New Delhi, September 25
A 30-year-old man working as a driver with a cash replenishment agency allegedly fled with Rs 54 lakh from a van as his colleagues were filling cash in ATMs at central Delhi’s Karol Bagh area this morning.

The accused identified as Sanjay was part of a four-member team responsible for replenishing cash in ATMs. The team was of the cash replenishment agency called Cash Management Services (CMS). The other members of the team are F D Sharma, Amit Mishra and Kapil.

According to the police, as a daily routine, the team took about Rs 1 crore cash from the company office this morning and went to fill it in ATMs in central Delhi. They then headed to Karol Bagh to refill an Axis Bank ATM.

Sanjay stopped the van in front of the Axis Bank ATM at the Karol Bagh market on Padam Singh Road. Two of the team members, including a gunman, stepped out of the van and went towards the ATM with a certain amount of cash.

“It is alleged that while the two persons were filling cash in the ATM, Sanjay asked his other colleague to help him take a U-turn so that he can park the van in a manner that it does not obstruct traffic. His colleague stepped out of the van and started giving him directions. Sanjay then accelerated the vehicle and sped away,” said a police officer.

The van contained Rs 54 lakh cash. Sanjay’s colleague started shouting and informed the other two members who were still inside the ATM. The incident took place at about 10.45 am.

The police were informed and their team reached the site of the incident. A message regarding the incident was sent to the Police Control Room vans. The cash van was found abandoned near Regar Pura in central Delhi. An empty cash box was lying inside the van. Sanjay had managed to escape allegedly with the cash.

The police said that they have registered a case under the relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code against him at the Karol Bagh police station. Several police teams have been formed to apprehend him.

Police sources said that Sanjay had joined CMS about a month ago. The police discovered that he had allegedly given a fake address of Harkesh Nagar in Delhi to the company upon joining it.

New Delhi, September 25
The Managing Director of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), Mangu Singh, today constituted a committee comprising three officers of general manager level to investigate the problem which has caused deflection in one of the cantilever arms of the Noida City Centre Metro Station on Dwarka-Noida line of Delhi Metro.

On the receipt of the report from the committee, likely to be submitted this week, action would be taken based upon the findings of the report in case of any negligence or deficiency, said a DMRC spokesperson

In the interim, a core group of senior engineers of DMRC have already started the repair work and the cantilever arms are being supported by the iron trestles to maintain stability.

“The repair work involves strengthening by high grade steel rods from one end of the cantilever to the other. The strengthening will provide extra stability to the cantilever arm ensuring that the proper level of the platform is maintained,” said the spokesperson.

The official said that train operations are not required to be stopped during the repair work but will continue from a single platform with speed restrictions as an abundant precaution. The piers or main girder carrying train load are not affected due to the repair work.

“The repair work is likely to be completed in three weeks since it can be carried out in traffic block hours in the night time only,” he said.

Presently, the part of the platform load has been transferred on the temporary erected structures. The external post tensioning of the girder will be done as an abundant precaution irrespective of the finding of the region of distress, which is being investigated, he said.

“High strength epoxy material and micro concrete will be used for grouting or repairing, if required. Finally, the full load will be transferred to the girder and temporary structure removed permanently,” he said.

New Delhi, September 25
Hundreds of workers today took to streets in the national Capital to protest against the Central government’s apathy towards their longstanding 10-point charter of demands which include minimum wages not less than Rs 10,000, universal social security cover and pension.

The protestors carrying banners and placards gathered at the Shaheed Bhagat Singh Park near Delhi Gate and marched towards the Delhi Secretariat. They were stopped by the police in front of Pyare Lal Bhawan at Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, where they were addressed by the trade union leaders.

The demonstration was part of the nationwide protest against the Congress-led UPA government’s pursuance of ‘pro-rich and pro-corporate’ economic policies at the expense of the working classes.

A call for the nationwide protest was jointly given by the 11 central trade unions which include the AITUC, CITU, BMS, HMS, INTUC, AIUTUC, TUCC, SEWA, AICCTU, UTUC, LPF and independent workers and employees’ federations.

Addressing the gathering, AITUC general secretary and Lok Sabha MP Gurudas Dasgupta said lakhs of workers all over the country have participated in today’s protest. Rallies, demonstrations and protests have been organised at all the state capitals.

He said, “It is the beginning of the workers’ nationwide campaign which will culminate into a massive gherao of Parliament on December 12.”

In an inspiring and impassioned speech, Dasgupta declared that the workers’ joint and determined struggle had made some impact on the Manmohan Singh government as it was forced to talk to them on their demands.

“It will be forced to bend when millions of workers will gherao Parliament. We have organised the protest today to alert the government. The UPA government must realize the united might of the working classes, the employees and the toiling masses,” he said amidst thunderous applause from the gathering.

He said all the 11 central trade unions and independent federations of employees had joined hands and had been waging a relentless fight during the last three years in support of their demands. 

New Delhi, September 25
The spike in dengue cases this year in the national Capital has left the city health authorities in a tizzy, with over 110 cases on an average in a day during the four days till September 23.

The Delhi Government on its part today issued a circular to all the schools here suggesting the dos and don’ts for prevention of the disease. The guidelines include wearing of full-sleeve tops, trousers and salwars.

The Deputy Director of Education would ensure the compliance of these measures during the inspection of schools.

The NDMC also cracked the whip suspending its two top officials on the charge of failing to check the increasing number of dengue cases. Besides, it issued a notice of cancellation of all leave and gazetted holidays to health workers.

All the three corporations—East, South and NDMC have sprung to action now as patients with viral symptoms, high fever, headache and cold continue to queue at various hospitals casualties and OPDs, including AIIMS, Safdarjung, LNJP and GTB Hospital besides private hospitals.

“We have been receiving nearly 80-100 cases a day which come to us with symptoms of high fever and 30-40 per cent of them are being tested as dengue,” said a doctor at Safdarjung’s casualty.

Until late evening today, officials confirmed that the death toll due to dengue stood at two along with three suspected deaths whereas the city’s cumulative for positive cases was said to be at 1,355 cases till the last official report and confirmation of new cases would be made tomorrow.

“In the NDMC area, there have been no deaths so far while two deaths from the East Delhi Municipal Corporation have been confirmed. Out of the 10, it has been found by the case history or local interrogation that seven persons did not die of dengue. The remaining three cases are being examined,” said the North civic body media in-charge, Yogender Mann.