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Jessica case cops to face court: Paul
Budget 2006: Threefold hike in funds for Delhi
Nitish Katra case: HC declines bail to Vikas Yadav
Sheila Dikshit govt braces for Assembly session
City fortified as Air Force One descends today
US First Lady to interact with Prayas children |
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CBSE examinations kick off today
Four criminals held for planning advocate’s murder
Hectic efforts on to make Cong’s Hisar rally a success
Cabinet nod to new bridge over Yamuna
New treatment for piles
Farmers oppose dumping of waste in Haldoni village
Life for raping and killing minor
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Jessica case cops to face court: Paul
New Delhi, February 28 “Very shortly we will be filing an appeal,” Delhi Police Commissioner Krishna Kant Paul told reporters here following all-round criticism of the police handling of the case in which a sessions court acquitted all the nine accused, including Manu Sharma, the son of a Haryana politician. “Officials who did not function in an appropriate manner would be produced before the court. Whosoever is responsible ... we will see that they are brought before the court,” Paul said referring to the letter he, as Joint Commissioner (Crime), had written in 2001 to the then Commissioner of Police Ajai Raj Sharma suggesting an internal probe against officials investigating the case. He said the police had taken a decision not to take action on his 2001 report as it could “vitiate the trial” which had already begun. Meanwhile, Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) has written to President A P J Abdul Kalam seeking his intervention to ensure a fresh retrial in the Jessica Lall murder case. The DCW has also sought a CBI inquiry into allegations of evidence tampering and destruction. Calling for a retrial in the case, DCW Chairperson said in the letter: “An appeal in the High Court would not be enough since it would take into account the same documents and evidences that have already been tried earlier and led to acquittal of the accused”. She said a retrial would mean beginning from the scratch and would bring to the fore the point where the case was diluted that led to the criminal offenders going scot-free. The retrial may be sought in a fast track court to speed up the proceedings, Walia suggested in the letter.
“The investigation should be launched under the newly passed Section 195A of the Criminal Law Amendment Act, to assess the context in which witnesses withdrew their earlier statements,” demanded Walia. In the letter, the DCW chief also demanded a CBI inquiry into the lapses by police. “Senior police officials who supervised the investigations themselves have pointed out that evidence had been tampered with,” she said. “Under such circumstances where the role of the police in handling (or mishandling) the case is not very clear, it becomes imperative that the probe be done by a competent agency other than the police,” Walia said.
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Budget 2006: Threefold hike in funds for Delhi
New Delhi, February 28 The National Capital Region’s planned budget allocation has risen from Rs 143.55 crore to Rs 458.67 crore, marking a hike of Rs 315.12 crore. Of Rs 458.67 crore, Rs 349.97 crore will be raised directly by the Government of the NCT of Delhi in terms of accepted recommendations of the 12th Finance Commission. The Planning Board which finances projects in NCR with the objective of achieving a balanced and harmonised development of National Capital Region and reducing the pressure of population on NCT of Delhi, has been given an outlay of Rs 77 crore as compared to Rs 71.95 crore. With most of the work on the Delhi Metro Rail project on schedule, the Government has reduced the budgetary allocation of the DMRC by Rs 970 crore. From Rs 1,702 crore allocated in 2005-06, the DMRC has been provided Rs 732 crore for the 2006-07 financial year. The government, however, earmarked Rs 30 crore for this fiscal for the Bangalore Metro Rail Project, likely to come up this year. A DMRC spokesperson said the cut was justifiable as most of the work on the Phase-I was complete and the allocation was sufficient for land acquisition and preliminary work on the next phase earmarked for this fiscal. There is, however, a substantial increase in the grants for urban development schemes from Rs 48.67 crores (revised) in last budget to Rs 237.04 crore. The schemes include urban information system, pooled finance development fund, urban transport planning, research and capacity building in urban sector, National Institute of Urban Affairs and Delhi Urban Art Commission. Provision have also been kept for two new schemes of Commonwealth Games and National Urban Infrastructure fund. Considering that the Government of NCT of Delhi is not provided any Central Assistance for meeting the non-plan gap in resources, a provision has been kept for ex-gratia payment to the victims of the bomb blasts on the eve of Divali. The allocation for slum development remains unchanged at Rs 5.38 crores, but assistance for National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) has risen from Rs 5.67 crore to Rs 6.91 crore. The total normal assistance has risen from Rs 99.28 crore to Rs 149.99 crore. The allocation for Delhi Police has been hiked from Rs 1291.64 crore to Rs 1343.88 crore. While Rs 55 crore have been provided for the construction of buildings for the Delhi Police, the grant has been brought down from Rs 63 crore to Rs 55 crore for the purpose of construction of residential accommodation for personnel, For the purpose of installation of traffic signals and other equipment, the allocation has come down from Rs 3 crore to Rs 0.75 crore. In the health sector, while the grants for some hospitals have seen a marginal hike, others have seen a reduction. Safdurjung Hospital has been given Rs 122.58 crore as against Rs 127.96 crore, Ram Manohar Lohia will get Rs 79.38 crore as against Rs 74.96 crore, Kalawati Saran will get Rs 20.52 crore and Vallabha Bhai Patel Chest Institute will get Rs 16 crore, a crore less than the previous year.
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Nitish Katra case: HC declines bail to Vikas Yadav
New Delhi, February 28 Justice Agarwal refused to pass any order on Vikas’s petition in view of the SLP moved in the Supreme Court by the prosecution challenging the bail granted to the co-accused Vishal Yadav by the High Court earlier. The court posted the matter for further hearing on March 24. Counsel Rajneesh Chopra appearing for Vikas Yadav has sought release of the accused on bail on the “principle of parity” since co-accused Vishal Yadav was granted bail by the High Court in October last year. However, during arguments today, the Delhi police and P K Dey, counsel for Neelam Katara and mother of the deceased, opposed the bail since an SLP was already pending in the Supreme Court against the bail granted to Vishal. Dey argued that any order passed by the apex court on Vishal’s case would have a direct bearing on Vikas’ bail petition, and hence the High Court should refrain from granting bail to the main accused at this stage. Agreeing with the arguments of the prosecution and Dey, Justice Agarwal posted the matter for further hearing till March 24. Vikas and Vishal allegedly murdered Nitish, a businessman, in 2002 at Ghaziabad as the latter reportedly developed an affair with their sister Bharati Yadav. Since the accused had high political connections, the case was transferred from UP to Delhi by a Supreme Court directive.
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Sheila Dikshit govt braces for Assembly session
New Delhi, February 28 Among the topics listed for discussion in the Budget Session, starting tomorrow, are demolitions and functioning of MCD, situation arising out of water scarcity and anguish among people of Delhi due to fast running of electric meters and situation arising out of the privatisation of power. In what would create an embarrassing situation for the government, the third report of the Public Accounts Committee, understood to be critical of the manner in which power was privatised in the Capital and which recommended a CBI or CVC probe in the alleged corruption in the power reforms process. Also not coming as good news for the government is the clearance to the tabling of reports of Select Committees on three Bills that have reportedly been rejected by the Assembly bodies. Briefing media about the business for the Budget session, Speaker Chaudhary Prem Singh said “All the reports proposed for tabling in the upcoming Session have been cleared”. The Budget Session will begin on March 1 with an address by Lt Governor B L Joshi. Budget will be presented on March 9 and, after discussion, passed on March 16. Among the other issues that would be raised in the Budget session are full statehood for Delhi, exempting villages from building bylaws, water for the Sonia Vihar Water Treatment Plant and bringing the power discoms under the purview of the Right to Information Act.
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City fortified as Air Force One descends today
New Delhi, February 28 Surprise checks and raids were being carried out at several sensitive parts of the national Capital and activities of travelers to the city was being monitored closely with a special focus on budget hotels in busy areas like Paharganj and Karol Bagh, sources said. Additional police personnel have been deployed across the Capital to sensitise the route the visiting President would take for various engagements across the city. The US security officials, along with their Indian counterparts, carried out elaborate checks on the motorcade route, identified rooftop sightlines for snipers, analysed potential threats and also performed drills at the Palam Technical Area, where the Air Force One aircraft carrying Bush and his entourage would land in the evening tomorrow. Meanwhile, an official order said today that Delhi Zoo will remain closed on Thursday and Friday during US President George Bush’s visit to the Capital. The zoo is next to Purana Qila, where the US President is scheduled to address Indian parliamentarians and other select dignitaries. The official order made it clear that no visitors will be allowed to the sprawling 200-acre home of over 2,000 animal and bird species for two days. Elaborate security arrangements are being made in Delhi in view of the high profile visit of the US President. Extra vigil is being maintained also because many organisations have planned anti-US protests during this period. Rajghat was barred for visitors three days ahead of Mr Bush’s arrival here. The Mughal Gardens of Rashtrapati Bhawan will also be closed to visitors from Thursday to Saturday, although a Rashtrapati Bhawan spokesman said this was being done on account of “special maintenance”. The Delhi Police would be the second line of defence in the security ring prepared for the US President. The primary force guarding him would be the elite National Security Guards (NSG) and the US Secret Service personnel. Police sources said that there would be three-tier security arrangement for Mr Bush which was being managed by US security agencies. A quick response team of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) would be stationed at Purana Qila and also around Maurya Sheraton Hotel where the US delegates would put up. The sources said that Delhi Police had stationed a unit at Purana Qila from last week onwards. The fort has three gates but only northern gate is open. There is a boat club next to the northern gate that will be closed before the visit of the President. According to the sources, the personnel of the India Reserve Battalion from Sikkim would also help the Delhi Police in carrying out the security checks of the fort.
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US First Lady to interact with Prayas children
New Delhi, February 28 Though officials have been tightlipped about the visit, a Prayas official, on condition of anonymity, said Ms Bush will be spending some time with the inmates. US President George Bush and the First Lady will arrive here tomorrow for a four-day visit to India. The official said Ms Bush is scheduled to arrive at the juvenile home in the morning and is expected to stay for an hour. “The children will present a cultural programme when the First Lady is here,” he added. Alternative education and vocational training for children will be high on the First Lady’s agenda at Prayas besides interaction with the victims of child trafficking. “Ms Bush is very keen to know about the alternative educational programmes,” the official said.
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CBSE examinations kick off today
New Delhi, February 28 Sleeplessness, irritability, cutting down on food and mood swings, the pattern remains unchanged. The school authorities, counselling services as well as parents all are unanimous in asking students to remain calm. The only directive issued so far is to start early for the examination centres tomorrow. Students have been asked to start early to avoid traffic blockades due to the security arrangements being made for the US President George Bush’s visit. About 11.43 lakh students will appear from across the country for the class X and XII exams of which 1.5 lakh are from Delhi alone. An estimated 4,54,045 students, including 1,90,759 girls, will appear for class XII exams, while 6,46,366 pupils, including 3,77,448 boys, will appear for the class X exams on March 2. Spelling relief for the examinees, the Board has announced a 15-minute ‘cooling off’ period, which will allow them to study the paper and then proceed. The candidates will be provided with the question paper at 10.15 am and will begin writing answers at 10.30 am till 1.30 pm. The Board has also redesigned and restructured question papers of some subjects for both class X and XII. The new system will be applicable in mathematics, science and social sciences for class X and physics, biology, chemistry, economics, business studies, accountancy and mathematics for the class XII. Arrangements have been made to ensure a smooth conduct of examinations in the city where 198 of the total 529 centres have been declared sensitive. Provisions have also been made for differently abled students, which include computers for typing, amanuensis and alternative questions having visual inputs instead of questions.
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Four criminals held for planning advocate’s murder
Gurgaon, February 28 The four had planned to murder Rajesh, an advocate and a resident of Faridabad, at the behest of noted gangster Surjeet, who is lodged in Bhondsi Jail. Surjeet is alleged to have deputed the four to kill the advocate and had promised to pay Rs 1 lakh as ‘supari’. The advocate had invited the ire of Surjeet as he had been helping his opponent Manjit, who is also in Bhondsi Jail. The two gangsters are resident of village Gurgaon and are at daggers drawn with each other. In fact, both of them are cousins and were part of the same gang till a few years back. As per the conspiracy, the four were to meet Surjeet in the court premises yesterday before allegedly heading off to Faridabad on a mission to murder the advocate, the police said. Based on a tip-off, the police spotted an Indica car, which it tried to stop near Devi Lal stadium. When challenged, the criminals opened fire, the police said. Two country-made guns, an air gun, a double barrel gun and about dozen live cartridges were seized from them. With their arrest, the larger question of gangsters operating from the jail has once again come to the fore.
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Hectic efforts on to make
Gurgaon, February 28 According to many, the participation of the people from south Haryana would be the index of the government’s popularity in the region in view of its claims to have initiated a number of policies for the benefit of the residents of this region. Congress leaders and senior workers from the state were called for a meeting with the Working President of the Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC), Dr Ram Prakash, on February 21 and 22. The Chief Minister Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda also addressed the party leaders. Dr Ram Prakash expressed satisfaction at the functioning of the government and urged the party leaders to work for the success of the rally. He said that the workers should not expect any favour from the administration, as the rally was not a government’s programme. The Chief Minister, who was here a few days back, told mediapersons that the first year was “probation” period; the remaining period of the tenure would be the “confirmation” period. Although the BJP and the INLD have refused to accept the government’s claim, the Congress points out that it has tried to rectify the unequal distribution of water resources in the state to alleviate the sufferings of the people of south Haryana, particularly those living in the parched land of the Ahirwal belt. Moreover, the much touted waiver of Rs 1,600 crore of power tariff dues of the farmers is essentially aimed at south Haryana.
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Cabinet nod to new bridge over Yamuna
New Delhi, February 28 The Chief Minister Ms Sheila Dikshit said that there was a pressing demand for additional East-West corridors over River Yamuna due to tremendous increase in population of Trans-Yamuna Area. A new bridge was, therefore, proposed on the down stream of existing bridge cum barrage at Wazirabad. The proposed bridge will connect NH-1 (Road No. 50) on western bank and Wazirabad Road (Road No 59) on Eastern bank of the river Yamuna. The East-West corridor over the river will cater to the needs of commuters from Yamuna Vihar, Gokul Puri, Nand Nagri, interstate traffic from Ghaziabad, Sahibabad on the eastern side and Timarpur, Burari, Mukherjee Nagar, Mall Road and North-West Delhi etc. on the western side. The Signature Bridge, first of its kind in Delhi, will have a bow shaped pylon of about 175 meter height with cable stays on one side and back stays on the other side. The total length of the proposed bridge would be about 575 meter including approach spans. The pylon will have two level viewing galleries or deck at top with a provision of two lifts for carrying tourists. The new bridge would also have pedestrian sub-ways, footpath and lower level road. The DTTDC will ensure completion of job as per schedule and quality bench marks failing which there will be penal charges. The project will be completed in 42 months.
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New treatment for piles
New Delhi, February 28 Dr Vijay Arora, Chairman of the Department of General Surgery at Ganga Ram Hospital, will head the clinic. Till now, patients suffering from piles were examined at the Department of General Surgery. Speaking about the new trends in treating hemorrhoids (piles), Dr Longo said that the treatment of large piles has traditionally been through an open surgery. The post-operative pain discourages patients from visiting surgeons. Besides, some people have misconceptions about piles and fall victim to quacks.
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Farmers oppose dumping of waste in Haldoni village
Greater Noida, February 28 Giving details of the programme, the founder organiser of ‘Jan Sahayog Samiti’, Bihari Singh, said the farmers will also oppose the decision of the administration to dump waste in Haldoni village in Greater Noida. The farmers of the region will be forced to launch an agitation if the authorities failed to accede to the farmer’s demands, he warned. He lamented that even though agriculture was still the backbone of the country’s economy, many farmers were being compelled to commit suicides out of frustration.
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Life for raping and killing minor
New Delhi, February 28
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