Pakistan on Saturday released 180 Indian prisoners, including 179 fishermen and a civilian, officials said. “The authorities have freed 179 Indian fishermen and one civilian from Karachi’s Landhi Jail as a goodwill gesture on the New Year,” a government official said.
The freed prisoners travelled to Lahore from where they will be handed over to Indian authorities at the Wagha Border on Sunday.
There are still 276 fishermen held in Pakistani jails while more than 480 boats are in Pakistan’s custody.
“Of these 276 fishermen, 83 have already served their sentence but cannot be released because their nationality has not yet been confirmed by Indian authorities,” said Justice Nasir Aslam Zahid, a retired Supreme Court judge.
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Militants attack Sopore police station, 1 killed
Srinagar, Jan. 7: One person was killed in crossfire during a cordon and search operation launched by security forces soon after militants attacked a police station on Saturday in Sopore town in Baramulla district in which two policemen and three civilians were injured. IGP S.M. Sahni said the victim killed in the crossfire has been identified as Mehrajuddin Hajam, a resident of Hajim in Bandipora and working at a shop in Sopore town. Earlier, the police had said that the man killed was a militant. The police said they were verifying whether Hajam was involved in any militant activity or not. — PTI
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Tiger spotted near MP academy, city in panic
AGE CORRESPONDENT
BHOPAL, Jan. 7
The wildlife wing of the Madhya Pradesh forest department is on tenterhooks and there is fear among a section of the people as security personnel had spotted a tiger climbing the boundary wall of the National Judicial Academy on the southern periphery of the state capital on the intervening night of January 5 and 6.
After the top state forest department officials, including the chief wildlife warden H.S. Pabla inspected the spot and located the tiger’s pugmarks, a trap-cage was put up to catch the tiger in the Kerwan area on Friday. Two additional cages were also put up along the tiger’s track on Saturday. About 10 days ago a buffalo was killed by a tiger in this area.
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Mahalakshmi, world’s smallest cow, is 29 inches
AGE CORRESPONDENT
COIMBATORE, JAN. 7
A Punganur breed, 29-inch cow is the cynosure of all eyes at the two-day pet carnival being held in the city. The Sundarapuram farmer, N. Gopal, who is the proud owner of the world’s smallest cow, similar to the Vechur breed, says his “sacred” pet animal is quite busy attending housewarming ceremonies and gomatha pujas. Though many are ready to pay a kingly sum, he is not ready to sell his animal. Mr Gopal purchased the cow from a farmer at Sivagangai two years ago and named it Mahalakshmi, which is now eight-years-old.
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Leopard strays into Guwahati, Mauls 3
Age Correspondent
Guwahati, Jan. 7
In what has become very common in Assam, a wild leopard on Saturday strayed into the heart of the city and mauled at least three persons in Silpukhuri area.
The leopard, which started roaming from one place to other for shelter in broad day light, created panic among the resident who were compelled to keep themselves locked inside their respective houses till the forest department officials captured it by tranquillising the leopard. The full grown up leopard may have caused more damage but some youths in a daredevil act locked the tiger inside a PCO and called the forest officials. The incident created panic in the area as a large number of onlookers brought the traffic to standstill at least for an hour.
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Court to hear charges against headley Jan. 21
Age Correspondent
New Delhi, Jan. 7
A Delhi court on Saturday decided to hear on January 21 the arguments on taking cognisance of the chargesheet filed by the National Investigation Agency against David Headley and eight others for planning and executing terror strikes in India, including the 26/11 Mumbai attack. The court asked the counsel for NIA and its officials to bring all relevant documents on the day of hearing. “In order to facilitate proper appreciation of arguments, it is necessary to have the relevant documents. The IO has assured that all relevant documents shall be referred to during the arguments on the next date of hearing,” special NIA Judge H.S. Sharma said. The NIA had on December 24 2011 filed a chargesheet against Headley and others.