Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had initiated a back-channel exercise for talks between an “unofficial” Indian envoy and Pakistan Army Chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani 10 months ago, a media report here said on Saturday.

CPI national secretary D. Raja has written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh saying that a proposal by government’s chief economic adviser to legalise bribery as “dangerous and unethical,” and sought a clarification by the government on the issue.

Director General of Civil Aviation E.K. Bharat Bhushan said on Friday that the Pawan Hans helicopter that crashed at Tawang earlier this week had the requisite certificate of air-worthiness and added that there did not seem to be anything wrong with the chopper.

After going through details of over 15,000 phone calls made in connection with the 2G spectrum scam, the CAG is likely to get access to the Department of Telecom’s answers to a questionnaire sent by various agencies investigating the 2G scam. Sources said that the CAG is likely to receive the answers on Monday. However, the senior CAG officials were not available for comments.

The Central Bureau of Investigation, which is probing several cases of corruption in the conduct of the Commonwealth Games (CWG), is likely to make significant arrests in connection with the alleged irregularities committed in awarding broadcast contract (worth `246 crores) for the Games to the UK-based SIS Live by Prasar Bharti very soon.

Hinting at social activist Anna Hazare, Congress on Friday said those who praise Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi should introspect their comments in the light of latest affidavit by an IPS officer in the Supreme Court implicating the Saffron leader in the 2002 communal riots in the state.

In the midst of allegations and accusations against Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi on the 2002 communal carnage in the state, a debate is raging within the BJP to project him as the party’s prime ministerial candidate for the forthcoming general elections.

Trinamul Congress chief Mamata Banerjee on Friday said that she will release all political prisoners who had been arrested on false charges, after she came to power. “As soon as this (Left Front) government is dislodged from power, we will review all cases where people had been put behind bars vindictively on false charges.

Amid roiling controversy over Lokpal Bill drafting committee members, Union minister Salman Khurshid on Saturday ruled out any changes in the panel and said the government is looking forward to receiving inputs from Justice Santosh Hegde on the bill.

Lawyer Shanti Bhushan and his three children were on Saturday granted one more week's time by the stamp and registration office here to reply to a notice for alleged stamp duty evasion to the tune of Rs 1.33 crores on purchase of property in a prime locality in the city.