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Three militants killed in Assam encounter Guwahati:
Three militants, including two ULFA cadres, were killed and another injured
in two encounters in Assam on Thursday. According to police, the five National
Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) militants exchanged fire at around 4:00 a.m.
during a joint operation conducted by the army and police in Naharbari village.
One NDFB militant was killed and another injured in an encounter. However, four
other militants, including the injured ultra, managed to escape. A Chinese grenade,
AK-56 rifle, 72 rounds of ammunition, several documents, including NDFB letter
pads and receipts were recovered. In another incident, two ULFA militants were
killed in an encounter with security forces in the Garo Hills along the Assam-Meghalaya
border at Mankachar bordering Bangladesh. Both have been identified as hardcore
ULFA cadres Megha Hajong and Dinesh Rabha of the outfit''s 109 Battalion. Security
forces recovered an AK-81 rifle and several explosives. CBI
files chargesheet against Kerala CPI-M leader in Top
multi-crore-rupeee scam Thiruvananthapuram:
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday filed a chargesheet
against CPI-M Kerala secretary Pinarayi Vijayan, who is an accused in the multi-crore-rupeee
SNC-Lavalin scam. The case pertained to alleged corruption and irregularities
in awarding the contract for the renovation of three hydro-electric projects -
Panniyanr, Chenkulam and Pallivasal – to the Canadian firm SNC Lavalin when Vijayan
was the state’s Power Minister in 1998. The CBI, which had probed the case, found
irregularities in awarding the contract and wanted to arraign Vijayan as the ninth
accused in the case. Earlier, Kerala Governor R S Gavai had given sanction to
the CBI to prosecute Vijayan in connection with his involvement in the case. There
was a split in the Kerala CPI(M) with CM Achuthanandan defying the politburo line
on Governor Gavai''s decision to give sanction to prosecute Vijayan in the corruption
case, saying it neither shocked nor surpised him. Police
to get full powers in JK: Chidambaram Top Srinagar:
Union Home Minister P Chidambaram on Thursday met Jammu and Kashmir Chief
Minister Omar Abdullah and discussed the security scenario in the state. Chidambaram
said the police should get precedence over paramilitary forces. During his two-day
visit, he is scheduled to meet the Governor and State Ministers. He will also
attend a meeting of the Unified Command. The Home Minister will also discuss with
the State Government issues relating to the economic development of Jammu and
Kashmir. This will be the first visit of Chidambaram to Jammu and Kashmir after
the assumption of office by the new Government at the Centre.
Inflation slips to three-decade low, at
0.13 per cent Top New
Delhi: Inflation slipped to 0.13 per cent for the week ended May 30, the lowest
ever in over three decades despite a continuing rise in the food prices. It was
0.48 percent on May 23 and 9.32 percent during the corresponding week in the previous
year. Despite the slip, food prices continued their upward spiral with the price
of eggs rising by 11 percent, mutton by three percent, fruits vegetables and condiments
and spices by two percent each and barley, moong and urad by one percent. Prices
of coffee (4 per cent) and bajra (3per cent) declined. There was no change in
fuel, power, light and lubricant prices. Manufactured products, which have a weightage
of 63.75 percentage points, remained unchanged and remained at its previous week's
level of 203.5. |
