A 15-year-old girl was kidnapped in a Tata Sumo jeep by three persons, including two BPO cab drivers, who abandoned her on seeing police pickets ahead. The incident was reported from Kirti Nagar area of west Delhi on Sunday afternoon. The accused were reportedly arrested on Monday night.

Security forces implemented all precautionary measures to thwart any untoward incident in the city in the wake of the Republic Day celebrations. The city was fortified with intense security along the parade route. The policemen have been asked to remain alert at restaurants and food joints which might be targeted by subversive elements.

Chief minister Omar Abdullah has renewed his appeal to separatists to join the dialogue process initiated by the Centre.

Suspected Maoist militants on Tuesday abducted five jawans of Chhattisgarh Armed Force (CAF), an elite anti-Naxal wing of the state police, and a civilian from a passenger bus at Mehrabeda in the insurgency-hit Narayanpur district, about 450 km from here, the police said.

The CBI on Tuesday questioned corporate lobbyist Niira Radia in connection with its probe into the 2G spectrum scam involving former telecom minister A. Raja. She was questioned for second time by the agency officials.

The hearing on the closure report filed by the CBI in the 2008 Aarushi-Hemraj murder case began as per schedule around 10.30 am. Dr Talwar filed a protest petition against CBI’s closure report in the Aarushi-Hemraj murder case saying it was “erroneous” and demanded fresh investigation into it. The CBI sought two hours for responding to the petition following which the court adjourned.

A total of 755 police and paramilitary personnel, including 18 of whom were killed while performing their duties, have been awarded police medals on the occasion of the Republic Day this year.

Eminent personalities for the Padma Bhushan honour include former foreign secretary Shyam Saran, eminent composer Khayyam, veteran actors Shashi Kapoor and Waheeda Rehman, noted social workers Rajashree Birla and Shobhana Ranade. Banker Chanda Kochhar, Infosys chief executive Kris Gopalakrishnan, ITC’s Yogi Deveshwar and Dr Reddy Labs’ Anji Reddi have also been conferred the Padma Bhushan.

President Pratibha Patil will confer the Ashok Chakra — the country’s highest gallantry award in peacetime — posthumously on Major Laishram Jyotin Singh of the Army Medical Corps on Republic Day this year for his act of gallantry in Kabul during an attack by terrorists in February 2010.

Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Prakash Karat on Tuesday announced that his party would enter into an electoral understanding with the AIADMK to fight the state Assembly elections.