BRICS Summit in Delhi: Why it's important

New Delhi:  The BRICS group of emerging world powerhouses - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa - is expected to launch plans this week for a joint development bank and measures to bring their stock exchanges closer together.

Officials say the initiatives will take time as they need to sort out details. But they herald a new level of ambition for a bloc that brings together about half the world's people. The Middle East and energy security will also be discussed, officials say.

The BRIC acronym was coined in 2001 by Goldman Sachs economist Jim O'Neill, who was searching for a catchy way to encapsulate the broader shift in global economic growth towards emerging markets. South Africa joined the grouping in 2010 so that it became BRICS.

The countries held their first summit in 2009 and have been criticised since as nothing more than an empty acronym as they struggle to find common cause from four different continents with radically different economies, systems of government and competing priorities.

The most relevant announcement from this week's meeting in India of the countries' leaders is likely to be plans for a joint development bank in the mold of the World Bank.

The initiative would allow the countries to pool resources for infrastructure improvements, and could also be used in the longer term as a vehicle for lending during global financial crises such as the one in Europe, officials say.

Brazilian Trade Minister Fernando Pimentel told reporters in Brasilia last week that the countries would sign a deal at the summit to study the creation of the bank.

Sudhir Vyas, a senior Indian foreign ministry official, told reporters on Monday that the BRICS would have to determine how the bank would be structured and capitalised. Such an ambitious project would take time, he said.

"We don't set up a bank every ordinary day," he said.

A benchmark equity index derivative shared by the stock exchanges of the five BRICS nations will be launched on Friday, the exchanges involved said earlier this month. They would be cross-listed, so can be bought in local currencies.

The leaders are also expected to sign agreements allowing their individual development banks to extend credit to other members in local currency, a step towards replacing the dollar as the main unit of trade between them.

A senior Indian government source said the Middle East and energy security will be high on the agenda, including Iran. The Russian ambassador in New Delhi said this week that a discussion on Syria would be among his country's top priorities.

While the plenary session on Thursday is likely to focus on common ground, bilateral meetings could touch on more sensitive issues.

The exchange rate of China's currency has sparked protests from countries, including Brazilian manufacturers, for being undervalued. Most member countries also face a slowdown in their economies.

"For different reasons, each of the (countries) has got some serious policy issues to deal with here that will determine whether they continue down the path we got everybody so excited about," O'Neill said.

Despite the problems, the growth outlook is still better than in most of the developed world, meaning the BRICS' clout will likely keep growing. O'Neill predicts the bloc's total GDP will be larger than the United States within three years and China's economy alone will overtake the United States by 2027.

Copyright@ Thomson Reuters 2012

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BRICS summit in Delhi: Your 10-fact cheatsheet

The BRICS group of emerging world powerhouses - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa - is meeting Delhi for their fourth summit. The BRIC acronym was coined in 2001 by Goldman Sachs economist Jim O'Neill, who was searching for a catchy way to encapsulate the broader shift in global economic growth towards emerging markets. South Africa joined the grouping in 2010 so that it became BRICS.

 1)     The most relevant announcement at the summit is likely to be a plan for joint development bank modelled on the World Bank.  This would allow the five countries to pool resources for infrastructure improvements, and could also be used in the longer term as a vehicle for lending during global financial crises such as the one in Europe, officials say. Most member countries are facing a slowdown in their economies.

2)    BRICS accounts for 26 per cent of the world's landmass and 42 per cent of the global population and 40 percent of the global GDP ($18.486 trillion). Goldman Sachs predicts that "BRIC can become collectively bigger than the G-7 (the top industrial powers) by 2035".

3)    BRICS countries have accounted for over 50 per cent global economic growth in the last decade.

4)     Intra-BRICS trade is growing at an average of 28 percent annually and currently stands at about $230 billion.

5)    The countries are also expected to sign agreements allowing their individual development banks to extend credit to other members in local currency, a step towards replacing the dollar as the main unit of trade between them.

6)    The BRICS meet comes amid Western pressure to cut crude imports as part of sanctions designed to halt Tehran's suspected pursuit of nuclear weapons.  China and India are the biggest buyers of Iran's crude.  The BRICS group of countries has broadly agreed they are not bound by "unilateral" sanctions on Iran, measures that threaten higher global oil prices and could result in supply shortages.

7)    While the plenary session on Thursday is likely to focus on common ground, bilateral meetings could touch on more sensitive issues.

8)    Political developments will also be discussed, like the situation in Syria.  At the UN recently, India took a very different position from China and Russia and supported a Western resolution that demanded the departure of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

9)    BRICS held its first summit in 2009 and has been criticised as nothing more than an empty acronym as it struggles to find common cause from four different continents with radically different economies, systems of government and competing priorities.

10)    Tibetan activists have been protesting the presence of Chinese President Hu Jintao in Delhi.  Many Tibetans have been detained by the Delhi Police, provoking sharp criticism.

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Chinese President's visit to Delhi provokes Tibetan protests

New Delhi:  China's president, Hu Jintao, has arrived in Delhi for the fourth BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) summit. Worried about protests, the police has been detaining Tibetan activists in the capital, provoking strong criticism.

Here are five new facts on the story:
1) A man who set himself on fire in Delhi on Monday at a rally died in hospital this morning. Jamphel Yeshi was 27.
2) Around 1200 cops have been posted around the hotels where The Chinese premier and the delegation will be staying. Earlier, the protesters had attempted to storm Hotel Oberoi in Delhi where Chinese premiere Hu Jintao is staying. Police have arrested the protesters. This morning, the police detained 100 activists who were protesting against Hu's visit at the United Nations office. Over 150 Tibetans have been taken in to preventive custody during the protests today. The Tibetan Youth Congress members were submitting a memorandum to embassies of all nations participating in the BRICS summit. Protests were also held at Khan Market and Jantar Mantar. There is heavy police presence in these areas.
3) The police removed activist-poet Tenzin Tsundue from a seminar yesterday at the India habitat Centre. The police is keeping a tight vigil in areas in Delhi with high Tibetan population to ensure that young Tibetans don't come out of their homes to protest.
4) China has accused the Dalai Lama of "masterminding" self-immolation bids earlier this week. At least 29 Tibetans, many of them Buddhist monks and nuns, have set themselves on fire in Tibet demanding freedom for their homeland.
5) The Chinese President will attend the BRICS summit which looks at encouraging trade among member-nations. He will also hold bilateral talks with Prime Minister Manmohan. The Chinese president is accompanied by a high-profile delegation comprising Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi, State Councillor Dai Bingguo, senior ministers and business leaders.

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Tibetan protester sets himself on fire ahead of China President's visit to Delhi

New Delhi:  A Tibetan exile lit himself on fire and ran shouting through a protest in the Indian capital on Monday, just ahead of a visit by China's president and following self-immolations in the Himalayan region against Beijing's rule.

The protester apparently had doused himself with something highly flammable and was engulfed in flames when he ran past the podium where speakers were criticizing China and the visit by President Hu Jintao.

Fellow activists beat out the flames with Tibetan flags and poured water onto him. He was on fire perhaps less than two minutes, but some of his clothing disintegrated and his skin was mottled with black, burned patches by the time he was driven to a hospital.

The man, identified as Jampa Yeshi, sustained burns on 85 percent of his body and his condition was critical, a senior police officer said. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.

Protesters initially prevented police from taking him to the hospital, but officers eventually forcibly took him away.

Yeshi, 27, escaped from Tibet in 2006 and had been living in New Delhi for the past two years, activists said.

Hu is expected to arrive in India on Tuesday for a five-nation economic summit.

While activists had been whispering on Monday morning that something dramatic was expected at the protest, organizers insisted they were not behind the self-immolation.

"We have no idea how this happened, but we appreciate the courage," said Tenzing Norsang, an official with the Tibetan Youth Congress. He called on the international community to talk about Tibet at the summit.

"If you care about peace you should raise the issue of Tibet," he said. "Hu Jintao is responsible for what is happening there."

The New Delhi protest comes amid a series of self-immolations inside Tibet. About 30 people - many of them monks or nuns, and often in their teens or early 20s - have lit themselves on fire over the past year, calling for the return to Tibet of the Dalai Lama and to protest Chinese rule over their homeland. The Dalai Lama, who fled Tibet amid a failed 1959 uprising against Chinese rule, has blamed China's "ruthless policy" for the self-immolations. China accuses the Dalai Lama of stirring up trouble.

At the site of the protest, a large poster of Hu - with a bloody palm print over his face - said: "Hu Jin Tao is unwelcome" at the summit.

More than 600 demonstrators marched across New Delhi to a central plaza near the Indian Parliament to protest Hu's visit. Some carried posters saying "Tibet is burning" or "Tibet is not part of China."

China says Tibet has always been part of its territory. Tibetans say the Himalayan region was virtually independent for centuries.

Monday's was the second self-immolation in India in recent months. Last year, a young Tibetan exile set himself on fire outside the Chinese Embassy. That man suffered minor burns.

"This is what China faces unless they give freedom to Tibet," said Tenzin Dorjee, a young onlooker.

Hu will be attending a summit this week of the leaders of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, who form a grouping known as BRICS.

Police in New Delhi are bracing for protests by the tens of thousands of Tibetan exiles who live in India. Security around the summit location has been tightened, and roads leading to the hotel will be closed to the public a day ahead of the meeting.

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Save Ganga activist Swami Agarwal, 80, ends fast in Delhi

New Delhi:  An 80-year-old environmentalist who has been on a hunger strike since January 14 has ended his fast today.  GD Agarwal was hospitalized in Delhi on Monday.  He has been campaigning for years for a better government effort to clean up the Ganga.
Senior ministers V Narayanasamy and Sriprakash Jaiswal met him at Delhi's AIIMS hospital earlier today, and agreed to most of his demands.  Swami Agarwal, as he is known, has in the past worked as a scientist at IIT Kanpur.
He was brought to Delhi on Monday from Varanasi after his health deteriorated.   He stopped drinking water on March 9.
The Save Ganga activist has been unhappy with the ineffective functioning of the National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA), a body set up by the central government for cleaning the Ganga.  He has said the government has failed to check the dumping of urban and industrial waste in the river.  

The activist is also opposed to the construction of dams and barrages on the Ganga; he says these will destroy the natural flow and quality of the river water.

Gandhian Anna Hazare wrote on Thursday to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and urged him to address the points raised by Swami Agarwal.

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Delhi Jazz Festival: Where music does the talking

By Hindustan Times

The Delhi jazz music lovers were once again treated to a dose of world class jazz on Friday at the second edition of the Delhi Jazz Festival, organized by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) in collaboration with Seher at the Nehru Park in New Delhi.

Last year this time, almost 10,000 music lovers had gathered at the same venue for the first edition of the festival.

On Friday, three bands from Poland and India performed on the first day of the 3-day (March 16th to 18th) jazz music extravaganza.

Right after a brief inauguration by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) president, Dr Karan Singh, the stage was thrown open to the Wojtek Mazolewski Qintet from Poland. The five piece band led by Wojtek Mazoewski, composer and bass player of the band, took off instantly with their lively music of casual yet nicely blended elements of punk rock and folkish concoction. Their sax and trumpet runs were truly something new for Delhi audience. They also performed their album titled number 'Smells like Tape Spirit', which has been making quite a wave at the Polish radio charts.

The second band on stage was India's HFT, with the Great Society famed greats - guitarist Arjun Sen and bass player Lew Hilt, along with Suchet Malhotra (drumcussion) completing the lineup. Their music was a soothing fusion of experimentation with the percussion, using rainsticks (a percussion instrument made from a long hollow tube filled with pebbles or beads), flutter-tonguing and guitar chord progression melody. Lew Hilt's bass lines inspired numbers were also well received by the audience. Their last piece, 'No Room to Move', from their album Acquired Senses, inspired by the Delhi traffic scene, was a bit 'noisy' with heavy bass lines and guitar overdrives.

The highlight of the day's event was that of the Louiz Banks Matrixx, led by jazz virtuoso Louiz Banks, where the father-son duo (Louiz (keyboard) and Gino Banks(drums) along with bass player Sheldon D'Silva and saxophonist Tara left the crowd spell bound and asking for more. Louiz's rippling moves on the keys and Tara's searing and rich tone of the sax was simply mesmerizing. When asked how he found the experience of performing in Delhi in this festival, Louiz said, " It was just amazing. I hope the crowd just grows and grows from strength to strength and be aware of the beautiful music such as jazz."

The Delhi Jazz Festival was started in 2011 with an attempt to bring together jazz music players from different countries on one platform.

The next 2 days will features bands from Georgia, France, India, Germany and Mexico.

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Dinesh Trivedi to attend Mamata's meet in Delhi today

New Delhi/Kolkata:  Prime Minister Manmohan Singh used his Motion of Thanks on the President's address today to meet at least one demand of the Opposition - clarity on the status of Dinesh Trivedi, who was Railways Minister till he quit last night. Dr Singh confirmed that last night, he had received first an email and then a formal letter of resignation from Mr Trivedi. He said that he had accepted Mr Trivedi's resignation and has forwarded the former minister's letter to President Pratibha Patil. He also said that he regrets the departure of Mr Trivedi, who belongs to Mamata Banerjee's party, the Trinamool Congress. Minutes later, Ms Banerjee retorted outside Parliament that the PM's remarks reflect "a personal opinion" and one that her party does not share.  
She also indicated that the hike in passenger fares, proposed by Mr Trivedi last week, will be rolled back, at least for the cheaper trains and coaches used most by the aam admi or common man. She said that while pricier tickets for AC and super-class fares was alright, but passengers traveling in the lower class should not suffer.

"We should do what is needed, but will not do anything that will disturb the aam janta. This is our policy," she said.

Ms Banerjee, along with party leader Mukul Roy, met with the Prime Minister. Mr Roy is Mamata's candidate for the new Railways minister and may be sworn-in as early as tomorrow.

While sharing that he has accepted Mr Trivedi's resignation, Dr Singh highlighted the difficulties of coalition politics and with some irony lauded Mr Trivedi for having presented a "Railway Budget which promised to carry out the vision 2020 that was outlined by his predecessor." Mr Trivedi's predecessor in Rail Bhawan was Mamata Banerjee, who is his party's chief, and demanded Mr Trivedi's resignation for proposing a hike in passenger fares.

As soon as the Lok Sabha convened after the weekend, the BJP said the Prime Minister must address Parliament to explain the chain of events that led to the Rail Minister's exit. Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee replied that Mr Trivedi's resignation had been received and that the Prime Minister was considering it. "When a decision is made, it will be shared with the House," he said.

The BJP's Yashwant Sinha said, "The PM is the head of the Cabinet. He has the right to give a portfolio to someone else. But he is also obliged to share information with Parliament. But we are discovering everything in the newspapers," he said.

"Dinesh Trivedi is in the House. He should also clarify the situation to Parliament," Mr Sinha added.

Gurudas Dasgupta of the Left also said the Prime Minister owes parliament an explanation. "A backstage drama is taking place. Parliament is in session and we don't know what is happening," he said.

Mr Sinha brought a smile to the Finance Minister's face when he took a swipe at the PM saying he had great respect for Mr Mukherjee, who is Leader of the Lok Sabha; "the PM should have been leader but couldn't make it," Mr Sinha said. Dr Manmohan Singh is a rare Indian PM who is not a member of the Lok Sabha. He is a Rajya Sabha member from Guwahati.
Meanwhile, Mr Trivedi will come face-to-face with Ms Banerjee for the first time today at a meeting of MPs of their party. He has not seen her since he presented his budget. He said last night that he continues to think of Ms Banerjee as his leader and has no plans to switch parties. Ms Banerjee simply said last night before leaving Kolkata for Delhi that she plans to meet "with all my people."

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Salman Rushdie on Akhilesh, Omar boycotting him at Delhi event

New Delhi:  At the India Today Conclave, Salman Rushdie was asked about his opinion on politicians who boycotted the event because of him. The list allegedly includes Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and his counterpart in Jammu and Kashmir, Omar Abdullah.

"Sad that leaders supposed to be the next generation are behaving in old-fashioned way. I hope they will grow up," Mr Rushdie said at the event. He also said, "I am impressed with my effect. Really, they're that scared of me?"

On Twitter, Mr Abdullah responded, "Miss the conclave I'm afraid of an author. Come to Delhi & a communal clash breaks out in Jammu I'm incompetent. Honestly I'm glad I missed...I had a situation with the BJP VHP Bajrang Dal & others itching to inflame passions so I have no regrets about the decision to stay in Jammu...Plus Salman Rushdie doesn't even know I exist so do you really think he gives a toss whether I was there or not?? Get real :-)"

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Delhi is lucky for me: Saif Ali Khan

Hrithik-Suzzane spooted with brood!

Sorry, I could not read the content fromt this page.

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In diplomat vs maid case, Delhi court takes tough stand with govt

New Delhi:  The Delhi High Court on Wednesday reserved its order on the government's plea seeking directions to restrain an Indian domestic help, awarded nearly $1.5 million relief for alleged ill-treatment by an Indian consulate employee in the US, from pursuing her case in a New York court.

Justice Kailash Gambhir asked the government why it had made itself a party to the case.

"Why are you filing a case? Why can the diplomat not file apetition on her own? How can Union of India become a party on what happens in the four corners of a flat," the court asked.

Responding to this, Additional Solicitor General A.S. Chandiok said that the government had sent the diplomat to New York. Thus, the government took a stand and filed a petition in the US.

"To bring into the notice of the US court that she is an Indian diplomat, I filed the petition there," Chandiok said.

"Can someone interfere with the administrative service of India," asked Chandiok, adding that the New York court lacked jurisdiction to entertain the maid's complaint.

Chandiok told the court that the diplomat had transferred an amount of Rs.221,000 into the maid's account in lieu of her service which was later reimbursed by the government to the diplomat.

A New York judge last month recommended that maid Shanti Gurung deserved nearly $1.5 million for her "barbaric treatment" by Neena Malhotra, who in 2006 served as press counsellor at the Indian consulate in the US, and her husband Jogesh.

Gurung in her complaint in the US alleged that Malhotra made her work without pay, seized her passport and visa, restricted her ability to leave her apartment and constantly warned her that if she travelled on her own, without their permission, she would be arrested, beaten and raped.

Justice Gambhir on Tuesday sought the bank account details in which the salary of the maid was paid.

The government March 12 approached the court seeking directions to restrain Gurung from pursuing the case in a New York court. It also sought the court to direct Gurung to withdraw the complaint.

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12-year-old shot dead by drunk Delhi police officer

New Delhi:  A 12-year-old boy was shot dead by a drunk Delhi police constable, who opened fire during a marriage ceremony in the capital, police said on Monday.

The incident took place around 11.15 pm on Sunday at Dhaka village in north Delhi's Mukherjee Nagar.

Tarun Chauhan, a class 7th student studying in a government school, received a bullet in his chest when the accused opened celebratory fire at the marriage ceremony.

"He was rushed to Sushruta Trauma Centre in the Civil Lines area where doctors declared him brought dead," said a senior police officer.

The accused, identified as Jai Baba, 35, is deputed as a constable in the Delhi Police crime branch. He has been arrested and a case registered against him.

Manmeet, a cousin of the bride, had invited Baba and Sanjay, a constable deputed in west Delhi's Subhash Place police station, to the ceremony.

The accused had consumed alcohol during the ceremony along with Sanjay and three-four other friends.

"After consuming alcohol, they were on the dance floor where Baba took out his service revolver and fired two shots in the air. He then fired a straight shot. The bullet pierced the victim's chest who was also dancing on the stage," said the official.

The enraged relatives of the victim beat up the accused and handed him over to police, said the official.

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Truimphant Yadavs headed to Delhi

Lucknow:  Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, and his son and UP chief minister designate Akhilesh Yadav are expected to be in Delhi shortly. Their visit comes ahead of the Budget session of Parliament tomorrow.
Both Mulayam and Akhilesh are also Members of Parliament and are expected to attend the President's opening joint address to the House.
Yesterday, 38-year-old Akhilesh was selected to head Uttar Pradesh as the state's Chief Minister. He will be the youngest ever to hold that position.
He will be sworn in between 11 and 1 on Thursday, March 15.
Thanks to his relentless campaigning, Akhilesh led his party to a whopping win, securing 224 seats - the biggest total in two decades in UP for any political party. In doing so, he trounced Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party and Rahul's hopes of scripting a comeback in UP.
With several challenges ahead, Akhilesh has his work cutout for him in the coming days.
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Holi claims seven lives on Delhi roads

New Delhi:  Seven people were killed in road accidents in various parts of the capital on Holi day -- the lowest figure of casualty on the festival day since 2000, police said on Friday.

Of these, four deaths were the result of motorcycles crashing into a tree or a poll, an official said.

"While my heart goes for the seven persons who got killed in road accidents on Thursday, it is a big relief that accidents were lowest in Delhi on Holi since year 2000," said Satyendra Garg, Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic).

"Though we wished it could have been ZERO, but good to know these were lowest (number of) accidents," he added.

While 10 people were killed in 2000 on Holi, 2006 claimed 22 lives which was the maximum in the past 12 years.

Thirteen people had lost their lives in Holi accidents in the capital in 2011.

A total of 777 people were caught and fined for drunk driving during a special traffic police drive on the occasion of Holi Thursday.

According to Garg, 597 two-wheelers, 123 cars and 57 other vehicles were ticketed during the drive.

Special checking teams with alcometers were deployed at major intersections to detect and prosecute violators.

A total of 200 special Traffic Police checking teams were spread all over Delhi to check drunk driving.

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Karan Johar: From Delhi to Bangkok!

By Hindustan Times

Mumbai, March. 6 -- Karan Johar has finally landed in Mumbai, beams Sandra from Bandra. But he won't be around for too long.

Reason: after a longish schedule for Student Of The Year in Kashmir, followed by Chandni Chowk, Lal Qila and India Gate in Delhi, the filmmaker will now fly most of the film's key unit to Bangkok for a 40-day schedule.

Needless to say his three newbies will be with him throughout the six-week shift, but the others like Rishi Kapoor and Ronit Roy will hop in and hop out since they don't have much to do on this trip. Phew!

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After Delhi, another suspected terrorist arrested in Jharkhand

New Delhi:  When two alleged members of the Lashkar-e-Taiba were arrested yesterday in Delhi, the police said they were part of a group that was planning a major attack in Delhi.  Today, a third man has been identified and arrested in Hazaribagh in Jharkhand. One of the men arrested yesterday was also from Jharkhand.
Home Minister P Chidambaram said the men arrested yesterday were planning to bomb a crowded area of Delhi. The police said their plans had progressed to an advanced stage.  Both men had been trained in Pakistan and were found with flash drives that showed videos of how to assemble bombs.  The Delhi Police had said that more arrests were imminent- they said they were locating other members of the same terror cell.

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Tibetans hold protests in Delhi against India-China border talks

Delhi:  About a dozen Tibetans, including women, today staged a protest outside the Hyderabad House objecting to the border talks between India and China claiming that Beijing cannot discuss the issue before giving freedom to Tibet.

Draped in Tibetan flags and carrying anti-China placards, the protesters assembled in front of the Hyderabad House near India Gate in the morning where External Affairs Minister S M Krishna was holding bilateral talks with his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi.

Anticipating protests, a number of police personnel were deployed in the area and they immediately detained the demonstrators who were shouting slogans demanding freedom for Tibet.

"We have detained the protesters, including women. We have taken them to a nearby police station," a senior police official said.

One of the protesters said China cannot discuss the issue before giving freedom to Tibet. "It is ridiculous for China to have talks with India before giving us freedom," he said.

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Senior citizen dies after being pushed by Delhi policemen; cop suspended

New Delhi:  A 66-year-old man collapsed and died of a heart attack at the Dhaula Kuan police station on Tuesday night after he was allegedly pushed and kicked by two police constables. The incident occurred following an argument between the cops and the man's son.

The police have registered a case and one of the policeman involved in the act has been suspended.

The deceased, Anil Kumar, was travelling in a car with his son Mohit Arora (32), both residents of Geeta Colony in east Delhi, when the incident took place late last night. Mr Arora was allegedly thrashed by the policemen after he asked one of the cops to get off the phone and help his family as their car had broken down.

"We were returning from a family function in two cars when one of the cars broke down. I walked up to a traffic constable and asked him for some water. The constable was on the phone and did not respond.  Just as I started walking away to a police station nearby, he caught me from behind and accused me of abusing him. I gently said that I had not abused him at all, just needed help. But he wouldn't listen and kept dragging me by the collar towards the station. Inside the police station the rough treatment continued. At this point my father came in and when he sought to stop the cops from roughing me up, they pushed him. I saw my dad fall to the ground.

"No one helped me as I struggled to pick up my father and seat him on a chair. I rubbed his hands and feet desperately, none of the cops offered to help. Some did only when I requested them. My mother had come in by then...she touched his forehead and said it was cold...," said the son.

Police sources maintain the man died of a heart attack. The Delhi Police Commissioner has ordered an inquiry and a post-mortem report is awaited.

Mr Arora's daughter Kamana is inconsolable. "I want my father back but I know this can't happen. I just wish we get his body back on time. Me and my family are having to wait for my father's body. We want to perform his last rites on time so his soul may rest in peace," she said.

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