NEW DELHI/ GURGAON: Days after Uma Khurana and Rashmi Singh were granted bail by a city court in the alleged fake sting episode, sources in the Delhi Police crime branch claimed on Tuesday that they have enough evidence against all involved in the episode including Uma and Rashmi to indict their crime. The investigation in the case is almost complete and the report would be submitted in the court within next two months.

Contrary to Uma’s earlier claims that she had never spoken to Rashmi over phone, who was the decoy in the expose, the Call Detail Record(CDR) of her mobile phone obtained by the crime branch shows that after Rashmi left Cross River Mall with the reporter Prakash Singh, Uma had talked to her over the reporter’s mobile phone.

Sources in the crime branch told Times City that on July 19, the day the sting operation was conducted, Prakash had made numerous calls from his official mobile number to Uma’s number after he along with Rashmi and Virender Arora reached the Cross River Mall. "All call records have been obtained. We have found that Arora, Uma and Prakash had talked to each other over their mobile phones. We have also got the details of calls made from Arora’s number. After Prakash and Rashmi left the mall in a car, he called up Uma on her mobile phone and it was she who spoke to the girl," said an officer.

Uma had categorically said that she never interacted with Rashmi since she never knew her. Rashmi had also said that she did not know anything about Uma and saw her for the first time only on July 19. "After I came with Prakash in his car, he compelled me to speak to a lady over the phone whom he had introduced as Uma Khurana. I have no knowledge who that woman at the other end. I followed the instructions of Prakash under threat. He had put his official SIM card in my mobile handset," she clarified.

However, responding to the claims of the crime branch that it was Uma who was talking to Rashmi to cooperate with Prakash from her personal mobile phone, Uma told Times City, "The number you are talking about, of course, is mine. Tell me if what police are claiming is right (I maintain that I did not talk to Rashmi), what impact can it have on my case. Will it affect my job? Let me talk to my lawyer, then I will respond."

When this reporter called her again after an hour, a woman who identified herself as Uma’s mother, said: "Why are you taking interest in the case? If that’s what the crime branch submits, we will face it in the court."

Meanwhile, police officers said that they have no proof to suggest that Uma ran an organised sex racket or ever pushed any girl into prostitution, but in this case she allegedly ‘handed over’ Rashmi to Prakash, even though the decoy had herself come with the reporter and Arora. "But she never knew that it was all a trap," said an official.

NEW DELHI: When BCCI announced Mahendra Singh Dhoni as the new captain of Indian ODI team on Tuesday, the campus exploded with sounds of Dhoni dhamaka.

Praising the meteoric rise of the youth icon, girls could not hold on to their excitement while guys tried to understand the future mathematics of Dhoni’s gameplan.

"When the news came in, our seniors started congratulating each other. They were all so happy suddenly," said Parul Kaul, a first-year student at Kamala Nehru College. Dhoni is a rage and students feel that he will represent the young face of Indian cricket, added Parul.

While Dhoni enjoys a huge fan following on the campus among the lovers of the game for his lusty hitting, he is equally popular for his style quotient among those who don’t follow cricket. With this Jharkhand lad leading the Indian team now, girls hope that cricket will become more watchable now. "I love Dhoni’s hair. He is the coolest cricketer around. He will certainly add more energy to the team. Earlier, only Indo-Pak matches could attract those who did not watch cricket otherwise. Now, captain Dhoni will be enough to do the trick for many," said Sonal Ojha from IP University.

Dhoni’s skills are well-proven. Besides that BCCI will probably meet with less criticism for its decision thanks to the admiration girls pour on Dhoni. "We began liking him for his long golden tresses, the way he looked and then for the way he smashed those sixes. He can hit any bowler for huge shots. The fact that he plays well and looks good will only increase his popularity as a captain," said Smridhi Grover, a student of Occupational Therapy at the Lady Hardinge Medical College.

Dhoni’s looks are supplemented by the die-hard attitude that he displays on the field. "I had SMSed for Dhoni in a recent poll as I wanted him to lead the team. He has a fighting spirit and he does not lose hope. His good looks and his status as a style icon will give a boost to his performance," said Shanal Singhal, a third-year student at Swami Shraddhanand College.

However, there are a few of Dhoni’s fans who are happy and worried for the new captain at the same time. "I am glad as he was a deserving player but now this added responsibility can hamper his natural game — something that has happened with every captain in recent years," said Raghav Sinha from JNU.

NEW DELHI: A mini truck hit a 10-year-old girl near Seelampur Metro station on Tuesday morning, killing her on the spot. She was on her way to a nearby madarsa. Angry locals got hold of the driver and handed him over to the police. They then proceeded to protest on the roadside with the girl’s body still lying on the road.

According to the police the incident took place while victim, identified as Shaheen Parveen, was waiting for a rickshaw to go to the madarsa early on the Tuesday morning. The accident was caused by a speeding mini truck, which hit Shaheen, killing her on the spot. She was later taken to Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital where she was declared brought dead.

The driver, identified as 25 year old Anand Singh, a resident of Keshavpuram, was arrested on Charges of causing death due to rash and negligent driving.

"The accident took place when the speeding truck driver tried to save the girl, who was crossing the road, but overturned after getting stuck in a pothole and hit her instead," said a senior police officer. "The people in the area are angry as the pothole hadn’t been repaired despite repeated complaints."

Shaheen was the second youngest among six siblings, three of whom Sahiba (11), Wajid (7) and Aizad (15) were also the students at Quami madarsa in Kashmere Gate. Her eldest brother, Shehzad (22) works with her father, Abdul Jaffar, who deals in plastic items, while the eldest sister, Shehzadi (16) is a student of class XI.

Shehzad said: "I usually dropped Shaheen to the madarsa on my bike, but today I was occupied and she planned to take a rickshaw. We came to know of the incident when Wajid and Aizad came home crying and told us what happened. We immediately rushed to the spot and saw her body lying on the road. The truck had overturned and a mob was blocking the road. The police had already arrested the truck driver."

He added: "Just last night we had a chat and I can’t even recall what we talked about. Everything was so routine at home. Not once had we imagined the normalcy would be disrupted in this manner. Last year Shaheen had stood first in her class and was the brightest among us siblings. She intended to become a teacher after completion of her studies."

In another incident, 5-year-old Priya was run over by a tempo in Okhla while trying to cross the road. Angry locals beat up the driver of the vehicle who was admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences.

NEW DELHI: A 24-year-old man committed suicide after stabbing his estranged wife in Khichripur, east Delhi, on Tuesday morning. The police have identified the man as Narender Pal, a resident of Ghaziabad and the woman as 19-year-old Shivani Anand, a resident of Shashi Garden in east Delhi.

The incident took place around 11 am on Tuesday, when Narender called Shivani over to the bus stand at ITI, Khichripur, and attacked her on the skull with a 36 cm long knife. He then went on to hang himself from a tree, using a dupatta, near Sanjay Jheel, in east Delhi. Shivani’s mother soon reached the spot on hearing about the incident and after informing the police took her to a private hospital in Pandav Nagar, where she is undergoing treatment.

Shivani, who used to work in a factory in Shakarpur, and Narender, who ran a private embroidery unit, had tied the knot a couple of months ago. Since this was against their parents’ wishes, Shivani was brought back home by her father, a government servant. On Tuesday morning, Pal called her to the bus stop and attacked her, before commiting suicide, as he was upset that the marriage had broken up.

NEW DELHI: The Mukherjee Nagar police has finally registered a case based on the complaint of four Delhi University students, hailing from Manipur, who had alleged that they were molested on way to a freshers’ party on Saturday night by some men who had come to appear for their Delhi Police recruitment examinations.

The incident was first reported by The Times of India on Sunday and senior officers ordered an inquiry, following which a case of molestation was registered on Tuesday.

The police said they are yet to identify the culprits as thousands of candidates had come to the campus on that day for appearing in the recruitment examinations. "It is very difficult to examine each candidate and find out who all were there at the time of the incident. But we have registered a case and investigations are being carried out," said a senior police officer.

The police also added that a cultural programme was being held on North Campus that day and there was a heavy police presence near the venue. The incident, however, was reported from Kingsway Camp bus stand, which was poorly lit. The students have alleged that the cops refused to help them when they went to Mukherjee Nagar police station after the incident, saying that the area was too dark. Later, when a police team did visit the area no one was found at the spot.

Recalling the incident, one of the victims told Times City: "When our rickshaw neared Kingsway Camp bus stand, some men standing on the road started passing lewd comments at us. Later, they tried to pull my shirt. When I protested, some others joined them and started molesting me." The students later claimed that the culprits were aspiring policemen who had come to sit for their examinations near New Police Lines (NPL).

"A list containing the names and photographs of candidates will be shown to the victims for identification of the accused. We are also questioning some eyewitnesses in the area," the police said.

The police had earlier feigned ignorance about the incident, but were forced to act after the media reported the case and senior officers ordered an inquiry. As one of the victims alleged, "The cops were refusing to budge on being told that the accused had come to appear for the Delhi Police recruitment exams."

NEW DELHI: Malls and marketplaces in the Capital need to go beyond glitzy shop fronts and escalators to make shopping a comfortable experience for women.

A government-backed study has found that big shopping areas and malls are places where Delhi women feel the most insecure, with over 80% of the respondents saying they are worried about their safety at these places.

The study also reinforces the image of Delhi being unsafe for women, with 30% of the respondents feeling insecure all the time because "anything can happen anytime" in the Capital. More than two-thirds (70%) of women feel insecure after dark.

The study, based on responses of 630 women randomly selected from different areas in the Capital, was conducted by the National Institute of Criminology and Forensic Science (NICFS) at the behest of the home ministry’s Bureau of Police Research & Development (BPR&D).

It found that the sense of insecurity is more pervasive among women living in posh localities and newly-developed colonies as compared to those who live in areas in and around Old Delhi. Almost all of them consider eve-teasing, rape, kidnapping, abduction and robbery, in that order, as basic elements of insecurity. Among women commuters, the report says, 50% of the respondents feel insecure in buses as compared to 20% in autos and 10% at roadsides.

NEW DELHI: An 18-year-old girl has accused a government hospital doctor of raping her at a hotel in Karol Bagh, central Delhi. Police said the doctor, who is the son of an IAS officer in Bihar, is absconding since the incident which allegedly took place on Sunday.

Medical examination of the victim has established that she was raped, police said. According to the girl’s statement, she met the doctor at Babu Jagjivan Ram Hospital at Prashant Vihar in northwest Delhi, where she was undergoing treatment for an accident injury in July this year. The accused, who worked in the same hospital, allegedly lured her to a hotel and raped her there.

The victim said the doctor had befriended her while she was recuperating at the special ward of the hospital. He then invited her to the hotel.

NEW DELHI: Delhi Police commissioner Y S Dadwal on Wednesday suspended the three cops who had allegedly refused to come to the aid of girl students, after they were molested by aspiring policemen at North Campus on Saturday night. A separate FIR in another case, where a girl was pulled inside a lift outside the Vishwavidyalaya Metro station and molested by seven-eight men on Sunday, has also been lodged.

"The station house officer of Mukherjee Nagar, B R Maan, and head constables, Shamsher Singh and Rajinder Singh, have been placed under suspension," said Delhi Police, PRO, Rajan Bhagat. The police are planning to strenthen the security apparatus on the campus to prevent such incidents in future, he added.

Three DU students had alleged that some men, who had come to appear for the Delhi Police recruitment examination, passed lewd comments at them and also tried to pull the shirt of one of them. The police, however, registered a case of molestation only on Tuesday. And according to the victims, the cops even refused to accompany them for the identification of the accused.

Bhagat said: "More than 40,000 students had come to appear for the test that was to be held on Sunday. The students were accompanied by their friends and relatives and it was a huge gathering. As the exam was scheduled for 8.30 am, most of them had come to the venue on Saturday night itself." The police have contacted DU’s student leaders and the victims to help identify the accused, he added.

Taking suo motu cognizance of the molestation of these students and the rising cases of harassment against women on the campus, the National Council of Women (NCW) held an emergency meeting with the police commissioner and the vice-chancellor of DU on Wednesday. According to NCW chairperson, Girija Vyas, several important decisions were taken at the meeting, also attended by representatives of the UGC and the proctor.

"We have asked the police commissioner to immediately deploy more female constables on the campus. There should be a nodal officer at each police station so that if there is a case of harassment, an FIR can be lodged immediately," she said. NCW has also asked for more hostels on the campus and asked UGC for a list of all those colleges that do not have a complaint committee. V-C Deepak Pental, on his part, said: "Forming endless committees is not going to solve the problem. We have been encouraging students to participate more extensively in committees already formed."

NOIDA: A 22-year-old reporter of a private TV channel hanged herself to death in her rented home, A-38, Sector 19, on Wednesday evening. Her body was found hanging from the ceiling fan in her bed room, about 8.30 pm.

Police later registered a case of abetment to suicide, against the TV channel’s output editor, Tapan Bharti and executive producer Umesh Joshi. This was after a suicide note was found, saying the two officials had been "Keeping her down and not allowing her to progress on the job."

Revealing this, Meerut police zone inspector general, V K Gupta said: "She claimed in the note that she was removed from her position as an anchor, after the duo went backbiting against her to her boss."

According to police sources, Priya hailed from Lucknow, and her father, Babban Singh, is an army officer posted in J&K. She had joined the TV channel a year ago, and her friend Tanuja, a software engineer, shared her flat with her.

"When Tanuja returned from work, she found Priya’s body hanging from the ceiling fan by a dupatta," said an official. We have registered a case, because her accusations in the note clearly make up a case of abetment to suicide," an official said.

NEW DELHI: Bitterness between two warring factions of the Roman Catholic Church in Delhi seems to have disrupted the Christian spirit of brotherhood and harmony.

The Latin Rite and the Syro Malabar(SM) Rite are two of the 23 Rites that form the Roman Catholic Church. The two have co-existed in the city for years, but things turned ugly on August 5, when members of St Augustine’s SM parish gathered for Mass at St Michael’s Latin Church.

"On that day, people from the Latin parish started provoking us. They said we had no right to be there and that they were the only legitimate worshippers in that church. A heated argument followed and some of us were pushed and hit. It seemed to be a pre-planned job as the police had been stationed there from 6 am," said Sunil John, an SM follower.

A "minority within a minority", the SM Rite, originating in Kerala, follows a hybrid, indigenous form of Christianity, holding its Masses in Malayali. The 1 lakh followers of the Rite in Delhi are under the administration of the Latin Archdiocese, with the Archbishop of Delhi responsible for their spiritual needs.

While the amount of "rent" to be paid by the SM parish for holding Mass at the Latin Church of St Michael’s is part of the problem, there is more to it. The 23 SM parishes currently existing in Delhi are slated to form the core of a new, independent SM diocese, which is awaiting sanction from the Pope.

Viewed as a prelude to the formation of the new diocese, the formation of the new St Augustine’s SM parish seems to have ruffled feathers within the Latin Rite. "The SM parish of St Augustine’s, Karol Bagh, which was established on July 29, 2007, is a personal parish," said Reverend Father Jose Edassery, a representative of the SM Rite.

This means that, although the parish does not have property of its own, a separate priest is appointed to look after the needs of members of that community and to hold an independent Mass. St Augustine’s parish and St Michael’s Latin parish share the church as per the Archbishop’s instructions.A Malayali Mass is held there every Sunday.

The displaced St Augustine’s parishioners have not been able to hold Mass for weeks now. In a statement issued on August 18, Archbishop of Delhi Concessavo said that, given the "tense situation," the Malayali SM Rite Mass would not continue at St Michael’s Church but efforts would be made to find an alternative venue.Members of the SM Rite held a protest dharna outside Goldakhana Cathedral Church on August 26.

The priest of St Michael’s parish, Father Albert Pintosaid the problem had been solved and the Archbishop had taken the necessary steps to rectify the situation.