New Delhi, September 9
Torrential rains that lashed the national capital today caused huge traffic jams at major intersections, stirring up confusion and frustration in people who had to wait for long hours on the roads.

An official of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said that there had been excess rainfall this month.

"The average rainfall received by the city from September 1-9 has been 58.3 mm. However, from 8.30 am yesterday to 8.30 am today, Delhi recorded 36.1 mm rainfall. While from 8.30 am to 5.30 pm today, 60.6 mm of rainfall was recorded. This adds up to 121 mm of rainfall this month. The average rainfall received in September every year is 125.1 mm," said the IMD official.

According to a traffic police official, there were jams at Nehru Place, Kalindi Kunj, DND flyover, Moolchand, Ashram, BRT corridor and Lajpat Nagar.

"There were numerous traffic jams in Lajpat Nagar, Behro Road, Nizamuddin, Laxmi Nagar and Vikas Marg. The jams were mainly caused by waterlogging. The jams were reported from 9.30 am till evening," said the traffic official.

He also mentioned that a barricade was set up on Vikas Marg to divert the traffic.

Submerged buses stand abandoned at an underpass near Welcome Metro station in New Delhi. Tribune photos: Mukesh Aggarwal/Manas Ranjan Bhui

The traffic on the road from Dhaula Kuan to Naraina almost did not move for several hours in the morning.

"The rains forced motorcyclists to take shelter under the flyover near Dhaula Kuan, causing traffic jams for long hours. I was stuck here for an hour around 9 am," said Vijay Malhotra who was driving from Janak Puri to Naraina.

Traffic jams were also reported from areas like Defence Colony, Ring Road, GTB Road, Africa Avenue, Malviya Nagar, Yusuf Sarai, Rail Bhavan, Mayapuri Chowk and ITO.

"There is an emergency at home. But don't think I will reach in time. The traffic is crawling. I have been stuck here for more than an hour now. The ITO road is heavily waterlogged," said Akash Singh, a motorcyclist at Agarwal Chowk.

Another driver at ITO raised the same issue.

"It is my birthday today, and I was supposed to meet friends. But I guess, it will happen only after waiting on the road for a long time," said Richa Bajaj.

Metro commuters also faced problems at Welcome and Shahdara stations.

The road near the Shahdara station was flooded and vehicles nearly submerged. People were seen using bullock-carts to cross the road.

Similarly, the entrance to the Welcome Metro station was flooded, forcing most commuters to find shelter inside. 

New Delhi, September 9
Heavy rains that brought the city to a halt today disrupted Metro services also on one of the lines. The stretch between Shastri Park and Seelampur station on Metro's red line that connects Rithala to Dilshad Garden was affected by the downpour.

The mud underneath the Metro line a little ahead of the Shastri Park station got washed away.

"With the heavy rains today, we noticed some soil erosion in the area. So our engineers checked it up. The services on the stretch had been suspended for almost two hours. One line operations continued between both the stations during that period," said a DMRC spokesperson.

According to onlookers if the problem had not been identified on time, it would have resulted in bending of the tracks.

As the train stopped on the tracks, we tried to see what the problem was. Some said that the track might bend if immediate attention wasn't given. The passengers in the train had to face a lot of inconvenience, getting out midway and boarding another train," said one of the onlookers.

However, the staff detected the problem on time and necessary fixes were made with no damage to the tracks. Heavy rains have never affected the tracks over the years so far. 

New Delhi, September 9
Disappointed with the handing over of the investigation of the Delhi High Court blast to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) within an hour of the incident, the Delhi police is channelling all its resources towards cracking the case and proving a point.

The Delhi police has formed three special teams consisting of around 450 men, a mixture of serving and former officials of the crime branch and special cell. The teams will be jointly led by DCP (crime branch) Ashok Chand and DCP (special cell) Arun Kampani.

"Three teams have been formed to work on the different aspects of the investigation," said Delhi police commissioner BK Gupta.

According to information, the teams will work under Bhisham Singh, ACP (special cell), Ravi Shankar, additional DCP (crime) and ACP Sanjeev Yadav, who had worked in the special cell for five years and led the team during the Batla House encounter on September 13, 2008.

It has been learnt that the teams would report directly to the police commissioner and have been asked to work on the leads that the NIA wants to be investigated.

"Some of the best minds of the Delhi police have been put in these teams and we are very hopeful of cracking the case," said a senior police official, requesting anonymity.

He claimed that the Delhi police, and not the NIA, would crack the case.

According to this official, the handing over of the case to the NIA has not gone done well with the morale of the Delhi police.

"We have solved some complex cases in the past, including the September 2008 triple blast, and are capable of cracking this case also. They now want us to assist the NIA, but if they think that the NIA is so capable, why does it need assistance?" asked the official.

He added that it was the Delhi police that was doing all the labour for the case.

According to him, believing that the bombers must have conducted a recee before planting the briefcase bomb, the Delhi police has scanned the footages of all CCTV cameras installed on the high court premises to identify them. However, it has proved to be a futile exercise. Similarly, the police's belief that the bomber could be among the dead or injured also turned out to be baseless after verifying the antecedents of over 90 injured people.

Meanwhile, according to information, a third sketch is likely to be released soon.

"In most likelihood, we would release the third sketch by tomorrow. It is being prepared by an artist roped in by the NIA from Mumbai," said a police official.

New Delhi, September 9
After two bomb blasts rocked the Delhi High Court in the last five months, including the high-density explosion two days ago, stricter security measures were employed today in and around the complex.

The explosion at Gate number five of the Delhi High Court has left a lasting impact on visitors who said that they were still afraid of visiting the law complex.

The court today started issuing passes to the litigants at the new reception complex located in the former New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) school.

Kirti Uppal, vice-president of the Delhi High Court Bar Association, said it is a measure to gather intelligence.

"It is an intelligence measure till the time the area outside the High Court is not fully manned. There will be a foolproof security for stakeholders of the High Court--lawyers, litigants and judges. The security agencies had advised us to start implementing photo-passes for the litigants," he said.

Besides, 49 CCTV cameras will be installed at the entrances and along the boundary wall of the court. Uppal confirmed that there will be 14 police pickets in and around the areas of the law complex.

"The installation of CCTV cameras is the utmost priority. The government has promised us that it will be installed in two-three weeks. There will also be four metal detectors for checking vehicles," he added.

A source said that soon people will not be allowed to park their vehicles outside the boundary wall of the HC or anywhere near it. According to sources, NDMC will provide a parking lot at India Gate till the time the parking bay is not built in front of Gate number seven.

"Buses will be provided for shuttling lawyers and litigants between the parking lot at India Gate and the High Court," said the sources.

Vijay Kumar, a litigant, said that he is still frightened after the blast although the security has been strengthened.

"I was at the High Court when the blast occurred. I am afraid to come here, but don't have a choice," said Kumar.

Sanjeev Jha, an advocate at the HC, said that there is no security for the people who visit the law complex. "There is no security at the parking lot of the new reception complex. There is security for advocates, but it is not enough for the litigants and the people who visit the court," he said.

However, Vasudha Indurkar, an advocate, said that people themselves have to be vigilant.

"The security is present, but now people have to be responsible. A bomb blast is always unexpected," she said.

New Delhi, September 9
Still ignorant about the death of his grandfather Nizamuddin, who was brought dead to Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital (RML) on the tragic Wednesday, Naimuddin (35) hopes for his recovery.

With round marks of ball bearings and shrapnels all over the right side of his body, he seemed to be calm while describing the Delhi High Court blast's pre-scene and the horror that followed the next few seconds.

He was the first person standing in one of the three queues-women, men and senior citizens-leading to the pass counter at Gate number five. He was signing the slip to obtain the pass when the explosion rocked the court premises.

"I was first standing with my 'nana' in the senior citizens' queue which was the nearest to the blast spot. I thought I'll take both the passes. My nana was standing just behind me and I bent down to sign the slip when it happened. Seconds after, I found myself in excruciating pain and blood and then some people carried me in an auto," Naimuddin said in a feeble voice.

"My two cousins, Salimuddin and Amir, were inside the court and nana and Naimuddin were at the counter. Nana's body was torn apart and Naimuddin was injured with ball bearings, splinters and nails on the right side. He has been operated upon and is stable," said Naimuddin's brother Raheesuddin outside the ward.

As members of his joint family, residing in Daryaganj's Gondewali Gali, came to see him at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), he seemed better, but was worried about his grandfather.

"He asked almost every person about him. He hopes to be well and then see his three-year-old daughter Aiman back home," said his wife Ghazala (25).

While narrating the incident, Naimuddin recalled a man wearing a black coat such as that of a lawyer, and said, "There was a man who entered the senior citizens' queue. He broke the line and also had an argument with the security guard on my right, but I don't remember his face."

Importantly, most of the victims were senior citizens who were standing on the right side facing the pass counter. The men's queue was in the middle and the line for women was the farthest from the site. That's why most of the women escaped unhurt.

Most of the victims, including the 13 dead, were taken to the nearest RML Hospital where the crowd seemed to have thinned today. Three patients — Ratan Lal, Harish Singh and Mridul — are still critical in its ICUs and struggling for life two days after the explosion.

New Delhi, September 9
For Nitin and Ratan Lall Shroff, life after Wednesday blast outside the Delhi High Court will not remain the same as they may have to live with pellets embedded in their bodies for the rest of their lives.

Nitin, 37, a software consultant, who is recovering in the Ram Manohar Lohia Trauma Centre, has pellets buried in his legs, right hand and right side of his face.

The doctors attending them have been conducting surgeries to remove some of the splinters. However, the medicos admit that few pellets will remain inside the body as taking them out may prove to be risky.

"Since the pellets get sterile due to high temperature during the blast, they won't cause any infection. As such we will not make any attempt to remove any of the pellets until the medical examination suggest that they might be dangerous," said Sunil Saxena, chief medical officer, RML hospital.

Shroff, whose both legs were severed in the blast, has pellets lodged on the backside of his body.

"Connective tissues will develop over them and will cover it. So, they will never be visible on the skin," he said.

Aware of the possible difficulties of living with pellets, Saxena said, "If needed, we will provide such patients with a medical card that will identify them as a person who has embedded metal parts in his body.

"This will help them during electronic frisking at airports and other places."

In another case of Pramod Kumar Mahindra, the nail has got embedded in his thigh in C shape. The doctor expressed shock over the case of Nitin saying that he had nearly 1,000 pellets in his body. Nitin was unconscious when he was brought to the hospital.

"He was bleeding from the legs, hands and face. The sight was horrible. He has undergone a surgery and was in the ICU for some time. Now his condition is stable and we will conduct another tomorrow," he said.

Till now, a total of 31 patients are undergoing treatment in the hospital and three are critical. Thirteen have been discharged till now. —PTI

New Delhi, September 9
American Center here was today all set to host a three-day film festival showcasing the 'Spirit of New York' and marking the 10th anniversary of the World Trade Center terror attacks in the US.

The festival features classics like "On the Town", "The Apartment" and Woody Allen's "Annie Hall", as well as more recent comic films like "Coming to America" and "Six Degrees of Separation".

Terrorists affiliated to Al Qaeda flew hijacked aircraft into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York on September 11, killing at least 3,000 people and sending shockwaves around the world.

The films have been chosen to show New York in the last six decades through the eyes of some iconic American film directors - from Gregory La Cava through Woody Allen to Billy Wilder.

A 3-D presentation on New York buildings, landmarks and parks is also part of the commemoration. — IANS

New Delhi, September 9
Heavy rains that hit the Capital this morning dampened the Delhi University elections with only 29 to 32 per cent votes being cast in the morning colleges till 12 noon.

The election office said the figures got better as the day progressed and the office registered a higher percentage of voters in the evening colleges.

The voting figure for the evening colleges was much better with 34 to 26 per cent students turning up to cast their votes.

With the polling started, student activists were quite disheartened as they knew the rains would affect the number of votes. However, leaders and activists of the ABVP, NSUI and SFI kept making regular rounds of several north campus colleges, raising slogans and trying to maintain the mood of the elections.

Parties' supporters even went to different college canteens, hostels and auditoriums asking students to vote. However, there were fewer voters today than last year in the morning colleges.

Teachers and staff on election duty said that the reason for the poor turnout was the continuous rains. Also, there were many students without ID cards who were not allowed to cast their votes.

While just 1,461 students turned up at Hansraj, 1,330 students cast their votes at Hindu College. About 730 students turned up at Sri Ram College for Commerce, while Ramjas saw 1,568 students and Khalsa College reported 628 students.

On the south campus, nearly 588 students at Aditi Mahavidyala, 1,212 at Shradhanand College and 900 students at Satyawati (morning) turned up to cast their votes. Motilal (morning) reported just 400 to 500 votes though Motilal (evening) saw up to 60% polling. Atma Ram Sanatan Dharam College saw nearly 1,200 students turning up to cast votes.

The counting of votes will start tomorrow at 9 am and the results are expected to come out by 11 am, said I Usha Rao, chief elections officer of the university.

"There has been no untoward incident. The polling was largely peaceful. Whatever small complaints were registered today, no action has been taken yet. These matters need to be checked thoroughly," said Dr Satish Kumar, one of the poll observers.

Ghaziabad, September 9
The police today claimed to have solved a murder case of a constable with the arrest of three homosexual men.

"Mahipal Singh, 42, was poisoned to death in September last year at his residence in Preet Vihar by his gay partners after he decided to part ways from them," SP JK Shahi said.

Fearing that Singh may make their sexual orientation public after he told them that he is no more interested in continuing the relationships, the trio Vinod (42), Manoj (38) and Sarvan (32) hatched a conspiracy to kill him.

On September 20 last year, they went to meet Singh at his residence and poisoned him to death.