Opinion March 22, 1985, Forty Years Ago: Soviet official killed

Victor Khitzichenko, a senior engineer in the office of the Counsellor for Economic Affairs in the Soviet embassy, was shot dead at point-blank range by two men on a motorcycle near the Canadian High Commission in New Delhi. The assailants pumped five bullets into Khitzichenko’s car from a German Zekko semi-automatic pistol of 7.65 mm calibre and sped away on their Mack Yezdi motorcycle. The 48-year-old Soviet died on the spot.

Cheaper electronics

A new integrated policy on electronics, designed to bring international quality equipment to the Indian consumer at international prices, was announced by the government. It is likely to bring to the consumer cheaper entertainment electronics like radio receivers, tape recorders, two-in-ones, amplifiers, record players and changers, electronic toys, video tape-recorders and players, and digital electronic watches.

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H M Ershad wins

The Bangladesh President, H M Ershad, won 95.19 per cent affirmative votes in the nationwide referendum, as the latest results were released by the National Election Commission. The victory in the referendum gave the 53-year-old army chief the right to rule the country till free elections are held.

Evacuating Indians

India has made all arrangements to evacuate about 400 Indians who are stuck in Tehran, Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi informed the Rajya Sabha. Making a statement in both Houses of Parliament, Gandhi said that the Indians were all safe. Since the Tehran airport is barred for civilian aircraft, an Air India plane was waiting to pick up the Indians from some nearby airport, Gandhi said.