Mrs. Gandhi sacks nine state governments

Special courts set up last year to try Indian Premier Indira Gandhi and others for alleged offenses during her 1975-77 emergency rule virtually folded Monday when the last pending case was referred to an ordinary court. In the case, V. C. Shukla, information minister during the 21-month emergency, is charged with misusing his official position to have posters designed for the March 1977 general election, which Mrs. Gandhi lost.

She consolidated her power Sunday, sacking the governments in nine of the 12 states run by the opposition, in her boldest move yet since she regained office. The Akali Dal Party, which rules Punjab -- one of the nine major states toppled by Mrs. Gandhi's order -- issued a statement Monday calling the move "unconstitutional, undemocratic, and totally dictatorial."