One person was killed and more than 50 people injured in communal clashes at Rabodi in Thane. The violence occurred over the issue of setting up a ‘puja pandal’ for the Navratri festival. The minority community alleged that the pandal was being set up over their land. That triggered the clashes. Situation is tense, but under control. Security forces have been deployed to maintain law and order.

——————————————————————————————–
More than 100 people were killed and 250 injured when a stampede occured in the Chamunda Devi temple at Mehrangarh Fort, Jodhpur in the wee hours today. Over 25,000 people had gathered in the temple on the first day of Navratri celebrations. According to sources, the stampede occurred due to a bomb scare, but it was not confirmed.

The injured have been rushed to Mahatma Gandhi hospital in Jodhpur. Police and district administration have rushed to the spot. Rescue operations have been stepped up. The death toll could go up, as more people are feared trapped inside.
——————————————————————————————

Just half an hour after the blast in Modasa town in Sabarkantha, Gujarat, another low intensity blast killed three persons and injured seven people in Malegaon, Maharashtra. The blast occurred at Anjuman Chowk.

According to sources, the bomb was planted on a motorcycle, which is quite similar to the blasts in Mehrauli and Modasa, Sabarkantha. However, police sources said that it could be cylinder blast. Both Modasa and Maelgaon are communally sensitive areas.

While one person was killed in the blast, two others were killed in the stampede aftermath blast. High alert has been issued in Malegaon. Over 50 people were reported injured in the stampede. According to latest reports, an angry mob attacked the police vehicles, forcing the police forces open fire in the air. Six policemen including the SP were injured in the clashes.

Like Sabarkantha, Malegaon is also Muslim-dominated. Bomb blasts on the eve of Eid and Navaratri, is certain to lead to a communal flare-up in these areas. Situation is tense in Malegaon.

——————————————————————————————
Reports are coming from Gujarat that a low intensity bomb blast killed 2 persons and injured at least 8 people in Modassa town of Sabarkantha district of Gujarat. The blast reportedly occurred on a Hero Honda motorcycle at 8.30 PM. Both youth, who were killed in the blast belonged to Muslim community.

The blast was quite similar to Mehrauli blast. Sabarkantha is one of the most communally-sensitive areas in the state, which is largely Muslim-dominated. The exact location of the blast was Sukhabazar in Modasa town. The police have confirmed that it was a bomb blast and cordoned off the area. Further details are awaited.

—————————————————————————————–

The Chandigarh police arrested a person in connection with the molestation of a German tourist in Chandigarh. It could be recalled that a German tourist was kidnapped from Hotel Taj on Sunday and was molested by a group of youth. The victim later lodged a police complaint. The police identified the youth from the CCTV footage available in the hotel.

A case of attempt to rape, abduction and molestation has been registered against six youths in connection with the incident. The police is looking for other accused who are still at large. Meanwhile, the medical reports ruled out rape, but confirmed the molestation. According to the victim, she had some drinks in the hotel and later found a group of youths standing by a Scorpio. She had some friendly conversation with them and agreed to take a drive with them. The youth took her away, molested and beat her up when she protested

———————————————————————————————
Stock Markets in the US crashed after the House of Representatives rejected the US$ 700 billion bailout package to revive the American economy. The bill, which was aimed at stabilizing the US economy, was rejected by 226 votes to 207 in the House of Representatives on Monday. The rejection came as a rude shock for the Bush administration.

The Dow Jones plunged by more than 600 points after the bailout package was rejected. Experts believe that the crisis on Wall Street could have disastrous repercussions for the entire global economy. Indian stock market may witness a heavy downfall tomorrow when it opens in the morning.

———————————————————————————————

The shares of ICICI Bank, India’s second biggest bank, fell by 14 percent on Monday, as the global banking crisis deepened. ICICI shares hit a two-year-low amid reports of foreign fund selling and concerns about the impact of global credit crisis. The latest crisis in the US, which saw Lehman Brothers, Merrill Lynch, AIG and Washington Mutuals crashing down. has had its impact on ICICI Bank.

The ICICI shares now stand at Rs 493, which is a 52-week low price. Shares of other Indian banks also fell drastically. While the SBI shares fell by 5.31 percent, HDFC and PNB also witnessed a fall of 4.3 percent and 2.5 percent respectively.