TOP STORIES

Videotaped sex acts out of the closet
New Delhi, October 24
The West district police today claimed to have arrested a teenaged girl and a shopkeeper of readymade garments for allegedly running a call girl racket and fleecing lakhs of rupees from businessmen after video recording the victims in compromising positions with call girls. The films were reportedly shot with the aid of a hidden camera. The shopkeeper of readymade garments, Govind Bansal, was the brain behind the racket.

The box with a hole bored for the video camera, which on the sly taped the lewd acts. (Right) The accomplices in the sex racket being led at Rajouri Garden police station in the Capital on Thursday. — Tribune Photos Mukesh Aggarwal

Models exhibit the ethereal creations from Mynah, a lifestyle retail chain launched in New Delhi recently.

Smitten soldier rescues girl from brothel
Meerut, October 24
A teenaged girl scaled the banisters of a brothel in a red light area and fled to safety, goaded by a soldier who promised to marry her if she wriggled out of the clutches of the traffickers. Several pimps employed by the brothel chased the girl, but the traders in the iron market and some passers-by protested and prevented the pimps from taking her back to the hell-hole.

DSGMC ‘BUNGLING’
Hit kicks up row over baptism bills
New Delhi, October 24
Mr. Avtar Singh Hit and Mr. Kuldip Singh Bhogal, president and secretary general of the Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal), Delhi state, respectively, today accused the Tohra faction-administered Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) of misappropriating Rs. 25 lakhs in the “Amrit Sanchar (baptism) ceremony recently.

DULINA LYNCHING
Gauraksha ‘panchayat’ has no regrets
Jhajjar, October 24
A panchayat organised here today asked the leaders of all parties to desist from politicising and giving a caste colour to the Dulina lynching case and threatened to gherao them if any politician came here to gain political mileage out of the issue.

• Slaughterhouses continue to thrive

Bhiwadi up in arms
Cost recovered, tax still being levied
Bhiwadi (Alwar), October 24
Widespread resentment prevails among villagers and industrialists against the authorities for continuing with the collection of toll tax on a state highway passing through this industrial town of Rajasthan. They are angry that their repeated pleas to scrap the practice even to the Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Mr Ashok Gehlot, has not borne fruit.

COMMUNITY

A festival of Punjabi food, rustic fare
New Delhi, October 24
With the autumn setting in slowly, it is time for family and friends to once again long for the rustic festive pleasures. Complimenting this festive mood, Essex Farm at Aurobindo Marg (near IIT flyover) is organising a `Punjabi Food Festival’, which will continue till this weekend.

NCR BRIEFS
Man held for girl’s murder
Narnaul, October 24
With the arrest of Birender alias Billu, resident of Dongra Ahir village, the Mahendragarh police claimed to have solved the rape-cum-murder of a five-year-old girl near Ateli bus stand.

• Application date extended
• Ban on crackers
• One killed in clash
• Beam falls, 30 hurt

Delhi Power Minister Ajay Maken handing over the ‘Power Excellence Award 2002’, which he received in Mumbai, to Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit in the Capital on Thursday. — Tribune Photo Mukesh Aggarwal

DELHI DIGEST
DMS remains public utility service
New Delhi, October 24
For the fourth time in succession, the services of the Delhi Milk Scheme has been declared a public utility service for another six months by the central government under the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947. The Labour Ministry in its notification said that this was done in public interest and the services of the DMS were declared as public utility service from April 24, 2001 for six months and subsequently twice for another six months from October 24, 2001 and April 24, 2002 respectively.

• Water supply in NDMC area
• Globetrotter to visit Capital

Bhairana, the sacred pilgrimage centre of Dadu devotees
Rewari, October 24
Shri Dadu Dham Bhairana, which lies in the secluded hilly tract of Bichoon district in the Jaipur division of Rajasthan, has become a sacred place of pilgrimage for lakhs of devotees of Saint Dadu Dayal Ji Maharaj from Haryana. The devotees come from Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra and other parts of the country. They hold the place in reverence.

Families of policemen honoured
Ghaziabad, October 24
The families of nine police personnel of Ghaziabad were presented with a shawl each by the District Magistrate, Sanjeev Mittal, at a function held in the Police Lines here. "We should all draw inspiration from the policemen who make the supreme sacrifice for the maintenance of peace and law and order in the country," the District Magistrate said.

CBI Director elected to Interpol executive
New Delhi, October 24
Mr P. C. Sharma, Director of the Central Bureau of Investigation, has been elected to the Executive Committee of Interpol. In the election to the post, Mr Sharma defeated Georges Boustani, Head of National Central Bureau and Head of Internal Security of Lebanon.

4 classmates missing, tutors suspect
Ghaziabad
Four school students are missing from Sahibabad Colony, Rajender Nagar, for the last six days for which two teachers, who used to give them tuition, are being suspected. The police have registered a case of missing persons.

Speed devices must in Capital
New Delhi, October 24
The city government today informed the Delhi High Court that it would ban those heavy, medium and light goods vehicles from plying in the National Capital Region, which have not installed “speed governors.’’

CRIME

Two commit suicide in Delhi hotel
New Delhi, October 24
Two men allegedly committed suicide in Hotel Harsha International in Nabi Karim area in North Delhi. One of them was identified as Sujal Chatterjee, a resident of Dabri area. Sujal and his associate checked into the hotel on 22 October. Reportedly, they were not seen after they had brought dinner into their room from outside the hotel.

• Extortionists arrested

• Man murdered

• Illegal liquor seized

• Auto-lifters held

Extortion gang busted, four held
New Delhi, October 24
With the arrest of four persons, the South district police today claimed to have busted a gang of desperate robbers and extortionists who had committed a sensational robbery in Sarita Vihar on October 1. The police have recovered a stolen CD player, a brief case with clothes, mobile phone and a country-made weapon from their possession.

BUSINESS

Dairy product co launches online shopping
New Delhi, October 24
VRS Foods, manufacturer of the Paras range of dairy products, has announced the launch of a cybershop that would allow consumers to place their orders online. As an endeavour towards building strong consumer relationships, VRS Foods has undertaken this “first-of-its-kind initiative” in the dairy foods industry.

COURTS

NBWs issued against directors of company
Noida, October 24
A local court has issued non-bailable arrest warrants against the former Army chief, Field Marshal Sam Maneckshaw, Air Chief Marshal (retd) N. C. Suri, the former DG of the BSF, Mr Vijay Karan, and the Chairman of Prudential Capital Markets Ltd, Mr Vinod Baid, in a fraud case.

CULTURE

ARTSCAPE Sounds of nature sing in chorus for this artist A selective collection of Prem Singh’s new works will be on display at the Gallery Art Forum, Sadhna Enclave, Panchsheel Park, from November 1 to 20 along with two of Delhi’s well-known artists-Niren Sengupta and Paramjeet Singh. His new works of art have been inspired by nature. Nature is united by a chorus that is being continuously sung without a break for him. These sounds weave designs and patterns that create a spell on him. These moments are being reflected with utmost sincerity in his latest collection of works. A must-visit for art aficionados Ambling down the path of grace

A nature-inspired work by Prem Singh

SONEPAT
No amenities in govt hospitals
Sonepat, October 24
One has to take life saving drugs and other medicines, bandages etc from the market along with him if he wants to take treatment from Sonepat civil hospital and other health institutions in the urban and rural areas of the district. This has been the state for affairs in the government hospitals, dispensaries, community health centres and the primary health centres in this district for the last many decades.

MTNL Health Mela offers vital tips, free check-up
New Delhi, October 24
Around three lakh persons, including a large number of students, have already visited the ongoing MTNL Perfect Health Mela, organised by the Heart Care Foundation of India in association with various governmental and non-governmental bodies at Talkatora Grounds.

MDR-TB centre to be set up at LNJP
New Delhi, October 24
The Government of Delhi is to set up a Multi-Drug Resistant (MDR)-TB Treatment Centre shortly at the Lok Nayak Hospital. It will be the first of its kind in the country. A decision to this effect was taken in a high-level meeting held under the chairmanship of the Delhi Health and Family Welfare Minister, Dr A. K. Walia.

SPORTS

Former India player and Delhi Ranji Trophy selector Surender Khanna and North Delhi Cricketers’ Association secretary Himmat Saini with the Mohammedan Sporting cricket team.

Sonnet Club captain Davender Sharma receiving the Dr Goswami Girdhari Lal Memorial Cricket Trophy from DDCA sports secretary Sunil Dev.

BSF win cross country races in police meet
New Delhi, October 24
The Border Security Force won the team championships in the 4km and 12km races by logging 14 and 15 points, respectively, in the All-India Police Aquatic and Cross Country Championships. In the 4km race, the Central Reserve Police Force and Rajasthan finished second and third while in the 12km race, the CRPF came second while the Central Industrial Security Force accounted for the third place.

Neeraj Sharma hits century
New Delhi, October 24
An unbeaten century by Neeraj Sharma and fiery bowling by Anoop Rao (3 for 8) helped G M Traders beat Rena Sonic by 105 runs in a league match of the first Turf Sports Management Cricket Tournament at the Jamia Milia ground. Neeraj Sharma was declared the man of the match.

• Deadly bowling by Amit Kalyan

• Goswami Club enter semi-final

Collegians crush Hans Club
New Delhi, October 24
Collegians Club drubbed Hans Club 4-1 in an A Division Super League match of the Delhi Soccer Association (DSA)-SAIL Open Clubs Football League Championship at Ambedkar Stadium.

Hero Honda beat Jassal
New Delhi, October 24
Hero Honda beat Jassal Ranganathan Associates by seven wickets in the sixth DG Phadkar Memorial Cricket Tournament at the Teri Oval.

Reckitt down Sundaram in Eventus Cup
New Delhi, October 24
Reckitt Benckiser beat Royal Sundaram by four wickets with 1.5 overs to spare in a league match of the second Eventus Cup Cricket Tournament at the Palam ground. Extras played a vital role as Reckitt conceded 41 extras while Royal Sundaram’s tally was 46.

• DDA Open Roller Skating

Shifting of dyeing units runs into rough weather
Panipat, October 24
With the district administration allegedly adopting a soft approach, the shifting of about 500 dyeing units from the residential areas to Sector 29 Industrial Area seems to have run into rough weather.

Ban on 15-yr-old autos
Faridabad, October 24
Admitting that air pollution in the town has been growing, the Deputy Commissioner today announced that the administration would soon ban the plying of auto-rickshaws that are more than 15 years’ old.