Gurgaon, July 2
In a daring daylight dacoity, five armed youths looted Rs 1.48 crore at gunpoint from a branch of the Oriental Bank of Commerce on the premises of the Ansal Institute of Technology in Sector 56 here today. They escaped in a car without any trace till the filing of this report even as a massive manhunt has been launched to nab them.

The sensational dacoity involving such a huge amount is the first case of its kind in this cyber city.

The incident reportedly took place around 11 am as the youths, said to be in the 23-25 age group, forced their entry into the bank after snatching the rifle of the security guard on duty.

They hit and overpowered him as well as two customers present inside. This happened after the guard resisted their entry on suspecting their credentials as the bank’s customers. Four of them entered the bank while one stood guard outside.

Flaunting revolvers, they forced the employees to get inside the locker room and locked it from outside. All this while, they entered the strong room and escaped with the booty in a white WagonR bearing the registration plate of Uttar Pradesh. Its exact number is unknown.

The police came to know about the incident after a customer, who identified himself as Sukhbir, informed the police control room. Unmindful of what was happening inside, he entered the bank for some transaction. He was caught by the accused, but he managed to free himself.

Interestingly, the accused did not try to break open any locker nor hurt anybody. The terrified employees also did not offer any resistance.

DCP (east) Jagdish Nagar told The Tribune that the accused were successful in their attempt and could made good their escape probably because most of the police force was deployed in the area near Gurgaon where farmers of five villages were opposing the construction of an SEZ being developed by Reliance.

The police has sealed the borders with Delhi, Rajasthan and UP. Its counterparts in other districts in the National Capital Region have also been alerted. 

Rohtak, July 2
Visibly upset over allegations of “deplorable” law and order situation in the state, Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda offered to resign from his post on being confronted by a group of local traders regarding the issue here today.

Earlier, the protesters, including local traders and family members of local youth Vikas Malik - who was murdered in the town on May 26 - staged a protest demonstration in front of the CM’s local residence.

The Model Town market remained closed in protest against the police failure in arresting the culprits in the case. The traders and family members of Vikas marched in protest towards the CM’s local residence, raising slogans against the state authorities.

On being stopped from going to the CM’s house, the protesters staged a dharna on the Delhi road. Finally, deputy commissioner R.S. Doon and superintendent of police Alok Mittal took a delegation of protesters inside the CM’s residence.

There, heated arguments took place between the Chief Minister and the protesting traders. Annoyed by repeated charges of police inaction in the Vikas murder case and worsening law and order situation, Hooda even offered to tender his resignation.

“Agar aapko meri neeyat par shak hai to mera isteefa ley lo,” the CM said to the protesters, who included local BJP leader Manish Grover and several trader-leaders.

Vikas’ wife Leena and other family members urged the CM to get the investigations expedited. The protesters even sought a CBI probe into the matter.

Hooda assured them that the police was on its job and the killers would be arrested.

Chandigarh, July 2
Haryana police personnel are in the dock over Sarita’s death. The state’s additional director-general of police (human rights and litigation) Swaranjit Singh has recommended initiation of departmental proceedings against all gazetted police officers of Rohtak, who had initially handled Sarita’s complaint alleging rape.

In his report submitted to the Punjab and Haryana High Court, the ADGP has also recommended the chargesheeting of then SP Hanif Qureshi, additional SP Sajjan Singh and DSP Dheeraj Kumar Setia and Manbir Singh. The ADGP has asserted that the entire team of gazetted officers of Rohtak could not be absolved from their responsibility for failing to ensure a just and prompt response. He added all these officers were required to be proceeded against departmentally.

The status report has added: “The action of the police after the registration of the FIR also leaves much to be desired. The accused were not suspended, or even shifted from their posts in the interest of fair investigation. Far from showing the slightest tinge of remorse, they were moving about brazenly hurling abuses, threats and taunts at the victim and her family.” ”It is most ironic that after the suicide, the same department exasperated by its mauled image chose to immediately sever all ties and dismissed them without enquiry under the extra ordinary sections of law”, the report said.

The ADGP has further stated: “The SP, of course, as the leader of the team was to make the final call. Even if his subordinates were not entirely in agreement, there is enough authority in the police chain of command for him to enforce his decision.

“The additional SP has been dealing with serious complaints in a very lackadaisical manner. From the very beginning he appears to have been set in his views.

Statements of his subordinates reveal that even after registration of the case, he wanted to simply cancel the case without even a semblance of investigation." The ADGP added that there was an inordinate delay in lodging the FIR.

He further added the question for deliberation was what led to this failure. The police, as per the report, had taken the plea that there were several factors, which seriously diminished the credibility of the complaint.

“Whatever be the relevance, the enquiry laid much emphasis on questioning the character and past family history of Sarita rather than on the very specific allegations in question. From the statements of the officers and their action it is quite apparent that the majority of them were of the opinion that the case was false and it should not be registered”, the ADGP said in the report.

Bhiwani, July 2
A mahapanchayat was held at Garanpura village today in protest against the police action with regard to “fake encounter” done by the Hisar police a few days ago.

The Hisar police had allegedly shot dead an innocent youth, Mahender, of Garanpura village of Bhiwani district during the first week of June mistaking him to be a smuggler.

Villagers of Garanpura had blocked a road for two days in protest against the “fake encounter”.

Residents of 12 villages, who attended the panchayat, demanded a CBI probe into the issue and strict action against the police personnel involved in the encounter.

Speakers at the panchayat said the police had destroyed a family by its act. Now, the family was on the verge of starvation as its sole bread earner was no more.

They said strict action should be taken against all policemen involved in the encounter. The villagers would be forced to launch an agitation if the government did not order a CBI inquiry into the case, they added.

They further deplored that despite the fact that the police took the life of an innocent man, the government had not yet provided any aid to the victim’s family.

The mahapanchayat would be forced to take ex parte decision against the state government if no financial aid was announced for Mahender’s family, they warned.

A BJP leader, Om Prakash Maan, said party workers would also support the agitation launched by villagers in this matter if the state government did not accept their demands.

Chandigarh, July 2
The Privileges Committee of the Haryana Vidhan Sabha has decided to recommend to the house that INLD supremo Om Prakash Chautala should be admonished at the bar of the assembly for “insulting” the committee, according to informed sources.

The committee is hearing a plea by parliamentary affairs minister Randeep Singh Surjewala against Chautala, alleging that the latter had used abusive language against Speaker Raghubir Singh Kadiyan.

The committee, which is headed by Congress MLA from Palwal Karan Singh Dalal, had summoned Chautala a number of times to appear before it. However, the summons could not be served on him. Ultimately, the DC of Sirsa, the home district of Chautala, was asked to serve the summons outside the house of the INLD leader, asking him to appear before the committee here yesterday.

Appearing on behalf of Chautala, former advocate-general of Haryana Ashok Aggarwal and former member of the state public service commission Sher Singh Badshami handed over a letter from Chautala to the committee yesterday that he could not appear before it because he was to go abroad. Another date of hearing was sought. However, the committee refused to give an adjournment. At this, the sources say, Chautala’s advocates informed the committee that he could appear before it today. The committee agreed.

After Chautala was administered the oath, he moved an application seeking copies of certain documents. The committee said copies of all relevant documents had already been provided to him and he should answer the charges levied against him by Surjewala. But Chautala reportedly walked out, saying that the committee should first convey to him its decision on his application.

The sources say the committee felt that Chautala’s attitude and conduct were “insulting” towards it. Since a Vidhan Sabha committee is considered to be the Vidhan Sabha itself, Chautala should be admonished at the bar of the house. A special report would be sent by the committee against Chautala to the house. The committee is yet to decide on the main allegation against the INLD leader.

The sources say if a person refuses to appear before the house, he can be arrested and brought to the house. The next session promises to be interesting.

Chandigarh, July 2
The Election Commission of India has directed the Haryana government to take disciplinary action against senior IAS officer R.R. Jowel for allegedly playing truant while on election duty in Tamil Nadu in 2006.

Jowel is presently holding charge of the registrar, cooperative societies. Sources said the government had received a communiqué to this effect from the office of the Election Commission.

The government, it is learnt, had filed the case and had been carrying out an inquiry. This letter assumes greater significance since it has come at a time when Jowel’s name has been forwarded in the panel sent by Haryana for the post of home secretary, Chandigarh.

Jowel was appointed election observer in Tamil Nadu during the 2006 election. While on duty in Samayanallur in Madurai district, Jowel, along with another Haryana officer Amit Jha and one more officer of another cadre had gone sightseeing.

They were caught on camera while on this visit and the then deputy commissioner of that district had lodged a complaint with the Election Commission. Following this, Jowel was withdrawn from the election duty and recalled.

However, the issue had died a silent death after an investigation into the matter revealed nothing.

Sympathisers of Jowel said the visit to Ooty had been blown out of proportion by the local media of Tamil Nadu because the local deputy commissioner was not on “friendly terms” with the election observer.

The complaint had once again found mention when Jowel’s name had been forwarded by the Haryana government to the ministry of home affairs for the much-sought after post of Chandigarh’s home secretary.

The other names on the panel are those of chief administrator, Haryana State Agricultural Marketing Board (HSAMB), Ram Niwas and Anil Kumar, who is presently posted as the managing director, Confed.

A senior officer said though the case had been filed, the government would re-examine the case in the light of the letter from the Election Commission though he added that it could be a fallout of the lobbying going on for the post of the home secretary.

Gurgaon, July 2
The situation continues to remain tense in villages around the site of special economic zone (SEZ) being developed by Reliance despite heavy police deployment to ward off any untoward incident by agitating farmers.

The police today took out a flag march as a preventive measure.

A mob of farmers had allegedly set two JCB machines involved in the construction of a boundary wall on fire yesterday. The Gurgaon police has registered three FIRs against those accused of blocking the road and damaging the JCB machines bring driven through Garauli Kurd village on way back from the construction site near Harsaru village. Thirty-three persons have been named in the FIRs and 35 others are unidentified.

Farmers of five villages, whose 1,400 acres was acquired by the Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (HSIIDC) for the construction of SEZs during the previous INLD regime, have been demanding enhanced compensation.

The bone of contention in the ongoing crisis is the farmers’ demand that the district administration should not have gone ahead with facilitating possession of the land in question to Reliance till hearing of the case by the apex court on July 10.

The agitating farmers belong to Khandsa, Narsingpur, Mohmadpur, Jharsa, Garauli Khurd and Harsaru villages.DCP west Rakesh Arya claimed that today also some miscreants tried to damage police gypsy of ACP Pataudi. A case was registered against these miscreants as well.

At least 15 motorcycle-borne miscreants surrounded the gypsy before damaging it. The police has taken into custody four motorcycles, which were left behind by the miscreants, when the police arrived on the spot.

Raids would be conducted to arrest the accused, he added.

Satbir Singh, spokesperson for the Haryana Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Samiti that is spearheading the agitation, said it was decided in a meeting that they would hold a news conference in New Delhi tomorrow to present their case.

The heads of all farmers’ organisations of Haryana had been invited for the purpose, he said, adding that the samiti also decided to gherao the parliament.

He alleged that the police had turned the area into a virtual police cantonment and a curfew like situation was prevailing in Harsaru, Garauli Khurd and Garauli Kalan villages.

Chandigarh, July 2
Taking note of frequent postings of Sanjiv Chaturvedi, district forest officer, Fatehabad, and suspension orders that were revoked later by the central government, the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) has stayed his recent transfer.

In his application, Sanjiv had challenged his recent transfer to the office of the principal chief conservator of forests (PCCF), Haryana, that was a non-cadre post despite the availability of cadre posts.

The applicant stated that he was selected in the IFS in June 2002. Subsequently, he was attached to the office of the PCCF, Haryana, a non-cadre post, in April 2006 and later appointed as the district forest officer (DFO), Jatusana, an ex-cadre post.

Meanwhile, the applicant submitted a representation on May 22, 2007, regarding the illegal transportation and habitat destruction inside a wildlife sanctuary by persons associated with the construction of the Hansi-Butana canal. He asserted that such transportation was illegal. In the representation, he even suggested two alternative routes for transportation from outside the sanctuary.

His proposal was set aside by the chief wildlife warden and the transportation was allowed. He claimed that on the same day a report was given by the PCCF to the Chief Minister that Sanjiv did not inform the higher authorities about the illegal transportation and suggested that suitable action should be taken.

Thereafter, the applicant was transferred to Fatehabad on May 30, 2007. Sanjiv even received an “illegal warning” for intervening in the transportation through the wildlife sanctuary. The applicant again submitted a representation to the authorities concerned about the alleged warning.

Sanjiv stated that another illegal act came to his notice that Herbal Park, on which the government was investing in a big way, was being erected on private land despite the availability of suitable government land and he informed the higher authorities about it on July 2, 2007. The applicant received threatening calls from Partap Singh, who claimed to be close to the forest minister. He claimed to have informed the authorities concerned about this call in writing on July 10. Sanjiv was directed by the PCCF on July 12 to start work on the Herbal Park on private land.

Sanjiv was then suspended on August 3 against which he submitted an appeal on August 7 to the state government and was chargesheeted on September 14. However, his suspension orders were revoked by the Government of India. On February 15 this year, the state government issued Sanjiv’s transfer orders to the office of the PCCF, despite the availability of cadre posts.

Bhiwani, July 2
The police has arrested one more person in connection with the murder of local municipal council chairman Nand Lal Chawla. SP Sanjay Kumar said Rajesh, alias Gariba, was arrested last night from his residence in the New Housing Board Colony. Rajesh had provided shelter to the criminals in his shop after the crime, he said.

The police produced him before a court, which remanded him in police custody for 14 days. He said the police had received the lie detector test report of three persons, including two councillors. Councillors Ravinder Soni and Satender Mor, and Sube Singh Dhillon, husband of councillor Sewa Devi Dhillon, had been sent to Madhuban for lie-detector tests last week.

Kaithal, July 2
The police has arrested Saroj Rani’s mother-in-law and sister-in-law for allegedly sprinkling kerosene on Saroj Rani, who has succumbed to her burn injuries at the PGIMS, Rohtak.

Saroj Rani, while under treatment for serious burn injuries at the PGIMS, Rohtak, had given a statement to the Magistrate on June 24 that her mother-in-law and sister-in-law had sprinkled kerosene on her and she was admitted to the hospital by her husband.

Initially, the case was registered under Sections 307, 498-A and 34 of the IPC, but later following the death of the victim, Section 304-B was added in the case.