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Agra's 'Living Goddess' Rubbishes 'Samadhi' Reports, Says She Wants To Go To School

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A young Agra girl who had taken social media by a storm on Wednesday after it was reported that she was planning to go into samadhi - a term popularly used to describe the death of spiritual gurus in India - has rubbished the reports today. It was also reported that when she was six-years-old, she had pledged to never speak a word. Consequently, many people in Agra came to address her as a 'living goddess'.

According to a report in the DNA, 14-year-old Neeru was going to end her vow of silence on September 28, and live a "more routine life of a child of her age". Allegedly, people in her village misread the situation and assumed that she was ready to give up her life.

When Neeru was three years old, she fasted and prayed in the fields when her village was facing a drought situation. Reportedly, she had told the villagers to organise some religious activities, which allegedly brought the rains to the village.

As the news spread, more and more 'devotees' gathered, prayed and even built a temple according to her directions, says an article in The Times of India. Her parents started to hold festivals and fairs in her name.

Also Read: Another Radhe Maa In The Making? Young Girl Goes Into 'Samadhi', Gets House Arrest

But now, Neeru, her father's fifth daughter, told the DNA that reports about the samadhi were false. "I was not going to take samadhi. This is a lie people say about me," Neeru told the paper.

According to TOI, it was Neeru's father who had allegedly provoked her to take the extreme step of going into samadhi.

Not only was the family allegedly making a lot of money by peddling the girls 'goddess' status, her father would have made a killing had she decided to play along the samadhi drama. Skeptics in the village told DNA that her father would have earned no less than Rs 60,000 if they were allowed to go ahead with the plan.

Now that the samadhi reports have been dismissed by the Singh family, Hari, Neeru's father said that he was going to register her in a school. "I place a lot of importance on education," Hari told DNA, "I have taught her to read and write, all her sisters were educated and then married, my sons are studying in college," he added.

Neeru too said she wanted to go to school -- as soon as the police and the people stopped bothering her and asking questions.

In Politics: I'm Pure, Says Self-Styled Godwoman 'Radhe Maa' After Summons In Dowry Case

Subhash Ghai Comes Out In Support Of Radhe Maa, Says She Treats Him Like A Parent


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First Yoga, Now Adventure Sports - The Modi Govt Is Resolved To Make Babus Healthy

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NEW DELHI -- The Narendra Modi government seems to be resolved to force babus out of their armchairs and nudge them towards a healthier lifestyle. After making them bend and twist on World Yoga Day, the government has now issued instructions to set up gyms and promote adventure sports among central government employees.

The government has asked its employees to go rock-climbing and trekking, as part of a lifestyle revamp for its employees. According to the Economic Times, the government wants to "create and foster spirit of risk-taking" and tackle the "impact of sedentary life" on babus.

This is part of new schemes by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), headed by the Prime Minister, for promotion of adventure sports and physical fitness amongst central government employees. It aims to improve efficiency and morale of bureaucrats.

The scheme on promoting adventure sports says that this would "tackle the alarming situation of stress and impact of sedentary life on government servants". According to the government, this will provide bureaucrats a 'creative outlet', will foster 'spirit of risk' and that they will be better prepared for disaster management.

Every year, the DoPT will sponsor two officials from each central government department to take up "trekking, mountaineering, rock-climbing, cycling in difficult terrain, skiing, surfing, boat sailing, snorkelling, rafting, para-sailing ballooning, Para Gliding, Jungle Safari/Trekking, Desert Safari/Trekking, Beach trekking and environmental awareness camps."

For this, the government has allocated a maximum ceiling of Rs 20,000 per person per camp.

The government will spend up to Rs 10 lakh to set up a gymnasium in each central government department which employees can use after work hours.

"With increased involvement of government in various activities for the benefit of people at large, the workload of government servants has increased manifold. Their sedentary behaviour can have many detrimental effects including an increased likelihood of developing illness," the scheme document on gymnasiums says.

Ever since Modi has taken charge, the country's bureaucrats have been given a major image overhaul. From keeping track of their punctuality with a bio-metric roll call system to longer work hours, the 'acchey din' for babus are a thing of the past.

First, they started losing all their holidays.

For International Yoga Day, the health ministry had issued a circular asking all officers of the rank of under secretary and above to attend the function starting at 7 am, on a Sunday.

On Gandhi Jayanti, last year, the babus were made to trade their files for a jhadoo. During the launch of the Swachh Bharat campaign, the babus were made to clean their offices, including the toilets. Their Christmas holiday was also ruined, thanks to Modi's idea of the Good Governance Day.

That's not all.

Foreign trips, a huge lure of the job, have also reduced drastically, after it was made mandatory for bureaucrats to submit an 'outcome report' after every foreign trip.

According to a Times Of India report in July, at least 56 IAS officers have left their central postings prematurely for their respective state cadres since May 2014 when the Narendra Modi-led BJP government took office.

In 2013, just three IAS officers left the Centre prematurely and only one left between August and December 2012. The numbers spiked to 13 between January and May 2014, in the lead-up to the Lok Sabha polls which resulted in a regime change.


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Javed Abidi, Framer Of Guidelines For Disabled-Friendly Air Terminals, Forced Out Of Wheelchair For Security Check

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Activist Javed Abidi, who'd helped frame rules to ensure that the disabled didn't face discrimination at India's airports, was forced to get off his wheelchair at the Indira Gandhi International Airport on Wednesday. Despite his protests, the Central Industrial Security Force, which manages airport security, gave him the option of either getting up from his seat or missing the flight. Abidi said he finally gave in as he couldn't afford to miss the flight.

Abidi, who chairs the global Disabled Peoples’ International, told the Times of India said that he'd travelled around the world and never suffered the humiliation of being made to get off the wheelchair. The CISF said that it suspected the cushion on Abidi's wheelchair to be "unusually thick," and wanted him to move to one of the airline's wheelchair to facilitate a thorough screening. They denied being rude or misbehaving with him.

"His cushion was unusually thick. We requested him to move to one of the airline's wheelchair
so that his chair could be screened, but he refused.We asked him to follow the rules and told him we were bound to follow the protocol.He was also shown the manual. Checking the wheelchair is necessary to ensure public safety . Finally, we had to tell him that we had left no option but to not allow him beyond the frisking point. None of our officials misbehaved," the official told the Times of India.

Activist Shivani Gupta told the Times of India that according to the guidelines no wheelchair user would be forced to stand. It also says that the official must not attempt to manually lift the wheelchair user as this is against the person's dignity and jeopardises safety, she said. Abidi had reached the airport to board Air In dia flight AI 275 to Colombo, for an official meeting, and was traveling with two of his colleagues. After his travel documents were checked, and he arrived for frisking, he was stopped by CISF personnel.

India has had a spotty record on making public spaces more amenable to the disabled. Critical infrastructure elements such as ramps, wider elevators, escalators, modified toilet facilities etc have usually come after sustained campaigns and protests led by activists such as Abidi.

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Here's How To Stop That Annoying Video AutoPlay Feature On Facebook

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Facebook's new video autoplay feature appears to have temporarily stolen the hate thunder from Candy Crush updates. This (recently introduced) Facebook feature that enables videos to start playing the minute you see them has caused a fair amount of consternation amongst its users.

What's worse is that this feature isn't just limited to play on desktops -- it's available on the mobile app, too.

While the autoplay option might prove a blessing for some, it can prove to be quite a nuisance sometimes: imagine sneakily checking your wall during a longish (read: boring) office meeting only to have your cover blown by a baby's laughter from a random video you didn't even click on. Moreover, you stand to lose a lot (if not all) of your mobile data in a shot thanks to these coerced watches.

As it turns out, Facebook did prep an antidote for potential disgruntled users. Here are 3 simple steps that will STOP Facebook videos from autoplaying, and allow you to get along with the more important aspects of your virtual life (like stalking your ex):

For the web—



1. Go to Settings, situated just above the Log Out option



autoplay 1



2. On the left column of Options, click on Video Settings at the bottom.



autoplay 2



3. Under Video Settings, you can switch off the autoplay videos feature by selecting “Off” instead of default.



autoplay3


Bonus: You also have the option of choosing Standard Definition or High Definition for video watching.



For Mobile—



1. On mobile, visit App Settings by clicking on View Your Profile button.

mobile1



2. In the setting menu, you have the option to switch off the autoplay video feature completely or select between WiFi and mobile data.



mobile 2


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Six Outrageous Things BJP Leaders Have Said About Dadri Murder Over Beef

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Even as the brutal murder of a 52-year-old Muslim man by a Hindu mob in Uttar Pradesh's Bisada village has sparked outrage, leaders of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party are already trivialising the issue. Here are six outrageous things BJP leaders have said since the incident took place on Monday night.

1. "Just an accident"

Culture minister Mahesh Sharma termed Monday night's incident an "accident". "This (incident) should be considered as an accident without giving any communal colour to it," said Sharma, Minister of State for Tourism.

The BJP MP from Noida claimed that two other families who lived with the family of the murdered man, Mohammed Akhlaq, were not attacked, essentially shifting blame to the victims.

"About 10-12 houses of other community are in the outlying part of the village but no incident concerning them has happened," he said. "I feel this incident occurred due to some misunderstanding and the law should truthfully act against whoever is responsible for it."

2. "Be a victim"

Worse, BJP MP Tarun Vijay said today that it wasn't the Hindu community's responsibility to maintain peace and the Muslim community should remain mute.

"Why responsibility to keep peace and maintain calm is always put on the Hindus alone? Be a victim and maintain silence in face of assaults!!" tweeted the former editor the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) weekly in Hindi, Panchajanya.




3. "Innocent children"

A local BJP leader who was a former lawmaker in the area, Nawab Singh Nagar, stoked further controversy by describing the alleged members of the lynch mob as "innocent children". Soon after visiting the village, Nagar said, "If anybody was consuming cow meat then that is wrong," adding that the "innocent kids" who allegedly killed Akhlaq were "children barely 10-15 years old".

4. "Arrest cow slaughterers instead"

Instead, the BJP wants action against those who allegedly killed a cow, even though proof of that is completely absent. "The police have arrested innocent people. We also demand legal action against those people, who are engaged in cow slaughter as it is hurting Hindu sentiments," local BJP leader Vichitra Tomar said on Wednesday.

5. "Some people (just) got agitated"

It appears that the party members are more interested in police investigation on whether beef was consumed by the victim's family, rather than bringing the perpetrators in the horrific incident to book.

"The locals gave samples of meat to the police but they (the cops) did not take it seriously. Then some people got agitated," BJP district president Thakur Harish Singh said on Tuesday, suggesting that the "agitation" was justified.

6. "This happens everyday"

The party even came up with an alternative theory for the 52-year-old man's brutal murder. “The man did not die because of the injuries but because of shock when someone (wrongly) told him his son was dead," said Shrichand Sharma, vice-president of BJP’s western UP unit, to The Indian Express. "This happens every day. When we hurt people’s sentiments, such clashes take place. This was not a communal riot. The Hindu community worships cows. Whose blood won’t boil if they see cow slaughter?”

In fact, he blamed the local police for not registering an FIR after reports of the alleged cow slaughter, calling for a mahapanchayat (mass meeting) on 11 October if the administration, district magistrate and other officials don't listen to their demands.

"From Friday, we will go from village to village and mobilise people. We will not tolerate harassment."

Also Read: Despite Horrific Killing Over Beef, Communal Hatred Is Reluctant To Take Root In Bisada Village



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Why India Needs To Read Nawaz Sharif's UNGA Speech More Closely

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Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s four specific proposals for peace with India in his speech at the United Nations General Assembly will put New Delhi in a quandary. The proposals reflect a great eagerness to re-start bilateral negotiations with India. The Ministry of External Affairs’ prompt rebuff of the proposals will be used by Pakistan to make India look like the one that does not want peace.

He mentioned four points, but there were actually more than four things of significance in his speech. He could not have made such big and specific proposals to India without the consent and advice of the all-powerful Pakistani Army.

Let us take them one by one.

1. Composite dialogue: Nawaz Sharif spoke approvingly of the composite dialogue, stopping short of demanding its revival.

The composite dialogue started in 1997 and that has been junked by the Modi government. Before 1997, India and Pakistan used to argue over what they will talk first, Kashmir or terrorism. With the composite dialogue, they agreed to talk everything together, not just Kashmir and terrorism but also trade and visas and prisoners. Amongst the achievements of the composite dialogue were the 2003 ceasefire, cross-LoC trade and travel, some easing of trade ties and a new visa agreement.

If the Modi government does not like the composite dialogue format, it will have to propose something better.

2. Kashmir: It is important to note that while he rued that the UN Security Council resolutions have not been implemented, he did not demand their implementation.

The Ministry of External Affairs’ spokesperson immediately put out tweets objecting to Pakistan saying that Kashmir was occupied by a foreigner. Pakistan’s position on Kashmir isn’t going to change overnight, but New Delhi seems to be missing the nuance in Sharif’s speech.

He didn’t demand a plebiscite, nor did he ask for third-party intervention on a negotiating table. He mentioned the Kashmiri “struggle for self-determination” but did not repeat the standard Pakistani line of moral and diplomatic support to it. He did say that consultations with Kashmiris are vital. He compared Kashmiris to Palestinians, but instead of demanding ‘liberation’ he demanded a peaceful solution. It is important that he did not talk a “Kashmir first” language but spoke of peace and security along with Kashmir as issues demanding “primacy and urgency”.

pakistan kashmiri separatist
Moderate Indian Kashmiri separatist leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq addresses Pakistani politicians in Karachi in 2012.

India’s new line of not letting Pakistani diplomats meet Kashmiri separatists serves no purpose.

He said that it is vital to consult Kashmiris. India’s new line of not letting Pakistani diplomats meet Kashmiri separatists serves no purpose. If it is India’s case that these separatists are non-entities, then what is the problem in letting Pakistanis meet them for dinner? That is not the same as letting Kashmiris enter an India-Pakistan dinner meet. This is the least India will have to allow Pakistan so that it can show its domestic constituency that it is not junking Kashmir to make peace with India.

3. Signing a ceasefire agreement: Given the heightened tensions on the Line of Control and the Working Boundary over the last two years, it is significant that Sharif had concrete proposals to stem them. His first idea is to formalize the 2003 ceasefire agreement. In 2003, India and Pakistan had agreed to a ceasefire agreement, which did reduce tensions between the two militaries facing each other eye to eye. However, the two countries had stopped short of signing the ceasefire agreement on paper, because there was the usual disagreement over phraseology.

india pakistan ceasefire
An injured Border Security Force (BSF) soldier is brought to a government medical college after Pakistan ceasefire violation in October 2013.
Ceasefire violations bring home, in both countries, body bags of soldiers.

Actually signing the ceasefire agreement would effectively mean making a new ceasefire agreement — an opportunity India would be wise to lap up. Ceasefire violations are becoming so routine that the ceasefire itself is under threat. Ceasefire violations bring home, in both countries, body bags of soldiers and also cause civilian deaths, damage property and crops.

4. UNMOGIP: India and Pakistan both blame each other for the constant shelling on the LoC and the Working Boundary, the latter being the border in the Jammu region, which is the International Border for India.

It is impossible for an outsider to tell who is to blame for the ceasefire violation on a given day. India has been in favour of removing the posts of the United Nations Military Observers Group in India and Pakistan, or the UNMOGIP, on either side of the border/LoC. Nawaz Sharif instead called for a greater role of UNMOGIP, which is by all means a neutral observer that does not participate in any negotiations between the two sides.

By opposing UNMOGIP’s monitoring, India comes across as the party that has something to hide.

UNMOGIP was established by a resolution of the UN Security Council and removing it will require its approval. Pakistan still lodges complaints of ceasefire violations to UNMOGIP, but India has not been doing so since 1972.

By opposing UNMOGIP’s monitoring, India comes across as the party that has something to hide. Given that Pakistan’s ceasefire violations have often been aimed at helping militants cross the border/LoC, it can only be in India’s interest to have UNMOGIP’s neutral oversight.

5. No use of force: Sharif said that India and Pakistan should reaffirm that the two countries will not use force against each other, nor even threaten to do so, under any circumstances. This is where India can get commitments from Pakistan on terrorism, and on 'no first use' of nuclear weapons. India could say that if Pakistan is serious about this proposal, it should demonstrate its seriousness by bringing to justice the perpetrators of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks in 2008.

6. Demilitarising Kashmir: This of course has to happen on both sides of the border/LoC. India can and should take steps to demilitarize Kashmir if there has been reduction in terrorist activity. If there is a sustained ceasefire that does not help militants cross the border/LoC, limited and incremental demilitarisation is possible for India. This will also help India gain some goodwill from Kashmiris, reduce the right-wing propaganda in Pakistan about troops in Kashmir, and help towards making Kashmir a less burning issue.

If India doesn't demilitarize Kashmir, then Pakistan isn’t dropping its jihadis anytime soon.

“To de-militarise Kashmir is not the answer, to de-terrorise Pakistan is,” the MEA spokesperson tweeted. Pakistan’s use of terrorism in Kashmir is because of the Kashmir issue, and if India doesn’t see demilitarization of Kashmir on both sides of the LoC as a goal worth pursuing, then Pakistan isn’t dropping its jihadis anytime soon.

7. Demilitarising Siachen: Pakistan wants Siachen demilitarised, but the Indian Army has valid reasons to be wary of this. One of the aims of the Kargil incursion of 1999 was to cut off Indian supply lines to Siachen. With an over-all reduction of violence and tensions around Kashmir, demilitarising Siachen is not an impossible thought. Given the toll it takes on the health and lives of our troops on that glacier, and the environmental concerns that have been raised over Siachen, it can only be a good idea.

That Nawaz Sharif had four proposals is reminiscent of the Manmohan-Musharraf “four point formula”. There is only one point in Nawaz’s unilateral proposal common to the joint Manmohan-Musharraf proposal: demilitarization of Kashmir on both sides. Starting with a written ceasefire agreement seems much more doable and practical in current circumstances. The ball is now in Modi’s court.


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WATCH: Ustad Amjad Ali Khan And His Sons Pay A Beautiful Music Tribute To Mahatma Gandhi

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This is not the first time Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, and his sons are paying homage to Mahatma Gandhi (the sarod maestro performed Gandhi's favourite bhajans at the UN two years ago, and also paid tribute last year on Independence Day). Nonetheless, this year's tribute -- an instrumental rendition of Gandhi's favourite bhajan 'Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram' shot agains a stunning backdrop of the Qutab Minar -- is as beautiful as the trio's previous efforts, and even delivers a potent message, reminiscent of the Mahatma's teachings.

The ustad and his sons collaborated with Saregama India Ltd to produce this video, that was launched yesterday on YouTube, and would mark the 146th birthday of Mahatma Gandhi. Gandhi Jayanti falls on 2nd October every year, and is observed as a national holiday. In 2007, the United Nations also declared this day as the International Day of Non-Violence, in honour of the man who believed in the power of peace.



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MoS Defence Asks Armed Forces To 'Prioritise' Their Needs Keeping With Limited Budget

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NEW DELHI -- Minister of State for Defence, Rao Inderjit Singh today asked the armed forces to "prioritise" their requirements in view of the limited budget and also spend the allocated money efficiently.

"You should set priorities. While making the budget, instead of giving a wish list, you should give a priority list. Since we are a developing country, we have to spend money on our other needs as well," Singh said.

He was speaking at the 268th Foundation Day Ceremony of the Defence Accounts Department, which was also attended by Defence Secretary G Mohan Kumar, air force chief Arup Raha, who is also the Chief of Staff Committee (COSC), Financial Advisor of Defence Services (FADS) Sudanshu Mohanty.

Singh said although the defence budget is around Rs 3.4 lakh crore, it is not being spent fully.

"Money should be utilised efficiently. If anything is available for Rs 10, it should not be procured at Rs 100 and that too without compromising on the quality and in a limited time frame," the minister said.

Singh also commended the role of the Defence Accounts Department for its sincere efforts in helping the Government to implement the long overdue One Rank One Pension (OROP) scheme for ex-servicemen.

Raha said the money allocated in the budget is insufficient as compared to the demands and this can be observed across all government departments.

"The funds allocated in the budget is always insufficient."

It is not only in armed forces but also in other government departments. Whenever we interact with the armed forces of developed countries, we hear the same thing from them that the money allocated in the budget is insufficient for the procurements for sustaining operations.

"So it is not the question of how much (money) is there in the budget, but it is more important on how do we spend that money quickly or efficiently so that we get the best results.

So my mantra is utlilise full allocation of budget in a stipulated time in the best possible way to get best results," the Air Force chief said.

Also Read: Sadda Haq, Aithe Rakh! Sloganeering Veterans Finally Withdraw Hunger Strike After OROP Deal

Also Read: Government Meets Veterans, Might Make Announcement On 'One Rank One Pension' Today



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Advertising Watchdog Pulls Up Airtel For 'Misleading' 4G Ads

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Airtel's sweeping 4G mobile services campaign, that promises " the fastest network ever" has come under the scrutiny of the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI). The ombudsman has asked the telecom giant to either withdraw or modify the ads, according to a report in the Hindu Business Line,on the basis of an anonymous consumer complaint.

Bharti Airtel Ltd, India’s largest telecom services provider has been pushing its 4G data services in the market, with advertisements offering free phone services if customers could find a faster data network.

An ASCI note, accessed by Business Line said that the Consumer Complaints Council had concluded that though 4G provides better services than 3G under the same operating conditions, it still isn't right to claim it as "the fastest network ever".

Airtel has said that it wasn't in the wrong and could empirically back its claims.

“4G technology is proven to deliver the fastest Internet experience, and the same has been accepted globally. As the only commercial providers of this world-class technology in India, our advertising campaign revolves around the 4G promise of fastest Internet speeds and features a set of claims that are based on rigorous test conditions,” Airtel said in a statement.

Earlier, the ASCI has also objected to Idea Mobile's, Idea Internet Network campaign, as well as several of Vodafone and Airtel's 3G advertisements.

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Child Sexual Abuse Has Become An Epidemic, Says Delhi High Court

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Terming child sexual abuse as an "epidemic", Delhi High Court has said that not only parents, but even trial courts dealing with such cases, should create an atmosphere where the victims can depose truthfully against "sexual perpetrators".

"Children who have suffered sexual abuse at the hands of the sexual perpetrators do not only suffer from physical pain but are also subjected to mental and emotional trauma. The results of child sex abuse are severe and far reaching," Justice P S Teji said.

"Child sexual abuse is one of the most pervasive social problems faced by our society. Its impact is profound because of the sheer frequency with which it occurs and because of the trauma brought to the lives of the children who have experienced this crime. Child sexual abuse is an epidemic," the court observed.

The judge's observations came as he dismissed a plea of an accused who sought quashing of an FIR lodged against him by a 12-year-old boy whom he had allegedly sexually abused three years ago.

Refusing to quash the FIR, the court said "apparently, the petitioner (accused) is using all possible weapons to pressurise and to win over the victim i.e. the minor, to tamper with the evidence and to hamper the trial."

Observing that often the child victims and witnesses were compelled by circumstances not to bring true facts before the court, the judge said the trial court should "ensure the examination of the child witness by giving due protection to him and bringing the child out of the pressure".

"The parents of such victims have even a greater role to play in helping and aiding the child in overcoming the trauma", it said

According to the minor's complaint, he was lured by the accused on the pretext of giving him a job of cleaning vehicles for which he would be paid Rs 4,000 per month.


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Two Indians Charged With Criminal Intimidation In Singapore

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Two Indians were among seven men have been charged with criminal intimidation and assault on a Singaporean restaurant manager who was left with a permanent disfigured face, a media report said today.

Koleth Navas, 29 and Koleth Abdul Nasir, 41, were involved in allegedly threatening Victory Restaurant manager Liakath Ali, 52, days before his face was attacked with a knife, the Straits Times reported.

"I have your photograph in my mobile phone, you watch out," Navas, accused of abetting a conspiracy with Zackeer Abbass Khan and Anwer Ambiya Kadir Maideen to grievously injure Ali, had threatened him on August 22.

Nasir faces one charge of threatening Ali.

One of the seven men had intimidated Ali in Tamil, "watch out, in one week I will do you."

Three Singaporeans, Joshua Navindran Surainthiran, Joel Giritharan and Ramge Visvamnathan have been charged with grievously hurting Ali by slashing his face with a knife on August 26.

The Indian duo's passports have been impounded and they have been asked to report to the investigation officer every Wednesday if they are out on bail.


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Don't Work Against The Govt, Says Junior Home Minister To Greenpeace And Other NGOS

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An Indian minister monitoring $1.8 billion of foreign aid has accused Greenpeace of inciting protests against industrial projects and warned global activists and aid organisations not to work against the government.

The warning from junior home minister Kiren Rijiju follows a crackdown by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's administration on foreign-funded non-governmental organisations (NGOs), including Greenpeace and the Ford Foundation.

The crackdown has been criticised by the United States and Indian civil society groups.

Greenpeace activists were "unnecessarily inciting innocent people against crucial projects without any valid reason", Rijiju said in an interview with Reuters this week.

The ministry's foreigners division, which is under Rijiju and oversaw some $1.8 billion of incoming aid in 2014, suspended Greenpeace's licence to get foreign funds this year, citing financial irregularities. It has frozen some Greenpeace bank accounts.

The actions came after Greenpeace supported protests against a planned $3.2 billion coal mine in the Mahan forests in central India, which resulted in a court withdrawing permits for the Indian companies Essar and Hindalco (HALC.NS) to develop the project.

An Indian activist leading the campaign was barred from flying to London to address parliamentarians about the project. The foreigners division this year prevented one foreign Greenpeace official from entering the country.

Rijiju said Greenpeace had diverted foreign contributions from their stated purpose. Greenpeace has taken legal action against the government's measures.

"Punitive steps have been taken because rules were totally violated," Rijiju said.

"Some of the NGOs, if they are designed to work against a particular party or government, or they misuse the contributions, then they will attract provisions," he said, adding it was "evident" Greenpeace was hostile to the government.

Greenpeace, which is fighting the government measures in court, denies its activities are hurting development in the world's largest democracy.

"The government's sole aim is to crush each and every voice of dissent. How can campaigns for clean air, programmes for renewable energy be anti-government?" asked Vinuta Gopal, acting head of Greenpeace India.

More than 50,000 Indian charities depend on foreign aid for projects. Under Rijiju, the department has cancelled the licenses of about 13,000 NGOs.

Rijiju said he aimed to stop the misuse of foreign funds. He said he was working to make it simpler for aid groups and charities to comply with regulations.

Critics say the crackdown is to muzzle dissent and Rijiju's actions could lead to less foreign aid for projects that fight child marriage, provide clean water in slums and feed pregnant women.



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So, It Turns Out Asteroids Are Responsible For The Moon's Main 'Water Supply'

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Water reserves found on the Moon are the result of asteroids acting as "delivery vehicles" and not of falling ice comets as was previously thought, a new study using computer simulation has found.

Scientists have discovered that a large asteroid can deliver more water to the lunar surface than the cumulative fall of comets over a billion year period.

Also Read: Liquid Water Found On Mars

Vladimir Svettsov from Institute for Dynamics of Geospheres and Valery Shuvalov from Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology in Russia, developed the most probable mechanism of water delivery to the Moon and an approximate "supply" volume, using computerised modelling of the fall of cosmic bodies onto the surface of the Moon.

Also Read: Metalhead Nepali Researcher Was Pivotal To NASA's Find Of Water On Mars

The typical velocity of an ice comet ranges from 20 to 50 km per second. The estimates suggested that such a high impact velocity causes from 95 to 99.9 per cent of the water to evaporate into space beyond retrieve.

Also Read: 'The Martian' Director Ridley Scott Knew About Water On Mars 'Months Ago'

There is a family of short-period comets whose velocity of fall is much lower - 8-10 km per second. Such short-period comets account for about 1.5 per cent of lunar craters.

The simulation has shown that when these short-period comets do fall, almost all the water evaporates and less than 1 per cent of it remains at the impact point.

"We came to the conclusion that only a very small amount of water that arrives with a comet stays on the Moon, and from this decided to explore the possibility of an asteroid origin of lunar water," Shuvalov said.

The scientists decided to take a closer look at asteroids and found that they consist of initially non-differentiated construction materials of the solar system and contain a rather considerable proportion of water.

In particular, chondrite carbonaceous, the most common type of asteroids and meteorites, can contain up to 10 per cent water.

However, water in chondrites is effectively protected - it is in a chemically bounded condition, and it is "blocked" in a crystal lattice of minerals.

Water starts to seep out when it is heated to 300-1200 degrees Celsius depending on the type of hydrous mineral.

This means that it has the potential of remaining in the crater together with the asteroid.

The simulation has also showed that when the velocity of fall is 14 km per second and the angle of fall is 45 degrees, about half of the asteroid's mass will never even reach the fusing temperature and remains in a solid state.

One-third of all asteroids that fall on the Moon have a velocity of less than 14 km per second just before impact.

When this happens, the major part of the fallen body remains in the crater - 30-40 per cent is left after an oblique impact, and 60-70 per cent after a vertical one.

"We've concluded that the fall of asteroids containing water could generate "deposits" of chemically bounded water inside some lunar craters," Shuvalov said.

"The fall of one two-kilometre size asteroid with a rather high proportion of hydrated minerals could bring to the Moon more water than all of the comets that have fallen over billions of years," Shuvalov said.

The study was published in the journal Planetary and Space Science.


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The Morning Wrap: India Vows Big Cut In Emissions By 2030; Man Sneaks Gun And Fires In Delhi Metro Station

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The Morning Wrap is HuffPost India's selection of interesting news and opinion from the day's newspapers. Subscribe here to receive it in your inbox each weekday morning.


Essential HuffPost




Activist Javed Abidi, who'd helped frame rules to ensure that the disabled didn't face discrimination at India's airports, was forced to get off his wheelchair at the Indira Gandhi International Airport on Wednesday.

Even as the brutal murder of a 52-year-old Muslim man by a Hindu mob in Uttar Pradesh's Bisada village has sparked outrage, leaders of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party are already trivialising the issue.

HuffPost India visits the village in Dadri, where a man was killed for eating beef and finds a family that is no longer sure of its place, in what has been their home for generations.

Here's why Meghna Gulzar made Talvar.

Main News




Countries that give safe haven to terrorists must be made to pay a heavy price, external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj urged the UN General Assembly on Thursday in a frontal attack on Pakistan.

Police find common, mobile trail to murder of rationalists Pansare, Dabholkar and Kalburg.

India has committed to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by a third, for every unit of GDP, by 2030.

Telangana, ahead of Gandhi Jayanti, shows how to build toilets in record time.

The Toledo Museum of Art in Ohio is ready to return more than 100 Indian antiquities donated by art dealer Subhash Kapoor now lodged in Puzhal prison.

Sifting through the library started by his great grandfather Hawali Hussain Naseerbadi in his native village in Rae Bareli, Farman came across a Mahabharat, atleast 300 years old and written in Urdu.

In a major security lapse ahead of the festival season, a 22-year-old man managed to sneak a gun into a Metro train and shot himself at the busy Rajiv Chowk station in Delhi late Thursday night.


Off The Front Page




This is how the Gujarat model of sanitary napkins will help women refugees in Syria.

To keep lawyers in check, Tamil Nadu broadcasts High Court proceedings live.

Just before the Nobel Peace Prize committee sits down to pick a 2015 winner next week, an unusual war of words is tarnishing the respectable team which has before it names like Pope Francis, Colombian peace negotiators or those helping Syrian refugees to choose from for the coveted award.

Eraviperoor has become the first gram panchayat in the country to facilitate free Wi-Fi to the general public.

Opinion




Vamsee Juluri proposes that the week from September 25 to October 2nd--respectively the birthdays of Deen Dayal Upadhyay and Mahatma Gandhi--be celebrated as ahimsa week. "Rather than linger, with petty distractions, on which identity group betrayed who, perhaps it is best to honour the architects of a vision for a moral India by focussing on himsa (violence) as the central problem of our times."

MJ Akbar's itinerant writings skip from Bihar and Mangalore to Bangalore, of which he notes: "The bully boys of the Big City who set the discourse for snobbery have always sneered at the small town as sleepy. What they actually mean is peaceful, but will never acknowledge peace as a virtue. Peace distresses a modern metropolis, as if it were a challenge to its virility."

Neelkanth Mishra says that contrary to the “government vs RBI” soap opera playing in newspapers, the central bank’s actions show greater trust in the government.



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Son Of Lynched Dadri Villager Fighting For His Life As Political Blamegame Continues

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As the 22-year-old son of Mohammed Akhlaq, a Muslim villager who was beaten to death by a mob on Monday night outside his home on suspiscion of killing and eating a cow, battled for his life, a bitter political blamegame continued over the grisly incident that has stunned the nation in the days leading up to the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, an icon of tolerance and peace.

Mohammad Danish, who is on ventilator support in the Intensive Care Unit for the three days, has had two complicated brain surgeries and is barely responsive to touch, reported the Indian Express. Danish, who was dragged out of his home by the predominantly Hindu mob at the Bisada village of Uttar Pradesh after a local temple priest announced that his family had slaughtered a cow and consumed its meat, suffered severe blunt trauma to his head and was brought to the Kailash Hospital in Noida at 1:30 am early Tuesday.

"He has not spoken yet. That is all I am waiting for… for him to open his eyes, recognise me and say something, say anything,” Express quoted Sartaj, Danish’s elder brother who works as a technician for the Air Force in Chennai, as saying.

According to doctors at he hospitals, Danish "is showing signs of recovery" but his exact progress can only be ascertained after a couple of days. He also had several minor injuries such as broken facial bones.

The Centre has sought a detailed report from the Uttar Pradesh government on the incident and asked it to ensure that no such incidents recur, reported PTI. There's heavy security deployed at the village in the aftermath of the incident but the 50 odd Muslim families, unnerved by the brazen killing of 50-year-old Iqlakh, want to shift to safer places, the report said.

"Our lives are in danger. I'm planning to move from here. We will move from here because this can happen again anytime."



"Our lives are in danger. I'm planning to move from here. We will move from here because this can happen again anytime. Who will ensure us that this won't happen again?" said a distraught Sartaj. "We will move out to our relatives in Delhi or other states if the situation here deteriorates any further," said Raisuddin, another resident.

District Magistrate NP Singh claimed the situation in the village is "under control" and the administration is making efforts to maintain order by forming peace committees with representation from both the majority and minority communities.

As the situation threatened to spiral out of control following incident, contingents of Provincial Armed Constabulary and reinforcements from adjoining Ghaziabad, Bulandshahr and Hapur had been rushed to the village.

Sartaj said his father was suffering from typhoid and had low blood pressure when the mob bludgeoned him to death. He said he was not aware of any tension in the village preceding the incident.

"As far as I know, there wasn't any tension. Everything was normal. I spoke to my father an hour before the incident and asked about his well being. He was suffering from typhoid and his BP was below normal. Rest was fine till then. He was dragged outside the house, obviously neighbours were involved," he said.

"Those arrested murdered my father. I want to know the reason for which they did this to him. They should be punished so that none from the village would dare to do such a deed in future," Sartaj said, adding his family was contemplating moving out of the village as such incidents could happen any time.

SP (Rural) Sanjay Singh said a priest at the local temple, who made the announcement on the public address system about the family having consumed beef, and two youths, who allegedly forced him to do that, were "major links" to the incident.

dadri

"Further interrogation will reveal the exact sequence of events. The victim's family has alleged it was pre-planned," he said.
Iqlakh's kin have rubbished the charge of consuming beef and said they had eaten mutton. Even the FIR has no mention of beef. Enraged over the incident, a Muslim resident of the village said, "even if it was beef, does it give any right to BJP activists to attack the house and kill the man because he has eaten beef."

"It is fact that Muslim community eats beef. But they never slaughter cows in public view. Beef is available in several other states openly in shops. Slaughtering should not be done in public view to hurt the sentiment of any community. If one is doing inside the house or buying beef from slaughter house and eating it at home it should not be treated as sin. We should have freedom to eat. We are not forcing others to eat beef," another local told PTI.

Political blamegame

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not spoken about the incident and there has been no formal statement from his office but it did not stop political parties from zeroing in on the tragedy.

Union Minister Mahesh Sharma descibed the incident as "an accident". "This (incident) should be considered an accident without giving any communal colour to it," Sharma, who is the MP from the area, told reporters in Delhi. "I feel this incident occurred due to some misunderstanding and the law should truthfully act against whoever is responsible for it," he said.

AAP leader Ashutosh claimed the police probe "clearly showed" that BJP was behind the incident and demanded the sacking of Sharma for his comment.

dadri

All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president Asaduddin Owaisi termed the incident as a "dark spot in our democracy". "A person was killed on the basis of false claims for keeping beef at his home. It raises questions on our democracy It has been proved that it was not beef but if even it was, how can a mob enter someone's house and brutally murder a person," he said.

CPI-M's Brinda Karat called it "well planned". "This is just a result of so called Pink revolution that Prime Minister had mentioned before general elections. It was not a sudden incident, it was very well planned."

The VHP said it has become "fashion" for "some people" to abuse Hindus or else they contract "diarrhoea".

"Several people have levelled allegations against Hindus and those working for awakening of Hindus. My view is clear, some people contract diarrhoea if they don't abuse Hindus. Their diarrhoea gets treated when they abuse Hindus. I don't object to such people. But it is fashionable for them to abuse (Hindus). There is no substance in it," VHP general secretary Champat Rai said.

Union Minority Affairs Minister Najma Heptulla condemned the lynching and said that the Centre's aim was to instill "confidence in the minorities" and empower them. "It is indeed a very condemnable incident. The (Union) Home Ministry has now taken up the matter and sought a report from the UP government. Let the inquiry be over..," she said.

"Time and again (Narendra) Modiji has said that people are free to practise their religion in the country. And me and my department will look towards instilling that confidence in the people," Heptulla said.

Uttar Pradesh Cabinet Minister Azam Khan hit out at BJP, claiming that the party's strategy is to attract votes by polarising people along communal lines ahead of the 2017 state Assembly elections.

"Such heinous acts may be taken as the saffron outfits's preparation for the upcoming UP Assembly elections in 2017. They deem massacre of innocent Muslims as one of the strategies to attract electorate on communal lines," Azam Khan said. (With PTI inputs)

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Government Considers Panic Button In Cell Phones For Women's Safety

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NEW DELHI -- For women's safety, the government is considering introduction of a panic button in cell phones and has asked all mobile phone manufacturers to work out the feasibility of such a feature, Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi said today.

"When we asked for suggestions about what precautions can the girls take to keep themselves safe and escape out of emergency situations, we were flooded with ideas including wearing specialized necklaces, bracelets and rings which had certain SOS message sending features.

"Why should we do that? Are women prisoners so they always have to move with these devices?

How can we ensure availability, affordability and usage of these devices among rural women," the minister said while addressing a 'Student Parliament' on issues faced by girl students.

She said considering the limitations of these devices, the government has come up with an idea of having inbuilt panic button in all cell phones.

"The phones will have a panic button which will be GPS connected. We are in conversation with phone manufacturers and the proposal is likely to be executed in few months," Maneka said.

The administration is of the view that emergency response apps can take too long to access in a rush and configuring one of the existing buttons on a phone for the task would be much simpler and quicker, he said, noting that pressing the panic button will send an SMS to a set of numbers that will also provide location information.

Talking about the various schemes rolled out by the NDA government, Maneka said the focus is on initiatives such as 'beti bachao', 'beti padhao' and reservation for women posts in police stations to ensure an effective interface between the complainants and the police.

"The problem is not with schemes, we have enough of them. The task is implementation and we are focussing on the same," she said.

The three-day parliament, which kick-started yesterday is being organised by the BJP's student wing, Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and students representing universities across the country are taking part in the event to discuss issues faced by them and draw the government's attention towards the need for safety and development plans for them.

While first day was dedicated to tribal students at a seminar entitled, 'Tribal Student-Youth Parliament', the remaining two days are for 'Women Student Parliament' and 'North East Student-Youth Leaders Parliament'.

The report on issues resulting from the discussions of the three student parliaments will be handed over to the ministries concerned in the form of a memorandum.

Also Read: 848 Indian Women Are Harassed, Raped, Killed Every Day

Also Read: A Breakdown Of The Government's Women's Safety Package



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Muslim Family's 300 Year Old Urdu Mahabharat Is UP's Only Good News This Week

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Distressing as Uttar Pradesh's Dadri lynching maybe, bloodlust and hatred aren't the only marker of Hindu-Muslim relations in the state. An exquisitely-preserved copy of the Mahabharata, in Urdu, is an insignia of Uttar Pradesh's rich historical tradition of the intellectual and cultural exchange between Muslims and Hindus.

Farman Manjul chanced upon the book in his great grandfather, Mawali Hussain Naseerbadi's library, in Rae Bareli and learnt from his mother that this rare version of the Mahabharat was being preserved as "lucky family heirloom" since three centuries. A scholar in the family, according to the exclusive report in the Times of India, said that this translation of the epic "was an emblem of our (India's) Ganga-Jamuni tradition" and was co-authored by Haji Talib Hussain and his friend Durga Prasad for an Urdu audience.

It isn't a literal translation and every chapter has a Persian and Arabic introduction accompanying the Urdu text.

Manjul's mother, Shahin Akhtar, who's now taken to browsing the epic, said that their possession of the book was getting them a ton of publicity. "We are getting unprecedented guests these days...and all want to take a look at this age-old book," said Shahin.
While an Urdu Mahabharat may be novel, Uttar Pradesh has a rich pre-colonial tradition of Hindu epics being available in languages other than Hindi and Sanskrit.

The regional archive office in Allahabad is hosting an exhibition of writings on Lord Rama--the main protagonist of the epic Ramayan-- authored by Muslims in Persian and Urdu.

Several of the manuscripts, according to a report in the Times of India, were over 350 years old, with the most popular one being a Persian translation by Sadaullah Masihi, called 'Ramayan Masihi,' and written during Jahangir's rule. Others include the 'Ramayan Yek Qafia', 'Shri Ram Natak' and 'Ramleela Natak,' in Urdu.
"Muslims had developed a deep cultural understanding of Hindu philosophy, customs, culture and literature and the Ramayana became the most translated book in languages like Arabic, Persian and Urdu," regional archive officer (ARO) Amit Agnihotri told the Times of India.

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Netaji's Family Wants To Unravel The Mystery Of Former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri's Death

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KOLKATA -- The family members of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose today pressed for declassification of files on former Prime Minister the late Lal Bahadur Shastri, kept in India and Russia to unravel the mystery of his death.

"Lal Bahadur Shastri was one of the greatest sons of India and certainly one of the best prime ministers India ever had! It is unfortunate that he passed away at Tashkent on January 11, 1966, under mysterious circumstances. Till today the truth has been hidden from the nation," Netaji's grand-nephew Chandra Kumar Bose said on a Facebook post.

Also Read: Netaji Files: UK, US Intel Agencies Believed Bose Was Alive In 1948-49, Declassified Documents Suggest

Bose said that Shastri had promised his father Amiya Nath Bose that he would set up a proper inquiry commission on his return from Russia in January, 1966.

"Lal Bahadur Shastri had promised Amiya Nath Bose, Netaji's nephew, in Kolkata on 23 December 1965, that during his visit to Russia, he would try to find out whether Netaji was in Russia," Bose said in his post.

Also Read: Did Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Marry A Second Time? More Revelations From Declassified Files


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Narendra Modi: 'Bihar Will Celebrate Two Diwalis This Year'

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BANKA, Bihar -- Addressing his first rally in Bihar after declaration of the five-phase elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday that people of the state will celebrate two Diwalis this year - one after the poll results are out, and the other on the day of the festival.

"A delegation of Bihari people had come to meet me in America and I had also met people from Bihar who are there. We had a very long discussion and I was so proud of them. Despite their progress, they wanted to see a progressive Bihar," said Prime Minister Modi.

Stating that India's progress is not possible without the progress of Bihar, Modi said that the Central Government had opened its coffer for the state's progress.

"The government has emptied its coffers for Bihar's development, and this is no favour, this is Bihar's and its peoples' right," he added.


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How A Gun Made It Through Delhi Metro's Security Check

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NEW DELHI -- The country-made pistol which was used by a man to shoot himself inside a Delhi Metro station was cleverly sneaked in the premises inside a bag from an unmanned area near a customer care counter, security agencies probing the incident have found.

22-year-old Shivesh Kumar is alleged to have shot himself in the busy Rajiv Chowk Metro station yesterday after he boarded the Metro from Chandni Chowk, underlining the vulnerability and security scare the rapid transport network of the national capital faces.

Officials said the CISF has found CCTV footage of last evening's incident where Shivesh is seen quickly lifting a bag from over the low-height glass wall partition at the Chandni chowk station, which is created to demarcate the free and security-hold area in a number of Metro stations.

They said Shivesh was with his sister when he entered the said station.

While we went for frisking, his sister stopped at the counter with two bags. She then kept the bags on an elevated platform near the glass wall and Shivesh is later seen lifting one of the bags from over the glass partition in which it is suspected the 'desi katta' (local pistol) was kept, they said.

His sister and the second bag went through normal frisking and scanning respectively and hence they were cleared for travelling.

"It looks the act was deliberate on the part of Shivesh. He is being questioned by the police now," they said.

The paramilitary force has handed over the CCTV footage of the said incident to police officials probing the case.

CISF officials probing the incident said they have requested the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) to immediately make arrangements to scale up the height of the glass wall so that no one can transfer items like this.

"There are some structural deficiencies in some old Metro stations and CISF has asked DMRC to upgrade them. This is a work in progress. While on some stations the height of the glass partition has been increased beyond a normal person's reach, say about 6-ft, on some stations it is being done," a senior official said. .

The CISF also deploys its personnel without uniform to keep a vigil at such vulnerable areas but it seems last evening's act at the busy Chandni chowk station went unnoticed.

Shivesh, a resident of Uttar Pradesh's Etawah, is presently being questioned by the Delhi Metro Police about the motive and other aspects.

He was admitted to the Ram Manohar Lohia hospital in an injured condition last night.

"The CISF is responsible for the overall security inside Delhi Metro and this incident brings to light the immediate need to increase more surveillance in the Metro premises. This can only be done by having more manpower for the Central Industrial Security Force as the passenger footfall is increasing gradually in the Metro," officials said.

An estimated 26 lakh people take the Delhi Metro everyday to travel in and around the national capital and its adjoining areas.

Also Read: Will The Million More People Going To Use The Delhi Metro Next Year Ease The City's Traffic?

Also Read: Delhi Metro Will Soon Run Trains Without A Driver



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