tribuneindia...Spotlight

			Thursday, November 5, 1998
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Naxals surrender
JAGDALPUR, Nov 4 (UNI) — As many as 82 members of different Naxalite sangams last night surrendered before the police in the tribal Bastar district of Madhya Pradesh. Deputy Inspector General of Police (Bastar range) Girdhari Nayak said the surrendered Naxalites had told the police that they were disillusioned with the Naxal movement because of their violent activities, including murder of poor tribals and policemen.

Chief Secretary chargesheeted
KOCHI, Nov 4 (PTI) — Unprecedented in the state’s history, the Kerala High Court today framed charges against Chief Secretary M Mohankumar in a contempt case for "wilfully disobeying" a court order. The Chief Secretary, who neither denied nor accepted the charges, submitted before the Division Bench hearing a contempt petition that he has never meant to cause any disrespect to the court and tendered an unqualified apology if there was any lapse on his part.

Hearing on Laloo’s bail plea today
PATNA, Nov 4 (PTI) — The Patna High Court is likely to begin hearing on regular bail applications of former Bihar Chief Minister, Mr Laloo Prasad Yadav and Mr Jagannath Mishra, in a conspiracy angle case of the fodder scam tomorrow. Mr Yadav had moved the high court yesterday against the order of the special judge of the designated CBI court SK Lal rejecting his regular bail plea, while Mr Mishra had filed the petition on Monday. Their petitions are listed for hearing by a single Bench of Mr Justice MY Eqbal from tomorrow.

Naval command
CALCUTTA, Nov 4 (UNI) — India will set up a separate naval command with its headquarters at Andaman Islands very soon, Defence Minister George Fernandes said today. Talking to reporters immediately after his arrival from Bangalore, Mr Fernandes said the papers in this regard had already been placed before the Union Cabinet.

Tajik city attacked
DUSHANBE, Nov 4 (AFP) — About 1,000 armed men led by rebel warlord today attacked Tajikistan’s second city of Khudzhant and other strategic points in the north of the central Asian republic, military sources said. The rebels, loyal to warlord Makhmud Khudoberdiyev, targeted strategic sites in Khudzhant and nearby Chkalovsk, both about 400 km north of Dushanbe, the sources said.

JD Gen Secys
NEW DELHI, Nov 4 (PTI) — Former Union Minister Devendra Prasad Yadav and former Bihar Minister Narendra Singh have been appointed General Secretaries of the Janata Dal. The appointments were made by party President Sharad Yadav, according to the Dal’s Secretary-General Bapu Kaldate. Mr BK Prasad, labour leader, was also appointed General Secretary of the Dal.

Chief Secy chargesheeted
KOCHI, Nov 4 (PTI) — Unprecedented in the state’s history, the Kerala High Court today chargesheeted Chief Secretary M. Mohankumar in a contempt case for ‘‘wilfully disobeying’’ a court order ‘‘thus undermining its prestige’’. The three others who have also been chargesheeted in the case are: the Kannur SP, Sheik Darvesh Sahib, the Payyavur SI, Mr T. Balakrishnan and the Deputy Director, Panchayat, Mr Maniappan. The charge against them was that they had failed to implement a court order of August 27 for providing police protection to six Congress councillors of Payyavur in Kannur.

Council adjourned
BANGALORE, Nov 4 (UNI) — The Karnataka Legislative Council was adjourned abruptly by Chairman DB Kalmankar amid uproarious scenes today even as the Opposition Congress(S) members continued their dharna, demanding implementation of the recommendations of the National Human Rights Commission on crop losses in the northern parts of the state.