New Delhi, August 26
A court here has awarded compensation of over Rs 53 lakh to a German tourist who lost her arm 11 years ago in an accident while travelling in a bus from Udaipur to Mount Abu in Rajasthan.

G. Neubauer, 53, had to undergo surgery after the accident, during which her right hand was amputated. This forced her to quit her lucrative job with a private company in Germany.

The injuries suffered by the victim have deprived her of certain pleasures and amenities of life, D K Sharma, presiding officer of a Motor Accident Claims Tribunal said, directing the New India Assurance Company to pay Rs 53.32 lakh as compensation to her in a month.

The tribunal said the woman is right-handed and the amputation has rendered her disabled permanently and she will have to rely on others for her day-to-day works.

Neubauer, in the petition filed through the German Embassy here, had sought compensation of Rs 11.67 crore, saying she would fail to earn money as her working hand has been amputated.

In December 1996, the bus in which Neubauer was travelling collided head-on with a truck near Udaipur. She was rushed to a nearby hospital where surgeons removed her injured right hand.

The tribunal held driver Banwar Singh and conductor Mahender Kumar of the bus liable to pay the compensation and asked the insurer of the bus to pay the amount on their behalf.

New Delhi, August 26
The Democratic Teachers Front (DTF) today alleged that the government of the NCT of Delhi was discouraging lecturers, working in other engineering colleges and polytechnics and duly selected by the Union Public Service Commission from joining Delhi College of Engineering (DCE).

Most of such lecturers, including those who shift to DCE from polytechnics under the Department of Training and Technical Education (DTTE), GNCT Delhi, are denied incentives for higher qualification (M.E. increments) and career advancement promotions.

In many cases, files for counting the past service of such teachers proceed at a snail’s pace while, in some, wrong or unjust decisions are taken. These lecturers are recruited for the DCE through the UPSC and, their service benefits must be protected. They join the DCE with the hope of getting better career opportunities, but face a setback in their career due to the unjust decisions taken and the discriminatory attitude of the authorities in the form of non-implementation of career advancement rules, stated a DTF release.

The DTTE, GNCT is flouting norms set by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE). Besides, the DTTE has the bit of forgetting its promises. In spite of committing to promote teachers twice a year at the DCE, it has not even completed the first cycle of the promotions. Moreover, it is very slow in recruiting teachers, in spite of the fact that the AICTE prescribes only half of the teacher-student ratio. Three departments at the DCE are without teachers for the past 7-8 years while, one does not have teachers since the past 2-3 years.

Meanwhile, the DTTE has not completed the recruitment rules for these departments. 

New Delhi, August 26
A city court has sentenced a suspended inspector to rigorous imprisonment for three years for accepting a bribe, saying public servants should be given maximum sentence to have a deterrent effect.

Special judge Vinod Goel held Bhushan Chauhan (52), a suspended inspector of the then Delhi Electricity Supply Undertaking (DESU) posted at Subhash Nagar here, guilty of receiving a bribe of Rs 15,000 from complainant Sriram Manchanda, and convicted him under Sections 7 and 13 of the Prevention of Corruption Act. The court also fined him Rs 1 lakh.

Corruption is rampant among public officials, which should have no place in a democratic country like India. It is a social evil and to curb the menace of corruption, it is the need of the hour that corrupt public servants should be given maximum sentence to have a deterrent effect not only to him but also to others, the judge said in a recent order.

According to the prosecution, on November 7, 1995, Chauhan was caught red-handed by the anti-corruption branch sleuths while accepting the bribe from Sriram for giving him an electricity connection.

The court also sentenced Chauhan’s close associate, Ved Prakash, to one-and-a-half years of RI and fined him Rs 25,000 for helping him in committing the crime. 

Ghaziabad, August 26
The police have come to the conclusion that the gruesome Nabipur murders in Muradnagar was the work of some known persons.

The victims had been drugged before their heads were severed from the bodies. Some members of Vijaypal’s family were found to be sleeping for 36 hours after the attack.

The two survivors are pregnant Pinky who is fighting for her life in the hospital and her younger sister. The cause of the murders has been land dispute, according to the police.

Vijaypal, 45, his wife Rajesh, 40, son Nishant, alias Bhola, 18 and son-in-law Mangal Singh, 25 were killed by sharp-edged weapons.

The assailants, equipped with swords and hammers, had come to wipe out the entire family, neighbours said.

According to Ghaziabad SSP, Deepak Ratan, some very cunning fellow had planned the murders who knew the family well. He had taken care that the needle of suspicion should point to someone else. Some persons have been taken into custody by police.

Six persons in the family of Vijaypal have already been murdered in the last decade in this land dispute, the police said. Vijaypal’s brother had lodged a report with the police.

His nephew Sunil had also been killed a few years ago for having eloped with a young girl. Four persons were named in this crime. Two out of them, Jasbir and Sheeshpal had recently been released by the High Court on bail.

New Delhi, August 26
The Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructural Development Corporation (DSIIDC) has planned to build low-cost houses in the Capital for weaker sections of society, including industrial workers, slum dwellers and those falling in below poverty line category.

The houses will be build in an area of over of 28 sq m. Each of them will cost Rs 2 lakh, of which the BPL families will have to pay only Rs 1 lakh while, a subsidy of Rs 1 lakh is to be borne by the Delhi Government. However, slum dwellers will have to pay only Rs 50,000 and the rest will be borne as subsidy by the state Government.

A total of Rs 270 crore has been sanctioned by the Centre for the project, under which 50,000 houses will be constructed in Khanjhwala, Bawana, Samaspur and Neb Sarai, managing director of the DSIIDC Manoj Parida said.

Khanjwala, Bawana and Neb Sarai will have 20,000, 7,656 and 700 houses respectively. 6,000 low cost houses are expected to come up in the next six months while, 10,000-15,000 houses will be in place by September next year. The project will be completed before the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

However, there will be no compromise on the quality of the flats, in spite of their low cost. The cost of the flats will be kept to the minimum through technological innovations.

Besides, it will be ensured that the houses built are earthquake-proof.

Parida added that the areas where the houses would be constructed would be provided with parks, schools, dispensary, security grills, boundary wall, milk and vegetable booths, creche, roads and pathways.

The DSIIDC is engaged in construction of low cost houses in Delhi under the Rajiv Gandhi Housing Scheme.

Buoyed by the success of this scheme for workers, DSIIDC is constructing another 4,348 low cost houses for workers.

New Delhi, August 26
In view of the direction of the Supreme Court to resume sealing of unauthorised construction in the National Capital Territory of Delhi, the BJP Delhi Pradesh president, Harsh Vardhan, has in a letter to the central urban development minister, demanded that he submit an affidavit in the court assuring that all the unauthorised colonies would be regularised within a fixed timeframe.

He said that the affidavit should request the apex court in the next hearing on August 27 to stop the sealing drive in view of the ministry’s decision to regularise these colonies.

The BJP Pradesh president said that he has informed urban development minister Jaipal Reddy that if sealing is started in the unauthorised colonies, it will result in massive hardships to the residents.

He said that the Central Government had decided in its cabinet meeting on February 8, 2007 that all the unauthorised colonies of the Capital would be regularised. Six months have passed but the process of regularisation of these colonies has not been completed.

The central urban development ministry and the Delhi Government’s negligence and redtape are responsible for it. Had the Delhi Government taken action in time and the central urban development ministry properly argued before the court, this situation would never have arisen.

Vardhan has written to Reddy that the central urban development ministry has allowed the people of Delhi to construct one additional storey. This case is also pending in the court. Due to this the people living on the fourth floors are fearstricken.

He has asked Reddy to assure the court through an affidavit in this case as well that the required process will be completed within a fixed timeframe.

Vardhan has also written for pressurising the Delhi Government to file an affidavit in the court in this regard so that the Delhi Government may be committed to providing the basic amenities to the citizens, including construction of fourth storey.

New Delhi, August 26
A special cell has apprehended one alleged dreaded criminal, Omkar, involved in cases of dacoity, murder, abduction, and rioting.

An information was received yesterday that Omkar had been hiding in a jhuggi cluster near Income Tax Office.

A raid was conducted and, it was found that he had left for the bus terminal, as he intended to go to Uttar Pradesh. The accused was apprehended in Anand Vihar.

According to police, Omkar has confirmed his involvement in most of the cases.

He is being further interrogated.

New Delhi, August 26
The Delhi Police is planning a special training programme for its 65,000-odd personnel in order to prepare them for the 2010 Commonwealth Games to be held in the national Capital.

The programme will include lessons in etiquette, spoken English, sign language and tips on how to deal with foreign tourists and athletes.

A batch of 200 personnel is being provided the special three-month- training, which started during the previous month.

Policemen will be trained to deal with foreigners and provide assistance to them, when required.

The traffic police that has the onerous task of keeping the massive traffic moving in the Capital will also undergo a major makeover.

Recently, the police commissioner, in an interaction with reporters indicated that the Delhi police has asked the Centre to sanction more personnel in view of the upcoming Games. 

New Delhi, August 26
Delhi University has set up an expert group to look into the high failure rate of second year students of the new Bachelor of Science course, campus officials and students said today.

Most students with good academic records have either failed or, have secured very low marks. Students petitioned DU vice-chancellor Deepak Pental on Thursday.

“This is not the case with just one college, but with colleges across Delhi University,” the petition stated.

Students, who had protested on Friday, demanded the re-evaluation of the examination process and modification of results.

New Delhi, August 26
Congress leader and MP from Outer Delhi Sajjan Kumar today laid the foundation stone of the proposed Rs 66 lakh double-storeyed building to house Harijan Chaupal in Sultanpuri.

The construction of the Chaupal was made possible due to the efforts of area MLA and secretary of the All India Congress Committee Jai Kishan. Area members of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, Prithvi Singh Rathor and Nafisa Khatoon, former councilors Tarsem Bansal and Shabnam Riaz were also present. 

New Delhi, August 26
Bollywood star Abhishek Bachchan, the brand ambassador of Motorola phones, said at the launch of its new Moto Razr 2 that he did not believe in endorsing a product unless he used it personally.

“I don’t endorse a product if I don’t use it personally. My father gifted me a Motorola in 1994 and since then I have been using it. I think as an ambassador if you are lending your name to a product you must believe in the product and use it,” Abhishek, brand ambassador of Motorola, said at the launch function here Thursday evening.

On the role of a cell phone in one’s life, Abhishek said: “In today’s time this is much more than just a phone. I can listen to my favourite music on this phone, have my weekly planner on this, use it as an alarm clock... it literally can run your life for you.”

He also compared his career graph with Motorola’s. He said: “Motorola entered the Indian market with huge bang and a lot of hype and so did I. But things didn’t work out after that.

“But they came back with a fighting spirit, which I really admire. I enjoyed that spirit and am trying to imbibe it.”

The Razr 2 design is sleek and thin. Apart from music, the other distinctive features of the Rs.20,000 phone are speed, better voice quality, 512MB or 2GB of memory and HTML browser.

“With Razr 2, Motorola has managed to uphold their desire to improve. I wonder how something so small and so slick can do what this phone does. They have managed to put the entire world in this 22mm thing,,” Abhishek said.

“This device takes the world’s best-selling feature phone to the next level. Combining groundbreaking new features and an even slimmer exterior than the original icon, the RAZR2 is capable of giving Indian consumers the ultimate mobile experience,” said Raymond J. Roman, Motorola’s senior vice president, (worldwide sales).

— IANS

New Delhi, August 26
Fashion designer J.J. Valaya, known for his rich, embellished couture lines, has now joined hands with wedding planner fernsnpetals (FNP) to design services for signature luxury wedding concepts.

He has launched a special design cell called Valaya Luxury Weddings that will create luxury concepts and details for special spaces, which shall then be executed by FNP.

“Luxury is a relative term, but for me something unique and very special means luxury. And, the entire experience of doing up a luxury space is completely different,” J.J. Valaya told IANS after officially announcing the joint venture late Friday at his grand farmhouse in Gurgaon.

“In India’s burgeoning wedding industry, there has been a constant demand for unique signature concepts that addresses all aspects of the ceremonies from décor to detail. This unique concept promises exclusivity, grandeur and elegance at its luxurious best,” said Ritu Chopra, spokesperson of FNP Events and Wedding Pvt Ltd.

Decorated with floral balls and chandeliers, the luxury space created exclusively for the event at Valaya’s farmhouse saw the likes of Rathi Vinay Jha, head of the Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI), designers Ritu Kumar, Manish Arora, model-turned-actor Jas Arora, VJ Ishita Arun and producer Bobby Bedi.

“Couture is very niche and grand, so the showcase must be in a grand manner as well,” said Valaya.

Valaya also unveiled his fall winter 2007-08 collection called “The Taj Blueprints” - a continuation of what he showcased at the last edition of the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week (WIFW).

With Mughal architectural imprints as the backdrop of the stage, 40 top models sashayed down the ramp to showcase 70 signature pieces.

The collection revolves around a fictional world of US architect Frank Lloyd Wright, who derived inspiration from India’s Taj Mahal in his works.

The women’s range included kurtas of varied lengths teamed with churidars and dupattas. — IANS

New Delhi, August 26
The Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) is hosting a cultural extravaganza, "Tiranga", an evening of music and poetry dedicated to the National Flag, to celebrate 60 years of Indian Independence.

According to ICCR, the Indian National Flag, the Tiranga or the Tricolour, contains within itself the essence of what a free India stands for--its unity, its diversity, its colours, its joy and its future. Today, it spreads the message of friendship and brotherhood across the world.

"Tiranga" will be held at the Siri Fort Auditorium, Khel Gaon Marg on August 31. It has been conceptualised by Durga Jasraj, a noted artiste.

The programme features some of India's world renowned artistes and poets like Javed Akhtar, Pandit Jasraj, Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, Vidwan U Shrinivas, Pandit Bhawani Shankar, Pandit Vijay Ghate and S V Ramani.

Gurgaon, August 26
An accountant of a former MLA was allegedly murdered when he went to meet the legislator’s brother at the MLA flats here, police said today. Ram Kishan had gone to meet Umed Singh, brother of former MLA from Badhra constituency in Bhiwani, Ranvir Singh Mandola, last night when he was allegedly thrown from the fourth floor of the Jan Pratinidhi apartments (or MLA flats) in Sector-28 here, they said. Kishan died immediately after hitting the floor, they said. A dispute regarding some financial transactions between Kishan and Umed is suspected to be the cause behind the incident, they said, adding no arrest has been made so far. Victim’s brother Suraj Bhan, who lives in Rewari district, has lodged an FIR against Umed Singh and his two friends in connection with the incident, they said. — PTI

New Delhi, August 26
The Delhi High Court has imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 on the man, who had allegedly fabricated the story of his kidnapping to ward off creditors.

Dismissing the petition filed by Arun Rai, a resident of Badarpur, seeking direction for registering an FIR against his alleged kidnappers, justice S.N. Dhingra said that exemplary punishment had been imposed.

The court said that the punishment had been slapped for misusing the authority of the court and police.

Justice Dhingra issued the order on Friday, after the police submitted a report, as per his direction to verify the allegations.

Police stated that in January 2005, Rai had plotted the kidnapping episode to implicate his creditors.