Panchkula, August 7
The CBI today filed a chargesheet against seven accused in the Apna Ghar case. The accused are Jaswanti Devi, her daughter Sushila, alias Simmi, son-in-law Jai Bhagwan, brother Jaswant Singh and cousin Sheela, driver Satish and Veena, a counsellor.

The two other accused, Davinder and Harvinder, have applied for bail. The court has deferred their case till August 9.

The accused have been charged under Sections 313 (causing miscarriage without woman’s consent), 376 (rape), 374 (unlawful compulsory labour), 120B (criminal conspiracy), 109 (abetment), 354 (outraging modesty), 323 (causing hurt) and 506 (criminal intimidation).

On August 1, all 10 accused in the Apna Ghar case were produced through video-conferencing in the CBI court which had sent them to 14-day judicial custody in Ambala.

On July 26, the CBI special magistrate had allowed the agency to investigate the nine accused in the Ambala jail.

The shelter home landed in a controversy when a team of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) raided it on May 9 and rescued its inmates. Apna Ghar is run by the Bharat Vikash Sangh, an NGO headed by Jaswanti Devi, in Shrinagar Colony of Rohtak city.

Some inmates have made allegations of rape and human trafficking against Jaswanti Devi and the other accused.

As many as 103 inmates, mostly women and children, have now been shifted to other places.

Karnal, August 7
Three days after three minor girls appeared before camera and made shocking allegations of molestation against Manav Dass, general secretary of Apna Ghar, Karnal,the police today booked him in two cases on a fresh complaint lodged by Aniruddh, father of the girls, and other inmates and arrested him.

A case was registered in the Sadar police station under Sections 376, 323, 342, 506, 120 b while another case was registered under Sections 323 and 342 of the IPC and Section 26 of the Juvenile Justice Act, after 11 inmates alleged that they were being beaten, Shashank Anand, SP, said.

The police had already registered a case under Sections 323 and 342 of IPC against Monica Dias, Director of Apana Ghar on the complaint of some inmates.

Eleven inmates, including five girls and six boys, were shifted to Nirmal Dham and Madhuban Ashram on the pretext that the shelter home did not have enough space and was overcrowded.

The girls reiterated the allegations after they were shifted and gave similar statements in the court.

The registration of two FIRs against Manav Dass coincided with the visit of state Director general of department of Women and Child Development, Sumita Mishra who said that “action would be taken in case the father of the girls or the girls made a fresh complaint and the same would be treat as an FIR”.

Aniruddh made a fresh complaint and repeated the allegations of molestation and maltreatment and the police registered a case in Sadar police Station.

Three minor gilrs, all sisters, who came on camera had accused a top functionary of Karnal Apna Ghar of taking them to his house and abused them.

The father of the girls, Anirudh, a poor labourer from Bihar, said that he had left his three minor daughters and two sons in Apna Ghar as he did not have enough means to bring up the children. However, during his subsequent visits to Apna ghar he found that the behaviour of his daughters had changed and they were quiet and looked frightened.

Sumita Mishra today also made a surprise visit to other shelter homes like Nirmal Dham, Nari Niketan and Madhuban Ashram and talked to the inmates.

Harish Arya, president of the Fight for Justice Club, has demanded a high-level inquiry into the allegations of exploitation and molestation of the inmates and said the children who had made the complaints were vulnerable.

Chandigarh, August 7
Former Haryana Minister of State for Home Gopal Kanda, booked in the Geetika suicide case, was shrewd enough to cultivate certain Congress leaders even when he was close to the Chautalas, under the patronage of whom Kanda became a man of riches.

This policy paid him rich dividends not only after he parted company but even earlier as well. This was proved when the Congress soft-pedalled the issue of government land worth crores of rupees, which was allegedly grabbed by the Kandas, when the INLD was ruling the state.

The Sirsa Electricity Supply Company owned 25 kanals 8 marla in Sirsa. When the licence of the company expired, its assets, including this land, was taken over by the Punjab State Electricity Board. The Haryana State Electricity Board inherited the land after the reorganisation of Punjab in 1966.

The board had a substation and a few residences of its officers on this land. After the INLD came to power, the substation was shifted but the residences continued to be there. By then the land had become prime being in the heart of the town. It is located on the Dabwali road, adjoining the Sirsa Club.

A Gurgaon-based company, Worldwide Carriers Private Limited, believed to be floated by the Kandas, purchased the land from heirs of Ram Niwas, who was the owner of the Sirsa Electric Supply Company. The sale deed was registered in the name of the Gurgaon company on August 2, 2004, vide No. 4932. The mutation was also executed in favour of the Gurgaon company. The officers were told to vacate their residences, which were demolished overnight and possession was taken over by the Kandas.

The mutation, however, was cancelled after the Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (DHBVN) made an appeal to the higher authorities. The issue was raised by the then Palwal MLA Karan Singh Dalal, but the INLD government did not take action against the “encroachers”, who had disturbed over 40-year-old possession of the power utilities.

When the Gurgaon company started carving out residential plots on the land, the power utility moved a Sirsa court, which ordered status quo.

Meanwhile, the government changed in the state. Everyone, including Dalal, thought that now the “encroachers” would be evicted. But the Congress government remained indifferent. The reason for the government’s apathy was known only when a Delhi-based Congress leader approached Dalal on behalf of the Kandas. It seems this Congress leader, whose role during the 1984 Delhi riots remained controversial, had persuaded the state government also to be “kind” towards Kanda.

Instead of being influenced by the Delhi-based Congress leader, Dalal shot a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh demanding an inquiry into, among other things, how the Civil Aviation Ministry had granted a licence to Kanda to operate the MDLR Airlines without clearance from the Home Ministry. He had also alleged various financial irregularities by the Kandas.

Shortly after Dalal’s letter, income tax raids were conducted on various premises owned by the Kandas in Sirsa, Gurgaon and other places.

Ladwa (Kurukshetra), August 7
Six persons, including a child, died on the spot as their speeding WagonR lost control after its tyre burst near Mathana village on the Ladwa-Yamunanagar road today.

The victims were returning from a wedding at Radore near Yamunanagar to Kaul village in Kurukshetra district. Eyewitnesses said the accident occurred as the car lost control and smashed into a truck. The impact was so severe that the bodies could be extricated only after cutting the car. The bodies were sent for a post-mortem at Civil Hospital, Kurukshetra, and handed over to the relatives this evening.

The victims were identified as Gaurav and Avtar (27) of Kurukshetra, Anil of Gharasi, Sreasth (24) of Saharanpur and Manoj (28) and his son Ayush (6) of Hastinpur.

“Manoj, Ayush and Sreasth were the relatives of the bridegroom and the other three were photographers,” said Suresh, a relative.

Gurgaon, august 7
Eight persons were killed on the spot and eight others were greviously injured as a dumper crashed into a jeep near Dulawat village on the Sohna-Tauru Road yesterday. The incident took place when the jeep was going to Tauru from Sohna.

The police said the driver and helper of the dumper fled after the accident.

There were 16 persons in the jeep at the time of the incident. None of the drivers was under the influence of liquor. Collision might have taken place due to the lack of dividers, said the police.

Three of those injured were said to be in a critical condition. Some of the injured were taken to a Sohna Hospital and others to a Nuh Hospital in Mewat.

Three of those killed were Yogesh of Delhi, Harun from Tauru and Abdul Majid from Nonhera village in Sohna. Some of those injured are Lucky of Gehnauli in Sohna, Sanjay of Rampura in Rewari district, Satbir of Rayalpur in Faridabad and Omvati from Palwal district.

Gurgaon, August 7
Fresh labour trouble seems to be brewing in the Gurgaon-Manesar industrial belt with two workers suspended at Honda’s two-wheeler plant at Manesar on Monday.

Though production at the Honda plant continued normal today, the facility saw a large police deployment for security.

The workers’ union, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India Employees’ Union, have so far not gone on strike and are negotiating with the management. The union said the main reason for disagreement were the ongoing discussions on wage settlements. Wage agreements were renewed every three years at the plant and on July 10, the union had put up its new demand notice.

“A meeting was held today, but the management refused to arrive at a conclusion because they were yet to discuss the matter internally. A second meeting with the Labour Department and company officials is now slated for Thursday,” said Ashok Yadav, president of the union.

The suspended workers included an executive committee member of the union Jaibeer and Naresh Yadav. Both were let off following an altercation on the sanctioning of leave, sources say.

A spokesperson said the suspension followed a report received on manhandling and assault of a manager with an “intent of creating an environment of terror in the logistics work area”. Based on this, the workers were suspended. “We are open for discussion, action will be taken after completion of inquiry. We are in touch with the Labour Department,” the company officials said.

A separate meeting with the Labour Department on wage issues is also scheduled for tommorow. This is not the first time that the company has faced labour disputes. In 2005, over 150 persons were seriously injured in a clash between the police and agitating workers.

New Delhi, August 7
The Union Government today approved the extension of Metro connection from Mundka in Delhi to Bahadurgarh in Haryana, an official of the Union Urban Development Ministry said.

The approval was accorded at a high-level Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM) meeting headed by Union Defence Minister AK Antony here today. It will be third Metro route to Haryana as it already has metro connections to Gurgaon and Faridabad. Gurgaon route is already functional, while the work is in advance stage for Faridabad, he said.

The route length of Delhi Metro from Mundka to Bahadurgarh would be 11.18 km that would cost Rs 1,991 crore. Seven Metro stations would be set up at Mundka Industrial Area, Ghevra, Tikri Kalan, Tikri Border, Modern Industrial Estate, Bahadurgarh Bus Stand and City Park between Mundka and Bahadurgarh.

The construction work of project of extension of Delhi Metro from Mundka to Bahadurgarh will start in this year itself and would be completed by March in 2016, the official said.

Haryana segment in the approved extension would be 4.8 km. The total project cost would be Rs 1,991 crore, out of which an expenditure of Rs 912 crore would be for the Haryana segment whereas an expenditure of Rs 1,079 crore would be for the Delhi segment. The Haryana Government will bear a cost of Rs 788 crore for this project.

The Haryana Government would also provide 10 hectares of land in Haryana portion for the setting up of a Metro Depot.

Chandigarh, August 7
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has opened the door to higher education for a lifer in Hisar jail.

Virtually passing strictures on Maharishi Dayanand University(MDU) for its failure to consider sympathetically the admission case of the penniless convict, the high court has come out with a unique way of preventing lack of funds from closing the chapter of academics in his life.

Ruling that the “writ courts are not so helpless that they would fail to protect the basic rights of a citizen, though confined in jail,” Justice Ranjit Singh has imposed a cost of Rs 10,000 on the varsity for the delay of one year in filing its reply. The amount is to be used for paying the convict’s fees and other charges. “If any amount is further needed, the same shall be waived, Justice Ranjit Singh added.

Serving life sentence in the District Jail, Sombeer wanted to do post-graduation through correspondence after completing BA from behind the bars through distance education from MDU.

Finding himself without means to pay the fee or other charges, Sombeer moved the high court for directions to the university for permitting him to carry further his studies after waiving the fees.

This petition filed through jail in March, 2011, remained pending as the University prayed for time again and again. Finally, varsity counsel said he could not trace any provision in the calendar for helping out the petitioner but offered to pay the fees.

Justice Ranjit Singh added: “If the counsel representing the university is so generous, the varsity certainly is found lagging in showing any kindness or sympathy. The petitioner cannot be seen begging for help.…Instead of helping the student, the University is standing on some technicalities.”

Justice Ranjit Singh directed the varsity to admit the petitioner after entertaining the plea, even if it was without the requisite fee. The Jail Superintendent was also directed to obtain the form, get it filled and submit it.

Nuh (Mewat), August 7
The body of Sahroona, which was laid to rest at Devla village in the district about a week ago, was dug out from her grave for a post-mortem examination today since her family members have alleged that it was a case of dowry death.

To ascertain the truth, her body was dug out and sent to PGIMS, Rohtak, for a post-mortem examination on the orders of the local SDM.

According to police sources and villagers, Sahroona and her younger sister Sahooni of Reethat village were married to Arif and his younger brother of Devla village in Nuh district respectively about four years ago. Sahroona gave birth to a daughter, while Sahooni had a son.

Sahroona reportedly had an altercation with her husband Arif, following which she died on August 1. There were allegations and counter-allegations between Sahooni’s parental and in-laws’ families and a joint panchayat of Reethat and Devla villages was organised.

The panchayat was convinced that the woman had committed suicide by consuming poison. It decided that Sahroona’s body be buried and an amount of Rs 1 lakh deposited in the name of her daughter.

The matter appeared to have settled at that time. Devla sarpanch Yusuf said both parties had accepted the decision and the woman’s body was buried.

However, Sahroona’s brother Shabbir maintained that his sister was harassed for dowry and their family wanted justice for her. He said they had not accepted the decision of the panchayat.

He approached various government functionaries with his plea and finally obtained an order for a post-mortem examination of his sister’s body.

The body was dug out amidst tight security in the presence of the local tehsildar and DSP Subhash Chand. The DSP said a case had been registered and action would be taken after the post-mortem report.

Chandigarh, August 7
The BJP today demanded immediate dismissal of the Bhupinder Singh Hooda Government for its various acts of omission and commission.

This demand was raised in a memorandum submitted to Haryana Governor Jagannath Pahadia by a BJP delegation, led by state unit president Krishan Pal Gurjar at Haryana Raj Bhavan here.

Alleging that corruption has crossed all limits in the state, the memorandum alleged that a number of former ministers were involved in the criminal activities which could not be probed independently till the current government was in power. In fact, the government patronage to criminal elements had raised serious concern about the safety and security of the common man.

Similarly, the law and order situation was going from bad to worse with each day Besides, the state government has failed to provide even basic amenities such as water and power to people, the memorandum alleged.

Sirsa, August 7
Intermittent showers today came as a welcome respite for farmers in Sirsa and Fatehabad though it is not being considered adequate enough to bail out paddy farmers.

It rained fairly well in the Dabwali area but there were light showers in Sirsa, Ellenabad and Chopta in Sirsa district.

Fatehabad areas too witnessed showers today.

Owing to the poor monsoon, the production of paddy in Sirsa and Fatehabad is set to take a beating as a number of farmers have already abandoned parts of the paddy area, particularly in Sirsa district.

Paddy was sown on 59,000 hectares in Sirsa and 84,000 hectares in Fatehabad this kharif season.

Last year, the area under cultivation of paddy in Sirsa and Fatehabad 63,000 hectare and 87000 hectares, respectively .

While the area under paddy was reduced due to lack of rain in the beginning of the plantation season, it has further gone down as farmers in some areas have started abandoning a part of their crops to save the rest.

“I planted paddy on 15 acres. But despite running my tubewell with costly diesel, I cannot irrigate all my crop without sufficient rain. Hence, I stopped watering the crop in three acres to save the other in 12 acres. If it rains well in the next some days, the crop I abandoned will also be revived. Otherwise, I will be happy to save my crop in the rest 12 acres,” said Satnam Singh, a farmer from Titukhera on Rania road in Sirsa.

Gurjeet Singh Mann, a farmer from Kirpal Patti village, said while some farmers had just stopped irrigating parts of their paddy fields, some others had even ploughed them to make room for some other crop like animal fodder.

Rakesh Kumar, a technical assistant in the Agriculture Department at Fatehabad, said despite poor rains, the production of paddy might not be affected much in this district.

“Farmers have been irrigating their fields through tubewells running them with electricity or diesel. The farmers may suffer by way of increased imput costs but their yield per acre is unlikely to be effected much,” he added.

Fatehabad, August 7
Farmers opposed to the acquisition of their land for the upcoming nuclear power project at Gorakhpur seem to be fighting a losing battle as the owners of nearly half of the land have already accepted their compensation while many more will take their cheques in the days to come.

Under the banner of the “Kisan Sangharsh Samiti”, farmers opposed to land acquisition have been agitating against the state government for the past two years now.

The farmers have announced a rally in Gorakhpur on August 17, the day when their agitation completes its two years.

The rally has received support from different political parties.

“We have begun mobilising people for the rally. Women will also participate in the rally as they have been taking part in dharnas,” said Suman Siwach, district president of women wing of the INLD, whose family’s land has come under acquisition.

While the “Kisan Sangharsh Samiti” has been preparing for the August 17 rally, more farmers have been coming to the mini-secretariat to accept cheques of compensation .

“Since the announcement of award, a total compensation of over Rs 220.36 crore has so far been given to 433 farmers for 717 acres of land acquired for this plant,” said Ram Singh Bishnoi, District Revenue Officer-cum- Land Acquisition Collector, Fatehabad.

While 311 farmers of Gorakhpur had received compensation of over Rs 184 crore for about 600 acres, 121 farmers of Baropal had accepted compensation of over Rs 35 crore for 114 acres of land. Over Rs 54 lakh had been given to a farmer of Kajalheri village for 1.78 acres.

The acquired land belongs to 847 farmers.

Jhajjar, August 7
At least 30 cattle, most of them buffaloes, were killed and 10 others were injured when a truck they were loaded in overturned near a petrol pump on the Jhajjar Road in Bahadurgarh town, located on the border of Haryana and Delhi yesterday.

The Bahadurgarh police has registered a case under various provisions of the Animal Cruelty Act against the truck driver, who managed to flee from the spot after the incident.

The incident took place when the truck carrying around 40 cattle was on its way to Delhi from Sikar in Rajasthan.

As it reached near the petrol pump, the driver lost control over the vehicle and it hit a tree on the Jhajjar Road. Consequently, the truck overturned and 30 cattle reportedly died on the spot.

Just after mishap, people working in nearby fields rushed to the spot and pulled out the animals from the overturned truck. The Bahadurgarh Sadar Police rushed to the spot on getting information.

“We have registered a case under the Animal Cruelty Act against truck driver Sandeep of Jhunjhunnu in Rajasthan.

A police team will soon be sent to Rajasthan to arrest Sandeep,” said the police, confirming that 30 cattle had been killed in the mishap.

Fatehabad, August 7
Angry farmers from Laalwas today locked a 33-KV power substation in their village against erratic supply of power.

The farmers alleged that they had not receiving enough power leading to an acute scarcity of drinking water as well as water to irrigate their fields.

The villagers assembled in the powerhouse in the morning and raised slogans against the authorities.

Later, they locked the main gate of the power substation.

A subdivisional officer of the DHBVN went there and assured the villagers of providing better supply of power in future. 

Sirsa, August 7
The police today booked over 20 villagers for ransacking a powerhouse and manhandling DHBVN officials at Shahidanwali village in Sirsa on August 4. Ramesh Kumar, Satish Kumar, Raju and several others from Natar village are alleged to have attacked the powerhouse at Shahidanwali on August 4 against erratic supply of power to their village.

The villagers had smashed windowpanes and furniture and manhandled DHBVN officials. They had escaped before the police arrived. The police said the FIR has been lodged on the complaint of OP Bhardwaj, an SDO of the DHBVN. No arrest has been made so far in this connection. — TNS

Rewari, August 7
Irate housewives of Bhateda and Aaliwas villages today blocked traffic on the Rewari-Mahendergarh road at Bhateda, 10 km from here, with empty pitchers while protesting against the erratic drinking water and power supply in the twin villages.

They said when the authorities did not pay heed to their problems, they had to come out on the road today to make them listen to their woes.

The blockade, which lasted for about three hours, was lifted at the persuasion of senior public health, electricity and other officials who assured that while a new transmission line for the Bhateda Water Works would soon be laid.

Faridabad, August 7
In a dowry death case, the police today arrested the victim’s husband Sonu and his father Ranjit under Sections 304-B and 201 of the IPC. The police also booked eight other members of her in-laws family in this regard.

The victim, Bhisanwati, was allegedly killed at her in-laws house at Bhudena village on Sunday and to destroy evidence, she was immediately cremated. Her in-laws informed her parents about her death several hours after they had cremated her.

The victim was married to Sonu in 2009 and had two sons from the wedlock. The elder son is two-year-old.

The victim’s brother, Yashpal, of Sururpur village in this district, alleged that her sister’s in-laws started torturing her soon after her marriage. When she last visited her parent’s house on Rakhi on August 2, she said her in-laws had made a fresh demand for Rs 5 lakh.