4-year DU course challenged in court
New Delhi: A petition was filed in the Delhi High Court Wednesday challenging the Delhi University’s new four-year undergraduate programme. Judges B.D. Ahmed, who is also the acting chief justice, and Vibhu Bakhru posted the matter for July 17. The plea contended that there must be “uniformity in education”. The varsity is to implement a controversial four-year undergraduate programme with multiple degrees from the academic session starting this month. (IANS)
Consignment of sea lizard seized
Rameswaram (TN): A total of 110 kg of “kadal palli” (sea lizard), being transported from Chennai to Sri Lanka via Ramanathapuram, was on Wednesday seized near here and three persons arrested in this connection. The value of the seized consignment was estimated to be several lakhs of rupees in the international market, police said. The three persons, who were arrested by ‘Q’ branch police dealing with extremist cases, have been remanded to custody. (PTI)
57-yr-old dies of heart attack on way to Vaishnodevi shrine
Jammu: A 57-year-old man died on Wednesday of a heart attack while he was on his way to the cave shrine of Mata Vaishnodevi in Reasi district, police said. Ram Sevak from Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh suffered the attack en route to the shrine in Katra belt of Reasi district and was shifted to hospital where he was declared dead. A post-mortem has been conducted and the body is to be handed over to the kin of the deceased, police added. (PTI)
Naval officer gets life term
for killing wife, daughter
Thane: A local court on Wednesday sentenced a 50-year-old naval officer to life imprisonment for the brutal murder of his wife and daughter. According to prosecution, the accused naval officer – Rajeshkumar Bhadoria – killed his wife Sangeeta (30) and five-year-old daughter using a grinding stone on March 30, 2010. The accused, a resident of the Brahmand housing complex of Thane city, killed his wife and daughter as he was under duress of not being able to repay a loan of about Rs 40 lakh, which he had taken from financial institutions and other sources, the prosecution told the court. After 18 witnesses were examined by the prosecution, Thane additional sessions Judge R D Sawant, relying on circumstantial evidence, held the accused guilty of charges under section 302 (murder) of IPC and sentenced him to life imprisonment. (PTI)
Traffic grinds to halt on BT Rd
as mill workers put up blockade
Barrackpore: Traffic came to a grinding halt for hours together on the arterial BT Road in North 24 Parganas this morning when hundreds of workers of the Titagarh Jute Mill near here blocked the busy state highway. The workers were demanding their provident fund, gratuity and ESI facilities. Union leaders alleged that the mill authorities hardly paid any heed to their demands. Members of 11 trade unions, involved in Titagrah Jute Mill, launched a joint movement and continued squatting at the mill gate for the past 40 days. On July 7 the union leaders had given an ultimatum to the mill authorities to settle the issue within the next 48 hours or else they would intensify their struggle. With the mill authorities allegedly ignoring the caution, the workers raised the blockade today on the busy road which links the sprawling district with Kolkata. Hundreds of vehicles were stranded on a stretch of about four kilometres from Sodepur to Barrackpur Chiriamore. (UNI)
Monks carry food to Uttarakhand victims
Belur (WB): Monks from the Belur headquartered Ramakrishna Mission are walking miles carrying food on their shoulders to feed people in the inaccessible villages of flood-ravaged Uttarakhand. Swami Suhitananda, General Secretary of the Mission, told reporters here that ‘sadhus’ from their monastic order are actively participating in relief work. “There are no trucks plying as the roads are badly damaged. At some places monks have to walk for 25 kms to reach food to the victims,” officials of the Mission said. They have set up relief camps at Agastya Muni, about 25 kms from Rudraprayag, and at Phata near Gupta Kashi. The monks have distributed food, utensils, candles and matchboxes to about 30 inaccessible villages around Rudraprayag and Gupta Kashi. Besides this, more than a thousand flood-affected patients have been treated in the medical camp, officials said. Steps are also being taken to distribute clothing and blankets among the distressed people. (PTI)