Sirsa, November 19
A suspended constable of the Haryana police today created ruckus at Choudhary Devi Lal University (CDLU) here by beating up a final-year girl student of MBA and outraging her modesty.

The suspended constable, Mahesh, attacked the girl on the second floor of Tagore Bhawan of the university. The police has registered a case under Sections 354, 323 and 406 of the IPC.

The incident, which highlighted the loopholes in the security system at the university, took place at around 2.30 pm.

When Mahesh passed an indecent remark, the girl raised an objection and went into biotechnology laboratory on the second floor of Tagore Bhawan to make a call. However, Mahesh also entered the lab and attacked the girl.

After the girl raised the alarm, students and teachers rushed into the room and made an attempt to catch Mahesh, who managed to escape. The victim sustained injuries in the incident and is staying in the hostel.

Registrar of the university Vajir Nehra along with a large number of students met SP Vikas Arora demanding immediate arrest of the accused.

Nehra said they demanded a strict action against the accused from the SP, as this was not the first incident. The accused, who frequently visits the university, had also been involved in a similar incident earlier.

Students and employees of the university on the condition of anonymity told The Tribune that the accused had created terror among the students. Fear of the accused was such in the campus that even the security personnel deployed at the entrance of the university gate never stopped him from entering the university.

The police reached the scene of crime after three hours and was recording statements of students and teachers till the filing of the report. However, no arrest has been made so far. 

Yamunanagar, November 19
A large number of pilgrims have reached Kapal Mochan in Bilaspur here today to participate in the mela starting form November 21.

The district administration expects about 1 million pilgrims at the mela.

Kapal Mochan mela has become a symbol of unity of Hindus and Sikhs of the region as pilgrims take holy dips in three ‘sarovars’, believed to be sacred as per Hindu mythologies and pay obeisance at Kapal Mochan Gurdwara.

As per a spokesman of the district administration, hundreds of people took dips in the holy ‘sarovars’ with hope to attain salvation. Pilgrims, who plan to stay throughout the four-day mela, had started pitching tents. Several community kitchens had started their operation at Kapal Mochan.

Meanwhile, adequate security arrangements had been made for the mela and the Haryana Roadways would be pressing special buses for the convenience of the visitors.

Yamunanagar, November 19
Teachers of MLN College here will go on mass casual leave tomorrow to demand the arrest of three persons who attacked and injured a Hindi lecturer, Dr Sanjiv Chaudhary, of the college on the night of November 17.

The college unit of the Haryana College Teachers Association (HCTA) held a meeting today and decided to go on mass leave.There are more than 180 teachers in the college with a student strength of more than 3,500. The teachers will also hold a dharna at the college.

Dr Shailesh Kapoor and Dr K.L Narula, president and general secretary, respectively of the unit, in a release issued here said that office-bearers of the state unit of the HCTA were expected to join them tomorrow in their protest. The next course of action would be decided after consultations with office-bearers of the HCTA.

Principal of the college Ramesh Kumar said that students of the college were a disciplined lot. Certain anti-social elements, who were outsiders, were creating problems around the college. "It is a very serious thing that teachers are being attacked.The attack should be condemned by all and the culprits taken to task", said the principal. He said the police had been given the names of the suspects who could be behind the attack on Dr Chaudhary.

Dr Chaudhary was returning home after helping students prepare for staging a play in the college when he was attacked by motorcycle-borne youths.

Police sources said Dr Chaudhary had objected to the presence of certain outsiders at the rehearsal venue in the college and asked them to leave. It is believed that those who were asked to leave could be behind the attack.

A case was registered after the attack but no arrests have been made.

Rewari, November 19
In two incidents, patients have been allegedly duped of ornaments and cash by fraudulent quacks at Rasgan and Lala villages of the district.

The police has registered a case of causing hurt by means of unwholesome drug, cheating and criminal breach of trust under Sections 328, 420 and 406 of the IPC in this regard on a complaint made by Krishna Yadav (35) of Rasgan village, 10 km from here.

The complaint of another woman, Chander Kala of Lala village, near Jatusana, has been entrusted to ASI Jaswant Singh for further investigation.

Sources said after a public proclamation made in the village on Saturday, the self-styled charlatan held a free of cost medical camp at the Anganwari complex at Rasgan on Sunday. Krishna, who complained of burning sensation in her eyes, was given some injection after which she complained of blurred vision.

Meanwhile, the charlatan allegedly took away her ornaments and cash and fled on his motorcycle.

Subsequently, the woman was admitted to the local Civil Hospital for treatment.

In the second incident, another such medical camp was held at Lala village by some other charlatan.

He examined a large number of people for various ailments and gave them free of cost medicines. A young woman, Chander Kala, who was wearing a gold chain, came to him for treatment.

She was administered an injection which reportedly caused stupefaction following which the charlatan allegedly looted her chain and fled on his motorcycle.

Gurgaon, November 19
In view of reports of use of mobiles by “high-profile prisoners” in jails, the Haryana police plans to initiate stringent measures to check and monitor such users in the future effectively.

Gurgaon police commissioner Mohinder Lal, while interacting with mediapersons here today, said soon jails in the state would be equipped with liner junction detectors (LJD), used to detect electronic circuit within 10 km. He said each such gadget cost around Rs 8 to 10 lakh and could be carried like a remote at different places in the jail where the police suspected that prisoners were using mobiles.

He said at present jammers had been installed in jails to detect use of mobiles. However, they were not very effective as only mobiles of two companies — Airtel and Hutch — could be detected thorough these.

Lal said notices had been sent to all telecom companies to provide jammer services on the periphery of jails but except for the two companies no one responded. He said the police would initiate action against the defaulter companies.

He said a team was being constituted to keep a vigil through CCTV on the activities of prisoners and the persons visiting them.

This would be another step to detect the use of mobiles by the prisoners. Lal said action would be taken against cops found trying to help prisoners in using mobiles. 

Fatehabad, November 19
Yoga fever is catching up with local residents.

A large number of people are attending the eight-day yoga camp, being organised by the district unit of the Patanjali Yog Samiti, which began on November 14.

Parliamentary secretary Dura Ram, SP Saurabh Singh, District and Sessions Judge Lachhman Sharma, former MLA Swatantar Bala Chaudhary and principal of the MM College of Education Mamta Chaudhary are among prominent persons who have attended the camp so far.

Rajender Kukreja, project chairman of the camp, said the participants had shown great enthusiasm in the camp.

Mamta Chaudhary inaugurated today’s session of yoga, while Usha Dahiya, a social worker, presided over it.

Ritu Chaudhary, councillor, Manju Mehta, principal of Crescent Public School, and Suman Siwach, a former zila parishad member, were present on the 
occasion.

Karnal, November 19
Sainik School, Kunjpura, held an old boys’ meeting here yesterday. A large number of old students not only from India but also from abroad gathered at their alma mater.

The celebration had an added zest as Gen Deepak Kapoor, alumni of the institute, recently took over as the chief of army staff.

Although he was not present to grace the occasion, a large number of former students turned up as a special felicitation ceremony was organised to honour them.

The day dawned with floral tributes paid to the martyrs. Capt Suresh Kumar, principal of the school, placed the first wreath.

Thereafter, a cricket match was held between former students of the school and students of class XI.

Some games were also organised for the families of the former students.

Various stalls were put up by different hobby clubs like art, craft, alchemy, adventure and photography. The artefacts made by students were also put up for exhibition and sale.

The main attractions of the show were the arms display and skydiving. Military equipments were displayed in the school to create awareness and generate interest in the students to join forces. An army band enthralled the audience. Skydiving was organised by the air force. Ten jumpers, led by wing commander D.S. Seharawat, an alumnus of the school, from the famous Akash Ganga team, dived from the height of 6,000 ft.

The felicitation of the former students, who have already donned the rank of generals or its equivalent in the air force, the navy and the police, took place at Manekshaw auditorium.

Major-general Umang Kapoor, air-vice marshal Paramjit Singh Bhangu, Lt general Arun Kumar Nanda, Lt general D.D.S. Sandhu, major-general K.J.S. Oberoi, major-general Virender Singh Tonk, major-general S.S. Sengupta, major-general Rakesh Kumar Loomba, major-general R.K. Hooda, major-general B.S. Daulta, major-general Palvinder Singh Bhalla, major-general Malhi and rear admiral S.P.S. Cheema attended the function. The generals were honoured by the Kunjean fraternity and the Old Boys 
Association.

The chief guest at the function, Lt general D.D.S. Sandhu, said no other sainik school had given as many generals to the nation as this school.

Suresh Kumar said it was a glorious day in the history of the school to have so many generals in the campus and the presence of so many inspiring personalities would certainly leave an everlasting impression on the young minds and would certainly motivate and encourage them to join forces.

Chandigarh, November 19
The Haryana government has given directions that officials or pensioners and their dependants 
will no more need to 
seek prior permission from the civil surgeon concerned for getting treatment at any hospital recognised by the government.
Earlier it was mandatory to seek the prior permission of the civil surgeon and the practice had been causing inconvenience to patients.

The government has also decided to recognise Kalyani Hospital, Gurgaon, for the treatment of government officials, pensioners and their dependents with the condition that the hospital will render services at the charges fixed for the PGI, Chandigarh, and the AIIMS, Delhi. 

Jind, November 19
Private passenger jeeps, popularly known as maxi cabs, are proving killer cabs on the roads in the district. A race between two maxi cabs to overtake each other in order to get more passengers proved deadly for an innocent youth waiting for a bus near Brahmanwas village on the Jind-Rohtak road today.

The victim, a student of a private BEd college, was crushed to death by a speeding jeep. He has identified as Surender of Bhongra village in Uchana tehsil and was waiting for a bus when the incident took place.

He had joined the Verde Devi BEd college at Brahamanwas village a couple of months ago and was on his way home after attending classes. No arrest has been made so far in this regard.

This is the second incident in the district in which a maxi cab trying to overtake another met with a mishap and claimed innocent lives in the past three days.

Earlier, two persons, including the driver of a jeep, were killed and several others injured in an accident that took place on the Jind-Bhiwani road on Saturday.

Meanwhile, in another accident that took place this evening, an employee of a milk plant here was killed after he was run over by a Canter. Rahuvir of Gosainkhera village was hit by a truck near Julana around while he was waiting for a bus. He was employed as an electrician in the milk plant. A case has been registered in this connection.

Panipat, November 19
Rimpa Siva (20), also known as the “princess of tabla”, has achieved a rare distinction of becoming the third woman artist playing the instrument in the country.

Awarded by the President, Rimpa had a memorable experience of playing tabla with flute maestro Hari Prasad Chaurasia in the US last year.

Belonging to a “musical family” from Kolkata, she was trained by her father and guru Swapan Siva, an accomplished tabla player himself of the Farrukhabad gharana.

The child prodigy, who started her stage performance at the tender age of nine, presented a one-and-a-half hour solo concert organised by the Haryana Institute of Fine Arts (HIFA) here on Sunday night.

In a chat with The Tribune, she revealed that her father actually did not want her to take to the tabla.

“My father says that during childhood, I used to sit beside his pupils at tabla training sessions. Despite initial reluctance, my father finally agreed to train me when I was just three,” she added.

She said Aban Misri and Anuradha Pal were the first and second women tabla players, respectively, in the country.

A die-hard fan of Zakir Hussain, Rimpa has all respect for the Punjabi audience. “I have performed at various places in the country and abroad, but Punjabis are matchless when it comes to showering respect on artistes,” she said.

Impressed with her rare talent, a 26-minute documentary titled “Rimpa Siva: Princess of Tabla” was made on her in 1998.

She recalled that she gave autographs for the first time at the age of 12 to her fans. Despite her busy schedule regarding performances in the country and abroad, Rimpa is pursuing her graduation in fine arts. 

Chandigarh, November 19
Engineer-in-chief of the Haryana public works department (building and roads) Mahesh Kumar was chosen the vice-president of the Indian Roads Congress at its four-day 68th annual session which concluded in Jaipur today.

While stating this here, a spokesman of the department said the congress was a body of road and highway engineers. Mahesh Kumar (47) joined the department as subdivisional engineer in February,1983, and served in various positions during his career. He was promoted engineer-in-chief on June 1, 2007. 

Fatehabad, November 19
A two-day annual convention of the district unit of the CPM concluded today with the delegates expressing concern over the opening of retail chains in the state and the consequent threat to small businessmen in Haryana.

Inderjit Singh, state secretary of the CPM, announced that his party would launch an awareness drive on this issue and also organise a mass movement to stop foreign and big companies' investment in the retail sector.

The CPM leader also expressed concern over the lackadaisical approach of the government towards education and public health and said that government schools and primary health centres continued to be understaffed.

The annual report of the district unit of the party was presented for discussion by the delegates.

Among those who expressed their views were Krishan Swaroop, Harpal Singh, Ram Swaroop, Chhatarpal Singh and Ram Kumar Bahbalpuria.

A 14-member district committee of the party was elected. Ram Kumar Bahbalpuria was elected secretary.

A resolution was passed which said the party would continue its struggle against communalism, imperialism and anti-people economic policies and work for the allotment of free residential plots to the poor from government funds, a loan waiver scheme for poor farmers and the implementation of labour laws. 

Bhiwani, November 19
Former HPCC spokesman Ashok Buwaniwala has written a letter to Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda in connection with non-procurement of paddy at the Grain Market in Bhiwani.

In the letter, he said as the process of paddy procurement had been suspended in the Grain Market here, farmers were forced to go 40 to 70 km away from Bhiwani to sell their produce.

A small farmer did not have his own means to transport paddy to far-flung mandis and he does not even get proper prices in other mandis.

Besides financial loss, a marginal farmer had to bear with the time loss, it said.

In the wake of non-procurement here, the trading community was also suffering financial loss and market fee was also transferred to other districts.

The letter said keeping in view the interests of the farmers and traders, directions for paddy procurement should be issued.

Kurukshetra, November 19
The Haryana government has, for the time being, banned the appointment of guest teachers, but their special appointment will be permitted only in those institutions where it will be necessary in view of the number of students.

This was stated by Haryana education minister Mange Ram Gupta, who was replying to the questions of mediapersons at Jai Ram Vidhyapeeth in Kurukshetra, after inaugurating hostel at Seth Harbaksh Lohia Jairam Women Polytechnic at Lohar Mazra in the district.

Earlier, while speaking at a function organised to mark the inauguration of the hostel, the minister made it clear that stern action would be taken against those teachers who would be found misbehaving with others and services of those teachers would be terminated, who would be found guilty of misbehaving with girl students.

Also, criminal cases would be registered against such teachers and the head of the educational institute would also be brought to book.

Mange Ram Gupta, who is also transport minister, said state roadways buses would ply from Pehowa and Pipli in the morning to facilitate the girls attending educational institutions in Lohar Majra. He appreciated the efforts being made by Jairam institutions to promote education. — PTI

Chandigarh, November 19
The Haryana BSP has ruled out the possibility of an alliance with any existing or yet-to-be-born political party, an obvious reference to the political outfit likely to be formed by suspended Congress MP Kuldeep Bishnoi, in the state.

Party president Prakash Bharti said here today that ever since Mayawati had become the supremo of the BSP, nowhere in the country the party had entered into any pre-poll alliance. He said after the success of the social engineering experiment in UP, the BSP did not need support of any one.

Coming down heavily on Bishnoi, the BSP leader said Bishnoi was hoodwinking his supporters by telling them in private that the BSP would enter into an alliance with his party before the next Lok Sabha elections.

Bharti claimed that Bishnoi started his political career by projecting himself as an advocate of the non-Jats in the state. However, his subsequent conduct belied his earlier claims. In the past few weeks, all those who had joined the Bishnoi ranks, Bharti said, belonged to the Jat community.

He said Bishnoi would be exposed after his December 2 Rohtak rally because he (Bishnoi) and his father would not quit the Congress for fear of facing a by-election. Bharti said if the Bishnois were so confident of their support base, they should immediately quit the Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha to test their popularity.

Bharti said instead of quitting the Congress, the father-son duo would float a non-political front on December 2 to save themselves from disqualification from membership of the Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha.

The BSP said his party would emerge the real champion of the non-Jats in the state because its Chief Minister candidate would not be a Jat. The party would definitely seek cooperation of the Jats as it was not against them. But its Chief Minister would be a representative of the non-Jats, who had been deprived their share in power for long. 

Rewari, November 19
As part of the Quami Ekta Week, which began today, a “pledge ceremony” for district officers and employees of various departments was held at the district secretariat here today.

The pledge was administered to them by deputy commissioner Chander Prakash. They vowed to work with devotion.

The deputy commissioner said that during the week, programmes, seminars and rallies would be held to foster the spirit of secularism, lingual harmony, cultural integrity as well as to highlight welfare projects for the Scheduled Castes and the Backward Classes.