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Panel hears Mirchpur victims in camera
Molestation improbable: Abha
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Sensitive areas surveyed
Candidates promise more funds, plots
Karontha Incident
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Panel hears Mirchpur victims in camera
Hisar, July 2 The village witnessed a Dalit-Jat clash in April. The panel first visited houses of Dalits damaged in the incident. The MPs spoke to the affected families and enquired about the compensation paid to them. Haryana Chief Secretary Urvashi Gulati and Director-General of Police Ranjiv Dalal were present in the village. The panel members met affected individuals in camera. Mediapersons were not allowed inside the tent where the MPs summoned the affected families. As the panel members were preparing to leave the village, members of the Jat community approached them, demaning that their side of the story be heard as well. They were told to meet the panel members later in the evening. However, they did not turn up. The panel held discussions with senior government functionaries for over two hours. Briefing mediapersons, Naskar said the report of the committee would be tabled in Parliament during the monsoon session. Though the panel members did not comment on their interaction with the Dalits, it is learnt that the affected families expressed their desire for rehabilitation outside the village. They are said to have alleged that they were under pressure to reach a compromise and withdraw the criminal cases filed against members of the Jat community. Other members on the panel were: M. Anandan, Harishchandra Chavan, Bhudeo Choudhary, Paramjit Kaur Gulshan, Kamal Kishor Commando, Virendra Kumar, Baju Ban Riyan, Tufani Saroj, Kodikkunnil Suresh (Lok Sabha members), D. Raja, Parveen Rashtrapal and Thomas Sangma (Rajya Sabha members). |
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Molestation improbable: Abha
Chandigarh, July 2 As the case came up for resumed hearing this afternoon, Rathore wife-cum-counsel Abha Rathore asserted: “No sane man would molest a girl of his daughter’s age in an open garage at noon”. Responding to her assertion, Justice Chauhan observed the statement had a tilt towards generalisation. Terming it as a “probability”, Justice Chauhan suggested the prosecution had its own set of probabilities. Quoting an example, Justice Chauhan said: “As per the prosecution, no person would use his daughter to settle old scores”. Justice Chauhan maintained the theory of probability cut both ways and it appeared improbable that any sane person or any reasonable father would allow his daughter to be part of such episode. Justice Chauhan’s observations, made in the open court, cannot be construed as expression of final opinion on the merit of the case. As of now, it cannot be said which way the case will eventually go. At the most it can be taken as Justice Chauhan’s prima facie view on the matter. Justice Chauhan made it clear that he was only responding to the assertions. Unruffled, Abha Rathore, accompanied by her daughter Priyanjali and sister Neeraj stuck to her stand and asserted Ruchika’s father SC Girhotra did not bring in his daughter and was not a signatory to the memorandum on the incident submitted to the authorities concerned. In an apparent attempt to underscore the implausibility of the occurrence, she said at the time of the alleged incident, three persons were in the house - Rathore’s gunman was inside, a guard was stationed outside and a labourer was moving up and down the adjoining stairs. All three were defence witnesses and had to be accorded the same reliance as prosecution witnesses, she asserted, while handing over judgments to the effect. Elaborating, she said gunman Ved Parkash had categorically stated that there was a wide table between Ruchika and Rathore, but he was not cross-examined on this. Finding holes in the prosecution story, she said even the labourer had deposed that Ruchika had only been scolded. In all, 15 to 16 labourers were working at that time. Moreover, it was an open garage, with wooden collapsable doors. Reading out complainant-cum-Ruchika’s friend Aradhana’s statement, she said it was made in 2005 when she was a mature girl of 30, working in Australia. The case will come up for further hearing on Monday. After the conclusion of Abha’s arguments, CBI counsel Anmol Rattan Sidhu and Ajay Kaushik, along with complainant’s counsel Pankaj Bhardwaj are expected to address the court. Rathore stays behind bars, at least till the verdict. |
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Nominees bring dummy EVMs to voters
Karnal, July 2 The sale of dummy EVMs has increased significantly and the only difference is that these machines have only one button opposite the election symbol of the particular candidate who is asking the voters “yeh button dabana (press this button only). The EVMs have converted electioneering into an awareness-cum-publicity campaign, drastically reducing the number of traditional flags fluttering in villages and cutouts, which are being increasingly replaced by buntings. Banners are also out of fashion and candidates are more inclined towards the use of caps, stickers, pamphlets and badges for electioneering. The EVMs are being used for the first time in the elections of sarpanch and zila parishad members during the panchayat poll while ballot papers would be used for election to other posts. Shiv Prasad, a shopkeeper supplying election material to candidates and parties, said the sale was quite low this time, mainly due to the craze of people for EVMs and the realisation among the candidates that it was a more effective mode of wooing the voters. Election material was also being used by candidates but directly showing the press button to voters was simpler as even illiterate voters could easily grasp it, he added. The focus is also shifting from traditional methods of electioneering to cassettes and CDs and pinning badges with election symbols on caps or clothes is emerging as a popular mode. Elections will be held in Assandh, Nissing and Gharonda on July 6 while Karnal, Indri and Nilokheri will go to the polls on July 10. |
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Sensitive areas surveyed
Panipat, July 2 He said the authorities had identified six sensitive villages in the district where it was
feared that violence could break out during the polling. He said the district police chief, along with other senior officials of the civil as well as police administration, had already conducted a thorough survey of these areas and deputed additional securitymen to prevent any untoward incident during the elections. These villages are Patti Kalyana, Hathwala, Jarosi, Jalmana, Adhmi and Nanherda. The DC said the administration had already held meetings with residents of these villages to instil a feeling of fearlessness among them and exhorted them to cast their votes without any apprehension. He said the Police Department had been asked to ensure that no anti-social elements were allowed to disrupt the election process. Meanwhile, the Deputy Commissioner and the police chief interacted with local residents to discuss the problems being faced by them. |
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Candidates promise more funds, plots
Yamunanagar, July 2 As many 3,000 employees have been trained in different tasks to conduct the elections. Candidates have been promising villagers more funds for development and assuring villagers plots, BPL cards and old-age pension. The most active places in the villages are chaupals where village elders gather to hold poll discussions. Deputy Commissioner Ashok Sangwan said the elections would be held in six blocks - Chhachhrauli, Bilaspur, and Sadhaura on July 6 and Jagadhri, Mushtafabad and Radaur on July 10. As many as 3,000 employees will be deploy on election duty for the first phase on July 6 and ,500 for the second phase on July 10. In all, total 2.5 lakh voters would cast vote in 233 booths in Chhachhrauli, 160 booths in Bilaspur and 89 booths in Sadhaura in the first phase and 2 lakh in 118 booths in Jagadhri, 139 booths in Mushtafabad and 139 booths in Radaur in the second phase. |
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HAU pensioners hold protest, shirts off
Hisar, July 2 The protest organised by the Senior Citizens Welfare Council was led by its chief Yashwant Singh Badal. Badal said the university had stopped payment of pension to the retirees. The pension for April was paid in the first week of June. Since then pension had not been released. He said the pensioners were yet to get pay arrears following revision of pay scales, LTC and revised dearness allowance with effect from January this year. Badal said in a recent judgement, the Punjab and Haryana High Court had directed Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, to pay pension to retirees even if it meant withholding salaries of its employees. He demanded that HAU should also honour the decision. The protesters alleged that their representations to the authorities had evoked no response. |
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Global N-energy centre on anvil
Bahadurgarh, July 2 A six-member team, led by the project director of the centre, Dr JP Shrivastva, disclosed this after visiting the sites of both villages here today. The team had come here to explore the possibility of setting up the centre in the villages. According to reports, the committee found the sites, measuring 125 acres and 80 acres, in Jassaurkheri and Kheri Jassaur villages suitable for the global
centre. The committee also collected all geographical information of the area. “The centre will be set up on a priority basis on 125 acres while 80 acres will be kept for residential plots. The project will take a minimum of three years to complete. Four research schools will be established here to carry out research in the field of nuclear security, radiological conservation and use of radiostopes techniques,” said Dr Shrivastva. Tthe centre would be set up on the pattern of the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai., he added. Bahadurgarh legislatorRajender Singh Joon and other senior officials were also present on the
occasion. |
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CM offers Saina DSP’s post
Chandigarh, July 2 He wrote that Haryana had been rewarding outstanding sportspersons by appointing them directly as DSP. Accordingly, he was making this offer to her. Congratulating her for her exceptional and outstanding success at the international level, Hooda expressed the hope that Saina would continue to bring greater laurels for the country and emerge as a true ambassador for Indian youth in sports. |
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Mango Mela opens at Pinjore today
Chandigarh, July 2 Announcing this here today, Haryana Tourism Minister Om Prakash Jain said the main purpose of the mela was to encourage farmers to adopt the latest technology to increase their production, productivity and quality so that they got maximum returns of their produce by tapping the domestic as well as international markets. Governor Jagannath Pahadia would be the chief guest at the prize distribution-cum-closing ceremony on July 4. |
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Karontha Incident
Rohtak, July 2 Rajesh was critically injured in the incident and had been undergoing treatment in the hospital since then. He succumbed to his injuries this morning. His father, Sube Singh, had died at the spot when two criminals opened fire on them on June 19. Rajesh (30) grappled with the assailants, who were armed with two revolvers and a knife,
and was shot at by the criminals. The criminals had gone to his house in a bid to eliminate him as he was a witness in a murder case in which they were wanted at Israna in Panipat district. |
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