New Delhi, June 12
With the help of private divers, the Delhi police fished out the bodies of five youths of Swaroop Nagar from the Burari canal this afternoon. They had drowned in the canal while swimming in the deep water.

The deceased were identified as Golu, Gopi and Govinda, all 21 years of age; Kunal (18) and Vishnu (16). The bodies have been handed over to their parents after postmortem. The postmortem report confirmed that it was a drowning case, the police said.

The youths, residents of Swaroop Nagar, had come to take a bath in the Yamuna in Burari when the incident took place around 5 pm.

A total of nine youths went to the canal for swimming. Two did not enter the canal seeing the force of the current while seven youths jumped into it. Two of them came out while others could not and drowned.

According to the police, the friends of the deceased waited for a few minutes, thinking that they would come out. After a while they lost hope and informed the local people who contacted the police. Just after getting the information, the police called private divers who jumped into the deep water and succeeded in fishing out the bodies within half an hour, the police said.

According to a senior police official, one of the youths went into deep waters. Others rushed to his help but they also drowned.

No case has been registered as this was a case of negligence on the part of youngsters, the police added.

New Delhi, June 12
In a ragpickers' hutment at Rangpuri Pahari, close to the upscale Vasant Kunj neighbourhood in south Delhi, 12-year-old Govinda Kumar begins to scribble on a notebook after returning from his daily nine-hour drill of collecting re-cycled waste from the streets.

The child labourer, who started working at the age of 7, got admitted to a government school three months ago after years of struggling on the streets for earning Rs 30 a day. And he is not alone; many others like him continue to slog for survival.

"During the day I collected plastic waste and newspapers from bungalows and streets, and at night I helped my father in segregating the collected material. This year I got enrolled into a school," said Govinda, whose family migrated from Bihar in 2004.

Govinda, after a series of irregular studies at school, got admission to Class V.

It was after the intervention of an NGO that Govinda got re-admitted to school.

Ranpuri Pahari, identified by experts as the "den of child labour", because of its sizeable population of children employed in denim factories in the nearby Mahipalpur area and ragpickers, is home to over 200 ragpicker families.

"My husband earns Rs 2,000 a month. To feed six mouths, Govinda started helping his father," said Shobha Devi, Govinda's mother. — IANS

New Delhi, June 12
India is home to nine million children trapped in labour, with 85 per cent of them engaged in unorganised sector. Yet the government efforts towards containing the menace that has ruined innocent lives in the alleys of exploitation has been bare minimum.

Leave aside the scenario in the rural areas, the situation is worse even in the national Capital where the Delhi government has spent less than 50 per cent of the money it has received for rehabilitation and education of child labourers.

"There is a gap in the whole process of rehabilitation and consequently the phenomenon of child labour continues. While the National Child Labour Project is yet to be implemented, the child protection units under the women and child welfare ministry need to be effective and strengthened under provision of Integrated Child Protection Scheme," member of Delhi Commission of Protection of Child Rights Shashank Shekhar said while talking to The Tribune during an anti-child labour event here today.

Further despite the Delhi High Court verdict, none of the nine revenue districts of the Capital has had a child welfare fund in place and consequently, as revealed by an RTI response to an application filed by child-rights NGO Bachpan Bachao Andolan (NGO), a sum of Rs 2.5 crore is lying unutilised on the child labour rehabilitation.

As per an RTI even as 4,500 child labourers have been rescued in the Capital in the last five years, fines have been recovered from the employers of only 98 children rescued from various work sites of the city. According to activists of BBA, the amount recoverable from 1,843 children rescued only in 2009-2010 is Rs 3.49 cr and a paltry 5 per cent has been recovered from employers.

"The city government has released only Rs 71 lakh to other states for rehabilitation and education instead of Rs 7.5 crore as shown by the RTI we made in March," said BBA activist Rakesh Senger.

"Judicial activism and various high court directions have resulted in increasing number of rescued child labourers, but the government is still disregarding the high court directions on rehabilitation," founder, BBA Kailash Satyarthi said.

Meanwhile, in the Capital, 225 Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) came together to pledge their support to the campaign, launched by the NGO. Several programmes were organisedin the city. In Nazafgarh alone, more than 120 RWAs have pledged their support to the campaign and end child labour in their colonies.

Ghaziabad, June 12
The district employment office here is under the scanner for allegedly violating government rules in the recruitment of government staff, after a complaint was received that an unqualified official was entrusted with conducting the recruitment test, officials said.

According to officials, the regional employment officer (REO) at Meerut has sought an explanation from the Ghaziabad district employment officer (DEO) Arshad Ali for violating government rules in recruiting staffers for the government offices falling under its jurisdiction by authorising a junior officer - his own senior assistant - to conduct the examination and examine the copies, which he is not entitled to.

In a letter dated May 26, REO Meerut Y.N. Lal sought the explanation from Ali for sending his senior assistant for the final selection of candidates for various jobs in the offices of district horticulture officer, district land consolidation officer and the central Schools in Hindon Air Force Station and Babugarh and the state-run MMH College.

Lal noted that the Uttar Pradesh government, in a 2001 order had instructed employment offices that the candidates' copies would be examined only by the qualified faculties of Industrial Training Institutes (ITI) and government-run polytechnics under the technical education department.

"A candidate lodged a complaint with the district magistrate and forwarded a copy to me. On his complaint I have cancelled DEO's order in which he authorized Arun Sharma as examiner and sought an explanation from DEO. I am waiting for DEO's reply," said Lal.

He declined to answer a query if rules had been violated in earlier recruitments. — IANS

New Delhi, June 12
A man was shot at and injured today while he was chasing two motorbike-borne robbers who snatched his wife's chain near a Metro station in east Delhi, the police said.

"Surendra Chaddha, in his early 30s, along with his wife Anju came outside the Shahdara Metro Station around 4 pm today. Chaddha went towards the parking lot to take his bike and, meanwhile, two-bike borne assailants finding Anju alone snatched the chain from her neck," said a police officer.

Anju cried for help. Chadda rushed there on his bike and then started chasing the assailants.

"The pillion rider, on realising they were being chased, shot at Chaddha, hitting him in the stomach. The victim rode himself to a nearby hospital," he said.

The police shifted Chaddha to Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital where his condition is stable. — IANS

New Delhi, June 12
A teenager working at an apparel processing unit was allegedly drugged and subsequently molested by two of her male colleagues here, the police said today.

"The incident came to light when the 17-year-old victim, a resident of Azadpur area in north Delhi, approached the police on Friday afternoon," said deputy commissioner of police Meenu Chaudhary.

"She alleged that her co-workers, Ramu and Mukesh, who are both in their early twenties, forced her to consume a soft drink laced with alcohol before molesting her within the premises of their workplace on Friday afternoon," Chaudhary said.

The two were arrested after the complaint.

The police said that the girl complained the duo gave her a soft drink laced with 'a colourless alcoholic substance' when she complained of the heat.

"We have registered a case of molestation at the Model Town Police Station. Further investigation into the arrested duo's previous involvement in similar incidents is under way," Chaudhary added. — IANS

New Delhi, June 12
With the arrest of a resident of Panchkula who claimed to be an IAS officer, the Delhi police today worked out a case of cheating of lakhs of rupees.

Amit Kumar Singla, who was posing as an IAS officer, has allegedly cheated Rs 45 lakh from the complainant.

The cheating came to light when Rajesh Kumar made a complaint at Mangolpuri police station. He runs a gym in Pushpanjali, Pitampura. In 2007, Singla joined the gym by introducing himself as an IAS officer with the ministry of finance, union government.

Taking Rajesh into confidence, Singla took Rs 45 lakh from him and his friend Manoj to invest in the share market. The complainant suspected something unusual and asked his money back. Singla gave two cheques - one for Rs 30 lakh and the second for Rs 3 lakh. Thereafter, Singla lodged a complaint against Rajesh and Manoj that they had got his signed cheques forcibly.

Rajesh had also filed a complaint of cheating against Singla.

During an inquiry, the police came to know that Singla was not an IAS officer. He was a cheat. He was arrested from his residence in Panchkula.

During interrogation, Singla said he also pretended to be an IAS officer for the marriage of his sister and in front of his friends for extracting money. He used a red beacon atop his car.

He hails from Jind, Haryana. He had sold off his property in Jind and settled in Rohini. He is unemployed. His father also has no work for the past six years.

Earlier, he was living in Pushpanjali Enclave, Pitampura, and then moved to Sector -3, Rohini. In 2010, he shifted to Panchkula.

He used to roam in cars with a red beacon and during a raid, one such car was found parked outside his rented accommodation in Panchkula. During sustained interrogation, he said neither he nor his father have had any work for the past seven years. He was very fond of living lavishly due to which he chose this path. He was also addicted to share market and used to invest in the stock market every now and then, but every time he lost the money.

New Delhi, June 12
Light showers this evening brought the maximum temperature in Delhi two notches below average to 37.5 degrees Celsius as the week ended on a cool and pleasant note. According to the met office, the week may begin on a wet note too.

"The skies will remain partly cloudy and there is a possibility of more showers in some parts of the city tomorrow (Monday)," an official of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

"The maximum and minimum temperatures are expected to hover around 38 and 28 degrees," he added.

Meanwhile, Sunday was a clear and sunny day with winds blowing throughout the day. The minimum temperature was a notch above average at 29.3 degrees Celsius, said the official.

The humidity levels oscillated between a high of 77 and a low of 48 percet, added the IMD official. — IANS

Ghaziabad, June 12
The Ghaziabad police today claimed to a have foiled a conspiracy by some seasoned convicts to escape from the jail and the police lockups.

The convicts and under-trials had made foolproof preparations to stage a big escape.

According to SSP Raghuvir Lal, about 200 convicts could have escaped and dozens of policemen killed and wounded, if the conspiracy had succeeded.

According to the police, yesterday when some prisoners were frisked as they returned from the district court to the Dasna jail, a master key of handcuffs was recovered from a criminal, Munna, alias Manish.

The jail authorities then handed over the master key, on which "407" was inscribed, to the SSP.

Jail superintendent Dr Viresh Raj said Munna, a resident of Khoda colony, was in jail under the Gangster Act. He had been lodged in barrack No 2. SSP Raghuvir Lal, additional district magistrate (admin) Ram Kishen Sharma reached the Dasna jail with a strong police posse of 200 personnel and started a thorough search operation of the jail premises.

In barrack No 2-C, the police inquired a prisoner, Khem Chand from Khoda colony who was also lodged under the Gangster Act.

The SSP said it was being probed as to how the notorious criminal, Munna, got the master key. He did not rule out the involvement of some policemen in the conspiracy.

New Delhi, June 12
Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit today laid the foundation stone of proposed multi-storeyed parking lot at Gurdwara Rakab Ganj. The issue was controversial between the ruling party and the opposition in the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC).

The issue has been resolved with the efforts of the DSGMC president, Paramjit Singh Sarna who has been ruling the committee for the last 10 years.

The foundation stone was laid in the presence of DSGMC president, Delhi transport minister Arvinder Singh Lovely, Delhi Minorities Commission member Pushpinder Singh, East Delhi MP Sandeep Dikshit, Gyani Iqbal Singh, Baba Bachan Singh, Baba Jagtar Singh of Kar Sewa wale, Baba Amar Singh (UK) and others. Besides, a large number of devotees were present on the occasion in the gurdwara.

While laying the foundation stone, the Chief Minister said that she appreciated the building of religious places. "May God give success to the DSGMC in construction of the parking lot," she said.

According to the sources, when the DSGMC approached the Chief Minister initially for the foundation stone ceremony, she refused to attend the function. However, she agreed last evening when the committee president and others pressurized her.

The DSGMC president said that the opposition parties had made an issue of the parking lot just to get political mileage.

However, Delhi chief of Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) Manjit Singh said that his party never opposed the construction of the parking.

"Our objection is that the DSGMC has excess budget for the construction of the parking. Having studied the construction cost of other parking lots, it seems that Rs 50 crore is enough for the construction of parking in gurdwara Rakab Ganj. Secondly, we demanded that the historical parts of gurdwara should not be disturbed," he said.

New Delhi, June 12
The families of the 59 victims of the 1997 Uphaar cinema fire in south Delhi will offer prayers and pay respects to those who perished to mark the 14th anniversary of the tragedy tomorrow, a victim's relative said.

Association of Victims of Uphaar Fire Tragedy (AVUT) president Neelam Krishnamoorthy said: "To commemorate the 59 precious lives lost in the Uphaar fire 14 years ago, the association is holding a havan and shanti paath followed by bhajans at Smriti Upavan opposite Uphaar cinema in Green Park."

The incident took place on June 13, 1997, during the screening of Hindi film "Border". The fire killed 59 people, including Krishnamoorthy's two children. Over a 100 people were injured in the subsequent stampede.

The fire was sparked by a blast in a transformer in an underground parking lot in the five-storey building which housed the cinema hall and several offices.

Giving an update on the court cases related to the tragedy, Krishnamoorthy said the next hearing before an Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate on a matter linked to tampering of evidence was on July 8.

A plea to make retired police officer Amod Kanth an accused in the case would come up before the Delhi High Court on July 18, she said. — IANS

New Delhi, June 12
With many high-profile accused cooling heels in Tihar Jail, the air in its kitchen is now filled with the aroma of the south Indian cuisine after special training was imparted to the cooks of the prison.

The canteen of jail number one, four and six now serves both north and south Indian cuisine, including dosas, uttappams, idlis, sambhar and coconut chutney among other dishes.

The south Indian cuisine first appeared in the list of the canteen menu of the jail number one in February after former telecom minister and DMK leader A Raja was lodged there for his alleged role in 2G spectrum allocation scam, sources in the jail said.

The canteen earlier served cholay bhaturay, puri sabzi, namkeen, samosas, sandwich and tea.

The cook of the DSP of the Tamil Nadu special police, given the job of securing Tihar jail's outer perimeter, trained the jail inmates, who take care of the canteen in these three prisons to cook south Indian cuisine, the sources added.

When news of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi's daughter Kanimozhi's name appeared in the 2G spectrum scam, the women inmates of jail number six responsible for the canteen were immediately trained to cook the south Indian food, they said.

The same followed in jail number four where Kalaignar TV managing director Sharad Kumar, a close aide of Kanimozhi and a coconspirator in the 2G spectrum case is lodged at present.

The sources said following the introduction of the south Indian cuisine inside the three jails, it has also become a favourite with other inmates as well.

Inmates get a maximum of Rs 1,000 per visit, enough to buy coupons for investment in the canteen food.

Tihar prisons provide free of cost meal to inmates three times daily which include roti, rice, dal and one vegetable dish. — PTI

Ghaziabad, June 12
Two brothers were today arrested for faking a robbery of Rs 3 lakh which belonged to their employer, the police said.

Gaurav and Wilson, employees in an export company, fabricated a story that two bikers robbed them of the money at a gunpoint yesterday.

They also lodged a report in this regard.

The police, however, suspected them and after subsequent interrogation the two revealed that the cash was with their mother.

Many of Delhi's honchos were a little disappointed that they were not included in the biggest of the South Indian matrimonial event in recent times. The coming together of the Infosys chairman's son with the daughter of Venu Srinivasan of TVS was a grand alliance, but totally private. From Delhi the only big names were L.K.Advani, Anand Sharma, Kamal Nath, Chidambaram and Jayanti Natrajan.

The absence of Jayalalithaa and the DMK supremo Karunanidhi were clear signs that both the well-respected business families did not want any high-voltage distractions in an intensely family moment. Of course, the grand reception that followed was going to be a more public affair.

Business, of course, was better represented than politics. Business associates like Nandan Nilekani, Captain Gopi Nath and Adi Godrej and the Reddys were present.

To complete the family feel, the wedding itself was held at the bride's mother's ancestral home.

The bride's mother belongs to the well-known Amalagations group, which is in the same ranks as the TVS group, where the father Venu Srinivasan is a head honcho.

As for Infosys, though Narayana Murthy has stepped down from his official roles, his ownership and imprint on the country's largest Infotech giant is unmistakable.

The bridegroom dressed in his sherwani was able to tie the Mangalsutra to the Vedic chants from a hundred priests from Tirupati. The guests who attended the wedding were gifted scented candles from London as presents.

All the decorations were done with orchids, lilies and carnations.