Chandigarh, April 20
Medical termination of a pregnancy (MTP) on a wooden plank in a Maruti workshop? It may sound unbelievable, but that’s exactly the way a nurse, readying to perform an “unauthorised” MTP, was caught “in the act” today in “notorious” Mahendragarh, already well-known for its bias for boys.

Acting on a tip-off from a private practitioner, a two-member surveillance team swooped down at the workshop on the Mahendragarh-Kamina road where nurse Munesh, now in police custody, was preparing for the MTP. She had come with the instruments and equipment required for the MTP.

A patient, who was administered a sedative and another injection to induce MTP, lay on a wooden plank beside her. However, the moment the team comprising two persons arrived, the patient managed to flee from the workshop while the members were busy trying to nab Munesh lest she escapes. Subsequently, the team called up the senior medical officer, Dr Kanwar Singh, in charge of the Mahendragarh CHC.

Accompanied by a woman medical Officer, Dr Renu Verma, Dr Singh reached the workshop where Munesh was “caught” red-handed along with the instruments needed for conducting an MTP.

“They informed me and I brought the matter to the notice of the Deputy Commissioner and the police chief. The instruments and equipment were seized and sealed. The nurse has been booked under the provisions of the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act,” Dr IS Yadav, Chief Medical Officer, Mahendragarh, said.

He explained that the nurse could have been carrying out MTPs on the sly at the workshop in the past as well especially since a car workshop is the least likely of places for a surprise check.

“Carrying out an MTP indicates that the patient would have undergone a sex-determination test. Based on the result of the test, she may have decided to undergo an MTP. It also means that the patient had crossed the 12-week mark after which the sex of the foetus can be determined. The nurse was working at two private hospitals of the city,” Dr Yadav said.

The CMO added that in this particular case, the tip-off came from a private practitioner, who informed a member of the surveillance team that an MTP would be performed at the workshop this morning.

Speaking to TNS, Saket Kumar said the “poor” sex ratio had prompted the district administration to step up vigil and form surveillance teams of volunteers, who could keep tabs on such illegal practises and pass on information to the officials.

Karnal, April 20
A local doctor, Brij Sharma, and his assistant Amit Kumar were caught red-handed while conducting the prenatal sex determination test in a rented house in Sector 8 here today.

Acting on a tip-off that an ultrasound clinic was been illegally run in a rented house, Deputy Commissioner Neelam Pardeep Kasni directed the civil surgeon and the police to take immediate action. A team consisting of civil surgeon Vandana Bhatia, DSP Surinder Pal Singh and the other staff raided the house and caught the doctor and his assistant conducting the prenatal sex determination test on Neelam from Sampli Khera village in Kaithal.

The police found the portable ultrasound machine, cotton, jelly and other material required for conducting the test and arrested the duo. The police also sealed the ultrasound machine. Neelam tried to escape from the back door, but the police thwarted her attempt.

Dr Vandana Bhatia, civil surgeon, said Neelam, who was three months’ pregnant and mother of 15-month-old kid, was brought here by Amit Kumar of Kaithal.

The police has registered a case against the doctor and his assistant under the PNDT Act.

Earlier, Dr Brij Sharma ran an ultrasound centre in Karnal opposite to the Civil Hospital here. Following a number of complaints, his clinic was sealed by the health authorities in February 2011.

The Deputy Commissioner said the administration was seriously concerned over the falling sex ratio and determined to check the prenatal sex determination tests, which were banned in the state.

She said indulging in female foeticide after conducting the sex determination test was not only a heinous crime but also a sin against humanity.

Notorious for female foeticide, the state has the worst female sex ratio of 877 per 1,000 males, which is much below the national sex ratio of 940 as per the 2011 Census.

Narnaul, April 20
Haryana Chief Secretary Urvashi Gulati has stated that the welfare schemes of the state government, especially those targeting the girl child, needed to be redesigned in view of the latest Census figures.

Talking to The Tribune here today, Gulati said the Census figures indicated that the government’s welfare schemes were not having the desired impact and the sex ratio had worsened in some parts of the state, which was alarming.

“So far we have been focusing on the poor strata of society, while the sex ratio is found to be more skewed in the middle class and even in the upper middle class...this means we need to reinvent and redesign the schemes aimed at balancing the sex ratio by catering to the middle-class populace as well,” the Chief Secretary asserted.

Gulati disclosed that a proposal to constitute district-task forces to effectively check the evil social practice of foeticide and monitor the implementation of the PNDT Act was also under consideration of the top authorities of the state.

“The underlying idea behind the initiative is to launch a collective campaign involving the health functionaries, panchayati raj institutions, ICDS, Women and Child Development, Asha and Aanganwadi workers, ANMs, colleges and all aware and educated residents to curb the menace,” she maintained.

Earlier, Gulati flagged off “Chetna Rath”, a special vehicle meant for creating awareness on foeticide and tell people about the devastating long-term effects of this social evil.

The Narnaul Deputy Commissioner, Dr Saket Kumar, pointed out that the villages and pockets, which had exhibited the worst sex ratio, had been identified and would be focused upon in the drive.

Tohana, April 20
The Supreme Court, in its ruling yesterday, said that “honour killings are illegal” and directed states to have these “ruthlessly stamped out” but Haryana has no reason to worry. The state has hardly any “honour killings”. Most of such cases, touted as “honour killings” when they happen, invariably, end up as suicides and suicide pacts or fall flat during police investigation for want of evidence and eyewitnesses.

Just like that of Sham Mohammad (18), a Muslim, and Reena (16), a Jat, residents of Saimaina village in Fathehabad. They dared to fall in love, little realising that the fate that awaited them would be no different from other couples of their village, “sacrificed” at the altar of love in the name of honour, only to finally end up as open-and-shut cases in police files.

A couple of years after their love took wings, they were found dead in the very school compound they had first met. Calm, silent and cold. On July 3, 2010.

Sham, fondly called Gogi, lay beside Reena, with a few broken bones and a ruptured eye, a bottle of poison carelessly thrown nearby to convey the impression of their death being a “suicide pact”.

In less than six months after the incident, the case was closed. The police investigation concluded that theirs, indeed, was a suicide.

Explains DSP, Tohana, Suresh Kumar, “It was not an honour killing as was being initially made out. The postmortem reports said they had consumed aluminum phosphate. The murder charge and case against the maternal uncles of the girl were dropped in October last year. Since Sham’s family, which registered the FIR, was not satisfied, the special crime branch, too, investigated the matter and gave the same conclusion in December.”

On whether the two could have been forced to drink the poison, the DSP says, “There is no proof of that and no witnesses.” And, the injuries on Sham’s body? “The doctor who conducted the postmortem on Sham’s body said the injuries could have ‘happened’ after he died. They must have entered into a pact realising society would not allow them to marry,” he asserts.

Meanwhile, in the village, nobody is willing to talk about them or other “killings” of the past. It’s as if a gag order restrains them, as if the morbidity of the crime has sealed their lips, as if fear stalks them. After a round in the village, anybody can vouch for the fact that Haryana doesn’t have a heart. If at all it does, it most certainly doesn’t beat for love.

Going through narrow and filthy lanes, we meet Sham’s family. “There is no justice for the poor man and, more so, if you belong to the minority community. We resisted all attempts to be pressured by the village into striking a compromise and withdrawing our case. We lost our jobs and didn’t even get justice. Now, we feel insecure as well,” claims Prem Khan, father of the boy.

For all intents and purposes, the Sham-Reena affair is also over, leaving more blood on the hands of “honourable families”. Sham’s family has lost the battle, their son, and their jobs. Reena’s family stands absolved. But, of course, it wasn’t an honor killing. Only an “honorable act” that ensured the sacrosanct weave of society in the heart of Haryana remained intact.

Kadarpur (Gurgaon), April 20
Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Gurudas Kamat has assured the paramilitary staff that their problems would be redressed soon. The minister said he had recently visited various camps of the paramilitary forces and would submit a report of his findings to Union Home Minister P Chidambram and the Central Home Secretary.

Kamat was speaking to newspersons after inspecting the passing-out parade of the ninth batch of Departmental Entry Gazetted Officers (DEGOs) selected as Assistant Commandants at the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) Academy here today.

Seventy-two young officers, including six women, joined the ranks of the CRPF as Assistant Commandant. As many as 594 gazetted officers have passed out from the CRPF Academy, which was established here in 2005.

Addressing the gathering and the new officers, Kamat observed that the CRPF personnel had a massive responsibility in view of the multifarious threats posed by terrorism, communal strife, violent conflicts and crime.

He maintained that the CRPF, since its raising in 1939, was the largest central armed police force in the world and played a stellar role in preserving the unity and integrity of the country.

CRPF Director-General K Vijay Kumar, Academy Director JS Gill, Principal Man Singh and ACP (Bhondsi) Tahir Hussain were also present.

The minister presented awards of excellence to eight officers of the passing-out batch. The all-round best trainee, Ashutosh Vardey, was honoured with the Sword of Honour and the Director’s Baton for Parade Commander.

Manish Lodha got the Best Outdoor Trainee award, while Sachidananda Patra was adjudged the Best Indoor Trainee and Shailendra Kumar Singh Chandel was honoured with the Best Endurance award.

Avizao Angami was awarded for public speaking, Chetan Prakash for essay writing, Om Prakash Yadav for best shot (firing) and Arvind Singh Raghuvanshi for field craft and tactics.

Yamunanagar, April 20
Speaker of the Haryana Vidhan Sabha Kuldeep Sharma awarded degrees to graduates and postgraduates of 2007-08 and 2008-09 session at a convocation function of Hindu Girls College, Jagadhri, here today.

Delivering the convocation address, Sharma inspired the students to achieve excellence in education. He said Indians were excelling in all walks of life and girls were performing much better than boys. He also inaugurated the yoga and naturopathy lab of the college.

He said the state government had created a congenial atmosphere towards women empowerment and girls were being provided free-of-cost education. He said a literate woman educates the entire family.

Deputy Speaker of the Vidhan Sabha Akram Khan expressed happiness over the endeavour of the state to deliver the benefit of education to every child. He said illiteracy was not the only cause of social backwardness, but a great constraint for the economic development.

He congratulated the students and asked them to set the goal of their life and work hard to achieve it. He said Haryana would soon be recognised in the field of education.

Dr Sharda Sharma, Associate Professor (physical education), VP Gomber, Associate Professor (chemistry), Pawan Sharma and Mahipal Singh were also honoured for their dedicated services of 25 years in Hindu Girls College.

Karnal, April 20
A major tragedy was averted here today when the wheels of a coach of the Amritsar Swarna Shatabdi Express got jammed and the train had to be stopped near the Traveri station, 10 km from Karnal. The train was delayed by over 90 minutes and started the onward journey to Amritsar after the AC coach (C-10) was detached.

As soon as the train crossed Bani Khurd, railway personnel noticed some technical snag in the wheels of one coach and informed the Bani Khurd superintendent, Jai Narayan, who passed on the information to the Station Master of Traveri, RP Kalyan, following which the train was stopped.

“The wheels of a coach of the Amritsar Swarna Shatabdi (12029) got jammed due to a mechanical problem, but the driver managed to stop the train and there is no report of any casualty. The passengers of the affected coach were shifted to other coaches following which the train resumed its onward journey to Amritsar,” a spokesman for the Northern Railway said.

However, no other train service was affected.

Kurukshetra, April 20
A couple today allegedly committed suicide at Rampur village by taking poison. The couple - Himmat (25) and his wife Uma (23), who was eight months’ pregnant - were students of LLB and BA.

Uma’s bother, Bhim Singh, alleged that his sister was ill-treated for dowry and both the husband and the wife were being continuously nagged over studies by Uma’s in-laws.

The duo got frustrated and finally took the extreme step.

A case has been registered under Section 306 of the IPC against the girl’s in-laws.