Delhi news Highlights (August 8): Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday said that every citizen in the country should be provided with “free healthcare, education, electricity and unemployment allowance,” and that those who call these as “Revdi” are traitors of the country. He further highlighted that the BJP is creating an atmosphere where these free amenities are treated a “crime.”
In other news, with Delhi seeing an increase in street crime, especially phone snatching cases, the Delhi Police is planning to team up with internet service providers and the department of telecommunications to block stolen or robbed phones through the International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number. Senior police officers said they will note down the stolen/robbed phone’s IMEI number on a server and block the device immediately. This will act as a deterrent for criminals as they can no longer use the device, they said.
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Delhi Rewind: How Dilshad Garden started out as a slice of Lahore
When Sushil Mishra (70) set out from his home in Unnao in 1968, he had a single purpose in mind — that of being a journalist in the national capital. With lofty dreams of being a news reader some day and meeting the high and mighty of Indian politics, he moved into his first home in the capital — a room in the Seemapuri slum of East Delhi. Mishra remembers those early days of struggle when he spent the days running from pillar to post to find a job in news offices, while the evenings went by in writing poetry.
As days went by, he saw his dream of being a journalist slowly slipping away, as he started taking up odd jobs in transport, construction and the like. On one such occasion, sometime in the late 1970s, he came across some officials from the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) who had started developing the nearby colony of Dilshad Garden. As he took up some contractual jobs with the DDA during this time, he saw with great enthusiasm the area around his slum developing with the best of facilities. “These were well-built flats, surrounded by parks and markets,” he recalled.
Soon after, by 1985, Mishra had managed to earn a decent amount to rent his first accommodation in Dilshad Garden, a janta flat for which he paid Rs 250 as monthly rent. “For many living in the slums of Seemapuri, the making of Dilshad Garden signalled a new hope for their lives,” he said. “Some of us who somehow made a little money hoped to get an accommodation here.”
Dilshad Garden was in fact built at a time that ushered in a new phase in the development of the capital. Casually called ‘Jamna paar’ or the east side of the Yamuna, it was up until the 1970s considered unfit for development. “Originally East Delhi was avoided because about five or six kilometres eastwards from the river consisted of floodplains,” explained Professor K T Ravindran, who served as head of urban design in the School of Planning and Architecture in Delhi and was former chairperson of the Delhi Urban Arts Commission.
The first time the DDA turned its attention towards this area was during Sanjay Gandhi’s urban renewal plan of the mid 1970s when close to 2 lakh people from the slums of Old Delhi were moved to the resettlement colonies like Jahangirpuri, Seelampur and Dakshinpuri, built by the authority in the peripheral areas of East Delhi.
Woman who stood up to abuse by Noida society resident speaks up: ‘Harrowing experience… want him behind bars’
The woman seen standing up to a man, who abused and pushed her during an argument at an upscale Noida society, told The Indian Express on Saturday that the experience has been harrowing for her and her family.
Speaking to The Indian Express, the woman said that Tyagi, who lives on the ground floor of one of 22 towers in the residential society, first extended the balcony area of his flat a few years ago. “He planted palm trees in the common lawn area of the building in 2019. What he was essentially trying to do is create his own area within the common lawn area, which is accessible to all residents. On Thursday, he wanted to plant a few more plants in the common area. I, along with other residents, mostly women, went to the common area where the planting was happening, and we decided that we would pluck out the plants. Tyagi came out and started abusing me, calling me names that I can’t even imagine being addressed by. He not only threatened me and my husband but said, ‘Tu ped chuyegi toh main tujhe choonga (if you touch the tree, I will touch you)’, and also pushed me. All of this has been recorded in the video. It has been such a harrowing experience for me and my family,” said the woman. She also thanked other women who stood with her during the incident.
Tyagi has been booked under Section 354 of the IPC (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty).
As BJP leaders Mahesh Sharma and Sharda Chaturvedi visited the residential society on Saturday to assure residents of action against the accused, the woman told them: “I want Noida police to put him behind bars.” This was met by applause from the residents.
“He has misbehaved with a lot of people – kabhi bachcon se, kabhi senior citizens se, kabhi guards se. This time it was the women. It has been so difficult for me and my family; nobody wants to hear such words about themselves. I don’t want words; I want some action to be taken,” she told the BJP leaders.
‘Money laundering’ case: Delhi minister Satyendar Jain’s wife gets interim bail
Delhi minister and AAP leader Satyendar Jain’s wife was on Saturday granted interim bail by a court in an alleged money laundering case, in which he was arrested over two months ago.
Poonam had moved a bail application before the court. Since the Enforcement Directorate submitted that it would file its reply to the bail application, and considering the fact that she was not previously arrested by the agency, the court granted her interim bail.
The court also allowed Jain to withdraw his application seeking interim bail in the case. His counsel moved for withdrawal saying they have been informed that he was being discharged from hospital.
Jain has been in judicial custody since June 13. He is accused of having laundered money through four companies allegedly linked to him. According to the ED, Jain, between February 2015 and May 2017, when he was a minister, allegedly acquired assets that were disproportionate to his known sources of income.
Amid fear and desperation: The hands reshaping Gurgaon’s skyline
“Darr toh lagta hai sahab, par majboori hai isliye karna padta hai (Of course, there is fear, but I have no choice but to do this work),” says Amarjeet Kumar, 35, as he puts down his blue helmet on a table and sips tea at a makeshift stall in Sector 65 near Golf Course Extension Road in Gurgaon. Several under-construction buildings and skyscrapers — including luxury condominiums and shopping complexes — loom over the stall in the Millennium City’s evolving skyline.
Kumar says he is unaware of the mishap at a construction site in Sector 77 a few days ago, where four labourers died and one was injured after falling off the 17th floor of a residential project while dismantling a crane. But, he is not surprised. “Harr ek-do mahine mein ek haadsa hota hai (Every month or so, there is an incident like this),” he says.
Every time he goes up, he is aware of the “risk”. “Shuttering involves being suspended on a platform at a height. One can slip, a hook may give away, a rope may break….”
He recalls an incident from 2019 when he was deployed at a construction site in Greater Noida. “We were perched on an iron platform on the 19th floor, when a fellow worker fell to his death… At that time, one thinks of one’s family. Who will take care of them if I suffer such fate?”
But mostly, he avoids dwelling on it, Kumar says. “It is up to fate.”
Revised graded pollution plan to be in place from October 1
The revised Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) to deal with air pollution this winter will come into force with effect from October 1, according to the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM).
This year, the GRAP will be implemented differently – it will be pre-emptive and will be invoked three days in advance of the air quality reaching a certain level based on forecasts. In previous years, GRAP was invoked when particulate matter concentrations reached a certain threshold.
The commission issued directions Friday asking officials to ensure strict implementation of the revised GRAP. In the revised plan, there are four stages of adverse air quality — ‘poor’ (AQI from 201 to 300), ‘very poor’ (AQI from 301 to 400), ‘severe’ (AQI from 401 to 450) and ‘severe +’ (AQI more than 450). Actions under the ‘very poor’, ‘severe’ and ‘severe +’ categories are to be invoked at least three days in advance of the AQI reaching that particular stage. This will be based on forecasts provided to the CAQM by the India Meteorological Department and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology.
As per the directions issued by the CAQM on Friday, the chief secretaries of the National Capital Region (NCR)states and the Delhi government have been asked to frequently review the implementation of GRAP.
Under the revised plan, the ban on construction activities (except for those involving the railways, projects of national security, hospitals, metro rail services, and linear public projects like highways, roads) will set in under the ‘severe’ category. In the previous system, the construction ban was imposed only in the ‘severe +’ category. Construction activities on linear public projects like highways, roads, flyovers, pipelines and power transmission, will be banned under the ‘severe+’ category.
Liquor wars: Govt trains guns on former L-G, Sisodia says he changed stance on vends
A week after the Delhi government decided to scrap its new liquor policy, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said he has written to the CBI requesting a probe into what he claimed was a sudden change in former L-G Anil Baijal’s decision on opening vends in unauthorised areas. This caused “thousands of crores of losses” to the Delhi government, he alleged. Baijal did not respond to calls and messages seeking a comment.
At a press conference on Saturday, Sisodia said: “In May 2021, the Cabinet passed the new excise policy. We said the number of liquor shops will remain the same. But in the earlier policy, shops were unevenly distributed — some wards had 25 shops, some had none… some malls had many shops. In the new policy, this principle was highlighted that there will be equitable distribution of shops, but the number of shops will not change. This was an important provision.”
There were 849 shops earlier, and even under the new policy, the number of shops was to remain the same, as per Sisodia.
The policy was then sent to the L-G for approval and he made important suggestions for changes, Sisodia said. “All suggestions were accepted, and the new policy was sent to the L-G in June. He read it carefully and it was then passed. The policy said unequitable distribution will be stopped. In every ward, there will be two-three shops, including in unauthorised areas,” Sisodia said.
But the L-G’s office then changed its decision, he claimed. “The L-G read the policy and then approved it. After this, tenders were issued… In the first week of November, the proposal to open shops was sent to the L-G, since they were to be opened from November 17 onwards, including in unauthorised areas. On November 15, the L-G laid down a new condition that to open shops in unauthorised areas, permission from the DDA and MCD is needed. When he read the policy, this condition was not laid down,” he said.
13 days to go for Supertech twin tower demolition, stakeholders meet
The Noida Authority on Saturday afternoon convened a meeting to discuss the status of demolition of the Supertech twin towers, following directions of the Supreme Court in its July 29 order. The buildings, Apex and Ceyane, are located in Sector 93A. The demolition is fixed for August 21 at 2.30 pm, which is just under a fortnight away.
Information sought by CBRI as well as requisite details supplied by Supertech Ltd. and Edifice Engineering, a construction and demolition waste management plan, preparations made for countering the effect of dust created due to the demolition on the green area and parks located in ATS Village and Supertech Emerald Court (buildings in the vicinity) and steps to be taken for securing GAIL’s gas pipeline were discussed.
Based on the discussions certain directions were taken. A note shared by the authority states that CBRI found that Supertech Ltd. has not provided certain details pertaining to the structural audit and the same are to be provided to CBRI by August 7. After receiving the requisite information, CBRI will submit its report to Noida Authority by August 9, pursuant to which the authority will file a status report by August 11 before the Supreme Court.
Noida Authority will regularly monitor work carried out by Supertech Ltd. pertaining to the structural defects. Edifice Engineering will be working on suggestions provided by GAIL for protection of the gas pipeline. A meeting convened under the guidance of Additional CEO (P) to discuss preparations is to be undertaken for countering the effect of dust created due to the demolition on the green area and parks located in ATS Village and Supertech Emerald Court. For this, experts in Botany will also be invited to participate.
The analysis of the construction & demolition waste management plan submitted by Edifice Engineering to the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board will be completed in a week.
Advocate among 2 held for ‘assaulting’ head constable at Delhi’s Anand Vihar police station
Two men, including a 29-year-old advocate, were arrested for allegedly assaulting a head constable inside Anand Vihar police station last week. Police said the advocate has been identified as Satish Kumar (29).
According to police, they first received a call around 11.30 pm on July 30 alleging that a woman had been physically assaulted and her gold chain broken in Karkardooma village. Police found that the incident was a fallout of a dispute between two residents, Ajay and Anchal Bakshi, and their associates.
Police said Ajay was apprehended from the spot in an inebriated condition and brought to Anand Vihar police station for further enquiry. Police said a group of Ajay’s associates, including his brother Satish Kumar, then came to the station and were trying to provoke personnel on duty.
Police said the officer in the video, head constable Prakash, had come to make an entry regarding mechanical issues in his patrol vehicle when he was allegedly surrounded by the group, abused, and assaulted at around 2 am, said police. Some members of the group also recorded a video of the incident.
DCP (Shahdara) R Sathiyasundaram said: “The injured policeman was subsequently medically examined and counselled. He had sustained simple injuries with swelling. An FIR has been registered under IPC sections 186 (obstructing public servant discharging public function), 353 (assault to deter public servant from duty), 332 (voluntary hurt to deter public servant from duty) and 34 (common intention.)”
BJP firefights after video shows man abusing woman in Noida: ‘No association with party’
After reports emerged that a man seen abusing and pushing a woman during an argument was from the BJP, party leaders Saturday headed to the Noida residential society where the incident took place two days ago.
BJP MP from Gautam Budh Nagar, Dr Mahesh Sharma, met residents along with Manoj Gupta, district president of the BJP in Noida, and Sharda Chaturvedi, the party’s Mahila Morcha Adhyaksh. The meeting saw residents raise questions about his alleged association with the party.
Sharma said, “I was informed of the incident yesterday pursuant to which cognizance has been taken by Home Minister Amit Shah and Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh (Yogi Adityanath), and I have been directed to speak with you today along with other leaders present. The incident which has been captured in the video requires no witnesses anymore. I have been informed by Noida Police that more sections have been added to the FIR registered against the accused. I want to assure you that this man is not associated with our party. He may have clicked a photo with a party leader; that’s a separate issue. I have lived in Noida for the past 49 years. The actions depicted by Tyagi cannot be accepted by the party. The whole party is standing with you; I want the women who are like my sisters and daughters to be rest assured. National President of the party, J P Nadda, has also taken cognizance of the incident. Tyagi’s background is subject of investigation but in my entire political life, I have never seen this man in any programme of the party. He should be given the strictest punishment. Tyagi is neither a member nor a worker of the party.”
Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police, Law and Order, Ranvijay Singh, meanwhile, shared an update on the case: “On Friday afternoon, a video went viral on social media where a man living in a society in Sector 93, identified as Shrikant Tyagi, was seen misbehaving with a woman. Noida Police took cognizance of the matter as soon as we were informed and an FIR was registered against the accused. Several police teams were dispatched to arrest him. We have detained four people close to the accused and have been questioning them. A lot of information has been collected from them. There were three cars found in the society premises, of which two cars found in contravention of Motor Vehicles Act which have been seized. Another car, a Fortuner, carried a UP government logo, against which another FIR has been registered against the accused. Police teams are continuously searching for all possible whereabouts of the accused. I want to inform that Tyagi was not provided any security personnel by Gautam Budh Nagar Commissionerate Police, as opposed to what is being said on social media. We will arrest the accused very soon and strict action will be taken against him.”
Noida Police said IPC sections 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation), 447 (punishment for criminal trespass) have been added to the FIR registered Friday.