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THE TRIBUNE SPECIALS
50 YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE

TERCENTENARY CELEBRATIONS
H A R Y A N A   E D I T I O N

Man kills daughter’s lover, held
Sirsa, May 1
A man, who is alleged to have killed a local youth who was in love with his daughter, has been arrested for murder and causing disappearance of evidence of the crime, in Sirsa town today.

‘Friend’ stabs youth to death
Bahadurgarh (Jhajjar), May 1
A youth was allegedly stabbed to death by his friend in Noona Majra village here yesterday. His body was found lying in the fields of the village here today. The deceased has been identified as Sanjay.

Retired Colonel murdered
RC Sachdeva Faridabad, May 1
Two unidentified persons barged into the house of a retired Colonel here today and allegedly attacked him and his sister with weapons, leading to the Colonel’s death.

RC Sachdeva

3 booked for murder
Karnal, May 1
The police today booked three persons, including a couple, under Section 302 and 34 of the IPC for the alleged murder of a resident of Ram Nagar colony here.


YOUR TOWN
Chandigarh


EARLIER STORIES

Boy slips into canal
Karnal, May 1
Villagers of Shekpura block the Karnal-Meerut road in Karnal on Saturday. Tribune photo: Ravi Kumar As many as 200 villagers of Shekpura today blocked the Karnal-Meerut road for an hour to protest against the delay in the arrival of the local administration to save a boy, who reportedly slipped into the Avardhan canal. The incident took place when Ravi (20), who was running on the banks of the canal, lost balance after he was suddenly attacked by a monkey. He slipped and fell into the canal at 6 am today.

Villagers of Shekpura block the Karnal-Meerut road in Karnal on Saturday. Tribune photo: Ravi Kumar

400 ineligible BPL card holders booked
Jhajjar, May 1
Under its ongoing campaign to check illegal beneficiaries of below poverty line (BPL) cards, the Rohtak police has registered criminal cases against over 400 residents of four districts - Rohtak, Jhajjar, Panipat and Sonepat - who have been receiving monthly old age pension and other benefits by getting their BPL cards made despite not being entitled for that.

Teacher booked for molestation
Villagers assemble in Primary School at Harni Khurd on Saturday, demanding action against the teacher accused of molesting schoolgirls at Dharampura Sirsa, May 1
The police today booked a schoolteacher for allegedly outraging the modesty of girls (Section 354 of the IPC) after villagers complained that the teacher had molested some girls and was into the habit of behaving indecently in front of them.

Villagers assemble in Primary School at Harni Khurd on Saturday, demanding action against the teacher accused of molesting schoolgirls at Dharampura in Sirsa. Photo: Amit Soni

Harassed, girl commits suicide
Yamunanagar, May 1
A Class VIII student of Government School, Panchkirti, committed suicide by consuming some poisonous substance allegedly after she was assaulted by two Class X boys of her school here today.
Punjabi actor and singer Babbu Mann during a promotional event for his film, “Ekam — Son of Soil”, in Sirsa on Saturday
Punjabi actor and singer Babbu Mann during a promotional event for his film, “Ekam — Son of Soil”, in Sirsa on Saturday. Photo: Amit Soni

Teachers hold protest
Jind, May 1
The Haryana Contractual Teachers Association staged a dharna outside the mini-secretariat here today demanding that the State Teachers Eligibility Test (STET), introduced by the government two years ago for the recruitment of teachers in government schools, be scrapped. They submitted a memorandum to the government through the DC.

Alert sounded
Chandigarh: The Haryana police on Saturday sounded an alert in the National Capital Region, in view of the terror threat to major markets in the national Capital.

Dera Stampede
Safety measures given the go-by
Sirsa, May 1
Safety measures have often been given the go-by by Dera Sacha Sauda, where five women lost their lives in a stampede during its foundation day celebrations on the night intervening Thursday and Friday.

Couple seeks security
KAITHAL: A newly married couple on Saturday approached the court of Additional District and Sessions Judge AK Shori and demanded security as they feared danger to their lives.

Khap mahapanchayat today
Kaithal, May 1
A khap mahapanchayat will be held at Pai village in Kaithal district tomorrow to demand an amendment to the Hindu Marriage Act.

DPE Teachers
Selection subject to outcome of plea: HC
Chandigarh, May 1
The selection of DPE teachers in Haryana under the ex-servicemen category will now depend upon the outcome of a petition filed before the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

VC’s term extended
Rohtak, May 1
The Governor of Haryana and Chancellor of Maharshi Dayanand University Jagannath Pahadia has extended the term of RP Hooda as the Vice-Chancellor of Maharshi Dayanand University (MDU).







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Man kills daughter’s lover, held
Sushil Manav
Tribune News Service

Sirsa, May 1
A man, who is alleged to have killed a local youth who was in love with his daughter, has been arrested for murder and causing disappearance of evidence of the crime, in Sirsa town today.

A team of the local police today recovered the body of the victim, Sonu, from Sahaya Minor, an offshoot of the Rajasthan Canal, near Rawatsar town of Rajasthan. Earlier, the police had recovered his motorcycle from the canal yesterday.

Raj Rani, mother of the victim and a resident of the local Khairpur area, had lodged an FIR with the police on April 26 that his son was called by the accused Jaspal Singh, a resident of local Friends Colony, to his residence on April 23 and suspected that he and his wife had murdered her son.

She alleged that her son had an affair with Jaspal Singh’s daughter and the two had even eloped some time back.

However, Jaspal Singh and his wife, she said, were against their relationship. She expressed the fear that her son had been done to death by the two.

The police had registered a case of kidnapping under Section 364 of the IPC against Jaspal Singh on April 26.

“The police arrested Jaspal Singh on Friday and sought his five-day police remand from a local court. During his interrogation, Jaspal confessed to the crime and revealed that he, aided by another friend, had killed the youth and thrown away his body,” said a police spokesperson.

The spokesperson said Jaspal Singh and his friend took Sonu to Talwara Jheel on the Rajasthan Canal and threw him along with his motorcycle in it after killing him.

After the recovery of the body, the police has booked Jaspal Singh under Section 302 and 201of the IPC and said the other accused would also be arrested soon after the accused revealed his identity.

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‘Friend’ stabs youth to death
Ravinder Saini

Bahadurgarh (Jhajjar), May 1
A youth was allegedly stabbed to death by his friend in Noona Majra village here yesterday. His body was found lying in the fields of the village here today. The deceased has been identified as Sanjay.

The Bahadurgarh police has registered a case of murder against Sandeep on the complaint of the deceased’s brother, Krishan.

Sandeep came to Sanjay’s house last evening and took him on his motorcycle to an unknown destination. Sanjay’s kin started searching when he did not return home by late in the night.

This morning some villagers spotted Sanjay’s body lying in the fields and informed his kin and the police. The police rushed to the spot and sent the body for a postmortem. The body bore multiple injury marks inflicted by some sharp-edged weapons.

Preliminary investigations revealed that both had consumed liquor in the night before they got engaged in a scuffle that might have led to Sanjay’s killing. The police has booked Sandeep on the charge of murder.

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Retired Colonel murdered
Ravi S Singh
Tribune News Service

Faridabad, May 1
Two unidentified persons barged into the house of a retired Colonel here today and allegedly attacked him and his sister with weapons, leading to the Colonel’s death.

The sister, Neelam (45), who used to stay at her brother’s place, has received serious injuries. She has been admitted to a hospital. The deceased identified as Col RC Sachdeva (retd), who retired from the Army 15 years ago, was a divorcee.

The police has registered a case. However, no arrest was made till the time of filing the report. DCP Shashank Anand said the police would soon arrest the culprits. The incident took place when Sachdeva and his sister were sleeping at their residence in Sayeed Wada here.

The deceased’s sister said they had forgotten to bolt the main door. The assassins barged into the house and attacked both of them with knives. No goods were taken away by the accused. Property dispute could be behind the incident. The Colonel’s house is estimated to be worth Rs 1 crore.

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3 booked for murder
Bhanu P Lohumi
Tribune News Service

Karnal, May 1
The police today booked three persons, including a couple, under Section 302 and 34 of the IPC for the alleged murder of a resident of Ram Nagar colony here.

The case was registered following a complaint lodged by Santosh, wife of the deceased Kishori Lal. She alleged that her husband was murdered as he was having an illicit affair with Saroj, whose husband Bittoo and another person Titto were booked in the FIR.

Santosh said Kishori Lal had gone for work in the morning yesterday but did not return and later his dead body was found near the canal.

She suspected that Bittoo, his wife Saroj and brother Titto were involved in the crime and demanded their immediate arrest.

An agitated Santosh refused to take the body of her husband after postmortem till the accused were arrested. She was pacified by the police and persuaded her to take the body for cremation.

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Boy slips into canal
Bhanu P Lohumi
Tribune News Service

Karnal, May 1
As many as 200 villagers of Shekpura today blocked the Karnal-Meerut road for an hour to protest against the delay in the arrival of the local administration to save a boy, who reportedly slipped into the Avardhan canal. The incident took place when Ravi (20), who was running on the banks of the canal, lost balance after he was suddenly attacked by a monkey. He slipped and fell into the canal at 6 am today.

His friend Amit raised the alarm and people gathered near the canal.

The villagers alleged that the local administration and the police were informed immediately, but no person from the administration arrived till 9 am.

The enraged villagers laid siege on the road and blocked the traffic. Later, Sadar SHO Gorakh Pal Rana arrived at the spot and assured them that no efforts would be spared in tracing the boy and services of professional divers would be requisitioned. The search operation was on till the filing of the report.

Meanwhile, the police today produced eight persons namely, Sube Singh, Raghubir, Raju, Pradeep, Sonu, Rinkoo, Karambir, Umed, arrested for yesterday’s clash in Bajida Rodan village in a local court which remanded them in 14 days of judicial custody.

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400 ineligible BPL card holders booked
Ravinder Saini

Jhajjar, May 1
Under its ongoing campaign to check illegal beneficiaries of below poverty line (BPL) cards, the Rohtak police has registered criminal cases against over 400 residents of four districts - Rohtak, Jhajjar, Panipat and Sonepat - who have been receiving monthly old age pension and other benefits by getting their BPL cards made despite not being entitled for that.

IGP, Rohtak Range, V Kamaraja, said as many as 105 residents of Rohtak, 103 of Panipat, 102 of Sonepat and 100 illegal beneficiaries of Jhajjar district had so far been booked under Sections 420, 468, 471 and 120-B of the IPC, while such cases had also been registered in Karnal, another district of this range.

“The motive behind the registration of the cases is to teach a lesson to ineligible beneficiaries who don’t hesitate in violating rules just to avail the benefits meant for bona fide beneficiaries of the BPL cards,” said the IGP, adding a public notice in this regard was issued in order to make the people aware of the special drive.

He maintained that a stipulated time of at least one month was given to erring beneficiaries to get their BPL cards cancelled or claim for old age pension cancelled before carrying out the drive but they did not pay any heed to it. Hence, they were now facing the police action in this regard.

“Besides, many complaints from all the five districts are still pending wherein it has been alleged that people who are well off have been enjoying the benefits of BPL cards,” said V Kamaraja.

The police is also investigating the role of those district officials into the matter, who had issued the BPL cards without verifying the facts thoroughly. The IGP said criminal cases under the Prevention of Corruption Act would be registered against the officials found guilty during the investigation in this connection. The erring beneficiaries would be made to compensate for availing undue benefits under the BPL scheme registered, maintained Kamaraja.

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Teacher booked for molestation
Sushil Manav
Tribune News Service

Sirsa, May 1
The police today booked a schoolteacher for allegedly outraging the modesty of girls (Section 354 of the IPC) after villagers complained that the teacher had molested some girls and was into the habit of behaving indecently in front of them.

Villagers today met DSP, Ellenabad, Dharampal Bhardwaj, who after listening to their complaints, directed the SHO of the Rania police station to register an FIR against the teacher.

The accused Mohinder Singh, who is a teacher in Government High School at Dharampura, has denied all allegations.

“When our daughters refused to go to the school, this startling fact came to our notice. They told us that their teacher did obscene acts in front of them and molested them,” alleged villagers from Harni Khurd, who assembled in the primary school of the village today.

Bhardwaj later confirmed that the teacher had been booked under Section 354 of the IPC (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty).

District Education Officer Asha Kiran Grover said though she had received telephonic complaints from the villagers, the in charge of the school had narrated her some other version.

She said the accused teacher was earlier working in the primary school at Harni Khurd and his school in charge had told her that the villagers had an altercation with him over some issue. She would conduct an inquiry into the incident.

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Harassed, girl commits suicide

Yamunanagar, May 1
A Class VIII student of Government School, Panchkirti, committed suicide by consuming some poisonous substance allegedly after she was assaulted by two Class X boys of her school here today.

The police has booked the two accused students for compelling the girl to commit suicide and for outraging her modesty.

The incident took place when the girl, Shilpa (14), was returning home in Akbarpura from her school. Two Class X students stopped her and passed indecent remarks. Later, they assaulted and outraged her modesty.

After reaching home she narrated the incident to her mother. Unable to tolerate the insult, Shilpa consumed some poisonous substance. She was admitted to a private hospital where she died. — TNS

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Teachers hold protest
Tribune News Service

Jind, May 1
The Haryana Contractual Teachers Association staged a dharna outside the mini-secretariat here today demanding that the State Teachers Eligibility Test (STET), introduced by the government two years ago for the recruitment of teachers in government schools, be scrapped. They submitted a memorandum to the government through the DC.

The teachers said there was no need for conducting such a test since they had already acquired the relevant qualification and experience.

“The main objective of the STET is to prune the list of candidates by rejecting them through the test,” claimed a spokesperson.

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Alert sounded

Chandigarh: The Haryana police on Saturday sounded an alert in the National Capital Region, in view of the terror threat to major markets in the national Capital.

The GRP has also been alerted to be vigilant at railways stations. DGP RS Dalal urged the people to inform the police in case they come across any suspected objects. — TNS

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Dera Stampede
Safety measures given the go-by
Sushil Manav
Tribune News Service

Sirsa, May 1
Safety measures have often been given the go-by by Dera Sacha Sauda, where five women lost their lives in a stampede during its foundation day celebrations on the night intervening Thursday and Friday.

Although dera sources maintain that enough precautions are taken to ensure the safety of followers visiting its headquarters on Chopta Road in Sirsa town, but much, it seems, is required to be done to ensure that incidents like this and others, where innocent lives have been lost in the past, are not repeated in the future.

Thousands of followers from Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, Delhi and parts of Uttar Pradesh visit Dera Sacha Sauda whenever there are occasions like birthday celebrations of its founder Guru Shah Mastanaji, second Guru Shah Satnamji or the present dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh.

The gatherings on these three occasions are huge and according to the claims of the dera, these run into lakhs.

The turnout on the foundation day celebrations of the dera on April 29 every year is quite large and over one lakh followers are said to have participated in this Thursday’s congregation.

Besides these special occasions, thousands of followers visit the dera every Sunday for the weekly congregations organised there. A majority of these followers travel in trucks and canters.

To create additional sitting space in these vehicles that are actually meant for loading goods, horizontal partitions are made with the help of wooden pieces tied with ropes to accommodate the maximum possible number of people.

Although an economical mode of transportation, it is highly risky as the number of causalities is always high whenever such vehicles meet a road accident.

Incidents of accidents are witnessed at regular intervals, but these have not proved deterrents for the dera.

The police as well as transport officers have been overlooking this irregularity, though it is illegal to use goods carriers for the transportation of human beings.

“Most of the dera followers come from poor or lower middle class families and cannot afford to spend more on travel,” reasoned a dera follower, justifying the use of such vehicles. Similarly, the arrangements in the dera hardly match the number of people who visit the shrine.

The arrangements go helter-skelter when the number of visitors is huge during the birthday celebrations of the Gurus.

Dera spokesperson Pawan Insan, however, said the dera had an over one lakh-strong force of volunteers from across the country, who looked after the security and safety aspects of the followers during large congregations. He denied that there was any compromise with the safety of followers visiting the dera during congregations and celebrations.

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Couple seeks security

KAITHAL: A newly married couple on Saturday approached the court of Additional District and Sessions Judge AK Shori and demanded security as they feared danger to their lives.

The couple had married against the wishes of their parents on March 18 at Arya Samaj Mandir in Chandigarh. The court directed the local police to provide security to the couple. Satish and Suman of the local Jalandhrian mohalla got married in Chandigarh. — OC

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Khap mahapanchayat today
Our Correspondent

Kaithal, May 1
A khap mahapanchayat will be held at Pai village in Kaithal district tomorrow to demand an amendment to the Hindu Marriage Act.

This was stated in a joint statement issued by Bharat Singh Behniwal, Jagpal Majra, Ramphal Jakholi, Om Parkash Dhull, Inder Singh and Jagat Singh, national vice-president of the Jat Arakshan Samiti, during a press conference here today.

The leaders said their organisation had been forced to demand amendment to the Hindu Marriage Act as misguided youth from various parts of the state, who had been debarred from solemnising marriage being natives of the same village or neighbouring villages, were tying nuptial knots in violation of conventions and social norms prevailing since ages without taking into confidence their parents or village elders.

If such practice was not stopped immediately, it would not only damage and weaken the goodwill prevailing among various castes and sections of society, but would also create serious social problems in the coming times, they added. People could not remain mute spectators when age-old conventions were violated by the youth.

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DPE Teachers
Selection subject to outcome of plea: HC
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 1
The selection of DPE teachers in Haryana under the ex-servicemen category will now depend upon the outcome of a petition filed before the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

Acting on a petition filed by Satvir Singh of Bhiwani district and another petitioner seeking the quashing of selection list “in which four seats had been allotted to ex-servicemen female general category”, Justice Permod Kohli issued notice of motion, while asserting: “In the meantime, any appointment made under the ex-servicemen general category shall remain subject to the outcome of the writ petition.

In the petition filed through advocate Vivek Khatri, the petitioners had earlier alleged that the Secretary, Haryana Staff Selection Commission, advertised posts, including 341of DPE teachers, in July 2006. Out of the total, 12 were reserved for ex-servicemen general category.

Describing themselves as applicants, the petitioners added they were surprised to see four out of 12 seats had been allotted to ex-servicemen general women category, after the commission declared the selection list on April 22.

The petitioners claimed the reservation of 24 seats had not been mentioned in the advertisement. Claiming there was “no female candidate who was an ex-servicemen”, the petitioners alleged efforts were being made by the respondents to give the benefits of the posts to the dependents of ex-servicemen.

This, counsel Khatri argued, was “totally illegal and unconstitutional”. After taking note of preliminary submissions made by the counsel, the bench fixed July 6 as the next date of hearing in the case.

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VC’s term extended

Rohtak, May 1
The Governor of Haryana and Chancellor of Maharshi Dayanand University Jagannath Pahadia has extended the term of RP Hooda as the Vice-Chancellor of Maharshi Dayanand University (MDU).

In an official order issued from Raj Bhavan, Pahadia has extended the term of Hooda till December 3. This is in pursuance to an amendment to the MDU Act, 1975, made vide an ordinance promulgated on April 30 which has increased the superannuation age of Vice-Chancellors from 65 years to 68 years. Earlier, the tenure of Hooda was up to May 3. — TNS

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