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Dera chief to appear before CBI court today
Ambala/Sirsa, October 3
Hardcore criminal, 4 accomplices held
Tribune
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Factionalism surfaces in yet-to-be-born party
Bishnoi: Fear of poll forcing govt to announce projects
Domestic help saved from tyranny
2 smugglers get 10-yr jail
Save Ram Setu: Manch
Farm sector being ignored, say protesters
Death
of Undertrial
Woman’s
Death
Dengue claims life
2 die in tubewell
War of words between Ranjit, K.V. Singh
Maintain call records,
PCOs told
Cop beats up student
Power plant: Villagers see jobs, land price rise
Ambala DC cancels tender for cutting trees
Punjabis for 35 pc job quota
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Dera chief to appear before CBI court today
Ambala/Sirsa, October 3 District magistrate Mohammad Shayin said Section 144 had been imposed in Ambala City to ensure that there was no law and order problem. He said information had been received that a large number of dera followers had assembled in Ambala City. He said there was a possibility that traffic would be affected and normal functioning at the court complex might also be affected. A large number of dera followers have arrived in Ambala City from different parts of Haryana as well as Punjab. The followers could be seen at the HUDA grounds and parks in Ambala City. Most of the followers seemed to have come prepared for camping in the open. The heavy influx of dera followers into Ambala City led to a traffic jam on the Ambala-Hisar highway this morning. Tight security arrangements have been made by the police. A posse of police personnel will be present at the court complex and entry will be restricted to lawyers and litigants only. The security arrangements were reviewed this evening. Ambala range IG S.S. Deswal, along with SP K.V. Ramana, took stock of the situation. The dera chief is expected to stay overnight at a location close to Ambala. A police official said they were keeping a close vigil in Ambala City. Nakas have been set up on roads which enter Ambala from the Punjab side. Earlier, followed by a cavalcade of over 100 vehicles, Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh today left the dera in Sirsa to appear in the CBI special court, Ambala, tomorrow in connection with three cases - two of murder and one of rape - registered against him. The dera chief, under the Z-plus security cover, along with a large number followers and dera securitymen, moved out of the dera at about 1.30 pm. The high court had directed the dera chief to appear before the CBI special court on October 4 while acting on his anticipatory plea. The court, in its order on September 17, had said that the dera chief would be released on interim bail by the trial court till a decision on his petitions for grant of regular bail in all three cases registered against him. The CBI had filed three chargesheets against the dera chief, one pertaining to the murder case of journalist Ram Chandra Chhatrapati, another regarding the murder case of former member of the dera management committee Ranjit Singh and a rape case. The CBI had accused the dera chief of hatching a conspiracy with his associates to eliminate Chhatrapati and Ranjit Singh. Chhatrapati, who was running an evening newspaper, “Poora Sach”, was allegedly murdered for his reports against the dera chief, mainly carrying allegations of sexual exploitation of sadhvis, while Ranjit Singh was shot dead as he was suspected to be behind the circulation of an anonymous letter carrying allegations of sexual exploitation of sadhvis against the dera chief. Both Chattrapati and Ranjit Singh were allegedly eliminated by dera men at the behest of the dera chief, the CBI had alleged in the chargesheets. |
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Hardcore criminal, 4 accomplices held
Kurukshetra, October 3 District police chief Amitabh Dhillon said the arrested persons had committed crime in Nepal, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Jaisalmer, Gurgaon, Hisar, Bahadurgarh and Karnal. A self-loading 9 mm bore pistol with its four live cartridges and a country-made .315 bore pistol with one live cartridge were seized from their possession. Dhillon said the arrested persons had been identified as ring leader Kulbir Singh, alias Tansen, alias Dev Raj, and Sandeep, alias Chhota, residents of Badala, Hisar. Sohan Singh, alias Soni, a resident of Jarasi in Punjab, Harkesh, a resident of Ghainso, Jind, and Vikas, alias Vicky, a resident of the Kaithal road, Assandh, Karnal - all tenants at Didar Nagar here. During interrogation, Dhillon said Kulbir Singh told the police that a case under the Arms Act was registered against him in Delhi in 1995 while in 2002; he robbed a shopkeeper of Rs 45,000 and had fired into the air. Besides committing various other crimes, he looted Rs 3.80 lakh from a petrol pump near Kapaas Hera border and Rs 80,000 from a petrol pump in Bahadurgarh. Kulbir Singh said he along with his accomplices, Sandeep and Bittu, snatched Rs 3 lakh from a person in Udyog Vihar, Gurgaon. With the help of five accomplices, he had also murdered two persons in Gujarat and another two persons, who were travelling in a car, were murdered by them on the Bombay-Pune road. He said they looted Rs 25 lakh and a gold coin from the car occupants and then escaped to Nepal. Later, they shot at a container guard at Dronagiri Port and robbed the Arms. He along with four accomplices had murdered two persons in a car at Kathmandu Ghat in Nepal. They also shot at Dr Mehta at his house in Hisar. He said along with 8-9 accomplices, he looted two cement trolleys at Karnal. He was to eliminate his enemy Jitender Jogi, who was in jail at present, he added. Dhillon said they had been arrested under Sections 399 and 411 of the IPC and were produced in a local court here today. The Hisar police took Kulbir Singh in police custody for further interrogation and the other four were sent to the judicial lock-up, added Dhillon. |
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Board takes action to break miller-arhtiya nexus
Yoginder Gupta Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, October 3 The activities of the nexus were reported in The Tribune today. The report had mentioned how in the absence of the mandatory auction of agriculture produce, the arhtiyas were selling the parmal variety of paddy to the millers at rates varying between Rs 725 and Rs 750 per quintal but issuing bills in the name of the government agencies. In the process the agencies had to pay Rs 675 per quintal (MSP for parmal) for the paddy which was in reality purchased by the millers. This enables the millers to not only evade taxes but also reduces their financial liability. Chief administrator of the board Ram Niwas today sent written instructions to the field staff to ensure that all produce coming to the mandis must be sold through open auction. To ensure that his instructions are carried out in letter and in spirit, Ram Niwas also made it essential for the field staff to videograph the entire auction process. He pointed out that in certain mandis the exact rate of auction of a produce was not being mentioned in the “J” form and lower rates were mentioned in the “M” return form, resulting in the leakage of market fee. Ram Niwas said it had come to his notice that the “J” form was not being issued to the growers by the arhtiyas at the time of transaction and instead a “kachi parchi” was being issued to them. All produce coming to the mandis was being sold without bidding. The field staff has been further asked to send the CDs of the videographed auctions along with written reports to the head office every Monday. Along with these instructions, the board has also constituted five flying squads to inspect the mandis in various districts. The flying squads will send their reports to the head office every day. Commissioner, food and supplies, L.S.M. Salins also inspected various mandis today. He told TNS that a proposal was under consideration to ask all government agencies to follow the Hafed example. Hafed managing director Sudhir Rajpal has ordered that only that paddy which would be weighed at a licensed weigh bridge would be deemed to have been purchased by Hafed. This step is expected to go a long way in checking the “paper transaction” of paddy between the millers and the arhtiyas. Meanwhile, it is learnt that arhtiyas are instigating farmers to oppose the auction of their produce. At some places, gullible farmers, who do not realise that the open auction would fetch them higher prices, did fall prey to the machinations of the arhtiyas and opposed the open auction. The arhtiyas have told the farmers that in case their produce was sold through open auction, they would not be entitled to bonus, expected to be announced by the central government on paddy.
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Factionalism surfaces in yet-to-be-born party
Rohtak, October 3 The squabbling had begun even before Bishnoi reached here to address a workers’ meeting of his yet-to-be-born party. The issue was tearing of posters of one faction by the members of a rival group. The matter was brought to Bishnoi’s notice, who tried to placate the leader whose posters had been torn. However, when former minister Subhash Batra, was assaulted at a tea party, resentment spread among his In a damage-control move, Bishnoi and Batra held a joint press conference at Gurgaon today, at which Bishnoi declared that Batra would be the convenor of their rally to be held at Rohtak on December 2. Apparently, Hooda was told to lie low for the time being in a bid to soothe the ruffled feathers of Batra. The instant reaction was necessitated so that the prospects of the proposed Rohtak rally do not suffer due to the infighting. As part of the exercise, Krishan Murti Hooda also held a press conference here today to announce that it was an internal matter and would be sorted out through talks. He, however, maintained that his son and his supporters had nothing to do with the assault All in all, following the incident, Batra has been successful in asserting his supremacy over the other former minister by having made Bishnoi to acknowledge his seniority and accord him an upper position in the camp. |
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Bishnoi: Fear of poll forcing govt to announce projects
Gurgaon, October 3 Bishnoi questioned the organising of the “bijli rally” by the Haryana government at Jhajjar. He asked whether there any need to organise it when Congress president Sonia Gandhi would not inaugurate any new power project. He said in a lighter vein that the Hooda government would also organise in the near future a “water rally” or a “road rally” just to mislead the people. Bishnoi challenged Sonia Gandhi to come on a common platform to discuss development works undertaken during the tenure of the UPA in Haryana or any other part of the country. He said Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda had not been accepting this challenge for a long time as he does not have anything concrete to state in terms of development works. |
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Domestic help saved from tyranny
Gurgaon, October 3 She escaped from the house of a sub-inspector (SI) working with the Intelligence Bureau (IB) in the capital on Monday. The girl, who used to work as a domestic help in the house at Bharat Nagar in south Delhi, alleged that the couple used to beat her up frequently for not following their orders. Priya said a person belonging to her village brought her to Delhi from Darjeeling by train few months ago. She said she was taught how to cook, wash clothes and attend visitors. The girl added that she used to drop and pick up their child also. Priya alleged that the owner’s uncle and aunt often beat her up and no family member objected to their act. Priya revealed that an Assamese maid working in the house helped her to get out of the house. She gave her Rs 30 and told her how to get an auto-rickshaw. Priya paid the total amount to one auto-rickshaw, which dropped her near a huge flyover. From there she took a DTC bus to Gurgaon. The conductor caught her without ticket near IFFCO Chowk in Gurgaon. Manmohan, who works with a Gurgaon lawyer Megha Gupta, came to her rescue then. Priya was produced before the sub-divisional magistrate in Gurgaon on Wednesday who sent her to Nari Niketan until her parents came. |
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2 smugglers get 10-yr jail
Kaithal, October 3 Their co-accused Bagicha Singh of Dera Nagal was also sentenced two years’ and six months’ imprisonment and fine of Rs 5,000. According to information, a police party led by SI Gurmail Singh during patrolling near Paharpur drain seized a tractor on which 150 kg of poppy husk was being smuggled in November, 2005. The police arrested Dilbagh Singh and Om Parkash under Section 10 of the NDPS Act. However, Bagicha Singh, who had given his tractor for smuggling of contraband, was held guilty under Section 29(2) (a) of the NDPS Act.
— OC |
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Save Ram Setu: Manch
Hisar, October 3 Dr Kalyanaraman, a former senior executive of the Asian Development Bank, said India currently produced 1,00,000 MW of power per year. India’s thorium reserves permitted the design and operation of U-233 fuelled breeder reactors which were under development in the country. These would serve as the mainstay of the final thorium utilisation stage of the country’s nuclear programme. He said a superpower was backing the project to destroy India’s thorium reserves which could make India a superpower itself in the near future. He said any devastation in the coastline of South India would have serious implications for thorium and titanium reserves found in abundance in the region. If these reserves, which were accumulating as placer deposits because of unique patterns of ocean currents and the presence of an effective tsunami barrier like Ram Setu, were lost in mid-ocean, these could not be utilised in a cost-effective manner to meet the requirements of India’s atomic energy and space industries. Dr Kalyanaraman said tsunami experts had opined that the channel alignment directly pointed towards the path of tsunami in the Bay of Bengal and created a funnel effect absorbing the energy of the tsunami or cyclones which could destroy the southern coastline and the coastline of Kerala. He said Ram Setu was not just a pile of sand. Rather, it symbolised the belief of crores of people in India. The fight to save Ram Setu was the “dharma” of every Indian. He said in no case would the people of the country give up their struggle to save Ram Setu. |
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Farm sector being ignored, say protesters
Jind, October 3 The first protest was organised by members of the Akhil Bharatiya Kisan Sangharsh Samiti, owing allegiance to the CPM. Raising issues of farmers and the agriculture sector in the state and other parts of the country, the workers held a procession in the town and assembled at the mini-secretariat later to submit the memorandum. They alleged that there were several issues regarding the farming community which had not been addressed. They said while the country’s economy was mainly based on agriculture the reins of power and control over policies “had been given in the hands of capitalist forces, leading to pathetic conditions for farmers”. Opposing the present policy of the government for allowing acquisition of agriculture land for industrial houses, the samiti has asked the government to revise it. Demanding a hike in the minimum support price (MSP) of crops, the samiti has asked the government to devise and implement a mechanism whereby the role of the middleman could be eliminated. Meanwhile, supporters of the district unit of the CPM staged a dharna on the premises of the Civil Hospital here in protest against “lack of proper health
facilities”. The protesters claimed that there was a shortage of staff, including doctors, besides unavailability of the required infrastructure. |
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Cops, jail staff found innocent
Our Correspondent
Fatehabad, October 3 Additional district and sessions judge N.P. Dewatt, who held the probe on the directions of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, found that neither the police nor the jail authorities were responsible for the death of the victim. Raju Bai, widow of the victim, Baldev Singh, alias Gurdev Singh, had filed a petition in the high court seeking CBI probe into the death of her husband. Baldev Singh, a local resident, was arrested by the city police on December 8, 2003 under the Excise Act. The woman had alleged in her petition before the high court that her husband was severely beaten up at the local city police station by the SHO and an inspector, Bhim Singh. She had alleged that her husband had pleaded to the police to admit him in a hospital but the police did not listen and instead produced him before the court. Baldev Singh was sent to judicial custody at Hisar, where according to the allegations of the widow, he was not provided any medical care despite his serious condition.
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Suicide or diktat?
Our Correspondent
Fatehabad, October 3 The woman identified as Sheela was found hanging in her house. Her husband Mohinder claimed she had committed suicide as she had been suffering from depression. While the police is considering it a case of suicide, her death is being linked to a diktat of a panchayat, which allegedly ordered her killing for bringing “disrepute” to the community. Sheela, a mother of four, belonged to the Jat community and had allegedly eloped with a Dalit youth, Bholu, in August this year. Later, a panchayat meeting was held on August 8 with several members suggesting extreme measures to punish the woman for her errant behaviour. On learning this, Sheela appeared before the police on August 11 and said she had gone with Bholu of her own free will as her husband used to beat her. She alleged that she feared for her life as the panchayat had issued a diktat for her elimination. She also refused to go back to her husband and expressed her desire to live with Bholu. The police, however, handed her to her husband after he furnished bonds to the SDM, Tohana. Surprisingly, Sheela changed her statement within four days and alleged that Bholu along with his brother had kidnapped her at pistolpoint and had raped her. Later, the police booked Bholu, his brother, Chain Singh, and a woman Bhateri, under Sections 365, 376, 506 and 34 of the IPC and Sections 25, 54 and 59 of the Arms Act. However, the doctors who conducted her postmortem did confirm that she had died of strangulation. The SP, Saurabh Singh, said the police was suspicious due to the history of the case, but there was no allegation of any kind by kin of the woman. He said investigations were on.
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Dengue claims life
Yamunanagar, October 3 The health department has set up a special ward, comprising of 10 beds, for suspected dengue patients in the Civil Hospital here. As per sources in the district health department, Subhash of Lakshmi Nagar died of dengue fever.
— TNS |
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2 die in tubewell
Yamunanagar, October 3 The incident created panic in the area. However, the gas did not come out of the well. As per sources, a farm labourer, Jagdish (50), was pulling out a pipe from the well, about 20 feet deep, when the
gas emerged. He felt suffocated and cried for help. Hearing his cries, land owner Mangat Ram (65) entered the well to
rescue him. However, both of them died. |
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War of words between Ranjit, K.V. Singh
Fatehabad, October 3 The two leaders have recently visited Fatehabad in connection with mobilising workers for the October 7 “bijli rally” of the Congress. Ranjit Singh, who visited the town on Saturday, when asked about the impending visit of K.V. Singh, said the latter was not a political person but an officer in the Chief Minister’s secretariat. He advised K.V. Singh to concentrate on his work resign from his post in case he was interested in politics. Replying to the comments of Ranjit Singh, the Chief Minister’s OSD, who visited the town on Monday, said Ranjit Singh was like his elder brother but he must not forget that he too was occupying a nominated post. He added that none of the two had come to occupy their respective posts through the electoral process. He said though he was the OSD to the Chief Minister, he was not an officer of the government as it was a political appointment. He justified his foray into politics and advised Ranjit Singh to refrain from making such comments. Interestingly, both Ranjit Singh and K.V. Singh have many things in common. Besides being appointed to their respective posts by the Chief Minister, both come from the clan of former Deputy Prime Minister Devi Lal, one-time bete noire of Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, and are cousins. Both have interest in politics of Sirsa district and also eye Fatehabad as an alternative constituency for them. Their war of words at a time when the party is busy in preparing for the rally to be addressed by Congress president Sonia Gandhi is being watched with interest by observers. |
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Maintain call records,
PCOs told
Faridabad, October 3 District Magistrate, Faridabad, Brijendra Singh has made the directive invoking Section 144 of the CrPC. The shopkeepers, who sell used mobile handsets, have also been directed to maintain a record of all sold handsets. The administration has taken the drastic measure on the report and recommendation of the district police. District police chief Alok Mittal said the recommendation for the measure had been taken to have a check on the
criminals. With regard measure against the sale of used mobile handsets, the police has faced the bitter experience of hitting the dead end while following cases relating to theft of mobile phones and SIM cards used in criminal activities. The police has already prepared a list of STD/PCO booths in the areas falling under the jurisdiction of each of Station House Officers (SHOs). Mittal cautioned that the errant STD/PCO operators and the shops would be penalised under Section 188 of
the IPC. |
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Cop beats up student
Yamunanagar, October 3 As per sources, Deepak had found Rs 3,150 in a private bus at Jagadhri bus stand yesterday. When he was trying to locate the owner of the money, the constable approached him and asked him to hand over the money to him. But when Deepak insisted that he would give the money to the owner only, the cop allegedly thrashed him and snatched the money. A complaint was registered at the Jagadhri police station by Deepak’s parents today. |
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Power plant: Villagers see jobs, land price rise
Jhajjar, October 3 About 2,170 acres of Jharli, Mohanbari, Khanpur Khurd and Goria villages have been acquired at the recently revised floor rates by the Haryana government. Hectic activities are on here for the “bijli rally” to be addressed by UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi after laying the foundation stone of the project on October 7. Haryana and Delhi will share the cost of the project equally and will get 750 MW each. Villagers are hopeful that the project will change their lives as besides raising the value of their land, it will provide them employment avenues. Dharam Singh, a resident of Jharli village who got employment as security guard at the project site, said: “People can now set up stalls near the site and earn money.” Rohtak MP Deepender Singh Hooda claims that the project will provide employment to the local youth. “The government has promised to provide jobs to the people whose land has been acquired for the project,” he said. Thanking the Prime Minister for selecting this backward area for setting up the power plant, he said there would be no shortage of electricity once the plant became functional. The project will be developed by the NTPC at an estimated cost of Rs 7,892 crore. Another salient feature of this project is that all villages situated in the 10 km periphery of this site will be supplied uninterrupted power after the completion of the project, according to HPCC organising secretary Surender Singh Hooda. |
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Ambala DC cancels tender for cutting trees
Ambala, October 3 Shayin visited the spot where the trees had been cut. The DC took a decision on the spot to cancel the tender for cutting of trees in different parts of Ambala Sadar. He also issued show-cause notice to the officials of Municipal Council, Ambala Sadar, after he found irregularities. He said the inquiry has revealed that most of the trees, which were to be cut, were not hampering any development work. He said the trees were being cut without proper permission having been sought from the Forest Department. He said it remains to be seen as to what led to this lapse. Now fresh survey would have to be carried out and only the dry trees would be identified for cutting purposes. Forest department officials would be made a part of the survey team. Former Ambala Cantt MLA Anil Vij said the decision to stop the tree cutting tender has saved 1,100 trees from the axe. He said preliminary inquiry by the DC has shown that there were major lapses.
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Punjabis for 35 pc job quota
Fatehabad, October 3 A meeting of the Sarva Jana Samaj Party, an outfit floated by persons belonging to the community, was held at the local Arorwansh Dharamshala today. The meeting was attended by, among others, Som Nath Thakral, Narender Gilhotra, Subhash Bhayana, Subhash Mehta, Sushil Mehta, Thakur Dass, Ram Chander, Mukand Lal and Nand Kishore Chawla. Speakers alleged that their community was being discriminated against in the matter of government jobs. They demanded that the Punjabi community should be given 35 per cent reservation in government jobs in accordance with their population. The party also decided to organise a day's fast here on October 28 to press their demand.
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