TOP STORIES

Judge refuses to name meddlesome CBI officer
New Delhi, May 8
The Delhi High Court Judge, Justice R S Sodhi, has refused to divulge to the CBI the name of the agency official who had allegedly threatened him last week. He has also declined to comment on the charge that his telephone was being tapped by them.

The world is their oyster: Delhiites beat the heat at the Oyster water park in Appu Ghar in the Capital on Thursday. — Tribune Photo Mukesh Aggarwal

TALKING POINT
Haryana mulls over anti-copying law 
Rohtak, May 8
The Haryana Government is considering a proposal for enacting an anti-copying law, after taking a serious view of paper leaks and mass copying in various examinations conducted by the Maharshi Dayanand University, the Board of School Education, Haryana, and the Kurukshetra University.

BJP opposes bid to foist power tariff hike
New Delhi, May 8
The Delhi Pradesh BJP has opposed any hike in retail or bulk supply tariff of electricity. Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Legislative Assembly Prof Jagdish Mukhi on Thursday said the proposal was “illogical” and that the private distributors of power were showing losses so that they could conspire for an increase in tariff.

Mystery shrouds youth’s death in NTPC pool
Dadri (Noida), May 8
A youth was found to have drowned in mysterious circumstances in the NTPC township swimming pool in Dadri. His clothes were found lying in a polythene bag outside the pool, indicating that the person knew how to swim.

DSGMC SALVO
Ultimatum to Centre on Punjabi’s status
New Delhi, May 8
The Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) has asserted that if the Union Government does not take a decision on the status of Punjabi within a month, they will launch an agitation. 

Goaded by chief secy, MCD chief revives ‘public durbar’ 
New Delhi, May 8
With the Chief Secretary of the NCT of Delhi, Mrs Shailja Chandra, ordering that a list of public dealing offices of the Municipal Corporation be provided in order of priority, the Municipal Commissioner, Mr. Rakesh Mehta, has decided to meet citizens of the Capital two days in a week to address their grievances.

Yet another step in economic regeneration of Mewat
Nuh (Gurgaon), May 8
The efforts of the Mewat Development Agency (MDA), aimed at the economic regeneration of the marginal farmers in the area, by encouraging them to switch over to high-value aromatic and medicinal plants, bore fruit today with the installation of an oil extraction plant in Nuh, a nerve centre of Mewat.

END OF TERROR
Former TADA detainee shot dead in encounter
Meerut, May 8
A symbol of terror and notorious for his heinous criminal activities in Delhi, Haryana, western UP and Rajasthan, Arvind Jongti was shot dead in an encounter with the Meerut police, near the Jitali railway crossing on Wednesday evening. The police had put a reward of Rs 7,500 on his head.

COMMUNITY

Dyeing units refuse to shift, plots on offer ‘too expensive’
Panipat, May 8
The shifting of the over 500 dyeing units from the residential areas to the industrial area has again hit a roadblock, with the Panipat Dyers Association expressing its unwillingness to shift to the industrial area in Sector 29 here. 

Fluoride-rich water being supplied to Gohana villages
Sonepat, May 8
Though the Public Health Department claims to have provided drinking water in every village of the district in a large number of villages of Gohana region in the district the private parties have started their own supplies despite the fact that the private supplies are full of the substances considered injurious to health according to laboratory tests.

Govt is browbeating farmers: Cong
Jhajjar, May 8
The state unit of the Congress has condemned the alleged implication of the Bhartiya Kisan Union president, Mr Ghasiram Nain, in false cases and blamed the state government of victimising kisan leaders and browbeating farmers who were opposing the Chautala government due to its failure in providing adequate water and power.

DELHI IN PARLIAMENT
100 acres of defence land with encroachers
New Delhi, May 8
More than 100 acres of defence land is under encroachment in the national Capital, the Lok Sabha was informed today. Replying to a written question, defence Minister George Fernandes said over 100 acres of defence land was under encroachment in Delhi and the instruction had been issued to all concerned to take the steps for their removal.

A Red Cross representative pins a badge on the PM, to mark the International Red Cross Day in the Capital on Thursday. — PTI Photo

Dead, for the record only
Sonepat, May 8
Believe it or not, one Luxmi Chand, resident of Rattan Garh village, is alive, but he is shown in official records as ‘dead’. Incidentally, Luxmi Chand’s wife is getting the family pension.

Demolition-hit shopkeepers block traffic
Sonepat, May 8
A number of irate shopkeepers and ‘rehriwalas’ held up traffic for about two hours at Devilal Chowk near the bus stand here last evening in protest against the alleged discrimination in demolishing the unauthorised structures and removing the encroachment on the municipal and public land by the officials of the Sonepat Municipal Council.

HC officer finds man handcuffed in ‘illegal detention’
Sonepat: Mr Subhash Kumar Nasa, Registrar-cum-Warrant Officer of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, conducted a surprise raid at the Sadar Police Station of Gohana town, 35 km from here, and found a youth, Bijender of Bhainswal Kalan village, handcuffed in the lock-up.

NCR BRIEFS
Two get life term for gang rape of minor
Panipat, May 8
Dr Neelima Shangla, Additional Sessions Judge, today sentenced two residents of Nangal Kheri village—Ramesh Chand and Rajesh—to life imprisonment on the charges of gang rape of a minor girl.

Two killed in head-on collision SUCI backs farmers

Exam dates clash

DELHI DIGEST Ad hoc licensing policy for shops to start by May-end New Delhi, May 8 The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) today announced that ad hoc licensing policy for shops and factories would be started from the end of this month. The decision was taken after reviewing the licensing department where a number of applications for shops and factory licence were lying. This policy was suspended in 2000.

LPG-laden canter turns turtle
Sonepat, May 8
A canter loaded with LPG rammed a tree and overturned on the Sonepat-Gohana Road near Pinana village about 20 km from here yesterday. According to a report, none was injured and there was no leakage of the gas after the overturning The canter was on its way from Loni (Ghaziabad) to Jind. On receipt of information, the police arrived on the scene and blocked the road on both sides.

Sonepat development works get a fillip
Sonepat, May 8
The Sonepat Municipal Council has accelerated the development activities in all the 31 wards spread in Sonepat city, a district headquarters in Haryana.

CRIME

CRIME MAZE
Merchant waylaid, robbed by motorcycle-borne youths 
Sonepat, May 8
Two unidentified armed motorcycle-borne youths are reported to have robbed Mr Parveen Mittal, a kiryana merchant and fled after snatching Rs 40,000 from him at Gohana town, 35 km from here yesterday.

Six gangsters held; arms and gold seized
New Delhi, May 8
North-East district police today claimed to have busted a gang of desperate criminals who operated in the Trans-Yamuna area with the arrest of six suspects. The suspects were identified as Shakilluddin alias Shakeel, gang leader; Taslim Ahmed, Mohammad Aslam alias Ghoda, Arshad Saleem alias Kaira, Anwar and Mohammad Furkan.

EDUCATION

Set up panels to supervise Juvenile Homes: HC
New Delhi, May 8
The Delhi High Court today asked the Government of NCT of Delhi to constitute Inspection Committees required under the Juvenile Justice Act by July 24 to oversee the working of Juvenile Homes in the Capital.

CULTURE

MUSIC ZONE
This exponent of Khayal is cast in his guru’s mould
It was during the late 70s. At that time he was studying in class VII at his native village, Dewaria, in Uttar Pradesh. The school had organised a talent hunt contest in singing for the students. He sung a famous poem of Hindi poet Sri Jayshankar Prasad. And he was adjudged the best participant.

ARTSCAPE Nascent nationalism on Bengal’s canvas Currently on at the Delhi Art Gallery is an exhibition of pre-Independence Indian art. The exhibition, according to the critics, is one of the rarest ever held in the history of Indian art. The exhibition showcases the works of old masters and renowned artists of the pre-Independence period. The exhibition, which reflects the inextricable romance tied up with art in the early 20th century, has been drawing huge crowds. Among the front-ranking provinces of a colonised nation, Bengal became the epicentre of the tensions and dichotomies of a nascent nationalism. On the most obvious level, the province demonstrated the need to counter the imperial British presence. Yashoda and Krishna from the Early Bengal School.

DANCE BEAT Somya’s arangetaram Somya Sethuraman, who will have her Bharatanatyam arangetaram on Sunday at the India International Centre auditorium, has been learning the intricacies of the dance from Mrs Marie and Mr. G. Elangovan. A student of Class XII at Apeejay School, Noida, she has regularly performed at the school and temple functions. She was awarded the first prize in the inter-school cultural competition on national integration and environment held by the Apex Council of Cultural Organisations for Regional Development (ACCORD). She also received a merit certificate for taking part in the Jagriti inter-school competition organised by a large newspaper group recently.

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PLAY TIME
Jis Lahore Nahin Dekhya…
Samagam brings to the national Capital this emotional story from the days of Partition as well as a strong comment on the then prevalent socio-political scenario. The show will be staged on May 11 at Kamani Auditorium.

SPORTS

J N Golden annex A-II Division League title
New Delhi, May 8
Electrifying knocks by Abhishek Bhandari (79) and Akash Chauhan (60) enabled J N Golden beat Professional Management Group (PMB) by 48 runs and annexed the DDCA A-II Division title at the Central Secretariat ground.

Air Sahara cruise to  easy victory
New Delhi, May 8
Air Sahara breezed past South Delhi Colts by five wickets in the Goswami Ganesh Dutt Memorial Cricket Tournament at the Khalsa College ground on Thursday. Air Sahara will take on Punjab Cricket Association in a second round match on May 13.

Deepak Bhatnagar shines with bat
New Delhi, May 8
A dashing knock of 76 by Deepak Bhatnagar and a quickfire 46 by Kapil Mehta helped Air Sahara beat Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL) by six wickets to enter the final of the 12th Shera Pandit Memorial Cricket Tournament at the Mohan Meakins ground. Deepak Bhatnagar was declared the man of the match.

Salwan Boys, Hansraj move up
New Delhi, May 8
An unbeaten 48 by Shobhit Kaushik was the highlight of Salwan Boys School’s seven-wicket victory over Ajay Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Academy in a league match of the Harry Cup Cricket Tournament at the Central Secretariat ground.

ONGC enter Millennium Cup final
New Delhi, May 8
The star-studded Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) trounced Revenue Sports Club by eight wickets and entered the final of the fourth Millennium Cup Inter-Institutional Cricket Tournament at the Harbaksh Singh Stadium, Delhi Cantt.

Delhi Varsity Coaching Centre record big win

CRPF honours women weightlifters
New Delhi, May 8
The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) director-general S C Chaube has hailed the performances of the women weightlifters from the Force who secured five gold medals for India in the recently-concluded Commonwealth Weightlifting Championship held at Tonga from May 1 to 3.