New Delhi, April 24
Questions are being raised on the validity of the panel of finalists drawn up for the appointment of the new PGI Director, with one of the three top contenders having twice received warnings from the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC).

Official documents with The Tribune reveal that the CVC had on June 4, 2010, advised the UT Administration to "issue a warning" to Dr Raj Bahadur, Director-Principal Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Sector 32, Chandigarh in a matter involving some irregularities.

The Commission's office memorandum to the UT Administration said, "Dr Raj Bahadur has sanctioned advance payment to contractor to be recovered in 12 instalments in violation of Government rules and contract's terms and conditions. Though the amount has been recovered, this is a case of violation of procedure and delegation of financial powers. The Commission advises issuance of warning to Dr Bahadur, Director Principal GMCH-32."

In another vigilance inquiry dated February 12, 2001, against Dr Bahadur and other top officers of GMCH-32, who have hence retired, the CVC observed that Dr Bahadur and other members of a technical committee at GMCH, didn't adopt the prescribed procedures in providing contract for appointment of technical staff of Class III and IV categories and awarding canteen tender.

In this inquiry too, the CVC, on May 8, 2007, wrote to the UT Administration: "After reconsidering the matter, the CVC has advised to issue warning to the serving doctors (Dr Bahadur was serving at that time) and government displeasure to those who have retired."

In the past 10 years, there have been five vigilance inquiries against Dr Bahadur, who has emerged clean in three, with the CVC directing closure of cases, except in two where warnings were advised to be given.

The Tribune has also learnt that until the last week, the mandatory vigilance clearance record of Dr Bahadur hadn't been sent to the Health Ministry whose selection panel was short-listing candidates for appointment as PGI Director.

When asked, Dr Bahadur yesterday said the UT Administration had sent his vigilance record last week. He added that his application for PGI Director had been nominated by former Adviser to the UT Administrator and Chief Vigilance Officer, Chandigarh, Pradip Mehra. "Had my record been doubtful, why would the CVO recommend me? He has mentioned that my integrity is aboveboard," Dr Bahadur said.

Though he admitted to the CVC's 2010 warning to him, Dr Bahadur claimed the said warning had no meaning as it was not recorded. "The matter involved safai karamcharis who I wanted to help. They wanted bonus, which I could not have given. So I paid the contractor the money due to him and asked him to recover the same in soft instalments," Dr Bahadur said.

He admitted that the CVC in 2007 advised the UT Administration to issue a warning to him. "But former Administrator Gen SF Rodrigues filed the case without issuing a warning. The incumbent Administrator also sought legal opinion and filed the case," Dr Bahadur said. 

New Delhi, April 24
In one of the gruesome accidents reported in the national Capital this year, four persons, including a student of Delhi University, were killed while three injured when a speeding tanker rammed into a bus stand in the Dhaula Kuan area of south Delhi this afternoon.

The incident was reported around 11.20 from Satya Niketan bus stand. The injured have been admitted to Safdarjung Hospital Trauma Centre.

The victims have been identified as Jaspreet Kaur (20), student of Shahid Bhagat Singh College, Ram Charan (65), his wife Kalpeshwari Devi (60) while the identity of the fourth victim is yet to be ascertained. The critically injured admitted to the hospital have been identified as Tarachand, Ravinder and Puran Chand.

Puran Chand is the driver of the errant water tanker and his statement is yet to be recorded owing to his serious situation.

"The tanker was coming from Narina in west Delhi when it lost control and first hit a stationary DTC bus (no. 370) followed by an auto rickshaw before crashing into the bus stand. The victims were crushed under the wheels of the tanker while many others were injured in the commotion," said a police official. Four persons were declared brought dead at the hospital.

According to Sohan, an witness, there were around 20 people waiting at the bus stand just before the accident. "It was the fault of the tanker's driver who tried to overtake a DTC bus before losing control and ramming into the bus stand," he said. The PCR vans rushed the victims to the hospital even before the ambulances could come. According to unconfirmed reports, the errant tanker was on the Army duty. A case of negligent driving has been registered against the driver whose condition is said to be critical. "The driver was not drunk at the time of incident," said a police official.

New Delhi, April 24
A 35-year-old woman was caught and beaten by locals before being arrested for allegedly trying to kill a boy by throwing him in a pond in the Bhalaswa Dairy area of northwest Delhi last night.

According to locals, the woman, identified as Shiela, told them that she tried to kill the boy as part of a child sacrifice ritual which she practised every Saturday.

If witnesses are to be believed, Shiela accepted that she had already sacrificed six children.

According to a police officer, Shiela's antecedents are being verified and as of now, she has been booked for kidnapping the child.

The incident came to light around 10 pm when Kamlesh, mother of a one-year-old boy did not finding the child in his bed. At the same time, some local boys saw a woman running after throwing something in a pond.

"I was strolling with my friends near the pond when I saw this woman throwing something rapped in a red stole into the pond and quickly running away. On checking, we found that it was a boy," said Saurav. There wasn't much water where the boy was thrown and so he was saved.

Meanwhile, other boys managed to catch the woman and beat her up. She confessed to have sacrificed more than six boys in the past.

The police is questioning Shiela. "We are not going by what people are saying about sacrifice. When she was being beaten, she probably said things she did not mean. We have arrested her for kidnapping and attempting to murder," said a police official from Bhalaswa Dairy police station. He, however, said there was no truth in the child sacrifice theory. But locals have reasons to believe that Shiela is indeed telling the truth about sacrifice.

"She had no enmity with Kamlesh or her family, why would she try to kill her son? Besides, there has been incidents of children gone missing in the past from this area," said one Premavati.

Ghaziabad, April 24
A doctor was nabbed by some people and handed over to the police for teasing and misbehaving with a medical girl student.

The girl said the doctor had been harassing her for quite some time and was making vulgar phone calls too.

The doctor is identified as Deepak Verma, a resident of Sarghana.

On Friday, he was harassing her on the campus of the medical college in Meerut. Dr Verma is posted at CHC Gajarola.

The Meerut police had arrested him and registered a case under Sections 294 and 506 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Tanu (changed name) is a PG final year student in the medical college. She was living in girls' hostel on the medical hospital campus.

The doctor used to send vulgar SMSes to the girl. He used to often visit the campus to harass her and even misbehave with her. On her resisting his advances, Dr Varma had even threatened to kill her.

On Friday night also Dr Varma repeated his antics. When she thought he had crossed all the limits, she gave a written complaint to the police.

The girl had gone to the police station with her fiancé and some friends.

New Delhi, April 24
A 25-year-old man has been sentenced to life imprisonment by a Delhi court for killing his brother-in-law who used to allegedly beat up his sister.

"As the aggravating circumstances are concerned, it is evident that the murder was committed in a planned manner and is a cold blooded murder," said Additional Session Judge Kamini Lau.

"Convict Ajeet is sentenced to rigorous imprisonment for life," said Lau.

Ajeet killed his sister's husband Suraj Mohan Dass on September 19, 2006, and put the body in an iron trunk.

"Ajeet did this in order to cause disappearance of evidence of the crime and to screen himself from punishment," the court noted in a judgment given on Thursday.

The prosecution said Ajeet went to the house of Dass, bolted from inside the door of the room in which the victim was present and strangled him with a rope.

There was no witness to the crime but the Dass' children saw Ajeet bolt the door.

"Dass children repeatedly attempted to persuade the convict to open the door but he opened it only after his sister insisted. On being asked about Dass, Ajeet replied that he had left the house after having lunch," said the prosecution.

Ajeet later went to Tilak Nagar police station in west Delhi and confessed to the crime. He narrated the whole incident and helped them in recovering the body.

Ajeet said he had committed Dass' murder as he used to often quarrel with his sister and beat her up. "No doubt, all murders are most degrading and depraving but the case in hand certainly does not fall within the category of rarest of rare or least even in the category of rare case," Lau added.

New Delhi, April 24
Panicked officials and employees rushed out when an anonymous call threatening to blow up the Election Commission's office was received this morning in the national Capital.

However, it turned out to be a hoax call after the police had checked the building.According to information, the police received the call around 10 am that a bomb had been planted at Nirvachan Sadan, the EC headquarters at Ashoka Road. A bomb disposal squad and sniffer dogs along with the entire emergency paraphernalia were rushed to the building considered to be a symbol of Indian democracy.

"All precautionary measures were taken after we received the call. The entire premises were checked, but nothing was found and the call was declared hoax," said a police official from the district, adding that the investigation has been taken up.

New Delhi, April 24
Easter was celebrated with full fervour in the national Capital with Christians attending a special mass in churches, followed by a traditional feast.

Delhi's Christian population stands at around 150,000. People lit candles, sung Easter hymns, offered prayers and distributed hot cross buns and food packets at various churches.

The main Easter service was held at the Sacred Heart cathedral in central Delhi where about 3,000 people attended a midnight mass.

"Easter is a celebration as it is believed to be a defeat of Satan and the rise of Jesus Christ after death," said Father J. Rebello congratulating the community on the festival.

Easter marks the end of the period of Lent or suffering and it is believed that Jesus Christ was resurrected after his crucifixion on Good Friday. Bishops led the services and delivered sermons in various cathedrals and churches of different Christian denominations in the city.

"The celebrations began at 3 am as Christ is said to have been resurrected at the break of dawn. After the special midnight mass, we had daylong celebrations with a grand feast," said city resident Cynthia Philip.

As for Georgina Paul, Easter is even more significant than Christmas. "Reappearing from death, Christ has established the fact that he is above death and he is eternal," she said.

Apart from prayer services, the day of resurrection is also celebrated with a grand feast. "The feast usually comprises duck or turkey roast, red wine, and a wide variety of items like meat pies, apple souffle, muffins and varieties of sausages," said Sylvia Brian Black, a Nigerian national settled in Delhi.

Black also said that her family exchanged cards and gifts and hosted an Easter egg painting and egg hunt competition for kids.

"Easter eggs are not actual eggs, but egg-shaped candies or an egg-shaped shell filled with caramel toffees and other sweets. Kids enjoy decorating Easter eggs, hiding and finding them," Black added.

New Delhi, April 24
As the beginning of the academic session at Delhi University nears, process to complete the semesterisation of all the undergraduate courses has picked up speed.

Unlike past years, this year, all the statutory body meetings to pass the new syllabi have been scheduled two days in a row. While the standing committee meeting was scheduled today, the academic and the executive council meetings are scheduled for tomorrow. Ideally, committee members received up to seven days of notice for the meetings, however, this time it wasn't so.

Taking up elaborate discussions, the standing committee of academic affairs of the university today gave a go-ahead to the new syllabi for undergraduate courses except for English, political science, history, geography and social sciences.

The standing committee's recommendations are considerably counted in when the academic council decides on any matter. After today's meeting, the AC and the EC meeting tomorrow will unfold the fate of all the undergraduate courses. However, some of the elected members of the committee criticized the way the administration called the metings in a hurry.

"The notification of the three meetings and the agenda were received by members only on Saturday evening, some as late as 11.30 at night,” said one of the committee members. 

New Delhi, April 24
Five people, including a child and his mother were injured in an LPG cylinder blast reported from the Mahipalpur area of south Delhi this morning. According to fire officials, the call was received from Rangpuri locality around 11 am and the injured have been admitted to Safdarjung Hospital.

According to the police, the condition of seven-year-old child is serious.

"There was an explosion from an LPG cylinder that led to fire in the house. Five people, including a child and his mother, received various degrees of burn injuries," said a fire official.

Delhi has had its fair share of fiascos whereas concerts are concerned. Bryan Adam's concert in February getting cancelled upset a number of Delhiites. What made up last week was pop star Akon who enthralled the audience on his 38th birthday in Gurgaon. True to Salman Khan's style, this rapper dressed in all black stripped off his shirt and jumped into the crowd asking the boys to do the same.

Akon and the crowd had a blast as they cut a birthday cake on stage for him and he fed some of the audiences who were standing close to him. The crowd grooved to hit songs like "Smack that" and "Party Animal". The star was full of gimmicks which enthralled some while some were put off by the singer. Akon was not accustomed to the Delhi heat so he splashed dozens of bottles of water to cool himself and his fans. Rosina, his wife wore a lehenga choli proving she loved India and that they would be back for a holiday soon.

It was clearly a special night for the Akons as he wanted to celebrate his birthday with the crowds and he requested that the VIP stands be open for all audience who could not afford to buy the tickets. There were VIPs in the crowd; there were Bollywood stars and Akon's music and stage antics left them spellbound.