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170 cases of brain fever reported, 16 dead

New Delhi: Sixteen people have died of brain fever and 170 suspected cases of the deadly disease have been reported in the Capital in the past three months, health officials said here on Sunday.

Following the outbreak, Government and the MCD are taking measures, including administering antibiotics to family members and neighbours of the infected persons, to check its spread.

"We are also distributing leaflets to educate people about the symptoms of meningococcimia like high fever, cough, throat infection, headache, stiffness and pain in the neck, vomiting and rashes on the body," Deputy Municipal Health Officer N.K. Yadav said.

He said people with two or more of these symptoms should immediately consult a doctor.

Gangster killed

NEW DELHI: An alleged gangster was killed in an encounter with a joint team of the Anti Auto-theft Squad of the South-West Delhi police and their Uttar Pradesh counterparts at Vijay Nagar in neighbouring Ghaziabad on Saturday. A pistol of Italy make and a stolen motorcycle were recovered from his possession.

Acting on a tip-off that a criminal suspected to be involved in a car-jacking at Delhi Cantonment would pass by Ghaziabad on a motorcycle, the South-West Delhi police with the help of their Uttar Pradesh counterparts laid a trap for him on Saturday.

The police intercepted the motorcycle on which the suspect and his accomplice were travelling. The accused sped towards Amma Ashram Chowk. They were cornered after a while, at which the pillion rider opened fire. The police then fired in retaliation, in which one of the accused sustained injuries. The other managed to escape. The injured person, later identified as Faheem Pakistani, was rushed to a hospital where he was declared dead on arrival.

`Concern over rising cement prices'

NEW DELHI: The Delhi Centre of Builders' Association of India, an apex body of engineering construction contractors, has expressed concern over the rising cement prices in the last couple of months and demanded that the Government appoint a Cement Regulatory Authority to regulate its price.

At a conference here over the weekend, Delhi Centre chairman of the Builders' Association of India, Arun Sahai, said: "The price of cement, which was available for Rs.135-140 per bag during November 2005, has now crossed Rs.200 per bag. In January 2006, the price of cement per bag was Rs.145 in Delhi, but in March it rose to Rs.215. On the other hand, in Mumbai the price of cement per bag is Rs.205. The unprecedented increase in the price of cement from November 2005 onwards has shattered the dream of an ordinary citizen to own a house."

Constable shot at

NEW DELHI: A police constable was injured on Sunday after being shot at while trying to nab a gang of auto-lifters at Noida near Delhi, police sources said. While constable Vijay Kumar Tiwari intercepted two youths on a motorcycle, suspected to be chain snatchers and auto-lifters, their accomplice shot and injured him.

Mr. Tiwari has been taken to a hospital where his condition is stated to be critical, sources said adding that the trio fled leaving behind the stolen motorcyle.

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