Hisar, August 8
Widespread rains in the district during the past 24 hours have brought cheer to farmers.

The area was lashed by sharp showers twice late last evening. This was followed by widespread persistent rain this evening.

According to the Met office, Hisar and its surrounding areas had 38.4 mm rain in two spells of half an hour each last evening. Hisar normally has 41 mm of rain during August. Significantly, the area has had just 2.7 mm of rain this season till yesterday.

Farm experts of Haryana Agricultural University said the rains were extremely beneficial for standing crops. The immediate benefit was that animals would get adequate green fodder. The late sown crops of bajra, moong and guar would get a good boost with this rain. The dry ponds in the village would get filled.

Chandigarh, August 8
Against the backdrop of nearly 74% deficient rainfall in the ongoing Monsoon session which has played havoc with the crop production in the state, the Haryana Government is pinning hopes on the August 10 visit of Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar for a special package to tackle the drought-like conditions in the state.

Sources said the state government will finalise the economic component of the special package to be sought from the Union Government after consultations with Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda tomorrow. ”A presentation on the expected monetary loss to state farmers due to prevailing drought-like conditions will be made atthe Pawar-Hooda meeting to be held on August 10 here,” a senior official said. He said the Centre would be urged to declare drought year for the state in view of highly-deficient rainfall.

While the fund-starved Electricty Department has sought Rs 850 crore and an additional 1,000 MW power from the Centre for August alone, the special package from the Agriculture Minister is expected to be in addition to it.

Earlier, the state government had come out with a contingency plan aimed at mitigating the suffering of farmers. With overall rainfall deficiency pegged at 74 per cent from June 1 to August 4, the district-wise rainfall deficiency varies from 33 per cent in Gurgaon to 93 per cent in Kaithal.

Sirsa, August 8
“My son is innocent. He is being trapped in a case with which he has no connection at all,” said Sukhwinder Kaur, mother of the MDLR airlines official Mandeep Singh, who was detained by the Delhi police today in connection with the Geetika Sharma suicide case.

Mandeep Singh hails from Sirsa town. His mother said the Delhi police should arrest the person who has perpetrated the crime rather than framing her innocent son.

“How can a junior official say no if his boss asks him to give his SIM cards?” Sukhwinder Kaur asked, when reporters met her at the family’s Sirsa residence.

Mandeep, in his early thirties, is a son of a truck driver from here.

Mandeep worked with his father Randhir Singh, a Namdhari Sikh, before joining Gopal Kanda’s MDLR group, as a driver.

He has been working with Kanda for nearly a decade now, said sources close to the family. The Delhi police detained Mandeep today after reports that the SIMs that the former minister used to speak to Geetika were issued on his name.

Chandigarh, August 8
The Haryana Congress, which has been on the back foot for the past few days over the naming of former Minister of State for Home Gopal Kanda in the suicide note by her employee Geetika Sharma, today sought to divert the attention by seeking the resignation of INLD MLA Abhay Singh Chautala from the presidentship of the Indian Boxing Federation for his alleged failure to protect the interests of Haryana boxers in the London Olympics.

In a statement issued here today, party spokesman Ran Singh Maan said three promising Haryana boxers - Sunit Sangwan, Manoj Kumar and Vikas Yadav, were cheated out of their victories by judges in the London Olympics but Chautala, who is also the vice-president of the Indian Olympic Association, failed in his duty to get justice for them.

Maan said while Vikas was declared winner, later under the US pressure, he was declared defeated. Manoj and Sunit were winners in the eyes of the public but were declared defeated by the judges. — TNS

Bhiwani, August 8
Disbelief is the word that best describes the mood in boxer Vijender Singh’s Kalwas village located about 5 km from here following his shocking defeat in the quarterfinals of the London Olympics early this morning.

Hundreds of fans had stayed awake till 2.30 am to watch his bout both in his village and at several places in Bhiwani. Many fans had purchased LCD televisions just for this special occasion. No one had ever thought that their hero could lose. They brought out their TVs in the courtyards to accommodate the maximum number of fans.

The fans had started gathering much before midnight. They had pooled money for light snacks and endless cups of tea to keep them awake. In the back of courtyards, many slept on the ground hoping to get up before the bout began. Many had tucked boxes of sweets under their pillows to distribute once the star boxer triumphed over his opponent. Alas, they left the boxes behind and walked out in disbelief once the result was known. Even as Vijender and his opponent were level after the first round, his fans had begun to feel the butterflies in the stomach. This was unlike their hero who always made sure he had a lead in the first round itself.

But the shocker came in the second round as Uzbekistan's Abbos Atoev gave Vijender several blows and took a two-point lead. Everyone in Bhiwani who has even the slightest interest in boxing is extremely knowledgeable about the game. An eerie hush descended on the town and the nearby village when they realised Vijender will have to do a miracle to win.

But, still his ardent fans were hopeful that he will produce that miracle. “Are bawlo, kyon maran ne hore ho. Bhai ne koi na hara sake. Isa mukka dega ak Uzbeki sochega yo ke hoya,” said a Vijender’s friend who tried to reassure them. Moments later, Vijender was back in the ring for the final onslaught. By that time the crowd was on its feet in anxiety and anticipation.

For a brief moment a roar went up as Vijender rattled his opponent with a mighty left hook. But that was it. The Uzbek reacted very strongly and before anybody could realise the demigod had been reduced to a mere mortal. There was a complete silence around. Amid gloom, the fans turned their backs to the TV sets and started to leave one by one. Some had their hands cover their ears. Others stared at the floor shaking their heads. Still others who tried to say something found themselves tongue tied. Disbelief had gripped them like an evil force.

However, Vijender’s brother, Manoj, who launched his younger sibling in the sport displayed extreme sportsman spirit. “A loss here and a win there is a part of the game. Vijender’s opponent played better and he won,” he said.

Ambala, August 8
The Haryana Town and Country Planning Department has prepared Draft Development Plan-2025 for the vast development of the twin cities of Ambala and Ambala cantonment.

It would ensure a planned future development of the twin cities and would be implemented in a phased manner.

As per the draft, the plan was prepared for the projected population of 9.96 lakh persons by 2025. He said the Plan has been prepared keeping in view residential, commercial, transport, public utilities, open space, special zone, industrial, business, academic and various other public facilities.

Under the plan, 5,962 hectares of land would be urbanised, out of which 3,320 hectares have been earmarked for residential purpose, 248 hectares for commercial, 836 hectares for industrial, 266 hectares for transport and communication, 187 hectares for public utilities and 871 hectares for public and semi public uses.

Also, as per the Plan, 524 hectares have been earmarked for open space and 110 hectares as special zone.

The spokesman said with a view to providing better public facilities to the people of both cities, the state government would set up a municipal corporation and also include some adjoining villages in it.

He said that the copy of plan would be displayed for the general public at all public places.

Karnal, August 8
Manav Dass, general secretary of Apna Ghar, Karnal, who was booked in two separate cases and arrested yesterday, was produced before Duty Magistrate Natasha Sharma in the case registered under Sections 323, 342 of the IPC and Section 26 of the Juvenile Justice Act in the Civil Lines police station and remanded in 14-day Judicial custody.

The other accused, Monica Dias, Director of Apna Ghar, who was booked under the same sections, is still at large.

The police sought “production warrant” against Manav Dass in the other case under Section 376 filed on the complaint of Aniruddh, father of the three minor inmates of Apna Ghar, who had made allegations of sexual abuse last year.

Meanwhile, the three minor girls were medically examined today but the report was not disclosed.

The report was crucial as it would be the main evidence in support or against the allegations in the case.

The police had registered another case against Manav Dass in Sadar police station under Section 376, 323, 342, 506 and 120 B of the IPC and the arrest in the case, if required, would be made only after the production warrant was procured.

Eleven inmates of Apna Ghar - five minor girls and six boys - had accused Monica Dias and Manav Dass of beating them and their statement was also recorded in the court.

Chandigarh, August 8
Haryana’s former top cop SPS Rathore will get provisional pension and health benefits for the time being.

A Division Bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court today directed the payment of the provisional pension and health benefits, subject to the outcome of the criminal appeal pending before the Supreme Court.

Apparently not in a mood to restore the pension of Haryana’s former Director-General of Police Rathore, the Union Home Department had earlier filed a petition in the high court for quashing the orders of the Central Administrative Tribunal, directing the restoration of pension to Rathore.

The Chandigarh Bench of the Tribunal on December 8 had invalidated the orders passed by the union government withholding Rathore’s pension. The Centre had passed the orders after the former top cop was convicted in a molestation case.

The order in this regards was passed on the advice of the UPSC on June 23, 2010, withholding full pension.

Rathore had challenged the union government orders. Later, Rathore had filed a contempt of court petition against the Union Home Secretary, when his pension was not restored.

Comparing his own case with that of Punjab former DGP KPS Gill, Rathore had stated before the Tribunal that “no order for withholding the pension of KPS Gill, who has also been found guilty of molestation, has been passed”.

Rathore was awarded 18 months’ rigorous imprisonment by a Chandigarh court on May 25, 2010. He remained behind the bars for five months. His appeal was dismissed by the Punjab and Haryana High Court, following which he moved the Supreme Court. The latter admitted his appeal and granted him bail.

The MHA lawyer said that as per the SC directions, it does not have to await the apex court’s orders to withdraw the pension. The counsel said Rathore has been held guilty by the trial court and his appeal stood dismissed by the HC. If the SC passed a judgment setting aside his conviction, his pension could be restored.

Jind, August 8
The district court has awarded life imprisonment to a woman and her two sons in connection with a murder in July last year. The convicts will have to serve six months in case of their failure to pay a fine of Rs 5,000 imposed by the court.

According to prosecution, the convicts, identified as Sushila (49), her sons Vijay (28) and Sushil (31), were responsible for the death of Vijender (30) of Balmiki Mohalla locality on the Bhiwani road here.

Ved Prakash, father of the victim, had alleged in his complaint that his son had been invited by the accused to their house on the night of July 15, 2011, on some pretext. His body was found in a pool of blood next morning near a charitable hospital in the locality.

It was learnt that Vijender, who was running a meat shop, had picked up a quarrel with Vicky, another son of the woman, over some issue and to take revenge, the victim was called to the place of the accused.

It was reported that the victim, who was assaulted on his head with a brick, succumbed to his injuries on the spot. His body was later abandoned at an isolated place. The court of the district and sessions judge today pronounced life term to Sushila and her two sons in the case.

Kaithal, August 8
A large number of people assembled at the Pehowa Chowk and resorted to road blockade this afternoon to protest against the alleged murder of Soni (22), a resident of Shakti Nagar locality here.

They kept the body of the deceased on the road and demanded immediate action against the culprits. The protesters also raised slogans against the police administration.

The victim was found in an unconscious state under the railway over bridge here today. He was taken to the local Civil Hospital. Later, the youth was referred to the PGI, but he died on the way. The traffic remained disrupted for over one hour. The protesters lifted the blockade after the assurance from police officials.

CIA inspector Raj Kumar and traffic inspector Rohtash reached the spot and tried to persuade the protesters to lift the blockade. A former MLA, Banarsi Dass, reached the Pehowa Chowk and expressed his concern over the murder of the youth.

Meanwhile, DSP Tekan Raj also reached the spot and told the protesters that the police had rounded up two persons for questioning in this connection and the culprits would not be spared. Following which, the dharna was lifted and the traffic was restored.

Fatehabad, August 8
The Fatehabad district administration’s much-hyped offensive against illegal colonies proved a damp squib, as the demolition drive launched by the District Town Planner (DTP) ended abruptly after a telephone call on the very first day of the action today.

After a meeting involving all SDMs, tehsildars, the DTP and senior officers of the Public Health Department, the DHBVN and municipal bodies yesterday, Deputy Commissioner ML Kaushik had directed the officials to launch an offensive against illegal colonies.

Kaushik had said while the constructions coming up on the illegal colonies would be razed forthwith, no power or water supply connections would be given to any person building a house in these colonies.

The DC also ordered several restrictions on the registration of sale deeds of immovable properties so that the land sought to be transferred was easily identifiable from the sale deed.

After the meeting, the authorities directed all property dealers in the district to get themselves registered under the Haryana Regulation of Property Dealers and Consultants Act.

However, when the actual offensive against the illegal colonies began today, it proved a fiasco, as the DTP, Arvinder Dhull, who was leading the demolition squad, left midway by stopping the JCB machines after receiving a call on his cellphone.

The demolition squad had razed some shops by then. He did not turn up again.

“I was stopped from demolishing structures in the illegal colonies by the Deputy Commissioner,” Dhull maintained when asked about the reason for ending the exercise abruptly.

He said he was asked to return to the mini secretariat immediately.

He, however, said he was not able to comment on why the demolition was stopped, though it was being carried out in accordance with the plan issued by the authorities.

Kaushik, however, maintained that he had not stopped the DTP from carrying on his job.

“I had summoned him to my office after some residents came with complaints that the demolition activity was not in accordance with rules,” he explained, adding that now, he was satisfied that Dhull’s action was as per the laws.

Kaithal, August 8
Bakhtawar Singh (91) of Kaithal district is one of the five freedom fighters from Haryana who will be honoured by President Pranab Mukherjee at a function in Rashtrapati Bhawan on August 9.

Ramesh Goyat, member of the Sawtantarta Senani Samman Samiti Haryana, will accompany Bakhtawar Singh.

According to information, Gugan Ram from Sahayna village in Mohindergarh district, Raja Ram from Bhiwani district and Chhotu Ram and Lalki Ram from Jhajjar district are the four other freedom fighters to be honoured in this function.

Residents of Kutabpur village, 7 km from here, were in a joyous mood when they got information that the veteran soldier from their village who participated in the country’s freedom struggle would be honoured by the President.

Bakhtawar Singh initially joined the British Army in 1939 and took part in World War II. He went to Germany and Burma.

He joined Subhash Chander Bose’s Indian National Army (INA) in Singapore on July 5, 1943. During the war of freedom, he remained in jail for about three years in Burma and Kolkata where he was tortured, but it failed to dampen his spirits.

The veteran freedom fighter feels that it is a good gesture on the part of the government to honour freedom fighters. They had also been provided some facilities and pension, but the government should fulfil their outstanding demands so that they could lead a life with dignity, he added.

Rohtak, August 8
At least three minor children were found abandoned in the district in the past about eight days. All the children have been lodged in an orphanage here till their rehabilitation.

The incident was reported on Wednesday when the police lodged a four-year-old boy in a shelter home run by the Hari Om Sewa Dal here on the Bhiwani Road.

The boy, identified as Pawan, who told the police that his father’s name was Raghu, failed to disclose the place from where he had come from.

He was found abandoned at the local railway station. The matter was taken up with the railway police by some passengers, who claimed that the boy got down from a train, which halted here yesterday.

This is the second such incident in the past few days. Two minor boys identified as Badal (6) and Javed (4) were found roaming on the new bus stand premises here on July 30. Though the police had lodged them in a shelter home here, officials claimed that attempts were being made to contact the kin of the abandoned children.

Chandigarh, August 8
The Haryana Government has nominated three children of the State for National Child Award for Exceptional Achievements.

A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting of the state-level Screening Committee held under the chairpersonship of Women and Child Development Minister Geeta Bhukkal here today.

Yash Mittal, a resident of Bhiwani, has been nominated for for the award for his outstanding achievements in the field of education. Harman Singh, a resident of Panipat, has been nominated for her outstanding achievements in the field of cultural activities and modelling and Navdeep, a resident of Buwana Laku village in Panipat district, who in spite of being differently abled stood second in the100-m race and won a gold medal in the200-m race in Para-athletic National Championship.

Bhukkal said that in all there would be a gold medal and 35 silver medals. The recipient of a gold medal will also get Rs 20,000 in cash, a citation and a certificate. Recipients of silver medals would get Rs 10,000 in cash, a citation and a certificate each.

Sonepat, August 8
Addressing the first convocation ceremony of OP Jindal Global University (JGU) near here late last evening, Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said: “Society has made valuable investment in providing better and quality education to students and now it becomes their duty to develop a better society and to become nation-builders.”

He said the state government during the past seven years had concentrated on promoting education from primary to higher levels as well as professional, including medical, engineering, veterinary sciences and management studies.

As many as 69 students of law and management disciplines were conferred degrees on the occasion.

The birth anniversary of late Om Prakash Jindal was also celebrated as the Founders’ Day.