H A R Y A N A

Bhajan’s Golden Temple visit a gimmick, say Akalis
Karnal, August 27
The recent visit of former Chief Minister and President of Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC) Mr Bhajan Lal to the Golden Temple, at Amritsar followed by his appeal to the Sikh community ‘to forget the past’ seems to be welcome move to initiate a new beginning of communal harmony in the state with far reaching consequences in the rest of the country.

Misuse of gurdwara funds alleged
Kurukshetra, August 27
The Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, in its executive committee meeting, held under the chairmanship of Mr Jarnail Singh Ajrana, at dera kar sewa here on Monday had decided to call upon the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), President, Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra, to apprise him of the exploitation of the Sikhs by the SGPC since 1925. The proceedings of the meeting were released today.

Nod to prosecute IAS officer refused
Chandigarh, August 27
The Haryana Government suffered yet another blow when the Union Government refused permission to prosecute IAS officer Anil Kumar in a corruption case.

Tax takes its toll on trucks
Karnal, August 27
More than 300 trucks have gone off the road in Karnal ever since the toll tax on New Delhi-Ludhiana national highway has been imposed last year. The truck owners alleged that they are passing through hard times due to the imposition of heavy toll tax at various places on the national highway and other additional taxes.

Woman writes to rights panel, seeks CBI probe
Fatehabad, August 27
A woman, who was allegedly shot at and injured by a kin of her NRI husband, has accused the local police of colluding with the accused and has demanded an inquiry by an independent agency in the case. 

Stories from Haryana towns falling in the National Capital Region are put in NCR Tribune.

REGIONAL BRIEFS

YOUR TOWN

Ambala Hisar Kurukshetra Karnal Rohtak

	Anti-Chautala leaders urged to join hands August 27, 2003
	Protesters, police clash; eight women, DSP hurt August 26, 2003
	SYL canal: Haryana submits action plan August 25, 2003
	Rs 3565 crore to improve education August 24, 2003
	Bhajan Lal backs Advani August 23, 2003
	Chautala scoffs at Advani’s suggestion August 22, 2003
	Floor strategy: CLP to meet on Sept 3 August 21, 2003
	3 ‘Lals’ promote family rule, alleges Kadian August 20, 2003
	Rescued girls languish in Nari Niketan August 19, 2003
	Withdraw resolution or face action, varsity tells teachers August 18, 2003

Mayawati has breached trust, says BJP
Yamunanagar, August 27
Ms Mayawati has betrayed the Bharatiya Janata Party thrice, said Mr Rattan Lal Kataria, state BJP President, while talking to newspersons here today. He said it was a breach of trust as it was the BJP which had offered the chief ministership to Ms Mayawati.

Dharna by CPM workers
Hisar, August 27
Workers of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) yesterday staged a demonstration at the Krantimaan Park here at the end of the party’s nationwide ‘Jan Abhiyan’ against the policies of the Centre.

Woman sarpanch suspended
Ambala, August 27
A woman sarpanch of Rekha Chauhan of Kalal Majri village was suspended by the Deputy Commissioner of Ambala, Mr D.D. Gautam. Mr Gautam said Kalal Majri sarpanch Rekha Chauhan had been suspended. “An inquiry was ordered after the villagers alleged irregularities in different schemes.

College teachers decry V-C’s letter
Kurukshetra, August 27
Haryana College Teachers’ Union (HCTU), State President, K.S. Dhillon and State General Secretary, Pawan Sharma in a joint statement released to media here late yesterday evening, have condemned the action of Maharshi Dayanand University (MDU), Rohtak, Vice-Chancellor, General B.S. Sihag.

Women protest against police action
Gharaunda, August 27
Hundreds of women came out of houses onto the streets of township, to protest against police action which injured eight women.

NSS orientation programme begins
Kurukshetra, August 27
The Vice-Chancellor of Kurukshetra University, Dr A.K. Chawla, today inaugurated a 10-day orientation programme for NSS programme officers of the university and M.D. University, Rohtak, at the university faculty lounge.

2 incidents of looting near Fatehabad
Fatehabad, August 27
Two incidents of looting near the town last night have scared local residents. The miscreants injured four persons besides robbing them of cash and other belongings.

Officer files fresh bail plea
Ambala, August 27
A senior IAS officer of Haryana and former Managing Director of the Haryana Financial Corporation, Mr Ajit Mohan Sharan, who was arrested by the Vigilance Bureau two months back in a multi-crore loan scam, has filed a fresh bail application in the court of the Additional Sessions Judge, Mr B.M. Bedi, here today.

Lawyers’ booths razed
Ambala, August 27
The Administration demolished at least 10 newly constructed booths of lawyers near the SDM office this evening. The president of the Ambala Cantonment Bar Association, Mr Devender Bansal, has criticised the administration action.

Teacher killed, 7 hurt in mishap
Hisar, August 27
A woman teacher was killed and seven other persons including two women were injured when a jeep carrying them overturned on the Hisar-Sirsa road, 4 km from here to the police said today.

Held for rape of niece
Rohtak, August 27
The police has arrested an ex-serviceman for raping his niece, a class VIII student, four and a half months ago. The accused has been identified as Manipal, a resident of Jhajjar town the police said.

Bhajan’s Golden Temple visit a gimmick, say Akalis
Tribune News Service

Karnal, August 27
The recent visit of former Chief Minister and President of Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC) Mr Bhajan Lal to the Golden Temple, at Amritsar followed by his appeal to the Sikh community ‘to forget the past’ seems to be welcome move to initiate a new beginning of communal harmony in the state with far reaching consequences in the rest of the country.

However, it seems it would take time for the Sikhs to forget the past as they faced difficult times in the early eighties during the Congress regime under his leadership. In the past two decades no one has ever tried to heal their ‘wounds’, feel most of the Sikhs settled in the state.

Mr Sukhdev Singh Gobindgarh, president of the Haryana unit of the Shiromani Akali Dal while talking to TNS said, “Parmatma da shukar hai ke Bhajan Lal nu Sikhan di yaad te aai, par isda matlab eh nahin ke asin (Sikh community) raajnitik taur te usde naal aawange.” (Thank God! Bhajan Lal has remembered the Sikh community but it does not mean that we the Sikh community would come with him on the political stage).

On the other hand, a number of religious Sikh leaders who gathered at Gurudwara Manji Sahib on Saturday rejected his appeal saying, “It would be hard to forget the past, the atrocities that they faced”. Jathedar Surjit Singh, a close confidant of SGPC Chief Gurcharan Singh Tohra had earlier asked Mr Bhajan Lal to appear before Akal Takht and seek pardon before making such appeals.

No matter, Mr Bhajan Lal has termed his visit to the Golden Temple, Amritsar as ‘purely religious’ but political observers feel that it was a politically motivated move to attract the Sikh community in the wake of the forthcoming elections to the Lok Sabha, due by next year. Mr

Bhajan Lal’s move to pacify the Sikh community in the state seems to be more significant at a time when almost all political parties in Haryana have one or the other way triggered-off their mass contact campaigns with the possibility of Chief Minister Mr Om Parkash Chautala recommending assembly elections along with elections to the Lok Sabha.

It also appears to be a well-calculated political move as most of the leaders of Akali factions in the state are not happy with the ruling party. A senior Akali leader commented, “The Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) has not given our political share in the state even as we blindly helped them to win the last Assembly elections”. 

Misuse of gurdwara funds alleged
Our Correspondent

Kurukshetra, August 27
The Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, in its executive committee meeting, held under the chairmanship of Mr Jarnail Singh Ajrana, at dera kar sewa here on Monday had decided to call upon the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), President, Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra, to apprise him of the exploitation of the Sikhs by the SGPC since 1925. The proceedings of the meeting were released today.

The Haryana Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (HSGPC), general secretary, Mr Didar Singh Kamboj, alleged that a sum of Rs 54,13,939 was proposed to be appropriated for six Sikh historical gurdwaras of Haryana, during the current financial year. The expenditure part of budget estimates (budgetary provision) pertaining to gurdwara Sri Nadha Sahib, Patshahi Daswin, Panchkula, had been reproduced here as Rs 14,34,276 (Vidya Fund) Rs 3,50,000 (Gurumukh Literature + Pawan Saroop), Rs 5,50,000 (Bakaya Daswandh) Rs 7,00,000 (Bakaya Dharmik Fund), Rs 2,00,000 (Bakaya Vidya Fund) Rs 65,000 (Sikh Itihas Fund), Rs 3,00,000 (Gurbani te Gurmat Literature Fund) and Rs 1,00,000 (Kudarti Aaftan).

Mr Kamboj claimed that the above figures were proof enough about the oft-repeated allegation of the HSGPC that the SGPC authorities had been ignoring the Sikhs of Haryana since 1925.

He said a similar modus operandi had been adopted in the remaining five historical gurdwaras at Dhamtan Sahib, Jind, Gurdwara Chhevin Patshahi, Thanesar; Gurdwara Manji Sahib and Gurdwara Panjokhara Sahib.

Bogus and irrelevant budget subheads had been created to transfer savings from these gurdwaras to Amritsar so as to spend these amounts in Punjab, instead of Haryana. This action of the SGPC was not supported by the law, alleged Mr Kamboj.

Mr Kamboj said the HSGPC executive had resolved to make a written request to Mr Tohra, not to transfer any amount from the gurdwaras in Haryana during the current financial year.

Nod to prosecute IAS officer refused
Shubhadeep Choudhury
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 27
The Haryana Government suffered yet another blow when the Union Government refused permission to prosecute IAS officer Anil Kumar in a corruption case.

In a letter addressed to the state government on July 29, the Union Government said after examining the former’s request for the prosecution of Mr Anil Kumar, prima facie no case was found against the officer. Therefore, the prosecution of Mr Anil Kumar could not be sanctioned.

Mr Anil Kumar was placed under suspension on January 19, 2000, after a probe by the State Vigilance Bureau (SVB) was initiated against him for alleged involvement in the misappropriation of funds released for road repair works in Rohtak district when he was the Deputy Commissioner. He challenged the state government’s decision in the SC/ST Commission and got a favourable recommendation but the government ignored the commission’s view.

However, the Department of Personnel and Training of the Union Government came down strongly on the state government on Mr Anil Kumar’s suspension, which was revoked on July 20, 2001. He was first posted as OSD, Manpower Planning, and then assigned the post of Principal Director, Haryana Irrigation Research and Management Institute (HIRMI).

Taking exception to his placement in a non-cadre post at HIRMI, Mr Anil Kumar approached the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), which ruled in his favour on April 28.

Earlier, responding to another case filed by Mr Anil Kumar, CAT had asked the state government to clear within three months Mr Kumar’s dues accumulated during the period of his suspension.

The government, however, appealed against the CAT judgement in the High Court and obtained stay orders.

Mr Anil Kumar was the Deputy Commissioner of Rohtak in 1998 when Mr Devi Lal lost the Lok Sabha election from Rohtak.

Tax takes its toll on trucks
Kulwinder Sandhu
Tribune News Service

Karnal, August 27
More than 300 trucks have gone off the road in Karnal ever since the toll tax on New Delhi-Ludhiana national highway has been imposed last year.

The truck owners alleged that they are passing through hard times due to the imposition of heavy toll tax at various places on the national highway and other additional taxes.

As per the details collected by TNS, the truck owners have to pay Rs 175 as toll tax near Karnal Lake, Rs 105 at Shambu (Ambala) and Rs 160 at Doraha, near Ludhiana. Similarly, while returning the toll tax at these three points is again collected from the trucks.

Mr P.S. Bedi, President of the local truck union said: “The government should have practically analysed the financial position of truckers before finalising the rates of toll tax”. He advocated Rs 50 as uniform toll tax at all fixed points.

Highlighting the problems of truckers, he said that every truck operator lost Rs 242 for every trip to Ludhiana instead of earning any profit. He said that the fee for transportation being charged on this route was Rs 3000 while the total expenditure came to Rs 3,242.

Giving the details he said, “The expenditure of carrying goods from Karnal to Ludhiana is Rs 1,872 (100 litre diesel), Rs 200 (labour), Rs 300 (driver and cleaner) and Rs 870 as toll tax, including the return journey”.

When asked about how they managed to survive by losing money every trip to Punjab, the union president said that sometimes they got goods to be carried back to Karnal from these cities.

However, they got goods for the return journey once a while only, as most of the local businessmen preferred to get goods from Delhi or Uttar Pradesh rather than Punjab, he said. Delhi and the cities of Saharanpur, Meerut, Gaziabad in UP and Gurgaon, Panipat and Sonipat in Haryana have close proximity to Karnal.

Raj Kumar, a local truck owner, said that the heavy burden of other taxes had also badly affected the transport business with more and more people getting out of it every day.

A truck owner in Karnal paid Rs 3000 against national permit for every three months, Rs 965 as goods tax (3 months), Rs 375 as token tax (3 months), Rs 5000 as tax (per annum) for each state from where the truck passed, Rs 15,000 as insurance (per annum) and Rs 2,750 as tax for Haryana permit ( 5 years).

Another truck owner said that the rates of tyres and spare parts had also increased rapidly in the past couple of years. The total cost of changing the tyres of a truck alone cost around Rs 2.5 lakh, he added.

Woman writes to rights panel, seeks CBI probe
Our Correspondent

Fatehabad, August 27
A woman, who was allegedly shot at and injured by a kin of her NRI husband, has accused the local police of colluding with the accused and has demanded an inquiry by an independent agency in the case. The woman, Ms Narinder Kaur was seriously injured when Tarsem Singh, the maternal uncle of her London-based husband, allegedly fired at her with an intention to kill her. The woman has sent telegrams to the Chief Justice of India, the Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana High Court, the Chairman of the Human Rights Commission, the Governor, the DGP and others demanding a CBI inquiry into the case. Ms Narinder Kaur said in her letter that due to the partisan attitude of the local police she and her family members were living under constant threat. She alleged that Tarsem Singh made an attempt on her life on August 8. An FIR was registered against him under Section 307 of the IPC and various Sections of the Arms Act. The medico legal report confirmed bullet injuries on her thighs and abdomen. She was rushed to Medical College, Rohtak, for treatment.

Ms Narinder Kaur alleged that the local police had been persecuting her and her family for the past 10 months when she lodged an FIR against her husband, her in-laws, Tarsem Singh and his wife under Sections 406, 498-A, 420 and 34 of the IPC for duping her after marrying her. The police, she alleged, was yet to take action on the FIR and had been conniving with the accused.

Mr K.K. Rao, SP, however said the police had been conducting the probe in an impartial manner. He said the FIR was registered on the complaint of Ms Narinder Kaur on August 8 and Tarsem Singh was arrested. He maintained that Ms Narinder Kaur never married Ravinder Singh and added only the ring ceremony was performed.

Mayawati has breached trust, says BJP
Our Correspondent

Yamunanagar, August 27
Ms Mayawati has betrayed the Bharatiya Janata Party thrice, said Mr Rattan Lal Kataria, state BJP President, while talking to newspersons here today. He said it was a breach of trust as it was the BJP which had offered the chief ministership to Ms Mayawati.

He said the BJP alliance with the Indian National Lok Dal in Haryana depended on the high command.

Mr Kataria thanked the Central Government for providing maximum funds to Haryana. He said it was due to the BJP that the Haryana Government had started the Crop Insurance Scheme. He demanded that in this scheme sugarcane, wheat and paddy should be included.

He said a “jan jagran” campaign would be launched in Haryana from September 25, which would conclude on October 2 at Panipat.

Dharna by CPM workers
Our Correspondent

Hisar, August 27
Workers of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) yesterday staged a demonstration at the Krantimaan Park here at the end of the party’s nationwide ‘Jan Abhiyan’ against the policies of the Centre.

Addressing the workers the Haryana CPM Secretary, Mr Inderjit Singh, accused the Vajpayee Government of “bowing and bending” to capitalist and imperialist forces. He said the Vajpayee government’s foreign policy had lowered the prestige of the nation internationally. “India is being viewed today as a weakling and a puppet of the USA”, he said adding that the Centre’s policies on the domestic front too had been a complete failure.

The CPM leader said the Prime Minister did not have firm views on any of the issues confronting the nation. Since there was no focus, development had taken a back seat while senior leaders of the NDA went about the business of brokering peace among themselves. Joblessness had gone up and the industry was on its last legs because of favours showered upon MNCs.

He also criticised the Chautala government and described the law and order situation in Haryana as “dismal”. He said democratic forces and institutions had been throttled by the Chief Minister and his two sons. The people were feeling suffocated. The political scene in the state had to be changed without delay, he added.Senior CPM leader Prithvi Singh Gorakhpuria who led the demonstration said the party would hold a massive demonstration at Chandigarh in front of the Haryana Assembly on September 10.

Woman sarpanch suspended
Tribune News Service

Ambala, August 27
A woman sarpanch of Rekha Chauhan of Kalal Majri village was suspended by the Deputy Commissioner of Ambala, Mr D.D. Gautam.

Mr Gautam said Kalal Majri sarpanch Rekha Chauhan had been suspended. “An inquiry was ordered after the villagers alleged irregularities in different schemes. She failed to turn up before the inquiry officer, the Tehsildar of Naraingarh, despite several notices. She did not turn up. Neither did she show records. So she was placed under suspension,” he said.

Residents of the village had levelled serious allegations against the sarpanch.The inquiry was handed over to the Tehsildar of Naraingarh. In May this year, some villagers had written a letter to the Deputy Commissioner, claiming that there were certain irregularities in implementation of schemes. They had alleged that Mrs Rekha Chauhan’s husband, former sarpanch Maharaj Singh, was involved in the irregularities.

However, Mr Maharaj Singh alleged the suspension was politically motivated. “There seems to have been political pressure to suspend my wife,” he said.

Mr Maharaj Singh said the issue pertained to water blockage in the village. “Since the past four months, there is water blockage in the village. The blockage had not been cleared despite efforts by the administration.”

He stated that his wife was suspended on August 22. He claimed she was called by the inquiry officer on the days when she had a court date. “We are definitely going to appeal against the suspension order. As a matter of fact, Rekha has been suspended despite the inquiry not being carried out and none of the allegations being proved true,” he said.

College teachers decry V-C’s letter
Our Correspondent

Kurukshetra, August 27
Haryana College Teachers’ Union (HCTU), State President, K.S. Dhillon and State General Secretary, Pawan Sharma in a joint statement released to media here late yesterday evening, have condemned the action of Maharshi Dayanand University (MDU), Rohtak, Vice-Chancellor, General B.S. Sihag, threatening to charge with sedition the office-bearers of the MDU Teachers Association (MDUTA), for passing a resolution, at its executive meeting, protesting against the steep hike in fees and wasteful expenditure by the University administration.

They said that following the passing of that resolution, the Registrar had written a letter to the MDUTA saying that the resolution amounted to sedition. The Registrar had warned the Union Office-bearers that strict action would be taken against them if they did not withdraw the resolution, they added.

Mr Dhillon and Mr Sharma have demanded that the Vice-Chancellor should withdraw the said threatening letter. They said that the Central Executive Committee of the All- India Federation of University and College Teachers Organization (AIFUCTO), at a meeting at Rohtak on Sunday last, had also expressed anguish over the attitude of the MDU Vice-Chancellor.

They further informed that on the call of the AIFUCTO, the teachers’ all over India would observe the Teachers’ Day on September 5 as black day to protest against the anti-education policies of Central Government and the non-implementation of the agreement of September 5, 1998 by the Central Government and the ban on the right to go on strike by the Supreme Court by wearing black badges.

5 to be booked in Avedna case
Our Correspondent

Ambala, August 27
The Judicial Magistrate, Ms Seema Singhal, in a order here today had directed the Mahesh Nagar police station to register and investigate a case against the five officials of the Punjab Wakf Board under Section 156 (3) Cr. PC in the Avedna case.

Avedna, a newly married women of Ambala Cantonment had disappeared from the Ludhiana railway station on July 15 when she was going to Vaishno Devi along with her husband. Her father had alleged that an official of the Punjab Wakf Board, Mr Zakir Husain, had kidnapped his daughter.

After a few days, Zakir and Avedna had filed an application in the Punjab and Haryana High Court in which they said that they had got married and Avedna had adopted the Muslim religion.

The brother of Avedna had filed an complaint in the court alleging Zakir Husain in conspiracy with three officials had prepared a fake affidavit on May 30, 2003, in the name of Avedna regarding the change of her religion from Hinduism to Islam.

Bishnoi elected teachers’ body chief
Our Correspondent

Hisar, August 27
Dr Narsi Ram Bishnoi has been unanimously elected president of the Guru Jambheshwar University Teachers Association, it was officially announced here today.

According to the returning officer, Dr D.P. Pathak, Dr Bishnoi and other office-bearers have been elected unanimously.

The following are the other office-bearers: Dr Karam Pal — vice-president, Mr Sanjiv Kumar — secretary, Dr Sandeep Raman — general secretary and Dr Asha Gupta — treasurer.

Those elected to the executive are Dr Bhupinder Singh Khatkar, Dr Narinder Malik, Dr Vinod Bishnoi, Dr A.K. Ghoshal, Mr Rajesh Kumar and Dr Ved Pal.

Meanwhile, Dr Subhash Sharma, Principal of the local Dayanand Post-Graduate College, has been elected president of the Haryana Non-Government College Principals Association.

Women protest against police action
Tribune News Service

The people tried to gherao the residence of local MLA Ramesh Rana yesterday morning but police force prevented them from reaching his residence. All link roads and streets leading to the Delhi-Ambala national highway have been sealed. Later the protesters gathered at the local grain market and raised slogans against the state government against police atrocities. Addressing the gathering, Mr Rajbir Singh Chauhan of Haryana Raksha Party demanded withdrawal of cases against the protesters and the decision on electronic meters.

NSS orientation programme begins
Our Correspondent

Kurukshetra, August 27
The Vice-Chancellor of Kurukshetra University, Dr A.K. Chawla, today inaugurated a 10-day orientation programme for NSS programme officers of the university and M.D. University, Rohtak, at the university faculty lounge.

The programme is being organised by the NSS unit of the university and Training Orientation and Research Centre, NSS unit, Department of Social Work, University of Delhi.

Inaugurating the programme Dr Chawla stressed the need for strengthening the existing NSS units by providing maximum facilities to the programme officers and volunteers involved in the work for the welfare of the society.

Dr Rekha Dutt, coordinator of the programme, highlighted the aims and activities of the NSS.

Mr Ishwar Sheokand, state liaison officer, NSS unit, disclosed that the strength of NSS volunteers has gone up to 20 lakh.

2 incidents of looting near Fatehabad
Our Correspondent

Fatehabad, August 27
Two incidents of looting near the town last night have scared local residents. The miscreants injured four persons besides robbing them of cash and other belongings.

According to reports, Jai Singh, a Canter driver of Dewal in Karnal district, was going to his village after unloading marble at Fatehabad. When his vehicle reached Majra village, near here, an iron rod was hurled at his vehicle. When he stopped his vehicle, he was hit on the head with a wooden log. The miscreants snatched Rs 6,000 from his possession and decamped with the vehicle.

After some time, the miscreants stopped a canter belonging to a local confectionery unit coming from the opposite direction focusing torchlight in the eyes of its driver and hitting the vehicle with their vehicle. The vehicle coming from the opposite direction turned turtle. The miscreants attacked driver Gajanand, conductor Vinod and supervisor Satnam Singh with iron rods and wooden logs. They snatched cash and other belongings. The police registered two cases.

Officer files fresh bail plea
Our Correspondent

Ambala, August 27
A senior IAS officer of Haryana and former Managing Director of the Haryana Financial Corporation, Mr Ajit Mohan Sharan, who was arrested by the Vigilance Bureau two months back in a multi-crore loan scam, has filed a fresh bail application in the court of the Additional Sessions Judge, Mr B.M. Bedi, here today.

Counsel of Mr Sharan said in the application that the Vigilance Bureau could not file a challan even after passing of 60 days. So the accused had the right to be released on bail.

The court dismissed the bail application of Mr Sharan on July 17. The application of Mr Sharan filed under Section 439 of the CrPC in the Punjab and Haryana High Court is pending for September 26.

Lawyers’ booths razed
Our Correspondent

Ambala, August 27
The Administration demolished at least 10 newly constructed booths of lawyers near the SDM office this evening. The president of the Ambala Cantonment Bar Association, Mr Devender Bansal, has criticised the administration action.

The government has constructed a new multi-storey judicial complex adjoining the old court premises at Ambala City. The local and district court will be soon shifted to the new complex soon. The government had not made any arrangements of booths for the lawyers. The advocates have been demanding that the functioning of the new court complex should be start only then when the booths for the lawyers had been constructed.

Teacher killed, 7 hurt in mishap

Hisar, August 27
A woman teacher was killed and seven other persons including two women were injured when a jeep carrying them overturned on the Hisar-Sirsa road, 4 km from here to the police said today. The deceased has been identified as Sunita (35) a Social Studies teacher working in the government senior secondary school Banawali village.

The injured were hospitalised here in civil hospital. The mishap occurred last evening when the driver of the jeep allegedly lost control of the vehicle, the police said. — PTI

Held for rape of niece

Rohtak, August 27
The police has arrested an ex-serviceman for raping his niece, a class VIII student, four and a half months ago. The accused has been identified as Manipal, a resident of Jhajjar town the police said.

The accused was arrested on Tuesday on the basis of a complaint lodged by the victim, alleging that her uncle Manipal took her to his house in the same locality when her parents had gone out of the house and she was alone in her house about four and a half months ago.

The accused allegedly bolted the gate of his house from inside and raped the girl. — PTI