CM concerned over crime in New Delhi
Concerned over the rise in crime in his assembly constituency, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal has decided to meet the lieutenant governor and discuss the law and order situation in New Delhi constituency.
Sources in the chief minister’s office said Kejriwal has written to all registered resident welfare associations (RWAs) in his constituency, seeking information about specific incidents of crime, as well as suggestions that he would take up with the L-G.
“During my visits to the constituency in the last few weeks, many people have complained about the deteriorating law and order situation in the area. They have complained of increase in thefts, chain-snatching and sexual harassment. Women, especially, are feeling very unsafe. I am seeking time from L-G to discuss the situation,” Kejriwal’s letter to the RWAs read.
“If your area has witnessed increase in crime too, kindly let me know with specific details of incidents. All of us have to work together to make Delhi safe. If you have suggestions to improve the law and order situation in your area, please send them within a week,” the letter read.
Post municipal elections, Kejriwal has been visiting his constituency regularly, attending social functions and interacting with locals, especially on the weekends, taking the feedback on a host of issues.
“He was not killed by a militant or some military men. He was killed by a mob. They killed an innocent, a Tahjud Guzar (one who prays during the nights),” said one of the sisters-in-law of the slain officer.
She sought to know from the Hurriyat leaders what kind of society Kashmir has become.
“Our children are getting orphaned. They (the mob) did not just kill one person, but three more with him,” she said, referring to Pandith’s wife and two teenage children.
The slain officer was described as honest and down-to-earth by friends and neighbours.
His daughter is studying MBBS in Bangladesh while his son has been ill after completing higher secondary examinations. A cousin of his is a prominent member of the high court bar association in Kashmir.
The sister-in-law said that Pandith was an honest person who had “no craze of being a police officer”.
“He would even polish his own shoes,” she said.
Pandiths are a prominent family in Nowpora, with many, including the slain officer’s two brothers, having their own busi-
Punjab health and parliamentary affairs minister Brahm Mohindra — who tabled the bill — said while the state government was aware that the apex court had ordered the ban to curb drink driving, such a step had the potential to cause largescale unemployment and financial losses. “Hotels, clubs and restaurants are part of the hospitality industry, and they generate thousands of jobs. Even their partial closure can create substantial unemployment. One can shift liquor vends, but not hotels and clubs. Their closure can also impact the state’s future excise revenue. This amendment has been brought in view of the serious implications the ban can have on state revenue and jobs,” he added.
Punjab advocate general Atul Nanda said it was well within the state’s rights to legislate on the issue. “It (liquor) is a state subject. States can enact laws, if they deem fit to do so, on a state issue,” he added.
Nanda also pointed at the unemployment likely to be caused by such a ban, and the fact that huge loans were availed for opening the hotels and bars. “The owners of such establishments were granted licences prior to this decision,” the advocate general said. “How can hotels opened on highways be relocated?”
The government was learnt to have sought Nanda’s legal opinion after hoteliers and the state’s bar lobby voiced their grievances before it. The attorney general then suggested amending the law to curb losses faced by the tourism industry.
Arrive Safe, one of the petitioners in the case, was not impressed. “The Punjab government’s decision is unfortunate. We are studying the bill, and will decide on our future course of action in a day or two,” said Harman Sidhu, head of the NGO, hinting that they will move court against the amendment soon.
Former additional solicitor general of India Mohan Jain termed the amendment as a violation of the Supreme Court verdict.
“Punjab is making a mockery of the court order. It was passed for the whole country, not one state or two. If they (the Punjab government) were concerned about something, they should have moved the Supreme Court instead,” he said.
The topper, Navdeep Singh, secured 697 out of 720 and plans to pursue an MBBS degree from Maulana Azad Medical College in Delhi for MBBS, his father, Gopal Singh, told HT at their home in Muktsar, around 550km from Chandigarh.
“I was hopeful of clearing the exam but I had not expected to become the all India topper,” said Navdeep, whose hobbies include playing cricket.
Two other students from Punjab were placed among the top ten, with Nikita Goyal securing the 8 position and Tanish Bansal coming 10.
The results were particularly sweet for the friends from Indore, Archit Gupta and Manish Mulchandani, who were placed second and third.
Archit and Manish left their homes to live in a hostel so that they could concentrate on their studies and motivate each other. They attended the same coaching institute in the Madhya Pradesh city.
“Archit and I always compete with each other, but it is a healthy competition and it helped us both in scoring well,” said Manish, who will represent India in the Bio Olympiad in London on July 23. Both were also placed among the top 10 of successful candidates in an entrance exam to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).
Others in the top ten were Karnataka’s Sankeerth Sadananda (4), Maharashtra’s Dogra Abhishek Veerendra (5), Kerala Deric Joseph (6), Haryana’s Kanishh Tayal (7) and Uttar Pradesh’s Aryan Raj Singh (9).
Junaid’s elder brother Md Sakir, who boarded the train at Ballabgarh after being informed over phone by one of them, was also allegedly stabbed and is admitted to AIIMS.
Hashim said trouble started when a group of 15-20 people boarded the train at Okhla and asked the four to vacate the seat, which led to an argument.
“One of them pushed my brother Junaid. He initially thought that it was unintentional as the bogie was crowded. But when he did it again, my brother asked them to behave. The man got angry and threw Junaid’s skull cap on the floor. The man started calling him an anti-national and asked us all to vacate the seat,” Hashim said.
He alleged that others in the group joined in and attacked them.
The youth said they deboarded the train at Tughlaquabad station and got up in the adjoining bogie. Meanwhile, Hashim called his brother, Sakir, and narrated the episode, asking him to pick them up from Ballabgarh station.
The men, however, allegedly cornered them again before they could get down at Ballabgarh.
“We thought it was over, but they came looking for us again. The train stopped at Ballabgarh and as we were about to get down, a man with a knife blocked the gate,” Hashim said.
“While Mausin managed to jump down, Junaid, Moin and me got stuck inside. Meanwhile, Sakir, whom I had called also boarded the train to rescue us and got stuck. The men then locked the gate and the train started again,” Hashim added.
He alleged that four men then held Junaid by his arms and one of them stabbed him multiple times in his chest.
“Three men held me when I tried to intervene and stabbed me thrice in the back and shoulder. One of us even tried to pull the chain to stop the train but it was not working,” he added.
He alleged that none of the passengers came to their help. “Instead, they asked those men to finish us all,” he said.
The attackers then threw them out of the train at the next station, Asoti.
Kamaldeep Goyal, a superintendent of the Government Railway Police (GRP) said they are also probing allegations that one their officers was present at Ballabgarh when the train stopped but did nothing to save the youth.
Junaid’s last rites were performed on Friday.