Delhi News Highlights | Delhi LG sanctions prosecution of Arundhati Roy and Central University of Kashmir ex-prof under UAPA

The seven BJP Lok Sabha members in Delhi should urge the party's government at the Centre and in Haryana to provide water to the national capital which is grappling with acute shortage, the city's ruling Aam Aadmi Party said on Friday.

The BJP MPs elected by the people of Delhi are "missing" when residents are facing the difficult situation, AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh told a press conference.

Hitting back, Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva accused Delhi's Water Minister Atishi of "misleading" people by presenting "cooked up" figures about the availability of water.

At his press conference, Singh said that Delhi made the BJP victorious on all the seven seats in the Lok Sabha polls, but its government in Haryana was "punishing" the people in the city. "In such scorching heat, the BJP government of Haryana is being inimical with us by stopping Delhi's rightful water. I want all the seven BJP MPs that they should appeal to the Haryana and Central governments to provide water to Delhi," Singh said.

In this situation of water crisis in Delhi, the BJP should support the AAP government and the people of city rather than indulging in politics and blame game, he added. (PTI)

An IAF aircraft carrying the bodies of 14 of the 45 Indians who died in a devastating fire at a building in Kuwait landed

in Delhi from Kerala's Kochi on Friday evening, a senior official said.

A C-130J aircraft carrying the 45 bodies landed at the Kochi international airport around 10.30 am. Thirty-one bodies were received at the airport by Central and state ministers, including Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. The remaining 14 bodies were sent to Delhi in the same aircraft as a domestic flight from Kochi, airport authorities in Kerala said.

After the plane arrived in the national capital, newly elected MPs Yogender Chandolia and Kamaljeet Sehrawat stood on the tarmac with folded hands as the caskets were lowered from the aircraft.

The special IAF aircraft had taken off for Kochi from Kuwait on Friday morning.

At least 49 foreign workers were killed and 50 others injured in the fire on Wednesday at the seven-storey building in Kuwait's Mangaf. (PTI)

The Supreme Court on Friday asked the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to take instructions on a plea filed by activist Mahesh Raut, an accused in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case, seeking interim bail to attend rituals following the death of his grandmother.

A vacation bench of Justices Sanjay Kumar and Augustine George Masih posted the matter for hearing on June 21.

“Funeral was on May 26 so what ceremonies are left? You have not given any details as to when they would be,” the bench asked the counsel appearing for Raut. Continue reading...

A massive fire broke out in the Old Katra Marwadi Market in north Delhi's Chandni Chowk area on Thursday, affecting more than 50 shops.

Firefighters worked through the night in intense heat to bring the blaze under control by 4:30 am on Friday. Cooling operations are ongoing as small fires continue to smolder under the debris.

Two buildings housing multiple shops collapsed due to the fire, which was reportedly caused by a short circuit in an air conditioner. There were no casualties.

Officials are awaiting forensic and electrical inspections before registering an FIR. The damage is expected to be significant, with losses potentially reaching crores.

Police seized two tankers for allegedly stealing water from the Munak canal amidst Delhi's worsening water crisis.

This action follows increased police patrols to curb tanker mafia activities.

The tankers were confiscated from 'kacchi sadar' near an agricultural field and D-Block, DSIIDC, leading to two cases filed under the Environment Protection Act at Bawana and NIA police stations.

Fifty-six police personnel are patrolling the 15-kilometre canal stretch entering Delhi from Bawana to the Haiderpur treatment plant, with teams from multiple police stations involved.

Delhi will experience light rain and thunderstorms on Friday, with the maximum temperature likely to touch 44 degrees Celsius, the weather department said.

The minimum temperature was recorded at 33.3 degrees Celsius and humidity at 32 per cent at 8.30 am.

The department has predicted a cloudy sky with heatwave conditions at a few places in Delhi.

There is a possibility of thunderstorms and very light rain or drizzle accompanied by gusty winds.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal submitted a plea to a Delhi Court on Friday, requesting permission for his wife to join the proceedings via video conference when the medical board examines him. In response, the Court has sought a statement from the Tihar Jail Superintendent regarding this request. Kejriwal's regular bail plea is scheduled for a hearing on June 19.

On Friday, a Delhi court is set to hear Arvind Kejriwal's bail plea in the money laundering case linked to the excise policy.

The Delhi government will work on its summer action plan for controlling air pollution in the national capital from June 15 to September 15, Environment Minister Gopal Rai said on Thursday.

The city government has come up with a summer action plan, which will mainly focus on tree plantation, Rai said, the PTI reported.

"We held a meeting on Thursday in which 30 departments participated. The focus of the summer action plan will be on tree plantation. From June 15 to September 15, the government will work by focusing on 12 key points of the summer action plan," he said, adding that the greening agencies have been directed to prepare their action plans.

Delhi's Air Quality Index (AQI) fluctuated between 'moderate' and 'poor' during May 24 to June 12, Rai said and added that dust particles play an important role in summer pollution.

Claiming that Delhi faces a water shortage of 50 million gallons per day (MGD), the city government Thursday urged people not to waste water, and asserted the problem cannot be solved by merely restraining the tanker mafia.

As parts of the city grappled with the acute shortage, the Supreme Court asked the AAP government to approach the Upper Yamuna River Board (UYRB) for additional water on humanitarian ground.

The situation prompted Lt Governor V K Saxena to ask the Delhi Police to set up patrols along the Munak canal, supplying water to the national capital, to ensure the tanker mafia does not lift water from it.

Under his directions, the Delhi Police set up pickets and started patrolling the 15-kilometre stretch of the Munak canal on the Haryana borders. The canal enters Delhi from Bawana and reaches the Haiderpur Treatment Plant.

Firefighters continue to work on containing the blaze.

Here are visuals from the firefighting operation:

The firefighters are taking precautions to ensure the blaze does not spread further. Here's what Sanjay Tomar, Senior Officer, Fire Department, had to say.

The ED on Thursday said it has attached assets worth more than Rs 13 crore as part of its investigations in a money-laundering case against a Chinese national "staying illegally" in the country.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) case stems from an FIR and charge sheets filed against Xue Fei, his Indian accomplice Ravi Natvarlal Thakkar and some others by the Special Task Force of the Uttar Pradesh Police.

"Xue Fei was staying in India illegally and he, along with Ravi Natvarlal Thakkar and others, were controlling and running suspicious hotels and clubs in NCR (National Capital Region) for Chinese nationals, especially those who entered and stayed in India illegally," the federal agency said in a statement to PTI.

Firefighters attempt to douse the blaze that broke out in Delhi’s Chandni Chowk.

After a fire broke out at Marwadi Katra of Chandni Chowk. 30 fire tenders were deployed at the spot. The firefighting operation underway.

Four men, two of them sleeping on a footpath, were shot at by five to six men who opened fire indiscriminately in the Welcome area of northeast Delhi in the early hours of Thursday, police said.

"We received a PCR call at 3.02 am that four men received bullet injuries after some unidentified men opened fire near Shaitan chowk area in Welcome," a senior police officer said, the PTI reported,

One of the wounded was 33-year-old Waseem, who was shot in his stomach and both his hands. Waseem is a proclaimed 'Bad Character' of Shastri Park Police Station and has 17 cases, including robbery, attempt to murder, extortion, snatching and criminal assault, against him.

A fire broke out at a clothes shop in Marwari Katra on Nayi Sadak in Chandni Chowk. 12 to 14 fire tenders have been sent to the spot. No casualties have been reported so far.

In a scathing attack on the AAP-led Delhi government, BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj said that over the last decade, the APP government had turned the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) from a profit-making venture into one that was under losses.

"The Delhi Jal Board (DJB) was making Rs 600 crore profit and in just a decade under the Kejriwal government, it is now in loss of Rs 73,000 crore, she said, adding that the entire infrastructure, pipelines, water storage system of the DJB are in a shambles.

Amid a raging row over the NEET-UG examination, the Centre told the Supreme Court on Thursday it has cancelled the grace marks given to 1,563 candidates who took the examination for admission to MBBS and other such courses. They will have the option to either take a re-test or forgo the compensatory marks awarded to them for loss of time.

Refusing to stall the counselling for NEET-UG, 2024, scheduled to commence from July 6, the top court made it clear that the admission of successful candidates to medical colleges and other institutions will be subject to the outcome of the petitions which have sought reliefs like cancellation of the examination held on May 5 on grounds of question paper leak and other malpractices.

A vacation bench of justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta termed as "fairly reasonable" the decision to cancel the grace marks awarded to 1,563 candidates.

Delhi Live: “Teams of Delhi Jal Board and ADMs and SDMs have been deployed for patrolling. Today, I have come here with officers to ensure that there’s no wastage of water being done by the government or Delhi Jal Board amid the crisis,” says Delhi Minister Atishi on her visit to a reservoir at Akshardham to inspect the water distribution system.

Delhi Live: The Supreme Court bench said that sharing of Yamuna water between states is a complex and sensitive issue and this court does not have the technical expertise to decide on it even on an interim basis.

A vacation bench of Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and Prasanna B Varale asked the Delhi government to submit an application to the UYRB by 5 pm, PTI reported.

Delhi Live: “Since the Upper Yamuna River Board (UYRB) has already directed Delhi to submit an application for the supply of water on humanitarian grounds… such an application be made, if not already made, by today by 5 pm, and the board shall convene a meeting tomorrow and take decision in the matter at the earliest,” the SC bench said.

Delhi Live: The Supreme Court directed the Delhi government to approach the Upper Yamuna River Board (UYRB) for water supply as Himachal Pradesh took a U-turn and told the top court that it did not have surplus water to spare.

Withdrawing its earlier statement, The Himachal Pradesh government told the SC that it does not have a surplus 136 cusecs of water.

Delhi Live: According to media reports, Delhi Water Minister Atishi also wrote to the Haryana chief minister alleging inadequate release of water from the Munak Canal by his government. The seven water treatment plants in Delhi rely on this for potable water.

Delhi Live: "Right now, people of Delhi are struggling for water but, unfortunately, Arvind Kejriwal and his government are doing politics. When Arvind Kejriwal was in jail before elections, he used to write from there and say that people of Delhi should not face water problems. He used to ask Sunita Kejriwal and Atishi to take care of it. Now, elections are over and people did not give them votes. Is this how they are going to take revenge?” says BJP leader Harish Khurana, as reported by PTI

Delhi Live: Delhi High Court (HC) has sought the Haryana Government’s stand in a contempt plea claiming the latter’s non-compliance with the court’s earlier order concerning the water supply to the national capital.

Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena said he had spoken to Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Saini over the issue and that Saini had assured him of all possible help, despite the constraints on Haryana in terms of water supply due to the weather.

Delhi Live: "Teams of Delhi Jal Board and ADMs and SDMs have been deployed for patrolling. Today, I have come here with officers to ensure that there's no wastage of water being done by the government or Delhi Jal Board amid the crisis," says Delhi Minister Atishi on her visit to a reservoir at Akshardham to inspect the water distribution system.

Delhi Live: "We have increased the number of (water) tankers. We have also deployed special teams and more IAS officers for the water distribution through tankers in the affected areas where there's water scarcity. We are trying to improve the water supply in areas that were affected due to the decline of 40 MGD water supply," says Delhi Minister Atishi to PTI.

Delhi Live: Delhi Minister Atishi inspects the Water Distribution Network near Akshardham with several key officials as the National capital faces severe water shortage.