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| Thursday,
January 17, 2002, Chandigarh, India
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CM denies family hand in gurdwara demolition bid New Delhi, January 16 “Neither she nor her family members are involved in anyway. The demolition of the said religious place has been ordered by the court,” a statement from the Chief Minister’s office said. The statement said “the issue is politically motivated and has been deliberately raised just before the election with the intent to malign.” The Gurdwara has been in existence since 1953 and a small one-room structure was constructed in 1965. Electricity and water connections in the name of the Gurdwara exist since 1977-78 and property tax was levied by the DDA on the Gurdwara in 1993-94. The trouble started in 1994 when the colony association complained that the Sikh community was trying to encroach on the land meant for a park. Following the meeting with the then Delhi Chief Minister Mr Madan Lal Khurana, the move to demolish the structure was suspended. However, the resident association moved the court, seeking the gurdwara’s demolition. The Delhi High Court, in its order last month, had termed the construction of the Gurdwara in the area as illegal and directed the DDA to demolish the structure within six weeks. The Satsang Committee Nizamuddin has now moved the Supreme Court challenging the order of the high court on the ground that religious structures of other communities continue to exist in the area. |
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Chautala
will lend Faridabad an ear Faridabad, January 16 The public criticism had spiralled in the last few months, especially after the decision of the Haryana Government to keep Faridabad out of the purview of the new house tax structure, made applicable in all other districts of the state. Several other policies of the Government have been seen as an impediment to the growth of the town, which is lagging behind neighbouring Gurgaon. The poor upkeep of basic amenities like water and power supply has caused resentment among the masses. The decision of the Chief Minister to chair the redressal committee's meeting is, therefore, seen as a welcome development. A local INLD activist claimed that it would help check unwarranted criticism of the government. Another resident said that it would certainly make the authorities sit up and take note of local problems. At least, upkeep of roads and cleanliness would improve, if the Chief Minister visits the city every month, said another. The posting of a young IAS officer as deputy commissioner and the shifting of the commissioner of Municipal Corporation, Faridabad, is also seen as a move to overhaul the district administration, which had allegedly become indifferent to public grievances.
Gurgaon promised all help Abhay Jain adds from Gurgaon: The Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, today assured that all possible help would be given to the existing as well as up-and-coming industrial units in the state. Speaking at the inauguration of a plant of Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India (Pvt) Ltd (HMSI) at Manesar here, the Chief Minister said that facilities such as food, accommodation, recreation centres etc. would be provided as per the requirement of the Japanese. Every problem coming in the way of industrial development would be sorted out on a priority basis, said Mr Chautala. Mr Haruo Takiguchi, president and chief executive officer of Honda Motor, said that the two-wheeler market worldwide was getting very competitive. “We aim at 20 per cent cost reduction in a span of two years,” Mr Takiguchi said. He announced that the company wanted to develop the Gurgaon plant as an export base. To mark the beginning today, the first export consignment was being sent to Mexico, said the president. Its export territories included Argentina, Guatemala, South Africa and Turkey and advanced countries like Japan, Europe and the USA. Mr Takiguchi said that the company would be able to increase the installed production capacity from 1,20,000 vehicles to 2,50,000 vehicles per annum. To expand the plant, the company had purchased a plot of 25 acres, adjoining the existing HMSI plant, in which construction would start from this month, he said. The company was able to achieve the production and sale of the long-awaited scooter, ACTIVA, within just 18 months, informed the president. He said that the model had been selected as the `scooter of the year' by the magazine, `Over Drive'. To meet the demand, the company had doubled the production capacity by working in double shifts. The president announced that the company had decided to boost the market with the introduction of two to three models in the coming years. |
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Noida DM wants all arms deposited before polls Noida, January 16 The District Magistrate who was presiding over a meeting of the election officials and the police officers, said that there were a total of 300 polling centres in the district. Of which, 792 have been declared sensitive and super-sensitive.” Mr Deepak Kumar said that a total 777 polling booths would be established in the district and there would be 777 presiding officers. More than 2,100 polling officers had been detailed for the smooth conduct of polls. The District Election Officer also instructed the ADMs to be available in collectorate from January 16 to 28 for disposing of the petitions that might be preferred by the parties in connections with the poll. Mr Deepak Kumar also asked the police authorities to take the arms of all persons, except the banks and industrial establishments. If any individual fails to deposit his weapons, they would be confiscated and the licences cancelled, he ordered. |
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Koshambi
builder did not
stick to original plan The rescue work was made difficult by the persistent drizzle, darkness and the lack of proper equipment. The injured were rushed to Guru Tegh Bahadur Hospital, Narinder Mohan Hospital and Meenakshi Hospital by the police. According the GDA, the original plan was approved only for a two-storey building, but the builder decided to construct a three-storey building instead, in utter violation of the law. According to the GDA engineers and the police, the building material was not of standard quality. Also, the owner and the contractor were pushing the construction work at a great speed. The heavy downpour in the area yesterday was possibly the last straw, causing the building to collapse when the shuttering was being laid. The GDA has said that action will be taken against the owner, Adil Nawaj of Delhi, and his contractor, both of whom are absconding. Adil Nawaj, a resident of Lalita Park, New Delhi, was
constructing the residential building at KA-17, Koshambi, Ghaziabad. Meanwhile, a probe has been ordered into the tragedy, which will bring out the violations of the building bylaws and the use of poor quality building material etc. ADM R K Sachan will conduct the inquiry. The people in the locality said that instead of a normal nine inch wall, the builder had constructed a four inch wall, which could not withstand the load of the floors above. The iron ‘sarya’ used in the roof was also of poor quality. |
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Conquer
the Everests, within and outside
New Delhi, January 16 The injury was spinal and there was no proper treatment in India those days. He shuttled between one hospital and another. Ultimately, with the help of the then Defence Secretary, Mr H C Sarin, he went to Stoke, Mandavell Hospital, UK. That was another Everest in his life. He resolved to set up one such centre in India as well. In 1993, he set up the Indian Spinal Injury Society. Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi were the patrons of the society. In 1997, an MOU (memorandum of understanding) was signed between the Indian and the Italian Governments and, finally, Major Ahluwalia’s cherished dream took shape. Indian Spinal Injuries Centre was inaugurated at Vasant Kunj. Major Ahluwalia rues the commonly held opinion about the spinal injury. “They think that the injured people have become useless. But here in my centre, patients feel the joy of life. Very few people know the star hero of ‘Speed’, Keanu Reevs, is also a spinal patient. He is leading a normal life.” Dwelling on his centre, he informs that right from 1997 to date, it has traversed a long path. Of 100 beds, 30 are reserved for the poor. A special feature of this centre is its rehabilitation work, which is aided by the latest technology and backed by specialised counselling, including physiotherapy, occupational therapy and peer counselling. Patients come from the neighbouring countries and the Gulf also. The centre is running on no-profit and no-loss basis. Among the celebrities, former Congress President S R Bommai, Test cricketer Vijay Dahia, were treated here. Physiotherapy is proving to be a panacea of many illnesses. Frozen shoulders, paralysis, neurological strokes, post-fracture complications, arthritis, problems in bladder control, and above all, spondylitis and backaches. It aims at reducing the patient’s dependence on drugs and increases his mobility and strength, thereby making him self-sufficient. The activities of physio and occupational therapy along with family therapy, work wonders for the rehabilitation process, which also includes the physical, psycho-social, occupational and vocational rehabilitation. This centre has sub-centres also in Mohali, Jabalpur and Cuttack. Major Ahluwalia is also going to start the first-ever concept of ‘doorstep health clinic’ next week. The first clinic will be opened at Senior Citizens Welfare Association Office, D-Block, Vasant Kunj. In the beginning, four such clinics will be opened in Vasant Kunj area. This will be on the lines of advice by the WHO that health care facilities should reach everybody. Major Ahluwalia is also the chairman of Rehabilitation Council of India and is a recipient of several awards like Padamshree, Arjun Award, National Award for the best work done in the field of Disability, order of the Khalsa (Nissan A Khalsa). He has written several books like ‘Higher than Everest’, ‘Beyond the Himalayas’, ‘Everest is within you’.  |
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MCOCA to rein in inter-state gangsters New Delhi, January 16 The MCOCA has been imposed in the Capital to control crime committed jointly by the criminals of Delhi as well as neighbouring states, to discourage local residents from getting involved in terrorist activities, drug trafficking and other anti-national activities. According to senior Delhi Police officials, criminals of the neighbouring states commit crime in their respective areas and find a safe hideout in the crowded Capital. When they become familiar with their co-professionals in Delhi, they commit such crimes here and go back to their hometowns. With intimacy developing between criminals of these states and those of the Capital, they have started indulging in crimes in an organised manner, a phenomenon seen only in the recent years. For instance, the Tarunpuri kidnapping and Paliwal kidnapping cases, the abduction of a student of St Giri Public School in Sarita Vihar and kidnapping–cum-murder of a builder in South Extension were all results of this unholy nexus. Besides, small-time criminals like Mohar Singh, a gangster of Darya Ganj and a registered bad character of the area, had made connections with the dreaded Bhuri gang and had reportedly planned to commit crimes in an organised manner. Mohar was arrested recently. The official said that Maharashtra was the first state in the country to witness organised crimes by criminal gangs. Several underworld gangs like that of Dawood Ibrahim, Chhota Rajan, Chhota Shakeel, Gawli etc infest Mumbai. The official said the geographical location of both the metropolitan cities is different. While Mumbai is surrounded by the ocean from three sides, Delhi is swarmed by Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan. As western Uttar Pradesh with its notorious gangsters like Madan Bhayya of Ghaziabad and Ateeq and Anees of Aligarh close by, Delhi cannot rest. Likewise, gangsters of South and South-West, North-West and West districts of the Capital had their connections with those of Haryana and Rajsthan. According to the records of the Delhi Police, most of the proclaimed offenders belong to the district of western UP including, Aligarh, Bulandshahr, Gautam Budh Nagar, Ghaziabad, Baghpat, Meerut and Muzaffar Nagar. The incidents of heinous crimes in these districts are disproportionately higher than that of the national Capital. There are several gangs operating in different areas of the Capital and all have connections with each other. Criminals of Delhi were also found having connections with underworld dons and operating according to the directions given by their bosses in Dubai. This came to light when the local police here were pursuing a few kidnapping and extortion cases. Apart from them, the migratory population involved in labour and residents of jhuggi clusters are also prone to committing crimes when they don’t have work and in dire need of money. They strike in the Capital and return to their hometowns to evade the police. And the police find it difficult to nab them as nobody knows their addresses. The second important factor is the closure of industries, which forced the labour class to take to crimes like pick-pocketing. A special law has become mandatory in Delhi to check the trend and discourage local
gangs from having connections with underworld dons, the official said. |
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SC/ST loan benefits for minorities New Delhi, January 16 Announcing this at a news conference, Social Welfare Minister Raj Kumar Chauhan told media persons that financial assistance could be had for agricultural and allied activities, technical trades, small businesses and by artisans engaged in traditional occupations as well as transport sector. The Centre, the minister said, had sanctioned Rs 3 crore for the purpose. Applications would be processed in two months’ time. The scheme, he added, would soon be extended further to bring Other Backward Classes
(OBCs) also under the ambit of the various developmental schemes. |
Lottery vendors gambling with the lives of poor Sonepat, January 16 The sad fact is that the new entrants in this arena, who gradually become die-hard gambling addicts and consequently ruin themselves, are mostly poor rickshaw-pullers, labourers and schoolchildren. No wonder, the lottery stalls are usually cramped with such ready customers. The police attribute the growing popularity of the trade to certain illegal activities, including satta, being carried out in the garb of lottery business in the city. The most popular lottery for this kind of activity is the single digit where the result is declared by the end of the day. The common practice is what the police term “telephonic satta”. According to informed sources, in this system, certain numbers pertaining to the single-digit lotteries are booked over the telephone by the gamblers. If the number turns out to be right when the results are declared, it yields rich dividends both to the stall owner as well as the gambler. In spite of the “satta” being played right under their nose, the authorities have been unable to check it as the deals are made orally, thus difficult to prove in the court of law. Informed sources also say that certain lotteries, which are not authorised to be sold in the city as the states running them are not paying any tax to the administration, are also being sold. The areas where the lottery trade is flourishing are the railway road, bus stand, Tarana Road, Sarang Road, Sikka Colony, Old DC Road and the Sectors 14 and 15 as well as the button factory and Model Town areas. The sale of the lottery tickets is on the increase in almost all the labour colonies of the city. Some officials of the police department have revealed that the daily trading in the lottery business in the city is worth several lakhs of rupees. It is also alleged that the police officials are minting money by taking bribe for allowing this business to carry on in different parts of the city. |
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Minister
defends
education allocation New Delhi, January 16 During the two-hour-long budget speech, Mr Sawhney said that the purpose of allocating a major part of the budget money to education was to improve the standard of MCD schools which are in a miserable condition. After education, it was the sanitation which got the next preference. At least, 22.41 per cent of the total expenditure will be spent on primary education while 18.20 on sanitation and 11.12 per cent on public health. The proposed income of the MCD, in the budget estimates of the year 2002-2003, has been estimated at Rs 1,849.55 crore, which reflects that there has been a constant increase in the non-Plan revenue. The total income estimated in the revised budget estimates of 2001-2002 was only Rs 1,736.03 crore which is less than this year’s It has also been decided not to levy new taxes this year. There will not be an increase in the existing rate of taxes and fees either. Property tax and toll tax are the main source of income of the corporation. In 2000-2001, the total income from the property taxes and transfer duty was to the tune of Rs 768.98 crore; in 2001-2002, it was Rs 1,109.20 crore while this year, it has been estimated as Rs 1,166 crore. The total income from the toll tax in 2001 was Rs 75 crore. The same income had been estimated in 2002. The MCD is also toying with the idea of privatising the collection of toll tax in order to provide relief to the weaker sections of society. The corporation has exempted all such property from the payment of property tax, which are built on a plot up to 26 square metres. Self-occupied Janata Flats have also been exempted from the payment of tax. However, the property used for commercial purpose will be taxed, Mr Sawhney said. |
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COUNTDOWN
MCD POLL New Delhi, January 16 The president of the Delhi unit of the BJP, Mr Mange Ram Garg, today said the party’s election committee met and took the decision to seal the pact. The party, he said, would contest all the corporation seats, barring from half a dozen areas that would be allotted to the Akali Dal. Last time, the Akali Dal had won two out of the fives seats allotted to it. The BJP had contested 129 seats and won 74 of them. Mr Garg said clean image, dedication to the party and winnability would be the main criteria for selecting the candidates. “Before selecting the candidates, the party would also take into confidence the mandal units, district units and morchas,” he said. Meanwhile, the party has authorised Mr Garg to constitute the election steering committee and manifesto committee. Besides Mr Garg, today’s meeting was attended among others by Members of Parliament Madan Lal Khurana, Sahib Singh Verma and Dr Anita Arya, Mayor Shanti Desai, Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Prof Jagdish Mukhi and Nand Kishore Garg. |
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Zila Parishad met only four times in two years Faridabad, January 16 Several members, who are unhappy with the functioning of the present chairman of the parishad, Mr Rajesh Rawat, allege that this was due to the ‘attitude’ of the chairman, who was not ready to face their queries. It may be mentioned here that some of the members had launched a campaign to oust the chairman. But it is learnt that due to the political proximity of the chairman’s father, Mr Jaibhagwan Rawat, MLA from Hodal, the campaign fizzled out. |
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DELHI DIGEST New Delhi, January 16 On the forthcoming corporation elections, Mr Chopra said the Congress was prepared even if the courts froze the rotation of seats. The district and block presidents, he said, had been told to make preparations at the booth level even as the work of scrutinising the new electoral rolls was expected to be completed soon. ROAD
PROJECT LAUNCHED The Union Law and Justice Minister, Mr Arun Jaitley, today laid the foundation stone of a project for the construction of a road under the railway bridge at Keshav Puram Industrial Area in North-West Delhi. The project has a unique design prepared keeping in mind the convenience of the traffic from all directions. The project will be completed jointly by the Railways and Municipal Corporation of Delhi in a period of 24 months at a cost of Rs 20.58 crore. Laying the foundation stone of the project, Mr Jaitley said that the aim of the project was to improve the standard and convenience of the residents of the area.
BANK
OF PUNJAB BRANCH The Bank of Punjab today opened its branch in Gujaranwala Town in the Capital making it the 20th branch in the National Capital Territory. “Gujranwala Town is one of the key markets of northern India and we are confident that our network of banking and e-banking centres will benefit the traders and business communities. Corporates in the vicinity of the Gujaranwala Town would also be able to make use of the cash management services ensuring fast funds movement across cities,” said Mr Tejbir Singh, executive director of the bank.
HIGH-TECH
BUS TO JODHPUR
The Rajasthan State Road Transport Corporation has started a new high-tech bus Service to Jodhpur from Delhi. The first bus will leave for Jodhpur from Bikaner House here on Tuesday night. The chief manager of the Rajasthan Roadways Depot in Delhi, Mr Hari Prasad Sharma, said the bus would leave at 10 pm on every Tuesday night and would reach Jodhpur the next day at 11 am. Similarly, a bus would leave for Delhi from Jodhpur every Tuesday at 4 pm and would reach Delhi the next day at 5 am. The fare would be Rs 364 per passenger. In a press statement, the manager of the Rajasthan Roadways, Mr J. D. Mishra, said that 25 high-tech buses had been included in its fleet to promote tourism in the state and to improve facilities for the passengers |
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NCR BRIEFS Rohtak, January 16 In a statement here today, Mr R. K. Nagar, state president of the union, said the members of the Rohtak circle committee (comprising Rohtak, Sonepat and Bahadurgarh towns) of the union would gherao the office of the Executive Engineer, besides organising the indefinite dharna. He said certain decisions were taken in the interest of the employees at a meeting held on November 26 which were yet to be implemented. He alleged that the officer concerned was intentionally delaying the issue which might force the employees to take to agitation.
NO
SALARIES FOR TWO MONTHS Members of the district unit of the Haryana Nagarpalika Karamchari Sangh affiliated to the Haryana Sarv Karamchari Sangh held a gate meeting and shouted slogans against the district administration today in protest against non-disbursement of their salaries for the past two months. Mr Ram Kishan Bidlan, secretary of the district unit of the sangh, said the employees were facing acute hardships due to the non-payment of their salaries. He alleged that the delay in the disbursement of salaries to the employees had become a recurring phenomenon and the authorities had adopted a casual attitude towards the sufferings of the employees. JUMPS FROM TRAIN, KILLED Faridabad ABDUCTED
MAN FOUND DEAD Jhajjar According to information, the deceased was a resident of Dabodha village and was employed in Indian Oil Company branch at Bijwasan in Delhi. He had been reportedly missing for the last 15 days and his family had filed a report of abduction with the Bahadurgarh Sadar police station. |
Greater Kailash double murder case cracked, suspect arrested New Delhi, January 16 Both the victims were found in a pool of blood next morning when the police broke open the doors after Mrs Mona Oberoi, a widow staying with her son and a daughter, informed them after becoming suspicious when she saw smoke emanating from the servant quarters. The police found Pushpa’s body in a semi-clad condition. Even the sex angle was explored in the case. Pushpa had come from Orissa after visiting her family after 10 days and was murdered the same day evening. Since Pushpa belonged to Orissa and her husband and children are staying there, and since Vinod belonged to Barielly, police teams were sent to Orissa, Uttar Pradesh, some places of Punjab and in Delhi. During preliminary investigations, the police also found out that both the domestic helps had an affair and even wanted to marry each other. When the police team under the supervision of ACP O. P. Yadav, was examining so many leads, they had found out that Vinod had a quarrel with Deepak. When Deepak was called for interrogation to the police station, the police noticed knife injuries on his right palm. When the team inquired about the injury, he told the police that a broken glass of the bus injured him when he was going to Kalkaji temple on January 4. Even though the reply was not convincing, Deepak was taken to Kalkaji bus depot to identify the bus twice, but he couldn’t identify the bus. On sustained interrogation, he confessed to have murdered Vinod, as he interfered in his personal relations with Misha. His original plan was only to kill Vinod but was forced stab Puspha as she came to Vinod’s rescue. The Deputy Commissioner of Police (South), Mr P. Kamaraj, said that Deepak, an artist, was the boyfriend of Misha Oberoi, Vinod’s employer Mona Oberoi’s daughter. Both Misha and Deepak came into contact with each other when they were studying together in Delhi College of Arts. The police said that since Vinod, a dominating character who enjoyed good a rapport with the employer, used to daunt Misha not to meet Deepak. To escape from this, Misha kept pressurizing Deepak to marry her soon. But Deepak was not ready for marriage as he was working for a small firm and earning only a meager amount. Several times, Deepak visited Misha’s house, he had altercations with Vinod and in 1999, they even had a quarrel once over this issue. Since Vinod became a constant threat to his relation with Misha, he decided to eliminate Vinod and waited for an opportunity to finish him. On the fateful night on January 4, Deepak had left from his house very early in an autorickshaw and reached Vinod’s servant quarters with a bottle of oil paint. Knowing that Vinod would not open his door if he spots him, he created a dramatic scene by generating some smoke there. Vinod, on smelling this, opened the door and Deepak used the opportunity and stabbed him at least 25 times in the body till he was exhausted. When Puspha came to Vinod’s help, he also stabbed her to death. Ironically, after committing the murder, he even went and celebrated his birthday in East Of Kailash in which Misha also was present. The police also said that Misha and her mother were clueless about the murder, and the murder was executed completely by Deepak. Vinod, who was a loose character, was married and had a daughter, but he deserted them and was staying in Delhi. He led a very sophisticated life and had luxuries like air condition, TV, VCR, fridge, cameras and other things at his servant quarters. The police also have found out Vinod had Rs 1,60,000 in his personal account and Vikas Patras for Rs 45,000, even though he was paid a meager amount of Rs 2,000 by his employer. The suspect, Deepak, is remanded to 10 days of police custody and police are yet to recover the weapon and clothes used by Deepak in the murder. |
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Bus robbers’ gang busted, 5 held New Delhi, January 16 The police said that on January 8, the suspects robbed Rs 1 lakh from a manager of Gateway Carrying Corporation when he was returning from UTI Bank, Pitampura after withdrawing the company cash. They snatched his moneybag after threatening him with a knife inside a bus, route no. 789, but no one came for his rescue. All the five accused have been sent to judicial custody and one of the accused, called ‘Silencer’, would be taken out for further recoveries by the police.
CHEATS
NABBED
The North district police today claimed to have arrested two cheats, who carried Rs 10,000 reward on them. The accused, Shyam Lal Sabarawal, resident of Geeta Colony, and Padam Chand, resident of Nai Wala, Karol Bagh used to make fake documents like lease deed, possession letter and other documents. They were about to sell a DDA land to a person for Rs 35 lakh using the forged documents to who got suspicious. He immediately complained to the police. The cheats were later apprehended and they confessed to have committed the crime, said the Additional Commissioner of Police (North), Mr Garima Bhatnagar. RACKETEER
HELD
The Economic Offences Wing of the Crime Branch today claimed to have busted a gang of manpower racketeers involved in cheating innocent individuals on the pretext of getting them overseas employment with the arrest of one such agent, Mohammad Muslim Khan (47), resident of Jamia Nagar. The accused used to collect between Rs 50,000 and Rs 1.5 lakh, depending on the destination, from job aspirants. The police had seized records of 180 victims from the accused and the cheating amount was worked out to be Rs 1.80 crore, said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Economic offences wing), Mr Dinesh Bhatt.
DSIDC
STAFF ROBBED
Two unidentified youths, who came in a motorcycle, robbed Rs 57,000 from the three DSIDC staff at gunpoint this morning in the Usmanpur area of North-East Delhi. The police said that the duo came and snatched the bag containing the cash, and fired a round from a country-made weapon before fleeing from the spot. One of the staff, Mr Bhaskar Sohil, had reportedly received a minor injury on his forehead in the shooting. |
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Ghaziabad, January 16
