New Delhi, February 1
The AIIMS’ doctor involved in the alleged case of sexual abuse of a minor on January 23 seems to be smarter and more efficient than the AIIMS administration, which seems to be taking its own time to investigate the case involving an eight-year-old.

Denying all the allegations levelled against him by the victim’s family, the resident doctor today submitted a reply to the AIIMS’ standing committee for prevention of sexual harassment even as the committee is still to come up with its report, also confirmed by the AIIMS spokesperson Dr Y K Gupta.

“I’ve filed my reply to the committee today and in it I have maintained that I’ve done nothing wrong. I cannot disclose anything beyond this as I’ve been asked by the administration not to make any comment and come out for public appearance,” said the senior resident, in a composed manner, when contacted by The Tribune for his version on the grave charges.

Interestingly, on the night of the incident, no staff saw the doctor taking the boy to the duty-room of the neuro-surgery ICU-B even as at least five-six staff nurses were said to have been on duty that night. Many feel the doctor was either in a hurry to conduct the examination before the child was shifted from the ICU or rather he was too quick because of which nobody saw him enter the duty room with the child.

Normally, one nursing staff is assigned the charge to take care of three patients in the ICU, said sources from the hospital staff and moreover, a doctor can carry the examination independently if he chooses. Nonetheless, in case of small kids a parent or a relative is usually allowed if the child so wishes.

In such cases of molestation, the investigation generally takes four-six weeks, but in this case, the matter has been fast-tracked, maintain AIIMS authorities, saying that technically the stipulated period of seven days for the investigation is still not over, starting from January 25.

Meanwhile, it has been learnt from sources that the Delhi police is conducting an independent inquiry into the matter a day after the senior resident concerned was booked under four sections of IPC (377, 511, 506 and 23) that may amount to life imprisonment. However, nothing would be released without considering the internal assessment report of AIIMS that the institute is still to release.

It is said that based on priliminary investigation by the fact-finding committee, which is carried within 24-48 hours, the erring doctor could be barred from services in cases when the act is of severe nature involving sexual abuse. However, the AIIMS authorities appear to be too cautious in this case in carrying its assesment with nothing in writing being given to the accused doctor as to date, not even regarding his temporary restraining from medical services.

Further, six days have already been over since the child’s parents reported the case to the AIIMS administration.

Importantly, the standing committee that has been assigned to investigate the matter doesn’t have any representation from any outside body, with all the members being from the various departments of the institute, much in contrary to the Supreme Court guidelines pertaining to the committee that a hospital should have for adressal of such cases of sexual harassment.

New Delhi, February 1
The first lists for nursery admissions to most of the capital's private schools were out today and while some parents were overjoyed at their child making it, others were disappointed.

According to the point system, students were selected on the basis of parameters like proximity of their home, siblings, single parent, and girl child

"We had applied to eight different schools in central and south Delhi. It was good to see our child qualifying for admission to three of them," said Meenakshi Kathuria, who is seeking admission for her four-year-old son.

"We thank the neighbourhood point-concept for all the three schools where he got selected," added Kathuria, a resident of Rajinder Nagar.

According to the point system this year, students were selected on the basis of points scored by them and their parents. Parameters decided by the school included proximity of their home to the school, siblings studying in the institution, single parents, and girl child, among others.

"We have tried to be just and fair in our admission procedure. The point system was balanced and very much in accordance with the directorate of education (DoE) guidelines," Vandana Puri, principal of Salwan Public School in central Delhi's Rajinder Nagar, told IANS.

But some parents were disheartened. "Our child's name was not there in the DPS (Delhi Public School) Vasant Kunj list. We are hoping for some more schools to come up with their list where we can secure a place," said Ashima Grover, mother of four-year-old Saurabh.

Chirag Goyal was among those whose child got admission but not in the school that was their first choice.

"Our child figured in Bal Bharati's list but we wanted her to get admission in Springdales school at Pusa Road where her elder brother also studies," said Goyal, father of three-year-old Nitya and resident of Gole Market.

"We will wait for the second list to see if our child makes it to the school of our choice," he added.

Most parents have applied to over 25 schools to be on the safe side. The schools now move ahead with the admission procedure where parents would be completing formalities like the child's details and depositing the fees. — IANS

New Delhi, February 1
A signalling problem on Delhi Metro network today caused inconvenience to the passengers yet again, delaying services on the busy Noida- Dwarka line that ferries more than six lakh passengers every day.

Services were delayed around 8.30 am after the signalling problem disrupted the services between Dwarka and Rajouri Garden, leading to over-crowding in trains.

"The train services were affected today due to a problem in the UPS system (which supplies power to the signalling equipment) which affected the signalling system between Dwarka Sec-21 and Rajouri Garden section," said an official of the DMRC.

"The problem persisted only for a few minutes. Problems in signalling system was spotted at 8:29 am and it was rectified at 8:37 am," he added.

However, passengers claimed that the services were delayed till late in the morning and the trains were stopping at every station for more than the stipulated time and led to over-crowding at some of the busiest stations.

New Delhi, February 1
The Delhi University vice-chancellor Dinesh Singh had a tough time fielding questions on the much controversial semester system from DU teachers as he met department heads and college principals of all the colleges. This was the first time in the history of the university that any VC had proactively invited the teachers on such a big scale for interaction.

The teachers today clearly communicated to the vice-chancellor that the majority of them were still not convinced about the semester system and talked about the numerous loopholes and problems their departments were facing.

Teachers asked hard-hitting questions one after the other that left Singh, almost speechless. Singh was particularly careful not to make any comments on the semester system and assured that all the points made in the conference would be later looked into.

Even though the teaching community was at large welcoming towards the several schemes that Singh announced, including the upcoming direct one-on-one web communication between the VC and teachers and the Rs 1-crore grant for teachers per annum to travel to international universities and participate in symposiums, lectures and other events, their main grievances remained the discrepancies in the semester system.

While on the one hand, Singh spoke at length about constructive participation and invited suggestions from the teaching community, he was later told by the teachers that when the decisions had already been taken why their suggestions were being invited.

While some said they could not understand the haste to implement the semester system when the departments were short of teachers, infrastructures and methodology, others demanded a commitment from the VC that unlike his predecessor Deepak Pental, he will not disregard the teachers' opinion when semester is implemented in humanities and commerce department.

Some teachers suggested that all the departments should be actively involved in the process of preparing of syllabus and intimated in advance about any change in syallbus.

"The teaching staff and the students' strength have risen more than 50% over the last 10 years; however there have been no recruitments in the non-teaching staff. With the implementation of the semester system, if the non-teaching staff is not hired, it will affect the efficiency of the departments," pointed out Prof Manisha Chakravarty, Ramjas College.

However, Dinesh Singh said any transgression by the administration should immediately be brought to his notice.

New Delhi, February 1
After the ministry of home affairs held that the Delhi government was within its rights in revising the circle rates brushing aside the objections of Lt-Governor Tejendra Khanna, the Delhi cabinet today sent its recommendations to the LG and the new rates would come into effect after his assent, which should now be a formality.

The circle rate proposal had become an issue of prestige between the LG and the Delhi government in November last year when the LG had sent it back to the government for amendments in the categories which mostly concerned the families having modest income.

The proposal was sent to the government thrice and the warring offices of Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and Khanna had to seek the opinion of the MHA to resolve their differences.

Now, it has been sent to the LG for the fourth time.

The proposal approved by the Delhi cabinet in November had almost doubled the circle rates which would especially spur the property prices in authorized areas of the Capital. The government had argued that the revenue it would generate was much needed.

New Delhi, February 1
With the arrest of Babu Khan and Sanjeeda, the Seemapuri police station has worked out a murder case of Mukhtyar Ahmad, husband of Sanjeeda, who was found dead in a pool of blood inside his house on January 28.

According to a senior police official, during investigation locals told the police that one person often came to the house of Mukhtyar and met his wife and the duo could be responsible for the murder.

Thereafter Sanjeeda was examined. She initially denied knowing anything, but after further enquiry from the employees working in Roshni beauty parlour, run by Sanjeeda, it came to light that a person named Babu Khan often came to the parlour on a scooter and the two were going steady. The team then zeroed in on suspect Babu Khan. He was examined at length and broke down. He told the police that he killed Mukhtyar.

He revealed that he had been having an affair with Sanjeeda for several years as both of them are from Khurja, UP. They maintained relations even after Sanjeeda’s marriag.

Both of them hatched a conspiracy to eliminate Mukhtyar. As per plan, on the day of incident, Sanjeeda remained at beauty parlour while Babu Khan and his accomplice named Pappu reached at the house of the deceased. Mukhtyar was found sitting in the house. They talked to him and as per plan, Babu Khan hit him on the head with a wooden stick. Mukhtyar fell on the ground. Thereafter Pappu took a nylon rope and strangulated him. Both of them then fled from the spot.

Babu Khan and Sanjeeda were arrested and on their instance, nylon rope was recovered. Further efforts are being made to apprehend the third accused.

New Delhi, February 1
A Delhi court today asked the police to probe the revelations made by two Tihar jail inmates, who had claimed that the jail superintendent along with other jail officers gave them arms to kill arrested former CWG officials.

Terming the delay in the enquiry as a "sorry state of affairs", additional chief metropolitan magistrate Sunil Chaudhary said, "The facts coming before the court show a sorry state of security at Tihar jail." He added that CCTV cameras installed on the jail premises were not working when the two inmates-- Nishant and Amit-- were allegedly tortured.

In addition, the court directed the ACP to conduct an enquiry into the recovery of a knife from the jail at the instance of the two inmates. The matter has been fixed for hearing on February 9.

Meanwhile, replying to the court, which had asked the DGP (Prison) to shift Nishant and Amit out of Tihar, the DGP replied that the two cannot be shifted, as their plea was "frivolous". The court, however, directed the authorities to ensure the safety of the two so that no untoward incident happens with them in future.