TOP STORIES

16 girls, three boys freed from Apollo Circus camp
Meerut, June 5
It was curtains for the controversial Apollo Circus after the police rescued 16 girls and three boys, mostly from Nepal, from its Muzaffarnagar camp late last night.

The India Gate was barely visible in the haze on Thursday morning. — Tribune Photo Mukesh Aggarwal

Livid residents block traffic at Moolchand
New Delhi & Dadri, June 5
It may not be a case of water riots yet. But the anger of residents against water and power shortage in the region has started spilling into the streets. In one such outburst, a large number of people gathered at the Moolchand flyover today morning and blocked traffic to protest against water scarcity in Sadiq Nagar area of South Delhi. 

No more thugs; HC gags auto finance companies 
New Delhi, June 5
The Delhi High Court has warned finance companies against predatory practices, including the use of muscle power, to impound vehicles financed by them in case of default in repayment of loan amount. The court has also framed guidelines for the recovery process.

Fifty-fifty town: The other half doesn’t have water, amenities
Rohtak, June 5
Nearly 50 per cent of the population of this district town reside in unauthorised colonies, which have been denied basic amenities like supply of piped drinking water, sewerage and pucca streets.

ACADEMIC RAGE Agitated students storm DSW office New Delhi, June 5 After a first day sell-out, the Delhi University was coping hard to provide admission forms to students today. Even as the university officials maintained that there was no need to panic, agitated students stormed the office of the Dean, Student’s Welfare (DSW), and created a ruckus. Led by the Delhi University Students Union (DUSU) activists, students marched to the office of the DSW, where they broke window panes and raised slogans. “We had informed the DSW office last evening that no forms were available and we were assured that the forms would be supplied to us in the morning,” said Deepti Rawat, General Secretary, DUSU. A bewildered student on the DU campus. — Tribune Photo

CIVIC CORNER
Sanitation in Sonepat wards handed over to private parties
Sonepat, June 5
The Sonepat Municipal Council is all set to engage private parties for sanitation work in at least one-third of the localities in the town. The council had already passed a resolution in this regard. Within 15 days, the resolution will come into operation.

Robbers attack ex-cop, loot lakhs from his finance company
Ghaziabad, June 5
In a daring daylight robbery, a group of armed criminals barged into the finance company-cum-residence of former police Inspector Inderaj Singh alias Brahmachari and looted lakhs of rupees and a licensed revolver after injuring the ex-cop, his son and nephew here yesterday.

GAMBLING DEN
11 businessmen nabbed from five star hotel
New Delhi, June 5
In a midnight swoop, the Crime Branch of the Delhi Police today claimed to have smashed a gambling cartel with the arrest of 13 high-profile businessmen from a state-owned five-star hotel in the heart of the national Capital.

POLITICS

Third Front to contest all seats
New Delhi, June 5
The Third Front of ‘secular’, ‘non-Congress’ and ‘non-BJP’ parties have joined hands to offer an alternative political dispensation to the people of NCT of Delhi. Janata Dal (Secular) senior national vice-president Romesh Bhandari; senior national vice-president of Lok Janshakti Party Ramvir Singh Bidhuri; president of Janata Dal (Secular) Shoaib Iqbal; national general secretary of Samajwadi Janata Party H.N. Sharma;s president of Nationalist Congress Party Sukhbir Singh Panwar and president of National Akali Dal Paramjit Singh Pamma met on Thursday to float the conglomerate.

CM targeting BKU: Hooda

COMMUNITY

Samajwadi Party demands suspension of official for continuing water crisis
Rohtak, June 5
Holding the Executive Engineer, Public Health, Rohtak, responsible for the inadequate supply of piped water in the district, the Haryana unit of Samajwadi Party has demanded the immediate suspension of the officer concerned.

Problems galore on Power Minister’s turf 
Ghaziabad, June 5
Even as the mercury is rising, Ghaziabad is reeling under an acute power and water crisis. However, political parties and their representatives have been conspicuous by their absence and have failed to take on the government on these issues.

Land auction: DC target of villagers’ ire 
Sonepat, June 5
Large number of residents of Aurangabad village held a demonstration in front of the office of the Deputy Commissioner here in protest against the alleged irregularities by the officials of the Panchayat Department in the auction of the panchayat land in the village.

SPECIAL FOCUS ON ROHTAK
Anti-trader policies driving out industrial units?
Rohtak, June 5
The Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) has alleged that several major industrial units have either shifted to other states or are contemplating to settle in other state due to the anti-trader policies of the state government.

More castes added to Central list of OBCs
New Delhi, June 5
Apparently with an eye on the coming elections, the Union Government today decided to include certain new castes and communities in the Central List of Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in NCT of Delhi.

Green revolution not as glorious as it is painted
Rewari, June 5
Mr Vijay Yadav, convener of the Disaster Mitigation and Community Preparedness Forum (DMCPF), has raised some serious questions on the usefulness of the second green revolution. The green revolution is in the offing to usher India in the comity of developed countries by 2030.

Goods worth lakhs gutted in Karol Bagh
New Delhi, June 5
Goods worth lakhs of rupees were destroyed in a fire that broke out at NITCO godown in Karol Bagh early this morning. The fire broke out around 2.15 am when the godown was locked. About 30 fire tenders were pressed into service to douse the flames.

A major fire breaks out in the Karol Bagh area, destroying a chemical factory. In video: (28k, 56k)

NCR BRIEFS
Heat wave claims life of old woman
Jhajjar, June 5
The prevailing heat wave took its first toll in the district today when an unidentified aged woman succumbed to the scorching heat at the bus stand here today.

Kidnapped man freed Taxi driver killed Roadways staff on strike

Two bikes stolen Two injured Looting case

DELHI DIGEST SDM and four officials transferred New Delhi, June 5 The Election Commission (EC) has ordered immediate transfer of a Sub-District Magistrate (SDM) and four Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs) in NCT of Delhi taking serious view of dereliction of duty by them in finalisation of electoral rolls for the forthcoming polls.

Haj pilgrimage
New Delhi, June 5
The Delhi State Haj Committee announced that application forms for the next year’s Haj pilgrimage would be available from today. The application forms can be obtained from the office of the Delhi State Haj Committee on all working days.

CRIME

Five robbers held; 14 cases solved
New Delhi, June 5
The North-East district police today claimed to have busted a gang of five robbers who were planning to commit a dacoity in the Nand Nagari area. Two motorcycles, one knife, one country-made weapon with two live cartridges were recovered from their possession.

Three get deserts after savouring peacocks!
Bhiwani, June 5
Three persons of Ratera village have been charged with the killing of peacocks and then eating their meat. The accused have been arrested and now cooling their heels in police custody.

BUSINESS

PHDCCI calls for labour reforms within ILO parameters
New Delhi, June 5
The PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI) has pressed for a review of the provisions relating to scope of employment relationship within the parameters of the International Labour Organisation (ILO).

EDUCATION

BA exams: Girls one-up on boys
Jhajjar, June 5
The girls have outshone boys in the BA first year results despite bearing all kinds of discriminations in Haryana. Girls surpassed their male counterparts in terms of performance in all the three streams of education, as out of total 68 merits, the fair sex walked away with 61 positions leaving seven positions at lower ranks for boys.

CULTURE

ARTSCAPE
Weekend brings the promise  of a treat for art lovers
Sunday evening promises to be a great treat for lovers and followers of Indian Art. A screening of ‘Pan Asian Art’, the ninth film of a series of 26 films by Benoy K. Behl, titled ‘The Paintings of India’, will be screened at the India Habitat Centre. This film will be covering the mural paintings of Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand and Bali. The screening will begin at 7 pm.

A novel way to know  Indian artists

Magazine for the students

MUSIC ZONE Melody may well be her second name She began her singing career at the tender age of seven years and has been singing since. Her idols and the prime inspirational source are Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle. A singer par excellence Saaya from  T-Series Street play highlights the misuse of anti-dowry laws New Delhi, June 5 Drama and arts have successfully reflected the vices that plague the society. Taking cue from the recent incidents of brides protesting against grooms demanding dowry, a street play was staged in the Capital.

SPORTS

Collage Group annex Raghubir Singh Cup

New Delhi, June 5 An electrifying unbeaten knock of 70 by Virender Sharma was the highlight of Collage Group’s three-wicket victory against the star-studded Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) to annex the 27th Lala Raghubir Singh Cricket Tournament at the Modern School ground, Barakhamba Road. Collage Group captain Mahesh Bhati receiving the Lala Raghubir Singh Cricket Trophy, watched by Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Vikram Verma, former Test player Kirti Azad and Modern School (Barakhamba Road) Principal Lata Vaidyanathan at the Modern School ground on Thursday.

Nikhil Doru slams century  for Air India
New Delhi, June 5
Nikhil Doru scored the first century in the seventh edition of the Lala Hari Ram Aggarwal Memorial Day-Night Cricket Carnival when he helped Air India outplay Lal Bahadur Shastri Club by seven wickets to move into the quarter-final.

Delhi and District Cricket Association sports secretary Sunil Dev, former Test player Chetan Chauhan, vice-president C K Khanna and treasurer Ram Babu Gupta appreciate a model of the proposed new cricket stadium to be built at the Ferozeshah Kotla ground.

Delhi Audit, FCI earn full points
New Delhi, June 5
Defending champions Delhi Audit and five-time former champions Food Corporation of India (FCI)scored victories in contrasting styles in the Delhi Soccer Association Institutional League at Ambedkar Stadium on Thursday.

Radhika Talyani to lead women’s  soccer team
New Delhi, June 5
Radhika Talyani of Dev Samaj Model School will lead an 18-member Delhi State women’s football team in the 11th Senior National Women’s Football Championship to be held in Chennai (Tamilnadu) from June 8 to 24. Sonia Gaur of Janaki Devi College and Rehna Parveen of Manav Bharati International will be the vice-captains.