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Honour human values, Patil tells policemen
MCD chief gets contempt notice
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Orphan sold for Rs 72,000 to Sonepat businessman
Old man killed for objecting to liaison
Blind students say no to typing, opt for writers instead
Several DSGMC leaders skip BJP rally over Nanavati’s report
Retd judge in dock for taking bribe 19 yrs ago
Row over proposed marriage of same-Khap couple
Low sex ratio: Elite equally responsible
Polio programme becoming a flop show?
HUDA’s demolition drive begins
Cloudy spell likely to continue
Garden Festival from Feb 18
KMC students keep off classes
Security guard dies in suspicious circumstances
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Honour human values, Patil tells policemen
New Delhi, February 16 Speaking on the occasion, Mr Patil said that the newly-introduced ‘Zipnet System’, which makes it easier to exchange information with the forces in other states, was a laudable initiative of the Delhi Police. The ‘Citizens First’ and ‘Community Policing’ moves taken to maintain better coordination between the public and the police were also worthy of appreciation. ‘’Long-term benefits and success can only be derived through better relationship between the force and the people,’’ he noted. On terrorism, the Minister said violence would never lead to a solution of any problem. ‘’Anyway, we are prepared to defend our integrity and sovereignty,’’ he added. Mr Patil also assured of ‘’full cooperation’’ of his ministry in tackling the housing problem being faced by the Delhi Police. On the occasion, Mr Patil also presented Gallantry medals to ACP Rajbir Singh, Inspectors Mohan Chand Sharma, Govind Sharma, Sub-Inspectors Sanjay Dutt, Raj Kumar and ASI Ajit Singh. The Police Medal for Distinguished Services went to woman Inspector Pratima Sharma. The Police Medal for Meritorious Services went to DCP Suvashish Choudhary, ACP (retd) Jai Pal Singh, ACP Vikraman Nair, ACP Mangi Lal Meena, ACP Ram Karan Meena, women Inspector Neeta Malhotra, Inspectors Rajinder Singh, V K Dham and Assistant Sub-Inspectors Asad Raza and Lal Chand. The Home Minister also presented the Best Police Station award consisting of a trophy and Rs 20,000 to Inspector V K Malhotra, SHO, Lajpat Nagar, while the second prize consisting of a trophy and Rs 15,000 was presented to Inspector R S Adhikari, SHO, Sadar Bazar. Inspector Beer Singh Tyagi, SHO, Bhajanpura and Inspector Inder Singh, SHO, Alipur were jointly presented commendation certificates and Rs 10,000 as third prize for their police stations. Home Ministers for State Manik Rao Gavit and S Reghupati, Delhi Lieutenant-Governor B L Joshi, Union Home Secretary Dhirendra Singh, Delhi Chief Minister Shiela Dikshit and Delhi Police Commissioner Dr K K Paul were present on the occasion.
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MCD chief gets contempt notice
New Delhi, February 16 Justice Gita Mittal, who sought to know why the order was not implemented, asked Verma to be personally present before the court on February 25, the next date of hearing. Petitioner Delhi Shamiana Dealers Vyapar Sudhar Samiti’s counsel Manjit Singh Ahluwalia pointed out that the court had on November 30 last clearly directed the civic agency not to force people to use tent and catering facilities offered by MCD licencees/contractors. Complaining that the direction was being violated by the MCD, Ahluwalia submitted that the civic body was also letting its licencees erect permanent shamianas, pandals at community halls. On a petition filed by the Samiti, Justice Pradeep Nandrajog had asked the MCD to “ensure that no person is forced to use a facility of the licencee if the said facility can be arranged by the person on his/her own. “If the Corporation decides that notwithstanding that a facility is made available by a licencee, the person booking the community hall would be free to make his own arrangement,” the court had said. Observing that community halls cannot be appropriated for private gain, the court had asked the MCD to “fine-tune” within three months its policy on allotment of such halls and setting up of shamianas, pandals and allowing catering services over there. The court had asked the civic agency to clearly spell out the right to use the open lawns adjacent to the main building, including the right to erect a shamiana on the lawn. It had also asked the MCD to clarify in the new policy if additional facilities like floral decoration, carpets, tables, sofas and chairs would be compulsory for a person, if he desires to use, to take the same from the licencee or would he be free to make his own arrangement. In case the MCD made it compulsory to use the facility offered by its licencees, the civic body would ensure that the facility was of desired quality and fix the rates thereof, the court had said.
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MCD team visits Andamans for fogging operations
New Delhi, February 16 The team was flown from Delhi to Port Blair. It was further divided into three groups with a view to covering different islands. The team stayed there for eight days and carried out fogging operation in all the camps where temporary residential arrangements for the public were made, an MCD spokesman said. — TNS
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Orphan sold for Rs 72,000 to Sonepat businessman
Ghaziabad, February 16 The girl, on becoming pregnant, however, escaped from his house to the orphanage. The businessman, Mukesh Tyagi, and his wife from Agwanpur village in Ganaur in Sonepat district have lodged a written report about this. The husband-wife duo have accused that a woman, who had handed over the girl to them on a one-year contract from Adyatmik Anath Ashram, Brijghat, has taken the girl along with her. Now, the mangers of the orphanage have demanded Rs 3,000 per month as maintenance from Tyagi for the child in the womb. However, 48-year-old Mukesh has lodged a written report with SP (rural) B. K. Sekhar, demanding his money back and registeration of a case for fraud against the organisers of the Anath Ashram (orphanage). He said that Bala, the woman of the orphanage, had demanded Rs 31,000 as donation as a condition. After this another sum of Rs 41,000 was demanded, which he again donated to the Ashram under pressure from his wife to have an offspring. But the girl was called back after one month deceitfully. The CO Garh, Sanjay Rai, said as investigations are on, no case has been registered yet. However, Mukesh Tyagi has threatened to take the matter to court. The police are trying to record the statements of orphanage organiser Nageshwar and the young girl, who had agreed to lend her womb for a child on contract for one year. According to Hari Krishan Sharma, the Manager of Ashram complex where this orphanage was located, the manager of the orphanage and wife have been absconding for the last seven months. The manager, he said, was involved in some fraudulent and criminal activities; therefore, he had been removed. The orphanage manager, Nageshwar said that a sum of Rs 72,000 was taken for the future needs of the girl sent on contract and is later deposited in her name. But this amount of Rs 72,000 has not been deposited in any bank, but he said, it is safe. He said, “The young girl had come back from Tyagi’s house, as she was being beaten up there. She is still in the orphanage.” Meanwhile, it is learnt that the receipt issued for Rs.72,000 is fake as the orphanage itself is not known to be genuine.
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Old man killed for objecting to liaison
Bulandshahar, February 16 Opposite the victim’s house in Chander village, a woman Beena had been living with her kids. One Ehsan used to frequent Beena’s house to which Wazir Khan used to object as he felt illicit relations vitiated the village environment. On Monday, younger brother of Beena’s father in-law had come to Beena’s house. Wazir Khan told her father in-law about Ehsan’s visiting Beana’s house, which was creating a bad precedent for the young ones in the village. Ehsan was told not to visit their house by Beena’s father in-law. At 9.30 pm Ehsan and one
Mystiqueen, barged into Wazir Khan’s house and stabbed him repeatedly after rebuking him.
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Blind students say no to typing, opt for writers instead
New Delhi, February 16 Though the option was started as an exercise in the national capital about two years ago, there is a discernible reluctance shown by the students as far as typing their answer scripts is concerned. While many attribute this to unwillingness shown by the students, there are others who are quick to point out that many schools do not care to teach the skills of typing. Mayank, a class X visually handicapped student, is happy that the school has offered him a chance to learn computers, but he refuses to type his answer script despite his typing skills. He and his classmates, who have been using computers for two years and are familiar with typing, would rather have a writer. “The tendency to rely on others and not take up the challenge is what I am trying to rid them of. I have made it clear to the students in class VI and VII, who are learning computers to master it, because I do not want them to rely on writers,” said K J Kurien, Principal, JPM Senior Secondary School. To ensure that these students who follow JAWS software that enables them to work on computers can follow the language and also type flawlessly during exams, Kurien has begun organising English-speaking workshops in the school. “I invite experts to help these children master English, which then makes it easy for them to understand the language used by the software and also learn spellings,” he said. While the children admit that typing their answers is a good option, they point out that there should be more time given for practice. “The school should begin by conducting the exams for classes VI onwards on the computers or typewriters, which will give us ample time to prepare,” said Sachin and Pankaj, both class XII students. Their counterparts in other schools like the Andhmahavidyalaya and the Andh Vidhyala in Panchkuian Road and the Blind School in Lajpat Nagar, however, have not been taught typing. “We are excited that there are computers now, we are keen to learn,” said a student in the Lajpat Nagar school. However, he added, “We have a Braille typewriter, but no one to teach us how to use it.” The computer instructor Alok, who has begun initiating the students to computers, said “It is a little time-consuming, but if one were to put in efforts, these children can learn computers and work like the rest of us.” “Typing will also address the problem of looking for writers, because the board exams always coincide with the annual exams in schools. Besides, these children often complain that the writer made mistakes while taking down the answers. Once we even had a writer who dozed off while writing an exam, because she had been to a wedding the night before,” summed up Kurien.
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Several DSGMC leaders skip BJP rally over
New Delhi, February 16 Neither pro-Congress Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) president Paramjit Singh Sarna nor his brother and party general secretary Harvinderpal Singh Sarna participated in the demonstration. None of the three Delhi members of the top Sikh religious body, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), took part in the demonstration, attended by former Union Minister Vijay Goel, former Rajasthan Governor Madan Lal Khurana, Delhi BJP chief Harsh Vardhan and a host of other leaders from the main Opposition party. Senior DSGMC leader Manjit Singh, who has fallen out with the BJP-Akali combine, and former Committee chief and Congressman Prehlad Singh Chandok also made themselves scarce. Among the few Sikh leaders present at the event was DSGMC general secretary Ravinder Singh Khurana, who had unsuccessfully fought the last Delhi Assembly elections as a BJP candidate. Deputy MCD Opposition leader Onkar Singh Thapar, a BJP representative in the Corporation, and DSGMC member Tarjeet Singh Nagi, who belongs to the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), sat against the backdrop of a BJP banner demanding immediate release of Justice Nanavati’s report on the 1984 riots. In their efforts to shore up their falling Sikh support, especially after elevation of Dr Manmohan Singh as Prime Minister in the Congress-led UPA government, the BJP leaders called the events of 1984 a central issue for the entire Hindu society. ‘’1984 is an issue that concerns Hinduism, the entire Hindu society,’’ said Dr Harsh Vardhan in his speech carrying emotive references to historical Sikh contributions to the country. He also described the Sikhs as guardians of the Hindu faith. In their speeches, Mr Goel and Mr Khurana recounted their personal experiences in the aftermath of the assassination of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Dr Vardhan, however, was clearly disappointed with the turnout. ‘’Sikh leaders should have risen above their party affiliations and joined hands over the issue which is so big for the entire country. We expected the entire DSGMC leadership which unfortunately did not turn up despite the BJP circulating posters about the protest across Delhi,’’ he said.
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Retd judge in dock for taking bribe 19 yrs ago
New Delhi, February 16 About 19 years after the judge was accused of taking bribe, special CBI Judge Dinesh Dayal framed charges of bribery and attempting to destroy evidence against Gulab Tulsiyani, who was then posted as a Metropolitan Magistrate at the Patiala House district courts here. The CBI said Tulsiyani was caught accepting the bribe at his Ramesh Nagar house on June 6, 1986. The trap was laid on a complaint by Ajesh Mittal, from whom the demand was made. Earlier, the chargesheet was filed against him and even charges were framed, but he was discharged on March 3, 2002, on the ground that the sanction needed for prosecuting the government servants was not in accordance with law. The chargesheet had been filed in 1987 before he retired in 1998. After his retirement, the CBI filed a fresh chargesheet on November 16, 2002, and contended that sanction was no longer necessary. Mr Dayal said that if one is a public servant both on the relevant date of offence and the date on which the cognizance of his case is taken, sanction was necessary, otherwise no sanction required. Mittal, owner of Mittal Paints and Chemicals, had alleged that the judge had asked for the money for showing favour in a matter pertaining to a factory challan.
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Row over proposed marriage of same-Khap couple
Meerut, February 16 While a Panchayat of Deshkhap villages was held on Monday in Johri village where the proposed marriage was declared against their old social traditions. At the Panchayat, the girl was sternly told to break the relations, but the request of the Khap Panchayat’s was turned down by the girl. Later, considering it a humiliation, the Chaudhries of Deshkhap called a Mahapanchayat today to take action over the issue in Bijrol village. According to the age-old tradition, neither the boys nor the girls of ‘Bhaichara’ (brotherhood) villages of Deshkhap can marry each other. And this custom has strictly been following by all the villages of Deshkhap, even today. However, one Virendra Singh of Dadri village went against the tradition. He fixed the marriage of his son Abhishek with Sangita, the daughter of Yashpal Singh, who is a resident of Johri village of Deshkhap area. And the marriage is to be solemnised on February 17. Thousands of Chaudharies went ballistic as the news of the proposed marriage spread across the villages. Later, they rushed to the houses of bride and groom and forced them to cancel the marriage. Later, Chaudhary Surendra Singh, the head of Deshkhap, held a Panchayat at a Chaupal near the girl’s house in Johri village. And the Panchayat issued an order to both sides to break the ties. The Deshkhap Chaudhry said that the bride family has violated an age-old custom, and by breaking the convention, they also insulted the dignity of Deshkhap in the area. Subsequently, he also called a Mahapanchayat today to take some stern action on the issue. The Chaudhary said that the Deshkhap will no longer endure this shameful act. Meanwhile, the father of Sangita, Yashpal Singh, is firm on his decision. He said he would marry his daughter with Abhishek at any cost. “We will seek the help of law if the marriage is stopped,” he added. While Chaudhry Surendera Singh told mediapersons that the marriage could lead to a bloodshed in the area, the Deshkhap wants to settle the issue peacefully. He added that the Mahapanchayat was called to take a decision publicly and stop group clash in the area. However, the administration and the police officials have been alerted following the increasing tension in the area. According to some villagers, whatever the decision of the Panchayat, violence incidents are imminent in the area.
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Low sex ratio: Elite equally responsible
New Delhi, February 16 “The so-called elite, the educated and the modern, that is open to live-in relationships and by and large shows a discernible change in its attitude, also shows preference for a male child,” rued Dr Kumari. Elaborating on the issue, she said the Centre for Social Research had conducted a study in the Capital to ascertain the reason for the declining sex ratio. The report says, “Shockingly, the rich and educated parents seem to have a stronger preference for the male child. In the prosperous and educated South Delhi zone, for example, a mere 763 girls are born for every 1,000 boys.” “It is strange that these people do not discriminate once the girl is born, but if given a choice they would rather have a boy. The reason being their wish to have an heir,” Dr Kumari said. The Joint Action Front for Women, a group of more than 70 organisations, has met the Chief Minister, Mrs Sheila Dikshit, seeking her intervention. “The Chief Minister called a meeting and has sought a report of all the registered nursing homes and ultrasound machines in the Capital,” she said. The CSR has blamed the poor implementation if pre-conception and pre-natal diagnostic techniques for the declining sex ratio in the country. Urging the government to take steps, they have sought immediate action to strengthen the implementation of the PCPNDT Act. The birth registration data of the MCD shows that the sex ratio at birth in Delhi between January and June 2004, indicates that for every 1,000 boys, there are only 819 girls being born.
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Polio programme becoming a flop show?
Faridabad, February 16 While the Health Department has sent the stool sample of the suspected cases to the laboratory, the department and the families of these children will have to wait for another few days before the report of these tests is declared. According to information, about four suspected cases have come from the town here, including the NIT area, while two cases have reported from Palwal and Hathin subdivisions of the district. All the children are up to the age of five years. These include one case from the Jawahar colony here, where the age of a male child is three years. A four-year-old boy from Sanjay colony and a five-and-half-year-old girl from the same locality, have also been detected. Two children of the age of two and half years from Hathin and an 18-month-old boy from Palwal have also been included in the suspected category, whose final report is being awaited. It may be recalled that two cases of polio had been unearthed in the state in 2003-04 and both of these had been from Faridabad district. The Union Health Ministry have been carrying out the ‘Pulse Polio’ drive throughout the country for the last several years in a bid to eradicate the disease completely, but the desired success is still to be met in many parts of the country. The department will again be carrying out the drive in the state and the district on February 20 next, in which about 4,95,939 kids in the district up to the age of five years, have been targeted to be administered the polio drops. As many as 5,742 employees and workers of the departments and 2,000 volunteers will be involved in the exercise, which will be covered up to February 23. While as many as 1,380 booths will be set up in both urban and rural areas, 75 transit teams and 37 mobile teams will cover all parts of the district, including the bus stands, railway stations, mining areas, crusher zones and all the brick-kilns.
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HUDA’s demolition drive begins
Gurgaon, February 16 The HUDA team swooped in full force in the morning and continued till the fall of the evening. According to the HUDA officials, HUDA had acquired land of Wazirabad village Panchayat. However, some of the areas of land acquired was surrounded by DLF property. DLF had exchanged the land with HUDA in lieu of another property. But the land given by HUDA in exchange was encroached upon by jhuggies of migratory labourers. Also, some mafia had poached on large chunk of the land and hired it to labourers by setting up jhuggies. The DLF took up the matter with HUDA, but for reasons best known to the authorities, the matter had been dragged for time. Also, the residents of nearby areas were feeling uncomfortable with the presence of such a large of floating labourers, illegally staying in the environs. They are also said to have taken the issue with the authorities concerned a number of times in the past, without avail. While the residents of HUDA sectors were having culture shock on account of the living style and mannerisms of the inhabitants of these jhuggies dwellers, many attribute rise in petty crimes in several pockets of the city in the recent past to the rise of unauthorised settlements. These labourers are mainly engaged in construction related activities. They use electricity and water in illegal way, straining the supplies in the city in the process. Also, these labourers often double up as rickshaw-pullers. While this round of demolition suits the DLF, the private colonisers, especially the DLF are also guilty of facilitating jhunggies to suit their expediency. The labourers at hand facilitates ready availability of labour force for construction activities in the nearby areas. The maximum number of construction was being done by the DLF in the last few years. Also, in the last one year, the labour forces has also increases on account of the ongoing expansion of the Delhi-Jaipur national highway. According to observers, the authorities was encouraging settlements of jhuggies in several pockets of the city. There is wide-ranging apprehension that in case the district authorities do not intervene at the earliest in removing the clusters of unauthorised jhuggies, the day is not far when the city would be overwhelmed by such settlements.
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Cloudy spell likely to continue
New Delhi, February 16 The city received a total rainfall of 2.1 mm till this morning compared to the 2.4 mm yesterday. The day temperature yesterday was 22.4 degrees Celsius, two degrees below normal. The weather office has forecast more rains and thundershowers tomorrow. The cloudy weather is likely to continue. The minimum temperature tomorrow will remain at around 12 degrees Celsius.
— TNS
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Garden Festival from Feb 18
New Delhi, February 16 The two-day festival is scheduled to begin on February 18 and will be inaugurated by the Minister for Tourism and Education, Mr Arvinder Singh Lovely. Organised by the Delhi Tourism, the festival will have a variety of flora on display. From hanging baskets to succulents, accessories and garden implement will also be part of the whole show. Competitions in various categories will be organised besides on-the-spot painting competitions for children, poetry recital and cultural programmes. The theme of this year’s festival will be ‘Innovative gardens’. The emphasis will be on the introduction of newness of the greens.
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KMC students keep off classes
New Delhi, February 16 “The students did not turn up, so there were no classes. We
have not taken any action for yesterday’s violence, because there is
no written complaint and in any case, the police have now stepped in
and they are handling the whole thing,” said Principal, Dr Bhim Sen
Singh. It was reported that while one of those injured in yesterday’s
attack is in coma, the other has been admitted to the Intensive Care
Unit.
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Security guard dies in suspicious circumstances
Noida, February 16 The victim, Naimuddin of Swift Security Agency, New Delhi, was shifted from a company in Sector-58 and deployed in Radisson Hotel. Naimuddin belongs to Amipur village under Kithore
(Meerut) police station. He was on duty at the main gate of the hotel in Sector-18, Noida on Tuesday. Naimuddin was suddenly found missing on Tuesday afternoon. At night, someone spotted the body of a man lying on the roof of the balcony of second floor of the hotel
building. — OC
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Scooterist killed, bus set afire
New Delhi, February 16 The victim has been identified as Alok (30), resident of Netaji Nagar. Sources said that the bus route No 588 plying between Tilak Nagar and Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium hit the
victim from behind at around 12.25 am. Witnessing the incident, the crowd set fire to the bus. Two fire tenders were immediately rushed to the spot. Fire sources said that the blaze was brought under control within 30 minutes, but the bus was damaged.
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TSR gang busted, four held
New Delhi, February 16 The accused have been identified as Nafis (22), Nafis (23), Usman (22) and Pramod (22), all residents of Ghaziabad. During interrogation, they told the police that while one person would drive, two others posed as passengers in the auto. They committed robbery when an unsuspecting passenger got into the
auto. — TNS
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Brothers kidnap girl
Greater Noida, February 16 According to police, Vidhu and Vinod, sons of Dharmi, resident of Shahadra, kidnapped Mange Ram’s daughter three days ago. Mange Ram had asked Dharmi that his daughter should be restored back as people had seen Dharmi’s sons taking away Mange Ram’s daughter. The village Panchayat was also summoned for the purpose, but when it also failed to produce the result, Mange Ram has reported the matter to the Surajpur police. The police are trying to trace the accused after having registered a kidnapping case.
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