priyank,since he had lost the previous election by just a few hundred votes. The only problem,however,is that if Priyank is given a ticket,on what ground can it be denied to Muniyappas daughter.