New Delhi, May 13
A fire broke out in a saree emporium in the Jogiwada area of Chandni Chowk around 3:30 a.m. today, leading to damages in over eight shops close to it.

Electric short circuit is suspected to be the cause of the fire. Seventeen fire tenders were rushed to douse the flames. According to fire brigade officials, the situation was brought under control by 7:10 a.m.

Fire broke out at the ground floor of Swagat Saree Bhandar, which soon spread to the first and second floor of the building. It gradually engulfed some buildings near it. Goods worth crores have been destroyed. Owner of Swagat Saree Bhandar Anil Gupta claimed that he alone had suffered loses worth Rs 50 lakh.

Local councillor Suman Gupta alleged that the BSES officials arrived much later after fire was reported. Since power supply was cut late, fire engulfed the adjoining buildings and led to more loss. “Although the fire brigade officials and police reached the spot within minutes, the dousing operation could not start till power supply was cut. The BSES helpline number was out of order,” he said. Power was cut only after local ACP Rajeev Sharma reached and ordered electricians to cut off power supply to the shops. 

Greater Noida, May 13
Four persons, including a child and three women, were drowned as the driver of a tractor trolley, being driven on Gashpur-Samana Road at high speed, lost control over the vehicle which plunged into the canal on Monday. Another 21 persons, including women and children on the tractor trolley were seriously injured.

The injured were rushed to hospitals in Ghaziabad, Jarcha and Dadri.

All the people belonging to village Ranvir Garhi were returning from a Bhagwati Devi Jagran in a Bulandshahr village.

According to Jarcha police, the tractor trolley with 35 people was returning from Hatmabad village in Bulandshahr to their village Ranvir Garhi via Gesh-Samana Road. The tractor trolley was being driven on canal road.

As the driver abruptly turned the tractor to avoid a pit on road, he lost control over the vehicle and the tractor trolley plunged into the canal water.

One child and three others died on the spot.

Those killed included Gaurav, 9, son of Mahender, Murty, 40, daughter of Rajender, Roopwati, 43, widow of Hukam Singh and Chanda, 55, wife of Samey Singh, while other 31 people, all residents of Ranvir Garhi village under Jarcha police station, were seriously injured.

A large number of villagers rushed to the accident site who helped the police in rescuing the injured from drowning by pulling out the tractor trolley from the canal. Rescue operations continued till afternoon. The police sent the bodies for postmortem.

District magistrate Shravan Kumar and SSP A. Satish Ganesh consoled the relatives of the dead.

They instructed tehsildar and police circle officer to provide maximum relief to the injured and relatives of the dead.

The next of the kin of the dead was handed over a cheque for Rs 20,000 each.

New Delhi, May 13
A smile lit up Sunita Verma’s face as she got her two-year-old boy back after nearly a year thanks to the Delhi High Court which on Tuesday ruled in her favour despite the fact that she is HIV-positive.

Justice Gita Mittal also appointed an activist who will look after the child on a regular basis. She also ordered that the child undergo a medical test Thursday at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).

Sunita approached the court as her in-laws refused to give her the child after her husband Satish died of AIDS.

The judge had last week ordered Sunita’s in-laws to bring the child in the court so that he could be handed over to the mother.

“There is no law which can deprive a mother of her child because of AIDS,” Justice Mittal said when counsel for the in-laws contended that the boy’s custody must not be given to the AIDS patient mother.

“You are only grandparents while she is the mother. She is already suffering. Why do you want to make her suffer more by depriving her of the custody of her child?” the judge said.

The court rejected arguments of Sunita’s father-in-law Ram Gopal Verma, his wife Phoolwati and other family members and directed them to bring the child before it.

The in-laws then pointed out that their daughter-in-law was of “bad character” as she was suffering from the disease prior to her marriage and it would have bad influence on the child.

The court, however, took strong exception to the argument and said the disease was not inflicted only through physical relations but could also be transmitted due to blood transfusion.

“It is unfortunate that after losing her husband she has been deprived of her child. She cannot be deprived of the custody of her child just like a convicted father cannot be deprived of the custody of his child,” the court said.

Earlier, Sunita was allegedly thrown out of her in-laws’ home barely 13 days after her husband died due to AIDS last year.

The woman, now living with her old and ailing parents at Sagarpur in southwest Delhi, alleged that her son, who is not infected with HIV, was forcibly taken away by her in-laws the very day the last rites of her husband were performed. — IANS

New Delhi, May 13
A programme was organised at the Teen Murti Bhawan here today to mark the conclusion of the yearlong celebrations of 150 years of India’s First War of Independence.

HRD minister Arjun Singh was the chief guest. While minister of state of youth affairs and sports M.S Gill presided over the events. Over 450 people, who have been associated with the celebrations, were also invited.

The event included a photo and press-clipping exhibition on the 1857 struggle, a documentary screening and a book release on ‘150 years of the First War of Independence’. Students from various schools of the Capital presented cultural programmes.

Arjun Singh announced that the government has decided to build a memorial for the heroes of the 1857 uprising in the Capital.

Farukh Sheikh, Durga Jasraj, Shabnam Hashmi, Gauhar Raza and Bipin Chandra also attended the function.

The celebrations started on May 7, 2007 with a national youth rally from Meerut to Delhi. More than 35,000 youths from all districts of India participated in the rally. The rally reached the Red Fort on May 11, 2007, where the President, Vice-President, Prime Minister, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee, addressed the participants. The march symbolised the march of sepoys, who revolted against the British rule in May 1857.

New Delhi, May 13
Authorities of University of Delhi, considered to be one of the best centres of higher learning and research, are violating norms with regard to the admission to Ph.D.,” alleges Prem Singh, reader, former member of the academic council at DU.

He cites cases at the Department of Hindi where evidently “a large number of admissions to the Ph.D. course have been made in violation of the university norms. The most unfortunate aspect of this illegal practice is that the norms are violated to provide financial benefit in the form of UGC scholarships to ineligible candidates at the cost of the eligible ones”.

Prem Singh addressed a press conference on these violations in admissions at DU saying that, “the Department of Hindi invited applications from eligible candidates through a department notice for the admissions to Ph.D. on March 9, 2007. The last date for receiving applications was March 19, 2007. As per the University Bulletin of Information, only those candidates who have an M. Phil. degree are eligible to apply for admission to Ph. D. However, several applications were received by the Hindi department through the backdoor from ineligible candidates, without an M. Phil. degree, in blatant violation of the Ordinance-VI-B of Delhi University. It was evident from the fact that the head of the department of Hindi kept on postponing the interviews, scheduled for the admissions to the Ph.D, again in violation of the university calendar.”

Further, “the results of the M. Phil. degree were declared around July 20, 2007, and soon thereafter, the head fixed the interviews for selection of candidates for Ph.D. on July 30 and 31, 2007. Due to the acceptance of applications made by a large number of ineligible candidates, there were more than 80 candidates for interview. Therefore, interviews could not be completed in two days and were held on August 6, 2007 too. Shockingly, candidates whose M. Phil. degree results had not been declared even by August 6, 2007 were interviewed,” says Prem Singh.

He informs that, “out of a total number of 31 selected candidates, about 15 were those applicants who were not eligible on the last date of applications, i.e. March 19, 2008. Hence, it is evident that the head of the Hindi department, for extraneous considerations, has selected about 15 candidates at the cost of available eligible and meritorious candidates”.

New Delhi, May 13
Delhi College of Engineering Teachers’ Association (DCETA) appreciated Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit for asking Delhi College of Engineering (DCE) administration to advertise for posts of teachers who would retire in a year.

“This is the most appropriate move to solve problems associated with the administration,” said MPS Mahandroo, president, DCETA. “Most problems faced by DCE are due to insensitive administration. In fact, the DCETA had asked for the complete overhaul of authorities to remove vested interests. But nothing seems to be happening.”

The association has called on Dikshit to prevail upon the officials to ensure that they discharge their responsibilities. In a press statement issued by DCETA, the teachers have asked the authorities to follow a practical approach in recruitment and retention of faculty.

“On the contrary, obstacles are created to demotivate the existing faculty,” said Mahandroo. “The advertised recruitment age for faculty is completely out of tune with the AICTE and UGC norms. To retain its committed faculty members recruited through the UPSC, Career Advancement Scheme (CAS) norms should be realistic as being practiced in a number of other states.”

New Delhi, May 13
Delhi Chief Minister Shiela Dikshit today laid the foundation stone of a three level grade separator comprising a flyover, an underpass, a surface rotary and footover bridges at Ghazipur Crossing in East Delhi. The construction of a three level grade separator at Ghazipur Crossing is believed to facilitate smooth flow of traffic on NH – 24 which as of now is marred by long traffic jams. The grade separator would be constructed with an estimated cost of Rs 246 crore before the commencement of Commonwealth Games 2010.

Delhi urban development and PWD minister Rajkumar Chauhan presided over the function whereas parliamentary secretary to CM Naseeb Singh and MLAs Amrish Gautam and Meera Bhardwaj were present as guests of honour.

Speaking on the occasion, Dikshit stated that her government has been concentrating on infrastructural development of the Capital and lakhs of people will benefit by the grade separator at Ghazipur Crossing.

The junction at Road No. 56 & NH – 24 would become signal-free and also ease the traffic and reduce the waiting time.

Dikshit further stated that the process of bringing improvement in Trans-Yamuna localities would be accelerated to transform it on the lines of developed colonies of South Delhi and New Delhi.

“The coming up of Commonwealth Games Village in Trans-Yamuna Area and commissioning of three new Metro routes would make it an attractive place to settle down in this area which would have all world-class amenities,” said Dikshit.

New Delhi, May 13
Urdutehzeeb.com, the world largest Urdu portal devoted to India’s secular heritage, is organising a seminar on Preservation of India’s Composite Culture at the India International Centre here on May 17.

Eminent intellectuals from all walks of life are scheduled to participate in the seminar.

According to the organisers, India has been a composite cultural entity for centuries. Indians have had a common culture, history and aspirations. Unity in diversity has been our hallmark. We have had long centuries of secular and tolerant coexistence among different communities. This has been a land of many languages, cultures and religions. Buddhism originated in India to spread throughout the eastern hemisphere from China to Japan and from Sri Lanka to Vietnam. Jainism, Sikhism and many other sub-sects grew and flourished in India alongside the mainstream Hinduism and Islam.

People embraced different faiths, spoke different languages, eat a diverse variety of foods, wore dresses that had an unthinkable variety, yet there has been so much in common in this diversity which makes India an integrated cultural entity, a spokesman said.

In fact, a multi-religious and multi-cultural society like India could not have existed without this compositeness which survived over two thousand years before the British came to India. All this would not have been possible had the puritans had their way.

People of diverse religious beliefs and cultural traditions co-existed together because they shared and respected each other’s values and faith, said the spokesman.

“The Ulama, the Brahmins and other fanatics did try to impose their regime of religio-cultural purity on the people. But today we can hardly recall the names of such Ulema and temple priests who collectively, with their rigid postures and demands, brought torment and misery to their followers. We remember instead the names of Khwaja Muinuddin Chisti, Khwaja Nizamuddin Auliya, Meera Bai, Kabir, Guru Nanak, Krishna Chaitanya, Sant Dyananeshwar, Namdeo and Tukaram. These were the Bhakt and the Sufi saints who rejected barriers between religious groups and exalted the God who saw no barriers of religion, region or caste,” according to the spokesman.

Noida, May 13
Paschim Anchal Vidyut Nigam (Power Distribution Corporation) has served notices on 44 industrial units for consuming one and a half times more power than the load sanctioned to them.

All these industrial units are operating in Sectors-5, 8, 11, 57, 58, 59, 60, 63 and 64.

Recently some transformers were burnt due to excessive load in these sectors which has caused considerable loss to power corporation. According to authoritative sources, the power consumption has increased by 35 per cent in industrial sectors as compared to winter months. The consumers were drawing extra power from their previously sanctioned loads putting the power corporation to great loss. In such cases, units can be slapped with double penalty also, officials said.

According to UP Power Corporation sources, the corporation installs transformers on its own near the consumption area in cases where power up to 25 to 56 KV is required. That is why when a transformer is burnt, it is a direct loss for the corporation. Besides, the consumers of the area also have to suffer due to resultant power cuts.

Ghaziabad, May 13
Within 48 hours of a UP Roadway bus having trampled on seven labourers sleeping in Noida’s Sector-34 bus stand, a truck loaded with ‘sarya’ crushed two persons, Amit, 22, and Arjun, 14, on NH-24 late on Monday night. Both Amit and Arjun died on the spot.

Enraged people created a lot of commotion and jammed the National Highway No. 24.

Police had to resort to lathi-charge to get the jam lifted. But some protestors threw stones at the police. Even at 12 am, kilometer-long queues of vehicles could be seen on both sides of the highway. The road from Noida Mode to Lal Quan was jammed.

Amit and Arjun were returning to Kote village on cycle from a birthday party at 11 pm. As the duo came on the highway near Vijay Nagar bypass, a truck loaded with iron rods and hurtling down at high speed crushed the cyclists under its wheels. A large crowd of villagers collected on the spot.

The truck driver fled from the spot in which, some people in the crowd alleged, police had helped him to flee. This infuriated the crowd further who jammed the highway. As Vijay Nagar police tried to get the jam lifted, people started pelting stones on the cops who had to lathi-charge the crowd. About seven vehicles including the SSP’s car were extensively damaged by the crowd.

New Delhi, May 13
Believe it or not. Nearly 68 per cent women and men prefer to have male bosses in emerging corporate culture as this lot holds “males are faster in taking decisions, quicker in disposing of their assigned jobs and much more focused and straight towards their work and at the same time passionate in awarding their subordinates with functional autonomy to completely let them enjoy their work”.

This astounding discovery, which could raise the hackles of feminist groups, was made during a random survey conducted by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) on “Preference of Bosses in Emerging Corporate Culture”. In all 2,500 executives poured their responses on their preferences about their bosses.

Releasing the findings, the ASSOCHAM spokesman said that the survey found out that 1,450 female and male executives would be too happy to have male bosses because of reasons identified above.

This 68 per cent of the respondents who voted for having male bosses, however, expressed their aversion towards female bosses with argument that women approach work with more emotions than men and secondly their concentration towards work is not complete because of motherhood factor that more often than not keeps them divided. “As a result, neither the assigned works are accomplished nor job satisfaction is derived by females subordinates,” adds the survey.

For remaining 32 per cent of the respondents that participated in the random survey, reporting to male or female bosses didn’t matter much as they said the better the bosses, the longer the stability factor. A majority of them said that working with harsher bosses—be they male or female, they would opt for an early exit as today’s corporate culture provides for immense opportunities even for subordinates.

Of male respondents, 41 per cent said men are more likely to be good leaders, and 33 per cent of women agreed. And three out of four women who expressed a preference said they would rather work for a man than a woman. Interestingly, a good percentage of both male and female employees view their woman bosses as less decisive, more emotional and less authoritative in general.

Men and women differ significantly in their preference for a boss, but the preference for a male boss among those who have a preference is observed in both genders. Women are more likely than men to state a specific preference for the gender of their boss, while men are more likely to say the gender of their boss does not matter to them.

New Delhi, May 13
With the arrest of two persons, the Delhi Police has solved cases of murder and robbery.

Two button-actuated knives have been recovered.

Rakesh alias Karmu and Om Prakash were arrested yesterday.

It was learnt that the two, wanted in a robbery-cum-murder case in the Trans Yamuna area, would come with arms to the Shalimar Bagh area through Outer Ring Road.

They have admitted their involvement in two robberies including one robbery-cum-murder case near Parwana road, Patparganj, in which they robbed a bag containing Rs 15,000 and stabbed a person who succumbed to his injuries. They also robbed a person of two mobile phones and one Titan wristwatch behind the B.J.R.M Hospital in Jahangir Puri.

They have confessed to have picked the pocket of more than 150 truck drivers.

1 nabbed for theft

The Kashmere Gate police yesterday arrested Dharam Singh, 32, of Anand Parbat for theft.

According to DCP (North), when complainant Sonu returned to his house in Mori Gate he found his household goods including, TV and gas cylinder missing.

He learnt that Dharam Singh, who was a frequent visitor to his house, had taken away the items. Dharam Singh was subsequently arrested.

The stolen articles were recovered from his possession.

Proclaimed offender held

The Roop Nagar police arrested Ajit singh, 54, a resident of Ashok Nagar yesterday afternoon.

According to DCP (North), a local court had declared him a proclaimed offender in a cheating case registered at Roop Nagar police station in 1997.

New Delhi, May 13
With the arrest of two persons Surender, 34, and Harish, 29, the South Delhi Police has cracked the murder case of Sanchit Sachdeva, 18-year-old student of Delhi Public School who was found murdered in his Lodhi Colony residence on Saturday. Police has also recovered the Zen Estillo car and mobile of Sanchit from the accused persons. While Harish was arrested from Pauri Garhwal in Uttaranchal, Surender was nabbed from the Capital in the afternoon today. The accused had fled to Uttaranchal after committing the crime. According to DCP HGS Dhaliwal, the duo had known Sanchit for last many years and had friendly relations with the deceased. They were aware that Sanchit had working parents and that he stayed home alone most of the time. The accused are also reported to have had drinks with the deceased some days before his murder. On the day of murder on Saturday, the duo had come to his Lodhi Colony house with the intention of robbery. Harish had come to the house alone first but returned soon after as Vaibhav, one of Sanchit’s friends, was in the house. They waited outside for two hours till Viabhav left.

According to reports, Sanchit welcomed the guests in his house and turned to get water for them. As he turned, he was hit by an iron rod making him unconscious. He was hit by knife twice causing his death. The accused robbed the house and later fled with Sanchit’s mobile and family’s car. 

Faridabad, May 13
The police here is struggling hard to restore its lost image, what with its inability to crack some criminal cases involving murders that took place in the district recently.

In an apparent knee-jerk reaction, the government has decided to allocate two companies of police force on a permanent basis for Faridabad district.

The twin murders of Ajay Sharma, nephew of former Congress MP and party stalwart, Chiranji Lal Sharma, and his business manager followed by taking away a sum of more than Rs 18 lakh by the assailants from his car has put the police force on the back foot. The incidence assumes poignancy as Ajay Sharma was also a cousin of the working president of the ruling Congress in Haryana, Kuldip Sharma.

The incident continues to stir up wide-ranging public

passion as it occurred in broad daylight.

Even after more than a week of the incident, the police is groping in the dark both on the identity of the criminals as well as their motive in killing Ajay Sharma.

Just a week before the incident, two youths looted Rs 22 lakh from the employees of a private firm at the point of a revolver when they returned from a bank. As in Ajay Sharma’s case, the criminals escaped. The police has not been able to solve the case to date.

The police failure in investigation and follow-ups was thoroughly exposed in the twin murder of college-going sisters of village Prithla in Ballabgarh area in this district. The two sisters were brutally murdered and even after more than a month, the

police has failed to solve the case. On account of public pressure in the face of police inability to crack the case, the state government had to refer the case to the CBI for investigation.

A student of engineering course was murdered in Ballabgarh area during the Divali festival last year. The police continues to grope in the dark in the case. There are so many more cases which continue to defy the police.