TOP STORIES

5 gangsters held, lid off 84 cases
Members of Sonu Mota inter-state gang nabbed after encounter
New Delhi, February 20
With the arrest of fives persons of the Sonu Mota inter-state gang following an encounter in Paschim Vihar, the West District police today claimed to have solved more than 84 cases of murder, dacoity and house robbery. Though the police and the suspects exchanged fire, no one was reportedly injured.

FOLLOW-UP
Delimitation shadow over gurdwara polls
New Delhi, February 20
While political parties have termed the fresh delimitation of Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee wards as politically motivated, the Directorate of Gurdwara Elections has indicated that the process cannot be undertaken within the limited time-frame. The DSGMC polls are tentatively scheduled to be held on June 16.

Faridabad SSP to probe case of ‘tainted’ PA
Faridabad, February 20
The enquiry by the Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) into the corruption case, involving a former personal assistant to the Deputy Commissioner here, has failed to make much headway.

A million-strong army out to save the Ranthambore tiger

Ranthambore, February 20 It’s a war against terrorism of another kind. A few hundred kilometers from the nation’s capital, in Ranthambore, Rajasthan, a silent revolution is on to save the national animal from extinction and protect it from the terror unleashed by unscrupulous elements wanting to make a fast buck. Spearheading the movement are kids drawn from schools across the length and breadth of the country.

No clues to ‘abduction’ of MNC executive
Ghaziabad, February 20
The Ghaziabad Police is yet to make any headway in the case of abduction of a son of joint secretary in the Union shipping ministry, who is himself a senior executive in a multinational company.

New comer Aarti during the music launch of Tumse Achcha Kaun Hai in the Capital on Wednesday. —Tribune Photo Mukesh Aggarwal

Gurgaon contractor waylaid, robbed
Gurgaon, February 20
Four youths robbed a contractor of Rs 1.5 lakh at gun point in Sector 29, Leisure Valley, in the afternoon today. According to police sources, Rakesh Kumar, a contractor with Haryana Roadways Workshop, had withdrawn Rs 1.55 lakh from Lord Krishna Bank, Sikanderpur and headed towards the roadway workshop at Behrampur, National Highway No. 8.

Woman’s semi-nude body found
Rewari, February 20
The semi-nude body of a young married woman, Ramrati, wife of Sunder Lal, was recovered by the police from a mustard field in Raipur village, about 20 km from here on Monday evening. Circumstantial evidence points at a sexual assault, followed by murder.

COMMUNITY

First unit of Pragati project commissioned

New Delhi, February 20 The first gas turbine unit of the 330 MW Pragati Power Project was inaugurated by Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit today. This is the first power project to be commissioned in nearly 14 years; the last power project to be inaugurated was in the year 1988. Present on the occasion were Cabinet ministers, the Leader of Opposition in the assembly, Prof Jagdish Mukhi, the former Power Minister, Mr Narendra Nath, and several legislators. Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit inaugurating the first unit of the Pragati Power Project in the Capital on Wednesday as other members of the Cabinet look on.— Tribune photo Mukesh Aggarwal

Open yourself to nature and let its beauty fill your eyes. Open your heart and let nature’s sweet music resound within you. Welcome nature; enthrone nature in your heart of hearts. Before long, you will recognize that your guest is God Himself: Osho. Nidhi fully agrees with it.  Sculpting a success story.

SMS hits sales of second-hand cars 
New Delhi, February 20
The Short Message Service (SMS) launched by the Delhi Police in January has had an adverse effect on the traders dealing in the sale of second-hand cars and other vehicles in the Capital. The SMS was launched to prevent the misuse of second-hand cars and other four-wheelers as these vehicles in the past had reportedly been used in the incidents of crime and terrorist attacks.

Row over affront to Kiran Choudhry blows over
New Delhi, February 20
The row over the ‘discourteous’ treatment meted out by an official to Deputy Speaker of Delhi Legislative Assembly Kiran Choudhry appears to have been given a quiet burial after the Chief Minister is learnt to have instructed that the matter be treated as closed. Ms Choudhry had dashed off a letter to Speaker Prem Singh accusing General Administration Secretary C. Targay of behaving in a rude manner with her. 

NCR BRIEFS
Married woman found burnt in Faridabad
Faridabad, February 20
A young married woman of Mewla Maharajpur village here was found dead under mysterious circumstances on Tuesday. According to a complaint, her husband Narayan Dass, who was away on work, found his wife, Sunita (25), lying in a charred state in a room locked from inside when he returned home. 

One dies in clash Loans extended SGPC voters Power  connections

Fatal fall Cash snatched Murder solved Youth kidnapped

Mother, daughter end lives
Rewari, February 20
A women, Santosh (44) and her young daughter, Anju (18) committed suicide by consuming sulphas (poisonous pills) in Jholri village, 35 km from here. A student of the B.A.I. of Government College, Nahar, returned home from her college in the evening.

CRIME

Pirated NCERT books seized from Shahdara
New Delhi, February 20
The Delhi Police Crime Branch along with NCERT officials have unearthed a huge racket in the printing and sale of pirated NCERT books. The crime branch has arrested a person, Prakash Chand of Shahdara, and discovered that the pirated books were printed illegally in the Babarpur area of Shahdara.

Woman member of Mangat Ram family held with heroin
New Delhi, February 20
The Delhi Police Narcotics Branch arrested two persons from different places in the city and seized drugs worth Rs 76 lakh in the international market. In the first case, Kamlesh of Mangol Puri, who is in the wanted list of the Delhi Police Narcotics Branch, was arrested yesterday with a huge consignment of the contraband when it was about to be delivered to a customer.

EDUCATION

CAMPUS
An apparel show to preserve Indian art and heritage 
Established in 1987, the Department of Textiles and Clothing at Lady Irwin College, has tried to help conserve Indian art and heritage through a contemporary portrayal of its basic nuances. Believing in preserving the traditional designs of India, “An Apparel Show” was organized on Wednesday. The core theme of the show was to promote the art and heritage of the coastal region in a contemporary context.

Upward trade ties DOEACC courses

Informatics ties up

DELHI DIGEST
Students speak their mind on terrorism
New Delhi, February 20
Schoolchildren of the Capital expressed their strong views on the most-talked about topics today, not just in our Parliament but in houses across continents — terrorism and secularism. They expressed their conviction on the need to bring in secularism and the need to eradicate terrorism at the Inter-School Extempore Speech Competition 2002 held in Delhi Police Public School. 

• Legal advice given

A home turns into a rest house
Jamia Millia Islamia’s Mridula Sarabhai Working Women’s Hostel was once considered to be a second home for the working women coming to Delhi from far-off places not only from India like Jammu and Kashmir, Bihar, and UP but also abroad from Syria, Russia and West Asia.

HEALTH

About 1.2 lakh STD patients treated
Rohtak, February 20
The Swasth Yuvan Mela organised by the Haryana AIDS Control Society from February 1 received an overwhelming response as more than 45 lakh people had attended the camps held all over the state. The camps were organised with a view to creating awareness among the people about the reproductive tract infections (RTIs) and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and also to avail of health services and medicines free of cost.

80,000 affected by sex disorders in Faridabad
Faridabad, February 20
The recent campaign on health in the district found that about 80,000 people were suffering from sex-related disorders. According to health officials, more than 54,000 patients of such diseases were women, while about 25,000 were men.

SPORTS

Mughals win in League

New Delhi, February 20 Former champions Nivia-Mughals recorded a convincing 2-0 victory against 1997 league champions Indian Air Force, New Delhi, to collect full three points in a Group A Super League match of the Delhi Soccer Association (DSA)—SAIL Senior Division Football League Championship at the Ambedkar Stadium in the Capital on Wednesday. A keen tussle for the ball between City and Frontier players in a Group B match of the DSA Super League at the Ambedkar Stadium in the Capital on Wednesday. —Tribune photo Mukesh Aggarwal

Rajesh Sharma shines in Canara Bank’s win
New Delhi, February 20
Rajesh Sharma made a brilliant haul of 4 for 26 to help Canara Bank beat Punjab and Sind Bank by six wickets in the eighth Inter-Bank (Northern Region) Cricket Tournament at the Karnail Singh stadium in the Capital.

Akash Chopra cracks century for Sonnet
New Delhi, February 20
A breezy unbeaten century (100,4x15) by Delhi Ranji Trophy player Akash Chopra helped Sonnet Club beat K.N. Colts by eight wickets in the All-India Davinder Singh Memorial Cricket Tournament for the late Tara Devi Mathur Trophy at the Harbaksh Singh Stadium in the Delhi Cantonment area on Wednesday.

Mahesh bowls Teri to easy victory
New Delhi, February 20
A devastating bowling spell by left-arm spinner Mahesh (7 for 8) and his strokeful 41 (5x4) enabled hosts Teri beat Royal Sundaram Alliance by 136 runs in the ninth Teri Cup Cricket Tournament organised by TERI (Tata Energy Research Institute) at the Teri Oval, Gurgaon.

Pizza Hut beat Pine Retreat
New Delhi, February 20
A fine knock of 61 by Dipesh Balachandran and deadly bowling by Deepak Sharma (4/17) and Mukesh Negi (3/25) enabled Pizza Hut beat Pine Retreat by 31 runs in the 13th Inter-Hotel Cricket Tournament at the Siri Fort Sports Complex in the Capital on Wednesday.

Karate-do officials suspended
New Delhi. February 20
All-India Karate-do Federation (AIKF) general-secretary Shyam Kotak announced in the Capital on Wednesday that the “All-India Karate-do Federation, in its annual general meeting held on February 19 in Mumbai, passed a unanimous resolution to suspend the chairman of the federation for misuse of his position and anti-federation activities”.

Oberoi Blues scrape past Army Green
New Delhi, February 20
Oberoi Blues beat Army (Green) 9-6 in a Pool B league match of the Northern India Open Polo Championship at the Jaipur Polo Ground.

ADMINISTRATION

Anti-encroachment drive helps reduce accidents
Sonepat, February 20
If the demolition drive against the encroachments on public land during the Emergency had earned a bad name for the government and the administration, the present anti-encroachment campaign, launched by the district administration in the city, has earned an all-round praise.