Student lost life due to rash police action?
Parmindar Singh

Ghaziabad, September 19
The abduction, subsequent murder and the post-mortem examination of the body of 19-year-old Meerut student, Ankit Gupta, have raised many questions which the police of two districts--Meerut and Ghaziabad—are finding hard to answer.

According to the Meerut police version, Ankit was killed by the kidnappers when a posse of Meerut policemen was trying to rescue him near Murad Nagar on Tuesday. However, after hearing the account of some eyewitnesses, the victim’s father, Satish Gupta of Meenakshi Puram, Meerut, has expressed serious doubts about the veracity of the police version that “his son was killed by the abductors’ bullet”.

The other version is that the Meerut cops had perhaps mistaken Ankit for one of the kidnappers and shot at him.

Interestingly, according to the police, Ankit was shot at only once. However, doctors have reportedly found two bullets while conducting the autopsy.

These bullets, according to a Ghaziabad police source, have been sent to the SSP Meerut in a sealed cover as per procedure. When contacted to find out whether the bullets were fired by police or criminals, Mr Mukal Goel, Meerut SSP, said that he had not received any envelope so far.

The police in western UP districts are known to be keen on taking the credit for any ‘good work’ in their area. But when the police of another district are also involved, it invariably results in a game of one-upmanship.

While the family of Meerut businessman, Satish Gupta, has lost its young son, Ankit, the police of Meerut and Ghaziabad districts also seem to have burnt their fingers in the process. Both are equally responsible for the tragic death of a young man. There was a total lack of coordination between the police of the two districts.

Just as the Meerut police, in their eagerness to claim credit for nabbing the kidnappers, were to be blamed for their rash action and for not sounding the Ghaziabad police, the latter, on the other hand, had no inkling that the criminals had hidden the young student in their jurisdiction. (The first call for ransom at Ankit’s house was also made from a public booth in Muradnagar). The kidnappers had purchased their mobile phone from a shop in Sihani Gate police station area.)

The Meerut police had requested the Ghaziabad SSP to help them conduct raids in the area on Monday night. While the Ghaziabad police team kept waiting at Kotwali, the Meerut police chose to take unilateral action, apparently to claim credit which proved disastrous, resulting in the loss of life of Ankit.

All this has highlighted the lack of mutual trust.

The Ghaziabad police’s ineptness is clear from the fact that they had no inkling that the boy was hidden in their area. Two ransom calls were made from area falling in their jurisdiction; yet the police failed to get their act together. Their network has once again been found wanting.

Earlier, two brothers kidnapped from Delhi had also been kept in a Muradnagar village, but the local police came to know of it only when the Delhi police party came chasing the criminals.

The Ankit murder has highlighted the fact that Ghaziabad abounds in criminals. The Ghaziabad police need to pull their socks up. Sometime ago, a dreaded criminal Pankaj Fauji was killed along with his companion in an encounter. He had links with a notorious gang.

He had even escaped from the Ghaziabad police custody.

An army jawan earlier, Pankaj was court-martialed while in service due to his criminal acts. Pankaj and his gang had looted a truck laden with ‘supari’ on March 24, 2001, in Babugarh police station area.

Besides, he had kidnapped a Kavi Nagar businessman in Ghaziabad. Aligarh police had also reportedly nabbed him from Muradnagar once. All this brings into focus the fact that the district is full of Pankaj Faujis and their ilk.

With govt in limbo, Sheila convenes Cabinet meet 
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 19
Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit today convened an unscheduled meeting of the Council of Ministers to discuss the impasse over the July 25 and August 29 circulars that, Ms Dikshit maintains, were issued by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs to curtail the powers of her ministry. The Government of NCT of Delhi’s spokesperson told mediapersons that the Chief Minister had written to Deputy Prime Minister L. K. Advani reminding him of the resolution passed by the Delhi Assembly that said the two circulars were retrograde and should be withdrawn immediately.

The day-long special session of the Assembly had on September 11 passed by voice vote the resolution that called for withdrawal of the controversial circulars as they were aimed at curtailing the powers of a popular, duly elected government. Later, the chief minister and her Cabinet colleagues had called on Deputy Prime Minister LK Advani to demand as much.

The spokesperson said the chief minister had sought an appointment with the Prime Minister to apprise him of the situation arising out of the circulars. Bureaucracy is in a limbo and so are the ministers, the spokesperson said, referring to the “confusion” over whether to send all or certain files to the Raj Niwas.

The spokesperson said the meeting could likely take place over the weekend before the Prime Minister left on an official visit to Mauritius and the chief minister led a ministerial delegation to Russia. He said officials in the chief minister’s office were in touch with their counterparts in the Prime Minister’s Office to schedule the meeting.

The ‘turf war’ has in the meantime taken a new turn with the Congress-administered Government of NCT of Delhi deciding to go ahead with the laying of foundation stone of the flyover in Sriniwaspuri. The work of constructing the flyover was held up after the Lieutenant Governor raised certain objections.

Transport Minister Ajay Maken said the feasibility studies were over and the project cleared by the Delhi Traffic Police, Urban Arts Commission and Delhi Development Authority’s (DDA’s) technical committee. “There is no reason why the foundation stone cannot be laid,” he told reporters.

Accordingly, the minister said, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit will lay the foundation stone on September 30. Tenders, he informed, would be opened sometime next week. Explaining the show of defiance, the minister said bridges and flyovers were transferred subjects and the Lieutenant Governor was to act on the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers. 

Freak calf with two heads, eight legs 
Ravi S. Singh
Tribune New Service

Gurgaon, September 19
The local veterinary department saved the life of a mother buffalo last evening by successfully taking out a fully matured stillborn conjoint ‘twin monster’ from its womb under the care of its veterinary surgeon (NIS), Dr Satbir Singh Sangwan.

The freak taken out from the buffalo’s womb had eight legs, two heads, two tails and two trunks of bodies joined together. According to experts, the birth of such a creature in cattle is a rarity, and on an average it happens in one out of 20,000 cases.

It happens when two sperms of male species fertilise in an egg in the ovary of a female. Such conjoint twin monsters are still born. They survive the gestation period of 312 days in the womb of its mother. It is called a monster as it cannot be given any name and does not fall in the category of a normal calf.

The reason for the monster not surviving is because of its incongruous shape resulting in ‘distokya’ (difficulty in parturition) among the mother cattle. In such cases, the attempt is to save the mother by bringing out the monster from its womb.

Dr Sangwan, of the local Civil Veterinary Hospital, was enlisted for the job when his two junior colleagues failed to salvage the mother buffalo of ‘distokya’ in Prem Nagar.

It was a matter of time when the mother buffalo would have to perish when an SOS was sent to him. After an arduous struggle, the mission was completed by him. The monster had died, perhaps, a day before the delivery of its mortal remains.

According to Dr Sangwan, the monsters die before the actual delivery as the mother animal strains to give the birth resulting in straining and final rupture of the spinal cord bonding it and the baby. Due to the rupture, the baby is deprived of oxygen.

It is mandatory that in mammal species, the baby’s mouth and face should be out from the uterus, in the open, when the spinal cord bonding with its mother’s system is snapped. This is to facilitate its independent breathing mechanism as the baby gets freed from its mother system after the snapping of the spinal cord.

According to experts, the development is important from the point of view of the ongoing research in the state’s Haryana Agriculture University (HAU), Hisar, to prevent the occurrence of conjoint twin monster in cattle.

This case could provide some inputs in the research studies on the issue.

Sonepat gets beauty treatment for CM’s visit
Our Correspondent

Sonepat, September 19
The visit of the Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, here tomorrow has come as a boon to the residents of Sonepat.

The city has been given a face-lift, roads repaired, roundabouts painted, pavements cleared of weeds and grass, storm water ducts scavenged and opened, and welcome arches bedecked with flowers erected on the roads leading to the PWD (B and R) Rest House. The venue of the workers’ meeting to be addressed by the Indian National Lok Dal supremo and the Chief Minister, has been bedizened.

There is no gainsaying the fact that it is only on the eve of a VVIP visit--Chief Minister or Governor--that the Municipal Council, the PWD (B and R), the Public Health Department and the Uttar Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam get their act together and give the city a ‘beauty treatment’.

The officials have been working overtime for the past few days to spruce up the roads to be used by the motorcade of the Chief Minister.

An officer-bearer of the Federation of All Residents

Welfare Associations commented that whereas the inner lanes and roads, where the residents actually lived, were littered with garbage and mud, and the roads were in disrepair with choked sewers overflowing, only those roads had been given a face-lift which were to be used by the Chief Minister during his visit.

The PWD (B and R) is the first department which has swung into action and started repairing the long-stretch of Murthal Road, Bus Stand Road, Mamoon Bhanja Road, Gita Bhawan Road, Railway Road and the part of Atlas Road from where the Chief Minister and his motorcade will pass through. The department has completed the patchwork of these roads leading to the municipal park at Subhash Chowk. However, all other main roads had become death traps due to lack of repairing by the department and other official agencies for the last few years.

The Public Health Department, the Sonepat Municipal Council and the UHBVN have also become active and the workers have been deployed for cleaning the blocked sewerage, removing the filth and garbage and repairing electricity lines in the areas.

Govt cannot retire staff rendered disabled
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 19
In a landmark judgement, which would provide relief to a large number of disabled persons in government services, the Delhi High Court today held that a person could not be superannuated on the ground of medical invalidation and would be entitled to all the service benefits he had been getting before meeting the fate.

"Once he (disabled) is not found to be suitable for the post he was holding, he can be shifted to some other post but his pay and other benefits need to be protected," a Bench comprising Chief Justice S. B. Sinha and Justice A. K. Sikri said. Referring to Section 47 of the Persons with Disabilities Act (Equal opportunities, protection of rights and full participation), the Bench observed that the Act provided for social security for disabled persons and if, for the said purpose, a statutory liability had been thrust upon the employer, the same could not be held arbitrary.

The court delivered the order while dismissing an appeal by the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) challenging the order of a single Bench, which had directed the corporation to reinstate two of its employees who were given pre-mature retirement on the ground of disability. Advocate Ashok Arora, appearing for the DTC employee, had contended that the Act contained special provisions that prevailed over the regulations framed by the DTC and once the phraseology used in Section 47 of the Act came into force, the appellant (DTC) was debarred from terminating the services of the respondents (disabled employees).

FARIDABAD
Fourth murder in one week 
Tribune News Service

Faridabad, September 19
A 40-year-old man was shot dead by three armed persons at his house near Sector-9 early this morning. This is the fourth murder in the town in the past one week.

Identified as Des Raj, the victim was awakened from sleep by a knock at his house near the bridge leading to Baroli village. One of the youths shot at him from point-blank range after a heated exchange. Jaswant Singh, father of the deceased, came to know that his son had been shot at. He cried for help, but the gangsters had fled from the scene. The police post is hardly 50 metres from the spot of crime, but no cop rushed to the site, said a relative.

Des Raj had been employed with a private concern. Although the cause of the incident is not known, the police suspect it to be a case of an old enmity. No arrest has been made so far. The victim died before he could be rushed to the hospital. This is the second murder in the last 24 hours.

A retired government employee, Jagdish Naraya Shukla, had been shot dead by a youth at Subhash Colony in Ballabgarh town on Wednesday evening. The accused had his face covered with a cloth, opened fire while Jagdish was sitting outside his house. The accused fled after committing the crime. Earlier, a six-year-old boy of Surya Nagar had been found murdered by the police. The victim Saroj alias Bhola had been missing since September 16.

It is stated that his neighbours had allegedly murdered the boy over handling of a cable wire passing over his house. Two persons, including a woman, have been booked for murder. The police are also reported to be groping in the dark in connection with the murder that took place on the night of September 12, in which a 25-year-old youth, identified as Ashok, was hacked to death in Fatehpur Chandila village here. The accused, numbering five, are still at large.

Rewari rally to be an anti-Bhajan Lal show 
Our Correspondent

The rally will try to project Rao Inderjit Singh as an alternative non-Jat leader to Mr Bhajan Lal.

Chautala, Bansi Lal misleading people on 
SYL issue: Bhajan
Our Correspondent

Rohtak, September 19
Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee chief Bhajan Lal has charged Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala and former Chief Minister Bansi Lal with misleading the masses over the construction of Sutlej-Yamuna Link Canal issue.

In a statement here on Wednesday, Mr Bhajan Lal claimed that the then Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi, laid the foundation stone of the canal in 1982 and 95 per cent of the construction work had been completed in his tenure. He alleged that Mr Chautala and Mr Bansi Lal had been misinforming the masses over the issue to derive political mileage and to hide their failures.

The Congress leader claimed that the state government had filed a writ petition in the apex court seeking completion of the canal during his tenure, and added that the court decided in favour of Haryana a few months ago. He alleged that Mr Chautala had never bothered to negotiate with the then Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Prakash Singh Badal, regarding the completion of the canal during his two-and-a-half-year tenure even when Mr Badal was considered to be a close friend of the Chautala family. He announced that the party would strive for the due share of water if it came to power.

Mr Bhajan Lal announced that the party had been getting whole-hearted support from the masses during its public meetings and rallies. He said rallies would be held at the district and block levels in protest against the ‘faulty’ policies of the state government as well as the Union Government.

Stating that the devoted and dedicated workers would be given due respect in the party, he claimed that the state Congress would win all the 10 Lok Sabha seats and Ms Sonia Gandhi would be the next Prime Minister.

Sonepat old city in water throes again
Our Correspondent

Sonepat, September 19
The supply of drinking water in the old section of the city has been curtailed again by the Public Health Department without any prior notice.

According to a report, thousands of residents living in this part of the city, who used to get water twice a day are now getting the supply in the morning for half-an-hour in each zone. The supply is reportedly erratic and the pressure is always low. Residents allege that whenever a particular keyman is on duty, the supply of water has been disrupted for hours together.

The areas of Ram Bazar and Mohalla Kalan, it may be recalled, had been denied water supply in the evening between June 28 and August 4. During these summer days, the residents had made several requests for water but the taps remained dry in the evening.

Residents alleged that the officials of the PHD - from the JEs to the Superintending Engineer - were responsible for the mess as they had ignored the public complaints about the stoppage of water supply in the evening hours without any reason and about shifting the ‘erring’ keyman. It is learnt that PHD authorities have posted the same keyman again in the evening shift. Residents alleged this is why these areas had been denied water supply. This has caused great resentment among the residents of the areas.

The office-bearers of the Federation of All Residents Welfare Associations are planning to call on the Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, here tomorrow to lodge a strong protest against the “anti-people” attitude of the Executive Engineer and the Superintending Engineer and demand immediate suspension of the officials found responsible for the water crisis.

Include women in decision making process: Sheila
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 19
Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit stressed the need for attitudinal changes towards women world over so that they were consulted in all major decision-making processes, including war decisions. Only then, the 21st century could be termed as belonging to women, she added.

She was inaugurating a teleconference of women’s empowerment programme on the creation of virtual classrooms in the low literacy areas in India under the Women’s Empowerment Project, financed by the Women and Child Development, Government of India, at the Electronic Media Production Centre of Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU).

The Chief Minister emphasised the need for education, health and economic independence as the basic criteria, which would result in women being the decision-maker in families. In fact, power started from the family itself and women were more important than men for their empowerment needs and homogenous family relations.

Mrs Dikshit said that simple knowledge of laws concerning their rights of empowerment was not sufficient; these must be exercised so that the gender bias in the country was removed. Prof H. P. Dikhsit, Vice-Chancellor, IGNOU, emphasised the need for information technology to reach the far-flung areas in the country. He cited the example of North-East where entrepreneur courses for food preservation and training for women were launched so that foods could be sold before they were rotten. This had been a great success.

Tendergate: CBI probe demanded
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 19
The Leader of the Opposition in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), Mr Subhash Arya, today demanded a CBI inquiry into the alleged tender racket following the arrest of the brother of a corporator on Wednesday. The corporator’s brother, Brahm Prakash Nagar, was arrested for allegedly threatening a contractor of the corporation. Nagar had demanded 20 per cent commission for the tender given to him.

If the commission was not given, he would not be considered for any contract of the corporation’s work in future, he is reported to have threatened. The corporator, Nathu Ram Nagar is chairman of a committee in Civil Lines zone. Mr Subhash Arya alleged that the tender mafia operated in the corporation in connivance with the Congress corporators. Not a single tender is passed without commission given to the mafia whether it is the corporation’s or the DDA’s tender.

Addressing media persons, he said that the role of the mafia came to light after the cancellation of earnest money deposited along with the application forms submitted by the contractors. The earnest money was cancelled during the BJP reign in the corporation with the permission of the then standing committee members. It was just an experiment. Since it leads to corruption, the decision to cancel earnest money should be overruled, Mr Arya said. He alleged that the tenders were inflated by 20 to 30 per cent.

The increased money goes into the pockets of contractors to cover the commission they gave to the mafia.It is also noticed that infighting between the contractors in many cases resulted in delay of development work in the corporation and this kind of malpractice led to the loss of crores of rupees every year to the corporation. 

DELHI DIGEST
Pay property tax before Sept 30 to get rebate
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 19
The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has advised the property owners in the Capital to deposit their property tax before September 30 to avail the benefit of attractive rebates. It will also enable them to avail the benefit of the new system of assessment of property tax based on the Unit Area Method, which is to be introduced from April next year. The MCD has, therefore, warned property owners not to hold back their dues as it may create problems for them, a press release said.

School AIDS programme

The Government of NCT of Delhi is expanding its School AIDS Education Programme to reach out to more students. The programme has thus far covered 600 schools. On the occasion of the inauguration of the ‘Training of Trainer Workshop on AIDS Prevention and Care’, organised by Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University in collaboration with Unesco and the Delhi State AIDS Control Society, Health Minister A. K. Walia today said youth aged between 15 and 25 years were vulnerable to AIDS.

Elected to MCD panel

Municipal Councillor from Shakarpur in East Delhi Roshan Lal Ahuja has been unanimously elected member of the Standing Committee of the MCD to fill up the vacant seat. The seat fell vacant after the death of Atma Ram Gupta, who was allegedly murdered by another Councillor, Sharda Jain. Sharda has been arrested, a press release said.

Gurdwara panel meeting

The first meeting of the Shiromani Gurdwara Sewadar Committee’s newly elected office-bearers was held on Wednesday and the problems of Sikh community were discussed. President of the panel S. Tehal Singh said that it had been decided that camps of Gurmat teachings would be organised for the Sikh youth. 

NCR BRIEFS
DC forms team to catch stragglers
Our Correspondent

Rohtak, September 19
The Deputy Commissioner, Mr Ashok Yadav, has constituted a team of district officials to ensure the timely arrival of staff at the government offices and government educational institutions.

The official team, comprising Additional Deputy Commissioner Rakesh Gupta, City Magistrate G. L. Yadav, SDM (Rohtak) Kumar Supraveen and SDM (Meham) Capt Shakti Singh, would conduct surprise inspections twice in a week and submit a report in this regard to the Deputy Commissioner. He cautioned the officials and employees that strict action would be taken against those found absent from their duties during the surprise inspections.

Seven hurt in clash

Jhajjar: At least seven persons were injured, one of them seriously, in a fierce clash between two groups late last evening in Dabodha Khurd village of the district. According to information, sharp-edged weapons, including jalis, axes, lathis and even bricks, were used freely in the encounter. All the injured were rushed to the Community Health Centre at Bahadurgarh at night from where one of them was referred to the PGIMS at Rohtak in a serious condition.

The police have registered a case under Sections 323, 324 and 326/34, IPC in this connection. Police sources said that a minor brawl between the women folk of two families over the construction of houses suddenly snowballed into a major clash. The injured were identified as Omprakash, Jai Singh, Raje, Ram Niwas, Guddi, Naresh and Azad.

Lawyers go on strike

Members of the District Bar Association went on a one-day strike today in protest against the registration of police case against two lawyers of the Bar. A delegation of the lawyers, led by president Naseeb Kadian, called on the Inspector General of Police, Rohtak range, Mr Resham Singh, demanding the scrapping of the FIR against the lawyers.

Paper reading contest

Panipat: The Science Association of SD College organised a paper reading contest on Tuesday. According to Dr V. K. Malhotra, president of the association, Shipra Shingla and Manika were elected general secretary and finance secretary respectively of the association for 2002-03 on the basis of their performance in the contest. The college principal, Mr M. L. Gupta, presided over the contest.

Sugar mill gets award

Faridabad: The Cooperative Sugar Mill at Palwal town in the district has been awarded the second prize for maintaining technical excellence at the national level for 2001-2002 by the National Cooperative Sugar Mills Federation. The mill authorities received the prize at a function held recently in New Delhi. The Union Food and Public Distribution Minister, Mr Sharad Yadav, was the chief guest on the occasion.

Govt staff shot by brother

Sonepat: Mr Jagdish, a Class IV employee of the Excise and Taxation Department was allegedly shot dead by his younger brother Ramesh at Butana village, about 50 km from here, last evening. According to a report, the alleged assailant is a dreaded crimina.

Four injured in Gokal Puri fire
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 19
Four people including two children received minor burn injuries in a fire incident yesterday evening in Shiv Vihar, Gokal Puri. The fire occurred due to the leakage in a gas cylinder in a readymade garment shop.

The police said that the victims, Ramesh (25), who was filling gas in a cylinder in front of the shop and Rajiv Shukla (25) were taken to a nearby nursing home. Two sisters Preety (12) and Naina (11), who were in the shop at the time of incident, received minor burn injuries and were taken to the G.T.B. Hospital. The Gokal Puri police have registered a case of negligence and have arrested the owner of the shop Ram Singh. The Delhi Police has added “Women Helpline” with toll free phone No.1091 and 341-1091with hunting lines in order to help women in distress, in addition to the existing telephone number 100. Specially trained women police officers will receive the calls. 

Mashelkar honoured 
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 19
R.A Mashelkar, FRS, Director General, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) was presented the prestigious ‘Priyadarshni Academy Global Award 2002’ by the Deputy Prime Minister, Mr L.K.Advani, for his leadership role in Indian science and technology.

As the Director General of CSIR, Dr Mashelkar transformed CSIR from an

inward looking organisation to a user-focused, performance-driven and innovation-oriented organisation.

This year, Dr Mashelkar has been honoured with the honorary degree of Doctorate of Science (DSc) by the University of Wisconsin, US; University of London, UK, and Banaras Hindu University, for his scientific research contributions.

The other eminent awardees this year include: Mr John Prescott, Dy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for

Environment, Transport, and Regions, UK, Ms Satu Hassi, Minister for Environment and Development Cooperation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Finland, and Mr B.R. Chopra, the famous Indian film producer and director.

The ‘Priyadarshni Academy Awards’ acknowledge and felicitate outstanding achievements of various individuals in their respective field of activities like literature and entrepreneurship, science and technology, environment protection, education, work in the areas of Aids, drug addiction, fine arts and films.

CRIME

Most wanted criminal of Jamia Nagar nabbed
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 19
The Anti-Robbery Section of the Crime Branch today claimed to have nabbed one of the top 10 notorious criminals involved in 16 cases of heinous crimes in the Jamia Nagar area. The police also recovered one spring-actuated knife from the criminal, Mohd Azhar.

According to the Crime Branch, the accused is a desperate criminal and had been involved in 16 cases of dacoity, attempt to murder, riot and land grabbing. The name of the accused also figured on the website of the Delhi Police as one among the top 10 criminals wanted by them.

The police said that the accused was also wanted in a case of dacoity that took place in the house of Mrs Shamima Parveen in Jakir Nagar on January 1, 2000. He was also wanted in a case of hijacking of a DTC bus on April 18, 2000 from the Jamia area to Jantar Mantar. Azhar was also involved in a case of abduction of one Abdul Khalid of Toba Colony on January 4, 1999. Abdul Khalid was brutally tortured by the accused and his associates for extorting money. Besides, he also led a gang of musclemen and was indulging in land-grabbing and forcible dispossession.

Azhar had become a big terror in the Jamia Nagar area where no one was prepared to come forward to co-operate with the police or provide any information about him. Because of this, the accused had been evading arrest for many years. The officials of the Crime Branch are interrogating the accused to unearth his activities and trace his other associates.

Gangster held: The Central District police today claimed to have arrested a dreaded criminal, Fateh Mohammed, member of the notorious Chota Nawab-Anees gang. The gang has been involved in a number of sensational and heinous crimes in and around Delhi and U.P. The accused Fateh Mohammed, resident of Jama Masjid, was apprehended from a private hospital in Meerut where he was admitted for treatment after an accident in western UP. The accused was admitted for treatment under the fake name of Taj Lala.

Fateh Mohammed and his other associates were involved in a robbery case at Karkardooma red light in which he was shot at. During interrogation, he revealed his involvement in many robbery and dacoity cases several part of the Capital. He has a well organised gang which operates in various parts of Delhi. Fateh never hesitated to kill his targets.