New Delhi, December 17
The Delhi High Court today directed the civic authorities to earmark within two months 100 large parking lots in the Capital for constructing multi-tiered car parks to decongest the streets.

A division bench comprising Justice Vijender Jain and Justice R S Sodhi directed the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, the New Delhi Municipal Council and the Delhi Development Authority to scour the city for 100 large-sized parking slots in the city and file an affidavit within two months in this regard.

The judges gave the directions after the MCD came out with a proposal for such car parks in seven areas; the NDMC had recommended such parks in three areas. Such numbers will not do and at least 100 big parking areas were needed if a situation in which the traffic came to a standstill had to be avoided, the bench added.

The Delhi Government has informed the court that the feasibility study report on a multi-level road system and the elevated ring road in the city would be submitted by February 15. The court also told the State Government to submit a compliance report within eight weeks on a comprehensive scheme under which all non-CNG buses coming from adjoining states could terminate on the Outer Ring Road. The court passed the order on being informed that the Inter State Bus Terminals for North Delhi (Nagloi) and SouthWest Delhi (Dwarka) were only on paper.

The ISBT’s terminals at Anand Vihar (East Delhi) and Sarai Kale Khan (South East Delhi) were already in operation under the plan. The bench also called for the personal presence of DDA Commissioners, Planning and Land, while seeking suitable proposals on shifting of the wholesale market outside the Outer Ring Road, after no reply was furnished on this issue despite court orders.

The DDA counsel had tried to argue that land was not available with it for the purpose. The court asked the authority to identify
the land site and file a report, so that necessary directions could be issued in this regard.

The court was dealing with a petition, the scope of which had been widened by the court with a view to decongest the Capital and make it pollution-free.

CMO in CBI custody

A city court today placed in CBI custody for four days Chief District Medical Officer (South) R R Kishore, who was arrested on charges of accepting a bribe from a fellow professional running a medical diagnostic centre in South Delhi.

Metropolitan Magistrate V K Khanna remanded Dr Kishore in CBI custody for intensive interrogation and further investigation. Dr Kishore, who heads the Pre Natal Dignostic Technique (PNDT) Committee (south), had allegedly been harassing complainant Dr Kulbir Handa and seeking to extract money.

Dr Handa runs the ‘Dr Handa Imaging Centre’ at Defence Colony in South Delhi. While seeking remand, the CBI alleged, ‘’Dr Kishore had issued four show-cause notices between June and November 2004 to the complainant. He had demanded Rs 80,000 from him.’’

New Delhi, December 17
While the health department of the MCD claims to be doing its job, social organisations working with students in various MCD schools in the Capital have accused the civic body of turning a blind eye to the health concerns of the pupils.

Social Jurists, a group of lawyers who have taken up the issue, claim that the MCD has failed to carry out the mandatory health check up for students enrolled in MCD, NDMC, Delhi Cantonment board and Delhi Government schools.

Incidentally, while the Additional MHO vehemently refuted the “allegations,” insisting that “12 units have been put on the job”, sources within the organisation claim that the health check ups were last conducted years ago.

“There has been no proper check up of these children, the department’s claims notwithstanding”, said an MCD official. It was also pointed out that a paramedic is “sometimes sent to a school, whose job is to ask children whether they can hear and see and mark the necessary columns on the health card”.

Advocate Ashok Agarwal of Social Jurists, who has written to the Director (Hospitals), MCD, Dr. J.N. Banavaliker, to conduct a health survey in these schools, said: “If the MCD conducts a survey of the health conditions in the schools run by it, the results would be startling. Most of these children, especially in the resettlement colonies, are suffering from one disease or the other apart from usual complaints of malnutrition and deficiencies”. In their letter, the Social Jurists have cited the example of Bhalswa-Jahangirpuri area, which has 38 MCD-run schools with 30,000 children on the rolls. “ The health of these children is appalling. We fear that the majority of these children are suffering from TB”, said Agarwal.

Claiming that the poor state of health is the major reason for the high dropout rate, he blamed the MCD for the lapse despite there being a school health scheme for the children.

He alleged that the expert/qualified doctors’ team had “never thoroughly medically examined any child”. Calling it an infringement of their rights, he said, “health is a fundamental right of every citizen guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution”.

He went on to add, “Section 25 (c) of The Persons with Disabilities Act, 1995, mandates the Government and the Local Authorities to screen all children at least once in a year for the purpose of identifying “at-risk” cases with a view to preventing the occurrence of disabilities”.

New Delhi, December 17
With the arrest of three persons, the North-West district police claims to have solved a sensational robbery case in which Rs 44 lakh was looted from the employees of Amitabh Enterprises on December 13 in broad daylight near Chhatrasal stadium.

A sum of Rs 31.6 lakh, an accreditation card of Press Information Bureau, one country made pistol, two live cartridges and one button-actuated knife were recovered from their possession.

The three accused persons, including an employee of Amitabh Enterprises, have been identified as Sushil Dahiya (21), a resident of Mahendra Park, Babuddin, alias Parvez Khan (26), a resident of Jahangirpuri and Asif (21), a resident of Adarsh Nagar.

On December 13, three employees of Amitabh Enterprises — Shailender Kathuria (42), Ram Sharma (24) and Sushil Dahiya (21) — had gone in a Maruti car to the IOB Bank in Model Town to withdraw Rs 44.10 lakh. .

While they were returning to their office in R K Complex, two youths waylaid them near Chhatrasal stadium and tried to pass themselves for Special Staff of the Delhi Police. When the car stopped, the youths got into the car and pushed out the occupants.

They, then, took the car to Bhajan Pura area and fled in a red Maruti car that was already waiting for them.

According to Joint Commissioner of Police (Northern Range) Deep Chand, after the incident, the police questioned the employees and also verified their antecedents. The police also questioned the owners of the firm to ascertain whether they had any enmity with anyone.

Since the car had disappeared in the North-East district, the police mounted vigil in the Trans Yamuna area. Meanwhile, the police also kept tabs on three employees who had brought the cash.

JCP Chand says that the needle of suspicion pointed towards Sushil as he had disappeared from the scene on December 15. On December 16, Sushil was interrogated and confronted before Shailender and Ram Sharma.

Finally, Sushil broke down and confessed to having committed the crime along with his two associates, Babuddin and Asif. The police also recovered Rs nine lakh from Sushil’s residence.

On December 17, Babuddin was arrested from his residence in Jehangirpuri area and Rs 12.5 lakh was recovered from his possession. The third accused, Asif, was arrested in the early hours of December 17 and Rs 10.10 lakh was recovered from his possession. 

Gurgaon, December 17
A number of areas in Gurgaon city and nearby villages have been simultaneously included as wards of some Gram Panchayats as well as the local municipality. In effect, the voters of these areas can now vote for both the elections - Gram Panchayat and municipality.

The voters’ list prepared with regard to the municipal areas in Gurgaon city show an addition of about 37,000 new voters. In effect, as per the revised list, the total number of voters in the municipal wards has gone up to about 1,40,0000. The anomaly had been discovered while revising the electoral roll for the coming Assembly election in the state.

According to sources, the revision of the electoral roll had been done following a two months exercise on account of pressure from the Election Commission. However, in their bid to comply with the EC’s directive to revise the electoral roll within a time frame, it seems the authorities have created some howlers in the process.

To cite some cases, Feroze Gandhi Colony and Lakshman Vihar have been included in the municipal list and simultaneously included as part of a ward of Gurgaon Gram Panchayat. Devi Lal Nagar and Kadipur have been included in the municipality as well as in Basai Gram Panchayat. Surat Nagar and Surya Vihar have been included in the municipality as well as in the Dhanwapur Gram Panchayat. Rajinder Park has been also included as part of the ward for the Tikamgarsh Gram Panchayat and for the municipality. The same is the case with Kirti Nagar and a part of Sector 15, which have been simultaneously included in the wards for the municipality as well as Jharsa Gram Panchayat. A part of Sukhrali village has been included as part of the municipality ward and a part of it in Sirhol Gram Panchayat.

This has also tinkered with the reservation of wards for elections to the municipality, the concerned Gram Panchayats and the Panchayat Samiti on account of faulty in mapping up the areas.

According to many, this anomaly will make a difference and create confusion with regard to more than 10,000 votes, which is a tall order for the coming election in Gurgaon Assembly constituency.

The anomaly will also impinge on the election for Panchayat Samiti as elected representatives of Gram Panchayats are sent to it. In effect, the three-tier local self-government matrix will certainly go for a six in the present scenario. While many attribute the lapse to the pressure of the deadline, another school of thought sees it as conspiracy on the part of the leaders of the ruling INLD in the state.

New Delhi, December 17
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had sought the permission of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) to chargesheet against a very senior doctor whom it has registered a case of misappropriation, Minister of State for Family Welfare Panabka Lakshmi told the Rajya Sabha today.

The request for permission will be placed before the governing body of the AIIMS at its next meeting, she told the House in a written reply. The CBI had conducted a surprise check in the HLA Department laboratory of AIIMS on January 3, 2002, and registered a regular case against Dr N. K. Mehra of the Department of Transplant Immunology and immunogenetics for misconduct and misappropriation of various clinical test fees collected from patients, the Minister said.

The Minister of State for Environment and Forests, Mr Namo Narain Meena, informed the Rajya Sabha that the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) has issued notices to hospitals in Delhi for non-compliance of Bio-medical Waste Management Rules 1998.

Gurgaon, December 17
The main market of HUDA’s Sector 14 remained closed today in protest against the alleged highhandedness of the employees of HUDA with the shop owners.

However, after about four hours of protest the shop owners called off their agitation following an apology by an SDO of HUDA at the mediation of the local police.

The shop owners alleged that last Wednesday some employees of HUDA led by one of its Junior Engineer had visited a shop and roughed up one woman shop owner on allegation of encroachment on the verandah of the shop.

The owner of the alleged shop, Ms Anita Singh said that on the issue of encroachment and right of the shop owners of the market, a case was pending in a court. With the matter being sub judice, the employees had no business to directly intervene on the issues. The employees allegedly returned to the shop site yesterday and are said to have threatened its owner.

Although, many object to the manner in which the employees approached the issue leading to the agitation, the general feeling is that the encroachment by the shop owners causing inconvenience to the public.

New Delhi, December 17
With the arrest of seven persons, the South-West district today claimed to have foiled a dacoity attempt in the Dwarka area. Two country made pistols, five cartridges, three button actuated knives and house breaking implements have been recovered from their possession.

The accused persons have been identified as Dhruv, alias Dhurvendra (27), a resident of Mahavir Enclave, Ranjit Singh, alias Kashmiri (23), a resident of Janak Puri, Ajab Singh, alias Desima (22), a resident of Vijay Enclave, Ajay, alias Kundan Singh (26), a resident of Vijay Enclave, Pappu Singh (20), a resident of Vaishali, Lalla Singh (18), a resident of Vijay Enclave, and Neeraj (19), a resident of Vijay Enclave.

Acting on a tip-off that the gang members would meet in DDA, Sector-2, Dwarka, to commit a dacoity in the area, the police party reached the park and laid a trap to nab the culprits.

Sensing the presence of police in the area, one of the gang members, Ranjit Singh, started firing at the police personnel. However, they were soon overpowered.

During interrogation, the accused told the police that they had gathered to commit a dacoity in the Nawab Meat shop in Sector-1, Dwarka.

Ajab Singh and his associates had in their possession two country made weapons. The cartridges were procured from a securityman of ICICI bank near Mahavir Enclave School; likewise, three knives were organised from different places in Uttar Pradesh. Prior to this, the accused persons had also robbed some persons in Janakpuri area.

Ghaziabad, December 17
The Mussori police have arrested five criminals and recovered 455 cow hides from them. The police have also impounded the truck, which was loaded with the hides consignment. The accused were identified as Babu from Faridabad and Sahabu, Jacob, Jatik Kalu and Hanif, all from Gurgaon, according to the in-charge of Mussori police station, Mr Ravi Shankar Pande.

Mr Pande said that police had received intelligence input that some people were smuggling cow hides. Later, a vehicle check was organised and when a truck (No HR55-B-7806) was asked to stop, the occupants tried to flee.

New Delhi, December 17
With the western disturbances skirting Delhi and other parts of north India, the capital is experiencing a “mild December”, claimed the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

Officials in the IMD said that instead of moving north-eastward, which would have brought cold north westerly winds and rain to the region, the western disturbances are going extreme north.

However, the Met department has forewarned of cold gripping the city in the last week of the month. This year’s weather, said officials, is not abnormal as a similar trend was seen in 2002. Then, on December 25 Delhi and neighbouring areas had received rainfall followed by a three-week long spell of cold. The minimum temperature in the Capital is only a degree or two above normal and the situation is likely to change within a week. —TNS

New Delhi, December 17
The Delhi Medical Association (DMA) has sought a CBI inquiry into the continuation of Dr. Ketan Desai as the president of Medical Council of India despite having been removed from the post by the Delhi High Court.

In a letter to the Minister of Health & family Welfare, Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss, the DMA representative has alleged that Dr. Desai was illegally controlling the MCI office and a high-level inquiry should be initiated into the matter. The DMA President, Mr I.P Dhalla, claimed that the Uttranchal High Court has restrained Dr. Ketan Desai from participating, conducting and dealing with any business of the MCI.—TNS