New Delhi, November 21
A 20-year-old Delhi University student was allegedly raped in a hotel in central Delhi's Paharganj locality, while she was celebrating the birthday party of the accused with two other friends on Wednesday night.

The victim is pursuing B.Com. at the university. The accused has been identified as Pradip (23), who belongs to Ludhiana. He had arrived in Delhi about a month ago in search of a job. He was staying with his cousin, Sunny, here.

On Wednesday night, Sunny had organised Pradip's birthday party at a hotel named 'Sweet Dreams' at Paharganj. A suite was booked for the party. Sunny had invited his girlfriend and one of her close female friends, who is the victim, to the party.

At about 4 pm on Thursday, the victim reported the rape incident to the police. She was taken for a medical examination, which confirmed the crime, according to the police.

"The victim has alleged that the accused with their common friends forced her to drink alcohol," said a police officer.

The victim told the police that when she woke up on Thursday morning, she realised that the accused had allegedly raped her. "After investigating the matter, we have not found enough evidence to charge the other two persons present in the party," said the officer.

Pradip has been booked under the Indian Penal Code section 376 (rape) and was produced before a court on Thursday, which remanded him in 14-day judicial custody, according to the police.

New Delhi, November 21
The Delhi Government has directed the police to register FIRs against three clinics-cum-medical laboratories for allegedly conducting sex determination tests.

It has also directed authorities concerned to issue show-cause notices to three other violators.

"The Delhi Police has been asked to lodge FIRs against three centres for violating the provisions of Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PC & PNDT), 1994.

“These centers, which were found to be carrying out sex determination tests, are located in Jahangirpuri, Bakhtawarpur and Narela," a senior government official said.

Addressing a meeting of the District Advisory Committee of PC and PNDT Act here, Deputy Commissioner (North) Madhu Teotia said authorities concerned have also been directed to issue show-cause notices to three other clinics-cum-medical labs.

The Deputy Commissioners said the Delhi government will take strict action against the violators in cases of pre-birth sex determination.

The PC&PNDT Act was enacted to stop female foeticide by banning pre-natal sex determination, the official added. —PTI

New Delhi, November 21
The threats of terrorist attacks at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport have made the Delhi Police strengthen its security set-up besides securing dense vegetation around the airport from where intrusions into the perimeter of the airport have taken place.

The police have been regularly receiving alerts issued by the Intelligence Bureau on threats of terrorist attacks. These threats have been sent in the form of emails.

Following these alerts, the police have increased their presence at the airport by having more patrolling of PCR vehicles. The idea is to deter untoward activities and instil a sense of safety among the visitors.

The police had earlier set up four pickets, including two on the road from the tunnel area near Mehram Nagar to the Terminal-3 or the international terminal of the airport. The other two are located near the airport.

"These pickets will be turned into police booths, which will have wireless sets and the strength of the men in these booths will be increased. The booths will regularly check vehicles passing by," said an official on condition of anonymity.

Keeping in view the terror threats, the Delhi Police had surveyed about seven pockets of one square kilometre long jungle around the airport about a month ago. Some of these pockets are located behind the offices of the Airports Authority of India, the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), the regulatory authority for civil aviation security in India and the Customs office.

"During the survey, we found that there are places near the perimeter wall of the runway where there are thick vegetation, trees and deserted land. And from these areas, intrusion into the perimeter of the airport near the perimeter wall has taken place twice this year. And there are chances that more such incidents can take place. The bushes and trees can act as cover for people, which is why they should be immediately removed," said the official.

Since 2010 till date, about eight intrusions into the airport perimeter have taken place. The police said that the people who were caught are not sane.

About a week ago, the police had requested BCAS to direct DIAL to set up either fencing to separate the jungle area from the airport offices or create motorcycle paths for the Delhi Police to patrol these areas.

Sources in the airport said that DIAL has received the request. "They want that pathways are created to ensure visibility or have the areas enclosed. Either of these things will be done," said the sources. 

New Delhi, November 21
A 21-year-old man from Manipur was found dead outside his rented accommodation in Ber Sarai locality, south Delhi, late last night. The police suspect that the deceased, Thangsonalian, died after slipping from the stairs.

He worked with a private company in R K Puram, south Delhi.

According to the police, Thangsonalian had gone to Ambedkar Stadium to watch a football match and returned home around 11.30 pm.

Thangsonalian and his friends drank at his house and then went outside. Later, his neighbours found him on the staircase of the ground floor. As he was not responding, the neighbours called the police.

He was rushed to AIIMS Trauma Centre, where he was declared dead. The hospital authorities have confirmed that he had consumed alcohol, but nothing was stated about drugs.

The spot where he was found was analysed by the police and it is suspected that he slipped and fell on the stairs.

"We suspect that Thangsonalian was going downstairs during which he lost consciousness," the officer added.

He had sustained head injuries and there were blood stains on the staircase.

There were no other injury marks on his body due to which the police have ruled out foul play. No case has been registered yet, the officer added.

This is the third incident involving the death of men belonging to Manipur since Wednesday.

New Delhi, November 21
Activists from Pragati Mahila Sangathan and Indian Federation of Trade Unions today slammed the Delhi Police accusing it of being "communal and biased" and targeting the Muslims in connection with the recent communal violence in Trilokpuri.

Pointing out discrepancies in the three FIRs, they said, "The police are systematically creating cases against the Muslims in Trilokpuri to explain their own role. Among the 34 arrested, 25 are Muslims while those actually responsible for the riots and arson are scot-free."

While they demanded a judicial probe by a sitting judge into the police's role in the Trilokpuri clashes, they asserted that the allegations against the minority community regarding the planned cow slaughter in the Bawana area are bogus.

General secretary of Pragati Mahila Sangathan, Poonam Kaushik, said people, especially Muslim women of Sanjay Camp in East Delhi, are still being harassed by the local police who tell them to ask their sons and brothers to surrender. 

New Delhi, November 21
The Social Welfare Secretary in the Government of Delhi, Sanjiv Kumar, today said senior citizens are the storehouse of knowledge. They need support, security and protection in society.

Expressing his concern over the plight of the elderly, Kumar said it is a matter of great concern that it is the family members who treat the elderly badly and keep distance from them.

Speaking as chief guest in the conference on "Caring for Elderly" organized by the Delhi government at Pragati Maidan, Sanjiv said it is strange that the elderly are becoming invisible in society. Perspective of society towards elderly people has been changed entirely. It is the need of the hour to change the perspective of the society towards these people.

He said aging is a part of life and no one can escape this transition. "Just like us, our elders were once young. They have memories of different fads, their first job, their first love and mistakes. They have stories to tell and things to teach us. They have lived through things that we ourselves can hardly imagine like wars, life without computers or cell phones.

They are amazingly strong, intelligent, and interesting human beings who have gone through real experiences. It takes many years to earn the kind of experience an elderly person has accumulated over his lifespan. Therefore, we can say that our elders are similar to a guide who can steer us through the tough journey of life.

New Delhi, November 21
Under the newly-formed Co-ordination Committee of Teachers' Associations of Universities based in Delhi (CCTAD), DUTA, JNUTA, AUDFA (Ambedkar Univerity), IGNOUTA, Jamia Teachers' Association and IP University Teachers' Association have demanded an urgent resolution of their long-pending issues concerning permanent appointments in universities, promotions, implementing reservation policy as per the constitution and resolution of pension-related issues, among others and prompt action against corrupt and autocratic vice-chancellors.

They highlighted the government's neglect of higher education, the destructive influence of commercialisation on this sector and to demand resolution of urgent problems.

CCTAD president Prof Arun Kumar said the CCTAD has asked the government to provide immediate relief to the teaching community by ensuring the filling of the large number of permanent vacancies in universities, implementing its reservation policy in strict adherence to the constitutional guarantees, ensuring speedy promotions and resolution of pension related issues, scrapping the illogical points system and resolving pay-related anomalies.

"Successive governments have presided over the degeneration of public-funded universities by choking them of funds and infrastructure and by helping install corrupt officials in the administration, through politically expedient appointments. This trend has become particularly aggravated in the decades of economic liberalisation," they said.

The CCTAD appealed to the present government to engage with the widespread discontent in the academic community which is a direct outcome of its skewed pro-corporate policies, exclusionary and discriminative measures that have pushed higher education out of the common man's reach, and the worsening service conditions of teachers.