Probe ordered into governor death

Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): The Kerala cabinet on Monday ordered a probe into alleged medical lapses in the treatment of late governor Sikander Bakht.

Chief minister A.K. Antony said after a cabinet meeting that the mode of inquiry and the terms of reference will be decided later.

“The cabinet has decided to probe the matter as there have been allegations that the treatment provided to Bakht had some lapses. The government has nothing to hide in the matter, so a probe is being ordered to clear all doubts,” Antony said.

Bakht died at the medical college hospital here on February 23 after he suffered a viral attack while recovering from intestinal surgery.

The death sparked a controversy with the state BJP alleging that the governor was a victim of gross medical negligence. The party demanded that the medical lapses be probed by an expert panel from outside the state.

Kalam pauses for poll code

New Delhi (PTI): President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam has decided to cancel his Tuesday visit to Guntur in Andhra Pradesh to inaugurate new facilities at a private hospital as the model code of conduct has come into force.

Although the code does not apply to the President, Kalam felt that while it was in operation it would not be proper for his programmes to be used by any political party to serve its partisan ends, official sources said.

Normally, functions like this are attended by chief ministers, ministers, MPs and MLAs, who could use the occasion to make announcements.

Till the code remains in force, the President may accept invitations only for programmes that are academic in nature, the sources said.

Airlines slash Gulf fares

Dubai (PTI): Air-India and Indian Airlines have slashed airfares in the Gulf-Kerala sector by 5-18 per cent ahead of a proposed boycott of national carriers by several Indian associations to protest high tariffs.

A-I regional director Capt. P.P. Singh said that from April 1 the fare for all tickets from the Gulf to Kerala will go down by 5 to 18 per cent to pass on to the passengers the benefit of the scrapping of aviation turbine fuel tax. The associations, however, dubbed the move an “eyewash” and said they will go ahead with the proposed boycott on Wednesday.

Prostitution racket

Ahmedabad (PTI): A prostitution racket has been busted in Gomtipur and two persons arrested, police said. The racket’s kingpin, a former district government pleader, has been held. Three Mumbai-based girls were also detained during the raid at a hotel on Sunday.

Man, son killed

Srinagar (PTI): Suspected militants shot dead a man and his son in Pulwama district in south Kashmir, official sources said. The bullet-riddled bodies of Mohammad Akbar and his son Manzoo Ahmad, who had been abducted from their house, were found in the Kellar forest on Monday.

Peacock hunting

Hoshiarpur (PTI): Puneet Goyal, the sub-divisional magistrate of Pathankot, his driver Makhan Singh, and Mohinder Singh, a poacher, have been granted bail in a case of alleged peacock hunting. Goyal, who is also holding charge of Dhar Kalan, Makhan and Mohinder were arrested while they were returning from a forest after allegedly hunting two peacocks and four partridges.

Gang busted

Bhopal (PTI): An inter-state gang, suspected to have links with the underworld abroad, was busted with the arrest of its five members following a raid to rescue industrialist Tirath Prasad Gupta, police said. Gupta, who was abducted on January 12 while returning to Satna from Umaria, was rescued from a hideout in Bihar’s Aurangabad district.

The Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary near Kochi has been closed for two months from Monday. This is to avoid accidental fires in the sanctuary during summer, which is also the breeding time for the animals.