New Delhi, September 26
Conches worth crores were seized in a raid conducted in the Lahori Gate area on Friday.

A police team with the help of People for Animal, an NGO run by senior BJP leader Maneka Gandhi, conducted a raid in the Chandni Chowk area and seized 316 rare shells.

A man identified as Jagmohan who used to smuggle the shells from South India has also been arrested. He has been arrested under Sections 9, 39, 50 and 51 of the Wild Life Protection Act 1972, which incurs punishment of three to seven years, DCP (north Delhi) said.

The shells are reportedly exported to foreign countries and sold in Delhi to foreign tourists, particularly women. Each shell is sold at Rs 30,000. They are of rare species.

The DCP said that a raid was conducted in house number 388, opposite to Chandni Chowk post office, on the basis of a complaint lodged by Sarav Gupta, an official at People for Animal.

Sarav Gupta said the shells were smuggled from South India to North Indian states like Haryana, Punjab, Chandigarh, Delhi and Uttranchal. He informed that a suspect was arrested in Haridwar one and half month ago while another was arrested in Chandigarh with 39 shells.

New Delhi, September 26
Medical superintendent (MS) of Safdajung Hospital Dr Jagdish Prasad was dismissed last night on charges of cheating and corruption.

An inquiry has been ordered and additional MS Dr K.T. Bhowmik has been appointed as the acting MS. While Dr V.K. Sharma, head of orthopaedics department, has replaced Dr Prasad as the principal of Vardhman Mahavir Medical College. However, Dr Prasad would continue as the additional director health services.The decision to remove Dr Prasad was taken by union health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad on Thursday evening. The minister has directed that the charges should immediately be referred to the Central Vigilance Commission.

The bolt on Dr Prasad fell after two disabled persons, Jagat Narayan and S.K. Sinha, alleged that he had promised them a contract to run the hospital canteen on a lease of 90 days under the disabled quota against Rs 22 lakh. The complainants, who filed an FIR at Sarojini Nagar police station on August 28, alleged that Dr Prasad avoided them even after they had paid Rs 4.5 lakh.

Even as cases under various sections of the Indian Penal Code have been registered against Dr Prasad, a Padmashree, and his relative Virender, whom the police is still trying to trace, Dr Prasad said the complainants were conspiring against him.

New Delhi, September 26
In case you are wondering from where the term “slapstick comedy” originates, one of the most popular play directors in Europe, Carlo Boso, has landed in Delhi to demonstrate it.

For the first time in India, Boso’s team of Italian theatre artists “Il Carro dei Comici” would showcase a 15th century art of comedy “Commedia dell’arte”, a unique combination of music, singing, acrobatics, fencing duels, dramatic moments, extempore acting and comedy.

The cast of the play spoke to The Tribune today about the play, which would be performed in the Capital tomorrow at the India Habitat Centre.

In its director’s words, the play conveys the message of “life full of happiness for everyone” and the ancient Greek art form is still relevant because it demonstrates the “love of power and the power of love” that refuses to change centuries after.

“This form of comedy theatre is unique for its use of masks. These masks symbolise the characters who have been there since its inception,” said Boso.

The play basically rests on a broad script inside which the actors can add to their own dialogues and acts.

The term “slapstick” was coined after one of the characters in the play Arlecchino bore two sticks tied together, which made a great noise on impact.“Comedy conveys serious messages even while people are laughing,” said Boso.

The theme of the play that takes inspiration from William Shakespeare’s masterpieces, The Merchant of Venice, Romeo and Juliet and Othello, revolves around love and money.

The Italian actors travelling with Boso are Annalisa Mei, Giancarlo Cioppi, Maria Paola Benedetti, Fabio Ivan di Bari, Diego Longano and Thilina Pietro Femino.

“I am the voice of people in the play. Playing the role of a servant I am at times smart and stupid otherwise. Stupidity helps when I have to say true but rude things to my masters, who are in power,” said Diego Longano, who is playing the character of Pedrolino.

Been all over the world with their play, the actors have had their share of shocks and surprises. “We were performing in Iran and realised that the women actors had to cover their heads even when they were on stage. Also, the men and women had to be segregated on stage,” said Boso.

Giancarlo Cioppi, who is playing one of the lead roles of Shylock in the play, said the Indians smiled as much as the Italians.

The company is also on a mission to globalise theatre art forms and groups. “Globalisation should be about theatre art forms crossing borders and becoming an international community,” said Boso.

During his stay, Boso said he wanted to visit the National School of Drama in Delhi and try to collaborate with it on an exchange programme.

New Delhi, September 26
Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said that her government was committed to provide fire safety coverage to residents of the Capital. The government has planned to commission more fire stations to ensure safety of life and property.

She was speaking on the 63rd passing out parade of fire operators at Fire Safety Management Academy in Rohini today.

Dikshit said the process of fire fighting had become hi-tech as more and more high-rise buildings were coming up and there were many unplanned narrow lanes in the city.

The Chief Minister exhorted people to install fire safety appliances in their buildings and take preventive measures. She appealed to them to remain calm during fire incidents.

Dikshit said the Delhi Fire Service had 50 fire stations, including headquarters and training centre. In order to reduce the response time, a target of 70 fire stations was set up during the 10th five year plan.

Opening of 20 fire stations were proposed. Disaster management centres have been set up at Laxmi Nagar, Rohini and Nehru Place fire stations. They have been equipped with specialised equipment such as Hazrat Van and rescue responder.

Gurgaon, September 26
It seemed like a scene straight out of a Bollywood flick. A group of armed miscreants last night barged into the Palam Vihar house of Anup Chaturvedi, a general manager with Maruti Suzuki and demanded cash and other valuables from them. The family panicked; but somebody managed to inform the police, which soon reached.

However, before the police arrived, two or three of the miscreants took cash and valuables in Chaturvedi’s car. Chaturvedi somehow managed to sneak out and tell ACP Rajesh Duggal about the situation inside while his family was held hostage by two miscreants.

In the meanwhile, DCP (crime) Anil Dhawan and commandos also reached the scene. The police not only rescued the family members, but also shot two of the miscreants.

“The miscreants were shot by the police personnel in self-defence,” said police commissioner S.S. Deswal at a press conference, adding that the search for the absconding ones was on and they would soon be arrested.

The incident not just seems like a Bollywood flick with a happy ending, but also has some glaring chinks as well. For instance, the weapons seized by the police include one sophisticated 9 mm and one country-made pistol. The police claims that the miscreants also had a knife.

However the gunfight has left behind some unanswered questions. How did just two persons armed with only two pistols kept such a large number of police personnel hooked for so long? Secondly, according to Chaturvedi, the police personnel first rescued his family members from the house and then shot the miscreants. How did the policemen bring out the family members if they were held hostage by the two miscreants? And even if they somehow managed to do so, what necessitated the “encounter” thereafter?

The DCP (crime) and the ACP who was present at the “encounter” site were conspicious by their absence at the press conference. The police commissioner was also unable to disclose the exact number of rounds fired or the number of personnel deployed at the time of the “encounter”.

The whole episode also puts a question-mark over the efficacy of security arrangements in the high-class locality. It was just a matter a chance that a police Gypsy deployed for a Durga Puja function nearby reached the scene of crime well in time; the situation could have taken an ugly turn otherwise.

Meanwhile, according to police sources, the miscreants who fled in Chaturvedis’ car abandoned it in Palam Vihar and decamped with the looted cash and valuables. According to the police, their investigations have revealed that the miscreants spoke in a dialect which indicated that they were natives of Bihar or Uttar Pradesh.

The bodies of the slain miscreants were sent for post-mortem examination, but they had not been identified till the time of filing this report.

Noida, September 26
Two criminals wearing helmets walked into a Bank of Maharashtra branch in Sector-51 here and fled after looting Rs 5.5 lakh . They committed the crime just in four minutes.

Interestingly, Ghaziabad police had reached the bank premises before the Noida Sector-49 Kotwali which is just 2 km away.

The incident took place yesterday. The bandits overpowered the security guard and the branch manager at gunpoint.

The other criminal showed a dagger to the woman cashier and looted Rs 5.5. lakh.

The bank CCTV recorded both the criminals having entered the branch of Maharashtra bank at 1.32 p.m. and fled at 1.36 p.m. in just 4 minutes. It appeared both the bandits had detailed knowledge about the bank.

Bank manager Subashive Chaudhari said firstly a man wearing helmet entered the bank. Security guard Rajesh Awasthi objected to his entering the bank wearing a helmet. The intruder immediately pulled out a revolver and snatched the guard’s gun also. He threatened to shoot him and the branch manager.

Right at this moment, the second criminal, also wearing a helmet, entered the bank and made half a dozen customers stand in a line near manager’s cabin at dagger-point. He ordered all of them to put their cell phones at one place.

The second bandit overpowered cashier Ms Sudha Mangalik and ordered her to put all the cash in a plastic bag. While collecting the cash, he left the knife in cashier’s cabin and fled.

All this while no one thought of sounding the bank alarm. A loot report has been filed with Sector-49 police.

Faridabad, September 26
Out of 166 nomination papers filed for the nine Assembly segments falling in Faridabad parliamentary constituency, 25 of them were rejected after scrutiny on technical ground.

The Assembly segments falling in Faridabad parliamentary constituency are spread over Faridabad and Palwal districts. While six Assembly segments fall in Faridabad, three of them fall in Palwal district.

In the Assembly segments falling in Faridabad district, 18 candidates—constituting the largest number—had filed their papers for NIT out of which five were rejected. Badkhal witnessed 16 candidates out of which the case of four of them was turned down by the returning officer.

Fourteen had filed their papers for Ballabgarh seat out of which four were rejected. In Faridabad (89), 13 had put in their claims, but five of them did not find approval. While in Tigaon, 10 nominations were filed out of which three were spiked. Prithla witnessed 15 claims out of which four were found to be short on technical parameters.

In effect, 141 candidates, including the official nominees of political parties, will now slug it out in Faridabad and Palwal districts in the election in the state, scheduled for October 13.