Life for leader kill

Calcutta, Jan. 25: Three people accused of murdering a CPM leader of South 24-Parganas in January 2001 were today given life terms by a fast-track court.

Kalidas Halder, Uttam Guria and Buddiswar Halder were also fined Rs 5,000 each. Kalipada Haldar was killed on his way home from the party office at Raidighi, 80 km from here.

Cop dead

Garbeta (West Midnapore): B.K. Tiwari, a Railway Protection Force constable, died of electrocution while trying to fix an iron bar on which the Tricolour would have been unfurled on Republic Day. The stationmaster at Garbeta, 170 km from Calcutta, said Tiwari, 40, died as the rod came in contact with a high tension wire.

Mine land

Calcutta: Delhi has agreed to allot several acres of Eastern Coalifields? abandoned mines in the Durgapur-Asansol belt to local panchayats. They had wanted the land for pisciculture.