Noida, May 17
The recovery of the body of a man on the terrace of Dr Rajesh Talwar’s flat in sector 25 Noida in the morning today has given a new twist to the murder of young Arushi Talwar yesterday. Arushi’s body had been recovered in a pool of blood in her bedroom of the flat No 32 in sector 25. She had been hit on the head with a blunt object, stabbed thrice and her throat had also been slit by the killers.

The body recovered today on the second floor terrace

was lying near the stairs, with throat slit and face disfigured to obliterate the possibility of his being recognized.

Everybody, including the police, was confused regarding the identity of the body. To some it appeared to be the body of the servant Hem Raj who might have tried to resist the intruders to save Arushi from their attack. Another view was that it might be the body of one of the intruders who might have assaulted each other after some misunderstanding.

The matter was complicated as Dr Talwar and his wife both had left for Hardwar and could not help in identifying the body. But in the afternoon some relatives of servant Hem Raj had reportedly come after which SP city M.K.Mishra told the news persons that it was indeed the body of the servant Hem Raj.

The body had been dragged a few feet on the terrace and fingerprint experts of the police picked up some fingerprints from the terrace, including the impression of a blood-immersed hand on the wall near the stairs.

The body had been removed to the postmortem house and the police investigations will gather speed after the postmortem report becomes available.

According to police sources, the net of investigations is spread and no possibility is being ruled out. The interrogation of dental doctor Rajesh Talwar, father of Arushi, could also be conducted, the sources said.

New Delhi, May 17
College principals across Delhi University are wary that the increase in students due to the new OBC quota regulations is going to tell heavily on the facilities currently available in the colleges and a general feeling among top brass academics at DU is that this extra influx of students requires an injection of funds to update facilities as well as careful planning on implementation of the new regulation.

Opinions among college principals, university bodies and academics vary across Delhi University on the government’s decision of increasing 18% seats in each course to accommodate the increase by 9% of OBC candidates from the academic session 2008-09. Aditya Narayana Misra, president DUTA, informs that, “the increase in OBC quota as specified by the central government will create major complications both at university level and college level. Earlier, registrations were done at the university level and the university allotted various colleges and courses to candidates. But now, it has been decided to give the registration responsibility to the colleges and we have serious apprehensions that this will create problems, in fact it will create a mess.”

If Misra has apprehensions about registrations, college principals on the other hand have their own fears about the increase in student numbers and how it is going to tell on facilities available at the college level.

For instance, S.C. Garg, principal of DDU College says rather frankly, “This decision has been forced upon us and we have no choice in the matter. Of course, it is going to create problems, some classes will accommodate the increase easily but those with approxismately 50 students will face difficulties and the accommodation will be very difficult. Next year there will be another increase by 18% and this is going to be just terrible. The need of the hour is the government giving us additional funding for construction of rooms, hostels, laboratories etc. There will have to be a concerted follow-up on infrastructure requirements.”

Pratibha Jolly, principal, Miranda House college comments that, “I don’t think we are in a position to implement this quota decision in one go, additional funding will be needed. Also, the implementation will have to be in a well-thought-out and phased manner. The government has to fund infrastructure development and the enhancement of facilities required if student numbers increase so drastically.”

The DUTA president opines that, “though we are welcoming this increase as it increases the base of higher education and more students will benefit however additional funding for the colleges is required and an all-round infrastructure enhancement is needed in the colleges. Also, the university should take care of the registrations in a centralized manner so that hardship for colleges and candidates can be minimized.”

New Delhi, May 17
The Capital as usual has churned out a fair crop of students who have made it to the UPSC but perhaps most exceptional is the story of the brother-sister pair, Mukta and Mukul Arya. Mukta Arya has made it among the first 50 and Mukul’s rank is 347 and he makes it through the SC-ST reserved quota but Mukta’s performance has been outstanding and her marks carry her beyond the quota.

Both of them come from an extremely humble family, their grandfather was a contract labourer and father a clerical officer who worked his way into the Andaman and Nicobar civil services. Mukta takes her success in her stride, “Right now I am feeling very good indeed and I hope to do my best in the service.

The key to my success has been the great amount of self-analysis that has gone into it. Time and again I had to re-think my strategy and work around situations to get this far, I had to assess where I was going wrong and what was the key ingredient required to succeed.”

Mukta made four attempts and had been studying hard and preparing for this examination for many years, “many times things went wrong and there was a lot of frustration. It was not easy keeping myself motivated and just going on with it. My parents and grandmother were the iron pillars behind my success. My grandmother really motivated me and supported me through this period.” Mukta is a BCA graduate from Maitreyi College and Mukul is an economics graduate from the Sri Ram College of Commerce and right now a student at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU).

Mukul Arya is nonchalant about his success, “Well I feel great and have been working hard on this for sometime. I must add that it is my family and friends who have supported me and contributed in a big way towards this success. This is definitely not the final thing as I realize that there is so much more I want to do and I do hope I get the service I want which is the IAS but I don’t mind getting either the IFS or IPS. I may also take the exam again if required.”

Mukul admits candidly that, “to a great extent my sister has helped me. I owe a lot to her. She helped me with the notes and concepts. My sister is really my best friend and she was really there for me. She made the most difficult of things seem easy and she was a path-breaker of sorts in our family. She made it seem all so easy.” He adds that, “I also owe a lot to my mother for her unflinching support and she has really helped both of us out as she is very hard working. It is also the values she has ingrained in both of us that have helped us through.”

Another brilliant story of success after hardship is that of Ashmima Jain, D School Economics (Hons) gold medalist and topper of the women’s list. She is ranked 7th in the UPSC ranking. After finishing with varsity, Ashima had seven job offers and joined the American Express. However, she quit her job to take the UPSC examination in November 2006. Ashima comes from Delhi and her father is a class I gazetted officer of Delhi government and seems to have played an inspirational role behind her success. Ashima says, “Even when I was very young and did not know what UPSC was, my father would make me sit on his lap and tell me that I have to become an IAS officer. Well, this sank into me and it became a major motivation for me to sit and clear this examination.”

“However, because of the uncertainty surrounding this exam, I kept the corporate option open and took up a job with the American Express but my heart was in sitting for the exam. After I had done all this and built alternative options, I quit my job to take the examination. I cleared the exam in my first attempt and the credit really goes to God and my family who supported me through this difficult period,” says an emotional Ashima. She adds, “I was working 18-19 hours a day for this and a time came when I would not even stop to eat as I feared my tempo would break, and my mother had to feed me as I worked,” says Ashima.

“It was like imprisonment, no social gatherings, no marriages, no time for friends and in the last few days, I was completely on a liquid diet taking lots of glucose supplement. That’s what went into cracking this exam and also I owe a lot to Vaji Ram and Ravi tutorials and Ravindran and all associated teachers,” says Ashima as she recalls the past two years. 

New Delhi, May 17
Nurses at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) are operating with minimum facilities and shoddy service conditions. Almost hundred male nurses that have been appointed by the hospital in recent years are facing everyday embarrassment due to lack of special infrastructure. Repeated requests to the authorities to do something in this regard have fallen on deaf ears.

Ravinder, like other male staff nurses, does not have any official accommodation. “I travel many kilometers every day to come to work,” he said. “Even here we do not have a changing room, so I have to travel in my uniform only.”

Block C7 in the old private ward does not have separate toilets for male and female staff. “None of the wards have separate toilets. It is embarrassing for us as well as for the male staff,” said Promila Bountiyal, deputy-nursing superintendent, who has been active in the nurses’ union. “They haven’t even left any space in case we want to adjust another toilet here.”

Another nurse Seema Chaudhary decided to become a nurse after completing her science graduation, looking for job satisfaction in the field. However, things have not exactly been as she expected. “I am staying as a paying guest in South Extension, spending Rs 5,500 per month on accommodation,” said Seema. With Rs 3,300 that she gets for travel and accommodation, it becomes difficult to travel in an autorickshaw.

“I try to take a bus, but at night I think it is safer to travel by an auto,” she said. Similar is the story of Prabha, who shifted to Delhi leaving her husband and kids in Chennai.

Rajesh Kumari’s husband on the other hand, does not want her to shift in a PG accommodation. She travels from Sonepat to AIIMS every day. Jessy Thomas joined AIIMS as a nurse in 1994. Since then she has not been promoted or offered an official accommodation.

“We deal with human lives here. We cannot leave our work in the middle thinking that we would have to travel alone late at night. But this is a hard reality, city is not safe at night,” said Seema. “So if we do not pay necessary attention to our work and feel guilty the whole night.”

“Hostel accommodation is a precondition to the job,” said Promila. “At AIIMS, however, instead of constructing new hostels, the administration has made another private ward by vacating a nurses’ hostel.”

Nurses believe that these hitches happen as they are not part of the decision making body in the hospital. “We feel ignored as nobody asks for our opinion while taking major decisions regarding the hospital,” she said. “They have constructed a new emergency ward, where the nursing station and the patient beds are poles apart. When I intervened, nobody paid attention.”

According to the labour laws, workers must get a break after five hours of continuous service. Nurses at AIIMS do not have time for a breather, with the result they suffer from hypertension. “We have this small sisters’ duty room, where we change, relax, cook and eat. The male nurses also use the same room,” she said. “I only hang my apron in the room,” said Ravinder in his defence.

New Delhi/Noida, May 17
Mild rains accompanied by hail brought the soaring day temperature to pleasant proportions today evening in the NCT of Delhi. According to Met office, the temperature is expected to remain low over the next 24 hours.

The unexpected rains during the late evening brought people out of their homes. Motor cyclists could be seen enjoying the showers. The parks were packed with children having an extended post dinner play.

After scorching hot days, the rains were a relief for residents on the weekend leading many to change their plans.

Dheeraj Negi, a hardware engineer with Moser Baer said that he had planned to spend the evening in the house watching the IPL match but the rains made him enjoy outside his house. “After a hard day’s work, I just wanted to sit at home and watch the match. However, now that it is raining I am going out with friends,” said Negi, who was on his way to Sector 18 market in Noida. Things were no different for Aakash, a call centre executive. “I am off to my girlfriends house for dinner and we might go out for a drive later. One has to make the maximum of such lovely weather,” beamed he. 

New Delhi, May 17
The Delhi Police has made elaborate arrangements for the IPL match between Delhi DareDevils and Kings XI - Mohali.

According to a Delhi Police official, more than 6,000 policemen have been deputed at the Ferozeshah Kotla. The high security arrangements have been made in wake of the recent bomb blasts in Jaipur and threat to many foreign players. “We do not want to take any chances at all. Earlier, over 4,000 policeman were deployed, but in wake of the Jaipur blasts another 2,000 policemen have been deployed today,” said a senior police official.

The security of players has also emerged as a serious concern since the last match that took place in the Capital. Captain of the home team Virender Sehwag was hit by a stone from the spectators’ gallery in the last match.

The police does not want to face such embarrassment again. Policemen in civil dresses will be deployed among spectators to control miscreants. CCTV cameras have been installed at all entry points to the stadium. Two DCPs will closely monitor the proceedings. Sniffer dogs will also be on rounds in the stadium.

Ghaziabad, May 17
Several terror groups have been active in Ghaziabad for the past 20 years while many of them have found the mahanagar a safe haven for their anti-national activities.

Sahibabad, where links of Jaipur terror strike have been traced in the form of E-mail having originated from the town and flashed to the TV news channels on Wednesday, also has the dubious distinction of being the first town in the NCR where first serial blasts had taken place.

The terrorists have killed a large number of innocent people by using bombs on cycles, in buses and trains. Kashmir Singh had exploded bombs in 1987 in Sahibabad Apsara border. He had exploded seven serial bombs on cycle, though he himself was blown to bits while carrying bombs on cycle. The police had recovered detonators in excess of 300 kg which are used in these explosions. Quite a few places in Ghaziabad district have been used as safe haven by these terror groups over the years.

But the efforts of local police had always been found wanting in meeting the challenges posed by the terror groups. For example, Abdul Karim Tunda, reward on whose arrest had been enhanced to Rs 3 lakh could not be nabbed by the police as yet. After an explosion in Chhatis Garh Express train, Abdul Karim Tunda of Pilkhua in Ghaziabad had emerged as an international terrorist. His name was linked with Mumbai serial blasts after this accident.

Tunda, an ISI agent, had crossed over to Pakistan due to increased police pressure on him. One arm of Tunda had been blown away in a blast but he could not be arrested by UP police, though CBI had increased the reward on his head to Rs 3 lakh.

But unfortunately the UP police has been oblivious of the dangers of a large chunk of Bangladeshi population who have settled here illegally, quite a few of whom are known to be indulging in anti-Indian activities. Even the killers of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh were known to have taken shelter in Ghaziabad. The kidnappers and killers of British tourists including Bela Nusav had been given asylum in Mussori police station area of Ghaziabad.

Even Pakistani terrorists Azhar Masud and Shiekh Umar Sayad were arrested here but had to be released in Kandhar as a sequel to hijacking of Indian Airline flight from Kathmandu in 2001.

Even the driving licence of the terrorists involved in Red Fort blast had been made from a Ghaziabad address. This riddle has not been solved as yet as to how lincences of terrorists were got made from Ghaziabad address.

New Delhi, May 17
Pop singer Suneeta Rao, known best for chartbusters like “”Pari hoon main”, “Kesariya” and “Ab ke baras” is all set to release her next album soon.

“My next album is titled ‘Waqt’ and it would be released around next month,” Suneeta told IANS on the sidelines of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)-Laadli Media Awards held here.

The singer is the official spokesperson of the Laadli campaign of UNFPA that focuses on the pleasure and pride of having a daughter and motivates people to fight injustice against the girl child.

“The video of the first song in my album ‘Sun Zara’ is a dedication to all girls. UNFPA has greatly supported me in making the video of this album,” Suneeta said.

The video, as told by the singer, was shot when television and film actress Suchitra Pillai was fully pregnant. “Suchitra agreed to do the video and just one week after we finished shooting it, she delivered her baby,” she said.

Suneeta was recently a part of NDTV Imagine’s reality show “Dhoom Macha De”.

“The experience was really nice. I had a lot of fun,” she beamed with joy. — IANS

New Delhi, May 17
The Delhi Traffic Police today conducted a special drive and fined 295 people for dangerous driving across the Capital. According to N K Srivastava, joint commissioner of police, Traffic, the random checks were conducted across the city starting last evening. He said that of the 295 total challans, 142 have been penalised for drunken driving and 82 for jumping the red light. The checks were mainly concentrated at the points in the city where large people are expected to be visiting. While 84 motorists were fined at India Gate circle, 12 were fined at Tagore Garden in West Delhi and 39 at PVR Saket in South Delhi. Two deputy commissioners of police are supervising the drive which is expected to carry on till the weekend. 

New Delhi, May 17
The nephew of the senior citizen who was found murdered at his Janakpuri house on Thursday has been arrested.

New Delhi, May 17
With the arrest of a person, the North district police has solved several cases of cheating and theft in the Walled City area. Jag Mohan Kapoor, 58, was arrested yesterday from his house at Tilak Nagar.

Kapoor had recently cheated a rickshaw puller for goods worth Rs 36,377.

Suresh Chand, a rickshaw puller, said that he had got surgical items worth Rs 36,377 from a factory at Jagatpuri to be delivered at Basti Harphool in Sadar Bazar.

When he reached Tikona Park, he inquired the address from two persons.

One of them asked him if he was coming from Karkardooma. He replied in the affirmative. On this, he told Suresh Chand that he had been waiting for him and asked him to unload the goods as the roadwas under construction.

When Suresh Chand asked for the cheque against the bill, the man said that he had spoken to the owner about it and he had agreed to collect the payment after a week. Suresh Chand took his signatures on the bill and left. Later, he learnt that the person cheated him by impersonating as the one to whom the consignment was to be delivered. 

The antecedents of the persons with similar modus operandi were checked. Jag Mohan Kapoor was identified through the CCTV camera clippings installed near the place of occurrence. ‘Eyes and Ears Scheme’ further helped in finding his address. Accordingly, raids were conducted and he was apprehended.

On his instance, 10 cartons of surgical items worth Rs 6,000 were recovered from his rented godown. Goods worth lakhs was also recovered from the godown.