March 9: Top news at noon

Repolling on in 34 polling stations in Manipur

Repolling in 34 polling stations in three districts of Manipur is being held amid tight security today. The repolling is so far peaceful, an election commission official said. Polling in these booths in Imphal, Churachandpur and Kangpoki districts was held in the first phase of the elections on March 4. The repoll was ordered on Tuesday following electoral malpractices in these polling stations, the official said.

MP train blast: Three accused get ATS custody till March 23
A local court in Bhopal today remanded in police custody three accused arrested in connection with the Bhopal-Ujjain train bomb explosion case, till March 23. Additional District Judge (ADJ) Girish Dixit sent the three accused from Uttar Pradesh—Mohammad Danish (27) and Mohammad Atif Muzaffar (22) both from Kanpur, and Sayyed Meer Husain (19) from Kannauj district—in police custody till March 23 after the state Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) sought their remand for questioning. The trio was yesterday arrested from MP's Hoshangabad district in connection with the train bomb blast. At least 10 people were injured, three of them seriously, in the IED blast in the train near Jabdi station in Shajapur district of Madhya Pradesh yesterday.

Cuttack special court orders auction of seized assets of Sri Bhumi
A special court in Cuttack dealing with the cases pertaining to chit fund scams today ordered the sale of seized assets of a ponzi scheme firm through public auction. The court of Additional District Judge (ADJ) also directed the competent authority to distribute the money realised through auction, equitably among the poor investors of M/s Sri Bhumi Group of Companies. This is the eighth such order passed by the special court during last two years for public auction of seized properties of eight tainted companies that collected money from public luring them with promise to high interest. At least two dozen more such cases are now pending disposal in the same court.

I-T Department asks black money holders to make honest declarations

The I-T department today nudged black money holders to make "honest" disclosures under the tax amnesty scheme—PMGKY—warning that non-declaration could attract 77.25% tax and penalty along with prosecution. In advertisements in leading dailies, the department said "like fingerprints, your blackmoney will lead us to you". The government in December last year had launched the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana (PMGKY) under which people holding unaccounted cash or deposits in bank accounts or post offices can declare them and pay tax and penalty of 49.90%. Also, a quarter of the undisclosed income has to be parked in a 4-year non-interest bearing Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Deposit Scheme.

Youth's custodial death case: Uttarakhand HC serves notices to four cops
The Uttarakhand High Court today issued notices to four policemen including the investigating officer probing the custodial death of a youth at Katoratal police chowki in Kashipur. Justice UC Dhyani issued notices to constables Pravin Kumar, Balwant Singh Bally, Virendra Bhatt and investigating officer Bipin Chandra Pant while hearing a petition filed by the father of the deceased Mohammad Yamin seeking a CBI probe into the incident and sealing of the spot where the boy allegedly hanged himself.

Ziauddin had allegedly hanged himself at the police chowki while being interrogated in connection with the alleged abduction of a minor girl. However, his family had alleged, soon after the incident, that he had been tortured to death.