New Delhi, July 16
The Delhi government today decided to roll back increased VAT on diesel after petrol dealers' associations pressurized the authorities to withdraw the hiked tax.

A large number of petrol dealers yesterday submitted a letter to the Chief Minister written in blood urging the government to make the rate of diesel at par with that of the neighbouring state, Haryana.

In a cabinet meeting, the city government decided to bring down the rate of VAT on diesel from 20 per cent to 12.5 per cent which would go a long way in containing inflationary trend.

Though the tax department is under finance minister A. K. Walia, he was not present in the meeting.

Talking to the media, Walia said that he had gone for a medical check-up, but the matter had been discussed with the Chief Minister already.

The Chief Minister said that the cabinet had taken a timely step to roll back the hike in the VAT which was announced in 2010-11 Budget in April. The prevailing price of diesel in Delhi is Rs 40.10 per litre. It will now be available at Rs 37.60 per litre. The burden on Delhi's consumers has been reduced by Rs 2.50 per litre. The new rate will be applicable from July 20.

The rate of diesel in April 2010 was Rs 35.71 per litre, including taxes, which went up to Rs 40.10 per litre consequent upon recent hike in petroleum products in the country. In order to mitigate this effect, the city government decided to roll back VAT hike on diesel, the Chief Minister said.

Further keeping in view the ensuing festive season, the city government has also decided to decrease VAT rate on dry fruit from 12.5 to 5 per cent, she said.

New Delhi, July 16
Activists of the Delhi unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today staged a dharna outside the office of the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) to pressurise the power watchdog to reduce power tariff.

President of Delhi BJP, Vijender Gupta, said that the Supreme Court (SC) recently ruled that power regulators had full and comprehensive right to fix power tariff and the government cannot curb this right.

The SC order came after private power companies of Andhra Pradesh filed a case in the electricity appellate tribunal, challenging the power of the Electricity Regulatory Commission (ERC) to fix tariffs. The tribunal ruled in favour of power companies. However, the ERC challenged the order of the tribunal in SC, which ruled in its favour.

The SC in its decision said under the Electricity Reforms Act 1998 and Electricity Regulatory Act 2003, no decision or policy of the government can affect the powers of the ERC. The regulatory commission has been given unlimited and comprehensive powers to fix power tariff which cannot be challenged, Vijender said.

He said the DERC had given directions to the three private power distribution companies of Delhi to reduce power tariff, but the city government is obstructing the reduction on technical grounds. The commission should use its powers and if needed, go to the SC, he suggested.

New Delhi, July 16
Close to 200 suspected Sangh Parivar activists barged into the lobby of Videocon Tower housing Aaj Tak news channel here this evening and indulged in vandalism to protest against a sting operation aired by the channel last night. The operation showed that the Sangh leaders were discussing sinister plans against the minority community and its leaders besides their involvement in Malegaon and Ajmer blasts.

The sting operation was shown on Headlines Today, Aaj Tak's sister channel. The police said the incident was reported around 4.30 pm from Jhandelwalan Extension in central Delhi.

“There must be close to 200 protestors and they barged into the Videocon Tower lobby this evening. They broke down the glasses, furniture, a coffee kiosk and other ornate items in the lobby. However, the police managed to disperse them before they could go to top floor where the news channel is housed,” said a police official.

The police has come under scanner after the attack. “These people had come with placards and indulged in slogan-shouting outside the office while the police kept watching them as mute spectators. In fact, there were just five to six policemen from the local station and it was only when the vandals had barged into the lobby, the extra force was called for. However, by then the damage had been done,” alleged a report from the channel.

Ram Madhav, RSS leader said it was a peaceful demonstration and the matter was being exaggerated. “The news channels are housed from the sixth floor onwards. Not a single man had gone there. It is wrong to say that the office of the news channel was vandalised,” he said.

The police sources said an FIR has been registered and nine persons had been arrsted.

New Delhi, July 16
The Central Bureau of Investigation has registered a case against Indore-based Index Medical College, two senior doctors of Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi, and unknown officials of the ministry of health and family welfare on the charges of corruption and forgery.

The names of the accused Safdarjung doctors are D.K. Gupta and J.S. Dhupia.

The CBI stumbled upon this case while probing the shoddy affairs of now-dissolved Medical Council of India whose chairperson Ketan Desai was arrested for taking a bribe of Rs 2 cr from a Patiala-based medical college.

The CBI said the MCI first refused permission in 2008 to the Indore-based medical college for admissions for its second batch. The college then moved the Supreme Court which asked both the MCI and the ministry of health and family welfare to conduct the inspection of the college afresh and inform the court on September 9 in 2008.

The report given by the MCI inspectors showed deficiencies in the infrastructure of the college, especially the manpower. However, the ministry constituted its team of two doctors from Safdarjung Hospital, Gupta and Dhupia, who conducted inspection on September 25 and 26 and the college granted permission to the college on the basis of their favourable report. But in another inspection conducted by the MCI inspectors after about 10 days, the college was still found to be having deficiencies in its manpower resources, the CBI said.

The CBI said records were forged to show employment of the doctors as college faculties, which became the basis for the grant of permission by the ministry, leading to the registration of a case.

The CBI conducted searches at 12 places in Delhi, Indore and Meerut, including the college premises, residences and offices of the two doctors from Safdarjung Hospital as well as two placement agencies.

New Delhi, July 16
When Falah Mohammad, an Iraqi soldier in 2003, survived an American missile attack he thought he was lucky to be alive. What he had never imagined was that he would also be able to walk like a normal, healthy man after all these years of struggle when life had been a drag.

Doctors at Metro Hospital in Faridabad operated upon 28-year-old Falah on July 8 and produced him before the media in Delhi today where he walked a relieved and happy man. He is likely to be discharged in a week, doctors said.

He said he was hit by a projectile on April 6, 2003 while fighting against the American army which had invaded Iraq, then ruled by Saddam Hussain. He sustained injuries when a missile entered his spine and got stuck in his left flank.

Falah Mohammad said he lost all hopes of recovering from his spinal injury, which had made him virtually immobile.

“I have lived in severe pain even after two operations of abdomen and spinal cord back in Baghdad. I had to undergo daily dressing and could still walk only with dragging feet. I had heard good things about Indian doctors and was advised to go to India by experts who studied my medical papers,” said Falah.

Dr Alok Gupta, who led the team of neurosurgeons at Metro Hospital which did the surgery, said the surgery was a crucial one, as a sharp-edged metallic piece measuring 4x3 cm was lodged in the interspace of L4 and L5 of the spinal cord and any tissue damage could have worsened his condition leading to waist-down paralysis.

“When he was operated upon in Iraq, he remained paraplegic for one year and with antibiotics, his condition gradually improved. He came to us with bilateral foot weakness and after CT scan and X-rays, a sharp triangular foreign object was found to be stuck in the spinal column. After discussing the criticalities of the case, the surgery was done and right from the next day, the patient was able to walk without any pain,” said Dr Gupta.

Doctors said they had to open spinal cord to ensure that no harm was caused to the sorrounding nerves and the bones were drilled laterally.

Most patients sustaining such injuries become paraplegic and it is rare that they recover after such a time gap, doctors said.

Falah said he would now join his father’s fish business after returning to Iraq.

New Delhi, July 16
Several policemen were injured when the locals pelted stones at them following an accident in which two persons were killed by a speeding container truck in the Anand Parbat area of central Delhi last night.

According to information, the incident was reported around 10.30 pm from gali number 10 of the Nehru Nagar area in Anand Parbat. “A speeding container truck lost control trying to avoid a motor cyclist and hit a temple before ramming into a house. Three persons were injured in the incident and were rushed to a hospital. However, two of them— Subhash (30) and a woman named Murti (32) — succumbed to their injuries,” said the police, adding that the driver and cleaner of the truck fled the spot leaving behind the vehicle.

Angry residents, mostly vegetable vendors, took to the streets and blocked the traffic after the news of two deaths reached them.

Police force, which reached the spot to remove the protestors, was greeted with stones and at least five policemen were injured in the incident.

The police had to lathicharge and use tear gas to disperse the crowd.

New Delhi, July 16
Lack of coordination is apparent at the construction sites of CWG projects being undertaken by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD).

In an attempt to cover up its negative image formed after it failed to check waterlogging on roads during the heavy rains last week, the MCD admitted that there is no coordination between the several local authorities working in Delhi. The fact was realized during a visit to CWG sites in the city by several MCD leaders accompanied by the media. The leaders included mayor Prithvi Raj Sawhney, Standing Committee chairman Yogender Chandolia, Leader of House Subhash Arya and senior engineering staff.

According to the top brass in the civic body, the roads are dug up by the other agencies without taking permission from the corporation.

“We are never informed before the digging of any road. The local authorities do not feel responsible to take permission from the MCD before excavating any road,” said Arya.

Though the corporation has claimed that the entire work in hand would be completed by July 31, the construction sites gave a different impression. “We are fully confident that the work would be finished by July 31 except in some areas,” Arya added.

The streets of Pahargunj have been dug up and the work of ducting or making wires underground is going on.

However, the MCD officials did not lose opportunity to blame other agencies like power distribution companies and Central Public Works Department (CPWD) at the place where pits have been dug up and excavation works are taking place.

The redevelopment of hotels and guesthouses in Paharganj and Karol Bagh was still pending in some lanes and construction waste was seen lying on streets. The MCD was carrying out underground ducting of cables in these areas.

“The MCD will only show the areas where the work is completed. The reality is different. The whole area is messed up with digging,” said a shopkeeper.

The MCD, on the other hand, expressed confidence in the quality of work. “We are fully satisfied with the projects except in a few areas where the deadline may be missed as other local bodies are still not through with their work,” said Arya.

The Rs 322-crore parking project at Kushak nallah near Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, the single parking to be completed before the Games by MCD, is 90 per cent over. The leaders claimed that it has been completed in just one year by using German technology.

“This one-km-long and 65-mt-wide parking would provide space to 500 buses of athletes coming directly from the Games Village through the elevated corridor,” said Ravi Dass, the engineer-in-chief.

New Delhi, July 16
The Bus Rapid Transit corridor is set to be more effective with the installation of new Intelligent Signalling System (ISS) before the Commonwealth Games.

The system that helps in managing traffic at a given time will be installed at nine junctions from Ambedkar Nagar to Moolchand in the first phase. More junctions will be included later.

What is more, the ISS will withstand the weather conditions. In case of heavy rains or any seasonal change contributing to power loss, the system's back-up for three hours will help control the traffic even during peak traffic.

Work is in full swing to install the signals at the eight junctions on the corridor, barring the Moolchand junction which is currently occupied due to construction work of Metro. The system will be managed by DIMTS (Delhi Integrated Multi-Modal Transit System Limited).

The junctions to be fitted with the ISS in Phase I are Ambedkar Nagar, Pushp Vihar, Pushpa Bhawan, Sheikh Sarai, Chirag Dilli, Krishi Vihar, Siri Fort and Andrews Ganj. Once the Metro construction ends at Moolchand by August 31, it will also be included in the ISS corridor.

Explaining the role of the intelligent system, a DIMTS spokesperson said, "The system optimizes the functioning of traffic lights. The normal traffic lights are fed with timing. However, the ISS is a demand-based system. It automatically reads the traffic scenario. If there is a clogged situation ahead, the system will manage the lights accordingly and avoid unnecessary haste or delay. This will help clear out roads on time."

Post-installation, DIMTS will carry out testing of the system to arrive at the optimum signal phasing. Accordingly, testing will be carried out at the Chirag Dilli junction on July 16 and 17 and the entire process will be completed by July 18.

Even as the testing will be over this month, the system will be functional once the main operational control centre or the OCC is constructed. The OCC is currently being built at ISBT Kashmiri Gate and will also be operated by DIMTS. The officials are certain that the system will be functional before the Commonwealth Games.

However, during the testing of the system over the next few days, commuters may face some traffic disturbance.

"We request the commuters to bear with us till this process is completed and work with us towards achieving a better traffic management system for Delhi," said a senior transport official.

Greater Noida, July 16
A class XII student of a reputed school here was allegedly gangraped by three persons on Wednesday evening in the Dadri area.

After the alleged rape, the accused held her family members captive to prevent them from lodging a report. However, on Thursday, the victim and her father managed to escape from their clutches and lodge a complaint at the Dadri police station to. But till late Friday evening, all the accused were absconding.

According to the 17-year-old-girl, Nisha (name changed), the incident happened when she was returning from her class on Wednesday afternoon.

"While I was returning home, my neighbour Nirdosh Bhatti, who was in an Alto car along with two other youths, pulled me into the car. They silenced me with a pistol and drove the car to a secluded place near New Anaj Mandi. There, all the three raped me turn by turn. Later, they abandoned me near Durga Vishal Mandir," Nisha told the police.

"She was seen lying unconscious by the residents of the area. They informed us. We took her home. The family of Bhatti pressurised us not to lodge an FIR. They held us captive at gunpoint for the whole night. Moreover, my daughter was so terrified that she was unable to speak. Today morning, we sneaked out and went to the police station," said Hari Ram (name changed), victim’s father .

"Initially the Dadri police refused to lodge the FIR. But when we approached the superintendent of police,an FIR was lodged," he added.

"The victim has been sent for medical test . A case against Bhatti and two others has been registered today," said S. K.Verma, superintendent of police. "Investigations revealed that Bhatti, who got married on May 31 this year, was eying the girl for the past few years," Verma added.

Bhatti's family has alleged that the girl has lodged the case to extract money.

New Delhi, July 16
With the arrest of six persons, the special staff of the south-east district police has worked out four cases of cheating.

The accused identified as-- Mohd Danish Saifi, Chitresh Sharma, Agnishwar Basu Ray, Jitender Singh, Prashant Kumar and Jaspreet Singh-- allegedly made international calls using different SIM cards on a particular mobile number and earned huge profit. Even the subscriber used to get a fixed amount from the profit thereby, causing loss over Rs 6 crore to mobile phone service provider companies, especially Vodafone, Airtel and Aircel, the police said today. The accused allegedly made calls from Nepal to avoid being traced by the service provider company.

The arrests were made after Vodafone Essar complained that some persons had obtained 20 SIM cards on forged documents of I-Gate Company through its proprietor Agnishwar Basu Ray and got international roaming service activated on the numbers.

Agnishwar, living in the Mahipalpur area, was apprehended on July 15. His accomplices were arrested at his instance.

The police found that Saifi was the master mind behind the act.

"He had contacts in Gulf countries. It was Chitresh Sharma who managed to get 20 SIM cards of Vodafone for Saifi. After obtaining international roaming activated on 20 SIM cards, Saifi and Sharma went to Nepal and continuously made international calls to some premier numbers till the SIM cards were seized. After the bill crossed Rs 50 lakh, they disappeared," said a senior police official.

The police has seized the mobile phones and SIM cards that were used to make contacts abroad from them.