Urban News

Media bites
Maulana Noor ul Huda, who was asked to step off a London-bound Emirates flight and detained after a co-passenger complained that he was talking in a ‘suspicious’ manner, is avoiding the media. On Friday, after Huda was released from the Tihar Jail, he tried to duck the camera flashes and reporters who were waiting to speak to him. When asked about the reason for avoiding mediapersons, Huda said: I saw a story in a major Hindi paper that said the police have recovered some incriminating documents from my possession. It was completely baseless and I decided not to talk to the media.”

Bane of a ban
The mysterious death of 10-year-old Shivam Soni, a student of Class V at ITL School in Dwarka, has resulted in a few schools complaining against a Supreme Court order that prevents them from ‘disciplining students’. Shivam’s parents had earlier said their son was bullied by a group of schoolmates. “One tries everything to stop bullying in schools but what can one do when the Supreme Court has put a ban on corporal punishment for the students in schools,” principal of a school said. “A school principal should at least be given some authority to take judicious decisions when it comes to punishment to students. These days even if a teacher raises her voice, the students threaten that they will complain. A power reversal seems to have occurred,” the principal said. 

Prevention is better
While the Telecom Service Providers’ Association and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi are yet to reach a compromise on the issue of unauthorised cell phone towers, the civic agency has been forced to stop sealing the towers following a High Court stay order. The Corporation is now trying out other means to resolve the issue. Last week, the MCD held a meeting but to no avail. It has now asked all service providers who have installed unauthorised towers to “respect” the laws. “Better prevent and prepare than repent and repair,” an MCD release on the issue reads.

The judge’s writ
Anguished at not getting a car loan from his company as per a scheme, an agent with the Life Insurance Corporation of India decided to drag his employer to court. He filed a writ petition in the Delhi High Court and sought a directive to the LIC for granting him the loan. Acting Chief Justice Madan B Lokur, however, dismissed the petition as he did not find the subject to be a matter of a writ under the Constitutional provisions. Pulling up the petitioner, the judge said it was up to the LIC to examine whether he was entitled to a car loan or not and courts could not entertain such frivolous plea.

Up to the rain god
Even as the Delhi government appears to be pulling out all stops to curb the rising pollution in the Capital, the rumour has it the officials are banking on the rains to ‘clear the air’ before the Commonwealth Games. “Delhi is at its worst during the winters. But since the Games are post-monsoon, we hope for a natural heads-up,” an official said.