New Delhi, December 9
The CBI today moved a Delhi court seeking transfer of all three disproportionate assets cases against former Haryana Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala and his two sons, Ajay and Abhay, to a single court.

The CBI's plea to the court of District Judge Sunita Gupta came in the wake of all three cases involving the Chautala clan getting transferred to two courts - two to different judges in the Karkardooma court complex and the third one to a judge in the Rohini courts .

The CBI sought transfer of all three cases to a single judge at one and the same court, arguing that their trial at three courts will lead to inordinate delay.

On the CBI's plea, District Judge Gupta issued notices to Chautala and his two sons, besides five other co-accused, in the three cases. The court sought their replies by January 18, 2012.

Initially all three cases were being tried at Karkardooma courts by District Judge PS Teji. In September, District Judge Teji transferred OP Chautala's case to Special CBI Judge Rajiv Mehra, while the case against Abhay Chautala remained with him.

On a plea by Haryana MLA Ajay Chautala, his case, which was being heard by Teji, was transferred to Special CBI Judge Vinod Kumar at the Rohini Courts complex early this month. Statements of prosecution witnesses are being recorded by the courts in all three cases.

The case against Om Prakash Chautala and his family members was registered by the CBI on a complaint of a Haryana Congress leader Shamsher Singh Surjewala.

The court had framed charges against Chautala and his two sons under various provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act for abusing their official position and for possessing assets exceeding their legal income.

The court had also framed charges against five other accused, Chet Ram, Om Prakash, Abhimanyu Singh, Rajender Kumar and Net Ram in whose names INLD leader Ajay Chautala had allegedly bought his properties, including a farmhouse and a bungalow.

The CBI, on March 26 last year, had filed the chargesheet against OP Chautala, indicting him for allegedly possessing assets worth Rs 6.09 crore, far exceeding his legal income between 1993 and 2006. The chargesheet had said Chautala's wealth was 189 per cent more than his income of Rs 3.22 crore during the period.

While framing charges against Ajay Chautala, the court had said he was possessing assets, exceeding his legal income by 339.27 per cent. His legal income between May, 1993, and May, 2006, was Rs 8.17 crore. However, he acquired assets worth Rs 27.7 crore, the CBI alleged.

The CBI had alleged that Haryana MLA Abhay Chautala owned assets worth over five times his income of Rs 22.89 crore as per income tax records during the 2000-2005 period. The agency claimed to have found Rs 119.69 crore worth of assets. — PTI

Gurgaon, December 9
Close on the heels of an anti-encroachment campaign launched by local HUDA Administrator Praveen Kumar, the district administration has also kicked off a drive against unauthorised constructions in the city.

On the directions of Deputy Commissioner PC Meena, a demolition squad led by District Town Planner (Enforcement) Dilbag Singh demolished a five-storeyed building constructed in New Palam Vihar, an unapproved and unauthorized colony, here today.

A team of police personnel led by ACP Rajesh Duggal escorted the district administration’s demolition squad.

According to an official statement issued later, the building had been constructed in an unauthorised manner, without obtaining approvals from the government.

The five-storeyed building stood on an area of about 1,300 square yards. The building consisted of 40 flats.

The DTP (Enforcement) maintained that the building belonged to some builders. “They were served notices when they started constructing the building but they did not pay any heed .

Now, after completing the building, they started selling the flats, which is grossly illegal,” he said, adding that an FIR had also been registered against the builders for this violation.

The offices of property dealers and builders were on top of the “hit list”, if found built illegally; then came commercial establishments and lastly, individual houses.

Meanwhile, the Deputy Commissioner has asserted that the administration would not spare any unauthorised construction. He appealed to the prospective buyers not to get lured by the promises of builders and developers.

Meena advised the people that before buying any immoveable property in Gurgaon, they should check whether the colony or building is authorised and has got the necessary approval from the government. They could check it from the DTP’s office as well, he added.

Panipat, December 9
Holding doctors responsible for the death of newborn twins, friends and relatives of the aggrieved family today went on the rampage in Rainbow Hospital located in the Model Town area here.

The mob later demanded registration of a case against doctors for being negligent in performing duties.

It was learnt that wife of Satish, a resident of Rajakedi village in the district, gave birth to two premature babies on November 23. After remaining admitted to a private nursing home at Saifadon, Satish brought his wife and the newborns to Rainbow Hospital on November 25 in view of their condition. Though one of the twins, a bay boy, died on December 5, the other one, a girl, breathed her last this morning. Following this, Satish’s relatives stormed the hospital, damaging computers, telephones and costly medical equipment.

Dr Girish Arora, owner of the hospital, maintained that the condition of both premature babies had been critical all through the treatment. Denying negligence on the part of the hospital, he said despite administering the best medical treatment to the infants, they could not be saved .

Meanwhile, the police has registered a case against doctors for negligence and eight relatives of the victims’ family for damaging the hospital property. 

Rohtak, December 9
The employees’ union of the Haryana Tourism Corporation will not go on the proposed one-day strike on December 11 in support of its demands.

This decision followed after the MD of the corporation assured the union that positive steps would be taken to fulfil its demands.

A spokesman of the Haryana Tourism Karamchari Sangh said here today that the decision to withdraw the statewide strike was taken at a meeting of the state executive held at Pinjore on Thursday. He said the executive expressed satisfaction over the outcome of the meeting of the union with the higher authorities held on November 29 attended by Anand Mohan Sharan, MD of the corporation.

The MD assured the union that steps would be taken to meet their demands, including framing of the service rules that had not been framed since the department came into being way back in 1974.

He said the union had submitted a memorandum listing its demands, including regularisation of ad hoc staff, removal of pay anomalies and filling of vacant posts in the department. The union warned that the agitation would be resumed if the demands were not met by January 15 next.

Jind, December 9
The situation turned tense after residents intercepted a truck near Dhamtan Sahib village in the district this noon and set it ablaze after clashing with the cops, who wanted to get the vehicle released. The agitated villagers damaged the fire engine and pulled down the wall of the police post in the village in protest. They alleged that the police had been shielding cattle smugglers and helping those taking the cows for slaughter flee.

Though this is perhaps the first case of its kind in the district, allegations of cattle smuggling and transportation of cows for slaughter have been common in the past few years. “With the role of the police under a scanner, the situation could have turned ugly if the villagers had caught the persons who had been taking about 25 cows in the truck,” said a villager.

A large number of residents of the village assembled at the spot where the truck carrying the cattle got stranded after a breakdown near the village and the cattle, packed inside like cards, started falling out. This enraged the villagers, who not only damaged the vehicle but also set it ablaze after evacuating the cows. The fire engine, which rushed to the spot and tried to contain the blaze, was pelted with stones, and the attempt of the police to ward off the protesters failed. The agitated mob then turned to the police post and pulled it down, alleging that the cops had been providing a cover to the cattle smugglers and had helped the suspects in today’s incident flee.

The situation could be brought under control only after the DSP of the area reached the spot and assured the residents of action against the cattle smugglers and the cops allegedly responsible for the situation. As many as eight cops, including the in charge of the police post, have been suspended for alleged irregularities in the job and a case has been registered against unidentified persons for transporting the cows for slaughter.

Yamunanagar, December 9
A Class XII student of National Public School here committed suicide by allegedly setting himself on fire. The boy had gone to school after an absence of two days.

According to sources, the school headmaster reprimanded Rajan and sent him back home, threatening him with expulsion. As he could not tolerate the insult, he locked himself in his room, allegedly doused himself with kerosene and set himself on fire.

Seeing smoke billowing out from his room and on hearing his shrieks, his mother rushed to Rajan’s room and called for help. By the time the fire could be extinguished, he had received 90 per cent burns. He was rushed to a nearby hospital but declared brought dead.

The sources said that Rajan had lost his father some years back. He had abstained from school as he was preparing for the NDA. He was a promising student and good in studies. He wanted to prove his worth to his widowed mother, confided relatives of the deceased.

In the suicide note recovered from his room, he wrote: “I am neither mad nor foolish but the school’s headmaster says that I am oversmart and will be expelled from school.” The expulsion by the school even shocked the mother.

The deeply shocked mother of Rajan, who had lost her only son after the death of her husband, squarely blamed the school management for the suicide.

Meanwhile, the school management closed the institution on hearing about the news. The management avoided talking to the media. A police party later visited the school and conducted investigations.

Rohtak, December 9
The younger son of the woman, who attempted suicide inside the Civil Lines police station here on Wednesday night along with her two minor kids, died in the PGIMS hospital last night.

The victim’s body was handed over to next of kin after a post-mortem examination this morning. The authorities have ordered a judicial probe into the incident and placed the investigating officer (IO) of the case under suspension.

Alka, wife of Ashish Kumar Jain, a resident of Jind town, had been admitted to the hospital early on Thursday after she attempted suicide along with her two minor sons, ,Harsh (11) and Lakshya(6). who allegedly consumed a poisonous substance on the same night. The woman had followed the police vehicle after her husband was arrested and brought here in connection with a fraud case.

Hisar, December 9
The Rural Electrification Corporation (REC)has approved two schemes for improving the power distribution system in Faridabad and Fatehabad districts at a cost of Rs 26.54 crore.

A press release issued by the nigam said here today that under the scheme meant for Faridabad, all 10 feeders would be refurbished at a cost of Rs 24.28 crore. The improvement work would include erection of 140-km-long high-tension lines by replacing low-tension lines and erection of high-tension lines by using aerial bunched (AB) cable.

As many as 1,333 additional 25 KVA and 16 KVA transformers would be provided in the system to reduce overloading. Consumption meters would also be replaced under the scheme.

It said that high-tension lines and AB cables would eliminate theft of electricity and the additional transformers would help improve voltage. The work would be completed within two years.

It added that under the scheme meant for Fatehabad, 11 overloaded 11-KV feeders would be bifurcated and old conductors of six other 11-KV feeders would be replaced with new conductors of higher capacity. High-tension AB cables would be used while bifurcating the feeders.

Fatehabad, December 9
The Haryana Government has moved a step forward in the setting up of the 2800-mw Gorakhpur Atomic Power Project and has directed the District Revenue Officer-cum-Land Acquisition Collector, Fatehabad, to take orders for the acquisition of land.

Madhusudan Prasad, principal secretary, Power Department, has issued these orders under Section 7 of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894.

The orders issued recently said that the land described in the government notification dated July 25, 2011, under Section 6 of the Act, is needed by the government for the construction of an atomic power plant to be set up in the Gorakhpur, Kajalheri and Badopal villages of Fatehabad district.

The state government has been going slow on the project, apparently due to the opposition it has been facing from a section of the farmers.

However, with this notification, the decks have been cleared for the early start of the prestigious nuclear power plant in the district.

Any rethinking on the part of the state government on this issue, after Team Anna’s support for the farmers opposing the project, has been ruled out.

Meanwhile, farmers opposed to the power plant have been sitting in dharna outside the local mini-secretariat for the past 483 days.