Social worker Anna Hazare today filed a revision application in the Sessions Court challenging his conviction by the metropolitan magistrate court on September 9, 1998 for defaming Social Welfare Minister Babanrao Gholap.In his application, Hazare prayed that his conviction by Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate K H Holambe-Patil of the Girgaum court under section 500 of the Indian Penal Code be set aside.

The magistrate had sentenced Hazare to three months' simple imprisonment and given him an option to execute a Rs 5000 bond of good conduct for two years. However, Hazare refused to execute the bond and is currently lodged at Yerwada jail.

Hazare's advocate P Janardhan has alleged that the evidence tendered by two witnesses Rajkumar Suryavanshi and Uttam Handore from Nasik was fabricated by Gholap. The petition contended that there was no mention of these witnesses in the complaint filed by the minister.

In an interview to the Marathi newspaper Navakalin September 1997, Hazare had alleged that the Anti-corruption Bureau (ACB) had found Gholap guilty of corruption in an inquiry conducted by it. He argued that letters written by the two ACB officials to Gholap were contradictory to each other.

Relief for kin of persons missing in riots

The state government today announced a financial assistance of Rs 2 lakh to the kin of persons who were missing since the communal riots of December 1992-January 1993 and during March 1993 serial bomb blasts.

The sum will be given to the kin after a thorough scrutiny. Half of this amount will come from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund and the rest from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund. While Rs 30,000 will be deposited in the person's savings account, Rs 1.70 lakh will be kept as a fixed deposit in a joint account of the person and the district collector. The interest on the deposited money will be given to the person from time to time.

So far, eight people have been given the money. They are RameshDagale, GSM Sheikh, Subhedar Sheikh, Mohammed Usman Quereshi, Abdul Rehman Surve, Rashid Hussain Kotawala, Abida Begum Maniruddin and Kuwarbai Kanhaiyyalal Chaudhary.

Illegally stored edible oil confiscated

Over 2,400 litres of edible oil and 11,400 litres of furnace oil illegally stored was confiscated by officers of the Food and Civil Supplies department from a godown at Antop Hill today. Two persons were arrested in this connection.

The oil totally worth over Rs 4 lakh was being taken to other parts of the state in a tanker. An oil tanker which was meant to transport the oil was seized.

Chief Inspection Officer Shrikant Bire accompanied by Civil Supplies (vigilance) inspectors Pralhad Kamat, Dattatraya Shinde, Tanaji Satam, Hanumant Malvankar raided the godown at Antop Hill following a tip-off. It was discovered that the furnish oil was released by the Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd, Sewri for Colour-Chem Company, Roha.

The driver, instead of heading for Roha, drove the tankerstraight to Antop Hill. It was noticed that edible oil was being sold illegally from the same godown. The arrested men were Abdul B Sheikh and Mohammed Anwar. The officers said the oil storage was part of a racket and expected to arrest more people in this connection.