TOP STORIES

VOLTE-FACE
Grooms scoot, leaving maidens fuming at the altar
Noida, February 18
For five young women, attired in bridal costumes and bedecked in ornaments, it was an eternal wait at the Arya Samaj Mandir in Sector 33 here. Their hearts sank when they heard that the grooms had all run away.

INDIA GATE THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS Tribune Photo Mukesh Aggarwal

Demolition only after notices
Faridabad, February 18
Though thousands of residents of A C Nagar locality have got respite from the demolition squad, the threat has not yet blown over.

HIGH-HANDEDNESS
MDU hauled up yet again
Rohtak, February 18
Reprimanding Maharshi Dayanand University (MDU) for its ‘high-handedness’ in the matter of BEd admissions, the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum has directed it to pay Rs 50,000 as compensation to a rejected aspirant.

Huge haul of country-made firearms from shrine
Meerut, February 18
A rich haul of country-made firearms has been made from the premises of a place of worship. Three persons, including the master craftsman, were arrested. Senior Superintendent of Police Mukul Goel told mediapersons at a press conference that SHO of the Lisari Gate police station S. P. Singh and seven constables were patrolling the Summer Garden Colony area at 5.30 pm and spotted a person moving in a suspicious manner. 

Five hurt in New Lajpat Rai Market fire

New Delhi, February 18 Five persons were injured and three shops gutted in a fire that broke out in the busy New Lajpat Rai Market in North Delhi early this morning. The injured were employees in shops who were sleeping when the fire broke out. They were identified as Makan Singh, Chin Bahadur, Nar Bahadur, Girand Singh and Kul Bahadur. One of the shops which was gutted. — Tribune Photo

CRIME SPIRAL
Child finds mother strangled on return from school
Ghaziabad, February 18
A housewife, resident of posh Shashi Nagar, was killed yesterday and her house ransacked by unidentified criminals. The incident happened at 11 am when Anupam Srivastava was alone at the house. Her husband D. K. Srivastava, an engineer in the Agra Development Authority, had left at 7 am. Their children Sonka and Sanyak had left for tuition while Monika had gone to school.

Shops razed to pave way for Chautala’s motorcade
Sonepat, February 18
The district administration has intensified its anti-encroachment drive in Kharkhauda town in view of the proposed visit of Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala tomorrow under the `Sarkar Aap Ke Dwar’ programme.

COMMUNITY

DELHI IN PARLIAMENT
Water conforms to BIS norms, says DJB
New Delhi, February 18
The Delhi Jal Board (DJB) says the water it supplies in NCT of Delhi conforms to the standards laid down by the Bureau of Indian Standards. Union Minister of State for Urban Development and Poverty Alleviation Radhakrishnan on Tuesday told the Lok Sabha that the water did not contain chemicals, heavy metals or bacteria.

SURAJKUND MELA
Thin crowds, jaded wares, prohibitive cost and 
pandering to VIPs
Faridabad, February 18
The 17th Surajkund crafts mela, which concluded here recently, had hardly any remarkable achievement to its credit notwithstanding the tall claims made by the organisers. Locals have increasingly been feeling alienated by the brouhaha over the mela.

SPECIAL FOCUS ON GURGAON
Move to acquire land has peasantry in a tizzy
Gurgaon, February 18
A large number of farmers of about half a dozen villages in Gurgaon subdivision are a wary lot. The Haryana Government has initiated moves for the acquisition of land in Khandsa, Gadoli, Mohammadpur, Jharsa, Narsingpur and Begumpur Khatola villages. Notices have been issued under Section 4 of the Land Acquisition Act,1894, by the Haryana Urban Development Authority(HUDA).

Retired from Army, but anxious to soldier on in life
Meerut, February 18
It was a ‘barat’, as it were, of ex-servicemen. There was an air of tension and excitement as is witnessed in a marriage pandal. The occasion was the meeting of ex-servicemen with the General Officer Commanding Uttar Bharat Area Maj-General K C Vig AVSM, VSM in the Sub-Area Officers Mess. Some retired officials put up their grievances before the GOC and sought his help on the occasion. 

IOC donates Rs 2 lakh for Noida war memorial

New Delhi, February 18 The pipeline division of the Indian Oil Corporation has donated a sum of Rs 2 lakh for the maintenance of Shaheed Smarak, a war memorial in Noida. The IOC said this would help preserve ecological balance and pay reverence to those who sacrificed their lives. Mr A.M. Uplenchwar, Director (Pipelines), Indian Oil Corporation Ltd, handing over a contribution cheque of Rs 2 lakh to Lt-General Gorakh Nath (retd), Executive Director of Noida Shaheed Smarak, at the war memorial site in Sector 29.

NCR BRIEFS
One killed in jeep-truck collision
Jhajjar, February 18
One person was killed and three were injured when the jeep in which they were travelling collided with a truck near Noona Majra village on Jhajjar-Bahadurgarh Road last night.

Ban on assembly of five persons

Stolen cars seized, two held

DELHI DIGEST 400 policemen donate blood New Delhi, February 18 As part of the Delhi Police Week celebrations, 400 police personnel donated blood at the Rotary Blood Bank at Tuglakabad Extension. A total of 460 units were donated. The blood donation camp was inaugurated by the Commissioner of Police R.S. Gupta. Senior officers including the Commissioner of Police also donated blood, police said.

ASI found sozzled during raid by DSP
Sonepat, February 18
Ram Kumar, an ASI, was found drunk when Mr Arun Nehra, DSP (Headquarters), conducted a surprise raid on the city police station here yesterday. According to a report, the ASI was medically examined by the police for taking departmental action. This action has caused panic among other employees of the police.

Boy killed, father hurt in accident
Sonepat, February 18
Mr Mukesh Kumar, a resident of this city and his four-year-old son Bharat Bhushan, were seriously injured when a speedy maxi jeep hit their scooter on the Sonepat-Gohana Road near a canal minor about three km from here last night.

CRIME

Old woman found dead 

New Delhi, February 18 The police are investigating the death of one Manjit Kaur (60), who died at her son’s house in Arjun Nagar in Kotla Mubarakpur this afternoon. According to the preliminary investigation, it was found that Manjit went to make a call around 10.30 am nearby. She reportedly experienced some pain and returned home. On return, she asked her daughter-in-law to massage her.  After a while, she went to sleep. Wailing relatives of 60-year-old Manjit Kaur outside her house at Arjun Nagar in Kotla Mubarakpur on Tuesday. — Tribune Photo

Dacoity bid thwarted, four held
New Delhi, February 18
With the arrest of four persons, the North-East district police today claimed to have foiled a dacoity attempt near Red Cross Hospital in Seemapuri. The police have recovered one countrymade pistol, one live cartridge and three knives from them.

EDUCATION

NAAC team to visit Sohna college
Gurgaon, February 18
A team of the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), Bangalore, will visit Nirankari Baba Gurbachan Singh Memorial College (NBGSMC), Sohna, on February 26 and 27.

THE STATE OF AFFAIRS
Fewer students taking CBSE exams in the Capital
New Delhi, February 18
There is a decrease in the number of students taking the classes X and XII board exams in the Capital. Of the 9.27 lakh students who are ready to take the exams being conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Examinations (CBSE) scheduled to start next month, 3,47,484 students are from Delhi alone.

Team to assess MDU track record
Rohtak, February 18
A seven-member team of the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) headed by Prof Madhav Chandra Dash, Vice-Chancellor of Sambalpur University in Orissa, is visiting the Maharshi Dayanand University from February 18 to 20 for assessment and accreditation of the university.

CULTURE

GLITZ&GLAMOUR
An artist who has taken on the mantle of a conservationist

Destiny painted the canvas of his life brilliant with myriad colours, but by his own admission his life has been “a disaster after disaster”. Celebrated artist David Shepherd became an artist when he failed to make it as a “game warden in Africa” and was left to either make living “driving a bus” or take up painting. David Shepherd with his bundle of joy, a baby tusker in the African wild.

Now, filter your lungs at GK oxygen bar
Indian cricketer Ajay Jadeja inaugurated a unique health centre, ‘Oxy Gym’, at Greater Kailash in the Capital. According to the chairman of the centre, Mr Navneet Arora, this centre has all the facilities, like aerobics studio, steam and sauna, massage parlour and oxygen bar. 

New jewellery range  from Aastha Leave it to Anita, now

A chip off the Punjabi pop block Tempting trinkets

SPORTS

Jamia, DAV College sail into semis
New Delhi, February 18
Faculty of Social Sciences, Jamia Millia Islamia (Delhi) defeated Jamal Mohd College, Tiruchirappalli 6-0 to sail into the semi-final of the 10th Nehru Champion Colleges Hockey Tournament at the Shivaji Stadium on Tuesday. DAV College, Jalandhar trounced Rourkela Municipal College, Rourkela 7-1 to complete the semi-final line-up.

Delhi Under-17 cricket team felicitated
New Delhi, February 18
The Delhi Under-17 Cricket team, who recently lifted the All-India Vijay Merchant Trophy Under-17 Cricket Tournament title at Kanpur, were felicitated by the Cricketers’ Association of Delhi.

Mayank Sidana hits unbeaten ton in U-17 tourney
New Delhi, February 18
An unbeaten century knock of 130 by Mayank Sidana and a devastating 6 for 48 bowling performance by leg-spinner Aviral Himmat Ramka helped Modern School defeat Mount St Marry’s School on the basis of their first innings lead and entered the final of the sixth Inter-School Under-17 Cricket Tournament at the Gyan Bharti School ground, Saket.

Jiwajirao Scindia Polo from today
New Delhi, February 18
The Raymond Maharaja Jiwajirao Scindia Gold Cup Polo Tournament will be held at the Jaipur Polo ground from February 19 to 23. Twelve top teams of the country will vie for honours in this prestigious tournament.

Pawan and Parveen adjudged best athletes
Rohtak, February 18
Pawan Kumar and Praveen were declared the best athletes among boys and girls of the 31st annual athletic meet of Sh. L.N. Hindu College, which concluded here today. Pawan, a student of BA first year of the college, emerged winner in 100-m and 200m races.