Kerala govt bans all lotteries

Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): Kerala has banned all lotteries, including the one run by the state government, following a Supreme Court order on Monday.

The decision comes in the wake of the apex court?s stay on the state government?s rules banning online and paper lotteries of other states.

Addressing a news conference after a cabinet meeting here, chief minister Oommen Chandy said the government decided to stop the paper lottery run by the state as it had no other option available. The finance department has been asked to prepare a scheme to rehabilitate the lottery vendors, he added.

Tuesday?s draw would be the last of the state lottery and the 453 employees of the lottery department would be redeployed.

Online lottery operators had challenged the state government?s move to initiate action against them and illegal paper lotteries run by other states, while allowing the state-run lotteries to continue. The apex court had also demanded an apology from the state government for initiating action against online lotteries in disregard of the stay order issued by the apex court against such action.

Hunt on for Patna schoolboy

Patna: Patna police continued to hunt for clues in the Kislay Kaushal abduction case while their counterparts in Biharsharif were unsure if Ravi Kant was abducted or was simply ?missing?, reports our correspondent.

?We have registered a missing persons? case with Sohsarai police station on the basis of the statements of the boy?s parents. We are also looking into the kidnap angle and have formed a team to pursue the case. Raids are on and we have detained four persons for interrogation,? Biharsharif town deputy superintendent of police Vijay Shankar Prasad said on Tuesday.

In Patna, senior superintendent of police N.H. Khan said they hope to rescue Kaushal soon.

Students? protests continued for the second day today with a human chain, relay fast and prayers even as Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) activists took to the streets to enforce their Patna bandh, called to protest the abduction of Kaushal.

The bandh evoked little response with almost all business establishments, shops and banks doing business as usual. Some schools remained closed.

Mine defused near border

Jammu(PTI): Security forces defused a landmine near the Indo-Pak border in RS Pura, 35 km from here, on Monday morning. A farmer family found the mine in their field and informed security personnel who defused the explosive.

In Anantnag district, soldiers foiled an attempt by two militants to lob grenades at a bus stand ahead of Republic Day. The rebels were arrested.

Oil case closed

New Delhi: The Congress-led UDF government in Kerala on Tuesday informed the Supreme Court that it has decided to close the decades-old Rs 2.8-crore palm oil import scam case against former Kerala chief minister K. Karunakaran. However, the court said it would continue arguments to decide the larger issue of ?sanction? to be obtained for prosecuting a public servant in a criminal case.

Notice on fee rap

Madurai (PTI): The Madurai bench of Madras High Court has issued notice to the district?s chief education officer and secretary and headmaster of a school for sending out a Dalit student for not paying fees. Admitting a writ petition by P. Alagumalai?s father, a construction worker, the bench also asked the officials to explain why they could not consider the student?s representation for readmission. Though the boy, as a scheduled caste, is not obliged to pay fees under a state act, he was asked to pay Rs 1,350.

Petrol pump loot

Sonepat (PTI): Armed youths on motorcycles robbed two petrol pumps located on the Grand Trunk Road on Monday night. Two youths robbed Rs 4,500 from a salesman at gunpoint at Friends Filling Station near Murthal Chowk, police said. The other incident took place at Balaji Service Station near Nari village in which two youths looted Rs 11,700.

2 die in mishap

Rohtak (PTI): Sanjiv and Harish Kumar from Hissar were killed on Monday when the car in which they were travelling to Delhi was hit by a truck coming from the opposite direction near Madina village.

Twenty surgeries using advanced medical equipment will be demonstrated to 350 surgeons from all over the country at Lapro Link-2005, a three-day laparoscopic surgery workshop at Coonoor near Coimbatore from Friday.