KERALA MURDER; TWO FROM KODAGU ARRESTED

Keral police arrested two persons from Kodagu in connection with the murder of one Ashwini Kumar of Hindu Aikya Vedike, a fortnight ago.

Kannanur police superintemdent Mr.Mathew and team rounded up Sirajuddin and C.P.Ummer of Virajpet yesterday near Iritty and bundled them to Kerala.

According to police, the two accused together with LDF organization members killed Ashwin Kumar traveling in a bus heading towards Iritty from Srikantpur.

SP Mr.Mathew and team foundout from investigation that the weapons used for the murder was also purchased from a shop at Virajpet.

KODAGU GIVES 52 CRORES-EXCISE INCOME TO EXCHEQUER;

Kodagu district has fetched rupees 52 crores as excise income in the present year said Exicse DC Mr.Mohammed Illias.

Addressing scribes here, he said that the present years income is 15 crores more than last year. He informed that the increase in the income was due to the changed excise policy. The government has reduced excise tax from rupees twenty to rupees two, which catapulted the income, he said.

Mr.Mohammed Illias also disclosed that the department has raised rupees 34 crores through levying fines, seizure of properties and others.

ROSEWOOD SOLD FOR FORTUNE;

The forest officials here said that the two rose wood trees fetched huge amount in the two auctions held at Kushalnagar and Thithimathi forest depots.

While one atre at Kushalnagar fetched rupees five lakh yesterday, another one at Thithimathi was auctioned for rupees 4.4 lakhs. The tree branches will fetch another 1.5 lakhs the sources said.

Rupees 5.51 crore worth trees were auctioned at Thithimathi, while trees worth rupees two crore went in auction at Kushalnagar, yesterday. The auction is going on since first as farmers blocked it for a long time. The forest officials stated that trees worth lakhs have become useless as people demanding right over tree blocked the auctioning for a long time.