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| Saturday, April 8, 2000, Chandigarh, India  
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"Supari" killers’
gang busted Power cases may go to Lok Adalats Brig Satya Dev sacked Widow found murdered Justice Narang inspects courts
Quick reaction: manholes repaired |
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Jobless open deras to
make money MDU suspends 7 for tampering with
results Accused dies on way to hospital
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"Supari" killers’ gang
busted CHANDIGARH, April 7 — The Haryana police has busted an inter-State gang of "supari" killers and kidnappers with the arrest of its head, Vishwa Bandhu Tyagi, who has allegedly confessed to have taken "supari" of Rs 5 crore for killing a Janata Dal leader of Gujarat. The I.G., CID, Mr Resham Singh, said here today that Tyagi had also confessed to have been involved in over two dozen cases of kidnapping, dacoity, loot and murder. Tyagi, who had become a terror for businessmen and industrialists of Sonepat and Murthal belt, allegedly kidnapped a businessman, Mr Kashmiri Lal in Sonepat last year and released him only after receiving a ransom of Rs 15 lakh. The S.P., Sonepat, Mr K.P. Singh, said the gang was busted following a tip-off from an informer that Tyagi was hiding in Delhi where the policemen in plain clothes kept vigil for about a month. A joint operation was launched by the Delhi police and the Sonepat police to arrest Tyagi. He was arrested while roaming in the Gokulpuri area of Delhi. Mr Singh said Tyagi was earlier arrested by the Delhi police in connection with a kidnapping and murder case. Released on parole in 1998. Meanwhile, he along with his gang members continued to kidnap and murder people in the areas of Hardwar, Saharanpur, Meerut, Ghaziabad, Sonepat and Delhi. During interrogation Tyagi allegedly told the police that while he was in Tihar Jail, he came in contact with two persons, Ranchhor and Shakur Bhai, hailing from Gujarat through one Deepak Dass. He was promised Rs 5 crore for killing a Janata Dal leader of Baroda in Gujarat. However, the gang returned without executing the job when it failed to get half of the promised amount in advance. The gang stayed in Gujarat for about a month. The S.P. said the gang particularly targeted iron merchants, usually with the help of a local man. Before striking the gang used to threaten the victims on the telephone and demanded ransom. In some cases the gang also wrote letters to its victims. In case the victims did not oblige the gang, they were kidnapped and released only after ransom was paid to the gang. In Sonepat district the
gang committed at least four crimes. |
Power cases may go to Lok
Adalats CHANDIGARH, April 7 — The Haryana Government will empower the Home Department to withdraw all such disputed cases of the electricity consumers and the Uttar Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam ( UHBVN) as are pending in the courts, provided the consumers agree to settle their cases in Lok Adalats. Giving details, a spokesman for the UHBVN said here today that the Nigam had already issued guidelines to all superintending engineers of operations circles. They had been authorised to take five types of court cases to the lok adalats which include amount charged due to detection of theft or suspected theft of electricity, maintenance and checking of meters, unauthorised extension of load, amount charged as a result of audit of consumer accounts and defective meters. The spokesman said that the officers of the Nigam had been authorised to leave the claim of surcharge charged by it at the prevailing rates and agree for a settlement if consumers paid simple interest at the rate of 18 per cent in all types of cases. However, the settlement should be subject to the condition that the amount was not less than 50 per cent of the outstanding amount against the consumer at the time of settlement. After the settlement of the theft cases, the Nigam would request the Government to withdraw criminal cases and recommend withdrawal of the FIRs, where challans had already been put up and yet to be put up in the courts respectively. These adalats would help
settle the disputed cases of the electricity consumers
and the UHBVN mutually out of the court which on the one
hand would provide quick justice and on the other would
help in recovering the locked up disputed payment of
electricity utilities. |
Brig Satya Dev sacked CHANDIGARH, April 7 — The Haryana Government has terminated the services of Brig Satya Dev, Secretary of the State Sainik Board, with immediate effect. He has been given one month’s salary in lieu of the notice period. No reason has been given for the termination of his services. Brig Satya Dev is a brother-in-law of the President of the Haryana Congress, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda. He was appointed in
response to an advertisement in 1997. About 35 senior
retired Army officers were interviewed along with Brig
Satya Dev. During his tenure several scheme for the
welfare of ex-servicemen were launched. The Sainik
Parivar Bhawan was registered as a society and rules were
framed after about 25 years. |
Widow found murdered AMBALA, April 7 — An elderly widow was allegedly murdered at her residence in Ambala City last night. The police has registered a case. The body was sent to Civil Hospital for a post-mortem. The victim Shobha Bajaj (50), was working as a clerk in a government school in Punjab adjoining to Ambala. According to the police report, Mrs Bajaj was living alone in the house. She had adopted a son of one of her relatives who is studying somewhere outside Ambala. Yesterday, around 2.30 p.m. she came back from school along with a colleague on a two-wheeler. He dropped her and left. In the evening, when the milk vendor came to deliver milk, he noticed that the door was locked from outside but the lights were on. By that time, some neighbours reached the spot got suspicious. A neighbour entered the house from the rear and found that the body was lying on the bed. One of her earrings and some gold bangles were found missing. According to police sources, four empty glasses of tea were also found there, which indicates that at least three outsiders had visited her house before the incident. The telephone connection and the other articles of the house were intact. According to the Deputy
Superintendent of Police, Mr Sultan Singh, there was no
evidence of any scuffle. Apparently, it does not seem to
be a case of burglary. The forensic expert team from
Madhuban (Karnal) has also reached the site. According to
the post-mortem report, a trifling superficial wound was
found on one side of her neck It is believed to be the
result of strangulation. The doctors have not given their
final conclusion. |
Quick reaction: manholes
repaired AMBALA, April 7 — The district administration has taken quick notice or a news item published in the Chandigarh Tribune on Friday.A news item regarding two uncovered manholes on the Civil Hospital road, Ambala City, appeared in these columns on Friday morning. Around 10 a.m., the Additional Deputy Commissioner, Ambala, Mr Mohinder Kumar, along with senior officers of the Municipal Council and the Public Health Department reached on the site today. Shopkeepers
of the area told the ADC that the manholes were lying
without cover for the past several months. The ADC
directed the officials of the Public Health Department to
provide the covers for the manholes within three hours.
And by 12.30 p.m., the manholes were repaired and the
covers fitted. |
Justice Narang inspects courts HISAR, April 7 — Mr Justice J.S. Narang of the Punjab and Haryana High Court inspected various civil and executive courts in Hisar and the adjoining areas. Mr Justice Narang, who is the inspecting judge of courts in Hisar also visited the local jail and enquired about the problems of the detainees. He visited the courts at Fatehabad and Tohana also. He emphasised the need for speedy justice. A number of people met him here and apprised him about their problems. He also visited the
campus of the CCS Haryana Agricultural University. He
evinced keen interest in various research and development
programmes launched by the university. |
Jobless open deras to make money HISAR, April 7 — Enterprising jobless ruralites in Haryana have found roadside "religious places" a lucrative means of earning their livelihood. Over the years, hundreds of structures, known as ‘mazaars’ or simply temples, have come up illegally on both sides of national and state highways. While many such old structures are genuine, there is nothing holy or religious about the structures which have come up during the nineties. These are simply encroachments on government and private land by unemployed persons posing as ‘sadhus’ or ‘babas’. Officials of the PWD say more than 2500 such structures have come up during the past about five years along important highways. National Highway 10 running between Fazilka and Delhi, which passes through Sirsa, Fatehabad, Hisar, Bhiwani, Rohtak and Jhajjar, districts, has proved to be the most popular among these ‘holymen’. The Hisar-Chandigarh national highway is another important road where these illegal structures have been built. National Highway No 1, popularly known as the GT Road, however, is no longer sought after for this purpose on two counts. First, the pace of traffic on this road is much faster compared to other highways. Therefore, motorists do not generally stop at such places to make offerings. The other factor is that owing to the volume of traffic on this busy road, it is difficult for motorists to park their vehicles on the roadside and reach these structures. Enquires by the Tribune reveal that there is no religious sanctity attached to most of these structures. Generally the so-called ‘babas’ just stop at a place of their choice for a day or two and then raise a mud and brick platform which is partially covered by a hatched roof. In a month or so, a triangular flag — generally blue or red — is hoisted on a bamboo stick, giving the place the appearance of a make-shift temple or ‘mazaar’ of a pir depending on the colour of the flag. A blue flag indicates a ‘mazaar’, while a red one denotes a temple. Generally, the babas prefer road crossings and manned railway crossings because traffic stops at such junctions several times in a day. Along with the flag comes a small idol or a framed picture of a deity if the ‘baba’ is posing as sadhu. However, if he is posing as a pir, the mud and brick platform is given the look of a tomb and a small hut-like structure is built on one side where an earthen lamp is placed for prayers. In a year or so, the baba is firmly ensconced on the encroachment, with his earnings averaging from Rs 300 to Rs 500 a day. Once settled, the babas lose no time in making the structure a permanent one. As money comes in, the mud and brick structures give way to cemented ones, some even jetting marble facades. Enquires into the origins of such structures indicate that the ‘babas’ invariably choose a dera far from their own villages. One such youth belonging to Ladwa in Kurukshetra district has set up a dera near Bahadurgarh in Jhajjar district. He confided that he belonged to a landless family and being illiterate had no job to look forward to. To while away time, he, began to frequent a dera outside his village, where he used to share the ‘baba’s smokepot (chillum). In a few months, he said, he learnt the trick of the trade from the ‘baba’ and then went on to set up his own "holy place". He how gets about Rs 500 a day by way of offerings. However, he says although he took to this business purely to earn his bread and butter, he was now a "holyman" since he prayed thrice a day and led a solitary life, donning saffron robes. He rarely visits his ancestral village now, but sends money to his family regularly. His younger sister is happily married, thanks to his savings over the years. He says although he is now "well settled" yet this kind of life was not without its problems and sacrifices. "There is no link with the family outwardly now. All that I can enjoy now is bhaang or a bottle of liquor at night occasionally", he says. Officials of the PWD say they turn a blind eye to these encroachments as the ‘babas’ generally enjoy the support of nearby villagers. Besides, they say, once a flag is hoisted there, removing such a structure becomes almost impossible for "religious" reasons. Mr Kartar Chand, a local businessman who travels to Delhi for business work twice or thrice a week, says earlier he used to stop at couple of deras but does not do so now. "These deras have mushroomed all over. At how many of them can you possibly stop. So, I prefer to offer prayers in a proper temple before I embark on a journey", he says. Mr Kartar Chand’s
remarks reveal that the secret of the success of these
deras is that every body wants a safe journey and parting
with Rs 5 or more by way of offering at these ‘holy
places’ is a small price to pay for this. |
MDU suspends 7 for tampering
with results ROHTAK, April 7 — The Maharshi University administration yesterday placed under suspension seven employees, including a superintendent on the charge of tempering with the result record of the university. These suspended are Gulab Singh, Superintendent, Ramrishi and Kaliram, clerks, Shishpal Saini, Assistant, Shriom, Jai Bhagwan and Krishan Lal, a peon. The then Vice-Chancellor, Lieut-Gen O.P. Kaushik, had constituted an inquiry committee to investigate into the matter. The committee comprising Prof R.N. Mishra of the Hindi Department, Prof Vinayak of the Commerce Department and Deputy Registrar K.C. Dadhwal submitted its report to the authorities on April 5. The matter of tampering
with the result-sheets came to light when a candidate
applied for a duplicate detailed marks card last month.
The employee concerned of the result branch found that a
forged result-sheet had been pasted in place of the
actual sheet. He reported the matter to the then
Registrar, Mr Ashok Khemka, who submitted a detailed
inquiry report to the Vice-Chancellor the same day. |
Accused dies on way to hospital SONEPAT, April 7 — Mr Bharat Singh, Superintendent of the district jail Sonepat today filed a report before the National Human Rights Commission informing it of the death of one Sakreen, alias Netaji a ring leader of the Sheikh Bengali criminal gang, also known as the Momin gang in custody on April 4. According to the report, Sakreen was discharged from the Civil Hospital on April 3 after being treated for a few days and taken back to the local district jail. There his condition became serious again and he was returned to the hospital but died while being transferred to the Medical College Hospital, Rohtak for further treatment. Sakreen, was among the
17 members of the gang who had been arrested by the
police in connection with a robbery committed in the
house of Mr Ashok Chitkara an official of the Haryana
Financial Corporation on March 16. Members of the gang
had also killed three other persons at Shadipur, Kabirpur
and Fazilpur village on the same night. |
Civic
staff demand pension YAMUNANAGAR: Ex-employees of municipal councils, Haryana, have demanded the grant of pension. Mr Janak Raj Sawhney, general secretary of the retired Municipal Karamchari Union, sent a memorandum to the Chief Minister of Haryana to intervene, and asked the officials concerned to grant pension to those employees who had retired since 1992. He said they had rendered selfless services for over 30 years and were entitled to pension in the interest of justice as all government servants get pension on rendering qualifying service. * * * Industrial units of Yamunanagar are in a pathetic condition due to the non-cooperative attitude of the Haryana State Industrial Development Corporation. Mr Gursharan Singh Chawla, president, Yamunanagar Industrial Estate Association, alleged that despite numerous reminders to top officials of the corporation nothing has been done as yet. He said there were nearly 110 units that had given jobs to nearly 5000 persons. He added that the Industrial Estate was developed by the HSIDC nearly 25 years ago with an assurance that civic amenities such as drainage, fire extinguishers, street lights, sewerage, roads, and water supply would be provided. This is a sorry state of affairs that none of the civic amenities has been provided. In the rainy season, water would get collected on both sides of the estate, resulting in curbing workers’ movement. He said as per the agreement signed by the HSIDC with plot holders, the area should have been handed over to the municipality but nothing had been done so far. The municipality had collected taxes in the past 25 years to the tune of Rs 1.25 crore but it had not provided even a single safai karamchari in the area. Both the HSIDC and the municipality was collecting taxes and maintenance charges but in return nothing had been provided. He appealed to the Chief Minister of Haryana to come to the rescue of the workers. * * * The Maharaja Lok Kalyan Sabha, Yamunanagar is spreading its wings for the welfare of the poor students. Mr I.M. Talwar, president of the sabha, said the sabha distributed the material among poor students of government schools in villages of Yamunanagar district in January, 2000 to help them to meet severe cold. The villages include Shadipur, Kharera, Nagal Naharpur, Mamidi, Jorian and Mandebri. He added that the students were given woollen jersies, wool for jersies, shoes, and uniforms. He added that the students were told that they should not accept these articles as charity but as loan, to be repaid when they grew up and were in a position to donate such things to poor students. The Yamunanagar municipal council had installed 291 tubelights and 147 sodium lights in Yamunanagar in the past eight months. Mr B.L. Bishnoi Executive Officer Municipal Council Yamunanagar, said here that the civic body had spent Rs 31,75,700 till March 15, 2000 to maintain drains, roads and carry out patchwork on roads. He stated that under the IDSMT scheme, the Yamunanagar council received Rs 21.80 lakh which was spent on the repair of different roads of the town. A cleanliness drive had
also been undertaken on March 23 which would be completed
by the end of March, he added. |
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