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| Tuesday, February 27, 2001, Chandigarh, India   
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Cop’s reinstatement case: SC pulls up
Haryana Estate officer shifted Proposed taxes worry
traders Devi Lal’s charge against
Oppn |
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Bus service to each village
soon Badly decomposed body
found Fraud to usurp property
detected ‘Stone diseases more common in North’ HIGH COURT Direction on detection of power
theft
Wither ‘smart’ driving licences? Exhibitions to mark Science Day Haryana postings DCs told to make storage
arrangements Robbery
case solved
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Cop’s reinstatement case: SC pulls up
Haryana Chandigarh, February 26 The government, which reinstated Ram Phal in January, 2000, and appointed him as officiating DSP, Sirsa, withdrew the reinstatement order following the intervention of the apex court, which made it clear to the state that “in future, if any order of reinstatement is to be passed it should be passed only after seeking approval of this court.” The Bench also said that it was observing “this only in view of special facts and circumstances of the case.” The facts of the case revealed that the dogged determination of a citizen to get justice as well as how the state stonewalled the efforts of those, whom it was supposed to protect, who wanted to bring a guilty arm of the state edifice to book, irrespective of the political leadership leading it at a given time. The course through which the case went in the last nine years also highlighted how an indifferent prosecuting agency and an unscrupulous petitioner, if joined hands, could take even the judiciary for a ride. Ram Phal illegally detained Mr Saraf and Mr Rajesh in the Kaithal police station on June 22, 1992, and allegedly tortured them at the behest of a business rival of the former MLA. Not satisfied with it, the police official illegally detained Mr Indresh, an engineering graduate, and took him to an unknown place where he was inhumanly tortured. Meanwhile, there was an uproar in Kaithal against the police brutality. The then Chief Minister, Mr Bhajan Lal, in the night of June 25 himself directed the Deputy Commissioner and the SP to recover Mr Indresh. But they failed to contact Ram Phal, who returned to the police station in the morning and procured a complaint against Mr Indresh and booked him under Sections 107,151, Cr PC. When Mr Indresh was presented before an Executive Magistrate, he refused to furnish bail and wanted the police to try him. The Magistrate called the complainant, who denied having made any complaint against Mr Indresh to the police. The Magistrate discharged Mr Indresh. The Government asked the SP and the SDM to separately inquire into the incident. Both indicted Ram Phal. Meanwhile, the state appointed the then District and Sessions Judge, Kurukshetra, Mr O.P. Gupta, to the Commission of Inquiry on July 10, 1992. Mr Gupta in his report of July 31, 1993, indicted Ram Phal. Despite in his indictment in all inquiries, the government took no action against Ram Phal. Mr Saraf moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court seeking directions to the state to act as per the findings of the judicial inquiry. However, the high court dismissed his petition, saying that the report of a judicial inquiry was not binding on the state. He went to the Supreme Court, which asked the state to speedily complete the departmental inquiry against the police official. The inquiry officer recommended Ram Phal’s demotion as well as the registration of a criminal case under Section 323 of the IPC, a relatively minor offence. The Supreme Court was not amused. It verbally asked the state to take a more serious action than what had been recommended by the inquiry officer and also to register a case for major
offences. The state ultimately dismissed Ram Phal on April 27, 1996. The police official, who was reportedly posted at Meham when the INLD chief, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, had contested the controversial elections in the early nineties, challenged his dismissal orders before the Punjab and Haryana High Court. Neither he nor the state counsel informed the high court about the proceedings before the Supreme Court and its verbal orders. The high court allowed the writ petition of Ram Phal on December 8, 1997. The state filed an LPA against the orders of the single judge and engaged a private counsel to represent it. However, the police official, meanwhile, filed a contempt petition against the state, which reinstated him. The Division Bench, which heard the LPA, while disallowing the ground on which Ram Phal’s reinstatement was ordered by the single Judge, remanded the case. He was again dismissed by the state. The single Judge reserved his orders. In July, 1999, Mr Chautala took over as the Chief Minister of Haryana. The Assembly was dissolved in December that year. Ram Phal was reinstated on January 21, 2000, “pending the decision of the high court”. This was done after the police official had filed a mercy petition with the government. The legal representatives of Mr Saraf, who was murdered in 1998 in Uttar Pradesh, had moved an application before the Supreme Court for the restoration of their SLP, which was disposed of by the court in view of Ram Phal’s dismissal. At the request of the state counsel, the apex court gave one week to the Haryana Government to “mend its way”.
On February 14, the state informed the court that it had withdrawn its orders reinstating Ram Phal, who was officiating as DSP in the native district of the Chief Minister, and was immediately relieved. |
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Estate officer shifted Faridabad, February 26 The step is reported to be a fallout of the controversy that had erupted after a clash between shopkeepers of the Sector-15 market here with HUDA officials recently. The agitated shopkeepers had demanded action against certain officials in this regard. The SDM, Mr Jitender Dahiya, has been given the additional charge of EO. The alleged removal of items of shopkeepers in the market by a team of HUDA officials had attracted the attention of the state government. The shopkeepers had alleged that the HUDA officials had not only misbehaved and manhandled them, but also taken away their items. A government vehicle was later damaged by an agitating mob. But the Estate Officer, Mr Dinesh Yadav, had denied the charges and said the action was taken in view of ‘encroachment’ by certain shopkeepers. While both sides lodged a complaint against each other, no FIR was registered. The state government had reportedly directed the Deputy Commissioner to ‘probe’ into the incident. It is learnt that the higher authorities took a serious note of the matter. The transfer of the HUDA official is stated to be its result. The shopkeepers had put three main demands before the district administration, which included ‘action’ against the erring officials, arrest of those involved in the incident and resolving the issue of displaying articles in the market corridor. The Administrator, HUDA, Mr Vijayender Kumar, when contacted, said he had not received any complaint on ‘action’ against HUDA employees involved in the incident. |
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Proposed taxes worry
traders Panipat, February 26 The business community is particularly worried on account of the current recession and fears that the proposed taxes may ruin their trade. The president of the Panipat Yarn Association, Mr Dalip Dua, told The Tribune that the local business community paid around Rs 40 crore every year as sales tax though not even 10 per cent of the amount was utilised for the development of trade. He alleged that the trader community even had to pay for private sweepers to clean the area around their shops as the government had not provided any sweepers. The president of the Panipat Handloom Association, Mr Ashok Banga, said the business community was disturbed over the proposed increase in the taxes. He said the business market was under a recession and an enhanced tax burden would not be justified. The district president of the Haryana Beopar Mandal, Mr Roshan Lal Gupta, said that instead of levying new taxes, additional surcharge on the present income tax would be justified. With the arrival of multinational companies, the small-scale industry had already been ruined and now the future of the Indian trade appeared to be in danger due to the proposed taxes in the forthcoming Budget, he added. He said to reduce fiscal deficit, the government should impose higher import duties on goods and machinery to restrict the entry of multinational companies to a certain limit. An exporter of blankets said if the government imposed fresh taxes, it would increase tax theft. On the contrary, if taxes were lowered, everybody would come forward to deposit the tax. He said the local business community was paying taxes to the tune of Rs 4,000 crore to the government under the heads of import duties, excise duties, sales tax and income tax. He proposed that the government policies should be made to suit the business community. The branch manager of a private bank, said that instead of imposing new taxes the government should take care of the recovery of tax at the existing rate. |
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Devi Lal’s charge against
Oppn Sonepat, February 26 Inaugurating a one-day training camp of party workers of Sonepat, Rohtak, Jind, Karnal and Panipat at Gohana, 35 km from here yesterday, he denied that the INLD had ever promised to provide water and power free of cost to the farmers on being voted to power in the state. He said, the Opposition was exploiting people, particularly farmers, and tarnishing the image of the Om Prakash Chautala Government which had come to power by adopting democratic means. He also defended “pro-people” and “pro-farmer” policies being pursued by the Om Prakash Chautala Government and claimed that Mr Chautala had fulfilled all promises made to the people at the time of the Assembly elections in the state. Mr Devi Lal called upon workers to remain united, face the challenges posed by the Opposition parties and foil their attempts to dislodge Mr Chautala from power. Bus service to each village
soon Rohtak, February 26 Flagging off the first five buses of the new fleet here today, the Transport Minister, Mr Ashok Kumar Arora, said the Chautala government had decided to ply Haryana roadways buses to all villages. Mr Arora said the Haryana Roadways had suffered a loss of over Rs 110 crore in the previous year but during the first 10 months of the current financial year, the loss had been reduced by approximately Rs 30 crore. Moreover, the contribution of the Haryana roadways towards the state exchequer had increased from Rs 40 crore to Rs 74 crore, he said. The Haryana Roadways, he said, had a fleet of nearly 3,500 buses whereas it need approximately 5,500 buses to reach every village and ply maximum buses on the local routes. The government, would acquire the required number of buses in the next two years. Mr Arora said the government had decided to replace 1,100 buses out of the total fleet of 3,500 buses. Five hundred of the new buses had already come on the road and the remaining 600 would join the fleet by July 31. The rest of the old fleet would be replaced during the next financial year, he said. Mr Arora said the new design of the buses, which had been developed in-house by the Haryana Roadways Engineering Corporation, would save the government at least Rs 15 crore. The Transport Minister warned the private bus operators that their permits would be cancelled if they failed to ply buses on the sanctioned routes regularly. The government would also take stern action against the operators of Maxi-cabs plying without proper permits and in violation of the rules. |
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Badly decomposed body
found Faridabad, February 26 According to the police, the body was badly decayed as it was eaten up by worms. The body has been sent for the post-mortem examination. The police suspects that the victim could be a cousin of the person who took the house on rent in October. It is learnt that the tenant, identified as Rajbir Singh, had book two rooms on rent from the owner of one house, Mr P. Gupta. While Mr Gupta lives in other house, he agreed to give this house on rent to Rajbir, who moved here along with his wife, a cousin Anar Singh and his two children. It is reported that Rajbir, his wife and two children left for their native village in Uttar Pradesh informing the land lady that he and his family were going to their village for a week. As his mother was serious. Landlord did not see Anar Singh at that time. The landlord got anxious when Rajbir or his family members failed to return even after two and half months. He along with some local residents broke open the lock of the tenants’ room where he found the dead body lying in the box. The police was informed ‘and it took it for post-mortem examination. It is suspected that the body could be of Anar Singh, who was not seen since the tenant family left for its native village. The SSP, Mr Ranbir Sharma said a case had been registered and a police party had been sent to Uttar Pradesh to arrest Rajbir Singh. |
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Fraud to usurp property
detected Faridabad, February 26 According to information, some persons, including some family members of Kishan Singh, a resident of Bedha Patti village, got his thumb impression on some blank papers after giving him a “heavy dose” of liquor. The suspects had their eyes on Kishan Singh’s property which includes nine shops and three acres of land and wanted to get it transferred in their name. The suspects reportedly prepared a fake affidavit from Delhi and got the land and shops transferred in their name from the revenue office at Hodal in connivance with some staff members. When Kishan Singh came to know of it he reported the matter to the police which lodged an FIR. The suspects include a kin of an INLD activist and a nagarpalika member. This is the second case which has come to light in the past three months in which fake documents were used to transfer land and property. |
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‘Stone diseases more common in North’ Karnal, February 26 These observations were made by Dr Pawan Gupta, a renowned urologist of Northern Indian, at a symposium by the Karnal branch of the National Integrated Medical Association last evening. About 150 doctors, practising ayurveda system of medicines participated in the symposium, which was the first of its kind to create interaction between allopaths and ayurvada doctors for the removal of kidney stones. Dr Gupta maintained that incidences of stone formation were more in this part of the country because of high temperature, high mineral contents of water and high protein-rich diet. He stated that no definite study had been undertaken in the country to know what percentage
of population suffered from stone diseases and got their kidneys damaged because of stone
occurrences. Dr Gupta, said plenty of fluids should be taken to avoid the formation of stone in kidneys. He said one should try to be vegetarian and restrict the consumption of meat upto 100 gm per day. Dr Shashi Madan, secretary of the Association, and Dr R.S. Rathi, who presided over the meeting were of the view that public awareness should be created to check the formation of stones. |
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HIGH COURT Chandigarh, February 26 Dismissing a petition filed by the son of an Indian Navy personnel killed in the 1971 Indo-Pak war, Mr Justice Amar Bir Singh Gill and Mr. Justice V.S. Aggarwal added that the petitioner, Harinder Singh, was gainfully employed at the time of approaching the court. Harinder Singh, had earlier sought directions to the Haryana Public Service Commission and another respondent to consider his name against the quota reserved for dependents of ex-servicemen killed in the 1971 Indo-Pak war.
Bail for Judge’s
assailant
Granting bail to advocate Ishwar Singh Mehla, accused of attacking a woman Civil Judge at Kaithal, Mr Justice K.S. Garewal of the High Court today directed him against appearing in her court. Mr Justice Garewal directed his release on bail on his furnishing personnel bond of Rs 50,000 along with surety of a like amount. The Judge added that the petitioner was in custody since September 5 last year and there was no apparent reason for detaining him further. Mehla, it may be recalled, had allegedly stabbed Civil Judge-cum-Judicial Magistrate (First Class), Ms Shalini Singh, on September 2 last year. According to the prosecution, the accused was prevented from inflicting further injuries by the stenographer and the reader. |
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Direction on detection of power
theft Chandigarh, February 26 Presiding over a meeting of Divisional Commissioners and Deputy Commissioners, Mr Chautala said if the sarpanch was not able to accompany the team, a nambardar in the rural areas should be taken along. He directed the Deputy Commissioners to prepare a panel of officers from other departments for this work in the urban areas in case the area municipal councillor was not able to accompany the teams. |
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Wither ‘smart’ driving licences? Ambala, February 26 — Residents of Ambala have been awaiting the initiation of ‘smart’ driving licences for the past one year. Around a year back, the district administration had almost finalised the introduction of hi-tech digital cards to eliminate fake and forged licences and RCs of the vehicles. The then Deputy Commissioner, Mr Ram Niwas had announced the implementation of the new system before the end of the year 2000. Later, the idea was dropped and simple computerised driving licences were introduced. They, however, proved helpful in checking the circulation of fake licences in the district to some extent. The administration had earlier contacted Tata Infotech Limited and a few other companies to commission a computer-based integrated system for issuing new driving licences and registration certificates with smart chips containing digital data about licence-holders and vehicles. Tenders were invited and quotations for equipment to be provided to the traffic police to read the digital data stored in the smart chip were also asked for. According to information, the administration would not have had to invest any amount to introduce the new system as one of the infotech companies was ready to install its software and hardware at its own expenses, in lieu of which, the company had offered to charge a nominal fixed amount from licence-seekers, besides the government fee. A racket of agents making forged driving licences and RCs in bulk, stated to have sufficient political influence made efforts to prevent the introduction of the new system, as it did not suit them. At that time agents generally charged Rs 500 to Rs 1,000 for making licence and registration certificates out-of-queue and without sufficient documents. Residents are of the view that the administration should put the idea into practice once again as it would prove effective in checking fabrication of forged licences in the district. |
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Exhibitions to mark Science Day AMBALA: A function was organised by the Science Association of GMN College, Ambala Cantonment with the National Science Day celebrations. In inter college paper reading contest, the trophy was won by DAV college for women, Karnal, consisting of team members, Ms Bhupinder and Ms Teena. The first prize went to Ms Vani Jain of GMN College, Ambala Cantonment and the second prize went to Ms Bhupinder of DAV college for women, Karnal. The third prize was bagged by Ms Ritika of Arya Kanya Mahavidyalaya Shahbad, a release said. In the Inter-College Science Quiz contest, the trophy was won by University College of Education, Kurukshetra, consisting of team members Ms Ruchi, Ms Monika and Mr Pawan Kumar. The first prize went to the GMN College, Ambala Cantonment consisting of Ms Jaspreet, Ms Adid, Mr Manohar Krishan. The third prize went to Hindu Girls College, Jagadhari, consisting of team members Ms Anjali, Ms Loveleen and Ms Rajni. Mr Laxmi Sagar, a noted industrialist, and the vice-president of the governing body, of the college presided over the function and gave away the prizes. |
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Haryana postings Chandigarh, February 26 Mr Sanjay Bhatia, Superintendent of Police, Home Guards, Chandigarh, has been posted as Commandant, Second Batallion, HAP, Madhuban, vice Mr Navdeep Singh Virk. Mr B.S. Kharb, HCS, Subdivisional Officer (Civil)-cum-Additional Collector, Gurgaon, was given additional charge as Estate Officer, Urban Estate, Gurgaon, vice Mr A.S. Mann. Mr Jitender Kumar, HCS, Subdivisional Officer (Civil), Faridabad, was given additional charge as Estate Officer, Urban Estate, Faridabad, vice Mr Dinesh Singh
Yadav. The government also nominated Mr K.C. Jatwani of Ballabgarh, Mr Richpal Lamba of Ballabgarh and Lala Mam Chand of Fatehpuri Billoeri non-official members of the District Public Relations and Grievances Committee of Faridabad. Similarly, Mr Darshan Dass Verma, Mr Suresh Kumar Kukkar and Ms Usha Dahiya, all of Fatehabad, were nominated non-official members of the District Public Relations and Grievances Committee, Fatehabad. Mr Katar Singh of Bidlan village was nominated a non-official member of the District Public Relations and Grievances Committee, Sonepat. DCs told to make storage
arrangements Chandigarh, February 26 Presiding over a meeting of Deputy Commissioners and Divisional Commissioners, Mr Chautala said while the state government had been urging the Central Government to speed up the lifting of wheat from the state, they should also make arrangements for storage in government and private buildings, industrial premises, etc. in view of the expected bumper rabi crop. The Chief Minister asked them to check the evasion of taxes as it adversely affected the development process. He lauded their efforts in recovering more than Rs 541 crore as electricity arrears. |
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Robbery case solved Ambala, February 26 On February 24, a case of robbery had been registered at Naggal police station in which three youths had allegedly robbed a truck driver and a flour mill munshi of Rs 68,700 at gun-point. The Superintendent of Police, Mr Sandeep Khirwar, said that Param Ram, the munshi of a Panchkula based mill, had lodged a report that on February 23, that he and the truck driver, Narendra Singh, were going to make a delivery of flour from Panchkula to Pundri and Ismailabad. When they were returning with the payment, at about 8.30 p.m., the truck developed a snag near Segti village. The munshi in his report said that then they were accosted by three youths who took away Rs 68,700 at gun-point. Mr
Khirwar said that when the police questioned the truck driver in
detail, he admitted that this plan was hatched by him and the munshi.
They had involved three youths Sukhjit, Ikram and Dheeraj, hailing
from Panchkula. They had then reported the robbery to the police. The
police has arrested the five persons and a sum of Rs 68,700 has been
recovered from them. Woman killed in accident Sonepat, February 26 According to a report, the victim and the injured belonged to one family and were going to Panipat from Delhi to attend a wedding. The injured were rushed to the local Civil Hospital from where they were shifted to a Delhi hospital for further treatment. According to the police, the victim was identified as Ms Savitri Devi of Nangloi (Delhi) and the injured as Manish, Om Parkash, Kuldeep, Ms Saraswati, Ram Kumar, Amrit, Ms Shyam, Rinku and Balu. The police has registered a case against the truck driver on a charge of rash and negligent driving.  |
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Two killed in road mishap Kaithal, February 26 |
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3 killed as car rams into
tree Fatehabad, February 26 According to reports, the three were members of a marriage party that when to Sirsa from Barwala (Hisar) yesterday. Mr Sewa Ram, a member of the marriage party suffered a mild heart attack at Sirsa. The three were returning to Sirsa to join the marriage party. |
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