Modi hearing

Ahmedabad, July 6 (PTI): The Gujarat High Court today declined to hear a petition challenging a probe by a special investigation team against Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi and 62 others in the Gujarat riots.

the matter came up for hearing the judge said, “not before me” and declined to hear the case because of some personal reasons. The case will now be referred to another court.

Crime branch

Mumbai (PTI): The Maharashtra government has decided to retain Rakesh Maria as city crime branch chief even after his promotion. The government does not want to change the crime branch chief before the upcoming Assembly polls, a source said.

LeT ‘aide’

Jammu (PTI): A suspected close associate of two self-styled Lashkar-e-Toiba commanders working in the consumer affairs and public distribution department was arrested on Monday in Doda district. Police raided a hideout in a forest belt in Jammu district and arrested Nissar Ahmed after a tip-off. Ahmed is a store-keeper in the department.

Sarabjit plea

Lahore (PTI): Indian death row prisoner Sarabjit Singh’s lawyer Owais Sheikh will file a fresh mercy petition before Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari on Wednesday. The supreme court had dismissed Sarabjit’s appeal against the capital punishment.

Amarnath

Srinagar (PTI): The annual Amarnath yatra resumed on Monday morning with nearly 10,000 pilgrims leaving base camps at Baltal and Nunwan, a day after it was suspended because of inclement weather. The yatra was suspended on both routes after heavy snowfall and landslides triggered by rainfall.

Poacher held

Lakhimpur (PTI): A poacher has been arrested with deer flesh during a raid in Lakhimpur district on Monday. Police raided the house of Khanayi, on a tip-off, and caught him cooking deer meat. The police said Khanayi confessed to have killed the deer.