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`Ban colas in JNU'

NEW DELHI: Raking up the old issue of banning colas on the Jawaharlal Nehru University campus in the light of the recent finding of the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad has written to the JNU Vice-Chancellor, B. Bhattacharya demanding that the drinks be banned immediately.

Stating that it was appalling that the JNU administration was yet to take a stand on the issue, ABVP said it would be compelled to take recourse to agitation if the authorities fail to act.

While JNU is still debating on what action to take, the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, is likely to take a tough stand. Colas might officially not be banned on the campus, but well-placed sources said these two companies would not be allowed to fund the popular IIT festival "Rendezvous".

Arrested for bribe

NEW DELHI: An Assistant Commissioner of Delhi Police and an alleged tout have been arrested by the Anti-Corruption Branch of the Central Bureau of Investigation for allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs. 50,000 from a hotel owner. The ACP had in the past come under the CBI scanner for possessing assets disproportionate to his income.

According to an official release, the CBI recently received a complaint from the owner of a hotel at Mahipalpur here alleging that his son had been falsely implicated in a case of immoral trafficking by ACP Pritpal Singh, who was posted with the Anti-Robbery Cell of the Crime Branch. The police officer was allegedly demanding Rs. 1.5 lakhs from him to facilitate bail.

Acting on the complaint, the CBI asked the complainant to agree to pay Rs. 50,000 to the ACP, who asked him to make the payment at G.S. Mall at Gaffar Market in Karol Bagh. Subsequently a trap was laid and the police officer and his accomplice, Gurmeet Singh, were caught red handed while receiving the illegal gratification. In the follow-up action, the CBI sleuths raided the houses of both the accused.

Rally against price hike

NEW DELHI: The All-India Fair Price Ration Dealers' Association on Friday held a demonstration at Jantar Mantar here against the Union Government's decision to hike the prices of items distributed under the public distribution system (PDS), besides reducing their quantity of allocation.

Several MPs, mainly belonging to the Left parties, also took part in the demonstration and addressed fair price shop dealers. They included the Association president P.C. Thomas and Communist Party of India (Marxist) MP Basudev Acharya. They also submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh demanding that all their grievances be addressed at the earliest.

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