News in Brief

Narcotic cell seize opium in Manipur 

Our Correspondent Imphal, August 3 (EMN): Narcotics cell of Imphal West district police on Thursday seized 3.5kg of opium worth Rs 4.5 lakh from the possession one person from Inter- state bus terminal, Khuman Lampak in Imphal, police said. The individual has been identified as one Paolenmang Khongsai (35) of Phainom village under Saikul police station. A case has been taken up in this regard at Imphal police station, it said. In another incident, Thoubal district police commandoes arrested one woman with 4.93kg of opium along with incriminating articles from Wabagai Lakhai in Kakching district on Wednesday morning. The arrested woman has been identified as Thingkhotinthem Baite alias Thethem (55) wife of Thongkholun Baite of Moljol village under Churachandpur district. A case been registered at Kakching police station for further actions, release added.

Bangladeshi held with gold

Agartala, August 3 (IANS): Security personnel at the Agartala airport seized 1.20 kg of gold worth Rs 30 lakh from a Kolkata-bound Bangladeshi youth on Thursday, police said. The Central Industrial Security Force detained Shah Alam, 47, as he was about to board a private aircraft to Kolkata, a police officer said. Alam hails from Brahmanbaria in eastern Bangladesh. He came to Tripura on Tuesday on a valid passport. The CISF handed over Alam to the Customs. On June 13, another Bangladeshi youth, Mohammad Liton Ahmed, 29, was arrested at the Agartala airport for smuggling 15 gold biscuits and a gold chain worth Rs 50 lakh. He was also trying to go to Kolkata by a private airline.

Four APDCL workers injured

Guwahati, August 3 (PTI): Four workers of Assam Power Distribution Company Ltd (APDCL) were injured, one of them seriously, due to electrocution at Demow in upper Assam’s Sivasagar district today. The workers, who were engaged by a contractor, were erecting a concrete electric pole when a 1100 volt electricity wire of APDCL fell on them, official sources said. The seriously injured worker was referred to Assam Medical College Hospital in Dibrugarh, while the others admitted a local hospital, the sources added.

Earthquake hits Manipur

Our Correspondent Imphal, August 3 (EMN): An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.4 on the Richter scale rocked entire state of Manipur on Wednesday, according to Indian Meteorological Department. The quake occurred at 11.48 pm at a depth of 65 km below the ground and the epicentre is located at near Singhat area which is about 85 km away from Imphal .The epicentre has been located at Long 24.4 Deg North and Lat 93.4 Deg East, it added. However the tremor was not felt much among the general public in the North Eastern state. So far, there is no report of any loss of life or property.

Amphitheatre inaugurated in M’laya

Shillong, August 3 (IANS): An amphitheatre, built at a cost of Rs 2 crore, was inaugurated by Meghalya Deputy Chief Minister R.C. Laloo in the state’s West Jaintia Hills district on Thursday. The project is part of a Rs 5.88 crore proposal submitted by the state’s Department of Arts and Culture for building three amphitheatres in Shillong, Tura and Jowai for organising various arts and cultural events and programmes, government sources said. The theatre is located in Jowai, which was selected as one of the three locations as the existing auditorium there is under heavy demand and inadequate for hosting regular music concerts, rock shows and other such entertainment for the youth. It would also offer opportunities for local artistes to perform regularly. Spread over 1.80 acres (7,572 sqm) in the Moolasyat area, adjacent to the Jowai Police Reserve, the theatre has a seating capacity for 1,400.

Heroin seized, two arrested

Aizawl, August 3 (PTI): Mizoram Excise and Narcotics department officials today seized 26 grams of heroin here and arrested two persons in this connection. The contraband, worth around Rs one lakh in the local market was reportedly smuggled from Myanmar via Champhai district, the department spokesperson said. The two arrested were booked under Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, police said.

Dev cremated with full honours

Silchar, August 3 (PTI): The last rights of veteran Congress leader and former union minister Santosh Mohan Dev was performed here today with full state honours and in presence of Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi. Dev’s four daughters performed the last rights amidst the sound of gun salutes. Their mother Bithika was also present. Gandhi talked to the family members of Dev at the cremation site. He described Dev as “a great leader whose death was a loss to the country. I deeply condole his death”. PWD Minister Parimal Suklabaidhya and state assembly Deputy Speaker Dilip Kumar Paul were present during the cremation. Chief Minister Sarbnanda Sonowal heading a BJP led government yesterday announced that there would be a local holiday today in the three Barak Valley districts in honour of the departed soul.