Starving for months, forlorn sisters saved
New Delhi, June 16
A shocking tale of two sisters shutting themselves in their house for several months without food came to light in the Capital today. The sisters were rescued from their apartment in Rohini Sector 8.
Neerja in hospital after her rescue. Tribune photo

DU experts hint at reshuffle in first, second cutoffs
New Delhi, June 16
With students faring well in the CBSE board exams this time, experts at Delhi University are now predicting a huge shuffle after the first and the second cutoffs to be declared by the end of the month.

Two DJB workers die after inhaling gas
New Delhi, June 16
Two labourers of the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) died after inhaling poisonous gas while cleaning a sewage treatment plant in the Kondli area of east Delhi this morning, police said. The deceased have been identified as Moolchand, 45, and Dileep, 42.

Starving for months, forlorn sisters saved
Jyoti Rai
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, June 16
A shocking tale of two sisters shutting themselves in their house for several months without food came to light in the Capital today. The sisters were rescued from their apartment in Rohini Sector 8.

Facing financial difficulties after their father's death, the sisters had sunk into depression and had been living in self-imposed seclusion for the past six years.

Identified as 40-year-old Mamta and 29-year-old Neerja, the sisters lived with their mother and Mamta's 15-year-old son, who are also believed to be under depression.

The plight of the sisters came to the fore when their cousin Neeraj visited them last night. Neeraj found that Mamta was badly smelling and had bed sores. He returned in the morning with an ambulance.

The police was informed and the sisters were rushed to Baba Sahib Ambedkar Hospital in a state of severe malnutrition and dehydration.

"The sisters are grossly malnourished. They are physically so weak that it is impossible to even measure their blood pressure right now," said Kaustav Kiran, the chief medical officer at Ambedkar Hospital.

"Mamta's condition is critical and she is in the ICU. She has been diagnosed with multiple infected wounds, bed sores, severe dehydration and immense weight loss because of not having eaten anything for several months. She weighs between 15-20 kg. Neerja weighs few more kilos than Mamta. Initially, she wasn't even in a state to move her lower limbs," the doctors said.

Doctors revealed that the sisters seemed to be suffering from some psychological disorder. According to one of their neighbours, the sisters were hardly spotted outside their house in the past eight years. It was mostly their mother who stepped out.

The sisters had been living with their 70-year-old mother. Mamta left her husband nearly 13 years ago and she and her son had been living with her mother since then, which probably added to her depression.

Just a year ago, in a strikingly similar case, two sisters in their forties were rescued from their Noida home in April 2011 where they had locked themselves for months after their father's death and were found starving.

DU experts hint at reshuffle in first, second cutoffs
Jyoti Rai
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, June 16
With students faring well in the CBSE board exams this time, experts at Delhi University are now predicting a huge shuffle after the first and the second cutoffs to be declared by the end of the month.

Teachers advise students not to lose hope as, with more than 50 per cent applicants for crest commerce courses being science students, cutoffs are likely to drop and seats are expected to open up towards the third and fourth cutoff as a considerable chunk of applicants will contemplate their options during medical and engineering colleges counselling.

Last year as well, almost all the science students who applied at the premier Sri Ram College for Commerce withdrew their admissions later when they got selected to engineering and medical colleges.

"Last year, the number of admitted students was much higher since admissions took place with direct registration after the cutoffs were declared. Hence, the withdrawals didn't affect the class strength much. This time, with the pre-admission forms in place, colleges will know what strength to expect. If science students withdraw this time, seats will go vacant and more colleges are expected to come up with the third and fourth lists," said SRCC principal PC Jain.

Usually, colleges like Kirori Mal, Miranda, LSR, SRCC and Hindu close admissions for the most popular science and commerce courses by the second or the third list.

"Not just commerce courses, but the seats are likely to go vacant at science and humanities courses as well. Most science toppers do not take chances and fill out the maximum options. Aspirants for courses like microbiology, zoology and botany will surely prefer admission in a medical college. Last year, colleges did not note the slump because they had already admitted students beyond their strength," said Gargi College principal Meera Ramachandran.

"It's a basic rule that the students should not miss out on the option they get in the first list. There will be possibilities towards the third list, and if the students are patient, they might just get their desirable course or college," added Hindu College principal Pradyuman Singh.

Two DJB workers die after inhaling gas
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, June 16
Two labourers of the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) died after inhaling poisonous gas while cleaning a sewage treatment plant in the Kondli area of east Delhi this morning, police said. The deceased have been identified as Moolchand, 45, and Dileep, 42.

Five other labourers fell unconscious when they went to pull them out around 11 am.

"Some of their co-workers later managed to pull them out. They were immediately rushed to Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital where Moolchand and Dileep died during treatment," a police official said.

The conditions of the five labourers who had tried to save the victims are said to be stable.