TOP STORIES

CRIME AGAINST WOMEN
Kin throw pregnant girl out of train
Meerut, March 16
In a gruesome incident, the parents, relatives and the family members of an adolescent pregnant girl allegedly threw her out of a running train near Kharkhaud town, Meerut.

Woman driver foils abduction bid
Faridabad, March 16
Two criminals forced their way into a car driven by a young woman in the posh Sector 14 here last evening in a filmy style in a bid to kidnap her. But when the victim managed to attract the attention of the police, the culprits pushed out the 22-year-old woman from the moving car near a busy chowk.

Mob stones flying squad, forcing it to flee
Sonepat, March 16
Irate crowd threw stones at the members of the flying squad of the Board of School Education, Haryana, at Bhainswal Kalan village about 20 km from here yesterday. According to a report, however, none was injured in the incident.

Unfazed Board denies stone-pelting
Bhiwani, March 16
The Haryana School Education Board has denied the news item, which appeared in a section of the press today, that some people had thrown stones at a flying squad led by its Secretary, Mr Rakesh Gupta, in Bhiwani district.

ELECTION TIDINGS BSP general secretary, RKD leader join Congress New Delhi, March 16 The Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee today got a boost in the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections with the Bahujan Samaj Party Delhi unit general secretary Subhash Bairava joining the party. Rashtriya Kranti Dal Delhi Pradesh general secretary Surender Tyagi with DPCC President Ch Prem Singh, after the former joined the Congress in the Capital on Tuesday. — Photo by Kamal Singh

Water pangs to persist unless Tehri supplies in good measure
New Delhi, March 16
The water woes of the residents of the National Capital Territory of Delhi are unlikely to end with the commissioning of the Sonia Vihar project because of insufficient supply of water from the Tehri Dam.

• CBI nails ASI on bribe charge

• Man gets 7-yr RI for stealing Rs 470

POLITICS

BJP candidates for Haryana Lok Sabha seats to be finalised by March 20
Sonepat, March 16
The general-secretary of the Haryana BJP, Mr Veer Kumar Yadav, said that the names of all the candidates for the Haryana Lok Sabha seats would be finalised by March 20.

COMMUNITY

14,000 flat allotees in Noida to be issued price hike notice
Noida, March 16
One thousand allotees have been issued a fresh notice in connection with price hike of Noida Authority flats while notices to 14,000 of the remaining allotees are also being issued, it is learnt. So far, notices to 10,000 allotees have been issued by the Noida Authority in connection with price increase of the flats.

TV artiste Smriti Irani Malhotra with BJP MP Vijay Goel at a cultural function in Timarpur in the Capital on Tuesday. — A Tribune photograph

MCD donates animal-friendly ambulances to free Delhi of rabies
New Delhi, March 16
The Municipal Commissioner, Mr Rakesh Mehta and president of the ‘Society for Stray Canine Birth Control’ in a joint press conference today said that in order to make Delhi a rabies-free city and to control the population of stray dogs, the MCD had donated six CNG-run RTVs to pick up stray dogs to immunize them.

Payment date extended under Disclosure Scheme
New Delhi, March 16
The MCD has extended the last date of payment of property tax with rebate under the Voluntary Payment or Disclosure Scheme to March 31. Under this scheme 20 per cent rebate was being allowed to payment of current demand and outstanding dues of property tax.

Gulawatti road blocked over double murder
Bulandshahr, March 16
Nine persons were killed at different places in Bulandshahr district in the past 24 hours. Two farmers were stabbed to death in Gulawatti in a mango garden near the railway track.  Livid local people did not allow the police to remove the bodies and pelted stones on the police which had come to investigate the double murder.

‘Rajput Adhikar Yatra’ to mobilise community in Haryana Rewari, March 16 A ’Rajput Adhikar Yatra’ was kicked off from the historic Kasan village (near Sohna) on March 14. Mr Jhakur Atar Lal, President of the Haryana unit of the All India Rajput Mahasabha pledged to mobilise the Rajputs in Haryana to fight for their political rights. Some of the participants of the ‘Rajput Adhikar Yatra’.

Plea to create nutritional gardens in rural areas
New Delhi, March 16
Experts, including bankers and agriculturists, today pleaded for setting up of nutritional gardens in the countryside for creation of self-employment opportunities among women.

All set for Navratras at Jhandewalan
New Delhi, March 16
Preparations for the forthcoming Navratra Mela are on in full swing. The Jhandewalan Temple authorities, with the help of the local police and civic bodies, have made adequate arrangements to avoid any inconvenience to the devotees.

Visitors at the India-Pakistan exhibition, Dastkar Harmony in Handicrafts, which began in the Capital on Tuesday. — Photo by Kamal Singh

DELHI DIGEST
Sheila responsible for water crisis: Sahib Singh
New Delhi, March 16
Union Labour Minister Sahib Singh Verma today said that the Delhi Chief Minister was responsible for the water crisis in the city, especially in Outer Delhi. He said that the Shiela Dikshit government had deliberately stopped the water supply in Outer Delhi.

• BJP to hold political sammelan for women

• MCD engineers suspended

CRIME

8.5 kg heroin worth Rs 8.5 cr seized, four arrested
New Delhi, March 16
The Delhi Police Narcotics Branch claimed to have arrested four persons and seized 8.5 kilograms of heroin and 100 kilograms of acetic anhydride in three different cases. The seized value of the drugs is worth Rs 8.5 crore in the international market.

CBI arrests ‘tainted’ chemist in Faridabad
Faridabad, March 16
The CBI has reportedly taken into custody the owner of the chemist shop that was raided for ‘fake’ drugs by a high level team of the drug control department of the state a few days ago in Dabua Colony here.

Man kills former beloved’s beau, ends life
Jhajjar, March 16
A youth was stabbed to death and another woman was injured seriously by a person who subsequently committed suicide in Chhawani Mohalla of the town last night. According to information, some love affair might be the reason behind the tragic deaths.

Two chain snatchers apprehended after encounter
New Delhi, March 16
The East district police claimed to have arrested two inter-state chain snatchers of the Sonu gang after a brief encounter. They were active in the East, North-East districts, Noida and Ghaziabad.

• DDA officials held

• 10 kg ganja seized

• Dacoity averted

CULTURE

And now, Arindam Chaudhuri directs a film
New Delhi, March 16
The setting could not have been any better for announcing the launch of a truly corporatised Hindi feature film in Bollywood. Planman Life announced the launch of its debut Hindi feature film, “ Rok Sako To Rok Lo” at a well attended press conference at the FICCI-Frames here yesterday.

GLITZ & GLAMOUR Countdown begins for Miss India Sparkling eyes, soaring dreams nervous excitement! The anticipation has just begun. With bated breath, the countdown of the country’s most exhilarating beauty event takes off. PEACHES AND CREAM: The 29 finalists of the Pond’s Femina Miss India 2004.

A potpourri of denim styles that redefines fashion
Pepe Jeans London gives Denim a new high with its Spring Summer Collection 2004. This new collection is a potpourri of Denim and non-denim styles in a cascade of colours that redefines fashion. Spring-Summer collection from Pepe Jeans London.

An ensemble for fashion conscious youth
Wow! Gone are those winters and it’s the time now to chill out under the sun with bright and fresh colours. With colours that radiate energy and clothes that are ensemble for the progressive and fashion conscious youth of today, Monte Carlo unfurls 100 percent Cotton Spring-Summer Collection 2004 of polo piques.

A trendsetter in leather fashion
Mavis from the ‘Spring Summer Collection 2004’ of Hidesign, the leading leather company, is a unique collection of jackets for men. Mavis is a reversible jacket that gives exclusivity to the collection, reinstating the brands trusted name as a trendsetter in leather fashion.

Abida Parveen is best Sufi singer Abida Parveen was declared as the best Sufi singer (female), at the ETC channel Punjabi Music Awards, 2004. There was stars galore, beauty regale and Punjabi music personalities of every hue and colour in attendance, but when a lone voice aided by harmonium, tabla and sarangi played out just about a minute or two, a cult was reactivated and all stood. Sufi songstress Abida Parveen.

• China fashion in Delhi

• Jewellery mall in Gurgaon

• A collection of sparkling trinkets

• Hrithik gets Star of the Millennium Award

SPORTS

Temirbaev beats Laxman to share lead
New Delhi, March 16
Grandmaster Serik Temirbaev of Kazakhstan joined overnight leaders Pavel Kotsur and Saidali Iuldachev in the lead on 7.5 points after beating triple IM norm holder RR Laxman in the ninth round of the second Parsvnath International Open Chess Tournament at the Bapu Samaj Sewa Kendra at Panchkuian Road in New Delhi on Tuesday.

Former Indian cricket captain Kapil Dev takes to the ‘net’ while Yashpal Sharma and Vivek Razdan ‘keep’ vigil during the inauguration of the Bal Mandir Cricket Academy in East Delhi. The academy will be run in association with the Dronacharya Cricket Foundation of coach Gurcharan Singh and Test player Maninder Singh.

Aakash Ahluwalia, Sameer Khurana help B P Academy to victory
New Delhi, March 16
A half century by Aakash Ahluwalia and all-round performance by Sameer Khurana helped Bhai Parmanand Cricket Academy defeat Abhay Ram Gymkhana by 90 runs in a league match of the first Mahender Kaushik Memorial Under-15 Cricket Tournament at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. Aakash was declared the man of the match.

• External Affairs win

• Daksh defeat GAIL

• Cricket coaching camp

Bright Club shine over Indian Airlines
New Delhi, March 16
Bright Club defeated Indian Airlines by four wickets in a Super A Division match of the DDCA League at the RSC ground. Scores: Indian Airlines: 165 for 9 in 40 overs (Shankar Saini 52, Dinesh Yadav 2 for 29, Kuldeep Singh 2 for 31).

GE Capital advance in Reebok tourney
New Delhi, March 16
GE Capital defeated RebusIS by 136 runs in the Reebok Cricket tournament. Scores: GE Capital: 199 for 7 in 25 overs (Rodney Charles 62, Ashish Lal 48, Ajay Sharma 30, Sushil Sharma 2 for 23, Wajid Khan 2 for 28).

• Abhay Ram Cricket

• Pankaj Jain Cricket from March 20