Fatehabad, May 11
The arrest of advocate Jaswanti, founder-secretary of Rohtak-based NGO Bharat Vikas Sangh has come as a shock to people at Bhattu and Fatehabad.

The allegation of sexual abuse of inmates in her shelter home has shaken the people as Jaswanti had provided shelter to a destitute woman, Parveen, from here with the help of the authorities in October, 2010.

Jaswanti had contacted the local authorities after The Tribune reported Parveen’s plight in the story “For Parveen, just another day without food”, as she was spotted roaming in the streets of Bhattu without anything to eat on the day of karva chauth.

The Tribune had highlighted that while married women across the country observed fast on karva chauth, it was just another day without food for Parveen, who has been living on the mercy of others after she was forsaken by her husband.

Parveen had told women that her husband had abandoned her by boarding a bus with her and then slyly getting off the vehicle. She slept in the open and ate whatever local residents gave her.

Assuring to provide comforts and medical treatment to Parveen in her Nari Sadan, Jaswanti had promised she would make efforts to reunite her with her husband.

Dr Jaswant Singh Virk, a US-based doctor hailing from Bharpoor village of Fatehabad district, had sent some financial assistance for reuniting Parveen with her husband, which was also given to Jaswanti by the local authorities.

“After reading Jaswanti’s arrest in today’s newspaper, I am eager to know the plight of Parveen,” said a worried Sunita, who was among the women who provided her food before Jaswanti took her away to her shelter home at Rohtak.

Meanwhile, the district authorities have constituted a four-member committee to check shelter homes running in Fatehabad. The committee headed by city magistrate Shalini Chetal will submit its reports to the DC, ML Kaushik, after inspection of all shelter homes.

Gurgaon, May 11
The total absence of a well-defined mechanism to ensure the provision of justice to juveniles, especially destitute children and young victims of atrocities, is playing havoc with the lives of adolescents in Haryana.

Recent reports on sexual exploitation of girl inmates of ‘protection homes’ at Gurgaon and Rohtak have underscored the need for such a mechanism.

The lack of authorised juvenile homes and the state government’s failure to set up dedicated child welfare committees (CWC) at the district level have also put a big question mark on the government’s stance on the sensitive issue.

Under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act 2000 (amended in 2006), all state governments are required to establish at least one CWC in every district.

Each CWC should consist of a chairperson and four members. The chairperson should be a person well-versed in child welfare issues and at least one member should be a woman. The CWC has the same powers as those of a metropolitan magistrate or a first-class judicial magistrate.

A child victim of child-labour, abuse or other such matters can be brought before the committee (or a member of the committee, if necessary) by a police officer, any public servant, CHILDLINE personnel, any social worker or public-spirited citizen, or by the child himself/herself.

The CWC usually sends the child to a children’s home while the inquiry into the case is conducted. The CWC meets and interviews the child to learn his/her background information, understand the problem the child is facing, ensure proper care for him/her and safeguard his/her rights and interests.

However, in Haryana, the state government has set up district-level child welfare committees headed by the Deputy Commissioner concerned and comprising senior police and medical officers as its members, as if to complete an official formality.

Since these government officials are expected to take care of quite a few other responsibilities, the CWCs are unable to function in an efficient and effective manner.

Faridabad, May 11
A woman died on the spot and three of her family members were injured last evening when a speeding truck hit their motor cycle.

Her 4-year-old daughter, Khushi, who received injuries has been admitted to the local Sarvodaya Hospital.

The police said her condition was critical. Her husband Manoj Kumar and one year-old-son have been discharged from hospital.

The incident occurred near Jharsetli village on the Delhi-Agra national highway.

The driver of the truck, who was yet to be indetified, abandoned the vehicle and escaped.

Manoj Kumar, a resident of Phulwadi village in Palwal, said he was taking his family to his sister’s house in Faridpur village, near here. The truck hit his motor cycle from the rear.

The rear wheel of the truck ran over the head of his wife.

An FIR has been registered.

Fatehabad, May 11
Villagers beat up a physical training instructor (PTI) posted in a government school at Shahidanwali village in Fatehabad and forced the closure of the school, alleging sexual harassment of a girl by the teacher.

Villagers alleged that the PTI called a class VII girl to his room for preparing tea yesterday and tried to molest her after bolting the room from inside.

The girl narrated the incident to her parents, who revealed this to some other villagers.

Infuriated at the conduct of the teacher, the villagers came to the school in large numbers today and forced the students to return home.

The villagers took the PTI to a room and gave him a sound beating after bolting him inside a room.

He was later saved by Baljit Singh, SDM, who rushed to the village with a police force.

Ratia, May 11
Alleging government apathy in providing medical treatment to people suffering from hepatitis C, residents of Ratia town and surrounding areas have constituted a committee to take up their case.

A meeting of the residents was held in Kamboj Dharamshala of Ratia town today in this regard.

Ram Chander Shehnal, a member of the Zila Parishad, who organised the meeting, alleged that the health authorities had adopted a lackadaisical attitude towards the woes of people suffering from hepatitis-C, though more than 1,800 patients had been found infected during a government survey.

In the survey conducted under the guidance of the PGIMS, Rohtak, the health teams had found 1,848 positive cases of hepatitis C after testing 7,469 samples with rapid tests.

The enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay (ELISA) test, considered a confirmatory test, by the PGIMS authorities found 1,503 persons suffering from the disease.

The treatment of hepatitis C is quite costly. As much as Rs 4 to 5 lakh for 48-week medication is beyond the reach of the common man.

Dr Balram Kadiyan, who retired as a deputy civil surgeon, said immediate steps were needed to check the disease from spreading further.

Shehnal alleged that since 2008, as many as 48 persons had died of this disease and several patients were getting treatment in hospitals of Ludhiana, Gurgaon, Jaipur and Delhi.

The residents constituted a ‘Jan Swasthya Sangharsh Samiti’ to take up the case of people infected with hepatitis C with the government and the health authorities.

Meanwhile, Inderjit Singh, state secretary of the CPM, alleged that some private companies were creating panic among people to sell their medicines.

Sirsa, May 11
The police last night raided a guesthouse near the railway overbridge here and arrested a cop, a woman and the manager of the guesthouse.

The police said today Bhajan Lal of Chablamori in Fatehabad, who was posted as a constable in Sirsa, was found in the company of a woman in the guesthouse. The constable has been booked under the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act along with the woman and the guesthouse manager.

They were produced before a local court which sent them in judicial custody.

Chandigarh, May 11
Intensifying its campaign against female foeticide, the Haryana Health Department has announced that all pregnant women undergoing ultrasound test would have to submit a photocopy of their identification proof at the ultrasound centre. It would be the responsibility of the radiologist to ask for a photostat copy of the document from them.

A spokesman of Health Department said pregnant women could submit a photostat copy of their ration card, voter ID card, electricity and water supply bill, mobile number, bank passbook, PAN card, Army card, Driving licence, office ID card, passport, or a certificate issued by any factory or an organisation.

He said no radiologist would do ultrasound test on any pregnant women without the recommendation of a gynaecologist or a physician. Under the PNDT Act, strict action would be taken against any radiologist not abiding by these directions. Road plays would be organised to create awareness about the consequences of foeticide.

Chandigarh May 11
The Haryana Transport and Civil Aviation Department has issued directions for safe landing and take-off of helicopters from temporary helipads constructed at new locations in the state to ensure safety of VIPs flying in the state helicopter.

An order issued by the department said ordinarily the helicopter should be taken to only such landing sites that are safe and fit for landing. Whenever the helicopter is required to be taken to a new landing site, at least one-day notice would be given to the Deputy Commissioner concerned to enable him to prepare the helipad as per specifications required for this purpose.

The pilot would not fly the helicopter with a VIP on board for a new landing site unless he receives a certificate by the DC concerned.

The DC has to ensure that the new helipad should be on the level ground, besides meeting other safety norms. At least one direction of 100x75 should be clear of any high obstructions like trees, poles, wires, buildings etc for takeoff or landing. An ambulance with doctors should be detailed exclusively for the helipad. A fully functional fire tender should be positioned at the landing site. Sufficient security personnel should be deployed.

Fatehabad, May 11
In a case of honour killing, a local court today awarded life imprisonment to a father and son duo from Kanheri village of Fatehabad.

The two convicts, Anil and his father, Mana Ram, had allegedly beaten Deepak, a class X student of the village, to death because he was in love with a girl from their family.

“Deepak was watching television late in the evening on August 25, 2009, when Anil called him out and took him away. His body was later found in Mana Ram’s house by another neighbour, Dashmi in the morning,” Deepak’s father, Panna Lal, had alleged in his complaint to the police next morning. Panna Lal suspected that his son had been murdered by the father-son duo in collusion with others.

The police had booked Panna Lal’s neighbour Mana Ram and his son Anil and five others for Deepak’s murder. Pronouncing his judgment today, District and Sessions Judge SC Goyal sentenced Anil and Mana Ram to imprisonment for life but acquitted five others Naresh, Ashok, Satyawan, Dashmi and Suresh.

Sonepat, May 11
Two brothers - Rajinder and Satyavan - working as deed writer and typists in the local tehsil office were allegedly caught redhanded last evening by a team of the local police led by DSP Randhir Singh Saini while accepting a bribe of Rs 40,000 from Jai Singh of Kundli village for the registration of his 162 square yard plot.

A criminal case has been registered against the two and the police is investigating the involvement of the tehsildar in this case.

It was alleged that the bribe was demanded on the direction of the tehsildar.

Rohtak, May 11
Anti-government slogans allegedly painted on walls of two government schools in the district by activists of an opposition political party, were today erased by the authorities.

No case has been registered in this regard.

“The slogans, condemning the state government and praising the INLD and its leadership, were inscribed by unidentified persons a few days back on the walls of the government schools at Bahu Akbarpur and Madina villages.

They were erased on Friday," said Parveen, a local resident.

The matter was reported to the district authorities by school officials who claimed that the slogans had been written during the night time.

“The accused ought to be booked for defacement of public property," said Mahavir Singh, a resident of Madina village.

While the school officials got the objectionable matter removed this morning, no official was available for comment in this regard.