The Bombay High Court today admitted a public interest litigation challenging two notifications of the state government issued on July 21, 1998 declaring Marathi as the official language in all the subordinate civil and criminal courts of the state.

However, Justice A V Sawant and Justice Rajan Kochar refused to grant a stay on the use of Marathi in the subordinate courts because only 10 per cent of the judicial work was currently being undertaken in that language.The petitioners were given liberty to move the court after two months for final hearing.

One-day strike by hawkers

Over three lakh hawkers doing business near suburban railway stations and beaches in the city will mark June 30 as a one-day token strike to protest the `indifferent attitude' of Railways Minister of State, Ram Naik and civic authorities. The hawkers will also stage a morcha to Mantralaya and hold meetings near all railway stations on June 30.

In a press release, MumbaiHawkers' Union general secretary Suresh Kapile alleged that while Railway Minister Nitish Kumar had announced a daily receipt system for hawkers in local trains, on overbridges and platforms and around stations in 1998, Naik had ordered the removal of all hawkers from there. About 10,000 hawkers earn their livelihood in this manner.

Interpol accused nabbed at Sahar

Crime Branch officers arrested an accused who was wanted by the Interpol from Sahar international airport this morning. According to the police, Anees Shaikh had embezzled some money belonging to his Dubai-based employer while transacting a sales order of Awabi Establishment Company at Dubai. After receiving a huge order for electronic goods, Shaikh allegedly transferred the money to his personal account instead of depositing the money with the company. The money defrauded by Shaikh was to the tune of over Rs 19 lakhs.

After the embezzlement, Shaikh fled Dubai. The Dubai crime branch alerted Interpol, who appraised the Delhi policecrime branch who in turn tipped off the Mumbai police. Unit-VII officials nabbed Shaikh while he was on his way to board an Air India flight for Muscat. The police are likely to hand over Shaikh to Interpol officers at Delhi.

Extortionists arrested

Unit-III of the Crime Branch has arrested two gangsters allegedly from the Arun Gawli gang for demanding money from a hotelier. According to the police, Dinesh Namdeo Ahir, Subhash Goregaonkar and Ajay Chavan had been threatening the owner of Jeet Punjab Hotel at Mazgaon and demanding Rs 25,000 from him. The callers identified themselves as members of the Gawli gang. The hotelier lodged a complaint with the crime branch. Unit-III officers laid a trap and arrested Ahir on Saturday. Goregaonkar and Chavan were arrested later, on Monday.

Dr Goyal is President's physician

Noted cardiologist Dr B K Goyal has been appointed by President of India Dr K R Narayanan as his honorary physician, according to a Rashtrapati Bhavan communique. Dr Goyal, whohas earlier served four presidents, is the chief of cardiology at Bombay Hospital. He also served as Mumbai sheriff and received the Padma Bhushan. He is also the national vice-chairperson of the Indian Red Cross Society. He will be presiding over the first World Congress of Interventional Cardiology in October 1999.