H A R Y A N A   E D I T I O N

Chautala opposes nuclear plant at Gorakhpur
Fatehabad/Sirsa, July 5
Former Chief Minister Om Parkash Chuatala said his party would not allow the setting up of a nuclear power plant at Gorakhpur in Fatehabad Chautala, who addressed meetings of the vyapar, SC and backward classes cells of the party at Sirsa today, said the Gorakhpur atomic power project would endanger people’s health and the INLD would not allow this to happen.

Woman’s death: Needle of suspicion on husband
Gurgaon, July 5
Ruchi Bhuttan, a 28-year-old woman who worked with her husband in his brokerage firm, was found dead under mysterious circumstances at her house in DLF City Phase-II here in the wee hours this morning. Ruchi was found hanging from a ceiling fan in her house. Her husband, Sumit Bhuttan, has stated that Ruchi had committed suicide as she was depressed after their firm suffered heavy financial losses recently.

Ruchi and Sumit Bhuttan (A file photo)

Minor girl saved from marriage
Jhajjar, July 5
Timely action initiated by the district child marriage prohibition officer saved a minor girl, who has been a national basketball player, from entering into wedlock in Naungaon village, here yesterday. Parents of the player wished to get their 17-year-old daughter married off to a boy hailing from Hansi (Hisar) to save their honour as she was allegedly being raped by a senior basketball player for a long time, said the police.

Newlywed dares to rebel, pays with her life Kasan (Kaithal), July 5 It could be a case of “honour killing” but with a difference. The girl lost her life as she dared to break the age-old shackles of a retrograde society. “Young Mukesh was still to attain the minimum age of 18 years for marriage, but was married off against her wishes to a person, who was certainly double her age and not acceptable to her. A village panchayat in progress on Monday. Photo: Manoj Dhaka

Archaeological find near Kurukshetra
Kurukshetra, July 5
Nearly 2,000-year-old archaeological remains have been recovered from the excavation of the tanks attached to the tirthas at Mundari village, 51 km, and Barot, 41 km from here.

DPS student found dead with gunshot injuries
Karnal, July 5
Karan Kapoor, a class 10 student of Delhi Public School, Karnal, died under mysterious circumstances at his residence last night. His body with gunshot injuries was recovered by his relatives when they returned home in the night.

One booked on rape charge
Karnal, July 5
The police has registered cases against a person for allegedly raping a college girl and three of his accomplices for abducting the girl in the Asandh segment of the district. According to the police, the girl, who is a student of BA I in a local college, was allegedly abducted and raped by Harpreet Singh, a resident of Asandh.

State reconstitutes purchase committee
Chandigarh, July 5
The state government has reconstituted the high-powered purchase committee under the chairmanship of Harmohinder Singh Chatha, Finance Minister, for procurement of stores.

Gangsters slip into state after killing UP cop
Karnal, July 5
Three gangsters from Uttar Pradesh, who entered the district through Lalupura village after killing one of the constables of the UP Police, today put the state Police Department on its toes.

3 miscreants loot Rs 8.70 lakh
Rewari, July 5
Three motorcycle-borne armed miscreants looted Rs 8.70 lakh from two employees of Yadav Transport Company of Khushkheda on the Nandrampur Bas road at Dharuhera last evening.

SBI customer duped
Sirsa, July 5
Tarsem Singh, who has a savings account in a local SBI branch, has complained that Rs 28,000 has been fraudulently withdrawn from his account between April 15 and May 7.

Chautala opposes nuclear plant at Gorakhpur
Tribune News Service

Fatehabad/Sirsa, July 5
Former Chief Minister Om Parkash Chuatala said his party would not allow the setting up of a nuclear power plant at Gorakhpur in Fatehabad Chautala, who addressed meetings of the vyapar, SC and backward classes cells of the party at Sirsa today, said the Gorakhpur atomic power project would endanger people’s health and the INLD would not allow this to happen.

Even after the nuclear disaster in Fukushima (Japan), the Congress government in Haryana had not yet abandoned the project.

The former Chief Minister said the forthcoming parliamentary byelection from Hisar would decide the direction of politics not only in Haryana but also at the national level. Chautala maintained that his party would go it alone in the Hisar byelection.

Coming down heavily on the UPA government on the issue of corruption, Chautala said despite suggestions of the Supreme Court to make public the names of foreign banks account holders, the government had shown scant respect for its advice.

When mediapersons sought Chautala’s comments on the Supreme Court’s nod to the prosecution of his sons, Ajay Singh Chautala and Abhey Singh Chautala, in disproportionate assets cases, the former Chief Minister refused to comment, saying that it was a court order. However, Chautala alleged that the Congress had the habit of misusing the CBI for settling scores with political opponents. He claimed the Congress had used the CBI for settling political scores with several politicians, including J. Jayalalitha, NT Rama Rao and Lalu Prasad Yadav. Later, addressing traders, Chautala announced that he would cut the market fee from 4 per cent to 1 per cent and scrap ST-38 forms.

Woman’s death: Needle of suspicion on husband
Sunit Dhawan/TNS

Gurgaon, July 5
Ruchi Bhuttan, a 28-year-old woman who worked with her husband in his brokerage firm, was found dead under mysterious circumstances at her house in DLF City Phase-II here in the wee hours this morning. Ruchi was found hanging from a ceiling fan in her house. Her husband, Sumit Bhuttan, has stated that Ruchi had committed suicide as she was depressed after their firm suffered heavy financial losses recently.

On the other hand, Ruchi’s family members, including her sister Shefali and mother, have alleged Sumit’s extra-marital affair with noted model and regional film actress Meera Chopra and his strained relations with Ruchi.

Apart from accusing Sumit of harassing Ruchi for dowry, her family members have expressed doubts that Ruchi could have been first killed and then hanged.

Shefali alleged that Sumit,who had an affair with Meera, used to abuse Ruchi so that he could get divorce from her. Ruchi got married to Sumit about six years ago.

“Ruchi talked to her mother just before death. ?She was crying and asking her mother to rescue her,” Shefali maintained. Sumit, who runs Angel share-broking firm, denied all allegations of having strained relations with his wife and said they enjoyed a sound relationship.

He said after being found hanging, Ruchi was rushed to a hospital, where she was declared dead Sumit, however, parried direct queries on his affair.

The police has registered a case of dowry death and criminal conspiracy and interrogating Sumit.

Minor girl saved from marriage
Ravinder Saini

Jhajjar, July 5
Timely action initiated by the district child marriage prohibition officer saved a minor girl, who has been a national basketball player, from entering into wedlock in Naungaon village, here yesterday.

Parents of the player wished to get their 17-year-old daughter married off to a boy hailing from Hansi (Hisar) to save their honour as she was allegedly being raped by a senior basketball player for a long time, said the police.

Since the player belongs to Bhiwani district, the police has forwarded the case to the Bhiwani police. Neither the player nor her parents have so far got any written complaints lodged with the police against the senior player in this regard.

According to the report, the district child marriage prohibition officer had got a tip-off that wedding of a minor girl was being solemnised against her wishes at Naungaon village here. Taking swift action on the tip-off, the officer along with a police team reached the village and intervened in the marriage of the minor girl. Initially, the family members of the bride resisted the action of the authorities, but later agreed to stop the marriage.

“Though the player belongs to Bhiwani district, her marriage was being solemnised at the residence of her relatives in Naungaon. The case has been sent to the SP, Bhiwani, after making a preliminary investigation. Further action will be taken by the Bhiwani police in this connection,” said Jhajjar SP, Patram Singh.

Kin of the player had revealed during the investigation that the girl was being “raped” by a senior player in Bhiwani district, the SP said.

Newlywed dares to rebel, pays with her life
Bijendra Ahlawat/TNS

Kasan (Kaithal), July 5
It could be a case of “honour killing” but with a difference. The girl lost her life as she dared to break the age-old shackles of a retrograde society. “Young Mukesh was still to attain the minimum age of 18 years for marriage, but was married off against her wishes to a person, who was certainly double her age and not acceptable to her.

However, her revolt ended with her life. No one is coming out in open to speak the truth in this town, 25 km from Kaithal. In fact, the village panchayat and elders have been defending the accused, who have been allegedly responsible for the elimination of a young life. The police has, meanwhile, arrested the father and an uncle of the victim. The third accused, also a kin of the girl, is missing.

While any outsider, including mediapersons, is an unwelcome guest in the village, nearly every other resident prefers to keep silent and feigns ignorance about the incident that took place on Sunday.

The father of the girl, Naresh, a farmer, and other family members were worried and tense over the stance adopted by the girl as failure on her part to go back to her husband’s house could affect them socially. It is reported that Mukesh’s mother had expired about two years ago. Her uncle, Inder, was getting over age and he was desperate to get married. He, however, got an offer from his brother-in-law (sister’s husband), Basau Ram of Ramana-Ramani village, but the latter put a condition to give a girl in exchange. “Inder’s family accepted the offer. The whole village got to know about the issue and the panchayat was convened in which the elders asked the girl and the family to honour the marriage vows despite the age difference, claimed sources in the village and the Police Department. But the girl, who remained adamant, was found dead on Sunday under mysterious circumstances. The matter came to the knowledge of Dharmpal, a maternal uncle of Mukesh, who reached the place in the nick of the time and before the family could cremate the girl, the police was called in. “The body of the girl was taken for post- mortem and the report confirmed strangulation, said the SSP, Simarjeet Singh. He said while the panchayat had met him over the issue, three persons, including the father and two uncles of the victim, had been named in the FIR. Naresh, alias Ganeshi, and Inder Singh, the father and uncle of the deceased, respectively, had been arrested, he said, claiming that the third accused was likely to be arrested soon. Admitting that the panchayat had been defending the accused by pronouncing them innocent, he said the matter was under investigation and no one would be spared if found guilty. The matter appears to be a kind of honour killing as the girl rebelled against the marriage forced on her, said a police official.

Satish Seth adds : The court of Chief Judicial Magistrate here on Tuesday remanded two persons, Naresh Kumar and Inder, arrested in connection with the murder of a girl, Mukesh, of Kasan to two days’ police custody. The two accused had surrendered before the police here last night following which they were arrested under Sections 302,120-B and 34, IPC.

Archaeological find near Kurukshetra
Our Correspondent

Kurukshetra, July 5
Nearly 2,000-year-old archaeological remains have been recovered from the excavation of the tanks attached to the tirthas at Mundari village, 51 km, and Barot, 41 km from here.

In an exclusive interview here today, Rajendra Singh Rana, archaeologist and curator, Srikrishna Museum, Kurukshetra, said a request from these two villages was made to the Chief Executive Officer, Kurukshetra Development Board (KDB), to send a team to examine the remains a few days ago.

Rana said he along with two others, Balwan Singh, an artist, and Bhupinder Singh of Srikrishna Museum, Kurukshetra, had visited both sites.

First, the team visited the tank excavated by the villagers at Mundari village and it noticed an “old bathing ghat” and a “well” exposed at a depth of nearly 10 feet below the present ground level of the Lava-Kusha Tirtha. The bathing ghat is 32 feet in length and faces west and the bricks of 32 x 20 x 6 cm dimension have been used for the construction of the ghat. It suggests that the ghat may have been constructed during the Kushana period.

Towards the north of this ghat lies a “well” having a diameter of nearly eight feet. The wedge-shaped Kushana bricks have been used in its construction. Similar types of “wells” were unearthed during the cleaning operation of the Brahamasarovar tank at Kurukshetra in the past. The tirtha is associated with Lava-Kusha, the sons of Lord Rama.

An old bathing ghat akin to the ghat unearthed at Mundari village was noticed at Barot village at a depth of nearly 15 feet below the present ground level of Bindusar Tirtha.

According to local beliefs, this tirtha, in the remote past, had been the seat of Kardam Prajapati, the father of Kapil Muni, the exponent of the famous Samkhya philosophy.

DPS student found dead with gunshot injuries
Tribune News Service

Karnal, July 5
Karan Kapoor, a class 10 student of Delhi Public School, Karnal, died under mysterious circumstances at his residence last night. His body with gunshot injuries was recovered by his relatives when they returned home in the night.

According to the police, Karan’s parents and other relatives had gone to attend an engagement party of a relative while the boy decided to stay back home all alone. Around 10.30 pm, two of his relatives came back home to pick up a few things for the party and found the entrance door locked from inside. Even as they repeatedly banged on the door, they did not get any response from Karan. Perturbed, they forcibly entered the house and found Karan lying in a pool of blood.

They immediately called up his parents. They rushed the boy to the local civil hospital, where he was declared brought dead. The police reached the spot and initiated investigations.

Though it was being suspected to be a case of suicide, the boy’s father, a jeweller, alleged foul play and asked the police to register a case of murder. However, the police was awaiting the postmortem report before registering a case.

Both police and the boy’s relatives kept eluding mediapersons throughout the day.

The deceased’s body was handed over to his kin after a postmortem examination and was later cremated.

One booked on rape charge
Tribune News Service

Karnal, July 5
The police has registered cases against a person for allegedly raping a college girl and three of his accomplices for abducting the girl in the Asandh segment of the district. According to the police, the girl, who is a student of BA I in a local college, was allegedly abducted and raped by Harpreet Singh, a resident of Asandh. He was helped by three others in abducting the girl.

Police sources said the girl was a neighbour of Harpreet. He had recently lured the girl to hand over to him her certificate on the pretext of getting her a job. The girl alleged that as he had failed to get her a job, she asked him to return her certificate. Following this, Harpreet asked the girl to meet him near a local drain. There, Harpreet raped the girl at knife-point. Soon after, Harpreet’s cousin, Aman, also reached the place along with Bunty and Kamal.

They forcibly took the girl in a car to Kurukshetra. The girl called up her father and informed him about the incident. Her father immediately reached Brahmasarovar and rescued the girl but the accused managed to flee.

State reconstitutes purchase committee
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 5
The state government has reconstituted the high-powered purchase committee under the chairmanship of Harmohinder Singh Chatha, Finance Minister, for procurement of stores. Capt Ajay Singh Yadav, Power Minister, who was the chairman of the committee in his capacity as the Finance Minister, and Rao Narinder, a permanent member, have been left out in the reconstituted committee.

A spokesman of the Industries and Commerce Department said Randeep Singh Surjewala, Industries Minister; Paramvir Singh, Agriculture Minister; Geeta Bhukkal, Education Minister; Minister in charge, Indenting Department; Financial Commissioner and Principal Secretaries, of Finance Department and Industries and Commerce Department; Administrative Secretary, Indenting Department; and Head of the Indenting Department, would be its members. Director, Supplies and Disposals, would serve as the Member Secretary of the committee. Additional Director (Technical), Industries and Commerce Department, would be a special invitee in the committee.

The spokesman added that the committee would consider and decide cases of stores of all government departments having financial value above Rs 30 lakh, those of all boards, corporations and federations above Rs 50 lakh, purchase cases of power utilities above Rs 10 crore and those of turn-key projects of power utilities above Rs 50 crore.

All departments would place their indents with the Director, Supplies and Disposal, for processing and placement before the committee, he added.

Gangsters slip into state after killing UP cop
Tribune News Service

Karnal, July 5
Three gangsters from Uttar Pradesh, who entered the district through Lalupura village after killing one of the constables of the UP Police, today put the state Police Department on its toes.

To arrest the gangsters, the UP and Haryana police forces launched a joint operation this afternoon. The district police received information from the UP Police that Mustafa, alias Kaggar, along with two of his accomplices, whose identity could not be established, were trying to escape through Haryana. The district police immediately launched a special operation in the village to arrest the criminals.

Before entering the state, the gangsters had been intercepted by the UP Police at the UP-Haryana border, where it tried to halt their vehicle.

However, the criminals started firing at the policemen, killing one of the constables, Sachin.

Following this, the UP Police chased the gangsters, who managed to slip into the state.

The UP Police continued to chase them till their vehicle got stuck in the fields of Lalupura village. However, they managed to flee.

3 miscreants loot Rs 8.70 lakh
Our Correspondent

Rewari, July 5
Three motorcycle-borne armed miscreants looted Rs 8.70 lakh from two employees of Yadav Transport Company of Khushkheda on the Nandrampur Bas road at Dharuhera last evening.

The miscreants shot at the duo, riding on a motorcycle, injuring them grievously. Afterwards, they looted the money from the dicky of their motorcycle and fled.

The incident took place when they were returning to their company at Khushkheda, a neighbouring town of Alwar district in Rajasthan, with the said amount which they had withdrawn from a bank at Dharuhera.

The injured victims were admitted to a private hospital in Gurgaon.

Meanwhile, a case has been registered.

SBI customer duped

Sirsa, July 5
Tarsem Singh, who has a savings account in a local SBI branch, has complained that Rs 28,000 has been fraudulently withdrawn from his account between April 15 and May 7.

Tarsem found that his account had been operated 50 times during this period and every time the money had been transferred to a Mumbai-based company, which also has an office in Singapore.

The bank authorities have confirmed having received complaints about customers’ money having been fraudulently transferred to the same company. Tarsem has lodged a police complaint in this connection. — TNS