NEW DELHI: A Delhi court has summoned four newspaper editors and a rugmark carpet company director on a defamation complaint by noted social worker Swami Agnivesh to appear before it on August 22.The metropolitan magistrate issued summons to the editors of The Pioneer, The Navbharat Times, Jansatta and Dainik Jagaran for allegedly publishing defamatory news against Swami Agnivesh, saying that he had blackmailed Mourya, the carpet company director, and was extorting money from carpet manufacturers to finance his elections in Haryana. The court has also summoned the carpet company director, Ram Chandra Mourya, who supplied allegedly defamatory materials against Agnivesh.

Flash floods kill 24 in Bihar

GARHWA: ATLEAST 24 persons were feared drowned as flash floods inundated over 240 houses in six villages under Bhandaria block in Garhwa district on Sunday. Swirling waters inundated the vast countryside through outlets of Kutku dam following torrential rains. Of the 24 persons who were reported missing, bodies of four had so far been fished out while an intensive search was on for others.

Uphaar fire accused sent to Tihar jail

NEW DELHI: A Delhi court on Monday directed CBI to shift Ansal Properties and Companies Ltd Chairman Sushil Ansal, from hospital to Tihar jail even as another court denied bail to him and seven others in the Uphaar tragedy. The Court granted bail to three others.

Metropolitan Magistrate Brijesh Sethi, directed CBI to shift Ansal from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) to Tihar jail following the hospital report that he was fit enough to be discharged. Additional sessions judge M A Khan granted bail to his son Pranab Ansal, former Uphaar cinema director V K Aggarwal, and the hall gatekeeper Manmohan Unniyal.

Long-distance trains delayed

CHENNAI: Most of the long-distance train services were delayed following a stay-in-strike by the members of the All India Station Masters Association (AISMA) here, as part of the association's nation-wide strike on Monday.

The station masters are demanding among other things, rectification of certain anomalies of the Fifth Pay Commission report with regards to running allowance and uniform allowance.

Three Kuki houses set ablaze

IMPHAL: Police recovered a bullet riddled body on Monday, while three kuki houses were set aflame by suspected Paite activists in different parts of Manipur's Churachandpur district in the last 24 hours. Official sources said one multiple bullet riddled body, identified as Nenglianshang Paite (20), of New Lamka was recovered from Tuibong area under Churachandpur police station.

Youth wing president of HVP expelled

CHANDIGARH: Jasbir Singh Malour, president of Ambala youth wing of the Haryana Vikas party (HVP),has been expelled from the party for six years for his alleged anti-party activities, HVP organising secretary Abhey Ram Dahiya said.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.