tribuneindia...Spotlight

			Wednesday, September 22, 1999
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EC's gender faux pas
LUCKNOW, Sept 21 (UNI) — For BSP candidate from Nainital Naina Balsavar it seems even her former Miss India title is not good enough to convince the Election Commission of her status as a woman. Ms Balsavar, wife of Akbar Ahmad ‘Dumpy’, is a ‘male’ in the election department’s list of candidates from Uttar Pradesh.

Ambedkar statue
MADURAI, Sept 21 (UNI) — The Madurai police has arrested five persons in connection with the desecration of the Ambedkar statue at Avaniapuram, on the outskirts of the city yesterday. The police also arrested 54 students of a private hostel in Chennai for indulging in violence protesting against the desecration of the statue in Madurai, yesterday. Three of them were arrested this morning when a group of students resorted to stone throwing when denied permission to take out a procession. The students were also reportedly lathicharged. However, the city Police Commissioner’s office denied this.

Exit poll
NEW DELHI, Sept 21 (UNI) — An exit poll by "Insight" projects as many as 213 seats for the BJP and its allies in the first three phases of the Lok Sabha election, leaving the Congress and its poll partners far behind with just 90 seats. Major gains are likely for the BJP in Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh.

Suicide by family
KUMBAKONAM, Sept 21 (PTI) — Driven by poverty, an accountant and his wife killed their three children before committing suicide by consuming poison near here last night, the police said today. Ramakrishnan (35), an accountant in a private company, and his wife Lalitha (30), committed suicide by consuming, poison after poisoning their three daughters in Thirunageswaram, the police said.

Brew kills 13
NAIROBI, Sept 21 (Reuters) — Thirteen persons were killed, one was blinded and another 16 were hospitalised after drinking home-made beer at a bar in central Kenya, the police said today. Police spokesman Dola Indidis said the victims had been drinking beer brewed from sorghum in the town of Embu on Sunday, although the exact cause of the deaths had not yet been established. Local papers said the beer could have been laced with methanol and Indidis said one man had been arrested.