City brief

To provide a helping hand during times of natural calamities, students from a university in the national capital region are developing a robot. The robot named ‘Dexto: Eka’, once ready, would be able to carry out rescue and search operations during times of natural disasters. Being developed by the students of Gurgaon-based ITM University, the first prototype of the robot is expected to be ready by next year. ‘The project has seen over ten research papers in journals and international conferences,’ the university said in a recent statement. At present, the project is being completely funded by the university. Students from Computer Science, Electronics and Mechanical Engineering streams are involved in the project, it added. According to the university, the robot is expected to operate in three modes, including with a remote control.

A 30-year-old doctor fell from the 16th floor of a building here, police said on Sunday. Punit Sharma had Saturday night come to Parikrama restaurant, located on the 16th floor of a building on KG Marg, near Connaught Place in central Delhi, police said. After having food with his friends, he was climbing down the stairs. However, he suddenly fell over the railing and landed on the ground floor, an eyewitness told police. He was taken to the Fortis Hospital where his condition was stated to be critical. ‘It seems he might have slipped and fallen to the ground floor as no foul play was found,’ said a police officer, adding that they were investigating the case from other angles also. Police said Sharma had completed his MBBS (Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery) course from Ukraine.

Two people were arrested for transporting illegal drugs and 1,575 kg of cannabis (ganja), costing Rs 6 crore in the international market, seized, police said on Sunday. ‘Bhaskar Rao and his associate T Kumar were arrested Saturday from Ghazipur area in east Delhi, along with their truck containing ganja weighing 1,575 kilograms,’ said Additional Commissioner of Police Ravindra Yadav. The arrests were made after a tip-off. It was also learn that the consignment of drugs was to be kept in a warehouse in the area, said Yadav. During interrogation, Bhaskar Rao revealed he came in contact with Nagaraj, who offered him Rs 1 lakh each trip for transporting ganja from Andhra Pradesh to the national capital.

The Haryana government has released Rs 5 lakh for the kin of anti-cattle slaughter activist Vikrant Yadav from the chief minister’s relief fund, an official said on Sunday. The bank draft of this amount has reached the Gurgaon district administration and it will be handed over to the family members of Vikrant who died on 25 August while chasing cattle smugglers. Deputy commissioner Shekhar Vidyarthi said the matter of naming Jamalpur Chowk after Vikrant Yadav was in the process and it would take some more time. The Chowk will be renamed after the state government issues notification in this regard.