Future of 100 students in jeopardy
Jatinder Sharma

Rohtak, August 5
The future of over 100 students of Sri Baba Mastnath Dental College appears bleak following the withdrawal of recognition by the Dental Council of India and affiliation by the Maharshi Dayanand University.

These students were admitted to this college in 1997 and 1998. To facilitate the admissions, a prospectus was published by the university in 1997-98. The Mastnath Dental College, Asthal Bohar, was duly described as a college recognised by the Dental Council of India (DCI) and affiliated to the Maharshi Dayanand University. All the aforesaid students were admitted in order of merit after clearing the common entrance test conducted by the university.

The DCI had granted recognition to this college on November 7,1997. A performance bank guarantee of Rs. 1.20 crore, as demanded by the DCI, was also furnished by the college.

Until 1999, the students of the 1997 and 1998 batch of the Mastnath College had been appearing in the examination conducted by the university and their results were much better compared to students of the Government Dental College, Rohtak. But their problems started in 1999.

Though the university had set aside 60 seats in the Mastnath College in its prospectus, it did not admit any one on the ground that the affiliation of the college had been withdrawn.

The students of the 1997 and 1998 batch appeared for the second and third year examinations in 2000 in the premises of Government Dental College, Rohtak. The question papers and examiners were the same for the students of the government college and Baba Mastnath college. In 2001, the university held the third year examination for the 1998 batch again in the premises of the Government Dental College and again the students of Mastnath College gave a much better performance than the students of the government college.

However, when in August 2001, the university was preparing to conduct the final year examination of the 1997 batch students, the Dental Council of India intervened with the information that these students would not be awarded recognised degrees as Mastnath Dental College was not competent to hold the third and fourth year B.D.S. course.

Feeling cheated, the affected students sought the intervention of the Punjab and Haryana High Court in either getting the college recognised or facilitating their migration to any other recognised dental college, so that their future was not jeopardised.

Some of the students, who had taken the third year examination conducted by the university in 2000 on its own, have been told to re-appear. The stand of the Dental Council is that that these candidates cannot take the re-appear examination in the courses which they have already undertaken and for which the examination had been conducted by the university.

The state government and the Government Dental College are unwilling to adjust these students in another government or private college in the state to enable them to finish their academic course. Thus, the entire professional life of these students is at stake and nearly one precious year has been lost for no fault of theirs.

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has reportedly directed the Vice Chancellor of the Maharshi Dayanand University, principals of the dental colleges in Haryana, the Commissioner and Secretary, Health, Mr Bhagwati Parsad, and Mr Mukul Rastogi, Solicitor for Dental Council of India, to sit together on August 9 and find out some solution to the problems of these students.

Faridabad school slams the door in face of pupils
Tribune News Service

Faridabad, August 5
The career of students and staff of a state government-aided plus two school in Sector-15-A is at stake due to an abrupt closure of their institute after a dispute over the ownership and management of the school.

Hundreds of students of Vidya Mandir Senior Secondary School (VMSSS) had to return home this morning after finding the main gate of the school locked and a notice pasted outside, saying that the school had been closed for four days due to administrative reasons. Heavy police force was also deployed to check any untoward incident.

Mr N K Choudhary and Mr Brijpal Sharma, chairman and manager of the Adarsh Mahila Sikshan Pratisthan (AMSP), said here today that the AMSP was the registered owner of the school plot and its building since 1972 and the management of the school was handed over to Vidya Mandir School Society in 1979 for only seven years, but the society or school managers did not hand over the management back to AMSP, even though the latter had been the owner of the plot and the building.

They claimed that the AMSP is a body authorised and recognised by the Act of the Haryana Government which governs the running of the government-aided schools and which are affiliated to the Haryana Board of School Education.

The AMSP office-bearers claimed that the principal of the school had been functioning under its directions, but said that some unauthorised people had been creating hurdles in the functioning of the school and it was due to their ‘interference’ that the school was closed today.

They said that they had met the Deputy Commissioner and the SDM in this regard and requested them to get the school reopened immediately, so that the students do not suffer.

The office-bearers also claimed that the grant received by the school had been lying unused and the 78 employees, including teachers, were waiting for their salaries to be paid.

Teachers protest UGC circulars
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 5
Over a thousand teachers collected outside the UGC today as the Delhi University Teachers’ Association observed a strike and a dharna, to demand the withdrawal of two UGC circulars that seek to increase the teachers’ workload and reduce their numbers. The strike and dharna were a big draw, sending a clear signal that teachers are getting ready for a bigger agitation against the government policy of privatisation and commercialisation of education.

The dharna was addressed among others by all the six former presidents of the DUTA.

Since the UGC Chairman was away, the DUTA office-bearers met the UGC Secretary and drew his attention to the `misrepresentations’ and `inconsistencies’ in the UGC communications as well as the academic consequences of the move to increase the workload and reduce the strength of teachers. The DUTA office-bearers showed the Secretary UGC Regulations that do not talk of a 22-hour workload, but rather stipulate an upper limit of not “more than three clock hours per day”.

The UGC officials agreed to have the matter examined, but were not ready to concede their mistake. Regarding the cut in posts and the freeze on recruitment, they pointed out that this was not applicable to teaching posts. But, in the same breath, it was pointed out that similar cuts had been imposed on the UGC.

Staff sacked by DSGMC move court
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 5
Hundreds of Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee employees, including teachers, whose services have been terminated, today demonstrated against the “illegal” action in the Capital and also moved the Delhi High Court, challenging the order of the committee.

Justice Vijendra Jain asked the counsel for the DSGMC to state why the order of the committee should not be stayed as sought by the petitioners. The court has posted the next hearing for August eight. Accepting the notice of the court, the counsel for the DSGMC, Mr H S Phoolka, submitted that the committee has only terminated services of those employees who have been appointed without following the proper procedure – that is, they were not appointed in response to an advertisement and following an interview for selection. Only services of those employee, who had been appointed since August 1, 2000, without adhering to the “proper procedure,” have been terminated by the DSGMC.

Mr Phoolka said the court had not granted stay and the question — whether these persons had been employed after following the laid down procedure and whether their services had been terminated lawfully — would be argued in the next hearing. However, the counsel for the petitioner, Mr Arun Bharatwaj, contended that the services of the DSGMC employees have been terminated without giving them any notice or an opportunity to explain their point of view.

The counsel submitted that the court should stay the DSGMC order as services of hundreds of employees have been terminated without adhering to the due procedure laid down under various statutes

Mr Bharatwaj submitted that the “irrational” act of the DSGMC had affected the studies in schools and colleges and this fact had been recognised by the committee.

While, on the one hand, the DSGMC was claiming that only excess staff has been retrenched, on the other hand, the committee has issued a direction to the school and college heads that they could employ teachers on a temporary basis on daily wages in case studies are getting affected or for want of teachers, he pointed out.

Earlier in the day, the DSGMC employees, whose services have been terminated, demonstrated under the banner of Sikh Institutions Staff Action Committee.

Khurana attempts a face-lift
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 5
In a move aimed at rejuvenating the Delhi unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party, the state unit president, Mr Madan Lal Khurana, today inducted 12 new faces and retained four, which he hoped would bring the party back in power in the National Capital Territory of Delhi, where the Assembly polls are scheduled next year. “Old foundation, new construction,” Mr Khurana said, elaborating on the strategy adopted by him to revamp the party, which had been feeling low since the rout in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi polls earlier this year.

The Central leadership has given me the brief to lead the party to “victory” in the next Delhi Assembly polls and “I have attempted to give representation to senior leaders with mass base, on the one hand, and also to the younger members who are committed to the party and have the zeal to make the BJP stronger and more effective in the 21st century.”

The new team of office bearers includes five vice presidents, three general secretaries and five secretaries. The four office bearers who have been retained are: General Secretaries Pawan Sharma and Mr Mool Chand Chawla, Secretary Dr Ved Vyas Mahajan and Treasurer Shyam Lal Garg.

The new faces are: vice presidents Lal Behari Tiwari, Harsharan Singh Balli, Surendra Pal Ratawal, Vijay Jolly and Manhendra Bhutani; General Secretary Nand Kishore Garg; Secretaries Brahma Singh Tanwar, Vijendra Gupta, Manoj Shoukeen and Shahin Saini; Office Secretary Jagdish Mamgai, and spokesperson Mewa Ram Arya.

Among the 30 Executive Committee members, all the BJP MPs from the Capital — V K Malhotra, Sahib Singh Verma, Jagmohan, Vijay Goel and Anita Arya — have been included. Former Delhi BJP Chief Mange Ram Garg, MCD Standing Committee leader O P Kohli, Jagdish Mukhi, former Delhi Minister Harshvardhan and former Mayor Shanti Desai are also in the list. The Delhi BJP president said the new team is an attempt to give representation to all sections and communities, who could swing the fortunes of the party in the next polls.

He said those who could not find place in the current list would be accommodated in the various cells and morchas.

Torn asunder by life
Prem Pal Singh

Meerut, August 5
The course of true love never runs smooth. One often hears of love-birds ending their life in this region. Some of them even set an example of a bizarre kind.

This time, the lover performed the last rites of his beloved as if she were his spouse, and later, jumped in front of a moving train.

Amit and Shivani were desperate to tie the knot, but their families were opposed to the alliance. A frustrated Amit consumed poison, but he survived. After the incident, their families gave them the go-ahead. But destiny had other plans in store.

Shivani died in a Meerut Hospital in suspicious circumstances; people say that she consumed poison. Shivani’s family claimed that she died of food poisoning.

A highly-strung Amit returned home on Sunday after organising a ‘teharvi’ of his wife manque. He was down in the dumps and felt that the world was not worth living after the death of his ‘wife’. So, he too ended it all. He went near the outer signal railway crossing and, as the train came close, suddenly jumped on the track. Before the people standing nearby could react, Amit had been torn asunder.

Police found a suicide note in his pocket in which he had said that he was leaving the world as the separation from Shivani was unbearable and that he alone was responsible for his act.

Amit’s body lay on the track at least for 13 hours. An SI of GRP sealed the body and sent it for a post-mortem examination.

COMMUNITY

FACE TO FACE
‘India is world’s sole licit producer of opium’
J. T. Vishnu

FOR Abrar Ahmed, Zonal Director, Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Delhi, working in the bureau and often conducting raids to nab the traffickers has been an interesting job.

But Ahmed, the 1980 batch Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer and a graduate in LLB (Hons), regrets that the bureau is not in a position to function to its fullest potential as it is not equipped with proper facilities. He told the NCR Tribune that “there is shortage of manpower and enforcement vehicles and there is also a proposal pending with the Ministry of Finance, which is yet to be implemented.”

Excerpts:

What are the methods devised by the NCB to check the illicit trafficking of drugs?

We maintain strict surveillance and enforcement at import points and the land borders, increased preventive and interdiction efforts on known drug routes, intensive control measures at export points, such as air-passenger terminals, cargo terminals and foreign post offices, improved co-ordination between the various drug law enforcement agencies in order to impart greater cohesion and spread to a multi-agency approach.

In addition, identification of the illicit cultivation and the wild growth of cannabis and opium poppy and the eradication of these sources of primary supply. We also check the illegal trafficking by strengthening the intelligence apparatus to improve the collection, collation analysis and dissemination of operational intelligence and increased international co-operation both in operational and long-term intelligence as well as in investigations and mutual legal assistance.

Are the traditional routes like Golden Triangle and Golden Crescent still used for trafficking?

These are two major traditional routes that are used for a number of decades by the traffickers and the routes like Golden-traingle (Vietnam-Laos-Myanmar) and Golden-crescent (Pakistan-Afghanistan-Iran) are still considered as a most sought after route for the illicit trafficking of drugs. In fact, there is one more route – Golden-corridor (Uzbekitstan-Tazakistan–Turkmenistan), is emerging as the hottest route for drug trafficking.

Which are the new routes adopted by the traffickers?

It is very difficult to mention any specific route used by them, as fearing security interference they often try to change their routes. They mostly fly from Delhi to Pakistan-Lagos-Nigeria-Europe and United States. Once the drug reaches these destinations then it is distributed and routed to various other places depending upon their demands.

Is Delhi still considered the transit point?

The recent seizure figure shows that in the last one year, seizure of drugs in Delhi has been significantly reduced. It was in the late nineties that Delhi was considered as one of the hot transit points because of its proximity to the borders. Since the security has been tightened now — especially in the borders and the airports, the traffickers have adopted new routes.

Which are the drugs widely cultivated in India?

India is the world’s sole licit producer of opium. Opium is licitly cultivated in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh under a stringent licensing regime, which is operated by the Central Bureau of Narcotics. Another drugs is heroin, which is the most problematic drugs in the Indian context both in the extent of its abuse and its trafficking.

Last year, heroin exports to the South-West Asia continued to dominate the trafficking scenario. There are also reports of diversions from India’s licit opium crop for conversion into low-grade heroin in makeshift manufacturing facilities in the opium growing states.

And regarding Hashish – Nepal remains a significant source of illicit Hashish for India accounting to anywhere upto 40 per cent of total seizures.

Hashish produced in Nepal is trafficked into India across the land border states of UP and Bihar from where it is diverted to hubs such as Lucknow and Kanpur for further transportation to centres like Delhi and Mumbai.

What about the drugs that are well-known among the foreigners and are illicitly trafficked to their countries?

Heroin is very famous among the European and particularly in the United States. They prefer this drug because it has a finer quality than other drugs. Israeli people take more Hashish and the Synthetic drugs are widely used in the African countries, as they are very cheaply available in the illicit trade market.

Is the NCB getting adequate support from other agencies to function independently?

Till now, there has been a positive response from other agencies as they provide support and complete coordination. We also conduct quarterly meetings where every agency participates and exchange information, which are very useful to continue with our work.

How is NCB’s relationship with the Delhi Police Narcotics Bureau, as they also enforce the illicit drug trafficking laws?

We have no problem with them. In fact, we work in close coordination with the police and on many occasions we discuss and coordinate with them in order to make seizures and to arrest the traffickers.

What are the obstacles faced by the NCB?

We are short of manpower and enforcement vehicles. We don’t have permanent staff and most of the officers are only appointed here on deputation – which is major hindrance to work. A proposal has been pending with the Ministry of Finance, which is yet to be implemented.

Which are the places in India, where the illicit cultivation of drugs is rampant?

Hashish is rampantly grown in some parts of Western Uttar Pradesh, Kullu Manali and in the hills of Uttranchal. Whenever we receive information about the illicit growth we write to the concerned agencies to destroy them.

Nath to focus on civic problems of trans-Yamuna
Nalini Ranjan

New Delhi, August 5
Even 8-years after the formation of the Trans-Yamuna Development Board, it has yet to get an office of its own. It is shear apathy from the Government side, said Dr Narender Nath, the newly appointed chairman of this board. Prior to him, Dr A.K.Walia, was the chairman of this board for about 3 years. Due to heavy ministerial workload, Dr A.K.Walia could not give much time to this job.

Dr Nath was given this assignment as he was free to devote more time for the project. In an exclusive interview to ‘NCR Tribune,’ Dr Narender Nath said, when Bikunth Lal Sharma was the chairman of this board, its office was being run from a ‘one-room set up.’ Chairman like Mr Madan Lal Khurana and Dr Walia were running this office from their official residences. As an estimate, Rs 400 crore have been allotted to this board so far. However, he said that it is very difficult to provide details of the board’s outcome. Dr Nath said that even when the board does some work, the credit goes to the MCD, Jal Board, Delhi Vidyut Board and other agencies. As such, it is imperative to have a separate office and a logo.

Dr Nath said the board has done a lot of work to improve the civic amenities like construction of roads, sewers, proper distribution of drinking water and electricity. But these works were hardly visible.

Mr Nath said there were many problems in the Trans-Yamuna area. Apart from addressing the civic problems, the board has a lot of other work to do in the coming years. “We will try our best even though we have hardly one-and-half-year.” In this period, one can only do cosmetic changes, Dr Nath said. He also emphasised on the need to initiate beautification drives, develop parks, auditoriums and community centres. He said the Sanjay Park could be developed so that it becomes an important destination for the residents of this area. However, he lamented that due to the government apathy, it has hardly been developed. “We will try to develop it as a good tourist place” said Dr Nath.

He said the board was set up in 1994 with an annual fund of only Rs 20 crore and now it has gone up to Rs 100 crore. He hoped that with this money, some productive work would be done. He said for the first time since the board was formed, we have started monitoring the works carried out by the board. Dr Nath disclosed that everyday teams are sent on monitoring rounds in different constituencies along with the MLA and the Councillors of the respective areas. “We even take feed back from the president’s of different resident’s welfare associations,” he said. He was confident that after the introduction of this system, the possibility of misusing the allotted funds had diminished considerably.

Upset by rumblings, BJP dissolves two units
Our Correspondent

Ghaziabad, August 5
The UP state chief of the BJP, Mr Vinay Katiyar, has dissolved the Ghaziabad and Baliya party units. This has reportedly been done due to the poor performance of the party in the Assembly polls and the alleged indiscipline in its ranks. Observers have been appointed for organising new executive committees by the party chief.

According to sources, a number of other leaders and party workers, who were allegedly making dissenting noises, are also likely to face the music.

The party headquarters had received reports of district committees in Baliya and Ghaziabad having worked against the party candidates in the recent Assembly election. An inquiry committee had found these complaints valid and had also recommended dissolution of the district committees. Accepting this report, the state party president, Vinay Katyar, had appointed ex-minister, Surya Pratap Shastri, for Baliya and Mr Satya Dev Pachauri for Ghaziabad as observers.

Some party leaders and workers in Lucknow, Lekhimpur, Sitapur, Allahabad, Jhansi and Agra districts could also face disciplinary action, the sources said.

NHRC urged to help trace 8 missing youths
Parmindar Singh

Ghaziabad, August 5
Eight persons were picked up from Amirpur Nagola village in Hapur by police force which came in four jeeps at mid-night about a week ago.

The youths have not returned to their village so far and the villagers do not know in which police station they are staying.

The residents of Amirpur Nagola are panicky. They fear that the police might not have killed them in a fake encounter. The village is under police station Kharkhoda of Meerut.

Benay Singh, a resident has sent a letter to the National Human Rights Commission giving details of the incident and expressing fear about the safety of the villagers.

He has stated that on “the night of July 28-29 at 2.30 am cops from an unknown police station descended on Amirpur Nagola village and picked up Benay Singh’s sons Sukhpal, Aikil, Birju and Kapil, son of Bhoop Singh, Rajesh, Kanwarpal, Angal, and Bindu forsibly and sped away in police jeeps.

The National Human Rights Commission has been asked to get these eight persons freed.

Educational society restrained from increasing fee
Our Correspondent

Rohtak, August 5
The District Court, Rohtak, has restrained the Saini Education Society here from increasing its life membership from Rs 100 to Rs 500.

Delivering the verdict on an application recently filed by two youths, Mr Vijay Kumar Saini and Mr Mahender Singh Saini, the Additional District Judge, Shiva Sharma, said the life membership fee of the society was not increased strictly in accordance with the provision of its constitution.

The District Judge also criticised the society for violating the constitutional norms saying, “The constitution of the society is not a static vehicle of ideas. It is meant to regulate the functioning of the society. Rules are framed to adjudicate upon and resolve the controversies, which crop up or creep in during the working of the society. Raising life membership was a financial matter. Although alleged to be for the benefit of the society, enhancement could not have been ordered by a few persons.”

The respondent party, Saini Education Society, had in their reply taken the plea that the amendment in the constitution regarding enhancement of membership fee from Rs 100 to Rs 500, increasing the strength of members of the managing committee from 11 to 21 and extending the time period of management of the society from 2 to 3 years, were passed at the general body meeting held on May 14, 1995.

However, after hearing the arguments of both the sides and evaluating the materials on record, the court found that neither the quorum at the general body meeting was complete nor was it held to amend the constitution as no agenda was circulated to the members of the society for inviting suggestions and proposed amendments.

So the change in constitution could not be said to be proper and in accordance with the constitution of the society.

Besides, the court also restrained the society from increasing the strength of members of the managing committee except in accordance with the constitution of the society.

Goel wants computers in ‘madrasas’
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 5
Observing the need to raise the level of literacy among the minorities, Member of Parliament from Chandhi Chowk and Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office Vijay Goel on Monday said he wanted computers to be made available in the madrasas of his constituency.

Underlining the need for modernising the madrasas, Mr Goel said community participation was required to achieve the objective of raising the literacy level. He made the remarks after visiting Madrasa Niswan where he unfurled the National Flag on the occasion of a programme hosted to mark Independence Day celebrations. Mr Goel also toured Civil Lines, Mori Gate, Kashmiri Gate and interacted with his constituents. Warning of strict disciplinary action against “unwilling” and “lazy” officers, he told the officials accompanying him to develop a system of taking electricity and telephone cables underground.

He directed officers of Delhi Jal Board (DJB) to tackle the situation arising out of leaks in the water and sewer lines and clearing the choked sewer lines in Punja Sharif, Nickolson Road and Chhota Bazaar localities.

Four killed in car-truck collision
Our Correspondent

Ghaziabad, August 5
Four persons travelling by car died when their vehicle hit a truck, which had slowed down at a speed-breaker, near Sakeda village on the national highway at 11 pm on Saturday. The fifth occupant of the car was critically injured. According to the police, the car was carrying five persons from Sadarpur (Bahadurgarh) to Hapur.

The deceased, according to the police, were salesmen at Sona Petrol Pump. Suresh, Kailash, Babu Khan and Moni with Krishan Pal, an acquaintance, were all travelling in a Maruti car. The car hit the truck with such impact that it was reduced to a wreck.

Rousing reception for Justice Mittal
Our Correspondent

Rewari, August 5
Justice Satish Kumar Mittal of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, was given a rousing reception by judges of the local courts as well as members of the District Bar Association, on his arrival here.

Justice Mittal is a native of Narnaul. He had been a lawyer at Narnaul and then shifted to Chandigarh as an advocate at the High Court. Now he has been appointed a judge of the High Court.

His appointment as a judge of the High Court has been well received in the entire region. It is for the first time that a person from Narnaul has been appointed as a judge of the High Court.

Extending a warm welcome to Justice Mittal on behalf of the Bar association, its president Mr Satish Kumar Yadav, expressed the hope that with the presence of Justice Mittal at the High Court, there would speedy redressal of cases.

In response, Justice Mittal assured that he would sincerely work to solve the problems of the people and see that justice is speeded up at the High Court.

He attributed his appointment as a judge of the High Court to the robust faith that the people had in him.

NCR BRIEFS
4 arrested for planning dacoity
Our Correspondent

Faridabad, August 5
The police have arrested four persons on charges of planning dacoity. The accused, identified as Ibrahim, Jakir, Saleem and Subhash, were nabbed from a spot near Lakadpur village. A country-made revolver and a knife were reported to have been recovered from them. In another incident, a young girl residing in a Jhuggi colony near Agra canal here was burnt when a heap of industrial wastes caught fire. She has been admitted to a hospital.

Thefts committed

A two-wheeler (scooter) and a generator were stolen in two separate incidents in the town in the last 24 hours. According to complaints lodged, the scooter was stolen from Sector 16-A, while the generator was allegedly stolen from a factory located on the Mathura road here. The complaint was lodged by the owner here today.

Family looted

Some unidentified armed criminals injured two persons, including a woman and decamped with jewellery worth several thousand of rupees at Banchari village in Hodal sub-division last night. The matter has been reported to the police.

According to the complaint, the culprits made their way into a house and attacked its occupants, identified as Jalveer (28), Meena(24) and Ludhiya (55) who were sleeping outside and snatched gold and silver ornaments worn by the women. The gangsters fled after the victims raised an alarm.

Power connections

The Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigan (Operation) has provided power connection to 26 tubewells in the district in July this year. According to an official press release, the tubewells at Baghola, Janoli, Meesa, Allika Booster, Sinhol, Chandhut, Baata, Dehlaka, Karna, Deegot, Raipur, Penglkatu, Nangaljat, Sewli, Sewli-Manpur, Khambi, Aurangabad, Devli, Kalwaka, Prithli and Uncha villages have been provided with power connection.

The DHBVN authorities have also requested other government departments and Municipal Corporation, Faridabad (MCF), to immediately clear their pending power bills.

Deaddiction camp

Rewari
A de-addiction camp was organised under the auspices of the district public police co-ordination committee at the end of “operation social security” in the community health centre at Bawal, 14 km from here, yesterday. As many as 55 addicts were provided counselling as well as curative medicines by noted physician Dr B L Goyal and staff of the addiction awareness constancy centre, Rewari. Mr Hanif Qureshi, SP, and chairman of the committee said that programmes for practical assistance and welfare of needy women, aged persons children and Dalits would be organised at the police station as well as village level in future.

Cyclist crushed

A young cyclist, Bijender Singh, son of Vijay Singh and resident of Balmiki Basti near Dharuhera Chowk, was crushed to death by a speeding Tata 407 vehicle at Azad Chowk here yesterday. The police have registered a case of rash and negligent driving against its driver, Ranjit Singh, son of Bhawani Singh of Naraipur village in Alwar district of Rajasthan, who is stated to be absconding.

Blood donation

As many as eighty persons donated blood at a camp organised in Sant Nirankari Satsang Bhawan here yesterday. The camp was inaugurated by the Haryana Health Minister, Dr M L Ranga, who exhorted the people to donate blood in large numbers as it was a noble task both in terms of providing a new lease of life to victims as well as covertly cementing bonds of universal brotherhood.

CRIME

Trader’s house ransacked, cash, jewellery looted 
Tribune News Service

The police said that a case had been registered and efforts were being made to trace the suspects. At least half a dozen such incidents have taken place in the North-West district colonies under the Saraswati Vihar police stations during the last couple of months. The police said that patrolling in the area was being intensified.

Criminals held

The East district police today claimed to have apprehended members of the Sonu gang even as they were planning to target some businessmen. The police said that the leader of the gang, Sonu, was arrested by the West district police two-months ago for committing sensational robberies in the district and in Trans-Yamuna area. Last month, Manoj alias Ankit, resident of Mohammadpur was apprehended by the Farsh Nagar police and he disclosed to the police that he was planning to commit robbery in the Shahdara area and was involved in more than eight cases of robbery.

Another member of the gang, Anwar alias Amit (26), was also arrested. He confessed his involvement in more than 20 cases of robbery and dacoity. He was wanted in a dacoity case committed in West Jyoti Nagar of North-East district in which a businessman was robbed of his revolver and other valuables.

Some of Anwar’s associates are already lodged in Tihar Jail and some are evading arrest.

The police said that Sonu always operated in groups of 5-6 persons. He would commit a robbery with one group and change the group the next day. In this way, the gang members had no idea about his activities.

Minor rescued

The Central district police have arrested a kotha owner and two female traffickers from the GB Road area for allegedly forcing a minor girl into the flesh trade. The arrest came after the minor girl told the police that the two women, who were posing as her relatives and were trying to release her from the Nari Niketan, had forced her into prostitution. The police said that these women also met the minor’s parents in Ghaziabad to win their confidence even though they were in no way related to the girl family.

One killed

One person died and 12 were injured after an over speeding blueline bus collided with the divider at the Ring Road near Mayapuri today.

The bus (DL-1PA-5522) on route No. 753, plying between Uttam Nagar and ISBT, overturned and collided with the divider when the bus driver was trying to take a turn at the Maya Puri crossing.

The injured have been admitted to the DDU Hospital. The police have registered a case and are investigating the matter.

Fatal attraction

Rewari
Alleged illicit relations between a young married woman Sunita, wife of Kanshi Ram and mother of three children, and her nephew Ajit Singh, son of Bhim Singh, have led to the tragic end of both—the woman as well as the young man inn Bhalkhi Majra village, about 20 km from here. OC

BUSINESS

Immigrants told to go through legal channels

Noida, August 5
People wishing to settle in Australia, New Zealand and Canada have been advised to use the legal channel. They should go through the legal channel, says Mr Kuldip Singh, an advocate in immigration business. Mr Singh has helped hundreds of people immigrate to foreign countries. He said that countries like Canada, USA, Australia and New Zealand are on the look out for professionals in the fields of education, medical services and mass media. He said even as the demand for engineers are growing, the influx of doctors seem to have reached a plateau. All this can be arranged by Kuldip Singh’s ‘Sunrise’ company. He said that it takes between 12 to 18 months for the entire immigration process to be completed . OC