October 31, 2001	Wednesday	Shaba’an 13, 1422

NEW DELHI, Oct 30: Police were rushed to the official home of Indian President K.R. Narayanan on Tuesday after one of his aides recieved mail carrying a tiny quantity of powder, officials said.

The letter was mailed to an official in the British-built presidential palace in New Delhi and it was immediately sent to a federal facility to check for anthrax spores, said deputy police commissioner Mukesh Meena.

The National Institute of Communicable Diseases, the key agency dealing with bioterror scares in India, meanwhile said it has tested 95 samples from across the country so far.

Similar letters carrying powder have been sent to several government officials including Indian Home Minister L.K. Advani, who is in charge of combating Islamic militancy in Kashmir.—AFP