Chandigarh, October 17
The Punjab and Haryana High Court today issued notice to Ravinder Tomar, ACP (traffic), Gurgaon, and HUDA Administrator Praveen Kumar asking them to show cause why proceedings for contempt of court be not initiated against them for not complying with the October 8 orders on the Delhi-Gurgaon expressway toll plaza.

The notices were issued to the officers for removing the barricades near Ambience Mall and permitting “L”-turn in violation of the high court orders.

In its October 8 orders, the court had made it clear that “U”-turn on the expressway from the Jaipur side for entering Ambience Mall would only be used as a “U”-turn and not as “L”-turn to gain entry into the mall.

As the matter came up for resumed hearing before a Division Bench headed by Justice SK Mittal, counsel for Delhi-Gurgaon Super Connectivity Limited (DGSCL) informed the Bench that measures taken to avoid jams had worked well. Except for one day, no traffic jams were witnessed. It was also stated by the concessionaire’s counsel that the right turn was blocked on October 9 by putting up cement blocks and only “U” turn was permitted. But, following protests by some persons, HUDA Administrator Parveen Kumar and the police got the blocks removed.

Taking a serious view, Justice Mittal observed the HUDA Administrator had no authority to act against the court directions.

He was not even a party in the case. If directions were not suitable or could not be implemented, the officers could have approached the Bench for modification of the orders.

The court was also miffed over the submissions made by the ACP (Traffic) that the court directions had been implemented in true spirit. The Bench issued notice for contempt of court to both Parveen Kumar and Ravinder Tomar and fixed November 1 as the next date for hearing.

Chandigarh, October 17
The inability of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to complete the probe in the Apna Ghar case within the stipulated two-month period today landed the premier investigating agency in the contempt loop.

A petition seeking the initiation of contempt of court proceedings against it was filed this morning before the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

The high court had on July 19 disposed of the PIL filed by advocate Utsav Singh Bains by handing over the probe to the CBI. The court had given two months’ time to the agency to complete its investigation.

Alleging inaction, the petition asserted, “The contempt petition has been filed in public interest and in the larger interest of the administration of justice and in the earnest hope that the stream of justice will not be polluted and the administration of justice will remain independent, clean, fearless and impartial….”

Bains added the CBI filed a charge sheet against seven accused - Jaswanti, Sushma, Jai Bhagwan, Satish, Sheela, Jaswant and Veena -- on August 7 before the Special Judicial Magistrate, CBI, Panchkula.

The remaining three accused, Harvinder Singh, Daya Nand and Bhim Singh Ranga,have been granted bail as the investigation is still pending and no charge sheet has been filed.

“Thus, the CBI failed to comply with the orders passed by the high court and failed to complete the investigation within two months and failed to file a charge heet at the Special CBI Court in Panchkula against the remaining three accused Harvinder Singh, Daya Nand and Bhim Singh Ranga, leading to the bail of accused, who were involved in the destruction of evidence in the case.” 

Sirsa, October 17
An orthopaedic surgeon working in the General Hospital, who was arrested by the State Vigilance Bureau (SVB) red-handed while allegedly accepting a bribe from a patient last month, was found enjoying the cosy atmosphere of his home even when he was lodged in jail in government records.

Courtesy his colleagues in the hospital, the doctor was shown as suffering from a serious ailment and was lodged in the ‘guard’ ward from where he had been enjoying the luxuries of his home situated in the hospital premises in connivance with the policemen deployed there.

Such was the impunity with which the accused doctor was roaming free during his judicial remand that he chose to withdraw his bail application pending before the court of Additional District and Sessions Judge RP Goyal on October 6, 2012, as pursuing the bail was fraught with the fear of its rejection by the court.

The bail application was finally “dismissed as withdrawn”, leaving the doctor with the option of filing another bail application in the near future.

This could have continued for a long time had the matter not come to light during a routine visit to the jail by chief judicial magistrate Harish Gupta, who is also secretary of the District Legal Service Authority (DLSA) on Thursday.

Dr Pawan Kumar, orthopaedic surgeon, was arrested red-handed by the State Vigilance Bureau under the Prevention of Corruption Act on September 22.

He was remanded to judicial custody by the court.

On September 25, Dr R.C. Chaudhary, also an orthopaedic specialist who works in the District Jail, Sirsa, on a contract basis after his retirement from a government job, referred Dr Pawan Kumar to the General Hospital, Sirsa, for pain in the abdomen.

However, the authorities in the General Hospital decided to admit him as, in their opinion, he needed indoor treatment.

“When I inquired from the jail authorities, they said they were helpless as the doctor was in the hospital on the recommendations of medical experts. However, the moment, I came out of the jail after inspection, the doctor was discharged from the hospital and sent back to the jail in undue hurry, which aroused my suspicion,” said Gupta, who visited the hospital today.

During inquiries from another prisoner in the ‘guard’ ward and some hospital staff, Gupta found that Dr Pawan Kumar was never seen on his bed in the ward, though as per the prison rules, he could not leave the ward except for tests, accompanied by guards.

The CJM has asked Civil Surgeon Daya Nand to submit a report after inquiry.

The judge said he had also brought the matter to the notice of the superintendent of police.

The Civil Surgeon said the General Hospital came under the purview of the Medical Superintendent, Dr Viresh Bhushan, and only he could give an explanation to this.

Dr Bhushan said he was in Chandigarh and, hence, unable to say who allowed Dr Pawan Kumar to stay in the hospital for so many days.

Jalandhar, October 17
INLD chief Om Prakash Chautala today alleged that AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi had purchased more than six acres in Palwal at a price much lower than the collector's rate and had, thus, caused loss to revenue by evading stamp duty.

Showing a copy of the sale deed with Rahul’s photo during his visit here today, Chautala said he had purchased six acres, three kanals and 13 marlas at Hassanpur village in Hodal subdivision of Palwal at a price of Rs 26.47 lakh on March 3, 2008, whereas the market value then was several crores.

He alleged that Rahul had purchased the land at Rs 4.1 lakh per acre, much lower than the collector's rate of Rs 6 lakh per acre.

He claimed the land was purchased from HL Pahwa and YC leader Mahesh Kumar Nagar was present during the registration of the sale deed. Chautala circulated a list of eight properties allegedly purchased by AICC chief Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law Robert Vadra in various parts of Haryana.

He sought an inquiry by a Supreme Court Judge into these land deals.

Karnal, October 17
In yet another horrendous incident, a 50-year-old woman was allegedly raped by four persons while she was working in the fields on October 14.

The woman, a resident of Dabarki Kalan village near Kunjpura in Karnal district, was alone in the fields after her husband had left for home when two youths came on a motorbike and took her away.

They allegedly raped her and also called two other persons, who also joined them in the heinous crime, said Sunder Lal, husband of the victim in his complaint lodged at Kunjpura police station today.

“I had left for home and my wife was following me at some distance when two youths came on a bike and took her away and raped her in the fields. They also called two other persons to join them,” Sunder Lal said.

The culprits threatened them not to report the matter to the police but the couple finally decided to lodge the FIR.

A case was registered in Kunjpura police station under Section 376 of IPC for alleged rape against unknown persons and the police has initiated investigations.

The medical examination of the victim has been conducted and the report is awaited, police station in charge Manoj Kumar said. 

New Delhi, October 17
For more than a month now, personnel at the Butana police station in Karnal district have been dragging their feet on a case involving the murder of a Dalit woman who sought justice for her minor daughter, a victim of gang rape by local men of a dominant caste.

Kamlesh, a mother of five, was allegedly murdered on September 3, the day she left home in Kalsi village to attend a dental camp at the nearby Nilokheri town. She didn’t return. Two days later, the police discovered her body near Sirsa along the banks of a canal.

The victim’s fault was that despite being a low caste (Shainshi), she publicly raised her voice against two boys of the dominant Ror caste, who had on August 6 allegedly raped her 15-year-old daughter. The victim didn’t disclose the crime to her mother until late August which was when the latter began to vocally oppose the culprits.

“She suspected something wrong when her daughter stopped going to school and reported routine illness,” Rajesh Kumar, state secretary, Haryana-National Dalit Movement for Justice today told The Tribune.

The movement is helping the distraught family of Kamlesh get justice.

They have moved the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights and the National Scheduled Caste Commission on the case, referring to rampant atrocities against Dalit in Haryana and accusing the police of complicity with the criminals.

“This case reflects zero tolerance which dominant castes are exhibiting towards Dalits seeking justice. Political power play has reached levels where upper caste men will go to any extent to crush dissent. They will shamelessly murder people,” Dr Sirivella Prasad, general secretary, National Dalit Movement for Justice, said.

So far, the police has arrested only one of the two gang rape accused and a local woman Kusum, the victim’s neighbour, for abetting the crime.

The FIR says, “Kusum goaded the minor girl to attend school on August 6 despite the fact that she did not want to go. She then took the girl to a nearby bus stop from where the accused - Aman and Krishan - kidnapped the girl in Swift car. They drove off to Kurukshetra and repeatedly raped the girl before leaving her in the nearby Yunispur village.”

Deputy superintendent of police Gurdyal Rathi said, “We have arrested Aman for gang rape but Krishan is still at large.” On action in the murder of the minor’s mother, Rathi said, “That will be solved once Krishan is arrested.” Back home in Kalsi, the victim and her two younger sisters have stopped going to school.

Chandigarh, October 17
Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda's wife Asha Hooda today said her "head hangs in shame" when the state, a frontrunner in many areas, is pointed out for negative things that include an adverse sex ratio and recent incidents of crimes against women.

Asha Hooda, who is also vice-president of the Council for Child Welfare, Haryana, said when people talk about the state having made rapid progress in various fields but at the same time point it out for adverse sex ratio and crimes against women, she feels ashamed. “My head hangs in shame. I really feel ashamed when the state is pointed out (for negative things)...," Asha Hooda said, addressing a seminar here on female foeticide and atrocities against women.

Asha Hooda said crime against women is not confined to a particular state but is a nationwide problem and can be resolved through collective efforts. "We cannot stop crime against women in society until we change the mindset of people and, for this, the women themselves would have to come forward," she said.

Haryana has reported a series a rape incidents in the last two weeks. Asha Hooda sought the cooperation of the people, especially the non-government organisations (NGOs), to check crime against women. She also exhorted the women to come forward in checking the menace of crime against women. She urged the parents to inculcate moral values in their children so that they contribute to building a strong society.

Gurgaon, October 17
To save her from ‘monthly embarrassment’, the Gurgaon administration today handed over a ‘final’ cheque of Rs 1.5 lakh to the father of the six-year-old gang rape victim.

The administration had earlier decided to pay the victim Rs 1,000 per month till she attains the age of 18 years.

The cheque was given by the Child Welfare Council which had earlier given Rs 1 lakh cheque to the victim’s father, who insisted that till date the cheque had been of no use to him.

“I have no bank account and even the earlier cheque is lying with me. I have visited many banks but they demand documents to open an account which I don’t have,” said the victim’s father, requesting the administration to get an account opened for him. Officials present on the occasion expressed their inability to do so but suggested him to get a rent deed.

“I live in a ‘kholi’, I talked to my land lady but she refused to do so. It would have been better if they have given us cash on monthly basis,” he said.

The administration had decided to give the full payment to the victim after a few activists raised apprehensions that the monthly installments would remind the girl of her tragedy. The activists demanded that the money should have been deposited in an account in the name of the girl instead of giving it to her father.

“The girl lives with her step-mother and the family wishes to take her back to Bihar. In such circumstances, the money given to her father may not ensure the best facilities to the girl,” said an activist.

Hisar, October 17
A team of the SC cell of the BJP led by Dushyant Kumar Gautam visited Dabra village, near here, today and met the gang rape victim and her family members. Gautam said the team would present its report to BJP President Nitin Gadkari. The matter would be raised in Parliament.

He accused the Hooda government of being insensitive to crimes against women. Over the years the Hooda government had emerged as anti-Dalit and anti-women.

Accusing the village sarpanch of trying to hush up the matter by offering a huge monetary incentive to the victim and her family, he alleged, the police was trying to hush up the matter.

Fatehabad, October 17
Harish Bhatia, SDM, Ratia, will now probe the role of Government Middle School, Khai, in the alleged expulsion of three sisters after one of them became a victim of rape at the hands of a sexagenarian villager.

Rajiv Rattan, ADC, today ordered the inquiry after representatives of the All-India Democratic Women Association (AIDWA) and the All-India Lawyers Union (AILU), Haryana met him to protest against the school’s attitude and demanded action.

The activists of the two associations also expressed anger at the manner the Education Department in the district was trying to justify the girls’ ouster by claiming that they were issued school-leaving certificates (SLCs) on their own request.

In her report , District Education Officer Manju Gupta had claimed that the girls’ father had wanted his daughters to be issued SLCs.

However, the day Gupta claimed she had completed her probe, the victim’s father met Chief Judicial Magistrate Harish Gupta, seeking his intervention in admission of his daughters to the same school.

The judge had deputed Renu, District Child Protection Officer, to visit the village and ensure the girls’ admission to the school.

Jhajjar, October 17
The district unit of the women’s wing of the Indian National Lokdal (INLD) held a demonstration at Bahadurgarh town, located on the border of Delhi and Haryana, today against the rising incidents of crime against women in the state.

The protesters submitted a memorandum to the Bahadurgarh subdivisional magistrate, demanding the resignation of Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda for the failure of his government to prevent the rape incidents in the state.

The INLD activists gathered at Qila Mohalla in the morning and raised slogans against the Haryana police and state government for their alleged faillure in preventing the incidents.

The protesters marched to the mini secretariat through Gandhi Chowk, Subhash Chowk, Main Bazar and Lal Chowk. The INLD leader and former MLA, Nafe Singh Rathi, said rising crime against women had proved that the state government and the police had failed to provide safety and security to the women.

“Women are being raped almost daily while the government and the police are failing to curb the incidents,” said Rathi, adding that the women were feeling insecure in the state.

Sachakhera (Jind), October 17
The family of the gang rape victim who later committed suicide here might have to migrate to another place in view of the alleged threat from some family members of the accused who are in judicial custody.

Talking to The Tribune at her house after the visit of the 11-member Standing Committee of Parliament for the Welfare of SC and STs, Rajkali, the mother of the victim claimed that though the family had been provided with a round-the-clock security cover, insecurity prevailed as the family members of one of the accused pass comments and taunted them.

“We are afraid for our safety as the family of the accused, who reside in our locality, seem to have no remorse for the heinous crime. They appear to be waiting to strike back as soon as the police security goes,’’ she said.

She feared her family could be forced to relocate or migrate due to the behaviour of the family of an accused who is in the Haryana police and was arrested later in the case. Five persons were arrested on the basis of the dying statement given by the victim and the complaint lodged by her parents.

Alleging that the accused were getting support from other families in the village, she said it was near impossible for them to live under the present conditions. She said no help, either in the form of employment or financial aid, had come to them despite the visit of several VIPs.

Sirsa, October 17
Amid increasing incidents of crime against women in the state, girl students of Government National Post-Graduate College here have alleged that they were teased and being subjected to nasty remarks by some unwanted elements, including taxi drivers, outside their institution.

The girls met college principal Dr Suman Gulab and sought her intervention in the matter.

Meanwhile, Superintendent of Police Dr Rajshree Singh, who joined her duties today, said special emphasis would be laid to check incidents of crime against women and their exploitation.

The SP asked women to call helpline numbers 88140-11630, 88140-11622, 01666-247811 and 100 in case of emergency.

Hisar, October 17
Special teams formed by the Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam(DHBVN) for a month- long campaign against theft of electricity in its area raided 1,054 targeted premises and detected irregularities committed by 626 consumers, including 312 cases of proven theft of electricity during the first 10 days of the month. The teams imposed a penalty of Rs 2.40 crore on the erring consumers.

A DHBVN spokesman said here today that the teams checked 1,054 suspected meters and detected 312 cases of power theft

As many as 103 meters had been sent to the meter testing laboratory. If

these meters were found tampered with, cases of theft of power would be framed against these consumers.

The teams found 86 defective meters and 95 cases of unauthorised extension of load. The maximum cases of theft were detected in Gurgaon operation circle (72) followed by 66 in Faridabad, 52 in Narnaul, 44 in Hisar, 39 in Sirsa, 21 in Rewari and 18 in Bhiwani.

During the current month, these teams are likely to check at least 11,000 meters or premises where theft is suspected.

Fatehabad, October 17
The 26-month-old agitation by farmers opposed to the acquisition of their land for the proposed Gorakhpur Atomic Power Project (GAPP) finally ended today as Balbir Singh Nain, who took over the reins of the Kisan Sangharsh Samiti last month, announced lifting of the dharna outside the mini-secretariat in the afternoon.

“This, however, does not mean that we are going to surrender our land to the government, who has misled some of our farmers,” Balbir Singh said.

Harpal Singh, a former CPM legislator, who led the Ilaqa Bachao Samiti of farmers from 29 neighbouring villages, said this did not mean the end of the agitation. “Our samiti will mobilise farmers of the neighbouring villages against the proposed project once the harvesting season was over,” he said.

Hans Raj Siwach, who led the farmers’ agitation launched in July, 2010, had announced to call off the dharna on September 17 -- almost 25 months after it began.

However, another group of farmers led by Nain did not allow the tents to be removed and decided to continue the dharna.

Since then, a symbolic dharna by farmers continued outside the mini secretariat.

With today’s announcement, the 26-month-old dharna is finally over.

According to the authorities, more than 97 per cent of the farmers had already accepted their land compensation. The owners of only 55 acres in Gorakhpur have been refusing their cheques.

Faridabad, October 17
The farming community is miffed at the alleged shortage in the supply of fertilisers at government-controlled outlets here.

However, Faridabad deputy director, agriculture, Karam Chand, has denied any such shortage. There was sufficient stock in Faridabad at the moment, he asserted.

The officer said the demand of DAP fertiliser in this district during the rabi season, which has just commenced, is 5,500 MT and at present 3,500 mt was available in the official stock. Replenishment was expected to arrive soon.

However, farmers allege that when they visit the centres to purchase the fertiliser, it is not available. They are forced to procure it from private firmswhich sell it on the black market, they allege.

Vijay Chandila, a farmer of Badoli, said, “The refrain of the functionaries at the centres is that the stock of fertiliser has not arrived. When farmers visit the centres at specified dates, they are told the stocks had been sold.”

Manak Chand, former sarpanch of Panhera village, alleged that DAP fertiliser at the centres is available only to the members of cooperative societies or their associates.

Sowing of saron and jav has already commenced in several parts of Faridabad. Sowing of will wheat commence in the first week of next month during which time demand for fertiliser would increase manifold.

As per the official version, 80 per cent of the supply of DAP fertiliser is done by government agencies and the rest by private distributors.

Meawhile, Mool Chand Sharma, member of the national executive of the BJP Kisan Morcha, said his party had taken up the issue. It would launch an agitation if the supply of fertiliser at official centres was not restored soon. 

Hisar, October 17
Most of the Dalit families squatting outside the Mini-Secretariat here since May left for their village, Bhagana, late last night following an agreement with the administration.

Officials said 51 families left by special buses provided by the administration. Five families were still squatting there.

The families had been squatting here since May 21 after upper caste villagers constructed a wall around their residential colony in the village. They maintained that they feared violence against them if they returned to the village.

The administration has agreed to demolish the wall and provide them security. Besides, financial aid will also be given to them.