Conference NHRIs Of Asia Pacific

Murmu To Confer National Awards For Empowerment Of Persons With Disabilities

President Droupadi Murmu will confer national awards for outstanding work towards the empowerment of persons with disabilities on the International Day of Persons with Disabilities on Saturday at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi.

For the year 2022, a total of 1,210 applications were received for the selection process which consisted of the examination of documents and records submitted by the applicants. These applications were screened and shortlisted by the Screening Committees constituted by the Department.
In the year 2021, a total of 844 applications were received for the award.

The Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment in a statement said that the awards will be given to individuals, institutions, organizations, and states or districts, for their outstanding achievements and work towards the empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (PwDs).

The Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan), Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment confers national awards for outstanding achievements and work done towards the empowerment of Persons with Disabilities every year.

Till 2017, the Award Scheme was governed under the National Awards Rules, 2013 which provided 7 categories of disabilities as per the Persons with Disabilities Act, 1995.

However, with the coming into force of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 with effect from April 19, 2017, the number of specified disabilities increased from 7 to 21 under the new Law.

Accordingly, all 21 disabilities have been included under the National Award Guidelines which have been notified in the Extraordinary Gazette of India dated August 2, 2018. (ANI)

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MCD Polls BJP

MCD Polls: BJP Promises To Regularise Weekly Markets Of 8 L Street Vendors

The Bharatiya Janata Party has promised to regularise weekly markets of eight lakh street vendors in the national capital if BJP returns to power after the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) elections scheduled for Sunday.

Addressing a press conference on Friday, BJP’s National Spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia said, “Taking cognizance of the demand of eight lakh street vendors of Delhi that their weekly markets be regularized, BJP has determinedly decided to regularize them.”
The BJP leader also reminded that it was Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who implemented the Swanidhi Yojana for such vendors under which small traders were given an amount of Rs 10,000 to start their small businesses.

Bhatia said the BJP is committed to ensuring that hardworking people are not harassed.

“There are 12 zones in Delhi and night markets will be set up in them. Along with this, arrangements will also be made for a special women’s market.

“It will be ensured that more and more employment opportunities are generated and corruption problems will also be dealt with strictly in a legal manner,” said Bhatia.

The BJP spokesperson also said that there are 2,700 weekly markets in Delhi, which have been running for more than 20 years, but almost 80 percent of them need to be regularised.

“There has always been a demand of street vendors to increase the space, keeping this in mind, the BJP has decided that the street vendors that have been given 6/4 size for so many years. We will increase that size to 7/5 while the weekly markets will be 12/8. So that no one has to face any problems,” he said.

Leader of the Opposition in the Delhi Assembly Ramvir Singh Bidhuri hailed the Prime Minister for his financial assistance scheme for street vendors providing Rs 10,000 each for employment survival during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bidhuri mocked key rival in the civic body polls Aam Aadmi Party National Convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

“After PM Modi gave financial assistance of Rs 10,000, Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal also talked about giving Rs 20,000 to vendors,” said Bidhuri and added he was ready to resign from his post if Kejriwal could show even one man who got that Rs 20,000.

“The way the central government has given free rations under the Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana, it has proved to be a boon in the pandemic period.

“Today 3,024 flats built in Kalkaji were given to the poor, in which about 17 percent of the poor are street vendors,” he added.

The high-stakes Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) elections will take place on Sunday and the counting will be held on December 7. The campaigning ended on Friday with the AAP government announcing a three-day dry day till results.

The elections to the 250-ward MCD is a high-pitched contest between the BJP which has held the reins of the civic body since 2007 and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) which has been in government since 2013, besides the Congress. The cleanliness of the city and pollution are key concerns for many Delhiites. (ANI)

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Haldwani Railway Land

SC Refuses To Entertain Plea Seeking Stay On MCD Elections

The Supreme Court on Friday refused to entertain a plea seeking to stay the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) elections, scheduled to be held on December 4.

A bench of justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Abhay S Oka said that the petition has become infructuous as it noted the election is in 3 days, i.e., on Sunday.
The petition has challenged the Delhi High Court’s November 9 decision for not staying

the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) elections, scheduled to be held on December 4.

The plea was filed by the National Youth Parth pertaining to the delimitation of the constituency of the civic polls.

Notably, the leaders of political parties will make last ditch effort as campaigning for the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) elections is set to end today.

With a massive number of roadshows, the BJP campaigning was undertaken by several Union ministers and state Chief Ministers including national president JP Nadda for a massive show of strength.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national President JP Nadda exuded confidence and said that people are eager to vote for BJP as they are fed up with Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) work. He also hit out at the AAP for not cleaning the Yamuna despite thousands of crores disbursed from the Centre to the Kejriwal government.

The BJP has been in power in the MCD since 2007.

On Friday, Aam Admi Party (AAP) leader and Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi Manish Sisodia will hold a roadshow in Patparganj.

While trying to revive its prospects in MCD polls, the Congress, in its election manifesto has promised RO water purifying systems for drinking water, clearing the three landfills in Delhi in 18 months and waiver of outstanding house tax due.

Making ‘Delhi will be Sheila ji’s Delhi’ as party’s poll pitch, Congress makes a mention of two schemes named after former Chief Minister Sheila Dixit – Sheila Dixit Swasthya Sahayatha Yojana for medicines at half the price, and the Sheila Dixit Gharelu Majdoor Kalyan Yojana for financial assistance for domestic workers. Assistance for domestic workers includes admissions for their children to MCD schools and financial help in case of accidents. (ANI)

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Delhi Metro start MCD poll

Delhi Metro To Start Operating From 4 am On MCD Poll Day

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) on Friday informed that the rail services on all the Lines would start from 4 am at terminal stations, in the wake of the December 4 elections of the Municipal Corporation in the national capital.

An official statement from the Delhi metro said: “On the day of voting, the Delhi Metro train services on all Lines will start from 4 am from all terminal stations with a frequency of 30 minutes on all lines till 6 am. After that, the metro will run as per the regular Sunday timetable throughout the day.”
Ahead of the MCD elections, the alcohol sale in the national capital will be restricted for three days, marked ‘dry days’ from today.

The ban will be imposed from 5.30 pm, the time and day the civic polls campaign ends till the day of voting. Following this, the ban will be imposed again on December 7, when the counting will take place.

“On account of the MCD Election in the NCT of Delhi from 17:30 Hours of December 2, 2022 (Friday) to December 4 2022 up to 17:30 Hours (Sunday) and From 00:00 Hours to 24:00 Hours on December 7, 2022 (Wednesday) shall be observed as dry days,” an official statement from the Excise department read.

Leaders of political parties will make last-ditch efforts as campaigning for the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) elections is set to end on Friday.

With a massive number of roadshows, the BJP campaigning was undertaken by several Union ministers and state Chief Ministers including national president JP Nadda for a massive show of strength.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national President JP Nadda exuded confidence and said that people are eager to vote for BJP as they are fed up with Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) work. He also hit out at the AAP for not cleaning the Yamuna despite thousands of crores disbursed from the Centre to the Kejriwal government.

The BJP has been in power in the MCD since 2007.

On Friday, Aam Admi Party (AAP) leader and Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi Manish Sisodia will hold a roadshow in Patparganj.

While trying to revive its prospects in MCD polls, the Congress, in its election manifesto has promised RO water purifying systems for drinking water, clearing the three landfills in Delhi in 18 months, and waiver of outstanding house tax due.

Making ‘Delhi will be Sheila ji’s Delhi’ as the party’s poll pitch, Congress makes a mention of two schemes named after former Chief Minister Sheila Dixit – Sheila Dixit Swasthya Sahayatha Yojana for medicines at half the price, and the Sheila Dixit Gharelu Majdoor Kalyan Yojana for financial assistance for domestic workers. Assistance for domestic workers includes admissions for their children to MCD schools and financial help in case of accidents. (ANI)

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Aaftab Shraddha case

Aaftab’s Polygraph And Narco Response Same: Delhi Police

Both the narco analysis and a polygraph test of Aaftab Amin Poonawala, who is accused of murdering his live-in girlfriend Shraddha Walkar and dismembering her body has revealed similar responses to the information gathered by Delhi Police so far in its investigation of the case, officials said on Friday.

Delhi police sources said that Aaftab was fully cooperative during his narco as well as his polygraph tests. “From the preliminary examination, our teams involved in the probe have found out that he gave similar responses during both the tests so it does not bring any kind of new twist to the story,” sources said.

During the tests Aaftab confessed to having killed Shradha and to have disposed off her body parts in forest areas of the city.

Further, according to the police, the DNA report of Shradha Walkar is expected next week, adding that specific bones recovered from the forest so far will be analysed and ascertained before the doctors examine and give a confirmation about her death.

“The quantum and quality of specific bones will help doctors analysis and confirm whether Shardha is actually dead or not,” said the senior official.

Police are yet to find the skull of Shradha and other remaining parts of the body even as a search is going on for the same.

Police said, “We have enough evidence to prove Poonawala guilty and are awaiting digital footprints and evidence to correlate and join the dots between the missing links so far.”

However, police stated that they have found more evidence in connection with the case which cannot be divulged at this moment as it may hamper the ongoing investigation. (ANI)

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Ludhiana Blast Harpreet

Ludhiana Blast Conspirator Harpreet Arrested From IGI

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested absconding December 2021 Ludhiana Court building blast conspirator and wanted terrorist Harpreet Singh from Delhi airport soon after his arrival from Kaula Lumpur, Malaysia, the agency said on Friday.

An associate of Lakhbir Singh Rode, a Pakistan-based self-styled Chief of the International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF), Harpreet was one of the conspirators of the December 2021 Ludhiana Court Building blast along with Rode. One dead and six were injured in the massive bomb blast.
Harpreet, a resident of Punjab’s Amritsar district, was arrested on Thursday at Indira Gandhi International Airport here soon after he arrived from Malaysia.

The case was initially registered on December 23, 2021, by Punjab Police and NIA re-registered it on January 1 this year.

“Investigations revealed that Harpreet Singh alias Happy Malaysia, an associate of Lakhbir Singh Rode, was one of the conspirators of the Ludhiana Court Building blast, along with Rode,” said the NIA in a statement.

Acting on the directions of Rode, Harpreet coordinated the delivery of the custom-made Improvised Explosive Device (IED), which had been sent from Pakistan to his India-based associates, that was used in the Ludhiana Court Complex blast, said the NIA.

Harpreet was also involved and wanted in various cases, including the smuggling of explosives, arms, and narcotics.

Earlier, NIA had declared a reward of Rs 10 lakh on Harpreet Singh against whom a non-bailable Warrant from the Special NIA court had been issued and a look-out circular was opened. (ANI)

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Aaftab Shraddha case

Shraddha Case: Aaftab’s Post-Narco Test Interview Tomorrow

After the narco analysis test of Aaftab Poonawalla, accused in the Shraddha Walkar murder case, was successfully completed on Thursday, a four-member team will visit the Central jail tomorrow for the ‘Post-Narco Test Interview’.

According to the prison officials, the arrangement was made keeping in view the security of the accused who has recently attacked outside the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) office in Delhi.
“Four member team of Forensic Science Laboratory and Investigating officer will visit the Central jail tomorrow for the ‘Post-Narco Test Interview’. This arrangement has been made in view of the high risk involved in the transportation of Aftab,” the prison officials said.

Aaftab’s narco analysis test was conducted at the Baba Saheb Ambedkar Hospital in the national capital’s Rohini, Delhi Police officials said earlier today.

Aaftab was brought by Delhi Police from Tihar jail where he is currently lodged, to the Rohini hospital around 9 am for a narco test after a Delhi court gave permission for the analysis.

Before undergoing a narco analysis test, Aaftab was given a general examination to check his blood pressure, pulse rate, body temperature, and heartbeat. He also signed a consent form agreeing to the narco test after which he was put under anesthesia and he was subjected to the narco analysis.

The narco test was conducted by a team of FSL officials which includes a photo expert, forensic psychology expert and one doctor of forensic medicine, and the Nodal Officer, Narco, Ambedkar Hospital.

The narco test of Aaftab was over by 11:45 pm after which he was kept under doctors’ observation and given psychotherapy.

When Aaftab regained full consciousness the Delhi Police team took him back to Tihar with full security.

On Monday the police van carrying Aaftab came under attack by some sword-wielding men.

In the case registered under the Mehrauli Police Station under sections 365, 302, 201 of the Indian Penal Code, the narco test of the accused Aaftab began this morning, according to Sagar Preet Hooda, IPS, Special CP (Law & Order) Zone II.

Delhi Police said that earlier during a polygraph test conducted at the Forensic Science Laboratory office in the national capital, Aaftab had confessed to killing Shraddha in May this year and chopping her body into many pieces. He is also alleged to have stored the chopped body parts in a refrigerator and gradually disposed them of.

A Delhi court had permitted the police to conduct a polygraph test and a narco analysis of Aaftab after the Delhi Police submission that the accused was giving misleading answers to questions. (ANI)

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Jain CCTV Case Report: Min Misused His Official Position

The Inquiry Committee report on the purported leaked CCTV footage from the Tihar jail of Satyendar Jain made massive claims regarding the “special facilities” given to the jailed Delhi Minister.

The Committee, comprising Pr. Secy. (Home), Pr. Secy. (Law) and Secy. (Vigilance), said that Jain “violated norms and rules of the prison” and also “misused his official position and authority”.
The report said that at least five inmates, identified as Rinku (POCSO accused), Afsar Ali, Manish (POCSO accused), Sonu Singh, and Dilip Kumar, were “pressurized” by the Jail administration including Jail Superintendent, Jail Warden, and Jail Munshi.

It said that the officials pressurized them to provide “special services” to the jailed Minister.

“(The report) underlines that a retinue of Jail officials including Wardens, Munshis and other staff were involved in the service of Satyendar Jain,” it said.

The Committee said that it found “collusion” on part of the DG Prison, Sandeep Goel with Satyendar Jain, and recommended departmental proceedings against Goel for extending VIP treatment to the Minister.

“Sandeep Goel met Satyendar Jain in his cell for about 50 minutes on October 6, 2022, from 18.39 hrs to 19.29 hrs. This reflects that Sandeep Goel was quite close to Satyendar Jain and indicates the collusion of top brass, i.e. the then DG (Prisons) Sandeep Goel,” it said.

According to the report, the inmates who were seen giving services to Jain did not offer any service “out of love and affection”, but out of fear.

“The inmates did not offer any service to Jain voluntarily or out of “love and affection” as cited by the suspended Jail Superintendent Ajit Kumar. Instead, the inmates feared that if they refused to obey, they would be given “Punishment Tickets” or tortured in jail,” the report said.

It further said that Jain violated Prison Rules frequently and held “court in his room”.

“In violation of Prison Rules, Satyendra Jain frequently held court in his room with co-accused in the same case Vaibhav Jain and Ankush Jain apart from Sanjay Gupta and Raman Bhuraria who are accused in other cases filed by ED. Such meetings often happened even during restricted curfew hours,” it said.

The report said that the massage, which was claimed by the Aam Aadmi Party as ‘physiotherapy’, was given by another inmate Rinku involuntarily.

“The massage given by Rinku was facilitated by jail authorities as special treatment to Satyendra Jain. This massage was not voluntary or out of love and affection, as claimed by the then Superintendent Jail but was in the nature of leisure for enjoying a lavish lifestyle in jail by Satyendra Jain. This can also be termed to be an abuse of authority and in violation of norms of the jail,” it said.

The Committee’s report said that the then Jail Superintendent Ajit Kumar interacted with Jain in his cell for about 15 minutes on September 12.

Making a sensational charge, the report said that the jailed Minister made a “benami use of the jail account cards of other inmates” to “purchase fruits/food and other items for his personal use”.

“These jail account cards were recharged by the Jail warden and other financially well-off inmates,” it said.

“3-4 Jail account cards were used by Satyendra Jain and his close aide Sanjay Gupta to purchase consumables from the jail canteen. This was done to circumvent the monthly monetary limit of Rs 7,000 per card per month,” it added.

The Mulakat Records for the month of September and October show that Poonam Jain, wife of Satyendar Jain, and other family members met him in Jail on several occasions at “restricted places” on the Jail premises “not meant for such visits”.

According to the report, Rinku who is a POCSO accused gave a massage to Jain. The inmate is accused of raping a minor.

Afsar Ali who is in Jail for not paying maintenance to his wife, mopped and cleaned Jain’s cell.

Manish (POCSO accused) provided fruits and outside food to Jain. He is accused of raping a minor.

Sonu Singh is in Jail for not paying maintenance to his wife. He mopped and cleaned Jain’s cell.

Dilip Kumar, another Tihar inmate provided cleaning services to Jain.

According to the report, the statements of the inmates were recorded.

Rinku, who gave Jain a message said, “I have provided the massage to the inmate Satyendar Jain and that too at the instructions of jail officials. Now I am being threatened. I have not even taken a drop of water from the cell of Satyendra Jain for giving the massage.”

Rinku informed the members of the committee that he never got any training or course either in masseur work or for doing physiotherapy and that his main profession was to provide Ghodi services during marriage functions.

Afsar Ali said, “I was under the impression that these people i.e. Sanjay Gupta and Satyendar Jain would help me out in depositing the arrears of maintenance in the court for me and would help me financially to come out from jail…My jail account card was actually funded and used by Sanjay Gupta”.

Manish said, “One Vikas, who was Warden in this jail used to deposit money in my jail account card. By using my card, I used to purchase fruits from the jail canteen for Satyendra Jain. He deposited money in my jail account card 3-4 times and each time he deposited Rs. 6900… I did not provide services to Satyendar Jain willingly”.

Sonu Singh said that he too was asked by one Munshi of the jail to provide his services to Jain. He was under compulsion as he had to follow the instructions of the Munshi and whenever he refused to oblige him, the Munshi used to produce him before the supervising jail staff.

Dilip Kumar told the committee that he provided cleaning services to Satyendar Jain at the instructions of Jail Munshi, Sushil….He did not provide such services to other inmates. (ANI)

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Shraddha murder case

Shraddha Murder: Cops Say Aftab’s Narco Test May Bring New Twist

In another development in the Shraddha murder case, the police want to conduct the narco test of Aaftab Amin Poonawala at the earliest to find out if anything new is brewing in his mind.

One of the investigators in the case told ANI that Aaftab is very clever and can anytime bring a new ‘twist’ to the case.

He said Aaftab has completely obeyed what the police told him to do. He confessed his crime, co-operated with police, and agreed to the polygraph and narco test. But now the police have started feeling suspicious about his ‘good’ behaviour.

Initially, Aaftab was trying to misguide the Mumbai Police. But, once the case came under the jurisdiction of Delhi Police, he started confessing the whole crime. So, the police is suspecting this might be a part of his plans.

Now, the police want to conduct Aaftab’s narco test at the earliest, so that everything going on in his mind comes out to the police. The police also got the date of the narco test preponed to December 1 from December 5, given by the court earlier.

Earlier on Tuesday, Delhi Court gave permission to Delhi Police to conduct a narco test on the Shraddha Walker accused Aaftab Amin Poonawala on December 1.

Special CP (law and order) Sagar Preet Hooda had said that Delhi Police will seek permission from the court for the test.

Aaftab is accused of strangling his live-in partner Shraddha to death and chopping her body into 35 pieces. He is also alleged to have preserved the chopped body parts in a refrigerator before dumping them in forested areas in Delhi and Gurugram.

Police had earlier said Aaftab, who confessed to killing Shraddha and chopping her body into 35 pieces, was giving misleading answers to questions.

Delhi Police had submitted in court that Aaftab was giving wrong information and was misleading the investigation. (ANI)

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lathi-charge on labour unions

Lathi-Charge At Members Of Labour Unions Near Mann’s Residence

Punjab Police on Wednesday resorted to a lathi-charge on members of the agriculture labour unions who were marching towards Chief Minister Bhagwant e in Sangrur over their various demands.

The protestors, who included agricultural workers, gathered at the Patiala bypass after which they started moving towards the Chief Minister’s residence where there was heavy police deployment.
The police tried to stop the protestors who included members of eight labour organizations and resorted to the use of force which left some of the protestors injured.

Police, however, said that they did not resort to the lathi charge and stated that “an aggressive faction of protestors indulged in a scuffle”.

“No lathi charge was done, and the protest is going on in a peaceful manner. An aggressive faction of protestors indulged in a scuffle, which was later controlled by the police. We have taken cognizance of their demands,” Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Sangrur said.

The incident created a political uproar with Bharatiya Janata Party’s Manjinder Singh Sirsa and Shehzad Poonawalla attacking the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Punjab.

Manjinder Singh Sirsa accused Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal of showing his “true face” and said the people of Punjab will give a befitting reply to the injustice done to them.

“Kejriwal showed his true form through a lathi-charge on Punjab farmers sitting on dharna outside CM Bhagwant Mann’s house. Instead of giving the farmers their rights, Kejriwal is weakening Punjab by investing money of Punjab in the Gujarat campaign. Punjabis will give a befitting reply to this injustice of Kejriwal,” Sirsa said in a tweet.

He also said that making promises before elections and not fulfilling them later is the “new change” brought by AAP.

“Instead of giving rights to the farm labourers protesting outside the house, doing lathi charge at them is proof of the atrocities of Arvind Kejriwal and Bhagwant Mann. Making promises before the elections and not fulfilling them after the elections is the change by AAP. People of Delhi and Gujarat should stay away from this deceitful party,” Sirsa said in another tweet.

BJP leader Shehzad Poonawalla alleged that AAP is an “anti-people anti-peasant party”.

“The workers who were peacefully going towards the CM’s residence were brutally lathi-charged. It shows the real face of AAP. It stands for ‘anti-People anti-peasant party’. CM Bhagwant Mann is busy campaigning in Gujarat and the farmers of Punjab have been left in miserable conditions,” he said. (ANI)

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