New Delhi, November 30
Almost a week after a 30-year-old BPO employee was gangraped in a moving pick-up truck in south Delhi on the night of November 23, the Delhi police is yet to achieve any substantial lead in the case. However, today it released the sketch of the third of the five accused, besides claiming to have impounded a truck which could possibly have been used in the crime. The police has already released sketches of two suspects on November 26 and 27, respectively.

The victim was walking towards her home in Moti village near Dhaula Kuan in the wee hours of last Wednesday morning with one of her colleagues when the men in a vehicle abducted her and took turns to rape her. She was later dumped in Mongolpuri.

HGS Dhaliwal, DCP (south) today said the four men who were detained yesterday were still under scanner and were questioned on the second day today.

"We are still questioning the four men who were detained yesterday. We have impounded a truck which could possibly be involved in the crime. But we are not sure," said Dhaliwal.

According to him, the detained youths were "very relevant" to the case.

Investigators have been groping in the dark for the past few days despite 15 special teams being formed to nab the culprits. Two sketches were released by the police besides questioning several suspects, surfing through CCTV footages and recording statements of three witnesses.

Investigators have also gone through the mobile phone records of a number of suspects residing in Mongolpuri as it believes that the culprits were "very familiar" with the locality and could be staying there.

Meanwhile, home minister P. Chidambaram today said sorry about the case and expressed hope that it will be cracked soon. 

New Delhi, November 30
The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) today demolished unauthorised constructions in five wards of the Civil Lines area. The civic agency razed seven properties.

The MCD demolished multi-storeyed buildings in Mahender Park, Mukundpur, Timarpur and Dhirpur. "The drive was aimed at exposing the builders who cheat people by promising to provide them houses at cheaper rates," said a senior MCD official.

He added that the drive would continue. During the last week, 16 illegal structures were demolished by the MCD's building department.

"The aim of the drive is to bring construction activities within the precincts of the t law and building department of Civil Lines," he said

He added that the drive would instill awareness among the public. 

Greater Noida, November 30
Members of an admission mafia have fleeced an advocate of Rs 2.5 lakh for ensuring admission of his son to a reputed college.

The mafia had allegedly arranged his son's fake interview in the college to convince the advocate of their bona fides.

On realising that he had been taken for a ride, the advocate demanded his money back. At this, the accused threatened him of dire consequences and even killing him. They warned him that their gang was active in the area.

Mayak, son of Mohan Sharma, advocate residing in Alfa Sector-2, had appeared in UP TU's entrance test and had gone for counselling for admission. He had applied for admission in Greater Noida's four colleges. The advocate was told by his son's friend that NIET College was a reputed institution having much better placement. He said he could arrange Mayak's admission in that college. The advocate was taken in by his claims.

Mayak's friend Murdul, a resident of Sector 2 introduced Mayak and his father to one Anupam Gaur. On August 12, the advocate paid Rs 2.5 lakh to Gaur for arranging the admission of Rahul and Anupam.

The accused then arranged a fake interview in the NIET by a pseudo Prof Sreevastava. A series of interviews for Mayak's was arranged. When the boys did not get admission by October, Sharma realised that he had been tricked.

He also found out that there was no professor by name of Srivastava and his son was not at interviewed nor any admission fee deposited in Mayak's name in the college.

All that Sharma managed to get back from accused was Rs 40,000 that too through an intermediary.

The accused bandits came to advocate's house and warned him that they would kill him and his family and they were the dons in the area and nobody could touch them.

Now, Sharma has sought help from the Kasna police. None of the accused has been arrested yet.

New Delhi, November 30
The glitches on the Delhi Metro lines, leaving passengers stranded for hours at times, have become a routine affair. Now, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) is bringing out a host of measures to tackle any emergency situation like breakdowns and fires. But how effective are these measures, it will only be apparent in coming days.

The move has come after the DMRC received flak over the latest glitch on the Jehangirpuri-Gurgaon line last week, which is the biggest in the Metro's history and left thousands of passengers stranded at various stations.

"Apart from the installation of fire and explosion-resistant lights, cross passages, ventilation facilities and water pipelines inside tunnels, a disaster management manual has been provided to Metro employees," said a DMRC official.

Explaining the features, he added, "During emergency situations like -- when a Metro train gets stuck in a tunnel due to major technical faults, the lights will be helpful in evacuating people." Cross passages in tunnels will help in evacuating passengers. Each underground section is equipped with one to three cross passages between the up and down tunnels. Besides, tunnel ventilation fan boosters are installed at all Metro stations which supply air in the tunnels.

"These are technical problems and they take place in Metro networks across the world. The best we can do is try reducing the inconvenience of commuters due to such snags," said Anuj Dayal, DMRC spokesperson.

New Delhi, November 30
"Every time I publish a book over the past few years, I say it is my last book. And I have done this six times already. However, assuredly this is my last book. I cannot write another one," says author and columnist Khushwant Singh, who is finally setting down his pen to dry in his 96th year.

However, one would hardly be surprised if he published yet another book with his usual brand of tongue in cheek humour, sexuality and honesty in his 100th year -- for if anyone can do it, Singh can.

Singh talked candidly on his life and writing career while releasing his latest book 'The Sunset Club' in the Capital recently. The book was released by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's wife Gursharan Kaur at a widely-attended function.

A nostalgic Singh cast an eye on his writing career. He said, "I started writing when I was quite young. My first book of short stories was ready when I was working in London. However, I threw my job in London and came back to India as during those days no one took a writing career seriously in India and I had quite a struggle."

Singh adds, "Anyhow, I started writing books and got very little money from the books so, could not subsist on it. I got my break when I started working for the Illustrated Weekly and it was during those days that I evolved my formulae which served for most of my writing career, whether as a journalist or a writer. This consisted of the three cardinal qualities that are essential for a writing career - inform, and provoke."

He adds, "I made bullshit into an art form and this was not an easy task. Now, I have been at it for 60 years. I am 96 years old and I don't know how long this can carry on. Now, I am trying to do nothing but meditate which is something that I don't know how to do. When I am dead I hope it is said that 'his sins were sterling but his books were read'."

The book centres around the friendship and the lives of the three members of the Sunset Club -- Pandit Preetam Sharma, Nawab Barkatullah Baig and Sardar Boota Singh. The three have been friends for 40 years and are in their eighties now. Every evening at the sunset hour, they sit together on a bench at Lodhi Gardens to exchange news and views on the events of the day. They discuss threadbare everything from love, lust, sex and scandal to religion and politics. Singh follows a year in the lives of the three men from January 26, 2009 to January 26, 2010.

With the piquant portrayals of their fantasies and foibles, Khushwant brings his characters to life. He captures the flavour and texture of everyday life in their households almost perfectly.

Interwoven with this compelling human story is another chronicle of a year in the life of India, with the country going through a cycle of seasons, the tumult of general elections, violence, natural disasters and corruption in high places. The book is in turn ribald and poignant. 'The Sunset Club' is a moving exploration of friendship, sexuality, old age and infirmity, a joyous celebration of nature and also an insightful portrait of India and her complexities.

Palwal, November 30
The police has failed to make any arrest in connection with the death of a youth of Tumasara village, about 15 km from here, last Wednesday allegedly because of injuries sustained during a fight with the employees of the toll plaza on the Delhi-Mathura national highway.

With the police allegedly pussyfooting on the arrests, the issue is getting politicised. Congress MP from Faridabad Avtar Singh Bhadana has alleged that political pressure is stopping the police from making any arrest.

The police has registered two FIRs-- one registered by the relatives of the victim under Section 302 of the IPC and the other registered by the employees of the toll plaza under Section 307 of the IPC. A senior employee of the National Highway Authority of India and the contractor who was manning the toll plaza and collecting tax have also been booked in the FIR connected with the death of the youth, Yogesh Kumar.

Yesterday, 13 villages held a panchyat in Tumasara and threatened the government that if the culprits were not arrested, the villagers will take action.

MP Bhadana alleged that the FIR lodged from the side of the contractor manning the toll plaza that names 17 villagers had been "done with political motive."

Bhadana threatened that he would take up the issue with Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and in the Lok Sabha.

According to the version given by the victim's side, Kumar's family ran a tea shop near the toll plaza. A day before the violent incident, some employees of the toll plaza took tea at the shop but did not pay for it. Next morning, Kumar, his uncle and some others allegedly confronted the employees to pay for the tea. This led to a fight between the two sides. Kumar died on the spot after being injured by a sword allegedly used by the employees of the toll plaza. One youth from the other side received a gunshot in the leg.

However, the employees of the toll plaza say that Kumar turned violent when he was asked to pay toll tax.

The news of Kumar's death spread like wildfire in Tumasara and nearby villages.

A large number of agitated people enforced blockade on the national highway for more than five hours. The mob also indulged in vandalism and arson and gutted the toll tax plaza.

Significantly, some of the persons booked on the complaint made by the deceased's side are natives of nearby villages. 

Greater Noida, November 30
A robber was overpowered by people minutes after he, along with two accomplices, looted Rs 13.66 lakh from a farmer in Greater Noida township of Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday, the police said. The other two robbers escaped with the money.

According to the police, Gaje Singh, a farmer and a resident of Bhatta-Parsol, was robbed in Chowki village around 11 am. The robber identified as Rahul was caught by people and handed over to the police.

"We have arrested Rahul. He said that his two accomplices who fled with the cash were from Meerut," said superintendent of police, Greater Noida, Atul Saxena.

A police team has been sent to arrest the two robbers and recover the money, he said.

Gaje Singh sold his land on Monday for Rs 13.66 lakh. He was going to deposit the money in a bank when the robbers struck on Tuesday, the police said.

The three robbers, carrying guns, came on a motor cycle and forced him to stop his motor cycle, while he was going to the bank. They snatched his bag containing the money and tried to flee, the police said.

The farmer raised an alarm and local farmers rushed to help him and overpowered Rahul, the police said. The other two culprits succeeded in fleeing with the cash.— IANS

Noida, November 30
Low back pain affects about eight out of 10 people at some point of time in their lives. The cause of back pain is usually found in everyday living. Anything that puts pressure on our back muscles or nerves can cause pain.

Any illness or damage to the spine could also be a possible cause of pain. If left untreated or neglected, the back pain can severely limit physical activity and loss of productivity owing to absenteeism from work.

Other possible causes of back pain include ruptured inter-vertebral disc, spinal stenosis, osteoarthritis, and osteoporosis.

Back pain is hence among the leading causes of disability and time lost from work.

This was stated by specialists in neurosciences, orthopaedic sciences, spinal stenosis, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis etc. who attended a continuous medical education and workshop on low back pain organised in Noida.

The objective of the workshop was to understand and evaluate a multimodal, multidisciplinary approach in the prevention, management and cure of chronic low back pain, said Dr A.K Singh, director, department of neurosciences, Fortis Hospital, Noida.

Studies have shown that the risk of low back pain has increased with a change in lifestyles.

To mitigate the debilitating effects of this disease, it is essential to have a multi-pronged approach involving not only the orthopaedic sciences but also neurosciences and neuropsychiatry.

The prevention and management of lower back pain can dramatically improve the quality of life and save productivity losses in the workforce, added Dr Singh.

"Chronic back pain is a multi-faceted problem that is representative of a complex interplay of physical, emotional, social and psychological factors. This comprehensive approach to pain management can only be provided in a pain management centre which is multidisciplinary and involves all these specialists," said Dr Mary Abraham, neuro-anesthesist.