• Divali advance
• Residents detain train
• Workers' gherao plan foiled

• Girl run over, killed
• Drive against crime in Sirsa
• Dharna by BSP workers

CM seeks task force to check crime
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Oct 6 — The Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Bansi Lal, has requested the Union Home Minister to set up a special task force for the states of Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan to check crime in the region.

The Chief Minister, who was reviewing the law and order situation at a meeting of Deputy Commissioners and Superintendents of Police here today, said that the states of Punjab and Himachal Pradesh might also be included in the task force. A branch office of such a task force could be set up for Haryana as such a force would play a vital role in checking crime in the region, he added.

Mr Bansi Lal gave a bit of his mind to the officers. "All of us are duty bound to protect the life and property of the people and I have never liked excuses. I appreciate those who work tirelessly and achieve results. They will certainly get their rewards. But those who shirk shall suffer also", he said.

The Chief Minister, who gave details how the sensitive areas were to be patrolled and how the coordination was to be established, urged the Deputy Commissioners and district police chiefs to spare no effort. "Development and law and order are my two priorities", he added.

Mr Bansi Lal directed the state police to conduct round-the-clock patrolling, especially on the Agra and Jaipur highways, the Delhi border to Meham and from Kundli to Karnal. He directed that at least static phones should be provided at all the police posts located on the border of Delhi. Emphasising the need to improve the communication system and mobility of the police, he asked the Director General of Police, Mr S.K. Sethi, to submit his proposals for acquisition of modern systems of communication and fast moving vehicles within one week.

The Chief Minister said that the vehicles on patrol duty should carry not only armed police personnel, but also a mechanic and a person to provide first aid. He said that traders' associations should be consulted to initiate a scheme of providing police vehicles with escorts on payment basis to the traders of any other person carrying heavy cash to or from banks. He said that visitors who come to meet hardcore criminals in jails should be kept under surveillance.

While referring to the increasing theft of vehicles, he said that people should be educated to fit burglar alarms in their vehicles. He said that the police personnel, especially constables, should be taught to be courteous as that would improve police-public relations. He said that wherever required, lady constables should also be provided at the police stations.

He asked the Director General of Police (DGP) to ensure that surprise checking of police stations was frequently carried out by the gazetted officers of check indiscipline among the ranks. He asked the DGP to prepare a proposal for seeking financial assistance of HUDCO for constructing houses for the police personnel in all the police stations of the state in a time bound manner.

Mr Bansi Lal complimented the police for the successful operation in Jhajjar which was conducted in the wee hours today, resulting in the arrest of four criminals who had kidnapped a petrol pump owner at Jhajjar recently.

The Home Minister, Mr Mani Ram Godara, said that a campaign should be launched to check the possession of illegal weapons as most of the crimes were being committed by such weapons.

The Education Minister, Mr Ram Bilas Sharma, said that the police should give respect to the common man as the behaviour of a police personnel reflected the image of the Government. He said that the Deputy Commissioners and Superintendents of Police should be easily accessible to the people.

The Chief Minister also reviewed the flood situation in the State and asked the Deputy Commissioners that in case they required more water pumps, they should submit their requirement to the Revenue Department. He said that the Engineer-in-Chief, Irrigation, had been directed the prepare a master plan to check future floods in the state. He asked the Deputy Commissioners to ensure that the stagnated rain water was drained out promptly and standing crops were saved.

The Financial Commissioner and Secretary, Transport, Mr P.R. Kaushik said that about 3,000 permits had already been issued to ply maxi-cabs in the state.

Kidnapped man rescued
From Jatinder Sharma
Tribune News Service

JHAJJAR, Oct 6 — In a pre-dawn operation, jawans of the National Security Guard (NSG) and the Haryana police rescued petrol pump dealer Sant Lal, who was kidnapped on October 1 from near a temple on the Jhajjar-Sampla road.

The kidnapping incident had caused resentment and a feeling of insecurity among the trading community of this sleepy town.

Mr Sant Lal was allegedly kidnapped by a six-member gang headed by dreaded criminal Baljeet Singh of Jind district for ransom. The Superintendent of Police, Mr Navdeep Virk, told Tribune News Service that the kidnappers had demanded a ransom of Rs 50 lakh to free their 60-year-old victim. These criminals had threatened to kidnap the granddaughters of their victim and also kill his son in the event of non-fulfilment of their demand, Mr Virk said.

The Deputy Commissioner, Mr Arun Kumar, and Mr Virk said that four members of the kidnapper gang had been arrested while the gang leader Baljeet Singh and his deputy Balwan Singh had been absconding. The police had recovered two revolvers and some live cartridges from their possession.

Those arrested have been identified as Wazir Singh of village Pokhri-Kheri (Jind), Dilsher Singh of Pallri in Israna police station, Satish of Kaksar village under Narnaud police station (Hisar) and Vijay Kumar of Shamaspur village (Jhajjar). Vijay Kumar is said to be a dismissed constable of the Rohtak police.

Mr Sant Lal was reportedly hit in the head with a revolver before kidnapping him in a Tata Sumo. For whole of the day he was kept in a sugarcane field of Charana-Chimni village and later in the evening taken to a pig-farm of Kilordh village, 15 km from here.

The kidnappers forced pig-farm owner Sunder Lal at gunpoint to provide them shelter. Sundar Lal, he said, was not a member of the kidnappers' gang.

Kilrodh village is situated on the Jhajjar-Rewari road and the farm, comprising a "kothra" and an adjoining jhopri, is 3 km from the village. Since agricultural labourers and others frequent the farm in day time, Mr Sant Lal was kept in nearby bushes during that time.

The dismissed constable, Vijay Kumar, was reportedly nabbed two days ago when he came to the town and telephoned the victim's family from an STD booth for ransom. The Tata Sumo used in the kidnapping was also seized by the police the same day. His sustained interrogation provided the vital clue that led to the recovery of Mr Sant Lal.

The Deputy Commissioner said that the services of the NSG were requisitioned so as to ensure safe recovery of Mr Sant Lal.

The police and NSG jawans walked and crawled for nearly 4 km and surrounded the "kothra" from four sides before swooping on the kidnappers. "It took hardly five minutes to rescue Mr Sant Lal," said Mr Virk. No one was injured in the exchange of fire, he told.

Baljeet Singh, who was undergoing a 10-year jail term, had escaped from the district jail, Karnal, on July 13 along with another detainee Dilsher Singh. While Baljeet Singh was imprisoned on charges of murdering Sumer Fauji at Jind in 1992, Dilsher was sentenced for allegedly murdering his wife.

Baljeet Singh was said to be an arch rival of the notorious Jitender Pehal gang. He had on February 15, 1992, made a murderous assault on the late Jitender Pehal.

Wazir Singh, who was arrested today, is an accomplice of Baljeet Singh and both of them belong to the same village of Pokhri-Kheri. He, however, was acquitted in the Sumer Fauzi murder case.

Another kidnapper, Balwan Singh had undergone imprisonment on the charge of rape. He is wanted in several incidents of dacoities and robberies by the Delhi, Bhiwani, Rohtak and Jhajjar police. According to Mr Virk, at least seven cases were pending against him in these districts. All the kidnappers are in the age group of 22 to 27 years.

Although Mr Sant Lal is back home safe, his family was still in shock and appeared frightened. His eldest son Haresh Kumar refused to say anything. Mr Sant Lal was fast asleep when this correspondent visited his house.

The Petroleum Dealers Association has thanked the administration for the safe return of Mr Sant Lal.

Sampat: govt ignoring farmers' problems
From Our Correspondent

FATEHABAD, Oct 6 — Former Haryana Home Minister and Indian National Lok Dal MLA from Fatehabad Sampat Singh has accused the Haryana Government of being indifferent to the problems of the farming community.

Talking to mediapersons here today, Mr Sampat Singh said Haryana and Punjab accounted for more than 70 per cent of the agricultural production of the country and the two states were instrumental in pulling the country towards self-reliance in foodgrains. But neither the state government nor the central government cared to look into the problems of farmers.

Mr Sampat Singh said the agricultural production in the state had declined in the past two years from over 1 crore tonnes to less than 1 crore tonnes. The Lok Dal leader said as more than 78 per cent of the total job opportunities in the state were in the agricultural sector, employment opportunities had gone down drastically.

Mr Sampat Singh said irrigation and power were two essential components for agricultural growth. The HVP-BJP Government in Haryana had done nothing to improve the existing irrigational set-up in the state. What to talk of canals and minors, the state government had not cared to construct even one foot of a water course in the state. The state government had done nothing to drain out water standing in fields.

Mr Sampat Singh said the state government had failed to come to rescue of farmers during natural calamities. There was a drought-like situation in the state during June and July this year and now when the farmers were pinning their hopes on whatever little crops were expected, untimely rain had ruined their crops. The government had given no compensation to them.

The Lok Dal leader demanded a compensation of at least Rs 10,000 per acre per crop after a special girdawri. He also demanded that all kinds of agricultural loans should be waived, besides water tax and power bills. The government must start dewatering operations in the waterlogged fields on a warfooting. The farmers should be provided loans on easy terms for the next sowing season.

Diarrhoea cases cause alarm
From Vimal Sumbly
Tribune News Service

SIRSA, Oct 6 — For the past three days, dozens of diarrhoea cases have been reported from various localities of the town. While unofficial reports say at least two deaths have been reported, officially this could not be confirmed.

Doctors say there appears to be no specific reason for the spread of the disease. They point out that several cases of diarrhoea, some of these acute, have been reported. But a majority of patients have been discharged after being administered drugs and vaccines. A random survey of various hospitals and nursing homes by TNS revealed that most cases reported were those of children.

A paediatrician said he had treated at least 24 cases of acute diarrhoea in the past 48 hours. During the same period six more cases had been registered, four of them serious.

The district administration has asked the people to take precautionary measures to prevent the spread of the disease. However, the doctors point out there is no need for panic and advise normal precautions like boiled drinking water.

Life term for 5 in murder case
Tribune News Service

GURGAON, Oct 6 — The Additional Sessions Judge, Dr B.B. Parsoon, has sentenced five persons of Notki village in the Mewat area to life imprisonment on the charge of murder and sentenced nine others to punishment under several sections of the Indian Penal Code.

The five persons — Fajru, Suraj Mal, Hassan Mohammad, Nijar Khan and Sultan — sentenced to life imprisonment, have concurrently been subjected to punishment under other sections of the IPC.

All the 14 accused were sent by the Nagina police to stand trial under Sections 148, 302, 325 and 323 read with section 149, IPC. The complainant in the case was Mr Aas Mohammad.

The stand of the prosecution was that Mr Aas Mohammad and his three brothers — Mr Rashid, Mr Rehmat and Mr Aktar, all agriculturists — were digging land for repair of their house. They were co-sharers in the land along with the family members of Fajru, one of the accused.

Fajru tried to prevent them from digging the land. When rebuffed by Mr Aas Mohammad and his brothers on the ground that the land was still a joint property and that they were co-sharers in it, he left the spot in a huff only to reappear with the others armed with weapons.

They launched an assault on the complainant, his brothers and some others. Mr Rehmat from the prosecution side, and others, including members from the defence side, received injuries in the violence. Rehmat later succumbed to his injuries. The prosecution’s version was that Mr Aas Mohammad and others had caused injuries to the aggressors only in self defence.

However, the accused pleaded not guilty.

Notice to Bansi Lal, Speaker

CHANDIGARH, Oct 6 (PTI) — The Punjab and Haryana High Court today issued notices, returnable by November 9, to Haryana Chief Minister Bansi Lal, his two ministers, state assembly Speaker Chatter Pal Singh Chauhan and Opposition leader Om Parkash Chautala in a defection case.

A Division Bench comprising Justice V.K. Jhanji and Justice K.S. Kumaran also issued notices to two ministers, Charan Das Shorewala and Vinod Marriya, who were expelled from the Samata Legislature Party.

Later, they were inducted as Cabinet ministers by Mr Bansi Lal and the Speaker declared them as unattached.

Prof Virender Pal of the Samata Party challenged their induction to the Bansi Lal ministry and sought their disqualification from the House.

At the instance of the high court and the Supreme Court, the Speaker dismissed the petition of Mr Virender Pal Singh filed before him saying the two did not incur disqualification as the Samata Party changed its name to the Samajwadi Janata Party.

Cloth merchant robbed, shot at
From Our Correspondent

AMBALA, Oct 6 — A wholesale cloth merchant, Mr Daman Jain, was shot at and robbed of money by unidentified persons in the Urban Estate locality in the city last evening.

Mr Jain was returning to his residence from his shop when the incident occurred. He was accosted by two Maruti-borne youths who snatched the bag containing the cash and some other valuables.

When Mr Jain tried to resist, one of them fired at him, injuring him critically.

He was rushed to the Civil Hospital from where he was referred to the PGI, Chandigarh. A case has been registered.

Mr Balwant Gupta, president of the District Congress Committee, has asked the state government to take measures to check the rising crime graph in the district.

‘White paper’ on Haryana Govt
jobs demanded
From Our Correspondent

PANCHKULA, Oct 6 —The Shivalik Vikas Manch has demanded a ‘white paper ’ on recruitment in government jobs and on development activities since the inception of Haryana.

The demand was raised at a central committee meeting of the manch chaired by the state president, Mr Sadhu Ram Saini, here today.

The ‘white paper’ will enable the people to know about the percentage of representations given to different constituencies in government jobs, he said.

In a separate statement, the manch has demanded a high-level probe into the repair of roads being undertaken by HUDA in the township.

The spokesman of the manch alleged the roads were not being laid as per the PWD specifications.

Appropriate action has been demanded against the officials responsible for this.

Divali advance for Haryana employees
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Oct 6 — The Haryana Government has decided to grant an interest-free advance of Rs 600 to Class IV employees for the Divali festival.

Announcing this here today, Mr Charan Dass Shorewala, Finance Minister, Haryana, said the advance would be recoverable in four equal monthly instalments. The entire advance would be recovered before the close of the financial year 1998-99.

Mr Shorewala said the advance would be admissible to permanent and temporary employees. It would also be admissible to ad hoc employees who were continuing in service for the last one year and were likely to continue for another four months after furnishing surety of a permanent government employee. The drawing and disbursing officers have been authorised to sanction this advance. The advance should be drawn and disbursed on or before October 19. This would not be granted to the employees on deputation to other governments, corporations and local bodies. In the case of both employed husband and wife, the advance would be allowed to one of them, he added.

Jai Parkash to decide Gana Parishad’s fate
From Our Correspondent

JIND, Oct 6 — Workers of the Haryana Gana Parishad authorised Mr Jai Parkash, president of the Haryana Gana Parishad and a former Union Deputy Minister, to take a decision regarding affiliation of the parishad with any other political party.

A resolution to this effect was passed at a largely attended state-level meeting of Gana Parishad workers here today.

Though Mr Jai Parkash or his supporters did not mention specifically which political party he was joining rumours had been rife for the past many days that Mr Jai Parkash would join the Congress. During today’s, speech too Mr Jai Parkash did not utter word against the Congress criticising Chief Minister Bansi Lal and the leader of the Opposition in the Haryana Vidhan Sabha, Mr Om Parkash Chautala.

By another resolution the Haryana Gana Parishad sought a special girdawri in areas hit by floods. It also demanded compensation of Rs 10,000 per acre to farmers for the loss of their crops.

Addressing the gathering, Mr Jai Parkash said the law and order situation in the state was deplorable and there was feeling of insecurity.

Residents detain train
From Our Correspondent

ROHTAK, Oct 6 — The agitated residents, especially students, today forced the 341 up Delhi-Ferozepore passenger train to halt for nearly four hours at Sampla railway station.

The jam created by people reportedly affected other trains also. The 2 DJ Delhi-bound passenger train had to stop for nearly three hours at Rohtak while the 9024 Ferozepore-Mumbai Janata Express also departed about half an hour late.

Earlier, the students stopped a passenger train at Sampla station for nearly one hour on September 28 last. The protestors are demanding certain additional coaches in this train.

Workers' gherao plan foiled
From Our Correspondent

ROHTAK, Oct 6 — Activists of the district unit of Sarv Karamchari Sangh, Haryana could not succeed today in their attempt to gherao Urban Development Minister, Siri Kishan Das at his residence due to tight security arrangements.

In view of the threat of gherao by the employees the district administration had deployed sufficient police near the minister's residence in the morning today. When the protestors marched toward the minister's residence the police blocked them off. The protestors raised anti-government slogans and submitted memorandum to the SDM as the deputy commissioner and the SSP were out of station today.

Earlier, the employees assembled at Mahavir Park and took out a demonstration in the town to protest against the anti-employee policies of the Bansi Lal government.

Eviction case: SHO suspended
From Our Correspondent

SONEPAT, Oct 6 — Mr K. Selvraj, SP, has placed Mr Nar Singh, SHO, city police station, under suspension pending a departmental inquiry against him.

According to official sources, Mr Selvraj has taken this step following public complaints of the SHO's alleged involvement in the forcible eviction of a tenant from a house in Model Town here at the behest of influential politicians.

The police has launched a hunt to apprehend two youths — Kuldeep and Jatinder — of Garhi Jhinjhara village in connection with the alleged attempt to molest a 14-year-old girl, Poonam, of the same village on Sunday. According to a report, the girl has also been got medically examined at the local Civil Hospital.

According to another report, a similar case was reported from Mohana village in this district where an attempt to molest a minor girl, Veena, was made on Sunday.

Girl run over by jeep, killed
From Our Correspondent

ROHTAK, Oct 6 — A seven-year-old girl was killed when she was run over by an overspeeding Jeep near Sunarian village, about 10 km from here.

According to a complaint lodged with the police, the victim identified as Nanhi was standing on the side of the road when a Jeep hit her. She succumbed to her injuries soon after. The police has registered a case against the driver of the Jeep identified as Dharamvir, a resident of Garhi Sampla village of the district.

In another case the police arrested a youth identified as Mathura Prasad near Vaish College of Women here on charge of making obscene remarks and molesting college students who passed from the road near the college.

The police has also recovered a .32 bore revolver from the possession of a car driver identified as Satpal of Banu Akbarpur village, near here. The suspect was arrested on Sunday night in connection with the attempt to kidnap a young girl from Shyam Colony here. Three live cartridges have also been by the police. A case under the Arms Act has been registered against him.

Drive against crime in Sirsa
From Our Correspondent

SIRSA, Oct 6 — Mr B.S. Sandhu, SSP, said here today that a special campaign had been launched by the Sirsa police to check crime.

Five mobile police parties had been deployed at various important points of city proclaimed offenders would be arrested during the campaign. Eight permanent police barriers and 22 temporary police barriers had been installed at various places of Sirsa district. Five complaint boxes had been installed at various places of the city. To ensure better coordination between the police and people, a police-public society would be constituted.

Dharna by BSP workers
From Our Correspondent

YAMUNANAGAR, Oct 6 — Workers of the Bahujan Samaj Party demonstrated in front of the Deputy Commissioner's Office in Yamunanagar today to protest against unemployment, corruption and the law & order situation in the state.

State president and newly elected MP from Ambala Mr Aman Kumar Nagra alleged stepmotherly treatment to the down-trodden in spite of 50 years of Independence.

He urged the administration to provide houses to Dalits under Indira Avas Yojna.