News briefs

Special Metro gates for smart card users
Now there is a good reason to get yourself a Delhi Metro smart card. Commuters using the cards can now avoid long queues and walk through the specially demarcated steel gates at entrance/exit points of stations. Metro officials said the step was taken after smart card users complained that they were unnecessarily delayed at the entry and exit points because of token users. The first such gate has already been installed at the Barakhamba Road Metro station on a trial basis. Two such gates are planned at the Rajiv Chowk station while traffic movement of other stations is being closely studied to decide whether such gates are needed.

Nithari: Koli sentencing on May 12
GHAZIABAD: A special CBI court on Wednesday fixed May 12 for deciding the quantum of sentence to be awarded to Surender Koli for murdering seven-year-old Arti in 2006 as part of the Nithari killings. The court had to postpone the sentencing because lawyers of Uttar Pradesh have gone on a six days strike from Wednesday. On Tuesday,Special Additional District and Sessions Judge A K Singh had convicted 38-year-old Koli in the case. “The court has fixed May 12 as the next date of hearing to decide the quantum of judgment,” said lawyer Sanjay Tyagi who represents Arti’s father.

No profits,only loss,claim discoms
Power distribution companies on Wednesday refuted reports that they had earned profits in financial year 2009-2010. One of them,BYPL,issued a statement saying “in the last seven years of existence,the BYPL has sustained its operations only on borrowings from various commercial banks and today has over Rs 1,525 crore of outstanding debts.”