Gurgaon, December 11
In yet another case of the worsening law and order situation of Gurgaon, eight armed assailants allegedly barged into the intensive care unit (ICU) of Sunrise Hospital here today and shot at two patients admitted there.

The father-son duo had been earlier attacked in the court premises today and were admitted to this hospital where the men came in the evening to finish the “pending” job. The incident took place on Khandsa Road. The assailants fled after shooting, they were though caught on CCTV camera.

While the police is still trying to identify the attackers, the incident is believed to be an outcome of an inter-gang rivalry.

In 2011 there was a shootout between two groups in Khandsa village. Ranbir and Satbir had gone to the court for hearing a case related to the previous incident when they were attacked by their rivals. The police took them to Sunrise Hospital but the assailants managed to track them and attacked again in hospital.

They were shifted to Medanta Medicity in a critical condition.

“We have formed special investigation teams and are raiding some hideouts. The victims have named 10 people out of which seven have been identified. We are on the job and shall very soon arrest all accused,” said deputy commissioner of police (crime) Maheshwar Dayal.

“If places like court and hospitals are not safe what about common men’s home? The assailants came, shot and went away and the police and security of hospital were mute spectators,” said one of the wailing relatives of the victims.

Chandigarh, December 11
The Apna Ghar case is under the Punjab and Haryana High Court’s scanner again. A contempt petition was today filed against the Haryana Chief Secretary following the alleged disappearance of two girl inmates.

Advocate Utsav Bains referred to a previous order of the High Court to say that a direction was issued to the state government to ensure that none of the accused enlarged on bail were in a position to either meet or contact the children under any circumstances and if such instance was brought to the court’s notice, it would be “taken to be a violation of the order of this court inviting logical consequences.”

Bains said on November 5, just five days after High Court direction, a victim of the Apna Ghar shelter home lodged at Panipat went missing under mysterious circumstances. Referring to news reports, he said, the victim had told the special investigation team of the Haryana police probing the sexual and physical exploitation cases that she had also suffered at the hands of the Apna Ghar management.

“Shockingly again on December 10, it was reported that two Apna Ghar girls have again gone missing under mysterious circumstances despite directions of the High Court…. In its direction, the High Court had directed that it shall be ensured that the dangerous accused on bail should not be in a position to either meet or contact the children under any circumstances….”

“But, the state government has wilfully disobeyed the directions of the High Court because merely five days after the direction, the victim went missing under mysterious circumstances and the accused on bail were in a position to meet and contact the victim . The safety and security of the children was again compromised with despite directions from the High Court…,” Bains said in the petition.

Hisar, December 11
Ritu Tagore, Additional District and Sessions Judge, today sentenced Veena Jhamb, a former president of the Hisar Municipal Council and the local unit of the INLD, to life imprisonment and a fine of Rs 15,000 for the murder of her party worker.

She would have to undergo a further imprisonment of six months on her failure to pay the fine.

The victim Ranbir Singh, who was Jhamb’s close aide, died under mysterious circumstances on May 16, 2009.

The victim’s elder brother, Bhanwar Singh of Sainian Mohalla, in an FIR lodged against Veena Jhamb, had alleged that Ranbir was vomiting when he returned to his house on the fateful day. He was shifted to a private hospital where he died during treatment. Bhawar Singh alleged that his brother told the family members before his death that Veena Jhamb had poisoned him.

Bhanwar Singh alleged that Veena Jhamb had become jealous of his brother for his rising political clout. He alleged that Veena Jhamb had threatened Ranbir of dire consequences when the latter tried to sever links with her.

The police had initially registered a case of abetment to suicide.

However, the court during trial found the former municipal chief guilty of murder and hence sentenced her under section 302, IPC. 

Chandigarh, December 11
The Congress rally at Faridabad can be seen as an end of animosity between Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Gujjar leader and State Revenue Minister Mahender Pratap Singh. With this, the Chief Minister has not only managed to win over a detractor, but also sent a clear message to the Gujjar community that he considers them as much a part of the state as other communities.

The last rally addressed by the Chief Minister in the Gujjar heartland of Badhkal area was in 2005 when this constituency was still part of a larger constituency. As a result, a feeling began to grow among the people of the area that they were suffering on account of electing Mahender Pratap as their legislator as he did not get along with the Chief Minister.

By inviting the Chief Minister to announce a rally in his constituency, the Revenue Minister has not only been able to dispel that belief, but also sent a clear signal that he has patched up with the Chief Minister. Though, unsaid openly as of now, there is a buzz that Mahender Pratap Singh is preparing ground for the induction of his son into politics and therefore he is neutralising all his detractors.

The Revenue Minister had fallen apart with the CM by voicing his concern over the issue of land acquisition in the state. He had suggested that farmers that comprise a majority of his constituency should be made shareholders in any venture that comes up after acquisition. This issue was raised outside the Cabinet by Captain Ajay Yadav and both Mahender Pratap and Yadav were divested of their then portfolios.

Subsequently, not wanting to have to strong voices of dissent in his Cabinet, the Chief Minister gave Mahender Pratap important portfolios of Revenue, Technical Education and Food and Supply. It was now the Revenue Minister’s turn to tell the world that he had patched up with the Chief Minister. The Chief Minister too obliged by announcing various developmental schemes for the area.

The Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) does not have a very strong support base in the area, but commands some influence in the Gujjar community. With holding of the rally in the Gujjar heartland, Hooda has aimed at weakening the INLD support here and win over the community into the Congress camp. Prominent Gujjar leaders of the area include Faridabad MP Avtar Singh Badhana and BJP’s Krishan Pal Gurjar.

Faridabad region has six assembly segments where Gujjars, Banias and Punjabis form a substantial vote bank. Though, the Chief Minister has held several rallies in the area before, but the rally in Badkhal constituency represented by Mahender Pratap Singh has improved the equation of the Gujjar community with the CM.

However, at the same time there is another factor that is being stated to be behind the patch up by Mahender Pratap with the CM. It is alleged, though not validated that the name of some relatives of the Revenue Minister were echoing in a land scam in the area and he did not want them to surface.

Faridabad, December 11
The police has booked three persons in connection with the death of four labourers when the wall of a pit of a stone-crusher site collapsed.

The site, located in Palli crusher zone in the district, is owned by Raghu Singh, son of Haryana Revenue Minister Mahender Pratap.

Palli police chowki in charge Jeetender Kumar said the minister’s son had executed a registered lease for seven years in the name of Sunil Jain.

Jain, who was getting the entire site renovated, has been named in the FIR. The two other persons named in the FIR are the contractor, who was given the responsibility to renovate the site, and his employee.

The police officer said the minister’s son could not be inculpated in the case as he had leased out the site. He was in no way involved in the case, he added.

Meanwhile, no arrest has been made in the case. The police said they would take action after getting the post-mortem reports from Badshah Khan Civil Hospital.

Chandigarh, December 11
Even as the Jat Arakshan Samiti has renewed its threat to protest against delay in grant of OBC status to Jats, the Haryana Backward Classes Commission, constituted to look into the demand for the OBC status for Jats and other communities, is all set to submit its report on the reservation issue in the next couple of days.

The Chairman of the commission, Justice KC Gupta said the report was nearly final and under print. “We will try to submit the report tomorrow itself. If we aren’t able to meet this deadline we have set for ourselves, the report will definitely be handed over to the government by December 13,” he said.

Sources in the government said if the report comes by tomorrow, it could be tabled during the Cabinet meeting slated for tomorrow evening. The government, too, now wants to close the chapter by according OBC status to five castes, namely Jats, Jat Sikhs, Rors, Tyagis and Bishnois, as per recommendations of the commission.

A survey report, mandated by the commission, is learnt to have recommended reservation in jobs and education for the castes on the basis of their socio-economic and educational backwardness.

Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda had constituted the commission to explore the possibility of inclusion of certain castes in the OBC list following a long-drawn protest by the Jat community.

Meanwhile, the Jat Arakshan Samit has already announced its intention to block all roads leading to New Delhi on December 23, if the state government failed to issue a notification providing reservation status to Jats in government jobs by December 15.

At a press conference last week, Jat leaders had reiterated their demand for OBC status for Jats and had set a December 15-deadline for the Centre and the state government to issue a notification.

Stating that they would begin their protest by December 16, the leaders said Jats would begin a march to Delhi and block all roads leading to the national capital on December 23.

Kaithal, December 11
The district administration heaved a sigh of relief when those sitting in dharna at Kaithal hospital for the past two days agreed to take the body of Karan Singh for cremation.

Balbir Singh, Inspector-general of police, Karnal range, announced the suspension of station house officer (SHO), Rajound

He said the police had arrested seven of the 14 accused and rest would be arrested soon and their arms licences would be cancelled. He also gave an assurance to the protesters that an inquiry would be held into the late arrival of police at the spot of crime.

The role of doctors of civil hospital who referred main accused to Mullana hospital would also be inquired into, he added.

The DC said the family of the victim would get full salary as per rules and all possible help by the administration. He also assured to forward their demand for financial assistance to the state government.

Karan Singh was killed on Saturday night when during a ghurchari procession in Khurda village of this district a clash took place among members of two communities and he was shot dead and five others suffered injuries. 

Chandigarh, December 11
Haryana Director General of Police (DGP) Shriniwas Vashisht said owing to the success of e-challaning of vehicles in Faridabad and Panchkula, it would be implemented in the entire state from January, 2013.

The system will involve a central server connecting all districts and e-challans will be issued by using hand-held machines. The offenders will able to pay the required fine for traffic violation on the spot itself and obtain receipt.

The machine will also intimate if the person is a repeat offender, meriting a higher fine. If the vehicle concerned is involved in some crime or is stolen, the hand-held machine will be able to detect it from the server.

This will not only facilitate the public in payment of fine, but also work as a deterrent against stealing vehicles.

Vashisht was reviewing the law and order situation in a meeting with SSPs, range IGs and police commissioners through videoconferencing here today.

To keep a check on theft of vehicles in the National Capital Region (NCR), the DGP asked the Commissioners of Police, Gurgaon, Faridabad and SSPs concerned to prepare a joint strategy in this regard and for that extra force would be provided to them.

He said an intensive campaign would be launched in the state to nab the proclaimed offenders. He said to keep a check on the incidents of chain snatching and eve-teasing, police personnel should be deployed at the nakas and crowded places in civil dress.

Vashisht ordered that FIRs should be registered immediately in all criminal cases reported in the police stations.

Sirsa, December 11
The Haryana Women and Child Development department has suspended Shuchi Bajaj, a Child Development Project Officer (CDPO) posted in Madhosinghana block of Sirsa, for irregularities in the appointments of anganwadi workers.

Darshna Singh, a CDPO posted in Sirsa block of the district, has been given additional charge of the Madhosinghana block.

In September this year, the police had booked Shuchi Bajaj under Sections 166 and 167 of the IPC and various provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

She had allegedly ignored the merit of a candidate and appointed another woman as anganwadi worker by forging documents.

After receiving a complaint in this regard, Deputy Commissioner J Ganesan had directed the City Magistrate to inquire into the matter.

In his inquiry, the City Magistrate had found the allegations correct and ruled that it was a case of illegal gratification and an illegal act of a public servant to cause injury to a person.

The DC had recommended the registration of an FIR in a communication to the superintendent of police, after which the police had booked the official.

The Women and Child Development Department, in the meanwhile, conducted a separate inquiry into the conduct of the official and after finding her guilty, suspended her services.

District Project Officer Ramesh Nagpal confirmed the suspension orders issued by the department. 

Kurukshetra, December 11
Students of Kurukshetra University here held a protest in front of the Vice-Chancellor’s office, alleging that a student of the university had been “slapped”, “punched” and “kicked” by a professor of the Psychology Department for asking his permission to go to toilet during an examination yesterday.

Demanding expulsion of the teacher concerned, angry students raised slogans against the VC and also blocked traffic in front of the university Gate No. 3.

Rakesh, a student of MA-I, reportedly wanted to go to toilet but was refused permission by Head of Psychology Department Dr JS Bidlan and on requesting, he was beaten up badly.

"I got scared and embarrassed as he kicked, slapped and punched me in front of students. I had to leave my exam in between,” said Rakesh.

“Today, we gave an application to take action against the professor to the VC. The concerned professor apologised in front of all students and teachers in the department,” said students.

Rohtak, December 11
e local police has arrested a total of nine suspects in the matter of kidnapping and release of a teenaged son of a businessman from a spot near Basana village last month, against a ransom amount of Rs 37 lakh.

The police has already recovered Rs 28 lakh from four of the accused who had been arrested after an encounter on November 12. The four persons who have been taken on production warrant are lodged in the Sonepat jail at present. The court remanded them to five days’ police custody today.

A police official said some of the accused who were in police uniform had stopped the vehicle of a Gurgaon-based businessman near Basana village in the district on November 3, when the victim was on his way back from Gugameri, a pilgrimage site in Rajasthan.

It is reported that the accused had kidnapped the 17-year-old son of the businessman but let the latter go. Though no complaint was lodged with the police then, it is revealed that the family of the victim paid a ransom of Rs 38 lakh to have the victim let off safely on November 7.

But luck on part of some of the accused ran out soon when five of the gangsters were nabbed by the police after an encounter at Kami village of Bhiwani district on November 12. An amount of Rs 28 lakh was recovered from their possession, which was allegedly taken as ransom money from the businessman, it is revealed.

It is claimed that interrogation of the arrested persons led to the disclosure of four more youths in this incident and the police came to know that four of the accomplices of those arrested were lodged in the jail at Sonepat. All the four -- identified as Pawan, Sandeep, Ashish and Sunil, alias Salim -- were produced in the court today which remanded them to five days police custody, said a spokesperson of the department. The amount of Rs 9 lakh is yet to be recovered.

Rohtak, December 11
An 18-year-old male patient suffering from a rare abdominal disease, Achlasia Cardia, got a fresh lease of life at Pt BD Sharma PGIMS, here, after he was successfully operated upon by use of the endoscopic procedure.

Dr Parveen Malhotra, who led the team of doctors that conducted the operation, said the patient, who did not want to be identified, had reported at the OPD of gastroenterology department a month back complaining of facing difficulty in swallowing food since the age of six years.

He said the patient told him that the situation got worse as he grew older and ultimately reported here when he failed to get any proper treatment from some private hopsitals he had visited during the past few years.

Dr Malhotra said the diagnostic tests revealed that the patient was suffering from a rare disease Achlasia Cardia in which the joint of the foodpipe and stomach had got very stiff and narrowed down. As a result, the food was not going into stomach properly.

The patient exhibited symptoms like vomiting, acidity, ulcer in the foodpipe, chewed food coming back in mouth and severe vitamin deficiencies. He said the patient had become very weak and his daily routine had been disturbed.

“We decided to perform the endoscopy procedure using Achlasia Cardia balloon dilator which broadened the joint of the foodpipe and stomach. The operation ran for over two hours and the follow-up was conducted for over a week. The patient has been able to overcome the problem in swallowing food completely and has no complaint of any kind now,” said the doctor.

He said his diet intake had become normal and the patient had been discharged after comprehensive tests.

The procedure in this case was very complex and needed the highest degree of precision because there was the danger of the foodpipe getting burst during the procedure, said Dr Malhotra. The treatment through the endoscopic procedure was highly successful and effective and needed the least incision, said Dr Malhotra.

Kaithal, December 11
A new record had been set up in Kaithal district as all 17 candidates for the panchayat bye-elections December, 2012, have been elected unanimously.

Giving this information here today, deputy commissioner Chander Shekhar said it was for the first time after coming into force the Panchayti Raj Act 1994 that the panchayats had elected their representatives unanimously.

District development and panchayat officer Rajesh Koth and other officials made this possible by adopting a conciliatory approach during conduct of this election.

Bye-elections for one zila parishad member, a sarpanch and 15 panches to various panchayats were to be held on December 15. Today was the last date of withdrawal and all contestants except one each for these posts withdrew their nomination papers, thus paving the way for a unanimous election.

Reeta Devi has been elected zila parishad member from ward no 7 which was reserved for an SC woman. Ranjit Kaur has been elected sarpanch of Garhi Nazir village and this seat was reserved for a woman.

Fatehabad, December 11
Farmers, whose lands have been acquired for the proposed nuclear power plant at Gorakhpur in Fatehabad, have sought hiked compensation for their lands.

A group of farmers that has been continuing its agitation despite having accepted compensation cheques from the government, today met the Deputy Commissioner ML Kaushik and demanded Rs 68 lakh per acre as compensation for the land. “The government has acquired land for a powerhouse at Khatkar in Jind for Rs 68 lakh per acre, while we have been given Rs 35 lakh though the collector rates of lands are higher in Fatehabad,” farmers Balwant, Sadhu Ram, Ram Phal and others alleged in their representation to the DC.

They also demanded that the authorities should carve out a colony for providing residential plots to the farmers displaced by the acquisition and should also provide jobs to their youths as per their eligibility before taking over the possession of their lands.

They also demanded compensation for their tubewells, trees and constructed houses on the land. The farmers told the DC that they would not end their agitation till their demands were met. Kaushik said the farmers had been given the highest possible compensation for their lands.