New Delhi, July 25
A 56-year-old finance manager in a liquor company and his wife committed suicide at their residence in the Ashok Vihar area of north-west Delhi last night.

According to the police, Arvind Mathur (56) and Rekha Mathur (53) were found lying dead with their wrists slit insider their rented accommodation in Ashok Vihar, Phase-I.

"Some kind of solution of blue-coloured was also found near their bodies," said a senior police official.

The preliminary investigation points towards financial crisis as the reason behind the extreme step.

They were staying at the first floor of the house number F-78, Ashok Vihar, with their two children for the past eight months.

According to information, their daughter Nidhi is employed as an assistant manager in a leading private bank while their son, Samarth, is a BSc student of Hansraj College.

Arvind worked as a financial manager of a distribution wing of Jagatjit Industries Limited which is located at Singhu Borders in Kundli.

No suicide note was recovered from the spot.

Investigations have revealed that Arvind was involved in income tax related case pertaining to his company and was under financial stress.

New Delhi, July 25
A city nursing home has been ordered by the country's apex consumer commission to pay a compensation of Rs 5 lakh to a Delhi resident for operating upon the wrong section of her spinal cord, rendering her bed-ridden for over two months.

"We are of the opinion that the complainant (woman) should have been adequately compensated for the prolonged treatment taken by her for a period of 8-10 months. The quantum of compensation is required to be enhanced to the tune of Rs 5 lakh," said a bench of Justice VR Kingaonkar and member Vinay Kumar of the National Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission.

The bench enhanced the compensation of Rs 2.5 lakh, awarded to Lajpat Nagar resident Ritu Virmani by the Delhi State Consumer Commission, to Rs 5 lakh, while pointing out that the errant doctors of the nursing home had also left a foreign object in the operated section of the spinal cord.

The medical negligence by doctors is fully proved, the bench said, adding, the woman's pain and suffering should be duly compensated. It also directed the nursing home, its doctor Nirjhara and New India Insurance Company, with which the hospital was insured, to pay her Rs 10,000 as cost.

"Instead of conducting the operation at L-4 and L-5 level (of spinal cord), it was conducted at L-2 and L-3 level. Moreover, there was some foreign substance left at L-3 level during course of the operation," the bench said.

The NCDRC bench added that "the MRI report, rendered after the operation, establishes that the patient was suffering from Arachnoiditis (neuropathic disease) due to compression of nerves at L-3 and L-4 level. The cumulative effect of the above discussion is that the medical negligence of the treating doctor(s) is duly established."

The NCDRC ordered enhanced compensation to Ritu on her plea for it.

In her appeal to the NCDRC, Ritu had told the hospital that she had approached Dr S K Nijhara of Toshi Orthopaedic Centre for treatment of acute pain in her right ankle and she referred her to Dr Virender Mohan (since dead) of Wood Stock Nursing Home in East of Kailash.

She said Dr Nijhara and Dr Mohan had told her to undergo a surgery of lumber region 4 and 5 of her spinal cord, but the latter conducted surgery on its wrong section at lumber region 2 and 3.

Ritu said that after the operation, she used to face difficulty in moving and was rendered bed-ridden for about two months. After consulting an AIIMS doctor, she came to know that she was wrongly operated upon by the accused doctors, she added. -- PTI

Greater Noida, July 25
The Greater Noida Industrial Development Authority (GNIDA) today sent notices to seven builders whose projects were affected by the court order at Shahberi village. The builders were told to return the allotted land to the farmers.

They are Supertech, Mahagun, Amrapali, Gulmohar, Inder Royal, Panchsheel and Shree G.

Earlier, the authority had given notices to Shahberi farmers to return the compensation money so that land could be given back to them.

Though authority officials had started measuring the land, the villagers had stopped them.

The authority has decided to give the land back to the villagers.Regarding the Patwari village court order, the authority has decided to move the Supreme Court, said Rama Raman, chief executive officer, Greater Noida Authority.

At Noida Extension, the contractors and labourers held a protest at the circular crossing near Gaur City just across Hindon Bridge. Farmers also burnt the effigy of the UP Chief Minister.

Today, a panchayat was held at Gejha village. The panchayat decided to hold an awareness march in villages and motivate farmers to move the court if the authority did not accept their demands by August 5.

Their three demands are a hike in land compensation, 5 per cent developed land for them and regularisation of abadi land.

Noida chief executive officer Balwinder Kumar today visited Sorkha and Parthla villages and accepted their two demands regarding regularisation of abadi land and 5 per cent developed land. He told the farmers that a peripheral road would be constructed around the villages and the abadi land would be regularised.

Regarding 5 per cent developed land, he said letters would be issued to them next week.

The CEO promised to forward their demand of a hike in compensation to the state government.

Buyers assembled at several crossings in Noida and tried to hold a foot march, causing traffic jams. But, the police foiled their attempt. SP (city) Anant Dev said, "Nobody will be allowed to hold a foot march and block the traffic flow."

At Noida Extension, too, additional police force was deployed to prevent violence and blockage of traffic by protestors. The rapid response force was deployed at panchayat site.

New Delhi, July 25
The Delhi High Court today sought a response from the city government and a girls' school after a student was refused admission in Class XI on the ground that the school does not have the combination of English and Sanskrit.

Issuing a notice to the directorate of education (DOE), Delhi, and Sarvodaya Kanya Vidyalaya in the Nand Nagri area, Justice Kailash Gambhir sought their response by August 4.

Filing a petition through advocate Ashok Aggarwal, Kumari Komal said she had appeared in Class X examination in 2009-2010 but could not clear all the papers. She got compartment in English, mathematics, social science and Hindi and was able to clear all the compartment subjects in May this year, as per the petition.

After the result was declared for Class X, she had applied for the admission in Class XI and wanted the humanities streams. The school, however, refused her admission on the ground that there was no combination of English and Sanskrit subjects in the school, as per the petitioner. -- PTI

New Delhi, July 25
The capital saw a humid day today. The maximum temperature settled at 35° C, one degree above the average for this time of the season. The high humidity levels made the day uncomfortable for the city residents. The maximum humidity was recorded at 92-93 per cent.

The minimum temperature was recorded at 26.3° C, one degree below average for this time of the season.

"There is a possibility of light showers towards late night hours. Even yesterday night, some areas reportedly saw light drizzling," an official of the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

The weather department further maintained that the humidity levels would get much more uncomfortable and the days might turn muggier with rain. "The humidity is expected to rise with rain," the official added.

For tomorrow, the weatherman has predicted the maximum and the minimum temperatures to oscillate between 35° and 26° C.

New Delhi, July 25
The Delhi cabinet has decided to increase reservation of the OBC students in the government-run educational institutions and allowed higher educational institutions in lal dora, extended lal dora and other non-confirming areas to function for the academic year 2011-12.

While briefing the media after the cabinet meeting, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit stated that the government had decided to increase reservation of the OBC students in all government-run institutions located in Delhi from existing 15 per cent to 21 per cent of total seats. To ensure that the seats available for the general candidates were not reduced in absolute numbers, the total number of seats in each discipline would be increased by 12 per cent.

Hence, increase in reservation for the OBC students would not at all affect students belonging to other communities. It has also been decided to effect no reduction in respect of the SC quota seats.

Dikshit added that the cabinet had approved a proposal for granting no-objection certificate (NOC) to allow existing higher educational institutions to run existing approved course from lal dora, extended lal dora, agricultural land, school buildings and other non-confirming areas and also to allow increase in intake and addition of courses to the institutes, colleges functioning in these areas for the academic year 2011-12.

The decision has been taken to avoid any disruption in studies of the students enrolled in such institutions. The decision of the cabinet will benefit 10 institutes functioning from school premises, 14 functioning in lal dora, extended lal dora, agricultural land and two in rented buildings in other non-confirming areas.

However, the institutes will not be allowed to make any further construction on their premises.

Meanwhile, the cabinet decided to stop use of particular objectionable word with an immediate effect. The city government is issuing strict instructions for this purpose.

Further, it has been decided to send a communication to the union home ministry for making an amendment in this regard.

Kathmandu, July 25
Wonder teen Arjun Vajpai, who last year became the youngest Indian to conquer Mt Everest, the highest peak in the world, is now seeking to become India's king of the Himalayas by bagging yet another towering peak in the autumn.

While his peers dream of winning reality shows on television, the 12th grader from Noida's Ryan International School aspires to win a "grand slam".

It means summiting the 14 highest peaks in the world, the Himalayan ranges towering above "Death Zone", the 8,000-metre plus region where breathing alone is a huge battle due to scarcity of oxygen in the rarefied air.

In addition, he would also have to tame the Seven Summits, the seven highest peaks in seven continents.

The first step was taken in 2010 when Arjun -- then 17-year-old -- scaled the 8,848-metre Mt Everest.

It was followed by another record-setting feat two months ago when he summited Mt Lhotse, the fourth highest peak in the world at 8,516 metres, and became the youngest climber in the world to achieve the ascent.

Now, the 18-year-old will be back in Nepal to attempt Mt Manaslu, the eighth of the 14th 8,000-metre peaks and one of the most dangerous.

No Indian has climbed all the 1,4 8,000-metre peaks so far, a task fraught with political barriers.

Two of these are in Pakistan - Mt K2, the second highest peak at 8,611 metres, and Nanga Parbat (8,125 metres), the ninth highest.

Three more straddle the border between Pakistan and China - Broad Peak and Gasherbrum I and II - while one, Mt Shishapangma, lies between China and Tibet.

Due to the political tension between India and these countries, Indian climbers are deterred by the thought of problems in getting a visa.

After the Manaslu expedition in September-October, Arjun is also hoping to go to the Poles in December.

Indians, especially women, have recently begun to make a name for themselves as intrepid adventurers and climbers.

Along with Arjun, Anshu Jamsenpa, a mother of two from Arunachal Pradesh, created a climbing record in May when she became the first and only Indian to summit Mt Everest twice in less than a week. -- IANS

New Delhi, July 25
The tall claims made by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) about taking adequate measures for the control of vector-borne diseases like dengue have fallen flat. Around 23,000 houses in the city have been found breeding mosquitos.

The civic agency today found heavy mosquito breeding on 23,593 premises. The health department of the MCD has sent notices to 30,000 houses and challans have been issued to 1,466 people.

In view of the increasing mosquito breeding, the MCD has decided to launch a checking and prosecution drive next week.

The national capital has already reported one dengue death and 11 cases till now.

Municipal Commissioner KS Mehra said people creating conditions favourable for the breeding of mosquitos would be prosecuted.

"The MCD will launch a checking and prosecution drive next week. Any person or institution can be prosecuted under the Delhi Municipal Corporation (Malaria and other Vector-Borne Diseases) By-laws, 1975, for creating conditions conducive for mosquito breeding and failure to take the specified preventive measures," said Mehra.

The areas found with high levels of mosquito breeding include prominent places like JNU and IIT campuses and other colleges, police stations, schools, community halls, Tis Hazari Courts, banks, hospitals, and localities like Dwarka, Naraina, Maharani Bagh and Palam areas of the Najafgarh zone of the MCD, among others.

To curb mosquito breeding, the MCD has advised people to check for accumulation of water in desert coolers, drums, jars, pots, buckets, flower vases, saucers, uncovered overhead tanks, cisterns, bottles, tins, tyres, roof gutters, refrigerator drip pans, cement blocks, bamboo stumps, coconut shells or any other place.

Mehra emphasised that due attention should be paid to workplaces along with the residential areas.

"Delhi is experiencing intermittent rains and as a result, breeding sites of aedes mosquito have increased manifold. Aedes mosquito transmitting dengue or chikungunya can breed even in a small quantity of water," said VK Monga, chairman, MCD's public health committee.

New Delhi, July 25
The Delhi Cabinet today approved the Court Fees (Delhi Amendment) Bill 2011 which will be placed in the Delhi Legislative Assembly during the next session.

The Cabinet has opined that the court fees payable as on date are negligible in today's context and in certain cases, the value is so little that it has lost its relevance. In fact, in many cases, the cost of issuing stamps and administering the payment of the fees is more than the fees collected, the Cabinet feels. Hence, it makes a case to rationalise the fees, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said.

She said that the court fees currently applicable in Delhi are the ones which were last amended in 1958 by the Punjab government and extended to Delhi.

The Court Fees Act, 1870 provides for the levy of court fees on various documents or instruments at the time of filing or presenting such documents before the courts.

The court fees are charged in two ways-- as ad valorem fee and fixed fee mentioned in two separate schedules.

New Delhi, July 25
The Delhi government has nearly doubled the wages earned by the Tihar inmates under the Minimum Wages Act for the work rendered by them in the jail factory.

Wages are disbursed to the Tihar inmates in three categories -- skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled. A skilled worker gets Rs 52 per day while semi-skilled and unskilled labourers are paid Rs 44 and Rs 40, respectively.skilled workers will now get Rs 99 per day while semi-skilled and unskilled labourers will be paid Rs 81 and Rs 70, respectively, said spokesperson for Tihar Sunil Gupta.

"Their wages have nearly been doubled. From this amount, 25 per cent will be deducted towards compensation to the victims of the offences committed by the inmates," he said.

Sacked IPS officer Ravi Kant Sharma, serving life imprisonment in the Shivani Bhatnagar murder case, had sought the Chief Minister’s intervention for increasing the daily wages of all workers to Rs 200.-- PTI