The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

	Woman, 2 sons killed over land dispute Our Correspondent Sonepat, May 10 An aged woman and her two sons of Rajpur village were murdered and her husband was injured seriously when they were allegedly attacked with sharp-edged weapons by family members of their relative late last evening. Two of the 10 alleged accused in the attack have reportedly been arrested. A land dispute over 2 bighas between two families was said to be the reason behind the incident. Dharambir, his wife Prakasho and their two sons — Charanjit and Pradeep were working in their fields when they were allegedly attacked by Dharambir’s cousin and nine others with sharp-edged weapons late last evening. The attackers reportedly came on a motor cycle and car. Charanjit and Pradeep died on the spot, while Prakasho succumbed to her injuries in the local Civil Hospital. Dharambir has been referred to the PGIMS Rohtak. Interestingly, two of the accused Jagbir and his wife Jaiwanti also got themselves admitted to the local Civil Hospital. On the complaint of Charanjit’s widow Suman, the police has registered a case against 10 persons and arrested two accused, including Jagbir. The disputed land belonged to Sona Devi, sister of Dharambir, but was being cultivated by Jagbir. Three years ago, Sona Devi sold this land to Dharambir, but Jagbir reportedly did not leave the possession of the land, leading to the gruesome incident.
	HAU entrance tests on June 17 Tribune News Service Hisar, May 10 Haryana Agricultural University (HAU) here will conduct the entrance tests for admission to undergraduate and postgraduate courses on June 17. The university administration started sale of admission forms and prospectus for these courses from today. The HAU Registrar, Dr M.S. Kuhad, said here today that the academic programmes to which admissions would be made include BVSc & AH, BSc (hons.) agriculture, BSc (hons) home science, MSc food science and technology, bio-informatics, biotechnology & molecular biology and master’s programme in various disciplines in agriculture, agricultural engineering, basic sciences, home science and veterinary sciences. He said, in addition to these undergraduate and postgraduate courses, admission would also be made to PG diploma courses in biotechnology, industrial microbiology, apparel designing and management, Human Nutrition & dietetics, school counselling, communication skills in English and English-Hindi translation.
	No change in books, syllabi Tribune News Service Chandigarh, May 10 The syllabi and books of last year will be in use in the current session also for Class IX and Class XI students in Haryana schools. The Chairperson of the Haryana School Education Board, Mr R.S. Gujral, told reporters here today that Hindi and social studies books would be the same as last year for students of Class IX. In the case of Class XI, history, political science, sociology, commerce, accountancy, geography and Hindi books would not be changed. Booksellers would give 5 per cent discount to students on the printed price of books, Mr Gujral said. Mr Gujral, who was accompanied by the Director-General of School Education, Mr K.K. Khandelwal, also announced a change in the summer hours in schools from May 12 in view of the rising mercury. The new hours will be 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Mr Gujral said the new hours would be followed in the coming years also and be in force during the April 1 to September 30 period.
	Special security for Swami Ramdev Dharmendra Joshi Tribune News Service Karnal, May 10 In view of the recent disclosure by renowned yoga Guru Swami Ramdev about a possible threat to his life, district police has provided special security to him during his nine-day visit to the city. He reached here on Tuesday for a yoga camp from May 11 to May 17 being held under the aegis of Patanjli Yog Prashikshan Samiti Karnal. Talking to The Tribune, the SP, Mr. Sibash Kaviraj, said that a team of district police led by the DSP City, Mr Jagat Singh Hooda, was directed to take care of Swami's security. To a query, he refused to tell exactly how many police personnel were deputed for his personal security and how many for maintaining law and order during the camp. It was not wise to make it public for security reasons, he added. Meanwhile, Swami Ramdev refused to divulge which particular person or organisation was behind the threats. On persistent queries, he just hinted that some Multi-National Companies (MNCs) were behind the threats as he kept on speaking against the interests posed by these MNCs in his camps. Swami Ramdev said that he would continue to preach yoga uninterruptedly without any fear as he had been doing so for about one-and-a half decade. Talking to mediapersons, he said that he would start organising yoga camps in foreign countries. He was also planning to hold such camps in the Middle East. Swami Ramdev said that yoga should be included in routine physical training of personnel of military and para-military forces to do away with stress among them. He had already talked to some top military officers in this regard and hoped that yoga would soon become a part of routine training that would help reducing suicides by military and para-military personnel. The yoga Guru said that one could permanently get rid of diseases like diabetes and high blood pressure with the routine practice of a pack of seven pranayams. If these diseases could not be cured, these might prove fatal. Yoga camp would be organised daily between 5 am and 7 am from May 11 to 17 at Karan stadium here, said Dr. Jai Deep Arya, media incharge. Special sessions for the ladies and children would be held between 6 pm and 8 pm on May 14 and 15 respectively, he added. Leaders from different political parties, including Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, ex-Union Minister Sushma Swaraj, state ministers Kartar Devi, Randeep Singh Surjewala, local MP Arvind Sharma and local MLA Ms Sumita Singh will also participate in the camp on different dates.
	Demolitions “due to political reasons” Our Correspondent Rewari, May 10 In a drive against encroachments on panchayati land, houses of as many as 10 families were demolished in Panchor village, near here on Monday. Mr Naurang Rai, naib tehsildar of Dharuhera, along with the village sarpanch Mr Mangtu Ram, supervised the demolitions which were carried out by two JBC machines in the presence of a heavy contingent of the police personnel, including over a dozen lady constables. Flaying the village sarpanch as well as the administration for such demolitions, Subedar Man Singh Yadav, a spokesman of the aggrieved families, alleged that they had been vicitmised because they were BJP activists and had voted adversely in the panchayat and Assembly elections. He lashed out at the sarpanch alleging that they alone had been targeted out of the 32 families listed as encroachers. He added that it was all the more agonizing that they were not even allowed to remove their domestic articles which were buried under the debris. Condemning the demolitions, senior BJP leader, Mr Randhir Singh Kapriwas, has urged the Chief Minister, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, and the Deputy Commissioner, Mr Mahender Kumar, to personally visit the site to see for themselves the damage done by the demolition squad to the hapless families whose only fault is that they are supporters of the BJP. Seeking stringent legal action against the erring officials as well as the sarpanch, he also demanded adequate compensation for the victims which he asserted had been victimised just out of political vendetta.
	Cong bid to malign family: Ajay Chautala Tribune News Service Chandigarh, May 10 Mr Ajay Chautala, Rajya Sabha member and Secretary General of the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), today alleged that the CBI did not carry out any preliminary investigation before filing an FIR in disproportionate assets case against the Chautala family. Addressing a press conference here, Mr Chautala said the FIR was virtually a copy of the Congress memorandum on the assets allegedly amassed by his family. He claimed that the properties mentioned in the FIR did not belong to him or to any of his family members. He claimed that the palatial house in Sector 9 here, which was raided by the CBI recently, also did not belong to his family. The owner of the house is Harry, who lived in Punjab, Mr Chautala said and added that Harry was a family friend who offered the Chautalas a stay in his house as guests. Flanked by the former Finance Minister, Mr Sampat Singh, former Agriculture Minister, Mr Jaswinder Singh Sandhu and the Haryana INLD President and former Transport Minister, Mr Ashok Arora, Mr Chautala claimed that the properties shown at Panchkula, Faridabad, Jaipur and Delhi also did not belong to the family. The CBI probe was an attempt by the Congress to malign the Chautala family, the INLD leader alleged. Booking his younger brother, Mr Abhey Chautala, in connection with a murder case in Sirsa was also a part of this design, he alleged. He warned that the Congress leaders responsible for the onslaught against the Chautala family would be “paid back in the same coin”. Replying to a question on the 17 arm licences seized during the raid, the INLD leader said the arms were needed for providing security to members of the family in the wake of the state government's decision to relax the security cover given to them. Mr Chautala said he and his family members would fully cooperate with the CBI to facilitate its investigation. He said during the raid in his house on May 4, a CBI officer telephoned him in the USA, saying that some locks would have to be broken for conducting the search.“I was with my father and both of us promptly gave permission to the CBI to break the locks”, Mr Chautala said. He said he would be in Delhi in the coming days and the CBI could summon him any time for questioning. He added that he and his family members had declared their properties to the Income Tax Department in their returns. He claimed that the CBI had failed to find any incriminating document during the raids. The agency confiscated Rs 13.80 lakh in cash during the raids and this amount included Rs 10.39 lakh found in the wholesale grain shop owned by the Chautalas at Sirsa, Mr Ajay Chautala said. He said the shop was set up by the family even before he was born. He said he would not apply for anticipatory bail since he was convinced that the CBI would not be able to substantiate its case. Mr Chautala claimed that the recent restructuring of the Haryana Olympic Association (HOA) was carried out in an illegal manner. He said Abhey , who was heading the association before the restructuring, would challenge this step in the court. On May 14, Abhey would hold a meeting with his colleagues in the association to give the message that he was still the Chairman of the association. The INLD would protest against the CBI action. A programme in this regard will be chalked out at meeting of the party in Delhi tomorrow, he added.
	Girl jumps into canal, dies Tribune News Service Yamunanagar, May 10 After an altercation with her mother, 21-year-old Jyoti of Jammu Colony here, allegedly ended her life by jumping into the Western Yamuna Canal (WYC), near Dadupur head waterworks here last evening. In another incident, a labourer poisoned himself to death as he could not repay his debt. As per police sources, Jyoti had an altercation with her mother last evening. Soon after the altercation she left her house. When she did not return, her family members started a search for her. In the meantime the family was informed that Jyoti had committed suicide by jumping into the canal. Her body was yet to be fished out when the reports last came in. In the second incident, Jaibir (25) of Aurangabad village, here had taken a loan of Rs 2,500 from a resident of Isopur village. It is being said that the Isopur resident had called upon him yesterday and asked to return the money. Jaibir did not have the money and he chose to end his life by consuming a poisonous substance.
	Student killed in accident Tribune News Service Yamunanagar, May 10 A nephew of a Judicial Magistrate at the district courts, Jagadhri and BDS (final year) student of the MM College of Dental Sciences and Research, Mulana, was killed and five other students of the college were injured in a road accident on the Jagadhri-Ambala highway last evening. As per police sources, Sunil Kumar died on the spot, while the five students received injuries and their condition was said to be stable. They were in a Maruti Alto car, which met with an accident with a truck near Bambholi village. Police sources said that after an accident with the truck, the car rammed into a tree. Those who have been injured are Abhishek (Sonipat), Pritam and Deepak (Rewari), Chander Sekhar (Bhiwani) and Manjeet (Panipat).
	Row over imam’s murder over Tribune news service Yamunanagar, May 10 The row over the murder of an imam in Kalawar village seems to be over now after members of the two communities today agreed to remove the names of “innocent” persons from their respective complaints to the police. A panchayat of the members of the two communities was held in an open ground near the office of DSP Sajjan Singh in Jagadhri and the complainants from both the sides agreed to remove three names each from the complaints. Imam Mahmood Hassan was allegedly killed in a mosque of the village on the night of May 1.
	7 convicted for murder Our Correspondent Rewari, May 10 The Additional District and Sessions Judge, Mr Inderjeet Mehta, has sentenced Balram Das and six others — Ram Niwas, Bhanu Pratap, Muni Ram, Sant Ram, Balbir Singh and Ram Pal, all residents of Bharawas village — to life imprisonment for murdering Prabhati Lal (75). He was murdered near the temple of Baba Mohan Das at Bharawas village, near here, in May 2001. The judge has also imposed a fine of Rs 4,000 each on them.
	Functions held to mark 150 years of 1857 Revolt Tribune News Service Ambala, May 10 The first war of Independence began in Ambala in 1857. This was stated at two different functions held to mark 150 years of the Revolt of 1857. Former Ambala Cantonment MLA Anil Vij, while addressing a gathering at the Ambala Sadar chowk, stressed that the first war of Independence began in 1857 in Ambala before the Meerut mutiny. Eminent historian Dr Udey Vir Singh, while speaking at a function organised by the Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee at BPS Planetarium, stated that there had been a series of incidents indicating that the Revolt of 1857 actually began at Ambala Cantonment. Mr Anil Vij stated that he had raised the issue of giving due recognition to the role played by the soldiers in Ambala in the uprising of 1857. “We are keen that a memorial be established to mark the Revolt of 1857,” he said. He said incendiary fires had started from March 26, 1857, and different incendiary fires continued to take place till May 1, 1857. The fires broke out in depot musketry, 28 Regiment Native Infantry Lines, 60th Regiment Native Infantry Lines, European Infantry Barrack No 9, six houses of 6th Company, 9th Lancer Lines and stables of officers. Mr Anil Vij said it was surmised from historical records that on May 10, 1857, soldiers were planning to encircle a church in Ambala Cantonment. Speaking at the Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee function, working president of the HPCC Dr Ram Prakash said we must pay rich tributes to the freedom fighters who made the supreme sacrifice. He said Ambala had a crucial role to play in the first war of Independence. He said soldiers of Ambala Cantonment had played an important role in the uprising. He said it was because of the first war of Independence that the process for freeing India from the shackles of the British rule was initiated. Ambala Cantonment MLA D.K. Bansal said we must always remember the contribution of the freedom fighters. He said the Revolt of 1857 started in Ambala. He said the role of Ambala in the first freedom struggle needed to be granted due recognition. Historian Dr U.V. Singh said on the basis of historical records, it is observed that the soldiers at Ambala Cantonment played an important role in the Revolt of 1857. He said incendiary fires pointed at the growing disenchantment and unrest of the Indian soldiers.
	Doctors told to pay compensation Our Correspondent Rewari, May 10 The Rewari District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum has directed Dr Deepak Chaudhary and others of Maya Hospital, Kosli, to pay a compensation of Rs 6 lakh to Ram Niwas, father of Rakesh Kumar of Bhurawas village, who died in the hospital in 2004. Rakesh Kumar, who was suffering from fever and headache, was admitted to the hospital. When his condition worsened, he was referred to the PGIMS, Rohtak, where he was declared dead.
	HIGH COURT Govt ordered to pay compensation to victims’ kin of hooch tragedy Our High Court Correspondent Chandigarh, May 10 The Punjab and Haryana High Court has directed the Haryana Government to pay within three months Rs 2 lakh each to the next of kin of 36 persons who died about 25 years back after consuming spurious country liquor purchased from a government vend at Kalanwali village in Sirsa. The Full Bench of Mr Justice Amar Dutt, Mr Justice K.S. Garewal and Ms Justice Kiran Anand Lall also ordered the government to pay Rs 1.50 lakh to each of the 44 people who had lost their eye sight in the episode. The incident, which had hit headlines, had occurred on December 1, 1980. The court directed the District Magistrate, Sirsa, to ensure disbursement of the compensation to the next of kin of the victims. It also ordered that in case the government failed to comply with its orders, the next of kin and the injured would be entitled to receive interest at the rate of 6 per cent per annum from the date of the incident. However, the Bench acquitted the two persons - Krishan and Som Nath - who had been convicted in this case and sentenced to undergo life imprisonment by a Sirsa court on August 18, 2000. There were a total of 19 accused persons named in the FIRs registered by the police. But, except these two, the remaining had been acquitted. Acquitting these two, the High Court held that the case against them could not be said to have been proved beyond a reasonable doubt. Express highway A company, which had participated in the tender process for the construction of the 135 km long Kundli-Manesar-Palwal express highway, on Wednesday alleged serious irregularities in the award of tender to KMP Expressways Limited. The cost of the project, which would connect National Highway (NH)-1 and NH-2, is in the region of Rs 1200 crore. The expressway, once completed, would be operated on built-operate-transfer (BOT) scheme. In its petition filed in the High Court, Madhucon Projects Limited has alleged that the Haryana State Industrial Development Corporation (HSIDC) awarded the contract to a consortium of two companies, even through this consortium was nowhere in the picture as far as the tender process is concerned. The company - which had joined hands with Apollo and DSC to bid for the tender - was ousted from the process by a newly formed consortium comprising Apollo and DSC. It has alleged that the consortium that has been awarded the contract could not have been given the same as the composition of the bidder consortium could not have been changed at any time during the entire process. Madhucon has also alleged that the HSIDC acted in an arbitrary and highly irregular manner in awarding contract to a consortium that was alien to the entire process of tendering. Incidentally, the petitioner-company was the lead technical member of the three-member consortium. Apart from seeking quashing of the awarding of project tender to KMP Expressways Limited, the petitioner has also prayed that the HSIDC be restrained from handing over possession of the land acquired for the project to the successful bidder. Incidentally, another company, Gammon India, which had also submitted a tender for the mega project, has already moved the High Court, praying since the lowest bidder - the consortium of which Madhucon was a member - has not been awarded the contract, it should be given to it as it was the second lowest bidder. The petition filed by Gammon India is also pending in the High Court. Today, the Division Bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Mr Justice H.S. Bedi and Mr Justice R.S. Randhawa issued notice of motion for July 25. The court also ordered that the further process would be subject to outcome of the writ.