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Battle of ballot turns murkier
Electioneering reaches feverish pitch
Cong, INLD engage in verbal duel
Sampat flays Chautala on development issue
Solar
Eclipse
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300 cops to join Gurgaon police
Building on historical land demolished
Three years after life term,
prisoner awaits release
Top forest officer booked for fraud
Contractor murdered
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Battle of ballot turns murkier
Ellenabad, January 15 Ajay Singh Chautala, secretary general of the INLD, today produced a woman, Ameena, wife of Narender Kumar of Dharnia village in Fatehabad, before the media alleging that she was “kidnapped” from her marital home at the behest of Congress nominee Bharat Singh Beniwal and forced to live with her parents. Ramesh Kumar of Ferozepur district in Punjab and father of the girl, alleged that his daughter’s marriage had come to a breaking point after she was kidnapped at the behest of Beniwal. However, a perusal of the FIR Mo 419 of 2009 registered in Sadar Fatehabad police station reveals that Ameena had alleged that she was being harassed by her in-laws after her husband left home and did not return for over three months. She had also alleged that the accused beat up her brother, who had come to meet her on October 6, 2009. She was then “kidnapped” from her marital home and taken to Beniwal’s Sirsa residence. Ameena’s father Ramesh Kumar alleged that the police was under the thumb of Beniwal, who was MLA at that time, and maintained that her daughter was “recovered” from Beniwal’s residence after her “kidnapping.” Later, the investigating officer (IO) stated in the FIR that allegations of thrashing, criminal intimidation and abuse of Ameena by the accused were found correct, but there was no evidence of kidnapping. The IO recorded that a panchayat was held about three months ago at the residence of Beniwal to settle the issue between Ameena and her in-laws, after which was sent with her in-laws. But she was again left at Beniwal’s residence as the compromise reached did not work. Beniwal, who has been claiming in his campaign that he has so far resolved marital discords of over 3000 girls of his constituency, responded to the allegations by saying the INLD leader was frustrated as it knew that defeat staring at it. “I treat all girls of my constituency as my sisters. Ameena did not belong to my constituency, but I intervened at the instance of a supporter,” Beniwal said. Sirsa DC transferred
The Election Commission has ordered the transfer of Sirsa Deputy Commissioner Yudhvir Singh Khyalia with immediate effect. A Sreenivas, a 2004 batch IAS officer, will be the new Deputy Commissioner-cum-District Election Officer of Sirsa. The INLD had sent a complaint to the Election Commission accusing Khyalia of being biased against the party |
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Electioneering reaches feverish pitch
Ellenabad, January 15 INLD supremo Om Parkash Chautala addressed a meeting in Nathusari Chopta here today, where Haryana Janhit Congress leader Rajinder Dhanak, son of former minister Amar Singh Dhanak, announced his decision to join the INLD. Dhanak had contested the May 2009 parliamentary elections from the Sirsa seat on the HJC ticket. “The countdown of the Hooda government will begin the moment counting of votes begins on January 23,” claimed Chautala. Campaigning in Darba Kalan village, INLD candidate Abhey Singh Chautala alleged that the Congress government had discriminated against the area in the matter of jobs and development. In his door-to-door campaign in Ellenabad today, Ajay Singh Chautala alleged that the Chief Minister had played a joke with the local people by assuring to open a college for them provided his candidate wins. “We started several educational institutions, including a university, an engineering college and other technical colleges, in Sirsa district during our regime and will open a college in Ellenabad too,” he said. Rohtak MP Deepender Singh Hooda began the second phase of his campaign for the Congress and addressed meetings in over 10 villages of Ellenabad in favour of Bharat Singh Beniwal. “This is not an election, where you have to elect a government, but here is you have an opportunity to become partner in a government that will last for the next five years,” said Deepender, while addressing people in Madhosinghana village. He accused Chautalas of misleading people on the issue of development and alleged that they were “playing divisive politics.” Samast Bharatiya Party candidate Kusum Chaudhary campaigned door to door in Mallekan, Chikni Dhab and other villages of the constituency.
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Cong, INLD engage in verbal duel
Chandigarh, January 15 On one hand INLD president Om Prakash Chautala has accused the Congress of discriminating against people of Sirsa district in recruitment and development, on the other Congress MP from Rohtak Deepender Singh Hooda has alleged that the former was trying to mislead the people of the state on the basis of regionalism. Chautala has demanded that the Hooda government should issue a white paper stating how many youths of Kiloi, Assembly constituency of Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, were given jobs in the past five years vis-a-vis those of Ellenabad. Deepender Singh dismissed the demand terming it as a “panicky reaction” of the INLD that, he said, had sensed its defeat in the byelection. Chautala also demanded that land acquired for special economic zones (SEZ) should be returned to the farmers as no SEZ had been established so far. Deepender took strong exception to the attempts being made by the INLD to divide the state on the basis of districts. He said the people of the state had voted in favour of the Congress during the last Assembly elections because of unprecedented development. |
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Sampat flays Chautala on development issue
Ellenabad, January 15 Flaying Chautala while campaigning for Congress nominee BS Beniwal, Sampat Singh alleged that the INLD leader was trying to mislead the people and divide them on the basis of region. “When the people of Meham had rejected Chautala in 1990, voters of Darba Kalan (now a part of Ellenabad) provided him shelter. However, he deserted this constituency and opted for Rori and Narwana in 1996 and again in 2000. He deserted Rori when people elected from two constituencies in 2000 and now when Ellenabad and Uchana Kalan elected Chautala, he quit the former. This shows his disregard for Sirsa,” Sampat Singh alleged. He also alleged that Chautala always showed lack of confidence and contested from two seats in general elections and then vacated the seat falling under Sirsa thereby depriving local people of development. |
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Eclipse Below expectation crowd at K’shetra Bhanu P Lohumi & DR Vij Tribune News Service
Kurukshetra, January 15 The event passed off peacefully as the crowd was much below expectations and the elaborate arrangements made by the administration proved to be massive. The participation of sadhus was much less than expected and even the beggars, who throng the holy city on such occasions, were much less in numbers. Despite clear sky, the devotees did not turn up from far of places due to intense fog during past one week and devout Hindus preferred to go to Haridwar where the celestial event coincided with the Maha Kumbh. The administration was expecting over 10 lakh pilgrims, but the actual number of people was less than half. The eclipse started at 11.55 am and the holy dip by devotees continued till the eclipse was over at 3.15 pm. People worshipped and donated foodgrains, fruits and clothes. Chief Minister BS Hooda also took a dip into the Braham Sarovar and went around the sarovar in a motorboat. However, a clear sky brought cheers to sky gazers who watched the eclipse with coloured glasses and also capture the images in their cameras. Governor Jagan Nath Pahadia along with his wife Shanti Devi, Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and MP Naveen Jindal were among the prominent persons to have a dip in the sacred Braham Sarovar. The district administration had made adequate arrangements to facilitate the pilgrims.The Railways had put 19 special trains into service and Haryana Roadways had also arranged additional buses for the occasion. With a view to ensure smooth conduct of the mela, the area was divided into 10 sectors and each sector was headed by a sector officer and supporting staff. Hooda expressed his faith in the philosophy of Bhagavad Gita. He said he believed in ‘karma’ as propagated by Lord Krishna in the holy book. The Chief Minister was addressing a press meet after performing religious rituals on the banks of the sacred sarovar.
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300 cops to join Gurgaon police
Gurgaon, January 15 Police officials said urban Gurgaon that had been expanding fast need a large number of trained personnel. The Gurgaon police is short of 1,800 personnel, including 70 officers to the rank of DCP, ACPs and Inspectors. As per the police records, there are seven posts of DCP out of which one is vacant, while the district police has 10 less ACPs against the 17 sanctioned. Similarly, 16 posts of Inspector, 43 Sub-Inspector and 343 ASI are vacant. Gurgaon Joint Commissioner of Police Alok Mittal said the strength of the district police would increase soon with the induction of 200-300 constables in the force. “The constables, who will be recruited, are undergoing training at Madhuban in Karnal. It is a one-year training and once it’s completed, we will get around 200-300 constables,” he added. The government has approved 3,283 constables, out of which 2,281 are on rolls. The total strength of the district police is 3,570, including senior officials.
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Building on historical land demolished
Rohtak, January 15 Regional office of the ASI at Chandigarh had written to the authorities regarding the construction work by a private builder. It had also claimed that it was a violation of Section 58 of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958, and need be removed. A team led by Tehsildar Ajit Singh demolished the building, DC PC Meena said. According to the ASI, the houses are built illegally on the land that is a heritage site having links to the Harappan civilisation. The area has been on a burner for the past few years due to large-scale encroachments and construction of residential units by the residents. “The region is notified as ‘protected’ by the government in 1938 and again in 1991, but constructions have taken place despite the ban, claims the DC. He added that notices had been served earlier also. However, according to local residents, the number of dwelling units in the area notified by the authorities is 5,000 and over 200 have registration papers besides water and electricity connections. The extensive mound here known as Khokrakot is identified with the ancient town of Rohtak- possibly the capital of the Yaudheya Gana. It also finds a reference in the Mahabharata. A carved pillar found here shows winged-lions with riders assignable to the Kushana period.
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Three years after life term,
prisoner awaits release
Ambala, January 15 The jail inmate identified as Suraj Mal, who had been an Army official, is a resident of Manas village that falls in Kaithal district. He was arrested by the West Bengal police in 1990 in a murder and Arms Act case. He remained in jail in Calcutta till 1998. As he belonged to Kaithal, he requested the West Bengal government to shift him to some jail in Haryana, following which he was shifted to Ambala Central Jail in 1998. Since then he has been lodged here. After the completion of his conviction period, the Ambala Central Jail authorities informed the Judicial Department of West Bengal and asked them to make the required formalities to take back their prisoner. According to information, the Ambala jail authorities sent around a dozen letters and fax messages to the Judicial Department of the West Bengal government, but the latter did not respond. Sources said, on an application filed by the victim, the Punjab and Haryana High Court had directed the West Bengal government last year to dispose off the matter within three months. However, nothing was done in this regard even after the expiry of the period. Ambala Jail Superintendent SPS Chauhan said the correspondence with the West Bengal government was in progress and he would act after getting a concrete reply form the authorities concerned. It has not been ascertained that how long Suraj Mal has to be behind the bars due to government’s apathy. |
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Top forest officer booked for fraud
Chandigarh, January 15 The police has registered a criminal case against Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) KL Manhas under various Sections of the Indian Penal Code. The charges against Manhas include fraud and forgery. Incidentally, the case against Manhas has been registered after a report from the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL), Madhuban, was received. Manhas has been accused of being instrumental in the denial of a prestigious award to his junior colleague by writing a false complaint against him under a pseudonym. The case is also an example of how the Right to Information Act can be used by a person to nail wrong doers. The then PCCF JK Rawat recommended the name of the then Deputy Conservator of Forests, Jind, VK Jhajhria, for the Indira Priya Darshani Vriksha Mitra Award for 2007. Jhajhria was the only officer from the Haryana Forest Department whose name was recommended for the award. However, when the award was announced, Jhajhria’s name was missing from the list. Jhajhria sought information from the Union Forest Ministry under the RTI Act to know why his name was deleted. The ministry informed him that it was in receipt of a complaint against him sent by one RS Mehta, resident of House no. 651, Sector 6, Panchkula, the official residence of Manhas. Jhajhria did not rest. He obtained a copy of the complaint and specimen signatures of Manhas under the RTI Act. A private handwriting expert, Jassi Anand, opined that the signatures on the complaint and specimen signatures of Manhas tallied. Jhajhria filed a complaint with the Panchkula police on June 26, 2009, against Manhas. The complaint was registered in the daily diary (Roznamcha) and started further investigation. After obtaining original complaint from the Union Forest Ministry, the police sent it to the FSL along with the specimen signatures of Manhas. The FSL, in its report of December 22, 2009, said the two had tallied. The case was registered yesterday against Manhas, who was promoted only this month, under Sections 419, 420, 468, 469 and 471 of the IPC. Sources in the police say now the statement of Manhas would be recorded. It may be recalled that The Tribune had reported on December 31 how the then INLD government had exonerated Manhas from the allegation of molesting a woman employee of his department in November, 1999, despite having issued a warning to him on this count only in October, 1999. Manhas had faced a departmental inquiry in this matter after the State Vigilance Bureau had indicted him.
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Contractor murdered
Yamunanagar, January 15 Tej Singh’s wife Renu was sleeping in another room when he was murdered. The assailants had closed her room from outside when they murdered Tej Singh. Later, she raised an alarm and her neighbours opened the door and she found Tej Singh lying in a pool of blood, Renu told the police. The police so far has no clue about the culprits and were investigating the matter. When the investigating officer was contacted he said after the postmortem the body was handed over to his family. There were 22 stab injuries found on Tej Singh’s body. |
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Ellenabad, January 15
Lakhs of devotees watched the spectacular celestial even of the longest solar eclipse of the century and took a dip in the holy Braham Sarovar here today as faith and religious tidings made the event unforgettable.
