The former Maharashtra Chief Minister, A R Antulay, was acquitted of all three charges of abuse of office and deception of the Cabinet, Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council, in the sanction of Rs 2 crore by the state government to the Indira Gandhi Pratibha Pratisthan (IGPP). Delivering his order in the case filed by the Janata Party leader, P B Samant, Justice D N Mehta of Bombay High Court said, “The prosecution has failed to bring home the case under the section 5 (1) (D) and 5 (1) (E) of the Prevention of Corruption Act. The main charges under section 5 (1) (D) have failed…Resultantly, the accused is acquitted of the charges framed against him.”

Akali candidates

The Akali Dal (Longowal) released the list of candidates for 99 Vidhan Sabha constituencies, leaving nine for the Janata Party and expressing the resolve that none of the remaining nine seats would go uncontested. The party also released the list of candidates for 11 of the 13 Lok Sabha seats. It is not contesting the Ferozepur and Phillaur (SC) Lok Sabha seats. The seats left for the Janata Party are Amritsar (South), Phagwara (SC), Dasuya, Mukerian, Balachaur, Jalandhar (Central), Pathankot, Sujanpur and Narot Mehra (SC).

Terror attack

Suspected terrorists struck at three places in Amritsar and Hoshiarpur districts, killing three persons and injuring eight others, three of them seriously.