Court relief for Delhi juveniles

New Delhi (PTI): After spending a chunk of their lives in the children’s home here, 10 boys were reunited with their loved ones, courtesy the juvenile court, which slammed the authorities for not making any effort to trace their parents.

“My judicial conscience is pricked about the manner in which the Child Welfare Committee under the social welfare department of the Delhi government appears to be functioning. Restoration of neglected children is supposed to be their prime objective,” juvenile justice principal magistrate Santosh Snehi Mann said.

Tired of their life under detention for year, 14 boys aged between seven and 13 had fled the home in search of their parents on the night of December 28, 2004. They were, however, caught and presented in court. Moved by the story of their long confinement, Mann ordered the juvenile welfare officer to trace the families of the children.

Disadvantaged plea to UPSC

New Delhi (PTI): Delhi High Court has issued notices to the Centre and the Union Public Service Commission on a petition seeking a stay on the May 2006 civil services examinations until the government relaxed the norms for physically challenged persons on a par with other socially disadvantaged people.

Petitioner Sunil Kumar, a physically challenged candidate, urged that disabled persons be allowed at least 10 attempts. He complained that while the candidates belonging to SCs and STs are granted “unlimited attempts” and OBCs get seven attempts, physically challenged persons get only four on a par with the general quota.

The respondents have four weeks to file their replies.

Stampede

Tiruchirappalli (PTI): Eleven people were injured in a stampede that occurred while removing a barricade at the eastern entrance of the Sri Ranganathaswamy temple at Srirangam on Wednesday.

The incident took place during the Vaikunta Ekadasi festival, temple officials said.

Plane snag

New Delhi (PTI) : An aircraft of Indian carrying 64 passengers landed safely here on Wednesday after developing a technical snag. Airport sources said the aircraft from Singapore developed hydraulic failure and landed at 12.35 pm at the Indira Gandhi international airport.

Camel sacrificed

Jaipur (PTI): A camel was sacrificed on Wednesday to mark Bakri Id at a complex owned by a local nawab in Rajasthan’s Tonk city. This happened despite strong protests by an NGO, People for Animals.

Sarfaraz Ahmad Khan, 110, from Jammu and Kashmir’s Anantnag is currently in Saudi Arabia for his fifth Haj pilgrimage. Khan performed his first Haj in 1971.