New Delhi, February 24
The police resorted to lathicharge and employed teargas shells on the agitating BJP workers today as they tried to cross the barricades erected by the police.

Dozens of BJP workers, who were protesting against corruption in the government, demanding the resignation of Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, sustained injuries and were admitted to RML Hospital.

The police chases away the activists at Parliament Street in New Delhi on Thursday. Tribune photos: Manas Ranjan Bhui

The BJP put the number of its injured workers to 200. Close to 40 persons, according to an estimate, sustained injuries and a few of them broke their limbs and were also bleeding.

The demonstrators had gathered to march towards the North Block.

A few photo journalists sustained injuries when they were clicking the photos of policemen and the activists.

Angered by the lathicharge, the BJP workers broke the windowpanes of the police vehicles.

Later, Delhi BJP president Vijender Gupta at a conference said that the Delhi police had broken all the records of barbarism by lathicharging on more than 10,000 party workers. They were trying to meet the home minister to submit a memorandum on corruption in the Delhi government.

More than 200 workers, including Delhi chief of the BJP sustained injuries. As many as 100 workers were given first aid, Gupta claimed.

Injured workers are being treated in RML Hospital and other government and private hospitals, he said.

Dozens of teargas shells were fired on the workers. One of the shells burst between the legs of a worker who was badly burnt. Dozens of vehicles were damaged in the fight between the police and workers.

The police did not spare even the women workers. General secretary of Outer Delhi Mahila Morcha, Monika, sustained injuries on her eyes, Gupta said.

12 kids rescued from beedi unit
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 24
In a raid in Nandnagri, northeast Delhi, 12 children engaged in beendi making factory were rescued by the northeast district task force, along with the officials of the Labour Department, Child Welfare Committee and the Delhi police.

The operation was carried yesterday on a complaint by Bachpan Bachao Andolan, an NGO, and according to Rakesh Senger from NGO, since November 2009 to October 2010, 89 child labourers have been rescued from northeast district alone.

The major development of this rescue operation was that among all the children belonging to the age group of 10-14 years, six children received Rs 20, 000 each as rehabilitation package from their employer, Samsad, who instantly paid Rs 1.20 lakh for six children on the spot itself.

"All the employers will be prosecuted under the Child Labour Act, Juvenile Justice Act, Bonded Labour Act and the IPC. All the rescued child labourers will receive Rs 20, 000 as rehabilitation package," said Seemapuri SDM Vipin Garg.

Senger said, among all children, only 21 have received compensation of Rs 4.20 lakh in addition to six children who received Rs 20, 000 each.

The children who were freed today belonged to Araria district of Bihar and most of them were lured and confined to Delhi for a better livelihood. But, reality had a different life in store for them here where they were forced to work for 12-14 hours, without food, every day in filthy and dingy rooms.

New Delhi, February 24
In a historic decision, Delhi Lokayukta today recommended to the President of India the removal of the Delhi PWD minister Raj Kumar Chauhan from the council of ministers for trying to protect a leading resort in a tax evasion case.

Lokayukta Justice Manmohan Sarin today delivered his recommendation in a case pertaining to the minister's alleged involvement in influencing a team of tax officials to provide relief to the owners of Tivoli Garden Resorts.

"The Lokayukta has recommended to the President of India to withdraw her pleasure in allowing the minister to continue in the Delhi government," an official in Lokayukta said.

The Lokayukta has made the recommendation to the President, who is the competent authority to withdraw the pleasure for the minister to hold office in terms of clause 5 of Article 239 (AA) of the Constitution and section 12 of Delhi Lokayukta-Uplokayukta Act, 1995, the official said.

He also recommended prosecution of the minister under various Sections of Delhi Value Added Tax Act, 2004. When Raj Kumar Chauhan was contacted for comment on the order, he said, "I am a public representative. A lot of people come to me for getting help in many cases and I help them. The Lokayukta order is of recommendatory nature."

When asked, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said she had not got the details of the order so she would not like to comment.

He had taken a suo motu action on media reports that VAT Commissioner Jalaj Srivastava had written to the Delhi government saying that a minister had asked him to intervene and help the owners of Tivoli Garden Resorts while a search and survey was going on. The Lokayukta had initiated an inquiry into the conduct of the minister. Owners of the resorts were allegedly evading local taxes to the tune of hundreds of crores of rupees.

The matter came to light when Jalaj Shrivastava sent a confidential note to the principal secretary (finance) and the then finance minister A. K. Walia, stating that while the survey of Tivoli Gardens Resorts was going on and the VAT team was on its premises, he received a call on his mobile from a minister of Delhi government who asked him to intervene in the matter. Though he received the call on February 20, 2010, the commissioner sent the confidential note four months later on June 22, 2010.

Srivastava later named Chauhan as the Delhi minister who had called him to intervene during the survey.

New Delhi, February 24
The special cell of the Delhi police has unearthed two heroin manufacturing units in Sonepat (Haryana) and Shahibabad (Uttar Pradesh) and arrested four persons. According to the police, the mastermind behind the units, Chandra Mohan Makkar, is lodged in Tihar Jail for the past 15 years.

According to Arun Kampani, deputy commissioner of police (special cell), the gang used to sell heroin in European countries, including USA, Canada and South Africa.

"The units were unearthed during an investigation this week and those arrested have been identified as Hari Prasad Verma, Anil, Om Prakash and Nand Kishore Tiwari. We have seized 2.05 kg heroin, 60 litres of acetic anhydride used in preparing the drugs, 5.350 kgs of Barbitone and 2 kg powder from these units," revealed Kampani.

According to information, the first arrest was made on February 14 when Verma was nabbed from Ashok Vihar with 500 gms of heroin while he was on his way to deliver it to Anil. Interrogation of the duo led the police to the manufacturing unit in the Omax City area of Sonepat. "The unit in Omax City was being run by Verma and his accomplice Parkash, who is an expert in manufacturing heroin. A raid there led to the arrest of Prakash. A total of 500 gms of heroin was recovered from him, besides other chemicals," Kampani said. Further searches were conducted at Shahibabad yesterday, which lead to arrest of Tiwari along with 300 gms of heroin.

According to the police, Tiwari was running this unit after the arrest of Makkar.

Verma, a resident of Sonepat, initially ran a dhaba, but switched over to smuggling drugs after coming into the contact of Makkar. Makkar had introduced him to Anil. Prakash used to manufacture heroin at a flat of Verma. Verma had purchased the flat in the name of his second wife.

Makkar used to supply raw materials required for the preparation of heroin. He was arrested by the narcotics branch of the Delhi police.

"Verma is very shrewd. To evade the enforcement agencies, he used to change his mobile numbers very frequently. He communicated with a person from a particular number and never used the same number to communicate with other persons so that the enforcement agencies could not track his network. During the raid, many mobiles and SIMs were seized from his possession," said Kampani.

New Delhi, February 24
Coming from far-flung areas, attendants of patients admitted to the AIIMS Trauma Centre have expressed their dissatisfaction with the hospital administration. They came up with complaints of inadequate resting space while the administration has allocated a corner of the waiting hall to a food outlet. It was learnt that the new eating counter came up within a matter of two hours on February 15 when all those inside the hall, located in front of the centre's main entrance, were made to vacate the place for two hours.

However, the food outlet remained to stay in the waiting hall even as the trauma centre has been facing a space crunch. Consequently, many attendants were forced to take shelter outside. "You can see the waiting place is full and the new counter has further added to our woes," said the father of a patient who is currently admitted to the casualty.

Apparently, the same person, Rajeev Gupta, who has been awarded the tender of the staff cafeteria this year, is running the new canteen. While the tender for the cafeteria was floated last year, as confirmed by the centre's store house officer Narendra Kumar, the details regarding the latest eating counter, meant for patients' attendants, remained unclear.

When enquired by The Tribune, Gupta, giving vague replies said, "I filled the tender six-seven months ago and got it for one year. I run both the canteens, with one for the staff starting on February 9 and the other in the waiting area on February 15. I've made a security deposit of Rs 1 lakh though I'm yet to get the final agreement," said Gupta, who also owns a shop Gupta Sweets at Yusuf Sarai.

Clarifying the matter, Dr M C Misra said "The new counter within the waiting hall is an extension of the existing staff cafeteria and it has been issued through open tendering."

He said the canteen has been extended for the benefit of the attendants as now instead of unhygienic food that they get outside, they can have good food at subsidised rates.

Further, the centre's administration said that the waiting hall is meant for attendants of ICU and casualty patients, but very often one can find even others staying for days and months.

"Space is a big issue and still attendants even from other hospitals like Safdarjung come here to stay," said a staffer of the hospital.

New Delhi, February 24
Even as the new amendment in the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) Act has frozen any type of construction or repair work surrounding the heritage sites, conservationists are in a fix, wondering if the act will help end the rampant encroachments in and around the monuments in the national Capital.

"Over100 metre surrounding of any historical monument is a restricted area for research as there is a huge possibility of finding historical evidences here. The next 200 metre is the protected area and one has to attain a no objection certificate (NOC) from the government to perform any construction or repair work. Now, till the new act is in place, no more NOC's will be given. However, even so, there are many who do not follow the rules.

There are encroachments in many south Delhi monuments, and most of the times we do not know what to do with them," said a senior INTACH official requesting anonymity.

The ministry of culture had recently held its first meeting of competent authorities from across the country to discuss modalities related to implementation, including rules and monument-specific heritage byelaws.

Under the new provisions of the Ancient Monuments and Ancient Sites and Remains (Amendment and Validation) Act 2010, each state's respective competent authority and now has to send eligible proposals for repairs/construction to the National Monument Authority (NMA). Even though all competent authorities have been appointed - Delhi got it in December 2010 - and even if NMA gets in shape by March, the monument-specific heritage byelaws and rules for the functioning of authorities would take time. Without these, no official would be able to give permission for repair/construction.

But what is still worrisome is that even if restrictions increase for those following the laws, what about those who resort to unlawful methods.

"Many small monuments in Mehrauali Archelogical Park and other places surrounding Qutub Enclave in south Delhi have encroachments. People have made abodes inside Havelis in Purani Delhi and no one questioning them.

Currently there are only 174 listed monuments in the Capital, but there are many more which are not on the list and still unknown or neglected. And the efforts of contactors to remove any encroachments lead to ugly fights and resistance. Locals trouble the workers and deliberately harm at times.

The act should provide a strong deterrent," said a leading ASI contractor.

New Delhi, February 24
"What we need to learn from this book is that the aspirations, actions, thoughts and wishes of the older generation are in constant flux and are transitory. They are rendered futile with the passage of time but the entire burden of life in the current world as it is now falls on the younger generation. This book at times is almost prophetic in its bluntness about the impact of the past on the present," said Syeda Hameed, Planning Commission Member who released Anis Kidwai's book, In Freedom's Shade, which was translated into English by Ayesha Kidwai.

Appearing for the first time in English, In Freedom's Shade is Anis Kidwai's moving personal memoir of the first two years of nascent India. It is a carefully kept record that reveals both the architecture of the violence during the Partition as well as the efforts of ordinary citizens to bring the cycle of reprisal and retribution to a close.

Ayesha Kidwai, the translator and also the granddaughter of Anis Kidwai, said, "This is really Anis Kidwai's own writing about where she came from and who she is. It is a record of her inner thoughts and feelings, trials and tribulations during the first two years of Independence and the horror of Partition."

"There are many themes in this book which includes the theme of those who were driven out, the trials and losses of those who were left behind, then the horrors faced by those who were raped and abducted," says Ayesha.

"Anis was a free woman more then anything else and this comes out effectively in her book and thinking. Anis Kidwai's story begins from the day of Independence and is an account of the next two years. Translating this story was a rather difficult task," says Ayesha.

Beginning with the murder of her husband in October 1947, Anis Kidwai with a rare frankness and depth on insight relates the stories of thousands who were driven away from their homelands in Delhi and its neighbouring areas by eviction or abduction or the threat of forced religious conversion.

Renowned Urdu scholar, Prof C.M. Naim said, "I never had the privilege to meet Anis but I felt a thrill at reading her book for the first time. Her narrative captures the mind and heart of the reader. Also, this is not an easy book to translate and Ayesha has made quite an insightful contribution. I think this piece of writing is really extraordinary and Anis's language is amazing."

The book is of historical importance for its account of the activities of the Shanti Dal, the recovery of abducted women and the history of Delhi. In Freedom's Shade is in part an account

of the afflictions that beset Indian society and it is part prophetic about the plagues that were to come.

The book gives a graphic firsthand account of the horrors of Partition and its impact upon Indian society of that time.

New Delhi, February 24
Music lovers have an absolute delight waiting for them, this coming weekend at Purana Qila with the Neemrana Music Foundation in association with the famous broadway musical group, Hair, organsing a tribal rock musical event with the beautiful Humayun's gate in the backdrop.

The four-day fest will beginning tomorrow at 7 pm.

A cross-cultural event will have artistes from India and the Europe. Since 2002, the foundation has staged many opera productions in Delhi and Mumbai, including "If I Were a King", "Violetta a Traviata", "Carmen", "The Pearl Fishers" and "Fakir of Benares".

According to Antoine Redon, the producer of the event, "Today, the message of Hair remains as relevant as it was in the '70s: love, peace, joy and happiness but the means to reach them have been adapted to the 21 century. If the intention of Hair in the '60s was to make an outer revolution to stop wars, in the new millennium century it's to make inner revolution. How to face wars? Are love and non-violence not the best weapons? Hair 2010 thus advocated the Gandhian values of ahimsa and satyagraha in his native land."

A short preview of the same play was held in the Capital in April 2010, but it is for the first time that the complete tribal rock musical is being staged.

With several Indian artistes, the production is headed by Antoine Redon and Stefan Kaye as music directors, with Antoine conducting the choir and Stefan conducting the band and contributing new arrangements. Lional Magal, Philipe Ducroc and Bernard Filipetti from France will provide video projections and unbelievable sets to give a three dimensional effect to the monument.

Hair tells the story of the tribe, a group of politically active, long-haired hippies of the Age of Aquarius living a bohemian life in New York City and fighting against conscription into the Vietnam War. Claude, his good friend Berger, their roommate Sheila and their friends struggle to balance their young lives, loves and the sexual revolution with their revolt against the war and their conservative elders and society.

Ultimately, Claude must decide whether to resist the draft as his friends have done or to compromise his pacifistic principles and risk his life by serving his country in Vietnam.

Ghaziabad, February 24
A special Central Bureau of Investigation court today concluded hearing the arguments in the alleged rape and murder of 14-year-old Chhoti Payal, a case related to the gruesome Nithari killings, with the prosecution presenting accused Surender Koli's confessional statement before it.

While the prosecution sought to prove the case against Koli by presenting his confessional statement before the court, the defence argued that it was made by the accused under pressure of the investigators.

Presenting his final arguments before CBI judge A.K. Singh, prosecution counsel Jai Prakash Sharma said the forensic examination of the skull of Chhoti Payal, who went missing in June 2005, had proved that she had been murdered.

Putting up the confessional statement of Surender Koli before the court, Sharma said that he allured the 14-year-old girl and raped her before murdering her inside Kothi no D-5 at Nithari in Noida. He said 46 witnesses had been examined in the case before the court.

Pleading on behalf of the accused, defence advocate Subash Aggarwal said Koli was innocent and the investigating agency made up a case against him as he was only a servant and not the master of the house.

Regarding the confessional statement of Koli, the defence advocate said it was made under police and CBI pressure.

After hearing the arguments that lasted two hours, judge Singh fixed March 8 as the date for filing the legal rulings related to crime and defence.

There are indications that after March 8, final judgement date will be announced in the case by the CBI court.

Out of a total 16 cases related to Nithari killings judgements have been pronounced in four-- Rimpa Haldar, Aarti, Rachna and Deepali-- murder cases. This is the fifth case being heard by the court in connection with the infamous Nithari killings. PTI

New Delhi, February 24
The crime branch of the Delhi police has arrested two persons in connection with the murder of a 23-year- old. The youth was allegedly killed by the accused because one of them liked his wife.

The accused have been identified as Sandeep Sharma (30) and Aman Kumar (22) and were arrested yesterday from the Dwarka area on a tip-off.

The duo was arrested for the murder of Gaurav Gupta on February 15.

According to the police, the accused and victim were involved in immoral trafficking and Sharma had developed intimacy with Gupta's wife, who too was involved in immoral trafficking before marrying Gupta.

"Sharma wanted to eliminate Gupta as he wanted the lady for himself and also immoral trafficking.

On the day of the murder, Sharma and Kumar picked up Gupta from Saket in his car and killed him by hitting with a rod. They dumped the body in at Surajkund in Haryana," said Ashok Chand, DCP (Crime).

The Surajkund police has been informed about the arrests.

New Delhi, February 24
The Delhi police has arrested three budding criminals in connection with yesterday's robbery where Rs 6 lakh was snatched from a businessman at gunpoint in the Begumpur area of north Delhi.

The criminals have been identified as Sandeep (26), Narveer (21) and Deepak (24).

The police has recovered Rs 5.74 lakh of the robbed booty.

According to the police, Balvinder Singh, a businessman of Jahangirpuri, was yesterday robbed at gunpoint in Rama Vihar.

The investigators had received a tip-off that the robbers were planning to visit a hill station.

"A trap was laid at the Kali Mata Mandir on K.N. Katju Marg and the robbers, travelling in a cherry-coloured Alto car, were arrested around 11 pm," said Chhaya Sharma, DCP (Outer), adding that a leather bag containing Rs 5.74 lakh was seized from them.

On interrogation, it was learnt that all the accused are school dropouts and part-time property dealers. They were fond of visiting hill stations and enjoyed the company of prostitutes. They further disclosed that as property dealers, their areas of operation were Rama Vihar, Jain Nagar and Karala.

"They used to cheat customers to meet their expenses. Recently, they came to know that some rich people of Pitampura frequently traveled to Rama Vihar with huge cash for investment in properties.