Panipat, September 26
Stung by the “failure” in the seven-month-old investigation into the Samjhauta Express blasts case, the special investigating team (SIT) has now decided to conduct brain mapping and narco tests of even those “suspects” from Indore who were earlier given a clean chit by the same team.

Owner of Indore-based Abhinandan Bag Centre Jainudeen and his workers Virender Kumar, Hufeiza and Puran Singh Thakur will undergo the tests at the Bangaluru Forensic Laboratory.

Confirming this to The Tribune today, special investigating officer in the case Bharti Arora said permission in this regard had been granted by a Panipat court earlier this week.

She added that the schedule for the tests of the suspects was yet to be finalised.

The SIT had zeroed in on the bag centre after it suspected that the suitcases used in the blasts were allegedly supplied by it.

Jainudin, Thakur and Hufeiza were earlier detained and interrogated by the SIT in March, but later given a clean chit as the police failed to establish their link with the blasts.

Though she claimed having got some success in the case, she refused to divulge details. More than 10 suspects had been detained for questioning, but no one had been arrested so far in the case, said Arora.

Even after seven months of the blasts, a high-powered police team, headed by ADGP V.N. Rani, has not been able to establish the identity of the perpetrators of the crime.

On February 18, the train blasts had killed 69 Pakistani citizens on board.

Karnal, September 26
Farmers today blocked the National Highway-1 for nearly half an hour in protest against the non-procurement of their paddy at the New Grain Market here.

“For two months, rice millers were buying our crop at Rs 700-750 per quintal, but all of a sudden they lowered the price by nearly Rs 100. In the Nilokheri and Kaithal grain mandis, the rate is still Rs 700-750.

Why then have they lowered the price here,” asked Zile Singh, a farmer of Bhusli village.

He said influential rice mill owners were pressuring smaller millers to stop buying the produce. “The government’s MSP is Rs 649 and this is the rate at which the millers want to buy our paddy crop, which is not acceptable. Farmers toil throughout the year and when they do not get the right price for their produce, their labour and investment go waste,” he added.

Another farmer said that if the procurement does not start soon, they would have no option but to sell their crop in Delhi, where they expected to get Rs 900 per quintal. 

Jhajjar, September 26
One person was killed and four others seriously injured when about a dozen heavily armed assailants opened fired at them after barging into their houses in Badli village of the district this morning.

Revenge is stated to be the motive behind the incident. The two groups were attacking each other after the panchayat election related rivalry led to bitterness between them.

According to information, Satyawan (32), son of Suraj Bhan, was shot dead while four others identified as Yashpal, Jasbir, Satpal and his son Jaimeet were rushed to a private hospital where Jasbir’s condition is stated to be critical.

Village sources said the accused, residents of the same village, came in two cars and barged into the house of Yashpal, who was recuperating after suffering injuries in a road accident. His friends Satpal and Jasbir were sitting near him when the assailants opened indiscriminate fire at them. All three friends and the son of Satpal got injured.

After that, the assailants went to a nearby house and fired several shots at Satyawan. They also threatened his mother Damyanti. The villagers said about 50 shots were fired by the assailants at both spots.

Police sources said the rivalry began during the last panchayat elections when Jaipal was elected the village sarpanch. However, in 2005, some villager had called a panchayat to sort out a land dispute. The sarpanch allegedly fired at Rinku during the meeting after provocation. When the police tried to arrest the sarpanch, the villagers opposed it and blocked the road. During the protest, independent MLA from Badli Naresh Sharma had also faced the wrath of the villagers, who beat him up.

But the rival camp eliminated the sarpanch and one of his associates Rakesh on June 5 this year. Both were shot dead by masked assailants when they were walking in the street.

The police had arrested four persons in connection with the sarpanch’s murder. Today’s incident is being seen as a counterattack by the sarpanch’s group.

Meanwhile, the police has registered a case under Sections 302, 307, 452, 148, 149 and 449 of the IPC and Section 34 of the Arms Act against seven persons identified as Mainpal, son of Bhagawan Singh, who is brother of the killed sarpanch, Naveen, Ajit, alias Kala, son of Bhim Singh, Praveen, alias Jadugar, son of Yadvender, Balwan, son of Mangali, Anil and his brother Dhaba, sons of Maha Singh. None of the accused has been arrested so far.

Kaithal, September 26
Three persons - a dera mahant and his two followers - died in a firing incident which took place at Dera Baba Lal Puri in Augandh village of Guhla subdivision in this district, about 40 km from here, today.

The lone survivor and eyewitness to the incident inside the dera is a three-year-old child whose father died in the incident.

At about 10 am, some farmers working in their fields adjoining the dera heard gunshots. They went towards the dera, but could not dare to enter the premises. They then informed the sarpanch and the police.

When the police reached the dera, it found three persons lying in a pool of blood. The victims have been identified as dera mahant Baba Shanker Puri, Gian Singh and his son Soma. Gian Singh is stated to be a relative of the Baba.A .12-bore gun and two cartridges were found near the bodies.

SSP Anil Kumar also reached the site of the incident. The SSP said the police had started investigation into the case.

A forensic team from Madhuban was also summoned. He said a board of doctors had been constituted to conduct post-mortem.

He said the police had registered a case. There was no clue about those behind the killings and the motive.

Preliminary investigations, however, indicate that there was no one else in the dera at the time of the incident.

The child, though shocked, reportedly told the police and villagers that the Baba fired shots at Gian Singh and Soma, and later killed himself.

It is learnt that the dera owns substantial land and the Baba had been looking after this dera for the past about 20 years. The possibility of a property dispute cannot be ruled out.

Chandigarh, September 26
The vice-chancellor of Kurukshetra University, R.P. Hooda, today filed an affidavit before the high court stating that the seats for industry-sponsored candidates were earmarked inadvertently and in total ignorance of the law laid down by the Supreme Court.

The affidavit was filed in the wake of a petition by Parul Soya seeking directions to the respondent university to give the petitioner admission to the MBA course under industry-sponsored quota. Kurukshetra University had issued a bulletin and application for admission to the MBA course for session 2007-2008.

Later, a merit list of industry-sponsored candidates was put up and eight candidates were admitted under the quota. Hooda averred that he read on August 3 only that the NRI/industry sponsored quota admissions had been challenged on the ground that these were against the decision of the apex court in P.A. Inamdar’s case.

It became clear that the seats marked for the aforesaid quota in the bulletin were in violation of the law. Immediately, the deponent (Hooda) took steps and gave directions to all departments in the university not to admit any candidate against the industry-sponsored quota.

Pleading that he was a law abiding citizen, Hooda tendered an unconditional apology for the goof and asserted that it was never the intention of the deponent to violate the law.

Karnal, September 26
The Haryana employees’ coordination committee will hold a state-level rally in Rohtak on October 7 to warn the government to desist from following and implementing policies which are “detrimental” to the interests of the employees.

“Privatisation, not regularising the services of persons who are on contract or are part-time workers , no appointment to nearly 1 lakh posts which are lying vacant and the contract system are some of the issues which are causing resentment among state employees,” said Jeevan Singh, deputy general secretary, sarv karamchari sangh, Haryana (SKSH) .

To make the rally a success, the coordination committee of the SKSH and the Haryana karamchari mahasangh has set up teams from the village to the district level to activate employees working in different government departments.

The SKSH will hold a convention at Chhotu Ram Park in Rohtak on October 2 to draw up plans to make the rally a success and discuss the issue of contract and part-time workers.

Jeevan Singh said that in spite of holding five rounds of talks with the Chief Minister, the just demands of the employees were not accepted by the 
government.

Rewari, September 26
Sessions Judge V.S. Malik, along with Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Ajay Tewatia, conducted a surprise raid on the premises of the Government Railway Police Station on Monday and got a teenager, Jag Pravesh (19), liberated from illegal detention.

When the MHC of the police station reportedly failed to give a satisfactory reply for nabbing and detaining Jag Pravesh, a directive was issued by the Sessions Judge for his immediate discharge from the lock up.

It is also reported that no senior official was present at the police station at that time.

The raid was conducted after the Sessions Judge took cognisance of a petition filed on Monday by Brijender Singh Phougat, chairman of the People for Civil and Human Rights.

Contending that Jag Pravesh had been arbitrarily picked up from Subhash Basti, here, on Saturday, mercilessly tortured and then sent to the lock up by the GRP, Phougat prayed for his liberation from illegal detention.

Jag Pravesh, who was medically examined at the civil hospital here on Monday night, has now been admitted in a private hospital in Delhi for treatment of his injuries which he reportedly sustained during the police torture.

Jhajjar, September 26
The police has registered a case of abetment to suicide against woman principal Promila and four others, including hostel warden Kiran and physical instructor Virender, on the complaint of the parents of the teenaged girl, who had committed suicide in her hostel room in Chhuchhakwas village of the district.

The deceased, Ankur, a class XI student of Red Senior Secondary, was found hanging in her room on September 4.

The police had registered a case of suicide at that time. However, after father of the victim Surajbhan lodged a complaint that her daughter was forced to end her life as some senior staff members of the school had been harassing her, the police registered the FIR under Section 306 of the IPC yesterday.

The complainant stated that her daughter had inscribed some words about her principal on the wall of her room before committing suicide, which indicated that the principal used to misbehave with her. But school authorities reported to have whitewashed the wall, which amounted to destruction of evidence.

Her father also alleged that some girls had told him that the principal and two other persons took her to their room at about 9 pm on that night and when she returned at about 11 pm she was in tears.

Gurgaon, September 26
Parveen Mathur (32), a chemical engineer with IBM, today committed suicide by jumping from the office building located in DLF phase II, Gurgaon. Police sources said depression could be the reason behind the suicide, as he could not get the job at par his capabilities.

He did his chemical engineering degree from London University and joined IBM in April this year as an executive.

Mathur had lost his father in a road accident last year. He was residing at Gol Market in Delhi with his mother and two sisters. Sources said Mathur was getting Rs 16,000 as monthly salary and he did not succeed in finding a better job either.

Police officials said Mathur came to office at 7:15 am for his shift and just after an hour he left his seat. After that he talked with some of his colleagues and went to have a cigarette at the staircase, which was behind the office. Mathur committed suicide from the 11th floor of the office building at around 12:45 pm.He was immediately taken to a hospital by the security staff where he was declared brought dead. His colleagues said Mathur was an introvert person and always avoided talking to his colleagues in the office. 

Fatehabad, September 26
Geeta (23), mother of a two-year-old daughter and an unborn child, is a distraught woman today. Left in lurch by her husband, she is running from pillar to post to get justice for herself and her daughter.

Daughter of a poor farm labourer from Aherwan village in the district, she was married to Richhpal Singh of nearby Shergarh village three years ago. But, suddenly her husband decided to go for another marriage last month. When Geeta objected to the move, she was thrashed and made to sign some blank papers.

Even the kin of Richhpal Singh sided with her husband and he succeeded in bringing the new bride.

When she protested, she was shown the door. Geeta’s parents approached the police. The women cell of the police brought about a compromise between the parties and Richhpal Singh agreed to take back Geeta and her daughter.

But the moment she went back to husband’s home, the atrocities on her started again. She was beaten up repeatedly by her husband as well as his kin for dragging the family to the police station.

Accompanied by district president of the All-India Democratic Women Association (AIDWA) Jatinder Pal Kaur, Geeta met the local SP Saurabh Singh yesterday. The SP said he had asked the SHO of the sadar police station to book Richhpal Singh under Section 494 of the IPC.

Chandigarh, September 26
The dissident camp in the Congress led by Kuldeep Bishnoi, MP son of former Chief Minister Bhajan Lal, got support from unexpected quarters today when former Haryana minister Shanti Rathi announced her decision to quit the Congress and join the faction led by the former Chief Minister.

Incidentally, Bishnoi and his father, who are all set to float their own party and are trying hard to form an alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party with an eye on the next general election, are still members of the Congress. Kuldeep, however, has been suspended for anti-Congress activity.

Rathi, a minister in the then Bhajan Lal government, claims to have considerable influence in Sonepat and its neighbourhood. In a sudden development, the former minister organised a get-together of her supporters at her house in Sonepat and made an announcement after consultations. She reportedly sought the opinion of her supporters, who felt that joining Bhajan Lal at this stage would be a political astute move rather then staying in the Congress fold.

It was further decided that all those joining Bhajan Lal’s yet to be named party would hold a show of strength to mark the birthday of Bhajan Lal on October 8 at Rathi’s residence. She has asked her supporters to mobilise a large number of people for the December 2 rally which Bishnoi has announced will be held in Rohtak.

Even though Bhajan Lal’s elder son, Chander Mohan, continues to be the Deputy Chief Minister of Haryana, the present regime has virtually neutralised him to the status of an MLA.

Chandigarh, September 26
Haryana today increased the dearness allowance (DA) for its employees from 35 per cent to 41 per cent of the basic salary with effect from July 1, 2007.

Announcing this here today, Finance Minister Birender Singh said the decision was taken on the pattern of central government employees.

He said the arrears would be paid in cash. Birender Singh said the increase in the DA would put an additional liability of Rs 132 crore on the state exchequer during the current financial year and Rs 198 crore during the next financial year.

He said the government would have to bear a liability of Rs 16.50 crore per month on granting DA instalments to its employees.

The increase in the DA would benefit 2.74 lakh employees of the state, he added. 

Karnal, September 26
Fourteen workers of Model Dairy were dismissed by the management of the dairy here today when they demanded that they should be paid the minimum salary prescribed by the Haryana government for unskilled workers.

The workers said they were paid just Rs 1,700, which is less than half of the minimum salary of Rs 3,510 they were entitled to under the state government rules.

The workers alleged that they were made to work for 12 hours every day and even on Sundays and were not paid overtime also.

District secretary, Centre of India Trade Union, Harish Baghi said when the workers demanded that they should be paid the minimum wage, the general manager ordered the security staff to bar their entry into the dairy premises.

“The labour office has issued a notice to the dairy management and a reply has been sought from them on October 3,” said Baghi.

Fatehabad, September 26
Rice millers and traders in the district have announced that they will not enter into any agreement with the Haryana Agro Industries, Confed or the Haryana Warehousing Corporation until these agencies clear their dues.

Suresh Jindal, district president of the Haryana Rice Millers Association, told mediapersons here today that despite orders from the Chief Minister, the three government procurement agencies were yet to clear payments for transportation charges incurred by millers last year.

Jindal said the association had already apprised deputy commissioner O.P. Sheoran (also the chairman of the district milling committee) of its decision.

He said while Hafed and the food and supplies department had already made payments for the transportation charges, the Haryana Agro Industries, Confed and the Haryana Warehousing Corporation were yet to so.