Delhi Underground

April is the cruelest month,wrote Eliot. With daily hearings about to begin in the high-profile 2G case in a tiny,humid courtroom cramped by dozens of scribes,lawyers and onlookers,the poet’s wisdom seems to have not taken Delhi’s long summer into account. With an advocate fainting in the stuffy courtroom and an accused complaining of dehydration the other day,all those required to attend the hearings daily are breaking into a sweat thinking about the long summer months ahead. “It’s just April,May and June are still ahead. The Supreme Court has designated a special court for the case,but it should also designate a bigger and better-ventilated hall,” a lawyer said.

Race to finish line

Despite the Supreme Court’s clearance,the high-profile Noida park still seems far from completion. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati was expected to visit Noida this week to inaugurate the park,and unveil a few other schemes as well. The proposed visit,however,had to be cancelled as work on the projects was far from complete. Mayawati,on her part,is understood to have instructed her officials to finish work as soon as possible,being eager to inaugurate the park at the earliest.

Informed decision

Reminiscing about his days at the Narcotics Cell of the Crime Branch,a senior Delhi Police officer was overheard telling his colleague how a “trusted informer had ditched him” one time after being offered a large sum of money to help in a drug seizure. The informer had been hired to pose as a customer after he claimed “he knew the tricks of the trade”,the officer said. The money was paid,but soon after the informer disappeared. A year later,the officer was told by his team that the informer,a Nigerian,had been arrested. On being asked why he did what he did,the man said he needed the money to buy a diamond set for his girlfriend back home. “There was obviously no point in asking him to return the money. From now onwards,we should check the records of every person before hiring him. He should be rejected if he has a girlfriend,” the officer said.

All in a day’s workRoundabout way

After failing to remove encroachments from the 900-metre area around the ammunition depot,the district administration is now considering a different,stealthier approach to the job. The administration has assured confidentiality for those who can provide information on new constructions coming up in the area. It remains to be seen whether the new method will work where demolition drives,cutting of power and water supply and lodging of FIRs failed.

Tall order

The MCD’s new headquarters and Delhi’s tallest building — the Civic Centre on Minto Road — is fast becoming the most sought after office address. Newly appointed Delhi Election Commissioner Rakesh Mehta has now joined the list of hopefuls,and written to the MCD Commissioner for office space in the building. MCD officials,however,say that the request is likely to be turned down,as the building is already filled to capacity.