Delhi news live updates (August 8): Bulldozers rolled in as demolition started at the home of the man who abused and pushed a woman at a housing society in Noida. The glass roof and wooden panels of accused Shrikant Tyagi’s balcony area have been demolished partially. This comes a day after his associates turned up at the society asking for the woman’s address. Tyagi continues to be on the run. 81,000 followers on Facebook and 52,400 on Instagram — social media profiles purportedly belonging to Tyagi, who abused and pushed a woman in a Noida residential society on Thursday, describe him as the National Executive Member, Bharatiya Janata Party Kisan Morcha.
In other news, with Delhi seeing an increase in street crime, especially phone snatching cases, the Delhi Police is planning to team up with internet service providers and the department of telecommunications to block stolen or robbed phones through the International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number. Senior police officers said they will note down the stolen/robbed phone’s IMEI number on a server and block the device immediately. This will act as a deterrent for criminals as they can no longer use the device, they said.
Also, to check alertness of staff ahead of Independence Day, senior officers in Delhi’s Central District planted four ‘dummy improvised explosive devices (IEDs)’ in markets and high footfall areas, said police Sunday. According to police, four tiffin boxes (dummies) were planted in Jama Masjid, Gaffar Market, New Delhi Railway Station and Paharganj and all were recovered by staff.
Noida police announces Rs 25,000 reward on arrest of absconding politician Shrikant Tyagi who is accused of assaulting woman, says an official. (PTI)
Unlike the two minor surges in cases seen in April and June, Covid-19 infections in the capital are continuing to increase with over 2,000 fresh cases being recorded now for five days in a row. As many as 2,423 cases were recorded in Sunday’s health bulletin with a positivity rate of 14.97%. To compare, the numbers had not crossed 1,800 during the two previous surges.
In fact, even when the numbers increased during the previous spikes, the positivity rate – the proportion of samples tested that return positive – shot past 10% only on one day. This is the highest positivity rate recorded in Delhi since January 22 this year when it stood at 16.36% as the Omicron-driven third wave was waning in the national capital.
The number of hospitalisations has also gone up, increasing from around 100 during the third week of July to 449 as per Sunday’s bulletin. The total number of hospitalisations have remained above 400 over the last three days. (Read More)
A 32-year-old food delivery executive died in a road accident Sunday night after he fell off his motorcycle and was mowed down by a heavy vehicle near the Tughlakabad Metro station in Delhi, said the police Monday.
They said that a Chinese manjha (kite string), which was found stuck to the tyre of his bike, might have led to his fall.
The deceased, identified as Narender, was riding on the Badarpur flyover when a stray kite string got stuck to his bike tyre, the police said. (Read More)
safer practices, the Delhi transport department is planning to modify various driving tests as it has been witnessing increasing failure in attempts to clear the tests on automated tracks, officials said.
According to officials, the department has issued an order regarding the changes. “Driving tests after the introduction of automated driving test tracks have become difficult and this is also leading to high failure in driving tests. Thus, the department has decided to bring some changes and modifications for public convenience. About 60-70% candidates who used to fail the DL earlier will now pass the test without comprising road safety,” said an official.
The official added that the department constituted a committee in this regard and its recommendations will soon be implemented in all test tracks, starting this week. (Read More)
The roof in the back area of Shrikant Tyagi’s home has come down
Workers demolish Shrikant Tyagi's home from inside
Workers demolish Shrikant Tyagi's house in Noida from inside Follow for live updates:https://t.co/i6zhjLLJIb pic.twitter.com/cOs9EiygOM
Bulldozers have left Shrikant Tyagi's home for the moment. However, workers continued to Tyagi's house from inside. Since bulldozers cannot enter the inside Tygai’s home, workers are using hammers to break the glass roof and wood panels inside the back area in Tyagi’s home.
Two large glass roofs lay shattered at Tyagi’s home as bulldozer’s continue to demolish
Ishtiak Ahmed GM planning Noida Authority, is at the demolition site.
Panels of the balcony area of Shrikant Tyagi’s home being demolished by the bulldozer. Noida police and Noida authority present at the demolition site.
Bulldozers reach Noida society to remove encroachment at home of man who abused, pushed woman Follow live updates: https://t.co/i6zhjLLJIb pic.twitter.com/J2VOlk6vQl
Noida Police Commissioner Alok Singh arrived at Grand Omaxe society in Noida’s Sector 93B, after a group of men forcibly entered the premises. Alok Singh is currently speaking with the residents of the society.
Residents gather on the premises of Grand Omaxe society. pic.twitter.com/QvCd0TTbyo
A day after reports emerged that a man seen abusing and pushing a woman during an argument in their residential society was from the BJP, a group of people entered the Grand Omaxe society in Noida’s Sector 93B and allegedly threatened the complainant.
According to Noida police: “A group of men entered the Grand Omaxe society in Noida's Sector 93. We have detained 5-6 men and are questioning them. Senior officials of the Noida police, along with a team from Noida Phase-2 police station, have reached the society. Allegations regarding stone-pelting or use of lathis are completely misleading. Detailed information will be provided soon.”
Meanwhile, the Youth Congress alleged that these men were followers of Shrikant Tyagi.
BJP नेता श्रीकांत त्यागी के गुंडों की हिम्मत देखिए, Society के अंदर घुसकर शिकायतकर्ता महिला को धमकी दी और जमकर उत्पात मचाया, लेकिन Komal Sharma, Nupur Sharma की तरह Shrikant Tyagi का भी BJP से कोई लेना देना नही और न ही गिरफ्तारी हुई है। pic.twitter.com/7I24qfyL3z
Wrestler Divya Kakran, who won a bronze medal at the ongoing Commonwealth Games, on Sunday tweeted that despite practicing and living in Delhi for the past 20 years, she had never been awarded any money by the state government, nor has she received any help till date.
She was reacting to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal congratulating her for the latest win.
“I thank the honourable Chief Minister from the bottom of my heart for congratulating me. For the past 20 years, I have lived and practiced wrestling in Delhi but till now, I have not been awarded any money or received any help from the state government,” she tweeted. (Read more)
Delhi on Sunday reported 2,423 fresh COVID-19 cases with a positivity rate of 14.97 per cent, the highest since January 22, while two more people died due to the viral disease, according to data shared by the city health department. On January 22, the positivity rate stood at 16.4 per cent. This is the fifth consecutive day when the daily case count has remained above 2,000. The positivity rate has remained above 10 per cent for seven straight days.
The fresh cases on Sunday came out of 16,186 COVID-19 tests conducted the previous day, the health department bulletin stated. Delhi on Saturday recorded 2,311 COVID-19 cases with a positivity rate of 13.84 per cent and one fatality. On Friday, it logged 2,419 cases with a positivity rate of 12.95 per cent, while two people died due to the disease. On Thursday, the city saw 2,202 cases with a positivity rate of 11.84 per cent and four deaths.
On Wednesday, Delhi recorded 2,073 COVID-19 cases with a positivity rate of 11.64 per cent and five fatalities. Wednesday's death toll was the highest since June 25, when six people succumbed to the disease. (PTI)
The National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) has conducted the maiden test run of the RRTS train-set on its depot tracks at Duhai in Ghaziabad, the transport body said on Sunday. The NCRTC is establishing India's first Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) — a rail-based, high-speed regional commuter transit system — from Delhi to Meerut via Ghaziabad.
The first RRTS train-set had arrived at Duhai depot in June from its manufacturing unit in Savli in Gujarat. The test run was conducted at Duhai depot on Saturday evening.
"The NCRTC achieved an important milestone towards bringing in India's 1st Regional Rail on time, yesterday, RRTS trainset did a maiden test run on its depot tracks. The trainset was fed by recently charged NCRTC's 25 kV Traction system," the NCRTC said in a tweet on Sunday. (PTI)
The Delhi's excise department officials made changes in provisions of excise policy 2021-22 and executed it without the consent of the council of ministers, causing "windfall gains" to licensees and losses to the Delhi government, sources said on Sunday.
The inquiry report of the Vigilance Directorate of the Delhi government, based on which LG VK Saxena has approved suspension and major disciplinary action against 11 excise officials, listed various "arbitrary and unilateral" decisions allegedly taken by the department officials and approved by Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia. No immediate reaction was available from Delhi government's excise department or Sisodia over the findings of the report.
The findings of the inquiry report on the levy of import pass fee and profit margin in case of foreign liquor, reduction in the number of dry days and illegal extension of Excise Policy show what caused the loss of revenue to the government, sources said. Sisodia, who had earlier projected that the excuse policy will earn a revenue of Rs 9500 crore, accused former LG Anil Baijal on Saturday of modifying liquor policy overnight due to which liquor stores could not open in non-confirming areas, causing a loss of "thousands of crores of rupees" to the Delhi government. (PTI)
A 28-year-old man, suspected to be the kingpin of an interstate gang involved in extortion, has been arrested from South Delhi, police said on Sunday. Accused Saddam Hussain was carrying a reward of Rs 20,000. He had been absconding for nine months, they said.
According to police, Hussain has confessed to the police that he and his gang members extorted money from at least 50 people in Delhi in the last six months. The gang had also tried to extort Rs 20 lakh from an advocate in the national capital, they said. Explaining the gang's modus operandi, a senior police officer said its members used to befriend people on social media by posing as women and offered them "online services".
Hussain's role was to record the targets in compromising position while on video calls and later extort money, threatening that they would otherwise upload the footage on social media. (PTI)
A campaign to encourage people to quit drugs will be launched on Tuesday here as part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, Union minister Kaushal Kishore said. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla will be the chief guest at the launch of Hindustaniyo Nasha Chhodo (Indians, quit drugs) campaign, while Delhi University Vice Chancellor Yogesh Singh will preside over by the event.
Kishore, the minister of state for housing and urban affairs, would be the keynote speaker. Addressing a press conference, Kishore said, "I lost my son (Aakash Kishore) to alcohol in 2020 and I pledged to make India drugs free. Then I started a campaign and so far 18 lakh people have pledged to not do drugs and 10,000 have stopped using drugs." "As India is celebrating Azadi Ka Amrit Mohastuv, we have decided to launch a campaign Hindustaniyo Nasha Chodo' on August 9 at Delhi University's Sports Complex," he added. (PTI)
Heart of Delhi sees Congress protest; Rahul, Priyanka, Pilot among those detained
The heart of Delhi saw high drama on Friday as Congress leaders defied prohibitory orders imposed by police and took out protests against inflation, unemployment and rising prices. Several Congress workers and leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and Sachin Pilot, were detained and taken to Kingsway Camp police station.
New Delhi district police had earlier denied permission for the protests citing CrPC Section 144 being imposed across the district except at Jantar Mantar. A letter regarding the same was sent on Thursday to AICC general secretary KC Venugopal, police said.
“India is witnessing the death of democracy,” Rahul Gandhi said in a press conference on Friday morning. “What India has built brick by brick, starting almost a century ago, is being destroyed in front of your eyes. Anybody who stands against this idea of onset of dictatorship is viciously attacked, jailed, arrested and beaten up.”
During the march to Parliament, he was detained alongside several others.
The revised Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) to deal with air pollution this winter will come into force with effect from October 1, according to the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM). This year, the GRAP will be implemented differently – it will be pre-emptive and will be invoked three days in advance of the air quality reaching a certain level based on forecasts. In previous years, GRAP was invoked when particulate matter concentrations reached a certain threshold.