Gurgaon, March 28
Nearly three months after 23-year-old Neha Chhikara, daughter-in-law of the then Gurgaon Civil Surgeon, Dr SS Dalal, went missing under mysterious circumstances on her way to Miami in the USA to the Bahamas on board a luxury cruise liner, the US and the Bahamas authorities concerned have officially stated that she had committed suicide.

A joint report sent to the Consulate General of India, Houston, and forwarded to the Haryana Vigilance Department states that Neha committed suicide by jumping into the sea from the 12th deck of the ship. A copy of the report has been sent to Neha’s father Suresh Chhikara as well.

Addressing a press conference here today, Chhikara said the report had taken into account Neha’s diary entries, statements by Neha’s husband Ankit Dalal and some eyewitness aboard the cruise liner, besides the crucial CCTV footage which shows that she took the plunge from the 12th deck and fell into the sea.

“The authorities there have recorded the statement of Ankit, according to which Neha left the room around 3.45 am (IST). She called Ankit on his mobile but he did not answer. She then went to the 12th deck, took off her woollens and shoes, and with her back towards the sea (as seen in the CCTV footage), she jumped off the liner. Another CCTV recording shows her falling into the sea,” said Chhikara, reading from the report.

Significantly, just before she went missing from the luxury liner, Neha had reportedly sent an e-mail to her brother, Anuj Chhikara, complaining about torture by her husband. In the e-mail, reportedly sent on the afternoon of December 31, 2009, Neha had written that her husband Ankit Dalal, a manager with the Royal Caribbean Cruise “Monarch of Seas”, often used to get impulsive and beat her up without any reason. They were on the same ship when the incident took place.

In her e-mail, a copy of which is with The Tribune, Neha had also alleged that Ankit did not want her to work on the cruise liner and had beaten her up badly on that day. According to Neha’s family members, she got killed about an hour after she sent the e-mail.

Neha’s family also alleged that she was being harassed for dowry by her in-laws. On their complaint (and much persuasion), the Gurgaon police had registered an FIR under Sections 498 (harassment for dowry), 406 (criminal misappropriation of property entrusted to someone) and 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) of the IPC.

The girl’s family has been alleging that the police had refused to book Neha’s husband or in-laws for “abetment to suicide” and no action was being taken against them due to their “high connections”.

It may be pertinent to mention here that Neha’s father-in-law Dr SS Dalal is considered quite close to Haryana DGP RS Dalal.

Though the case was later handed over to the State Vigilance Bureau and Dr Dalal transferred to Karnal, Neha’s family has been demanding a CBI probe into the matter to ensure impartiality.

Chhikara maintained that although the State Vigilance Department had got the report from the US-Bahamas authorities, they were still not taking action against Neha’s in-laws.

Haryana DGP RS Dalal could not be contacted for comments, while Gurgaon Police Commissioner SS Deswal expressed his inability to comment as the case was being investigated by the State Vigilance Bureau.

Chandigarh, March 28
The Damocles sword has been hanging over hundreds of industrial units which have come up within the controlled areas of Haryana over the years.

The Town and Country Planning Department had initiated proceedings, including criminal, under the Punjab Scheduled Roads and Controlled Areas (Restriction of Unregulated Development), Act, 1963, against many of them.

Since these units had been constructed within the controlled areas of the state without taking permission from the competent authority under the Act, they faced demolition.

Several industrial associations had made a represention to the government from time to time to regularise these units as their demolition would deprive many persons of their livelihood.

The state government examined their representations and was convinced that the removal of the illegally constructed industrial units would not only adversely affect the livelihood of their owners and employees, but also have a serious negative impact on industrial growth.

Now the government has formulated a policy on regularising these units in all zones, except the residential zones.

The unauthorised units existing within the controlled areas of the state would be given an opportunity to seek regularisation, for which a procedure has been approved. The owners will be given three months to submit their applications.

The owner would apply to the District Town Planner or District Town Planner (Enforcement) concerned on the prescribed application form (CLU-I) along with requisite documents like the site plan and revenue documents showing the ownership.

To expedite the approval, the government has decided to constitute a committee under the chairmanship of senior town planner of the circle concerned.

The district town planner or the district town planner (enforcement) concerned will be a member of the committee.

In case an industrial unit is located in a residential zone, the regularisation will take place subject to an undertaking from the owner that he will bring the same in conformity with land use proposals or zoning regulations of the development plans within five years of such regularisation.

Charges like scrutiny fee, conversion charges, composition fee and external development charges shall be payable as applicable for the site on the date of the decision.

The units should conform to the technical parameters like ground coverage, FAR, minimum setbacks and height in accordance with the provisions contained in the Punjab Scheduled Roads and Controlled Areas Restriction of Unregulated Development Rules, 1965.

However, wherever the applicant requires more than 21 meters of height, the government may relax the rules.

The owners will be have to obtain a no-objection certificate (NOC) and permission from the Haryana State Pollution Control Board.

They will also be liable to adhere to the various notifications issued under the Environment Protection Act, 1986, by the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests. 

Fatehabad, March 28
Though Gurpreet Singh Mundy, fondly called Gilly by his friends, is no more to see his dream project take a giant leap in two years, several scholars attended the second annual function of the Gilly Mundy Memorial Community School at Lehrian village in Fatehabad today.

Also present at the function were friends of Gilly from the United Kingdom, where he worked for a charity.

Gilly was born in England. His father, Mota Singh from Buwan Kothi village in this district, left the Indian shores in 1963 to settle in that country. Mota Singh went on to become a counsellor from Warwickshire and later the Mayor of Royal Limington Spa.

Gilly worked for a charity called “Inquest” that took up the cases of those killed in custody.

Gilly married an Italian woman Debbie in December 2005 and chose his native village Buwan Kothi for the function.

During their monthlong stay in the village, Debbie and Gilly were so overwhelmed with the cordiality, simplicity and hospitality of villagers that they decided to do something for them by way of setting up a school.

Soon after leaving India, Gilly and his friends in England decided to float the Buwan Kothi International Trust to raise funds for the project.

However, the day the family was told of registration of the trust on March 17, 2007, they also received the heartbreaking news of Gilly’s death due to a brain haemorrhage.

Gilly was then 36. In accordance with his wish, his organs were donated to hospital. A broken Mota Singh and Gilly’s widow decided to translate his dream into reality and the two with a team of committed volunteers from England, started the Gilly Mundy Memorial Community School at Lehrian on his first death anniversary on March 17, 2008.

Anil Wilson, a former Vice Chancellor of Himachal Pradesh University inaugurated the school.

Wilson, too, passed away last year and his wife Rita Wilson, a former chief executive of the Indian Council for Secondary Education, was the chief guest at today’s function.

Prof John Pickering, Associate Professor, Psychology Department, Warwick University, Jennet Alty, a founder trustee, and John Perkins, a well-wisher, travelled all the way from England to attend the function.

Bhim Singh Dahiya, former VC of Kurukshetra Univeristy, RPS Panwar, Deputy Director, Education, HS Chhokkar, District Education Officer, and several other prominent persons of the area participated. Schoolchildren presented a cultural show.

T Nammalvar, principal of the school, spoke of the future programme of the school. 

Karnal, March 28
Enraged over the death of a relative, a number of persons attacked doctors and staff at the trauma centre on the premises of the Civil Hospital here today. They thrashed two doctors, one of whom sustained grievous injuries, and also broke windowpanes and furniture of the centre.

Dr Samrat Azmani, who came under attack, had to be referred to a private hospital for treatment in view of his critical condition.

Vasu, a resident of the local Indira Colony, was admitted to the trauma centre after he was beaten up by some persons near Namaste Chowk, a few days ago. He had told the police that he was retuning home after finishing his shift at a local auto showroom when he was attacked by the persons, who broke both his legs. After undergoing treatment for a week, Vasu died on the hospital premises this afternoon.

Alleging negligence on the part of doctors at the trauma centre, relatives of the deceased went on the rampage. They also targeted Dr Anoop Garg and Dr Samrat Azmani. The staff at the centre somehow managed to save the two doctors from the relatives’ fury, but not before they sustained injuries. A team of police officials visited the spot.

Vasu’s relatives alleged that doctors had not provided him proper treatment and they were not even informed about his deteriorating condition by them.

Civil Surgeon Vandana Bhatia denied any medical negligence on the part of the hospital. She, however, said a probe would be ordered to find out true cause of the death. 

Fatehabad, March 28
The Haryana police may be finding former special task force (STF) chief Ashok Sheoran a hard nut to crack, but the state government has no plan to hand over the case to the CBI.

Talking to mediapersons at the residence of Congress leader Krishna Punia, Gopal Kanda, Haryana Minister for Home, Industries, Sports and Youth Welfare, today said the Haryana government had no plan to hand over the investigation to the central agency as there was no need for that.

He said the Haryana police was competent enough to reach the bottom of the case and assured that the guilty would not be spared. The minister said the new industrial policy of the state would be announced soon and claimed that it would give a new impetus to the industry.

He said the government had also decided to carve out industrial model townships (IMTs) in all districts. Launching a scathing attack on the INLD for opposing Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda’s visit to Sirsa, Kanda said though the INLD claimed to be a national party, but people perceived it as a state-level party. However, by their recent action, the Chautalas had given the impression that their base had further shrunk to Sirsa district alone, he said.

The minister said Hooda wanted to develop the Sirsa area along with other parts of the state, but the Chautalas, who, he alleged, never cared for development of their home district, were now feeling insecure to lose their hold over Sirsa too.

He alleged that Chautala could not even let Chaudhary Devi Lal University, named after his father grow, because it was coming in the way of his son Ajay Singh’s private group of institutions. 

Kurukshetra, March 28
The three-day national-level state representatives’ conference of the Rashtriya Sawayamsewak Sangh (RSS) concluded on the premises of Gita Niketan Senior Secondary School here today.

The conference was held in the presence of RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and RSS secretary Suresh Joshi.

Talking to mediapersons, Joshi said Jammu and Kashmir’s position had been deteriorating for the past some years. The RSS had opined that the steps taken by the Centre and the state governments were pushing Jammu and Kashmir to autonomy and separatism and the mentality of Jammu and Kashmir state was anti-democratic, anti-women and anti-human rights.

He further alleged that the Jammu and Kashmir government was thinking to revive the “Permanent Resident Certificate Bill” that would abolish the citizenship of this state’s women marrying out of state. Not only this, the state government was planning a surrender policy with the help of which those militants who had fled to Pakistan 20 years ago would be able to rehabilitate in the valley.

Joshi said the Centre government’s flimsy policies had worked for strengthening the morale of separatists and their superiors.

He claimed that Pak-occupied Kashmir was a part of Kashmir and Kashmir was an integral part of India. Therefore, a separate constitution and flag for Kashmir were against the integrity of India.

Joshi said giving special rights under Section 370 was a temporary arrangement and now it had become a tool for the separatist forces there. Therefore, these rights should be withdrawn immediately, he demanded. 

Fatehabad, March 28
An exhibition on state cattle and livestock was opened in Bhodia Khera village today.

Financial Commissioner and Principal Secretary, Animal Husbandry Department, Hardeep Kumar inaugurated the exhibition.

He said every year a state-level exhibition was organised to create awareness among the masses. As many as 54 categories of livestock, including 12 categories of murrah buffalo, Haryana cow, sahiwal cow, foreign sankar cow, gaushala cow, horse, camel, sheep and goat were brought to the exhibition by their owners.

In these categories, cash prize has been given to the first, second and the third category. The owner of the outstanding animal of the exhibition would be given a cash award of Rs 1 lakh.

Karnal, March 28
The All-India Shiromani Akali Dal has decided to contest all 11 SGPC seats in the state.Speaking to The Tribune, Jaswant Singh Mann, president of the AISAD, said the party would hold a delegates’ session at Karnal on April 4 during which deliberations on names of candidates would be held. 

Besides, the party would also discuss problems being faced by Sikhs in Haryana, he said. He said the party would also elect its state working committee, which would be announced by its state president Didar Singh. — TNS