New Delhi, January 29
Thousands of Muslims, mainly from Azamgarh district of Uttar Pradesh, today demanded a judicial enquiry into the Batla House police encounter in which two Muslim youths, allegedly responsible for Delhi serial bomb blasts, were shot dead by the police on September 19 last year.

The Muslim youths and leaders, gathered under the banner of Ulema Council at Jantar Mantar in central Delhi, also raised slogans against the politicians and the police. They demanded an end to alleged harassment of Muslim youths in the name of terrorism.

“We want an impartial timebound judicial enquiry into the Batla House encounter by a sitting Supreme Court judge. We also want an end to the police atrocities on the youth of Azamgarh on the pretext of tackling terror,” said Maulana Amir Rashadi Madni, convener of Ulema Council.

He also suggested that the government should take back Ashok Chakra from inspector Mohan Chand Sharma who died in Batla House encounter. “The protest has just started, it will slowly spread across country,” Madni warned.

Criticising the Congress for letting down Muslims of the nation, the Ulema Council said that it would consider supporting the third front in the coming Lok Sabha elections. “The Congress has been making a fool of the Muslim community by constantly raising the bogey of the Bharatiya Janata Party and other communal forces,” said Madni.

He also made clear the council’s political plans and revealed that it would fight elections on two seats, Azamgarh and Lalganj (in UP) in the elections. “Muslims have supported others for nearly 60 years and now they should support us. We have made clear to the political parties that the formation of a third front can only be under our leadership,” he added.

Many Muslim leaders also criticised the Bahujan Samaj Party and the Samajwadi Party for using the Muslims for votes and then ignoring them after winning the elections.

The protesters, ranging from students to the elderly, arrived at Old Delhi Railway Station in a special train that set off from Uttar Pradesh’s Azamgarh town around 12.30 pm yesterday. The council had paid Rs 14 lakh for booking the train and Rs 3,00,000 as security deposit for the journey. 

New Delhi, January 29
In a bid to ensure that there are no legal hassles in extending the Delhi Metro Rail service to the neighbouring towns of Gurgaon and Noida, the government has approved a bill to amend the present bill governing the service. The bill would extend the jurisdiction of the new bill to NCR of Delhi.

A decision to this effect was taken in the meeting of the union cabinet last night.

The government passed the Delhi Metro Railways (Amendment) Bill, 2009 which would amend the Delhi Metro (Operation & Maintenance) Act, 2002 and the Metro Railways (Construction of Works) Act, 1978.

The need for this amendment was felt, as without a proper legal framework, the extension of the Metro to Gurgaon and Noida could have been legally challenged or stalled any time.

The government decided to move the amendment now, since these extensions are to be completed before the Commonwealth Games 2010 and there was an urgency to provide an appropriate legal cover to these extensions.

As all Metro projects involve huge capital investment, any delay in execution of these projects can lead to huge loss to the state and national exchequer.

Also, with the growing urbanisation and congestion on roads, providing public transport is a priority for the government.

The bill would help the Delhi Metro to extend its provisions to the National Capital Region. It would also place the commissioners of Metro Railway Safety under the administrative control of the chief commissioner of Railway Safety.

Since there was no legislation available for operation and maintenance of Metro Railways in Delhi, Parliament enacted the Delhi Metro Railways (Operation & Maintenance) Act, 2002 to facilitate operation and maintenance of Delhi Metro. 

New Delhi, January 29
India is one of the first democratic nations to empower women with the right to exercise mandate. However, Indian politics has been gender-biased with a marginal representation of women in Parliament and legislative assemblies. In order to address this anomaly, a viable alternative has been suggested to the Women’s Reservation Bill (WRB).

The new formula proposed by Rami Chhabra, president of Streebal, an NGO working for the empowerment of women, calls for 50 per cent increase in the parliamentary and legislature seats without upsetting the territorial demarcations of the constituencies along with creating double-member constituencies.

The WRB has gone for a toss due to the lack of political consensus, despite being placed three times in Parliament in over 12 years. Rami Chhabra, outlined the significant hurdles to the passage of the WRB through a succinct and detailed presentation at India International Centre today in the Capital.

“The major impediments to the passage of WRB are the reservation of minimum of 1/3 seats of Parliament and legislative bodies for the women section, the allotment of the reserved seats by rotation to different constituencies in subsequent elections and the demand for sub-quotas for Other Backward Classes,” she enumerated.

Rami Chhabra explained that the proposed pattern would result in displacement of 1/3 male-members of Parliament and legislative bodies and the inclusion of rotation system would leave the remaining two-thirds members lurch in insecurity, and thus, it might jeopardise the accountability factor.

The chairperson of Parliament standing committee, E. M. S. Natchiappan, also present in the session, said, “Earlier, the Bill couldn’t be passed due to the lack of consensus and dissolving of Lok Sabha. This time, the Bill has been placed in the upper house as the issue can be taken up till a viable solution to tackle the problem of adequate representation in the Lok Sabha and legislative spaces is reached.”

Importantly, the proposed modifications would require amendment of Article 81 and 170, and Natchiappan feels that it can be carried out to bring about a balanced democracy. Representatives of various women groups present at the occasion, like Mohini Giri, suggested that the formula along with the modifications should be forwarded to the standing parliamentary committee so that the WRB could be passed this time, and thus would usher in gender-equity politics. 

Gurgaon, January 29
Twenty six year old Raju, a resident of Badshahpur village in Gurgaon district was shot dead at his house in the village under mysterious circumstances today.

Raju, who runs a flour shop (chakki) near his house in the village, was recently married. His wife, Mamta, who is pregnant, told the police that Raju was alone in the room this morning. The incident came to light when around 9 am Mamta went to the room and found her husband lying in a pool of blood. A countrymade pistol was also reportedly lying there.

She raised an alarm, following which, other family members and neighbours took Raju to a hospital. He was, however, declared dead by the doctors there.

The police has registered a case of murder and has started investigations into the matter.

The fact that nobody saw any assailants arriving at or fleeing from the spot makes the matter mysterious. The family members of the deceased have also denied any enmity which could have led to Raju’s death.

In the given circumstances, the possibility of suicide can also not be ruled out, though a person committing suicide usually shoots himself in the head.

A pistol being found at the scene of occurrence, coupled with absence of any eyewitness account of assailants’ involvement, lends credence to this theory.

New Delhi, January 29
The 30-year-old wife of a railway employee was found murdered at her South Delhi home today with a dupatta around her neck and her hands and legs tied.

Manju’s body was found by her neighbours at her first floor flat in the Naoroji Nagar area around 2:20 p.m. They informed her husband Mahender Joshi, who is posted in the railway ministry and the police.

“The victim’s daughter came running to us and was crying. She said her mother is not opening the doors. When we went to check, the door was bolted from outside,” said one of the neighbours.

“We unlocked the door and went in. We saw her lying on the floor with her hands and legs tied. There were knife cuts on her body and a duppata was wrapped around her neck,” added the neighbour, who did not want to be named.

When the victim’s husband saw the body, he fainted and was rushed to the Safdarjung Hospital.

The police has seized the knife from the house and said that Manju could have been strangulated to death.

“There is no sign of robbery or ransacking in the house. But we found a suitcase, which was half opened. The accused might have taken something out of that. But we don’t know what is missing from the suitcase,” said a senior police officer. 
— IANS

New Delhi, January 29
A speeding police Gypsy occupied by a station house officer (SHO) of Jaffar Pur Kalan police station hit and injured two men on bike in Southwest Delhi last night. However, instead of feeling guilty, the policemen accused the injured bikers of being drunk and threatened to book them for drunken driving. This enraged bystanders and they manhandled SHO Baltej Singh Malik and his staff.

According to information, the incident took place near Nanak Piyau in the Najafgarh area around 9.30 pm when Baltej Singh was being driven to the police station in Southwest Delhi by his driver. An eyewitness said that the accident took place due to negligence by the police Gypsy which was being driven at high speed. “The Gypsy had overtaken an autorickshaw from the wrong side and was speeding when it hit the bikers who were going at a very slow speed. But instead of helping the injured, policemen tried to scare them away,” said the eyewitness. He said that soon people gathered at the accident site and the SHO was hit by few of them. The driver of the Gypsy managed to escape and informed the PCR who came to the scene and controlled the situation.

The injured bikers have been identified as Ravinder and Devender who are milkmen by profession and were carrying cans of milk when the accident took place. They were rushed to Rao Tula Ram Hospital by the police where Devender was admitted with a fractured leg and Ravinder with a head injury. However, the 100 CC bike, which the two were driving has been badly damaged in the accident.

A case of drunken driving has been lodged against Devender and Ravinder, while a case of damaging the government property and manhandling a government official has been lodged against some of the local residents.

Meanwhile, the senior district officials refuted the claim that SHO was manhandled by the locals. “There was a tense situation for sometime and even the SHO was surrounded by people. But he was not manhandled by anyone,” said a senior official from Najafgarh, adding that the injured milkmen were indeed drunk at the time of the accident. 

New Delhi, January 29
The police mercilessly beat up the homeless who had taken refuge outside the Bangla Sahib Gurdwara and set ablaze their belongings on Wednesday.

Convener of Beghar Mazdoor Sangharsh Samiti (an NGO) Dhananjay Tingal said this adding that the police took this action claiming it had been ordered by higher authorities to clear the place. However, Tingal alleged that the police had no order to prove its claims.

“The policemen asked us to vacate the place. When we asked them where to go, they started behaving like hooligans. They threw our clothes, quilts and other belongings. When we tried to stop them, they abused us and threatened to burn everything if we did not move immediately,” said Kranti, a homeless.

She identified one of the policemen as ‘Virappa’.

An eyewitness said the victims were having their tea when the policemen started assaulting them. When Kamla, a beggar, requested the policemen not to use abusive language, one of them threw a stone on the hearth kept beside her.

The NGO members went to Connaught Place police station to file an FIR which was filed after an hour on the condition that if any beggar was found outside the gurdwara after evening yesterday, he would be arrested.

Ashok Pandey, advisor of the NGO, said the policemen were shouting at the homeless people, who were trying to stop them from burning their belongings.Kids were hiding themselves to get saved from being beaten up, while others were closing their roadside shops. This is not the first incident with beggars. On the eve of Republic Day, they were removed from the gurdwara side due to security reasons.

Tabassum, who stayed outside the gurdwara, said, “My life has turned into a misery. These policemen are behaving like ‘gundas’. They beat us like animals because we are poor and have no place other than this to go.” 

New Delhi, January 29
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) today arrested a branch manager of a bank here for accepting a bribe of Rs 1,50,000 to release the bank guarantees of the complainant. The accused, Rajender Gupta, branch manager of Bank of Baroda at Janakpuri district centre, had demanded an illegal gratification of Rs 2,50,000 from a civil contractor.

According to information, the contractor was sanctioned bank guarantee to the tune of Rs 22 lakh by the Connaught Place branch of Bank of Baroda. The bank had released three bank guarantees to the tune of Rs 11 lakh, but was withholding the remaining money.

“When the complainant requested the bank to release the remaining bank guarantees, the branch manager threatened the complainant that he would cancel even the three bank guarantees, already released to the complainant, unless the illegal gratification of Rs 250,000 was paid to him,” the statement issued by the CBI said.

As per instructions of the CBI, the complainant was asked to pay the bribe amount of Rs 1,50,000 to the bank manager when he was caught red-handed. The CBI has registered a case against the manager and is conducting searches at his residence. 

Noida, January 29
Four persons who boarded a call centre cab posing as passengers attacked the driver and threw him out of the vehicle in Delhi.

However, they met with an accident while fleeing and were forced to leave the damaged car and run away.

Driver Taufiq informed the police. Initially, the police claimed that the attack took place in Delhi.

However, later in the evening with the intervention of senior police officers, a case was registered at Sector 20 police station.

Four passengers boarded the cab from Rajni Gandha crossing. Near Maharani Bagh in Delhi, the driver was attacked by the so-called passengers. They held him captive for a few hours and later threw him out of the car near New Friends Colony.

Till late evening today, the police was clueless about the attackers and launched a hunt for them.

New Delhi, January 29
While the schools feel that the hike is not enough, the Residents’ Welfare Associations (RWAs) and the BJP have criticised the government’s move to hike school fee by Rs 500.

Chairman of Children Valley School’s managing committee Pradeep Jain said an increment of 15 to 20% is seen in school fees every year.

In the present scenario, the government’s order to raise fee by 20% hardly helps us. This is too less! “We were expecting an increment of around 40%, which would help the management to arrange salaries for teachers and other staff according to the Sixth Pay Commission,” Jain said.

President of East Delhi School Association, Inder Malik said, “There should have been an increment of around 45%. Only then we would be able to pay increased salaries to teachers. If the fee is not increased, I am scared that many schools would close due to losses.”

The Sixth Pay Commission has permitted a hike of 30% in the pay scale, while the government has permitted schools to 20% hike in tuition fee. Where from the remaining money will come? he questioned.

R.K. Malik, principal of a school in Rohini, said, “The government should help us by increasing the fee further as this is just a minor increment. We will be compelled to knock the doors of the court if no heed is paid to our voices.”

RWAs criticise govt

Residents’ Welfare Associations (RWAs) have condemned the government’s nod to private unaided schools to increase fee. They termed the hike as a sell out to private schools.

“Most schools are being run by business houses or MLAs. They are involved in commercialisation of education, despite the fact that most of them have got government land on highly concessional rates and are getting property tax and income tax rebate,” said Amit Agarwal, member of United Residents’ Joint Action (URJA).

“Parents are already burdened with high inflation and recession. Now the school fee hike! We will be forced to shift our children to government schools,” said Ritu Bhatia, an agitated parent and secretary of Mahila Pragatisheel Association.

Whims guided hike in fee: Gupta

MCD’s Standing Committee chairperson Vijender Gupta alleged the government had failed to take action against schools who were not following the order to increase fee by 20%. He said the state education minister had earlier announced to permit only those schools to increase fee who had a clear balancesheet.

“Many private schools have yet not submitted their balancesheets. Many have increased their fee according to their whims. Some did not care for the government order and are increasing fee by 50%,” said Gupta.

“The fee hike will have adverse impact on middle class people. This segment of the society struggles throughout the day to educate its wards,” said Vijender Gupta.

BJP seeks subsidy for schools

Delhi BJP chief O.P. Kohli today criticised the government for permitting private unaided schools to hike fee.

He suggested the government to give subsidy to schools.

In this meltdown and price spiral, parents should be relieved from this burden. 

New Delhi, January 29
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) last night approved the redevelopment of the prestigious Lady Hardinge Medical College and its associated colleges in Delhi.

The CCEA approved a fund of Rs 387.31 crore in order to increase the intake of students.

The development will be completed within 32 months and number of seats in undergraduate and postgraduate courses would increase from 130 to 200 and 70 to 127, respectively, over a period of three years, said the government in a statement issued here today.

The increase in the strength of student was necessitated following the coming into effect of the central educational institution (reservation in admission) act, 2006.