Karnal/Panipat, February 19
The CBI today conducted simultaneous searches at the residences of former minister Om Prakash Jain and former Chief Parliamentary Secretary Zile Ram at Karnal and Panipat, respectively, in connection with the death of former sarpanch of Kambopura Karam Singh under mysterious circumstances.

Two separate teams headed by officers of the rank of inspector descended on two places in the morning and intensively searched the houses. The teams remained at the residences for about four hours, but gave no information about the outcome of the search operation.

Sources said every corner of the house was searched and some documents were checked.

While Jile Ram has reportedly gone for Kumbh and was not present at his Sector 8 Karnal residence, Om Prakash Jain was in his house when the CBI team descended on his residence in Model Town, Panipat.

Sources said the team seized some cash and some documents. It also went to his school on the Assandh road as Jain reportedly claimed that the cash was the collection of fees for admissions. Jain’s government residence in Chandigarh was also raided, sources added.

A 10-member team headed by an inspector raided the house of Jile Ram and the search operation continued for more than four hours while an eight-member team, including a woman officer, conducted the search for six hours at Om Prakash Jain’s house.

On February 12, a special team of the CBI had inspected the spot for nearly seven hours. The team reached the cemetery near National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI) where Karam Singh was found in an unconscious state and rushed to hospital where he breathed his last.

The development assumes significance as the son of the deceased sarpanch has levelled allegations against former chief parliamentary secretary Zile Ram Sharma and former transport minister Om Parkash Jain. The petitioner also alleged that a close relative, Chamel Singh, was murdered at the behest of two politicians.

Chandigarh: The CBI on Tuesday raided former Haryana minister OP Jain's residence in Sector 7 here and former Chief Parliamentary Secretary Jile Ram's house in Panchkula's Sector 12 and recovered documents related to the murder case.

In September, 2012, the CBI had registered an FIR under Section 302, IPC, and other sections following directions of the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The investigation is being conducted by the special crime branch of CBI, Chandigarh.

The victim, Karam Singh, had lodged complaints of forgery and cheating against Jain and Jile Ram before his mysterious death on June 7, 2011. The Haryana police had initially termed the death as suicide while the ex-sarpanch's relatives had alleged he was murdered.

In his complaint, Karam Singh had accused Jain and Jile Ram of duping him and his relatives of around Rs 13 lakh with the promise of providing his kin government jobs.

CBI sources said OP Jain and Jile Ram would also be questioned in connection with alleged murder of Karam Singh.

Rajinder Singh, son of the deceased Karam, had approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court when the Haryana police had turned the alleged murder of Karam into suicide and reportedly given a clean chit to both politicians. A probe was marked by the high court.

Around 58 wounds on the body of deceased were self-inflicted, the Haryana police had said. Later, the body of Chamel Singh, a key witness in the Karam Singh case, was recovered under mysterious circumstances in Karnal.

Jind, February 19
The all-women gram sabha of Bibipur village has called for a mass awareness programme to ensure proper gender ratio in the region. The sabha has submitted suggestions to the Justice Verma panel regarding the measures to check the incidents of rape and crime against women.

The meeting, chaired by sarpanch Sunil Jaglan, resolved that there was need for introducing female foeticide in the syllabi of schools and colleges to make the citizens aware of the problem .

The sarpanch said as this issue had been taken up at the village level effectively, most residents now considered foeticide as a crime.

Kamla Devi, an elderly resident of the village, said the traditional view of preferring a boy child was in the process of undergoing a change as the population of girls had sharply reduced and the importance of the latter had grown. She said the shortage of brides would get more serious if the practice of female foeticide did not stop immediately.

The women said the state government should introduce foeticide as a mainstream subject in schools and colleges as Haryana was among the states where the sex ratio was one of poorest in the country.

The village, with a population of around 5,800, has a sex ratio of 850 girls per 1000 boys at present, which had improved slightly in the past about a year, claimed the sarpanch.

Sonepat, February 19
The Gathwala (Malik) khap, the largest khap of Jats in north India, today resolved to curb female foeticide and took a pledge to make it a movement in society.

The resolution was adopted at a large congregation of representatives of the khap from Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi to participate during the 145th birth anniversary celebrations of Dada Ghasi Ram at Tihar Malik village today.

The khap identified mainly two reasons for female foeticide -- one of the dowry practice and wasteful expenditure in marriages and other the atmosphere of insecurity for girls outside the house. They resolved to stop this wasteful expenditure and open mahila suraksha samitis at the village level on the pattern of UP.

The khap also announced that it was against honour killing and no khap panchayat had given such decisions. The khap also demanded an amendment in the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, saying that the government should ban same gotra marriages.

The khap representative resolved that Baljit Singh Malik, Dada of the khap, and the Chhota Dada, Baba Harishan Malik, of Lisad village in Uttar Pradesh, would represent the khap before the Supreme Court in the case relating to the role of khap panchayats.

Baljit Singh Malik paid tributes to Dada Ghasi Ram who expired in 1951 at the age of 82. He said he was known for his honesty, social justice and impartiality. He was elected member of the Provincial Council in 1921 and designated with the powers of honorary magistrate.

Former union minister Satpal Malik, former MP Dharam Pal Singh Malik, former Deputy Speaker of the Haryana Assembly Kulbir Singh Malik, former minister Ved Singh Malik, vice-chairperson of the Haryana Women Commission Chander Prabha Malik, educationist Hoshiar Singh Malik and other prominent persons of the community also spoke.

Chandigarh, February 19
Even as the Hooda government pats itself on the back for turning Haryana into a self-proclaimed education hub all is not well with the government school education in the state. In fact, there are not enough teachers to teach students with teachers’ shortage pegged at a whopping 27,221, over 30 per cent of the total sanctioned strength of 84,352 teachers, which is taking toll on students’ education.

The situation would have been worse, but for 9,655 guest teachers, whose services are being extended from time to time as regular teachers are not being recruited. The maximum number of vacancies exist in the lecturer cadre with 21,478 vacancies against a sanctioned strength of 33,347 lecturers while 2,939 lecturers work as guest teachers. The classical and vernacular (C&V) cadre with 3,582 vacancies followed by master cadre (867 vacancies) follow the suit, data with The Tribune revealed.

In fact, teachers’ shortage is more acute in crucial subjects, which plays havoc with students’ career. For instance, there is a shortage of 3,226 mathematics lecturers against a sanctioned strength of 3,836 teachers followed by English, which faced shortage of 2,543 teachers against a sanctioned strength of 4,725 teachers. Haryana’s official language Hindi had a staff shortage of 2,305 against sanctioned posts 4,212 followed by Sanskrit, which has 2,241 vacancies against a sanctioned strength of 2,968. The state’s second official language Punjabi has 728 vacant posts against a total sanctioned strength of 841 posts.

In a reflection on low priority the Hooda government attached to the school education, 1,111 schools are without headmasters as against the sanctioned posts of 1,539. Similarly, there are 183 vacancies for the post of the principals adversely affecting studies and administrative work in schools.

Though Haryana gave a creditable performance at the London Olympics, 1,379 posts of Physical Training Instructors (PTIs) are lying vacant in government schools - a development which portends ills for budding sportspersons in the state.

“The state government had been dilly-dallying on the recruitment resulting in teachers’ shortage, which is playing havoc with the education system. In the absence of the teachers, there is hardly any studies in a substantial number of schools,” alleged CN Bharti, general secretary of the Haryana Vidyalaya Adhyapak Sangh.

While Education Minister Geeta Bhukkal could not be contacted for her comments, official sources said the process for the recruitment of 14,000 teachers had been initiated to tide over the shortage of teachers.

Chandigarh, February 19
The termination of an employee by the Haryana Government 26 years after he was booked for causing hurt and trespass has not gone down well with the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

A Division Bench has not only upheld his reinstatement orders, but also imposed Rs 10,000 cost on the state for filing an appeal devoid of merit.

The employee, Ram Chander, was appointed as a skilled worker in the Faridabad office of the Heat Treatment Centre. He was booked in 1984, but was acquitted by the Delhi Additional Sessions Judge. The acquittal orders were reversed by the Delhi High Court on April16, 2007.

As the conviction came 23 years after the incident, even the high court chose not to put him in jail again. It felt contented with awarding the sentence of imprisonment already undergone and a fine of Rs 500 was imposed for trespass. After conviction, he was served a notice to show cause why his services be not terminated. Not finding the reply satisfactory, his services were terminated on February 11, 2010.

The Single Judge observed the services could be terminated on conviction, if the offence involved moral turpitude, as per instructions dated March 26, 1975. But, the offence under Sections 323, 324 and 452 of the IPC, for which he was convicted, was not within the ambit of moral turpitude.

Dismissing the state appeal, Chief Justice Arjan Kumar Sikri and Justice Rakesh Kumar Jain observed the spirit behind the order of sentence itself was indicative of the fact that the employee did not deserve termination after 32 years of service.

The Bench added the employee, in reply to the show cause notice, had submitted that he was convicted after rendering outstanding service, had a big family to support and was the sole bread earner. But none of the submissions was considered. The language of show cause notice was repeated and in so far as the reply was concerned, with bald observation that the same was considered and not found satisfactory, the order of termination had been passed. Such an order would not stand judicial scrutiny.

Fatehabad, February 19
Additional District and Sessions Judge LN Jindal, who heads the special court for trial of crime against women in Fatehabad, today sentenced two youths to life imprisonment for gang-raping a 12-year-old girl . The third accused, a juvenile, has been sent to an observation home.

The victim's grandmother had in a complaint on September 2, 2012, that the two accused brothers, Krishan and Deepak, their parents Kamla and Bhim, all residents of Ashok Nagar, and a tenant Mangal, a resident of Gwalior, of kidnapping his grand-daughter.

The girl was recovered on September 6 after and the accused were booked for gang rape

As Bhim and his wife, Kamla, were found innocent during investigation, they were discharged from the case.

While Krishan was sent to an observation home under the juvenile laws, Deepak and Mangal were held guilty of the crime and sentenced to life imprisonment, besides a fine of Rs 20,000 each.

Sirsa, February 19
District and Sessions Judge Subhash Goyal today sentenced a person to 10-year imprisonment for raping a 14-year-old girl at Sirsa in December, 2011.

The court has also sentenced two others to five-year jail term each for helping the main accused in the commission of the crime. The victim's mother, a resident of Alwar, had alleged in her complaint that Kalu, who used to visit her neighbours Ajit Singh and his wife Babli, had lured away her minor daughter.

She alleged that Ajit Singh and Babli had helped Kalu in the crime. The girl was later recovered and it was established that Kalu had raped her.

Holding Kalu guilty of the crime, the court sentenced him to 10-year imprisonment. The court also sentenced Ajit Singh and Babli to imprisonment for five years each for helping Kalu.

Rohtak, February 19
Cooperation Minister Satpal Sangwan has announced a probe into the recent incident of bursting of molasses tank at Cooperative Sugar Mill in Meham, destroying raw material worth several lakhs.

Sangwan, who visited the sugar mill today , told a delegation of farmers that the inquiry would reveal the real cause and those responsible for the incident.

Over 30,000 quintals of molasses got scattered in thesugar mill on February 9 after the bottom of the tank gave in. The authorities had to halt the mill operations for several hours. The district of the BKU had alleged irregularities in the functioning of the mill and demanded a high-level probe.

Ambala, February 19
The Haryana Power Engineers Association has expressed concern over the reported unilateral decision on the reinstatement of dismissed employees.

In a letter sent to the Chief Minister and the Power Minister, the Haryana Power Engineers Association has resented the decision which paved way for reinstatement of dismissed employees of Operation Subdivision, Barwala. The decision was taken by the Power Minister on the eve of threat of strike by a section of employees.

RS Dahiya, president of association, said dismissal had followed the manhandling of an SDO by employees in his office room. He said the reinstatement would encourage indiscipline.

Chandigarh, February 19
The Vikas Rally in Bawal on February 24 to be addressed by Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda seems to have widened the rift within the party in south Haryana.

Gurgaon MP Rao Inderjit Singh and DDC chief Banwari Lal rued that they had neither been consulted nor involved in organising the rally.

The Gurgaon MP said, “The rally is being organised by a ‘newcomer’ who joined the party over a year ago. He managed to get a date for the rally from the Chief Minister. Nobody thought of consulting the MP or the DCC chief before giving the go-ahead. I have neither been involved with the planning of the rally nor invited to it. Now, I don’t even intend to go.”

The DCC chief said Gurgaon leaders were holding meetings regularly, but had not bothered to inform the Congress office there that a party rally was scheduled for February 24. “They could have informed us that the Chief Minister was coming for a party rally. However, they haven’t kept us in the loop at all and hold their meetings outside to plan the rally,” he claimed.

Meanwhile, one of the rally organisers, Jaswant, a former minister, maintained that “everybody” had been taken into confidence. When asked specifically whether the district Congress office had been informed and the Gurgaon MP invited, he just said there were no differences and “everybody was working to make the rally a success” “This is a party rally and we are all workers. Everybody is welcome to contribute,” he said.

Sources said Power Minister and Rewari MLA Ajay Singh Yadav, among others, were also slated to attend the rally since it was being held “in his area”.

The Gurgaon MP has been particularly vocal about the “step-motherly treatment” being given by the Congress government to his constituency. He had repeatedly claimed that while Gurgaon continued to contribute liberally to the state exchequer, the funds being spent in the constituency were only a fraction of its total contribution.

Initially very close to Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, the drift between the two has continued to widen over the alleged “discrimination” with Gurgaon.

Chandigarh, February 19
The government has revised the norms for grant of change of land use (CLU) permission for retail outlets and filling stations other than CNG or PNG.

A spokesman of the Town and Country Planning Department said in the case of independent petrol pumps along national highways, the minimum area for such outlets would be as per the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.

For petrol pumps with facilities like repairs, services shop, ATMs and small eating places , the minimum area would be one acre and the maximum area 1.5 acres.

For petrol pumps that are a part of multi-facility complexes, the motel or restaurant sites as per the zoning regulation, the area requirements might be calculated as per the floor area ratio and ground coverage allowed in the rules for commercial sites.

The restriction of minimum distance between two fuel stations and location of fuel station or petrol pump from road intersection would be as per the instructions of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. As and when the services are required to be laid, augmented or relaid, the land will be made available by the owner for laying such services.

No petrol pump retail outlet shall be allowed on roads with 30 m green belt if a service road happens to be part of the green belt. In case of a fuel filling station, the maximum permissible height in the buildable zone shall not exceed eight meters and the maximum number of storeys within the height of eight metres shall not exceed one. — TNS