A 21-year-old law student was found dead at her paying guest accommodation here, police said on Monday.
Swati Soni, a student of the Delhi University, was founding hanging from the ceiling fan of her PG room in Sector 27 late Sunday night, they said.
"The girl hailed from Haridwar in Uttarakhand. She was sharing the room with another girl, but she was not there when the incident took place," a police official said.
"She had tried calling her last night but Swati did not respond. Later she called up the cook of the PG and asked him to go to the room and get Swati on the phone. When the cook went, he found the room was bolted from inside and there was no response," he said.
Later, the cook and some other PG residents peeped inside the room from a window on the other side and they found Swati hanging from the ceiling fan, according to the police.
Soon, the local Sector 20 police station was alerted and officials reached the spot, broke down the door after which the body was brought down and sent for post-mortem, they said.
"The girl's family has been informed and were on their way to Noida," the officer said, adding no case has been filed so far.
Mercury in Drass, the second coldest inhabited place in the world, plunged 31 degrees below freezing point even as Kashmir continued to reel under intense cold wave conditions prevailing over the past two months, MET officials said on Monday.
Drass in Kargil district registered a low of minus 31.4 degrees Celsius on Sunday night, an official of the MET department said.
The maximum temperature recorded in the remote area of Jammu and Kashmir was minus 12.5 degrees Celsius on Sunday, the official said.
In Leh district, the mercury settled at a low of minus 15.9 degrees Celsius last night while the maximum temperature was nearly two degrees below freezing point on Sunday, he added.
Kashmir Valley, meanwhile, continued to reel under the intense cold wave conditions.
The minimum temperature in Srinagar on Sunday night settled at minus 3.5 degrees Celsius – two degrees down from minus 1.4 degrees Celsius the previous night, the official said.
He said Qazigund – the gateway town to the valley – in south Kashmir recorded a low of minus 5 degree Celsius, while nearby Kokernag town registered a low of minus 3.7 degrees Celsius on Sunday night.
The mercury in Kupwara town in north Kashmir settled at minus 6.3 degrees Celsius compared to previous night's low of minus 6.5 degree Celsius, he said.
Gulmarg ski-resort in north Kashmir recorded a low of minus 12.6 degrees Celsius on Sunday night, a marginal dip over the previous night, while Pahalgam tourist resort, in south Kashmir, recorded a low of minus 13.6 degrees Celsius, the official said.
Kashmir is currently under the grip of 'Chillai-Kalan' – the 40-day harshest period of winter when the chances of snowfall are most frequent and maximum and the temperature drops considerably.
'Chillai-Kalan' ends on January 31, but the cold wave continues even after that in Kashmir. The 40-day period is followed by a 20-day long 'Chillai-Khurd' (small cold) and a 10-day long 'Chillai-Bachha' (baby cold).
In an indirect reference to Pakistan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said India is a strong proponent of peace but it will not hesitate to take steps to ensure its national security.
Addressing National Cadet Corps cadets in New Delhi, the prime minister said in the last four years, the government has taken several decisions keeping the security of the nation a priority.
"We are strong proponents of peace but we will not hesitate to take any step for national security. The armed forces have given a clear signal that we don't instigate but if instigated, we don't leave them(enemies of the country)," Modi said.
Referring to completion of the nuclear triad, he said India was one of the few nations who could launch nuclear weapons from land, sea and water.
Delhi's air quality remains in the "poor"category on Monday and is said to deteriorate slightly over the next three days, according to the authorities.
As per the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data, the overall air quality index (AQI) in the city was 267, which falls in the 'poor' category.
An AQI between 100 and 200 comes under 'moderate' category, 201 and 300 is considered 'poor', 301 and 400 'very poor', while that between 401 and 500 is 'severe'.
In the National Capital Region, Ghaziabad, Noida and Greater Noida also recorded 'poor' air quality, it said.
The overall PM2.5 level -- fine particulate matters in the air with a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometers -- in Delhi was 123, while the PM10 level was 206, it said.
The Centre-run System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting (SAFAR) said current air quality of Delhi is in 'poor' category.
"The moderate wind speed is preventing it to cross to next level (very poor). Cold wave conditions and moderate fog is likely to prevail for next two days. Hence, air quality is predicted to deteriorate slightly but will fluctuate between very poor to poor for next three days," the SAFAR said.
Cold wave conditions remained unabated in the city with the minimum temperature settling at 5.5 degrees Celsius, three notches below the season's average.
The maximum temperature was recorded at 18.9 degrees Celsius, also three notches below the normal, said a Met department official.
The humidity oscillated between 94 and 51 per cent.
According to the Met office, cold wave conditions are likely at isolated pockets of the city.
"There will be shallow fog in the morning. Gusty winds likely to prevail during the day and cold wave conditions likely to prevail at isolated pockets.
"The maximum and minimum temperatures are likely to hover at 19 and 5 degrees Celsius respectively," the weatherman said.
On Sunday, the minimum temperature settled at 5.2 degrees Celsius while the maximum was recorded at 18.8 degrees Celsius.
More snowfall, rains predicted in HP from Jan 30
The Meteorological Department has predicted heavy snowfall and rains in Himachal Pradesh from Wednesday, an official said Sunday.
A fresh western disturbance is very likely to affect western Himalayan and adjoining plains from January 29 and it would lead to scattered to fairly widespread rain and snowfall in the state from January 30 to February 1, Shimla MeT centre director Manmohan Singh said.
On Sunday, Shimla received 1.1 cm of snowfall and Kinnaur's Kalpa got 0.3 cm of snowfall from 8.30 am to 5.30 pm, he added.
Janjehli in Mandi district, Kufri and Kharapathar in Shimla district also received 2 cm of snowfall during the period, he added.
The maximum temperature in Keylong was minus 5.2 degrees Celsius, minus 2.8 degrees Celsius in Kalpa, minus 1.4 degrees Celsius in Kufri, 2.9 degrees Celsius in Dalhousie, 5.3 degrees Celsius in Manali and 6.8 degrees Celsius in Shimla on Sunday.
Similarly, the minimum temperature in Manali was minus 5 degrees Celsius, followed by minus 4.2 degrees Celsius in Kufri, minus 1.5 degrees Celsius in Dalhousie and minus 0.2 degrees Celsius in Shimla, he added.
Lahaul and Spiti's administrative centre Keylong continued to be the coldest place with a low of minus 17 degrees Celsius, Singh said, adding that the minimum temperature in Kinnaur's Kalpa was minus 5.2 degrees Celsius.
Meanwhile, an official spokesperson has advised people not to venture in avalanche prone slopes in Shimla, Chamba, Lahaul-Spiti, Kullu and Kinnaur districts in a next few days.
As per the Public Works Department (PWD), 406 roads are still closed for traffic after fresh snowfall. Of them, 216 roads will be opened by Monday and remaining 190 roads will be opened shortly, Singh said.
Advised by union minister Arun Jaitley to avoid "adventurism", the CBI will start calling suspects in the ICICI Bank case involving its former CEO Chanda Kochhar for questioning after completing scrutiny of documents seized during searches last week, officials said on Monday.
The CBI is carrying out scrutiny of the documents seized during searches at the offices of Videocon Group and Nupower Renewables and Supreme Energy, run by Chanda Kochhar's husband Deepak Kochhar, they said.
It is the prerogative of the investigation officer to decide which premises will be searched, the officials said when asked why the residence of Chanda Kochhar, named an accused in the FIR, was not included in the search operation on January 24.
Interim CBI Director M Nageswara Rao had changed the in-charge of the case a day after the filing of the FIR on January 22, and gave the charge of the case to Superintendent of Police Mohit Gupta. Sudhanshu Dhar Mishra, who filed the FIR in the case, was transferred to Ranchi on January 23.
Justifying the transfer, the CBI had pinned the blame on Mishra for keeping the preliminary enquiry pending without any reason and also alleged that his role was suspected in possibly leaking the information about searches, they said.
Immediately after the registration of the case, the searches were proposed to be conducted, they said.
"However, it was suspected that there was a possibility of information regarding searches being leaked. A discreet inquiry was conducted and role of Sudhanshu Dhar Mishra was strongly suspected. Hence he has been transferred pending detailed inquiry in the (serious) matter," an official had said Sunday.
It is alleged that during the tenure of Chanda Kochhar, six loans worth Rs 1,875 crore were cleared for Videocon Group and its associated companies. In two of these cases, she herself was on the sanctioning committees.
In its FIR, the CBI has also named several top honchos of the banking industry, including the present CEO of ICICI Bank, Sandeep Baxi, alleging that they were also members of the sanctioning committees whose role needs investigation.
Banking doyen and Chairman of New Development Bank K V Kamath, Goldman Sachs India chairman Sonjoy Chatterjee, Standard Chartered Bank CEO Zarin Daruwala, Tata Capital head Rajiv Sabharwal and Tata Capital senior advisor Homi Khusrokhan need to be investigated, according to the FIR.
Their names were included by the agency in the text of the FIR after a year-long preliminary enquiry.
The action attracted strong comments from Jaitley, who advised the agency against "adventurism".
"Sitting thousands of kilometres away, when I read the list of potential targets in the ICICI case, the thought that crossed my mind was again the same - instead of focusing primarily on the target, is a journey to nowhere (or everywhere) being undertaken? If we include the entire who's who of the banking industry – with or without evidence – what cause are we serving or actually hurting."
Jaitley is currently undergoing treatment in the US.
Jaitley, who was finance minister of India till last week and had to temporarily hand over the charge to his fellow minister Piyush Goyal for the duration of his indisposition, advised the investigators – "Follow the advice of Arjun in the Mahabharat – Just concentrate on the bull's eye."
The Bombay High Court has imposed a fine of Rs 25 lakhs on a woman and her husband for breaching court orders and threatening to file molestation charges against their case opponent and a court receiver.
Justice S J Kathawalla, in an order passed earlier this month, took objection to the attempt made by the woman, Neha Gandhi, to obstruct the court receiver and plaintiff from doing their job and threatening to file molestation charges against them.
The court was hearing an intellectual property right infringement suit filed by a pharmaceutical company 'Sapat and Company' against one Feel Good India, owned by Neha Gandhi and her husband, for copying their designs in packaging of cough syrup medicines.
"Time and again, it is noted with distress by the courts, that a socially enabling piece of legislation, is being grossly misused with impunity, by the very gender for whose empowerment it has been enacted, leaving the male/s facing grossly wrong and derogatory charges, which they have to thereafter defend themselves against," the court said in its order.
The court said that such "gross and patent misuse" of a socially enabling piece of legislation has to be sternly condemned and dealt with a very stern hand.
On December 21, 2018, the HC by way of interim order restrained the defendant company (Feel Good India) from using the packaging design and directed a court receiver to seize all goods bearing the copied label mark from the defendant's premises.
On January 7, the HC was informed by the court receiver and the plaintiff company that they were obstructed from seizing the goods by Neha Gandhi and her husband.
The court was informed that the woman had snatched the plaintiff company representative's phone and also threatened to file a molestation case against the court receiver and the representative.
Taking note, the court directed the owners of Feel Good India to pay a penalty of Rs 25 lakhs.
"Rs 5 lakhs shall be paid to the plaintiff and the remaining shall be deposited in favour of any hospital," the court ordered.
The H1N1 influenza or swine flu continue to spread across the nation as the toll registers a steady rise. The viral disease, which had recently forced BJP chief Amit Shah to check in into AIIMS for a few days, has now arrested Former Himachal Pradesh Chief MInister Virbhadra Singh.
The Congress leader is being treated at the Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC), Shimla.
So far, over 2,500 people have been diagonsed with the H1N1 influenza across the country in the first month of 2019. According to a latest report, death toll in Rajasthan alone has hit 75. The state has registered over 1911 positive swine flu cases between January 1 to January 28.
Last week, Rajasthan's Health and Family Welfare Minister Raghu Sharma appealed to the people to contact the nearest hospital to seek medical help as soon as they face flu symptoms. We have cancelled the leaves of doctors to ensure patients don't face any problems, he added.
With the numbers rising, the health ministry recently held a meeting with the states and asked them to strengthen their surveillance for early case detection along with reserving beds in hospital to deal with acute cases.
"On the operational side, we have asked the states to reserve some beds in hospitals as in acute cases patients have to be put on ventilator. They have also been asked to issue advisories for people to take precautions. Also, there is sufficient stock of swine flu drug Oseltamivir and also there is no scarcity of N95 masks," a senior health ministry official said.
Meanwhile, the Delhi government has issued an advisory mentioning Dos and Don'ts for the people.
The advisory states that seasonal influenza (H1N1) is a self-limiting viral, air borne disease spread from person-to-person, through large droplets generated by the act of coughing and sneezing, indirect contact by touching a contaminated object or surface (fomite transmission like telephone, cell phones, computers, door handles, door bells, pens, toys etc) and close contact, including hand shaking, hugging and kissing.
The Do's and Don'ts mention covering nose and mouth with disposable tissue or handkerchief while coughing or sneezing, washing hands with soap and water frequently, avoiding crowding places, maintaining isolation, drinking plenty of liquid and consulting doctor.
As per the advisory, one should not touch eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands or hug, kiss and shake hands while greeting, or spit in public places, dispose of used napkin or tissue paper in open areas, smoke in public places.
Last year, the country reported 14,992 cases and 1,103 deaths due to the flu.
A Delhi court on Monday extended the ED custody of lawyer Gautam Khaitan, an accused in the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper scam, by five days in connection with a fresh case of alleged possession of black money and money laundering.
The court had on Saturday sent him to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) custody after it alleged that he was operating and holding a number of foreign accounts illegally and thereby possessing black money and stashing assets.
Special Judge Arvind Kumar extended the ED custody of Khaitan who was already being prosecuted in a case related to AgustaWestland and was out on bail.
The fresh criminal case under the PMLA was filed by the ED against Khaitan on the basis of a case filed by the Income Tax Department against him under Section 51 of the Black Money (Undisclosed Foreign Income and Assets) and Imposition of Tax Act, 2015.
Along with their parents and teachers, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday held his second "Pariksha Pe Charcha" with students. The prime minister interacted with 2,000 students from high school to college. The event was held at Talkatora Stadium and telecasted live.
"It is a unique interaction where students, teachers, parents and the Prime Minister will come together to discuss issues related to exams and the stress connected to that," the Human Resource Development Ministry said in a statement.
Last year, only students of Delhi-NCR participated in the event. However, this year, students from all over India as well as Indian students residing abroad, including in Russia, Nigeria, Iran, Nepal, Doha, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Singapore, participated in the event.
Here are HIGHLIGHTS:
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12:50 pm: Don't compare your children with other children: PM Modi
12:48 pm: If your child is depressed, talk to him: PM Modi
12:40 pm: No connect between the questions asked in exams and the objectives in lives, how to resolve that, asks a student from Kuwait
How to tackle problems like home sickness, asks a student
12:35 pm: Compare your present performance with your past performance: PM Modi
12:33 pm: Teachers and students must be interconnected: PM Modi
12:23 pm: Positive attitude of parents is very helpful in the development of their children: PM Modi
12:21 pm: Another student asks how to convince parents for not forcing them to opt for Maths/Science streams and allow them to take a decision based on their aptitude.
How to take a call on career opportunities after finishing studies, asks a BHU student.
How to select stream after 10th exam, how to select career after 12th exam, asks AMU student Md Salim.
12:17 pm: Children must get proper guidance: PM Modi
12:13 pm: Technology can be instrumental in connecting parents&children, parents should slowly teach children to use technology in right manner, then children will leave PlayStation for a play ground. Tech must be used to increase our capabilities: PM Modi
12:08 pm: Time management is a must. Everyone has 24 hours. We must use it wisely: PM Modi
12:00 am: Aims should be crystal clear. We should work towards achieving our aims: PM Modi
11:59 am: How should we fix our targets? Asks a student
11:55 am: Technology has both- beneficial and harmful - aspects. We must teach our children how to use technology in a positive way: PM Modi
11:52 am: Parents who try to impose their unfulfilled wishes on their kids are a failure, they must try to recognise the potential in their children. As far as expectations are concerned, we also feel like working hard when there are expectations: PM Modi
11:44 am: Parents should not force their children to become something which they don't want to become: PM Modi
11:41 am: Expectation is a good thing. Society should have expectation: PM Modi
11:38 am: In life we should not stop dreaming: PM Modi
11:35 am: PM Narendra Modi during Pariksha Pe Charcha 2.0 in Delhi: George Fernandes passed away today. He was a dynamic leader. He fought the Emergency tooth and nail. I pay tribute to him.
11:32 am: Life is more than exams. Life is more important than exams: PM Modi
11:25 am: Don't consider as if you are sitting in an event. Consider as if you are sitting with your family: PM Modi
11:00 am: PM Modi arrives at Talkatora Stadium
For the event, around 675 students from many states and union territories had arrived in Delhi. On study-related matters, selected students were allowed to ask questions to the Prime Minister.
To reduce exam-related stress, this year's event also witnessed a cultural programme of 10 minutes. Screening of a short film took place. It showcased initiatives taken by the HRD Ministry since last year's "Pariksha Pe Charcha".
Last year in February, Modi had held his first such interaction with the students. Earlier that month, he had released his book "Exam Warriors". The book is a guide to help students handle the exam anxiety.
