The ministry of defence (MoD) informed Parliament on Wednesday that “some portion of defence land” in Lucknow in the “Trans Gomti Rifle Range” on the left bank of the Gomti river has been encroached by the Lucknow Development Authority. “Lucknow Development Authority has encroached upon certain portion of the land. They have constructed flats. They have also leased out a part of land to Sahara India Ltd, Ansals, M/s Hindustan Petroleum ... Some part of the land has also been unauthorisedly built by private persons. About 100 acres of land has thus been built upon/encroached,” the MoD informed Parliament.
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Ex-Armyman censured for ‘harassment’
Age Correspondent
New Delhi
Dec. 8: Army Chief Gen. V.K. Singh had censured the Army’s (now-retired) Engineer-in-Chief Lt. Gen. A.K. Nanda in a case pertaining to allegations of sexual harassment levelled by a colonel’s wife against Lt. Gen. Nanda earlier this year, defence sources have confirmed. The Army Chief “administered reproof” (censure) to Lt. Gen. Nanda, who retired in October 2010, after investigations revealed that Lt. Gen. Nanda had acted against service decorum.
However, the allegation of sexual harassment against Lt. Gen. Nanda was not conclusively established, as per the Army’s enquiry report. The report found that the complainant “had also tried to mislead the court (of enquiry)”.
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Teen ends life due to bullying
age correspondent
Raipur
Dec. 8: A Class 10 student, Neha Bhatia, committed suicide after being bullied by classmates. Neha, 16, was harassed so mercilessly by a classmate that she returned home from school sobbing on December 4 and locked herself in her room. She then doused herself with kerosene and set herself on fire when no one was at home. She suffered 80 per cent burns and After battling for life for five days in hospital, died on Wednesday.
Neha’s father, Gurumit Bhatia, filed an FIR against two of her classmates accusing them of abetting his daughter’s suicide by harassing, taunting and bullying her in the class.
In her dying statement before the police Neha said she was called, “fag” and “queer” by these two students who asked others to keep a distance from her.
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Sonia turns 65 today, will not celebrate
Age Correspondent
New Delhi
Dec.: Congress President Sonia Gandhi, who turns 65 on Thursday, will not celebrate her birthday to avoid inconvenience to partymen coming to Delhi from outside to greet her.
In view of her decision, AICC general secretary Janardan Dwivedi appealed to party workers in various states not to come to Delhi to greet their leader on the occasion. However, many Congress leaders met the party chief in the last two days in Parliament and extended birthday greetings.