Noida, December 2
In a sensational incident, costly high-mast lights were found to have been stolen from Noida’s Central Park, a dream project of UP Chief Minister Mayawati.

Surprisingly, fancy lights fixed 30 metre above the ground level were stolen despite a battery of security guards deployed in the park, thus proving that no place in Noida is safe from criminals.

A report has been lodged in this regard with the Sector-20 police station by an officer of the Noida Authority. The lights are worth Rs 5 lakh, it is learnt.

On receiving the complaint, the Noida police promptly swung into action and arrested two thieves. The police also claimed claiming to have recovered parts of the stolen lights from them.

The Supreme Court has currently stayed construction in the park situated in Sector-16A near Noida Film City.

Similar high-mast lights are fixed on the flyover near the Film City. There are over two dozen such lights which illuminate the park and the adjacent flyover area.

The theft was discovered on Monday night and the Noida Authority engineers informed the police about it on Tuesday morning.

According to police circle officer Rajeev Narayan Mishra, the arrested thieves have been identified as Prem Babu and Nanha. They told the police that they had stolen the lights with the help of a security guard on duty in the park.

The police is looking for this security guard, Mishra said.

New Delhi, December 2
Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) in the Capital have strongly opposed the Delhi government’s move of increasing water tariffs right after steep increase in fares of bus and Metro, power tariff, school fee and other essential services and termed it totally unwarranted.

Representatives of several RWAs, including Old Rajinder Nagar and Inderpuri, protested outside the residence of Ramakant Goswami, vice-chairman, Delhi Jal Borad (DJB), demanding an immediate roll back of the hike.

“We are already suffering from inflation, increased bus fares, high power bills and school fee hike. Why should residents pay for mismanagement on part of the DJB and the Delhi government, as most of the water is wasted due to pilferage and faulty supply lines.” said an angry R. L. Dua, president, Old Rajendra Nagar Resident Welfare Association.

“We will continue to protest against water tariff hike until it is rolled back. It seems the Delhi government has taken Delhiites for granted. The main political opposition party has failed to protect the interests of residents and so the RWAs will take up the cause,” Dua added.

“People are already suffering because of economic recession and high rate of inflation. We elected the government for our good not for it’s own good,” said Rajender Ramphall, president, Inderpuri RWA.

“One fails to understand if the government is working for the benefit of the Delhiites or corrupt DJB officials,” said Rajiv Kakria of GK-I RWA.

“The Delhi government kept on paying subsidy till the Assembly and Lok Sabha elections. Now when there are no political compulsions, it is hell bent on hiking rates of all essential services,” he added.

New Delhi, December 2
A 26-year-old married woman was abducted from Delhi and taken to West Bengal by her neighbour who repeatedly raped and beat her for over a month before getting fed up of her and letting her go.

The accused not only abducted the woman but also stole Rs 80,000 from her house.

Although a case in this regard was registered at the Amar Colony police station after the return of the victim two days ago, her mother Maya Mandal alleges that the police refused to register her complaint when she first reported the matter on October 28, the day her daughter went missing.

“A case was registered only two days ago on November 30. However, I went to the police thrice earlier, but it did not listen to me and shooed me away advising me to search my daughter on my own. Had they responded immediately, she could have been saved from the month-long torture,” alleged Maya.

According to information, Subhash Roy abducted Renu (name changed) on October 28 from her mother’s house in the Amritpuri area of Amar Colony.

Subhash lived as a tenant in a house close to the victim’s house, while Renu was staying with her mother as her husband has gone to UAE for work.

Speaking to The Tribune, Maya said that Renu was alone in the house when Subhash abducted her after making her unconscious using some chemical.

“I had gone to hospital to meet my husband who is being treated for cancer in legs. When I returned home, Renu was not there. I could smell some chemical in the room and realised something was wrong. Later, I found that Rs 80,000 that I had kept for my husband’s operation was also missing. I approached the local police post, but it did nothing,” said Maya. Thereafter, she went to the police thrice, but no heed was paid even when she named Subhash as the suspect as he was missing since the incident.

When Maya had given up all hopes of finding her daughter, she got a call from her sister Jaya who lives in Ludhiana on November 28 informing her that Renu had returned.

“Subhash had taken her to Cooch Behar (WB) and kept her in a house where he raped her day and night. After a month, he seemed to have a change of heart and decided to send Renu back. However, when the two were returning, Subhash went missing at Ludhiana railway station. Renu then reached Jaya’s house and told her about her miseries,” Maya said. She brought Renu back from Ludhiana on November 30 and approached the local police.

“After medical examination of the victim we have registered a case under Section 376/380 of the IPC. Subhash Roy is absconding, but efforts are on to nab him,” said a police official from the Amar Colony police station. He, however, refused to comment on Maya Mandal’s allegations against the police.

New Delhi, December 2
Taking cognisance of media reports that two kids were found dead in a trench full of water dug in a municipal park, the Delhi High Court on Wednesday issued notices to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and the municipal councillor.

A division bench comprising chief justice Ajit Prakash Shah and justice S.Muralidhar asked all the agencies to file their responses by December 9.

“This is a shocking incident and should be corrected soon,” the bench said.

The two children, identified as eight-year-old Arman and four-year-old Arshad, are residents of a slum in northwest Delhi. The police said the two boys had gone missing on November 25 and on Tuesday their bodies were spotted by a child playing in the municipal park at Shakarpur in the pit full of water.

The police suspects that the two fell into the seven-foot-deep trench while playing.

Construction and repair work was going on at the park. The pit appears to have been dug to dump construction material. As per MCD rules, basic safety measures need to be taken at the workplace during digging, including blocking off such areas or temporarily covering the holes with wooden plans.

MCD spokesperson Deep Mathur said that no barricades were put around the pit. — IANS

New Delhi, December 2
A Delhi court today asked an official of the crime branch to appear before it and update it about the progress made in the investigations into the unsolved murder case of fashion designer Mona Suri.

Additional chief metropolitan magistrate (ACMM) Naveen Arora asked the investigating officer of the anti-homicide cell of the crime branch to appear before it on Dec 19 and provide details of the probe.

The investigation was transferred to the crime branch on September 24 after the police informed the Delhi High Court that no breakthrough had been achieved by it.

The ACMM, who started hearing the matter afresh on November 26, had asked the police to file the report today.

On August 12, 2007, Mona, 35, was allegedly burnt to death by two persons who poured kerosene on her outside her Greater Kailash residence.

The fashion designer succumbed to her injuries on October 21, 2007. However, the police could neither arrest the assailants nor establish the motive behind the murder.
The police, who was asked to update the court about the progress of the probe, has been seeking time for concluding the investigation.

“Four persons— Naveen Suri, husband of the victim, his girlfriend Rachna, Rajiv Sharma and one more —have already undergone narco-analysis tests and their reports are awaited,” the police had said.

New Delhi, December 2
The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) in its attempt to make the national Capital beautiful ahead of the Commonwealth Games next year said it had decided to hold poster-free day every month.

On the day, dedicated to remove posters in Delhi, the municipal teams will go around the Capital removing posters from walls and lamp posts .

“From today, there will be a poster-free day every month when the MCD employees will go all out removing posters in various parts of the city,” said Delhi Mayor Kanwar Sain.

“Besides, people will be sensitised not to stick bills and pamphlets in public places so that the city does not look ugly,” said Sain.

According to MCD officials, offenders may be fined up to Rs 50,000 or jailed for a year.

“Keep the city clean of posters and hoardings, is not an advisory, but an order to be obeyed by all. Only authorised spaces sold legally by the MCD will be allowed for putting up posters and banners,” he said. He said that the drive would be a regular feature.

“Not just during the Commonwealth Games, we want that anyone who visits Delhi finds the city beautiful and clean,” he said.

New Delhi, December 2
Academics from a Swiss institute visited Delhi Technological University today to forge a tie-up on short-term student and faculty exchange as well as research programs.

Dr Enrico Staderini, professor of biomedical engineering and Dr Laurence Larghi, HoD, engineering programs, both from the School of Business and Engineering Vaud Heigh-VD, Switzerland, visited the campus of Delhi Technological University (DTU).

Prof. P.B. Sharma, vice-chancellor of the university, made a presentation to the delegates on DTU and its thrust areas of research and development, which was followed by a presentation on the Swiss institute by Dr Larghi.

Dr Larghi proposed collaborating on short-term students exchange program under the name of ‘Summer University’, where 40 students, including Indian, Swiss and US students, would undertake a program together for four weeks. Faculty members will also be a part of this exchange program and get an opportunity to teach at the partner institute.

Both the institutes have offered free board and lodging facilities to the visiting students and faculty. The course content to be taught as a part of this program will be decided by both the institutes.

Both the institutes have identified six areas of common interest for academic collaboration and research partnerships, which include: biotechnology, smart sensors, software engineering and informatics, innovative automobile solutions, business engineering and clean energy technologies.