I-T inquiry ordered into Maya currency garland

The UP Chief Minister, Ms Mayawati’s garland of currency notes worth crores of rupees rocked the Lok Sabha on Tuesday and forced the Income Tax department to probe the issue.

The Lok Sabha had to be adjourned twice in the first half as the Congress, BJP and the SP members attacked the BSP chief for wearing a huge garland at a public rally on Monday and disrupted House proceedings.

As chaos continued the Deputy Speaker, Mr Kariya Munda, adjourned the House for recess till 12 pm.

“We want a CBI probe into the source of the money used in the garland,” said the SP chief, Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav.

The I-T department will probe the funding and ownership of currency notes, sources said.

The department has also asked its intelligence wing to gather information in this regard including the funding of the entire event that took place to celebrate the BSP’s silver jubilee.

The department will also probe the genuineness of the notes which could be seized for the purpose, they said.

Suspicious envelope closes UN cafeteria

A U.N. spokesman says preliminary results indicate that a suspicious envelope found in the United Nations headquarters cafeteria contained a “non-toxic” substance.

Spokesman Martin Nesirky, said on Friday that the United Nations is still awaiting final laboratory results on the non-organic substance and the cafeteria would remain closed.

The United Nations closed its main dining room and staff cafeteria on Thursday after the envelope was found. U.N. security staff called in New York City authorities to help investigate the contents of the envelope.

The envelope contained a white powder, a U.N. official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the investigation is under way.