Parts of Delhi-NCR have been waterlogged, as the IMD predicts light to moderate rains n the capital over the next two hours. (Express photos)Delhi News Highlights: Delhi saw the highest rainfall in a day in July since 2003 as several areas of the national capital remain water-logged on Saturday. With Delhi getting 126.1 mm rainfall between 8:30 am to 5:30 pm, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted more rainfall in the coming few days. With rains returned a perennial problem — waterlogging, with many areas like Connaught Place, parts of North Delhi, Minto Bridge, Majnu ka Tila, Lutyens, among other areas experiencing flooding.
IMD has issued an ‘orange’ alert for the city. Moderate rainfall, thundershowers and strong winds of 30 to 40 kmph were on the IMD forecast for Delhi on Saturday morning, along with heavy rain in isolated places. Light to moderate rainfall and thundershowers are set to continue on Sunday as well with the weather department issuing a ‘yellow’ alert. While rainfall remains on the forecast till July 14, the intensity is likely to reduce.
In other news, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has accused the BJP-led Centre of defaming AAP leader Manish Sisodia by running “fake news” of the Enforcement Directorate attaching assets worth Rs 52 crore belonging to the jailed leader in the Delhi excise policy case, news agency PTI reported. Kejriwal said the ED has, in fact, attached properties worth Rs 80 lakh of Sisodia and his wife. Meanwhile, a Delhi court Friday sent Dinesh Arora, co-accused in the Delhi excise policy case, to the custody of Enforcement Directorate (ED) till July 11. Arora was arrested by the ED on Thursday.
The Delhi Traffic Police have issued an alert regarding traffic being affected on the Bhisham Pitamah Marg in the carriageway from Lodhi road towards Kotla due to uprooting of a tree and in the carriageway from Kalindi Kunj towards Okhla and vice-versa owing to waterlogging and breakdown of vehicles.
Speaking about the waterlogging in several parts of Delhi, AAP MLA Dilip Pandey has said that 'It has been raining since morning. However, the (Delhi) government is monitoring the situation.' (PTI)
Yamuna river in Delhi swells due to incessant rains in the national capital. (PTI)
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted more rainfall in parts of South Delhi and Gurgaon over the next two hours.
Express photo by Prem Nath Pandey
Having recorded 126.1 mm of rainfall from 8.30 am to 5.30 pm, this is the highest amount of rainfall Delhi has seen in a single day in July, from at least 2003 onwards, IMD data shows. A higher amount of 133.4mm was recorded in 24 hours in July, 2003
Express photo by Prem Nath Pandey
Total 24 complaints of water-logging were received by the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC). Additionally, 5 complaints of trees falling and 11 complaints of branches falling were also received.
The Delhi Traffic Police said that a total of 56 locations in the city saw traffic congestion due to water logging, six areas saw congestion due to trees falling and five due to potholes.
Alleging that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Delhi has illegally appointed its volunteers on a government salary, the BJP on Saturday released a list of 34 such people, saying they were engaged for work ranging from ‘online trolling’ to providing security ‘in garb of government duties’.
“In the latest revelation regarding its character, the AAP has been found appointing party workers on government salary and getting them to do party work while holding a government post,” BJP national spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi alleged at a press conference. Read More
According to the Delhi Traffic Police, the traffic on the Outer Ring Road in the carriageway from Haiderpur towards Mukarba Chowk, due to waterlogging near the Haiderpur Metro Station.
The Delhi Public Works Department (PWD) has received around 70 water-logging complaints so far. Minto Road, Pul Pehlad Pur underpass, Zakhira Underpass and Laurence Road Underpass have been recognised as the major water-logging areas.
Reacting to several areas in Delhi being waterlogged, Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva has said that the rain has "exposed the claims he (Arvind Kejriwal) has made over the years". "Who will Arvind Kejriwal blame today? Now the AAP is also in power at the civic level; there is no government department which is not under him," he said.
He also blamed Kejriwal for the death of an auto driver, who fell into a pit and died 'because of water in it'. Sachdeva said that Delhiites have been forced to be confined to their homes because of waterlogging, adding that "all we can do is pray for the safety of Delhi’s citizens".
According to Delhi Traffic Police, traffic has been affected on the Ring road in the carriageway from Rajouri Garden towards Punjabi Bagh due to waterlogging near Bharat Darshan park. Kindly avoid the stretch, say traffic police.
Due to very high intensity rainfall today in New Delhi and its adjoining areas between 12 Noon to 2.30 PM, all major drains are flowing with full discharge capacity resulting in excess water flowing on roads, according to New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC).
Photo: NDMC
With heavy rains and waterlogging in several parts of Delhi, the IMD in an updated forecast has predicted that light to moderate intensity rainfall will continue over the Delhi-NCR region over the next two hours.
Photo: Upasika Singhal
Several parts of Connaught Place have been severely waterlogged, with water entering shops and showrooms, according to the New Delhi Traders’ Association
Photo: New Delhi Traders' Association
A Delhi court has acquitted six people accused of rioting, arson and looting on two properties during the 2020 northeast Delhi riots.
Additional Sessions Judge Pulastya Pramachala passed the order while hearing a case against Sahil, Dinesh, Tinku, Sandeep, Vikas Kashyap and Sonu, who were accused of being a part of a riotous mob that committed trespass and thefts in a shop in Bhagirathi Vihar during the riots on the intervening night of 24th and 25th February 2020.
They were also accused of being members of an unlawful assembly that committed arson, trespass and theft in a nearby house around 9 pm on February 24. (PTI)
Poorly designed intersections, lack of speed-calming measures such as breakers and humps, no pedestrian crossings — the capital’s 10 most accident-prone locations or ‘black spots’, out of 117 such zones identified in 2022, face a host of issues.
In all, the 10 sites accounted for 180 accidents last year — 80 of which were fatal. To curb road accidents, especially those resulting in fatalities, at such spots, the Delhi Traffic Police recently carried out a spatial analysis along with civic agencies and road safety experts, with the exercise exposing several loopholes in their road and traffic management infrastructure. It also suggested possible remedial measures. Read more
With heavy rainfall expected in some parts of Delhi on Saturday, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an ‘orange’ alert for the city.
Moderate rainfall, thundershowers and strong winds of 30 to 4 kmph speed are on the IMD forecast for Delhi on Saturday, along with heavy rain in isolated places. The city has been seeing intermittent rainfall on Saturday morning, from the early hours onwards. Read more
Numerous staff monitoring six large screens, manning the phone lines and computers — the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority’s control centre was a hub of activity on Tuesday evening after a particularly heavy spell of rain left several roads waterlogged.
One of the screens showed live visuals from a stretch where stagnant water had just been pumped out. Meanwhile, a call came in that a stretch near Signature Tower was waterlogged, prompting the executive engineer to step in to monitor the issue. Read more
A Delhi court will decide on July 19 whether to take cognisance of a charge sheet filed against Congress leader Jagdish Tytler in a case related to the alleged Pul Bangash killings during the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) Vidhi Gupta Anand reserved the order on July 7 after hearing arguments from prosecuting agency Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) as well as the counsel appearing for the complainant.
The judge also directed the court staff to check whether the case records, received from another court which was earlier hearing the case, is complete in all respects and file a report by July 19, the next date of hearing. (PTI)
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal while interacting with JEE and NEET toppers from Delhi government schools said it was the dream of his party to impart good education to each and every child in the country.
“When our government was formed eight years ago, we were new to politics. We had a dream…till every child, rich or poor, in the country doesn’t get a good education, there won’t be progress in the country," CM Kejriwal said.
"When the government was formed eight years ago, I was from an ordinary background, a middle class family. I never thought I would go into politics, but there was god’s miracle and your support, and we formed the government. Then, we started working on this. The work was not easy, but it was also not impossible. In eight years, Thyagaraj stadium, which is full today, is filled with success,” he added.
There has been an increase in the number of students from government schools who have cleared these exams, the CM said. While 1391 students have qualified in the NEET exams this year, 496 had cleared it in 2021. A total of 106 students have cleared JEE Advanced this year, up from 64 in 2021.
'When government school students get admission in AIIMS or IIT, they inspire lakhs of other students studying in government schools in Delhi and across the country,' Education Minister Atishi said while interacting with JEE and NEET toppers from Delhi government schools.
Highlighting the increase in number of students clearing JEE and NEET exams, she said, 'In 2016-17, we had such an interaction for the first time, when students from Delhi government schools had cleared JEE and NEET exams. Now the number of students who have cleared these exams has increased. This time we are also very happy that girls have performed better than the boys. Out of 1391 students from Delhi government schools who have cleared the NEET exam, there are 933 girls and 458 boys'
A Delhi police officer and his son were allegedly attacked over the ownership of a residential plot in Burari on Friday. Four accused has been arrested so far and search is on for other persons accused in the case, according to police.
According to police, Rohit Giri filed a complaint alleging that he had been assaulted during the construction of the boundary of his plot at Kaushik Vihar. Giri’s father Dharamveer, a sub-inspector is posted in the Delhi Police special branch, a specialised unit with a core focus on intelligence gathering. Read more
A host of comedians are performing around Delhi this weekend. Here’s a quick look at what’s in store for the city this week!
Where: The Comedy Theatre, Central Plaza, Sector 53, Gurgaon
When: Sunday at 8 pm
She is also performing Saturday at Happy High, Shahpur Jat at 8 pm. Tickets cost Rs 349.
Where: SOCA, Brewery and Lounge, 2nd Floor, DLF Star Mall, Gurgaon.
When: Sunday, at 6 pm
Tickets cost Rs 999.
AAP leader Atishi on Saturday said the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have been trying to spread rumours to sully the image of party leader Manish Sisodia.
This comes after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) provisionally attached assets worth over Rs 52.24 crore belonging to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Manish Sisodia, Amandeep Singh Dhall, Rajesh Joshi, Gautam Malhotra and others accused in Delhi excise policy case.
"Not crores, only assets worth around Rs. 80 lakh belonging to him has been attached as per the Enforcement Directorate’s own document. These are assets which he created out of sheer hard work. In 2005, when he first got the house that has been attached, he was a journalist. This was 18 years before he even entered politics" Atishi said.
BJP national spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi has accused the AAP of appointing party workers on government salary.
"The names of many such people, who are getting salary from the government but are working for Arvind Kejriwal, have emerged. The party which swore on an affidavit against taking houses, vehicles and security has continuously been misusing the government treasury," Trivedi added.
A fresh spell of rain drenched Delhi on Saturday with the Met office predicting more showers during the day. The national capital recorded 3 mm rainfall in the 24 hours ended at 8.30 am on Saturday. The early morning rain inconvenienced many commuters who faced hardships in reaching their destinations.
The India Meteorological Department has predicted a generally cloudy sky with moderate rain during the day. The city recorded a minimum temperature of 25 degrees Celsius, three notches below the season's average, it said. The maximum temperature is likely to settle around 30 degrees Celsius. The relative humidity was recorded at 96 per cent.
Delhi's Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded in the 'satisfactory' category with a reading of 79 at 9.00 am, Central Pollution Control Board data showed. (PTI)
The Delhi High Court on Friday sought responses from New Delhi Municipal Council on Delhi Waqf Board’s plea anticipating the demolition of a 150-year-old mosque at the Sunehri Bagh Road roundabout while directing that “status quo be maintained” till August 14.
A single judge bench of Justice Prateek Jalan issued notice to the NDMC and the police while directing the parties to hold a “joint inspection” on July 12 at 3:00 PM and adding that they may also fix any further inspection as deemed necessary. Read more
If not for traces of blood on the fridge and CCTV footage showing the suspects leaving their house with a ‘heavy bag’, the murder of 72-year-old Kavita Grover would never have come to light. Police said it was a perfect crime because the family thought the elderly woman had left the house. Grover’s son and daughter-in-law were in their hometown when the accused killed her, chopped her body into three pieces and dumped it in a drain in Najafgarh.
While the incident took place on June 30, 2021, Grover’s body was discovered almost two weeks later. Police said the accused Anil Arya (40) and his wife Tanu (35) were Grover’s neighbours. After allegedly murdering her, they cleaned the entire house but did not wipe the fridge properly. Read more
The Delhi High Court on Friday issued a bunch of directions regarding the plantation of trees in connection with a May 29 order where the court had ordered the plantation of 10,000 trees across the city by utilising “over Rs 70 lakhs” deposited by defaulting litigants as costs in various cases.
“It is a city that you have to beautify. What you will plant today you will see it fructify,” a single-judge bench of Justice Najmi Waziri said to the principal secretary of the public works department (PWD), who was present in court at the time. Read more
Days after a Faridabad man accused alleged Bajrang Dal members of forcibly taking his cattle away, police have filed an FIR against them for trying to hurt religious feelings after taking cognizance of a purported video of the incident.
The FIR was lodged at Saran police station against Bittu Bajrangi and unknown persons. Read more
A Delhi court Friday sent Dinesh Arora, co-accused in the Delhi excise policy case, to the custody of Enforcement Directorate (ED) till July 11. Arora was arrested by the ED on Thursday.
Justice MK Nagpal of the Rouse Avenue Court said: “… in considered opinion of this court, besides his sustained interrogation on certain facts not completely or truthfully found to have been disclosed by him in his previous statements, his custodial interrogation also becomes necessary in light of the above oral and documentary evidence collected by the investigating agency…some legitimate and reasonable explanation is required by him…” Read more
From the commonly known Langra, Chausa and Dussehri to curiously named Anarkali, Sensation and Tommy Atkins, mango lovers had a field day sampling a wide variety of their favourite fruit as Delhi government’s Mango Festival made a comeback after three years on Friday.
Delhi Tourism Minister Atishi inaugurated the festival, which is celebrating its 32nd edition this year. The three-day festival, being held at the Dilli Haat in Janakpuri, has over 500 varieties of mangoes on display, said officials.
There is no entry fee for the festival, which is taking place from 12 PM to 10 PM, and free shuttle service from Tilak Nagar Metro Station has also been arranged for the convenience of visitors, officials said.
Read more about the festival here!
(Photos: Delhi Government)
The Delhi Airport is set to launch a fourth runway along with a first-of-its-kind dual elevated taxiway that will reduce time spent on the tarmac by flyers before take-off and after landing by 15-20 minutes.
While the runway will be inaugurated on July 13, the date of operation for the elevated taxiway is to be decided later.
According to sources from the Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL), the Eastern Cross Taxiways (ECT) will connect the northern and southern airfields and reduce taxi distance for aircraft by 7 km. Read more here.
Hours after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) provisionally attached assets worth over Rs 52.24 crore belonging to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Manish Sisodia, Amandeep Singh Dhall, Rajesh Joshi, Gautam Malhotra and others accused in Delhi excise policy case, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of defaming Sisodia through the probe agency.
He said, “Prime Minister, when you did not find anything against Manish Sisodia, you started defaming him through ED? Your ED has been running false news on TV channels since evening that Manish Sisodia’s property worth 52 crores has been confiscated. Here are the papers of the property actually seized by ED. Total property worth 80 lakhs has been confiscated, that too before 2018, when the excise policy was not formulated. The entire property has been officially declared."
"People never thought a day would come when a great country like India would get such a Prime Minister who would try to eliminate his political rivals by lying openly like this. You also know who the real corrupt are. If you have the courage, display it by catching them," Kejriwal added.
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) released a video on Friday, where party leader Atishi is seen accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of defaming Manish Sisodia, after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) attached assets worth over Rs 52.24 crore belonging to Sisodia, early in the day.
In the video, Atishi said, "False news is being spread about Manish Sisodia ji by Prime Minister Modi... News is being planted in the media that Manish Sisodia's property worth crores has been confiscated, while the documents of ED are showing something else."
Vistara flight (UK 707) en route New Delhi to Kolkata made an emergency landing after facing an engine failure on Friday.
All 160 passengers onboard are safe.
"Shortly after take-off, a technical snag was detected on Vistara flight UK 707 operating from Delhi to Kolkata on 7 July 2023. As a precautionary step in accordance with the SOPs, the pilots decided to turn back and landed the flight safely at IGI airport, Delhi," a Vistara spokesperson said in a statement, according to news agency PTI.
The spokesperson said the aircraft is undergoing necessary checks, the report said.
"An alternative aircraft was immediately arranged which will depart soon after all the customers are on-boarded. The concerned team is making all efforts to minimise inconvenience to the customers by making necessary arrangements," the spokesperson said.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday provisionally attached assets worth over Rs 52.24 crore belonging to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Manish Sisodia, Amandeep Singh Dhall, Rajesh Joshi, Gautam Malhotra and others accused in Delhi excise policy case.
The excise policy which brought in big discounts for consumers was scrapped on July 31 last year amid allegations of corruption and irregularities in its drafting and implementation.
Read the full story here.
Delhi's Rouse Avenue Court Friday sent businessman Dinesh Arora on a four-day ED remand in excise policy case.
A day earlier, Arora was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with the ongoing probe in the case.
The ED, in one of its chargesheets, alleged that Arora acted as a “conduit for kickbacks” between the ‘South group’ and the Aam Aadmi Party.
Another incident of ceiling collapse was reported at Delhi’s Sanjay Gandhi Memorial Hospital on Thursday after a portion of a ceiling fell off outside the new radiology department of the hospital. The ceiling was later repaired.
The new radiology department has X-ray and ultrasound facilities where patients undergo tests before their treatment begins.
This comes days after the portion of the ceiling of a ward collapsed Sunday evening injuring a few patients. Read the full story here.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who is facing sexual harassment allegations from top Indian women wrestlers, was Friday summoned by Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court after taking cognizance of the chargesheet.
The matter has been listed for July 18, 2:30 pm. The Delhi Police, earlier, had filed a 1,500-page chargesheet against Singh for alleged sexual harassment, assault and stalking of six women wrestlers.
The chargesheet mentioned statements of at least 22 witnesses from across four states. The court also summoned Vinod Tomar in the case.
This early date has been chosen because both the accused are presently in Delhi itself. Read more here.
A 30-year-old man allegedly shot himself in a hotel room in Ghaziabad Wednesday, police said, adding that before taking the extreme step he had called his brother and said it was his “last day”.
The deceased has been identified as Mayank Tyagi, a resident of Radhakrishna Enclave in Bapudham police station area. Read more
A day after two people were trapped after an under-construction building collapsed in south Delhi, the city police Friday lodged a negligence case against the owner.
Delhi police officials said that they received a call to the control room at around 4.20 pm regarding the collapse of two floors of a building which was under construction in south Delhi’s Ambedkar Nagar. Two labourers who were working on the premises were on the third floor of the building near the DDA market at Dakshinpuri when the incident occurred. Read more
A 31-year-old man was killed in a car accident on Jaipur-Delhi NH-8 near Airtel Chowk in Palam Vihar on Thursday, the police said.
According to the police, Chetan Bhalla, the director of a private firm in Gurgaon, met with an accident at Airtel Chowk heading home around 4.40 am on Thursday. Even as he was taken to a government hospital, he was declared dead on arrival, the police said. Read more
While refusing to quash an FIR against a man accused of impregnating a minor girl, the Delhi High Court observed that an “alarming” scenario has emerged where a person accused of rape marries the victim just to evade criminal charges and “heartlessly” deserts her after having got immunity from prosecution.
A single-judge bench of Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma in its July 5 judgment observed, “In certain instances, following a sexual assault, a disturbing pattern emerges where the accused marries the victim, seemingly to evade criminal charges, only to promptly abandon the victim once the FIR is quashed or bail is secured. Shockingly, numerous cases have come to light where the accused deceitfully enters into a marriage under the guise of willingness, particularly when the victim becomes pregnant as a result of the assault and subsequent DNA testing confirms the accused as the biological father, and even after solemnisation of marriage and subsequent immunity from criminal prosecution, the accused heartlessly deserts the victim within a few months.” Read more
The Delhi High Court Thursday sought the Delhi Police’s stand in a plea moved by fashion designer Malini Ramani seeking quashing of a Look Out Circular (LOC) issued against her in connection with a 2021 FIR relating to a cheating case.
A single-judge bench of Justice Subramonium Prasad issued notice to the Union of India and the Delhi Police asking them to file their replies in two weeks and listed the matter for “final disposal” on August 28. Read more
DGCA has mentioned urgent listing of an appeal against a single judge’s order allowing aircraft lessors of Go First airline to inspect their aircraft within three days and carry out interim maintenance of their aircraft atleat twice a month. HC disvision bench headed by Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma has said they will take up the matter on Monday.
Observing that the petitioner lessors had made a “strong prima facie case” in view of the provisions of the Aircrafts Rules a single judge bench of Justice Tara Vitasta Ganju in its July 5 order noted that the “balance of convenience” was also in the petitioners favour.
“The Petitioners are suffering irreparable losses as the value of these Aircrafts are diminishing on a daily basis,” the HC said while noting that there can be no denial of the fact that the “Aircrafts of the Petitioners are extremely valuable and highly sophisticated equipment and require regular maintenance for their preservation”.
The tussle over appointment of private individuals as fellows and associate fellows intensified with the Delhi Legislative Assembly entering the fray Thursday.
This comes after the L-G Tuesday ordered termination of services of advisors, consultants and fellows in different government departments and the Assembly over lack of his approval. His office also said reservation rules mandated by the Centre were not followed while making the appointments.
After first ordering disengagement of 116 fellows and associate fellows, the Assembly Secretariat issued another order putting the first decision on hold. This came after the intervention of Speaker Ram Niwas Goel. Read more
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) Thursday arrested businessman Dinesh Arora in connection with its probe into the Delhi excise policy. In the CBI’s excise case, Arora had made a request to turn approver before a Delhi court which was allowed.
This is the 13th arrest in the case by the ED and they have filed five chargesheets, including against former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia.
The ED, in one of its chargesheets, has alleged that Arora acted as a “conduit for kickbacks” between the ‘South group’ and the Aam Aadmi Party. Read more
More than 27 years after bomb blasts claimed the lives of 13 people and left scores injured in Delhi’s Lajpat Nagar market in 1996, the Supreme Court Thursday reversed the acquittal of two of the accused in the case and sentenced them and two others to imprisonment for the rest of their natural lives, without remission.
A bench of Justices B R Gavai, Vikram Nath and Sanjay Karol, which discussed the evidence against the men in detail, said, “Therefore, in view of the above, it is evident that A3 (Mohd. Nasushad), A5 (Mirza Nissar Hussain @ Naza), A6 (Mohd Ali Bhatt @ Killey) and A9 (Javed Ahmed Khan) were part of a criminal conspiracy to cause the blast in the capital city, New Delhi”. Read more