New Delhi, November 3
With the meeting of elders of Shia Muslims and leaders of Mahapanchayat of village Bawana, the issue over the proposed Moharram procession in the area has been amicably worked out.

Police said that influential people belonging to Shia Muslims and Jat leaders today had a meeting and decided that Moharram procession would be taken out only in the colony where Muslims reside. The procession will not enter Bawana and other localities of non-Muslims.

Police Commissioner BS Bassi said that security measures have been taken to deal with any untoward incident.

He also said that strict action will be taken against those who spread rumours on communal tension in the national Capital.

"Security has been strengthened and we are keeping a tight vigil. We are extensively on ground in sensitive areas," said Bassi.

Senior officials are in touch with the local peace committees in these areas and leaders of both the communities have also been roped in to maintain peace during the Muharram processions, he said.

Bassi also said that the Delhi Police is keeping an eye on Bawana, Trilokpuri and other sensitive areas.

"We had received information a month ago regarding tension prevailing in Bawana and preventive steps were taken immediately. We got in touch with the peace committee there and handled the situation before anything could go wrong," said the commissioner.

He also made an appeal to the people to avoid all sorts of rumours they come across through social network, Whatsapp and other media.

"I appeal to the people not to get involved in rumours. If anyone is found to be spreading rumours regarding communal clashes, strict legal action will be taken against them," Bassi added.

The Police Commissioner said that commando teams have been deployed and the Special Branch (Intelligence) is in touch with people of both the communities to maintain peace.

New Delhi, November 3
Muharram will be observed tomorrow in the violence-hit Trilokpuri area, east Delhi, amid heavy security with Hindu volunteers taking part in the processions.

The entire route of the procession will be monitored aerially with the help of drones.

As many as 30 Hindu volunteers will lead the four Muharram processions that will set out from different blocks of the locality setting an example of communal harmony.

Earlier, Muslims had served 'prasad' during a 'jagran' ceremony in the locality.

"We have taken these initiatives to ensure peace and nurture a sense of confidence among the two communities. Around 400 people are expected to take part in the processions' routes for which have already been identified," a senior police official said.

The police have also roped in local volunteers to identify any suspicious activity and outsiders who may try to disrupt the peace in the locality.

Muharram is observed by the Muslims to mourn the death of Imam Hussein ibn Ali, the grandson of Prophet Mohammad in the battle of Karbala.

Meanwhile, the police today again relaxed prohibitory orders for 13 hours in the locality between 6 am to 7 pm.

New Delhi, November 3
A four-member delegation led by a radical Sikh organisation, the Dal Khalsa, and consisting of political leaders from Kashmir and Tamil Nadu, submitted a memorandum to the United Nations here today, seeking a probe into the role of the Indian state in the killings of Sikhs in November 1984.

The five-page memorandum sought a probe on the lines of a UN internal probe in the killings of Tamils in Sri Lanka and similarly a resolution on the lines of the US-sponsored 2012 resolution indicting Sri Lanka for crimes against humanity, according to an official statement issued by the Dal Khalsa.

The delegation led by Kanwar Pal Singh, the general secretary of the Dal Khalsa, Prof SAR Geelani, Harpal Singh Cheema and Tamil leader Seeman met Rajiv Chandran, the principal information officer at the UN headquarters and handed over the memorandum addressed to Secretary General Ban Ki Moon.

According to the statement, the representation to the UN Secretary General demands "what the UN did in Sri Lanka, it needs to do the same for the genocidal attack on the Sikhs in November 1984".

Dal Khalsa president Harcharanjit Singh Dhami said, "The Dal Khalsa with the help of other Sikh organisations has organised a 'Rights and Justice March' from Gurdwara Bangla Sahib to Jantar Mantar. We held a rally here with representatives from Punjab, Tamil Nadu and the North-East."

The Sikhs, Kashmiris, Tamils and Naga representatives, who had gathered at Jantar Mantar to pay homage to the people who were killed in November 1984, repeatedly sought the right to self-determination as the only solution to ensure that massacres like November 1984 do not recur. The rally was also attended by Hurriyat Conference chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Delhi University teacher, Prof. S. A. R. Geelani.

New Delhi, November 3
A 32-year-old jeweller was shot dead outside his residence in east Delhi's Shakarpur locality this morning.

The man has been identified as Rajesh Thakur. His family suspects the involvement of his younger brothers in the crime. They told the police that a dispute over property led to the murder.

Rajesh lived with his wife, Ekta Rawat (30) and two sons, Shaurya (5) and Lakshya (1). At about 9 am today, the accused knocked on the door of Rajesh's house.

"When Rajesh opened the door, the accused shot at him three times and fled from the spot. Hearing gunshots, Rajesh's wife rushed out of her bedroom and found him lying in a pool of blood near the main gate," said a police officer.

He was rushed to a nearby hospital where he was declared dead. In the meantime, a team of the police reached the hospital while another team landed at the crime spot. Doctors told the police that Rajesh received two gunshot injuries in his heart and the third in the head.

The police have found empty cartridges and a mobile phone probably belonging to one of the accused. The recovered items have been sent for a forensic examination. Meanwhile, the postmortem was conducted and the reports are awaited.

According to the police, the accused were spotted in three CCTV cameras installed in the locality, but they were wearing helmets.

In a statement to the police, Rajesh's wife alleged that Rajesh's younger brothers, Ramesh and Rakesh, are involved.

New Delhi, November 3
Expressing concerns about the low consumption of fats by the economically weaker section of society leading to deficiency of vitamins, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) today called for making oil a part of the Public Distribution System (PDS).

Fats being required to absorb important vitamins like A, D, E and K, its low consumption by the poor has been viewed as an area of concern by doctors.

Addressing a national symposium on health and dietary fats, Dr Umesh, professor division of Public Health Nutrition, AIIMS, said the low income group does not get even 50 per cent of daily recommendation dietary quantity of fats due to which they are likely to suffer from deficiencies of fats soluble vitamins like A and D.

"There are two distinct socio-economic groups. The high income group, which needs to consider the quality and quantity of fats they are consuming as there is a rising trend in the cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, hypertension, obesity, etc., and the lower income group which mostly do not add any type of fats in their diets due to lack of resources," said Dr Kapil.

"The children of such families suffer from deficiency of fat soluble vitamin. Therefore, there is a need for providing fats and oil to these families at affordable cost through Public Distribution System," he said.

According to data collected by the Indian Council of Medical Research, in tribal population the consumption of visible fats and oil is 50 per cent less than the recommended dietary allowance.

Similarly, in rural population, there are 17 per cent household which has nil consumption of fats and oil.

"Major commodities distributed by the state government include staple food such as wheat, rice, sugar and kerosene through the PDS. There is a strong need to incorporate fats and oil of economical price in the system to reduce health problems caused due to deficiency of fats," said Dr RP Singh, professor of Oil Technology in Butler Technological Institute, Kanpur.

New Delhi, November 3
The Delhi High Court today sought the city government's response on a plea alleging arbitrariness in the appointment of nurses in hospitals here.

Justice Vibhu Bakhru issued notice to the Health and Family Welfare Department, Indian Nursing Council and Delhi Nursing Council, seeking their responses before the next date of hearing in April next year.

The court also issued notices to Rajasthan Nursing Council and Rajeev Gandhi General Hospital on the plea of Sushma Chauhan, who has obtained a diploma in general nursing and midwifery from Rajasthan.

When she had applied for post of staff nurse at IHBAS here she was denied employment on the ground that her diploma is unrecognized, her petition filed through advocate Sugriva Dubey said, adding that she was later employed there.

However, in 2013, a circular was issued by IHBAS that registration from Delhi Nursing Council is mandatory and this was applicable only in the case of petitioner, the plea alleged.

She later applied for registration and got employment on contractual basis, the petition said, adding that her contract was further extended for period of three months in March, subject to protection of Delhi Nursing Council registration certificate.

She has alleged that the Indian and Delhi Nursing councils refused to give recognition to Rajiv Gandhi General Hospital, School of Nursing in Alwar in Rajasthan.

The plea also alleged that large number of nurses are employed in IHBAS and other hospitals under Delhi government and the Centre on the basis of Diploma from Rajasthan Nursing Council and are working as staff nurse, but others like the petitioner have been denied employment arbitrarily despite them having the same qualification. —PTI

New Delhi, November 3
The Centre today told the Delhi High Court that if the members of a municipal council are not competent to perform efficient services to the public, they can dissolve and re-constitute the authority.

The Home Ministry in its affidavit filed before a bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice R S Endlaw also said they had noted some irregularities and shortcomings in the functioning of the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC).

"Under provisions of the NDMC Act, if, in the opinion of the Central government, the Council is not competent to perform or persistently makes default in performance of its duties or fails to deliver efficient service to the public, the Central government may by an order, dissolve the Council provided that the Council shall be given reasonable opportunity of being heard before its dissolution," the affidavit filed by Central government Standing Counsel Jasmeet Singh said.

The Centre's response came on a plea against partial dissolution and subsequent reconstitution of the NDMC board by excluding some members, including former Congress MLA Tajdar Babar.

Besides Babar, Ashok Ahuja, IA Siddiqui and Sukha Ram have also moved the court challenging their removal from the NDMC board.

The Centre's affidavit prepared by the Under Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs, said the Central government is empowered to depute any person to inspect any municipal department and an inspection of the NDMC on June 20 revealed a loss of Rs 200 crore in net power procurement cost.

It said in terms of the June 30 notice to the Council to show cause by July 7 as to why a direction in light of the irregularities be not made, the affidavit said "a bare perusal of the Show Cause notice dated June 30, 2014, clearly shows that intention of respondents (Council) was to take corrective action," the affidavit said, adding that Babar and others are "not entitled to any relief claimed for and the petition is liable to be dismissed".

The petition, filed through lawyer KC Mittal, Babar and others have sought quashing of the Centre's notification of September 5 by which the NDMC was dissolved and reconstituted by removing them and two other officers. — PTI

New Delhi, November 3
The number of dengue cases in Delhi and its adjoining areas has increased to 438, civic officials said today.

According to the figures, 409 cases have been reported from the national Capital till November 1.

"The remaining 29 cases have been reported from the adjoining areas in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana," the officials said.

There have been two deaths in the national Capital due to dengue till now. — IANS

New Delhi, November 3
In a beauty pageant held in the Capital, Ragini Sehgal Sethi bagged the title "Mrs Talented Worldwide 2014".

It was the fourth edition of the event which attracted hundreds of women from different parts of the country and the world. As many as 32 participants were shortlisted following preface rounds.

Ragini attributed her success to Bharat Bhramar, chairman, Shri Sai Entertainments which organizes the "Mrs India Worldwide" pageant every year.

She feels blessed to have a loving husband who encourages her in all her ventures.