Chandigarh, May 11
Justice SL Bhayana (retd) will be the new Chairman of the Haryana Tax Tribunal. A former judge of the Delhi High Court, Justice Bhayana had hit the headlines when as the sessions judge in Delhi, he acquitted all the accused, including Manu Sharma, in the Jessica Lall murder case in February 2006.

He was elevated to the Delhi High Court on February 28, 2006, a week after he delivered the judgment in the Jessica Lall case.

Later, when the prosecution filed an appeal before the Delhi High Court, the then High Court judge, Justice RS Sodhi, described Bhayana’s judgment as “strange, totally wrong, immature and positively perverse”. He went to say that the judgment “suggests a hasty approach towards securing a particular end, namely the acquittals”.

When Justice Bhayana was to be confirmed as a “permanent” Judge of the Delhi High Court, many thought Justice Sodhi’s strictures against him might come in the way of his “permanency”.

However, the then Chief Justice of India, Justice KG Balakrishnan, went in detail in the issue and said “no disqualification should be attributed to judges” should their verdicts be reversed or reviewed. Justice Balakrishnan said during the judicial process of appeals, verdicts were frequently reversed and upturned by higher courts.

That settled the controversy against Justice Bhayana.

The Haryana Government has also appointed three members of the Tax Tribunal. They are Yudhvir Singh, a former IAS officer, Rajinder Ballah and Subhash Kaushik. Yudhvir Singh earlier had one term as a member of the tribunal. It is not known if the government has amended the law to facilitate a second term for Yudhvir Singh because the existing law permits a member only one term of three years or till he attains the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier. 

Chandigarh, May 11
Justice Nirmal Yadav, a former Judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, will appear before the CBI special judge in Chandigarh on May 18, after all.

The hearing on her petition, seeking the quashing of the sanction order dated March 1, was today adjourned till May 20 - two days after her scheduled appearance before the CBI judge in the District Courts.

As the petition came up this morning, Justice Permod Kohli adjourned the hearing on her own counsel’s request.

Appearing on her behalf, counsel JS Yadav told the Bench that the matter was to be argued by Supreme Court lawyer KTS Tulsi, and he would be available on May 20. Accepting his plea, Justice Kohli adjourned the hearing of the case till the date requested for.

Justice Yadav’s counsel, in her petition, has claimed that the “sanction for her prosecution was granted by the President of India without there being any fresh material placed before the competent authority by the CBI requiring review of the earlier order declining such sanction”.

Going into the background of the controversy, counsel said the then Chief Justice of India directed the closure of investigation against the petitioner and refused to grant sanction for her prosecution.

Her counsel added: “It is well-settled that a request for sanction to prosecute once rejected after due application of mind by the competent authority cannot be reviewed/re-considered, unless there is any fresh material necessitating such fresh look at the earlier order”.

Rohtak, May 11
All private and public schools in the state have been asked to furnish the details of admission of students under the 25 per cent quota for the poor as stipulated by the government.

The information is required to be submitted by the Education Department in the Punjab and High Court on May 19, in response to a writ petition filed by a social activist based here.

The petitioner has alleged gross violation and failure of the department concerned to implement the provisions of Rule 134-A of the Haryana School Education Rules Act-2009 in an effective manner.

District education officers have been asked by the Director, Secondary Education, Haryana, to ensure strict compliance of the rules in the private schools and submit a report regarding admissions given to meritorious students from economically weaker sections during the previous and the current academic session.

Though district education officials received the directions about five weeks ago, they have been facing a difficulty as several schools have either failed to provide information or have been delaying it on one pretext or the other, according to sources in the department. “This is perhaps the first time when the schools have been asked to furnish such details. A majority of the schools have not taken the issue seriously,” claimed Satvir Singh Hooda, the petitioner.

Karnal/Kurukshetra, May 11
The evaluation of answersheets was badly affected as university and college teachers of the state, on a call given by the Haryana Federation of University and College Teachers Organisations (HFUCTO) to boycott evaluation work, did not turn up at the evaluation centres.

The HFUCTO had decided to boycott all evaluation work, which was to commence from today, to lodge a protest against the dilution of the guidelines of the union HRD ministry and the UGC in the comprehensive notification issued by the state government.

HFUCTO president Pradeep Chauhan, who also heads the Kurukshetra University Teachers Association (KUTA), claimed that evaluation centres of Kurukshetra and MDU universities and in affiliated colleges remained locked and wore a deserted look, as the teachers did not turn up for the evaluation work.

He said the HFUCTO had already rejected the “comprehensive notification” issued by the government on April 29. Dr Chauhan alleged that there had been a deliberate attempt to deny benefits given to the teachers by the UGC by not implementing the recommendations in toto. He asked the government to immediately issue the notification in accordance with the UGC recommendations and notification issued by the Union HRD Ministry to defuse the situation.

HISAR: The teachers have also decided to boycott all official functions of the state government. Dr Somvir Rathee, president of the Federation of Haryana University Teachers Associations (FEDHUTA), said here this was part of their statewide stir on the issue. He said the teachers had already rejected the notification issued by the government on April 29. 

Karnal, May 11
All Haryana Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME) associations and the Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (HSIIDC) Industries Welfare Association have given a joint call for protest tomorrow in protest against the new estate management policy of the HSIIDC, which is detrimental to the interests of small entrepreneurs.

The day will be marked by a half-day bandh and a silent dharna. Representatives of various entrepreneurs’ associations will hold protests, wear black badges and submit a memorandum to the authorities concerned, said Rajiv Chawla, general secretary, HSIIDC, Welfare Association.

The entrepreneurs are up in arms against the new policy, under which all industrial areas developed by other agencies have been transferred to the HSIIDC, which has allegedly adopted a “non-responsive” attitude towards the problems of entrepreneurs and enforced stringent provisions, which are “injurious” to the healthy growth of small units.

Chawla said 22 MSME associations of the state had jointly taken the decision for the bandh at a meeting held in Kundli on April 15.

Sirsa, May 11
Drawing flak from all quarters for its failure to nab the killers of a woman and her granddaughter at Ellenabad, the district police has announced a reward of Rs 1 lakh for anyone who provides a clue to the gruesome killings. Bimla Devi (60) and her granddaughter Mehak (12) were murdered in their house in Ellenabad on May 4, when the woman’s son, Ashok Kumar, had gone to Sirsa with his wife and son to attend a marriage.

The killers had taken away Rs 3 lakh from the house.

The killings had evoked widespread anger among residents, who blocked roads and closed the market a day after the murders. The INLD and the BJP had threatened to launch an agitation against the killings and the failure of the police to pin the culprits.

SP Satinder Pal Gupta today said the police had been making serious efforts to nab the culprits and had constituted eight teams under Ellenabad DSP Ravinder Kumar for this purpose.

Gupta said persons, who had any information regarding those behind these gruesome murders, could share their information with the police through a mobile phone, a letter or a landline phone. He said the identity of the informant would be kept secret.

The SP said the information could be passed on his mobile 97299-97801 or it could be provided to the Ellenabad police station.

Sonepat, May 11
Four car-borne armed miscreants looted at pistol point Rs 19.76 lakh from the cashier of Malwa Automobile Company outside a PNB branch at Kundli on Monday.

Company cashier Prakash went to the bank in a car to deposit Rs 19.76 lakh. As soon as he got down from the car, he was pushed by one of the gangsters standing outside the bank. While a gangster snatched away the cash bag, another took out a pistol and threatened those present at the spot to stay away.

The gangsters sped away in a car towards GT road. The bank guard tried to fire at the miscreants but the gun failed to do so. The Kundli police has registered a case on the complaint of the cashier. — OC

Jhajjar, May 11
Four persons allegedly shot dead the brother of a murder accused, who is lodged in Rohtak jail, near Silothi village here today. A minor son of the deceased also sustained bullet injuries in the incident.

The deceased has been identified as Satpal of Mandhothi village here. Old enmity is believed to be behind the incident.

The police has booked four youths on the charge of murder on the complaint of deceased’s father Bhane Ram. The incident took place when Satpal along with his wife and two sons was going to the Jhajjar court to meet his brother, Rajender, who was to be produced before the sessions court.

The assailants, who were waiting for Satpal near Silothi village, opened several rounds of fire as he reached there. Satpal reportedly died on the spot while the assailants managed to flee from the spot. Satpal’s wife and another son escaped unhurt.

Sirsa, May 11
In a bloody clash between two groups over a piece of agricultural land, one person was killed while three others were seriously injured at Nejia village in this district last night.

The deceased has been identified as Vikram, son of Ram Murti, while Ram Murti and two others - Ram Singh and Om Parkash - from the other side have been injured.

According to reports, Vikram and Ram Singh had a dispute over the possession of 3 kanals of agriculture land in the village.

Vikram had sown his cotton crop over this piece of land and the two sides had heated exchange of words over the issue two days ago.

The two sides clashed on this issue again last night.

After a heated exchange of words, a free-for-all ensued in which weapons like “gandasi” and “laathis” were used.

Vikram was seriously injured and shifted to the PGIMS, Rohtak, where he died of his injuries.

Assandh (Karnal), May 11
Five persons were injured, two of them seriously, in a group clash in Balmiki Colony (Ward No. 1) here as one of the assailants allegedly opened fire from his licensed revolver.

The seriously injured - Daler and Sunil - were referred to the PGI, Chandigarh, and their condition is said to be critical while others, namely Vicky, Ankush and Jai Prakash, were referred to the trauma centre from the Assandh Civil Hospital.

The Assandh police booked nine persons, including Manoj, Deepak, Suresh, Malkhan, Suraj, Ramphul, Tona and Mahinder, all residents of Assandh, under Sections 148, 149, 341 and 307 of the IPC on the complaint of Jai Prakash.

Jai Prakash said the accused first beat them up and then Manoj opened fire at them with his licensed revolver.

The cause behind the clash has not been ascertained yet, but police sources said some feud over money deal led to the incident.

However, Daler’s wife Suman said her love marriage with Daler in 2007 had raised many eyebrows in their neighbourhood. Last year, some people had attacked their home and today’s clash was also a result of old enmity. 

Faridabad, May 11
A Head Constable, Lal Chand, died on the spot this morning after being hit by a vehicle while he was crossing the Faridabad-Mathura national highway in Ballbagarh, near here.

The cop, a native of Hisar district, had taken leave today and was on the way to his village. The police is clueless about the vehicle involved in the mishap. The cop was posted at the Sikhrona police post here.