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Jantar Mantar joy spreads to India Gate
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Airport Metro hours extended
Jeweller robbed of cash, valuables worth
Rs 35 lakh
Nigerian held with heroin
Man held with 40 sachets of narcotics
Woman, paramour held for husband’s murder
Man stabbed to death over property dispute
21-yr-old girl commits suicide
Woman commits suicide
Man dies in accidental firing
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Jantar Mantar joy spreads to India Gate
New Delhi, April 9 With people across sections having joined the nationwide movement, the atmosphere today at the national Capital's rallying stage was infectious and everybody could be seen immersed in the joy of victory, which all calling as the first step towards weeding out corruption. Espousing their solidarity to the cause, the young and old rent the air with patriotic tunes and slogans-"Inqualab zindabad, Bharat mata ki jai, Bande mataram". The entire scene was electrifying, with the celebrations culminating at India Gate later in the evening. While many see the nationwide protest as a 'clarion call' and a revival of the democracy, connecting it to earlier mass movements, there were many who remain sceptical about the practical outcome of the legislation. "We have to act like models for future generations to emulate. With corruption pervading almost every walk of life, a beginning has to be made in the form of Lokpal Bill and better late than never. Change could be visible only after the new anti-corruption Bill is passed. We do not want our children to live in a corrupt world," said Bharat Bhushan Agnesh from Pitampura. He claimed that he was forced to take voluntary retirement from National Consumer Cooperation Federation of India Ltd in 1991, as he didn't fit into the corrupt system. According to Shamsher Nehra from Rohtak, it is better to pause and think about the people who led India to the world of Independence, the identifying spirit of which has been fading way. The UPA government may have relented to the people's voice by issuing a gazetted notification, especially in view of the forthcoming elections in a couple of states, but as to how far the legislation would be implemented remains to be seen, said a volunteer, participating in the protest. Vimal Vichar, who runs a Pune-based NGO, feels that the government's move is a preemptive measure following the protest that engulfed the nation within days.
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A few lesser-known crusaders had come to Jantar Mantar to contribute in their own way. One such was 73-year-old Srinath from Mirzapur district, who moved around the place wearing two banners that urged people to imbibe good lessons and morals of life. He has been travelling across 13 states for 25 years to take his message of freeing the world of evil practices like dowry and female foeticide. Even this time he remained on fast for over 19 hours yesterday. There were people like Manohar Anand Rao Patil from Maharashtra who wished to take the battle of Anna forward. "I have been on fast since the first day of the protest and today I had some water as asked by Hazareji," said Patil. Many like 92-year-old Ram Chandra Nandwana, a freedom fighter and a farmer from Rajasthan, said, "Corruption in the judiciary hurts the most. The bill could make a difference." Gone to jail twice in 1938 and 1942, Nandwana had come to support the cause and suffered dehydration.
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The Delhi government's move to split the Municipal Corporation of Delhi into five divisions is not really a unanimous decision of the ruling Congress. Several senior leaders of the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee don't favour the idea of multiple municipal corporations with much reduced political and financial clout. These leaders say the party was not taken into confidence by Dikshit before her government took the significant decision. They say it was more of the CM's agenda than the party's. A delegation of these leaders met Congress president Sonia Gandhi and asked her that the proposal should be first discussed among the local MPs, MLAs and councillors before a final decision is taken. The decision will have an impact on the party's fortune in the approaching municipal elections, they say.
Tragedy of kuttu ka atta
The navaratra celebrations have turned sour not only for over 300 victims of adulterated buckwheat flour (kuttu ka atta), which is preferred to wheat flour by devotees during these auspicious nine days, but also for traders who had stored it to cash in on its demand. As the authorities swung into action and began raiding shops, especially in the east and northeast Delhi where the tragedy struck, most of the traders decided to dump their stock like heaps of garbage. The police arrested as many as 17 shopkeepers while other traders thought it prudent to get rid of their stock and suffer losses instead of being harassed by the cops. A big trader in Mayur Vihar summed it up saying even if his buckwheat flour was found to be not adulterated, cops would have surely demanded some bribe besides harassing him for days before the test report from the food laboratory came. Not everyone rejoicing at Anna’s success
The revolutionary protest against corruption led by Anna Hazare at Jantar Mantar has proved to be a bonanza for local vendors. Jantar Mantar has always been the chosen place for protestors of all hues but the vendors say they have never seen a mobilisation of people for so many days like the one they have witnessed for the last few days. "Over 1,000 people are coming to my tea stall daily. I am making twice my weekly earning in a single day," Ram Naresh, a vendor, said. From the fruit vendors to those selling drinking water, everyone has made a killing. They have sold their products to the cheering supporters of the fasting Gandhian. So, when the nation rejoiced over Hazare calling off his protest on Saturday after the government met his demands, they were naturally not celebrating. A semester of worries for students
Troubles for the Delhi University students don't seem to be ending. Even as the row over the semester system continues, the final year students are beset by another worry. This year, the dates of the entrance examinations for some postgraduate courses in the Capital and the final year undergraduate examinations at Delhi University are likely to clash in May. Institutes like the Indian Institute of Mass Communication, Jawaharlal Nehru University and Jamia Milia Islamia will hold entrance tests for various courses in May when the DU has also scheduled the examination for the final year arts courses. Students complain that even last year, the interview at JNU for Arts and Aesthetics course clashed with an examination at DU and the dates were revised after they took up the matter with the authorities. The official explanation is that with so many examinations being held round the year, it is quite likely that the dates of some will clash despite their best efforts. Councillor's car towed away
People often blame the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) for the parking problem across the city as it has not come up with adequate number of parking lots. A councillor had a taste of this recently when his car was towed away by the traffic cops in Chandni Chowk, where the parking problem is probably the worst in the Capital. Many believed that his car, one among the numerous vehicles parked at an unauthorised place due to paucity of space, was picked on by the cops. He immediately shot off a letter to the joint police commissioner (Traffic), asking as to why only his vehicle was targeted. However, traders in the area are happy and think that it may push the MCD towards dealing with the parking mess here. (Syed Ali Ahmed, Sandeep Yadav, Rashi Agarwal, Jyoti Rai, Himani Chandel) |
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Airport Metro hours extended
New Delhi, April 9 A spokesperson said it would help cater to international as well as domestic passengers arriving or departing by the late night or early morning flights. "Increased service hours will be equally helpful for passengers coming from Dwarka, IGI or Dhaula Kuan, who want to catch early morning or late night trains from New Delhi Railway Station," he said. It will soon increase its operating hours to 20 hours a day and beat the best airport line services in the world.
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Jeweller robbed of cash, valuables worth
Rs 35 lakh
Ghaziabad, April 9 As neighbours informed the police, the news of the sensational loot created a panic in the whole area. The jeweller and his wife were rushed to the hospital in a serious condition. The angry residents raised slogans against the police. The SSP Raghuvir Lal has suspended Nehru Nagar police post in charge along with six policemen for dereliction of duty. The loot took place in Mahesh Chander Sharma's house No. 84-C in Nehru Nagar-II yesterday evening. Mahesh Sharma's wife Kusum Sharma and their two married sons also live in the house. Mahesh has a common entrance gate with his brother Raj Kumar who lives in the adjoining house. Mahesh owns Radhey Lal Mahesh Chander jewellery shop in the Clock Tower area. As their maid Barkha came for work, two youths started beating her at the gate. Hearing the commotion, Mahesh came out and asked the men why they were beating the maid. In the confusion, the men forced their way into the house and started beating Mahesh Chander also. The intruders were armed with revolvers and daggers. They put a gun at Mahesh's earpit. Two other bandits surrounded Sanjeev and his wife Gunjan. Another criminal put a dagger at the throat of Muskan, Sanjeev's daughter. The intruders were demanding cash and valuables. One of them went inside the bedroom and started breaking open the almirah locks. As Mahesh's wife resisted the criminals, she was assaulted. They threatened to kill Mahesh and put a revolver on his seven-year-old grandson Pranav. During all this while the intruders had increased the TV's volume. Mahesh's brother Raj Kumar and his wife Nirmala also rushed in. They were also beaten up. Finally intruders pushed Mahesh, Kusum, Sanjeev, Rajiv's wife Sudha, Muskan and Nirmala in a room and bolted it from outside. Later bandits ransacked the house and decamped with all cash, jewellery, diamonds, including one kg gold. The suspended policemen include old bus stand police post in-charge, Ashok Kumar and constables Harinder, Tarun, Jagdish, Joginder and Dharminder.
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Nigerian held with heroin
New Delhi, April 9 According to DCP (crime) Ashok
Chand, accused Simon O Umukoro was apprehended on a tip-off from Peetampura yesterday when he was trying to sell the contraband. During interrogation it was revealed that Umukoro came to India in March 2008 on one-month visa. "He continued living after the expiry of his visa and in January 2009, he went to Kathmandu for business purposes. He retuned to India in January 2010 and started living with another Nigerian in
Nawada," said Chand. The heroin was given to him by his friend. Umukoro is a football player and had played for Flying Horse Club at national level in Nigeria. |
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Man held with 40 sachets of narcotics
Noida, April 9 The police was patrolling the Labour Chowk and nearby area of Phase-II when it noticed a
person with a bag loitering there in a suspicious manner. The police stopped him for questioning. He said he was going to meet his relatives. When the police frisked him and searched his bag, it found 40 big sachets of narcotics in it. The police seized the bag and arrested him. |
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Woman, paramour held for husband’s murder
New Delhi, April 9 The arrested accused, Afsana, is wife of Rafedin while another accused Feroz is having an illicit relationship with her. A resident of Kacchi Colony in Madan Pur Khadar, Rafedin was a carpenter by profession while Firoz runs a bakery with his brothers in the same area. During the course of investigation, Afsana's nephew Sharif said a day earlier an acquaint Firoz had come to meet his uncle after which he did not return home. "It was further revealed that Rafedin last talked to Shakeel, his partner, and Mukaram, his employer. They both were examined at length. They said Afsana is having illicit relationship with Firoz and they both escaped from their houses about eight months back. She was brought back by her parents after much persuasion," said a senior police official. On the bases of the information the duo accused were interrogated wherein they broke and confessed to the crime. It was revealed that Rafedin suspected Afsana of having affair with Firoz and often beat her up for this. Fed up with this, Firoz and Afsana conspired to kill Rafedin. "As per plan, Firoz called Rafedin for discussion in the locality, Afsana also followed them to Indane Bottling Plant where they both strangled him with his shirt," said a police official.
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Man stabbed to death over property dispute
Greater Noida, April 9 The police found the body with stab wounds. The victim was identified as Anil Sharma. A murder case has been registered against Anil's brother Davinder and others. The police said property dispute was suspected to be the motive behind |
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21-yr-old girl commits suicide
New Delhi, April 9 According to the police, the deceased has been identified as Pinki, a BCom III student of Bharti Mahila College, Jhandewalan. She was discovered hanging from the ceiling fan of her room by his parents around 1pm. The incident was reported from house number C/45D, Kamruddin Nagar, where Pinki stayed with his parents. Her father Laxmi Narayan, an employee with MTNL, said a boy who lived in the neighbourhood often troubled his daughter and could be the reason behind her extreme step. "We have not recovered any suicide note but her father told us that she received a call on her mobile after which she locked herself in her room. She was called for the lunch but when she did not respond despite knocking on the door, the family member peeked from a window and found her hanging from the ceiling fan," said a police official. The boy named by Narayan is being questioned. |
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Woman commits suicide
Ghaziabad, April 9 Manju's parents have lodged a complaint against her in-laws for demanding dowry and forcing her to commit suicide. — PTI |
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Man dies in accidental firing
New Delhi, April 9 Deceased Prahlad was a member of the band which was playing at the wedding function. The acuused is absconding. "Last night, at a marriage function one of the guests started firing during the celebrations. One of the bullets hit Prahlad. He was rushed to Mata Chanan Devi Hospital where he died later in the night," said a police official. |
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Led by veteran social activist Anna Hazare, the campaign against corruption may have come to an end, but it is still a long way to go. As said by the septuagenarian, after breaking his fast this morning with a sip of juice at Jantar Mantar, "Our fight doesn't end here and it is just the beginning.
