 |
|
|
Probe ordered against RML for admitting accused
Draw of Faridabad HUDA plots today
BJP claims to emerge victorious in MCD polls
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
CIC asks DDA to appoint officer for ‘deficient’ RTI structure
Police to keep tabs on Bangladeshi infiltrators
Cong workers protest against ‘arbitrary’ allotment of tickets
Govt admits plastic menace is here to stay
Students may know results early at IGNOU
CA jumps to death in Noida
Two held for betting
Youth gets 10 years RI for raping minor
|
|
Probe ordered against RML for admitting accused
New Delhi, March 18 “A number of magistrates have reported that there is a growing trend of detaining accused persons, particularly white-collared offenders, in the hospitals after they are arrested, to which the doctors of the government hospitals are a party,” the Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) Kamini Lau said in an order on Friday. The order came in the case of one Neelima, a 40-year-old woman, who was arrested on March 15 in a cheating and forgery case and was taken to a doctor in RML Hospital for her medical examination prior to her production before the concerned court. She was admitted to the hospital on a doctor’s advice as she allegedly complained of hypertension and anxiety. Taking strong note of RML Hospital admitting her without any justification, the ACMM observed that in the cases of economic offences, an attempt was being made “to subvert and obstruct the administration of justice” by delaying the production of the accused in the court by getting them admitted. “In large number of cases, the accused are admitted in hospitals even for minor ailments or for symptoms for which treatment is available in the jail hospital,” the court said. This was done at the stage when the accused was being produced before the doctor for medical examination prior to production in the court for remand purposes and thereby preventing the person from being sent to jail, it said. “Under these compelling circumstances, it has become necessary to direct the Director General of Health Services, New Delhi, to institute an enquiry with regard to the circumstances under which Neelima (accused in the present case) was admitted in RML Hospital despite there being no apparent emergency,” the court said. It also asked the Director General to lay down suitable guidelines for the hospitals with regard to the admission of the accused in the hospitals even before their production in the court to prevent any “abuse and misuse” of authority and attempts to obstruct administration of justice. In the present case, after the police had reported about the accused being admitted in the RML Hospital, the ACMM had on Friday directed Metropolitan Magistrate V K Gautam to visit the hospital and verify Neelima’s health condition. As soon as the Metropolitan Magistrate reached the hospital and enquired about Neelima’s health, the doctor declared her fit and discharged her. She was then sent to judicial custody in Tihar Jail till March 20. |
|
|
Draw of Faridabad HUDA plots today
Faridabad, March 18 According to Administrator, HUDA here, the draw ceremony would be held at the sports stadium complex in sector-12 here from 10 am onwards. He said since the department wanted to conduct the process in a peaceful manner, it may get on to the next day as the number of He said the department would ensure a fair and foolproof method and it would be held in open space in presence of the applicants and a team of senior officials. All arrangements had been done in this connection, including the preparation of the slips of the
applicants and the plots He said anybody could take part in drawing the lot from the spinning drums, and claimed that there was no chance of any cheating by any employee or the official in the process. It may be recalled that several allegations had been levelled against the HUDA officials in the draw of lots for the plots that was held for the Cooperative Group Housing Societies (CGHS) in September last, here. The department had advertised and invited applications for about 3610 plots of various sizes here in July last, for which the last date of booking was set on September 14, which was extended by the authorities for about a month in view of the huge response. The applications forms were also sold through bank counters at various places besides the main office of HUDA here against a payment of Rs 60 each. About half a dozen banks of public and private sector took advantage of the opportunity and offered finance of the booking amount. While the highest number of 1411 plots was located in sector-62, there were just eight plots in sector-46. The rate to be charged by HUDA varies from Rs 4327 to Rs 8173 per sq. metre, the price in the open market had been somewhere between Rs 8000 and Rs 20000 per sq. metre, claimed a property dealer here. He said several plots offered by HUDA in many sectors had been handed back by the applicants a few years ago when the property market was dull. |
|
|
BJP claims to emerge victorious in MCD polls
New Delhi, March 18 Prof. Malhotra and the BJP Delhi Pradesh President Dr Harsh Vardhan were addressing the press at the BJP Headquarters here. Prof. Malhotra said that now the people of Delhi had to decide that if they wanted to end corruption from the Capital then the Congress would have to be defeated. “If the shortage of water and power is to be solved then the Congress must be defeated. If we have to end terrorism then the Congress Government must be dislodged. If Afzal is to be hanged then the Congress Government should be dislodged. If we have to free Delhi from sealing and demolition then we must defeat the Congress,” he said. Prof. Malhotra said that the Congress was completely divided. He called upon all the workers to give the benefit of their distinct talents to the BJP in the MCD elections so that the people of Delhi may get rid of the Congress misrule. Dr Harsh Vardhan said that there was an anti-Congress wind blowing in Delhi. “The picture of the Congress atrocities, corruption, exploitation, dictatorship and misrule is so much haunting the minds of every citizens of Delhi that they want to get rid of Congress even before the elections,” he alleged. The BJP Pradesh President said that during the last five years the “atrocities” of the Congress on the people of Delhi were more than the atrocities of the Mughals and the British. “The Government which was elected for the welfare and for providing livelihood to the people of Delhi has deprived lakhs of people of Delhi of their livelihood. Houses of thousands of people have been demolished. Every department of Delhi Government and the MCD is bent upon exploiting the public. The price rise had crossed all limits,” he alleged. He urged the party workers to stand united and defeat the Congress in the MCD polls. |
|
|
CIC asks DDA to appoint officer for ‘deficient’ RTI structure
New Delhi, March 18 “It is advised that the DDA must place a responsible senior official who could be in-charge of ensuring that applications filed with the DDA reach the proper PIO (Public Information Officer) and those who were the custodians of information,” Information Commissioner O P Kejariwal said in a recent order. Highlighting the need to strengthen the RTI structure within the DDA, the Commission, which was hearing an appeal filed by one Anil Kumar Aatwal, issued a direction that a “senior official” should be appointed latest by April 20. “This (the appointment) is necessary to avoid inconvenience to the appellants and also confusion within the DDA itself,” it said but refrained from giving details about such an appointment. Aatwal, in his application under the RTI filed on October 10 last year, had sought information on various issues. This was later forwarded by DDA’s PIO to five different officers within the organisation. In response to the five different queries raised by him, Aatwal had received incomplete information pertaining to one of his questions, against which the appeal was preferred to the Commission. The Commission took strong exception to the DDA’s faulty information disclosure system, which led to the transferring of the request for information from one department to another. The DDA has been receiving flak from the RTI regulatory body over the inefficient functioning of its information disclosure system. Responding to another RTI appeal filed by one Inderjeet Singh, the CIC came down heavily on the DDA’s functioning after it failed to make a personal representation before the Commission. The CIC said: “This (failure over disclosure) only goes to strengthen the general public perception that the DDA is most inefficient in its functioning and callous in its attitude towards the public”. |
|
|
Police to keep tabs on Bangladeshi infiltrators
Gurgaon, March 18 The search and verification operation was carried out by the police in DLF areas where jhuggi clusters have sprung up. However, the police played down the operation, describing it as routine duty. The DSP, Industries, Mr Summit Kumar, who is in-charge of DLF Police Station, said that such operations are carried out periodically. The police had identified about 174 suspects and sought their documents to prove that they were residents of the country. Almost all of them were Bengali-speaking. The police move is rooted in the context of big number of Bangladeshi infiltrators being nabbed from various parts of the city in batches in the past five years. A good number of Bangladeshis have sneaked in and got mixed with the migrant construction labourers here. The general perception is that a large number of rickshaw pullers operating here are from Bangladesh. Also, a majority of the maidservants employed in various colonies are part of them. When asked about their native place, their first response is that they are from Bihar. However, when grilled, they say that they are natives of West Bengal. Although it is for the police to go deep into the issue, the general view is that these foreigners manage documents which suggest that they are of this country. As the local police find it hard to go deep into the matter, the foreigners are off the hook. The rise of crimes like chain snatching and burglary, etc in the city is attributed to the presence of these infiltrators. On at least two occasions in the past, the police had nabbed a gang of Bangladeshis who indulged in violence, burglary and thefts, especially in DLF and other new areas of the city. |
|
Cong workers protest against ‘arbitrary’ allotment of tickets
New Delhi, March 18 The demonstrators also disrupted traffic and indulged in stray incidents of stone throwing. No one was reported injured in the melee. A large contingent of police was subsequently posted in the area to prevent any untoward incident. Similar protests were also reported from other parts of the city. The agitated party workers had also ran amok at the Delhi Pradesh Congress headquarters here last night after the list was announced. Glass panes and furniture was smashed. Senior Delhi Pradesh Congress leaders claimed that the agitation was being encouraged by some local leaders who did not get tickets as the party did not find them suitable. They said that the candidates were selected on the basis of “winnability and acceptance by the public”. The disappointed workers, however, alleged that money had paid an important part in the allotting of tickets. Many of them threatened to resign from the party. The local Congress leaders now fear that these disappointed workers will work against the official candidates and if this happens, the BJP will be the gainer as it is organised and has a cadre. Meanwhile, senior Delhi Pradesh Congress leaders today went into a huddle to find ways to tackle the situation. |
||
|
Govt admits plastic menace is here to stay
New Delhi, March 18 However, as a step towards reducing the menace, the government has suggested the introduction of ‘buy back offers’ for consumers who purchase the same products in plastic packets. “This will facilitate reduction in littering and at the same time the manufacturer can recycle and effectively work out a collection and disposal system,” the Delhi government informed the High Court recently in a case pertaining to the plastic menace in the city. Such a system is currently being followed in the case of lead-acid batteries, for which a collection mechanism has been made mandatory for manufacturers, importers, assemblers and dealers under the
Batteries (Management and Handling) Rules 2001.Violation of the rules attract penalties and a jail term. Regarding the Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB) recommendation that extended producer responsibility be fixed for disposal of post-consumer plastic waste, the Delhi government has passed the buck to the Central government. “This has to be done at the national level by the Central government,” said an official. Regarding another CPCB suggestion for imposing a penalty for violating the Recycled Plastics Manufacturing and Usage Rules (Amended) 2003, the government expressed its inability to do so by citing a similar reason. In the last hearing, the High Court had asked the government to implement the CPCB’s suggestions to eradicate the plastic menace in the Capital. |
||
|
Anu Ganju’s oeuvre, from flowers to fish swimming in gay abandon
Ravi Bhatia Tribune News Service
New Delhi, March 18 These paintings vary from vibrant flowers to fish swimming in gay abandon to figures in serene settings. They display an interesting range and depth of expressions. These paintings (in mixed media) are pleasing to the eye and beautiful to behold and have been sold to art lovers in India, the USA, the UK, Australia and the Philippines. The Taj Group of hotels had bought many of her works and installed them at Hotel President, Mumbai and Hotel Taj Mahal here. Paintings of contemporary artists
The Delhi Friends Round Table (DFRT), a voluntary organisation dedicated to raise funds for the education of underprivileged children, organised ‘Shiksha 2007’, a special exhibition of paintings of some of the well-known contemporary artists here on March 16. Exhibition to commemorate 1857
Osiana’s Art Archive and Auction House here is presenting an exhibition of paintings by some of the known artists entitled, ‘A Historical Epic– India in the Making’ at the Visual Arts Gallery, India Habitat Centre here. The exhibition is on till March 23. The exhibition has been organised to commemorate 150 years of the 1857 First War of Independence. This is the first in a series of three exhibitions presented by the Osian’s archive and library collection that will be held through the year in memory of the historic uprising. French embassy
to show films
The embassy of France here is screening three outstanding films of the well-known film director, Eliane de Latour at the Alliance Francaise de Delhi auditorium here on March 25 and March 26. The screenings will be followed by a question and answer session. Renowned artists’ works on show
The Anant Art Gallery here is presenting three separate exhibitions of artworks by three renowned artists simultaneously from March 16 to April 5. The first one entitled ‘Breaking News’ showcases the works of artist Suchender while the second one, ‘Joys of Deception’ has on display the works of Dattaraya Apte. ‘The Thin Line’, showcases the works of artist Amritah Sen. Four contemporary women artists from Gujarat are holding a joint exhibition of their creations entitled ‘Autumn Flowers’ at Gallery Number 7 of the Lalit Kala Akademi here from March 14 to March 20. The participating artists are Bharvi Trivedi, Pooja Panchal, Samvedna Vaishya and Shital Gohil. The Gallery Espace here is holding an exhibition of paintings by several reputed artists entitled, ‘I Fear, I Believe, I Desire’ from March 20 to April 5 on its premises in New Friends Colony. |
||
|
Students may know results early at IGNOU
New Delhi, March 18 This facility would be of a great help to those who are employed. As part of examination reforms, IGNOU has decided to introduce a slew of measures, including early publication of result, re-evaluation provisions, chances for improvement and introducing a token fee for courses. Besides, the university is also introducing the facility of re-evaluation. Earlier, there was provision for rechecking in which the answer-sheets could be verified to ascertain whether all the marks awarded in specific questions have been correctly added or not. In another major decision, the university has decided to announce the results of all the students within three months of their examination. At present, the announcement of results takes about four to five months as around 8.5 lakh answer-sheets of nearly three lakh students are evaluated by a limited number of examiners. |
||
|
CA jumps to death in Noida
Noida, March 18 The family of the deceased, however, ruled out a suicide attempt and said it must have been an accident. Meanwhile, the police have not been able to say anything as to the cause of the deceased’s jumping from his 4th floor office. Sudhir Agarwal, 47, a resident of Ghaziabad was a chartered accountant who had his office in P-307 on third floor of the Asian Plaza in sector 18 market by the name of Gupta, Garg and Agarwal Associates. At 4 pm yesterday, he had said that he was going to the toilet and closed the door at fourth floor and jumped out from the window and fell on the balcony of first floor. The police rushed him to Vinayak Hospital in sector 27 where he succumbed to his injuries at about 8-30 pm. The people present in his office said that Sudhir |
||
|
Two held for betting
New Delhi, March 18 Manish Bagga and Neeraj Sehgal had accepted bets of up to Rs eight lakh when police raided the residence of the former and arrested them while the match was in progress last night. The duo were running a betting racket from Bagga’s residence in Shiv Puri area near Preet Vihar in East Delhi. The police also seized a recording machine, five mobile phones and a colour television from Bagga’s
residence. — TNS |
||
|
Youth gets 10 years RI for raping minor
New Delhi, March 18 “It is worth noting that a man may tell a lie but the circumstances do not do so. Circumstantial evidence is an important piece of evidence and if the same is trustworthy, the same alone is sufficient to prove the case,” the Additional Sessions Judge O P Gupta said. Holding 20-year-old Anil, a resident of Keshav Puram here, guilty under Sections 363 (kidnapping) and 376 (rape) of the IPC, the court also imposed a fine of Rs 2,000 on the convict. Earlier, the public prosecutor demanded severe punishment for the
convict. — TNS |
||
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Mailbag | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
