tribuneindia...Spotlight

			Tuesday, April 13, 1999
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DD staff’s plea to President
NEW DELHI, April 12 (PTI) — Agitating cadres of Doordarshan and All-India Radio (AIR) today sought the President’s intervention to bring "normalcy" in Prasar Bharati hit by an indefinite strike for the seventh day, even as employees were barred from entering the premises of Akashvani Bhavan. In a memorandum to President K.R. Narayanan, leaders of the striking unions, appealed to him to "intervene and direct the government in general and Union Minister Pramod Mahajan in particular to open negotiations at the earliest." They alleged that Mr Mahajan had "shut all doors" on their demands.

House blasted
HYDERABAD, April 12 (UNI) — Extremists of the CPI (ML) People’s Liberation group blasted the house of Andhra Pradesh Handloom Minister Nimmala Kistappa in Perumallapalli village in Anantapur district early today. The police here said that 10 militants went to the house of the minister and asked the inmates to come out. They later blasted the house using explosives. They left a note stating that the minister and some others in the village were indulging in sale of illicit arrack.

Human skeletons found
COLOMBO, April 12 (Reuters) — At least 23 human skeletons have been found in a sewage pit close to a stadium in the former Tamil Tiger rebel stronghold of Jaffna in northern Sri Lanka, government officials said today. They said the skeletons were dug out last week after a Magistrate ordered the excavation of the site following the discovery of some bones in March when municipal workers were constructing a public toilet there.

Arms-drop case
CALCUTTA, April 12 (UNI) — The Union Government has sought a report on the condition of the five Latvians, accused in the Purulia arms-drop case, and progress of their trial in a city court. An External Affairs Ministry official, Mr K.L. Khetrapal, reached the city this morning and visited the Alipore presidency jail where the Latvians, all crew members of the AN-26 aircraft that dropped arms and ammunition in Purulia district on December 17, 1995, were interned.

11 killed in mishaps
BARODA, April 12 (PTI) — At least 11 persons have been killed and 27 injured, three of them seriously, in two road mishaps near here, the police said today. Eight labourers were killed and three injured seriously when their truck fell into a dry riverbed at Tavadhanpari village in Kawant taluka of the district yesterday. In another mishap, three devotees were killed and 24 injured when their tractor-trolley overturned at the hillshrine of Pavagadh, about 40 km from here yesterday.

Lottery traders
NEW DELHI, April 12 (UNI) — Lottery traders across the country will take out rallies on April 15 to protest against the proposed ban on lotteries, the Akhil Bharatiya Sarkari Lottery Vyapari Mahasangh announced today. Traders in the city would court arrest near Parliament House when the Budget session resumes on that day and at the Ramlila grounds, besides staging dharnas and demonstration, mahasangh General Secretary K. Pant said.

IAS officer held
NEW DELHI, April 12 (PTI) — An IAS officer was today arrested by the Delhi police for allegedly outraging the modesty of a woman, the police said. The 45-year-old officer was, however, later released on bail. The case against the officer was pending since 1996.