Court junks PIL

• Patna: The high court on Monday dismissed two PILs filed against formation of the JDU-BJP government led by Nitish Kumar, maintaining that intervention was not needed as the new government had already proved its majority on the floor of the Assembly.

Patna High Court Chief Justice Rajendra Menon delivered the verdict. Senior advocate Y.V. Giri represented the governor.

IAS transfers

• Patna: The general administration department on Monday notified the transfer of 28 IAS officials, including six district magistrates and Chanchal Kumar who was in the chief minister's secretariat, the first since the government change in Bihar. Chanchal has been made the new secretary of the building construction department. K.K. Pathak who was waiting for posting has been made principal secretary, mines. Amir Subhani has been given additional charge of minority welfare while Brijesh Mehrotra has been made principal secretary to the governor. E. Balaprasad has been made commissioner, enquiries.

Mob kills 1

• Patna: Ramanuj Shahi, accused of killing a mukhiya's son in Muzaffarpur district, was allegedly beaten to death by villagers at Chitri Chowk under Saraiya police station. Police said some criminals were allegedly hiding in the village after killing Anil Kumar on Sunday, and were targeted when they tried to escape on Monday.

Colleges

• Patna: Seven model colleges will be set up in East Champaran, West Champaran, Begusarai, Purnea, Katihar, Saharsa and Darbhanga districts under the Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan, Mahendra Nath Pandey, the minister of state for HRD, said in the Lok Sabha.

Drugs haul

• Patna: The economic offences unit on Monday arrested five persons on charges of smuggling marijuana in Bihar, and seized 395kg of ganja, Rs 5,500, two mobile phones from their possession.

Agitation

• Patna: Dipankar Bhattacharya, the CPI-ML (Liberation) general secretary, has announced the party will launch an agitation against the installation of the JDU-BJP government as it amounted to the betrayal of mandate and political opportunism.

Premchand

• Patna: Tanvir Ahmad, the Bihar general secretary of Indian People's Theatre Association, has said the issues raised by famous Hindi writer Premchand was still relevant today, as he raised matters related to problems faced by farmers. Ahmad was speaking at a function organised on the late author.

IPS transfers

The state government transferred 42 IPS officers, including superintendents of police of 11 districts, in a late-night development on Monday. Patna City (central) SP Chandan Kushwaha and City SP east Dhurat S. Sabla Ram were among those transferred.