TOP STORIES

DDA SCAM
CBI arrests former HC judge
New Delhi, April 30
In a major development in the DDA scam, the CBI today arrested former high court judge Shamit Mukherjee on charges of corruption and abuse of his official position. Mukherjee had submitted his resignation on March 31 after his name surfaced in the scandal.

In all, eleven places were searched on Wednesday morning, including the official residence of former High Court Judge Shamit Mukherjee at B-10, Zakir Hussain Marg, and his two premises at Chittaranjan Park.  — Tribune Photo

When Govt usurps school buildings with the impunity of encroachers
Faridabad, April 30
Although the Chief Minister inaugurated the newly constructed building of a primary school in sector 21-D here yesterday, there is perhaps no guarantee that it will be used for the purpose for which it was built and not be occupied to run a government office. There are such misgivings as several school buildings have been taken over by the administration in the town.

Bollywood actor and model Milind Soman and fresher Natanya Sen, who were in the Capital on Wednesday to promote their film Surya. — Tribune Photo Mukesh Aggarwal

These days students are wary of being kept occupied
New Delhi, April 30
Summer vacations are something that scores of students may not look forward to. Uncanny as it may sound, students are likely to be wary of these breaks, which entail not just copious amount of homework but also gruelling exercise sessions, sports practice and computer classes with dance and music lessons thrown in.

Farmers diverting wheat to Narela
Sonepat, April 30
Farmers in Sonepat district, especially those living along the Delhi border, have started diverting their wheat crop to the nearby Narela market. They hope to get a higher price in Narela than that prevailing in the mandis and purchase centres of the district.

DACOITY AT NOON
Armed men ransack exporter’s house
Panipat, April 30
In a daring act, armed robbers struck at the house of a prominent exporter on the GT Road near Kamal Cinema and made away with cash and jewellery worth over Rs 7 lakh.

POLES APART
Jal Board CEO does not agree with his CM on water shortage
New Delhi, April 30
Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit would like “illegal” colonies to be declared legal in accordance with the policy formulated in 1977 that suggested the settlers be exempted from the levy of penalties.

• BJP playing dog in manger: Maken

COMMUNITY

DELHI IN PARLIAMENT
9 positive SARS cases so far
New Delhi, April 30
The Lok Sabha was informed today that as many as nine positive SARS cases have been registered in the country so far. Out of these, six cases have been reported in Maharashtra, two in West Bengal and one in Goa, Health Minister Sushma Swaraj said in a written reply. She also gave treatment details of the patients and the list of hospitals in the country identified for treatment of the killer virus.

• Security beefed up

• Steps to reduce public inconvenience

Commissioner of Police R.S.Gupta after the inauguration of the bomb disposal and detection training centre at Yamuna Bazar in the Capital on Wednesday. — Tribune Photo Mukesh Aggarwal

Loan defaulter driven to suicide
New Delhi, April 30
Unable to pay back loans, an owner of a medical shop committed suicide last evening by consuming poison in the Civil Lines area. The businessman, identified as Ajay Gupta (40), resident of Ganapati Apartment in Alipur, runs a medical store in the Karol Bagh area.

• Illegal cylinder unit unearthed

• Load-shedding

Some homage this! Acquiring plots in dead father’s name
Noida, April 30
A man living in Sector 22, Noida, has got a plot from the Noida Authority by using the photograph of his dead father. A complaint about it has been made to the District Magistrate by Hemant Kumar of Sector 27. He has alleged that Sri Niwas, son of Murari Lal of Chaura in Sector 22, fleeced the Noida Authority of crores of rupees with the connivance of his family. According to the written complaint, Murari Lal, father of Sri Niwas, Ram Niwas and Subash, died on October 27, 1988.

Prakash Purab celebrations at Bangla Sahib
New Delhi, April 30
Sardar Paramjit Singh Sarna, president, DSGMC, today said that the celebrations of Prakash Purab of Sahib Sri Guru Arjan Dev Ji at Gurdwara Sri Rakab Ganj Sahib, New Delhi on May 2 will begin in the morning at Gurdwara Sri Bangla Sahib.

SPECIAL FOCUS ON PANIPAT A Sufi saint with a heart of gold Panipat, April 30 Panipat is a world-renowned historical town for its three wars as well as for handloom industry. Before Partition, about 365 mosques and dozens of madrasas existed here. Dargah Bu-Ali-Shah Kalandar and inner view of the mazaar

Mini-secretariat remains a pipedream of residents 
Panipat, April 30
The reported statement of the Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, that the subdivisional towns would get mini-secretariats soon notwithstanding, it has been a 13-year-long wait for the residents of the district for a mini-secretariat.

Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit meeting Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission K. C. Pant to finalise the annual plan of Delhi for 2003-04 in the Capital on Wednesday.   —  Tribune Photo Mukesh Aggarwal

A beggar with a difference
Sonepat, April 30
On the wrong side of 50, Prakash Nath calls himself a beggar. He has become a fount of inspiration for the people for his selfless service during the last two decades. Originally a resident of Kavi Nagar in Gohana town, he has devoted his entire life to the charitable activities.

Stamp duty racket alleged, corporation robbed of revenue
New Delhi, April 30
The Delhi Government reportedly forced the Municipal Commissioner Rakesh Mehta to reduce the stamp duty from five per cent to three per cent, which caused a huge loss to the Corporation. Total revenue collection through stamp duty was estimated at Rs 100 crore. By reducing the duty, the Corporation would lose around Rs 40 crores, highly placed MCD sources claimed.

• Autonomous status for dental college

NCR BRIEFS
MDU cancels MA English exam due to paper leak
Rohtak, April 30
Maharshi Dayanand University cancelled the paper-II (new scheme) of MA English (previous) course, scheduled in the post-lunch session today, owing to complaints regarding the leakage of the paper. Dr A. K. Rajan, Registrar of the University, said the decision had been taken as a precautionary measure and fresh dates for the paper would be notified later.

• Woman killed

• Rigorous imprisonment for rape

• Case registered for illegal supervision of exams

• Six injured in group clash

CRIME

Credit card rackets unearthed, major banks cheated of Rs 45 lakh
New Delhi, April 30
The Special Cell of the Delhi Police has unearthed two rackets involving the misuse of credit cards in connivance with restaurant owners and shopkeepers. The people involved in the racket have cheated banks such as Citi Bank, HSBC, HDFC and others to the tune of Rs 45 lakh. Twenty counterfeit credit cards, one floppy drive, two skimmers, one decoder, one laptop and three floppies have been recovered from their possession.

Gang of wire-cutters busted
Sonepat, April 30
With the arrest of three persons, the Kundli police have busted a gang of wire-cutters operating in Sonepat district for the past few months. The Superintendent of Police, Mr Paramjit Singh Ahlawat, told mediapersons here today that the arrested members of the gang were identified as Rohtas Jogi of Kundli village, Rajesh of Shukla Khera village in UP and Mahesh of Rohini (Delhi).

Rs 6 cr to be spent on tourist complex at Rai
Sonepat, April 30
The Haryana Tourism Corporation has decided to spend at least Rs 6 crore on the development of a tourist complex, Ethnic India, on the GT Road at Rai in Sonepat district.

EDUCATION

CAMPUS

India set to emerge as a media superpower Addressing the students of journalism during a seminar on ‘Importance of journalism and Media Studies today,’ organised by the Institute of Integrated Learning in Management, Dr Chandan Mitra, Editor, The Pioneer, drew attention to the enhanced scope and career prospects in the field. Amity and TEVETA officials sign an MoU on the training needs of the Zambian institutes.

• Amity joins hands with Zambian technical body

• Industry-institute synergy under French auspices

• Three-month course in publishing

• Jamia Millia Introduces MIB course

• North East music fest

Fashion technology comes to Noida
THE International Institute of Fashion Technology has opened a fully equipped centre in Noida at J.O.P. Plaza, Sector-18. Here students will be taught various courses such as Fashion Designing, Interior Designing, Computer-Aided Fashion Designing, Apparel Merchandising, etc.

COURTS

Delhi Govt ordered to take action against tantriks
New Delhi, April 30
The Delhi High Court directed the Delhi Government today to act against ‘tantriks’ and quacks promising ‘magic cures’ for various aliments in the city. A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice B. C. Patel and Justice A. K. Sikri issued the direction while disposing of a PIL seeking appropriate action by the authorities against persons offering ‘magic cures’ and misleading the people.

• Delhi businessman sentenced for rape

SPORTS

Puneet Waliya stars in RP Academy’s victory
New Delhi, April 30
An all-round performance by Puneet Walia (32 and 5 for 28) and fine batting by Rahul Baluni (37, 6x4) and Akshay Kalkar (37, 5x4) helped R P Cricket Academy beat J D Tytler School by 36 runs and entered the semi-final of the first Bhavan Under-13 Cricket Tournament at the Bhartiya Vidya Bhawan.

• Malviya Club enter final

• NIIT beat Reebok by three wickets

FCI annex Om Nath Sood cricket title New Delhi, April 30 Deadly bowling by left-arm medium pacer K S Rana (3 for 34) and a dashing knock by Rajender Bisht (69, 2x6, 10x4, 53b) helped Food Corporation of India (FCI) defeat Oil and Natural Gas Commission (ONGC) by seven wickets to annex the 13th All-India Om Nath Sood Memorial Cricket Tournament at the Khalsa College ground on Wednesday.
The FCI team, who annexed the Om Nath Sood Cricket Tournament title, with the trophy.

Maruti to hold Rally Desert Storm
New Delhi, April 30 Maruti Udyog Limited will hold a Rally Desert Storm on May 3 and 4. The rally will be flagged off from New Delhi on May 3 and then proceed towards Jaipur via Haryana. It is a stage rally designed to test the mettle of the drivers and their navigators. Raring to go: Some of the participants getting set for the Maruti Rally Desert Storm.

Half century by Sachin Bisht, spitfire knock by Ujjwal Nanda in Kundan Lal tournament
New Delhi, April 30
A half century by Sachin Bisht (50, 7x4) and a quickfire 47, studded with five fours, by Ujjawal Nanda helped University Cricket Coaching Centre beat West Delhi Cricket Academy by 18 runs in a league match of the second Kundan Lal Jain Memorial Under-17 Cricket Tournament at the Government School ground, Vikaspuri.

• AIIMS enter semi-final

• Raman, Keshar help Kanishka enter final

SAIL move up in S P Trophy
New Delhi, April 30
An all-round performance by Oneil Wilson (51 and 3 for 36) and deadly bowling by Sushil Prasad (3 for 30) helped Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL) beat Malviya Club by 12 runs.

• AIFF selects five Delhi players for Under-18 camp

Nagar Nigam passes Rs 77.39-cr budget
Ghaziabad, April 30
The Ghaziabad Nagar Nigam has passed a budget of Rs 77.39 crore for 2003-04 with an estimated income of Rs 62.17 crore and Rs 73.53 crore expenditure for the year. The Nigam will execute a special drinking water project for rural areas at a cost of Rs 10 lakh.