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May 14, 2003, Chandigarh, India
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WATER
BODIES New Delhi, May 13 Mr Bhatnagar, who has been involved in the exercise, told the court he had conducted a survey with the help of civic bodies and government agencies and found that there were 508 water bodies of varying size existing in different parts of the Capital. He informed the court that some of the water bodies were dry and small while others were wet and large. The court also directed the petitioner to furnish area- wise details of ponds, lakes and reservoirs being used as water bodies and the names of the agencies owning them. Concerned over the depleting ground water level in the Capital, the court had on March 31 directed the Centre, the Delhi Government, the MCD and the DDA to remove all encroachments in and around the lakes, ponds and reservoirs here and maintain them as water bodies. Meanwhile, the MCD filed a report before the court enlisting the actions taken by it in compliance with the court order, particularly regarding the Seelampur Depression (Lake) in East Delhi. While issuing the direction on March 31, the court had directed the Centre, the DDA, the MCD and the Delhi Government to maintain all water bodies as lakes and ponds and see that there was no encroachment around them. The court had also directed the MCD to draw the plan of the Seelampur Depression as well as the adjoining park in consultation with the DDA and police authorities. |
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MDU VC denies paper leak Rohtak, May 13 He said not one printed and authentic question paper of the university was leaked. What was being circulated outside the examination centres were photocopies of hand-written or typed questions, a compilation of questions seemingly taken from various examination guides or guess papers, and a couple of questions were found to be similar or common. “Thus, there is no leak as such”, he said. Unscrupulous elements, he said, had made attempts to dupe the students and in the process tarnished the image of the university. He warned that the university would deal with such elements with a heavy hand and no individual would found involved in the nefarious game be spared. General Suhag said the university had taken a serious view of the use of fake answer books by certain students in the examinations. He said the university had already initiated action but refused to divulge the details in the interest of a proper inquiry. Talking about the action initiated at this stage would hamper the evidence collection process, he said. An FIR had also been lodged in this connection, he said. |
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Lady lecturer alleges harassment Rohtak, May 13 In her complaint submitted to the Vice-Chancellor, Maj-Gen Bhim Singh Suhag (retd) last evening, Dr Madhu Gupta alleged that Dr S. K. Gakkhar, acting Director, DDE, summoned her in his office and shouted at her, using objectionable language in the presence of other staff members. She alleged that Dr Gakkhar had been humiliating her on various occasions since he assumed charge. Ms Gupta alleged he had been insulting her at the behest of another lady lecturer at the DDE who was considered to be very close to him. She said she had been undergoing mental torture and her family life had been affected adversely due to this harassment. She requested the Vice-Chancellor to take up her complaint at the highest level. She also urged the university administration to forward her complaint to the Women’s Rights Commission which deals with such complaints of harassment faced by women employees at their workplace. When contacted, Mr Gakkhar refuted the charges levelled against him. He alleged that the said teacher had been adopting a casual attitude towards her duties. He alleged she had misbehaved when directed to perform her duties properly. |
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FIRST PERSON Noida, May 13 She had the courage to send the greedy bridegroom packing from the marriage mandap and have him put behind bars. All arrangements had been made for the wedding of Nisha, daughter of Dev Dutt Sharma of F-109, Sector-56, Noida, on Sunday at the Sector-11, Yuv Kendra. But suddenly all hell broke in the pandal at the time of the varmala ceremony. The bridegroom and some other members of the marriage party were seen arguing with the father of the bride. It soon developed into a brawl and Dev Dutt Sharma was seen being hit in the face. When Nisha learnt the bridegroom was demanding Rs 12 lakh and a Maruti Esteem car as a prerequisite to the marriage ceremony, she immediately declared that she was against such a marriage and even informed the Noida police on phone about the greedy groom and the ruckus created by the marriage party. Munish, son of late Vashamber of Vikas Puri, Delhi, and his mother Ms Vidya Dalal had reportedly slapped Dev Dutt Sharma who had later filed an FIR in the Sector 24 police station about the incident. The police later arrested Munish, a software teacher, and sent him to jail under the provisions of the anti-dowry Act. Mrs Vidya Dalal, Munish’s mother, and Mrs Savitri Dalal an aunt, are reportedly absconding. “About a fortnight back they changed their tune. He would ring us up umpteen times and each call would last 10 to 30 minutes. “It is for the elders, let them take all the decisions in the matter”, I used to say. The darling of her father and the entire family, Nisha said though god had been kind to her family, still she did not want the hard earned money of her father to be squandered to please greedy in-laws. “My dad had arranged for all electronic items and other creature comforts as part of the dowry. But they (the in-laws) had increased their demands, which had became ridiculous”. “Have you ever heard of the groom demanding an additional set of all gadgets and items for the use of his brother. But my dad had fulfilled this absurd demand also. Talking on phone we had become good friends, but the assault on my father was too much for me to take”, she said. “The law must teach such greedy and anti-social people a lesson”. The bold stand taken by the young girl has been lauded by the residents of Noida as an example of women’s empowerment. |
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Traders stage dharna against robberies Rohtak, May 13 The agitating traders alleged the incidents of looting and attack on shopkeepers, mostly
jewellers, took place during a power cut. The power shutdown was usually between 7 pm and 8.30 pm and sometimes even beyond this time. This is not the only incident to have perturbed the traders. Earlier in January, unidentified thieves had stolen a locker from the shop of Jawahar Jewellers in Sayedwali Gali on Railway Road. Prior to this, Hanuman Jewellers were deprived of Rs 3 lakh. This shop is also situated on Railway Road, the busiest shopping centre in the town. Another father-son duo of
jewellers on Railway Road, Satbir and his son Amit, were attacked by unscrupulous elements on February 5 while making an unsuccessful attempt to rob them of their belongings, including cash and jewellery, which they were carrying to their residence in Ganipura Colony near the Railway Road area. The agitating traders later submitted a memorandum to the Senior Superintendent of Police, demanding the immediate arrest of the culprits. |
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CRACKING THE WHIP Sonepat, May 13 This was disclosed by the District Family Welfare Officer, Dr O. P. Bakshi, at a district-level workshop on “Foeticide and PNDT Acts of 1994 and 1996”, organised here by the District Advisory Committee on Monday. A number of doctors, who are already using this facility, attended the workshop. While elaborating on the provisions of the Acts and the subsequent amendments, Dr Bakshi disclosed that minimum training of six months or one year’s experience in sonography has been made compulsory for doctors seeking registration of ultra-sound facilities at their clinics. Moreover, monthly reports of ultra-sound tests relating to pregnancies must be sent to the district health authorities, he said. The Civil Surgeon, Dr Indu Bala Kapoor, stated that a doctor who goads a patient into undergoing a sex determination test could be sentenced to three to five years in prison and may have to pay a fine of Rs 50,000 to Rs 1 lakh. Similarly, a doctor whose involvement in sex-determination tests and foeticide is established, could be sentenced to five years in prison. He may also have to pay a fine of Rs 50,000 and face cancellation of his registration. The Civil Surgeon pointed out that the state government has taken a serious note of the growing chasm in the sex ratio in the state. He said this difference has resulted in many social evils as 20 per cent of the youths were unable to get married. She disclosed that the government had already initiated action against 16 clinics in the state for violating the provisions of the Acts and teams had been formed at the state and the district-level to raid such clinics. Though no case of foeticide has been detected in the district, the practice was in vogue under a cloak of secrecy. |
CM misusing official machinery in Fatehabad poll: HPCC Sonepat, May 13 Speaking to mediapersons here today, she alleged that when she along with the All India Youth Congress president, Mr Randeep Singh Surjewala, and Ms Kiran Saini, president of District Mahila Congress, were touring the villages to enlist the support for the Congress candidate, Mr Dura Ram, the district administration impounded their vehicles on flimsy ground. Mrs Chauhan claimed that there was a silent wave in favour of the Congress and predicted the victory of the party candidate with a huge margin. She alleged that the Chautala Government was out to grab the seat and was indulging in corrupt practices and giving allurements to the people to support the INLD candidate. The Congress leader alleged that Mr Chautala and his two sons had let loose a reign of terror in the area and she feared that fair poll would not be possible under these circumstances. She warned the district administration against their ‘partial’ attitude and said that the Congress would take action against the officials who were openly supporting the INLD candidate if it came to power again in the state. She urged the Election Commission to take immediate steps to provide security not only to the candidates but also to the electorate to enable them exercise their franchise without fear. She also demanded the exit of two sons of the Chief Minister from the constituency and ensure fair by-election. |
Delhi commissions human development report New Delhi, May 13 “We are aware of the kind of expectations of governance that people have from us and to meet those expectations, it is essential that we should have knowledge of what are the most pressing problems facing Delhi. The preparation of such a report should not take more than six months,” said Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit during the signing of an MoU between the UNDP and her government. Referring to the problems like the continuous and alarming flow of migrants and the huge gap between the rich and the poor, Ms Dikshit expressed the hope that a comprehensive report would help the authorities evolve a plan for equitable development within the limited resources available by providing a right direction. She went on to add: “Everyone wants to give something back to the city or state that they hail from, but they have no such feeling for Delhi. They want to take everything from here but give nothing back to the city.” Lauding India for being in the forefront of the human development movement worldwide, the Regional Representative of the UNDP, Brenda McSweeny, said the report was sure to provide a number of action plans for a people-centred governance. While the income levels of Delhi might be high, the city has to grapple with other problems like migration, pollution and health issues like HIV/AIDS, said Rohini Nayyar, Advisor, Planning Commission, adding that the report should be ready in six to eight months. |
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Metro fare hike ruled out New Delhi, May 13 The Minister added that the Delhi Metro will not face any financial difficulty till 2005 as the government has already cleared Rs 12,000 for the project. He also ruled out any cost or time overrun. “The project is breaking even, which is very good news in the first year of Metro’s operation,” he said, refuting the charge that a fare hike is being considered. The current prices of the ticket are between Rs 4 and Rs 7. Mr Kumar disclosed that the government was vigorously pursuing the objective of ushering in a Metro revolution in the country; as a part of this exercise, the Metro is being introduced in seven cities. Talking with media persons after inspecting the Metro work sites in Rajghat, Connaught place, Patel Chowk and Kashmere Gate, Mr Kumar disclosed that a Metro system was in the pipeline for Mumbai, Lucknow, Cochin and Thiruvananthapuram. He stressed the need for standardisation of the system throughout the country and pointed out that the Delhi Metro had bagged the Italian ISO 14001 award for the quality of its construction, ambience, upkeep and maintenance. The Delhi Metro would, therefore, be the consultant for the aforesaid projects. It would earn Rs 2 to 3 crore from each of these consultancies Speaking on the occasion, DMRC Chairman Madan Lal Khurana said he would like Delhi Metro to fan out in various parts of the country. At the same time, he recommended the construction of the Ring Railway to meet the burgeoning transport needs of the Capital. The DMRC officials and the minister would visit the Chawri Bazar and other areas of the Walled City in the first week of June as residents have complained of cracks in their old buildings, caused by the Metro construction activity. Their problems would be heard and addressed, he assured media persons. “We want the Delhi Metro, which is of global standard, to replicate its experience in other metros,’’ Mr Kumar added. The Delhi Metro, which is being compared to the Madrid Metro, is expected to ferry 22 lakh passengers daily after the completion of the 65-km-long first phase by September 2005. It has already created a record by operatationalising 65 km in seven years, which means nine km per year. The project is already 45 per cent over. Mr. Kumar denied that the 8.4-km-long Shahdara to Tis Hazari section of the Delhi Metro was currently in the red. |
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Demolition of statue slab sparks political row Rewari, May 13 The structure, at a public crossing in Model Town here, was demolished by the administration using a JCB machine in the wee hours of Sunday. The crossing, where the statue was to be installed, lies in the vicinity of the residential kothi of Capt Ajay Singh Yadav. An agitated Capt Ajay Singh Yadav, who flayed the administration for the “arbitrary and politically motivated” action, asserted that it had been done at the behest of the Chief Minister. He further said that he had personally requested the Haryana Governor, who had given his consent to unveil the statue on May 27, the first death anniversary of Rao Abhey Singh. However, Mr Harish Arora, chairman of the Rewari Municipal Council, told the ‘NCR Tribune’ that the upcoming concrete structure had to be removed because it was illegal. No permission had been obtained by the Rao Abhey Singh Smriti Manch or any other organisation from the authorities concerned to install the statue. He also informed that the municipal council had recently received an application from the manch seeking naming of the road and the crossing after Rao Abhey Singh. The application, he added, was being processed. Defending the time chosen for the demolition of the concrete structure, Mr Arora said that it had been deliberately chosen to avoid a confrontation. Capt Yadav said that the written representation made to the municipal council by the manch was a clear indication that when the crossing was to be named after Rao Abhey Singh, it would have his statue also. Capt Yadav also informed that they would now be holding a meeting soon in which a final decision regarding the site at which the statue had to be installed would be taken. Deputy Commissioner Vineet Garg told the ‘NCR Tribune’ that he had received a fax message from the Haryana Governor who had sought a report from him in connection with the proposed unveiling of the statue of Rao Abhey Singh here. But the fax message, he explained, made no mention of the “site” of the statue. |
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Auto drivers at New Delhi
Railway Station charging extra to line cops’ pockets New Delhi, May 13 This happened with a woman who hired an autorickshaw from the New Delhi Railway Station to Patparganj this morning. She paid Rs 60 to the clerk at the prepaid booth. When she sat inside the autorickshaw, the driver asked for extra money for the luggage. When she refused to pay the extra money, he took her to the traffic policeman, who supported the driver, she said. In contravention of the information on the receipt, which clearly states that a passenger has to pay Rs 2 for every kilogram of luggage over 20 kg, she was forced to pay the luggage charge even though it weighed less than 20 kg. Moreover, the clerk at the booth ‘shouted at her’ and asked her to ‘take another autorickshaw’, she said. She alleged that autorickshaws parked outside the station charged nearly Rs 20 less for the same distance from the passengers. When senior traffic police officers were contacted, they agreed that the racket could be run in connivance with the dealing clerk and the local cops posted to assist the passengers. Sources said that the ‘extra amount’ charged from the passengers was ‘for the policemen’ and the dealing clerk at the prepaid booth. The Deputy Commissioner of Police, Railways, Mr R. S.
Ghumman, expressed ignorance about the racket, saying that prepaid booth is under the Delhi Traffic Police. The traffic police officer at the Paharganj circle said that he was ‘not aware of the problem’, but promised to hold an inquiry into the matter. It is also learnt that the autorickshaw and taxi drivers have formed a union and charge Rs 20 as entry fee from autorickshaw and TSR drivers, who park their vehicles inside the railway station complex. |
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Power often goes on the blink in Panipat Panipat, May 13 In fact, the situation in this comparatively affluent town, which reportedly earned Rs 1,400 crore in foreign exchange for its quality handloom products during the last financial year, is poor in comparison with even mofussil towns when it comes to electricity supply. With the repeated complaints to the department concerned falling on deaf ears, the “powerless” residents, who are otherwise paying hefty power bills, seemed to have resigned to their fate. As the Electricity Department cuts power at the drop of a hat, the lesser mortals are more at the receiving end because the industrialists have installed power generator sets at their residences and commercial units. A majority of the middle class people have also installed invertors, thus leaving in the lurch ordinary residents. Meanwhile, the generator sets have contributed their own share of problems. With the city already choked with various kinds of pollution, the running of generators, besides being a public nuisance, adds to the problems of one of the most polluted cities in the country. The authorities are yet to spare a thought on this. Interestingly, there is a saying among the industrial community here that if you want to set-up an industry here, you must first install a generator set – a fit comment on the functioning of the Power Department. Despite such remarks and public outcry, the department has failed to come out of its deep slumber. It may be recalled that during an interaction between the Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, and the local industrialists on July 28 last year, the former was apprised of the unscheduled power cuts and subsequent adverse effects on the industrial production. But instead of addressing the real issue, Mr Chautala went on to blow his own trumpet. True to his style, the CM took pains to explain to the industrial community that the present INLD government had done much more than the previous governments put together in the power sector. Some of his observations seemed to be far from true. Taking pains to explain the power cuts, sources in the department said that they do not get adequate quantity of power. Since a majority of the urban consumers have less sanctioned load, the problem becomes acute in summer when a large number of people running Acs, thus drawing more power than usual. |
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Police self-defence training toughens up once-vulnerable girls New Delhi, May 13 In the beginning, the cell had only one centre, now it has 27 centres in the educational institutions in different areas of the Capital, Joint Commissioner of Police (CAW), Mrs Vimla Mehra said. The self-defence training programme was started following the rape of a student of Maulana Azad Medical College. The Delhi Police drew flak after the incident. The police then started a helpline 1091 to provide the women victims an opportunity to interact with the police immediately and give information, she said. While addressing newspersons, the Joint Commissioner said that in the beginning, the CAW had only a few students to learn the art of self-defence. At present, it has around 1,000 girls and women who have enrolled themselves in different training centres. The police give priority to the school and college students who are vulnerable to such crime. Currently, the trainers of CWC Nanakpura are running eight courses on self-defence training and eight similar courses are in the pipeline. Each course is of 10 working days with two hours of training every day. The trainees are also made to interact with the prominent NGOs in the Capital who educate them on the legal issues. With the objective of covering a large number of young women and girls, the CWC has launched a programme for the summer vacation also. It has been started in Delhi Police Public School, Safdarjung Enclave and CRPF Public School in Sector 14, Rohini. The Joint Commissioner said that the Women Cell regularly worked to evolve new schemes and provide an atmosphere of safety for women. The self-defence training, helpline and post box are specific endeavours to empower women and make them aware that the Delhi Police was available to them round the clock. |
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SPECIAL FOCUS ON GURGAON Gurgaon, May 13 What once used to be a peaceful ambience in Sector 4, which has more than 3,000 plot holders, the residents here are now bombarded with sound pollution and face risk to their lives due to the diversion of long route heavy vehicles from the national highway. Following the Supreme Court’s directive banning entry of long route heavy vehicles in Delhi, the district administration diverted the traffic from the highway through the city road near Sector 10 about a year ago. This road courses through the main road of Sector 4 and Sector 7. Earlier, the heavy vehicles, including trucks going to places like Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh and Jammu and Kashmir, used to go via Delhi. To add to the problem, there is no speed breaker on the road passing through Sector 4 and Sector 7. According to the former general secretary of the Residents Welfare Association of Sector 7, Capt B. S. Kanwalia, a number of accidents including fatal ones have taken place on the road since the traffic diversion. A retired DSP and two children were among those who were killed in the accidents, he added. They have complained to the authorities a number of times to no avail. The residents of the area demand that the authorities should set up a new road skirting the city for the transit of heavy vehicles. Also, the residents allege that the main dumping ground of garbage created on the main road of Sectors 4 and 7 has now become an unbearable nuisance. It is an open place and stray cattle and dogs rake in the garbage heap littering the place. With the onset of summer and coming monsoon, the residents dread the possibility of houseflies breeding in the area. Besides, there is no system to drain out storm water at a stretch of road in Sector 7 having more than a hundred plot holders. The old drainage is said to be choked. The residents of the two sectors are also not happy with the overhead electricity cables, which, they allege, destroy the trees. To prevent any disaster, electricity department personnel often trim the treetops. The residents ask why the forest and electricity departments cannot co-ordinate their activities in the interest of better growth of the city. The residents of Sector 7 also allege that while the authorities have put up cattle traps on one side of the sector, the other side has been left open nullifying the attempts to keep away pigs and other stray animals.
Lacoste India, a company with a presence in over 100 countries, opened its store in Gurgaon. The company has its showrooms in India at Agra, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chandigarh, Chennai, Kochi, Coimbatore, Goa, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Jalandhar, Khajuraho, Kolkata, Lucknow, Ludhiana, Mumbai, Nagpur, Neemrana, New Delhi, Noida, Pondicherry, Pune, Surat and Udaipur. Lacoste is famous for its collection of Polo Shirts, boasts of a diverse product portfolio, ranging from shirts, trousers, T-shirts, singlets, Bermudas, jeans, sweaters, jackets, kurtas, perfumes and clothing accessories for ladies, men and juniors. Mr Vikas Gupta, president and CEO of Lacoste India, said that the company is reinventing itself in the country by introducing a vibrant new range, Atlantique, that promises to take the high-end apparel’s market by storm. |
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Summer workshops by NDMC to engage children New Delhi, May 13 The workshops will be set up in Navyug Senior Secondary School, Sarojini Nagar for drama and painting, Navyug Senior Secondary School, North-West Moti Bagh for Kathak dance and painting and NP Bengali Girls Senior Secondary School, Gole Market, for Kuchipudi dance and painting. The duration of these workshops will be one month and classes will be held between 8 am to 11 am on all weekdays. Children upto 16 years can
enroll by obtaining the forms at respective centres. Certificates will be given to students on the completion of the course. |
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NCR briefs Faridabad, May 13 Youth assaulted SONEPAT: Rajesh, a youth sustained injuries when he was assaulted with knives by some unidentified persons at Qumashpur village about 12 km from here last night. According to a report, the injured youth was immediately hospitalised and is stated to be out of danger. The police have registered the case and further investigations were in progress. A hunt is on to apprehend the assailants.
Panchayat officer held Durga Dutt, Block Development and Panchayat Officer was reported to have been caught red-handed by the officials of the Vigilance Department while accepting the bribe of Rs 2,000 from Mr Gulab Singh, Gram Sachiv of Mundlana village, at Gohana town, 35 km from here late last evening.
Cancelled MDU exam on May 20 The Maharishi Dayanand University (MDU) of Rohtak has fixed May 20 for re-examination of paper-II (new scheme) of M A English (previous) course which was cancelled on April 30 on account of the leakage before the post-lunch session.
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DELHI DIGEST New Delhi, May 13 Man robbed Karim, who had come from Allahabad, was robbed of Rs 95, 000, a bracelet and a jewellery set by an unidentified youth in Jama Masjid area this morning. He came to Hotel Salam in a rickshaw from Old Delhi Railway Station. As he was about to enter the hotel after paying the rickshaw-puller, a youth brandished a knife and robbed him, the police said.
Load-shedding The NDPL today announced load-shedding due to maintenance work of a transformer at Khatewala (Hyderpur) substation in Shalimar area yesterday. |
Gang of highway robbers busted, six cases solved Sonepat, May 13 The Superintendent of Police, Mr Paramjit Singh Ahlawat, told mediapersons here today that the arrested criminal was identified as Satinder, a Jat of Kurar village. He said the police had recovered a pistol (9 mm) and 10 live cartridges from his possession. The police, he claimed, had succeeded in solving as many as six cases of loot committed by the culprit along with other criminals. Giving details of the arrest, the SP disclosed that a patrolling party had spotted him on the Sonepat-Dewru road, moving about in suspicious circumstances. The police, he said, asked him to stop but he tried to escape. However, the police overpowered him and arrested him. The SP further disclosed that during his interrogation, he confessed to his involvement in the cases of loot and told the police that he along with Surinder alias Kala, Jagdish alias Deesa and Dayanand of Kurar village, had looted a house in Sector 6 in Bahadurgarh in March 1997. Similarly, they had looted Rs 16,000 from the salesman of a petrol pump at Kalanaur in 1997. They had also tried to loot another petrol pump at Samalkha but were unsuccessful, as the staff had put up stiff resistance. According to the SP, the culprit had snatched a bag containing US dollars from a woman near the CR State College of Engineering at Murthal and later exchanged the dollars for Rs 25,000 in Delhi. He also disclosed that the suspect along with his associates including a dreaded criminal, identified as Vijaypal of Bidhlan village, had planned to kill one Kuldeep of Bhatgaon village on May 4 at a ghee factory on the Bahalgarh road. However, they had failed in their attempt as the police had raided their hideout. Vijaypal, however, managed to escape after firing shots at the police party. |
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