MCD demolishes 'illegal portions' of accused's house linked to Uttam Nagar Holi clash death
New Delhi (PTI): The Municipal Corporation of Delhi on Sunday carried out a demolition drive and razed illegal portions of a house linked to one of the accused in the Uttam Nagar Holi clash case, in which a 26-year-old man was killed, police sources said.
Heavy police and paramilitary deployment remained in place to maintain law and order in the area, which has been divided in zones, sectors and sub-sectors, a senior police officer said.
The sources said civic authorities reached the locality with bulldozers and demolished "only the illegally constructed parts" of the structure and not the entire house.
The MCD officials said the action was taken as part of "removing encroachment" built upon the drains.
"Since the monsoon is approaching, we are removing illegal construction built upon the drains in the area as they disturb the water flow. The structure was built on the drain," a senior official from the MCD west zone said.
The area was cordoned off, and police personnel were deployed during the operation as a bulldozer razed portions of the building. Debris and dust filled the street as the structure was brought down under the supervision of officials. Residents and onlookers gathered nearby as authorities continued the demolition.
This comes a day after the Chief Minister Rekha Gupta condemned the killing and said Delhi follows a zero-tolerance policy against such "heinous criminal and violent acts".
On March 4, Tarun (26) was killed in a clash that broke out between his family and their neighbours in the JJ Colony area. The violence broke out after water from a balloon thrown by a girl from Tarun's family splashed on a woman from his neighbour's family, according to police.
The two families had known each other for the past five decades and got into rows over parking and garbage disposal, among other things, police had said.
Police said that they have arrested six persons and a minor has been apprehended so far in connection with the case. Provisions of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and murder charges have been added to the FIR.
The accused have been identified as Umardeen (49), Jummadeen (36), Kamruddin (36), Mustaque (46), Muzzafar (25), Tahir (18) and a minor.
Maan Singh, the victim's relative, had earlier called for justice. He said, "We want the Yogi (Uttar Pradesh chief minister) bulldozer model to be used. Their unauthorised houses should be demolished and all illegal extensions removed."
The incident sparked tensions in the area with an angry mob damaging several vehicles and setting them on fire on Friday, prompting heavy police deployment.
A senior police officer said, "Zones are being monitored by the Dwarka DCP, sector areas are being monitored by ACPs, and sub-sectors are being monitored by the senior officials, including SHOs. Besides that, companies of the Rapid Action Force (RAF), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), forces from the western range, like forces from the outer district and west district, have already been deployed. No one will be allowed to breach the law and order condition at all," the officer said.
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Rajnath Singh chairs IGoM meet, urges constant vigil over West Asia crisis
New Delhi (PTI): Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday emphasised the need for round-the-clock monitoring of the West Asia conflict and called for a calibrated response to deal with any eventuality to ensure that national interests remain protected.
Singh made the comments while chairing a high-level meeting of the Informal Group of Ministers (IGoM) set-up to monitor the situation in West Asia.
The meeting was attended by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Oil Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, Power Minister Manohar Lal, Chemicals and Fertilizers Minister J P Nadda, Consumer Affairs Minister Prahlad Joshi and Minister of Railways, Information and Broadcasting, Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw.
In view of the "uncertain situation", the defence minister underlined the importance of round-the-clock monitoring of the situation and the need to respond in a calibrated manner to deal with any eventuality, an official readout said.
He stressed on the need to leave no stone unturned to ensure that the people of the country face the minimum effect of the conflict, it said.
It was the second meeting of the IGoM after it was set up last month.
The IGoM was apprised of the measures being taken by the government in the wake of the ongoing West Asia conflict, Singh said on social media.
"We also deliberated upon the next steps to be taken by the government to mitigate any adverse impact arising due to the ongoing conflict," he said.
The defence ministry said in the readout said, "In the meeting, the seven empowered groups of secretaries briefed the IGoM on the steps being taken to tackle the situation."
"The IGoM was apprised about measures undertaken by the Ministry of Finance to address concerns arising due to global trade disruptions and provide relief and support to the industry, especially manufacturing, and bolster investor confidence," it said.
It listed measures including notification issued on Wednesday on full customs duty exemption on 40 critical petrochemical products till June 30.
The ministry also mentioned announcement of a special one-time relief measure for eligible units in SEZs to sell manufactured goods in Domestic Tariff Area (DTA) at concessional customs duty rates to be effective from April 1 to March 31.
It also noted another notification issued by the Department of Revenue clarifying that the provisions of GAAR (General Anti Avoidance Rules) will not be invoked in respect of investments made prior to April 1, 2017.
"These measures will reduce cost pressures on downstream sectors including textiles, packaging and pharmaceuticals, facilitate supply stability in the country and provide requisite clarity for investors contemplating investments in India," the readout said.
Defence Minister Singh appreciated the government's decision to impose a 25 per cent cap on the monthly increase in aviation turbine fuel prices for domestic operations, with effect from April 1.
This step will help protect the people from sudden increase in fares, he said.
The government has accorded highest priority to domestic LPG supply, with refinery production enhanced to fully meet consumption requirements, according to the readout.
"The IGoM was informed that there have been no reports of dry-out at LPG distributorships, and delivery of domestic LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) cylinders continues as per the normal schedule. The temporary supply concerns arose due to instances of hoarding and black marketing, which triggered panic buying in certain areas," it said.
The ministers were informed that strict enforcement action is being undertaken, with raids being carried out across multiple states and Union territories to curb hoarding and black marketing of LPG, the ministry said in the readout.
Action has also been taken against some LPG distributors who engaged in malpractices, it said.
"To support migrant labour and low-consumption households, the government is ensuring adequate availability of 5 kg free trade LPG cylinders, and since March 23, over 4.3 lakh such cylinders have been sold. Special focus is being given to states where demand is higher," it said.
The IGoM was apprised that industrial requirements dependent on commercial LPG are being met, with over 80 per cent of pre-crisis supply levels being maintained to ensure continuity of operations.
"Special meetings have been held with ministries and stakeholders of different industries to understand their demand and meet their needs. Oil PSUs are ensuring continued supply of Auto LPG across the country," the readout noted.
"However, some supply constraints are being faced by private operators due to their procurement challenges, which is why lines are being observed at PSU auto LPG pumps. Wherever the autos are dual feed and can use petrol, they are being encouraged to use petrol," it said.
