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Shastri’s watch stolen
New CBI team to probe Aarushi case
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36 juveniles escape from observation home
Woman shot by bikers
The disabled decry IIM website
Law student held for farmer’s murder
Campaigning up in Okhla
Bihar Cong leaders may canvass in Haryana
Dwarka bypoll today
Town Hall security beefed up
Hoax bomb caller held
Gt Noida health centres ailing
DTC drivers to be trained in communication skills
School rapped for not letting student fill in exam form
Govt schools told to display funds for students
20 kids among 36 get H1N1
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Shastri’s watch stolen
New Delhi, September 9 After conducting an internal inquiry, senior officials managing the affairs of the memorial told the police that it was the handiwork of an outsider, probably a visitor. According to sources, Shastri never used the watch worth millions. He gave it to his son Anil who wore it till he decided to gift the watch to the memorial in 2005. “Thieves broke into Lal Bahadur Shastri Memorial on September 3 and fled with Shastri’s watch. We have lodged a case and are questioning the memorial’s staff. As of now, we have not got any clue,” said a police official from New Delhi district, adding that a team of experts had visited the memorial soon after the incident and collected the fingerprints from the place where watch was kept. Confirming the news, Late Lal Bahadur Shastri’s son Anil told the media that the theft has ‘pained him and his family’. “My father felt this watch was quite expensive. When he returned from Russia, he asked me whether I would like to wear the golden watch. I readily agreed. I wore that watch for 40 years and when the memorial was inaugurated in 2005, I gave it to the memorial,” said Anil Shastri. He added the memorial officials had told the police that an unidentified couple was present in the memorial for a long time. Moreover, Anil believes that the security at the memorial is inadequate and has written to the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) in this regard. “I have written to the CPWD asking them to provide locks for showcases exhibiting rare articles of my father. I have also asked that CCTVs be installed in the memorial. We will ask the guards to frisk visitors at the exit point,” said Anil. As of now, the memorial has just two security guards at the entry and exit points. |
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New CBI team to probe Aarushi case
New Delhi, September 9 “A new team is being formed to probe the Aarushi murder case,” said CBI spokesman Harsh Bhal. Bhal said CBI deputy inspector general, “Arun Kumar (who was leading the probe) is completing his term in October. Arun Kumar has sought early repatriation (to Uttar Pradesh) and that is why the new team will be formed before his term ends.” The new team is being formed 17 months after Aarushi was found murdered in her parents’ Jalvayu Vihar apartment in Noida on May 16 last year. The family’s domestic help Hemraj was found murdered a day later on the terrace of the house. The case has remained an unsolved riddle. On September 5, IANS had reported that Kumar was asked to return to his home state following poor handling of the sensational double murder case. The decision follows the startling reports of a surreptitious replacement of Aarushi’s vaginal swabs with another women’s. Kumar, a senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of the Uttar Pradesh cadre, was on deputation to the CBI. Earlier on Wednesday, the CBI maintained it had known “for eight months” that the vaginal swabs of Aarushi may have been substituted and that it was probing the tampering of evidence. “Our investigators have been following this angle for the last eight months and will soon file a status report in the Supreme Court,” Bhal said, when asked about the DNA sample of the teenaged victim reportedly being changed with that of an unidentified woman. “There is nothing new in it (the allegations of tampering) as far as investigations are considered,” he said. Bhal refused to divulge any more details, saying the murder was being investigated and the matter was sub-judice. “Nothing can be shared with the media right now,”he added. The double murders have remained one of the country’s biggest whodunits. After meandering through unexpected twists and turns, the probe had almost reached a dead-end. All those who were picked up for interrogation in the initial weeks of the murder — Aarushi’s dentist-father Rajesh Talwar, his medical assistant Krishna and two other domestic helps, Raj Kumar and Vijay Mandal — are out while the CBI still continues to hunt for material evidence. But the latest reports that the vaginal swabs were substituted has re-ignited media and public interest in the case. There have been allegations that a pathologist, Dr Richa Saxena, who works for a government hospital in Noida, had tampered with the DNA samples. But Saxena, who collected the swab samples taken by doctor Sunil Dohre during the autopsy, insisted that there was no mix-up. “It is sheer mischief to rake up another controversy,” said Dr Saxena, who was at that time assisting Dr Dohre. Saxena, who was said to be absconding, also insisted that she was being “dragged into a bigger conspiracy.” “I am not absconding but have been very disturbed with false allegations against me. This is a conspiracy to shield the real culprits in the case and I am being dragged into this large conspiracy,” said Dr Saxena.
— IANS |
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36 juveniles escape from observation home
New Delhi, September 9 A senior police officer said two or three inmates came to fetch milk and suddenly others joined them and attacked the guard. The main entrance of the home was open and finding an opportunity, they escaped from the place. “The incident was brought to our notice by the authorities in the morning. The details of the escaped inmates and their background are being collected. Our officers have been informed of the facts and are investigating the matter,” added the officer. Tthe police said the escape was well-planned. Efforts were being made to trace the boys. Post escape, the police was checking vehicles at various places after putting up barricades, but till late evening there was no trace of the escapees. There were a total of 66 inmates inside the home. It is under the social welfare department of the Delhi government. According to officials, the observation home is guarded by private security guards and around 14 guards are deployed there who work on shifts. This is the second such incident within four months. Earlier on May 21, 36 inmates fled from the same home after two groups clashed on the premises over the arrangement of food. One of the groups was demanding that food should be arranged inside the observation home and no home-made food be allowed inside while the other group opposed the idea. This led to a scuffle and the escape of some of the inmates. |
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Woman shot by bikers
New Delhi, September 9 “The deceased, Santosh, was sitting outside her house when around three persons appeared there on a bike. They were carrying pistols with them and fired at Santosh. Four bullets hit Santosh and she collapsed on the road screaming while the assailants fled from the spot. Santosh was rushed to a hospital but was declared brought dead,” said a senior police officer.
In another incident, a 36-year-old man was shot at and injured by two bike-borne assailants in Burari area of north district last night. A senior police officer said that the victim, Sobhit who works as a salesman, was returning home on a scooter when he was attacked at around 10:30 pm. “Sobhit received gunshot on his abdomen and was rushed to ISBT trauma centre where he is undergoing treatment. His belongings were found intact which indicates that his assailants only wanted to kill him,” said the police officer.
Sobhit’s father Amrish revealed that about five month ago also his son was attacked near Nirankari Colony in Mukherjee Nagar area. 2 held for murder
The south district police claims to have worked out the murder of a lobourer who was killed on Saturday night in the Kishangarh area of Mehrauli. Two persons identified as Mohit Gaur (28) and Satender (20) have been arrested for the crime. The police said the two killed Rajesh Pandit, a resident of Bihar, to rob him. Mohit told police that he was drunk when the incident took place. He along with Satender killed Rajesh as they needed more money to buy liquor. DCP (south) HGS Dhaliwal said, “They first beat up Rajesh and took off his half pant hoping to find some cash in its pockets. But when they did not find anything they attacked him with an the iron pipe on his face. They attacked Rajesh till they were assured that he was dead.” The blood-stained iron pipe and the cloths that Rajesh was wearing at the time of the incident was seized on Mohit’s instance. Satender is the son of a Delhi Jal Board employee. He is an alcoholic and has not completed his matriculation. In order to get money to purchase liquor, he has been indulging in petty crimes like snatching. Mohit belongs to a middle-class family and is an alcoholic too. He too used to commit petty crimes to buy liquor. Presently, both of the accused are working at a pipe factory in Gurgaon, Haryana. |
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The disabled decry IIM website
New Delhi, September 9 To them, the CAT IIM website http://www.catiim.in is not user-friendly, and they say, don’t call us by different names—“physically challenged”, “people with special needs” and “differently-abled” to sound more sensitive to the issue as in the act the basics of disability stand diluted. This is the state even as the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh called for making all the government websites disabled-friendly and directed all the corporate giants to create disabled-friendly environment within their network along with making their websites accessible to PWD. The section feels that the CAT IIM website is unfriendly to PWD, and in fact the whole approach of the country’s premier institute of management, the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) to PWD is unfavourable. “It is quite unthinkable that the even after 15 years of inception of Persons with Disability Act, 1995, the topmost institute is still unprepared after such a significant upgradation of online exam,” complained Javed Abidi, the executive director of National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People. Pointing out the lacunae in the IIM website both on technical and conceptual grounds, he said, it is utterly bizarre. On 11 counts on level A and five counts on level A (a), the website fails to cater to the needs of PWD. The window period of the exams is one day (December 3) for PWD against 10 days (Nov 28-December 7) for people of other categories, and generally all the candidates have the option to choose the nearest examination centre, but the PWD have been given limited centres, said Javed. To the PWD, the very usage of “Differently Abled Candidates or DA Candidates” on the home page is misguiding and derogatory. “Not everybody can understand the innovative terminology, and it is highly disrespectful to the community. Rather than showing sophisticated sensitiveness, it reflects one’s ignorance about the concerns of disabled people. Then there is no mention of people with multiple disability. The whole definition of the Act has been modified,” outlined Javed. As per the guidelines, PWD are permitted to carry one assistive device and the inclusion of “wheel chair”, “hearing aid” and “scribe” under assistive technologies doesn’t come down well with the section. “It is highly unacceptable that the needs of people are termed under provisions like assistive aids, as actually objects like hearing aid are actually termed as independent living devices. Again, there is no mention of sign-language interpreter for people with hearing impairment,” emphasised
Javed. |
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Law student held for farmer’s murder
Greater Noida, September 9 According to Additional SP, Surinder Kumar Verma, Ved Pal was going to Noida on August 5 in a Maruti car. His car was overtaken and blocked by a Scorpio vehicle. Two persons got down from the Scorpio and one of them, Jai Vardhan shot dead Ved Pal at point-blank. Ved Pal’s brother Yoginder had lodged a murder report against Krishnpal’s son Jai Vardhan and some others. According to SP, a police team under circle officer Rajesh Kumar Singh, had arrested Jai Vardhan from near Gautam Budh Nagar University after an encounter. Police recovered a foreign-made pistol and the Scorpio car used in the murder. Ved Pal Shastri had 18-bigha land in his name near the village which had been forcibly occupied by Jai Vardhan’s family, the SP said. Two families had clashed on this issue a number of times in the past few years. The panchayat had also been called many times to resolve the dispute. A case was pending in the court also. On August 6 again, the panchayat was to consider the matter. But before that Ved Pal and Krishnpal’s families again clashed in which Ved Pal is reported to have abused Jai Vardhan’s grandfather. The furious grandson, Jai Vardhan then shot dead Ved Pal. According to sources, Jai Vardhan owns property worth crores in the village. He was studying law in a Knowledge Pak-III institute in Greater Noida. |
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Campaigning up in Okhla
New Delhi, September 9 Two municipal wards–Okhla and Zakir Nagar–are Muslim-dominated while Madanpur Khadar has a mixed vote bank. Sarita Vihar is considered a BJP vote bank. During the day the candidates campaign in Madanpur Khadar and Sarita Vihar while in the evening before the Iftar, they move to the Muslim-dominated areas. As far as the Congress is concerned, workers are dividing into two sections–one is working for the party candidate, Farhad Suri while the other is supporting the Nationalist Congress Party candidate, Ramveer Singh Bidhuri. Many Congress workers are seen in the public meetings of the NCP candidate. However, Farhad Suri today claimed that 40 office-bearers of the BSP and LJP had joined the Congress. He brought them to Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit’s residence to prove that he was a strong candidate. Okhla block president of the LJP, Amanatullah Khan said that Congress was the only party which worked for the minorities. Farhad Suri denied that that in public meetings of the Congress, people are not seen in good numbers and party workers work for the NCP candidate.As far as Ramveer Singh is concerned, CM Sheila Dikshit said that he was an opportunist. He has changed seven parties so far. The Congress man will win, she claimed. |
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Bihar Cong leaders may canvass in Haryana
Faridabad, September 9 This is mainly because of the fact that the Haryana government extended support to the flood-affected people of Bihar last year. A few days back, the Chief Minister of Bihar, Nitish Kumar, expressed his gratitude in a letter addressed to the Chief Minister of Haryana. He thanked Bhupender Singh Hooda for his contribution of Rs 5 crore to set up “raised flood shelters” for the people of Bihar. Hooda, during his visit to Bihar last month, had announced Rs 5 crore to the “Chief Minister Relief Fund” for setting up the raised shelters. Hooda had gone to Musheri village in Saharsa district to dedicate the houses and other infrastructure set up by the Sonipat administration as contribution to rehabilitate the people of the village. The Sonipat administration had collected nearly Rs 2 crore which was spent on setting up the houses and infrastructure in the village. Virtually every household in the district contributed to the collection fund. Besides, the Haryana government had sent fodder for the cattle along with other goods as relief package. The Congress leaders of Haryana say that that the government here was guided purely by humanitarian instinct. Bihar is ruled by JD-BJP coalition. Even the BJP unit in Bihar lauded the role of Haryana. A senior Congress leader said that the leaders of the party will thus come in large numbers to support the Congress’s campaign during the Assembly election. |
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Dwarka bypoll today
New Delhi, September 9 There are a total of 140,499 electors. Of them 79,949 are males and 60,550 females. The Delhi Election Commission has established 142 polling stations in 19 places. The average number of electors per polling station has been worked out to be 990. Two polling stations are considered sensitive. A total number of candidates in the fray are 13, including one female. About 500 police personnel are being deployed to ensure free and fair election. The police has set up six pickets bordering the neighbouring state of Haryana at
Jhajjar. Those who do not have election card can use one of the documents like a copy of passport, PAN card, driving
licence, service identity card, bank pass book containing photograph of the account holder, freedom fighter identity card and health scheme insurance smart card. |
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Town Hall security beefed up
New Delhi, September 9 The Mayor said 25 Home Guards and 52 chowkidars of the MCD were put on the job. He said the officials were directed to review the security in the context of the recent calls of threats. There one was one hoax call yesterday, which had indicated the possibility of there being a live bomb on the premises. The entry of the vehicles was restricted, with only those of political functionaries and officers allowed. “Town Hall went through a security threat yesterday as well as today, though fortunately nothing objectionable was found,” said the Mayor, Kanwar Singh. According to MCD officials, instructions have been issued that entry would be allowed only on the basis of identity cards or entry passes issued by the civic body. Coordination between the police and MCD officials would be made smooth for more effective and foolproof security, he said. |
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Hoax bomb caller held
New Delhi, September 9 The accused Kanta Prasad (45) was arrested near the Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) Hospital PCO while he was trying to make another hoax call around 3:30 pm today. Kanta Prasad allegedly made hoax bomb calls throughout the day. He said that bombs had been planted at New Delhi Railway Station, Old Delhi Railway station, Rajiv Chowk Metro station, Palika Kendra, RML Hospital, Safdarjung Hospital, Vikas Minar at ITO and Town Hall. “Meanwhile, we are interrogating Kanta,” said a police official refusing to divulge details. |
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Gt Noida health centres ailing
Greater Noida, September 9 This is not a recent development but this state of affairs has persisted for a petty long time. It appears that the health centres lack supervision and no checking of centres or staff is ever made. For instance, the primary health centre in Dahra village, set up at a cost of crores of rupees a few years ago, can provide treatment for only casual and minor ailments. Primary health centres are supposed to provide medicines to patients while community health centres are supposed to have facilities like X-ray, pathological investigations and operations. But in reality, one gets none of these at most of the primary health centres and the community health centres in the district. According to health department sources, primary health centres have been set up in villages like Chili, Rampur Khaddar, Badili, Bilaspur, Dankore and Mandi Shyam Nagar. Community health centres were established at Dadri, Badalpur, Dahra, etc. At Chili, Rampur and Badili village primary health centres padlocks greet one, while Dahra community health centre, reportedly set up at cost of crores is confined only to giving ordinary and basic medicines. It does not have the facilities of X-ray, operations and pathological tests. In the Dadri centre, an X- ray machine is there but it has seldom been used. According to reports, the Badili health centre is being used as a Home by some notorious people who have occupied it. No doctor or staff ever visit this centre. In Dadri, the ambulance is seldom used for patients, but is at the service of doctors and staff as a staff vehicle. In Mandi Shyam Nagar and Bilaspur health centres, even freezers have not been provided for storing medicines. So medicines and injections which have to be stored at certain temperatures are not available in these health
centres. |
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DTC drivers to be trained in communication skills
New Delhi, September 9 As many as 1,500 drivers and conductors have been selected for the 40-day-long first phase of communication and skill training programme, he added. The minister informed that the internal training module would be useful for drivers and conductors during the Commonwealth Games so that sportpersons and participating officers might feel more comfortable to get more reliable transport in the Capital. Refreshing courses would also be provided to the drivers and conductors during the programme. Arvinder Singh said that the Delhi government was committed to providing better and efficient public transport system. To promote public transport system, the government is going to increase the DTC fleet up to 7000 by April 2010. He said that the Delhi Transport Corporation would be adding 3,125 low-floor CNG buses to its existing fleet. Out of these buses, 1,250 buses would be air-conditioned and 1,000 buses would be semi-low floor. Keeping in view the Commonwealth Games, the government will spend Rs 1,500 crore to strengthen the DTC, Arvinder Singh added. |
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School rapped for not letting student fill in exam form
New Delhi, September 9 A Division Bench of Justices A.K. Sikri and Valmiki J. Mehta expressed concern when advocate Ashok Aggarwal pointed out that Tanya Tariq, a Class 10 student of Frank Anthony Public School here, was made to stand outside her class for a whole day and was not allowed to fill in the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) examination form as she had not paid the fee arrears of Rs.3,900. “There is a deep impact on the psyche on the child and the school should understand it,” the bench said while directing the Delhi government to look into the issue as Thursday is the last date for filing the exam form. The court also asked the government to make sure such incidents do not take place again. “Tanya had paid the enhanced fees of Rs.7,065 and also Rs.2,800 as the board examination fees, but the school is not allowing her to fill the form and is denying on the ground that she has not paid the Rs.3,900 arrears,” said Aggarwal.
— IANS |
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Govt schools told to display funds for students
New Delhi, September 9 The Central Information Commission (CIC) has ordered all government schools in the Capital put up this information on the education department’s website by September 25. The information must be displayed in both Hindi and English. Passing the order, information commissioner Sailesh Gandhi said, “All Delhi government schools will have to display the entitlements for students and other welfare schemes meant for them.” The order was passed after Gandhi heard a complaint by an NGO, Pardarshita, which found that financial schemes for students extended by the Delhi government to 950 schools did not reach them. The CIC has also asked the schools to display the dates by which these entitlements have to be provided, the last date by which the diaries should be given to students and details about the education officer and the deputy director of education, who is the in charge of the zone and the district. |
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Get ready for more rains today
New Delhi, September 9 The morning showers made a pleasant start to the weekday especially for office-goers who enjoyed the cool weather. The Capital recorded 4.4-mm rain in the morning. The downpour brought down the maximum temperature to 33.2° Celsius, one notch below the normal while the minimum settled at 24.5° Celsius, confirmed the Met department. It started raining again in the evening. Some roads and busy intersections like ITO, Moolchand flyover Vikas Marg, Kalyanpuri, Trilokpuri, Noida Mode, Mayur Vihar, India Gate, Dhaula Kuan, Lodhi Road, Karol Bagh, Punjabi Bagh, Rajghat and Nizamuddin faced light traffic jams. Meanwhile, the weatherman has predicted cloudy sky for tomorrow accompanied with one or two heavy spells and thunderstorms. The maximum temperature could settle at 31° Celsius while the minimum could go to 23° Celsius. |
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20 kids among 36 get H1N1
New Delhi, September 9 Doctors say kids are considered to be susceptible given the fact for long hours they are exposed to crowds, and their immunity to diseases is less. Further, with changing weather other susceptible groups like persons with chronic illnesses and old people need to be extra cautious, suggest city doctors. With today’s positive cases of the flu, the cumulative figure of H1N1 cases goes to 1,030. Out of total tally, 876 cases have been treated, and 154 people infected with the virus are still undergoing treatment with 23 cases admitted to the hospitals and the remaining 131 cases are under medication at home quarantine. |
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