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Cantt board polls: BJP bags 5 of 8 seats
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Forum meets VC over reservation of OBC teachers
Bhadana blasts babus
Artists laud HC ruling on Husain
Pleasant day as temperature dips
Workshop on library automation
Special court at Tihar settles 20 cases
Pensioners want credit facilities
Amity conducts entrepreneurs’ meet
DPS students visit France
Course in video production
Rotary Club to give awards for social service
DDU docs call off strike
Zoo Authority does not want to monitor circuses
Couple murder Honour killing suspected
Stepmother held for girl’s murder
Cousin held in Badarpur murder case
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Cantt board polls: BJP bags 5 of 8 seats
The Delhi BJP activists were seen in a joyous mood after the final result of the elections was declared this evening. They raised slogans— BJP zindabad and Sheila Dikshit gaddi choro— with drum beating. The winning candidates distributed sweets. Both the leading political parties, BJP and Congress, campaigned extensively as the elections were to be held after 10 years. They were very enthusiastic as its results will reflect the voters’ mood in assembly elections in November. There are total eight wards in the Delhi Cantonment Board. Of them five were bagged by the BJP, two Congress and one independent candidate. Sandeep and Arun Dadwal, both Congress candidates from ward one and eight emerged victorious giving defeat to their nearest rivals, BJP candidates with a margin of 239 and 189 votes respectively. In ward number two, BJP candidate Pradeep Kadian defeated Congress candidate Ajay Mittar with a margin of 350 votes, ward three Sanjeev Nayar defeated Ramesh Chand of Congress with a margin of 325 votes. In ward number four, independent candidate Omwati won the seat first time. She was a BJP activist, but fought the elections independently when she was refused the ticket. Ward five is known as BJP’s stronghold where the Congress candidate had given a tough fight but lost. BJP’s Lal Chand won the seat with a margin of 200 votes. In ward number six, BJP’s Neena Sharma won the election with a heavy margin of 952 votes and in ward number seven Anupama Tripathi of the BJP won the seat with a margin of 350 votes. Celebrating their victory, the activists claimed that victory of the BJP in Cantonment Board was a result of the misrule of the Congress government at Centre as well as in state. The Congress has been in power in Delhi for the last nine and a half years. During its rule, the government had made policies which were never implemented. The same had happened last year in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi elections when the BJP bagged 164 seats out of 274, said the activists. Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee leaders were down in the mouth after the election result and refused to give any comments. No DPCC leader was available in the state office this evening. |
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Mandate against misrule: BJP
New Delhi, May 19 Deputy leader of opposition in Parliament, Vijay Kumar Malhotra and Delhi unit chief of the BJP Harsh Vardhan demanded resignation of Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and her cabinet colleagues. Results of the elections have proved that the Congress has completely lost the trust of the people. It has no moral right to remain in power. The Union government, Delhi government and Haryana government had utilised all their resources to make the Congress candidates victorious in all the eight wards of the Cantonment Board. Ajay Maken, Sheila Dikshit, her cabinet colleagues, ministers of Haryana and all the office-bearers of DPCC visited every lane of the cantonment area. The Congress used all its tactics to induce the voters. The code of conduct was reduced to shreds, they alleged. Congress candidates allegedly used money power. The Delhi government had made these elections a prestige issue. The entire government machinery was used to win the elections, they claimed. |
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Arushi Murder Arushi spoke to friend just before death Arushi spoke to her friend Anmol from her mobile for about 30 minutes at 9 pm on Thursday, just a few hours before she was murdered. However, while investigating agencies have the call details, the phones of both Arushi and Hemraj continue to be
missing.
Noida, May 19 According to police, Vishnu might be the culprit as the intruders to the flat had made a friendly entry and since Vishnu had worked in the house, he had the advantage of knowing Hem Raj as well as Arushi. According to one source, Vishnu has been arrested while it could not be confirmed with the Noida SSP, A Satish Ganesh. According to the Special Task Force, which is conducting parallel investigations into the double murder, there are still many questions which remain unanswered, the main among them being the motive for the murders. Loot has been ruled out as nothing was found missing from the house. Hem Raj eventually became a victim also as he was a witness to the murder of Arushi, but the murder of Hem Raj was reportedly done at the terrace while Arushi was done to death in her bedroom. First it was said there was difference of about 15 minutes between the two murders, but now this time interval is said to be about three to four hours between the murders of Arushi and Hem Raj. According to the Talwars, they used to lock the girl’s room from outside at night as the servant’s room was also nearby on the same floor. As to why they could not hear the sound of any commotion, the parents are reported to have told the STF team that they were used to a gruelling routine as dental surgeons and then the sound of the airconditioners in the bedrooms had perhaps stifled the sound of any commotion. Hem Raj was done to death on the terrace and not on the same floor where Arushi was murdered in her bedroom. But both the murders were reportedly done with the same sharp-edged weapon by slitting the throats. There were blood stains on the stairs leading to the terrace and impressions of a blood-soaked hand on the wall a few feet from where Hem Raj’s bloated body was discovered by retired DSP K.K.Gautam on the following day. According to R.B. Singh, Dy SP, STF, the involvement of the doctor couple has been ruled out as of now as no proof of it has been found. “They have given satisfactory answers to all the questions and there is nothing against them so far,” Singh said. Another unanswered question is, since according to the autopsy report, Hem Raj had not consumed liquor, it must have required at least three to four people to subdue and overpower him. Even this commotion was not heard by the doctor couple. This had been corroborated by the police who said at least three to four persons had made a friendly entry into the flat on the night of murder. Since Vishnu was a familiar figure both for Arushi and Hem Raj, he would have had no difficulty in gaining entrance to the flat. It is learnt that about half a dozen persons are being grilled by the police who include a son-in-law of Hemraj and the compounder who worked in the clinic of Dr Talwar. It appears the authentic answers to all the questions will become known only when the murderers are nabbed and grilled by the cops. |
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Forum meets VC over reservation of OBC teachers
New Delhi, May 19 The forum was conceived with the objective of raising the cause of the unprivileged, particularly at the university level. “For the past few years we have been fighting for OBC reservation for teachers in different DU colleges and have managed to get some success. We met the vice-chancellor and presented four key demands to him,” says Dr Parthasarathi from Academic Forum for Social Justice. He added, “This acceptance will lead to greater transparency in the system. The forum was successful in getting teachers’ interviews of Shyamlal College (evening), Deshbandhu College and Satyawati College (morning). The forum has identified problems in the varsity administration, which need to be tackled for the effective implementation of reservation policy.” Dr Parthasarathi says, “Our first demand for appointing a liaison officer for OBC issues was accepted immediately. The VC has accepted the demand of putting the roster of each college/department on the DU website soon. This too will lead to transparency in OBC reservations both in admissions and appointments.” Parthasarathi further explains, “Our third demand was for the appointment of an OBC observer forwarded by Kedar Mandal in selection committees, constituted for the selection of candidates for teaching positions. The VC as assured us that the rules in this matter would be clarified and the post of observer would soon be created. “This will ensure that the selection committee stops the practice of declaring “none of the candidates found suitable” in the said process of selection of lecturers.” The forum also raised the issue of colleges Satyawati College (evening), department of history and librarian, Ramlal Anand College (morning) department of Hindi, Indira Gandhi Institute of Physical Education and sports sciences and Shivaji College, violating the OBC reservation policy in the name of providing backlog to other categories. The VC has assured the forum that the matter will be taken up with respective colleges and the liaison officer will be instructed to assure that such errors are not repeated. Parthasarathi mentions that the forum is satisfied with the VC’s response. He adds, “The forum will take suitable action with higher authorities if our demands are |
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Bhadana blasts babus
Faridabad, May 19 Bhadana said this while presiding over the monthly Vigilance and Monitoring Committee of the district. Visibly annoyed with the functioning of the officers, Bhadana said that they were giving wrong feedback to the Chief Minister. Taking on the officers’ lobby, he further alleged that they were not paying heed to the Chief Minister’s command with regard to some work, even after being told thrice. Bhadana said that the Congress government in the state was losing popularity among the masses and attributed this to the “apathy and insensitive” attitude of the officer class. He lamented that he had given money from his MP Development Fund for setting up a road in village Coat in this district about four years back, but it has not been completed. He said that he had also provided fund for setting up tubewells in village Kabulpur and Panchaari about four years back but they have not been installed either. Moreover, he had allotted fund for setting up a Harijan Chaupal in his native village, Anangpur, but it has not been set up. Bhadana said that when the Chief Minister took up the matter, officers gave him wrong feedback that the chaupal could not be set up as there was opposition to it in the village. The Chief Minister was informed that there was opposition to the chaupal as a foundation stone had already been laid for a project by another political leader. Bhadana said that when he visited the village along with a senior officer to verify, he did not find any foundation stone. He further alleged that hundreds of illegal tubewells have been installed in the areas of Faridabad district bordering the national Capital. Lakhs of gallons of water was being drawn out and illegally supplied to Delhi by the mafia. According to him, Delhi was being supplied water while the people of Faridabad were facing water shortage. He alleged that all this incongruity was happening with the collusion of the babus. He said that the officers were allowing grabbing of land and illegal constructions, but would later stage a drama of their demolitions. |
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Artists laud HC ruling on Husain
New Delhi, May 19 “The court has in our perception, upheld the right to artistic creation and decisively quashed efforts at censorship through street violence and orchestrated legal action by politically motivated groups,” said Ram Rahman, photographer. The court has held that there is no intent on the part of the artist to cause offence through his Bharat Mata painting. Obscenity is in the eyes of the viewer. And a difference in perspective cannot be the basis of criminal charges. “SAHMAT is publishing the entire text of the judgment with an introduction by Sukumar Muralidharan, as well as pieces by Ram Rahman, Shashi Tharoor and Vinay Bharat Ram which appeared in the press in Husain’s defence,” said Ram Rahman. The trust has been active in defence of Husain. It has appealed to constitutional authorities like the President and the home minister maintaining that Husain’s art is a part of a longstanding evolving tradition of Indian iconography. “Despite an earlier ruling from the higher judiciary holding the criminal charges against India’s greatest living painter thoroughly unfounded, the campaign of victimisation against him for artistic productions dating back a quarter century or more, has shown no signs of abating,” said Sohail Hashmi, film-maker. “This has compelled the 92-year-old artist to seek refuge in a distant country, rather than risk the possibility of arrest on the orders of some over-zealous police official.” Husain still faces four cases in the Sessions Court at Patiala House in the Capital, on virtually identical charges. SAHMAT has called upon the judicial authorities concerned to recognise the value of the Delhi High Court ruling and deal with all pending complaints against Husain accordingly. “We call upon the Union home ministry to heed the principles laid down in the Delhi High Court ruling that differences in perspective cannot be the basis of criminal complaints and to intervene accordingly in the pending cases,” said Ram Rahman. |
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Pleasant day as temperature dips
New Delhi, May 19 According to the Met office, the temperatures fell by as much as seven degrees because of the thunderstorm and rains. The National Capital Territory has been lashed by thunderstorms for the last three days bringing the much-needed respite to the residents. However, the high velocity winds have had a toll on the Capital’s greenery. A large number of trees have been uprooted during these storms. Today’s rains brought along the usual problems of waterlogging and traffic snarls. Heavy traffic was reported on the main roads of the Capital in East, Central West and South Delhi areas. The traffic was particularly slow on the main Vikas Marg, Nizammudin Bridge and Mathura Road. Traffic conditions were equally bad in the congested Darya Ganj and Karol Bagh areas. However, for once no one was complaining. The common refrain was that they were willing to go through the traffic ordeal if it continues to be pleasant like this in the scorching month of May. The Met office said that the rain and thunderstorms during the last three days were the result of western disturbances over Rajasthan. However, like all good things, this pleasant weather was also likely to come to an end in the next 24 hours with the temperatures rising back to the normal at this time of the year. |
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Workshop on library automation
New Delhi, May 19 Nirjar stressed the need to encourage reading habits among people. He called for establishment of libraries in all the villages of the country. “A strong library movement is needed to encourage people to imbibe reading habits. There is also a need of a fusion between the intellectual and the labour class of the country,” said Singh. He cited the example of the erstwhile Soviet Union where citizens spent a considerable part of their family budgets on books. In India the reading habit is on the decline and it should be reversed, he added. Nirjar also inaugurated BIMTECH’s knowledge centre website. Kautilya Shukla, president, the Indian Library Association, spoke about the responsibilities of librarians in helping the users. R.D. Mehla, librarian, Kurukshetra University, explained the versatility and the benefits of the automation software ‘free software’. Ram Singh Nirjar honoured Dr. Haravu, a leading name in India in the field of library automation through ‘free software’ and Dr. H. Chaturvedi, director, BIMTECH for his services in the field of library science. Haravu was also felicitated for his contributions in developing the Open Source Code for library automation. |
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Special court at Tihar settles 20 cases
New Delhi, May 19 The court, presided over by Naveen Arora, metropolitan magistrate, took up the cases of confessing prisoners and disposed of 20 cases in all. These cases were screened by the finger print bureau of the Delhi police so as to eliminate the habitual offenders. According to Sunil Kumar, public relations officer, Tihar Jail, “This was the 91st court and till date 4327 cases of petty offenders have been decided by these special courts organised at the Tihar Courts complex”. He added that these courts were being held on the Tihar premises on a regular basis to dispose of petty cases of undertrials who are willing to confess the crime. These courts give the prisoners the opportunity to settle their cases speedily. |
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Pensioners want credit facilities
Noida, May 19 Efforts for a second dispensary in Noida and setting up of an Ayurvedic and yoga centre in Noida are also being pursued forcefully, according to the association president P Prasad. The Central Government Pensioners’ Association, Noida, had succeeded in winning from the health department, Government of India, referral powers for the chief medical officer and posting of medical specialist at Dispensary No. 85, Noida. The association had got a dispensary approved for Greater Noida also. A 50-bed Central Homeopathy Research Centre is functioning from this month in 1/1 Sector-24 Noida near girls school where medicines are given free, added the president of the Pensioners’ Association. |
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Amity conducts entrepreneurs’ meet
New Delhi, May 19 Barcamp is a popular business meet and is conducted in allmost all countries. The meet was inaugurated by Aseem Chauhan, chairman, Amity Innovation Incubator and chancellor, Amity University, Rajasthan. Over 300 technologists, entrepreneurs, technology enthusiasts, investors, digital media professionals, bloggers and students from all over India participated in it. The meet included activities like — product demonstrations, talk sessions, bug tales, web tweaks and networking sessions. Chauhan said that Barcamp was a meeting point of young information technology driven entrepreneurs where they exchange business ideas, experiences and knowledge. “It is a virtual community and India needs such communities for progress,” said Chauhan. He also briefed the audience about venturing into new businesses. He said that before starting a venture, one should be clear about the idea and proper homework should be done. |
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DPS students visit France
New Delhi, May 19 The group was led by Reinu Nagarkar and Randeep Singh. In Chambery, students stayed with families. The families were extremely hospitable. During their stay, students visited the Alps, the Mont Blanc, the Finiculaire, Aix les Bains, les Quatre Elephants, Annecy and Grenoble as well as the famous museums of arts and history. A cultural programme was put up by the Indian students at the French school. The programme included Indian dances and a fashion show exhibiting the traditional costumes of India followed by a video of the school. |
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Course in video production
New Delhi, May 19 The three-month course that will provide inputs on camera handling, lighting, sound and editing will begin from June 16. The classes will be held during the evening from Monday to Saturday. The programme fee is Rs 15,000. The applicant must have passed XII or an equivalent examination from a recognised board. Admissions will be granted on the basis of first-come-first serve. One can obtain the application form, available free of cost, from the Centre for Media Studies, GGSIPU, Kashmere Gate on working days from May 19 to June 15, or can download it from the university website
www.ipu.ac.in. |
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Rotary Club to give awards for social service
New Delhi, May 19 Former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam will present these awards at a function here on June 13. Announcing the awards, R.K. Somany, chairman, Distinguished Service Award Committee said, “We feel such awards are important for public recognition which can give a greater momentum to their effort. The challenge we face is to recognize truly deserving candidates and we are looking for worthy nominations that have been contributing in these fields for some years and now it’s time that people should know them. Hence to honour and appreciate their work, we introduced these service awards.” The objective behind introducing such awards is to identify path-breaking work of those individuals or organizations that have not been acknowledged earlier. Rotary Club of Delhi Midtown is searching for the nominations and an internal committee of the club would review these nominations. The names of the short-listed candidates will be submitted to an awards jury headed by Justice D.P. Wadhwa, retired judge of the Supreme Court, Lalit Bhasin, an eminent lawyer and Meenakshi Gopinath, principal, Lady Shri Ram College. Capt. Suresh Vasudeva, president, Rotary Club of Delhi Midtown said “Over the years the club has initiated several significant projects relating to healthcare and education for the underprivileged, apart from acting as a catalyst to create greater social awareness for responsible citizens. |
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DDU docs call off strike
New Delhi, May 19 According to sources, attendants of a patient picked up a fight with a doctor. As the emergency services were getting disturbed, the doctor called a head constable, Mahavir to control the situation. Mahavir and one private guard have sustained injuries in the fight that started from an altercation. Mahavir has alleged that the patient’s attendants beat him up and injured his jaw, chest and arms when he intervened. Besides, a hospital guard was also manhandled, alleged the hospital staff. Later, senior police officers arrested two persons. However, the arrested persons alleged that the doctor misbehaved with them when they asked for the whereabouts of their patient. |
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Zoo Authority does not want to monitor circuses
New Delhi, May 19 It has written to the environment ministry to keep the circuses out of its ambit, citing inability of circus owners to comply with the provisions of its Recognition of Zoo Rules 1992 in the upkeep of elephants. “With the best will in the world, circuses do not have the facilities to keep the animals in the kind of environment that could be considered anywhere acceptable,” CZA member secretary B R Sharma said.
— PTI |
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Couple murder Honour killing suspected
New Delhi, May 19 According to the police, Geeta’s brother-in-law Sanjay and uncle Devender killed the couple, as her family was opposed to their marriage. They believed that the marriage was against the matrimonial norms of their caste, as the two belonged to the same ‘gotra’. A love letter and few phone numbers were found from their bodies. It was learnt that the couple belonged to Baghpat district in UP. Considering that Delhi has porous borders, the police started looking for links in nearby states. It was learnt that Rajkumar and Geeta had eloped from their village three months ago fearing an attack on their lives. But, they were abducted from Meerut and were brought to Sanjay’s house in Dwarka. Devender and Sanjay tortured them and forced them to end their relationship. However, when the couple did not agree, the two allegedly killed them and disposed off their bodies in the Najafgarh drain. Sanjay has been arrested but Devender is still absconding. |
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Stepmother held for girl’s murder
New Delhi, May 19 According to the police, Praveen’s son has disclosed about his mother’s grudge towards the girl. Parveen has also admitted to the crime. Praveen is the first wife of Aziz. The couple has four children. But as the couple had a disturbed married life, Aziz divorced Parveen and married Niyat. He had a daughter, Shabana, from his second marriage. After Niyat’s death, Parveen began to live with Aziz. Aziz had decided to will his house to Shabana. This angered Parveen and she decided to eliminate Shabana. She took Shabana to the graveyard on the pretext of paying respect to her mother. She allegedly gagged the girl with sand and killed her. After making sure that the girl had died, she covered her body with sand. |
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Cousin held in Badarpur murder case
New Delhi, May 19 The police had broken the lock of Harnath’s house after neighbours complained of a foul smell. The body was found wrapped in a blanket. Several raids were conducted in Harnath’s hometown Kannauj. It was learnt that Harnath’s cousin Rajiv stayed in the neighbourhood and was missing since his murder. According to the police, Rajiv confessed that he had developed an illicit relationship with Harnath’s wife. He also got her name tattooed on his arm. When Harnath learnt about it, he fired him from the job that he had given him on his bus. Subsequently, Rajiv left the city and went to his hometown. But he recently returned and went to Harnath’s house to clear his dues. According to the police, the murder took place when the two got into a fight and Rajiv hit Harnath’s head several times with a rod. He then fled from the city. |
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New Delhi, May 19