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Paras’ death: Wife gives suicide note to cops
New Delhi, September 5
Probing the murder mystery of Paras Bhasin, whose severed body was found on the railway track of Gandhi Nagar in East Delhi on Saturday, the police today said that it has been provided suicide note by his wife Shelly, whose family has been claiming it to be a case of suicide.

BJP MLAs suspended after row over CM’s statement
New Delhi, September 5
The opposition BJP MLAs were today suspended from the Delhi Assembly for the remaining monsoon session for disrupting the proceedings. They were objecting to Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit's statement on graft allegations.

JNU candidates file papers; final list to declared today
New Delhi, September 5
The election season at Jawaharlal Nehru University officially started today with the aspiring candidates filing their nominations for the upcoming poll on September 14. The process began at 9 am and continued till a little past 5 in the evening as students filed nominations for over 30 posts across different schools and departments.


EARLIER STORIES



Schoolchildren present their performance on the occasion of Teachers’ Day at Tyagraj Stadium in New Delhi on Wednesday
Schoolchildren present their performance on the occasion of Teachers’ Day at Tyagraj Stadium in New Delhi on Wednesday. Tribune photo: Manas Ranjan Bhui
Dark clouds hover over the Rajpath in New Delhi on Wednesday
Dark clouds hover over the Rajpath in New Delhi on Wednesday. Tribune photo: Mukesh Aggarwal

Fair offers the ABC of e-learning
New Delhi, September 5
Not comfortable with online reading! For all such book lovers who are tempted to experience the realm of electronic library but are hesitant, this year's Delhi Book Fair is offering lessons on e-learning.

20-yr-old girl jumps off metro station, dies
New Delhi, September 5
A 20-year-old girl today committed suicide by jumping off from the elevated Metro platform outside Pragati Maidan Metro station, in Central Delhi. She was rushed to hospital where she was declared bought dead.

Currency racket smashed, three held
New Delhi, September 5
With the arrest of three persons, the Special Cell has claimed to have busted a racket allegedly involved in circulating counterfeit currency in Indian market. It has recovered Rs 6.27 lakh in the denomination of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes from them.

6 robbers held, Rs 12 L recovered
New Delhi, September 5
The Delhi police today arrested six robbers and recovered Rs 12, 70, 000 out of the total robbed amount of Rs 15, 85, 850, from them. The accused have been identified as Daulat, Hari Mohan, Ravi, Amarjeet, Ajay and Lalit Kumar.





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Paras’ death: Wife gives suicide note to cops
Himani Chandel
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 5
Probing the murder mystery of Paras Bhasin, whose severed body was found on the railway track of Gandhi Nagar in East Delhi on Saturday, the police today said that it has been provided suicide note by his wife Shelly, whose family has been claiming it to be a case of suicide.

The suicide note was jointly written and signed by Paras and Shelly in the last week of August after Shelly's family objected to their relationship, said a police official. The note said that they both wanted to commit suicide on August 27, a day after she told her family about her marriage, but they changed their plans later.

However, the police said it was considering the case to be a murder. "We are investigating the case from the angle of murder," said Sanjay Kumar Jain, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime). The police said that it will draw the conclusion only after verifying the Paras's handwriting. "The note has the signatures of both Paras and Shelly but we are now verifying it," said Jain.

The 23-year-old BBA student had secretly married her girlfriend Shelly in an Arya Samaj temple against the will of her parents.

The police initially suspected it to be a case of suicide. His family, however, alleged that he was murdered.

"It is too early to conclude anything. The case is still open. We are treating it as a murder case. We have examined the girl. She has given us a suicide note. We will corroborate and verify it," said Jain. He said that the police is doing an independent and thorough probe into the incident.

He also said that the last call made to Paras was by one of his friends and it could not find any suspicious calls in his phone records. "We are awaiting the postmortem and forensic reports," he said.

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BJP MLAs suspended after row over CM’s statement
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 5
The opposition BJP MLAs were today suspended from the Delhi Assembly for the remaining monsoon session for disrupting the proceedings. They were objecting to Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit's statement on graft allegations.

Today 21 MLAs were present in the House and they were suspended after they kept shouting slogans, disrupting the proceedings. The BJP has 24 MLAs in the House out of 70.

The party had stalled the proceedings yesterday also, demanding a discussion into the allegations of corruption against Dikshit in the wake of a court order, holding a complaint maintainable against her in a CWG graft case. However, the Speaker had turned down the demand on the ground that the matter was sub judice.

The House had to be adjourned twice during the session today as the opposition MLAs tried to create a ruckus as they were not allowed to discuss the matter. Dikshit rebutted the allegations of corruption in CWG projects after the opposition was disallowed a discussion on the issue.

In her statement, Dikshit said that she has decided to reply as the leader of the opposition V K Malhotra had cast aspersions and levelled charges of corruption against the government and the Chief Minister in particular.

As soon as Dikshit started reading a statement at the end of the Question Hour, BJP legislators were on their feet. They objected to it, arguing that Speaker Yoganand Shastri had rejected their demand for a discussion on the issue yesterday.

With the Speaker not heeding to their protest, a number of BJP MLAs trouped to the well of the House and started sloganeering. As repeated efforts to pacify the agitating MLAs did not fructify, Shastri adjourned the House for 15 minutes.

As the pandemonium continued when the House met again, Transport Minister Ramakant Goswami moved a proposal for suspension of the opposition MLAs for the remaining period of the session following which Shastri asked the marshals to remove them from the House.

Later, Shastri said any MLA gets suspended for three days when the government moves such a proposal. "However, if they come tomorrow and plead to attend the House, then the suspension can be revoked," he said.

Development work to begin in illegal colonies

The development work in unauthorised colonies will finally be started with the Delhi Assembly today passing a resolution, demanding an immediate beginning of the work.

"The development work should immediately begin in the listed unauthorised colonies which are on forest land, in the ridge or on land belonging to Archeological Survey of India," Sharma said. The House passed the resolution with a voice vote in the absence of opposition BJP, whose members were suspended.

Congress MLA and Parliamentary Secretary of Chief Minister Mukesh Sharma brought the resolution list under short duration discussion on the status of unauthorised colonies in Delhi. "There is no land which could be called forest land, or ASI land, if people are living on it.... There is no sign of trees or even the bushes. People living in these areas should be given the benefit of basic needs," Sharma argued. He said there is need for five lakh houses every year in Delhi to provide accommodation to people.

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JNU candidates file papers; final list to declared today
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 5
The election season at Jawaharlal Nehru University officially started today with the aspiring candidates filing their nominations for the upcoming poll on September 14. The process began at 9 am and continued till a little past 5 in the evening as students filed nominations for over 30 posts across different schools and departments.

"The nomination process today was concluded peacefully without any disruptions. The final list will be made public tomorrow evening after scrutiny and withdrawals, if any. The campaigning will begin from September 7, after the presidential candidates introduce themselves tomorrow to the students," said Chandan, election committee chairperson, Jawaharlal Nehru University Student Union (JNUSU).

"The last election was delayed as the negotiations took time following a 2008 Supreme Court stay on election. However, this election brings back the calendar on schedule," Chandan said.

The ultra-left All India Students' Association (AISA) had won all the four posts in the central panel and 14 councillor posts during the last election held in March, which were a one-time interim arrangement after the Supreme Court lifted the 2008 stay on poll.

The JNU and Delhi University Student Union elections will be held on the same date. The JNU campus is already charged up with the election fever with the parties reaching out to the students on social networking websites. The representatives of parties today said that the clash with DU poll will make things tougher during the campaigning.

SFI which has won the JNUSU election maximum number of times in the history of the university failed miserably during the last election, lagging behind other parties like ABVP and NSUI.

"This time we aim at better campaigning so as to improve our stand in JNU election while in DUSU, we are aiming to win the four central panel posts," said Rohit Chahal, state secretary of ABVP.

Even though ABVP failed to get any seat in the central panel during March poll, it registered a win of seven councillors in JNU, the highest till date.

On October 24, 2008, the Supreme Court had stayed the JNUSU election for violating the recommendations of the Lyngdoh Committee. The ban was lifted in December 2011.

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Fair offers the ABC of e-learning
Ananya Panda
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 5
Not comfortable with online reading! For all such book lovers who are tempted to experience the realm of electronic library but are hesitant, this year's Delhi Book Fair is offering lessons on e-learning.

With the trend of e-books and e-publishing still in a nascent stage in India, not many publishers were having the details on the subject.

Most visitors lacked awareness of the e-format. "We have been receiving inquiries about e-books for the past five days. Ignorance even among the educated people is surprising," opined Mahima Kaur of Mediology Software.

Meritnation.com is an e-learning portal which offers e-services to school students. The response at the stall next to this looked no bad with a number of visitors landing up with enquiries on e-accessibility.

A quality analyst of Mediology Software Deepak Lamba stood there explaining them about their reading software, readwhere, basically a platform for avid readers as well as those who wish to publish their books online.

"People want e-reading and just require guidance. This product gives that different experience of going online to get the best books one wants to read and even wants to see their articles uploaded. One can enjoy free reading, or subscribe or have the paid facility," said Lamba while pitching in for his company's product with a platform that supports android and i-pad.

Even as an average Indian reader still relies on the hardbound book, no one would deny the user-friendly factor in the online reading format.

Be it general reading comprising fiction or real-life narratives for leisure or academics, the e-medium has the provision for all even as in India, publishers are yet to take it as a full-fledged activity.

Many Indian publishing houses such as Viva Books Pvt. Ltd and the government's entity Vishwa Bharati, have been exploring the possibility of the online ventures. PHI Learning Ltd claims to have 30 per cent books available online.

"People are becoming inclined towards the online medium and in tune with the competitive market, we are adopting the e-book for certain titles," said Vishwa Bharati's shop in-charge Jaideep Chaudhary in hall 12.

"E-books have been in India for two years. They are still to pick up. Here the market for individual reading is still to develop and most of the demand comes from the universities and libraries for reference materials. The craze for regular books still remains," said Anuj Sharma of Viva Books Pvt. Ltd.

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20-yr-old girl jumps off metro station, dies
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 5
A 20-year-old girl today committed suicide by jumping off from the elevated Metro platform outside Pragati Maidan Metro station, in Central Delhi. She was rushed to hospital where she was declared bought dead.

The incident was reported at 5.30 pm when the victim, identified as Astha Sharma, jumped from platform No. 2 onto the road leading to entry of the metro station. "She was immediately taken to Ram Manohar Lohiya Hospital where she was declared brought dead," said a senior police official.

Astha is a resident of Maidan Giri.

According to CCTV camera footage, she boarded the train from the Saket Metro station at 4.22 pm and reached Pragati Maidan station at 5.11 pm.

She was identified by the voter ID card in her handbag.

According to the guards on duty at the Pragati Maidan Metro station, she was roaming for quite some time at the platform and seemed upset.

"The footage shows that

she was crying and talking over phone for some time. She threw her bag first and then her mobile phone before jumping onto the road after crossing the railing of the platform," said Dharam Pal, one the security personnel on duty.

She was believed to be travelling alone in the Metro.

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Currency racket smashed, three held
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 5
With the arrest of three persons, the Special Cell has claimed to have busted a racket allegedly involved in circulating counterfeit currency in Indian market. It has recovered Rs 6.27 lakh in the denomination of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes from them.

The accused Mohd Ayub (31) and Vinod (32) were arrested from Anand Vihar, near ISBT. Both the accused are residents of Bijnore, UP. Whereas the third accused Jaheer (32), was arrested form West Bengal. A case under the appropriate sections of law was registered.

"Subsequently, Rs 27,000 was recovered from Jaheer ‘s house in Bengal," said Sanjeev Kumar Yadav, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Special Cell.

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6 robbers held, Rs 12 L recovered
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 5
The Delhi police today arrested six robbers and recovered Rs 12, 70, 000 out of the total robbed amount of Rs 15, 85, 850, from them. The accused have been identified as Daulat, Hari Mohan, Ravi, Amarjeet, Ajay and Lalit Kumar.

The incident came to light after Vishanu Patel registered a complaint with the police. Vishnu works as a salesman at "Patel Mukesh Bhai Narandas & Co." at Chandni Chowk. He, along with his friend Suresh, had gone to Mangolpur Stone market on August 23 to collect a payment of Rs 15, 85, 850. As they reached the Outer Ring Road bus stand, four persons in a white Maruti Zen car approached them and forced them at a gunpoint to sit inside the car. The robbers drove them towards Madhuban Chowk and robbed their money kept in the bag along with one mobile phone. Both Vishnu and Suresh were beaten up and dumped near a deserted place by the side of a petrol pump near jhuggies.

"On September 2, the victims reached their owner and subsequently registered complaint," said a police official.

It was learnt that leaders of the gang are likely to assemble at Mubarakpur. Accordingly, a raid was conducted and the accused were arrested.

Two country-made Pistols with live cartridges were seized from their possession. On their sustained interrogation and developing further lead into the case, two more accused namely Ajay and Lalit were arrested from Mangolpuri and Rs 75,000 were recovered from them.

Lalit was working in a firm in Mangolpur Stone market and was having all information regarding the collection of money by the traders. He passed on this information to Ajay who further shared the information with Daulat. And then they planned the robbery.

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