Wanted criminal, aide of Delhi gangster held after police encounter

A wanted criminal and close associate of a Delhi-based gangster was arrested following a police encounter in Ghaziabad early Saturday, police said.

Kailash of Agroula village in the Loni subdivision was allegedly extorting money from sand mining contractors on behalf of the jailed gangster. He sustained a bullet injury in one of his legs during the encounter.

“Kailash is a key aide of Deepak, a notorious criminal currently lodged in Mandoli Jail in northeast Delhi. Kailash and his associates were overseeing an operation to extort money from contractors working near Pachayra village in Loni, close to the banks of the Yamuna River,” said Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Shalimar Garden, Atul Kumar Singh.

Acting on a tip-off, the Teela Mod police initiated a checking drive. When signalled to stop, Kailash, who was riding a motorcycle, attempted to flee but lost control and crashed into a roadside tree.

“He then ran into nearby fields and opened fire on the police team. Police retaliated, and he was shot in one of his legs,” the officer said.

During interrogation, Kailash confessed that he had demanded Rs 1 lakh per month from a contractor on Deepak’s instructions, threatening to kill him if he failed to pay.

“An FIR has been lodged against Kailash and his accomplices for extortion,” the officer said.

Read more

Delhi government targets 13 pollution hotspots with action plan

In an effort to address the alarming rise in air pollution levels across the national capital, the Delhi government has identified 13 major “air pollution hotspots” that consistently record higher particulate matter levels than other areas of the city. “These hotspots — Narela, Bawana, Mundka, Wazirpur, Rohini, RK Puram, Okhla, Jahangirpuri, Anand Vihar, Punjabi Bagh, Mayapuri, and Dwarka — have been demarcated in consultation with the Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA) and the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB),” said a senior official from the Environment Department.

SC permits sale, bursting of green crackers in Delhi-NCR on Diwali

The Supreme Court on Wednesday permitted the sale and bursting of green crackers in Delhi-NCR for Diwali. Allowing the joint request of the Centre and Delhi government, a bench comprising Chief Justice B R Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran relaxed the ban on green firecrackers. It asked the Central Pollution Control Boards and state pollution control boards of NCR to monitor the pollution level during Diwali and file reports before it. “As a temporary measure, we allow bursting of crackers from October 18 to 21,” the bench said.