New Delhi, August 10
The Sarojini Nagar police yesterday arrested two persons for stealing the debit card of a woman and making purchases worth Rs 1,40,000. Amrita (name changed) and Mohmmad Inam, 23, were arrested yesterday evening for stealing the debit card of Indira Hathi Ramani and using it.

On August 7, Ramani had lodged a complaint at the police station that someone had stolen her HDFC debit card and had used it illegally.

The police identified the places where the debit card was used and learnt that a young couple had been visiting those places to purchase various luxury goods.

Later, it was learnt that Amrita visited the complainant’s house frequently. She disclosed that she had stolen the debit card and used it for buying various articles. The shopkeepers of the shops where she had made purchases also recognised her.

But Amrita refused to reveal anything about the identity of the boy who accompanied her. She tried to implicate some boys at her workplace.

It was found that the debit card was used in filling petrol in a car (DL-4CAE-6950) at Navyug Service Station in Greater Kailash. The owner of the car was traced. It was found that Mohmmad Inam had borrowed the car on August 3. Later, it was learnt that he had accompanied Amrita to make the purchases.

A mobile phone along with ladies’ and gents’ garments were recovered from Amrita while, seven paintings worth Rs 1,40,000 and the stolen debit card were recovered from Mohmmad Inam.

Amrita and Mohmmad Inam have studied till middle school. Mohmmad Inam used to supply milk to Amrita’s house and had they planned to marry. According to the police, they needed some wedding garments and other articles to set up their house, so they committed the crime. They have not been involved in any incidence of crime earlier.

New Delhi, August 10
The South West district police has arrested a man whose wife and friend were found dead at his rented accommodation in Vishwas Park, Dabri on July 29.

According to the police, Ram Dev Yadav killed his wife Geeta and friend Jitendra, as he suspected that the two were having physical relationship.

Initially, when the body was discovered, the police had thought it to be a case of murder and suicide since Jitender’s body was found hanging from the ceiling while the hands and legs of Geeta’s body, found in the same room, were tied. It was believed that Jitender had first killed Geeta and then committed suicide.

But during the course of investigation, conducted by inspector Abhinendra Jain, it was learnt that Geeta was married to Ram Dev Yadav for the last six years. They were staying in this house for the last two years. Jitender, a resident of Azamgarh district in Uttar Pradesh, was also residing in the same house for the last 5 years. But he started sharing room with Ram Dev’s family one year ago after he took care of Geeta when she had fallen ill and was in hospital.

Ram Dev started suspecting the two after he one day saw them eating from the same plate. He wanted to catch them red-handed.

On the day of murder, Ram Dev had gone out for a stroll after lunch, when he saw Jitender coming home. To confirm his suspicion, he returned home after 15-20 minutes and found Jitender and his wife together. He started quarrelling with his wife while Jitender ran away from there.

Ramdev put a tape on his wife’s mouth and smothered her with a pillow. He then saw Jitender coming towards his room so he took a stone and hid himself behind the door. As soon as Jitender entered the room he hit him on his head from behind and Jitender fell on the floor. He then tied his mouth with a chunni and smothered him to death with the pillow. Thereafter, when he was confirmed that Jitender is dead he hanged his body with the help of a jute rope on to an iron pipe at the ceiling. Then he tied the hands and legs of his wife with iron chains to make it appear that Jitender first killed Geeta and then hanged himself to death. He then quietly went out for his duty.

But, Ram Dev’s five-year-old son Vicky had seen the entire incident. And he, during his counseling had disclosed to the psychologist that his mother was killed by his father.

Ram Dev works as a peon in Rama CGH Society, sector-11, Dwarka.

Noida, August 10
The director and deputy director of an American IT company’s Indian branch are missing for the last four days.

Director Balroop Singh and deputy director Sukhraj Singh of California-based Upnatech Inq. had left their office at 2-A, sector-90, Noida on Thursday evening in a green Scorpio no. PB-07-S0030 for ATS Green Sector-50, but never reached there.

Their families have lodged a report at the sector-20 police station, fearing that they might have been kidnapped.

The incident came to light when the manager of the company Rajesh Tuteja tried to contact Balroop Singh for some official matter. Finding the phone switched off, Tuteja reached Balroop Singh’s residence in sector-50. He then informed Balroop’s father, who stays in Hoshiarpur, Punjab. His father reached Noida next morning and filed a complaint.

The police has questioned some company officials and are trying to trace the officials with the help of cellphone surveillance. The last location of Sukhraj’s cell phone as been recorded on Thursday evening from near Palam in Delhi. After this their cell phones were found switched off.

SO of sector-20 police station, Jagvir Singh Malik said that they were trying to trace the two officials with the help of cellphone details.

According to Malik Balroop and Sukhraj are uncle- nephew in relation and belonged to Hoshiarpur in Punjab.

They were with this IT company from December 2005. 

New Delhi, August 10
With bitter memories of bomb blasts in Ahmedabad and Bangalore last month still fresh, the Delhi Police has steeped up vigil in the national Capital with additional deployment of forces at sensitive places and has increased surveillance at hotels, cyber cafes, guesthouses and on the border areas.

The police has issued instructions to operators of hotels, guesthouses, cyber cafes, telephone booths and taxi services to increase surveillance of activities on their premises and report any suspicious activity. The operators of these places have been asked to keep a record of their customers and if possible the identity proof of anyone booking room in their hotels/guesthouses. Further, guesthouses and cyber cafes have been asked to install CCTVs at the entrance and some other locations on their premises to facilitate increased surveillance of customers’ activities.

Meanwhile, additional deployment of security forces is being made at sensitive locations like the interstate bus terminals, railway stations, airports and market places. In the coming days, about 2,000 to 3,000 additional police personnel, including those from the Border Security Force, Central Reserve Police Force and the Rapid Action Force are also to be deployed in border areas.

Further, the Delhi Police has planned to install 34 CCTVs in crowded areas from today.Traffic personnel have been asked to keep an eye on the security in addition to their traffic management duties. A heavy security cordon has been thrown around the historic Red Fort, the venue for the Independence Day celebrations. Sources said that around 4,000 security personnel would man the area around the Red Fort. Shops and markets in and around the area, especially Chandni Chwok would be kept under strict vigilance in the days to come.

New Delhi, August 10
Sandhya Singh, a well-known artist from Dehradun, is holding a unique exhibition, “Remembrance” at the Canvas Art Gallery here from August 16 to 22 to coincide with the second death anniversary of the shehnai legend, Ustad Bismillah Khan, which falls on August 21.

Through her paintings, she has attempted to depict the ustad’s profile and his famous musical instrument as a tribute to the legend. The artist has used different shades of colours to render the multi-faceted persona of Ustad Bismillah Khan in all its simplicity, humility, harmony and rhythms. 

The 51-year-old painter earlier exhibited her works in various cities, including Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Jamnagar, Dehradun, and abroad also at San Diego and Houston in the USA and Canterbury in Britain. 
Her creations have been well received and a number of them are now part of many a private collection.

“It was a great challenge to depict the ustad’s famous shehnai, his own feelings and the music,’’ she said, pointing out that through her paintings she has tried to convey harmony and rhythm, characteristics of the man and his music. That is why my works comprise portraits, figurative and abstracts.’’

“I did not know what constitutes music, and how to show it on canvas. Then, I came across Prof Damodar Thakur’s ‘Gita – The Song Extraordinary.’ In one of its passages, he writes: “The structure of music... is circular...(It) starts with a central ‘theme,’ goes away from that centre by way of elaborating and expanding it, comes back to the centre, goes away from it again by way of elaborating and expanding it slightly differently this time, and this type of circular motion goes on…’’

“Before painting,’’ she said, “I listened to the shehnai of Ustad Bismillah Khan many times, and it led me to find music on my canvas.’’ 

Ghaziabad, August 10
Armed robbers looted cash and jewellery worth nearly Rs 1.2 million from a shop here today afternoon.

According to the owner of Shakti Jewellers in Shyam Park Extension market, Amit Ahuja, a customer walked into the store and inquired about earrings.

Later, two more men joined him. Suddenly, they took out pistols and threatened the staff.

At gunpoint, the robbers took the key to the safe where the jewellery was kept. They robbed the store, fired shots in air and fled in a car parked outside the shop.

The shopkeepers of the market informed the police about the crime.

The traders of the locality later blocked traffic on the GT Road, alleging that the police reached the crime spot late.

The station-in-charge of Sahibabad police station, S.P. Singh said, “All three criminals have been identified. They are from Bhagpat district and would be arrested soon.” — IANS

Noida, August 10
The corrugated box manufacturing industry continues to be in dire straits due to the arbitrary increase in the price of kraft paper by paper mills of North India. The abrupt price rise has crippled the industry.

In one month the price of kraft paper was increased four times, said UP corrugated box manufacturing industry (CBMA) president Sanjeev Dhingra.

The corrugated packing industry had requested paper mills to conduct a joint meeting to find a solution to the problems. Besides, the paper industry slapped an increase of Rs 3,000 PMT on July 22.

Having been left with no choice, the corrugated box manufacturing industry decided to observe a mahaband from August 5 to 10.

During this mahaband there would be no purchase or sale. Production will also not take place. Members of the corrugating committee have co-operated in this mahaband. A car rally was organised to highlight the problems of the industry.

Sanjeev Dhingra said that it was surprising that paper mills of Northern India demanded a much higher rate than paper mills in rest of the country. This attitude of the North Indian mills is monopolistic and arbitrary, he asid. The North India mills are indulging in profiteering at the cost of their customers, Sanjeev Dhingra added.

New Delhi, August 10
Private tankers, hired by the Delhi Jal Board (DJB), have not been paid for the last four months, say sources.

The Delhi jal Board hires tankers as its own tankers are not sufficient to supply water in all the zones of the national Capital.

According to sources, some of the tank owners have decided to leave the Delhi Jal Board as it is getting difficult for them to work without payment for four to five months.

The sources said that those who have one or two tankers cannot survive in such a situation.

According to them, the tanker owners are given Rs 800 per day in addition to the diesel expenses. But even this payment is made to them after paying a bribe of Rs 6000 per tanker to senior officers.

Sources also claim that the DJB hires private tankers after fulfilling all the formalities of the tender procedure. However, in fact, the contract to supply water is given to those who offer maximum commission to the officers.

But even after paying commission, the tanker owners are not paid every month. They have to wait for months for their payments.

In such a situation, big contractors affiliated with one or the other political party can throw political weight to get timely payment. But small contractors are left on the mercy of the officers, the sources added.

A contractor whose three tankers have been hired by the DJB said that he had not received his payment for the last five months. When he argued with the officer concerned, the officer canceled the contract of one of his tankers. The situation is the same with other tanker owners.

The contractor said that he also tried to take up the matter with the higher authorities, but it was of no help.

The contractor added that to cover up their losses, the tankers do not complete their rounds. They are supposed to make seven or eight rounds but they do only three four rounds, which is why the tankers are not available during crisis, he said.

New Delhi, August 10
IGNOU recently held a two-day national seminar on India’s freedom struggle.

Haryana Governor A.R. Kidwai addressed a public meeting at the university campus in New Delhi on the concluding day of the seminar.

He congratulated the freedom movement memorial committee for its plan to build a Freedom Movement Martyr’s Memorial, a Shaheed Smarak in the Capital, to generate awareness about India’s freedom struggle.

Dignitaries like — Moti Lal Vora, UGC Chairman S. Thorat, Omprakash Mishra, PVC, IGNOU; Kishan Kumar, Mushilal Hassan, MP Shashi Bhushan, Tara Bhattacharya, L.P. Sahi, Francis Fanthome and P.R. Ramanujam were present. 

New Delhi, August 10
Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) will launch various online courses this week. The university said in a statement today that it would extend its distance learning programmes.

IGNOU would now have online courses for PhD, M. Phil, MA and post-graduate diploma. Besides, post-graduate certificate courses would also be launched with Sri Aurobindo Centre for Advanced Research (SACAR), Puducherry, this month.

Students can apply for these courses online through SACAR’s website. The courses will start from the first week of September.

SACAR offers variety of online courses in the fields of integral social and political thought, integral education, philosophy, yoga-psychology, Indian culture, literature and aesthetics. — IANS