3 MHADA officials held in forgery case

Mumbai: August 26, 2008, The Vikhroli police on Monday arrested three MHADA officials and one person involved in forging documents to help the person claim a MHADA flat। The three officials from MHADA are reportedly in the ranks of estate manager, clerk and rent collector.

According to sources at Vikhroli police station, Bharti Pawar, who was resident of Tagore Nagar at Vikhroli east, had rented out a room to one Raghuvinder Singh, 54। However, after Pawar expired, her son Ashok received eviction notices. When he approached MHADA officials, they told them that the flat was bought by Singh from his mother for Rs 7 lakh.

“Ashok then approached the vigilance officer of MHADA, who found that Singh had forged legal documents to get the flat in his name। He had taken the help of three MHADA officials for the same. That’s when the officer approached us with the case, and we found the bogus documents,” said Habib Ansari, senior inspector at Vikhroli police station.

The three officials and Singh were arrested on Monday, and have been remanded to police custody.

No medal, but Akhil Kumar is boxing icon

NEW DELHI: August 26, 2008, Akhil Kumar sounded like a brash young man when he spoke up for his fellow-boxers demanding clearance of South African physio Matthew Heath for the Beijing Olympics। His argument was that when people with no chance of winning a medal could go with their entourage, why not the boxers who have the potential to do well.

Still, Akhil remained an unsung hero। "Don't forget me If I fail to win a medal," was his parting shot before boarding the flight. Medal or no medal, he is highly popular among his peers.

He might have missed the medal he promised to his Bhiwani folk by a whisker, yet Akhil was given a hero's welcome on his return home from the Olympics early Tuesday।

Huge garlands drowning his neck, Akhil's homecoming reception at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport was as grand as that for India's first Olympic gold winner Abhinav Bindra। The boxer with his zeal had won the hearts of the masses and that was evident by the huge turnout of his admirers.

Akhil, along with bronze winners Vijender Singh and Jitender Kumar, put Bhiwani on the boxing map with their quarter-final appearance at the Olympics। Akhil failed to cross the next hurdle but his heroics in the ring fetched him the fame he longed for all his life.

More important, he came to be known as the "friend, philosopher and guide" of Vijender and Jitender, both of whom fought for Akhil after he lost his bout. They like his transparent sincerity and outspokenness.

30 injured in fresh Jammu protests

Jammu, Augst 26 2008 : Thirty persons, including a Senior Superintendent of Police, were injured in renewed protests in various parts of Jammu as the Shri Amarnath Yatra Sangarsh Samiti’s call for “chakka jam” caused a complete shutdown। The Samiti has already extended its strike till August 31.

There was no vehicular movement on Monday in response to a Samiti’s call but sporadic violence continued throughout the day in which SSP Manmohan Singh of 8th Battalion of the J&K Armoured Police was injured in stone pelting।

There were also incidents of stone pelting in Kathua। Crowds were dispersed by cane charge and tear gas shelling. Attempts were made in both places to block the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway 1 A, but police foiled them.

The Samiti’s decision to continue its protests is seen an attempt to hasten the decision which the government and the Samiti have almost arrived at।

There is a broad agreement that land will be given to the Shrine Board for three months during the “yatra” period।

The government is trying to get the “correct wording” of the agreement to make sure that there is no reaction in the Valley।

Samiti convener Leela Karan Sharma said, “The Centre and the State Government were delaying the decision to hand over the land to the Board due to pressure from separatists। In view of their dilly dallying tactics, the Samiti has decided to continue its agitation and so it has extended the bandh up to August 31.”

The Samiti would hold rallies on August 27 and 31 to press its demands, he added।

The bus service between Poonch and Rawalkote in Pakistan occupied Kashmir that was started in 2006 as part of the confidence building measures between India and Pakistan was suspended on Monday due to curfew in Poonch।

The Line of Control crossing was scheduled for Monday।

Officials are confident that the bus service would resume after 15 days.