New Delhi, November 15
Traders in the Capital today began an eight-day relay hunger strike to protest against the Municipal Corporation of Delhi’s (MCD) sealing drive and sought senior BJP leader L. K. Advani’s intervention to find a political solution to the contentious issue.

A delegation of traders called on the Leader of the Opposition here in an attempt to rope in the saffron party’s central leadership for mounting pressure on the Congress which, they alleged, had “mishandled” the issue.

“We apprised him of the situation and urged him to intervene on his behalf and take up the issue directly with the Prime Minister,” Mr Praveen Khandelwal, general secretary of the Confederation of All India Traders said.

He said Mr Advani gave them a patient hearing and assured his party’s support to any government move in Parliament to provide relief to the traders and promised to speak to the Prime Minister on the issue.

“He said the issue of sealing was not affecting traders alone and it could have a broad impact on the lives of lakhs of people. Development in a phased manner with proper planning is the only solution,” Mr Khandelwal said while quoting Mr Advani.

The traders also began a 192-hour relay hunger strike at Raj Ghat to protest the sealings after keeping a low profile ever since the MCD resumed the drive last week under heavy security.

The vice-president of CAIT, Mr Ramesh Khanna, and traders from South and North Delhi began the strike at the samadhi of Mahatma Gandhi.

The hunger strike began as the MCD continued its drive against illegal commercial establishments in residential areas in West Delhi and the Supreme Court ordered stoppage of sealing till November 20 for 25,000 properties whose owners had given undertakings to shift activities to commercial areas.

The traders termed the apex court directive “an order of compassion” and said “it has given a ray of hope to them as the apex court has taken into consideration the humanitarian issues raised by the trading community.”

“We will also urge the apex court to extend stoppage of sealing to all business establishments existing in the Capital as of December 31, 2005,” Mr Khandelwal said.

New Delhi, November 15
The Union Urban Development Minister, Mr Jaipal Reddy, today asked the 25,000 traders covered under the September 7 and 15 notifications on mixed land use to file affidavits before the Supreme Court complying with its latest directions.

He asked the traders to avail of this opportunity and give the required information on a clear sheet of paper to the monitoring committee.

When asked about the implementation of the new Master Plan, he said this was lengthy work and would take time. Certain changes had to be made in the Master Plan. These would be implemented after doing the required things.

Meanwhile, the Additional Commissioner in the MCD, Mr Parimal Rai, asked the traders whose establishments had been sealed to file an affidavit within five days before the court appealing that they would shift their shops within a given time. He said shops located on roads of 80 feet width would not be sealed. These roads had been notified. Fortyfive roads remain to be notified.

He said there would not be any sealing in A and B category colonies. 

New Delhi, November 15
While seeking mercy for 25,000-odd traders in the city against the sealing from the Supreme Court, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) today furnished the details to it on the progress of the operation, which would continue in the areas not covered under government notifications on mixed land use.

Solicitor General G. E. Vahanvati and MCD counsel A. M. Singhvi told the court more than 670 big establishments, showrooms, shopping malls, fitness centres, automobile shops and big offices in residential areas had been sealed during the resumed drive. Prominent among them were office of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, Haldiram Food Products, CTC Plaza, Thaper House, Bata showroom, Yamaha showroom, Pulse-Impulse Fitness Centre, Regency Guest House, Shehnaz Hussain Beauty Products, IGP Mall and several others. The government and the MCD, while seeking pardon to medium and small traders who had filed affidavits for closure prior to June 30 but not given any further time for closing their establishments, however, said “such establishments carrying out activities which are prohibited cannot be permitted to continue.”

In the prohibited category, they included trades of obnoxious, hazardous, inflammable, non-compatible and polluting substance, building materials and auto workshops.

The court, which agreed to consider having a re-look in the cases of 25,000 affidavit filing traders and professionals after receiving the report of the Monitoring Committee, rejected the plea of individual traders to examine their cases, saying that they would have to go to the committee.

Among those who sought to raise their cases individually included Delhi International School at Mathura Road, which was under threat to be sealed by the MCD. Its counsel M N Krishnamani requested taking a “compassionate” view as it involved the career of 700 students.

Refusing to take up individual cases for fear of opening the floodgates to such petitions, the CJI said, “Don’t say we have no compassion. But there is also rule of law.”

The CJI said a mechanism of the Monitoring Committee had been evolved by the court to look into each and every case and any one who felt that its establishments were permitted should approach the same.

The Solicitor General, at the outset of the hearing, said the government had come with a “mercy” plea.

He then gave details to the court about the situation in the city in the wake of the sealing drive when asked by it as what the authorities had done so far.

New Delhi, November 15
High drama was witnessed at the police headquarters here today when a criminal arrested in connection with cases of kidnapping and robbery claimed he wanted to kill Bollywood actress Mallika Sherawat.

Rajesh Dalal, who was carrying a reward of Rs 25,000 on his head and evading the Delhi Police dragnet for the past two months, was finally arrested in Maharashtra’s Sangli district by the inter-state cell of the Crime Branch.

The police have been on his trail for cases like attempt to murder, kidnapping, criminal intimidation, assault on police officials and escape from custody, which had prompted him to flee the Capital.

Senior police officials claimed his arrest from the remote village of Jaisinhpur, around 40 km from Kolhapur, was a major success, but they were in for a surprise when they paraded him before the media at the police headquarters.

On seeing camerapersons, he started shouting he had gone to Maharashtra to kill actress Mallika Sherawat who, he said, had hurt the sensibilities of Haryana and the Jat community to which she belonged.

The police, however, rubbished his claims, saying that he was doing this for cheap publicity. “Now that he is caught, he is trying to divert attention from his cases,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) Neeraj Thakur said.

A resident of Nangloi in West Delhi, the commerce graduate began his criminal life by kidnapping his estranged wife in 1999.

He is accused in several kidnapping cases, robbery of a petrol pump manager and attack on policemen.

Posing as a computer graphics engineer, he had been living in Sangli in Maharashtra, the police said. 

New Delhi, November 15
In a case of an extramarital love affair gone awry, a housewife in a West Delhi area was today killed in an acid attack by the man with whom she had eloped two years ago.

Umesh, a resident of Punjabi Bagh, threw acid on Suman (35), burning her face completely, and forcing her to consume a portion of it, the police said, adding that she was rushed Sanjay Gandhi Hospital where she was declared brought dead.

Suman, a mother of three, had eloped with Umesh two years ago and lived with him for almost one and a half years before returning to her husband Nagendra Gupta, a scrap dealer, with whom she had been married for the past 18 years, the police said.

However, Umesh had allegedly been threatening her since she returned to her husband. He had approached her several times asking her to go back with him in the past few months, they said.

He went to her house in Punjabi Bagh today and asked her to go with him. When she refused, he threw acid on her, the police said. Umesh is absconding after the incident.

A case of murder has been registered and a hunt is on to nab Umesh.

New Delhi, November 15
A Delhi court has asked the police to register an FIR against an NGO and its executive director after a human rights activist accused them of plagiarising his articles to generate funds from national and international organisations.

Finding prima facie substance in the complaint of Mr Suhas Chakma, Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) G. P. Singh yesterday directed the SHO of the Janakpuri police tation to register a case against the NGO and its executive director.

In a complaint filed before the court, human rights activist Suhas Chakma alleged the Delhi-based South Asia Human Rights Documentation Centre (SAHRDC) and its executive director Ravi Nair had been receiving and generating funds from various domestic and international organisations on the basis of his articles.

Mr Chakma demanded an FIR to be registered against the NGO and its executive director. Also a freelance journalist, Mr Chakma alleged his articles had been plagiarised which lowered his reputation, besides amounting to the infringement of various provisions of the Copyright Act.

He claimed apart from being the managing trustee-cum-director of the Asian Centre for Human Rights (ACHR), an NGO working in human rights, he had served as the director of Amnesty International (India Section) in 1991-92. 

Gurgaon, November 15
Haryana Director General of Police (DGP), Mr R S Dalal, today said the police department would set up more police stations in the state to provide better and efficient services to the masses.

Addressing mediapersons here, Mr Dalal announced that seven more police stations in Gurgaon and six in Faridabad would be operational within a month. The police would focus more on the NCR region of the state, the DGP added.

There are a total of 206 police stations in the state, he revealed.

“As the time is fast changing, the police department has decided to re-organise and revamp the system after a gap of just six months for better coordination and supervision,” he said.

The police had already discussed with senior officials of the state for carving out a police station in each sector to be developed by Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA), he said. Earlier, there was a system for carving out a police stations against four sectors, added the DGP.

Likewise, the private developers had also been asked to provide sufficient space for police stations and police posts in the private colony or township being developed by them, the police said.

Replying to a question on maxicab killers, Mr Dalal said it was a sad and shocking incident as how a gang of nine persons could kill 29 persons just with the motive of robbery. He said that he had directed the Inspector General of Police, Gurgaon Range, to conduct an inquiry as how these criminals killed so many people without the knowledge of the concerned police stations.

The IGP would thoroughly investigate all aspects of the case and would also suggest the ways so as to ensure that such type of incidents never occur in future, added the DGP.

Mr Dalal, who had served in Gurgaon as SSP and also as DIG, Gurgaon Range, said that the police would concentrate on the prevention of crime.

The police have also decided that it would ensure water tight investigation of the cases of recovery of unidentified bodies. In future, photos of the unidentified bodies would be publicised more in print and electronic media, he said.

Noida, November 15
While the special task force and six police teams have intensified their operation to recover the three-year-old Anant, kidnapped from Sector-15A Noida on Monday, no fresh lead has been reported in the case.

The SSP, Mr R.K.S. Rathore, however, claimed that the police would soon work out the kidnapping case. He also appealed to residents not to panic or to give credence to rumours and hear-says in this delicate case. He said all needed security measures were being taken not only for towns but for rural areas too.

Meanwhile, Sector-15A seems to be under veritable seige by the private security agencies, which along with the RWA, appear to have suddenly become extremely security-sensitive and wary of the outsiders. The first victims of this crack down were journalists and media persons who have been declared persona non grata to the sector now.

Even mobile units of leading TV news channels were seen parked out on the main road and press correspondents standing in huddles nearby.

There had been 41 incidents of kidnapping and 25 of loot in the town this year. During 2005 and 2006, there were 1,790 and 1,782 (till November 14) incidents of crimes, respectively. These included dacoity, loot, vehicles thefts, murder (53 in 2005 and 54 in 2006), theft (272, 339), attempt to murder (46, 45), kidnapping (39, 41) and dowry deaths (12, 12), respectively.

New Delhi, November 15
After Gurgaon and Noida, get set for the Delhi Metro to race into the heart of another neighbouring city in the NCR region —Faridabad.

Town and Country Planning Secretary Shakuntala Jhaku told The Tribune today the Haryana Government had already received an interim report of the DPR for the Faridabad project it had asked the DMRC to prepare. “The Delhi Metro has given us the interim report of the DPR. We expect the final DPR to be ready within a couple of months,” she said.

Once the DPR is finalised, other details of the project will follow. But what is sure for now is that the project will definitely help in easing the bottleneck at Badarpur and relieve daily commuters of the nightmare they face travelling between Delhi and Faridabad.

The line will be an extension of the Central Secretariat-Badarpur link for which the Delhi Government gave an “in principle” approval this Monday. Not being satisfied with the ridership projections given by the DMRC, the Delhi Government has asked the Delhi Metro to explain this aspect as well as financial implications of the Rs 3,600-cr project, which will take the Metro from Central Secretariat till Badarpur, connecting some heavily congested areas in Delhi.

This line has been advanced from Phase-III to Phase-II, meaning that it will definitely be completed before the 2010 Commonwealth Games, something which the Haryana Government can also take advantage of and try to link the Faridabad project to this about 20-km-long link till the Delhi border.

Meanwhile, Mrs Jakhu said the Haryana Government would release Rs 141.75 crore as the first installment of the total cost of Delhi Metro’s Gurgaon extension once the MoU was signed between the Haryana Government and the DMRC on November 17.

The total cost of the project is Rs 570 crore. Haryana will pay 80 per cent while the rest will be borne by the Centre. Besides this, Haryana will also chip in with one-third of the total cost to bring the train to the Delhi border from the last station in Delhi —Ambedkar Colony — with a share of Rs 111 crore.

New Delhi, November 15
The Minister of Textiles, Mr Shankersinh Vaghela, will inaugurate the first ever collaborative event, an exhibition of craft products, being jointly organised by UNESCO, New Delhi, and the Central Cottage Industries Emporium here tomorrow.

The exhibition will display UNESCO Seal awarded craft products ranging from metal to natural fibers, textiles, ceramic and stone. Craftpersons who have won the Seal would also demonstrate the art of making their products.

The first Seal of Excellence for handicraft programme was held in India in 2004 and since then every year activities are organised under this programme. India is one of the most active participants of the Seal and sends the largest number of craft entries from South Asia. In the last three years, 64 handicraft products from India have received UNESCO’s Seal of Excellence certificate.

Noida, November 15
A project engineer of the Noida Authority has accused his own departmental colleague of having cheated the Authority of Rs 12 crore.

In his complaint lodged with the Sector 20 police station, the engineer has alleged that during 2003 this fraud had been committed and the matter was probed by the Noida Authority at its level after which a case was registered with the police in this connection.

The SO of the police station confirmed that a case had been registered by engineer Babu Ram, who had alleged that executive engineer O. P. Tiwari, while holding the office of Chief Project engineer in 2003, had misused his position and committed gross irregularities in inviting tenders.

Tiwari, a resident of Badshahpur in Bihar, had also allegedly placed orders for executing the work without proper evaluation. During his tenure, he had misused his official position and caused a loss of Rs 12 crore to government property, the complainant alleged.

In a departmental enquiry, the Noida Authority had found sufficient proofs against Tiwari, Babu Ram claimed.

A case under Sections 420, 418 and 417 has been registered against Tiwari.

Faridabad, November 15
The police today claimed to have identified the body of a young woman, which was recovered from an isolated spot in the Surajkund area a few days back.

The woman, Anju, was a resident of Amar Colony in Lajpat Nagar, the police claimed.

She had been reported missing from her house since November 13.

The police claimed that the family members of the woman had accused her husband, Lovely, of murdering her. The couple had got married on June 18. However, Lovely allegedly developed illicit relationship with another woman.

Anju was reported to be pregnant at the time of murder. Her father, Surender Singh, had lodged a complaint with the police in this regard.

In another incident, a resident of Gazipur colony has been booked for killing his wife after some dispute in their house last night.

As per the reports, Maya was allegedly murdered by her husband, Pancha, who started quarrelling with his wife raising the issue of ‘good dowry’ given recently to her sister by his in-laws.

Pancha attacked his wife with a tool. Maya succumbed to her injuries soon after.

The police said that Pancha, working as a ‘Kabadi’ (waste dealer), and Maya had three children of their 11 years of marriage.

In another case, the police today claimed to have arrested three persons, including a woman, for looting an engineer after stabbing near Surajkund on the night of November 11.

The victim, son of a police official, had got injured in the incident and had been robbed of over Rs 10,000.

The accused have been identified as Omprakash, a resident of Ankhir, Rajkumar from Fatehpur and Geeta, a resident of Mewla Maharajpur village.

The close circuit camera installed at an ATM where the crime occurred recorded the event. This helped the police in tracing the accused.

New Delhi, November 15
People who donate blood regularly were at reduced risk of getting a heart attack, said Dr K K Aggarwal, Chairman-Elect, IMA Academic Wing, and President, Heart Care Foundation of India, and Dr N K Bhatia, Director, Lions Blood Bank, in a public seminar organised today at Trade Fair.

The medical practitioners said that it had been seen that repeatedly donating blood could reduce the inflammation in the arteries supplying blood to the heart. Chronic inflammation of arteries was said to be the cause of development of blockages and resultant heart attack. Dr Aggarwal also pointed out that no blood transfusion, even if tested, was 100 per cent safe. “One should have blood transfusion only when it is absolutely must. If only one unit of blood is required it is better not to have a blood transfusion.”

“Many tests, which are internationally recommended, are still not recommended in our country. Before having a blood transfusion, every patient should ask his or her doctors if they can have additional tests, which can make blood transfusion more safer,” he said.—TNS

Greater Noida, November 15
Around 15 persons decamped with cash, valuables and even a copy of the revered Guru Granth Sahib from a gurdwara in Badoli Bangar village under Greater Noida police station recently.

Mr Surjit Singh Sahni, who had converted a part of his house in Badoli Bangar into a gurdwara, reported that shasters (weapons), bastars (clothes), rumalas, and even the Guru Granth Sahib and Nishan Sahib were taken away at gun-point on November 7 by the criminals, five of whom were allegedly from the same village.

When the villagers went to Greater Noida police station, the police allegedly did not register a report of the robbery, loot and disrespect to Sikh community in this connection. The criminals also took away furniture, fixtures, almirahs etc from the house and the gurdwara by loading them into trollies.

An FIR was registered by the police on November 10, three days after the case was reported, Mr Sahni alleged.

New Delhi, November 15
A group of visually challenged persons today held demonstrations at Maharashtra Sadan on Copernicus Marg here to protest against the lathi charge by the Mumbai police on the procession of blind people.

The demonstration, held under the aegis of the National Federation of the Blind, also submitted a memorandum to the Resident Commissioner here over the lathi charge on the blind at Azad Maidan by the police yesterday.—OC

New Delhi, November 15
The Delhi Finance Minister, Dr A. K. Walia, distributed cheques of financial assistance to 48 widows of his Geeta Colony assembly segment at a simple function organised at his residence today.

Thirty five women below the age of 45 were distributed cheques amounting to Rs 20,000 each whereas 13 women in the age group of 45 to 60 were distributed cheques amounting to Rs 10,000 each under a scheme of financial assistance to widows. —TNS

New Delhi, November 15
Pragyan School, Sector Gamma, Greater Noida, in collaboration with The Shankar’s On-The-Spot-Painting Competition, organised the 6th Pragyan on-the-spot painting contest on Sunday.

Within a short span of six years, this competition has developed into an extremely popular event among children and parents where the young ones with their exuberance, excitement and creativity get an opportunity to project themselves on papers with myriad colours, creating a fairy land of their dreams. —TNS

New Delhi, November 15
The Delhi Police today claimed to have unearthed an illicit liquor manufacturing factory in South Delhi and arrested one person in this connection.

More than 38 litres of spurious liquor, 1,500 litres of brew and equipment used for manufacturing were seized from the factory in Jaitpur locality of Sarita Vihar.

Jeet Singh, a resident of Badarpur, was arrested from the spot, the police said.