TOP STORIES

After euphoria, The agony!
New Delhi, March 23
Coming events had cast their shadows before. After the failure of Sachin Tendulkar, disappointment was writ large on the faces of Indians. Though many of them put up a brave front for a while, thinking that the exit of the master blaster was just one of the slips between cup and lip.

Before the cup slipped: Huge TV screens were installed in many areas of the Capital to show the World Cup final on Sunday. — Tribune Photo Mukesh Aggarwal

Sonepat sans sports stadium for three decades
Sonepat, March 23
Despite several sportspersons from Sonepat district excelling at the national and international levels, it remains without a sports stadium, which is considered the first requirement in the promotion of sports.

CRIME SPIRAL
Seven PPCL officials in CBI net
Ghaziabad, March 23
The Central Bureau of Investigation had filed a case of fraud and cheating involving crores of rupees against the seven officials of the PPCL, a Government of India Undertaking, and the owner of a firm in Pucca Bagh, Hapur.

CRIME AGAINST WOMEN
NH blocked against rape, murder
Faridabad, March 23
Hundreds of residents of Omchagaon village of Ballabgarh sub-division came out on the road today to block the National Highway No. II passing from here in protest against the ‘delayed’ police action in the incident of abduction, rape and murder of a teenaged girl of the village. The victim, 13, died in the hospital last night. She had been abducted on March 18 and abandoned in a semi-conscious condition.

Shaheed Smarak: Kargil martyrs to go down in history

New Delhi, March 23 A centenarian has done what the institutions and corporate entities would find it hard even to plan. At 127, Swami Kalyan Devji Maharaj wears his age well and shows little sign of slowing down. At Shukratal on the Ganges, the ageless Swami recently consecrated a special memorial to all 527 martyrs of the Kargil war, the only one of its kind in the country. Army brass paying homage to Kargil heroes.

COMMUNITY

Wrong identification led to demolition: Badmalik villagers
Sonepat, March 23
More than a dozen houses in Badmalik village reportedly constructed on encroached village panchayat land were razed to the ground on Saturday by a demolition squad of the administration, led by Panchayat Officer Vedpal, in the presence of a police contingent.

CITU strike on March 27 against lockouts
Ghaziabad, March 23
In a mahapanchayat organised by the district unit of the CITU, different labour leaders expressed concern at the increasing trends of lockouts and retrenchment of workers. The mahapanchayat has decided to express solidarity with the workers’ causes by opposing the “high-handedness and anti-worker policies” of the management and to observe a one-day strike in industrial units on March 27.

Mahila Vikas Nigam to give Rs 5 crore as loan
Sonepat, March 23
The chairperson of the Haryana Mahila Vikas Nigam, Mrs Bimla Sangwan, has claimed that the nigam had done commendable work in the socio-economic uplift of women in the state during more than three years’ rule of the Chautala government. During this period, the share capital of the nigam had been increased from Rs 5 crore to Rs 10 crore.

Haryana chemists to observe bandh on March 25
Faridabad, March 23
Over 6,700 chemists and drug retailers of Haryana will observe a strike or bandh on March 25 in protest against the Value Added Tax (VAT) proposed to come into force from April 1.

SPECIAL FOCUS ON SONEPAT
Tributes paid to Bhagat Singh

Sonepat, March 23 Rich tributes were paid to the revolutionaries and martyrs like Shaheed-e-Azam Sardar Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev at a meeting organised by the Shaheed Yaadgaar Sangathan here today. Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit being presented a photograph of Bhagat Singh at a function organised by the Kendriya Arya Yuvak Parishad at her residence to mark the ‘Martyrdom Day of Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev’ by Parishad president Anil Arya and MLA Rajesh Jain in the Capital.

NCR BRIEFS
Heart surgery facility at Gurgaon 
Gurgaon, March 23
The Umkal Hospital and M.P Heart Research Institute here will soon have facilities for heart surgery. This was disclosed by the director and senior cardiologist of the hospital, Dr Umesh Gupta. Dr Gupta made the disclosure during the seventh anniversary celebrations of the hospital yesterday evening.

Swami passes away VAT criticised

Prize distribution

CRIME

Two criminals nabbed after encounter in Noida 
Noida, March 23
The police have arrested two criminals after an encounter and recovered country-made revolver, cartridges and a stolen motorbike from them. According to Mahesh Chander, SO incharge of the police station (Phase-II), he had been tipped off by a source that two criminals were moving around Kulesara on a motorcycle, apparently to commit a crime.

Truck loaded with  tyres looted 
New Delhi, March 23
Truck loaded with tyres worth lakhs of rupees was robbed by four unidentified youths armed with lathis near Bakoli village in North West district yesterday. The tyres were loaded in the truck from a godown in the village and left for its destination in Haryana in the evening.

BUSINESS

SHOWCASE
Accessories designed to complement the aspirations 
of the young
Oriflame has announced its new men’s range of grooming aids, Rebel, that include shaving foam, aftershave balm, talc and soaps and fragrances designed to thrill the masculine spirit. The CEO, Oriflame, Peter Hauggaard, said, “this range is a celebration of the characteristics that make Oriflame products very popular in India. Oriflame’s products are designed to complement the aspirations of the young and energetic.”

EDUCATION

SCHOOL BUZZ
Shemrock School opens new chapter in Pitampura

Chairman of the Delhi Public School Society Narendra Kumar inaugurated the new building of Shemrock School in Pitampura. Hundreds of students and their parents attended the inaugural function. Events like Baby show, fancy dress competition, puppet show, bubble gum blowing and colouring competition were organised. Chairman of the Delhi Public School Society Narendra Kumar inaugurating the new building of Shemrock School.

Kids’ portfolio Kudos to Annie

Science paper contest Jharokha

PRINCIPALSPEAKS Who is a good teacher? The new term at school brings new promises, hopes and joys. It also brings some apprehensions. The children often wonder what their new teacher will be like. This brings a very pertinent question to the fore - Who is a good teacher?

COURTS

Life imprisonment awarded for murder
Ghaziabad, March 23
Two resident of Mandila village under Loni police station were sentenced to life imprisonment for murder by senior Judge, Ambrish Kumar. The culprits have also been fined Rs 10,000 each.

HEALTH

Book calls for adoption of TB patients 
Faridabad, March 23
“Do you wish to help someone in dire need; someone who is helpless and lonely yet ignored by the society, someone who is poor and suffers from a chronic disease, which in turn belongs to one of the most neglected fields of medicine; and even a very small help to whom might prove to be life saving? Adopt one TB patient for six months and feel the difference.”

1.17 lakh tuberculosis patients treated
New Delhi, March 23
Over 1.17 lakh individuals suffering from tuberculosis have been treated in NCT of Delhi in the last five years. The death rate has declined from 25 per cent pre-1997 to 2.5 per cent in 2002.

SPORTS

Strong contenders for Royal Challenge Open

New Delhi, March 23 A strong field of top-class players, including six former Indian Open champions, will vie for the coveted title in the $300,000 Royal Challenge Indian Open Golf Championship, to be held at the Delhi Golf Club course from March 27 to 30. India-born Daniel Chopra of Sweden and Arjun Atwal exchange notes on the eve of the Indian Open Golf.

Health Ministry crush EIL in DDCA League
New Delhi, March 23
Ministry of Health trounced Engineers India Ltd (EIL) by 40 runs in an A-I Division match of the DDCA League at the Kotla I ground. Fine knocks from Rajeev Ahuja and Sanjeev Kalra help Ministry of Health to put up a good score.

Abraham helps Delphi trounce Hudco
New Delhi, March 23
A swashbuckling knock of 42, off 47 balls with three boundaries and one six by Abraham Joseph, enabled Delphi Automotive defeat Hudco by six wickets in the Reebok Cricket Tournament. Abraham Joseph and Ram Chander put on 91 runs for the opening wicket to put Delphi on course to the victory target.

University sports trophy
Rohtak, March 23
Jat College, Rohtak, and Adarsh Mahila Mahavidyalaya, Bhiwani received the overall sports trophy of Maharshi Dayanand University in men’s and women’s category in the annual sports prize distribution function of the university held here today.

Railway Officers in semi-final
New Delhi, March 23
Bharat Duphar hit an unbeaten 51 as Railway Officers Cricket Association beat Sar Group by six wickets to enter the semi-final of the Teri Cup Cricket Tournament at the Teri Oval. SAR Group made 142 for 7 in 25 overs.

Bicycle race today