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Biggest-ever haul of pirated books
Lawyers strike work
Yamuna recedes to
normal level
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Most Stephen’s teachers feel let down by HC’s decision
AIDS control programme bears fruit: Ramadoss
Families of Greater Noida farmers paid compensation
Tributes paid to Sant Kirpal Singh
Sheila urged to look into red tape
Couple held for running loan racket
BSES’s flood relief continuing in full swing
Govt violating court’s order, polybags
still in use
CM promises Rs 15 cr to rebuild road
India’s first art summit kicks off
City to have green rickshaws soon
‘Hindi music set to relive golden era’
Realtor kills wife, takes body to police station
PETA decries cruelty to milch animals
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Biggest-ever haul of pirated books
New Delhi, August 22 The investigation was taken up on the complaint of Anil Kumar, attorney of many international famous publishers like Harper Collins, the Random House Groups, Penguin, Bloomsbury Publishing and MacMillan. Simultaneous raids were carried out at two godowns situated at Khijara Baba Colony, Okhla, from where 6890 pirated books of international best sellers were recovered. A large quantity of covers and 47 negative rolls of popular title books were also recovered. One Farmanullah Khan was arrested in this regard. Another raid was carried out at Shiv Mandir Gali, Mandawali, from where 6473 pirated books of different foreign publishers were recovered and one Mohd. Murshid was arrested. Altogether more than 13,000 books, amounting to Rs 35 lakh were seized. Some of the titles of the recovered books include the Kite Runner, Five Point Some One, Namesake, the Inheritance of Loss, Da Vinci Code, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Harry Potter and Thousands Splendid Sons. Interrogation revealed that the alleged accused had organised sale and distribution of pirated books more like a legitimate business with their own network of sale through retailers, which were mainly the street book stalls around the Capital. |
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Lawyers strike work
New Delhi, August 22 With lawyers either seeking adjournments or keeping away from Tis Hazari, Patiala House, Karkardooma and Rohini courts, litigants had to return dejected. “There is a complete strike. All the advocates are abstaining from courts,” said Mahesh Sharma, chairman of co-ordination committee of all Bar Associations of Delhi. “The lawyers whose matters were listed in the courts have sought adjournments in support of the strike call,” added Sharma. The coordination committee of all Bar Associations of Delhi, a body of lower courts’ Bar Associations, had yesterday given a call for the one-day strike alleging that the High Court had exceeded its jurisdiction by barring the senior advocates from appearing in courts. The High Court had yesterday recommended stripping Anand and Khan of their senior advocate designation, besides slapping a fine of Rs 2,000 each on them, after convicting them of the contempt of court in the BMW case, following a sting operation by a private news channel. “The strike is successful as no lawyer is appearing in courts. The High Court has gone beyond its jurisdiction by debarring both the advocates from appearing in courts as this is the power vested with the Bar Councils under the Advocate Act 1961,” said Jatan Singh, secretary, New Rohini Bar Association. |
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Yamuna recedes to
normal level
New Delhi, August 22 An official of the irrigation and flood control department informed that now Haryana is releasing only 11,000 to 20,000 cusecs water per hour from Hathni Kund. This is the amount of water which is released by the neighbouring states in the normal course and will not affect the level of the river in Delhi, he said. The official added that people were still living in tents as their houses were filled with water. He said that it will take one week to pump out water from their houses. Thereafter they will be able to move from the tents. According to Anis, a resident of Batla House, water level in Yamuna has receded but it has not changed the life of the people living in tents. Their houses still have knee-deep water and there is no power. Anis added that the government claimed to pump out water from the houses but so far nothing has been done and the people here are totally dependent on government mercy. In tents, food and other facilities are being provided by NGOs as well as the government. Ram Singh, a resident of Usmanpur in North-East Delhi said that our houses get flooded almost every year and we have to stay on roads. But the government does not bother to construct a dam to stop the river water. This year the flood water has covered more area. If government is serious about it claims of protecting the people from the river fury, it should construct a dam. |
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Mayawati to open GB varsity
Greater Noida, August 22 After inaugurating the Administrative Block of GB University, the Chief Minister will also address the public. She is expected to reach the venue at 3 pm on Saturday. The officials were seen giving final touching to spruce up the campus and surroundings. Police and PAC have been deployed in sufficient number to provide the security for the occasion. Nobody, including media persons, will be allowed without special entry passes issued by the district
administration. Gautam Budh University will be country’s second university to offer post-graduate and doctoral courses only. The university will open its academic programme with a Master of Business Administration (MBA) course. Later other courses including in bio-technology, information and communication technology, etc., will be introduced, according to registrar Ombir Singh. |
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Most Stephen’s teachers feel let down by HC’s decision
New Delhi, August 22 However, teachers with St Stephen’s and at Delhi University are determined to follow up on this decision and “not take it lying down.” Sources within DU who did not want to be named say, “We are currently thinking of taking this case to the Supreme Court. The High Court’s decision if it goes through will compromise the academic standards at Stephen’s and this is not fair. We have already had a meeting with the V-C and written him a letter on this matter.” Delhi University Teachers Association president Aditya Kumar Misra informs that, “DUTA’s reaction is that this decision should not compromise the academics in Stephen’s. The university should be allowed its independence in dealing with college matters effectively and right now we are planning a future course of action in this matter.” Most teachers and senior academics at St Stephen’s are, “feeling let down” by the High Court’s decision and feel that academic freedom and standards must not be compromised and are determined to rake up the issue. One teacher says, “We have our own way of dealing with this decision. There will be many letters and memos on this. We are not going to take this quietly. Right now we are observing the situation and as it develops a future course of action on it will be decided.” Earlier, a bench headed by the Chief Justice, Ajit Prakash Shah was hearing a petition filed by the college, which contended that a clause in the Delhi University Act interferes with its right to choose its own principal. The Clause 7(2) of Ordinance XVIII says a six-member selection committee formed by the university will look into a college’s recommendations for the post of principal and finally approve one from that list. St. Stephen’s has said this clause is “unconstitutional” when applied to a “minority educational institution” since Article 30(1) of the constitution grants every minority institution power to choose its own administrative head. The Stephen’s administration has won the battle for the time being, but the run-up to the vote for the next St Stephen’s principal is bound to be tense especially after Rev. Valson Thampu’s controversial exit a few months back. |
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AIDS control programme bears fruit: Ramadoss
New Delhi, August 22 Interesting it was to see Ramadoss repeating every word of his address to the delegates of the XVIIth International AIDS conference in Mexico City. At the conference, Ramadoss had said: India’s dedicated focus on HIV prevention is fetching dividends. We are seeing the beginning of the stabilization of the HIV epidemic in India. We know that stigma is the single biggest barrier to HIV prevention. This stigma is directed at sex workers, men who have sex with men, injection drug users, truckers and the other vulnerable groups most closely associated with India’s concentrated HIV epidemic,” said the minister underlining the ministry’s concern to battle stigma and discrimination in the sector. He did not fail to compliment Avahan for indulging with awareness efforts that were so very critical. Speaking after inaugurating the show, Ramadoss pointed out that after 18 years, India’s AIDS control programme had started yielding results. “Incidence of AIDS cases has started declining; however, the ministry is keeping the efforts on and expanding the AIDS control measure to new areas,” he said, stressing the need to protect the rights of sexual minorities. As for the photographs, they are part of the book titled “AIDS Sutra”, a ground-breaking collection of 16 real life stories by some of India’s most well-known writers. The anthology reads like a news magazine, whereby each author travelled to a specified location in India to see one aspect of the Indian epidemic and then reported on it. The photographs have been shot by Prashant Panjiar and capture the groups “most at risk” of HIV and those especially vulnerable to HIV/AIDS including sex workers and their clients, injecting drug users, MSMs, and trans-genders. The contributing authors include Salman Rushdie, Kiran Desai, Vikram Seth, William Dalrymple, Shobhaa De, Amit Chaudhuri, Siddhartha Deb, Nikita Lalwani, Mukul Kesavan, Sonia Faleiro, Jaspreet Singh, Nalini Jones, Siddharth Dhanvant Shangvi, CS Lakshmi, Aman Sethi, and Sunil Ganguly. Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen has written the foreword for the book. Royalties from the book will go toward educational opportunities for AIDS-affected children in India. Ashok Alexander, country director, Avahan, said on the occasion, “Stigma, denial and apathy are three reinforcing elements that are keeping HIV in India in the dark. It is stigma that prevents people from openly discussing the facts around HIV, and keeps them from participating in prevention or treatment programmes. The denial and apathy about AIDS creates the false sense that India’s morality will protect it from AIDS. Together, they lead to discrimination against HIV-affected individuals in hospitals, against children in schools, and even ostracisation and suicide among families.” The exhibition attempts to demystify and humanize the epidemic and remind every citizen of the role he can play in reducing stigma and discrimination faced by people living with HIV/AIDS.
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Families of Greater Noida farmers paid compensation
Greater Noida, August 22 The cases against 20 farmers, who had been arrested following violence, have also been withdrawn and farmers set free on a surety of Rs 50,000 each. A BSP team also visited Ghori Bachhera. Basic education minister Thakur Jai Veer Singh and BSP candidate for the coming Lok Sabha seat, Surender Nagar met the families of farmers and presented them with Rs 21 lakh each. They also expressed regret about the happenings of past few days in the village. The BSP government will give farmers all their dues and protect their rights, they said. The police filed the relevant report pertaining to clashes between 20 farmers and the police in CJM court. All the charges filed under Section 179 of CRPC had been withdrawn against the farmers. Chief judicial magistrate A.K. Singh set all farmers free on a surety of Rs 50,000 each. As the farmers had been set free, the hearing in sessions court about bail proceedings did not take place. It is learnt that JP Group, GNIDA, GB Nagar district administration, and MLA Surinder Nagar had all joined to contribute to the compensation paid to the farmers’ families.
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Tributes paid to Sant Kirpal Singh
Sant Rajinder Singh ji Maharaj said that we can realize God within ourselves by contacting the spiritual light and sound through the process of meditation. We then begin to see the light of God in everyone. In the beginning, a Shabad from Gurbani was sung by Mata Harbhajan Kaur. Speakers paid rich tributes and enumerated the tireless efforts made by Sant Kirpal Singh ji in uniting people throughout the world. Food was served to people in different parts of the country and in 43 locations in Delhi in memory of Param Sant Kirpal Singh ji Maharaj.
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Sheila urged to look into red tape
New Delhi, August 22 He said, “A number of entrepreneurs and public men have approached me and made complaints that their problems are not being heard and they are being harassed.” He has requested the Chief Minister to look into the matter. |
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Crime File
New Delhi, August 22 The arrests were made on the basis of a complaint received by the Vasant Vihar police from Baljeet Singh one month ago. The complaint stated that a man called Kuldeep had taken Baljeet’s ID proof, bank statement and several other documents on the pretext of sanctioning a home loan. The police said that Kuldeep had sent his associate Kavita to Baljeet’s house for some paperwork. Baljeet signed two cheques and had kept the cheque book and the passbook on the bed. While he was searching his photographs and electricity bills, Kavita stole the signed cheques from the cheque book. Baljeet said that Kavita filled in the loan form, pasted his photograph over that form and took Rs 5,000 for verification. But, he later found that Rs 1,09,000 had been debited from his account. During investigation it was learnt that Kavita, whose original name is Seema along with Kuldeep, who is originally Sanjay, was hiding somewhere in Abul Fazal Enclave, Jamia Nagar. According to the police, the two were traced while they were on their way to meet their next target. Woman shot in house
Sitara, a 35-year-old mother of four was shot in her Welcome Colony house in the early hours of this morning. The police said that the body of the woman has been sent for postmortem. According to the police, woman’s husband Lale Khan claimed that he had gone out to answer the call of nature at around 4 a.m. and when he returned he found his wife dead. He is being questioned and further investigations are continuing. In another incident, the police recovered a body of a youth from Gali Number-4 in the Saad Nagar area of Dabri this morning. The body had multiple stab wounds. The police said that a case of murder had been registered and efforts were being made to identify the deceased. His description is being sent to all the police stations. |
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BSES’s flood relief continuing in full swing
New Delhi, August 22 The company’s top management officials inspected the flood affected areas, including Usmanpur Pushta, taking a first hand stock of its flood relief operations. Rising levels of the Yamuna have left hundreds of people displaced in Delhi, especially those belonging to the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) of the society. “As a Bhagidari partner, BSES will continue to render all necessary support to those affected by the floods for as long as the situation demands”, said Arun Kanchan, CEO, BSES. For the purpose, BSES has organised six teams each consisting of between 5 and 10 officials, depending on the area. The entire flood relief exercise by BSES is being undertaken under the direct supervision of its senior management, a BSES official claimed. Some of the areas where BSES teams are distributing food packets include Old Yamuna Bridge,Yamuna Bridge (Wazirabad), Batla House / Zakir Nagar, Usmanpur Pushta (Gali No 1, 2, 3 and 5) and Babarpur Khadar (near Sonia Vihar). |
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Govt violating court’s order, polybags
still in use
New Delhi, August 22 The Delhi High Court had passed an order banning the use of plastic bags in public places like markets and malls on August 7. The High Court ruling was made on the basis of a writ petition filed by Vinod Jain, an environmentalist. Even after 14 days of the High Court’s order banning the use of plastic bags, the city government has not enforced this direction. Polythene bags are made of virgin and recycled plastic, containing dangerous chemicals. They continue to be in widespread usage in all markets, shops, malls and even government outlets, said they. The government has planned to establish a recycle plant of plastic waste, alleged chairman of Green Forum Udayan Namboodiri. Addressing a press conference, Delhi BJP president Harsh Vardhan said that the Sheila Dikshit government had proved to be the biggest abuser of environment. The Chief Minister has wasted crores of rupees behind advertising campaigns showing her concern for environment. For the past 10 years, hundreds of advertisements have been carried with her picture exhorting people to “say no to plastic bags,” he said. The government has never passed an order banning the use of plastic bags. It is under the pressure of plastic lobby, he alleged. “There is no excuse for permitting plastic bags to continue. They choke civic drains, destroy ecosystems and lead to the deaths of pet animals including cow,” he reiterated. He regretted that while all major cities were banning plastic bags, Delhi was still manifesting backward tendencies. Director of Chetnalaya Father Susai Sebastian said, “We should go back to our old culture of using cotton or jute bags. Jute bags are manufactured by the labour class in West Bengal. If it is made popular, people will get job in the backward state.” Udayan Namboodiri said after the court order he had contacted senior officials of the Delhi environment department but they did not show any interest in banning the use of plastic bags. However, scientific officer in Delhi environment department Anil Kumar said that the department was making a provision and studying the issue to ban plastic bags.
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CM promises Rs 15 cr to rebuild road
New Delhi, August 22 The Delhi government would reimburse Rs 15 crore once the amount is utilised by the MCD to execute the action plan for the redevelopment of the road. The road would have street furniture, streetlights, signage, elevations, footpaths, benches and common cable system. The plan once approved would be executed within six months. The solar-powered rickshaws in Chandni Chowk would be plied as a pilot project. The rickshaws would be environment-friendly and suitable for a locality like Chandni Chowk. |
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India’s first art summit kicks off
New Delhi, August 22 The three-day summit was inaugurated at Pragati Maidan by tourism and culture minister Ambika Soni. The summit is showcasing 400 works by 200 modern and contemporary artists - a diverse spread that includes paintings, sculptures, photography, mixed media canvases, video art, installations and drawings. — IANS |
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City to have green rickshaws soon
As part of the plan, Sibal has requested Dikshit to inaugurate solar-powered rickshaws termed as green rickshaws in Chandni Chowk on October 2. The rickshaw would weigh 210 kg and would run at a speed of 15 or 20 kilometre per hour. Each rickshaw would cost approximately Rs 17,000. It would run on a solar battery that could cover a distance of 70 kilometre.
The battery will take five hours to get charged. It can be charged with the help of solar panels in the charging unit that would be placed above Metro stations, Sibal said. The rickshaws would ply within a radius of three kilometer from Metro stations. The Delhi Metro is being approached to make space above the Metro Stations so that solar panels could be set up, Sibal said. |
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‘Hindi music set to relive golden era’
New Delhi, August 22 |
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Realtor kills wife, takes body to police station
Noida, August 22 He stunned the cops by declaring, “I have killed my wife. Her dead body is lying in my car outside.” Astonished cops ran out and on checking the car, found the body of a woman on the front seat while two children were crying on the rear seat. The elder boy later narrated the whole story to the policemen as to how their mother was killed by their father in front of their eyes. The police arrested the man and then sent him to jail. Property dealer Sherpal Singh, son of Bhim Singh, originally of Khora Colony in Ghaziabad married Sonia, 27, daughter of a Noida Authority employee, Udaiveer Singh Yadav of H-1 Sector-11 in 2001. The couple had two sons–Shriansh, alias Som, 7, and Daksh, 2. Sherpal Singh left with his wife Sonia and both sons for Sai temple in Sector-41 at 8.30 pm on Thursday. The couple had an argument on the way. Sherpal tried to strangle his wife with her ‘chunni’ but when he could not succeed, he took out his belt and strangled her. Then he turned his car number-UP 16 N-6688 towards Sector-39 police station where they reached at about 10.30 pm. “A few days ago my wife had eloped with someone for some days which had brought bad name for me,” Sherpal told the police. On getting the information, SP City Ashok Tripathi, all SOs and COs also came over to Sector 39 police station. The body was sent to city hospital for autopsy. The children were taken out from the car and handed over to Sonia’s parents. |
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PETA decries cruelty to milch animals
New Delhi, August 22 A PETA member stood behind milk cans dripping with blood and held a signboard that read, “Every glass of milk has beef in it.” The protesters claimed that in an investigation conducted by PETA it was found that several dairy farms inflicted cruelty on cows and buffaloes to get more milk. “Most of a cow’s day is confined to a narrow, filthy stall. Cows are injected with oxytocin, an illegal drug that makes them produce unnaturally large quantities of milk and suffer severe stomach cramps in return,” said Nikunj sharma a PETA member. The protesters said that the dairy industry also caused human suffering like allergies, obesity, heart disease and even cancer.
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New Delhi, August 22
New Delhi, August 22