Chandigarh, December 19
The Akhil Bhartiya Jat Aarakshan Sangharsh Samiti, which is spearheading the agitation to seek the OBC status for Jats, has split.

Only three days after its national president Yash Pal Malik replaced president of the Haryana unit Hawa Singh Sangwan with Dharampal Chhot, Sangwan, loyalists removed Malik from his post.

A meeting of the samiti was called at Narwana in Jind district last evening where Bhagat Singh Dalal was made ad hoc president in place of Malik. Another meeting would be held on January 22 when the regular president would be elected. Malik had announced here on December 16 that Sangwan had been elevated as national vice-president of the samiti and Chhot would take his place.

Sangwan said here today that the decision to remove Malik was taken because he had given a call for opposing the Congress in the Assembly elections of five states due next year. He said the samiti had resolved to stay away from politics. Whichever party would give the OBC status to Jats would get support of the community, he said.

The Narwana meeting also upturned certain other announcements made by Malik on December 16. It decided that Alimas Choudhary and Ran Singh Shaukin would continue to work as presidents of the UP and Delhi units of the samiti, respectively. Similarly, Sucha Singh Bajwa would head the Punjab unit.

The January 22 meeting would also decide the next course of the agitation, which would be launched on February 19. The place from where the agitation would be launched would also be decided the same day.

Accusing Malik of having violated the samiti norms by participating in politics by giving a call to oppose the Congress, Sangwan and Dalal said Malik had always been betraying the community. When the rail roko agitation of the samiti was at its peak, Malik, allegedly acting on behalf of a senior leader of the ruling party in UP (read Mayawati) and under fear of the police, unilaterally withdrew the agitation without consulting other leaders of the samiti. However, Sangwan refused to obey his diktat, which sowed the first seeds of differences between him and Malik.

The samiti leaders also accused Malik of collecting donations on behalf of the samiti though the latter had decided that no funds would be collected for the agitation.

They said the third reason behind the removal of Malik was the registration of a fraud case against him in Muzzafarnagar district last month on the orders of the court.

The registration of the case also led to a boycott of Malik by residents of a Uttar Pradesh village. They claimed leaders from various states participated in the Narwana meeting.

Sirsa, December 19
The Sirsa police is virtually at the “receiving end” of bodies floating in the canals that come from faroff places in Punjab and Haryana. The district police has so far received 109 unidentified bodies this year, said DSP (Detective) PS Panwar. The police has been able to establish the identity of 11 victims only.

Last year, the district police had received 99 unidentified bodies, mostly through the canal route.

As many as 14 canals and minors seasonal drains enter Sirsa from various corners of the district and a dozen of these culminate at various points in the district.

The Bhakra Main Branch (BMC), Sukhchain Minor, Baruwali Minor, Sirsa Main Minor, Fatehabad Main Branch, Pilimandori Minor, Gigorani Minor, three minors from the Rajasthan Canal, Mamar Khera Minor and Rori Branch enter this district from various points and their tail points are also in this district. The Rajasthan Canal that enters the district from Lohgarh village leaves from Bharukhera to enter Rajasthan.

Besides these canals, Rangoi Nullah, a rainy season drain that enters the district from Narel Khera merges in the Ghaggar River at Nirvan village.

While bringing wealth and prosperity to farmers, these also bring along bodies, several of them unidentified.

Police sources said while it was difficult to identify the bodies, it appeared most victims were women. Most of the cases related to the bodies remain unsolved.

The bodies coming through the V-shaped canals cover more distance than those reaching in the U-shaped canals as the speed of water in the former is much higher.

Similarly, bodies flowing in cleaner waters take more time for disintegration than those coming through polluted waters, the sources added.

Rohtak, December 19
The Haryana State Committee of the All-India Democratic Women Association (AIDWA) has announced to launch a statewide signature campaign to press for the enactment of a strong legislation against the incidents of honour killings and other related crimes in the state.

Jagmati Sangwan, vice-president of AIDWA, said the 10-day campaign, which would primarily focus on youths especially students of colleges and universities will be aimed at creating a proper awareness level among the various sections of society and to prepare the young generation for tackling the problems which she said had been deep rooted.

“Following the signature campaign, our organisation will rope in women members of Parliament and make a concerted effort for the enactment of a strong legislation, which can effectively curb the menace of honour killings from society,” she said.

Sangwan lamented that after taking some initiative towards making an Act to rein in self-styled extra-constitutional Khap panchayats and curb the unholy community violence, the Union and the state governments now seemed to be dragging its feet in this regard and it was result that the state government, which had opined for having a need for bringing a legislation had now described the move as unimportant.

Social activist DR Chaudhary, who was also present on the occasion, categorically blasted the Haryana Government for adopting a soft stance on honour killings instead of handling it with an iron hand.

“The softening of stance on the contentious issue by the Haryana Government clearly indicates that the state leadership is more interested in vote-bank politics; so much so that the state Chief Minister has categorically denied the need to bring a specific and concrete legislation to deal with such matters,” he asserted.

Chaudhary pointed out that as highlighted by The Tribune, the Haryana Government had backtracked from its earlier stance of providing for an effective legislation in this regard. “It seems that the state leaders have succumbed to the diktats of the khap panchayats and the fact that the khap panchayats play an indirect role in such honour crimes is visible to all but the Chief Minister,” he said.

Chandigarh, December 19
The Haryana Police has decided to extend the facility of reporting crime through SMS to the entire state.

Police sources said the project, which was started on a pilot basis in two districts of Gurgaon and Panchkula would be extended to other districts for the convenience of the public to send their crime-related information to the police.

Officials said the new system would go a long way in supplementing the existing wireless system of the police. It would make difficult for the miscreants to escape in case the police got information within a few minutes of the crime.

Talking about the advantages of the SMS-based information, a senior official informed that as soon as the police control room would get information, a message could be flashed on mobile phones of all cops stationed in the district as well as neighbouring districts with a view to crack the case.

This will help in giving little time to criminals to escape as the police personnel present in the area, whether he is controlling traffic or strolling in a park, would get alert simultaneously multiplying the effectiveness of the police in checking crimes, he added.

Chandigarh, December 19
In a major relief to the cash-strapped Uttar Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (UHBVN), the UCO Bank has agreed to reschedule its outstanding term loan of Rs 887 crore from three years to 10 years. This was decided at a meeting between senior officials of the company and the bank here today after they discussed the detailed terms and conditions. Officials of various other banks also attended the meeting.

The UHBVN, which has outstanding bank loans of Rs 7,500 crore, hopes that other banks would also follow the UCO example.

A spokesman of the nigam said its financial crisis was mainly because there had been no tariff hike since last one decade. Besides, there was a substantial increase in coal and fuel rates to the tune of 50 per cent in this period. The nigam had also implemented the recommendations of the Sixth Pay Commission for its employees and had cleared all arrears on this account amounting to about Rs 400 crore.

The spokesman said the consolidated debt in the form of single term loan would be repaid over 10 years, including the initial moratorium of three years, on the principal amount with effect from January 2012. Interest charges with effect from January 2012 would be serviced by the nigam as and when charged. The term loan would be repaid in 84 equal monthly installments with effect from January 2015.

The bank would sanction the Funded Interest Term Loan (FITL) on all the existing term loans in lieu of interest due for the period from October to December. The FITL would be paid in 60 monthly installments with effect from January 2012. Interest accrued with effect from January 2012 and the installments would be serviced by the nigam every month.

The bank also agreed to retain the existing rate of interest without reset clause for 10 years after restructuring with the base rate plus 1 per cent (11.75 per cent per annum at present) with monthly rest.

Sirsa, December 19
Driving in thick fog claimed four lives in Sirsa last night, while five people were injured in three different accidents in Fatehabad this morning.

Three pople were killed instantly and another was seriously injured, when the car in which they were coming to Sirsa after watching a movie at a multiplex near Moriwala village on the national highway hit against a tree in the misty conditions.

The victims could not spot the road properly due to heavy fog. Their car overturned after skidding off the road and its roof hit against a tree killing Prashant, Kuldeep and Man Singh on the spot. Akash, the fourth youth, travelling in the car has been shifted to Hisar in a serious condition.

According to reports, Prashant ran a mobile shop in the local Sadar Bazar, while Man Singh and Kuldeep’s younger brother, Sandeep, worked with him. Kuldeep of Shamsukh in Hisar had come to meet his younger brother, when the four victims decided to go for watching the movie.

The accident occurred at about 9.15 pm near Sikandarpur village, when the four were returning to Sirsa. Passersby, who contacted the police for help, were allegedly cold-shouldered and the cops allegedly responded in an abusive language on phone. Even the cops in a police vehicle, who happened to pass from there, refused to provide help citing lack of jurisdiction.

In another incident, Rohit, a local youth, was killed when his motorcycle collided against the road divider near Chaudhary Devi Lal University. Police said absence of street lights and road dividers were reponsible for such accidents.

Karnal, December 19
The Karnal police has booked Sukhvinder Singh, his parents and three other members of his family in connection with the death of a pregnant woman, Manjeet Kaur, who was allegedly drowned in the Bhakra Canal here when the car in which she was travelling with her husband plunged into the river on the night of December 13.

Her body with injuries on the knees was recovered from Gohana canal near Gohana in Sonepat on Saturday.

The divers had located the car on December 15 but strangely, the woman was not in the car while Sukhvinder, serving in the Army had escaped unhurt.

The girl’s parents had alleged that their daughter had been killed by her in-laws for dowry.

The police has registered a case of conspiracy and dowry death against the husband, his parents and three other family members, DSP, Karnal Rajesh Sharma said. — TNS

Fatehabad, December 19
A team of the State Vigilance Bureau today arrested a ziledar of the Irrigation Department while accepting Rs 5000 from a farmer for starting a watercourse lying closed for long.

Jagdish, a farmer from Khabra Kalan, alleged in his complaint to the SVB that ziledar Mohinder Pal was demanding Rs 5000 for restarting the watercourse to his fields, which had been lying closed for long.

On Jagdish’s complaint, the SVB laid a trap to capture Mohinder Pal red handed.

Jagdish contacted the accused on his mobile and conveyed his willingness to pay the money .

Mohinder Pal told the complainant that he was in the Fatehabad office of the Irrigation Department and asked him to deliver the money there.

While Jagdish went to deliver the bribe, vigilance sleuths pounced on the accused the moment he accepted the money.

Rohtak, December 19
A cheating case has been registered against 33 residents of a village here for drawing old-age pensionthey were not entitled to.

The scam has been unearthed in Ajaayab village under Meham subdivision which is Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda's home district.

During an inquiry into the scam, 33 residents of the village had been found receiving old-age pension for the last one and a half years even though they were not entitled to it under the rules. — PTI

Sirsa, December 19
A couple has been sentenced to rigorous imprisonment for life for killing their pregnant daughter-in-law on May 30, 2009, at Neemla village in the district.

The accused, Gangajal and Kalawati, along with their son, Ram Swaroop, allegedly hit the victim, Sunita, on her head and then strangulated her before setting her on fire. Ram Swaroop escaped after committing the crime and was declared a proclaimed offender by the court.

The victim’s brother alleged that the accused killed Sunita for dowry, as they had been demanding more cash, gold and a motorcycle for Ram Swaroop.— TNS