India’s oldest parliamentarian passes away

India’s oldest parliamentarian Rishang Keishing passed away due to multiple- organ failure at Regional Institute of Medical Sciences hospital here late on Tuesday, sources said. He was 97 and is survived by wife and three sons and two daughters.

Meanwhile, the state government has announced three days mourning as part of which all the government offices and educational institutes will remain closed on Wednesday as a mark of respect to the departed soul.

Born in 1920 in Manipur, Rishang contested the first assembly election from his home constituency Phungyar in 1972. He won the seat seven times and served as the chief minister from 1980 to 1988 and 1994 to 1997.

At 87, he was the oldest MP and the last link to the country’s first Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha member from Manipur.

SOBHAPATI SAMOM

India has withdrawn its extradition request for fugitive Ashok Malik who has expressed his intention to return to India voluntarily and clear allegations against him, official sources here told Hindustan Times on Tuesday.

Malik was among the 10 Indians whose extradition requests are pending with Britain, including the high-profile cases of Vijay Mallya and Tiger Hanif.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), which acts on behalf of countries requesting extradition, said he has now been discharged from the extradition warrant. He is expected to travel to India after securing his passport from the Indian high commission.

A CPS official said, “Malik had indicated that he would like to clear the allegation and offered to return to India if the extradition request could be withdrawn. That information was passed on to the Indian authorities and the request has now been withdrawn.”