Yamunanagar, April 23
Finding deficiency in service, the district consumer court has directed Bharti Airtel Limited to pay a compensation of Rs 2 lakh to local residents (one lakh each to husband and wife).

Deciding on two separate complaints filed by Dr Sudhir Sharma and his wife Dr Bhawana Sharma, the consumer court said: “Keeping in view the tendency to cheat by multi-national companies (MNC), this forum is of the view that the guilty employees of Bharti Airtel Limited and its partners in the ‘free flight scheme’ be tried for offence committed by them under Section 420 of the IPC.

“The complainants are at liberty to file such a complaint against the guilty in a competent court of law or lodge an FIR against them if they so desire.”

In their complaints, the doctor couple stated that the authorised dealer of Bharti Airtel Limited persuaded them to take a new Airtel connection under a “free flight offer scheme.”

On his persuasion, the two applied for a new Airtel connection and paid a sum of Rs 1,000 each. The dealer assured the couple that they would be issued air tickets, as per the scheme, for a destination of their choice.

Under the scheme, Dr Sudhir Sharma submitted a form mentioning his son as companion along with a DD of Rs 5,942 with Wunderman India Private Limited as directed by Airtel Officials.

He mentioned three destinations- Cochin, Thiruvananthapuram and Coimbatore. Similarly his wife Bhawana submitted a form mentioning her daughter as companion while depositing the amount (Rs 5,942.)

Despite receipts for the form as well as the amount deposited, Wunderman India Private Limited failed to issue the air tickets to the couple.

The couple alleged that they were given a phone connection on a false promise and demanded a compensation of Rs 10 lakh each for harassment.

Counsel for Bharti Airtel Limited stated that the company had not indulged in any unfair trade practice.

The company had not made any false promise and Wunderman India Private Limited was solely responsible for arranging the tickets, booking and delivery of tickets included.

President of the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum Dina Nath Arora, along with Dr VK Sharma, directed Bharti Airtel Limited to deposit a sum of Rs 1 lakh each for Dr Sudhir Sharma and his wife with the consumer forum within a month, failing which the company would have to pay an interest of 12 per cent interest per annum with effect from May 9, 2007, till the amount was realised.

Karnal, April 22
In an unusual move, the Consumer Forum here has issued a notice to the State Principal Information Officer (SPIO) of the Haryana Staff Selection Commission under the RTI Act.

The notice was issued on a complaint by advocate Rajesh Sharma, stating that he had filed an application on April 27, 2009, under Section 6.1 of the RTI Act, seeking information regarding the date on which records were destroyed by the commission.

Rajesh pleaded that he had paid a fee of Rs 50 through an IPO along with the complaint and, thus, be regarded as a consumer. He stated that the SPIO replied through an order dated May 20, 2009. Instead of furnishing information point-wise, he simply stated that the record pertaining to the written exam and physical test was destroyed in view of the Supreme Court orders passed in a civil appeal (No. 5027-36 of 1994) and as per past practice, no record was preserved.

Not satisfied with the reply, he filed an appeal with the secretary, HSSC, on June 27, 2009, but the latter also gave the same reply. Rajesh then filed a second appeal with RTI Commissioner Prem Veer Singh, who passed an order directing the respondents to provide a point-wise reply in 30 days.

The reply given again was the same and another letter was sent to the SIC for appropriate reply.

The advocate maintained that since information was not furnished to him in spite of repeated pleas, “there is a gross deficiency in service by the SSC ” and the purpose of the RTI Act to check corruption and bring transparency was being defeated He argued that his complaint was based on the judgment of the National Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission in a revision petition (No. 1975: Dr SP Thirumala Rao vs Municipal Commissioner, Mysore)wherein it was decided interalia that the applicant was a consumer under the RTI Act and non-submission of information by a public authority amounted to deficiency in service under the Consumer Protection ACT.

Mirchpur (Hisar), April 23
The bodies of the two victims of Wednesday’s violence in this village were cremated this afternoon following an agreement between leaders of the Dalit community and the district administration.

Official sources said “suitable action” would be taken against officials who were present in the village at the time the houses of Dalits were torched on Wednesday.

Earlier, the community leaders had been demanding that these officials be booked under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The talks broke down last night on the issue.The Dalit leaders agreed to tone down their demand today.

The administration will pay “adequate compensation” to those whose houses were torched.

The authorities will recommend a government job to a member of the family of the two victims of the violence.The police picket posted in the village will remain there for so long as the community members felt threatened. After the agreement the bodies were taken to the village crematorium.

Amar, son of the deceased Tara Chand, lit the pyres of his father and sister Suman.

Senior district officials, leaders of political parties and a large number of villagers attended the cremation.

Although peace has been restored to the village for the time being, fears of recurrence of violence remain as underlying tensions persist.

The elderly members of both communities need to sit together to find a lasting solution.

Chandigarh, April 23
Almost two decades after a brigadier was dismissed by a general court-martial (GCM) on charges of corruption, the Armed Forces Tribunal today upheld the court-martial proceedings, but restored his pensionary benefits.

The tribunal’s Chandigarh Bench, comprising Justice Ghanshyam Prashad and Lt Gen AS Bahia ordered that the petitioner, Brig GS Kahlon, would be entitled to arrears of pension from 1992, along with interest at the rate of six per cent.

He had been tried on nine counts of misappropriation of canteen funds with intent to defraud and failure to exercise proper control and supervision while he was the chairman of Headquarters 123 Mountain Brigade unit canteen, responsible for its functioning as well as signing and counter-signing financial documents.

The GCM had found him guilty of eight of the nine charges.

The brigadier, maintaining his innocence, had contended that he had been framed and had been tried arbitrarily.

He contended that the somecharges against him did not amount to dishonesty or misappropriation and that he was not in station on of the dates mentioned.

He had also claimed that there was no loss or gain or prejudice to anyone by his acts of signing some documents.

Counsel for the central government, Capt Sandeep Bansal, argued forcefully that the entire procedure relating to the disciplinary case against the petitioner that resulted in his conviction was strictly in compliance with rules and regulations as prescribed by law..

He contended that the petitioner, in his arguments before the tribunal had taken out isolated statements of some witnesses to prove innocence.

However, there was no corroboration of the same.

Even otherwise a conjoint reading of the evidence clearly proved the case against him.

Chandigarh, April 23
The Haryana Government has received back the Police Medal which was awarded to SPS Rathore, IPS (retd) for meritorious service.

The medal to Rathore, convicted in the Ruchika molestation case, has been cancelled and forfeited.

A police spokesman said here today that the state government had received a written communication from the Union Home Ministry forwarding a President’s secretariat notification (No 32-Pres/2010 dated March 11, 2010) regarding the cancellation and forfeiture of the Police Medal awarded to Rathore, the then DIG of Police, Administration and Training, Haryana Police, under the rules governing the award of the police medal.

The ministry communication further stated that the medal should be taken back from the former IPS officer and kept in “safe custody under intimation to the ministry.”

An IANS report said a woman police officer was sent to Rathore's residence in Panchkula on Thursday and he was asked to physically hand over the medal. Rathore was convicted by a CBI special court in December last year in the molestation case of a teenaged budding tennis player, Ruchika Girhotra.

The court held Rathore guilty for molesting the 15-year-old Ruchika in Panchkula in August 1990. A student of Sacred Heart High School, Chandigarh, the motherless girl went into depression and committed suicide three years later.

He was sentenced to six months' rigorous imprisonment and fined Rs 1,000 in the 19-year-old molestation case.

He was granted bail immediately after his conviction.

He continues to be on bail as he has challenged his conviction.

A section of the Haryana police officers had questioned the taking back of the medal from Rathore, saying that it had been given to him in 1985 whereas the molestation incident took place in 1990 and their was no link between the two.

Gurgaon, April 23
Don’t be surprised if you find a traffic police constable addressing you as “sir” and literally requesting you in Queen’s English to pull over your vehicle and show the requisite documents.

Rather, be prepared to be treated in a courteous and polite manner by the hitherto rude and rugged policemen of the so-called millennium city. You can even expect the ubiquitous Haryana police command “Ghani jaldi sai? Gaaddi side mein laa le” to be replaced by “excuse me, sir, would you please show me your driving licence and vehicle registration certificate?”

For, the Gurgaon police is in for a major revamp with the top police authorities having drawn up a plan to get the local police personnel trained in behavioural and communication skills. Under the programme, they would be taught to keep their temper under control and observe proper etiquette while dealing with people.

Professional experts will be engaged for imparting such training to the police officials from the rank of constables to SHOs.“In view of the high literacy rate and the large number of educated people living in Gurgaon, our men will be given a thorough training in communication skills to improve their conduct with the general public.

This also becomes important in view of the Commonwealth Games which are going to be organised in Delhi this October,” asserted Gurgaon Police Commissioner SS Deswal. In an informal chat with newsmen on the sidelines of the inaugural ceremony of the Palam Vihar police station in Sector 22 here today, Deswal pointed out that as Gurgaon was quite close to Delhi and a shooting event was also being organised at Kadarpur shooting range in the district, foreign players as well as tourists were expected to visit the city.

“The constables in Gurgaon police are learning how to express themselves in English so that they are able to communicate smoothly with the foreign visitors. At the same time, if they are courteous enough in their behaviour, they will earn a good image for the Indian policing system, especially that of Gurgaon and Haryana, worldwide,” he maintained.

Earlier, the Police Commissioner inaugurated the new police station building by cutting a ribbon and unveiling a plaque. A havan was also performed to mark the occasion.

Faridabad, April 23
Alleging that the police was trying to shield a relative of a minister in connection with the death of a youth, hundreds of people led by BJP and HJC leaders today blocked BK Chowk-Hardwar road.

According to the family of the deceased, Mohit Bhatia, was taken away by three of his friends, including a relative of a minister, from his house last night in a Tata Safari, which met with a accident.

Apparently, the youth died due to injuries, near the auditorium of the Municipal Corporation of Faridabad.

The relatives of the deceased have cried foul over the registration of the case as a death case. They are alleging that the police is trying to dismiss the case showing negligent driving and the death on account of it.

The relatives are also alleging that the deceased had been murdered and a relative of the minister in the Tata Safari was in it when the incident occurred.

The minister represents an assembly constituency in Faridabad district. Despite repeated attempts, he wasn’t available for comments.

The relatives of the youth also met ACP, NIT, Ram Pal.

However, as told to the relatives of the deceased by the police, two youths who were in Tata Safari along with the deceased had been arrested. But the police hasn’t disclosed their names.

The relatives are perplexed as to why the police is not revealing the names of the arrested They want to know the basis on which the police attributed the death to road accident.

According to them if there was road accident how come only one person Mohit in the vehicle got injured and killed.

Also,the relatives are surprised that the friends of Mohit did not inform the family members about the accident.

Those who participated in the agitation included Chander Bhatia, a former BJP MLA and now a HJC leader, and four BJP coucillors of the MC along with residents of the NH-2 and relatives of the deceased.

Sirsa, April 23
New and disquieting allegations have come to the fore in the case of sexual harassment of a student of the Journalism and Mass Communication Department of Chaudhary Devi Lal University allegedly by her two teachers here. Certain girl students have alleged that some teachers of the department have been using their privilege of granting internal assessment marks to their students for “exploitation” of girls.

They have alleged that in some cases toppers in the semester examinations of the university, who got more than 70 per cent marks in their semester examinations, have been awarded internal assessment as low as 40 per cent. The girl, who had accused two teachers of the department of sexual harassment, today met Deputy Commissioner Yudhbir Singh Khyalia with her father and some other kin and sought justice.

“Over two weeks have elapsed since I made a complaint against the two teachers, but the university authorities have failed to take any step to provide me justice. The teachers, the university authorities assigned duties to probe my case, have been pressuring me to withdraw my complaint rather than conducting the probe transparently,” the student alleged in her complaint to Khyalia.

“My annual examinations are round the corner, and I have been put under tremendous mental torture as scores of persons are visiting my family daily to pressure me and my family members,” she further alleged and added that she had not been able to concentrate on her studies due to this.

Khyalia has summoned the details of internal assessment awarded by the “tainted teachers” to find out whether internal marks have been awarded to girls in an unusual manner.

The complainant as well as the two teachers, meanwhile, appeared before Sadhna Mittal, protection officer, under the Domestic Violence Act today, where their statements were recorded. Mittal said she had submitted her report to the DC. Meanwhile, doubts have been raised on the constitution and the functioning of the Women Complaint Committee and Grievance Cell set up by the university under a Supreme Court judgment that has been entrusted the job of probe of the complaint. “The committee shall be headed by a woman and not less than half of its members should be women.

Further, to prevent the possibility of undue pressure or influence from senior levels, such complaint committee should involve a third party, either an NGO or other body which is familiar with the issue of sexual harassment,” according to a Supreme Court judgment. However, the committee constituted by the university is headed by a man, Shamsher Singh, proctor of the university.

Chandigarh, April 23
The Chancellor of the Guru Jambeshwar University of Science and Technology (GJUST), Hisar, and Governor of Haryana Jagannath Pahadia has appointed a former Haryana minister, Dr ML Ranga, as the Vice-Chancellor of the GJUST.

Ranga was the Vice-Chancellor of Kurukshetra University from February 1997 to January 2000. Ranga will have a three-year tenure. He was a minister in the Om Prakash Chautala Cabinet. Before the last Assembly elections, he quit the INLD and joined the Congress. However, he was not given the Congress ticket in the elections.

Born on May 25, 1955, at Daliyaki village in Rewari district, Ranga is MA, MPhil and PhD in Sanskrit from Kurukshetra University and got the degree of Doctor of Literature from Kumaon University, Nainital.

Ranga has also worked as the Pro-Vice-Chancellor of Kurukshetra University from October 1995 to February 1997 and worked as officiating Vice-Chancellor of the university from July 1996 to February 1997. He also remained the Registrar, PGI, Chandigarh, from 1993 to 1995.

Chandigarh, April 23
“The Punjabi language and culture was always a part of the rich Haryanvi culture and legacy. I have not obliged anyone by declaring Punjabi as the state’s second language but performed my duty in giving its due,” said Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda while presenting the Haryana Punjabi Sahit Akademy Awards for 2008 and 2009 to Punjabi littérateurs for excellence in creative writing at Haryana Niwas here today.

Tracing the genesis of Punjabi language and its profound relationship with Haryana, he claimed that the immortal Punjabi hymen ‘Dama dam mast qalander’ was the regular invocation rendered at the mazar of Bu Ali Qalander at Panipat from 1,142 AD onwards.

Saluting Sufi poet Baba Sheikh Farid’s spiritual wisdom, Hooda enhanced the Baba Sheikh Farid Award amount from existing Rs 51,000 to Rs 1lakh from next year. He congratulated the Punjabi literary awardees for their contribution in the development of literature. Speaking in Punjabi, he called upon them to play an important role in social awakening.

He complimented Dr KK Khandelwal, PSCM, DPR Shiv Raman Gaud and HPSA director CR Moudgil for reviving and propagating the Punjabi language and literature.

It was virtually a celebration of “Punjabi divas” as Education Minister Geeta Bhukkal, Chief Parliamentary Secretary Sharda Rathore, Dr KK Khandelwal PSCM, and all other speakers spoke in chaste Punjabi, much to the delight of the audience.

The literary awards were conferred on the following littérateurs.

Haryana Punjabi Gaurav Puruskar (Rs 1.25 lakh): Joginder Singh (2008), Sukhchain Singh Bhandri (2009);

Bhai Santokh Singh Award (Rs 1lakh): Atamjit Hanspal (2008), Dr Rattan Singh Dhillon (2009);

Baba Sheikh Farid Award ( Rs 51,000): Arkamal Kaur (2008) and Charanjit Kaur (2009). Sant Taran Singh Vehimi Award ( 51,000): Dr Sahib Singh Arshi (2008), Dr Sudershan Gaso ( 2009). Lok Gayak Award: Bittu Shahpuri (2009);

Pustak Pursuskar (2008): Dr Darshan Singh, Dr Charanjit Kaur, Joginder Kaur, Dr Sunita Rani, Amrit Kaur, Dr Narinder Pal Singh and Prem Sethi; For 2009 - Lakhwinder Singh Bajwa, Joginder Kaur, Dr Jeevan Bakshi, Ikbaal Singh, Prem Sethi and Madan Lal Kapoor;

Kahani Puraskar (2008): Joginder Kaur, Lakhwinder Singh Bajwa, Iqbal Singh and Veer Singh Thind;

For 2009 - Ram Lok Kaushal, Naib Singh Mander, Manjit Kuar Saini and Indu Gupta.

Faridabad, April 23
Upping the ante against private schools for the alleged hike in fees in an arbitrary manner, the parents today held demonstrations outside the mini-secretariat in protest against the government’s failure to make school managements function as per norms.

The parents, agitating under the banner of Haryana School Abhibhavak Ekta Manch,submitted a memorandum to the CM via the office of the Deputy Commissioner, urging for his immediate intervention in the matter.

Leaders of the manch said if the government failed to act on their demands, parents would protest outside the office of the Commissioner-cum-Director General, School Education, at Chandigarh on May 20.

The parents, in the memorandum, has urged the government to restrain the private schools from increasing fees this year and reimburse the increased fees collected from them for the academic session 2008-2009.

Sirsa, April 23
The police has arrested three more persons allegedly involved in the attack on Zila Parishad member Ram Singh Beniwal at Kagdana village on March 18.

With this, the total arrests in the case have risen to to six.A spokesperson for the district police said a party led by Chaupta SHO Vikram Nehra arrested Lala of Rawatsar village, Naresh of Shahpuriya village and Mangelal of Chautala village yesterday.

Earlier, the police had arrested three persons allegedly involved in the case. Beniwal, a Congress leader and Zila Parishad member, was attacked with sharp-edged weapons by some unidentified persons in a Bolero jeep, who fled from the spot after throwing chilly powder into his eyes. Beniwal had suffered several fractures in his body. Kagdana village falls under the Ellenabad Assembly segment that witnessed a byelection on January 20 this year.