The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Family attacked in civil hospital
Abhay Jain

Gurgaon, October 3
The law of the jungle seems to prevail here as a group of six youths attacked a family of three persons in a hospital itself. The incident occurred last night in the civil hospital located just 100 yards from the city police station.

In a planned attack past mid-night, two persons got serious injuries inflicted with sharp-edged weapons. Both of them were immediately referred to a Delhi hospital where their condition was stated to be stable though not out of danger.

What surprised other patients, recuperating in the same ward on the first floor, is that the city police station is located just 100 yards from the hospital.

Not only the patients but the doctors, nurseries and other staff of the hospital were also aghast by the brazenness of the criminals. The 120-beded hospital is located in the heart of the city.

A resident of Sarhaul village, Mrs Kelawati informed the NCR Tribune that she and her two sons, Mukesh and Rakesh, had a scuffle with their neighbours, Dharambir and his sons, Pravesh and Bittoo on the night of October 1 over a petty issue. All of them received injuries and were admitted in the civil hospital the same night.

Dharambir got himself and his sons transferred to other private hospitals on Wednesday.

On the night of October 2 and 3 at about 1 am, six youths led by Dharambir’s another son, Praveen, alias Nitto, armed with a revolver, sword and other weapons came unexpectedly and attacked Rakesh while all of them were sleeping.

Rakesh cried for help as blood started oozing out from different parts of his body. An elderly person, Hari Krishan Kataria, aged around 60, woke up and thought that the assailants were beating his son Ashish. The duo were also admitted in the same ward.

The old man tried to save Rakesh in a mistaken identity.

But the criminals did not spare him either. They repeatedly hit the man with sharp weapons.

Both of them were seriously injured and became unconscious. The weapons had hit them on their head, hand and chest.

Meanwhile, Mrs Kelawati, Mukesh and other patients woke up and shouted for help.

Having seen that a number of patients had woken up, the criminals started fleeing the hospital, showing the revolver. The police had lodged an FIR but no arrest has been made till late evening.

Acid-burnt body found in Bulandshahr

Ghaziabad: The criminals in Hurthala village in Salempur area of Bulandshahr killed a youth and threw his body in the fields.

The victim’s face could not be identified as acid was thrown on his chest and face.

The police said that Deshraj Singh, a resident of Hurthala village, had informed them on Wednesday that a body was lying in the field.

The SO of Salempur police station found that there were deep injuries on the victim’s head, face and around his eyes.

The killers had burnt the victim’s face and chest with acid so that he could not be identified.

The body had been transported in a vehicle and dumped there, the police said.

The murder had apparently been committed elsewhere and the body was thrown in Hurthala village. About a dozen such bodies were dumped here recently after the crime had been committed elsewhere, the police SO said.

Brother stabbed to death

Noida: In Dabra village in Dadri, a brother stabbed his elder brother to death. A property dispute is said to be the reason for murder besides illicit relations in the family. Earlier also, about four years ago the same brother had killed his eldest brother, but nobody in the family had dared lodge a report against him.

According to police, sons of Charan Singh in Dabra village are known to have frequent quarrels on account of landed property. Illicit relation with a woman in the family is also cited as a reason for the quarrels. Younger brother had accordingly planned the murder of his elder brother Zile Singh. When Zile Singh went to Ajaib Pur railway station, the accused accosted him and stabbed him to death.

When the accused learnt that police had taken possession of the body of his brother from the site of

the crime, he fled from the village.

DU 5-minute farce fails to gel
Sanjog Gupta

New Delhi, October 3
The Academic Council decision, taken on Tuesday night in a marathon meeting, which will affect a superficial increase in the teachers’ workload, has not pleased anyone. Neither the teaching community, nor the UGC nor the students have appreciated the decision.

The University Grants Commission, acting upon the recommendations of the ERC, had issued a directive increasing the workload of teachers to 22 hours, so that it could cap expenditure through retrenchment of teachers. The increase in workload, it was felt, would entail a 30% lay-off.

As the row snowballed, the UGC, under pressure from all sides to hammer a solution, decided to leave the decision to the Academic Council, confident that the university authorities would side with it.

However, the efforts of the UGC came to a naught with the Academic Council weaning the teachers from the path of attrition and at the same time affecting a superficial increase in the workload, as if to show that it has not shot down the UGC directive.

No response could be elicited from the UGC Chairman despite repeated attempts. DUTA, despite being at the other end of the spectrum, is also miffed about the decision since it is not backed by any “academic rationale”. DUTA believes that the move is merely a compromise propelled by fears that the UGC, if not appeased, might resort to other arm-twisting ploys.

Shaswati Mazumdar, DUTA president said, “We believe that the academic community could have and should have stood against the UGC, but they preferred to take the easy way out.”

The students’ reaction ranges from cynicism to skepticism. Says Vaibhav of Hindu College, “An increase in the duration of classes with the same course content will actually lead to increase in absenteeism, since teachers will be able to finish the course of their respective papers in less time. They will take holidays during the year, or once they have finished the course.”

Nadeesh was less forgiving in his dismissal of the whole issue as a show of one-upmanship between the authorities and the teachers.

He said, “How does it matter? One has to study on one’s own in any case, it will have no bearing on students. Our classes are going to end later, I hope they have the common sense to inform the U-specials of the changes in college timings.”

The Academic Council decision also goes against the internationally accepted norm of restricting the duration of the classes to 40-50 minutes, so as to prevent burn-outs due to stress.

The decision, which came after a month of expectations, agitations and allegations, has proved to be an anti-climax. By opting to refrain from siding with either school of thought – increase in workload or upholding the existing norm – and taking a definite stand on the issue, the Academic Council might have left both DUTA and UGC feeling dissatisfied. The proverbial trick of hitting two birds with the same stone seems to have gone awry as far as the entities in Delhi University are concerned.

Schools expect four-yr-olds to be whizkids
Smriti Kak
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, October 3
The elitist schools just love to stump a child with a number of ‘intelligent’ tests. Interviews where they quiz you about papa’s name and the colour of the sky seem to belong to a bygone era.

The 21st century child is presumed to be a born prodigy. So, it is only natural to expect a child of four-and-a-half to write an entrance test, which will demonstrate whether he merits admission to the preparatory.

Parents seeking admission for their wards to the up-and-coming Delhi Public School, International, were greeted with mails proclaiming that their child would have to take a written examination for admission to the preparatory class.

Of course, like any thoughtful and considerate school, they gave the syllabus for the written test, the importance of which would be obvious even to a die-hard moron.

The syllabus reads, “The admission to class Prep is based on simple activities relating to various areas of learning and growth with which we assess the physical and emotional readiness of the child for attending a large school.”

It goes on to add, “We specially watch out for self-awareness, knowledge about self, family and the environment.” Besides, the child will be examined for self-confidence, spirit of independence, ability to socialise with other children, recognition, reading and understanding sounds of letters of the alphabet. Conceptual understanding of numbers, memory test, observation test to point out what is amiss in a picture and pinpoint what does not belong to a set and identification of colours, shapes and objects are also in the test.

What’s more. The parents have been instructed to leave the children at the school gates and pick them at an ‘appointed time’ later, ignoring the fact

that the somewhat nervous children might find the presence of their parents comforting.

“Ideally the schools should be testing the reflexes and whether the child is normal. If a child fulfills those criteria, it should be admitted. It is not fair to judge a child on the basis of his written skills at four. The emotions of confidence and cooperation come in a child only later, maybe at five. It is a normal human development that one child may be able to do one thing well whereas another of the same age may not be able to do it,” points out Dr Samir Parikh, a psychiatrist.

On having parents present with their children at the time of interviews and tests, he says: “A child’s separational anxiety needs to be exorcised. A sense of anxiety, which stems from a strange situation, must be avoided.”

Rs 142 cr for Haryana’s beauty treatment
Tribune News Service

Faridabad, October 3
The state government would spend about Rs 142 crore on beautification of its towns. This was stated by the Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, while launching a two-week-long ‘cleanliness drive’ here last evening. Paying tributes to the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, Mr Chautala said, “Cleanliness was very dear to Bapuji as he linked it with wealth and God.”

The Chief Minister said that his government was concerned about the disposal of bio-medical waste in urban areas, and the schemes were being chalked out with the help of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) and other health organisations. He said the IMA branch of Gurgaon had agreed to dispose of all the medical waste of private hospitals and clinics at its own cost. Appealing the people to shun the use of polythene bags, he said polythene and plastic material was not only harmful to the environment but it had also been choking sewerage lines in towns and cities.

He said to create awareness, about 1900 eco-clubs had been set up in the schools across Haryana.

He also declared that all roads in the state would be repaired or relaid by the end of this year. A scheme of solid waste management worth Rs 22 crore had been taken up earlier. The Chief Minister handed over a JCB machine, two sewer cleaning machines, tractor trolleys and about 250 hand trolleys to be used in the cleanliness operation.

Sulabh International which had been assigned the cleanliness work in the eastern sector on contract basis, is also helping the MCF in the drive. This organisation has promised to depute additional number of ‘safai karamcharis’.

The authorities have constituted about 53 teams and each team will have 30 or more employees for the campaign. The MCF officials have announced to make all streetlight points in Faridabad functional by October 15. Mr Chautala visited the railway station at Palwal where Gandhiji had been arrested on April 9, 1919 on violation of the ban imposed on his entry into Punjab in connection with non-compliance of the Rowlett Act.

He also visited Gandhi Ashram at Palwal and flagged off a ‘cycle rally’ of schoolchildren. In a cleanliness drive of another kind, the roads on which the Chief Minister travelled were made spick and span before his arrival. No hawker or stall was allowed on either side of the roads. Hundreds of policemen were deployed to clear the traffic from the road on which the cavalcade of Chief Minister passed. Thousands of schoolchildren and their teachers waited for hours before the chief guest arrived to flag off their rally.

Farmers for probe into canal water supply
Our Correspondent

Sonepat, October 3
Hundreds of farmers living in the villages falling under the jurisdiction of Gohana and Rai water services divisions in this district have been facing an acute shortage of canal water in the past few months. They have also alleged the theft of irrigation water by unscrupulous and influential farmers, backed by some officials and certain political leaders of the ruling party.

Some farmers alleged that the officials of the Irrigation Department are hand-in-glove with the unscrupulous and the influential farmers and were instrumental in hushing up the cases of power theft. As a result, crops have been badly damaged. Expressing grave concern over the inadequate and erratic supply of canal water, the farmers of villages blamed the officials, including JEs and Executive Engineers of the Gohana and Rai water service divisions, for not supplying canal water to them despite clear instructions from the state government. They also alleged that the desilting and deweeding operations carried out in the past by these officials were merely an eyewash.

The farmers whose fields are situated on the tail-end have demanded a high-level probe into their complaints about the non-availability of canal water for their fields. They have also demanded stern action against the officials found responsible for it.

They also alleged that the officials were in the habit of ignoring the instructions of the higher authorities, including that of the Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, to supply canal water to the fields situated in the tail-end areas. Representatives of various farmer organisations have refuted the claim of the Irrigation Department authorities that the canal water had reached the tail-end villages during the rotation period fixed by the government. They also alleged that the farmers were still facing erratic supply of canal water for irrigation purposes and their crops have been badly damaged.

JHAJJAR
Reverberations of drought felt on
agricultural activities
Our Correspondent

Jhajjar, October 3
Notwithstanding the ongoing blame-game between the Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala and Union Agriculture Minister Ajit Singh over survey of the drought- affected areas and subsequent relief package to them, reverberations of the drought are being felt in various activities related to agriculture.

As per the details collected from the annual ‘Asauj Cattle Fair’, which concluded in Jahajgarh village of the district, there has been substantial impact of the recent drought on the cattle business. The overall business transaction, mainly through the sale of about 9,000 cattle and other livestock in the fair, was reported to be Rs 4.08 crore.

Last year, about 7,469 cattle's were sold at a gross amount of Rs 4.26 crore. Moreover, the revenue of the state government went down as compared to last year. The government received Rs 16.50 lakh as revenue this year in comparison to Rs 17 lakh received last year. The costs of cattle was also lower this year.

An analysis of these figures showed that on an average, there was a decline of Rs 1,000 per cattle this year.

Official sources told the NCR Tribune that while 20,000 cattle's were put on sale in the fair, only about 9,000 were sold.

The Animal Husbandry Department sources said that the bovine population in the district has come down from 3.37 lakh to 3.13 lakh in last three years. The worst affected are the milk producing animals.

A former deputy director of the Animal Husbandry Department, Mr N Sahu, elaborated that a decrease in the number of low age group cattle, could have wide ranging effect on the rural economy. He said the milk related business is expected to suffer in the long term in the district. He said that this negative trend in the cattle business is mainly due to the shortage of rainfall this season, which resulted in a fodder and water crisis for the bovine population.

Although, the post-monsoon rains has solved this problem to some extent, the farmer community could not recover from the financial setback and are more willing to get rid of the unproductive animals which apparently fall in the low age group. Due to the hardship being faced by the farmers in the aftermath of the drought, the farmers are ready to dispose of their cattle at through-away prices.

Rs 40 crore Central aid for Haryana jail revamp
Our Correspondent

Sonepat, October 3
The Centre has earmarked a sum of Rs 40 crore for providing modern facilities in the jails of Haryana during the current financial year. This was stated by Mr Laik Ram Dabbas, Deputy Inspector General of Police (Prison) while talking to mediapersons here yesterday.

He disclosed that the state government had already received the first instalment of Rs 10 crore for this purpose.

As a first step, the kitchens in all the 18 district jails would have modern facilities and the prisoners would be provided hot meals, he added.

Mr Dabbas also disclosed that LPG cylinders would be provided in all the jails for preparing fresh and hot food for the prisoners. Till now, the food for the prisoners were cooked using wood.

The LPG cylinders, he said, would provide by the Police Department next week in the district jails of Ambala, Rohtak and Sonepat on the experimental basis.

He said that the financial assistance from the Centre would also be spent on the construction of houses for the staff, community latrines in the district jails and for the maintenance of jails and other facilities.

He said that in order to convert the jails into a `Sudhar Graha’, the prisoners would be given vocational training during the last one-year of their sentence so that when they are released from the jail, they are in a position to earn a living without resorting to criminal activities.

Beginning with the Sonepat district jail next week, Mr Dabas disclosed that video conferencing facility would be provided in all the district jails of Haryana.

Under this scheme, video sets will be installed in the district jail and in the district court.

Through the video conferencing facility, he said, the jail authorities would be able to present the prisoners in the courts without having to take them physically to the courts.

THE ACHIEVERS
Organising slum-dwellers to make them
realise their ‘shakti’
Nalini Ranjan

New Delhi, October 3
She has been chosen by the Government of NCT Delhi to organise (Stree Shakti) camps in the Trans-Yamuna areas to educate the women of the slum clusters so that they could bring about improvement in their socio-economic conditions. She has also assisted UNICEF in organising workshops for street children in East Delhi.

After 18 years of social service in the slum clusters of the Trans-Yamuna area, Mrs Rekha Rajput, is a familiar face in the area. And this is reward enough for this middle class housewife, who has been born and brought up in the Capital.

As one of the pioneers of the ‘Mahila Uthan Samiti’, a voluntary social service organisation, she has been working tirelessly in this areas along with other like minded women, holding awareness camps, organising adult literacy classes and persuading them to send their children to schools so that they can have a bright future.

In order to make the women economically independent, the Samiti has also been holding regular classes at vocational training centers set up by them, to provide skills like sewing, embroidery, cooking. The latent theme in all these workshops has always been the stress on education.

However, it has not always been easy.

Talking to the NCR Tribune, this social worker recalled how the people of the area were suspicious of her intentions when they went to these clusters to persuade the residents to send their children to school.

For them education was hardly a priority. Their main focus was on making a living so that they could have at least two full meals a day.

She recalled how they had to organise ‘Nookad Nataks’ in the Janta Majdoor Colony and Jaffrabad for a whole week, before they could convince the residents to send their children to schools.

It started with a trickle, when a few convinced mothers took their children to the nearby primary school. Subsequently, it turned into a spate, with almost every household participating in it, recalls Rekha Rajput, with satisfaction.

The response from the adult population has also been encouraging. Now, the Samiti is holding regular adult education classes in the slum clusters.

She recalls with considerable pride how two of her former students not only completed their education but also qualified to undergo elementary teachers’ training.

Her 34-year-old son also helps her in her crusade. Her husband, a bank employee, has stood by her all these years as she devoted most of her time in the slum clusters trying of the uplift the downtrodden.

MCD nod for ‘tehbazari’ rights to NGOs flayed
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, October 3
Mr Vijender Kumar Gupta, member of the Standing Committee of the MCD, today demanded that the resolution passed by the committee on transferring ‘tehbazari’ collection rights to NGOs be withdrawn since it is illegal, unconstitutional and against the statutory provisions of the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act.

He alleged that the ruling party in the MCD, the Congress, passed this resolution in a hurry with mala fide intention to oblige some beneficiaries.

He said that the Mumbai Police Act, which was also in force in Delhi, empowered the police to remove encroachments from roads, streets and public land and any action in this matter without obtaining the consent of the Delhi Police would be illegal.

Besides, any change in the rates for rickshaw-pulling as mentioned in the Third Schedule under Section 13 of the Act and in the bye-laws for issuing hawking licensing under Section 420 of the Act would require approval from the Government of India. Therefore, the act of seeking approval of the Supreme Court without first getting approval from the Government of India would be a futile exercise, Mr Gupta alleged.

Mr Gupta added that the MCD had relied upon the report of a study conducted by an NGO at its own initiative for which they had not been asked or paid for by the corporation. Had the corporation wished to hand over the collection of ‘tehbazari’ charges to NGOs or private entrepreneurs, it should have floated tenders and the contract would have been allotted to an eligible NGO after fixing necessary parameters for the contract. Moreover, the proposal of allowing NGOs to collect ‘tehbazari’ charges in Sewa Nagar CGO Complex also showed connivance of municipal officers and the ruling party with the NGOs who were likely to be selected for collection of tehbazari.

It is interesting that the report had recommended that passports or driving licences might be taken as proof for reliable identification of street hawkers and rickshaw-pullers. Has the study surveyed and compiled data about the number of streets hawkers and rickshaw-pullers, who have passports and driving licences?” asked Mr Gupta.

The report further contained recommendations to allow street hawkers to carry on their business on footpaths or using pedalled or animal-drawn vehicles or using motorised vehicles of below 800 cc engine etc. Mr Gupta alleged that implementation of this proposal would create chaos and unmanageable traffic problems on the already congested and encroached streets and roads of the city.

Mr Gupta lamented that the report had also recommended to increase the open and covered ‘tehbazari’ rates to Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 per month, respectively. “Will it be logical and practical to act upon under the prevailing social and economic conditions of the poor hawkers!” Mr Gupta doubted.

Mr Gupta also alleged that the item was placed on the table of the House and no time whatsoever was given to the members of the Standing Committee to think about its pros and cons. He said that every item was required to be sent to the members at least 72 hours before the time fixed for the meeting. Instead, the item was placed on the table and passed unconstitutionally and illegally against the provisions of Section 74 of the DMC Act.

Rural development ‘panacea for country’s ills’
Our Correspondent

Rewari, October 3
Hundreds of ex-servicemen, functionaries of various voluntary organisations, teachers and other prominent citizens from various parts of south Haryana and the neighbouring Alwar district of Rajasthan participated in a social conference organised under the auspices of the National Centre for Rural Development, "Utthaan", on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti here yesterday. Mr Hazari Lal Yadav, a retired Principal from Delhi, presided.

Rich tributes were paid to the Father of the Nation and the 24-odd speakers who addressed the conference enunciated his specific thrust on rural development as a panacea for the various ills plaguing the country.

Echoing the urgency of specialised rural development, Dr (Major) Tara Chand Yadav (retd), founder President of `Utthaan', said they had launched a multi-pronged campaign against the monstrous menace of dowry, rising unemployment and liquor addiction in the rural areas of south Haryana. He further said the organisation was now all set to popularise the system of holding mass marriages among the ruralites as an essential instrument of eliminating the obnoxious system of dowry.

Regarding their plan to tackle unemployment confronting educated youth, Dr Yadav said ‘Utthaan’ would organise vocational guidance and counselling camps from October 19 to March 31 next year in senior secondary schools and colleges to assist the 20, 000 outgoing students of these institutions in choosing a suitable career for themselves.

Functionaries of other voluntary organisations and numerous others formally became members of ‘Utthaan’ and pledged their unstinted cooperation and support to it.

Honour for Speaker from across seven seas
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, October 3
For many who claim to be serving the nation and its people, here is a lesson to
imbibe.

Delhi Assembly Speaker Chaudhary Prem Singh’s feat of having won elections for the last 45 years is an achievement, which speaks volumes about the man’s commitment and his dedication.

Acknowledging his commendable services, the General Assembly of New Jersey, the United States, has passed a historical resolution on his success in public life.

In a special session held to honour him, the Assembly spoke of his record of winning elections for the last 45 years, thereby providing outstanding services to the people of Delhi.

The longest-serving elected representative has been felicitated for his distinguished services, political career and effective leadership in various positions that he held. Mr Singh was given a red carpet welcome, making him the first Indian to receive the honour.

The Governor of New Jersey, Mr James E. Mc Greevey, in his message, described Mr Singh as a legendary figure in the field of democratic set up and said that all elected representatives throughout the globe should follow his ideals and morals of working for the people and serving those who require assistance.

His winning the elections for 45 years is an example of serving people with truth and sincerity.

ROHTAK
Reserve 25 pc posts for disabled: Samiti
Our Correspondent

Rohtak, October 3
The Haryana Handicapped Persons Sewa Samiti has demanded reservation of 25 per cent posts in the state for handicapped persons.

The handicapped persons belonging to rural areas of Rohtak and Jhajjar districts today held a meeting at Dighal village to highlight the problems being faced by them in Haryana. Mr Jagdeep Singh Dhankar of Karontha village presided over the meeting. The meeting reminded Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala that during the regime

of Devi Lal persons who were handicapped to the extent of 40 per cent were provided pension benefits but now they had been denied this pension.

The Civil Surgeons in various districts in the state, the meeting alleged, were not treating any person with less than 70 per cent deficiency in the body as handicapped. As a result, the vast majority of handicapped persons had been denied benefits meant for these persons.

The samiti demanded that the administration should allot government owned shops to handicapped persons so that they could earn an honourable livelihood. These persons, the meeting said, should also be provided interest-free loan to establish self-employment ventures. As in neighbouring Delhi, the handicapped should be allowed free bus travel in Haryana as well, the samiti said.

DELHI DIGEST
Safdarjung flyover to open in March
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, October 3
The Delhi PWD and Urban Development Minister, Dr A. K. Walia, said the Safdarjung flyover would be fully commissioned by March next year.

The minister stated this after visiting under construction flyovers at Safdarjung, Dhaula Kuan, Mayapuri and Punjabi Bagh today.

He said that construction work of a few flyovers on Ring Road and Underpass connecting Green Park and INA was in progress. Besides, two loops would be constructed under this project. For the smooth flow of traffic on Ring Road a curved flyover had already been opened in August this year. Similarly, the construction work of Punjabi Bagh flyover would be completed by March next year while Rohtak Road Underpass had almost been completed and it would be opened to traffic by the end of this month.

While examining the construction work of the flyovers, he said the Dhaula Kuan flyover would be completed by June next year. The construction of the flyover connecting Palam Road and Taj Palace was in progress. However, he expressed displeasure over the delay in the construction of Mayapuri flyover, which is late by one and a half years.

LG offers chadar

The Lt-Governor, Mr Vijai Kapoor, offered a floral chadar at the Dargah of Khwaja Bhaktiyar Kaki in Mehrauli on Thursday. The ceremony is a part of the annual Phool Walon ki Sair. Mr Kapoor said Delhi was a place where people of all faiths lived together in harmony. Saints and Sufis explained the profundity of spiritual life, the universal fraternity of mankind and emphasised the need to eschew separatism and narrow-mindedness.

Mr Kapoor added that since the festival season was commencing people should be more vigilant and keep a close watch on criminals and terrorists who try to disrupt harmony and peace in the country.

CRIME

Dowry menace claims another victim
Our Correspondent

Rohtak, October 3
A woman was forced to commit suicide and another was driven out of the house allegedly by their in-laws for bringing inadequate dowry in the district during the past 24 hours.

In the first incident, Mr Rajpal of Karor village stated in the FIR that his sister, Ms Sunita, was married to Sunil of Mandhauti village nearly six years ago. He alleged his sister was maltreated by her in-laws for not bringing more dowry. He alleged that his sister had to end her life by consuming poison as she had been fed up with the atrocities at the hands of her in-laws. The police registered a case under Section 304-B of the IPC.

In another incident, Mr Rajendra of Sanghi village stated in the FIR that his daughter, Ms Anju, got married to Ishwar at Mandhauti village in December 2001. He alleged that the in-laws of his daughter started harassing her demanding certain household items. He alleged that they drove the newly married woman out of the house when their hunger for dowry could not be satisfied. A case under Sections 498-A, 406 and 323 of the IPC was registered in this connection against the in-laws of Ms Anju.

RI for selling gas cylinders in black

The Additional Sessions Judge, Mr Shiva Sharma, has awarded rigorous imprisonment for six months to Raj Kumar, son of Nihal Singh Malhotra, and Ravi Raj, son of Ram Pal Balmiki, for violating Section 7 of the Essential Commodities Act, 1955. Both have also been fined Rs 1000 each. In case the two fail to pay the fine the Judge has further sentenced them to undergo simple imprisonment for one month.

The accused persons were tried for violation of the provisions of the Haryana Prevention of Hoarding and Maintenance of Quality Order, 1977, and provisions of clause 6 of the Liquified Petroleum Gas (Regulation of Supply and

Distribution) Order, 1993, which constitute an offence under Section 7 of the Essential Commodities Act.

The complainant, Rajesh Kumar, son of Rullia Ram of J P Colony, Hisar Road, Rohtak, had on January 5, 1996, complained to the Deputy Commissioner that Anand Gas Service, of which he was a consumer of cooking gas, was selling cooking gas in the black market. The then Deputy Commissioner forwarded the complaint to the Additional

Superintendent of police for investigation and necessary action.

The police, during investigation, found that the gas cylinders were being sold for Rs 130 each against the fixed price of Rs 97. The police, during a raid on the godowns of the gas agency, had detected 39 empty refills, 48 filled refills and 49 defective refills.

Stamp paper racket unearthed
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, October 3
The West district police arrested six persons who had allegedly been involved in selling forged government documents. They were identified as Sanjay alias Vinod, Shashi Bhushan Giri, Bipender Singh, Shashi Kant Pandey, Ranjan Kumar and Ladhu Singh. The gang members used to prepare and sell fake stamp papers of various denominations. Fake stamp papers worth Rs 20 lakh were recovered from their possession. During interrogation, the gang members confessed to their involvement in the racket.

The gangsters used to obtain fake stamp papers from a printing press at Gaya in Bihar. The press is allegedly owned by Jai Nandan Sharma and he is learnt to be the kingpin of the racket. Ludhu Singh operated on his behalf to supply fake stamp papers in Delhi. The modus operandi of the gang was to communicate among its members on mobile phones in Bihar and fix meetings with their contacts in the Capital. The gang had caused a huge loss to the national exchequer by indulging in the sale of fake stamp papers, the police said.

Heroin seized: With the arrest of three persons, the Narcotics Branch of the Delhi Police today claimed to have recovered fine quality heroin worth Rs 2 crore. The prime suspect, Anand Kumar, was arrested from near Delhi Zoo on Mathura Road where he had gone to deliver the consignment while Raj Kumar and Dalbir were arrested from Peeragarhi Chowk.

The police had a tip off that Anand will come to the zoo and he was arrested when he came to deliver the consignment. Anand used to work in a garment factory in the Okhla industrial area. He began drug peddling to make quick money. The police are trying to find out the suspect who handed over the consignment to Anand.

House ransacked: Three unidentified youths armed with knives and a country-made pistol robbed cash and jewellery worth lakhs of rupees from the house of Mushtak in Shastri Park in North-East district last evening. When the incident occurred, only Mushtak’s wife, his sister-in-law and his mother were in the house.

The robbers had covered their faces with black clothes. They demanded the key of the almirah. When the women resisted, they threatened them at gunpoint. They ransacked the entire house and decamped with cash and jewellery. Joint Commissioner of Police B.K. Gupta said that the women had identified one of the suspects, who was said to be known to Mushtak. A case of robbery has been registered in the Seelampur police station.

Currency racket: With the arrest of three persons, the North-West district police today claimed to have unearthed a racket in fake currency notes. The arrested were identified as Pankaj Mutuswami alias Swami, his associates Rajesh Sharma and Heera Lal. The police seized fake currency notes worth Rs 1.32 lakh, a photocopier and a scanner from their possession.

Army jawan held for carrying grenades
Tribune News Service

Faridabad, October 3
An Army jawan was arrested by the railway police at the Palwal station today on charges of possessing about six grenades in his baggage. The soldier, identified as Sanjiv Kumar, was reportedly on his way home on leave. The grenades were detected when the railway police checked his belongings after they got suspicious. The jawan, who could not provide a satisfactory explanation or authority letter for possessing the grenades, was arrested and produced in a court at Palwal.

Two boys killed in mishaps: Two boys were killed in separate accidents in the town today. Birju, a 13-year-old boy working as a helper at a tea stall at old Faridabad railway station was killed after he was run over by a speeding train this morning. In another incident a 10-year-old boy, identified as Gautam, was killed after he was hit by an unidentified vehicle on the Surajkund road. He died on the spot.

Narnaul
Gang of dacoits busted: The Narnaul police claimed to have busted an inter-state gang of dacoits with arrest of nine members on Wednesday. The SP disclosed that the police nabbed the dacoits from a building at village Sirohi Bahali under the Nangal Chaudhry police station while they were conspiring to loot in the area.

They have been identified as Prahlad, Sugan, Ashok, Dhanak, Manoj, Meena, resident of Tiba Basai (Narnaul area), Rajesh, Ram Avtar of Ilasar (Rajasthan), and Rajesh, resident of Ajarka (Rajasthan). The police seized a gun and one live cartridge.

Youth murdered: Ganesh Prashad Sharma (18), son of Sunder Prasad Sharma, resident of Krishan Gopal colony here, was brutally murdered on Wednesday night. According to Superintendent of Police C. S. Rao, Ganesh was found with multiple injuries in a kothi (which is under construction) of Kailash Aggarwal in Shiv colony here late on Wednesday night. Ganesh was immediately rushed to the civil hospital where he succumbed. The city police have registered a case under Section 302 of the IPC and have started a hunt for the culprits.

According to the father of the deceased, an unknown person, accompanied by a few others, came to his house at about 8.30 pm and requested Ganesh to escort them to somewhere. At about 4 am on Thursday, the city police brought his son in a very serious condition. Though he was rushed to the civil hospital, he died. The body is kept in the hospital for the post-mortem examination.

Rohtak
203 pirated VCDs seized: The district police have arrested two shopkeepers and seized 203 pirated VCDs from them during the past 24 hours. According to information, the police raided the shop of Rajesh on the Kutcha Beri road here following a complaint and seized 82 pirated VCDs.

In another incident, 121 pirated VCDs were seized from the shop of Bablu, located at the Bhiwani Stand chowk here. Both the raids were conducted following a complaint by Mr Jagtar Singh Malhotra, manager, Copy Right Production Agency Private Limited, Samalkha. Separate cases have been registered against Rajesh and Bablu under Sections 51,52-A, 63 and 68-A of the Copyright Act and Section 420 of the IPC. Both were arrested.