TOP STORIES

Meerut police: Good night, sleep tight!
Meerut, February 24
The SHOs of the city seem to while away nights on bed instead of being on patrol. Even the sole ‘night officer on duty’ makes himself scarce in several police stations. This is the position when the incidents of dacoity and theft have increased during the month, especially on the outskirts of the city.

Life term for killer of Makens
New Delhi, February 24 A city court today sentenced an accused charged with the murder of Congress MP Lalit Maken and his wife to life imprisonment and a fine of Rs 10,000. Ranjit Singh Gill, sentenced to life imprisonment, being taken away by the police in the Capital on Monday. — Tribune Photo

Police winking at rape cases in Ghaziabad
Ghaziabad, February 24
Rapists seem to be having a field day in Ghaziabad and nearby villages with the police looking the other way. In Morti village under the Sihani Gate police station, three masked criminals abducted a middle-aged widow from the house of Ram Prakash Tyagi at gunpoint and gangraped her in an abandoned room in the same locality on Saturday night.

The longest ever AIDS awareness motor rally in the Capital concludes on Monday. (28k, 56k)

Man poses as JeM member to extort money
New Delhi, February 24
The Delhi Police Special Cell today claimed to have arrested a person who claimed himself to be a member of a terrorist outfit, Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), and had extorted money from a Mumbai businessman.

CRIME AGAINST WOMEN
Couple crying for justice
Sohna (Gurgaon), February 24
Ramwati (name changed) and her husband, residents of Uleta village, near here, have been going through hell for the last two years. The couple and their family members have been virtually living in a self-imposed exile because of shame and their inability to fight the ‘corrupt and unjust system’.

Mewana civic employees, advocates come to blows
Meerut, February 24
There was considerable tension in Mewana here today following Sunday’s incident in which a woman advocate allegedly slapped the chairman of the Mewana Town Area Committee on the court premises. The incident followed the demolition drive by the Town Area Committee employees against encroachments by advocates on the court premises.

DEMOLITION DRIVE
Sihi villagers up in arms
Faridabad, February 24
Demolition of about two dozen houses in nearby Sihi village, allegedly built on land of Haryana Urban Development authority, could not be taken up today due to protests and intervention of some political persons.

COMMUNITY

Ten yrs’ old, but amenities still missing in Kaushambi
Ghaziabad, February 24
Kaushambi is one of those colonies on the Delhi-Ghaziabad border in which blocks of flats have been built by the Ghaziabad Development Authority with good layout and sufficient open spaces, but the colony lacks infrastructure and basic facilities.

BRASS TACKS
Oil economy may give way to hydrogen economy in 
the years to come
The recent fluctuations in the prices of oil, fuelled to a large extent by the war scare, have once again sharpened the focus on the energy question. The fist serious attempt to address the problem was made by Edward Teller, father of the hydrogen bomb, in the late sixties and early seventies when in the wake of the Yom Kippur War of 1973 and the subsequent action by OPEC crude prices had sky-rocketed.

• Filmfare Awards

Mobile bomb detection squads launched New Delhi, February 24 In the wake of increasing threats from militant groups, the Government of NCT of Delhi today launched mobile bomb detection and disposal squads to meet any eventuality in case of an emergency. Lt-Governor Vijai Kapoor flagging off mobile bomb detection teams and bomb disposal squads in the Capital on Monday. — Tribune photo Mukesh Aggarwal

Workshop for Delhi cops in forensic science
New Delhi, February 24
After training officials of the Directorate of Health of Government of NCT of Delhi, Maulana Azad Medical College is conducting a workshop for Delhi Police personnel to acquaint them with the advancements in forensic science so that medico-legal cases can be disposed of after proper investigation.

North Delhi gets new  tourist spot New Delhi, February 24 Thanks to the Sant Nirankari Mission, a new tourist spot has come up in North Delhi at Burari Road, near Sant Nirankari Colony. Better known as Nirankari Sarovar compound, it offers a pollution-free, picturesque and peaceful place where visitors, particularly families, would like to spend their leisure time and enjoy spiritual fragrance as well.

Nirankari Baba Hardev Singh ji inaugurates a modern cafeteria at Nirankari Sarovar, Burari Road, in the Capital.

FACE TO FACE ‘Physically challenged children deserve more attention’ For 40-year-old Renu Goyal, life is all about helping others and she is so devoted to her passion of social service. Those who have seen her work over the years claim that she is endowed with a versatile personality. Be it social work, music, dance, literature or glamour world, she has excelled in all. Renu Goyal: Doing a world of good. — Photo Anil Sharma

DELHI IN PARLIAMENT
Some changes in DDA flats allowed
New Delhi, February 24
In a bid to cover up the loss of time of three years, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation would be completing the phase I of the project in seven years instead of 10 years, Minister of State for Urban Development Pon Radhakrishnan said in reply to a written question.

After the inauguration of the Delhi Metro Rail police station building Delhi Police Commissioner R.S.Gupta examines the investigation tool kit on Monday. — Tribune photo Mukesh Aggarwal

DELHI DIGEST
19 injured as bus overturns
New Delhi, February 24
At least 19 people were injured, three of them seriously, when a bus carrying a marriage party overturned near Savitri Cinema in South Delhi late last night. The bus, which had a capacity of 50 people, was returning from a wedding party from Rakesh Nagar village near Okhla to Sayyed village in Paschim Vihar, the police said.

• NDMC wins 63 prizes in Garden Fest

NCR BRIEFS
Groom found dead in bushes
Sonepat, February 24
The police have found the body of a youth, identified as Satish of Juan village, from the bushes behind the under-construction building of police quarters on Sunday. He was to get married on Thursday. It is suspected to be a case of murder as there were injury marks on his head. 

• Student stabbed by youths

• 173 cases settled

• Child killed in wall collapse

• DTTDC office catches fire

CRIME

Four vehicle thieves nabbed
New Delhi, February 24
With the arrest of four vehicle thieves, the North-East district police today claimed to have worked out 13 cases of motor vehicle theft and recovered 12 vehicles. The accused — Nasir (28), Humanyu (37), both residents of Amroha, Anis (22), a resident of Mohalla Bara Dari, and Jahid (26), a resident of Civil Lines — used to sell stolen vehicles in different parts of Delhi and UP.

• Held for stabbing two

• 1 kg heroin seized

EDUCATION

SPECIAL FOCUS ON FARIDABAD
Lice control drive in Haryana schools
Faridabad, February 24
The district is likely to witness a unique campaign in the days to come. The campaign is aimed at wiping out the problem of lice among schoolchildren. A spokesperson of Marico Industries, which markets anti-lice treatment under the brand name of Mediker, told NCR Tribune here today the company had launched a programme in Haryana to control the problem of lice.

SPECIAL FOCUS ON FARIDABAD
No raids carried out to check sex determination test
Faridabad, February 24
Although the tremendous growth of medical infrastructure and health care facilities in the district over the years has been a positive development as far as the interests of consumers are concerned, but a proper check on their misuse appears to be the only jarring factor.

SPORTS

Malhotra expects substantial allocation for sports
New Delhi, February 24
Budget time is a time of hope and despair for many. The sports fraternity is no different. But this time around, there is a great hope that Finance Minister Jaswant Singh would make a substantial allocation for sports. In the previous years, successive finance ministers have given short shrift to sports in the Budget.

Pankaj Sharma shines in Sonnet’s win
New Delhi, February 24
A strokeful 75 by Pankaj Sharma and a fiery spell of 3 for 29 by Oneil Wilson enabled Sonnet Club beat Interface by four wickets and entered the quarter-final of the third Rajdhani Trophy Cricket Tournament at the Khalsa College ground. Pankaj was adjudged the man of the match.

• Manav, Brigesh slam tons

• Bechtel beat Seagram

• Amit, Parag star

Australian High Commission crush World Bank
New Delhi, February 24
Left-arm spinner Jamie Stewart claimed six wickets for 26 runs as Australian High Commission crushed World Bank by six wickets in the second Commonwealth Cricket Tournament at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium ground. Jamie Stewart won the man of the match award.

• Sar Group win

A collector’s compendium
New Delhi, February 24
An enterprising chronicler of volleyball stepped into produce a collector’s compendium during the 25th Federation Cup Volleyball Tournament held at Triprayar, Trissur district of Kerala, from February 8 to 16, to make up for the laxity shown by the Volleyball Federation of India.

• Amity School win