New Delhi, May 25
A six-year-old girl who was allegedly kidnapped for ransom on Sunday night was recovered dead by the outer district police yesterday. The police arrested the accused Sanjay Kumar (25), originally from Bihar and residing in a rented accommodation in the Singhu village area.

The victim Rakhi, daughter of Dharamvir, resident of Narela had gone missing from outside her uncle’s house around 8.30 pm on Sunday night. They tried to trace her but could not. The next day, Dharmvir got a ransom call demanding Rs 3 lakh for her release.

According to Chhaya Sharma, DCP (Outer), the kidnapper made a number of calls to speak to the complainant and suggested that he arrange around Rs 1.5 lakh by selling his plot of land.

“The kidnapper called the complainant and told him the place for delivery of ransom money near the NDPL Transformer, Mansa Devi Road, Narela.  This time, on hearing the voice of the kidnapper, the complainant identified the caller as Sanjay Kumar, who was earlier residing in his colony at Krishna Nagar, Singhu Border, Narela,” said Sharma.

Dharamvir also revealed that Sanjay was at present residing somewhere in Singhu village, Alipur. The police raided the village throughout night and caught Sanjay Kumar.

“On sustained and tactful interrogation, the accused broke down and confessed to have kidnapped Rakhi for ransom as he was under a huge debt to be paid to a number of persons and he was unemployed,” said Sharma.

He further disclosed that he had killed the girl Rakhi immediately after the kidnapping as she was crying continuously and insisting upon him to take her to her parents. He had hidden the body in a house in Krishna Colony where he was residing earlier.

At his instance, the body of Rakhi and the mobile phone used in commission of crime was recovered.

New Delhi, May 25
The Organising Committee Commonwealth Games (CWG) is leaving no stone unturned to arrange for sufficient dope control officers for the games.

After training 250 students of Manav Rachna University in anti-doping measures, the committee is training 200 students of Amity University for holding doping control programme .

The OC and the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) are responsible for conducting the doping control programme.

According to officers in OC, the games will require over 447 doping control officials to ensure authentic games. The committee has initiated the doping control programme (DCP) in compliance with the World Anti-Doping Code and the accompanying international standards.

The students will work in association with the National Dope Testing Laboratory (NDPL) in Delhi. Apart from the most common doping test which involves taking urine samples, the NDPL has introduced a new method that involves blood tests .

The training programme includes general training on doping, role specific training, sample collection procedure, partial sample procedure, additional sample procedure, modifications for testing for para-athlete and minors, post-test administration, transportation of samples; and doping control documentation. The students, based on their performance in written examination, will become certified doping control officials, which is an international level accreditation and will become a member of National Anti-Doping Agency.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has made it mandatory for all the participating nations to sign the WADA code, which is the core document that provides the framework for harmonised anti-doping policies, rules and regulations within sports organisations and among public authorities.

There will be at least one dope-control centre at all competition venues. Apart from the technicalities of doping tests, the students are also being trained to communicate with the athletes.

The games which will have to face the maximum number of tests are weightlifting, swimming, cycling and athletics. The doping tests on athletes will start as soon as games village opens on September 23. All the samples collected will be sent to WADA.

New Delhi, May 25
Delhi Technological University (DTU) will start its admission procedure for B.Tech programmes tomorrow.

There are 14 B.Tech programmes on offer this year with a total intake of 910 students. Of these, 85 per cent seats will be reserved for Delhi students and 15 per cent for outsiders.

“Admission to both Delhi and non-Delhi category would be taken on the basis of AIEEE-2010 examination. Those who have passed Class XII or B.Sc. (general) or B.Sc. (Hons.) examination with a minimum 60 per cent in physics, chemistry and mathematics are eligible to apply for B.Tech courses,” said Rashmi Sablania, spokesperson, DTU.

Besides, a candidate should have English as an additional subject at the senior secondary certificate examination level.

“We are committed of shaping young talent into new age engineering professionals,” said P.B. Sharma, vice-chancellor, DTU.

The sale of forms for M.Tech programmes will start on June 1, while forms for Ph.D. courses will be made available from June 10.

M.Tech programmes are available in 17 disciplines with 306 seats for the full-time courses and 45 seats for part-time courses.

Ph.D programmes are available in departments of electrical, electronics and communication, environmental engineering, polymer science and technology, computer engineering, mechanical engineering, civil engineering, applied physics, applied chemistry, applied mathematics, humanities and management.

For a Ph.D programme in engineering discipline, one needs to have M.E./ M.Tech degree in the appropriate branch with a minimum of 60 per cent. For admission to applied sciences one needs to have M.Sc. degree in appropriate branch with a minimum of 60 per cent.

The application form can be obtained either from the university on payment of Rs 750 for B.Tech. and M.tech. programmes. It can also be downloaded from DTU website www.dce.edu. The last date to submit the forms for B.Tech and M.Tech programmes is June 21 and for Ph.D. programmes is June 25.

New Delhi, May 25
Delhi BJP president Vijendra Gupta and the Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, Vijay Kumar Malhotra, today demanded from the government to take steps to decrease power tariff by 20 per cent immediately.

The also urged the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) to issue directions in this regard to power distribution companies.

The BJP leaders said that the DERC had got examined the accounts of power distribution companies and it was clear that the accounts for 2009-10 did not show any loss. The power companies (BSES and NDPL) have a surplus of Rs 1,200 crore.

They alleged that the Delhi government had issued a direction under Section 18 of the Delhi Electricity Act that the power tariff should not be decreased. So the DERC has not been able to take decision even after receiving petition from discoms.

After the DERC received the government’s direction, it sought advice from the solicitor general of India, Gopal Subramanyam, in the matter. The solicitor general said that since the DERC was an autonomous body the government could not issue directions to it.

The BJP leaders questioned that why the Chief Minister was acting in favour of power distribution companies.

New Delhi, May 25
After yesterday’s pandemonium leading to verbal duel in the MCD meeting, leaders of both the BJP and the Congress today staged protests, blaming each other of manhandling their councillors.

The Congress councillors staged a dharna at Town Hall. They alleged that the BJP leaders misbehaved with and manhandled a woman councillor of the Congress, Nafisa Khatoon, when they tried to raise voice against the BJP’s working style. 

On the other hand, the ruling BJP under the leadership of the party’s Delhi unit president Vijender Gupta staged a march towards the residence of UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi. The demonstration marked the protest against the alleged derogatory comments by the Leader of the Opposition, Jai Kishan Sharma, in the MCD meeting against the would-be chairperson of standing committee Yogendra Chandolia, who represents a dalit community, yesterday.

The BJP and Congress leaders had indulged in a scuffle in yesterday’s MCD meeting. While leaders of both the parties were sloganeering against each other, two women councillors were seen exchanging blows and verbal abuse.

The parties were discussing the irregularities in the civic body’s pension scheme for the elderly, widows and physically challenged. The Congress councillors pointed out that due to unearthing of a scam, the MCD had stopped giving pension to all beneficiaries under the scheme for the past several months to which BJP reacted strongly.

New Delhi, May 25
The outer district police has arrested a would-be mother-in-law of a girl, Alka (name changed), for allegedly demanding a Maruti Alto car as dowry hours before the marriage.

According to information, the incident took place on May 23 in the Nizampur area of outer Delhi.

Ajay, a peon with MTNL’s office in Connaught Place, was to marry Alka. On the day of the marriage, Ajay’s mother Kamla called Alka’s brother Devender to her house and demanded an Alto car.

Despite Devender expressing inability, Kamla did not relent and the marriage was called off.

However, by then Alka’s family had already spent close to Rs 4.5 lakh on the arrangements of the marriage.

Devender has lodged a complaint with the police against Ajay’s family. In his complaint, Devender alleged that the ring ceremony was solemnised on May 22 and his family gave all dowry items to Ajay and his family. However, Kamla demanded a Maruti Alto car the next day. Ajay also did not pay any heed to their requests and absconded when the Alka’s family tried to approach him. 

On the statement of Devender, a case under Section 3/4 of the Dowry Prohibition Act was registered at the Khanjhawala police station and Kamla was arrested.

According to information, Kamla is a housewife and has three sons and a daughter. Her husband, who worked with MTNL as a junior engineer, has expired. Ajay has studied up to class IX and got the job with MTNL on compassionate ground in place of his father.

New Delhi, May 25
Women welfare organisations and leading women activists in the Capital have welcomed the enhancement of sentence and subsequent arrest of former Haryana DGP S.P.S. Rathore today in connection with the August 1990 molestation of teenager Ruchika Girhotra.

The women activists said the publicity given to the case by the media and the civic groups was a major factor in the case.

However, even as the court today enhanced Rathore’s jail sentence from six months to 18 months, most activists felt he should have got more severe sentence and pending cases like this should get justice as soon as possible.

The verdict, however, most agree is important as it shows how ordinary people can fight for justice against all odds.

“It is due to pressures from social agents that some degree of justice has been done in this case. Now similar other cases should be brought on track. In the context of the whole case, the amendments in the sexual assault bill are very necessary,” said Sudha Sundararaman, secretary general, All India Democratic Women’s Association.

“The court’s decision is positive. But what is not understandable is why the court did not give him two years’s term. Rathore should have been awarded the maximum sentence under Section 354 of the IPC, which is two years. The

18-month imprisonment order shows that the court does not view sexual assault as a serious crime even when it is committed against a minor by a person in a position of authority,” said Kirti Singh, well-known women’s rights lawyer based in the Capital.

“This is disappointing. The law needs to be changed. Two years of punishment does not do justice in such grave offences. Also, now there should be a change in the definition of molestation in the IPC. The current definition is archaic and irrelevant to the experiences suffered by women these days,” she added.

“It is good that he has been convicted, but the decision has come after a long time. The fact that no FIR was lodged for six years and that Ruchika and her family was consistently harassed and false cases were lodged against them shows how easy it is for those in power to manipulate the law. Deliberate action and inaction by the police should be made punishable with appropriately strong sentences and fines,” said Indu Agnihotri, Center for Women Development Studies.

New Delhi, May 25
The Delhi High Court today reserved its order on Congress leader Sajjan Kumar's petition contesting the framing of charges against him in the killing of five people in the city during the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.

Justice Vipin Sanghi reserved the order on Sajjan Kumar's plea.

A city court last week ordered that charges be framed against Kumar and five others for allegedly killing five people in Delhi Cantonment during the riots .

The Central Bureau of Investigation filed a chargesheet against Sajjan Kumar and others in two cases for instigating mobs during the riots, in which more than 3,000 Sikhs were estimated to have been killed across Delhi. — IANS

Greater Noida, May 25
The Gautam Budha Nagar (Noida) district will soon have a separate jail. Presently, prisoners of the district are lodged at the overcrowded Dasna Jail in Ghaziabad.

The site for the jail has been acquired and handed over to the jail administration. A team of the state construction division visited the site today and assured that the construction would start soon.

V. K. Singh, superintendent, Dasna Jail, said, “The Greater Noida Authority has handed over 90 acre land in Luxor village to the jail administration. The construction contract has been given to the UP Rajkiya Nirman Nigam (UPRNN). The construction will start in a month. The jail is expected to be ready in 18 months by the end of 201. The total cost of the project has been estimated at around Rs 150 crore.”

“Dasna Jail is built over 35 acre and has the capacity to house 1760 prisoners. But the jail currently lodges 4,200 prisoners. Out of the 4,200 prisoners, around 1,600 are from Gautam Budha Nagar district. So once the GBN Jail is built, the pressure on the Dasna Jail would decrease.

In the first phase, the GBN Jail will have a capacity of 3,000 prisoners, which could be extended up to 6,000 prisoners in future,” said Singh.

“The decision to build the jail was taken in 1997 at the time of the creation of Gautam Budha Nagar district. A site was identified for the construction of the jail and Rs 3 to 4 crore was sanctioned for it. But then the district was disbanded and merged with Ghaziabad. Later, the district was formed on court orders. But then the site selected for the jail was not available. Now, a fresh site has been selected,” said Singh.

“GBN Jail would be an ultra-modern jail with all basic amenities. It will have an assembly hall for yoga and indoor activities, a sports area, hospital, echo-free visitors room and barracks fitted with digital cameras. The prisoners would be monitored from a control room. Video-conferencing facility will also be developed,” said Singh.

“The jail would have digital computerised surveillance network. Like Tihar Jail, mast search lights would be provided here. It will have double -storey barracks,” said Singh.

New Delhi, May 25
A 16-year-old Class X student accidentally received bullet injuries when some bike-borne assailants shot at another boy who was resisting their attempt to molest some girls in the Nand Nagari area this afternoon.  

The police said that the incident was reported from the C-Block area in Nand Nagari around 2 pm. “The victim has been identified as Arun. The incident took place when three bike-borne assailants allegedly fired at a boy named Nitin, who was resisting their attempt of molesting some girls in the area. The bullet accidentally hit Arun’s leg,” said the police.

Arun, who had taken his Class X boards this year, stays in the same block where the incident took place.

“Arun was in the market when the three bike-borne men were passing lewd comments on some girls. Nitin tried to stop the accused as his two sisters were also present in the group of those girls. In the mean time, one of the accused opened fire at Nitin but the bullet hit Arun. He was taken to the GTB Hospital and his condition is stable,” said a police official.

However, the culprits managed to flee.