The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Congress-backed group in control of DSGMC executive
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 24
The Badal–Tohra led Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), which has traditionally controlled Sikh religious affairs, today suffered a major setback as it failed to wrest control of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC), losing to the Congress-affiliated Shiromani Akali Dal Delhi (SADD) in the annual executive elections.

Septuagenarian Prahlad Singh Chandhok, once an acting President of the Punjab Pradesh Congress and a close associate of President Giani Zail Singh, defeated SAD candidate Manmohan Singh Sachdeva, 27-20, in a keenly contested election today. The defeat is being seen as a blow to the Akali-BJP alliance in Delhi, ahead of the November Assembly elections.

The defeat has also further consolidated the position of the former president of the DSGMC, Mr. Paramjeet Singh Sarna, who had persistently refused to merge his faction with the SAD despite pressure from his one-time mentor, Mr, Gurcharan Singh Tohra. Tohra and some of the other senior SAD leaders had been camping in the Capital to lend support to their candidates in the overdue executive elections of the cash-rich DSGMC, which controls several historical gurdwaras and education institutions in the National Capital Territory of Delhi.

Both SAD president Parkash Singh Badal and SGPC chief Gurcharan Singh Tohra had put their prestige at stake as they vowed to oust outgoing DSGMC president Paramjit Singh Sarna, whom they accused of toeing the Congress line and using his religious position for business promotion.

The defeat is now being attributed to the role of sacked Akal Takht Jathedar Bhai Ranjit Singh, who has five supporters in the 51-member committee; the former had issued a whip, asking his supporters to vote for Sarna’s candidate.

Bhai Ranjit Singh’s opposition to the SAD came in the wake of the party turning down his pre-condition to reinstate him as Akal Takht Jathedar, a post he was removed from in 1999 by the Badal-dominated SGPC. Bhai Ranjit Singh justified his support to Mr Chandhok, saying his move was triggered by Mr Badal and his supporters’ ‘‘open invitation to the Sangh Parivar’’ to meddle in Sikh religious affairs…’’

The Congress had virtually controlled Sikh socio-religious affairs through Jathedar Santokh Singh till he was shot dead in early 80s. After his killing, the DSGMC held no elections for more than 15 years during which the Congress lost its Sikh support base because of Operation Blue Star and the 1984 riots.

With the BJP coming to power in Delhi, general elections to the DSGMC were held in 1995, which the Akalis swept, ousting Congress loyalists from the committee. However, in last year’s general elections, the SAD was ousted, thanks to a fierce anti-Badal campaign led by Mr Sarna, who was supported by Mr Tohra, then at war with Mr Badal. But Mr Sarna refused to merge his faction with the SAD despite his mentor Tohra making up with Mr Badal three months ago, saying it would dilute the separate identity of his group.

When history paves way for tourism
Bijendra Ahlawat
Tribune News Service

Faridabad, September 24
The decision of the Haryana Government to convert the palace of Raja Nahar Singh in Ballabgarh into a heritage hotel-cum-banquet palace, has put a question mark over the efficacy of such a proposal. The Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, will inaugurate the palace in its new avatar on September 27. The palace, reportedly 200 years old and spread over two acres, has been renovated for the second time in the last decade.

It was first taken over in 1996 and hosted the annual Kartik Mela for three years — from 1997 to 1999. But the INLD government, which came to power in 1999, discontinued the practice from the year 2000. Now, the Tourism Department is again eyeing the palace.. While the exact amount spent on the renovation this year has not been made public it is learnt that the contract was worth several lakhs.

The Tourism Department officials claim that the palace would help promote tourism in the area. It is claimed that Agra-bound tourists from Delhi could be enticed to visit the palace.

The palace has six rooms, of which four have air-conditioned accommodation. A bar is being opened on the premises and this would facilitate the use of the venue as a banquet palace.

It is further claimed that many people would flock to the spot due to its historical importance. But many locals beg to disagree. Mr Raj Kumar Gaur of Sector- 15-A points out that use of a historical place for marriage and commercial activities is improper If there was any justification in such a move, the Union Government would have put the Red Fort and other historical buildings to similar use. Raja Nahar, who had been the internal administrator of Delhi from 1852 to 1857, was hanged by the British on January 9, 1858, at the age of 33, it is pointed out. Turning the monument into a hotel is no way to pay homage to a freedom fighter, says Mr Gaur. Instead of putting such sites to commercial use, the government should preserve them.

(The office of Tehsildar of Ballabgarh had functioned from the palace for several years before it caught the fancy of the authorities in 1992-93).

Experts and residents also feel that the hotel proposal may come a cropper as the palace has certain locational disadvantages. Vehicles may not be able to negotiate the lanes which lead to the palace; they have not been maintained properly either, said a local physician. He, however, admitted that locals may be tempted to hold marriages and other functions in the palace. However, the capacity of the palace may prove to be an impediment.

On campus
BA pass course gets a face-lift
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 24
With the objective of making the BA pass course, which was hitherto unchanged from the time it was drawn, useful and attractive, the Academic Council (AC) meeting held here late last night has agreed to restructure it.

The BA pass course, which attracts a large number of students each year, had remained unchanged much to the chagrin of the academic as well as students’ bodies.

With the AC’s approval, the BA pass programme will now have a total of 12 course papers in three years, four in each year. These 12 papers will be further classified as discipline courses, language courses, foundation courses and application courses.

Further, a student can choose six courses from the disciplines of humanities, social sciences, languages, literature, music and arts and mathematical science.

Under the revised plan, students can choose four courses in two languages, that is English and Hindi/Indian Language, with two courses from each language.

One foundation course will be chosen from among social enquiry, contemporary and gender human rights and environment. One application course will also be chosen from a range of options like entrepreneurship, tourism, banking and insurance, film appreciation and creative writing.

The university officials pointed out that steps are being taken to organise refresher courses and assist the students in preparation of teaching material in the ensuing months. Special interest will be paid to the interest of Hindi medium students.

The changes will be introduced in the academic session beginning 2004.

In Nutshell
Major shakeup in ‘sensitive’ Meerut

Meerut: In a major reshuffle in the police department, the government has shifted several officers, including the Senior Superintendent of Police, Meerut. Sixteen other IPS officers and 27 Provincial Police Service officers have also been transferred. Of these, as many as 7 IPS and 11 PPS officials have been asked by the government to wait for their new assignment. The outgoing police chief, Mr Mukul Goel, has also been asked to wait for his new charge.

The district police chiefs of Unnao, Gonda, Maharaj Ganj, Lakhimpur Khiri, Jalon, Bhahjahan Pur, Azamgarh and Bawa districts have also been changed.

Suicide pact in tourist complex

Jhajjar: A lovelorn couple, hailing from Bakarwara village in Delhi, reportedly committed suicide by consuming sulphas tablets in Gorayya Tourist Complex in Bahadurgarh town last night.

According to the police sources, a boy and a girl, identified as Rishiraj (27) and Poonam (24), residents of Bakarwara village, checked in at the tourist complex late last night. At around midnight, the complex officials heard a scream; they broke into the room and found the boy and the girl unconscious. Poonam breathed her last in the room while Rishiraj died in the hospital.

In another incident, a youth hanged himself to death in Jatwara Mohalla in Bahadurgarh last night. Dharambir was a student of BA final year. OC

Daylight robbery in NIT area

Faridabad: Faridabad residents and their houses are not safe even during daytime. This is the message all and sundry received when there was an incident of looting in broad daylight in the NIT area yesterday: Three armed robbers entered a house and decamped with cash and valuables worth about a lakh. The criminals struck at the residence of a furniture shop owner in D-block at about 4.15 pm; they even snatched the jewellery worn by an aged lady, the lone occupant of the house at that time. At gunpoint, the gangsters asked for the keys of the almirah and helped themselves to the cash and valuables. TNS

Student volunteers join hands for peace
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 24
To usher in peace and to do their bit for the society, students from schools and colleges under the umbrella of ‘Youth 4 Peace’ have decided to work in tandem. These students from various schools and colleges have joined hands to make themselves heard.

Speaking to the media persons here last evening, the students said they were concerned about issues like violence, which affect their daily life.

The process was initiated in Ahmedabad this summer, where the students, deeply scarred by the violence in Gujarat, decided to do something in this regard and make a difference. The group is a platform for sharing concerns, where the students can voice their opinions and ideas without fear.

The students, despite differences, came together. They pointed out that they were against violence and hatred in all its manifestations.

The organisation has been envisaged as an ongoing activity, conceptualised, designed, executed by and for the youth in the country. The group will be formally launched on September 27 under the banner of ANHAD (Act Now For Harmony And Democracy).

The event will also include a performance by Indian Ocean.

The platform of music was chosen for the launch as it strikes a common chord with the youth. The students have also taken care of the financial aspect of the programme. Having found no corporate agencies for funding, they have assumed the task of mobilising the funds themselves.

The group, which at present has about 10 members in its core team, is functional in Delhi and Gujarat and is open to volunteers from different schools and colleges.

COMMUNITY

Women go through hell in Panipat-bound train
Our Correspondent

Sonepat, September 24
Women, particularly schoolteachers working in Delhi schools have been facing a lot of inconvenience in travelling on the 1 DPM (EMU) passenger train, bound for Panipat on their return journey to the destinations like Badli, Narela, Ratdhanna, Sonepat, Ganaur, Smalkha and Panipat.

According to a report, this train is generally overcrowded. To make things worse, the milkmen keep their huge containers near the main entrance of the coaches without proper booking, thereby preventing the passengers, particularly the women, to board or get down from the train.

As there are no footboards in the EMU trains, the passengers have to jump out of the coaches to get down at their destinations. If they do not do so, they have to travel ticketless up to the next railway station.

It is alleged that the milk venders also travel in the suburban trains. They hold monthly season tickets (MSTs) and occupy most of the space with their huge containers in the bogies. They keep their containers near the main entrance, causing lots of hardships to the passengers, particularly women.

The women passengers have repeatedly sent representations to the railway authorities demanding action against the milk vendors but their complaints have fallen on deaf ears so far.

The women passengers have appealed to the Union Railway Minister, Mr Nitish Kumar, to travel incognito and see himself the problems of the passengers.

On account of the overcrowding of the suburban trains, the problem, however, is of the seats. The MSTs issued and the tickets to the bona fide passengers do not seem to guarantee the right to a seat. More tickets than the seats available are sold at every railway station. Many passengers said they could not remember a single day when they reached Delhi and back home, sitting in these trains.

Visiting the platform No. 1 of the railway station both in the morning and evening, one witnesses a mad scramble for seats. As soon as a train arrives, passengers are seen running from one coach to another to grab a seat.

Sonepat
Brick kiln workers continue to eke out miserable existence
Our Correspondent

Sonepat, September 24
Despite making hard labour for nearly nine months during a year, the social-economic condition of thousands of brick kiln workers continues to be miserable with their hardly being any improvement in their way of living.

According to a survey conducted by the Mazdoor Kalyan Morcha, there are around 200 brick kilns in the district and more than 39,000 labourers are reportedly working in these kilns. The normal working period at a brick kiln is from October to June maximum as most of the activities are at a standstill during the rainy season from July to September. During the rainy season, they return to their villages.

Around 35 per cent of the labourers are in the 18-35 year age group, 30 per cent in the 35-45 year age group, around 20 per cent in the more than 45 year age group and the remaining 15 per cent are up to 18 years. According to the reports about their monthly income, around 35 per cent earn Rs 1500 to 2500, whereas around 14 per cent reported their income was more than Rs 2500. Nearly 33 per cent of the workers get Rs 1000 to 1500, but nearly 18 per cent get up to Rs 1000 only.

So far as their savings of eight to nine months are concerned, around 15 per cent save more than Rs 10,000 during the season, the savings of nearly 22 per cent were between Rs 7,000 to 10,000, about 32 per cent manage savings between Rs 2,000 to Rs 5,000 and the savings of 25 per cent was below Rs 2,000 because of their family expenses and other circumstances.

A majority of the workers admitted they along with other members of the family work every season at the same brick kiln. A number of families take money in advance from the brick kiln owners for their off-season requirements and have to return to repay the advance.

The government fixes the wages of brick kiln workers in the beginning of every year. The Labour Department failed to announce the wages under the Minimum Wages Act in the beginning of the year and workers continued to get wages at last year’s rates. The department had released the new wages list only last week with directions that the new wages would be effective from October last year.

But as working on the brick kilns has come to a close due to the rainy season brick kiln owners are reportedly reluctant to pay the new wages.

Though there might be some cases of bonded labour, none of the workers admitted that there was any case of bonded labour. However, a number of the workers complained that they were not being given the full wages at the rates fixed by the government. “But we have to work to sustain our living,” said a worker.

Special Focus on Panipat
This Muslim poet-reformer, with a library & lake in his name, is revered here
Rakesh Bhardwaj

Panipat, September 24
Panipat has given real gems to the country. Hem Chand Vikramaditya of Panipat fought the second battle of Panipat in 1556 against Moguls.

Then, Desh Bandhu Gupta of Panipat fought for the independence of India from the British yoke as well as for the independence of Haryana state from Punjab, which came into being after his death.

Khwajah Altaf Husain Hali, also from Panipat, excelled in Urdu literature and poetry. Hem Chand and Desh Bandhu Gupta have been almost forgotten and the district is still not enthusiastic about remembering these two heroes of the town.

However, Khwajah Altaf Husain Hali was a renowned figure in Panipat and is remembered by all communities irrespective of caste and creed. Panipat has the privilege of honouring Altaf Husain Hali by building a park and a lake as a memorial to this famous Urdu poet in the heart of Model Town. It is called Hali Park and Lake. This particular lake, at times, used to be full of dye-coloured water but thanks to the efforts of the present DC, Mr M.R.Anand, and his role in making Panipat clean and green this park and lake will be a unique feature of the town in the coming days.

Another memorial to Khwajah Hali is a library in his name adjacent to Bu-Ali-Shah-Kalandar Dargah with a collection of thousands of books. The library, which is maintained by the Muslim Wakf Board of Panipat, is an ideal place for readers of Hali’s literature, newspapers for all sections and a collection of different Urdu writers.

Khwajah Altaf Husain Hali was a stalwart who was born in 1837. He was born in a respectable Ansari family of Panipat. After his parents’ demise early in life he was brought up by his brothers who married him off when he was hardly seventeen, disrupting his education. In silent protest against it he left for Delhi, covering the entire distance on foot. It was with great difficulty that he continued his education. His relations soon discovered his whereabouts and brought him back from Delhi.

He was obliged to accept a job in the Deputy Commissioner’s office in Hisar district in 1856, barely a few months before the Great Rebellion. With great difficulty, he managed to save his life in that upheaval and returned to Panipat. He later went to Delhi and was employed to teach Mustafa Khan Sheftah’s son. This brought him in contact with Ghalib and many other intellectuals. He entered the wide circle of Ghalib’s disciples and was able to observe his mentor at close quarters. He went on to become his first biographer. Both Ghalib and Sheftah died in 1869 and Hali was forced to leave for Lahore where Mohammed Husain Azad helped him secure a job at the Punjab Book Depot. His duty involved correcting Urdu translations of books. Intellectually, that gave him an opportunity to learn something more of Western literature. It was at Lahore that he came under the influence of Syed Ahmad Khan’s ideas and became a regular contributor to his Tahzib-ul-Akhlaq.

Hali remained under the spell of Ghalib and Sheftah but no sooner was he won over to the new trend that one heard a ring of the reformist in his ghazals also. The chief representative of the poetry of the age is Khwajah Altaf Husain Hali. At the time of his first visit to Delhi, which was a city of big poets and scholars Mirza Ghalib was the doyen. When Hali recited his creations, Ghalib was agreeably surprised at the quality. Soon he was participating in the mushairas of Delhi but he could not establish himself he was forced to leave Delhi. It was during his second visit to Delhi after 1857 that he met Sheftah, a nobleman-poet and friend of Ghalib. But by 1869 both Sheftab and Ghalib were dead and Delhi no longer held any charm for him and he went to Lahore. In Mohammed Husain Azad’s company, he was drawn to the new mushairas organised at Lahore. The climate did not suit him and he returned to Delhi to get a berth in Delhi College.

Hali’s gift to modern prose is as striking as the one to modern poetry. He started writing prose around 1867 and his first book Tiryaq-e-Masmoom (1868) was a religious disputation. He also translated Tabaqat-ul-Arz from Arabic. In 1874, he wrote Majalis-un-Nisa, which deals with the problem of women’s education in the form of a novel and he soon shot into prominence. He gained immortality through his successive biographical triumphs Hayat-e-Sa’di, Yadgar-e-Ghalib and Hayat-e-Javed. There has not been another biographer of that stature so far. Muqaddamah-e-She’r-o-Sha’eri is, however, his most outstanding achievement. The Muqaddamah was planned as an introduction to his collection of poems but its originality gave it not only popularity but also an independent identity. For the first time, it propounded the basic principles of criticism for various genres of poetry and prose in an well-argued and objective manner. Hali crosses the traditional line of purely technical and aesthetic evaluation of a work of art and enters upon the social and moral value norms, which inspire and create art.

The Muqaddamah was regarded as a model of sober and scientific prose, but it was undoubtedly opinionated. There is a greater measure of rhetoric than critical analysis. His three other books, the biographies, are coloured by an element of hero-worship, but he succeeded in bringing out the human element in the lives of his heroes. His sense of details and the orderly marshalling of facts and the sympathetic but not adulatory judgements gave respectability to the emerging biographical literature.

Hayat-e-Sa’di (1882) heralds a new trend in biographical writing. Hayat-e-Javed, a detailed biography of Syed Ahmad Khan, often attacked for its uncritical eulogy, makes a successful attempt to portray its hero as a leader and thinker. The importance of Yadgar-e-Ghalib lies in its being the first detailed work on the poet Ghalib. Later researches have revealed that Hali had not fully investigated all facts of the poet’s life but he does succeed in presenting to us a portrait of Ghalib as a many-sided personality intensely human.

Despite the influence of Syed Ahmad Khan on his political and educational ideas, his crucial thinking is discernibly free from that fascination. In social approach, he deflected from the Syed’s path at certain points. While admitting the usefulness of Western knowledge he did not accept the superiority of western civilisation and was opposed to its blind imitation. He stood for a healthy East-West coordination for future progress.

Syed Ahmad Khan’s rationalism, as his political approach of reconciliation with the British, attracted considerable criticism. His criticism showed that he was no blind follower but held his own view, which he expressed freely and fearlessly.

This time the domineering personality of Syed Ahmad attracted him. He asked Hali to write a poem on the rise and fall of the Muslims of India. His famous poem Madd-o-Jazr-e-Islam was the outcome. It gave him all-India popularity. The musaddas, essentially the story of the past achievements and the present plight of the Indian Muslims, found its message in the universalism of Islam, which Hali wanted to be pressed in to the service of the nation as well.

An English version of one of his poems proves that Hali was a social reformer also.

That man should ever be of service to man.

The vows of Shari’ah that we (Muslims) broke Were carried by the West and now practised too……………

The wealth of the rich, the courage of the poor, The writings of the authors, the wisdom of the philosophers, The orations of the eloquent, the daring of the brave, The weapons of the soldiers, the powers of the kings, The hopes of the hearts, the pleasures of the aspirant Must all be sacrificed for the sake of the NATION.

His description about the state of widows is also a proof of his being a social reformer. Soon he followed with another moving poem, Munajat-e-Bewa, a strong plea for widow remarriage and a more humane treatment to her, a burning national issue at that time. Hali’s poems made a pointed reference to Muslim widows, whom custom had deprived of what religion had already granted. Other poems came in quick succession and he became famous as a poet of social awakening. Diwan-e-Hali and Majmu’ab-e-Hali contain his short and long poems. The musaddas and some of his other poems have been published several times separately also.

His ailing health, however, made his stay at Lahore impossible and he returned to Delhi to become a Professor at Delhi College. Hyderabad State awarded him a monthly stipend and he decided to give up service to devote all his time to studies and writings. In 1904, he received the title of Shamsul Ulema and ten years later he breathed his last.

He died in the year 1914 and his mortal remains were buried by the side of Bu-Ali-Shah-Kalandar Dargah in Panipat. People from all over the worlds visit Panipat to pay homage to Bu-Ali-Shah-Kalandar also to Khwajah Altaf Husain Hali. Every Thursday, people from all walks of life come to this sacred place and offer prayer.

NCR briefs
Youth held for student’s murder
Our Correspondents

Sonepat, September 24
The Murthal police have arrested a youth Anil of Bhigan village in connection with the murder of Class XI student Sandeep Sharma of the same village on September 22.

According to a report, the victim had declined to give the lift on his bicycle while he was going to the school at Murthal. This led to his killing.

Temple theft

Another theft took place in Aggarwal temple in the grain market area here last night. The thieves are reported to have taken away four ‘kalash’ and other articles of pooja from it.

Operation camp

A three-day operation camp for the handicapped persons will be jointly organised by the District Red Cross Society, the Lions Club and the Bhagwan Mahavir Viklang Sahayata Samiti from October 10 to October 12 in this city.

Workshop on ‘personality’

The Counselling Cell of the Hindu Girls College organised a workshop on “Personality Development” for the students of the department of psychology here last evening. Mr Badal and other faculty members from the British Institute of English language enlightened the students with thought-provoking ideas on the various aspects of personality development.

Truck driver killed

Jhajjar: A truck driver was killed in a mishap caused by a tyre burst near Bamnoli village in Bahadurgarh today.

According to information, Rakesh, son of Janak, resident of Eta district in Uttar Pradesh was employed as truck driver on a brick kiln in Bamnoli village.

He was on his way to Bahadurgarh with the loaded truck when he noticed that something was wrong in the wheels. He alighted from the truck and was checking the wheels when a tyre burst suddenly. He died on the spot.

Karamchari Sangh rally

Haryana Power Corporation Workers Union, Rohtak circle secretary, Mr Jagroop Singh said that the employees of the corporation are not happy with the functioning of the body. As the employees are being chargsheeted, they are feeling insecure, Mr Singh said.

He along with the state vice-president of the union, Mr Dharamvir Malik, visited Sampla, Bahadurgarh and Beri to mobilise support for the proposed Sarv Karamchari Sangh rally on September 26.

CRIME

Group clash over land; three injured
Our Correspondent

Sonepat, September 24
Three persons were seriously injured in a clash between two groups at Nagar village about 30 km from here last evening.

A dispute over land was stated to be the cause of the violence.

According to a report, the persons were identified as Bhupinder, Jaiveer and Manish. They were rushed to the Community Health Centre at Gohana town wherefrom Bhupinder was referred to the PGIMS at Rohtak for further treatment.

Jaiveer is stated to have fired shots by his gun at Bhupinder who sustained injuries.

The police are investigating the case. However, no assailant has been arrested so far.

According to another report, Mr Gulab Singh a farmer was seriously injured in an attack by two unidentified armed persons while he was asleep in his field at Murthal village about 10 km from here last night.

Both the miscreants, however, managed to escape. The injured farmer lay in the field in a pool of blood. He was rushed to the local civil hospital by his family members in the morning wherefrom he was sent to the PGIMS at Rohtak for further treatment.

The police have registered the case against two youths. A hunt is on to apprehend them.

According to another report, three persons including a woman, all of a family, were injured when they were allegedly assaulted by the rival group at Sitawali village about 15 km from here last evening. The injured were hospitalised and stated to be out of danger.

The police have registered the case and investigations are on. However, no arrest has been made in this connection.

Global credit card racket busted
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 24
The Special Cell of the Delhi Police today claimed to have busted an international racket of making counterfeit credit cards and misusing them with the connivance of the owners or employees of business establishments.

The main suspect was identified as Charanjit Singh alias Shampy alias Sammy. His 10 accomplices had already been arrested. He was arrested from Pandara Road where he had gone to meet one of his contacts. He had earlier been arrested in Mumbai and Delhi. He had overseas module in the USA and Canada who by using sophisticated technology skimmed the data of international credit cards of the nationals of these countries, then send them to India to Charanjit Singh in an encrypted format.

Once the credit cards reached India, Charanjit’s module here swung into action. They used to read encrypted data then rewrite it on blank plastic cards having magnetic strip embossed on it. They used to locate unscrupulous shopkeepers and owners of merchant establishments which were ready to accept blank credit cards for a consideration. They made fake bills and charged it to such credit cards. On receipt of money from the banks, the shopkeepers kept about 20-50 per cent of the charged amount and the remaining money was given to the suspects. Till date, five shopkeepers have been arrested, police said.

Drug Controller held

The Economic Offences Wing of the Delhi Police today arrested Drug Controller of Uttranchal, D.D. Uperati Nath Gupta, for his alleged involvement of embezzlement of public fund to the tune of Rs 50 crore.

He did this with the directors of Paam Pharmaceutical Limited company. The EOW registered a case on the basis of a complaint lodged by Indus Ind Bank in which the complainant alleged that directors of M/s Paam Pharmaceutical Ltd. (PPL) – Anil Bhargava, Arvid Bhargava, Prabha Rani Bhargava and Mukesh Bhargava were sanctioned various fund and non-fund facilities

to the tune of Rs 50 crore by the consortium of three banks, including PNB and UTI bank. They were engaged in drug manufacturing in Secundarabad, Bhiwadi and NOIDA NEPZ Industrial Area.

During investigation of the case, the police found that in 1998, the PPL had approached the Board of Industrial and Financial Reconstruction (BIFR) to seek protection under SICA on the ground that the company had sustained heavy losses and its capital had been eroded.

The investigation disclosed that the company had claimed that it had destroyed the stock drugs worth Rs 50 crore which had been expired and unfit for human consumption.