Chandigarh, February 14
Besides Sikh students in schools, Mr Ranjit Singh has also become a victim of the French Government. Mr Ranjit Singh, who had gone to France in March, 1991, from Ambala has paid the price for refusing to get photographed without turban. The photograph was required to be pasted on the identity card to renew his status as a refugee.

The French Government has stopped the social security allowance to Mr Ranjit Singh for not obeying its dictate. As Mr Ranjit Singh is above 65 he is entitled for various subsistence allowances.

However, Mr Ranjit Singh is a born fighter. He had struggled hard to enter France. Now he has now entered into legal battle against the French Government. He has filed a case against the French Government in the Administrative Tribunal there. If he loses in the Tribunal, then he would file an appeal before the European Human Rights Commission, says Dr M.S. Rahi, an Indian Supreme Court advocate, who is a legal adviser of Mr Ranjit Singh.

Interestingly, when Mr Ranjit Singh got the identity card and social security number first time in 1991, at that time also he did not remove his turban. But then the French authorities took a lenient view and issued hima card with his turbaned photo. However, the French authorities became very strict around 1998 on the turban issue. They stopped issuing cards to those not agreeing to remove turbans.

He was issued a card in 1991 for 10 years. It was due to be renewed in 2001. For several months, the French Government continued to urge him to get the card renewed. They insisted that he would have to remove the turban this time to get photographed for the purpose of identity card . He refused to comply with what the French Government wanted. After waiting for some years, they stopped his social security allowance.

Dr Rahi told The Tribune that Mr Ranjit Singh had informed the France Government that he was a law-abiding citizen and not involved in any objectionable activity. " But Mr Ranjit Singh also told the officials concerned that he would not remove the turban as it was question of his religion and personal beliefs in the Sikh faith", said Mr Rahi.

Earlier, Mr Ranjit Singh was fighting alone. But now the issue of turban in schools has come as a big support to him.

He says that the legal system of France is very rigid. " It would be worthwhile to wage a legal battle against the French Government on turban issue at international forums as there were remote chances of justice to Sikhs in France", adds Dr Rahi.

Chandigarh, February 14
The Congress High Command is believed to be perturbed over the reported moves of certain senior leaders who are in the race for the post of Chief Minister in Haryana to take their supporters among the newly-elected MLAs on "Bharat darshan" immediately after the results are out on February 27.

"Bharat darshan" in Indian political jargon means to take the MLAs to secluded places, away from the prying eyes of their rivals.

According to informed sources, the High Command has received reports from intelligence agencies as well as its own sources that certain Haryana party leaders have planned to move away their supporter MLAs to far away places like Goa or to southern states. The plan, these leaders feel, will prevent their rivals from poaching on their territory. The MLAs will be brought straight to the first meeting of the Congress Legislature Party where they would open their mind about their preference for the Chief Minister candidate, before the High Command observers.

The sources say the High Command has also received reports that certain leaders were considering getting petitions signed by as many MLAs as possible supporting their claim to the top post. It becomes difficult for a junior to refuse to sign a petition when asked to do so by a senior leader. Often this results in one person signing more than one such petitions.

The High Command has reportedly taken a serious view of such moves and has decided to act tough with such leaders.

The sources say the AICC general secretary in charge of party affairs in Haryana has conveyed to party candidates through the Haryana Congress working president, Mr Randeep Singh Surjewala, that it could make things difficult for them at the time of ministry formation if they became a party to signing of petitions or went to stay at faraway places at the behest of faction leaders.

It seems the High Command wants that when the MLAs are asked their opinion about the most suitable candidate for Chief Ministership, their minds should be free from undue influences and their opinion should be honest.

Meanwhile, it is learnt that a group of young Congress MLAs plan to urge the AICC president, Mrs Sonia Gandhi, to consider the name of Capt Ajay Singh Yadav, officiating Leader of the legislature wing of the party, also while deciding who should be the Chief Minister of Haryana.

Capt Yadav has been an MLA for four times. If he wins this time also, he will equal the record of the INLD leader, Mr Dhir Pal, of being five-time MLA from the same constituency in a row. As a prominent member of the Election Committee, Capt Yadav rose above factionalism, not a mean task in Haryana, and supported those candidates who, in his opinion, deserved the ticket, irrespective of their group loyalties. He had been consistently opposing the INLD Government both inside and outside the Assembly.

This group of young MLAs does not owe loyalty to a particular faction because they are not obliged to any state party leader for their ticket, which they got straight from the Central party leadership.

Karnal, February 14
For 15-year-old Anita (name changed), a student of Class VIII, who had undergone the ordeal of being raped for more than 25 days by her cousin, there was neither a delay nor a denial of justice today. In an unprecendented speedy trial within six months, the District and Sessions Court of Karnal today sentenced her 20-year-old cousin to a rigorous imprisonment of 10 years along with fine.

Such a development in the judiciary was significant as under normal circumstances trials often get prolonged. In most of the cases witnesses back out, the prosecutors lose interest and certain cases end in a compromise after a long-drawn-out trial. Backing out of prosecutors after accepting monetary compensation was also an open secret in the country.

Anita was allegedly abducted by her cousin Joginder, son of Ishwar, a resident of Wajida Roran village, from her residence in a nearby village on June 27, 2004. She was taken to Panipat in a house near Katcha Fatak where she was raped for at least three days.

She was given some drugs mixed in laddus that left her unconscious making it easy for Joginder to abduct her. A formal complaint of the abduction of the minor girl was lodged at Sadar police station on the same day against Joginder by her parents.

As per the details of the case that come up before the court of Mr Satish Ahlawat, Additional District and Sessions Judge, for judgement on Monday, she was taken to Barota village in district Karnal where she was kept for as many as three days. Later, Joginder shifted her to some factory near Amritsar in Punjab where she was kept for atleast two weeks.

Meanwhile, the police also launched a hunt for the missing girl. The police traced their location one day when Joginder called up his parents. Finally, the police recovered the girl from Kurukshetra on July 22, 2004, and arrested her cousin. She was in a state of mental depression.

Mr Satish Ahlawat, Additional District and Sessions Judge, told The Tribune that charges under Sections 363, 366 (A), 376 and 506 of the IPC were framed against the alleged culprit.

The judge further said Joginder has been sentenced to three years of imprisonment along with a fine of Rs 1000 under the Section 363 of the IPC. He will have to serve a sentence of three months if he failed to deposit the fine.

Under Section 366 (A) he has been sentenced to five years of imprisonment along with a fine of Rs 2000. In case of failure to pay the fine, he will have to undergo six months of imprisonment. Similarly, under Section 376 of the IPC he has been sentenced to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment along with a fine of Rs 5,000. In case of failure to pay a fine, he will have to serve a sentence of one year, while under Section 506 of the IPC the court has sentenced him to six months of imprisonment.

However, these punishments as per the existing law would run concurrently thus accumulating the total sentence to 10 years, said Mr Ahlawat.

Sonepat, February 14
Three unidentified armed youths pounced upon a passenger in a moving train at the railway station here this morning and snatched a bag containing cash and valuables as well as a mobile telephone from him.

According to some eye-witnesses, as the passenger, Mr Manoj Kumar, who is an employee of HDFC Bank at Narayana in Delhi, boarded the moving New Delhi-bound passenger train at the 
railway station, three unidentified armed youths pounced upon him 
and made an attempt to snatch the bag which contains Rs 3,000, an identity card, a debit card, a cheque book, a mobile phone and some documents. The miscreants snatched the bag and ran towards platform No. 3. Mr Majoj Kumar also got down the train to chase the miscreants. 
One of the miscreants attacked him with a knife but Manoj Kumar escaped unhurt.

It is stated that none of the passengers came to his rescue and chase the miscreants. However, the miscreants escaped on a motor cycle which had been parked on Platform No 3. Mr Manoj Kumar went to the police station of the Government Railway Police but the officials declined to register the case in this connection as they did not believe in his version.

Kaithal, February 14
The women would have to awaken society about their rights otherwise they won’t get due respect in the male-dominated society. These views were expressed by speakers at a seminar organised by the women cell of the Ishwar Singh Kanya Mahavidyalaya, Pundri, yesterday.

The chairman of the women cell, Ms Sarojini Sharma, expressed concern over the failure of society and the law enforcing agencies in fulfilling their obligations towards women. Narinder Kaur, a student, said on numerous occasion women failed to get justice due to various social obligations. Seema Golan, another student, said the rights given to women should be forcefully implemented. Dr Amita Rana of the Political Science Department said the government could not rescue harassed, ignored and exploited women due to the failure of the law enforcing agencies in implementing laws enacted for them. In his concluding remarks Mr Ranbir Parashar, former president, District Bar Association, Kaithal, said nation which ignores its women could not progress as they alone play a vital role in shaping its destiny.