New Delhi, Oct 12 : The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) today recommended that undertrials be allowed to vote in the elections and the maximum period of detention of a person should be fixed to six months.

In its draft recommendations on detention, the NHRC said “the provision of right to vote should be ensured to the undertrials.”

“An undertrial in custody or who is not on bail can contest an election but does not have the right to vote. The provision of right to vote should be ensured to the under trials. It will have a positive impact on bringing changes in the attitude of the undertrials and the people,” it said.

Bharananganam (Kerala)/Kolkata, Oct 12 : Hundreds of Christians gathered in Kottayam in Kerala today to celebrate the planned canonization of Sister Alphonsa by Pope Benedict at a special ceremony at the Vatican.

Sister Alphonsa will become India''s first woman saint.

They thronged the Saint Mary church in the town of Bharananganam in Sister Alphonsa''s native Kerala ahead of the occasion.

Special masses are being held in all Catholic churches in the state, where Saint Thomas, one of the 12 apostles, is believed to have arrived in 52 AD, bringing Christianity to India.

The priest at the Saint Mary church said they were praying for Sister Alphonsa as she had done so much for the people.

Lehrakapura (UP), Oct 12 : Rescue workers struggled in Uttar Pradesh on Sunday to save a two-year-old child, who fell into a 150-feet deep narrow bore well.

The rescue operation, which has been going on for more than three-days in Lehrakapura village, have still not yielded any positive result and chances of the child''s survival seem thin.

Two-year-old Sonu has fallen into the uncovered bore well on Thursday in Lehrakapura village near Shamsabad town, 26 km from Agra.

Pune, Oct 12 : The state authorities in Pune received an email threatening to target President Pratibha Patil during her ongoing trip to the town.

The mail sent by some unidentified persons claims that the attackers might come in "any disguise", the official said.

Security has been tightened following the threat, the official added.

President Patil arrived here on Friday on a four-day visit to inaugurate the Common Wealth Youth Games here this evening.

Dhule (Maharashtra), Oct 12 : Curfew was relaxed for three hours in Maharashtra''s violence-hit Dhule district on Sunday.

According to police, the curfew was relaxed by the district administration from 8:00 a. m. as the situation is under control.

So far, no reports of fresh violence have been reported since Thursday.

Police have arrested 250 people in connection with the riots.

Mumbai/Varanasi, Oct 12 : Amitabh Bachchan, who was admitted to the Lilavati Hospital after he was complained of severe abdominal pain, is in a stable condition today.

Bachchan has undergone blood investigation and CT scan of the abdomen, and the reports are expected to be received this afternoon.

In a statement, Abhishek had said doctors have diagnosed the condition and he was suffering from an intestinal obstruction.