Chandigarh, September 16
The Ahirwal region of south Haryana, spread across two Parliamentary constituencies, Gurgaon and Bhiwani, and 14 Assembly segments, is emerging as a political battlefield ahead of the next year’s elections.

After BJP prime ministerial-nominee Narendra Modi’s impressive rally at Rewari yesterday, estranged Congress MP from Gurgaon Rao Inderjit Singh and the INLD will flex their political muscles on September 23. The ruling Congress is yet to plan a major show of strength in the region post-Modi rally.

While Rao Inderjit Singh will organise a rally at Rewari to mark the anniversary of his grandfather and hero of the freedom struggle of 1857 Rao Tula Ram, the INLD rally at Narnaul will try to penetrate into the Ahirwal belt.

Rao Inderjit Singh’s rally is significant in the sense that his daughter recently approached the Election Commission for the registration of a new political outfit, the Haryana Insaaf Congress.

Rewari is considered to be the pocket borough of Rao Inderjit Singh, whose illustrious lineage (his father Rao Birender Singh was the state’s Chief Minister) have stood him in good stead in the successive elections.

On the other hand, the INLD, which does not have a strong presence in the Ahirwal belt, is hoping to cash in on the anti-incumbency factor against the Hooda government and Congress rebel tag attached to Rao Inderjit Singh.

In fact, the BJP took the lead in inviting Gujarat Chief Minister and BJP's star campaigner Narendra Modi at an ex-servicemen rally in Rewari. The impressive rally seemed to have created a flutter among other political parties as they would try every trick in the book to bring in respective gatherings to their rallies.

Chandigarh, September 16
Though the realty sector may be passing through recession, yet the Hooda government’s new ‘Affordable Housing Policy-2013’ has brought cheer to the builders. In fact, the builder-friendly housing policy has evoked tremendous response among the builders with 90 realty firms evincing interest in the policy.

As expected, 52 builders have applied under the policy in Gurgaon, followed by 16 in Sohna, 10 in Faridabad, three each in Jhajjar, Palwal and Rewari, two in Karnal and one in Nilokheri.

In the pre-election year, the policy will provide a bonanza for the recession-hit real estate sector as the builders had been given a slew of incentives, including exemption from licence fees, infrastructure development charges, FAR of 225 instead of current 175, higher ground coverage of 50 per cent against 35 per cent.

Besides the incentives, the most attractive component of the policy was the pricing of the dwelling units as the maximum allotment rates for Gurgaon, Faridabad and the Pinjore-Kalka urban estate (Panchkula) has been kept at Rs 4,000 per square feet. For other high and medium potential towns, the rates will be Rs 3,600 per square feet and Rs 3,000 for the low potential towns.

On August 6, Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda unveiled the policy for mass availability of nearly 1.25 lakh dwelling units at affordable rates through private builders in the next five years.

While the powerful builder lobby had hailed the policy as something which will revive the real estate sector struggling to come out of recession, the investors and the end-users were up in arms against an undue benefit to the powerful builder lobby by the government.

“In fact, the policy will make the housing a mere dream for the common man in the urban areas across the state, primarily due to exorbitant prices fixed by the state government,” said Ankush Sharma, a Haryana Government employee.

The big players in the realty sector have lapped up the new policy of the government apparently due to various incentives being offered to the promoters.

The major players, who have applied for the approval of new housing projects in the national capital region, particularly in Gurgaon, included DLF, Emaar MGF Land Limited, Raheja Developers and Suncity Projects.

Sirsa, September 16
Members of the local chapter of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) are sore over the registration of a criminal case against two doctors, including a woman gynaecologist, after a woman who underwent a caesarian delivery in Janata Hospital here died in a private hospital in Hisar, where she was shifted after her bleeding did not stop.

The doctors, who have taken up the matter with Deputy Commissioner J Ganesan as well as Senior Superintendent of Police Saurabh Singh, complain that the police acted in haste and was carried away by the demonstration organised by the victim’s kin and did not follow the guidelines of the Supreme Court regarding proceeding against doctors in cases of alleged medical negligence.

“We are shocked at the manner in which two of our members have been booked while they were merely responding to the call of their duty and did their best to save a patient who had a very rare obstetric-related complication,” said Dr Ved Beniwal, patron of the Haryana chapter of the IMA.

The police had yesterday booked Dr Snigdha Khurana, who performed caesarian on the victim, Gita, and Dr Azad Singh, a private surgeon, who was called by the former after the victim’s internal bleeding refused to stop.

“If the police will book doctors who rush to save human lives without any personal benefit merely on the call of duty, who will come forward in future in such situations?” asked Dr RK Mehta, president of the Sirsa chapter of the IMA.

SSP Saurabh Singh said the police would request the DC to constitute a medical board to examine whether there was any negligence involved.

The victim Gita’s kin are, however, demanding stern action and allege that the victim died due to "negligence" of the doctors. 

Sonepat, September 16
Agitated over returning of development grant of Rs 14 lakh by the school headmaster, residents of Raipur today locked the village’s Government Girls High School for nearly four hours demanding return of the grant for the school.

Before starting of the classes, the residents reached the school and locked the main gate of the school. The students as well as teachers were not allowed to enter the school.

After receiving information, District Education Officer (DEO) Om Prakash Kadian reached the school and heard the grievances of the residents. The residents criticised the headmaster for not utilising the grant and returning it to the government explaining that a lot of work was to be done for boundary wall and ground of the school.

After an hour’s discussion and on the assurance of the DEO that the grant would be sent again to the school authorities, the lock was opened around noon. 

Chandigarh, September 16
Keeping in view the increasing number of vehicles in the state, the government has framed a draft parking policy to keep the roads free from obstacles for smooth movement of vehicles. Suggestions have also been invited from common people for finalisation of parking policy norms by September 30.

An official spokesperson said the municipalities sanction the building plans as per the provisions of the Haryana Municipal Building By-Laws 1982. In these by-laws, there were no specific provisions regarding the minimum requirement of parking for different uses and buildings.

He said while notifying the policy regarding construction of shopping malls and multiplexes vide a notification dated September 16, 2005, and the policy for conversion of residential houses and vacant plots into commercial use issued vide a notification dated January 30, 2007, minimum parking requirement of one equivalent car space (ECS) for 75 square metre of the covered area was prescribed.

Also, while approving the zoning plans for institutional buildings, a provision to reserve 10 per cent of the plot area for parking is specified by the Directorate of Urban local Bodies, Haryana.

He said it had been observed that the minimum requirement of parking space is insufficient and there was no specific policy for parking norms.

He said minimum norms of parking for various uses like residential complexes, plots, commercial spaces, hotels, hospitals have been proposed.

Rohtak, September 16
The newly elected local municipal corporation (MC), which boasts of a woman Mayor and at least 50 per cent woman members, has another face which puts a question mark over reservation in elected bodies to prop up gender equality.

The stark reality of this aspect came to the fore during the first official meeting of the MC on Friday when several woman members demanded that their husbands or relatives should be allowed to attend the meeting with them for their convenience.

This situation is common for elected woman representatives like sarpanches, panches and members of panchayat samitis and zila parishads, where the elected woman representatives are ‘represented’ by their husbands.

Sources in the district administration said the problem plagued the local civic body as well, which was upgraded to a corporation this year, when the city got its first Mayor.

Reports said the first meeting of the MC took a curious turn yesterday when there was a tussle between woman members and the Municipal Commissioner over the issue of the presence in the meeting of husbands of some members.

When the Municipal Commissioner told the husbands of the councillors to leave the hall before the meeting started, some woman members stood up and demanded that their husbands should be allowed to attend the meeting.

When they were told that it was against the norms of the Municipal Act and the House was required to adopt a resolution, they demanded that a resolution be brought in, but could not succeed as the item was not on the agenda for the meeting.

As the strength of woman members in the MC was 50 per cent, the role of husbands of some members had come to the fore during the deliberations regarding the election of the Mayor, a post reserved for a Scheduled Caste woman member.

Describing the demand as a violation of provisions of the Municipal Act, social and political activist Raj Singh Hooda said it would defeat the purpose of reservation for women in elected bodies as women who were unable to do their job independently had no right to avail themselves of reservation in such bodies.

While Mayor Renu Dabla was not available for comment, her father-in-law Azad Singh Dabla, who had been actively involved in her election campaign, stated that he was against the idea or demand of allowing in officials meetings the husbands or relatives of elected woman councillors.

Kaithal, September 16
Deputy Commissioner NK Solanki today said closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras would be installed at sensitive points in the district to keep a round-the-clock vigil.

He said this while presiding over a meeting at Mini Secretariat here.

The Deputy Commissioner said eve teasers would be dealt with strictly.

Solanki said electricity and water connections would be installed in the hundred-yard plots allotted to below poverty line families under the Mahatma Gandhi Gramin Basti Yojna.

The Deputy Commissioner stressed the need to launch a cleanliness drive in villages. He said Rs 12.62 crore had been earmarked for the district under the District Development Plan.

The Deputy Commissioner asked officials concerned to submit the survey list of eligible families under the Food Security Scheme at the earliest.

He said toilets would be constructed in all schools and Anganwari centres in the district.

Rohtak, September 16
The Health Department has failed to contain the misuse of the banned oxytocin injections administered to cattle by farmers and dairy owners in the district.

Though department officials claimed to have seized hundreds of such injections in the past couple of days, this appears to be too small in view of the widespread and brisk business involving manufacturers and suppliers.

A team of the Drug Control Department and the police arrested a person carrying 298 vials of the injection but the seizure was small in comparison to its rampant use, said a source in the department.

Nearly 95 per cent of the dairy and individual cattle owners in the city use the injections to get more milk, said Surender, who is associated with the dairy business. However, its repeated use could have ill-effects on the health of both consumer and animal, said an expert.

Dr Tarun Kumar, a physician, said, “Oxytocin is used to help start labour pain and reduce bleeding after delivery in women.”

As per norms, the injection can be given only on the prescription of a medical practitioner.

Stating that manufacture and sale of the drug without a licence for such clandestine activity is an offence under the Drug Control Act, amended penal provisions of the Act make such offences cognisable and non-bailable, revealed Dr GL Singhal, State Drug Controller.

He said a drive was on to check the misuse of the injection and claimed that 15 cases were pending in various courts in the state against the accused found involved in such a trade for the past few years.

“As the manufacture and sale of these products is done through clandestine channels, it becomes difficult to stop their misuse except through continuous surveillance,” said an official of the department.

Sources said the injections were also being misused by farmers to increase the size of vegetables and fruits. The use of oxytocin in growing vegetables does not come under the purview of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act. However, diversion of the drug for any unauthorised use is a matter of concern.

Kurukshetra September 16
MP Naveen Jindal has urged Manish Tiwari, Minister of Information and Broadcasting, New Delhi, to stop airing of Jodha Akbar serial and withdraw cases registered against the persons involved in the agitation held on July 17, 2013. 

A request to this effect has been made by Jindal in his letter dated August 13, 2013, which has been circulated to mediapersons by Jindal House here today.

Madhuban, September 16
Director General of Police (DGP) SN Vashish today said four women police stations would come up in Faridabad, Gurgaon, Bhadurgarh and Panchkula by the end of this year.

He was here for the passing-out parade of the State Police Academy. He said the move was aimed at sensitising the police towards addressing female victims, ensuring their safety and making them comfortable while registering cases.

The DGP said the functioning of the police had become more challenging with the change in circumstances. He said police personnel should be sensitive while providing security to women. He said a special course to educate policemen on maintaining law and order would commence from October 1.

He said in order to bring about a change in the traffic scenario, competitions would be organised in all the districts on the lines of Faridabad in which the general public, especially youth, would be made aware of traffic rules and regulations. Around 20-30 lakh students would be connected with the campaign, he added.

Meanwhile, as many as 115 sub-inspectors of Meghalaya took an oath during the ceremony. Out of 341 constables inducted into the Haryana Police today, 33 per cent were graduates while 12 per cent were postgraduates.

Gurgaon, September 16
A district court has acquitted Sumit Bhuttan who was accused of killing his wife Ruchi Bhuttan in 2011. Gurgaon Additional District and Sessions Judge Falit Sharma today acquitted local businessman Sumit Bhuttan of all charges against him.

Bhuttan had been booked for murder, dowry harassment and abetment to suicide after his wife Ruchi was found dead under mysterious circumstances at their house in DLF phase 2 more than two years ago.

He was arrested soon after Ruchi’s death and was denied bail by local courts, the High Court and even the Supreme Court.

Along with Sumit, his family members as well as Hindi film star Priyanka Chopra’s cousin Meera Chopra had also been named in the FIR.

However, the investigators gave a clean chit to Sumit’s family members and Meera Chopra at a later stage. The Supreme Court had directed the district court to decide the case within the stipulated time by September 21. — TNS

A CBI court has directed three members of Geetanjali’s family, including her parents, to meet her two daughters for three hours, for whom they were seeking custody after the victim’s death.

The court said the grandparents and another member could meet them at the residence of the counsel of Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) Ravneet Garg from 2 pm to 5 pm this Sunday.

After Geetanjali’s death, her parents claimed that Ravneet Garg and his family had not allowed them to meet the children and for their safety, they want their custody.

It was recently that Ravneet Garg had moved a petition before the CBI court, requesting to reject the petition filed by the parents of Geetanjali for the custody of the children.

The petition stated that only the “guardian” could get the custody of the children and the maternal grandparents did not fall within the definition of “guardian”.

The orders on this petition are to be given after the meeting.

In August, Geetanjali’s parents filed a petition before the CBI court seeking the custody of her two daughters.

The parents had alleged that since the murder of Geetanjali, they were not even allowed to meet the children by the inlaws. They also said the children, Aasma (4) and Adiva (3), were confined to a room since their mother had been killed.

It was on July 17 when Geetanjali was found shot dead in Gurgaon. Later, the post-mortem revealed that she was shot thrice.

Following allegations by family members of the victim and the investigations by the police, a case under Section 302 (murder) was registered against husband Ravneet Garg, father-in-law KK Garg and mother-in-law Rachna Garg.

Kaithal, September 16
A team of the Scheduled Castes (SC) Commission led by its regional director Raj Kumar Chhanena today visited Kalayat town of this district to meet the family of the minor Dalit girl who immolated herself to death on Sunday following continuous eve teasing and harassment.

The team assured the family members of all possible help and support.

The girl's father told the team that he had earlier informed the families of the two accused boys about their activities but they had remained indifferent. He said the families had instead snubbed him and asked him to keep his daughter at home if she feared eve teasing.

Superintendent of Police Kuldip Singh told the team that one of the accused had been arrested and efforts were on to nab the other accused. He said the management of all educational institutes had been asked to install a complaint-cum-suggestion box for grievances related to eve teasing. He said women police personnel had also been deployed outside such institutes to keep a vigil in this regard. 

Chandigarh, September 16
The Haryana Urban Development Authority and the state have got a rap on their knuckles by a High Court bench for committing errors and creating a mess by further allotting an already allotted plot in an alleged attempt to benefit an employee.

The censure by Justice Satish Kumar Mittal and Justice Mahavir S. Chauhan came on a petition filed by Teresa D'souza against the state and others respondents. She had paid additional price for a preferential plot allotted to her by HUDA.

Her counsel had argued that she was allowed to mortgage the plot to raise a loan for constructing a building after the entire price for the plot was also accepted and building plan sanctioned.

The allotment in her favour was cancelled vide a memorandum dated May 2 without affording an opportunity of hearing, after she had raised substantial construction. Her counsel had added that after allotment of plot and acceptance of entire amount, a right vested in her; and it could not be taken away without allowing her an opportunity to present her claim. Her counsel also alleged that respondent Shyam Sunder Gupta was working as HUDA accountant in Gurgaon and the memorandum was issued only to favour him.

Taking up the matter, the Bench observed: “It is an admitted position that the plot is a preferential plot and for such a plot an additional premium is charged by the respondents. It also emerges from the record that Shyam Sunder Gupta and another respondent did not apply for a preferential plot…".

“It does not stand reason how the petitioner could be deprived of the preferential plot in spite of the fact that she had paid additional money and how a preferential plot could be given to Shyam Sunder Gupta and another respondent even though they did not apply for it.

“Not only that a preferential plot has been snatched from the petitioner, but she is also expected to shell out more money to have an alternative plot, as that plot happens to be of 355 square yards whereas the petitioner had applied for a 10 marlas, which also cannot be allowed to happen as the petitioner cannot be blamed for the mess created and error committed by the respondents…. the impugned orders are liable to be set aside”.

New Delhi, September 16
The Supreme Court today directed the Haryana Government to file a compliance report on its order for provision of one-room tenements in Faridabad to 309 mine workers rescued from bonded labour as part of the rehabilitation scheme.

A Bench comprising Chief Justice P Sathasivam and Ranjana Desai asked Additional Advocate General Manjit Singh Dalal to ensure that the report was submitted before October 22, when a PIL case on the issue of bonded labour would be taken up for hearing again.

In April this year, the SC had directed the state government to take up the construction of the tenements in right earnest and ensure “at least some of them are completed within two months.”

Taking note of the long delays in the implementation of the SC verdicts in 1982 and 1991 in the Bandhua Mukti Morcha case for the rehabilitation of released bonded labour, the SC had said in the April order that the intention of the court “must be given effect to without any further ado.”

The cost of construction would be met either by the state government or the Faridabad Municipal Corporation, the court had clarified. Appearing for the Centre, Additional Solicitor General Mohan Jain had contended that the state government was responsible for implementing a 1982 Central scheme for the provision of housing sites and other facilities such as hospitals and schools.

During the arguments, the then Bench had lamented that it was unfortunate that the SC verdicts passed years ago were yet to be implemented.

The Bench also issued similar directives to Uttar Pradesh yesterday for the rehabilitation of erstwhile bonded labourers.

The SC pointed out that the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act 1976 was aimed at completely eradicating bonded labour and rehabilitating those released from such slavery.

Ambala, September 16
Additional Sessions Judge, Ambala, Deepak Aggarwal today sentenced Kuldeep Manga, Gobind Sharma, Vikram Bantee and Naveen to life imprisonment in the gangster Rakesh alias Bobby’s murder case.

Five other accused, including Nishan Singh, Kulwinder alias Kaka, Gulshan Sonu, Vikas Kelewala and Radha Kaushal, were acquitted in the case due to lack of evidence.

Bobby was murdered on March 3, 2010, when he was coming out of the CJM court after appearing in a case. Three persons fired at him. Bobby died on the spot and the assailants managed to escape. Later, they were arrested by the police.

The police had registered a murder and conspiracy case against nine persons in this regard. Bobby’s mother, who was the eyewitness in the case, was given security as she received threats from the rival group.

Earlier, members of the gang had shot dead Bobby’s sister Rutu, who was pursuing the cases of her brother and also a prime witness in a case. Several cases were registered against Bobby.

Gurgaon, September 16
With a view to providing speedy and affordable justice to litigants at their doorstep, two new courts will start functioning in Sohna from September 18. It has also been decided to have another court in Pataudi.

Disclosing this here yesterday, Shekhar Dhawan, District and Sessions Judge, Gurgaon, said the Punjab and Haryana High Court had acceded to the demand of the general public for creation of courts at Sohna.

"It has been decided in principle to create two Civil Courts at Sohna," he revealed.

The ground floor of the Market Committee Building in Sohna, has been selected for the courts, he added.

Dhawan said Justice Hemant Gupta, Administrative Judge of Gurgaon Sessions Division, had recently inspected the site and was satisfied with the work done by the Haryana State Agriculture Marketing Board.

"The courts will function from the Market Committee Building, until a Judicial Complex is constructed there," he added.

He said the High Court had posted Rajesh Kumar Yadav as SDJM-cum-ACJ (SD) in Sohna. Whereas, Saurabh Rana, presently posted as Civil Judge (Junior Division)-cum-JMIC at Gurgaon, has been posted in Sohna.

The Punjab and Haryana High Court had also set up a Court of ACJ (SD)-cum-SDJM at Pataudi in January, 2013. However, in view of the heavy pendency of cases at Pataudi and in order to provide speedy justice, it has also been decided to create another court at Pataudi.

The Gurgaon District and Sessions Judge had recommended the building of the guest house for the creation of the second court, which was approved by Justice Hemant Gupta during his visit.

Sandeep Yadav, presently posted as a Civil Judge (Junior Division-cum-JMIC) at Gurgaon has been posted at Pataudi. 

Sonepat, September 16
With the arrest of Devender of Baiyanpur village, the district police claimed to have solved a more than three-year-old murder case of Raj Singh of Butana village who had gone missing on a day after Holi in 2010.

During interrogation, the accused confessed to have shot Raj Singh dead at Rohtak and dumped his body in the Gang Nahar near Meerut in Uttar Pradesh.

The main cause of the murder was Raj Singh's refusal to hand over Rs 5 lakh which he had collected from a party in Gujarat in 2007, he told the police.

Devender also confessed that he along with Raj Singh and others was running a business of supplying illegal liquor to Gujarat during 2007.

The party in Gujarat paid Rs 5 lakh to them and promised to pay the balance amount of Rs 5 lakh after sometime.

However, the remaining amount was collected by Raj Singh and he refused to share the amount, he revealed.

According to the police, victim's wife Upasana lodged a complaint with the police stating that her husband went missing a day after Holi.

She suspected that Devender with the help of his five accomplices had murdered her husband. Devender was nabbed after receiving a specific information about his movement.

Rewari, September 16
Two persons were killed when the canter they were travelling in rammed into a trailer on the Jaipur-Delhi national highway near Khijoori village yesterday.

The deceased have been identified as Hari Ram Yadav and Rajesh Kumar.

The driver of the trailer fled the spot after abandoning his vehicle, which was later impounded by the Dharuhera police.

Sonepat, September 16
A farmer of Kheri Dahiya village, Jaiveer, was stabbed to death by Ram Chander, of the same village, on Friday evening. Jaiveer had gone to the fields when he was attacked with a knife by the alleged accused.

After receiving an information about the incident, Jaiveer's brother, Dalbir, rushed to the spot and took him to the civil hospital. The doctors declared him brought dead and informed the police.

In a complaint to the police, Dalbir stated that there was some altercation between Ram Chander and Jaiveer, a few days back. Jaiveer was threatened by Ram Chander with dire consequences.

DSP Ajit Singh said a case of murder had been registered against Chander and a team of five policemen had been deployed to nab the alleged accused.