Chandigarh, January 13
In a shocking development, Haryana Assembly Speaker Kuldeep Sharma and Haryana Janhit Congress supremo and Hisar MP Kuldeep Bishnoi today engaged in a below the belt verbal duel.

The tone for the ugly war of words was started by Sharma after pronouncement of the judgement on the fate of five defector HJC MLAs by calling Bishnoi a ‘fukra’(show-off), apparently referring to his flamboyant living style. Taking offense to Bishnoi’s regular verbal tirades against him, Sharma alleged that his “show-offs” reflected his lack of education and improper upbringing.

Not taking Sharma’s comment lying down, Bishnoi termed Sharma as “dim-witted who needed psychiatric help”. He went on to add that the first-time MLA like Sharma has been elevated to the high post of Speaker by default and he had done nothing worthwhile to deserve the post.

Taking a dig at a self-proclaimed ‘Ph D on defections’ claims of Bishnoi’s late father Bhajan Lal, the Speaker alleged that the former chief minister made ‘aya ram gaya ram’ principle his main hobby and Bishnoi, being a son of a defector, was following in his father’s footsteps. Bishnoi retorted back saying that political lightweight Sharma had no credentials to speak against his father, who was a three-time chief minister, nine-time MLA, four-time MP besides being a union minister.

Justifying his tirade against the Hisar MP, Sharma asserted that Bishnoi needed to be given a ‘dose of his own medicine’ as he was sick and tired of the vilification campaign by the Bishnoi against him. Bishnoi on the other hand threatened to move court for Sharma’s personal and malicious comments against his family.

Chandigarh, January 13
Coming down heavily on Speaker Kuldeep Sharma over dismissing the petitions seeking disqualification of five MLAs, who defected to the Congress after the 2009 Assembly elections, HJC supremo Kuldeep Bishnoi today announced that the decision would be challenged in the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

Talking to reporters after the Speaker's decision, Bishnoi said the original party, the HJC, never merged with any other political organisation and the decision recognising the merger was “unconstitutional” and aimed at ‘pleasing’ Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda.

"As the HJC president, I assure you that this is the same party that my late father, Bhajan Lal, had started. We have never merged or intended to merge with any political outfit. We will challenge the Speaker's decision in the high court to take the fight against injustice to its logical conclusion," he said.

The five HJC MLAs, Satpal Sangwan (Dadri), Vinod Bhayana (Hansi), Narendra Singh (Narnaul), Zile Ram Sharma (Assandh) and Dharam Singh (Samalkha), defected to the Congress when the party finished five short of the half mark in the 90-member Assembly to retain power for the second successive term. Terming the judgement as “perverse and malafide”, Satya Pal Jain, counsel for Bishnoi, asserted it was "rape" of the anti-defection law.

He accused the Speaker of trying to stretch the case as much as he could. "Technically, the three-month deadline after he got the Supreme Court verdict copy on October 13, 2012, expired yesterday but he chose to deliver the verdict today," he said.

Jain claimed that till date there was no evidence given by the five MLAs to substantiate that they had held a meeting in Karnal on November 8, 2009, where the decision to merge the party into the Congress was taken.

Meanwhile, the INLD, some of whose leaders had also filed the disqualification petitions against the five MLAs, termed the judgement as "against the spirit of the anti-defection law" and "not appropriate" from the constitutional and legal point of view. In a statement issued here today, Om Prakash Chautala, INLD chief and Leader of the Opposition in the Haryana Vidhan Sabha, alleged that the judgement was orchestrated to save the Hooda Government and the Speaker had not acted in an impartial way.

The judgement seemed to have united arch rivals HJC, INLD for their political considerations. Both parties today announced to move the court against the “iilegal and unconstitutional” judgement. Both came down heavily on Kuldeep Sharma for not performing his duties impartially and lowering the presitige of Speaker’s chair by delivering a “partial” judgement.

Chandigarh, January 13
Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda announced a hike of Rs 45 per quintal in the rate of all varieties of sugarcane after his meeting with representatives of various organisations in New Delhi today.

The Chief Minister announced that the rate of early variety of sugarcane would now be Rs 276 as against the last year’s price of Rs 231 per quintal for the crushing season 2012-13. Similarly, the rate of mid-variety would be Rs 271 instead of Rs 226 per quintal and that of late variety Rs 266 instead of Rs 221 per quintal.

Hooda said while UP had increased the rate by Rs 40 per quintal this year, it had been increased by Rs 45 per quintal in Haryana.

Hooda said being a farmer’s son, his every decision would be in the interests of the farming community. “I would not take such a decision which is against the farmers interests”, he added. He said the state government had ensured highest-ever prices of sugarcane as compared to other states during the past five years.

The Chief Minister said his was a pro-farmer government. The government was supplying electricity to the agricultural sector at 50 per cent rates as compared to those in UP. Canal abyana had already been abolished. The state government was also giving a subsidy of Rs 3,800 crore on electricity for the agriculture sector. Hooda said that some people with vested interests were jealous of success of the government headed by a farmer’s son and trying to mislead the people.

Sirsa, January 13
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Raj Shri Singh has suspended two constables posted at the Traffic Police Station for not performing their duties. The SSP sent the two constables, Subhash and Sandeep, to the police lines.

The SSP, who had set out in the town to review traffic arrangements, found Subhash absent from the Surkhab Chowk area, where he was supposed to be on duty at that time. Similarly, Sandeep, who was assigned duty at the Laal Batti Chowk, was also found missing.

“The SSP has asked DSP (Headquarters) Sultan Singh to hold a departmental inquiry into the conduct of the two constables,” said a spokesperson for the Sirsa police.

Meanwhile, the SSP, who went around the town without any prior intimation, stopped and checked vehicles for traffic violations at the Laal Batti Chowk, Auto Market, Sangwan Chowk and several other points in the town.

Speaking to mediapersons, the SSP said more policemen would be deployed on Chowks and other prominent traffic points, where needed.

Fatehabad, January 13
In a denial mode on the allegations of undressing a married woman at the Bhattu Police Station in the district, the police today released copies of the woman’s statement recorded before protection officer Rekha Agarwal under the Domestic Violence Act.

In her statement, the woman has stated that she was stripped naked in a room in the police station on the order of the SHO to check whether she was carrying any poisonous substance.

However, deviating from her earlier allegations made before Deputy Commissioner ML Kaushik , the woman said no other except a woman constable was present in the room.

Yesterday, the woman had alleged that she was undressed in the presence of the male SHO.

Rekha Agarwal, accompanied by a policeman, went to the woman's parental home in Bhatta Colony here and remained bolted with the victim for over one hour.

"She recorded my statement but pressurised me to sign it in the back date of January 10," alleged the victim, when The Tribune contacted her on the mobile phone number given under her signatures on her statement.

"The police is hand in glove with my parents-in-law. First, I have been victimised and now I am being pressurised," the victim alleged.

She alleged that she wanted to live in her husband's house, but the Bhattu police was conniving with her in-laws to divest her of her right to stay there.

The statement stated that she was offered tea laced with some poisonous substance by her in-laws some days ago and when she gained conscious, she found herself in a hospital.

On Wednesday evening, the hospital ambulance dropped her at her residence in Bhattu, but her in-laws called the police and refused to allow her in the house.

The statement stated that the police took her and her in-laws to the police station and called her family members.

When they did not turn up, the SHO asked her in-laws to allow her in their house for a night. However, they expressed apprehension that she might be carrying some poison and could commit suicide. Upon this, the SHO, as per her statement, directed a woman constable to frisk her.

Karnal, January 13
A 22-year-old woman was allegedly killed by her father and uncle. Her body was first buried in a ditch and later thrown in the Awardhan canal in Karnal. The deceased has been identified as Kusum, a resident of Sadarpur in Gharaunda, who had run away with one Karamvir of Chudini Jatan in Shahbad. They got married on July 5, 2012, at a temple in Panchkula.

Kusum and Karamvir, who belonged to different castes, had sought protection from the police and were lodged in a 'safe house' in Kurukshetra till July 18. Thereafter, the duo stayed together for around three months. However, on October 16, Kusum lodged a complaint at the Shahbad police station that her husband beat her regularly and that she wanted to go to her parents. She later came to Karnal with her maternal uncle Rajendra.

On the complaint of Kusum, a case was registered against Karamvir and his parents Raghubir Singh and Bimla Devi. Karamvir, on the other hand, lodged a police complaint on January 6, 2013, alleging that Kusum's whereabouts were not known after her father Rajbir and uncle Rajendra took her away on October 16. The police registered a case under sections 365 and 120 B of the IPC.

Superintendent of Police (SP) Shashank Anand said the police arrested Kusum's father on January 7 and he allegedly confessed to having killed Kusum with the help of his relatives on October 30 and buried the body in a ditch.

Three days later, he and Rajendra dig out the body and threw it in the Awardhan canal. The police have taken them in a three-day remand and have also arrested Surinder, alias Pappu, whose car was allegedly used for carrying Kusum's body to the canal. The SP said the police was making all possible efforts to trace the dead body and had written to higher authorities to announce a reward of Rs 1 lakh for providing any information about the deceased.

Bhiwani, January 13
A married woman, who was missing since July 2012, appeared before the police yesterday and alleged that she was kidnapped and raped in confinement for seven months by a youth from her village.

The police has registered a case after recording her statement in the presence of a woman advocate. The victim, a resident of Rewari Khera, was married in Jamalpur village of Bhiwani.

On July 27 last year, she had left her husband’s house with her eight-month-old child for her parental village but had not reached there.

The victim’s husband had lodged a missing report with the police the same day.

The victim came back after seven months but her husband allegedly refused to accept her in his family.

The victim thenapproached the police and lodged a complaint that while she was waiting for a bus at Bhiwani on July 27, accused Ugar Sen and his accomplices kidnapped her.

She alleged that she was kept under confinement at Jaipur and Rewari, where the accused raped her repeatedly. A case of kidnapping, criminal intimidation and rape has been registered against the accused and investigations are on.

Bhiwani, January 13
The man who raped a six-year-old girl in Ninan village on Thursday continues to elude the Bhiwani police .

The police went to the village with the victim, who is getting treatment in the Bhiwani General Hospital, yesterday and took her to the site where the culprit took her on his bicycle and raped on January 10. Eyewitnesses said the girl started crying after reaching the site of crime but could not tell anything to the police.

Simardeep Singh, SP, Bhiwani, also went to the village and spoke to villagers about the possible identity of the accused. The police later left the victim in the General Hospital. The police has so far rounded up more than 12 youths and tried to get them identified from the victim or other children she was playing with just before the rape.

“The police is working from all angles, including the possibility of the involvement of a person close to the victim's family in the crime,” Simardeep Singh said.

Gurgaon, January 13
With the recent gang rape case in Delhi triggering a widespread demand for stringent laws to check crime against women, brainstorming sessions as well as self-defence training are being organised by various local organisations and institutions to address the concern.

At one such session organised by the law school of ITM University here yesterday, former Delhi high court judge Justice RS Sodhi stressed the need for a training programme to sensitise the police personnel so that they could be seen with respect by the society, similar to their counterparts in the defence forces.

“If only the judiciary could dispose of legal cases faster, substantial part of the existing mess in meting out the justice will get sorted out. The government should therefore open more courts and fill up existing vacancies,” he asserted.

The participants, including lawyers, academicians and civil society members came up with a number of concrete recommendations for enhancement of punishment, procedure of lodging of FIRs and other police and judicial reforms required to ensure safety of women.

The organisers said the recommendations would be sent to the Justice JS Verma Committee set up by the Union Government to review the existing laws and suggest ways for improving safety and security of the women.

Earlier, a workshop on the same issue was organised at Fortis Memorial Research Institute here. Former IPS officer and social activist Dr Kiran Bedi was the keynote speaker at the workshop, which was attended by representatives of various residents’ organisations, NGOs and medicos.

Dr Bedi advocated the creation of a citizen-police control room under a parallel policing regime by involving the RWAs, senior citizens, women, educational institutions and corporates. She also suggested involving private security guards in policing and re-starting civil defence movement though NSS and NCC cadets.

“The residents should get together to conduct social audits of functioning of police stations. By doing so, each constable will be answerable and accountable to the residents,” she said and advised the RWAs to hold monthly meetings with police officials.

Women celebrate birth of girls at Khairekan village in Sirsa

Karnal, January 13
More than 1,200 parents of newborn girls joined the "Lohri beti ke naam" celebrations in the town today to fight gender bias and discrimination against the girl child.

The initiative was taken by National Integrated Forum for Artists and Activists (NIFAA). The NGO had taken the initiative in 2007 when only 114 parents turned up at the function, but the number swelled to 1,200 this time. Awareness about “treating girls like boys” was growing and soon Haryana, known for female foeticides and honour killings, would script a new chapter, said NIFFA chairman Pritpal Singh Pannu.

Rohtak, January 13
All India Jat Arakshan Sangharsh Samiti state president Hawa Singh Sangwan has condemned BJP leaders' statements opposing quota to the Jats.

In a statement issued here today, Sangwan said the views of BJP state president Ram Bilas Sharma and Anil Vij, another party leader, regarding their opposition to the quota to the Jats under the OBC category were unfortunate and had come as a shock to the majority community of the state. He said the statements had hurt the sentiments of a large number of people, especially the Jats, who had been seeking quota for several decades.

Sangwan said these leaders' view was different from the stand taken by national-level senior party leaders. Claiming that late Kishan Singh Sangwan, a former MP of the BJP, had raised the issue of reservation for Jats in Parliament in February 2009 and again during the Jat agitation in March 2011, he said senior BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Nakwi had strongly supported the issue in Parliament. He said Sushma Swaraj, leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, had also assured support when a delegation of the Sangharsh Samittee had met her in May 2012 regarding the demand. He said while the stand of the party leadership at the Centre had been almost clear, the views of Sharma and Vij were highly objectionable, specially at a time when the Backward Commission had recommended quota for the community.

Demanding an apology and clarification in this regard, he said the BJP could face the heat in the next elections if the state party leaders failed to take a clear stand on the long-pending demand.

Sonepat, January 13
Facing the allegation of enticing a minor girl of the local Gandhi Nagar colony to elope with him, Rohit (22), a student of BTech in local Hindu College of Engineering, committed suicide by jumping before a passenger train near a Railway over Bridge on the Rohtak Road here last evening.

On the complaint of victim’s father Mahender of Salwan village in Karnal district, a case against the father and mother of the girl and two ASIs of the local City Police Station has been registered at the GRP Station here.

Sources said the girl, a student of local Hindu Institute of Technology, went missing on January 10. A complaint by her parents was lodged at the City Police Station against Rohit alleging that he had enticed the girl to elope with him.

The police reportedly recovered the girl on January 11 and summoned Rohit for preliminary interrogation to the police station. However, he was asked to come again on January 12.

A meeting between members of the two families was arranged by the police at the police station on January 12. When the members of the families were discussing the matter in the police station, Rohit left the place and committed suicide.

Deputy Superintendent of Police (GRP) Dharambir Punia said on the complaint of Rohit’s father, a case had been registered against the father and mother of the girl and two ASIs of the City Police Station.

Sonepat, January 13
As many as nine head of cattle, including five buffaloes, three cows and a calf, were singed to death when a fire broke out in a cattle shed at village Gyaspur on Saturday. Four other head of cattle sustained serious burns and were treated by a team of veterinarians. Cattle shed owner Munasreen raised an alarm about the fire around 2:30 am, following which some villagers gathered and put out the fire.

The Deputy Director, Animal Husbandry Department, Dr Dharmendra Kumar, along with some veterinary surgeons and VLDAs, too, the spot and started treating the injured cattle. Later, villagers demanded compensation for the cattle owner. Kumar said he would bring the matter into the notice of Deputy Commissioner Pankaj Aggarwal.

Hisar, January 13
The Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (DHBVN) has decided to give power supply from urban feeders to industrial and non-domestic (commercial) consumers located in suburban areas with a feeding arrangement from rural domestic or agriculture feeders .

Vijay Kumar Chaudhary, Director, DHBVN, said here that earlier the facility was available to those industrial and commercial consumers which had a 50 KW load.

The facility of supplying power from urban feeders had been extended to those industrial and non-domestic consumers whose premises are contiguous to urban areas or whose premises are beyond 2 km from the existing subsubstation.

The consumers having a load of 20 kilowatt or above will be allowed the facility on 11 KV metering and those with a load below 20 KW can get the facility on LT-CT metering.

Such industrial and non-domestic units running on rural feeders who want to shift their load to urban mode shall have to formally apply by giving an undertaking to bear the cost of shifting.

The cost of the line to be erected for conversion of supply from rural to urban will be borne by the consumer or a group of consumers.

If the industrial or non-domestic consumer makes a request for release of his connection from the urban feeder instead of the rural one, the perspective consumer will have to deposit the full cost against the deposit estimate and service connection charges.

However, the connection will be shifted from the rural feeder to the urban one only if the loading position of the feeder permits.

Chandigarh, January 13
The Haryana government has revised its policy under which the government or aided educational institutions located in cities, towns and villages can be named after martyrs, belonging to those cities, towns and villages, who laid down their lives for defending the motherland during ‘Operation Vijay’ in Kargil in 1999.

An official spokesman said here it had been decided that besides the above-mentioned martyrs, the freedom fighters or eminent personalities who had been awarded national awards would be included in this policy.

He said the government had authorised the Deputy Commissioners to effect the change as and when any gram panchayat or municipal council approached them with a resolution in this regard.