New Delhi, January 15
The demolition of a mosque at Jangpura by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and subsequent protests by the minority for the past three days took another dimension today with the Resident Welfare Association (RWA) moving the Delhi High Court, demanding initiation of the contempt of court proceedings against Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and the Jama Masjid's shahi imam, Syed Ahmed Bukhari, for allegedly instigating people to offer prayers at the site.

The RWA, Jangpura, filed the application through their counsel RK Saini. It has alleged that the DDA had removed the mosque on the high court's order, which, the authority said, had been built on its land. It said even though the DDA got the possession of the land, people were "instigated" to offer prayers and had blamed the Chief Minister, a few MLAs and the imam for it.

The RWA said the contempt proceedings should be initiated against MLAs Shoaib Iqbal and Asif Mohammad Khan, who represent Matia Mahal and Okhla constituencies, respectively.

The association has asked the court to "initiate criminal contempt proceedings against" those named by it "for deliberately and willfully violating the orders of the court".

The RWA accused the Chief Minister and others of allegedly "scandalising and lowering the authority of the court, interfering with the due course of judicial process, and obstructing the administration of justice and bringing in disrepute to the honour, majesty and authority of the law and the courts".

It said that there should not have been any controversy over the razing of the mosque as it was "illegally" built on the DDA land which was earmarked for the construction of a community centre.

It said the site remained in the illegal occupation of over 100 persons and the authorities have willfully abdicated their responsibilities.

The locals said the land belonged to the Waqf Board and claimed that worship places of other communities had also come up on the DDA land, but the mosque was targeted.

Politicians have mostly kept quiet over the affair or come out in the support of the community.

The police has had to use force to keep the situation under control even as the issue shows no sign of any immediate resolution.

New Delhi, January 15
A Delhi court today sentenced the six HuJI men, including three Pakistanis, convicted under stringent anti-terror law POTA for conspiring to kidnap cricketers Sachin Tendulkar and Saurav Ganguly in 2002, to life imprisonment.

Additional sessions judge Pinki awarded life term to all the six convicts saying, "The punishment must send a clear message that India will not become a safe haven for terrorists."

Initiating the arguments on quantum of sentence, public prosecutor Anita Hooda pleaded for maximum sentence, adding that the convicts planned to attack Bhabha Atomic Research Centre in Mumbai and assassinate former President A P J Abdul Kalam. She added that the convicts wanted to secure release of two HuJI terrorists Nasarullah Langrial and Abdul Rahim, who were then lodged in different jails here in exchange of the cricketers.

The submissions were opposed by the defence counsel M S Khan, who pleaded for a lenient view saying that the Delhi High Court had reduced sentence of three of their associates, who pleaded guilty, to only eight years' jail term.

The court, however, denied the plea saying, "There is no evidence that the convicts are remorseful for their conduct that was illegal and potentially lethal nor is there any possibility of their rehabilitation."

Taking a strong note of the fact that terrorism should be vanished from the country, the court further said, "Terrorism is a unique crime. It has no equals. Terrorism anywhere is a threat to peace. It is far more insidious as it attacks our values of life and seeks to destroy the fundamentals to which we are committed."

The court had on December 24 held all the six men--Tariq Mohammed, Arshad Khan, Ashfaq Ahmed, Mufti Israr, Ghulam Qadir Bhatt and Ghulam Mohd Dar, guilty under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) and IPC.

Jalaluddin, who was termed as the mastermind, managed to flee from the custody of the police during the probe and was later declared a proclaimed offender by the court.

New Delhi, January 15
The Delhi government has failed to meet the deadline to launch the cluster bus service that was to be started from January 15, though last month transport minister Arvinder Singh Lovely had demonstrated two buses one was of purple colour while the other was orange.

On the occasion, the minister had announced that cluster bus service would be launched on January 15 when 50 buses would be on road and equal number of buses would be added to the fleet every month.

These buses were meant for South Delhi where a total number of 232 buses on 32 routes were to be plied. All buses would be of low floor, air conditioned and non-air conditioned buses.

The government had made 17 clusters. Tenders have been invited for five clusters so far. But only cluster number one of South Delhi was ready to launch the buses.

Two buses of purple and orange colour were brought to the Chief Minister's residence in December to get her nod for the colour. When the Chief Minister had okayed the colour of purple and orange, the transport department finalised that they would be brought on capital's road on January 15.

Now, neither the transport minister nor transport commissioner was available for the comment for the delay in meeting the deadline. When chairman of the Star Transport Company was tried for his comment, his mobile phone was switched off.

New Delhi, January 15
The Delhi government has decided to appeal to the Union urban development minister Jaipal Reddy to prevent sealing of commercial establishments in authorised areas.

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) is sealing the commercial establishments in mixed land use areas where owners failed to deposit the mixed land use charges for the last four years.

In 2007, the MCD had declared some roads and localities as mixed land use areas as people had changed the residential properties for commercial use.

But to continue the commercial activities, the owners had to deposit certain charges fixed by the corporation.

In some other areas where land use could not be changed, Parliament had passed a resolution giving relief for a year. Later, its period has been extended on yearly basis. Now it has expired on December 31 again.

In this context when asked, the Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit today said that she would meet the Union urban development minister in this regard.

An MCD spokesman said that sealing in mixed land use areas was being done to pressurize the people to deposit the mixed land charges.

Four years have passed, but people have yet not deposited their due amount.

As far as sealing in other areas is concerned, the relief given by Parliament for a year has expired on December 31. It will take some time to start the sealing in the areas concerned.

New Delhi, January 15
It seems the festive season has spelt some warmth for Delhi, with the mercury levels settling above the normal in the last three days even as the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) predicts return of cold spells in the coming days.

The city residents woke up to a pleasant morning despite the shallow fog that enveloped the city environment in the early hours as the minimum temperature today remained at 10 degree Celsius, three degrees above average for this time of the season.

It actually came down as a surprise, giving all, including the early office-goers, pavement dwellers and street animals, much relief as today's low temperature had bettered by four degrees than yesterday's minimum of 6.1 degree Celsius.

However, the day's high temperature saw a dip to 21.3 degrees from yesterday's 24.3 degrees and this paved way for a warm day ahead. Officials at the IMD said, the finger-numbing cold sweep, which had gripped the Capital and the northern region, had taken a light break in Delhi and NCR since the beginning of this week, when the day temperature had risen to 19.2 degrees as on Monday from below normal conditions.

According to the IMD statistics, in January, the highest maximum stands at 32.5 degree Celsius recorded on January 28, 2004, while the lowest temperature for the Capital recorded on January 16 in 1935 is -0.6 degree Celsius.

"There was a shallow fog cover for in the morning but visibility improved later. Tomorrow, there may be similar condition of fog and mist in the morning and there may be a drop in mercury levels again. The maximum is expected to hover around 18 degrees while the minimum may settle at seven degree Celsius," said an IMD official.

New Delhi, January 15
The Delhi police has arrested the man who was accused by former Orissa Chief Minister and Congress MP Hemananda Biswal of making an attempt to kill him, the police said here today.

The police said they arrested Prabhat Kumar Sharma, alias Swamy, from South Avenue yesterday where he had gone to meet some relatives.

"We had been following him for a time but could not pinpoint his location at the right time. Acting on a tip-off, yesterday we arrested him. And is now being interrogated," said a police official.

Biswal said Sharma pointed gun at him and tried to kill him. The police had then doubted his claim as there was no visible evidence to back it up. However, the police said Sharma might have pointed the gun at him without having any intention of firing at him.

Biswal had alleged that Sharma escaped from a kitchen window, which the police believed was too small for a man.

New Delhi, January 15
Onion prices in the wholesale market have come down by 15 to 20 per cent down due to major arrival of the commodity in mandis.

Today's wholesale rate in Azadpur Mandi was between Rs 18 and Rs 20 per kg, said Delhi Agricultural Market Board member Rajinder Sharma.

He said that within a few days, the wholesale rate is likely to be decreased further as new crops have started coming to markets in a big way. Azadpur Mandi today received 1,600 quintal onion though the total need per day in Delhi is not more than 400 quintals.

The sale of onion on control rate launched by the Nafed has also affected the prices. It has started selling onion since yesterday through mobile vans deployed in various localities. A total number of 15 vans have been deployed, said its chairman Vijendra Singh.

Nafed is selling onion at Rs 35 per kg.

Additional managing director of the Nafed, Jagmohan Bhanot said that gradually the rate of onion would come down as the new crop from Gujarat and Nasik in Maharashtra had started arriving the wholesale market.

Farmers themselves are coming to market with their produce which is a good sign.

Onion from Pakistan will also arrive in Delhi tomorrow which will further lower the prices, he said.

The recent demolition of a mosque, which had been raised on an encroached piece of DDA land, at Jangpura in South Delhi has come very handy for politicians - Muslims and others whose electoral fortunes depend on the minority community.

New Delhi, January 15
In view of their long-standing demands of an upgraded cadre and an independent council apart from the election of the Delhi Council of Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy (DCPOT), the Indian Association of Physiotherapists (IAP) has finally taken the legal route.

"Two legal notices have been sent to the Delhi government and its health department as the government has failed to comply with the extant laws for revision of recruitment rules and pay scales, mandated to happen after every five years. We are still awaiting response," said IAP general secretary Sanjiv Jha.

While the elections of the DCPOT have not taken place for ten years, the remunerations of physiotherapists have not been revised for 40 years and this has undermined the status of about 25,000 to 30,000 qualified graduates in physiotherapy practising at this time.

More so, the absence of any regulatory mechanism in the form of a central council for their functioning itself underlines the indifference meted out to the section, feels the physiotherapy fraternity, with the first representation given by IAP in 1967.

"There hasn't been any upgradation of cadre and pay scales as per the qualifications and skills. There are substandard diplomas and short-term courses running in the country that go on to produce substandard physiotherapists and given the fact that diploma holders are allowed to practise in the government set-up, the quality of the service has deteriorated," observed Dr A K Bhatnagar from the Delhi Council of Physiotherapists.

Currently, the University Grants Commission looks after the education in physiotherapy while promotions are granted on the basis of seniority irrespective of the qualifications of the doctor. The matter concerning the revision of recruitment rules or the amendment of cadre structure lies in the jurisdiction of the Central government.

In this direction, said IAP president Dr Ali Irani, the body has approached the government on several occasions and urged the new committee of the National Council of Human Resources in Health (NCHRH) to create a separate wing in line with the recommendation of the standing parliamentary committee on health in 2008, but all have been in vain.

"To safeguard the interests of our profession, we have been demanding the creation of a central council for 40 years yet in the proposed comprehensive health bill, the discipline of physiotherapy has been included under the rehabilitation head," underlined Dr Irani.

A central body for physiotherapy would streamline the profession starting from standardising the physiotherapy courses at diploma, degree and doctorate levels to introducing recruitment norms, Dr Jha stressed.

According to the said community, which has expressed its firm reservations against the clubbing of the physiotherapy with rehabilitation under the proposed body of the NCHRH draft bill, the discipline of science has never received the due importance it warrants.

New Delhi, January 15
Delhi police has arrested three persons accused of being involved in shopping at Croma in Saket for Rs 3.50 lakh through a cloned Amex credit card faked in the name of a leading jeweller of Delhi, the police said today.

The accused have been identified as Neeraj Mangla, alias Appu (26), Chander Mohan Rawat, alias Chander (29) and Amit Sharma, alias Vicky (30).

With their arrest, the police claims to have busted a gang of cheats involved in the credit card fraud and has recovered electronic articles worth Rs 1.50 lakh.

Their arrests came after investigation was taken up on the complaint of Sreekishan Honale, store

manager, Croma, who reported that on December 24 last year, a person named Pulukuri Abraham along with two of his friends came to the shop and purchased various electronic articles worth Rs 3.50 lakh through Amex credit card No. 37691614.

The transaction got cleared and the trio got the articles worth Rs 1.72 lakh loaded in their Wagon R car.

They further informed that the delivery of the rest of the articles may be sent at A-100, Paryavaran Complex.

The next day, when the officials went to the given address for the delivery, they found that the address did not exist.

They tried the number but that too was not reachable. On this, the officials contacted the bank and found that the Amex credit card used at the store was fake. The genuine card holder, Naveen Mehra, a leading jeweller of South Delhi, did not purchase anything and was having his card with him.

Thus the bank denied payment. The company then made the complaint of cheating and a case of forgery was registered.

Intelligence was developed and it came to be known that the acquaintances of Amit Sharma, the accountant working in the Croma centre, might be involved in the crime.

On this information, the team picked up two of his contacts, Neeraj and Chander Mohan. On sustained interrogation, they broke down and confessed to their crime.

The accused disclosed that they got the cloned card prepared through Gaurav who used to meet them at Badkal Lake in Faridabad, and used it at Croma store.

"They had been assured by Amit Sharma, the accountant at Croma, that the task could be executed if they reached the store in good clothes, carrying accurately manufactured cloned credit card," said police.

New Delhi, January 15
The Delhi police has arrested four people and has busted a gang of auto thieves operating in central, west and south-west Delhi, the police said today.

The accused have been identified as Gurbaj Singh (28), Jasbir Singh (30), Kunal Chopra (30) and Manoj Yadav.

The police claims to have solved 13 cases of vehicle theft and a case of accident committed with one of the stolen vehicles. The police has recovered six cars, two motorcycles, a laptop and 25 keys of vehicles from their possession.

On January 13, a team was deployed for vehicle checking at New Rajender Nagar.

Around 6 pm, a Honda City car was signaled to stop but the driver sped up. This raised suspicion and the car was stopped . Three persons - Gurbaj, Jasbir and Kumar - were travelling in the car.

They were asked to produce the documents of the car which they failed to produce and were arrested. On further verification, it was learnt that the car was stolen from Maya Enclave in Hari Nagar and was being used with a fake number plate.

On sustained interrogation, the accused confessed to their involvement in 13 other cases of vehicle thefts.

"They used to target the vehicles that found parked at places from where those could be easily taken away. Once stolen, first of all they used to change the number plate and then they used to take the vehicle and park it in congested streets in Subhash Nagar and the Fateh Nagar area," said a senior police official.

From their instance, the police arrested Manoj yadav, who was the receiver of the stolen vehicles.