New Delhi, June 22
Several Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders and supporters today courted arrest during the 'jail bharo andolan' organised by the party to protest against inflation, corruption and power and water crisis in Delhi. The agitation was held under the leadership of Delhi unit chief Vijender Gupta.

Thousands of supporters gathered at Jantar Mantar around 10 am where senior party leaders like the Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, Rajnath Singh, Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly Vijay Kumar Malhotra and Vijender Gupta addressed them.

Addressing the gatherers at Jantar Mantar, Jaitley said the Congress-led central and state governments were looting the state exchequer.

"The Indian economy is on the verge of collapse due to wrong policies of the government, corruption and scams. Foreign investors are avoiding India and preferring China and Indonesia," he said.

Vijay Kumar Malhotra said the Sheila government in Delhi had committed many atrocities on the two crore residents of Delhi in the past 14 years and the people did not want to see the Congress government in power any longer.

"It is the anger against the government that has brought so many people here today," he added.

Attacking the government on water shortage, Vijender Gupta alleged that the Delhi government should be ashamed that it could not arrange sufficient drinking water for the people of Delhi in the past 14 years.

The gathering then moved towards the Prime Minister's House through Parliament Street, but was stopped, after which the protesters courted arrest. The leaders, including Arun Jaitley, Rajnath Singh, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, Vijay Kumar Malhotra, Vijender Gupta and Rameshwar Chaurasia, were arrested first and then their supporters were also held. However, they were released after a few minutes, after which the thousands of men and women marched ahead raising slogans.

The protesters carried placards that had slogans against UPA and Delhi governments.

While in police custody, the activists were raising slogans like 'khoon choosne wali sarkar ko barkhast karo', 'bhrastachar aur mehngai badane wali Dilli sarkar nikammi hai' etc. The agitated protesters held the Sheila government responsible for the severe scarcity of power and water in the city and demanded an immediate solution of the problem.

New Delhi, June 22
In a daring heist today, four robbers looted about Rs 1.3 lakh and jewellery worth close to Rs 1 crore from an office of a gold loan company, Muthoot Finance, which is located about 100 m away from the South Rohini police station.

The robbers held three staff members and a security guard, Rajeev Mishra (26), hostages. Rajeev was injured during a scuffle with the robbers. He was later admitted to Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkar Hospital, Rohini, with a head injury and wounds that he had sustained when the robbers slashed at him with a knife.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (outer) BS Jaiswal said, "Four persons walked into the office. They were armed with country-made pistols and knives. Rajeev fired two shots in the air from his gun to scare away the robbers, but they quickly overpowered him. The robbers held the office staff at a gun-point and robbed the articles. When they came outside the office, Rajeev fired two more rounds in the air, but they had already fled."

The office is situated on the first floor of Aggarwal E Mall in Sector-7, Rohini.

The incident occurred at 12 noon.

Rajesh, a security guard of the building, said that he heard two shots fired inside the Muthoot Finance office.

"About seven minutes later I heard two more gun-shots that were louder as they were fired outside. I could not see the robbers. At 12.13 pm I called the police," he said.

Furthermore, anxious customers who had stored their gold in the office were waiting on the premises. "My friend and I had stored gold worth about Rs 22 lakh at the office. When we heard about the heist we came running here," said Ankit, who works at a nearby shop.