Gurgaon, November 22
Preliminary investigation by the Chief Vigilance Officer (CVO) of the PGIMS, Rohtak, has found that at least two MBBS (first prof) answersheets of Sahil Lal, a student of the institute, were found to be tampered with.

However, when Sahil was told to appear before the CVO, he instead moved a court. There, he maintained that owing to ‘internal politics’, an anonymous complaint had been made against him, which could affect his exam result and, in turn, career.

On his plea, the court of Rohtak Civil Judge (Junior Division)-cum-First Class Judicial Magistrate Nitin Raj restrained the authorities of Pt BD Sharma University of Health Sciences from taking action against Sahil till November 27, the next date of hearing.

Sahil happens to be son of Dr Purshotam Lal, chairman of the Metro group of hospitals and member of the Board of Governors of the Medical Council of India (MCI).

Sources said Sahil had also applied for migration to some other medical college

The university authorities seem to be in no mood to spare the wrongdoers, including the student as well as the examiners who have apparently helped him in getting good marks by use of unfair means.

“We will challenge the court’s order and get a thorough inquiry conducted after the stay is vacated?. Whosoever is found guilty in the probe would be subjected to exemplary action, be it a student or our faculty member(s),” said Prof SS Sangwan, Vice-Chancellor of the university, while talking to The Tribune today.

Sources revealed that Sahil got admission to the MBBS course at the PGIMS under the NRI quota. After the first prof result was declared, some students made an anonymous complaint against him, alleging that he had secured good marks through unfair means.

Preliminary investigation found that at least two answersheets of biochemistry and physiology had been apparently tampered with.

The university authorities asked the CVO to probe the matter. Sources maintained that the tell-tale connivance of certain senior faculty members in tampering with Sahil’s answersheets was being viewed seriously by the PGIMS fraternity.

Sirsa, November 22
The police has finally arrested a woman, Salma, and Hasan, both residents of Gandhi and Ninan villages, respectively, in Rajasthan, in a case of 16-year-old girl’s murder after rape near Kagdana in Sirsa 11 months ago.

Though the police has not found any evidence against them for rape or murder so far, the duo have been arrested for the victim’s running away from her home in Gandhi village of Rajasthan on December 10, 2011.

The Sirsa police had found the victim’s body near a roadside eatery at Kagdana village in this district a few kilometers from her home in Gandhi village of Rajasthan. The police at that time treated it as a hit-and-run case.

However, the Forensic Science Lab report of the victim’s viscera made it clear that she was gangraped before her death.

The police added Sections 276 and 302, IPC, to the FIR but the case file had been gathering dust in the police station for the past 11 months.

Rajshree Singh, SSP, had handed over the case to the CIA staff of Sirsa police. When the police quizzed the victim’s acquaintances in her native village, her friend, Salma, revealed that she had sent the victim to meet Hasan, a student in Sirsa.

Salma told the police she was in love with Hasan but her family had fixed her marriage somewhere else.

She said as Hasan was threatening to disrupt her wedding, she had offered him to have an affair with her friend, the victim, who had agreed to it.

Salma told the police that she had sent the victim to Sirsa to meet Hasan but she did not know who raped and murdered her on the way.

The police has now added Sections 363 and 366 (kidnapping) of the IPC to the FIR following the arrest of Salma and Hasan. 

Chandigarh, November 22
Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said here today that Haryana had no objection if Punjab got another railway project.

Reacting to Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal’s request to Union Railway Minister Pawan Bansal to set up such a project in Punjab, Hooda said although Punjab already had a railways project in Kapurthala, he had no objection in Punjab getting another such project. However, Haryana should get a railways project as there was no such project in the state.

Talking to reporters after launching 36 branches of HDFC Bank and its Bharat Credit Card here, Hooda claimed that Haryana had a locational advantage as it surrounded the national Capital from three sides and almost all trains passed through this state. He said he would call on the Railways Minister to impress upon him that Haryana should get a railway unit.

The Chief Minister said the state government had already offered land to set up a railway project in the state and urged the union minister to send a team to choose appropriate land for the purpose.

Meanwhile, Hooda e-launched 36 new branches of HDFC Bank in Haryana, 26 of these in rural areas. He also launched 'Bharat' Credit Card of HDFC Bank to facilitate farmers.

Sirsa, November 22
The Sirsa police has arrested two persons for showing black flags to Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh when he was on his way to Rajasthan on November 15.

The accused — Jagdev Singh, a resident of Talwara Khurd, and Jasbir Singh, a resident of Dhani Bachan Singh, — were produced before a court in Ellenabad today, where they were released on bail.

The police had booked them on November 15 when hundreds of dera followers stormed Ellenabad police station and demanded the registration of criminal cases against those who had hurt their religious sentiments.

The police had initially booked 14 persons — six of them identified by their names and the rest unidentified — under Sections 295-A (deliberate and malicious act intended to outrage religious feelings), 298 (uttering words etc to wound religious feelings of a person), 153-A (promoting enmity between two groups on ground of religion), 341 (wrongful restraint), 148 and 148 (rioting) of the IPC.

However, during investigation, the police deleted Section 153-A from the FIR, said a police source.

Earlier, the police had arrested three dera followers for assault on five persons while they were going to their village in a car after attending a meeting at a gurdwara in Ellenabad.

Meanwhile, the dera chief appeared before the CBI court in the case of murder of a journalist, Ram Chander Chhatarpati, through video-conferencing from Sirsa courts amidst tight security arrangements.

The hearing passed off peacefully and the dera followers dispersed after the exit of their chief, who remained in the court for nearly six hours.

Hisar, November 22
The local Municipal Corporation has devised a novel way to solve the problem of encroachment by shopkeepers and haphazard parking by customers in Rajguru Market here.

Officials said the corporation had now decided to post four employees in the market to challan the erring shopkeepers and customers for encroachment and wrong parking, respectively.

These officials would also collect a fine of Rs 1,000 from the shopkeepers in case of encroachment and a similar amount from customers for wrong parking. The fine will be recovered on the spot.

The fine so recovered would be utilised for improving infrastructural facilties in the market, including parking and toilets.

This is the city's busiest market. It is very well designed and every shop has a wide verandah in front. However, the shopkeepers have rented out the verandahs to vendors who put up stalls there, preventing free passage to customers.

Due to lack of proper parking space, people tend to park vehicles haphazardly preventing smooth flow of traffic.

Chandigarh November 22
The secondary and senior secondary examinations for September-October, 2012, of the Board of School Education, Haryana, which were cancelled at a few centres, would now be held from December 10 instead of November 24 due to administrative reasons, a spokesman of the board said today.

Detailed letters in this regard were being issued to the schools and candidates concerned. — TNS

Rohtak, November 22
A group of students owing allegiance to the Indian National Students Organisation (INSO) staged a demonstration and locked the office of the agency handling the preparation of the results of the examinations of Maharshi Dayanand University (MDU) in protest against alleged irregularities in the detailed marks sheets (DMC) and delay in the announcement of the results of various courses.

The work of the office could resume after the intervention of the senior officials of the university.

The work of the private agency handling the work of the preparation of examination results came to a halt around 10 am this morning when members of INSO reached the agency office located on the MDU campus and put a lock on the main gate, alleging gross irregularities in the work related to declaration and issuing of the marksheets.

Claiming that the students were at the receiving end due to the faults and unusual delay in the preparation and issuance of the marksheets and results of various courses, a spokesperson of INSO said the authorities concerned had failed to act against the agency which had been allotted the work for the past about one and half years.

“Total mismanagement appears to be reigning in this work as several candidates appearing in the diploma in yoga (distance education programme) had not been issued roll numbers till the start of the examinations yesterday,” claimed Pardeep Deswal, district president of INSO.

He alleged that the registration numbers printed on the DMC issued for the LLM students were wrong in a majority of the cases. Also, the announcement of results of almost 50 per cent of the courses was running behind schedule, causing problems to the students.

He said though the “irregularities” had been highlighted on several occasions in the past, no action had been taken against the agency or the officials concerned.

Dr B.S.Sindhu, controller of examinations of the university, rubbished the charges of irregularities in the work of preparation and the delay in the announcement of results.

He said the work of the agency hired by MDU was satisfactory though there could be some problems at the level of certain departments or the students themselves. He admitted that work got stalled for some time due to the protest by some students today.

Chandigarh, November 22
The Punjab and Haryana High Court today ordered a judicial intervention in the matter of encroachments and illegal constructions in the prohibited zones around the Air Force stations of Faridabad and Gurgaon.

A Division Bench headed by Chief Justice AK Sikri directed the chief judicial magistrates (CJMs) of Faridabad and Gurgaon to visit the areas and file a detailed report on the encroachments near these Air Force stations before December 12.

The directions came after the local authorities failed to control the illegal constructions around these stations. Interestingly, the Bench directed the CJMs of both the districts to visit the areas this afternoon only.

The matter was brought under the judicial scanner through a petition filed in public interest by Faridabad-resident Suersh Goyal seeking the removal of constructions from the 100-metre area around the Air Force Station of Dabua in Faridabad, which is a protected zone under the provisions of the Work of Defence Act.

As the matter came up for hearing, the vulnerability of the situation near these defence establishments was brought to the knowledge of the Chief Justice through an affidavit filed on behalf of the Station Commandant of the Faridabad Air Force station.

It has been informed that despite the high court directions to stay fresh construction near the restricted zone of 900 metres of the ammunition depot of the Indian Air Force, Gurgaon, and prohibited zone of 100-metre area around Air Force Station, Dabua in Faridabad, a large number of illegal constructions continued.

On the last date of the hearing, the state of Haryana had claimed that it had taken sufficient measures to check the illegal construction in these areas. Following the state’s reply, the HC had asked the Air Force to file a counter reply.

During the hearing today, the counsel for the Air Force, advocate Onkar Singh Batalvi, informed the Bench that despite several intimations and communications, no concrete step was taken by the Faridabad and Gurgaon administrations.

Batalvi submitted that the Air Force authorities at Faridabad had handed over a list of eight persons who had encroached in the restricted zone to the local administration, but no action had been taken by them.

Taking his statement on record, Chief Justice Sikri immediately ordered the CJMs of both the districts to visit the area and send a report to the HC.

Air Force counsel, following the HC orders, also sent the communications, earlier sent by them to the local authorities on the issue, to the CJMs through fax.

Now the case would come up for further hearing on December 12.

Chandigarh, November 22
Coming down heavily on HUDA for carving out plots on a piece of land which it never acquired and harassing two persons, the Punjab and Haryana 
High Court has slapped a Rs 17 lakh penalty on the authority.

The cost was imposed as HUDA kept dragging its feet in deciding the case of Paramjeet Kaur whose land has wrongly been allotted to Kulwinder Singh, causing undue harassment to both of them.

Taking strong exception, the High Court directed that Rs 10 lakh compensation be paid to Paramjeet Kaur and Rs 5 lakh to Kulwinder Singh.

Besides, Rs 2 lakhs will be paid as a penalty by the Estate Officer for wrongly denying a plot to Paramjeet Kaur.

In her petition, Kaur claimed that she had purchased land in Panipat from the original owner in 2007.

She added after she approached HUDA seeking permission to raise construction on the said land, she was shocked to learn that the said land had already been allotted to Kulwinder Singh by HUDA.

The department informed Kaur that it had initiated acquisition proceedings for the land in 1996 in Panipat. However, the said land
was dropped from the acquisition.

HUDA denied Kaur the permission for construction maintaining that plots have been carved out by HUDA on the said land. Later, HUDA informed Kaur that the said land had been allotted to Kulwinder Singh in 1999.

Kaur moved the High Court. In 2008, the High Court directed HUDA to decide Kaur’s claim and grant her an alternative plot. HUDA also gave an undertaking that it would decide the representation within six months.

Getting no response from HUDA, Kaur once again moved the High Court seeking contempt proceedings against HUDA.

In 2011, the HUDA Estate Officer passed an order denying a plot to Kaur. On the other hand, Kulwinder Singh, who was allotted the land in 1999, was not given its possession

Peeved, Kaur again knocked at the doors of the High Court last month.

During the hearing of her petition today, HUDA moved an application stating that as and when HUDA will acquire the land in question, the petitioner will be given an alternative plot under the outstees’ quota.

Ambala, November 22
A special investigating team of Vigilance sleuths from New Delhi have initiated investigations into a fake ticketing racket in Ambala, allegedly being run by a private agency in connivance with some Railways staffers.

The investigations were carried out after the Chief Commandant of the Railway Protection Force (RPF), Ambala, Mohinder Singh, registered a case against unknown persons in this regard about a week ago.

A three-member Vigilance team headed by a senior officer from the Railways headquarters in New Delhi came here today and started investigations.

It questioned some Railways employees and a few passengers and found that the racket was being operated by a private ticketing agency.

It was learnt that the Railways authorities got to known about the racket when two passengers going to Muzzafarpur in Bihar came to the railway ticket counter to refund the tickets. The employee at the counter told the passengers that the tickets were from Ambala cantonment to Dukheri railway station which was at a distance of only 7 km from Ambala cantonment and the tickets cost Rs 2 each. But the passengers had paid Rs 202 per ticket. The clerk at the counter reported the matter to the higher authorities, who ordered a registration of a case and subsequent investigations.

Sources privy to investigations revealed that the Railway department was planning to seal the private ticket agency allegedly involved in the sale of fake railway tickets.

Mohinder Singh said investigations in this matter were on and the accused were likely to be arrested soon. He said that the RPF was also conducting a parallel investigating into the matter.

Meanwhile, Senior Division Commercial Manager (SDCM) Ambala Railway Division GM Singh said given the gravity of the situation, the matter was being thoroughly looked into. He said the role of the private ticket agency was under scanner since the matter got exposed last week. 

Rohtak, November 22
The inordinate delay in holding the draw of plots in Sector 5 here by HUDA has led to resentment among applicants who have now served an ultimatum on the authorities concerned to either hold the draw within 15 days or face an agitation. There are over 2.5 lakh applicants for about 450 plots in Sector 5 whose draw was scheduled to be held on September 19 but had been postponed due to a legal tangle.

“I am fed up and wish to withdraw the amount deposited as there is little hope of the draw being held shortly,” said an applicant .

“While the banks are charging a rate of around 11 per cent, HUDA would be paying around 5 per cent for the delay and it would the applicant who would be suffering,’’ said Sanjay Khatri, another applicant.

Manoj Kumar and Jagbir said they had already received notice from their bank which had financed their applications to deposit the interest for the delayed period or their applications could be dumped.

Ashima Sangwan, estate officer, HUDA , said the office would request the court to allow it to hold the draw soon. She said the draw had got delayed to unforeseen circumstances.

Ambala, November 22
The capacity addition in power generation undertaken by Haryana has finally started yielding results as the state has overtaken Punjab in daily power supply after commissioning of its Khedar and Jhajjar plants.

It is perhaps for the first time that Punjab has lagged behind in supplying power. As per Central Electricity Authority (CEA) reports, power supply in Haryana was around 1000 lakh units (LU) daily as 925 LU in Punjab.

The power utilities supplied 1000 LU on November 1, 1030 LU on November 7, 1007 LU on November 14 and 959 LU on November 21 . The corresponding figures for Punjab were 945 LU, 942 LU, 779 LU and 823 LU.

The evening peak load demand met in November varied between 4,434 MW and 5,028 MW. In the case of Punjab, it varied between 4,196 MW and 4,629 MW.

Haryana had added 1200 MW (2x600) at the Khedar thermal plant. . Besides, 1320 MW (2x660) at Mahatama Gandhi Super Thermal Power Project, Jhajjar, and 1500 MW (3x500) Indra Gandhi Super Thermal Power Project, Jhajjar, in which the state has a 50 per cent share had taken the HPGCL generation capacity to 5,050.5 MW. The power utility is now generating 2,072 MW from its own sources while the total power available from all sources has touched the 4974.4 MW mark.

Meanwhile, both units at the 600-MW Yamunanagar plant have been facing forced closure as their turbines had suffered damage. While the unit number II turbine had been damaged on September 25 last year, that of unit number I fell out of operations in April this year. Sources said both units would be put back into operation next month. 

Faridabad, November 22
Four of the seven elected members of the Congress-ruled Faridabad Zila Parishad left for an undisclosed destination yesterday after formally joining the INLD, destabilising the reign of the ruling party (Congress) over the elected body.

The members have also formally communicated to the Faridabad deputy commissioner, Balraj Singh, their no-confidence in the president of the parishad, Yogita Bhati. They have questioned her style of functioning and alleged that she had discriminated against their wards.

The development has plunged the Congress-ruled parishad, which has a strength of 10, into a crisis. The Congress has been reduced to a minority in the elected body and the INLD appears to have an upper hand on account of the turncoats in its ranks. The parishad already has two members in Nahar Singh Chauhan and Balla Chandilla.

Akhatar Hussain, Suresh Kumari, Brijlal and Raj Kumari, who joined the INLD, are considered to be loyalists of senior Congress leaders of Faridabad. They boycotted a meeting of the parishad yesterday and left for the Delhi residence of INLD supremo and former Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala, where they formally joined the party. They were led by Veerpal Gujjar, a local office-bearer of the INLD.

INLD Faridabad president, Nagender Bhadana, confirmed that four members had joined his party.

Balraj Singh confirmed that he had received the communication by the members against the president of the parishad. “The matter is being examined and a date will be fixed for a meeting of the full house of the parishad for a discussion on the no-confidence motion,” he said.

The development has come as a shock to the Congress camp. According to some, it is a reflection on the senior Congress leaders in Faridabad who could not keep the party together. An apparently miffed Congress leader, on the condition of anonymity, alleged that some senior leaders of the party were more interested in self-aggrandisement than strengthening the party.

Faridabad president of the Congress BR Ojha said the MLAs and ministers would have to do the explanations as the elected members were close to them.

According to many, the dent by the INLD in the Congress camp assumes significance as five of the six assembly seats in this district were bagged by the ruling party in the last Assembly election. Of them, Mahender Pratap and Shivcharan Sharma are ministers in Haryana, and Sharda Rathore is the Chief Parliamentary Secretary.

For the record, although Shivcharan Sharma won as an Independent from NIT as he was denied a Congress ticket, for all intents and purposes, he is considered a party leader. His son Mukesh Sharma is senior deputy mayor of the Municipal Corporation of Faridabad, and Congress leader.

Kurukshetra, November 22
Taking note of unauthorised hoardings in the city and nearby areas, additional deputy commissioner Sumedha Kataria has directed the Municipal Corporation of Kurukshetra and other municipal councils to remove the hoardings within 15 days.

This direction was given to MC executive officers (EOs) of councils falling under the jurisdiction of Kurukshetra.

The Tribune had carried a news item highlighting the presence of illegal hoardings. Kataria also sought a list of hoardings, authorised or unauthorised. She said the Punjab and Haryana High Court had issued strict instructions to remove unauthorised hoardings.

She also directed the officials concerned to submit a certificate stating that unauthorised hoardings had been removed from their areas.

All subdivisional magistrates had also been asked to provide the required help in removing such hoardings, the ADC said.

Rewari, November 22
Following the recovery of the body of Sarjit of Bulandshahr (UP) from a deserted place at Malpura village, near Dharuhera, yesterday, the police has registered a case of murder against assailants.

The police said Sarjit (32), who was employed as a truck driver in a factory at Jalalpur village in the Pataudi area of Gurgaon district, was shot dead by assailants who then dumped the body there. — OC