THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: At least 16 persons have been killed in the landslide which struck Devicolam taluk of Kerala's Idukki district on the night of July 21. State revenue minister, T K Ramakrishnan who visited the affected areas told reporters that bodies of 14 persons, including seven women, a boy and a girl, had been recovered. The body of a woman, one of three missing persons, had been traced, he added. Police and fire personnel were searching for the other two missing persons.

Bihar suspends land revenue collection

PATNA: The Bihar government has decided to suspend collection of land revenue from farmers of the flood-hit districts of the state. Chief Minister, Laloo Prasad Yadav, assured the state assembly today that the government would not collect land revenue from farmers of the flood affected districts. Yadav also said the government would make available seedlings to farmers in the affected areas. Yadav said the government had already sanctioned Rs seven crore for carrying out relief operations in the affected districts.

ACP denied bail in shootout case

NEW DELHI: A Delhi court today rejected the anticipatory bail plea of Delhi police ACP, S S Rathi facing non-bailable arrest warrants in connection with the Connaught Place shootout case, in which two innocent persons Pradeep Goel and Jagjit Singh were gunned down by a team of city police crime branch. The additional sessions judge, Ajit Bharihoke dismissing the bail plea of Rathi said ``after going through the records, I am of the view that there is prima facie evidence regarding the involvement of the petitioner in the crime.''

Delhi CM worried about law & order

NEW DELHI: Delhi Chief Minister Sahib Singh Verma today expressed concern over the worsening law and order situation in the capital and said he would discuss the issue with Home Minister Indrajit Gupta and the police commissioner. The kidnapping of 10-year-old Tarun Puri on Tuesday was the reflection of the ``bad'' state of affairs in the police department, Verma told reporters. Referring to reports that the city police was short of at least 7,000 personnel, the chief minister said he would take this up with the home minister.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.