Talwars were nervous: Cop

NEW DELHI: Murdered teenager Aarushi Talwar's parents, Rajesh and Nupur, sounded nervous but not sad on the day of the crime, former Noida SP Mahesh Kumar Mishra told the Ghaziabad court hearing the case, on Wednesday.

Mishra said he spoke to the Talwar couple on that day — May 16, 2008 — and "they did not display any shock or sadness, but when I asked them questions they were very nervous". Mishra is now posted as SP in Kasganj, UP.

"When I went to their house around 7.30am, a lot of people were already there. Rajesh Talwar told me he had locked Aarushi's room from outside at 11.30pm on the night of May 15. The lock was similar to those in hotels, which can be opened from the inside, but only with a key from outside. When I asked him where the key was, he said he couldn't find it. He also said that on that night, he had forgotten to lock his own bedroom door from the inside, and it was possible that someone stole the key from his room".

Describing the crime scene, Mishra said, "There were bloodstains on the wall behind Aarushi's bed, the pillow and floor apart from some on the front side of the room door but there was no blood on toys kept on the bed. There were bloodstains on the terrace door, which could have appeared when someone tried to open it, there were no bloodstains on the stairs leading upwards. The water inside the cooler kept on the terrace had turned red as if somebody had washed bloody hands in it".

Mishra said he had prepared a report about Noida police not opening the terrace door that very day despite his orders. "I had asked that the terrace door be broke open on May 16 itself (a day before Hemraj's body was discovered), but was told by personnel that Rajesh Talwar couldn't find the key and no mechanic could be found. I filed a report on this carelessness with the SSP Noida at that time," he said.

"If he has given information on talking to the Talwars that day about the key and other things, why are they not in the record?" said defence lawyer Tanveer Ahmed Mir.

Asked whether he gave a statement to CBI about talking to Talwar, Mishra said, "I gave this statement to CBI but I don't know why it has not been added by the officer".

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37 teachers to contest in polls for DU statutory bodies today

NEW DELHI: Delhi University will conduct the elections for its executive and academic councils on Thursday. The elections are being conducted to elect the teachers representatives to the highest statutory bodies of the university.

Teachers will send 26 of their representatives to the academic council and 2 teachers to the executive council for a term of two years.

In all, 37 candidates are in fray for the AC elections, of which Indian National Teachers Congress has fielded 6 candidates, followed by National Democratic Teachers' Front with 5 and 4 each by Democratic Teachers' Federation and Academics for Action and Development.

There are 18 others from smaller groups and independent candidates. For EC, there are 5 candidates in the fray while AAD, DTF, NDTF, Common Teachers' Forum have fielded one candidate each. The results of the elections will be interesting especially if the candidates from DTF and CTF manage to win as it will indicate a leaning against the proposed radical reforms, such as the 4-year-degree programme.

So far, the left-back teachers' organisations have been vocal about their reservations on various reforms introduced. Last years' DUTA elections had reflected upon the anti-semester mood when teachers voted for the DTF. There will be 40 polling centres and the polling will begin at 10.30am and continue
till 4.30pm.

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30% new autos without high security registration plates

NEW DELHI: The bus gang rape in December has not broken the transport department's slumber on high security registration plates (HSRP) that can help enforcement agencies keep track of new vehicles. Of the roughly 11,000 autorickshaws registered in recent months, 3,545 (approximately 30%) do not have HSRPs. Also, 4,000 new taxis in the city are plying without these plates.

"More than 10,000 registered commercial vehicles have not got their high security plates affixed by us," said U R Kapoor of Rosemerta, the company affixing secure numberplates on behalf of the transport department. Last year, the department had made it mandatory for all new vehicles registered in Delhi to bear secure numberplates. In fact, dealers were told to deliver vehicles — barring DTC and contract buses — only after fitting the secure plates.

Kapoor blames dealers for the pileup of numberplates. "The Supreme Court had in December 2012 ordered that new vehicles will be delivered only after affixing HSRPs. This is not happening, however, as we have got complaints from vehicle owners about vehicles being delivered without HSRPs," he says.

Despite complaints, the transport department has not acted against erring dealers. "We have asked the traffic police to challan vehicles registered after April 2012 that do not have HSRPs. We will act against dealers afterwards," said a transport department official.

Incidentally, the transport minister has been talking tough about enforcement by the department for a long time now. Drives against autorickshaw drivers without public service vehicle (PSV) badges, and chartered buses have been started. However, the department has been silent about measures to enforce the HSRP scheme.

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Badal group sweeps Delhi gurdwara polls

NEW DELHI: A huge anti-incumbency wave swept the Congress-backed Shiromani Akali Dal (Delhi) out of power in the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee after 11 years and firmly put the BJP-supported Badal group in control of the religious body.

The Paramjit Singh Sarna-led SAD (Delhi) now stands reduced to a mere eight seats in the powerful 46-member Sikh body that directly controls 10 historical gurdwaras in the city, besides other educational and religious institutions. The group had 27 members in the outgoing committee.

SAD (Badal) rode the wave, bagging 37 seats in Sunday's polls that saw a mere 42.4% of Sikh voters come out to vote.

CM Sheila Dikshit refused to accept that the elections could impact assembly polls in the city later this year. "This was an election to a religious body. We have nothing to do with it except for conducting the polls through the city's directorate of gurdwaras," Dikshit told TOI.

The BJP, in contrast, was thrilled with the results as the party seeks to bolster its control over the Sikh vote ahead of the state elections.

There are 4.15 lakh Sikh voters registered with the gurdwara directorate in Delhi. Even the low turnout paved the ground for change. Not only did voters shunt out Akali Dal (Delhi), outgoing Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee president Paramjit Singh Sarna lost his Punjabi Bagh seat with the election's biggest margin of 4,454 votes. His opponent was SAD (Badal)'s Manjinder Singh.

What made the defeat more glaring was the impressive winning margin of SAD (Badal) state president Manjeet Singh GK in Greater Kailash. GK won by 3,457 votes, the second highest of the election. His opponent, Gurpreet Singh of SAD (Delhi), could manage just 162 votes.

Another result that drew attention was the victory of Tarvinder Singh Marwah, a sitting Congress MLA from Jangpura and former parliamentary secretary to the chief minister.
Although Congress's enrollment rules do not allow members to contest any religious polls, he ran as a candidate of the Kendriya Shri Guru Singh Sabha and won from Defence Colony with a margin of 1,751 votes.

Marwah has reportedly been in rebellious mood ever since he was sacked as parliamentary secretary after he allegedly got his daughter admitted to a Delhi University college on forged documents. Marwah's win reflects %growing turf wars between Sikh politicians who see the votebank as critical to keep themselves relevant in their parties.

Soon after counting started on Wednesday morning, Akali Dal (Badal) stole a lead over SAD (Delhi). The gap widened as the day wore on and the Badal camp soon began celebrations at Punjab Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal's official residence in New Delhi even before the final results were declared.

For Paramjit Singh Sarna, who been a close ally of the Congress in Delhi and has been open about his closeness with minister Arvinder Singh, the poll results could spell the end of the road. Sarna told TOI that his group's fight was against the ruling party in Punjab, many of whose leaders had been camping in Delhi for %the polls.

"These elections were won through money power," Sarna asserted. SAD(Delhi) first won the election under Sarna in 2002. This trend was reinforced in his second tenure from 2007.
Meanwhile, the Congress and its lone Sikh minister, Arvinder Singh, distanced themselves from the results. Arvinder Singh, who is also the minister in-charge of gurdwara elections, told TOI. "We don't see how the results will impact Congress in the assembly polls. This was a religious election and the Congress as a policy is not part of it. None of the Congress leaders campaigned for SAD (Delhi) candidates," he said.

After the victory, SAD (Badal) state president Manjeet Singh GK said that this was a vote against growing mismanagement of schools, hospitals and corruption in the DSGMC. He admitted that the support of Punjab chief minister Prakash Singh Badal, the deputy chief minister and minister from the state had reinforced the faith of the city's Sikhs in SAD (Badal). "The Sikhs here know that the Badals are not just confined to Punjab," he added.
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Two runaway teenagers found after 15 months

NEW DELHI: Two teenaged brothers who ran away from home 15 months ago after their parents forced them to work were found in Uttar Pradesh, police said Wednesday.

The boys, who wanted to study, were forced to work in a torch-making factory here by their parents. They were found in a school in Etah district in Uttar Pradesh, where they were studying.

"The siblings, aged 13 and 15 years, were rescued on Republic Day from Etah district in Uttar Pradesh. They were allowed to study in the school as they claimed that they were orphans. They used to stay in the school," Delhi' Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) S.B.S. Tyagi told IANS.

The brothers had run away from their house in Nihal Vihar in west Delhi in October 2011, Tyagi said.

Police traced them after the elder teenager called his mother Jan 24.

"They told us that they did not want to live with their parents as they stopped them from going to school," Tyagi said.

The boys have been sent to a child observation home in Dwarka in southwest Delhi.

After running away, they initially worked in a hotel for a few months. Seeing their desire to study, the hotel owner got them admitted to a school run by his relative.

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Republic beats retreat with military pomp

NEW DELHI: At exactly 5pm, hundreds stood as one at Vijay Chowk singing to the strains of the national anthem in the bright winter sun. Staying true to the centuries-old military tradition dating from the days when troops disengage from battle at sunset, the Beating Retreat ceremony was held on Tuesday to mark the end of Republic Day celebrations.

As President Pranab Mukherjee looked on, a murmur of excitement rippled through the crowd as the buglers began the fanfare. Even the camels on the steps of the north and south blocks and the horses that flanked Vijay Chowk on either side stood in quiet dignity as the bands began marching to the spunky tune of "Kadam kadam badhaaye jaao". Each band rolled in with their own special compositions.

The rigid discipline of the square formation by the pipes and drums bands suddenly gave way to complicated circles, spirals and serpentine formations. The orderliness of the wave formations was in their symmetrical beauty, as the bands effortlessly moved from quick to slow marches, even forming a reel at one point.

The ethereal beauty of their music was quickly followed by the smart and popular bands of the navy and air force. Clad in blue, black and white, the band marched to several original compositions, but received the loudest applause for "Sound barrier" composed by master warrant officer VA George.

However, the real show-stealer was "Dhola re dhola" by the military bands. Composed as an "echo", the tune was first heard from the ground where the band stood, and then echoed back and forth from the north and south blocks. The haunting melody kept swelling from the band and echoed fainter from the two blocs, leaving the crowd in thrall. Composed by major general KN Bhatt and major N Hussain, the composition ended with a swelling of the music, accompanied by a spontaneous standing ovation by some in the audience.

As the sun dipped behind the Rashtrapati Bhavan, the drummers thundered in unison, throwing their drumsticks in the air and catching them flawlessly, to the wild applause by the crowd. The performances came to a close as the tubular bells at the two blocs tolled to WH Monk's hymn "Abide by me". Even as the buglers sounded the retreat at the end of the ceremony, the national flag was lowered to the strains of the "Saare jahan se achha" in the background.

A collective gasp of appreciation spread through the crowd as the Rashtrapati Bhawan was lighted up with rows of lights. Bathed in the golden glow of the stunning lighting, onlookers laughed with delight. Brothers Manoj and Manish Sharma, who had brought their three-year-old sons to the function, couldn't contain their excitement. "This is the first time we have come and wanted to show the kids how it is like. They liked the horses best though they were excited by the lights as well," said Manoj.

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Let us control traffic police, Delhi to Shinde

NEW DELHI: Under increasing pressure for lack of enforcement by the transport department, Delhi transport minister Ramakant Goswami has shot off a letter to home minister Sushilkumar Shinde asking the Centre to hand over the traffic police to the Delhi government. The letter, which indicts Delhi Police, goes on to say that though traffic police enforce the Motor Vehicle Act on behalf of the transport department, it reports to someone else. It suggests that an umbrella transport authority - DUMTA - be revived, which will not only draw up policies but also implement them.

The letter, a copy of which is with TOI, was written earlier this month, Goswami said. "The fact is that the December 16 incident is more of a failure of effective policing," Goswami insisted, adding that only a single authority which was in charge of planning, provisioning and regulatory functions was the answer.

Citing the reports appearing in TOI as part of a transport campaign, Goswami said that effective enforcement was possible if both enforcement and planning wings reported to the Delhi government. "Lack of enforcement can be addressed once there is a single body along the lines of the land transport authority of Singapore or the mass transit authority in New York," he added.

The letter by Goswami is scathing in its attack on the Delhi police, mirroring the stance taken by CM Sheila Dikshit earlier. It accuses Delhi Police of "completely deviating" from its core duties, saying, "I would further request you to advise the authorities concerned, including Delhi Police, not to make an attempt to trivialize the issue of women's safety and citizens' safety by shifting the blame to transport sector, and to concentrate on core policing."

The letter also says that police, instead of focusing on improving the law and order in the city, are much more interested in issues like unauthorized construction and granting of various licences. It also accuses the traffic police of not sharing any information with the transport department.

The proposal for DUMTA (Delhi Urban Mass Transit Authority) was cleared by the cabinet in 2010 and has been waiting for approval of the home ministry for tabling a bill in this regard in the Delhi assembly. Goswami added that the creation of DUMTA, which would be a single entity for comprehensive planning, operation and management of transport sector, could be tabled in the upcoming budget session if given the green signal by the home ministry.

According to the Delhi government proposal, the transport department, PWD and traffic police will work under DUMTA.

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Fasih seeks bail as charges not framed

NEW DELHI: Suspected Indian Mujahideen terrorist Fasih Mohammed, who was deported from Saudi Arabia last year and is accused in terror strikes in India, on Monday sought bail from a trial court.

Fasih, who is accused of involvement in 2010 blast in Bangalore's Chinnaswamy Stadium and Jama Masjid shootout here, moved bail application before the court of chief metropolitan magistrate (CMM) Vidya Parkash.

The application says that since the special cell of Delhi Police has failed to file a chargesheet within 90 days of his arrest on October 22, 2012, he is "entitled to be released on statutory bail".

According to Section 167 of CrPC, the chargesheet was to be filed within 90 days, which expired on January 19, the application said.

Fasih's counsel also said "the January 19 order of a sessions court extending the probe period in the case beyond 90 days is unsustainable being contrary to the settled law".

The CMM has sent the application to the district and sessions judge to decide whether he has the power to entertain it in light of the questions raised in the Israel diplomat attack case involving journalist Syed Ahmed Kazmi, on the legality of a magisterial court to hear cases under Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).

Fasih was deported from Saudi Arabia on October 22, 2012, and was arrested by the Special Cell at the IGI airport. He was detained in Saudi Arabaia in May this year.

Hailing from Bihar and a mechanical engineer by profession, Fasih is said to be the "key facilitator" for 15 suspected Indian Mujahideen terrorists who were arrested from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and a few other places in 2011. He is accused of being involved in the 2010 blast in Bangalore's Chinnaswamy Stadium and Jama Masjid shootout, along with six other IM men — Mohammed Qateel Siddiqui, Aftab Alam, Mohammed Tariq, Anjum Hassan, Gayur Ahmad Jamali, Gauhar Aziz Khomaini — all arrested by the special cell.

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Woman tries to kill self with dad’s gun

NEW DELHI: A 22-year-old woman allegedly attempted suicide by shooting herself with her father's licensed revolver, police said.

The incident was reported on Monday night in Rithala area of northwest Delhi. The injured woman's father is a property dealer of the area and the woman is Class X passout. Cops said the woman had been keeping to herself for the past few days after she had a quarrel with a woman in the neighbourhood. Her mother had committed suicide a few years ago, police said.

The family members told the police that they rushed to the victim's room after hearing a gunshot around 9.30pm. She was found in a pool of blood and rushed to hospital where she was admitted in the ICU for treatment. The gun, police said, had been kept in the almirah and the keys were with the woman's father.

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Underground museum to shine new light on Humayun’s Tomb

NEW DELHI: Inspired by the traditional stepwell or baoli, the upcoming 'sunken' interpretation centre-cum-museum at the 16th-century Humayun's Tomb complex will be fully underground but naturally lit through large octagonal skylights so as not to disturb visual linkages between various monuments. The foundation stone is expected to be laid later this year. Estimated construction time is two years.

Heritage connoisseurs for years have rued that although India has an unbroken history of 10,000 years and is home to 28 UNESCO world heritage sites there are no world-class interpretation centres at any of these sites. Humayun's Tomb, situated in a dense ensemble of medieval Islamic buildings, could, according to a study commissioned by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, attract over five times its current number of visitors over a 10-year period. More than a million visit this world heritage site annually.

The centre will host a permanent exhibition, auditorium, souvenir shop and cafe as well as a crafts demonstration area. Portions of the building within Sunder Nursery will include an area for temporary exhibitions, a food court and seminar rooms. Only the edge will appear over the ground, rising to 1.5-2 metres. "Following the conservation of Humayun's Tomb, co-funded by Sir Dorabji Tata Trust, building a site museum is a logical extension of the urban renewal project. The enthusiasm with which the design has been received by all stakeholders has been very encouraging," AKTC project director Ratish Nanda said.

ASI requested AKTC to undertake to build the centre in July 2011. The concept design prepared for ASI by AKTC has already been approved by South Delhi Municipal Corporation and National Monument Authority. It will now be developed and presented to Delhi Urban Art Commission for approval. AKTC is hoping to raise funds through corporate grants for the building expected to cost in excess of Rs 50 crore. ASI and AKTC are planning to approach the ministry of tourism for a grant. The project also has the support of National Culture Fund.

The design is coupled with an area master plan for parking, vehicular and pedestrian circulation and visitor facilities. Since the centre will be located in the area currently used as a parking lot, an alternative space will be created at the entrance zone. Officials said separate bus drop-off points will be created here to cater to larger tourist groups and schoolchildren. "Underground linkages with Sunder Nursery have been proposed below the existing road to allow visitors access to both the tomb and the nursery through the centre," said a source. The structure is designed in a manner that visitors will be able to use it as a starting point for visits to Humayun's Tomb, Sunder Nursery and Hazrat Nizamuddin.

At the outset, a heritage impact assessment study as well as a groundpenetrating radar survey have been carried out to ensure no underlying archaeology is damaged. Since footfall is expected to shoot up on completion of the centre, additional area for parking has been requested from the Land and Development Authority. "Significant effort has been made to ensure that the building fulfils a major need and serves as a model for other sites," said a senior ASI official.

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Delhi gang-rape verdicts 'very soon': Lawyer

NEW DELHI: Verdicts for five men accused of the fatal gang-rape of a student on a New Delhi bus would be handed down "very soon," a defence lawyer said on Tuesday, as an application to relocate the trial failed.

Lawyer VK Anand said proceedings in the special "fast-track" sessions court which is hearing the case were advancing at pace as he took part in an online chat on the website of a news channel.

"At this speed I expect a verdict very soon," wrote Anand, who represents two defendants. "(But) it would certainly take more than a month as scrutiny of evidence and witnesses would take time."

A petition to move the trial out of the capital, where there is a clamour for quick verdicts and the death penalty, was turned down by the Supreme Court on Tuesday because it was lodged by a lawyer who is no longer working on the case.

Anand said he would not renew the application, made by his client Mukesh Singh's original lawyer, but that he would challenge a media gagging order imposed on court proceedings by the judge.

"I will be filing a petition for an open trial in the high court this week," Anand, who is representing both Mukesh Singh and his brother Ram, told AFP by phone.

The petition to move the trial outside Delhi argued that the judge hearing the case of the men, accused of luring the woman onto the bus and raping her so violently that she died of her injuries, might be swayed by public anger in the city.

"We have a very impartial, fair and competent judge who is presiding over this case," wrote Anand, who added that his clients had a "fair chance" of being found not guilty.

India abolished jury trials in 1960 because they were seen as too susceptible to bias and news reports.

On Monday, a separate court ruled that a sixth suspect in the case should be tried as a juvenile after it accept his claim based on his school leaving certificate that he was aged 17.

The decision, which means he faces a maximum of three years if convicted instead of the death penalty, has appalled the victim's family who said they would call for an exception to be made in the case.

Media reports, citing unnamed police officials, say the 17-year-old was among the most brutal of the assailants, who are accused of violating the woman with an iron bar.

A news channel said the family of the victim intended to file an appeal.

"The punishment should not be less even if he is a juvenile... We will go to court and appeal. We will do whatever we have to," the victim's father, who works as a baggage handler at a Delhi airport, told a news channel.

There have been calls from politicians and in the media for the age limit for juveniles -- set at 18 -- to be lowered to enable the suspect to be tried in an adult court, but this was been rejected by the government.

Justice Verma commission, set up by the government to look into the legal response to crime against women, also advised against lowering the age limit to 16 when it reported its findings last week.

The physiotherapy student died 13 days after the assault, which happened on a bus she had boarded with her boyfriend as they returned home from watching a film in an upmarket shopping mall.

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SIM hacker leads merry chase

NEW DELHI: The curious case of a mobile number with 12345 as its last digits has investigators at their wits' ends.

This prepaid number originally belonged to one Mr Kumar from northwest Delhi. One fine morning, Kumar found it deactivated. A company executive informed him that the number had been allocated to a "Mr Arora" 'by mistake' and that the error would be rectified.

It has lately emerged that the number was reportedly used in illegal activities by miscreants. "Mr Arora" does not exist. Kumar has alleged that when he spoke to cops, he was told his number may have been used by terrorists. He has written to the commissioner of police narrating his ordeal.

At present, the 'VIP number' 9****12345 has been blocked. Police have registered a case of criminal conspiracy and forgery under sections 120B and 420 of IPC and are investigating the matter.

A source said that it all began after Kumar's SIM was blocked a few months ago. The number, however, stayed active and calls were answered by a "Mr Arora". Kumar was told by the company executive he contacted that his number had been wrongly allocated.

"I was issued a new SIM and the executive informed me that my services will be reactivated once I submitted proof of identification. Surprisingly, the number was still active and when I contacted the service provider, my complaint was brushed aside. I then lodged a complaint with police," Kumar said in his complaint.

It was then found that after Mr Arora was allotted the number he applied for availing number portability. But the number had to be three months old for this facility, an officer said.

"As the number had been misallocated, there is no question of approving its transfer to another service provider, that too with immediate effect. The company executive was suspected of complicity," the officer added.

When police contacted the service provider demanding the documents based on which it had issued the sim card to "Mr Arora", it could not furnish them. An officer said the company told police it had sacked the particular executive who handled the matter. An internal inquiry had reportedly revealed that the executive's official ID had been hacked and it was the hacker who had misallocated the sim and facilitated its portability.

A senior police officer said, "We don't know why exactly the SIM card was misallocated and the number taken to a different service provider. From the initial inquiry, it was revealed that the company executive and another person, whose identity we cannot disclose now, had connived in the fraud for wrongful gains. A case has been registered but we will explain everything only after the accused are arrested and interrogated."

At this point, the number belongs to no one. Kumar has lost out on big business deals due to loss of this number.

Sources have told TOI that police are raiding different places to nab at least three men-the company executive, one Mr Garg from Adarsh Nagar and another accomplice from the second service provider-to solve the mystery.

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Man forges brother’s signature, grabs gold

NEW DELHI: A Mehrauli businessman was in for shock when all his gold stored with a leading finance company vanished and his account was shut. The company officials told him that he had himself closed the account and taken the gold. However, when CCTV footages were analysed, it was found that the businessman's brother had allegedly forged his signatures, opened another account and transferred the gold, a police officer said.

The incident came to light on January 11, when the complainant went to the finance firm's office to check the status of his account. According to his complaint, he was told that the account had been closed by him on September 22 last year.

The complainant said he was taken aback as he had not come to the office that day. Investigations revealed that a man had come with the related documents and asked for the account to be shut after which the company initiated the process and handed him over the gold.

The shocked complainant asked for the CCTV footages from which he identified the man as his brother. He reported the matter to the police and alleged the connivance of the company staff as well who did not check for the identity proof.

The police have registered a case of cheating and breach of trust under section 406 and 420 of IPC and are investigating the matter.

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Cop's death: Delhi high court pulls up police for not filing proper response

NEW DELHI: The Delhi high court today pulled up the city police for not filing a proper response to a plea seeking a CBI probe into constable Subhash Tomar's death during the anti-rape stir, saying it would summon the police commissioner if the cops do not follow proper protocol in the case.

"You have to file a proper reply in a proper affidavit. This (reply filed by the police) is not acceptable. Perhaps I will have to take some drastic steps. Do you want the commissioner of police to stand here with the litigants? I can do that," Justice G P Mittal said warning the police.

The court's remarks came after the reply on behalf of Delhi Police was filed in the form of a status report by the deputy commissioner of police (crime) S B S Tyagi, instead of the police commissioner.

It gave a week's time to the ministry of home affairs, the Delhi government and the Delhi Police to file their response.

The directions of the court came on the plea filed by advocate G K Bansal in his individual capacity.

Bansal has moved the court seeking a CBI probe into the case alleging contradictions in the statements of various officials including Delhi Police Commissioner Neeraj Kumar, eye witnesses and the medical expert on the reasons of Tomar's death.

Tomar, 47, was admitted to RML Hospital on December 23 and had died two days later due to alleged injuries received during the protests for justice for the 23-year-old Delhi gang rape victim who died on December 29 in a Singapore hospital.

During the hearing, Bansal termed the action of the police as committing contempt of the court's orders and asked, "Why is the police commissioner not filing the response."

He alleged before the court that the commissioner has been "advised" not to file a response in the case.

Additional solicitor general (ASG) Siddharth Luthra, appearing on behalf of the Delhi Police, submitted that "at this stage, we are raising a preliminary objection" but assured the court that a proper reply would be filed within the stipulated time.

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17-year-old girl gang-raped in Delhi

NEW DELHI: A 17-year-old girl was gang-raped here by two unidentified men, police said on Tuesday.

The victim, a maid, had gone to work in a house in Jamia Nagar in south Delhi where the accused dragged her inside a room and gang-raped her Monday evening, police said.

"The victim's medical report confirmed rape," said the officer.

She said in her complaint that the attackers were drunk, police said.

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Etiquette lessons for Delhi Police

NEW DELHI: In the wake of public outcry over better security, Delhi Police has been working on its image.

The top brass is now working on personnel at the ground level — constables, head constables and sub-inspectors. Being the first point of contact with Delhiites, they are being imparted modernized training soon after recruitment which includes lessons on people-friendliness and gender-awareness. Also, a rigorous and specially-designed commando training has been made mandatory for all new recruits. Those selected for ministerial and clerical jobs, too, have to go undergo this training.

The scope of classroom training has been broadened. The new recruits will study updated modules on conducting investigation, criminology, terrorism intricacies, human rights, cyber crime and computer-aided works. Their syllabus has upgraded sections on police science, forensics, developing intelligence, cultivating sources, gathering and preserving evidence and drafting of chargesheets, proposals and FIRs. They will also learn crowd control and traffic control.

Special commissioner of police (special cell) S N Shrivastava said, "We are doing everything in our power to make the ground-level constabulary responsible, efficient and modern. They are the face of the force. Once they feel confident and informed, the public will associate with them closely. The commissioner has given instructions for steps to be taken and results have started coming."

According to Shrivastava, undergoing a basic commando training will help the cops compete with forces from across the country and beyond. "The training will cover unarmed combat, field craft and obstacles and assault modules. They will be taught to use Kalashnikovs, 9mm SAF carbine, rifles (Insas, .303, 7.62 SLR), .38 bore revolvers, 9mm Glocks and other weapons," he said.

Case history of police misbehaviour leading to riot and lock-up deaths are a part of the module. There will be short courses on 'changing the police attitude' towards disputes, witnesses, complainants, students, magistrates, NGOs, public and public representatives. The courses will also include managing conflict, negotiation techniques, community policing, problem-solving approaches and proactive policing. Moot court is another aspect under study. "The objective is to acquaint the recruit with various aspects of court proceedings," Shrivastava said.

There is also a 'Know My Delhi' module expected to benefit many as a bulk of constabulary is from neighbouring states like Haryana, Rajasthan and UP.

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One Delhi rape accused is a minor: Juvenile Justice Board

NEW DELHI: The juvenile justice board on Monday ruled that one of the six accused in the December 16 gang rape and murder case of a 23-year-old girl was a juvenile at the time of the attack.

The 'minor' rape accused will not face trial before the special court, the board said.

A lawyer present in the court said a magistrate announced the decision after going over documents presented to the court by officials of the suspect's elementary school that indicated that he was a juvenile at the time of the attack.

According to the police report, the attack on the medical student had lasted at least 45 minutes. There were six attackers. Each of the men raped the 23-year-old woman, with at least two taking turns driving the bus. They penetrated her with two metal rods, causing such severe internal injuries that doctors later found parts of her intestines floating freely inside her abdomen.

The battered woman and her badly beaten male friend were then thrown out of the moving bus and lay naked and bleeding on the side of a busy road on a cold December night.

The attack was so brutal that the woman died two weeks later in a Singapore hospital.

Within two days of the attack the police arrested the six accused. According to the police all six confessed their crimes. The police report said that DNA evidence from the men tied all of them in the rape and murder. According to police documents blood and saliva swabs from the accused matched the DNA found on the victim's injuries. The victim's blood was also found on the clothes, underwear and slippers of the accused.

The attack in the heart of New Delhi brought protesters into the streets demanding the government protect women and ensure those attacked get justice. In response, the city government set up five fast track courts to swiftly handle those cases.

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One Delhi rape accused is a minor: Juvenile justice board

NEW DELHI: The juvenile justice board on Monday ruled that one of the six accused in the December 16 gang rape and murder case of a 23-year-old girl was a juvenile at the time of the attack.

The 'minor' rape accused will not face trial before the special court, the board said.

A lawyer present in the court said a magistrate announced the decision after going over documents presented to the court by officials of the suspect's elementary school that indicated that he was a juvenile at the time of the attack.

According to the police report, the attack on the medical student had lasted at least 45 minutes. There were six attackers. Each of the men raped the 23-year-old woman, with at least two taking turns driving the bus. They penetrated her with two metal rods, causing such severe internal injuries that doctors later found parts of her intestines floating freely inside her abdomen.

The battered woman and her badly beaten male friend were then thrown out of the moving bus and lay naked and bleeding on the side of a busy road on a cold December night.

The attack was so brutal that the woman died two weeks later in a Singapore hospital.

Within two days of the attack the police arrested the six accused. According to the police all six confessed their crimes. The police report said that DNA evidence from the men tied all of them in the rape and murder. According to police documents blood and saliva swabs from the accused matched the DNA found on the victim's injuries. The victim's blood was also found on the clothes, underwear and slippers of the accused.

The attack in the heart of New Delhi brought protesters into the streets demanding the government protect women and ensure those attacked get justice. In response, the city government set up five fast track courts to swiftly handle those cases.

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Gang-rape victim's kin appalled as 6th accused declared minor

BALLIA (UP)/DELHI: The family of the Delhi gang-rape victim expressed shock on Monday and termed the juvenile justice board's (JJB) decision of ruling the sixth accused in the case as minor as "unfortunate" and said that they would challenge it in the court.

"The family would consult legal experts and challenge the matter in the relevant court," the brother of the girl told over phone from Delhi.

"The family is not ready to accept that the sixth accused get anything less than death penalty," the brother said, adding that the minor accused should also get the same punishment of death penalty for which the central government should make necessary changes in the law.

"How can the family accept that the main accused is let off with a mere three year imprisonment," he asked.

On the decision of the juvenile board, the brother said that it is based on his school documents whereas he should have been sent for medical examination.

He expressed apprehension of some kind of "fraud" in mentioning the date of birth in school documents and alleged that the minor accused was the one who had played the main role in the incident.

Earlier on Monday, the sixth accused in the case was declared by the JJB in Delhi as a "minor", which would enable him to walk free by June 4, this year when he attains the age of 18 years.

The accused, who was described as the most brutal of the six accused by the Delhi Police in its charge sheet, was declared as 17 years and six months and 24 days-old (as of today) by the JJB, which relied on his birth certificate and school documents produced before it.

Section 15 (g) of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act mandates that a juvenile aged between 16-18 years if convicted of any offence can be sentenced to be sent to a special home for a period of three years at the maximum, and, thereafter, be released on probation.

However, section 16 of the Act also provides that a juvenile can only be kept at the special home till he attains 18 years of age and he cannot be sent to jail thereafter, which in effect will result in his release.

The JJB also rejected the police's plea for bone ossification test of the sixth accused for determining his age.

Lawyers appearing for the prosecution said they appeal against the JJB order in a higher court.

Earlier on January 15, the principal of the school, from where the juvenile had droppoed out, had submitted before the JJB that as per the school records he is 17 years and six months-old.

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Consumer courts in a mess

NEW DELHI: After being assured by a hospital that the health of the baby in her womb was normal, a woman was shocked to find out that the little one was born without a hand and a kidney. She filed a complaint with the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) hoping justice would be done. She has been waiting for two years now. And joining her in the queue are thousands of others.

The country's eyes may be on criminal cases right now, but consumer courts across India are in a mess like never before. According to data released by NCDRC, over 3.5 lakh cases are pending at various consumer courts as of December 21, 2012. Of these, nearly 2.5 lakh are with district consumer forums, 93,839 with state forums and 10,230 with NCDRC. This when innumerable men and women just don't file complaints at all, unwilling to go through the hassle of fighting big firms, institutions or companies.

Forget bringing down the volumes, some states forums, in fact, registered a significant increase in pending cases last year. In Gujarat, the number with the state forum jumped 44% - from 4,379 in December 2011 to 7,824 in December 2012. Similarly, in Delhi, it went up from 1,195 in December 2011 to 1,579 in December 2012. Experts believe that the statistics clearly reflect a "system working at very slow pace indeed." Go down to the districts and the story gets worse. In UP, for instance, a staggering 75,722 aggrieved consumers are in queue with their petitions; 12,172 in Gujarat, and 19,249 in Maharashtra. It is 27,828 in Rajasthan. In Delhi, as per NCDRC data dated January 2012, the number of pending cases in district forums stand at 10,340.

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Cinema float wows crowd

Spectators were thrilled to see some of their favourite Bollywood characters walk along with uniformed soldiers during the Republic Day parade. There was Sholay's 'Gabbar Singh' , superhero 'Krishh' , the Matrixinspired cop from Dabbang, and many others. Celebrating the centenary of Bolywood , the tableau of the information and broadcasting ministry depicted mainstream cinema. The tableau had old movie scenes running on projector screens.

This, along with 13 state tableaus , marching contingents and an air show enthralled the audience that had gathered at the India Gate lawns since early Saturday morning. The UP tableau rolled onto Rajpath with showers of colour representing Latthmar Holi. The Railways' tableau garnered a lot of attention when it passed by with its trademark announcement 'Kripya dhyaan dijiye' .

To mark 150 years of Swami Vivekananda , West Bengal chose to dedicate its jhanki to the spiritual leader. The first state tableau to roll onto Rajpath depicted his ideas, followed by tableaux from Kerala , HP, Tripura, Bihar and other states.

The CPWD tableau made a fragrant entry as it was decorated with fresh flowers . Students from three Delhi schools - LK International from Bawana, Government Sarvodaya Kanya Vidyalaya in Amalwas and Kendriya Vidyalaya in Masjid Moth - also performed.
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Delhi warms up to green workplaces

NEW DELHI: Employees at an office block in Greater Noida's Ecotech City do not need any artificial lighting. Not even a CFL bulb. Sunlight floods into their workspaces, and the play of light and fresh air ensures an almost ideal temperature inside. Welcome to the new-age office space. The tubelight-lit , airconditioned and smelly interiors that once characterized office spaces are fast giving way to designs that afford employees a feel of nature. The office block at Greater Noida is one of such 80 green buildings in the NCR, which together occupy 121 million sq ft. Technology for energy conservation is built into the design of these buildings. The Greater Noida building, which is the administrative block of Bayer Material Science, draws 100 % of its electricity from a photovoltaic plant, and consumes 50 % less power than comparable buildings in the region.

The building has recently won the Platinum LEED certification and the highest points in the world for being a 'net-zero energy' building. "Our building doesn't need additional energy from any external source. That, however , doesn't affect our work as there is enough natural light inside the office ," says Ram Sai Yellamanchili, head of ECB Centre of Excellence India . About 30 employees work inside this two-storeyed office.

About 270 solar PV panels placed on the rooftop can generate up to 57.5kW of electricity, which easily meets the demand of the building. The design of the building allows maximum sunlight to pass through while blocking the heat. "This building is an experiment to prove that it's possible to build a net-zero energy building," adds Yellamanchili.

The new building for ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) at Jor Bagh is another such example. The building, which is expected to be ready by next year, is being constructed in a way so that it gets both the GRIHA 5-star rating and the LEED India Platinum rating. Architect Deependra Prashad, who is the lead consultant for the project, calls it the environment ministry's effort to 'walk the talk' . A major feature of the building will be zero tolerance to surface-parking . A three-level underground parking is being constructed with preference given to CNG or electric vehicles as well as carpools.

Till a few years ago 'green commercial buildings' were considered to be very expensive. "The high cost of construction was a deterrent. However, the difference is negligible. For the buildings that we have designed, there is only a 3% difference in cost. The materials are cheaper now. It makes business sense to build green offices as the energy costs will get halved in the long run. The maintenance cost of a green building is also low," says architect Mona Arora, who was part of the team that designed the 'Green Boulevard' building in Sector 62, Noida.

From outside, Green Boulevard looks like any other modern office complex. But as you enter, there is a gradual shift in temperature. Employees stroll around as water bodies, open courtyards and lawns. The building has 12 IT companies and houses about 5,000 employees. The building depth has been optimized to capture daylight and offer lovely vistas. The north-south orientation of the building ensures minimum direct sunlight from the north. All exterior shading systems are designed to cut off heat and screen the glare of the sun.

"During peak summer, the temperature inside is seven to eight degrees lower than that outside the office gate. That's why we see employees walking around the courtyard. We have aligned the water bodies with the direction of the wind to allow evaporative cooling. The different levels of the structure draw in cool air. We have insulated the terrace too and used a white reflective surface to avoid heating during summer," adds Mona.

There are a number of rainwater harvesting pits on the campus to recharge groundwater. Waste water is treated on the site through sewage treatment plants and reused for irrigation , flushing, etc. Water-efficient fixtures in common areas reduce consumption by 20 to 30%. In Gurgaon, too, buildings like ITC Green Centre, a LEED Platinum certified building, the Wipro Technologies Development Centre, Institute of Rural Research And Development (IRRAD) in Gurgaon's Sector 44 meet 100% of their basic electricity needs.

Though most green buildings get certification either from LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) or Griha, architects say many uncertified but well-designed buildings are equally efficient.

"Design is most important. Even if the building is not certified, its design can help in consuming less energy. More and more companies are opting for such buildings for the long-term savings," says professor Arvind Krishan , former head, department of architecture , School of Planning and Architecture (SPA).

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Ramdev's Pantanjali doctor accused of molestation

NOIDA: A doctor at Ramdev'sPantanjaliayurvedic clinic here allegedly molested a woman.

According to Noida Police, the victim, a media professional, lodged an FIR against the doctor identified as Ashok Bhadoria accusing him of molesting her at the clinic in Sector 32 after which he was arrested.

She had run away from the clinic following the alleged incident and lodged the complaint.

Police have arrested the doctor and are investigating the case, they said.

The Pantajali clinic, when contacted by PTI on Sunday, claimed ignorance about the incident and said they will inquire into the matter.

They, however, refused to acknowledge if the doctor was employed with the facility.

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Speeding car rams into Delhi Police van, escapes

NEW DELHI: Two policemen were injured when a car they were chasing here rammed into their vehicle in the early hours on Sunday, police said.

The incident was reported around 4am when a Police Control Room (PCR) van noticed an overspeeding car near Sir Chhotu Ram Polytechnic Institute at Kanjhawala in north Delhi.

Police gave chase and overtook the speeding car, which rammed into the PCR and sped away.

"Head constables Udaybhan, 47, and Satbeer, 58, were admitted to Sanjay Gandhi Memorial Hospital. Their condition is stable," said a police officer.

A case has been registered and a search is on to trace the vehicle and its occupants, police said.

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21 Delhiites on Padma awards' list, one from Noida

NEW DELHI: Delhi's haul at the Padma Awards has increased considerably from last year. Of the 108 Padma awards, 21 were claimed by Delhiites and the number is 22 if you count Prof. Yashpal who now lives in Noida.

One of the four Padma Vibhushans awarded this year has gone to artist Syed Haider Raza who returned to India after six decades in France in December 2010. A spokesperson at Raza Foundation said the 91-year-old was 'very happy' that his country chose to award him again after his return. He won the Padma Shri in 1981 and the Padma Bhushan in 2007.

Prof. Yashpal, who won for science and engineering, said he had an "inkling" the award was coming his way. "They talked to me to find out if I was the right person," said Yashpal laughing. "Ultimately it was an income tax official who'd come to check if I had paid my taxes who told me."

Five of the 24 awarded Padma Bhushans are Delhiites -- actor Sharmila Tagore and Bharat Natyam dancer Saroja Vaidyanathan, Vijay Kumar Saraswat and A Sivathanu Pillai, chairman and chief controller of R&D, respectively, at DRDO, and paediatrician Dr M K Bhan. Bhan is credited with developing the rotavirus vaccine .

Fifteen of 80 Padma Shris went to Delhiites. They include cancer specialist Dr P K Julka from AIIMS, cardiac surgeon Dr G K Mani, radiologist Dr Sudarshan K Agarwal, fashion industry designer Ritu Kumar and founder of VLCC Group Vandana Luthra.

Kumar said she thought someone had called the wrong number when she was informed. "I was at the literature festival. I had caught a cold at one of the sessions and I thought they had the wrong number. They were asking me if I would accept the award and I was even more convinced they had made a mistake," she said.

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Public interest litigation against waste plant sent to National Green Tribunal

NEW DELHI: The Delhi high court has sent a PIL seeking closure of a waste-to-energy plant near a residential colony in the capital, to the National Green Tribunal (NGT) for hearing and subsequent decision.

A bench comprising Chief Justice D Murugesan and Justice V K Jain cited a verdict of the Supreme Court which had said the courts would desist from hearing matters, relating to environmental issues and, rather send all of them to the green panel which came into being in 2010.

"It would be appropriate if the matter is transferred to the tribunal," the bench said.

The PIL, filed in 2009 by Sukhdev Vihar RWA, has alleged the waste-to-energy plant, generating electricity at Okhla near a colony, burn wastes which release harmful 'dioxins' into the air.

The citizens, living in proximity of the plant were falling sick with respiratory and other ailments, the PIL has claimed and sought the plant's closure also on the ground that it was commercially not viable. As per the rules, such plants cannot be established near residential areas, it has argued.

Earlier, the Delhi government and other concerned authorities had taken the plea that the plant was safe and the state-of-the-art technology had been used and, hence, it did not pose a threat either to the people or the environment.

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Khanna under fire for gun licence remarks

NEW DELHI: (IANS) Delhi's lieutenant governor Tejinder Khanna's advice to gun licence holders to help prevent harassment of women has caused anger among activists, who have accused him of promoting violence. The BJP Saturday called his remarks "provocative".

"How can he promote violence and gun culture which will further escalate violence in the capital? The failure of the system cannot be covered by such kind of remarks," Ranjana Kumari, director of Centre for Social Research, told IANS.

Khanna Friday said here: "Those who apply for gun licences should do some social service by preventing eve teasing." He was speaking in the backdrop of the Dec 16 brutal gang rape of a 23-year-old woman who died Dec 29.

"In order to find the solution, he has gone overboard. How can such a remark come from lieutenant-governor of Delhi," Ranjana Kumari said.

Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Delhi unit chief Vijender Gupta demanded "clarification" from Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit on the stand taken by Khanna.

"This is a provocative and unprepared act by the lieutenant-governor," he told IANS.

Calling Khanna's statement "outrageous", Kavita Krishnan of All India Progressive Women's Association said: "How can he say... He runs Delhi Police. Instead of making Delhi Police accountable, he is trying to pass the buck to the citizens. The remark means that people should give in to desperation."

National Federation of Indian Women general secretary, Annie Raja said in the name of protecting women, Khanna is giving a call for violence.

"We don't want such protection. What we want is our constitutional rights. It is an open call for gun-totting men to go all out. The governor should speak of the responsibility of the state," she said.

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Delhi cops probe love angle over woman's murder

NEW DELHI, Investigators were looking into a possible love angle behind the murder of a woman whose chopped body parts, except the head and hands, were recovered from a canal here the day before, police said Saturday.

The woman, aged between 18-20, might have been killed by her estranged lover, said an investigation team officer, who did not wish to be named.

The officer told IANS that they were trying to identify the victim.

"An old wound mark was found on the victim's thigh but it was not enough to identity her," said the officer.

"The legs of the woman were found from a canal in west Delhi's Sagarpur area around 8.30am Friday while the trunk of the victim was recovered a few metres away after an extensive search," Additional Commissioner of Police AK Ojha told IANS.

It seems the body of the woman was chopped into pieces after killing her at another place, Ojha said.

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IAF brings injured Kumbh piligrims to Delhi

NEW DELHI: The Indian Air Force (IAF) Saturday airlifted eight pilgrims, who were seriously injured during a fire at the Kumbh Mela in Allahabad, to Delhi for medical treatment.

According to an official release, the pilgrims were airlifted on a modified AN-32 ambulance transport aircraft following request from the Allahbad district administration.

The eight pilgrims, among the 19 injured in the fire in the mela area Friday, were in a serious condition. They were accompanied by eight attendants and a doctor.

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Girl allegedly raped and murdered in Faridabad

FARIDABAD (HARYANA): A girl studying in class XII was allegedly raped and murdered by a youth here on the outskirts of Delhi, sparking protests in the area, police said on Friday.

The incident took place on Thursday night when the accused Sonu abducted the girl as she was going for tuition classes and raped her in a guest house, they said. When she did not returned home by late evening, worried family members stepped out to trace her.

They were shocked when the police recovered her body bearing multiple stab wounds and with her throat slit.

As the news spread in the morning, angry residents of the area protested against the heinous crime, demonstrated in front of the police station and blocked the roads. They also stormed the house of the accused and pelted stones besides setting a motorcycle on fire.

In view of tension in the area, additional police force was deployed to maintain law and order. The accused was arrested on Friday after a case of murder against him was registered, SHO Anil Kumar said.

Kumar said it appeared to be a case of one-sided love affair. Meanwhile, the body of the girl has been sent for post-mortem.

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Suspended IAS officer's daughter held

NEW DELHI: The daughter of a suspended IAS officer, who is also accused in the NRHM scam, was arrested at the airport here allegedly with a forged US visa, police said today.

Poulumi, daughter of IAS officer Pradeep Shukla, was apprehended after an airline official flagged discrepancies in the visa on Wednesday, they said. Shukla is an accused in the NRHM scam in Uttar Pradesh.

The girl, who was carrying two passports, including an expired one, had allegedly superimposed a copy of US visa on one of the pages of her passport. The expired passport had a valid visa sticker.

Poulumi was to board an Air India flight to New York on Wednesday.

Police sources said she was "uncooperative" during questioning.

After expiry of her passport, a new one was issued in August last year. The expired passport had a genuine US visa, which was valid till 2019.

Police sources said they could not ascertain why she appended a fake visa when she actually had a valid visa.

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Delhi gears up for Republic Day celebrations

NEW DELHI: Delhi geared up for Republic Day celebrations on Friday with a ground-to-air security apparatus put in place and authorities rushing through final touches for the event which showcases country's military might and cultural diversity.

Over 25,000 police personnel, including those from paramilitary and sharpshooters from NSG, were already deployed across the city in the run-up to the celebrations, which will be attended by Bhutan king Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck.

Snipers were deployed at high-rise buildings while over 150 CCTVs are keeping a tight vigil on people's movement between Rajpath and Red Fort, the route of the parade which showcases India's military might and cultural diversity.

Mobile hit teams, anti-aircraft guns and sharpshooters of the NSG are also on the job at various places while paramilitary and Delhi Police commandos are keeping a close watch along the route of the eight-kilometre long Republic Day parade from Raisana Hills to Red Fort.

A multi-layer security ring has already been put in place at Rajpath, where President Pranab Mukherjee will unfurl the tricolour and take the salute of marching contingents.

"There is a special emphasis on anti-sabotage checks, access control measures and intelligence coordination. The entire route of the parade will be covered by special security and anti-terror arrangements.

"Elaborate air defence measures, including deployment of anti-aircraft guns, have also been taken to check intrusion of air space," a senior police official said.

Besides the air defence measures, helicopters of the Indian Air Force will hover around Rajpath and all along the route of the parade.

Patrolling in crowded market areas has been intensified and checking and frisking in Metro, railway stations and bus terminals tightened. Security at the IGI airport was also strengthened in coordination with the CISF.

Checking and frisking have also been intensified at all entry points with police setting up barricades to keep a vigil on all those entering the capital.

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Girl allegedly raped and murdered in Faridabad, near Delhi

FARIDABAD (HARYANA): A girl studying in class XII was allegedly raped and murdered by a youth here on the outskirts of Delhi, sparking protests in the area, police said on Friday.

The incident took place on Thursday night when the accused Sonu abducted the girl as she was going for tuition classes and raped her in a guest house, they said. When she did not returned home by late evening, worried family members stepped out to trace her.

They were shocked when the police recovered her body bearing multiple stab wounds and with her throat slit.

As the news spread in the morning, angry residents of the area protested against the heinous crime, demonstrated in front of the police station and blocked the roads. They also stormed the house of the accused and pelted stones besides setting a motorcycle on fire.

In view of tension in the area, additional police force was deployed to maintain law and order. The accused was arrested on Friday after a case of murder against him was registered, SHO Anil Kumar said.

Kumar said it appeared to be a case of one-sided love affair. Meanwhile, the body of the girl has been sent for post-mortem.

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Class XII girl allegedly raped and murdered near Delhi

FARIDABAD (HARYANA): A girl studying in class XII was allegedly raped and murdered by a youth here on the outskirts of Delhi, sparking protests in the area, police said on Friday.

The incident took place on Thursday night when the accused Sonu abducted the girl as she was going for tuition classes and raped her in a guest house, they said. When she did not returned home by late evening, worried family members stepped out to trace her.

They were shocked when the police recovered her body bearing multiple stab wounds and with her throat slit.

As the news spread in the morning, angry residents of the area protested against the heinous crime, demonstrated in front of the police station and blocked the roads. They also stormed the house of the accused and pelted stones besides setting a motorcycle on fire.

In view of tension in the area, additional police force was deployed to maintain law and order. The accused was arrested on Friday after a case of murder against him was registered, SHO Anil Kumar said.

Kumar said it appeared to be a case of one-sided love affair. Meanwhile, the body of the girl has been sent for post-mortem.

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3 years of hard work has made Sanjay Van lovely, dark & deep

NEW DELHI: A red board strapped to a trunk warns: vilaiti keekar. The next tree bears "dhak—flame of the forest" painted on a bright green board. The colour coding is a way to inform visitors to DDA's Sanjay Van forest in southwest Delhi that not all trees are good for this ecosystem in the Aravallis.

The red-flagged vilaiti keekar depletes ground water and hinders the growth of vegetation around it, explains retired Air Vice Marshal Vinod Rawat, founder of the volunteer group 'Working With Nature' (WWN) who is leading a campaign to revive the area's varied native vegetation . He says native species that vanished many years ago need to be reintroduced.
Rawat, 75, is trying to create a 600-acre Aravalli city forest and nearly 200 acres of a medicinal plantation in this vast scrubland near Qutab Minar. Pottering around the forest with Rawat in his golf cart is the best way to familiarize yourself with the vegetation. A botany student himself, he has a way of humanizing nature.

The stories spill out, a khejri tree becomes the symbol of a people's struggle. "It's a native Aravalli species. When we started work, there was only one khejri tree in Sanjay Van. But now, 3,000 saplings from Rajasthan have been planted," he says. The Rajasthan connection leads into history. "The khejri tree inspired the first Chipko movement 300 years ago in the Jodhpur region. People held the khejri sacred, and when troops came to fell a grove, a woman, Amrita Devi, clung to a tree as it was hacked. She died, and after her 200 others."

Khejris are not the only native trees reintroduced here. Around one lakh saplings of other species have been planted by DDA under the guidance of Rawat, who took up the task at the instance of lieutenant governor Tejendra Khanna in 2010.

Rawat and other WWN volunteers are trying to raise interest in the forest by walking students through it. With winter on its way out, school trips have increased . On Wednesday morning, when TOI visited the forest, Class VI students from DPS RK Puram were planting a dhak sapling, a tree associated with one of the toughest chapters in school-level history. They were given a note "from the tree" stating: "I have lent my name to the town of Palashi, famous for the historic battle of Plassey." Not a lesson they will forget.

Down a mud track lies the medicinal plantation. Spread across 200 acres, it will have 10,000 trees of species like guggul, neem, jamun, bel, arjun, bahera , harad, amla and a climber , giloe. As the plants take root, wildlife has returned. There are blue bulls, migratory birds and peacocks . Rawat jokes he is wedded to the project. His child is growing up well.

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Delhi Jal Board sleeps over leaks, forest uses water for irrigation

NEW DELHI: The trees are shooting skyward in Sanjay Van but it's still early to expect springs spouting water from the ground. So, a large pond with a DDA board warning visitors about its dangerous depth seems a mystery at first. But keep walking and you will stumble upon the source of water — overflow from Delhi Jal Board's Qutab booster pumping station for Mehrauli.

This is where tankers fill up to supply water to the dryer areas of southwest Delhi. At the gate that opens towards Mehrauli on Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, the water flows along the pavement. Where the pavement tapers off, DDA staff at Sanjay Van has placed a pipe to direct the water into a trail leading into the pond or pit. Staff at the forest told TOI the leakage has been on for years. But at least it's being put to use in Sanjay Van. The pond has fish and the water is used for irrigation.

Deep inside the forest one finds another leaking pipeline . Volunteers from Working With Nature said it caters to Vasant Kunj. There are at least five such points where the DJB pipeline is visible. DDA staff says these are valves from where DJB controls the pipeline.

WWN volunteers say that when the leak was not plugged for months, DDA staff at Sanjay Van helped build a channel across the mud path, channelling the water into the forest for irrigation . To keep the path dry for morning walkers, the temporary channel has been covered partially.

When contacted, DJB chief executive Debashree Mukherjee told TOI that she was not aware of the leakages from the booster station at Mehrauli and the pipeline inside Sanjay Van. "But if there is a leakage, we will check it. Also, as far as booster stations are concerned, we are revamping all of them across Delhi. The tankers will have sensors to ensure that the gaps are plugged. The new system will be in place in about a month's time. This way, we hope to deal with the problem of leakages and misuse."

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Metro schedules modified for Republic Day

NEW DELHI: The services of Delhi Metro will be partially curtailed due to security arrangements on January 26, Republic Day and January 29 for the Beating Retreat ceremony. Metro schedules for line 2 (HUDA City Centre - Jahangirpuri), line 3 (Noida City Centre - Dwarka Sector 21), line 4 (Yamuna Bank to Vaishali) and line 6 (Central Secretariat - Badarpur ) will be partially modified.

On line 2, while Rajiv Chowk, Patel Chowk, Central Secretariat, Udyog Bhawan and Race Course Metro stations will remain closed from 6am to 12.30pm, on line 3 apart from Rajiv Chowk, Barakhamba Road, Mandi House and Pragati Maidan Metro stations will be closed at the same time on January 26.

Passengers can use Rajiv Chowk station only for interchanging Metros between line 2 and line 3, and Central Secretariat station for interchanging Metros between line 2 and line 6. The Metro trains will not stop at Patel Chowk, Udyog Bhawan and Race Course during this period.

On line 3, trains will run in three short loops on the NOIDA City Centre to Indraprastha, Vaishali to Yamuna Bank and Dwarka Sector 21 to Rajiv Chowk corridors. Revenue services will be available up to R K Ashram Marg only. On January 29, Metro services on line 2 and line 6 will be curtailed from 3am to 6.30pm. On line 2, Rajiv Chowk, Patel Chowk, Central Secretariat, Udyog Bhawan and Race Course stations will remain closed during this period . However, interchange of passengers from line 2 to Line 6 and vice-versa will be allowed. On line 6, revenue services will be available only from Badarpur to JLN stadium stations. Khan Market and Central Secretariat Metro stations will be closed from 3pm to 6.30pm.

In addition, all Metro parking lots will remain closed from 2pm on January 25 to 2pm on January 26.

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Ignou makes its course contents open education resource for free online access

NEW DELHI: A doctor who is wants to know about building bridges now just needs to visit Ignou's website. Not only is its own 29 lakh students, Indira Gandhi National Open University's open education resource is expected to benefit lakhs of civil service aspirants and knowledge seekers. This initiative comes under flexi-learn scheme, which is "knowledge is free, certification costs money".

Ignou's open education access is the only of its kind across disciplines from an Indian university. According to the university officials, making the study materials available free of cost online will not help students whose study materials are delayed, but can also make an informed choice before admission to a particular course.

According to the coordinator of Ignou's eGyanKosh, Uma Kanjilal, "At present 95% of the study materials of Ignou are available online and can be accessed free of cost and can be accessed by all. Among the benefits, an Ignou aspirant can now register and access the course material and make an informed choice of course he/ she want to pursue. Moreover, in case of any delay in delivery of study materials to the enrolled students, they can access them online either from their homes, offices or from Ignou centres. Moreover, students get only the materials of the course they are registered for. They can download related materials from other courses for reference as well."

"There is also a Youtube channel linked to the repository from where the visitors can also view video contents," added Kanjilal.

Ignou is the only central open university in the country and offers 400 courses, right from certificate to PhD levels. Registered students apart, it annually sells study material worth Rs 2.96 crore. The printed materials of Ignou are particularly popular among civil service aspirants, teachers and correspondence institutions.

The idea is "knowledge is free, certification costs money," said Pankaj Khare, registrar, students' registration division, Ignou, adding, "This is going to help those who have access to internet. And we encourage online access as this will help save papers as well. In general the materials offer comprehensive knowledge which is helpful for competitive exam takers at various levels."

To view or download the study materials one has to first register at http://www.egyankosh.ac.in/register. The applicant will receive a mail containing a special URL. After filling the basic information one can login and get access to all the resources, right from courses on art, culture, humanities, social sciences to engineering and lot more.

Ignou's open access material:

* All course contents of Ignou are available as open resource at www.ignou.ac.in

* At present 29 lakh students are enrolled with Ignou

* Ignou sells study materials worth Rs 2.96 crore to people other than its students

* Aspiring students can now check the contents of the courses and decide before taking admissions

* In case of delay in delivery of study materials for Ignou students they ca now download the materials

* Registered students get study material only for the course. They can download other related reference materials

* This is the only open access resource across disciplines from an Indian university

* One can register at http://www.egyankosh.ac.in/register and login to get access to the study materials

* All resources are free of cost

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Subramanian Swamy's plea for trying juvenile with adult gang-rape accused dismissed

NEW DELHI: A plea for prosecution of the juvenile accused in the December 16 gang-rape case along with the five adult accused was dismissed by the juvenile justice board (JJB) on Thursday.

The petition, moved by Janata Party president Subramanian Swamy seeking the prosecution of the sole juvenile along with the five adult accused, was rejected by the board presided over by principal magistrate Geetanjali Goel here.

Janata Party general secretary Jagdish Shetty told the media outside JJB, "Subramanian Swamy is in Chennai right now and he has been informed about the decision of the board. We would be filing an appeal against the order in several forums including the Delhi high court."

Swamy had moved the high court on Wednesday seeking a direction to prosecute the juvenile along with other co-accused in the case, saying the waiver from prosecution to such minors was "unreasonable".

The high court had disposed of his plea, saying, "There was no cause of action to entertain this PIL at this stage."

The bench had, however, given Swamy the liberty to "take proper recourse" by moving a sessions court if JJB did not allow his plea on the issue.

The 23-year-old paramedic was gang-raped and brutally assaulted by six persons in a moving bus in south Delhi on December 16 and dumped on the road. She died in a Singapore hospital on December 29.

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Kanda tried to get Geetika back from Dubai to sexually exploit her: Police

NEW DELHI: The Delhi Police told a court here that a probe showed that former Haryana minister Gopal Kanda tried to get back airhostess Geetika Sharma from Emirates Airlines with the ulterior motive of sexually exploiting her.

In a supplementary chargesheet submitted against Chanshivroop Singh, an aide of Kanda, before the court of Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate D K Jangala, police said "the facts emerged against Chanshivroop during further investigation. Kanda and (his aide Aruna) Chadha tried to get back Geetika from Emirates Airlines with the ulterior motive of sexually exploiting her.

"When Geetika refused to come back to India and join MDLR Airlines (floated by Kanda), Kanda used other nefarious tactics to mount pressure on her", said the chargesheet filed yesterday.

"In pursuance of criminal conspiracy, Kanda and Chadha appointed Chanshivroop Singh as assisstant HR Manager in MDLR group with the sole objective of ensuring that Geetika remained under the control of Kanda," it said.

"Chanshivroop went to Dubai to compel Geetika to resign from Emirates Airlines and created fake e-mail ID for sending documents given by Kanda.

"Investigation discloses that accused Chanshivroop joined the conspiracy (hatched by co-accused Kanda and Aruna Chadha) and committed offences under section 471 IPC (using forged documents as genuine) and 66A IT Act (sending false messages). It is requested that he be summoned to face the trial," the chargesheet said.

The chargesheet has been filed over three months after the main chargesheet was filed against Kanda and Aruna Chadha in October 2012.

The chargesheet said that at the instance of Kanda and Chadha, Chanshivroop went to Dubai under the garb of investigating the issue of forged NoC furnished by Geetika to ensure she is removed from her job with Emirates Airlines.

The police also said when Chanshivroop tried to contact Emirates Airlines and did not get any favourable response, Kanda sent him a complaint from MDLR Airlines to Gurgaon Police purportedly lodged against alleged fraud committed by Geetika by creating fake experience certificates and also taking away company documents and laptop.

This complaint was handed over by Chanshivroop to the Head of Investigation in Emirates Airlines and ultimately Geetika resigned from there citing domestic issues.

"In this manner, Kanda showed his influence and authority and made Geetika realise that she could not work anywhere else her with dignity. This realization was unbearable and made Geetika highly vulnerable to further exploitation", said the chargesheet.

Although Kanda and Chadha succeeded in getting Geetika to resign from Emirates Airlines and return to India, they could not get her to join MDLR Airlines and once again Chanshivroop was roped in by them and he created fake e-mali IDs and sent forged e-mail to Geetika about the alleged extradition proceedings against her in Dubai, the chargesheet said.

The police also said Chanshivroop was arrested in the case on October 30, 2012 and got bail when his father Harminder Singh stood surety for him. The next day he, on his own will, filed an application for grant of pardon and his son turning an approver.

Following this, his statement was recorded by a magisterial court and hearing on his application for pardon was pending but he never turned up in the court and probe showed he had fled to the US on November 28, 2012.

The police also said in the chargesheet that even as Chanshivroop's father feigned ignorance in the court about his whereabouts, probe showed they both had stayed at a hotel in Paharganj the night before Chanshivroop left India and their movements were recorded in the CCTV installed there.

"Call detail records of Harminder Singh and other family members show they were in constant touch with one Vishnu Tantiya, a relative/close aide of Kanda and Head of purchase/ sale department of MDLR group," it said.

The police also said that while the MDLR Airlines was in the process of reviving flight operations in 2010, it had given a list of its employees for Airport Entry Passes which also had the name of Geetika Sharma even though she had left the company.

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Two held for duping Egyptian company

NEW DELHI: An Egyptian company, which imported 20 tons of steel plates from an Indian firm, was in for a shock when the containers were found to be filled with salt, instead of the plates. The worried officials inquired from their Indian counterparts who, in turn, approached the crime branch of Delhi police. The investigations led to the arrest of two men from Mehrauli on Tuesday.

The accused, Balwinder Singh (45) and Manoj (28), were nabbed for stealing and misappropriating around 20 tons of steel blade strips, Tyagi added. Cops have recovered 38 drums, each containing 21 strips, and 9 loose strips of steel blades.

The accused driver, Balwinder, had reportedly misappropriated 200 quintals of plates from 38 containers, belonging to Jindal Steels of Gurgaon, and replaced them with salt to balance the weight. These containers were then sent to Egypt, while the steel plates were sold in India at low rates, said SBS Tyagi, deputy commissioner of police, crime branch.

The arrests came following a complaint by Gateway Rail Greight Ltd, Gurgaon on December 22 last year.

During interrogation, Balwinder told police that he had stolen the steel blade strips from the truck with the help of Mangal Singh and Rurdu Singh from Hissar. Mangal and Rudru had loaded the truck with container with steel blade strips from Jindal Steel, Hissar and had departed for ICD, Garhi. Mangal Singh drove the truck to Bahadur Garh, Haryana and met his relative accused Balwinder. Balwinder took the truck with driver to Ghewara More and delivered the truck to Manoj. Manoj unloaded the container containing 38 drums (each containing strips of steel blades) in the godown and sold the entire goods to Manoj.

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Find out if gang-rape accused is being tortured: SC

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the fast track court holding trial in the Delhi gang-rape case to ascertain whether one of the accused, Mukesh, was being subjected to torture.

The apex court bench headed by Chief Justice Altamas Kabir sought the report after Mukesh's counsel ML Sharma told the court that he was not being allowed to meet Mukesh as he was being tortured in custody.

The apex court also asked the fast track court to ascertain if Mukesh wanted to continue with Raja Raman as his lawyer at the lower court.

The court sought this clarification after another lawyer, VK Anand, too claimed to represent the family members of the gang-rape accused.

Seeking the report from the fast track court, the apex court directed the listing of the matter Tuesday (Jan 29).

The court sought the report from the fast track court in the course of the hearing of a petition by Mukesh for transfer of trial in the case to either Mathura in Uttar Pradesh or Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu as the prevailing atmosphere in Delhi was not conducive for free and fair trial.

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Bands rock Kashmir Valley

NEW DELHI: From pelting stones to belting out hard rock, Kashmiri youth have brought the strife-torn Valley alive with the sound of music. Local musicians claim there are about 35 bands currently playing popular music of different genres, with some performing in other states as well.

Bloodrockz, Dying Breed, Tales of Blood, Sign, Curse and The Sueen are a few among the many bands who have proved their mettle amongst audiences. Ranging from punk-rock, hard rock, progressive, alternative to metal rock, these bands have experimented with a variety of genres.

Kashmir now also has its first girl band, Pragash. Made up of three Class X students, the band won the third spot last year at the annual Battle of the Bands competition in Srinagar. They had to face criticism too but they deal with it. "L adkiyan hain to kya hua, aage badhne ka haq unhe bhi hai." (What if they are girls, even they have the right to move ahead), says a supportive Asif of the band Bloodrockz, mentors for Pragash.

Bloodrockz have performed nearly all over India, but missed an opportunity to play in the US back in 2010, following unrest in the state. "We got an opportunity to perform in America back then but the condition here worsened due to which we had to cancel our trip," says Adnan Mattoo, the lead guitarist of Bloodrockz, a seven-year-old band. His primary inspiration, says Mattoo, was the Pakistani band, Jal. "I thought if these people can learn music and form a band in Pakistan, why can't we do the same here in Kashmir," he says.

However, the two years of relative peace that followed the violence of 2010 have been conducive for the growth of music in the Valley."Music for me is breaking free from the norms of the society. Rock music, in every sense, is about rebellion," says Muiz Miraj, band member of Dying Breed that also plays psychedelic rock and blues.

One of the most popular music genres in Kashmir is Sufi rock. "When we first performed punk rock, people merely stared at us with blank faces. We blended our music with Sufi poetry. Since then there has been no looking back", says Mattoo. Asif, the drummer of Tales of Blood, says,"Our genre is Sufi-rock and alternative rock. We also tried playing hard rock." He further went on to say, "Our band Tales of Blood originated from the idea of khoon-e dastanas we sing songs revelling in the glory and stories of Kashmir."

In the early days of their struggle, jam sessions were hampered because of neighbours, not quite attuned to rock music. Says Mattoo, "The neighbours and landlords would object. We were thrown out of various rented rooms since they thought what we played was sheer noise. We had to look for a new place every month or two."

Starting out, these aspiring musicians had to learn by observation and had to be their own teachers. Institutes or teachers who could teach them the kind of music they were interested in were hard to come by in the Valley. "In my early teens, I was inspired to play guitar but the dilemma was that I could not find any academy that taught music. I had to learn the nuances on my own", says Mattoo. However, they're making sure that isn't the case for generations to come. Bloodrockz has started an academy called Band Inn, where now they teach young and then eventually group them into a band. They do not want their students to face the same difficulties of learning music as them.

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Defying law, Congress hails Rahul with posters

NEW DELHI: Defying a law against defacement of public places, sycophantic Congress leaders in the capital have vied with one another in hailing the elevation of Rahul Gandhi as party vice president by plastering the city with congratulatory posters.

Hundreds of posters and billboards, in English and in Hindi, have been pasted on trees, lamp posts, bus stops and even push carts.

Many of them read: "Heartiest congratulations Rahulji", "Hardhik bhadiyan and aapka dhanyivaad" (congratulations and thankyou).

Civic agency officials, who did not want to be named, admitted the posters at public places were illegal but blamed non-cooperation from police for delay in removing them.

The Delhi Prevention of Defacement of Property Act, 2007, prescribes a maximum imprisonment of one year and a fine of upto Rs.50,000 for violators.

A civic official said it was the joint responsibility of the municipal corporation's advertisement cell, traffic police and police to remove the illegal hoardings, posters and take action against offenders.

He refused to take the question whether immediate action would be taken against Congress posters on Gandhi.

"Removal of hoardings and posters is a continuous process. In a recent cleanliness drive we removed 328 hoardings, posters and banners. All the three corporations alert police in writing about these illegal hoardings and posters," said Mukesh Yadav, director, press and information, South Delhi Municipal Corporation.

The corporation, one of the three municipal agencies, collected Rs.6 crore penalty in 2012 on unauthorised hoardings and publicity materials, he said.

Some young Congress supporters defended the presence of posters on Gandhi.

"It is not that just Rahulji's posters are there in the capital, a lot of other politicians put up posters and hoardings. Putting up a few posters does not make the walls dirty and it is quite easy to remove them," said a member of the National Students' Union of India (NSUI), the student wing of the Congress, pleading anonymity.

The law does not permit posters, banners and writings on walls and trees. Hoardings are allowed only at the specified places after taking the permission from the civic agency.

Anil Chaudhary, Congress legislator from Patparganj in east Delhi, said many party workers were not aware of the law.

"Moreover, posters and hoardings are the traditional, cheap and easiest mode for a local politician to honour seniors and publicity," he said.

"But this trend should be stopped and the party workers can make use of social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter," he said.

Poster Hatao campaign, a month-long citizen centric drive, removed 1,000 posters a week in September 2012.

"It is sad that lawmakers themselves are taking the lead in flouting law with impunity," Shivraj Kumar, founder of Poster Hatao campaign, told IANS.

"As soon as we remove posters from any site, new posters and hoardings come up," Shivraj added.

Civic officials blamed police for delay in action against illegal hoardings and posters.

"We remove posters at night or with police protection during day time, so that no politicians manhandle the staff. But police take a week or 10 days to act on our demand for protection to remove the hoardings," said a civic agency official.

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Women abused in corporation meet

NEW DELHI: Women leaders may have come to power but it seems they are unsafe even inside government institutions just like anyone else on the streets. Reserving half of the municipal corporation seats for women was a move to empower them, but it has turned out that getting more female councillors will not make their counterparts accept them as equal.

In the House meeting of North corporation on Monday, when there was an uproar over the inauguration of a road-under bridge (RUB), one of the Congress councillors threatened and threw empty water bottles at some of the BJP women councillors sitting in the front row to silence them.

BJP women councillors allege that they were harassed and a complaint was lodged in LG office. From now on, 10 marshals will be deployed in the meeting hall for the safety of women. "While protesting against the inauguration of the RUB, Devender Singh Poni, Bawana councillor, snatched away mike from our seat and when we objected, he threw empty bottles at us. On one hand, these councillors talk about changing the mindset of the people to make women safe in the city in public gatherings, and on the other they do such things," said Poornima Vidyarthi, BJP councillor who was allegedly harassed.

After the incident, all BJP women councillors walked out of the meeting and sat on the floor outside the hall demanding suspension of Devender Singh. As the Mayor does not have the power to suspend, the meeting had to be adjourned.

Mayor Mira Aggarwal claimed to have asked the commissioner four times during the meeting to take action against the councillor.

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Teen’s treatment caught in red tape

NEW DELHI: Rahul Safi is 17 years old but looks like a Class V student. His younger brother has outgrown him by more than a foot. Rahul's stunted growth is the result of growth hormone deficiency, but even now his condition is treatable. What he needs is a long course of injections. So, while all his classmates are busy preparing for Class XII Board exams, Rahul is doing the rounds of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). Reason: the Delhi government had issued relief funds for his case last month but he is unable to get the injections that need to be administered daily as part of the treatment.

"I have to disrupt my study and come here regularly. The doctor has said discontinuation of the medicine may lead to serious physical and psychological consequences," said Safi, who lives in Bharat Vihar, Kirari, northwest Delhi. His father is a loader in a private firm and cannot afford to buy the medicines which cost about Rs 600 per dose.

"The cost of his treatment is Rs 18,000 per month for the next two to three years. In the absence of this treatment, he is likely to suffer from serious physical and psychological consequences of short stature," reads the recommendation of the treating doctor which is required to apply for relief money.

Documents available with TOI show that Rahul, who had applied to the government for relief money under the Delhi Arogya Scheme, received a letter of confirmation on December 27. It stated that a cheque for Rs 2.16 lakh had been issued in the name of the AIIMS director for procurement of the injectible growth hormone.

"I was excited that my treatment can be continued with state funds. But there seems to be some problem. The hospital says it does not accept cheques from the said authority," Rahul said.

AIIMS' medical superintendent Dr D K Sharma said the institute has its own internal mechanism for helping poor patients. "We do not accept cheques from the state fund for buying medicines," he said. When TOI raised the issue with the Director Health Services, Dr N V Kamat, he accepted the fault lay on their side. "AIIMS is not supposed to buy injections. The cheque should have been sent to our own department and we will buy the injections," said Kamat. However, no such intimation had been made to the patient, he confirmed.

Delhi Arogya Kosh was registered under the Societies Registration Act on September 6, 2011, to provide financial assistance for medical treatment of poor people afflicted with serious illnesses. It covers life threatening disorders, heart diseases, cancer and kidney diseases and any other disease or surgery procedure which the governing body would term as life debilitating condition or disease. "Recently, we decided to issue relief money to the needy patients for life-saving medicines also," said Kamat.

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Man hired assassin to kill son-in-law

NEW DELHI: Five days after a 28-year-old teacher was shot dead in southwest Delhi, his father-in-law and five other relatives were arrested on Monday.

Satpal Singh wasn't happy about the marriage of Ashok Kumar to his daughter Seema. He had been nursing a grudge since 2009. He allegedly hired his nephew Neeraj Kanwar for Rs 2 lakh to kill Kumar and paid him Rs 50,000 as advance, police said.

Apart from Singh, Kanwar (41), Dinesh Kumar (42), Amit Gupta (33), Punit (20) and Ankit Sharma (22) were arrested. An i-10 and a motorcycle, which were used in the crime, have been seized apart from a country-made pistol, two knives and an air pistol, said DCP (southwest) A K Ojha.

A senior police officer said Kumar and Seema had an inter-caste marriage against their families' wishes. Seema's family seemed to have accepted the marriage after a while, especially after a girl was born to the couple; but Singh had issues with Kumar.

Police said Singh and others had closely monitored Kumar's daily routine and found that he used to travel towards Sagarpur railway crossing, between Delhi Cantonment and Palam, every morning. On January 16, Kumar was shot dead while he was on his way home after dropping his wife at work.

Cops interrogated Kumar's in-laws suspecting honour killing. They gave conflicting versions that didn't match with the circumstantial evidence. Police then obtained call records of the suspects. The needle of suspicion pointed towards Singh.

On Saturday, SHO Sagarpur received information that Singh would come to meet the killers at Sagarpur. He was arrested and later confessed.

Police are now probing if the killers had tried to bump off Kumar on December 25. "That day, the accused had barged into Kumar's house and asked him to accompany them to sort out some issues. But Kumar insisted that they talked there. When they didn't budge, he threatened to call up the police, after which the men had fled," said an officer.

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For most, piped natural gas still a pipe dream

NEW DELHI: Sarita Vihar resident Nimesh Sharma, 40, is unfazed by the government's decision to allow each household only nine subsidized LPG cylinders per year. Eight months ago, Sharma got a piped natural gas (PNG) connection. Now, he does not worry about cylinders running out and his monthly expenditure on kitchen fuel has also dipped.

Although PNG has many virtues, low cost has been its chief draw so far. Those who have switched from LPG to PNG claim their monthly expenditure on cooking gas has halved. "Earlier, we needed three cylinders in two months. It used to cost us Rs 1,000-1 ,250. Now, I spend Rs 550-600 in two months. Although the installation cost is high, the benefits are aplenty,'' said Amit Aggarwal, a resident of Vasant Kunj who got a PNG connection three years ago. However, technical experts told TOI that LPG and PNG have different properties and the difference in cost is marginal.

Although PNG connections are much in demand now, expansion of the gas network has been slow. Indraprastha Gas Limited, which distributes natural gas in the city, started operations in 1999 but has only around three lakh domestic customers . Sale of PNG amounts to just 4-5 % of its total business. "Initially, the focus was on providing CNG (for vehicles). The demand for PNG increased 2008 onwards. In 2011-12 , we provided 87,000 connections in the NCR of which nearly 55,000 were in Delhi. It is the largest number of connections we have provided in a year,'' said an IGL spokesperson.

IGL claims it has gas pipelines in 75% of the approved areas in the city, but it is unable to provide connections to all applicants there. In areas like Rohini, Safdarjung Development Area, Sidhartha Enclave , Rajendra Nagar, Karol Bagh etc, many residents have been waiting for connections for months. "The work related to pipelines was completed almost a year ago. Most of the applicants have got connections , but there are many who have been waiting for nearly six months even after depositing money,'' said Suresh Bhargava, president of Sidhartha Enclave RWA.

Residents of several colonies are unhappy about the delay in work. "IGL started work in March 2012, and the entire area is dug up,'' said Rajiv Kakria, member of GK-I RWA. While IGL claims several blocks in GK-I have been covered and work is on in other places, residents said no connection has been provided there.

Over the years, the demand for natural gas in the city has increased but mainly due to vehicles run on CNG. Delhi needs more than 2.8 million metric standard cubic metres (MMSCM) of natural gas (CNG and PNG) per day and its daily allocation is 2 MMSCM. Of this, the average daily PNG use is just 0.13-0 .14 MMSCM.

IGL claims building a piped network and providing gas connections is an infrastructure intensive job. A technical feasibility study of the area is done before starting work but location of drains, resistance from locals, permission to dig etc can become hurdles. "If there is a drain, we have to dig deep. There are areas with massive encroachment. We face resistance from locals. Digging is not allowed during monsoon. As for providing connections, we have to do a technical feasibility study of each house. A house might not get the connection even if a gas line is available as the location of the kitchen is important ,'' said the IGL spokesperson.

Following the cap on subsidized LPG, the demand for PNG has shot up. "PNG is hassle-free , safe and cost-effective . It is uninterrupted supply of gas and there is no way it can be tampered with. We pay for what we actually use. The government should make PNG available without any hassle,'' said Neeraj Gupta, president of Rajendra Nagar RWA.

In areas where PNG pipelines have been laid, people still have to wait to get a connection. In Delhi, IGL supplies gas in close to 2,321 colonies. But bookings for connections are opened in a phased manner twice a month. "We already have 18,000 applications to process. We can't open bookings simultaneously for all areas. It has to be done in a phased manner,'' said the IGL spokesperson.

People in Patparganj, Vasant Kunj, Nizamuddin, Mukherjee Nagar etc are happy with IGL's services. "It is hassle free and that's the best part about PNG. As for cost, it works out cheaper than LPG,'' said Suresh Bindal, a resident of Patparganj. But IGL is not planning a rapid expansion. "Our expansion plan for next year is ready and we will go by it, as it is an infrastructure intensive work. Bookings will open as per schedule,'' said the spokesperson.

With IGL being the only PNG provider in the city, most residents will have to wait for a hassle-free supply of cooking gas.

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