New Delhi, December 3
A seven-member delegation of activists and lawyers from the northeast along with members of different NGOs today met Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit to discuss the issue of safety of northeastern women in the Capital in the wake of the gangrape of a BPO employee from Mizoram.

Dikshit has called for another meet with the delegation and the Delhi police on Saturday.

While the police arrested two of the five accused on Thursday, the northeast community and civil society members said this was not the end of the problem.

Madhu Chandra, spokesperson of the Northeast Support Centre and Helpline, who accompanied the delegation to meet Dikshit, said, "The Delhi police arrested two of the accused is good news. However, the problem doesn't get solved there because it's not just the rape case, but the bigger issue of safety of northeastern women in Delhi."

"It is for this reason that we went to meet the Chief Minister. She said that since the issue of security involves the police, so it would be better that they too are made a party to the meeting. We will have another meeting with her and officials of the Delhi police tomorrow," Chandra said.

Talking about their meeting, Chandra said: "Last year, the Chief Minister had promised a northeast cell and a helpline to step up safety measures for the community here. However, nothing happened. We reminded her about that today and she said that she will look into it".

"Also, we said that the victim of the gangrape case must be compensated under the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act since she belongs to the scheduled tribe. She agreed and said that it will be taken care of," he added. — IANS

New Delhi, December 3
A former maid of an Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer, posted as Deputy High Commissioner in Kenya, has alleged that she had been raped by him for three years from 2007 to April 2010 until he was transferred back to India.

According to sources at Moti Bagh police station where the maid has given compliant in this regard, the IFS officer Dr Ketan Shukla sexually exploited her for years and she could not run away from Kenya as the officer had seized her passport and other documents.

The complaint was given by the woman yesterday evening, but the police is yet to lodge an FIR in this regard while investigations are being made in the matter.

The 22-year-old maid from Jharkhand has also given a complaint against Shukla at National Commission for Women today.

According to information, she accused Shukla of not paying her salary. Meanwhile, Shukla, presently posted in Ahmedabad, has rejected the claims while speaking to media persons in Gujarat.

"This is very shocking news for me and my wife. We took the girl to Kenya. She stayed there for three years. We treated her like our daughter. She was free to meet anyone. We used to take her to various functions. She came back to India with us. All her accounts were settled. At that time she had no complaints. She never complained to any of her relatives about something like this," said Shukla, adding that about 10 days back, she requested my wife for a job.

"If there was a complaint, she would never have asked us for a job again. I am very surprised. A friend of mine told me that she made a complaint against me in some other police station. Now this complaint has come up. Some NGO has misguided her. I think the government and the judiciary will look into it. I don't know the details about this complaint, but I will definitely take legal action, even defamation," he said.

The police hasn't questioned Shukla as yet. An official of the non-government organisation Miracle Aasra, which helped the maid file the complaint against Shukla, said that the maid was afraid of the IFS officer and so she took a long time to come out in the open.

New Delhi, December 3
The south district police has arrested two gays for allegedly robbing a fellow gay of articles worth Rs 2 lakh, including a gold chain, pendant, bracelet and his mobile phones.

The accused have been identified as Amit Vishkarma, alias Ravi Mathur (22), and Raju Dass (25). All robbed articles have been seized.

While Vishkarma is a second year management student at Aurobindo College, Dass can speak fluent English and had worked with Barista Cafe.

According to the police, the incident took place on November 26 when the complainant, Kishore Kumar, of G-101 in Sarojini Nagar was alone at home. His children were in school, while his wife was in a hospital. Two persons allegedly hit him with a cricket bat on his face. Kumar fell unconscious. When he regained consciousness, he found his hands and legs tied, while his pendant, gold chain, gold bracelet and mobile phones were missing.

Kumar lodged a complaint at the Sarojini Nagar police station.

A police team led by an inspector was formed to look into the matter. During interrogation, Kumar told the police that he was a gay and had recently come in contact with another gay, Ravi Mathur, at a get-together. Recently, he and Mathur had spent a long time at his residence at Sarojini Nagar.

On the day of the incident, while Kumar was having breakfast, Mathur visited his place with an accomplice. Kumar offered them breakfast when he was allegedly attacked by the duo with a cricket bat. When he fell unconscious, the duo allegedly robbed him of jewellery and mobile phones.

The police conducted raids at numerous hideouts in Rajasthan and NCR as it had learnt that the accused had allegedly decamped with the booty to Rajasthan. The team finally nabbed the main accused, Amit Vishkarma, who confessed to the crime. Later, Dass was arrested at his instance. The accused had hoped that the complainant would not be able to disclose the facts due to social stigma and they would never be apprehended. 

New Delhi, December 3
Road safety expert T. K. Malhotra has been elected bureau member of the Customs Commission of the Federation of Internationale de l' Automobile (FIA), France, at its annual general assembly at Paris headquarters held recently to represent the Asia Pacific region. The FIA enjoys consultative status with the United Nations.

Delhi-based Malhotra is the president of the Federation of Indian Automobile Associations (FIAA) and the Automobile Association of Upper India (AAUI).

The main job of the Customs Commission is to examine and formulate views on customs matters as per the United Nations guidelines and to facilitate border crossings by tourists and motorists; to assist member organisations in more than 130 countries; and to make recommendations to the World Council for Mobility and the Automobile on Customs Commission matters.

It monitors customs documents for 'temporary import' of vehicles by tourists, visitors and businessmen. India has more than 128 land customs stations. Hundreds of tourists travel to India with their vehicles such as cars, tourist buses and caravans. Under Customs Commission regulations, they can pass the customs borders/check post without payment of any customs duty.

Malhotra has produced 208 episodes of the weekly programme 'Road Watch' for Doordarshan. He has authored two books - 'All You Need to Know About

Cars and Safe Driving' and 'All You Need to Know About International Road Signs and Safe Driving'.

New Delhi, December 3
After being the sufferer in the long and tiring tussle between the teachers and the administration, Delhi University students are now worried that their favourite cultural festivals might get cancelled.

One of the university's most widely attended events, Youth Nexus, is also doubtful as its venue remains undecided.

While some colleges in South Campus are lucky to organise their fests, though behind schedule; others have been left high and dry as their sports grounds are not free. They are still under the control of the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee.

"Most of the annual events in North Campus have been postponed. Things may worsen as we may have to call off some more events. Youth Nexus, which is held every year at Polo Grounds, had to be shifted to a smaller location outside campus as the grounds were taken over by the CWG committee. This year, even though the Games have ended, the university administration says that there are some special rubber mats at Polo Grounds, Hosting festivals here may spoil them," said Priya Dabbas, vice-president, Delhi University Students' Union.

Ground including DU Polo Grounds, Sports Complex North Campus, SGTB Khalsa College grounds and Ramjas College grounds were taken over by the CWG Organising Committee. They still are not available to the student bodies.

The grounds which were used for sporting events and practice sessions were to be handed back to the university in October. However, there's still no sign of that happening, due to which fests have been postponed or scaled down.

"We need to have the ground a month in advance, to make arrangements for Youth Nexus," added Jitender Choudhary, president, Delhi University Students' Union.

"Officially, we have still not been returned our sports ground. Not just cultural events, sports are also taking a hit. Students cannot practise ," said Rajendra Prasad, principal, Ramjas College. 

Ghaziabad, December 3
Some unidentified assailants allegedly hammered a class IX student to death at his residence in Ghaziabad today, the police said.

B. Navin, a student in the Hindon Public School in Delhi, was allegedly found dead by his mother in the drawing room of his house in the

Lajpat Nagar area of this town.

"His mother returned to the house around 5 pm and found him lying dead. She then called her husband B. Kuraia, who is an executive with a firm in the town," a police official said.

"We have registered a case and initiated investigation," superintendent of police (city) A.K. Vijaita said. -- IANS

New Delhi, December 3
A large number of people with disability today gathered at India Gate and later at Rajpath to put forth their demands for a correct census and separate ministry of disability affairs.

Even as the government seems to be in a fix on deciding on the new law to replace the Persons with Disability Act, 1995, the battle of people living with disabilities (PWD) against discriminatory mindset goes on year after year.

"Another World Disability Day has passed and we remain neglected. The Union ministry of social justice and empowerment sidelines our issues while other minorities get all attention. We are never considered and it is only this day a few people are awarded," said president of the Karnataka Disabled Rights Approach Federation, Imtiyaz Ahmed Kachvi.

The census of 2001 puts the population of PWD at 2.1 per cent of the country's total population.

"The government is not counting the disabled and has just put a vague figure. The earlier census is inappropriately drawn. The section has better status in other countries like the US and China, where the disabled population is higher than that of India," said Ramanathan Paul of KARO.

According to Dr Monica Juneja, paediatric neurologist at Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Hospital, if an expecting mother is nutrition-compromised, the baby has an increased risk of having developmental disabilities at birth or later in life.

"The public sector employs just five per cent of disabled population. So, the need is that of a separate ministry and unless that is set up, the community's issues cannot be addressed. Also, a comprehensive law and proper coverage in the next census is significant," said Javed Abidi, chairperson of the National Centre for Promotion of Employment of Disabled Population. 

New Delhi, December 3
Delhi Assembly Speaker Yoganand Shastri has stirred a hornet's nest by claiming that the Central Government would never accept the Capital's demand for complete statehood .

Shastri said the Union Government would not grant full statehood to the national Capital due to various reasons.

Being the national Capital, all embassies are located here and foreign diplomats and other dignitaries stay here. The Centre cannot give the responsibility of their security to the state government, he said.

"Besides, land and the Delhi police is under the Union Government. If Delhi is given full statehood, it will demand control over them, something that the Centre will never accept," he said.

The Delhi government has sent the proposal of full statehood for Delhi to the Centre quite a few times. Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit provided a fresh impetus to the demand by asking for a special statehood to the city if not complete statehood.

Her demand was prompted first by the Lieutenant Governor's refusal to accept the new circle rates proposed by her government and secondly by the recent gangrape of a Mizo woman in the city.

She had said she is questioned by the media and people for the deteriorating law and order situation of the city even thought she had no control over the police.

However, when asked about the Speaker's statement, Dikshit refused to comment. But, Opposition BJP criticised the remark, claiming that Shastri had a habit of issuing controversial statements. 

Greater Noida, December 3
The Uttar Pradesh government is all set to start work on Ganga Expressway soon. The government took this decision after the Union environment ministry gave its nod to the project which was being delayed for quite sometime. The 8-lane highway will be constructed on a public private partnership (PPP) model.

The UP Expressway Industrial Authority had recently held a high-level meeting in this regard in Lucknow. The Ganga highway from Greater Noida to Baliya will cover a distance of 1,047 km.

According to sources, the authority will acquire land in nine Greater Noida villages to construct the highway, which has been planned along the banks of the Ganga.

The Ganga Expressway starting from Rampur-Fatehpur villages will be connected to the Yamuna Expressway and Eastern Peripheral Expressway. This highway will have a length of 94-km in Gautam Budh Nagar district where 900 hectares of land is being acquired. Besides, land from 1,949 villages will be acquired from 17 districts for the road from GNIDA to Baliya.

The case was pending in court as some environmentalists had raised certain objections. Now, the state government has received a clean chit from the environment ministry.

Additional CEO of UP Highway Industrial Authority P.K. Singh in a recent meeting with the monitoring committee discussed different aspects of the project, including acquiring land from villages.

For this 1047-km-long highway, seven big bridges and 256 small bridges on various rivers and canals coming en-route, 68 flyovers on railway lines and roads and 225 underpasses will be constructed. Service lanes at a number of places will also be constructed for the convenience of people.

According to sources, this highway will allow vehicles to ply at speed of 120 km/ hour. This will enable people in G.B. Nagar district to reach Benaras in just seven hours.

Besides, the Ganga highway will be a boon for the development of the area. The government plans to develop the towns and cities by its side on the pattern of Noida and Greater Noida. Many district administrations have already sent proposals in this regard. Bulandshahr has proposed developing two such towns. 

New Delhi, December 3
The outer district police has arrested four persons, including a CRPF constable attached with elite anti-naxal battalion 'Cobra', for allegedly being involved in a series of crimes orchestrated by their gang leaders in Bhondsi Jail of Haryana.

DCP (Outer) Chhaya Sharma said that the accused Narender Kumar Yadav (23), Sandeep Chhikara (22), Dharambir Lochab (22) and Pradeep Sehrawat (18) were apprehended from Kanjhawala Chowk two days ago on a tip-off. Yadav who has undergone ITI training in electrical trade from PUSA Institute is a constable in the CRPF.

He has been working with the CRPF since 2006 and is posted in its anti-naxalite wing, Cobra, in Gaya.

Sharma said that with their arrest, the police had busted an inter-state gang of criminals led by Sandeep Chitaniya, operating from Bhondsi Jail.

The police has also claimed to have solved five cases of attempt to murder, firing and extortion in Gurgaon, Bulandshahr, Mathura and Pilani, Jhunjhunu in Rajasthan.

Three countrymade pistols with five live cartridges and a motor cycle used in crimes have been seized from them.

"The gang leaders had formed a group of sharpshooters to operate in Delhi, Haryana, UP and Rajasthan. Despite being lodged in jail, they managed weapons for sharpshooters to extort money and eliminate witnesses in pending cases involving them," Sharma said, adding that criminals were planning to escape from police custody while being escorted to courts. 

New Delhi, December 3
The central district police has arrested a Nepali citizen Loknath Panth (42) with a huge quantity of explosive devices.

According to Jaspal Singh, DCP (Central), Panth, a resident of Gulmi district in Nepal, is suspected to be a member of a Nepal-based Maoist group.

According to Singh, Panth's arrest followed a tip-off received by the police about his presence in Karol Bagh's China Market.

On arrest, a bundle of wire was seized from Panth. The wire was later identified as explosive safety fuse wire used to detonate explosives.

"Also, at the time of arrest, both the pockets of Panth's jacket were found stitched. On unstitching them, 150 non-electronic detonators were found. He was also wearing a specially designed belt that had hidden 348 detonators," said Singh.

According to him, Panth first came to India in 1985 and worked in a factory in Ludhiana (Punjab). He went back to Nepal when his father expired. There he started working for CP of Nepal (UML Group).