Ambala, July 9
Partial rail traffic was restored on the Ambala-Delhi section this morning. The rail traffic was suspended on this section following a 30-foot breach in the rail track near Shahbad.

The Delhi-Kalka Shatabdi Express and eight other trains had crossed this track till this evening safely. It will take at least two more days for normal rail service on this section. For the time being, trains are being run at a speed of 30 km per hour on this track.

Natraj Singh, Senior Divisional Engineer of the Ambala railway division, said 700 labourers were working round the clock to plug the breach.

He said it was a difficult task since rainwater was flowing at a great speed. He said normal rail traffic would be restored on this track within three days.

Stones and soil had to be brought by a goods train to the breach site as dry soil was not available nearby.

A large number of passengers, especially migrant labourers, have been camping on various platforms at the Ambala Cantt railway station in view of the cancellation of a number of trains.

Meanwhile, the flood situation in Ambala City and Ambala Cantt is improving fast.

However, certain localities like Baldev Nagar and Sector 9 are still waterlogged.

The flood waters in the Naggal area, which damaged paddy crop in about 5,000 acres, has started receding. However, the situation is still grave in over 10 villages close to Naggal. The three breaches, which occurred in the Tangri yesterday, have almost been plugged with the help of the Army. The breach on the Ambala-Hisar highway has also temporally been repaired and road opened to light vehicles. The flood situation in Khera, Nadiali, Chugna, Bishangarh, Amipur and Mahmoodpur villages is still critical.

The Army distributed food packets, drinking water and medicines in these villages.

Daljeet Singh, a resident of Dera Nadiali village, said they had not got drinking water for the past two days.

He said neither the administration nor any political leader had come to their rescue. He said wheat and other eatables stored by them had been destroyed in the flood waters and their children were hungry for the past two days.

A resident of Naggal village, Harbans Lal, said they had been facing the flood problem for past three decades.

During every election, leaders of various parties assured them that this problem would be solved but nothing had been done in this regard so far. On the direction of local MLA Venod Sharma, Congress workers opened relief camps in various villages. 

Fatehabad, July 9
Uncertainty prevails among villagers living in low-lying areas of Jakhal block in this district with the level of water in the Ghaggar soaring. At the Chandpura head, it was recorded at 1,1700 cusecs today. The head has a capacity for 22,000 cusecs, but once the water flow crosses 15,000 cusecs, low-lying areas face the threat of inundation at certain points.

“The flow at Khanori is 1,4100, while at Guhla, 59,000 cusecs,” said Om Parkash, XEN, Water Services Division, Tohana.

In normal circumstances, one-third of the water flowing at Guhla reaches Fatehabad district and hence the threat of deluge in Jakhal areas that fall along the river seems imminent.

The neighbouring Moonak in Punjab is already under 2ft to 3 ft water. The district authorities have made elaborate arrangements to meet the situation arising of the rise in the Ghaggar waters.

Helpline 01667-230018 has been set up at the district headquarters and the District Revenue Officer appointed nodal officer for relief measures. “The district authorities have identified 60 villages that may face the problem of floods,” said the DC.

Kurukshetra, July 9
The situation is far from normal in flood-ravaged areas of Kurukshetra. The victims are fighting on two fronts-the floods and government apathy.

The water has receded in most areas yet life has not moved ahead for the hapless people waiting for the water accumulated in their homes and fields to dry up.

The 60-ft wide breach in the Satluj-Yamuna Link canal, which wreaked havoc in the town flooding hundreds of houses and thousands of acres of land, has been plugged but a 5-ft stretch of the canal remains broken.The Army, civil administration, social organisations and local residents are working round the clock to block the discharge of water by placing huge boulders and holding these together with a wire mesh.

The flood-affected residents expressed anger against the government “apathy”. The aerial survey by the Chief Minister and his announcements on relief failed to bring smile on their faces. The victims alleged that nothing was being done to help them. All help was being rendered by Dera Sacha Sauda, gurdwaras, Manav Seva Sangh, Kurukshetra University and other social organisations, providing them with food and drinking water.

The threat of outbreak of epidemic loomed large over the flood-hit areas. It was still not possible to reach people in certain pockets and the administration remained a mere onlooker.

The situation was so most alarming in Dedar Nagar Colony. Said the furious residents: “What has the government done for us? What to talk of help, no official has visited us and neither drinking water nor food has been provided to us.”

A local resident, Kesari Prasad, said their belongings, including clothing and foodgrains, had been damaged and had social organisations not come to their rescue, “we would not have got even drinking water and food.”

The situation was no different in Shanti Nagar. Some former employees of Kurukshetra University said that cracks had appeared in the walls of their houses.

They feared these might collapse in case of another spell of rain.

The Chief Minister again visited Kurukshetra and met the officials regarding relief and rescue measures. Aware of the anger of the people, he announced that a girdawari would be conducted, a fair assessment of losses made and the victims paid adequate compensation.

The first disaster assessment report would be sent to the Centre tomorrow. 

Rohtak, July 9
The Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee has claimed that the floods in parts of Haryana have been caused mainly due to the release of large quantity of water by the neighbouring Punjab.

The HPCC spokesperson, VP Vidrohi, said in a statement that Punjab that had recently denied Haryana any share in the waters flowing in the rivers in its territory, it had released flood waters without a warning. Holding Punjab responsible for the floods in the districts of Ambala and Kurukshetra, Vidrohi asked the Punjab government to justify the use of the SYL canal during the monsoon when it had denied Haryana a share in the waters when needed. He accused the Opposition of trying to encash on the calamity for political gains, especially criticising the INLD supremo in this regard.

He said the government could not be blamed for the water being released by  Punjab. — TNS

Sonepat, July 9
Hundreds of residents of Rathdhana village today blocked the GT road near Bahalgarh for four hours, demanding the arrest of the killers of Sukhbir of and his wife Krishna.

The assailants left Sukhbir’s son Sonu, daughter Manisha and daughter-in-law Savita, whose husband Manoj was shot dead about a year back in their house at Julana in Jind, seriously injured.

After postmortem at the PGIMS in Rohtak, the bodies of the couple were brought to Rathdhana, native village of the deceased, today. Instead of performing the last rites, the bodies were taken to the GT road by angry villagers and placed on the road.

This lead to a blockade on one of the busiest national highway. Vehicles were stranded on both sides of the road. The blockade which started around 3.30 pm had was lifted at 7.30 pm on the persistent efforts of SDM Jag Niwas and DSPs Rajinder Singh and Ravinder Tomer whorushed to the site.

On the complaint of Sonu, a case was registered against Jaivir, Sanjay, Kala, Shushil, Lilu and Sunil of Rathdhana and Amit of Jharonth in Julana police station.

The victims belonged to Rathdhana village in Sonepat and had shifted to Julana about two years back.

Mukesh, was shot dead allegedly by Monu of Rathdhana about a year back following a property dispute. Monu is in judicial custody at present.

Jaiveer is a brother of advocate Mastan Sharma, former president of the Sonepat Bar Council. It is learnt that Amit of Jharonth, one of the alleged killers, has been arrested.

A group of armed assailants barged into a house in Laxmi Nagar of Julana town in the district last midnight and opened indiscriminate fire on the sleeping members.

Kaithal, July 9
The CIA branch of the Kaithal Police yesterday arrested a hardcore criminal involved in cases of bank robbery, murder and contract killing from near the Siwan bus stand.

Balwant Singh alias Balli of Patti Afgan near here was produced in a local court here today and sent to four days in police remand to facilitate recovery of weapons of crime.

Balwant carried a reward of Rs 50,000 and had been declared a proclaimed offender. Giving details, SSP Sandeep Khirwar said here today that Balwant shot at Sahib Singh of Dera Gadla near here on September 12, 2009.

During preliminary interrogation, Balwant revealed that he was undergoing sentence in Karnal Jail for kidnapping a Yamuna Nagar child for ransom in 1994 when Gurnam Singh and Nishabar Singh of Dera Gadla met him in jail. They paid him a sum of 
Rs 3.5 lakh to eliminate Sahib Singh with whom they had some old enmity.

Later, Karnal Jail Superintendent Resham Singh lodged a complaint with the Kaithal Police that Balwant was released on a three-week parole on the orders of the Punjab and Haryana High Court on July 24, 2009 but he did not return.

The accused was also wanted by the police for his alleged involvement in an attempt to loot Rs 25 lakh from a SBI van in Kaithal on October 27, 2009. His eight other accomplices in this case have already been arrested.

Balli had been evading arrest and was declared a PO by the court and the Haryana Director General of Police had announced an award of Rs 50,000 to anyone providing information leading to his arrest.

The SSP said that Balwant was also wanted for the murder of Mohinder Singh of Matour village in this district on February 12, 2010 night. His accomplice had already been arrested.

Balwant had earlier been sentenced for his involvement in a robbery in UP in 2007, in a case under the Arms Act in Kaithal in 2000, in poppy husk smuggling case in Siwan in 2002, kidnapping for ransom in Kaithal in 2004 and kidnapping a boy of Yamuna Nagar and threatening to kill him for ransom in 1994. 

Kurukshetra, July 9
While the Army and the district administration was engaged in plugging the breach in the Sutlej Yamuna canal, which has caused floods in Kurukshetra, a clash ensued between residents of Murtajapur and Mukimpur villages over diverting of flood waters.

The villagers, armed with weapons came face to face.

Six persons were injured even as some people fired into the air.

The trouble arose as residents of Murtajapur suggested breaking a part of the SYL canal embankment to divert the flow of waters to Mukimpur as the flood waters siphoned to Bibipur Lake had filled it to capacity.

Their village adjoining the lake was marooned. In case, the flow of water was not diverted, the situation could turn worse, they argued.

But Mukimpur villagers argued that flood waters from Pehowa side had already inundated several villages and if SYL canal water was also diverted, it would mean trouble for their village.

What started as a heated argument turned into a clash with both sides resorting to stone-pelting. The police and district officials rushed to the site and intervened. 

Sirsa, July 9
A woman of at Kussar village in this district complained against her own family for trying to marry off her two minor daughters and prevented the nuptials.

Rani (17) and Rajjo (16) were scheduled to tie the knot on July 14 with two brothers of Dhottar village. But their mother, Santosh, was not keen on the alliance. She complained to the Child Marriage Prohibition Officer that her father and brothers were marrying off her two minor daughters. Santosh said that her brothers had planned to hold the ceremonies at a relative’s place in Rajasthan to avoid any trouble.

District Child Marriage Prohibition Officer Sadhna Mittal rushed to the village and counselled the maternal uncles of the girls against marrying them off at this young age. “Though, the girls’ maternal grandfather and other family members have agreed to postpone the marriages, I will file an injunction suit in the local courts against them,” said Mittal.

This, she said, had been done to prevent a repeat of what happened at Shahidanwali village on June 27 — despite Mittal’s intervention, a minor girl’s parents had gone ahead with her scheduled marriage. Parents of the 15-year-old had threatened to commit suicide in case the police tried to stop the marriage. The police was forced to beat a hasty retreat and the marriage was solemnised as per schedule. 

Gurgaon, July 9
A shocking case of a minor girl being lured to Gurgaon on the pretext of getting her a job and then being sexually exploited has come to light. The hapless girl, who is nearly 15 years old, is nine months pregnant and emotionally shattered.

The girl was brought here from her village in Malda district in West Bengal on the lure of a decent job and better lifestyle by a woman named Rakhi nearly 16 months ago.

After coming to Gurgaon, Rakhi introduced her to one Bhoop Singh, who further introduced her to a person named Sandeep.

The girl was then left all by herself with Sandeep, who allegedly raped her. The girl’s elder sister, Chhavi, who also works as a domestic help in the city, maintained that when her sister threatened Sandeep that she would go to the police to complain, he promised to marry her.

Later, the girl came to know that she had conceived. She once again approached Sandeep but he advised her to go in for an abortion. She refused to do so and insisted that Sandeep should marry her.

Following this, Rakhi, Bhoop Singh and Sandeep deserted her and vanished without a trace. That is when the girl lodged a complaint of rape with the police, which has lodged a case of rape and is awaiting a medical report to ascertain her age.

Gurgaon Deputy Commissioner Rajender Kataria, who is also the chairperson of the District Juvenile Board, confirmed that the girl had been sent to a protection home and the police was investigating the matter.

As of now, the hapless girl is “ready” to deliver her baby in the next seven days. She, however, maintains that the infant should be taken away from her as she wants to start life afresh.

Fatehabad: The police has booked a doctor couple of Tohana town in this district for attempting to rape a woman patient.

The complainant said that she said that she had gone to the doctor with her husband when the accused took her to the ultrasound room on the pretext of doing some tests. She alleged that he covered her face with a cloth and when she removed the cloth, she found the accused attempting to rape her. 

The complainant said that the doctor’s wife was also involved in the conspiracy as she left the room just before the doctor attempted to rape her.

The couple, which runs City Hospital in Tohana, has denied the charges. The accused said that he was simply preparing to conduct some tests and that his wife and nurse were standing nearby. — TNS