New Delhi, July 21
In an unprecedented move in the history of criminal proceedings in the country, the Delhi Police has sought the help of Interpol to secure the presence of key witness Bharti Yadav in the Nitish Katara murder case by issuing a red corner alert against her even as the Supreme Court took serious view of her defying summons and warrant from trial court.

The Interpol red alert is hardly used for securing the presence of a witness as it was general invoked against fugitive criminals.

Additional Solicitor-General Gopal Subramaniam told a Bench, headed by Mr Justice K. G. Balakrishnan the Delhi Government had put in a request to Interpol on July 5 to issue a red corner notice against Bharti, who was allegedly living in London but was not traceable. Interpol would soon act upon it.

Bharti, who was in love with company executive Nitish Katara, was allegedly murdered by her brother Vikas Yadav and cousin Vishal Yadav with the help of some goons, had failed to appear as witness before the trial court.

When the court summoned her father, former Rajya Sabha MP and a liquor trader from Uttar Pradesh to know her whereabouts, he feigned ignorance.

Taking this into account, the apex court today observed that it was “strange that the father does not know where his daughter is.”

The court earlier had asked the police why it was not invoking the Interpol notice against her to secure her presence as she had been defying the orders of the court.

Mr Subramaniam said the police were taking adequate steps to ensure her presence and were awaiting the trial court order, which was reserved on the issue of declaring her a “proclaimed offender” to defy court summons and warrants.

The police counsel also sought cancellation of the bail granted to Bharti’s cousin Vishal by the high court earlier. However, the bail plea of Vikas Yadav, who is also an accused in the Jessica Lall murder case, was rejected by the high court.

The police believed that Bharti, who had been sent to London ostensibly for studies under a plan to ensure that she did not appear as witness against her brother and cousin, was being kept under “wrongful confinement” by her father.

The issue of Bharti’s non-appearance in the court cropped up during the hearing of police appeal against the high court’s October last year order granting bail to Vishal Yadav.

The apex court gave two weeks’ time to the police to come up with further details on its action taken to secure presence of Bharti.

New Delhi, July 21
The atmosphere remained extremely tense at Jamia Millia Islamia as students continued to sit on a relay hunger strike for the second day today. Students remained rather upset as they are not giving up the strike till their demands are met. The university authorities, meanwhile, are determined to restore normalcy on the campus as swiftly as possible. They have decided to reopen the university in phases and dates for the commencement of classes are expected to be announced soon.

Meanwhile, the university authorities have decided to complete the admission process as soon as possible. Heads of departments and directors of different centres have been asked to prepare a revised schedule for admissions by July 24. Moreover, all teaching staff have been asked to report at their departments and all centres have been declared open.

Even as the university is moving with alacrity to resolve the current impasse, the student mood today was rather tense and angry. Demonstrations against the VC and the Proctor were held at the university and sloganeering against them was rampant. Effigies were also burnt of the VC and the proctor. Students have also opposed the phased re-opening of the university, saying that the administration has taken this step only to help facilitate administrative work and not to assist students. Jamia students’ union leader Satyaprakash Mishra stressed that academics must be given priority and classes must resume at the soonest.

Meanwhile, the condition of injured student leader Shams Pervez deteriorated further and he was shifted to another hospital. Pervez had sat on hunger strike yesterday. The agitating students are demanding the Vice-Chancellor’s resignation, police action against the Proctor and his son, withdrawal of sine die closure of the university and admission to rejected students. The police and the Rapid Action Force have been deployed in large numbers on the campus since July 18 when violence broke out in the university, which was closed sine die on July 19. Today was the fourth day of unrest in Jamia and strife arose in the university due to student discontent at the manner in which admissions were carried out. Many old students have been denied admission and they are asserting that the university has been unfair. 

Noida, July 21
The principal of Inter College in Chaura village Sector-22 Noida, Jaswant Tyagi and his gunner Mirza Alam were shot dead by blue car-borne assailants opposite the college here today in a broad daylight while Tyagi’s PA and driver were injured.

The police feel that the duo were killed by contract killers. Jaswant Tyagi had survived an attack two years ago also when assailants had fired at him. His son was killed in that attack in August 2004.

Significantly a court date had been fixed for July 24 in which Jaswant Tyagi was an important witness, whose testimony, the other party felt could have resulted in award of a stringent punishment to the killers of his son. Hence, their attempt to silence the key witness, Jaswant Tyagi.

The enmity is traced to a school in Chaura village in which Jaswant Tyagi had been exerting his influence since 1999 and had reduced the school management in which some villagers were important members. But gradually these villagers had been sidelined in the management committee and Tyagi had almost converted it to a one-man show.

A crucial development was the construction of a boundary wall around the school and some shops on school land which were vehemently opposed by the villagers. These were later removed and the villagers were virtually expelled from the school committee.

Since some contract killers are expected to have been involved in the murder, police have formed three teams to solve the crime. Half a dozen persons have been rounded up and the police are interrogating them. SSP RKS Rathore said they are requesting help from the Delhi Police to track down the killers. The police, he said, were looking at the crime from all possible angles.

New Delhi, July 21
Nine persons were injured and several others were trapped when a three-storey building collapsed on Rani Jhansi Road in Central Delhi this afternoon. Nine injured persons have been rescued from the rubble after the building close to Jhandewalan Temple collapsed at about 1. 10 pm, according to the Fire Brigade.

However, no reports of any casualty have been received. The injured have been admitted to various hospitals. Seven fire engines were sent for the rescue work.

Search operations were on to find if any others were still trapped in the debris, they added.

New Delhi, July 21
Six candidates are in the fray for the MCD bypoll for the Subhash Nagar ward for which election was scheduled for July 23.

A total of seven candidates had filed their nominations for the seat, of which one was rejected, leaving six persons in the fray, the office of the state election commission said.

The commission has made all arrangements for holding free and fair polls for the seat. Each of the 63 polling stations in the ward will be manned by five government officials, including three polling officers and one presiding officer. It is for the first time that elections to the ward of the MCD will be held with Elms.

At least 500 officials have been deployed at polling stations and the storage-cum-counting centre where Elms and other elections materials will be recieved and stored after polling is over. Elaborate deployment of police personnel has been made to guard police stations, place for storage of Elms and for maintaining law and order and public order.

Polling stations have been divided into seven sectors, each under one sector officer and one police sector officer who have been provided with wireless sets, and shall keep close vigil in the area going to the polls till the completion of the polling process.

Sector officers, along with armed police, would escort the Elms and other election material from the polling station to the storage-cum-counting centre, the Delhi Election Commission said . 

New Delhi, July 21
Prof Vijay Kumar Malhotra, MP from South Delhi, and Dr Harshvardhan, chief of the Delhi unit of the BJP, said the result of the byelection to the Subhash Nagar segment of the corporation would be a referendum on failure of the Congress government in MCD as well as the Delhi government. They claimed that after the byelection the countdown for the Congress government would begin.

The people of Delhi were suffering from the anti-people policies of the government at the Centre, in Delhi and the MCD. The spiralling prices, demolitions and sealing would teach the Congress a lesson. During its reign, the Congress had broken all records of corruption. Prof Vijay Kumar Malhotra said that Subhash Nagar byelection was result of forgery by the Congress party. 

New Delhi, July 21
DMRC Managing Director E. Sreedharan today said at least seven major cities were already implementing their Metro systems at a cost of more than Rs 31,000 crore.

After the success of Delhi’s Metro system, 26 cities in the country were at various stages of planning and implementing the Metro system, he said.

While talking about the Metro system putting Delhi on the fast track, he said the second phase of the Delhi Metro would have a 40 km connecting line between the railway station and the new airport.

This would reduce the travel time to 15 minutes and this line would be implemented before the Commonwealth Games commenced in Delhi.

Dr Sreedharan was speaking at the National Seminar on Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) organised by the CII here.

He said that the 63-km long Mumbai line would cost Rs 10,600 crore, while the two lines at Bangalore covering 32 km would cost Rs 3,970 crore.

The Hyderabad Metro would have three lines covering 60 km and would be implemented at a cost of Rs 5,500 crore. In Ahmedabad, where the Metro would cover 40 km, the cost would be Rs 2600 crore.

Kolkata, which already had one line, would have a new 18.7 km line with a part of it running under the Hooghly river and would cost Rs 3460 crore. The five-km Chennai line was expected to cost Rs 5100 crore, Dr Sreedharan added.

New Delhi, July 21
After a heavily overcast sky and rains brought relief from the scorching heat for Delhiites all through the week, the sun today emerged from behind the clouds, bringing sultry weather back to the Capital. The bright sunlight, interspersed by brief periods of cloudy weather, led to a rise in maximum temperature to 36 degrees Celsius from 32 degrees Celsius yesterday.

The rise in mercury, coupled with a rise in humidity levels to 77 per cent, led to sultry weather in the Capital.

Though weathermen forecast a generally cloudy sky with one or two spells of rain and thundershowers in some areas of Delhi during the next 24 hours the predominant weather would be sunny with certain cloudy intervals.

The next week, could, however, witness more spells of rain, some of them heavy showers. The weather office has said a cyclonic circulation over Jharkhand and adjoining West Bengal, which has led to the formation of a low-pressure area over Jharkhand and the adjoining areas of East Uttar Pradesh and north Chhattisgarh, could lead to enhanced rainfall activity over the plains of northwest India during the next week.

New Delhi, July 21
The National Commission for Women has asked the Gurgaon police to submit within 72 hours an ‘action taken report’ on a complaint of non-registration of FIR in a case of abduction and illegal detention of a family by the Assistant Sub Inspector of a police station in Gurgaon.

According to the complaint, ASI Jai Prakash Yadav did not accept his 22-year-old daughter’s runaway marriage with a Brahmin boy and decided to teach his innocent parents a lesson.

Within a week of his daughter Sunita’s wedding with Prashant Vashishth in a temple in Alanadi near Pune on March 12, Yadav led a group of armed men to her matrimonial home in Housing Board Colony in Sector 7 and attacked the family members.

Those who were at the receiving end of Yadav’s murderous rage provoked by caste-related honour were Sunita’s mother-in-law who was stripped naked and kicked on the stomach.

The victim told TNS that she was teaching students in a school in Gurgaon when her eldest son Parvesh came to inform her that Sunita’s father had come to meet her.

She alleged that as soon as she reached home, about 25 men began hitting her son and daughter-in-law. They were forced into different cars at gunpoint.

The victim alleged that they drove her to a ‘gau-shala’ in Tikli village where they stripped her in the presence of Jai Prakash Yadav. Satish Chandra says that his wife is living with memories of the traumatic experience.

Chandra and his wife are government employees who have been forced to proceed on leave because of constant intimidation and threat by Sunita’s father.

Sunita’s husband has had to give up his job of a sales assistant in an automobile company because of the atmosphere of fear created by her father.

Sunita looks happy in her matrimonial home but has not been able to convince her father to accept their marriage.

The Chandras have been moving from one place to another like gypsies to save their lives. Despite this, the ASI has not stopped harassing their relatives.

Satish Chandra says that Sunita’s father has also levelled false allegations of forgery against them.

After hearing the complainants, NCW Chairperson Girija Vyas said, “This was clearly a case of abduction and illegal detention. The uncivilised behaviour of the accused was an attack on the dignity of Sunita’s mother-in-law.”

NCW Deputy Secretary Gurpreet Deo said that if there is truth in the allegations levelled by the complainant, it is surprising why the Gurgaon police refused to register an FIR.

Deo said, “Abduction is a non-bailable offence.

On July 26, we have summoned the Investigating Officer of the two cases that have been allegedly filed against Sunita’s mother-in-law.

The boy’s in-laws have allegedly fabricated some cases of forgery on account of which his family have been forced to flee from Gurgaon.

The Deputy Secretary said, “Under Section 154 of the Cr.P.C, if there is information of a cognisable offence to the police, the law requires immediate registration of the case under relevant sections.’’

It is indeed ironical that the Gurgaon police has not responded to repeated complaints of the Chandras despite an order of the Punjab and Haryana High Court. On March 21, while disposing of a petition by the aggrieved party, Justice Ashutosh Mohunta said, “This petition is disposed of with a direction to respondent number 2 and 3 (SP and SHO) to ensure that the petitioners are not harassed in any manner by respondent number 4 (Jai Prakash Yadav) on account of the fact that they have married each other.”

Gurgaon, July 21
A number of villagers and a leading NGO have raised serious objections to Gurgaon Manesar Urban Complex Draft Development Plan 2021, notified by the state government recently. More than 70 villages come under the new Gurgaon master plan areas but no development plan has been prepared to provide the basic amenities in these villages, not to speak of better infrastructure, lamented Mr Sukhbir Kataria, a former sarpanch of a Gurgaon village.

Mr Kataria said around three lakh persons live in these villages but they have been neglected completely. There would be social-economical imbalances in the areas as the leading multinational companies with latest modern facilities surround these villages in the future, added Mr Kataria, former vice-chairman of Block Samiti.

The villagers under his leadership would file their written objections to the Administrator, Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA), Mr S P Gupta to be forwarded to the Director, Town and Country Planning, Chandigarh tomorrow.

The former sarpanch and present councillor of the local Municipal Council told that the present condition of villages surrounded by HUDA sectors and private colonisers is pathetic. These villages which are adjacent to the developed urban areas are devoid of proper water, sewerage, roads and electricity facilities, lamented Mr Kataria.

The affected villages are Sikanderpur, Nathupur, Dundehera, Chakkerpur, Sarhaul, Jharsa, Samaspur, Wazirabad, Sukhrali, Wazirabad, Caterpuri, Dhanwapur Khandsa, etc. With the passage of development in the surrounding areas, the population of these villages has increased manifold as labourers working in industries, corporates and household get cheap accommodation, resulting in the collapse of fragile basic facilities in these areas.

Almost all land in the above-mentioned villages had been acquired either by government agencies like HUDA, HSIIDC or by private developers.

The uneducated youth of these villages have to work as helpers, drivers or servants to feed their families, said Mr Kataria. Mr Sukhbir Kataria, who is also general secretary of the youth wing of the Indian National Lok Dal claimed that a number of leading sarpanches, panches and prominent villagers would be present when they file their objections to the Gurgaon master plan 2021. The basic facilities in all surrounded villages must be developed at par with those of urban area, demanded Mr Kataria.

Out of the total 34,560 hectares of land, covered by the new master plan, 406 hectares come in the existing old town while 428 hectares fall in village area.

He further demanded that the government must immediately expand the ‘lal dora’ surrounding these villages, a long pending demand of these villages, so that more population can be adjusted there.

On the other hand, a leading NGO, People’s Action has sought from the Haryana government a copy of the environmental impact analysis study, reportedly carried out a few months ago through a private consultant, and which was used in drafting the plan. People’s Action has made this demand under the RTI Act, said Sanjay Kaul, president of the NGO.

As permanent residents here, we definitely do not want Gurgaon to be another unplanned mega-city with failing infrastructure, severe water and power woes, and administrative chaos, said Shashi Sharma, Convener, People’s Action Gurgaon Chapter (PAGC).

New Delhi, July 21
The Delhi Minister of Finance and Planning, Dr A. K. Walia, today released the provisional results of the Fifth Economic Census conducted in Delhi by the Directorate of Economics and Statistics during May-June 2005 under the centrally sponsored scheme of the Government of India.

The Economic Census presents a complete picture of all entrepreneurial activities operating in Delhi. The early results of the Economic Census also indicate district-wise number of enterprises along with number of persons working in these enterprises besides the enterprises which are running without premises and other characteristics of economic activities in Delhi.

Delhi’s share in total national employment comes to 4.12 per cent, which is much more than 25 states or UTs, including developed states like Punjab and Haryana.

Dr Walia said about 7,53,795 enterprises were operating in Delhi during 2005 out of which only 27,695 were in the rural area and 7,26,100 in the urban area. About 12.77 per cent of the total enterprises in Delhi were operating without premises.

Out of 7,53,795 total enterprises, 5,328 were agricultural enterprises and 7,48,467 were non-agricultural enterprises.

He further said that the total number of enterprises in Delhi had increased from 6,85,852 in the Fourth Economic Census conducted in Delhi during 1998 to 7,53,795 in 2005, indicating a growth of about 10 per cent.

Dr Walia added that for the first time Economic Census had been conducted district-wise in Delhi. The census reveals the North-West district has the maximum number of enterprises in Delhi.

He disclosed that it is for the first time that a business register will be prepared for the enterprises having 10 or more workers in Delhi. Out of 7.54 lakh of the total enterprises in Delhi, 20,177 enterprises were having 10 or more workers.

In South district, 4501 enterprises had 10 or more workers followed by 3,826 enterprises in North-West district, 2236 enterprises in West district, 1866 enterprises in New Delhi, 1837 enterprises in East district, 1735 enterprises in North-East district, 1538 enterprises in Central district, 1355 enterprises in South-West district and 1283 enterprises in North district had 10 or more workers.

Dr Walia said that Delhi’s share in the total enterprises in the country was 1.79 per cent as compared to 1.56 of Chhattisgarh and 1.17 of Jharkhand. However, Delhi’s share in the total employment in the country was 4.12.

Noida, July 21
The Noida police have seized 11 local pistols, a large number of cartridges and a stolen car from two criminals who used to bring them from Muzzafarnagar and supply them in Ghaziabad, Noida, Delhi and other NCR towns.

Apart from NCR towns, they used to market the illegal arms in Meerut and Hardwar also. The Noida police who are interrogating the criminals said they were selling arms in Gurgaon and Faridabad also.

Police had been getting the input that some criminals were using Noida as a route for supplying arms in different towns.

SSP R.K.S. Rathore said that a police team under S.P. City Saumitra Yadav had intercepted a Matiz car No. UP-15-K5785 near Model Town police post, yesterday. The car had to be seized as the inmates had tried to flee on seeing the police team.

The criminals identified themselves as Mohd and Ikram and said they were into buying illegal weapons and cartridges at cheap rates in Muzzafarnagar and selling them in Ghaziabad, Delhi, Noida and other towns in NCR. The police are trying to hunt down their other companions so that the extent of their operations is gauged.

Gurgaon, July 21
Two unidentified youths today opened fire here today on a female employee working with a multinational company, Denso, located in Industrial Model Township (IMT) in Manesar.

The victim, Ms Anju, was wounded seriously and admitted to Kalyani Hospital in a critical condition. However, she is stated to be out of danger now.

The incident occurred when she along with two other women got down from their company bus at Om Nagar crossing on national highway.

The police have registered a case. However, the motive for the attack was not clear yet.

Anjur, a married woman, hails from Hisar and was residing in Om Nagar with her husband. — OC