Sad Wednesday for millions in India and around the world with Sathya Sai Baba laid to rest in Prashanthi Nilayam, Puttaparthi.

Rediff.com's Vicky Nanjappa has been sending us despatches every day-- before and after Sathya's Sai's death on Sunday. Zip through the site and read up, if you haven't.

Meanwhile, the big stories today were...

1. Nanavati Commission summons IPS Sanjiv Bhatt
2. Petraeus to head CIA, Panetta for Pentagon
3. PAC report blames PM for 'unfortunate omissions'
4. Properties of 2G scam companies to be attached
5. Probe Sheila's role in CWG scam: Khadse
6. PAC on 2G: PM clean, PMO under scrutiny
7. Al Qaeda didn't want Pearl killed: Wiki
8. Hasan Ali-tainted Pondy LG quizzed, meets PC
9. Shiney Ahuja gets bail in maid rape case
10. Kanimozhi 'active brain' behind Kalaignar
11. Duncan Fletcher new Team India coach
12. DMK meet on 2G strategy, Kani chargesheet
13. Lobsang Sangey named new Tibet PM
14. Sathya Sai Baba laid to rest

The Nanavati Commission, probing the post-Godhra communal riots, has summoned senior IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt, who filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court implicating Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on May 16.

This was done on the basis of an application filed before it by the Jan Sangarsh Manch, an NGO representing some of the riot victims.

The NGO yesterday approached the panel requesting it to probe the role and conduct of chief minister Narendra Modi during the post-Godhra events, in the wake of the affidavit filed by Bhatt.

Bhatt, in an affidavit to the Supreme Court, alleged Modi of instructing state officials to allow Hindus "to vent out their anger" during the clashes and wanted Muslims to be "taught a lesson".

The Justice G T Nanavati and Justice Akshay Mehta Commission has already submitted a part of their report dealing with Godhra train carnage and are in the final stages of submitting their report on post-Godhra riots.

Read the horror story of the Gulbarg Society massacare

The media frenzy surrounding tomorrow's royal wedding continues unabated. Now a cnn.com report says that during the engagement, Prince William told the world he had given Kate Middleton the distinctive sapphire and diamond ring belonging to his late mother Diana, Princess of Wales, as "my way of making sure my mother didn't miss out on today and the excitement."

Read more

Also from cnn.com comes a report that President Barack Obama will name CIA Director Leon Panetta as his nominee to succeed Robert Gates as defense secretary.

An administration official said this month that Obama is considering Gen. David Petraeus, the top US commander in Afghanistan, as the next possible CIA director.

Panetta took over at the CIA in February 2009.

Gen David Petraeus, the head of international forces in Afghanistan, will be nominated as CIA director when its chief moves to head the Pentagon.

PAC on PM:

• The PM kept his office at "arm's length" in the 2G spectrum issue.
• This helped Raja "to execute his unfair, arbitrary and dubious designs".
• Gave an "indirect green signal" to Raja to go ahead and "execute his unfair, arbitrary and dubious designs".

PAC on PMO:

• No suggestion of the Law Minister to set up an Empowered Group of Ministers was received by them does not convince the committee.
• Either failed to see the "forebodings or was rendered a mute spectator".

On A Raja:

• Highly perturbed to note that the considered and imperative advise given by the Prime Minister and genuine concerns expressed by him on the developments in the telecom sector in his November 2007 letter to Raja was "just disregarded".
• Prime Minister was misled when he was informed by the minister (Raja) that the issue of auction of spectrum was considered but not recommended by the Telecom Commission and also not recommended by TRAI.
• The minister was saying half truth, concealing the other half, concealing his ulterior design,".

Details of the PAC draft report on the 2G scam.

The Public Accounts Committee has, in a draft report on 2G scam, strongly indicted: former Telecom Minister A Raja and come down heavily on the PMO and the Cabinet Secretariat for not taking "corrective action" while not sparing even the Prime Minister for "some unfortunate omissions".

The report circulated by PAC Chairman Murli Manohar Joshi, which is most likely to be contested by members of the ruling UPA, is also understood to have attacked the then Finance Minister P Chidambaram for recommending to the Prime Minister to "treat the matter as closed" instead of taking action against those responsible for loss to the exchequer.

Demanding a probe into the alleged role of Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit in connection with the CWG scam, the BJP today pitched for the resignation of Suresh Kalmadi as Congress MP following his arrest by CBI.

Leader of Opposition in Maharashtra Assembly Eknath Khadse said Kalmadi had pointed fingers at Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit whose role in the scam too should be investigated.

Kalmadi was arrested on April 25 by CBI in connection with the Queen Baton Relay scam. He was on the same day put under suspension by the party.

A report by the Shunglu Committee, appointed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in October 2010 to probe irregularities in connection with the sporting extravaganza, had indicted Dikshit and Delhi Lt Governor Tejinder Khanna among several people for delays and losses in infrastructure projects for the Commonwealth Games.

Just in: The Enforcement Directorate assures the Supreme Court that it will attach properties of companies involved in the 2G scam within two months. The properties are worth around Rs 2,000 cr.

The CBI however seeks more time for the completing of the probe on spectrum allocation during 2001 to 2007.

The SC has said that the CBI and ED officials have done a commendable job in probing the 2G spectrum scam.

It was almost as if it was a city on holiday.Shops and other establishments remained closed today as the third phase of polling took place in the Kolkata. Vast stretches of road in central and North Kolkata were deserted and even the Eastern Metropolitan Bypass, one of the busiest ways surrounding the city, looked as if a bandh was on.

Rediff.com's Indrani Mitra traipses through the bylanes of a sweltering city and gives you this story.

May 7 is when the sessions court will hear an application filed by Mumbai's Arthur Road jail seeking permission to send Hasan Ali Khan, accused of money laundering, to Patna in connection with a passport forgery case.

See our 13:14 pm log for: Hasan Ali-tainted Pondy LG quizzed, meets PC.

Just in: Congress-DMK PAC members are closeted in a meeting to debate the 2G scam draft report, which they say has been unilaterally framed.

See our 14:13 post on what the PAC said. Incidentally, the report says A Raja deliberately misled the PM with 'nefarious designs'.

Six American soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan after anAfghan army officeropenedfire near the airport in the capital, Kabul, reports Al Jazeera.

The Afghan defence ministry said violence broke out between an Afghan airforce pilot and US troops following an argument today inside a facility used by the Afghan Air Force.

General Mohammad Zahir Azimi, a ministry spokesman, said the gunman was killed in the shooting.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the killings but authorities could not confirm the group's involvement.

Just in: The Parliament's Public Accounts Committee haspresented itsdraft report that gives a clean chit to the PM in the 2G scam, but the PMO's role is under scrutiny as it delayed in providing information to the PM.

The delay was on the part of the PMO in presenting the details to the PM, which ensured ARaja took undue advantage . This means by the time the facts were presented to the PM, he licenses had already been given out.

Big day tomorrow for royal watchers when Britain's Prince William finally weds Katherine Middleton. Up to a thousand members of the military carried out a full-scale dress rehearsal this morning.

See and read

The Pakistani paper Dawn reports that Pakistan and India's commerce secretaries have begun talks in Islamabad today.

Commerce Secretary Zaffar Mehmood and his Indian counterpart Rahul Khullar resumedtalkson trade expansion and removal of non-tariff barriers between the two countries.

WikiLeaks ups its ante again.

The 9/11 attacks mastermind Khalid Shaikh Mohammed was warned by a senior Al-Qaeda military commander not to kill Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl in 2002 and that he should be "freed", says a WikiLeaks document.

Pearl (38), who was the South Asia Bureau Chief of the Wall Street Journal, was beheaded by his Pakistani captors in February 2002 after being abducted.

"A senior Al Qaeda military commander strongly warned Khalid Shaikh Mohammed not to kill Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl in 2002, cautioning him 'it would not be wise to murder Pearl' and that he (Pearl) should 'be returned to one of the previous groups who held him, or freed,'.

Quoting US military documents posted by WikiLeaks, the report said Mohammed told his US interrogators at Guantanamo Bay that he cut off Pearl's head anyway.

Former top Al Qaeda military commander Sayfal-Adl was "outspoken in cautioning Mohammed against killing the reporter," the report said.

Mohammed, however, turned for guidance to another Al Qaeda leader, identified as Sharif al-Masri, the group's chief financial officer, and the two of them "disagreed with Adl on this point."

Next, "Pearl was taken to the house of Al Qaeda's finance chief in Pakistan, Saud Memon, and murdered" there.

Maids in the news.

After Shiney Ahuja gotbail for raping his maid, a 18-month-old boy, who was kidnapped allegedly by a domestic help from his Delhi home three days ago, has been rescued from neighbouring Faridabad with arrest of four persons, including two women.

Ishaan, the son of a prominent businessman was kidnapped allegedly by maid Seema from Southeast Delhi's Maharani Bagh on Sunday evening after she took him for an evening walk.

Read more

Puducherry Lieutenant Governor Iqbal Singh met Union Home Minister P Chidambaram to reportedly clarify his position on his alleged links to tax evader Hasan Ali. Lt. Governor Singh continues to remain defiant and has refused to resign over the issue.

Singh said: "I was questioned on the events of 1997. I told them, so, whatever papers I had, I showed them. When there is more clarity on it, I will talk about it." When asked if he would step down on moral grounds, the governor said, "I do not have a reply for such questions."

Bollywood actor Shiney Ahuja who was sentenced to seven years' rigorous imprisonment by a fast track sessions court in Mumbai for raping his maid, has been granted bail by the Bombay High Court.

However, the actor can't leave India and has to pay a security bond of Rs 50,000. The court granted the bail saying the probe in the case was over and his custody was not required any more.

Ahuja was arrested on June 15, 2009, after preliminary medical tests on the maid confirmed sexual assault. He was charged under the IPC Section 376 with rape, along with wrongful restraint and intimidation.

Await the Shiney-maid jokes on Twitter...

The CBI has alleged that DMK MP Kanimozhi was an "active brain" behind the operation of Kalaignar TV and actively pursued with intermediaries and her party, the reappointment of 2G scam accused A Raja as Telecom Minister.

In its 53-page chargesheet, the CBI has alleged that during investigations, it found that in 2007, Kanimozhi along with other promoters incorporated Kalaignar TV after they left the Sun TV network.

"She has also been in regular touch with Raja regarding the launching of Kalaignar TV and other pending works related to the TV," the CBI, which named her as an accused, claimed in the chargesheet.

The DMK MP was also an initial director of the company, but resigned as her clearance from the Ministry of Home Affairs was pending and that would have resulted in delay of launch of the TV.

This is a dream the estimated two billion people watching the royal wedding hopes will come true.

With just two days to go for the royal wedding, bride Kate Middleton reportedly keeps dreaming that she is marrying Prince William at the altar... naked.

Middleton confessed to imagining herself starker as a worldwide audience of two billion tunes in to see her tie the knot with William.

She revealed she suffered a similar anxiety-related dream in 2006 as she prepared to start a new job as an accessory buyer with clothing chain Jigsaw.

The recurring dream has left her sister Pippa, who will be maid of honour on Friday, in fits of hysterics.

On twitter:

Sanjay Manjrekar says: Duncan fletcher appointed india coach.

Yuvraj Singh: Official ...? breaking news ....duncan fletcher appointed as indian coach.

Incidentally, Suresh Kalmadi has been holding his own as the top trending topic on twitter for two days.

FYI: Thirty-four per cent polling till 11 am in 75 seats in Kolkata and adjoining North and South 24 Parganas districts.

Besides Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, other prominent candidates are Finance Minister Asim Dasgupta, Housing Minister Goutam Deb, Transport Minister Ranjit Kundu, the Leader of the Opposition Partha Chatterjee, Kolkata Mayor Sovan Chatterjee, former FICCI Secretary General Amit Mitra and actor Debashree Roy.

The six-phase election will end on May 10

Duncan Fletcher has been named the new Team India coach. Fletcher, who helped put England's cricket back on track after a poor World Cup in 1999, had emerged as a "strong contender' to succeed Gary Kirsten as the Team India coach.

Fletcher (62), the former Zimbabwe captain, will be there for India's tour to West Indies, scheduled after the IPL.

The DMK says the party will fight the 2G battle legally (as opposed to?) and blames the opposition for creating a rift in the UPA and says the2G spectrum issue is being used to defame the DMK.

Two days after Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi's daughter Kanimozhi was named in the second chargesheet in the 2G spectrum scam, the DMK is now closeted in a crucial high-level committee meeting to decide the party's future course of action.

Kanimozhi, a Rajya Sabha MP and a prominent face of DMK and at one time, Karunanidhi's favourite, was named as 'co-conspirator' in the scam, bringing the party's first family in sharp focus for the first time.

Karuna is reportedly upset over the fresh development, but party sources said a drastic action like pulling out of the UPA ministry was unlikely.

Party sources have said DMK was unlikely to do anything to precipitate matters with the Congress, particularly at a time when results of the April 13 Assembly polls are to be announced on May 13.

In the first blow to the DMK, its Dalit face and former Telecom Minister A Raja was chargesheeted and lodged in prison.

Of late, DMK's relations with its seven-year-old ally Congress have been uneasy, more so before the recently held assembly polls.

Over 18 per cent polling was recorded in the first two hours of voting in 75 constituencies in Kolkata and its neighbouring North and South 24-Parganas districts of West Bengal today. An electorate of 1.44 crore would decide the fate of 479 candidates including Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and 11 ministers in this phase.

Here are some figures you can chew on.

• 6000: Central para-military personnel deployed
• 11 seats in Kolkata
• 33 in neighbouring North 24-Parganas
• 31 in South 24-Parganas districts (17,792 polling booths).

Moving on from Puttaparthi, in Bengal, the crucial third phase of polling began at 7 am. Kolkata decides today whether it wants poriborton (change) or protyaborton (return of the old seat of power) -- as the city goes to polls today.

Rediff.com's Indrani Roy Mitra tries to gauge the political temperatures as she strolls through the by-lanes of poll-bound Kolkata.

Read

So the godman has finally been given samadhi. Sathya Sai Baba, who was admitted to the super-speciality hospital in Puttaparthi on March 28, was 85 when he passed away following cardio-respiratory failure on Sunday morning.

Rediff.com's Vicky Nanajappa who has been sending us despatches every day from Puttaparthi had dared to question Sathya Sai Baba's devotees about the spiritual guru's prophecy that he would live till the age of 96.

Here's what he found out

Morning.Godman Sathya Sai Baba was interred at the very spot from where he used to meet and address his disciples for years.

The mortal remains of the 85-year-old spiritual leader, whose clout spread far and wide among both the commoners and the high mighty, were buried after the last rites were performed by his nephew R J Ratnakar in accordance with vedic customs following full police honours.

Watched by a galaxy of political personalities including Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka Chief Ministers N Kiran Kumar Reddy and B S Yeddyurappa, Governors E S L Narasimhan and Shivraj V Patil, BJP leaders L K Advani, M Venkiah Naidu, Bandaru Dattatreya, former AP Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and former Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan and hundreds of his followers, Sai Baba's body was buried amidst chanting of "sai" mantras.

Once the last rites were performed by vedic pandits, red curtains were drawn around 9:45 sm and the process started for laying the body in a pit created at the spot in Sai Kulwant where the spiritual leader used to make his preachings for his followers for a number of years. As per custom, Sai Baba is buried, not cremated.

It lasted about 25 minutes. The spot where he was buried is now now expected to become an eternal memorial for Sai Baba.

The samadhi will be open to the public from 12 pm.