Noida, May 27
The organisers of Gujjar agitation have given an ultimatum that their agitation will enter a decisive phase on Thursday in NCR with a ‘jam the wheel’ agitation.

Even vegetables and milk will not be allowed to be supplied to the Capital.

The All India Gujjar Manch has also decided to gherao the BJP’s national executive meeting in the Capital. In Noida, the Gujjar agitation had blocked all road entry points and

shops were made to pull down their shutters.

The Delhi-Horraw rail line was blocked for two hours at Baroki railway station near Dadri delaying a number of trains, including 3EMU, DDM passenger trains.

In many places, agitating Gujjars had demanded the dismissal of Rajasthan government raising slogans against Chief Minister Vasundhra Raje. The procession was taken through different parts of the Noida town.

The president of All India Yuva Gujjar Manch, Yoginder Singh Awana said, “We shall oppose the meeting of the BJP national executive in Delhi. Even Vasundhra Raje has postponed the meeting scheduled for Jaipur. No Gujjar shall ever vote for BJP henceforth in the country,” Awana declared.

Agitation in Rajasthan has started affecting trade in Noida adversely, affecting the marble and stone business in Barola. Should the agitation continue for more days, it will deepen the crisis.

Noida Bar Association has also struck work in sympathy with the Gujjar agitation and those killed in police firing in Rajasthan.

Bar Association secretary Dev Kumar Bhatti said it was atrocious that peaceful agitators were fired upon by police, killing 42 people in it.

The departed souls of those killed will get peace only when the Gujjar Samaj would be accorded ST status, he said.

The Association demanded Rs 20 lakh compensation for the families of those killed in police firing. Noida advocates also raised slogans for the |dismissal of the Rajasthan government.

New Delhi, May 27
The South Delhi Police has received a major lead in the double murder of senior citizens Ashok Goel and his wife Lata, who were found murdered in their Niti Bagh residence yesterday morning.

According to investigation team, although the prime accused in the murder is the domestic servant of the Goel’s Mukesh Yadav, it believes that there has to be more than one person in the crime.

Even as it was working on this theory, police has tumbled upon the information that Mukesh was visited by his maternal uncle Brij Lal a few days before the murder. Brij Lal lives in Kolkata. However, both have been missing since the murder. Police is working out the information on Brij Lal and in all probability a police team would be sent to Kolkata soon.

According to HGS Dhaliwal, DCP South Delhi, “It has come to our knowledge that Mukesh was visited by one of his relatives only a few days before the murder. We are working out information on him and in all probability would be able to catch them very soon.” Police has also learnt that Mukesh had bought two rail (open) tickets on Sunday night.

Police is presently questioning other domestic servants and guards who work in the Niti Bagh area and knew Mukesh. One of the servants who work here told the police that Mukesh was visited by Brij Lal a few days before the crime.

A senior police official said, “The circumstantial evidence points towards his being an accomplice with Mukesh in the murder of senior citizen couple.”

The police has also detained one Radha, domestic servant who works in nearby Zor Bagh and was close to the accused Mukesh. Mukesh hails from Bhagalpur district of Bihar.

The police is yet to receive the postmortem report of the deceased but know for sure that the couple were alive till 8 pm on Sunday night as Ashok Goel had spoken to one of his daughters around that time.

The time of the murder could help police in working out the probable destinations that the accused might have chosen out of Delhi on the basis of trains leaving Delhi in late hours. 

New Delhi, May 27
A Delhi court is likely to pronounce its verdict in the six-year-old sensational Nitish Katara murder case tomorrow.

While dismissing the plea of prime accused Vikas Yadav, who sought re-examination of witness Ajay Katara and others in light of a CD that revealed an alleged nexus between the witness and complainant and the mother of the deceased, Neelam Katara, additional sessions judge Ravinder Kaur had reserved her judgement.

The defence had appealed that Ajay Katara had testified against the accused Vikas after being influenced by Neelam Katara. The sting operation carried out by a news channel showed Ajay confessing that he would not be able to recognise Vikas, as he had never seen him.

However, Ajay held that he was under the influence of alcohol and was persuaded by the camera people to say so.

Vikas Yadav and his cousin Vishal allegedly killed Nitish Katara, son of an IAS officer, on the night of February 16-17, 2002. They had allegedly abducted the victim from a marriage function in Ghaziabad. The accused had killed the victim, as they did not approve of his alleged relations with their sister Bharti. Vikas Yadav is the son of UP-based politician D.P Yadav.

New Delhi, May 27
Fed up of the dirty water supplied by the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) for the last six months, residents of Keshavpuram and Ashok Vihar near the Wazirpur area of North Delhi today ran out of patience. Thousands of residents under the leadership of local councillor Mahendra Nagpal blocked traffic on Gurudwara-Temple Chowk in Block C/8.

The protestors had brought bottles and pitchers filled with foul-smelling black water from their houses.

According to the residents of the area, the water that flows through the taps of their houses is not only undrinkable, it cannot be used even for bathing or washing clothes. Hundreds of children and elderly persons have fallen ill in Keshavpuram in the past few months after drinking the water supplied by the DJB. Even the doctors have given in writing that the water supplied here is not potable.

The protestors said that their pleas to the DJB office have fallen on deaf ears.

“I have taken several representations to various DJB offices but all they say is that this dirty water is coming from behind and that they cannot do anything about it,” said Nagpal.

People had taken leave from work to take part in the protest. “The health of my children is more important to me than any work in the world. I have been buying bottled water to drink but we have to use this water for bathing which has caused skin infection to my daughter,” S.K. Agarwal, a resident.

Finding it hard to believe that such dirty water could flow out of taps in the Capital, several media personnel were taken by the people to their houses for conformation. They warned that if clean water supply was not restored soon, they would resort to violent protest “Perhaps we would have to burn a DJB office,” said a youngster of the area. 

New Delhi, May 27
More private power suppliers may enter the Delhi power sector, as the government plans to formulate a policy on the lines of Sweden and Norway, to provide relief to citizens.

Delhi power minister A.K Walia decided this after his trip to Sweden and Norway. Deputy power secretary Harish K. Ahuja and general manager of Delhi Transco Limited had accompanied him. They had gone to evaluate the retail supply business in the deregulated power market of Nordic countries.

Walia said that the visit meant to enhance the understanding of retail supply business in deregulated power market and transfer Nordic power market experiences to the power delegation in Delhi. This would help in introducing retail supply competition. This is being done so that retail consumers can benefit from the competitive forces which otherwise exhibit characteristics of monopoly.

He said that this would allow retail consumers to choose their own supplier instead of depending upon the area distribution company. The government plans to join INPIC-II project initiated by Union ministry of power and the royal embassy of Norway for introducing retail competition in the country.

Walia also met Norway’s deputy minister of petroleum and energy, senior officials of the ministry of energy and communication, Sweden; senior executives of transmission and distribution companies of Norway and Sweden and experts of renewable energy conservation. Besides, he visited the financial markets of four Nordic countries in Oslo.

To adopt the system, the government will evaluate the policy process, steps and regulations. Delhi can also adopt some features of retail supply business of Norway and Sweden. 

New Delhi, May 27
Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union (JNUSU) has extended solidarity to the ongoing protests of the Kashmir University Students’ Union (KUSU).

There were widespread protests in the university after the administration evacuated the hostel rooms in the university, including the girls’ hostels.

“It has also been reported that when the students protested, the authorities responded by saying, ‘are you terrorists, why do you want to stay, you might have ulterior motives’,” said Sandeep, president, JNUSU. According to the JNUSU, it is an irony that the Institute of Kashmir Studies is sought to be inaugurated with such preconceived notions and humiliating stereotypes towards the students and people of the region.

“KU authorities must immediately amend the grave wrongs heaped on the students and enter into a democratic dialogue with the students,” he said.

“The university should uphold the liberal spaces and culture by taking the students into confidence and restore the democratic rights and freedom of the student community,” added Sandeep, president, JNUSU. 

New Delhi, May 27
BSES Rajdhani Power Limited (BRPL) had organised BSES Apke Dwar, an open house session for on the spot solution of grievances of customers at Sukho Khalsa School, Jail Road in West Delhi today. This is the tenth such BSES Apke Dwar.

Residents and RWA representatives from Janakpuri (Block B, C and D), Rajouri Garden and Hari Nagar attended the programme. BRPL CEO Arun Kanchan was also present.

For the easy solution of grievances, the BRPL had organised separate counters for addressing billing issues, streetlights, new connections, load enhancement and name change.

Over 2,100 RWA representatives and residents have benefited from the BSES Apke Dwars organised for residents of Saket, Dilshad Gardens, Mayur Vihar, Shankar Road, New Friends Colony (East Delhi), Chandni Chowk and Darya Ganj.

“Most of the grievances were solved on the spot. The remaining were given a time frame,” said a BSES official.

“Initiatives such as these help in creating a spirit of camaraderie between an organisation and its customers. They go a long way in building mutual trust,” said Arun Kanchan.

New Delhi, May 27
A day after heavy rains lashed the Capital, breaking record for the highest rainfall in the scorching month of May, people today woke up to a sunny but cool morning.

Despite the bright sun, the minimum temperature was recorded at 23.2° Celsius, 6° below the normal for this time of the year.

The Met office attributes the unusual weather to the influence of an upper air cylonic circulation.

The cool weather is likely to persist for the next few days, with the Met office forecasting more spells of rain and thundershowers in the next 24 hours.

According to the Met office, this is the wettest May in the history of the Capital with a total of 164.8mm rainfall recorded. The previous highest rainfall during this month was recorded at 129.3 mm in 2002.