NEW DELHI: One person was charred to death, eight others including a fireman sustained burns and over 500 huts were gutted in over 60 fires, the highest number recorded so far, across the national capital on Sunday. A 40-year old man was charred to death following a fire in three shops in Gokulpur area while eight persons including a three-year old child and a fireman, were injured in a blaze in a slum cluster in Nizamuddin. The capital reported 60 other `minor' fires.

Kidnapping bid

MUMBAI: An alert Deputy Commissioner of Police foiled a kidnapping attempt at Bandra on Saturday night by arresting three men who tried to force two women into a rickshaw at around 10.30 pm, near Jari Mari Mandir. The women raised an alarm catching attention of DCP, Traffic, S T Thorat and his staff who were passing by. Thorat chased the rickshaw, intercepted it and managed to arrest the kidnappers.

Cong MLA held

GUWAHATI: Former state minister and seniorCongress MLA Rashidul Haque has been arrested for abducting the local correspondent of a Hindi daily Sentinel. The MLA was reportedly enraged over a report in the daily and got Vaidyanath Sahni kidnapped and confined at his residence on Thursday.

Award for Mandela

BANGALORE: South African President Nelson Mandela has been selected for the first `Basavanna Award', instituted by Karnataka government. To be conferred in June, the award is in memory of 12th Century social reformer, Basaveswara and is given in recognition of significant contribution to the society.

Dhanbad curfew

DHANBAD: Indefinite curfew was re-imposed in the twin towns of Bokaro and Chas this evening . Curfew was clamped yesterday following a Shiv Sena sponsored bandh to protest the gangrape of a teen-aged girl.

Suicide pact

COIMBATORE: Four members of a family, including a middle-aged woman, today committed suicide by allegedly consuming pesticides at Singanallur in the city, police said.