Friday, March 1, 2002, Chandigarh, India

 

N C R   S T O R I E S


 

Police whisk away Vikas as HC turns on heat
Parmindar Singh

Ghaziabad, February 28
Vikas Yadav and Vishal Yadav, prime accused in the kidnapping and murder of an IAS officer’s son, Nitish Katara, on February 17 in Ghaziabad, were whisked away to an unknown destination for interrogation by Ghaziabad Police on Thursday morning. The cops were allowed to keep the accused in police remand for 24 hours yesterday.

Kavi Nagar police station in-charge Anil Samanya was waiting with his team for the accused to come out of the Dasna jail. After taking them on remand, Samanya whisked them away to an unknown destination.

The Ghaziabad Police, it is learnt, is searching for the clothes of the victim, Nitish Katara, the hammer with which the Yadavs had allegedly hit him on the head, the mobile phone and the vehicle used in the crime.

The Ghaziabad Police, which had taken the accused to Khurja and Alwar, had not returned till late evening.

DIG Meerut Range, Arun Kumar, said: “We are trying to complete our interrogation and shall be able to brief the media only after our job is over”.

The police had initially sought remand for one week and then settled for three days.

The court had, however, allowed police remand for 24 hours only, which will end at 9 am tomorrow (March 1). In case the police are not able to complete the interrogation by that time, they will seek further remand from the court, said Arun Kumar who is personally monitoring the case.

Earlier, Vikas told media persons outside the Deena jail that he did attend the wedding reception in Diamond banquet Hall. He said that he had never known Nitish Katara.

The charges of murder and attempt to destroy the evidence have been added to the case of abduction with intent to murder against Vikas and Vishal Yadav.
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File status report on investigations, HC tells police
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 28
The Delhi High Court today directed the Uttar Pradesh Police to file a status report on the investigations in the Nitish Katara case.

Directing the SSP Ghaziabad to file the status report by 2 p.m. tomorrow, a Division Bench comprising Justice B A Khan and Justice V S Agarwal said: “In the interest of justice, this court is not bound by any boundary.”

“Tell us what maximum you want from the court in the interest of justice,” the Bench asked Neelam Katara ‘s counsel Kamini Jaiswal, while issuing notices to the Centre, the Uttar Pradesh Government, the state Director General of Police, SSP Ghaziabad, Commissioner of Delhi Police and Rajya Sabha MP D P Yadav, whose son Vikas Yadav and Nephew Vishal Yadav are suspected to be behind the kidnapping of Katara, believed to be murdered.

Directing the Delhi Police chief to provide security to Katara family with immediate effect, the court said: ``Justice should not only be done but should be seen to have been done,” when petitioner’s counsel charged that the persons suspected to be involved in the crime were quite “influencial and habitual offenders.”

The petitioner, through her counsel Kamini Jaiswal, had sought issuance of a writ of Habeas Corpus to establish with certainty the identity of the charred body believed to be that of Nitish and that the police investigate the matter with exactitude, expeditiously, efficiently and meticulously.

Jaiswal alleged that the victim was seen with Vikas at his father’s official residence in the Capital by the area watchman on February 17, a day after his kidnapping.”

She also asked for protection for the other witnesses in the case and that Bharati, daughter of D P Yadav whose friendship with Nitish was disliked by Vikas Yadav, be located and her statement recorded.

The petitioner also sought court directions that DNA testing of the charred body, believed to be that of victim Nitish Katara, be done expeditiously, protection be provided to all the other witnesses in the case and that Ms Bharati Yadav, daughter of D P Yadav, be located and her statement be recorded. Bharati Yadav is said to be absconding. 

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VHP bandh hovers over CBSE exams
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 28
The entire police force in the Capital has been put on a maximum alert in view of the Delhi bandh call tomorrow, given by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and its sister organisations to protest against the attack on kar sewaks in Gujarat.

What is causing additional concern to the authorities here is that the proposed bandh coincides with the board examinations. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad has threatened a “chakka jam” in the city and has claimed that a large number of traders’ associations and market associations were supporting their call.

Essential services like hospitals, communications, electricity, water and fire services have been exempted from the purview of the bandh.

Senior police officers had a long-drawn meeting with the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, Mr. Vijai Kapoor, to review the situation and to make fool-proof arrangements, so that normal life in the city is not affected. Delhi’s Education Minister, Raj Kumar Chauhan, however said that the bandh would not be allowed to disrupt the examinations and the government will ensure that the examinations are held peacefully.

He said the deputy directors of the education department in the 12 districts had been given a wireless set each. This decision, he said, was taken after consultations with the police commissioner. The police establishment, he added, had also been requested to monitor the sensitive areas, particularly in the vicinity of schools.

Meanwhile, the Delhi Police has drawn up an elaborate mobile patrolling plan; it will have static pickets at sensitive points, particularly outside examination centres; there will also be heavy deployment in the markets and commercial areas. Senior police officers will personally supervise the deployment and maintain a close liaison with all districts in the Capital.

“ No one would be allowed to disrupt normal life in the city”, a senior police officer said.

At the same time, the police has launched an extensive exercise to identify anti-social elements and take them into preventive custody. Police sources said that at least 100-odd anti-social elements from all over the city had been detained.

Additional vigilance was also being kept on border check posts to prevent entry of anti-social elements and other trouble makers. The station house officers of all police stations have been asked to convene a meeting of leaders of various communities in their respective areas to prevent rumour mongering and any buildup of tension in the aftermath of the Gujarat incidents.

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Board cannot postpone papers
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 28
Class 12 students, who are to appear for the board exam tomorrow, are saddled with yet another worry. If the call for bandh given by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad is anything to go by, there may be an impact on the exams being conducted by the CBSE. Though the CBSE officials maintain that they have not been informed about the bandh, Chairman Ashok Ganguly told the NCR Tribune: “We cannot postpone the exams as it will create further confusion. These exams are being conducted on an All-India basis and we have to look at the local condition of each area. If there is any trouble in the city that prevents the students from taking the exams, the board will have to make alternative arrangements for these students”. Mr. Ganguly pointed out that if the need arises the CBSE would discuss the situation with the Delhi government and added that they were not anticipating any trouble. Teachers and principals too had little information regarding the bandh. “We have no information as of now. We have not heard about it from either the CBSE or from the Delhi Government. But I am sure that the exams will be held as per schedule”, said Mrs. Goswami of Delhi Public School, R.K. Puram.

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Schools denying roll nos to students?
Tribune News Service

Faridabad, February 28
The School Abhibhawak Manch(Parents Association) has alleged that some of the public schools here have denied permission to some of its regular students to appear in the CBSE board examination on one pretext or the other. In a statement, the General Secretary of the Manch, Mr Kailash Sharma, said the association had received some complaints in this regard. He claimed that some of the public schools had been adopting such tactics every year to maintain their so-called good result record.

He said although every CBSE affiliated school in the town had received the roll number slips of the students, some of the schools had not handed over the roll numbers to some students who were weak and who could adversely affect the overall result.

It is also alleged that some schools have tried to `debar’ some of the weak students from appearing in the exam on the ground that their attendance was short or that they should try to get good marks the next year. The Manch has warned such schools of legal action, if they fail to give roll nos to its students by tomorrow.

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A village where criminals are demi-gods
Pradeep Sharma
Tribune News Service

Panipat, February 28
Crime seems to be a way of life in Siwah village near Panipat. If there was ever an entry for the ‘most criminal’ village in the record books, this place, the native village of the Haryana Assembly Speaker, Mr Satbir Kadian, might have been streets ahead of others. ‘Adventures’ of criminals are hailed rather than condemned by the youth here.

In fact, over 250 residents of the village have criminal backgrounds and a majority of them are serving terms in Ambala and other jails. To top it, the crime graph in the village shows no sign of let-up, given the attitude of the Panipat Police who seem to sleep away the nights.

Besides the lax police administration, the porous borders with Uttar Pradesh and Delhi and unemployment among the youth are cited as the reasons for the resurgence of the criminal activities in the village. Money is not hard to come by to those with a criminal bent of mind when the affluent industrial community is a soft target.

Ironically, ‘good’ records in crime only add to the ‘glamour’ of those who indulge in it. Hardened criminals, like Rohtash and Pradeep, who spread terror among the people and police alike, are considered to role models by the village youth. And with the police winking at their records, the principle of “once a criminal always a criminal” comes into play. It may be recalled that Rohtash, who headed his own gang, was a terror for the police of Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. Wanted in several cases of murder, looting and dacoity, Rohtash evaded the police on countless occasions before being shot by the Uttar Pradesh in Sahibabad last year.

After his death, Pradeep regrouped the Rohtash gang. His favourite pastime used to be snatching cars at gunpoint and repeatedly breaking the police cordons, thus openly challenging the effectiveness of the authority. He was arrested later last year along with Rakesh, a brother of Rohtash. He is now serving prison term in the Ambala Jail.

Every criminal of Siwah wants to follow in the footsteps of Rohtash and Pradeep. It is the ‘glamour’ associated with criminals and their adventures that keep pulling the youth to crime, remarked a village elder. Moreover, the village is acquiring the dubious distinction harbouring persons involved in every major crime that is committed in the industrial town. For instance, the substantial number of about 20 accused in the infamous “kothi episode”, in which plush kothi of a retired teacher, Joginder Kaur, was raised to the ground by hooligans, were from the village. Later, she was gunned down in the district courts premises here in broad daylight on November 26 last year. She had gone there to plead before a court that three close relatives of the Haryana Speaker be also included in the kothi demolition case.

Moreover, it appears that the police seem to have taken it for granted that the villagers would not change. Now the state government proposes to build a jail in the village. The construction of the Police Lines is already in progress in the village.

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CRIME
Agent shot, youths escape with Santro, Rs 25 lakh
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 28
In a sensational daylight robbery, two unidentified youths on a motorcycle shot dead a commission agent and escaped with Rs 25 lakh and his Santro car ( DL 8CG 4268) this afternoon in Anand Parbat area of West Delhi.

The deceased, Mohanlal Bansal, resident of Tri Nagar, was returning home after withdrawing Rs 25 lakh from the Federal Bank in Padam Singh Road area, when he was reportedly intercepted by the unidentified youths who demanded the bag. When he resisted, the suspects shot him dead. Mukesh Sharma, Bansal’s friend who was also present inside the car at the time of the incident, escaped unhurt.

Hundreds of motorists and casual visitors to the market were witness to the brazen looting, but no one apparently came to the aid of the victims. The incident created considerable scare in the congested area. The suspects, who sped away in the victim’s car, abandoned the motorcycle on the spot. The police said that efforts were being made to ascertain the if the motor cycle was a stolen one as the number on it was found to be fake. The Anand Parbat police have registered a case and have launched a hunt to trace the desperadoes who were described as young and ordinarily dressed. The description has been flashed to all the police stations.

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Reactions on B-Day
The good, the bad and the ugly… 
Our Correspondent

New Delhi, February 28
“Oh! No” was all Ms. Diya Mehta could think of when she was told that LPG has become dearer by Rs. 40. The Finance Minister, Mr. Yashwant Sinha, seems to have offended the householders because of the hike in LPG and kerosene costs. “What are we going to do now. For those with large families, it spells trouble. It is sad that the cost of LPG and kerosene has gone up, this will add to the woes of the middle class”, added Ms. Mehta.

For Ms. Kavita, who works in MTNL, “It is a mix of the good and the very bad”. She is happy that the petrol prices will come down, but is annoyed that she will have to pay more for LPG. “I don’t understand why LPG price has increased by Rs. 40. If at all there was a need to increase the price, they should have done so in phases. It is difficult for middle class people to shell out Rs 40 in one go for something as essential as cooking gas”.

“It seems Mr. Sinha had the welfare of the husbands in mind rather than the wives. The cut in petrol is welcome news. Even though it is a small amount, we could have thought of saving a few rupees, but with the increase in LPG and kerosene prices we will be forced to cut corners,” pointed out Ms. Vidya Kumar, a school teacher.

The price of diesel will come down by around 50 paise and petrol by around Re 1 per litre from tomorrow. The current price of petrol in the capital is Rs 27.54 per litre while diesel is pegged at Rs 17.09. Following the dip in prices, petrol and diesel in Delhi would cost Rs 26.74 per litre and Rs 16.59 per litre, respectively. The levy on sugar is also proposed to be reduced from 15 to 10 per cent, he said, adding that the retail price of Public Distribution Scheme (PDS) sugar will be Rs 13.50 per kg from tomorrow.

“The budget spells bad news for lower middle-class homes. We cannot determine yet what effect the Re 1 cut in petrol price will have. In this budget many decisions are not based on correct assumptions, but on convenience. The cut in the interest rate is not justifiable,” pointed out Amitava Ganguly, a Chartered Accountant. He went on to add: “If the government goes by the Consumer Price Index (CPI), it will realise that there is no need to cut the interest rate. The government should first try to recover its bad debts, especially from big industrialists. There is no need to bother the masses with a cut in interest rates”.

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Gurgaon cable operators’ strike fizzles out
Ravi S.Singh
Tribune News Service

Gurgaon, February 28
The indefinite strike by the city’s cable operators fizzled out on the third day this afternoon in the face of tough stand taken by the district administration.

The operators resumed their services in the afternoon. According to an operator, the strike has been just postponed till Monday. The strike was called off immediately after a meeting of the operators with the Deputy Commissioner, Gurgaon, Mr A.K.Singh.

The operators had found little support from the general public. In fact, the parents heaved a sigh of relief in view of the approaching exams of their wards.

While some of the schools are on the preparatory stage, some are already in the midst of tests.

The administration had given them ultimatum till today to call off their strike, failing which it would order to seize their equipment and snap the cable connections to the electrical poles.

The authorities have the sanction of Section 11 of the Cable Television Network (Regulation) Act,1998. In case the administration went ahead with its measures, the operators would incur heavy losses.

In the meeting between the Deputy Commissioner and the Operators, the authorities stuck to their guns. The operators were agitated that while the charges imposed were high, the Government had gone for 25 per cent hike between the levies of the two consecutive financial years.

Their apprehension was that the government would use it as a precedent and go in for another 25 per cent hike in the succeeding financial year. While the authorities did not budge from the rate of charge already imposed, it said that it could have considerations for its apprehensions in future. However, the district authorities could only make recommendations to the state government on the issue.

The two sides have decided to hold talks on Monday on the issue. The operators cave in by calling off their strike, the administration decided to extend the deadline of its ultimatum till Monday. It appears that the operators wanted a face-saving formula to beat a retreat.

The operators had gone on strike in protest against the policy decision of the Haryana Government/Haryana Vidyut Prasaran Nigam to tax the operators who had been using the electrical poles free of cost.

The Government had imposed Rs 300 per pole per annum for the present financial year. For the next year, the levy has been pegged to Rs 375 per pole per annum. As the policy was announced a few days ago, the Government took a lenient view and decided to collect the dues only for a quarter period January-March for the current financial year. It waived off the collection for the previous months of the current financial year.

Significantly, the operators had been paying nothing for the use of the electrical poles in their commercial ventures. The operators’ association has given the figure to the adminstration that in all, its members have provided connections to only 12,000 households in the city. On a conservative estimate, there are 80,000 households in the city.

Even a lay man knows that the statistics of 12,000 provided by the operators’ association is travesty of truth. Even while going by the association’s version, the operators, on a conservative estimate, earn Rs 24 lakhs from the consumers. On an average, they charge Rs 200/month from each household.

According to a senior functionary of the Finance Department of the state, the Government had gone for the impost in a bid to rope in resources to the exchequer in lieu of the usage of electrical poles by the consumers.

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Only four corporators turn up for Mayor’s lunch
Tribune News Service

Faridabad, February 28
While the Mayor, Mrs Anita Goswami, must have succeeded in proving that she has a good rapport with the Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, by holding a lunch in honour of him on Wednesday, the function proved futile to bridge the growing differences between her and the majority of the municipal corporators. Only four of the 24 members turned up for the lunch.

The infighting of the local municipal corporation has come to a boil since the present Mayor took up the post. A majority of the corporators had been unhappy over the installation of Mrs Goswami as the Mayor on the directions of the Chief Minister.

While Mrs Goswami is very junior to several elected members of the 25-member house of the corporation as far as the age and experience are concerned, her recent decision of disbanding and recasting of some of the committees and subcommittees of the corporation had angered many of them.

Many members have been unhappy over the style of functioning of the Mayor, including some who have been associated with the ruling Indian National Lok Dal. It is perhaps one of the reasons all the ‘Open Darbars’ held by the Mayor so far had failed to find favour among most of the members.

It is alleged that development works in various wards had not been going according to the plan and the members representing them were not taken into confidence.

The proposed tour to Mumbai for a meeting on the municipal bodies could not take off due to the stand-off between the Mayor and several members, according to corporation sources. Besides, the poor financial condition of the corporation has been another reason why several development works in various wards in the town had been hanging fire or could not be taken up. This situation has also led to resentment among members who alleged that it was the inefficient handling of the affairs by the Mayor which had brought about such a fate.

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Harvesting season raises border villagers’ hackles 
Bijendra Ahlawat
Tribune News Service

Faridabad, February 28
Come the harvesting season and the tension at some of the villages in and around Haryana and Uttar Pradesh border mounts up. Claims and counter-claims over the lands vitiate the atmosphere.

The Yamuna which forms the natural border between the two states, often creates problems due to its changing course in some of the villages.

Chandhut is a village where tension rises as the crop season comes to an end.

The farmers of Kanigarhi village on the UP side recently opened fire on the residents of Chandhut village over a dispute regarding the ownership of about 150 acres.

According to a report, the firing incident took place a few days ago when the farmers of Chandhut had gone to collect the sarson crop from the fields which also form the border between UP and Haryana.

Soon some residents from the adjoining UP village bandied words over the ownership of the fields. Some of the residents of Chandhut, identified as Sohanlal Nathi, Shivram, Vikram,

Kuka, Deviram and Phoolchand alleged that the farmers from UP stopped them from harvesting their crop, claiming that it was on their side of the village and hence, the crop belonged to them. They said they had to run for cover when someone from Kanigarhi village on the UP side of the border opened fire.

They alleged that this was an annual feature and anti-social elements from UP have often tried to harvest their crop at gun-point.

The villagers alleged that while a complaint had been lodged with the police, no official had visited the disputed site.

According to reports, the district authorities of Mathura and Faridabad had met several times to resolve the issue but in vain.

The incident of crop burning on the border villages had been reported in the past also.

There was tension in the border villages during the sowing season.

Repeated pleas to the authorities by the farmers of the region to solve the seasonal tension have failed to draw the attention of the administration.

The people of the region fear that the apathy of the administration may lead to periodic violence.

Moreover, it will also lead to drop in production if no improvement in the situation is brought about soon. 

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Anti-encroachment drive ‘praiseworthy’
Our Correspondent

Sonepat, February 28
The senior citizens of Sector 14, a residential colony of the Haryana Urban Development Authority (Huda), today lauded the efforts being made for the facelift of Sonepat city.

They said that the district administration had taken bold steps for the removal of encroachments on public and municipal lands.

The senior citizens also spoke highly of the authorities’ attempt to remove the stray animals from the city.

In a communication sent to the Deputy Commissioner, the senior citizens, including Dr K. S. Balain, former Managing Director of Hartron, Dr S. S. Hooda, Mr Roop Chand and Master Gian Singh have claimed that an all-out anti-encroachment drive by the district administration has been appreciated by and large. The traffic flow in the city, particularly in the crowded areas and the crossings, has become smoother now.

Moreover, the traffic hold-ups outside the general bus stand, Mamoon Bhanja Chowk, railway crossing near the Hindu College and the Subhash Chowk have come to an end, thanks to the widening of the roads.

The communication hailed the promulgation of the prohibitory orders under Section 144 Cr P C for capturing the pigs in the city as well as in the towns of Gohana, Kharkhauda and Ganaur. This order, it claimed, has yielded good results and the number of pigs roaming there has been decreased considerably.

The owners of the pigs had been fattening their animals at the cost of the public health and hygiene for the past few years, it added.

The communication also appreciated the move of the district administration to shift the dairies outside the city limits.

It said that the presence of pigs, cows, buffaloes and monkeys had created a nuisance in the city and there was always a possibility of an outbreak of diseases.

Expressing concern over the menace of monkeys, the communication says that the monkeys were destroying the plantation and property.

The cases of monkey bites were increasing and the people had to spent more money on the anti-rabies treatment. Apart from a health hazard, it had spread terror in the city.

The communication hoped that the district administration would continue its campaign for the beautification of the city.

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NCR BRIEFS
Five held for conspiring to loot held
Our Correspondent

Rohtak, February 28
Five youths, who were arrested by the police on Wednesday evening on the charge of conspiring to loot bus passengers, were remanded to police custody till March 5 today by a local court. Those remanded are Sumit, Narender, Virender (all of Rohtak) and Ashok Kumar of Hisar and Hari Prakash of Jhajjar district. A case was registered under Sections 399, 402 and 307 of the IPC and Section 25/54/59 of the Arms Act in this regard.

According to police sources, a police party raided a Hanuman mandir located near the local bus stand following a tip off. One of the six youths, who were allegedly conspiring to loot passengers, opened fire on the police party. One of their accomplices managed to escape under the cover of fire. However, the police managed to arrest the five suspects. They also seized a country-made pistol, two live cartridges and three knives from the youths.

Market fee

The market committee of Rohtak has recovered Rs 1.94 crore in the form of market fees till January 2002 during the current financial year as against Rs 1.02 crore collected during the corresponding period last year. A spokesman for the district administration said the market committee deposited a sum of Rs 2.12 crore with the marketing board for the development work.

Soldier cremated

The body of Pradeep Singh (21), a gunner of the 218, Medium Regiment, was cremated with state honours at his native Rattanthal village, about 30 km from here, on Wednesday.

Prior to the cremation, Mr Raj Kumar Garg, Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Kosli, Mr Udai Singh, DSP, Kosli and several others placed wreaths on the body. Mr Pradeep Singh, son of Mr Ram Singh, along with his three other colleagues, had died in a landslide somewhere in Jammu and Kashmir on February 23. He was a bachelor.

Five hurt in mishaps

Sonepat
Five persons were injured, three of them seriously, in five separate accidents in different parts of the district on Thursday. According to a report, three of the seriously injured persons have been referred to various hospitals in Delhi. The police have registered cases but have not made any arrest.

Suicide attempts

A 15-year-old girl, Sukrita, reportedly made an attempt to commit suicide by swallowing poison in her house in Sector 15 here on Thursday. According to a report, she was rushed to the local civil hospital where she is stated to be out of danger.

According to another report, a youth, Balwan Singh, also tried to commit suicide by taking insecticide tablets in his house in the West Ram Nagar area here the same day. He was also rushed to the local civil hospital where from he was shifted to PGI, Rohtak for further treatment. The police have registered cases and further investigations are in progress.

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Delhi Police allocation up only marginally
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 28
The budget allocation for the Delhi Police has been raised to Rs 827.84 crore from last year’s Rs 810.50 crore. The Plan and non-Plan expenditure for the year 2002-2003 has been pegged at Rs 818.34 crore and Rs 9.5 crore respectively, up from Rs 804 crore and Rs 6.5 crore last year.

Rs 49 crore has been kept for construction of residential accommodation for police personnel, an increase of Rs 19 crore from Rs 30 crore last year. Also, the budgetary allocation for construction of buildings for the police has been raised from Rs 27 crore to Rs 30 crore. The allocation for installation of traffic signals has been raised marginally from Rs 0.5 crore last year to Rs 1.5 crore. Law and order in Delhi is a reserve subject that has been retained with the Central Government. Expenditure of the Delhi Police, which was earlier being met by the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi, is being borne by the Central Government effective from August 1, 1996. 

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Budget to hit middle class, says Saathi

New Delhi, February 28
Dubbing the General Budget 2002-2003, presented by Union Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha, as anti-farmer and anti-people, the Finance Minister of Delhi, Mr M. S. Saathi, said the middle class would be adversely affected. He described the Budget as one that would not aid economic growth. Citing the increase in the prices of cooking gas and kerosene, reduction in the interest on GPF/PPF by 0.5 per cent, and dividend tax, Mr Saathi said these actions were bound to severely hit pensioners and salaried class. “These measures are also likely to adversely affect the purchasing capacity of individuals, resulting in low demand for industrial products which in turn will hit industrial growth.”

Commenting on the proposed reduction in subsidy on fertilisers by five per cent and raising of excise duties on 40 items, he said no provisions had been made to give an impetus to industrial growth. In all, he added, the Budget was not likely to reduce fiscal deficit or boost economic growth. TNS

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Conductor stabs student, mob smashes bus
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 28
An angry mob smashed a Blue Line bus today afternoon in Katwaria Sarai after a student of Lal Bahadur Shastri Rashtriya Sansrit Vidya Peeth, Maneesh, was reportedly stabbed by the conductor when three students got into an argument with him over buying tickets. The injured student was rushed to Seetharam Bhartiya Hospital. He is reported to be out of danger.

The police said that the three students, Maneesh, Rajinder and Pawan, were travelling in the bus (route no 511) and they reportedly had an argument with the conductor about buying tickets. Suddenly, the conductor whipped out a knife and with the assistance of the helper stabbed Maneesh.

The two other students rushed to the college and informed the fellow students about the incident. By the time they returned with a group of students, all the conductor and workers had left the area leaving the bus behind. Infuriated students later pelted stones and smashed the bus. The police have registered a case and are efforts are being made to trace the suspects.

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Martyr’s wife wants more land for memorial
Our Correspondent

Sonepat, February 28
The issue of constructing a memorial of Nanak Chand, an ASI of Delhi Police who was killed in the terrorists' attack on Parliament on December 13 last year, has taken an interesting turn.

The widow of the martyr has pitched in for more land for the purpose and authorities have issued a notice to Swami Sukhdev Ji Maharaj directing him to vacate the ashram which is located on the land in which the memorial is proposed to be constructed.

Residents of Rathdhanna village seem to be getting divided on the issue.

Many of them have resented the authorities' move to issue notice to Swami Sukhdev Ji Maharaj. The sant has been asked to vacate the land within 24 hours.

Residents of the village wanted to give a portion of the land of the ashram for constructing the samadhi of the martyr but the widow of Nanak Chand wanted to get the entire land for the construction of the samadhi, a reading room and a park on it. This has caused tension among villagers.

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Mystery shrouds girl’s death

Jhajjar, February 28
The parents and other villagers reportedly cremated a teenaged girl, who was found dead under mysterious circumstances on Tuesday in Kheri Khummar village of the district, on Wednesday. According to information, the deceased, a student of class 10 had gone to her fields after returning from school on Tuesday. When she did not come back till evening, her parents started a search. Later, her body was found lying in the fields on the outskirts the village with scratches around her neck. The villagers consigned the body to flames without informing the police. OC

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Decomposed bodies of father, son found in trunk
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 28
Six bodies, including two in a decomposed state, were found from different areas of the Capital during the last 24 hours. All the bodies bore injury marks.

The decomposed bodies of two persons, father and son, were found from their house (A-151, J.J. Colony) in the Shakurpur area in North-West district this morning. They were identified as Ram Murti and his son.

The police received a call this morning from a neighbour of the deceased that foul smell was emanating from house. A team of local police reached there. Though there was nobody in the house, all gates of the house were open. The police entered and conducted a search at the two-bedroom house. When a huge trunk was opened, the cops found the bodies in a decomposed condition.

The police said: “There are some injury marks on the bodies. They might have been murdered by some of their friends. All the gates of the house were open which suggested that the killers could have had a friendly entry. Robbery is not supposed to be the cause of the murder as the house did not bore signs of any ransacking.” The police have registered a case of murder and further investigations are on.

In another incident, two bodies with bullet injuries were found today inside a tempo at Sector 23 of Budh Vihar in the Sultanpuri area.

The police said that the beat constable found a truck parked near the area and found two dead bodies which were later identified as that of Chander Singh (30) of Khanna Market, Tiz Hazari and cleaner Madan Lal (16). The bodies bore bullet injuries.

According to information, the victims had started from a factory in Sarai Rohilla and were to reach Pilakhwa in Uttar Pradesh with the truck loaded with clothes. The police have registered a case and have launched a hunt for the suspects.

In yet another incident, two bodies of unidentified persons were found from a goods train, which transported coal to the power station in Indra Prastha Estate at ITO in Central Delhi. The bodies were found at the joint of two coaches. There were injury marks on both the bodies. A case of murder has been registered.

4 who stabbed cops held: With the arrest of four persons, the South district police today claimed to have solved the case of attempt to murder and rioting in which two duty constables of Lajpat Nagar were stabbed at least 15 times on January 24 in Sant Nagar area.

The police have recovered one knife and one razor (ustra) used for the crime from their possession. Besides, a torn shirt of accused Sunil alias Bhoma, whose pocket was torn in the scuffle with the constables. A massive hunt is on to trace another absconding accused.

The accused, Sunil Kumar alias Bhoma (17), Ajay alias Lotia (19), Ravi (16), and Ashok Kumar Mandal, all residents of J.J.Colony in Madanpur Khadir, were arrested from the jhuggi.

The police said that on the night of the incident, the duty constables, Mohd. Abdullah and Netar Pal, found five persons near DDA park, Sant Nagar in a suspicious manner. When the cops inquired about their antecedents, they fumbled in their reply.

Later, the constables asked them to report to the police station. The criminals immediately whipped out knives and stabbed both the constables and fled from the spot. The constables were taken to the hospital in a critical condition.

Since the accused were all residents of the jhuggi, the police questioned several persons and finally zeroed in on the five and arrested four of them from the area. All the accused were booked under the Arms Act.

4 stolen Marutis seized: In another case, the South district police apprehended two members of a gang of auto-lifters operating in Delhi and Haryana, especially in Faridabad, and seized four stolen cars.

The two auto-lifters, Suresh alias Surinder (28), resident of Kheri Kalan, Haryana, Shokeen (27), resident of Budiana, Haryana, were arrested from near Lal Sai Market while going to Central Market, Lajpat Nagar to sell the stolen car (HR-51-A 8292).
The police seized four Maruti cars — car No. DL-3cH-9951 stolen from Faridabad, car No. DL-4CF-3505 stolen from Sector 29, Faridabad, car No. DL-3CB-6684 stolen from Preet Vihar, car No DL-1CE-3685 stolen from New Friendd’s Colony — and duplicate stamps of transport authorities of Gurgaon and Faridabad..

Acting on a tip off, two persons were nabbed on February 18. On sustained interrogation, they disclosed that the correct number of the stolen car as DL-4C-F 3505, which was stolen from Faridabad. They also confessed to have stolen a number of vehicles, which were sold in Punjab to Ajay alias Kali, resident of Abhor in that state.

A team was sent to different places in Punjab and the four stolen vehicles were seized. Some fake rubber stamps of transport authorities of Gurgaon and Faridabad were also seized from one of the accused, Suresh alias Surjinder. All the seized cars had duplicate registration numbers of the Faridabad Transport Authority. They also disclosed that they used to steal vehicles from busy markets and crowded places. One of the accused, Shokeen, a mechanic by profession who was running an auto workshop, used to prepare duplicate keys and assist Suresh. Suresh was an expert in disposing the cars by changing the name and address of the original owners in the registration copies.

Man foils robbery bid: The alertness of a civilian and two policemen led to the arrest of two persons, Yamin (22) and Shakil (20), who robbed Rs 500 from Inderjeet Singh and Mr Lakhan Singh in the Ganga Vihar area of North-East district Wednesday evening. The police have seized the robbed money.

The incident occurred when the victims were on their way home. When the victims reached G-Block in Ganga Vihar, three persons accosted them and snatched the money. The victims raised an alarm. Hearing the commotion, one Mr Devender Singh chased the robbers and with the help of two policemen who were on patrol duty on a motorcycle nabbed the suspects. However, their third accomplice managed to escape, the police said.

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Six-month jail term to HSEB SDO for taking bribe
Our Correspondent

Rewari, February 28
Mr S. P. Singh, Special Judge, Rewari, has sentenced Sube Singh, SDO of Haryana State Electricity Board (HSEB), to rigorous imprisonment for six months and a fine of Rs 1,000 for taking bribe, an offence punishable under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act 1988.

However, the co-accused, Narain Singh, an assistant of the SDO, has been acquitted of the above charge giving him the benefit of doubt.

According to the prosecution, SDO Sube Singh, along with his assistant Narain Singh, visited the Yadav Samaroh Sibal (a banquet hall) here on March 23, 1999 and demanded a bribe of Rs 1,000 from its owner, Dr Ishwar Singh Yadav, to render him a favour by way of submitting “correct” report of the hall’s electricity meter to the higher authorities.

However, Dr Yadav, who was sure of the accuracy of the functioning of the meter, clandestinely approached the District Administration which constituted a squad comprising Mr Paramjit Singh, DSP, and Mr Naresh Sheokand, Executive Magistrate, who conducted a surprise raid on the above premises. During the raid, Sube

Singh, along with his assistant, was caught red-handed in possession of currency notes worth Rs 1,000 which had been accepted as gratification.

Both the accused were then put under arrest and a case under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act was registered. Later, the case was put up for trail in the above court which has now announced the verdict.

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