The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Delhi and neighbourhood

Man acquitted of rape charges
New Delhi, July 15
A court here has acquitted a man accused of raping his colleague three years ago due to lack of evidence and after taking into account the fact that the woman was aware of the consequences of her relationship with the accused and was a consenting party.

One held for murdering lover
New Delhi, July 15
With the arrest of three persons - Yash Rajput, Praveen Saini, Rajneesh Dahiya, the South District police today claimed to have solved a kidnapping-cum-murder case of Badarpur.

Meeting on police conduct today
New Delhi, July 15
Who would want to offer himself to death? Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit quizzed reporters when pressed to explain her remark "that given a choice, she would prefer to walk than board a Blueline bus".

Artscape
Children play Romeo and Juliet
New Delhi, July 15
Hilley-ley is a theatre festival organized by The Kutumb Foundation-an NGO that provides a platform for young people from the non-privileged sections of society to engage in conversations and express themselves through creative forms.

A Long Road Home: www.wonderwall.co.in presents an exhibition of photographs by Dr J. Aryabhat Gopaldas and Dr Ashlesha Bagadia at the Academy of Fine Arts and Literature here up to July 17. The show has photographs shot both in London and India

MCD told to reinstate staff
New Delhi, July 15
The Delhi High Court has directed the Municipal Corporation of Delhi to reinstate over 100 para-medical staff dismissed from its hospitals and dispensaries for allegedly securing appointments on fake documents.

Showers continue to cool
New Delhi, July 15
The Capital's tryst with wet but pleasant weather continued for the second day today with heavy showers bringing down the temperature by several degrees and reducing humidity to a comfortable level.

Children enjoy a heavy downpour in the Capital on Sunday. — A Tribune photograph

Social welfare dept officer dismissed
New Delhi, July 15
The Delhi government has dismissed a gazetted official of its social welfare department on charges of sexual harassment at workplace. Official sources said Delhi chief secretary R Narayanswami issued the order sacking Narain Singh, a superintendent in the social welfare department.

Charas seized
New Delhi, July 15
With the arrest of Gulsher, the East district police on Saturday claimed to have recovered charas in huge quantity. While patrolling at about 3.55 pm yesterday at Kanti Nagar Extention, the police saw a person coming from Shyam Lal college side, carrying a blue-coloured bag.

	Blueline hurts 3 at Narela Our Correspondent New Delhi, July 15 In yet another accident involving Bluelines, three motorcycle riders were seriously injured after a Blueline bus hit their vehicle at Narela in North-West Delhi late last night. The bus on route number 133, which was going towards Narela, hit the motorcycle from the back. The injured were immediately admitted to local Sanjay Gandhi Hospital, Mangolpuri, where their condition is said to be critical, police said. The driver and the conductor fled from the spot after the accident. Preliminary investigations revealed that a helper of the bus was driving the bus at the time of the accident, said a police officer.
	Lid off child’s kidnap, murder Our Correspondent New Delhi, July 15 With the arrest of Chandan Kumar Chaudhary (19) and his brother Radhey Shyam Chaudhary (21), the North district police today claimed to have worked out a sensational kidnapping-cum- murder case of a four-year-old boy Rishab Raj from Muzaffarpur district in Bihar. Two knives have been recovered from their possession. Following a tip-off that the killers of the boy would be coming near Ghantaghar area, a trap was laid around the area. On suspicion, they were apprehended. They allegedly confessed their crime during interrogation. They said that they along with their three brothers Krishna Kumar Chaudhary, Ghanshyam Kumar Chaudhary and Vinod Kumar Chaudhary and one another relative Viswnath Chaudhary had kidnapped the boy from Bochaha village in Muzafarpur district and murdered him by hacking his neck with a sharp weapon. During sustained interrogation, they also disclosed that they had enmity with Dalip Chaudhary, father of the boy. One brother of the accused Krishna Kumar Chaudhary had forcibly married a relative of Dalip Chaudhary resulting in strained relation in both the families, said a police officer.
	Man acquitted of rape charges Tribune News Service New Delhi, July 15 A court here has acquitted a man accused of raping his colleague three years ago due to lack of evidence and after taking into account the fact that the woman was aware of the consequences of her relationship with the accused and was a consenting party. Additional Sessions Judge Rajneesh Kumar Gupta acquitted Ashok Kumar, a resident of Karol Bagh in Central Delhi, of charges under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including rape. "The prosecution has miserably failed to provide sufficient material on record to prove that the accused was the person who had raped the victim. So I am left with no option except to acquit the accused, Ashok Kumar, of all the charges levelled against him by the prosecution," the judge said in a recent order.
	One held for murdering lover Tribune News Service New Delhi, July 15 With the arrest of three persons - Yash Rajput, Praveen Saini, Rajneesh Dahiya, the South District police today claimed to have solved a kidnapping-cum-murder case of Badarpur. According to the police, Yash Rajput allegedly hatched the conspiracy to kill Deepak Gupta, who had an affair with his sister, Bhawna Rajput. Deepak was strangled by Yash and his two friends Praveen and Rajneesh. On July 2, Shyam Lal, in his complaint to the police, reported that all his family members went to their native place at Motihari, Bihar leaving behind his brother Deepak Gupta, who was working in a company at Noida. The family tried to contact Deepak on phone from the village but he was not responding on phone since June 26. The neighbours informed that Deepak Gupta was not seen at home since the night of June 26. The complainant suspected that Deepak might have been kidnapped by the family members of Bhawna Rajput, who was in love with his brother Deepak Gupta. Bhawna Rajput's brother, Yash Rajput, was not happy with the relationship.
	Meeting on police conduct today New Delhi, July 15 Who would want to offer himself to death? Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit quizzed reporters when pressed to explain her remark "that given a choice, she would prefer to walk than board a Blueline bus". She added that her intention was to highlight the dangerous and careless manner in which the buses were driven. On the bus operators' complaint that the police didn't ensure traffic rules on the road, Dikshit said a meeting would be held on Monday with the Delhi police to discuss the matter. The government has also instructed the transport department to coordinate with the Delhi traffic police to earmark bus lanes and zebra crossings for pedestrians. Following the government Blueline stand-off last week the DTC revenue recorded a 20-30 per cent jump. The corporation collected Rs 1.33 crore on Monday, followed by Rs 1.51 crore and Rs 1.41 crore in the next two days, a senior DTC official said. Normally, the daily collection of the DTC is Rs 1.1 crore. The corporation has decided to purchase 2,300 CNG and diesel-run buses to augment its fleet. The new buses are expected to hit the roads by September. Out of the 2,300 low-floor buses to be purchased, 2,000 will be CNG-powered while the rest will be diesel ones. The new fleet will also include 85 air-conditioned buses. The corporation is planning to introduce automatic ticketing machines in all the new buses, to be purchased from private companies on a built-operate-transfer basis. Besides, the companies will be allowed to advertise on tickets. The corporation is also planning to instal global positioning system in all its buses, including the existing ones, to help monitor the movement of these vehicles. The corporation has decided to purchase 2,300 CNG and diesel-run buses to augment its fleet. The new buses are expected to hit the roads by September. Out of the 2,300 low-floor buses to be purchased, 2,000 will be CNG-powered while the rest will be diesel ones. The new fleet will also include 85 air-conditioned buses. The corporation is planning to introduce automatic ticketing machines in all the new buses, to be purchased from private companies on a built-operate-transfer basis. Besides, the companies will be allowed to advertise on tickets. The corporation is also planning to instal global positioning system in all its buses, including the existing ones, to help monitor the movement of these vehicles. The corporation has decided to purchase 2,300 CNG and diesel-run buses to augment its fleet. The new buses are expected to hit the roads by September. Out of the 2,300 low-floor buses to be purchased, 2,000 will be CNG-powered while the rest will be diesel ones. The new fleet will also include 85 air-conditioned buses. The corporation is planning to introduce automatic ticketing machines in all the new buses, to be purchased from private companies on a built-operate-transfer basis. Besides, the companies will be allowed to advertise on tickets. The corporation is also planning to instal global positioning system in all its buses, including the existing ones, to help monitor the movement of these vehicles. — PTI
	Artscape Children play Romeo and Juliet Ravi Bhatia Tribune News Service New Delhi, July 15 Hilley-ley is a theatre festival organized by The Kutumb Foundation-an NGO that provides a platform for young people from the non-privileged sections of society to engage in conversations and express themselves through creative forms. This theatre festival showcases the children's adaptation of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, called Masti mein Romeo Juliet. This brilliant tragedy is not only the story of two star-crossed lovers. It is also about seeking peace in troubled times, about trying to understand what keeps people apart, and what it can take to bring them back together. This is the children's own take on the classic, created at the end of two months of grueling workshops on different aspects of theatre--scripting, space and body movement, lights, costume and make-up, music, street theatre, and puppetry--conducted by experts in the field. The first performance of the Kutumb was at the Stein Auditorium, India Habitat Centre here on July 12 followed by another on July 15 at Chinmaya Mission Auditorium and the final one will be on August 3 at the Shri Ram Centre Auditorium, Mandi House. The theatre learning process does not get over with Hilley-ley. Certain key learners identified during the workshops will visit other underprivileged children of the city to impart their acquired skills. According to the NGO, this will create another space for experimentation and development of creativity, resulting in a festival of six 30-minute productions wholly created by children in late September/early October. Apart from honing their skills in the theatrical arts, experiences such as these will help young people develop tolerance and understanding, and ways to adjust and cooperate with each other in everyday life. Summer music fest A large number of people were witnesses to the annual summer music fest organised by the Aria Music School at the Shri Ram Centre Auditorium here on Saturday. The Aria Music School, a brainchild of Hitesh Madan, Ashwani Verma and Payal Sharma Madan, was started in May 2005 to provide professional coaching in all performing arts under one roof. The highlight of the fest was the musical "MNJINI", based on a story written by the late Rita Dutta Gupta and directed by Payal Sharma Madan. The music was by Hitesh Madan. Paintings by Rakhi Rakhi, a well-known artist, is holding an exhibition of her paintings at the Triveni Gallery, Triveni Kala Sangam here from July 12 to July 22. The exhibition was inaugurated by Padmashree Ram V. Sutar, president of the All India Fine Arts and Crafts Society (AIFACS). Divinity and faith The Academy For Photographic Excellence is presenting "A Matter of Divinity and Faith", an exhibition of photographs by photographer Suresh Gupta from July 16 to July 22 at the Apex Gallery of the Academy in Basant Lok Community Centre. Curated by Subi Chaturvedi, the exhibition will be inaugurated by Sudhir Tailang, the well-known cartoonist. Urdu ghazals and Sufi music The Punjabi Academy and the Urdu Academy here jointly organised a musical concert at the India Habitat Centre here on Sunday in which it presented a bouquet of Urdu ghazals and Punjabi Sufi and folk music by some of the eminent artistes, including Padmashree Mrs Shanti Hiranand and Padmashree Mrs Pushpa Hans. Such was the aura of the music that the audience was left asking for more. For many it was a memorable evening where they were able to hear the best of Punjabi Sufi songs and Urdu ghazals rendered perfectly.
	MCD told to reinstate staff Tribune News Service New Delhi, July 15 The Delhi High Court has directed the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to reinstate over 100 para-medical staff dismissed from its hospitals and dispensaries for allegedly securing appointments on fake documents. Though the workers have been directed to be reinstated with back wages, Justice Hima Kohli asked the health department to conduct an inquiry into the allegation, and submit its report within six months. The employees from various MCD-run hospitals had moved the court seeking quashing of the MCD commissioner's May 1, 2006 order terminating their employment alleging that they were dismissed without any notice.
	Showers continue to cool Tribune News Service New Delhi, July 15 The Capital's tryst with wet but pleasant weather continued for the second day today with heavy showers bringing down the temperature by several degrees and reducing humidity to a comfortable level. The minimum was recorded at 25.5 degree Celsius, two degrees below normal. More rains are expected in the next few days. "The current meteorological analysis suggests fairly widespread rainfall activity over northwest India during the next one-two days," the Met office said. The met office has forecast a partly cloudy sky in the city during the next 24 hours with a few spells of rain or thundershowers.