The North MCD, which was unusually quick to carry out the demolition drive in Jahangirpuri on Wednesday, has the highest pendency among all civic and government agencies in Delhi when it comes to acting against encroachment and unauthorised construction. As per data from the Special Task Force set up to clear encroachments and unauthorised constructions in the capital, 3,903 complaints are pending with the North MCD since the STF was formed in 2018 till April 15, 2022. In contrast, South MCD has 1,097 pending complaints, East has 594, DDA has 1,186 and the revenue department has 266.
Data till April 18 also shows that the North MCD has 1,772 complaints pending for a month. In the same period, 459 complaints were pending with the South MCD, 331 with the EDMC and 134 with the DDA.
READ | Overenthusiastic at Jahangirpuri, North MCD has almost 4,000 pending complaints, highest in Delhi
The Enforcement Directorate on Thursday conducted searches in Delhi and Gurugram at multiple premises associated with Jindal Steel and Power Ltd (JSPL) in connection with a case of foreign exchange violations.
“It is an ongoing investigation where JSPL had made some foreign remittances in violation of RBI guidelines and thus stands in contravention of the Foreign Exchange Management Act,” an ED official said.
Navin Jindal, an industrialist and a Congress leader from Haryana, was booked by the CBI in a coal blocks allocation case in 2013. He was chargesheeted in two separate coal blocks cases in 2016 and 2017. The ED, which opened a money-laundering inquiry against him, has also filed a chargesheet in the case. A Delhi court framed charges against Jindal in one of the cases.
READ | ED searches premises linked to Jindal Steel and Power Ltd in foreign exchange case
The Child Rights Commissions of Delhi, Rajasthan, West Bengal, Punjab and Chandigarh have objected to an amendment to the Juvenile Justice Act that made certain crimes against minors non-cognisable, it is learnt. They recommended in a joint letter to the Centre that the law be taken up in Parliament for further amendment and its date of commencement not be notified.
The Juvenile Justice Act 2015 was amended in 2021. Among the changes to the 2015 Act is one in Section 86 (2) which stated “When an offence under this act is punishable with imprisonment for a term of three years and above, but not more than seven years, then such an offence shall be cognizable, non-bailable and triable by a Magistrate of First class.”
The Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance Friday issued a gazette notification announcing the minting of a 100 rupee commemorative coin on the occasion of Delhi University’s centenary year.
“The coin of one hundred Rupees denomination shall only be coined at the mint for issue under the authority of the central government on the occasion of, “CENTENARY YEAR OF UNIVERSITY OF DELHI”,” Manisha Sinha, Joint Secretary (Coin and Currency) said in a notification dated April 22.
As per the notification, the coin will be a circular 44-millimetre coin with 200 serrations. It will be made of an alloy consisting of 50% silver, 40% copper, and 5% each zinc and nickel, weighing 35 grams. Read More
A week after communal violence broke out in Northwest Delhi’s Jahangirpuri, and three days after a demolition drive was carried out in the area, residents are trying to return to their regular lives and businesses amid heavy deployment of police and CRPF personnel.
Sheikh Sabdar, who runs a small grocery store in one of the bylanes of C block, pointed to a gate near his store that opens out onto the main road. “The gate has been shut all these days, ever since the incident a week ago. It was opened today. I have been opening the store over the past week, but a little later than usual and not too early in the morning,” he said.
The main road is barricaded on both ends, with several personnel deployed on the road and standing guard at some of the gates that lead into the bylanes. Pedestrians were allowed past the barricades, but not vehicles. Read More
Days after a BJP worker was shot dead outside his house in East Delhi’s Mayur Vihar, police arrested four men in connection with the case. Police said the accused, who lived near the victim’s house, wanted to take revenge on him.
According to police, on Wednesday night, the assailants called Jitender Chaudhary outside his house on the pretext of work and shot him dead. Locals informed police that Chaudhary was shot multiple times and had been rushed to Metro Hospital in Noida, where he was declared dead on arrival. Police recovered empty cartridges from the spot and conducted a local enquiry. Read More
With 1,094 cases on Saturday, the Covid-19 trajectory in the capital seems to have stagnated, at least for the time being.
There were around 1,000 cases recorded in Delhi over the last four days, as per the daily health bulletin shared by the government. The positivity rate – proportion of samples tested that return positive, which is indicative of the spread of the infection in a geographical area – has also remained between 4.6 and 4.8% over the last three days, when the daily tests went up and averages at the current 21,890. Read More
A Delhi court sent five men booked under the National Security Act (NSA), in connection with the communal clashes which took place in Jahangirpuri, to police custody for eight days.
Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) Satvir Singh Lamba sent accused Ansar, Salim, Ahir, Dilshad and Sonu to eight-day custodial interrogation after police told the court that remand is required to confront all co-accused persons with each other to link the chain of the incident and to ascertain the role of each accused person properly. Read More
The residents of northwest Delhi's Jahangirpuri are struggling to make ends meet and suffering due to the restrictions imposed in the area in the wake of the clashes last week, Trinamool Congress MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar claimed on Saturday.
Dastidar, who led an all-women fact-finding team of the TMC to Jahangirpuri on Friday, alleged residents of Jahangirpuri's C-Block, the epicentre of the April 16 violence, have been "caged" and are not allowed to come out.
She told PTI that the team found that people are "under threat" and living in fear. They also complained of restricted access to water. (PTI)
Four men were arrested in connection with the murder case of local BJP leader Jitu Chaudhary, who was shot dead in Mayur Vihar phase-III earlier this week. One of the accused told the police that Jitu had slapped him in front of his girlfriend and he decided to take revenge.
Issuing a strongly-worded advisory on Saturday, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting pulled up satellite TV channels for their coverage the recent communal tensions in North-west Delhi. Under the provisions laid down in the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995, the I&B ministry warned that the Central government may regulate or prohibit the transmission of a channel or programme if it “considers it necessary”.
The ministry, in its advisory, said that certain channels have been covering events and incidents in a manner “that appears to be unauthentic, misleading, sensational and using socially unacceptable language and remarks, offending good taste and decency”. Read more here
Heatwave conditions are likely to return to Delhi next week when the maximum temperature could rise to 44 degrees Celsius on April 28 and 29, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast.
On Saturday, the maximum temperature is likely to touch 40 degrees Celsius again, after two days of respite when it remained below the 40-degree mark at the Safdarjung weather observatory. The maximum temperature on Friday was 39.3 degrees Celsius, while it stood at 35.2 degrees on Thursday. Strong winds are on the forecast for Saturday.
The Enforcement Directorate has registered a money laundering case against various suspects of the recent Jahangirpuri violence case including prime accused Mohammed Ansar, officials said on Saturday. An Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR), the ED’s equivalent of a police FIR, has been filed by the federal agency under the criminal sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
Delhi Police Commissioner Rakesh Asthana had recently written to the ED recommending a probe by the agency. He cited preliminary findings made by his officers in the case and the First Information Reports (FIRs) filed by them.
Delhi's R-value, which indicates the spread of Covid-19 was recorded at 2.1 this week. This indicates that every infected person is infecting two others in national capital, according to an IIT-Madras analysis.
Among the shops targeted by bulldozers during the North MCD’s demolition drive in Jahangirpuri is one owned by the family of two men arrested in connection with the violence on Hanuman Jayanti. Police had picked up Akshar (26) and his brother Mukhtyaar Ali (28) on April 17, a day after the violence.
They claim the two have a criminal record. “They have involvement in previous cases of assault and Arms Act. We have technical evidence against them,” said an officer.
After communal violence broke out in Northwest Delhi’s Jahangirpuri on April 16, police in districts across the national capital have ramped up patrolling, along with using drones for surveillance and holding frequent Aman (peace) Committee meetings.
While Aman Committee meetings and deployment of drones are typically not frequent, the incident in Jahangirpuri has prompted intensified measures, the DCP (Central) Shweta Chauhan.
Read full report here
The Supreme Court Friday agreed to take up for hearing on April 25 a petition against the proposed removal of shanties in Sarojini Nagar. Chief Justice of India N V Ramana, before whom the matter was mentioned for urgent hearing, said it will be listed before an appropriate bench on that day.
The special leave petition challenges the Delhi High Court order declining to interfere with an order refusing to direct rehabilitation of the slum dwellers.
Gautam Buddh Nagar, adjoining Delhi, recorded 107 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, with the number of active infections in the district crossing the 500-mark, officials said. The number of active cases in the district stands at 569, the health department said in an update. According to the official figures, there were 107 new cases reported from Gautam Buddh Nagar since Thursday while 75 patients also got cured during the period.
Unfazed by the criticism over demolition drive in Jahangirpuri, BJP-ruled south and east civic bodies on Friday said they will intensify anti-encroachment drives in their jurisdictions and will continue to identify structures encroaching public land. South and East Delhi Municipal Corporations have said that regular meetings to identify encroachment sites and to conduct anti-encroachment drives are being held in both the municipalities.
Delhi BJP chief Adesh Gupta had earlier written to mayors of both the corporations for removal of encroachments "by Rohingyas, Bangladeshis and anti-social elements" in their areas. "We are going to intensify our anti-encroachment drives. No one (encroacher) will be spared. Today (Friday) also we held a meeting with officials and identified several sites in SDMC jurisdiction. More places are being added and by Monday we will have a final list and an action will then be carried out accordingly," Suryan told news agency PTI.
Delhi logged 1,042 fresh Covid cases with a positivity rate of 4.64 per cent while two persons died due to the infection, according to data shared by the city health department on Friday. A total of 22,442 tests were conducted in the city a day ago, the data showed. The cumulative caseload in the national capital stands at 18,72,699 while the death toll is 26,164.
Delhi had reported one death and 965 Covid cases with a positivity rate of 4.71 per cent on Thursday. It had logged one death and 1,009 Covid cases on Wednesday with a positivity rate of 5.7 per cent.
The Supreme Court Friday agreed to take up for hearing on April 25 a petition against the proposed removal of shanties in Sarojini Nagar.
Chief Justice of India N V Ramana, before whom the matter was mentioned for urgent hearing, said it will be listed before an appropriate bench on that day.
The special leave petition challenges the Delhi High Court order declining to interfere with an order refusing to direct rehabilitation of the slum dwellers. Read More
In their first webinar to acquaint applicants with the new admission process, Delhi University officials have encouraged candidates to appear in all papers they had in class XII as well as the general aptitude paper in the Central Universities Entrance Test (CUET).
With the adoption of the CUET for all undergraduate admissions this year, the admission process at DU will be different from that of the previous years. Candidates have been especially concerned about the subjects they need to appear in the exam to be eligible for courses of their choice.
On Friday, DU held the first webinar, which is a part of a series, to resolve applicants’ queries on the process. Most of the queries raised by aspirants were on whether they may apply for a programme which they did not have as a subject in class XII, whether they need any particular subject to be eligible for a programme and whether they need to appear in Paper 3 or the general aptitude paper. Read More
Police action was taken against 17 DJs Thursday as part of a drive to curb noise pollution. All police stations have been instructed to take cognizance of noise pollution activities and take necessary action. Notices have been issued to marriage homes, DJs and religious places across the district to comply with court orders regarding permissible noise limits.
“Notices for compliance of orders concerning noise pollution have been issued to religious leaders, marriage homes and DJs. It was found that 17 DJs had been violating the norms and their set-ups were seized. Further checking will be carried out by individual stations,” said Noida Police in a statement. Read More
In a heated exchange that has gone viral, an administrative official in Delhi is seen asking the family of an 11-year-old boy who died in an accident to “shut up” as they protested seeking action over the incident.
Anurag Bharadwaj died on Wednesday after he peeped out of the school bus window and his head hit a pole. Later, angry parents and family reached Dayawati Public School and raised a protest against the school authorities for negligence. A case of murder has been filed against the school authorities and the bus driver and conductor have been arrested. Read More
At Jahangirpuri, Samajwadi Party leader Shafiqur Rahman said his party is with everyone who have been "victimized by the bulldozers."
CPI leader D Raja was not allowed to meet the affected families at Jahangirpuri. He said that he and the other delegation members wanted to help people who lost their shops and homes, but the police had barricaded all the streets. Raja is now protesting the move by sitting near the barricade.
Delhi Police Commissioner Rakesh Asthana has written to the Enforcement Directorate to investigate the money laundering charges against the prime accused in the Jahangirpuri violence case, a senior officer said on Friday.
Ansar, 35, a resident of B-Block of Jahangirpuri, is alleged to be the "main conspirator" behind the violence that took place on April 16 during a procession on the occasion of Hanuman Jayanti, police said.
During preliminary investigation, it has emerged that Ansar has money in many of bank accounts and is also in possession of several properties which allegedly were purchased through gambling money, police said. (PTI)
Students and staff should not be allowed to enter school premises without thermal scanning, the Delhi government said on Friday in a set of Covid-19 guidelines issued for schools. It also said that parents should be advised to not send their children to school if they test positive for the coronavirus. "Students should also be guided to avoid sharing of lunch, stationery items," the government stated.
The national capital has seen a spurt in Covid-19 cases in the past few days. On Thursday, Delhi logged 965 fresh Covid cases. It was 1,009 on Wednesday, 632 on Tuesday and 501 on Monday. (PTI)
Days after 35-year-old Mohammed Ansar was arrested by the police in connection with the Jahangirpuri violence case in northwest Delhi, the Delhi police commissioner has written to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) seeking its help in the probe.
A total of 20 people have so far been arrested in connection with the riots that broke out during a shobha yatra to mark Hanuman Jayanti in Jahangirpuri last week. One of the accused, Ansar, is a history-sheeter with prior involvement in cases pertaining to assault, gambling and under the Arms Act. Usha Rangnani, DCP (northwest) had earlier said that Ansari, a resident of B-block, was one of the main accused and conspirators in the case. Read more
With recent incidents of DTC buses catching fire in different parts of the city, the transport department of Delhi government on Thursday set up a six-member committee to find out their root cause. Four incidents of fire in Delhi Transport Corporation buses in the last two months have been reported, raising safety concerns of the passengers and staff, said a note issued by Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot.
"It is considered essential to constitute a committee to investigate the recent incidents of fire in DTC buses, identify the root causes, review the modalities of repair and maintenance, scrutiny and checks of buses at the various levels of officials and suggest the remedial measures," said the note. (PTI)
The Supreme Court Friday expressed dissatisfaction over the affidavit filed by the Delhi Police which stated that no hate speech was made at Delhi’s Dharm Sansad in December last year. “We want to know that the senior officer has understood the nuances of other aspects before filing this affidavit. Has he merely reproduced an inquiry report or applied his mind? Do you want to take a relook?” the Bench of Justices A M Khanwilkar and A S Oka asked Delhi Police, according to Bar and Bench. Read more
The National Capital Regional Transport Corporation (NCRTC) has successfully installed a 73-m long Special Steel Span (bridge) weighing 875 tonnes for the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS corridor, to cross the main road of the Eastern Peripheral Expressway (EPE) near Duhai on the main carriageway of Delhi-Meerut Road, said officials.
The spans are installed on 16 m-high pillars constructed on both sides of the EPE. The corporation will now start track laying and installation of over head electricity (OHE) and other construction. Read more
A 35-year-old man was allegedly shot dead by his former tenant over some personal enmity on Thursday evening in Gurgaon, the police said. The police added that a case has been filed and a hunt is on to arrest the accused. The man, identified as Deepak, was a resident of Bilaspur Khurd. According to his cousin Sandeep, who is an eyewitness in the case, around 7.15 pm, Deepak spoke to him near his house and was walking towards his car when the accused arrived on a motorcycle and fired several rounds of bullets at Deepak and escaped. Read more
The Delhi High Court Friday said that student activist Umar Khalid’s speech at Amravati in February 2020, which forms part of the chargesheet against him in the larger conspiracy case related to the Northeast Delhi riots, was offensive, obnoxious and hateful.
“This is offensive, obnoxious. Don’t you think? These expressions being used, don’t you think they incite people? You say things like aapke purvaj angrezun ki dalali kar rahe the, you don’t think it is offensive? It is offensive per se. This is not the first time that you said so in this speech. You said this at least five times. It is almost as if we distinctly get the impression that it was only one particular community that fought for India’ independence,” said the division bench of Justice Siddharth Mridul and Justice Rajnish Bhatnagar after Khalid’s lawyers read the contents of his speech before the court. Read more
National Commission for Minorities (NCM) member Syed Shahzadi on Thursday said the panel will submit a report to the government on the communal violence in Delhi’s Jahangirpuri area and recommend appropriate action. The chairman of the NCM and other members visited Jahangirpuri, she said. Eight police personnel and a local were injured in stone-pelting and arson after clashes broke out between two communities in Jahangirpuri during a Hanuman Jayanti procession on April 16. Some vehicles were also torched.
Four people, including three senior citizens, were trapped in a lift for hours Thursday night after a fire broke out at a wedding hall in Outer Delhi’s G T Karnal Road. Delhi Fire Services (DFS) personnel rescued the people by controlling the fire, cutting the upper part of the lift and pulling them out. The incident took place on Thursday night at Green Lawns Fashion Marriage Hall in Shakti Nagar.
The High Court Thursday directed the Delhi government to inform it about steps being taken for the creation of separate toilets for transgender people and disclose the number of toilets constructed till date.
The division bench of acting Chief Justice Vipin Sanghi and Justice Navin Chawla also directed the government to disclose whether separate toilets for transgenders are being created in public places that are being constructed or developed now. It added that if that is not the case, the government needs to look into the aspect without any delay. Read more
A 24-year-old woman was stabbed to death, allegedly by a man she used to know, in front of her two children in Southwest Delhi on Thursday afternoon, said police, adding that raids are on to nab the accused. DCP (Southwest) Manoj C said, “We received a PCR call around 2.15 pm that a woman was stabbed and we immediately rushed to the spot. She was already taken to a hospital, where she was declared dead on arrival.” Read more
Genome sequencing laboratories in Delhi have detected a variant of the Omicron sub-variant BA.2—whose emergence was first announced by the New York health department—which has a 23-27 per cent growth advantage over the original sub-variant. The samples that tested positive for the new sub-variant (BA.2.12.1) have been sent to the country’s apex Covid-19 genome sequencing consortium, INSACOG, for confirmation, according to officials from Delhi’s health department.
“We have not detected the sub-variant yet. We have known of this sub-variant only for a couple of weeks and it will take some time before we can say whether it is more transmissible or whether it causes different symptoms,” said a senior official from INSACOG. Read more
As Covid-19 cases rise in the national capital, the Delhi government has decided to offer the third precaution dose for free to all adults at government vaccination centres. The third dose, which is administered after nine months or 273 days of the second dose, is currently available at Rs 375 (plus GST) at private vaccination centres.
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