New Delhi, September 16
Facts have given way to rumours and speculations after the Capital witnessed serial blasts on Saturday as the sketches of the alleged perpetrators of the crime resembled some of the victims like Dilip, a small-time trader in watches.

Dilip, hailing originally from Darbhanga in Bihar, had gone to Ghaffar Market as usual to make purchases when the blasts took place. The man never returned and his wife Hemlata residing in Okhla area, with two of her little daughters in tow, went around hospitals, mortuaries and even police stations in search of her husband.

Suddenly when TV channels ran the sketch of Tauqeer, one of the suspects in the bomb blasts, Ashok Randhawa, a social worker, realised how this Tauqeer bore striking resemblance to Dileep.

“That was Dilip’s picture. He went missing from Gaffar Market since the blasts. His wife Hemlata yesterday left a copy of his photograph with me,” said Randhawa.

Randhawa was taken aback when he saw Tauqeer’s sketch on television last night and compared it to Dilip’s. “Except for the beard, he resembled exactly the sketch. I brought this to the notice of the RML Hospital police post. They directed us (Randhawa and Hemlata) to go to Karol Bagh police station,” he said.

At Karol Bagh police station, senior police officers questioned her about her husband for over three hours before registering a missing compliant.

“He used to sell watches and glasses at a stall in Okhla and had gone to Ghaffar Market to buy some watches and glasses from wholesale dealers,” Hemlata said.

Dilip and Hemlata had shifted to Delhi barely a year ago with their two daughters Reshma and Neha. “We were living happily in Okhla. My life has changed within hours,” she said.

With no money in hand, Hemlata has been to every hospital in the city looking for her husband.

As hours passed by, Hemlata’s hopes also died. “I am sure that he is no more. He could not live away from his daughters for more than an hour and this time he has not returned even after two days,” said Hemlata. 

New Delhi, September 16
Four days after the serial bomb explosions, the Delhi cabinet today reviewed the security situation in the Capital.

Talking to media, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said that the government has offered full co-operation for launching a campaign against terrorism. It was decided to achieve this objective through public participation.

Besides Chief Minister and other ministers, commissioner of police Y. S. Dadwal and CMD, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), E. Sridharan were also present.

Security arrangements in the Delhi Metro are foolproof and the DMRC has been imparting training to its employees to enhance vigilance, assured the cabinet.

The commissioner of police apprised the cabinet of actions being taken to strengthen security set up by commissioning more police stations and improving the response time. The police commissioner informed that the number of lines on control room telephone number 100 would be increased to provide ample opportunities to people to report incidents.

It was decided to involve RWAs, market associations and other organisations and distribute pamphlets in school, colleges and hospitals to make people more aware and alert.

The Chief Minister further stated that the cabinet has decided to construct temporary accommodation for workers at construction sites. She said that the construction workers welfare boards have been directed to implement a scheme for providing temporary accommodation for constructions workers.

The Capital is witnessing major urban renewal and expansion activities and a lot of construction activities are going on in different parts of Delhi. A large number of construction workers in search of employment are coming to Delhi from different parts of the country. Shortage in affordable accommodation near to construction sites is forcing workers to put up in slums.

The cabinet decided to construct temporary accommodation for workers at four sites, where holding areas would be developed. These sites include Jhatikara, Aya Nagar, Dera Mandi and Saddatpur.

Each holding area would have space for approximately six thousand workers. The area would have provision for community kitchens, crèche, medical centre, vocational cum training centre, water and electric supply and dedicated transport system.

The cabinet has also decided to implement remaining recommendations of the first National Judicial Pay Commission (Shetty Commission). Under this, all judicial officers would be provided facilities like telephone, encashment of leave, free-of-charge official accommodation. 

New Delhi, September 16
Rama, 48, and his wife Krishna, 45, victims of Saturday bomb blasts, now on life support system at Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, are still oblivious of the fact that their youngest daughter Pooja died in the tragedy and the second one Santosh is missing. The Rama family is only one of the several victims of the terrorist strike on Saturday evening at Ghaffar Market in close proximity to their home at Gali Number 42 of Karol Bagh.

Rama having occipital injury has been desperately seeking to meet his daughters, little realising about the fate that his dear daughters have been subjected to. Similarly, Krishna, who is very critical with post-operative laprotomy, is least aware of the tragic tale of her daughters and Asha, the eldest daughter who escaped unhurt and couldn’t stop sobbing since the terrible Saturday night at Gali number-42, is still thinking that her sister is undergoing treatment at RMLH.

In the confusion and chaos of the immediate aftermath of the blasts, a girl with severe head injuries at the second floor ICU of the hospital’s Trauma Extension centre was mistakenly identified as the Rama couple’s second daughter Santosh. But as things turned out, this Santosh turned out to be one Shyama of Sabzi Mandi. This has naturally brought joy to Shyama’s family who were still looking for their daughter since the day of blasts.

Shyama’s identity was established accidentally when Neha, another victim of Central Park blast, identified her to be her childhood friend. Neha had been continuously murmuring the name of Shyama, since the blast night. The doctors realising some confusion over Shyama/ Santosh’s identity, brought Neha to identify this patient.

Neha hailing from Ashok Vihar now in a stable condition said, “I and Shyama are childhood fast friends and on Saturday we were sitting in the park at CP, when suddenly a loud sound was heard and everything around seemed to be in total smoke.”

But Neha’s joy has naturally aggravated the suffering of the Rama family with Pooja dead, Santosh missing and wife Krishna still lying critical in the hospital with loss of memory.

Like the Rama family, there are many grieving families still ignorant about the fate of their kin and busy searching their missing ones. How many of the supposed injured are lying in the city’s mortuaries, how many of them shifted and how many are still in wait of the searching glare of their family ones after that dark Saturday still remains a big question.

New Delhi, September 16
Serial bomb explosions that killed many innocent people and injured about hundred others, have also affected skilled workers engaged in the manufacture of artificial jewellery. They have been unemployed since the explosions.

Sushila, a resident of Sunder Nagari in East Delhi said that she manufactured artificial jewellery and supplied it to traders in Gaffar Market. But the supply has stopped after second day of the blasts.

“We are small-time manufacturers. We cannot survive without work for even a single day. We are facing a tough time running our family without work,” she said.

“The extremists do not have human soul. The government should make some plans to control them. If it occurs again, people who supply goods to big traders will suffer a lot,” she said.

Rehmana, a widow with three children, who is also engaged in the manufacture of artificial jewellery, has a same tale to tell. According to her, there is no work since the bomb explosion has taken place. Normally she earned between Rs 100 to Rs 200 per day, but since the blasts, there is no order from the traders.

“Gaffar Market is the only place where I used to supply my products. Now the traders are in shock. They are not placing orders,” she said.

She said that her family needs money for Ramzan and ensuing Eid festival. “Now in such a situation we cannot celebrate the festival in a good way,” Rehmana said.

She added that shopkeepers place orders to keep goods in store to sell during the festivals. But this time they are not placing orders and we are the sufferers.

New Delhi, September 16
The Delhi High Court today cancelled the bail of Utsav Bhasin, whose BMW car had hit two persons on a motorcycle in south Delhi last Thursday. One of the victims succumbed to his injuries later at AIIMS. Bhasin’s bail was cancelled after fresh charges against him under Section 304 (II) of the Indian Penal Code were filed. The court was hearing the petition filed by Dr. Rajender Singh, Anuj’s father.

The new charges were filed based on a statement from Mrigank Srivastav, who survived the accident. The accident took place in South Delhi’s Lajpat Nagar area, near Moolchand flyover, at around 2.30 am on September 11 when Bhasin driving a BMW car hit them in a service lane. Anuj Singh died after suffering injuries on cervical spine.

Bhasin (19), accompanied by a woman companion fled from the scene, but was arrested two days later from Kashmiri Gate while he was trying to flee from the city. He was later released on bail after giving two sureties of Rs. 20,000 each. A case under Sections 279 (rash and negligent driving) and 337 (causing hurt and endangering life) of the IPC was initially registered against him. However after the death of one of the victims, police pressed more charges on Bhasin which included Section 304(A) – causing death due to rash driving.

The car is owned by a Bahadurgarh-based industrialist R K Bhasin, father of Utsav, who owns M/s Golden Rolls Ltd.

Ghaziabad, September 16
The last of the three suspects of Aarushi-Hemraj double murder case, Raj Kumar, was released last evening from Dasna jail. Mandal and Krishna have already been released by the CBI court last week.

As Raj Kumar stepped out of the Dasna jail, he broke into tears on seeing his maternal and other relatives who had come to receive him at about 9 p.m. yesterday.

The 18-year-old Raj Kumar said he had been tortured by the CBI. “During two narco tests, the CBI never asked me about the missing cell phones or the murder weapon. The CBI had instead asked me to become an approver so that Krishna and Mandal could be framed. They wanted me to say in front of camera that Krishna and Mandal had murdered Arushi and Hemraj, but I refused it.”

He said he was made to stand all night many times. “Some times they would torture me by stretching my legs to sides on the ground and two men would sit on them to keep them in that position. They would also threaten me that they would throw me down from the fifth floor and say I had committed suicide but I did not get scared.”

Raj Kumar who said he had passed 10+2 in Nepal would go back to his native place Nepal as he had suffered a lot in last few months. After some time, he would decide about his life, he said. 

New Delhi, September 16
Empathising with the Bihar flood victims, BSES employees have decided to contribute their one day’s salary to PMs Relief Fund and have presented a cheque of Rs 50 lakh to express their solidarity with the distressed people.

The decision was supported by top BSES management and representatives of the Delhi State Electricity Workers Union and the DESU Technical Staff Association.

In a function organised today, H.C. Sharma, senior vice president and representatives of the Delhi State Electricity Workers Union and the DESU Technical Staff Association presented two cheques of Rs 25 lakh each to Sushil Kumar Shinde, union minister for power, for the Prime Ministers Relief Fund.

BSES employees voluntarily took this initiative and proving that they are keen to stand by those in distress, said Sharma, while recalling how BSES employees distributed thousands of food packets to flood victims in Delhi this August.  He added that BSES was conscious of its social responsibilities and considers such initiatives as duty towards humanity.

New Delhi, September 16
Nearly 864,000 application forms were sold for the Delhi Development Authority’s (DDA) scheme, closing on Tuesday, for the sale of 5,020 flats in the national Capital.

“We have sold about 864,000 forms for the scheme. Around 400,000 forms were downloaded from our website during this period,” DDA spokesperson Neemo Dhar said.

The sale of the application forms, costing Rs 100 each, started on August 6 and the process ended on Tuesday.

“Around 300,000 application forms were submitted till 3.30 p.m. on Tuesday. The counting process is still on,” Dhar said.

The DDA Housing Scheme — 2008 will provide flats at prices way below the current market rates to the applicants chosen from a computerised lottery draw.

“The draw would be held within three months,” Dhar said.

The huge number of application forms has left many applicants wondering about their chances.

“A lot of people have applied for just 5,020 flats. I wish I am selected in the lottery draw,” said Sagar Nanda, who has submitted an application. — IANS

Noida, September 16
A private bus plying between Ghaziabad and Noida hit and damaged five vehicles, one after the other, within a distance of one and a half km on Sunday afternoon. The accidents injured about half a dozen people.

The bus heading to Atta in Noida via Sector-37 first hit a Santro car near Sector-29. Instead of stopping or slowing down, the driver sped away with the bus through the crowded roads and markets, and hit another car. Here also the driver accelerated the speed and hit fruit and vegetable carts near Bhardwaj Hospital. Then again while negotiating a turning the bus collided with another car.

The driver then calmly sped out of Noida in his bus.

New Delhi, September 16
Union health minister Ambumani Ramdoss after taking round of RML Hospital today said, “About 127 victims of blasts were brought to AIIMS, RML, Gangaram, Jassaram hospitals, and of those 17 were brought dead. Four patients have been discharged. The hospitals have indeed done a good job.”

Meanwhile, an intimation sent to the director general of health services, RML Hospital, has informed the health ministry that 73 victims were brought to the hospital on the blast night, which includes 51 from CP and 16 from Karol Bagh. Among them 49 have been discharged and one, victim of Central Park blast, died yesterday afternoon.