New Delhi, October 29
The Delhi High Court issued notice to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) today regarding the bail application of suspended ACP SS Rathi.

Rathi and nine other policemen are undergoing life-term for killing two Haryana-based businessmen, Pradeep Goyal and Jagjit Singh at Connaught Place in the Capital ten years ago.

A division bench of justice R S Sodhi and justice B N Chaturvedi has asked the CBI to submit a reply by November 13 regarding the appeal on the sentence against Rathi in the shooting case.

Rathi’s advocate KTS Tulsi has sought the suspension of the sentence. He said that the trial judge had failed to appreciate the defense submission.

Rathi alleged in his appeal that the trial judge had disregarded the statements of most of the prosecution witnesses and relied only upon the testimony of Tarunpreet Singh.

Seeking quashing of the trial court’s judgement, Rathi’s counsel said that his client was near the Mother Dairy booth, which was far from the place of occurrence.

Ten policemen including Rathi were sentenced to life imprisonment on October 24 for murdering the two businessmen on March 31, 1997. A trial court, on October 16, had held the ten policemen guilty under various sections of the IPC including Section 302 (murder).

New Delhi, October 29
The Supreme Court today sought a reply from the Delhi government and various civic agencies on how they intended to provide infrastructure in the 1,400 unauthorised colonies proposed to be regularised by the centre.

A bench of justices Arijit Pasayat and LS Panta asked the agencies—MCD, DDA, Delhi Jal Board and the Delhi government—to file their response before January 8 next year after which it would examine the enforceability of an ordinance, brought by the union urban development ministry on September 15, granting protection against demolitions in the unauthorised colonies.

Titled as the National Capital Territory of Delhi Laws (special provisions) second ordinance, 2007, the ordinance granted immunity till December 31, 2008 to various unauthorised constructions—including those in 1,400 unauthorised colonies of the Capital not covered by the 2021 MPD.

According to the ordinance, formulated on the lines of the Master Plan for Delhi (MPD) 2021, the immunity would cover all encroachments, unauthorised occupation of government or public land for residential or commercial or any other use including unauthorised development.

The government decided to issue the second ordinance as the earlier one, issued on July 2007, lapsed on September 21.

Though a bill was introduced by the centre in Parliament to replace the previous ordinance, it could not materialise as the House adjourned sine die. — PTI

New Delhi, October 29
The Delhi High Court today extended police protection by two weeks to the daughter and son-in-law of Telugu megastar Chiranjeevi in the Capital in wake of the delay in getting security for them in Hyderabad.

Justice S N Dhingra passed the order, after the couple informed the court that they were planning to go to Hyderabad and the Hyderabad police has assured to provide security to them within a week.

The court had on October 22 directed the police to provide security to the actor’s recently wed daughter Srija, 19, and son-in-law Sirish Bhardwaj, 22, after the couple alleged threat to their lives from the bride’s family. The couple had alleged that they faced threats, since they had married against the wishes of their families.

The couple’s counsel, Pinky Anand, said that the duo has been trying to get in touch with the actor’s family, but has not been able to speak to them, as they are not responding on phone. They also sought direction to the family to receive them at the airport, when they reach Hyderabad.

The bench, however, rejected their plea and asked, why force the family to receive them? You are adults, go wherever you want to go! —PTI

New Delhi, October 29
Hit by an alarming rise in suicides by its personnel, the paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has decided to counsel troopers and their wives together on ways to reduce stress.

“We are introducing a new project, ‘Sanjeevani’, under which the wives of jawans (troopers) will get training along with their husbands. The initiative aims to minimise the rising number of suicide cases among the force personnel,” CRPF director general S.I.S. Ahmed said.

“The wives are included in the training as they also suffer huge mental trauma when their husbands are away on the battle front. Stress levels among them remain very high, which sometimes result in making their husband more anxious,” Ahmed told IANS.

In the CRPF, 37 suicide cases have been reported so far this year, compared to 30 in 2006 and 19 in 2005.

Ahmed said the new training programme would begin in Chhattisgarh, the state badly affected by Maoist violence, as the stress levels among the personnel deployed there were much higher than among those deployed in other states.

The CRPF, which is responsible for maintaining security, has 201 battalions with 260,000 troopers and officials.

The force has deployed 72 battalions, around 40 percent of the force, to quell insurgency and maintain law and order in Jammu and Kashmir, while over 32 battalions are in Maoist-affected states — Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal and Orissa.

“We have 10 battalions in Chhattisgarh. Two jawans from there will be picked up on recommendation and given training along with their wives for eight days. During this intensive programme they will be given counselling and taught stress busting exercises,” Ahmed added.

“The project will be extended if it yields desired results.”

The root cause of suicides and shootouts among the security forces are long duty hours, remaining disconnected from families, and not getting leave — all of which lead to high levels of stress, a senior official said. —IANS

Noida, October 29
A trickster has taken a leading Noida hospital for a ride, defrauding it to the tune of Rs 4 crore as well as depriving it of a hospital plot in Jaipur under the Jaipur Development Authority.

The CMD of Kailash Hospital Dr Mahesh Sharma had handed over a bank draft for Rs 4 crore in the name of Jaipur Development Authority for allotment of a hospital plot in Jaipur, to a close friend, P.S. Chaudhari. Chaudhari, a resident of Sector-26 Noida, was supposed to deposit the draft along with the application form with the JD Authority, Jaipur. Dr Sharma had known P.S. Chaudhari for the last 15 years.

Meanwhile, Chaudhari had introduced a friend of his, R.K. Srivastava of Lucknow to Dr Sharma. Srivastava is learnt to have lured Dr Sharma that he could get him the plot allotted in Jaipur through his contacts. The price of 56629 sq yd plot near Paidapuri Power Tower in Jaipur was stated to be Rs 21 crore.

Instead of Kailash Hospital, R K Srivastava reportedly appended his own application for a hospital plot, using the same bank draft of Rs 4 crore. The said plot, it is learnt, has been allotted to R K Srivastava for which he had used Kailash Hospital’s bank draft.

Dr Sharma has filed a report against two persons who have been accused of defrauding Kailash Hospital to the tune of Rs 4 crore for booking a hospital plot in their own name, using the Kailash Hospital bank draft for Rs 4 crore as the tender fee.

The tenders for hospital plot had been invited through advertisement in a Hindi newspaper on August 8, 2007. Dr Sharma, CMD of Kailash Hospital, has also filed a writ petition in the Rajasthan High Court to this effect.

Srivastava had taken the draft from Dr Sharma on August 23 for submitting the tender for plot in Jaipur. But instead of Kailash Hospital, Srivastava had submitted the tender in his own name. On September 12, Srivastava had the cheek to inform Dr Sharma that the tender of Kailash Hospital for a hospital plot has in principle been approved by Jaipur Development Authority.

After that Srivastava was not to be seen. When efforts to contact him failed, Dr Sharma contacted P.S. Chaudhari who had introduced Srivastava to him. But Chaudhari bluntly said that he had nothing to do with the matter.

Subsequently, Dr Sharma filed a complaint in Sector-20 police station, Noida. The police have started their investigations. Dr Sharma also filed a plea in the Rajasthan High Court.

New Delhi, October 29
Three youths have been arrested for allegedly raping a minor girl in east Delhi, the police said Monday, adding that a fourth accused was untraced yet.

Those arrested, identified as Devender, Deepu and Ashok, and in their 20s, raped the 14-year-old girl Sunday evening when she was returning to her Dallupura home with her uncle from the Kalkaji temple in south Delhi.

The incident took place in New Ashok Nagar, close to their home.

According to the police, the youths, who were reportedly in an inebriated state, first overpowered and roughed up the victim’s uncle and then raped her. They later fled on their motorbikes.

The victim’s uncle informed the police and the girl was admitted to the Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital, where doctors confirmed she was gang-raped.

“After taking the descriptions from the victim’s uncle, we have managed to arrest three of the accused and the search is on to nab Satender, the fourth accused,” a senior police official said.

In another incident, a six-year-old girl was allegedly raped late Sunday by her uncle in south Delhi.

The police said the accused, identified as Bunty, 25, took the victim from her Sangam Vihar house to a desolate nearby place and raped her.

Bunty is married and has two sons.

According to the police, he left the victim, who was unconscious after the crime, in the desolate area.

On Monday, she cried for help after regaining consciousness. A passer-by took her home and informed the police.

“The accused took the girl out of her house, informing her father that he was taking her out to buy a chocolate for her. But he didn’t return and the victim’s family searched for them all night,” said a police official.

“Her medical examination has confirmed that she was raped. We have registered a case and search is on to nab the accused,” the official added. — IANS

New Delhi, October 29
The Delhi government has decided for substantial enhancement of financial benefit to girl child to overcome decline in child sex ratio. It also decided to set up Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights.

The Chief Minister of Delhi, Sheila Dikshit stated that her government was concerned about decline in child sex ratio and had hence decided to hike incentive on birth of girl child apart from increasing stage wise financial benefits to encourage girl education.

She added that an amount of Rs.1 lakh instead of Rs.18,000 would be redeemed on attaining the age of 18 years.

Dikshit described this as a major decision, which would help in stage-wise empowerment of the girl child. The liberalized benefits would come into force from January 1, 2008 whereas benefits relating to education of girl child would be implemented from academic session 2008-09. The deposit of Rs 5,000 in the name of each girl child born in government local body hospitals has been increased to Rs.6000 whereas Rs.4000 would be granted on birth of a girl child other than hospital.

An amount of Rs 5,000 each on admission of girl child in first standard, 6th standard, 9th standard, 10th standard and 12th standard or equivalent would be released and redeemed together to girl child on attaining the age of 18 years.

The Chief Minister said that with implementation of enhanced financial benefits to girl child under “Ladli Scheme” the city government would be able to eliminate gender disparity and reduce infant mortality rate.

She further stated that her government had decided to set up Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights at the earliest on the lines of National Commission.

It would consist of a chairperson and six members. The functions of the commission includes examination and review of the safeguards provided for the protection of the child rights and recommend measures for their effective implementation. It will also inquire into violation of child rights.

New Delhi, October 29
Arti Mehra, Delhi Mayor, Subhash Arya, leader of house and Vijender Gupta, chairman, standing committee, MCD today claimed that a major scam has been detected in the purchase of Ayurvedic medicines in the corporation as well as treatment of patients. They received various complaints that the patients coming for Ayurvedic treatment are not being provided with adequate medicines.

With the aim to take stock of actual facts, the Mayor and a team of Vigilance Department today visited Ballimaran ayurvedic hospital, whereas, Subhash Arya and Vijender Gupta visited ayurvedic hospital at Haiderpur and Dr. V. K. Monga, Chairman, Medical Relief and Public Health Committee visited Shahdara Panchkarma Hospital.

During inspection it was found that a major scam was going on in purchase of medicines. They observed that in the records of the hospitals, the addresses of 85 per cent to 90 per cent patients were from outside Delhi. Sixty-five patients were new cardholders.

The quantities of medicines purchased and entered in the stock were not kept in the stock room but also in the corridors, stairs and toilets.

The Mayor also disclosed that in the ayurvedic dispensary at Town Hall, thousands of employees and pensioners come for treatment, but it was astonishing that medicines amounting to Rs.10 lakhs only were purchased for this dispensary.

The Mayor also disclosed, “it has been practice in the MCD to purchase ayurvedic medicines according to demand of patients and majority of them are patented and classical medicines are minimal.

But during the last year, 90 per cent classical medicines and 10 per cent patent medicines are purchased.

It is strange that majority of budget is being spent on purchasing classical medicines. It is definitely being done to benefit some special companies. It cannot be denied that there is connivance of concerned officers and employees and they are being benefited by corrupt practices.”

New Delhi, October 29
With the winter season closing in, Delhi airport authorities have made arrangements for keeping passengers informed about any flight delays due to foggy conditions, as most domestic airlines are not prepared to fly in low visibility.

“We are extensively working on two strategies - first to provide all information regarding flight delays, departures and arrivals to the passengers via media and through personal calls or SMSs,” Andrew Harrison, chief operating officer of the Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL), said Monday.

“Secondly, we are hiring 60 ground staff officials, who will collect the information from the airlines related to flight timings and will pass it on to the passengers in advance. The new hired staff will be sitting next to the reservation counters inside the airport premises,” Harrison told reporters.

He added that passengers come to the airport unprepared in the absence of information, which in turn increases the problem.

The official said temporary structures were being built inside the airport premises, which could accommodate nearly 400-500 passengers waiting for their flights.

“We are also planning to provide food and beverages to the waiting passengers. But it is still in the nascent stage,” he said.

When asked about those airlines not equipped with the CAT-III instrument that enables planes to land and take off despite visibility as low as 50 metres, Harrison said: “We have called a meeting with all airlines representatives next week and the matter will discussed thoroughly.”

Last winter, foggy conditions led to complete chaos at the capital’s domestic airport for many days.

Many passengers could face a similar situation this year, as many private airlines are not keen to train their pilots on the Instrument Landing System (ILS) that helps flights land and take off even in thick fog. — IANS

New Delhi, October 29
The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has approved at least 70 proposals to name various roads, parks, community halls, and polyclinics. The MCD’s naming and renaming (ad hoc) committee headed by Mayor Arti Mehra has approved the proposals to name at least 37 roads, 15 parks, polyclinics, yoga centres and a few community centres — many of them after little-known local residents, social workers and freedom fighters and political leaders, sources in the MCD said.

There are other roads being named after well-known figures like Lal Bahadur Shastri, Rajesh Pilot, Swami Dayanand Saraswati and Swami Prabhupad.

Interestingly, Vijay Park in Shahadra (N) zone has been named ‘’Ram Rahim Marg’’, to secure communal harmony as either side of the road is inhabited by the Hindu and Muslim communities.

Among others, the committee has also approved a proposal from the principal secretary, govt of NCT of Delhi, to name a road of a-9 Vasant Vihar as Bucharest Marg after the capital of Romania .

The proposal to name suitable road near Romania embassy situated in Vasant Vihar was furnished on the request of Romanian ambassador due to the visit of the Romanian President .

Many of the roads have been named after local residents, and late municipal councillors. A road from Kanhaiya Nagar to Narang Colony in Tri Nagar has been approved to be named after Ch Mange Ram, a resident of Kanhaiya Nagar, who has been described as an energetic, well-behaved and discerning person, highly respected by local residents. Another road in Tri Nagar will be named after the late area councillor, Pt Kedar Nath Sharma.

There are many other roads, chowks, parks and community halls named after religious scholars and communities like one in Brahmpuri named ‘Bhagwan Parshu Ram Marg’.

‘’Proposals can be sent for naming unnamed structures after those of local, national or international repute,’’ MCD Leader of the House Subhash Arya said.

‘’One can have only one structure in a particular ward named after a person, by way of application forwarded by the councillor of that ward. Any proposal with a similar request in the same ward stands rejected,’’ he said, adding that even if the committee passes the proposal, the 
House can reject it if it deems fit.

Some other approved names are Vijay Singh Marg, Rajesh Pilot Marg, Prabhupad Road, Gurudwara Road, Lal Bahadur Shastri Marg, Dayanand Saraswati Marg and K L Bagga Marg. — UNI

New Delhi, October 29
Art Konsult is bringing to town the works of Kartick Chandra Pyne,76, from Bengal. He is showing in the Capital after more than two decades.

The show has also works done in the past 10 years after he recovered from a paralytic stroke. The experience suffered by the artist has only enabled him to delve deeper into the unconscious to express erotic feelings.

The show starting tomorrow would go on till November 25.

The show includes 50 watercolours and oils.

At the time Pyne began to paint, everyone was painting the rational and the beautiful. Pyne began to express the irrational. In his trademark canvases we see an

almost automatic outpouring of all that he is feeling.

He chooses his colours not on the basis of their visual appeal, but the feelings he associates with those.

Pyne, in his paintings, celebrates the nature.

His humans, beasts and birds get associated with seeds, flowers and fruits in an unconventional celebration of sexuality.

His human nudes are not merely entities awaiting satiation. Through careful combination of varyingly morphed images, and their placing within pictorial spaces, Pyne almost creates macabre events.

New Delhi, October 29
Members of the PHD Chamber will discuss with Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit about the development work in the national Capital at a meeting on Delhi Vision 2021 to be held tomorrow.

“It is a part of the ongoing exercise of the chamber to forge a consensus on development agenda for the metropolis in the coming years to make it safe, green and a bristling business hub in league with major cities of the world,” says Sanjay Bhatia, president, PHD Chamber.

The meeting will focus on some of the pressing needs of the city such as housing, real estate, power, transportation, NCR development, piped water supply, sewerage, sanitation and education facilities against the backdrop of increasing influx of people to the city.

The conference will also discuss on arrying out sustainable development activities with private-public participation, with the active public involvement.

“We have to focus on these issues on a war-footing since Delhi’s population is projected to grow to 2.30 crore by 2021, a situation which will terribly choke the existing civic amenities, if not planned properly,” cautions Bhatia.

Streamlining of transportation network is one of the key factors in the planned development of the state. Extending the operation of Metro, connecting Metro stations with hinterland by pressing into service feeder services, introduction of high-capacity buses where Metro network does not reach, curtailment of the use of private vehicles to reduce the crowding up on the roads, creation of cycle paths, strictly enforcing safety codes while driving etc are some of the suggestions put forward by the PHD Chamber.

Mentioning that the concept of National Capital Region should be taken to its logical end, the Chamber says that the concept of Delhi Metropolitan Area (DMA) has been drawn up primarily to reduce the urban and population pressure on the NCR. It is necessary to provide enabling environment for these towns to grow in a planned way and integrate themselves to the NCR.

“A full integration would mean high speed connectivity, building strong physical infrastructure, uniformity of tax, pollution control norms etc,” says Bhatia.

New Delhi, October 29
The Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University recently installed a pilot ‘Rotating Biological Contractor’ (RBC) plant to treat sewage water at the Yamuna Vihar Sewage Treatment Plant. The plant has been installed in collaboration with the University of Karlsruhe, Germany, and Indian Institute of Technology (IIT).

Under the RBC technology, the biological film responsible for removal of pollutants is formed on the surface of discs.  The process allows for a longer and more intense contact time, a continuous sloughing of biomass and high degree of treatment. The performance of RBC technology has been monitored by varsity during the past six months. A workshop on `Demonstration of the capability and flexibility of Rotating Biological Contractor for decentralize wastewater treatment’ was organized recently by the University to discuss the interim results of the pilot project.

The results have revealed that the RBC technology is highly successful in the removal of organic impurities as well as nitrogen, which are very harmful for the quality of river Yamuna. The treated water is good enough for applying in horticulture as well as toilet flushing systems. Further the technology requires about 1/10th of the electricity in comparison to the existing technologies being used for sewage treatment in Delhi.  The space requirement is also 1/8th of the conventional technology.

Moreover, it has several advantages like easy adaptability for small, medium or large size installations and requires minimum operation and maintenance requirements. This technology is particularly useful for adopting in areas that do not have sewage connection such as unauthorized colonies and urban slums, as well as has its applications in hotels, police and army colonies, government rest houses, new colonies/ towns, and so on.

Speaking on the pilot project, Prof K.K. Aggarwal, the VC GGSIPU remarked “We are more aware of the disasters that happen overnight but sleep over those happening gradually. Wastage of water is one such issue and if this trend continues the words of Coleridge would come true `Water, water, everywhere, and not a drop to drink’. The RBC technology, which is cost effective as well as energy efficient, appears to be a viable solution to the problem.” Prof. H.C. Erhard Hoffman from University of Karlsruhe, Germany, Dr. Heinz Wirth, Counsellor, (Science & Technology), Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany, New Delhi, Prof. Mukesh Khare from IIT, Delhi and Dr. Arun Kansal from University School of Environment Management, GGSIPU, were present.

New Delhi, October 29
Haryana Governor A R Kidwai inaugurated ‘Talimi Mela’, the weeklong annual festival of Jamia Millia Islamia university here today.

The university will hold its annual convocation tomorrow at 4.00 pm. Vice-President Hamid Ansari will be the chief guest. HRD minister Arjun Singh will be the guest of honour.

Artist M F Husain, sarod player Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, film-maker Shyam Benegal and writer Qurratulain Hyder (posthumously) will be awarded honorary degrees at the convocation.

A health mela has been opened to offer free eye, teeth and pathology check-ups, as part of the ‘Talimi Mela’. Jamia’s eco-club had organised a green march. A legal service camp has also been set up.

Book mela, memorial lectures, plays, street plays, films, debates, book discussions, elocution, mushaira, puppet shows, painting, cartoon and music competitions will be held during the annual mela.