Ellenabad (Sirsa), October 31
INLD supremo Om Prakash Chautala is expecting early bypoll for Ellenabad assembly segment and hopes to emerge victorious before Bhupinder Singh Hooda government gets time to settle down.

Chautala will resign from Ellenabad assembly seat on November 3-4 and expects the bypoll on December 18 along with the fifth and final phase of Jharkhand assembly polls.

Chautala, who is on a four-day tour of Ellenabad assembly seat, said on the demand of local voters, he has decided to vacate the Ellenabad seat. The INLD supremo was talking to mediapersons at Kutiana, the last village of Haryana close to Rajasthan border today. Chautala has also won from Uchana Kalan in Jind district and has decided to retain that seat.

"People of Ellenabad want to taste another victory over the Congress and have asked me to resign from the seat," said Chautala.

He said according to rules, he has to resign from one of the two seats held by him before November 5.

"As I am on tour of Ellenabad till November 2, I will submit my resignation from this seat on November 3 or 4," he said.

He said he was still to make up his mind regarding the candidate although his party would be the first to do so once the bypoll was announced.

Answering another question, Chautala said he had never contacted Haryana Janhit Congress leader Kuldeep Bishnoi for support, although he said he did not consider any political party as 'untouchable' for stopping the Congress from coming to power.

Chautala said the situation of uncertainty would beset Hooda government forever and it could fall anytime.

Jind, October 31
Senior Congress leader and former finance minister Birender Singh while addressing mediapersons here today said he would not contest the Ellenabad bypoll."Infighting and wrong selection of candidates for various seats in Jind district is behind the rout of the Congress in the recently concluded assembly polls," he said.

Birender, who was the Congress candidate from Uchana Kalan seat in the district, lost by a minor margin to INLD supremo during the election.

Birender, who was also a contender for the CM's post, said he had not contested to become only an MLA but had entered the fray to fight for the rights of people of the Bangar belt. "Now, I have decided to take some rest and will not like to contest for Ellenabad seat," he said.

Birender alleged that some of the candidates fielded for various seats were totally incapable. He added that a section of party leaders worked towards ensuring a win for the INLD candidates, which was the reason why the Congress lost all the five assembly segments in the district.

"These leaders and workers also ensured that Congress president Sonia Gandhi's proposed election tour of the district was cancelled at the last moment," he alleged.

He, however, claimed that the Congress would be able to complete its full term without any problem.

Chandigarh, October 31
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has held Haryana Director-General of Police in the wrong for displaying “lack in compassion” towards the plight of a police official’s widow.

Mincing no words, Justice Ranjit Singh asserted: “The whole approach of the DGP against the wife of an employee, who died in harness is certainly lacking in compassion, though scheme is named as compassionate assistance/appointment scheme.”

The scathing observations came on Sumitra Devi’s petition. She was offered the post of a sweeper after her husband constable Ram Chander died “while serving the Haryana police on May 26, 2001”.

Going into the background, Justice Ranjit Singh observed: “Left without means, she applied for a job on the basis of instructions governing appointment on the basis of compassion. Superintendent, Fatehabad, forwarded the case of the petitioner to Inspector-General (Hisar range) on August 21, 2008, and ultimately to the Haryana DGP.”

“Then started the process of visits by the petitioner to the office of the superintendent. Each time she had to return only with a promise that her case was under consideration. A perusal of the reply on the behalf of the respondents would show that the petitioner was made an offer for appointment as sweeper on the ground that no other vacancy in the rank of class IV was available. The petitioner refused to accept the appointment. She was then offered Rs 2.5 lakhs on compassionate ground in terms.”

Virtually passing strictures, Justice Ranjit Singh ruled: “If the government wishes to show compassion, they must also have consideration for compassion and should not depend on technicalities.” Allowing the petition, Justice Ranjit Singh directed the release of Rs 2.5 lakhs, and imposed costs of Rs 10,000 “for unduly” making her to file the petition.

Manesar, October 31
A major fire broke out at a factory here yesterday night. It took almost nine hours to douse the flames and more than a dozen fire tenders were pressed into service by the Fire Department. It was controlled today at 8:30 am.The incident took place after the first batch of workers left at 10 pm and another batch was about to start their work.

Plastic sheets lying in the godown caught fire that spread immediately. Around 500 workers were on duty that time. Employees tried to extinguish the flames till the fire brigade reached the spot.

The company used to prepare candies for international brands. The fire broke out at around 10:30 pm causing losses worth several crores.

Fire officer Hanuman Sihag said people inside the godown were taken out and were safe and there was no causality. Though the reason behind the fire is not yet known, sources said the fire took place due to the negligence of an employee who might have lit a matchbox to smoke.

The company’s supervisor said they had not yet calculated the loss.

There was no report of causality till the time of filing the report. 

Karnal, October 31
A dispute over sale of a chunk of land in Padha village of Assandh in Karnal took a violent turn today leaving one person dead and several others injured in firing.

The accused went to the fields of the deceased on the pretext of settling the dispute but opened fire at Ramphal and others.

Ramphal, who was hit by a bullet, was declared brought-dead by doctors at the Assandh Civil Hospital. Some others were also injured by pellets.

Later, a case of murder was registered against Ranbir, Prakashvir, Duli Chand and Vikas under sections 302, 307 and 34 A of the IPC.

According to sources, Ramphal had sold 2.5 kanals of land in village Padha to Prakashvir and Ranbir one-and-a-half years ago, but the land was in possession of Raj Pal. Sources said Rajpal and Pamphul had exchanged their lands through a verbal agreement but nothing was on records. However, when the accused reached the village to get possession of the land, the clash ensued.

Jai Shyam Sharma, in charge of Jalmana police station, said that body of the deceased had been handed over to the relatives after post mortem and all the accused have been arrested. 

Panipat, October 31
The alleged illegal confinement of Jitender at a drug de-addiction centre in Urga kheri Village has turned out to be case of kidnapping in connivance with the victim’s wife and brother.

Sources said Jitender Singh, who has been working as an associate professor at CRA College, Sonepat, had not been taken to the centre for rehabilitation, but had been kidnapped by the owners of centre with the help of his wife and brother.

It was alleged that his wife, who is posted as associate professor at Hindu College in Sonepat, and his brother both wanted Jitender to transfer his property in their name. A few days ago, his wife and brother asked him to accompany them to Shekupura village in Karnal district. As they reached Panipat, his brother stopped the car behind another car. Two men came out of the car and reportedly pushed him in their car and took him along to the drug de-addiction centre.

There he was ill-treated by the staff and was even forced to sign certain documents, he alleged.

However, his reporting the matter to the police exposed the wrongdoings at the de-addiction centre, which had been keeping other inmates under illegal confinement.

As the police raided the centre premises, it freed one Gulzar, son of Harwinder Singh, Sandeep Sharma, son of Kasturi Lal, and Kirpal Singh, son of Kuldeep Singh, from there. These inmates were also subjected to inhuman treatment at the centre. The police said the matter was being further investigated.

Rewari, October 31
Following a complaint by Umesh Kataria, husband of the deceased Neetu Kataria (30) of Mohalla Kaziwara here, the police has registered a case of causing death by negligence against Dr Mitra Saxena, obstetrics and gynaecology specialist of Dr Adesh Saxena hospital.

Neetu, who was seven months pregnant, was admitted to the hospital with abdominal pain on October 24.

Dr Saxena said she was given proper medical treatment for premature labour but when she was deemed fit for discharge; she developed symptoms of upper respiratory infection and fever on October 27.

Subsequently, when her condition started worsening owing to high temperature and other complications she was referred to Paras Hospital, Gurgaon, on October 28 where she died on the morning of October 30.

Her postmortem was conducted at the civil hospital here on Friday. Meanwhile, taking a serious note of registration of a case against Dr Saxena, a deputation of the Indian Medical Association, Rewari, met SP Rajender Singh Gahlot here today.

They contended that the case was registered in gross violation of directions of the apex court on the subject, and sought cancellation of the FIR. 

Chandigarh, October 31
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has held Haryana Director-General of Police in the wrong for displaying “lack in compassion” towards the plight of a police official’s widow.

Mincing no words, Justice Ranjit Singh asserted: “The whole approach of the DGP against the wife of an employee, who died in harness is certainly lacking in compassion, though scheme is named as compassionate assistance/appointment scheme.”

The scathing observations came on Sumitra Devi’s petition. She was offered the post of a sweeper after her husband constable Ram Chander died “while serving the Haryana police on May 26, 2001”.

Going into the background, Justice Ranjit Singh observed: “Left without means, she applied for a job on the basis of instructions governing appointment on the basis of compassion. Superintendent, Fatehabad, forwarded the case of the petitioner to Inspector-General (Hisar range) on August 21, 2008, and ultimately to the Haryana DGP.”

“Each time she had to return only with a promise that her case was under consideration. A perusal of the reply on the behalf of the respondents would show that the petitioner was made an offer for appointment as sweeper on the ground that no other vacancy in the rank of class IV was available. The petitioner refused to accept the appointment. She was then offered Rs 2.5 lakhs on compassionate ground in terms.”

Justice Ranjit Singh added that the constable’s father’s plea was also received through the Deputy Chief Minister, but was filed as time barred. Her claim made again on the basis of a court order, too, was turned down.

Justice Ranjit Singh asserted: “The petitioner was offered an appointment as a sweeper. She was justified in declining the prayer. She was the wife of a soldier, working in the police. Making an offer of appointment as sweeper was not a dignified way of showing compassion.” Allowing the petition, Justice Ranjit Singh directed the release of Rs 2.5 lakhs, and imposed costs of Rs 10,000 “for unduly” making her to file the petition.