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Irregularities in tubewell installation
Delhi deluged again
SC: CBI will not spare anyone
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Last Bhatta riot accused arrested
BJP demands rollback of
petrol price hike
BJP leaders along with supporters shout anti-UPA governmemt slogans during a demonstration against petrol price hike at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on Friday. Tribune photo: Manas Ranjan Bhui
Blueline operators can run buses as coop, court told
Remembering Husain by painting the artist
Artist Sandhya Singh explains her painting 'The Magician' at her exhibition 'Remembering the Master - M.F. Husain' in New Delhi on Friday. Tribune photo: Manas Ranjan Bhui
Documents stolen from
Ishant Sharma’s car
Three held using forged visas of South Africa
CM stresses ozone layer preservation
217 Delhiites killed in fire this year
MCD rating
Maid kidnapped child to
teach employer a lesson
Man held for murder
Electrocuted
Drunk youths stab each other
in party
Student hangs self after dad’s scolding
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Irregularities in tubewell installation
New Delhi, September 16 The main accused include PK Jain, executive engineer of the southwest zone (Division 3) of the DJB; BD Arya and NK Khare, both assistant engineers with the agency. The cases have been registered under sections 120B, 420, 467, 468, 471, 477A of the IPC and 13(2) and 13(1)(d) of the Prevention of Corruption Act. According to a CBI official, as part of a conspiracy between the officials of the DJB and the contractors, full payments were made to the contractors when the work was either not done at all or was incomplete. "It is also alleged that the contractors used substandard material for installing the tubewells. The bills were passed by the accused DJB officials despite knowing about the use of substandard material as well as the incomplete work," said the official. He added that searches were conducted at 14 places, including the residences and office premises of the officials and the offices of the contractors, which led to the recovery of cash, jewellery and incriminating documents. According to him, at the residence of one of the accused officials, around Rs 9.36 lakh in cash, several jewellery items and documents of bank lockers were found. |
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Delhi deluged again
New Delhi, September 16 Downpour on Friday last had also caused major traffic jam and waterlogging in Delhi. Jam was then seen at Vikas Marg, Ring Road, Connaught Place, Karol Bagh, ISBT, Mukherjee Nagar, Darya Ganj, Paharganj, Ajmeri Gate and many other areas. The rains started at 8.30 this morning when people leave for their offices. It continued for about an hour. It started again after 9.30 am and all the roads in many parts of the Capital were full of water. The police personnel that generally regulate the traffic in peak hours scurried for cover. There was total chaos on roads. People reached their workplaces hours late. A few of them preferred to stay back home. The MCD employees were seen clearing the chocked drains, but they were not quite successful. An official of the Met department said that 41.2 mm rain was recorded this morning. The minimum temperature was recorded at 26 degree Celsius, normal for this time of the year. The maximum was recorded at 34.6 degree Celsius today. Streets and roads in areas like Laxmi Nagar, Model Town, Preet Vihar, R K Puram and Janakpuri were submerged and vehicles were seen wading through water. Some commuters were seen parking their vehicles at Metro stations and boarded trains to their destinations. "In heavy rain, Metro is the safest and the best mode of transport in Delhi," said Sunil Kulkarni who resides in Sarita Vihar. The movement of traffic was slow at Pul Pehladpur, Govindpuri, Maha Anand Mayi Marg and from IIT to Adhchini in south Delhi, Khalsa College to University. The road from Mehram Nagar in south Delhi towards Terminal-3 of Indira Gandhi International Airport was closed due to waterlogging and traffic was slow near Patparganj and Ghazipur flyover in east Delhi and Tis Hazari in north Delhi. Waterlogging was also reported at Mandawali, Filmistan, Timarpur, Wazirabad, Mall Road, Shanti Van Chowk, Greater Kailsah-I, JLN Road, Badarpur flyover and Nigam Bodh Ghat. An MCD spokesman said that the control room received complaints of waterlogging from Nizamuddin East, Naya Bazar, Novelty Cinema, Darya Ganj, Vikas Marg, Vikas Minar flyover, Netaji Subhash Marg, IPA near ITO, Ashram to Bhogal and many localities in the Civil Lines area. The civic agency received as many as 140 complaints of waterlogging. |
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CWG SCAM
New Delhi, September 16 A Bench comprising Justices RM Lodha and Gyan Sudha Misra said SC monitoring at this stage would stall the investigations. "Let the CBI have a free hand and book the culprits." Counsel Atulesh Kumar, arguing for the petitioner, Delhi Study Group, an NGO, contended that the CBI was investigating the people "selectively." At this, the Bench remarked that the CBI "can't go selectively. The CBI is trying to unfold the case step by step. There is no reason why the CBI can't look into people, however highly placed they may be." "We have no doubt that all aspects and facts are being investigated by the CBI," the Bench said. Refusing to entertain the petition, the Bench granted liberty to the NGO to raise the issue once again if "deficiencies" were noticed in the CBI probe at a later stage. The PIL had contended that the CBI was not touching big politicians or major beneficiary companies. The Delhi Chief Minister had a direct and active role in the decision making process of upgrading streetlighting which involved an extra expenditure of Rs 31.07 crore, it said. |
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Last Bhatta riot accused arrested
Gt Noida, September 16 Two policemen and two farmers were killed in a clash on May 7. The then district magistrate Deepak Aggarwal had also suffered a bullet injury. An FIR was lodged against the farmers for kidnap and murder besides rioting. Since January 17, the main accused Manvir Singh Tevatia had been holding a demonstration over the land compensation issue at Bhatta. On several occasions, he and his men had kidnapped government officials to procure the release of arrested farmers. They had also kidnapped and snatched the carbine of a PAC man. Tevatia was arrested from Delhi on July 9. Other accused Neeraj Malik, Prem Vir, Kiran Pal and Gaje Singh too have been arrested. Around 20 accused are still absconding. The police has launched a hunt for them. The farmers of Bhatta Parsaul said the state government had promised withdrawal of cases, but has not done so. Several male members of the village are not returning out of fear. Meanwhile, the UP State CBCID has started investigation into the rape allegations of seven Bhatta SC women. The women had given an affidavit to the National Commission for Scheduled Caste, alleging rape by uniformed men on May 7. The NCSC directed the senior superintendent of police of Gautam Budha Nagar to lodge an FIR against the unknown policemen. The Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also levelled allegations of mass rape at Bhatta. The National Commission for Women too has begun the inquiry afresh after these women submitted the affidavit to the NCSC.
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BJP demands rollback of
petrol price hike
New Delhi, September 16 Rejecting the government's argument that the hike was because of a fall in the value of Indian rupee in the international market, it said faulty financial policies of the Centre was responsible for this. Vijender Gupta, Delhi BJP president, said during the last 15 months, the government had hiked the price of petrol by Rs 22 per litre. "Last year, the Reserve Bank, in the name of controlling inflation, increased the key bank rates 12 times. The prices of cooking gas, diesel, milk, sugar, tea, vegetables and foodgrains have increased again and again," he said. The leaders exhorted West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to use her party's position as an important ally and get the government to reverse its decision. Vijay Kumar Malhotra, Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly, said there was a possibility that the government might hike the price of cooking gas again. "This government is not interested in checking inflation and working for the common man. The hike will disturb the budget of every household. The common man is finding it difficult to pay hefty school fees and purchase essential medicines. All efforts of the government to curb inflation have proved to be ineffective," he added. In November 2010, the price of petrol was 52.91 per litre. It was increased to Rs 58.37 per litre on January 16, 2011. The price was again hiked on July 1, 2011 to Rs 63.70 per litre. Now, the price of petrol in Delhi has reached Rs 66.84 per litre. |
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Blueline operators can run buses as coop, court told
New Delhi, September 16 In order to rehabilitate the out-of-job Blueline bus operators, Delhi government chief standing counsel Najmi Waziri told a division bench of Justice A.K. Sikri and Justice Suresh Kait that the bus operators can participate in the bidding for clusters either by forming a company or cooperative society under the route cluster scheme. The government changed its mind after Blueline bus operators approached the high court seeking directions to the Delhi government for utilisation of their buses by allowing them to ply on inter-state routes. In his petition, Tara Kant Jha, an operator, sought permitting the bus operators to operate the buses under Stage Carriage Licence granted under the "Reciprocal Common Transport Agreement" on inter-state routes. However, the government said that no operators will be allowed to run buses as individual entity. "If they bid as a firm or society, they could be given up to two route clusters, which would enable them to operate at least 500 buses in the city," said Waziri. Waziri added that the government has also utilised 1,045 Blueline buses as contract carriages and about 187 such buses were allowed to ply outside the city roads. Earlier, the court had on March 3 refused to extend the permits of Blueline buses after their expiry, saying pedestrians' right to life is more important than right to livelihood of the bus operators. It, however, had directed the government to utilise the buses for some meaningful purpose. The Supreme Court had on May 9 upheld the high court's findings and asked the Blueline operators to place their pleas before the same court for consideration. In their plea, the operators said that they had registered their buses under the Companies Act and can offer around 250 buses under reasonable scheme framed by the state government. The operators further stated in their petition that they have invested a huge amount in purchase of new and sophisticated low-floor buses with GPRS systems. They say the buses fulfill all the norms required by the State Transport Authority (STA). -- IANS
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Today is Husain’s birth anniversary
New Delhi, September 16 Husain would have never thought in his lifetime that someone would attempt to sketch his face and put his thoughts on the canvas. Described by many as 'India's Picasso,' the 96-year-old Husain died in London on June 9, this year. "Husain's death left a void in the world of art," said Sandhya Singh (54). Her three-day exhibition depicting 17 oil paintings on Husain at the India International Centre Annexe here concluded today. Husain's son, Shamshad Husain, attended the exhibition's inauguration. A large number of art lovers visited the exhibition. Husain left India in 2006 following death threats and legal cases over some paintings of Hindu Gods and Goddesses that some religious groups described as obscene. In 2010, he was offered and accepted citizenship of Qatar. "Husain's bold style, sense of colour, firm lines and brush strokes always impressed me. His dedication will always inspire the artist in me," says Sandhya Singh, wife of a retired naval officer. "With great anguish," she said, "I had watched a chain of incidents of vandalism and court cases targeted against Husain, leading to his eventual forced exit from India. I was also touched by his continuing love for India and his desire to return to the homeland. So, the artist in me could not help but register my anguish on the canvas." The title of her each painting is linked to a specific aspect related to the great artist's life. "I see Husain as a true 'Karm Yogi' who was devoted to his creations, and hence I have a set of three paintings with the same title. I also see Husain as a magician with his brush and, hence, I have titled my one painting - the Jadugar," explained Sandhya. "When I saw the Master leaving footprints for all of us to follow in," she said, "I named one of my works - the Footprints. I tried to emulate Husain's style and strokes to pay tributes to him. I also attempted his speed by painting 'Dard-e-Dil' within an hour." Sandhya has mounted 17 solo shows in India and abroad. She has evolved a unique style to express her thoughts on canvas on a variety of subjects - music and dance, life and social harmony, environment and development, poetry and prose. Her works draw inspiration from the Indian culture. "To me," says Sandhya, "the paintings are nothing but poetry and music - in an alternative medium. I developed my own visual grammar and syntax for depicting music on canvas."
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Documents stolen from
Ishant Sharma’s car
New Delhi, September 16 On returning, Sharma found the window of his car, Volkswagen Polo, broken. A bag containing important documents, including a passport, were missing, the officer said. The police has registered a case of theft at the Ranjit Nagar police station. Sharma told police that there was no cash in the bag. "It is a work of local miscreants. We have rounded up a few of them and hope to nab the culprits," said the officer.
-- IANS |
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Three held using forged visas of South Africa
New Delhi, September 16 On September 9, the Vasant Vihar police station received a complaint from the High Commission of South Africa, saying that Ghimire had approached it with a fake visa of South Africa. The police arrived there and arrested Ghimire. "During the investigation, Ghimire disclosed that he got the visa with the help of a travel agent, Devender Gurang after paying Rs 2 lakh. The police raided a residence at Raju Park, Devli, and arrested Gurang. It also recovered 18 passports from him. Gurang disclosed that he received the fake visas with the help of Ahmed," said Chhaya Sharma, deputy commissioner of police, south district. On September 14, Ahmed was arrested near Masjid Ramghat, Wazirabad. The police recovered two passports and two fake visa stickers of South Africa from him. "During interrogation, Gurang and Ahmed disclosed that they work as travel agents. They had sent more than 100 people to Malaysia and Mauritius on genuine visas. Since there is a great demand for South African visas, one, Rohit assured them that he would arrange it. We are still trying to locate Rohit," added the DCP.
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CM stresses ozone layer preservation
New Delhi, September 16 Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister underlined the need to work without ozone-depleting substances. In case the ozone layer gets depleted, increased penetration of ultraviolet radiation will have profound impact on all the living creatures, including human and plant life. The function was organised by the environment department, Delhi government. The theme for 2011 is "Hydrochloroflourocarbons (HCFC Phase-out: a unique opportunity)". |
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217 Delhiites killed in fire this year
New Delhi, September 16 According to the figures provided by a senior fire official, the fire department received close to 15,000 fire calls till August 30 this year. More than 200 people died and around 1500 were injured in these fire incidents. "Till last month this year, 217 people were killed and 1,429 injured in 14,945 incidents. During the same period last year, we received 15,762 calls. In these incidents, 225 people died and 1,353 were injured," said GC Mishra, chief fire officer-II of the Delhi fire department. According to Mishra, the national capital, with its ever-increasing population in far-flung colonies and unplanned growth, has always been a city with high fire risk. Awareness among people about safety measures could go a long way in checking fire incidents, he said. In one of the worst fires reported this year, 10 workers were charred inside a shoe factory in west Delhi's Peeragarhi Industrial Area on April 28. According to a fire official from the Connaught Place fire station, the risk has been increased further with the expansion of industries and the construction of high-rises in the national capital territory of Delhi. "Many of these high buildings have not yet been provided with the inbuilt firefighting arrangements considered essential from the safety point of view," said the official, requesting anonymity. According to him, the more than 1,000 JJ clusters in the national capital are the most vulnerable areas and more than half of the total fire calls originate from these areas. "The materials used for the constructions of jhuggis are highly combustible and produce toxic gases when they come in contact with fire. Though small in size, the jhuggis are large in numbers and are built side-by-side and back-to-back in a row. The lanes serving these rows are hardly a metre wide. Besides housing the poor, the areas also serve as storage spaces for huge quantities of rags, chemicals, plastic, PVC etc which act as fodder to fire," said the official.
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MCD rating
New Delhi, September 16 The rating has been given by the Ratings Fitch, an international public finance body. The rating agency reportedly took into account certain measures adopted by the MCD like earning carbon credits in the solid waste management, better management of revenue and e-governance project.— TNS |
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Maid kidnapped child to
teach employer a lesson
New Delhi, September 16 "My employers used to beat me. I took the girl away to my home to teach them a lesson," said Thakuri. Mishka's family, however, while addressing the mediapersons today, denied the claim on beating and asserted that they never suspected the maid. R L Kharbinda, the girl's paternal grandfather, said that Thakuri's conduct was good. "I was at home when she kidnapped my granddaughter. She said that she was taking the child and was going upstairs on to the roof. I was impressed as she was religious. When my wife came inside the house, she asked me about the whereabouts of the child. I told her that the maid probably took her upstairs. When we checked there, both were gone," he said. Mishka's mother, Reema, who works as an accountant, said that she never suspected the maid. "At 4.35 pm on September 13, I left my office and my father-in-law informed me around 4.45 pm that Mishka and the maid had gone missing. Our neighbours saw the maid taking away my daughter. When they questioned her, she said that the girl's mother had called her," Reema said. "The maid was hired from Ayush Placement Agency. Her claim about beating is wrong. We never tortured her," she said. On September 14, the Delhi police apprehended Thakuri who was travelling via the Brahmaputra Express train to her native place in Jalpaiguri, West Bengal. "We stopped the train and checked every bogie. Thakuri was hiding inside the train toilet," said B S Jaiswal, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Outer District, while addressing a press conference today. He also said that the investigation revealed that Thakuri was not registered as a maid. "We tried to find the details about her. However, there was no registration or verification," he said. "We went to get the maid's verification done, but it would have been complete in 15 days only," said Reema. The DCP said that the police interrogated all the contacts of the maid. She had also lived in Orissa and West Bengal, according to the DCP. "The preliminary interrogation has revealed that she wanted to sell off the child. There was no ransom call. We are also trying to investigate if someone else was involved. The placement agency's credentials are being verified," said the DCP. |
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Man held for murder
New Delhi, September 16 The police said that at 9 am on August 31, Mahender and his daughter had left for office leaving his wife alone at home. "When he came back, he saw his wife lying in a pool of blood in the room adjacent to the kitchen. Blood was still oozing out from an injury on her neck. He called the police and found that the almirah had been ransacked and Rs 40,000 and a gold pendant stolen," said Anil Kumar Ojha, DCP, Southwest District. The police suspected a person known to the family and narrowed on Shailesh. According to the DCP, when the police reached his residence, he had sold everything to a scrap dealer and vacated his accommodation. "The accused's brother-in-law said that Shailesh had told him that he had committed some dirty work and would come back after one-two months," said the DCP. The police reached his possible hideouts in Agra, Uttarakashi and Vrindavan. The police learnt that the accused wore a sadhu's garb and was going to reach Uttarakashi. He was apprehended from the Anand Vihar bus station on September 15. "Shailesh confessed that he had been in the business, but had incurred a huge loss. He was aware that Mahender had received a huge amount in the transaction of ancestral property. He used a kitchen knife and stabbed Meena on the neck, stomach and other areas. There was excessive loss of blood from her neck, leading to her death" added the DCP.
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Electrocuted
New Delhi, September 16 A senior police official said, "The incident happened between 8.30 am and 8.45 am at Indra Basti, which got waterlogged after heavy rainfall. An electricity meter fell in water, electrocuting Rajkishore. The injured have been admitted to Hindu Rao Hospital," said the official. Dr RP Gupta, additional medical superintendent of the hospital said Rajkishore (30) was brought dead to the hospital. "We have filed a case under Section 304 (A) of the IPC, which deals with causing death by negligence," said a police official. |
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Drunk youths stab each other
in party
New Delhi, September 16 "A group of around 25 friends was celebrating the birthday of Vaibhav Kumar at the hotel. However, two of the friends-- Rauank Shahani and Rajat Malhotra-- got into a verbal altercation over drinks. Initially, other friends settled the matter, but while leaving, the two again got into a fist fight at the gate of the hotel and stabbed each other with some sharp-edged weapon," said a police official. He added that the two were bleeding when the police reached the spot and shifted them to hospital. Shahani, who lives in Mehrauli, is a management student at IILM. Malhotra resides in Karol Bagh. "Their parents are businessmen. After taking their statement, a cross-case has been registered against both the parties," said the official. |
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Student hangs self after dad’s scolding
Ghaziabad, September 16 The incident came to light on Friday morning when Mohit Singh's mother found his body hanging from the ceiling fan of his bedroom. A student of Master of Computer Applications (MCA) at the Institute of Management Technology (IMT) in Noida, Mohit was angered by the remarks of his father during their phone conversation, as per the suicide note found in his room. His father, Shiv Vir Singh, is an Uttar Pradesh police constable posted in the state's Etah district. The body has been for postmortem.— IANS |
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Heavy rains that lashed the Capital this morning, caused waterlogging and traffic jams at various places. This was the second heavy rainfall in a week that threw traffic out of gear.
New Delhi, September 16
New Delhi, September 16
