New Delhi, Oct 24 : A Sessions Court today awarded life sentence to all the 10 policemen, who were convicted in connection with the 1997 Connaught Place shootout case.

Suspended Assistant Commissioner of Police S S Rathi was among those awarded the life term.

"I sentence them to life imprisonment," Additional Sessions Judge Vinod Kumar said, pronouncing the quantum of punishment to ten policemen.

On March 31, 1997, a Crime Branch team of the Delhi police, led by Rathi pumped bullets into two businessmen -- Pradeep Goyal and Jajgjit Singh--, killing the two at the spot.

Earlier, CBI counsel S K Saxena had sought death penalty Rathi, who led the operation, and head constable Mahaveer Singh and constable Kothari Ram, whose bullets had killed the victims.

New Delhi, Oct. 24 : To curb the menace of terrorism, police chiefs of SAARC countries have called for the formation of an institutional mechanism to enhance cooperation amongst the SAARC nations.

Besides terrorism, other issues like drug trafficking, cyber crimes and financial frauds were also introduced at the Sixth SAARC Conference on Cooperation in Police Matters on Tuesday.

According to sources in the Union Home Ministry, police chiefs also agreed to share information related to trans-border crimes among police organisations.

“The delegates spoke of the need for a network of cooperation amongst them to strengthen the existing mechanisms of cooperation in drugs, terrorism and trafficking,” said a source after the meeting.

New Delhi, Oct 24 : The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) celebrated its 46th raising day here today.

Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil, who attended the celebrations as the chief guest, said: “We want to send the message to all our officers that the government promises help in creating centres for the new battalions."

Patil also presented medals for gallantry and meritorious service to the personnel of ITBP.

The force has commended the initiatives of the government for its expansion and believes it will have a positive effect on the cadre.

“With the concurrence of the Indian Government, the force has been allocated 20 more battalions and has been granted the permission to open six sector headquarters, and two zonal headquarters,” said V K Joshi, Director General, ITBP.

Nauwa (Rajasthan), Oct 24 : The villagers of Nauwa in Rajasthan are alleging that lackadaisical attitude of the ill-equipped forest department officials led to the death of a leopard, who in spite of being rescued from a 25 feet well died here on Tuesday.

The rescuers had tied a rope around the leopard’s body, which later slipped and formed a noose around its neck that proved fatal for the big cat.

However, the Forest Department justified tying the leopard with the rope.

"The leopard fell into the well which had water. So we did not tranquilise it. Had we done so, it might have drowned. So we tied a rope around the body and pulled it out," said Chaman Singh, Official of the Forest Department.

New Delhi, Oct 24 : Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, who is on a four-day visit to India, was accorded a ceremonial welcome at the Rashtrapati Bhavan today.

The Queen, on the first such visit in 21 years, met with President Pratibha Patil and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh besides other top leaders.

The two sides are expected to explore ways to strengthen bilateral ties, particularly in the sectors of trade and economy.

The bilateral trade between the two countries amounts to nearly 2.28 billion dollars and business houses in both countries are looking at doubling this in the next five years.

Panaji, Oct 24 : At least twenty-two people were hospitalised late
on Tuesday night following a suspected gas leakage in a scrap yard in
Mapusa town, 10 km away from here.