Sirsa, June 20
After a arrest warrant was issued by the Bathinda court against Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, tension further increased in the dera and also in the district.

As a result, the dera high-level committee decided to hold rallies at district headquarters of the different states to submit a memorandum to the Prime Minister and the President against the protest by Sikh organisations preventing them from organising religious discourse, tomorrow.

Besides it, a 25-member dera committee called their followers from Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi to reach at the dera, here, to decide the next course of action, while announcing the dera decision in the late evening.

However, the dera management committee here remained silent and did not confirmed that the dera chief has tendered any fresh apology to Sikh sangat or about the sealed letter send to the SGPC chief on behalf of the dera chief.

Some of the members on the condition of anonymity said through back door diplomacy representatives of the dera were holding talks with the SGPC to sort out the conflict between Sikhs and dera followers and fresh apology letter could also be released.

The dera management committee spokesman said the dera would announce the next course of action in the morning tomorrow, after conducting a meeting with the members of the different states.

The members of the dera committee include chief spokesman Dr Aditya Arora and Dr Pawan Insaan.

However, the photo journalist of the print and the electronic were prevented here.

The situation has already deteriorated in the district with the incident of the fight between the dera followers and the Sikhs on the issue of dera religious discourse.

A visit to the dera revealed that the dera followers have already started converging at the dera. So far over 10,000 dera followers have already reached here.

The security has been tightened at the dera.

The BSF personnel have held nakas at different places on the 8 km road that lead to dera and nearby villages. Besides it, internal security of the dera was also enhanced and strict checking is being done on the visitors and vehicles visiting the dera.

Besides it, the BSF and HAF have also been deployed in the sensitive villages and also on the borders areas of the district with Punjab.

Kaithal, June 20
The CIA branch of the police today arrested an extortionist and a proclaimed offender Asbir alias Bhiri who had demanded Rs 5 lakh as extortion money from some businessmen by issuing them threats of elimination.

Giving this information to mediapersons here this evening, SP Rajinder Singh said the police had raided possible hideouts of this criminal in the neighbouring states as he was also wanted by the police of many other districts. The police had also seized a pistol and live cartridges from the accused.

Elaborating further the S.P. said according to a complaint lodged by Pardeep Mahajan, a commission agent of Pundri on August 8, 2006, he had received threatening calls on his telephone in which the caller had demanded Rs 5 lakh and threatened to eliminate him if his demand was not met. Narinder Mahajan, another businessman of Pundri had also received similar threats. On August 12, 2006, Rajpal alias Raju of Andhli , an accomplice of Asbir Bhiri came to the shop of businessman to receive ransom amount from the trader. He was arrested by a police team and booked under Section 387 and 120-B of the IPC. However, as the main accused Bhiri had been avoiding arrest he was declared proclaimed offender in this case.

Meanwhile, Rajpal Andhli was put on trial and he was awarded three years’ sentence and ordered to pay a fine of Rs 1500 by the local court. The SP said initially Asbir was a member of Kunti gang operating in neighbouring districts but after the death of Kunti in a police encounter Bhiri formed his own gang and started extortion racket and indulged in other crimes . The arrested criminal was being interrogated by the police and he will be produced in the court tomorrow, the SP added.

Chandigarh, June 20
The Haryana State Legal Services Authority has decided to organise special lok adalats at all district and sub-division headquarters on June 28 for quick disposal of cases pertaining to bank loans.

While stating this here yesterday, a spokesman of the authority said these lok adalats will resolve cases of pending loans and look at problems concerning bank records.

These look adalats will also facilitate people in getting fresh bank loans for new ventures. He said such lok adalats would also be held in future at regular intervals.

The authority has also been organising lok adalats in urban as well as rural areas of the state for quick disposal of cases, might these be social, economic or criminal

Fatehabad, June 20
The police has still not been able to trace the body of Sikander, a Dalit youth of town, who was allegedly kidnapped and murdered on May 17.

After searching the sprawling pond ‘Chilli’ on the outskirts of the town, the police will now search the body in Rajasthan as the youth arrested by them in the case has been giving different statements.

Sikander, according to the complaint lodged by his mother Pinki, was kidnapped on May 17.

The police arrested a youth, Dassi, in connection with the kidnapping.

The youth informed the police during his interrogations that he along with some other friends had kidnapped Sikander and threw his body in the ‘Chilli’ after killing him under the influence of liquor.

After Dassi’s seven-day police remand ended on Monday, the police sought further remand and told the court that Dassi had revealed that he had fished out Sikander’s body from the pond on May 18 and threw it in Raj canal in Rajasthan.

Meanwhile, the police has arrested two more youths Amit Kumar and Amit Soni in connection with the Sikander’s murder.

Valmiki Sewa Samiti, which has been spearheading protests against the alleged failure of the police, has demanded financial assistance for the mother, as Sikander was the lone breadwinner of the family.

The samiti members led by Shammi Ratti and Rajesh Sarbata met the authorities on Sunday and served a three-day ultimatum to resolve the case.

Rohtak, June 20
Shyam Lal of Aanwal village in the district allegedly killed his brother’s wife Santosh in a fit of anger late last night.

After bludgeoning her to death, the accused himself informed the police and surrendered himself. He, however, stated that he did not regret what he had done.

According to the police and local sources, Shyam Lal allegedly had doubt over the character of his niece (Santosh’s daughter) and suspected that there was Santosh’s tacit support in this.

Shyam Lal said he had tried to put an end to all this as it was bringing a bad name to the family.

Last night, he went to his brother’s place, where hot words were exchanged between him, Santosh and his niece. In a fit of anger, Shyam Lal reportedly charged towards his niece with a spade. Santosh came in between and was attacked. He also allegedly caught hold of an iron pipe and hit Santosh with it.

The police has registered a case in this regard. The spade and the iron pipe allegedly used in the assault have also been seized.

Chandigarh, June 20
The Haryana Women and Child Development Department has earmarked Rs 14 lakh for the promotion and strengthening of mahila mandals in the state during the current financial year.

While stating this here today, a spokesman of the department said apart from giving financial assistance and incentives to the mahila mandals, a number of activities were also being organised under the scheme to create awareness amongst women.

Also, each newly registered mahila mandal would get Rs 1,500 as financial assistance and up to Rs 750 second time on matching basis.

He said apart from taking the members of mahila mandals on inter-state study tours, they were also being given incentive awards so as to encourage them.

Mahila sammelans were also being organised to create an awakening among the women.

He said as many as 100 incentive awards had already being given and members of mahila mandals were taken to six inter-state study tours so as to apprise them about the developmental activities taking place in other states.

While referring to the scheme of working women hostels in the state, he said with a view to provide safe accommodation at economical rates to working women, 12 hostels were being run for them at Ambala, Karnal, Gurgaon, Sonepat, Faridabad, Rohtak, Kurukshetra, Sirsa, Rewari, Bhiwani, Hisar and Jind by the respective Red Cross Society or municipality.

He said such hostels were under construction at Jagadhari, Panchkula, Meham, Bahadurgarh, CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, Guru Jambheshwar University, Hisar, and Mahrishi Dayanand University, Rohtak, by different organisations.

Under the scheme, financial assistance to the tune of 50 per cent of the cost of land and 75 per cent of the total cost of construction was being provided to voluntarily organisations or autonomous bodies by the Central government.

The balance 50 per cent of the cost of land was being borne by the concerned organisation.

The remaining 25 per cent of the cost of the construction was also being borne by the concerned organisation. The state government has been providing assistance of up to 15 per cent of the cost of the construction, he added.