New Delhi, November 25
Nearly 94 students of Sarvodaya Kanya Vidyalaya at Trilokpuri in east Delhi fell ill after consuming midday meal this morning. They were admitted to Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital and were discharged after administering first-aid.

The police has picked up a sample of the meal and sent it to a laboratory to find out the reason of food poisoning.

Medical superintendent of the hospital said the students complained about feeling puckish when they were admitted by the school authorities around 11 am. Around 89 students were discharged till 4 pm while remaining five are under observation.

An official of the Delhi government said students of class VI to IX were served rice and pulse in the midday meal. About 30 minutes after consuming it, they made a complaint of vomiting. Thus, they were taken to the hospital for treatment.

An official of the education department said the NGO that supplied the meal had been blacklisted and a committee under additional director, Education, had been constituted to probe the case.

A committee member today visited the school to find out the preliminary report that has to be submitted within three days. A review meeting will be held tomorrow again, the official added.

Criticising the government, leader of Opposition in Delhi Assembly, Prof Vijay Kumar Malhotra, asked for a judicial inquiry into the case. 

New Delhi, November 25
As the influenza A (H1N1) grip is becoming stronger with winters fast nearing, the Delhi health department has decided to allow 200-bedded Sri Action Balaji Hospital in the city to treat patients suffering from H1N1 flu.

The decision has been taken to avert shortage of beds at the hospital, as the city today reported 92 H1N1 cases, taking the cumulative tally to 4511, said Dr Debasis Bhattacharya, the city nodal officer for H1N1 and dengue.

“We conducted a training, which was attended by 40 medicos and paramedics at Balaji Hospital. The hospital has installed the necessary arrangements, including isolation ward for screening of H1N1 patients. Approval would be given tomorrow,” city nodal odfficer dr Debasis Bhattacharya added.

Apart from Balaji Hospital,three other hospitals, Ganga Ram Hospital, Moolchand Hospital and Apollo Hospital are screening and admitting patients suffering from the H1N1 flu.

Among the new confirmed cases of H1N1, 69 are children, pushing the total figure of children to 2,540.

Besides, the cases of dengue maintained its tempo registering an increase today with 19 confirmed cases.

Also, yesterday’s fatality due to dengue at Safdarjung Hospital is a suspected case, Dr Debasis said.

The cases of dengue would decrease within a week as the temperatures have already dipped, nodal officer Dr Debasis added.

Ghaziabad, November 25
Farmers, simmering with anger against the proposed rise in sugarcane prices, have decided to stop trains, traffic and UP buses on the highways tomorrow.

They said they would stop the supply of 450 cusecs of water from Murad Nagar to Delhi.

The sugarcane farmers have planned to block vehicles on roads and trains in western UP to express their anger at the Centre, as it has not yet solved the problem of sugarcane prices that had hit them hard.

Besides supply of milk, vegetables, fruits and other essentials could also be stopped.

Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) president of Murad Nagar Ramanand Goel said the Congress had only given vague assurances to solve all demands of farmers, but the steps taken were not satisfactory. Thus, the farmers have decided to launch a massive agitation tomorrow, Goel added.

The Rashtriya Lok Dal and Bhartiya Kisan Union have joined hands to make this agitation a success, Goel said.

New Delhi, November 25
The Delhi Chief Minister, Sheila Dikshit, has denied BJP’s allegations regarding the misuse of public fund during the last year Assembly poll in the national Capital.

Responding to a notice issued by Lokayukta Justice Manmohan Sarin, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said that there was nothing wrong in spending the public or government fund on advertisements highlighting her government’s achievements before the last year elections.

The Lokayukta had on October 9 issued a notice to Dikshit after the BJP leader and former chairman of Municipal Corporation of Delhi’s standing committee, Vijender Gupta, filed a petition accusing the Chief Minister of “splurging public fund in her advertisement campaign during the last year elections.”

Vijender Gupta claimed that Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit had said there was nothing wrong in affixing photographs of Sonia Gandhi in the advertisement.

Vijecnder Gupta further alleged that the Chief Minister of delhi, Sheila Dikshit, had said that the Lokayukata had no authority to raise any question in this regard.

To corroborate his allegations, Gupta had also placed on record an article by the then director of information and publicity Udaya Sahay, which detailed “Dikshit’s meticulous campaign strategy to overcome the anti-incumbency factor.”

Vijender Gupta’s counsel H.S. Phulka said, “This is strange that the Chief Minister herself is challenging the functioning of the Lokayukta and refusing to furnish the complete information.”

New Delhi, November 25
As Idul Azaha is round the corner, goat market at Meena Bazar near the historic Jama Masjid in the Walled City had an unusual pair of goats that was sold for Rs 2.5 lakh.

The goats of Mewati breed weigh 260 kg each. They eat almond every morning and sleep on a proper bed.

Haji Jamaluddin, president of Meena Bazar Market association, purchased the pair.

Aquil, a goat seller from Alwar in Rajasthan raised the goats for a year before bringing them here to sell for the festival.

Jamaluddin Haji said that 30,000 to 40,000 goats are brought daily to the Capital from Haryana, Rajasthan, UP, Punjab and Bihar. The traders just have to pay the rent of the tents that house goats.

Jamaluddin said traders had been facing difficulty of space for the last two years as the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) had banned tents at Urdu Park adjacent to Meena Bazar.

As a result, the passage from Bahadurshah Zafar Marg to Meena Bazar is packed with goats. People hardly find space to move.

He added this year the supply of goats was more. But there are fewer buyers this time due to the financial crunch. Still the rates are high as compared to the last year.

Jamaluddin said the goat market at Meena Bazar had been continuing since the Mughal era. Besides goat, dumba, an animal of Arab origin, is also being sold here.

He said on the occasion of Idul Azha Muslims sacrifice goats, dumba, buffaloes, cows and camels. As cow slaughtering is not allowed in Delhi, the animal is not sold in the market. Last year camel was seen in the market but this year it is disappearing.

Apart from Jama Masjid, goat market is also organised in Jamia Nagar, Jafrabad and Tughlakabad near Jamia Hamdard University. 

New Delhi, November 25
It’s a full house at the defence exhibition at the trade fair this year as trained sniffer dogs and canines walk on thin ropes in the air and descend down steep steps as a part of their training show. The show is being organised for the visitors twice a day.

The canines (Labrador retrievers) have the crowds cheering everyday, as they take on a mock drill, displaying their potential and attacking skills.

Ronisha, one of the spectators at the canine show said: “The canine show was brilliant. My children even shook hands with one of the Canines. They are totally thrilled. Their role cannot be missed from any serious investigation and we just got a peep into how they actually learn to do that.”

“They are indeed, a man’s best friend,” she added

Another crowd-puller at the defence pavilion is the defense recruitment wing that has been receiving an excellent response.

The recruitment information stall and the dog squad training ground lie towards the backside of the pavilion.

“The response has been brilliant. The curiosity has only increased since the first day,” said one of the Army officers at the stall.

However, it seems that from the defense bases across the country, the deadly missiles, swift fighter jets and magnificent coast guard ships have landed directly at the fair.

The pavilion beams with various models and displays from the Indian Air Force, Army and the Navy wing, exhibiting the ever-increasing strength, top-of-the-line artillery and the latest technological advancements.

Various models of Indian Air Force jets welcome you at the pavilion. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited in charge Kumar Subhramanyam said: “It’s an exhibition for the common public. The biggest aim is to spread awareness about the latest build equipment and jets. It’s interesting to see young students come up with various queries.”

Shortly after the Air Force, the Indian Army “short proof range” model, grip test tower model, tankers, landmines and artillery models and description welcome the visitors.

As the journey continues, submarine models, underwater missile models, missile launching ships, coast guard, export-import and patrolling ship models enchant the visitors. The various parts of the exhibition have assisting staff deployed for briefing the visitors. 

New Delhi, November 25
Women becoming successful become one of the main provocations in the rapist’s mind, said Lovlin Thadani through her documentary ‘Rape Compounded’.

The documentary was screened at British Council today to mark the International Day of Violence Against Women.

The one-hour-long poignant documentary directed by Lovlin Thadani, which explored the rapist’s mind and dealt with the trauma, pain and fear that the victim undergoes, left the audience anesthetised.

Lovlin said it took her one-and-a-half years to make the documentary. “There was a time when I had decided to withdraw from pursuing this project for whenever I tried interviewing a rape victim, she lost her control. Thus, I thought that perhaps I was under-victimising the victim. But then, it came out to be a success later as I had always felt strongly about the subject,” Lovlin added.

The documentary speaks the story of a rape victim told by a real sufferer herself. It puts forward issues like kinds of rapes to the kind of defense that a convict uses in order to go scot-free.

“In some cases, the rapist just rapes but in other cases, the perpetrator gets relief by inducing pain to the victim,” psychologist Dr Rajat Mitra said.

The documentary projected the rapist’s mind not as someone provoked by the socio-cultural factors like improper dressing or suppressed sexual desires, but as a bug deep-rooted in his psychology that generates during his upbringing.

“Studies have proven that a woman wearing short dresses is not asscociated with rapes. It is the environment that influences a rapist, especially during his teens when he sees women being ill-treated. They get influenced by the fact that women can be easily targeted and showing violence against women is what makes a man,” said Mitra.

However, while giving an interview in the documentary, Kiran Bedi, only the weak-minded people get influenced by these factors.

“Everyone does not get an idea to rape a woman when put in various circumstances. If some get persuaded by the thought, it indicates that they are intellectually weak, thus, they get tempted to rape,” she said.

This can be corrected by imparting proper education at school level,” she added.

New Delhi, November 25
Nearly 10 women visitors, including wife of former Union minister, has been robbed at the India International Trade Fair. The police suspects a gang of women thieves and claim to have interrogated a few suspects in this regard.

The police said wife of former Union Minister and BJP leader Rajiv Pratap Singh Ruddy, Neelam Pratap Singh, was robbed of Rs 7,000 and valuables while she had gone at the trade fair yesterday afternoon.

“Neelam Singh had come for shopping yesterday when she lost her purse containing about Rs 7,000 and other valuables. A case has been registered and the CCTV footages are being screened too,” a police official at the IITF police station said.

According to information, Neelam was accompanied by family members and none could tell if they saw someone snatching her purse.

“It is surely a woman’s work. Women react if a man tries coming close to them at a crowded place, however, in case of women thieves, they slip away unnoticed,” an officer said, adding that a woman had been arrested in regard to a theft attempt and is being interrogated. According to information, a woman, Sonni Jain, had been arrested for committing robbery inside hall No. 12.

“Sonni was caught red-handed last evening while stealing a mobile phone from one of the visitors. She was frisked by the lady constables in front of the victim and two mobile phones were recovered hidden under her clothes,” the police added.

Some foreigners have also complained about being robbed of valuables on the fair premises. “A girl from Denmark was robbed of money three days ago,” it said. 

Ghaziabad, November 25
“I am the District Magistrate of Kheda and I have come to see SDM Vaishal Singh,” said a woman who introduced herself as Manisha Chandra, district magistrate dressed in black coat and pant with a laptop dangling from her shoulder, as she approached SDM Vaishal Singh’s official residence.

The police personnel stationed outside the SDM’s house saluted her.

Meanwhile, an official informed the SDM that a DM had come to see him. The SDM came out and escorted her to his house. She asked questions regarding the clash with BSP workers and assured that she was with him.

The conversations between the two followed and the SDM became suspicious. He asked her to which IAS batch she belonged. She became nervous and said she was a student and was preparing for the IAS examination. The woman said her aunt was the DM of Kheda in Gujarat. The SDM then handed over the woman to the police.

Sources said a woman accompanied by a man had reached the residence of Noida Sadar SDM Vaishal Singh at Raj Nagar in Ghaziabad by a car. The man who had accompanied has been identified as A.K. Shukla, a realtor. He too has been arrested.

New Delhi, November 25
A labourer working at the Commonwealth Games Village site was found dead near Akshardham Temple in east Delhi last night.

Labourers working at the site saw the body and informed the police around 11 pm.

The victim identified as Radhey Shyam is a resident of Aurangabad in Bihar.

“Radhey Shyam was lying in a pool of blood with several head injuries near tower number 14. He was probably hit by an iron rod. A case has been registered,” said a police official from Mandawali police station.

The police suspects that Radhey was killed for money. “The labourers were paid yesterday and probably some body attacked him for money. We did not find any money in his pocket,” said the official.