New Delhi, June 13
A 70-year-old man was killed and four of his family members, including a four-year-old boy, were injured after an under construction wall collapsed on them in the Gokulpuri locality, north-east Delhi, after midnight.

The deceased has been identified as Ram Prasad. The injured persons are named Prasad's wife Omvati (60), his son Gopal, Gopal's wife Lata (27) and their four-year-old son Rishabh.

In a statement to the police, Gopal said he was sleeping with his wife Lata and son Rishabh on the ground floor of their house in the Chand Bagh area under the jurisdiction of the Gokulpuri police station. His father Ram Prasad and mother Omvati were sleeping at a gallery on the first floor.

The family woke up when their neighbour's wall began crumbling on them. Large portions of the wall collapsed on Prasad and Omvati, while Gopal, his wife and son had bricks falling on them. The police said the thunderstorm led to the collapse of the wall that was reportedly weak.

Neighbours informed police about the incident. The police arrived there and rushed the victims to Guru Tegh Bahadur Hospital, where Prasad was declared dead.

Gopal and the rest of his family had suffered injuries on their heads, face and other parts of the body. They are out of danger.

Gopal, in his complaint to the police, alleged that the material used in the construction of the neighbour's house was of poor quality and that resulted in the collapse.

Gopal works with a private company and had been supporting the family after his father left his job about six years ago. Prasad was a heart patient, he said.

New Delhi, June 13
The fate of fast mushrooming battery operated e-rickshaws plying on city roads have come under clouds of uncertainty with the Delhi government considering banning the vehicle.

According to the committee constituted by the state government to suggest methods of regulation of e-rickshaw, the operation of such rickshaws is totally illegal and dangerous to the safety and security of commuters and therefore need to be stopped.

The committee has decided to take immediate action against the manufacturers, suppliers and dealers of the e-rickshaw. It has directed the authorities to lodge FIR against such rickshaws after June 6, if they are found plying on roads without obtaining appropriate approval or requisite certification from the agencies concerned.

"This is being done to check any untoward incident," said a senior government official.

The government is clueless about the number of such rickshaws plying in the city and has sought the help of VAT department to ascertain the figure as tax paid on its sale. These rickshaws have no registration numbers or third party insurance and do not require driving license for plying them.

"Three months' time was given to the manufacturers to get approval and certification as per the rules of the Motor Vehicle Act. They were asked to stop selling the e-rickshaws till they get type approval. However, they are being sold openly in the market," said.

These rickshaws fail to fall under exemption clauses in favour of battery operated vehicles as its 30 minutes motor power is more than 250W.

According to a survey by the committee, 80 per cent of the passengers traveling in these rickshaws feel unsafe. The DCP (Traffic) said that few fatal accidents have happened involving e-rickshaws.

The committee has also raised concerns about the illegal import of the vehicle. "The rickshaws are assembled here after importing component parts like batteries, motors, etc., from China," he said adding that a the matter would be taken up with Union Secretary (Commerce) to request him to ensure the import of such items are done as per rules and regulations in place.

The prevailing situation has created a sense of insecurity among the operators of the rickshaws who have decided to go on protest against the government's stand on June 17 at Ramlila Maidan.

Calling it an "anti-people" move, Ashwani Sehgal, president of the Battery Rickshaw Welfare Association, said, "It is the best alternative for manually operated rickshaws in which pullers have no option but to transport three-four people almost like an animal, even in extreme weather conditions. These rickshaws do not pose any threat to environment as well. Yet government is working to remove them."

New Delhi, June 13
Two married women were allegedly gangraped by 11 men at an apartment in Dwarka after they were abducted from Uttam Nagar, west Delhi, yesterday.

A woman named Raj Radhna (38), who allegedly forced them into prostitution, has been arrested. Four out of the 11 men who allegedly raped the victims have also been arrested.

The incident was reported to the police on Thursday afternoon when the two victims approached the Uttam Nagar police station. They alleged that a few days ago they met a woman identified as Raj Radha who promised to give them jobs.

Yesterday, following the instructions of Radha, the victims, who are residents of the Paschim Vihar area, went to Uttam Nagar to meet someone. Reaching that particular place they allegedly met four men who were waiting in two cars. Assuring the women that they will get a job, they took them to an apartment in Dwarka. "Apart from four men there were seven other men in the flat," one of the victims said.

The men locked the doors of the apartment from the inside and then allegedly took turns raping the victims. "The victims said that after they were gangraped, the men thrashed them in a car and dropped them at the same place in Uttam Nagar from where they were picked up," a police officer said.

After the sexual assault, the victims approached Radha who allegedly gave them money for the incident and asked them to continue the prostitution job, according to the police.

The victims decided to report the matter to the police who took them for a medical examination that confirmed rape. Radha was identified and arrested from her house in Uttam Nagar.

A case under the relevant sections of the Gangrape and Immoral Trafficking Prevention Act has been registered.

New Delhi, June 13
A man was caught by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) at Indira Gandhi International Airport yesterday for allegedly carrying 50 gold biscuits in his bag.

The man has been identified by the CISF as Ashref Kayyalakkakath, who belongs to Kerala.

About 11.10 am yesterday, the CISF stopped Ashref based on a tip-off. He had arrived by flight from Dubai and the CISF said that he is involved in gold smuggling.

"The CISF informed the matter to the Customs to check his belongings. Customs officials recovered 50 gold biscuits with a total weight of 5.8 kg from his baggage," said Deputy Commandant Hemendra Singh, CISF PRO . — TNS

New Delhi, June 13
With several former and current teachers Delhi University (DU) cutting across political affiliations today coming on the same page when it comes to scrapping the DU's Four-Year Undergraduate Programme (FYUP), DU Vice-Chancellor Prof Dinesh Singh is nearly cornered with only a faction among the university's faculty, led by Dr Aditya Narayan Misra under Academics for Action and Development, still supporting him.

The DU Teachers' Association (DUTA) has sought the intervention of the Visitor, President Pranab Mukherjee, urging him to abrogate the ordinances relating to the FYUP under the powers vested in his office under Section 31 (6) of the DU Act while few members of the Congress-backed Indian National Teachers Congress, also members of the DUTA Executive, differed in version saying that they were neither informed about any such letter to the Visitor nor was the matter was discussed in the executive.

However, the DUTA, as explained by EC member Abha Dev Habib, counters that the move should not be linked with political contours but is the result of a general body resolution passed in the DUTA. Nonetheless, a significant spectrum of teachers' and students' groups affiliated to the Left, BJP, AAP and even the Congress have expressed solidarity to the demand for reversal of the controversial FYUP.

The DUTA in its appeal to the Visitor argues that the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution in its entry 66 empowers the Union government to direct the university administration through the University Grants Commission to implement standards of teaching structure and exams within the university.

Even a Supreme Court judgement (dated 11.2.2005) in its paragraph 17 and 30 has cited the section defining the role of the UGC and the Central government with regard to the mandate relating to the co-ordination and maintenance of standards in institutions for higher education.

"In the face of onslaught by the VC, we have written to the Visitor to annul the orders related to FYUP. The administration did not follow the mandate and the courses were finalised in June a month before its introduction. No approval was sought six months prior of the commencement of the course in violation of the clause 3," said DUTA president Nandita Narain.

New Delhi, June 13
Those who are seeking for learner's driving licence have to face revised set of questions to clear the test, announced by the Transport Department.

Instead of using stationery for the test, the licence seekers have to use computer for giving answer of the questions. This is being done to bring transparency and efficiency for issuing the licence.

The department has also revised the questions asked for getting issued the learner's licence. The new set of questions is evolved based on international accepted norms for road safety and traffic management.

The computer presents 10 randomly selected questions applicant is required to answer within 10 minutes. The question is available on the department website and also displayed on notice board at all zonal offices.

New Delhi, June 13
The South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) initiated a special campaign "Neev" for the enrolment of unprivileged children in its schools.

Under the campaign, which will start tomorrow and continue till June 30, teachers will take initiatives for the admission of children in the nearby schools and will also ensure that these children attend school regularly. No document will be required for the admission process.

Chairman of the Education Committee Ashish Sood said that the project will identified those children between age group of 6 and 14 years who are not going to school in the jurisdiction of the SDMC by making door-to-door survey.

Teachers of the SDMC schools and volunteers from the NGOs attached with the schools will carry this survey and they will carry with them the admission forms for on the spot admission of the children.

New Delhi, June 13
Twelve students, who were coached at Residential Coaching Academy run by the Centre for Coaching and Career Planning, Jamia Millia Islamia, had been selected for country's most coveted civil services. These students appeared at the main examination conducted by the Union Public Service Commission in December, 2013, followed by personality tests taken in May and June.

The academy funded by the University Grants Commission, offered free coaching and residential facilities to students belonging to SC/ST, women and the minorities categories. They were selected for their comprehensive coaching on the basis of an all India written test followed by individual interviews. They were subsequently taught in a variety of optional and compulsory subjects.

The students selected Civil services are Faiz Aq Ahmed Mumtaz, Sana Akhtar, Tejaswani Gautam, Afaq Ahmed Giri, Raunaq Jamil Ansari, Mohammad Saim, Dayama Harish Kumar, Satendra Singh Mehra, Avais Patwegar, Jyoti Virdi, Bhanu Prabha and Balram Meena, he said.