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Thousands of aspiring stars bite the dust Sikhs urged to vote for only ‘religious-minded’ |
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Constable kills brother, sister-in-law
Faridabad to spend Rs 49 lakh on anti-flood measures Chief Secy pulls up officials for rising crime NCC cadets to spread AIDS awareness Switch off yourself through Isha Yoga Multi-speciality meet for doctors Father of four held for rape of minor cousin Extortion case cracked Currency racket busted Sri Chaitanya students fare well
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Thousands of aspiring stars bite the dust New Delhi, June 10 But more than the despondency, the organisers had to reckon with frayed tempers at the venue with the results eliciting angry comments from even the parents of the participants, who found the selection dubious. But it goes to the credit of the six-member jury, who presided over the proceedings for a marathon 10 hours each on two days, that they did not yield to references and recommendations. The selected 50 would now vie for the four spots that have been reserved for Delhi, to be a part of the elite group of 32, who will be invited to Mumbai to participate in a training session and finally figure in the selections for the cast of a movie starring Salman Khan, Sunny Deol and Preity Zinta. The final round is slated for tomorrow at the Mittal farms on the Delhi-Gurgaon road. Nitin Keni, Divya Dutta, Deepti Naval, Nadira Babbar and Sudhir Mishra will be the judges. Talking to the TNS, Ashish Kaul, Vice President, Corporate Brand Development of the Essel Group, which sponsored the contest, said that Delhi actually turned out to be a pleasant surprise. The organisers had to shift the venue to a larger site as the number of youngsters, who made their debut on the first day, far exceeded their expectations. On the very first day 20,000 aspirants turned up for the audition, choking the Kalkaji roads, and eventually leading to a lathi-charge. So enthusiastic were the cine buffs that the first aspirant turned up at 2 a.m., disclosed Mr Kaul. By the time dawn broke, there were hundreds of aspirants jostling for space in the queue, forcing the organisers to shift the venue. Aspirants had come for the audition from places as far as Kanpur. The judges finally ended up viewing the acting talent of 25,000 aspirants on June 8 and 9. Mr Kaul said that all the finalists from similar contests in 16 other cities would be eventually called to Mumbai for a two-month training under renowned actors, producers and directors. While the lucky two, a boy and a girl, would eventually be selected for the movie, the rest would have an opportunity to be part of the bigger Padmalaya group. They would get the opportunity to star in serials on Zee TV. |
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Sikhs urged to vote for only ‘religious-minded’ New Delhi, June 10 He asked the Sikh voters to cast their vote in favour of those candidates who are dedicated to religion only and have no political ambitions. They should be highly educated and fully aware of the Rehat Maryaada (Sikh code of conduct). Jathedar Darshan Kalkaji also appealed to the Sikh community for the social boycott of those Sikh leaders who have presented Siropas (Robe of Honour) to those Congress leaders who were responsible for the massacre of innocent Sikhs after the assassination of Indira Gandhi in 1984. Bibi Palvinder Kaur, president of Punjabi Sikh Sangat, Nagrik Samiti president Pramod Arya, Anoop Singh, Jathedar Karan Singh, president Punjabi Sikh Naujawan Manch, S. Pritam Singh Walia, S. Satinder Singh, Gurpreet Singh and many other members of the society participated in the meeting.
Babbar refused permission to visit Pak It was 1987 revisited for Gurcharan Singh Babbar, the president of All India Sikh Conference (Babbar), when his request for visiting Sikh shrines in Pakistan as part of a delegation of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC), was turned down. Babbar had dispatched his passport through the DSGMC to the Government of NCT of Delhi on May 15. Ten days later, he claims to have learnt from sources that certain government agencies were trying to prevent him from travelling to Pakistan. Subsequently, he wrote a letter to the Union Home Minister and sent another missive to the Chief Secretary, Government of NCT of Delhi, on June 1. Babbar told a news conference that both governments had told him that he could not go to Pakistan. He told media persons that a similar treatment had been meted out to him in 1987 when the late Rajiv Gandhi was the Prime Minister. The government had declared him as “wanted”. The Centre and the Delhi Police later told the Delhi High Court that it was an inadvertent mistake. Describing the turning down of his request as “unconstitutional”, Babbar said the Centre was denying him his fundamental rights and defaming him. He said he would move the court against the decision to prevent him from travelling to Pakistan. |
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Constable kills brother, sister-in-law Meerut, June 10 Makkhan Singh, the main accused in the case, was arrested by the Meerut police on Thursday morning. The accident occurred in Meghrajpur village, some 12 km from the district headquarters, where the accused also stabbed his mother and niece. The whole drama unfolded in the Dalit locality of the village Megurajpur under Mundoli PS at 4.15 am. Makkhan Singh, a constable of the UP police, was posted at Gajraula, Moradabad. His younger brother, Vijaypal (45), his wife, Santosh (40), old mother Banso and young daughter Sangita (20) were sleeping in the open on Wednesday. According to Sangita, her cousin Jaipal attacked her with a stick. Her father and mother tried to save her. But the attackers Makkhan Singh, his son-in-law Chandrapal, a constable with the Delhi Police, son Jaipal and Satpal, attacked them with lathis and knives. The assailants had earlier stabbed both her parents. Makkhan Singh also shot at Vijaypal. By the time other family members, Nepal and his wife, could bail them out, the attackers had fled from the scene, firing in the air. Considerable panic prevailed in the village and the local police were also informed. However, Vijaypal and his wife Santosh had succumbed to their injuries. The deceased’s son, Nepal, told the police that the body of Makkhan’s son Pramod (18) was found near Meerut College. He suspected that Vijay Pal might have committed the crime. Nepal lodged an FIR against 10 persons in this regard in the Mundali PS. There is a considerable tension in the village. However, no senior official from the administration or the police has visited the village so far. Some members of the family have already fled from the village. |
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TU activists prevented from welcoming torch-bearers New Delhi, June 10 Mr Sachdeva and Mr Mittal were leading the activists of the ‘Play Fair at the Olympics’, an international campaign against exploitation of workers in the sports goods and sportswear manufacturing industry. Mr Sachdev termed his arrest as “an anti-Olympics action by the police”. “We only wanted to welcome the Torch bearers and highlight the conditions of workers in the sports goods and sportswear manufacturing industry,” he said. However, more than 100 activists managed to reach Humayun’s Tomb and staged the protest. With flags bearing the inscription, ‘Play Fair at the Olympics’, the activists demanded human rights for the workers in the sports goods and sportswear manufacturing industry, said J. John, convenor of the India Advocacy Unit of Campaign Against Child Labour.
A lifetime memory The euphoria of watching the Olympic Torch touch down from the skies will remain with them for a lifetime. For the school students, who were chosen to receive the famed torch at the airport, the moment will always be cherished. Joining scores of schoolchildren, who had been chosen for the “honour,” were 12 senior students from Manav Sthali, New Rajinder Nagar. Along with their teachers, these students presented hand made greeting cards to the foreign delegates accompanying the Torch. To mark the celebrations, the Directorate of Education, Government of NCT of Delhi, has organised painting, essay competitions and debates. |
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Faridabad to spend Rs 49 lakh on anti-flood measures Faridabad, June 10 According to the local officials who conducted a tour to inspect the ongoing works in this connection, an amount of about Rs 14 lakh would be spent on building the studs near Manjhawali villages. The Deputy Commissioner claimed that this work would be completed by June 25. The authorities have decided to spend another Rs 10 lakh on the measures to save the agricultural land of about 1,200 acres in Mandkola villages which get flooded by the Yamuna waters during the monsoon. A sum of about Rs 24 lakh was being spent on the construction of additional six studs in Jhundawas villages also located on the Yamuna bank. An additional amount of Rs 1 lakh was likely to be spent on the works at Kishorepur villages. The Deputy Commissioner has directed the officials concerned to get the siphon head of the Gonchhi drain cleaned by June 20 and also ensure cleaning of all the main sewer lines and drains, including at Palwal. It may be recalled that Faridabad is one of the most flood-prone districts as more than 70 villages are lying in the vicinity of the Yamuna which keeps changing its track at regular intervals and a good rainfall in the monsoon normally leads to flooding of hundreds of acres of low-lying land. The Municipal Corporation Faridabad is still to take up cleaning of all sewer lines properly. |
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Chief Secy pulls up officials for rising crime Ghaziabad, June 10 He said he failed to understand as to why the maximum number of crimes take place in this division. And this need to be investigated urgently, Mr Mittal said. The Chief Secretary administered a tough dose to the police and the administration, by saying that the crime scenario in the division should be critically examined and all officials concerned should be punished unsparingly. Mr Mittal also chastised the officials for the tardy revenue collections. He gave all district level officials, whose meeting he was presiding, one month to show better results. He called explanations from the officials connected with controlling crime, overbridge, roads, canals, hand pumps, power and drain cleaning. There are 1,2,500 hand pumps in the division and some of them are not functional, he said. There was no shortage of bleaching powder, which he said, is being used liberally. Power situation has been improved after some new sub-stations were put up. Mr Mittal also passed orders for speeding up the construction of power sub-stations, funds for which, he said, have been sanctioned already. He said a package for the construction of National Highways in the state would be approved soon. The availability of medicines and drugs in hospitals was sufficient, the Chief Secretary claimed. Mr Mittal said the revenue collection in Meerut division was not up to the target. Collection from power and water sectors was also not satisfactory and it must be improved within a month by all officers concerned, said the Chief Secretary. |
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NCC cadets to spread AIDS awareness New Delhi, June 10 Addressing the cadets during the closure ceremony, DG NCC, Lt. Gen. B K Bopanna, PVSM, AVSM, VSM, exhorted the cadets to ensure that they will make all efforts to spread knowledge gained by them about the disease. A prize distribution ceremony was also organised to felicitate winners of an evaluation test. Cadet Kavita Gambhi of UP and Uttaranchal Dte won the first prize, Cadet Maithili Garg of Orissa Dte and Vandana Raghwan of Kerala and Lakshwadweep Dte shared the second prize while Yogita Gosain of UP and Uttaranchal Dte won the third prize. |
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Switch off yourself through Isha Yoga New Delhi, June 10 Swami Lokanetra, disciple of Sadhguru Jaggi, the founder of Isha Foundation, says that Isha Yoga can best be understood through experience. Isha means the formless divine. Swami Lokanetra told mediapersons here that Isha Yoga is indescribable. It includes ‘Shoonya’ meditation which is a very powerful process. “It is a process of switching off yourself,” Swami Lokanetra said. Dr S.K.Sama, Chairman, Board of Management, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, who went to Coimbatore to attend a 10-day-long programme, told mediapersons here that he had gained immensly from the programme. “I found it very useful. It improved the flexibility of my body and energy level. It also contributed to peace of mind, clarity and balance in emotions, all needed for positive health.” He said that the medical science has always recognised the psychosomatic nature of various chronic ailments. Dr Sama said that Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev would be in Delhi on Monday for the launch of his book, “Mystic’s Musings”. Dr Nalini Kaul, Medical Director of the hospital, told mediapersons that she was relieved of her knee problem after trying Isha Yoga. Other doctors who attended an eight-day-long intensive workshop conducted by the Isha Foundation at the hospital in April said that they experienced dramatic relief from their ailments. Dr Neera, a practising physician in Sama Nursing Home who tried Isha Yoga, said that she felt as energetic after a 12-hour shift as she did when she woke up. Swami Lokanetra said that there are various kinds of ailments—some caused by infection and others manufactured within our system. “It has been scientifically proved that these ailments can be reversed by meditative processes,” he said. |
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Multi-speciality meet for doctors New Delhi, June 10 Giving information about the conference, the President of DMA, Dr I. P. Dhalla said: “We are organising a multi-specialty conference for the first time, for which about 1,000 delegates and experts from across the country will converge. The conference will be inaugurated by the Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Urban Development, Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad; the Union Minister for Law and Justice, Mr H. R. Bhardwaj, will be the chief guest. Outlining the motive behind the conference, Dr Dhalla said doctors needed to update their knowledge, so that they can provide better services to the patients. He said this would go a long way in improving the age-old relationship between the doctor and the patient. Elaborating, he said the relationship between the patient and the doctor is based on compassion and trust. |
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Father of four held for rape of minor cousin Greater Noida, June 10 The alleged rapist is reportedly married and father of four children. The father of the girl filed a report against his nephew with the police who have arrested the culprit. Akbar’s 14-year-old daughter had been found missing from the house recently. Her cousin Nizam was also found missing. The girl reached home in a dishevelled condition a couple of days ago. It did not take the family long to understand her plight. She told her parents that her cousin Nizam had enticed her to a hut near Hindon Bridge and repeatedly raped her during the night after threatening her. |
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Extortion case cracked New Delhi, June 10 On June 6, a Shahdara-based businessman complained to the police that a person posing as a member of a criminal gang had asked him to pay Rs five lakh as extortion money. The complainant was threatened that his family members would be killed if he failed to pay the amount. The police investigation led to the arrest of one Amit Kumar Gautam, a resident of Sahibabad, and Deepak Kaushik, a resident of Dilshad Garden. During interrogation, Gautam disclosed that he was an insurance agent with the New India Assurance Company and was known to the victim. He had also visited the complainant’s house on several occasions. Meanwhile, the Crime Branch claim to have busted a gang of luggage-lifters at the old Delhi Railway Station. Based on a tip-off that three persons, who had recently shifted to a rented accommodation in Raghbir Pura, had been ferrying suitcases in suspicious manner, the sleuths nabbed Faquir Mohammad, alias Faquira, Rehbar Alam, alias Alam, and Sujit from the old Delhi Railway Station. The sleuths have seized nine suitcases, four bags and Rs 4,500 from the accused.
Currency racket busted With the arrest of four persons, the New Delhi district police claims to have busted a gang of cheats, who were involved in duping people by padding papers in wads of currency notes. The police received a tip-off that two persons were duping people in the aforesaid manner. Accordingly, a decoy customer was sent to expose the racket. Subsequently, the police nabbed two persons, identified as Mohammad Lukman, alias Raja, a resident of Bhajanpura, and Meharban, a resident of Baghpat. The police has seized three packets of Rs 50 notes from their possession. During interrogation, the duo revealed that they were operating, along with their associates, from the Saral Complex, Shahdara. Later, their associates, identified as Ramdhani, alias Kamal, a resident of Bhajanpura and Shahid, a resident of Baghpat, were also nabbed. |
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Sri Chaitanya students fare well New Delhi, June 10 |
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