Amar ‘tapping’

New Delhi, Feb. 7: The Supreme Court today slapped contempt notices on Samajwadi boss Mulayam Singh Yadav and his lieutenant Amar Singh over an “illegally tapped” conversation in which the two were heard discussing “judges” handling a case.

A three-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan, asked the duo to explain why they shouldn’t be punished for contempt for the alleged references to the judiciary.

The judges, however, said the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister and his general secretary needn’t appear personally before the court, at least for now.

“Personal appearance dispensed with,” the court said in its short order.

Goa alert

Panaji (PTI): The state government has sounded a terror alert in Goa and police have intensified checking, chief minister Digamber Kamat said on Thursday. The move follows the arrest of a suspected militant in Karnataka who had allegedly confessed about plans to strike in Karnataka and Goa.

Simi ban

New Delhi: The Centre on Thursday extended the ban on students outfit Simi by two years on the ground that it had not stopped unlawful activities. The ban on Students’ Islamic Movement of India was first imposed in 2001 and last renewed in 2006.

Bahrain rap

Dubai (PTI): Delhi has said it will initiate action against recruiting agents from Bahrain if companies employing Indians do not pay them the minimum wage of Rs 10,000 set by the government for unskilled workers. The move will protect the workers, including those involved in construction work, from exploitation, inflation and the rising value of the rupee.

Actor suicide

Mumbai (PTI): A struggling actor allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself at his home in Lokhandwala on Thursday. Kunal Singh, 31, had acted in some Tamil and Hindi films and had of late switched to film production.