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Metallica show cancellation epic failure, say upset fans
Carjacker posing as NRI held
Delhi airport gets in F1 mode
Akalis, BJP to march from Bangla Sahib to PM House
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It's picnic for motorsport fans at F1
Docs get refresher on clubfoot cure
Two abducted men rescued;
2 arrested
Kar seva at Chhat ghats
Man told to share retirement funds with estranged wife
2 perish in jhuggi fire
Beggar dies in mishap
Islamic Centre goes secular
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Metallica show cancellation epic failure, say upset fans
Gurgaon, October 29 The first Indian concert of the gods of rock, Metallica, slated for Friday was postponed to Saturday due to a technical fault, and then was cancelled following the organisers' inability to secure a permit. The news of the postponement on Friday evening left fans furious at the Leisure Valley ground here. Unruly youngsters broke down barricades, tore posters, damaged heavy equipment -- as their excitement turned into sore disappointment and then aggression. In a similar case earlier this year, music fans were disappointed when the Bryan Adams concert was cancelled after being rescheduled. That concert was to be held at the NSIC Ground in Okhla on February 15, but hours before the Canadian rockstar was to go on stage, the show was announced postponed because the Delhi fire department and Delhi police refused to issue a no-objection certificate to the organisers. The show was then rescheduled for Gurgaon on February 20. However, it was cancelled altogether due to "logistical issues". The cancellation of Metallica's show is an "epic failure", feels Umang Gulati, a student, who was at the venue since 11 am to attend the concert. He added that India was not prepared for international exposure. "India is not prepared for International exposure. They should understand the crowd and be prepared for the worst circumstances. But calling off a concert is an epic failure. We were excited about Metallica's scheduled performance. Now it has been a total loss situation for everybody." "Even they must have spent a lot of money to get their heavy equipment for the performance. So did the fans. They had come from different countries. The airfare, extra stay - it is really a sad situation," said Gulati. "I belong to Delhi, so I didn't really suffer much losses, but my heart sinks when I think of others. We need to get a definite venue for such big concerts. This kind of a failure could result in black listing Delhi as a venue for future international projects," he added. Nikhil Jhingon, former guitar player for bands like Hell Bound Harmony and Prestroika, says he is counting on the Bangalore concert to act as a saviour. "The barricade right in front of the stage was broken, so the Metallica management could not risk the band's safety as it could not be fully repaired to the management's satisfaction." "It will have a huge impact on future international concerts not only in Delhi but all over India. India has already hosted some international acts like Megadeth, Machine Head, Iron Maiden, Deep Purple... now hopefully the Bangalore concert will go off smooth and send out a good message for India," said Jhingon. The four member-band that arrived here on Friday is known for albums like the 1986 release "Master of Puppets", 1991 album "Metallica", which reportedly sold over 15 million copies in the US and 22 million copies worldwide. Their last release was "Death Magnetic" in 2008. Ritesh Verma, a 25-year-old enthusiast, says blaming people is just an excuse to hide faults. "It was disappointing to see how mismanaged the event was. Blaming the crowd is just an excuse to hide their own faults. No one was assured about a refund... in fact the organisers were standing on the stage and threatening people to behave well so as to allow this joke to function smoothly." "I genuinely believe...the vandalism was intentionally allowed to happen...there was minimal security arrangements ...cops were standing and watching while people were climbing the stage...only to use the security arrangement as an excuse later," said Verma. Celebrities, including some from Bollywood, are equally disappointed at the cancellation. "Shame about the Metallica concert not going ahead...don't know the exact details why, but nevertheless disappointing..." Sidhartha Mallya posted on Twitter. "Condolences to all the Metallica fans who didn't trash the stage and were happy to go back tomorrow. What a fiasco!! What a shame," posted filmmaker and actor Farhan Akhtar. Gaurav Kapur posted: "Very uncool what happened at the Metallica gig. Hope we find out the real reason. What did the organisers expect after weeks of build up? Ppl would just calmly take a refund & go home? Metallica fans won't roll over & die." -- IANS
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Carjacker posing as NRI held
New Delhi, October 29 The police had installed pickets in the area of the Saket police station to prevent vehicle thefts. A Swift Dezire car was checked at the NBCC Plaza picket about 8 am, said the DCP. The driver of the vehicle, Rahul, was interrogated by the police. He revealed that he and his accomplice had robbed the car about five months ago. They were using a fake car number plate since then. Rahul was arrested and a FIR was registered at the Saket police station. During interrogation, Rahul disclosed that he is a Delhi University graduate. While he was working as a medical representative with some doctors in Hauz Khas, he met Ravinder, alias Rana, through his two colleagues. Ravinder is a criminal of Jagadhari in Panipat. They then rented a room in Lajpat Nagar. "Ravinder, who is absconding, planed to rob cars for easy money. He hired a car from Rahul Tour and Travels and asked the driver to reach Lajpat Nagar at 2 am on May 29. Ravinder posed as an NRI who had come to India for business. He took the car to Manesar. He told the driver that from Manesar he would come back to the Delhi airport as his tickets were booked for a morning flight to London. When the vehicle reached Manesar, he asked the driver of the car, Raj Kumar, to stop the vehicle and brought a bottle of beer. Rahul and Ravinder hit Raj on the head and dumped him on the roadside. They then came back to Delhi in the robbed car," said Chhaya Sharma, deputy commissioner of police, south district. Raj is the owner of Rahul Tours and Travels in Trilokpuri. He was admitted to a hospital for 15 days, where he was treated for severe head injuries. Rahul kept the robbed car with him, while Ravinder took Rs 30,000 and went back to Panipat. The police is searching for Ravinder. |
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New Delhi, October 29 "We have nearly 24 charter flight operations lined-up here, which include both foreign and domestic flights, which are ferrying celebrities for the event (F1 race)," a senior airport official told IANS. According to the official of the Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL), the company which runs the IGI airport, not just private charters but heavy-lift freighters which carried the cars and equipments too were handled here. "We have had five freighter operations here. We handled nearly 501 tonnes of equipments and cars from October 18 to 20," the official said. A team of experts from the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) the governing body for world motor sport, visited the cargo area of the airport to inspect the facility and were satisfied with the arrangements, the official added. Each freighter of logistics major DHL, which is also the official partner of the F1 race, carried around 40 pallets, which were then carried on the newly operated electronic transfer vehicles (ETVs) at the airport. Meanwhile, the airport itself has been gripped by F1 fever, with DIAL organising various events themed around the race. The Sahara Force India team too came up with several activities at the airport which included F-1 simulation machines, racing graffiti, games and a showcase pit stop. — IANS
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Akalis, BJP to march from Bangla Sahib to PM House
New Delhi, October 29 Delhi unit chief of the BJP Vijender Gupta and the leader of opposition in the Delhi assembly Vijay Kumar Malhotra have agreed to participate in the march, according to Manjit Singh (GK), SAD Badal chief in Delhi. Singh also appealed to the ruling party in the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee and other parties to participate in the march to help those who were yet to receive any compensation even after 27 years of the riots. In 2005, the Prime Minister on the floor of the Parliament House said once the action-taken report (ATR) was submitted before the House, the government would allocate Rs 750 crore for compensation to the victims. The Prime Minister had also promised that he would ensure that the guilty persons were punished, the cases registered against the accused were expedited, the people ruined in the riots were rehabilitated and one member of the families of the deceased was given a job. But so far, nothing had been done, said Singh. |
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It's picnic for motorsport fans at F1
Greater Noida, October 29 "Race is for kids. Spending quality time with family is what I expected and this place provides me the same," says Kamlesh Patel, who brought his family from Ahmedabad to watch the inaugural Indian Grand Prix. "For me, it is like a picnic as the race timings are short and we are practically here for a whole day. The mellowed October sun has made it a perfect outing for us," says B. Sudhakar, who flew in from Bangalore with his wife and two kids. For Nabeel, a Class 10 student from Noida, it was "awesome" to see the Formula stars in flesh. "It was a good day. I wanted Sebastian Vettel to win the qualifying round and he just did that. Though I am sad at Narain Kartikeyan ending 22nd on the time-sheet today." "I forced my parents to buy us F1 tickets but looks like they are enjoying it too, though I need to explain to them what the race is all about," he smiles. For 40-year-old Sonali, who came from Chandigarh with her family, the electrifying atmosphere in the morning paved the way for a sleepy afternoon and a lazy evening. "Transport facilities inside the circuit are excellent so we don't mind spending a little extra time here. Food and beverages facilities are good too. A perfect day for us," she says. "We heard that some Bollywood celebrities are coming to watch the race tomorrow so I want to be around early," Sonali, a Shah Rukh Khan fan, smiles. "Actors Shah Rukh Khan, Hrithik Roshan, and Abhishek Bachchan are expected to join the circuit Sunday. We expect a great number of F1 fans to reach here on the last day of the race so the management has taken extra precautions on the security front," Askari Zaidi, senior vice-president (corporate communications), Jaypee Group, told IANS. First day saw some angry spectators waiting long to find a shuttle bus but things improved Saturday. "Come Sunday and be prepared for a choc-a-block Greater Noida. For those without parking permits, opt for park-and-ride option and enjoy the bus ride to the circuit," said a Jaypee Sports International (JPSI) official. - IANS
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Docs get refresher on clubfoot cure
New Delhi, October 29 Experts maintain that the ponseti method has an edge over the surgical mode, registering 90 per cent success rate, provided the treatment is undertaken early. However, in Delhi, the outcome has not been of the desired level, as doctors are still working towards acquiring the skill of the specialised treatment. In view of this, a revised ponseti method manual, that will enable the doctors to use uniform protocol for treating the patients, was brought out today at a refresher-training workshop on the new technique of clubfoot management under the city government's rehabilitation programme. "A discussion was held for evolving a common line of treatment for clubfoot. Also, parents have to be made aware about the problem so that the treatment can start at the earliest. The key to better treatment lies in early reporting. Clubfoot patients should report early to the designated hospitals. They can lead a normal life within some time of the treatment," stressed Dr Walia after inaugurating the workshop at CNBC. "The procedure that involves no incision has a higher success rate in comparison to the surgery that is indeed devastating for small children. Also, the percentage of deformity that is corrected through this process is higher. The treatment can be started right after the birth," said orthopaedician Dr Rahul Agarwal. He added that depending on the severity of the anomaly, the defect could be corrected within four-five weeks with a plaster cast application. "If a child is brought after birth, the treatment could start in the first week itself. The child has to wear a paired braces, given free of cost under the clubfoot rehabilitation project, for one year," the doctor said. Six Delhi government hospitals-- Chacha Nehru Bal Chikitsalaya (CNBC), Guru Tegh Bahadur Hospital, Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Hospital, Kalavati Children's Hospital, Balmeeki Maharishi and Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital-- have special management centres called clubfoot clinic where till date 1,800 children have been enrolled for treatment.
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Two abducted men rescued;
2 arrested
New Delhi, October 29 The accused have been identified as Jaipal Singh Poswal (33) and Deepak (21). The victims are Asad Sheikh and his acquaintance Parvez Ahmed. At 6.40 pm on October 25, the police received a call regarding Sheikh's abduction. His wife, Shafia, got a case registered at the Jaitpur police station. Apart from Jaipal and Deepak, Jaipal's younger brother Jai Singh Poswal, Jai's brother-in-law Himanshu and their accomplice Vikram were involved in the conspiracy. Reshma, a mutual acquaintance of Sheikh and Vikram, was also involved in the plan. On October 24, Reshma called Sheikh to Gurgaon. However, Sheikh sent Parvez Ahmed on his behalf. Reshma and Vikram took Ahmed to their house at Mohammadpur in Gurgaon. "On October 25, Vikram, Deepak and Himanshu went to Faridabad in a WagonR car with a licenced revolver and kidnapped Sheikh from there and brought the victims to Mohammadpur. Vikram then called Sheikh's maternal uncle and demanded Rs 10 lakh for his release. During the conversation, Vikram introduced himself by his real name," said Ajay Chaudhary, additional commissioner of police, south-east district. The preliminary investigations revealed that the kidnappers were not familiar with the victims. However, Shafia told the police that she had heard about Vikram from her husband, according to the additional commissioner. "Shafia and Sheikh's maternal uncle went to Mumbai to arrange the money. Meanwhile, through their phones, the location of the kidnappers was found to be in Gurgaon, after which a raid was conducted and the victims were rescued. Jaipal was apprehended first. His interrogation led to Deepak's arrest. The other accused are absconding," said the additional commissioner. |
Kar seva at Chhat ghats
New Delhi, October 29 The kar sevaks erected service camps that will supply the puja items to the devotees. They also deputed guides to help the devotees and manage the traffic. At ITO, kar sevaks manage the traffic every year. Lakhs of people hailing from Poorvanchal were expected to visit the ghats and people participation was important to manage the turnout, said Delhi unit chief of the BJP Vijender Gupta, who led the party workers during the kar seva today. Since the MCD has declared a public holiday for Chhath and the city government has announced restricted holiday on the day, the rush is expected to be more this year. A few days ago, Delhi revenue minister AK Walia had visited the ghats and directed the department concerned to make proper arrangements for the devotees. "The devotees worship the rising and setting sun with baskets of fruits. The rates of fruits are high this year. The government has done nothing to stabilise the rates. Taking advantage of the puja, the fruit traders have increased the prices by three times. Bananas are being sold for Rs 70 per dozen, apples Rs 150 per kg, mausambi Rs 60 per kg, promagnate Rs 200 per kg, coconut Rs 40 per piece, orange Rs 150 per kg, pear Rs 80 per kg and pineapple Rs 60 per kg," said Gupta. He demanded that the government immediately arrange the sale of fruits through Mother Dairy outlets at a fair price.
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Man told to share retirement funds with estranged wife
New Delhi, October 29 "Whatever amount the petitioner has received from the department as retirement benefits or as pension, the same shall be divided into three parts. The petitioner will keep one part and one part each shall be disbursed to his wife and daughter," said Justice Suresh Kait in a recent order. The court was hearing a petition filed by Kishan Lal Bhalla, who worked as an office assistant in a central government department, against a trial court's order for paying a monthly maintenance of Rs 10,000 to his wife since 2009. He had also challenged the direction to pay Rs 1,200 per month to his daughter. The petitioner told the court that the maintenance amount to his daughter was enhanced by the sessions judge in May, from Rs 1,200 per month to Rs 2,000 per month till her marriage. He said he was paying the maintenance, but in August, he took retirement as he was not in a position to perform his duties after an accident. "I am unable to pay the amount of Rs 12,000 per month," said Bhalla. Justice Kait said his wife was not earning and her daughter was still pursuing postgraduation. Her younger son lived with her and was unemployed. Her elder son was married and was living separately. "The mother has to settle both the children and marry them. The petitioner has no liabilities, except to maintain himself," the court said. -- IANS
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2 perish in jhuggi fire
New Delhi, October 29 The deceased have been identified as Shakhir Hussain (3) and Gulu Devi (25). The six injured persons were taken to Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital and Safdarjung Hospital. The injured people are Samna Khatoon (50), Sabkul Haq (16), Rizwan (25), Mohammed Chand (30), Mohammed Sohaib (4) and Hakeem (18). "The Jamia Nagar police station received a call regarding the fire outbreak about 4.20 am. The cause of the fire was a short-circuit. The fire engulfed 20 jhuggis, mostly of scrap dealers," said a police official. |
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Beggar dies in mishap
New Delhi, October 29 "The beggar was crossing the road on the wrong side at the Kashmiri Gate underpass near the Hanuman Mandir, when the accident occurred. The beggar is about 40 years old. We took him to the Trauma Center in Civil Lines, where he died later," said the official. A case has been registered. |
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President of the centre Sirajuddin Qureshi announced that they would celebrate Gurpurab of Guru Nanak Devji in November, which will be attended by members of all communities. Later, it would organise a function on Christmas. Not only this, the centre has given a lifetime membership to Pushpinder, who belongs to the Sikh community. 'Public hearing on power tariff
a farce'
With Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit indicating another increase in the power tariff due to a rise in the cost of the procurement of electricity, agitated residents welfare associations have raised questions over the existence of the regulatory body for electricity. Public consultation by the DERC is a farce as the Chief Minister has already hinted at a power tariff hike even before the public hearing, allege the RWAs. "When everything was pre-decided why do the formality of calling public hearings?" asked the president of an RWA. Also, the RWAs have asked as to why the power rates in the NDMC area, which is home to the VIPs, have not been increased even once. "The NDMC is also facing same problems in the procurement of power. Why the government does not increase the power tariff in the VIP area?" asked the president. Christians demand quota
Following the recent announcement by union minorities affairs minister Salman Khursheed about giving reservations to the Muslims in jobs and government institutes, the Christians are demanding the same. The representative of the Christian community in the Delhi Minorities Commission, AC Michael, recently wrote a letter to the union minister, demanding reservation for Christians in schools and government jobs. In his letter, Michael has written that the Christians are financially poor. Also, the community has backward classes, but has no reservation for them. Online attack on VC for essay
deletion
The deletion of Ramanujan's essay on 300 Ramayanas from the history syllabus of DU has led to an extensive campaigning against the vice- chancellor (VC) on Internet. Students across the social networking websites are accusing the VC of wearing a liberal Stephanian mask. The VC has come in for a severe criticism from teachers, academicians, historians and the public at large for not supporting a healthy debate over the issue at a recent academic council meeting, where the decision was taken in a hurry. Sources in the council reveal that the issue was not on the agenda when the meeting was called in. It was slipped in during the last 30 minutes to avoid any disagreement. (Contributed by Syed Ali Ahmed, Himani Chandel, Shaurya Karanbir Gurung and Jyoti Rai) |
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The Indian Islamic Cultural Centre is setting a good example of secularism by celebrating festivals of other religions.