Free lunch proves fatal for 65 at ashram

At least 65 people nearly all of them women and children were killed in a stampede in a local ashram on Thursday.

The promise of a free lunch and utensils turned fatal when thousands converged at the ashram, leading to the collapse of the entry gate, which, in turn, triggered the stampede.

Inspector General of Police (Allahabad Range) Chandra Prakash said that at least 28 people had been injured. They have been rushed to hospitals in Pratapgarh and Allahabad, about 75 km from here, officials said.

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Advani alleges secret talks on Valley secession

Senior BJP leader Lal Krishna Advani created a furore in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, accusing the Manmohan Singh government of preparing for a "clandestine" deal with Pakistan for secession of Kashmir on the pretext of giving it autonomy.

Describing talk of autonomy as "nothing but a smokescreen for secession," he warned that even restoring Jammu and Kashmir's pre 1953 constitutional status would amount to surrender.

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Top Maoist arrested

IN a prize catch, West Bengal police on Tuesday night arrested top Maoist leader Venkateswar Reddy, the suspected mastermind of the at- tack that killed 24 Eastern Frontier Rifles personnel in Silda in West Midnapore district.

Forty-year-old Reddy, alias Telugu Dipak, a close aide of Maoist Politburo member Kishanji, alias Koteswar Rao, is a member of the State Military Commission, West Ben- gal chapter, and is in charge of armed operations in Orissa, Bihar and Jharkhand, CID sources said.

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India, South Arabia sign extradition treaty

India and Saudi Arabia on Monday vowed to jointly combat terrorism and money laundering as they signed an Extradition Treaty and several agreements to raise their cooperation to a strategic partnership covering security, economic, energy and defence areas.

The Extradition Treaty, signed by Health and Family Welfare Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and Prince Naif bib Abdulaziz, Second Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister, further enhances existing security cooperation and will help in apprehending wanted persons in each other's country, Vijaya Latha Reddy, Secretary (East) in the External Affairs Ministry, told reporters here.

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Husain is no more Indian?

Under attack from sections of the Hindu right and hopping between Dubai and London, as he lived out of a suitcase as a homeless itinerant, India's most celebrated artist M.F. Husain has reportedly been conferred Qatar nationality.

This, in turn, has ignited a major debate with his critics slamming him but the UPA Government insisting that he was the "pride of India."

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Gwalior's Gulliver!

Sachin Tendulkar rewrote history today by smashing the first double century in ODI cricket as India crushed South Africa by 153 runs in the second one-dayer to linch the three-match series with one ame to spare. Tendulkar (200 not out) became the first bats- man in the four-decade history of ODI to hammer a double century as India piled on a mammoth 401 for three and then skittled out South Africa for 248 in 42.5 overs for a facile win.

With this victory, India not only took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series and rendered Saturday's third and final match in Ahmadabad inconsequential but also ensured there was no threat to their sta- tus as the number two ODI side in the world.

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Maruti recalls one lakh `A-Star' cars

IT seems to be a season of recalls for the automobile industry with Maruti Suzuki deciding to call back some 100,000 `A-Star' cars from the Indian and overseas market on account of a faulty fuel pump gasket.

This will be the largest ever recall by an Indian carmaker. A-Star also happens to be the company's flagship export model. Maruti's stock tanked 4.44 per cent to Rs 1,320.25 on the BSE on Tuesday. It later settled at Rs 1,336.85, down 3.24 per cent over previous close.

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