Iran denies visa to Mirwaiz?s wife

New Delhi (PTI): Sheeba Umer Farooq, wife of Hurriyat Conference leader Maulvi Umer Farooq, has been denied visa by Iran even as her husband was allowed to go to the country to pursue Persian studies.

Sources close to the Mirwaiz said the couple had applied to the Iranian embassy for a visa. However, the embassy turned down the application of Sheeba, a US passport holder.

The sources said the Mirwaiz, who left for Tehran on February 19, had made several requests stating his wife?s case to the consular section of the Iranian embassy in New Delhi.

Sectarian clash in UP

Varanasi (PTI): At least 24 people were injured in a clash between Shias and Sunnis in Chokia village on Monday.

Heated exchanges began between members of the two sects over the felling of a tree by Shias during a tazia procession on Sunday and soon turned into a full-fledged battle with stones being hurled at each other.

Police said a Sunni had been beaten up earlier by processionists when he protested against cutting the tree.

Five persons have been arrested and additional security forces were deployed.

In Madhya Pradesh, miscreants damaged the tower of a mosque in the Idgah area of Talen town in Rajgarh district on Monday, fuelling tension. Security has been beefed up with the deployment of additional forces, said sub-divisional officer K.P.S. Kushwah. The situation was under control, he added.

Suicide at IMA

Dehra dun (PTI): An army jawan shot himself dead at the Indian Military Academy on Tuesday.

Naik Singray Murmu, 37, committed suicide in the weapon training area. Murmu was under depression and had refused promotion to the post of hawaldar, police said.

Governor surgery

Mumbai (PTI): Madhya Pradesh governor Balram Jakhar underwent a prostrate gland surgery on Tuesday. Jakhar?s condition is stable and he is likely to be discharged soon, hospital sources said.

CBSE exam

New Delhi (PTI): The CBSE All India Pre-Medical and Pre-Dental Entrance (preliminary) Examinations will be held on April 3, 2005. The particulars of candidates with their roll number and examination centre has been posted on the board website, www.cbse.nic.in, a board release said. Admit cards have already been dispatched. In case candidates do not receive their admit cards by March 15, they may contact the CBSE office at Preet Vihar in Delhi.

Stall ransacked

Hyderabad (PTI): A group ransacked a stall at an exhibition alleging that the organisers had hurt their religious sentiments by selling rings and other articles with the image of Prophet Mohammed on them. Three MLAs of the Majlis Muslim Party, present at the scene were taken into preventive custody and two stall owners detained for questioning, police said.

Dowry death

Sonepat (PTI): A woman was allegedly poisoned by her husband and in-laws for dowry on Monday in Raipur village. Meena?s father Prem Singh alleged in the FIR that she was often harassed and beaten by her husband and in-laws.

Aruna murder

New Delhi (PTI): S.A. Raja, arrested in a case related to the murder of former DMK minister Aladi Aruna, has moved the Supreme Court seeking bail. The court posted the matter for hearing on February 28.

Expatriate workers from India and east Asian countries in the UAE sent close to $4.3 billion back home in 2003, a whopping 45 per cent of total remittances of $9.5 billion from the nation.