New Delhi, August 5
A city court today took cognizance of the chargesheet filed by Delhi police against Rahul Mahajan, son of late BJP leader Pramod Mahajan, and five others in the drug overdose case. The court issued summons to them to appear before it on September 14.

Present in the court of Additional Sessions Judge S.N. Gupta, Rahul Mahajan, Harish Sharma, Ganesh, Sahil Zaroo and two Nigerians replied to the notice issued by the court.

The court has released Harish Sharma and Ganesh and ordered them to furnish a bail bond of Rs 20,000 and one surety of the same amount.

Rahul, son of late BJP leader Pramod Mahajan, and others were chargesheeted on Thursday with the prosecution accusing Mahajan of indulging in financing of illicit trafficking of drugs and possessing the contraband for consumption.

The chargesheet filed by Delhi Police alleged that Rahul used his late father’s official residence for “distribution and consumption of drugs by organising a party on the intervening night of June 1 and 2”.

Zaroo was charged with having cocaine for personal consumption and indulging in trafficking.

Another close acquaintance of senior BJP leader, Harish Sharma along with Mahajan’s servant Ganesh Kumar Sinha has been charged with destroying the evidence.

The chargesheet said that the two Nigerians–Abdul Latif Ashola Mohd Abdulla and Egbedokun James Taiwo—who are in Tihar Jail, have been accused of peddling drugs and separate cases under the Foreigners Act have been registered against them for living in India without valid documents.

Sahil and Rahul, along with the late Mahajan’s key aide Vivek Moitra, had allegedly consumed an unspecified quantity of contraband on June 1. While Moitra died due to alleged drug abuse, Rahul and Sahil had to be medically treated.

New Delhi, August 5
A 70-year-old woman from Haryana has used the Right To Information Act to gain access to file notings regarding the pension and other benefits of her son, a Delhi Traffic Police constable, who was killed in a road accident over five years ago.

Mrs Laxmi Devi of Bhiwani district in Haryana had appealed to the Central Information Commission (CIC) for gaining access to file notings made by the authorities on her son’s dossier regarding the payment of terminal benefits amounting to about Rs 4 lakh and his family pension.

The old woman, who was entirely dependent on her son Anoop Singh, was left penniless after his death on January 29, 2001 as her daughter-in-law Mamta, who received all the benefits and was drawing the family pension, re-married in August 2005, her petition said. The benefits were stopped following Mamta’s re-marriage.

This was despite the fact that Mrs Laxmi Devi was listed as the legal nominee of her son in his records. “The appellant’s (Laxmi Devi) interest is direct and legitimate. Documents connected with pension settlement and terminal benefits of her deceased son may be accessed by her,” the CIC said in its July 13, 2006 order.

The CIC further directed the Joint Commissioner of Police and Deputy Commissioner of Delhi Traffic Police, both made parties in the petition, to file a compliance report within two weeks of its order.

The Commission allowed Mrs Laxmi Devi to access a letter written by Mamta to the Deputy Commissioner of Police, asking him to stop the family pension following her re-marriage.

The Delhi Traffic Police and the CPIO had earlier turned down the old woman’s appeal to inspect the letter on the ground that it was ‘personal information’ and the matter was sub judice.

Taking a different view, the CIC directed Delhi Traffic Police to permit Mrs Laxmi Devi to check any papers related with the public authority’s interaction with her daughter-in-law and allow her to take copies.

New Delhi, August 5
The crime branch of the Delhi Police have arrested a first year student of a management institute in Hyderabad who allegedly killed two of his seniors for torturing him as part of ragging.

Naveen Kumar (23), a student of the Indian Institute of Hotel Management, who is the prime suspect in the July 31 murder case, was arrested from the New Delhi railway station last evening.

According to the police, Naveen allegedly stabbed Sanoy Cherian from Mayur Vihar in Delhi, and Sanjay Giri from Meerut, both were his seniors in the institute, while they were ragging him.

The police said the victims, along with some other students, reportedly took Naveen and his friend Nitesh to a rented house and tortured them.

A senior student reportedly placed a knife under Naveen’s knees. The accused then grabbed the knife and allegedly attacked Sanjay and Sanoy. Both were rushed to a hospital where they were declared brought dead.

Faridabad, August 5
All is not well with the industrial growth of Faridabad — once the Mecca of industry in Haryana. The place is fast losing its sheen. While several units have already decided to shift out from the state, many others may set up fresh units somewhere else, if things remain the same.

As no major unit has come here in the past one decade and some are closing down their operations over the years, the demand for setting up a big mother unit has gained momentum.

The entrepreneurs have also raised the issue of delay in the construction of Badarpur flyover and the shortage of power.

The Faridabad Industries Association (FIA), the leading body of the industrialists, stepped up its move to get some of the issues highlighted at various levels and get many pending projects taken up. The association wants to have a better infrastructure and facilities for more industrial and commercial activities.

At a meeting with the media here today, the office-bearers of the FIA expressed concern over the slow progress of some of the projects sanctioned for the improvement of the infrastructure. Admitting that the present government had taken various measures and assured to get the pending schemes executed at a fast pace, they said there were still many problems, which needed to be addressed.

Against the backdrop of states like Uttranchal and Himachal Pradesh offering various facilities and cheap power, it was claimed that several local industries had decided to move to either Himachal or Uttranchal due to various facilities offered in those states.

Expressing concern over the fact that several big units had either closed or shifted out from here in the past two decades, the entrepreneurs said that no major unit had come here, resulting in the stunted growth of ancillaries.

Commending the civic development in the past one year, the FIA, however, stressed the need to address some of the bigger issues, which include power supply, better connectivity of Faridabad with Delhi and NCR, availability of industrial plots and improvement in the overall environmental conditions.

Stating that the sanctioning of several projects, including the extension of Metro Train to Faridabad, development of SEZ at Palwal and near Gurgaon, approval of setting up of Industrial Model Township (IMT) and a Textile Processing Zone here could change the industrial scenario in the coming years, the members of the Association, however, expressed concern over the delay in construction of Badarpur flyover, which it claimed, should have come up three to four years ago.

Lamenting at the poor traffic management and chaos on the National Highway passing through the city, the association has called upon the government to construct more flyovers at various intersections on the Highway to make it signal-free on the pattern of Gurgaon and start the service lane for the slow-moving vehicles like two and three-wheelers.

The demand for allotment of industrial plots in Sector- 58 and starting Transport Nagar for parking of heavy vehicles have also been raised.

New Delhi, August 5
The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has served notices to various public schools located under its jurisdiction to recover property tax amounting to Rs 26.58 cr from them.

A senior official of the tax department said that the MCD had to recover arrears of property tax totalling Rs 26.58 crore from several public schools. This amount is subjected to adjustment of disputed payment up to March 2004.

The official said if the schools management failed to submit the arrears, their bank accounts would be attached.

If need be their property could also be sealed, he added.

Gurgaon, August 5
The State Vigilance Bureau (SVB), Gurgaon Range, claims to have identified numerous touts, middlemen and employees allegedly engaged in corrupt practices in various important departments.

The Superintendent of Police, SVB, said the department had identified 10 touts and middlemen in the local office of the Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA), 12 in the Revenue Department, 24 in the District Transport Office (DTO) and the SDM’s office besides 23 touts and middlemen at the Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam Ltd (DHBVNL).

The list of these identified touts has been sent to the heads of these departments for “taking immediate necessary action” at their end.

The letter has suggested to these officials to “curb activities of these middlemen/touts from their departments.”

The SVB has collected information after surveillance on the activities of these touts, informed the SP. According to highly placed sources, not only the touts, some of the key employees taking graft to execute work in various departments have also been traced and identified.

The SP has appealed to the masses to inform him or his subordinates immediately if any employee of a government department demands money in return for executing work. Today, the SVB, Gurgaon Range, arrested three officials after conducting three raids at different locations. 

New Delhi, August 5
Dr Ashok Kumar Balyan, Director (Human Resource) of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Ltd. (ONGC), has been conferred fellowship by All India Management Association (AIMA) at its 11th Convocation in New Delhi.

The certificate of the fellowship was handed over to Dr Balyan by the President of AIMA, Mr Sudhir Jalan.—TNS

New Delhi, August 5
At a time when the Sales Tax Department of the Delhi government is striving to increase its revenue, about 200 shopkeepers dealing in building materials at Neb Sarai Market near IGNOU Road, Saket, are blatantly flouting sales tax norms causing an annual loss of crores of rupees to the department.

Strangely, the department claims it is unaware of this huge sales tax evasion. Even in the VAT (Value Added Tax) era, the shopkeepers have managed to escape from the tax net.

A local resident, Mr S. K. Aggarwal alleged, “The shopkeepers are not only evading sales tax, but income tax also.

In the past one decade, the area has developed significantly due to its proximity to many posh and newly emerged colonies like Sainik Farm, Freedom Fighter’s Colony and Paryavaran Complex among others. The Neb Sarai Market has now emerged as a major market of building materials.”

“There are more than 200 such shops sprawling in an area of over 1.5 km on both sides of the connecting road. Be it cement, steel, paint, marble or wood, everything is available here. It is surprising that almost all shopkeepers here give bills only on plain paper. They cleverly evade not only sales tax, but income tax also,” he added.

“With the connivance of officials from the departments of sales tax, income tax and police, their business is flourishing without any hindrance. This is not an isolated case. There are several markets in Delhi where this trend is openly in vogue covered by that nexus, even in the much hyped VAT era,” Mr Aggarwal claimed.

When contacted the DC (ward – 10) and in-charge of the Sales Tax Department of this area, Mr P. K. S. Chauhan said, “It is a very serious development and the matter will be investigated.”

“Now the VAT is applicable to those outlets where turn over is more than Rs 50 lakh annually. We have to make a survey and identify those outlets, which fall in that net. If necessary, our enforcement team will conduct raids on those shops, which are violating the rules,” he added. 

Ghaziabad, August 5
Half a dozen children were charred as a 11,000-volt power cable snapped on 30 houses in Dholana town. A woman also lost her consciousness after an electric shock.

Despite the residents lodging a complaint with the powerhouse official, nobody bothered to remedy the situation.

Residents alleged that all the employees in powerhouse were heavily drunk, that is why nobody attended to the fault. A 440-volt cable is also passing under the 11000-volt high-tension wire in the area. The snapped 11000-volt cable had fallen on the 440-volt wire. A number of cattle were charred in Chandan’s house. His five-year-old daughter was charred while the thatched roof of Braham Singh’s house was burnt.

As no doctor was available in the primary health centre, people were forced to go to private doctors for the first-aid and further treatment. Five children, a woman and a number of cattle were affected by the snapping of live cable.

The power sub station staff just shooed away the people who went to lodge a complaint, the residents said.

Noida, August 5
Two young men masquerading as TV channel journalists were nabbed by the police while they were trying to extort Rs 10,000 from a doctor. They were exposed by real journalists which led to their arrest.

The SOG nabbed them near Sector-57 police post in a dramatic way when they were threatening doctor Sunil Malik to shell out Rs 10,000.

Dr Malik, a resident of Laxmi Nagar, Delhi, runs a blood collection centre in A-38, Sector-22. They questioned the doctor how he was running a pathology lab in a residential area.

In the absence of Dr Malik, the conmen were able to browbeat the lab staff who became panicky that a big ‘news channel’ will expose their lab’s activities. After collecting Rs 5,000 from them, the duo went away while saying that they would come again at 6 pm.

Meanwhile, Dr Sunil Malik contacted the police and the SOG cops in plain clothes. A real journalist from the Aaj Tak channel was present at doctor’s pathology lab.

The tricksters did not come but rang up the doctor telling him to come to Sector-57 police post with money. The SOG cops who were already there caught the ‘journalists’ red-handed while taking money from Dr Malik.

Ghaziabad, August 5
How safe the common man could be in a state where goons can waylay and snatch service rifle from policemen?

Some criminals attacked a constable and an SI with clubs and lathis and snatched the government rifle from them on Thursday night. The policemen were returning from patrol on motorcycle in Sambhawali police station area.

The SI and the policeman sped away to save their life, it is reported. Later, the SP rural ordered combing the fields, but the assailants could be found.

SI Raghunath Singh and constable Sanjeev Kumar posted in Sambhawali police station were returning to the police station at 10 pm on Thursday.

When the cops reached near Canal Road on Ganga Canal, some goons tried to stop their bike, failing which they attacked the duo with clubs and lathis. The SI and the constable fled from the scene, leaving their service rifle there. They did not put up any fight. Even the SI failed to fire a single shot from his revolver. Later, he narrated the entire incident at Sambhawali police station. The constable was injured in the attack.

New Delhi, August 5
The Directorate Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has seized 20 kg heroin of fine quality, worth Rs 20 crore in international market, and arrested one Rajesh Kumar (31) in this connection.

The DRI sources said Rajesh from Amritsar was caught at a bus stand on G.T. Karnal Road when he was carrying heroin in a gunny bag.—TNS

New Delhi, August 5
More than 500 children sporting banners which read ‘Children for peace and peace for children’ gathered for a peace march alongside social activists and people from all walks of life.

They took out the march from Samta Sthal to Raj Ghat and the peace meeting was jointly organized by the Global March Against Child Labour and the Bachpan Bachao Andolan. The main demand of these children was immediate and complete ceasefire in Lebanon where many children have become victims of violence.

New Delhi, August 5
Amity Institute of Energy & Environment (AIEE) under the collaborative agreement with NHPC organized a two-day programme on “Understanding Electricity Act, 2003” at the NHPC Conference Hall, Faridabad.

This is the first of the series of five programmes that AIEE will be conducting on NHPC campus till January 2007 on the subjects related to energy.

Nearly 30 senior officers of the NHPC participated in this programme.

Inaugurating the programme, Mr R.K. Jain, Member (Thermal), CEA, said, “The main objective of organizing such training is to train NHPC officials as to how they can fulfill the needs of the consumers effectively; what measures can be implemented in the development of electricity industry; promoting competition therein; protecting interests of consumers; and the electricity supply to all areas, etc.”