New Delhi, April 29
The police have arrested a young man for allegedly killing his fiance by throwing her from the fifth floor roof-top of her house at Karol Bagh in central Delhi last night.

The police spokesman said that Deepak, a 24 year-year-old youth, had been nabbed by the police after receiving a complaint at 0130 hrs from the family of the girl. The victim, Mukta, who was to be married to Deepak tomorrow, died on the spot, the police said.

An altercation over dowry is believed to have led to the tragedy, the police said. Deepak allegedly threw Mukta from the roof-top in a fit of rage.

Mukta (22) and Deepak knew each other for the past nine years and had fled to Hardwar a few days back to solemnise their marriage. After their return to the Capital, both families decided to arrange a formal marriage. The marriage was scheduled to be held on April 30.

It was alleged that Deepak was given Rs 10,000 by the mother of Mukta to arrange the ceremony, but he reportedly demanded more. Later, both Deepak and Mukta went to the roof of the five-storied house to discuss the matter, but it snowballed into an argument.

The police said that the body had been sent for post mortem examination and further investigations were in progress. The statement of the family members was being recorded.

New Delhi, April 29
The police are on a look out for the fourth aide of the three LeT terrorists arrested recently from Dilli Haat. On the basis of information given by the three militants, a sketch of the fourth terrorist Raj has been prepared by the police which is expected to be released tomorrow.

About half a dozen police teams have conducted raids at various possible hideouts of the terrorist in neighbouring Gurgaon, Faridabad, Noida, Ghaziabad in the NCR area. The police chiefs of all the districts of adjoining areas of Delhi had been written to co-operate in the operation, said a senior police officer of the special cell.

According to the police, the arrest of this fourth terrorist is important as he is the person, who has all vital information regarding the terrorist operations. It is believed that he was present somewhere inside the Dilli Haat at the time of the arrest of the three terrorists. However, he managed to escape. He had been assigned by his mentor to take away the three arrested terrorists to some safer place in the NCR area, said the officer.

The anti-social elements find hiding the identity in the NCR area is comparatively easy due absence of beat system of policing in almost all districts of the area. Two more Pakistan-based terrorists were expected to come to that place to join them. Whether they came or not, it was known only to Raj, said the officer.

Raj had also been assigned to activate over 20 LeT sleeping agents and carriers based in different parts of the country for suicidal attacks or carrying out other attacks across the country during a series of celebrations planned to mark the 150th anniversary of the first war of independence, he added.

Meanwhile, the police claimed to have made elaborate safety and security arrangements for the celebrations to be held on May 11 at the historic Red Fort. Under the aegis of Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan, about 45 thousand youth across the country will join in the national celebration. President, Prime Minister and top national and international dignitaries are also expected to participate in the celebration.

“Apprehending the terror attack, we have decided to close the Red Fort for common people from May 5. It will thrown open again on May 12. We have also decided to install watch towers and CCTVs at various locations around the Red Fort for the better monitoring of the situation,” the officer said.

Ghaziabad, April 29
Lashkar-e-Toiba’s Karim Ansari has, in a letter, threatened to blow up all major railway stations of the country, temples and Parliament House on May 18 in case Afzal Guru is not released by May 14. Even suicide attacks could be carried out on pilgrims to Amarnath shrine.

Terrorist groups like Al Qaida and Jaish-e-Mohammed would also join in such attacks, the letter said.

The letter, sent to Superintendent of Khurja railway junction A. K. Majundar, threatened that Khurja, Aligarh, Kanpur and Banaras railway stations, Kashi Hindu University, Kashi Vishwanath temple would be blown up on May 18 if Afzal Guru was not freed by May 14. “Should the government still not concede, Lucknow railway station, Parliament House, and many other important places will be devastated. Even pilgrims to Amarnath and other shrines will be targeted,” the letter reads.

Letter further states Phagwara railway station and Pucca Ravana at Hanuman Garhi will also be destroyed. The letter ends thus “I shall wait till May 15, 2007 – Karim Ansari, Lashkar-e-Toiba, Jammu and Kashmir.”

There is turmoil and chaos among railway officials ever since Khurja station Superintendent received the letter at noon on Friday by post. They have informed the civil police, RPF, GRP, state government, the Central government, Union Home and railway ministers about the terrorists’ threat. Intelligence agencies have also been alerted. According to police, the threat is being investigated and all security agencies have beefed up the security.

New Delhi, April 29
Contradictory statements by two police officers paved the way for the acquittal of a man charged with robbing Rs 200 by impersonating as a constable eight years ago.

The real constable and sub-inspector, who were the material prosecution witnesses, had given contrary statements during their deposition on the point of meeting the complainant, the recovery and arrest of (accused) Subhash Chand, Metropolitan Magistrate S. K. Gautam said.

Exonerating Chand of impersonation and robbery charges, the magistrate noted while one police officer claimed the accused was searched at the scene, leading to the recovery of money from him, the other officer contended the recovery was made at the police station. The two policemen, in their testimony, further contradicted each other over the place where they met Chand, the court observed.

The prosecution had miserably failed to prove its case against the accused beyond reasonable doubt and, hence, the benefit of the doubt went to Chand, it said in a recent order.

The court took into account the fact that the complainant had turned hostile during the trial and the police had failed to bring in any public witness to corroborate the charges levelled against Chand.

According to the prosecution, Chand had on January 18, 1999, taken Rs 200 from complainant Rakesh Kumar near Kashmere Gate here by posing as a police head constable.

After a complaint was filed by Kumar, Chand was arrested by the police and the prosecution tried to prove its case against him with the help of four witnesses.

Faridabad, April 29
The Supreme Court has issued a notice to the Haryana government and the district administration over the alleged misuse of Nahar Singh Cricket Stadium, which has reportedly been rented out to a tent house. Nahar Singh stadium is the only international level cricket ground in the state. The notice comes after the admittance of the petition for special leave to appeal filed by a local resident.

After hearing the petitioner’s appeal, the three-member bench, headed by the Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishanan, recently issued a notice to file the reply within 30 days to the respondents, which include the state of Haryana through the Chief Secretary, the Deputy Commissioner, Faridabad, the Municipal Corporation Faridabad (MCF) and the president of the District Cricket Association (DCA) Club here.

The club which was handed over this land by the District Sports Council in 1998 had been maintaining the stadium. The club is headed by the Deputy Commissioner, who is ex-officio President or Chairperson of the DCA.

The petitioner, K.L Gera, has alleged in his petition that about four acres of land of the cricket stadium had been leased out or rented to a private tent house for just an amount of Rs 15,000 per month, for a period of about six years and the place which was meant for promotion of sports and sportsmen was being used for holding marriage function, birthday parties and other private programmes.

He claimed that the building of the stadium was built by the government through the District Sports Council after spending several crores of rupees and the land for the stadium was made available by the MCF without charging even a single penny. The building was reportedly handed over to the DCA by the Council on August 28, 1998. It has been alleged that instead of taking any concrete step to promote sports activities, the DCA had further leased out the land to a private tent house in contravention of the rules in December 2003 for a period of six years. The petitioner went to the Supreme Court after his petition in this regard failed to get admitted in the Punjab and Haryana High Court earlier in January last.

Since 1982, April 29 is celebrated all over the world as World Dance Day. The day was declared Dance Day by UNESCO’s International Dance Council — CID (Conseil International de la Danse).

For Natya Vriksha, World Dance Day is an occasion to pay tribute to the amazing traditions of dance in India.

Nowhere else in the world except in India do the Gods dance. Shiva dances his dance of creation/destruction. The tandava of Shiva-Nataraja represents the cosmos in animated vibration. And the dance of Krishna, the lyrical raas of pleasure and joy (ananda) represents the swirl of nature evoking human ecstasy. Goddess Parvati danced the lasya-tandava and thereby created the complex visual and aesthetic contexts for an entire culture.

And if the Gods dance can human beings be far behind? For, after all, is not man said to be made in the image of God! Undoubtedly, India is the world’s largest arena for dance. In every geographical region, in every historical time, dance has defined the aspirations of its people, their feelings and emotions, even their frustrations. And the dances have ignited every social sphere of interaction in India – its temples and religious observances, its courts and pleasure palaces, its villages and their chaupals, and, today, its auditoria and stadia.

In every age and in every context, dance has been the keenest expression of India’s magnificent and indomitable spirit.

New Delhi, April 29
The Indian Youth Congress today condemned police action on its activists led by president Ashok Tanwar while they were moving from Salimpur to Deoria as part of election campaign in UP.

According to IYC spokesman Madhumita Chakraborty, a number of activists sustained serious injuries in the police action. She said some workers had been taken to Deoria jail. The spokesman alleged that police had acted at the behest of Samajwadi Party workers who were present at the place.

She said action against the Youth Congress workers by the state machinery was another reflection of the “lawlessness” in Uttar Pradesh. — TNS