Police at the spot where communal violence took place between two communities at Jahangirpuri in New Delhi. (Express Photo by Praveen Khanna)Delhi News Highlights: Alleging that the main accused in the Jahangirpuri riots – Ansar – is a BJP leader, AAP MLA Atishi said: “He played a major role in getting BJP’s candidate Sangeeta Bajaj to contest and plays an active role in BJP. It is clear that the BJP is behind the Jahangirpuri riots and it should apologise to the people of Delhi. BJP is a party of hooligans.”
The Delhi Police have registered a first information report (FIR) against two men from the Delhi unit of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal for organising a shobha yatra to mark Hanuman Jayanti in Northwest Delhi’s Jahangirpuri on April 16.
DCP (north-west) Usha Rangnani said: “A case under IPC Section 188 has been registered against organisers for carrying out a procession on the evening of April 16 in Jahangirpuri area without any permission. One of the accused has joined the investigation. Further investigation is in progress. The other two processions which were carried out in morning and afternoon on April 16 in Jahangirpuri area had due permission.”
Security deployment remained heavy two day after the clashes at Jahangirpuri. (Express Photo by Praveen Khanna)
An 8-year-old girl from Bihar underwent a lifesaving liver transplant procedure here after being diagnosed with a rare disease which has a 100 per cent mortality rate in children who develop coma, Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals said on Tuesday.
Wilson's disease is a genetic disorder in which excess copper builds up in the body leading to liver damage. Its treatment includes lifelong medication to bind copper. However, some children develop coma due to liver failure, it said.
Anshika was admitted to Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals on March 25 in a state of coma, the hospital said in a statement, adding that she was being treated at another hospital where her condition had deteriorated. The child was immediately put on a ventilator and advised a liver transplant. (PTI)
The Red Fort all decked up ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's programme in New Delhi, Tuesday. PM Modi will address the nation from Red Fort on April 21 to mark the 400th Parkash Purab of Guru Teg Bahadur.
(PTI Photo)
“Papa, main theek hun, ghar jaana hai, thoda paani de do (Papa, I am fine, I want to go home, give me some water).”
As he sat on a bench at the mortuary on Tuesday morning, Gulshan Singh recalled his son’s last words as he was undergoing treatment at a hospital on Monday. “He kept saying he is fine. I did not know I would lose him at the time,” he said.
On Monday, four-year-old Sidharth died after coming under his school’s minibus while being dropped off near his house in the village of Shikohpur. Read more
A report on 100 per cent delivery fleet electrification in the city by 2030 was presented in Delhi Electric Vehicle Forum hosted by the city government's policy think tank DDC on Tuesday.
The report titled ‘Roadmap for 100 percent Delivery Electrification in Delhi: Unlocking Insights from the Deliver Electric Delhi Pilot' provides insights from the implementation of the ‘Deliver Electric Delhi' pilot project - initiated by DDC along with RMI and RMI India in June 2019.
It provides a roadmap that can lead to 100% electrification of last mile delivery service fleets in Delhi by 2030. The Dialogue and Development Commission (DDC) of Delhi, in collaboration with RMI India, co-hosted the third Delhi Electric Vehicle (EV) Forum to facilitate constructive dialogue and discussions between the government and various stakeholders of the EV ecosystem. (PTI)
Bhutan has shown keen interest in adopting the Delhi government's Entrepreneurship Mindset Curriculum (EMC) framework in schools there, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said on Tuesday.
The aim of this collaboration is to inculcate an entrepreneurship mindset among Bhutanese students and prepare them for future challenges, he said, adding that an orientation meeting with officials from Bhutan's education department was held on Tuesday in the presence of dignitaries from the Himalayan nation.
"It is good to see that a movement to integrate an entrepreneurship mindset among school students is gaining momentum. It is a matter of great pride for the Delhi Government that the Entrepreneurship Mindset Curriculum will now reach students beyond the borders of India," Sisodia said. (PTI)
With President Ram Nath Kovind giving his assent to a bill which seeks to unify the three civic bodies in the city, an exercise to appoint a 'special officer' to run the new body and form a delimitation commission to carry out demarcation of wards will be initiated, officials said.
Experts highlighted that given the current scenario, civic polls are unlikely to take place before early next year due to a delimitation exercise. They added that if the delimitation is carried out based on a fresh census then the election may be delayed by more than a year.
Officials also added that the reduction in number of wards from 272 to 250 in the proposed unified MCD is also likely to affect the composition of several assembly segments in the national capital. (PTI)
Delhi on Tuesday recorded 632 fresh Covid-19 cases with a marginal drop in the positivity rate from Monday’s 7.72 per cent to 4.42 per cent. No fatalities were reported.
With the fresh addition, the cumulative caseload rose to 18,69,683, while the death toll remained at 26,160. The number of active cases stood at 1,947. Read more
Union Home Minister Amit Shah Tuesday held a meeting with Power Minister RK Singh, Coal Minister Pralhad Joshi and Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav, amid reports of the ongoing coal and power situation across the country.
The Delhi High Court on Tuesday sought the stand of local authorities on a plea seeking contempt action against them for allegedly allowing the construction of permanent structures like kiosks on the pavements in Karol Bagh here.
A bench of Justices Mukta Gupta and Neena Bansal Gupta issued notice on the plea by advocate and social activist Amit Sahni and restrained any further construction in the area.
In the plea, the advocate has said the construction would cause hindrance in pedestrian movement which is in utter violation of the high court's March 2018 order which had directed the municipal corporations to ensure that no permanent or semi-permanent structure causing hindrance to pedestrian movement, exist on any pavement. (PTI)
The AAP government on Tuesday launched Delhi's Education Song "Irada Kar Liya Hai Humne", with Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia saying it reflects the vision of "our education revolution".
The song was released by Sisodia at the Thyagraj Stadium and the event was attended by hundreds of students and teachers from Delhi government schools.
"This song reflects the vision of our education revolution and is dedicated to the journey of the education system of Delhi in the past seven years. With this song, Delhi is the first state in the world to have a song that clearly defines their aspirations and dedication towards the cause of education for all," said Sisodia, who holds the education portfolio. (PTI)
Delhi reeled under a heatwave on Tuesday with the maximum temperature settling at 42.6 degree Celsius, six notches above the season's average, the India Meteorological Department said.
This is the highest temperature of the season and the city also recorded a maximum of 42.6 degrees Celsius on April 11, it said. The minimum temperature of the national capital settled at 23.7 degrees Celsius, two notches above the season's average. The humidity oscillated between 31 per cent and 17 per cent, it said.
With record seven days of heatwave, it is also considered to be one of the warmest April in Delhi. However, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted that the heatwave condition is likely to abate due to an approaching western disturbance, wind conditions and cloudiness over the region. (PTI)
The Delhi Police have registered a first information report (FIR) against two men from the Delhi unit of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal for organising a shobha yatra to mark Hanuman Jayanti in Northwest Delhi’s Jahangirpuri on April 16.
A multi-layered security ring, comprising over 1,000 Delhi Police personnel and forces from various agencies, will be put in place at the Red Fort from where Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the nation on the 400th Parkash Purab of Sikh guru Tegh Bahadur on April 21, officials said on Tuesday.
More than 100 CCTV cameras have already been installed inside the Red Fort premises, including the spot from where the PM Modi will address the nation. Modi will also release a commemorative coin and postage stamp on the occasion.
According to officials, the security ring, including NSG snipers, SWAT commandos, kite catchers, canine units and sharpshooters on high-rise buildings, would be deployed at the Mughal-era fort, and adherence to social distancing norms will be mandatory amid the rising Covid cases in the capital. (PTI)
The Delhi High Court has directed the release of an ex-NSG official convicted for commission of an offence under the POCSO Act, noting that in view of the workload and pendency of the old appeals before it, the appeal in the present case is unlikely to be heard before the convict's five-year jail term comes to an end.
Justice Talwant Singh suspended the sentence of the appellant on a personal bond of Rs 25,000 and directed him not to contact or visit any of the victims or commit any other offence during the period of suspension.
The appellant, who was convicted for committing aggravated sexual assault on three minor girls and misusing his position, sought his release during the pendency of his appeal against the conviction on the ground that he has already spent over four years out of the five-year sentence in jail. (PTI)
After a steady decline in Covid cases, Delhi has been witnessing a spurt in new infections with the positivity rate registering a nearly three-fold rise between April 11-18, according to city health department data.
On April 11, the positivity rate stood at 2.70 percent which jumped to 3.95 percent on April 15 followed by 5.33 percent on April 16 and 7.72 percent on April 18, according to the data.
Last week, Delhi recorded a total of 2,606 positive Covid cases against 67,360 tests conducted during the period while the average positive rate was 4.79 percent, it showed. (PTI)
The situation in Jahangirpuri of northwest Delhi is heading towards normalcy amid heavy deployment of security personnel in the violence-hit area, police said on Tuesday.
Some of the shops, mainly of grocery, in the streets have opened and the movement of people is becoming normal, they said. Over 500 police personnel and six companies of additional force have been deployed in the area round the clock.
Besides, a total of 80 tear gas gun parties and water cannons have been deployed and drones are also being used in sensitive areas for rooftop surveillance, police said. (PTI)
The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) Tuesday accused the Delhi Police of coming under pressure from “secular and Muslim leaders” to book the organisation and its associated Bajrang Dal in connection with the Jahangirpuri clashes.
It also said that Delhi commissioner of police (CP) Rakesh Asthana’s statement that it had not taken permission to take out the shobha yatra through the area was “baseless”.
“The Delhi CP’s statement that the shobha yatra was taken out without permission is baseless. We all know that the Delhi Police never give anyone permission to take out processions. If they feel a certain procession should not be taken out, it writes to the concerned organisation to cancel it. Delhi police had sent such a letter to us to cancel the shobha yatra in Shahdara on April 17 and we complied with it… I urge Delhi CP not to come under pressure from secular and Muslim leaders,” VHP Delhi president Surendra Gupta said in a statement. Read more
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which has been accusing the BJP for the communal clashes in Jahangirpuri, has come out and named a leader of the saffron party. AAP MLA Atishi said Ansar, who has been named as the main accused in the violence case, is a BJP leader.
This comes after the BJP, too, had alleged that the key accused had links with the Aam Aadmi Party. “The mastermind of the attack… Ansar, has been found to be an AAP worker. There is evidence of this in the form of photos. Tahir Hussain, who was the mastermind of the 2020 Delhi riots, was also an AAP councillor. Is AAP running a riot factory?” alleged BJP MP Manoj Tiwari. Read more
The strike called by drivers attached to ride-hailing apps such as Uber and Ola demanding subsidy on CNG prices and revision of fare rates entered its second day on Tuesday.
However, auto-rickshaw and yellow-black taxi unions, which were a part of the strike on Monday, have decided to postpone their stir bringing much-needed relief to Delhiites.
As the app-based cabs remained off the roads, several people faced difficulties due to non-availability of rides and surge pricing. (PTI)
The Delhi High Court on Tuesday sought response from the city government on a public interest litigation against the withdrawal of DTC bus services from schools.
A bench headed by Justice Acting Vipin Sanghi issued notice to the city government and Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) on the petition by social activist Baba Alexander and asked the respondents to place on record the material which led to the decision and noted that private schools had been using DTC buses for decades as means of transport for students.
The bench, also comprising Justice Navin Chawla, further observed that the parents as well as the students were suffering due to the withdrawal of the DTC buses and that the decision is also leading to more traffic on the roads. (PTI)
BJP president JP Nadda held a meeting at his residence in New Delhi with senior party leaders from Rajasthan, including Vasundhara Raje, Satish Punia, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Rajendra Rathore, Arjun Ram Meghwa, and Arun Singh. (ANI)
A fire broke out at a furniture factory in west Delhi's Kirti Nagar on Tuesday, Delhi Fire officials said.
No casualty has been reported so far, they said. A call about the fire was received around 1.16 pm, officials said.
"We have rushed 15 fire tenders to the spot and so far no casualty has been reported," said Atul Garg, Director, Delhi Fire Service said. (PTI)
The Union Ministry of Law and Justice Tuesday notified the Delhi Municipal Corporation (Amendment) Act, 2022, to reunify the three municipal corporations in the Capital. According to the Act, the three MCDs—East Delhi Municipal Corporation, South Delhi Municipal Corporation and North Delhi Municipal Corporation—will be merged and will be called the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD). Read more
The Delhi Police has registered an FIR against two men from the the Delhi unit of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal for organising a Shobha yatra to mark Hanuman Jayanti in Northwest Delhi’s Jahangirpuri.
An FIR has been lodged against Prem Sharma, the zila sewa pramukh of VHP, and Braham Prakash, co-department secretary, under IPC Section 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) at Jahangirpuri police station.
DCP (north-west) Usha Rangnani said: “A case under IPC Section 188 has been registered against organisers for carrying out a procession on the evening of April 16 in Jahangirpuri area without any permission. One of the accused has joined the investigation. Further investigation is in progress. The other two processions which were carried out in morning and afternoon on April 16 in Jahangirpuri area had due permission.”
Heatwave conditions remain in the forecast for Delhi on Tuesday, with a maximum temperature of around 42 degrees Celsius. The forecast shows that the maximum temperature could drop marginally to 39 degrees on April 21 and 22, before climbing to about 41 degrees by April 24. The minimum temperature over the next six days is likely to range from 22 to 23 degrees Celsius. Generally cloudy sky with light rain or drizzle is likely for the next two days (April 20 and 21).
Delhi's Covid-19 positivity rate on Monday jumped to 7.72 per cent even as the city recorded 501 fresh cases, 16 less than the previous day, according to health department data. The national capital on Sunday recorded a 4.21 per cent positivity rate. With the new cases, the city's infection tally has risen to 18,69,051 while the death toll stood at 26,160 as no new fatality was reported. The city had on Sunday recorded 517 Covid cases with no deaths. (PTI)
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday directed the Delhi police to take strict action against the culprits behind the violent clashes that broke out in Jahangirpuri earlier this week, ANI reported. He urged the police to set an example so that such incidents are not repeated in the future.
A crucial meeting of DDMA on Wednesday is likely to discuss mandatory use of face masks and hybrid mode of offline and online teaching for school children, in view of rising number of infections in past many days, official sources said.
The meeting of Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) chaired by Lt Governor Anil Baijal, will review the COVID situation in the national capital, as per notice of the meeting. The use of masks by people in Delhi has "considerably" gone down after fine of Rs 500 was withdrawn by the DDMA earlier this month.
This is not an ideal situation in view of rising number of infections, said a senior government officer. (PTI)
Delhi BJP leaders on Monday claimed links between Jahangirpuri violence accused Md Ansar and the ruling AAP, saying police should probe why 'masterminds' of the incident were "found associated with a particular party".
In a letter to AAP supremo and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor asked him to expel Ansar from the party. "Delhiites want a reply from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leadership over the involvement of the youth, apparently an AAP worker, in the Jahangirpuri riots.
Earlier too, we saw AAP councilor Tahir Hussain as the main accused of 2020 Delhi riots," Kapoor said in the letter. (PTI)
A man who was allegedly seen opening fire during the violence that broke out in Jahangirpuri earlier this week has been nabbed, the Delhi Police said on Monday.
"A video was being circulated on Apr 17 in social media showing a man (in blue kurta) opening fire during riot in Jahangirpuri area on Apr 16. Police team had gone to his house in CD Park road in his search & for examination of his family members," the DCP of the North West district said.
"The 28-year-old man in the blue kurta, Sonu alias Imam alias Yunus, whose video was being circulated on April 17 on social media for opening fire during a riot in the Jahangirpuri area, Delhi, on April 16, has been nabbed," he added. (ANI)
The two main accused in the Jahangirpuri violence case have been sent to police custody for two more days, ANI reported.
Delhi Police Commissioner Rakesh Asthana on Monday said 23 people from both the communities have been arrested so far in connection with the Jahangirpuri violence, and refuted claims that attempts were made to hoist saffron flags at a mosque during Hanuman Jayanti procession.
During a media briefing, Asthana asserted that those involved in the violent clashes will not be spared irrespective of class, creed or religion. "No, there was no attempt to hoist any saffron flag at the mosque during the procession," Asthana said when asked if the clashes broke out after attempts were made by some to hoist the flag.
Several politicians and social media users had alleged that some people tried to hoist a flag on a local mosque in Jahangirpuri that led to stone pelting and violence. Clashes had broken out during a Hanuman Jayanti procession in the city's Jahangirpuri area on Saturday in which nine policemen and a civilian was injured.
The investigation into the Saturday clashes has been handed over to the Crime Branch and 14 teams have been formed to take it forward, Asthana said, adding that four forensics teams also visited the spot to gather evidence. (PTI)
As many as seven accused were presented in the Rohini court today, in connection with the Jahangirpuri violence case.
The Delhi High Court on Monday sought a status report from the local authorities on the status of electric and CNG crematoriums here and the steps taken by them to increase their use in place of wood.
A bench headed by Acting Chief Justice Vipin Sanghi, which was hearing petitions concerning the burial and cremation of dead bodies in the wake of the overwhelming number of deaths due to Covid-19 last year, asked the authorities to disclose the details and particulars of the electric and CNG crematoriums in their status report.
The bench, also comprising Justice Navin Chawla, observed that the objective behind the plea -- which sought an increase in the number of electric crematoriums -- was "laudable" and asked the authorities to file a report in four weeks concerning electric and CNG crematoriums in the city. (PTI)
A large number of police personnel were deployed in Jahangirpuri following the violent clashes on Hanuman Jayanti. Take a look.
Delhi Police Commissioner Rakesh Asthana said Monday that action will be taken without bias against all those found involved in the communal clashes in Jahangirpuri on Saturday. 'We will take action against each person against whom evidence of involvement is found during investigation, irrespective of religion, creed, caste and community,' he said while addressing mediapersons.
Clashes broke out on Saturday, allegedly after an argument during a shobha yatra organised to mark Hanuman Jayanti.
Asthana has denied the allegation that violence erupted after saffron flags were installed at a mosque in the area. “A minor argument led to the violence in Jahangirpuri area. The theory of saffron flags being installed at a mosque is not true,” he said.
A fresh incident of stone pelting was reported from Jahangirpuri on Monday afternoon, two days after a communal clash broke out in the area during a Shobha Yatra on Hanuman Jayanti.
Stones and bricks were thrown from a roof, close to the site of Saturday’s clash and Police and Rapid Action Force officials blocked off the area after the incident. DCP (northwest) Usha Rangrani said one person had been detained.
“A video was being circulated on Sunday on in social media showing a man (in blue kurta) opening fire during the riot in Jahangirpuri area on April 16. Police team of northwest district had gone to his house in CD Park road to look for him and to question his family members. The family members pelted two stones on them in retaliation. Legal action is being taken. One person has been detained. Situation is completely under control,” she said
A Delhi court has asked the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to maintain status quo as it observed that it cannot lose sight of the appellants who filed a suit asking it to restrain the ASI from retrieving two Ganesha idols from the Qutub Minar complex. Read more
The Gurgaon traffic police have issued an advisory asking people to avoid the Sohna road on Monday in view of a protest from villagers of Ghamroj and nearby areas opposing the toll plaza coming up in the region. Read more
Taxi and autorickshaw unions began a two-day strike in Delhi-NCR Monday, demanding subsidy on CNG prices. Due to the ‘Chakka jam’, cab aggregators and some autos hiked prices this morning, leaving commuters and office-goers in a fix. Last mile connectivity vehicles like Grahmin Seva are also participating in the agitation. Read more
Heatwave conditions and a maximum temperature of 42 degrees Celsius are on the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast for Delhi on Monday.
A western disturbance is set to affect parts of northwest India from Monday night onwards, according to an IMD bulletin issued early Monday. Under its influence, light, isolated rainfall is likely over Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi and western Uttar Pradesh on April 20 and 21. Cloudy skies, strong winds, and the possibility of thunder and lightning are on the forecast for Delhi on April 20 and 21. Read more
A day after arresting 21 people and apprehending two minors on charges of rioting and unlawful assembly in North-west Delhi’s Jahangirpuri, the investigation in the case has been transferred to the Crime Branch, which has formed a Special Investigation Team to probe the case. According to officials, the Crime Branch has been asked to probe the "Bangladeshi aspect", and use the Facial Recognition System (FRS) for assistance.
Daily cases of Covid-19 in the national capital breached the 500 mark on Sunday, with the city recording 517 cases in 24 hours. The positivity rate, which shows the percentage of tests returning positive results out of the total number of tests conducted, stood at 4.21%, down from 5.33% recorded on Saturday, as the number of tests conducted increased. Read more
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Sunday alleged that the BJP was behind the violence during the Hanuman Jayanti procession in northwest Delhi’s Jahangirpuri. The party’s reaction came after Delhi BJP president Adesh Gupta alleged that the violence was the result of the AAP government aiding illegal stay of Rohingya and Bangladeshi immigrants. (PTI)