Sirsa, November 20
The police has suspended five cops in two cases for alleged extortion and misbehaviour.In the first case, SP Satinder Kumar Gupta today suspended two cops for allegedly extorting money from a truck driver and misbehaving with him under the influence of liquor.

The cops, both having the same name - Subhash Chander, an ESI (exempted sub-inspector) and another EASI, were doing duty on the Highway Ambulance of the traffic police and stopped a canter driver, Balbir Singh, on the Dabwali Road last night.

The cops, who were allegedly in an inebriated condition, misbehaved with the driver and demanded money from him.

The canter driver brought the matter to the notice of the SP, who reached the spot after sometime.

Gupta took both cops to the general hospital for a medical examination, where it was established that they were drunk. Based on the report, the SP suspended the two cops today.

Gupta said a case against the two cops had also been registered in the HUDA police post.

Meanwhile, the SP said three cops, who were facing allegations of looting a cattle trader of Rs 15,000 and a mobile phone while on duty in the PCR van on the Hisar road on November 15, had been suspended.

Gupta said Raghubir Singh, an ASI, Balwant Singh, a head constable, and Surender Singh, a constable, had been suspended for allegedly misbehaving with two cattle traders. Lala and Bhura, two cattle traders from Meerut, were going back from Ferozepur in Punjab to UP, when the three cops allegedly looted Lala of his belongings at pistol-point.

The traders, who left Meerut immediately after the alleged “loot” due to the Eid festival, registered their complaint with the SP later.

The SP said the allegations of looting Rs 15,000 and brandishing a pistol appeared to be wrong though it could not be denied that the cops might have extorted some money from the traders. 

Panipat, November 20
Two unidentified persons allegedly kidnapped two minor girls from the local Desraj Colony and dumped them in a drain near the Circus ground after inflicting injuries with a sharp-edged weapon on their necks.

The incident took place late last evening when Shivani (7), daughter of Rakesh Kumar, was playing with her 10-year-old cousin Anjali outside her parental aunt’s house in the same locality. Two motorcycle-borne persons arrived there and forcibly picked up the two girls and fled from the spot.

Later, the miscreants dumped the two girls in drain no. 1 in the Circus ground after slitting their necks with a sharp-edged weapon.

The two were founding struggling for their lives in the drain by a passerby, who took the two girls to their home, from where their family members rushed them to a hospital.

A team of police officials, including district police chief Pankaj Nain, reached the spot to take stock of the situation. The police registered a case against unidentified persons.

Meanwhile, kin of the victims, who are daily wagers, said they did not have any animosity with anybody and it was hard for them to say that who might have attacked the girls.

Sources said the accused, who attacked the girls, might be a part of a gang involved in abducting minor girls for flesh trade. However, the motive behind the incident is yet to be ascertained.

Panipat, November 20
Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said today that the state government would examine the feasibility of setting up four cow sanctuaries in the state.Addressing a “Gau Raksha Sammelan” organised by the state’s Arya Pritinidhi Sabha and Haryana Rajya Gaushala Sangh, the CM said he would also consider the proposal to cover the works done for gaushalas under the MANREGA scheme.

He enhanced the annual grant for the Haryana Rajya Gaushala Sangh from Rs 50,000 to Rs 5 lakh.

Hooda also laid stress on devising ways and means to make the “Gau Sewa” as cost-effective and self-sustaining. He said the government had set up “Gau Sewa Aayog” so that “Gaushalas” were made financially self-sustaining. He underlined the importance of a cow and added that people should play an active role in cow protection.

Elaborating on the role played by Swami Dayanand in fighting social evils, Hooda called upon the people to follow the glorious path shown by Swami Dayanand in social and national service.

Lauding the role played by the Arya Samaj in strengthening the national feeling before the Independence, he said the movement produced many revolutionaries like Swami Shradhanand, Mahatma Hans Raj, Lala Lajpat Rai, Ram Prasad Bismil and Shaheed Bhagat Singh.

The function was organised to thank the Chief Minister for setting up the “Gau Sewa Aayog” in the state. 

Fatehabad, November 20
The state has over 42,000 persons, who are HIV positive, but only 1,700 are under treatment with the government’s health services.The number of HIV positive people in the country was 2.3 million in the country by 2007, as per the data of National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO).

This information was given at a workshop to sensitise the media on the issue held jointly by the health and PR departments here yesterday.

The workshop was organised in connection with the Red Ribbon Express that arrives in the district on November 25.

The train, flagged off by UPA chairperson in December last to spread awareness on HIV/AID, is on the last leg of its journey, culminating in Delhi on December 1.

Fatehabad is one of the four districts in the state where the Red Ribbon Express halts, said DC Vijay Singh Dahiya.

Dr Rama Bansal, dermatologist with the local General Hospital, said the most alarming fact about the disease was that over 45 per cent people infected with the disease were young. “As many as 7,397 new people are infected with the HIV each passing day and 308 new people every hour,” Dr Rama said on the frightening proportions of the disease.

She said the lack of awareness made the ailment more frightening as people confused HIV positive status with AIDS, which is the fully blown manifestation of the former.

She said a person could live a healthy life for years despite the HIV infection with certain precautions.

Dr NK Chakarvarti, Deputy Civil Surgeon, Fatehabad, said the Haryana State AIDS Control Society (SACS) had set up 66 sexually transmitted diseases (STD) centres, 148 integrated counselling and testing centres, 42 targeted interventions (NGOs), 61 blood banks, 37 HIV sentinel surveillances sites and an anti-retrovirus therapy (ART) centre at the PGIMS, Rohtak.

The Red Ribbon Express would halt overnight at Jakhal on November 25. The the experts travelling on the train would provide training to four batches of anganwadi and ASHA workers and give counselling to people. 

Fatehabad, November 20
Former Haryana Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala said today that the country might have to go in for a midterm poll any time due to the fast-changing scenario at the Centre.

Chautala, who had come to lay the foundation stone of the second phase of the Jat Dharamshala here, said it was for the first time that the office of the Prime Minister had come in the dock.

The INLD supremo alleged that the Union Government had been hiding facts in the 2G scam case as a single minister could not be responsible for swindling funds to the tune of Rs 1.76 lakh crore.

He said the Opposition was just in demanding a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) inquiry into the scam, but the government was avoiding it for fear of embarrassment.

Chautala said the recent revelations made by Ratan Tata and Rahul Bajaj had proved that corruption was rampant under the UPA government and no work was done without charging a price.

The former Chief Minister alleged that the Haryana government, too, had crossed all limits in corruption.

Terming the Bhupinder Singh Hooda government as a government ot property dealers, Chautala alleged that the name of a former senior military officer, who was close to Hooda, had not only figured in the Adarsh Housing scam, but also in land deals in Gurgaon.

He said the government first made a mockery of democracy by including five Haryana Janhit Congress MLAs in the party against the anti-defection law and now when the Punjab and Haryana High Court was hearing a plea in that case, the ruling party was using unethical means to influence the judiciary.

Chautala claimed that the days of the Hooda government were numbered as once the UPA government “departs”, the Haryana government would automatically fall. 

Rohtak, November 20
Two awards have been instituted in memory of the late Ch Ranbir Singh, a former MP and member of the Constituent Assembly of India.One of these awards - Ch Ranbir Singh Distinguished Parliamentarian Award - will be given to Anerood Jugnauth, President of Mauritius, at a function to be held here to mark the 95th birth anniversary of the late leader on November 26. The award will be given by Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda.

Stating this, a spokesperson for the National Integrated Forum for Artistes and Activists (NIFAA), said the award had been set up to recognise the work done by individuals and personalities at the national and international level in the field of democracy and related areas. The first such award would be given to Anerood Jugnauth.

This prize would be given annually in memory of Ranbir Singh, a distinguished parliamentarian.

The function would be held at the Tagore auditorium of Maharshi Dayanand University here. It would be followed by a function to be held at Savindhan Sthal here, where the late leader was cremated.

The second award constituted in his name is the Ch Ranbir Singh Award for Promotion of Gandhian Values. It will be awarded to SN Subba Rao, head of the Rashtriya Yuva Pariyojna. This will be given by the Mauritius President at the same venue and function. This prize has been set up by the Bharatiya Yuva Shakti, an NGO. A statue of the late leader will also be inaugurated on the same day. 

Kaithal, November 20
Lawyers should help in expeditious disposal of pending cases to enhance the confidence of litigants in the judicial delivery system.This was stated by Justice Ajay Lamba of the Punjab and Haryana High Court and inspecting judge of the Kaithal session division while addressing lawyers of the District Bar Association here today.

Justice Lamba said steps were being taken to ensure speedy justice in districts as well as in the high court. He also invited suggestions from lawyers for expeditious disposal of cases and urged them to give due opportunity to their associates (juniors) to handle some cases so that they could get necessary experience and confidence in the initial years of their practise. It would not only boost the morale of associates, but would also reduce the burden of senior advocates.

Gurgaon, November 20
India’s first woman IPS officer-cum-author Kiran Bedi and co-author Pavan Choudary launched their book, “Broom & Groom”, and its Hindi version, “Kayede ke Fayede”, here last evening.

“Broom & Groom” is a personality-building book, which strives to strengthen civility in society. The book carries a message from a former President, Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, which says: “...‘Broom & Groom’ covers manners and etiquette, right from greeting a person, use of elevators and mobiles, rules for queues and interacting with domestic staff. Keeping good hygiene has been brought out very nicely. ‘Broom & Groom’ is a wonderful experience for me to read every page. Each page in the book is useful to improve the way of life...”

The authors said: “We aspire for a social renaissance of civil behaviour. And ‘Broom & Groom’ is an expression of this yearning. We wish this great nation should cover up the areas it lags and be second to none. We believe this book is the starting point of a wider mission and an evolving base of social reform. ‘Broom & Groom’ should not remain a book. It must convert into a conscious movement where the people in power and the public come together and change the conditions we live in…”

Fatehabad, November 20
A local court today sentenced 12 persons to life imprisonment in a case of double murder and imposed a fine of Rs 21,000 each.The police had booked Kulwant Singh, Balbir, Mahabir, Sita Ram, Dalip, Sher Singh, Rohtash, Munshi Ram, Ram Niwas, Hanuman, Subhash and Kaur Singh, all residents of Sirdhan village, under Sections 302, 307, 148 and 149 of the IPC and various sections of the Arms Act on the complaint of Ram Niwas of the same village.

The complainant had alleged that the accused had opened fire on his brother Surinder and another person Manoj following an old enmity. Surinder had died on the spot, while Manoj died during treatment.

ADSJ SC Goyal found the accused guilty of the offence and sentenced them to life imprisonment.