Fatehabad, June 16
At least two persons were feared dead and six others injured when a road on the brink of a bridge on the Ghaggar caved in due to erosion near Ratia town in this district today.

While the authorities have confirmed the disappearance of Sonu Garg and his four-year-old son Jatin Garg, eyewitnesses say some more persons are feared to have been buried under heaps of mud or washed away by water.

The incident occurred at 9.40 am when a bus passed over the bridge on the Ghaggar situated on the Budhlada road in the town.

The bridge was under repair for a long time and the construction company that had taken the contract of repairs, had diverted the flow of water through half portion of the river by placing stones between the pillars of the bridge.

As the Ghaggar is a seasonal river and carries rainwater, it remains almost dry throughout the year except the rainy season.

The flow of water increased suddenly in the river after heavy rain that lashed the area yesterday.

As the flow of water underneath the bridge had been restricted to half of the breadth of the river towards the Ratia side, water started seeping into the bank, making a portion of the road towards the Ratia side hollow by eroding soil.

As a bus passed over the bridge, the hollow portion of the road just adjacent to the bridge caved in by its impact.

Though the bus crossed over safely, at least four persons riding on two motorcycles and some others, who were standing near the bridge, fell into the river with a big mass of earth.

Eyewitnesses immediately swung into action and rescued six persons - Manjeet, Jagdeep, Nikka, Pawan, Mangat and Kala - from under the heaps of earth.

At least two persons, Sonu Garg and his son Jeetu Garg, who were on a motorcycle, are still untraceable, though the eyewitnesses say some more persons are feared to have been washed away.

A large number of persons gathered on both sides of the river and villagers and NGOs extended help to rescue the missing persons.

Deputy commissioner O.P. Sheoran, Ratia SDM Yogesh Mehta and other officials, who reached there to supervise rescue work, had to face angry people, who alleged that the attitude of the authorities had been more of an onlooker.

Peeved at the attitude of the authorities, people raised slogans against then and themselves started descending into the river.

Meanwhile, the only link of around 12 villages of the district has been cut with the district headquarters.

This bridge also linked Fatehabad district with Budlada, Barnala and Mansa districts of Punjab. The authorities said traffic towards Budlada had been diverted through alternative routes.

Meanwhile, the Army has reached Ratia to help the civil authorities in searching for the missing persons.

The deputy commissioner said the assistance of the Army had been sought in view of the delay in finding the victims.

Ambala, June 16
Vijay Bhardwaj, accused in the Rajbir murder case, was produced in the court of CBI Magistrate Abdul Majid here today.

The court remanded him in judicial custody till June 30. Rajbir, ACP, crime branch, Delhi police, was shot dead in the office of property dealer Vijay Bhardwaj in Gurgaon on March 24.

The Gurgaon police had registered a case against Bhardwaj in this regard. Later, the investigation was handed over to CBI.

Counsel for the accused filed an application in the court in which he requested to provide security to his client in the jail, as it was a high-profile case.

The investigation officer of the case appeared on behalf of the CBI in the court. CBI officials brought Bhardwaj from Guragon under tight security arrangements.

He was not allowed to talk to mediapersons on the court premises. The CBI has yet to file a chargesheet in this case.

Yamunanagar, June 16
Thousands of candidates who had reached here to appear in an examination for recruitment of constables in the Railway Protection Special Force (RPSF) damaged railway property, obstructed rail traffic and threw stones on RPF and GRP personnel after they came to know that the examination had been postponed this morning.

In the throwing of stones more than 40 candidates and several personnel of the railway police sustained injuries.

The examination was postponed as the examination venue, the 9th Battalion Railway Protection Special Force ground in Jagadhri, was submerged under water after heavy rain yesterday. The examination was postponed for the second time.

Earlier, it was to be held on May 25 but it was postponed due to the ongoing Gujjar agitation. On that day also, hundreds of candidates had reached for the examination, but retuned home peacefully.

More than 10,000 candidates had reached here in the morning to appear for 1,158 posts of constable in the RPSF.

A team of railway officials inspected the examination venue and decided to postpone it, said sources.

When the candidates came to know about the postponement, they damaged furniture kept at the venue.

Later, they damaged a rail traffic control cabin and placed iron frames on the railway track. They started throwing stones on RPF and GRP personnel, said the sources.

The sources in the railways claimed that the movement of trains was not affected. The district police, the RPF, the RPSF and the GRP together brought the situation under control.

Deputy commissioner Nitin Kumar Yadav, ADC Narinder Singh and SP C.S. Rao placated the agitating candidates.

Candidates complained that it was for the second time they ended up wasting their time and money. The candidates were later sent towards Saharnpur and Ambala in different trains.

Vivek Sagar, chairman of the selection board, said the examination could not be held because of water in the ground.

The candidates would be informed about the next date of the examination through newspaper advertisements and by post, said Sagar.

A senior official of the district administration said the railways had not made proper arrangements for the examination and next time the district administration would be involved in the arrangements.

Rohtak, June 16
Perturbed by the alleged casual attitude of the police in investigating the murder case of his brother, Rajesh Malik, a local resident, has posed a question to the state authorities: Does a family member of theirs need to commit suicide to ensure appropriate action?

“The entire top brass of the district police is replaced after a woman ends her life at the state police headquarters. On the other hand, we have been running from pillar to post for justice for the past several weeks, but to no avail,” said Malik, a brother of Vikas, who was killed by some youth with a sharp-edged weapon on the night of May 26.

The assailants had also taken away the car of Vikas after murdering him brutally. The incident took place in Model Town locality of the town. An FIR was registered at the Civil Lines police station in this regard.

The victim’s brother maintained that two persons had taken away a case of mobile phone sets from Vikas’s car a few days before the incident.

Later, they were arrested but came out on bail on May 24 and the murder took place on May 26.

“We told the police that barring this episode, we had no enmity with anybody and, therefore, suspected their hand in the incident. The police detained the said youths, but let them off later. Since then, there has been no action whatsoever in our case,” he said.

Talking to The Tribune here today, Rajesh complained that let alone the question of solving the case, the district police authorities were not ready to listen to them.

The recent shifting of the top police officials out of the district in connection with the controversial rape-and-suicide case of local woman Sarita also affected the course of investigations as the inquiry officials were repeatedly changed.

Not satisfied with the progress of the police investigation in the case, the family of the deceased has demanded a CBI inquiry into the matter.

Meanwhile, activists of the All-India Democratic Women’s Association staged a dharna-cum-protest demonstration against the rising atrocities on women and “insensitive” attitude of the authorities in this regard.

Sarita’s husband Subhash, along with his daughters, also participated in the
protest demonstration.

Gurgaon, June 16
To ensure consensus over rationalisation of polling stations in all four Assembly constituencies of Gurgaon district, the district electoral officer and deputy commissioner Rakesh Gupta today took suggestions from the representatives of different political parties on the issue.

The move necessitated in the wake of formation of four Assembly segments as per the new delimitation order. Earlier, there were three constituencies in the district.

In the meeting held here today, Gupta instructed electoral returning officers (EROs) of the respective constituencies to take decision in accordance with the suggestions made in the interests of the voters’ convenience. Earlier, there were three constituencies in the district.

Gurgaon MLA Dharambir Gaba suggested that the polling stations of Chauma and Serai villages should be set up in the villages for the convenience of the voters, who, earlier, had to go to other villages for casting their votes.

Similarly, the voters of Hewo and Hope Apartments in Sector-15 had to go to Jharsa village to cast their votes.

Gaba also argued for creating polling station in either the community centre or Salwan Public School for them.

Former Deputy Speaker and INLD leader Gopi Chand Gehlot suggested that there should be new polling station for the voters of Jharsa in Sir Chhotu Ram Bhawan in the village itself instead of the present one on Sohna Road.

Similarly, he strongly suggested a polling station at the community centre for the voters of Sector-23. So far, these voters were casting their votes in Carterpuri.

Gehlot also objected to the formation of separate polling stations for a particular community in some villages.

Suggestions were also put forth for creating polling station for the voters of Sheetla Colony in a school in the area, instead of Kendriya Vidyalaya.

BSP leader Net Ram suggested a polling station in DPS School instead of Bhondsi for the voters of Naya Gaon and Maruti Kunj.

Chandigarh, June 16
The Haryana government has fixed the maximum speed limit for various classes of motor vehicles in different areas and roads.

The maximum speed limit of a motor car, motorcycle, scooter, auto-rickshaw and light motor vehicle other than a transport vehicle will have to be maintained at 30 kmph near educational institutes.

In all other places and within municipal areas, except the portion of a flyover, the speed limit has been fixed at 50 kmph for all these vehicles except auto-rickshaw, the maximum speed of which is 30 kmph.

The maximum speed of a motor car and light motor vehicle other than a transport vehicle on the national highways has been fixed at 90 kmph, for motorcycles and scooters at 50 and auto-rickshaws at 40 kmph.

On the state highways, the maximum speed of a motor car and light motor vehicle other than a transport vehicle has been fixed at 80 kmph, for motorcycles and scooters at 50 and auto-rickshaw at 35 kmph.

On major district roads, the maximum speed of a motor car and light motor vehicle other than a transport vehicle has been fixed at 70 kmph, for motorcycles and scooters at 45 kmph and auto-rickshaw at 30 kmph.

On village roads, the maximum speed of a motor car and light motor vehicle other than a transport vehicle has been fixed at 60 kmph, for motorcycle and scooter at 40 kmph and auto-rickshaw at 25 kmph.

The maximum speed of light motor vehicle and a transport vehicle has been fixed at 30 kmph near educational institutes, 40 kmph at all other places and within municipal areas, except the portion of a flyover, 65 kmph on the national and state highways, 60 kmph on major district roads and 50 on village roads.

The maximum speed of medium or heavy passenger motor vehicle has been fixed at 20 kmph near educational institutes, 40 kmph at all other places and within municipal areas, except the portion of a flyover, kmph on national and state highways, 60 kmph on district roads and 50 kmph on village roads. The same maximum speed limit has been fixed for the medium or heavy goods vehicle.

Chandigarh, June 16
After much dilly-dallying and a week after the Sarita suicide made headlines, the case has been handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

This decision was taken by Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda here today. An official spokesman said here that a letter to this effect was being written to the union government.

The move comes just three days after the Chief Minister had dismissed the idea of handing over investigation into the case to the CBI at a press conference last week.

Hooda had maintained that there was no need for a CBI inquiry into the matter and that he had received no demand for the same from any quarter.

This despite the fact that post-Sarita suicide and cremation, allegations and counter-allegations regarding involvement of cops, besides those named in the FIR, were flying thick and fast.

While the case got murkier by the day, the government, already under fire for the incident, was facing mounting pressure from political parties demanding that the case be handed over to the CBI for “free and fair” investigations.

The Chief Minister, however, at the press conference, had said that the entire top brass had been shifted out of Rohtak district to carry out unbiased investigations.

He had added that the guilty would be punished based on the inquiry report submitted by the police.

Later, the government had changed the inquiry officer also. The investigations were taken away from ADGP (crime) Sharad Kumar and handed over to ADGP (human rights) Swaranjit Singh on the grounds that the former had to proceed on leave.

This, too, had earned the ire of political parties, especially the Haryana Janhit Congress alleging that this, too, had been done to delay justice since Sharad Kumar’s inquiry was near completion.

The Punjab and Haryana High Court had also recently taken suo motu cognizance of the incident. The court had made it clear that it would monitor the progress in the investigations of the case.

It had directed the state of Haryana to file a detailed status report within two weeks on circumstances that drove Sarita to take the extreme step.

Asking the investigating agency to carry out the investigations at “utmost speed”, the Bench also fixed July 2 as the next date of hearing in the matter.

Gupta said his office had been getting complaints about mistakes in the ID cards. All such complaints had been brought to the notice of the chief election officer, Haryana, as well.

Sirsa, June 16
INLD supremo Om Prakash Chautala today castigated the Congress-led UPA government over its handling of the Gujjar stir.

Talking to mediapersons here today after addressing a conference of party workers, he said the centre had failed in its handling of the Gujjar agitiation which claimed several lives and hit Rajasthan and parts of Haryana.

He said the Manmohan Singh government acted more as a spectator rather than discharging its responsibility.

He also flayed the BJP stating that it had raised the “ambition of the community” by promising reservation before coming to power in Rajasthan.

The former Chief Minister once again favoured a third front, stating that it was the only way left for the people of the country.

Later, a delegation of the INLD, led by Abhay Singh Chautala, handed over a memorandum to Deputy Commissioner V. Umashankar to be forwarded to President Pratibha Devisingh Patil, drawing her attention towards inflation, especially the hike in the prices of petrol, diesel and LPG.

Sirsa, June 16
The state government’s ambitious project of providing free computer education to students belonging to the Scheduled Castes (SC) was kicked off here today.

As many as 300 students were admitted to a six-month course. The course will be conducted by a local franchise of the Haryana State Electronics Corporation (HARTRON) Workstation at Government National College.

The project is being pursued following collaboration of the Department of Higher Education and HARTRON, Chandigarh.

Principal of the Government National College B.S. Aggarwal informed that after the completion of the course, the HARTRON would conduct a test and those who qualified the test with 60 per cent marks would be provided a free computer set.

Director of the local HARTRON Workstation Arun Mehta said total number of seats were 400 and hoped that soon remaining 100 seats would be fulfilled. He said only those students studying graduation could enrol themselves in the course.

Mehta said last month 80 girl students from economically weak families hailing from villages were enrolled for a three-month computer course. After the successful completion of the course, they would be provided jobs.

Nimala (Sirsa), June 16
Residents of this village located near the Rajasthan border are dependent on Rajasthan canal, situated a few kilometers from here, for potable water.

Peeved at scant and erratic power supply, villagers recently held protests to wake up the authorities from slumber.

The village that falls under Ellenabad subdivision is located about 50 km from Sirsa. Some of the villagers had to use primitive method of fetching water on camel-driven carts from Rampuria village in Hanumangarh district (Rajasthan).

Nathu, a villager, says that some days ago they held a protest in front of the electricity office and virtually lay siege for hours, following which they got a little supply of power. Earlier, they had been living without electricity for a week, he said.

Sarpanch Ravinder Suthar says that underground water in the village is saline. Hence, they are greatly dependent upon the water provided by the government. In case, it is not available they have to travel out for bringing water.

Panipat, June 16
In order to boost sports at the grassroots level, the state sports department is all set to provide the basic sports infrastructure right at the village level by setting up stadiums in all villages of the district.

Sports stadiums are also being developed at the block level with an estimated cost of Rs 40 lakh each.

The department has already set up stadiums at Karhan, Bapolli, Israna, Sihwa, Pathari and Babela. Besides, work on stadiums at the block level is under way. The department will spend more then Rs 2.5 crore on the development of the stadiums.

Deputy commissioner Mohinder Kumar said special attention was being paid on promoting sports in villages where there was a majority of SCs and STs.

These villages would be provided with sports stadiums and the basic infrastructure, the work on which had already started, he said.

District sports officer R.P. Sangwan said the government had doubled the district sports budget, which had enhanced the possibility of producing world-class sportsmen. He said the department was also promoting local sports clubs.

He said district-level players were now being given cash incentives by the department that was encouraging more youth to join sports.