S P O T L I G H T

MRTPC chief dead
NEW DELHI, Jan 24 (PTI) — Justice B.M. Lal, whose appointment as Chairman of the Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices Commission was stuck in a “letter war’’ between sacked Law Minister Ram Jethmalani and Supreme Court Chief Justice A.S. Anand last year, died here today at the age of 63. Lal suddenly took ill this morning and was rushed to Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital where he was declared brought dead, sources in his office said.

9 pilgrims die in accident
VARANASI, Jan 24 (UNI) — Nine Maha Kumbh pilgrims were killed when a tractor-trailer on its way to Allahabad collided with a bus on GT Road near Katka village in Mirzapur district on Wednesday. Reports from the office of the Superintendent of Police, Mirzapur, said the deceased included five women and two girls. They were residents of Jamori village in Kaimoor district of Bihar. The driver and the conductor of the bus fled after the accident. 

Court orders arrest
JAIPUR, Jan 24 (UNI) — The Rajasthan High Court has asked the state government to investigate into the kidnapping of a minor girl from Seekar district last year and ordered the arrest of Prahalad Singh, the accused in the case. A Division Bench of Mr Justice Arun Madan and Mr Justice K.S. Rathore directed the Seekar police last week to get a non-bailable warrant issued against Prahalad Singh for ensuring his presence in the court which is hearing a habeas corpus petition seeking to produce the girl.