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‘I’ve been falsely implicated’
Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh answers queries by mediapersons during a congregation on Sunday. Photo: Amit Soni
Commuters stranded
The deserted bus stand in Sirsa on Sunday.
Photo: Amit Soni |
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Act against miscreants, demand unions
Another family banished by khap
Battery dealers told to submit half-yearly returns
Use only boiled milk, says expert
Educationist uses RTI to expose management
Campaign to check power theft
Hooda: Cell to promote Punjabi
Sikhs being discriminated against, says Tarlochan
Bhajan Lal drums up support for rally
Panchayat sadans to be ready soon: DC
A gram panchayat sadan at Bahalgarh village. Photo by writer
Work on segregation of feeders near complete
Travel agent held for duping youths
Miscreant shot dead
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‘I’ve been falsely implicated’
Sirsa, February 28 “The case against me is hundred per cent false and fabricated,” maintained the dera chief in reply to a written query during the weekly “satsang” at the dera headquarters on Chopta Road. Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh invited written questions from mediapersons in the middle of the “satsang”. He did not elaborate on the case registered by the CBI in Chandigarh on February 22 in which he and four others have been booked for murdering Fakir Chand. To a question on yesterday’s incidents of arson, the dera head claimed that he never gave any such directions to his followers which were detrimental to life and
property. “Neither do I watch television, nor do I read the papers. Hence, I had no idea of the incidents till some followers informed me last evening.” “Whosoever have done this, have done so of their own,” the chief added. To a question as to how could he address a congregation when prohibitory orders banning the assembly of five or more persons were in force, Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh said he had no idea of any such orders. “I have not studied law and, hence, cannot comment. But I can certainly say that there can be no prohibitory orders on worshiping the God.” Earlier, during his discourse, the dera chief told his followers, without mentioning the fresh case against him, that he was being targeted repeatedly because he was against all kinds of social and political ills. “When I speak against rising prices, corruption at the highest level, accumulation of money by powerful people and deposits in Swiss banks and work towards eliminating evils like drugs addiction, liquor and flesh trade, how can those responsible for these maladies tolerate me,” he asked his followers
amidst applause. The FIR against the dera chief has been lodged by the CBI following an inquiry by the agency into the disappearance of Fakir Chand, a former manager of the dera, on the orders of the Punjab and Haryana High Court on a petition filed by Ram Singh Bishnoi, a former dera follower. Bishnoi had earlier made a complaint to the local police in 1993 but alleged that no action was taken on his complaint. He moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court for a CBI probe after the case of sexual exploitation of sadhvis and the murder of Sirsa journalist Ram Chander Chhattarpati and former dera follower Ranjit Singh were handed over to the CBI by
the court. |
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Heavy security en route dera satsang
Sirsa/Fatehabad, February 28 Prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code have been promulgated in both districts. Very few buses of the Haryana Roadways plied on the roads today. “The situation is under control,” said the DC Sirsa, Yudhbir Singh Khyalia, addin g that three companies of the BSF and two of the Haryana Police had arrived in the district to help maintain order. Six FIRs, one each in Odhan, Dabwali Sadar, Rania and Sirsa Sadar police stations and two in Rori have been lodged against unknown persons on complaints by bus conductors or drivers. In Fatehabad, an FIR was registered in Ratia for damage to a cooperative bank and two FIRs for damaging two buses and a cash counter of the DHBVN. The FIR for torching Station Master’s office at Jamalpur Shekhan has been lodged with the GRP, Hisar, said JS Lamba, SP, Fatehabad. Late in the evening, the police arrested seven persons, all said to be Dera Sacha Sauda followers, in connection with yesterday’s incidents of arson. Confirming the arrests, the SP, Satender Kumar Gupta, said the police had arrested Gianender, Tipu Sultan, Kulwant, Binder, Satnam, Jitender and Rajesh in connection with two FIRs registered in the Sadar Police Station, Sirsa. “Gianender is a resident of Pharal village in Kaithal and he with Jitender of Hisar Road, Sirsa, and Binder, Satnam, Kulawant and Tipu Sultan of Begu Road, Sirsa, have been arrested in connection with the bus burnt on the local Kanganpur Road last evening. “ Rajesh is a resident of Begu. He has been arrested in connection with the bus torched at Begu village,” the SP added. The accused will be produced before the duty magistrate tomorrow. With the weekly “satsang” at the dera today, the authorities were apprehensive of more incidents of damage to government property by followers, who visit the dera headquarters in large numbers. A heavy police force was seen deployed on the road leading to the dera, government buildings and installations and public places since morning.
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Commuters stranded
Jind, February 28 Though none was injured, the audacity with which groups of youths on mobikes torched property and fled left the authorities dazed. The incidents triggered panic in the city. The railways department today suspended 16 trains, some long-distance ones. A large number of passengers were stranded or had to seek other modes of travel. “The trains have been cancelled for today only,” claimed an official. Most buses of the local depot remained off the road due to safety fears. Though 35 buses left the local depot this morning, the officials decided to keep the services suspended with no safety assurance forthcoming from the authorities, said a roadways official. A bus of the Sirsa depot coming from Chandigarh was torched by a group of youths near Baddowala village in Narwana subdivision on NH-65 last evening. The police arrested eight persons in connection with the arson, five of them in the Narwana subdivision. Three were rounded up from Uchana this morning. A total of 60 persons have been booked under various Sections, a majority of them are followers of a religious group in Sirsa, said the police. The Deputy Commissioner has deployed 13 senior officials as duty magistrates of their respective areas to keep a watch on the law and order situation Meanwhile, the Haryana unit of the CPM has condemned the violence, describing it as “undesirable and provocative.” It has appealed for peace and harmony. A report from Yamunanagar said a post office was set on fire in Jagadhri. An office of the electricity department in Model Town was also burnt allegedly by dera Sach Sauda followers. However the police claimed that in both cases, the fire had been caused by short-circuiting. Sonepat: As a precautionary measure, the district administration on Sunday stepped up security at public places. “ Nam Charcha” was held amidst tight security at the Dera Sacha Sauda ashram in Bahalgarh which ended peacefully. Police personnel were deployed at the bus stand, power houses, the railway station and important intersections in the town. The DC, Ajit Joshi, and the SP, MS Sheoran, personally kept a watch on the activities of dera followers. — OC Kaithal: District Magistrate Ramesh Verma has imposedprohibitory orders in the district till further orders. The police has registered a criminal case against unknown persons for torching a Haryana Roadways bus here on Saturday. — OC
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Act against miscreants, demand unions
Sirsa/Fatehabad, February 28 “The Haryana Roadways lost Rs 15 crore during damage to its buses and further Rs 40 crore due to taking the buses off the road,” said Sarbat Singh Punia, state general secretary of the Haryana Roadways Workers Union, Fatehabad, today. He said the “inaction” of the police during and after the incidents, smacked the involvement of the state government in the incidents. President of the Fatehabad district unit of the Sarva Karamchari Sangh Beg Raj said the damage by antisocial elements taking shelter under a religious sect was deplorable and wanted strict action from the state. Baldev Singh Ghanghas, state president of the Haryana Karamchari Mahasangh, and Mahavir Singh, district president of the organisation, demanded that besides punishing the miscreants, the amount of loss incurred by the government should be recovered from them. |
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Another family banished by khap
Bhiwani, February 28 The khap panchayat has served an ultimatum on the family to leave the village by March
2. Sribhagwan Megha, a resident of Samaspur village, had eloped with Anita
Phougat, who lived in the nearby Makrani village, on February 21 against the wishes of his family members. The khap panchayat has declared the marriage “illegal”. “No man from Samaspur village can marry a girl from Phougat as people of the Phougat gotra have a ‘bhaichara’ (brotherly relation) with villagers of
Samaspur. Therefore, this marriage is illegal and against our age-old customs,” said a senior member of the Samaspur khap panchayat here today. “We have directed Randhir Singh
Megha, the father of Shribhagwan, to leave the village by March 2. His whole family is guilty of violating the social norms of
'bhaichara' and if they do not comply with the directive, we will forcibly throw them out,” he
added. Shribhagwan, who is with the Rajasthan police, married Anita and the couple is living in a Rajasthan town. However, his father maintained that his family was against the marriage and that they had already disowned
Sribhagwan. But the khap panchayat has refused to budge from its stand and has socially boycotted Randhir’s family. The khap has given orders that the house and land of Randhir would be taken over by the
panchayat. Meanwhile, Randhir has approached the police and the district administration for help, alleging that some khap members wanted to grab his property. The administration has assured full help to Randhir's family. “We have got a complaint in this regard. We are looking into it,” said Vikas Gupta, Deputy Commissioner,
Bhiwani, here today. Haryana panchayats are notorious for issuing controversial decisions related to inter-caste marriages.
— IANS |
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Battery dealers told to submit half-yearly returns
Chandigarh, February 28 Stating this here recently, a spokesman for the board said legal action would be initiated under the provisions of the Environment Protection Act, 1986, against those who did not submit the half-yearly return to the HSPCB within the specified time frame. He said the manufacturers, importers, assemblers, re-conditioners, bulk consumers, auctioneers and dealers of the batteries were responsible for ensuring that the used batteries were collected back as per schedule against new batteries sold, giving appropriate discount for every used battery returned by the consumer and ensuring that used batteries collected back were of similar type and specification as that of new batteries sold. They were also required to ensure safe transportation of collected batteries to the designated collection centres or to the registered recyclers and ensure that no damage was caused to the environment during storage and transportation of used batteries, he added. The spokesman said the dealers were also required to submit half-yearly returns of the sale of new batteries and by-back of old batteries to the manufacturer and the HSPCB on form-V by May 31 and November 30 every year. Recyclers of used batteries should file their half-yearly returns to the HSPCB on form-VII, the bulk consumers on form-VIII and auctioneers on form-IX by June 30 and December 31 every year. |
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Use only boiled milk, says expert
Karnal, February 28 The technology to fortify powder milk by adding iron content was available and in use but a similar technology was needed for fresh milk to improve the health of women and children as a negligible percentage of the population was using powder milk, he stressed. Iron was the most important component for synthesis of blood and the deficiency of iron in milk was the main cause of malnutrition, underweight children and iron deficiency among women in the child-bearing age. Quoting data from a WHO report, Dr Srivastav said, “About 80 per cent of the women in the child-bearing age are iron deficient, one of four children till the age of three years is underweight and 20 per cent of them are suffering from malnutrition in India.” He said it was necessary to boost exports of milk and dairy products, which had already taken a quantum jump from Rs 100 million to Rs 8,000 million during the past two decades. Welcoming the decision of the Commerce Ministry to treat the dairy processing industry on a par with the food processing industry, Dr Srivastav observed that it would entitle the dairy industry to avail of all benefits and incentives available to the food processing industry and strengthen the dairy farming sector. Cautioning against the use of raw milk (yet to be boiled), Dr Srivastav said it should never be consumed as it contained antibiotics, drug residue and insecticides and caused serious health problems.
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Educationist uses RTI to expose management
Panipat, February 28 Dr SC Aggarwal, former principal of the local IB College, alleged that the management of SD College was indulging in gross violations of the rules, which the information provided under the RTI Act by Kurukshetra University had proved. Dr Aggarwal said, in violation of the university rules, the management created a new post of director and appointed a former principal to the post at a monthly salary of Rs 20,000 to look after the self-financed courses being run by the institute. After the matter came to light, the authorities even ordered a vigilance inquiry, which was still pending, he said. The information provided by KU under the RTI Act stated that there was no provision of a post for director for looking after self-financed courses in non-government aided colleges. He said, similarly, the management created a new post of office superintendent that also violated the rules. He alleged that the college management had not followed the correct procedure to make appointment of teachers for self-financed courses as the appointments were made without any university selection committee. The educationist said he had urged the Chief Minister that in view of these irregularities he should immediately ask the authorities concerned to dismiss the management of the college and an appropriate action be
initiated against those responsible. |
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Campaign to check power theft
Kaithal, February 28 SK Bansal, superintending engineer, operation circle, Kaithal, said here yesterday that 45,467 consumers owed Rs 95 crore to the department and efforts were on to recover the amount. Power connections of 31,037 defaulting consumers had been disconnected. The nigam had given directions to field officers to recover the amount before March 31 and take action against those indulging in power theft. Bansal said officers and subordinate staff had been told to act fast on these two fronts otherwise they would face disciplinary action. He said to facilitate and expedite recovery and to provide facility to defaulting consumers for on-the-spot payment, the department had put nine cash recovery vans in service. He added that the department had started organising durbars in each village for correction of bills and to provide facility for depositing security for new connections and to redress other complaints. Bansal had appealed to consumers to clear their bill arrears at the earliest to avoid disconnections. |
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Hooda: Cell to promote Punjabi
Chandigarh, February 27 He was addressing a function at the local Press Club organised by the Punjabi Bhasha Chetana Manch to honour him for according a second language status to Punjabi. Managements of various gurdwaras of Chandigarh and adjoining areas honoured him with siropas. The Chief Minister said he himself was trying to learn Punjabi, adding that he had done no favour as the language had only been given its due, though this should have happened much earlier. Describing Punjab and Haryana as “brothers,” he said Punjabi would be promoted in a big way. The president of Chetana Manch, Partap Singh Bajwa, was all praise for Hooda. He said now their target was to get Punjabi declared as the second language in Jammu and Kashmir, Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh. Noted film Actor Raj Babbar, who is also member of Parliament, said other states needed to emulate Haryana’s gesture, according due status to Punjabi in their areas. Others who applauded Hooda were noted singers Gurdass Mann and Sukhshinder Shinda, comedian Jaspal Bhatti, and lyricist Sardar Anjum. |
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Sikhs being discriminated against, says Tarlochan
Ambala, February 28 Talking to The Tribune on the sidelines of a function organised by local MLA Rajbir Singh of the Indian National Lok Dal at Duliana village in this district in memory of the two Sikhs beheaded in Afghanistan, the former chairman of the National Minorities Commission said Sikhs constituted 1.75 per cent, Christians 2.5 per cent and Muslims 15 per cent of the total population. However, despite Sikhs having the lowest population, the Centre was making available more benefits to Muslims in the name of minorities while Sikhs were being discriminated against. Tarlochan Singh said he was not opposed to granting benefits to the Muslims but he wanted that the Sikhs be given a fair deal and be granted benefits that the other minority communities were getting. Tarlochan Singh lamented that the Haryana government had not initiated any measures for the propagation and development of Punjabi even though it had announced the second language status to Punjabi. He said no notification had been issued so far in this regard. He said the Union Budget presented on Friday had no incentives for Haryana and the state had been completely ignored by the Union Finance Minister since Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda had not apprised the Finance Minister of the state’s needs properly. Tarlochan Singh said the process of finalisation of the Anand Marriage Act for the Sikhs was in the final stages. A draft was ready and it was likely to be tabled in Parliament during its current session. He said the Union Law Minister seemed to be favourably inclined on the passage of the Anand Marriage Act in Parliament. The Law Commission had already approved the draft of the Act, he said. He demanded that the blacklist of 200 persons drawn up by the Union Home Ministry be reviewed. He said the names of 13 Sikhs had been removed from the blacklist and these persons had joined the mainstream. He cited the case of NRI Sikh leader Didar Singh in this connection. |
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Bhajan Lal drums up support for rally
Hisar, February 28 Addressing a meeting of supporters at his private residence here, he said all five legislators had won on his party ticket and their admission in the Congress was unconstitutional and illegal. He slammed Haryana Vidhan Sabha Speaker HS Chatha for adopting delaying tactics on the notices given by his and other political parties against the admission of these MLAs to the Congress. The former Chief Minister said the Speaker had shown unseemly haste in granting admission to these legislators in the Congress. However, he was not inclined to act on the notices given by various parties against his action. He said these legislators had committed an unconstitutional act and the Speaker had protected the interests of the Congress thereby abdicating his constitutional responsibilities. Bhajan Lal said none of these legislators could have been elected without the backing of his party. “If they are so sure of their victory they should prove their credentials by resigning from their seats and seek re-election. I am certain that all of them will lose,” he added. Earlier this week, Bhajan Lal and son Kuldeep Bishnoi, MLA, had toured Adampur and other assembly segments drumming up support for the Chandigarh protest. |
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Panchayat sadans to be ready soon: DC
Sonepat, February 28 Deputy Commissioner Ajit Joshi said here today that the construction of 102 sadans had been completed and other 98 would be completed soon. The construction of 85 sadans had been financed under the district plan, 83 under the HRDF and the remaining with the panchayat funds, he added. He further said various bank authorities in the district had shown interest in financing the construction of these sadans, which would fulfil the requirement of a public place. According to the DC, these buildings will be used for keeping the panchayat record and in conducting gram panchayat proceedings, besides distribution of pensions being given under various welfare schemes of the government. The DC said revenue officials would complete and certify land- related revenue records in front of the villagers in the sadans and added that public libraries would also be opened there soon. The sarpanchs of a number of villages have appreciated the project. Sarpanch Raj Pal of Manoli village said the conducting of panchayat proceedings in these building had brought a transparency in the working of the panchayats. Sarpanch Chandro Devi of Sersa village said earlier people used to hesitate while coming to the residence of the sarpanchs, but now women also come here to receive their pension, gather information about welfare schemes and to air their grievances in the panchayat meetings. Sarpanch Vidya Devi of Bahalgarh village said the panchayat had started conducting its meetings in the newly constructed sadans and the building was being regarded as the common property. |
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Work on segregation of feeders near complete
Panipat, February 28 As of now the power authorities are going ahead with the installation of circuit breakers in the district, and the work is likely to be completed in a few days. Deputy Commissioner Vijay Singh said this would not only guarantee better energy audit of the agricultural and domestic sectors, but would also help reduce the current accumulated technical and commercial (AT&C) losses from 33.84 per cent to 15 per cent by 2011-12. The power utilities had undertaken the process, which involves segregation of about 704 feeders by the Uttar Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam and 879 feeders by the Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam, at an estimated cost of around Rs 255 crore and Rs 288 crore, respectively. Though the segregation process was to be completed in July last year, it got delayed. It had initially been planned to outsource the segregation project, but after contractors backtracked, the power utilities decided to do the work on their own. The new system would ensure three-phase power supply for rural areas that would mean lesser interruptions in power supply.
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Travel agent held for duping youths
Kaithal, February 28 In a complaint lodged with the police, Surinder Kumar of Faral village and Joginder Singh of Chuhar Majra alleged that in November 2008 after reading an advertisement in a newspaper about Balaji Consultancy, Ludhiana, they contacted Charanjit , his wife and other persons, SSP Sandeep Khirwar said. These persons started visiting their village. Both victims were promised settlement in the USA if they agreed to pay Rs 20 lakh. The accused claimed that their agency was recognised, following which Rs 1 lakh was advanced to the travel agent. After 14 days, the agent visited them and handed them air tickets and asked them to pay the balance amount. Following which the victims collected Rs 13. 70 lakh from relatives and gave to the agent. In February 2009, the accused told the victims that due to certain reasons their tickets could not be confirmed. Later, it came to light that the tickets handed over to the victims were allegedly fake. When the victims demanded to return their money they were threatened by the accused. After the investigation, the police arrested Charanjit, alias Sonu, of Ludhiana and a case has been registered under Sections 406, 420, 506, 467, 468, 471 and 120 B of the IPC.
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Miscreant shot dead
Hodal (Palwal), February 28 A constable of the Uttar Pradesh police was also injured in the firing. According to the police, a vehicle carrying liquor bottles was being repaired near Kosi in Uttar Pradesh. Three cars were accompanying the vehicle. When the police asked the driver to allow it to inspect the vehicle, they tried to escape. They headed towards the Delhi side on the Delhi-Mathura national highway and entered Hodal town. The driver and his assistant got down from the vehicle and tried to escape while opening fire on the police team. The police retaliated and killed one of them on the spot. The deceased has been identified as Sanjay, a native of Khedi village. |
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Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, who has been named in an FIR filed by the CBI in the murder case of a former manager of the dera, claimed today that he had been wrongly implicated in the case.
Even as the police booked 60 persons in connection with the arson last evening and nabbed suspects, commuters faced severe inconvenience today due to the suspension of road and rail services.
Sonepat, February 28
