Delhi: Hot air balloon ride at Baansera Park draws visitors of all ages

The hot air balloon rides at Delhi’s Baansera Park near Sarai Kale Khan have drawn visitors of all age groups, from children to senior citizens, many of whom visited the attraction for the first time.

Pinki and Dinesh Kumar travelled from Ghaziabad to take the ride, while several others reached the park early to secure their turn.

Anil Jain, a resident of Rajouri Garden, is in his 80s and said he had come to witness the activity out of curiosity.

“This is only the second time I have seen something like this here. I had taken a hot air balloon ride nearly 25 years ago near the Red Fort,” he said.

Deepak Jain, who bought three tickets for his wife and brother, was among the first riders of the day.

“It was our first experience, and we were thrilled. From the balloon we could see the Akshardham Temple, Humayun’s Tomb and the beautiful view of the river,” he said.

His wife, Babita Jain, said more arrangements should be made for senior citizens.

“We had to climb into the basket and then get down the same way. There should be a gate or an easier entry option for elderly people,” she said.

Read more

Delhi: Why children keep disappearing into the black hole of stations

Seated along the entryway to the New Delhi Railway Station, several beggars wait for an opportunity to seek alms. Most passers-by ignore them; others watch with unease. One woman draws particular attention—not for who she is, but because of the infant resting in her lap. Seated at multiple junctures along the entryway, many others sit with their hands unfolded for an opportunity to ask for alms. Most of these pleas fall on deaf ears, while many commuters stare with an air of suspicion. The stares get harsher not because of the woman herself but because of what she holds in her lap—a tiny infant wrapped in a worn-out cloth. The child’s complexion remains untouched by the dust and grime that define the mother, prompting some onlookers to mutter whether the infant may have been kidnapped and placed with her.

Delhi: 25-year-old murder accused held after absconding for 5 months

The Delhi Police has arrested a 25-year-old man accused in a murder in north Delhi’s Shastri Nagar area earlier this year, after absconding for nearly five months, an official said on Friday. The accused, Rizwan, had been frequently changing his location and identity while moving across Uttarakhand, Rajasthan and parts of Delhi, he added.