New Delhi, February 14
A 38-year-old jeweller and his cousin were killed, while his sister was critically injured, when their car rammed into a stationary Punjab Roadways bus near Kashmere Gate ISBT, north Delhi, early this morning.

Mohit Gupta (38), Dheeraj Gupta (35), Gunjan Gupta (35), all residents of Riviera Apartments at Mall Road, were returning home after attending their nephew's engagement ceremony in Chhatarpur, south Delhi, when the accident took place around 1.45 am. The driver of the bus, Sunil Singh, has been arrested for causing the accident by making an unauthorized stop.

He said that passengers were deboarding the bus when the car rammed into it. He faces charges of causing hurt and death due to negligence under sections of the Indian Penal Code.

The police said that Dheeraj, who driving the car, could not avert the accident as he was speeding and could not control the Hyundai Verna car. The car was apparently moving at a speed of 100 km per hour.

Investigators said that he was not driving under the influence of alcohol.

When the vehicle crashed into the bus from the left side, Mohit and Dheeraj, who were seated on the front seats died on the spot. The impact of the accident was so severe that the vehicle was mangled beyond recognition.

The police was informed about the accident and the woman was rushed to the Sushruta Trauma Centre.

The two men were stuck in the car and the fire department had to be roped in to remove their bodies from the crushed car. Their bodies were taken to the Sushruta Trauma Centre.

New Delhi, February 14
While welcoming the restoration of the Delhi High Court monitoring committee on illegal constructions in the MCD areas across the capital, several Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs') in the capital has demanded a CBI probe in all illegal buildings which have come up in the past four years during suspension of the committee.

They allege that the civic body giving a free hand to private builders and the Delhi police of being hand-in-gloves with these parties, resulting with a manifold increase in the illegal construction and encroachment.

This has picked up, especially after the committee's activities were suspended following assurances from the MCD and DDA to the high court that they will keep an eye on any unlawful construction.

V.K. Arora, a resident of Karan Vihar, said the RWAs on various occasions had been urging the high court and the Union Urban Development Minister to revive the suspended High Court Monitoring Committee in view of the rampant flouting of norms, through granting permission for fourth floor despite the Supreme Court judgment still pending on the issue.

In particular, they had pointed out some new buildings in Gandhi Nagar, Geeta Colony, Kiran Vihar, Anand Vihar, Laxmi Nagar but all in vain, said Anil Bajpai, president of the Delhi RWA Forum and RWA Federation Delhi (east). He said, "All meetings with the LG, the Chief Minister and the commission of the civic bodies regarding illegal constructions had failed to see any positive outcome and no action has been taken from the civic bodies or the LG." He said, "The corporations and political bigwigs got the committee suspended with promise that no illegal construction will be allowed but see around and at present every fourth house in Delhi is being reconstructed illegally and what more even fourth floor is being permitted. This has taken a toll on the basic infrastructure of the colonies, including water, parking and sewage system that the body has always preferred to ignore."

"The civic bodies have allowed all these goons to construct at their will and the RWAs have been threatened for raising the issues of planning deficiency, negligence in local area development and protracted misapplication of bylaws," he added, urging for an immediate campaign led by monitoring committee against the alleged illegal encroachment in the respective colonies.

New Delhi, February 14
A 31-year-old burglar was killed in an encounter with the Delhi police in the outskirts of the national Capital, while his friends managed to flee during the gun-battle that took place last night.

The deceased is identified as Mohan, who was allegedly involved in, at least, nine criminal cases, including raping a minor for which he served a prison term of three years, said a police official. He lived in Narela with his family.

A team of 15 police officials (south) were tipped off about their whereabouts at 10.30 pm and the encounter took place at 11.45 pm. The police said that it fired in retaliation when three accused, who were in a Scorpio SUV, refused to surrender. The accused allegedly opened fire at the police.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (south) Chhaya Sharma said, "The other two have been identified as well and will be nabbed soon. Mohan died in a hospital."

The police was searching for men, who committed burglaries during the day, at the outskirts of Delhi. The police became aware that the burglars would be passing through there. The burglars were updated on the inputs of the police and abandoned the i-10 car. They drove in the Scorpio SUV, which is allegedly registered under the name of Mohan's brother Narender.

After the police learnt of the change in the plan of the accused, it asked for reinforcements and more vehicles. They hired an Innova, besides a Wagon-R and an Esteem and reached Rohini Sector 18. "We used private vehicles so that they won't rush away," she said.

When the Scorpio car arrived there, they fell in the police trap. They were asked to surrender, but they allegedly opened fire.

"The driver, Mohan even tried to ram into one of the vehicles and tried to speed away. But the police managed to stop him, however, his accomplices fled the spot leaving the vehicles behind," said Sharma.