Panipat, January 15
The Haryana Wakf Board has decided to come out with a comprehensive policy to get back its land that has been encroached upon by individuals across the state.

Speaking to mediapersons here today, commissioner, Ambala division, Mohinder Kumar, who is also the chairman of the Wakf Board, said almost 99 per cent of the land belonging to the board in the state was in unauthorised possession. The board was losing revenues worth crores every year which could otherwise be spent on the welfare of underprivileged sections of the Muslim community, the commissioner said.

The Haryana Wakf Board is the second-most prosperous boards in the country after the Karnataka Wakf Board with a landholding of more than 29,000 acres. The chairman said the board was already fighting around 1,250 cases in different courts across the state, including the Punjab and Haryana High Court to get the possession of the land which belonged to it but had been encroached upon or was under the control of individuals who paid meagre amount for using the land on a lease basis.

Mohinder Kumar, who was here today to open five tailoring centres for womenfolk, said the board was in the process of formulating a policy through which this land could be retrieved and used to generate more funds for welfare schemes.

The chairman said the board was of the view that the lease deeds through which the board’s land had been handed over to individuals for meagre amounts be revised or taken back. The board would hold a meeting with the individuals and would try and convince them to pay more to the board.

Meanwhile, the board chairman also announced a number of welfare schemes for the Muslim community, including an increase in the honorarium of Imams, increase of pension for widows, orphans and the differently abled along with scholarship for students. He also announced that the board would soon come up with more tailoring centres for women across the state, two ITIs and an engineering college in Mewat district. 

Chandigarh, January 15
The unresolved issue of seat sharing between the BJP and the INLD today took its first toll. It ensured that the Haryana unit of the BJP failed to keep its date with the party high command for submitting its list of candidates from all 10 parliamentary seats.

Sources said a meeting of the state BJP, slated for today in Sonepat, was shifted to Delhi where party in charge of Haryana affairs Vijay Goel met the members. However, instead of discussing the aspirants finalised by the state unit, the meeting resolved that the issue of seat sharing should be first decided.

This is contrary to the original plan whereby the party had decided to identify its candidates on the “winnability factor” and submit its list to the party high command despite the ambiguity prevailing over the issue of seat sharing.

Also, with national president of the BJP Rajnath Singh scheduled to begin the exercise of choosing the candidates from January 19 in consultation with the party for all states, the state unit was hopeful that the list would reach the high command.

However, the sources added that at today’s meeting, it was decided that Goel would approach senior BJP leader Sushma Swaraj, given the responsibility of sorting out the business of seat sharing, to hold a meeting with the INLD and decide the seat-division formula. It was decided that only after this decision was made, the party would finalise and announce its candidates on the seats that fell in its lap.

President of the state unit of the BJP Atam Prakash Manchanda said the venue of the meeting was moved to Delhi because Haryana in charge Goel was pre-occupied with other matters. “Our list is ready.

However, it has been held back after it was decided that the party will wait for the division of seats. Seat sharing is likely to be decided in a week,” he stated.

Seat sharing between the alliance partners has been a contentious issue from the time the alliance was forged, the two parliamentary seats of Gurgaon and Sonepat are at the centre of the dispute. While the BJP is pushing for a six:four division of seats with the INLD, the latter wants to play on an equal footing and is insisting on a five:five division of seats.

Ambala, January 15
A Pak national has been confined to the Ambala jail for the past two years even after the completion of his conviction period as the Pakistan authorities have refused to take him back.

The Panchkula police had arrested a Pak national, Shokat Ali, son of Abdul Sattar, a resident of Kalewal Cheemia village of Gujranwala district in Pakistan, in 2005 on charge of spying. No proper passport or visa was found with him.

A case was registered against him in the Chandimandir police station under Section 45/5/14(11) 31 of the Foreigner Act, 1946. Later, he was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment by a Panchkula court.

The jail authorities released him on May 26, 2007, after the completion of his conviction period. However, the jail administration didn’t know to whom he should be handed over, as he did not had any document to live in the country.

The jail administration wrote a letter to the Superintendent of Police, Panchkula, in this regard as initially he was arrested by the Chadimandir police.

The Panchkula police sent Shokat Ali to Indo-Pak border under the supervision of a police team so that he could be handed over to the Pakistan authorities.

However, the Pakistan authorities refused to take him back as he had no passport or visa. Shokat Ali tried to convince them that they could verify his identity from his parents living in Kalewal Cheemia village, which fell under the Gujranwala police station. However, the Pakistan authorities did not hear his plea.

Shokat was again brought back to Panchkula. Later, on the directions of the Deputy Commissioner, Panchkula, he was sent to Ambala jail till the matter between the two countries could settle.

Meanwhile, the police department and Haryana jail authorities sent a number of letters to the Ministry of External Affairs to seek direction in this regard but no reply had been received so far.

According to sources, Director-General (prison), Haryana, had written a letter to the deputy secretary (foreign) in which the department sought permission to shift Shokat Ali in transit home in Delhi. Now, the Home Department had taken up the matter with the Pakistan High Commissioner, sources added.

It has not been ascertained whether the jail administration has kept Shokat in the jail barracks along with other prisoners or he has been kept separately, as he is no more a prisoner.

Yamunanagar, January 15
A middle-aged woman gave birth to a girl child while travelling in Ambala to Delhi passenger train here today. She gave birth to the child in the train’s toilet at the Jagadhri railway station without any facility here today. Even after giving birth to the child, the woman had to wait for at least two hours to get help.

Munni of Shahabad along with her four children had boarded a train from Barada for Merrut. She gave birth to her tenth child in the train’s toilet when it stopped at the Jagadhri railway Station.

However, getting no help, she took shelter at the railway platform for at least two hours. Later, the passengers informed the railway police about the woman, following which she was sent to the railway hospital in Jagadhri.

“I kept waiting for help. However, no one readily came forward. A woman passenger helped by giving some warm clothes and shawl,” rued Munni at the hospital.

Superintendent of the Jagadhri railway station Jawahar Singh said as soon as we came to know that the woman gave birth to a child and was sitting at the platform, an ambulance was called. She was later admitted to the railway hospital here. The authorities extended all possible help to her, he added.

Sirsa, January 15
Not satisfied with the transfer to the police lines of two cops in connection with the alleged torture of a Dalit woman, members of the Balmiki community held a demonstration against the police here today.

Demanding the registration of criminal cases under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act against Shish Ram, SHO of the CIA police station, Shamsher Singh, Assistant Sub-Inspector, and Anita Rani, a woman constable, the members of the Balmiki community marched to the SP’s office and submitted a memorandum to him.

District police chief Subhash Yadav, who has already shifted Shamsher Singh and Anita Rani to the police lines, told the agitating members of the community that their allegations would be probed by DSP, Ellenabad, Balbir Singh.

Members of the Balmiki community had blocked traffic near Balmiki Chowk yesterday demanding the registration of cases against the three cops.

The agitators were irked over the alleged torture of a Balmiki woman, Asha, at the local CIA police station on Tuesday.

Veer Shanti Swaroop, a senior BSP leader, had alleged that the police beat up the innocent Dalit woman on the behest of influential persons and took away Rs 7,000 lying in her house to slap a false case of theft against her.

Swaroop claimed that members of his community secured her release from the “illegal” custody of the police around 10.30 in the night.

He alleged that while she was summoned by Shamsher Singh, in charge of the police post situated at the bus stand, she was taken to the CIA police station, where she was allegedly tortured by Shish Ram, Shamsher Singh and Anita.

On the other hand, Dhiraj Setia, DSP (Headquarters), maintained that the woman was summoned to the police station in connection with a theft of Rs 50,000 and a gold ring at the residence of an architect, where the woman worked as a domestic help.

He maintained that Asha had even “confessed” her crime in writing at the CIA police station and members of her community requested her release at night on the assurance that they would produce her in the morning.

Members of the Balmiki community have termed the allegations of the police as baseless and said they would not settle for anything less than the registration of criminal cases against the cops.

Swaroop has maintained that Asha is still admitted to the local general hospital and is in pain and trauma suffered during her interrogation. 

Yamunanagar, January 15
The police today arrested three persons, including the two accused, who had raped two minor girls of Daulatpur here on Tuesday.

The trio - Nek Mohammad, Shaukat Ali and Salamudin - were arrested from their village.

Later, all three were produced in a local court, which remanded them in judicial custody.

A case under Sections 376, 452, 120-B and 34 of IPC was registered against the three yesterday.

Chandigarh, January 15
The Punjab and Haryana High Court says there is no constitutional obligation on it to undertake the selections of assistant district attorneys in Haryana.

The ruling by Chief Justice Tirath Singh Thakur and Justice Hemant Gupta comes on a “public interest petition” filed by advocate Chander Singh.

He had sought directions for restraining Haryana Public Service Commission (HPSC) from continuing with the process of selecting assistant district attorneys in Haryana’s prosecution department. Directions were also sought to hand over selection process to the high court.

Dismissing the petition, the Bench ruled: “We are of the view that this petition is misconceived….There is no basis for the petitioner to contend that the selection process for appointment against the posts of assistant deputy attorney should be undertaken by the high court. Counsel for the petitioner is also not in a position to point out any statutory or any other provisions which would make HPSC inadequate or disqualified for making the proposed selections.

“The only argument which was advanced by counsel for the petitioner was that in the case of selection and appointments of civil judges, the high court is examining whether the selection process should be transferred to the high court, instead of the same being completed by HPSC.

“We do not think there is any comparison in the selection being made by the Haryana Public Service Commission against the cadre of assistant district attorney and in the cadre of selection of civil judges, the process of which is being undertaken by the high court. At any rate, there is no constitutional obligation for the high court to undertake the selections of assistant district attorneys in the state”.

Referring to the contention that the process could be vitiated due to extraneous considerations as the members were appointed by the government in power, the Bench said: “We find no merit in that contention.

“Whether or not there is any illegality or irregularity in the selection process, is a matter which can be examined by the court at the instance of any candidate. The petitioner obviously is not one of the candidates. He has already retired as a district attorney and is now practicing as an advocate at Chandigarh. He has, therefore, no locus standi to question the validity of the selection process”. 

Chandigarh, January 15
The Punjab and Haryana High Court believes the then senior regional manager of Haryana Food Corporation of India, RK Ranga, “apparently acted beyond the directions of the High Court” in a seniority determination matter.

Justice Augustine George Masih also quashed a report submitted by him on April 29, 1994, on inter-se seniority of contract labour of FCI’s Karnal depots. Retired district and sessions judge RP Bajaj will now look into the matter.

The report was challenged by Ram Rattan and other petitioners.

They were working in FCI depots at Karnal for 20 years till April 1994 after being employed by the corporation through an agency for loading, unloading of foodgrains and allied activities.

The petitioners contended as many as 30 persons, earlier in their union, were made senior by the Ranga committee after they defected. Most appointment letters were issued in great haste without following the mandatory directions on physical verification and medical examination of the candidates.

The appointment letters were rather issued on April 28, 1994, although the report was of a day later. Moreover, the Ranga committee was to decide the objections raised before the earlier committee. But, Ranga committee scrapped the Chopra committee report without any cogent reasons “and took to itself the task of finalising the inter se seniority by assigning Regional Computer Centre, Chandigarh, to undertake the exercise”.

After hearing the arguments, Justice Masih ruled: “The report, as submitted by Ranga, being beyond the authority granted by this Court, cannot be sustained.

Not only this, it has been proved on record the appointment letters were issued on April 28,1994, a fact which has not been disputed by the respondents in their written statements.

“It is also an admitted fact that the report of the Ranga committee was submitted on April 29, 1994. That being the factual position, the assertion of the petitioners that the respondents-FCI had proceeded with a bias mind against the petitioners, is not unfounded….

Before parting with the order, Justice Masih added: The matter has been lingering since long and the petitioners are waiting for the determination of their seniority on the basis of which their rights would be crystalised.

This position cannot be allowed to be kept pending for all times to come… In light of the fact that this writ petition has been pending in this court since 1994, it would be appropriate District and Sessions Judge (retd.), RP Bajaj, be appointed as a one-man committee to examine all relevant records produced before the Chopra committee.