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Man accused of triple murder held with weapons
Body of abducted boy found
Woman shot by neighbour in Khora
L-G concerned over corruption cases in MCD, to meet Mehta soon
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Builder held guilty of unfair trade practices
State-of-the-art twin district centre in Rohini
Companies ordered to pay compensation for deficiency
Over 300 staff to count votes for Faridabad seats
Mechanical parking lots mooted to
ease traffic
Seminar on IT trends
Traders of Sadar Bazar protesting against VAT at Jantar Mantar in the Capital.
— Tribune photo
Drive to collect revenue
from 300 defaulters
Sheila for bringing land under purview of Delhi Govt for ‘better development’
Sale of Guru Nanak’s idol checked
Painting competition on Metro Rail
Stress on peace
Seminar on spiritual approach
to peace
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Man accused of triple murder held with weapons
New Delhi, February 20 The police also claimed to have seized one country-made weapon, two Italian pistols along with nine live cartridges from his possession. The accused person is a resident of Uttaranchal. On February 16, the police posted in Khari Baoli area found one person running towards the railway station in a suspicious manner. When the policemen chased and nabbed him, he was found in possession of one country-made weapon and an Italian pistol, said the Deputy Commissioner of Police (North), Mr Rajesh Khurana. During interrogation, the accused person told the police that the Uttaranchal Police had announced a reward of Rs one lakh on him for killing three policemen in Almora. He told the police that he along with his associate, identified as Rajender Singh, alias Raju, were taken to Ranikhet court on January 15 by three policemen in a Tata Sumo jeep. While they returning back after attending the court, some of their associates followed the police and two others boarded the police vehicle and gave two country-made weapons to Harish and his associate, Rajender Singh. Upon reaching a deserted spot, the accused persons shot dead the three policemen and fled with their rifles. They later threw away the rifles in the forest areas. Harish also said that the weapons used in the offence and the police rifles could be recovered from the forest areas. The police have been verifying his previous involvement in other cases and efforts were on to trace the whereabouts of his other associates.
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Body of abducted boy found
Faridabad, February 20 The police have arrested about seven persons in this connection. One of the main accused is still at large. The deceased identified as Shahid had gone on his motorcycle along with some of his friends and failed to return home. His mobike was recovered after a few days from a village in UP. The body of the teenager was found from a spot near the bed of the Yamuna river at Dadasia village in the district yesterday. Some of the arrested suspects admitted that they had murdered him and buried his body. Several residents of the village in Sector- 15-A here had met the district police chief and complained to him about the abduction. The case was then referred to the Crime Branch and the police arrested some persons, who later provided the details about the victim and his bike. It was told to the police that Shahid was strangulated and his body was buried near the river. The police have sent the body for postmortem at PGIMS Rohtak A case of abduction and murder has been registered against the accused.
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Woman shot by neighbour in Khora
Ghaziabad, February 20 The murder was the result of an old enmity, the police said. According to information, Satpal Singh Rathode had sold his house in Deepak Vihar two days ago. The family had loaded their household goods in a truck and were about to leave for the village of his father- in-law in Etah. The man had already sat in the truck at 8 pm and his wife, Mrs Sudha, 42, was proceeding towards the truck after locking her house, when one person accosted her. He put a gun on her forehead and fired from a point-blank range. Sudha collapsed in a pool of blood and died on the spot. The assailant fled on foot. Satpal told the Khora police that his neighbour Chhotey Lal had murdered his wife. Chhotey Lal had a dispute with them for the last one year and it was only due to his terror tactics that Satpal decided to sell his house and leave Deepak Vihar
for good, Satpal told the police. Strangely, no senior police officer visited the spot except some policemen of Khora police post. The police said Chhotey Lal’s wife had disappeared last year and he suspected Satpal and his wife for her disappearance. He had even filed a case against the couple. Though the police investigations had concluded that Satpal and his wife were not involved in the case, Chhotey Lal continued to hold a grudge against the couple.
Truck driver, cleaner held captive by robbers
Some armed criminals, who looted a truck with goods worth Rs 5 lakh in Link Road area under Sahibabad police, had come in a big car with a red light atop it. The robbers overpowered the driver and cleaner, and held them captive after tying their hands and feet. One truck of Mangat Ram Sharma’s Kohinoor Transport Co. in Mukund Nagar had left Delhi cloth market with a consignment of textiles for Ghaziabad. The truck was carrying goods for many factories and retailers in Ghaziabad. Mohd. Shabbir was driving the truck with Rakesh sitting nearby as his assistant. At 3 am, the truck entered the Link Road area, Sahibabad. When the truck was negotiating the Link Road overbridge, Sharma told the police that a big car with a red light blaring atop had pulled up in front of
the truck. Some people got out from the car and demanded to see the documents. The driver took them for transport or trade tax officers. But as soon as Mohd Shabbir and his assistant Rakesh got down, they were pushed into the car by
the robbers. Some of the robbers then sped away with the truck. Later, the driver and cleaner were thrown of the truck near ALT centre in Ghaziabad with their hands and feet tied. Somehow they reached Kavi Nagar police station early morning and informed the police. The Kavi Nagar police then flashed this information on wireless to all the police stations and
even tried to chase the hijacked truck, but in vain. Mangat Ram Sharma had reported the matter to Link Road
police. — OC
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L-G concerned over corruption cases in MCD, to meet Mehta soon
New Delhi, February 20 It is learnt that on behalf of the Lieutenant-Governor, his secretary, Mr G. S Patnaik, has written a letter to the MCD Commissioner, Mr Rakesh Mehta, conveying the Lieutenant-Governor’s concern over news reports about corruption in the corporation. Among the main issues raised in the letter are identification of vulnerable areas of corruption and posting of officers on a rotation basis after checking their vigilance report thoroughly, sources said. Engagement of third party for quality assurance as regards testing of materials was also mentioned as a major issue in the letter. The letter also calls for a report on the procedure adopted for preparation of the “Agreed List” that deals with giving the go-ahead to the investigating agencies for probe and raid on the premises of corrupt officials. After the status reports on these issues are received, a meeting would be convened between the Lieutenant- Governor and the Commissioner, the sources said. The Lieutenant-Governor would like to “discuss and formulate” an action plan for sensitising officers, employees and councillors of the corporation and for this purpose would like to have a “preliminary discussion” with the MCD Commissioner and Chief Vigilance Officer, they said.
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Builder held guilty of unfair trade practices
New Delhi, February 20 The Commission further held that on failing to deliver possession in time. The order was passed while dismissing an appeal by Ajay Enterprises Ltd., against a Delhi State Commission order, which held it guilty of unfair trade practice for including space for common utilities, common lobbies, toilets, lifts, corridors, staircases and balconies in the area offered, and ordered refund of excess money to one Arvind Kumar
Trikha, who was offered just 80 sq feet of covered area despite having booked 152 sq feet. ‘’It can not be digested that the complainant has booked and paid for a space measuring 152 sq feet super area and is actually allotted only 80 sq feet covered area,’’ the State Commission observed. The Commission noted that buildings are constructed according to approved plans and at the time of booking of orders, builders are in a position to find out the actual covered area that they intend to give to purchasers but still they do not inform them. ‘’This practice to our mind is an unfair one,’’ the Commission said. Quoting its 1994 judgement, the Commission said the actual covered area ‘’should not be less than 3/4th of the super area.’’ Mr Trikha had booked 152 sq feet space at Anupam Commercial Complex in Paschim Vihar here in January 1988 for Rs 1,06,400. Though the space was to be delivered within 6 months, the builder handed over just 80 sq feet of covered area in August 1991. The builder contended that the area booked by the complainant included all common spaces and there was no discrepancy in the area booked and finally
allotted to the complainant. The Commission, however, directed the builder to refund Rs 21,000 to the buyer.
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State-of-the-art twin district centre in Rohini
New Delhi, February 20 It will comprise two district centres of 33 hectares each, separated by central green of 100 hectares. The central green will consist of gardens, amusement park and leisure areas and it will be connected by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation’s service. The DDA will auction six plots in Rohini’s twin district centre in March 2005. The six plots comprising a shopping mall, two cineplexes, retail shops and offices will be auctioned in the first phase. Rest of the plots will be sold in the next two phases. The reserve price of the plots to be sold in the first phase is about Rs 400 crore. The Commissioner of Land Disposal of DDA, Mr R. K. Singh, said, “The offer will spurt the commercial activities in Rohini, thereby making it the complete township in the city. The twin district has well defined zones for different activities like retail malls, corporate offices, cultural and entertainment zones like food courts, multiplexes and amphitheater.” “There will also be clear-cut segregation for vehicular and pedestrian traffic. A large city park between two parcels of district centres is the green belt of the centre. Internationally acclaimed architects, M/s Vastushilpa Consultants, has undertaken the urban design and landscape development planning for the project,” he said.
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Companies ordered to pay compensation for deficiency in service
New Delhi, February 20 Lured by this scheme put out by gocustomer.com, Mitra and Deepa paid Rs 1,385 by two cheques in October/November 2001. But the gifts were never delivered. And now, three years after the incident, a Delhi consumer court has held Opposite Parties (OPs)-Archies Ltd, Holiday Breaks International Pvt Ltd., and GTC-icare, which runs the website gocustomer.com-guilty of unfair trade practice and deficiency in service. “The practice adopted by the OPs in enticing persons with lucrative schemes with no intention to keep their promise, amounts to unfair trade practice,” District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum (North) President K. K. Chopra, Members Neeru Mittal and S. C.
Jain said, adding that “the OPs also subjected the complainant to a lot
of mental agony and harassment”. The consumer court ordered the OPs to refund the Rs 1,385 paid by complainant Mitra with nine per cent interest from November 3, 2001, till the date of payment. The court also ordered the OPs to pay Mitra Rs 5,000 as compensation for being deficient in service. The OPs were directed to pay an additional Rs 1,000 as litigation cost. Denying the allegation, the OPs alleged that Mitra was negligent and claimed that he had not submitted the “order form” to avail the benefits and also did not send any booking requests as per the terms and conditions. But the court rejected it saying this argument was not convincing.
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Over 300 staff to count votes for Faridabad seats
Faridabad, February 20 According to the authorities concerned, each hall of the counting centre will have 17 tables, including three tables as reserve and each of the tables will have a staff of about three persons, including one supervisor and two assistants. A staff of about 51 employees and officials have been made for each of the constituency. The counting will start at 4 pm on February 23, soon after the re-poll at the six polling booths in the state, including two booths in the district, is over. The counting of votes will be held at the respective centres, where the Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) have been kept under police security. These spots include Lakhani dharamshala in NIT here for the Faridabad constituency, Daulat Ram Khan dharamshala in for the Mewla Maharajpur Assembly segment, Aggarwal dharamshala at Ballabgarh town for the Ballabhgarh constituency, S. D. college building at Palwal for Palwal constituency, ITI campus at Hathin for the Hathin segment and the Community Centre hall at Hodal for the Hassanpur Assembly constituency. The two polling stations in the district, where the re-poll will be held on February 23, are at Kot-10 in Mewla Maharajpur constituency and at Penglattu village–84 in Hassanpur segment. The authorities have claimed that they were fully prepared for the counting work.
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Mechanical parking lots mooted to
ease traffic
Noida, February 20 At the meeting, which was attended by P. K. Kaul, former Union Cabinet Secretary, Chairman of Noida Authority Dev Dutt, chief architect planner, chief engineers and others, a number of important decisions were taken. It was decided that provision for parking of vehicles in all new sectors will be made inside the houses and multi-storey flat complexes, so that no vehicles are parked on roadsides, which hamper the smooth flow of traffic. All the roads in new sectors will be at least 15 metre wide. Flyovers will be made on Jamuna Lal Bajaj Marg (MP-1) Road, where DND Road enters Noida town so that this road can be linked with NH-24 for smooth traffic from Delhi to Ghaziabad and vice versa. The former Cabinet Secretary suggested to the architects, planners and engineers to develop a composite and comprehensive plan for road development and parking lots in the city, keeping in view the projections for future requirements in Noida. Chairman Dev Dutt said the Noida Authority proposes to convert Noida-Greater Noida Expressway into 8-lane road in view of projected increased traffic in coming years. The Noida Authority would build multi-tier mechanical parking lots for 20,000 cars each at important points, starting from Sector-18 commercial hub in Sector-18 Noida. The parking lots will be computer-operated and the cars will be parked with automatic lifts and brought down from there likewise. Experience has shown that small shops are not good from traffic and parking point of view, he said. The meeting also stressed the need to have three flyovers, abandoned halfway near Amity School, tri-junction of film city and near the Noida entrance garden to be completed urgently as they only hinder smooth flow of traffic. In any case, all enquiries are complete so there is no point in keeping them half completed. Further delay will only add to the escalation cost. All encroachments would be removed and Senior Noida Authority officers, District Magistrate, SSP would supervise the anti-encroachment drives for better results.
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Artscape
New Delhi, February 20 The exhibition will be on view till February 27. The same exhibition will also be put up at the Gallerie Alternatives, Gurgaon from March 11 to March 20 for the benefit of the general public. According to the organisers,
Cancercommunicate. Org, a unit of the Indian Cancer Society, the exhibition focusing on art is the perfect medium to alter human, social and corporate perceptions about cancer. ‘Colours of Healing’ is a collection of works by eminent artists and sculptors who have come forward to share the joy and hope, pain and suffering of cancer patients, survivors, their friends and families who have trekked the long and arduous journey with the disease. Each work on display is a tribute to the undying spirit of those who have been afflicted by cancer. The highlight of the exhibition is the display of works from private collections of renowned artists like Jamini Roy, M F. Hussain and bronze sculptors by Prodosh Das Gupta which are being put up for public viewing for the first time. The paintings in the exhibition are through the courtesy of Art Alive, the Ashas Salon d’Art and the Gallerie Alternatives, Gurgaon.
Tribute to
Mulk Raj
Two West Bengal-based artists, a painter and a sculptor, Sonali Maitra Paul and Mriganka Paul, are holding an exhibition of select paintings and sculptors from February 19 to 26 at the Hauz Khas village-based
Lokayata: Mulk Raj Anand Centre here. The exhibition is the artist couple’s tribute to the legendary art connoisseur and celebrated author Mulk Raj Anand during his centennial year. Mulk Raj Anand is generally credited with having put the country on the world art and culture map. The exquisitely curated exhibition opened with the first viewing with the noted sculptor Amar Nath Sehgal. A galaxy of well-known artists and luminaries graced the opening of the
exhibition. Lokayata was also earlier the venue of a unique exhibition to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the legendary figure where 100 selected paintings of 100 artists were kept on view for the public as a tribute to the great master.
Nature in all its glory
The Visual Art Gallery at the India Habitat Centre here is hosting ‘Rhapsody in Space-II’, an exhibition of the recent works of the Delhi-based young artist, Nupur Kundu. Organised by the Art Alive Gallery, the exhibition will be inaugurated on February 21 and will be on view till February 25. It will subsequently shift to the Art Alive Gallery from the India Habitat Centre and will reopen for public viewing from February 28 to March 5. Nupur Kundu, who had held several solo and group exhibitions all across the country, has participated in many events devoted exclusively to the cause of the poor and downtrodden. The artist, a long-time admirer of nature, has captured all the moods and moments, elements and forms in her recent works, some of which stand out by the sheer beauty of the colours and astounding size of the canvas. Each work is unique in the sense that it reflects a different dimension of nature in all its glory.
Art for Indo-Pak bonhomie
Thanks to the continuing thaw in the India-Pakistan relations, the India International Photographic Council and the Photographic Art Society of Pakistan are organising for the first time an exhibition of international award-winning photographs by eminent photographers of Pakistan, appropriately entitled ‘Art For Peace’. Some of the eminent Pakistani photographers like M. R.
Owasi, Nisar A. Mirza, Javed A Kazi Sami Ur Rehman and Aftab Ahmed are also expected to be present on the occasion. The exhibition will be inaugurated on February 25 at the All India Fine Arts and Crafts Society on Rafi Marg.
Festival of Letters
This year’s Festival of Letters of the Sahitya Akademi began with an exhibition in honour of India’s regional writers here on Tuesday last. Award-winning Oriya author Pratibha Ray inaugurated the ‘Akademi 2004 Exhibition’, displaying the achievements of writers and activities of the Akademi in the past year during which it celebrated its Golden Jubilee. The exhibition mounted at the Rabindra Sadan, the Akademi’s headquarters, has photographs of last year’s awardees and images from literary events. ‘’Literary events inspire people to be more creative,’’ said Ms Ray. Akademi president and Urdu writer Gopichand Narang, secretary K Satchidanandan and several writers and book lovers were present at the opening of the six-day Festival of Letters, which witnessed a writers’ meet, lectures and presentation of awards to the last year’s winners.
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Seminar on IT trends
New Delhi, February 20
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Demonstration to oppose VAT
New Delhi, February 20 The demonstration was supported by the business community of the Capital. The demonstrators also burnt ‘an effigy of VAT’ and called on the business community to wear black bands to oppose VAT. They also decided to keep their shops closed on February 21. Addressing the gathering, Mr Paramjeet Singh Pamma said that the Chief Minister, Mrs Sheila Dikshit, was misleading the business community. He said VAT would adversely affect the business community in the Capital. Mr Chaman Lal Marwah and Mr Satpal Singh Monga also participated in the demonstration.
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Drive to collect revenue
from 300 defaulters
Noida, February 20 The District Magistrate, Mr Ajay Kumar Singh, had passed orders for the Additional DM to start the campaign for tax collection. The campaign to collect revenue will cover the defaulters for revenue, stamp duty, power bills, bank loan repayments and irrigation cess. Those owing over Rs 1 lakh each will be dealt with sternly. There are 300 big defaulters in the district who owed the government from Rs 1 lakh to over Rs 1 crore each. The highest number of defaulters are, however, in Dadri Tehsil, it is learnt. The officials said the campaign would be launched in the first week of March and would continue till the whole revenue target is recovered from the defaulters.
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Sheila for bringing land under purview of Delhi Govt for ‘better development’
New Delhi, February 20 She also stressed the need for bringing Delhi’s land under the purview of the Delhi Government for better development of the city. Addressing a prominent gathering of more than 1500 leading players in the Indian construction industry, the Union Minister for Power, Mr P. M. Sayeed, acknowledged the prominent contribution of the construction industry in India’s economic growth. He also shared his vision on various projects being initiated by the government for supporting the construction industry. The Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs and Urban Development, Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad, had inaugurated the event. While complementing the BAI for organising the convention, he stated that the construction industry is the key to the development of other sectors of the economy. The construction industry is the largest employer after agriculture. As per estimates, the construction industry has grown at a healthy rate
of about to 8-9 per cent per annum. The common minimum programme of the UPA government has accorded the highest priority to the development and expansion of infrastructure such as roads, highways, ports, power, railways, water supplies, sewage treatment and sanitation. For the fulfillment of this commitment, the government has proposed focused attention and adequate fiscal support for integrated development of infrastructural services in urban areas. In his address, Mr P. R. Kyndiah, Minister for Development of North East, stated that there are a number of infrastructure development projects coming up during the balance plan period. He advised the builders to take up this challenge by providing quality work. Inaugurating the technical seminar, the Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission, Dr Montek Singh Ahluwalia, expressed his satisfaction that the construction industry was on the right track. Responding to the suggestion of having a unified and equitable contract document and rationalisation of labour laws, Dr Singh admitted that construction industry, being the mother industry for all development activity, is a neglected one. He said there is no focused attentions to the problems of the construction industry because it is governed by various ministries, such as Power, Surface Transport and Highways, Ports, Civil Aviation and Urban Development. He said the Planning Commission is aware of the fact that the economy cannot grow at the rate of more than 8 per cent in the absence of better physical infrastructure, for which the construction industry has to play a pivotal role. He advised the construction industry to take up this subject with the respective ministries. The event has given a shot in the arm to the construction industry, as it will lead to convergence of efforts by both government and industry in developing the sector. It is hoped that with the joint initiatives by the government and industry, the construction sector will continue to grow and contribute to the development of the country.
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Sale of Guru Nanak’s idol checked
Faridabad, February 20 A craftsman from Chandigarh was selling special fibre-made idols of various deities and gurus, including the first Sikh Guru, Guru Nanak Dev at the Mela. The issue
was raised here on Thursday last. The Mela authorities acted, though belatedly, and stopped the craftsman from selling the idol of the Sikh Guru. The artisan was let off after he had tendered a written apology and said that he would not repeat the mistake. According to M.S Deol, a resident of Faridabad, he was astonished to see the idol of Guru Nanak Dev on sale, when he went to see the Mela last Thursday. He said the idol was kept with the idols of other deities of the Hindu religion. The idol was about 200 gms in weight and about seven inches tall,
he said. Soon the news spread and the representatives of the organisations like All India Sikh Students Federation, Nirwair Khalsa Sewak Jatha and the Punjabi Sabhyacharak Sath reached the Mela venue here and asked the authorities to stop its sale. The officials swung into action and took all the idols in its possession. The craftsperson then tendered an apology and promised not to do so again in future.
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Painting competition on Metro Rail
New Delhi, February 20 The paintings made by students using pencils, crayons and watercolours were judged by an eminent panel consisting of painters, Rotary International activists and the Delhi Metro officials. The award wining paintings would be displayed by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation at the Kashmere Gate Metro Station.
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Stress on peace
New Delhi, February 20 The secretary of the SKRM branch spoke about the activities of the mission and the works done for human upliftment, including the setting up of 12 sewing centers to help women from the poor sections of our society. Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj said in his discourse that the human body is also the temple of God because our soul resides in
it. — TNS
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Seminar on spiritual approach
to peace
New Delhi, February 20 The seminar was held at the Gobind Sadan in the presence of Baba Virsa Singh. The seminar was inaugurated by Bhai Mohan Singh, Chairman Emeritus, Ranbaxy Laboratories, Max-India Limited and President of GSI. The seminar attracted a diverse group, including government and religious leaders, reconciliation specialists and social and spiritual workers from Russia, United States of America, Africa, West Asia and Tibet. Sharing the ‘untold stories’, a number of speakers highlighted the invaluable contribution of Babaji to ‘world peace’. The former Governor of Mizoram, Mr Chibber, spoke about the vision and spiritual power of Babaji.
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‘Colours of Healing’, an art exhibition to generate greater awareness and support for cancer patients, was inaugurated at the Art Junction, Intercontinental The Grand here on Saturday.