THE Supreme Court cancelled the bail granted to Tamil news magazine Nakkeeran editor Gopal, on 26th September.

The Madras High Court had earlier granted bail to R.R. Gopal detained under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA). However, the Government of Tamil Nadu had challenged the verdict in the Supreme Court.

Initially six cases were filed against Gopal and the seventh one, `Rajamani missing case', which was closed as early as in 1998, was revived and he was arrested on April 11. Subsequently, this was converted into a POTA case on
April 16.

Gopal is the first journalist of the country to be booked under POTA. He had played a crucial role in the release of matinee idol Rajkumar, kidnapped by forest brigand Verrappan in 2000. Gopal started his career as a layout artist in Tarasu, a Tamil political magazine. He rose to fame when he took on Jayalalitha, accusing her of corruption. He became a household name by interviewing Verrappan, which was aired on Sun TV.

CBI arrested former UP Minister, Amarmani Tripathi, in the poetess Madhumita murder case. The arrest was made after the confirmation of the DNA test at Hyderabad laboratory, matching Tripathi’s sample with that of the foetus of Madhumita.

The 24-year- old Madhumita who was six months pregnant when murdered on May 9 at her residence. Her murder had created a political storm and Tripathi, who was a minister in UP, had to resign from Mayawati’s government. Tripathi is charged with murder, conspiracy and destroying evidences.

NINE members of an Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) mountaineering team were killed in an avalanche while returning after successfully climbing the Panchachuli peak in Pithoragarh district of Uttaranchal on September 20. Seven bodies were recovered and brought to the Dharchula base camp by IAF planes.

Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Kalyan Singh made his maiden appearance before Liberhan Commission probing the Babri Masjid demolition (December 6, 1992) as a ‘‘witness’’ and sought adjournment of the hearing which was granted in view of a recent Delhi HC order. Earlier, he was issued a non -bailable warrant against him by the commission, after which he moved to the High Court. He did not appear previously because a criminal case has been pending in which he is a defendant. The proceedings of the Commission are adjourned till October 28 and 29 for recording his statement.

Charles Sobhraj alias Bikini Killer, the serpent was put behind the bar by Kathmandu police on charges of immigration rules violations. Sobhraj, who in 1975 came to Nepal on a Dutch passport used a French passport this time. But the main purpose of nabbing him is to try him for allegedly murdering two young women national of US and Canada in 1975.

Pharmaceutical giant Merck and Co claimed to have started first global human tests of an experimental AIDS vaccine. The experiment will be conducted for different strains of HIV virus throughout the world on 435 volunteers not infected with HIV virus.