Fatehabad, July 14
Various Sikh organisations today demanded withdrawal of criminal cases registered against their members, who were protesting against the ‘Naam Charcha’ function of the Dera Sacha Sauda followers at Ratia on Thursday.

A delegation of Sikhs, led by Baldev Singh, a member of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) from Hisar constituency, today met Deputy Commissioner O. P. Sheoran and gave him a memorandum addressed to the state Governor in this regard.

Baldev Singh Khalsa, national general secretary of the SAD (Amritsar), M.S. Wadhwa, state general secretary of the Haryana Akali Dal, Balwinder Singh Lamba, Kuldeep Singh, a retired DSP, Chharat Singh of the Taruna Dal and Joginder Singh Johal, accompanied the SGPC member to the DC camp office.

The police had booked 250 Sikhs at Ratia on July 12 when they had allegedly broken two police barriers and marched towards ‘naam charcha ghar’ of the Dera Sacha Sauda with arms and stones.

Addressing mediapersons, Khalsa alleged that the police had booked innocent Sikhs and demanded immediate withdrawal of cases registered against them.

He said that while the dera followers were allowed to perform ‘naam charcha’ despite a government ban on it, the Sikhs, who were peacefully protesting against the dera followers’ action, were booked.

He announced that the Sikhs would not allow the dera followers to organise their proposed naam charcha on August 5 and asked the administration to stop it if it wanted to avoid confrontation.

Earlier, representatives of Sikh organisations assembled at the Ajeetsar Gurdwara in the morning today.

Contrary to the announcements of the organisers, today’s meeting proved to be a lacklustre affair with most of those who had been named in the Thursday’s FIR failing to turn up at the meeting.

However, Swaran Singh, director of the Guru Nanak Academy, Ratia, who had been booked by the police on July 12, attended the meeting and announced that he and his companions were ready to go to jail and would not seek anticipatory bails.

Sukhwinder Singh, president of the Shri Guru Granth Satkaar Sabha, who did not turn up at Ajeetsar gurdwara, alleged later, while talking this correspondent on phone, that the police had been hounding him since yesterday. He said that he and his fellow Sikhs were innocent and the police had booked them under false cases to appease the dera followers.

He said that he was proceeding to Takht Damdama Sahib at Talwandi Saboo, where a huge ‘amrit sanchaar’ function would be held tomorrow under the auspices of Jathedar Balwant Singh Nandgarh.

Hisar, July 14
Former finance minister Sampat Singh today demanded a probe into the aborted attempt by Local Bodies Minister Savitri Jindal and her son Congress MP Naveen Jindal to usurp government land ostensibly to build a school.

Addressing mediapersons here he alleged that in report filed by the auction panel chairperson had clearly stated that the possibility of inter-linkages between the four societies, patronised by the Jindal industrial conglomerate, could not be ruled out.

He said to keep the auction bids low Jindals had used their political influence, disallowing healthy and competitive bidding at the time of auction. Of the seven bidders one society was ineligible while two others withdrew voluntarily. That left only four societies patronised by the Jindal family in the field and one of these societies bought the land for Rs 4.05 crore although the market value was around Rs 500 crore.

The former minister sought the probe, as it was now clear from official record that the auction was unlawfully manipulated.

Sampat Singh said his party had opposed the deal on these very grounds and ultimately the government had to scrap the deal.

Sonepat, July 14
More than 60 unauthorised constructions along the NH-1 between Kundli border and Balahgarh in the district were demolished by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) last evening.

Led by project director Sanjay Tripathi, the squad with two JCB machines and the police began the drive.

A number of petty shops and constructions erected in front of shops were also demolished.

The owners of the buildings and structures opposed the action alleging that it was done by the NHAI without giving a prior notice.

However, Tripathi claimed that the notices were issued and further said the next demolition exercise would be carried out after July 24, which was the last date of the served notices. Around 200 constructions between Kundli and Bahalgarh were unauthorised.

Chandigarh, July 14
The Haryana Government has partially removed the restriction on the sale of khair trees to enable farmers to sell these trees in the open market. Earlier there was a provision that khair tree farmers of Panchkula, Ambala and Yamunanagar districts could sell their trees only to the Haryana Forest Department.

Farmers of these districts were persistently demanding permission to sell their trees to buyers of their choice and get maximum benefit.

Farmers of Panchkula, Ambala and Yamunanagar districts would now have the liberty to sell their khair trees to anyone they like. The growers, however, will have to obtain permission from the divisional forest officer before they sell any tree.

Chandigarh, July 14
Taking up a petition against the state of Haryana and other challenging the provisions vide which the residents of group housing complexes have been asked to pay maintenance and service charges to the agencies carrying out such tasks, a Division Bench issued notice of motion on Friday.

The Bench, comprising Chief Justice Mr Justice Vijender Jain and Mr Justice Mahesh Grover, also fixed October 1 as the next date of hearing on the petition filed by the Gurgaon-based City Residents Welfare Association.

It had earlier challenged the legality of a public notice issued by Department of Town and Country Planning. It had stated that charges are to be paid by the residents to the agencies carrying out such maintenance for the upkeep of common areas.

Impleading the state of Haryana, the Department of Town and Country Planning and Delhi-based Unitech builders as party, the petition said the public notice issued on July 19, 1999, was contrary to the high court judgment issued in May 31, 2001.

Yamunanagar, July 14
The district unit of the BJP’s women wing, Bhartiya Mahila Morcha, today started a signature campaign to save Ram Setu by holding a ‘Sunderkand path’ at Deodhar village, here.

Anand said communist parties and the Congress were trying to hurt the religious feelings of Hindus.

The morcha leaders appealed to all women of the country to come forward and join the campaign in order to save Ram Setu.

Rohtak, July 14
Bala Devi of Sunaria village in the district was killed and her husband Krishan injured by unidentified assailants at their house late on Thursday night.

The couple was asleep at their house when the assailants, reportedly armed with ‘lathis’ attacked them. Bala Devi was killed in the attack, which Krishan sustained injuries. The couple raised the alarm, following which their neighbours rushed for help. Seeing this, the assailants fled the scene.

Kriushan has been hospitalised and the police has registered a case in this regard.

Bhiwani, July 14
Due to the Bapora village sarpanch’s negligent attitude, deputy commissioner Mohinder Kumar today suspended him. The BDPO had issued a show-cause notice regarding a preliminary inquiry to the sarpanch. The sarpanch did not reply. — OC