New Delhi, April 16
In a bizarre incident, a 10-year old student of a government school went into coma last evening after allegedly being handed corporal punishment by her teacher.

According to information, Sonu, student of Class III at MC Primary School in Narela, was asked by her class teacher Manju to recite the alphabet, failing which she was punished.

Sonu after returning home in the evening fainted.

Thinking that it could be because of fatigue, her parents took her to Maharshi Valmiki Hospital.

“The doctors at the hospital told the parents that she was in coma and it was probably the result of some impact on the head,” said a family friend.

Sonu was referred to Lok Narayan Jai Prakash Hospital today morning where no improvement has been reported in her condition.

Sonu’s father Ayub Khan works as labourer in a tent house and the family lives in a JJ colony situated in S Block of Narela in south-west Delhi.

He alleged that Sonu was hit in the head by her teacher, causing the complications.

“I came back from the hospital and asked her friends about what had happened in the school with Sonu. They confirmed that Sonu was beaten by the teacher,” said Ayub.

The family complained to the police and investigation was taken up by the Narela police station.

The school principal has suspended the class teacher with immediate effect.

However, the teacher has denied hitting the girl. “We are investigating the matter and have recorded the teacher’s statement,” said a police officer from Narela police station.

New Delhi, April 16
A mob of over 400 persons, allegedly led by a local politician, today ransacked the Bhajanpura police station, pelted stones and vandalised two vehicles. They were demanding the arrest of a key accused in the murder of a 24-year-old restaurateur Arif who was allegedly beaten to death on April 11 in the Khajuri Khas area.

Later, the police arrested and booked BSP candidate from Nort h East Delhi Hazi Dilshad and his 12 supporters for inciting violence and indulging in destruction of public property.

According to information, a senior police officer’s high-handedness made the situation tense and the police had to resort to firing in the air to disperse the crowd.

Taquir Ahmed, the victim’s father, alleged that when he and his friends went to the police station to lodge an FIR, the additional DCP misbehaved with them. “Instead of giving us a patient hearing, additional deputy police commissioner M.R. Gothwal threw a glass at us. The glass hit one of our men and he started bleeding.”

He added that the people of the area were agitated over this misbehaviour and the mob went on the rampage and damaged the official car of Gothwal and another police vehicle.

The police resorted to baton-charge and hurled tear gas shells to disperse the mob that raised slogans against the Delhi police and blocked the traffic in the area. Three people were injured in the process.

It was only when senior police officials, including the DCP reached the spot and assured the people that the case would be looked into afresh that the situation was brought under control.

Meanwhile, the police denied misbehaviour by any of their men. “We had to fire in air to disperse the violent crowd. Someone from the protesters also opened fire using a country-made firearm. We have recovered the shell of a bullet of a country-made pistol from the site,” said S .S Yadav, DCP (North-East).

The protestors were demanding the arrest of two persons identified as Rohatash and Chintu for the murder of Arif, alias Kallu, who ran a restaurant.

Arif’s affair with a Hindu girl is being touted as the cause of his murder by the girl’s family. “The girl’s family had objections to her affair with a Muslim boy. So they shifted from Bhajanpura to Khajuri Khas. On Saturday, they called Arif from home and took him with them on the pretext of taking his help in shifting their belongings,” Taquir Ahmed, told reporters here.

“My son was then beaten to death by the girl’s family. But the police, in order to mislead the investigation, said that my son was trying to burgle the girl’s house. They said he was caught by people and lynched to death,” Ahmed added.

The police has arrested the girl’s mother and two men. But two main accused— Rohatash and Chintu— are still at large.

New Delhi, April 16
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate from West Delhi constituency Jagdish Mukhi while addressing a public meeting today alleged that the discoms, in connivance with the Delhi government, would soon increase tariff by 60 per cent.

The announcement had been delayed till the elections, he said.

Opposing the proposed hike, Mukhi said in the time of recession, when the common man was striving hard to survive, the government was trying to cheat people.

The BJP will oppose the hike, he said.

Mukhi further said the discoms had already hiked tariff four times recently. Power companies were cheating Delhiites by installing poor quality fast-running meters. Despite having a 49 per cent share, the Delhi government had failed to put a check on these companies, he added. 

Mukhi alleged that the Delhi government had provided special powers, a special court and special force to these companies to check power theft, but the discoms were misusing these benefits by sending inflated bills to consumers.  

Mukhi also questioned if a uniform electricity rule governed the city, then why was it that a colony on one side of the road was being provided electricity at a cheaper rate, while that on the other side was being charged a higher tariff rate. 

Moreover, he said in its recent report, the Central Power Research Institute had stated that out of 1,300 electronic meters checked by the institute, 90 per cent were running fast. 

The power companies were this way plundering approximately Rs 300 crore every year from the customers.

New Delhi, April 16
The Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (DSGPC) on Thursday announced its support for the Congress party and appealed to Sikhs in the country to vote for the party which has declared that Manmohan Singh, a Sikh, will be its prime minister again if it forms government.

The DSGPC, the committee governing gurdwaras in the Capital, took the decision at a special meeting attended by over 300 heads and representatives of various gurdwaras in the country at the Rakab Ganj gurdwara here.

“We held discussions with members of various gurdwaras across the country and decided to support the Congress as the party for the first time made a Sikh the country’s prime minister. We want Manmohan Singh to get a second term as the prime minister,” said DSGPC president Paramjit Singh Sarna.

The DSGPC has also sent a letter of support to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi.

The party also expressed satisfaction over Congress leaders Jagdish Tytler and Sajjan Kumar withdrawing their candidatures for the Lok Sabha elections in Delhi. The two are accused of involvement in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. — IANS

Ghaziabad, April 16
A 23-year-old B.Tech student was found dead in her college hostel room in suspicious circumstances. Her body was found hanging from the ceiling fan in her room.

Sarika, daughter of Suresh Chander of Kanpur, was a fourth-year student of a B.Tech course in Inder Prastha Engineering College, Ghaziabad.

The police found a suicide note from her room in which she blamed her senior, Abhishek, of harassing her, DSP Rahul Srivastava said.

On Wednesday, she had attended her class and in the evening her maternal uncle, Pankaj, had come from Delhi. When she did not answer the door bell, he got it opened with the help of college security guards.

He was stunned to find Sarika’s body hanging from the ceiling fan.

The college administration immediately informed the police.

The police has sent the body for a post-mortem.

The DSP said Abhishek was a former student of the college. The police has questioned some students to trace Abhishek.

Greater Noida, April 16
A doctor, summoned to attend to a serious patient in his clinic in the busy Jagat Farm area of Greater Noida, was allegedly shot dead on arrival by three assailants.

One of the fleeing assailants was nabbed by security guards patrolling the area, who by chance happened to come there.According to the police, a land dispute in the doctor’s native Debai village in Bulandshahr is reported to be the cause of his murder.

Dr Amit owned some shops in Debai and he was having a dispute regarding encroachment and rent payments with certain people. The dispute is pending in a court also. According to the police, he had been warned to keep away from the dispute

Yesterday, at 10 pm, he received a phone call allegedly by his employee, asking him to come promptly as a patient was in a critical condition at his clinic. As Dr Amit reached his clinic some people awaiting him in the dark started firing at him indiscriminately. He died on the spot.