Techies set free in Malaysia

New Delhi (PTI): Two employees of software giant HCL Technologies, who were detained in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday, have been released after intervention by Indian embassy officials.

The employees were suspected to be illegal workers.

?Our two employees (Girish Gupta and Sandeep Arora), who were detained on Saturday afternoon have been released, and they have joined work,? Saurav Adhikari, the corporate vice-president (strategy), said.

While Gupta was released in 24 hours, Arora was in detention for 48 hours.

The duo was having a stroll after lunch when members of Rela, a voluntary force that helps authorities crack down on illegal workers, caught them.

?After Indian officials intervened and valid work permits and documents were produced both were allowed to go,? Adhikari said.

Arora has a long-term employment visa while Gupta had a business visa.

?The release of Arora might have taken longer as on a weekend it must have taken time for the authorities to verify his long-term visa,? he said.

US entry bar for Mumbai don

New Delhi (PTI): The US has put notorious drug dealer Iqbal Mamen alias Iqbal Mirchi on the list of specially designated narcotics traffickers.

The list released by the US treasury department named Mamen, also known as Iqbal Merchant, as a person whose entry into the country has been blocked. The list has all the four dates of birth he uses in his various passports. His passport numbers issued from India and the UAE also feature on it.

Apparently the move has come in the wake of the drug peddler?s attempts to enter the US.

India had secured a red-corner notice against Mamen, a Mumbai resident, in 1994 after police unearthed an illegal factory in Pune where 1,600 kg of methaqualone, used in the manufacture of mandrax tablets, and 110 kg of mandrax powder were seized.

Zahira bunks bakery trial

Mumbai (PTI): Zahira Sheikh, the prime witness in the Best Bakery case, did not turn up before the special court on Monday as the summons issued to her had not been served yet, the prosecution said.

The special judge had issued summons to Zahira, her mother and brother after a prosecution plea for re-examining them in the light of fresh evidence. The public prosecutor wanted to examine Zahira based on the contents of a video CD that contradicted what they had said before the court on oath.

Arms seized

Hyderabad(PTI): Police have seized a huge cache of weapons and ammunition in the Nallamala forests in Andhra Pradesh. The police said Maoist rebels have boosted their arsenal as well as ranks with fresh recruits, taking advantage of the respite in patrolling during peace talks.

Priests killed

Hoshiarpur (PTI): The head priest of the Raghunath temple in Jammu was among the three persons killed when their car collided head-on with a truck on Sunday. Police recovered a licensed revolver, Rs 52,000 in cash and three mobile phones from the car.

Children drown

Nagpur(PTI): Two children drowned on Monday in an open tank at an under-construction police building. The two were taking a bath in the tank.

Gutka baron

Ahmedabad (PTI): The owner of Manikchand Gutka, Rasiklal Dhariwal, accused of links with underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, today appeared before the directorate of forensic science in Gandhinagar. Earlier, J.M. Joshi, owner of Goa Gutka appeared for forensic tests.

Wife, child burnt

Kanpur (PTI): A woman and her two-year-old daughter were burnt to death allegedly by her husband in an inebriated state at Babupurwa. Following a tussle with his wife, the husband reportedly set them ablaze on Sunday night.

Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton has invited ghazal singer Pankaj Udhas to the US for a fund-raising concert, to be held later this year. Udhas presented a collection of his ghazals to Clinton.