A health workers collects swabs for Covid-19 tests in New Delhi. (Express Photo by Praveen Khanna)Delhi News Highlights: Delhi on Sunday recorded 249 new Covid-19 cases, zero deaths with a positivity rate of 0.59 per cent. The national capital also saw 338 recoveries, while the total number of active cases currently stands at 1,261.
A Delhi court Saturday rejected the bail application of former AAP councillor Tahir Hussain in a money laundering case connected to the Northeast Delhi riots, being probed by the Enforcement Directorate.
Additional Sessions Judge Amitabh Rawat observed: “On prima facie reading of the complaint and material placed on record and considering the embargo of Section 45(1) PMLA, it cannot be held that the applicant is not guilty of the alleged offences or that he is not likely to commit any such offence while on bail.”
Ankit Gujjar was allegedly murdered in Tihar Jail. (File Photo)
Delhi on Sunday recorded 249 new Covid-19 cases, zero deaths with a positivity rate of 0.59 per cent. The national capital also saw 338 recoveries, while the total number of active cases currently stands at 1,261.
A 45-year-old man was allegedly killed in the Samaypur badly area of Outer North Delhi by two of his acquaintances for his inability to return a paltry sum of around Rs 500 borrowed from one of them, police said on Sunday The police, however, nabbed on Sunday two accused involved in the murder committed on late Friday night.
Police identified victim as Rajbeer, a ragpicker, living in a jhuggi by the GT Karnal Road in the Samayapur Badli area and the arrested accused as Bobby, 23, and Ramniwas, 27, both natives of Aligarh in Uttar Pradesh.
Police said it got the information about the murder late Friday night and on reaching the spot found a man lying dead by a jhuggi with his throat slit and an injury on his forehead. (PTI)
The Delhi University plans to invite either President Ram Nath Kovind or Prime Minister Narendra Modi for unveiling its commemorative stamp and coin as part of its year-long centenary celebrations beginning May 1, sources said on Sunday.
"Since it will be the celebrations of a huge milestone, there are plans to have either the President or the Prime Minister to unveil the commemorative stamp and coin. The President is the Visitor to the university," one of the sources said. The university has plans to release a commemorative stamp, coin and a coffee table book on the occasion.
The idea of commemorative stamp and coin was first floated by Delhi University professor Amarjiva Lochan. It was in September last year that Lochan, who is the joint dean of international relations, thought of applying to India Post for a commemorative stamp.
Delhi on Sunday recorded a maximum temperature of 28.2 degrees Celsius, a notch below the season's average, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.
The city residents woke up to a pleasant Sunday morning with the minimum temperature settling at 13.8 degrees Celsius, a notch above the season's average, the MeT office said. The relative humidity recorded at 5:30 pm was 45 per cent.
The weather office has forecast a partly cloudy sky on Monday with the maximum temperature expected to settle around 29 degrees Celsius, while the minimum temperature is likely to hover around 14 degrees Celsius. (PTI)
The Delhi government organised a cultural programme in the Assembly on Sunday to celebrate the legacy of Chipko movement leader Sunderlal Bahuguna, according to an official statement.
Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, who attended the event along with Assembly Speaker Ram Niwas Goel, said Sunderlal Bahuguna was an inspiration for the youth and he would always be remembered for his work, thoughts and ideals.
"Sunderlal Bahuguna's whole life, his sacrifice for society and the environment will be a source of inspiration for generations to come. We need to learn from his life that the environment should be loved and respected as it will always add to the joys of our lives," Sisodia said. He said Bahuguna was a source of inspiration not only for Uttarakhand's residents but for all Indians.
The government also honoured some family members of Bahuguna on the occasion. Bahuguna's son and senior journalist Rajeev Nayan Bahuguna attended the event. Speaker Goel said the AAP government respects the people of Uttarakhand and their rich culture. (PTI)
The State Election Commission of Delhi has increased the limit of expenditure that can be incurred by a candidate in the elections for the city's three municipal corporations to Rs 8 lakh from Rs 5.75 lakh. Polls for 272 wards of the three civic bodies in Delhi are slated to be held in April. A schedule is yet to be announced by the commission.
"I, S K Srivastava, State Election Commissioner of NCT of Delhi, hereby fix the maximum limit of expenditure to be incurred by a candidate at an election to a ward of three municipal corporations of Delhi viz North Delhi, South Delhi and East Delhi, to be held hereafter as Rs 8 lakh," said an order issued on Friday.
Civic authorities said in the last municipal elections in 2017, the maximum expenditure limit was Rs 5.75 lakh. In the 2004 MCD polls, the maximum expenditure limit was Rs 4 lakh, which was increased to Rs 5 lakh in 2012.
"It was further increased by Rs 75,000 in the 2017 municipal elections. Now, it will be Rs 8 lakh this time," a functionary of the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) told PTI on Sunday. (PTI)
The results of assembly polls this week will not only decide who the next chief minister will be in the five states but will also have a bearing on the election of the President of India expected later this year.
The term of President Ram Nath Kovind ends on July 24, and the outcome of the assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Manipur and Goa on March 10 will decide which party or alliance will have a decisive say in the presidential election.
As things stand today, the BJP is comfortably placed to ensure the election of its nominee to the country's top office, but an adverse result in Uttar Pradesh could alter the number game, bringing into play the fence sitters – Biju Janata Dal (BJD), Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) which control a sizeable chunk of votes that could swing the election either way.
Among states, the value of an Uttar Pradesh MLA's vote is the highest at 208, while that of Sikkim is lowest at seven. Among the poll-going states – the value of votes of an MLA from Punjab is 116, Uttarakhand (64), Goa (20) and Manipur (18). The results of the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections will be important for the presidential election as the value of vote of each of the 403 MLAs of the state is the highest – 208 – given that it is the most populous state in the country. (PTI)
Delhi's Public Works Department (PWD) will soon revamp its arterial roads having 30 metres or more right of way (ROW) following instructions from the city government to strengthen such stretches, officials said on Sunday. These roads include Flag Staff Road, Sachivalaya Road, Velodrome Road, Satyagrah Marg, Club Road and IG Stadium slip road, among others, the PWD officials said.
"This exercise will be separate from the regular maintenance drill of the major arterial roads. This exercise will focus on smaller arterial roads, tributary roads to bigger ones, slip roads etc.
"An amount of Rs 8.55 crore has also been set aside for the strengthening of such stretches," a PWD official told PTI on condition of anonymity. (PTI)
Independent candidates contesting the Delhi civic body polls this year will have an interesting mix of around 200 election symbols to choose from, including 'Ganna Kisan' (sugarcane farmer), 'Nagrik' (citizen), noodles bowl, ice cream, a range of daily use items, fruits, vegetables and kitchen appliances.
The State Election Commission, Delhi, has notified that the election to 272 wards of three municipal corporations is scheduled to be held in April. The list of 197 poll symbols was issued on Friday by the Commission in its 'Municipal Corporation of Delhi Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 2022'. (PTI)
Seven big cats have died in around two-and-a-half years at the Delhi zoo which is a participant in the conservation breeding of Asiatic lions and Bengal tigers. According to records, of the seven big cats, at least four died due to kidney dysfunction.
"Big cats in captivity are very much prone to kidney ailments. Furthermore, lack of enrichment tools and exercise, obesity, and stereotypic behaviour have been observed in big cats in captivity.
"To address this, special emphasis has been given in providing diverse food (adding chevon) and putting enrichment tools in big cats in particular. Routine investigation (blood parameters) helps in checking health. Creatine: albumin ratio in urine has been found effective in early diagnosis of kidney ailments," the zoo's annual report for 2020-21 read. Delhi Zoo Director Dharamdeo Rai, who took charge on February 21, said the issue needs to be studied in detail.
"We will try to find out more about their lineage and progeny, and look into the causes of death before we can conclude anything," he said. (PTI)
In a special session, the Directorate of Education will present details of its three flagship school curricula – Happiness, Entrepreneurship Mindset and Deshbhakti – to heads of the city’s private schools on Monday, with the aim of helping them to implement the same.
The session will be chaired by Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and the department will showcase presentations on the three different curricula. According to officials, “many schools have expressed their desire to know more about curricular reforms introduced in the schools”. Read more
Three flights - one carrying 154 Indians from Slovakia, the other carrying 183 Indian nationals from Hungary and a third one carrying 210 Indians from Romania - landed in Delhi on Sunday.
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's ambitious project of 'Streetscaping, Redevelopment and Beautification' is facing a hurdle. The work on one of the seven stretches on Vikas Marg near Laxmi Nagar, being redeveloped as the pilot project has been stayed by the court for damaging trees, said officials.
The ongoing construction and civil work on the 2.7-kilometre-long stretch on Vikas Marg from Mother Dairy to Nirwana Road has been stopped after the Public Works Department (PWD) damaged several trees falling on this stretch. It has also allegedly cut three trees on this stretch.
"The road is one of the most congested, poorly designed, broken with no space for pedestrians. The construction work of streetscaping was going on on this stretch and during the redevelopment work, the entire roads from pavement to sewer and drain lines gets repaired. Now, while carrying such work, trees are transplanted and damages happenes but the department takes all measures to avoid damage and provide better road to public," said a senior PWD official.
An Indian student, who was evacuated from Ukraine and reached Delhi on Sunday, brought his two feline friends with him. 'My cats are my life, I could not have left them behind in Ukraine. I request everyone to bring back their pets with them,' he told ANI.
Beautiful artworks made from old tyres, bottles, unused items adorn Eco Mitra Park in South Delhi’s Sarita Vihar started by South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC). The environment-friendly park has been developed by SDMC in association with a trust.
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While it was Jawaharlal Nehru who was the real driving force behind the non-aligned movement, it was only after his death and under the prime ministerial tenure of his daughter that several roads in Delhi came up in honour of leaders of countries who were part of the movement. Most of them stand forgotten in world history, but continue to be remembered in the broad boulevards of New Delhi.
Gamal Abdel Nasser Marg, for instance, came up near Hauz Khas, while Kwame Nkrumah Marg exists in Chanakyapuri. “These roads in Delhi carrying foreign names were generally very close friends of India, who may have been forgotten by their own country, but are gratefully remembered in India,” said Mani Shankar Aiyar, former member of Parliament and politician in the Indian National Congress. Read more
More than a fortnight after the district administration had directed 140 families – 100 in EWS flats and 40 in other apartments – living in NBCC Green View group housing society in Gurgaon’s Sector 37D to vacate their houses by March 1, citing safety concerns, the department of town and country planning (DTCP) said that the process is likely to be completed by Monday.
The decision was taken in the aftermath of the collapse at Chintels Paradiso in Sector 109, where two women were killed when a portion of the sixth floor crashed all the way through to the first floor, prompting the government to order structural audits of several societies. Read more
A Delhi court Saturday rejected the bail application of former AAP councillor Tahir Hussain in a money laundering case connected to the Northeast Delhi riots, being probed by the Enforcement Directorate.
Additional Sessions Judge Amitabh Rawat observed: “On prima facie reading of the complaint and material placed on record and considering the embargo of Section 45(1) PMLA, it cannot be held that the applicant is not guilty of the alleged offences or that he is not likely to commit any such offence while on bail.” Read more
It was a usual day for e-rickshaw driver Bharamdutt Rajput (20) when a man boarded his vehicle along with two young girls from Balaji temple at Vivek Vihar and asked to be dropped off at Chintamani Chowk in Jhilmil Industrial Area 2 km away. En route, he heard one of the girls asking the man to drop them after giving them food. Sensing something suspicious, Rajput immediately alerted a Delhi traffic policeman who caught the man.
Police said he was a vagabond who had allegedly kidnapped the two girls to push them into begging. DCP (Shahdara) R Sathiyasundaram said the accused, Sanjay Kumar (40), is a resident of Bihar’s Chhapra. He has been arrested. Read more
The NIA has arrested a suspected smuggler for his alleged involvement in smuggling gold and Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICN) in the country, an official said on Saturday.
Abdul Wahid of Uttar Pradesh's Sant Kabir Nagar who currently resides in Delhi's Bhajanpura was arrested Friday, the official of the premier investigation agency said.
The case pertains to the January 12 seizure of FICN of face value of Rs 10 lakh and 175 gms gold worth Rs 8.5 lakh at terminal-3 of Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport by Customs officials from Mohammad Shahjan, the NIA official said. After forensic examination, it was found that the seized FICN was of high quality and subsequently sections of the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act were invoked, the official said. Earlier, two accused were arrested by the NIA in the case. (PTI)
Water Minister Satyendar Jain on Saturday inaugurated a fully automated sewage treatment plant that can treat over 31 crore litres of wastewater per day at the Coronation Pillar Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) here.
The STP will treat the wastewater generated from Shakti Nagar, Kamla Nagar, Roop Nagar, Delhi University Campus and Nehru Vihar among other areas. Sewage from unauthorised colonies such as Swaroop Nagar, Bhalswa, Sant Nagar and Wazirabad group of colonies will also be treated here, which will eventually lead to cleaning River Yamuna, Jain said.
“The sewage which directly falls into the supplementary drain will be now trapped and treated at the Coronation Pillar STP through the pumping station available in Burari. The treated wastewater will then fall into the supplementary drain before getting merged with the river Yamuna,” the minister said. (PTI)
A Delhi court Saturday rejected the bail application of former AAP councillor Tahir Hussain in a money laundering case connected to the Northeast Delhi riots, being probed by the Enforcement Directorate.
Additional Sessions Judge Amitabh Rawat observed: "On prima facie reading of the complaint and material placed on record and considering the embargo of Section 45(1) PMLA, it cannot be held that the applicant is not guilty of the alleged offences or that he is not likely to commit any such offence while on bail."
The court said there are "statements of witnesses and even the accused/applicant recorded under Section 50 of PMLA which are admissible”.
"To contend that those statements are false or untruthful or contain discrepancies is not to be entertained at this stage," it said. Read More
Delhi recorded a maximum temperature of 27.2 degrees Celsius on Saturday, normal during the season, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said. The minimum temperature was recorded at 13.5 degrees Celsius, two notches below the season's average, it added.
The humidity levels oscillated between 85 per cent and 47 per cent.
The city is expected to witness a partly cloudy sky on Sunday. The maximum and minimum temperatures will hover around 28 degrees Celsius and 13 degrees Celsius respectively, the weather department said.
The 24-hour air quality of the city was recorded in the "moderate" category on Saturday with the AQI clocking 115 at 4 pm, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). (PTI)
A Delhi court on Saturday dismissed former AAP Councilor Tahir Hussain's bail plea in a money laundering case related to the February 2020 riots in the city's northeast.
Additional Sessions Judge Amitabh Rawat dismissed the bail plea, saying there was not enough ground to grant the relief to the accused. The court accepted the arguments advanced by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) N K Matta that there was sufficient material on record against the accused and the case of money laundering was made out against him.
The SPP had also argued that there is sufficient evidence and witnesses to the effect that the accused was involved in the funding of riots. (PTI)
The Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) Board has given in-principle approval for the deployment of 1,500 electric buses under an initiative of Convergence Energy Services Limited (CESL), paving the way for a clean public transport system in the national capital, officials said on Saturday.
The Board, in its meeting last week, authorised the DTC chairman to take further necessary actions on the matter.
Through its 'Grand Challenge' scheme, CESL proposes to deploy 5,450 single-decker and 130 double-decker buses in five metros -- Bangalore, Delhi, Surat, Hyderabad and Kolkata -- in the first phase. The DTC Board approved the engagement of 1,500 AC low-floor electric buses -- 921 buses under FAME-II scheme and 579 buses under non-FAME-II category. (PTI)
Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia Saturday said the city government's Business Blasters programme, which aims to encourage entrepreneurial mindset among students, will be started in private schools also from next year.
He was speaking at the Business Blasters Investment Summit and Expo at the Thyagraj Stadium here where over 100 business ideas of government school students were presented to investors.
"The Business Blasters programme will also be extended to private schools from next year. A meeting will be held on March 7 to discuss how it can be rolled out in private schools,” Sisodia said at the event. (PTI)
Following the “compelling situation” in war-torn Ukraine, the National Medical Commission (NMC) on Friday said that MBBS students, who have returned the country without completing their internships, will be able to do so in Indian medical colleges and hospitals.
“There are some foreign medical graduates with incomplete internship due to such compelling situations which is beyond their control, such as the pandemic Covid-19 and war etc. Considering the agony and stress faced by these foreign medical graduates, their application to complete the remaining part of their internship in India is considered eligible. Accordingly, the same may be processed by state medical councils,” a circular from NMC, which now governs medical education in the country after the Medical Council of India was disbanded in 2020, stated. Read More
The Delhi government has provided administrative approval and estimate sanctions for streetscaping of four more sample stretches of Aurobindo Marg, Lodhi Road, Nelsan Mandela Road and Jagatpuri to Karkardooma stretch, officials said on Saturday.
According to Public Works Department (PWD) officials, these stretches are part of nine sample stretches on which Delhi's roads will be redesigned. Officials said since the approval has been granted by the government, the streetscaping and beautification work of these sample stretches is likely to begin soon.
PWD officials said under the project, 600 metre stretch of Lodhi Road, 810 metre portion of Aurobindo Marg, 1km stretch of Nelson Mandela Road and 800 metre part of Jagatputi-Karkardooma road will be redesigned and beautified. (PTI)
In a major boon for commuters, especially those relying on public transport, a dedicated skywalk providing seamless connectivity between the New Delhi railway station and the neighbouring metro station was thrown open for public on Saturday. The 242-metre long modern facility will also help in streamlining the traffic flow on the Ajmeri Gate side of the railway station, officials said. The skywalk has been provided with escalators along with facilities such as CCTV surveillance cameras.
"The dedicated skywalk, constructed by the DMRC in collaboration with Northern Railway, for providing seamless connectivity between the Ajmeri Gate side and the adjacent New Delhi Metro stations on the Yellow Line and the Airport Express Line was opened for passenger use from today morning," a DMRC spokesperson said.
The newly-constructed skywalk is an extension of the foot over bridge (FOB) inside the railway station and connects the Ajmeri Gate side of the railway platform with the New Delhi metro station as well as the multi-level parking across Bhavbhuti Marg through multiple entry and exit points. (PTI)
Two-time Olympic medallist Sushil Kumar, lodged in Tihar Jail in the Chhatrasal Stadium brawl case, will soon be giving coaching classes on wrestling and physical fitness to his fellow inmates, prison authorities said on Friday.The development comes in view of a decrease in the number of Covid-19 cases across the national capital and inside prison premises, they said.
The Tihar Jail administration said they had earlier planned to involve Kumar in sports activities, but the plan had to be halted in view of the third wave of COVID-19 in Delhi.
"We had decided to allow this earlier but could not do so in view of the third wave of Covid. Now, with normalisation of the situation, routine activities in prisons are being restored. So, we will allow Sushil Kumar to give coaching classes on wrestling and physical fitness to other inmates who are interested," Director General (Delhi Prisons) Sandeep Goel told PTI.
The Supreme Court has stayed a Delhi High Court order which laid down guidelines regarding feeding of stray dogs while observing that citizens have the right to feed community canines.
A bench of Justices Vineet Saran and Aniruddha Bose issued notices to the Animal Welfare Board of India, Delhi government and others on an appeal filed by an NGO against the High Court order.
"Issue notice, returnable in six weeks. Meanwhile, operation of the impugned order shall remain stayed," the bench said.
The top court was hearing an appeal filed by the Humane Foundation for People & Animals challenging the June 24, 2021 order of the High Court. The NGO contended that the High Court's directions can lead to an increase in the menace of stray dogs. ---PTI
The Delhi Police has prepared a chargesheet in the Shahdara gangrape-assault case, listing key evidence found during the probe. This includes five video clips of the attack recorded by the accused on their phones, the victim’s hair from the autorickshaw she was abducted in, and a trimmer and scissors used to cut the hair. The report is expected to be filed in Karkardooma court soon. Read more
Four days after three staffers of a CNG gas station were brutally hacked to death in their sleep by unidentified assailants at the pump located on a service lane off NH-48 in Sector 31, police are yet to crack the case.
Senior police officers privy to the investigation said that at least seven crime branch teams are working to nab the accused. On Wednesday, Gurgaon Police had announced a reward of Rs 1 lakh for credible information leading to their arrest. Read more
Faridabad police on Friday arrested a man for allegedly plotting to shoot the family of an accused who had brutally attacked his cousin three months ago.
The accused, identified as Aman, a resident of Fatehpur Chandela village in Faridabad, was arrested near the district court premises, the police said. He allegedly came to the district court to attack the family of one Pradeep, who was among the three accused who had attacked his cousin Manish on December 6 last year. Read more
Three men, including a 16-year-old juvenile, were arrested for allegedly trying to rob an ATM kiosk in Outer Delhi’s Nangloi area. The police said they were inspired from a YouTube video and a drill machine, a hammer and a screw machine were seized from their possession. Read more
The Delhi High Court has asked advocates, litigants and staff members to strictly refrain from feeding monkeys inside the court premises.
In a circular issued by its administrative branch on Friday, the high court also requested all concerned persons to ensure that the windows of court buildings and all blocks are not left open or unattended.
'All the advocates/litigants/staff members of this court are also requested to strictly refrain from feeding monkeys within the court complex,' the circular signed by Deputy Registrar Javed Khan said.
The court had also issued a circular on February 28 ordering that no stray animals like monkeys and dogs can be fed within its premises. The court had said that it had come to its notice that some of the advocates, litigants, staff, police and CRPF personnel were 'still feeding stray animals' despite directions being given to the contrary. ---PTI
The Central Bureau of Investigation in a report before the Delhi High Court has said that gangster Ankit Gujjar (29), who was allegedly murdered inside Tihar Jail in August last year, was unathorisedly using a mobile number inside the jail to contact his family and friends to make requests for transfer of payments to various persons, including jail officials. Read more
Days before his retirement, the Centre on Friday appointed Delhi High Court Chief Justice D N Patel as chairperson of the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT). Justice Patel retires as Chief Justice of the High Court on March 12. Read more
Four persons, including a woman, have been arrested from Central district’s Paharganj for allegedly robbing a businessman. Police are conducting raids to nab their fifth associate, a police constable, who was earlier involved in a gangrape and attempt to murder cases. Read more
An Aam Aadmi Party MLA from New Delhi was injured after the car he was travelling in overturned on the Lucknow Expressway in Unnao area of Uttar Pradesh on Thursday.
Police said the incident took place when Akhilesh Pati Tripathi, the Delhi Model Town MLA, was travelling to Delhi with his associates after campaigning for the assembly elections. No complaint in connection with the incident has been received, police said. Read more
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted strong surface winds of 30 to 40 kmph in Delhi on Saturday. The maximum temperature is likely to be 26 degrees Celsius and the minimum temperature is likely to be around 14 degrees Celsius. Read more
Delhi on Friday recorded 302 fresh Covid-19 cases and four deaths, the city health department data shows. The positivity rate fell further to 0.62 per cent from 0.77 per cent recorded on Thursday. The city's cumulative case count has now reached 18,61,189, while the death toll stands at 26,134.