Two big news stories today: Dates for six Assembly polls announced and sentencing in the Godhra case --11 get death, 20 get life.

If you've just joined us, scroll down for all the news today.

Congress in Tamil Nadu is understood to have demanded 75 seats from the DMK in the ensuing Assembly elections and has placed a proposal for share in power if the alliance emerges victorious.

Hard bargaining was on from both sides on seat-sharing issues with the Congress demanding 75 assembly constituencies as against the 48 seats it contested during the 2006 polls.

However, the DMK is said to be ready to give only 53 as the ruling party plans to contest at least 140 seats. Last time, it contested 124 seats.

Law and order at the polls: Based on the assessment of the ground situation, Central Police Forces and State Armed Police drawn from other States will be deployed during the ensuing general elections.

Besides, these forces will be used for securing the strong rooms
where the EVMs are stored pending counting and for securing the counting
centers.

Big takes from the polls

NRI votes: In a first, overseas Indian citizens have been enabled to be enrolled as voters and would be able to vote in person. Election Officials have been suitably instructed to facilitate the process of their registration as voters, says SY Qureshi, Chief EC.

Photo electoral rolls:will be used(except Assam where there are only text-rolls and no photo Electoral rolls.)

Identification of voters at the polling booth at the time of poll shall be
mandatory.

Here's how the seat break-up goes

Tamil Nadu: 234 total; 44 (SC), 02 (ST)
Kerala: 140 total;14 (SC), 02 (ST)
Puducherry 30 total seats, 05 (SC)
West Bengal: 294 total seats, 68 (SC) 16 (ST)
Assam: 126 total seats, 08 (SC), 16 (ST)

Oops, West Bengal will have the poll in six phases. The date we missed out was April 23.

S Y Qureshi Chief Election Commissioner has annoucned poll schedule for Assembly elections in five states. They are Tamil Nadu: onApril 13, Kerala: April 13, Puducherry: April 13, West Bengal: May 10 (last date in six phase poll) and Assam:April 11 (126 seats; last date in two phase poll). Political parties to check EVMs.

Micro observers will be placed in polling stations.

In TN it's a contest between AIADMK, DMK (234 seats)

In West Bengal, it's between CPM and Trinamool (294 seats)

In Kerala it's between UDF and LDF. (140 seats)

Model code of conduct comes into effect immediately.

Counting date on May 13.

EC announces voter slips will be distributed, a call centre for poll complaints.

Assam will have two phases -- 4th April, 11th April.

Kerala single phase election (140 constituencies) April 13.

Tamil Nadu -- single phase (April 13)

Puducherry (April 13)

West Bengal in six phases. April 18, April 27th, May 3, May 7, May 10.

From the sun.co.uk, Jordan's shame at pre-Oscars party. This is what happened.

Jordan was simply offensive. She stumbled drunkenly around Elton John's post-awards party hurling herself at horrified men.

The mum of three managed to corner Bros star Matt Goss for a kiss then tried to snog some bemused women. Jordan, 32, also made a beeline for boxer Joe Calzaghe but he ducked out of the way.

Eventually she ended up dragging a mystery man, now thought to be Argentinean model Leandro Penna into a taxi. She was heard asking him [sorry, we've edited it for adult content].

Al-Qaeda's 'most wanted' is plotting attacks on Britain -- an airline worker involved in his plans was found guilty of planning explosions. The telegraph.co.uk reports that Rajib Karim, who worked for British Airways, tried to use a cabin crew strike to get a job on a plane in order to launch a terrorist attack on a flight to the US.

Read more

Some excellent cartoons on Muammar Gaddafi from across the world.

And this one, from the telegraph.co.uk

Sri Lanka vice-captain Mahela Jayawardene is considering legal action in response to commentary that implied he was guilty of match-fixing, reports bbc.co.uk.

A state television broadcast suggested Jayawardene deliberately played badly for financial gain in Saturday's cricket World Cup defeat by Pakistan. Jayawardene said his lawyer was drafting a letter to "get to the bottom" of the accusation.

The allegation was also levelled at batsman Thilan Samaraweera

Here are details of India's sudden U-turn in the 26/11 case.

India has agreed to a Pakistan's request to sending ateam to question suspects in the Mumbai terror attack.

Home minister P Chidambaram says India is awaiting a reply from Pakistan before it decides on allowing a commission from Islamabad. Addressing his monthly press conference, he said India has asked Pakistan to allow a team to question some people there suspected to be involved in the 26/11 Mumbai carnage.

"We are awaiting an answer for the question that we have put forth," Chidambaram said. He added that the documentary evidence which Pakistan wanted from India will be provided to them in the next few days.

The Home Minister said in-principle India has agreed to allow a commission from Pakistan to visit here in connection with the 26/11 investigations.

Welcome to the Middle Ages.

The Islamic seminary Darul-Uloom Deoband has opined that children should follow the choice of their parents for marriage and that a person who is religious should get priority over a wealthy one.

The seminary was asked if a girl wants to marry a boy because he is rich and can give her a good life and does not accept her parents' choice as it is based only on religion then whether the parents should agree to her choice or stick to their choice.

The seminary also said that according to some imams, the 'nikah' (marriage) of a girl who marries without the consent and permission of her guardian is "invalid".

The seminary was in the news recently afterMaulana Ghulam Mohd Vastanvi was allowed to continue as VC. Read

You have to hand it to Julian Assange -- always a step ahead. The embattledWikiLeaksfounder fighting extradition to Sweden over allegations of rape and sexual assault, has applied to trademark his name.

The guardian.co.uk reports that the 39-year-old who willshortly be extraditedto Sweden to contest the charges unless he wins an appeal on Thursday, 3 March, wants to protect his name for use in "public speaking services" and "entertainment services.

It has now emerged that former UK PM Gordon Brown had blocked an honorary knighthood for Apple founder Steve Jobs -- and for a petty reason.

Brown apparently refused to knight Jobs in 2009 because he turned down an invitation to speak at the Labour Party conference.

The telegraph.co.uk reports that Jobs was put forward for the honour by the MP for services to technology.

Apple is credited with revolutionising the industry in recent years with its iPhone and iPad devices, which have unleashed a boom in mobile internet usage.

In Pakistan, the government has informed a court that all required steps are being taken to block objectionable and anti-Islamic portals.

With Facebook and several other websites allegedly featuring blasphemous material against Prophet Mohammed and the Quran, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority and Information Technology Ministry are blocking all internet websites that feature blasphemous material.

Just in: Varun Gandhi's wedding reception in Delhi on March 8 has been cancelled. The cancellation follows the death of 77-year-old Amteshwar Anand, mother of Maneka Gandhi yesterday. In a statement, Maneka, said they deeply regretted the inconvenience caused. However, the marriage ceremony in a temple in Varanasi on Mar 6 will take place as scheduled.

Dashed hopes for Breaking News channels trumpeting first pictures of Priyanka and Rahul attending the reception. Sources said the two were expected to attend the function.

Here's a post from Ripley's Believe it or Not (or so it should be).

Former telecom minister A Raja understands the emotion, embarrassment.

Raja who is chakki pisoing in Tihar jail has been allowed to appear in court through teleconferencing. This comes after Raja's lawyer had claimed that his client was embarrassed to appear in court.

Raja was arrested under sections 120B, 13(2), 13(1D) of Prevention of Corruption Act on the charges of criminal misconduct, violation of policies and favouring some specific companies during the grant of 2G spectrum licences.

It may be remembered that Raja refused to step down as telecom minsiter despite increasing proof of his alleged corruption.

Scotia Princess has set sail from the Libyan port of Benghazi to the sanctuary of Alexandria in Egypt as part of the Indian government's evacuation of citizens stranded in war-torn Libya. On board are 1188 passengers. The ship is expected to dock at Alexandria by 8 pm.

Foreign minister SM Krishan says ships, commercial and charter flights will be pressed into service and expected 3000 more Indians to be ecacuted by tomorrow.

Just in: Pak judiciary to be allowed to question witnesses in 26/11 case. After home secretary level talks, the Pakistan judiciary will be allowed to question Pakistani terrorist Ajmal Kasab, who was given the death sentence for his role in the Mumbai terror attacks of 26 November, 2008.

India will also provide certified 26/11 trial documents to Pakistan.

In other words, closure in the case has been postponed.

Since the Godhra sentencing is the biggest news of the day, so far (unless Gaddafi throwns in the gauntlet), here's a gist of what happened.

-- The Bangalore Mirror writes that the kar sevaks killed on the ill-fated Sabarmati Express were on their way from Ayodhya after attending a Ram Yagna.

-- The train was supposed to reach the Godhra station at 2.55 am on February 27.

-- The conspirators, who had been primed, gathered at Aman Guesthouse owned by Abdul Razzak Mohammed Kurkur (sentenced to death). Those present at the guest house included Kurkur, Salim alias Salman Yusuf Zarda, Shaukat Ahmed Charkha, Salim Panwala and Jabir bin Yamin.

-- Farooq Mohammed Bhana and Bilal Ismail present at the guesthouse told the others that Maulvi Hussain Haji Ibrahim Umarji had ordered that the S-6 coach be burnt.

-- The conspirators set out to buy petrol from Kalubhai's petrol pump.

-- The accused took a rickshaw to the petrol pump and bought fuel in seven cans of 20 litres each.

-- The petrol cans were left at Corker's residence in Signal Faliya.

-- Meanwhile, Salim Panwala found out that the train was running four hours late.

-- At Sabarmati Express arrives at platform 1 of the Godhra station.

-- The kar sevaks on the train got down for refreshments, chanting 'Jai Shree Ram'. Some kar sevaks got into an argument with a Muslim tea stall owner. Another group tried to allegedly harass a Muslim woman who was boarding the Sabarmati Express along with her mother and sister. The terrified women ran and took refuge in the booking office.

-- This incident was exploited by Panwala, who caused a ruckus and gathered a huge mob of Muslims at the station.

-- He told the mob that the kar sevaks had taken a Muslim woman hostage. By this time the train had started moving.

-- Enraged by the Kar Sevaks act, three Muslim youths boarded the moving train and pulled the chain.

-- The mob started pelting stones, but the Railway Protection Force calmed the angry mob and the train started again.

-- But when the train reached the 'A' cabin, someone again pulled the chain and it stopped.

-- A mob of 1,000 surrounded the train and started pelting stones. Panwala and Kukur left an open can of petrol at the door of the S-6 coach.

-- The mob (mainly Mehboob Hassan and Jabir bin Yamin Behra) also detached the vestibule canvas between coaches S-6 and S-7.

-- They along with Shaukat Charkha poured petrol inside coach and also doused the passengers.

-- Later, all three of them jumped out of the train. Charkha threw a torch into the coach.

-- The accused also stopped the Godhra municipal firemen from reaching the station to douse the fire.

R. RAJAGOPALAN:Today at six pm dates for elections for assemblies of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and west bengal being announced. CEC to hold press meet in delhi.

Strange. The Himachal Pradesh government today said it has not received any information from the Centre regarding any 'clean chit' given to Karmapa Ogyen Trinley Dorji in connection with the recovery of foreign currency.

"We have come to know from the media reports that the Centre has given a clean chit to Karmapa but we have not received any official intimation from the Union government," Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal said while replying to a question during the Question Hour.

He said that neither the Centre is under any obligation to inform the state about it nor is it desirable on the part of the state to seek any information.

The Orissa High Court has completed hearing on Vedanta Aluminum Limited's plea seeking to quash the Centre's notification on stalling expansion of its refinery and the captive plant at Lanjigarh.

The Union Ministry of Environment and Forests had justified its October 20, 2010 order stalling the expansion of the refinery, saying the company should furnish fresh proposals to obtain environmental clearance for its expansion bid.

The company in August 2007 had applied for expansion of the capacity of its Lanjigarh-based existing refinery from 1 MTPA to 6 MTPA and that of the captive power plant from 75 to 300 MW.

But pending an environmental clearance, the company went ahead with the construction work for undertaking a six-fold increase in refinery capacity, besides four-fold expansion of the power plant

When Rahul Gandhi, ummm, sneezes, it makes news. So when he's had a fracture, it makes headlines.

Rahul suffered a fracture in his right leg that kept him away from attending the presentation of 2011-12 Union Budget in Lok Sabha yesterday. He will take some time to recover from the injury and he has been advised complete rest, Rahul had attended Parliament on Friday during the Railway Budget presentation even after hurting his leg (awww) but was seen having some trouble while moving.

Later, he underwent an X-ray which showed he had a fracture in his right leg, sources said. He is reported to have hurt himself during an exercise session a few days ago.

Here's the latest about the evacuation of Indians from Libya. The Ministry of External says the evacuation is going smoothly and over 3,500 people would have returned home by tomorrow.

S M Krishna confirmed that the government was using commercial flights, chartered flights and shipping lines to evacuate stranded Indians.

After UK PM David Cameron faced criticism after charges that the country supplied arms to Libya, here's more egg in the face for the former PM Tony Blair.

Blair had reportedly signed a deal with Libya to train Colonel Muammar Gaddafi's special forces and supply him with NATO secrets, during his last foreign trip to Africa as British Prime Minister in May 2007.

According to The Telegraph, the two leaders had agreed to cooperate on defence matters in a range of areas, including exchanging information about defence structures and technology.

The deal, which was signed in Gaddafi's tent in the Libyan desert, had included an agreement on "co-operation in the training of specialised military units, special forces and border security units'.

Telecom minister Kapil Sibal moves a JPC motion in the Rajya Sabha and releases the names of the Rajya Sabha members in the JPC probing the 2G scam: They include: Ravi Shankar Prasad, Sitaram Yechury, Kapil Sibal, PJ Kurien, Jayanthi Natarajan, SS Ahluwalia, SC Mishra, RS Prasad. Sibal says he's glad that the JPC has been formed.

The JPC panel will have 21 members from the Lok Sabha and nine from the Rajya Sabha.

The LS members include: V Kishore, Chandra Deo, Paban Singh Ghatowar, Jai Prakash Agarwal, Deepender Singh Hooda, P.C Chacko, Manish Tewari, Nirmal Khatri, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury from Congress, T.R Baalu (DMK), Kalyan Banerjee (Trinamool Congress), Jaswant Singh, Yashwant Sinha, Harin Pathak, Gopinath Munde from BJP, Sharad Yadav (JD-U), Dara Singh Chauhan (BSP), Akhilesh Yadav (SP), Gurudas Dasgupta (CPI), Arjun Charan Sethi (BJD) and M Thambi Durai (AIADMK).

Eyewitness accounts speak of a strange dark column moving along the King Fahd causeway linking Saudi Arabia and Bahrain late Monday evening. Silhoutted against the burning red horizon as dusk was falling, they saw a column of 15 Saudi tank carriers each carrying two tanks crossing the 25-kilometre long causeway to Bahrain.For historians chronicling these troubled timesin our world, the Saudi intervention in Bahrain may be deemed to have officially begun in the evening of February 28, 2011.

That's from former diplomat MK Bhadrakumar's blog.

Read more

More news on the Raymond Davis case.

The Pakistan government has apparently offered to trade suspected CIA contractor Raymond Davis, arrested for gunning down two men in Lahore, for Pakistani terror suspect Aafia Siddiqui. Siddiqui is currently serving a 86-year prison term in the US.

The Pakistan government proposed trading Davis for Siddiqui, an MIT-educated neuroscientist, but the offer was immediately dismissed by the US administration. "The Pakistanis have raised it...We are not going to pursue it," an US official said.

And in another link, the US has linked sovereign immunity for ISI chief Ahmed Shuja Pasha in a lawsuit filed by relatives of victims of the Mumbai attacks in a Brooklyn court to the diplomatic immunity for Raymond Davis, the American arrested for the Lahore double murder.

At one stage, the Americans were going to file papers in the court, stating that the ISI chief enjoyed sovereign immunity but decided not to do so after Davis' arrest.

Prashant Bhushan, the petitioner on behalf of the Centre for Public Interest Litigation has alleged links between 2G accused, Swan telecom promoter Shahid Balwa, to a union minister (who hasn't been named).

Prashant Bhushan said the person is an ex CBI joint director, who took early retirement to join ICC, headed by a central minister. Balwa is currently in Tihar jail on charges that the DB group's telecom arm had sold a 45 pre centstake to UAE-based Etisalat for $900 million in 2009. The company, earlier known as Swan Telecom, is now known as Etisalat-DB.

According to sources, the allegations are that over Rs. 200 crore was transferred by DB group to a media company -- Kalaignar TV -- owned by DMK party members.

Balwa's firm paid Rs 100 crore to ICC which is headed by the minister.

Coming up hot desserts -- tabloid stories from across the world. First up from dailymail.co.uk

A soldier's wife cried rape after her husband worked out their baby was conceived while he was thousands of miles away on the Helmand frontline. Samantha Morley told her partner Thomas she had been attacked while he was fighting in Afghanistan to cover up her infidelity.

He went to police and the 24-year-old repeated her claims, leading to the arrest of two innocent men.

Read more

Why can't air shows be scrapped. Every time there is an air show, in whichever part of the world, there is tragedy.

Two fighter jets of the Sri Lankan Air Force collided and crashed mid air while rehearsing for an air show today. The two Israeli built Kfir aircraft were practising for the air show to be displayed on 60th anniversary celebrations of Sri Lankan Air Force tomorrow when they crashed near Warana area in the Western province's Gampaha district, officials said. Casualties from the accident were not immediately known.

Read: The Ramstein air show disaster

The Ministry of External Affairs has said that the 13,000 Indians stranded in war-torn Libya will be evacuated in two hours by ships from Benghazi.

Meanwhile, rediff.com's Sahim Salim caught up with tired, sleep-deprived, hungry and afraid Indians who have already reached India, inthe government's mission, nicknamed 'Operation Safe Homecoming,' bringing back an estimated 18,000 Indians.

More than 100,000 Libya refugees have flooded Tunisia and Egypt, the UN says. The EU places a weapons embargo on Moammar Kadafi's regime, and the US freezes assets.

Horror on the streets of Libya

Assuming you watched the 83rd Oscars, here's a lovely take on the show.

Says JohnFarr from the Huffington Post:

The showtried too hard to be topical, cute and tongue-in-cheek, and though it offered scattered moments of freshness at the start, it soon curdled. It's good James Franco is a famous movie actor; he need never fall back on his MC talents. As to Anne Hathaway, she sure is a trouper. She'll even let her Mom correct her posture from the audience. (Awwww).

This was all very calculated but it missed the point, which past successful hosts like Billy Crystal and Bob Hope understood. You need a solid, charismatic, funny presence to carry this show -- and importantly, someone who's standing on the outside of the proceedings (unlike the distracted Mr. Franco or the annoyingly perky Miss Hathaway).

Read more

From rediff.com's Renu Mittal, the inside story from Lucknow. For months now there has been a buzz in Lucknow and New Delhi that Mayawati is working towards a grand strategy to hold early elections by the end of 2011.

But, her core group advisers claim that the Bahujan Samaj Party is all set for the elections, which may be held before the winter of 2011.

However, senior bureaucrats,claim thatMayawati is about to finalise her strategy for an early poll, with some sections suggesting that it could be as early as June or July.

More dope here

In memoriam...

Former Hollywood actress and sex symbol Jane Russell has died the age of 89, reports bbc.co.uk.

Some of her most memorable parts include the The Paleface (1948) with Bob Hope, and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953) with Marilyn Monroe. She died today at her home in California of a respiratory-related illness.

Meanwhile, Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal today said he was in favour of the Comptroller and Auditor General's proposal to conduct an audit of the total available spectrum in the country with a focus on how much was allocated to private operators from 2000 onward and at what cost.

According to reports, CAG has sought details from the Department of Telecom on the total available spectrum in the country and how much has been allocated to private telecom operators from 2000 onward and at what value.

The DoT is also conducting a study on the availability of spectrum and the quantum of allocations made till date to various operators and government agencies.

Referring to the tussle between operators on spectrum allocation, Sibal was of the view that instead of exchanging heated words, the telcos should instead work together for further growth of the sector. "There should be corporate collaboration, not corporate rivalry," he said.

The CBI has told the Supreme Court that 63 people, including promoters and CEOs of 10 companies, have come under the ambit of its probe in the 2G Spectrum scam.

The Apex court expressed itssatisfaction over the progress of the CBI probe in the 2G scam and said the government favours setting up of special court to try the 2G scam case accused.

Law minister Veerapa Moily also asks the Delhi High Court chief justice to set up a special court, even as Tata group firms plead for in-camera proceedings in the apex court in the case.

And this is what Gaddafi, who seems to be increasingly psychotic and delusional says.

-- He says true Libyans had not demonstrated on the streets, but those who had come on to the streets were under the influence of drugs supplied by al-Qaeda.

-- He said those people had seized weapons and that his supporters were under orders not to shoot back.

-- Gaddafi urged the United Nations or any other organization to conduct a "fact finding mission" in Libya and questioned how nations could freeze assets, impose sanctions and implement a travel ban based on media reports alone.

-- Gaddafi called US President Barack Obama a "good man" but said he appeared misinformed about the situation in Libya.

-- "The statements I have heard from him must have come from someone else," Gaddafi said. "America is not the international police of the world."

British Prime Minister David Cameron has threatened the country's strongman Muammar Gaddafi with military action by imposing a no-fly zone and also suggested English troops could be involved in peacekeeping in the strife torn nation.

Cameron told the House of Commons last night that Britain and its allies were considering using fighter jets to impose a no-fly zone over Libya, patrolling and shooting down Libyan aircraft ordered to attack protesters.

His warning came amid growing concerns about the crumbling regime's ability to commit last desperate acts of mass murder, as reports suggested that Gaddafi could use chemical weapons against his own people.

Britain and America are also thought to be considering arming rebel forces in Libya

Frivolous in the background of the Godhra sentencing, but this is a newsmaker nevertheless. Hrithik Roshan, who is making his television debut as a dance reality show judge, is the highest paid film star on small screen.

The shooting for Just Dance the dance reality show on Star Plus will start next month where the 37-year-old film star will judge contestants along with choreographers Farah Khan and Vaibhavi Merchant.

And here's the amount -- approximately Rs 2 crore per episode!

Names of the 11 who have been given the death sentence have been announced. Haji Bilal, Abdul Razzak Kurkur, Abdul Sattar, Anwar Mohammed,Irfan Patadiya, Jabir Behra, Irfan Bhoopa, Kasam Abdul, Ramzani Binyanim, Siraj Bala, Hassan Lalu.

They were involved in planning and executing the death of 59 passengers in the S-6 coach of the Sabarmati Express at Godhra station.

The prosecution: There is no question of personal billing or personal satisfaction. The trial has come to a right conclusion.

The court has allowed 90 days for appeal for the guilty.

GM Panchal special prosecution lawyer addresses media: Says the case falls under the rarest of the rare case, which is why the court has given the death rap. The sentences will be run concurrently for the 20 who have given life sentence. They have already spent nine years in jail.

Death penalty given to those who had multiple roles -- hatching the conspiracy and executing theburning of theS-6 coach of the Sabarmati Express.

An FYI: The death rap for 31 in the Godhra case, has the largest numbers in post-Independence India.

We have the names of the conspirators, and now guilty of killing 59 Kar Sevaks in the S6 coach of the Sabarmati Express.

There's Abdul Razzak Mohammed Kurkur, who owned the Aman Guesthouse where the conspiracy was hatched.

Those present at the guest house included Kurkur, Salim alias Salman Yusuf Zarda, Shaukat Ahmed Charkha, Salim Panwala and Jabir bin Yamin.

Farooq Mohammed Bhana and Bilal Ismail Hajipresent at the guesthouse told the others that Maulvi Hussain Haji Ibrahim Umarji had ordered for the S-6 coach to be burnt.

It is likely that the 11 given the death penalty, will be among these.

The court had accepted the prosecution's contention that there was a conspiracy behind the incident and convicted 31 under various sections of Indian Penal Code (IPC) like 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder) and 120B(criminal conspiracy).

They have also been convicted under IPC Sections 147, 148 (rioting with deadly weapons), 323, 324,325,326 (causing hurt), 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on religious grounds), various sections of the Indian Railways Act, Prevention of Damages to Public Property Act and Bombay Police Act.

It may be remembered that the court had acquitted 63 others in the case including the key conspirator Maulvi Hussain Umarji.

The big verdict on the Godhra case out: All 31 were convicted on murder and conspiracy charges. The names of the 11 should be announced in less than 30 minutes. These six people, is most likely to be those who had hatched the conspiracy, entered the vestibule and set it on fire.

Breaking: A special court has begun the pronouncement of the quantum of punishment for the 31 convicts in the 2002 Godhra train burning incident that killed 59 people and triggered large scale communal violence in Gujarat.

Designated Judge P R Patel hearing the case inside the Sabarmati Central Jail has pronounced the death sentence for 11 of the 31, while 20 get a lifesentence.

The prosecution has sought death sentence for all the 31 convicts saying that it was a heinous act.

Eleven of the 31 held guilty in the Godhra case have been given the death penalty. Details soon.

In a blow to the family of Rizwanur Rehman, theSupreme Court has set aside the Calcutta High Court order for a fresh probe in the case. Granting bail to Ashok Todi, Rizwanur's father-in-law, the SC says no further custody was needed in the case. Todi was in jail for 45 days on charges of murder.

The Calcutta HC had ordered the CBI to probe murder charges in the case, which will now bechanged to abetment to suicide. Rizwanur was found dead near the rail tracks in September 2007, a month after he married industrialist Ashok Todi's daughter, Priyanka.

Atwo-judge bench of the Calcutta High Court also rejected industrialist Pradip Todi's bail plea in the death case. Pradip Todi, brother of Ashok Todi, applied for bail before the High Court.

The Rizwanur case

From the independent.co.uk, a tale of horror.

In a morgue in Benghazi, Libya, lie 10 bodies in dark green shrouds on the concrete floor. The 10 dead men are said to have been soldiers who had refused to open fire on those marching against the regime. They had been disarmed and beaten up by their comrades before being incarcerated in an underground cell.

Read moreof the continued horror that is unfolding in Libya.

We begin the day with news of a rail roko in the Telangana region. Railservices were paralysed today as TRS, TDP, BJP workers along with other Telangana supporters began a dawn-to-dusk 'rail roko' agitation in support of the separate statehood demand.

Scores of activists of various political parties blocked the trains at several places in various Telangana districts of Nalgonda, Warangal, Mahabubnagar and also Hyderabad as per the 'Palle Palle Pattala Paiki' (villages on railway tracks) agitation called by the Telangana political Joint Action Committee (JAC).

Good morning. As we write this, finance minister Pranab Mukherjee is addressing industry leaders at a Ficci meet. It's basically a post-budget meet explaining the aspects of the budget pertinent to India Inc.

Today is also when the quantum of punishment will be announced in the Godhra case. Will keep you posted as it happens.