Panipat, February 15
With a view to bringing down the prices of petrol in the country, the Union Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has recommended that the excise and customs duty be reduced to provide some relief to the people.

Stating this here today, Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas S Jaipal Reddy said the recommendation had been forwarded to the Union Government and the matter would be taken up by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs soon, after which the prices were likely to come down.

Reddy, who was here to dedicate the Rs 14,500 crore Naphtha Cracker plant to the nation, said as of now there was no move to either roll back or hike petrol prices in the country. He said any decision in this regard could be taken only at the meeting of the empowered group of ministers, which would be held shortly.

He said the loss burden on oil companies had touched Rs 80,000 crore and it was likely to cross the Rs 1 lakh crore mark. “At present the oil companies bear the losses as these sell petrol at a loss of Rs 1-2 per litre, besides giving various subsidies on diesel, LPG and kerosene,” the minister said, and claimed that the subsidies on LPG and kerosene would continue in view of the “public sentiments”.

The minister said the government would pay for 50 per cent of the cost of the subsidy being given by the oil companies, while the companies would bear one-third of the revenue losses and the rest would be borne by the downstream companies.

Speaking on the row over a proposed oil assets deal between Cairn India and Vedanta Resources, the minister said the matter would be discussed by the Cabinet soon.

In August last year, Cairn had decided to sell up to 51 per cent in Cairn India to Vedanta, but the ONGC had expressed concerns over the issues involving royalty payments.

State-owned explorer Oil and Natural Gas Corporation owns 30 per cent stake in some of the assets up for sale. The Petroleum Minister said the ONGC’s interests would not be compromised at any cost.

Reddy dedicated the country’s largest Naphtha Cracker plant to the nation. The plant has been set up in 46 months at an investment of Rs 14,500 crore on the premises of the Panipat Petro-Chemicals Hub.

Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Union Minster for Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation and Culture Kumari Selja and Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas RPN Singh were also present on the occasion and addressed the gathering.

Chandigarh, February 15
Dr Karan Singh, medical officer with the community health centre in Mahendragarh, is in the dock. Condemning the medical officer for his failure to prepare a medico-legal report while admitting a patient, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has asked the Director of health services, Haryana, to initiate disciplinary proceedings against him.

The Division Bench of Justice Satish Kumar Mittal and M Jeyapaul has also made it clear that the medico-legal report “should also mention the person, who actually brought the injured to the hospital for treatment”.

The directions came during the hearing of an appeal filed by a convict in a double murder case. Rajesh of Nangal Sirohi village in Mahendragarh had challenged the order of conviction for murder of his wife Suman and daughter Babli.

The prosecution’s case was that Suman had told her brother Hawa Singh that she and her daughter Babli were beaten up and forced to consume poison as Rajesh was aggrieved over their not having a son.

He was a drunkard and would beat his wife off and on, the prosecution had alleged. The defence, on the other hand, had claimed that Suman had committed suicide after poisoning Babli.

The Bench asserted that: “We are constrained to note the unbecoming conduct of Dr Karan Singh…. Except for the cryptic reply, no material is available on record to explain as to why Dr Karan Singh failed in his duty to prepare the medico-legal report qua Suman.

“In a medico-legal case, the doctor on duty, who admits the patient, shall prepare the medico-legal report…. The doctors serving in the government hospitals are bound to assist the investigating agency and the court for the purpose of advancing justice.

“Failure to prepare the medico-legal report, relating to the injured person admitted to the hospital for treatment, would sometimes pave way for great injustice.

Dismissing Rajesh’s appeal, the Bench added: “An embarrassing situation had been created by the inaction on the part of Dr Karan Singh. We are constrained to direct Director, health services, Haryana, to initiate disciplinary proceedings against him for dereliction of duty as medical officer.” 

Hisar, February 15
Peace returned to Hansi, a subdivisional town in this district, today after yesterday’s violent incidents.The body of Subhash, who had died in police custody, was cremated at his village, Sainipura, today. The police has registered a case against 700 unidentified persons in connection with yesterday’s violence. The FIR was lodged on a complaint of Sub-Inspector Gopi Chand.

The case has been registered under Sections 307, 323 and 353.Meanwhile, a Press photographer from Hansi, Brahm Sarup Bimal, who was seriously injured in the violence yesterday, has been referred to Rohtak for treatment. He was brought here for treatment but had to be shifted to Rohtak. Doctors said he had lost one eye and the other eye needed specialised treatment. Devendra Uppal, patron of the Hisar Press Club, has appealed to Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda to arrange for his treatment in Delhi. — TNS

Jhajjar, February 15
An assistant education officer posted at the local education office was caught by a Vigilance team while allegedly taking a bribe of Rs 7,000 here today.The officer identified as Ram Mehar was taking the bribe for handing over a cheque sent by the head office from the sports fund to a private school located at Salhavaas village here.

A case has been registered against the officer under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Daulat Ram, who led the Vigilance team, said the action was taken after a complaint was lodged by Ram Bhagat, a coach of the private school, wherein he alleged that Ram Mehar was demanding Rs 7,000 from him for handing over the cheque issued to the school for the promotion of sports.

Taking action on the complaint, a raid was conducted in the presence of Duty Magistrate-cum-Tehsildar Balwan Singh.

The Vigilance team caught Ram Mehar while taking the bribe. 

Sirsa, February 15
A 35-year-old married woman, Ruby, from Siliguri in West Bengal was allegedly sold twice in two days last week.A truck driver, who brought her to Haryana after allegedly drugging her, first sold her to a man in Uklana (Hisar) for Rs 40,000 and when the “customer” failed to make the full payment, driver Sahib Ram allegedly sold her to another person at Kheri village in Sirsa for Rs 35,000.

The poor woman, somehow, reached Nathusari Chopta and narrated her story to the police. The police has informed her husband, but no FIR has been registered so far against the driver, who belongs to Kheri village.

Ruby in now staying at the residence of a villager, Hardat Punia, and the police claims that that her husband is on the way to take her back.

Talking to The Tribune, Ruby alleged that Sahib Ram had come to Siliguri to meet his wife, who stayed in her neighbourhood. Sahib Ram drugged her by offering her a “pan” laced with some intoxicant on February 6 and took her to Delhi.

Later, he allegedly sold her to a man at Uklana in Hisar for Rs 40,000 in the name of marriage on February 11. However, he took her back from the man the same evening and took her to Kheri village, where she was again sold for Rs 35,000 to another person.

Ruby said somehow she ran out of the house yesterday and reached Nathusari Chopta, where she told the matter to the police. She said she had four children - a daughter aged 16 and three sons aged 14, 10 and 8.

She said her husband Ayijan eked out a living by selling vegetables at Siliguri and she wanted to go back to her family immediately.

SHO Dharambir Singh said no case had been registered as the woman had made no written complaint. He maintained that she had only asked him to reunite her with her family. Sahib Ram, when contacted on his mobile, claimed that the woman had come with him at her will. He claimed that he was out of the state with his truck at present.