Drug seizure

New Delhi, Nov. 2 (PTI): The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence has seized 23.5 metric tonnes of banned Mandrax tablets worth over Rs 3,000 crore from a Udaipur factory and arrested the alleged mastermind, Bollywood producer Subash Dudhani.

Officials raided the premises of the Udaipur-based Marudhar Drinks and found cartons of Mandrax tablets in a room on Friday. This is the biggest ever drug seizure by the agency.

"We have arrested the mastermind and efforts are underway to nab others involved with the drug syndicate," Central Board of Excise and Customs chairperson Najib Shah said. The drug is known variously as Mandrax, M-Pills, buttons or smarties and is usually mixed with cannabis and smoked. It is used as a recreational drug in Africa and Asia.

Rs 100 ATMs

Mumbai (PTI): The RBI will undertake a pilot project under which 10 per cent of ATMs in the country will be calibrated to dispense notes of only Rs 100 denomination. The objective is to ensure that "genuine requirements of members of the public" are met, the apex bank said.

US colleges

Boston (AP): A chain of colleges based in India has cancelled its plans to buy two US for-profit colleges after facing scrutiny from state officials in Massachusetts. The Amity University chain filed paperwork in July proposing to buy the New England Institute of Art, located near Boston, and the Art Institute of New York City

Goa minister

Panaji (PTI): A tourist bus hit the official vehicle of Goa tourism minister Dilip Parulekar on the national highway at a village near Panaji on Wednesday, police said. He escaped unhurt. Parulekar was on his way back from south Goa.

Leopard

Surat (PTI): An eight-year-old girl was on Wednesday morning mauled to death by a leopard at a village in Gujarat's Surat district, a forest department official said. Nikita Vasava was attacked by the leopard when she was out to attend to nature's call. The forest department will give a compensation of Rs 4 lakh to her family.