NEW DELHI: In what is being termed a major breakthrough, the Special Cell of the Delhi Police has arrested a suspected ISIS terrorist who was on the most wanted list of the National Investigative Agency (NIA).

The suspected terrorist, identified as Shahnawaz alias Shafi Uzzama, an engineer by profession, was hiding in Delhi after fleeing from Pune, Maharashtra.

According to a senior Delhi Police official, the terror probe agency NIA had declared a reward of Rs 3 lakh on the arrest of the suspected ISIS terrorist. 

Last month, the NIA had released pictures of four terror suspects, including that of Shahnawaz. The other three were Talha Liyakat Khan from Pune, and Rizwan Abdul Haji Ali and Abdulla Faiyaz Shaikh alias Daiperwala, both from Delhi.

"We have also detained a couple of more people for their alleged involvement with this ISIS terror module," the official told The New Indian Express.

As per the officials privy to the development, the said ISIS module was planning to carry out terror incidents in north India and was taking instructions from foreign-based handlers.

During the raid, the sleuths of the Special Cell also recovered some incriminating material which is suspected to be used for IED fabrication. 

NEW DELHI: A 42-year-old head constable in Delhi Police was arrested, along with two accomplices, for allegedly murdering a 28-year-old woman constable two years ago and dumping her body in a drain. The accused, identified as Surendra Singh (prime accused), Ravin and Rajpal, were arrested by the Crime Branch of the Delhi Police.

Sharing details of the crime, Special Commissioner of Police Ravindra Singh Yadav said a missing report of a woman was lodged on October 20, 2021. The police search did not bear any fruit. On the request of the family, the Delhi Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora transferred the case to the Crime which in its investigation established that the woman was murdered two years ago as she had objected to his advances.

“When Surendra got to know that she has a bright future ahead as she had already been selected as a sub-inspector in the UP Police and was preparing for civil services at Mukherjee Nagar in Delhi, he thought of marrying her,” the Special CP said in a press conference. He said the accused was already married and when the victim woman threatened him of disclosing his activities to her family, he planned to eliminate her.

“On a fateful day, the accused took her to Burari Pushta, where he first strangulated her and then drowned her in the nala near the Pushta. He kept stones on the body to submerge it. The victim woman’s skeletal remains were found by the police,” the senior officer said.

For celebrated writer VS Naipaul, fame first came with the publication of his novel, ‘A House for Mr Biswas’. Wanting to write a copy on the Civil Lines bungalow rebuilt by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal as his residence, the title of the novel read long years ago kept coming back.

Last week the Central Bureau of Investigations (CBI) registered a preliminary enquiry into alleged ‘irregularities and misconduct’ with respect to the construction of a new official residence for Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. The charge is that the Public Works Department(PWD) had initially issued a proposal only for the renovation and beautification of the bungalow. However, the original British-era property was razed to the ground and a new bungalow was built.

It’s been alleged that the PWD demolished the old structure without a survey report and constructed the new building without getting a new building plan sanctioned. Finally, there is the issue of expenditure. It’s said that the PWD, which is under the Delhi government, increased the cost of renovation work at the controversial bungalow from Rs 7.62 crore to Rs 33.20 crore without any sanction.

Kejriwal has responded to the move the way he is best known to do. He has said that PM Narendra Modi was nervous therefore he has instituted the enquiry against him. He has claimed that in the opposition block, he was the only one capable of taking on the BJP.

This outburst may overtly look to be against Modi and the BJP but it also points towards the members of the opposition alliance – I.N.D.I.And especially the Congress. Delhi Congress has refrained so far from giving any clean chit to the Kejriwal government on the issues of corruption.

In addition to this, influential leaders like Ajay Maken and Sandeep Dikshit have consistently opposed any truck with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). The ruling AAP too has done sufficiently to add bitterness in the relationship. It has announced to contest elections in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. Campaign by AAP in the poll-bound states would have one outcome, an adverse effect on the fortune of the Congress party.

How does that get interpreted? AAP is acting in this manner as it’s the only party in I.N.D.I.A alliance that runs on the counter-purposes with the Congress. Rest other prominent partners – Samajwadi Party, Rashtriya Janata Dal, Shiv Sena, and DMK have a settled seat-sharing relationship with the Congress. AAP on the other hand replaced the Congress in government in the states of Delhi and Punjab.

The visible isolation of Kejriwal in the opposition alliance brings us to the theme of Naipaul’s novel – alienation. While joining the opposition ranks, Kejriwal was expected to merge his personal identity with that of the other members of the alliance. This he has found difficult and at times even makes him feel trapped.

However, similarities between Kejriwal and the novel’s protagonist Mohan Biswas, both in the search for their respective identity, ends here. Kejriwal has not been as ‘innocent’ as Mohan Biswas. So far his government has not managed to get any clean in any of the cases of corruption filed against it. The addition of the Sheesh Mahal (the glass palace) scam is just another on the list of sleaze charges against the Kejriwal government.

In the past too, whenever a charge has been brought against any of his ministers, Kejriwal has cried foul from the rooftops. However, this has not helped his two prominent ministers – Satyendra Jain and Manish Sisodia get any reprieve from the court on the basis of the lack of merit in the cases. The chief minister so far has managed to evade any direct linkage with the cases filed against the Delhi government. However, the house for Mr Kejriwal may cost the CM very dearly.

Sidharth Mishra
Author and president, Centre for Reforms,Development & Justice

It is not a Javed Akhtar event if it does not start with a wisecrack. At a recent discussion about his new book, Talking Life, in Delhi, he started the evening with a joke about the deep-seated sofas at the event that reminded him of his early days of asking for jobs in Bollywood in the offices of big-studio bosses. Talking Life is the third part of the trilogy that explores Akhtar’s life. The first two books, Talking Films (1999) and Talking Songs (2005), were about his contributions to the Hindi film industry – notably for dialogues like “Mere paas ma hai!” (Deewar) and lyrics like Chanda Re Chanda Re (Minsara Kanavu/ Sapnay). The evening begins with author Nasreen Munni Kabir’s conversation with Akhtar, with the poet talking of the highs and the lows of his journey–he says he does not give “much importance” to either – that shaped him as a man who has known success.

Author Namrata Kohli asks him why he did not write a straight-out autobiography when for a prolific author like him, it would have been a natural choice. That was “never on the cards,” says Akhtar. He says that he was brought up by distant relatives after his mother’s death when he was eight. “If I were to be honest about my feelings while writing an autobiography, I would have to express some sentiments and feelings that would hurt many. I would also have to include romantic encounters. That would be a sort of a kiss-and-tell. It would be disrespectful,” he states, with a laugh.

It is clear from the passages he reads that his mother Safia’s death had changed Akhtar’s trajectory in life. His father’s distance from him and his younger brother, the pain of living away from his siblings, and having to find his own footing in the city of Bombay as a young man, is not a side of him that many would know. Did this find its way into Deewar, the famous “Mere paas ma hai” dialogue perhaps? To dwell on the past is not his way. “If all that misfortune has brought me to this moment – my good fortune – then I won’t mourn over it. Let us not try to edit our lives,” he says.

The glorification of the ‘ma’ figure in Indian society also is “slightly problematic”, says the poet. It creates doubt in women about which women are “adarniya” (respectable) and which are not. The glorification of the mother ultimately becomes a whip in the man’s hand, says Akhtar. “Zaroorat se zyada ma ko inverted quotes mein daalna is a problem. Because love without respect is a fraud. Respect without empowerment is a fraud,” he states.

The evening also sees the poet talk of his role in being a major driving force behind the Copyright Amendment Bill (2012), which gives artists and composers the lifetime right to the royalties earned by music labels and production companies.

“The law had a loophole prior to the amendment. They (the production companies) exploited this loophole and all artists were being deprived of a huge amount of royalty. And it was impossible for one person to change the course of their functioning. They would say that if you don’t sign these terms (of relinquishing royalty rights), they would not work with the artist,” he recounts. “I am really thankful to both the Opposition and the government in power at the time, for joining hands to pass the Bill.”

What does he feel about the content of Hindi cinema? Akhtar says every period of Bollywood is a reflection of the society of that time. “A Nehruvian hero, who waits for the authorities to make things right for him, would not work in the post-Emergency era, where the ‘angry, young man’ or the vigilante hero would take matters into his own hands, and not wait for higher-ups. Similarly, the visual content today reflects how society is today,” he says. The evening ends with an expected request. A poem. And Akhtar is in his element.

NEW DELHI: The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) on Sunday launched a massive drive towards ‘Shramdaan’ (voluntary service) for cleanliness under the ‘Swachhata Hi Sewa’ Pakhwada.It saw the participation of several RWAs, Market Traders Associations (MTAs), slum dwellers, morning walkers and school students.

Activities held on the day included a plogging drive, administering of a ‘Swachhata’ pledge, cleaning and washing of footpaths, sweeping of roads, cleaning of dumping grounds and removal of green waste as well as other litter collected from offices, parks and residential complexes.

According to the NDMC, about 8,000 field staff, 3,000 office staff, 5,000 school students, 65 RWAs, 41 MTAs, 16 hotels, 103 parks, 20 slums and 65 NGOs contributed their Shramdaan at 356 locations in the NDMC jurisdiction.

Highlighting the achievement of the cleanliness drive under Swachh Bharat Abhiyan launched on October 2, 2014, NDMC vice chairman Satish Upadhyay said that the waste segregation in India has increased from 15-16 per cent in 2014 to a remarkable 76 per cent as of today, and the mission is to achieve 100 per cent waste segregation across India. Upadhyay added that the focus now is to transform India into a garbage-free nation.

Meanwhile, on its part, the MCD held an hour-long Shramdaan in keeping with PM Narendra Modi’s call for ‘ek tareekh, ek ghanta, ek saath’.People from various walks of life, including MPs, MLAs, area councillors, RWAs, MTAs, school and college students, staff and officers of various government departments and general public came together to perform Shramdaan under ‘Swachhta Hi Sewa’ Pakhwada at more than 500 locations in the capital.

Under the campaign, various cleanliness activities were conducted in all 12 zones and schools, hospitals and other establishments of the MCD.In the Civil Line zone, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan participated in a cleanliness drive at DU’s north campus area while BJP leader Manoj Tiwari attended a drive held at Mukherjee Nagar.

NEW DELHI: Development Minister Gopal Rai on Sunday said that traders affected due to the recent fire in Azadpur Mandi have been shifted till the damaged tin sheds are repaired. During a visit to the Azadpur Mandi where a fire broke out on September 29, Rai said he had issued directions that the repair works to be done within 45 days. He stated that an inquiry into the fire incident was ordered yesterday.

“In view of the facts that have come out after the inquiry and the demand of the traders’ organisations of mandi, direction has been given to the mandi officer that the traders of the damaged shed should be shifted to another shed for a few days and directed the Azadpur Mandi secretary to complete the repair work of the shed within 45 days,” he said.

Rai said that instructions have been given to install a fire system inside the mandi shed. He stated that the cause for the fire, as per officials, was traced to a fire on a pile of garbage outside the low-rising wall of the damaged tin shed. Orders have been given to increase the height of walls so that such a problem does not arise again.

The minister further said that in view of the demand of the traders’ organisations of mandi, we have ordered that they should be shifted to another shed for a few days so that their business-related work can run smoothly. In view of the incident, it has also been ordered that measures to extinguish future fire should be taken at the local level.

People are surprised that I speak so many languages. Actually, they are somewhere between disbelief, intimidation and some amount of ‘why bother … there’s enough to do in life anyway.’My father was in the army- a frequently tossed-around infantry man. As children, we tagged along, living in lofty mountains, deep valleys, by tranquil rivers, close to monasteries or temples or in scorching, but no less stunning, deserts. I lived with all my senses on fire.

The fragrance of the magnolia in the Nilgiris, the sight of little blue-green clearings in the Himalayas, the touch of garnet red cardamoms hard as a tart fruit you want to sink your teeth into… And sounds … Sounds of rustling trees in the hands of the masterful wind, waterfalls that sound like gods playing a wild Holi and most powerfully, the sounds of silence.

So, Nature became my best friend (and has stayed so). But even timid, nature-loving children have to learn to be social. I was shy but I was magnetically drawn to cultures. I wanted to enter into their mysteries and devour their stories. I learnt that there is a magic key for this. I learnt to speak different tongues so that I could enter through that magic gateway and show the locals how much I respected their lives and language. Then, no one could turn me away.

As an adult, I continue to learn languages and polish the ones I already know. Do I do it just to communicate? Not at all. My goal is way bigger. I want to have families wherever I stand. I use new words to flatter and charm. And make others laugh. I learn strategic phrases aimed at spreading joy. For is there any other act of communication that the world needs, other than my heart connecting with yours?

Anupamaa Dayal
This fashion designer is about happy clothes and happy homes for happy women

Windows shape the way light falls inside the room. In Mughal-era buildings, the relationship of light with shadow, between man and God, was mediated in no small measure by the jali. On World Architecture Day, Navina Najat Haidar’s work of documenting the perforated stone or latticed screen found in palaces and tombs, in hamams and mosques, throws the spotlight on this ubiquitous yet hardly talked of ornamentation of Mughal architecture. And it has travelled well—through the Gujarat Sultanate and the Rajput kingdoms to central India and, also in the south, in the Deccan.

Haidar is the chief curator of Islamic art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art(MET) in New York. Her new book, Jali: Lattice of Divine Light in Mughal Architecture (Mapin), explores the delicate beauty of more than 200 jalis across India, from 17th-century examples in Agra to those designed by global contemporary artists influenced by historical styles to the private quarters of an American heiress. The model mostly followed everywhere was, however, guided by Mughal aesthetics.

Jalis in the buildings of Akbar and Jahangir showed preference for“geometric patterns evolved in the wider Persianate world”, says Haidar in the book. They also borrowed from auspicious Hindu and Jain motifs such as floral heads and swastikas. These perforated screens also had other functions—they were often the point of encounter between two communities, the Hindu and the Muslim, especially in Sufi shrines. Threads were tied on the jalis of the shrines to pay homage after a prayer had been answered or to submit a new prayer or to seek blessings. God, and an interest and an understanding of ‘the other’, lay in these details.

Excerpts of a conversation with Haidar:

How did you come up with the idea of an entire book on jalis? It is quite a lateral entry into the world of Mughal architecture.
The study of architecture incorporates a focus on elements of design, ornament and function as well as a consideration of the edifices as a whole. This volume places the jali within the larger language of Mughal ornament and architecture, while also drawing out the individual story of this feature in different contexts.

How was the jali interpreted in different regions of what we now know as India and the reason for its pan-Indian popularity? Which stone is most conducive to the crafting of jalis?
In historical structures, the jali may be carved in materials such as marble and sandstone, depending on the monument and the desired function of this feature. It can range from exquisitely carved elements - such as the ‘Tree of Life’ jalis in the Sidi Sayyid Mosque in Ahmedabad - to large-screen walls enclosing a sacred space in filtered light and celestially-inspired patterns -  such as in the shrine of Sheikh Salim Chishti at Sikri.

For women on the other side of the jali were these hindrances to looking out?
Harem spaces were often screened so as to keep the women’s quarters private, but offered views outward.

How did God enter the equation when it came to jalis? There is reference to ‘divine light’ entering through the perforations of the windows.
The Mughal arts developed a sophisticated language of light symbolism and allusion, which is apparent in the ways in which jalis were designed and used. Celestial imagery in Mughal art exalted the power of the sun and the mysticism of the stars set in the heavenly sphere, which were evoked in the radiating sunbursts (shamsas), stellar (sitara) shapes and geometric knot patterns (girih) of jali windows and screens. The motifs of divine illumination were integral to Sufism as were allegories of light in Islam, such as the ‘Verse of Light’ where God is likened to a light from a lamp in a niche. In Mughal tombs, mosques and palaces, jalis mediated between heavenly light and the world of man through a sophisticated language of mathematical patterns, reflections and shadows.

The British too seemed to have been inspired by jalis. Why?
The jali was not a major feature in the architecture of the Raj but you can see interesting ones in Rashtrapati Bhavan, which combined old and new influences into distinctive styles such as lyres or star nets.

Which are your personal favourites when it comes to jali work in India?
I appreciate the great Mughal jalis of the Shah Jahan period, such as the openwork vase jalis in the Agra fort, which show superlative carving and European influence. I also like the ones in the National Museum building - which is about to be tragically demolished, according to reports. There are handsome, starry and medallion jalis in the inner courtyard, which is an attractive circular space containing sculpture and greenery.

There is breaking news coming in; investigative agencies have found that Lawrence Bishnoi was in contact with Pakistan-based Khalistani terrorist Harvinder Singh Rinda...,” anchors announced on television last year, days after the assassination of Punjabi pop singer Shubhdeep Singh (28), better known as ‘Sidhu Moose Wala’.

Moosewala was shot dead on May 29, 2022 near Jawaharke village of Mansa district in Punjab. He was found soaked in his own blood on the driving seat of an SUV while two more occupants of the car survived. As the police began its investigation into the case, a name immediately cropped up -- jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi.

Day after day, the investigation into the murder brought out new theories. Eventually, the case was solved and six people came on the police radar -- four were arrested by Delhi Police and two were killed in an encounter by Punjab Police.

But what surprised the cops the most was the apparent nexus of local gangsters with cross-border elements and Pakistan’s spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). Why was Lawrence Bishnoi in touch with someone called Rinda in Pakistan? How come ISI was connected with local Indian gangsters?

The gangs of Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Rajasthan etc. have now hit national and international headlines, probably the biggest blowback of high-profile killings in a while, similar to the erstwhile Bombay underworld attacks many years ago.

Not only Moosewala but political functionaries and sportspersons have also been at their receiving end.
India’s relations with Canada have hit a diplomatic low after Canadian PM Justin Trudeau leveled serious allegations against the latter for the alleged involvement of its agents in the killing of Khalistani extremist Harminder Singh Nijjar, who was a Canadian citizen, in June this year.

It was also recently revealed that Canada-based fugitive terrorist Arshdeep Singh alias Arsh Dalla, a close aide of Nijjar, had hatched a conspiracy along with two other people, of which one was an operative of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), to commit terror acts in India.

So what is this connection between local gangsters, Khalistani extremists, and Pakistan’s spy agency ISI?

To completely understand this nexus, it is pertinent to turn back to November 2016, when just 26 km away from Punjab’s Patiala, six men were executed to free themselves from the clutches of law.

Punjab prison break in 2016

In November 2016, a group of gangsters dressed as policemen opened fire at security guards at Nabha jail in Punjab and managed to free four gangsters and two terrorists. These included Gurpreet Singh Sekhon (alleged mastermind of the plan), Vicky Gounder (later killed in an encounter), Kulpreet alias Neeta Deol, Amandeep Dhotiyan and two terrorists -- Harminder Singh Mintoo and Kashmira Singh of Khalistan Liberation Force.

Three of the six -- Sekhon, Deol and Dhotiyan -- were held guilty, two -- Mintoo and Gounder -- died during proceedings while one -- Kashmira Singh -- went to Pakistan and has not been caught till now.
It was this day i.e. November 27, 2016, which stands out as a date that sparked a chain reaction with far-reaching consequences.

“Ik kam karo baba ji nu v naal chak lo (Do one thing, let’s take baba ji (Mintoo) along with us),” said Sekhon a night before the escape. To date, it is being said that the whole operation was planned to free four gangsters and the terrorists who escaped along with them were just a coincidence.

However, it is not what some Delhi Police officials feel. They still believe that the operation was actually meant to free the dreaded terrorist Mintoo, but it was planned in such a way that even the gangsters who were escaping were not aware of that.

The real intrigue in the Nabha jailbreak lay in its profound impact on national security. The event ultimately drew the attention of Pakistan’s intelligence agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), which sought to exploit the chaos sown by these criminals for their own sinister purposes.

Tactical shift by ISI?

Till that point in time, the ISI had never contacted any local gangsters but the daring operation executed by these criminals-turned-gangsters caught its eye.“ISI was keeping a very close eye on the gangster activities that were going on in Punjab and Mintoo had recently risen in that landscape,” said an official on the condition of anonymity.

The official, who was part of the team when Mintoo was caught at the old Delhi railway station, said Mintoo had become a leader of several gangsters in Punjab as he had strong leadership skills. “The gangsters admired him. After we caught him, we received several threatening calls and video messages not to harass Mintoo,” he said.

After the Nabha jailbreak, ISI approached the local gangsters. “This was the biggest tactical shift by the ISI from 2017 onwards, realizing that the gangsters were more handy than Khalistani terrorists,” he said.
Since then, the ISI has used local gangsters for all the killings in the country. Even in October last year, the Special Cell of the Delhi Police had arrested four criminals who were operating on the behest of Canada-based gangster turned terrorist Lakhbir Singh ‘Landa’ and Harvinder Singh ‘Rinda’, a Khalistani terrorist based in Pakistan.

As per officials, the end objective of both Rinda and Landa is to execute the tasks that may lead to a resurgence of terrorism in Punjab, for which the ISI is supplying them with highly explosive Chinese Grenades, AK-47 and MP-5 rifles and ex-China Army stock Star Pistols.

The new modus operandi

In order to increase their area of influence, several small gangs joined hands with each other over time resulting in a bigger pool of shooters who can operate in different areas (inter-state) to maintain anonymity and dodge law enforcement agencies. The purpose was to expand criminal activities over different states, strike terror in the minds of people, and carry out extortion over a wider area.

The interaction of criminals/gangsters in jails and subsequent friendships and rivalries in criminal syndicates are nothing new. Since many of these gangsters got arrested and remained in jail for a considerable period in different jails, they came in contact with other gangs who had no conflict of interest among themselves.

To increase their area of influence, these individual gangs formed a gangsters’ syndicate and got involved in extortion and killing over a wider area in different states. It has also come to the fore that several individual gangsters have now formed alliances and prominently two gangs -- Bambiha syndicate and Lawrence Bishnoi syndicate -- are highly active.

According to a chargesheet recently filed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), while the gangster syndicate’s activities of terrorising people by way of extortion, criminal intimidation and killing continued, they subsequently got associated with pro-Khalistani elements and extremists. Despite being apprehended under laws like MCOCA and sent behind bars, most of these gangsters flourished while operating from
inside the jails.

“While in jail they transformed into militants and created a deadly terror-criminal nexus... the criminal syndicates, for the quest of sophisticated weapons, started using the money generated through their existing extortion rackets to fund the procurement of sophisticated weapons not only from within the country but also from across the border with the help of Khalistani associates,” an excerpt from the chargesheet read.

As per NIA, these criminal syndicates, in return, started targeted killings and extortions of Khalistani associates. This created a symbiotic terrorist-gangster network between gangsters and Khalistani elements.
With most of the associates of the Khalistani network either being based abroad or lodged inside jails, the requirement of the shooters to carry out targeted killings is being met by cadres of this syndicate who in
return get sophisticated weapons from across the border with the help of Khalistan associates.

The Canadian connection

“There is a confirmed piece of news this morning. Being the head of the state I can tell you that a big gangster sitting in Canada has been detained in America,” Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said during a public meeting in Ahmedabad, Gujarat some time back.

Mann was talking about Satinderjit Singh alias Goldy Brar who is said to be the prime accused in the Sidhu Moosewala murder case. However, despite the public announcement of the Punjab chief minister, there was no official confirmation from either the Central agencies or the Punjab government about this. It was not just the brutal murder of Moosewala but even the strings of the RPG attack on the Intelligence Headquarters in Mohali, Punjab ultimately reached Canada.

Former Punjab chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh claimed that during Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s visit to Amritsar in 2018, he had brought to his notice as to how the Canadian land was being used against India but still, the Canadian govt failed to take any remedial measures in that regard.
Just a couple of months back, the Punjab Police had named 7 wanted gangsters who were operating from foreign soil and that too for several years.

These were Lakhbir Singh alias Landa, Goldy Brar, Charanjit Singh alias Rinku Randhawa, Arshdeep Singh alias Arsh Dala, Ramandeep Singh alias Raman Judge, Gurpinder Singh alias Baba Dalla and Sukhdul Singh alias Sukha Duneke.

NIA had also declared a reward of Rs 10 lakh on Khalistan Tiger Force’s slain chief Hardeep Singh Nijjar in connection with the murder of a priest in Jalandhar. Nijjar, a Canadian citizen, was shot dead in the town of Surrey in British Columbia on June 18. He was earlier designated a terrorist by the Indian government for his involvement in pro-Khalistan activities.

Gurpatwant Singh Pannu, chief of the banned organisation Sikh for Justice (SFJ), is also based in Canada and running a movement against India. Even during the farmers’ agitation, Pannu had released a number of videos asking people to attack government buildings, including the Red Fort.

The NIA, at one point, in its chargesheet even compared Arshdeep Singh ‘Dalla’ with Dawood Ebrahim, saying India’s most wanted gangster Dawood left the country for Dubai in 1986 and since then began managing his gang from outside the country. “In the instant case Arsh Dala and Gaurav Patyal are outside the country,” an excerpt read.

Initially, all the accused persons were into petty crimes or committed crimes due to local rivalries. Later on, these criminals, leveraging their influence due to involvement in crimes, started extortion activities. Their own vested interests to survive and expand their area of operations made them gangsters.

Gradually, to evade the clutches of law, gangsters began leaving the country and preferably, and several of them opted
for Canada.

As per the terror probe agency, the slain terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, Arshdeep Singh alias Arsh Dala and others formed a terrorist gang and recruited several others to kidnap and kill people of other faiths to create a sense of fear and disaffection among different sections of society in the state of Punjab.

“Investigations have revealed that Hardeep Singh Nijjar and Arshdeep Singh lured the above shooters to commit terror acts in return for arranging a Visa, splendid job, and handsome earnings for them in Canada,” the NIA mentioned in another chargesheet.

Initially, they were motivated to threaten and extorting money from businessmen in Punjab and subsequently, they were radicalized and motivated to carry out terrorist acts of killing persons of
other faiths. Multiple probes have also revealed that the major part of extorted money from the victims was channelized to Arsh Dalla in Canada through hawala operators.

NEW DELHI: A 42-year-old man, posted as a Head Constable in the Delhi Police, was arrested along with two of his accomplices for allegedly murdering a 28-year-old woman constable two years back and later disposing of her body by dumping it in a drain.

The accused, identified as Surendra Singh (prime accused), Ravin and Rajpal, were arrested by the Crime Branch of the Delhi Police after the case was transferred to them from the local police.

Sharing details of the sensational crime, Special Commissioner of Police, Ravindra Singh Yadav said that a missing report of a woman was lodged on October 20, 2021, with an intimation that she had been missing for more than one month. The police tried searching her but she could not be found.

The family of the victim girl also did not pursue the case as they were under the impression that their daughter was still alive and in some other city. However, as the victim woman's mother was not convinced, she approached the Delhi Police and subsequently an FIR was registered at Mukherjee Nagar police station in April, this year.

At the request of the family, the Delhi Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora transferred the case to the Crime Branch and directed an in-depth professional investigation.

The Crime Branch in its investigation established that the woman had already been murdered two years back by the accused Surendra Singh as she had objected to his advances.

"She used to call him Dedha (a father-like figure) and he used to call her Beta (a daughter). When the accused Surendra got to know that she had a bright future ahead as she had already been selected as a Sub-Inspector in the UP Police and was preparing for civil services at Mukherjee Nagar in Delhi, he thought of marrying her," the Special CP said in a press conference.

The senior official informed that the accused Constable was already married and when the victim woman threatened him of disclosing his activities to her family, he planned to eliminate her.

"On the fateful day i.e. September 8, 2021, the accused Surendra took her to Burari Pushta, where he first strangulated her and then drowned her in the nala near the Pushta. He kept stones on the body to submerge it. The victim woman's skeletal remains were found by the police," the senior officer said.

What came as a startling disclosure was that the accused Surendra ensured that the family of the victim girl remained under the impression that she was still alive.

"To show that the victim girl was alive, the accused Surender Singh called his brother-in-law Ravin, who used to call the family members of the victim girl. He used to tell them that he was Arvind and he had married their daughter. He even dropped some documents related to the identity of the victim girl to misguide the future investigation of the police," the officer said.

The alleged people kept doing this for a long time, keeping the family in the dark that their daughter was still alive. 

NEW DELHI: A baby with congenital heart disease developed severe breathing issues during a Ranchi-Delhi flight when two co-passengers, both doctors, came to the child's rescue.

IAS officer Dr Nitin Kulkarni, also a doctor by training, and a doctor from Ranchi Sadar Hospital gave oxygen supply using a mask meant for adults and other drugs as emergency medical assistance.

After the flight landed after an hour, a medical team took the baby under their care and provided oxygen support.

The parents were taking the baby to AIIMS, Delhi for treatment of the baby's heart condition.

On Saturday, twenty minutes into the Indigo flight, the air crew made an emergency announcement seeking medical assistance from any doctor on board for a baby in distress.

Kulkarni, presently the principal secretary to the Governor of Jharkhand and Dr Mozammil Pheroz from Sadar Hospital, Ranchi came forward to save the child.

"The mother was crying as the baby was gasping for breath. Me and Dr Mozammil took over care of the baby. Oxygen was supplied through an adult mask as somehow no baby mask or cannula was available," Dr Kulkarni said.

"We checked the medical records. The baby suffered from a congenital heart condition, patent ductus arteriosus (PDA). They were going to AIIMS for it," he said.

He said that injection Theophylline was given from the drugs kit.

The parents were carrying injection Dexona, which proved very helpful, he said.

The baby showed some signs of improvement after the injections and oxygen and heartbeat was being monitored with a stethoscope.

Lack of an oximeter made it difficult to assess the oxygen saturation status, Kulkarni said.

"First 15-20 minutes were very crucial and stressful as it was difficult to gauge the progress. Finally the eyes became normal and the baby also made sounds," he said.

He added that the cabin crew was very helpful and provided prompt support.

"We requested for priority landing and full medical support on arrival," Kulkarni said. The flight landed at 9.25 am and the medical team rushed in to provide the baby with oxygen support.

"We were happy and satisfied with the outcome of our efforts of more than an hour," Kulkarni said.

Another co-passenger congratulated the two doctors for saving the baby on X.

"Doctors are God-sent angels. Today, I saw one saving a 6-month-old baby on board Indigo [flight]. Dr. Nitin Kulkarni, IAS, Governor House in Jharkhand took on his role as a doctor and saved the kid. Salute to you sir," AS Deol wrote on X.

NEW DELHI: The Delhi Police dispersed people from a birthday party venue in Wazirabad here after a call regarding alleged religious conversion taking place at the banquet hall, officials said on Saturday.

However, no evidence of religious conversion has been found so far, an official said.

After a PCR call regarding the alleged conversion was received at the Wazirabad police station here on Friday night, the police reached the banquet hall and found that a child's birthday party was being organised at the venue, officials said.

The police dispersed around 50 to 60 people from the hall and also cleared 300 to 400 people outside the venue, they added.

Five to six people were detained from outside the banquet hall and later released when the crowd dispersed, the police said.

An inquiry has been launched into the matter.

The police are recording the statements of people present at the birthday party and the persons who called the police station.

The videos of the party are also being checked, they added.

Necessary legal action would be initiated based on the investigation, the police added.

NEW DELHI:  A public interest litigation (PIL) has been filed before the Delhi High Court seeking directions to probe the selection of 35 newly recruited principals, alleging “forged and fabricated” documents were used in their recruitment process.

The petition alleged that while some of these candidates submitted fake Economically Weaker Section (EWS) certificates for their selection despite having an annual family income above `8 lakh, others took advantage of Other Backward Class (OBC) reservation and presented fake experience documents.

As the matter came before a bench headed by Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma, the counsel for petitioner Navendu Charitable Trust sought time to implead the people against whom allegations have been levelled. Accordingly, the bench also comprising Justice Sanjeev Narula granted time for the petitioner while posting the matter for October 18.

The PIL alleged the 35 candidates managed to maliciously misrepresent themselves and were selected illegally and that the Delhi government’s Department of Education failed to scrutinise the requisite documents submitted by them, resulting in their erroneous selections.

The Delhi government was represented through its standing counsel Santosh Kumar Tripathi and lawyer Arun Panwar. The petition alleged that while some of these candidates submitted fake EWS certificates for their selection despite having an annual family income above Rs 8 lakh, others took advantage of OBC reservation and presented fake experience documents. The plea said the petitioner could only trace these candidates but there might be a lot more misrepresentation and illegal selection.

“Due to the erroneous and wrong selection, a number of deserving candidates has been rejected, resulting in violation of Article 16 of the Constitution. These candidates are for probation period and withdrawing more than Rs 1.75 lakh (monthly) salary and if they get permanent, the procedure for investigation will become more complex,” the plea said. Due to the scam, the actual deserving employees are suffering and unemployment is one of the utmost issues in India and amongst this, high unemployment rate this despicable fraud is happening,” it alleged.

WHAT THE PIL HAS ALLEGED

The PIL alleged the 35 candidates managed to maliciously misrepresent themselves and were selected
illegally and that the Delhi government’s Department of Education failed to scrutinise the requisite documents submitted by them, resulting in their erroneous selections.

NEW DELHI:  Veteran education activist Nandita Narain, acclaimed for her work touching the lives of thousands of teachers and students in DU, retired on Saturday from St Stephen’s College after four decades of service. Narain completed her studies in Mathematics in one of the first co-ed batches at St Stephen’s College. She was a student member of the Academic Council for being a Gold Medallist in her UG and PG in DU. She joined as a lecturer in mathematics in St Stephen’s College in 1981.

Narain is known for her leadership as president of DUTA in 2016 in resisting the attempt by the University Grants Commission (UGC) to “undermine academic standards and reduce teaching posts by increasing workload. Narain also led the years-long successful struggle against the “academically deleterious” Four Year Undergraduate Programme. The professor represented teachers in various elected capacities – as elected member of DUTA executive from 1987-89, AC member (1992-96), member of the Executive Council (1996-2000) and DUTA president (2013-17). She led FEDCUTA movement as its president from 2013 to 17.

Under her aegis, FEDCUTA along with AIFUCTO built a systematic sustained movement against faulty unacademic pointbased promotions (UGC Regulations 2010). Presently, she is president of DTF, convener of the Democratic United Teachers Alliance, a leader in Democratic Outreach for Secular Transformation of India and chairperson of Joint Forum for Movement on Education. Her involvement in the democratic movement did not remain confined to DU.

As chairperson of the Joint Forum for Movement on Education, she has been spearheading the fight against the neo-liberal policy assault on public education and most recently against NEP. AICC member Ningombam Bupenda Meitei from Imphal said, “Who will sing ‘Hum Dekhenge’ after her retirement? I believe that there will be many who will sing and when they sing, with the singing of it her dedication and fight for justice to the victims of injustice will be vividly remembered.”

“In today’s academia, her motivation, courage, commitment and fight for justice against the tyranny of injustice would inspire many teachers and students,” Meitei said.

VOCAL AGAINST NEP, NEO-LIBERAL POLICIES

Professor Nandita Narain’s involvement in the democratic movement did not remain confined to the DU. As chairperson of the Joint Forum for Movement on Education she has been spearheading the fight
against the neoliberal policy assault on public education, most recently against NEP

Top NDMC officials angling for new posts 
Switching jobs due to excessive work pressure and to explore new opportunities is no longer a characteristic of corporate employees only. Govt officials are making similar moves. The two top officials at the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) are making efforts to get new postings. According to sources, chairman Amit Yadav is looking forward to becoming a Union secretary. Meanwhile, its secretary, Ankita Chakravarthy, wants a posting where she can manage her work-life balance as she now has an additional responsibility at home in the form of her newborn. The G20 summit kept both the officials slogging for long hours and its success may turn things in their favour.

Food rivalry between canteens
Many officials debate whether the MCD canteen at Civic Centre serves better food or the one at the secretariat. Many feel that the quality of food at the secretariat is better. It should be noted that Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal often eats food served at the secretariat canteen.

Official stumped by Nigerian’s Hindi knowledge
Those who are fond of Bollywood movies and have watched the classic ‘Rang De Basanti’ might remember a scene where Aamir Khan (character name DJ) introduced Alice Patten (Sue Mckinley) to his mother Kiron Kher, who is shown as the owner of a Punjabi eatery in the movie. In the movie, Khan, who had been joking around with Sue in his native language, was hardly aware of the fact that she too was well-versed in Hindi. He realizes this only when Sue greeted his mother with ‘Payi Laagu’ when she meets her for the first time. From reel to real, a Tihar Jail official had a similar experience when he recently saw a Nigerian inmate performing on the song ‘Tinka Tinka Tihar’. As it turns out, the surprised and rather embarrassed official, had not been aware of the fact that the woman inmate knew Hindi as he had always been talking to her in English.

Lalu’s date with court after Gandhi Jayanti
Opposition parties held a meeting in Patna on 23 June and formed Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (I.N.D.I.A). Just ten days later, on July 3, a fresh chargesheet was filed at Rouse Avenue Court against RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav, his wife Rabri Devi and their son Tejashwi Yadav. The case relates to alleged appointments made in the Railways in return for land parcels gifted or sold to Lalu Prasad Yadav’s family when he was the Railway minister between 2004 and 2009. The family is now slated to appear before the court on October 4, after the Gandhi Jayanti.

Contributed by Zaid Nayeemi, Jaison Wilson, Ujwal Jalali,  Ashish Srivastava

NEW DELHI: A 12-year-old girl was allegedly raped in east Delhi's Mayur Vihar area, police said on Saturday, adding that the accused was apprehended in Uttar Pradesh's Khora.

Mayur Vihar police station received information from LBS hospital regarding sexual assault of a minor girl on Wednesday, a senior police officer said.

At the hospital, the father of the victim alleged that a man residing in the same village as them raped the 12-year-old, the officer said.

A case under Sections 376 (rape) of the IPC and Section 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act was registered, the officer said.

The accused, identified as Ibran (19) was apprehended from Khora in UP, police said.

Police said the accused runs a tailor shop.

Further investigation in the case is underway, they said.

NEW DELHI:  Two persons were arrested in a joint operation by Delhi Police and their Chhattisgarh counterpart in the `25-crore jewellery theft case in Delhi earlier this week. Stolen gold weighing 18.5 kg and diamond ornaments were reportedly recovered from the suspects, the police said on Friday.

The prime accused, Lokesh Shrivas, was held from Smiriti Nagar, Bhilai, on Friday while his aide, Shiva, was arrested in Kabir Dham in the Durg district of Chhattisgarh on Thursday. DCP (southeast) Rajesh Deo many CCTV cameras were scrutinized, revealing that one individual, carrying a backpack, was seen entering an adjacent building on the night of September 24.

On September 28, Delhi Police received information from Chhattisgarh Police, identifying Lokesh Shrivas as the prime suspect. “The photograph Lokesh was obtained, which matched with the individual seen entering the adjacent building on September 24 and exiting on the evening of September 25,” stated the DCP.

He said since Lokesh was a resident of Kabir Dham, Chhattisgarh, authorities began tracing the mode of transport he used to leave the city. “Based on technical surveillance, it was found that Lokesh had booked a bus from Delhi to Sagar,” Deo said, adding that a team tracked the suspect to Bhilai.

Officers from Bilaspur reached Lokesh's hideout on September 28 morning, but he managed to evade arrest. However, Shiva was arrested. Later, Shiva led the police to Lokesh's hideout in Bhilai. In the early hours of Friday, he was arrested.

NEW DELHI:  The Directorate of Vigilance has sought details from the General Administrative Department (GAD) about the tour details of Bibhav Kumar, private secretary to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, in the last five years. The vigilance department has also sought details relating to the facilities availed of by Kumar during his travels.

“He is passing instructions allegedly at the behest of the Chief Minister. He also insists that an officer should disclose all the information to him in the first instance before meetings,” reads a note from the vigilance department.

The note alleges that he is issuing instructions to officers without any written direction. “It is also alleged that Kumar is directly instructing PWD engineers and often supervises their work,” says the note, adding he is influencing and pressuring the engineers/officers.

The note points to his alleged misuse of office by securing pay and perks beyond the limits prescribed by law and that he was staying in luxury suites while on tour. The note asks GAD to provide Kumar’s tour details in the last five years along with the permissible TA/DA. It also wants details of amenities availed of by him.

It notes that the action taken report in the allotment of a quarter to Kumar is pending with PWD. The Vigilance earlier directed PWD to stick to house allotment rules after cancelling the Type-VI bungalow allocated to Kumar “illegally”.

NEW DELHI:   The Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG), which was used to attack the intelligence headquarters in Punjab’s Mohali, was meant to kill singer Shubhdeeep Sidhu aka Sidhu Moosewala, according to Delhi Police sources. “

The RPG was originally meant to kill Moosewala. The disclosure was made by jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi during interrogation,” said a senior officer.

The RPG attack in Mohali on May 9, 2022, was planned by Babbar Khalsa International operatives backed by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence and local gangsters, the official said. The police identified the attackers as Deepak, from village Surakhpur in Haryana, and a minor, who was arrested five months after the attack. It has been found that the attack was orchestrated by gangster-turned-terrorist Harvinder Singh alias Rinda.

The main accused, Charat Singh, a key aide of Canada-based terrorist Lakhbir Singh alias Landa, was arrested in a joint operation by Central agencies and Maharashtra ATS. Landa, from Tarn Taran district, had shifted to Canada in 2017.

Sources said the accused smuggled the RPG into India to attack the singer at a public rally. Later, they thought it might result in casualties, which could escalate into a big issue. “The gangsters and terrorists then decided to attack the Punjab Police headquarters,” said a source. Investigation revealed Landa and Rinda share manpower, logistics and resources. 

NEW DELHI:  As part of the ‘Ab Delhi Hogi Saaf’ campaign, Mayor Shelly Oberoi has announced that all illegal garbage points in the city will be cleaned during the first week of October. Speaking at a press conference at the Civic Centre on Friday, Oberoi stated, “Under the leadership of the AAP government, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has identified 158 garbage-prone locations across all 12 zones in the first phase. These areas will be thoroughly cleaned within the first week of October, which amounts to eight days.” 

She emphasised that after the cleaning is done, sanitation department officials will conduct daily monitoring to ensure that no further garbage is dumped at these sites. Oberoi elaborated on the MCD’s broader objective, which is to eliminate all deteriorating structures (old houses that remain open, allowing garbage to spread from them) in Delhi.

Such areas where garbage accumulates are referred to as Garbage Vulnerable Points (GVP). To address this issue, Fixed Compactor Transfer Stations will be installed in locations where garbage is currently being dumped on GVPs.  Additionally, in areas facing shortages in garbage collection resources, arrangements will be made for cycle rickshaws and battery tippers to discourage people from dumping garbage in GVPs.

1st phase

158 garbage

vulnerable points in all 12 zones

Deadline
1st week of October

Garbage Vulnerable Points
A heap of garbage gradually accumulates at those places. These are called Garbage Vulnerable Points