Sajjan Kumar's kin unlikley to get Lok Sabha ticket

Sitting Congress MP from the South Delhi constituency Ramesh Kumar, who is brother of senior Congress leader Sajjan Kumar accused in anti-Sikh riot, is unlikely to get ticket for Lok Sabha as the party senior leaders don’t want to tarnish their image by giving ticket to anyone involved or related to Sikh riot. A senior party leader said that the party vice-president Rahul Gandhi is against giving ticket to Ramesh Kumar and want to bring in young face in Delhi.

“All the ten assembly constituencies under the South Delhi parliamentary area were lost in last elections. Moreover, Ramesh Kumar is Sajjan Kumar’s brother, who is an accused in 1984 anti-Sikh riots and Rahul Gandhi is against giving ticket to any relative of a leader accused of communal charges,” said a party source.

Sajjan Kumar was given apparently a last chance to be in the mainstream politics directly or indirectly in last Assembly elections. His son Jag Parvesh had got a party ticket from Sangam Vihar constituency but he lost in the elections, he added.

Sources say party high command is in talks with some eminent sports personality from the national Capital for the South Delhi seat. The BJP has fielded Ramesh Bidhuri, sitting MLA from Tughalakabad and a Gujjar leader while the AAP has fielded Colonel Devendra Sehrawat, a leader from Jat community. The Congress is also searching for a face from the Jat or Gurjar community which are dominating the areas of South Delhi.

In the West Delhi constituency, the party may consider fielding Mahabal Mishra, the sitting MP of the area. Though all the Assembly seats of his constituency were also lost in last elections, but the party has no poorvanchali face to counter BJP. The BJP has fielded Bhojpuri actor and singer Manoj Tiwari from the North-West constituency.

 “Mahabal’s son Vinay Mishra had got a party ticket from Palam Assembly constituency, but he lost in the elections. However, the party may reconsider Mishra as there is a significant population of poorvanchalis in West Delhi which voted him in last parliamentary elections,” said a party source.

The party is also hopeful with Mishra as the BJP has fielded Pravesh Verma, a leader from Jat community and son of former Delhi Chief Minister Saheb Singh Verma and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has fielded former journalist Jarnail Singh from the constituency. Singh had shoed former Union Home Minister P Chidambaram during a press conference in year 2009 as he was irked over not getting satisfactory answer on 1984 anti-Sikh riots.

BJP organises ‘crash course’ for its poll managers

Taking lessons from last assembly elections in the city where AAP managed to bag 28 seats out of nowhere with the help of social networking and media management, the Bharatiya Janata Party has planned to organise a ‘crash course’ for its poll managers on Wednesday for the Lok Sabha polls.

The BJP has planned in launch an direct attack on the AAP leader and former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s allegation on media of being hand-in gloves with BJP’s prime ministerial nominee Narendra Modi but before so they want to ‘mend their own house’.

Senior BJP leaders will educate its office bearers and other party members on nuances of electioneering, interaction with media and propaganda strategy during a day-long workshop at the Constitution Club. 

The national leaders and spokespersons of the BJP will also brief the participants on effective presentation of the party’s policies on a wide range of issues. They said four senior party leaders and experts on election management will be teaching them lessons throughout the day.

All 31 sitting MLAs, councillors, district unit presidents, 28 general secretaries, state unit’s office bearers and media in-charges will be attending the workshop. In addition to this, the poll in-charge and convenors for seven Lok Sabha constituencies will also participate in the training session.

“Poll preparations including booth management and campaigning will be the focus of the work shop. Experts will brief the young leaders on how to how to build a good rapport with voters in their constituencies,” said a Delhi BJP leader.

Party leaders and workers will also be taught on how to be within the framework of law and ensure that there is minimum violation of the Model Code of Conduct.

Sources said a number of young party workers are new to parliamentary polls and hence they need to be taught the basics of electioneering on such a large scale.

The exercise, they said, also aims at strengthening the propaganda machinery ahead of the Lok Sabha Polls so as to take on the opposition Congress and the Aam Admi Party and its leaders on media discussions and debates.

“The participants will be trained on effective handling of media queries as well as putting forth the party’s vision and agenda for the elections. Only a selected panel of party spokespersons and media in-charge will be entitled to speak to media during the polls,” a BJP leader said.

Leaders said propaganda machinery is a key component of BJP’s campaign strategy for the elections. “The party has decided to tread cautiously. Besides raising the key issues of corruption, inflation and security, the party leaders have a great responsibility to uphold the image of prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi in public view,” they added.

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Delhi Girls Take Fast Lane to Easy Money

In her late twenties, Ramandeep likes to live life kingsize. To support her lavish lifestyle, she and her motor biker boyfriend Jasjeet commit around five to six chain snatchings in a month. But only after her husband, who works for a transport company, leaves for work.

This and more such cases came to light last Friday when Delhi Police managed to chase and arrest this couple from east Delhi’s Krishna Nagar. They are involved in around 15 such incidents in Delhi’s upmarket areas such as Barakhamba Road, Connaught Place, Kasturba Gandhi Road and India Gate.

“Ramandeep deposited all the stolen chains at Muthoot Finance and comfortably made around `1 lakh a month,” Joint Commissioner of Police Sanjay Beniwal said.

Delhi police’s next new ad campaign might just ask people to watch out for women riding pillion on motorbikes. Several incidents of chain-snatching have been reported in the capital, in which college-going girls, riding pillion behind their boyfriends, have grabbed gold chains from women on roads and escaped well in time.

Such boy-girl chain-snatching gangs operating on the city’s roads have been keeping policemen on their toes. Their modus operandi is simple. Girls ride pillion on motorcycles with their faces covered using a “dupatta” and target women pedestrians. Last year, Delhi Police arrested 44 such women for committing snatchings and most of them were found to be college girls. In 2012, only eight such cases were reported. This shortcut to making quick money seems to be catching up. Police say many more such young female snatchers are active in the city at the moment.

“While their male accomplices drive the bike, women ride pillion and commit snatching. It has become a new trend in the city and it’s disturbing. It is really tough to nab them,” said Beniwal. These women are active mostly at traffic intersections, market places where they can find easy targets.

Many such gangs are active at various traffic intersections at Lutyens’ Delhi and busy markets such as Lajpat Nagar, Sarojini Nagar, Karol Bagh, Janpath, Chandni Chowk, R K Puram, Lodi Colony, INA Colony and Greater Kailash. In some cases, these women are employed by male snatcher gangs, said police.

These snatchers are also active at Metro stations where they wait at the platform. When the train doors are about to shut they snatch valuables from bystanders and rush into the train.

Such gangs are active in other parts of the country as well. “In Bangalore, Hyderabad and Chennai too, women have started committing snatching on bikes. In the recent past, many incidents have come to light,” said another IPS officer.

Poll panel reach out southern voters

Delhi’s election commission has for the first time set its eyes on the 16 lakh voters from southern states and is reaching out to them so that they can exercise their vote and play an active role in deciding the fate of the seven high-profile Parliamentary seats in the forthcoming election.

The move is aimed to increase the voting percentage in the capital, seat of governance in the country, and also to ensure that people from other regions living in the capital do not feel left out.

The Delhi Elector Office has planned several awareness programmes including nukkad natak and musical programmes in the run up to the elections and also roped in Tollywood singers to send the message across in areas inhabited by people from Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu in the capital.

"The nukkad natak will be performed in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam languages and. Some NGOs and various active theater groups are lending us a helping hand in the awareness campaigns targetting people from southern states living in the capital for several decades," said an official.

Around 16 lakh people from these states live in the national capital and most of the South Indian population is concentrated in areas like Munirka, Ber Sarai, R K Puram, Mayur Vihar, Dilshad Garden, and Dwarka, Uttam Nagar and Vikaspuri.

“We want voters to come in hordes and take part in the biggest electoral process. Why should people from one region be left behind and feel alienated?,” Delhi Chief Electoral Officer Vijay Dev said.

“Since we organised special camps to reach out to people migrated from north eastern states, we have also planned a special programme for Southern states voters. They sometimes feel themselves alienated,”

The officer said that they have planned these programmes so he can achieve one of the prime goals of the commission -- 100 per cent voting. “To ensure record voting turnout in 2014 Lok Sabha polls and to bring awareness these programme would be organised,” he said.

The electoral office has planned to do such cultural functions outside various south Indian temples and restaurants apart from the areas where they are living. “Candle march will also be organised to motivate these voters,” said Dev.

Sobhana Sukumaran, who hails from Kerala’s Kottayam and is living in Dwarka for last one decade, said, “It good to hear that. We came to Delhi for livelihood around three decades ago and still sometimes we feel that we are left out. These kinds of initiatives make us feel that we have also stake in the city’s politics and development.”

Similarly, A K Roy, President of East Delhi’s Mayur Vihar Phase Two Resident Welfare Association said, “In collaboration with district election officer we had also organised a special camp outside the temple in out locality to get south Indian people enrolled in voter list. We will further carry such initiatives.”

Interestingly, during Delhi assembly in 2013, Bharatiya Janata Party fielded M Venkaiah Naidu, Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj to campaign in these localities and so tap southern states voters.

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Delhi chief electoral office asks EC to take against AAP

The city chief electoral office recommends Election Commission of India on Monday to take strict action against Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supporters and their leaders Shazia Ilmi and Ashutosh for illegally carrying out violent demonstration outside BJP headquarters five days ago.

The chief electoral officer Vijay Dev said that they have sent a ‘fact finding report with recommendation’ to the Chief Election Commissioner after he collected from New Delhi district election officer. We have also written to police to take legal action against all the errant supporters and leaders and have also sent recommendation to Chief Election Commissioner to take action for breaking model code of conduct,” Vijay Dev said.

The officer said that they have also got the Delhi Police report. The police report also suggest that AAP protesters indulged in ‘riotous acts’ and used criminal force to prevent police from discharging their duty.

The police report stated that four policemen, 16 AAP workers, nine BJP workers and a media person were injuries during the scuffle.

The officer said that they were not satisfied with the party’s reply to the show cause notice issued to them. 

“They undoubtedly violated model code of conduct and their reply too did not were satisfying,” said another electoral officer.

Now the election commission will initiate inquiry into the matter and would summon the party leaders for election. “After that only they will take action against the party leaders. The final decision will be taken them as to what action could be initiated against AAP,” said the officer.

The officer said that the party in their show cause notice had replied that they went there of demonstrate peacefully over their party leader Arvind Kejriwal’s detention in Gujarat and it was BJP who got violent and not they.  

“They also had stated that the protest was an instant reaction to Kejriwal detention and it was not a planned protest and they fully respect the model code of conduct,” the officer quoted AAP’s reply.  

In the meantime, the officer said that to conduct fair election in the city they have directed Excise department to check all the farmhouses and bordering areas to curb the flow of liquor. “We have also asked them to check the sales alcohol of licensed liquor shops. If any liquor shop sale jumps up by 30 percent compare to last month then they would be under scanner,” said the officer.    

To check the flow of black money used for polls, the officer said that the income tax department has been advised to check every transaction made of Rs 10 lakh and above. “They have also been advised to keep eye on hotels, farmhouses, railway stations, bordering areas and airports to keep eye on cash inflow in the city,” added the officer.

Committee to monitor parties making false promises in Delhi

March 5: Taking note on Election Commission’s decision to prevent political parties from indulging into ‘non-implementable’ promises in their poll documents, the Delhi’s Chief Electoral Officer Vijay Dev said that they have formed a committee on Wednesday to keep eye on parties and their leaders making such false promises.

“If anyone, be it a political party or politician, found making any false election promises, they would be booked for violation of Model Code of Conduct,” Vijay Dev said.

The committee comprises of three members and they will interact with nodal poll officers.  “They would be checking the manifestos of the political parties as well as try to attended rallies where these non-implementable promises can be announced,” said the officer.

After the Election Commission fixed the date of April 10 for voting in the city for parliamentary elections, the Delhi election commission has pulled up its socks to register maximum voters and make the elections successful.

Vijay Dev also said that till January this year 1, 28,424 new voters have enrolled in the electoral list after last year’s Assembly election. The last day for enrolment is on March 12.

 “There are 66, 84,476 male voters and 53, 76,017 female voters including 638 others (eunuchs). We will launch an extensive media campaign to invite maximum applications for new enrolments,” said Dev adding that getting a voter card does not guarantee citizen to cast their vote till the time their names are not listed in electoral roll.

From March 9 the commission will launch a special programme at selected polling booth. The officials will be present there to collect forms from new voters and check the names of existing voters manually in the voters list. The list of such booths will be released before March 8.

For differently able voters, the poll panel has initiated a sensitisation programme of its employees. “We will ensure that every differently able person is being helped to cast the vote,” Dev added.

The commission will depute more than 85,000 civil officials and the same number of security personnel, including 35,000 Delhi police officials.

 “We have launched our training programme for all of these officials. It is not an uphill task for us in such short notice period as most of the officials have recently conducted Assembly elections,” he added.

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Special move to release under trail prisoners at Tihar

In a positive move that could bring a ray of hope to a huge number of prisoners languishing in the Delhi Prisons, the higher jail authorities are in the process of identifying such under trail prisoners who have already served more than 50 percent of the maximum sentence for the charges against them. Currently, more than 10,000 prisoners are under trial prisoners in Delhi Prisons.

While interacting with media persons during the annual press conference of Delhi Prisons, Director General (Delhi Prisons), Vimla Mehra said that they are well in order to identify those prisoners who have been in detention for more than half the prescribed period of imprisonment.

"One the process is done, the final report will be forwarded to the government to take some necessary actions over the same. Ultimately, it falls under the domain of government to do the needful in a bid to release them on personal bail bond as per the sanctioned law," said Mehra.

Under section 436A CrPC -- the most radical amendment in the CrPC Amendment Act 2005 -- an under trial prisoners, other than someone accused of an offence for which the death penalty is prescribed, has to be released if he/she has been in detention for more than half the prescribed period of imprisonment.

The move could bring a ray of hope to a large umber of prisoners as a total of 10,154 inmates out of 13,552 are under trial prisoners at Delhi Prisons with an average of 74.93 percent. Last year, 8,887 were under trial prisoners out of 12,113 of total strength with an average of 73.37 percent.

According to recent studies, more than 65 percent of the inmates in India's jails are under trial prisoners.

According to Khagesh Jah, practicing advocate in Supreme Court and Delhi High Court, who is associated with Justice For All, a group that works for the rights of poor children in the Capital, said that many financially poor under trial prisoners are languishing in jails, as they do not have the money to pay for the bail bond.

“If inmates are not aware of their rights, although as per law (section 436A CrPC), such inmates should be let off on personal bonds if they have served 50 percent of their sentence. However, it has been noticed that prison departments often does nothing to inform them of their rights,” said Jha.

 Ironically, many of them have already served terms far exceeding the sentences they would have been given had they been convicted of their crimes, asserted Jha.  

The same CrPC section also provides for the release of under trial prisoners who are detained beyond the maximum period of imprisonment provided for the alleged offence. Under trial prisoners who meet these criteria will have to file fresh petitions in court to be granted relief under this section.  

Special ward for old prisoners in Tihar

At the age of 56, Suresh was charged with murder and attempted murder. He has been in jail for last six years as he was found guilty and sentenced to life in Tihar Jail. Now, he is 62 and is in need of care and support.  

Not only Suresh, there are around 200 convicts languishing in around eight sub jails of Asian largest prison. 

Noticing that older prisoners are a growing group in the jail and not because of a crime wave by senior citizens but more inmates serving long sentences are getting older,  Tihar authorizes have started a special ward – barrack – for them at sub-jail number three where a 120-bedded Central Jail Hospital is there to provide treatment to prisoners.

Convicts above the age of 60 now have an old age ward where they will have young attendants care for them.

“Young boys are deployed in the ward to help these aged inmates. Doctors visit this ward on a day-to-day basis. The aged prisoners require special treatment and this facility will provide that,” said Sunil Gupta, Tihar’s spokesperson.

While the beneficiaries for now consist of only convicts, the helpers will include undertrials as well as those serving sentences. As of now, around 20 such helpers have already been deployed in this ward. They will keep an eye on these senior citizens and help them in their daily needs and with their medicines and treatment.

“As part of the special facilities, these old prisoners will be provided cots to sleep on. Generally inmates at Tihar Jail are provided mattresses which are spread on the floor,” said Gupta. Security personnel will be deputed at the ward round-the-clock to keep an eye on any prisoner who might try to misuse the special facilities.

The need arose after doctors at the prison detected several terminally-ill patients, mostly the aged, who required regular care and treatment. Prison authorities claimed that while doctors managed to save lives of many such prisoners who had just 2-3 months to live, the round-the-clock care could be provided only in a separate facility and by younger inmates.

The number of deaths at Tihar has doubled over a period of one year. While 2012 saw only 18 inmates die, last year 36 lost their lives. Five of these deaths were unnatural, including that of hanging of terrorist Afzal Guru and suicide by December 16 gang rape accused Ram Singh.

Though the others are said to have died natural deaths, jail authorities acknowledge that better medical aid and physical assistance can save lives.

In the meantime, there is tremendous increase of under trial prisoners in the prison. There are 10158 under trial prisoners languishing in the prisons giving tough time to authorities as inmates have increased more double fold as per sanctioned capacity of 6250 inmates.

The jail authorities now are in the process of identifying such under trail prisoners who have already served more than 50 percent of the maximum sentence for the charges against them so that they can help them in getting bail.

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Now, in Tihar Jail convicts can go outside to work

Now, Asia's largest prison -- Tihar jail -- is an open jail as the well-behaved convicts can go outside for work daily and during evening can return home.

Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung has approved Tihar Jail’s proposal for initiation of Open Prison for inmates who have undergone conviction in the Semi-Open Prison Complex. With the help of the Open Prison, inmates will be able to go outside the jail complex for work and come back during the prescribed evening hours. The facility is likely to start within a month.

“In the process, they will be able to earn wages and familiarise themselves with outside world. Each of the selected inmate will have to go through a tough selection process,” said Tihar Jail Director General, Vimla Mehra. A selection committee has been constituted by Mehra under the chairmanship of Deputy Inspector General (Prisons).

For availing the facility, a convict must have been sentenced to more than five years of imprisonment and completed two years in the Semi-Open Prison (SOP) Complex. “They should have maintained excellent conduct inside the SOP and have performed work allotted to them with due devotion and diligence,” Mehra added.

The Tihar Jail Director General shall permit a convicted prisoner to work at a place outside Tihar campus beyond which inmates shall not go. The prisoner can be allotted work on PWD projects, horticulture work or any other private work or at Tihar outlets at various places for which they shall be eligible for minimum wages as prescribed by the Delhi government.

“No prisoner shall be employed by any jail officer for any private work or shall be assigned any menial duties. Under no circumstances shall they be asked to work as domestic help,” Mehra said.

The selected prisoner shall be directed to furnish a surety and personal bond for their maintaining good conduct while on work outside, observance of discipline, work code, timings for returning, among others. Prisoners, who do not abide by the levels of prescribed discipline while working, can be shifted back to the SOP or closed prison, and could be punished as per the Delhi Jail Manual.

Tihar Jail’s SOP Complex -- prison without bars -- was inaugurated on June 11, 2013. Transfer to SOP is extended only to convict prisoners with good prison conduct, who are physically and mentally fit and are willing to do hard work as prescribed for them.

The staff quarters had been converted into the SOP and can house up to 100 inmates. The inmates can go to work every day at around 6 am and return to their rooms by 7 pm. There are no guards, but a jail officer keeps attendance record.

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16-year-old gang raped, accused nabbed

A 16-year-old girl was gang raped by her two neighbours at north Delhi’s Timarpur on Wednesday afternoon. While one of the accused was nabbed from the spot, locals chased and caught the other.

The accused has been identified as Kapil, 23 and his friend Krishan, 24, both resident of Timarpur’s Nehru Vihar area. They have been sent to judicial custody for fourteen days, said a senior police officer.

The alleged incident took place in an isolated spot near a drain in Nehru Vihar area. The victim was returning home from the local market at around 2:30 pm on Wednesday when the two men dragged her into the bushes nearby and raped her.

“A passerby heard noises from the bushes. He informed a beat constable Ajay who was nearby. With the help of passerby, the constable managed to catch Kapil red-handed,” said a senior police officer.

Kapil’s friend Krishan, however, managed to escape from the spot. But locals chased him for some distance and managed to nab him too. The victim was sent for a medical test which confirmed the gang rape.

The girl, who dropped out of school sometime ago and was living with her parents in the area, knew the two accused from before as they have been neighbours for quite some time.

However, police said the girl has not complained of harassment in any form by the two accused in the past. “The two youths probably made the plan that day and quietly followed her till she reached an isolated spot,” said another senior police officer.

Kapil works as a carpenter whereas Krishan is employed at a stationery store in Timarpur.

“On the basis of victim’s statement and medical report, we have registered a case of kidnapping and gang rape at Timarpur police station and arrested both the accused,” added the officer.

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Two youths run over by train, one dies

Two youths, who were listening to music through earphones, were run over by a train while loitering on railway tracks at east Delhi’s Mandawali area on Tuesday evening. While one of the victims died on the spot, the other is battling for his life.

The deceased was identified as Danny while his friend who suffered multiple injuries in his body after the accident has been identified as Rahul, 21. Both of them were residents of railway colony at Loni in Uttar Pradesh’s Ghaziabad. Police said Rahul is undergoing treatment at Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital where his condition was stated to be critical.

According to some eyewitnesses, Danny was listening to music with earphones which was why he could not hear the horn of the approaching train, which resulted in the accident and eventually claimed his life.

They had told their families at around 6:30 pm on Tuesday that they were going out for some work and would be back home soon. They arrived at Mandawali by train and sat on the station platform for some time.

According to passengers waiting at the station, the duo soon wandered out on the railway tracks soon. When people saw a train approaching, they called out to them, but the two friends did not hear the warnings.

“They were having fun at the tracks and were too busy listening to music through earphones to either hear the train sound or people’s warnings,” said Sanjay Bhatia, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Railways).

He said both had their earphones on when they were run over by the train. It is not yet known which train was involved in the accident.

Their families were informed using the phones found in their possession. Police were immediately informed of the incident which took place at around 8 pm. A team rushed to the spot and rushed the critically injured Rahul to Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital in the area. Danny had died even before police could reach the spot.

The victims work together at a shop in Ghaziabad. Rahul’s mother is employed with the Indian Railways.

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Swamy claims Sunanda given ‘Russian poison’

GIVING a fresh twist to the Sunanda Pushkar case, senior BJP leader Subramanian Swamy on Monday claimed the wife of Union Minister Shashi Tharoor did not commit suicide and her death was a gruesome murder.

Swamy questioned Tharoor nervousness regarding his wife’s death, even as the Delhi Police investigation in the highprofile case is still not complete.

Sunanda was found dead in a posh Delhi hotel days after she was locked in a bitter Twitter row with Pakistani journalist Mehr Tarar.

“ Why is Shashi Tharoor feeling so nervous? He should be one who should be standing up and say I want a complete inquiry to be done. Why did he get rushed through the cremation of his wife within a day? This is ridiculous. There are many things which are wrong with it," Swamy said, adding that Sunanda had horrific injuries above her belly and “ her nostrils were squeezed to open her mouth to administer Russian poison.” Interestingly, this is not the first time that Swamy has spoken on Sunanda’s private life. Earlier, Swamy had alleged that the Union Minister had misused his office to get his son out of prison in the UAE. " What prompted a Union minister from Kerala to use his office to get his son out of jail in UAE? Due to narcotic trafficking charges," Swamy had tweeted in the first week of January this year.

Tharoor had responded to Swamy’s charges, saying the allegations were " a bigot's perverse political agenda". The Delhi Police, on its part, has flatly rejected Swamy’s claim that he had got the details about Sunanda’s death through his “ sources in Delhi Police’’. “ I can’t comment on what grounds Mr Swamy is making these allegations when the probe is not yet complete,’’ a Delhi Police officer said.

Swamy claimed Tharoor wants to make his wife’s death seems like a natural death but the post- mortem reports stated that it was unnatural death. “ Why is Tharoor so keen to declare the case as death due to natural causes? We want to get to the bottom of the matter. What is the need to have no photos taken of her body? Whatever photos were taken was destroyed. The Delhi police probe is not moving forward.

Police sources told me in private that it is a gruesome murder,” he claimed.

The BJP leader also gave indication that when his party- led NDA comes to power at the Centre, he will “ take the case to its conclusion.’’ “ I will have to file either a public interest litigation, or when there is a government that is more responsive to the public like Narendra Modi's government. At that time, I will take it up and see that it ( the case) is brought to a conclusion,” he said.

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Sunanda death still a mystery

THE death of Union minister Shashi Tharoor’s wife Sunanda Pushkar is still shrouded in mystery with the investigators still probing whether it was a case of murder or suicide. Though the police said they haven’t yet ruled out the murder angle, they said none of Sunanda’s family members have come forward with any complaints against Tharoor.

“ She consumed poison/ medicines or was injected poison or was forcefully given some medicines is still a matter of probe,” said a Delhi Police top officer. The officer added that they can’t say anything concrete as to how she was poisoned as they are still waiting for the forensic and viscera reports.

Delhi Police Commissioner B. S. Bassi said the police were carrying out necessary inquiries.

“ The outcome will soon be submitted to the concerned quarters,” the commissioner said on Monday.

Sunanda was found dead in a suite in Leela Palace hotel in Chanakyapuri area in Delhi. Two staff members and Tharoor himself were present in the suite when they found her body.

Investigators said Sunanda’s last call from her mobile phone was to her son Shiv Menon. The investigators have also verified the call detail record of her phone and have questioned all the people who spoke to her during the last two days of her life. Police said they have found from the call records that she also spoke to Pakistani journalist Mehr Tarar.

Contrary

Sources close to the case developments told M AIL T ODAY : “ Delhi Police have got in touch with Tharoor after the first questioning during recording his statement. This is contrary to what is being speculated in a section of media that he’s being quizzed by the police in the case… Police are probing on their own.” Regarding allegations being levelled against Tharoor by senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Subramanian Swamy, a source told M AIL T ODAY , “ It is best to ignore his despicable attempts.” The investigators said undoubtedly there were several injury marks across Sunanda’s body and it was because of a physical fight with her husband.

“ They had got into a fight,” said an investigator adding that the fight was over Pakistani journalist Mehr Tarar whom Sunanda had suspected of having an affair with her husband.

The post- mortem report also stated that there were over a dozen of injury marks across Sunanda’s body but there were superficial in nature and not severe. The report also said Sunanda had minor bruises on her left cheek.

The post- mortem report also indicated that she died of poisoning.

However, the police would be able to know the nature of the poison found in her body only after receiving the viscera report.

“ It is too early to conclude anything as of now since the south district police is investigating all angles in this murder mystery,” said a senior police officer, requesting anonymity.

The officer said Sunanda had starved herself for two days and was also consuming alcohol during her stay at the posh hotel.

Revelations

The autopsy report also stated that no food samples were found in her stomach, indicating that she hadn’t eaten anything in the last two days. A panel of three AIIMS doctors also suggested that she had not been eating.

The sub- divisional magistrate ( SDM) who recorded statements in the ‘ mysterious death’ case had also ordered the Delhi police to investigate whether it was a case of homicide, suicide or accident.

“ I have ordered the Delhi Police to further probe the mysterious death of Sunanda Pushkar as she is found to have died due to poisoning,” Alok Sharma, the SDM of Vasant Vihar, said.

The police said three empty strips of Alprax ( 0.5mg) medicine, apart from other medicines, including botox antiaging injections, was found in her hotel room.

Fashion designing student raped by her uncle

A 19-year-old fashion designing student was allegedly raped by her uncle in New Delhi’s Chanakyapuri on February 13. She reported the matter to police on February 19, but investigating officers are yet to arrest the accused.

A team of New Delhi District police is camping in Uttar Pradesh's Lucknow to nab Sandeep Kohli, the proprietor of a prominent apparel store in Lucknow -- Kohli Brothers.

According to police, the victim lives in a rented house at west Delhi’s Patel Nagar. She is pursuing fashion designing course from a private institute in north west Delhi's Mayapuri.

In her complaint to police, the woman claims that Sandeep had come to Delhi on February 13 and had asked her to meet him. As directed by Sandeep, the victim went to meet Sandeep at a hotel in Chanakyapuri. She was busy, but upon his insistence, she agreed to meet him. It is alleged that she was raped in the hotel. 

“Sandeep even threatened her with dire consequences,” a police officer said. Frightened by her uncle's act, the victim apparently slipped into shock after the incident, but later she decided to inform her family members. She was told to approach police. However, Sandeep had returned to Lucknow by the time police was informed.

After the woman’s medical examination confirmed rape, a case under sections 376 (rape) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code was registered with Chanakyapuri police station. Her statement has also been recorded before the chief judicial magistrate.

Investigating officers have managed to get CCTV footage showing Sandeep and the woman at the hotel. Following the complaint, a police team also went to Lucknow on February 22. However, Sandeep and his wife were found missing.

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No PCR vans present during night hours

Even after two days of a 51-year-old Danish woman was gang raped by eight vagabonds in the heart of the capital near New Delhi railway station, the area – Railway Officers Club -- still remains a hub of other street drug and alcohol addicts.  Not only places in Lutyens Delhi, there are around 700 vulnerable spots with poor lighting and 74 dark spots across the city. These places are frequented by drug addicts.

When I ventured out onto these areas, the tall claims of law enforcers of intensified patrolling fell flat. No Police Control Room vans visible at least through five hours of drive, unmanned barricade, locked police post, deserted streets with no street light are enough to give criminal a free hand.

Even at the spot of Danish woman gang raped there were liquor bottles were lying nearby. Though three Railway Protection Special Force personnel (RPSC) deputed for the Railway Officers Club, areas adjoining the club is still a hub of alcoholics and drug addicts. When asked about it, a RPSC personnel Tej Singh said, “We have been deputed a day ago for club security and found that local ruffians come in the areas beside the club and consume drugs and alcohols.” The personnel stated that they are huge in numbers and present through the day and they can’t intervene as they have been asked to guard the club.

If this is the condition of areas near Connaught Place, the areas in west, east and south and even worse.  Even in the high profile VIP Zone – South Avenue where parliamentarians stay, there were unmanned police barricades, leave aside the presence of PCR or a cop in the close vicinity. This is the area not far away from five-star Leela hotel in Chanakyapuri where all police action was seen during the night.

The most shocking was the police booth outside Ram Manohar Lohia hospital was locked and no one was present in the vicinity. “This police booth is for namesake. No police officials stay during night,” said tea vendor out the hospital. 

There is no street light at the lane behind police headquarter. The areas near Mata Sundri Road and Bal Bhawan has similar look where streetlights here and there.

Around half of the 330 bus stops in the list of vulnerable spots visited on Friday night were found deserted and people struggling to find means of transportation.  The Munirka bus stop from where December 16 brutal gang rape victim was picked up was abandoned with no PCR vans or local police patrolling around five kilometers range from there. 

The entire stretch of Vansant Kunj, Vasant Vihar, Mahipalpur, Mehrauli and Dhaula Kuan where several gang rape incidents took place in last three years, there was not a single man in khaki found manning on these venerable roads. On Saturday around 1, the entire stretch from Bersarai -- between Jawaharlal Nehru University and IIT Delhi -- to Vasant Kunj, commuters were standing on bus stop and not a single police official were present over there.

Naresh Gujjar a resident of Vasant Kunj said, “When people make call to police control room then only they come. Patrolling in these areas is a joke. They are busy after 10 pm collecting money from truck.” 

The top priority of commissioner of police B S Bassi to minimize heinous and street crime seems nearly impossible with this scenario. He had stated that the PCR vans and local police have been deployed in all such vulnerable spots to prevent incidents of crimes against women and other crimes like snatching and robbery.

But the reality check exposes that the promises made by the commissioner are just on paper and not on implementation front. 

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Most of Nigerian national held are in drug trafficking

More and more African nationals, particularly from South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria and Uganda countries, living in India are getting involved in organized crimes here, especially drug trafficking and black dollar scam.

Three days ago, the crime branch of Delhi Police had arrested two Nigerian nationals from the city, who were part of international drug traffickers, with heroin worth Rs 5 crore.

Ifeaneyi, 34 and Progress, 36, both from Nigeria and presently residing in west Delhi were nabbed for running inter-state racket.  The police recovered 2.5 kg of fine quality heroin worth Rs 5 crore from them.

During interrogation, Ifeaneyi told police that he came to India in 2008. He is engaged in whole-sale supply of heroin and cocaine in Delhi. “He supplies contraband to his fellow nationals who further give it in retail and he get the supply from a man with a code name as Joe, who is also a Nigerian national, and normally resides in Goa,” said Additional Commissioner of Police (crime) Ravindra Yadav.

The other accused Progress came to India in 2012 and was engaged in fake lottery scams. As he could not entice people, he entered into drugs trafficking. “Many Nigerian drug traffickers arrested by the police were involved in selling and smuggling heroin and cocaine,” said Yadav. 

These are not isolated cases.

Last year, 57 nationals from South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria and Uganda countries, were arrested for various criminal cases in Delhi. Around 35 of them were involved in drug trafficking. In 2012, 66 nationals from these countries were arrested for various offences.  Nigerian nationals were arrested in three incidents of heinous crimes—kidnapping, murder and extortion--in last two years.

On January 10, a Nigerian national was arrested by the Crime Branch for allegedly sending threatening text messages to jewellers across the country, asking them to pay up in exchange for “their well-being”.

The accused was identified Idehen Solomon Osazee, who had overstayed on a fake visa and had targeted another set of people earlier through a lottery scam. Several cases were registered at various police stations by distressed businessmen.

Few nationals with criminal mindset from these countries come to India on student and tourist visa and when it expires they forge documents and overstay in India. Whenever they are nabbed, during interrogation they tell investigators that they came to India for cloth trading and got influenced with drug traffickers to earn easy money.  They also run fake visa racket across the city.

Many national nabbed were also involved in fake lottery of black dollar scam. Last year, police busted various gangs involved in duping people by selling ‘black dollars’ and arrested Nigerian nationals. They claimed that it can be turned into original currency notes by cleaning them with a chemical.

Majority of these nationals lives in Malviya Nagar, Kalkaji, Munirka, Uttam Nagar, Dwarka, Dabri, Kingsway Camp and Burari. They stays mostly on metro station routes in the city.

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Somnath Bharti night raid: No one will be spared who interfere with law says police

Delhi police sounded a warning on Friday to those interfering with law and order in the capital saying nobody will be spared from now on be it ‘chief minister or anyone else’.

“We will not spare anyone from today, be it the chief minister or his ministers. Police will take legal action immediately against those persons found to be interfering with the law and order and police’s day to day work,” top sources in Delhi police said.

Delhi police today submitted a detailed report to the lieutenant governor Najeeb Jung in the morning, giving blow by blow account of the incident and highlighting the law minister’s high-handedness in the matter.

“He is a law minister but does not know the law. Whatever he did was illegal,” a senior police officer said, adding: “There is no question of taking action against our men who were abused when they refused to take action against the alleged prostitution and drug racket”.

Police said the Aam Aadmi Party minister asked the local cops to make illegal arrests and also to frisk Nigerian and Ugandan women in the absence of women constables.

“We could have booked him and his aides under relevant section of the Indian Penal Code for creating nuisance in public place and preventing government servants from discharging their duties. But this could have led to serious law and order problem and the matter could have gone out of control,” the police official added.

The Commissioner of Police B S Bassi and special commissioner of police (law and order) Deepak Mishra went to meet Najeeb Jung where chief minister Arvind Kejriwal along with his ministers Somnath Bharti and Rakhi Birla and Manish Sisodia were present.  During the meeting the police submitted two four pages report on Somnath Bharti and Rakhi Birla illegal intervention with police investigations Wednesday night.

The police chief B S Bassi coming out the meeting stated that they have submitted the report and ‘lieutenant governor will take decision on it’. The Lt. Governor Najeeb Jung in the afternoon ordered an enquiry into the dispute between ministers and the Delhi Police.

“A retired judge, B.L. Garg, will enquire into the matter. He has been asked to submit the report within 30 days,” an official said.

Over AAP ministers demand on suspension of four police officers including assistant commissioner of police Bharat Singh Jakhad, during evening the police chief said, “No action against the our men. They are not at fault. None will be suspended. Lt. Governor has announced an enquiry lets wait for outcome. Primia facia enquiry has not revealed any lapse on the part of the police.”

Excerpts of police report on Somnath Bharti’s intervention

First they detained two women and asked the PCR personnel to frisk them. But the men denied as they were not legally empowered to do so. Then their men caught hold of four more women (foreign national) from Uganda and alleged they were drug traffickers and sex workers.

The minister asked us to the nabbed foreign national to frisk them to recover drugs. When the officers denied that it was not possible in the circumstances, the minister and his men demanded that they be taken to police station. When they were told that this was not allowed after sunset they insisted they are checked inside the PCR van. When that was denied they asked us to frisk them in a religious place (read Sai temple) which the staff categorically refused.

It was then they insisted they be taken to hospital and examined and frisked there. They were taken there at 6 am and let off after they tested negative for drugs or any psychotropic substances.

Excerpts of police report on Rakhi Birla’s intervention

The minister first arrived at the Sagarpur police station at 9:30 pm and shouted out at the additional SHO saying police haven’t taken the victim’s statement and the police is shielding the accused. When the additional SHO was explained that the FIR was filed on the victim’s statement, the minister asked them to show her the scene of the crime

The minister asked the police team to show her the evidence collected. The SHO rushed to the police station and explained to her that doing that could hamper the investigation, but she was started shouting and screaming.

The minister said that that the accused were still hiding in the house and asked her party workers to check the building despite the police team said there was no need of it and as it is illegal.  Late in the night the minister forced the SHO Richhpal Singh to conduct raid the tenants of the house, which included women. The SHO said that he did not want to disturb the family in the night and he had no court order. But the minister and her supporters forcibly entered the house and misbehaved with the tenants and found that there was no one hiding. The minster also forced the SHO to break the locked keys of the owner of the house stating that there might me evidence which police might have not collected.

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Somnath Bharti night raid at Ugandan national house

Delhi Law Minister Somnath Bharti’s attempt to carry out a surprise raid to bust a prostitution and drug peddling racket in a house of Ugandan women at south Delhi’s Khirki Extension ended in a roadside heated argument with Delhi Police on January 14 night.

During the three hour long visit, Bharti alleged that police refused to conduct a raid and arrest several foreigners accused of being involved in flesh trade. The minister further claimed that he tried to contact Delhi Police Commissioner Bhim Sain Bassi and Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) B S Jaiswal, but they remained unavailable.

Police have set up a probe over the incident and will report to Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung.

According to Bharti, he went to the area at midnight after recieving multiple complaints during Jan Sammelan. Apart from being the minister, the 39-year-old Aam Admi Party leader represents Malviya Nagar constituency in the Delhi Legislative Assembly.

“I had received people's complaints about a sex trade and drug peddling racket flourishing in the locality with the help of foreign nationals, mostly Nigerians. Locals claim that they are facing trouble because of this,” he said.

As Khirki Extension falls in his constituency, the minister decided to visit the area along with police and catch the women red-handed. “Some of the women tried to run away when I went here with police. Two of them were stopped,” Bharti said, adding that people were heard discussing rates for prostitutes.

Police claim that Bharti then tried to force them to conduct a search on a building without a warrant, and question women, which is prohibited after dark. The minister says in “emergency situations”, a warrant is not necessary. Bharti was also involved in a heated argument with an Assistant Commissioner of Police, while his supporters created a lot of commotion.

“Police were not ready to conduct a search or raid the premises. They did not even listen to me, the law minister. Will they listen to people?” Bharti said.

Bharti said that Malviya Nagar police station SHO Vijay Pal had come to the spot, but went away without taking any action. He was present there for around three hours during which at least six foreigners were detained and taken to Malviya Nagar police station. One of the women, a Nigerian national, was sent for a medical examination to AIIMS and was found drug-free.

A day after on January 16, the Delhi Police reacted strongly to Law Minister Somnath Bharti asking them to conduct a raid at two foreign national’s house at Khirki Extension in Malviya Nagar late night on Wednesday.

Calling his behaviour ‘irresponsible’, the senior officials have written a letter to the Lieutenant Governor, giving him a blow by blow account of what Bharti did on Wednesday night. The officials also maintained that if there is a need, they will take a legal action against Bharti.

According to the police, Bharti called them to a house in Khiri Extension late at night and told them that two foreign national (Nigerian) women are running a prostitution racket from the house. “He made a call to the control room, after which a PCR van reached the spot and later when the local police reached there Bharti asked them to conduct raid at the house and arrest the housemates alleging them to be sex-workers and drug addicts. When a senior police official denied conducting a raid without a search warrant, Bharti forced the officer to conduct a raid, accused him of not performing his duty and also alleged in a verbal spat with him.”

After a brief attempt to convince Bharti on not being able to conduct a raid without a warrant, the senior officer finally asked the two Nigerian nationals to come for a medico legal test at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). The test did not confirm any amount of drugs or psycotropic substances in their blood and the women were released subsequently, added the officer.

 According to the Delhi police officials, Bharti had no right to ask the police to raid a house as they did not have a search warrant and as per the amended CrPC provisions police cannot take action against women after sunset.

The officials have mentioned all these details in the letter written to the LG. According to sources, the letter mentions that the Delhi government ministers Somnath Bharti and Rakhi Birla behaved in an irresponsible manner. The points that they have given to prove their argument are- Minister did not follow the laid down protocol of conducting a raid, they visited a crime scene/incident without keeping the police in the loop, interfered with police's work, rather than informing the police first, the minister reached the spot on his own and took an action.

Later in the day, the Delhi Police Commissioner BS Bassi said that the force is ‘competent enough’ to ensure the safety of the people of the city.

Bassi said: “I would like to assure the people of the city that Delhi Police is competent enough to ensure the safety and security of its citizen. Delhi police is taking every possible step to keep you safe.”

The Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had demanded suspension of the police officers in Malviya Nagar whom he claimed did not co-operate with Bharti on Wednesday.

Replying to a question whether the concerned police officials would be suspended, Bassi said “I will seek information about the incident and appropriate action will be taken after that”

Danish woman gang raped, robbed

On January 14, a 51-year-old woman tourist from Denmark was confined, beaten and gang-raped at knife point by eight perpetrators at Central Delhi’s Paharganj on Tuesday evening, police said.  The woman was also robbed of her valuables.  None of the accused has been arrested till Wednesday night while police claimed to have identified all the perpetrators.

The incident took place between 5 pm to 7.45 pm on Tuesday night at a secluded place situated behind Railway Officers Club, close to the New Delhi railway station.

The victim came to India on January 1, on a tourist visa alone to visit various historical monuments. After visiting Agra in Uttar Pradesh, she returned to the national capital on January 13 morning and checked-in a room for two nights at Hotel Amax Inn.  As most of the monuments were closed on Monday, she visited Connaught Place and India Gate area.

On Tuesday afternoon, she went to visit the National Museum. While she was walking down to the hotel with the help of a travel map, she lost her way and reached near B block, Connaught Place, where she a group youngsters. 

The victim asked a youngster for correct direction of the hotel. He tricked her and directed to take State Entry Road straightaway. She started walking down the road and found at the end an isolated place surrounded by bushes. 

In the meantime, two youngsters were following her ever since she enquired. When saw no way out of the road, she turned only to find herself being overpowered by the youths on knife point.

The accused robbed her of valuables including Rs 3,000, 750 euro, I-Pod and cell phone. The rest of youngsters in the meantime reached at the spot. They dragged her to the bushes and eight of perpetrators took turn to rape her, said a senior police officer adding that the victim resisted them but she was beaten up.

The perpetrators then fled from the spot threatening her of dire consequences. The injured and traumatised victim managed to come out of the road and took auto rickshaw to her hotel and rang her friends and family in Denmark from the hotel at around 8 pm. She, thereafter, called up embassy and then informed hotel manager identified as Pushkar who made a call to police control room at 9: 30 pm.

Immediately, a team comprising senior police officers reached the spot and met the victim at her hotel, where they recorded her statement. A police officer said that the woman was ‘highly traumatised’ when she reached the police station. “She was bruised on her face and neck,” said the officer.

A case of gang rape, robbery and kidnapping has been registered at with the Paharganj police station against the accused.  The Danish Embassy has also been informed by the police in this regard.

Where the incident took place, the Railway Officer Club’s employees said that there were uprooting a tent on at the time the gang rape took place and they have no idea the perpetrators were.

“The Lohri festival was celebrated last night. The labours were inside the premises. It is difficult to believe that a group of people took the woman and raped her,” the employee added.

The Joint Commissioner of Police (Central), Sandeep Goel told Mail Today, “All the perpetrators who are around seven to eight in numbers, have been identified. Several dedicated teams of senior police officers have been formed, pressed into service and the accused would be landed in police net soon.” 

The woman had refused to be medically examined and that the police were trying to gather other evidence. “The victim was supposed to fly to her hometown on Wednesday and she had left the hotel,” the hotel manager.

In the meantime investigating sleuths have detained around 32 people who are interrogated at Paharganj police station in the presence of senior police officers. The investigators said that the victim has promised to cooperate with the probe agency whenever required.

Foreigners raped in Delhi

January 4, 2014: A Polish woman was drugged and raped as she travelled to Delhi with her two-year-daughter. The woman, 33, and her daughter were travelling in a taxi from the city of Mathura where they live to New Delhi when she was allegedly raped by the driver. The woman woke up on a bench outside a Nizamuddin railway station in New Delhi with her toddler crying by her side, the officer said.

June 19, 2013 : Two sisters, hailing from Uzbekistan, have alleged that they were gangraped for several months by unknown men after being kept in confinement by a woman from their own country. The girls, who came to Delhi in January, claimed they were promised jobs by the Uzbek woman. They stayed in a hotel in Paharganj where they met the woman. The woman took the sisters to a guest house in Vasant Kunj where they were allegedly raped after they were served with soft drinks laced with sedatives, police said quoting the girls.

February 7, 2013:  A 23-year-old national from China was raped by her Indian friend at Hauz Khas in south Delhi on Monday night, after the two had attended a party. The accused, Tariq Sheikh, 28, a management graduate who works as a party organizer, was arrested.  The victim, who works as a trainee executive for a firm in Gurgaon, told the police that she and Sheikh were at a party in Malviya Nagar in south Delhi where he offered her more drinks and forced himself on her.

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Government mulling to introduce bus facility at airport

After the crisis-hit airport metro service built at a cost of thousands of crore fails to attract commuters, the Ministry of Urban Development is seeking alternative plans to provide transportation to flyers at Indira Gandhi International Airport. The ministry is mulling to introduce bus facility for flyers at the airport.

The ministry is carrying out a survey and studying the pattern of means of transportation flyers generally takes after they come of the airport and they take to reach the airport. “The study is being carried out to see whether bus facilities could be introduced at the airport,” said an official from the ministry. 

As buses and auto-rickshaws are not allowed to ply to both domestic and international airport, people are left with only one option – hiring private taxis.  On the need of carrying a study, the official said, “A commuter living in Defence Colony or New Friends Colony will not use airport metro service. They will use their vehicle or hire private taxis,” said the official. 

He also said that very less number of 23-km airport metro express line are being used by commuters as they will not take pain to reach at the airport with heavy luggage at the metro and then will move towards airport. “It is not feasible. A proper analytical study is needed to know the pattern,” added the official.

On other hand, the use of taxis and private vehicles by the flyers most of time create traffic chaos at both domestic and international airport. People sometimes face parking problems. The foreign tourists face problems as they are being targeted by the touts, who in form taxi driver, are very active outside the airport. “Many touts are active in the area and we have been regularly taking action against them,” said a senior police officer.

Despite that the problems persist. The only saviors are pre-paid taxi booths managed by traffic police and private taxi operators -- Meru Cabs and Mega Cabs. But the commuters also face problems as they have to wait for long to get taxis.

This has also led the ministry to conduct the study. 

The ministry sought help from Delhi Traffic police to study the pattern of traffic flow. The police provided of 20 days figure of flyers using various mode of transportation from the airport.  Last year, between November 16 to December 5, 48606 commuters used pre-paid taxis and 28178 flyers used Meru and Mega cabs from terminal 1.  During the same period, 45815 people used pre-paid taxis and 35000 used Meru and Mega cabs from terminal 3.

The ministry is planning to introduce bus services to various parts of the city and for that they are checking all the pros and cons before introducing it. A ministry official also opined that airport metro service has not become a successful venture. 

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