Died: Persis Khambatta, supermodel and actress, following a heart attack in Mumbai, at the age of 49. She began modelling at 14, winning the Miss India title in 1965. She then went on to act in Hollywood films likeStar TrekandThe Wilby Conspiracy, among others. She had recently written a book on Indian beauty queens titledPride of India. Selected:Siaram Tiwari, eminent Dhrupad singer, for the prestigious Rashtriya Tansen Samman for the year 1998. The award comprises Rs 1 lakh and a plaque.Died: Shamshad Begum,noted singer of yesteryears, in Mumbai. A disciple of the great sarangi exponent Ustad Hussain Bux, she was a rage between the 1940s and the mid-'60s. She is remembered for her memorable songs in films such asMughal-e-Azam, Mother IndiaandCID.Convicted:Hiten Dalal,stockbroker, in the securities scam case of 1992, by Justice S.N. Variava of the Special Court, for illegal transactions with Canara Bank Financial Services (CANFINA). S. Mohan, former assistant vicepresident of CANFINA, was also convicted in the same case. This is the first conviction in the securities scam.Commuted:To life imprisonment, the capital punishment awarded to a woman for the first time since Independence, by the Supreme Court.Ram Shri, 38, her father and brother were sentenced to death by the trial court in March 1997, a verdict later confirmed by the Allahabad High Court.Published By: AtMigration Published On: Aug 31, 1998--- ENDS ---
