VIP court

The Special Bench hearing in the Supreme Court on DMK leader Kanimozhis bail plea has the Supreme Court in something of a tizzy.

The Special Bench hearing in the Supreme Court on DMK leader Kanimozhis bail plea has the Supreme Court in something of a tizzy with more staffers being designated to help run court number 3 on Monday,including airing the otherwise closed courtroom and keeping it spic and span. Right now,there is only one summer vacation bench hearing urgent cases with a skeletal staff in attendance in the otherwise quiet court complex.

Staple diet

With the first high-level military contact between India and China fructifying this week from June 19 to 24,the suspense over the kind of visas given to the Indian delegation was an issue of concern considering an earlier episode involving an Indian General. The misgivings were misplaced with a divisional commander from the Northern Army Command a Major General-ranked officer was being given a proper stamped visa. On an earlier occasion,the Chinese had insisted that the Northern Army Commander would have to be granted a stapled visa since Jammu amp; Kashmir falls under his command. The leader of the current delegation is commanding a force in Doda district. Through this week,the delegation will also visit Urumqi,the capital of Xinjiang,apart from the bilateral interaction in Beijing.

Ever vigilant

Even as the government attempts to whittle down the list of candidates for the post of the Central Vigilance Commissioner,the dominant number in the fray continues to be of bureaucrats. The SC ruling on the P J Thomas fiasco has still not deterred the IAS from showing extra zeal for the office. Such was the flood of requests from retired or soon-to-retire babus that the Department of Personnel amp; Training actually decided to include all IAS officers from the 1972 and 1973 batches,provided there was no adverse report against them. No wonder the list has grown to such a large number.

Emergency treatment

All is not well between newly appointed chairman of the Medical Council of India MCI Dr K K Talwar and Secretary Dr Sangeeta Sharma. The grapevine has it that the secretary actually tendered her resignation last Friday,apparently after a heated argument with the chairman. Even as both refuse to disclose details of their meeting,the secretary is said to have made some serious allegations. Dr Talwar,however,continues to maintain that there is no misunderstanding between the two. Meanwhile,an emergency meeting of the council has been called on Monday.

Pointless exercise

While the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal Badal and the opposition Congress have been making loud noises against the recent decision of President Pratibha Patil to turn down the mercy plea of Khalistan Liberation Force terrorist Devender Pal Singh Bhullar,the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee SGPC has gone a step ahead. On Monday,an SGPC delegation is expected to meet Punjab Governor Shivraj Patil to seek his intervention in the issue. However,Patils office is perplexed on what exactly he can do except forward any representation by the SGPC to the Union Home Ministry and the President.