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Crowd erupts at talent hunt contest
Noida flyover contracts given at double rates |
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Racket in fake passports with same address
GTB technology institute plans to offer new courses
PIL admitted on razing of ‘Matiamahal’
Clothier stabbed to death
MCD panel vice-chairman gets bail
Special Court disposes of petty
offences
DPS celebrates silver jubilee
Assocham flays luxury tax on published rates in hotels
Rotary gesture to hearing impaired students
Disabled exhibit their talents
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Crowd erupts at talent hunt contest
New Delhi, September 18 The restless crowd, made to wait since early morning for the audition test, vented its anger on barricades and blocked traffic for more than an hour on the busy Delhi-Gurgaon highway at Dhaula Kuan, after they were prevented from entering the premises to ‘enquire’ about the reason for the delay. Soon the police had to be summoned to prevent the situation from getting out of control as the crowd swelled to several hundreds, forcing organisers to postpone the audition till tomorrow. Trouble started at around 12:30 hrs after fidgeting participants saw select candidates being allowed entry at the Air Force Auditorium, Subrato Park, in South-West Delhi, while they continued to swelter under the scorching sun for hours together. The participants first dismantled the security cabin and broke the barricading apparatus, when told to ‘wait for some more time’. They accused the organisers of a partisan approach, for ‘picking’ candidates of their choice, even though the advertisement talked of ‘free entry until 18:00 hrs to anyone’. Raipur resident Harsh Majithia, 26, said in spite of the tremendous response, which the company expected for its call, it did not provide any basic amenities to the aspirants coming from all corners of the country. “Not even water and toilet facilities were available, and the worst sufferers were the women.” A deeply disappointed Shrilini from Noida, whose daughter had come for the test said, “This is the second year that the organisers have created such mismanagement, which is unpardonable.” “We had been waiting since 05:00 hrs for a chance, but even after seven hours we were made to wait, which was ridiculous. Now, there’s no choice but to go back. But surely, in our eyes the reputation of the company has taken a tremendous beating.” Later, area ACP Rajiv Ranjan said the organisers summoned the police after their security guards failed to control the surging crowd. ‘‘We had to step in when the crowd started blocking the normal flow of traffic on the highway,’’ he said.
Man held trying to encash stolen cheque
New Delhi, September 18 The account holder, Virender Kumar, had lodged a complaint that a huge amount had been withdrawn from his account after his signature was forged on one of the two stolen cheques. The police kept a vigil at the bank and arrested the suspect when he came to encash the second cheque. Later, Rs 72, 000 in cash was seized in a raid conducted at the residence of the suspect. The suspect, a martial art expert, had hoped to make some quick money by stealing the cheques of his employer.
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Noida flyover contracts given at double rates
Noida, September 18 The authorities are in two minds–whether to have the projects completed by the same old contractors who were awarded the job on exorbitant rates or not. It may be mentioned that the Taj corridor probe is being handled by the CBI, which is learnt to have summoned the files and documents of all other projects of that era. Similarly, the government has cancelled allotment of 51 plots ordered on one day during the last day of Ms Mayawati government. This has been done on the findings of Vijay Shankar Mathur Commission report during whose probe, scams of these overbridges had come to light. The three flyovers ordered to be constructed on film city tri-junction, second in Sector-44 near Amity School and the third at Noida-Greater Noida Expressway. The Noida officials have started negotiations with UP State Bridge Corporation. But next step will be taken only after the angularities and points have been resolved. The corporation is understood to have submitted their new estimates in this connection. The estimates, it is learnt, have been sent back to the corporation as the estimates had quoted Rs 1 crore on the higher side. Earlier, Rs 180 crore was the estimated cost of the three overbridges, which were awarded to two corporations of the Government of India on a single tender basis and the tenders were paid an advance of Rs 27 crore, which is 15% of the cost. Interestingly, both the central enterprises had handed over the works to some sub-contractors. A sum of Rs 85 crore was paid for the flyovers over sometime. Senior IAS officer Brijesh Kumar had found in his inquiry that the corporation had quoted 30% on the higher side. Later, the same estimate was found 50% on the higher side by Delhi’s IIT, which was consulted in the matter.
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Racket in fake passports with same address
New Delhi, September 18 The accused have been identified as Ram Chander, Kuldeep Kaur, the woman passenger, and Anil, alias Anil Dhawan, a travel agent. Their involvement came to light when the woman passenger, Ms Kuldeep Kaur, who hails from Punjab, was arrested at the airport. She was going to board a flight for Paris. She was travelling on a fake passport (PP) which bore a fake address. Her passport (E-7710164), issued in Delhi on February 6, 2004, in the name of Gita Devi Kapoor, gave her address as H.N. 87-C Krishna Nagar. During questioning, it was found out that she had never been to Delhi. The police came to know about the racket when it checked the passport and found that PP number B-5081385 was issued in the name of Geeta Devi Kapoor on December 20, 2000. Thereafter, three more passports were found issued under the Tatkal scheme, which gave the same address but the photos and signatures were different. The police arrested Ms Kaur immediately afterwards. During interrogation, she disclosed that her fiancée was residing in Italy and she was visiting him there. She had contacted a distant relative, Kebbo, in Paris who informed her that one person, Sukhdev Singh, a resident of Adampur Village in Hoshiarpur, would meet her and make arrangements for her visit abroad. Sukhdev had collected her photograph and Rs 4.5 lakh in instalments for arranging the passport and the visa. Sukhdev is also absconding and could not be traced at the address that he had given. However, around this time the agent Anil, alias Anil Dhawan, was arrested: he was responsible for arranging tickets on the basis of fake documents. The police said when a landlady in Krishna Nagar was questioned, she disclosed that a woman, Geeta Devi, was her tenant a few months back. But she did not know about her current whereabouts. She did not even have any inkling that the passport carried her address. During investigation, the police learnt that the holders of the other three fake passports, all of them ladies, had left the country. Investigations further revealed that fake letterheads of a tinplate company at Sadar Bazar and another fake letterhead of a bag emporium of Nabi Karim were used to obtain visas from different embassies. The owners of these two establishments were unaware of the existence of Geeta Devi Kapoor and Rajender Kapoor. In addition, two fake ration cards and one fake affidavit were also traced, which were used to obtain different passports in the name of the same person. The police said that in the entire episode the role of the Regional Passport office, Delhi, was considered to be crucial.
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GTB technology institute plans to offer new courses
New Delhi, September 18 The new courses include mechanical and automotive engineering, instrumentation engineering and electronic and electrical engineering. According to chairman of the institute Malkinder Singh, the new courses will begin from the next academic year after the management gets the final nod from the All-India Council of Technical Education (AICTE). The institute, established by the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) in 1998, is affiliated to Guru Gobind Singh I.P. University and, at present, is offering courses in electronics and communication, computer science and information technology. Since the college was being run by the DSGMC, the Delhi Government had accorded it minority status and 50 per cent of the seats were reserved for the Sikh community, said Mr Malkinder Singh, who is also one of the contenders for the Congress ticket for the Rajouri Garden constituency by-elections to be held on October 13. According to the Director of the institute, Maj-Gen S.S. Chahal (retd), the institute had started planning for new courses eight to 10 months back and had already spent Rs 1.5 crore in bringing up the necessary infrastructure to offer new courses by the next academic session. Though the final approval will be given by the AICTE, before that the institute will have to apply to the Delhi Government for a no-objection certificate, which will be issued after the authorities concerned verify the need for additional courses. The NoC will be issued after inspecting facilities offered by the institute and its infrastructure, including library, laboratories, teaching faculty, building and sports ground. However, It is only after a final approval is accorded by the AICTE, after an inspection, that the institute will be able to offer the new courses to students. Major-Gen Chahal said the institute had prepared the application to be submitted to the Delhi Government for the NoC as per guidelines issued by the AICTE regarding the various activities to be performed. The Delhi Government would most likely carry out its inspection in December, followed by one by the AICTE in February. He said the need for more seats in existing courses was felt when the institute received 450 applications for 90 seats reserved for the Sikh community.
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PIL admitted on razing of ‘Matiamahal’
Faridabad, September 18 The court has issued notices to the state and district level functionaries of the Haryana government, including the Chief Secretary, Deputy Commissioner, the SP, and the SDM of the sub-division. They have been asked to file replies on November 23. Besides, the court has ordered a status quo regarding the land and the demolished material. The court directions have come in response to the PIL filed by Mr Rajender Singh Beesla, MLA from Ballabhgarh, who in his petition has alleged that the historical building had been demolished by a land mafia, who with the support of certain influential persons and some local officials, had been attempting to occupy the land. Mr Beesla alleged that the action had not only been an attempt to destroy the precious historical heritage, but also an insult to the sentiments of the local people, who had a great respect for the late Raja. It may be recalled that the young Raja Nahar Singh had been hanged to death by the British rulers for taking part in the 1857 mutiny. The demolished building had been located on an area of about one acre. While the remains of the building of the king are spread on several hundred acres, many of its parts are now used for different purposes. A heritage motel-cum-restaurant is also run here by Haryana Tourism. The state government had sanctioned several lakhs of rupees in 1993 for the renovation of the palace and other remains of the structures, but it is alleged that the local administration could not carry on the work, though the spot was taken over by the tourism department. The ‘Matiamahal’ was demolished on August 20 and the police booked a case against six persons later on a complaint that the demolition was ‘illegal’. One of the accused in the case has reportedly claimed that the Mahal was gifted to his family by the erstwhile king and now he was the owner of the building. But this claim has been disputed by the revenue officials and the civic body, and as a result, the complaint was lodged against the accused. According to Mr Beesla, the demolition was totally illegal and claimed that it could be the result of a conspiracy between some anti-social elements and the local officials. He alleged that the authorities knew about the move by certain persons, but did not stop the demolition of the historical building.
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Clothier stabbed to death
Ghaziabad, September 18 Tension gripped the traders due to the murder in broad daylight. Arif, 22, runs a cloth shop in Pasaunda market. While he was on his way home with the day’s cash, he had an altercation with a youth who was his neighbour. Arif had reportedly thrashed him. The beaten man along with his three companions then attacked Arif with knives and fled after leaving him in a pool of blood. Arif was rushed to a hospital where the doctors declared him “brought dead”. The police have registered a case against four criminals of the locality, but nobody was arrested yet. One of the murder accused Furquan had purchased some cloth from Arif on credit, but did not make the payment for the past six months. When Arif demanded the money, the four persons stabbed him to death. Arif enjoyed a good reputation in the area while the four accused were considered vagabonds and two of them had served jail terms also, the police said.
BJP leader’s house robbed in Hapur
A woman’s throat was slit by dacoits who decamped with valuables worth Rs 3 lakh from the house of a jeweller and BJP leader in Hapur in broad daylight on Friday. The woman is in a serious condition. Half-a-dozen intruders, including a woman bandit who had earlier surveyed the house as junk dealer intruded into the house in the afternoon. Brij Mohan Verma, after his retirement from UP Industrial Corporation as Deputy General Manager, had started a jewellery business. The family had shifted to their new house in Hapur’s posh Shiv Puri Colony recently. Mr Verma had gone to Delhi and his wife Mrs Manju was alone at home when the bandits struck. A woman, 40, had knocked at the door at 2 pm. When Mrs Verma opened the door, three criminals had forced their way into the house. They overpowered Mrs Verma and snatched the jewellery she was wearing. She was later tied with cords. One of the intruders slit her throat with a knife.
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MCD panel vice-chairman gets bail
New Delhi, September 18 Noting that Jain was in custody since August 13 and that the chargesheet was not likely to be filed by CBI in the stipulated period of 60 days, the court enlarged Jain on bail. The court directed Jain that during his bail period he will not tamper with evidence or contact witnesses or leave the country and asked him to surrender his passport and participate in the investigation. The CBI had earlier informed the court that investigation is almost complete in the case but the filing of the chargesheet would take time as the process of obtaining sanction is time consuming. The CBI has alleged that Jain was arrested while he was accepting a bribe of Rs one lakh from a builder at his Sitaram Bazar office on August 12. Jain allegedly demanded the money from the builder after he was awarded a contract to construct shops on MCD land. However, the builder in turn informed the CBI, which laid a trap and caught him while allegedly accepting the bribe. The Standing Committee of MCD is the most powerful body within the corporation as it is authorised to award a contract above Rs 10 lakh.
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Special Court disposes of petty
offences
New Delhi, September 18 This was the 49th Special Court held in the Tihar Jail, which till now has successfully decided the fate of 3,082 petty offenders. The Special Courts are being held following the direction of the Chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission, Justice A. S. Anand, who as the Chief Justice of India had recommended that Special Courts be held in all the major jail complex to speedily settle petty offences.
Duplicate goods seized
The South-West district police today arrested two persons involved in manufacturing spurious consumer articles. The suspects were identified as Kishan Lal Gupta and his son, Lovkesh. A number of branded items, including TATA tea, TATA Salt, Good Ricke Tea, Raj Shree Gutkha, Roopa Hosiery etc were seized from his factory in Nasirpur near Dabri.
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DPS celebrates silver jubilee
New Delhi, September 18 The Principal, Rita Kapur, called upon the students to gear themselves to face the challenges of the modern world. Presenting her report, she highlighted the vision of the school and emphasized the need for the inculcation of Indian value system in today’s changing world. The programme started with prayers and included a Kathak dance performance and a dramatic saga, ‘Vasudhaiv Kutumbakam’ depicting the evolution of man. Meanwhile, ‘Confluence 2004’ was organised at DPS, Noida. The enactment of G. B. Shaw’s ‘Pygmalion’, Jai Shankar Prasad’s ‘Chandra Gupta’ and Marlowe’s ‘Dr Faustus’ were part of the celebrations. Debates and antakshri were also
organised.
Seminar on flood management
New Delhi, September 18 The panel discussion aims at bringing the policy makers, technical and GIS experts, disaster management strategists, civil society organisations and academicians on a platform to reflect upon these issues.
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Assocham flays luxury tax on published rates in hotels
New Delhi, September 18 In a representation submitted to Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, ASSOCHAM President Mahendra K Sanghi said the decision had created chaos among the booking agents and made their operation uneconomical. Warning that the enhanced rates would adversely affect tourist inflow into India, Mr Sanghi urged the government to review the decision in the interest of the tourism industry. The Pacific Asia Travel Association has also supported the Assocham’s stand, he said.
Robbers arrested
The North-East district police today arrested five robbers, who were planning to rob a businessman. The suspects were identified as Jumma, Rehan Ali, Arif, Ahsan and Manoj. During interrogation, they confessed that they were planning to commit robbery in Hans Raj Dairy, Gamri Road, in Bhajanpura.
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Rotary gesture to hearing impaired students
New Delhi, September 18 Rotarian Mr Jain felt contented while gifting the machines to the hearing impaired children as they will now be able to hear their friends like everyone else around them. The students were equally overjoyed to receive
the gifts.
Thanking Mr Jain for their generous contribution, the school principal added that other institutions should also render their services to help the underprivileged children.
Jain leader’s birth anniversary to be celebrated
Faridabad, September 18 According to a spokesperson of the ‘Jain Mandir Dadabari Mehrauli Thirth, the two-day programme will be organised on September 21 and 22. It will be marked by a shobhayatra, a jagran and a religious discourse. The sect followers will be offering a 51-kg ladoo as prasada in the temple. Mr Sajjan Kumar, Lok Sabha MP from Outer Delhi and Mr Balram Tanwar, MLA, will be among the guests on the occasion.—TNS
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Disabled exhibit their talents
New Delhi, September 18 ‘Udaan’, an attempt by Art of Living ‘Aparajita’ Seva project, was a two-day event, where products made by the physically and mentally challenged women from the slums and the Tihar jail inmates were displayed. Held in the Capital’s Greater Kailash, the event was aimed at creating a sense of self-belief for the disadvantaged. The process of making useful and creative products was an enriching experience.
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