Five infiltrators killed along LoC

Jammu: The Border Security Force killed five infiltrators along the Line of Control in Poonch district on Tuesday, reports our correspondent.

The infiltrators opened fire when BSF jawans saw a group of around 12 militants and challenged them in the Acchar area of Mendhar, said Bansi Dhar Sharma, inspector-general of BSF, Jammu frontier.

The five infiltrators died in the encounter that lasted for more than two hours. The others fled to the Pakistani side. A BSF jawan was injured in the encounter.

It was the first major infiltration this year, and the third largest since the November 2003 ceasefire.

At many places along the LoC in Rajouri and Poonch districts, the BSF has replaced the army in recent weeks, especially after the de-induction of troops began.

Sharma said an alert has been sounded in the region to foil any infiltration attempt in the future.

SC piles judge pension heat

New Delhi: The Supreme Court has directed all states and Union territories to implement the higher pension scheme for judicial officers as recommended by the Shetty commission, reports our legal correspondent.

A three-judge bench of Chief Justice of India R.C. Lahoti and Justices N. Santosh Hegde and Y.K. Sabharwal on Monday rejected an argument of most states that they were facing a ?financial crunch?. The bench ruled that ?not even minor deviation? from the commission?s recommendation would be allowed.

The judges warned that if states and Union Territories do not comply with the order within 12 weeks, it would be ?viewed seriously? and the court would summon chief secretaries concerned to appear in person and give an explanation.

Amicus curiae in the case Fali Nariman told the court that the higher pension scheme has been implemented without change by Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

Some states told the Supreme Court that their respective pension rules allow only a certain hike. The bench then directed them to amend the rules ?wherever necessary? to execute the scheme in ?letter and spirit?.

The court also directed the Meghalaya government to initiate the process for separation of judiciary from the executive, which discharges judicial work in some Northeast states.

Babri notice to Advani

Lucknow (PTI): The Lucknow bench of Allahabad High Court has issued a notice to L.K. Advani to appear before it on February 25 in the Babri Masjid demolition case.

Issuing the order on a criminal revision petition filed by the CBI and former Faizabad district magistrate R.N. Srivastava, Justice M.A. Khan also sent notices to other accused in the case. The special trial court in Lucknow had dropped proceedings against 21 respondents, including Advani and M.M. Joshi.

Pump allotment

New Delhi: A Supreme Court-appointed high-level committee has recommended that MPs should not be allotted dealership of petrol and petroleum products like cooking gas, reports our legal correspondent. It told the apex court that if an MP were given any such allotment, he or she should resign to take it up.

Farmers held

Ahmedabad (PTI): At least 30 farmers agitating over cotton prices were arrested on Tuesday from various entry points of the city. The farmers were going to submit a representation to Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi.

Bomb alert

Kochi (PTI): Police searched Kerala High Court, its new complex and the Taj Residency hotel following intelligence reports that a militant group was likely to place a bomb there within the next three days. All vehicles coming to the court or parked near the court were being searched.

Teacher murder

Hoshiarpur (PTI): A lecturer of Punjabi at DAV College in Dasuya was murdered on Monday night. Assailants attacked Harminder Singh with sharp-edged weapons while he was going to his house after taking a meal. He succumbed to injuries on the way to a hospital in Ludhiana.

Valley release

Jammu (PTI): The Jammu and Kashmir government has released 16 detainees lodged in various central and district jails as a goodwill gesture on the occasion of Id-ul-Zuha.

At a college ground in Porayar, a 300-member team from Punjab, including 80 chefs, are preparing chapatti and sabzi ? modified to suit the taste of the local people ? for the tsunami-hit people of Nagapattinam district.